the rule forenamed and remembred and having done so the vnderstanding takes a strict and exact view of their agreement or disagreement Now if there be a iust proportion betwixt the acts and the rule then there is excusation the effect of a good Conscience For Faith resteth on the promise for reward from the Law-giuer But if there be a disagreement then followeth accusation the attendant of a bad Conscience For beleefe giues credit to the threat and expects a penaltie And thus you see how a good Conscience excuseth a bad accuseth by reason of faith being interposed Neither need we to doubt but the Gentile had a kinde of faith the which produced these effects Rom. 2. 15. The King of great Brittaine giues a iust law for the well gouerning of his subiects promising a reward to them that obserue it threatning a penaltie to them that transgresse it I my selfe being one of the number heare vnderstand and beleeue it Well a day is appointed when my obedience must be tryed The Law is read and I giue eare vnto it If now my actions answer the Kings command I am not afraid my Conscience doth excuse me Why For I beleeue he will iudge me according to my workes But if they disagree from his Precept then I feare and my Conscience doth accuse me because I giue credit that answerable to the threat I must be rewarded But suppose I were ignorant of my Princes pleasure or knowing it did not yet credit it should I then haue excusation or accusation Not and the reason is in that I want faith to beleeue the promise or threat which are of force to accuse or excuse being credited Let vs apply it God the King of all the world hath giuen man a Law writ without him or within him that skils not to gouerne his actions he also hath passed his vnchangeable Word that the observers of it shall liue the transgressors dye All this I giue credit to Now when I apply mine actions to the Law and they are proportionable to it then my Conscience excuseth me for here is a good seeing together Notwithstanding all this Faith must credit the promise and threat for producing of these effects and is in truth the first and remote cause though Conscience be the second and nearer of accusation and excusation When the hand doth amisse we vse to say can yee not see Yet it is not the eyes fault And so in this we doe the like appropriating that vnto Conscience the which properly and immediatly springs from faith And tell me why doth the Devill tremble Is it not from faith Why are the profane fearefull Is it not from faith Why is a good Christian chearfull Why He hath kept the patterne and hath faith and why doe we sometimes doubt sometimes beleeue But from partiall obedience and an imperfect faith Yet as wee haue said Conscience doth accuse and excuse cause ioy and feare as the Precepts of Grammar the boyes Latine but not without faith And I pray you would a Scholler care at all whether his Latine answered the rule or no had he not faith to beleeue the truth of it and his Masters promise threat And thus you see our opinion let the learned iudge 2. The second effect accompanying a good Conscience is Ioy ioy I say vnspeakeable vnvtterable Davids Harpe was nothing to this yet made full pleasant Musicke A good Conscience will make the heart to leape the face to shine fill the breasts with milke and the bones with Marrow It s Prov. 15. 15. Iudg. 9. 13. a great a continuall feast Irke Wine it cheareth the spirit of God and man Let Saul want it his kingdome will augment his feare Naball may make a feast like a King Belshazzar carowse in Bowles but having not this dish their thoughts will trouble them and their hearts in the middest of all their mirth dye within them This this is the ground of all true and solide ioy the best musicke will it make that ever was heard What caused Iob to laugh at death Peter to sing in prison Paul to comfort himselfe in the angry Adriaticke Sea And Stevens face to shine like an Angell when the stones came flying about his eares Any thing but a good Conscience The gallants of these daies may seeme the onely merry men but without this they are all base wretched miserable 3. Shall we thinke that Conscience goeth alone or with one single attendant or two as Iacob to Padan-Aram Ionathan with his Armor-bearer or Nehemiah to view the walls of Ierusalem No no Ioy is on its right hand and contentation runnes with it Cast a world into the heart of man he is not satisfied when as Paul not having a penny shall rest contented If thou canst but see the face of a good Conscience in the closet of thy soule engrauen on the Tables of thine heart thou maist cry with old Israel when he saw Ioseph his sonne aliue I haue inough or with Mephibosheth when the King returned safe let the Zibaes of the world take all For Conscience is a rich Treasure a Cabinet full of precious Pearles a costly banquet I say that Bread nourisheth Drinke refresheth but a good Conscience is all in all 4. Doth not Conscience also walke with Hope and giue good evidence for time to come It s like a rich Merchant who keepeth Factors in a farre Countrey and forreigne Land Doth it not send hope to trade and barter in the India of heaven from whence she returnes with comfortable tydings and supporteth Conscience vntill all things be had in perfect vision Were it not for this the heart would burst and good mens spirits faile them for feare Hope will still be whispering Conscience in the eare bid it be of good comfort and not faint for the time of its visitation is at hand Truely a Consciencelesse man is a hopelesse man and he that wanteth that shall perish 5. Also Conscience is alwayes armed and attended with courage boldnesse And is not that worthy the right hand of fellowship A man of Conscience dares stand before Princes plead his owne cause and force Faelix a bribing Iudge to tremble What made the Prophet to giue King Ahab the lie The Apostle to call the high Priest painted wall And Iohn to tell Herod he was an Adulterer But the force that floweth from a good Conscience He that hath a good Conscience may quench the fiery darts of Sathan conquer the King of feare and shake off all terrible tydings Keepe it and it will keepe thee safe amidst ten thousand dangers Sayle thou in this ship and it will land thee in safetie when they that want it shall split the barke of their soules vpon the rocke of condemnation 6. Conscience as thou hast worthie attendants in this thy Pilgrimage on earth so thy reward shall be great in heauen For thou shalt haue thy seat in the noble house of the soule till the day of iudgement Peace shall be thy
neuer heard of all the daies of their life Is there not a woe denounced against them that speake good of euill and is hee Isa 5. 20. not culpable of Iudgement to honour those the Lord neuer did I would haue men to iudge charitably rather then to speake too confidently yet God is wise for such praise without iust desert stirres vp men to rippe vp that whereby their names rot and so that is effected they neuer intended And may not this giue vs some glimpse what to deeme Vse 3. of them whose faith to this day was neuer heard of may not such feare their present condition and we mourne to consider their wofull estate wa st thou neuer a noted person reputed singular or entertained of the Saint surely thy faith is dead and thou art dead the Lord quicken thee Let this in the last place bee a comfort to those whose Vse 4. sound goeth through the world and whose names are famous too amongst the faithfull For it argueth some good thing to be in thee when good and bad haue some words about thee Crowes doe not flocke and houer and cry but it s about some thing nor Eagles soare and gather themselues together except there be a carkase yet take this also with thee be sure thou art such in truth as good men report of thee and contrary to what the world daily dischargeth against thee For otherwise thou maist haue a name to bee a liue and art dead and defamed but of desert And by the way take this as a note of faith vnfeigned viz. a care to Note become better when either the good commend thee or the bad condemne thee It may here be demanded how Paul came to know that these three had one and the same faith It s not to be doubted of but by the effects that flowed from these persons though he had an extraordinary gift of discerning too From the which this will arise that Faith vâ—feigned is to be iudged by the effects We cannot see Doct. 8. it in its selfe or in its cause But we omit this and collect another doctrine which is that Faith workes like effects in diuerse subiects Doct. 9. The Grandmother the mother and the mothers sonne had the same faith and the like fruits proceeded from them else Paul would neither haue called it vnfeigned or said that it dwelt in them or giuen them all three one and the same testimony All three had faith and vnfeigned faith For the likenes of actions were in them and proceeded from them by the which it was called vnfeigned and equally appropriated to each particular person And it is an vndoubted position that faith produceth the like effects in all Gods children in truth it must bee vnderstood not in degree For as faith increaseth the effectes are bettred Many Lanternes with seuerall Candles will all giue light but in proportion to their diuerse degrees and quantities Euery peece hath his report but according to the bignes and each instrument will sound but variously as they be in proportion and that for these reasons Because faith differs not in kind but in degree and like Reas 1. causes produce like effects Euery Bell hath its sound Each stone its weight and seuerall planets their diuerse influences yet not in the same measure though they may varie in kind Againe faith is diffused into subiect though seuerall yet Reas 2. they are the same in nature and consist of like principles Fire put into straw will either smoke or burne let the bundle be a thousand life in the bodie will haue motion though not in the same degree and measure and reason in euery man acteth but not so exquisitely The constitution may not be alike therefore a difference may be in operation naturall and also from the same ground in acts spirituall A darke horne in the Lanthorne dimmes the light somewhat Faith is begot and increased by the same originals the Reas 3. spirit and the word be both the principall and conseruing causes of it If one woman conceiue and bring forth a child and another nurse it varietie of foode might somewhat alter the nature and disposition of it but that spirit which begets faith doth also preserue it therefore it cannot be but that the like effects should proceed from it Here by the way we may see that those mothers if a forced necessity compell not who bring forth and bearâ— children yet haue no care to nurse them are to be blamed for so doing in that they differ from Gods manner of proceeding And in the last place if faith had not like effects in all Gods children Reas 4. then could they not attaine to one and the same ends as iustification sanctification saluation c. And so should it be in vaine the Lord failing and man too of their chiefe scope and purpose Hath not God made euery eie to see and hand to worke and shall we then iudge that faith shall not act but be idle away with that From this point we may learne how to iudge of the faith in our times which so many boast of they cry haue Vse 1. not we faith Doe not wee beleeue aswell as the best but where be the fruits of faith vnfeigned hast thou an humble and purging heart dost thou call vpon God at al times tary his leasure and rely vpon his promise art thou bold and resolute for good causes canst thou resist Sathan cleaue to God and shunne the appearances of euill will neither pouerty ouerpresse thee by despaire or prosperitie by presumption Why it s well and we beleeue that Faith is to be found in thee but if not thou hast it not rooted in thee For the tree is knowne by the fruit Will not the flower smell the candle giue light and the fire heate and shall true faith be without her effects boast not too much lest thou deceiue thy selfe taking the shadow for the body and that which is not for that which should be And this doctrine is of great comfort for them that often call the truth of faith into question But hast thou the true Vse 2. signes of it then thou hast it What if it worke not so mightily as in others will it follow that thou art without it suppose thou wert carried to the toppe of some high tower and casting thine eye vpon seuerall chimneyes of the which number thine is one and all smoking wouldst thou not conclude that fire in is thine house aswell as in thy neighbours there is the like effects therfore the same cause of certaine When men in heart and life are like the Godly let them be assured they haue the same faith It may differ in some degree yet the quantity greater or lesser alters not the kind of it Leauen is leauen though neuer so litle and if the meale bee seasoned it is to be found in the lumpe This must teach vs to take heed how we rashly
