Then assuredly his heart is voide of true faith and farre from the life and power of religion For assuredly where God is knowen and beleeued there that mans heart though hee be a King cannot once thinke of God without a reuerence of his Maiestie and an admiration at his greatnesse and his owne basenesse therefore the want of this argueth a want of true religion and true faith in mens hearts Secondly this profanenesse discouers it selfe to the world by want of reuerence to Gods workes Let the Lord send vnseasonable weather or famines or plagues or any strange signes in heauen or in earth forthwith they are but fooles that cry out Behold the finger of God the hand of God No this is nature and is produced by naturall causes Ill weather comes from the starres famines from ill weather and mens couetousnesse Plagues from famines or from ill aires or else by apparant infection from another place But cannot Nature and naturall meanes haue their place vnlesse they haue Gods place God ouerthroweth not them why should they ouerthrow God Yet thus it is in the world and thus God is robbed of his glory and he is but a simple fellow which is moued with reuerence at sight of such things or begins to magnifie Gods power and iustice in them This is too apparant to be denied for haue wee not now as great causes of feare as can be Noah heard of water and wee heare that fire is to destroy the worlde and yeâ— where is hee that is mooued with reuerence as Noah was and yet Noah could saye The floud shall not be these 120. yeeres but who can say and proue that this world shal not be destroyed by fire within these 120. yeeres And till the floud came they had doubtlesse many otheâ— plagues which were fore-runners of the generall destruction all which as they came Moued Noah vnto reuerence and so wee in this age doe see the great workes of Gods Iudgements vpon men vpon families vpon townes vpon countries and whole kingdomes and wee feele his heauie hand in many sharpe strokes but who and where are they whose hearts feare God the more and doe tremble in the consideration of his Iudgements Nay alas amongst many it is but a matter of mockerie so to doe This is not the fault of our religion but the want of it for if men truly knew and beleeued in God they could not thinke nor speake of God nor looke at his workes but with feare and reuerence For as our feare of God is so is our faith little feare of God little faith and no feare at all no faith at all Let therefore all men shew their religion by their feare of God and let euery Christian acknowledge God in his workes England hath beene faulty herein in one point especially Wee haue had great plagues which haue taken away many thousands in short time wherein God hath shewed himselfe mighty against our sinnes But Gods hand would not be seene nor acknowledged but onely nature and naturall causes But let England take heede that God send not a plague so generall and so greeuous that euen the most profane men euen the sorcerers of Egypt if they were here doe acknowledge that it is the finger of God and so giue God that due reuerence which in his ordinary visitations he hath not Thus wee see the ground whence this reuerence in Noah sprang namely his faith Now let vs see the occasions or considerations in Noahs heart that made him feare The ground wherupon he feared was true faith for else he had not beene capable of any feare or reuerence of God but the occasions which stirred vp this feare in him were some things else Now if we looke to humane reasons Noah had no cause at all to feare as he did For first the Iudgement was farre off 120. yeeres after and common reason saith its folly to feare any thing so farre off but its time enough to feare when it is neere at hand Againe he was one single man and the world was full of wise and mighty men they all heard of it yet none of them feared therefore their exsample might preuaile with him to keepe him from feare and to make him secure and carelesâ—e with the rest for exsamples are strong especially when they are so generall Thirdly the strangenesse of the Iudgement threatned was such as might driue any man in reason from fearing it at all For first who would euer beleeue that God would drowne all the world with water such a thing neuer had beene and therefore how could it be And againe If all should be drowned who would thinke that Noah should escape and none but he These three considerations being wayed in the ballance of mans reason would haue kept Noah from fearing or beleeuing this word of God But behold the power of faith it goeth beyond all humane reach fixeth it selfe fast on Gods word and therfore he not only beleeueth it but hath furthermore his heart possessed with a great reuerence of Gods Maiestie vpon this message And there were three motiues stirring him vp vnto this Reuerence First the consideration of Gods strange Iudgement vpon the sinfull world to see that his wrath was so prouoked that he should bring so vnwonted a plague so strange both for the nature of it a floud of water to drowne men whereas generally all men can auoide the violence of that element for the measure of it so great as it should drown all the world and destroy all men Now that which this Iudgement of God wrought in Noah the same effect should Gods Iudgements worke in vs namely they should moue vs with reuerence For as Christ saith Our dayes are like Noahs As it was in the dayes of Noah so shall the dayes be before the comming of Christ Mathew 24.37 These dayes are as wicked men are as couetous as cruell as malitious as voluptuous and yet as secure as they then were as full of sinne and yet as dead in sinne as they were then Therefore Noah looked for a floud 120. yeeres after and who can tell whether our world shall last so long a time or no At least wee may safely say whatsoeuer the world doth there is no man liueth but within farre lesse time then 120. yeeres is assured to be throwen to hell by a floud of Gods wrath at his death vnlesse in the meane time hee repent and yet alas where is hee that is moued with reuerence at consideration hereof The wicked man may escape the water of a floud but hee cannot scape the fire of hell hee cannot escape death hee cannot escape the last Iudgement These are to come yet they are sure why then doe not men feare as Noah did hee feared 120. yeeres afore it came We can indeede tremble a little at a present Iudgement as when fire breakes out when waters ouerflowe when the plague destroyeth or when famine consumes but to tremble at a Iudgement threatned though it
come for they were not performed for many yeeres after as shall appeare in the particulars Particularly they were these three First the great and iust wrath which God had conceiued against the sinfull world for the vniuersall corruption and generall sinfulnesse therof Noah was a Preacher of righteousnesse to that wicked age and as S. Peter saith 1. Epistle 3.11 The very spirit of Christ preached in him but they contemned both him and the spirit by which hee spake and made a mocke of him and all his holy admonitions and solaced themselues in all their sinfull pleasures without feare or respect of God or man pleasing themselues in their owne defiled wayes promising to themselues safety and security But behold This Noah whom they esteemed a base and contemptible man vnworthy of their company to him is reuealed how short their time is and that they must be cut off in the midst of their iollity Gods children whom wicked men doe thinke and speake of with great contempt doe know full well the miserable state of such men and the fearefull dangers hanging ouer them when the wicked men themselues are farre from thinking of any such matter The second thing which God reuealed to Noah was that he would saue him and his family from perishing by the waters which he would bring vpon the world His faith was not in vaine God rewarded it with a singular preseruation Thus dealt he alwayes with his children deliuering Lot out of Sodome Gen. 19. Rahab out of Hierico Ioshua 6.22 The Kenits from the Amalekits 1. Sam. 15. and here Noah out of that generall destruction And this God afore-hand reueales vnto him for his greater comfort and security that when signes and strange tokens did foretell and shew that still the destruction was neerer and neerer still Noah might comfort himselfe in the assurance of that mercifull promise which God had made him of his deliuerance and of his family also for his sake The third thing reuealed to him was the meanes whereby he should be saued from the vniuersall floud namely by an Arke which for his more assurance hee is bid to make himselfe that so at euery stroke he gaue he might remember this