mindes something to this end that our affections may bee wrought upon to forsake the world with detestation and to love and imbrace heaven and for this dutie wee ought to redeeme some time continually Thus principally Enoch walked with God and David though a King meditated in Gods law day and night And from this dutie let us bee brought to a holy use of soliloquies checking and shaming our selves for following these pleasures for unthankfulnesse and want of cheerefulnesse as David why art thou cast down O my soule why art thou so disquieted By these recollections a Christian is indeed himselfe and for the present even seated in heaven In the last place besides ejaculations use dayly a set prayer for thereby wee ascend into heaven and are fitted thereby to be more and more heavenly it s the trade of Citizens that make them rich this is our trade to trade by prayer with that heavenly Citie where our treasure is and by it wee shall grow dayly in riches Thus is our soule strengthened and our affections stirred up to converse with God and thus come wee to set our faith in heaven together with our love where our father is where Angels and Saints our Citie and eternall happinesse is thus is our hope strengthened which carries us through all afflictions undauntedly and so is a heaven to us before heaâ—ven and thus are our â—esires in heaven to be at rest to bee with Christ which is best of all But some will say wee cannot alwayes intend such things as these we have our callings and are busied about earthly matters and cares I answer true it is yet in the use of these things wee may bee heavenly minded for God in mercie appoints us callings to busie our mindes about which else would bee delving in the idle pleasures of sinne onely he requires that we in the first place seeke for heaven we shall not continue here but wee are travelling still and therefore it is good for us ever to redeeme some time for heaven that wee may come with more speed to our journeyes end Secondly as a helpe to us hee hath left us his Saboths in pitie to our soules which else would altogether be rooting in the earth Let us have a care of the well spending of them for by this we pay homage to heaven and are put in minde thereof Thirdly everie day redeeme sometime for meditation of the vanitie of this world hereby will our untunable soules be still set in tune and for our callings every day sanctifie them by prayer and then all is cleane Fourthly goe about them as in obedience to God knowing that God hath placed us in these callings and he looks for service in imploying those talents bestowed on us and in our serving one another And let us indeavour to shew what our religion is in avoiding the corruptions of our callings Labour also to see God in every thing in crossing us in incouraging and assisting us and this will stirre us up accordingly to pray continually in al things to give thanks and it will make us feare alwayes for the same care and love of God that brings us to heaven doth guide us in our particular actions and callings And in other matters use our selves so as we by these things raise our mindes on high for there is a double use of the creatures First temporall and from thence a spirituall use is raised thus did Christ by considering water he was raised to think of spirituall regeneration and washing and thus we should doe labour to see God in his creatures and thus shall wee helpe our soules by our bodies God will have it thus and therefore setteth downe heavenly things in earthly comparisons Lastly wee must indeavour to make a spirituall use of all things as God doth doth God send crosses on us then before they leave us beg a blessing that they may worke his intended effect in bettering us Doth God blesse us with prosperitie pray that God would sanctifie it to incourage us on to good duties so as in all estates wee may have our conversation in heaven Let no man therefore make pretence that he is poore that he hath no time for this no grace workes matter out of every thing poore Paul nay Paul a prisoner see how he is busied And the truth is that worldly prosperitie is the greatest enemie to a heavenly minde that can bee But the weake Christian will complaine that he cannot finde this in him but he is still carried away with worldly matters though hee strive against it never so much yet the world goes away with him To such I answer strength of grace this way is not in every Christian neither is it at the first Paul had his destractions Rom. 7. from 15. to 24. yet must our labours and indeavors be that way the sinne that is in us cannot hurt us if we strive against it God suffers his children to see their weaknesse as he did deale with Solomon to humble us and make us learne his lesson that all is vanitie and vexation of spirit Let not such therefore bee discouraged but cheerefully goe on in a good course wherein the more we labour and strive the more wee beautifie Religion and credit our Citie and draw on others to bee fellow Citizens with us And thus shall we free our selves from terrors of conscience and from the snares of the divell even as birds when they soare aloft need feare no snares Thus also shall wee get a portion here for its the promise of the God of truth that if we first seek the Kingdome of heaven al these things shal be cast upon us Thus also shall wee be sure of Gods gracious and faithfull protection who hath said hee will keepe us in our wayes And lastly thus shall wee end our dayes with comfort woe bee to him that dies not to the world before hee goes hence but to him that hath his soule in heaven even while it is in his bodie this life is but a pilgrimage and death is advantage VERS 20. From whence wee also looke for the Saviour the Lord Iesus Christ. THese words lay downe such an estate of a Christian as is both a cause and a signe of heavenly conversation and in them we may consider First that Christ is in heaven Secondly that there is a second comming of Christ. Thirdly that Christians expect it Fourthly that this expectation is a cause of heavenly carriage For the first that Christ is in heaven wee have the Scripture to warrant it but the text is pregnant herein we looke for him from heaven ergo he is in heaven And therefore it s a grosse conceipt of the Papists that dreame that his bodie is every where in the bread or with the bread as the Lutherans would hâ—ve it the scripture determines that the heavens must contain him that he sitteth now on the right hand of God that he shall hereafter come to
