and not in his heart It hath beene an ancient custome in the Church of Rome to sweare by Saints and by their relikes But consuetudo sine veritate erroris est vetustas Cypr. l. 2. ep 3. The laying on of the hand on a Bible or a testament when we sweare This may bee excused for properly to speake wee doe not sweare by the Bible it is only an obtestation as the words of this bible are most true so is that which I sweare and it is an outward token whereby wee declare to the world that wee sweare by him which is the authour of the Bible or because in this booke are contained the promises and threatnings of the LORD to them that sweare truly and against them that sweare falsely so among the heathen they touched the altar when they swore yet they swore by him whom they worshipped on that altar for they would lift up their hands to heaven when they swore denoting by that bodily gesture of theirs that they did sweare by God alone who made the heavens We may sweare by God primariò principaliter but we may sweare by the creatures Secundariò This is but a meere shift and fond evasion Zephan 1.5 for they sware by the Lord primarily by malchum secondarily yet God was offended with them Besides there is none greater than man but God The Angels are creatures as well as we they are our fellow-servants and one fellow-servant must not sweare by another therefore we that be creatures must sweare only by the Creatour 3. Here wee see what a reverent estimation wee are to have of an oath it must be the end of contradiction after men have sworne wee should be as mute as fishes not have a word to say An oath was sacred among the heathen 1 Sam. 30.15 Abimelech and Phicol his Captaine were satisfied when they had Isacks oath Gen. 21.22 but with us small credit is to be given to oathes the oath of a Christian is no sure foundation to build upon Iesabel had false witnesses at her elbow to condemne Naboth withall the Pharisees had two false witnesses in a readinesse to sweare against our SAVIOUR CHRIST And now a dayes such is the corruption among Christians that small credit is to be given to many mens oathes for they say it is an easie matter in London and I would to God it were not in the country to procure men to sweare to what they will So that now a dayes an oath is rather the beginning then the end of controversies whereupon so many perjuries are found in the land a manifest argument that Atheisme growes among us The foole that is the wicked man sayes in his heart there is no God and I thinke many sweare by God if there be a God but all false swearers shall one day know to the terrour of their conscience that there is a God who will be avenged on them for abusing his name Let an oath be such an holy thing with us that there may be no more controversie after we have sworne Then why should we doubt of our salvation God hath bound himselfe by oath and promise to bring us to his kingdome and shal wee bee as reeds wavering with the winde I for our salvation dependeth in some sort on our workes pendet ex certitudine operum quae conjectu ralis atque imperfecta certitudo est It dependeth on works not as causes but as inseparable effects of faith not upon their dignity or perfection but upon their being with faith Be faithfull to the end and I will give thee the crowne of life I but who can tell whether he shall persevere to the end or not We may be good to day and bad to morrow Noah David Peter fell Yes we may be comfortably sure of our perseverance for hee that hath begun a worke in us will finish it to the day of Christ and though we fall yet we shall rise againe for the Lord putteth to his hand whom he once loveth hee loveth to the end and never forsakes them till hee have brought them to his kingdome Onely let us not bee rocked a sleepe in the cradle of security but work out our salvation with feare and trembling VERSE 17. Ἐφ ' ῷ̔ wherein in the which thing or in the which oath or for the which cause God did it willingly not by constraint none could enforce him to it More abundantly then was necessary for his bare word had beene enough save that the weakenesse of man required it See here GODS dealing with us after the manner of men To shew that is to make a lively and evident demonstration Vnto the heyres of promise not to Abraham alone but to all the faithfull The immutability which cannot be transposed or altered Not of his promise but counsell arguing that it was no sudden or fickle promise but such as proceeded from wise and deliberate counsell and the counsell or decree of God standeth for ever That of Hezekiahs and the Ninevites had a secret condition unlesse he had prayed earnestly for life and the others repented Ier. 18.7 8. or it was rather a commination then the pronuntiation of a decree or counsell Interposuit se as if CHRIST the Mediatour had made this oath and interposed himselfe in it betweene the father and us for the greater ratifying of it Oecumen Annexed to his promise Here we have the dignity of the godly they are heyres not of a Knight of a Lord a Duke c. but of God and the promises that is of the joyes of heaven which GOD hath promised to them in his word The kingdome of heaven belongs to Children not to servants the faithfull are the Children of God and joynt heires with Christ so that the inheritance of the celestiall Canaan pertaines to them how then dare you despise the lest of the heyres of promise 2. This may comfort us against the crosses of this life Art thou a poore man hast no money in thy purse to relieve thy selfe and thy family withall as Peter and Iohn had not hast thou not a bed to rest thy weary body on nor an house to hide thine head in as Christ had not the foxes have holes and the birds of the ayre have nests but the Sonne of man hath not whereon to lay his head yet faint not neither be discouraged for thou art an heyre of promise and shalt one day have a full fruition of the heavenly inheritance prepared from before the foundations of the world were laid The heyre of a Gentleman is kept under Tutors and Governours in the time of his nonage but as soone as that is expired he is at liberty and free from all so though we be the heyres of God yet in the time of our minority and nonage in this world we are kept under many austere masters yet the day of our redemption drawes nigh when as all teares shall be wiped from our eyes and we shall have full
rejoycing and brings home the sheaves of heavenly comfort with him Gods dealing with his Children is contrary to Ezekiels scrowle it was sweete in his mouth and bitter in his belly God begins bitterly but ends sweetely as hee did with Abraham Yee remember the patience of Iob and what end the Lord made So remember the tryall of Abraham and what end the Lord made The beginning was sorrow the end was joy Let us beare with patience the bitter beginning that we may be partakers of the sweete ending He that will save his life shall loose it but hee that looseth it for my sake shall finde it hee that will save his goods by the denyall of Christ shall loose them he that will save his Children by dishonouring of God shall loose them as Eli did he cockered his Children and lost them they were both slaine in a day Abraham is content to loose his Child for God's sake and he findes his Child there is nothing lost by obeying God we shall be gainers by it Contemne divitias eris locuples contemne gloriam eris gloriosus contemne filium habebis filium We shall have fathers and mothers Children as it were in this world and in the world to come life everlasting Let this encourage us to submit our selves in all obedience to God in all things as Abraham did VERSE 20. WE have had the Chapter of death here followes that of faith wherein we have an Ilias of examples 1. Of the Grand-father then of the Sonne lastly of the Grand-child Isaac was in a manner dead yet he lives still many a yeere and at his going out of the world blesseth his two Sonnes which was a demonstration of his faith he lived and dyed in faith as Abraham had done But it seemeth the Holy Ghost might have made choyse of other workes of Isaacs serving better for the expressing of his faith then this he was a devout and religious man much given to prayer and heavenly meditation he went into the field to pray or meditate he continued praying twenty yeeres together for a Child and would not give over hee was obedient to God and followed him from place to place why doth not the Apostle make mention of these but of his blessing 1. These were common to others together with him 2. This blessing did most of all argue that he had lively faith in the promises of God made to him and Abraham when as hee doth bestow the things promised with as great assurance as if they were accomplished already This blessing is a fulfilling of all the promises therefore most fit to declare his faith and to publish it to all the world In this blessing there are three things 1. The instrumentall cause whereby it was done 2. The persons blessed 3. The things whereabout they were blessed For the instrument it was by faith Was it so he was coozened in it by Rebeccah and Iacob and he was induced to it against his will and purpose for he was determined to have blessed Esau. 1. Distinguish between the action and the infirmities in it Nature lead him one way and grace another yet for all that all things were governed by GODS providence as Exod. 1.20 and this blessing was an execution of Gods will decree and counsell and in some fort issued from faith in him Some infirmities of a man cannot marre the action of God as a sicke man is a man so a weake faith is a faith 2. His constant resolution after the blessing was ended doth shew it came from faith I have blessed thy brother already and he shall be blessed The voice of faith For the persons Iacob is set first because the birth-right was his his brother having sold it to him and he was the man whom God loved and in whom the promises were continued Esau was a prophane person yet he had some blessings Therefore both are included in the blessing though diversly Concerning what did hee blesse them not things present but to come temporall and eternall in this life and that to come which was an evident declaration of his faith For faith is a ground of things hoped for he pronounced of things to come as certainely as if they were already and they fell out as he had said Neither were the things to come temporall blessings alone but especially spirituall shadowed out by earthly things In the blessing hee said to Iacob Genesis 27.29 Be thou thy brothers Lord yet Iacob was faine to crouch to Esau hee was his Lord but this was accomplished in CHRIST that should come of Iacob All Nations were subject to him In this blessing Iacob saw CHRIST though it were afarre off therefore no mervaile though it bee adscribed to faith The blessing of Parents is highly to be regarded Praerogativa parentum disciplina filiorum Though there be a difference betweene our blessing of our Children and of the Patriarkes Our benedictio is but bona dictio or bona precatio their 's was an actuall and a reall bestowing of things on them yet the curse or blessing of Parents in all ages is to bee respected whom they curse justly God curseth â—nd whom they blesse God blesseth Therefore let Children so behave themselves that they may have their Parents blessing especially at their departure out of the world These temporall blessings are blessings Wealth health honour prosperity these GOD bestoweth on the reprobate these had Ismael and Esau hee was a jolly hunter and abounded in pleasure hee flourished in worldly prosperity more than Iacob So may the wicked doe Psal. 73.4 Dives But let us be content rather to lye with Lazarus then to frye with Dives to be plaine and simple men as Iacob was then to have their felicity here and misery hereafter 2 Sam. 19.30 Faith sees things to come Isaac now was blind yet he saw things to come The eye of faith is the best eye Let us entreat the Lord to make the eye of our faith brighter and brighter to our dying day VERSE 21. TOuching Iacob there bee two facts to be considered which are illustrated by the instrumentall cause and the circumstance of time when they were performed The facts are the blessing of Iosephs two Sonnes and his worshipping of GOD described by the manner how the instrumentall cause faith the time when when he was a dying By faith for without the eye of faith hee could not see the things that should happen to his Childrens Children conteyned in the blessing Which was more than the blessing of his owne Sonnes all fathers will doe that when hee was about to dye when death did approach 1. He adopted them into his family that they might be members of the Church as well as his owne Sons 2. He preferred the younger before the elder Ephraim is put for the tenne tribes Hos. 5. they were both Children Ephraim had no more in him then Manasseh 3. Being a stranger in Aegypt he gave them portions in the land
profit of affliction is so great lift up the hands Manus sunt organa organorum they that be faint and of a feeble courage hang down their hands and have weake knees The knees sustaine the weight of the body he would have them to take heart to them to lift up their hands and to strengthen their knees that they may run the race set before them Runners stretch out their hands legs and knees too So must wee in this spirituall race VERSE 13. STagger not but goe firmely like stoute men make straight steps goe not awry rectos gressus facimus rectè credendo confitendo patiendo Now yee halt but ye are in the way if yee looke not to it ye may be carryed quite out of the way There is triplex obliquitas In intellectu affectu actione The people in Elias time halted betweene two opinions 1 Reg. 18.2 So some of the Hebrewes began to halt betweene two Religions Iudaisme and Christianisme The false Apostles and persecuting Iewes made them as it were to halt The ceremoniall law the Temple are of Gods institution shall we forsake them and believe in Christ crucified they that bee Christians are hated of all the world spoyled of their goods and lives too Wee will pause a little on the matter wee will consider with our selves whether it were best for us to be Christians or not This halting hee would have removed and wishes them to make straight steps to goe on manfully in the profession of the Gospell that no afflictions make them to halt As for us GOD be thanked for it we live not in the time of persecution as the Hebrewes did wee are not spoiled of our goods cast into prison constrained to flye our native Country carryed to the stake to be burnt for the name of CHRIST we have a Vertuous and Religious King that is a nursing Father to the Church yet the chastisements of the Lord are ryfe among us because wee are not bastards but Sonnes When the first borne were destroyed in Aegypt there was not one house of the Aegyptians but one dead in it There is scant one house among us but there is one sicke or afflicted in it A man can travell almost into no Country but hee shall finde a number sicke sometimes the man and Wife Children and servants downe at once Neither are they of the worser sort drunkards adulterers atheists c. but many of the better sort good professours sober godly and religious men that are thus visited Our heavenly father sees something amisse among us which causeth him to send forth his rods into so many places The Church of Corinth was an excellent Church yet St. Paul sayes for this cause namely a negligent and disorderly receiving of the Lords Supper many are weake sicke and sleepe among you The Lord sees us to bee rocked asleepe in security to bee negligent in prayer reading of Scripture comming to Church he sees the heavenly Manna of his Word the food of our soules to be loathed in all places men waxe too nise and dainty in hearing he sees the Sacraments not to be regarded men make small reckoning of these seales of faith For these causes many are weake and sicke among us yet let us not faint under these afflictions Let us lift up our hands that hang downe c. Let us consider who it is that striketh us it is the LORD said Eli c. It is not an unlucky conjunction of Planets they be not the dogge dayes which are the cause of these diseases they are not simply to be imputed to the weather or the time of the yeere It is the Lord that smiteth us and let him doe what seemeth him good Hee is our loving and mercifull Father in Christ Iesus hee will lay no more on us then hee will enable us to beare to our everlasting comfort in the end We are chastned by the Lord that wee should not bee condemned with the world Hee suffers the wicked oftentimes to live in jollity the rod of God is not upon them they are not in trouble as other men but hee Schooles his owne Children they shall seldome bee without some affliction or other least they should bee drowned in the pleasures of the world Therefore let us beare the chastisements of the LORD patiently for a short time in this life which is but a spanne long that wee may live with our heavenly Father in the life to come Hitherto he hath given a precept touching our selves how we our selves are with patience to runne the race set before us quietly enduring such chastisements as our father imposeth Now hee doth further enjoyne us to bee as trumpets to waken others to it that they may run together with us in the race of Christianity Where 1. An admonition 2. A reason for the enforcing of it Verse 18. In the admonition 1. A generall propounding of it Verse 14. 2. A particular unfolding of it In the generall propounding of it 1. The vertues commended to us peace and holinesse Then the reason for the enforcing of them of the latter especially VERSE 14. HE doth not say embrace peace when it comes to you and offers her selfe to you but though she runne away follow her lay hold on her and bring her whether she will or no. We must seeke peace instanter follow it generaliter with all prudenter in holinesse Not with some but all not with your friends alone but with your enemies too not only with them of the same Religion but with those that be of another Religion Bee at peace with their persons though not with their vices bee at peace with all what in thee lieth especially holinesse that is of absolute necessity bee not so greedy of peace that yee should forget holinesse holinesse of soule and body 1 Thes. 4.3 2 Cor. 7.1 Hereunto he inviteth us by the danger of the want of it without which no man be he never so wise learned honourable though he be a King he cannot be saved without holinesse shall see the Lord in his blessed and glorious kingdome in the life to come as a Citizen of the same kingdome Our Saviour was at peace with the Pharisees hee went to many of their houses to dinner hee was at peace with Caesar though he were a persecutor of the Church and payd tribute to him and wee may be at peace with all men throughout the wide compasse of the world with Atheists drunkards adulterers c. 1 Cor. 5.10 Yet here two cautions are to be observed 1. Wee must distinguish betweene peace and familiarity wee may bee at a generall peace even with the enemies of God but wee must not bee familiar with them There is danger in that All our delight must be on the Saints that be on the earth they must be our familiars 2. Wee may bee at peace with the persons of all but with the vices of none Bee at peace with a drunkard but not with his drunkennesse reprove that