seeke Saluation What was Pharaoh the better in being a King Athaliah a Queene or Iudas an Apostle and cast out of heauen Where be now the Fooles great barnes Nebuchadnezzars Babel or the rich gluttons purple fine linnen and dainty fare What is now become of dancing Dalilah painted Iezabel or drunken Nabal whose eares would not tingle and hearts tremble to treade in their steps and to thinke at what a doleful haven they be landed wherefore cry and cry againe with the Iailor Syrs what shall I doe to be saued Master how may I inherite eternall life Oh thinke and thinke often that salvation is the greatest good that can befall a man for without that wee shall perish for euer and then woe to vs that euer we were borne Vs. That which hence I gather is that One good Christian reioyceth in the salvation of another Doct. 7. Paul envieth not that Timothy was partaker of the same blessing Againe we note that Certainty of Salvation may be had if it bee rightly sought Doct. 8. for Yet some thinke that Paul vnderstood this by extraordinary Reuelation Yet the poynt is a truth though it were not drawne from this Text. 2 Cor. 5. 1. 1 Io. 3 1. 2 Cor. 13. 5. 1 Ioh. 3. 19. For in the vse of the meanes we may get faith and that wil Reas 1. assure our hearts of salvation Againe God giueth his spirit to such as seeke aright and Reas 2. Eph. 1. 13. it will beare witnesse with our spirit that we be the sonnes of God and if sonnes we shall be saued This confutes the contrary doctrine of the Papists who Vse 1. leaue a man like a Meteor hanging in the ayre alwayes doubtfull But they obiect that faith is not felt by sense 1. What if it were not yet repentance is sensible and hee Obiect 1. Sol. that repenteth truly shall be saued 2. He that beleeueth is sure that hee beleeueth for as the eye doth see and knoweth it seeth so doth faith beleeue is assured it beleeueth by that faculty it hath in it selfe But the best doubt Obiect 2. Sol. True but 1. Doubting comes from the flesh and diuers causes produce contrary effects 2. Varying the minds obiect varyeth the act for the present and 3. Faith and doubting Causes of doubting may stand together when as they be neither of them in the highest but in a remiâ—se degree And as limping is a signe of life halting of motion so is doubting of beleeuing for as without life there can be no limping so without faith no doubting though I grant there may be despairing We may try by this doctrine what good vse wee haue Vse 2. made of Gods ordinances Haue we got assurance that our names are writ in the booke of Life are wee sealed by the spirit of promise are we certaine we shall be saued Why then we are good profitients in Christs schoole else not Doe we still hang all vpon seeming saying thinking and conceiting why then we are much amisse and must labour for assurance We would haue our Lease sure hold our Lands sure and make all sure and shall we take no paines to make our salvation sure Well we through the goodnes of God haue time and meanes to doe it and if we omit the opportunity the day of had I wist will ouertake vs. What is of greater estimation then the certainty of salvation and what lesse regarded more neglected Some thinke it s a doctrine impossible others cannot stand about it and many desperately in a blindfold manner cast themselues on the secret and vnsearchable mercy of God Art thou any of this number then in the feare of God amend this thing I can tell thee it will prove worth thy labour at the length though it seeme labour in vaine for the present season And hath called vs. From the copulation of these two together it is to be obserued that Effectuall vocation accompanieth Saluation Doct. 9. None shall be saued but such as be effectually called Adam was called no doubt when the Lord came in the coole of the euening and said Adam where art thou Gen. 3. 9. See Math. 9. 13. Rom. 8. 28. 1 Cor. 1. 9. Gal. 5. 8. Col. 3. 15. 1 Thes 2. 12. 1 Tim. 6. 12. Heb. 5. 4. 1 Pet. 1. 15. Iude 1. Because we by Nature are in darknesse and spirituall bondage Reas 1. we lye like Adam hidden in the bush vntill the Lord call vs out and set vs at liberty The bondage in Egypt of Israel vnder Pharaoh prefigured this and as they were called corporally so must we spiritually before wee can come to the heauenly Canaan Againe the Lord hath set downe a most sure path that Reas 2. leadeth to heauen he therefore that will come to his iourneies end eternall salvation must travell the Kings high Exod. 14. way Rom 8. 30. Israel did so to Canaan Besides if we be not called we cannot be iustified and Reason 3. consequently saued For effectuall vocation in order at the least doth precede iustification And if wee haue not this linke of the chaine we lose the other also Rom. 8 30. And last of all No vocation no true title to the promises Reason 4. for they belong to as many and no more as the Lord shall call Act. 2. 39. And he that hath not right to them but is still vnder the Law cannot be saued for we come to heauen by no other way but by the promise And here we taske the carelesnes of many that neuer haue Vse 1. care by prouing the truth of their calling to make their salvation certaine Some cry they are not assured of heauen what marvell seeing they be not called for the one is or the other can be neuer Who will expect wages when the Master of the house hath not called him to worke This teacheth vs how to get assurance of salvation viz. in Vse 2. making our calling sure Get the one and thou shalt haue the other And because thou maist the better try the truth of thy calling we will stand a litle to shew the order and manner of it We must know that preparation goeth before this effectuall The order of Gods proceeding with whom he calleth vocation And it hath 2. parts 1. A cutting off 2. A fitting This cutting off is done by the knife of the law which like an axe loppeth vs off from the wild oliue tree Adam For though we be not called by the law yet we are fitted by it In this cutting off we may obserue 1. The time when What time the Lord calleth and 2. The manner how The time is ordinarily when wee are the best able to doe the Lord service in his vineyard which is in a middle age seldome are children and rarely be old men called for the one is not of age to worke the other almost past age to worke Yet we read of some children as
answered No Lord. When a poore man hath beene alwayes in his want relieued by his rich friend will it not make him the more boldly to rely on him for helpe in time to come 2. Consider how he hath giuen thee knowledge when thou wast ignorant infused faith into thine heart being before an infidell and preserued his graces in thee from perishing For the calling to minde the dayes of old is a notable helpe for this thing Is it possible that he who hath begun to doe well will now waxe weary in so doing What man planteth a tree and will not labour to preserue the same from withering And shall the Lord suffer his pleasant plants after he hath so often pruned watered and dunged them to dye and perish for want of dressing II. Call to minde the many dangers from the which he hath deliuered thee Why mightest not thou haue beene buried in thy Mothers wombe beene drowned in the waters or deuoured on the land the theefe might haue slaine thee some crumbe choaked thee or a thousand diseases beene thy death And shall not the fresh remembrance of these things worke powerfully in thee When our Apostle had beene deliuered out of the mouth of the Lyon he gathered strength thence that the Lord would deliuer him from euery evill worke and preserue him vnto his heavenly Kingdome 2 Tim. 4. 17. 18. III. Take a view how in times past he hath dealt with his children run to and fro through the stories and acts of holy Writ and as he hath done to his servants of olde so will he doe to thee assuredly I wish that this were well thought on for its a notable remedie Psal 37. 25. IV. Conferre with grounded Christians Demand of them how the Lord hath dealt with them in some particulars for they can teach thee by experience their comforts will comfort thee also A timerous patient will be encouraged to swallow the bitterest pill when another standeth by that hath beene cured of the like disease that he now is annoyed with telleth him the experiment V. Take a view of the vanitie of all other things Our Ioh. 6. fathers ate Manna in the wildernesse and are dead For in so doing thou shalt get experience of Gods constancy the Creature is changeable sometimes killing another whiles curing But the Lord is one and the same for euer VI. Finally and aboue all Consider how the Lord dealeth with thee in the vse of all his ordinances Marke what power the Word hath in working in thy soule how it weakeneth corruption strengtheneth the new man Obserue how the Lord hath heard thy prayer in time past and now how he enableth thee to call vpon him being in the like condition Dauid from this ground cryeth out The Psal 6. 9. Lord hath heard my petition for grace the Lord will receiuâ— my prayer and therefore as one refreshed biddeth the workers of iniquitie be gone Canst thou pray at this present as in times past when he heard the voyce of thy weeping then doubt not but he will deale fauourably with thee For when the Lord intendeth to conferre a fauour vpon his children he will alwayes giue them hearts for to vse the meanes whereby he doth ordinarily convey the same vnto them and wherevnto he hath annexed his promise If Hannah prevaile for a sonne or Abraham either they shall first be enabled a long season to powre out their soules by prayer vnto the Lord. And so it is in all other things whatsoeuer I wish that every one had but the experience of this engrauen in their mindes for it would be profitable for them every manner of way And true it is that this experimentall knowledge of God is the very food and spirit and life of a Christian from which all faith patience and resolution in the times of trouble spring and flow as from their proper fountaine and roote Then striue for it in the vse of the forenamed meanes and when thou hast obtained it wonderfull and vnspeakeable are the effects that it will produce and thou shalt taste of Againe in these words wee see Paul placeth knowledge before beliefe whence we may collect this doctrine that The knowledge of God precedeth faith in him Doct. 8. How can they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard And for this cause Knowledge in Scripture is many times put for faith Rom. 10. 14. Ioh. 17. 3. Io. 4. 10. Reas 1. Because the act of faith in beleeuing followeth the act of the vnderstanding rightly guided Knowledge is like the needle which maketh the way faith the threed that tyeth and vniteth things together And as whatsoeuer by ordinary working is in the inward senses was first in the outward so whatsoever comes to the will the proper seate of faith must first be in the vnderstanding And if this were not so then might an ignorant man be Reas 2. saued and haue faith the which the whole current of Scripture runs against As My people are cut off for want of knowledge and God shall come in flaming fire to render vengeance on them that know him not Hos 4. 6. 2 Thes 1. 8. and many more to that purpose This confuteth Bellarmine and his adherents who say Vse 1. A man may better beleeue things whereof he is ignorant then those which he knoweth If he had spoken it of the things recorded in their leaden Legend I should easily haue consented with him for I thinke that when men haue heard them they more doubt of them then when they were ignorant of them To name some of thâ—ir ridiculous fables we read of one that was sicke his stomacke would vomit vp whatsoeuer he receiued so that he being willing to receiue the Sacrament yet doubting he should not retaine it if he receiued it by ordinary course it was put the consecrated Hoste I meane to his side the which opened and after the receipt thereof closed as before And there is mention made of a woman whose Bees were sicke of the Murraine who tooke also an Hoste put it into the hiue and marke this they within a few dayes were not onely cured of the danger of the disease but there was a miraculous encrease of them in number and they had built a Chappell and steeple and bells and an Altar and layd the Hoste thereon and the Bees sung their Canonicall houres about it iust as the Monkes vse to doe in their Cloysters I could relate the like of the Lady of Loretto for ther 's bookes of her too in Folio It s reported that shee sometime vnderstand the house too being discontented displaced her selfe and passing by a wood all the trees in reuerence bended and stooped with their heads to the very earth vnto her wonder it was they had not rent themselues vp by the rootes and proffered her their standings Also the Booke sayth that one being prisoner in Turkey and there having his bowells ript out by the ayde of a prayer that he made