mercifull promise of his God vnto him For as euery stroke in the making of the Arke was a loude sounding Sermon vnto that sinfull generation to call them to repentance so was it also an assurance vnto Noah of his deliuerance Of which Ark of Noahs obedience in making it we shall hereafter speake at large And thus much concerning the ground of Noahs faith which was a warning or reuelation from God Now followeth a second point namely the commendation of his faith or a description of the excellencie thereof by diuers and singular effects Moued with reuerence The first effect of his faith is It moued in him a reuerence or a reuerent feare of that God that spake to him and of his iustice towards sinne and sinners and of his mercie towards him In this effect we are to consider two points 1. The ground of this reuerence 2. The occasions or motiues of it The ground whence this reuerence sprang was his true and sauing faith for the holy Ghost first tells vs of Noahs faith afterwards of this reuerent feare he had of God and his great workes Where we learne that whosoeuer is endued with sauing faith is also touched with feare and reuerence at the consideration of God and his glorious workes whether they be works of his power his wisedome his mercy or his iustice or of all together For the first Dauid could not see the workes of Gods power in the creation Psalm 8. But when he looked vp and beheld the heauens the workes of Gods hands the moone and the starres which he had ordained hee forthwith fell into a reuerence and admiration of Gods mercy to man for whom and whose vse he made them all For the second the same Dauid could not enter into consideration of Gods wisedome in the admirable frame of mans body Psal. 139.13 c. but he presently falls into a reuerence and admiration thereof in most excellent and passionate words Thou possessest my reines thou coueredst me in my mothers wombe I will praise thee for I am fearefully and wonderfully made Meruailous are thy workes and that my soule knoweth right well My bones are not hid from thee though I was made in a secret place yet thy eyes did see my substance when I was without forme and in thy booke were all my members written which in continuance were fashioned though there were none of them before How deere therefore are thy counsels to mee O God! Thus we see how this holy King cannot content himself with any tearmes to expresse his religious and reuerent conceite of Gods Maiestie For the third Gods mercifull workes to his Church and children haue alwayes beene considered-of by good men with great reuerence And What shall I giue vnto the Lord saith Dauid for all his benefites poured on mee Psalm 116.12 But especially the Iudgements of God haue beene alwaies entertained of Gods children with much reuerence and admiration Blessed Dauid saith My flesh trembleth for feare of thee and I am afraid of thy Iudgements Psal. 119.120 How would this noble King haue trembled and been afraid if he had beene a priuate man And how glorious is God and his workes of iudgements whereat euen Kings themselues doe tremble And the Prophet Habbacuk saith that when hee but heaâ—d of Gods iudgements to come his belly trembled his lips shooke rottennesse entred into his bones Habba 3.16 And thus Noah here hearing of Gods iust wrath against the sinfull world and of his purpose to ouerthrowe all liuing flesh by water was moued with great feare and reuerence at this mighty worke of God and from the view of this his great and iust iudgement his faith made him arise to a more earnest consideration of the Maiestie of God By all which it is more then apparant that true faith wheresoeuer it is worketh a holy feare and reuerent estimation of God and of his workes and of God in and by his workes whereby on the contrary side it followeth that therefore to thinke basely or ordinarily of God to thinke scornefully of his workes or to denie his power and his hand in the great workes either of mercie or iudgement done in the world is an argument of a profane heart and wanting true faith The vse of this doctrine discouers the profanenesse and the great want of faith that ordinarily is in the world And that appeares by two euidences the first is to mens owne consciences the other is to the view and sight of all the world First men may see in themselues a profane heart and voide of faith by this euidence For doth a man in his heart thinke basely of God his power his iustice or his mercies Doth he either doubt of them or granting them doth hee thinke of them without feare and amâ—zement
be afarre off this is the worke of true faith This was in Noah wrought in him a reuerence and so would it in vs if it were in vs. When men crie fire fire wee stirre wee runne wee tremble but God crieth in his word the fire of hell the fire of his wrath and wee care not wee stirre not wee leaue not our sinnes wee are not moued with reuerence as Noah was therefore it is more then manifest that holy faith is wanting in the world which Noah had The second motiue stirring vp this reuerence in him was the consideration of Gods wonderfull mercie to him and his family in sauing them This mercy seemed so wonderfull to him both for that hee knewe it was vndeserued knowing himselfe a sinnefull man and therfore not able to merit Gods fauour and being priuy to himselfe of his owne manifolde imperfections and also vnexpected for he neuer thought to haue been spared alone in an vniuersall destruction therefore he wondred with reuerence at so great a mercy Thus Gods mercies doe not onely winne a mans heart to loue God but euen to feare him with much reuerence this Dauid proueth Psalm 130.4 There is mercy with thee O Lord that thou maist be feared as though he had said thy great mercies to thy children O Lord do make them conceiue a reuerent estimation of thee This made Dauid cry out in a holy passion How excellent are thy mercies O Lord Psal. And as Gods childreÌ„ wonder at the excellencies of Gods mercies vnto them so also at their owne basenesse and vnworthinesse Thus doth holy Dauid 2. Sam. 7.18 who as hee was a man of much faith so was he full of excellent meditations and reuerent speeches of God which are the true effects of faith when God had set him in his kingdome hee saith Who am I O Lord and what is my house that thou hast brought me hither And 1. Chron. 29.14 But who am I saith he and what is my people that wee should offer thus vnto the Lord And doubtlesse euen so said Noahs blessed soule often vnto the Lord and to it selfe Who am I O Lord and what is my family that we should be chosen out of so many thousands and be saued when all the world perisheth Let vs apply this to our Church and State If any Nation haue cause to say thus it is England God hath deliuered vs out of the thraldome of spirituall Egypt and led vs out not by a Moses but first by a childe then by a woman and giuen vs his Gospell more fully and freely and quietly then any kingdom so great in the world and still deliuereth vs from the cursed plots of the Pope and tyrannous inuasions of the Spaniard who thought to haue marked vs in the foreheads with the brand of infamie and to haue done to vs as they haue done to other nations whom they haue conquered but God from heauen fought for vs and ouerthrew them in their owne deuises yea the Lord put his hooke in his nosethrils and his bridle in his lips and caried him backe againe with shame and reproach Wee are vnworthy of such a mercy if our soules doe not often say vnto God O Lord what are we and what is our people that thou shouldst be so wonderfull in thy mercies vnto vs And particularly this must teach euery Christian to be a carefull obseruer of the fauours mercies that God vouchsafes to his soule or body to him or his and the consideration of them must make him daily be moued with reuerence and reuerent thoughts of Gods Maiestie still as the Lord is more and more mercifull vnto him to beare still the more feare and reuerence vnto him for the same The last motiue of this Reuerence in Noah was the consideration of Gods power and wisedome both in the Iudgement vpon the world and in the mercy vpon him for first in the Iudgement it was wonderfull that God would chuse so weake an element as water to destroy vanquish the huge Giants of those dayes but therein appeared first Gods power that by so weake meanes can cast downe his enemies And againe his wisedome that as an vniuersall wickednesse had polluted the whole world so a floud of water should wash the whole world Secondly the mercy was also wonderful that God should chuse to saue Noah by so strange a meane as an Arke which should swim on the waters For Noah thought if the Lord will saue me he will either take me vp