heaven and never come thither themselves When was the floud Most Authors thinke in May. 1. Because it might wholly be adscribed to the power of God not any way to the course of nature as it might if it had beene in winter 2. That the wicked of the world being drowned in the pleasures of the earth might at that time of the yeere bee deprived of them when the earth was most pleasant 3. Because the floud began to dry up in the spring Gen. 8.11 4. Gen. 19.23 as it was a faire sunne shine morning when fire and brimstone fell from heaven on Sodom so the floud might come in the fairest time of the yeare Whether were they all damned that perished in the floud Some writers exempt infants they had something answering to baptisme that saved them The question is about adulti whether all they were damned Epiphan Ambrose Beda affirme that they went all to hell yet when Christ came and preached in hell they were delivered but in hell there is no Gaole delivery Cajetan and Lyra say that some of them went to hell yet not ad locum damnatorum but ad limbum patrum out of which Christ fetched them when he went to harrow hell 1 Pet. 3.19 For mine owne opinion It is not like they were all damned yet that reason of Saint Ieromes is not convincing Nahum 1.9 following the Seventie he translates it non vindicabit Deus bis in idipsum whereas in the Hebrew it is it shall crush them at the first time there shall be no need of a second blow God may justly punish both in this life and in the life to come one and the same fault that hath not beene washed away with repentance But three reasons may induce us so to thinke 1. Gen. 7.22 the floud was a prevailing fortie dayes and fortie nights Some that were hardned before at the sight of the waters running up into some high mountaines might repent of their folly and their soules might be saved inter pontem fontem est misericordia 2. Who dares avouch that they were all damned that were destroyed in the wildernesse that all went to hell whom the earth swallowed up in the conspiracie of Corah Dathan and Abiram and why should we affirme them to be al damned that were drowned in the floud wee must judge more charitably of them that are swept away in temporall plagues and calamities 3. Let us judge our selves which is the strongest As they were not all saved that were in the Arke Cham was a cursed wretch so were they not all damned that were carryed away with the waters By his framing of the Arke before the eyes of them all and his preaching to them of the floud the LORD might have sufficient matter by vertue thereof to proceed to the just condemnation of them all Or the word world is here taken for the wicked of the world as oft in Scripture Ioh. 17. I pray not for the world he brought in the floud upon the world of the ungodly 2 Pet. 2.5 This warning was not for Noe alone but for all the world that seeing the Arke a making they might repent This is the goodnesse of God Almighty he gives warning of his judgements before they come hee shoots off a warning peece not like austere masters who strike before they speake but herein he is like the Lion that roares before he goes to his prey He gave a warning to Adam and Eve that at what time they did eate of that fruit they should die he gave warning of the destruction of Sodom Lots sonnes had warning to goe their way if they would have lystened to it he gave the Israelites warning of the captivitie in Babylon Hierusalem had warning of her overthrow Christ wept over it and said O if thou haddest knowne at the least in this thy day those things which belong unto thy peace but now are they hid from thine eyes God gave the Ninevites warning of their destruction that it was at hand The old world had a faire warning of the floud they were warned of it an hundred yeares together This is Gods mercy he doth nothing but he reveales it to his Prophets that they might open it to the people At this day God gives us many warnings by his Word and creatures by earth-quakes thundring and lightning by blazing starres and fierie comets as wee have had a fearefull one of late yeeres continuing in some places of the land a moneth together portending wars c. Let us not stand in a slavish feare of them God is above them all yet let them be as trumpets to waken us out of sinne God hath warned us by his Ambassadours and Preachers of the Word we have had warning that if we loath the heavenly Manna of the Word God will take it from us if we receive it not with all gladnesse when it is put into our mouthes we shall goe from East to West and not finde it yet this warning doth us little good for all that we are not diligent and cheerefull in hearing of Sermons and in the participation of other holy rites we have had warning of Adultery Theft oppression cruelty of coozning one another that there is a God that sees all and wil revenge all yet these sinnes are ryfe among us As the old world had warning of the destruction of it by water so we have beene warned of the destruction of it by fire almost all the signes of the day of Iudgement are already past yet we feare not that day neither prepare for it All these warnings because we have not profited by them shall bee so many witnesses against us at the latter day Praemonitus praemunitus but our hearts are so hardned as that all the warnings in the world will doe us no good We are angrie with our servants if they will take no warning did not I warne thee of such a thing and then wee thinke we have just cause to be on his jacket how many thousand warnings hath God given us and yet we like bad servants will take no warning the Lord soften our hearts that they may enter into us for the reformation of our lives Of what was hee warned In themselves they could not bee seene yet Noah saw them by the eye of faith The incarnation and passion of our SAVIOUR CHRIST could not be seene in the dayes of Abraham because CHRIST was not then borne yet Abraham saw it by faith and was glad Neither Heaven nor Hell can be seene of us yet by faith we see them and believe them both That terrible day when the world shall passe away with a noise cannot yet be seene yet being warned by God of it we behold it and know assuredlie it shall be The resurrection is not yet seene wee doe not see the dead rise out of their graves yet because GOD hath said it we believe it The proper object of faith are invisibilia as for those things which we see properlie
but would have his picture acknowledged every good man is the beautifull picture of God Almighty they be envious persons that will not acknowledge them How comes it to be in them In CHRIST IESUS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In us dwelleth no good thing Christ is the worker of all good things in us that yee may be plentifull in the fruits of righteousnesse by Iesus Christ. Or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to CHRIST IESUS .i. In gloriam Christi Iesu that he may have the glory of it Not to us O Lord but to thy name give the praise Debes videri thou oughtest to be seene Let your light so shine before men that seeing your good workes they may glorifie your Father which is in heaven Sed non ad hâ—c debes facere ut videaris but thou must not doe it to this end to bee seene I lle in te laudetur qui in te operatur let him be praised that worketh all good things in thee VERSE 7. THis St. Paul confirmeth by experience in himselfe Where 1. exprimit latitiam he expresseth his gladnesse then ostendit causam he shewes the cause of it We .i. I and Timothie not we had as it is in the vulgar We have even at this present time Not a little but great joy and consolation arising of joy First his heart was affected with wonderfull joy from that did spring consolation in the midst of his great troubles and afflictions that comforted him it was as aquavitae to revive him withall Wherein did he take so great joy Not in his riches but in his love Many are rich wherein men take no great joy nor consolation Nabal was rich yet David had no joy nor consolation by him but in thy love which did untie thy purse strings and made thee bountifull unto all for that is the nature of love Why because the bowels of the Saints Some interpret the bowels of the Saints the children of the Saints because they bee the fruit of our body and our bowels as David sayes of Absalom my Sonne which came out of my owne bowels seeketh my life But it is more generall not only the children of the Saints but the Parents too The father and mother were refreshed by him The Greeke is Emphaticall were quieted for when the bowels are empty they be out of quiet He doth not say the backes of the Saints are refreshed by thee that is requisite but the refreshing of the bowels is more necessarie for if the belly bee well lined lesse cloath will serve the backe Almes or a worke of mercie is a singular worke above others 1. Homines facit Deo similes Be yee mercifull as your heavenly Father is mercifull Mercifull men draw neerest to God GOD feeds all creatures and he feeds as many as he can homo benefaciens est imago Dei a bountifull man is the image of God An Image is a lively representation of the partie and a liberall man that doth good to others represents God 2. Eleemosyna est scopa quae mundificat omnia It is a faire broome that makes all cleane Give almes ecce behold A fine spectacle not some but all things are cleane unto you As the first fruits in the time of the law did sanctifie the rest of the fruits So almes in the time of the Gospell sanctifie all unto us all that wee possesse are uncleane without them 3. Eleemosyna est usura à Deo approbata an usury approved by God more gainefull than any other usury He that hath mercy on the poore lendeth to the Lord and the Lord will recompense him that which he hath given Whereupon St. Basil sayes It is both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a gift and a lent gift put forth to usury not to a mortall man but to the immortall God who will give great use for it not tenne in the hundred but an hundred fold in this world and everlasting happinesse in the world to come It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the gainefullest trade of all Vende aurum eme salutem sell thy gold and buy salvation vende lapidem eme regnum sell a stone and buy a Kingdome vende agrum eme tibi vitam aeternam sell a piece of land and buy Heaven 4. It is procurator coeli an Harbinger that goes before to provide thee a place in heaven Cornelius his almes went up into remembrance before God God registred it in the booke of his remembrance against he himselfe came thither Saint Paul chargeth the rich men of the world to doe good to be rich in good workes ready to distribute and to communicate laying up in store for themselves a good foundation for the time to come 5. Remuneratur in coelo prae aliis operibus It is rewarded with Heaven above all other workes Come yee blessed of my Father inherite the Kingdome prepared for you When I was hungry yee gave mee meate c. Therefore let us refresh the bowels of the Saints here that wee may enter into the place of eternall refreshing hereafter We are too streight laced we make this mammon of unrighteousnesse our enemy whereas we should make him our friend Nazianzen's mother caryed such a bountifull minde to the poore that a Sea of wealth could scarce have sufficed her Shee was contrary to Salomon's horse-leach that cryed give give namely to mee Shee cryed give give to the poore Hee heard her often say Shee and her children should want before the poore should want wee are all for our selves our Wives and Children nothing for the poore Amadeus Duke of Sabaudia being asked of certaine Oratours whether he kept hounds or not Yes sayes he Come to morrow and ye shall see them They being come he opens a window into his Hall where a great multitude of poore folkes were dining hij sunt canes mei sayd hee these are my dogges and with them I hope to get Eternall Life It is not unlawfull for Noble-men and Gentlemen to have their hawkes and hounds God hath given us things for pleasure as well as for necessity wine and oyle c. Yet so as wee be moderate in the use of them and forget not the affliction of Ioseph One poore Lazarus is worth more than ten thousand dogges Ye are of more value than many sparrowes and wee should value the poore members of Christ above all the hawkes and hounds in the world as the Elect of God let us put on the bowels of mercy and refresh to our ability yea beyond our ability the bowels of the Saints especially in these hard times wherein wee live The hard hearts of men make the times harder then otherwise they would be He shuts it up with a kinde compellation brother Not in the Ministery as hee called Timothie his brother Verse 1. but in CHRIST our elder brother The Donatists were angrie with
Saint Paul Onesimus What was Onesimus whom Paul begate A servant a fugitive and a thiefe too yet Saint Paul disdained not to preach to him God hath his chosen among all among harlots as Rahab among Publicans as Zacheus among the Pharisees as Nicodemus among Persecutors as Paul among thieves as the young man whom St. Iohn recalled among poore distressed servants as Onesimus therefore let us preach to all The other thing on the part of Onesimus is his happy change Where is to be considered 1. What he was 2. What he is hee was to thee unprofitable in being unfaithfull in thy service in purloyning from thee but now is profitable to thee and mee to thee pro te orando by praying for thee to mee mihi ministrando in ministring unto mee There must be an alteration in us all Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified I was a blasphemer I was a persecutor but I am not so now we must all shoot at that Butt Onesimus was unprofitable but he became profitable Yee know the doome of the unprofitable servant Binde him hand and foot and cast him into outer darknesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with Tertullian are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 profitable profitable Bees not unprofitable drones telluris inutile pondus a company of Lubbers that are good for nothing Saint Paul doth not commend Onesimus for being profitable to himselfe but to him and Philemon He that is not good for himselfe is good for no body there our goodnesse must beginne but it must not stay there doe good to all so be profitable to all Saint Paul here rhetorically and piously descants on the name of Onesimus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is utilis Profitable before he was Onesimus by antiphrasis as lucus quia minimè lucet a wood à lucendo because there is no light in it now he is the right Onesimus The Scripture is eloquent Prophetarum ac Apostolorum scriptis non solùm nihil sapientius verum etiam nihil eloquentius mihi videri potest they did not sequi eloquentiam sed eloquentia sequuta est eos not follow after eloquence but eloquence followed after them Saint Paul in that place where he sayes he speakes like a foole quà m sapienter dicit quà m eleganter How wisely nay how elegantly doth he speak He that markes the Scripture diligently sayes Saint Chrysostome will neither desire the smooth style of Isocrates nor the swelling style of Demosthenes nor the grave style of Thucidides nor the high style of Plato If we have good names we should be answerable unto them There were two Martyrs the one Vitalis the other Agricola both suteable to their names Vitalis shewed that he contemned hanc vitam this life and sought a better Agricola sowed the seed of a spirituall life here that he might reape eternal hereafter Basils Mother was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 membrum not only for the elegant proportion of her body but chiefely for the elegancie of her manners St. Aug. commends one Profuturus to Hierom whom he hoped by both their endeavours verè fore profuturum to be profuturus indeed Saint Hierom finds fault with Bonasus because he presumed too much on his name An ideo tibi bellus videris quia justo vocaris nomine Dost thou thinke that thou art a fine man because thou hast a fine name As if they bee not called Parcae quia minimè parcunt The former part of Onesimus life was contrary to his name the latter part was correspondent to it Onesiphorus for whom Saint Paul prayes hath a name not much different from Onesimus he according to his name brought great profit to Saint Paul and all the Saints as Onesimus did after his conversion if we have good names let us verefie them by our good lives VERSE 12. THe second Plea is ex parte Pauli Who is singularly well affected to Onesimus he testifies his love to him 1. By sending him 2. By suing for him 3. By unfolding the cause of his sending Negativè Verse 13. Affirmativè Verse 14. Not as if he had sent him before but having runne away from PHILEMON hee sends him to him againe though hee could hardly have spared him It seemes it was not well done of him for Deut. 23.15 Thou shalt not deliver the servant to his Master which is escaped from his Master unto thee We must not deliver him hero irato to his Master when he is angry in a rage and fury but wee may deliver him hero placato to his Master pacified as Saint Paul here doth for hee had his wrath allayed with many sweete arguments Religion doth not overthrow politie evert the degrees of superioritie and inferioritie that be among men In CHRIST there is neither bond nor free Male nor Female we are all one in CHRIST IESUS True indeed we are all one in Christo but not in mundo in CHRIST but not in the world CHRIST hath dyed indifferently for all for servants as well as for Masters yet the degrees that be in the world must be retained and acknowledged to the end of the world Masters must have a Sovereignty over their servants and servants must subject themselves to their Masters The Angell said to Hagar being runne away from Sarah her Mistresse returne to thy dame and humble thy selfe under her hands Saint Paul here sends Onesimus to Philemon againe But how doth he send him Not with a passeport from Constable to Constable but with a letter of commendation and with a request to entertaine him I have sent him something unwillingly because I had so good use of him thou therefore receive him not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 receive him unto to thy house grace favour and mercie pardon all that is past all the wrongs hee hath done to thee raze them for ever out of the booke of thy remembrance receive him into the lap of thy love There must be a reconciliation betweene Christians all offences must be buried As the elect of God put on tender mercies forbearing one another forgiving one another as GOD in CHRIST hath forgiven us 1. GOD offers reconciliation to us If a man put away his Wife and she become another mans shall he returne againe to her thou hast played the harlot with many lovers yet turne againe to me saith the LORD And shall we be so hard hearted as not to be reconciled one to another Let us be mercifull as our heavenly Father is mercifull 2. All we doe is abominable in the sight of GOD without it If thou bring thy gift to the Altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee thou shouldest have done it before yet better late than never Lay downe thy offering not upon the Altar but before the Altar First be
abundance of rayne as made a gracious supply to the comfort of them all Saint Augustine writes of a certaine Barbarian servant which was made a Christian who never learned to read yet by three dayes prayers obteyned so much of God that he could read the bible to the admiration of those that were with him This should encourage us all to pray for our selves and others too Say on my mother sayd Salomon to Bathshebah I will not say thee nay So God by the secret inspiration of the spirit speakes to us say on my children I will not say you nay ascendit precatio descendit miseratio Wee have had the instrumentall cause now to the efficient which was Gods grace and mercy He doth not say your prayers shall merit my delivery but through your prayers I shall be given to you In the Greeke not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Gods free and undeserved goodnesse Prayer is a sacrifice well pleasing and acceptable to God I will lift up my hands as an evening sacrifice yet it is not meritorious When we have done all we can prayed as attentively as zealously as we can we are unprofitable servants and wee had need to pray to God to forgive the weakenesse of our prayers VERSE 23. THe second member of the conclusion is salutations sent to him from those which were with Saint Paul of whom the one is a prisoner the rest at libertie 24. The prisoner is Epaphras Hierom saies it is an Hebrew name Epaphras frugifer of spharah fructificare and indeed he was full of the fruits of righteousnesse by IESUS CHRIST Why may it not be a Greeke name he being a Grecian one of Colosse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expono He was a Preacher and good expositour of Scriptures a faithfull Minister of CHRIST My fellow prisoner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cuspide captus taken with the speare a captive in Warre So these were taken by the speare of Satan and Nero his bloudy instrument Before hee called him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his fellow servant now his fellow prisoner which is more for all his fellow servants were not his fellow prisoners Saint Paul gives him this as a more honourable title It is a greater dignitie to suffer for Christ then simply to believe in CHRIST It is no honour to bee fellowes in evill as Simeon and Levi were brethren in cruelty but in good and commendable things it is My fellow-Iudge my fellow-Bayliffe my fellow-Alderman especially fellow-prisoner in CHRIST IESUS To be Barabbas's fellow-prisoner is an ignominious thing but to be S. Pauls fellow-prisoner is a glorious thing Let us not be fellow-prisoners in the Divell as Traytors Thieves Murderers Iesuits but if we be fellow-prisoners in CHRIST IESUS let us rejoyce in it and glorifie God on that behalfe Vnto this may be applied the vulgar saying Est aliquid socios habuisse doloris It is a comfort to have a fellow-prisoner in a good cause They may pray together sing Psalmes together confer together edifie one another comfort one another Ieremie was alone in the Dungeon his sorrow was the greater S. Paul hath a fellow with him in prison at Rome his sorrow is the lesser VERSE 24. THe other that be at liberty are in number foure The first is Marcus Iohn was his Christen name Mark was his surname Saint Hierome interprets Mark to be sublimis High of Rum elevare To lift up he was lifted up by GOD to the Sacred Office of the Ministery There be three things that tend to his commendation 1. His consanguinity with Barnabas which was a Levite a great benefactour to the Church Saint Pauls especiall friend and is entituled the Sonne of Consolation he was his sitters Sonne 2. Is the piety of his Mother her name was Marie in whose house the Saints were assembled and prayed for Saint Peter when hee was in prison 3. His owne industry and forwardnesse in accompanying St. Paul and Barnabas whose Minister hee was yet there is one thing that is a staine in this faire cloth that is his departing from Paul and Barnabas He went not through with them in the worke left them in the plaine field and returned to Hierusalem which was an occasion of a great falling out betweene these two worthy Men. Neverthelesse by all probability he repented of it and became a more painefull labourer afterwards for at this present he was of good reputation in the Church else Saint Paul would not have set him in the forefront of his salutation The second is Aristarchus Mons operis amplioris sayes Hierome Har mons Magnaseh opus a Mountaine of a more ample worke he was of Macedonia and a Thessalonian he was Saint Pauls prison-fellow when he wrote to the Colossians but now at liberty The third is Demas Sileas sayes Hierome of Dum silere hee was dumbe and too much silent or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 popularis he was a popular Man a man-pleaser he loved the praise of men more than the praise of God Saint Paul sets a brand of infamy upon him Demas hath forsaken me and imbraced the present World But at this time he was in good account with Saint Paul otherwise he would not have done him so much honour as to place him before Luke Dorotheus reports he became an Idolatrous Priest and Cajetan cals him an Apostate But if this Epistle were written after the second to Timothie as it hath the after place then undoubtedly GOD gave him repentance he returned to CHRIST and to Saint Paul againe Insomuch as Ignatius reports that he was afterwards Bishop of Magnesia Howsoever that caveat may bee profitable for all Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall A great Starre fell from heaven the greatest of all may fall if GOD support them not with the hand of his Spirit Therefore let us all have an eye to our standing The fourth is Luke Ipse consurgens of Luz ipse Kum surgere And indeed he rose to great estimation in the Church he is low ultimus sed dignitate primus the last in place the first in dignitie He was a Syrian by Nation and of Antiochia Saint Paul his Disciple Hic est ille frater cujus laus est in Evangelio this is that brother whose praise is in the Gospell throughout all the Churches 2 Cor. 8.18 When Saint Paul sayes according to my Gospell he meanes S. Lukes Gospell He did Evangelizare calamo lingua he preached by his pen in writing a Gospell and the Historie of the Acts they be both eloquently written He preached also with his tongue as Epiphan recordeth in Dalmatia Galatia Italia Macedonia Nicephorus affirmes that he was an excellent painter another Apelles surely