this or that fortune or chance but cast our eye on our former dealings to others and peraduenture we shall spy out the true cause why in that particular wee are afflicted And if in so doing we find out the roote from which this branch sprouâ—eâ—h why plucke it vp and let it no longer grow in our ground Lay the fault where it is for feare a worse thing follow And is this true then let vs all learne Christs lesson Doe Vse 2. as we would be done vnto another day Would the servant haue done obedience by his when hee is a Master then let him be seruiceable when hee himselfe is in subiection And they that are children must obey their parents else they shall finde theirs to prooue but vntoward tooles Speake ill of no man for if thou doest its iust with God to let one loose that shal pay thee home in the same kind And in briefe wouldest thou be releiued in want comforted in misery haue the faithfull to pray for thee and in the houre of death to close vp thine eyes then giue to the poore pitty the weake comfort the feeble minded pray for thy brethren and visit them that are a dying And though this point by me be short in pressing yet I would haue it of thee to be long and often in practising Neither of me c. Where we note that We are not to be ashamed of such persons as by suffering beare Doct. 5. witnesses to the Gospell 1. For God is not they are precious in his eyes Reas 1. Reas 2. 2. If we be we doe not as we would haue others to deale with vs. And from this branch we note one thing more that Doct. 6. Corporall bondage doth not depriue Gods seruants of Spirituall freedome For Paul saith he is the prisoner of Christ both prisoner for his cause and also respected of him in prison as his servant This is a poynt that hath or may haue his vse and is comfortable Vse to all that shall at any time suffer for the Gospell in Turkey Rome or nearer home for though such be mans bondmen yet they be the Lords freemen From this very 1 Cor 7. ground Paul comforted the poore servants of infidells But be partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel Having finished the dehortation we come to speake of the Exhortation where we first collect that We that professe the Gospell are patiently to suffer all afflictions Doct. 7. that accompany the same So haue the faithful done in former time not counting their liues deare vnto them for the truths sake For we loose nothing by it 1. If friends forsake vs Angels Reas 1. shall pitch their tents about vs. 2. If we want liberty of body we haue freedome of spirit 3. If there be no outward peace yet we haue in ward that passeth all vnderstanding And â— though our outward man perish notwithstanding the inner man is renewed daily Herein we are the likest to Christ and what greater honour Reas 2. to man then to be made conformable to his Lord and Master And is not the Gospell and the obedience of it the best Reas 3. things that we haue or can doe what were wealth without the word one drop of this balme is to be preferr'd before all the riuers of pleasure and profits in the world And one act of beleeuing in Christ will restore a man to all more too then that he lost by one offence in Adam his Father We must once die and neuer in a better cause besides all Reas 4. this Christ he hath suffered for vs and we haue the Lord on our side And heere we might reprehend some that will suffer nothing Vse 1. for the Gospels sake they neuer respect candle or candlesticke The Preacher and the Gospel are the onely things that best may be spared in the parish A word will make them cast away their weapons and be gone And like little children they hang their heads clappe their hands on their faces set their hatt in the brow and runne away at the very humming of Bees and flies In the next place let vs all in wisedome and resolution Vse 2. confesse the Gospell and professe it and partake of the smal afflictions that be in these dayes Beloued wee haue not resisted to fire and fagot neither hath our purple bloud coloured the stones in the streetes then shall wee not suffer the tongue with patience to smite vs I cannot prescribe what kind or measure we may suffer But it is the voice of heauen that in the world we shall haue many tribulations All that Act. 14. 22. 2 Tim. 3. 12. Ioh. 16. 33. will liue godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecutions But let vs be of good comfort for our Captaine Christ in whom we are more then conquerours hath ouercome the world Againe we obserue hence that The Gospell whether preached or professed is alwaies attended Doct. 8. with sufferings and afflictions Psal 22. 2 Chron. vlt. 15. 16. For some doe imprison the very word and would not Reas 1. haue it to run and be glorified 2 Thess 3. 1. And it must be so For 1. God hath glory by it 2. His Reas 2. children get good by it And 3. hereby the devill is proued a lyar for Iob serues not God for nought Yea and 4. The basenes of the Gospell as some esteeme it bringeth sufferings as to trust in a crucified God Those then that are Ministers must arme themselues with Vse 1. patience and resolution Private Christians must doe the same Yet here is a wonderfull mercy of God that no power or policy can prevent the liberty of the word or hinder Mat 24. 24. the salvation of one soule for its impossible that any of the elect can be deceiued condemned And this must teach vs not to thinke the worse of that Vse 2. Gospell that is accompanied with troubles or of such as doe embrace it Some cry Oh! the dayes of old were good when we had lesse Preaching we had more peace and plenty What maruell for â—ow Sathan seekes to put out the Candle that directs to heauen and wicked men labour to put out that light that doth discouer them Let Popery bring peace with it for the present yet perdition shall follow it in future time According to the power of God Taking these words in that sense we haue mentioned the doctrine to be collected is that The Lord proportioneth the sufferings of his children according Doct. 9. to their power He will not suffer them to be tempted aboue their ability 1 Cor. 10. 13. Christ would not deliuer many things for the people for the present were not able to beare them Timothy escaped prison it seemes when Paul a stronger man kist the stockes Act. 16. for God had an eye to his weakenes First he would haue vs suffer according to our power because Reas 1.
he would haue his graces in vs excercised to the vttermost He that buildes a ship fitteth the burden answerable to her bignes else in part his labour and charge were in vaine For a lesser barke would haue fitted his purpose serued his turne And if our afflictions did exceed our ability then it were Reas 2. not for probation but destruction No man will ouerburden his beast for that would bruise him breake him Christ would not haue new wine put into old vessells for the vessels would burst and the wine be spilt his Disciples Math. 10. 14. had too much of the old man in them they were not renewed so much as to be able to vndergoe for the present extraordinary duties of Religion therefore for a time hee would spare and exempt them This reproues such as accuse the Lord of iniustice crying Vse 1. out like Caine My punishment is greater than I can beare for God is iust and equall in all his proceedings And heere we see the goodnes of God that in iudgement Vse 2. remembreth mercy he looketh at the ability of his children and maketh their power the rule of his proceedings his will is not but their weakenesse the ground and sole cause of their greater or lesser afflictions Yea he fits them for sufferings before he try them and then makes the burden proportionable to the measure of strength receiued By this poynt we may also be informed why one Christian Vse 3. suffereth much another lesse because of their inequalâ—ty of strength exhibited He that hath much grace shall â—eare much little suffer the lesse And itâ— plaine from this ground that to suffer many and great afflictions argueth â—â—e â—ore grace the greater ability This is for the comfort of the weake Christian for he hauing Vse 4. receiued a little strength shall endure the lesâ—e â—â—iâ—ll for God is merciful to the beasts much more to his deâ—re children What man will sâ—â—ke his vesâ—â—ll with overbuâ—dening of it breake his beast with overlading oâ— him or pâ—â—tle his servant or sonne to death by casting too great a load on their shoulders And then shall God burst his golden vessels with filling them too full of this liquor Moreouer we must learne hence that as wee grow in Vse 5. grace so to prepare for greater sufferings Christ will haue his chiefest Champions to fight the greatest combates weake souldiers shall come in the Rereward and not in the forefront or in the heate of the battell And be sure of this that if thy strength be encreased thy troubles shall be also augmented Note for all our graces in truth and in degree too shall be employed If Christ be infinite in power hee must vndergoe the infinite wrath of his father being made a sinner by imputation Furthermore if God dealeth thus with vs let vs haue the Vse 6. like hand one towards another A minister must hauean eye to discerne the state of his flocke and put a difference in his commands he must not tyre the Lambes with driving them too fast or too farre with the elder Sheepe Choyse must be made to fast and pray and to performe extraordinary duties at extraordinary times lawfully coÌ„manded lawfully to be executed Parents too and Masters must not like the taske-masters of Egypt enioyne their children and seruants a greater worke then they are able to discharge And would to God that all men would remember this in all things for its iust and equall Finally we must take knowledge of our owne power and Vse 7. neuer presse our selues beyond our might Christ would not haue some to speake of him and to tell of his workes why for they were not for the present either able to defend the truth suffer for it or those with whom they were to deale fitted to receiue it We haue many but too forward in these times except their ability were better yong Christians will be now a dayes in the heate of the skirmish without a calling casting Cannons off their carriages that neuer gaue fire to a double Muskert controll the Captaines when as they themselues neuer fought on foote