into heauen as hee did Henoch a little before or else make me build a house vpon the top of the highest mountaine But the Lord will saue him by no such meanes but by an Arke wherein appeared first Gods power that would saue him by so weake a meanes as might seeme rather to destroy him For Noah must lye and swim in the midst of the waters and yet be saued from the waters and the Arke mâ—st saue him which in all reason if the Tempests had cast it against the hard rockes and mountaines or vpon the strong Castles and houses of the mightie Giants would haue beene broken in pieces and so it had but that God himselfe was the Maister and Pilot in that voyage And secondly Gods wisedom shone cleerly in this means because God would haue him saued not in such sort as the world might not see it as it would haue beene if hee had beene taken vp into heauen or into the aire but would haue him saued in an Arke that so alâ— the wicked men as they â—ere a dying in the water or expecting death vpon the tops of the hills might see him liue and be saued to their more torment and to their greater shame who would not beleeue Gods word as he did For as the wicked in hell are more tormented to see the godly in the ioyes of heauen so doubtlesse were the wicked of that age to see Noah saued before their eies The view of this power wisdom of God herein made Noah giue great reuerence to Gods Maiestie And no lesâ—e ought it to worke in the hearts of all true hearâ—ed English men and faithfull Christians For did not the Lord restore establish the Gospell to our nation by a child and by a woman and in her time when all other Princes were against her coÌ„trary to the rules of policy and did not God in our late deliuerance ouerthrow our enemies not so much by the power of man as by his owne hand Did not he fight from heauen Did not the starres and the winds in their courses sight against that Sisera of Spaine Let vs therefore with blessed Noah staÌ„d amazed to see Gods mercies with reuerence feare magnifie his great and glorious name And thus we haue the three motiues that moued in Noah this Reuerence of God the consideration first of his great Iudgement on the sinfull world 2. Of his great mercy in sauing him 3. Of his admirable power and wisedome shewed both
Peter exhorts the Christians to haue their conuersation honest among the Gentiles that they which speake euill of them as of euill doers might by their good workes which they should see glorifie God in the day of their visitation 1. Pet. 2.12 And he bids godly wiues so walke that their husbands may be wonne without the word by beholding their pure conuersation which is with feare 1. Pet. 3.1.2 And Paul bids the Philippians to walke blamelesse in the middle of a wicked and crooked nation as lights in the middle of the world Phil. 2.15 that those which were to be conuerted by their good conuersation might be wonne to the truth GOD sent a floud vpon the world for the greeuousnesse of mans sinnes Now why doth hee not still send more flouds are not men now as wicked as they were then Yes vndoubtedly man for his part deserues it now as well as they did then and therfore our Sauiour Christ saith as it was in the dayes of Noah so shall it be in the dayes of the sonne of man so that euery day we deserue a new floud but yet the Lord stayes the execution of his iudgements for a time that his elect may bee gathered and conuerted And so soone as that is done heauen and earth shall goe together and God will not stay one moment for all the world besides So that euery nation and people in the world haue benefit by Gods children because for their sakes doth the Lord stay his wrath and deferre his iudgements euen the great iudgement of fire wherewith the world shall be consumed at the last day These things the world should take notice of as well to moue them to repentance of their sinnes whereby they are made vnworthy the presence of a godly man as also to perswade them to better behauiour and cariage towards the godly by whom they are so many wayes blessed The holy Ghost addeth that they wandred in wildernesse and mountaines and donnes and Caues of the earth These were desolate places and not inhabited and yet for the wickednesse of the world GOD will haue these beleeuerâ— here to wander Wee must not thinke that they betooke themselues voluntarily to this solitary life but onely vpon necessity being constrained by persecution to flie into the wildernesse for the sauing of their liues and the keeping a good conscience This serues to descry vnto vs the blinde errour of many ages afore vs wherein it hath beene thought and is by Papists at this day to bee a state of perfection to liue a Monke or Hermite out of all societies in some desert place and there to spend the whole life in contemplation onely that voluntarily and they magnifie this estate so much that heereby they thinke to merit eternall life at the hands of God But these beleeuers did neither voluntarily nor with opinion of merit betake themselues to this solitarie life but on necessity And indeede this kinde of life hath no warrant in Gods word for euery Christian is a member of two Kingdomes of Christs Kingdome of grace and of that particular state where he dwelleth and by reason heereof hath a two-folde calling a temporall and a spirituall calling In both of which he must walke diligently so long as hee can doing the duties both of a childe of God and of a member of that common-wealth where hee liueth Now when a man goes voluntarily to leade a solitary life he forsakes his temporall calling altogether and performes the other but negligently for hee withdrawes himselfe from many duties of piety whereby the people might be furthered to God-ward which none can do with a good conscience Further obserue the places where they are constrained to wander to wit in Wildernesse Caues and Dennes places where wilde beasts haue abode and recourse and yet heere they liue when as men will not suffer them to liue among them Where note that many times more mercy may be found among wilde and sauage beasts than with some men so mercilesse are the wicked when God forsakes them and leaues them to themselues The Lions entreate Daniel better than Darius Courtiers and seruants doe Daniel chapter 6. And Lazarus findes more kindenesse with the dogges at Diues gates then with him and all his family besides Luke chapter 16. verse 21. The consideration whereof must teach vs to nippe sinne in the head at the beginning and not to suffer it to growe for if it get a head and raigne in vs it will make vs worse than brute or sauage beasts and cruell as the Diuell himselfe as wee may see in the worldes vsage of these beleeuers Thus we see the state of true beleeuers vnder many and greeuous miseries which wee must well obserue to arme our selues against the times of aduersities which GOD may sende vpon vs. VVee must not iudge it a cursed estate to bee vnder the Crosse for heere wee see the faith of his seruants is commended for suffering nine seuerall kindes of miseries If wee shall thinke that these were but a fewe wee must knowe that in them the holy Ghost setteth down the state of his Church vnto the end for these things were written for ensamples vnto vs. And therefore if calamities come and such miseries befall vs as doe driue vr toward distrust as though God had forsaken vs we must remember that God did not forsake these his children in their calamities and therefore also will not forsake vs. And thus much for this last example VERSE 39. And these all through faith obtained good report and recei-not the promise THe holy Ghost hauing set down at large a worthie and notable Catalogue of examples of faith in sundry beleeuers that liued from the beginning of the world to the time of the Maccabees doth now for a further commendation of their faith rehearse the same things that before he had said in the 2. and 13. verses of this chapter In saying that by faith they all receiued good report his meaning is that they did beleeue in the true Messias and looked for saluation in him alone whereupon they were approoued of God himselfe who gaue testimonie hereof partly by his word and partly by his spirit in their consciences and partly by his Church by all which they were commended and assured to be Gods seruants And yet notwithstanding this good report they receiued not the promise that is the promise of Christs incarnation in their daies They receiued Christ truely by faith and so saw his day but his actual incarnation in the flesh they liued not to see Whereas it is said That by faith they obtained testimony Here first obserue that there is nothing in man that makes him acceptable to God but faith onely GOD regards no mans person hee accepts not of a man because he is a King or because he is wise or rich or strong c. But if a man beleeue then the Lord is ready to giue testimony of him that hee likes well of him In regard
