afore at the sight whereof the very enemies of Christ which watched him were afraide for that they had done vnto him yea they were constrained to confesse and say Doubtles this man was the sonne of God So if we be dead with Christ our head vnto sinne as he was dead for our sinnes there will follow a wonderfull alteration in our liues There will appeare such zeale in professing the Gospell such pittie in releeuing the poore such patience in bearing the crosse such faithfulnesse in performing of promises such charitie in iudging our brethren such cōpassion in condemning malefactors such loue in reproouing of faultes such mercie in forgiuing offences such sinceritie in worshipping of God such constancie in defending of the trueth such watching ouer all our waies and such wisedome in winning men to God that our very ennemies which before did mocke vs hate vs and perseeute vs shal be constrained with shame enough to say These were no doubt the children of God these were good men these were true professors indeed for such fruites and effects doe follow their profession as are not commonly seen in the liues of others Wherefore to conclude this point Let not the king go like a Kesar Let not the captaine runne away like a coward Let not the tree loose his fatnesse to do as the bramble would doe And let not a christian liue like Antichrist Let not beleeuers liue like infidels nor let not the sonnes of God liue like the sons of Sathan But as in our houses as in our apparell as in our feastinges as in our furniture in euerie thing els we striue to haue matches and all our thinges sutable So likewise let vs striue to haue our titles and our liues our names and our qualities our profession and our practise sutable and answerable the one to the other Finally let euerie one that calleth God his father in the name of the Lord Iesus depart from iniquitie least heereafter the Lord Iesus bid him depart with the works of iniquitie Heere be two departinges If we take the first now we shall be free from the other heereafter but if we will not heare nowe of a departing from iniquitie which we ought we shall heereafter heare of a departing with our iniquitie which wee would not The first is somewhat painfull but it is infinitly gainfull The second is most fearefull and for euer intollerable And thus much of the duetie of Gods children in regard of their titles Nowe let vs see why the Lord both in this place and so often in this booke of Prouerbes doth vse these wordes My son as also why he doth not say My sonnes in the plurall number seeing hee speakes to all the church in general but My son in the singular nūber as though he spake but to one alone that so we may make that vse of thē for which they were left vnto the Church And least wee should thinke this to be more than neede wee are to knowe that as the holyest speaketh nothing in vaine so doth hee not speake anie worde at all aduenture but in singular wisedome and in most excellent order hath hee handled euerie Treatise and placed euerie sentence euerie word and euerie letter To great purpose it is don and ought accordingly to be considered for when heauen and earth shall passe not one iot or tittle of Gods word shall passe but euerie worde of God endureth for euer and shall remaine as faithfull witnesse in heauen either with vs or against vs in the day of the Lord Then shall all Gods argumentes and reasons and persuasions be called foorth to giue euidence against vs if they doe nothing preuaile now Then shall euerie word of admonition and euerie worde of threatning and euerie word of loue and kindnesse and euerie title of honor and dignitie come forth and plead hard against all such as haue turned the deafe eare vnto them yea they shall also crie loud for vengeance vppon all those men which either in worde or deede haue offered them anie disgrace especially amongest their friendes vppon the face of the earth like strangers of an other countrey when they catch their forraigne ennemies within their owne liberties for euerie worde of GOD is sent from heauen by God as Embassadours of a farre Countrey one after another to deale for God Therefore it shall be wisedome for vs to regard them now and to giue them good entertainement while they remaine amongst vs or els when we trauaile into their country where they dwell which will not be long and think to find reliefe at their handes they wil then serue vs as we serued them and put vs in minde of our discourteous dealing against them when they were amongst vs as Ioseph told his bertheren of their crueltie against him when they went into Egipte for succour where he bare rule and they had nothing to doe then were they both afraide and ashamed and so shall we be too if we doe not repent Well go to then we will not lightly passe ouer this