himself alone set upon other things besides God so that as the Apostle says That Covetousness is Idolatry Col. 3.5 Eph. 5.5 and the covetous person an Idolater so may it be said of the rest So that even among our selves this Chastity of the Dove is much wanting the more is our shame But Though Israel play the harlot let not Judah sin Hosea 4.15 though most men in the World be so vain as to hunt after other Lovers yet let it be our wisdom to rest content with God alone and cleave fast unto him Give to him alone the Worship that is due to him impart it not to any besides him Pray to him alone do Adoration to him alone love him alone and none else except it be in him and for him Love not the World 1 John 2.25 nor the things of the World rejoyce in him alone let our desires be onely after him Matth. 10.28 Fear not him that can kill the Body but fear him who is able to destroy Soul and Body Trust in the Lord with all thy Heart Prov. 3.5 Exod. 15.11 and so in the rest Who says Moses is like to thee O Lord among the gods And plainly Deut. 33.20 There is none like to the God of Jesurun None therefore so well deserves or can lay so just claim to the Worship of the Soul as this great God And think not now of dividing the Heart between God and any Creature He says My Son give me thy Heart Prov. 23.26 not a part of it bigger or lesser but thy whole Heart A King can endure no Partner in his Kingdom nor an Husband in the Love of his Wife nor God in our Hearts If we say of our Hearts to God as David to Mephibosheth concerning his Lands Thou and Ziba divide the Lands 2 Sam. 19.29 30 God will not fail generously to answer as Mephibosheth did Nay let him take all By thoughts of dividing the Soul and the Worship of it between God and the Creature we shall quite exclude him CHAP. VIII The Church and an Hill THe Church is frequently in Scripture set forth by Mount Sion and the Resemblance holds between the Church and an Hill in these Particulars I. In respect of the firmness of the Church Saint Chrysostom takes knowledg of this Particular 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Merito mons est Ecclesia quod sit firma stabilis nec possit conquassari Sicut enim non potest mons labefactari ita nec Dei Ecclesia To. 3. in Psa 9. Deservedly says he is the Church likened to an Hill because it is firm and stable and cannot be broken to pieces As an Hill cannot be cast down so neither the Church of God No power of men nor yet of Hell can so far prevail Mat. 16.18 It 's the assurance of our Saviour The gates of Hell shall not prevail against it Particular visible Churches may be prevailed against and so may fail as we have seen by sad experience of many famous Churches in Asia Africa and other places but the whole Church never failed The glory and splendor of the Church may be much eclipsed and the numbers of it much decreased yet still a Church hath been When the Arian Heresie prevailed most in so much that the whole World lamented that it was turned Arian yet there were some Catholique Bishops and Catholique Christians that held the Faith of the Consubstantiality of the Son with the Father and these were the Church And in the Times of the Roman Apostasy when it prevailed most in the World even then were some that did profess and maintain the Faith of Christ and the purity of Gods Worship against the Heresies and Idolatries of the Church of Rome and sealed the Truth of God with their blood and these were the Church then The grounds of this stability of the Church are two 1. The Power of God the Builder and Founder of the Church for what Men or Devils being of finite power can prevail to throw down the Building of this God whose Power is infinite for Job 9.4 who ever strengthened himself against God and prospered 2. The strength of the Foundation upon which the Church is built Christ a Rock Matth. 16.18 upon this Rock I will build my Church says our Saviour that is upon Christ the Rock the subject of Saint Peters Confession and thereupon he infers therefore Mat. 7.24 The gates of Hell shall not prevail against it for so the House built on the Rock stood impregnably against all assaults of rain and floods and winds and the reason is given Verse 25 because it was built on a Rock This affords great comfort to the Church against all her Enemies Thou O Church of God hast many Enemies Satan that Prince of Darkness and his under-agents Hereticks on the one side and Schismaticks on the other side and many wicked and profane men in the World Psalm 137.7 and these are cruelly bent and full of malice against thee crying Raze it raze it even to the Foundation thereof and 83.4 Their aim and endeavor is That the Name of Israel may no more be had in remembrance and oft they are armed with great secular power but yet fear not God is with thee he that built thee will uphold thee and as Hezekiah said for the comfort of his Subjects against the Assyrian Army 2 Chro. 32.7 8 There are more with thee then with them with them is an arm of flesh but with thee is the Lord thy God And thou art built upon Christ the Foundation therefore