It is needlesse For the man is good alreadie else the worke could not haue beene good Wee may therefore say workes are rather iustified by the person of a man then his person by the works and it is a most vaine thing to looke for Iustification from that which thou thy selfe must first iustifie afore it be iust if wee had no other reasons against iustification by workes but this this were sufficient Secondly hence we learne that till a man bee called and his person iustified and sanctified all that euer hee doth is sinne 1. His common actions his eating drinking sleeping walking talking are all sinnes Yea 2. The workes of his calling his labor in the same though neuer so iust equal and vpright 3. Further his ciuill actions namely the practice of ciuill vertues his outward grauitie meekenesse sobrietie temperance quietnesse vprightnesse and all outward conformitie are all sinnes Yea more then all this his best actions namely his practicing of the parts of Gods worship or his deeds of charitie his praier his hearing the word his receiuing the sacraments his giuing of almes they are all sinnes vnto him if hee haue not a belieuing and penitent heart yea such sinnes as shall condemne hâ—m if hee had no other Obiect This should seeme strange diuinity that the most holy actions as praier c. should be damnable sinnes I answer they are in themselues holy and good and as farre forth as God hath commanded them yet in the doer they are sinnes because hee doth them from a fowle vnholy heart for the same action may be holy in it selfe and in regard of God the author of it and yet a sin in him that is the doer of it As cleere water pure in the fountaine is corrupted or poisoned by running through a filthy and polluted channell so are euen the best actions sinnes as euen the preaching of the word to a minister whose heart is not cleansed by faith and his person accepted of God it is a sin vnto him and if he repent not shall be his condemnation Cain sinned not onely in hating and murthering his brother in lying and dissembling with God but Cain sinned also euen in offering sacrifice And Abels sacrifice had beene a damnable sinne but that his person was iustified before God And the reason of all this is good for nothing in the worke is able to make an action acceptable to God but onely the acceptation of the person by Christ. This being so it stands vs euery one in hand to looke to our selues and to labour aboue all things for faith and repentance that so our persons may be accepted righteous before God and thereby our actions accepted also If it be a miserable thing that all thy actions euen holy actions should be sinnes then labour to be iustified for that onely can make thy workes accepted if not then though thou labour neuer so much to be approued in the world set neuer so glorious a shew vpon thy workes to the eyes of men they are all abhominable sinnes in the sight of God and at the day of iudgement they shall goe for no better Preach and teach all thy life long nay giue thy life to die for religion Giue all thy goods to the poore depriue thy flesh of all delights build Churches Colledges Bridges High-wayes c. and there may come a poore shepheard and for his keeping of his sheepe be accepted when thou with all this pompe of outward holinesse maist be reiected And why this only because he had faith thou hast none his person was iustified before God and thine is not Therefore let this be my counsell from Abell Labour not so much to worke glorious workes as that which thou doest doe it in faith Faith makes the meanest worke accepted and want of faith makes the most glorious worke reiected for so faith the Text. Abell must be accepted else his sacrifice is not Thus wee see Abell was iust and God so accounted him The second point is That God gaue testimonie hee was so In these words God giuing testimonie What testimonie it was that God gaue of Abell and his gift it is not expressed in the word and so it is not certaine but it is very likely that wheÌ„ he Cain offred God in speciall mercy sent fire from heauen and burnt vp Abels sacrifice but not Cains for so it pleased the Lord often afterward when he would shew that he accepted any man or his worke he answered them by fire from heauen So he burnt vp the first sacrifice that Aaron offred Leuit. 9.24 So he answered Salomon 2. Chron. 7.1 And so Elias 2. Kings 18.28 And so it is likely that he gaue this testimonie that he accepted Abell and his offring This was a great prerogatiue that Abell and the Fathers in the old testament had We haue not this but wee haue a greater for wee haue that that is the substance and truth and body of this For wee haue also the fire of God that is his spirit comes downe into our hearts euery day not visibly but spiritually and burnes vp in the heart of a beleeuer his sinnes and corruptions and lights the light of true faith that shall neuer be put out The vse hereof is this As no sacrifice in the old law pleased God but such as was burnt by fire from heauen sent downe either then or afore so our sacrifices of the new Testament that is our inuocation of Gods name our sacrifice of praise our duties of religion our workes of mercy and loue neuer please God vnlesse they proceede from a heart purged by the fire of Gods spirit that is from a beleeuing and repentant heart both which are kindled and lighted and daily continued by that fire of Gods spirit Therefore it is that Paul saith 1. Tim. 1.4 That loue must come out of a pure heart and good conscience and faith vnfained The duties of religion and works of loue comming from this purged heart ascend into the presence of God as a smoake of most acceptable sacrifices and are as a sweet perfume in the nosethrils of the Lord. Now of what did God thus testifie Of his gift It may here be asked at the first how can Abell giue a gift to God hath the Lord neede of any thing and are not all things his I answer God is soueraigne Lord of heauen and earth and all creatures yet hath hee so giuen his creatures vnto man to vse as that they become mans owne and so he may esteeme vse them and being mans a man may in token of his thankfulnes return them again to God especially seeing God accepts them being so offred as most free gifts This sheweth vs first the wonderfull mercy of God that whereas we can offer him nothing but his owne he vouchsafeth to accept a gift offred of his owne euen as though we had of our owne to offer 2. See here a difference betwixt the sacrifices of the old and
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
hee will take heede what he doth and that God heareth him hee will temper his tongue and that God beholdeth all his dealings in the world hee will take heede how hee borroweth lendeth buieth or selleth and what hee doth in all his actions and the very cause of all carelesnesse in these and all other duties in the world is because men are perswaded God seeth them not To vrge vs therefore to this excellent dutie we haue First Gods Commaundement Walke before mee and be vpright saith God to Abraham and in him to all the children of his faith Againe wee haue the examples of Gods children who are renowned for the obedience of this Commaundement Henoch here after him Abraham and after him Dauid who testifieth of himselfe I will walke before God in the land of the liuing Thirdly as it is both commaunded by precept and practiced by exsample so the proofe of it is most comfortable to all that practice it for it will make them prosper in all they goe about For as hee that is alwaies in the Kings presence and companie cannot but bee in his fauour and therefore cannot but succeede well in all his affaires so hee that walkes with God cannot but prosper in whatsoeuer hee sets his heart and hand vnto Blessed Abraham found this most true when he assured his seruant whom he sent to prouide Isaac a wife in a long and doubtfull and dangerous iourney The Lord before whom I walke will send his Angell with thee and prosper thy iourney and euen so may euery child of God say with confidence The Lord before whom I walke will send his Angell with mee and prosper mee in my proceedings Fourthly this walking with God is a good meanes to make a man beare the crosse with patience For if hee be perswaded that God seeth how wrongfully he is persecuted or oppressed and that Gods prouidence is alwayes present so as no affliction can com vnto him but by his appointment and againe that his prouidence disposeth of all things to his good how can he but receiue with patience that portion of afflictions which God shall lay vpon him For as hee that walkes with the King who dare offer him wrong so he that walkes with God what euill can touch him This is Iosephs argument to his brethren when they were discomforted and feared he would punish them after their Fathers death Feare not saith he for am not I vnder God as though he had said Doe not I walke in Gods presence and acknowledge my selfe vnder his power and that God when you thought euill against me disposed it to good where the ground of Iosephs reason is that he walking with God his affliction turned to his good Lastly this is a meanes to bring a man to make conscience of all sinne in thought word and deede and in all his dealings when he perswades himselfe to walke in the presence of God When Ioseph was allured to sinne by his Mistresse his answere was How shall I commit this great wickednesse and so sin against God The bridle that restrained him was the feare of that God in whose presence he walked And because hee walked with God he would not walke with her in her wicked way and because he kept a holy company with God therefore he would not keepe her company nor be allured by her temptations So then seeing this way of walking with God is euery way so excellent and so profitable let vs learne it not in iudgement and knowledge onely to be able to talke of it which is soone learned but in conscience and practice as dutifull children doe before their parents so let vs in a heauenly awe a child-like reuerence walke before God labouring for a true perswasion of his presence and prouidence to be alwayes ouer vs and our whole liues The want hereof is the cause of all sinne And if we doe thus walke with God and so please him as Henoch here did then shall wee be sure though not after the same manner that Henoch was yet in soule first and afterwards in soule body both to be translated into eternall life But if we will not walke this way with Henoch in this life let vs neuer looke to liue in heauen with him but assure our selues that as the way of holinesse is the way to glory so the way of wickednesse is the way to eternall perdition And thus much of the second degree But without faith it is impossible to please God These words containe the third degree or the third part of the reason And this degree consists of a generall Maxime or Canon of Diuinitie and the holy Ghost first layeth it downe and then because it is one of the waightiest principles in religion he proueth it substantially in the words following In the Canon it selfe let vs first examine the meaning and then vnfold the manifold vse of it Without faith By faith is meant here the same faith as afore namely true sauing faith in the Messias And without this sauing faith It is impossible to please God Impossible how not in regard of the absolute infinite and indeterminable power of God which hath no limits but his owne will but in regard of that order of the causes and meanes of saluation set downe by God in his word which is this 1. Man by sinne hath displeased God 2. God must be pleased againe else a man cannot be saued 3. He that will please God must please him in Christ the Mediator else he cannot therefore he that wil please God and be saued must needes beleeue in Christ. And thus by this order it is impossible We denie not but in regard of Gods absolute power hee could saue a man without faith as hee can lighten the world without the sunne But as if he keepe that order of nature which his owne wisedome hath appointed it is impossible to giue light to the world without the sunne so if he keepe that order for saluation which his own Iustice hath appointed it is impossible to please God without faith in Christ. So then the meaning is laide downe and now appeares the strength and force of the holy Ghosts argument Hee that will be saued and come to heauen must first please God But without faith it is impossible to please God Therefore without faith no man can be saued nor come in heauen and by consequent therefore Henoch being taken into heauen must needes be taken away by faith Now the vse of this Canon rightly vnderstood is manifold and of great profit First here wee learne that faith is simply and absolutely necessarie to saluation and most necessary of all other giftes and graces of God whatsoeuer And though many be required yet amongst all holy graces this is the principall and more necessarie in some respects then any other For howsoeuer hope and loue and zeale and many other graces of God are required to make the state of a Christian complete and
