of the soule and accepts of it Thirdly this justly layes open the folly of mens censures if a man breake not out into open outragious sinnes they esteeme and commend such for good men though it may bee his soule is full stuffed with Atheisme revenge and all manner of villanie Fourthly this should teach us to condemne our selves even for our sinfull thoughts for know though thou livest without danger of mans law thou maist have a rebellious minde opposite to the divine law of God by which thou shalt be judged Yet seeing for this present life wee stand in need of earthly things and are not to cast off all care of them let us hearken to some directions in the use of them For riches and other necessaries God sends them unto us to be as meanes to sweeten our pilgrimage here In the using them take heed they doe not possesse and take up our whole heart immoderately labouring after them and before any spirituall grace This the Apostle blames in these men he saw they made religion to bee subordinate and to give place to their worldly lusts and that as he cared not if by any meanes he could attaine to the resurrection of the dead so they contrarily cared not if by any meanes through any crosse or losse whatsoever they could attaine to riches honour or the like yea if religion stood in their way though it were with the losse of Religion and a good conscience Secondly we must take heed that wee use these earthly things so as to draw good out of them and to imploy them to good labour we to see God in pleasure in richâ—s and in our abundance knowing and esteeming of them as a beame of the bright Sun-shine of Gods favour to us and thus to be lifted up to admire and praise his goodnesse Thirdly make them instruments of mercie and bountie it s an excellent way to further our accompts so receive the good as wee avoide the snare the way is not to hide our talents in a napkin to enter into a Monasterie to live idle but to occupie use and imploy them in the service of God and of our neighbours To conclude let us so use them as they be helpers of us to a better life not binderers for wee are in an estate betweene two in a warring and conflicting estate even as a peece of iron betweene two loadstones and know not which way to leane and yet may offend in the excesse of either side And therefore let us observe some signes whereby we may know whether we bee right or not And first of all this affection of love being the primarie and principall part is knowne by other affections If therefore our love bee set on the world we shall greeve and vexe our selves for worldly losses and fret and be chafed when wee are crossed in them and this made Ahab so lumpish as nothing could comfort him but Naboths vineyard Secondly let us observe whether our labours and indeavours are carried what wee talke of most what thinke we or meditate wee on first and last morning and evening if wee observe our carriage it will discover our minde Such are also opposite to any religious good course he that is rich bitterly opposeth goodnesse and therefore it is that Christ said Yee cannot serve God and Mammon and concludeth It is harder for a rich man to get into heaven than for a Camell to passe through a needles eye But to cure this sore Let us fetch arguments from the nature of the soule of man and the nature of these things and consider the incongruitie betweene the soule a pure heavenly spirituall essence and base earthly corrupt things dust was made meate for the serpent by a curse and not for man And remember The God of truth hath threatned vengeance against his dearest children that doe not mortifie their carnall lusts Abhorre we therefore the first thoughts of this sinne and divert our soules to higher thoughts and bee humbled shaming our selves for debasing our soules in that manner else will God take us in hand for he will not suffer his children to surfeit on the world but will bring them backe that they shall see and know all is but vanitie and vexation of spirit VERS 20. For our conversation is in Heaven Tâ—e word translated here For in the former translation is But and so it depends on the fore going words some walke as enemies to the crosse of Christ c. But our conversation is in heaven If it be as it is here translated For then doth it follow the 17. ver Mark them that walke as ye have us for an example for our conversation is in heaven Shewing the reason why he was so confident in propounding his example to bee imitated which way it be taken it is not much materiall onely from the opposition between those examples he speakes of immediately going before and is propounded in this verse Note that in the Church there are alwayes men of divers dispositions some ever goe with the current into Mare mortuum and others ever against the streame like the starres that are carried with a secret motion of their owne notwithstanding that in this world they seeme to be carried by the violent motion of the common course of men And this was first in Gods eternall decree that their should be perpetuall enmitie between the seed of the woman and of the serpent Secondly There is a difference in calling some onely outwardly some inwardly by his spirit Many are called but few are chosen Thirdly they differ in their rulers one are governed by the Divell and led captive to doe his will others by God Fourthly in regard of their conversation some are heavenly minded others are altogether earthly Fifthly their ends are different the way of one is upwards to heaven the way of the other is downward tending to the gates of death even to hell But to come to the words The Apostle saith not my conversation but our conversation implying that those that meane not to bee of the number of those that have their end in damnation they must bee of the number of those of a holy conversation The word in the originall signifies most properly a freedome or a Burgership So as from the metaphour we may gather thus much That Heaven is a Citie and all true Christians are Citizens and inhabitants of this Citie for as it is in the Citie of this world so may it be said comparatively of this Citie and the inhabitants First it s under a governour who is the Lord Christ. Secondly it s governed by law which is Gods law Thirdly it hath a store-house of all good things as of food and of other of the like sort which is heaven for it hath bread of life it hath rich and plenteous treasure Fourthly it hath liberties they are free from Sathans tyrannie free from the lawes curse and condemning power and are all Kings and shall all raigne
a Christian by his proper act Worship and by the proper object thereof God and by his most proper part in spirit And the word Worship is taken for the inward worship of God commanded in the first Commandement also comprehending our feare love of God and joy in him issuing from the knowledge of the true God All our obedience issuing herefrom is worship of God including our duties to man in obedience and relation to Gods Commandement The ground of this obedience and worship is the relation betweene God and the reâ—sonable creature being the Image of God now this image being lost in the fall of our first parents wee must worship him not onely as our creator and maker but as reconciled to us in Christ as he hath made us anew Secondly we are to worship him as the well-spring of all grace goodnesse excellencie and greatnesse Thirdly As he doth communicate all unto us he is ours Christ is ours all is ours this should carry our soules to love him be his as he is ours especially to be his in Spirit By which is meant the reasonable soule understanding will and affections And Secondly with sanctified understanding sanctified will and sanctified affections Thirdly with all our strength spirit life and chearfull readinesse Wherefore God is the proper object of spirituall worship Trust on him love him joy in him invoke and pray to him and to him onely not to the Virgin Mary Saints or Images as the Papists doe Mat. 4.10 Him onely shalt thou serve as Christ saith because our commandement is onely from him and extends onely to him The promises are onely from him he onely is present in all places he onely supplies our wants and he onely knowes what our wants are and how to helpe Saints are not present in all places they cannot heare many at once nay they cannot heare our prayers unlesse they be present they are finite creatures they have no infinite properties Christ he bids us invites us to come to him he hath promised to heare us and to ease us And further God knowes the secret wants which the Saints cannot know no wee our selves know them not and therefore are we to goe onely to God in all our necessities because it is most gainfull for us to goe to him that can helpe us nay we owe him this honour by going to him to acknowledge his omnipresence his willingnesse and ability to doe good VERS 3. In Spirit THe Apostle in these words shewes the manner of true worship by the most proper and fit part of a Christian to wit his Spirit that is as soule truely sanctified lively and cheerfully with a willing and ready mind fitly disposed Contrary to outward false and hypocriticall worship And the reason is Because God is a Spirit and therefore must be worshipped in spirit Secondly it is the best part of a man and God who challenges all and that justly looks especially that he hath the best part Thirdly the Spirit hath a being of it selfe and praiseth loveâ—h and rejoyceth in God when it s out of the body and the body is stirred up to this duâ—y onely by the spirit it being of it selfe senselesse as a blocke and outward worship without inward is but the carkasse of worship The Prayer of a wicked man is abominable because he regards iniquitie in his heart Psal. 66.18 And this spirit of ours without the spirit of God cannot worship him and therefore every one that is not changed makes God an Idoll This may deprive all such of comfort as care not for this spirituall worship thinking they have done enough if they have mumbled a few idle words over God accepts it no more than if they had sacrificed a dogges head as he saith Esay 66.3 And verily what other is Poperie but a bodie without a soule when they worship in blinde sacrifices in a strange language Is this a spirituall worship when they neither know what they doe nor say Let us shew that we are not of their number Come we with love and with the intention of all our affections and this will sway the whole man body and soule and so shall we worship him in truth and not in hypocrisie as many doe that bring their Idols with them their mindes are on their pleasures and riches though their body be present before God And it hath ever been an error in the world this limiting and tying Gods worship to outward worship of the body with a kinde of ceremonious gesture and it is very much liked for such like Reasons as these are First the outward gesture as holding up hands bending the knee casting up the eyes they are things that may easily be done Secondly they make a glorious shew in the eyes of the world its a commendable and good quality to be religious especially if they bee observed so to be Thirdly its beneficiall to men when as hereby they are knowne to be no Atheists and therefore not that way uncapable of preferment or the like Fourthly outward worship satisfies conscience a little men know they must worship God and goâ— to Church that these are means to save men and thâ—y thinke that in doing so they stoppe the cryes of their consciences Alas Alas these sleepie blinded consciences of theirs will â—t length awake and will accuse them for the outward ceremonious hypocriticall worship of him that requires the spirit to worship him with But some men may say how shall we know whether we serve God in spirit or no I answer observe these properties First Wâ—ether thou lamentest thy defects in the best actions thou dost and art not puffed up with conceit of the sufficiencie of thy performances Paul found this in him for although he lived being a Pharisee as concerning the Law unrebukable yet when he was converted he saw much corruption which before he knew not and laments and bewailes it Rom. 7. Secondly Examiâ—e thy selfe whether thou makest conscience of private closet duties Of prayer in thy studie when none sees thee Of thy very thoughts Dost thou serve God with thy affections and thy very soule Dost thou weepe in secret for sinnes yea for thy secret sinnes Dost not thou doe good duties to be seene of men as the Pharisees did Contrariwise wilâ— thou omit no place nor time but alwaies and in all places thou wilt worship God This must be done for God is alwayes and for ever God and he is in all places in private as well as publike and therefore a Christians heart must be the Sanctum Sanctorum where God must remaine present continually and therefore he makes conscience of and is humbled for the least sinnes yea those that the world esteemes not of and counts them as niceties and that in as great a measure as ordinarily men are for the greatest sinnes they commit Thirdly Canst thou indure the search of thy selfe and thy infirmities by all meanes by thy selfe by others by the word
