the matter of their mocking is religion and the professers thereof This ought not to be so for howsoeuer men may faile both in knowledge practice yet the professers of religion should not be so despised This abuse is growen to such a height that many refraine the diligent hearing of the word preached least they should be mocked But let these mockers know that heerein they shake hands with the diuell and with the persecuters of Gods Church for mocking is a kinde of persecution Young Christians should not be so dealt with but rather encouraged for the aduancement of the Kingdome of Christ. Thus dealt our Sauiour Christ with those that gaue any testimonie of the sparkes of grace when the young man said He had from his youth kept Gods commaundements the Text saith Iesus beheld him and loued him Marke 10.21 and hearing a Scribe answer discreetly he said vnto him Thou art not farre from the Kingdome of God Marke chapter 12. ver 34 Now we must be followers of Christ and walke in loue iudging and speaking the best of all professours accounting none for hypocrites till GOD make their hypocrisie knowen It is a note of a Christian to loue a man because hee loues religion on the contrarie to hate a man because hee is a Christian is a note of a persecuter and an enemie to Christ. And thus much in generall Now wee come in particular to the seuerall kindes of sufferings which these beleeuers endured by faith the first whereof is racking in these words others also were racked or as some translate it And others were beaten with clubbes For the words in the originall will beare either translation and both of them fitly agree to this kinde of suffering For in these times the enemies of GODs Church vsed to set the bodies of them that were to be tormented vpon rackes and engines whereon they stretched out euery ioynt and then did beat the whole body thus racked with clubs till the party were starke dead An example of this kind of suffering we haue in Eleazer a Iewe 1. Mac. 6. who vnder Antiochus was first racked and then beaten on euery part of his body vnto the death because he refused to eat swines flesh But some will say This cannot be any commendation of faith to be racked and beaten to death for malefactors and traytors are so vsed Ans. To preuent this obiectiō the holy Ghost addeth these words and would not be deliuered or would not accept deliuerance to shewe that this suffering was a notable commendation of true faith The meaning of the words is this That whereas some Iewes in the olde Testament were condemned to death for their religion by persecutors and yet had life and libertie offered vnto thē if they would recant and forsake their religion This proffer of life they refused and would not be deliuered vpon such a condition In this example of faith we are taught to hold fast true religion and to preferre the enioying of it before all the pleasures and commodities in the world yea before life it self This point Paul vrgeth in sundry exhortations saying Let him that thinketh he standeth take heede lest hee fall 1. Co. 10.12 forbidding vs to preserue our outward peace by communicating with idolaters And againe Stand fast in the faith 1. Cor. 16.13 Yea this is one maine point that Paul vrgeth to Timothy in both his Epistles to keepe faith and a good conscience And our Sauiour Christ in one of his parables Math. 13.44 compares the kingdom of heauen to a treasure hid in the field which when a man findeth hee hideth it goes home sels al he hath to buy the field Wherby he would teach vs that euery ones duty who would enioy the Kingdom of heauen is this In regard of it to forgoe and forsake all things else esteeming them to bee drosse and dongue as Paul did Philip. 3.8 What though a man had all the riches and pleasures of the world al things else for this life that his heart could wish yet if he want religion and a good conscience all he hath is nothing for so he wants the loue and fauour of God shall lose his soule for the ransome whereof all the world can doe nothing Wherefore we must hereby be admonished to haue more care to get and maintaine true religion and a good conscience than any thing in the world besides Now because nature will iudge it a part of rashnesse to refuse life when it is offered therfore to preuent this conceit against these beleeuers the holy Ghost sets downe a notable reason of this their fact to wit They refused deliuerance that they might receiue a better resurrection Many interpreters vnderstand these words of the resurrection at the day of iudgement simply as though the holy Ghost had said These Martyrs therefore refused to be deliuered from death because they looked to receiue at the day of iudgement a greater measure of glory euen for this that in obedience to God for the maintenance of true religion they were content to lay downe their liues This no doubt is the truth of God that the more wee humble our selues in suffering for the name of Christ in this life the greater shall our glory bee at the generall resurrection for our light affliction which is but for a moment causeth vnto vs a farre more excellent and eternall waight of glory 2. Cor. 4.17 And yet as I take it that is not the meaning of these words but their resurrection at the last day is here tearmed better than the temporall deliuerance offered vnto them For beeing in torments on the racke they were but dead men and when life was offered vnto them it was as it were a kinde of resurrection and in regard of the enemies of the Church a good resurrection but for that they would not lose the comfort of resurrection to life at the last day Here then are two resurrections compared together The first is a deliuerance from temporall death the second is a rising to life euerlasting at the last day of iudgement Now of these two the later is the better and that in the iudgement of Gods seruants and Martyrs So then the true meaning of these wordes is this These seruants of God refused deliuerance from temporall tortures and punishments because their care and desire was that their bodies might rise againe to life euerlasting at the day of iudgement which rising againe to life at that day they iudged farre better than to rise to a temporall life for a while in this world This reason wel obserued may teach vs these two speciall duties First to be carefull aboue all things for assurance in our consciences as these seruants of God had that our bodies shall rise againe to life euerlasting at the last day True it is wee make this confession with our mouthes among the articles of our Faith but we must labour to bee setled and resolued effectually in our hearts that
and obedient a child a most wise trusty seruant a friend for faithfulnesse like thine owne soule These are indeed much to be esteemed yet thinke not thy selfe in a paradise wheÌ„ thou hast such for there is a greater matter behind then all these Looke therfore further Is thy wife thy child thy seruant thy friend endued with sauing faith that is worth more then all the rest that is it which makes them beloued of God Let that therfore make them best beloued of thee and that which makes them so honourable before God let that make them most honourable and most esteemed of thee So in all men loue that in a man best which God loueth and so thou shalt be sure not to lose thy loue Esteeme of a man not as the world esteemeth not according to his strength beauty high place or outward gifts but as God esteemeth him namely according to the measure of sauing faith which thou seest in him for is not that worthy of thy loue which hath purchased the loue of the Lord God himselfe Fiftly here is comfort for all such seruants of God as hauing true faith yet are in base estimation for worldly respects some are poore some in base callings some deformed in body some of meane gifts many in great distresse and misery all their liues most of them some way or other contemptible in the world Yet let not this discomfort any child of God But let them consider what it is that makes them approued of God not beauty strength riches wisdom learning all these may perish in the vsing but true faith if then thou hast that thou hast more then all the rest If thou hadst all them they could but make thee esteemed in the world but hauing true faith thou art esteemed of God and what matter then who esteemes thee and who not This crosseth the corrupt censure of the world who more esteem a man for his outward gifts and glory of riches or learning then for sauing graces Let Gods children when they are â—based contemned mocked and kept from all place and preferment in the world Let them I say appeale from this vniust iudgement to the iudgement of God and be coÌ„forted in this that though they want all things without them that should make them esteemed in the world yet they haue that within them for which God wil esteeme approue and acknowledge them both in this world and in the world to come And they haue that that will stand by them when strength and beauty are vanished when learning riches and honour are all ended with the world Thus much of the second doctrine 3. In that our Elders by faith obtained a good report Here we learne the readiest and surest way to get a good name A good name is a good gift of God Eccles. 7.3 It is a pretious ointment it is a thing that all men would haue These Elders had it and they haue laide vs downe a platforme how to get it and it is this 1. Get into fauour with God please him that is coÌ„fesse thy sins bewaile them get pardon set the promises of God in Christ before thee beleeue theÌ„ apply them to thy selfe as thine owne be perswaded in thy conscience that Christ did all for thee and that he hath purchased thy acceptation with God Thus when thou art assured that God approues of thee God can easily giue thee a comfortable testimony in thine owne conscience and hee can moue the hearts of all men to think wel and open their mouthes to speake wel of thee for he hath the hearts of all men in his hand And therfore those that are in his fauor he can bend the hearts of all men to approue theÌ„ yet this must be vnderstood with some cautions 1. God wil not procure his childreÌ„ a good name amongst all men for then they should be cursed for Luk. 6.26 Cursed are yee when all men speake well of you But the Lord meaneth that they shal be accepted haue a good name with the most with the best For indeed a good name as all other graces of God cannot be perfect in this life but they shal haue such a good name as in this world shall continue and increase and in the world to come be without all blot for sin is the disgrace of a man therefore when sin is abolished good name is perfect 2. God will not procure all his children a good name nor alwaies for a good name is of the same nature with other externall gifts of God sometime they are good to a man sometime hurtfull to some men good to others hurtfull Euery one therefore that hath true faith may not absolutely assure himselfe of a good name but as farre forth as God shall see it best for his owne glory and his good 3. The good name that God wil giue his children stands not so much in outward coÌ„mendation and speaking wel of a man as in the inward approbation of the consciences of men They must therfore be content somtime to be abused mocked slandered yet notwithstaÌ„ding they haue a good name in the chief respect for they whose mouthes do abuse condemne theÌ„ their very consciences do approue them Out of all these the point is manifest that God will procure his children a good name in this world as far forth as it is a blessing and not a curse and that because they are approued of him and by faith iustified in his sight for so to be is the onely way to get a good name For in reason it stands thus that those who are in estimation and good name with the Lord himselfe much more will God make them esteemed and giue them a good name with men like themselues Hence we learne first that the coÌ„mon course of the world to get a good name is fond wicked and to no purpose They labour for riches preferments honor wisdom learning by them to get estimatioÌ„ in the world yea many abuse these blessings in vaine ostentation to encrease their credit and name with men And in the meane time sauing faith is neuer remembred which must procure them a good name with God This is a wrong course first we must labour to be approued of God and then after the good name with God followeth the good name in the world He therefore that labours for fauour with men and neglects the fauour of God he may get a good name but it shall proue a rotten name in the end Prou. 10.7 The memoriall of the iust shall be blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot The good name of the wicked is rotten 1. Because it is loathsom stinking in the face of God though it be neuer so glorious in the world 2. Because it will not last the wearing out but in the end vanisheth and comes to nothing vnlesse as a rotting thing leaues some corruption behind it so their good name in the end being vanished leaues infamy behind
might haue had in Pharaohs Court and Kingdome Which are called the pleasures of sinne not because they were so in themselues for so they were the good giftes of GOD but because Moses could not enioy them in Pharaohs Court without liuing in sinne for hee must haue refused the societie of Gods Church and people and so haue beene a stranger from the couenant which God made with Abraham Isaac and Iacob and with his seed after them if he would haue beene sonne to Pharaohs daughter Heere then the holy Ghost setteth downe two notable reasons which induced Moses to refuse these honours and dignities First because they were the pleasures of sinne And secondly because hee should enioy them but for a season The first reason affordeth vnto vs many notable points worthie our consideration 1. Here we learne that riches honour and dignity seuered from true religion are nothing but the pleasures and profites of sinne This was Moses iudgement as the holy Ghost here testifieth and it is the plaine truth of God as Salomon after lamentable experience disputeth and proueth at large concluding of riches honour pleasures and all earthly things separated from the feare of God that they are nothing else but meere vanity and vexation of spirit And Paul saith To the impure all things are impure his meate drinke and apparell which in themselues are otherwise the good giftes of God The consideration hereof is of great vse for first it lets vs see what is the state of these men which lay aside religion and good conscience and betake themselues wholly to the world to get riches and preferment most men are of this disposition and such indeede are onely counted wise For let there be speech tending to a mans commendation vsually this is the first matter of his praise that hee is a substantiall wealthy man and one that lookes well to himselfe as though riches or honour were a mans chiefe happinesse But howsoeuer the world iudgeth of these men yet hereby we may see and knowe that their case is miserable For without religion the feare of God their riches and honour are but the pleasures and profits of sin and therefore the more they heape vp riches after this sort not regarding Christ nor his Gospel the more they heape vp to themselues the treasures of sinne and consequently the greater condemnation for worldly treasures seuered from religion are but the Mammon of iniquity which causeth damnation Hence Christ said vnto his Disciples vpon occasion of the young rich man that it was as easie for a great Camell to goe through the eye of a needle as for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of heauen that is such a rich man as sets his heart to get riches and honour not regarding the religion of Christ. Whence also in another place he pronounceth this fearefull sentence against them Woe be to you that are rich for you haue receiued your consolation Luke 6.24 They therefore that lay aside religion and giue themselues wholly to seeke gaine and honour are before God most wretched and miserable and the longer they continue in this course the more miserable they are for the more sinne they heape vp and so the deeper shall be their condemnation Wherefore if any of vs haue beene thus minded heeretofore let vs now leaue this course as most dangerous to our soules for what will it profit a man to gaine the whole world if he lose his soule 2. Hence we must all learne especially they that haue any measure of wealth more or lesse to ioyne with the vse of our riches the feare of God and the practice of true religion for seuer these asunder and riches are nothing else but sinfull pleasures It is a good conscience which rectifieth the owner in the right vse of his honour treasures but without that he pollutes the blessings of God which he enioyes and they being polluted shal turne to his greater woe A man would haue thought that King Belshazzer had beene an happy man when hee kept his royall feast dranke wine in golden bowles before a thousand Princes that were vnder him and before his Concubines but the end of that his iollity may shew vs the nature of such prosperity For so soone as he saw the fingers of a mans hand writing vpon the wall he became quite confounded in himselfe his countenance was changed and his thoughts troubled him so that the ioints of his loines were loosed and his knees smote one against the other What comfort had he now from all his riches pleasures So Diues while he liued might seeme for his wealth and riches to be happy yet all this did him little good for hee had but his pleasure for his life time Luke 16.25 and after this life his soule went downe to hell A worldly man would iudge the rich man in the Gospell a most happy man that saide vnto his soule by reason of his great aboundance of outward wealth Luke 12.19 Soule soule thou hast much goods laide vp for many yeares liue at ease eate drinke and take thy fill yet because herewith he wanted religion a good conscience and the feare of God this sentence was denounced against him Oh foole this night will they fetch away thy soule thâ—n whose shall these things be Wherefore vnlesse wee will wilfully cast away our owne soules let vs sanctifie our interest in all earthly blessings by a sincere endeuour in all things to shew forth the feare of God with the keeping of faith a good conscience and let vs begin with this as Christ saith First seeke Gods Kingdome and his righteousnesse Mathew chapter 6. verse 33. Let vs hereby seeke to haue our hearts acceptable vnto God and then all things shall be cleane vnto vs. Thirdly are riches and honour being seuered from true religion but the pleasures of sinne then vndoubtedly all recreations all sports and pastimes seuered from religion a good conscience are much more the pleasures of sin This Salomon knew wel for speaking of such mirth hee calls laughter madnesse and to ioy hee saith What is it that thou doest Eccles. chapter 2. verse 2. Oh then how manifolde be the sinnes of all sorts of men for who almost doth not neglect religious duties for matters of sport and pleasure Wherefore if wee desire ioy indeede in any worldly things let vs first lay the foundation in our owne hearts by getting and keeping true faith and a good conscience Secondly whereas Moses refuseth dignitie and honour onely for this Because they would bee vnto him the pleasures of sinne heere wee are taught in what manner and order wee ought to enioy worldly riches and honour Moses practice heere must be our direction wee must enioy them and vse them with thankfulnesse to GOD so farre forth as they will further vs in the course of religion and true godlinesse But if the case stande thus That wee cannot enioy them both togetheâ— then