glorie And thus much for the first point How we must seeke God The second is How he is a rewarder of them that seeke him I answer God rewards them that seeke him First by offring himselfe graciously to be found of them that seeke him for he neuer hides himselfe nor turnes away from the soule that seeketh him but rather turnes to him and meetes him that comes to him hee is that good Father which saw the prodigall Sonne afarre off and met him and receiued him Luke 16. Yea rather is it true that He is found of them that sought him not then euer sought by any that found him not And hereby God much magnifieth his grace and mercy to mankinde in being so assuredly found when men seeke him For in this world it is not so All men seeke the face of the Prince saith Salomon true but all men finde it not No. Accesse to great men is not so easie they and their fauour are so inclosed that men may long seeke afore they finde either them or it but God here is not so inclosed as he will not be seene nor spoke to hee is found of them that seeke him And as hereby hee honoureth himselfe so hee highly rewardeth his seruants for there is no greater contentment to a subiect then to perceiue his seruice pleaseth his Prince nor greater ioy then to finde his gratious fauour when they seeke it Let then this practice of the great God of heauen First of all teach the great ones of this world to be willing to be found when they are sought vnto thereby shall they honour themselues and cheere vp the hearts of their people who seeke vnto them And againe it may be a rich comfort to the poore ones of this earth who when they see they must long looke and waite and pray and pay and seeke the face and fauour of great men and cannot finde may then remember yet they haue a God who will not shut the dore vpon them will not turne away will not keepe secret will not feare them away with a rough answer or a sower looke but hath this honourable and princely grace He wil be found of them that seeke him Secondly hee rewardeth them that seeke him by bestowing his loue and fauour on them not onely he but his fauour shall be found of all that seeke him It is Gods fauour that Gods children seeke and his fauour they shall be sure to finde This is no small reward vnto them for in this world a man thinkes he hath enough if he haue the Princes fauour And therefore it was the cōmon phrase in old time Let me finde grace or fauour in the eyes of my Lord the King So speake Gods children vnto the Lord. It is not wealth nor honours we seeke-for at Gods hand but let vs finde fauour in the eyes of the Lord our God and so they doe what-euer they finde in this world Thirdly he rewardeth them not with his naked fauour but with the most gracious testimonies thereof that can be which are two Forgiuenesse of their sinnes and eternall life and glory with himselfe This is all a Prince can doe to his subiect who hath offended him To forgiue him the fault and remit the punishment and to aduance him to honour This doth the Lord to all that seeke him he forgiues them the debt they owe him whereby life and soule and all was forfaited to him and giues them also life euerlasting So plentiful a reward is giuen them from that God vnder whose wings they are come to trust Fourthly hee rewardeth them with the beginnings of heauen and happinesse euen in this world A good conscience and ioy in the holy Ghost the comfort whereof is more euen in the bitterest affliction then all the pleasures and contentments in the world Lastly with the appurtenances of heauen and of eternall life namely the good blessings of this life a competent portion whereof God giueth his children in this world as tokens of his fauour and as rewards of their seruice and seeking him Now as this place doth ayme at all these rewards so principally and directly the holy Ghost meaneth eternall life as though hee had said Hee that commeth to God must stedfastly beleeue that God is able and most willing to reward all that come to him with a better reward then this worlde can yeeld euen with eternall life and glory for his sonnes sake But then will some obiect God rewardeth vs therefore we merit therefore good works deserue I answere this place indeede is grosly abused by the Papists for that purpose but we are to know the truth is farre otherwise for God rewardeth men for two causes First for his promise sake and that is for his owne sake for it was his owne goodnesse that made him promise and no former debt he owed to man Againe hee rewardeth our good works not for our merits for they are nothing but of death and curses but for Christ and his merits for their worthinesse are our good workes rewarded So then here are two causes of Gods rewarding and yet mans merits are neither of both and so the argument is nought That God rewardeth therefore we merit for God doth it for other causes Thus these spiders gather poison out of this flower but let vs sucke the honey for this notable sentence hath excellent vse First if God be a rewarder of them that seeke him then not of them that seeke him not Who seeke not God wicked and vngodly men seeke him not but rather seeke to auoide him and his seruice this sentence therefore is heauie against them For when they heare it their conscience answereth But wee seeke not God Therefore wee can looke for no reward from him Doest thou seeke the world then must the world be thy rewarder Doest thou seeke to please thy selfe then must thou reward thy selfe And if thou wilt please the diuell by liuing in sinne then must hee be thy pay-maister alas pitifull and fearefull will these rewards be Againe if God reward none but them that seeke him here appeares the reason why so many Papists die in our religion and with vs cleaue to Christes merits alone when they come to die because their conscience then tells them that by their pilgrimages reliques will-worships and manie more of their courses ordinarie in Poperie they did neuer seeke God but themselues their owne honour gaine and credite and full well knew they that there is no reward due for such seruice and therefore by their practice they make it a true saying that It is good liuing a Papist but dying a Protestant Secondly if God be a rewarder of them that seeke him Then wee see it is most true which the Apostle saith It is not in vaine to serue God 1. Cor. 15.58 for God is a rewarder of them that seeke and serue him Therefore the Atheist and profane men of this world who say It is in vaine to serue God and what profit
of it The author and first deuiser For Noah made not this Arke of his owne head but as we heard before he was warned of God to doe it And hee was the first practicer for God himselfe performed all those seruices vnto Noah in the Arke else it had neuer saued him This being so It is the more griefe to see that worthy calling so abused and debased as it is the most of them that practice it being profane vngodly and dissolute men Such men should remember God made the first ship and God was the first Master and the first Mariner the first Pilot the first gouernour of a ship and they should labour to be like him This is one of those fewe callings which may say God himselfe was the first deuiser and practicer of it All callings cannot say so why then should they so farre forgette whom they succeede Indeede vppon the seas and in distresses they will make some profession of religion but let them come a-shore what swearing what whoring what drunkennesse amongst them But let them be afraid to be so profane which hold the place which once God himselfe held or else let them know they are vnworthy of so good a calling And thus we see the reason and the meanes how the Ark could saue him and his houshold namely because God did gouerne it In the next place obserue the end and vse of the Arke It was to saue this holy man and his houshold Learne here that Gods seruants in common calamities haue safety For God himselfe giueth them security and prouideth deliuerance Thus was it euer When God proceedeth in iudgement against Hierusalem for the sinnes thereof hee marketh the godly in their foreheads namely such as mourne and cry for the abhominations which are done against God Ezech. 9.4 When Sodome must be destroyed righteous Lot and his family must be drawen out nay the Angell can doe nothing till he be safe Genesis 19.16.22 When the destroying Angell went ouer the land of Egypt and destroyed the first borne in euery house of the Egyptians the Israelites dwelling amongst them hee past ouer all the Israelites whose doores were sprinkled with the bloud of the Paschall Lambe Exodus 12.13 And euen so hee whose heart and soule is sprinkled with the bloud of Iesus Christ the Lambe of God no calamity can do him hurt nay when others are smitten he shall be deliuered The vse of this doctrine is to our Church and State Wee haue by Gods mercy long enioyed Peace and the Gospell and both vnder a gracious gouernment and with these manie other blessings Yet speake truth and the sinnes of our times call for a floud as in Noahs time and sure a floud of tribulation must come one way or other For this was alwaies the state of Gods Church now peace now persecution Peace abused causeth trouble and calamities Therefore as we haue so long had peace and ease so assuredly looke for a floud what it will be or when knoweth no man onely he who will send it the righteous and almighty God How then shall wee doe when the floud of tribulation is vpon vs There is no way but one Beleeue in Christ Iesus settle thy heart in true faith repent of thy sinnes get Gods fauour and forgiuenesse and then when the floud comes Gods prouidence shall affoord thee one way or other an Arke of safetie and deliuerance Sprinkle thy soule now with Christes bloud by faith and true repentance and the destroying Angell of Gods wrath shall passe ouer thee and thy houshold Thirdly obserue the largenesse of Gods bounty Not onelie Noah shall be saued but with him his houshold also Why the Lord did so there be diuers reasons First for the Propagation and multiplication of the world after the floud If any obiect Noah and his wife might haue serued for that end I answere they were olde for hee was 600. yeeres olde when the floud came and though hee liued 300. yeeres after the floud Genesis 9.28 Yet reade wee not of any children that he had If any further obiect The first world was begun and multiplied by two alone Adam Eue no more why then should there be so many for the beginning of the second world I answere God did so in the beginning to shew that all mankinde came of one bloud Acts. 17.26 and that in regard of body or birth there is no difference originally betwixt man and man which also was obserued euen in the second beginning For though the world was multiplied by three brethren Shem Cham and Iapheth Yet those three were not strangers but all sonnes to one man Noah so that as at first by Adam and Eue so after from Noah and his wife came all men in the world But in the beginning of the second world there must needes be more lines then one because now the blessed seede was promised whose line and kindred must needes be kept distinct frō all other vntil his incarnation Againe there was more cause now why the world should be speedily replenished then at the beginning For first the earth had some glory and beauty left it after the first curse so that it was still a most pleasant and delightfull habitation to Adam and Eue. But now by the second curse in the floud all her beautie was gone she and all her glory was ouerrunne spoyled and defaced so that it had beene a miserable habitation for Noah and his wife if they had beene without company Secondly the earth being much defaced and the vertue of it almost quite perished by the floud had now more neede to be recouered by the hands and helpe of many mens labours And to this purpose the Scripture saith Gen. 9.19 10.32 that the earth was diuided amongst the three sonnes of Noah And they liued not all together but ouerspread the earth And least the beasts which then were many should ouergrowe the world therefore God would haue the earth speedily replenished to that end Noah his wife had neuer a seruant in the Ark but only such as should haue children their 3. sonnes and their wiues And thus the multiplication of mankind is the first cause why God saued Noahs children The second cause It is likely that as himselfe was a righteous man so they of his family were more orderly and religious then others of that wicked Age for good men make conscience of teaching their families as Abraham Gen. 18.18 And seeing Noah is commended for a iust good man doubtlesse he did carefully instruct his houshold therefore it is to be supposed that all or the most of them were holy and righteous persons fearing God Thirdly though all of them were not righteous yet they were all of the family of righteous Noah and therfore for his sake they were saued all being his children or his childrens wiues For the righteous mā procureth blessings not on himself alone but on all that belong vnto him dwel with him or are in his
one And besides that the Greeke construction doth well beare it the Iudgement of almost all Interpreters referres it to the Arke And further in all reason that that saued him and his houshold condemned the world also but the Arke is said to haue saued them therefore by it hee condemned the world Neither is this any derogation but a commendation of faith for by faith he made that Arke which Arke condemned the world Now by the Arke Noah condemned the world two wayes 1. By his obedience in building it 2. By his preaching in building it For the first God bad Noah build an Arke so great and to such an vse as in all reason no man would haue done it Yet Noah by the power of his faith beleeued Gods word and obayed and therefore builded the Arke This faith and this obedience of Noah to this Commaundement of God condemned the vnbeleeuing and disobedient world and made them without excuse So saith Christ The Niniuites who beleeued at the preaching of Ionas shall rise in Iudgement against the Iewes and condemne them because they repented not at Christs preaching And the Queene of Saba who came so farre to heare Salomon shall condemne them who then would not heare Christ Math. 12.42.43 Euen so Noahs obedience shall condemne them For Noah being told of a miraculous thing and beleeuing it and being commaunded so vnreasonable a thing as the making of the Arke and obaying shall condemne that wicked world who would not beleeue Gods ordinarie promises nor obay his ordinarie and most holy commaundements And as the Saints are said to condemne the world 1. Corinth 6.2 by being witnesses against them and approuers of Gods iust sentence So Noahs fact and faith condemned that world And thus we see it is apparant that the obedience and godly examples of good men doe condemne the vngodly The vse whereof is to encourage vs all to imbrace Christian religion and not be daunted by the scornes or other euill behauiours of profane men which cannot abide the Gospell For he that walketh in the way of holinesse and keepeth good conscience in the midst of a wicked generation if his godlinesse doe not ouercome their euill and conuert them it shall more demonstrate their wickednesse and condemne them Our Church is full of mockers and they discourage many from Christ religion but let them know this will be the end of it their obedience whom they contemne and laugh at wil be their condemnation And thus Noah by his obedience in building the Ark condemned the world Secondly so did he also by his preaching as he builded it For the building of the Arke was a part of his propheticall ministerie The Prophets preached two wayes in word in action For beside their Verball preaching and deliuering of Gods word they preached in their liues and actions especially in such actions as were extraordinarie And such was Noahs building of the Arke it was an actuall preaching yea euery stroke vpon the Arke was a loud Sermon to the eyes and eares of that wicked world For by making it he signified some should be saued and the rest drowned namely all that would beleeue and repent should be saued in it and all that would not shold out of it be drowned because they beleeued not this therefore by it he condemned them From this ground we may learnâ— First that a man may be a true and sincere Minister lawfully called by God and his Church and yet not turne many vnto God nor by his Ministerie bring many to repentance For here Noah a Prophet called immediatly yet in 120. yeeres preaching both in word and action he cannot turne one to faith and repentance A most fearefull thing if we well consider it that both by preaching and making the Arke hee should not turne one of the sonnes of Lamech Methushelah or Henoch to beleeue him but that they should all rather chuse to be misled in the generall vanity of that wicked world then to serue God with Noah This was a most discomfortable thing vnto him as could be yet this hath beene the case and lot of many holy Prophets Esay must goe and preach vnto them and yet his doctrine must harden their hearts that they may not be saued Esay 6.10 And Ezekiel must goe and speake and yet is tolde aforehand they will not heare him nor repent Ezek. 3.4.7 And when S. Paul himselfe preached vnto the Iewes at Rome some beleeued not Acts 28.24 There is nothing will more discourage a man and cast downe his heart then to see that his labours are not onely in vaine but doe take a contrarie effect that whereas they were bestowed to haue saued them they are meanes of their deeper condemnation Therefore as when their labours bring men to God they may greatly reioyce and account those people as S. Paul did the Thessalonians his crowne his ioy and glory So when they doe no good as Noah here but that men are worse and worse this must humble and abase them in themselues let them know the power and vertue is not in them but God So saith S. Paul to the vngodly impenitent amongst the Corinthians I feare saith he when I come my God abase me amongst you I shall bewaile many of them which haue sinned not repented And surely this or nothing wil abase a Minister minister matter of great bewailing Yet not so but as stil there is matter of true coÌ„fort coÌ„teÌ„tment vnto all godly faithful teachers For whether thy labour be the sauour of life vnto life or of death vnto death to thy hearers It is to God a sweet sauour in Christ. Againe we may here learne that those who are condemned before God haue their condemnation by the preaching of the word The secrets of all the world saith the Apostle shall be iudged by Iesus Christ according to the Gospell and heere the preaching of Noah and his actuall preaching by preparing the Arke condemnes the world Such is the power and might of the Ministerie of Gods word vpon all them that resist it Which being so should teach all men when they come to heare Gods word to submit themselues to the power of it to obay it and become penitent for otherwise so many Sermons as a man heareth so many inditements are presented to God against him And if at the last day there were no diuels to accuse those bills of inditements would both accuse and condemne him And this Iudgement is begun in this life as their consciences doe often tell them and is accomplisht at the last day for there is no dallying with Godâ— word if it cannot saue it kiâ—ls It is the fire which if it cannot soften it hardens Let then all impenitent men make conscience to obay Gods word for if now they abuse it it will be euen with them both here and in another world For as the very same Arke which saued Noah and his houshold condemned