time Was confirmed to us that is to our time by those that heard him some of them being still alive even in our time the Law and the Prophets were to Iohn that is to Iohn's time The Gospell in England hath beene continued to us that is to our time not by me alone which am a secondary Apostle borne out of time but by the first Apostles of all those after Christ preached to you Hebrews VERSE 4. GOD Himselfe was a witnesse to the Gospell therefore let us beleeve it But how did GOD beare witnesse to it by signes and wonders c. Then they came not from Satan but from GOD. Signa quia significant the Divine Power and Majestie of God Signes are any miracles in generall as the fleece to Gedeon c. Hezekiahs signe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prodigia quòd porrò dicant Some call them praedicidia because they doe praedicere aliquid mali terrible miracles of GOD's wrath and judgement as the striking of Ananias and Sapphira with sudden death the killing of Herod by the Angell the blindnesse of Elymas the Sorcerer but it is sometimes taken also for miracles of mercie And with diverse miracles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby the power of God is shewed to the world Act. 2.43 cap. 5.12 The distributions of the Holy Ghost 1. Because they be freely and frankly bestowed by him 2. Because liberally and bountifully vid. 1 Cor. 12.8 9 10. The reason moving him to this distribution is no merits in us but his owne blessed will his gracious goodnesse is the cause of all both of sending the Gospell by Christ and of confirming it by so many miracles and gifts There be counterfeit miracles Matth. 24.24 2 Thes. 2.9 and true miracles they may be distinguished by the matter the cause and the end 1 Sometimes they seeme to be that which they are not as the walking of spirits in Church-yards bloud in their breaden god whereas they be but a cousenage 2 They may be substantiall for the matter and yet effected by a wrong cause as the Sorcerers in Egypt brought forth true Frogs c. yet by the Devill not by the finger of GOD and they may be wrought by a naturall cause which men see not nor can comprehend as they shut up Mahomet in an Iron-Chest brought him into a Temple and made it hang aloft which was done by Loadstones that the silly people were ignorant of There was a Lampe in Venus Temple that burnt continually which some thought to be a miracle whereas it was done by a certaine stone called Asbestus which was found in Arcadia 3 By the end If it be to confirme falshood it is a bad miracle Deut. 13.1 though never so glorious Whereas a true miracle is effected by the power of GOD exceedeth the bounds of Nature and is for the confirmation of the truth The Gospell at the beginning was adorned with many miracles 1. Because it seemed strange to the world a new doctrine 2. Because it seemed repugnant to the law of Moses instituted by GOD. 3. Because it could not bee proved and confirmed by naturall reasons But now since the famous miracles of CHRIST Resurrection ascension into heaven of the sending of the Holy Ghost of the spreading of the Gospell over all the world we must not still curiously gape after miracles that is reproved Matth. 12.39 Ioh. 4.48 Luk. 23.8 To the law and the testimonie Isai. 8.20 the people must resort The glory of miracles with the Papists is a note of the Church and they bragge much of their miracles they have one thousand miracles to our one Bernard the Monke restored sight to a blind man Dominicus raised up three from the dead Antoninus 38. Franciscus Xavorius the Iesuite cured many dumbe lame and blind in India As for us we have no miracles therefore ours is not the Church What of all this Iohn Baptist wrought never a miracle yet he was a good Preacher sent from God But for the determination of this point In some sence we will not deny but that miracles may be notes of the Church but here we must distinguish of notes and of miracles too One true note of the Church is the sound preaching of the Word where that is to beget men and women to CHRIST there is the Church yet miracles may bee an ornament to the Church a confirmation of it in the truth of the Gospell But what miracles 1. Not forged or counterfeit as the miracles of the Papists be their jugling being brought to light and detected to all the world but true miracles wrought by the finger of GOD. not lying wonders with the which Antichrist should come and delude the world 2. Not new miracles that came yesterday out of the mint but the old and ancient miracles of CHRIST and his Apostles are a demonstration of the Church and of the truth of the Gospell that the Gospell might be carryed more speedily throughout the world miracles were requisite at the beginning but now no such necessitie of them A wicked and crooked generation seeketh a signe Herod would faine see CHRIST that he might see some miracle done by him Let us not now gape after new miracles the miracles wherewith God honoured the Gospell at the first were sufficient for the confirmation of it to all posterity The rich man in Hell would faine have had a miracle for the saving of his brethren Lazarus must be sent from the dead to them but it was answered him they have Moses and the Prophets that is enough if we will not believe for the preaching of the word all the miracles in the world will not save us Yet the Gospell at this day has many miracles though they be not observed men are metamorphosed and changed by it of proud they become humble of Devills Saints men are raised from the death of sinne by it they that were blind in the knowledge of CHRIST are come to a cleere sight in matters of religion they that were lame and could not walke in the way to the kingdome of heaven are made to runne cheerfully in it they that were dumbe and could not speake for CHRIST are made to speake wisely and boldly in his quarrell These are excellent miracles which might procure an estimation of the Gospell in our hearts Now for so much as the LORD honoured the Gospell with so many miracles let us yeeld a reverent attention to it and not neglect so great salvation which with so many great and wonderfull miracles hath beene so much graced by GOD let us lay it up in our hearts let us frame our lives according to it that wee may feele the power and comfort of it in our hearts and be saved eternally by CHRIST in the world to come He returnes to CHRIST where 1. A farther confirmation of his deitie 2. A transition to his humanitie Verse 10. His deity is confirmed by this argument He to whom the world is subject is God the world is
sin as we have but the greatest of all is his owne goodnesse and mercy Isai. 9.6 Iohn 3.16 Both had sinned Angels and men Why was Christ made a man to dye for men and not an Angell to redeeme Angels from everlasting death because it was his owne good will and pleasure his singular love to mankinde Let us therefore magnifie him for it from generation to generation Some as Augustine observeth tooke occasion from hence to be proud and insolent See Christ tooke on him our nature not the Angels therefore we are exalted above Angels we have just cause to thinke highly of our selves As if a sick man should boast the Physitian came to my house not to my neighbours therefore I am a better man than my neighbour the reason why Christ tooke on him thy nature not the Angels was because thou wert sick of sin so were not the good Angels Neverthelesse it is a preferment to us that Christ should assume our nature to his our corruptible nature to his incorruptible as if a King should take the patcht cloake of a beggar and annex it to his royall cloake decked with Pearles and precious Stones Now as Christ hath honoured our nature in becomming man so let not us men dishonour our owne nature by drunkennesse uncleannesse covetousnesse nor by wrangling and contending one with another Christ hath graced our nature let not us disgrace it VERSE 17. WHereupon he returnes to his conclusion which he would have to be infixed in our memories I will declare thy name to my brethren which he could not doe unlesse hee were a man as his brethren are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 debuit he ought because it was his fathers will and his owne will too necessitate non coactione In all things appertaining to the substance not to the corruption of our nature He was like unto us in all things sin only excepted He was like to us in all the faculties and members of soule and body He had the same affections that we have yet unstained with sin We are sorrowfull so was He My soule is heavie to the death We are joyfull so was He Luke 10.21 In that houre Iesus rejoyced in spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We are zealous so was He the zeale of thy house hath eaten me up We are hungry so was hee Marke 3.5 Wee wonder at all things so did He. We are afraid of death so was He My soule is heavie to the death Come to the Body We are little ones grow in stature so Christ Luke 2. ult We are hungry thirsty sleepy so was He He slept in a Ship Mat. 8.24 not in a Church We are weary so was he He rested himselfe on Iacobs-Well Iohn 4 6. We dye so He died also As He is like to us so let us be like him in meekenesse patience charity in praying for our enemies Brethren All are his brethren quoad naturam the faithfull quoad gratiam Iohn 20.17 He will not be ashamed to call us Brethren at the day of judgement Mat. 25.40 and shall not we call one another brother The King and Subjects are brethren the Ministers and their People rich and poore are brethren and let us not be snapping and snarling one at another but live lovingly together as brethren Both members are unfolded in the words following that is he was a faithfull High Priest Appertaining to God In divine not in humane matters The High Priest made an attonement for the people Levit. 16. So did Christ for his people GOD and man were fallen out Christ made us friends God was displeased with us he pacified his wrath towards us which the Father by an audible voice witnessed from heaven Matth. 3.17 This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased How by the bloud of his Crosse which was Gods bloud Acts 20.28 We were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold but with the precious bloud of Christ as of a Lambe without blemish and without spot 1 Pet. 1.18 19. In many things we offend all who then can be saved our sins for number exceed the sands of the Sea the least sin is sufficient to throw us into hell without Christ. But by Christ we are reconciled to his Father and have peace with him Col. 1.20 Luke 2.14 Rom. 5.1 Oh I have sinned but 1 Iohn 2.2 Christ is the propitiation for our sins Worthy then is the Lamb the Lord Iesus to receive all glory Men at Christ-masse use to take a greater liberty to sin to quaffe swill and carowse to open the floud-gates of all impiety but the consideration of Christs comming into the world should be a bridle to restraine us from sin Christ came now to make a reconciliation for our sins and shall we plunge our selves deeper into the Sea of sin God forbid The love of Christ should constraine us to forsake sin it should not make us wallow in the filthy puddle and sinke of sin Wilt thou make much of the knife that cut thy Fathers throat David though he longed for the water of the Well of Bethlehem yet when it was brought to him by three of his Worthies he refused to drinke of it saying Is not this the bloud of the men that went in jeopardie of their lives 2 Sam. 23.17 Sin cost the bloud of Christ let us not then drinke iniquity like water VERSE 18. HEE prosecuteth the former branch touching mercy As CHRIST was like to us in nature so hee was tempted as we are Saepius ipse miser miseris succurrere disce Art thou tempted whether thou art the child of GOD or not A shrowd temptation wherewith the best men and women are shaken So was CHRIST If thou beest the Sonne of God the Devill calls it into question and would have had CHRIST to doubt of it Art thou tempted with povertie with want of things necessarie for this life So Was Christ from his Cradle to his grave he was borne in a stable laid in a cratch had not an hole to hide his head in he had no money in his purse but was faine to send to the Sea for some he kept his Passeover in an other mans chamber was buryed in an other mans grave Art thou tempted with malevolent tongues with some that are ever rayling on thee So was Christ hee was termed a Wine bibber a glutton c. Art thou tempted with sicknesse the toothach the headach the cholike the gout c. We never read that Christ was sicke because he had no sinne in him yet being clothed with our nature hee knowes what belongs to paine and will succour us in all our distresses Art thou persecuted Herod sought his life as soone as he was borne A rich man that hath a good fire continually in his house a table furnished with all delicates that lyes soft on a bed of dowlne he cannot so well pitty a poore man as one poore man may doe another CHRIST being rich would become poore he would bee a man
this heart of stone and give us an heart of flesh let us desire him by the dew of his spirit to mollifie our hearts that the heavenly doctrines exhortations and admonitions delivered to us may sinke deepely into our hearts and make a conversion of us that our hearts may melt as Iosiah's did at the hearing of the law Nothing can enter into that which is hard if the ground be hard it cannot receive the seede if the Waxe be hard it cannot take the impression of any seale and so long as our hearts remaine hard they cannot receive the immortall seed of the word nor the print of the Spirit which is GODS seale Wherefore let us be suiters to God to soften our hearts daily more and more Above all evills the Lord deliver us from hardnesse of heart for that is the ready way to hell When yee be at Sermons harden not your hearts against the vices that are reproved but tremble at the word of GOD bee grieved for your sins open the doores of your hearts to the Lord Iesus which standeth knocking at them with the hammer of his word that he may come and suppe with you in this life and you dine and suppe with him in the life to come From this hardnesse of heart he disswadeth them by the fearefull judgement of God that fell upon their fathers for it which he propounds first generally In the provocation Hebr. Meribah in the chiding and contending when the fathers chode and contended with Moses which Saint Paul calls an exacerbation or provocation because God by that was provoked to anger in so much as he became very bitter in words and deeds towards the Israelites Doe not you dance after that Pipe and walke according as they did Temptation Hebr. Massah which is expounded afterwards It is a question among interpreters to what place of the Old Testament Saint Paul heere alludeth Some referre it to that Numb 14. Where after the returne of the Spies they despaired of entring into the Land of Canaan and murmured against GOD and Moses Others to that Exod. 17. where water came out of the rock whereas before they murmured for want of water There may be some allusion to both places for the one place hath her name of the contending and tempting and is called Massah and Meribah and in the other place is contained the forme of the oath that God used Neverthelesse it were fittest to expound it generally of the stubborne and contumelious behaviour of the Israelites in the wildernesse then of any one particular temptation 1. Because he names no particular place but the wildernesse in generall 2. Because the tempting he speaketh of here lasted the whole forty yeeres 3. The word day is often taken in Scripture not for any set and prescript time but for an indefinite time a continuance of time Ioh. 8.56 Psalm 25.5 all the time that the temptation lasteth Psalm 50.15 As to day in the former verse was largely taken So here 4. Num. 14.22 It is apparant that they tempted him many times Then he describeth it by all particular circumstances belonging to it 1. By the place where this sinne was committed in the wildernesse where they were subject to innumerable dangers scarsitie of meat and drinke to the invasion of wild beasts compassed with enemies on every side yet the LORD was as a wall of fire round about them hee carryed them on Eagles wings he suffered none to doe them any wrong but reproved Kings for their sakes Notwithstanding in this place where they were continually under the wings of GODS protection they tempted him and provoked him to wrath as if the Child should scratch the nurses face when hee is in her armes VERSE 9. 2. THe parties that committed this offence were their Fathers of whom they much gloried and boasted Our fathers eat Manna in the wildernesse God made a covenant with our fathers that he would bee their God and they should bee his people The oracles of God were committed to our fathers God talked familiarly with our fathers our fathers were deepe in Gods bookes If we doe as our fathers did we cannot doe amisse I but our fathers must not alwayes bee a rule for us to follow your father 's tempted CHRIST in the wildernesse so must not you doe your father 's resisted the HOLY GHOST so must not you your father 's killed the Prophets your fathers were often ready to stone Moses so must not you The Papists at this day are the Iewes Apes they are likewise wedded to their fathers Our fathers were of this Religion therefore we will be of it our father 's kissed the Popes feete ergo Our Fathers cast off the yoke of CHRIST therefore wee will doe the same our fathers would be joynt Saviours with Christ they would merit heaven therefore we will doe the like our father 's worshipped they knew not what so we will doe But Saint Paul gives us a better rule be yee followers of me as I am of Christ 1 Cor. 11.1 If our fathers followed CHRIST let us follow them otherwise let them goe alone thy father drowned himselfe and wilt thou drowne thy selfe too The Father of lights must bee preferred before the fathers of darknesse the Father of heaven before the fathers on earth If we delight in antiquity let us do as the ancient of dayes prescribeth us let us not dote with our fathers and goe to hell with our fathers Children must bee content to heare of their fathers sinnes for the better avoyding of them If any raile of our fathers that bee dead spew out their poyson against them disgrace our fathers where there is no cause or rake up the infirmities of our fathers a◠out of graves we have just cause to be moved at it but if any in the feare and zeale of GOD admonish us of our fathers grosse and notorious offences that we stumble not at the same stones and breake our neckes as they did wee are to take it in good part and profit by it to that end doth the Apostle here make a commemoration of their fathers sinnes but doe not you tempt me as they did The quality of their sinne was a tempting and proving of him probaverunt that is causâ curiositatis exquisiverunt an possem facere Num. 11.18 God is tempted diverse wayes 1. If having meanes we neglect them fondly flying to the supposed providence of GOD if CHRIST having a paire of staires to come downe by should have cast himselfe downe from the pinnacle of the Temple he had tempted GOD. Many that be sicke would faine be well but they are resolute to use no physicke many would gladly fare well have sufficient for themselves their Wives and Children but they will not labour nor take paines that is a tempting of God 2. Men tempt God when having had evident proofe and manifest experience of his wisedome power mercy and goodnesse yet if they be driven into any streights and see no present meanes to