this spirituall change And a Second reason may be Because we often regard not the truth at the first second or third time urged and taught unto us Wherefore Iob. 33.14 It is said God speaketh once or twice yet man perceives not Therefore if the caution and point be necessary the repetition must needs be necessarie also In the third place There is such a breadth and depth in the points delivered out of the Word of God that although wee heare often the same thing yet we never come to understand the full extent of them Our soules are narrow wee cannot at the first so soundly and deeply consider of them neither can wee understand so many particulars as otherwise we should for in every Christian truth there is milke for children and strong meate which requires digestion and likewise repetition A fourth reason may be Because our corruptions daily increase and grow upon us and varietie of occasion and worldly businesse being naturall to us and therefore more delightfull are too powerfull and doe thrust out the consideration of divine truths which are commonly against the haire And wee cannot have varietie of two things in our mindes at the same time in strength Whence it comes to passe that the better is ever more subject to bee thrust out and therefore had need to bee hammered in with often repetition and insisting upon againe and againe A fifth Reason may be Because we worke as wee understand weakly or strongly When we worke well we must have things present strongly in the understanding as when we tell men of Gods justice omnipresence of the day of judgement of death and the like the lively and present remembrance of these things keeps the minde of man so in frame as it cannot will any evill no more than a lewd person will offend in the presence of the Iudge And this lively remembrance of things is wrought chiefly by repetition and often inforcing the same things and it makes the minde to be wholly taken up therewith And therefore it is a good way when we would doe any good action well to be taken up with reading or hearing of good by way of preparation thereunto And the want of the presence of good things in our minde layes us open and makes us fit for all companies and occasions of sinne In the sixt and last place Our memories are very weake to remember and to reteine any thing that is good Since the fall they are broken and good things sinke through them as water through a sieve and therefore hath great need of remembrancers And after this manner hath God dealt with man as in the promise of the blessed seed how often is it reiterated and typified and to Abraham is it renewed seven times So God to David often renewed his promise concerning the Kingdome as also the promise concerning the deliverance of the people of Israel from captivitie in Esay is often repeated This also did Christ the great Doctour of his Church in his Parables in one Chapter argueth one principall metter with foure Parables one after another although with some varietie teaching Ministers thereby to doe the like to avoid tediousnesse Repetition in Scripture serves to divers ends Sometimes for the stronger averring of the certaintie thereof Wherefore it was that Pharoahs dreame was doubled Sometime for Emphasis sake as Christ did often Amen Amen and in dying thou shalt die and the like phrases But the maine end is to stirre up us and our affections and to keepe them in life and action when they are stirred up Therefore 2 Pet. 1.12 Because they knew they could not bee over-sure of salvation nor grow too much in grace he sayes so long as he lives hee will put them in minde of such things Let it not therefore bee grievous to Ministers to doe what is for the safetie of Gods children They must doe it till they see practise come to perfection and they must cast and cast again Peter hee cast often and got nothing yet at Christs word hee cast againe So must Ministers God that blesseth not every cast may blesse the last cast to the catching of many and therefore a Minister had need of a father-like affection to his hearers as St. Paul had 2 Thes. 2.11 A second use may be for our selves If we heare the same things repeated heare them as an impression which may carry force and work upon our hearts more strongly than before and know that God may worke on us by one meanes at one time which he did not at another as a dart pierces deeper being cast by one than by another And therefore Let us not be weary of attendance on Gods ordinances for our corruptions daily increase as our age doth our minding of things is but slight and our memory very brittle And we must know that the word teaches doing and practising as well as knowing And therefore to conceive a necessitie of a continuall Ministrie to perfect a Church as well as to begin it The Sacraments are necessary receive them often the Primitive Church had them every Lords day Till we come to the holy Land of that heavenly Canaan let us submit our selves to this Manna It is Angels food and they desire to looke into these mysteries And therefore take heed of fulnesse or loathing for when we come to that passe that we must have Novum or Nihil God takes away this Manna thus loathed Thus did he with the Greeke Churches they gave themselves not to the plaine sincere truth but mans inventions whereby God gave them over to strange opinions and indeed it is a rule None absents himselfe from Gods word but he is given over and that justly to beleeve toyes to attribute all praise and delight to this or that idle Authour which it may be is Heathenish or Popish The Greek Churches affecting Novelties were justly given over to Mahomet but to a true Christian heart there cannot be more delight than in the experimentall knowledge of Christs death and office of perseverance in grace these are standing dishes in this Christian banquet It is a signe God meanes to plague that person or nation that is delighted in such ill sawces he will make them come out of our nosthrils we shall have our fill of them and never hunger after the sincere milke of the Word VERS 2. Beware of Dogges IN this generall exhortation Consider first the persons to whom it is directed To all the Philippians not only to the Pastor but even to the common Christians They must beware of false Teachers Is it so Then surely they ought to take notice of them and to know them and therefore they ought to have rules to discerne them by Christs sheepe they discerne between a wolfe and a shepherd Ioh. 10.45 His sheepe discerne an Heretike or false-teacher from those that are true shepherds in the maine points of Christian Religion and therefore 1 Ioh. 4.1 He bids all