preface as we haue don as if they were but words of course for there is more in them then we thinke there were for in deed there is more contained in these two wordes My sonne than some thinke can be gathered out of two chapters yea ij books I will not say the whole booke of God butl et vs see why the Lord vseth to speake so vnto miserable men and why he speaketh in the singular number as to one alone when that which he saith concerneth not only one mā but the whole church of God that we may also vse them to that ende for which they were set downe Surely the Lord of mercy knowing where of we be made and seeing that we are but dust full of weaknesse and corruption frameth himselfe in his worde to speake accordingly And albeit he sometime vttereth himselfe in fearefull wordes of might and maiesty to shewe his power and soueraigntie ouer vs yet sometime againe he speaketh as a tender father alluring his children with sweet wordes of comfort and encouragement for if mount Sinay should still smoke and burne with fire Israell would die for feare If Moses should not couer his face with a vaile when he cōmeth from talking with God they wer not able to behold him If the Lord of hosts should alwaies send strong windes before him to rend the mountains and to split the Rockes in pieces Eliah himselfe durst not come out of his caue but if a still and a soft voice come after the winde the earthquake and the fire then will Eliah beginne to peepe out and boldly to stand vp but he will not go beyond the entring of the caue as bold as he is and his face must be couered with his mantle too Here therefore and often in this booke the Lorde of heauen and earth speaketh no otherwise vnto his church than a father doth to his child My sonne saith he
thine for there is no sonne without a father My sonne if thou doest a sonnes duetie to mee I will haue a fathers care ouer thee whatsoeuer is past shal be forgotten feare nothing for thou shalt want nothing that I see good for thee Goe through my businesse boldly and couragiously I wil stand by thee to the end If thou wantest any thing tell me and I wil supply thy wantes If anie bodie do abuse thee in word and deede complaine to me and I will see it redressed If thou wantest wisedome aske it of me and I will make thee wiser than thy ancients If thou wantest wealth I my selfe will be thy portion If thou be weake I will bee thy strength If thou fall sicke I will be thy phisition and if thou die I will restore thee to life againe euen to life euerlasting Therefore cast thy whole care vpon me for I will care for thee and thy whole prouision will I take vpon my selfe only keep thou thy standing bee faithfull in thy calling relie vpon me my son and feare nothing And further My sonne doe not thinke that my prouidence is onely in generall ouer all my children but know that my proâ—idence reacheth in particular to euerie one of my children in what place of the world soeuer they be In the mountains vallies by sea and by land by night and by day All thinges are open in my sight at one instant And this is the cause why the Lord saith My sonne as though he spake but to one when he speaks to all that are his children that all may knowe what a speciall care he hath of euerie one yea such a care indeede hath the Lord ouer all his children in particular that hee hath numbred all the haires of their head he putteth all their teares into a bottell hee counteth all their goings and he regardeth all their sighs and grones Insomuch as a stone doth not lie in their waie but hee knoweth of it knowing it he doth so preserue them as that they shall not hurt their foot against a stone This indeed is sweet comfortable but yet for all that wee see by daily experieÌ„ce that the children of God doe still go by the worst in the world and the troubles of the righteous are manie and great but the wicked doe prosper as Iob saith neither doe they come into trouble as other men yea they haue whatsoeuer their heart can wish and more too as Dauid saith they are not mocked nor flowted at nor had in derision as the Godly are c. Stay thy selfe All this is true and a great deale more thaÌ„ this but what then Yet God is good to Israell for all this and careth for the affliction of poore Ioseph yea what wilt thou say if Ioseph be afflicted that the Lord might shew what care he hath of his affliction but what Can the Lord forget his litle worme Iacob which he hath writen in the palmes of his handes Or is there no profite in seruing of the almightie Let the reprobate make the conclusion Thou thy selfe arta father and if thy child doe thy will thou wilt giue him good thinges If he doth transgresse thy will thou wilt also correct him because he is thy childe And shall not the Lord which excelleth all fathers in loue much more giue his