their liues Though these viz. that disgrace otherwise wrong the children of God escape a while vnpunished seeme to laugh in their sleeues and to shew their faces in all companies plesantly with Agag to say in their harts as he spake with his tongue Truly the bitternes of death is past 1. Sa. 15. 32. yetwofull without repentance shall their reward be at the last when they shal find that they had beene better the greatest the proudest and mightiest of them all to haue bitten their fingers ends to the bones to haue eaten the flesh from their armes or to haue gone a thousand miles of an errand that on their bare feet all the while vpon thornes then to haue done any hurt to the least to the poorest and to the meanest of Gods children Last of all the more any king rewardeth any kindnesse done to any of his children or punisheth any indignitie offred vnto them the more hee sheweth himselfe to regard such as haue receiued such kindnesse or met with such indignity and the more hee doth grace and honour them before his people that see his rewards vpon such as haue shewed that kindnesse or that heare of his seuerity against such as haue offred that indignitie I conclude therefore the like of the dignity and honourable state of the children of God in respect of his gracious promises made and performed to any that shew but the least kindnesse towards the least of his children as likewise in respect of his indignation threatned and executed vpon all that doe any of them any wrong Thus much for this point and thus much also for all the arguments whereby I thought good to lay foorth the doctrine of the dignitie of Gods children CHAP. XXXI Of the vses of the former doctrine concerning the dignity of Gods children IT remaineth now according to my order before insinuated in the beginning of the fourth Chapt. that I shew the vse of all the doctrine hitherto handled concerning the dignity of Gods children These I will only touch and as it were but point at with the finger leauing the further inlarging of them to the better consideration of the reader as also of such as shall haue occasion more to apply and presse them then it is fit for me to doe in this Treatise Thesevses are generally of two sorts viz. either common to all euen to the wicked as well as to the children of God or speciall either to the wicked alone or to the godly alone Touching common vses this doctrine first of all serueth to correct the base opinion that most men haue conceiued of the children of God and to teach vs to thinke and esteeme of them according to those things before spoken All men for the most part regard men more according to their state in the world that is according to their riches to their honour and credit with great men in the world to their power and authority for doing of worldly matters All men I say for the most part doe more regard men according to these things then according to their adoption according to their graces whereby they shew foorth their adoption and according to that estimation in which the said graces accompanying adoption doe declare them to be with God himselfe Neither is this the fault onely of naturall men such as are not the children of God themselues but euen sometimes of them that are themselues regenerated and sealed with the spirit of adoption euen they I say doe not so regard one another as they ought to doe in respect of their adoption yea the children of God doe often times thinke the more basely of themselues and are the more deiected in their owne hearts because they are so little regarded by other But sith wee haue heard before how honourable their state and condition is and how God hath most highly dignified and aduanced them why should they not be so regarded of other Why should they not so esteeme of themselues Not any whit to puffe themselues vp and to make themselues to set vp their bristles as it were with contempt against any other but rather to comfort themselues the more against such contempt disgrace and indignity as they meet with in the world at the hands of other This vse the Apostle Iames commendeth when hee exhorteth not to haue the faith of our Lord Iesus Christ in respect of persons or to esteeme of men according to their ccstly apparell or outward countenance which they did beare in the world but according to their riches of faith and according to their in heritance in the kingdome which God hath promised to them that loue him Iames 2. 1. c. Vnder this opinion I comprehend also loue of the heart and honour of the outward man agreeable to the said opinion For so much Iames signifieth in the placâ— before alleged by hauing the faith of Christ inrespect of persons which appeareth plainly by his words immediately following viz. For if there come into your company saith hee a man with a gold ring and in good apparell and there come in also a poore man in vile raiment and ye haue respect vnto â—im that weareth gay clothing and ye say vnto him Sit thou heere in a good place and sâ—y vnto the poore Stand thou heere or Sit heere vnder my footstoole These words I say of the Apostle doe plainly shew that hee reprooueth not only a base opinion inwardly of the children of God but also the outward abasing and disgracing of them by preferring men before them according to their riches and costly apparell c. And this Iames wrote not to heathen men nor to meere naturals but to them whom God of his owne will had begotten with the word of truth to bee as the first fruits of his creatures chap. 1. 18. thereby shewing that it is a fault not onely amongst the men of the world too lightly both in their iudgments and in their affections and also in their outward carriage to regard the children of God but also in them that are of the same father and haue the same in hert ance And this indeed in these daies is a fault not onely amongst prophane men that contemne all goodnesse nor amongst Papists and professed Atheists but also amongst professors themselues euen of the best sort viz. too much to esteeme the gay men of the world and such as are gentlemen borne and haue good estates in the world though they bee neuer so wicked and vngodly and despisers of all grace and too basely to esteeme and too little to regard the most apparant children of God knowen to bee vertuous and shewing many tokens that they are turned from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan vnto God and haue receiued â—orgiuenesse of sinnes and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith in Christ Acts 26. 18. Whom a king will honour all his subiects also honour much more Therefore it is said that when Ahashuerosh promoted Haman
the first creation was as it were but one worke namely to make that which was not made before But in this worke of regeneration there is a double worke first to take away our naturall corruption secondly in stead thereof to create and forme Gods owne image 2. In the first creation there was no opposition no enemies no let no hinderance to God But in our regeneration there are many and mighty enemies and many great lets and hinderances and as it were blocks layd in Gods way Satan himselfe with all his angels and the whole power of hell do labor what they can to hinder tâ—â—s worke So also doth the whole world with all the power thereof Our hearts likewise with all the thoughts lusts and affections thereof and our whole man doe striue and struggle with God by all meanes resisting him and opposing themselues vnto this worke Yea sometimes the children of God themselues euen being regenerated doe interpose and oppose themselues to the regeneration of other For did not Iohn say to our Sauiour Master wee saw one casting out diuels by thy name which followeth not vs and we forbad him because he followed vs not Mark 9. 38. Could Iohn and the other disciples with him forbid another casting out of diuels in the name of Christ and not hinder the worke of regeneration Peter aduised Christ not to goe to Ierusalem there to suffer those things which he was to suffer Marke 8. 32. The like did all the Apostles Ioh. 11. 8. Peter also seeing Christs glory in the mountaine where Christ transfigured himselfe being rauished therewith would haue had Christ to haue continued there still and to haue built three Tabernacles one for him another for Moses a third for Elias Mark 9. 5. Could Christ by the foresaid counsell haue auoided death and not haue hindered the whole worke of mans redemption and therefore also of his adoption and regeneration yea had not the hinderance of Christs death been the way to haue fet all the saints from heauen that in their soules had been there before by vertue of Christs death after their translation into heauen to be suffered for them in earth The taking away of the cause must needs be the nullifying of the effects depending vpon that cause If any in great place doe bestow an office vpon an other as pretending the bestowing thereof to belong vnto his place shall not the receiuer of that office though hauing for sometime enioied the same be dispossessed thereof afterward by another that shall find the right of collating the same to be in him and neuer to haue been in the other that before had bestowed it The like might besayd euen of the dispossessing of the soules of the righteous of heauen it selfe if they had been admitted thereunto by virtue of his death that had not died Thirdly touching the difficulty of our second creation aboue the first in our sayd first creation God did no more for vs in our kind then for all other creatures in their kind He made vs perfect and so he made euery other creature perfect in his kind But in our second creation God doth not only more for vs then for the Angels that had fallen but also then for the Angels that stand as afterward we shall heare Fourthly in the first creation God wrought as God alone but in our second creation regeneration and adoption it was needfull that God should be made man and that God and man made one person should worke the said worke of our second creation regeneration and adoption as afterward also we shall heare more largely Fiftly our first creation and the first creation of all things was made as of nothing so also for nothing But our second creation was not only wrought of nothing and of lesse or at least worse then nothing for the new man is formed in vs but not of vs but it was also wrought at a price or by a price Note For Christ gaue himselfe for vs and we are said to be bought with a price as likewise shall be shewed anon Sixtly the first creation of all things was perfected and consummated in six daies but albeit our regeneration be begun in a moment yet it groweth by small degrees yea if one of the children of God be inclined to some speciall sinne as who is not how hard a thing is it in long time and by many mâ—â—â—es to represse and reforme the same And though a man doe liue many yeeres after his regeneration begun yet it is neuer perfected in this life neither shall be till our corruptible bodies haue put on incorruption and till that that is mortall be made immortall Seuenthly to illustrate this by similitude as it is more easie for the potter or glasse man to make an whole house full of pots or glasses then to set one together and make it as sound as it was being broken all to peeces so was it more easie for God at the first to make an whole world of creatures then now only to restore and build man vp againe and as it were to set him together againe being touching the image of God in him destroied and as it were broken in peeces All this of the difficulty of our second creation in comparison Note of the first creation is to be vnderstood but only in respect of mans iudgement touching the difficulty of things not simply in consideration of Gods power For to speake simply of Gods power all things are alike thereunto There is nothing harder or easier then another with God It is as easie for him to make an whole world yea many worlds as to make the least creature By this greatnesse of this worke the worke it selfe is the more manifest to be the worke only of God For if to make a man or to make an whole world be not the worke of any but of God himselfe as the whole Scripture teacheth vs how much lesse may we say that any but God alone can regenerate a man and make a man the child of God this worke being as hath beene shewed greater then the work of creation The more proper therefore that this worke of regeneration is only to God the more excellent needs must be the condition of them that by this worke are made the children of God According to the rarenesse of the workeman so is the worke it selfe esteemed If but one man in a country or in a kingdome can doe some speciall worke in what estimation is the worke it selfe what then shall wee say of this worke of regeneration and of making the sonnes of men the sonnes of God which none can doe in the world but only one euen God himselfe How honorable therefore is their stateâ— CHAP. V. Of the first moouing cause of our regeneration viz. which first mooued God to regenerate vs. AS in the former Chapter the dignity of Gods children hath been declared by the excellency of God who is their Father as also by this that God