all opposition made against thee to remove thee out of thy place shall never prevail against thee And let all Enemies upon this ground be advised to desist from their cruel attempts against the Church Who would undertake to wash the Black-moor or any other labor in vain Such will your endeavors be in this kinde as if a man should undertake to remove an Hill out of its place for so is the Church an Hill firm and stable it shall stand and remain when ye have done the worst that ye can do yea your endeavors are against God who hath founded this Hill the Church and against Christ the Rock upon whom it is founded and consequently against your selves and ye can expect no other issue of your attempts in this way but ruine to your selves Desist therefore in time if ye love your selves II. In respect of propinquity and nearness to Heaven as the Hills in regard of their height are nearer to Heaven then other lower parts of the Earth so is the Church so are godly Christians the Members of the Church nearer to God then any other people under Heaven and God nearer to them Eph. 2.13 then to any others The Apostle speaking of the Ephesians as they were Gentiles before they were converted to the Faith of Christ says They were far off but speaking of them after their
feed and clothe you He wants not will to do it for he hath given that assurance That they which fear God Psalm 34.10 24.1 shall not want any thing that is good for them and he wants not power for the Earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof Let this comfort you against the fear of want though never so poor though thy estate be never so scanty yet fear not God knowes how to provide for thee he can lengthen out thy scanty portion as he did the handful of meal in the barrel 1 King 17.12 14.15 2 King 4 1.7 and the little oil in the cruse of that Zareptan widow or as he did that oil of the poor Prophets widow or he can lessen thy charge or if it be a time of dearth he can suddenly send plenty as he did to Samaria 6.25 where ere while the famine was so great that an Asses head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver and the fourth part of a cab of Doves dung for five pieces of silver and soon after the plenty was so great 7.16 that a measure of fine floure was sold for a shekel and two measures of barly for a shekel or at least Exod. 17.6 1 King 17.6 he that commanded the rock to furnish the Israelites with water and the ravens to bring meat to Eliah is able to enlarge the heart and to open the hand of the most hard hearted man to refresh you with the fruits of their bounty trust in God then onely use the meanes which God hath appointed but take no indirect courses to feed thy body And if now thy heart shall suggest such thoughts to thee as these but then how shall I be provided for Gen. 22.8 answer thy distrustful soul as Abraham his Son Isaac My Son my soul God will provide 4. The same Author in the same place adds yet another particular namely this as a master of a Family hath a care to defend his Family to the utmost of his power against all enemies that would do them wrong he promises to defend Jerusalem against the Forces of Senacherib he defended the Hebrews in Egypt against the rage of Pharaoh he defended the three Children against the fire and Daniel against the Lions and Jeremy against the Princes and false Prophets and Eliah against Ahab and Jezebel and so others So still its true that the Psalmist hath As the mountains are round about Jerusalem Psal 125.2 so the Lord is round about his people as a wall of fire and a defence This affords comfort to the Church and the members of it against all enemies bodily and ghostly men or devils they indeed plot and act against all and seek to do you all mischief possibly but fear them not compare together your enemies and your defender your enemies are Creatures your defender is the infinite Creator and how shall the finite creature be able to prevail against the infinite Creator Isa 51.12 13. hear now what God saies Who art thou that thou should'st be affraid of a man that shall dye and of the Son of man that shall be made as the grasse and forgettest the Lord thy maker that stretched out the Heavens and laid the foundations of the Earth consider this and be comforted And well may enemies from hence learn this point of wisdome to desist from their cruel plotting and acting against the Church and against godly Christians the members of the Church what do ye but plot and act against the Family the protection of which God hath undertaken and consequently against God their defender and now how can ye hope to prevail in these your designes yea what do ye other then act against your selves and bring ruine upon your selves for thus hath it happened to all enemies of the Church in former times Pharaoh Saul Senacherib Herod and with all the Heathen and Arian Emperors As therfore ye love your selves desist hands off II. As the House is put for the Fabrick so the Church is like unto an House in these particulars Heb. 3 4 1. Every house saies the Apostle is built by some man Every house hath a builder and so hath the Church and the builder is God and Christ Opus ad extra indivisum for the building of the Church is a work towards the creatur◠and therefore common to all the three Persons and so our Saviour saies I will build my Church Matth. 