impediment to the salvation of the childe for the same covenant is annexed to circumcision that is to baptisme and the Papists that hold that the death of children before baptisme hindreth the salvation of the infant may as wel hold that all the children that dyed before the eight day being the day of circumcision were damned Secondly observe this that children though infants may nay must bee baptized if it may be with conveniencie for children were circumcised nay they were injoyned circumcision on the eighth day Now seeing the covenant is the same and given to children now as then why may not the seale therof be now given in their infancie as then VERS 5. Of the stocke of Israel IAcob had his name changed of his wrestling with the Angell and prevailed St. Paul sayes he was of that stocke of Israel that prevailed with God VERS 5. Of the Tribe of Benjamin THere were two Tribes of especiall credit Iuda and Benjamin they were Kingly Tribes Benjamin was honoured with the first King Saul the sonne of Kish who though he were a cast-away yet it s a matter of great joy in the flesh to have great men personages and learned men of their linage VERS 5. An Hebrew of the Hebrewes MOre ancient than an Israelite for Abraham was an Hebrew before Iacob was an Israelite and he was an Hebrew borne no proselyte or converted Iew. VERS 5. As touching the Law a Pharisee BEfore Christs time there were divers sects among the Iewes as Pharisees Scribes Herodians and Essaei but the Pharisees were the greatest sect of all and as the word signifies so they did separate themselves as better than other Iewes whatsoever And St. Paul layes downe this as one especiall carnall thing wherein hee might glory hee was no common Iew but a zealous Iew so as thence we may observe That there is a fire and zeale that is not kindled by heaven but as St. Iames saith of the tongue is set on fire of hell out of ignorance blind zeale therefore is a ground of destruction we are therefore to take heed for unlesse our zeale have an eye nothing is more tempestuous and troublesome than that man is whom it possesses VERS 6. Concerning zeale persecuting the Church WHere zeale is if it be meant in the largest sense it is very hot against all opposites it hath the name from fire separating Heterogenies and gathering things Homogeneall our Apostle was none of those drowsie professours that would be content to mingle Religions so as where there is no opposition there is no zeale and therefore those that would reconcile religions false and true they have not a sparke of zeale but are key-cold Againe Paul well joynes persecution and a Pharisee together for there was never hypocrite but he was a persecutor For he making and grounding his profession on pride and a desire to be counted holy when a downe right person esteemes him not but by his integrity puts the others outward profession out of countenance presently hee falleth a persecuting especially if his hypocrisie brings any profit or gaine As it was with Demetrius in the Acts. And as it is now with the Romish Church whose chiefe end is profit as appeares by their Purgatorie Indulgences Pardons Dispensations and the like you shall have as much Masse as you will and as little preaching We may observe further That carnall zeale is persecuting zeale and the persecuting Church is the false Church Christs flock never persecutes wolves it will not indeed indure to bee neare them but it s not cruell against them The Papists indeed they speake much of their mildnesse and meeknesse but what is the reason their hands are bound Solve leonem senties leonem loose the Lion and then shall you find he is a Lion VERS 6. Touching the righteousnesse which is in the law blamelesse THis was a great prerogative But how can he be said to be blamelesse as concerning the law when he was without the law Rom. 7 9. I answer its true he was without the law in respect of the inward man in respect of sanctified knowledge love and feare but in regard of his outward course of life no man could blame him Let this be observed by carnall civill men they may bee blamelesse as concerning outward conversation and yet without the law But if he was blamelesse as concerning the law how could hee blame himselfe so as hee did Rom. 7.15 I answer St. Paul then had a new esteeme and judgement hee had a new light which shewed him much corruption where before he saw none This meets with weake Christians that thinke themselves unconverted and cast-awayes because they see a great deale of sinne in them Paul was without blame now miserable man who shall deliver me Christians therefore are to bee comforted and to know that they are not the worse because they see themselves sinfull daily more and more but that they are better as to whom God does dayly bestow the light of his holy spirit to make them see more clearly into their estates We know that we see onely the moates where the Sunne shineth yet cannot we deny but all the ayre is as full as that part which the Sunne inlighteneth Let not such therefore be discouraged but let them know where there is any opposition there is spirit as well as flesh and that at length the spirit will have the victory VERS 7. But what things were gaine to me those I count losse for Christ. THose things and priviledges that formerly hee counted gaine now hee counts them losse It is good therefore to teach by examples as St. Paul does here inforce rules by his owne experience and example It is also expedient sometimes to speake of prerogatives and priviledges that a man hath in himselfe and it s not universall that wee must not speake of any thing that might concerne our owne praise For we may doe it as St. Paul does here to beat downe the pride of others that are vaine glorious or wee may as Paul does lift up our selves to abase and beat down our selves the lower In the third place when God vouchsafes his children any outward priviledges he doth it for the good and helpe of others though we see it not at the first Paul had these priviledges that hee might beate down the pride of the Iewes more powerfully And Solomon had all abundance of wisedome riches and the like why But only that he might without controule judge of all as of vanitie and vexation of spirit and make it to bee beleeved more firmely For had an ordinary man said it men would have thought its easie for him to say so but if he had tried thē he would have been otherwise minded In these latter times our best teachers were at the first Papists and of the more zealous sort As Bucer and Luther being also learned men as also Peter Martyr and Zanchius was brought up in Italy and all this that they
if he loved me when I hated him surely now I love him he must needs love me Againe we shall know that we are Christs for then there will be a likenesse of Christ wrought in our hearts For that spirit that stirres us up to own Christ doth ever worke the Image of Christ in our soules as a seale it imprinâ—s on our soule the image of Christ in all graces of love meeknesse heavenly mindednâ—sse and goodnesse if we be the spouse of Christ we shall represent and shew forth his glory for the woman is the glory of the man Else what ere we boast wee are therein but hypocrites wee must forsake all in regard of Christ. VERS 8. For whom I have suffered the losse of all things HEre St. Paul confirmes his resolution and judgement of the value of Christ above all other things first he said he accompted him gaine and all other things losse lest men should thinke these were but brags he inferres he had suffered the losse of all for him and therefore did so highly esteeme of him and then it was he was for Christs sake stripped of all he was in want hungry naked went in danger of his death often nay he willingly suffered the losse of his priviledges he was an Apostle yet not worthy of the name as he sayes and for his care in his office though he were very diligent yet by it did hee not looke to merit he suffered the losse of all willingly he wrought this on his heart to lose all for Christ which is the dutie that a Christian must learne not to be onely a patient but willingly to lose to part with all and therefore wee are bidden to examine our selves to judge and condemn our selves and though the Lord hath not called us to the losse of all yet winne thus much of thy minde as to be prepared for to lose all when we shall be called thereunto and that in regard thereof we may say we have parted with all for in that we part with themin our affections God beholdes it and takes notice thereof and likes it and lookes for it and therefore he bids us leave all and follow him and if we forsake not all honour credit yea our lives we cannot be his Disciples VERS 8. And doe count them but dung SHewing his lothing of them and that he could not in dure the thought of them but did abhorre it as dogges vomit or dogges meat accounting it fit meat for none but such dogges as he spake before of if therefore we love Christ there will bee a detestation of those things that crosse the power of Christs merits in the same degree that we love Christ and we will expresse our degree of love of him by expressing the degree of hatred we beare to other things in comparison of him But why doth the Apostle so often inculcate these words To shew the expression of the largenesse of his owne heart and thereby to worke an impression thereof in the hearts of the Philippians Secondly to shew the power of the spirit that where it once leades it leades further and further to a higher degree of love of Christ that the longer he is loved the greater will love grow and more fervent so as the spirit constraines the person where it rules that he cannot but speake Acts 4.20 Thirdly to shew the excellencie of the subject he dwels upon it that we should thinke highly of it Also Fourthly to shew the necessitie thereof without which we cannot looke for salvation Fifthly to shew the difficultie of comming to this esteeme of Christ and to subdue our proud imaginations of our owne selves which however it will prove a hard and difficult matter Lastly in regard of the Philippians he knew it would be a difficult matter for them and therefore he sought out fit words to expresse the nature of the subject and the truth of his esteeme thus did the wise man Eccles. 12.10 11. who knew that the words of the wise man are as goades it s our dutie to take notice hereof therefore and to learne in what respect these outward things are good and to ranke them in their right places VERS 8. That I may winne Christ. TO winne Christ in this place is to get a more neere Communion with Christ a fuller assurance of him and a larger portion in him for St. Paul had Christ already and that made him desire a fuller injoyment of him though his heart was not large enough to entertaine all Christ yet he desired to be satisfied with his fulnesse First then it is here to be granted that Christ is gaine else why should the Apostle desire to winne him He is gaine I say both in himselfe considered and having respect to us In himselfe considered for no jewell is comparable to God-man to a Mediator he was inriched with all graces that the manhood was capable of But much more in regard of us for first he is our ransome from the wrath of God now we know a ransome must bee a gainfull thing and of no small price that must satisfie Gods wrath Secondly He is not only our ransome but our purchase purchasing Gods favour and heaven to us Thirdly he is our treasure for all things for this present life as also for a better in him are the treasures of heavenly wisedome and of his fulnesse we all receive grace for grace he is our comfort in trouble and direction in all our perplexities Fourthly he is of that precious vertue as he turnes all to gold all things are sanctified to us death grave crosses all which though we be not freed from yet he turnes them all to worke our good Fifthly by him we are made heires and have title to all things he is our Lord and hee that hath given Christ to us how shall he not with him give us all things so as in all our wants we may boldly come to the throne of grace Sixthly We by Christ gaine such offices as he himselfe had we are Kings we are Priests we are over the greatest of our enemies no more thrals to lust or to the world we may freely offer sacrifice for ourselves and others in the name of this our high-priest Seventhly we have communion with all that are good the Angels the Saints the Ministers they are all ours to defend and pray for us had the yong rich man this spirit of St. Paul he would have thought it the best bargain that ever he made though hee had parted with all if he had gotten Christ. But it may be said true Christ is gaine but what hope is there for us to attaine hereunto it may be as Paradise in it selfe yet kept from us by a flaming sword I answer no this gaine may be gotten which is the thing I propound to speake of Christ is a treasure in a field if any one will seek he may finde we had a Saviour before we were borne he was elected thereunto