righteous of our selues yet hauing Christs righteousnesse imputed to vs are made thereby partakers of Gods loue and for the worthinesse of that righteousnesse of his so made ours shall be glorified in heauen And thus now at last we haue found that true and that only righteousnesse which can make a man as it did Noah righteous in Gods sight Now it remaines to make vse of it First here wee learne how foulely our nature is defiled with sinne and stayned with corruption the staine whereof cannot be washed away with all the water in the world no nor with the bloud of all creatures no not couered with the righteousnesse of all men and Angels but onely with the righteousnesse of God And that sonne of God also if he will apply that righteousnesse vnto vs and make it effectuall must become man and liue and die and rise againe for vs. A meruailous thing is it and â—orthy of our often consideration that all the Angels and men in the world cannot make one sinner righteous but that Gods sonne must needes doe it And that our sinnes are so hideous as nothing can hide the filthinesse thereof from the eyes of Gods Iustice but onely the glorious mercy seate of Christs righteousnesse This may therefore teach vs how to esteeme of our selues and our owne natures Furthermore See here the great goodnesse of God to man God put perfect legall righteousnesse in Adams heart in his creation he receiued it for himselfe and vs and lost it for himself and vs. God in mercy purposing to restore man thus by himselfe lost and cast away giues him another and a better righteousnesse then before But because he saw man was so ill a keeper of his owne Iewels he trusts not him with it but sets that righteousnesse in the person of Christ Iesus and commits it to him to keepe Who as he truly knowes the full value and excellencie thereof and as he deerely loues vs So he will most safely keepe it for vs and clothe vs with it in his Fathers presence at the last day A point of vnspeakable comfort to Gods children to consider that their saluation is not in their owne keeping where it might againe be lost but in a safe hand where they shall be sure to finde and haue it when they haue most need of it and to remember that their righteousnesse being in Christ they cannot lose it For though they sinne and so lose often the comfort of a good conscience for a time yet they then lose not their righteousnesse which is then in Christ and to consider that when in this world they sustaine losses or iniuries or lose all they haue vpon the earth that yet their righteousnesse the riches of their soules is then in heauen full safe in Christs keeping and shall neuer be lost This should make vs learne to know Christ more and more and to giue him the loue and affections of our very hearts that so we may be able to say with blessed Paul 2. Timoth. 1.12 I know whom I haue beleeued and I am perswaded that he is able to keepe that which I haue committed vnto him against that day Lastly if there be such a communion betwixt Christ and a beleeuer that our sinnes were made his and his righteousnesse made ours This may teach vs patience and minister vs comfort in all outward afflictions or inward temptations because it is certaine all our sufferings are his and hee is touched with all the wrongs done to vs. When hee was in heauen he calls to Saul Acts 9.4 Saul Saul why persecutest thou me and at the last day Math. 25.45 Whatsoeuer either good or euill was done to any of his children he saith was done to himselfe and accordingly it shall be rewarded as done to him And thus wee haue taught that true righteousnesse which iustifies a sinner and made Noah righteous and we see the vse of that worthy doctrine And in this first point we haue the longer insisted because it is one of the fundamentall points of Christian religion Hetherto of the first point namely what that righteousnesse is which is here spoken of The 2. point to be coÌ„sidered in these words is that this righteousnesse is that righteousnesse Which is by Faith It is so called because faith is the proper instrument created in the soule of man by the holy Ghost to apprehend that righteousnesse which is in the person of Christ nor can it be any waies else either apprehended or applied and therefore it is worthily called that righteousnesse which is by faith that is which by faith is made a mans owne or whereunto a man hath title by his faith Here therefore two points offer themselues to our obseruation 1. That true faith apprehends properly this true righteousnesse 2. That onely faith can doe it For the first it is proued by apparant euidences of Scripure S. Paul tells the Galathians 3.14 They receiued the promise of the Spirit by faith And S. Iohn saith That as manie as receiued Christ to them hee gaue power to be called the sonnes of God And least any man should thinke that to receiue Christ is not to beleeue in Christ he addeth Euen to as many as beleeue in his name Iohn 1.12 And therefore faith is fitly compared to a hand that takes hold on a garment and applieth it to the body being naked or to a beggars hand that takes or receiues a Kings almes so faith in a mans soule takes hold on Christs righteousnes which is the mercifull and liberall almes of the King of heauen and applieth it to the poore and naked soule of the beleeuer If any man aske how can faith apply Christ to the beleeuer I answer as a man being in his corrupt nature hath nothing to doe with Christ So contrariwise when the holy Ghost hath wrought faith in his heart by a supernaturall operation then wee are to know that as faith is the proper instrument to apprehend Christ So is Christ and his righteousnesse the proper obiect for faith to work vpoÌ„ For though it apprehend apply all other promises which God makes to our soules or bodies yet most properly and principally and in the first place it apprehends the promise of saluation and the righteousnesse of Christ. Now for the particular manner how faith doth thus we are to know that though it be spirituall inuisible and so not easily expressed to sense yet is it done as properly by faith as a garment is by the hand taken and applied to the body or a plaister to a sore If any aske further But when may a man know whether his faith haue apprehended and applied Christs righteousnesse to his soule or no I answere when hee beleeueth particularly that Christes righteousnesse is his righteousnesse and hath reconciled him to God and shall iustifie him in Gods presence then doth faith worke his true and proper worke for this cannot be done but by faith and where faith is this must needes be done
goeth out The vse is to teach vs what a faith we haue For if wee measure all Gods commaundements by our naturall affections our faith is but a shadow and hypocrisie But if wee consult not with flesh and bloud but rest and rely on Gods word and giue absolute obedience to his coÌ„maundements then our faith is such as Abrahams was In the next place Some may meruaile why the Lord should commaund him so hard a matter and lay so straâ—te a commaundement vpon him as to leaue his Country and liuing which seemed vnreasonable his kindred which was vnnaturall I answer the reason is not that God delighteth in vnreasonable or vnnatural courses or in laying heauie burdens vpon his children But he did it for good and holy ends as First to proue Abraham and to see what was in him As a friend is noâ— tried in ordinarie but in great matters so it is knowne who is Gods friend in matters of difficultie Hereby therefore God made the faith and obedience of his seruant to shine more gloriously Againe to breake the corruption of his heart for our wicked natures loue peace and ease and welfare and hearts desire but God will crosse those courses and send vs troubles many wayes that so hee may pull downe the height of our corruptions and humble vs to his owne hand The vse is to teach vs to make true vse of our afflictions and of those many hard crosses that must fall vpon vs in our course of seruing God namely to know that they are sent from God not as a hard-hearted or cruell Iudge but as a wise and mercifull Father who wisheth our good and who will so blesâ—e vnto vs the hardest and heauiest crosses that befall vs in our liues if we receiue them in patience faith that we shall say with Dauid Psalm 119.72 It is good for vs that we haue been in trouble for thereby we haue learned to know God and our selues better Thirdly whereas Abraham at Gods commaundement goeth out of his Country into another we learne that it is not vnlawfull for a Christian man to goe out of his owne Country and trauaile into another and there to abide for some or for a long time Prouided his causes be good and iust as namely these which follow First if he haue a particular commaundement of God as here Abraham had Secondly if hee haue a lawfull calling of the Church or State whereof he is a member as if he be sent to a generall Councel or be sent as Ambassadour either to stay for a time or to stay there as Lieger Thirdly if it be for the safety of his life in a good cause So Moses Exod. 2.14.15 fled into the land of Midian and there stayed when Pharaoh sought his life And Christ himselfe fled with his Father and Mother into Egypt from the furie of Herod Math. 1. The like may be said for them that to preserue their liberty flie from the cruelty of their Creditors who will not take honest and reasonable satisfaction of a surety for another man or of a childe for the Fathers debts But in no case for them who trauaile in purpose to defeate their Creditors or thereby to deliuer themselues from payment of their due debts being able to pay Of both these wee haue example in Dauid his followers Dauid himselfe was faine to flie for his life from Saulâ— vniust cruelty and therefore went and dwelt amongst the Philistims 1. Sam. 27.1.2 And 1. Sam. 22.2 there cam to Dauid such as were in trouble and in debt and these were with him in all his trauaile and persecutions Now doubtlesse had they beene vngodly men who had not cared how they came into debt noâ— how they paid it Dauid would neuer haue beene their Prince as that Text saith he was Fourthly if it be for the maintenance of pure religion and keeping a good conscience This hath Christs warranty Mat. 10.23 When they persecute you in one Citie flie vnto another For this cause many of our fore-fathers in the former age were faine to flie into Germanie Swwitzerland to Geneua And for these causes diuers of other Nations doe repaire to this Nation and are here entertained Fiftly if it be for the getting or encreasing of any good learning and lawfull knowledge especially diuine knowledge for matter of religion Thus the Queene of Saba went ouâ— of the inmost parts of Africa to Ierusalem in Asia to see and heare Salomon 2. Kings 10. and for that cause shee is highly commended by Christ himselfe Math. 12.42 Thus may yong men trauell for learning or the tongues especially such as intend thereby to fit themselues for publike seruice so it be with safetie of religion and securitie of conscience Sixtly if it be for the practice of a mans lawfull calling as for trafficke and thus Merchants may and do lawfully trauaile into all Nations and haue their Factors there resident prouided they lose not their soules to gaine for their bodies their trauailing is allowed by Christ in the Parable where he saith The Kingdome of heauen is like a Merchant man that seekes good pearles Math. 13.45 Seauenthly if it be to receiue and take possession of any goods or lands lawfully descended or fallen vnto a man in another Nation as sometime it doth This seemes to be allowed by Christ in the Parable where he saith A certain noble man went into a far Country to receiue for himselfe a kingdome and so to come againe Luke 19.12 In a word if it be vpon any good and sufficient cause allowable in good reason and not contrary any part of Gods word But as for such as leaue their Countries and trauell into other Either vpon leuitie to see strange sights and fashions Or being malefactors flie from their due punishment Or being in debt go away to deceiue their Creditors Or being vaine-glorious to make themselues knowen Or being at enmitie to fight combats or to kill their enemie All these and all such like can haue no comfort in their trauailes for they send themselues God sent them not they are out of Gods protection because they goe without his warrant And as many of them as goe away to escape the hand of the Magistrate let them be assured they shall not escape the hand of God In the fourth place here is a comfort for all such as are banished from their owne natiue Countries for God and his Gospels sake For here Abraham the Prince of Patriarkes was a banished man and liued in a strange Country the greater part of all his life Let such men therefore take patiently what God laieth vpoÌ„ them for it is not their misery or mishap alone but hath beene common to Gods children in all ages Againe Christ himselfe pronounceth them blessed who suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake for though they be exiles from their owne kingdome or tossed vp downe the kingdomes of the earth yet theirs is the kingdom of heauen Math. 5.10 Lastly though
