must needes be corrupt fruite as cōming from them For an euill tree cannot bring forth good fruit The heart is the fountain of euery action now their hearts were corrupt being destitute of faith which purifies the heart and therefore their workes must needes be sinfull Againe they did not their workes in obedience for they were guided onely by the light of nature and knew not God aright nor his commaundements And lastly they propounded not the glory of GOD as the end of their workes but the praise of men their owne profit or some such end But these worthy persons doe not onely such things as were iust in themselues but they doe them in faith in obedience and for Gods glory and so please God Now seeing these renowned Princes and Iudges haue their faith commended vnto vs by their practicing of righteousnesse we must learne to follow them within the compasse of our calling doing Iustice and righteousnesse in such things as cōcerne vs. There be many reasons set down in Gods word to perswade vs heereunto As first for this end hath God caused the Gospell to be published Tit. 2.12 The sauing grace of God hath appeared but to what end To teach vs that we should denie vngodlinesse and liue soberly and righteously that is that wee might doe Iustice. Vnlesse therefore we worke righteousnesse we make the Gospel a vaine word vnto vs. Secondly we desire to be counted iust before God and men and it would grieue vs if we should be otherwise thought of but if wee would be iust indeede both before God and man then we must work righteousnesse for as S. Iohn saith He that doth righteousnesse is righteous Thirdly there is no man set ouer a family but he either doth or ought to endeuour to bring a blessing vpon his family But this he cannot doe vnlesse he worke righteousnesse and doe Iustice for Salomon saith He that walketh in his integrity is iust and blessed shall his children be after him Lastly we doe all of vs desire to escape hell well then we must remēber to practice righteousnes for the Apostle saith no vnrighteous mā that is none practicing vnrighteousnes shall enter into the kingdom of heauen So that within the compasse of our calling we must all endeuour to do Iustice. Here some will aske How shall I do Iustice and worke righteousnesse Answer For the doing of it wee must remember to practice these rules that follow 1. That which is both the word of God and the rule of Nature We must do to all men as we would they should do vnto vs this is the Law and the Prophets saith our Sauiour Christ Now the square for all our actions must be the word of God and Gods word giues this directiō Do thou to thy neighbor as thou in thy reason cōscience thinkest he should do to thee if thou wert in his case and he in thine The 2. rule is that which Paul teacheth vs saying Giue vnto euery man that which is their duty tribute to whom tribute belongeth c. That which Gods word our cōscience the wholesome lawes of the realme binde vs vnto that wee must giue vnto euery man The 3. rule is this Euery man within the compasse of his calling must not onely intend and labour for his owne good but for the common good in that Church and common wealth wherein he liueth The blinde would out of their carnall mindes haue learned this for a rule Euery man for himselfe and God for vs all and this is many a mans practice hee will labour diligently in his calling but all is for himselfe But he that propoundeth onely this end in his calling to benefit himself alone dealeth vniustly both towards the Church and common wealth in which he liueth who ought to haue a part of his care with himselfe The 4. rule is taught vs also by S. Paul Defraud or oppress no man in any matter This rule concerneth our manner of dealing in cōmon affairs In all our traffick bargains as we would benefit our selues so wee must seeke to benefit those with whom wee deale This rule is very necessary to be learned for this is the cōmon practice of men in their traffique To vse all meanes whereby they may defraud others so that they get vnto themselues they care not how it come But in the feare of God let vs remember that the practice of iustice to which wee are all bound standeth in this that we defraud or oppresse no man in any thing And thus much of this second fruit of their faith The third fruit effect of these mens faith is this They obtained the promises By promises we must not vnderstand the maine promise cōcerning the Messias comming for that they obtained not as yet for as it appears v. 39 they receiued not that promise for Christ was not incarnate in their time But by Promises are here meant certaine speciall particular promises made vnto them alone and not common to all so that the meaning of these words is this They obtained the benefit and accomplishment of those particular promises that God made vnto them This effect is specially to be vnderstood of Cale◠and Dauid for Cale◠entred into the land of Canaan and there enioyed his possession according to Gods promise made vnto him Ios. 14. So Dauid had a particular promise made vnto him that he should be king ouer Israel this he long waited for and resting herein he was not onely anointed King but in due time actually made King ouerall Israell Whereas these worthy men by faith obtained these promises Hereby wee may bee directed to see the true cause why after so long preaching of the word and often receiuing of the sacraments men reape so little profit especialally considering that God hath made a promise of grace and saluation by meanes of his word and sacraments Hence therefore wee must learne that the word of God preached and the sacraments receiued are vnprofitable not because God altereth his will having promised his blessing in these meanes for herein the will of God is vnchangeable but the cause is the great measure of vnbeleefe in those which heare and receiue They therefore profit not because they receiue them without faith For howsoeuer men say they haue faith yet the workes of their lyues and their estate in sinne after long hearing shew plainely they haue none at all Take a vessell that is close stopped and cast it into a riuer or into the sea yet it receiues no water because it hath no place of entrance Euen so bring a man that wants faith to the word and sacraments wherein God hath promised the fulnesse of his grace yet he receiues none because his heart is closed vp through vnbeleefe This is it which makes the heart like a stopped vessell which hath no entrance for Gods grace Wee therfore in the feare of God must labour to haue our hearts purged from this vnbeleefe
hee will take heede what he doth and that God heareth him hee will temper his tongue and that God beholdeth all his dealings in the world hee will take heede how hee borroweth lendeth buieth or selleth and what hee doth in all his actions and the very cause of all carelesnesse in these and all other duties in the world is because men are perswaded God seeth them not To vrge vs therefore to this excellent dutie we haue First Gods Commaundement Walke before mee and be vpright saith God to Abraham and in him to all the children of his faith Againe wee haue the examples of Gods children who are renowned for the obedience of this Commaundement Henoch here after him Abraham and after him Dauid who testifieth of himselfe I will walke before God in the land of the liuing Thirdly as it is both commaunded by precept and practiced by exsample so the proofe of it is most comfortable to all that practice it for it will make them prosper in all they goe about For as hee that is alwaies in the Kings presence and companie cannot but bee in his fauour and therefore cannot but succeede well in all his affaires so hee that walkes with God cannot but prosper in whatsoeuer hee sets his heart and hand vnto Blessed Abraham found this most true when he assured his seruant whom he sent to prouide Isaac a wife in a long and doubtfull and dangerous iourney The Lord before whom I walke will send his Angell with thee and prosper thy iourney and euen so may euery child of God say with confidence The Lord before whom I walke will send his Angell with mee and prosper mee in my proceedings Fourthly this walking with God is a good meanes to make a man beare the crosse with patience For if hee be perswaded that God seeth how wrongfully he is persecuted or oppressed and that Gods prouidence is alwayes present so as no affliction can com vnto him but by his appointment and againe that his prouidence disposeth of all things to his good how can he but receiue with patience that portion of afflictions which God shall lay vpon him For as hee that walkes with the King who dare offer him wrong so he that walkes with God what euill can touch him This is Iosephs argument to his brethren when they were discomforted and feared he would punish them after their Fathers death Feare not saith he for am not I vnder God as though he had said Doe not I walke in Gods presence and acknowledge my selfe vnder his power and that God when you thought euill against me disposed it to good where the ground of Iosephs reason is that he walking with God his affliction turned to his good Lastly this is a meanes to bring a man to make conscience of all sinne in thought word and deede and in all his dealings when he perswades himselfe to walke in the presence of God When Ioseph was allured to sinne by his Mistresse his answere was How shall I commit this great wickednesse and so sin against God The bridle that restrained him was the feare of that God in whose presence he walked And because hee walked with God he would not walke with her in her wicked way and because he kept a holy company with God therefore he would not keepe her company nor be allured by her temptations So then seeing this way of walking with God is euery way so excellent and so profitable let vs learne it not in iudgement and knowledge onely to be able to talke of it which is soone learned but in conscience and practice as dutifull children doe before their parents so let vs in a heauenly awe a child-like reuerence walke before God labouring for a true perswasion of his presence and prouidence to be alwayes ouer vs and our whole liues The want hereof is the cause of all sinne And if we doe thus walke with God and so please him as Henoch here did then shall wee be sure though not after the same manner that Henoch was yet in soule first and afterwards in soule body both to be translated into eternall life But if we will not walke this way with Henoch in this life let vs neuer looke to liue in heauen with him but assure our selues that as the way of holinesse is the way to glory so the way of wickednesse is the way to eternall perdition And thus much of the second degree But without faith it is impossible to please God These words containe the third degree or the third part of the reason And this degree consists of a generall Maxime or Canon of Diuinitie and the holy Ghost first layeth it downe and then because it is one of the waightiest principles in religion he proueth it substantially in the words following In the Canon it selfe let vs first examine the meaning and then vnfold the manifold vse of it Without faith By faith is meant here the same faith as afore namely true sauing faith in the Messias And without this sauing faith It is impossible to please God Impossible how not in regard of the absolute infinite and indeterminable power of God which hath no limits but his owne will but in regard of that order of the causes and meanes of saluation set downe by God in his word which is this 1. Man by sinne hath displeased God 2. God must be pleased againe else a man cannot be saued 3. He that will please God must please him in Christ the Mediator else he cannot therefore he that wil please God and be saued must needes beleeue in Christ. And thus by this order it is impossible We denie not but in regard of Gods absolute power hee could saue a man without faith as hee can lighten the world without the sunne But as if he keepe that order of nature which his owne wisedome hath appointed it is impossible to giue light to the world without the sunne so if he keepe that order for saluation which his own Iustice hath appointed it is impossible to please God without faith in Christ. So then the meaning is laide downe and now appeares the strength and force of the holy Ghosts argument Hee that will be saued and come to heauen must first please God But without faith it is impossible to please God Therefore without faith no man can be saued nor come in heauen and by consequent therefore Henoch being taken into heauen must needes be taken away by faith Now the vse of this Canon rightly vnderstood is manifold and of great profit First here wee learne that faith is simply and absolutely necessarie to saluation and most necessary of all other giftes and graces of God whatsoeuer And though many be required yet amongst all holy graces this is the principall and more necessarie in some respects then any other For howsoeuer hope and loue and zeale and many other graces of God are required to make the state of a Christian complete and
