reward as I cease not to be it in their death and then so much the more not as the masters of this world their seruants dead dead their seruices and therefore doe we reade so often The God of Abraham of Isaac and of Iacob For the loue of my sernant Abraham for the promise of the eternall God is eternall suruiues his seruants and their seruices Therefore the Apostle said p. To me to line is Christ to die p Philip 1. to die is gaine so also Christ shall be magnified in my body whether it be by life or by death In a word serue thou in this life according to thy calling according to mine whosoeuer it bee howsoeuer froward hee be to thee be not dismayed thou losest not thy paines q Ephes 6. Tit. 2. The seruant serues his master with good will the subject his prince he serues the Lord hee doth the will of God not of men with good will doing seruice as to the Lord and not to men But let theÌ„ relie also on him trust to this reward and not to men For hast thou r Gen. 3. 32. Incob serued an vngratefull Laban the best of thy yeares in the scorchng heate of the Sunne by day in the frost by night and the Lord hath euidently blest thee to his profit it may be to thy dammage Feare not sayth the Lord For I am thy reward Thou hast passed ouer the Iordan with thy staffe and behould thou art become two bands Hast thou faithfully serud a prince or the state of a kingdome and God hath he vouchafed to worke amongst them by thy hand and they repay thee with coÌ„tempt with hatred yea with iniuries doe not bemoane thy selfe doe not bely thy self or derogate from thy selfe whatsoeuer happens thee thou hast serued according to confidence and not according to fauour and not according to anger thou hast serued the Lord thy God and not men The Lord is faithfull saith the Apostle is faithfull s Heb. 11.6 He that commeth to God must beleeue that hee is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seeke him That is to say that it is not more true that God is then that it is consequently true that his reward is with true that his reward is with him that he is the reward of them that serue him euen of those that in the consideration of his calling take their condition in good part vndergoe ioyfully all bitternes and their charges and burdens scarce tolerale and supportable for the most part in themselues lesse for being lesse acknowledged but least acknowledged of them whom they serue Israel also I meane the Church is she hardly opprest in Egypt Iosephs seruices are they there forgot yea turned into torments and punishments to make and bake brickes to gather straw to feele the rod of the taske-masters the discretion of the exacter the seuere corrector Let him not doubt but that hee shal be drawne away with an out stretched arme a strong hand that God shal be glorified in deliuering his people in chastising Egypt But know also Israel and doe not abuse thy selfe that thy reward is not in this soyle in the slime and mud of Nilus Thou art there a stranger how fertill soeuer it be but thy reward is in Canaan in the true Canaan in the heauenly There properly Shalt thou laugh at the cry of the oppressors at the noise of people there maist thou say assuredly t Va. 14.4 How hath the oppressour ceased and what is become of the Scepter of the rulers Yea comest thou thus farre O seruant of God whosoeuer thou beest to receiue amongst thine owne amongst his owne hard handling yea euen death for thy paines and pay Thy pay and reward for that thou hast assisted them with counsell in their perplexities with aide in their aduersiries thou hast made no reckoning of thy life of thy dignitie of all that man ciuily esteemes most and that because many times they shall want an onyon or melon or somesauce of Egypt not necessary things but things superfluous yeeld not vnto them but â—â—fly bend and harden thy selfe against them to doe them good For how often haue they murmured against Moses and haue not they knocked downe the Prophets and did they euer reuerence them but when they were dead and would they not stone our Sauiour and haue not they forgot the Lord their possession Yea how often haue they kicked against him Now who art thou then what are thy seruices that thou expressest either lesse or better and the greater they shal be seest thou not that proportion ably they are often followed with enuie yea with hatred and reproach yea though the Lord should say vnto thee as he said vnto Moses u Numb 14. I will smite this people with the pestilence and disinherite them and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier then they Doe not consent vnto their euil their punishment no not vnto thine owne good say rather Lord what will the Egyptians say The Lord was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware vnto them therefore he hath stane them in the wildernesse Pardon I beseech thee the iniquitie of this people according vnto the greatnesse of thy mercie and as thou hast for given this people from Egypt even vntill now x Luk. 23.34 For give them father said our Lord Christ For they know not what they doe Yea euen bee willing to sacrifice thy selfe for them to make thy seife an anathema accâ—rsed because Certes thy reward is not here nor of here beneath it is from a boue and it is there also and therefore be not offended if the wicked doe prosper It belonges to the men of this world to seeke it here on earth to expect it of men Contrarie wise it is said vnto vs y Matth. 