Canaan that is a temporall inheritance hee lookes further for a City in heauen This he did out of his faith for hee knowing that Canaan was but a type of heauen therefore in consideration of the earthly Canaan hee arose to a consideration of the heauenly and in the promise of the earthly apprehended the heauenly This is the true and Christian vse of all Gods blessings giuen in this life in them to behold better things laid vp in heauen and shadowed in the other Men vse for their vse spectacles in reading but they take no pleasure in looking vpon them but at other things by and through them So should Christians through all temporall blessings looke at spirituall and eternall which are promised and shadowed vnder the temporall Thus doth Christ himselfe teach vs in the very order of the Lords praier directing vs to pray for temporall blessings first in the fourth petition and then for eternall in the fift and sixt as though that the one were introductions and passages to the other And this made the Prophets so ordinarily couer spirituall blessings vnder temporall and put temporall deliuerances for spirituall and confusedly oftentimes one for another because that the holy men of the olde Church did neuer rest in view of any temporall promise or blessing but ascended to the contemplation of higher things in them How pittiful then is the practice of worldly men who vse Gods blessings so as they daily abuse and peruert them vsing meate to gluttony raiment to pride learning to vaine-glory speech to flatterie wit to deceipt authoritie to reuenge callings to oppression whereas they are all giuen to be helps in Gods seruice and furtherances in religion and meanes to helpe vs towards heauen These men looke at Gods gifts with the eie of reason and no further but if they looked at them with the eie of faith as Abraham did it would teach them to make a heauenly and spirituall vse of them as he did Lastly in the generall state of the reason and of Abrahams practice obserue how he hauing promise of CanaaÌ„ waited for heauen Now no man waiteth for any thing but that which he hath hope of nor hopeth truly and properly for any thing but that which he hath assurance of for hope maketh not ashamed Rom. 5.5 Noâ— worldly hope for that hath deceiued no more than euer trusted it But Hope in God neuer deceiued man nor went any away disappointed that hoped in God Therfore here it is apparant that hope of heauen goeth with assurance and this assurance must be particular to the beleeuer as the beleefe and faith is But the Papists say This is true indeed of Abraham hee had not only hope but euen full assurance but that came by extraordinary reuelation So that this is a rare example his particular reuelation is no generall warrant to vs. We answer from S. Paul Rom. 4.11 that Abraham is the father of the faithfull and that his faith is a patterne for all Christians to follow for else why doth the Apostle so farre extoll set forth that faith of his aboue 1300. years after his death shall it be only for his commendation and not for our imitation also Therefore euery man that will walke in the steps of holy Abraham may come with him to that measure of faith that he may waite for heauen with assurance to enioy it Now let vs come to the particular description of that heauen which Abraham thus waited for A Citie hauing a foundation whose maker and builder is God The description hath three parts 1. It is said to be a Citie 2. That hath a foundation 3. That God made and built it For the first Abraham by his faith waited for heauen But for which For there are three heauens or differences of heauen in the scripture The first that wherein we liue and breath birds flie and clouds mooue The second that wherein the starres are The third is that that is aboue them both and is invisible the seat of Gods glory where God reuealeth his Maiestie in speciall manner to men and Angels This heauen Abraham waited for For as for the first he liued in it And for the second he knew it as well as most men for it is credibly thought he was a notable Astronomer So that it was the third and highest heauen hee waited for which hee knewe this world could not giue him and therefore expected it in another Now this heauen which was Abrahams hope is called a Citie A Citie properly is a place for the habitation of men compassed with walles and distinguished by streetes and houses Now properly heauen or the estate of holy men in heauen is not a city but as elsewhere in the scripture it is called a house a tabernacle a temple an inheritance a kingdome so is it here called a city namely for the resemblance it hath therunto which consisteth specially in foure points 1 A Citie hath many houses greater lesse and for all sorts So in heauen also there are many mansions Ioh. 14.2 Places of glory for all men none neede to feare that hee shall not haue fulnesse of ioy and perfect happinesse A Citie is built and at first was ordained to this end that many citizens might liue together in concord and amitie So the kingdome of heauen is a heauenly city where the Saints of God shall liue in perfect peace and loâ—e with fulnesse of ioy euery one in himselfe and each one in another 3 The goodnesse or excellency of a City consists in this To haue good lawes good Magistrates to execute them and good people performing subiection and obedience Therefore the kingdome of heauen is the most perfect Citie wherein Gods lawes are the onely lawes and they shall be written in mens hearts where each one is a sufficient gouernour of himselfe yet all subiect to God and their God vnto them all in all 4 A City is a place where generally are all necessaries and comforts for mans life one part of the countrey hath this commoditie another that but in the citie are all either brought into it or of it selfe So in heauen are all parts of perfection and all complements of happinesse to make the state of Gods children there infinitely blessed Such a glorious place is the Citie that was Abrahams hope Now for the vse hereof First Is heauen such a City Here is a notable comfort to the poore and plaine countrey-man who liues in the simplicity of the countrey life tilling the ground or keeping cattell and it may be neuer sawe or at the least neuer tasted of the pleasures and delights of cities If he serue God and keepe a good conscience here is his happinesse hee shall be citizen in the high and heauenly Ierusalem that City which was the hope of the holy men of God in all ages Secondly this may teach Citizens in the great populous and pompous cities of this world to labour also to be Citizens in heauen for that is
any thing to bee resolued of Gods power and will to heare and helpe vs. He is our Father therefore carefull and willing he is in heauen and therefore able to heare vs and to giue vs all thinges Math. 6.9 And the same commendation here giuen to Sarah is also giuen to Abraham Rom. 4 21. He doubted not but beleeued aboue hope c. being fully assured that he which had promised was also able to doe it The vse hereof vnto vs is double First to aduise and guide vs for our promises not to be too recklesse as some are what we promise but to consider aforehand and if it be beyond our power not to speake the word for Christian mens words must not be vaine and if we haue promised any thing lawfull and in our power to be carefull to performe it Thus to doe is to be a faithfull man and is a good signe of a holy man and Gods childe prouided this be so First of all towards God that wee make conscience of performing the great vow wee made in our baptisme and all other serious holy purposes of our heart made to God For otherwise hee that breakes his vowe to God carelesly by liuing profanely hee may in worldly policy keepe â—is word but he cannot doe it in conscience The Church of Rome is foully faulty in this point making no conscience of breaking promise and faith with vs or any of our religion their nakednesse herein is discouered in the face of all Christendome let them that are wiâ—e be warned of it They make great ostentation of their vowes and of their care to performe them aboue any other religion but it appeares hereby to be vile hypocrisie For if they were conscionably and not politikely and formally carefull of their vowes of chastity pouerty others made to God they could not but be likewise carefull of their promises made to men for the one of these is the fountaine aâ—d roote of the other But the neglect of the one sheweth the formality and hypocrisie of the other Let all that feare God learne to make conscience of both these in their religion and seruice of God and in all their dealings with men in the world that so the world may iudge vs faithfull men when we haue promised Secondly let vs here learne how to helpe and strengthen our weake faith in the great promises of God Wee haue a promise of saluation Whosoeuer beleeueth in Christ shall not perish but haue life euerlasting Of our resurrection Dan. 12. They thaâ— sleepe iâ— the dust shall rise againe Of our glorification Philip. 3.21 The Lord Iesus shal change our vile bodies and make them like to his owne glorious body Of a new world 2. Pet 3.13 We looke for new heauens and a new earth according to his promise These be as S. Peter calls them great and pretious promises 2. Pet. 1.4 And surely it must be a great pretious faith that can constantly beleeue these No better helpes of our faith can there be then often and seriously to consider of the mercy and power of him that made them if he be willing and able what can let the performance of them Let vs thereforâ— often say with holy Paul Faithfull is hee which hath promised who will also doe it 1. Thess. 5 and with Sarah here We iudge him faithfull which hath promised Now followeth the last effect in the next verse And therefore sprang there of one euen of one which was as dead as many as the starres of the skie in multitude and as the sands of the seashore which are innumerable The third and last effect of Sarahs effect is that by this sonne Isaac whom she conceiued brought forth by faith she had a wonderfull great issue and a posterity almost without number This effect consists not of it selfe but depends vpon the former Her faith gaue her strength to conceiue Isaac though she were barren and to bring him forth though she were olde and weake and so her faith brought him out by whom shee was made the mother of many millions of men The matter of this third effect is the multitude of men that came of Abraham and Sarah by Isaac This posterity or multitude is described by two arguments 1. By the beginning or roote of it One that was as dead 2. The quantity or greatnesse laid downe 1. Generally to be a multitude and innumerable 2. Particularly by two comparisons 1. As many as the starres in the skie 2. As the sands by the seashore The first point is the roote and beginning of this multitude in these words And therefore sprang there of one euen one that was as dead One that is one woman Sarah or at the most one couple Abraham and Sarah And this one was no better then dead Not dead properly and fully for none are so dead whose soules and bodies are not separate but as dead that is as good as dead or halfe dead meaning that they were altogether vnfit for generation of children the strength of nature being decayed in them Abraham being 100. and Sarah 90. yeares olde And if this be true of Abraham who was past age how much more is it of Sarah who was both past age and was also barren in her best age Here we are to note and learne many things First Multitudes came of one See here the powerfull and yet the ordinary workes of God to reare vp goodly huge buildings vpon small and weake foundations So did he in the beginning and euer since Indeede he made at the first thousands of starres because they must be no more then at the first they were and millions of Angels intending they shall not multiply he could also haue made millions of men in a moment he would not but onely one couple Adam and Eue. And of them came the infinite race of mankinde When sinne had made an end of that world hee founded not the second that yet continueth vpon a thousand couples but by three men and their wiues hee multiplied the whole race of mankinde which since haue growen from three to millions of millions And so here of one olde man and a barren olde woman spring innumerable multitudes This God doth to magnifie his owne power in the eyes of the sonnes of men and so he did also in matters heauenly The number of Christians since Christ that haue grown to millions began in a poore number at the first For when Christ himselfe was ascended the number of knowen beleeuers was but 120. Acts 1.15 The consideration hereof should teach vs all these duties First not to measure God by our lengthes nor to tye him to our rules but to esteeme of his power and might as we see it deserues and to entertaine high and honourable thoughts of him his Maiestie who can reare vp so great workes vpon so poore foundations Secondly not to despaire of our selues or our estates though we think our selues neuer so weak so poore so sick