deuoure the lesse Dogges will eate diuerse kindes of creatures if they can come by them These things are manifest and some of them be common sports in the world Now whence comes this feareful disorder in nature that one creature should deuoure another came it from the creation was the world ordained in this state that one creature should eate vp another the greater feed vpon the lesse no but sin brought this cōfusion our sin caused this pitiful massacre of all creatures one by another Let vs therfore at these sights be humbled for our sinne which caused so fearefull a disorder when thou seest thy Hawke flie so fiercely and so cruelly murder a seely bird thy Hound the Hart Hare or Connie then as God hath giuen thee leaue in good order measure and manner thus to deale with the creatures and therefore thou maist take delight in it so withall make this vse of it Whence comes this it was not so from the beginning When sinne was not in the world these would all haue lodged in one cage and cabbin and one neuer haue offred to haue eaten another my sinne caused this iarre and this disorder betwixt these two creatures This should humble a man because of his sinne and restraine his life frō too much liberty and his affection from too much delight in these kind of pastimes Againe when we see the cruelty of the Foxe the Wolfe the Beare toward the sheepe and other creatures Blame not too much the cruelty of the beasts for this was not in them at their creation but thy sinne made them thus cruell one against another Turne then into thy selfe and be ashamed of it and blame not so much the cruelty in them as thine owne sinne which caused it in them Againe some creatures are vnperfect some in parts of their body some in some senses and some are loathsome vgly to behold and some are venomous and hurtfull to the world Whē thou seest it consider whence is this They were not thus created for God ordained that is made all creatures in perfect order But this comes from thy sinne enter into thy selfe and acknowledge this and be humbled for it and do not so much contemne this creature for his imperfection nor loath him for his deformity nor hate him for his venome as contemne and loathe and hate thine owne sinnes which were the cause of all these Lastly some take great delight in faire buildings make no vse of them but for delight and pleasure but if they cōsider wel they haue no such cause it was not so at the creation Adam in his innocencie had a more sumptuous Palace ordained for him namely the Paradise of heauen and earth and yet trees were not cut in pieces nor the earth had her stones rent out of her bowels for the building of it Thy sinne it was that destroyed this Palace and sinne hath caused the necessitie of these buildings How then canst thou glory in thy buildings wilt thou glory in thy shame Canst thou be proud of these when thy sinne bereft thee of a better As therefore thy house is a comfort strength security and delight vnto thee so adde this one vse also let it in this consideration be a cause to humble thee for thy sinne The disorder that sin hath brought into the world might be shewed in more particulars but these may suffice being those of whom we haue most common vse and therefore do most commonly abuse To conclude this point I say vnto all men Doest thou see what disorder is now in the world in thy apparell meate recreations buildings Seest thou the confusion vanity corruption of all creatures the variance dissension and hatred of creatures amongst themselues Canst thou see all this and either not regard it at all or else take delight in it This is a cursed and abhominable delight If a rich man should consume all his wealth or throw it all on heapes and then desperately set his house on fire hath he any cause of ioy to see this If he sit still at this you will say he is senselesse but if he laugh at it he is madde So God created man rich in all blessings put him into the Palace of the world garnished this house of the world with exceeding beauty his meate his apparell his recreation his house were all excellent and glorious he made all other creatures amongst which there was nothing but concord loue agreement vniformity comelinesse and good order Now man by sinne fell by his fall not onely spent all his riches that is defaced the glory of his owne estate but also set his house that is the world on fire that is defaced the beauty of heauen and earth brought confusion corruption vanity deformity imperfection monstrous disorder on all creatures set all the world together by the eares one creature at variance and deadly hate with other so that one creature doth fight teare wound destroy and eate vp another O cursed damnable sinne of man that hath so shamefully disordered that heauenly order wherein God created all things at the beginning◠and miserable men are we which can sit still see this and not be moued but if we reioyce and delight in it certainly then a spirituall madnesse hath bewitched our soules Let vs therefore stirre vp our selues and looke about vs and seeing all the world on a fire about vs namely flaming in contention hatred and all disorder let vs for our parts seeke to quench it which because wee cannot therefore lament and bewaile it but much more lament and be humbled for our sinne which kindled this fire of disorder in the world Hitherto of the manner of the Creation By the word of God The third point is by what means The Text answereth the world was ordained in that excellent order by the word of God By this word is meant 1. Not any vocall word as if the Lord should speake vnto the creatures Nor secondly the substantiall word of the Father the second person although I confesse that by him were made all things Yet I take it it is not so meant in this place but rather as Moses doth Gen. 1. when he saith that in the creation God said It is in both places a comparison taken from a Prince who bids his seruants doe this and they doe it presently The Lord in this place is like a Prince he hath his word whereby he commaunded the world to be made That word I take it is his will for Gods willing of any thing is an effectuall commaunding of it to be done yea it is the doing of it for his willing of a thing to be is more then all the commaundements of all men in the world For if he doe but will it the thing is done what euer it be whereas all the world may commaund and yet it is no neerer From hence I take it this is manifest to be the surest sense for this place God willed the being
Sacraments of the new Testament In their sacrifices they gaue something to God and therefore they are call'd gifts in our Sacraments we receiue daily grace from God 3. In that the sacrifices of the old Law are call'd gifts we must know that it is typicall and hath excellent significations vnto vs. 1. It signifieth that the Messias should be giuen of God freely for the saluation of his elect and that Christ the Messias should willingly giue himselfe to be a redeemer 2. It signifieth that euery man that lookes for saluation by Christ must giue himselfe to God and all that is in him So Paul exhorteth Rom. 6.13 Giue your selues vnto God and your members weapons of righteousnesse When we giue any thing to a man we make him Lord of it If we then giue our soules and bodies to the Lord we must giue them so as that they may obay and serue him and be ruled by him and serue for his glory howsoeuer he shall vse them We professe religion and make great shewes but to giue our selues in obedience to God is the life of religion But contrary is the course of the world For most professers are giuen vp to sin and sathan their bodies giuen to drinking gaming vncleannesse iniustice their soules to enuying hatred malice reuenge lust pride selfe-loue God hath nothing except it be a face but that will not serue the turne he will haue all body and soule for he made all and he hath redeemed all We go against equity Christ gaue his body and soule for vs why should not we giue ours againe to him Againe this gift is not as other gifts for here all the profit redounds to the giuer the glory indeede is his but the gaine and profit is our own Why then should we withhold our selues from God it argueth we know nor feele not what Christ hath giuen vs for if we did if we had 10000. liues we would thinke them all too little for him And thus much of the first second effect of Abels faith the third followeth By which Abell being dead yet speaketh The 3. effect whereby Abels faith is commended is laide downe in these words Concerning the meaning whereof there is some difference which is briefely to be examined Some thinke the words should be thus translated By which also Abell being dead is yet spoke of making the meaning to be that by his faith he obtained a good name to all posterities but it seemes this cannot stand for two causes First because that is already affirmed of Abell and all the rest in the second verse that through faith they had obtained a good report which therefore might seeme needlesse so soone to be repeated againe Secondly for that afterward Christs bloud Abels being compared together it is not said that Christs bloud is better spoken of then Abels but that it speaketh better things thē Abels did Therfore the words are rightly trāslated Now for the true sense of them it is likely the holy Ghost here hath relation to the story whence it is taken where vpō Cains murder God saith to him The voice of thy brothers bloud crieth to me from the earth and why crieth it Namely for vengeance against so monstrous a murder and crieth to all men to behold it and to abhor the like and so after a sort he continueth to speak to this day So that the words in the true full sense of them do import these two points 1. That Abell spake when he was dead 2. That in a sort Abell still speaketh For the first Abell spake and cried when he was dead but