as the worde importeth such as Friendes giue one to another whylâ—â— they are drawing neare to embrace one another after a long tyme separation 3. They confessed in their lyfe tyme that they were Strangers and Pilgrimes on the earth This wee reade onelie of Iaakob before Pharaoh But the mynde of one of the Faythfull in the mayne matters maketh evident what is the mynde of the rest THEN 1. It is the parte of true Believers to professe their Fayth before all even before Idolaters amongst whom they liue 2. They who know Heaven to bee their owne Home doe reckon this Worlde a strange Countrey Vers. 14. For they that say such things declare playnlie that they seeke a Countrey Vers. 15. And truelie if they had beene myndfull of that countrey from whence they came out they might haue had opportunitie to haue returned Vers. 16. But nowe they desire a better Countreye that is an Heavenlie Wherefore GOD is not ashamed to bee called their GOD For Hee hath prepared for them a Citie FROM their Profession That they were Straungers hee draweth Consequences thus That they desired an homelie Countrey And if a Countrey then eyther their owne earthlie Countrey or a better Not their owne earthlie Countrey for they might haue returned when they pleased Therefore they desired a better Countrey And if a better Countrey then an Heavenlie Countrey That is They desired even Heaven it selfe for their Countrey 1. This deducing of Consequences from the Profession of the Patriarches That they were Strangers TEACHETH VS 1. So to reade the Scriptures as wee may marke not onelie what is spoken but also what is thereby imported by consequence 2. That what is imported by a speach is a playne Declaration of the mynde of the speaker and not an obscure Deduction as Mockers call it They who say they are Strangers declare playnlie that they seeke a Countrey sayeth the Apostle 3. Yea that it is lawfull to proceede drawing one Consequence after another till wee finde out the full mynde provyding the Collection bee evident in the course of sound Reason as heere it is 2. The Apostle hath proven heere That the Patriarches sought Heaven for their Countrey Because they sought a better than anie on earth THEN 1. The Apostle knew no place for Residence of departed Soules better nor the earth except Heaven onelie If there had beene anie other place such as is feygned to bee his reasoning had not bene solide 2. The PATRIARCHES after the ending of their Pilgrimage heere on earth went Home to Heaven 3. Because they counted themselues Strangers till they came Home to Heaven GOD is not ashamed to bee called their GOD. THEN 1. GOD will honour them that honour Him 2. GOD will avowe Himselfe to bee their Portion who for His Cause doe renounce the Worlde 3. Yea that the LORD may honour such as honour Him Hee will even abase Himselfe to exalt them 4. When the LORD hath so done Hee thinketh it no dishonour to Himselfe to doe anie thing that may honour His Servants 4. GOD did prepare them a Citie which the Apostle before hath called Heaven or the Heavenlie Countrey THEN Heaven was preapared for the Patriarches and the rest of GOD'S Saynctes before they had ended their Pilgrimage on earth And to put them into Hell or anie other place there must bee a doctrine not from Heaven Vers. 17. By Fayth Abraham when hee was tryed offered vp Isaac And hee that had receaved the Promises offred vp his onlie begotten sonne Vers. 18. Of whom it was sayde That in Isaac shall thy Seede bee called ANother Commendation of Abraham's Fayth from the proofe given thereof in his tryall about ISAAC WHENCE WEE LEARNE 1. That where the LORD giveth Fayth there Tryall must bee expected And the greater Fayth the greater Tryall 2. That Fayth is most commendable when it standeth strong in tryall 2. Hee is sayde to haue offered vp Isaac by Faâ—th THEN 1. There is nothing so deare but Fayth in GOD will make a man quyte it at GOD'S Commaund 2. The LORD counteth that to bee done which a man is about to doe ISAAC is counted offered because so was hee in ABRAHAM'S Purpose 3. His receaving of the Promises is heere in another sense than verse 13. for there to receaue the Promises is to receaue the thing promised or the Promises in performance But heere it is to haue the Promises first and immediatelie made vnto him THEN The meaning of formes of speach in Scripture is to bee found by consideration of all circumstances of the place where they are spoken and not of some circumstances onelie 4. It serveth to the commendation of his Fayth that hee obeyed GOD'S Command when It seemed to make the Promise null THEN 1. To adhere to the Promise when by appearance of reason it is lyklie not to bee performed is tryed Fayth indeede 2. When Reason fighteth agaynst Fayth it is wisedome to quyte that Reason which would make vs quyte the Promise 3. When GOD'S Commaundementes and Promises vnto vs seeme to crosse one another it is wisedome for vs to justifie them both All His Wordes are trueth Vers. 19. Accounting that GOD was able to rayse him vp even from the dead from whence also hee receaved him in a Figure