Yet beare fight quarell but know thy standing thy strength and presume not like Peter aboue thy power For our direction we must know that ability is either Power distributed inward or outward Inward 1. Spirituall 2. Corporall Outward is in our head Christ or our riches And according to all this power we must beare and suffer Some Christians like great bony beggars are able to beare much but in the time of trouble they either run away or shrinke when the burden is to be put vnder their shoulders others as wee haue heard thinke nothing too heauy for them so that these are extremities on both hands and to be as dangerous avoyded The last thing we note is this that It is the power of God receiued which will support a Christian Doct. 10. in affliction This is as wine to the spirit the spirit to the soule as wind to the sayles and the sayles to the ship But in regard we haue touched it before we omit it here and proceed to the verse which followeth VERS 9. Who hath saued vs and called vs with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace which was giuen vs through Christ Iesus before the world was IN this verse the Apostle declareth what the Lord The Logicall resolution hath done for him and his sonne Timotheus 1. He hath saued them 2. Called them 3. Wherwith with an holy calling 4. Why hee hath done this First Paul remoues a false ground in these words Not according to our workes and Secondly hee layeth downe the true cause in these words But according to his purpose and grace c. Who. That is God for this word hath relation vnto the The Theologicall exposition last word in the foregoing verse Hath saued 1. Saluation is either corporall or spirituall 2. It is either partiall or totall Spirituall and totall is here meant and it containes 3. things 1. A freedome from some evill wee are fallen into or subiect to fall into 2. A position setting of vs in a good condition And 3. A perpetuall preservation of vs from all dangers for future time This is totally and perfectly to be saued And called Calling may be distinguished 1. By the meanes and 2. By the subiects of it The instruments are either principall or secondary God is the chiefe efficient of our calling and the Minister word and creatures are but as instruments in the workemans hand The subiect is man onely and that either generall or particular Generall as whole Nations Gentiles Iewes Particular as persons Paul Timotheus the latter here meant Moreouer calling is either effectuall or not effectuall for we may distinguish of it according to the successe And finally it s either ordinary or extraordinary ordinary effectuall calling is by the worâ— and
Reasons alleadged we omit what might be further collected from this verse and proceed to the next VERS 10. But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Iesus Christ who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality vnto light through the Gospell THis verse dependeth on the former For our The Logicall resolution Apostle hauing affirmed that we were called and saued in Gods purpose before the world was in these words declareth the manifestation of Gods mercy and the benefits we receiue through the same The particulars in this portion of Scripture be these 1. That the grace and purpose of God and mans saluation is manifested 2. The time in the word Now. 3. With whom or by whom it appeared and that is Christ who is described by two effects one that he destroyed death another that he brought life and the instrumentall cause whereby is said to be the Gospell Now. This word includes all times before and after the The Theologicall exposition comming of Christ Made manifest There be diuers degrees of the appearing of Grace but onely in our apprehension 1. Grace appeareth in Gods decree 2. In the darke promises at the beginning of the world 3. When the efficacy of the merit of Christ appeared in the world 4. By the application of the Spirit 5. When Christ came in the flesh 6. And lastly when hee shall returne againe in Glory Who hath abolished That is Remoued obliterated destroyed swallowed vp 1 Cor. 15. 54. c. Death By Death is meant the sting of death for all must once dye and the torments of hell hereafter called the second death Reuela 21. 8. As also the death of corruption which is in vs may also be vnderstood with all other kinds that be inflicted as curses And brought life First the life of grace here and of glory hereafter And immortalitie This argueth a further benefit that Christ hath procured for as Adam brought death and eternall death so Christ bringeth life and life that shall endure for euer Some read the word incorruption and the bodies of the Saints shall after the day of iudgement see no corruption Vnto light First openly manifestly and as cleare as the Sunne at midday vnto such as haue their eyes opened Through the Gospell First by the promises and doctrine of the new Testament written preached As the Lord from before the begining of the world of The Metaphrase his gracious and free purpose gaue through Christ Saluation to his chosen people so hath he now since the beginning of the Law and promises exhibited clearely and conspicuously vnto euery one of vnderstanding manifested the same by the bright appearing of Christ our Lord who hath blotted and rooted out death temporall in respect of the sting and torment and eternall paine in the kingdome of darkenes and hath also brought vnto light the assurance of the life of grace here and the perfection of endlesse glory hereafter and that by the writing and Preaching of the Doctrine and promises of the Gospell From the relation and dependance of this verse with the The deductioÌ„ of doctrines former we gather that Gods purpose in his appointed time shall come to passe Doct. 1. Grace was giuen in Gods resolution before the world and now manifested in former and present times Let man devise what he can Gods counsell shall stand The Lord of hâ—â—sts Prou. 19. 24. Isai 14. 24. 46. 10. hath sworne saying Surely like as I haue purposed so shall it come to passe and as I haue consulted so shall it abide He declareth the last things from the beginning and from old the Psal 33. 11. things that were not done Yea the coâ—â—sell of the Lord shall stand for euer and the thoughts of his heart from generation to generation And though Christ was long yet he came in the fulnesse of time Gal. 4. 4. For he is not subiect to forgetfulnes The Butler being Reas 1. but a man may forget Ioseph and Ioseph his fathers house yet howeuer that be the Lord alwaies is mindfull of his purpose David was in a passion when he cryed Hath God forgotten to be mercifull The Lord hath the Idea of all things in himselfe and euery thought is before his eyes so that he is not forgetfull of his purpose Psal 139. 16. He is true of his promise for it makes for his glory Shall Reas 2. the Lord purpose and not performe Sure this should argue instability and mutability in the Lord the which cannot be For the Lords purposes are founded vpon his counsell his counsell is most wise therefore hee neuer altereth or changeth his former purposes Neither doth God like man purpose any thing that he Reas 3. is not able to performe Nature may be interrupted and not produce her effects but the Maker of it cannot be hindered at all for his power is infinite and if he but will any thing it is done yea speake but a word Speech is one of the least motions yet when God said Let there be light Gen. 1. it was so This may serue for to terrifie the wicked and confute Vse 1. their Atheisme who cry out Where 's the promise of his comming haue not all things beene alike from the beginning Yet Act 17. 31. shall not the Lord appeare in his appointed tim He hath set a day wherein he will iudge the world The yong man Eccles. 11. 9. may reioyce in his youth and doe what seemeth him best in his owne eyes yâ—t let him know that the Lord will bring him to iudgement The Epicure goe in purple and fine linnen and fare delicately euery day but his sweet morsells shall be grauell in his mouth when his account is cast vp And be thou assured that as the Lord hath purposed mercy to his children so hath he iudgement without 2 Thes 1. mercy to all wicked and vngodly persons and in the time he hath purposed it shall be performed For he is Iob. 9. 4. wise in heart and mighty in power who euer waxed fierce against him and hath prospered God spared the old world long but the floud swallowed them vp at the length Iezabell had a long time of turning and Ierusalem of repenting but was not the wrath of God powred downe at the resolued time to the vttermost And so shall it be at the last with such as cry and thinke the Lord is like vs he will neither Psal 50. 21. Zeph. 1. 12. doâ— good or evill And in the second place this must teach the faithfull patience Vse 2. Ioh. 2. and to waite the Lords leysure We may not appoint the Lord a time when to finish his worke It was Maryes fault that would be directing her sonne that was God and man when to worke his miracles and be handling of him and we read that the best of Gods children haue failed in not patiently waiting for the accomplishment of
demand Could not God haue saued man Quest from death and pardoned sinne without a satisfaction I answer No. For 1. It s against his nature Iustice in God Ans is not a quality as in man but his verie essence therefore it must be satisfied or no flesh could be saued 2. His word was passed forth At what time thou eatest thou shalt dye the death Yet the Lord sheweth the liberty of his iustice in sauing some by Christ and condemning others without him So that we see sinne must be punished Gods infinite iustice satisfied either in vs or by another But it will be obiected that man being finite cannot satisfie for infinite iustice It s true that man is finite in respect of place or a geometricall quantity but infinite in regard of duration of time or Arithimetical enumeration so that though no created nature at an instant in one act of it selfe is able to vndergoe the infinite wrath of the reuenging God yet in regard of continuance or times succession his torment may be said to be * Viz a parte post infinite What he cannot doe at once hee must be doing euer How can God be iust in this his proceeding 1. Because man hath offended an infinite God Now the Quest Ans dignitie of the person offended aggrauates the offence as we see a word against the king is death to a subiect pardonable 2. The sinner hath had a world of sinning here therfore must haue a world of suffering hereafter 3. The sinner sinnes continually neuer comes to a period therefore the punishment as the shadow doth the body when the Sunne shines followes the sinner continually And 4. The sinner would haue sinned in a greater degree had it beene in his owne power or if he had not beene by a necessity restrained Therefore its iust with the Lord to punish him with eternall torments And brought life We haue handled the like doctrine in Doct. 7. the first verse that ariseth out of this place viz. that All spirituall life is procured by Christ Therefore we passe to this Doct. 8. Phil. 3. 1. 2. Pet. 1. 12. that Repetition of the same thing is warrantable profitable Paul doth so here and all the rest who preached and writ as we may see elsewhere Compare Mat. 5. 1. with Luk. 6. 20. and you shall see that Christ preached one sermon twice In Mathew he is said to sit in Luke to stand the one saith it was in a Valey the other in the Mountaine Yet some seeke to reconcile them Because we vnderstand not all we heare at the first deliuery Reas 1. 2. 3. 