how not with a vocall speech but the phrase is figuratiue and imports thus much as if the Lord had said to Cain thou hast kill'd thy brother closely and it may be hast hid him in the sand or buried him and thinkest no man knoweth of it but thou must know Cain this thy fact is as euident to me as if Abell had told me I know thou kill'd him and if thou wonder how I knowe I tell thee his bloud told me for it cried in my eares yet it crieth out against thee for though Abell be dead his bloud yet speaketh As this is true of Abels so of all mens bloud and as of bloud so of all other oppressions though done by neuer so great men Murders oppressions and all wrongs done to Gods children they cry to God against the oppressors though the poore oppressed men dare scarce name them they neede not for their bloud doth yea euen their very teares cannot be shed but God takes them vp and puts them in his bottle and will know who shed them Thus bloud crieth against them that shed it yea teares crie against them that cause them This affordeth vs a double instruction First here it is apparant that God seeth and knoweth the sinnes of men though the men be neuer so mighty or their sinnes neuer so secret For though men conuay them neuer so closely and labour to hide them with all the meanes that wit of man can deuise yet the very dead creatures cry out and do proclaime the sinnes and sinners in the eares of God as fully as the voices of liuing men can discouer any thing vnto men Priuy oppressions and goods gotten by deepe deceipt lie hid to the world But the stone out of the wall shall crie and the beame out of the timber shall answer it Woe be to him that buildeth his house with bloud and erects a Citie by iniquitie as though hee had said God knoweth euery stone and euery piece of timber in their stately houses which they haue gotten by deceite or oppressing of the poore Priuy conspiracies and plots of treason are laid against Princes and Magistrates and often in so secret manner as in mans reason is not possible to be discouered But God hath many wayes to finde them out and they neuer scape his priuie search and therefore the holy Ghost aduiseth Curse not the King no not in thy thought nor the great ones in thy bedchamber for the fowle of the heauen shall carie thy voice and that which hath wings shall declare the matter So that whatsoeuer is plotted neuer so priuily or conspired in the secret closets of vngodly men God knowes it and hath meanes enow to disclose it to the world And in our daily experience God magnifieth himselfe mightily in reuealing murders For bring the murtherer before the dead corps and vsually it bleedeth or giueth some other testimonie whereby it speaketh euen as Abels bloud did This is the murtherer Nay more for Abels bloud spake to God but here euen to men also And of this its hard to giue any reason at all but the secret and immediate hand of God thereby shewing himselfe to know all secret sinnes to be able to disclose them by strange meanes The vse of this doctrine is to feare all men from sinning though they thinke it possible to conceale their
The second point is that faith alone and no other vertue nor spirituall power in mans soule is able to doe this And this may be proued by comparing it with all the principall vertues of the soule for amongst all there are none that may come into comparison with faith but hope and loue both which especially loue haue their seuerall and special excellencies yet haue neither of them nor both of them this vertue to apprehend and apply Christes righteousnesse The property of loue is to extend it selfe and with it selfe to carie manie passions or affections of the heart and to place them vpon the thing that is loued yet cannot loue be said properly to apprehend Christ for he must needes be apprehended before he can be loued And the proper action of Hope is to waite and expect for a blessing to come so hope waites for saluation but properly apprehends it not For saluation must first be beleeued and then hoped or expected so saith Ieremie Lament 3.26 It is good both to trust and to waite for the saluation of the Lord To trust that is to beleeue assuredly it will come there is the action of faith and to waite till it doe come that is the action of Hope Thus we see the seuerall natures and actions of these two worthy vertues But the proper action of faith is to apprehend and lay hold on Christ and his righteousnesse and to apply them to a mans owne soule and that being done then come Loue and Hope do their duties And so though loue last longer then faith doth yet faith is afore loue and makes the way for it To conclude this second point Faith is a hand to take hold on Christ his benefits Loue is a hand to giue out tokens of faith both to God and man For 1. Cor. 13.5 Loue seeketh not her owne but others good namely the good of them that are loued Hope is an eye looking out and wayting for the good things promised So that as faith is the hand of the soule so loue is the hand and hope is the eye of faith Loue the hand wherby it worketh and Hope the eye whereby it waiteth and looketh for the performance of such things as faith hath apprehended and beleeued If the Church of Rome thinke this any wrong to this holy vertue of loue to be the hand of faith let them know it is not ours it is the doctrine of the Apostle where he saith Faith worketh by loue If faith worke by it then surely loue is the hand of faith Thus faith worketh by loue waiteth by hope but beleeueth by it selfe And for this cause the righteousnesse that makes vs righteous before God is rather called the righteousnesse of faith then of any other Christian vertue or grace of the spirit And for the same cause is it that so often in S. Pauls Epistles it is called by the same name as Philipp 3.9 The third and last point concerning Noahs faith is that Noah was made heire of this righteousnesse A speciall commendation of his faith It made him heire of true and sauing righteousnesse that is it gaue him a true title vnto it made him heire apparant of that glory which it assureth euery one that apprehends it by this true faith and so he was made as certainly and as truly partaker of it as the young Prince is assured of his Crowne and Kingdom at his time or the heire of his Fathers lands Here two most worthy doctrines doe offer themselues to our view 1. The excellencie of faith 2. The excellencie of a Christian mans estate The excellencie of faith appeares thus It makes a holy man assured certaine of his saluation by Christ Iesus The Church of Rome saith it is presumption in any man to thinke so vnlesse he haue an extraordinary reuelation but we learne from the Scripture that if a man haue true faith that is able to assure him of saluation For faith makes him an heire of true righteousnesse and of saluation thereby Now we know the heire is most sure and certaine of his inheritance what-euer hee gets or loseth he is sure of that But this righteousnesse and saluation by it is his inheritance therefore he may be and is by faith assured of it The Papists therefore doe wrong vnto this doctrine and derogaâ—e from the dignitie of true faith But this is their custome they will extoll any thing rather then that which the holy Scripture so much extolleth namely true faith For if they knew what it is trulie to know Christ and to beleeue in him by that faith which worketh by loue they would then know that faith makes a man heire of happinesse and therefore most assured of it Secondly here we may see the excellencie of a Christian mans estate he is not naked nor destitute of comforts but is heire of a glorious inheritance by meanes of his faith and a Christian mans inheritance is Christs righteousnesse Out of which we learne First that no man by any good workes done by or in himselfe can merit true and iustifying righteousnesse the Pharisaical Papists teach so but their conceit is here ouerthrowen by the doctrine of the holy Ghost For sauing righteousnesse is his inheritance which we know is alwaies gotten by the Father and descends from the Father to the Sonne as a free token of his loue And it were scornfull and absurd to see a Sonne offer to buy his inheritance of his Father it being against the nature of an inheritance to come any other wayes but by free gift from the Father to the Sonne therefore our righteousnesse that must saue vs being as wee see here our inheritance let vs resolue of it we cannot buie nor merit it Againe heere is sure and solide comfort against all the grieâ—â—s and crosses and losses of this world Gods children must needes haue their portion of afflictions in this life But here is their comfort they may lose their goods liuings possessions their good names their healths their liues but their inheritance standeth sure and firme and cannot be lost Let them therfore here learne not to grieue out of measure for a holy man may say thus to himselfe and that most truly My Father may frowne on me for my faults and chastice me for my sinnes but I am sure he will not disenherite me for I am heire by faith of Christs righteousnesse and I may lose many things but I shall not lose that Thirdly and lastly here must Gods children learne their duties They are heires to a godly and glorious inheritance and Christes righteousnesse is their inheritance therefore they must learne to set and settle all their affections on this inheritance For there is nothing in the world more worthy to be affected then a faire inheritance We must therefore first labour aboue all worldly things for this inheritance namely to be made partakers of this righteousnesse This is that pearle which wee hauing found must sell all we haue to
did the Gadarens there was set before them Christ Iesus the Lord of life and their hogges and cattell Now they prefer their hogges before Christ A most miserable and senselesse choice And is it not as ill with vs There is set before vs on the one side heauen and on the other side hell but men for the most part chuse hell forsake heauen Ciuill worldly men whose delight is all in riches they prefer earth before heauen the seruice of sinne which is the greatest slauerie before the seruice of GOD which is perfect freedome and glorious liberty of the Saints in light and thus doe all men without Gods speciall grace Whereupon Paul prayes in his Epistles for the Churches that God would giue vnto them the spirit of wisedome that they may be able to iudge betweene things that differ And this wisdom we must labour for that when these different things are set before vs we may make a wise choise otherwise we shew our selues to be like brute beasts without vnderstanding do quite ouerturne our owne saluation In the Ministerie of the word we haue life and death good euill set before vs as Moses said to the people Deut. 30.15 19. Let vs therfore endeuour our selues to chuse life by embracing and obeying the word of God so shall we followe both his precept and practice To suffer aduersity with the people of God Heere wee may obserue what is the ordinarie state and condition of Gods Church and people in this world namely to be in affliction and vnder the crosse Hence Paul saith That we must come to heauen through manifold afflictions Acts 14.23 The Lord knoweth what is best for his seruants and children and therefore he hath set downe this for a ground that all that will liue godly in Christ Iesus must suffer persecution 2. Tim. 3.12 Thus the Lord dealeth with his children for speciall causes for first all