Another of loue and kindnesse as in Genes 45.15 where you find Ioseph kissing all his brethren and weeping vpon them for this was in token of his loue and good will which he did beare towards them And so also is it taken in Rom. 16.16 where the Apostle doth will the Saints to salute one the other with an holy kisse Here in this place it may be taken in both the significations for it was their part both to loue Christ and also to be subiect and obedient vnto him And therefore they must kisse him not onely in signe of homage and subiection but also as a sure pledge of their loue and faithful trust which they will performe towards him Yet chiefly the former of these is meant and not the latter Howsoeuer from hence we gather this doctrine Doct. that as we must honour and serue the Father as we were taught in the former verse so we must honor and serue the Sonne as you see here plainely in this verse The same doctrine doth our Sauiour himselfe beate into mens heads in the first chapter according to S. Iohns Gospel and the 23. verse thereof where he doth set downe a reason why the Father iudgeth no man but hath cōmitted all iudgement vnto the Sonne Because saith he that all men should honor the Sonne as they honor the Father and thereupon doth conclude that he that honoreth not the Sonne the same honoreth not the Father which hath sent him Now the reasons for this doctrine are two Reasons One because he hath redeemed vs and set vs free by a deare ransome from all our enimies As the men of Israel said to Gideon Reigne thou ouer vs both thou and thy sonne and thy sonnes sonne for thou hast deliuered vs out of the hands of Midian Iudges 8.22 So wee may say to him in this respect Reigne thou ouer vs both thou and thy Spirit and thy Spirits holy word for thou hast deliuered vs out of the hand of the diuell And this is the reason that is pressed in the fift chapter of the Reuelations by all the Saints and Angels that are in heauen why Christ is worthy of honour and glory euen because he was killed and by his bloud hath redeemed vs to God and made vs Kings and Priests vnto him Likewise Paul doth shew that this was the end wherefore he died for vs and rose againe namely that he might be Lord both of the dead and quicke as it is in Rom. 14.9 The other reason is this because he will hereafter glorifie vs and take vs to himselfe vp into the heauens where he is according to his promise in the be-beginning of the 14 chapter of Saint Iohns Gospell For this is the reason which he vsed vnto his Apostles to encourage them on vnto all dutifull seruice vnto himselfe in the latter end of the 19. chapter of Mathew For when they did aske him what they should haue which had forsaken all to follow him he answered them and said Verily I say vnto you that when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his Maiestie yee which followed me in the regeneration shal also sit vpon twelue thrones iudge the twelue tribes of Israel And whosoeuer shall forsake houses or brethren or fisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my names sake he shall receiue an hundred fold more and shall inherite euerlasting life The vse hereof is first Vse to teach vs the woefull estate of all Iewes Turkes and others who know not Christaright nor yeeld any reuerence or worship vnto him as vnto God the Father For as after it doth follow they must needs perish and be destroyed for euer There is no saluation or life eternall to be had of them but they shall be sure to be damned in hell for euermore For as it is in Iohn 3.18 Euery one that doth not beleeue in him is condemned already And as it is in 1. Ioh. 5.12 he that hath not the Sonne of God hath not life he meanes eternall life for of that did he speake in the former verse Secondly this must awaken vs vp all and stirre vs to the execution of all such duties as we do owe vnto the Son we must not onely know what he is aright either in regard of his person or of his office but we must withall performe all loyall and faithfull seruice vnto him We must kisse him that is soundly loue him and carefully obey him in all his commandements Learne we then his statutes and let vs euermore obserue and keepe them Whereas he hath a yoke hath commanded vs to take the same vpon vs Math. 11.29 let vs not fling it away or withdraw our neckes therefrom but with patient soules let vs submit our selues vnto it knowing that we must obserue and keepe whatsoeuer he hath commanded vs as it is in Math. 28.20 Happy were we if we could once say to Christ as the children of Israel did to Iosuah saying All that thou hast commanded vs we will do and whithersoeuer thou sendest vs we will go whosoeuer shall rebell against thy commandement and will not obey thy words in all that thou commandest him let him be put to death Iosuah 1.16 17.18 Cause there is great wherefore