4. What if we doe yet we may not beleeue it But grant we beleeue may we not forget it I am sure we doe not practice it though we vnderstand it beleeue it and also remember it Therefore to repeat the same things may be profitable And a man may be in a different disposition so that hee 5. panions to thee thou hast iust cause to feare thy present condition and to labour for these things For when the spirit sauingly applyeth to the Christian the vertue of Christs death these forenamed effects or properties will be in some measure felt in that person And wouldst thou also know whether life be by Christ Trials if we haue life by Christ Iesus procured for thee then examine thy selfe by these rules 1. What knowledge hast thou of Christ what vnderstanding of the Gospell For its eternall life to know Christ and his doctriue Hagar had her eyes opened before shee could see the well so must thou the eye of thy minde before thou tast of the water of life 2. What power hast thou to do good How often doth the pulse of prayer beate in thy closet and in the secret roome of thy heart What strength hast thou to runne the pathes of Gods commands Canst thou like the creeple rise vp leape and be glad in the praises of God 5. What care hast thou to preserue the life of grace in thee and to come to eternall glorie Men that loue their liues will make choyce of their food Physician and aire And he that loues the life of grace will eate vp the good word of God depend on a skilfull Preacher and plant himselfe where the pure ayre of holinesse is sensible found and felt breathing mouing 4. And in conclusion how dost thou imploy thy life what be the ends of all thy motions Dost thou spend thy strength that God may haue glory by thee and his children receiue good from thee then thou hast done well For as all fire that comes from aboue will tend vpward againe the heate that comes from the heart will disperse it selfe to euerie member so that life which is receiued from Christ will alwaies incline and moue that hee may haue praise and benefit by it Are these things also within thee and proceed from thee then hast thou participated of the first resurrection and shalt neuer tast of the second death And if thou want them striue for them or else Christs life will profit thee nothing See thou defer no time omit no oppertunitie neither neglect any meanes but seeke this life while it may be found purchase this field though it cost thee all thy treasure Thou hast now a price in thy hand want not an heart For the tyde and season to saile to this land to buy this commoditie serues but once not euer And to moue thee thus to doe let these things be well weighed seriously thought on 1. Consider the excellencie of this life the least degree of Motiues to get spirituall life it is of more worth than all other life what euer therefore it s called the life of God Eph. 4. 18. How many kindes of life be there and amongst them how many degrees yet the neerer it approcheth to the fountaine of life God the more excellent it is The subiect hath a life aswell as the King the sicke as the whole but what is it in comparison of this but a kind of death now the better a thing is is it not the more to be desired 2 Without this life we can doe no action acceptable to God or profitable to our selues and what a misery is this alwaies to be doing yet all in vaine A naturall life can doe but naturall actions therefore such as be in the flesh cannot please God Rom. 8. 7. 3. This life will make vs acceptable and well pleasing to God and man yea the Angels shall reioyce and the father say with delight This my sonne was dead but is now aliue Luk. 15. 24. We ioy to see the trees budde the corne peepe the graftes flourish and shall we haue no care to obtaine that life wherein all beautie consisteth 4 Finally he that hath not the beginning of this life here cannot possesse eternall life hereafter for they onely shall escape the second death that partake of the first resurrection to life The
couetous when he hath gotten goods the Prodigall hauing satiate his soule with the huskes of pleasures the ambitious when he hath climbed to the highest pitch of honour thinke they liue the onely Iouiall life and yet all dwell and breathe in the chambers of death and as the Apostle speakes are dead while they be aliue no better than walking ghosts in the formes of liuing men Let such buy and build plow and sow marry and beget many children yet the vntimelie birth is better than they The basest life exceedes as much the best meere being as Adam the red earth whereon his body was made but this life excels all others Gods only excepted more than men do beasts or Angels Deuils Why then let the worth of it moue thee the withering of this is worse than the death of the Gourd of Ionah And will not this consideration that all thy actions are but as so many beautifull sinnes and distastfull vnto the Lord set thee a worke to obtaine it Then call to mind how it maketh all things beautifull and well pleasing to the eye Will not our flesh tremble to see a body without a soule the teeth closed the eyes open the lips shrunke and the bloud set blacke and swart in the face and members is not such an obiect odious to man Euen so yea worse are we being dead in sinne to God and good persons Yet if all that 's said will not moue thee to this then know No life here no escape of death hereafter And immortalitie We collect hence that Life spirituallis eternall Doct. 10. It is not like the Lillies that flourish to day and wither to morrow Methushelah liued long yet died at the age of 969. but he that once hath the life of grace shall see no corruption Mortality shall put on immortalitie and though the body perish yet this life is in the soule being a more excellent subiect for as he that puts off his apparell doth not leaue his naturall life in it so he that layes downe the body loseth not the life of grace and immortalitie with it For as the naturall life is in the body not in the apparell so the spirituall life is in the soule not in the dead corpse after the separation Mat 19. 29. Mark 10. 17. Ioh. 5. 24. 1 Cor 15. 53. For Christ hath purchased eternall redemption Heb. 9. 12. Reas 1. Christ was a holy person yea God aswell as man and he obeyed freely these two made the satisfaction of Christ sufficient And there is a proportion betweene Adams sinne and Christs sufferings 1. Finite sinne offending Adam Christ Adam Christ Adam Christ 1. Finite suffering satisfying 2. Finite sinne offended the infinite God 2. Finite suffering satisfied the infinite God 3. Finite sinne infinitely offended the infinite God 3. Finite suffering infinitely satisfied the infinite God So that life must be infinite because the satisfaction was infinite in value and worth and equall to the offence in remouing eternall death God hath promised eternall life and hee is faithfull and Reas 2. cannot denie himselfe 1 Ioh 2. 25. Christ from whom this life is deriued liueth for euer and Reas 3. maketh intercession Heb 7. 25. Reu 1. 18. Else it were better with the wicked than the faithfull of all Reas 4. men they were most miserable 1 Cor. 15. 19. And the word is called eternall 1 Pet. 1. vlt. And we read of an eternall house an eternall weight an eternall kingdome an eternall crowne and an eternall inheritance This 1. Confutes those heretikes that hold the soule is Vse 1. mortall 2. the Papists also who say that a man may haue true spirituall life and lose it But we see that Christ hath brought life and immortality or immortall life and if this life should end then it were mortall This makes also for the comfort of such whose friends Vse 2. are departed in the Lord why be of good cheare they are not dead but liue for God is not the God of the dead but of the liuing This vse is of great vse were it well vsed This likewise might and ought to encourage all to goe Vse 3. on with cheerefulnes and Christian resolution and not be afraid of death seeing after it followeth eternall life death like a dore le ts the soule passe a better roome of habitation And here we haue a strong motiue to moue vs to labour Vse 4. for this life Is it immortall incorruptible why then striue for it What man would not liue long why liue this life once and liue for euer and that thou maist thou must 1. Be vnited to Christ for euery branch that abideth not in Helpes to life spirituall him is cast out and withereth All spirituall life floweth from this coniunction For as the graft hath life from the vnion with the stocke so haue we from Christ Ioh. 15. 2. Heare the Gospell preached for the word of is God spirit and life and he that beares this voyce though he were dead yet shall be liue What though we cannot quicken our selues yet we may vse the meanes And the Angell may trouble the water and Christ come and heale vs when we are at the wels mouth and vnable to helpe ourselues 3. Pray often Dauid neere about 19. times in the hundred and nineteenth Psalme prayeth Lord quicken me Lord giue me the spirit of life c. Did he thus sure then it was good for him to be practised of all such as would be quickned and enliued Finally and aboue all things resist no good motion that thou hast in the vse of Gods ordinances or at any time else for this is to driue the author of all life from vs. Entertaine them therefore and kindle those sparks by obeying of them so shall thy soule liue and not dye Through the Gospell Here is manifested the instrumentall cause by which death is abolished and life brought vnto vs whence let this be noted that Though all grace come by Christ yet it is deriued vnto man by Doct. 11. meanes of the Gospell For that declareth how it may be attained and no other Reas 1. writing God giues his spirit with the Gospell not by the Law Reas 2. Gal 3. 2. and hence it is called the ministration of the spirit 2 Cor. 3. 8. This must worke in vs a loue to the Gospell and a care Vse 1. to continue it amongst vs. Had we but one herbe in our grounds that would cure all diseases would we not hedge about it water it and by all meanes seeke to preserue it it from perishing Why the Gospell is this herbe that tree whose leaues onely cure all the nations We must make much of them that bring this Physicke Vse 2. for the wounded spirit how should such men be respected Pray we that the word may runne and be scattered to the Vse 3. foure ends of the world otherwise death will reigne life
few doe this and the fewer that doe this the worse the more the better Another poynt we collect is this that Doct. 7. Paul was sent to preach principally to the Gentiles Act. 22. 21 Gal. 2. 8. From which it will necessarily follow that Peter was not B. at Rome for then he should haue to deale in Pauls Diocesse And Peter was appointed to the Iewes therefore dedicates his Epistle to the dispersed Iewes Besides an Apostle could not be strictly tyed to any one Diocesse as they write Peter was to Rome And if he was there shame was it for him not to assist Paul but to forsake him This we but touch by the way for many worthy Clerkes haue scanned this at large Besides we know when Noah prayed for these people it was many a hundred yeeres agone yet now it came to passe according to his desire whence we note that Doct. 8. Prayers made in faith are not alwayes granted at the first Ionah was not cast on the shore so soone as he showted neither Paul at the first request had an answer return'd him David waited long Ieremiah fainted in expecting and Christ himselfe stayed some time before the Angells came to comfort him We sometime meet the poore with a penny in our hand and at another time we suffer them to cry run and weary themselues before we heare them so dealeth the Lord with his children Reas 1. Because that as God hath appointed all things to be done so hath he set downe the very precise time wherein they shall be effected and not before This is the principallest Reason of the poynt Gal. 4. 4. Reas 2. And the Lord doth so sometimes that we may cry the more earnestly and feruently vnto him Let the Infant fast it will know the dug the better and seeke it the faster stop the Lure and the Hawke will mend her pitch and fly the higher and if the Lord deny the faithfull their requests for a season their prayers will pierce the deeper be heard the better Dauid in one Psalme vseth one petition thrise and marke how he did grow in feruency First saith he Turne vs Psal 80. 