and infaillible truth And soe having now by the way cleared this scruple we should proceede vnto our discovery of Abels sacrifice as we have it here layd downe in the words of the text which make report vnto vs what kinde of sacrifice it was and wherof it consisted But we must first take away another doubt which may be made by some how Abell could know the minde of God for these matters and soe readily offer a sacrifice of this kinde and doe it soe suitably to Gods prescription considering that as yet the law of the offering of first fruits nor any other part of the morall or ceremoniall was not given We answer it was giuen but not written as we have it now it was given in those dayes by divine tradition originaly from God to man and successively from man to man Then did the father informe the childe acquaint him with the dutyes that pertayned to piety and the children they received it from their parents obeyed it as from God And this course and manner of revealing the will of God by this kinde of traditioÌ„ endured all the dayes of the holy Patriarches and such as lived after them till Moses and also during all the dayes of Moses till that part of his life wherin the Lord employd him about the penning of this booke and that is diversly conjectured of some suppose it to be written before he went into Egypt within the compasse of these fourty yeares wherin he kept sheepe in Madian others imagine he did it immediately after his departing out of Egypt even in the first yeare therof Howbeit this as the former is no point of such importance as that we must of necessity have an exact knowledge of the same But that Gods law was delivered by this kinde of tradition till the time we speake off we nothing doubt and therefore the more foule is that slander layd vpoÌ„ vs by the papist that we acknowledg not nor endure any traditions judeede those that are popish and vnwritten we cannot abide but doe abhorre them all because none of them can be defended but by blasphemy and some of them in particular are apparantly blasphemous But that there were traditions â—â—ce to wit such as the Lord by himself or by his Angells made knowne to man man beleeved related to his posterity we doe no more deny then we doe that Moses penned this part of holy scripture which till his time was a tradition and vnwritten but can be none from that time forward And if the Lord have ceased his owne hath any man power to erect more that are none of his especially now that his holy will is sufficiently revealed in the writings of the Law and Prophets the Gospell That there were some traditions we freely confesse that any are of God now we dirictly deny those that are being not of God we detest because they are the fruit of the Popes braine who hath a very crazy head in heavenly things though he be applauded to be the head of the church and able to distill spirituall influence into it But to returne to Abel it is probable that he received the light and knowledge he had to offer sacrifice from his father who from God did instruct him how and what to doe in such duties as were to be required of him And vpon this did he embrace and obey the Lord in his ordinances which course of his and his forwardnes thus to doe in those times wherin no scripture was penned nor every man that spake of the things of God traditionally so infalliblely inspired as were all they by whome the Lord hath left his truth written to vs shall rise vp against vs to condemne our vntowardnes who refuse to be taught of God and to be obedient to him though he hath left vs a more happy way to learne then they had who had but a part of his good pleasure manifested and that not written wheras we have the whole and written vpon such records as can never be razed The saints of those times were most willing to take knowledge of the wayes of God and yeeld their obedience to them by that meanes which in comparison of ours are but meane and were but weake yet enough to bring them to God who lived by faith in the truth thus revealed The sinners of our dayes to whome the Lord hath dispenced a more absolute and most sufficient course of comming neere to him are farre from the Lord and will not give him neither such nor soe much duty as these did whose knowledg and practise is not soe much magnifyed as ours shal be manifested plagued of the Lord who looke's they should be the best schollers who have the best teaching Note Miserable will it be with those men to whome the Lord shall say these knew litle of my minde in respect of you yet have done much I made it all knowne to you yet have you done litle or nothing Let not this consideration be in vaine but thinke we how cheerefully Abel learned how conscionably he performed the worship of his God having but litle helpe to further him that we by due ponderation herof may be both ashamed for our faylings past and enforce our selves as it were by a holy violence for time to come to be more faithfull and industrious both to know and to doe what on our part we owe vnto the Lord what vnsepakeable shame is it that we should lye behinde them that have gone before vs in those dutyes wherin many of them had but few to follow nor any scripture to learne them but we have both Gods whole booke to giude vs and all his blessed saints are gone before vs yet are we exceeding short of those holy ones who lived graciously in that age which may truly be called the infancy both of the world and of the church But I will not dwell here we see the holy Ghoste beare's record of Abels offering let vs now come to the words of the text which tell vs what manner of sacrifice it was And Abel he also brought of the firstlings or first borne of his flock Exod. 22.29.30 cap. 34.19 26. Levit. 