Scripture one of her feathers Yet we must know that all or any kinde of eloquence is not permitted to a Christian Minister For S. Paul saith 1. Cor. 2.13 Wee speake the words of God not in the words which mans wisedome teacheth but which the holy Ghost teacheth coÌ„paring spirituall things with spirituall things So that there is a holy a sanctified a spirituall eloquence an eloquence fit for spirituall things and that eloquence must be vsed As the Israelites might marie the Midianite women whom they had taken in warre but not til they had purified them Numb 31.18.19 And more plainly and particularly Deut. 21.11.12.13 Moses explaneth what that purifying is And thou shalt bring her home into thine house and shee shall shaue her head and pare her nailes and put off the garment shee was taken in and then thou maist marie her So humane eloquence must be brought home to diuinitie and be pared and shaued with spirituall wisedome and then may lawfully and profitably be vsed For our more speciall direction heerein these cautions may be obserued First the more naturall it is and the lesse affected the more commendable is it in the doer and more profitable to the hearer Secondly it must be graue sober and modest remembring the height and holinesse of the place a man stands in and of the worke he doth Therefore it must not consist in telling strange tales or vsing such gestures or words manner or matter as may moue laughing and smiling in the Auditors There may be wit in such doing but it can hardly be the sanctified and spirituall eloquence which S. Paul there speakes of Thirdly it must be such as may be a helpe and not a hinderance to the vnderstanding of Gods word for it is a damosell to Diuinitie but not her Mistresse Gods word therefore must not bow and bende to her much lesse be wrung and wrested to her but she to Gods word It must in a word be such as may most liuely purely plainly and significantly expresse the meaning of Gods word Therefore a man must endeuour that all his speech be in one language at least in such as his hearers vnderstand for else if he speake the body of his speech in one and peece out the members in other which the people vnderstand not hee may indeede in his owne spirit speake mysteries but to the hearer he speaketh parables And to his owne vnderstanding he may preach well but the hearer is not edified as the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 14.2.17 Therefore let not eloquence be a hinderance to the vnderstanding of the hearers which GOD hath ordained to be a helpe and furtherance And with these or such like qualifications eloquence may be vsed with good warrant and much profit And for cautions or qualifications heerein hardly can any man set-downe better rules then euery mans conscience will vnto himselfe Thirdly inasmuch as the holy Ghost here and else-where vseth so much Rhetoricke Diuines may learne where the fountaine of Christian eloquence is namely in the Scriptures of the olde and new Testament Which being compiâ—ed by the wisdome of God wee are to assure our selues they containe in them true wisdome of all sorts Precepts of Rhetorick I confesse are to be learned out of other books which purposely doe â—each them but the practice of those rules in examples can be no where better than in Moses the Prophets and the Euangelists And this must needes follow vpon that that hath already beene granted For if we yield that Rhetoricke is good and lawfull and practiced in the scripture then it must needs followe that it is there practiced in the best manner for shall the Diuinitie there taught be the soundest the Historie there reported the truest the conclusions of Philosophie Astronomy Geometrie Arithmeticke Cosmographie and Physicke there deliuered the surest the Musicke there practiced the exactest the Logycke there practiced the sharpest the Lawes there enacted the iustest and shall not the Rhetoricke there practiced bee the purest Surely if Moses had written a booke of his owne as he was a meere man and as he was Moses brought vp in Egypt or Paul writ a booke as hee was a Pharisie and Doctor of the Law they would both haue beene full of all excellent learning for Paul was brought vp at the foote of Gamaliel Acts 22.3 And Moses was exceedingly learned in all the learning of the Egyptians and mighty in word and deed Acts 7.22 Shall they then bee the Secretaries of the most high God the fountaine of wisdome and learning and shall not their bookes bee filled with the most excellent learning in all kinds Doubtlesse who euer searcheth it shall finde it to be so Seeing therefore Eloquence is lawfull and that Preachers may lawfully vse it let them also knowe where to haue it let them study Gods Bookes and there they shall finde not onely Diuinitie but knowledge and learning of all sorts and that most exquisite and as excellent patternes and presidents of Eloquence as are to bee found in any Authors in the world And let them if they would preach with spirituall power and eloquence looke how Moses the Prophets our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles preached for to follow them is the true way Thus wee see the manner here vsed by the holy Ghost in these two comparisons to describe the greatnesse of this her posteritie Now the matter in them contained is that here is the performance of one of the greatest promises made to Abraham The promise is Genes 22.17 I will surely blesse thee and greatly multiply thy seede as the starres in the heauen and as the sands by the sea shoare There is the promise and beholde here the performance in the very same wordes and that most true and effectuall For at the time when the holy Ghost wrote these words the Israelites were multiplied to many millions yea to a number past number So that here we learne God is true in all his promises bee they neuer so great or wonderfull If hee speake the word if the promise passe him it is sure Heauen and earth shall rather passe away than any one piece of his promise shall faile The vse is to teach vs first to beleeue God when hee promiseth what-euer it bee for hee is worthy to bee beleeued who neuer failed to performe what he promised He promised these Millions to Abraham when hee had but one childe nay when he had neuer a one Genes 15.8 And Abraham beleeued Such a faith was excellent indeede and deserues eternall commendation as here it hath Let vs be children of this faithfull Abraham and the rather seeing wee see the performance which he sawe not Wee thinke it a disgrace if wee bee not beleeued especially if wee doe vse to keepe our word Let vs then knowe thereby what dishonour it is to the Lord not to beleeue him which neuer failed in the performance to any creature Secondly we must here learn of God to be true and faithfull in our
publikely expounded whereas in the meane time the Bible lieth neglected or little regarded wherein wee may see the notable worke of the Diuell and his malice toward the Church of God for the Schooles of the Prophets are the fountaines of learning Now when as Sathan by this meanes doth steale away from them the study of the Bible and in stead thereof foisteth in corrupt humane writings hereby hee poisons the fountaines to the danger of infecting the whole Church And as this is common in the places of Poperie so likewise some fault is this way committed among vs that be Protestants for many in their priuate studies take little paines in the booke of God but apply themselues wholly to the writings of mē as Counsels Fathers Schoole-men and other Expositors and in the handling of the Scripture they glory more to proue a point of doctrine by multiplicitie of humane testimonies then by the written word But the truth is thus to doe is to preferre the handmaide before the Mistris and as for the opening expounding of Scripture by other Writers it is no such point of deepe learning a man of ordinary capacity and diligence may easily deliuer what others haue done before him But to open the Scripture soundly and purely as it ought to be is of another nature then these mē take it and hereto the sound study of the Text itselfe will proue the best helpe as they will confesse who haue tried most of all And though the best mens works be but base stuffe to the pure word of God yet the writings of holy mē must not be contemned but must be read and regarded in their place for our furnishing and enabling to the study of the Scriptures and for the helping of our knowledge and iudgement in the word of God they that hold or practice the contrary knowe not what helpes they be and what light they yeeld to many dark places of Scripture But stil aboue and beyond before and after all the word of God must be eaten vp of vs and studied with all diligence Secondly in that the Author of this Epistle noteth their particular sentence and by consequence gathereth this meditation out of it that they sought a Country Hereby all men are taught to exercise themselues in hearing and reading all the places of the Bible euen the Histories of men therein and out of the words to gather godly meditations So Paul saith to the Colossians Let the word of God dwel plentiously in you Coloss. 3.16 The Prophet Dauid also noteth it for the property of a good man to meditate in the Law of God day and night And the practice of the blessed virgine Mary is registred as an example for vs to followe that she kept all the sayings of Christ in her heart But pitty it is to see how reading in the word of God is laid aside for it is so little practiced that men now-adaies will not be at charge to buy a Bible for bookes of Statutes men will not onely haue them in their houses but at their fingers ends but Bible they haue none and if they haue it lieth on the deske or table and they reade it not and if sometime they reade yet they neuer meditate thereon as wee are taught in this place Further whereas the holy Ghost reasoneth thus vpon these examples Abraham Isaac and Iacob were strangers and Pilgrimes therefore they sought a Country Herein hee teacheth vs this speciall point to wit that a doctrine though it be not expressed in plaine words in the Bible yet being gathered thence by right and iust consequence is no lesse to be beleeued and receiued then that which is plainly expressed and therefore they are farre to blame which mislike these tearmes in Diuinitie person nature sacrament consubstantiall trinitie c. because they are not expressed in the word But they may with good conscience and much profit be retained because though not literally yet in sense and meaning they are contained in the Scripture and may by iust consequence be gathered thence And wee denie not transubstantion because the word is not in the Scripture but because the matter is not there nor can by necessary consequence be deriued from it but rather the contrary Againe many refuse these doctrines the proceeding of the holy Ghost from the sonne and the baptizing of children because they are not expressed in the Scripture But hence we answer that though they be not expresly set downe in so many wordes yet by iust consequence they may be soundly gathered out of Scripture and therefore are true doctrines no lesse to be beleeued then that which is plainly expressed And thus much of the first part of the reason And if they had beene mindfull of that Countrey whence they came they had leisure to haue returned But now they desire a better that is an heauenly Wherefore God is not ashamed of them to be called their God For he hath prepared for them a Citie Here the holy Ghost proueth the second part of the former argument by 2. reasons the first is contained in the 15. verse and the beginning of the 16. It is taken from the distinction of Countries and may be framed thus They either sought an earthly Country or an heauēly Country But not an earthly Therfore they sought an heauenly Country The first part of this reason is cleare of it selfe The second part is in the 15. verse from whence followeth the conclusion in the beginning of the 16. verse To come to the first part in these words And if they had beene mindefull of the countrey c. That is if they had regarded or thought vpon Mesopotamia or Caldea from whence they came and where they were borne with any desire to haue enioyed the profits or pleasure therof they had leisure enough to haue returned backe thither by reason of the length of their daies which they liued in the Land whither God called them Here obserue two points First that they are not mindefull of or as the word imports they remember not the countrey from whence they came but when God gaue them commandement to depart thence and not to returne to Mesopotamia againe after this commandement giuen they came forth and did forget their owne countrey Whence we learne that howsoeuer vsually Forgetfulnesse be a vice yet some kinde of forgetfulnesse is a notable vertue namely to forget the things that displease God and which hee would not haue vs to thinke vpon Psal. 45.9 The Church is commanded to forget her own people and her fathers house That is her owne will and desires shee must neuer thinke thereof nor of any other thing whereby God is displeased vnlesse it be with dislike This condemneth the practice of many aged persons in these daies who delight themselues among the yonger sort to tell of the bad practices of their youth in wantonnesse contentions and breaking Gods commandements But in so doing they sinne grieuously for a man must not
not for himselfe but for our sakes Now further God tempteth men three waies first by Iudgements and Calamities in this world so the Lord saith to the Israelites Deut. 8.2 Thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God ledde thee this fortie years in the wildernesse for to humble thee for to prooue and to know what is in thy heart That iourney might haue beene gone in forty daies but God did lead them in it forty yeares to prooue and trie by this vnwoonted calamity whether they would obey him or not So likewise God suffered false prophets and Dreamers of dreames to come among the people for this ende To prooue them and to know whether they loued the Lord their God with all their heart and with all their soule Deut. 13.3 Now this first kinde of temptations by outward Iudgements is most grieuous when the Lord laieth his own hand vpon his seruants so heauily as they shal thinke themselues to bee quite forsaken In this temptation was Dauid as we may reade at large Psal. the 6 and Psal. 38 and Iob being afflicted not onely outwardly in body but inwardly in minde crieth out that the arrowes of the Almighty were in him Iob 6.4 and through the whole chapter hee bewaileth his grieuous estate by reason of this temptation Secondly God tempteth his seruants by withdrawing his graces from them and by forsaking them in part and this kinde of temptation is as grieuous as the former herewith was good King Hezekias tempted for as wee may reade God left him to a sinne of vaine glory and the end was to try him and to proue all that was in his heart 2. Chron. 