3. ver 7. againe O Lord c. the second time he addeth saying O Lord of hostes c. and the third time he proceedeth further and ver 19. praieth Turne vs againe O Lord God of hosts cause thy face to shine and we shall be saved Thus by iteration he gathereth the more heate fervency like a stone by often tumbling Mervaile not then if the vnfaithful be not heard at all shal Vse 1. the Lord deny his children long and will he giue bread instantly vnto Bastards shall the good man of the house sleepe at the discharge of the greatest Cannon and will he awake and cry Who is at the window at the report of the narrow-mouthed peice or pistoll No neuer respect it If Noahs prayer be put off 2000. of yeares Let the drunkard Fornicator Blasphemer and such as regard iniquitie in layd downe the obiect of Pauls faith which is God secondly his knowledge of him and that is not a bare vnderstanding of him but a knowledge of experience or practise and thirdly an act that accompanied this experimentall knowledge which was his beleeuing or faith This is the first ground why Paul suffered afflictions without being ashamed And I am perswaded That is I am confident and certaine and fully assured That he to wit God Is able to keepe Gods power is twofold 1. Absolute 2. Actiue that is a power ioyned with his will and is here meant for else Pauls reason had not beene good for his will must accompany his ability in the preserving of what was committed to him That which I haue committed to him Some interpret the thing he committed to God to be his person others his grace faith salvation the difference is nice or none at all the Originall word signifieth both that which is committed to vs of God and that we commit to him The Pp ' on the Rhem. expound it of good deedes sufferings but absurd for that how euer a truth yet not from this place Against that day Either the day of trouble or of the last iudgement I rather vnderstand it of the great day of the Lord. For Paul was put to death and it s vsuall with faithfull men in great tryalls and tribulations to cast their eye on the day of iudgement It may seeme strange but it is a truth that I am afflicted The Metaphrase for preaching the Gospell vnto the Gentiles yet for all that I goe on resolutely in the execution of my function and am not ashamed Neither is it without reason for I haue had experience of him in whom I put my confidence and besides that I doe verily beleeue that the Lord is not onely able but also willing to preserue my soule in safety against the great and last day of iudgement For the which cause I suffer these things Out of the ground Doctrines deduced Doct. 1. of Pauls sufferings we may gather this conclusion that The goodnes of an action doth not alwaies free the deer from affliction Abel was slaine because his workes were good Ioseph 1 Ioh. 3 12. Gen. â—7 20. Amos 5 10. Ioh. 7. 7. 20. sold for the discouery of his Brethrens sinnes Amos hated for speaking vprightly David in danger for weldoing Christ did many good workes none evill yet they went about to kill him and they so went about that at last they kill'd him indeed Ignorance may be the cause and that of the person or of Reas 1. the thing 1. of the person For many of the Saints I shut vp in prison but I did it ignorantly The Princes of this world put to 1 Tim. 1. 13. â— Cor. 2. 8. Act. 3. 17. death the Lord of life but had they knowne him they would not haue crucified him I know that through ignorance ye did is as also your governours And Father for giue them for they know not what they doe And 2. of the action What new and strange Act. 17. 19. Mark 2. 24. doctrine is this He doth and teacheth things vnlawfull They thinke they doe God good seruice they erred in that they haue not knowne my wayes O that ye had knowne these things A second Reason may be drawne from the rage and malice Reas 2. of the wicked Ahab hated Micaiah therefore he must to prison if God prevent not Christ was sold of envy Away with such a fellow for he is not worthy to liue And Had he not beene an evill doer we would not haue deliuered him into your hands Not Iesus but Barrabbas All this smells of malice and sents of envy For which of them was ignorant that the one was a theefe and who could accuse the other of sinne And pride in the prophane causeth goodmen suffer for Reas 3. weldoing Master in thus saying thou rebukest vs also The Pharisees were
suffer now shall be denyed of Christ hereafter at his appearing Such as are found halting must be turned out of the way And as the words stand in way of argument we may gather that The sufferings of others should moue vs to suffer also Doct. 5. What a cloud of witnesses haue we Christ example is propounded to this purpose and many more in the booke of God that we with patience might endure the crosse and despise the shame Heb. 12. 1. 2. For its a good thing to follow a multitude in the way of Reas 1. righteousnes as it is evill to tread in the lewd steppes of vngodly persons Againe if their example moue nothing then they shall Reas 2. rise vp in iudgement against vs For are not they recorded to this purpose Let vs in time of trouble then cast our eyes on those that Vse 1. haue gone before vs for like a liuely picture they will giue vigour to our faint spirits when we are ready to faile Examples are of great force in all things and shall so many worthy patternes prevaile nothing No I ade so dull but will follow a free and forward leader And here we are instructed to giue good examples to others Vse 2. Let vs learne some incouragement by our practise to future posterities that they may be pricked forward to tread in our footesteps For vndoubtedly the best way of teaching others as we see is not by precept onely but by example also For I know whom I haue beleeued We haue heard of two causes why Paul suffered the one in that he preached the Gospell the other that he preached it vnto the Gentiles and now followeth a double reason why he was not ashamed of so doing but resolutely did goe on in the fulfilling of his Ministery Whence this poynt will truly arise that As the wicked haue pretended causes to afflict the faithfull so Doct. 6. haue they good grounds not to be ashamed of their sufferings Heb. 11. 24. 35. 2 Cor. 4. 16. Acts 5. 29. Aske Moses why he would not be called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter enjoy the pleasures of sinne for a season but chuse rather to suffer affliction his reason is at hand he hath respect to the recompence of reward Why would not Heb. 11. the Saints in their greatest tortures by vnlawfull meanes be comforted they looked for a better resurrection Wherefore did not the faithfull faint in their suffering they did account that the momentany afflictions of this life were not wâ—rthy 2 Cor. 4. 17. of that eternall weight of glory that should be revealed What reason had Christ that he would not come downe from the Crosse and saue himselfe that saued others Hee must doe the will of him that sent him finish his worke and performe his promise And he knew that his death and resurrection would be a greater miracle then to haue deliuered himselfe another way For the Children of God goe by a sure rule they ground Reas 1. their proceedings and sufferings vpon Gods precepts and promises when as the prophane haue false rules fained causes And if it were not thus they could haue no comfort in Reas 2. their suffering for blessed are those that suffer persecution for righteousnes sake Therefore they ground the cause of their affliction vpon Reason Vse 1. Wonder not then ye men of this world why the Saints in all ages haue resisted unto bloud and not counted their liues deare vnto themselues but haue carried them in their hands For they know that though man frowne the Lord will fauour though Antichrist bind with a curse Christ will lose with a blessing though Sathan tempt and terrifie the Spirit will strengthen and comfort if the flesh be weakened the spirit shall be renewed if death goe before that life shall follow after and if the world loose them heaven shall find them For so it s said that if their earthly house of 2 Cor. 5. 1. this Tabernacle be destroyed they haue a building giuen of God an house not made with hands but eternall in the heauens of the possession whereof they be assured after their dissolutions A wonderment riseth from the ignorance of the cause or the rarenes of the event and these be the proper grounds why many men admire and are astonied at others sufferings for the Gospell But surely the seruants of God haue had great reason for their courses whatsoeuer blinded men doe deeme of them For I know c. The next Instruction wee obserue from these words is this that It is an experimentall knowledge of God that will cause a Doct. 7. man to bee resolute in good courses and to suffer afflictions See this in David and in the wife of Manoah for notable are these two places for this purpose 1 Sam. 17. 34. 35. c. Iudg. 13. 23. Rom. 1. 16. 17. Because it is a great meanes to strengthen our weake faith Reas 1. Now as our faith encreaseth so is our resolution and patience bettered Christ would call his Disciples Men of little faith when they were troubled and dejected in small matters so that weakenes of faith must be remoued to beget resolution and that is done by the experience we haue had of the Lords proceedings Againe the former performance of Gods promise doth Reas 2. not take away the efficacie force of it for future time but rather confirmes it For when God loues once hee loues euer so to whom he performes his promise once hee will performe it for euer The often setting and rising of the Sun doth assure vs the more both of the one and of the other for we haue had long experience of the stability of it in its course and motion In the first place here we may see why men are faint impatient Vse 1. vnder the Crosse and vnsetled irresolute to any good word or worke they haue no experience of God and his proceedings For experience will cause tribulation to bring foorth patience as many little acts doe make a great habit Rom. 5 3. And in the next place this poynt serueth for our direction Vse 2. and teacheth vs what to doe that wee may patiently beare the Crosse and manfully fight the battels of the Lord namely to get experience of Gods manner of proceedings And for our direction the better to gaine this obserue Rules to procute experimental knowledge these Rules following I. Obserue Gods dealing with vs. 1. In temporall 2. In spirituall things 1. Hath he not fed thee clothed thee lodged thee since he gaue thee a being and is his hand shortened and not stretched out still When the Disciples of Christ were troubled in minde about these matters What sayth he haue ye not remembrance how I fed you with a little bread and a few fishes When I sent you forth without money in your purse meate in your scrippes and all other prouision wanted you any thing they