elders of the Iewes vnto our Sauiour in behalfe of his sicke seruant Luc. 7. 3. was it not to doe the more honour to our Sauiour If the sending of such honourable messengers were some honour to them to whom they were sent what shall we thinke of Gods sending his owne sonne to vs and for vs to make vs his children Doth not God thereby greatly honor vs verely it cannot be denied sith the sending of Christ was more then if he had sent all the Angels in heauen For Christ is made so much more excellent then the Angels by how much more he hath obtained a more excellent name then they Heb. 1. 4. This is so much the more because God sent not his sonne in glory and to liue here in glory but in basenesse and in forme of a seruant cloathed with our base nature yet purged from all corruption as soone as it was separated in the wombe of the Virgin to be that which afterward it was and so to liue a while in pouerty in shame and in all contempt and at the last to be put to the most shamefull death of the crosse as though he had been a worme and no man or as though he had been the vilest man that had before come into the world Were it not a very great honor to a poore yea to a trayterous subiect being somewhere in captiuity bondage and great misery if his Prince should abase his only sonne and send him disguised in base apparell and to vndergoe much pouerty and other hardnesse with shame also and contempt for a time for the redeeming the said subiect and to bring him home to the Court of the Prince there to eat meat with the Prince his sonne and to be accounted as a companion of his How great then is this honour that God hath done vnto vs in sending his own sonne and in exposing him to many yea to all indignities to redeeme vs that we might receiue the adoption of sonnes Before I proceed any further let me here insert another principall cause of our regeneration viz. the mercy of God This may seeme to be all one with the loue of God before handled And indeed it is so like thereunto that it is often confounded therewith so that the word loue is often taken for mercy and mercy is often taken for loue when there is speech of the dealing of God with men especially in the matter of election calling and saluation This may be obserued in diuers places before alledged and therefore I stand not vpon it But although there be great similitude betwixt them yet Note they are also to be distinguished For first of all both are in God towards man but both cannot be in man towards God Loue may be and must be in man towards God but it is very absurd to say that a man may shew mercy vnto God Againe the loue of God hath respect vnto vs as being only the creatures of God euen base creatures such as were altogether vnworthy so great honour of being made the children of God But the mercy of God hath respect and relation vnto vs not only as we are creatures base and vnworthy of the foresayd loue but also as we were miserable especially polluted with infinit 〈◊〉 yea dead in all sinnes and trespasses more then vnworthy of his fauour euen such as had deserued his euerlasting displeasure and indignation as hauing been traitors and rebells against him in the highest degree Furthermore the loue of God is in order before the sending or giuing of Christ being the cause both of our election and also of sending or giuing Christ Iesus as hath beene shewed touching election out of Ephes 1. 5. 6. and touching the sending of Christ out of Ioh. 3. 16. But the mercy of God is only in Christ Iesus and for Christ Iesus his sake as afterward shall appeare Whereas it is said that we are elected in Christ that is not to be vnderstood simply of election itselfe but rather of the ends whereto we are elected viz. adoption and saluation To speake simply of election itselfe it was meerly of the free loue of God and the efficient cause thereof was only in God himselfe And so God hauing eternally decreed our saluation did also at the same instant decree the meanes of our saluation namely the giuing of his only sonne to be made man for vs. We were first in order elected to be saued and then Christ was appointed and at the same instant destinated to be the person by whom we should be saued Therefore as Peter saith that the Iewes had put Christ to death by the determinate counsell and foreknowledge of God Acts 2. 23. so he calleth Christ alambe vnspotted c. ordained before the foundations of the world 1. Pet. 1. 20. Notwithstanding this priority of decreeing our saluation before the sending of Christ was decreed must be vnderstood of a priority in order in the nature of things not of a priority in time For both being eternall and before all times to wit the decree for sauing vs and the decree for sending Christ to worke out that saluation for vs one could not bee before an other in time For in things eternall there can be neither priority or posteriority in time Thus then we see a plaine distinction betwixt the loue of God and the mercy of God either in our election or in the worke of regeneration or in any other thing That the mercy of God was one of the principall mouing causes of our regeneration viz. which moued God to worke this worke in vs it is manifest also by the testimony of Peter For he in his first Epistle and Chapter hauing after his Apostolicall maner saluted the Christians to whom he wrote maketh this entrance into the rest of the Epistle saying Blessed be God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ who according to his abundant or rich mercy hath begotten vs againe c. 1. Pet. 1. 3. Is it not in these words plaine that the Apostle doth make the mercy of God a principall cause first mouing God to beget vs againe So the Apostle Paul in the worke of our saluation ioineth together the mercy of God and the washing of the new birth Tit. 3. 5. So also particularly speaking of his owne conuersion from blaspheming and from persecuting and oppressing of the Church to the true feare of God and loue of his Saints he attributeth the same to the mercy of God saying I was a blasphemer and a persecuter and an oppressor but I was receiued to mercy or I found mercy By the mercy of God here I vnderstand the pity and compassion that God tooke vpon vs beholding vs in our miserable state by nature being blind deafe dumb lame sicke dead c. as hath been said and so his bowels of compassion being moued towards vs and neuer ceasing to worke as it were in him till by the worke of our regeneration he had released and discharged vs from
our foresaid miserable state and condition I might speake in this place of the mercy of God in forgiuing our sinnes but because I shall speake afterward of the forgiuenesse of sinnes amongst the benefits belonging to the children of God by their communion with God therefore I will spare all speech thereof here In the meane time that God hath shewed such mercy vnto men as to make them his children it cannot but adde somthing to their dignity For as it is a great preferment to be beloued of God he being the King of kings so it is no lesse matter for such miserable yea rebellious and traiterous creatures as we were to find such mercy with God as not only to be pardoned of all our sinnes but also to be made his children yea this is the greater matter because it is a speciall testimony of the loue of God before handled For if he had not loued vs full dearely he would neuer haue shewed such compassion vpon vs. CHAP. VI. Of Christ Iesus being one of the principall causes of and agent in our adoption of the great price hee hath giuen for it of the worke also of the holy ghost therein and of the true nobility of all Gods children by the ioynt working of all the three persons in their adoption TO returne a little backe and to consider a little more of Christ Iesus as one of the principallest agents in our regeneration all before spoken of the fathers sending of him is so much the more because himselfe also came voluntarily and of his owne accord euen freely offering himselfe to be so sent because he saw that no burnt offrings or other sacrifices would be sufficient for our saluation or adoption and regeneration Psalm 40. 5. 6. 7. When Christ also was come in the flesh and saw and felt what it was that the Father had sent him for and he was come for did he any waies shrinke or shew that hee repented of his former forwardnes Nothing so but he did most willingly proceed and go through with that which the Father had decreed he should performe and which himselfe had taken vpon him to doe in our behalfe viz. not only to accomplish and fulfill all righteousnesse Mat. 3. 15. which actiuely was to be accomplished and fulfilled by him but also to suffer both pouerty reproch contempt and all other indignities wrongs and iniuries with men and euen the wrath of God his father the torments of hell and the sorrowes of the life to come in his soule as well as in his body and in his body as well as in soule we hauing deserued all these things euen such paines and pangs as would haue broken the backe and very heart strings of all the Angels in heauen Notwithstanding all that he suffered onely whiles he liued in the earth long before his last passion Ioh. 12. â—7 and the very night before his said passion in the garden when he praied thrice that if it were possible that cup might passe from him and when his sweat was like drops of blood trickling downe to the ground Luk 22. 41. c. and in his last passion it selfe crying with a strong cry and bitter as it is said of Mordecai Ester 4. 1. My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Matth. 27. 46. Yea so willing did Christ suffer all before spoken and ten times more then can be spoken that albeit till his time appointed was come he did sometime auoid the rage and fury of his enemies yet for all that he did often sharply reprooue his very friends that either gaue him any counsell to the contrarie Mar. 8. 33. Ioh. 11. 8. 9. or that did any thing for to haue rescued him against his enemies that put him to death Mat. 26. 53. His threefold praier before mentioned in shew to the contrary was not so indeed because it was but conditionall and shewed the greater extremity of his passion For after the said Note praier he did not only rebuke Peter for going about to rescue him as was said by smiting off the high Priests seruants eare neither did he onely heale him whom Peter had so maimed the better to shew that he neither had pleasure in Peters rashnesse neither had any spleen against the said high Priests seruant that had come out with other to apprehend him but he did further also tell him that if he would he could by his prayer to his father haue obtained more then twelue legions of Angels to take him from them Who then had laid their hands vpon him Mat. 26. 53. Doth not this most plainly testifie that he did all most willingly Doubtlesse it doth For otherwise he could as easily haue auoided yea and confounded all the company though comming foorth with swords and stanes to take him as by telling them that he was the man they sought for he made them to goe backward and to fall to the ground Ioh. 18. 6. By these things therfore that God so loued vs that to make vs his children he sent his owne sonne and that in forme of a seruant yea and worse then a seruant vnto wretched men not for doing any thing as Paul for biddeth vs to be the seruants of men 1 Cor. 7. 23. but for suffering any thing at their hands And that the sonne himselfe did also this most willingly and cheerfully without any constraint doth it not manifestly appeare that the adoption of the children is much graced and honored Yea certainly the more is that their adoption to be the children of God graced and honored by all things before spoken of because as Christ was therefore sent and did therefore come and being come did also willingly vndergoe and suffer all so also he did effect that which was so the end of his sending comming and suffering For so it is said of him not of the father that as many as receiued him to them he gaue prerogatiue to be the sonnes of God or to be the children of God euen to them that beleeued in his name Ioh. 1. 12. And so although it be said in one respect that he is not ashamed to call vs brethren Heb. 2. 11. yet both in the same place vers 10. in another respect he is insinuated also to be our father in that it is said that he brought many children vnto glory and also he is expresly intituled by the name of Euerlasting father Isaâ— 9. 6. Moreouer by these things thus written it is most apparant that Christ hath not onely made vs the children of God but also that he hath paid full deerely for our said adoption Therefore it is said that we are bought with a price 1. Cor. 6. 20. and 7. 23. and this price was not any corruptible thing as siluer or goâ—d but his owne most pretious blood 1. Pet. 1. 18. 19. and by the blood of Christ are ment all those his dreadfull sufferings before mentioned If God had sent all the Angels of heauen and they had taken our nature vpon
dying of our Lord Iesus that is euery where we doe in a manner die daily for Iesus his sake 1. Cor. 15. 38. But wherefore That the life of Iesus might also be made manifest in our bodies 2. Cor. 4. 10. But what meaneth he by making manifest the life of Iesus in our bodies Nothing but this that by their constant patient and cheerfull sufferings of so many things as it were so many deaths for Christs sake all men might the better see how Christ had quickned them and what great measure of spirituall life he had wrought in them So the Apostle telleth the Romanes that they were dead to sinne but aliue to God in Iesus Christ our Lord. Rom. 6. 11. Of himselfe he saith I am crucified with Christ but I liue yet not I any more but Christ liueth in me and in that that now I liue in the flesh that is in this fraile and mortall condition as the word flesh is taken Heb. 5. 7. I liue by faith in the sonne of God c Gal. 2. 20. Many other the like places to the same purpose I doe willingly for beare that I may not be too tedious By these we doe sufficiently see that being borne anew vnto God in Christ we are not still-borne as men vse to speake of children dead before birth but that we haue a spirituall life in him and by him Yet let vs vnderstand this by the way that our spirituall life by Christ Iesus is not altogether the Note same that our former spirituall death was by Adam and by our sinnes traduced from Adam For as we haue heard we were perfectly dead not halfe dead in our sinnes by Adam euen so dead that wee were altogether void of the life of God and without any remnants of the former image of God in vs. But our life renewed by Iesus Christ is not in this world perfect and without some remnant of the old Adam in vs. Therefore we are willed euery day to put off the old man Ephes 4. 2. and that we cast away all filthinesse and superfluity of malitiousnesse I am 1. 21. 1. Pet. 2. 1. as also that we put on Christ Rom. 13. 14. and the new man which after God or according to God is created vnto righteousnesse in true holinesse Ephes 4. 24. c. No man therfore hath so put off or cast off the old man but that there be still some ragges and patches remaining of him No man hath so put on the new man but that he may put him on somewhat more As no man putteth on all his apparell at once but first one thing then another so is it with putting on of Christ Iesus All our life here is but as it were the morning of the life to come to dresse vs for our mariage vnto Christ as Paul saith that he had prepared the Corinthians that is he had laboured to dresse them for one husband and to present them a pure virgin vnto Christ 2. Cor. 11. 2. Notwithstanding that which remaineth of the old man is but as I said peeces and patches For there is such a rent made in him by Christ that all remaining is but as ragges torne one from another and not sowen together and therefore such as in the end will be the more easily shaken off Though all our former sinnes doe remaine in substance in vs yet Christ hath so taken away their life from them that they are but as wounds in a dead body As Christ in his resurrection Note had some scarres remaining in his body of the wounds which he had receiued before his death and that the better to assure weake and vnbeleeuing Thomas and all other therein like to Thomas that he was the same that had been before put to death so in our regeneration to be the children of God whereby we are buried with Christ vnto his death Rom. 6. 