scourged The fourth is Bonds and imprisonment The fift is stoning verse 37 They were stoned The sixt is this They were hewen asunder These were all worthy fruits of faith being endured for religions sake but the particular points might heere be obserued haue beene handled before and therefore I pasâ—e them ouer The seauenth kinde of suffering is this they were tempted These words by the change of a letter in the originall may be reade thus They were burned And some doe so translate it thinking that they that writ or copied out this Epistle at the first did put one letter for another Their reason is because examples of grieuous punishments are mentioned both before and after this and therfore they thinke this should be burning which is a sore and grieuous death But wee may safely and truly reade the words thus They were tempted conceiuing heereby that they were enticed and allured by faire promises of life to forsake their religion So the same word is vsed by Saint Iames saying Euery man is tempted when hee is drawen away by his owne concupiscence and is entiâ—ed Iames 1.14 If any aske why this kinde of triall in tempting should bee placed among such cruell torments I answere because it is as great a triall as any can be For it is as dangerous a temptation to ouerthrow religion and a good conscience as any punishment in the world This appeares plainly in Christs temptations by the Diuell for in those three Satan bewraies his malice and craft against Christ and his Church most notably Now Satan not preuailing with the two first makes his third and last assault from the glory and dignity of the world for shewing vnto Christ all the Kingdomes of the world and the glory of them hee saith All these will I giue thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship me Math. 4.9 Indeede Christes holy heart would not yeeld vnto it but that it was a grieuous temptation appeares by Christs answeres For in the former temptations he onely disputed with Satan out of Scripture but when this temptation comes Christ bids him as it were in passion auoide Satan signifying thereby not onely his abhorring of that sinne but also the danger of that assault by the world And indeede these temptations on the right hand as wee may call them will most dangerously creepe into the heart and cause shipwracke of faith and a good conscience All Dauids troubles and persecutions could not bring him to so greeuous sins as did a little ease rest A huge great Armie cannot so soone giue entrance to an enemie into a Citie as riches and faire promises neither can bodily torments so soone preuaile against a good conscience as will worldly pleasures and faire promises In regarde whereof wee must take heede that wee bee not deceiued by the world for the view of the glory and pompe thereof will sooner steale from a man both religion and good conscience then any persecution possibly can do And indeede who doe so oft change their religion when trialls come as they that haue the world at will The eight example of suffering is this They were slaine with the sword There can be nothing saide of this which hath not beene spoken in the former examples and therefore I omit it The ninth and last example of suffering is this They wandred vp and downe in sheepes skinnes and Goates skinnes being destitute afflicted and tormented That is being either banished or constrained by flight to saue their liues they wandred vp and down in base attire and were destitute of ordinary foode and comfort and so in great affliction and torment Heere wee see these seruants of GOD were driuen from their owne Country friends and families by persecution Whence we obserue that in time of persecution a Christian man may lawfully flie for his safety if hee be not hindred by the bond of priuate or publique calling For these seruants of God here coÌ„mended for their faith did flie when they were persecuted and that by faith therfore the action is lawfull as I might prooue at large but that I haue spoken of it heeretofore VVhen our Sauiour Christ knewe that the Pharisies heard of the multitude of Disciples which he made Ioh. 4.1.3 hee left Iudea where they had greatest iurisdiction and came into Galile for his safety The Prophet in the old testament did fly as Elias from Iezabel 1. King 19.3 And so did the Apostles in the new and that by Christs direction Math. 10.23 Obiect 1 But some will say Persecution is the hand of God therfore no man may flie from it for so he should seeme to flie from God himselfe Ans. Wee must consider persecution two waies first as it is the hand of God secoÌ„condly as it is the worke of the wicked enemies of Gods Church For them God vseth sometimes aâ— instruments in laying his hand vpon his Church either for chastisement or for triall Now a Christian being persecuted for the truth and hauing libertie to flie cannot bee said to flie from Gods hand vnlesse he went away contrary to Gods command as Ionas did beeing sent to Niniue and beside he knowes that is impossible But his intent is to flie from the wrath of his enemies to saue his life for the further good of Gods Church Again the reason is not good To say persecution is the hand of God therefore a man may not flie from it For so might a man conclude that nonâ— ought to flie from sicknesse or from warre both which a man may doe with a safe conscience not beeing hindred by some speciall calling Obiect 2 But euery one is bound to testifie his faith religion before his enemies and therefore may not flie in persecution Answ. True indeede a Christian man must so testifie his faith if he bee called thereto of God but if God giue him liberty and opportunitie to flie then he will not haue him at that time to iustifie his religion by that meanes Obiect 3 But if it be lawfull to flie how then comes it to passe that some of Gods children when they might haue fled would not but haue stood to iustifie their profession vnto death Ans. We must iudge reuereÌ„tly of theÌ„ thinke they did it by som special instinct motioÌ„ of Gods spirit as appeareth by their patience constancy in their greatest torments Examples hereof wee haue in our English Acts and Monuments in men worthy of notable commendations for their constancy and zeale for the truth of the Gospel Quest. If flight in persecution may bee an action of faith Whether may not the minister of Gods word fly in time of persecution Answ. There be some cases wherein the Minister may lawfully fly 1 When that particular Church and congregation ouer which he is placed is dispersed by the Enemies so as he hath no hope to gather and call them back againe then no doubt hee may flie till his congregation be gathered againe 2 If the persecutors doe specially
aime at the Ministers life then with the consent of his flocke he may goe apart for his owne safetie for a time So it was with Paul when the Ephesians were in an vproar about their Diana Paul in zeale would haue entred in among them but the Disciples suffered him not Act. 19.30 This they did for Pauls safetie and the good of the Church for they knew those Idolaters would haue beene most fierce against Paul And so ought euery particular Church to haue speciall care of the life of their Minister Other cases there be in which he may flie but I will not stand to recite all because there bee so many circumstances which may alter the case as well respecting his enemies as himselfe and his people making that vnlawfull at one time to some persons which to others or at another time may be lawfull Secondly whereas it is said These seruants of God wandred vp and downe wee doe learne that a man may lawfully go from place to place and trauell from countrie to country if so be he goe in faith as these men did Againe their going was to keepe faith and a good conscience and for the same ende may any man lawfully trauell from place to place But when men goe not in faith nor yet for this ende the better to keepe a good conscience there vndoubtedly their trauell is not lawfull By this then we haue iust cause to reprooue the badde course of many wanderers among vs as first of our common beggars whose whole life is nothing else but a wandring from place to place though not in faith nor for coÌ„science sake but they finde a sweetnesse in their idle kind of life and therfore they wander because they would not worke Now this their course hauing no other ground but loue of idlenesse and contempt of paines in a lawfull calling cannot be but greatly displeasing vnto God who inioynes that euery man should walke in some lawfull calling and eate his owne bread This they doe not and therefore the curse of God pursueth them for generally they are giuen vp to most horrible sinnes of iniustice and vncleannesse they walke inordinately for they range not themselues into any families but liue liker brute beastes than men they are not members of any particular congregation but excommunicate themselues from all churches and so liue as though there were no God no Christ nor true religion And herein we may see Gods hand more heauy vpon them that they take all their delight in that course of wandring which in it owne nature is a curse a punishment Secondly we may here also iustly reprooue the course of some others among vs who will needs be trauellers not for religions sake for that were commendable if they had such neede nor yet by vertue of their calling which were lawfull but onely for this ende to see fashions and strange countries and they refraine not from such places as Rome Spaine c. wherein that cruell Inquisition will hardly suffer any to passe with safetie of a good conscience But shall we thinke that this their trauell is commendable No surely for the ende of lawfull trauell is the preseruation of faith and a good conscience â—r the bond of some lawfull calling Now these men trauelling vpon no such grounds but onely vpon pleasure how shal we think they will stand to the truth when they thrust themselues into such needlesse danger and triall The crazed consciences of many at their returne shew sufficiently the badnesse of that course Further note the state of these beleeuers for their attire it was of sheep skins and goate skins The like may be obserued in other famous Prophets and seruants of God Eliiah wore a garment of haire and thereby was knowen 2. King 1.8 And so did Iohn Baptist Matth. 3.4 Yea the false Prophets went so arraied that they might the rather be respected of the people Zach. 13.4 And our Sauiour Christ saith The false Prophets shall come in sheeps cloathing like the true Prophets when as indeede they are rauening Woolues Now the true Prophets of God went thus basely attired that not onely by word and doctrine but also in life in conuersation they might preach repentance vnto the people And indeede euery Minister of the Gospell ought to bee a light vnto his people both in life and doctrine and he that preacheth well and doth not liue according to his doctrine buildes with the one hand and pulls downe with the other Now whereas these seruants of God went vp and downe in such base attire as sheepe skinnes and goat skinnes it was for pouerties sake beeing depriued of friends goods house and lands and so destitute of prouision for better attire In their example wee may note that Gods seruants and children may bee brought to extreame pouerty and necessitie so as they shall want ordinary foode and raiment and bee faine to couer themselues with beasts skinnes This was the poore state and condition of godly Lazarus Yea Christ Iesus for our sakes did vndergoe a meane estate for he had not a place whereon to lay his head and at his death hee had not so much ground of his owne as might serue for a buriall place but was laid in Iosephs toombe which is a great comfort to any childe of God in like distresse For why should any be dismayed with that estate which Christ Iesus and his deerest seruants haue vndergone for his example Heere some may aske how this can stand with that saying of Dauid I haue beene young and am olde yet I neuer saw the righteous forsaken nor his seede begging bread Psalm 37. verse 25. Answer Dauids saying may be taken two wayes first as his owne obseruation in his time For he saith not The righteous is neuer forsaken but that hee neuer sawe it and indeede it is a rare thing to see the righteous forsaken Secondly which I take to be Dauids meaning the righteous man is neuer forsaken and his seed too For if God lay a temporall chasticement on any of his seruants suffering them to want yet hee forsaketh not his seede after him but renueth his mercie towards them if they walke in obedience before him he may make triall of godly Parents by want but their godly children shal surely be blessed so that this hindereth not but that the godly may be in want Further whereas they are said to goe vp and downe in Sheepes skinnes and Goates skinnes we must vnderstand that they did it by faith From whence we learne that when all temporall blessings faile then the childe of God must by faith lay hold vpon Gods gracious promises of life eternal and stay himselfe thereon This point must be remembred carefully for say we should want all kind of temporall benefits must we thereupon despaire and thinke that God hath forsaken vs God forbid nay when all meanes faile and the whole world is against vs yet then we must lay holde vpon the promise of life eternall in
Peter exhorts the Christians to haue their conuersation honest among the Gentiles that they which speake euill of them as of euill doers might by their good workes which they should see glorifie God in the day of their visitation 1. Pet. 2.12 And he bids godly wiues so walke that their husbands may be wonne without the word by beholding their pure conuersation which is with feare 1. Pet. 3.1.2 And Paul bids the Philippians to walke blamelesse in the middle of a wicked and crooked nation as lights in the middle of the world Phil. 2.15 that those which were to be conuerted by their good conuersation might be wonne to the truth GOD sent a floud vpon the world for the greeuousnesse of mans sinnes Now why doth hee not still send more flouds are not men now as wicked as they were then Yes vndoubtedly man for his part deserues it now as well as they did then and therfore our Sauiour Christ saith as it was in the dayes of Noah so shall it be in the dayes of the sonne of man so that euery day we deserue a new floud but yet the Lord stayes the execution of his iudgements for a time that his elect may bee gathered and conuerted And so soone as that is done heauen and earth shall goe together and God will not stay one moment for all the world besides So that euery nation and people in the world haue benefit by Gods children because for their sakes doth the Lord stay his wrath and deferre his iudgements euen the great iudgement of fire wherewith the world shall be consumed at the last day These things the world should take notice of as well to moue them to repentance of their sinnes whereby they are made vnworthy the presence of a godly man as also to perswade them to better behauiour and cariage towards the godly by whom they are so many wayes blessed The holy Ghost addeth that they wandred in wildernesse and mountaines and donnes and Caues of the earth These were desolate places and not inhabited and yet for the wickednesse of the world GOD will haue these beleeuerâ— here to wander Wee must not thinke that they betooke themselues voluntarily to this solitary life but onely vpon necessity being constrained by persecution to flie into the wildernesse for the sauing of their liues and the keeping a good conscience This serues to descry vnto vs the blinde errour of many ages afore vs wherein it hath beene thought and is by Papists at this day to bee a state of perfection to liue a Monke or Hermite out of all societies in some desert place and there to spend the whole life in contemplation onely that voluntarily and they magnifie this estate so much that heereby they thinke to merit eternall life at the hands of God But these beleeuers did neither voluntarily nor with opinion of merit betake themselues to this solitarie life but on necessity And indeede this kinde of life hath no warrant in Gods word for euery Christian is a member of two Kingdomes of Christs Kingdome of grace and of that particular state where he dwelleth and by reason heereof hath a two-folde calling a temporall and a spirituall calling In both of which he must walke diligently so long as hee can doing the duties both of a childe of God and of a member of that common-wealth where hee liueth Now when a man goes voluntarily to leade a solitary life he forsakes his temporall calling altogether and performes the other but negligently for hee withdrawes himselfe from many duties of piety whereby the people might be furthered to God-ward which none can do with a good conscience Further obserue the places where they are constrained to wander to wit in Wildernesse Caues and Dennes places where wilde beasts haue abode and recourse and yet heere they liue when as men will not suffer them to liue among them Where note that many times more mercy may be found among wilde and sauage beasts than with some men so mercilesse are the wicked when God forsakes them and leaues them to themselues The Lions entreate Daniel better than Darius Courtiers and seruants doe Daniel chapter 6. And Lazarus findes more kindenesse with the dogges at Diues gates then with him and all his family besides Luke chapter 16. verse 21. The consideration whereof must teach vs to nippe sinne in the head at the beginning and not to suffer it to growe for if it get a head and raigne in vs it will make vs worse than brute or sauage beasts and cruell as the Diuell himselfe as wee may see in the worldes vsage of these beleeuers Thus we see the state of true beleeuers vnder many and greeuous miseries which wee must well obserue to arme our selues against the times of aduersities which GOD may sende vpon vs. VVee must not iudge it a cursed estate to bee vnder the Crosse for heere wee see the faith of his seruants is commended for suffering nine seuerall kindes of miseries If wee shall thinke that these were but a fewe wee must knowe that in them the holy Ghost setteth down the state of his Church vnto the end for these things were written for ensamples vnto vs. And therefore if calamities come and such miseries befall vs as doe driue vr toward distrust as though God had forsaken vs we must remember that God did not forsake these his children in their calamities and therefore also will not forsake vs. And thus much for this last example VERSE 39. And these all through faith obtained good report and recei-not the promise THe holy Ghost hauing set down at large a worthie and notable Catalogue of examples of faith in sundry beleeuers that liued from the beginning of the world to the time of the Maccabees doth now for a further commendation of their faith rehearse the same things that before he had said in the 2. and 13. verses of this chapter In saying that by faith they all receiued good report his meaning is that they did beleeue in the true Messias and looked for saluation in him alone whereupon they were approoued of God himselfe who gaue testimonie hereof partly by his word and partly by his spirit in their consciences and partly by his Church by all which they were commended and assured to be Gods seruants And yet notwithstanding this good report they receiued not the promise that is the promise of Christs incarnation in their daies They receiued Christ truely by faith and so saw his day but his actual incarnation in the flesh they liued not to see Whereas it is said That by faith they obtained testimony Here first obserue that there is nothing in man that makes him acceptable to God but faith onely GOD regards no mans person hee accepts not of a man because he is a King or because he is wise or rich or strong c. But if a man beleeue then the Lord is ready to giue testimony of him that hee likes well of him In regard
whereof wee must all labour diligently aboue all other things to get true faith in Christ that so we may haue approbation at Gods hands without which there is no saluation to be hoped for Secondly here also learne the right way to get testimony approbation and credit with men a thing whereof many are exceeding glad and which the childe of God must not contemne Now the way is this He must first labour to get approbation at GODs hands which indeede hee cannot doe any other way saue onely by a true and liuely faith as wee haue heard before Now the Lord God approouing of him hee hath the hearts of all men in his hands inclining them whither hee will and if it doth stand with his glory hee will cause them to like and to speake well of him that doth beleeue Many indeede get great applause in the world which little regard true faith but in the ende this their glory and applause will be their shame for They that honour me will I honour saith the Lord but he that despiseth me shal be despised 1. Sam. 2.30 Lastly whereas the holy Ghost saith That all these worthy men obtained testimony of God and yet receiued not the promise We are hereby taught that we which now liue in the Church are much more bound in conscience to beleeue than they that liued in the old Testament For wee haue receiued the promise of Christs incarnation They receiued it not and yet beleeued Wherefore in the feare of God let vs labour for true faith But some wil say What should we heare so much of faith we do all beleeue Answ. Indeed we say so much with our mouthes but it is a rare thing to finde true and sound faith in the heart for grosâ—e and palpable ignorance abounds euery where and yet men wil needs be good beleeuers which is a thing impossible for how should faith be without knowledge And as men are ignorant so they haue no care to learne nor to get knowledge that so they might come by true faith Their hearts are wholly takeÌ„ vp with the world for matters of profit and delight that they can spare no time to seeke for this pretious gift of faith Againe many haue knowledge with whom true faith is rare for faith purifies the heart it is ioyned with a good conscience and shewes it selfe by obedience through loue Now to leaue the heart to God where almost is the man that walkes answerable to his knowledge May we not truely say of many that as the word commeth in at the one eare it goeth out at the other And among those which learne and beare away something there is little care to practice it in life But wee must knowe that if wee would be approoued of God wee must beleeue Now so long as wee remaine ignorant or else hauing knowledge doe not ioyne practice therewith in obedience from a good conscience vndoubtedly we haue no sparke of true faith in vs. Wee may make a shewe of faith and so beare the world in hand we beleeue but certainely this will prooue a very dead faith and in the ende and finishing of all appeare to bee nothing but bare lip-faith and meere presumption Now to conclude this point we must know that vnlesse wee get true faith as these beleeuers had which wee must shewe by good fruits as they did euen they shall rise vp in iudgemeÌ„t against vs to condemne vs at the last day For they beleeued though they had not the ground of faith so laid before them as we haue Wherefore let them that want knowledge labour for it and they which haue it let them ioyne obedience with their knowledge that the faith of their hearts may be seene by the fruits of their liues for true faith cannot bee hid but will breake out in good workes VERSE 40. God prouiding a better thing for vs that they without vs should not be made perfect BEcause some man might much maruel that such men as receiued testimony of God for their faith should not yet receiue the promise therefore here the holy Ghost renders a reason thereof to wit the good pleasure of God appointing that Christ should bee incarnate at such a time as was most conuenient for the perfect consummation of the whole Church consisting of Gentiles as well as Iewes For though these ancient beleeuers were in time long before vs yet God prouided Christs incarnation so fitly for vs that they without vs should not haue perfect consummation in glory The Exposition God prouiding a better thing for vs. The word in the originall translated prouiding signifieth properly foreseeing wherein is likewise included Gods decree and ordination Now this we must knowe that it is a peculiar prerogatiue belonging to the true God alone to be able to foresee things to come and that many thousand years before no creature of himselfe can doe it And yet it is true that this propertie to foresee is ascribed vnto God not properly but in regard of our capacitie for if we speake of God properly God cannot be said to foresee any thing because all things bee present to him whether past or to come This prescience or foreknowledge in God puts a difference betweene the true God and all false gods yea betweene the true God and all creatures for the true God foresees all things that are to come so can no creature doe Indeed some creatures foresee and foretell some things yet herein they come short of the diuine property for God foresees all things by himselfe without signes or causes or outward meanes But creatures onely foresee some things not of themselues but by meanes of signes and outward causes or by reuelation from God otherwise can no creature foresee things to come Now as we said before this fore-sight in God includes his decree and ordination for therefore did these things so come to passe because God ordained them Whereby we see that Gods prescience of fore-knowledge is not idle but operatiue and ioyned with his will for Math. 10.29 30 an haire cannot fall from our head nor a sparrow light vpon the ground without his will As all things in time come to passe so God before all worlds willed that is decreed and appointed them And vnder this large extent of Gods will or decree wee must include the sinnefull actions of men for God doth not barely foresee them but decree the beeing of them and so will them after a sort though not to be done by himselfe yet by others When Iudas betrayed Christ and Pilate with the wicked Iewes condemned and reuiled him they sinned grieuously yet herein they did nothing but that which Gods hand and counsell had determined before to be done This point well considered confutes their opinion who indeed inlarge Gods prescience or fore knowledge ouer all things both good and euill but yet exclude sin from without the compasse of his decree and ordination But here we see Gods foresight includes his decree and nothing
