Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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B01135
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The true Israelite, or, The sincere Christian distinguished from the hypocrite. By Master William Andrewes, late minister of the word of God.
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Andrewes, William, minister of the word of God.
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1638
(1638)
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STC 630.5; ESTC S124182
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38,395
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238
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THE TRVE ISRAELITE OR The sincere Christian distinguished from the hypocrite By Master WILLIAM ANDREWES late Minister of the word of GOD. LONDON Printed by Richard Oulton for Ralph Mabb and are to bee sold by Charles Greene. 1638. TO THE RIGHT worshipfull Tho Ratcliffe Esquire Secretary to the right Reverend and right Honourable William Lord Bishop of London and Lord high Treasurer of ENGLAND Sir THe worth of the Author the respects I owe you and your owne Innate goodnesse have incouraged mee to chuse you the Patron of this Post-humus For the Author as hee was a Divine sound and orthodox in judgement so hee was peaceable in the Church and sincere in his life for his learning though himselfe it may bee was a stranger to you yet as hee that by Hercules his foote drew the proportion of his whole body so in this little Mirrour if J mistake not you may perceive him to bee one that was brought up at the feete of Gamaliell mighty in the Scriptures and well studied in the Fathers The respects I owe to your selfe are such as that having this opportunity to manifest my acknowledgement of them I had doubtlesse incurred the censure of ungratefull negligence if J should have let it slip and not improoved it to this end from your owne goodnesse I gather an assurance of your favourable acceptance both of this Orphan and the presenter who am put in trust to commend the patronage of it to some one whose emminency in the World for vertuous qualifications might somewhat shelter it from these blacke-mouth'd Calumniators that these times are pestred with These are the reasons worthy Sir why I have though without your foreknowledge prefixed your name in the Front of this tract I humbly crave your pardon if herein I have trespassed any thing and that you would bee pleased to doe the Author and me so much honour as to suffer His Israelite to come abroad into the world under your worthy patronage In the assurance whereof I crave leave to remaine Your worships to be commanded Ralph Mabb TO THE Reader Christian Reader THe Author of this Treatise had no sooner intented and fitted it for the Presse But it pleased God to take him hence into the fellowship of the spirits of just men made perfect After a whiles detainment it is now fallen to my lot to vsher it into the World It is his owne and a peece well beseeming such a workeman The judicious Reader may find in it a compendious Epitome of divinity morallity and elegancy of phrase ioyned with no lesse honesty and integrity of the hidden man of the heart A thing in the sight of God much set by It is a discourse very seasonable the world being filled now more with shaddowes then substances men striving rather to appeare to be that which they are not then to bee that indeed which they onely appeare to bee This may therefore serve thee for a touchstone to try the truth of that which if thou hast will gaine thee esteeme with him that seeth not as man seeth It mattereth not so much what men are valued at in the scales of humane judgements so they bee found weighty in the ballance of the Sanctuary Popular esteemes are alwayes subiect to errour If Christ reckon a man a true Israelite None dare call his iudgment into question and who would not have his approbation who would not glory in such a testimony This small tract Amongst others may serve thee both for direction and tryall If by it thou reapest any comfort and furtherance in thy heavenly course thou canst doe no lesse than be thankefull to God for the Author and to esteeme of mee as one that is A desirer of the common good R. M. Aprill 8. 1636. PErlegi tractatū hunc cui titulus est The true Israelite in quo nihil reperio sanae fidei aut bonis moribus contrarium quo minus cum utilitate publica inprimatur Tho. Weekes R P Episc Lond Capell domest THE TRUE ISRAELITE Iohn 1.46 47. Then Nathaniel said Can any good thing come from Nazareth Philip said unto him Come and see Iesus saw Nathaniel coming unto him and said of him Behold a true Israelite in whom is no fraud SAint Iohn who alone among the Evangelists setteth downe the history of Nathaniel hath from the forty verse of this Chapter unto the end thereof delivered unto us six speciall things concerning him First his Calling to the Faith of Christ and that by the ministration of Philip. Secondly his Comming to Christ Thirdly the Commendation that Christ gives him Fourthly his Conference with Christ Fifthly his Confession and notable acknowledgment of Christ saying Thou art that Sonne of God Thou art that King of Israel Ioh. 1.49 Sixthly his hopefull blessing in the promise of Christ made unto him saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioh. 1.50 thou shalt see greater things than these Three of these are contained in the words now to bee handled namely Nathaniels 1. Calling 2. Comming 3. Cōmendation First his Call in these words Come and see In his Call to Christ two things are observable 1 His prevention he comes not of himselfe but moved and excited by God 2 His direction hee comes not by himselfe but guided by the hand of Philip. 1. His Prevention THAT Nathaniel comes not to Christ but moved and stirred up by the preventing grace of God shewes that the state and condition of every man by Nature is such that we are found of God before we seeke him and moved by his grace before we stirre unto him So that each one of us may truely say of our selves with the Prophet David Ps 119.176 I have gone astray like a sheepe that is lost O seeke thy servant Wee are by Nature as the lost groat fallen out of the hand of Gods favour by Adams fall Wee are by continuall practice of our naturall errors as the lost sheepe that have wandred from God and we are by rebellion and wilfull neglect of Gods offered grace as the prodigall and lost Childe that have wantonned against God We are bound therefore thankfully to acknowledge and carfully to maintaine the preventing grace of God which finding us lost under the Fig-leaves of vain security in the shadow of death yet leaves us not till we are brought to the tree of life the Light of Grace and Glory For though it be said onely that Iesus saw Nathaniel comming unto him yet hee was not a bare beholder of his comming but the Cause the moover the secret worker therof Iesus saw Nathaniel comming but he also saw his owne handy worke upon him according to that speech of our Lord Ioh 15.5 Without me ye can doe nothing Nathaniel being deceived in the apprehension of Christ as meere man asked him vnde me nosti Whence knewst thou me Iohn 1.48 to whom the Lord replied Before that Philip cal'd thee when thou wast under the figge tree I saw thee O Nathaniel if the