by private friends Nay canst thou desire this search that thou maist know thy â—inne more and more for this end that thou mayst truely hate it with a more perfect hatred Canst thou truely appeale to God as Peter did to Christ thou knowest that I love and preferre thee above all It is a sure signe of thy sinceritie which the world cannot have and therefore when they see their sinnes laid open they spurne at the ordinances and spite the Minister and their true friends that put them in minde of their faults accounting them as their onely enemies Surely they shall never be able to indure the search of God hereafter and the last day when he shall lay them open they shall be overcome with shame A fourth signe is That at the houre of thy death this spiritual worshipping of God will give thee content when nothing else can Thou mayst say with comfort as Hezekiah did Lord remember how I have walked before thee in sinceritie When down-right affliction comes outward verball profession vanisheth with all the comforts thereof then perisheth the hope of the hypocrite Two things upheld Iob in comfort in his great extremity he was first assured that his redeemer lived and secondly he knew his innocency in those things that his friends charged him with and such times will fall on us all either at the time of death or before when nothing but innocencie and sincerity shall be able to uphold us Labour therefore for sincerity and spirituall worship Worship God in spirit but let it be done outwardly also But first bring thy heart and intention to what thou dost and that will stirre up the outward man to its duty and for the performance hereof follow these directions First learne to know God aright For worship is answerable to knowledge for how can we reverence God aright when we know neither his goodnesse nor his greatnesse how can we trust on God when we see not his truth in the performance of his promises in the Scriptures and in our owne experience those that doe not these know not God for as the heart affects according to knowledge So also its true in divinitie as we know his justice wee shall feare as we know his mercy wee shall love him and as we know his truth we shall trust on him Psal. 9.10 They that know thy name shall trust in thee and in other places of the said Psalme the Lord is knowne in the judgement he executeth vers 16. Secondly know God to be the first mover and cause of all men ordinarily feare the creature attributing that to it which belongs to the Creator But God he is the giver of all and Christians looke on the secondary means as to the first author and ground of all the rest they behold the Magistrate as in God feare them no otherwise but in the Lord. Atheists they will not sticke at any sinne whatsoever to get the love of those that may bring them any worldly commodity A Christian hee pleases and seekes the love of him that can make enemies friends when he lists and when it s for our good he knowes in him we live move and have our being Thirdly make much of spirituall meanes God he works by meanes by his word attend to it it works love feare joy and reverence in us and therefore no marvaile if those that neglect these meanes are not acquainted with these graces of Gods spirit 4 Fourthly Lift up thy heart to Christ the quickening spirit 1 Cor. 15. Our hearts naturally are dead Christ is our life when thou art most especially called to love to feare to humilitie pray to him to move thee and yeeld thy selfe to him and then shalt thou pray in spirit as it is said in Iude 20. heare in spirit doe all in spirit doe outward workes of thy calling in spirit for a true worshipper will out of spirituall grounds doe all outward works of his particular calling as well as the workes of his generall Christian vocation Let us therefore doe all things from our hearts to God and to our neighbour else will not God accept of our workes It is the Iew inwardly who shall have praise of God The want of this sincerity hath extinguished the light of many a glorious professour and thereby hath brought a great scandall upon the true worshippers of God in spirit VERS 3. And rejoyce in Christ. THe word rejoyce implyes a boasting or glorying of the heart manifesting it selfe in outward countenance and gesture as also in speech it also implies a resting on and contenting in the thing we glory in proceeding from an assurance that we glory in a thing worthy of glory for they are fooles that delight in bables Observe hence therefore That those that will worship Christ aright must glorie in him For the worship of Christ is a thing that requires incouragement and nothing can worke this incouragement like the glorying in Christ and therefore Paul in the first part of his Epistle to the Romans having shewed that God had elected them freely and had begun the worke of sanctification in their hearts he comes in the 12. Chapter I beseech you saith he present your selves as a holy living and acceptable sacrifice to God And in Tit. 2.11 The grace of God teacheth by incouraging us to deny ungodlines to walk unblameably soberly righteously and godlily in this present world And therefore whensoever wee grow dull or dead think of the great benefits that we have by Christ and it will quicken us and all our performances In the next place observe That Christ is the matter and subject of true glory and rejoycing and onely Christ for they well goe together a full and large affection with a full and large object boasting is a full affection the object is every way as full First as he is God and man he is God full of all things he is man full of all grace and void of all sinne he is Christ anointed to performe all his offices he is a Prophet all-sufficient in all wisedome in him are the treasures of wisedome he teaches us not onely how to doe but he teaches the very deed he is our High-priest he is the sacrifice the altar and the Priest and he is our eternall Priest in Heaven and on earth on earth as suffering for us in Heaven as mediating for our peace Who shall condemne us it is Christ that dyeth yea rather that is risen againe who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Rom. 8.34 He is also our King he is King of all King of kings and Lord of lords a King for ever and at all times subduing all rebellions within us and all enemies without us and he is all these so as none is like him and therefore is worthy of our glory Secondly Christ is communicative in all these he is Prophet Priest King for us he is God man he is Christ for us he