with all his heart and soule and might and for that hee is preferred afore all Kings afore or after him not that Iosias could fulfill the lawe perfectly as it required but it is meant of the endeuour of his heart and life by which he straue with all his might to serue God as well as he could his exsample is ours We professe religion wee must looke that our hearts affect it we professe a turning from sinne we must take heed it be not formall and from the lips but from the heart So when we practice any duty of religion whether we pray or heare the word or receiue the Sacrament this is the sacrifice that we can offer we must not doe them coldly and carelesly but with zealous affection and resolution from the heart Otherwise if we serue God for fashion sake and our hearts are on the world and our owne lusts wee offer the sacrifice of cursed Cain and we with our formall religion shall goe to him But let vs offer the sacrifice of Abell that is though it be neuer so little yet let it be the best wee can and all we can and God will accept vs as he did Abell And thus the Parent should giue God his best childe the young man his best yeares euery man his best part which is his heart And thus we follow the steps of holy Abell who offred to God the best sacrifice he had This was the fruite of his faith euen so that Parent that young man that professor that hath true faith will do so likewise Hitherto of the first effect of Abels faith It followeth By the which he obtained witnesse that he was righteous This is the second effect of Abels faith wherby it is commended 1. For the meaning By faith hee meanes sauing faith which makes a man iust before God and no other For whereas he had said afore that by faith our Elders had obtained a good report He proues that general by this exsample of Abell therefore that sauing faith which was meant there is also meant here These wordes set downe two benefits which Abell had by his sauing faith First he was iust by it Secondly God testified that he was so For the first Abels faith made him iust and righteous not because his faith was an excellent quality of that vertue in it selfe as to make him iust but because it was an instrument whereby he apprehended and applied to himselfe the righteousnesse of the Messias to come whereby hee might stand iust before God This was his righteousnesse which he had by faith for hee trusted not to any holinesse of his owne though it is out of question hee knew he was the sonne of that man who once was perfectly righteous but the trust and confidence of his heart was in the righteousnesse of that blessed seed which God had promised should breake the serpents head This Promise he knowing beleeued it applied it to himselfe and this faith made him righteous Here we learne a worthy lesson of Christianity namely that the true and the vndoubted way to heauen is a holy and liuely faith in Iesus Christ for this faith makes a man righteous that righteousnesse opens him the gate of heauen To this end saith the Apostle Being iustified by faith we haue peace with God but by whō through our Lord Iesus Christ. For the vse of this doctrine we must renue our former exhortation which indeed cannot be too often presled to the conscience There is none of vs so vile none so profane but we desire saluation If we do then we must tread the beaten way to it For we are not borne heires of it neither can we come thither by chaunce but there is a way that must be taken that way is but one all other are misleading by-waies Again that way must be taken in this life else it is too late Now this way is to be a iust righteous man With this neuer man failed and without this neuer man attained to saluation for No vncleane thing can come into the kingdome of heauen Neuer was man iustified there which was not iust before and that must be here begun which in heauen is to be perfected In this life therefore wee must seeke to be iust Now our owne good workes will not serue to make vs iust for they are all vnable to indure the trial of Gods iustice And if we stand to them and they proue not able to satisfie Gods iustice then in stead of sauing vs they will condemne vs. Therefore with Abell let vs go out of our selues deny our selues and cleaue onely to Christs righteousnes in life death this is the way that neuer will deceiue vs. But some wil say We walke in this way I answer He that walketh in a way may be traced by his steps so then shew your steps of holinesse of deuotiō of charity c. these must shew your faith leaue these steps behinde you and then your faith is good Thus did holy Abell beleeue thou it acknowledge it and follow thou after him and renounce all by paths which the Papists or thy own braine imagineth Let this one doctrine sinke into thy heart in steade of many and let not the diuell strake it out For if thou walke in this way my soule for thine it will bring thee to heauen if not at the last day this doctrine will condemne thee because it shewed thee this way and thou wouldest not walke in it Secondly obserue He saith Abell was approued and accepted of God How proues hee that Because his workes pleased God as who say his workes cannot please God vnlesse his person do therfore in that his works do thence he concludeth that his person did it is the reason of the holy Ghost and therefore infallible In the framing of this reason the holy Ghost teacheth vs a great point of our religion namely that first a mans person must please God afore his actions can And after the person then the actions This is plaine in these words for it is said he first obtained witnesse that hee was righteous himselfe and then God testified of his gifts So likewise more plainely Genesis 4. 4 God had respect first to Abell and then to his offring So that the truth is manifest No worke pleaseth God afore the worker do This being so hath excellent vses First it ouerthroweth a maine pillar of Romish religion Iustification by workes For how can a man be iustified by his workes when hee himselfe must be iust afore the works can be Vnlesse hee be iust his workes be wicked if they be wicked afore his person be iust how can they then iustifie him And if the person bee once iust what needes it then to be again iustified by works Good works make not a man good but a good man makes a worke good shall that work that a man made good return againe make the man good 1. That is absurd in reason And 2.
therefore go to God by earnest prayer to giue vs his spirit to worke true faith in our hearts and to make vs of a true beliefe And secondly seeing men may be Christians in profession and Atheists in practice let vs all looke narrowly to our selues and ioyne with our profession Conscience and obedience for else the more we know God the worse we are It may please God after to giue vs better mindes but as yet we are no better then deniers of God and though wee come neere God in profession and in his outward seruice yet indeede we are farre from him because wee want that true faith which must professe God not in iudgement alone but in practice and that will bring vs neere vnto God for hee that commeth to God must beleeue that God is And thus much for the first thing to be beleeued by him that will come to God and please him The second is And that He is a rewarder of them that seeke him It is a notable sentence and one of the most comfortable in the booke of God and containes the second thing to be beleeued The parts are naturally two 1. How a man doth seeke God 2. How God rewards them that seeke him For the first A man truly seeketh God by doing foure actions First a man must forsake himselfe goe out of himselfe and as it were loose himselfe in his owne iudgement when he intends to seeke God If any aske how that may be I answer Thus A man must labour to see his sinnes fully and distinctly and in sight thereof be cast downe in himselfe as a man is when hee seeth his debts then let him looke into himselfe and see if hee can finde in himselfe any ability to pay those debts or any meanes in the world to satisfie Gods â—ustice and purchase pardon And if vpon due examination he finde none at all no not the least nor any thing in himselfe but an accusing and raging conscience Let him then fall out of all loue with himselfe nay hate and abhorre himselfe and his owne basenesse and lastly let him despaire of his owne saluation in or from himselfe and thus doing he forsakes himself denieth himselfe and euen looseth himselfe And thus necessarily must he do to himselfe that will set his heart to seeke the Lord. For God will be found of none that hope to finde helpe at any hand but his they therfore that seeke God but will seeke themselues too do iustly loose both God and themselues Secondly he that will seeke God aright when hee hath lost himselfe must hunger in his heart and soule not after wealth and honours ease or pleasures but after the fauour and mercy of God in Christ for the forgiuenesse of his sinnes and one drop of Christes bloud to wash away the guilt and staine of his defiled and sinfull soule must be dearer to him then all the pompe and glory of tenne worlds Looke how a hungry soule hungers after meate and a faintie soule thirsteth after drinke so must his soule hunger after Gods mercy and thirst for Christs bloud and these are necessary For as a man that vndertakes a long iourney must be prouided of meate and drinke so hee that vndertakes the iourney to goe seeke the Lord must haue this prouision for the diet of his poore soule Gods mercies and Christes merits and he that seeks without a soule hungring after these may seeke long and finde nothing Thirdly if he will truly seeke God he must not goe in euerie path but take the true liuing way which Christ hath consecrated by his bloud nor take any guide but trust to Christs spirit alone to be his guide nor make many mediators or messengers to God but make Christ alone to God the Father Wee must therefore goe to him and yeeld vp our selues to be taught and guided by him leaue our sute to be preferred by him we must not looke to come to God by running on pilgrimages to this or that Saints picture or bones or to our Lady of Loreto Many haue sought God in these but who euer found him Nay alas thou maist lodge in her forged tabernacle at Loreto all thy life and lie in hell for all that when thou art dead and maist kisse all the Saints pictures and bones and haire and all their reliques in Spaine and Italy and all cannot get thee one sight of Gods fauourable countenance Nor againe must we looke to come to God by our good works though we are to doe them they are good markes in the way and good euidences of a right way but they cannot open heauen and let thee in And therefore when thou hast done all thou canst thou must forsake them all in matter of iustification and comming to God Onely thou must goe to God by Christ and cleaue to him alone hee is the doore the way the truth the life and certainly neuer man found God that sought him not in Christ alone And when Popish deuises and distinctions haue done all they can men will be found liers and Christ to speak truth saying No man commeth to the Father but by me Lastly when all these are done then must thou beleeue that God is become thy mercifull Father in Christ and is reconciled vnto thee in him for there is no feare but if thou seeke God in Christ thou shalt finde him and when thou hast done the three former things thou maist safely and assuredly beleeue that thou hast truly sought God And after all these if thou haue not firme and liuely faith thou doest not secke God For as it is impossible without faith to please God so is it impossible without faith to finde God Thus if a man lose himselfe long after Gods mercy take Christ alone for his guide and mediator and stedfastly beleeue his reconciliation with God by Christ then he seekes God aright and to this seeking belongs a reward and blessing Now then if this be to seeke God here is some light giuen to a great question Whether the Church of Rome be a true Church and their doctrine truely catholique or erroneous and failing in fundamentall points For answer Can that be a true Church which doth not bring her children to seeke God or that catholique doctrine which teacheth not her children to seeke God the right way but sends them into 1000. by-wayes Surely if this be to seeke God then search all the Popish Doctors and almost all their Writers and see whether a man be not taught to seeke God quite in another walke Which way of theirs whether is ordinarily bring the seekers to God or no we leaue to Gods mercifull iudgement But for our selues as we see we haue the true liuing way the sure and infallible way by Christ to God by the Sonne to the Father let vs reioice in the comfort of so rich a mercie and be thankfull to the Lord for reuealing himselfe vnto vs and opening vnto vs the true way to him and to his
come for they were not performed for many yeeres after as shall appeare in the particulars Particularly they were these three First the great and iust wrath which God had conceiued against the sinfull world for the vniuersall corruption and generall sinfulnesse therof Noah was a Preacher of righteousnesse to that wicked age and as S. Peter saith 1. Epistle 3.11 The very spirit of Christ preached in him but they contemned both him and the spirit by which hee spake and made a mocke of him and all his holy admonitions and solaced themselues in all their sinfull pleasures without feare or respect of God or man pleasing themselues in their owne defiled wayes promising to themselues safety and security But behold This Noah whom they esteemed a base and contemptible man vnworthy of their company to him is reuealed how short their time is and that they must be cut off in the midst of their iollity Gods children whom wicked men doe thinke and speake of with great contempt doe know full well the miserable state of such men and the fearefull dangers hanging ouer them when the wicked men themselues are farre from thinking of any such matter The second thing which God reuealed to Noah was that he would saue him and his family from perishing by the waters which he would bring vpon the world His faith was not in vaine God rewarded it with a singular preseruation Thus dealt he alwayes with his children deliuering Lot out of Sodome Gen. 19. Rahab out of Hierico Ioshua 6.22 The Kenits from the Amalekits 1. Sam. 15. and here Noah out of that generall destruction And this God afore-hand reueales vnto him for his greater comfort and security that when signes and strange tokens did foretell and shew that still the destruction was neerer and neerer still Noah might comfort himselfe in the assurance of that mercifull promise which God had made him of his deliuerance and of his family also for his sake The third thing reuealed to him was the meanes whereby he should be saued from the vniuersall floud namely by an Arke which for his more assurance hee is bid to make himselfe that so at euery stroke he gaue he might remember this mercifull promise of his God vnto him For as euery stroke in the making of the Arke was a loude sounding Sermon vnto that sinfull generation to call them to repentance so was it also an assurance vnto Noah of his deliuerance Of which Ark of Noahs obedience in making it we shall hereafter speake at large And thus much concerning the ground of Noahs faith which was a warning or reuelation from God Now followeth a second point namely the commendation of his faith or a description of the excellencie thereof by diuers and singular effects Moued with reuerence The first effect of his faith is It moued in him a reuerence or a reuerent feare of that God that spake to him and of his iustice towards sinne and sinners and of his mercie towards him In this effect we are to consider two points 1. The ground of this reuerence 2. The occasions or motiues of it The ground whence this reuerence sprang was his true and sauing faith for the holy Ghost first tells vs of Noahs faith afterwards of this reuerent feare he had of God and his great workes Where we learne that whosoeuer is endued with sauing faith is also touched with feare and reuerence at the consideration of God and his glorious workes whether they be works of his power his wisedome his mercy or his iustice or of all together For the first Dauid could not see the workes of Gods power in the creation Psalm 8. But when he looked vp and beheld the heauens the workes of Gods hands the moone and the starres which he had ordained hee forthwith fell into a reuerence and admiration of Gods mercy to man for whom and whose vse he made them all For the second the same Dauid could not enter into consideration of Gods wisedome in the admirable frame of mans body Psal. 139.13 c. but he presently falls into a reuerence and admiration thereof in most excellent and passionate words Thou possessest my reines thou coueredst me in my mothers wombe I will praise thee for I am fearefully and wonderfully made Meruailous are thy workes and that my soule knoweth right well My bones are not hid from thee though I was made in a secret place yet thy eyes did see my substance when I was without forme and in thy booke were all my members written which in continuance were fashioned though there were none of them before How deere therefore are thy counsels to mee O God! Thus we see how this holy King cannot content himself with any tearmes to expresse his religious and reuerent conceite of Gods Maiestie For the third Gods mercifull workes to his Church and children haue alwayes beene considered-of by good men with great reuerence And What shall I giue vnto the Lord saith Dauid for all his benefites poured on mee Psalm 116.12 But especially the Iudgements of God haue beene alwaies entertained of Gods children with much reuerence and admiration Blessed Dauid saith My flesh trembleth for feare of thee and I am afraid of thy Iudgements Psal. 119.120 How would this noble King haue trembled and been afraid if he had beene a priuate man And how glorious is God and his workes of iudgements whereat euen Kings themselues doe tremble And the Prophet Habbacuk saith that when hee but heaâ—d of Gods iudgements to come his belly trembled his lips shooke rottennesse entred into his bones Habba 3.16 And thus Noah here hearing of Gods iust wrath against the sinfull world and of his purpose to ouerthrowe all liuing flesh by water was moued with great feare and reuerence at this mighty worke of God and from the view of this his great and iust iudgement his faith made him arise to a more earnest consideration of the Maiestie of God By all which it is more then apparant that true faith wheresoeuer it is worketh a holy feare and reuerent estimation of God and of his workes and of God in and by his workes whereby on the contrary side it followeth that therefore to thinke basely or ordinarily of God to thinke scornefully of his workes or to denie his power and his hand in the great workes either of mercie or iudgement done in the world is an argument of a profane heart and wanting true faith The vse of this doctrine discouers the profanenesse and the great want of faith that ordinarily is in the world And that appeares by two euidences the first is to mens owne consciences the other is to the view and sight of all the world First men may see in themselues a profane heart and voide of faith by this euidence For doth a man in his heart thinke basely of God his power his iustice or his mercies Doth he either doubt of them or granting them doth hee thinke of them without feare and amâ—zement