delay breeds danger and opportunity is precious according to that of the heathen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hesiod opportunity is the best thing If wee were truely wise wee would have a care not to drive away the acceptable time of our salvation but as the Apostle counsells to redeeme the time because the dayes are evill and to thinke that if delay be dangerous in the baser it is madnesse to use it in the best things The Lord Iesus beholding Ierusalem foreseeing her desolation lamenting her misery declares the cause of it in this speech Because thou knew'st not the time of thy visitation Luke 19. So the Holy Ghost ascribes the captivity of the Israelites to their neglect and contempt of the Lords call 2 Chr. 36.15 16. The Lord God of their Fathers sent his messengers unto them rising early and sending for he had a compassion on his people and on his habitation But they abused his Prophets and made a mocke of his messengers till the wrath of the Lord was against them and that there was no remedie The wasting of Israel by the Egyptians is also assign'd to the abusing of Gods grace offered Ier. 2.17 Hast not thou procured this unto thy selfe saith the Prophet because thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God when hee led thee by the way marke how the Lord aggravates their sinne by reproving their ingratitude namely in that they then forsooke the Lord even when he was their guide and leader O how fearefull is that commination of Saint Paul Heb. 6.7 The land which drinkes in the raine that falls oft upon it and brings forth hearbs meete for him by whom it is dressed receiveth blessing from God but if it bring forth bryars and thornes it is reprobate neere unto cursing whose end is to be burned That we are a land which have often received the spirituall raine of Gods Word cannot be denyed whether wee have brought forth fruits meete for him by whom we are dressed our lives may testifie sure I am that whosoever being dressed by the ministry of Gods word doth bring forth still bryars and thornes injurious and noysome workes is certainly neere unto cursing and his end to bee burned The same raine hath divers effects according to the variety of the subjected matter The clay is pierced and softned and made fruitfull the sand is pierced but not softned and remaineth barren the stone is neither pierced nor softned nor yeelds any hope of encrease What mould our hearts are made of our workes demonstrate There is but a little veine of the good earth the fruitfull clay Ceremonious religion lip-labour show of godlinesse without the Truth showes too much of the sandy barrennesse but sacrilegious prophanenes obdurate rebellion ungratefull contempt of Gods grace in these times argues that stony ground where the heavenly raine runnes off as fast as it falls on How neere we are unto cursing for turning the grace of our God into wantonnesse many will not see being blinded with their lusts An unwise man saith David doth not understand this Psal 92.6 and a foole doth not regard it the godly wise prevent the curse but as the heathen man said wel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hesiod the foole will not perceive till he smart for it 3. His Truth or Sincerity YE have seene the Hast observe the Heart of Nathanael hee comes even in the judgment of Christ himselfe that discernes all commers as a true Israelite seriously without fraud having an earnest desire to see the Glory of Israel He hungers and thirsts after righteousnesse and it is the very joy of his heart to heare of his Saviour Such is the truth and sincerity of all Gods people who come into the presence of God in the hearing of his word and prayer as men that feele their extreame need of Gods blessing of the grace of Christ and so affected with God and his goodnesse in Christ that each one of them in his heart saith with the Prophet David Whom have I in heaven but thee and who is it in earth that I desire in cōparison of thee Thou O God art the thing that I long for There be too many farre from this serious and sincere comming unto Christ Many come unto Christ with prejudicious conceit stiffely holding their fore-conceav'd opinions against the Truth resolved to maintaine them against all the Counsell of God Some againe with a desire of novelty like unto the Athenians that gave themselves to nothing but to heare or tell some newes Act. 17 who seeke not the word of God as a power to save their soules for that is rejected as old stuffe but some new straine of wit some curious conceit to tickle the eare Let but some Eutrapelye some fine-turn'd phrase or acute tricke of wit drop from the Preacher and these take them up as the Manna from Heaven with admiration and great contentment O the wanton childishnesse of our times As if such chaffe such frothe such smoake could feed the soule Such vainely conceited commers had rather have a shell a shale to play withall than the meate the kernell to give strength unto the Heart Some againe come with a mind to calumniate to contradict to carpe at the word like the froward Iewes Acts 13. Many with a politique and proud mind who are so ravisht with the admiration of their owne wisedome and carnall reason that they loath the homelinesse and plainenesse of the Gospell and despise the Counsell of God against themselves as did the Pharisees Luk. 7. If thy heart be stuft with such fraud no mervaile if thou com'st often to no purpose no mervaile if the wisedome of God enter not and thou find no blessing So necessary is the disposition of truth and sincerity in every one that comes to God that he ought to examine his soule and call his heart to account in every action of religion how it stands affected in uprightnesse of intention to that businesse for it is fearefull to dally with God and foolish to trifle in the matter of our salvation and dangerous to thrust in with a false heart 4. His successe BVt as wee have observ'd how Nathanaels heart was disposed with truth in his comming so let us consider of the happy successe of his labour As he comes without fraud so hee comes not without fruit he comes not in vaine to Christ it is no lost labour such heart such hope It is impossible that a true-hearted cōming should goe without a blessing First now having seene and had experience of that to which Philip invited him he hath forgot his curious objection and breaks forth into an earnest free and honourable confession of faith saying Master thou art that Son of God thou art that King of Israel O strange whence Nathanael made a question if any good could come thence hath he found a good so infinite as is confessed to be his Master his King his God A wonderful change from the doubt of