here wee must entertaine it well into this house of our bodie it s but a guest use it not basely it s no ill guest it gives us sight taste speech motion when it goes away our body is but a dumbe dull base lumpe of earth Nay when it is gone whilst the body is in the ground the soule having a most vehement and earnest desire to be knit to it again puts God continually in minde of raising it up at the last day of the generall resurrection and of glorifying it in a holy eternall and happy estate Secondly out of the words wee may observe That these vile bodies of ours shall bee changed this we receive as anarticle of our faith and yet were it beleeved truely as it ought it would worke a strange alteration in the mindes and manners of men contrary to that they are now and howsoever it is not imbraced yet it remaines a grounded truth that these bodies of ours sowne in corruption shall rise incorruptible 1 Cor. 1.15 It was foretold in way of consequence in Paradice for the head of the serpent could not bee broken but by conquering death which is the last enemie it was figured out unto us in Aarons dead seare rod that budded and Ionahs deliverance out of the bellie of the fish where he had beene 3. dayes and three nights It was beleeved of all the fathers Heb. 12. And for securitie before the floud Enoch and after the floud Elias were taken up in their bodies And besides it is not contrarie to reason I doe not say that reason can reach unto it for Christ he is alive still the dust whereof we are made and whether we goe is preserved it is not annihilated and why cannot Christ raise a body out of the dust as at the first make it out of dust why should he not be as able to quicken dust now as at the first and especially seeing the soule is reserved in heaven to this end till the day of his second comming Nay it is not contrarie to the course of nature we see every yeere summer comes out of winter day out of night youth out of infancie mans age out of youth And the Apostle in the Corinthians Thou foole the corne is not quickned except it die nay wee see what strange changes are dayly wrought by Art and shall wee thinke Gods almighty power cannot worke farre more strange effects The use therefore is to instruct us if we beleeve that Christ shall change these vile bodies Then sure the same bodies shall rise that died for change is of qualities it abolisheth not substances and therfore Iobs confidence herein is remarkable Iob. 19. Whom I shall see for my selfe and mine eyes shall behold speaking of Christ so is it 2 Cor. 15.53 This corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortall must put on immortalitie and the ancient Creeds had credore surrectionem carnis hujus Secondly it s very unequall that one body should honour or defile it selfe and another bodie should be honoured or damned its comfortable therefore to us that love our bodies and honor them that they shall rise againe and wee shall injoy them for ever Thirdly Christ our surety hee raised the same body that was crucified and therefore the same bodies here that fulfill the measure of the sufferings of Christ here shall partake of his fulnesse in glorie A second use is for comfort is this a life of changes let it not daunt us but know they are all to end in glorie and they all tend to bring us thither we ever change for the better and the last change of all is the best of all and therefore let us indure these changes with a light heart In the third place who is the Authour of this change in us the Text saith that Christ shall change us Iob. 6.39 and 40. I will raise them up at the last day saith Christ of those that know him and beleeve on him Hee is furthermore our head now wee know the body must be conformable to the head if it bee crowned the body is crowned and therefore Rom. 8.11 the Apostle saith that if the spirit dwell in us that did dwell in him the spirit that raised him up will raise us up also Thirdly Christ is a whole Saviour he therefore will raise up our bodies as well our soules for he is the Saviour of both he hath delivered both from hell hee will raise up both to heaven Fourthly he is the second Adam as wee did beare the image of the first Adam in corruption so must we beare the image of the second Adam in glorie Fifthly hee is the seed of the wowan that must breake the serpents head and therefore hee must worke this change Sixthly Christ changed his owne bodie being burthened with all our sinnes and therefore as an exemplarie cause shall much more raise us up for sinne being once overcome which is the sting of death what can keepe us in the grave Let this strengthen our faith in the consideration that wee have such a strong Saviour that nothing shall bee able to separate us from his love nor to take us out of his hande Secondly make it a ground how to direct us how to honour our bodies not making them instruments of sinne against him but so to use them that we may with comfort and joy expect and desire his comming to change these our vile bodies Thirdly let us labour to assure our selves of our parts in this change in this resurrection This we shall know if we finde Christs spirit in us the same spirit that raised up him if it bee in us will raise us up also Rom. 8. for the first resurrection is an argument of the second and he that findes his understanding in lightned his will pliable his affections set upon right objects will easily beleeve the second resurrection of his bodie Secondly if wee hope for this change and so hope that we are stirred up thereby to fit our selves for it to cleanse our selves Thirdly if wee grow in grace 2 Pet. 1.11 it is a siâ—ne that wee have an entrance into Christs kingdome for God doth ever honour growth with assurance of a blessed estate Fourthly this should comfort us in time of death considering wee lose nothing but basenesse and our bodies are but sowne in the earth and this depositum which God committeth to the fire ayre earth and the water they must render up againe pure and changed by Christ and therefore it was a foolish conceipt of the heathen to burne the Martyrs bodies and to cast their ashes into the water thereby to put them out of hope of their resurrection not knowing God is as able to raise them out of fire and water as out of earth Fifthly this ought to administer comfort to us at the death and departure of our friends out of this life knowing that they are not lost that the earth is but a house and a hiding place
indure any thought of mixture of other things with Christ thereby to make him more sufficient and compleate for our joy to rest on Obedience to his lawes for joy stirres up chearfulnesse to every duty and makes all duties acceptable to God and man for the want hereof many are dead and dull in good duties and where a large portion of this joy is it will remove all lets and delayes to dutie It doth not only inable us to but in dutie Cain no doubt came cheerfully to a good duty to sacrifice but for want of this cheerfull and joyfull spirit what was his behaviour in the performance thereof His countenance was cast downe this God espies sodainly and so hee doth in all our dull performances for he looks things should be done cheerfully and reason too for he hath left us a treasure of excellent promises to incourage us We see it in men they love when a thing is done cheerfully they know it betokens love in the partie that doth it and can we then thinke it strange that God requires it Againe if we can fashion our selves to this dutie God hath promised to increase our joy more abundantly And he performed it to Hezekiah 2. Chron. 29. end He will give delight as a reward to him that delighteth in his worke And therefore we ought to labour to bring our selves to this dutie to the obtaining of which observe these directions First consider that joy comes from Faith For it is the sense of our reconciliation with Christ that makes us rejoyce Rom 5. and 1 Pet. 1.6 Now therefore whatsoever strengthens Faith strengthens also our joy and contrarily what weakens the one must of necessitie weaken the other Furthermore joy comes from peace Whatsoever therefore disturbs our peace must needs disturbe our joy Therefore Sathan to despoile us of our joy he spoiles our faith through our sinnes and by them he weakens our hope and our comfort What is to be done then Surely repaire to the fountaine of health the well of joy the Word of God Isa. 12.3 And from thence must we draw all our comfort Use therefore the ordinances of God but use them as in the Lord in obedience to his commandement and expect the issue with patience Many there are that use the meanes but take no joy at all in them why they doe it not as in obedience to Gods command but they rest in the deed done and they thinke God is bound to give them joy God justly denies such that which they presume of In the second place Pray that your joy may bee full See this in most of Davids Psalmes at the first he complaines for the want of Gods presence of Gods wrath and anger but comes off with a large portion of comfort Depart from me yee wicked for the Lord hath heard my prayer Psal. 6. In the use of all meanes therefore joyne prayer pray for faith for hope and such graces as may bring joy Though at first thou findest thy selfe to bee cold to have little or no comfort at all yet give not over thou shalt at length find plentie thereof Remember the woman of Canaan at the first despised and called dogge but what did her constancy gaine A gracious answer O woman great is thy faith bee it to thee as thou desirest In the third place Remember former times as David did Psal. 77.6 hee was so oppressed his sore ranne in the night and ceased not as hee saith But then I remembred the daies of old c. Consider thou also in thy deepest affliction times were once when thou hadst the cleare and comfortable light of Gods spirit present with thee he will not leave thee his nature is unchangeable c. In the fourth place Have societie with the Saints and keepe company with those that are good and as the two Disciples hearts did burne when they talkt with Christ so verily thou shalt finde this heate of comfort by little and little to increase For God blesses the communion of Saints and such as are discerning Christians can tell us more and opportunely bring things to mind which thou thy selfe remembrest not and can informe our judgments when they are blinded with griefe and melancholly Use therefore the company of the good when thou findest doubts arise and make thy griefs knowne to some wise and judicious Christian for the divell is too strong for any one alone hee will prevaile against thee thou wilt be too weake too wrestle with him hand to hand It is no wonder therefore that Melancholy persons are so destitute of comfort Q. It will be asked May we not rejoyce in friends societie deliverance from dangers and the like good things of this world A. I answer yes and yet joy in the Lord also for when as whatsoever we have we receive it as a token of Gods particular love to us in Christ who both gives us our daily bread and the word of life comforts both heavenly and earthly These outward things then I say doe strengthen the faith of a Christian and thereby our joy is strengthened wherefore wee may thus joy in them nay it is our duty to do it The wicked they indeed receive them but onely as from Gods care of the generall good of the world or race of mankinde And therefore can take no joy truely from them as the child of God doth who in the right use of them first rejoyceth that he is the child of God and is reconciled to him in Christ that Christ is his and then that he having the field hath also the pearle all blessings belonging to this life and a better are in Christ made his and he so rejoyces in them as he referres the comfort and strength that he receiveth from them to the honour of God Gods children receiving good things from him are threatned for not rejoycing in them Deut. 28.47 in the 45. verse he saith The curses shall be upon thee for that thou servest not the Lord thy God with joyfulnesse and gladnesse of heart for the abundance of all things And it is expresly commanded Deut. 26.11 Thou shalt rejoyce in everie good thing which the Lord thy God hath given thee and thine house Q. But it may be questioned Why if this be true are Gods children so disconsolate none are so much troubled in conscience as they I answer Their sorrow proceeds not from their good estate in that they are Christians but from the want of the perfections to make them absolute Christians indeed 2 They either doe not know themselves or if they doe because they glorifie not God nor adorne their profession God justly suffers his joy to be hid by â—iding the comfortable presence of his spirit 3 Gods childrens joy though it be great yet is not discerned of the world it is a hidden joy the feast is kept in the conscience it is not seene of the world which discernes all things carnally carnall joy is alwayes outward and easie to expresse
by private friends Nay canst thou desire this search that thou maist know thy â—inne more and more for this end that thou mayst truely hate it with a more perfect hatred Canst thou truely appeale to God as Peter did to Christ thou knowest that I love and preferre thee above all It is a sure signe of thy sinceritie which the world cannot have and therefore when they see their sinnes laid open they spurne at the ordinances and spite the Minister and their true friends that put them in minde of their faults accounting them as their onely enemies Surely they shall never be able to indure the search of God hereafter and the last day when he shall lay them open they shall be overcome with shame A fourth signe is That at the houre of thy death this spiritual worshipping of God will give thee content when nothing else can Thou mayst say with comfort as Hezekiah did Lord remember how I have walked before thee in sinceritie When down-right affliction comes outward verball profession vanisheth with all the comforts thereof then perisheth the hope of the hypocrite Two things upheld Iob in comfort in his great extremity he was first assured that his redeemer lived and secondly he knew his innocency in those things that his friends charged him with and such times will fall on us all either at the time of death or before when nothing but innocencie and sincerity shall be able to uphold us Labour therefore for sincerity and spirituall worship Worship God in spirit but let it be done outwardly also But first bring thy heart and intention to what thou dost and that will stirre up the outward man to its duty and for the performance hereof follow these directions First learne to know God aright For worship is answerable to knowledge for how can we reverence God aright when we know neither his goodnesse nor his greatnesse how can we trust on God when we see not his truth in the performance of his promises in the Scriptures and in our owne experience those that doe not these know not God for as the heart affects according to knowledge So also its true in divinitie as we know his justice wee shall feare as we know his mercy wee shall love him and as we know his truth we shall trust on him Psal. 9.10 They that know thy name shall trust in thee and in other places of the said Psalme the Lord is knowne in the judgement he executeth vers 16. Secondly know God to be the first mover and cause of all men ordinarily feare the creature attributing that to it which belongs to the Creator But God he is the