but as faithfull souldiers let us continue with Him to the end If we goe from Him we depart from our owne life and throw our selves into death and destruction Therefore let us tarry with Him Let us believe this our Prophet and never depart from Him VERSE 13. NOw as a Sovereigne remedy against infidelity and hardnesse of heart he prescribeth a mutuall exhortation unto them that will be as a trumpet singing in our eares to keepe us out of the sleepe of sin Call one to another as Souldiers doe in the battell Still hee persisteth in the same metaphor As souldiers when they be in the fight and conflict call one to another saying ô be of good cheere play the men start not aside cleave to your company be not afrayd of enemy the victory shall be ours So we that be CHRIST's Souldiers must stirre up and provoke one another Cast not off your confidence that ye have in CHRIST let neither Satan nor any of his instruments pull you from Christ the author and finisher of your salvation be not faint hearted but hold out to the end This mutuall exhortation one of another is amplified three kind of wayes 1. By the time when it is to be performed 2. By the occasion which is not to be neglected 3. By the end for the which it is worthy to be practised The time when is not once or twise but daily 1. We are forgetfull of heavenly matters therefore we have need to be put in mind of them every day 2. We are dull and slow in practise of them lazie horses that will scarcely go therfore we must be put forward with the spurre of dayly exhortation As Christ sayd concerning the forgiving of our brother that wee must forgive him 77. times so it may be affirmed of the exhorting of our brethren we must exhort them 77. times we must be continually exhorting them Many thinke if they have called on their brethren once or twice to pray to goe to Church c. they have done their duty I have told him of it often I will speake no more to him of it I but thou must exhort him every day That which is not effected to day may be effected to morrow gutta cavat lapidem non vi sed sape cadendo Therefore exhort him every day if thou doest no good on him yet he is left without excuse and thy reward is with God 2 To this duty of exhortation he stirreth us up by the opportunity of the time which he wishes us to lay hold of What is this day Some interpret it of the time of the Gospell which hath the name of day in regard of the great light that is in it whereas the time of the Law may be compared to the night in comparison of it But I take that to be curious Others expound this day to be the whole course of our life which in respect of the brevity of it is termed by one Diecula While our life lasteth which is but short let us exhort one another That is good counsell yet I take it not to be the direct meaning of the place By day he meaneth that gracious time wherein God stretcheth forth his armes to us in the ministery of his Word to call us unto his Kingdome We are to take the opportunity offered to us and not let it slip walke while yee have the light while our peace lasteth that we may conveniently goe one to another while we have the Scripture amongst us whereby we may learne how to exhort one another while GOD speaketh unto us by His ambassadours from whose mouth we may have instructions for a wise execution of this duty while the candle of truth shineth among us let us be carefull to exhort one another in these peaceable dayes in this flourishing time of the Gospell let this Christian duty be performed by us all 3 The third is the danger that will ensue if exhortation be omitted hardnesse of heart will grow and so our brethren shall bee incureable The which hardnesse of heart is amplified by the efficient cause of it the deceitfulnesse of sinne carrying us like a thiefe out of the way and leading us to destruction that is the nature of the word There be many to deceive us 1. We deceive our selves Iames 1. 1 Iohn 1.8 2. The Divell that sly serpent deceiveth us 3. Sin deceiveth us and that she doth three kind of wayes 1. by putting on the visard of vertue Adultery is but a tricke of youth a sweet sin that may easily bee borne withall covetousnesse is but thrift and good husbandry every man must have a care of his owne estate swearing is the part of a Gentleman of a generous and heroicall spirit they be nice fellowes base minded men that will not sweare there is no life in them drunkennesse is good fellowship they be misers that wil not spend a penny in an Ale-house we mault-men are the only companions in the world Thus we are coosened by sin 2 Sinne deceiveth us by shrouding it selfe under the coate of Gods mercy But let us not be so afrayd of sin God is mercifull he will wincke at such light sinnes as these be we shall never be called into GODS counting house for them whereas he is a severe punisher of sin even in his owne children 3 Sinne deceiveth us by custome in sinning Many sins at the first we were afrayd to commit our consciences checked us for them but in processe of time being inured to them we commit them without feare or shame A custome in sinning makes sin at the length seeme to be no sin The children of the Lacedemonians being used to stripes had no feeling of stripes and after we have beene used to sin we have no sence or feeling of sin Thus especially we come to be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sin our owne consciences feared up with an hot iron Therefore for the avoyding of this let us exhort one an other dayly that the fire and heat of exhortation may cause our hearts to melt and so keepe us from being hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sin Exhortation if it be used in time will be as a trumpet to waken our selves and others out of sin Saint Paul and Barnabas went from towne to towne exhorting the brethren Acts 14.22 Exhort one an other and edifie one another 1 Thes. 5.11 have compassion on some putting difference and others save with feare pulling them out of the fire Iude verse 22.23 But alas this duty is neglected every one for himselfe and God for us all Am I my brothers Keeper I will looke to my owne soule as well as I can what have I to doe with my brothers soule Let not us that be Christians have such a thought in us Let us as the Scripture willeth us exhort one an other dayly labour to preserve one an other from being hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sin and let us be as Bells to toll one another to the
sinnes of all the faithfull on him he feared the wrath of his Father yet without any diffidence or distrust He was in a wonderfull perplexity and perturbation as ever any was the power of the deity for a time suppressed thinking himselfe as it were forsaken of his Father God plucked him out of this feare sending an Angell to comfort him and strengthning him himselfe This is no disparagement to CHRIST because hee was a true man It is not in vaine to pray for God will heare us If not ad voluntatem yet ad utilitatem He doth not hearken so much to the externall cry of the throate for Esau cryed but obteined not the blessing Baals Priests cryed from morning to noone but were not heard he hearkens to the internall cryes of his Spirit in his Children 1 Ioh. 5.14 So he heard Anna Hezekiah David the Nine vites when they cryed unto him He heard Daniel Dan 9.23 and Cornelius prayers were in remembrance with God VERSE 8. THe second fruit is his learning by it 1. The Scholler 2. The Lesson 3. The Schoole-master Though he were a Son equall with his Father Phil. 2.6 by those his sufferings hee learned what obedience meant experimento didicit Cajetan hee felt by experience what it was to obey Christ learned as he was man as Luk. 2. ult Afflictions are very profitable for us It is good for me sayes the Psalm that I have beene afflicted that I might learne thy statutes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qua nocent docent In prosperity we are as Calves Oxen and fat Horses kicking against our master pursuing eagerly after the sinfull pleasures and profits of this world but aduersity makes us to retyre home to God and submit ourselves to him by unfained repentance in their affliction they will seeke me early When a Scholler in the Schoole is under the rod he will cease then to play rex he wil cry peccavi keep in his seat afterwards and apply himselfe to his booke So afflictions will make us to consider our wayes and apply our selves wholly to the obedience of Gods word and will VERSE 9. COnsecrate to God and approved of God Hebr. 2.10 Authour Good workes are the fruits of faith seales of our election and pledges of our salvation but Christ is the Authour Eternall Not as some that are saved from the Gallowes and after dye Vnto all To Lazarus and Abraham Iewes and Gentiles rich and poore c. Obey Not to those that talke of him nor heare him in the preaching of the Gospell as 2 Thes. 1.8 but to those that obey him Why doth hee not say to them that believe because obedience is the touchstone of faith As the tree is knowne by the fruits So faith by obedience As Christ obeyed Verse 8. So must we Our Saviour Christ is the Author of salvation not to all that talke of him c. It is a good thing to come to Church heare the Word receive the Sacraments c. Yet we must not set down our staffe here for if we will obtaine eternall salvation wee must obey him Every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall not enter into the kingdome of heaven but hee that doth the will of my Father Not the hearers of the law but the doers of it shall be justified Obedience is better than sacrifice As a Physition is the cause of health to those patients that will follow his directions and obey him So CHRIST is the Authour of salvation unto all those that obey him Let us examine our obedience Christ wils us to avoid sins that cause his Gospell to be ill spoken of by good workes to adorne it to stop the mouthes of the adversaries c. Doe we so doth not drunkennesse covetousnesse pride malice and uncleannes abound As they said and promised to Iosua So let us to Christ. Whatsoever thou commandest us we will doe and whither soever thou sendest us we will goe Doth Christ command us to abandon covetousnesse which is Idolatry and the roote of all evill then let us not be glewed to the world Doth he forbid us drunkennesse malice pride c. Let us have no fellowship with these unfruitfull workes of darkenesse but rather reproove them let us forsake father and mother c. and follow him for without obedience there is no salvation How must we obey him 1. Fully The young man in the Gospell most proudly vaunted that he had kept all the Commandements from his youth let us endeavour that wee may say so in truth and sincere heart and as Zachary and Elizabeth let us walke in all the Commandements and ordinances of the Lord blamelesse 2. Cheerefully GOD loves a cheerefull giver I was glad sayes the Psalm When they sayd let us goe up into the house of the Lord Psal. 122.1 3. Constantly A runner hath not the prize till hee come to the Gole A Taylour hath not his wages till the garment bee finished A Traveller hath not his money till he come to his journeys end Here we are as Children 1 Cor. 13. growing higher and higher in knowledge faith love obedience c. Let us hold out to the end running constantly in the way of obedience that we may have eternall salvation VERSE 10. COgnominatus That his sacrifice being finished he hath this glorious title given him of God Perfectly So we are called Priests now but then more justly offring the sacrifice of praise for ever Hitherto of the lawfulnesse of his Priest-hood Now he is to proceede to the excellency of his Priest-hood whereunto that he might the better stirre them up to attention he useth a new preface to prepare their hearts and mindes to it There be two lets that hinder him from an immediate proceeding to it The one in the matter to bee delivered the other in the persons to whom it is to bee delivered In the matter there bee too branches the multiplicity and the difficultie of it In the hearers there is dulnesse which is to bee removed proved by the effects They that have gone long to the Schoole and have profited but little are dull Schollers but yee have gone a long time to Schoole and profited but little which hee proveth first simply then comparatively They that must yet bee taught the principles of Religion have profited but little but you must yet bee taught the principles of Religion 2. They that stand in need of milke and are not capable of strong meat have made small growth in Christianity you neede milke Both the members are severally ratified in the next words by shewing to whom milke appertaineth and to whom strong meat appertaineth VERSE 11. OR in the Neuter Gender of the which thing of Christ being a Priest after the order of Melchizedec Much speech a long speech that can hardly bee shut up in a narrow roome it must have a large field to walke in Concerning the person of Melchizedec and of Christ too what manner of man Melchizedec was and why Christ
of faith faith of Christ and Christ of the kingdome of heaven therefore let us shew all diligence in them to the full assurance of the hope of eternall life But how long must we be diligent Not for a time but to the end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 referre it to the verb show that yee may shew the same diligence to the end holding out in the race of Christianity to the end of your life So run that ye may obtaine It is a folly to run at all unlesse we run to the end a folly to fight at all unlesse we fight to the end Remember Lots Wife she went out of Sodom but because she looked back she was turned into a pillar of Salt Let not us be diligent for a time but to the end we must be working to our lives end so long as any breath is in our body it is not enough to bee young Disciples but we must be old Disciples as Mnason was as we have beene diligent in prayer almes-deeds in hearing of Sermons in crucifying of sinne so we must be diligent to the end hold that which thou hast lest another take thy Crowne be faithfull to the end and I will give thee the Crowne of life VERSE 12. THat yee be not slothfull like the sluggard yet let mee lie a while in the bed of sinne Let us shake off all slothfulnesse and be not weary of well doing like lazie travellers that will goe no further If we served a bad master that either would not or could not reward us for our service then there were some cause why we should be slothfull we serve a most loving rich and bountifull master therefore let us not be slothfull Diligent servants may be a spurre to them that be negligent Marke such a one be thou like him So St. Paul to whet this diligence propounds worthy examples to them He doth not simply say be yee followers of the Saints but hee points out the vertues wherein we must follow them Examples prevaile much Though wee should rather live by lawes then by examples yet examples have a mervailous attractive power The Iewes especially were carryed away with examples therefore the Apostle propoundeth some to them We honour the Saints non adoratione sed imitatione we doe not make gods of them but we imitate the vertues that were in them there is exemplar primarium secundarium 1 Cor. 11.1 CHRIST is certum indubitatum exemplar he knew no sinne therefore we may be bold to follow him in all things the which hee did as man Wee must not follow him in his fasting forty dayes in walking on the Sea c. but follow him in his humility modesty patience c. In these things wee may follow Christ without exception but the holyest men of all have sometimes beene exorbitant therefore we must follow them with limitation They were laughed at that counterfeited a kinde of purblindnesse to follow Alexander that imitated Plato in his crooked shoulders when they goe straight let us follow them but when they goe crooked let them goe alone Wee must not follow Noah in his immoderate drinking David in adultery and murther Peter in denying CHRIST we must tread in their good steps not in their evill wee must imitate them in faith and patience c. Faith inlayed with charity is regina virtutum Temperance meekenesse patience c. are the maidens of honour that waite upon her By faith wee live the just man shall live by his faith that is his life By patience we possesse our soules after wee begin to live in CHRIST Patience is a pillar for the just to leane upon while he liveth By Faith we have an interest into the kingdome of heaven by patience we saile through the tempestuous Sea of this world till we come to the haven of rest By Faith we apprehend the promises which is a metonymie whereby is meant the joyes of heaven promised to us patience is an yron pillar to uphold us against all crosses and afflictions Patience is a most necessary vertue yee have need of patience Hebr. 10.36 A Souldier hath need of his armour So have we in this warfare of the armour of patience Here is the patience of the Saints Apoc. 14.12 if yee bee Saints yee must have patience many are the troubles of the righteous these are they that came out of great tribulation Apoc. 7.14 Wee cannot get to heaven without tribulations therefore wee must have patience by the way Innumerable are the crosses we meete withall crosses in our soules bodies many sicknesses and diseases in our goods they may be taken away by thieves fire and other casualities in our names wee must passe through good report and evill report What godly man lives without his crosse therefore we have need of patience to beare them all I but what is patience many talke of it that know it not In Christian patience there must be these foure things 1. Not a Stoicall apathie a sencelesnesse a blockishnes that it should be as pleasant a thing to us to be in equuleo as in lecto Christ Himselfe felt paine his soule was heavy to death and Christians feele paine in their afflictions but they patiently endure it they are not overcome with it 2. If we suffer any misery it must be in a good cause Thieves by land and Pyrats by Sea suffer much hard-ship Catiline did patiently abide cold and other extremities yet hee was not patient Baals Priests endured cutting and slashing and covetous misers and earth-wormes will endure much to get money yet that is no patience miranda est duritia sed neganda patientia Patience must be in a good cause in Christs quarrell and in the suffering afflictions imposed on us by God else it is no patience 3. In our sufferings there must be a good affection and a good end Saul was patient when men despised him he gave them not a word but that was in policie not in Christianity Some have patience perforce because they cannot be avenged they have no power to doe it that is dissimulation not patience and some suffer much for vaine glory as Heretickes have done but wee must suffer for Gods glory for the magnifying of him and his Gospell that is right patience to keepe faith and a good Conscience 4. Our patience must be continuall As our crosses are perpetuall while wee are in this world So our patience must bee perpetuall Wee must dye with patience in our mouthes patientia est honestatis ac utilitatis causâ voluntaria ac diuturna perpessio rerum arduarum Cicer. Take the Prophets sayes Saint Iames as an ensample of patience But I will commend one example to you instead of many Take our SAVIOUR CHRIST for an ensample of patience that endured such contradiction of sinners As his life was full of miseries from his cradle to his grave so was it full of patience He was reviled and reviled not againe he was called Beelzebub