23.10.12 Num. 15.20.21 Deut. 12.17 cap. 18.4 cap. 26.1.2.11 and of the fate of them Of the first-lings or first borne that is the first encrease of cattell that the Lord gave him The Lord made a most exact law for the offeriÌ„g of the first borne both of man and beast and of all fruits vnto him and this law of his we finde to be very frequently repeated in divers places of the foure bookes of Moses Exodus Leviticus Numbers and Deuteronomie And as it was often itterated by God to Jsraell soe was it faithfully obeyed by Israell before the Lord both before the captivity in Hezekiah dayes 2. Chron. 31.1.51 Neh. 10.3.32.35 and after in the dayes of Nehemiah as appeareth in the storie of their lives nay from the begining before this law
ABELS OFFERING OR THE EARELY and most ACCEPTED Sacrifice of a Christian Shewing how soone every soule is bounde to begin betake himself not only to the true but also to the timely service of God A SERMON Preached at Hamburg in November 1617 and now published at the instant entreaty of A Godly Christian. BY IOHN WING then Pastor to the English church there Hosea 10.20 It is now time to seeke the Lord till he rayne righteousnes vpon you AT FLVSHING Printed by Martin Abraham vander Nolck dwelling at the signe of the Printing 〈…〉 TO THE Right Honorable THE OPHILVS Lord Clinton EARLE of Lincolne And to the vertuous and Right Honorable the Lady BRIDGET his wife AND TO The Right Honorable WILLIAM Lord Say and Seale with the Vertuous and Right Honorable the Lady ELISABETH his wife IOHN WING A poore vnworthy Minister of Iesus Christ wisheth all increase of all true honour and happines with God and men RIght honorable Lords and Ladyes I hope it shall not be any way distastefull or vnpleasing to your honours that a stranger is bolde to salute you from beyonde the seas and to publish your names there where your persons may be as vnknowne to others as myne is to your selves I have not presumed on this double dedication without all reason for why it is famously knowne that you are the worthy examples of this subject wherof I here treat And I cannot but thinke that they are the fittest Patrones of divine bookes whome God hath made the faithfull Patternes of the doctrine contayned in them It is long since I have heard of your early and happy proceedings in piety Having now this opportunity I could not longer contayne in silence but resolved to place you in the beginning of this litle booke that they which reade seeing such gracious and noble presidents of the practise herein pressed might have the more powerfull jnducements to draw them to doe the same The Lord of heaven keepe you all in your most holy course bring you to the end of this happy race that every of you may after all honorable falicityes enjoyed on earth posesse those infinite and endles glories prepared for all that love his name in whome I rest FLVSHING the 30. of October 1621. Yours Honours in all service for the honour of God IOHN WING Pastor to the English church at Flushing in ZEELANT Pag. 18. lin 23. put in and gaue Pag 43. lin 33. put out he Pag. 49. lin 24. for albe read able ABELS OFFERING OR THE Earely and most acceptable sacrifice of a Christian Shewing how soone every soule is bounde to begin to betake himself not only to the true but also to the timely service of God Gen. 4.4 And Abel he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and the fatt therof THE three former chapters of this holy History being spent in the discovery of the worldes creation and of the most wonderfull and glorious workemanship of God as in every other creature soe especially in Man whose happy estate while he stood and miserable condition when he fell and most gracious recovery from his fall with divers other divine occurrents next and jmmediately following being at large related vnto vs. It now pleaseth the holy Ghost to goe further in this sacred narration and in the beginning of this fourth chapter to acquaint vs with the multiplication of man-kinde And here we have the story of the first two that were ever borne into the world to wit the two first sons of their and our first parents I dispute not whether they were twinnes the text seemeth to contradict it though some doe weakely conceit it neither doth it carry or conclude any materiall consequence whether they were or noe concerning whome we have a threefolde description 1. of their birth and naturall being ver 1.2 2. of their busines and civill being ver 2. 