to Christ we are adulterers No let him kisse us with the kisses of his mouth and none but he Fifthly this joy where it is it will breed content in all estates Paul could want and abound and so can a true rejoycer in Christ he hath all he cares not for earthly wants so he wants no heavenly comfort if he be poore he is rich in heaven nay what he most complaines of are good for him life or death all 's one with him Christ is his and in him all things But it may be said There are many Christians are not in this happy condition I answer It s their owne fault to yeeld to the divels policie and their owne weaknesse that will not labour to breake through these clouds and challenge the promises VERS 3. And have no confidence in the flesh THese words are in truth included in the former for he that glories in Christ will have no confidence in the flesh But the Apostle notes this as a plaine demonstration and evidence of the glorying in Christ. For by the copulative conjoyning of them it is all one as if he had said what a man trusts to he glories in and what he glories in he trusts to and is confident of If in wit his glorying be he trusts to it though it be to his ruine as it fell out with Achitophel If in eloquence of speech hee trusts to it and it brings shame as it did to Herod If in honour hee trusts to it and brings himselfe to dishonour as Haman did By flesh is meant outward things as prerogatives priviledges actions of a mans owne doing and particularly he aimes at Circumcision which he calls outward and that of the flesh So as the observation that wee may gather is That confidence in Christ takes away confidence in outward things The reason is if Christ be fully all sufficient what need is there of any outward thing to put confidence in For these are two opposite things and one overthrows the other The second instruction is That naturally men have confidence in outward things for having not hearts filled with grace they relish not Christ but flye to ceremonious outward actions as their refuge Nay in the Church till we be converted we naturally flie to outward fleshly confidence We have the Word taught to us we come to heare it twice on the Lords day alas what is this if thou be not transformed and inwardly and outwardly conformed in obedience Hast thou the Sacraments dost thou uncover thy head or bow the knee these are good and they seeme faire but where is the heart how is that prepared hast thou an earnest desire to leave off thy course of sinning and dost thou resolve hereafter to amend thy life O here is the hard spirituall worke So in outward fasting and abstinence it s an easie matter the Pharisee did it often but this is the fast that God hath commanded to loose the bands of wickednesse Esay 59.6 to fast from sinne The suffering of the flesh if it be separated from spirituall use and almes they profit nothing 1 Cor. 13.3 All Pauls prerogatives which were many 2 Cor. 11 and 12. chapters Yet were they in his account but drosse and dung in comparison of Christ. Most men are like Ephraim Hosea 10.11 as heiferâ— who serve to tread out corne and to plow Ephraim loved to tread corne where hee might eate his belly full for by the law of Moses the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the corne was not to bee musled men they are delighted in the performance of slight duties but to put their necke under the yoke to plow its a hard worke who can beare it But some will say O what doe you condemne outward duties and use of them I answer wee may consider religious duties two wayes First as they are outward meanes to salvation for so they are Secondly as they are expressions of inward truth and so out of a sincere intire affection wee beare to them and out of a desire to bee wrought upon by them we doe them thus they are commended that use them but let them want but an inch of this all is abominable all is flesh The Iewes they boasted in the name of holy people in their law in the Temple in the Holy land yet for all these saith God you shall goe into captivity against such Christ preached Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees you tithe mint but let passe justice and judgement And Paul bee not high minded but feare And the reasons why men are taken up with this fleshly confidence are First outward things are easie and men cannot bend themselves to performe the hard matters of the law Secondly they are glorious and men desire to be observed Thirdly men have a foolish conceit that God is delighted with the outward act when the inward sinceritie is wanting Fourthly men want knowledge of themselves want the inward change want sense of their owne unworthinesse and Christs worthinesse Fifthly God followeth such with prosperitie in this world thereby they thinke God is well pleased with them til the houre of death come and then they finde all but froth How shall we know whether our confidence is fleshly or not I answer where this fleshly confidence is there is bitternesse of spirit against sinceritie the Pharisees the Doctours of the law sate in Moses chaire yet who more opposed Christ than they Nay they wholly and onely in their whole course sought to persecute him and made it their trade Secondly where this fleshly confidence is there is also a secret blessing of our selves in our performance of good duties without humiliation of our defects Hypocrites think that God is beholding to them and therefore doe blesse themselves in the deed done In the fourth verse hee comes to an argument taken from himselfe against those of the Concision VERS 4. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh if any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh I more AS if he had said if any other man may glory in the flesh then may I much more But I doe not thinke that I have cause sufficient to glory in the flesh therefore have not they or may not they glory in the flesh And the reason or ground of this proposition is taken from his many prerogatives he had which he comes to in the 5. and 6. verses following Circumcision was the first prerogative before conversion and it was not before the eighth day to the end that the childe might gather some strength to beare and indure the ceremony for it was of it selfe grievous and a bloudy ceremonie Wherefore it was that Moses his wife called him a bloudy husband and this ceremony was not to be respited above eight dayes that the parents might not be delayed in their comfort Whence we may gather that dying before baptisme is no necessary