3.11.12 Blessed are yee when men shall reuile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of euill against you falsely for my name sake reioyce and bee exceeding glad for great is your reward in heauen Great in it selfe and indeede what is there great but God No lesse great in regard of the faithfull For z Psal 8.4 What is man that thou art mindfull of him and the Sonne of man that thou visitest him And therefore it is added very great or exceeding great in him and of him for God is all sufficient to himselfe and therfore super abounds vpon all creatures of his fulnesse haue they all receiued but so much the more in vs for the due wages of all men was death and what haue the best men of all but that which they haue receiued and is it not then grace vpon grace and not salary and besides what can wee doe that can oblige God or make him beholden vnto vs seing that a Psal 16. Our goodnesse sayth the Psalmist extendeth not to him For what can wee suffer that is worthy him Seeing sayth the Apostle that b Rim. 8.18 The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to bee compared with the glorie which shal be reuealed in vs. But Certes where c Rom. 5.20.21 sinne abounded grace did much more abounde that as sinne hath reigned vnto death euen so might grace reigne through righteousnesse vnto eternall life by Iesus Christ our Lord. Grace verily most abounding drawn from the depth of the treasures of the mercies of God our father reconciling his elected and chosen in his Sonne the seede of Abraham according to the flesh but the ioy of Abraham according to the promise in whom he hath called vs iustified sanctified and glorified vs In whom and for whose sake he will be heere of meere good will our Shield in heauen aboue freely our Reward And therefore again and again feare not Israel feare not any true Israelite for d Psal 11.2 Blessed is the man sayth the Psalmist that feareth the Lord he shall not be affrayde of euill tydings the euill always weaker then goodnesse the goodnesse it selfe camping alwayes about him camping for him he shall be alwayes sayth he enuironed with all kind of blessings he shall abound in them because he shall enioy and possesse from this very time forward here on earth this good thing in hope assured fully to enioy it in Heauen aboue in the glory of the Father To whom with the Son and the holy Ghost be ascribed all honour glory power and dominion for euer and euer Amen FINIS
him For the wicked tremble where there is no cause of flight or feare k Prou. 19.26 But in the feare of the Lord is strong confidence and his children shall haue a place of refuge A Sanctuary for Abraham when Sara his wife his flesh and bones is at the discretion of the Philistin according to the iudgement of the flesh there saith the Scriptures l Gen. 20. Sure the feare of God is not in this place Notwithstanding God caused himselfe to be feared there for his seruant that feared him A shelter for Iacob in this feare against the fury of Esau God sendes before him an army of Angels changeth ouer and besides and turnes that cruell heart to fauour him So far forth that Saul is afraid of Dauid that great king of a sheep-heard because saith Samuel the Lord was with him Elisha on the other side besieged in Dothan by the king of the Assirians in stead of fearing them takes it away from others and giues them courage m 2 King 6.16 Feare not sayth he to his seruant for they that be with vs are more then they that be with them An army that he shewes him God opening his seruants eyes at his request a mountaine full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha for his succour inuisisible before to his faith much more to his eyes and how often is our helpe at the dore which we see not from how many dangers doth God deliuer vs which we feele not What then is it in the power of man of flesh and bloud not to feare the creatures and so powerfull so many perils whereunto hee is subiect euery moment Nay God forbid yea it is as little in his power as to feare God himselfe to feare God and not to feare the creatures spring from one fountaine and that fountaine is God himselfe faith the gift of God that prints in vs his feare ought also to wipe out of vs all other feare and therefore he that bids vs feare not adds sometimes but beleeue yea which is more hee that bids vs beleeue and feare not in commaunding it workes it in vs by his word this powerfull word to create in vs these qualities which we haue not no lesse powerfull then in saying Let their be light let the waters bring forth This word bringes forth causeth them to bring forth those things that were not and therefore is it sayd I will command my blessing vpon you because that his sayings is a doing his word an act his blessing a good deed a certaine effect of his good will towards his children On the other side I will dread before you to make your way plaine I will put into the hearts of your enemies to forgoe you their place they shall beate you another time in one quarter and you shall flie away seauen wayes namely according as you shall feare mee or not feare me Because it is God alone that can giue or take away this feare in his blessings or curses as to create all other things But yet wee must be well assured that hee that gaue these qualities vnto Abraham and to our fathers according to the ability and capacitie of their infirmity in commanding recōmending them vnto them by mouth giues them to vs at this time asking them of him with hart in the name of his welbeloued as the Apostle saith n Iam. 1.6 Aske in faith nothinge wauering Our Lord himselfe saith o Ioh. 14 15. 