and obedient a child a most wise trusty seruant a friend for faithfulnesse like thine owne soule These are indeed much to be esteemed yet thinke not thy selfe in a paradise wheÌ„ thou hast such for there is a greater matter behind then all these Looke therfore further Is thy wife thy child thy seruant thy friend endued with sauing faith that is worth more then all the rest that is it which makes them beloued of God Let that therfore make them best beloued of thee and that which makes them so honourable before God let that make them most honourable and most esteemed of thee So in all men loue that in a man best which God loueth and so thou shalt be sure not to lose thy loue Esteeme of a man not as the world esteemeth not according to his strength beauty high place or outward gifts but as God esteemeth him namely according to the measure of sauing faith which thou seest in him for is not that worthy of thy loue which hath purchased the loue of the Lord God himselfe Fiftly here is comfort for all such seruants of God as hauing true faith yet are in base estimation for worldly respects some are poore some in base callings some deformed in body some of meane gifts many in great distresse and misery all their liues most of them some way or other contemptible in the world Yet let not this discomfort any child of God But let them consider what it is that makes them approued of God not beauty strength riches wisdom learning all these may perish in the vsing but true faith if then thou hast that thou hast more then all the rest If thou hadst all them they could but make thee esteemed in the world but hauing true faith thou art esteemed of God and what matter then who esteemes thee and who not This crosseth the corrupt censure of the world who more esteem a man for his outward gifts and glory of riches or learning then for sauing graces Let Gods children when they are â—based contemned mocked and kept from all place and preferment in the world Let them I say appeale from this vniust iudgement to the iudgement of God and be coÌ„forted in this that though they want all things without them that should make them esteemed in the world yet they haue that within them for which God wil esteeme approue and acknowledge them both in this world and in the world to come And they haue that that will stand by them when strength and beauty are vanished when learning riches and honour are all ended with the world Thus much of the second doctrine 3. In that our Elders by faith obtained a good report Here we learne the readiest and surest way to get a good name A good name is a good gift of God Eccles. 7.3 It is a pretious ointment it is a thing that all men would haue These Elders had it and they haue laide vs downe a platforme how to get it and it is this 1. Get into fauour with God please him that is coÌ„fesse thy sins bewaile them get pardon set the promises of God in Christ before thee beleeue theÌ„ apply them to thy selfe as thine owne be perswaded in thy conscience that Christ did all for thee and that he hath purchased thy acceptation with God Thus when thou art assured that God approues of thee God can easily giue thee a comfortable testimony in thine owne conscience and hee can moue the hearts of all men to think wel and open their mouthes to speake wel of thee for he hath the hearts of all men in his hand And therfore those that are in his fauor he can bend the hearts of all men to approue theÌ„ yet this must be vnderstood with some cautions 1. God wil not procure his childreÌ„ a good name amongst all men for then they should be cursed for Luk. 6.26 Cursed are yee when all men speake well of you But the Lord meaneth that they shal be accepted haue a good name with the most with the best For indeed a good name as all other graces of God cannot be perfect in this life but they shal haue such a good name as in this world shall continue and increase and in the world to come be without all blot for sin is the disgrace of a man therefore when sin is abolished good name is perfect 2. God will not procure all his children a good name nor alwaies for a good name is of the same nature with other externall gifts of God sometime they are good to a man sometime hurtfull to some men good to others hurtfull Euery one therefore that hath true faith may not absolutely assure himselfe of a good name but as farre forth as God shall see it best for his owne glory and his good 3. The good name that God wil giue his children stands not so much in outward coÌ„mendation and speaking wel of a man as in the inward approbation of the consciences of men They must therfore be content somtime to be abused mocked slandered yet notwithstaÌ„ding they haue a good name in the chief respect for they whose mouthes do abuse condemne theÌ„ their very consciences do approue them Out of all these the point is manifest that God will procure his children a good name in this world as far forth as it is a blessing and not a curse and that because they are approued of him and by faith iustified in his sight for so to be is the onely way to get a good name For in reason it stands thus that those who are in estimation and good name with the Lord himselfe much more will God make them esteemed and giue them a good name with men like themselues Hence we learne first that the coÌ„mon course of the world to get a good name is fond wicked and to no purpose They labour for riches preferments honor wisdom learning by them to get estimatioÌ„ in the world yea many abuse these blessings in vaine ostentation to encrease their credit and name with men And in the meane time sauing faith is neuer remembred which must procure them a good name with God This is a wrong course first we must labour to be approued of God and then after the good name with God followeth the good name in the world He therefore that labours for fauour with men and neglects the fauour of God he may get a good name but it shall proue a rotten name in the end Prou. 10.7 The memoriall of the iust shall be blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot The good name of the wicked is rotten 1. Because it is loathsom stinking in the face of God though it be neuer so glorious in the world 2. Because it will not last the wearing out but in the end vanisheth and comes to nothing vnlesse as a rotting thing leaues some corruption behind it so their good name in the end being vanished leaues infamy behind
It is needlesse For the man is good alreadie else the worke could not haue beene good Wee may therefore say workes are rather iustified by the person of a man then his person by the works and it is a most vaine thing to looke for Iustification from that which thou thy selfe must first iustifie afore it be iust if wee had no other reasons against iustification by workes but this this were sufficient Secondly hence we learne that till a man bee called and his person iustified and sanctified all that euer hee doth is sinne 1. His common actions his eating drinking sleeping walking talking are all sinnes Yea 2. The workes of his calling his labor in the same though neuer so iust equal and vpright 3. Further his ciuill actions namely the practice of ciuill vertues his outward grauitie meekenesse sobrietie temperance quietnesse vprightnesse and all outward conformitie are all sinnes Yea more then all this his best actions namely his practicing of the parts of Gods worship or his deeds of charitie his praier his hearing the word his receiuing the sacraments his giuing of almes they are all sinnes vnto him if hee haue not a belieuing and penitent heart yea such sinnes as shall condemne hâ—m if hee had no other Obiect This should seeme strange diuinity that the most holy actions as praier c. should be damnable sinnes I answer they are in themselues holy and good and as farre forth as God hath commanded them yet in the doer they are sinnes because hee doth them from a fowle vnholy heart for the same action may be holy in it selfe and in regard of God the author of it and yet a sin in him that is the doer of it As cleere water pure in the fountaine is corrupted or poisoned by running through a filthy and polluted channell so are euen the best actions sinnes as euen the preaching of the word to a minister whose heart is not cleansed by faith and his person accepted of God it is a sin vnto him and if he repent not shall be his condemnation Cain sinned not onely in hating and murthering his brother in lying and dissembling with God but Cain sinned also euen in