impediment to the salvation of the childe for the same covenant is annexed to circumcision that is to baptisme and the Papists that hold that the death of children before baptisme hindreth the salvation of the infant may as wel hold that all the children that dyed before the eight day being the day of circumcision were damned Secondly observe this that children though infants may nay must bee baptized if it may be with conveniencie for children were circumcised nay they were injoyned circumcision on the eighth day Now seeing the covenant is the same and given to children now as then why may not the seale therof be now given in their infancie as then VERS 5. Of the stocke of Israel IAcob had his name changed of his wrestling with the Angell and prevailed St. Paul sayes he was of that stocke of Israel that prevailed with God VERS 5. Of the Tribe of Benjamin THere were two Tribes of especiall credit Iuda and Benjamin they were Kingly Tribes Benjamin was honoured with the first King Saul the sonne of Kish who though he were a cast-away yet it s a matter of great joy in the flesh to have great men personages and learned men of their linage VERS 5. An Hebrew of the Hebrewes MOre ancient than an Israelite for Abraham was an Hebrew before Iacob was an Israelite and he was an Hebrew borne no proselyte or converted Iew. VERS 5. As touching the Law a Pharisee BEfore Christs time there were divers sects among the Iewes as Pharisees Scribes Herodians and Essaei but the Pharisees were the greatest sect of all and as the word signifies so they did separate themselves as better than other Iewes whatsoever And St. Paul layes downe this as one especiall carnall thing wherein hee might glory hee was no common Iew but a zealous Iew so as thence we may observe That there is a fire and zeale that is not kindled by heaven but as St. Iames saith of the tongue is set on fire of hell out of ignorance blind zeale therefore is a ground of destruction we are therefore to take heed for unlesse our zeale have an eye nothing is more tempestuous and troublesome than that man is whom it possesses VERS 6. Concerning zeale persecuting the Church WHere zeale is if it be meant in the largest sense it is very hot against all opposites it hath the name from fire separating Heterogenies and gathering things Homogeneall our Apostle was none of those drowsie professours that would be content to mingle Religions so as where there is no opposition there is no zeale and therefore those that would reconcile religions false and true they have not a sparke of zeale but are key-cold Againe Paul well joynes persecution and a Pharisee together for there was never hypocrite but he was a persecutor For he making and grounding his profession on pride and a desire to be counted holy when a downe right person esteemes him not but by his integrity puts the others outward profession out of countenance presently hee falleth a persecuting especially if his hypocrisie brings any profit or gaine As it was with Demetrius in the Acts. And as it is now with the Romish Church whose chiefe end is profit as appeares by their Purgatorie Indulgences Pardons Dispensations and the like you shall have as much Masse as you will and as little preaching We may observe further That carnall zeale is persecuting zeale and the persecuting Church is the false Church Christs flock never persecutes wolves it will not indeed indure to bee neare them but it s not cruell against them The Papists indeed they speake much of their mildnesse and meeknesse but what is the reason their hands are bound Solve leonem senties leonem loose the Lion and then shall you find he is a Lion VERS 6. Touching the righteousnesse which is in the law blamelesse THis was a great prerogative But how can he be said to be blamelesse as concerning the law when he was without the law Rom. 7 9. I answer its true he was without the law in respect of the inward man in respect of sanctified knowledge love and feare but in regard of his outward course of life no man could blame him Let this be observed by carnall civill men they may bee blamelesse as concerning outward conversation and yet without the law But if he was blamelesse as concerning the law how could hee blame himselfe so as hee did Rom. 7.15 I answer St. Paul then had a new esteeme and judgement hee had a new light which shewed him much corruption where before he saw none This meets with weake Christians that thinke themselves unconverted and cast-awayes because they see a great deale of sinne in them Paul was without blame now miserable man who shall deliver me Christians therefore are to bee comforted and to know that they are not the worse because they see themselves sinfull daily more and more but that they are better as to whom God does dayly bestow the light of his holy spirit to make them see more clearly into their estates We know that we see onely the moates where the Sunne shineth yet cannot we deny but all the ayre is as full as that part which the Sunne inlighteneth Let not such therefore be discouraged but let them know where there is any opposition there is spirit as well as flesh and that at length the spirit will have the victory VERS 7. But what things were gaine to me those I count losse for Christ. THose things and priviledges that formerly hee counted gaine now hee counts them losse It is good therefore to teach by examples as St. Paul does here inforce rules by his owne experience and example It is also expedient sometimes to speake of prerogatives and priviledges that a man hath in himselfe and it s not universall that wee must not speake of any thing that might concerne our owne praise For we may doe it as St. Paul does here to beat downe the pride of others that are vaine glorious or wee may as Paul does lift up our selves to abase and beat down our selves the lower In the third place when God vouchsafes his children any outward priviledges he doth it for the good and helpe of others though we see it not at the first Paul had these priviledges that hee might beate down the pride of the Iewes more powerfully And Solomon had all abundance of wisedome riches and the like why But only that he might without controule judge of all as of vanitie and vexation of spirit and make it to bee beleeved more firmely For had an ordinary man said it men would have thought its easie for him to say so but if he had tried thē he would have been otherwise minded In these latter times our best teachers were at the first Papists and of the more zealous sort As Bucer and Luther being also learned men as also Peter Martyr and Zanchius was brought up in Italy and all this that they