16.18 and so Saint Paul saies ye are Gods building namely built by God 1 Cor 3.9 Then must the Church needs be firm and stable and stand impregnable against all opposition for how is it possible that any opposition should prevail against Gods building 2. In the building of any house there is as one chief builder so other under-workmen so in the building of the Church as God is the cheif builder so there are under-builders and they are the ministers of the Gospel of whose ministry God is pleased to make use for the building of the Church whether they be extraordinary called and sent of God immediatly not of man nor by men as Apostles Prophets Gal. 1.1 Eph. 4.11 Evangelists or ordinary ministers called of God by men in the way of the Church as Pastors and Teachers or Pastors that is Teachers the former word being Metaphorical the latter the plain word for all these the Apostle saies Eph. 4.12 they were given for the edification of the body of Christ that is for the building up of the Church 1 Cor. 3.10 of which the Apostles laid the Foundation others scil the ordinary ministers in the several times of the Church build thereupon See the honour of the ministerial function and the high preferment of those whom God immediatly or mediatly by the Church laies out for and calls to this Sacred function for behold whereas God is the great Architect these also are builders of the Church and so workers together with God 1 Cor. 3.9 How ill do they that cast scorn and contempt upon them whom God hath so preferred how shall they answer it let them know what our Saviour saies He that despises you Luk. 10.16 1 Thess 4.8 despises me and him that sent me And Saint Paul in the like manner He that despises despises not man but God and yet there are many who undervalue them as uselesse and unnecessary but their sin is great As for us we may well scorn in an holy manner such contempt and say with the Apostle seeing we have received this 2 Cor. 4.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 honos onus that is such a ministery therefore we faint not neither for the difficulty of the work nor for the scorn which men cast upon us And seeing honour and burden as the Latine words have great likenesse go together let the honour which God hath put upon us move us with all willingness to undergo the burden and cheerfully to
set our selves to the work We are builders by our office let us be building up the house of God and let it not discourage us that there is great opposition made and like to be made against this building but accept we of that encouragement Vp and be doing and the Lord shall be with you 3. Every house well built hath a Foundation and so hath the Church its Foundation and that is Christ 1 Cor. 3.11 Other Foundation saies the Apostle can no man lay then that which is laid which is Jesus Christ But of this before In aedificio lapis lapidem portat quia lapis super lapidem ponitur qui portat alium portatur ab altero Sic in sancta Ecclesia unusquisque portat alium portatur ab alio Super Ezech. l. 2. hom 13. 4. In a Building as Gregory the great well observes one stone bears another because one stone is laid upon another and that stone which bears one is born of another So in the holy Church every one both bears another and is born of another As then we desire to approve our selves to be indeed parts of this spiritual Fabrick let us thus carry our selves according to that charge of the Apostle bear ye one anothers burden Gal. 6.2 wherein we are stronger then others let us bear the infirmities of the weak if we have more knowledge then others bear with their ignorance if we be more settled in a right and sound judgment bear with them who are in any error through seduction if we have more command of our Passions bear with the frowardnesse and waywardness of others not to let them alone in their infirmities to be mastered by them but seek to recover them yet not dealing rigidly with them G l. 6.1 nor condemning and censuring them as castawaies but with a spirit of meeknesse having compassion of them as the Apostle advises yea hear we the Apostle Jude 22. we that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak he doth not speak of it as a businesse of conveniency Rom. 15.1 but as of a duty of absolute necessity There was a time when we our selves were as weak as any others and then others were fain to bear with us being therefore become strong let us now bear with the infirmities of the weak yea as strong as any of us are we are yet prone now and then to bewray such weaknesse that we shall stand in need to desire others to bear with us therefore we are also to bear with the infirmites of others for this is the law of equity propounded by our Saviour What ye would that others should do to you Matth. 