giver of all and Christians looke on the secondary means as to the first author and ground of all the rest they behold the Magistrate as in God feare them no otherwise but in the Lord. Atheists they will not sticke at any sinne whatsoever to get the love of those that may bring them any worldly commodity A Christian hee pleases and seekes the love of him that can make enemies friends when he lists and when it s for our good he knowes in him we live move and have our being Thirdly make much of spirituall meanes God he works by meanes by his word attend to it it works love feare joy and reverence in us and therefore no marvaile if those that neglect these meanes are not acquainted with these graces of Gods spirit 4 Fourthly Lift up thy heart to Christ the quickening spirit 1 Cor. 15. Our hearts naturally are dead Christ is our life when thou art most especially called to love to feare to humilitie pray to him to move thee and yeeld thy selfe to him and then shalt thou pray in spirit as it is said in Iude 20. heare in spirit doe all in spirit doe outward workes of thy calling in spirit for a true worshipper will out of spirituall grounds doe all outward works of his particular calling as well as the workes of his generall Christian vocation Let us therefore doe all things from our hearts to God and to our neighbour else will not God accept of our workes It is the Iew inwardly who shall have praise of God The want of this sincerity hath extinguished the light of many a glorious professour and thereby hath brought a great scandall upon the true worshippers of God in spirit VERS 3. And rejoyce in Christ. THe word rejoyce implyes a boasting or glorying of the heart manifesting it selfe in outward countenance and gesture as also in speech it also implies a resting on and contenting in the thing we glory in proceeding from an assurance that we glory in a thing worthy of glory for they are fooles that delight in bables Observe hence therefore That those that will worship Christ aright must glorie in him For the worship of Christ is a thing that requires incouragement and nothing can worke this incouragement like the glorying in Christ and therefore Paul in the first part of his Epistle to the Romans having shewed that God had elected them freely and had begun the worke of sanctification in their hearts he comes in the 12. Chapter I beseech you saith he present your selves as a holy living and acceptable sacrifice to God And in Tit. 2.11 The grace of God teacheth by incouraging us to deny ungodlines to walk unblameably soberly righteously and godlily in this present world And therefore whensoever wee grow dull or dead think of the great benefits that we have by Christ and it will quicken us and all our performances In the next place observe That Christ is the matter and subject of true glory and rejoycing and onely Christ for they well goe together a full and large affection with a full and large object boasting is a full affection the object is every way as full First as he is God and man he is God full of all things he is man full of all grace and void of all sinne he is Christ anointed to performe all his offices he is a Prophet all-sufficient in all wisedome in him are the treasures of wisedome he teaches us not onely how to doe but he teaches the very deed he is our High-priest he is the sacrifice the altar and the Priest and he is our eternall Priest in Heaven and on earth on earth as suffering for us in Heaven as mediating for our peace Who shall condemne us it is Christ that dyeth yea rather that is risen againe who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Rom. 8.34 He is also our King he is King of all King of kings and Lord of lords a King for ever and at all times subduing all rebellions within us and all enemies without us and he is all these so as none is like him and therefore is worthy of our glory Secondly Christ is communicative in all these he is Prophet Priest King for us he is God man he is Christ for us he
to Christ we are adulterers No let him kisse us with the kisses of his mouth and none but he Fifthly this joy where it is it will breed content in all estates Paul could want and abound and so can a true rejoycer in Christ he hath all he cares not for earthly wants so he wants no heavenly comfort if he be poore he is rich in heaven nay what he most complaines of are good for him life or death all 's one with him Christ is his and in him all things But it may be said There are many Christians are not in this happy condition I answer It s their owne fault to yeeld to the divels policie and their owne weaknesse that will not labour to breake through these clouds and challenge the promises VERS 3. And have no confidence in the flesh THese words are in truth included in the former for he that glories in Christ will have no confidence in the flesh But the Apostle notes this as a plaine demonstration and evidence of the glorying in Christ. For by the copulative conjoyning of them it is all one as if he had said what a man trusts to he glories in and what he glories in he trusts to and is confident of If in wit his glorying be he trusts to it though it be to his ruine as it fell out with Achitophel If in eloquence of speech hee trusts to it and it brings shame as it did to Herod If in honour hee trusts to it and brings himselfe to dishonour as Haman did By flesh is meant outward things as prerogatives priviledges actions of a mans owne doing and particularly he aimes at Circumcision which he calls outward and that of the flesh So as the observation that wee may gather is That confidence in Christ takes away confidence in outward things The reason is if Christ be fully all sufficient what need is there of any outward thing to put confidence in For these are two opposite things and one overthrows the other The second instruction is That naturally men have confidence in outward things for having not hearts filled with grace they relish not Christ but flye to ceremonious outward actions as their refuge Nay in the Church till we be converted we naturally flie to outward fleshly confidence We have the Word taught to us we come to heare it twice on the Lords day alas what is this if thou be not transformed and inwardly and outwardly conformed in obedience Hast thou the Sacraments dost thou uncover thy head or bow the knee these are good and they seeme faire but where is the heart how is that prepared hast thou an earnest desire to leave off thy course of sinning and dost thou resolve hereafter to amend thy life O here is the hard spirituall worke So in outward fasting and abstinence it s an easie matter the Pharisee did it often but this is the fast that God hath commanded to loose the bands of wickednesse Esay 59.6 to fast from sinne The suffering of the flesh if it be separated from spirituall use and almes they profit nothing 1 Cor. 13.3 All Pauls prerogatives which were many 2 Cor. 11 and 12. chapters Yet were they in his account but drosse and dung in comparison of Christ. Most men are like Ephraim Hosea 10.11 as heiferâ— who serve to tread out corne and to plow Ephraim loved to tread corne where hee might eate his belly full for by the law of Moses the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the corne was not to bee musled men they are delighted in the performance of slight duties but to put their necke under the yoke to plow its a hard worke who can beare it But some will say O what doe you condemne outward duties and use of them I answer wee may consider religious duties two wayes First as they are outward meanes to salvation for so they are Secondly as they are expressions of inward truth and so out of a sincere intire affection wee beare to them and out of a desire to bee wrought upon by them we doe them thus they are commended that use them but let them want but an inch of this all is abominable all is flesh The Iewes they boasted in the name of holy people in their law in the Temple in the Holy land yet for all these saith God you shall goe into captivity against such Christ preached Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees you tithe mint but let passe justice and judgement And Paul bee not high minded but feare And the reasons why men are taken up with this fleshly confidence are First outward things are easie and men cannot bend themselves to performe the hard matters of the law Secondly they are glorious and men desire to be observed Thirdly men have a foolish conceit that God is delighted with the outward act when the inward sinceritie is wanting Fourthly men want knowledge of themselves want the inward change want sense of their owne unworthinesse and Christs worthinesse Fifthly God followeth such with prosperitie in this world thereby they thinke God is well pleased with them til the houre of death come and then they finde all but froth How shall we know whether our confidence is fleshly or not I answer where this fleshly confidence is there is bitternesse of spirit against sinceritie the Pharisees the Doctours of the law sate in Moses chaire yet who more opposed Christ than they Nay they wholly and onely in their whole course sought to persecute him and made it their trade Secondly where this fleshly confidence is there is also a secret blessing of our selves in our performance of good duties without humiliation of our defects Hypocrites think that God is beholding to them and therefore doe blesse themselves in the deed done In the fourth verse hee comes to an argument taken from himselfe against those of the Concision VERS 4. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh if any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh I more AS if he had said if any other man may glory in the flesh then may I much more But I doe not thinke that I have cause sufficient to glory in the flesh therefore have not they or may not they glory in the flesh And the reason or ground of this proposition is taken from his many prerogatives he had which he comes to in the 5. and 6. verses following Circumcision was the first prerogative before conversion and it was not before the eighth day to the end that the childe might gather some strength to beare and indure the ceremony for it was of it selfe grievous and a bloudy ceremonie Wherefore it was that Moses his wife called him a bloudy husband and this ceremony was not to be respited above eight dayes that the parents might not be delayed in their comfort Whence we may gather that dying before baptisme is no necessary
of abundance and he may live in the world though not to the world which is a dutie easily spoken of yet not easily performed neither was it easily wrought in our Apostle who being a persecutor of the Church was powerfully altered and changed from Heaven and thus doth God deale with his children whom hee doth first cast downe and afflict that they may finde by experience that these outward things can stand us in no stead it may be hee suffers them to fall into some grievous scandalous sinne that they might see the bodie of sinne that lies in them and seeing no good nor help in themselves their desires are stirred up to the imbracing of some better thing wherein they may finde comfort then doth God reveale Christ to us to whom he will have us to flie and say Lord what wilt thou have mee to doe So as this power of changing our selves is not in our selves but it is an almightie power If we thinke therefore that wee are selfe-lovers goe to God present thy selfe in the meanes and then our eyes shall be opened to see and discerne good and evill For God hath promised to annex his spirit to the use of the meanes if that wee in obedience submit our selves to them VERS 8. Yea doubtlesse and I count all things but losse THe words containe a kinde of correction as if in few words he had said All things whatsoever I formerly boasted in nay my very priviledges I count them not onely dung but I doe count them to be losse to me nay I have suffered the losse of them all in comparison and for Christ my â—ord Yea I desire to expresse the earnest intention of my affections by my desire to win him to know hâ—m to be found in him and to formable to his death In generall observe The Apostles resolution and zeale his assured certainty his large heart being not able to expresse his affection but by many words viz. his love of Christ and hate of all outward things whatsoever Therefore we also in maine fundamentall points must be resolute carrying a full saile as in the truth of the thing there is a certainty so in us there must be an assured perswasion thereof For even from these uncertaine irresolute hearts comes Apostacie men being not grounded are carried about with every winde of doctrine and hence also comes different measures of grace in Christians some say with Paul Doubtlesse others are of doubting hearts But the end of the word is to settle us Ephes. 