and a friend of publicans and sinners yet he gave never an ill word againe Hee was buffeted spit on blindfolded whipped a crowne of thornes was set on his head and was pittifully nay led to the Crosse yet he tooke all patiently Father forgive them they know not what they doe Let us bee followers of him hee knew no sinne there was no cause in him why he should be so handled yet was patient We deserve many calamities by our sinnes and shall wee bee impatient Shall not wee take our afflictions patiently patientia est pars fortitudinis a Christian must be knowne by his sufferings ferendo magis quà m feriendo Wee must overcome all our enemies Sundry there be that professe they will put up no wrong they will suffer no injuries at no mans hands I but if we be Christians we must bee patients not agents in evill Ought not Christ to suffer and so to enter into his glory Wee must goe to glory by suffering as Christ did Let us therefore be followers of them that by faith and patience inherite the promises Remember the patience of Iob and what an end the Lord made the end of patience is comfortable therefore let us all bee patient that we may inherit the promises by faith and patience in this life and have the full fruition of them to our everlasting glory in the life to come The reverent opinion and charitable perswasion that the Apostle hath of the Hebrewes Verse 9. is grounded on two arguments 1. From the consideration of the graces wherewith they were adorned 2. From the contemplation of Gods promise wherein 1. A narration of the promise which is as the text 2. An exposition of it or a commentary on the text that consists of two parts 1. An explanation of the oath whereby the promise was confirmed 2. An application of it to us 1. In regard of the end which is the comfort of the faithfull 2. In regard of the effect that ariseth from it a certaine hope of eternall life Where 1. A description of hope 2. A confirmation of it by an argument from the relatives It is described by the similitude of an ancre where 1. The qualities of the ancre 2. The power of it In the end 1. What mooved GOD to it 2. The force and efficacie of it VERSE 13. HEE insists in one speciall example which of all other is most famous Both because Abraham was the father of the faithfull and the Iewes boasted exceedingly of him Here we have 1. A narration of Gods ancient promise made to Abraham 2. His patient expectation of it In the narration 1. A declaration of the promise 2. The confirmation of it namely by an oath 3. The matter of the promise that was so confirmed by an oath Verse 14.4 The performance of it which is 1. set downe then amplified by the time when Verse 15. Abraham by faith and patience inherited the promise bee yee followers of him in faith patience that yee may inherit the joyes of heaven promised unto you The promise was ratified by an oath where we have 1. The person by whom hee sware which was himselfe 2. The reason why hee sware by himselfe because hee could not sweare by a greater Wee must sweare by the greatest of all there is none greater than God therefore he sware by himselfe being God Object GOD the Sonne might have sworne by the Father my Father is greater than I. So in regard of Christs Humanity the Father is greater than he but in regard of the Deity they be equall none greater than another VERSE 14. HEre wee have the matter of the promise that was ratified by an oath Verily Sanè answering to ci Hebr. Some interpret it nisi except it is an aposiopesis Let me never bee believed any more In blessing I will blesse thee That gemination sometimes signifies the certainty of the thing morte morieris thou shalt surely dye Some interpret it with a double blessing temporall and spirituall here it signifies plenitudinem for the certainty was expressed before The performance of the promise is set downe in this Verse VERSE 15. THere were three things promised to Abraham the land of Canaan a great and populous posterity and Christ the Saviour the world For the first Hebr. 11.9 he sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange country dwelling in tabernacles with Isaak and Iacob the heires with him of the same promise For the second while he was alive he had but a small seede and as for the third Christ came not many hundred yeares after yet all these he enjoyed by faith he saw the day of Christ and was glad Hee was an hundred yeere old before hee had a child When he had him he was commanded to sacrifice him yet by faith hee stood and by patience obtained the promise we must believe under hope above hope as he did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being of a long suffering minde and looking to things that were long to come As patience in Abraham went before the enjoying of the promise So we must patiently endure before we obtaine the promised inheritance of glory and happinesse Patience is an excellent thing The Philosophers though in other things they jarred yet they agreed in the commendation of patience Tertul. God will take the part of a patient man If any offer thee injurie he is ultor if thou hast any losse he is restitutor if thou beest grieved he is medicus if thou beest put to death he is restitutor Tertul. The patient abiding of the poore shall not alwayes bee forgotten There is nothing lost by patience Yee remember the patience of Iob and what end the Lord made The end of patience is comfort It may begin with a Tragedie but ends alwayes with a Comedie The husbandman is faine to have much patience before he have his corne into the barne with great toile and wearying of his body hee plowes his ground harrowes it casts his seede into the earth hee knowes not whether he shall see it any more but rests patiently on Gods providence The Merchant is faine to have much patience before hee can mount up to any wealth many a storme and tempest he endures on the Sea often in danger of his life The Clothyer must have much patience in buying of his wooll in making of it out in selling of his cloth he is faine to stand to many casualities yet hope of a convenient gaine in end makes him with cheerefulnesse to passe through them all They doe it for earthly things that are here to day and gone to morrow and shall not we be patient for heavenly treasures for a kingdome that cannot be shaken but is eternall in the heavens Bee patient a while passe through poverty sicknesse malevolent tongues and all other calamities in this life that wee may at the length be taken up into that place where we shall have need of patience no more for all teares shall be wiped away
and it is good for Preachers to draw their matter into a summe We have such a worthie High Priest as all the High-Priests in the Law were not worthy to be named with him the same day Then he comes to shew his magnificence Hee doth not say standeth as a Lord Earle Duke may stand by a King bare-headed but sitteth Indeed Act. 7.5 6. he is said to be standing on the right hand of God but then he is seene standing as ready to pull Stephen out of the jawes of his enemies He doth not sit at his foot-stoole but at his hand not at his left hand but on the right hand God the Father as Prince and Potentate sitteth on his throne and Christ sitteth by him Of that Majestie which excelleth the Majesty of all the Kings in the world either Majesty is put for Majesticall Prince to whom is due Majesty Iude 25. or it may be an Hebraisme the throne of the Majesty for a majesticall throne Not in earth but in heaven In the heavens where there bee many mansions and in them hee prepareth a place for us The High-Priests in the time of the Law sate in Moses chaire heere upon the earth but our High-Priest sitteth in Gods chaire in heaven and thinkes it no robbery to bee equall with God In this respect he is not only higher than all the Priests in the Law but higher than the Angels Here hee sitteth as a ruler for the welfare of his Church From hence it cannot be gathered that Christ's body is every where because Gods right hand is every where for this his sitting is restrained to a place namely to heaven Stephen saw him in heaven Acts 7.55 Love is an excellent vertue because it is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the whole Law The Lords prayer carries away the bell from all prayers because that is the summe of all the prayers that can be made by all men in the world Here we have the summe of this large and famous epistle Therefore let it be reverently regarded and diligently marked by us all This may bee a singular comfort to us that wee have such a mightie High-Priest as hath all power in heaven and earth The High-Priests here on the earth were controlled by Kings and Princes Salomon deposed Abiathar and Saul put Abimelech to death but this our High-Priest is above all the Kings and Princes in the world they must all cast downe their Scepters at his feete hee can take the breath out of their nostrils when hee pleases In what an happy ease are we that have such a LORD protectour of the Church He may suffer us to be tryed as gold in the furnace of affliction but he will not suffer us to perish at the length he will deliver us out of the hands of all our enemies only let us have a care so neere as we can not to displease this our high-Priest As the people were obedient to the high-Priest in the time of the Law So let us be to our high-Priest in the time of the Gospell kisse the Sonne least he be angry and yee perish from the way All Papists kisse the Popes feete yea Kings Princes and Emperours But let us all from the highest to the lowest in meekenesse and humility kisse this our high-Priest that sitteth at the right hand of the throne of the Majestie in the heavens and he will defend us from all enemies whatsoever VERSE 2. THe second argument Those high-Priests were Ministers of an earthly Sanctuary this of an heavenly Ergo more glorious than they Of the Sanctuary The Greeke is Ambiguous of the masculine or neuter gender Some interpret it Minister of the Saints So indeed he is not the Angels alone but Christ Himselfe is our Minister O unspeakable honour Rather as the word is taken in this Epistle of the Holies that is of the Sanctuary the Holy of Holies Hebr. 9.12 and 24. The place where he Ministers is Heaven there he appeares in the sight of God for us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 publicus and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui facit opus publicum So are the Angels Hebr. 1.14 the Magistrate Rom. 13.4 The third argument hee that hath the more worthy Sacrifice is the more worthy Priest Christ's sacrifice is more worthy Ergo. This sacrifice is set forth to us 1. Figuratively 2. Properly Figuratively it is resembled to a Tabernacle Some by Tabernacle understand heaven too as well as the Sanctuary but rather by it is meant the body of our Saviour Christ. 1. It is not like that in so few words he would use a tautology 2. The Tabernacle was for the Priests not for the High-Priests 3. The reason following Verse 3. doth evince that by the Tabernacle is signified the body of Christ wherewith hee did sacrifice It is an usuall thing to resemble the body to a Tabernacle 2 Cor. 5.1 2. 2 Pet. 1.13 14. As a man dwelleth in an house or Tabernacle So doth the soule in the body And as God dwelt in the Tabernacle among the Iewes so doth the deity dwell in the humanity of Christ therefore it hath the name of a Tabernacle This similitude is fitly introduced by the Apostle As the high-Priest by the Tabernacle went into the Sanctum Sanctorum so Christ by his body offered on the Crosse went into heaven Hebr. 9.11 Hence it is that Christ's body is compared to a Temple Ioh. 2.21 to a vaile Heb. 10.20 This Tabernacle is illustrated by an adjunct and the efficient cause The other was but a counterfeit to this True is not opposed to false that was not a forged Tabernacle it was of Gods institution and made by his direction But it is called the true Tabernacle as Christ may be called the true David Salomon Melchizedec the true Manna that came from heaven Iohn 6.32 And as the picture of a man is nothing to the man himselfe So that Tabernacle was but a picture of this this is the true Tabernacle indeed The shadow of the Sun in the water is not the Sunne that is the true Sun that is in the firmament so that was but a shadow of this Tabernacle this is the true Tabernacle 2. It is illustrated by the efficient cause Moses Aholiab Bezaleel and other artificers pight that Tabernacle which were mortall men though they did it by Gods appointment this Tabernacle was framed immediately by God Himselfe the body of our Saviour Christ was conceived by the Holy Ghost The name of a Minister is no base name seeing Christ being now in heaven doth not thinke scorne of it He was a Minister of the circumcision when he lived on the earth and he is a Minister of the Sanctuary now in heaven Therefore let none have a base opinion of the name and office of the Ministers Christ is the head Minister and we inferiour Ministers under him therefore let us be reverently regarded for his sake There by presenting of his owne sacred body
hath borne the sinnes of us all therefore let us not feare death 2. It is but a sleepe Lord if hee sleepe then shall hee doe well enough Men are refreshed after sleepe so we after death Apoc. 3.14 13. There bee two benefits which wee shall receive by death 1. Wee shall rest from our labours Here wee are like Noahs Dove wee can finde no rest either day or night wee shall rest from the workes of our calling Now indeed wee are early up in the morning sit up late at night and eate the bread of carefulnesse all the day long but then wee shall rest from that toiling and moiling wee shall rest from the workes of piety and Religion All that wee shall doe then will bee to sing Hallelujahs to our blessed redeemer Wee shall rest from sinne wee shall no longer cry out like tyred Porters Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver mee from this body of death We shall rest from all miseries and sicknesses cry out no more my head my head nor complaine of troubles in our selves Wives Children or servants Wee shall rest from weaknesses and infirmities Now wee eate drinke sleepe c. but then wee shall eate of the tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God and never hunger or thirst any more 2. Their workes follow them our labour is not in vaine in the Lord. The almes of Cornelius the garments of Dorcas the Centurions Synagogue a Cup of cold water given in CHRIST 's name shall be rewarded so that we may sing like a Swanne before our death as St. Paul did 2 Tim. 4.8 henceforth there is layd up for mee a Crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall give mee at that day and not to me only but unto them also that love his appearing 4. Comfort against death is a glorious resurrection Iob 19.25 26.27 Phil. 3. Christ's glorious body Our bodies putrifie in the earth yet there is not an end of them We have praeludia in the Old and New Testament the Widow of Sareptas Son raysed up by Elias the Sonne of the Shunamitish Woman by Elisha In the New Testament Christ raised up three the one in domo Iairus daughter the other in feretro on the Beare the Widdowes Sonne of Naim the third in Sepulchro that was Lazarus which had lyen foure dayes and began to stincke all which are pledges of our resurrection The same God that raised them up will raise us up at the last day Death goes not alone there is one that followes her and that is judgement Iudgement either of absolution for the godly come yee blessed of my Father or of condemnation for the wicked goe yee cursed into c. If there were no judgement after death the godly of all others were most miserable and if no judgement the ungodly were the happiest men But let us know that after death comes a judgement one way or other salvation or damnation We must all appeare before the judgment seate of Christ c. The drunkard must give an account of his drunkennesse the covetous man how he hath imployed his riches we must give an account of our oppressions thefts secret or open of our negligent comming to Church and contempt of the Word of God Let this cause us with a narrow eye to looke into our lives let us judge our selves in this world that wee bee not condemned hereafter Yet there bee a number in the Church that thinke it a scare Crow and make a mocke at this judgement as the Athenians did at the resurrection Acts 17.32 they will believe the Assizes at Bury and in other places but count this a tale of a tub Felix though a wicked man trembled at it Let us all tremble at the naming of this judgement Let it be a meanes to pull us from sin and to make our peace with God in this world that we may stand without trembling before the Sonne of man Iudgment followes upon the neck of death either come thou blessed or goe thou cursed The good thiefe the same day he dyed was with Christ in Paradise that was his judgment the rich man the same day he dyed was in hell in torments that was his judgement Wherefore whilest wee have time let us repent while God giveth us a breathing time on the face of the earth for when death commeth it is too late then there is no mercy but judgement to be expected While we be alive Christ knocketh at the doore of our hearts with the hammer of his Word if we will open to him he will sup with us and we shall sup with him in the kingdome of glory but if now we shut him out and will not suffer him to enter he will shut us out and though we cry Lord Lord with the foolish Virgins he will not open to us VERSE 28. AT the which offering he dyed To take away not existentiam peccati but reatum dominium paenam Of many Matth. 26.28 he dyed for all sufficienter What is CHRIST dead and gone then wee shall never see him againe Yes he shall appeare in the heavens with his mighty Angels Without sinne Why the first time he appeared without sinne for He knew no sinne I but then hee came with his fraile body to offer up for sinne Verse 26. Now he shall appeare with no more sacrifice for sinne Then he came as a Lamb to be slaine for sin now as a King and a Lion Then he came as a Priest with a sacrifice to offer now as a Iudge to sit on the Throne To the salvation of the godly but to the damnation of wicked and reprobate men Here is another argument against the Masse Men may as well dye often ordinarily as Christ be offered up often As this is an unmoveable truth that a man ordinarily dies but once So this is a firme position in Divinity that CHRIST can be but once offered properly But to whom shall the day of Iudgement be comfortable to them that are weary of the loade of sin and looke for their deliverer Phil. 3.20 Tit. 2.13 2 Pet. 3.12 The mother of Sisera looked out at a window for the comming of her Sonne So we the spirituall mother brethren and sisters of Christ must looke out at the window of our hearts for him A Woman lookes for her Husband and we look to our money our Sheepe and Oxen but we looke not for Christ. It is to be feared if he were a comming we would entreat him to tarry still and say with the devills why art thou come to torment us before the time hee is our deliverer let us looke for him as faithfull servants for their masters and say come LORD IESU come quickly The second comming of CHRIST is here notably described 1. He shall come potenter because it is said he shall appeare 2. Innocenter without sinne 3. Finaliter to them that looke for him 4. Vtiliter to salvation He