16. Aske my father in my name Aske and it shall be giuen you For in this feare there is confidence saith the wise man Confidence that proceeds from faith faith that assures vs of Gods loue towards vs breeds in our hearts a loue towards God Two loues springing from one fountaine the first takes from vs or diminisheth in vs the feare of creatures p Rom. 8.31 For if God be for vs who can be against vs The second a reflection of the first which giues vs his feare the feare of a Sonne towards his father no more of a slaue towards his master nor of an offender towards his iudge A feare to offend his gentlenesse not to prouoke his anger Now it is this faith also which alone is capable in Abraham in all the faithfull to take this shield that God presēts to take it I say not by the merit of workes which it brings forth what are they Nor for the dignitie that is in her for what is infirmitie but in the apprehension of his mercie in his gratious promises For I am thy shield sayth the Lord vnto Abraham the Lord an infinite essence a holinesse not to be approched by sinners a consuming fire that deuours them where is then the hand that supports it yea that takes it that can beare it but by him take it but by himselfe Surely wee haue no other hand to lend then that of faith and hee himselfe giues it vs. And againe this faith hath no holde but by his promise this shield cannot bee handled nor welded but by faith in God grounded on his promises Otherwise who would be so rash that durst presume to arme himselfe with his power or couer himselfe with his goodnes to stand and shelter himselfe therewith and vse it as a buckler against the creatures against the creator but by himselfe and therefore it is sayd that by faith Abraham left his countrey obeyed to the voice of God euen so farre as to offer his onely sonne Who r Rom. 4. against hope beeleeued in hope kept and looked for an issue and posteritie from barrennesse afterwards ſ Heb. 11. of a child whom hee led to death and in fine millions of his onely sonne refelling and beating backe all temptations with his shield But it was also expresly sayd that it was grounded on the promises Behould then how Abraham euery true Israelite hath the Lord for his shield takes hold of him by faith keepes him by his promise What neede he then feare what that this shield is not bigge enough to couer him strong enough to defend him Why hee couers the whole world with his shadowe hee couers particularly his Church vnder his winge It is not such a t Isa 28.20 narrow couering wherewith the Prophet threateneth vs When wee pretend to couer ourselues against him without him against the Creator by a pretended agreement with the creatures with death the graue and hell Contrariwise saith Dauid it is a shield of saluation yea saluation it selfe hee that retires himselfe thereto u Psal 91. Shall abide vnder the shadow of the Almighty is couered with his feathers his truth the faithfulnesse of his promises serues him in steade of a Target though a cloud of arrowes should fall vpon him it cannot hurt him no plague saith he shall come nigh thy dwelling much lesse nigh his person Doth the world beate vs with losses and calamities i Iob. 5.21 22. Thou shalt not bee afraide of destruction when
enormous soeuer they be concerne mee no more neither then the punishment As little shall thy darts beare against mee or hurt mee furnished with Christ armed with Christ no nor against Christ neither Christ that strong man who hath long agoe bound thee cast thee into the bottomlesse pit Christ the promised seede to his Church and vnto all the faithfull who hath heretofore bruised thy head And thou canst not with all thy rage doe more without danger then pricke our heele Finally doth the almightie hee present himselfe in his iustice in his anger A consuming fire let not the Christian feare though hee were of straw Lord will hee say permitt that dust and ashes speake to thee Thou art exceeding iust the most iust So that the sinner cannot subsist in thy iustice But good God hast thou not armed vs with the righteousnesse of thy Sonne and hath hee not beene made sinne for vs and hath hee not beene made vnto vs righteousnesse and sanctification Thou sittest indeede in iudgement and thy iudgement is a consuming k Malac. 