offering sacrifice And Abels sacrifice had beene a damnable sinne but that his person was iustified before God And the reason of all this is good for nothing in the worke is able to make an action acceptable to God but onely the acceptation of the person by Christ. This being so it stands vs euery one in hand to looke to our selues and to labour aboue all things for faith and repentance that so our persons may be accepted righteous before God and thereby our actions accepted also If it be a miserable thing that all thy actions euen holy actions should be sinnes then labour to be iustified for that onely can make thy workes accepted if not then though thou labour neuer so much to be approued in the world set neuer so glorious a shew vpon thy workes to the eyes of men they are all abhominable sinnes in the sight of God and at the day of iudgement they shall goe for no better Preach and teach all thy life long nay giue thy life to die for religion Giue all thy goods to the poore depriue thy flesh of all delights build Churches Colledges Bridges High-wayes c. and there may come a poore shepheard and for his keeping of his sheepe be accepted when thou with all this pompe of outward holinesse maist be reiected And why this only because he had faith thou hast none his person was iustified before God and thine is not Therefore let this be my counsell from Abell Labour not so much to worke glorious workes as that which thou doest doe it in faith Faith makes the meanest worke accepted and want of faith makes the most glorious worke reiected for so faith the Text. Abell must be accepted else his sacrifice is not Thus wee see Abell was iust and God so accounted him The second point is That God gaue testimonie hee was so In these words God giuing testimonie What testimonie it was that God gaue of Abell and his gift it is not expressed in the word and so it is not certaine but it is very likely that wheÌ„ he Cain offred God in speciall mercy sent fire from heauen and burnt vp Abels sacrifice but not Cains for so it pleased the Lord often afterward when he would shew that he accepted any man or his worke he answered them by fire from heauen So he burnt vp the first sacrifice that Aaron offred Leuit. 9.24 So he answered Salomon 2. Chron. 7.1 And so Elias 2. Kings 18.28 And so it is likely that he gaue this testimonie that he accepted Abell and his offring This was a great prerogatiue that Abell and the Fathers in the old testament had We haue not this but wee haue a greater for wee haue that that is the substance and truth and body of this For wee haue also the fire of God that is his spirit comes downe into our hearts euery day not visibly but spiritually and burnes vp in the heart of a beleeuer his sinnes and corruptions and lights the light of true faith that shall neuer be put out The vse hereof is this As no sacrifice in the old law pleased God but such as was burnt by fire from heauen sent downe either then or afore so our sacrifices of the new Testament that is our inuocation of Gods name our sacrifice of praise our duties of religion our workes of mercy and loue neuer please God vnlesse they proceede from a heart purged by the fire of Gods spirit that is from a beleeuing and repentant heart both which are kindled and lighted and daily continued by that fire of Gods spirit Therefore it is that Paul saith 1. Tim. 1.4 That loue must come out of a pure heart and good conscience and faith vnfained The duties of religion and works of loue comming from this purged heart ascend into the presence of God as a smoake of most acceptable sacrifices and are as a sweet perfume in the nosethrils of the Lord. Now of what did God thus testifie Of his gift It may here be asked at the first how can Abell giue a gift to God hath the Lord neede of any thing and are not all things his I answer God is soueraigne Lord of heauen and earth and all creatures yet hath hee so giuen his creatures vnto man to vse as that they become mans owne and so he may esteeme vse them and being mans a man may in token of his thankfulnes return them again to God especially seeing God accepts them being so offred as most free gifts This sheweth vs first the wonderfull mercy of God that whereas we can offer him nothing but his owne he vouchsafeth to accept a gift offred of his owne euen as though we had of our owne to offer 2. See here a difference betwixt the sacrifices of the old and
For he being a righteous man in that wicked age wherein all the world weltred in wickednesse and walking before God in great holinesse when no man cared for religion hee had this speciall fauour from God that when hee purposed to destroy the world for their sinne hee first of all reuealed to righteous Noah that purpose of his So that these words haue reference to the reuelation which Noah had from God in the 6. of Genesis For this message came not from God by any Prophet for wee know none in those euill dayes except Noah himselfe but either by the Ministerie of an Angell or else by immediate reuelation from God himselfe and this fauour he receiued from God not for any cause in the world but because he was a holy and righteous man From hence wee may learne diuers excellent instructions First whereas God maketh choise of Noah to reueale vnto him his counsell and his iudgements to come wee learne that this is a prerogatiue which God bestoweth on such as feare him he reuealeth his counsels to them in a speciall manner whether they be purposes of Iudgements vpon his enemies or of mercies vnto his Church Thus dealt he with Abraham Gen. 18.19 Shall I saith God hide from Abraham the thing that I will doe which thing was the destruction of Sodome and her sisters And so when the Sodomites liued in wanton carelesnesse and put farre from them the euill day then Abraham knew from God their destruction was at hand And as in that for is it generally true in all his great workes that the Lord God will doe nothing but he reueales his secrets to his seruants the Prophets Amos 3.7 Now this is not a prerogatiue of Prophets alone or of such as were extraordinary men as Abraham was but the secrets of the Lord are amongst such as feare him Psalme 25.14 All that feare the holy name of God are Gods friends and of his Counsaile and therefore not Abraham onely is called the friend of God Iames 2.23 But of all true beleeuers saith Christ Iohn 15.14.15 You are my friends If you doe what I commaund you henceforth I call you not seruants but friends for the seruant knoweth not what his Maister doth but all things that I haue heard of my Father haue I made knowne vnto you As if he had said I will communicate and impart my secrets vnto you as one friend doth vnto another as farre as shall be fit for you to know And the Apostle saith 1. Corinth 2.15 A faithfull and a holy man discerneth into the deepe counsailes of God which are reuealed vnto them as much as concerneth their saluations and sometimes more as here vnto Noah who was fore-warned of God of things then not seene This prerogatiue of Gods children is to be vnderstoode with some cautions First that this is more proper to Prophets and holy Ministers of God then to ordinary Christians Secondly that it was more ordinary in the old testament then now in the dayes of the Gospell If any obiect Then the state of the Church afore Christ was better then it is now vnder Christ I answere Not so for first we are recompenced by hauing the Scriptures perfect and complete which they had not and by hauing the substance of their shadowes and the performance of their promises in which respects our state is farre more excellent then theirs And secondly for this particular I answere they indeede had more ordinarie reuelation of matters personall and priuate and not directly touching saluation but of such things as are generall and doe necessarily concerne saluation wee in the time of the new Testament haue more euident demonstration and more full reuelation then they had afore Christ. For exsample particular mercies to some faithfull men or particular iudgements on Gods enemies whether particular men or whole kingdomes were after reuealed to godly men in those dayes as here to Noah but saluation by the Messias and the manner how the Messias should saue his Church is more fully and plainly reuealed now then in those dayes Out of which consideration ariseth the third caution which is that reuelations of Gods will to be expected now vnder the Gospell are ordinarily nothing else but these the true meaning of Scripture a discerning of true Scripture from forged of true Sacraments from supposed of true doctrine from false of true Pastors from false Prophets These such like as farre forth as they are necessary to