crosses as losse of goods friends liberty or good name they are meanes to stirre vp and awake Gods people out of the slumbring fit of sinne for the godly are many times ouertaken this way The wise virgines sleepe as well as the foolish Now afflictions rouze them out of the sleepe of securitie See this in Iosephs brethren who went on a long time without any remorse for selling their brother But when they were stayed in Egypt then they are rowzed vp and can say Genesis 42.21 This trouble is come vpon vs for selling our brother Secondly afflictions serue to humble Gods children Leuiticus 26.41 So the Church of God speaketh I will beare the wrath of the Lord because I haue sinned against him Micah 7.9 Thirdly they serue to weane the people of God and to driue them from the loue of this world for if men might alwaies liue in ease they would make their heauen vpon earth which may not be And heerein GOD dealeth with his children like a Nurse when shee will weane her childe she layes some bitter thing vpon the pappes head to make the childe to loathe the pappe so the Lord to draw our hearts from the world and to cause vs to loue and seeke after heauen and heauenly things hee makes vs to taste of the bitternesse of affliction in tâ—is worlde Fourthly afflictions ferâ—e to make Gods children to goe out of themselues to seeke sincerely vnto GOD and to relie onely vpon him which in prosperity they will not doe This Paul confesseth of himselfe and others Wee saith hee receiued the sentence of death in our selues because wee should not trust in our selues but in God 2. Corinthians chapter 1. verse 9. So good King Iehosaphat when hee was compassed of his enemies Hee cried to the Lord and said Lord wee knowe not what to doe but our eyes are towards thee 2. Chronicles chapter 20. verse 12. Yea the rebellious Iewes are heereby driuen to seeke the Lord whom in prosperity they forsooke as wee may see at large Psal. 107.6.12.13.19 Lastly afflictions serue to make manifest the graces of GOD in his children The Lord saith Iob knoweth my way and trieth me Iob 23.10 Deuteronomie 8.2 Remember all the way saith Moses to the Israelites which the Lord thy GOD ledde thee this fourtie yeares for to prooue thee and to knowe what was in thine heart Hence Iames calleth temptations the triall of faith Iames chapter 1. verses 2.3 And Paul makes patience the fruite of tribulation Romanes chapter 5. verse 3. For looke as the showers in the spring time cause the buds to appeare so doe afflictions make manifest Gods graces in his children Patience hope and other vertues lie close in the heart in the day of peace but when tribulation comes then they breake forth and shew themselues Hence wee learne that it is not alwayes a token of Gods wrath To suffer affliction If any man or people be laden with crosses it is no argument that therefore they are not the children of GOD for as Peter saith Iudgements begin at Gods house 1. Peter chapter 4. verse 17 and any crosse vpon a people family or particular persons if it bring forth the fruite of grace in them is a true signe they belong to GOD. Yea when men wander from God by an euill way these afflictions are meanes to call them home to GOD. Psalme 119.67 Before I was afflicted I went astray And they that forsake their sinne and returne to GOD in the time of affliction are certainly Gods people for the wicked man fretteth and murmureth against God when a crosse commeth and he cannot abide it But the godly man is humbled therby and it makes him more obedient in all duties vnto God This wee should consider for by an outward profession wee beare the world in hand that we are Gods children and therefore wee come to heare Gods word and to learn how to behaue our selues as beseemeth his children But if we would be knowen to be Gods children indeede then when any of Gods iudgements doe befallâ— vs wee must make this vse of them namely labour thereby to be humbled for our sinnes and to forsake our sinnes and to make conscience of all bad wayes for euer afterward and then wee shewe our selues to be Gods children indeede but if vnder the crosse or after the crosse wee be as dissolute as euer wee were and still followe our olde sinnes then wee cannot be iudged to be Gods people and children but rather a wicked and stubborne generation which the more they are corrected the worse they are like a stithy the more it is beaten the harder it is Let vs therefore by the vse of Gods iudgements shewe our selues to be Gods children so shall wee say with Dauid with much ioy and comfort It is good for vs that wee haue beene in trouble Psal. 119.71 Thus wee see what Moses chose now come wee to the thing he refused To enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season By pleasures of sinne wee must vnderstand the riches and dignitie that Moses
saluation of the Lord which he wil shew you this day for the Egyptians whom ye haue seene this day shall ye neuer see againe Exod. 14.13 Whereby it notably appeares that Moses departed in faith without feare of Pharaoh But some wil say For a man to come into another mans Kingdome and to carie away his Subiects without the Kings consent is a fact of rebellion and sedition and therfore worthy no commendation but rather shame and punishment And this did Moses he comes from Midian and caries away the Iewes which had beene a long time Pharaohs subiects and for whose seruice hee might pleade possession and a long prescription therefore it seemes to be no fact of faith Answere Indeede if Moses had done this on his owne head he might worthily haue beene thus censured But when hee came to Egypt hee had a calling immediatly from God to doe as he did and for confirmation hereof he had Gods promise of assistance in working strange miracles and when he caried the people out of Egypt he did it by commaundement from a King that was higher then Pharaoh Neither yet did Moses carie them away as a priuate man for he was a publike person an high Magistrate and no stranger but one of themselues yea he was a King as may appeare in Gods word for Deut. 33.5 He is plainly called a King and Gen. 36.31 it is said There were so many Kings in Edom before there raigned any King ouer the children of Israell Now the last of those Kings raigned at that time when Moses went with the Israelites out of Egypt so that Moses was their King had the aucthority and gouernment of a King ouer them from the Lord and therefore it was no fact of rebellion in him but a work that did greatly commend his faith being grounded vpon Gods commaundement and promise Thus we see how we must conceiue of Moses fact Now wee come to some particular points to bee considered therein How came it to passe that Moses now had this courage to depart from Pharaoh not fearing his commaundement whereas 40. yeares before being called to shew himselfe vnto his brethren as one whom they were to respect as their deliuerer Acts 7.23 25 hee fled immediatly out of Egypt vpon the notice of one fact of defence in behalf of the Israelites why did he not shew as much courage when hee slew the Egyptian as at his second departure Answer The cause of his courage at this later time was this God now renued his commission and confirmed his former calling For when hee was first called hee did his duty and reuenged their wrongs but yet being in danger and his calling being as yet but a secret instinct he was fearefull and fled But now when God called him the second time and confirmed the same calling both by promise and commaundement and power to worke miracles then fearefull Moses becomes couragious and bold Here then obserue that there is a difference of Gods graces there is a first grace and a second grace The first is that which God giues to any man for any calling the second is that which God adds to the first for the confirming thereof And the first is not effectuall without the second As heere we see Moses first calling was not effectuall with him till the second came And so Gods first grace is not effectuall till the second come by which the former is confirmed strengthened and encreased And the second is confirmed by the third and so we must goe on from grace to grace if wee will be bold and couragious in any duty either of our general or particular calling This must be well considered for that any man stands in grace or encreaseth therein either respecting his particular calling or his Christian conuersation it comes from this that God adds a second grace vnto the first And therefore whosoeuer is enabled for any duty hath great cause to praise God for whether we continue in grace or encrease therin it comes from the goodnesse of God who addeth grace to grace which if he should not do we shold fall away not be able to go forward in the feare of God and the duties of our calling for the first grace would not suffice to strengthen vs against temptation And therefore howsoeuer God hath strengthened vs for the time past yet still we must pray to God to deliuer vs from euill which plainly imports that our standing is from his daily supply of new grace 2. Point When went Moses out of Egypt The time is directly set down Exod. 12.41 Euen the selfe same day when the promise of God was expired for when the foure hundred and thirty yeares were expired then went all the hoast of the Lord out of Egypt neither before nor after but the very same day Indeed Moses was chosen to be their captaine 40. yeares before and sent vnto them by God and S. Stephen saith Hee thought they would haue vnderstood so much But then they would not take him for their guide Yet now 40. yeares after when Gods determinate time of 430. yeares was expired he comes againe vnto thē to carry them out of Egypt then they acknowledge him follow him out according to Gods commission Hence we learne first that no creature can alter the rule of Gods prouidence Fourty yeares before Moses would haue deliuered the people but he must stay till the time of the Lords promise was accomplished and then he carries them all away Secondly this must teach vs not onely to beleeue that God both can will keep his promises but also by faith to waite for the time wherein he will accomplish the same vnto vs. Moses is faine to waite 40. years for the fulfilling of Gods promise When Daniel vnderstoode how long the Israelites must be in captiuity he would not pray for the shortning of that time but when he knew that the time of their return drew neere then he praied vnto the Lord most earnestly waiting for the accomplishment of Gods promise in their deliuerāce And Dauid thus waited on God for deliuerāce in all his troubles And their examples must we follow for the fruition of all Gods blessings 3. Point In what manner doth Moses depart The text saith He went out not fearing the Kings commandement so that his departure was with courage Whence wee learne sundry instructiōs First here is a notable president for the framing of our liues which must be a rule vnto vs. We must walke diligently in our callings as Moses did and though crosses meete vs so that Pharaoh fall out with vs if Kings become our enemies yet we must not lay aside the duties of our callings but after Moses example goe on therein with courage Moses without fearing the Kings wrath went led all the people away And so must euery one of vs doe although dangers come wee must not feare but stand fast in our profession and goe on in the duties of our