4.13 And though it be never so true yet if we not beleeve it though the foundation be sure yet if we not build on it the tru hand force of it is not good unto us In the second place fâ—om the Apostles example We are to learne in fundamentall truthes to be zealous The Apostle speaking of any thing that â—eâ—kes competition with Christ for value how doth he vilisie it that he hath not words sufficient to eâ—prâ—sse his fervent hatred thereof For zeale is such an affection as causes a constant hatred against any thing that opposes that which we intirely love even such a hatred as will cause us not to indure to heare of it And God therefore promiseth Ephraim he shall so abhorre Idols as he shall not have to doe with them And indeed a jealous God and a zealous heart doe well agree when wee have to doe with any one that opposes God in his â—ruth we are not to be cold but to be zealously affected In the third place Wee are to learne to bee large hearted in expressing our affection wee beare to the truth and therefore we are to bee ashamed of our shortnesse of breath in speaking or meditating of Gods honour and glory and his truth But particularly from our Apostles esteeme wee may learne That Gods children have sanctified and regenerate thoughts and esteemes For with new soules they have new eyes new senses new affections and judgements what they saw before to be gaine they see now to be losse Beasts we know conceive not of mens matters neither doe weake simple men of state matters that which weake silly men admire the Apostle scornes and contemnes Moses accounted of the afflictions with the children of God more than of the pleasure of Egypt We may observe this as a marke to know our estates by what is high in thy esteeme is honour riches pleasure or the like thou art not yet throughly sanctified for if thou wert thou wouldst have a sanctified judgement But some may say did Paul esteem all things to be losse yea his good workes I answer good workes in their own nature are good but weighing them with Christ as Paul did they are also drosse and dung Secondly it teaches us that wee are not righteous or justified by any workes ceremoniall or morall either before or after our conversion The Papists alledge works as meritorious we contrarily doe disclaime them As to that purpose I say they you meane ceremoniall works we say no we meane also morall For Paul was unblameable as concerning the works of the law and yet counts them dung O say they St. Paul meaned those works before his conversion and not those after his conversion I answer yes all things in respect of Christ I doe now account them as drosse and losse To prove this the fuller If nothing after conversion bee perfect then cannot they intitle us to heaven but all our best works in state of regeneration are imperfect to prove this See the examples of David a man after Gods owne heart Psal. 143.2 None righteous in thy sight and who can say his heart is cleane And Esay 64.6 Wee are all as an uncleane thing and all our righteousnesse as filthie ragges O but Bellarmine sayes the Prophet speakes this in the person of the wicked I hope he will not put the Prophet into that number for he saith wee and our and our righteousnesse not our ill deeds and all our righteousnesse Nay of himselfe in particular Esay saith as much in Esay 6.5 And besides the wicked doe not use to pray as the whole Chapter is to that end And Daniel also includes himselfe in his confession Dan. 9.20 And to prove this by reason We know that weake and corrupt principles must needs produce imperfect effects now the principles of all our motions are evilly affected our understandings memomories affections all are corrupt and weake Corruptions make combates in all parts of the soule and body in whatsoever therefore we doe there is flesh and spirit and their owne Authours agree hereunto as Ferus and Catharen a Cardinall of their owne sayes there is donatajustitia and inhaerens When the question is what we must leane to it must be onely on Christ and his righteousnesse wherewith from him we are indowed And a Pope of theirs Adrian the fourth saith that all our righteousnesse is as the reed of Egypt which will not onely faile us if we rest on it but will pierce our
pleasure when alas we are farre deceived God denies not pleasure to us but will give us whatsoever is good for us we shall delight and rejoyce but with a joy spirituall and wee shall see nothing in this world that may any way deserve our delight therein A third hinderance is a dispaire of ever going through this race this settles upon some strangely making them cast away all care and desperately trust to Christs mercie This made Cyprian to complaine of his corruptions saying they were bred and brought up with him and therefore feared they would hardly give place to grace being but a stranger while men consider how great and powerfull their corruption is they with the Israelites despaire of ever entring into the land of Canaan these sons of Anak doe so terrifie them But consider we withall that God is above all our corruptions that he can make of a Lion a Lambe and that if wee will trust upon him in his time he will helpe us and wee shall overcome these Giant-like corruptions Christ he hath conquered them already and though while we live wee cannot wholly overcoâ—e them yet Davids house shall grow stronger and stronger and Sauls house weaker we shall have grace sufficient for us God will sweeten Religion to us that wee shall delight therein and Christ will not leade us into temptation till he hath fitted us to it by his grace and then we shall rejoyce as the Apostles did Acts 5. that we are accounted worthy to suffer Contrary to this humour some thinke it so easie a matter to runne this race as they thinke they cannot be out of it or tired therein when as indeed they never set foot therein let such looke to themselves if they be in this race they shall finde it no easie matter But thus much concerning rules or lawes for preparation to this race now there are lawes to be observed of those that are in the race as First they must resolve to hold on without discontinuance of their course of good duties for some by omitting good duties now and then upon slight occasions do come through Gods just sufferance to leave them off and never take them up againe and thereby whiles they are not getting ground by continuing their course they doe lose thereby even as water-men rowing against the streame if they doe not row but rest never so little the streame carries them backe againe and they cannot recover themselves but with great difficultie so it is in this Christian race a little interruption of dutie causes thrice so much paines to recover our former estate therefore we are to take up a holy resolution not to be interrupted in good duties The next law is that wee must looke to gaine ground still to grow from grace to grace It s the Apostles ayme still to grow better than himselfe contrary to this many forsake their first love they thinke themselves wise but are fooles such as the Lord will spew out of his mouth as he threatens the Church of Laodicea And indeed the most men at the best are but civill and doe but provide for their owne ease and can indure any mixture of religion or company and the ground of this coldnesse is a selfe-conceit whereby men thinke well of themselves and their estate Paul he was of another spirit ever pressing forward A third law is that we doe things with all our might that we runne this race with all our earnest indeavour there is no bodily exercise that profiteth but it must be with putting forth of our strength so our Christian actions should shew even outwardly that we doe things as if we intended thereby to honour God indeed and to this end wee are to depend on God by prayer that he would give us strength and mindes to put forth our strength for gaining most honour to his Majestie and this will bring great assurance and comfort to us in time of need A fourth rule is that wee are to runne this race with a cheerfull and speedie course a dead performance of duties is no part of our race yea as many goe to hell by ill performance of good duties as by committing sinnes that are scandalously evill for this resting in the work done is the cause of hardnesse of heart and there by of despaire and at the best never brings any sound comfort at all to us and therfore we are injoyned to doe good duties and to doe them in a good manner Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this cup and so runne that you may obtaine It s no lingring we know not how long we shall live how soone we shall die and therefore let us make haste to doe our worke before God takes away time from us by taking us out of the world And those especially are to look to this that have lived long in their owne courses and are but lately reclaimed they are much behinde and had need make haste the journey is long their time but short And to this end looke we not what wee have done and how farre we have gone but looke what remaines to be done and know we have done nothing till we have done all But it will be asked what may wee not thinke of duties that are past I answer we may thinke of them by way of defence and to give God the glorie and also to incourage us on but not to rest or solace our selves on them till we have done all But men may say what is there no pause is there no Sabboth I answer yes when we are dead Blessed are the dead in the Lord it s they that rest from their labours heaven is a sufficient reward for all the paines we can any way take here besides the comforts that wee have here are many which none knowes but them that injoy them And God hath promised the continuall assistance of his blessed spirit that shal incourage us and leade us into all truth alas what comfort have we of all that we have done if we continue not but sit down and take up our rests here what good got they that came out of Egypt and died in the wildernesse it may be even in the border of the land of promise yet never saw it It will assuredly fall out with us as it did with them if wee harbour any infidelitie in our hearts we shall be cast out that we shall never see this good land the spirituall Canaan In the next place take we heed of such hinderances as may make us eyther slacke or intermit this race of ours As first wee must take heed of idle scruples and temptations these are no other than as dust cast in the eyes of the runners and as stones that gaule their feet interpret them to bee the subtilties of the devill and therefore shake them off and intend thy dutie thou art about and pray for wisedome to discerne aright of
cheerfully and God tells us of it to the end wee may fixe the eyes of our mindes upon it Colos. 3.23 Whatsoever we doe doe it heartily as to the Lord knowing of the Lord we shall receive the reward of the inheritance But some may say if it bee an inheritance to us how is it then propounded as a price to us I answer it s both a reward and an inheritance it s an inheritance because it s given to adopted sonnes it s a reward after labour not for labour so as running is the way to a crown not the cause of it But the Papists say we have it by faith why then is it a price or reward why or how can it be a price or reward and yet ours by beleefe I answer incouragement and this price are not given to workes as workes but as workes by faith for by it wee runne and overcome all trials and troubles reward is due to perseverance but perseverance cannot bee without faith But for the matter in hand I say its expedient to looke to the price that we be not carried away with temptations on the right hand or on the left and therefore let us not looke on them Moses eye was so fixed on this price as he set light by all the pleasures of this life the eye of faith in a Christian is stronger than that of sense yet let us take these cautions First that we know ourselves sonnes and that wee come to this price by inheritance And secondly that we love not God so much for his goodnesse to us as for that goodnesse which is in him for a Christian aymes first at Gods glorie then at his owne good and so hee loves God for being goodnesse it selfe then for being good to him And yet a Christian in order comes first to see Gods goodnesse to him and therefore loves him and then he arises higher to the love of God even for that he is goodnesse and thenceforth admires and adores his fulnesse for else to love God because God loves us is mercenarie Wee are therefore to thinke of this happie estate and as children though at the first wee know not what belongs to inheritances and rewards yet the elder wee grow in Christianitie the more let us search into these things and see what is laid up for us It is an unvaluable price that will free us from all evill of companie of enemies of Sathans anoyances of hinderances of sinne from all occasions without us and inclinations within us from sicknesse of body and troubles of minde it s a Saboth after sixe dayes worke It is beyond all earthly crownes the runners have envie not one another nay they helpe and further one another and are glad of one anothers forwardnesse all are heires all happie all shall be crowned and with an incorruptible crowne an inheritance that fadeth not but is undefiled and such an one as is kept for us 1 Pet. 1.4 It s not like the crownes of leaves that soone fade no we shall ever bee in the presence of the sonne of Righteousnesse where we shall have a continuall spring But to proceed in the next place this is a price of calling we must be called to it who can take a calling on him unlesse God calles him and who can be inabled but those that hee inables This calling of his is the beginning of his golden chaine of salvation hee calles us from a cursed estate to a happy communion from death and bondage under the devill to be Kings and Princes And this is done by outward meanes and inward worke of the spirit this calling is a powerfull calling inabling them to come that are called And hereby we may try whether wee have any title to heaven or not For first if wee be effectually called it supposeth we are chosen called and singled out from others of the world and therefore all swearers and those that are given to drunkennesse and profanenesse they are not called nor singled they remaine as they were for this singling out is the first part of the execution of Gods decree of election And whom God calles he qualifies Princes they may call men to places but they cannot qualifie them But God when he calles Saul to be a King hee gives him a Kings heart so if we be called to this heavenly kingdome we shall have holy and Kingly hearts and mindes given us Secondly mens tongues will shew what calling they are of in their discourse A Christian will remember he is a Christian and will walke worthy of his calling and with Nehemiah hee will reason shall such a man as I doe thus speake thus thinke