the naturall sonne in whom is no blemish should suffer and the adopted sonnes who are the causes of all offence should goe free It is equitie that we having taken Christ for our husband he should bee accompanied by us in sicknesse and in health in dishonour as in honour Thirdly it is long agoe decreed of God and predestinated and therefore cannot bee avoyded Rom. 8. â— 9 Whom hee did fore-know them he predestinated to be conformed to the Image of his Sonne Fourthly its equall that if hee were conformed to us we should be conformable to him now he was conformed to us in that hee suffered that which wee should have suffered and did that for us which we were to do and could not he having drunke deepe of the cup prepared for us let us therefore at the least taste of it Yea let us suffer any thing with an undaunted courage when we are called thereto for Christ he will come with comforts he is not emptie he will make us like him hee will prepare us hereby for glorie feare not therefore God will turne all thy troubles to thy good And thus we doe fill up the measures of the afflictions of Christ in our flesh Col. 1.24 And are made partakers of Christs sufferings 1 Pet. 4.13 We have the like exhortations hereunto 1 Pet. 2.21 1 Pet. 3.14 to 18. Thus did Paul 2 Cor. 4.10 hee carryed the dying of Christ about with him Let no Christian therefore promise to himselfe immunitie from crosses he that will be a Christian must be conformable to Christ and he that will be like to him in glorie he must be like to him in drinking the Cup hee dranke of while hee was here in the flesh VERS 10. If by any meanes I might attaine to the Resurrection of the dead BY Resurrection of the dead he meanes the glorious estate after this life whereas the resurrection is but the beginning and the words sound as much in effect as if the Apostle had said I know I shall be happie at length but betweene this time and that I know I shall meet with troubles with many crosses yet let the way be never so difficult I passe not by any meanes to come to such an excellent end as the resurrection of the dead is in which words wee will First consider that there is a happie estate reserved hereafter which begins with the resurrection of the bodie whereby wee are farre more happie than the Angels that fell and also more happie than we were in our first estate in Adam which we lost and therefore our hearts should be inlarged with thankes to God that respects us above the Angels whom hee hath left without hope of recoverie In the next place consider that the beginning of our blessed estate hereafter is at the resurrection which is called the day of restoring of all things and a time of refreshing Acts 3.19 It s a day when all good shall be perfected and all evill shall cease all griefe of minde all trouble of body and death it selfe shall be swallowed up into victorie But why are we not happie before our resurrection I answer because our bodies and soules are partakers of miserie and sinne here and therefore cannot partake of fulnesse of happinesse before they be united together again God will have us to stay while all his familie of blessed Saints shall meet together as well us that are now alive as our seed and posteritie after us In the third place observe that the Apostle makes resurrection of the dead the last thing establishing thereby an order that there must be meanes to the resurrection and then the resurrection it selfe Ought not Christ to suffer these things and so to enter into his glorie Math. 28. And if we suffer with him we shall also reigne with him the second resurrection must begin with the first we are sonnes and Saints hereafter but so we must also be here onely a difference there will be in degree of holinesse this resurrection doth not follow every manner of life although men ordinarily expect a crowne without crosses and never looke for justification and sanctification but thinke they shall be in heaven at an instant without them But we must suffer with Christ in Mount Calvarie before wee come with him to the Mount Olivet In the fourth place wee may likewise note that its hard to come to heaven because of this order established by God not in comparison of the end for that surmounteth in excellencie the hardnesse of the meanes but in respect of the meanes some by faire death with many crosses in their life some not by many outward crosses yet have store of inward troubles of the minde by reason of their inward corruption that doth trouble them others by violent deathes and by martyrdome the wayes are so many and the meanes so diverse as there is no certainty which way wee shall passe As St. Paul knew not the meanes so he cared not what the means were for he was content to go thither by any meanes let the cup of affliction be never so bitter the glorie insuing will sweeten all Away therefore with all idle and secure thoughts of sparing our selves Pitie thy selfe said Peter to Christ but was answered sharpely get thee behinde me sathan no the way is very hard we must come to health by physick the end is so amiable as it will sweeten all sowre meanes and therefore its good for us to be afflicted crosses bring at length the sweetest comforts Denie wee our selves therefore in Christs cause know no bodie looke upon God and Christs promises and promise wee ourselves no more than God promises it s beyond our knowledge what God will doe with us he promises no immunitie from crosses Nay the Saints and the Apostles chose crosses and afflictions rather than the pleasures of sinne who were wise and had triall of both kindes and yet accounts these momentanie afflictions not worthy of comparison with the glory that shall bee revealed they were but light 2 Cor. 4.17 Rom. 8.18 And if wee would truly beleeve this it would be easie for us to be resolved as St. Paul was to come to heaven by all assurances and to come to all manner of assurances by any meanes for no worldly thing can bring content like these heavenly assurances of the presence of the light of Gods love which the children of God will by no meanes lose Secondly in all crosses let us not looke into the state we are in so much as that we are going into we are going to a Pallace let us not bee dejected in the consideration of the narrownesse of the way that leadeth thereto God will not suffer this fierie triall to consume any thing but drosse and therefore let us with Christ suffer the crosse and despise the shame Heb. 12. Thirdly labour for a right esteeme of the things of this world they are but momentarie and fading yea our lives they are given to us by