come to an end or the end of all things is at hand that is shall be 1 Pet. 4. 7. setled in that Condition wherein they shall without change continue for euer For as when time began things began so if time should end the things would For time and place doe inseparably attend all created things 2. Yet I must confesse that time in particular viz. this or Sol. 2. that houre or moment seemes to be a circumstance to the action for it may aswell be done the next houre as this present But on the contrary seeing all things are done in time that God hath appointed a particular time for all things to be performed in it may seeme not to be numbred amongst other circumstances or so direct a breach of the third precept For otherwise the breach of the Sabbath were a breach of the forenamed precept and I must acknowledge in a second relation it is so inded So that time and circumstance being distinguished and some relations rightly considered it is a breach of the third precept els not But before we passe this point I might come to giue solution to diuers Questions or obiections Some man may demand when he breaketh the first precept Quest 1 in the first Table Briefly I reply 1. When he setteth any thing in the roome Answ of God were it an Angell himselfe 2. When he giueth obedience to any as to God 1. By beleeuing in it and resting on it more then God and for this cause the couetous man is called an Idolater And 2. When he doth not make God the beginning and end of all his actions If the action run not so farre the thing whereon it rests for the present is that persons God When the second of the first Table Quest 2 Ans 1. When I invent any new way whereby to serve God 2. When I doe an action being not guided by Gods rule prescribed When the third of the first Table Quest 3. Ans 1. When I doe an action to God guided by his owne rule yet neglect the circumstances required Exam. I giue to the poore but not cheerefully rely on God but doubtingly 2. And here note that all actions that God commandeth whateuer may be a breach of this precept through the neglect of iust and lawfull circumstances When the last of the first Table Quest 4. Answ 1. When we doe an action of our particular calling except a necessity require it and then we may But as a dutie of charity not of commodity if done to another person 2. When we omit those duties the Lord requireth or spend not the whole time allotted in holy excercises When the Sabbath beginnes Quest 5. Answ Lev. 23. 32. Whence this Question ariseth viz. When the Sabbath doth begin Some haue begun it in the Euening as the Iewes and the Athenians others in the morning as the Chaldeans others at midnight as the Romanes and the Egyptians began their day at noone But since the Resurrection of Christ the most hold that it begins at that houre he rose which was about breake of day as we speake others be confident that it begins in the euening and yeeld these Reasons 1. When the Iewes Sabbath say they ended ours must begin for â—ls one of the seuen were not a Sabbath which they defend must be For take the last of the seuen and the first of the seuen then one of the seuen is still though changed a Sabbath Therefore Christ would die the sixth day that he might rest all the Iewes Sabbath which seemes to be typicall Now if the Iewes Sabbath ended at euen then ours must begin or else one of the seuen were not a Sabbath but part of the eight and ninth c. and the Remnant added to one or considered it selfe alone would ouerthrow the first order appointed of dayes 2. They say that when the Sun sets all creatures goe to rest and so should man for the Lord hath put out his candle to vs. 3. Heauen is compared to a supper not a dinner because after dinner they goe to worke but after supper to rest this seemes to haue some force in it 4. They argue that its the most agreeable to Reason For first if the Sabbath begin in the euening then we know wheÌ„ to begin it distinctly when to end Secondly We may the better be fitted for it for some who hold it begins in the morning toyle late that night and so are then more vnable to sanctifie the day Thirdly Wicked men are most prone to deferre the time rather then to redeeme it and what such affect we are to suspect Fourthly If we begin the Sabbath in the euening then we leaue the obiect of our particular calling behind vs and haue one simple subiect of the immediate worship of our generall calling in the eye of our vnderstanding the which is the most agreeable to reason breeds least distraction and is most comfortable so if at the Sun-set we end our Sabbath we may talke dispose of the duties of our particular calling for the morning following rise betimes without danger of the breach of the Lords day the which will not be so conuenient if it begin at any other instant in respect of the forenamed particulars But I leaue this and referre it to others onely let vs be carefull that 〈◊〉 haue regard to the duties of the Sabbath and the full time Yet there can be no danger at all to begin the sanctification of it betimes for delayes in all good duties breed danger Why was the Sabbath changed Quest 6. Answ 1. As the Father did rest after the Creation so the Sonne would imitate the Father and sanctifie a rest after the great worke of Redemption 2. If the deliverance of the Israelites out of Aegypt was typicall and must be the beginning of moneths c. Why not Exod. 12. 2. this great delivery then But we omit this Table and cease to resolue any more doubts either in this or the second but as in ordinary course though my Text seeme to allow me full scope because so many learned on this part of 〈◊〉 haue done worthily so we proceed to some other 〈◊〉 Of sound words From these words in one word â—â— may note two instructions the first is that A Christians patterne is to consist of words Doct. 4. Ioh 5. 39. How is it written how readest thou To the word Vnderstand that words are two-fold 1. Spoken 2. Written Isa â— 10. 8. 20. For God at the first put his truth into this vessell and Reas 1. Deut. 4. 2. Rev. 22. 19. we may not alter it and if we adde or detract either to it or from it It s written what fearfull iudgements are threatned for so doing Againe It s the onely way to avoyd idolatry for if wee Reas 2. were taught by pictures it were a breach of the second precept in the first Table Here the Papists are confuted
with 2 Chron. 9. 21. Which was committed to thee The word in the Greeke here vsed is the very same which is in the 12. Verse and it properly signifieth a Deposition or thing committed to our trust and faithfulnes If you say that this Exposition crosseth that in the 12. Verse where we did interpret it of Pauls soule or saluation the answere is this he that preserueth faith and loue and the graces of the Spirit in him shall be saued and they that commit their soule and saluation to God are carefull to preserue grace within them for the one is a meanes of the other And there could be no danger in expounding this good thing to be the soule for its a good thing and by Christs affirmation more worth then the whole world But the gifts of the Spirit is the truest interpretation Keepe Or hold fast that is cherish preserue haue in safetie By the Holy Ghost These words may haue a double 〈◊〉 If we read them as some doe thus That worthy thing which was committed to thee keepe by the Holy Ghost then the holy Ghost may seeme to be he that committed this worthy thing to vs that dwelleth in vs which is a truth but the other I take to be the naturall meaning for Paul informes Timothy how by whom he is to keepe that worthy thing and he tells him that is done through the holy Ghost By the Holy Ghost is to be vnderstood the third person in the Deity Which dwelleth in vs. The Spirit here is described by 3. things 1. That he is holy 2. By an effect he dwelleth 3. By the subiect place where and 't is said to be in Timotheus and Paul and in euery beleeuer also he dwelleth As I haue lately perswaded thee to keepe the patterne of The Metaphrase sound words so now I likewise exhort thee as a meanes for the performance of that dutie that thou cherish encrease and hold fast the good and worthy graces of God committed to thee and that are within thee And for thy better direction I would haue thee to know that the onely way whereby they are preserued is through the holy Spirit of God that hath his a blode and dwelling in me and thee That worthy thing The poynt hence is plaine which is that The graces and gifts of God are good and worthy things Pro. 3. Doct. 1. 14. 15. Luk. 14. 34. Phil. 1. 6 The causes of them are holy and good For the chiefe efficient Reas 1. cause is God and is not he good the instrumentall is the Word and Preachers and are not they good Indeede Heb. 6. 5. wicked Ministers for the most part beget men as Adam did after his fall in their owne image yet as he is a man sent from God and in regard of his calling he may be called good and doe good And from their effects they may be called good for they Reas 2. make him good before God in whom they be they doe stirre vp and enable a man to doe good they will weaken all euill in that person where they dwell they will make our actions good and neuer leaue vs vntill they haue brought vs to perfection of glory Here are those reprehended who neuer had any care to Vse 1. possesse these worthy things Nothing in man or out of him that is of greater worth and nothing lesse regarded We doe count that person blessed that hath his house hung with rich Arras his chests full of gold and his barnes stuffed with corne and yet we neuer haue esteeme of these excellent and rare things Truely the least degree of faith is more worth then all the gold of Ophir a remnant of true loue then all the gay garments in the world Hope of heauen will more reioyce the heart of Dauid then his scepter and kingdome But men doe not thinke so neither will they haue it so yet the day of death like an equall Ballance shall declare it to be so This may serue to comfort the poore man who like Peter Vse 2. hath neither siluer nor gold Hast thou faith and loue and hope and zeale that all the world quarrell with then thou hast cause to reioyce and be glad Many wish to be as wealthy as such and such But what Art thou a poore Christian and hast thou grace Why then except he haue it too thou art richer then he One is rich in goods voyde of grace thou hast grace but wantest riches wouldst thou change estates with him No no then be content and of good comfort Are they worthy things Then put them to the best vses Vse 3. and abuse them not Its pitty to heare how many men lay their faith to pawne and pledge their hope for every trifle crying By my faith t is thus As I hope to be saued it s not so nor so Is this well done and will our master take it well at our hands that his graces and gifts be thus employed I trow not Wee make great stirre before wee lay to pawne our chiefest Iewells yet we let our faith goe freely which is more worth then all And it is to be feared that God will seuerely correct this or we may doubt rather that they who doe thus haue no faith or hope at all for if they haue they know the worth of it and how they came by it and whatsoeuer many iudge it s not easily gotten But such play the Logicians and make a distribution saying They sweare but by their Ciuill faith not by that which iustifieth I answere first that this distinction will not iustifie them Againe how shall a man know when they sweare by their civill faith Sure they sound alike therefore they must giue another accent or tone els they may and others too be mistaken But when will such be wise Is it not the greater offence to place the meaner and baser thing and creature in the Creators roome Let them iudge And in the last place seeing these be worthy things Let Vse 4. vs all labour to possesse them for of how much more value a thing is by so much the more we should striue to obteine it And to perswade vs hereunto Let 's consider to what they be likened Grace is compared to fire to water to food to ayre and to gold and siluer Is it not a misery to want fire to warme vs water to wash and refresh vs food to nourish and to strengthen vs ayre to breath by and to coole vs and gold and siluer to enrich vs We could not but thinke him a poore man that a miserable place where all these be wanting and shall wee not see our owne woe when we doe not enioy these things All our sacrifices are to be seasoned with this salt boyled in this liquor rosted with this fire if acceptable to Christ or profitable to his members See then the worth of the one by the want of the other Haue wee not now time and