saluation all true and faithfull beleeuers which out of an humbled heart by deuoute prayer doe seeke it at Gods hand are sure to haue reuealed vnto them from God But as for other purposes of God of personall and particular matters or what shall be his blessings or what his iudgements to these and these men families Cities or Kingdomes or when or how he will change States or translate kingdomes Or by what extraordinarie meanes hee will haue his Gospell propagated or a declining Church or State vpholden these we are not to expect nor easily to belieue any that shall say such things are reuealed vnto them And yet wee tye not the Lord in such straite bonds but that hee may sometime extraordinarily reueale his purpose therein to some his selected seruants yet prouided that that reuelation be examined and allowed of the Church But as for such things as concerne immediatly the saluation of our soules Gods spirit doth most comfortably reueale them vnto vs in our prayers in his word and in his Sacraments of all which it is most true that the secrets of God are amongst them that feare him The vse of this doctrine is double for instruction and for exhortation For our instruction here we learne how to answere the Church of Rome they aske vs how doe wee know true religion from erroneous or true Scripture or Sacraments from forged We answere first by it selfe by sight and sense of the excellencie thereof as we know gold from brasse or siluer from lead But what if the brasse or tinne be gilded ouer I then answere secondly wee can know gold from brasse and siluer from tinne by the sound and smell and hardnesse to endure and by the operation so there is a spirituall sound of the Scriptures in the eares of a Christian a spiritual comfort and taste in true religion a spirituall operation in holy mens hearts of the true Sacraments But what if false Prophets come in sheepes cloathing and by lying wonders seeme to giue the same sound taste smell vertue and operation vnto their forgeries or at least chalenge it and say that theirs is true I answere lastly Then we know true Religion true Scripture true Sacraments true Prophets true Doctrines from false by a holy and supernaturall reuelation from Gods spirit which by euident and powerfull demonstration assureth vs what is true and what is false for the substance of saluation And this spirit is giuen to all that in true humility doe seeke it in holy prayer and in a
to life euerlasting but this For thy soule cannot liue whil'st thy sinnes the olde man that is thy corruptions doe liue but they must die be buried and then thy soule liueth and whilst they liue thy soule is dead and farre from the life of grace which is in Christ Iesus All this is affirmed at large in Romanes 6.3.4 Where we may see apparantly that we must by baptisme die with Christ be buried with him else we cannot be saued by him our corruptions our sinnes which are the olde man must die and be buried that the new man that is the grace and holines of Christ may liue in vs and our soules by it he that thus dieth not neuer liues he that thus is not buried neuer riseth to true life Thus mortification of sin is the way to heauen and death the way of life eternall he that is not thus mortified in his corruption let him neuer looke to be quickned to grace or glory If this be so we may then see what a miserable world we now liue in wherin mortification of sin is a thing vnknown not a man of many that can tell what it is nay grace is dead and holinesse is mortified and I feare buried also but the old man raignes Corruption liues and sinne flourisheth Mortifying of Christ by our sinnes is common but mortifying of sinne is sildome seene For Christ is betrayed crucified and killed in a sort by the sinnes of men What a fearefull change is this Christ should liue in vs and we endeuour to crucifie him againe sinne should be crucified but it liueth in vs. But if wee will haue Christ to saue vs then must wee mortifie the body of our sinne For he that will liue when he is dead must die while he is aliue And he that will be saued by his baptisme must looke that baptisme worke this effect in him To make him die and be buried with Christ that afterwards hee may rise and raigne with Christ. And then shall Baptisme saue vs as the Arke saued faithfull Noah and his houshold And thus much for the first end vse of the Arke the second followed By the which he condemned the world Here is the second end why Noah prepared the Arke To the condemnation of the world that then was For by it not by his faith as some would reade it he condemned that wicked generation both to a temporall destruction of their bodies and to an eternall Iudgement in hell In the words there are two points to be considered 1. Who are condemned The world 2. Whereby By Noahs Arke For the first it may be asked what is meant by the world S. Peter answereth 2. Ep. 2.5 The world of the vngodly that is that generation of sinfull men who liued in the dayes of Noah whom also in the 1. Epistle 3.20 hee calleth disobedient and their more particular sinnes are disclosed and recorded by Moses Gen. 6.45 to be monstrous abuse of holy mariage vnnaturall lusts cruelties and oppressions an vtter neglect of Gods seruice and Sabbaoth and an extreame prophanenesse and dissolutenesse in euery kinde And this corruption was not priuate or personall but vniuersall through all estates sexes and ages This world of the vngodly this whole race of wicked and disobedient men were condemned But how was that world condemned by Noah Thus God vouchsafed them 120. yeeres to repent in and appointed Noah to preach vnto them during that time to call them to repentance But they beleeued not God nor Noah but continued in their disobedience and grew in their vngodlinesse therefore when that time was expired God performed his word spoken by Noah brought the floud vpon them destroyed them all and condemned in hell as many of them as died in impenitencie and vnbeliefe And thus that wicked world was condemned according as Noah in his Ministerie had foretold them Here we may learne First what the world of this age is to looke for vnlesse there be repentance For to speake but of our selues in this Nation Haue not we had the Gospell 30. yeeres and more and with it peace and much prosperity Haue not we had a goodly time giuen vs to repent What is our duty but with reuerence to see and acknowledge this goodnesse of God to take hold of this merciful opportunity this time of grace and this day of saluation If wee doe not and make no account of the Gospell what can we looke for but to be condemned as that world was Looke at the meanes and opportunities which these dayes affoord and they be as golden dayes as euer were since Christs or as euer can be expected till his comming againe But looke at the profanenesse and carnality and security of this age euen ouer all Christendome and this is the Iron age these be the euill dayes and so euill as nothing can be expected but a riuer of brimstone and a floud of fire to purge it The dayes of the comming of the sonne of Man which I take to be these dayes shall be like saith Christ Math. 24.37 vnto the dayes of Noah And surely in security and profanenesse they are like and therefore in all reason they must be like in punishment Wee must therefore take warning by them and shake off this security which possesseth all mens hearts and waite for the Lord in watching and prayer and thinke euery day may be the last day of this world at least the last day of our liues and let vs prepare for it and liue in the expectation of it Otherwise if our sinfulnesse growe on a little further nothing can we looke for but to be condemned in an vniuersall iudgement as that world was Let vs therefore be take our selues to a more serious seruing of God that the Lord when he commeth may finde vs so doing Secondly in that the whole world that then was was thus destroyed and condemned and as wee heard afore onely Noah and his houshold saued wee learne that it is not good nor safe to follow the multitude Noah was here a man alone he held and beleeued against all the world and yet his iudgement and his beliefe was true and all the worlds false and accordingly he saued when they were all condemned It is meruaile therefore the Church of Rome should so much stand vpon numbers and multitude for the gracing of of their religion For it euer was and euer will be a weake argument If multitudes might euer haue beene alledged then vnto Noah especially to whom it might haue beene said Who art thou that pretendest to be wiser then all men and to know more then all the world Thou that hast a faith by thy selfe and hast no man to beare thee company thinke not that all Adams posterity all the children of holy Henoch and Methusalem are all deceiued but thy selfe alone Would not these and such like obiections haue discouraged any man Yet behold the force of faith Noah had Gods word for it and therefore