4. Colos 2. 12. and raised vp likewise with him by his resurrection to newnesse of life Coloss 3. 1. there remaine some scarres of our old man and of those things whereby and wherein before we were dead to put vs the better in mind what we were by nature before Christ quickned vs and restored vs to life The said sinnes also so remaining touching their bodies as it were are so without life by Christs quickning of vs that they are but as dead carcases to shew what a mighty victory Christ hath gotten in vs. Furthermore the most that can be said of the sinnes remaining in the regenerated is this that being wounded to death they are mortified as quicksiluer is mortified in oyntments For as the quicksiluer in the bodily substance of it remaineth but is killed touching the life and all hurtfull power that before it had and so is made soueraigne to some healthfull vses by mixture of other things with it which also may be said of the conuerting of any other things of a venemous nature in themselues to be antidots and preseruatiues against poison by art and mixture of other things with them so the sinnes of the regenerate remaining touching their carcases are spoiled of their life and of all hurtfull power before in them and being mixt as it were with the grace of God infused in vs and communicated vnto vs by Christ in some respects partly before and partly afterward to be more spoken of are turned to our good Finally touching the life of our sinnes remaining in vs after regeneration it is no other then the life that remaineth in the body of a serpent the head whereof is crushed in pieces For though the body of such a serpent may perhaps moue a little yet it is but for a time and it can doe no harme at all This spirituall life thus hitherto spoken of is to be discerned by our spirituall breathing and by other spirituall effects thereof As the naturall life is to be discerned by naturall breathing and by other naturall effects sutable thereunto so is our spirituall life by spirituall breathing and by other spirituall effects By spirituall breathing I meane spirituall thoughts and meditations of the mind and the like motions and affections of the heart If therefore whereas naturally our minds are set altogether vpon earthly things there shall be such a change wrought in vs that they shall be as much set vpon the things that are aboue where Christ Iesus sitteth at the right hand of God Coloss 3. 1. as before they were set vpon the things here below and if we shall couet and desire and euery way affect heauenly things as much as euer we haue done earthly then shall we haue good testimony to our selues that we are borne from aboue and are the children of him that is the father of lights and of euery good and perfect gift whereas before also we loathed the Manna that came down from heauen as much as the people of Israel euen loathed that Manna that God gaue them in the wildernesse for feeding of their bodies we shall
said metaphors Secondly they are further taught by their owne proper words euen the words before mentioned Touching the foresaid metaphors the Apostle saith first of the two first couple light and darknesse The night is past and the day is at hand let vs therefore cast away the workes of darknesse and let vs put on the armor of light Rom. 13. 12. And again Ye were once darknesse but are now light walke as the children of the light Ephes 5. 8. And haue no fellowship with the vnfruitfull works of darknesse verse 11. And againe Who hath deliuered vs from the power of darknesse and translated vs into the kingdome of his deare sonne Coloss 1. 13. So he teacheth that there is no participation of the kingdome of Christ except first we be deliuered from the power of darknesse And againe But ye brethren are not in darknesse that that day should come on you as it were a theefe ye are all the children of the light and the children of the day wee are not of the night neither of darknesse 1. The. 5. 4. 5. Peter saith Ye are a chosen generation a royall priesthood an holy nation a peculiar people that ye should shew foorth the vertues of him that hath called you out of darknesse into his maruellous light 1. Pet. 2. 9. Iohn saith The darknesse is past and the true light now shineth 1. Ioh. 2. 8. Zachariah the father of Iohn Baptist saith that the day spring from on-high had visited them to giue light to them that sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death Luk. 1. 78. 79. By darknesse in all the places before alleged is meant that extreme ignorance without any knowledge of God wherewith the minds of all men naturally are ouerwhelmed before such time as they be regenerated The same is likewise signified by the word blindnesse in diuers other places The Lord giueth light to the blind Psa 146. 8. that is the Lord giueth knowledge to them that are ignorant The Prophet also setting forth the glory of Christs kingdome saith Then shall the eyes of the blind be lightned Isai 55. 5. that is then they shall beenlightned with the true knowledge of God that before were altogether ignorant of him and knew no more for their saluation then a stone-blind man doth see colours The same Prophet speaking of the office of Christ saith that the Lord had called him c. that he might open the eyes of the blind and bring out the prisoners from the prison and them that sit in darknesse out of the prison house Isai 42. 7. The Apostle Paul also speaketh the very like of his Apostleship noting the end therof to haue been to open the eyes of the Gentiles here he signifieth that before they were spiritually blind that they might turne from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan vnto God Acts 26. 18. Our Sauiour saith of euery plant whom the father had not planted that they were blind leaders of the blind and if the blinde lead the blind they shall both fall into the ditch Matth. 15. 14. Vpon the opening also of his eies that had beene borne bodily blind our Sauiour saith I am come vnto iudgement into this world that they which see not that is which are blind and ignorant of God and of the things pertaining to their euerlasting peace might see and that they which did see that is that thought they knew much might be made blind that is might haue that taken from them which they seemed to haue Luk. 8. 18. Vpon which words of our Sauiour the Pharisies replying Are we also blind our Sauiour answereth further If yee were blind yee should not haue sinne c. Iohn 9. 39. 40. 41. that is if ye were ignorant indeed your sinne should be so much the lesse I might heape vp many other the like testimonies touching the said metaphors of darknesse and blindnesse so applied But these alleged shall be sufficient They are both vsed in the former and in other places to signifie the same thing viz. the darknesse blindnesse and extreme ignorance of our minds concerning God and our saluation because indeed they are both of like nature For he that is in darknesse can see nothing though he haue neuer so good eyes and he that is blind can likewise see nothing though the sunne or moon or starres or candles or fire be neuer so cleere or bright By these metaphors doth the holy ghost so often expresse our ignorance because they doe best agree with that which before we heard of our being by nature the children of the diuell who is called the prince of darknesse Ephes 6. 12. and whose kingdome is said to be the place of vtter darknesse Mat. 8. 12. and 22. 13. and 25. 30. as also because they doe well agree with the maine thing before spoken of the spirituall death of all naturall and vnregenerated men for they that are dead are also depriued of all sight and therefore they be in continuall darknesse In which respect death is described to bee the land of darknesse Iob 10. 21. and the Psalmist saith Wilt thou shew a miracle to the dead or shall the dead rise and praise thee Shall thy louing kindnesse be declared in the graue or thy faithfulnesse in destruction then he addeth Shall thy wondrous workes be knowen in the darke c. Psal 88. 10. 11. 12. And finally that so we might the better see the vncomfortable wofull and most miserable estate and condition of all men naturally to make them the more thankfull for their comfortable ioyfull and most blessed change by grace and regeneration For is not darknesse one of the great iudgements inflicted by the Lord vpon the sonnes of men for their most hainous sinnes was it not one of Gods fearefull iudgements in Egypt Exod. 10. 22. When our Sauiour was most wickedly and vnrighteously put to death the greatest sinne that euer was before committed was there no darknesse in all the land from the sixt houre to the ninth Mat. 27. 45. The like may be said of blindnesse When the Sodomites came vpon Lot to haue abused the Angels entertained by him did not the said Angels smite them with blindnesse Gen. 19. 11. Amongst the rest of the iudgemēts also which the Lord threatneth to the Israelites if they should not obey him c doth he not threaten to smite them with madnesse and blindnesse Deut. 28. 28. Where let it bee obserued that hee conioineth madnesse and blindnesse let this I say bee obserued for the better manifestation of that which afterward I shall say touching the madnesse of all men naturally When Elymas also the Sorcerer resisted Paul was he not stricken with blindnesse for certaine daies Acts 13. 8. Againe who knoweth not by his owne experience how fearefull a thing darknesse and blindnesse is when the mist and darknesse before signified fel vpon Elymas did not he go about seeking one to lead him doth not any man that is blind or
vaile that is in heauen haue such strong consolation as that no storms or tempests of all the power of hell it selfe shall be able to remoue the same or at least so to remoue it as that they shall suffer shipwracke To the same purpose the Apostle Paul â—oineth these two together euerlasting consolation and good hope through grace 2. I hes 2. 16. The faith euen of the best and the best faith may sometime be so wounded that it may for a time fall into a kind of swoone as the faith of Peter did for a while and of Salomon for a long time In like manner their hope may be much quailed and shaken and obseured For faith being wounded hope cannot be found because it dependeth vpon faith But neither faith nor hope can be altogether and vtterly ouerwhelmed This then is a most singular priuiledge and comfort And hereby the children of God in great afflictions of this life in common death and famine in speciall want and penurie in sicknes in prison in banishment in the hatred and malice of many and mightie aduersaries in crosses abroad and in crosses at home as also in great assaults of Satan in great accusation of their owne conscience in remembrance of their great and manifold sinnes set before them by Satan in all their colours and amplified and aggrauated by all the circumstances that may be by this hope I say the children of God in all these are most cheerefull and comfortable as Paul was 2. Cor. 4. 8. c. when the wicked hang downe their heads are oppressed with cares feares and griefes and doe vtterly despaire and be also vncapable of all comfort But of these things somwhat hath beene said before and more shall be afterward Now all before said of our life knowledge wisedome holines and righteousnes generally as also more particularly of our sobrietie watchfulnes loue and hope is not so to be vnderstoode as if the said things were in like measure in all the children of God For all haue not the like outward meanes whereby to atteine vnto them neither the like time c. Besides as the hand of a man is greater then the hand of a child and as the hand of one man is larger then the hand of another and the larger the hand of any is the more it will comprehend of whatsoeuer it doth apprehend so there is difference both in the measure of faith which is the hand of our heart whereby we lay hold of Christ and also in the measure of Christ himselfe laid hold of by faith For although euery one that layeth hold of Christ layeth not hold of a peece of Christ but of whole Christ spiritually touching his essence yet it is not so touching his efficacy So then the more faith any man hath the more he layeth hold of Christ in maner aforesaid and consequently he receiueth the more life the more wisedom the more sanctification generally and particularly the more sobriety loue and hope In the matter notwith standing of iustification this holdeth Note not For he that hath the least faith is as perfectly iustified as he that hath the greatest Our life knowledge wisedom c. doe admit plus minus more and lesse But our iustification doth not so No man is iustified in part before God except he be iustified perfectly and altogether If a man could be iustified and discharged of all his sinnes but only of one and that one the least of all otehr yet that one were sufficient to the eternall coÌ„demnation of that party notwithstanding his iustification and discharge from all the rest The worke also of our iustification is but one worke wrought all at once not by degrees But though our regeneration be so likewise I meane of the whole man together not first of one part then of another though also in our regeneration our sanctification be likewise begun yet our sanctification is not perfected all at once but by degrees it is more more encreased To shew this more Note plainly for I desire to be rather indeed perspicuous for the edification of the simplest theÌ„ by obscurity to seem profound for the affecting of the learned or rather of some that are more curious then truly desirous of good knowledge to whoÌ„ plainnes seemeth basenes To shew this I say more plainely as our regeneration is nothing elst ut our new birth so our sanctification may be compared to our starure As therefore a man is but once naturally borne not by degrees but all together and the new borne babe as soone as eure he is out of the mothers wombe is as perfectly borne as he that is 20. or 40. yeeres old but being new borne he is not presently of his perfect stature but commeth groweth to that by degrees in time by meate drinke and other meanes fit for the same so is it touching our regeneration saÌ„ctification we are new borne all at once euen the first day we receiue by the word the spirit of adoptioÌ„ but though the also we begin to be saÌ„ctified yet we grow more more therin afterward as the new born babe doth in stature Last of all the matter of our iustification is altogether without vs euen wholly in Christ as he did actiuely passiuely obey his father performing his whole wil for doing suffering that which he required but our spiritual life and other things before spoken of are things within vs. As Christ first apprehended by faith aloft as it were doth iustify vs in heauen hauing before notwithstanding here in earth fully satisfied his fathers will in our behalfe so after ward and from the very moment of our iustification hee dwelling likewise in our hearts by the said faith spiritually doth sanctifie vs here in earth Within this excâ—ption likewise of our iustification to be without differing degrees of more or lesse as are in other things before mentioned I comprehend the freedome of the children of God before noted as one point of their being the children of God esâ—ecially touching the latter branch thereof that is not their freedome from the bondage of sinne and satan but their freedome of the new heauenly Ierusalem for trading and traffiquing for the merchandises thereof as also for enioying other priuiledges belonging to the said freedome For to grant that the freedom of the children of God from the bondage of sinne is not all alike though in some respects it must be acknowledged to be like yet this is most certaine that the other branch of their freedome is alike in all For one as well as another of them that are regenerated and borne againe to God haue the like freedome of heauen and all may in like manner trade for the commodities thereof Notwithstanding as they that are alike free of a city neither haue all the like stock at the first to begin with neither all the like dexterity Note to vse their freedome and stock to the most