cheerfully and God tells us of it to the end wee may fixe the eyes of our mindes upon it Colos. 3.23 Whatsoever we doe doe it heartily as to the Lord knowing of the Lord we shall receive the reward of the inheritance But some may say if it bee an inheritance to us how is it then propounded as a price to us I answer it s both a reward and an inheritance it s an inheritance because it s given to adopted sonnes it s a reward after labour not for labour so as running is the way to a crown not the cause of it But the Papists say we have it by faith why then is it a price or reward why or how can it be a price or reward and yet ours by beleefe I answer incouragement and this price are not given to workes as workes but as workes by faith for by it wee runne and overcome all trials and troubles reward is due to perseverance but perseverance cannot bee without faith But for the matter in hand I say its expedient to looke to the price that we be not carried away with temptations on the right hand or on the left and therefore let us not looke on them Moses eye was so fixed on this price as he set light by all the pleasures of this life the eye of faith in a Christian is stronger than that of sense yet let us take these cautions First that we know ourselves sonnes and that wee come to this price by inheritance And secondly that we love not God so much for his goodnesse to us as for that goodnesse which is in him for a Christian aymes first at Gods glorie then at his owne good and so hee loves God for being goodnesse it selfe then for being good to him And yet a Christian in order comes first to see Gods goodnesse to him and therefore loves him and then he arises higher to the love of God even for that he is goodnesse and thenceforth admires and adores his fulnesse for else to love God because God loves us is mercenarie Wee are therefore to thinke of this happie estate and as children though at the first wee know not what belongs to inheritances and rewards yet the elder wee grow in Christianitie the more let us search into these things and see what is laid up for us It is an unvaluable price that will free us from all evill of companie of enemies of Sathans anoyances of hinderances of sinne from all occasions without us and inclinations within us from sicknesse of body and troubles of minde it s a Saboth after sixe dayes worke It is beyond all earthly crownes the runners have envie not one another nay they helpe and further one another and are glad of one anothers forwardnesse all are heires all happie all shall be crowned and with an incorruptible crowne an inheritance that fadeth not but is undefiled and such an one as is kept for us 1 Pet. 1.4 It s not like the crownes of leaves that soone fade no we shall ever bee in the presence of the sonne of Righteousnesse where we shall have a continuall spring But to proceed in the next place this is a price of calling we must be called to it who can take a calling on him unlesse God calles him and who can be inabled but those that hee inables This calling of his is the beginning of his golden chaine of salvation hee calles us from a cursed estate to a happy communion from death and bondage under the devill to be Kings and Princes And this is done by outward meanes and inward worke of the spirit this calling is a powerfull calling inabling them to come that are called And hereby we may try whether wee have any title to heaven or not For first if wee be effectually called it supposeth we are chosen called and singled out from others of the world and therefore all swearers and those that are given to drunkennesse and profanenesse they are not called nor singled they remaine as they were for this singling out is the first part of the execution of Gods decree of election And whom God calles he qualifies Princes they may call men to places but they cannot qualifie them But God when he calles Saul to be a King hee gives him a Kings heart so if we be called to this heavenly kingdome we shall have holy and Kingly hearts and mindes given us Secondly mens tongues will shew what calling they are of in their discourse A Christian will remember he is a Christian and will walke worthy of his calling and with Nehemiah hee will reason shall such a man as I doe thus speake thus thinke such vile sinfull thoughts and those that are not of this carriage shew no great religion in them And just it is with God to give such over to a great measure in sinne Thirdly this calling is to glorie and therefore he that is called he will thinke of heaven and magnifie and admire Gods goodnesse to him what thing is man Lord that thou shouldst bee mindfull of him and therefore those that admire the pompe and glory of this world it s a signe their calling is worldly and that they are called by the world Fourthly if a man be called by God hee shall finde a spirituall answering within himselfe to Gods call If God say thou art my sonne the heart answereth thou art my God Behold I come quickly saith Christ even so come Lord Iesus saith the Christian heart And therefore a rebellious disposition shewes that Gods spirit is not there Thirdly this calling of ours is a high calling it s from heaven to heaven it s from a heavenly spirit by spirituall meanes to Christ in heaven to Saints to spirituall imployments and priviledges Hence therefore wee may learne who are the greatest men sensuall men thinke those in outward place the greatest men of all other alas they are nothing to a Prince of heaven hee is a spouse to Christ shall judge all the world and triumph over Sathan All other callings end in the dust with our bodies Kings shall rise as Pesants and it may bee in a worse estate than many of the meanest there is no difference in death All other callings are by men from men to men to earthly purposes let us make therefore a difference and know whence our calling is that we may be thankfull and whether it is that we may be joyfull We may also in the next place hence gather who are of the highest spirits its a Christian and onely he he overlookes all these base things his way his minde is ever upwards and with Paul he thinkes â—ll drosse and dung that is here It is the disposition of the world to minde high matters here in religion are the true aspiring thoughts as if men will be covetous of honour here 's the right honour and these are the honourable persons Who honour me I will honour saith God onely a