ABRAHAM'S looking to GOD'S Fidelitie and Omnipotencie made him victorious over everie difficultie and so to giue obedience to this harde Commandement THEN 1. When wee get hard Commaundementes wee must lay our reckoning howe wee may obey them and not howe wee may shift them 2. Difficulties and impossibilities as would appeare must bee rolled over vpon GOD. 3. GOD'S Omnipotencie maketh that His Promise can not misse but take effect 2. ABRAHAM as hee expected so hee found Hee expected Isaac's resurrection from the dead and in â— Figure or Similitude hee receaved Isaac backe from the dead that is from the jawes of Death no lesse vnexpectedlie than from the dead THEN 1. The Believer shall finde as much as hee can expect from GOD'S Worde 2. If the Performance bee not as hee doeth fore-cast yet it shall bee by a way as comfortable and profitable Vers. 20. By Fayth Isaac blessed Iaakob and Esau concerning things to come ISAAC'S blessing of his sonnes is sayde to bee by Fayth THEN Patriarchall Benedictions were given by ordinarie Fayth albeit from the ground of extraordinarie revealed Trueth For Fayth ordinarie believeth GOD'S Trueth revealed how-so-ever ordinarilie or extraordinarilie 2. In that this Example is propounded for ordinarie imitation in believing of GOD'S ordinarie revealed Word IT TEACHETH VS That hee who hath the ordinarie Word of GOD hath as sure a ground to rest vpon as if hee had a particular and extraordinarie Revelation Vers. 21. By Fayth Iaakob when hee was a-dying blessed both the sonnes of Ioseph and worshipped leaning vpon the toppe of his Staffe IAAKOB a-dying blesseth his Off-spring and worshippeth GOD in bodilie weaknesse THEN 1. Fayth can looke through the Clowde of Death and behold both its
some subdued Kingdomes by their Fayth as Ioshua and the Iudges Some wrought Righteousnesse that is attayned vnto a righteous Behaviour in their difficile Employmentes as David and Samuell in Peace and Warre Some obtayned Promises as Gideon Barak c. Some quenched the violence of Fyre as the three Children Stopped the mouthes of Lyons as Sampson Daniell Escaped the Sworde as David Elias Of Weake were made Strong as Ezekias Waxed valiant in sight as Ioshua Sampson David Put to flight the Aliens as Ionathan Gideon Iehosaphat Women receaved their dead alyue as the Widow of Sareptha and the Shunâ—miteâ—â—e c. WHENCE WEE LEARNE 1. That in the olde Church vnder the Lawe when the groundes of believing were not so cleare as nowe they are excellent thinges are recorded to bee done by Fayth for vp-stirring of such as are vnder the light of the Gospell to make vse of Fayth 2. That neyther Fyre nor Water nor Man nor Beast is so strong but Fayth may make a weake Man victorious over them all 3. Yea nothing so terrible or difficile but a Man who hath GOD'S Word to bee a ground for his Fayth may adventure vpon it with assurance of prevayling If hee bee called hee may encounter with the hardest Partie Vers. 35. VVomen receaved their dead raysed to lyfe agayne and others were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtayne a better Resurrection Vers. 36. And others had tryall of cruell Mockinges and Scourginges yea more-over of Bondes and Imprisonment Vers. 37. They were stoned they were sawen a-sunder were tempted were slayne with the Sworde They wandered about in Sheepe Skinnes and Goat Skinnes beeing destitute afflicted and tormented WHether the Apostle hath taken these particulars from the Recordes extant in the tyme from the Bookes of Maccabees and others or not it matters not much seeing this standeth sure that the certayntie of the trueth thereof was from Divine Inspiration the ground of all Scriptures out-giving And hence wee learne 1. That as Fayth enableth Men to doe so also to suffer 2. That there is no trouble in the flesh but GOD'S Children may fall thereinto no Torment so cruell no Terrour nor Allurement but they may bee essayed in them by Persecuters 3. That there is no Payne nor Griefe nor losse so great but Fayth knoweth howe to make Gayne of it and to despyse all in hope of the Rewarde 4. That the Olde Church believed the Resurrection and comforted themselues in Martyrdome by the hope thereof Vers. 38. Of whom the World was not worthie They wandered in Desartes and in Mountaynes and in Dennes and in Caues of the earth IN calling the Worlde vnworthie of the companie of these Children of GOD LEARNE 1. That one Believer is more worth in GOD'S esteemation than all the VVorlde beside 2. None despyse GOD'S Children but worthlesse and despyseable soules 2. In that hee reckoneth the solitarie and Heremiticall lyfe of GOD'S Children and their Apparell suteable to their Dwelling amongst their Troubles Sufferinges and Persecutions which they did not choose but were driven vnto of necessitie by the crueltie of the tyme HEE TEACHETH VS 1. That the Heremiticall and solitarie lyfe and separation from amongst the societie of Men is onlie then commendable when Men beeing driven therevnto of necessitie doe beare it in a Christian manner Otherwayes to sequestrate our selues from the fellowship