3.2 fire is like a refiners fire the straw or the stubble shall they not bee parcht and burnt on a sudden But O God! are not wee founded and grounded vpon thy Sonne Iesus Christ towe and stubble that wee are l 1 Cor. 3. And shall wee not then be preserued from this fire And against the fire of thine ire and wrath are not wee bedewed and sprinckled with the water of thy mercies bathed in the bloud of of thy Lambe in this liuing spring springing to life eternall Certes thou art great O Lord thy iustice infinite But thy Sonne sayth he not I and my father are one and then is hee not equall to thee infinit to an infinite his obedience to thy iustice Therfore march wee O God by thy mercie vnder the obedience of thy Sonne vnder this obdience we will not decline from thy iudgement wee will no more cry out away with thy iustice but rather and that aloud let thy iudgment come thy iustice arriue thy iudgement m Rom. 8. For there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that iustifieth Thy iustice for it can doe nothing but iustice vnto his righteousnesse and his righteousnesse is ours Thou wilt glorifie him O Lord for his righteousnesse for he hath deserued it Yea with that same glory that he had before he came into the world and hee had it already and neuer left it and therefore hath it doubly the last shalt be ours n 2 Tim. 4.8 A crowne of righteousnesse saith the Apostle is layde vp for me which the Lord the righteous iudge shall giue me at that day in that great day otherwise so terrible and dreadfull and not to me onely but vnto them also that loue his appearing Certes whether it bee in grace or in glory And it is that also that the Lord addes vnto Abraham I am thy exceeing great reward For it sufficeth him not to couer vs from harm mans desire stoppes not there much lesse Gods goodnesse hee will also fill vs vp with goodnesse It pleased him to bee our Shield against the euill of this world of the world to come In like proportion is he our Reward A reward heere beneath a reward aboue In things of this present life neuer to forsake vs In things of the life to come giuing himselfe to vs. But in the one and in the other by his grace alone for what coulde hee without forgiuing Now what a large fielde hath the Christian heere to meditate vpon these hie misteries He knoweth acknowledgeth nought in himselfe but wickednesse euen from his conception in his conception nought but sinne He cannot be ignorant that the wages of sinne is death and of a sin that is infinite an infinit punishment against a God eternall an eternall death Where is then the reward or rather where is not the punishment And where is the ouer-weening presumer that askes a Reward that thinkes not he hath gained much to be quitt of the punishment but the Lorde sayth to him in mercy I am thy Reward in lieu of the punishment that is due vnto thee A man conceiued in sinne a stranger vnto my law as all others are And I will not onely giue thee a reward but giue my selfe also to thee as an infinite rewarde not due to thy merites mauger thy demerits For by what law can the slaue purchase his master by his seruice or the subiect his prince to haue him for a reward to make him his owne to possesse him as an inheritance much lesse the creature his Creator vnlesse certes sayth the Apostle it be by the law of faith by pure grace So that we haue him as a rewarde with the same right and title as wee haue him for a shield by faith grounded on his promise And notwithstanding a Reward saith the Lord and therfore due but how due It is due vnto thee for I haue promised it thee thou hast not deserud it I owe it vnto my selfe It is due to thee I owe it to my Sonne bought with his bloud and I haue giuen him thee yea his bloud for thee and therefore due to thy selfe I am therefore sayth the Lord to Abraham thy Reward But heere flesh and bloud are not contented therewith cannot attaine vnto it and therefore Abraham sayth Lord God what wilt thou giue me seeing I goe childlesse So little can eternall and heauenly happines pierce into our soules except it hath first entred into our hearts Yea but when I say vnto thee I am thy Reward I comprehend all euen that All my selfe for wilt thou haue posterity saith hee Looke now towards Heauen and tell the starres if thou be able to number them so shall thy seede be and notwithstanding hee had but one sonne VVilt thou haue goods I giue vnto thee and vnto thy seede after thee this land for an euerlasting possession and yet must he buy his sepulchre and wilt thou assure them for euer the Lord makes a couenant with thee notwith standing thy posterity serues many ages after now to what end was this but onely to raise him vp from the creatures to the Greator to tell him plainely if these earthly things seemes to thee a rewarde worthy for thee that art but dust it is not a present worthy of God that gives it thee the euerlasting God cannot give unto his children wor thily but euerlasting things And not withstanding least thou shouldst bee discouraged I am in such wise thy reward aboue as that I cease not to be it heere beneath for o 1. Tim. 4.8 godlinesse my true seruice hath the promise of the Life that now is and of that which is to come And therefore doe we see him blestin his family abound in his houshold businesse rule amongst strangers reuerenced and honoured of idolaters I am so in this life a