enough they would be wiser than he and of deeper reach And thus even within the pâ—le of the Church what a scandall is it that men should glorie in a gracelesse grace of swearing filling up rotten discourse with new devised othes And others glorie in their foolish conceipted gallant apparell which was for no other end but principally to cover shame is not this to glorie in shame And much more those that blaming as it were God for making them no fairer will mend the workmanship of God by painting these while they seeke to keepe outward blemishes from the eyes of men doe discover to the whole world that they have a spotted rotten heart within them And indeed it s too common for men ill-bred up to thinke admirably of themselves when all their courses are meere vanitie He is the onely man of accompt that cannot put up a crosse word without bloud is not this to glorie in shame when as its the glory of a man to passe by an offence and they are the best men that can overcome themselves And as helpers on of this vaine boasting we have a generation of ignorant unsetled understandings that admire at such shamelesse boasters and so are causes of strengthening such in their vain-glory such are flatterers of great men let them remember what is denounced against such woe be to them that call evill good and good evill In the next place shame is not onely the object of vaine glorie but the end they that are vaine-glorious shall bee brought to shame at length thus is it sayd of Babylon in Esay and mysticall Babylon in the Revelations Though she say I sit as a Queene and shall seenâ— mourning yet stall her plagues come in one day death and destruction and mournlng Isa. 47.9 51.19 Revel 18.8 For God hath knit vaine-glory and shame a punishment proportionable and fitting to the sinne and striking the offender most neere even to the heart and thus did God meete with Achitophel Absalom Haman they sought vain-glory and their ends were shamefull such shall be the end of all such as boast that they can doe mischiefe like Doeg Psa. 52. And the righteous shall see and feare laugh at them For use to our selves therefore let us take heed of this sinne For by nature the best of us are subject to it we are all inclinable either to glory in such things as we should not or to receive glory from such things as wee ought not or else to glorie after an inordinate manner and in that measure we glorie amisse in that measure wee consult shame to our selves glory we may but it must bee well grounded and in a right manner And to the attaining thereto we must first labour for a sound knowledge of God and for a sound dependance upon him in all things and also labour for to see our owne estate and our many wants for wanting this knowledge men glorie in merits while they live but when they die they grow ashamed of their courses and blinde judgement for while they live they judge of themselves by their owne conceipt of themselves which is grounded either by comparing of themselves with those that are worse than themselves as the Pharisee that thanked God he was not as the Publican or else upon the conceipt that shallow persons have of them But these are not rules for us to follow look rather what sayes the humbled conscience what sayes Gods Word and his Iustice and take example of the Apostles and holy men of God that gloried in the Lord reconciled to us in Christ who is made to us wisedome sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 30.31 Rejoyce that our names are written in heaven Luke 10.20 Rejoyce that we understand and know God to be â—ust and mercifull Ier. 9.23.24 Glorie in the testimonie of a good conscience that we are true Christians though but weake 2 Cor. 1.12 Secondly we should be content with the judgement and approbation of God and hearken to the admonitions of his Ministers and care not for the censures of the world Thirdly take wee heed of the first beginnings and motions of sinne at the first they are ever modest the worst man that ever was was not shamelesse in sinne at the beginning but giving way to sinne by little and little loses all shame and causes at last corruption in judgement and justifying a mans selfe in wicked courses pleasures riches and such things they are like a vizard onely an outside of beautie or like one that vaunteth himselfe hee can act the person of a King but is in himselfe a bondslave they act their parts here on this worldly Stage for an houre and leave all their followers in eternall bondage forever Therefore let us not bee ashamed for Christs cause but stand out labour for sinceritie now and wee shall have glorie hereafter which as the light shall increase when as the candle of the wicked shall be put out VERS 19. Who minde earthly things TO Minde in this place is taken largely to thinke upon remember desire joy and to have all the soule exercised Earthly things that is lusts of the flesh lusts of the eyes pride of life pleasures and profits and honours which are therefore called earthly because they are conversant about earthly things and because they make their followers earthly minded and lastly they are called earthly in opposition to those that are heavenly and thus in particular those that minde honour are ambitious those that minde riches are covetous if pleasure then they are voluptuous and all of them are earthly For as the Ocean is but one and yet divers parts thereof have severall names so worldlinesse is but one sinne yet having many kindes it hath also divers names The observation that hence we may gather is that the earthly disposition and minde is the temper of that man who is in the estate of damnation for the minde of such doe shew a dead soule estranged from the life of God to be carnally minded is death saith the Apostle Rom. 8.6 For a man lives as hee mindes and loves Secondly earthly disposition is opposite to God so Rom. 8.7 The carnall minde is enmitie against God Observe we further the Apostle describes not these by any notorious grosse scandalous sinne but by the inward disposition of the heart for outward actions are onely effects and rivers flowing from the spring of corruption in our hearts Whence we may note that God lookes to the inward frame of the soule in men and therefore though in the eyes of men a man may be without spot yet is his corruption that is within open and manifest to the all-seeing eye of God And therefore from hence we are to be stirred up to humble our selves before God by examining our hearts and laying open our most secret corruptions And secondly this ought to comfort us that though in our dayly practice we often fall yet God in his goodnesse lookes at the inward frame