make the same colour appeare on the water But this neede not to trouble any man for the holy Ghost vseth the same name which commonly the men of that countrey gaue vnto it And thus much of their fact that they by faith passed through the redde sea Now we come to the two circumstances whereby it is commended The first circumstance is the manner of their going through the red sea they went through as on dry land This must not be conceiued to be by help of bridge or shippe nor by meanes which men vse as swimming failing or wading but their passage was miraculous for the waters stood like walls on both sides of them And the channel of the sea was as a pauement or dry land Exod. 14.22 which notably setteth forth the strangenesse of this fact shewing that it was a wonderfull work of God And this also confuteth certaine enemies of the Scripture who haue cauilled at all the miracles which are recorded therein accounting of Moses but as a Magician and Sorcerer of the miracles which he did as of illusions and for this miracle they make no account of it for say they Moses being a great scholler and a wise man knew the time of the rise and fall of the waters knew the fords and shallowe places therfore he took his time and found a place so shallow that when the tide was past the sands were bare dry as the marshes in England are and then he led the hoast of Israell through But Pharaoh his hoast following them were drowned because they went through at the flowing of the sea Ans. Whereas they say that this their passage was no miracle heere we see it is ouerthrowen by this circumstance of the maner of their passing ouer for the bottom of the sea was as a pauement as ground on which no waters fal Now in most places of the sea where the waters ebb and flowe the ground is neuer fully dry but watery and full of moist places Againe the waters passed not away as at an ebbe but stoode as walls on each side of the hoast of Israell both on the right hand and on the left both which shew plainely there was no vantage taken by the ebbing and flowing of the water as vngodly Atheists do cauill deriding Gods works to their own destructioÌ„ but a mighty miraculous work of God first making the waters stand like two walls and then making the earth vnder it firme dry contrary to nature in them both The 2. circumstance is concerning the time when they passed through euen then when the Egyptians assaying to doe the same were drowned Marke the words for the thing is strange The Egyptians come armed after the Israelites with a huge great Armie Now the Israelites they take into the sea and the Egyptians seeing them stand not still vpon the banke but aduenture after them not by ship but the same way that the Israelites tooke before them but yet without any warrant or commaundement from God so great was their malice against them yet a man would haue thought they durst neuer haue aduentured into the sea after them especially as they did Here by this fact of Pharaoh his men we learne that when God forsakes a man and leaues him to himselfe he doth nothing else but run headlong to his own destructioÌ„ God as Moses saith raised vp Pharaoh to shew his power vpon him and now it pleaseth God to leaue him to himselfe and he pursueth the Israelites to his own destruction And this is the course and state of all those that are forsaken of God The consideration whereof must teach vs a speciall clause to be vsed of vs in our prayers wee must euer remember to pray for this That God would neuer wholly forsake vs nor cast vs off This condition is more fearefull than the estate and condition of any creature in the world besides for when God forsakes a man all that he doth is hastening himselfe to his owne destruction Dauid knew this well and therefore he praies Oh knit my heart vnto thee that I may feare thy name Psal. 86.11 And againe he praieth that the Lord would not forsake him ouer-long Psal. 119.8 as if he should say if it be thy pleasure to try me by leauing me to my selfe yet O Lord let it be but for awhile forsake me not ouer-long This is the scope of the sixt petition Leade vs not into temptation where wee are taught to pray that God would not forsake vs or leaue vs to our selues or to the power of Satan but that he would be with vs and shew his power in our weaknesse continually And this may enforce vs vnto this petition for the consideration That men forsaken of GOD doe nothing but worke their owne destruction is many times a cause of great trouble of minde For some desiring to see such as hang or drowne themselues by beholding of them get this conceite into their heads that God will likewise forsake them as he hath done these whom they behold so shall they make away themselues whence followeth great trouble anguish of soule for a long time Now how must a man or woman in this case helpe themselues Answere The best way is by prayer to craue at Gods hands that he would euer be with them and neuer wholly forsake them And further this must be remembred withall that GOD will neuer forsake any of his seruants before they first forsake him and therefore they that can say truly and vnfainedly that they desire to serue God and to be his seruants and seeke this blessing by prayer they may stand fast on this ground that God will neuer forsake them till they first forsake him And therefore Azariah the Prophet saith notably to King Asa 2. Chron. 15.2 The Lord will be with you while you be with him and if ye seeke him hee will be found of you but if ye forsake him hee will forsake you And Iames saith Draw neere to God and he will draw neere to you Iames 4.8 It was neuer heard that God did euer forsake any that did seeke him And if the causes were knowen why men make away themselues it would prooue generally to be thus because they first by some fearefull sins haue forsaken God then he in his Iustice forsakes them And therfore they that are troubled with this temptation must pray that they may sticke fast vnto God by faith and holinesse so will â—e neuer forsake them Secondly in this circumstance that the Egyptians following the Israelites were drowned we haue a notable pattern of the state condition of all persecuters of Gods church In Pharaoh and his hoast wee may see their end which is vsually destruction that is their reward for persecuting Gods Church Cain slaies Abell that notable seruant of GOD but his reward was this hee was cast forth of Gods Church Gen. 4.11.13 and striken in Gods iust iudgement with finall desperation
set down vnto vs examples of faith more at large But from this verse to the end of this Chapter he heapes vp briefely together many examples of faith one vpon another The reason whereof is First because the number of true beleeuers which are mentioned in Scripture is very great and therefore he could not here stand to set them downe in order one by one Secondly by handling all the examples at large which the Author propoundeth in this short Epistle hee should haue seemed to haue restrained the name and title of faith to a very few for all that are here named and commended for their faith are but few in comparison of all that truely beleeued in the olde Testament And therefore hee heapes vp the rest together to intimate that the number of beleeuers was more than he could record And this hee doth by a Rhetoricall preterition or passing ouer called in Schooles Paralepsis whereby matters are briefly dispatched and passed ouer with the very naming only What shall I say more That is as if hee had said I haue propounded diuers worthy examples of faith and besides these there are also many more but the time of writing an Epistle will not suffer me to handle them all at large First in this particular quicke dispatch of beleeuers by our Apostle wee may obserue a difference betweene the infinite vnderstanding of God and the created vnderstanding that is in mans minde Man indeed vnderstands the things that are reuealed to him of God but yet in a manner and order farre different from that which is in God for man cannot conceiue in his minde all the things hee knowes at once by one acte of his vnderstanding but must haue distinct time to conceiue of them one by one distinctly For looke as he vtters them distinctly one by one as we see in this place so likewise doth he apprehend them in conceit and vnderstanding But with God it is not so for God at once by one acte of vnderstanding without distinction of time doth conceiue of all things at once both past present and to come and so could vtter and expresse them if any creature were able in conceit so to comprehend them Secondly whereas the holy Ghost saith The time would be too short c. Hee giues vs to vnderstand that the number of beleeuers is very great and that a long time would not serue to repeat them or to write of them This directeth vs vnto a good answer to a question which much troubleth our common people to wit How great is the number of them that shall be saued whether is it greater than the number of them that shal be damned Ans. We must consider the nūber of the elect 2. wais 1. in cōparison of them that shall be condemned secondly in themselues If we compare the elect with the reprobate the number of the elect is but a small nūber for in most ages the church of God hath beene but a handfull to the rest of the world And in the Church this likewise is true Many are called but few chosen in respect of them that are called But yet consider the elect as they are in themselues and they are a huge great number yea innumerable as Saint Iohn saith speaking of the elect among the Gentiles beside the chosen Iewes for all that doe truely beleeue shall bee saued Now beleeuers are innumerable This the Author of this Epistle would insinuate vnto vs by his phrase of speech What shall I say more c. In handling these examples wee must obserue the order here vsed by the holy Ghost for in this 32. verse hee sets down the names of the persons that beleeue all ioyntly together rehearsing them one by one And in the 33 34 45 verses he laies downe briefly the fruits of all their faith in number tenne most notable actions seruing all and euery one of them most worthily to commend their faith In the handling of them wee will follow the order obserued by the holy Ghost and first speake of the persons then of their actions The foure first are these Gedeon Barac Samson and Iephte These foure were Iudges in Israel the fift is Dauid who was both a Prophet and a King the sixt is Samuel both a Iudge and a Prophet lastly the Prophets generally by whom wee must vnderstand especially these three Elias Eliseus and Daniel In speaking of these persons here commended vnto vs first we will intreate of them generally and then in particular In generall let vs first obserue the order which the holy Ghost here vseth in naming them Gedeon for time was after Barac and yet here he is first named so Samson was after Iephte and yet here he is put before him This the holy Ghost would neuer doe without some special cause We therefore must knowe that the Scripture vseth a two-fold order in reckoning vp of persons to wit the order of time when as hee that liued first is first named and the order of dignity when the most worthy and excellent is named first though he were later in time Now the Scripture accounteth best of them that did excell in faith and in the fruits thereof so in this place whereas Gedeon is set before Barac Samson before Iephte the holy Ghost obserues not the order of time but the order of dignity according to the excellency of their faith naming them in the first place that were most famous for this grace of faith and did exceed the other in the fruits thereof Here we learne this speciall point That the more men excell in faith and other graces of God the more God will honour them for looke who most honour God shall be most honoured of him but the more a man excels in grace the more he honours God And for this cause is Gedeon preferred before Barac and Samson before Iephte because they were more plentifull in the fruits of faith This must mooue vs not onely to seeke to haue faith but to labour euery day more and more for the increase of faith and of obedience for the more a man abounds in grace before God the more will God honour him both here and in heauen And thus much for the order wherein they are propounded Secondly let vs consider what manner of persons these were Gedeon Barac and the rest They were extraordinary men in their time raised vp by God for the speciall good of his Church and the common wealth of the Iewes that they might help and defend them in distresse And therefore as their calling was extraordinary so God indued them with extraordinary gifts of wisdome strength zeale and authority for which they are here renowmed in this Catalogue of most worthy beleeuers In their example wee may obserue this point That whom God doth raise vp extraordinarily for some speciall good in his Church them he endues with extraordinarie gifts to discharge that calling and withall hee giues them the spirit of grace with a true and liuely faith