in the Iudgement and the mercy Hitherto of the first effect It followeth Prepared the Arke The 2. effect of Noahs faith wherby it is coÌ„mended is that he vpon a coÌ„mandement receiued froÌ„ God as we heard before doth make build an Ark wherin to saue himself his family CoÌ„cerning this Ark much might be spoken out of the book of Gen but it is not to our purpose which is no more in this Chapter but to shew the obedience and practice of faith and therein the excellencie of it Now the point here to be spoken of is not the matter nor the measure nor the proportion nor the fashion nor the vses of the Arke all which in the 6. Chapter of Genesis are fully described but the action and obedience of Noah in preparing it as God bad him whereof the holy Ghost in Genesis 6.22 saith Noah did according to all that God had commaunded him euen so did he Now in this action of Noahs faith diuers points of great moment are to be considered First why did God bid Noah make an Arke 120. yeeres before the floud when hee might haue built it in three or foure yeeres The answere is God did so for diuers causes some respecting the sinfull world as that they might haue longer time and more warnings to repent euery stroke of the Arke during these 120. yeeres being a loude Sermon of repentance vnto them Againe that they might be without excuse if they amended not and lastly that their iniquities might be full and their sinnes ripe for vengeance But of all these we will not speake because they concerne not Noah of whose faith we are onely to speake let vs therfore touch only those causes which concerne Noah And in regard of him the Lord did thus that he might try his faith and patience and exercise other graces of holinesse in him Thus God dealeth with his seruants alwayes hee exerciseth them many and strange wayes in this world He led the Israelites in the deserts of Arabia fourty yeeres whereas a man may trauell from Rameses in Egypt to any part of Canaan in fourty dayes and this God did to humble them and try them and to know what was in their heart Deut. 8.2 God promised Abraham a sonne in whom all the nations of the earth should be blessed Gen. 12.3 But he performed it not of 30. yeeres after Gen. 21.2 He gaue Dauid the kingdome of Israel and anointed him by Samuel 1. Sam. 16.13 But he attained it not of many yeeres after in the meane time was persecuted and hunted by Saul as a flea in a mans bosome or as a Partridge in the mountaines 1. Sam. 24.15 and 26.20 And thus God exercised him both in that and other his promises as he saith Psal. 40.1 In waiting I waited on the Lord and Psal. 119.82 Mine eyes faile for waiting for thy promise O when wilt thou comfort me Thus God dealt with them and thus in some measure hee deales with all his children to humble and to try them and to know what is in their hearts for that in these cases men doe alwaies shew themselues and their dispositions When men enioy all things at their will and wish who cannot make a faire profession but where men are long deferred and kept from that is promised and they expect and are so long crossed in their expectations then they appeare in their owne colours And as God dealt with them so will he one way or other doe with vs if wee be his seruants hee will at some time of our life or other lay some such affliction vpon vs as may try vs and our faith and our patience and our humility For if we be hypocrites and haue no true graces but onely a shew this will discouer it and if we haue true and sound faith and patience this will make them shine like orient pearles in their true and perfect beauty Secondly as God bad Noah build an Arke so long time before any neede of it so he did without denying or gainesaying So saith the story in Genesis He did according to all that God commaunded him And thus the holy Ghost saith here He being warned of God by faith prepared the Arke Where we learne That where true faith is there followeth true obedience to euery commaundement of God insomuch as a godly beleeuing man no sooner heareth any duty to be commaunded of God but hee thinks his soule and conscience is tied to obedience and this is the nature of true faith And it is as impossible to be otherwise as it is for fire hauing fewell not to burne Acts 15.9 Faith purifieth the heart namely from carelesse disobedience to Gods word for if from any corruption at all then from it especially because it is most contrary to the purenesse of true faiâ—h This being so sheweth vs not any fault in our religion as the Papists slander vs but the want of our religion and the want of true faith in the world for there is almost no obedience to Gods commaundements For first Turkes Iewes acknowledge not the Scriptures and the Papists haue set aside Gods commaundements to set vp their owne And few Protestants haue the feeling of the power of true religion nothing indeed but a bare profession but it must be a feeling of the power of it which produceth due obedience And alas wee see men obay not Gods commaundements God saith Sweare not by my name vainely keepe my Sabbath Where is there a man of many that feareth to breake these Alas there are more mockers of such as would keepe them then carefull and conscionable keepers of them How truly said Christ When the sonne of man commeth shall hee finde faith on the earth It is likely therefore these be the dayes wherin we may wait for the coÌ„ming of Christ for the generall want of obedience sheweth the generall want of faith But this obedience of Noah is better to be considered of for it was very excellent extraordinary there being many hindrances that might haue stopped him in the course of his obedience and haue perswaded him neuer to haue gone about the making of the Arke As first the great quantity of the Ark amounting to many thousands Cubits a work of huge labour great charge Againe the length of his labour to last 120. yeeres It is a tedious thing and troublesome to mans nature to be euer in doing and neuer to haue done Thirdly the building of it was a matter of much mockery to the world for it signified 1. the destroying of the whole world 2. the sauing of him and his These things were taunted at by the worldly wise men of that sinful age and he was loudly laught at by many a man to thinke all the world should perish but much more if all perished to imagine that he and his should be deliuered Lastly the building of the Arke was a harsh thing to nature and naturall reason in many respects for First that all the
liue by faith in all our actions from one day to another meditating daily on Gods promises and beleeuing them and relying on them and applying the generalls to our owne selues and practicing faith by making conscience of sinne and inuring our selues to patience and long suffering Thus doing we shall be children of faithfull Abraham who first by faith left his owne Country and then by faith also dwelt still in the Land of Canaan And thus much for the action of his faith Hee abode in the Land of Promise Now followe the circumstances of the action which are two 1. The manner how 2. The Persons with whō The manner is laid downe in two points 1. As a stranger 2. As one that dwelt in tents The first point for the manner is laide downe in these words As in a strange Country The meaning is he esteemed it a strange Country to him and accounted himself a stranger in it Against which it may be obiected that he was familiarly acquainted with Mamre Aner and Eshcol three great mighty men of that Country then he they were confederates together Gen. 14.13 therfore it seemes he liued not like a stranger in the Country Some answere that these three were not Cananites but neere a-kinne to Abraham and had other names but the Text is plaine in that place that Mamre was an Amorite and the other two were his brethren Therefore the answere is that in all likelyhood they three were Proselites and that by Abrahams godly perswasions they had renounced Idolatry and were come to the knowledge of the true God and that they ioyned with Abraham in the worship of the true God and so were his conuerts whereupon Abraham as he might lawfully conuersed with them as his familiar friends And hereof there are two Inducements First it is said Gen. 14.13 that they were confederates with Abraham and it appeared so by their deedes for they ioyned their powers and assisted him in the warre against the the Kings Gen. 14.24 Secondly it is said Gen. 14.13 That Abraham dwelt on the Land of Mamre he was his Tenant or Farmour Now it is more then likely Abraham would not haue so farre beene beholden to them but that they were true Christians and of his owne religion Therefore this hinders not but hee might be a stranger notwithstanding vnto the body of the people and that it is true that Abraham saith of himself vnto some of them Gen. 23.4 I am a stranger and Soiourner amongst you But it may be then demanded Why did Abraham liue amongst them as a stranger and in that Land as a Soiourner I answer the reasons were diuers First he had title giuen to that Land but no possession he therefore contented himselfe with that that God gaue him and chalenged not any possession all the dayes of his life but bought or borrowed of Mamre the place where he liued and dwelt Gen. 14.13 and of the Hittites a place of buriall Gen. 23.3 c. This may teach all men not to be too hasty in seeking for that that it may be is their right let not men prescribe their owne times nor be their owne caruers but leaue their affaires to Gods disposing and enter no further then they see God goeth afore them Abraham must be a stranger in his owne land and thou sometime must be content for a time to be a stranger to that which is thine owne Secondly they were all of them for the most part heathen Idolaters amongst whom Abraham would not conuerse but as sparingly as might be Now if Abraham would be a stranger in his own Country rather then liue familiarly with Idolaters It sheweth how little faith and lesse conscience they haue who can be content to liue in the midst amongst Idolaters where they haue nothing to doe and can conuerse with them in all familiarity without any scruple of conscience Abraham made himselfe a stranger at home to auoide Idolatry but they will make themselues at home in a strange Country to intangle themselues in Idolatry these men will hardly proue the children of Abraham These reasons Abraham himselfe had in this his so doing There is a third a more spirituall or mysticall reason and that reason God had in making Abraham liue in Canaan as a stranger Namely to teach all Christian men their duty to the worlds end Abraham is the Father of the faithfull Rom. 4.11 And this is our honour to be the children of Abraham we must therfore follow our Father in his faith and in the practice of it we must liue in this world as Pilgrimes and Strangers euen in the midst of all our peace prosperity of all our liberty riches lands and possessions yea of all our friends worldly acquaintance If it seeme strange how this can be I answere the practice of it consists in six actions First we must not bathe our selues in the pleasures of this world Pilgrimes take but little delight in their iourneyes because they thinke themselues not at home This is S. Peters argument Dearely beloued as strangers and pilgrimes abstaine from fleshly lusts which fight against the soule 1. Pet. 2.11 For too much delight in fleshly pleasures smothers the grace of God in vs and le ts loose all sinnes and giues life vnto all corruptions Secondly we must vse this world as though we vsed it not that is euen the necessary comforts delights thereof they be the very words of the Apostle 1. Cor. 7.31 For so the Pilgrime when he passeth through a strange Country hath not his minde troubled with looking or thinking on the goods or cōmodities of that Country where he is but vsing as much thereof as is necessary for him all his thoughts are on his owne Country So should we when we are in our best estates in our greatest iollity in the midst of our wealth and abundance of pleasures cast our mindes from them haue our thoughts euen then conuersing in heauen where is the place of our abode This is likewise the Apostles exhortation Philipp 3.20 Worldly men make their belly their God that is drowne themselues in carnall pleasures so farre as they forget any other God any other heauen But we must not doe so our conuersation must be in heauen from whence wee looke for our Sauiour Iesus Christ. Thirdly wee must haue a serious care and endeuour to please God for all the earth is his and wee are but soiourners in his sight therfore as the Pilgrime is carefull to please the Lord of the Country by whose leaue he trauels through it so must we be to please the Lord seeing as God saith Leuit 25.23 The land is his and we are but strangers and soiourners with him And hereunto adde a fourth which is neere a-kinne vnto it We must cast all our care on God seeing that he is Lord of the earth we are but Pilgrimes and Soiourners Dauid saith Psal. 24.1 The earth is the Lords and all that therein is
the fundamentall points of religion of God of the Creation the Fall the immortalitie of the Soule the two Couenants of workes by the Lawe of Grace by the Mediator and such other substantiall points touching God his Word Sacraments Law Gospel Praier good Workes c. as the Scriptures and the Creeds and Catechismes out of the scripture doe yeeld vnto vs. Herein the case of the common people of all nations is miserable In Poperie their Clergie is so fat and full they will not In our Churches the Ministerie a great part of it so poore and ill prouided for they cannot teach Betwixt both the people of the world do perish for lacke of knowledge for how can they but perish that die not in faith How can they die so that liue not in faith And how can they euer haue faith that haue no knowledge seeing knowledge is the foundation of faith Therefore it needes the helpe of those that may and the praiers of all that our Church may haue Teachers and our people Catechisers for without learning the Catechisme it is impossible to learne religion Secondly when wee haue got knowledge and so laid the foundation then must we learne the promises of God for saluation and we must hide them in our hearts as the Iewels of life and saluation We must beleeue them to be true and effectuall to all that will take hold of them and wee our selues must therefore take hold of them and apply them to our soules Thirdly after both these wee must conforme our selues throughout heart and life vnto the holy lawes of God we must leaue all bad waies and vngodly courses though they be neuer so deare vnto vs or so commoÌ„ in the world and must make conscience of all sinne and endeauour to doe all duties to God and man The first of these is the ground of faith the second is faith it selfe the last the fruit and effect of it and an assured testimony of it to God to his Church and to a mans owne conscience And to doe these three things is to walke in the olde and holy way consecrated by Christs blood and troden in by all the holy Fathers and Popery nor any other religion can appoint so â—aâ—e so sure nor so direct a way Thus liued Abraham Sarah Isaac and Iaacob and after this course they died in faith and now liue in glory and so shall we with them if wee will liue in faith as they did but else we may long looke for heauen before wee come there Indeed God can make a man that liued not in faith die in faith but the matter is not what he can doe but what is his ordinary course that is this They that liue in faith die in faith Therfore let vs take the ordinary course and repent and turne betimes and liue the life of faith and leaue late repentance to them that thinke it but a sport to venture a soule that course may speed but this course is sure to speed he that liues in sin may happe to die in faith but he that liues in faith is sure to die in faith and to liue in glory for euer Secondly obserue how it is said All these died in faith not some but all Abraham the father and the roote and with him the wife the child and the grand-child behold a true noble blood a holy kinred a blessed generation worthy is Abraham of all the honour hee hath who was the roote of such a noble and blessed brood And worthy are Isaac and Iaacob of so good a father who stained not their blood by forsaking their faith but held it as they receiued it and liued and died in it Let this teach vs first if we bee fathers to shine before our children in a holy religion true faith and good life and it is great hope that our wiues and children will follow vs in the same Secondly if wee be sonnes to looke which of our fore-fathers and auncestors imbraced the most holy religion and to choose and liue and die in their faith Most of our yong Papists can say no more for their religion but this my father and grand-father were of that religion But they must looke to all their fore-fathers Isaac and Iaacob would not be of their great grand-fathers Nahors or Terahs religion but of their father Abrahams and Abraham himselfe would not be of his father Terahs or his grand father Nahors religion but he went vp a great deale higher to his fore-fathers to the tenth generation Noah and Shem and imbraced their religion So that we see it is nothing to say I am of my fathers or grand-fathers religion vnlesse first I prooue that theirs was of God and then hee is a Noble Christian man which knowing that will not forsake it but will liue and die in it Thirdly see here true honour and gentry is to liue and die in the true faith and holy religion of our auncestors here is the fountaine of honour to doe as these did Abraham perceiues he is wrong and erred with his fathers hee therefore leaues his fathers and grand-fathers religion goeth vp higher and takes a better Isaac his sonne makes himselfe heire not of his land alone but of his fathers religion also Iaacob the grand-childe follows both and dieth in faith with them Behold here Iaacob a true gentleman in blood his holinesse and religion is in the third descent Let vs all learne to adorne our gentilitie and nobilitie with these ensignes of true honour And let all them that shame to staine their blood by treasons or misdemeanors shame also to let their forefathers religion holinesse or vertues faile in them but let them all so liue in them that with Iaacob they may die in their fathers faith Lastly obserue how it is said they died in faith they afore liued in it but now their principall commendation is they died in it Let vs learne here to hold on in a good course when we haue entred into it for constancy and continuance is the true commendatioÌ„ he that dieth in faith is he that receiues the crowne To this ende let vs stirre vp our selues with the Apostles exhortation Galath 6.9 Let vs not be weary of well doing for in due time we shall reape if wee faint not And further let this teach vs all to choose that faith to liue in with these holy Patriarchs that wee may boldly die in It is a true obseruation that Poperie is a good religion to liue in but ours to die in The Papists vsurpe this saying and turne it the contrary way but they haue as much right to it as the thiefe to the true mans purse The liberty the pardons dispensations sanctuaries the pompe and outward glory of their Church and their fasting outward austerities beeing fowle and fained hypocrisies and indeede open licentiousnesse these and many things more may allure any naturall man in the world to liue in their religion but when they come to die then