beleeueth against all the world and is commended to all ages for this faith It is therefore but a vaine flourish of the Papists to presse vs so much with their multitudes and vniuersality and consent and vnity and succession cōtinuance For all this is worth nothing as long as they first proue not that that doctrine or opinion which these multitudes hold hath his ground from Gods word till then all the other is vanity For it is better with Noah to haue Gods plaine word of his side then to beleeue otherwise with all the world which was here deceiued condemned when Noah alone beleeued Gods word and was saued And thus we see who were condemned the world To end this point one question may not vnprofitably be here moued Whether was all the world that is all the men in that world condemned or no The words seeme to imply that all but Noah were and yet it may seeme strange that of so many Millions none should repent but he and if they repented why were they not saued I answere The world of that wicked age was condemned two wayes First with a corporall destruction and so they were all condemned without exception No high houses no hilles no deuises of man could saue them For the waters rose 15. cubits aboue the tops of the highest mountaines vnder heauen Gen. 7.20 And so though till then diuers of them liued by flying to the hilles yet that being their last refuge and being thus taken from them then all flesh perished that moued vpon the earth and euery man and euery thing that drew the breath of life For so saith the Story Genesis 7.21.22 And it is but vaine to imagine that any of them could be saued vpon that Arke for first it was so made with a ridge in the top as is most probably thought that no man could stand vpon it much lesse make any stay in that violent tossing by tempests Againe if they could yet could they not haue liued so long for want of foode the waters being almost a yeere vpon the earth And thus it is most certaine they all without exception were destroyed with bodily destruction But secondly they were condemned to an eternall destruction in hell and therefore S. Peter 1.3.18 saith Their spirits are now in prison who were disobedient in the dayes of Noah Now all the question is whether were they all condemned or no. I answere For ought that we certainly knowe out of the scripture they were all condemned Yet in the iudgement of charity wee are not so to thinke and the rather because there are many probable coniectures that some of them repented For howsoeuer many of them beleeued not Noah iudging that he spake of his owne head yet it is more then likely that when they saw it begin to raine extraordinarily at least when they saw themselues driuen to the tops of the hilles and there looked hourely for death that then diuers of the posterity of Henoch and Methusalem and Lamech were ashamed of their former vnbeliefe and then turned to God in faith and in repentance And doubtlesse that is the onely or the principall cause why God brought the floud in fourty dayes which he could haue done in foure houres that so men might haue time to repent Genesis 7. But it will be saide If any repented why then were they not saued I answer because they repented not in time when they were called by Noahs preaching Repentance is neuer too late to saue the soule from hell but it may be too late to saue the body from a temporal iudgement And this I take it is that that wee may safely hold for it seemes too hard to condemne all the posterity of Methusalem Henoch Lamech and other holy Patriarks who as the Text saith begat sonnes and daughters and to thinke that none of them repented when they saw the floud come indeede as Noah had said It cannot be but they heard their Fathers preach and why might not that preaching worke vpon their hearts when the Iudgement came though afore it did not But why then did not God record in the Scripture neither their repentance nor saluation but hath left it so doubtfull I answere for the very same for which he would not record Adams nor Salomons All for this cause that he might teach all men to the worlds end what a fearefull thing it is to disobay his commandement as Adam did or to defer repentance when they are called by Gods word as these men did Therefore to feare vs from the like though afterwards they repented it pleased God not to record it but to leaue it doubtfull This question being thus discussed yeelds vs two strong motiues to repentance First for if we repent not betime our state then is fearefull and doubtfull though not desperate as wee see here the saluation euen of Methushelas children is doubtfull for they repented not when they were called but deferred it till the iudgement came So if we deferre our repentance till our deaths there is great question of our saluation but let vs repent when wee are called by Gods word and then it is out of question then there is no doubt of our saluation Secondly if we repent betime we shall escape the temporall Iudgement which God sends vpon the world for sinne If not but deferre repentance till the Iudgement come we may then by it saue our soules but our bodies shall perish in the vniuersall Iudgement If the children of Henoch and Methushelah which were neere a-kinne vnto Noah had repented at Noahs preaching they had beene saued with Noah they did not But when the floud came indeede then doubtlesse they beleeued with Noah and wished themselues in the Arke with him but it was too late they saued their soules but were drowned with the rest So assuredly when God threatneth any Iudgement on our Church or Nation they that beleeue and repent betime shall escape it But they that will liue in wantonnesse with the world and not repent till God begin to strike If then they doe when the floud is come though saluation cannot be denied to repentance whensoeuer yet let them assure themselues they shall beare their part with the world in the punishment as they did partake with them in their sinnes Let then these two considerations moue vs all to turne to God by timely repentance then shall we be sure to escape both the eternall and temporall Iudgement and not be condemned as here this world of the vngodly was And thus we see who were condemned The world The second point is whereby were they condemned the Text saith onely by which hee condemned c. Whereupon some would vnderstand faith and reade it thus by which faith he condemned the world Which though it be true for the faith of holy men condemnes the vnbeleeuing and misbeleeuing world yet is it not proper in this place where the Arke is described by the vses of it which are two whereof this is
one And besides that the Greeke construction doth well beare it the Iudgement of almost all Interpreters referres it to the Arke And further in all reason that that saued him and his houshold condemned the world also but the Arke is said to haue saued them therefore by it hee condemned the world Neither is this any derogation but a commendation of faith for by faith he made that Arke which Arke condemned the world Now by the Arke Noah condemned the world two wayes 1. By his obedience in building it 2. By his preaching in building it For the first God bad Noah build an Arke so great and to such an vse as in all reason no man would haue done it Yet Noah by the power of his faith beleeued Gods word and obayed and therefore builded the Arke This faith and this obedience of Noah to this Commaundement of God condemned the vnbeleeuing and disobedient world and made them without excuse So saith Christ The Niniuites who beleeued at the preaching of Ionas shall rise in Iudgement against the Iewes and condemne them because they repented not at Christs preaching And the Queene of Saba who came so farre to heare Salomon shall condemne them who then would not heare Christ Math. 12.42.43 Euen so Noahs obedience shall condemne them For Noah being told of a miraculous thing and beleeuing it and being commaunded so vnreasonable a thing as the making of the Arke and obaying shall condemne that wicked world who would not beleeue Gods ordinarie promises nor obay his ordinarie and most holy commaundements And as the Saints are said to condemne the world 1. Corinth 6.2 by being witnesses against them and approuers of Gods iust sentence So Noahs fact and faith condemned that world And thus we see it is apparant that the obedience and godly examples of good men doe condemne the vngodly The vse whereof is to encourage vs all to imbrace Christian