therefore the Lord forbade A bastard to enter into the congregation of the Lord to beare any office vnto the tenth generation Deuteronomie chapter 23. verse 2 So ignominious is this kinde of birth by the iudgement of Gods spirit vnto that party on whom it falls For this sinne of fornication doth not onely hurt the persons committing it but euen staines the children base borne to the tenth generation Yet howsoeuer Iephte was base borne and so suffered for it great reproach heere wee see hee is commended vnto vs for his faith among the most worthy beleeuers that euer were Indeede besides Iephte wee shall not finde the like example in Scripture Yet in Iephte wee may see that howsoeuer it be a reproachfull thing to be borne of fornication yet that doth not hinder but the party so borne may come to true faith and so to the fauour of God and to life euerlasting Such persons as are base borne vpon viewe of that reproach which the Scripture fasteneth vpon them might take occasion to thinke miserably of themselues even that God had reiected them but this example serues to shewe that it hindereth not but that they may come into the fauour of God and by faith get honor of God to countervaile that discredit which they haue by their base birth Further whereas wee commonly say that such as are base borne are wicked persons here wee see the contrary in Iephte and therefore wee must not for this cause condemne any for wicked or vngodly Indeed the Lord hath branded this estate with reproach that men should shun the sinne of fornication the more Againe whereas Iephte is here commended for his faith we may probably gather that their opinion is not true who hold that Iephte sacrificed killed his owne daughter For beeing commended here for his faith certain it is he had knowledge in Gods will and word and therefore we must not thinke but that he knewe God would neuer accept of such a vowe by the performance whereof hee should commit wilfull and most vnnaturall murder This his faith shewes that it was not his intent to kill the first person that met him out of his house for by the light of nature hee might know that God would neuer accept thereof and therefore it is not like he so made his vow for this faith and such a vow cannot stand together But some will say the text is plaine Iudg. 11.31 that He vowed to offer for a burnt offering the thing that cam out of the doores of his house to meet him when he came home Ans. It is so indeed in some translations It shall be the Lords And I wil offer it c. But the words in the originall may as well bee translated thus It shall bee the Lords or I will offer it c. And this later translation is more sutable to the circumstances of the place for this was Iephtes meaning that whatsoeuer met him first he would dedicate it to God if it were a thing that might bee sacrificed then his purpose was to offer it vnto the Lord in sacrifice Quest. But if he did not kill her why did he then so lament for her Ans. Because by his vowe he was to dedicate her to God and so shee was to liue a Nazarite all her life long which must needs be a very bitter thing to him who had no childe but her it beeing so great a reproach and in some sort a curse in those daies to want issue I speake not here how well or ill Iephte did in making her a Nazarite But this may no way bee admitted That beleeuing and godly Iephte should aduisedly kill his owne daughter Vndoubtedly hee could not thinke that God would bee pleased with such an abhominable sacrifice Thus much for these persons the rest I passe ouer because this story is plaine and large in Scripture The Faith of the Iudges and Dauid VERSE 33 34 35. Which thâ—ough faith subdued Kingdoms wrought righteousnesse obtained the promises stopped the mouthes of Lions Quenched the violence of fire escaped the edge of the sword of weake were made strong waxed valiant in battell turned to flight the Armies of the Aliants The women receiued their dead raised to life IN these wordes the Apostle propounds vnto vs ten seueral fruits of faith the nine first whereof are the particular actions of the parties spoken of in the former verse and they are here related for the commendation of their faith The first is Subduing of Kingdomes which serues chiefly for the commendation of the faith of the foure Iudges there named and of Dauid For as wee may read in the bookes of Iudges and of Samuel all these subdued Kingdoms as the Canaanites Iudg. 4. the Midianites Iudg. 6. the Philistims Iudg. 15. and 16. 2. Sam. 8.1 the Ammonites Iudg. 11. Moabites Aramites 2. Sam. 8.2.6 Now how did they ouercome and subdue them The Text saith by faith which wee must not not thus vnderstand as though onely by the very acte of faith they subdued kingdoms But the meaning of the holy Ghost is that they beleeued the promises which God made vnto them of deliuering these kingdomes into their hands and according to their faith God accomplished his promises vnto them and so they subdued Kingdomes by faith In this worke of faith we may learne two things first that it is lawfull for Christians in the newe Testament to make warre for that which may be done in faith is lawfull for Gods seruants but warre may bee made in faith for these seruants of God subdue kingdomes in warre and that by faith and therefore it is lawfull for Christians vpon iust cause to make warre The Anabaptists of Germany say It is not lawfull for a Christian vnder the Gospel to carry a weapon or to make warre But this one place of scripture if there were no moe is alone sufficient to prooue the lawfulnesse of warre vnder the Gospel if it be vsed according to Gods will word When the Souldiers came to Iohn Baptist and asked him What they should doe hee bids them not leaue off their calling but this Do violence to no man neither accuse any falsly and be content with your wages Luk. 3.14 And our Sauiour Christ reporteth of a Centurion which was captaine of a Band when he came to haue his sonne healed that hee had not found such faith in Israel And hee was not a Centurion onely afore he beleeued but euen afterward when Christ commended his faith yet did he not dislike his calling The like may be said of Cornelius Act. 10. All which shew plainely that vpon iust causes Christians may lawfully make warre Ob. 1. But to defend their opinioÌ„ they obiect som places of scripture as Mat. 5.39 Resist not euill saith Christ therefore say they a man may not wear a weapon nor vse a sword lest those make him to resist and so to breake this commandement of Christ. Ans. That place must bee vnderstood of
scourged The fourth is Bonds and imprisonment The fift is stoning verse 37 They were stoned The sixt is this They were hewen asunder These were all worthy fruits of faith being endured for religions sake but the particular points might heere be obserued haue beene handled before and therefore I pasâ—e them ouer The seauenth kinde of suffering is this they were tempted These words by the change of a letter in the originall may be reade thus They were burned And some doe so translate it thinking that they that writ or copied out this Epistle at the first did put one letter for another Their reason is because examples of grieuous punishments are mentioned both before and after this and therfore they thinke this should be burning which is a sore and grieuous death But wee may safely and truly reade the words thus They were tempted conceiuing heereby that they were enticed and allured by faire promises of life to forsake their religion So the same word is vsed by Saint Iames saying Euery man is tempted when hee is drawen away by his owne concupiscence and is entiâ—ed Iames 1.14 If any aske why this kinde of triall in tempting should bee placed among such cruell torments I answere because it is as great a triall as any can be For it is as dangerous a temptation to ouerthrow religion and a good conscience as any punishment in the world This appeares plainly in Christs temptations by the Diuell for in those three Satan bewraies his malice and craft against Christ and his Church most notably Now Satan not preuailing with the two first makes his third and last assault from the glory and dignity of the world for shewing vnto Christ all the Kingdomes of the world and the glory of them hee saith All these will I giue thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship me Math. 4.9 Indeede Christes holy heart would not yeeld vnto it but that it was a grieuous temptation appeares by Christs answeres For in the former temptations he onely disputed with Satan out of Scripture but when this temptation comes Christ bids him as it were in passion auoide Satan signifying thereby not onely his abhorring of that sinne but also the danger of that assault by the world And indeede these temptations on the right hand as wee may call them will most dangerously creepe into the heart and cause shipwracke of faith and a good conscience All Dauids troubles and persecutions could not bring him to so greeuous sins as did a little ease rest A huge great Armie cannot so soone giue entrance to an enemie into a Citie as riches and faire promises neither can bodily torments so soone preuaile against a good conscience as will worldly pleasures and faire promises In regarde whereof wee must take heede that wee bee not deceiued by the world for the view of the glory and pompe thereof will sooner steale from a man both religion and good conscience then any persecution possibly can do And indeede who doe so oft change their religion when trialls come as they that haue the world at will The eight example of suffering is this They were slaine with the sword There can be nothing saide of this which hath not beene spoken in the former examples and therefore I omit it The ninth and last example of suffering is this They wandred vp and downe in sheepes skinnes and Goates skinnes being destitute afflicted and tormented That is being either banished or constrained by flight to saue their liues they wandred vp and down in base attire and were