they all know and some confesse it is surest and safest to die in our religion Let vs therefore cheerefully and comfortably liue in that religion and faith wherein wee may so boldly die that euen our aduersaries confesse it to be safest Now follow the foure effects and fruits of their faith The first is this that They receiued not the promises but saw them afarre off By Promises we vnderstād first the promises of the Land of Canaan Secondly the spirituall promises of the kingdome of Christ. These they did not receiue that is fully thogh in part they did for true faith doth alwaies receiue apprehend and apply vnto it selfe truely though not fully the thing promised God said hee would giue them the Land of Canaan but they did not fully enioy and possesse it So likewise the Messias was promised vnto them but they neuer saw his comming in the flesh and yet they beleeued Gods promise and died in that faith Where wee may see the inuincible force of their faith that cleaued fast vnto the promise of God euen vnto death though they neuer enioyed the things promised in this life which plainely condemnes our age of vnbeleefe for we haue more accomplished vnto vs than euer they had Abraham neuer saw Christ but afarre off yet wee haue him exhibited in the flesh we see and knowe hee liued and died rose againe and ascended and now makes continuall intercession for vs and we haue the true sacraments which shall last for euer pledges of him and of life euerlasting by him And for temporall promises wee haue farre more accomplished vnto vs than euer he had But though wee goe before Abraham in the fruition of Gods promises yet we come farre behinde him in beleefe for faith worketh by loue and loue is seene in true obedience but generally this is too true men make no conscience of obedience which sheweth vndoubtedly that there is little sound faith among vs. And it may be feared that these notable men Abraham Isaac and Iaacob shall stand in iudgement against vs to our further condemnation for they neuer receiued the accomplishing of Gods promises and yet they beleeued but we doe see the same fulfilled exhibited vnto vs and yet we will not beleeue But saw them afarre off Here is the propertie of their faith and the power of it the promises were afarre off and yet they saw them The phrase here vsed is borrowed from Mariners who beeing far on the sea cannot descrie towns and coasts afarre off but only by help of some tower or hie place which their eie will sooner discerne thogh it be afarre off And so Abraham Sarah Isaac and Iaacob beeing long before the day of Christs incarnation could not other waies see Christ but afarre off by the eie of faith in the promises of the Messias for this is the propertie of faith to make a thing absent to be present after a sort Faith beeing the ground of things hoped for and the euidence of things which are not seene Here then wee may learne a difference betweene the Church in the olde Testament and in the newe Wee in the newe Testament haue greater measure of knowledge more liuely discerning of the Messias and a clearer light of vnderstanding in the mystery of our saluation by Christ than the Church had vnder the olde Testament howsoeuer they excelled in faith yet in the knowledge and discerning of Christ they were inferiour vnto vs. And therfore the Lord made this promise to the time of the Gospel long before that thē the earth shall be ful of the knowledg of the Lord as the waters that couer the sea And Saint Paul prooues this performed when he affirmeth of the Church of the new Testament 2. Corinth 3.18 But all wee as in a mirrour behold the glory of the Lord with open face And Christ Ioh. 6.45 They shall be all taught of God If this bee true that knowledge should so abound in the time of the Gospell then all ignorant persons of this latter age of the world must knowe that they haue much to answer for at the day of iudgment for God in the new testament hath made his Church to abound in knowledge so that their ignorance for which they thinke God will hold them excused shall be a bill of inditement against them at the last day to their further condemnation because the light of the Gospell is so clearely and plentifully reuealed in these dayes that whereas the most excellent Patriarchs of all could then but see Christ afarre off the most simple may now see him neere vnto them Again where is more knowledge there should be more obedience therefore it concerneth all those that professe themselues to be Christians submit themselues to heare and learne the word of God taught vnto them not content themselues with bare knowledge though it be neuer so much But withall to bring forth the fruites of obedience in their liues cōuersations For though Abraham Isaac and Iacob in regard of faith did goe farre before vs yet seeing we haue more knowledge then they had in the Messias we must labour to becom like vnto them in the obedience of our liues Their faith was stronger then ours but our obedience should be greater then theirs because wee haue more cause to belieue then they S. Paul saith We all behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord with open face And the end thereof is this that we may be transformed into the same image from glory to glory as by the spirit of the Lord. So that the more knowledge wee haue the more sanctification wee ought to haue and the more hatred of sinne more obedience to Gods commaundements But the more is the pitie the case goeth farre otherwise with the world for euen many among vs that are no Students by profession haue great and commendable knowledge in religion But where is the fruite hereof in holy obedience to the Lawes of God God by calling hath made vs a pleasant vine but the sower Grapes of sinne are our ordinarie fruite they be the Grapes of gall as Moses saith For Atheisme blasphemie contempt of Gods word and worship with open profaning of Gods Sabaoth doe euery where abound to omit the hainous crimes against the second table as oppression adultery and bloud touching bloud for all which wee may iustly feare that the Lord will either remoue his Candlesticke from vs and so of a Church and people of God make vs no Church or else sweepe vs away by some fearefull iudgement as with the besome of destruction because we withhold the truth in vnrighteousnesse Rom. 1.18 For better it were not to haue knowen the way of righteousnesse then to turne from the holy commaundement giuen vnto vs let vs therefore ioyne with our knowledge obedience that so wee may shew forth our faith in doing the duties of pietie vnto God and of brotherly loue and Christianity vnto our brethren Thus much of
must learne to follow this notable practice of these godly Patriarchs and looke what meanes they vsed for the increase of their faith the same also must we vse and that diligently so shall we grow and increase and waxe strong in faith as they did The third fruit of their faith is this And receiued them thankefully 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word in the originall signifieth to salute and that not onely by speach but any way else as by imbracing c. and therefore in this place is not vnfitly translated And receiued them thankefully that is they tooke them kindly at Gods hands This is a notable fruit of faith whereby they are commended that seeing the promises of God afarre off did yet take them most kindly at Gods hands But here wee must consider how they tooke them kindly namely by doing 2. things 1. By an action of their heart 2. By an action of their life The action of their heart was this that howsoeuer the promise was not accomplished in their daies yet they were woÌ„derfully glad therof for our Sauiour Christ said to the Iewes Your father AbrahaÌ„ reioyced to see my day he saw it was glad It did Abrahams heart good to see Christ afarre off and so we may safely thinke of Sarah Isaac and Iaacob that their hearts were also rauished with ioy to heare the wonderfull promise of God concerning the Messias and to thinke of the most ioyful performance which they knew should follow in due time Secondly they tooke this promise kindly by the practice of their life for when they came to any strange place as wee may often read in the story there they built vp altars offered sacrifice vnto God and called on his name All which they did to testifie their inward ioy thankful acceptance of Gods promises in Christ and of the promised Land thogh neither were accoÌ„plished in their daies Now as touching our selues the same maine promises of God that were made to Abraham Isaac and Iaacob hath the Lord made and continued vnto vs nay we haue the same already accoÌ„plished we see the same verified more euidently and plainely than any of the Patriarchs did Which being true our duty is to take the same much more thankefully and kindly at Gods hands than they did or could doe because we haue more light and knowledge in the promises of God than euer the Patriarchs had But wee haue iust cause to bewaile the daies and times wherein we liue for whereas we should take the promises of God most ioyfully and kindly the case is farre otherwise For generally it may be said of our nation and people that in regard of the mercies and promises of God wee are an vnkinde people And that this is true for the most part in all of vs if weâ— will but a little examine the matter we shall find too apparant by many euidences for first let any of vs be brought to a place where we may behold some vaine Enterlude or Showe a man would not thinke how wonderfully we are rauished therewithall so as we could find in our hearts to spend whole daies in beholding them But let vs be brought to heare the Gospel of Christ his holy word preached and taught as it was vnto Abraham Isaac Iaacob wherein they much reioyced and there we sit heauy and drowsie so as the Word seems loathsome vnto vs one houre is so tedious as we hardly hold it out without sleeping and if it passe the houre a little O how impatiently our nature takes it All which shew plainly that we haue no such ioy to heare of Christ and his mercifull promises as these godly Patriarchs had so that we are both hard hearted vnkind altogether insensible of so great fauours of our God towards vs. Secondly consider mens behauiour in Gods worship It is euident that the greatest part of people worship God but in formall shew for fashions sake These godly Patriarchs Abraham c. built altars in euery place where they came and offered sacrifice vnto God to signifie their kindnesse willing heart towards God for his promises But now men worship God formally not in way of thankefulnes but either because the Law coÌ„pels them to it or else because it is a custome and order which must be kept For proofe thereof take some one of the common sort aske him why he commeth into the congregation he will say he commeth to doe as other men doe but what they doe he knoweth not or what he himselfe ought to doe he cannot tel nor careth much to know Others also come to worship God but aske them how they doe it they will say by saying ouer the ten Commandements the Lords praier and the beleefe But if the word be either preached or read they regard it not thinking that all Gods worship stands in the repeating of those three things Which sheweth that they worship God but for fashion sake and with little more than a plaine lip-labour Another sort there are which come neere to God with their lips but their hearts are farre from him for though their bodies be present in the congregatioÌ„ yet their hearts are wandring about their worldly businesse or the works of sinne so that we may truly say God is not worshipped with faith in the heart And therefore wee are an vnkinde people and quite degenerate from the faith of our fore-fathers these holy Patriarchs who receiued Gods promises so kindly and thankfully Thirdly we haue the word of God daily preached and taught vnto vs but how many be there that make conscience of obeying the same in their liues and callings Men doe come and heare and should learne but when they come home they doe sâ—at contrary to that which is taught Now there can be no greater vnthankfulnesse nor vnkindnesse towards Gods then this that men should heare and not obey for disobedience is as the sinne of witchcraft nay the Lord himselfe saith that he that maketh no conscience of obedience in his life is in his actions of Gods worship no more acceptable vnto God then a murtherer is when he kills a man Wherefore seeing obedience is so rare to be found among vs and disobedience aboundeth euery where it is a plaine argument that we take not the promises of God kindly nor thankfully at his hands for if we did we would at least endeauour our selues to doe what God commaunds in his Law and desireth in his Gospell and so be thankfull vnto GOD for his mercies shewing forth our thankfulnesse by our obedience So that it standeth vs in hand euery man to looke vnto himselfe for his owne part seeing God hath giuen vs his Gospell the meanes of our saluation that therefore wee receiue and embrace the same least God doe either take the same from vs or vs from it for we may be sure that the one of these two will followe if we do daily heare and make no conscience to
to beleeue the promises of God and indeede that is the fittest time for faith to shew it selfe in for faith as wee haue before heard is the ground of things hoped for and the subsisting of things which are not seene Now further it is said Abraham receiued Gods promises that is hee applied them to his owne soule and conscience and beleeued them and made them his owne by faith This is a notable point and worthy the marking God made his promises to Abraham now Abrahā he doth not onely heare and learne the promises but applies thē to himselfe and by faith makes them his owne And thus ought wee to doe with all the gratious promises made in Christ. But the manner of our daies is farre otherwise for when the mercifull promises of God are laid downe vnto vs in the ministerie of the word wee are content to heare and it may be to learne and know the same But where is the man to bee found that will apply them to his own◠conscience and by faith make them his owne Men commonly are like vnto way-faring men or trauellers on the sea that passe by many goodly faire buildings rich townes and Islands which when they behold they admire and wonder at and so goe their way without making purchase of any of them And thus deale the most men with Gods mercifull promises In the ministery of the word God laies open vnto them his rich mercies and bountifull promises in Christ and men approoue thereof and like them well whereupon many doe willingly apply themselues to know the same but for all this they wil not receiue them by faith and so apply them to their owne soules But we must take a better course and when we heare of the promises of God made vnto vs in Christ wee must not content our selues with a bare knowledge of them but labour to beleeue them and apply them vnto our selues to our soules and consciences and so by faith make them our owne As it is said of Abraham and in him of all the faithfull The blessing of Abraham came on the Gentiles thorough Iesus Christ that wee might receiue the promise of the spirit through faith Gal. 3.14 Further obserue the holy Ghost setteth down that particular promise which God made to Abraham in his son Isaac To whom it was said in Isaac shall thy seed be called Gen. 21.12 Rom. 9.7 In which places it is said that in Isaac should his seede be called The meaning whereof is plaine and thus much in effect Ismael shall not be thy sonne heire but Isaac is the childe which shall be thy heire hee it is in whom I will accomplish the promises of life and saluation made to thee From the words thus explaned first wee must obserue Pauls collection gathered from Gods dealing with those two persons Romanes 9.7 namely that God before all worlds hath chosen some men to saluation in his eternall counsell to manifest the glory of his grace and hath refused and reiected others leauing them vnto themselues to shew forth his Iustice vpon them This Doctrine is gathered out of this place after this manner Such as is Gods practice and dealing towards men in time such was his eternall counsell and decree for as God before all time determined to deale with men so in time hee dealeth with them Now Gods practice and dealing with Isaac and Ismaell is this Ismaell is vouchsafed to bee made partaker of temporall blessings but yet he is cut off from the spirituall couenant of grace and Isaac is the man that must receiue the Couenant and by vertue thereof be made partaker of life euerlasting And so accordingly it is with others GOD hath decreed to chuse some men to saluation and these are admitted into the Couenant others he hath decreed to reiect and they are cut off from the Couenant and from life euerlasting These two persons Isaac Ismaell are two types of these two sorts of people whō God doth elect and reiect Isaac representeth those that are chosen to saluation who become the true members of Gods Church and Ismaell is a type of those that are reiected Now in regard of this different dealing of God with mankinde chusing some and refusing others wee must all put in practice Saint Peters lesson with feare and trembling euen carefull aboue all giue all diligence to make our election sure 2. Peter 1.10 for all be not elected to saluation but some are reiected all be not Isaacs but some are Ismaelites If all were elected and chosen to saluation then no man needed to care for it but seeing some are reiected and neuer vouchsafed to come within the Couenant indeed therfore it standeth vs greatly in hand to take the good counsell of the Apostle and to giue all diligence to make our election sure Secondly whereas it is said Not in Ismael but in Isaac shall thy seed be called Wee may note the state of Gods Church in this worlde in regard of the different sorts of men that liue therein For Abrahams family was GODs Church in those daies and therein were both Isaac and Ismael though both his children yet farre differing in estate before God Ismael indeede was borne in the Church and there brought vp taught and circumcised but yet he was without the Couenant in Gods sight Now Isaac was not onely borne and brought vp in the Church and circumcised but also receiued into the Couenant and herein differed farre from Ismael for hee is that sonne of Abraham in whom God will continue the Couenant of grace vnto life euerlasting to his posteritie And so it is with GODs Church at this day in it there bee two sorts of men one which are baptized and brought vp in the Church heare the word and receiue the Sacraments but yet are not saued because they haue not the promise of the couenant effectually rooted in their hearts The other sort are they which beeing baptized in the Church heare the word effectually and receiue the Lords supper worthily to their saluation because God doth establish his Couenant in their hearts This difference is plaine in Scripture in the parables of the draw-net Math. 13. of the Sower and of the tares as also by Christs behauiour at the last iudgement Math. 25.32 seuering the sheep from the goates both which liue together in the Church And by Saint Paul who speaking of those which are borne and brought vp in the Church saith that some are children of the flesh some children of the promise Rom. 9.8 This beeing so that euery one which liues in the Church is not of the Church that is is not a true member of the Church and the true childe of Abraham it must make vs all carefull to vse all holy meanes whereby wee may be fully assured that the Couenant of grace belongs vnto vs for it is not enough for vs to dwell in the Church to heare the word and to receiue the sacraments for so did Ismael and
to receiue Gods commaund and to goe at his call These be the significations of the Passe-ouer which wee must remember to make good vse of in the course of our liues And thus much of the first branch of this act of Moses faith in ordaining the Passe-ouer The second branch of this worke is this And the effusion of bloud that is the sprinkling of the bloud of the Lambe vpon the posts of their houses and vpon the doore cheeks which was a token to the Israelites that the destroying Angell should not strike the first borne of the Israelites either man or beast In mans reason this may seeme to be a weake simple meanes yet God ordaines it to preserue all the first borne among the Israelites And thus the Lord vseth to deale that his people through the weakenesse of the meanes might be brought to acknowledge God to be their protectour and defender When the Israelites were stung with the serpents a man would haue thought it had beene the best way for their curing to haue giuen them cunning Surgeons but the Lord ordaines onely a dead serpent of brasse which they must looke vp vnto and be cured A weake meanes it was and yet the Lord vseth it because hee would haue them to giue all the glory vnto him and not to ascribe the same either to themselues or to the meanes Further this sprinkling of the bloud vpō the doore cheeks and the posts of their houses had a notable signification namely of the sprinkling of the bloud of Christ vpō the doors of our hearts to which Peter alludeth 1. Peter 1.2 Through the obedience and sprinkling of the bloud of Iesus Christ. And Dauid when he saith Sprinkle me with Hisope and I shall be cleane Dauid knew well that the bloud of beasts could not take away sinne and therefore no doubt by his sauing faith he had an eye to the bloud of the Messias vnder legall tearmes Whence we are taught this lesson that as the Israelites with their bodily hands did sprinkle the bloud of the Paschall Lamb vpon their doore cheeks the posts of their houses so by the hand of faith euery one of vs must sprinkle the bloud of Christ vpon our owne hearts which we shall then doe when we doe not onely in generall beleeue that Christ is a Sauiour and Redeemer but particularly that hee is a Redeemer vnto vs and that the merits of his death and the benefit of his bloud are ours Obiect But some will say If this be so then all is well for I doe beleeue this Answer Heerein very many deceiue themselues thinking that they haue faith when indeede they haue none For looke vnto their wayes and see into their hearts by their liues and it wil easily appeare that they haue nothing in them but ignorance security presumption in sinne Now such men are deceiuers of their owne soules for after this sprinkling followeth sanctification and rising from dead workes to newnesse of life so that they that liue in sinne and yet say they haue faith deceiue themselues For if a mans heart be sprinkled with the bloud of Christ through faith it will change his life conscience and make him a new creature for Christes bloud is a cleansing and purifying bloud insomuch as where it is truly sprinkled it certainly cleanseth Hebrewes 9.14 And thus much of this ceremonie of sprinkling Now followeth the end of both these actions in these words Lest he that destroyed the first borne should touch them Let vs examine the words in order First by the destroyer is meant the Angell of God as wee may see in the Storie Exod. 12.19 who at midnight smote all the first borne of Egypt both of man and beast Where by the way wee may take a view of the wonderfull power and strength of Gods Angels and also of their admirable swiftnesse and readinesse in doing the will of God that in one night euen at midnight one of them could passe through the Land of Egypt and kill all the first borne of man and beast in euerie place of the Egyptians The like we may see in the destruction of Senacheribs host by one Angell in one night The first borne that is both of men and beasts So it is in the Story Exod. 12.29 But being so it may not vnfitly be demaunded How this Passe-ouer could be a Sacrament when as euen the beasts of the Israelites had benefit by it for they were spared by reason of this sprinkling of the blood of the Paschall Lamb Answer That hindreth not why it should not be a Sacrament For wee must consider this Passe-ouer two wayes First as a meanes of temporall deliuerance and so the beasts had benefit by it Secondly as a signe and seale of our spirituall deliuerance from hell by the sacrifice of the Lamb of God Iesus Christ which is the thing signified and so it is a Sacrament for mans saluation and thus the beasts had no benefit by it The water that flowed from the rock in the wildernesse was a Sacrament and the beasts drank of the water but yet they did not partake of the Lords Sacrament for wee must consider that water two wayes first as a meanes to quench thirst and consequently as an outward benefit to preserue the life of the creature so the beasts had a benefit by it but cōsider it as a signe seale of the water of life and so their beasts had no benefit by it but onely the belieuing people It followeth Should touch them Here is the very vse and ende of both the former actions That the angel might not hurt them but passe by the Israelites houses Here consider a notable point concerning Christ the true Passeouer namely that they which haue their hearts sprinkled with his blood shal be preserued from euerlasting damnation and not onely so but hereby they shall haue deliuerance from all temporall iudgements in this life so farre forth as they are curses hurtful vnto thē So we may read before the destruction came to the city of the Iewes the angel of God went through the citie with a writers ink-horne to set a marke vpon those that did mourne and crie for their sinnes And Dauid saith the righteous man standeth vpon a rocke so as the floods of many waters shall not come neere him This is a point of great vse and the consideration hereof should mooue all persons that haue beene carelesse in religion now to become carefull and desirous to haue their hearts washed in the blood of Christ those also which haue any care must haue double care hereof for they haue freedome and securitie both in temporall and eternall iudgements Obiect But many of Gods deare children are taken away in common iudgements Answ. True but yet they are neuer hurt thereby but the iudgement and affliction is sanctified vnto them because they haue their hearts sprinkled with the blood of Christ. And as for those