such vile sinfull thoughts and those that are not of this carriage shew no great religion in them And just it is with God to give such over to a great measure in sinne Thirdly this calling is to glorie and therefore he that is called he will thinke of heaven and magnifie and admire Gods goodnesse to him what thing is man Lord that thou shouldst bee mindfull of him and therefore those that admire the pompe and glory of this world it s a signe their calling is worldly and that they are called by the world Fourthly if a man be called by God hee shall finde a spirituall answering within himselfe to Gods call If God say thou art my sonne the heart answereth thou art my God Behold I come quickly saith Christ even so come Lord Iesus saith the Christian heart And therefore a rebellious disposition shewes that Gods spirit is not there Thirdly this calling of ours is a high calling it s from heaven to heaven it s from a heavenly spirit by spirituall meanes to Christ in heaven to Saints to spirituall imployments and priviledges Hence therefore wee may learne who are the greatest men sensuall men thinke those in outward place the greatest men of all other alas they are nothing to a Prince of heaven hee is a spouse to Christ shall judge all the world and triumph over Sathan All other callings end in the dust with our bodies Kings shall rise as Pesants and it may bee in a worse estate than many of the meanest there is no difference in death All other callings are by men from men to men to earthly purposes let us make therefore a difference and know whence our calling is that we may be thankfull and whether it is that we may be joyfull We may also in the next place hence gather who are of the highest spirits its a Christian and onely he he overlookes all these base things his way his minde is ever upwards and with Paul he thinkes â—ll drosse and dung that is here It is the disposition of the world to minde high matters here in religion are the true aspiring thoughts as if men will be covetous of honour here 's the right honour and these are the honourable persons Who honour me I will honour saith God onely a
the weake Christian for every crosse strikes at his heart and at the foundation of his faith making him presently doubt of Gods love and favour to him Sixthly A growne Christian he is experienced to finde out Sathans devises and plots and can put a difference betweene the motions of the flesh and the spirit and therefore knowes what corruption to weaken and what grace to strengthen when as new beginners for want of practice and experience sees not these things and therefore ere hee is aware runnes into many offences and lookes for no remedie Seventhly A well grounded Christian can withstand the bitter blasts and oppositions of this world nothing could move Paul nor separate him from the love of God but a weake Christian either is blowne away or at the least shaken with every blast as it is in yong trees newly planted Eightly A grounded Christian beares with the infirmities he sees in others he pities them and helpes them if he can but judges not of them as those that are weake who for the most part are captious you that are spirituall must restore saith the Apostle those that are weake with the spirit of meeknesse Gal. 6.1 So as it is the weake ones that are scandalized and as they are soone offended so doe they soone give occasion of offence to others by their ill example but the growne Christian indeavours to live free from offence in the least things hee is watchfull against Satans wiles Ninthly a perfect man doth most of all others see into his particular wants and lookes hence after a further degree of grace and therefore the Apostle bids such as are perfect to forget things past not to looke on those that are behinde but to see what is yet before to bee attained unto and to presse forward thereunto Tenthly A strong Christian is of abilitie and indeavour still to beget other Christians It s the propertie of a growne creature to beget its like a weake Christian hath enough to doe to looke to himselfe there may be many more signes named but these will suffice Le ts come to the meanes whereby we may grow to this strength and perfection And first of all we must know there must bee an order we are to grow in fundamentall graces in the first place for we water not the leaves but the root of our plants and the graces that are the foundation of all workes being gotten and diligently cherished the workes which are but as leaves will soone put forth The maine fundamentall grace of all is faith which we are principally to looke after First in getting assurance of our salvation to this end walke holily for many live in sinnes against conscience and so can have no assurance of the pardon of their sinnes and how dead and blockish are they David though a man after Gods own heart yet losing the comfortable assurance by his sinning against conscience of the pardon of sinne thought Gods holy spirit had quite forsaken him therefore he prayes Take not thy holy spirit from mee Psal. 51.11 Therefore labour for assurance of pardon of sinne for where the soule is wounded with the guilt of sinne it cannot inlarge it selfe in love but is possest with a fearfull expectation of judgement but when the soule is assured of the pardon of its sinnes it breeds love to Christ and there it s said of Marie shee loved much for many sins were forgiven her In the next place we are to labour for faith in the promises of the forgivenesse of sinne and Gods goodnesse to us that hee will give grace and glorie and that wee shall want nothing this will put courage into us And as we are to labour for faith so also for love which is cherished by meditation of Gods mercies and his love to us and this will set us on fire in all good workes and so much of this grace as wee have in us with so much strength and intention of spirit shall wee indeavour to please God in all things and this argument the Apostle used to stirre up the Corinthians 1 Cor 7.1 Having these promises le ts clense our selves from all filthinesse perfecting holinesse in the feare of God In the next place Whatsoever wee doe le ts labour to doe it with the best advantage labouring to practice and exercise as much grace and as many as we can as in giving give in zeale to Gods honour in love to mercie towards our brother that is in need and in regard of justice we owe it to him God hath commanded us to give him and he will reward it for we lend to the Lord when wee give to the poore If we are to abstaine from any evill we are to abstaine from it with a perfect hatred thereof and consider how it will offend it will breake peace of conscience and dishonour religion scandalize those that are weake dishonour God and bring shame to our selves yea wee must remember that the talents that God gives us do increase in the use of them the more we strive to doe things exactly the more perfection we shall attaine to in the use of performances Thirdly Let us not neglect litle things either ingood or ill omit no occasion of doing good and take heed of the least beginnings of ill abstâ—ine from all occasions and appearance of evill for though in comparison they seeme small they are of great consequence Fourthly Wee must keepe our affections to holy exercises and meanes for God workes by meanes neglect none for so much perfection thou losest thereby and consider what meanes will fit our disposition when we are indisposed are we dull in prayer then reade if that will not be endured then use the communion of Saints and still remember that we be not wearied with prayer for God sends not his away emptie and that those things may be the more effectuall observe some motives to stirre us up And to this end consider the priviledge of a perfect Christian He is as Mount Sion which cannot be moved if wee tell him of death it s his hearts desire tell him of afflictions he is resolute he lookes for them he knowes he lives Gods childe and so he shall die when a weak professor feares afflictions feares ill tidings feares death and when it comes seekes for comfort and hardly findes it Secondly a perfect Christian is a beautifull example and makes others in love with Religion he is throughly exercised and practised the weakling is scandalous makes men offended at Religion soone takes offence soone stumbles and gets many knockes so as his life is bitter Thirdly the perfect man honours God and gets him much glorie by hearing reading praying and such duties now as parents love those children best that are most like unto them so those whom the Lord findes like unto him hee will make them more neeâ—e to him in likenesse Fourthly the perfecter a man is the more neere communion he hath with Christ and hath
thing that others of our profession doe So as this is a direction to concord shewing that a Christian is a member of Christ as his head and of the mysticall bodie the Church faith ties him to Christ love ties him to the body so as he must walke with Christ and also with the body hee must looke to himselfe first and then to the body the ground of this union is laid downe here to bee first an union of minde and affection and this must bee in good or else wee are brethren in evill It s no marvaile the world complains of want of love when there is no agreement in the rule of our love when there is no agreement in the objects of our love it s not riotous fellowship but fellowship in the gospell that unites us let us minde this same thing and then we shall affect one another and because our knowledge doth not extend to every particular alike let us agree in the maine points and let not lesse things breake us off one from another If wee did walke according to our measure of knowledge in those things wherein wee agree betweene us and the Lutherans would not bee that bitternesse of spirit that there is all censures and distempers would cease and its a â—ault in manie Christians though bred up well in knowledge yet being of a harsh spirit and nature while hee walkes not according to the same rule and mindes not the same things in the maine as hee should doe he growes to be bitter as for those that would be sincere they must indeavour to bee united in one as they have one God one faith one baptisme for a Christian loves not to goe to heaven alone and when he is there he knowes he shall be one with Christ and one with the holy Saints and therefore will indeavour to be in perfect unitie here considering there is no good he hath but he injoyes it as being a member of the body of Christ he knowes its a horrible thing that members of the same bodie should fall out one with another and therefore what shall separate or divide us shall infirmities Alas we are all sicke of this disease veniam petimus damusque are they too hot we are too cold why should we not stoope and yeeld Christ he stooped from heaven to us Shall errors why the time will come God will reveale himselfe more fully Shall sinne Wee know what the Apostle saith Gal. 6.1 those that are spiriâ—uall must restore such with the spirit of meeknesse wee must not cut off members for every sore Shall injuries It s the honour of a man to passe by such doe wee looke Christ should forgive us when wee will not forgive others consider it is the practice of all holy men Paul became all things to all men if by any meanes hee might winne some Peter received reproofe of him yet fell not out with him some there are of such a perverse spirit as if they see in any one any infirmitie presently they breake out into these or the like words I will not be of that mans profession thus forsaking all the good in the holy profession because of some weaknesse in the professors If they will needs be separating let them separate from the world from scandalous carelesse riotous persons else Sathan rules in division he knowes hee is best able to deale with them that are alone and therefore drawes Eve from Adam and one Christian from another and so quickly overcomes them If in companie one fall another may helpe him up if hee be cold another may warme him by exhortation and example Consider therefore who are best minded and minde the best things with them if we finde we have attained to a greater degree in grace than others indeavour to bring them to us the Communion of Saints is an Article of our faith every one beleeves it but few knowes what it meanes and therefore no marvaile they desire it not VERS 17. Brethren be followers together of mee THese words containe another exhortation with a friendly compellation which I passe over having heretofore had often occasion to speake of it the exhortation is to imitation of the Apostle follow me And because I cannot ever be with you therefore follow those among you that walke as I doe Whence wee learâ—â— that together with the rules of religion wee must propound Gods graces in us as examples for others to imitate and this arises not from pride but from confidence of truth and holinesse in our owne hearts and conversations and religion maketh this a vertue and dutie without which it were boasting and so it doth make many things of themselves not seemely very fitting Davids dance was in worldly esteeme counted but folly yet having respect to Gods glory is commendable and therefore we must not be captious when we see such things in others that men ordinarily count indiscretion but mark their ground and by it esteeme of them and accordingly follow such Bee yee followers of mee saith St. Paul that is observe what my doctrine is and what I doe and acknowledge follow and imitate me The Apostles doctrine consists chiefly of three heads whereof the first concerneth our naturall condition as Rom. 1 2 3. chapters and Ephes. 2. And the second concerneth our remedy by Christ Iesus God and man being King Priest and Prophet as in the Heb. And the third the maÌ„ner how Christ is become ours by imputation and is laid hold on by faith which is given to us by God who being unchangeable and true we persevere in this rule and course of obedience by the mercies of God though with many combatings and strivings even to fulnesse of glorie The Apostles example see in part in this chapter in holinesse of life and death 〈◊〉 sinne and esteeme of the goods of this world as base In the Acts see his paines in the Ministerie his calling his heavenly and holy mind in the next verse And therefore let us reade these often and consider them they are an excellent glasse that will transforme us into an holy forme and fashion many things there are in him that are extraordinarie and not immitable he wrought in another calling for his living he was an Apostle had extraordinarie gifts by revelation and indeed not so much by studie as the Miniters of the Gospell now to whom God gives guifts but in the faithfull and painfull use of the meanes and therefore are they not bound to imitate the Apostle in this thing as in other things which he did as an Apostle But to proceed to particulars imitation implyes foure things First a doing that which another doth Second a doing it in the same manner Third a doing thereof grounded upon the same affections not as in a stage play where hee that acteth the person of a King is often a varlet but it implies such an imitation as is in a childe that indeavoureth to be like the father in disposition as well of