where there is no fruit and whereof after recouery of health and true knowledge wee are ashamed Rom. 6. 21. As sicknesse continued and not recouered causeth death at the last so sinne when it is finished and as it were thoroughly ripened bringeth forth death Iames 1. 15. Sinne is likewise compared to an heauy and intolerable burden Come vnto me all ye that are weary and heauy laden viz. with your sinnes and I will refresh you Mat. 11. 28. Therefore Cain complained that his sinne was greater then hee could beare Genes 4. 13. And alas so heauy was the burden of sinne vpon Iudas that to ease himselfe of that burden hee did not onely cast away or deliuer againe to the cheefe Priests and Elders the thirty peeces of siluer which he had taken as wages of vnrighteousnesse to betray the innocent bloud of Christ but that also departing afterward in most dolefull sort he went and most desperately hanged himselfe Mat. 27. 3. The like fearefull euent of the heauy burden of sinne we do too often see by too many examples Wee heard also before that the very imputation onely of our sinnes to Christ Iesus the sonne of God God himselfe made him not only exceedingly to feare and in his feare to offer vp praiers and supplications with strong crying teares vnto God Heb 5. 7. but also to sweat water and bloud Luk. 22. 44. and lastly to cry out most bitterly vpon the crosse vnder the burden of our sinnes My God my God why hast thou forsaken me ' Mat. 27. 46. That some men feele not the sicknes and waight of sinne it is because of another comparison also of sinne viz. vnto death itselfe O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee out of this body of death Rom. 7. 24. And you that were dead in trespasses and sinnes c. Ephes 2. 1. As men therefore that are dead though they died with an hundred plague-sores about them not healed or hauing the waight of a great Church vpon them doe feele nothing either of such sores or of such waight euen so is to bee sayd of them that feele not either the sicknesse or the heauinesse of sinne namely that it is because they are dead in their sinne By these things we see that all whose sinnes are forgiuen are rid and healed of so many diseases Psal 103. 3. and released of so many burdens as they haue sinnes and finally that they are translated from death to life 1. Ioh. 3. 14. Is not then the forgiuenes of sinnes a singular benefit Moreouer the greatnes of this benefit doth further appeare by another comparison of sinne viz. vnto debt Mat. 18. 24. c. In which respect Christ teacheth vs to pray Forgiue vs our debts Mat. 6. 12. Yea he whose sinne is least is more in Gods debt then he is able any way to discharge Therefore in the parable of two debters he that owed but fifty pence is sayd to haue beene as vnable to pay as he that owed siue hundred pence Luke 7. 41. 42. Is it not a great misery yea a kind of hell tormenting a man to be in greater debt then he is able to fatissie Indeed some men are so desperate that they bid their creditors take care how to come by that that is owing vnto them for they will take no care to pay any man therefore they borrow of euery man and pay almost no man so that it is half a wonder what becommeth of all the mony they doe borrow But though some be thus leaudly minded yet most men haue so much ciuill honesty at the least by the light of nature that they finde it very greeuous and troublesome continually to their minds to owe more the they can pay Al debt also aboue ability to pay is the more grecuous the greater and mightier the creditor is to whom the same is owing How great then is the debt of man vnto God by sinnelyea by the least sin The danger of the least sinne much more of many and great sins is the curse of God and euerlasting condemnation of body soule euen an infinit punishment according to the infinit maiesty of God that is by sin offended Who the can expresse the greatnes of the benefit of forgiuenes of sinnes It is a great benefit to be out of debt with men so that a man may walke go any where securely without danger much more then is the benefite of the discharge of all our debt with God Last of al sinne against God is compared vnto treason and rebellion against a prince 1. Sam. 15. 23. Lamon 3. 42. Dan. 5. 9. As therefore it is a great benefit for a traitour and rebell to bee pardoned by his Soueraigne so is it not so much the more to be pardoned by God himselfe of all our treasons and rebellions against him by how much hee is greater then all earthlie princes Verily this is not only more then any tongue of man can expresse but also then any heart of man or wisedome of Angels can comprehend The same benefit of forgiuenes of sinnes is yet the greater because to whom God remitteth one sinne to him hee remitteth all and whose sinnes he doth once forgiue his sinnes hee doth forgiue for euer whom once he doth acquit discharge and iustifie them hee wil neuer condemne or cal to account By all sinnes I meane al the sinnes of Gods children both originall and actuall before baptisme and after baptism before conuersion and after conuersion of knowledge and of ignorance and once or often yea as wel deliberately as vnaduisedly committed Therefore Dauid in the place before vsed Psal 32. 1. 2. speaketh of sinne indefinitely without exception of any and in the other place praiseth God expressely for forgiuing al his sins The Apostle saith that Christ hath not redeemed vs from sin but from all iniquity Tit. 2. 14. So likewise in the other places before mentioned the Apostles speake of sinnes indefinitely c. Ephes 1. 7. Colos 1. 14. not of sinnes before or after baptisme or conuersion c. If by Christ wee haue forgiuenesse onely of originall sinne or of sinnes before baptisme and that wee or some other must make satisfaction for our actuall sinnes or for sinnes after baptisme as the Papists teach then hath Christ satisfied onely for the lesse and left the greater to vs. For who knoweth not actuall sinnes to be greater then originall and sinnes after baptisme to bee more at least for most part then sinnes before baptisme But of the vniuersality of the forgiuenesse of sinnes I hope to speak more to the further comfort of such as are heauy loaden with theyr sinnes in another treatise The second point that whose sinnes are once remitted they are remitted for euer is as certaine as the former Because the couenant of the Lord is an euerlasting couenant and his mercies are the sure mercies of Dauid Isa 55. 3. As high as the heauen is aboue the earth so great is
downe that is when through weaknesse of body he could not continue the holding them vp in praier then Amaleck preuailed Ezod 17. 11 So his praiers were of greater force then all the host of Israel besides So mighty were the praiers of the said Moses afterward and such power had they with God when he praied for the Israelites hauing greatly prouoked Gods wrath by making them a golden calfe that the Lord both as it were intreated him to let him alone that his wrath might wax hot against them and also promised that if he would so let him alone that is if he would hold his peace and not sollicit God with his praiers for the Israelites he would make of him a mighty people Exod. 32. 10. c. insinuating notwithstanding thereby that if hee would for all that hold on in praying for them and would not be hired by the former great promise to hold his peace then hee could not proceed in his wrath against them as they had deserued but must needs yeeld to Moses intreating mercy for them What can bee more powerfull then to ouercome and as it were to withhold him that is of all power from doing of that which otherwise he would haue done So mighty were the praiers of Ioshua and so did he preuaile with God by them that after an imperious and commanding manner they made the Sunne and the Moone whose course is swifter then the weauers shettle or then the flight of the swallow or of the arrow to stand still in the firmament till hee and the rest of the Israelites had auenged themselues of their enemies Iosh 10. 12. 13. So the very celestiall bodies are as it were at the command of the praiers of Gods children So mighty were the praiers of Elijah that he praying earnestly that it might not raine it rained not on the earth at least in that country for three yeeres and six moneths and that praying againe for raine the heauens gaue raine and the earth gaue foorth her increase Iames 5. 17. 18. out of 1. King 17. 1. and 18. 42. c. So the children of God by their praiers can make the clouds to forbeare raine or to giue raine as shall make most to Gods glorie So mighty were the praiers of Elisha and such power had hee with God by them that they obtained of God a sonne for the Shunamite that was barren and recouered life againe for him when he was dead 2. King 4 16. and 35. and that also after that praying the Lord to smite the armie of the Aramites with blindnesse they were smitten with such blindnesse that albeit they could see other things yet they could not see to discerne their way but as men stone-blinde were led by Elisha till they were brought into the midst of Samaria and were there in the hands of their enemies 2. Kings 6. 18. c. So mighty were the praiers of Hezekiah and such power had they with God that whereas he was sicke vnto the death that is so sicke that he was vnrecouerable either by strength of his own nature or by the art and skill of any Physitian and God also by his Prophet had told him he should die and had therefore also willed him to put his house in order that is to make his last will and Testament because hee should die and not liue yet the Lord reuoked that his owne word and contrary in some sort thereunto as also aboue the strength of nature and the art of man did restore him to health and added fifteen yeers vnto his life 2. Kings 20. 2. 3. c. So mighty were the praiers of Ester Mordecai and the rest of the Iewes and such power had they with God by their praiers that the Lord turned the wrath of Ahashuerosh from them against Haman and other their enemies albeit Haman had before that so far preuailed with Ahashuerosh that he had written his letters and sealed them with his ring and sent them by his Posts into all prouinces for the destruction of the said Mordecai and all the rest of the Iewes yong and old Ester 3. 12. compared with 4. 16. and 17. and 7. 5. and 8. 1. c. So the praiers of Gods children haue had power with God for children for them that are barren for life for them that are dead for blindnesse vpon them that see for health for them that are sicke euen vnto death and past all hope and for the changing of the hearts of men from extreame wrath to exceeding loue and fauour So mighty were the praiers of the Church for Peter by Herod committed to prison and such power had they with God that the Angell of the Lord came with great power and glory into the prison and brake off Peters chaines opened the prison dores brought him out and made the yron gate open of it owne accord c. Acts 12. 7. So the praiers of Gods children are stronger then any yron So mighty were the praiers of Paul and Silas in prison that at midnight suddenly there was a great earthquake so that the foundation of the prison was shaken and by and by all the dores opened and euery mans bonds were loosed c. Act. 16. 25. 26. So though the earth be set vpon her foundation that it shall neuer moue viz. wholly out of her place Psal 10 4. 5. yet we see it to haue been shaken by the praiers of Gods children Neither are the praiers of Gods children so effectuall for other only of their own sort but also sometime for the wicked reprobate How did the Lord heare Abraham for Abimelech king of Gerar Gen. 20. 7. Moses praying often for Pharao and the Prophet praying for the restoring of the withered hand of Ieroboam 1. Kings 13. 6. Do not all these mighty effects of praier besides many other the like both old and new plainly testifie in what grace and fauour the children of God are with God Verily they doe for all the praiers before mentioned whereof we haue heard those mighty effects were not the praiers of any wicked men but only of the children of God For indeed none can pray so by praier to haue power with God but only Gods children For how shall they call on him in whom they haue not beleeued Rom. 10. 14. This question how shall they c. noteth it an impossible thing for them that haue not faith to call vpon God But such are all the wicked as before we haue heard therefore none of the wicked can call vpon God Therefore all the commandements of God for praier are only to the children of God and to such as are godly When the Prophet had set downe the commandement of God for calling vpon God in the day of trouble with promise of deliuerance c. Psal 50. 15. presently by way of opposition he addeth But vnto the wicked God said What hast thou to doe to declare mine ordinances and to take my couenants in thy mouth c.