meanes to furnish our selues But will this winde blow this tyde returne this fire descend and this treasure be got when we expect it desire it No such matter Then take the oportunitie leost the time come and the evill dayes approach wherein we shall say that are haue no pleasure in them And let the rarenesse too of this thing worke in vs some desire to endeuour for it For all men haue not grace and faith it s sowne but in few Countries and where it is it s not found growing in each mans grounds Wee say that things farre fetcht and deare bought are the greatest dainties Why doth not this treasure come from farre and what Ship could bring it to vs except Christ the Lord What could purchase and ransome it but the precious bloud of the Sonne of God Will not these things allure thee Why then beware least the Lord haue a purpose to kill thee Keepe The thing we note from hence is this that Grace once gotten is to be preserved Doct. 2. We must hold fast the good gifts we haue and neither suffer sinne or Sathan to plucke them out of our hands And every where we are bid to grow therein Revel 2. 25. Heb. 6. 6. 2 Pet. 3. vlt. Lude 21. Because if grace grow weake the patterne will not be Reas 1. practised When all the parts of the naturall body be in a consumption can we walke and worke in the duties of our particular callings And if the New man waxe pale and pine away the pathes of Gods commands will not be run or trodden For as all naturall actions proceed from the bodies strength and the purest spirit so doe all spirituall from the vigour of grace and the Newman Againe if grace decay then corruption will grow for as Reas 2. it was in another sense said of Christ and Iohn the Baptist so may it of these two When the one encreaseth the other decreaseth This checketh the carelesnes of some Christians who Vse 1. play the Prodigall with their spirituall portions in mis-spending or permit their graces to fall into a consumption It was a reproofe made by the Spirit I haue somewhat against Rev. 2. thee for thou hast left thy first loue and the same hath befallen many persons When men haue got some competency of wealth they lye long in bed and will not vp to worke and and so their riches waste In like manner it falleth out with Gods children for when they haue attained to some competency of gifts they are highly conceited grow idle neglect the meanes and so are ouertaken with spiritual pouerty then the which what greater damage losse We must then learne here not onely to get grace but to Vse 2. keepe it We will mourne if we loose our money grieue if we be depriued of our corne naturall strength and earthly commodities And shall the losse of grace neuer pinch vs pierce vs Shall Ionah be so dejected for his Gorud and we neuer be moued when grace is withered ready to persh Shall the earth-worme sigh at the losse of goods and we neuer shrinke at the shipwracke of heauenly gifts No greater damage then this none lesse regarded more insensible Let our plants begin to prin our haire waxe gray or fall it will make some impression But grace may decay the spirit faint and few be wounded in heart Yet to such a time shall come of great mourning Then get grace keepe grace so shall corruption be expelled extenuated and the patterne of sound words obserued practised A second instruction we gather out of the word Keepe which is that Spirituall gifts are in danger of loosing Doct. 3. Grace got may be lost Else wherefore should Paul bid his sonne keepe the worthy things in his custody We giue the greatest charge when things are most subiect to perill damage or destruction This poynt hath its proofe in holy writ For did not Sampson loose his spirituall aswell as or rather then his corporall strength and sight the shearing of his head was the cutting and killing of grace in the heart for by that another thing is meant The Church of Ephesus left though not totally lost her first love David desired to gather strength See Iudg. 16. Rev. 2. 4. Psal 39. vlt. 51. And this cometh to passe through our own negligence Reas 1. for when we doe not employ these talents to their proper ends or watch ouer our selues or neglect the meanes to preserue them or dig them in the earth not vsing them at all we shall either haue them remoued from vs or at the least weakened in vs. Fire must haue fewell or it will cease to flame infants are to be fed or they will be feeble And so must the babe of grace the new borne child of faith or fall into a fit of languishing Againe it may come to passe in respect of the Preachers Reas 2. and that of the bad or better sort False Teachers did creepe into the Church of Galatia and they fell from their former stedfastnes And when such as be truly sent preach rarely coldly negligently and watch not ouer their flocke much grace may be lost by their default Let the sheepe fast or feed barely they will grow lanke and leane of body Besides the Diuell cannot endure that grace should grow Reas 3. and corruption decay for then he shall lose his croppe and his hope shall perish therefore he is nipping this fruite in the bud and would teare it if he could vp by the roote and though he cannot yet hee will venter at all Finally the Lord may suffer it to be lost at the least for Reas 4. a time in our owne feeling and that for these causes 1. When we begin to swell waxe big and are puffed vp with his graces which should humble vs. 2. When we are too seuere in censuring of our weake brethren And 3. When we grow ingratefull to him for the gifts he hath freely conferred vpon vs. For God cannot endure pride security or ingratitude therefore he permits oftentimes a winter whereby for a season these flowers looke dead and withered Wonder not then if we see some backsliders in our Vse 1. times as hath beene in former ages For it s no vnusuall matter to finde declinings in this kind And it 's a disputable question whether any Christian what euer except hee depart soone after his conuersion doth grow and goe from strength to strength without some losse of the inward power of the graces wherewith he is endued For Churches in generall persons in particular haue had their symptomes and distempers And this is to warne all men to watch the more diligently Vse 2. ouer themselues that this languishing doe not befall them As also to try themselues if they haue not fallen already from their former perfection and left their first faith And here two things may seeme needfull to bee proposed 1. How farre a man
be marked that The best man may be forsaken These left Paul Doct. 8. Quest Ans Did these neuer returne to the truth afterward God knoweth not we and though we hope the best of some yet let vs feare the worst for the good of our selues VERS 16. The Lord giue mercy to the house of Onesiphorus for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chaine WE may not thinke that this complaint and commendation The Coherence are here annexed without reason or relation to the percedent verse For thus I conceiue it is Paul hauing prest Timothy by many maine and forcible arguments not to be ashamed of the doctrine of the Gospell In the 13. ver giueth him a direction what to doe that he may not be ashamed which is to keepe the patterne of sound words for he that worketh by a true and streight rule shall haue no cause to be ashamed of his workmanship But in regard this might seeme hard to Timothy he tells him what he must obserue that he might be able to follow this forme of doctrine viz. Keepe the graces of God from decaying that are in him Oh but he might suggest this thing is as hard as the other Now Paul secretly grants him this and therefore tells him that he can no wayes doe that but by the assistance of the holy Ghost ver 14. And hauing giuen him this good rule least his sonne should be puffed vp with presumption and omit all subordinate helpes he tells him how many haue fallen away ver 15. for Timothy might thus conceiue Well if the Holy Ghost be and dwell in me I will feare the lesse or he might be temped to be carelesse from that ground for the preseruation of these worthy things And last of all least vpon the Mement of so many Revolters and that of Phygellus and Hermogenes he might be too much on the other side againe deiected for man on both hands is incident to fall into extremities he bringeth in a worthy example of loue boldnes stedfastnes and resolution in this Onesiphorus to hearten and imbolden him This may seeme to be the true scope of Paul and dependance of these foure last verses Or it may be thus Paul may put Timotheus in minde of these mens falling away and of this good mans resolution that he by the shame which befell the one and the prayse accompanying the other might be the more disswaded from declining and perswaded to stand fast For doubtles these instances of coutrary persons proceedings carry with them the seedes and force of an argument being by Paul thus produced But to omit that wee come to the words the which consist of a petition and a reason In the petition we may obserne 3. things 1. To whom it 's The Logicall resolution preferd the person is the Lord. 2. The thing petitioned for and that 's mercy 3. For whom this petition is put vp and that is for the house of Onesiphorus Thus much for the prayer or petition In the Reason are 3. things also or t' is threefold 1. Onesiphorus refreshed Paul 2. He did this often And 3. He was not ashamed of his chaine And though the Reason seeme but twofold why he prayed to God for this man yet we may without breach of the Reasons rule apprehend it to be threefold as we haue demonstrated out of the word Often The Lord giue That is God the Father impart conferre The Theologicall Expâ—sition or grant Mercy I would here vnderstand mercy to be taken in a large extent as for outward and inward blessings with whatsoeuer is profitable or comfortable for soule and body or for all the like refreshings I was in my troubles refreshed with may be the Apostles meaning To the house of Onesiphorus House in the Hebrewe is of building in Greeke of dwelling in our English from custody or tuition And the word house may be borrowed from the Almaine huis which is of hu to defend Whereby the way we may take the description of an house the which is a building wherein man doth inhabite or dwell for safetie and tuâ—tion By house in this place is meant the people whereof Onesiphorus had charge whether wife children or seruants by a Metonymie For he often refreshed me That is did by his personall presence praiers conference and gifts many a time recreate and comfort me both in body and minde And was not ashamed of my chaine That is When I was vsed like a theefe or malefactor and went vp and downe with irons on my heeles or hauing a keeper was led being chained by the hand he tooke knowledge of me and did not passe by me as they of Asia did accounting it a disgrace to their reputation As I cannot but iustly complaine against and condemne The Metaphrase all Asia of which company were Phygellus and Hermogenes in that they were ashamed to visit or refresh me So I must needs highly commend Onesiphorus for many refreshings whereby he comforted me both in soule and body and tooke acqnaintance of me esteeming it no disgrace or shame although I was chained and vsed like a Malefactor For the which his kind dealings towards me I beseech the Father of all mercy to comfort and blessâ— all his whole familie wife children â—â—d servants both in soule and body with all earthly and heauenly benefites euen as he hath comforted and refreshed me in all my miseries and great afflictions by his presence prayers conference and other fauours The Lord giue mercy c. Whereas many fell away and Doctrines deduced one mentioned that was resolute and Paul brings him in to be imitated of Timothy we may note this instruction that One good mans Example is to be preferred and followed before Doct. 1. a world of wicked persons We may not follow a multitude to doe euill Exod. 23. 2. No one Lot in Sodom one woman in the South one Michaiah is to be respected before al other vncleane Sodomites lazie Damosells and hundreds of false Prophets 2 Pet. 2. Luk. 11. 31. 1 King 22. 8. For he hath the truth on his side he followes the narrow Reas 1. way that leadeth to heauen Now the truth is to be preferred more then errour though Millions swerue to the one and a few embrace the other Againe God will excuse no man for so doing It will be Reas 2. a cold plea for a man to say I saw few of that stampe but multitudes of this I did as the most did when he shall come to the time of reckoning the great day of his account This iustly meetes with some in our dayes who hold Vse 1. neighbours fare good fare and to doe as the most the best way But haue these many the truth on their side doe they keepe the forme of sound words What a madnes would we esteeme it if a man when he is conuented before the iudge and accused for theft should say why all my