minde as of bodie Fourth it implies a doing studio imitandi with an earnest desire to be like him for he that doth that which God commands and not as expressing his desire of imitation he is no follower and therefore in all our actions wee ought to desire to be like God and indeavour to expresse in action what we desire and to this end wee are to search for examples and patternes in the Scripture for those that are more excellent for the most excellent in all kindes are the best rules for others and because in many things we offend all let us follow the examples of men no further than they follow Christ 1 Cor. 11.1 And it was one end of Christs incarnation that he might bee an example unto us As I your Lord and Master have washed your feet so yee ought to wash one anothers feet and learne of me for I am meek Hence we may gather the ground why we have not only rules in Scripture to live by but also examples For first they shew that the things commanded are possible to bee done Then they shew us the way and meanes more plainly how to doe them Thirdly they shew how gracefull acceptable they are when they are done So as the Scriptures are not penned altogether in a commanding fashion but have mingled sweet alluring examples for there are foure wayes of teaching rule reason similitudes and examples The two former injoynes but workes not on the affections similitudes are but slight onely examples conformes us in a most sweet alluring manner And therefore wee ought to be exemplarie as to follow others and especially those that are above other they should be burning and shining lights as starres giving light to passengers in the darknesse of this world to this end observe some meanes And First reverence not onely the eye of God but of weake Christians Maxima debetur puero reverentia We are to be awfull of our carriage that we may give no ill example to them and to this end we are to know that wee shall give account for those sinnes that wee either cause or suffer others to fall into if wee may hinder them give therefore no offence or scandall to the little ones Secondly Labour to denie our selves in liberties especially when we are in the presence of such as will take scandall and to this end labour for the grace of love which will cause us to indure much and put up many things which we count injuries Thirdly in our carriage wee are so to demeane our selves that wee shew wee value esteeme and respect those with whom wee converse for else our actions being visible to others they will seeme to be done out of a selfe respect and so will not affect or worke on them Grace will teach us to honour the meanest as those that may bee deerely beloved of God who also may excell us in many excellent qualities and in some kinde of grace may also goe beyond us Secondly if wee be bound to give good example then woe to the world for offences what shall become of those who wound and vexe continually the hearts of those with whom they converse Many are in hell propter alienum peccatum In the eyes of God who knowes the heart and intentions sinne is committed before it be acted and therefore it s all one whether thou committest it or not But it s not thus before men for when it is committed it turnes to scandall and opens the enemies mouthes and grieves the spirit of God in his children the Prophets complaine hereof and wee may observe God correct his children most to keepe them from scandâ—lizing others and that others may beware of scandall so Davids sinne was pardoned yet because hee gave scandall the childe died Thirdly as wee must give good example so wee must indeavour to take good from others example and to this end First wee must eye them and prie into their actions for this end hath God left us a continuall succession of examples Secondly we must eye them not to observe their weaknesses to uncover their shame for this is a poysonous disposition proceeding even from the divell neyther are wee to observe them thereby to take libertie to the flesh from their ill example but wee are to eye them as we view glasses to deck and adorn our selves by them and to compose our selves in a good course Thirdly in imitation we are to observe the best and the best of the best and not to compare our selves with those that are inferiour to us for he that thinks himself good by comparison he is not good as a runner will not conclude he runnes swiftly beeause he hath out-runne a lame man And therefore St. Paul sayes else where Brethren follow mee as I follow Christ propounding to himselfe the most excellent patterne of all Christ Iesus Contrariwise he blames the Corinthians because they measured themselves by themselves 2 Cor. 10.12 Fourthly wee must learne truthes before wee practice for the best have their blemishes so that wee must learne to know how to avoid them The Papists urge us with the succession and universalitie of their Church No say we it is the doctrine that must trie the Church whether it be true or false for men are Mensura mensurata it s the doctrine is Mensura mensurans the measure measuring whereby our actions ought to be squared and framed aright The Papists urge us with an implicite faith Alas what example what imitation can there be when they know not what to imitate they know not what the Church beleeves and and yet they must beleeve as the Church beleeveth Fifthly wee must labour to have soft hearts sanctified with grace and molified for a stonie hard heart will receive no impression and to this end are wee to use the meanes to imbrace the word to receive the Sacraments and to pray that God would open our eyes and soften our stonie hearts Sixthly wee are to looke to everie one that hath any good thing worthy of imitation as those that delight in gardens where they heare of any choise flowers they will have a slip for their owne garden thus it should bee with us where we see any flower of any grace get that and place it in our owne gardens in every Christian there is something immitable and something that may further us and therefore this Apostle longed to see the Romans that hee might be comforted by their faith 1 Rom. 12. It is with the Church as with the firmament ever some are rising and some are fitting let us looke to the starres of our time and walke by their light It s not enough that wee can commend the Martyrs for that is ordinarie as it was with the Iewes in Matth. 23.29 though they builded the sepulchres of the Prophets if they had beene alive together with them they would have persecuted them and therefore Christ saith they killed the Prophets And the ground of
abasement for us and shall not wee indure for a while here seeing it is also for our owne good and we are gainers thereby and considering that Christ called us to suffer for while wee live here and imbrace true religion there will ever be a crosse and shame in the world accompanying the profession thereof if it bee sincere Preachers therfore that preach not Christ plainly and boldly and hearers that come to the hearing of the Word rather for Rhetoricall flourishes wittie sentences fit onely for discourse sake even thus farre they are enemies For if Christ bee not preached mainly and chiefly to this end to amend the lives of men to winne soules to Christ. And if men comming to heare come not even for this end mainly to be bettered in their salvation to bee strengthened in grace they shall be damned as enemies for this that the meanes of salvation they prophane and despise And therefore let us abase our selves for our sinnes and magnifie Gods goodnesse in affording meanes of salvation Labour also to shew how wee profit by suffering for the Gospell and count it an honour and rejoyce that wee are worthie to suffer for Christ labour to overcome the world and our lusts and to honour Christ even in his meanest children If the love of Christ will not constraine us no motives will draw us VERS 19. Whose end is destruction THe word signifies a rewâ—rd and is translated and taken often for an end because reward is given at the end of the worke and thus is salvation called a reward for goodnesse because it is given at the end of a holy life The other word signifies damnation or destruction which implyes all things tending to or accompanying the punishment of a wicked life and the connexion of these words with the former may be thus framed hee that is an enemie to the cause of life is an enemie to life but those that are enemies to the crosse of Christ are enemies to the cause of life and to that which saves them and therefore they must needs be destroyed this made the Apostle judge of them thus and withall be saw they were void of grace and were incorrigible and from hence we may inferie That wee may in some sort judge of the spirituall estate of men even while they are alive for as Astronomers can judge of eclipses and statesmen of the continuance or danger of the state and Physitians of the event of diseases by the course of naturall causes so in religion there are predictions on good grounds what will follow of ill courses tending to dam nation But more particularly there is a three-fold judgement First one by Faith which concerning our selves brings certainty and so wee are able to judge of our selves Secondly there is a judgement by fruits comparing mens disposition and state with their fruits and so wee say if men walke riotously we can inferre surely he is in no good estate by their fruits shall you know them saith Christ. Thirdly there is a particular revelation of Gods spirit this the Prophets and Apostles had but now we have no such rule yet by the fruits and course of men it s an easie matter to judge what the end of those men will be following those courses for Gods word is the same now that it was then Indeed when wee judge men in things indifferent this is rash and condemned by the Apostle Rom. 14. For Use hereof let us learne to judge our selves and know if wee breake wilfully the knowne rules of salvation we are in a fearfull estate And we should also submit to the judgement of Gods ministers while we are here and amend for else looke assuredly for the sentence of death hereafter from God himselfe when there will be no revoking thereof For though punishment may be deferred a while yet assuredly it shâ—ll not goe well with the wicked Eccles. 8.13 at the last In the next place observe There is an end to every way for it is taken for granted that they have an end and surely wee will not nor cannot be alwayes as we are wee are labourers and there is a time of payment of our wages And therefore wee should looke whether our wayes doe tend there will bee an end of this life but damnation shall be without end We should also bee inquisitive to see if wee be out of this way that we may be reformed for these worldly pleasures must end in eternall vengeance and this life is but a way to that end And in the third place learne to bee patient when wee see the wicked runne on in a broad high way what though they be admired here and lifted up they are but condemned persons and therefore envie them not seeing we would be loath upon serious deliberation to change estates with them Observe wee further from these words that God will judge eternally not onely for grosse scandalous sinnes in the course of our life but even for errors in judgement For wee must judge aright as well as affect aright and God hath no service from corrupt judgements Those that joyne mans merits with Christs merits they cannot relye on God alone neither can they rejoyce in Christ Christ hath but halfe of them therefore let us keepe the virginitie of our judgements prostitute them not to lyes but reserve them chaste and pure to Christ. And secondly take we heed how wee converse with such as are of corrupt judgements they are Gods and Christs enemies and will labour to bring us into their wayes and then assuredly let us looke for their end It s reason that those with whom we converse here wee should converse withall hereafter VERS 19. Whose God is their belly THese words doe partly shew the inward disposition of these mâ—n by Bellie in this place hee meanes in generall all contentments and worldly pleasures whereof these Teachers being satisfied they lived at large and at ease But how may they be said to make their bellie their God I answer we may be said to make any thing our God First when we count it one as some of the Papists have esteemed of the Pope as of an essence betweene man and God and some Emperours have required themselves to be so esteemed and adored as a Dietie Secondly when wee give such affections to it as are onely due and proper to God as to trust in it to repose content in it to joy in it and so is that sentence true amor tuus Deus tuus Thirdly when wee use actions of invocation and adoration thereto and thus the Papists make Saints their God attributing such power in working to them as is onely proper to God Fourthly when wee bestow all labour to givâ— satisfaction thereunto for explication these men gave the intention of their most inward affections to procure content to their lusts all their labour was to this end and so quieted themselves in the injoyment of them and as they made their bellie their God so