peace can there be vnto them when so many sinnes as they haue committed in great number remaine vncancelled and vnpardoned in heauen and vnrepented of in the earth This that I speake of the wicked is not only to be vnderstood of the meaner sort of the wicked that are bare poore without friends and worldly delights but also of Princes and other in great place that haue great friends that abound in wealth that flow in delights of the world that are mighty in authority and want nothing which might seeme helpfull to them against feare or to make for their peace and good security And this is manifest by the deadly feare of Nabal Saul Belshazzar and Felix before spoken of If therefore the greatest sort of the wicked be subiect to such feares who notwithstanding haue many meanes in the iudgement of men to secure them against feare what shall be said of other True indeed the wicked do not alwaies feare thus because through the extreme hardnesse of their hearts whereunto God in great iustice doth giue them ouer which is the greatest iudgement of all other in this life they are without feeling of the cause of this feare Sometimes also when they feele this feare comming vpon them they labour by the pleasures of this life or by company or by some such meanes to shift and shake it off But alas poore men they striue against the streame yea they haue wind and tide against them in that behalfe The more they put off feare for a time the stronger it will returne in the end As a man troubled with the tooth-ake for the mitigation thereof for the present taketh cold water which maketh the paine more violent afterward and as one that hath scald his leg rhrusteth the same presently into cold water and thereby findeth ease of the heat for a while but afterward feeleth the greater and longer paine so they that by pastimes and pleasures and worldly businesse and good fellowship put away their feares for a time doe finde them more extreame in the end It is with such men as with many an ill debter that being arrested by some bay liffe or sergeant at the suit of some one of his creditors to auoid imprisonment doth either violently resist or smiteth the bailiffe or the sergeant on the head that he laieth him for dead or else gerteth him into a tauerne or Alehouse and there maketh him so drunk that himselfe escapeth for the present But what doth he helpe himselfe by this meanes nothing at all yea he plungeth himselfe into further danger For in the end the creditor at whose suit he was arrested dealeth the moreseuerely with him Euen so the wicked that by any sleights passe ouer their feares not by humbling themselues to God the great creditor to whom all men owe more then they are able to pay as hath beene before said but by striuing and strugling and by making their feares drunke as it were for the present doe thereby in the end increase their feares and make them stronger and more violent then before Great especially shall the feares of the wicked bee and farre greater then they shal be able to beare when God shall come in speciall Iudgement against them The Prophet Isay threatneth the Iewes with such a day of vergeance as wherin the wicked should goe into holes and caues of the earth from before the feare of the Lord and the glorie of his Maiesty when hee should arise to destory the earth Isay 2. 19. So the Prophet Osea denouncing the iudgements of God against the Israelites saith that they should say to the Mountaines couer vs and to the hilles fall vpon vs. Hosea 10. 8. According there unto also our Sauiour seeing some women to follow him weeping as he went to suffer vpon the Crosse for vs biddeth them not to weepe for him but for themselues and for their Children and why because such daies of Gods wrath were comming as wherein they that is the wicked and such as had persecuted him yea their posterity should begin to say to the Mountaines fall vpon vs and to the hills couer vs Luke 23. 30. Most of all shall the feare of the wicked bee in the great daie of the Lord. The feare I say of Kings of the earth of great men of rich men and of the chiefe Captaines and of the mighty men who most bragge of their courage and thinke scorne to bee told that they will be afraide of any thing and of every bond man c. the feare I say of all these shal be so great that when the sunne shal be blacke and the moone turned into bloud then they shall hide themselues in dennes and among the rockes of the Mountaines saying to the Mountaines and the Rockes fall on vs and hide vs from the presence of him that sâ—â—tcth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. Reuâ—lati 6. 15. But euen in this great and fearefull day such shal be the peace of the Children of GOD that they shal be bold and not ashamed before CHRIST Iesus as this Apostle hath said in the former Chapter verse 28. Oh vnspeakable happinesse Is not therefore the dignity of Gods Children in this respect exceeding great This peace of the Children of God shall abide with them so that they may alwaies lift vp their face and bee stable without feare c. and that they may be bold c. and lie down safely taking their rest Iob. 11. 15. For the Lord hath promised that the Mountaines shall remoue and the hilles fall dâ—wn but that his mercy shal not depart nor his couenaÌ„t of peace fal away Isa 54. 10 but shal be an euerlasting couenant Ez. 37. 26. Hither also belongeth that of Isay 9. 7. and that before alledged Isay 32 17. This also the Apostle teacheth in the place before alledged Rom. 8. v. 15. For in that the Apostle saith they haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe he plainely noteth that they that are now freed from the spirit of feare shall neuer feare againe What then shall the children of God haue no feare at any time yes they shall feare God more then before in a child-like maner and so as that in such feare of God they depart from euil Iob. 1. 8. and as feare is commended to be the beginning of wisdome Psal 111 10. and to be a wel pring of life to keepe from the snares of death Pro. 14 17. and as the feare of God testifieth vs to be blessed is ioyned with great delight in his Commandements Psal 112 2. and as this feare of God working the keeping of his Commandements is said to be the whole duty of man Eecl 12 13. and as we are further exhorted euen in respect of the promise of God to clense our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and of the spirit and to grow vp to full holinesse in the feare of God 2. Cor. 7 1. and to feare the Lord and
they should and as sometime they behold the same This made the Prophet to say I haue clensed my heart in vaine Psal 73. 13 â—nd to thinke the state and condition of himselfe to be no better then the state and condition of the wicked yea to iudge theirs better then his Yea Dauid being banished from the Arke of God and in danger of many enemies had such trouble of mind and feares of heart that he was faine to rebuke himselfe in that behalfe and to say to his soule as before we heard why art thou cast down O my soule and why art thou disquieted within me Ps 42. 5. 11. 43. 5. Finally somtime such seares of the children of God the error of their iudgement touching them arise from some bodily cause eueÌ„ from a melancholik coÌ„stitutio wherby the iudgemeÌ„t is so crazed that it doth not erre only in matters of God which coÌ„cern saluation but also in things of this world which coÌ„cern this preseÌ„t life For the abundaÌ„ce of melancholy oftentimes taketh away from men the knowlege of their best friends makes them to think that they are vtter enemies to feare theÌ„ accordingly No maruel then though the said humor doe somtime obscure the fauor of God and darken the peace of conscience euen in the best of Gods children These that are thus occupied with feares doe measure their condition more by feeling then by faith and other arguments of greater certainty then feeling But howsoeuer the children of God in these and the like respects be troubled with such feares for a time yet as before we said of other troubles of this life so I may also say of those feares that the Lord doth at the last deliuer them our of all and turne them likewise to their great good yea for the most part the Lord giueth his children most inward peace when they haue most outward calamities at least when they haue Note most need of such inward peace then also haue the godly most peace yea most comfort When the wicked are most dismaied namely in the times of greatest stormes and tempests euen of most mighty and fearfull thundrings lightnings at such times the wicked quake and tremble as fearing some greater euill towards them and so indeed oftentimes it falls out but contrariwise the childreÌ„ of God looking not so much to the lightnings nor hearkning so much to the thundrings as considering therin the great power of God how able he is to saue them how soon he can subdue their enemies do in this respect both follow their callings the more quietly and also hold vp their heads the more cheerfully The like may be said of them in the howre of their death Mark saith Dauid the vpright man and behold the iust for the end of that man is peace Psal 37 37. and why so the sonne answereth the father I meane Salomon answereth Dauid saying the day of death is better then the day that one is borne that is to the child of God Ecâ—l 7 3. and why is this because the day of death to the children of God is the day of deliuerance from all their misery The children of God themselues die not but their misery then dieth yea then also their sinne the cause of their misery and chiefe misery it selfe maketh an end Secondly death to the godlie is but a short bridge and a speedie passage to eternall life they take not onely their leaue of all calamities but they enter also into their Masters ioie and take now more full possession then euer before they had of that moste blessed inheritance whereof before they heard and which they had a long time most earnestly longed for On the contrary howsoeuer the wicked for a time especially in prosperity seem to be at peace and so liue securely fearing nothing yet if aduersity once come then they rage and storme then they fret and chafe then they raile and raue then they curse and sweare then they speake not only against men but also against God himselfe especially the day of their death is most fearfull vnto them as being the end of all their happinesse and the beginnings of their greatest woe and misery and so they finish their daies most heauily most fearfully yea sometime they are so discontent with some things befallen vnto them or so tormented in their minds with feare of Gods iudgements against themselues that they play the bloody butchers vpon themselues So Achitophel in malcontent mind hanged himselfe 2. Sam. 17. 23. so Iudas as before we heard in great desperation of Gods mercy did make the like fearfull end of himselfe Mat. 27. 5. That sometime the children of God die vnquietly in outward appearance it is to admonish other the better to prepare themselues for their end and to labour the more to treasure vp for themselues comfort by keeping a good conscience for the day of their death That the wicked die sometime peaceably and in shew comfortably either it is to admonish all men not rashly to iudge sith God can in a moment secretly worke repentance or else howsoeuer some will say of such that they went away like a bird or died like a lamb yet rather if they shewed no repentance especially if they did not indeed repent they are to be thought to haue died like beasts that for the most part dying naturally of some disease and not being killed violently doe only pant and grone and make no other noise As it is said of Nabal that when Abigail had related what Dauid had purposed against him and what she had done to saue Nabal from the execution thereof that his heart died wit hin him and he became like a stone and so about ten daies after he died 1. Sam. 25. 22. 28. so the wicked dying in their sins and yet not dying raging nor rauing c. doe die like stocks or stones that is neither shewing any more repentance neither any whit more regarding any goodnesse then stocks or stones But to returne to the children of God such is their peace vpon the grounds before mentioned that as they are freed from the seruile feare of Gods wrath and iustice so they are likewise freed from all such feare of other creatures as whereby they should be dismaied or disabled from such duties as belong vnto them For what need they feare any thing sith God hath made a league with all creatures in their behalfe and sith they know that all things doe worke together for their good as before we haue heard we may therefore Note conclude they need not to feare any euill tydings Psal 112. 7. yea though they walke through the vale of the shadow of death Psal 23. 4. but that euery one of them may say the Lord is my light and saluation whom shall I feare the Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid Psal 27. 1. and againe I will lay me downe and also sleep in