destitute of ordinary foode and comfort and so in great affliction and torment Heere wee see these seruants of GOD were driuen from their owne Country friends and families by persecution Whence we obserue that in time of persecution a Christian man may lawfully flie for his safety if hee be not hindred by the bond of priuate or publique calling For these seruants of God here coÌ„mended for their faith did flie when they were persecuted and that by faith therfore the action is lawfull as I might prooue at large but that I haue spoken of it heeretofore VVhen our Sauiour Christ knewe that the Pharisies heard of the multitude of Disciples which he made Ioh. 4.1.3 hee left Iudea where they had greatest iurisdiction and came into Galile for his safety The Prophet in the old testament did fly as Elias from Iezabel 1. King 19.3 And so did the Apostles in the new and that by Christs direction Math. 10.23 Obiect 1 But some will say Persecution is the hand of God therfore no man may flie from it for so he should seeme to flie from God himselfe Ans. Wee must consider persecution two waies first as it is the hand of God secoÌ„condly as it is the worke of the wicked enemies of Gods Church For them God vseth sometimes aâ— instruments in laying his hand vpon his Church either for chastisement or for triall Now a Christian being persecuted for the truth and hauing libertie to flie cannot bee said to flie from Gods hand vnlesse he went away contrary to Gods command as Ionas did beeing sent to Niniue and beside he knowes that is impossible But his intent is to flie from the wrath of his enemies to saue his life for the further good of Gods Church Again the reason is not good To say persecution is the hand of God therefore a man may not flie from it For so might a man conclude that nonâ— ought to flie from sicknesse or from warre both which a man may doe with a safe conscience not beeing hindred by some speciall calling Obiect 2 But euery one is bound to testifie his faith religion before his enemies and therefore may not flie in persecution Answ. True indeede a Christian man must so testifie his faith if he bee called thereto of God but if God giue him liberty and opportunitie to flie then he will not haue him at that time to iustifie his religion by that meanes Obiect 3 But if it be lawfull to flie how then comes it to passe that some of Gods children when they might haue fled would not but haue stood to iustifie their profession vnto death Ans. We must iudge reuereÌ„tly of theÌ„ thinke they did it by som special instinct motioÌ„ of Gods spirit as appeareth by their patience constancy in their greatest torments Examples hereof wee haue in our English Acts and Monuments in men worthy of notable commendations for their constancy and zeale for the truth of the Gospel Quest. If flight in persecution may bee an action of faith Whether may not the minister of Gods word fly in time of persecution Answ. There be some cases wherein the Minister may lawfully fly 1 When that particular Church and congregation ouer which he is placed is dispersed by the Enemies so as he hath no hope to gather and call them back againe then no doubt hee may flie till his congregation be gathered againe 2 If the persecutors doe specially
nations for my names sake Iohn chapter 16 verse 2 They shall excommunicate you yea the time shall come that whosoeuer killeth you shall thinke hee doth God good seruice Acts chapter 22. verse 22 Away say the Iewes of Paul with such a followe from the earth it is not meete that he should liue And hence hee saith of himselfe and the other Apostles 1. Corinthians chapter 4. verse 13 They were made the filth of the worlde and the off-scouring of all things In the time of the persecuting Emperours in the Primitiue Church when any common calamity befell the people or State as famine dearth pestilence or such like they straight-way imputed it to the Christians saying That they and their wicked religion were the cause thereof And though wee haue religion maintained among vs yet the poore seruants of God finde the like welcom in the world for thus the wicked censure them euery where That they are dissembling hypocrites and none so bad and vile persons as they are Now if any man aske how comes it to passe that the world should slander them so and thinke so vilely of them Answer First because they be taken out of the world in regard of state and condition in grace Ioh. 15.19 therefore the world hateth them Ioh. 15.19 Secondly the world knowes them not 1. Ioâ— 3.1 and therefore speakes euil of them Iude 10. Thirdly the wicked measure others by themselues and therefore despise the godly that ioyn not with them 1. Pet. 4.3 Lastly there is a secret enmitie betweene the seed of the wicked the seede of the Church 1. Ioh. 3.12 the wicked are of that euill one the diuell and therefore must needes hate the godly who are borne of God So that when wee shall see or heare that vngodly persons shall in any such sort abuse the children of God we must not maruell nor be troubled at it for it is no newe thing it hath been from the beginning but we must pray that God would open their eies that they might turne from their sinnes to repentance and then no doubt they will change their conceit and alter their behauiour towards them as Paul did Gal. 1.13 15. Act. 9.1 26. To come to the words more particularly the Holy Ghost saith The world was not worthy of them that is the company of vngodly liuers without Christ and voyde of grace were not worthy the societie of these holy ones for this cause did the Lord take them from among them Here note a singular fruite of true faith it brings a man to that estate and giues him that excellency that hee is more worth than the whole world I meane by the whole world the estate of all those that liue in the world out of Christ. If then a man would haue true and stable dignity let him labour for true faith for faith hath this priuiledge to aduance a beleeuer to true honour excellency And therefore our Sauiour saith As many as receiued him by faith to them he gaue power or prerogatiue to bee the sonnes of God We take it for a great prerogatiue to be the childe of an earthly prince and so it is but to be the sonne of God who is King of Kings is a preheminence and dignitie aboue all dignities and no tongue can expresse the excellency therof For what more can a man desire than to bee heire of glory in life euerlasting and yet true faith bringeth this to a beleeuer It is an excellent dignity to be matched with Angels and no prince in the world by all humane wit or power can attaine vnto it but yet the childe of God can being ioyned to God by faith in Christ wherby in some sort he is aboue the Angels themselues for our nature in Christ is aduanced aboue the nature of angels Honours and dignities in Politicke or ciuill estates are the good gifts of God and his owne ordinances wherby men are in higher places and in account are aboue another but yet all the dignity honour and pompe of the world seuered from that dignitie which faith bringeth to the beleeuer is nothing worth Indeed if worldly preheminence be ioyned with faith it is a great and excellent prerogatiue for faith makes it acceptable vnto God but seuer faith from worldly dignities and what are they but vanitie of vanities which will turne to the greater condemnation of him that enioyeth them If a man haue fauour in the Court and yet want the Kings fauour it is nothing and such are all temporall dignities without Gods fauour for at his indignation they vanish away Now his fauour without faith can no man haue for he that commeth vnto God must beleeue vers 6. Here all these that are in place aboue others either by birth or speciall calling must learne aboue all things to labour for the dignity of faith When wee haue such things wherein we delight wee desire continuance of them Behold the dignity of faith is euerlasting and besides it sanctifies all ciuill dignities and makes the owners of them glorious acceptable both before God and man when as otherwise without faith they are nothing and they that haue them can doe nothing but abuse them Againe the holy Ghost saith The world was not worthy of these men for another cause and that is this Euery Christian man by his faith brings many blessings among those parties and to that place where he liueth now the world deserues no such blessings and therefore is vnworthy of the persons by whom they come Question How doe Christians bring blessings to places where they liue Answere First by their presence for as GOD saide to Abraham the Father of the faithfull Thou shalt be a blessing Gen. 12.3 so is it with all beleeuers Laban confesseth that hee perceiued that the Lord had blessed him for Iacobs sake Gen. 30.27 And Potiphar sawe that Ioseph was a blessing in his house For the Lord made all that he did to prosper Gen. 39.2.3 While Lot was in Sodome the Angell could not destroy it Gen 19.22 And if there had beene tenne beleeuers in Sodome the Lord would haue spared all for tennes sake Gen. 18.32 Now bringing good things and keeping backe Gods iudgements by their presence they are thereby blessings Secondly they are blessings by their prayers Abraham prayed for Abimelech Gen. 20.17.18 and God healed him and his family of barrennesse At Moses prayer Gods iudgements were taken from Egypt Exod. 7.12.13.30 and his wrath appeased toward his people Exod. 32.11 14. And some thinke that Stephens prayer at his death for his persecuters was one meanes for mercy vnto Saul that then consented to his death Acts 7 60. and 8.1 Thirdly they bring blessings vpon a place by their example for when men shall see godly persons walking before them in the feare of GOD and making conscience of all manner of sinne it is a speciall meanes to cause others to turne from their wicked wayes to newnesse of life And therefore