3. of their religion and spirituall condition ver 3.4 They were both borne into the world of their parents by them also were they both employed in the world and these two are only named or mentioned without any further discourse But the third thing to wit that which concerneth the matter of religion is that which the Lord doth intend to treat off and insist vpon In the world and affaires of the earth men may lawfully be of divers professions trades occupations and it is needfull they should be soe But in religion it cannot be thus piety cannot admitt a diversity the blessed worship of God will beare no variety at all it must be vniforme as that one God is who is worshipped And soe was this of these two bretheren so farre as the same appeared visiblely to men in the externall act of sacrificing which practise they had doubtles learned of their parents who were without question taught of God how to excercise this duty though the letter of the scripture be silent in both as it is in divers other excellent truthes which yet we stand bound to acknowledg by vertue of such evident and vndeniable consequence as doth clearely conclude the same without litterall testimony in any expresse tearmes to avouch it Now concerning the sacrifice of the sons of Adam Cain and Abell there is a double difference noted 1. of the sacrifices they offred 2. of the effect they found with God to whome they were offred That which is observable in their sacrifices is this that wheras Cain carelesly and without choise offred of the fruit of the grounde not regarding what he offred soe he brought some what contrary to the law of those offrings which required the first of all fruits It is reported of Abell commended in him that he was very regard-full and respective to sacrifice to his God of the first of his flock and among the first the best he could pick and chuse And according to the difference of these acts the effect was also different with the Lord who seemeth to suite and fit his justice to Cain that as he had no respect what offering he brought soe had God no respect to him or that he offered and his favour to Abell vnto whose person and sacrifice the Lord had gracious regard as he was most heedefull to present the choyse and cheife of all he had to the Lord. And in this particuler doth Moses the man of God and pen-man of this part of Gods word insist speaketh much of the things that issued herevpon both on Ahells part and Cains But here it may be some will move a question how Moses who was borne many hundred and some thousands of yeares after the creation could come to know these things and to set them downe in such exact order vnto vs. To moue this question is to make question of Gods truth and to bring into doubt all that he hath recorded in this whole booke of Genesis and all such other things as fell out before his birth and ripe yeares in Exodus for in his infancy we cannot conceive
as come from that hell originally whervnto they that persist in them must goe eternally And to preserve soe many of them as is possible now they have done pleading for sin against the honour of God and the good of their owne soules we will begin to plead both for God and for them and the happines they may have by this blessed truth of his if they have such harts as may yet be mooved perswaded to embrace the same Vse To which end we now come to our third vse wherin we shall make tender vnto them of such motiues and considerations as may jnduce any hart that is not wholy hardened and sealed vp or seared by Satan to a starke senclesse condition to yeeld both acknowledgment obedience to that which in this behalfe the Lord requireth of them The thing the Lord expecteth is the first fruits of our liues to be his that assoone as we can vndertake any thing we should betake our selves to his service and can we conceit he doth this without right or reason Farre be such jmpious jmmaginations from our harts Let vs pervse seriously some few particulers that may be powerfull and perswaaing with vs herein And first we will begin with those grounds whervpon legally the Lord required them which if we ponder and paralell according to their morall we shall see enough to moue men to doe as God would have them Note then that the first fruits were to be given to these ensuing ends 1. That the Lord might be honoured in this favour and power wherby he gave Isarell that goodly land by giving him his right in the first of every thing The first of all was the Lords right and appropriated to himself by his owne ordinance and decree he that gave it not rob'd God of his due and was guilty of the higest sacriledge that could be committed Yea the Lord was soe absolute herein that all the first should be entyre to himself that if it were not given him Exod. 34.20 yet they might not reserve it to their owne vse as is evident in that instance of the asse which being an vncleane beast it was to be redeemed by a lambe but if the owner aid not redeeme it he might not let it live but must breake the neck of it Now then who seeth not through this shaddow that our first time is the Lords absolute right and that we are theiues to our God if we giue not our selves to him and this fellony we may not jmagine to be easily answered it is no slight matter to be false to the almighty to be a robber of the most high it is not our booke will save vs yet his booke if we wil be ruled by it will shew vs the meanes how to be saved The reproach of being a theife and a robber is great but the punishment is greater he that repent's not sincerely of it will assuredly rue it 2. God will have the first from vs that we might have right to the rest from him Till he have his nothing of all we have is ours when we have given him his right in the first then and not till then he gives vs right to the rest and this is as plaine as the former in the law of Moses in the places forealedged Wherin as we see