children good things when they obay him Verely he wil cause his people to mount vpon the high places of the earth and Israell shal be fed with the heritage of Iaakob his father for the mouth of the Lord of hostes hath spoken it But what if his children do offeÌ„d him shall it not be lawfull for him to correct them Surely whom he loueth he correcteth euen as a father doth the child in whom he delighteth and therfore he correcteth them because he loueth them If his child do sinne against him as who doth not he will chasten him with the rods of men and will visite their sinnes with the plagues of the children of men So did he deale with Salomon and he told his father Dauid how he would vse him but yet saith he I wil be his father and he shal be my sonne and my mercy wil I not take froÌ„ him as I tooke it from Saul whom I put awaie before thee So his mercie he will not take awaie from his children as he doth froÌ„ the wicked whom hee hath purposed to cast off in the end But thou doest aske me why the wicked do florish in this world I ask thee again why doest thou set vp thy Oxen a fatting is it not against the daie of slaughter So doth God likewise set vp the vngodly and proud men a fatting euen vntill their eies stand out with fatnesse but is it not against the day of iudgment Therfore be content and fret not thy self at the prosperitie of irreligious and prophane men whose life is but a warre with God They haue their heauen heere that they may haue their hell hereafter And what if Capernaum be lifted vp to the heaueÌ„s hee shal be cast downe to the lowest hell and howe should hee be cast downe if he were not first lifted vp Againe The Lord will raise his people out of the dust and set them vp amongst Princes how should they be raised vp if they were not first cast downe But why doth the Lord suffer the vngodly so to vexe his Children surely because they are his rods to whip them withall but when hee hath wel corrected his children and worne his rod to the stumps the rod shal be cast into the fire and as scullions of the kitchen to scoure his vessels of honour so doth the Lord vse all the wicked ennemies of his Church euen the greatest Tirantes that euer were But why doth our heauenly father keepe his children so bare and so poore as they be manie times Neuer maruell at that for thou thy selfe being a father keepest thy child bare and giuest him neuer a pennie in his purse thou puttest him to schoole thou doest keep him vnder and giuest him but from hand to mouth vntill he come to yeares of discretion and then thou doest giue him more large allowance and when his time is come he possesseth also thy inheritance and not before For if he should possesse the inheritance when hee is a childe or a youth hee would waxe proud and perhappes spend it awaie riotouslie and wastfullie So God our heauenlie father seeth that if wee should haue our handes full and want nothing we would waxe proud and wanton and forget God as manie doe or we would spend it vainly or maliciously or as S. Iames saith vpon our pleasures and lustes and therefore our heauenly father doth in singular wisdome keepe vs vnder manie times giuing vs but froÌ„ hand to mouth yet doth he loue vs neuer the worse for all that but the better and when the time
of reâ—eshing is come from the Lord it shal be saide vnto vs Come ye blessed children of my Father possesse the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world But in the meane time wee must looke for trouble in the worlde for so hath our Lord Iesus foretolde vs. In the world you shall haue trouble saith he but be of good cheare I haue ouercome the world that victorie is not for himselfe but for the faithfull And as for trouble affliction the Lord doth see it good for vs that we may learne the statutes of our God as the rod is necessarie for the childe without which he would waxe brutish and barbarous The gold is put in the fire and is made the finer the spices are braied in the morter and do smell the sweeter the vine is pruned to the stocke and is made the more fruitfull the grape is trodden and pressed eyeldeth the more wine the ground is rent with the plough and then receiueth the seede the corne is first beaten out with the flaile then it is tossed with the fanne after that it is ground in the mill and then it is fit to make bread the cloth is rent and cut in peeces before it can make a garment the finest linnen is washed and wrung and then is made white All these are familiar examples to teach vs howe necessarie affliction is for the children of God and howe hardly they are made fit for the kingdome of heauen without the crosse Ioseph was promised that he shuld be ruler ouer all his brethren but he was not so by and by hee must first be cast into a pit then hee must be bought and solde then