friends or childrens bodies cast into the earth to feede wormes burnt by fire or eaten by fishes reason saith they are gone they can neuer be againe We haue Gods word and assured promise The dead shall rise with their bodies shall they rise Esay Wee must therefore beleeue it if we will be of the faith of Sarah God said to her Age and barronnesse shall haue a childe she beleeued it He saith to vs Dust and rottennesse shall liue againe nay hee hath often said it and shall not our faith acknowledge the voice of our God and beleeue it as she did But let vs come to personall promises as hers was for this is generall God hath promised grace and pardon to euery penitent and beleeuing soule yet no man is partaker of the sweetnesse hereof without the bitternesse of many temptations to the contrary giuing him occasions of doubting and often euen of despairing of Gods fauour What must a man doe in this case euen beleeue though he feele no reason why to beleeue and hope aboue hope Such was Abrahams and Sarahs faith And for it as they were registred in the Storie of Genesis so both here and in the Romanes Chap. 4. remembred againe and commended for it Now suppose that thou after thy comming to God by faith repentance fall into temptations of desertion wherein to thy feeling Gods heauy hand wrath hath seized on thee the diuell layeth thy sins to thy charge tels thee thou art a damned wretch for thou wert euer an hypocrite and neuer hadst faith that therfore God is thy enemy In this case wherein in reason or in feeling there is not the least hope of saluation what must thou doe despaire God forbid For that is the downfall into hell No but hope when there is no hope keepe faith when there is no feeling And to strengthen vs herein remember the faith of Iob tried and sifted so as fewe haue beene who though the arrowes of the almighty stucke in him and the venome thereof drunke vp his spirits Iob 6.4 Yet euen then he beleeued and would not giue ouer nor let goe his hold and said Though thou bring me to dust yet will I not forsake thee no though thou kill me yet will I trust in thee So in the furie of temptations when the venome of Gods wrath seemes to drinke vp our spirits then must we beleeue and in the pangs of death when God seemes ready to kill vs then must wee trust in him In such cases is the life of faith to be shewed when reason and feeling say God is a terrible Iudge faith must say he is a mercifull Father In our health and welfare and feeling of Gods fauour this exhortation may seeme tedious but if wee belong to GOD if it be not past already the time is sure to come when this doctrine will bee needefull for the best of vs all Thus we see the excellencie of this womans faith which is the more commended by reason of these two so great hinderances Now follow the effects of her faith which are diuerse some laide downe in this verse and some in the next Receiued strength to conceiue seede And was deliuered of a childe In these words are two effects First by power of her faith shee was inabled to conceiue which afore she did not though there were the same reasons in nature why she should Secondly shee was deliuered of a childe in her olde age and that childe was Isaac who is therefore called the promised seede and the childe of the promise Out of the consideration of these two we may learne diuerse good instructions for seeing they are so neere a-kin in their natures wee will speake of them both ioyntly together First here we may see that nothing is so hard or difficult which God hath promised but faith can compasse it and bring it to performance Christ bâ—d the blinde see the lame to goe he spake they beleeued and they were healed So here God promiseth a barren olde woman a childe shee beleeueth and loe she conceiueth and brings forth a Sonne The vse of this doctrine is for two sorts of people First many in our Church being ignorant when they are moued to learne religion answere Alas they are simple or not booke-learned or they are dull and heauy witted or they be olde and weake and therefore they can learne nothing or if they doe they cannot remember it But heere is nothing but vaine excuses For they want not wit to learne religion if they haue wit to buy and sell to knowe a faire day from a foule good meate from ill deere from cheape Winter from Sommer If they haue wit to practice the ciuill actions of the world they haue wit enough to conceiue the grounds of religion and to get so much knowledge as may suffice for a ground of that faith which will saue their soules So that they want nothing but grace and diligence to vse the meanes To them therfore here is matter of good aduice Let such a man learne but one promise of God out of the holy Scripture as this Seeke first the Kingdome of God and all things else shall be giuen vnto you Math. 6.33 or this Cast all your care on him for he careth for you 1. Pet. 5.7 or this He that coÌ„meth vnto me I cast him not away Iohn 6.37 or but this Aske and ye shall haue seeke and ye shall finde Math. 7. Let him learne but one of these when they haue learned it beleeue it and let their soules daily feede on that faith And they shall see what will followe euen a wonderfull blessing vpon that poore beginning This their faith will so content and please their hearts that it will vrge them forward to get more and will make them both desirous capable of more knowledge and grace and will make them euen hunger and thirst after knowledge and grace whereas he that knoweth no promise nor beleeues it contents himselfe in ignorance and errour And this shall euery one finde that will carefully vse the meanes that God appoints and will begin to learne but one lesson at the first For as olde barren Sarah beleeuing Gods promise conceiues and brings forth So olde simple plaine dull Country-men beleeuing but one promise of Gods word shall conceiue and bring forth daily more and more blessed fruites of knowledge and grace Secondly others who haue made better proceedings in religion doe see their sinnes and doe much bewaile them but they cannot ouercome their corruptions yea many there are to whom their sinnes and inward corruptions are more greeuous and burdensome then all bodily wants or miseries in the world yet see they not how to conquer their corruptions but alas are oftentimes foiled by them to their great discomfort Let these men know the want of faith is the cause hereof for that they doe not sufficiently ruminate and consider the promises of God made in that behalfe nor vse the meanes
God hath appointed to the vse whereof hee hath annexed his promises of helpe against sinne Let them therefore lay Gods word and promises vnto their consciences in holy and frequent meditations Let them carefully vse the meanes God hath appointed hearing and reading his word receiuing the holy Communion earnest and frequent Prayer crauing also the prayers of others and let them sharpen these holy exercises by fasting watching holy conferences with others visitations of others afflicted like themselues oft reuealing their estate to their godly Pastors Let them continue thus doing and rest confidently on the word and promise of God with the stedfast foote of faith and they shall see that olde Sarah shall haue strength to conceiue that is that their poore soules shall receiue strength to tread vpon Sathan to conquer their corruptions to conceiue bring forth many worthy fruites of holinesse to their ioy and comfort in their later experience as Isaac was to Sarah in her elder age The next doctrine we may here learne is That whereas Sarah by her faith in Gods promise conceiues and brings forth therefore children are the immediate blessing of the Lord for Sarah bare Isaac not by any ordinary strength or power of nature but through faith shee receiued strength to conceiue c. Neither is this so in her onely wherein there was a miraculous worke of Gods power but in all Some are indeede barren by constitution and these cannot conceiue vnlesse by Gods power as Sarah did But some haue no children who in all naturall reason might conceiue For as God gaue the Lawe and thereby a gift and power to encrease and multiply Genesis 1.22 So he reserued the execution of it to himself and power to alter or dispense to adde or diminish as it pleaseth him Therefore saith the Psalmist Psal. 127.3 Lo children are the inheritance of the Lord and the fruite of the wombe is his reward And speaking of them Psal. 128.4 he saith Loe thus shall he be blessed that feareth the Lord. The vse is to teach Parents therefore to bring them vp as Gods blessings and not onely to giue them corporall necessities for so they doe their beasts but to nurture them in holy Discipline by sowing the seedes of Religion in their hearts If this they want they haue nothing though you leaue them Earledomes And heerein is the saying true Better vnborne then vntaught The Lawe and power to encrease and multiplie is giuen to beastes in their kinde as well as to vs Genesis 1. verse 22. Therefore vnlesse wee doe more then prouide for their bodies wee differ little from them but make them know GOD and so wee make them fellowes with the Angelles If Parents did thus it cannot bee expressed what blessinges would come thereby to Church and Common-wealth Thirdly and lastly let vs heere knowe and learne that this holy Matron Sarah figureth vnto vs mysticallie the spirituall Hierusalem the Church of GOD. Allegoâ—ies are charily and sparingly to bee taught else much vnsounde Doctrine may cumber mennes consciences but this is sound and sure for it is the Apostles Galath 4.23 c. By Agar and Sarah other things are meant for these two mothers are two Testaments Agar shee which gendreth vnto bondage Sarah Hierusalem which is free and from aboue and is the mother of vs all Now the resemblance betwixt naturall Sarah the wife of Abraham and mysticall Sarah the spouse of Christ the Church of God stands in this that as she not by power in her selfe but by Gods power and faith in his promise bare Isaac So the Church our mother bringeth forth children to God onely by the power of Gods word and spirit And therefore as Isaac is called the childe of Promise and said to be borne by promise Galath 4.23 So men regenerate and borne to the Church are said not to be borne of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Iohn 1.13 And S. Iames saith 1.18 God of his owne will begat vs with the word of truth Thus the word of God the will that is the spirit of God these two together beget children to the Church The vse is to teach vs all to honour the Church as our mother but to worship God alone who is the father of our soule The Church cannot make her selfe our mother noâ— vs her children when she will but it is God that must speake the word and then we are made he must beget vs by the power of his spirit and ministerie of his word And further let vs learne heere what account wee are to make of Gods holy word which is the immortall seede of our regeneration whereby wee are made Gods children and heires of immortality Thus much of the two first effects of her faith The third is laid downe in the next verse which because it is much stoode vpon by the holy Ghost we will put it off till then being therefore worthy our deeper consideration And now followeth in the end of this verse the fift and last point which is the Ground of her faith Because she iudged him faithfull which had promised The foundation whereon she built this her faith that she should haue a sonne being barren and past age was not the bare promise of God so much as the conceite or opinion shee had of him that promised For promises are not of value so much by the things promised though neuer so great or excellent for they may promise much who can performe nothing or though they can yet wil recall their word in lightnesse and inconstancie as by the worthinesse of the party promising We say in this world we had rather haue some mens word then other mens bond and rather haue a little promised of some then much of others Now such was the Iudgement that Sarah helde of him that promisâ—â— namely GOD She iudged him faithfull which had promised Faithfull that is shee iudged him Able willing to accomplish what-euer hee promised to her So that the Grounds of our faith in God and all his promises must be a sure apprehension and knowledge of these two things in God 1. His ability to make good what-euer passeth him in word 2. His carefulnesse to doe it when hee hath said it Some wil promise any thing though their abilities stretch not to performe others are able enough but haue no care of their word But both these are in God all-sufficient ability and most carefull willingnesse So Sarah iudged of God and therefore shee beleeued against reason and so must wee doe if wee will beleeue Gods word aright Wee may reade and heare and knowe Gods word and haue the points therein swimming in our heads but if wee will constantly beleeue with our hearts his blessed promises in our consciences feare his threatnings we must be fully perswaded of these two to be in him So are wee taught by Christ the wisedome of God in the Lords Prayer afore wee pray for