of Men to whome wee owe the Dueties of Loue so long as wee may doe them anie good or so long as they will suffer vs to liue amongst them is in short to loose from our Neckes the Yoake of the Second Table of GOD'S Law vnder pretence to keepe the First Table the better 2. The Saynctes shall finde peace amongst the wilde Beastes rather than amongst wicked men Vers. 39. And these all having obtayned a good Reporte through Fayth receaved not the Promise BY the Promise is meaned the Mayne and chiefe Promise of CHRIST'S Incarnation wherein they were inferiour vnto vs and yet both were contented to rest by Fayth vpon the Promise with the light which they had and obtayned a good Reporte thereby That is Were approven and justified of GOD. THEN The Fayth of those who lived before CHRIST having lesse clearnesse of the ground than wee and yet sufficient to supporte them in all troubles and to obtayne Iustification before GOD is a great Encowragement vnto vs vnder the Gospell to belieue and a great conviction if we belieue not Vers. 40. GOD having provyded some better thing for vs that they without vs should not bee made perfect HEE giveth a reason heereof Because GOD had appoyncted the accomplishment of the Promise of sending the MESSIAH to bee in the last tymes that they should not bee perfected that is justified and saved by anie thing done in their tyme but by looking to our tyme and CHRIST'S satisfaction made therein whereby they and wee are perfected together THEN 1. CHRIST'S comming in these last tymes is a better thing than all the Glorie of the Olde Church and Service and Prerogatiues thereof 2. All the Shadowes in their tyme without CHRIST who is the Substance of them all in our tyme exhibited was vnable to perfect the Fathers that is to justifie and saue them 3. The perfecting of the Fathers in the Olde Testament and the perfecting of vs in the New Testament doe meete together in that One better thing CHRIST IESVS by whom they and wee both are saved And so they are not perfected without vs. 2. In that hee leadeth vs vnto GOD'S fore-seeing and fore-provyding of this hee looseth all curious questions about this Course which GOD hath taken to make the Case of His Church better nowe than of olde THEN That GOD hath thought good so to doe is sufficient for stopping our myndes from all curious enquyring of the LORD'S Dispensation The summe of Chap. XII THE vse of all these Examples is That we holde on in the course of Christianitie what-so-ever trouble may meete vs in the way Vers. 1. Looking on CHRIST for your Patterne Vers. 2. And for your Encowragement also lest you faynt Vers. 3. For you haue not suffered so much as you must bee readie to suffer Vers. 4. And you haue forgotten that Chastisementes are Tokens of GOD'S Favour Vers. 5. For Hee loveth whome Hee chasteneth Vers. 6. And your enduring thereof shall prooue you Sonnes Vers. 7. But immunitie should prooue you Bastardes Vers. 8. VVee haue borne our Parentes Correction and why should wee not nowe beare GOD'S Vers. 9. For they chastened vs to satisfie their owne passions but GOD for our profite Vers. 10. And albeit Affliction bee grievous nowe yet the fruites shall bee sweete afterwardes Vers. 11. VVherefore take your Comfort Vers. 12. And Cowrage to goe stoutlie on lest by discowragement you fall into Apostasie But rather seeke to recover the Cowrage which you haue lost Vers. 13. Follow Peace with all men But Holinesse also as you would bee saved Vers. 14. Beware of the vnmortified
agaynst all opposition of incredulltie in vs as there might bee a consent and yeelding to the Trueth extorted from vs. As for example When wee can not take to heart the daunger wee are into by entertayning anie known sinne from ROM viij vers 13. we may reason thus The Scripture sayeth If yee liue after the flesh yee shall die But if I forsake not and mortifie not this knowne sinne in mee I liue after the flesh Therefore if I forsake not and mortifie not this knowne sinne I shall die Agayne the Scripture sayeth If yee through the Spirit doe mortifie the deedes of the bodie yee shall liue Therefore if I by the Spirite mortifie such and such Lustes I haue GOD'S Promise that I shall liue And so in other particularâ— Vers. 2. For by it the Elders obtayned a good reporte HEE prooveth the nature of Fayth to bee as hee hath sayde because the Elders were approven of GOD as blessed in their believing who could not otherwayes bee part-takers of the promised Blessing in the MESSIAH to come except Fayth had furnished vnto them the Substance and Evidence of that hoped-for Blessing THEN 1. The Fathers vnder the Law were endewed with justifying Fayth and accepted of GOD even as wee 2. Men how base soever are brought into credite with GOD and into good esteemation with His Church by Fayth Vers. 3. Through Fayth wee vnderstand that the Worldes were framed by the Word of GOD So that thinges which are seene were not made of thinges which doe appeare ANother proofe to showe that Fayth is the Evidence of thinges not seene Because wee can haue no other Evidence of the Worldes Creation