is the right time for a man to shew his faith when there is in himselfe no cause of beleeuing Obiect But when a man is in this case he cannot beleeue Answ. Indeede to beleeue then is a wonderfull hard thing and a miracle of miracles But yet this is the propertie of true faith so to doe and if there bee but one dramme of true faith in the heart that despaires howsoeuer it may for a time lie hidde as dead yet at the length it will make him to hope and waite for mercy and life at the hands of Almightie GOD. And therefore if it shall please GOD at any time to lay a torment vpon our consciences so as wee shall striue with the wrath of GOD thinking that hee hath cast vs away yet for all that then we must beleeue GODs promises and set before vs his mercies and therewith refresh vs. And if this faith were not the childe of GOD many sundry times were in a most miserable case the Lord therefore hath most mercifully prouided to helpe him by the grace of faith When a man is past all hope of life he must then beleeue and hope for life as the Israelites did in the red sea for preseruation And vndoubtedly this is a comfortable signe of grace if a man in the horrour of conscience can shewe forth the least sparke of true faith Fourthly note the effect and issue of this faith They passed through the red sea We say vsually that water fire be vnmercifull creatures and therefore the naturall man feares them both but the Israelites faith makes them not to feare the water but it makes them bold euen to passe thorough the sea The like we may see for fire in the 3. children Dan. 3.16.23 who were not affraid of the hot burning ouen but were as bold in it as out of it Rauenous wilde beasts are terrible vnto men but faith makes a man not to feare them and therefore Daniel feares not the Lyons though hee were throwen into their denne to bee deuoured Dan. 6.22 Great is the fruite and force of faith it takes from a man the feare of those creatures which by nature are most terrible And here wee see a cause why the holy Martyrs of God died most cheerefully A man would thinke it strange that one should goe into the fire reioycing as many of them did but the reason is Because they had faith in their hearts which taketh away the feare of the most fearefull creatures But if it bee so may some say that the Israelites by faith went through the redde sea not fearing the water why may not we that beleeue now doe the same for wee haue the same faith that they had Answ. Wee haue indeede the same faith and yet wee cannot passe through waters as they did For their faith rested on two promises first on this made to Abraham I will bee thy God and the God of thy seed SecoÌ„dly on a particular promise made to Moses For when he coÌ„manded him to goe through the red sea withall he made a promise to keepe and preserue them and this they beleeued and so went through Now howsoeuer we haue iustifying faith hauing the same generall promise yet we haue not the like particular promise That if wee passe through the red sea God will be with vs and saue vs. And therefore if any man shall aduenture to doe so let him looke for nothing but death for it is not an action of faith but of presumption And therefore Peter sunke when hee would needs walke vnto Christ vpon the sea hauing no such hold vpon Gods speciall promise as here they had and the Egyptians following presumptuously were drowned Wherfore let vs here be warned not to attempt to doe extraordinary workes without Gods special warrant for a particular faith requires a particular promise besides the generall promise of God in Christ. Further let vs here obserue a wonderfull worke of Gods mercy and power When these seruants of God were brought into extremitie of danger so as they were in a desperate case for their temporall life yet then the Lord findes a way of deliuerance And indeede if a man consider aright of it hee must needes acknowledge that these Israelites were in a pittifull case for they had the red sea before them and mountains on each side and themselues hindred from flight by their bag and baggage and with their children and the huge hoste of Pharaoh behinde them so as to mans reason there was nothing but present death to bee looked for yet the Lord in mercy to saue them makes a way where there was no way and opens them a gappe to life when naturall reason could lay before them nothing but violent death Which shewes the wonderfull mercy of God to his owne people and seruants And the like thing we may read of in Dauid when he abode in the wildernesâ—e of Maon for there Saul followed him and he and his men compassed Dauid and his men round about 1. Sam. 23.26 27. Now what hope of deliuerance was there for Dauid Ans. Surely this only Dauid was the seruant of God the Lord preserued him that hee might rule his people after Sauls death and therfore he escapeth though wonderfully for a messenger comes to Saul and bids him haste for the Philistims inuaded the Land and so Saul returned from pursuing Dauid and went against the Philistims Hence we learne this generall rule that in the extremitie of all danger God hath meanes to preserue and saue his owne children and people Which must teach vs to commend our case to GOD and to rest on him in all dangers for when our case is desperate in our sight then are we fittest for Gods helpe Let vs therefore in such cases learne to practice our faith and then especially to cast our selues vpon GOD. This Iehosaphat did most notably for beeing assaulted with the huge armies of the Moabites Ammonites c. he praied vnto the Lord most feruently saying 2. Chron. 20.12 Lord there is no strength in vs wee knowe not what to doe but our eies are towards thee and thus doing was preserued for God will in no extremitie forsake them that trust in him The red sea In many places of the olde testament it is called the sea of rushes Psal. 106.7 9. Or the sea of sedges Ier. 49.21 It is a corner of the Arabian sea that parteth Egypt and Arabia Those which haue seene it in trauell say it hath no other colour than all other seas haue Why then is it called the red sea Answ. To omit many supposed causes hereof ther be two especially for which it is so called 1 Because of the red sand for both the bottome of the sea and the shoare are full of redder sande than ordinarily is else-where 2 Some thinke it is called the redde sea by reason of the sedges and bul-rushes which growe much at the sea side and bee of a redde colour which by reflection may
hitherto intreated Now here and sâ— forward to the end of this chapter is set downe a third order of examples of faith namely of such as liued from the time of the giuing of the Law to the time of the raigne of the Maccabees This 30. verse containes the first example of this ranke namely the example of Iosuahs faith of those that went with him into Canaan And their faith is commended vnto vs by a notable fact of theirs the causing to fall the walls of Iericho the History whereof we may reade at large Iosuah 6. The summe of it is this Whereas the Israelites came vnto Canaan and could not enter into the Land by reason of the strength of Iericho by which they must needs passe nor could win it by reason of the huge walls of Iericho the Lord promiseth to deliuer Iericho into their hands onely the people must doe this they must compasse-about the walls seauen daies carie the Arke of the Lord with them sounding with Rammes hornes and showte and so the walls should fall downe Now the Lord hauing made this promise vnto them the Israelites and specially Iosuah obey his commaundement and beleeue his promise and thus doing by faith the walls of Iericho fell downe after they were compassed-about seauen doyes Indeed the power of GOD was the principall cause of this ruine of the walls but yet because vpon their beleeuing GOD shewed this power therefore is the downfall of them ascribed to their faith Here are many notable points to be learned 1. Whereas the Text saith By faith the walls of Iericho fell downe wee may obserue the wondeâ—full power of true faith Iosuah and the Israelites beleeued Gods promises that hee would ouerturne the walls of Iericho and as they beleeued so it came to passe So our Sauiour Christ saith Matthew 17.20 If a man had but as much faith as a graine of mustard-seed he shall say vnto the mountaine remooue hence and it shall remoue and nothing shall be vnpossible vnto him signifying that by the power of true faith such things as are impossible to mans reason shall be brought to passe if God haue promised them as we see in this place the mighty walls of Iericho fall downe by faith which to mans reason is impossible So the Lord promised to Abraham That he should be the Father of many Nations yea that all the Nations of the earth should be blessed in him This was strange but Abraham beleeued it and as hee beleeued so it came to passe for many Nations descended from him and after the time of Christes ascension when all the Nations of the world were called to the light of the Gospell they were blessed in Christ the promised Seede of Abraham and therefore is hee called the Father of the faithfull in all Nations And to come vnto our selues To miserable men it may seeme a strange thing that the power of the diuell and the strength of the flesh should be ouercome in vs yet let a man beleeue this promise of God God so loued the world that hee gaue his onely begotten sonne that who so beleeued in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life Iohn 3.16 I say let him beleeue this effectually and hee shall finde by faith the Kingdome of sinne Satan in his heart and conscience weakned euery day more and more And therefore S. Iohn saith not without cause This is the victorie that ouercommeth the world euen our faith 1. Iohn 5.4 2. Here obserue that among the causes of the change ouerthrowe of Townes Cities Kingdomes this is one namely faith in Gods promises Many men haue written of the change of Kingdoms do giue diuers reasons therof But most of them omit the principall and that is faith by vertue whereof many times Kingdomes and Townes are brought to ruine and ouerthrow God promised to Abraham to his seed that he would giue theÌ„ the land of Canaan for their inheritance now they beleeued this promise heere wee see it comes to passe as they beleeued Iericho by faith is ouerturned the rest of their Cities the people of CanaaÌ„ dispossessed So that we see faith in Gods promises is a means to Gods people to ouerturn cities kingdoms that are enemies to Christ and to his Gospell God hath made a promise vnto his Church that the whore of Babylon Reuel 18.2 that is the Kingdome of Antichrist shall flourish for a while but after it shall be destroyed yea such a ruine shall come vnto it that the Kings of the earth and all great men and Marchants shall bewaile the destruction thereof Now this promise being receiued by faith and beleeued of Gods Church shall vndoubtedly come to passe It is in some part verified already for we see some Kingdomes and people haue renounced the cursed Doctrine and tyrannie of Rome and many Christian Princes haue alreadie shaken off the Popes yoke yea and this promise shall come to passe daily more and more Let all the Kings of that sort doe what they can and let the people set themselues neuer so much against Gods Church yet Babylon shal downe for God hath promised so to his Church and his Church beleeueth the same and therefore by their faith it shall be brought to passe in despite of the diuell Thirdly here we learne that when any City Towne or Kingdome is to make warre either in defence of themselues or in lawfull assault vpon their enemies a speciall meanes for good successe heerein is true faith Christian policie is a commendable thing in this case but if policy be seuered from faith it is nothing Faith in Gods promises of protection and assistance doth farre surpasse all worldly wisedome And therefore good King Iehosaphat when he was to fight against the huge Armies of the Moabites and Ammonites giues this counsell to his people 2 Chron. 20.20 Put your trust in the Lord your God and ye shall be assured Beleeue his Prophets and ye shall prosper giuing a most notable instruction and shewing that the best help for our defence is faith in God whereby we rest vpon his word and promise that hee will helpe vs yet this taketh not away the vse of meanes but it giues the blessing and efficacie vnto them Faith wee knowe is called a shield among the spiritual armour of God whereby a man awards the blowes of Satan and though that be the principal vertue of it yet is it also a notable shield to defend men euen against their outward visible enemies a most strong engine aginst theÌ„ to work their ouerthrow Hence Dauid saith He will not be afraid for tenne thousand of the people that should beset him round about They therefore that would defend themselues against their enemies yea and ouercome them in lawful assault must embrace obay true religion with Christian policy ioyn faith in Gods promises for by faith we make God our Captain throgh him we shal do
therefore shee came to the Spies whom shee had receiued and hid vpon the roofe of her house there confessed the God of Israel to be the true God in heauen aboue and in the earth beneath Here we may note that when ordinary meanes faile for the beginning and increase of faith as the word preached and the Sacraments then God can worke faith extraordinarily euen by reports and rumors For thus Rahab and many of the heathen came to beleeue We say of the Church of Rome that it is no true Church and that their religion cannot saue a man Hereupon many that sauour that way reply and say Will you therefore condemne all your forefathers that liued and died in time of Popery Wee answer no we dare not giue such censure vpon them but rather iudge charitably of them yea wee haue great hope that many of them were saued For thogh they wanted preaching reading yet God might worke faith in them extraordinarily and blesse euen good reports and speeches vnto them with the reading of other godly bookes besides Gods word which some of them had We need not then giue so hard a censure of them because God is not tied to ordinary meanes but can saue extraordinarily when meanes faile Further concerning Rahabs faith it may be demanded whether it was weake or strong because before shee had done this fact of faith her whole abode was among the heathen Answ. Wee must knowe that there is in the childe of God a certaine seede or beginning or preparation to a true and liuely faith which our Sauiour Christ in the Scriptures doth honour with the title of a true liuely faith as when a man knowes no more but this that Christ Iesus is the true Messias hauing withall a care and conscience to profit and increase in the true knowledge of the Gospel and to ioyne practice therewith in his life and calling Examples hereof wee haue many in Gods word A certaine Ruler came to Christ and besought him to goe downe heale his sonne Ioh. 4.49 50. c. Iesus but said vnto him Goe thy way thy sonne liueth and the Ruler beleeued the word that Iesus spake vnto him and his sonne liued Now inquiring of the hower and finding it to be the same time when Iesus said Thy sonne liueth the text saith He beleeued and all his houshold Now what was this mans faith Surely he onely acknowledged that Christ was the true Messias and withall resigned himselfe and his family to be instructed further therein And though they knewe nothing particularly of the means wherby Christ should be a Sauiour yet for this willingnes in embracing Christ and readinesse to be taught the holy Ghost saith they did beleeue So in the same Chapter vers 29 the woman of Samaria beeing conuicted in her conscience of the things that Christ told her runnes into the towne and saith Come see a man that hath told me all things that euer I did Is not hee the Christ Then the text saith Many of the Samaritans beleeued because of the saying of the woman Now what faith had these Samaritans Surely they did onely acknowledge him to be the true Messias and were willing to bee further instructed in his doctrine which they testified by going to heare him in their owne persons So likewise Christ giues a notable testimony to the confession of the Apostles faith Math. 16.17 18 in the person of Peter saying Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke that is vpon this your faith which thou confessest will I build my Church and yet the Apostles were ignorant of some maine points of the Gospel For a little after when Christ tels them of his going to Ierusalem and of his passion for the redemption of them and all the elect Peter perswades him to the contrary saying Master spare thy selfe these things shall not be vnto thee Whereby it appeares that Peter did not know how Christ should be a Sauiour neither did the Apostles particularly knowe Christ his resurrection till he was risen againe yea at the very time of his ascension they knew not the nature of Christes Kingdome and therefore they asked him Lord wilt thou now restore the Kingdome to Israel Acts 1.6 dreaming still of a temporall Kingdome for which Christ rebukes them And notwithstanding all these wants Christ saith they had true faith yea such faith as the gates of hell should neuer preuaile against This then is a most comfortable truth That if a man in the want of meanes of further knowledge doe hold Christ Iesus to be the true Messias and yeeld himselfe willing to learne the doctrine of the Gospell and withall ioyne obedience to his knowledge the Lord is willing for a time to accept of this as of true faith Now to apply this to Rahabs faith Her faith was but a weake faith or rather the seede and beginning of a liuely faith afterward For as we may reade all that shee knew was this that the God of Israell was the onely true God and that hee would certainly deliuer the Land of Canaan into the Israelites hands This was a notable perswasion wrought by a report and accordingly she ioynes her selfe to Gods people and resignes her selfe to obey the God of Israel but whether she knew the particular doctrine of saluation by Christ it is not here set down and it is very like that as yet she was altogether ignorant of it For heere are all things set down that tend to her commendation So that her faith was very weake and onely the seede of a liuely faith and yet heere the holy Ghost doth commend her for her faith among the most renowned beleeuers that euer were Hence we may learne many good instructions First That God makes much account of a little grace if he see in a man but the seeds of grace he doth highly esteeme therof When the young man came to Christ and asked him what he should doe to be saued Christ tells him hee must keepe the commaundements the young man answeres that he had kept them from his youth at which answere it is said Christ looked vpon him and loued him This he he did for the shew of Grace which appeared in his answer much more then wil he like of that which is true grace indeede So likewise Christ reasoning with the Scribe concerning the first and great commandement and perceiuing that he had answered discreetly he said vnto him Thou art not farre from the Kingdome of God Mark 12.34 shewing hereby how deeply hee tenders the sparks and seedes of true grace nay hee makes much of a very shew of grace which if it be so then if God haue giuen to any of vs but one spark of true grace how ought wee to tender it and cherish it and to reioyce therein with all thankfulnes to God for it yea wee must seek to encrease the same for according to our grace is our acceptance and respect with God in Christ. Secondly whereas