peace for thou Lord makest me dwell in safety Psal 4. 8. this peace of the children of God is not only common to them all neither only proper to them alone neither only alwaies in them euen in all troubles and in death it selfe in manner notwithstanding and with the exceptions before expressed but it is also accompanied with great ioy of the holy ghost and such as none of the wicked doe enioy though they be kings and Princes or otherwise abounding in all prosperity Indeed commonly the state of the children of God is accounted the most lumpish dumpish heauy and solitary state of all other Yea amongst many other things that do discourage men from being the children of God this is not the least that they thinke there is no ioy no mirth no gladnesse belonging to them but that if once men will frame themselues to be the children of God then they must bid farewell to all ioy and they must prepare themselues to all sadnesse and heauinesse But this is a foule and grosse error euen proceeding from the father of lies For the truth is that as the righteous and none but the righteous are often bid be glad and reioice Psal 32. 11. and 33. 1. Phil. 4 4. and elsewhere so indeed in respect of the forgiuenesse of sinnes and of the fauour of God and of all other benefits before mentioned they haue more cause to be glad and reioice then all the world besides Yea none but they haue sound cause to be glad and reioice For ioy and peace are as well as accounted fruits of the spirit as loue patience goodnesse faith gentlenesse and temperance Gal. 5. 22. and the kingdome of heauen is as well said to be in peace and ioy in the holy ghost as in righteousnesse Rom. 14. 17. in both which places this is to be obserued that the Apostie ioines peace and ioy together as I now doe euen as the cause the effect it is therefore euident that there is no sound ioy but where there is the spirit and kingdome of God The Lord speaking of the wicked and of the godly saith thus Behold my seruants shall reioice and ye shall be astonted behold my seruants shall sing for ioy of heart and ye shall cry for sorrow of heart and shall howle for vexation of mind Isai 65. 13. 14. Before likewise the Lord had said by the same Prophet The redeemed of the Lord shall returne and come to Ston with proise and euerlasting ioy shall be vpon their head they shall obtaine ioy and gladnesse and sorrow and mourning shall flie away Isai 35. 10. Therefore the Apostle commendeth this peacero be the peace of God and to passe all vnderstanding Phil. 4. 7. first because no humane vnderstanding can sufficiently comprehend it Secondly because no humane vnderstanding can prize or value it according to the worth thereof Salomon also speaking of a good conscience which is only to be found in the children of God saith that it is a continuall feast Pro. 15. 15. because it bringeth that ioy before spoken of and maketh men alwaies as merry as if they were at a greatfeast alwaies I say and not somtimes only doth a good conscience make a man merry viz. not only in abundance of other things and in prosperity but also in want and penury vea vnder many greatand heauy afflictions For so the Apostle testifieth of them to whom he did write that being by the rich mercy of God begotten againe to a liuely hope of that excellent inheritāce wherof before wespake they didreioice although by many afflictions they were in heauinesse 1. Pet. 1. 6. yea afterward he describeth their sound ioy by two notable attributes vnspeakable and glorious vers 8. As these christians did so reioice so the Apostle Paul though continually vnder great and heauy afflictions and persecutions Acts 20. 23. 2. Cor. 11. 23. yet he testifieth that the testimony of his conscience was his reioicing 2. Cor. 1. 12. Therefore often elsewhere he professeth that he was so far from being ashamed of his crosses and manifold troubles that he did rather reioice and glory in them and so we see indeed that he and Stlas being in prison did not mourne and weep but sang Psalmes euen at midnight Acts 16. 25. The like ioy we read to haue been if not in all yet diuers of the martyrs mentioned in the book of the Acts and Monuments Yea the truth is that in respect of the premises the meanest child of God that hath faith and regeneration but as a grain of mustard seed hath more sound and true matter of reioicing euen in afflictions then the greatest the richest and the mightiest monarch in all the world that hath not receiued the spirit of adoption Yea how can they reioice that haue no communion with Christ that are dead in their sinnes that are no better then fooles and madmen that are in bondage vnto sins yea vnto satan himselfe that haue no freedome in heauen neither any trade for any merchandise therof whose sins doe all remaine in the book of Gods account and that may continually feare when God will enter into iudgement with them that haue no liberty to come to God once to aske pardon of the said sinnes because they haue not faith wherein they should offer vp their praiers and without which all their praiers are abominable vnto God that haue no benefit by the word of God either for their direction or for their comfort or for their defence against the enemies of their saluation that therefore are alwaies naked and lie open to all their assaults that much lesse haue any thing to do with the sacramēts which are seales of Gods word that haue no right or interest in any blessings of this life but shall giue an account of euery thing they haue had vsed as vsurpers as thieues against whom all things work together for their euill prosperity and aduersity friends and foes their good deeds which they seem to haue done as well as their apparant euill deeds that are excluded out of the kingdome of heauen and are in the state of condemnation euen so long as they continue without the spirit of adoption condemned already what ioy I say can any haue that are in such a case though they be neuer so great neuer so rich and neuer so mighty monarchs in the world Verily as they shall if they repent not bee throwne into vtter darknesse where shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth and where they shall be tormented for euermore with the diuell and his Angels so if they know their wofull and miserable condition they haue cause to mourne and to houle continually in this life yea more cause so to doe then the poorest man in the world good or bad because the more God doth aduance them in this world the greater shall their damnation bee in the world to come if in this life they do not glorifie God according to their said
aduaÌ„cement Sith that the children of God haue such ioy and peace as that no afflictions doe or can expresse the same how great is their dignity in that behalfe Their ioy I grant may be and sometime is eclipsed and obscured for a time by the same meanes whereby it is so with their peace for such as any mans peace is such is his ioy but as the sunne being somtime eclipsed by the interposition of the moone betwixt vs and it and more often darkned by thicke and blacke clouds doth notwithstanding break out againe and shine as bright as before so it is with the children of God Their ioy is sometime obscured and hidden not onely from others but also from themselues But though they weep for a time yet their sorrow shall bee turned into ioy and their heart shall reioice for the most part in this and most certainly in the life to come and their ioy shal no man take from them Ioh. 16. 20. 21. As the wicked shall mourne and no man shall be able to comfort them as before we haue seen by the examples of Saul and Indas so shall the children of God reioice and no man shall take their ioy from them Though sometime they lie among pots or stones and by many afflictions be as it were coloured yet they shall bee as the wings of a Doue that is couered with siluer and whose fethers are like yellow gold Psal 68. 13. they shall haue beauty for ashes the oyle of ioy of mourning the garment of gladnesse for the spirit of heauinesse Isai 61. 3. yea euen in their heauinesse their ioy from aboue is greater then their mourning here below As Sampson found hony and the hony combe in the carkasse of a deuouring lyon so the children of God find most sweet comfort euen in the very belly and bowels of those afflictions which deuoure the wicked The riddle of Sampson touching the foresaid hony out of the eater came meat and out of the strong came sweetnesse was inexplicable to the Philistims till they had ploughed with Sampsons heyfer Iudg. 14. 14. so indeed that the children of God are cheerfull and comfortable euen full of ioy and gladnesse in their pouerty reproch sicknesse and such other like aduersity seemeth a thing very strange to the vngodly and no man can explicat or expound the same but only the children of God and they that haue ploughed with their heyfer that is with the same spirit of vnderstanding wherewith they and they only are indued For they only haue that white stone spoken of before wherein is a new name written which no man knoweth but he that receiueth it Reu. 2. 17. And how great the peace and the ioy of the children of God is and how truly it may be said to passe al vnderstanding and to be vnspeakable and glorious as before we heard it to be called doth not only appeare by the feare and griefe of the wicked but also by the like afflictions trouble and heauinesse of mind sometimes in the godly when God for the reasons before spoken of hideth his face from them For that which is said generally of all creatures may particularly be said of them if thou hide thy face they are troubled Psal 104. 29. By this trouble I say of the godly themselues when sometimes for a time they haue lost their former ioy and peace it appeareth how great their said peace and ioy is and how worthie of that commendation which before we haue heard to be giuen vnto it For aske one of them that haue for a season lost their former peace and ioy and that troubled in that behalfe yea aske the very wicked themselues which feele the terrors of an euill conscience and feares of Gods wrath aske I say either the one or the other what they would giue for a release from their troubles and feares and for comfort and they will crie out with teares that if they had a thousand worlds they would giue all for true peace and ioy Consider how the Church mourneth for neglect of her beloueds voice yea how her heart fainted in that behalfe and how she charged the daughters of Ierusalem that if they did find her welbeloued they should tell him that she was sicke of loue for him Cantic 5. 6. how Dauid also was troubled when he wanted that peace and ioy which before he had we haue already shewed Touching the ioy of the wicked which seemeth to be very great first the truth is that it is a painted and pictured ioy without any ground yea without any substance it is only in face and countenance and as wesay from the teeth it is not from the heart it is but as the laughter of phrensie and madnesse in the pangs of death Secondly it is therefore very short and vncertain as it is said of the laughter of a fools that it is like the cracking of thornes vnder a pot Eccl. 7. 8. though it make a great blaze a loud noise for a time yet on a sudden it vanisheth and commeth to nothing Thirdly which is more then the former the more the wicked laugh and are merry here the more they shall weep and mourne and houle in the world to come As the strongest wine makes the sharpest vineger euen such as will fetch off the skin from the rough of ones mouth so the greater shall be their calamity and their greater ioy shal be turned into the greater heauinesse But because many things before written of the prosperity of the wicked may likewise bee referred to that point of their ioy which ariseth from no other cause then from their prosperity therfore I will here cease to write any more thereof To conclude this point of the ioy and peace of the children of God as they haue better cause of peace and ioy then all the wicked in the world though kings and Princes so their peace and ioy cannot but be much greater how poore base and miserable soeuer they seem to be in the world and are indeed touching their outward state They may reioice when the wicked euen Princes may mourn they may laugh when such may weep they may sing when the others for all their wealth pleasures friends power and authority and glory may cry and houle As the Virgin Mary was saluted in this manner baile Mary or reioice Mary thou art freely beloned the Lord is with thee c. and againe feare not for thou hast found fauour with God for thou shalt conceiue in thy womb beare a son and call his name Iesus Luk. 1. 28. 29. 30. and as the Angell said to the shepheards bee not afraide behold I bring yon glad tidings of great ioy which shall bee to all people that vnto you is borne this day in the City of Dauid a Sauiour which is called Christ the Lord Luk 2. 10. So no man will denie but that Marie and the shepheards had cause ro cast away feare and to bee giâ—â— and to reioice
Hathaliah that immediatly after Ahaziah vsurped the kingdome All these seuen kings I say were euill and vngodly though some of them at their entrance into their kingdomes made great shewes of godlinesse Neither had any of these seuen any good child for ought that we know but only Ahaz whom Ezekiâ—h his sonne succeeded Yet in the daies of Hezekiah the Lord comforteth him against Zenaherib and promiseth to saue Ierusalem for his owne sake and for Dauid his seruants sake 2. Kings 19. 34. So he noteth that all the former succession of euill kings so long togither euen for the space of about 155 yeers at least not much lesse had not disanulled and made voide the former couenant of God made with Dauid Yea we may say more that sometime the promise of the Lord made to the wicked though indeed as they in some things resemble the children of God is kept with their posterity and they also haue the benefit of it This hath been shewed before by the performance of Gods promise made to Iehu euen to his sonnes afterward though all wicked to the fourth generation What a gratious priuiledge then is it to them that are the children of God indeed that euen their children are by their parents within the couenant of God Although also wicked children of good parents doe depriue themselues of all benefits of Gods couenant touching the life to come yet they do receiue many by the same couenant touching this present life Ismael had not only the seale of the couenant circumcision but for the couenants sake made with Abraham God heard him praying for Ismael that he might liue in his sight and answered him most gratiously saying As concerning Ismael I haue heard thee lo◠〈◊〉 blessed him and will make him fruitfull and will multiply him exceedingly twelue Princes shall he beget and I wiâ—â— make a great nation of him Gen. 17. 18. By the said example of Ismael and by the benefit he had by the praiers of Abraham praying for him wee see the posterity of the children of God to haue great benefit by the praiers of their parents If the praier of the righteous auaileth much for any if it bâ— feâ—â—ent Iames 5. 17. much more may wee assure our selues that the praiers of the righteous parents for their children doe auaile much because they will pray most feruently for them If God heard Abraham praying for wicked Ismael he will also doubtlesse heare other parents praying for their children in the saith of Abraham especially for such children as doe themselues also beleeue Therefore the Gospell testifieth how many children were sometime restored from death to life and somtime were released from a bodily possession of satan by the suit of their godly parents to our sauiour in their behalfe Mat. 9. 18. Mat. 15. 22. Mat. 17. 14. Mark 9. 17. Great likewise is the benefit of Gods childrens children by better education better precepts better exercises of religion better chastisements and corrections and better example of life and conuersation then the children of the wicked for the most part haue As the children of such parents as are themselues the children of God haue these benefits by their such parents so likewise great is the benefit and comfort that such parents haue by their children that walke in the couenant of God viz. by their feare of God by their obedience to them and their praiers for them and by their good behauiours towards all other in which respect Salomon doth often commend such children in the book of the Prouerbs A wise sonne maketh a glad father Prou. 10. 