in token of that his voluntary service But hee could not have his eares prepared for the doing of the will of his Father unlesse he had a body Therefore the Seventie to make it more cleere sayes a body hast thou prepared for me wherein I should doe thee service and suffer for mankinde And because all the Sacrifices in the Law could not take away sin therefore was this body of Christ prepared by the Lord that should be sacrificed for the sins of the world No other sacrifice was able to make satisfaction to Gods justice for the sins of men Verse 10. There is joy when any man child commeth into the world but much more have we all cause to skip for joy at Christ's comming into the world Vnto us a child is given to us a Sonne is borne behold I bring you tidings of great joy sayd the Angel to the Shepheards when Christ came into the world The Angels sung at his comming which needed not to be redeemed by him and shall not we men sing for his comming for whose redemption he came into the world it had beene better for us we had never set a foot into the world if he had not come into the world Therefore let us praise God all the dayes of our life for his comming into the world When he commeth into the world that was the maker of the world For by him all things were made nay that which is more when hee commeth into the world that was the Saviour and redeemer of the world that reconciled the world to God and yet found no kind entertainment in the world he was rayled at spitted on buffetted whipped crucified he came into the world but the world received him not And shal we that be Christians imagine to find any kindnes in the world it hated the Head and wil it love the members no we must look to have a step-mother of the world as Christ had we must looke for crosses and afflictions in the world as he had As Christ came into the world so in the time appointed by the Father he went out of the world again and so must we There is a time to be borne and a time to dye as we came into the world so we must go out of the world Where we came we may know but where we shall go out we cannot tel Let us glorifie Christ while we be here that at our departure out of the world we may live with him in eternall glory He saith not so soone as he came into the world when he lay in the cratch but he said in the time of his humiliation in the world And how came he into the world after a base and ignominious manner borne of a poore woman affianced to a Carpenter that was brought to bed in a stable in the Inne where hee was laid in a Manger wrapped up in meane swadling clouts This was the manner of his first comming contemptible in the eyes of the world But his second comming shal be most glorious when he shall come in the clouds with all his holy Angels attending on him Now he came as a Lamb to be killed therefore he came meanely then he shall come as a Lion and a King to reigne for ever Therfore that shall be a glorious comming it shall be terrible to the wicked but most comfortable to us that be the wife of the Lord Iesus A true body made of a Woman the fruit of her Wombe as ours is not an aerie or phantasticall body as some Heretickes dreamed A body in all substantiall things like to ours differing only in one accidentall thing and that is sinne him that knew no sinne did God make sinne for us God ordained him a soule too The deity did not supply the office of his soule as Apollinaris did imagine he had a true soule too as we have wherein he suffered for our sakes my soule is heavy to the death But because the body is conspicuous so is not the soule and because he was to dye in his body he could not dye in respect of his soule therefore the spirit of God nameth that God hath ordained a body for every man but a more speciall and excellent body for our Saviour Christ a body conceived not by the conjunction of a man and a woman but extraordinarily by the Holy Ghost that being a most pure and sacred body not infected with the least spot and contagion of sinne it might be a propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of the world Ours are most wretched and sinfull bodies that because they are poysoned with sin must one day see corruption and bee consumed to dust and ashes Lazarus body did stincke when it lay foure dayes in the earth Ours in regard of sin are stincking bodies but Christ's was a most glorious body and for that cause saw no corruption Absalom had a beautifull body yet a wretched body Saul had a comely body yet a miserable body The body of the fairest Lady on earth is a vile body only Christ's was a glorious body The Martyrs bodies that were burnt for the profession of the Gospell were in some respect to be honoured because they were the Temples of the Holy Ghost and sealed up the truth of the Gospell with their bloud yet all their bodies joyned together nor the bodies of all the holy men in the world could make satisfaction for one sinne therefore God ordained Christ a body for this purpose to be offered up for the sins of us all As for our bodies let us labour to offer them up as a lively sacrifice to God in all obedience to him in this life that Christ may change them and make them like his glorious body in the life to come VERSE 6. THe reason why thou hast prepared this body for me is because in burnt offerings and sinne offerings thou hadst no pleasure These would not content thee therefore I come with my body into the world Supply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here he reckons up two other sacrifices used in the Law which God likewise rejected Loa shealta 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The sense is all one VERSE 7. FReely of mine owne accord as 1 Reg. 22.21 Isai. 6.8 as an obedient child sayes to his father loe I come father if it be to preferment a man will say loe I come but if it be to the Gallowes for another who will say loe I come Why because in the beginning of thy booke that mooved him to it that the things written of him might be performed Hebr. Bimgillath in volumine in the scrowle For the Bible with the Iewes as it is at this day was wrapped up in a scrowle not printed as it is among us Megillath of Galal volvere The Seventie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which hath bred diversity of interpretations Some referre it to the beginning of the Psalmes Psalm 1.2 whereas that is spoken of all the godly others to the first verse in all the Bible In the
made and that immediately with his owne hands 2. Satan the enemy of mankinde did now but begin to peepe out of the window he was not as yet knowne Adam had no experience of him therefore it is like that GOD would bee mercifull to him that was first circumvented by him Iren. l. 3. c. 34.35 3. God cursed not Adam but the earth Gen. 3.17 he is none of those cursed ones to whom CHRIST shall say at the latter day ite maledicti c. 4. When Adam and Eve had sinned they covered themselves with figge leaves which are sharpe and pricking thereby declaring their true repentance as Chrysostome observeth 5. As God made them a promise of CHRIST to come the seed of the woman c. So it is most likely that they layd hold on that promise by the hand of Faith for they brought up their children in the exercises of Religion to offer sacrifice as a figure of the true Lamb that was to be sacrificed on the Crosse for the sinnes of the world Externall sacrifices of Religion have beene practised by all in the lappe and bosome of the Church from the beginning of the world Cain did not refuse to sacrifice he offered a sacrifice as his brother did they therefore that contemne the exercises of Religion that will not come to church offer up the sacrifice of prayse and prayer with the rest of their brethren are worse than Caine. 2. Here wee see that opus operatum is not sufficient It is not enough to doe a good worke which GOD requireth at our hands but wee must performe it in such a manner as the Lord requireth we must not only doe bonum but bono The Pharisee prayed in the Temple and the Publican prayed the prayer of the one was acceptable of the other abominable The Pharisees heard CHRIST preach and many of the common people heard him preach to the one it was the savour of life to life to the other of death unto death Simon Magus was baptised and gave up his name to CHRIST and Lydia was baptised the one sincerely the other in Hypocrisie Peter received the Passeover and Iudas received it to the one it was honey to the other poyson The Pharisees gave almes and Cornelius The one went up into remembrance before God the other did not So Cain sacrificed and Abel sacrificed yet GOD had respect to the one not to the other Therefore we had need to beware with what minde and affection we doe good things It is not enough to come to Church to professe CHRIST to heare Sermons to receive the Holy Communion to offer up the sacrifice of thankesgiving with the congregation but wee must doe these things with a sincere heart da mihi cor not for fashion sake to be well thought of among men to be counted devout and religious persons but we must doe them in faith to glorifie God withall Againe here it is apparent to us all that God hath a care of his Children even when they be dead hee will revenge their bloud and the injuries offered to them when they be gone He remembred what Amaleck had done to Israel many yeeres after the dogs licked up Iesabels bloud a good while after Naboth was slaine Hierusalem that killed the Prophets and stoned them that were sent unto her doth now drinke deepe of the cup of Gods vengeance Abel was dead his body raked up in the earth yet his bloud spake and God heard it he set a brand of his indignation on Cain for it therefore let us take heed how we offer any wrong to God's Saints especially how we imbrew our fingers in their bloud Though they be dead and no man living will follow the Law against us yet God will proceede as a just Iudge against us This should encourage us to serve such a loving and carefull Master as GOD is sleeping and waking living and dying he takes us under the wing of his protection VERSE 5. 1. A Narration of Enoch his translation with all the circumstances belonging to it 2. A confirmation of it Verse 6. That Abel was made famous by faith he hath shewed in the Verse going before Now he comes to Enoch who also by vertue of faith is renowned in all ages None can please God but by faith Enoch pleased God and in token thereof he was translated into heaven Therefore Enoch was justified by faith In his translation there are these branches 1. The cause of it which was faith 2. The end of it that he should not see death 3. An effect of it he was no more found 4. The author of it which was God 5. The reason why because he pleased God Enoch was adorned with many rare and excellent vertues hee walked not after the course of the world in the broad way that leadeth to destruction but in the streight path of Gods Commandements he was full of prayers of almes deeds of fastings yet his translation is adscribed to his faith The just man lives by faith Faith is the wing whereby wee must all flie into the kingdome of heaven Hee was taken from one place and put into another from earth and placed in heaven The end There is a time to be borne and a time to dye It is appointed to all men once to dye Enoch was a man yet hee dyed not hee had a birth day but no dying day Death is a separation of the soule from the body Enoch in soule and body was taken up together into heaven this was his priviledge he escaped the axe of death that cuts of all our heads For a proofe of it he was not found in any place here upon the earth It is like that as some sought for Elias when in a fierie charret he was taken up into heaven so some sought for Enoch but he was no where to be found a writ of non inventus was returned Who tooke him away not the Devill that as some write tooke away some of the Popes but GOD Himselfe tooke him away Why For hee pleased GOD for it is twise said of him Gen. 5.22 24. that he walked with God he was no man pleaser but God pleaser The translation of Enoch is an intricate question that hath exercised the heads of many Divines Some are of opinion that he was turned of a man into an Angell but God makes no such metamorphoses In the kingdome of heaven we shall be like Angels but not Angels The greatest part of the Hebrew Rabbins doe peremptorily avouch that Enoch dyed The Hebrew phrases imply death Enoch was taken away and they that dye are taken away Psal. 39. ult Iob 32. ult Ezek. 24. God hath taken away such a neighbour of ours 2. Aenenu he was not so Gen. 42.36 I but here the Spirit of GOD avoucheth in expresse words making a Commentary of that in Genesis that he did not see death and if he had dyed as other men Moses would have shut up his life with the same clause that he
Saul in seeking of his fathers Asses lighted on a kingdome Let us seeke GOD as wee ought to doe by prayer hearing of Sermons receiving of the Sacraments by tendring our service to him in the exequution of his Lawes and he will reward us with an everlasting kingdome But how must we seeke him 1. Only Aut Caesar aut nullus him only shalt thou serve Wee must not sweare by GOD and Malchum we must not with Ahaziah seeke to Baal zebub the God of Ekron but to Iehovah the God of Israel 2. We must seeke him diligently as Saul did his fathers Asses the woman her lost Groat There must be no stone unrol led as the Ninevites who cryed with all their might 3. At all times In health in wealth in honour Hos. 5. ult In their affliction they will seeke me diligently in health as well as in sicknesse If wee have any losses by fire or water let us seeke unto God We will seeke to a man so long as wee need him we need God at all times therefore at all times let us seeke unto him 4. In time as Gal. 6.10 While we have time let us doe good unto all men but especially unto them that are of the household of faith not as the five foolish Virgins who sought too late and could have no admittance into the marriage feast VERSE 7. THe third is Noah which was both before and after the floud Whereupon some paint him like Ianus with two faces the one looking backward to the old world the other forward to the new world the last Patriarcke of the old world and the first of the new In him consider 1. A fact for the demonstration of his faith 2. A commendation of his faith His fact was the making of the Arke illustrated by the procreant cause and end thereof The procreant or impulsive cause is partly externall Gods warning partly internall a reverence he had of it The end proper accidentall the condemning of the world Then the commendation of his faith by it hee was made an heyre of the righteousnesse of Christ and so of the kingdome of heaven Noah of Nuach or Nacham quietem or consolationem his father imponit exponit nomen Genesis 5.29 hee was a type of CHRIST that brings the true peace and comfort to the world Come unto me all yee that labour and I will give you rest Ezek. 14.14 Isai. 54.9 The first motive cause that set him on worke was a warning given of GOD divino oraculo admonitus which is amplified by the object thereof namely of the destruction of the world by water and his owne preservation in the Arke These could not yet be seene because they came not of an hundred yeeres after Gen. 6.13 these things he believed though hee could not see them by his eyes and addressed himselfe to the exequution of them so the comming of CHRIST and the destruction of the world by fire is not yet seene yet because God hath given us warning of it in the Scripture we must believe it there was no likelihood at this time that the world should be drowned yet he believed it 1. It is a propertie of faith to believe the word of God though sense and reason cannot comprehend it Noah had not a foresight and knowledge of the floud by Iudiciall astrologie as Berosus affirmed by the influence of stars and conjunction of planets he had it immediately from God 2. God gives warning of his judgements The other mooving cause was internall hee did not count this a tale of a tub some old wives fable but he had a reverent regard of it ô this is a fearefull punishment which GOD will inflict on mankinde yet undoubtedly it shall come to passe hath hee said it and shall he not doe it Thus with a reverent feare he went to the making of the Arke We feare neither God nor man As a goodly vessell appointed by God Arca ab arcendo because it kept away the waters from comming to them There were three principall things commanded by GOD to bee made the Tabernacle by Moses the Temple by Salomon the Arke by Noah The Arke in sundry respects may bee preferred before the other 1. It was a making an hundred yeeres none of them so long this is probable Gen. 5. ult 7.11 Noah was five hundred yeeres old before then sixe hundred 2. It was the preservation of all the world 3. All creatures came into it of their owne accord by the secret instigation of God Almighty 4. Though they were of diverse kinds some of a more fierce some of a more mild disposition yet they continued quietlie in the Arke an whole yeere together Lions Beares Lambes Hawkes Doves Vultures c. 5. It was guided not by any art or industrie of man but by God Himselfe there was no Pilot to sit at the Sterne no Mast no Sailes no Rudders but God by His unspeakable providence kept it from the violence of the waters The proper end is taken from the deluge to come Gen. 7.1 some of them were wicked men yet they had that temporall salvation for the faith of Noah The word Arke is nearer 2. The Antithesis requires it As he and his house-hold were saved by the Arke So the world was condemned by it he condemned it by his preaching for 2 Pet. 2.5 and by his practise in making the Arke before the eyes of them all which might have brought them to repentance The commendation of his faith is by the fruit of it He was not a purchaser of this righteousnesse but an heyre of it he had it by an inheritance from the meere love and mercy of God Not which is by workes but by faith he had many excellent workes he sequestred himselfe from the world hee walked with God he built the Arke when the whole world laughed at him for his labour yet the building of the Arke nor any worke of his did make him righteous these shewed him to be a righteous man but it was his faith alone that made him a righteous man yet this faith must have workes as ye see in all these examples They are all celebrated for some famous worke or other That faith which brings forth the fruit of good workes makes us righteous Who made the Arke here it is said that Noah prepared it and Genesis 6.14 the conjunction is given to him alone Some thinke it was made by him and his three sonnes alone but there is no likelihood of that It is very probable that he got himselfe skilfull artificers to make it who though they derided the prophesie of the drowning of the world yet for money they were content to be imployed in that worke Some Carpenters Masons Plummers Glaziers may worke in the building of a Church for the enriching of themselves though they care not a halfe penny for a Church and the service of God in it Some made Noahs Arke that were not saved in it and many Ministers may prepare others for
their owne countrey as Themistocles Howsoever God dealeth with us in this world wee shall have an abundant recompence in the life to come therefore let us goe whithersoever Gâ—d shall call us as Abraham did he that forsaketh not father and mother houses and lands nay he that hateth them not for Gods sake is not worthy of him VERSE 9. 