but by looking therevpon in the Word as it were in doing before our Eyes THEN 1. Fayth must not stand whether there bee Appearances or Probabilities or not of such thinges as are promised in the Worde or else it could not belieue the Creation which is the making of all thinges of nothing 2. The whole workes of Creation are Pawnes and Evidences of the possibilitie yea Certayntie of everie thing promised For the workes of Creation stand vpon no better ground than GOD'S Word This sentence GOD shall make our vyle bodies lyke vnto the glorious Bodie of CHRIST IESVS is as powerfull to make vs so as this sentence Let there bee Light was powerfull to create Light when there was none before Vers. 4. By Fayth Abell offered vnto GOD a more excellent Sacrifice than Kayn by which hee obtayned witnesse that he was righteous GOD testifying of his Giftes and by it hee beeing dead yet speaketh IN the Catalogue of Believers hee beginneth at Abell the first persecuted Man for Righteousnesse and that by Kayn professing the same worship with him WHEREIN WEE LEARNE 1. That the Wicked may joyne in the outward worship and pure formes of Religion with the Godlie as KAIN did with ABELL 2. That Fayth putteth the difference betwixt their persons and service 3. That a man's person must first please GOD before his actions can please Him For therefore was ABEL'S Sacrifice accepted because by Fayth his person was justified 4. Fayth maketh ABEL still a speaking Doctor to the Church directing all who loue to haue such rewarde to cleaue vnto GOD as hee did and albeit they should die for it by the hand of their persecuting and bloodie Brethren not to wonder at it Vers. 5. By Fayth Enoch was translated that hee should not see death and was not found because GOD had translated him For before his translation hee had this Testimonie That hee pleased GOD. ENOCH'S full felicitie is expressed by GOD'S translating of him THEN If wee aske where ENOCH went to wee must search for him by Scriptures warrand onlie in the companie of GOD the Translator of him For before hee was translated he lived a blessed Man in fellowship with GOD and it is injurious to GOD and ENOCH both to put him out of GOD'S fellowship as not blessed when hee is translated 2. ENOCH'S Translation beareth witnesse 1. That the blessednesse of everlasting Lyfe with GOD after death was knowne in the Olde Testament 2. That the Fathers got possession of it 3. That this Felicitie could not bee attayned vnto but by flitting and remooving out of this lyfe 4. That the Bodie is a Partner with the Soule of Lyfe aeternall 5. That how-so-ever it bee appoyncted for all men once to die yet GOD can make when Hee pleaseth Translation or a Chaunge to stand in rowme of Death 3. Before ENOCH was translated hee had this Testimonie That hee pleased GOD. THEN Who-so-ever desireth to be blessed with GOD after they are remooved from this lyfe must first learne to please GOD before they departe hence Vers. 6. But without Fayth it is impossible to please Him For he that commeth to GOD must belieue that Hee is and that Hee is a rewarder of them that diligentlie seeke Him HEE prooveth that ENOCH'S Translation and pleasing of GOD was by Fayth because pleasing of GOD can not bee without Fayth Hee nameth no other of GOD'S Graces in him but Fayth onelie because it onelie of all other Graces strippeth a man naked of the worth of anie thing in him and sendeth him to GOD'S Mercie in the Mediatour THEN 1. What-so-ever glorious Vertues bee found in Gods Children yet it is not by anie of these that they are justified or acceptable to God but onelie by their Fayth For it is by Fayth that it may bee by Grace And if it bee by Grace it is not by worthinesse of workes 2. In the matter of Iustification and acceptation with GOD to bee justified by Fayth or accepted not without Fayth is all one with to bee justified and accepted by vertue of nothing in a man beside Fayth Else the Apostle's reasoning were not strong 3. Except a man haue this commended Fayth in GOD'S Mercie hee can not please GOD Let him doe else what you can name without this Fayth it is impossible to please GOD. 2. Hee expoundeth what the Fayth is of which hee meaneth To wit A comming to GOD All-sufficient and mercifull THEN 1. GOD is Selfe-sufficient and All-sufficient 2. GOD is so gracious as none can seeke vnto Him by that Way which Hee hath revealed but Hee will giue them that which they seeke 3. Except a man belieue GOD'S All-sufficiencie and mercifull Bountifulnesse hee can not come vnto Him to seeke suppliâ— of wantes or reliefe from evill 3. From thesâ— wordes also wee may obserue the nature of Fayth 1. It maketh a man sensible of his indigence and miserie else it could not sende him a-begging 2. It maketh him to acknowledge his naturall alienation and farrenesse from GOD else it could not set him on work to seek GOD and to come vnto Him 3. It emptieth him of the confidence in his own al the creatures help else â—t could not send the man away from all these to GOD. 4. It poyncteth out GOD both able and willing to helpe else it could not