get his fathers blessing for so God had determined and yet shee failed in the manner Quest. But how could this worke be good being faulty in the manner of doing it Ans. It might for Rebecca's person stood righteous before God in Christ. Now the worker beeing acceptable vnto God the worke must needs be good also and though the worker failed in the circumstances yet the euill of the worke was couered in the obedience of Christ and so the goodnes of it was approoued and the fault thereof couered The vse of this doctrine is two-folde first it shews that the works of Gods children are partly good and partly bad euen the best works they doe are imperfect Secondly this shewes the true meaning of Saint Iames when hee saith that Rahab was iustified by her works hereby he means that by her works she declared her selfe to be iust For that shee was not iustified by her works appeareth plaine because the worke which shee did was faulty in the manner and not perfectly good and therfore could not be answerable to the perfect iustice of God But some will further say that this concealing of the Spies and lying to the Kings messengers was a worke of Treachery against her owne country and therefore was a notorious fault and so no worke of faith Answ. Treachery indeed is as great villany as one man can practice against another and therefore ought to bee abhorred and detested of all men but yet wee must knowe that Rahab in this place is no Traytor For she had a plaine Certificat in her conscience that the Land of Canaan and the citie Iericho were giuen by the Lord to the people of Israel and that they were the right Lords thereof and should enioy them so that she hid the Spies not in treachery but in faith Thus wee see her facte The duties which wee learne hence are these First it is said that this harlot Rahab beeing by calling an Hostesse and a Victualler receiued the spies peaceably Hence Inn-keepers are taught their dutie First if they will shew themselues faithfull they must haue special regard and respect vnto such guests of theirs as be the seruants of GOD and feare him This was the worke of Rahabs faith towards the spies of Gods people Dauid makes this the property of euery godly man That in his eyes a vile person is contemned but hee honoureth them that feare the Lord Psalme 15. verse 4 And therefore if Inn-keepers will shewe themselues godly they must so doe And to encourage each one heereto our Sauiour Christ makes this notable promise Matthew chapter 10. verse 41 Hee that receiueth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receiue a Prophets reward and hee that receiueth a iust man in the name of a iust man shall receiue a iust mans reward And if any shall giue to one of these little ones to drinke a cuppe of colde water onely in the name of a Disciple Verily I say vnto you hee shall not lose his reward Also Strangers are heere taught that in seeking places for their abode they must make choyse to bee with those that feare the Lord so GOD directs these spies to doe And when Christ sent his Disciples to preach he bade them Mathew chapter 10. verse 11 when they entred into a Citie To enquire who is worthy in that Citie and there to abide till they departed But alas these duties are little performed especially the first For Inn-keepers and such as entertaine Strangers doe make most of those that giue themselues to ryote and good fellowâ—hip they are best welcom that spend most in gaming drinking and lasciuiousnesse These might learne otherwise of Rahab who did better though she had beene an harlot Thirdly In-keepers must here learne that when a man comes into their house if he be no malefactor they must giue him protection Thus Rahab doth heere to the spies of the Israelites euen with the danger of her owne life The like also we may reade of Lot for when two Angels in the likenesse of men came into his house and the men of Sodome would haue had them out Lot besought them to let them alone Gen. 19.8 And his reason is because they came vnder the shadow of his roofe Againe hence we may learne another generall duty to wit that a Christian man in the time of persecution danger is not to discouer his fellow brethren or to detect them but must rather indanger his owne life by concealing them for their preseruation This was practiced by good Obadiah when Iesabel killed the Lords Prophets he hid them by fifties in a Caue which if it had been knowen would haue cost him his life And so did the Apostles and brethren in the Primitiue Church when the Iewes would haue slaine Paul in Damascus the brethren tooke him by night and let him downe through the wall in a basket to saue his life Acts 9.25 And since those times in the History of the Church vnder the Gospell wee may finde that when the Christians were vrged by persecuters to reueale their brethren they rather chose to lay down their owne lyues then to betray their brethreÌ„ into their enemies hands And this is true loue indeede such as the holy Ghost commendeth When a man will giue his life for his brother 1. Iohn 3.16 Lastly whereas Rahab receiued the spies peaceably wee note that it is a speciall fruite of faith to be peaceable and kinde The holy Ghost repeating the fruites of the spirit names Peace and meeknesse among them Now this peace is when a man is kinde and peaceable to all but especially to those that â—e of the houshold of faith And vndoubtedly it is a fruite of faith which the Prophet Isay fore-told should be vnder the Gospel Isay 11.6 that then the Wolfe should dwell with the Lamb and the Leopard lie with the Kid signifying that howsoeuer men by nature were as sauage as Wolues yet beeing conuerted to the Kingdome of Christ they should become gentle as Lambs being kinde and peaceable one to another This peaceablenesse is especially to be shewed in the place and calling where a man liues for there did Rahab shew forth hers when the spies came vnto her And where this is truly in outward action there is faith in the heart it is a good token that a man is at peace with God when he liues peaceably with men Which being so we must learne not to giue place to our heady affections but must rather bridle the rage of malice and anger and endeuour to liue peaceably with all especially with those that be members of Gods Church And thus much of this example The Iudges Faith VERSE 32. And what shall I say more For the time would be too short for me to tell of Gedeon of Barac and of Samson and of Iephte Also of Dauid and Samuel and of the Prophets Which through faith subdued Kingdomes wrought righteousnesse c. HItherto the Author of this Epistle hath
did it not so much as burne their garments or the haire of their heads to cause the same to smel And the like is his goodnesse towards all his seruants Dauid saith The Lord preuented him with liberall blessings that is when Dauid neuer asked such blessings at Gods hand euen then did the Lord bestowe his liberall blessings vpon him as namely this when Dauid was following his Fathers sheepe and walking in his calling he neuer dreamed of any Kingdome yet thence the Lord took him to be King ouer his people Israell So the Israelites hauing been 70. yeares in captiuity neuer thought of returne and yet then were they deliuered and their deliuerance was so strange and miraculous that they were like them that dreame Psal. 126.1 When Peter was cast into prison by Herod and committed to foure quaternions of Souldiers to be kept the Angel of the Lord came and awoke him as he slept and led him out of prison past the watches and through the iron gate and then left him Now this deliuerance was so strange vnto him that he knew not whether it was true but thought he had seene a vision From hence it is that God hath made this gracious promise vnto his Church to answer before they call and to heare while they speake Isay 65.24 So endlesse is his mercy and his goodnesse so vnspeakeable towards his seruants that if they cleaue vnto him vnfainedly they shall finde his bounty farre surpassing all that they could aske or thinke The consideration hereof serues to stirre vp euery one of vs in our places to cleaue vnfainedly vnto the true God with all our hearts by faith in due reuerence and obedience If a seruant were to choose his Master and among an hundred should heare of one that besides his wages would giue vnto his seruants gifts which they would not think of this seruant would forsake all the rest to com vnto this one Behold the Lord our God is this bountifull master who doth not only keep couenant with his seruāts in a full accomplishment of his promises but is exceeding gracious preuenting them with liberall blessings aboue all that they can wish for thēselues wherfore let vs forsake all our bad Masters the world the flesh and the diuell in the seruice of sinne and resigne our selues with full purpose of heart to serue this our good GOD to the end of our dayes There is no man liuing that can haue such cause of true ioy in heart as Gods seruants haue for God shewes more kindenesse vnto them then they can aske or thinke of And take this for truth also there be none that thus giue themselues to serue God faithfully with all their harts but before they die they shal finde this to be true that God is a most mercifull GOD and his goodnesse endlesse towards them aboue their deserts Secondly this endlesse mercy of GOD must mooue vs all to repent vs of our sinnes and to trust in him for the pardon of them be they neuer so many or haynous for they can neuer reach to the multitude of his mercies Though they be in number like the sand of the sea they must not dismay vs from comming to him but considering that his goodnesse is endlesse and his mercy is ouer all his workes we must come vnto him for the pardon of our sinnes For GOD is mercifull to performe his promise yea and beyond his promise to doe for vs more than wee can thinke of Many indeede abuse this mercie of GOD by presuming thereon to goe on in sinne but such deceiue themselues For God will not be mercifull vnto them Deut. 29.20 It is the penitent person that shall finde mercy The sixt effect of their faith is in these words Escaped the edge of the sword The words in the originall are thus Escaped the mouth of the sword which is the Hebrew phrase in the olde Testament and heere followed by the Pen-man of this Epistle and before where he calleth the word of God a two mouthed sword Heb. 4.12 hereby meaning as it is translated a two edged sword This effect must be vnderstood of two worthy Prophets Elias and Elizeus for Elias wee may reade that when he had slaine Baals Priests 1. Kings 19.1 Iezabel the Queene threatened to kill him which he hearing fled into the wildernesse and thence was led to Mount Horeb and there escaped by meanes of his faith And for Elizeus wee may reade that when he disclosed the King of Syriah his counsell to the King of Israel 2. Kings 6. hee was compassed about in Dothan the city where he lay with a huge hoast of Assyrians but praying to the Lord the Lord smote the hoast with blindnesse and so the Prophet led them in safetie to Samaria So then the meaning of this effect is that when these seruāts of God were in distresse danger of death they denied themselues and their owne helpe by faith relied vpō God vnfainedly frō the bottom of their hearts so found deliuerance with God frō the perill of death First here wee learne that God prouides for the safetie and deliuerance of his seruants in the extremitie of peril and danger when both might and multitude are against them This point we haue touched in diuers examples before and therefore doe here onely name it Secondly in that these men in the extremity of danger beleeued and so escaped the edge of the sword we learne that when we are in greatest danger so as we see no way to escape euen then wee must put our trust in the true God and he will saue vs. This wee must doe not onely for the safety of our body but more especially for the saluation of our soule Put the case a man were in despaire of his saluation and that hee sees legions of diuels compassing him about to take him away what must this man doe in this case Answ. Looke what Elias and Elizeus did the same thing must hee doe hee must not lie dead in desperation yielding thereto but at the very same time when such terrors oppresse him hee must by faith lift vp his heart to God and put all his trust and confidence in him thorough Christ. And if hee can this doe hee may assure himselfe that hee shall as certainly escape these fearefull terrors of conscience and the torments of hell as Elias Elizeus did the edge of the sword for let a man put his whole trust in God and whatsoeuer his troubles bee God will deliuer him Great are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuers him out of them all Psal. 34.19 Indeed wee must not limit God for time or manner of deliuerance but waite on GOD by faith accounting his grace sufficient till deliuerance come And thus much of the sixt effect The seauenth effect of their faith is this Of weake were made strong Or thus Of weake were restored to health This must bee vnderstood of Hezekias a worthy king of
fiue foolish virgins did but get the oyle of grace into the vessels of our hearts Knowledge in the word is a coÌ„mendable thing but not sufficieÌ„t to make vs stand in the day of triall We therfore must labour for true sauing graces especially for this to haue our hearts rooted and grounded in the loue of God through faith whereby we are assured that God is our father in Christ and Iesus Christ our redeemer and the holy Ghost our comforter and sanctifier This assurance of faith will stablish our hearts in all estates come life come death wee neede not feare for nothing shall be able to separate vs from this loue of God in Christ Iesus And thus much of the coherence of this verse with the former Now to the words Others also were racked c. Heere the holy Ghost begins to propound the fruites of faith for which this last ranke of beleeuers are commended vnto vs. And they are not such famous exploites as the former but nine seuerall kindes of sufferings vnto all which wee must remember to apply this clause by faith from the 33 verse as thus Through faith they endured racking mocking and so for all the rest Out of these effects in generall wee may learne two things First a singular fruite of faith for which it is heere so highly commended in this last ranke of examples to wit that by it the childe of GOD is enabled to beare whatsoeuer the Lord shall lay vpon him The torments wherewith mans body may be afflicted are manie and terrible and yet be they neuer so many nor so terrible true sauing faith will make the childe of GOD to beare them all for the honour of Christ. The effects of faith before set downe were many and singular but vndoubtedly this strength of patience which it giueth vnder the greatest torments for Christes sake is one of the principall This Paul doth notably testifie in this profession Romanes chapter 8. verses 38 39. I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angelles nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall bee able to separate vs from the loue of GOD which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Oh singular power of faith which so firmely vnites the beleeuer vnto Christ that no torments in the world no not all the power of Satan and his Angels can separate them asunder Question How doth faith worke this indissoluble power in cleauing vnto Christ Answere After this manner It is the property of faith to perswade the conscience of Gods loue and fauour in Christ and vpon this perswasion the heart begins to loue God againe Now by this loue doth faith worke and make a man able to beare all torments that can be inflicted for religions sake for Loue suffereth all things 1. Cor. 13.7 euen that loue wherewith one man loueth another how much more then shall this loue wherewith we loue God in Christ make vs to suffer any thing for his names sake Hence it is that loue is said to be strong as death and the coales therof are fierie coales and a vehement flame yea much water cannot quench loue neither can the flouds drowne it that is grieuous persecutions and torments cannot extinguish the same Nay such is the power of loue to GOD when it is feruent that it makes a man so zealous of Gods glory that if there were no other way to glorifie God than by sufferings the childe of God would rather yeeld himselfe to endure the torments of the damned than suffer God to lose his glory This wee may see in Paul Rom. 9.3 I would wish my selfe saith he to be separate from Christ for my brethren that are my kinsmen according to the flesh that is the Israelites meaning for the aduancement of Gods glory in their calling and saluation Such zeale likewise we may see in Moses for thinking that God should lose his glory if the Israelites were destroyed he prayes the Lord to pardon their sinne But if thou wilt not then saith hee raze me out of the booke which thou hast written This being the fruite of faith To make a man able and willing to suffer any thing for Christs sake we must heereby be moued to labour for true faith for tribulation may come nay some affliction will come on euery childe of God more or lesse Now without faith wee shall neuer be able to glorifie God vnder the crosse The iust must liue by faith in this estate Heb. 10.38 as here they endure racking burning hewing asunder c. and all by faith Secondly out of all these sufferings heere endured by faith note the minde and disposition of vngodly men towards Gods Church and people they are most bitterly bloudily bent against them for here they put in execution vpon Gods children whatsoeuer cruelty the diuell could suggest into their hearts And this hath beene their disposition and behauiour not onely before Christes incarnation but also euer since as may appeare by the manifolde strange tortures deuised against Christians in the Primitiue Church and both then and since inflicted vpon them Beholde it in the Church of Rome especially in their late Inquisition whereby beside the cruell racking of the conscience by vniust inquiries they put the Protestants to most cruell torments The consideration of this cruell disposition in the wicked against the godly is of speciall vse First it proues vnto vs that the religion which by Gods mercy we professe contained in the bookes of the olde and new Testament is no politique deuice of man but the sacred ordinance of the euerliuing God For if it were the inuention of man it would so fit their humour and accord with their nature that generally it would be loued and embraced and not one of an hundred would mislike it But we see it is generally detested This Sect is euery where spoken against Acts 28.22 naturall men reiect it and persecute it and the professours of â—t vnto the death This they doe because true religion is contrary to their nature as light is to darknesse and condemnes those wayes and courses which they best like of This reason shall iustifie true religion to be Gods owne ordinance euen to the conscience of the worldly Atheist his diuellish malice against it proues Gods diuine truth to be in it Secondly doe the wicked hate the godly because of their religion and profession then on the contrary wee must learne to loue religion because it is religion and the professours of it for their professions sake This is Christs instruction to loue a disciple because he is a disciple Mat. 10. Indeede wee must loue all men but especially those that embrace the Gospell of Christ and be of the housholde of faith for all such are brethren hauing one Father which is God and brethren ought to loue one another But alas this lesson is not learned for the world generally is giuen to mocking and scoffing
finger cut off from his place is of no vse so a man liuing out of his calling and out of his place is of no vse in the body politique Happy will it be with our Church State when we haue such lawes and such execution of them as that this disorder may be reformed euery man confined to his owne dwelling none suffred to liue in our Kingdome who is not of som Parish for let vs be assured so many wandring beggers so many blemishes in our gouernment Thirdly Abrahams dwelling in this Land being a fruite of his faith teacheth vs it is no good token but an ill signe for a man to be vncertaine in his dwelling It is the fashion of many men if they trauaile they neuer lodge at one place twise and for their dwelling it is not certain but now in the North now in the South now in this Parish now in that now in this iurisdiction now in another Sometime in the Citie sometime in the Countrey Who be these But either such as be in debt and purpose to deale ill with their Creditors or that are malefactors and heereby labour to auoide the censure of Authoritie or else they be Papists which by this meanes labour to lurke vnseene and to escape the law as many of them doe either by skipping out of one Parish Diocesse Countie or Prouince into another and so auoiding the authoritie of all or else by lurking in great Cities and so lying as Soiourners and not as Parishioners vnseene or vnmarked in so great multitudes Let our Authoritie take the more carefull notice of such men the more craftily they labour to creepe from vnder it and let such men knowe they discouer themselues the more by this practice to bee vnfaithfull either to GOD or Men or both seeing that GOD heere commendes Abraham for dwelling or staying in that place which GOD had appointed him And so much for this question Againe it may heere be demaunded How Abraham might lawfully dwell in Canaan seeing it was then Idolatrous It may seeme that therefore it is not vnlawfull for men to dwell in Popish or Idolatrous Countries I answere Abraham did not so vpon any priuate motion nor for any worldly cause but vpon speciall warrant and calling from God otherwise his so doing had not beene iustifiable therefore that practice of his cannot be a warrant for any to doe the like without the like cause and calling But how could Abraham be preserued from the contagion of Idolaters liuing amongst them I answere First God that called him thither did there preserue him Againe Abraham liued in the Country but conuersed not with the people at all but in some necessary and ciuill affaires and by this meanes hee escaped the danger of infection Where we may learne that if any man would liue in such places without hurt to their conscience let them first be sure that they haue a calling and warrant from God to liue in those Countries Secondly let them conuerse with Idolaters warily and sparingly and so shall they preserue themselues from the occasions of euill as Abraham did who abode in an Idolatrous Country and so though not without danger yet without hurt to his religion Thus wee see Abraham dwelt in the Land of Canaan Now secondly this Land is called the Land of Promise that is the Land formerly promised him by GOD when hee called him out of his owne Countrey And it is likely that the Apostle doth not heere first of all call it so but that it was knowen generally amongst the Patriarkes by that name and that Abraham himselfe did first of all so call it who when hee looked vpon it and considered the fruitfulnesse and excellency of it did euermore remember and call to minde this Land is promised to me this is mine by promise And herein he rested and satisfied himselfe though he had not the possession of it Heere wee may see the excellencie of true faith which depends vpon the promises of God though they be vnperformed A Land of promise contents Abraham hee leaues the possession to his posteritie It is hard to finde such faith in the world It is Land in possession which wee looke for A Land of promise cannot content vs but let vs labour to practice faith and to take comfort in the promises of God and leaue the performance to Gods appointed time Thirdly he dwelt in this Land by faith And no meruaile for had it not beene by faith hee would neuer haue dwelt there where he had not so much as a roome for his Tent to stand in but hee must borrow it nor to burie his dead in but hee must buy it This was against reason yet by faith hee dwelt there as afore by faith he left his owne which was also against reason Where still the power of faith is magnified to bee such as it will carie a man ouer all impediments of obedience and will giue him victorie not against one but against all obiections and power to performe not one but many things contrary to carnal wisedom Wee must heere learne to examine whether wee haue a true and sound faith or no. If wee haue then wee must not doe some one or fewe actions in faith or die in faith but wee must liue by faith the whole course of our liues Wee must walke by faith and not by sight saith the Apostle 2. Corinthians 5.7 So saith hee of himselfe Galathians 2.20 I liue by the faith in the Sonne of God he saith not hee hopes to die in that faith but he liues by it And in the former place â—e saith not wee must set a step or two but wee must walke by faith which argueth a continued action and therefore it is that Saint Peter saith Gods children are kept by the power of God through faith vnto saluation 1. Peter 1.5 In which words two thinges are spoken of faith the first is affirmed namely that faith preserueth a man to saluation through all hindrances either of inward temptations or outward crosses which the diuell or the world can lay in his way This preseruation is one of the greatest workes in the world and therefore it is worthily ascribed to God the power of God preserueth vs but through faith The second is implyed that therefore we must labour to keepe that faith euermore with vs which must keepe vs and to cherish and preserue that that must preserue vs to saluation Dauid was an excellent practicioner hereof no man was more tried and tossed then he yet he euer drew neere vnto God Psal. 73.28 Indeede sometime he said all men were liers but that was in his feare Psal. 116.11 And againe I am cast out of thy sight but that was in his haste Psal. 31.22 that is when the force of some passion or the violence of some temptations did carie him headlong but otherwise he euer liued the life of faith So must wee not thinke to liue in sensuality and die in faith but to