we should do this For what Shall he die a cursed and shamefull death for vs to deliuer vs from hell and damnation and yet shall not we obey him and through loue do his commandements Againe doth he daily bestow vpon vs great benefites and do we looke to be glorified by him at the last and to haue glory and honour and immortality through his meanes And yet shall not we loue him and be well content to take vp his yoake and to do whatsoeuer he shall command vs But yet alas we do dishonour him continually we can blaspheme his name and sweare by his wounds and blood and vse his titles of Christ and Iesus vnreuerently but where is a man almost that doth worship him aright and loue him as he ought to doe What Could Nebuchadnezzar and all the States men of his Prouinces make a law that whosoeuer would not fall downe before the golden image which they had made and worship the same should be cast into an hot fiery furnace and there be consumed to death And shall not we so much as dislike with our selues and inflict some punishmēt vpon our owne persons when we cannot bring our soules to fall downe before Iesus Christ the most glorious image of God the Father and worship him For as for that image it was nothing else but a dead peece of gold and a matter of detestable idolatry to be abhorred of euery one But as for this image it is a liuing and a mighty God and a thing of great ioy to all the world to be embraced of all persons as bringing life blessednesse vnto all To conclude this point I beseech you deare brethren euen as you regard your owne saluation and happinesse
4.1 And thus the Beroeans did for when Paul Silas came preached amongst them they receiued the word with all readinesse and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so or no as they taught them Acts 17.11 So also did the Ephesians For when some came vnto them and sayd that they were Apostles who indeed were not they examined them and found them liers Reuel 2.2 And so lastly must we our selues do for we must not build our faith vpon men who may deceiue vs but vpon the word of God which cannot deceiue vs. Any thing that is agreeable to the same we must receiue and whatsoeuer is contrary vnto it we must reiect and cast away saying with the Apostles We ought rather to obey God then man Acts 5.29 In the third and last place from this that Councels and Assemblies are as well against the Lord as for the Lord we may learne that we must not be too rash either in iudgement or in speech against the gouernors of our land for that they do condemne conuenticles and all other vnlawfull assemblies It is a thing to be wished that all meetings were for God and the aduancement of his glorie and it would be a thing very profitable if Christians did come together chiefly the Ministers of the word for holy conference in good matters that they might helpe one the other by their mutuall saith and other blessed gifts wherewith they do abound in great abundance But yet seeing many inconueruences oftentimes do come by Assemblies and that there are meetings as well against the Lord as for the Lord by traytors by Papists by Anabaptists by theeues by other malefactors who are enimtes both to God and the good estate of our land let vs not be discontented ouer-much though our meetings be somewhat restrained by law neither let vs repine in our hearts against our gouernours for the same but let vs know that they had some good reason for that which they haue done and that we our selues who are faithfull to God and loyall to our King may take libertie enough in the feare of God to prouoke to loue and to good workes and to be mutuall helpes one vnto the other in all duties of true Christianity if we will our selues Their words do now follow to be handled wherein consider first how they do stirre vp and prouoke one the other to their naughtinesse then the thing it selfe which they would do and gladly bring to passe as being the very issue of their whole counsell and consultation and the maine point wherein their rebellion and treason stood In the handling of these I will be succinct and short but chiefly in the first For that I will but onely touch and away It is expressed in this word Come come say they let vs breake their bands and cast their cords behind vs. In which we see the guise and propertie of the world the wicked haue a Come as well as the godly but farre differing from theirs For the godly haue their Come as a word of encouragement to religion and the exercises thereof as when they say O come and let vs sing vnto the Lord let vs heartily reioyce in the strength of his saluation or as it is in Esay 2.3 Come and let vs go vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob and he will teach vs his wayes and we will walke in his pathes For the law shall go forth of Zion and the word of the Lord from Ierusalem