32.31 Thirdly God tempteth his seruants by giuing vnto them some strange and extraordinarie commaundement As in the Gospell when the young man came to our Sauiour Christ and asked him what good thing hee might doe to haue eternall life Math. 19.16 Christ biddeth him goe and sell all that he had and giue to the poore This commaundement had this vse to be a commaundement of triall vnto the young man whereby God would proue what was in his heart that the same might be manifest both to himselfe vnto others And vnder this kinde we must comprehend this temptation of Abraham for when God said Abraham offer vp thy sonne in sacrifice it was not a commaundement requiring actuall obedience for GOD meant not that Abraham should kill his sonne but onely of triall to see what he would doe And these are Gods temptations whereby he proueth his seruants Yet farther the temptations of God whereby he tempteth his children haue two ends 1. they serue to disclose and make euident the graces of God that be hidden in the hearts of his seruants so S. Iames saith My brethren count it exceeding great ioy when ye fall into diuers tentations Iames 1.2 The reason followeth Knowing that the triall of your faith bringeth forth patience verse 3. Where we see this end of temptation set down To manifest the gift of patience wrought in the heart And Saint Peter saith to the Church of God That they were in heauinesse through manifolde tentations that the triall of their faith being much more precious then golde that perisheth though it be tried with fire might be found vnto their praise and honour and glory at the appearing of the Lord Iesu 1. Peter 1.6.7 Where temptations haue this vse to make manifest the soundnesse of mens faith in GOD as the fire doth proue the golde to be good and precious So in this place The temptation of Abraham serueth for this end to make manifest his notable faith and obedience vnto GOD with a reuerend feare of his Maiestie as the Lord himselfe testifieth saying Now I knowe that thou fearest God seeing for my sake thou hast not spared thine onely sonne Genesis 22.12 Meaning this Now I haue made thy faith and loue and feare of mee so manifest that all the worlde may see it and speake of it Secondly Gods temptations serue to manifest hidden sinnes and corruptions partly to a mans owne selfe and partly to the world And for this end God tempted Hezekias For being recouered of his sicknesse after that the King of Ashur his great enemie was vanquished especially when the Embassadours of the King of Babell came to enquire of the wonders which were done in the Land God left him that hee might see his sinnes and the corruptions of his nature as pride and vaine-glory wherewith hee was puffed vp at the comming of the Embassadours to him And thus hee who little thought that pride and vaine-glory could haue taken such holde on him perceiuing how his heart was lift vp in him was doubtlesse much humbled at the sight of this his so great corruption for when the Prophet came vnto him he submitted himselfe to the word of reproofe Isay 39.8 First wheras Abraham the seruant of God was tempted that is was prooued and tried by God himselfe Here wee are taught that if we perswade our selues to be the seruāts of God as Abraham was then wee must looke to haue temptations at Gods owne hand for his example is a patterne for vs and therefore in him wee must see that which we must looke to haue for it could not be needfull for Abraham but it may be also needfull to vs. In regard wherof Saint Peter counteth it as a thing necessarie that men should fall into sundry temptations that the triall of their faith might be vnto their praise So that in this life we must looke for triall and the more glorious our faith is and the more like to our father Abrahams the more trialls shall we vndergoe Againe seeing we must be tried therefore euery one of vs must labour for soundnesse of grace in our hearts as of faith repentance hope and of the loue of God though they be but little in measure for we must come to triall it must appeare whether wee be hotte or colde Now if we haue not soundnesse of grace in vs in the time of triall then looke as drosse consumeth in the fire when as golde commeth out more cleere so shall hypocrisie formalitie and all temporizing profession come to nothing in the middest of tentation when sound grace and a good conscience shall passe through and shine more pure and perfect after than before Thirdly considering wee are to looke for trials and temptations from God therefore we must be carefull to remember and practice that counsell of Christ to his Disciples before his passion Watch and pray that yee enter not into temptation Math. 26.41 And because they were carelesse in practicing this dutie therefore they fell into temptation especially Peter fell most grieuously by denying his master Wee must perswade our selues that the same commandement is giuen to vs for God will prooue vs by temptations to make manifest the corruptions that bee in our hearts wee therefore considering our owne estate must pray for Gods assisting and strengthning grace
made vnto him in Christ then he reasoneth and striueth against temptation and layes the word as a shield vnto his soule to keepe out the fierie darts of Satan yea hee applies the same word to his owne soule as a corrosiue vnto corruption whereupon it is said that faith purifieth the heart Act. 15.9 How namely beside the applying of Christs blood it brings to memory Gods mercifull promises in Christ which stay a man from committing such things as would pollute and defile the heart And therefore is faith said to bee our victory ouer the world 1. Ioh. 5.4 because by applying to our soules Gods promises in Christ we doe not onely contemne the world in regard of Christ but also stand against the assaults thereof so that it is a most notable and excellent worke of faith Lastly obserue the circumstance of time when Ioseph made remembrance of their departing The text saith When he was dying Hereof wee haue spoken in the former verse yet this one thing may here againe bee well remembred Ioseph cals to mind the promises of God at his death which concerne the temporall deliuerance of his people we by his example when we are dying must learne to call to remembrance the gracious promises which God hath made vnto vs in Christ touching our eternall deliuerance from the spirituall bondage of the diuell Oh! great will bee the fruit hereof not onely for inward comfort to our own soules and ioy to such as loue vs but also we shall hereby giue a worthy euidence to the world that we haue bin sound in the faith wherein we shall leaue a good president to those that follow vs. The second fact of Iosephs faith is this He gaue commandement concerning his bones The meaning thereof is this that Ioseph lying on his death bed gaue a solemne charge to his brethren to haue speciall care how and where they buried him that his bones might not be lost but so preserued while they staied in Egypt that at their departure they might be carried into the land of Canaan there buried in the sepulchre of his fathers The causes why Ioseph gaue this commandement were these 1 Hereby to testifie vnto his brethren posterity that howsoeuer he liued a long time in the pompe and glory of Egypt yet his heart was neuer set thereon but hee had a greater delight and more esteemed to bee counted a true member of the Church of God than to be a noble prince in the Land of Egypt For if hee had loued and liked the pompe of Egypt hee would haue had his sepulchre among them but giuing commandement to the contrary it sheweth plainely that his heart was neuer set on that glory and pompe in which he liued By whose exāple we are taught that in vsing the world and the things therof we must not set our hearts on them but as the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 7.31 Vse them as though wee vsed them not still hauing our affections set on heauen which is our spirituall Canaan 2 Hereby Ioseph would testifie vnto his brethren what he esteemed his chiefe happinesse namely that in faith hope he was ioyned vnto his fathers and auncestors that beleeued in God and that hee was of their religion and looked for a resurrection and another life as they did And this he would haue knowen not only to his brethren and posteritie but to the Egyptians also among whom he liued 3 Ioseph hereby intended principally to confirme the faith of his brethren and posterity in Gods promise for enioying and possessing the Land of Canaan after his death and this was a notable way to strengthen their faith For when they should see or remember his corps it was vnto them as a liuely sermon to shew them plainely that howsoeuer they liued for a while in bondage in Egypt yet the day should shortly come wherein they should be set at libertie and brought as free-men into the land of Canaan And vndoubtedly Ioseph would therefore haue his bones kept among them that they might be a pledge vnto them of their deliuerance Yea note further the story saith Gen. 50.15 that Ioseph did not onely charge his brethren generally but bindes them by an oath to carry his bones hereby shewing that it was a matter of great weight which hee did inioyne them euen a signe and pledge of the truth of Gods promise in their deliuerance Whence we learne that it is a matter of great moment for euery Christian both carefully and reuerently to vse the sacraments which God hath giuen as pledges of his couenant of grace made with vs in Christ. For shall Ioseph cause his brethren and posteritie to sweare concerning his bones that so they might more reuerently regard that pledge and signe of their outward deliuerance And shall not we with all reuerence good conscience both esteeme and vse those holy pledges of our eternall deliuerance by Christ Iesus The Papists from this place would iustifie their practice in reseruing and honouring the Reliques of Saints Now by Reliques they meane the parts of the bodies of Saints departed as the head of Iohn Baptist the armes or bones of this or that Saint the milke of the virgin Mary and also the parts of the crosse whereon Christ suffered with such like Answ. First let vs knowe that their Reliques are nothing else but forged deuices of their owne and no true Reliques of Saints as by one instance may appeare For the parts and parcels of wood kept in Europe which they say are parts of the crosse whereon Christ died are so many that if they were all gathered together they would load a ship which shewes plainely that herein they vse notorious forgerie for it was no greater than a man may beare And the like is their behauiour in the rest Secondly the keeping of Iosephs bones was for a good ende and purpose namely to testifie his owne faith and to confirme theirs in beleeuing Gods promise for their deliuerance out of the bondage of Egypt but their Reliques serue rather to extinguish faith in Christ than to confirme it for they nourish men in fond deuices and foul superstitions and not in the truth of Gods promises Thirdly we doe not read in all the Bible that Iosephs bones were euer worshipped and therefore from this place they haue no ground whereon to build their superstitious worshipping of Reliques And thus much of the example of Iosephs faith Moses Faith VERSE 23. By faith Moses when he was borne was hid three moneths of his parents because they saw he was a proper childe neither feared they the kings commandement IN this verse the holy Ghost proceedeth further and setteth downe vnto vs a notable and worthy example of the faith of Moses parents If we would see the history at large we must read the 2. Chapter of Exodus of which these words are an abbridgement or briefe Epitome Now here the faith of Moses parents is commended vnto vs by two notable
the people of God than to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season 26. Esteeming the rebuke of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt For hee had respect vnto the recompence of reward HEre the holy Ghost comes to the commendation of Moses faith and in these three verses propounds a most notable example hereof By Moses faith in this place we must vnderstand sauing faith which is nothing else but a gift of GOD whereby Moses receiued the promise of God touching saluation by the Messias and of the promised Land made to Abraham and to his seede after him and applied the same vnto himselfe particularly Now in the first entrance of this exāple the holy Ghost setteth downe a wonderfull thing of Moses namely that Moses had faith and by it did this great worke This I say is strange because he was brought vp by Pharaohs daughter in the Court of Pharaoh where was no knowledge of the true God and indeede nothing but idolatry wantonnesse and profanenesse And yet heere it is testified of him by the spirit of GOD which cannot lie that hee had faith which is a wonderfull thing And the like is recorded of others in the word of God As in Ahabs Court who was a King that had sold himselfe to worke wickednesse yet the spirit of God testifieth that euen there was good Obadiah a man that feared God greatly And Herod was a most deadly enemie to Christ and yet Ioanna the wife of Chuza Herods friend ministred of her goods vnto Christ. And Paul saith The Saints which are of Caesars houshold salute you Where by Caesars house is meant the Court of Nero who was a most bloudy man and a wicked persecuter and yet in his house were the professors of Christs Gospell By these examples we learne that Christ hath his children and seruants in the middle among his enemies for these 3. Courts of Pharaoh Herod and Nero may be called a kinde of hell yet there were some of Gods seruants in them all Which sheweth vs clearely the truth of Gods word which saith of Christ that he raigneth in the middle among his enemies Howsoeuer they rage and seeke to blot out his name and to roote out his kingdom yet maugre their throats he will rule in the middle of their kingdoms there haue those which truly serue him feare his name Reuel 2.13 God had his Church in Pergamus where Satans throne was Againe this faith of Moses serues to checke many a man in this age that is brought vp in the Church of God and vnder godly Parents gouernours and yet is a hater and mocker of the religion of Christ. Surely Moses in the day of iudgement shall stand vp against all such and condemne them For he had faith though he were brought vp in a most profane place and they are voide of faith nay enemies vnto it though they liue in the bosome of the Church But let vs come to the strange fact which Moses did for which his faith is so commended The Text saith of him first of all That when he was come to age he refused to be called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter How Moses became her sonne we may reade at large Exod. 2 where it is said that she hauing found Moses in the basket preserued him aliue and brought him vp as her own childe purposing to make him her owne sonne heire But this honour of hers he would not accept this hee refused by faith and this is that notable and famous act for which his faith is here cōmended vnto vs. But some will say This fact of Moses may seeme rather worthy of blame then praise as being a practice of great rudenesse and ingratitude for shee preserued his life from death and brought him vp as her owne childe and vouchsafed him this speciall fauour to make him her heire and therefore Moses should not thus haue contemned her fauour Answer Indeede it had beene Moses part to haue shewed himselfe thankfull in accepting this fauour at her hands and also in enioying the same if hee might haue done it with the feare of God and keeping a good conscience But that he could not doe for if he had dwelled still with her and beene her sonne and heire hee should haue beene vndutifull vnto GOD. Now this is a rule to bee remembred and practiced alwayes that in duties of like nature 〈◊〉 the Commaundements of the second table doe binde vs no further then our obedience thereto may stand with obedience vnto the commaundements of the first table and when these two cannot stand together then we are freed from obedience vnto the second table as from performing honour and thankfulnesse vnto men when wee cannot therewithall performe obedience and seruice vnto God And this was Moses case because hee could not both serue God and continue his thankfulnesse to Pharaohs daughter for in staying with her hee should haue made shipwracke of true religion therefore hee forsaketh her fauour and honour and for this cause is heere commended vnto vs. The like did our Sauiour Christ for when the people would haue made him King he refused it and fled from among them Iohn 6.15 because it would not stand with that calling for which he was sanctified and sent into the world therefore Moses fact was commendable and doth greatly set forth vnto vs his holy faith In this fact of Moses thus generally considered obserue a notable fruite of true faith It makes a man to esteeme more of the state of adoption to be the childe of God then to be the childe or heire of any earthly Prince This is plaine in Moses in this place And the like we may see in Dauid for though he were a King yet he set all his royalty and maiestie at nought in regard of Gods blessing of adoption therefore saith The Lord not the Kingdom of Israel is my portion And again when he was kept from the Lords tabernacle the company of Gods Saints through persecution he saith The Sparrowes and Swallowes were more happy then he Psalm 84 because they had nests where they might keepe their young and sit and sing but hee could not come neere the Lords Altar And yet more fully to expresse the earnestnesse of his affection this way he saith he had rather be a man of a base office euen a dore-keeper in the house of GOD then a man of renowne in the tents of wickednesse But howsoeuer these men were of one minde herein yet come to our age and seeke in Towne Country and people and we shall see this fruite of faith is rare to be found for generally though I will not say all the most of those that are borne of good parentage as the sonnes of Knights or Squires and especially of Nobles are so bewitched with the pride of their earthly Parentage that they haue scarce a thought after adoption in Christ. Gods heauenly graces will take no place in their hearts