1. THe manner of his abode 2. The cause of it 1. Factum the fact 2. Motivum the motive that stirred him to it The land of promise which was so called because it was promised to him by God and that often Hee went not backe againe in a discontented minde but though hee found few outward encouragements to tarry yet hee stayes by it The manner of his abode is set forth 1. By the quality of the place 2. By the forme of his habitation How did he abide in this land not as a Lord and master in it but as a stranger it was a strange Country to him he had no house no land in it no not the breadth of a foot hee was faine to buy a piece of ground to bury his Wife in It was inhabited by a strong and mighty nation that were meere strangers to him This might have shaken his faith Is this the Country that I and my seed shall have what likelihood is there of it yet by faith he abode in it wayting for the accomplishment of Gods promise 2. What was the manner of his dwelling in it he dwelt not in a stately and magnificent Citty in a strong and defenced Castle in a costly and sumptuous house not in a Tower the height whereof reached to heaven as the Tower of Babell did not in one tent but in many remooving his tent hither and thither He dwelt in tents that were soone set up and soone pulled downe againe partly because he might be at Gods call ready to remove when hee would have him as indeed Abraham was a continuall flitter partly also because hee knew his seed should goe into Aegypt and the time was not yet come when he should have a full possession of the land of Canaan Therefore in the meane season he contented himselfe with Tents In commemoration whereof they had the feast of Tents or Tabernacles Yet he kept great hospitality in his Tent a poore house yet a rich house keeper hee sate of purpose daily at his Tent doore as a bell to toll strangers and passengers to him It was wont to be said golden Chalices and wooden Priests so now a dayes it may bee said golden houses wooden house keepers a great house a large house yet little meat in it It may be sufficient for themselves strangers nay neighbours seldome drinke of their cup a great sort of brave chimneys but little smoake in them many a Noble mans house scant smoakes once in a yeere Cornelius a Captaine had no stately house yet his almes were great Gaius had no glorious house yet an hoast to the whole Church wheresoever we dwell though in a Tent or booth yet let us doe good with that which wee have as Abraham did our house shall be the better blessed for it Abraham dwelt in a Tent yet GOD protected him from all enemies and dangers Wee never read that thieves brake into his Tent and spoyled him of that which he had In a tempest thundering and lightning the Tent was not set on fire It is better to bee in a poore cottage under Gods wing than in a magnificent Pallace without his favour Ahaziah dwelt in a sumptuous building yet hee got a fall that cost him his life Michah had a strong house yet the Danites came and tooke all in his house Lot had an house in Sodom Abraham had but a Tent yet Abraham was safer in his Tent then Lot in his house GOD kept Daniel in the Lions denne the three Children in the fiery furnace Ionah in the Whales belly hee preserved Abraham in his Tent and hee will for ever keepe his Children in the meanest Cottage in the world The manner of his dwelling in the land of promise is illustrated by his companions not he alone but Isaac and Iacob Whether he and they dwelt together in Tents at the same time cannot bee defined If wee respect Abrahams age they might for hee lived after Isaac was borne seventy five yeeres and after Iacob was borne fifteene yeeres yet whether that be the meaning of the Holy Ghost or not I dare not affirme they in their time dwelt in Tents as Abraham did in his time because the promise was made to them all to Abraham and his feed They were intailed in the promised land with their father The Canaanites had Cities and beautifull houses to dwell in Abraham Isaac and Iacob dwelt in Tents the wicked may have fairer dwellings in this world then the godly Now wee have sumptuous and magnificent buildings immediately after the floud they erected a Tower the height whereof reached to heaven The Canaanites had townes and Cities that were walled up to heaven Ahab had his Ivory pallace Nebuchadnezar his stately Babel There are many gay buildings in all places but as CHRIST said of marriage from the beginning it was not so What manner of house did Adam and Eve dwell in Abraham Isaac and Iacob these worthy and renowned Patriarcks dwelt in Tents and incommemoration hereof there was instituted among the Iewes a feast of Tents and Tabernacles which was kept with great solemnity by the space of seven dayes they sate in Boothes Let us not be too carefull nor too curious about our dwellings Our Saviour Christ the Lord of all had not an house to hide his head in at his dying day he commended his mother to Saint Iohn who tooke her home to his house There is as free a passage to heaven out of a poore beggarly Cottage as out of a Kings Pallace Let us not spend too much cost about our earthly houses but labour to build up our selves as houses to God in this life that when we must remove out of these buildings be they greater or lesser we may be received up into that house that is made without hands in the life to come GOD doth not immediately performe his promises hee will exercise our faith and patience in the expectation of them This land was Abrahams now by promise yet his seed had not the possession of it many hundred yeares after yet Abraham by faith waited for it he that believeth will not make hast Wee must not be too hasty but tarry Gods leysure So the heavenly Canaan the kingdome of heaven is ours by promise feare not little flocke it is your Fathers pleasure to give you the kingdome yet we must passe through many tribulations into this kingdome Let us with patience beare them all and at the length though it be at a long runne first wee shall bee sure to be partakers of it for heaven and earth shall passe but not one title of Gods Word shall fall to
Aegypt greater in glory and perpetuity The reason is rendred Hee did not looke on their present but future estate Genesis 15. Verse 1. They should be greatly rewarded in the life to come therefore he would be one of them Mockes and taunts banishment imprisonment losse of goods burning at the stake for the name of Christ these are greater riches than all the treasures in the world without Christ and so let them bee esteemed of us al after these follows heaven and at the taile of them comes hell in that respect it is the greater 2 Cor. 4.17 for this light affliction which is but for a moment causeth unto us an eternall weight of glory The councell of Trent Bellar. Stapleton and our English Iesuites in their annotations on this place doe falsely father this assertion on us that wee teach it to bee unlawfull benè operari intuitu mercedis whereas wee hold no such opinion It is a meere slander of theirs We confesse there is a reward layd up for the godly and wee may lawfully looke up to it yet in that our looking two things are to be observed 1. We must not respect that Solùm nor praecipuè it must neither be the only thing nor the chiefe thing that sets us on worke The principall motives to good workes must be Gods glory and the love of Christ. GOD hath created all for his owne glory our light must so shine before men that they seeing our good workes may glorifie our Father in heaven I will abstaine from sinne because it dishonours GOD. I will adorne the Gospell with good workes because they glorifie God 2. The love of Christ must constraine us thereunto As he hath dyed for my sins so I will dye to sinne 3 The consideration of our owne duty must presse us to it All that wee can doe is a debt which wee owe unto our GOD therefore wee must alwayes bee paying our debt to our lives end The 4th is that rich and ample reward reserved for us which is as a bell to toll us to good workes this we may respect but it is not the chiefest thing propounded to us in well doing The Philosophers could say that nuda virtus is to be desired so God is to bee loved and served for himselfe alone without any other by-consideration They that doe good workes only for the reward are mercenary as a labourer will not doe a dayes worke unlesse hee may have a shilling and they that have no respect to the reward that regard it not at all are unthankefull to God who hath prepared a reward for us Let us looke to the reward by the which he allures us as a father doth his Children to well doing but let that neither bee the sole nor principall marke wee ayme at but the glorifying of our heavenly father for whose glory we were created and redeemed 2. Let us expect a reward for our well doing yet not upon merit but upon promise Paul being ready to dye looked at the reward from henceforth there is layd up for mee a Crowne of righteousnesse But what Crowne not which hee had merited but which GOD had promised and for his promise sake would give to him This is the surmise of some Papists that merces meritum bee relatives though promissum merces are relatives yet merces meritum are not Wee looke for a reward because God hath promised it not because wee have merited it for when we have done all that we can we are unprofitable servants Otherwise let us be bold to cast up our eyes to the reward Christ himselfe had respect to the recompense of the reward Hebr. 12.2 and we that be Christians may imitate him in that Though a child have a poore man to his Father that is not able to leave him a Groate yet he is bound to honour him but much more if hee be a rich man and willing to leave him a fayre inheritance Our father is rich hee will reward us with a kingdome therefore let us the rather serve and honour him great is your reward in heaven behold I come and my reward is with me Here wee meete with many crosses in our mindes bodies goods name in our Wives Children Cattell here are many occasions of weeping but let us cheerefully endure them all One day we shall be taken up into that place where all teares shall bee wiped away from our eyes for ever Let us looke to this recompense of reward VERSE 27. THe second notable thing in Moses is a necessary crosse imposed on him which is amplified by a corrumpent and a conservant cause of it The corrumpent was the fiercenesse of the King which he feared not the conservant was the sight of God standing by him The greatest part of Interpreters expound it of Moses departing out of Aeyypt when hee carryed the people with him then and in the dispatchall of his message and office he feared not the fiercenesse of the King but contemned it That is true yet it seemes not to be the proper meaning of the place 1. Then the Apostle should invert the order which hitherto he hath not done nor hereafter doth in this Chapter hee should set the departure out of Aegypt before the Institution of the Passeover 2. This departure out of Aegypt is included Verse 29. it should be now unseasonable to speake of it 3. Then Moses did not forsake Aegypt but hee went as a Conquerour out of Aegypt They that forsake a Country leave it for some cause in regard whereof they cannot safely tarry in the Country Therfore it is rather to be referred to the flight of Moses when after the killing of the Aegyptian he left Aegypt and fled into the land of Midian This might seeme to have proceeded from infidelity yet the power of faith is to be seene in it Moses perceiving that now the King being incensed against him and the Israelites as yet not acknowledging him for their deliverer there was no convenient time to prosecute his office therefore he flieth for a season committing himselfe to the providence of GOD and expecting a better opportunity for the delivering of the Israelites in the meane season by faith he forsaketh Aegypt for a time There is one only thing that opposeth itselfe to this Interpretation Here it is said that he feared not the fiercenesse of the King yet Exod. 2.14 it is as cleere as the noone day that he feared it and fled upon it 1. The participle may be rendred in the praeterpluperfect-tense as Verse 31. by faith Moses forsooke Aegypt having not feared the fiercenesse of the King namely in killing the Aegyptian according to his commission received from God not that he feared it not afterwards 2. Though hee feared a little at the first yet that feare was allayed afterwards in a couragious magnanimity he forsook Aegypt and feared not the fiercenesse of the King in pursuing after him It may be this fierce Lion will sent messengers after me
them into the lap of his mercy But what is repentance not a knock on the breast a sigh a sob a teare only but a changing of the minde a forsaking of sin and an imbracing of vertue declinare à malo facere bonum that is repentance He hath not repented of his drunkennesse that is sorry for it to day and goes to it againe to morrow he hath not repented of his uncleannesse that grieves for it a time and returnes with the Swine to the wallowing in the mire He that forsaketh his sin shall have mercy Rahab had beene an Harlot before her conversion but she was none afterwards if shee had continued an impure Harlot still the Holy Ghost would not have honoured her so highly as to put her in the Catalogue of them of whom our Saviour descended Such were some of you sayes S. Paul but ye are washed c. I was a persecutor I was a blasphemer sayes S. Paul but now I am none So a good Christian must say I was a ruffianly swearer but now I am none I use the Name of God with reverence in all my speeches I was a Thiefe secret and open too but I thanke God I am none now I would not defraud a man of a penny to my knowledge though I might get a world by it I was a covetous Miser glued to my wealth it went to my heart to part with a penny to any good use but now I can honour God willingly with my riches I was an adulterer I thought my selfe in heaven when I was with Whores and Harlots but now I thinke it to be another hell Happy are they that have beene harlots and now are none as Rahab was What became of this Harlot She perished not neither temporally nor eternally with the rest of Iericho which are branded with a marke of disobedience They would not obey God they stood out with him at the staves end would not yeeld themselves to the Israelites as God had appointed Therefore they were all put to the sword Rahab in faith obeyed the wil of God submitted her self to him therfore she perished not in the common destruction of the City the Lord knows how to deliver the righteous and to reserve the wicked to the day of wrath The world was drowned but Noah was saved the Sodomites were destroyed but Lot was preserved all Iericho went to the pot but Rahab perished not with them Thus graciously dealt the Lord with his children But was Rahab alone preserved No verily but all that were in the house with her her father kinsfolke c. What had they all faith as well as she that they perished not That cannot be collected out of the Scripture Rahabs faith is commended not a word of theirs yet they were exempted from the temporall calamity for her sake The justmust live eternally by his own faith yet for outward externall blessings they may fare the better for the faithfuls sake Cursed Cham was saved from drowning for Noahs sake God blessed the house of the Egyptian for Iosephs sake All that were in the Ship though some prophane Mariners were in it were saved for S. Pauls sake Behold then what a blessed thing it is to be in the families of good Men and Women You may escape many fearefull calamities for their sakes GOD will not only extend his mercy to them but to all that be in their houshold whereas it is dangerous being with the wicked and irreligious S. Iohn would not goe into the Bath where Cerinthius was But why did they not put her to the sword as well as others what induced them to spare her Surely their owne Promise which they had given her ratified with an oath Ioshua had a speciall care of that Iosh. 6.22 Which may be a fruitfull caveat to us all to make conscience of our words and promises Promise is a debt and every honest man will have a care to pay his debts Though that be counted a ceremonie now a dayes yet the Israelites according to promise tooke Rahab set her safe out of the Citie before they slew the rest Regulus a Heathen man kept his word with his enemies though it cost him his life but we that be Christians will not keepe our words with our friends Especially if our promise bee bound with an oath as theirs was let not a world make us to breake it Iuramentum est res sacra Let not that be violated But must all oathes bee kept because Herod swore to give the Damosell whatsoever she asked did he well for his oaths sake to give her Iohn Baptists head No verily There be two that may be hindred by our keeping of our oathes God and our selves If we have sworne though it be to our own hindrance let us keepe it but if it be to GODS hinderance to the dishonour of God let us not keepe them Hast thou sworne in an anger never to come at such a Mans house be sorry for it Hast thou sworn in a fury to kil a man grieve for it and breake that oath But is it a lawfull thing which thou hast sworne tending to GOD's glory and the good of thy brethren Thou art now in an holy bond the breach whereof God will revenge Therefore looke to it let nothing cause thee to infringe thine oath Yet now adayes oathes are nothing men are become meere Atheists they think there is no God they may sweare for sweare abuse his Name at their pleasure tush God sees it not A monstrous height of impiety whereunto we are growen Words writings bonds oathes are nothing if there be no law to compell us to the keeping of them Hast thou sworne and that before a Iudge which is a certaine god on the earth to say the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth So God save thee by Iesus Christ discharge that oath with feare and reverence Have we in England taken the oath of allegiance to be true to the Kings Majestie his Crowne and Dignity not to conspire with the Pope or any forreigne Power against the flowrishing State of the Realme Let us keepe this oath not for feare but for conscience sake An oath is an edge-toole dally not with it GOD was revenged on the house of Saul because of the oath broken with the Gibeonites therefore the Israelites would not break their oath to Rahab they did not here pretend the Papists rule Fides non est servanda cum haeretico Rahab is a Cananite therefore let us not keepe our oath with her The cause of her preservation was the peaceable entertaining of the Spies which was a lively demonstration of her faith shee knew them to bee their enemies yet shee shutteth not the doores against them hence ye villaines ye come to espie the weaknesse of our Citie yee shall not set a foot into my house but readily and willingly she takes them in there she hides them from the cruelty of the King she conducts
are desirous to loade our selves with them they presse us downe and hinder us exceedingly in our race The Young man was so laden with his wealth that he could not follow Christ. Can a Bird flye when she is in a snare can a Man goe when he is fettered Riches are snares yea the devils snares which is a strong and cunning Fowler therefore beware how yee are intangled in them Ye may have riches and yet not be had of riches if they be weights and incumbrances Martha thou art cumbred about many things then away with them these Camels hardly go to heaven It had beene better for the Young Man to have parted with his riches than with CHRIST Many a rich Man is so pressed downe with his wealth with the cares of the world about Sheep and Oxen Silver and Gold as that he cannot goe to Church hee can finde no time to pray to read Scripture to occupie himselfe in heavenly meditations How can he run the race that leadeth to heaven If thy eye offend thee cut it out much more if thy riches offend thee if they clog thee in this race away with them it is better to goe a poore man to heaven than a rich man to hell If a man be pressed to death though it be with gold what gets he by it And if thou be pressed to eternall death though it be by thy golden riches what doth it advantage thee The Mariners Ion. 1.5 for the saving of their lives cast away their goods and with their owne hands hurled them into the sea and for the saving of our soules shall we not cast away our goods shall we suffer them to drowne us and that in everlasting perdition whatsoever presses thee downe cast it away If an Executorship Stewardship Lordship multitude of Farmes presse thee downe and make thee to have an ill conscience before God and Man too cast it away But we love our burthens too well we had rather lose heaven than them The third thing that presseth down is pleasure Luke 21.34 Surfetting and drunkennesse are great pressers We may run with drink and wine but not with drunkennesse When a mans belly is full he is unfit to run in a bodily race much more in the spirituall race Fasting and prayer are good for this race fornication and adultery are Heavie burthens to presse us downe Hos. 4.11 they take away the heart no heart to run 1 Tim. 5.6 The voluptuous person is dead while he lives That man in the Gospell said I have married a wife therefore I cannot come how much more will an adulterer say I have gotten a whore I must solace my selfe with her therefore I cannot come Let them runne that will I cannot runne the race of Christianity Therefore let us cast away every thing that presseth downe bee it never so neere or deere to us This universall particle is worthy to bee observed every thing Some flatter themselves in one thing or other In this the Lord bee mercifull unto mee as Naaman said Herod cast away many things but his sweet sin of Incest he would not cast away A drunkard will cast away any thing save his drunkennesse in this the Lord be mercifull unto me that I may take a cup of Nimis now and then A covetous miser will cast away any thing save his love of money In this the Lord be mercifull unto me that I may keepe my purse I will come to the Church but I will give nothing so neere as I can I but we must cast away everything that presseth downe lest we misse the gold of eternall glory My life sayes S. Paul is not deere unto me so as I may fulfill my course with joy and shall our pleasures and profits be so deere to us that they shall keepe us from fulfilling our course Let us cast every thing away rather than perish eternally But there is one thing which above all others we must strive to cast away .i. the sin this is ready to give us a fall at every turne it is inclusus hostis The Snaile carries his house with him but we carry our enemy with us The Snake of Originall sin is in our bosome wheresoever we become That doth so easily compasse us about As a paire of Compasses that compasse the whole Circle so doth this the whole man It compasses about our soules and bodies our eyes eares hands feet and is ready alwayes to molest and stop us in our race therefore away with it There be two compassers the one is Sathan he compasses the earth to and fro the other is our owne corruption that compasses all men on the earth We cannot utterly cast it off so long as wee live we cannot cast off the being of it but we may the dominion of it Though it bee in us let it not reigne in us though wee cannot ejicere let us dejicere Gods grace is sufficient for us as he said to S. Paul Let us pray to him for his grace that by little and little we may cast it off The foundation being layed he comes to the building it selfe and sets the admonition on it The race that we must run is illustrated by the efficient cause and the manner of our running He doth not say run you and I will sit still but let us run All must run Ministers and People Magistrates and Subjects We must not goe but run not creepe like Snailes but runne like Roes Our life is not compared to a sitting but to a walking or running yet we must not be like foolish runners that run themselves out of breath at the first Faire and softly goes farre Wee must not come in such a rash and heady zeale as that we runne quite out of the Church as some doe Let us run but wisely and discreetly What race not that which is set before us by the devill the race of pride envie hatred malice contention the race of drunkennesse uncleannesse c. but the race that is set before us by God the race of Christianity cleaving stedfastly to Christ and his Gospell 1 Cor. 9.24 By God Almighty Hee hath appointed to every one his race some a longer some a shorter Some have many crosses some fewer all have some Yet let us all run this race 3 How long must we run not for a while but to the end Not run while we be young men till our juvenilis ardor be a little over as many doe but though we be old Mnasons we must run still never cease running till we cease breathing I have finished my course sayes S. Paul We must never leave running till our course be finished 4 How must we run with patience This must be the staffe that we must walke withall and the principall leg that wee runne withall In patience possesse your soules The best man that is shall have one thing or other to exercise his patience withall Though David be a King he shall have a rayling Shimei we must