But the wickeds Come is to conspiracie and treason as here we may see in which they are more diligent then the children of light are in their good for their bodies meete their heads meete their hearts meete and both outward and inward they are earnest in euill the encourage one the other therein as much as may be and they haue their come alwayes for all their plots Such a come we reade of against blessed Ieremie Come said the wicked and let vs. imagine a deuice against Ieremy let vs smite him with the tongue and not giue credit to any of his words Ier. 18.18 Such another haue ruffians and theeues and swaggering fellowes in the booke of the Prouerbs Come and cast in thy lot with ours for we will haue all but one purse c. Prou. 1.11 c. Such another hath the harlot to the young man Come let vs take our fill of loue vntill the morning let vs take our pleasure in dalliance for mine husband is not at home he is gone aiourney farre off c. Prou. 7.18 c. But to such cursed comes let vs neuer hearken according to the good counsell which Wisedome doth giue vs in the Prouerbes and namely in the first chapter 15 verse thereof saying My sonne walke not thou in the way with them refraine thy foote from their path and let vs euer remember what the Psalme saith Blessed is the man that doth not walke in the counsell of the wicked nor stand in the way of sinners nor sit in the seate of the scornefull but his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night Psal 1.1.2 And so I passe from this point of their wicked and diuellish exhortation and come to the thing it selfe whereunto it is bent onely intreating you by the way that you would learne by their example to be more zealous and earnest in your holy religion then now you are For shall they exhort one the other and whet on each man his brother to wicked abhominations and to dreadfull rebellion and treason and shall not we much more prouoke one the other to loue and to all good works that we may be faithfull seruants vnto God and loyall subiects vnto our King Yes yes beloued it is our duty so to do otherwise these persons may rise vp in iudgement hereafter against vs. Wherefore let vs stirre vp one the other to goodnesse and to all holy duties whatsoeuer saying Come let vs honour all men loue brotherly fellowship feare God honour the King and doe in all points as it doth become vs c. The substance and matter of their exhortation if you marke the text is to cast off all obedience to the iust and holy lawes of the Lord and his Annointed For their words are these Let vs breake their bands and cast their cords behind vs. A diuellish conclusion and a wicked resolution you see it is What! could they in all their consultations find no better matter then this to agree vpon was this the only issue of all their labours Alas alas wee see what man is he is a very beast by his owne knowledge as it is in Ieremy 10.14 and as Paul doth shew he is an enimy vnto God his maker Rom. 5.10 But let vs examine this point a little As all good rulers haue their lawes and statutes for the better gouernment of their people so God hath his lawes and his statutes which he
shall preserue thee Wisdome is the beginning get wisdome therfore and aboue all thy possessiōs get vnderstanding He is very frequent with the like exhortations in many places also of the same booke Reade them I pray at your leasure and marke them well Paul in like manner writing vnto the Ephesians doth stir them vp to the same duty saying Wherefor be yee not vnwise but vnderstand what the will of the Lord is Eph. 5.17 Dauid also inioined the same duty vpon his son Salomon towards the end of his dayes saying vnto him as followeth My sonne know thou the God of thy fathers and serue him with an vpright heart and willing minde as it is in 1. Cron. 28.9 Finally the Lord himselfe doth oftentimes make his moane and complaint for the want of this wisdome and knowledge in his people which is here required of vs all teaching vs thereby how necessary it is for euery one and how well pleasing to himselfe But at this time two places alone to shew the same shall content vs. The one is in Esay 1.3 when he saith The Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his maisters cribbe but Israel hath not knowne my people haue not vnderstood The other is in Ieremy 4.22 where you haue these words For my people is foolish they haue not knowne me they are foolish children and haue no vnderstanding they are wise to do euill but to doe well they haue no knowledge By all which places we may clearely see what doth belong to vs euen a sauing knowledge of Gods will and an holy vnderstanding of his waies Wee must not be like to the horse or mule that haue no vnderstanding as Dauid saith in Psa 32.9 but we must be changed by the renewing of our minds that we may know what is the good perfect