the great most gracious goodnes of God in providing and caering for our interest that what we have we might holde it from him in a lawfull and comfortable tenure Soe the greater and more heavy is the morall and meaning of this heavenly truth to them who denying the Lord his right doe thereby spoyle their owne by the jmpious neglect of giving the Lord his doe proclaime to all men that nothing they have is theirs Every vngodly man that honours not the Lord with his first is a theife and a vsurper of all he doth posesse and lives vnder the just reproach of a fellon before God and in the danger of that justice due to this offence he is in perpetuall perill every moment hath heavens indignatiō hanging over his head ready at all times to be arrested arraigned cōdemned excecuted by the high posessor of heaven earth the great Lord and owner of all that every man hath who give 's no man title to any thing he hath vnlesse he himselfe first have his due A wicked mans foode rayment riches his whole estate is stolen goods wheresoever he goe's whatsoever he doe's how long or litle soe ever he live's every instant of his life is perilous and may prove the very moment of his eternall death his life is not his owne himself is not his owne he hath no right to the breath he drawe's to the earth he treads on to any thing appertayning to his being all is for feit to the Lord of all for none-payment of these first fruits And herof may we be well assured if we well consider that the Lord would not be soe vnwise as to give vs any thing to serve Satan withall noe he ever gave vs that we might enjoy it to his honour and to our owne advantage Now if he please to give vs harts to give him the first he will graciously continue the same hart in vs to give him the rest also wheras if Satan set in first it is great wonder if he have not the last too for he vseth to holde hard for that which he once hath 3. the Lord will have the first that the rest may be not only ours but sanctifyed to vs also that the right we have in it and the vse we have of it may both be seasoned and sweetened to vs when we have first given God that which is Gods And without a vse sanctifyed what is or can any thing be to vs Beasts that want reason have a naturall vse of earthly comforts Pagans that want religion have a civill vse of that which they have now there is no difference betweene their tenure and ours but this wherin we exceede them that we have both the naturall and civill sanctifyed vnto vs. It is theirs in that state wherin sin left it with the whole curse of sin vpon it It is ours as Christ Iesus hath purifyed it and made it holy to vs. So all is poysoned to him that is in Gods debt for this due and to him that hath discharged it to his best ability all is blessed If the first fruits be holy saith the apostle soe is the lumpe if they be not Ro. 11.16 the lumpe cannot be Tye these two motives together and see how strong they are to binde vs to the obedience of this instruction if we have no right at all then we steale all we have if no sanctifyed vse all we steale is envenomed to vs soe that first we are theives to God in vsing what we have no right in and next we are murderers of our selves in the vnsanctifyed estate of that we vse Now what mighty and vnmatchable misery is it for
the children of God for consolation the vngodly for reprehension all men for instruction Vse 1 And first for the saints the sons and daughters of God it cannot be but exceeding happy comfortable to them who have harts convinced of this truth and lives that have expressed it since the first day it was revealed to them from the Lord before whome they have sincerely endeavoured to give him the first fruits of their knowledge of this lesson though either through their owne personall ignorance therof or through the error of parents in their education they have not given him the first fruits of their practise while they were in their non-age It is a most happy thing to be rightly convicted of a divine truth because many are superficially perswaded an will give a slight consent lesse the Divell if he be put to it wil not doe to many holy truthes of God but they whome the Lord convinceth a right as he doth all his owne he cōforteth in giving them a harts resolution setled in their very soules to say within themselves this is the vndoubted truth of the euerliving God thus we must doe endeavour to stire vp others to doe the same and if it be a truth which we should haue practised before we must repent for neglect past be vpright with God for the time remayning and goe the faster because we began soe late and doe our best to draw others after vs to that way which both they and we should have gone long before He that is thus convicted shall not goe long vncomforted It is a simple impossibility that men called at their ripe yeares or in their age should give their first fruits to the Lord those dayes are gone and past but to give the Lord at what time it pleaseth him to call vs the glory of this truth in our sounde perswasion that it is thus and singleharted humiliation because it had not place in our practise before now most carefull provocation to our vtmost possibility that it may be thus in ours and all others with whome by any good meanes we can prevayle this is to be truly happy and in a most comfortable condition we are accepted of God thus