friends or childrens bodies cast into the earth to feede wormes burnt by fire or eaten by fishes reason saith they are gone they can neuer be againe We haue Gods word and assured promise The dead shall rise with their bodies shall they rise Esay Wee must therefore beleeue it if we will be of the faith of Sarah God said to her Age and barronnesse shall haue a childe she beleeued it He saith to vs Dust and rottennesse shall liue againe nay hee hath often said it and shall not our faith acknowledge the voice of our God and beleeue it as she did But let vs come to personall promises as hers was for this is generall God hath promised grace and pardon to euery penitent and beleeuing soule yet no man is partaker of the sweetnesse hereof without the bitternesse of many temptations to the contrary giuing him occasions of doubting and often euen of despairing of Gods fauour What must a man doe in this case euen beleeue though he feele no reason why to beleeue and hope aboue hope Such was Abrahams and Sarahs faith And for it as they were registred in the Storie of Genesis so both here and in the Romanes Chap. 4. remembred againe and commended for it Now suppose that thou after thy comming to God by faith repentance fall into temptations of desertion wherein to thy feeling Gods heauy hand wrath hath seized on thee the diuell layeth thy sins to thy charge tels thee thou art a damned wretch for thou wert euer an hypocrite and neuer hadst faith that therfore God is thy enemy In this case wherein in reason or in feeling there is not the least hope of saluation what must thou doe despaire God forbid For that is the downfall into hell No but hope when there is no hope keepe faith when there is no feeling And to strengthen vs herein remember the faith of Iob tried and sifted so as fewe haue beene who though the arrowes of the almighty stucke in him and the venome thereof drunke vp his spirits Iob 6.4 Yet euen then he beleeued and would not giue ouer nor let goe his hold and said Though thou bring me to dust yet will I not forsake thee no though thou kill me yet will I trust in thee So in the furie of temptations when the venome of Gods wrath seemes to drinke vp our spirits then must we beleeue and in the pangs of death when God seemes ready to kill vs then must wee trust in him In such cases is the life of faith to be shewed when reason and feeling say God is a terrible Iudge faith must say he is a mercifull Father In our health and welfare and feeling of Gods fauour this exhortation may seeme tedious but if wee belong to GOD if it be not past already the time is sure to come when this doctrine will bee needefull for the best of vs all Thus we see the excellencie of this womans faith which is the more commended by reason of these two so great hinderances Now follow the effects of her faith which are diuerse some laide downe in this verse and some in the next Receiued strength to conceiue seede And was deliuered of a childe In these words are two effects First by power of her faith shee was inabled to conceiue which afore she did not though there were the same reasons in nature why she should Secondly shee was deliuered of a childe in her olde age and that childe was Isaac who is therefore called the promised seede and the childe of the promise Out of the consideration of these two we may learne diuerse good instructions for seeing they are so neere a-kin in their natures wee will speake of them both ioyntly together First here we may see that nothing is so hard or difficult which God hath promised but faith can compasse it and bring it to performance Christ bâ—d the blinde see the lame to goe he spake they beleeued and they were healed So here God promiseth a barren olde woman a childe shee beleeueth and loe she conceiueth and brings forth a Sonne The vse of this doctrine is for two sorts of people First many in our Church being ignorant when they are moued to learne religion answere Alas they are simple or not booke-learned or they are dull and heauy witted or they be olde and weake and therefore they can learne nothing or if they doe they cannot remember it But heere is nothing but vaine excuses For they want not wit to learne religion if they haue wit to buy and sell to knowe a faire day from a foule good meate from ill deere from cheape Winter from Sommer If they haue wit to practice the ciuill actions of the world they haue wit enough to conceiue the grounds of religion and to get so much knowledge as may suffice for a ground of that faith which will saue their soules So that they want nothing but grace and diligence to vse the meanes To them therfore here is matter of good aduice Let such a man learne but one promise of God out of the holy Scripture as this Seeke first the Kingdome of God and all things else shall be giuen vnto you Math. 6.33 or this Cast all your care on him for he careth for you 1. Pet. 5.7 or this He that coÌ„meth vnto me I cast him not away Iohn 6.37 or but this Aske and ye shall haue seeke and ye shall finde Math. 7. Let him learne but one of these when they haue learned it beleeue it and let their soules daily feede on that faith And they shall see what will followe euen a wonderfull blessing vpon that poore beginning This their faith will so content and please their hearts that it will vrge them forward to get more and will make them both desirous capable of more knowledge and grace and will make them euen hunger and thirst after knowledge and grace whereas he that knoweth no promise nor beleeues it contents himselfe in ignorance and errour And this shall euery one finde that will carefully vse the meanes that God appoints and will begin to learne but one lesson at the first For as olde barren Sarah beleeuing Gods promise conceiues and brings forth So olde simple plaine dull Country-men beleeuing but one promise of Gods word shall conceiue and bring forth daily more and more blessed fruites of knowledge and grace Secondly others who haue made better proceedings in religion doe see their sinnes and doe much bewaile them but they cannot ouercome their corruptions yea many there are to whom their sinnes and inward corruptions are more greeuous and burdensome then all bodily wants or miseries in the world yet see they not how to conquer their corruptions but alas are oftentimes foiled by them to their great discomfort Let these men know the want of faith is the cause hereof for that they doe not sufficiently ruminate and consider the promises of God made in that behalfe nor vse the meanes
God hath appointed to the vse whereof hee hath annexed his promises of helpe against sinne Let them therefore lay Gods word and promises vnto their consciences in holy and frequent meditations Let them carefully vse the meanes God hath appointed hearing and reading his word receiuing the holy Communion earnest and frequent Prayer crauing also the prayers of others and let them sharpen these holy exercises by fasting watching holy conferences with others visitations of others afflicted like themselues oft reuealing their estate to their godly Pastors Let them continue thus doing and rest confidently on the word and promise of God with the stedfast foote of faith and they shall see that olde Sarah shall haue strength to conceiue that is that their poore soules shall receiue strength to tread vpon Sathan to conquer their corruptions to conceiue bring forth many worthy fruites of holinesse to their ioy and comfort in their later experience as Isaac was to Sarah in her elder age The next doctrine we may here learne is That whereas Sarah by her faith in Gods promise conceiues and brings forth therefore children are the immediate blessing of the Lord for Sarah bare Isaac not by any ordinary strength or power of nature but through faith shee receiued strength to conceiue c. Neither is this so in her onely wherein there was a miraculous worke of Gods power but in all Some are indeede barren by constitution and these cannot conceiue vnlesse by Gods power as Sarah did But some haue no children who in all naturall reason might conceiue For as God gaue the Lawe and thereby a gift and power to encrease and multiply Genesis 1.22 So he reserued the execution of it to himself and power to alter or dispense to adde or diminish as it pleaseth him Therefore saith the Psalmist Psal. 127.3 Lo children are the inheritance of the Lord and the fruite of the wombe is his reward And speaking of them Psal. 128.4 he saith Loe thus shall he be blessed that feareth the Lord. The vse is to teach Parents therefore to bring them vp as Gods blessings and not onely to giue them corporall necessities for so they doe their beasts but to nurture them in holy Discipline by sowing the seedes of Religion in their hearts If this they want they haue nothing though you leaue them Earledomes And heerein is the saying true Better vnborne then vntaught The Lawe and power to encrease and multiplie is giuen to beastes in their kinde as well as to vs Genesis 1. verse 22. Therefore vnlesse wee doe more then prouide for their bodies wee differ little from them but make them know GOD and so wee make them fellowes with the Angelles If Parents did thus it cannot bee expressed what blessinges would come thereby to Church and Common-wealth Thirdly and lastly let vs heere knowe and learne that this holy Matron Sarah figureth vnto vs mysticallie the spirituall Hierusalem the Church of GOD. Allegoâ—ies are charily and sparingly to bee taught else much vnsounde Doctrine may cumber mennes consciences but this is sound and sure for it is the Apostles Galath 4.23 c. By Agar and Sarah other things are meant for these two mothers are two Testaments Agar shee which gendreth vnto bondage Sarah Hierusalem which is free and from aboue and is the mother of vs all Now the resemblance betwixt naturall Sarah the wife of Abraham and mysticall Sarah the spouse of Christ the Church of God stands in this that as she not by power in her selfe but by Gods power and faith in his promise bare Isaac So the Church our mother bringeth forth children to God onely by the power of Gods word and spirit And therefore as Isaac is called the childe of Promise and said to be borne by promise Galath 4.23 So men regenerate and borne to the Church are said not to be borne of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Iohn 1.13 And S. Iames saith 1.18 God of his owne will begat vs with the word of truth Thus the word of God the will that is the spirit of God these two together beget children to the Church The vse is to teach vs all to honour the Church as our mother but to worship God alone who is the father of our soule The Church cannot make her selfe our mother noâ— vs her children when she will but it is God that must speake the word and then we are made he must beget vs by the power of his spirit and ministerie of his word And further let vs learne heere what account wee are to make of Gods holy word which is the immortall seede of our regeneration whereby wee are made Gods children and heires of immortality Thus much of the two first effects of her faith The third is laid downe in the next verse which because it is much stoode vpon by the holy Ghost we will put it off till then being therefore worthy our deeper consideration And now followeth in the end of this verse the fift and last point which is the Ground of her faith Because she iudged him faithfull which had promised The foundation whereon she built this her faith that she should haue a sonne being barren and past age was not the bare promise of God so much as the conceite or opinion shee had of him that promised For promises are not of value so much by the things promised though neuer so great or excellent for they may promise much who can performe nothing or though they can yet wil recall their word in lightnesse and inconstancie as by the worthinesse of the party promising We say in this world we had rather haue some mens word then other mens bond and rather haue a little promised of some then much of others Now such was the Iudgement that Sarah helde of him that promisâ—â— namely GOD She iudged him faithfull which had promised Faithfull that is shee iudged him Able willing to accomplish what-euer hee promised to her So that the Grounds of our faith in God and all his promises must be a sure apprehension and knowledge of these two things in God 1. His ability to make good what-euer passeth him in word 2. His carefulnesse to doe it when hee hath said it Some wil promise any thing though their abilities stretch not to performe others are able enough but haue no care of their word But both these are in God all-sufficient ability and most carefull willingnesse So Sarah iudged of God and therefore shee beleeued against reason and so must wee doe if wee will beleeue Gods word aright Wee may reade and heare and knowe Gods word and haue the points therein swimming in our heads but if wee will constantly beleeue with our hearts his blessed promises in our consciences feare his threatnings we must be fully perswaded of these two to be in him So are wee taught by Christ the wisedome of God in the Lords Prayer afore wee pray for
wee must followe Moses example choose religion and a goood conscience and let honour and preferment goe This is Moses practice we may resolue our selues that if hee might haue enioyed them together hee would haue refused neither but because he could not haue them both therefore he preferreth the religion of Christ with a good conscience before the honour and wealth of Egypt Thirdly note this Moses doth not onely refuse the riches and pleasures of Egypt when they would become vnto him the pleasures of sinne but rather than hee will enioy them hee is content to suffer great miserie and aduersitie with GODs people Where behold a singular vertue in Moses Hee iudgeth it too bee the greatest miserie to liue in sinne and therefore hee chooseth rather to suffer any aduersitie and reproach in this world than liue and lie in sinne because thereby hee should displease God his most louing father in Christ. A most notable vertue in this seruant of God and the like minde beare all those that haue the same graces of sauing faith and true repentance that Moses had S. Paul esteemed the Temptations vnto sinne which Satan suggested into his minde to be as beatings and buffettings and as pricks and thornes in his flesh 2. Cor. 12.7 And Dauid saith Psal. 119.136 His eies gush out with riuers of waters because men brake Gods commandements Was Dauid thus grieued for other mens sinnes Oh! then what a griefe did he suffer when he himselfe brake Gods commandements and thereby displeased God Now looke how these seruants of God were affected so must euery one of vs that professe the faith and religion of Christ labour to bee affected towards sinne wee must iudge it the greatest misery and torment in the world to doe any thing that shall displease God But alas come to our daies and the case is farre otherwise for to most men it is meate and drinke vnto them to commit sinne so farre are they from counting it a misery Yea if a man be ordinarily addicted to some speciall sinne you then may as soone take away his life as bereaue him of his sinne he will aduenture the losse of heauen for euer for the pleasure of sinne for a time But all such are farre vnlike these holy seruants of God for they counted it the greatest crosse and miserie that could be to doe any thing that displeased God and did checke and breake the peace of a good conscience And if we looke to enioy like peace and comfort with them we must striue against our owne corrupt disposition and labour to finde sinne to bee our greatest sorrow Worldly miseries may affect vs but in respect of sorrow for sinne all worldly griefe should bee light vnto vs. Indeede wee are otherwise minded naturally but herein wee must shew the power and truth of grace that to displease God by any sinne is our greatest griefe The second reason that mooued Moses to refuse the honours and pleasures of Pharaohs Court was because hee should haue enioyed them but for a time for the time of his naturall life was the longest that possibly hee could haue enioyed them And the same reason must moue euery one of vs to vse this world and all things herein euen all temporall benefits as though we vsed them not being alwayes willing and ready to leaue them whensoeuer God shall call This same reason doth Paul render when hee perswades the Corinthians to the same dutie 1. Cor. 7.31 Vse this world saith hee as though you vsed it no◠for the fashion of this world goeth away As if he should say All things in the world last but for a time and if a man would neuer so faine he could but enioy them to the ende of his life and therfore vse them as though you vsed them not But pittie it is to see how farre men are from the practice of this dutie for they set their whole heart vpon the world and to get riches is their delight and their God This ought not so to bee God hath not laid downe these precepts and examples in vaine vndoubtedly if they draw vs not to the like practice they shal rise vp in iudgement against vs at the last day And thus much of Moses choyce and refusall VERSE 26. Esteeming the rebuke of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt for he had respect to the recompence of reward MOses as we haue heard refused the honour wealth of Egypt and chose to liue in affliction with Gods people Now because this might seeme to bee a strange choyce and a naturall man would soone condemne him of folly for his labour therefore here the holy Ghost laies downe a reason that mooued Moses thus to doe to wit Moses chose rather to suffer affliction with Gods people than to enioy the pleasures and honours of Egypt because he was perswaded that reproach for Christ his sake was greater riches than all the wealth in Egypt So that he refused not absolutely riches honour and other comforts but chose the best riches and honour and left the worser vpon a sound iudgement betweene things that did differ Hereby wee may obserue in generall how needfull a thing it is for euery Christian to haue sound knowledge vnderstanding in the word of God For he that would walke vprightly and approoued of God must be able to iudge betweene things that differ not onely betweene good and euill but betweene good and good which is the better and so of euils which is the worser Which no man can doe but he that hath a sound and right iudgement in the word of God for therein is attained the spirit of discerning Many there be that by the course of their liues choose hell and refuse heauen which vndoubtedly comes from their ignorance in the word But ignorāce wil excuse none He that will come to heauen must be able to discerne good from euill and accordingly to choose the good and to refuse that which is euill which without diuine and supernaturall knowledge no man can doe And therefore all ignorant persons and all such as are blinded through the deceitfulnesse of sinne must shake off their securitie and get sound knowledge in scripture with a good conscience that when things which doe differ are set before thē they may with Moses choose the better But let vs come to Moses iudgement more particularly Hee esteemed the rebuke of Christ c. that is hee was firmely resolued that reproach and contempt for Christ his sake was greater riches vnto him than the treasures of a whole kingdom But some will say This is a very strange iudgement can it possibly be true and good Ans. Yes vndoubtedly it is most sound iudgement and worthy eternall remembrance of euery one of vs that to suffer reproach for Christ his sake is greater riches than all worldly wealth The truth hereof is proued by many reasons out of Gods word 1 God hath made a promise of blessednes to those which