Christ the Sun in the heaven was darkned and drew in her face At the Feast of Pentecost after Christs asscention the Holy Ghost came from heaven the Apostles on the sudden spake all languages on the earth all Nations were shaken with the preaching of the Gospel which as a Trumpet from Heaven sounded in the eares of them all Thus the Gospell whereof Christ is the Minister is farre more glorious than the Law whereof Moses was the Minister Therefore let us take heed how we despise him that speaketh now to us from heaven VERSE 27. HAving alleaged the Text he makes a Commentary of it Shaken like ships tossed on the Sea As of things that are made as the Tabernacle and Temple were Which cannot be shaken the precious Iewels of the Gospell may remaine for ever The ceremoniall Law with all the Rites belonging to it is shaken the Gospell continues to the worlds end They that despised the Law were punished though it were to continue for a time how much more shall they that despise the Gospell which abideth for ever Here the Apostle speaketh of a spirituall shaking There is one materiall shaking yet behinde when as the pillars of Heaven shall bee shaken the world shall passe away with a noise the earth with the workes thereof shall bee burnt up that is a terrible shaking We feare now to see a few trees shake but then Heaven and Earth shall shake Let us shake now before CHRIST speaking to us in the ministery of the Gospel that we may stand without shaking before him at the latter day Here we see that the Scriptures are not carelesly and negligently to be read of us Grandia mysteria lye often hid in one word but of one word in the Old Testament Christ deriveth the resurrection God of the living not of the dead Out of the Cloud S. Paul fetcheth Baptisme out of the Rock Christ. The Apostle here out of one word in the prophesie of Hagge concludeth the abrogation of the Law and the corroboration of the Gospell Therefore let us be circumspect in reading of the Scriptures there is nothing idle in it no not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as S. Basil speaketh one word may be a foundation to set a goodly building on Therefore marke with diligence every word of the sacred Scriptures VERSE 28. HEre we have the affirmative use that we should honour him whereunto he exciteth us by two arguments the one à praemio the other à poena 29. Receiving a Kingdome by expectation in this life and possession in the life to come Not a Lordship but a Kingdome which our Saviour Christ speaking better things than Abel hath purchased for us with his bloud He doth not say seeing we merrit a kingdome we are not merritors but receivers of it Christ puts it into our hands and wee receive it What manner of Kingdome not an earthly that may be shaken but an heavenly The windes may blow downe these kingdomes the earth may shake and hurle them downe fire may consume them the sea devoure them God may use the men of one kingdome as knives to cut the throat of another kingdome But this is a kingdome that cannot be shaken This we receive from Christ our Saviour he rewards our poore service with a kingdome therefore let us serve him Which is amplified by the efficient cause and the formall The efficient is the grace of God without the which we cannot serve him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let us hold the grace given to us in the Gospell that it may bee as a whet-stone to sharpen us to his service Then for the manner of it it must be pleasingly so as he may be pleased with our service Some serve God and yet please him not They give to the poore and to the Preachers of the Word but it is grudgingly whereas God loves a cheerefull giver We must so serve him as that we may please Him Whereunto two things are required shamefastnesse in respect of our selves and reverence in regard of him When we looke to our selves considering what vile wretches we be polluted with sin in soule and body wormes-meat dust and ashes then wee must hang downe our heads in our bosomes for shame we are unworthy to serve such a Master as Christ is 2 In respect of him we must have reverence because he is the high and eternall God We must love Christ and reverence him too love him as a Saviour reverence him as a Lord and Master Though a servant have a poore man to his Master yet he must reverence him our Master is rich Heaven and Earth are his therfore reverence him Though we have a weak man to our Master yet we must reverence him Christ is most strong able to crush us in peeces with a rod of Iron Though he be a wicked man yet reverence him Christ is most holy no iniquity dwelleth in him therefore reverence Him VERSE 29. WHY he is our kinde loving and mercifull GOD but as Hee is a GOD of mercy so of vengeance too GOD is ignis communiens consumens purgans Hee is a preserving fire to them that serve Him aright Zach. 2.5 Hee is a consuming fire to them that rebell against him that cast His Commandements behinde their backes He was a consuming fire to the Israelites when he sent fiery Serpents among them to kill them to the Sodomites when He sent fire and brimstone to destroy them to the two Captaines that went for Elias when Hee sent fire from Heaven to spoyle them Hee consumes with Consumptions and diseases with the Pestilence inundations of waters with fires in many Townes There be two fires the one temporall the other eternall Hee will be a consuming fire to all impenitent sinners when they shall bee with the rich Glutton in the lake burning with fire and brimstone for ever Therefore let us feare this God Kisse the Sonne least if His wrath be kindled but a little yee perish from the way We flatter our selves too much in the mercies of God God is mercifull As a Father pittyeth his children c. His mercie reacheth to the heavens Though we be adulterers drunkards proud malicious yet God is mercifull I but as He is demulcens Pater so he is animadvertens judex with an axe ready to cut our heads Because God doth not alwayes shew Himselfe in the likenesse of fire a terrible God powring downe the coales of his wrath upon us because he beareth with us and doth not by and by punish us for our sins we thinke we may contemne him we may serve him as we list any service will content him I but remember likewise that our God is a consuming fire It is long peradventure before a fire breakes forth it may lye lurking a great while and not be seene but if it begin to flame to set upon a Towne without great prevention it will burne up the whole Towne So God is patient His wrath
on their bodies fornicatio quasi formae necatio many loathsome diseases are on them as the French-pox consumptions c. Men are afraid to drinke of their cups and their bodies many times wast and consume away 3 On their goods the sinne of Adultery hath brought many a rich man to beggery The prodigall Childe quickly wasted his goods on harlots they be as sponges to drink up a mans wealth their riches melt as wax 4 On their good names they be odious to all men Yea one Adulterer will speake ill of another and upbraid one another by this sin one principall thing that the Oratour cast in Catelins dish was his beastly and incestuous life Cane pejus angue 5 On their children Sometimes they be fooles and ideots sometimes lame in their hands in their feet In ancient times they might beare no office in Church or Common-wealth Sometimes they are taken away by an untimely death as Davids childe was which he begat of Vriahs wife they cannot inherit the Lands of their Fathers One way or other the brand of Gods wrath is on their posterity So that the truth of this sentence may be apparent to us all GOD will judge Yea though there bee never so great men in the world against whom the sword of mans authority cannot easily be drawne forth yet GOD will be sure to meet with them Amnon was a Kings Son yet because he defiled his sister GOD slew him and he was slaine at a banquet when his heart was merry with wine and did not so much as dreame of death when he had little time to repent him of his wicked life Absalom was heire apparent to the Crowne nay for the time he was King having put downe his father yet because he had played the incestuous beast the Lord in justice caused him to be hanged by his owne hayre and so he dyed miserably Iesabel was a Queene yet because her adulteries were in great number she was cast out of a window and eaten with dogs Whole Cities have beene destroyed for it as Sodome and Gomorah with those adjoyning to it All the males in Shechem were put to the sword for ravishng one mayde The wrong offered to one woman was almost the utter overthrow of the whole Tribe of Benjamin Therefore let us tremble at this sentence Though men judge them not yet God will judge them though the Iudge of the Assizes will not punish them though for a little money they may escape in the Courts yet the Iudge of the World will punish them severely If for some causes best knowne to himselfe they escape his fingers in this world yet they shall feele the heavie hand of his indignation in the world to come This ye know all that be in the Schoole of Christ know this that no whoremonger wanton buggerer shall inherit the kingdome of GOD. Without the gates of heavenly Ierusalem are Dogs Enchanters Whoremongers Lyars A terrible sin that excludes us out of Heaven Therefore let us all beware of it It is a sweet sinne to the flesh but God hath provided sowre sauce for it therefore let it be detested by us all If we feele the fire of lust burning in us let us not sit at the wine goe to an whore or harlot that will but increase the fire and make us fit matter for the fire of hell But let us fast and pray or let us flye to mariage for the quenching of it for the avoiding of fornication let every man have his wife Mariage is honourable among all and the bed undefiled but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge Demosthenes went to Lais the strumpet for a nights-lodging she asked ten thousand drachmes nay soft sayes Demosthenes nolo tanti emere poenitere So if an harlot say to us as Potiphars wife to Ioseph Come lye with me c. Let us abhor it and say I will not buy repentance so deere We shall one day repent us for it either to our griefe or amendment in this life or to our condemnation in the life to come The Sodomites burned in Lust one towards another now they burne in hell fire They suffer the vengeance of eternall fire as S. Iude speaketh A full sin that banishes us out of Heaven Plutarch makes mention of a certaine King named Lysimachus that being exceeding dry sold his Kingdome for a draught of water after he cryes out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heu pro quà m exigua voluptate regnum perdidi so may the adulterer say for what a little pleasure have I lost the Kingdome of Heaven VERSE 5. 1 AN admonition 2. The reason the admonition consists of a dehortation from covetousnesse and the prescription of a remedie against it He doth not say be ye without covetousnesse but let your conversation all your manners behaviour and actions bee voide of covetousnesse Without the love of silver a part put for the whole Whatsoever some men doe it smels of covetousnesse their buying and selling all the bargaines they make all the journeyes they take all the words that issue out of their mouthes the cloathes on their backs the meat they put in their belly all savours of covetousnesse Any commodity they have they will sell deere they will buy cheape they will watch poore men whom necessity constraines to sell and they will have it of them for little or nothing They will goe meanely fare hardly all that they doe hath a sent of covetousnesse Therefore sayes he so converse among your neighbours that all may see that the world is not the principall marke ye aime at buy and sell without covetousnesse Let your house keeping bee without covetousnesse Let your talke and speeches be without covetousnesse Pay the Minister his due without covetousnesse Let covetousnesse be banished from all your actions 1 It is the root of all evill ye cannot abide bitter roots in your Gardens no root is so bitter as covetousnesse and it will draw all evill after it A covetous man will lye sweare steale kill for mony therefore root it out of the garden of your hearts 2 It excludes men by name out of the Kingdome of Heaven 1 Cor. 6.10 That is provided for liberall men that cloath the naked feed the hungry relieve the oppressed c. Not for greedy covetous misers that doe no good with their wealth 3 It ought not once to be named among us When we speake of filthy and uncomely things we doe it with a preface saving your reverence c. So when thou speakest of Nabal say there is such an one saving your reverence a covetous man it should not be named much lesse practised by us that be Christians 4 Covetousnesse is idolatry A covetous man makes an Idol of his money If the Idolaters Idoll be gone all is gone What have I mâ—re said Michah So if his money be gone his god is gone An Idolater makes a strong Chappell to put his Idoll in a covetous man makes a strong Chest
contemned the word at length will be contemned That for the writer now to the persons to whom he writeth the mother and her children Origen speakes somewhat contemptibly of women When Christ came into the coasts of Tyrus and Sidon Behold a woman Mat. 15.22 Mira res Evangelista a strange thing O Evangelist Behold a woman that is the authour of transgression the mother of sinne the weapon of the Devill the cause of our expulsion out of Paradise I but Christ honoured women in lying in the wombe of a woman he appeared first to women after his resurrection and made them Apostolos apostolorum Apostles to preach his resurrection to the Apostles Paul preached to women There have beene women of speciall note Sarah the Mother of the faithfull Hester the nurse and preserver of the faithfull women that ministred to Christ of their owne substance among whom was Ioanna the wife of Chuza Herods steward Theano Crotoniatis was a Philosopher and a Poet too Pythagoras learned his naturall Philosophie of his sister Themistocleas Ignatius wrote to two women the blessed Virgin Mary Maria Cassabolita Cyrillus Alexandrinus Basil Chrystome Ambrose Augustine Fulgentius Bernard wrote to women Hierome wrote to many to Salvina to Faria to Agoruchia to Celantia Asella Marcellina most of his workes he dedicated to Eustochiam a noble and worthy Virgin S. Paul wrote to Apphia and S. Iohn heere to a woman The mother is first severally by her selfe described then both of them joyntly together by his singular love to them all Shee is set forth 1. By her internall and spirituall estate she was elect 2. By her externall and worldly estate she was a Lady Some of the Popish interpreters will have her name to bee elect to the Lady Elect. 1. That is a saucie transposing of the Greeke words it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Lady Elect but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Elect Lady 2. As S. Iohn doth not set downe his owne name no more doth he hers 3. The same title is given to her sister verse ult and no likelyhood that two sisters should have one and the same name there was not so great a penurie of names Elect is nomen appellativum non proprium a noune appellative not a proper name First she was a Lady a Widdow by all probabilitie else S. Iohn would have made some mention of her husband She was magna nobilis domina a great and a Noble Lady sayes Lyra shee had an ample familie she was an entertainer of the Preachers and professors of the Christian faith Catharinus supposeth she had a Iurisdiction she was a Lady of some Towns Mannours and Lordships The unlearned Anabaptists use that place as an hammer to beate downe all the seats of superiority In Christ neither bond nor free Iew nor Grecian Male nor female we are all one in Christ Iesus True indeed we are all one in Christo but not in Mundo as S Augustine doth well distinguish in Christ there is no difference but in the world there is Men and women are to be respected according to those places of honour whereunto God hath advanced them in the world whether they be Kings or Queenes Lords or Ladyes Christ makes an honourable mention of the Queene of Shebah S. Luke dedicates his Gospell and the history of the Acts to Noble Theophilus To the most noble governour Felix saies Claudius Lysias Most Noble Festus sayes S. Paul heere S. Iohn gives the vertuous woman the title of a Lady whom God hath honoured let us honour too It is he that setteth up and pulleth downe according to his heavenly pleasure otherwise we shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fighters against God as Gâ—maleel speaketh Yea though the persons bee bad yet the places are to be respected and they in regard of their places But this was a good an holy and religious Lady an elect Lady most interpret a select Lady egregia an egregious Lady a grege segregata separated from the common sort a famous and illustrious Lady But I see no reason why it may not be expounded according to the native signification of the word it is well translated in the English The elect Lady Elect in Gods eternall Counsell as S. Peter called the strangers dispersed through Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Bythinia Asia Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father S. Paul salutes Rufus that was elect and chosen of the Lord Rom. 16.13 He speakes of Clement and other his fellow-labourers that their names were written in the booke of life Philip. 4.3 She had learned Christ as the truth is in Iesus she had a lively faith in Christ she had a demonstration of her faith by good workes by them she made her calling and election sure therefore he pronounceth her to be one of Gods elect we must judge of the salvation of others by their love and charity It becommeth us saith S. Paul so to judge of you all he was farre more charitable than they that judge none shall be saved unlesse they be of their owne stampe and goe to such a Lecture and Sermons as they doe Now he writes not to her alone but to her children too To the Elect Lady and her Children by nature and by grace too as Aquinas speaketh children both men and women but the women were Virgins sayes Lorinus because they were at home with her so were the men-children too As he made great account of the mother so of the children too the proverbe is love me and love my dogge much more love me and my children we will pray for the Kings life and for his sonnes say they So S. Iohn heere salutes the mother and the children too Vpon this he makes a testification of his love to them which is first averred in respect of himselfe 2. amplified in regard of others 3. Illustrated by the procreant cause of love in them all verse 2. Touching himselfe he pronounceth with an ardent affection whom I love in the Greeke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the which men or women I love how in truth for in the Greeke it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with an article in the truth but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in truth that is truely unfeignedly Let love be without dissimulation There is too much dissembled love in the world Love one another saith Saint Peter with a pure heart unfeignedly A kisse is a token of love For the which cause it was an use in the Primitive Church for Christians to kisse at the celebration of the Supper saith Saint Chrysostome But as he complaines many doth it with the lippes onely ac si in scenares ageretur as if they were on a stage Valentine being an Arrian kissed Ambrose but he reproved him for it Quid oscularis eum quem non agnoveris Why dost thou kisse him whom thou carest not for Greete one another with an holy kisse