doing as if we had done it our selves from the first day of our life How famous is Abraham few men soe much renowned in religion as he none more yet from his childe hood he had not done service but to Satan in jdolatry and such other jmpiety as vsually accompanieth that jniquity But at the first call he came and assoone as he heard he did obey and perceiving that the Lord had lost such duty by him as in his former dayes he should have received from him he is cōvinced hereof and resolved that his children shall give it though his owne childe-hood was given to sin And the discerning of this in him was that that gave the Lord content and Abraham comfort Is not Moses a man abundantly magnified and that of God himself as if he had beene as indeede he was some extraordinary servant of his yet for forty yeares of his life what was he so farre as we finde but such as others were that lived in the court of that Pagan Prince who was the oppressor and adversary of Gods people it may be he might be lesse grosse then some of his fellow courtiers who were inclined to egregious jmpiety but that he was good or savoured of any saving grace is more then appeareth to me Howbeit inasmuch as he freely and resolutely cast off all the creddit and profsit of his high dignity preheminence in court when the Lord would summon him to serve him it was well taken that from that age and time he wayted on the worke of God though neither his childe-hood nor youth were the Lords in time past What should I multiply more as I might of many other most worthy saints who in the same case have had the same comfort what is over-past and cannot be actually recovered and performed if it be rightly repented of in our selues and reformed in others to our best power it is all one as if we had done it in our owne person Let vs bewayle our owne want of duty and Gods want of glory by vs and doe as Hannah did for such as may come within our possibility to dispose off or perswade namely give them to the Lord from the first instant that we have any interest in them and it shal be well with vs. And this I doe of purpose insert here because Satan is malicious and hungry to gnaw vpon the very harts of Gods saints when once he gett's a truth by the end wherin their time for performance is past then doth he come with his pearceing temptations to wounde and rende the soules of such as are single harted and to lay it in their dish that this and that they should have done long since God should have had their whole lives for his service now many yeares be gone and there can be noe recalling of them and can they thinke which way to make all well when it is an vtter jmpossibility to recover one moment much lesse many yeares with these and the like spight full and greivous suggestions he doth teaze and torture their gracious mindes to breede despayre in them But now we are armed I hope to answer him and that we may doe and pay him double both for himself to whome we may say with joy and scorne better once then never for thy part thy first dayes were as due to God as mine but he will never call but ever accurse thee Note and for our selves but for my part though I have lost my first dayes my God will not lose me ever seing he call's once and be that come's then comes time enough for mercy though he should have came sooner in duty and moreover know the Lord hath made many a happy man for his best service among those who in their first dayes have beene fouly misled I greive that I gave him not my childe-hood or youth but if he please to accept of my age I joy and will joy and doe my best to offer all that I can prevaile withall assoone as I should haue offered my self These and the like answers will confound his cavills and make him weary of vs and he being thus resisted our God and we may be the more intimate and familiar in the sweetest passages of his singuler favour And see we see there is sounde comfort for such as are perswaded herof and would have done it and are humbled because God hath beene robbed of his right in their minority Againe for such as have offered their first fruits to the Lord there comfort cannot be behinde if it exceede not theirs that went before Our A bell here who was soe carefull to give the Lord the first of his flocke and I cannot easily doubt but that he gave the first of himself also how doth the Lord magnify
him in this his service and duty Did he not most graciously regard him and his offering hath he not put it here into his owne booke to his perpetuall prayse Heb. 11.4 1. Joh. 3. and not only here but else-where in the new testament once and againe that from the beginning to the end of the world he might be famous wheresoever either this text or those should be preached that which he hath done should not be forgotten Did he not most deeply avenge his innocent blood vpon his jmpious brother and made him the first and most fearfull spectacle of his justice and malediction to the terror of all succeding generations And which is more then all this hath not the Lord crowned him with glory and immortality in the heavens with himself as well as renouned him for holynes and piety here on earth He is the first whose soule every saw the face of God noe man ever went from earth to heaven before him among the innumerable spirits of just and perfect men who now and for ever live there with the Lord in glory