1. and 15. 20. My sonne if thou be wise mine heart shall reioice and I also Pro. 23. 15. and againe the father of the righteous shall reioice he that begetteth a wise sonne shall haue ioy of heart thy father and thy mother shall be glad and she that bare thee shall reioice verse 24 25. My sonne be wise and reioice mine heart that I may answer him that reprooueth me Pro. 27. 11. and 29. 3. sometime also it commeth to passe that good children become parents to their parents by releeuing them in their necessities and helping them in their outward state so Ioseph is said to haue nourished his father Iacob and all the rest of his sonnes and their families Gen. 45. 18. and 47. 12. so likewise Ruth was a great helpe for maintenance to her mother in law Naomi and much other comfort had Naomi by her in her old age The contrary is manifest of wicked children both by many sentences in the Prouerbs before alleged and also by many examples of Ismael Esau the sonnes of Eli Hophni and Phine as Amnon and Absolon the sonnes of Dauid and of many other As it is thus betweene the husband and the wife and parents and children that are themselues the children of God so the master and seruant that are the children of God haue much greater benefit one by another then wicked masters and seruants haue for how great was the mutuall comfort both that Abraham had by the faithfull seruice that his seruant performed whom he imploied about a wife for his sonne Isaac and also that the same seruant had by the former instruction and example of Abraham whereby no doubt he was brought to make such conscience of faithfull seruice vnto Abraham For doth not the Lord himselfe say of Abraham I know him that he will command his seruants and his house after him that they keepe the way of the Lord to doe righteousnesse and iudgement Gen. 18. 19. Yea wicked masters haue great benefit by such seruants as are the children of God Laban an Idolater could say of Iacobs seruice I haue perceiued that the Lord hath blessed mee for thy sake Gen. 30. 27. Potiphar Iosephs master saw that the Lord was with Ioseph and that the Lord made all to prosper that was in his hand and so Ioseph found fauour in his sight and serued him and he made him Ruler ouer his house and put all that he had in his hand and from that time that hee made him Ruler ouer his house and ouer all that hee had the Lord blessed the Egyptians house for Iosephs sake and the blessing of the Lord was vpon all that he had in his house and in the field Gen. 39. 2. Yea Potiphar had a further benefit by Ioseph because when his wife most impudently inticed him to filthinesse with her Ioseph most gratiouslie denied it and said Behold my master knoweth not what he hath in the house with me but hath committed all that he hath to mine hand There is no man greater in this house then I neither hath he kept any thing from mee but only thee because thou art his wife how then can I doe this great wickednesse and so sinne against God And albeit she spake to Ioseph day by day yet hee hearkned not vntâ— her to lie with her nor to be in her companie Ge. 39. 8. 9. 10. Was not this a great
vnruly They comfort the feeble minded they be are with the weake they be patient towards all men they doe not recompence euill for euill to any man but euer follow that which is good both towards themselues and towards others 2. Thess 5. 14. 15. They exhort one another daily whiles it is called to day lest any should be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne and so depart from the liuing God Heb. 3. 12. They consider one another to prouoke or whet to loue and to good workes they forsake not the fellowship that they haue one with another in the exercises of religion Heb. 10. 24. They are mercifull and lend they distribute and giue to the poore Psal 112. 5. They doe good and be rich in good workes ready to distribute and communicate 1. Tim. 6. 18. They are iust and giue to euery man his right owing nothing to any man but loue Rom. 13. 8. If in the time of their ignorance and their vnregenerate state or afterward through the corruption of nature they haue taken or gotten any thing vniustly being conuerted and knowing the wrong they haue done they will willingly make restitution with recompence also for their wrong So did Samuel offer to doe if any man could haue charged him rustly with doing wrong to any 1. Sam. 12. 3. So did Zaccheus Luk 19. 8. They comfort the afflicted they strengthen the weake â— they raise vp them that are fallen by the spirit of meeknesse considering themselues lest they also be tempted Gal 6. 1. That which Iob saith of himselfe that he was etes to the blinde and feet to the lame c. Iob 31. 16. they likewise put in practise towards others in the like necessitie Yea howsoeuer the wicked hate and abhorre the children of God yet they also haue great benefits by them They fare the better for them euery day they rise and the godly are the fairest flowers of the garland of the wicked They escape many outward iudgements and enioy the like mercies by their meanes This is plaine not onely by the words of Ioash King of Israel touching Elisha neither by the example of Laban that confessed himselfe to haue fared much the better by Iacob and of Potiphar who saw that God blessed him for Iosephs sake but also by diuers other examples The whole world escaped drowning so long as Noah was among them Fire and brimstone came not from heauen vpon Sodome and Gomorrha all the while that Lot was in their Cities For Pauls sake all that were in the ship in great danger were preserued and safely set on land though the ship it selfe were broken in peeces Acts 27. 14. The like may bee said of diuers other As before wee heard that sometime the wicked are kept from sinnes by meanes of the godly so also they are sometime prouoked to doe that good by them which otherwise they would not doe Did not Saul many good things in suppressing of the Witches c. by the meanes of Samuel which otherwise hee would not haue done Did not Ioash King of Iuda most worthily repaire the house of the Lord and otherwise doe that which was vpright in the eies of the Lord all the daies of Iehoiadah the Priest who notwithstanding as soone as Iehoiadah was dead hearkned to the flatteries of the Princes of Iudah and fell so greeuously that hee commanded Zachariah the sonne of the foresaid Iehoiadah to bee stoned to death onely for rebuking him by the word of God for his sinnes and exhorting him and the rest of the people to repentance 2. Chron 24. 2. and vers 17. 18. 19. Is not Herod said to haue done many things by meanes of Iohn Baptist Mark 6. 10. Neither onely doe the children of God much good generally to the wicked but euen particularly also to them that are their enemies according to Gods Commandement in that behalfe doing well to them that hate them and praying for them that persecute them and bate them Luâ— 6. 27. If also they that hate them bee hungry they giue them bread to eat if they bee thirstie they giue them water to â—rinke Prou. 25. 21. Rom. 12. 20. And all this they doe as they are the children of God and that they may declare themselues so to bee Matt. 5. 45. As our Sauiour the naturall sonne of God healed the high Priests seruants â—are that Peter had with his sword strucken off Luk 22. 51. and praied for them that did crucifie him Luk. 23. 34. So Stephen one of Gods children by adoption praied for them that stoned him to death that God would not lay that great sinne to their charge Act. 7. 60. So Mela a certaine Bishop of Rhinocurum set the best and daintiâ—st fare hee had before them that were sent to kill him Sozomen Lib. 6. Cap. 31. Polyearpus did the like to them that were sent to apprehend him Euseb Eccles Hist. Lib. 4. Cap. 15. Yea the children of God doe good not onely to the liuing but also to the dead not by praying for them whereby they should dishonour God and doe them no good as before hath beene shewed but otherwise and that both to their friends and also to their enemies So Naomi commended Booz for not ceasing to doe good to the liuing and to the dead Ruth 2. 10. because hee had shewed great kindnesse vnto Ruth her selfe for her husbands sake that then was dead So Dauid shewed kindnesse to Mephibosheth the sonne of his ancient faithfull friend Ionathan for Ionathans sake that was dead 2. Sam. 9. 7. and commanded also Salomon his son to shew kindnes to the sons of Barzillaâ— the Gileadite then dead because Barzillai whilest hee liued had shewed kindnesse vnto him 1 King 2. 7. The same Dauid also put the Amalekite to death that had brought him tidings of the death of Saul and that had told him that hee had quite killed him being halfe dead before 2. Sam. 1. 13. Then hee made likewise a most excellent mournfull song in commendation of the good things that had beene in Saul whiles hee lâ—ued verse 19. Afterward also hee sent messengers vnto Iabesh Gilead with great thankes as it were to them and most high commendation of them as men blessed of the Lord or whom hee praied to bee blessed of the Lord because they had shewed kindnesse to their Lord Saul and had buried him 2. Sam 2. 5. Yet who knoweth not how mortall an enemiâ— Saul had been vnto Dauid Neither do the children of God themselues onely good to their enemies liuing or dead but they sometime cause the very wicked that are wholly set vâ—on reuenge to shew kindnesse to their enemies For when Elisha had brought the armie of the Aramites that had beene sent to fetch him into the midst of Samaria so that they were in the hands of the King of Israel and when the King of Israels fingers itched against them so that hee said to Elisha My father shall I smite them shall I smite them this repetition
before heard that the regeneration or new birth or second creation of the children of God is a greater and more excellent worke then the first creation of all things and sith the Angels haue their part onely in the first creation why may not this also bee thought to bee some prerogatiue of the children of God aboue the Angels Last of all Christ promiseth that the children of God shall sit with him in his throne as himselfe sitteth in the throne of his Father and that by them hee will iudge the world yea the Angels that are fallen Hath hee promised any such thing to the Angels that doe stand or hath hee saide anie such thing of them they are indeed said to stand before him and about his throne c. but they are neuer said to sit in his throne To stand before him and round about his throne importeth onely seruice But to sit and that in his throne importeth authoritie and maiesty But some man against all before spoken of the preeminence of the children of GOD in earth aboue the Angels in heauen may perhaps obiect that our Sauiour speaking of the state of Gods children in the world to come doth set it foorth by their similitude to the Angels in heauen saying when they shall rise againe from the dead they are as the Angels of God in heauen Matth. 22. 30. If in the resurrection they shall bee but like to the Angels how can they here be said to haue any preeminence aboue them To this I answer that it is but a sleight and weake obiection for our Sauiour doth not simply say that in the resurrection the children of God shall be like the Angels but onely that as touching mariage where of the question was propounded by the Sadduces they shall be like and therefore he saith In the resurrection they neither marrie wiues nor wines are bestowed in marriage but they are as the Angels of God in heauen So then this comparison of likes is not in all things but only as touching marriage and this is more manifest by that which followeth in the second verse of this present text where we read and shall afterward by Gods grace heare that at the appearing of Christ we shall not only bee like to the Angels but also to Christ himselfe which is likewise more then euer we read of the Angels Now though I haue hither to thus written of their preeminence of the children of God aboue the Angels in respect of their communion with Christ and by vertue thereof yet we must neuer forget that as there is that preeminence so also in some other respects the Angels for the present time especially haue great prerogatiue aboue the children of God Namely first that they dwell in heauen the children of GOD in earth Secondly that they are altogether spirit the children of God flesh and spirit Thirdly they are free from all sinne and consequentlie from all miserie the fruit of sinne the children of God whiles they are clothed with corruption are subiect to sinne and doe sinne daily and by sinne they are also subiect as to many other calamities so at last to death it selfe So in these respâ—cts they are inferior to Angels but in the former they haue a great prerogatiue What a dignitie is this what an honour what a glorie to all the children of God to be so aduanced was it not a great honor for Daniel to be one of the three rulers that were by Daniel to be one of the three rulers that were by Darius set ouer all the one hundred and twenty gouernors whom hee had before set ouer all his whole kingdome How greate then is the honour of all the children of GOD in that they haue a preeininence aboue Angels who in respect of other creatures vnder GOD are principalities powers mights and dominions What was Darius himselfe yea what was great King Salomon in all his earthlie pompe in all his honor in all his roialtie and glory in respect of the least Angell If any man notwithstanding all before written of this point touching the preeminence of the children of God aboue Angels shal differ in iudgement let him vnanswerably and plainlie without cauilling answer my former reasons and shew better for his iudgement and I will easily change my former opinion I affect not any noueltie I am not delighted with singularitie neither am I so peremptorie in any thing that I hold differing from other the true seruants of God but that I am ready in al humilitie to submit my spirit to the Prophets which shall speake according to the ancient holy Prophets and Apostles In the meane time let not this point be thought a curious or vnnecessarie paradox but let it rather be regarded as a point of great vse to prouoke vs to more thankfulnesse vnto God and to be so much more zealous of his glorie by how much the more he hath aduanced vs and finally the more to comfort vs and the better to assure vs of the continuance of Gods fauour towards vs the more highly he hath exalted vs. CHAP. XXX Of the promises of God to them that shall shew kindnesse to any of the children of God and of the threatnings to the contrary c. HAuing hitherto beene thus large and plentifull in laying foorth the dignity of Gods children I will now inlarge the same but by one argument more viz. by the promises of God to them that shall doe any thing for his children by his threatnings against those that doe them any hurt and by the performance from time to time of the said promises threatnings For heereby it doth the more manifestly appeare in what price and reckoning they are with God Touching the promises and threatnings of God in behalfe of his children they are first of all ioined together For when God first made a speciall couenant with Abraham and his seed this is one speciall article as before vpon other occasion wee haue heard of the said couenant that God would blesse them that should blesse him and curse them that should curse him Gen. 12. 3. Was this promise made to Abraham as one man Not so but as he was the root and father of the faithfull Therefore all the faithfull children of God haue right to the said promise and it doth belong to euery one of them as well as it did to Abraham himselfe so that whosoeuer shall blesse or doe any good to any of Abrahams children by faith hee may as well looke for a blessing from God as any that blessed Abraham or did any good to Abraham himselfe and whosoeuer shall curse or doe any hurt to any of Abrahams children by faith he may as well feare a curse from God as any that euer did curse or doe any hurt to Abraham himselfe Touching promises in particular If hee bee blessed that is vnder many blessings which generally iudgeth wisely of the poore Psal 41. 1. and that generally likewise is mercifull because he shall