their belly acted the part of a god in giving them lawes bidding them to doe proiect devise this or that undermine such and grounding them in this first fundamentall law Thou canst not live long neither wilt thou live well therefore while thou livest live for thy pleasure take thy ease and from thence inioynes them to use all meanes thereto take all acquaintance undermine all that crosse thee and all to this end that thou maist have thy ease As it was then so now is it with the Papists their successors all the differences in Religion betweene them and us are by them grounded on the bellie that is the Monarchie of the Pope and worldly pompe and Masses invented for idle Priests latine prayers little or no preaching onely that the people being ignorant they might more easily command them If their errors were not invested in gaine wee should soone accord their worship especially the manner thereof onely to delight the sense And among our selves many are not wanting that make profession of religion but denie the power thereof so long as religion and outward content doe meet and when Religion brings preferment all will be religious for they live by no rules but those that their lusts prescribes morning and evening taking care for the flesh how to bee rich how to live at ease and for this will sell their birthright in happinesse refusing the Word refusing good companie yea heaven it selfe And this justly comes as a iudgement for mans first rebellion when men will not serve God as they should they are iustly given over to the service of those that are no Gods But it may be asked may wee not seeke to content our flesh I answer wee may respect our bodies and there is a due honour that belongs to the outward man but we must so seeke for them as in the first place and principally we seeke the Kingdome of heaven and is righteousnesse and then God hath promised to cast these things upon us But when wee breake order and measure being first and principally carefull for our lusts the divell knowing our haunts offers baites fitting for our humours and wee like filthiâ— swine devoure our owne destruction And therefore to avoid this let us set the feare of God and damnation before our eyes and if we use not these things moderatly and soberly let that in Rom. 8.13 be as a flaming sword to keepe us from the way to destruction If we live according to the lusts of the flesh we shall die and therefore as strangers and Pilgrims let us abstaine from fleshly lusts which fight against the soule against our comfort here and our happie estate hereafter Secondly let us avoid the companie of condemned persons but looke on them with a kinde of horrour and detestation of them and and passe not for their wicked censures their end is damnation and their bellie is their God But because the best are drawne away by these pleasures let us observe some directions And first let us see the reasons why we are thus inveagled with them First these earthly contentments are present to our sense the other onely are present to faith which the carnall man lookes not after neither cares for Secondly wee nusle up our selves in an opinion of the necessitie of these things seeing the present use of them and wee see no present use of those better things Thirdly these things are bred up with us and wee are acquainted with them from our infancie and so they pleade prescription and when we are thus taken up before Religion comes after and very hard it must needs be to keepe our mindes lifted up and yet is it most necessarie to be for lusts doe drowne men in perdition 1 Tim. 6.9 But for helpes in this estate of ours observe first with due consideration the nature dignitie and excellencie of the soule that it is a spirit of an excellent beautie adorned with understanding and judgement not made to cast off the crowne submitting it selfe to the rule of every base lust which indeed is the onely happinesse of the beasts nay if happinesse consist in pleasing the senses beasts are more happie than we for they have neither sâ—â—me without nor conscience within to disquiet them in the injoyment of their pleasures And know also that this bodie of ours being of that excellent temper is a fabricke which was not made onely for to be a strainer for meate to passe through The qualitie of the braine in man the structure of the eve doe testifie man was made for divine meditation to contemplate of the workes of God which it doth behold with the eye as through a glasse Secondly wee must know by giving our affections to these things we are made like the things we affect for the soule is placed in the middest as it were betweene heaven and earth and as it affects the one or the other so is it fashioned if we love the flesh we are flesh if wee follow the spirit wee are transformed to its likenesse Thirdly consider that God is better than the worshipper else is hee mad that will worship it but the bellie is baser than our selves reason teacheth us the pleasures of this life end in death when our soules must still continue after all now to seeke such pleasures as cannot continue with us is madnesse as appeares even by the light of reason and therefore are of more power with naturall men than pure religious truthes but for those that are called The Scripture puts them in minde of the last day of judgement and telles them that they are made for heaven and such are therefore to set their mindes on things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God Col. 3.1 and when they begin to grow worldly and to follow their belly it calles them backe with a but know for all this God will bring thee to judgement which duly pondered cannot but be as a hooke in our jawes to bring us back to a more diligent watch over our wayes VERS 19. And whose glorie is in their shame A Second part of the inward disposition shewing that they glorie in that which brought shame to them for circumcision was a ceremonie given to the Church when it was but in the infancie and for them that were borne in the strength of the Church being well growne to glorie in such beggerly rudiments was shamefull in the words first consider the affection second the object or end for the word implyes both and in the first consider the sinne then the cure The sinne that is reproved in them is vaine-glorie that is glorying in a thing not to bee gloried in and it is grounded upon pride which is a desire of excellencie in vaine things and it is for the most part in vaine injuditious men who ordinarily doe glorie in things that tend to shame These Philippians saw that Paul was now committed the doctrine hee taught they thought was not good
they shall bee free from all weaknesse from ill compâ—nie from temptation the lambe shall be all in all glorious things are spoken of thee thou Citie of God Fifthly they speake one language the language of Canaan the language of the beast they abhorre And lastly their carriage is alike grave like Citizens of heaven their faces are still as they were going to Ierusalem their continuing and abiding Citie for while they are in this life they are still as it were in the Suburbs Hence we may gather divers grounds that while we live in this world a Christian is but a Pilgrim and stranger heaven is his home and this life is but a way and he a passenger And thus David accomptâ—d of himselfe though a King yet but a stranger both himselfe and his fathers and therefore as a passenger hee provides for his journey he stands not for ill usage cares not to looke after delights in the way but uses them as advantagious to his journey And secondly hee is inquisitive after the way fearing he should goe amisse and furnisheth himselfe with cordials to cheere him and strengthen him in his journey he inquires after the guide of Gods spirit to be as the pillar of fire to guide him in the darknesse of this world Thirdly Hee is well provided of weapons against such enemies as hee shall meet with in the way he hath the shield of faith and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God The second ground that arises hence is that a Christians indeavours are of a high nature his looke is high his soule and minde are ever upward casting all burthens of earthly cares and delights from him that hee may freely mount up in the presence of his maker Thirdly this carriage of a Christian is not by fits but it is his trade his conversation and course of life in all things he lookes to heaven his course is by rule and by law whatsoever he does he does as in obedience to God chiefly with all his power as approving himselfe to God in whose sight he ever sets himselfe briefly hee doth all things as a Citizen of heaven Fourthly we may also ground hence that a Christian may have his conversation in heaven even while he is here alive for hee is borne anew having received the life of grace God requires not impossibilities but alwayes gives abilitie to the discharge of that which hee injoynes But in particular how may a Christian bee said to be in heaven or to have his conversation in heaven I answer a Christian may be said to bee in heaven first as in his head Christ Iesus who is in heaven already beeing gone to prepare a place for us Secondly he is there by faith which makes things absent as present and so it is that Abraham saw Christs day and was glad and therefore is faith called The evidence of things not seene Heb. 11. Thirdly a Christian is in heaven by his hopes Fourthly he is there by his desires animus est ubi amat Fifthly a Christian is in heaven when as his meditations are there when his thoughts are thereon continually busied as St. Paul was when in admiration of those joyes he crieth out O the depth both of the riches and wisedome of God! Rom. 11.33 Sixthly hee is there when by continuall prayers to God he hath an inward admittance to the throne of grace where hee may freely open his heart to his God and therefore it is that those that are Christians indeed are often in this dutie Fifthly hence we may gather that the glorious estate in heaven is of the same kinde with this life of grace onely differing in degrees of happinesse both estates are free there onely a freedome of glory here a freedome of grace both are estates of redemption there wee are redeemed from sinne and death and the divell here we are onely redeemed from the power of them there have we the full harvest here we have the first fruits here wee are heires by faith there by full possession to all of us Christ is all in all onely there hee rules immediately here he rules by meanes by his deputies There they have communion with the Saints here we also have communion though we live amongst the wicked There they praise God continually here we indeavour it continually There they have communion with the beatificall vision here wee have communion with the ordinances which will bring us to it And therefore let such as intend to be Saints hereafter be Saints here and live by the lawes that are given us from heaven and that they live by in heaven for the kingdome is in such sort one and the same the kingdome of grace the preaching of the word is called the kingdome of heaven as well as the kingdome of glorie and men doe thinke in vaine ever to enter into glorie without comming in at the gates of grace as appeareth out of the Apostles argument 2 Pet. 1.10 11. Give diligence to make your calling and election sure for so an entrance shall be ministred unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdome of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ. And to this end amongst many other observe with me these following directions First for a preparation heare the word of God for by this wee are in heaven in part already for where the word is preached there is the presence of the blessed Trinitie and the holy Angels bringing downe heaven it selfe to us teaching us in the lawes of that Kingdome Vse reading also for even thereby wee talke with the Saints who wrote those things for our instruction and that spirit that guided them in writing will also guide thee in reading Receive the Sacraments often for these ordinances are the heavenly Manna to us and and strengthen us in our way to the spirituall Canaan Secondly Rejoyce in often communicating with the Saints these earth moles that are delighted in Coeno not in Coelo all companie is alike to them but a Christian will here converse with such as hee shall be with hereafter and the Saints have found much helpe this way even Saul in the companie of Prophets became a Prophet and the most earthly man that is amongst good men in good discourse will sute himselfe to them and indeed good discourse is of much availe this way if it bee frequent as it should be I inforce it not as a dutie to be done at all times but it should be oftner than it is Thirdly Vse such meanes as are of force to subdue the hinderances of this disposition such as are lusts of youth which ought to be tamed by fasts and such watchfulnesse that may make us at the length wise for so â—acre as wee overcome our lusts so farre we have our conversation in heaven and therefore wee must often in private watch and in private pray as the Scripture saith we must watch unto prayer Fourthly Vse much meditation bee ever setting our