He was the first martyr had the first crowne none every dyed for the Lord before him none could liue with the Lord before him he was the Lords first witnes among all the Lords worthyes this righteous Abel as Christ call's him stood in the fore-frunt of the battell shed the first blood for the faith testimony of Iesus before there was any to back or abett him And as the Lord tooke great notice of this first soe also hath he done in like manner of the rest who have began betime to be acquainted with him in his service How came Samuell to be soe rare a man and to be numbred among the most speciall favourites of God Moses Iob Daniell Noah c Why doe you not remember what we have sayd of his mother how she gave him to God in resolution before she had him and was as good as her word assoone as he was weaned doe you not remember what is sayd of himself the childe Samuell ministred before the Lord the childe Samuell this was worthy to be acounted wonderfull that a childe should minister before the Lord especially being so yong that as yet he knew not the voyce or call of God from Elyes but ranne to Ely once and againe when the Lord called vpon him about the first busines he had to doe for him What may be the cause that Iosiah is soe mightily cōmended that as if he were matchlesse it is sayd of him that there was none like before him nor any to succeede that should be such a one as this peerelesse prince was true it is that never any king either of Jsraell or Iudah no not among the good kings before or after him went soe farre in the worke of Godfor the purgatiō purifying of his worship as he did this king did surmount them all but how is it that he came to doe what none had done more then they all why he begun to worke the worke of God betime that may be a mayne reason why he did so much at eight yeare olde saith the scripture he sought the Lorde 2. King 23.1 and that is but in childe-hood all men know What should I tell you of Solomon of Timothie and such others as I might mention to this purpose nothing is more sure then this that they have beene the rarest and most excellent men in piety and religion and the most able instruments of Gods honour who in the beginning of their dayes have begun to doe good they must needes be neerest heaven who set out on their way soonest continue going on thither-warde Only it is seldome that we see any enter vpon religion soe early now a dayes they are very few that begin to be soe soone faith full Note The more are they to be admired of godly men and the more to be comforted of God who are founde sucklings in grace assoone as they are weanelings in nature and hang vpon Gods breasts when they have given over they mothers So that by all that hath beene sayd it appeareth to be a happy thing and they to be most happy men who have learned this lesson of the Lord and walked according to the light therof which leade's on directly in the way of life wherin howsoever a man may possibly meete with some molestation and misery yet the end of it will vndoubtedly be endles infinite glory with him who wil make those most glorious beyond all time who betooke themselves to glorify him betime Much might be spoken to enlarge their consolation who have harts to doe according to this instruction But of this more hereafter we now passe to our 2. Vse Vse 2 And that concerneth all vngodly persons who howsoever they will because they must and cannot for starke shame say otherwise after a sort acknowledg this our doctrine to be true yet walke most wickedly in a course farre wyde of it nay cleane contrary to it their mouthes cannot be soe monstruously finfull but they must confesse it to be a truth howbeit their hellish harts and lives doe deny it in their most jmpious practise all the dayes of their life yea they have taught their tongues to lye herin notoriously and that not to men alone but to the Lord of whome and of whose service they vse to say it is not yet time it may be time enough heareafter O yee impious children of the father of lyes can you say it is true that every one shoulde begin betime and it were not amisse if it were soe and yet tell God and men to their faces that any time is time enought hereby you shew your selves to be the very jmps of the devill who hath taught you such a language as one part of your speech confutes nay confound's another and such a practise as overturnes Gods truth which you dare not deny and confirmes that falshood which none ought to affirme Miserable soules how are yee given over of God into the hands nay into the bands of Satan who if you speake or breath out but one true word can make your life both to bely and abolish that and to ratify every jot and tittle of those infernall falshoodes that he suggests into your soules Doe yee not sin presumptuously and against the light of your owne knowledg and conscience that can thus speake and dare thus doe and is such a sin a light matter or easy to answer to the judge of the whole worlde know you will not finde it soe in the day of the great and vniversall assize when all flesh shall at once stand before him to give account and receive recompence according to what they have done Notwithstanding the world hath beene ever full hell wil be one day full of soe many of them as repent not of such as either turne God out of all time or bring him in the tayle of all the time they live