hee must be tempted and falsly accused then he must be wrongfullie imprisoned and after all this hee shall be aduanced The Israelites were promised the land of Chanaan which flowed with milke and honny but it is not giuen them so soone as it is promised they must first serue in Aegypt then they must passe the red Sea then they must trauaile through the wildernesse of manifolde wantes then they must fight manie sore battailes and afterward come to Chanaan It was tolde Dauid that hee should be king but hee did not presently weare the crowne No Dauid no thou must first be a shepheard then thou must encounter with Goliah the vncircumcised then thou must looke for Saules hatred then thou must be banished Saules courts and thy owne countrey and after all this and a great deale more with much adoe thou shalt be king So the Lord hath promised vs the kingdome of heauen whereof Chanaan was a figure and a resemblance but wee must not looke presently to enioy it wee must first be handled as Ioseph was then wee must be euill treated and oppressed as Israel was then wee must be hated and persecuted as Dauid was and then wee shall haue it The worlde will hate vs our foes will hate vs and our friendes will hate vs if wee feare God but God will loue vs and that is our comfort Father and mother will forsake vs but God will take vs vp and that is our comfort Craftie heades will lay snares to take vs in our goinges but God will breake the snare and our soules shall escape the proude and malicious will dishonour and disgrace vs but GOD will honour those that honour him for fathers are the glorie of their children saith Salomon howe much more shall the God of all glorie be a glorie to his Children we must not looke to be free from the buffettinges of Sathan if wee were as holie as Paule but feare nothing the grace of God doth and shall vpholde vs. And Sathan will sift vs as wheat is sifted if we weare as good as Peter if he may haue his desire but be not afraid for I haue prayed for thee saith the Lord Iesus that thy faith may not faile yea the Lord doth fight for vs and with his louing fauour he will defend his children as with a sheild This is more I coÌ„fesse than man can found with the plummet of human reason neither is it alwais seen with the eies of our body Therefore Gods children must learne to walke by faith and not by sight And therfore is our waiting on god made an article of our faith I beeloue in God the father almightie c. That which must vpholde our faith is Gods promise and his power So was Abraham vpholden and was persuaded that God would be as good as his word though he saw no worldly reason for it and if we could giue a naturall reason for that as wee may doe for thinges of the world then were our trusting in God an article of reason but not an article of faith And these two can not stand together for faith doth beginne where reason doth end that when all meanes doe faile vs yet faith may vphold vs in the promises of God And thus we see how these two words My sonne do not onely persuade vs to here God and bind vs entirely to serue him without halting in our calling but they serue also to comfort vs and to cheare vs vp when the crosse doth meete vs in doing or rather in neglecting the dueties of our calling How these words My sonne do serue for instruction LAst of all for our instruction the Lord saith My son to teach vs that if we doe willingly heare him when he teacheth vs if we diligently obay him when he commaundeth vs and if we patiently suffer him when he correcteth vs he will no doubt haue a fatherly care ouer vs he will accept of our sacrifices and heare our praiers he will also be mercifull to our sinnes and forgiue vs our offences he will deliuer vs from hell and bring vs into heauen But all this is neither for our hearing nor for our obaying nor for our suffering nor for our praying nor for our working but because we are first his adopted children in Iesus christ It is not for any worthinesse that is in vs but for the worthinesse of the Lord Iesus by whose meanes we are become his sonnes his daughters we are not therfore made the sons of God because we heare his word because we obay his commaundements because we beare the crosse or for any other thing that we haue done or possibly can doe as Papists hold but therfore we heare him and therfore we obay him and therefore we suffer him and therefore we loue him because we are first made his children in the Lord Iesus Our good workes are not the cause of our election but Gods election is the cause of our good works for he hath chosen vs saith the Apostle in him that is in Christ before the foundation of the world that wee should be holy and blameles before him in loue Therefore we hold againe that all our poore endeuours are accepted of God and rewarded