7.12 do ye also the same to them yea as the Apostle saies thus doing we shall fulfil the law of Christ Gal. 6.2 even the law of charity for of this the Apostle saies 1 Cor. 13.4 7 that it suffers long and beares all things 5. The resemblance between the Church and an house holds in the use of both An house is built for some man to dwell in and the Church is built for God to dwell in it ye are built saies the Apostle for an habitation of God by his spirit Eph. 3.22 Psal 132.13 14. And so saies the Psalmist of Sion The Lord hath chosen Sion and hath desired it for his habitation This is my rest for ever here I will dwell c. See here the great dignity of the Church and of all godly Christians the members of the Church in that they are built up to be an habitation for God to dwell in who is infinitely greater for glory and majesty then all the greatest Potentates of the earth And yet in the entertainment of one of them were it but for a day yea for an hour we would judge our houses not a little graced how then are we graced in that the great God who is higher then the highest hath made choice of us to be his dwelling place in which he will delight to abide for ever Jerusalem was the glory of the world in regard of that famous Temple in which God himself was specially present and no lesse are Christians glorious creatures in whom God dwels so constantly It was the glory of Benjamin Deut. 33.12 that the God of glory dwelt between his shoulders how then is it the glory of Christians that this glorious God dwels in their hearts It must needs then be granted that Christians are glorious creatures and that it may truly be said of them as the Psalmist saies of Sion Psal 37 3 Glorious things are spoken of thee See here also how ill the enemies of the Church provide for themselves for it is the dwelling place of the great God and shall they go unpunisht think we that act violence against it A King being resident in his Pallace if any shall presume to cast dirt on the walls of it or throw stones at the windowes of it to break them its like to cost them dear if they be known how much more will this God avenge the quarrel and right the wrongs done to his Church We hear what Saint Paul saies 1 Cor. 3.17 If any man defiles the Temple of God him will God destroy and no marvel for the same Apostle saies 2 Thess 1.6 It s a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you And Joshua could say to Achan Josh 7.26 Why hast thou troubled us God shall trouble thee Nor let any such think to pass hood-winked and so to carry the business as if the wrong done or the wrong-doer should be unknown for the Psalmist can say to God Psal 10.14 Thou beholdest mischief and spight to requite it with thy hand Heb 4.13 And the Apostle can say All things are naked and open to the eyes of him with whom we have to do Ezek. 25.12 13. If Edom speakes against the mountains of Israel saying They are laid waste they are given me to consume God saies I have heard them And it s no less true of acts of violence and the actors of them against the Church that God sees them And hence we may see and learn our duty in three particulars 1. Let us prepare our selves for the receiving of this holy God to dwell in our hearts Accept of the counsel of the Prophet to Jerusalem Jer. 4.14 Wash thy heart from wickednesse God is incomparably holy 1 Sam. 2.2 There is none holy as the Lord He is glorious in holiness Exod. 15.11 Therefore it s most true that the Psalmist saies Holiness becomes thy house O Lord for ever A sober man cannot endure to enter into a Brothel-house nor a neat man to come into a filthy house and can we think that God will be received into an heart uncleansed Hear we how Saint Austin urges this duty If I saies he a mean frail man should promise to come to your house
of faith c. And Luther to the same purpose Ea docet fovet gestat in utero gremio ulnis fingit perficit nos ad formam Christi donec crescamus in virum perfectum c. Ibid. though in other words She doth teach us foster us bear us in her wombe in her lap in her armes she frames and fashions us to the likeness of Christ until we come to a perfect man to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Justly therefore is the Church compared to a Mother I. If the Church be our mother let us carry our selves to her as children ought and ingenuous children will carry themselves to their mothers 1. Let us yield obedience to her commands seconding the commands of God our heavenly Father but obey also those her commands which are not Cross to his commands for such obedience children owe to their mothers 2. Let us be deeply affected with the miseries and afflictions of the Church though we our selves for our own parts enjoy never so great prosperity what ingenuous childe laies it not sadly to heart to see his mother under great affliction The Jewes in Babylon wept in remembrance of Sion Psal 137.1 Neh. 2. Nehemiah though Cup-bearer to the great King Artaxerxes thought he had just cause of a sad countenance hearing of the distresses of Jerusalem 3. Let us not grieve the Church our mother by an unkind departure