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
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
keeping of it is a doubling of the sin Dauid in his anger had sworn to slay Nabal and all the men in his family for denying reliefe vnto his seruants 1. Sam. 25.22 This was a rash oath and therfore afterward when hee was preuented by Abigails good counsell hee blesseth God for it and breakes his oath which hee had made vers 32. Quest. 2. What if a man take an oath and yet afterward in consciēce doubts of the lawfulnes of that which he hath sworne to do what must be don in this case Ans. So long as he doubteth hee must defer the performāce of it For he that doth a thing doubtingly condemnes himselfe in the thing he doth because he doth it not of faith and whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Rom. 14.23 Quest. 3. What if a man be vrged by feare to take an oath must hee afterward keepe it As for example a man is taken of theeues now wanting money they charge him on paine of death to fetch them money and they binde him hereto by an oath what must bee done in this case considering there must such great care bee had in keeping of an oath Answ. So long as the thing which hee is bound by oath to doe respecteth his priuate dammage onely he must keep his oath yet so as he declare his case to the Magistrate because their course is against the common good now the Magistrate hearing of it is according to equity to prouide for his defence for the safety of his goods A second point to be considered in Rahabs preseruation is this Rahab escaped a common danger but not without all meanes onely staying her selfe on the bare promise of the Spies but as shee beleeued in the true God so shee vsed meanes whereby shee might bee sure of her preseruation and that is this Shee bindes the Spies by an oath to saue her life and to spare her houshold also shee keepes within and ties the corde of red threed in her windowe according to their mutuall couenant Thus shee vseth meanes for her temporall safety and so haue other of GODs children done in like case When King Hezekiah 2. Kings 20.6 was sicke hee was certified by the Prophet from GOD that hee should liue fifteene yeares longer yet hee neglected not the meanes whereby he should be healed and liue for hee applied dry figges to his byle and vsed foode and raiment for his bodily life during the whole space of those fifteene yeares So the Apostle S. Paul in his voyage by Sea to Rome was assured by a vision that none of them that were with him should perish but all come safe to land and yet when the Mariners would haue gone out hee tels the Centurion that vnlesse those staied in the ship that so they might vse the ordinary means they could not be safe Now as it fareth temporally for the saving of the body so is it in the spirituall case for the salvation of the soule men must vse means to come by grace so to salvation But many in this regard be great enemies to their owne soules they say God is mercifull and Christ is a Saviour I hope he will saue me yet they wil not vse the means to come to saluation But if we would be saued thē with our inward faith we must ioyn the obseruatiō of the outward ordinary means whereby God vseth to saue mens soules as namely the hearing of Gods word calling vpon God by prayer and the receiuing of the sacraments that thereby our sinfull lyues may bee amended and our faith strengthened This must bee remembred of vs for they that contemne or neglect the means despise the grace and mercy of God offered therein and therfore Paul saith of the Iewes when they put the Gospel from them that they did iudge themselues vnworthy eternall life Act. 13.46 It followeth With them that disobeyed That is with the people of Iericho Quest. How did they disobey Ans. Thus When Iosuah and the people came vnto them and offered them peace if so be they would becom their tributaries and seruants the inhabitants of Iericho would not yield vnto thē but set themselues against the people of Israel and so against God in that they would not vndertake that estate which God offered vnto them and therefore they are here esteemed disobedient Hence we learne that if it shall please God at any time to put vs out of these temporary benefits which we enioy in goods and possessions wee must bee contented with Gods will and prouidence and seeke to obey God therein The inhabitants of Iericho pay deerely for their disobedience in this case God sets the Israelites as Lords over them and because they will not yield to become their seruants they die for it Dauids practice was commendable in this case for when he was put out of his owne Kingdom by his owne sonne hee murmured not but said thus If I shall finde fauour in the eies of the Lord he will bring me againe but if he say thus I haue no delight in thee beholde here I am let him doe to me as seemeth good in his eies 2. Sam. 15.25 26. In other countries we see Cities and Townes spoyled and sacked what must the people doe Answ. They must submit themselues to the Lords pleasure knowing that he permitteth it who may doe what he will And so if it shall please God to bring vs into the like case as to suffer our enemies to haue dominion ouer vs and to dispossesse vs of our places we must submit our selues to Gods good pleasure when wee see no helpe by lawfull meanes wee must not murmure or rebell for that is but to disobey as the people of Iericho did and so shall we be destroyed as they were And thus much for the second point The third thing to be considered in this example is the testimony of her faith in receiuing the Spies peaceably This was a notable worke of faith as Saint Iames noteth Iam. 2.25 and the more commendable because shee receiued them into her house and entertained them yea shee preserued them in danger of her owne life for shee did it contrary to the pleasure of the State vnder which shee liued But against this may be obiected first that shee lyed in this fact for when the King of Iericho's messengers came to search for the Spies whom shee had hid in the top of her house shee said to the messengers they were gone another way Now how can it bee a good worke which was don with lying especially to our Superior who hath power to aske vs and to whom wee are double bound to speake the truth Answ. Wee must knowe that the worke was good which shee did and a worke of mercy to preserue Gods people although shee failed in the manner of doing it shee receiued them by faith though shee shewed distrust in lying for their safetie It was a notable worke of Rebecca Gen. 27. to cause her sonne Iacob to
most notorious which was foretold by Daniel in his Prophecy Dan. 11.36 and is recorded in the books of the Maccabees To come to the times of the Gospel The Primitiue Church after the ascension of Christ in the first 300. yeares suffered ten most bloody grieuous persecutiōs betwixt each of which shee yet had some times of peace and as it were respite to breath in And after the tenth persecutiō ended the Lord raised vp the good Emperour Constātine who broght peace welfare vnto the church But soone after him the heresie of Arrius raised vp by the diuell brought as grieuous persecutions vpon the church as euer the Pagans did beeing a most blasphemous heresie denying the eternall deity of Christ and of the holy Ghost and it preuailed in the Church for 80. yeares Not long after the suppression of that heresie began the idolatry and tyrannie of Antichrist to preuaile in the Church for many hundred yeares And now about some fourescore yeares agone the Lord in mercy raised vp worthy instruments by whose meanes hee deliuered his Church from that idolatry and blindnesse yet so as still the church hath felt the bloody hand of Antichrist in grieuous persecutions All which shewes this to be most true that the outward state of Gods Church is interchangeable hauing one while peace and another while grieuous persecution To apply this to our selues God hath planted his Church among vs in this land and for many yeares together hath blessed vs with prosperity and peace which in great mercy hee hath giuen vs as a reward of the faith of his seruants which are among vs and during this time wee haue had great freedome and liberty in Gods holy ministery for the word praier sacraments But we must knowe that the state of Gods Church for peace and trouble is interchangeable as day and night for light and darkenesse Wherefore we must be aduertised to look vnto our selues for our estate in peace must not last alwaies these golden daies will haue an ende and troubles and afflictions will vndoubtedly come Indeede God onely knoweth what kinde of afflictions shall befall and the particular time thereof but that they shall come in the time appointed of God we may resolue our selues by the reasons following First the tenour of the Law is this that the curse doth follow the transgression so that when any man family or people liue in the breach of Gods commandements they must looke for Gods iudgements to bee powred vpon them Now we may too truely assume that this our nation and people abound with grieuous sinne in all estates For in the ciuill estate to omit manifold practices of oppression Where is iustice without bribery or bargaining without fraud and deceit And in the ministery beside many abuses where is that care which ought to be for the building of Gods Church And for the body of our people beside grosse ignorance and superstition what fearfull blasphemy whoredome swearing and Sabbaoth-breaking doth every where abound beside fearefull Atheisme which is a mother of abhominations whether we respect naturall Atheisme whereby many deny God by their workes or learned Atheisme in some who dispute against the truth of God reuealed in his word All these and many other sinnes among vs crie lowd for GODs iudgements vpon vs euen for that fearefull iudgement the remooueall of Gods kingdome in the Gospel of peace Secondly consider what manner of persons of place and note both in Church and common wealth God takes from vs by death even in their best time are they not such as excelled among vs for great wisdom and learning and for true piety and good conscience now howsoeuer this may seeme but a small thing in the eyes of many yet vndoubtedly it is a forerunner of Gods iudgements for the righteous perish and no man considereth it in heart and mercifull men are taken away and no man vnderstandeth that the righteous is taken away from the euill to come Isa. 57.1 Thirdly God hath set his fearefull iudgements among vs and about vs warre and sword in our neighbour nations which also hath beene oft shaken at vs also famine and pestilence throughout our owne Land by intercourse and long continuance Leuit. 26. Now this is the truth of God that when God sendes his iudgements vpon a people if they doe not repent one iudgement is but the forerunner of another more grieuous and terrible than the former But little or no repentance appeares among vs nay rather we fall away more and more and so stand still in daunger of more fearefull iudgements Lastly it is vsuall with God thus to deale with his own seruants as he doth sometime reward their faith and obedience with peace so otherwhiles he wil trie their faith by affliction Thus he dealt with his seruant Iob though there were none for piety like him in his time through all the world Now God hath his seruants among vs for the triall of whose faith we may perswade our selues some tribulation shall come vppon vs For all that will liue godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer tribulation 2. Tim. 3.12 This being so that our peace shall be turned into trouble as by the former reasons which directly fasten themselues vpon our Church and state may euidently appear let vs then here learne our dutie First wee must cast with our selues what may bee the worst that can befall vs when triall and persecution shall come This is the counsell of our Sauiour Christ to those that would follow him constantly as good disciples they must as good builders consider of the cost before they laie the foundation and like good Warriers consider of their strength before they goe out into the field lest they leaue off turn back like fooles and cowards Luk. 14.28 c. We by Gods mercy doe now professe the true religion of Christ with hope to be saued thereby therefore wee must cast with our selues what our religion may cost vs and see before hand what is the worst thing that may befall vs for our profession of Christ and his Gospel If wee haue not done this at the beginning of our profession we must now doe it for Better late than neuer lest going on securely without this account making we shamefully forsake Christ when triall comes In former times the constant profession of Christ hath cost men losse of friends losse of goods and liberty yea the losse of their hearts blood and the same case may befall vs. Wherefore wee must cast with our selues and see whether wee bee willing to suffer the losse of goods and friēds yea the losse of our liues for the defence of Christs true religion Againe as this estate of the Church must mooue vs to make this account for resolution in suffering so it must teach vs to labour for those sauing graces of Gods spirit which may inable vs to stand fast in all temptations troubles persecutions We must not content our selues with blazing lamps as the