and acceptable will of God as Paul doth teach vs in Rom. 12.2 And the reasons hereof are many Reasons First because euery man by his owne knowledge is a very beast before the Lord as Ieremy doth witnesse of vs in Ieremy 10.14 and as Dauid doth confesse of himselfe in Psalme 73.22 saying So foolish was I and ignorant I was a beast before thee Secondly because we shall neuer obey the Lord aright vntill we know him and vnderstand his will nor yeeld any faithfull seruice vnto him as it doth become vs. For the ground-worke of all religion the foundation of all true pietie is the knowledge of the Lord and his wayes As on the contrary side the cause and fountaine of all disobedience against God is the ignorance of his will and the vnlearnednesse of the same as we haue heard in this Psalme already and as we may see by Hosea his complaint in the beginning of the fourth chapter of his Prophesie where hee doth make his moane that men did lie and steale and commit adultery and that bloud did touch bloud and assigneth this reason of it euen because there was no knowledge of God in the land And surely where men know not God what can bee looked for else but all impietie against God and all vnrighteous dealing against men Lastly because all such as are ignorant of the Lords will doe not onely erre while they are here committing grieuous sinnes against him but shall be damned also hereafter for euer My people saith the Lord in Hosea 4.6 are destroyed for lacke of knowledge And Paul doth shew in 2. Thess 1.8 that when Christ shal come to iudgement and shew himselfe from heauen with his mightie Angels in flaming fire he shall render vengeance vnto them that doe not know God which shall bee punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power So that if we ponder of all these reasons well we shal easily grant that there is cause sufficient why euery man should labour and striue to plant some heauenly knowledge within his soule and to become wise and learned in the statutes of the Almightie In regard whereof we see first in what great fault the world is in For there is ignorance in euery place Alas alas most men know not aright either that God who hath made them or themselues who are made by him And as for the grounds of true religion and the rules of the Lords worship they are as a sealed and clasped booke vnto them We dwell in a nation and country wherin the word of God hath bene freely read preached many yeares together yet it is pittifull to heare vnderstand what ignorance is still amongst men and how vnwise vnlearned they be in the statutes of the Lord. God amend vs. But here some may say that there was neuer more knowledge in this land then now is at this present To this I answer first that our knowledge is nothing to our long and continued teaching For in regard thereof we ought to be teachers our selues who yet are taught of others and haue need also to be instructed in the very first principles of the word of God and are become many of vs at the least such as haue neede of milke and not of strong meate as the Author to the Hebrews doth speake in the latter end of his fifth chapter Secondly that our knowledge for the most part is not a sauing or sanctifying knowledge but talkatiue and discoursing It hangs vpon our tongue and swimmes about in the circumference of our braine but it sinkes not downe into the bottome of the heart as it ought to do to bring forth a reformed life For we haue many talkers but few true walkers and sundry there are who can discourse at large in matters of religion but few there are who feele the power and force thereof being deaded by the meanes thereof vnto their sinnes and quickened vp vnto all fruitfull workes of righteousnesse whereby God may be honoured and man edified Secondly by this we may see that that doctrine which is most currant at Rome those places where Popery doth beare sway to wit that Ignorance is the mother of Deuotion is most false and erroneous and to be abandoned by vs that are true and holy Christians As Christ doth say to the Sadduces Ye erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God in Mat. 22.29 making there ignorance the cause of error which is cleane cōtrary to their doctrine so he saith to the Iewes Search the Scriptures for in them yee thinke to haue eternall life and they are they which testifie of me in Iohn 5.39 imposing there this dutie vpō all that do intend to be saued at the last to be conuersant in the Scriptures which is dissonant altogether to their practize and teaching If I would stand vpon such a common place as this is I could alledge both places and reasons enough to ouerthrow them in this respect who are herein most like vnto those cursed and hypocriticall Scribes and Pharisies who did shut vp the kingdome of heauen before men neither going in thēselues nor suffering