from her and her communion for some things amiss in her or because we see in the Church a mixture of good and bad how unnatural a Son were he that should disdain and abominate his mother because she comes short of her wonted comliness how heinously and that how justly would any mother take it at the hand of any child to be so used yet thus hath the Church been dealt withal by many that have sometime been held as her children as by the Donatists of old so by many in later times the more is the pity and the greater is their sin But let not us follow the example of such but own and acknowledge the Church our mother but praying to God to amend what is amiss remain stedfastly in the fellowship of the Church II. If the Church be the mother of us all even of all believers whether Jewes or Gentiles high or low rich or poor then let all believers whatsoever the difference may be in other respects own themselves mutually as brethren of the neerest kind not onely children of the same father as all Jacobs twelve Sons were but also of the same mother as were Joseph and Benjamin And let this consideration keep us off from all things that are contrary to love envy malice contention c. and provoke us the more to do all offices of love each to other It s observable what difference Joseph did put between Benjamin and his other brethren They were all his brethren by his fathers side therefore he entertained them all Gen. 43.34 and sent to every one of them messes from before him but Benjamin was his brother both by Father and Mother therefore his mess was five times so much as any of theirs And at their return to his Father Jacob Gen. 45.22 he gave to each of them changes of rayment but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of rayment We cannot put this difference between believers as if some had onely the same father with us namely God and others had also the same mother the Church for Saint Cyprian sayes most truly He Qui non habet Ecclesiam matrem non habet Deum Patrem De unit Eccl. s that hath not the Church for his mother hath not God for his Father But seeing we are thus brethren of the neerest kinde having all God for our Father and the Church for our mother let our love be entire each to other and let us manifest our love by doing good one to another as we are able and as out mutual necessities shall require CHAP. XII The Church and a Ship Matth. 4.19 OUr blessed Saviour promising to make his disciples fishers of men gives an hint of this resemblance for thus the companion holds As the fisherman casting his net out of the ship into the Sea takes up fishes and brings them into the ship so the Apostles and their successors casting the net of the Gospel out of the ship of the Church takes up men as fishes out of the sea of the World and brings them into the ship of the Church And so the comparison holds as between the ministers of the Word and fishermen between the net and the Gospel between the Sea and the World between fishes and men so between the ship and the Church And the resemblance holds excellently Navis diversissimi generis gentis vectore suscepto subjecta est omnibus ventorum flatibus maris motibus Atque ita illa scil Ecclesia seculi immundorum Spirituum vexatur incursibus Comment in Matth. col 496. 1. Hear Hilarius Pictaviensis A ship saies he having taken in Passengers of divers kindes of divers Nations is subject to all blowings of the winds and to all ragings of the Sea so the Church is vexed with the incursions of the World and of unclean spirits To which I add 2. It 's truly said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A common ship hath common dangers all the passengers in the same ship are liable to the same dangers to the same storms and tempests and to the same Pyrats Jon. 1. Let Jonah and the Mariners be in the same ship though the storm arose for Jonah's sake yet the Mariners were all in danger by means of it Let Saint Paul and other Prisoners Soldiers Acts 27 and Mariners be in the same ship together they are all equally concerned in the tempest Let there be in the same ship a Prince going to receive a Crown and a Malefactor going to receive Punishment according to the nature of his offence yet while they are in the ship together they are subject to the same storms to be toss'd alike to be Sea-sick together and to the same Pirats to be alike ransacked and spoiled by them Neither Winds Sea nor Pirats know to put a difference between the one and the other It 's so in the Church Let Enemies come let Persecutions arise against it there is no sorts of men that can promise to themselves an exemption from their violence But as it was with the Jewish Church when Nebuchadnezzar came against them no sorts of men escaped the fury of the Chaldeans but both Prophets and Priests Nobles Kings Children and the King himself they were all cruelly used So is it in Persecutions raised up against the Church no sorts of men escaped but though some particular men have escaped God either hiding them Jer. 36.26 as he did Jeremiah and Baruch or making a way for them to escape by a