these our bodies be they neuer so miserably tormented here shall one day rise to life and glory by Iesus Christ. All the true Martyrs of Christ knewe and were resolued of this and this it was that made them so confident in their sufferings And if wee can attaine vnto it we shall finde great vse hereof both in life and death For our lyues this will moue vs to embrace true religion from our hearts and in all things to indeauour to keep a good conscience This Paul testifieth Act. 24.15 16 for hauing made profession of his hope in the resurrection both of iust and vniust he saith And herein I endeauour my selfe to haue alwaies a cleere conscience both towards God and towards men And for death this perswasion also is of great vse for it will notably stay the heart against the naturall feare of death It is a wonder to see how terrible the thoughts of death are to many a one Now this feare ariseth hence that they are not in heart resolued of their resurrection to life and glory at the last day for if they were they would endeuour themselues with patience and with comfort to vndergoe the pangs thereof though neuer so terrible Secondly hence we must learne so to leade this temporall life that when we are dead our bodies may rise againe to life eternall These Martyrs are a notable precedent herein vnto vs for they are so resolute to holde that course of life which hath the hope of glory that they will rather lose temporall life then leaue that course And indeede this duty is so necessary that vnlesse we order wel this temporall life we can neuer haue hope to rise to glory Quest. How should we leade this temporall life that we may rise to glory after death Answer This S. Iohn teacheth vs Reuel 20 6 Blessed and holy is he that hath his part in the first resurrection for on such the second death hath no power Wee must therefore labour earnestly to haue our part heerein This first resurrection is spirituall wrought in the soule by the holy Ghost causing him that is by nature dead in sinne to rise to newnesse of life whereof whosoeuer is truly partaker shall vndoubtedly rise to glory For they that are quickned in Christ frō the death of sin are made to sit together in heauenly places in Christ Iesus Eph. 2.5.6 Naturall death may seuer soule body for a time but it can neuer hinder the fruition of eternall life Wherefore as we desire this life which is eternall when we are dead so let vs frame our naturall liues to die vnto sinne while we are aliue Verse 36. And others haue beene tried by mockings and scourgings yea moreouer by bonds and prisonment The second kinde of suffering wherewith the seruants of God were then tried is mocking Touching the which we may obserue diuers points First whence it came No doubt it came from vngodly persons that were enemies to Gods Church true religion for here it is made a part of the triall of Gods Church by the enemies thereof Heere then beholde the state of mockers and scoffers at the seruants of God they are heere accounted wicked wretches and enemies to God and to his truth So Saint Iude speaking of certaine false Prophets which were crept into the Church calls them vngodly men Iude 4 which hee prooues afterward by their black mouth in euill speaking verse 8.10 And Ismaell is accounted a persecuter by the holy Ghost for mocking Isaac Galatians chapter 4. verse 29. And Dauid reckoning vp the degrees of sinners makes the chaire of the scornfull the third and highest Psalme 1.1 All these places shew the haynousnesse of this sinne and therefore if any of vs young or olde high or lowe haue beene ouertaken with it heeretofore let vs now repent and leaue it for it is odious in Gods sight Thou that art a scoffer mayst flatter thy selfe and thinke all is well let the matter prooue how it can words are but winde But knowe thy case is fearefull for as yet thou wantest the feare of God and art an enemie to Christ and his religion and one day thou shalt be iudged not onely for thy wicked deedes but for all thy cruell speakings Iude verse 15. Secondly whereas these seruants of God were tried by mockings it shewes that Gods Church in this world is subiect to this affliction It is not a thing newly begunne in this age of ours but hath beene alwayes in Gods Church from the beginning Genesis chapter 21. verse 9 Ismaell mocked Isaac and Isay brings in Christ complaining thus Isay chapter 8. verse 18 Beholde I and my children whom the Lord hath giuen me are as signes and wonders in Israell And Ieremie saith I am in derision daily euery one mocketh me Ieremie chapter 20. verse 7 Yea our Sauiour Christ vpon the Crosse when hee was working the blessed worke of mans redemption was euen then mocked by the spitefull Iewes Mat. 27.41 And Paul was mocked of the Athenians for preaching Christ and the resurrection Acts 17.18 Now if this haue been the estate of Christ our head of his most worthy Prophets and Apostles to be mocked scorned then must no child of God at this day think to escape for if they haue done this to the green tree what wil they doe to the dry Wherefore if we belong to Christ we must prepare for it and arme our selues with patience to vndergoe this triall The Disciple is not aboue his master nor the seruant aboue his Lord. If they haue called the Master of the house Beelzebub how much more them of the house Mat. 10.24 25 Thirdly whereas these seruants of God were tried by mockings and did endure the same by faith here we learn how to behaue our selues when we are subiect to mocking and derision especially for religions sake We must not returne mock for mock and taunt for taunt but with meeknesse of heart learne to beare the same When Christ was vpon the Crosse the Iewes most shamefully mocked him yet euen then did Christ pray for them And the same was Dauids behauiour as we may reade notably Psal. 38. verse 12 13 14 When his enemies spake euill of him what did hee Did hee raile on them againe No Hee was as a deafe man and heard not and as a dumbe man which openeth not his mouth euen as a man that heareth not and in whose mouth are no reproofes This was a rare thing in Dauid that he could thus bridle his affections in the case of reproach but read the 15. verse and wee shall see the cause Hee trusted in the Lord his God also hee considered the hand of God in their reproaches as 2. Samuel chapter 16. ver 10 and these things made him silent This example we must looke vpon and learne hereby with patience to possesse our soules vnder reproach The third kinde of suffering is Scourging They were not onely mocked for religion but also whipped and
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
home-borne traytor seekes to deliuer the heart into the possession of Satan and so to defraud God of his right Againe the heart is mans Treasury from whence come all actions good and badde now if it bee well kept and guarded the Lord will dwell in thy heart and thence will proceede the issues of life but if it bee left open for corruption to enter and take place then is it made an habitation for the diuell If a citie were besieged about by bloody enemies the inhabitants thereof would set watch and ward in euery place to keepe out the enemie so wee hauing originall sinne as a fierce enemie compassing vs about for to work our destruction some way or other must labour to haue our hearts guarded with a watch of grace that our corruption may not let in Satan there to dwell or to haue any abode But will some say how shall we get a watch that may thus keepe our hearts Answ. Wee must labour that the word of God may dwell plentifully in our hearts and there as the scepter of Christ to be held vp by the grace of faith ruling our wills and affections bringing into subiection euery thoght to the obedience of Christ. In such a heart Christ dwells who is stronger than Satan and here can neither corruption set open the doore to Satan nor Satan enter but all things are in safetie Also the actions that proceede hence shall be the issues of life beeing holy and pleasing vnto God And thus much of the second point The third duty to bee performed for our continuance in the faith is this Wee must runne with patience the race that is set before vs. In these words the holy Ghost borroweth a comparison from the games of men that did runne a race and thus we may conceiue it The race that the Holy Ghost propounds vs to runne is the race of Christian Religion the parties that must runne in this race are all Christians men or women high or lowe not one excepted the price and crowne for which we runne is euerlasting glory the iudge of the runners is the Lord himselfe who hath appointed this race vnto euery Christian in this life who also will giue the reward to euery one that runneth well In this comparison wee may obserue many good instructions First in that Christian religion is compared to a race We are taught that euery one that professeth religion must goe forward therein growing in knowledge faith piety and in euery grace of God He that runnes a bodily race must neither stand still nor goe backward for then then he shall neuer get the price but still goe forward to the race ende So must euery Christian goe forward in grace following hard towards the marke for the price of the high calling of God If wee care not for eternall life then we may take our ease and let grace alone but if wee tender our owne saluation wee must goe on in the graces of religion as a runner doth goe forward in his race This beeing wel obserued would rowze vp our drowzie Christians that make no progresse in religion Secondly this resemblance of Christianity to a race teacheth vs al to striue to go one before another in knowledge faith and holy obedience thus runners doe that run a bodily race Also in the world the manner of men is to labour and striue to goe one before another in riches preferment in fine apparell and in all bodily delights now shall men striue to bee first in these transitory things and shall wee neglect our duty about these spirituall graces wherein the more we excell the more acceptable wee are to God and shall bee more glorious in the world to come Thirdly seeing Christianity is a race wee must remember to be constant therein till we come to the ende of our faith euen the saluation of our soules It hath beene the manner of our people to turne in religion with the State and Time and yet to this day many thousands come to our assemblies that would turne to Popery if that abhomination should be set vp againe for say they It was a merry world when that religion was vp But this is not the property of good runners If wee would haue the crowne of life we must hold true religion constantly vnto the death Lastly like good runners we must minde our way and haue our hearts set vpon the ende of our race which is euerlasting life Each ordinary traueller is very inquisitiue of his way and all his care is to goe the neerest way he can to his iourneys ende Behold wee are trauellers and our iourney is to heauen we must therefore endeauour to goe the straightest way we can to come to life euerlasting neither must we make delaies in this way but vse all helpes to further vs herein for the matter is of great importance whereabout we goe Here some will say We like this well but true religion hath alwaies many enemies and fewe hearty friends besides if a man run this way hee must runne alone and suffer also many crosses and reproaches Answ. This is most true and therefore the holy Ghost addeth That wee must runne this race with patience We must not be discouraged because of these crosses and afflictioÌ„s but labour with patience to beare that part of affliction what euer it bee that shall light vpon vs in our iourney This is Christs counsell to his Disciples Luke 21.19 Possesse your soules in patience as if hee should say If you would saue your soules you must labour to beare all crosses that fall on you with patience In the parable Luk. 8.15 They that receiue the seed in good ground are they which with an honest and good heart heare the word and keepe it and bring forth fruite But how with patience Euery one that heares Gods word makes conscience thereof shall haue enemies to scoffe and mock and to afflict him which the diuell sets a-worke to hinder the growth of the word in his heart but must he therefore cease to bring forth fruite no hee must bring forth fruite with patience And so must we doe in the race of true religion for crosses afflictions and mockings will come but these stormes must not turne vs backe nay the more they beate vpon vs the more must we arme our selues with patience by which wee shall be able to beare them all And thus much for this third duty as also of the exhortation vnto Constancie in the faith after the example of all these godly Fathers FINIS The Printers Aduertisement CHristian Readers in most part of these printed Books yee shall finde the faults heereunder set downe already amended to your hands onely in some fewe of the Copies wherein they past vs vnespied they had neede to be corrected with your Penne viz. Page 160 line 20 sinne for sonne p 358 line 24 they iolly for the iolly p. 359 line 30 Ismael for Israel And in all the Copies there is a vvrong Title escaped in the Page 384 viz. Moses faith for Moses Parents faith Exod. 33.15 1. Cor. 10.6 Heb. 10.38 2. Cor. 5.7 1. Pet. 1.9 Gal. 3.3 2. Tim. 4.10 1. Ioh. 3. â—â— Heb. 6. 1. Pet. 1.7 Phil. 5.14 Luke 1.79 a Ier. 22.15 c. to the end b 1. King 11.11 1. Sam. 2.30 Psal. 37.4 Heb. 11.5 Verse 10. Verse 24. c. Heb. 12.39 The Coherence Verse 1. Math. 3.17 Acts. 4.12 Psal. 16.6 Math. 12.36 Gen. 1.31 Gen. 2.25 3.21 Iohn 1.3 Rom. 5.1 Apoc. 21.27 Chap. 12.24 Genes 4.10 Psal. 56.8 Habbak 2.11 Eccles. 10.20 Psal. 116.115 Luke 21.19 Reu. 6.10 2. Example Henoch Verse 5. 1. Cor. 15.20 1. Cor. 15.20 2. Kings Genes 3.19 Gen. 5.24 Verse 6 Genes 5.22 Amos 3.3 Gen. 17.1 Psal. 116.9 Genes 24.40 Genes 50.20 Genes 39.9 Acts. 15.9 Psal. 2. Micha 6.7.8 2. Timoth. 3.16.17 1. Timoth. 4.4.5 Deut. 17.17 18.19 Psal. 2. 1. Timoth. 3.2 c. Exodus 20. Math. 7.12 1. Cor 10.31 1. Cor. 14.26 1. Cor. 10.24 Gen. 22. Exod. 11.2 Math. 11.29 Iohn 13.13.14 15. Heb. 4.16 7.25 10.22 Psal. 10.11.12 13. Esay 36.18.19 c. Esay 28.15 Psal. 14.1 1. Iohn 2.23 Tit. 1.16 1. Timoth. 5.8 Malach. 3.14 Psal. 73.13 c Verse 17. Verse 1. Verse 28. Psal. 116.11 Verse 11. Verse 12. Psal. 31.19 Luke 16. Psal. 139. Iohn 8.41 44. Rom. 6.20 Psal. 17.14 Luke 16.25 Luke 4.6.7 Iohn 8.44 Gen. 3.4.5 3. Exsample of Noah Commaundements 3. 4. 1. Kings 6.15.16 1. Thess. 2.20.21 2. Cor. 12 2 1. 2. Cor. 2.15.16 2. Cor. 3.18 Deut. 32.33 Gen 18.19 Gen. 24.63 Ioh. 8.56 Gen. 12.8 â—2 9 33.10 1. Sam. 15.23 Isay 66.3 Prou. 30.8 Psal. 1.2 Luke 2.51 Phil. 4 11. Exod 20.12 2. Tim. 2 2â— Num. 21.8.9 Gen. 20.7 2. Chro. 32.31 1. Pet. 1.16 Leuit. 10.1.2 Iohn 3.16 Math. 8.9 Num. 6.23 Luke 24.50 Leuit. 19.31 Isa. 8.19.20 Math. 1. Gen. 33.3 Gen. 18.17.18.19 Amos 3.7 Luke 16. Isa. 6.11 Exodus 2.3 Exod. 2.3 1. Sam. 10.23 1. Sam. 16.12 1. King 8.3 Psal. 110.2 Psalm 16. Phil. 3.14 Math. 21.19 Gen. 18 3â— Philip. 1.10 Eccles. all ouer Titus 1.15 Math. 19.24 Dan. 5.1.3 Mat. 5. 1. Pet. 4.14 Mat. 19.29 Philip· 28 29. Math. 5.11 Exod. 3 1â— Exod. 11.8 Dan. 9. Psal. 42.11 Gen. 5.22 Gen. 39.9 Exod. 12.27 Exod. 23.18 Leuit. 3.4 2. Chr. 35.12 Exod. 12.13 1. Cor. 5.7 Math. 26.18 Luke 22.7 11. Math. 26.28 1. Cor. 10.4 1. Cor. 5.7 Luke 22.49 Numb 21. Verse 8. Isay 37.26 1. Cor. 10.4 Numb 20.11 Ezek. 9.4 Psal. 32.7 Exod. 14 11 12. Exod. 14. â—â— 2. Kings 9.35.36 Acts 12.23 Isa. 54.17 Genesis 17.2 and 18.18 Ephe. 6.16 Psalm 3.6 Iosh. 6.20 Ephe. 2.12 Gen. 17.27 Exod. 18 1â—.12 Iude 4. Deut. 29.19 20. Hebr. 12 1. Math. 1.5 Iosh. 2.20 Iosh. 29.10 11. Iosh. 2.11 Marke 10.17 Iosh. 6.22 Heb. 6.17.18 Ioh. 2.18 21. Gal. 4.22 Iudges 6.12.14.16 Math. 8.3 Gen. 14. 1. Iohn 3.7 Pro. 20.7 1. Cor. 6.9 Math. 7.12 â— Rom. 13.7 Ephes. 3.20 Psal. 21.3 Acts 12.4 Deut. 20.2.3 â— Kings 17. 2. Kings 4. 1. Cor. 15.20 Acts 17.28 Cant. 8.6 Exod. 32.32 Iohn 1.12 Heb. 4.2 Rom. 15.4 Exod. 14.20 Isa. 43.9.10 12 Dan. 6.10