that behalfe then did Ebedmelech finde fauour and was deliuered from captiuitie according to Ieremiahs prophecie also thereof when the Iewes were taken captiue c. Ierem. 39. 16. 17. How also did the Lord recompence the widow of Zarephath for her kindnesse towards Elisa when hauing but an handfull of meale in a barrell and a little oile no more then would make a cake for one meale of her and her sonne then to die because of the extreme famine in those daies vet she beleeued the word of the Lord by Elisa and did cheerefully make him a cake first before she made any thing for her selfe and for her sonne For first of all that meale in her barrell and that oile in her cruse did not waste or diminish vntill the Lord sent raine vpon the earth and secondly when her sonne afterward falling sicke died by the meanes of the said Elisa hee was restored againe to life 1. King 17. 10. c. so her kindnesse receâ—ued a double recompence How plentifully also was the kindnesse of the Shunamite towards Elisha recompenced â—viz fourefold First by the gift of a sonne vnto her in her latter age when she had beene barren alwares before Secondly by restoring her sard sonne to life againe being dead 2. King 4. 8. c. Thirdly by admonishing her before hand of the seuen yeeres famine to come and aduising her to goe some where with her familie to soâ—ourne during that time of famine And fourthly bv directing her at her returne after those seuen yeeres to come at that very instant to make petition to the King for her lands which in her absence seemed to haue beene seized to the Kings vse when Gehazi was making report to the King of the great acts that Elisha his master had done and particularly how he had raised this womans son from death to life For by this meanes Gebizi telling the King that this was the woman vpon whose sonne Elisha had done that great cure shee did not only speedily recouer her lands but the King also vpon her confessing her selfe to bee the said woman commanded all the meane profits of the land to be restored vnto her euen all the fâ—uits of her lands since the day she had left the land vntill that very time 2. King 8 1. c. So euen that wicked man teacheth all men to shew most fauour to such whom they vnderstand the Lord Note most to haue fauoured and to doe most for them for whom the Lord hath done most The good counsell that Iethro the father in law of Moses gaue vnto Moses for the ease of him of that great burden which he saw to be too heauv for him and for the better gouernmeâ—t of the people Exod. 18. 18 c. was not forgotten but most graciously remembred For diuers hundred yeeres after when all men would haue thought that kindnes to haue beene dead and buried in the graue of euerlasting obliuion the Lord raâ—sed vp one to recompence the same that was of all other the most vnlikely as before he had fet water out of the rocke Euen Saul that was most vngratefull to Dauid that had done most valiantly for him and for all his people that afterward most cruelly slew in one dav 85 persons of the Lords Priests and most bloodily smote the whole câ—â—y Nob the city of the Pâ—â—ests with the edge of the sword both man and woman both childe and suckling both oxe and asse and sheepe 1. Note Sam. 22. 18. c. as it were in despight of God and to bee reuenged of him for casting him off because hee had not done the like against the Amalekites according to Gods Commandement in that behalfe 1 Sam. 15. 1. c and who also before chap. 14. 44. and afterward chap. 20. 33. for Dauids sake would haue killed his owne sonne Ionathan Euen this wicked barbarous hard-hearted and desperate Saul did the Lord raise vp to remember the foresard kindnesse of Iethro to his posteritie yea to be importune with them for recompencing the same For being sent against the Amalekites and there finding the Kenits dwelling among them who were the Kenits but the posteritie of Iethro which was also called Keni Iudg. 1. 16. spake very earnestly vnto them to depart c. saying Goe depart and get yee downe from among the Amalekites list I destroy you with them for ye shewed mercie to all the children of Israel when they came from Egypt 1. Sam. 15. 6. What was the mercie of the Kenits but the fore said counsell of Iethro their father Behold therfore a worthy example of iustice in a most vniust man not to bee so ouercome with surie against some whom God himselfe will haue to bee destroied as to forget kindnesse towards them that haue not offended but are rather in respect of themselues or of their ancestours worthie of kindnesse A comfortable president also for all the children of God to teath them not despaire but to know that the Lord can make them that are of themselues most cruell to shew them mercie in their distresse Finally a most excellent spurre likewise to quicken and prouoke al men to be the more ready to shew fauour vnto the children of God sith the same may be remembred euen by such to their posterity long after when themselues shall be dead and rotten yea not onely to prouoke them to do good to them that haue done any good for themselues but also to those that haue done good to their predecessours and forefathers yea to the posteritie of such as by whom their forefathers haue receiued any benefit All this was the more in Saul not onely because he was such an one as he was but also because we read not of any such expresse commandement for the shewing of that kindnesse to the Kenits as before Saul had receiued for seuerity against the Amalekites where therefore we may further obserue from that which is in the same chapter recorded of Sauls shewing fauor to the Amalekits contrary to Gods commandement that the more expresly God forbiddeth vs any thing the more ready we are to doe that which he so forbiddeth Thus much for performance of Gods promise to all them that shew any kindnesse to his children The Scripture is as plentifull in examples of performance of his threatnings before mentioned against all those that shew any vnkindnesse vnto any of them yea as God is more large in his threatnings generally against such as transgresse his Commandements Leuit. 26. 14. c. and Deut. 28. 15. c. so his word seemeth to haue more rather then fewer examples of his iustice in performing his threathing particularlie against all those that are enemies to his children As the Lord threatned for the vniust death of Naboth to take away the posteruie of Ahab and to cut off from Ahab him that â—isseth agaiâ—st the wall that is all his male children as well him that is shut vp as him that is left in Israel and
that doe not beleeue at all As the want of faith hindreth vs from seeing the glory of God so also it hindreth from seeing the glory of his children and any speciall worke of God towards them for which hee may be glorified by them As our Sauiour signifieth that the weaknesse of her faith might hinder her from seeing the present resurrection of her brother Lazarus and so consequently from the sight of the glorie of God which therein should bee shewed so it cannot bee but that the nullitie of faith in the wicked must much more hinder them from seeing the glorie of the Saints at the last day and in the kingdome of Heauen The vnbeleefe of men did sometimes hinder Christ himselfe from doing those workes which otherwise hee would haue done and whereby hee would haue shewed his owne glorie and the glorie of his father Matth. 13. 58. Yea it is said that in some places hee could doe no great workes because of the maruellous vnbeleefe of them that dwelt in such places Marke 6. 5. 6. If vnbeleefe did so hinder Christ that hee did not neither could doe any great workes for the bodily good of men doth not vnbeleefe much more hinder men from the sight of the euerlasting saluation of his elect for which they shall giue glory vnto God and vnto the Lambe for euermore By this vnbeleefe it hath come to passe that mens eies haue beene shut vp in such sort that they haue not seene the saluation of the children of God from many dangers of this life how apparant and manifest soeuer the same haue beene Consider the vniuersall flood and behold the manifold manifest tokens both thereof and also of the preseruation of all that beleeuing the same should either haue repaired to Noah to goe with him into the Arke which hee had made or by true repentance haue preuented it Noah with many other busied themselues for the space of one hundred and twenty yeeres in building the Arke When the time of the flood it selfe approched he prouided all things fit for preseruation of himselfe and of his companie and of all other creatures that should resort vnto him to bee preserued by him Who would not by these things haue thought that there had beene some great worke of God towards Who would not haue seene the purpose of God for the glorious preseruation of all those that should beleeue the preaching of Noah and doe accordingly Yet behold more When the time of the flood approched neerer all creatures as well wilde as tame as well fierce as gentle as well flying fowles as foure footed beasts came to Noah and offred themselues to bee put into the Arke Wolues Beares Tigres Elephants Lions Hawkes of all sorts Eagles and such like All these I say came by the secret commandement of God for their so comming No man did fetch them No man did call them No man did driue them No man vsed any art to gather them together Who would not haue wondred at this Who would not haue thought all the former preaching of Noah touching the destruction of the world by the flood to haue beene true Who would not haue beleeued it Who would not haue beene perswaded of it Who would not haue seene the future saluation of Noah and his familie in the Arke Notwithstanding though they had seene what Noah had beene yet it did not appeare vnto them what hee and his should bee as touching their safetie from that great iudgement which hee so long had preached This is the more admirable because those creatures which then came so willinglie neither before could nor sithence can either without much force or without great art and skill be brought into subiection The like may bee said of the deliuerance of the people of Israel out of the Land of Egypt Who would not haue thought and seene by all the miracles that the Lord did in the Land of Egypt euen before the Egyptians by the turning of Moses his rodde into a serpent by the changing of all the waters in Egypt into blood so that all the fish that was in the same water died and stanke Exâ—d 7. by the frogges by the lice by the noisome flies Chap. 8. by the rot of all sorts of beasts all the beasts of Israel being in that time safely preserued by the like scabbe and blister vpon all the people of Egypt themselues by the most fearefull haile thunder and lightning Chap. 9. by the innumerable number of grasse-hoppers by the dreadfull darknesse Chap. 10. and by the remooue from time to time of all these iudgements at the praier of Moses lastlie by the death of all the first borne of Egypt euery house of the Israelites being passed ouer Chap. 12. Who I say by these things would not haue thought and seene what the Israelites should bee and how great saluation the Lord had prepared for them Come wee a little further to the comming of the Israelites to the red sea when the Lord made the waters to stand vpon heapes and to be as a wall of each side of them what could bee more euident then that the Lord would both saue Israel and also destroy the Egyptians A man would thinke that these two things the saluation I say of the Israelites and the ouerthrow of the Egyptians by all the former things had beene as plaine as the nose as men vse to speake of a mans face Yet for all this so were the Egyptians blinded so were their hearts through infidelitie and vnbeleefe hardened that it did not appeare vnto them how either the Israelites should be saued or themselues destroied The like may be said of the great miracles that our Sauiour wrought heere vpon the earth as also of the great signes that were done at the putting of him to death viz. of the renting of the veile of the Temple of the generall darknesse vpon the whole Land from the sixth houre to thâ— ninth and the rising and appearing of many of the Saints that slept For who would not haue thought but that by all these things it should haue appeared what Christ was and what hee should bee Yet such was their extreme infidelitie and vnbeleefe that for all that they could not see those things which were so euident viz. neither what Christ was nor especially what Christ should be The same is to bee said of those things whereby God manifested plainly what Steuen should bee especially that the whole Councell did behold his face as the face of an Angell of God Act. 6. 15. Who would not haue thought but that they should haue seene thereby in what grace and fauour hee was with God and what glorie hee should haue likewise before God Yet when hee said Behold I see the heauens open and the sonne of man standing at the right hand of God they were so farre from seeing any such thing that they shouted with a loud voice and stopped their eares and ran vpon him all at once and cast him out of