religion and not be daunted by the scornes or other euill behauiours of profane men which cannot abide the Gospell For he that walketh in the way of holinesse and keepeth good conscience in the midst of a wicked generation if his godlinesse doe not ouercome their euill and conuert them it shall more demonstrate their wickednesse and condemne them Our Church is full of mockers and they discourage many from Christ religion but let them know this will be the end of it their obedience whom they contemne and laugh at wil be their condemnation And thus Noah by his obedience in building the Ark condemned the world Secondly so did he also by his preaching as he builded it For the building of the Arke was a part of his propheticall ministerie The Prophets preached two wayes in word in action For beside their Verball preaching and deliuering of Gods word they preached in their liues and actions especially in such actions as were extraordinarie And such was Noahs building of the Arke it was an actuall preaching yea euery stroke vpon the Arke was a loud Sermon to the eyes and eares of that wicked world For by making it he signified some should be saued and the rest drowned namely all that would beleeue and repent should be saued in it and all that would not shold out of it be drowned because they beleeued not this therefore by it he condemned them From this ground we may learnâ— First that a man may be a true and sincere Minister lawfully called by God and his Church and yet not turne many vnto God nor by his Ministerie bring many to repentance For here Noah a Prophet called immediatly yet in 120. yeeres preaching both in word and action he cannot turne one to faith and repentance A most fearefull thing if we well consider it that both by preaching and making the Arke hee should not turne one of the sonnes of Lamech Methushelah or Henoch to beleeue him but that they should all rather chuse to be misled in the generall vanity of that wicked world then to serue God with Noah This was a most discomfortable thing vnto him as could be yet this hath beene the case and lot of many holy Prophets Esay must goe and preach vnto them and yet his doctrine must harden their hearts that they may not be saued Esay 6.10 And Ezekiel must goe and speake and yet is tolde aforehand they will not heare him nor repent Ezek. 3.4.7 And when S. Paul himselfe preached vnto the Iewes at Rome some beleeued not Acts 28.24 There is nothing will more discourage a man and cast downe his heart then to see that his labours are not onely in vaine but doe take a contrarie effect that whereas they were bestowed to haue saued them they are meanes of their deeper condemnation Therefore as when their labours bring men to God they may greatly reioyce and account those people as S. Paul did the Thessalonians his crowne his ioy and glory So when they doe no good as Noah here but that men are worse and worse this must humble and abase them in themselues let them know the power and vertue is not in them but God So saith S. Paul to the vngodly impenitent amongst the Corinthians I feare saith he when I come my God abase me amongst you I shall bewaile many of them which haue sinned not repented And surely this or nothing wil abase a Minister minister matter of great bewailing Yet not so but as stil there is matter of true coÌ„fort coÌ„teÌ„tment vnto all godly faithful teachers For whether thy labour be the sauour of life vnto life or of death vnto death to thy hearers It is to God a sweet sauour in Christ. Againe we may here learne that those who are condemned before God haue their condemnation by the preaching of the word The secrets of all the world saith the Apostle shall be iudged by Iesus Christ according to the Gospell and heere the preaching of Noah and his actuall preaching by preparing the Arke condemnes the world Such is the power and might of the Ministerie of Gods word vpon all them that resist it Which being so should teach all men when they come to heare Gods word to submit themselues to the power of it to obay it and become penitent for otherwise so many Sermons as a man heareth so many inditements are presented to God against him And if at the last day there were no diuels to accuse those bills of inditements would both accuse and condemne him And this Iudgement is begun in this life as their consciences doe often tell them and is accomplisht at the last day for there is no dallying with Godâ— word if it cannot saue it kiâ—ls It is the fire which if it cannot soften it hardens Let then all impenitent men make conscience to obay Gods word for if now they abuse it it will be euen with them both here and in another world For as the very same Arke which saued Noah and his houshold condemned
God hath appointed to the vse whereof hee hath annexed his promises of helpe against sinne Let them therefore lay Gods word and promises vnto their consciences in holy and frequent meditations Let them carefully vse the meanes God hath appointed hearing and reading his word receiuing the holy Communion earnest and frequent Prayer crauing also the prayers of others and let them sharpen these holy exercises by fasting watching holy conferences with others visitations of others afflicted like themselues oft reuealing their estate to their godly Pastors Let them continue thus doing and rest confidently on the word and promise of God with the stedfast foote of faith and they shall see that olde Sarah shall haue strength to conceiue that is that their poore soules shall receiue strength to tread vpon Sathan to conquer their corruptions to conceiue bring forth many worthy fruites of holinesse to their ioy and comfort in their later experience as Isaac was to Sarah in her elder age The next doctrine we may here learne is That whereas Sarah by her faith in Gods promise conceiues and brings forth therefore children are the immediate blessing of the Lord for Sarah bare Isaac not by any ordinary strength or power of nature but through faith shee receiued strength to conceiue c. Neither is this so in her onely wherein there was a miraculous worke of Gods power but in all Some are indeede barren by constitution and these cannot conceiue vnlesse by Gods power as Sarah did But some haue no children who in all naturall reason might conceiue For as God gaue the Lawe and thereby a gift and power to encrease and multiply Genesis 1.22 So he reserued the execution of it to himself and power to alter or dispense to adde or diminish as it pleaseth him Therefore saith the Psalmist Psal. 127.3 Lo children are the inheritance of the Lord and the fruite of the wombe is his reward And speaking of them Psal. 128.4 he saith Loe thus shall he be blessed that feareth the Lord. The vse is to teach Parents therefore to bring them vp as Gods blessings and not onely to giue them corporall necessities for so they doe their beasts but to nurture them in holy Discipline by sowing the seedes of Religion in their hearts If this they want they haue nothing though you leaue them Earledomes And heerein is the saying true Better vnborne then vntaught The Lawe and power to encrease and multiplie is giuen to beastes in their kinde as well as to vs Genesis 1. verse 22. Therefore vnlesse wee doe more then prouide for their bodies wee differ little from them but make them know GOD and so wee make them fellowes with the Angelles If Parents did thus it cannot bee expressed what blessinges would come thereby to Church and Common-wealth Thirdly and lastly let vs heere knowe and learne that this holy Matron Sarah figureth vnto vs mysticallie the spirituall Hierusalem the Church of GOD. Allegoâ—ies are charily and sparingly to bee taught else much vnsounde Doctrine may cumber mennes consciences but this is sound and sure for it is the Apostles Galath 4.23 c. By Agar and Sarah other things are meant for these two mothers are two Testaments Agar shee which gendreth vnto bondage Sarah Hierusalem which is free and from aboue and is the mother of vs all Now the resemblance betwixt naturall Sarah the wife of Abraham and mysticall Sarah the spouse of Christ the Church of God stands in this that as she not by power in her selfe but by Gods power and faith in his promise bare Isaac So the Church our mother bringeth forth children to God onely by the power of Gods word and spirit And therefore as Isaac is called the childe of Promise and said to be borne by promise Galath 4.23 So men regenerate and borne to the Church are said not to be borne of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Iohn 1.13 And S. Iames saith 1.18 God of his owne will begat vs with the word of truth Thus the word of God the will that is the spirit of God these two together beget children to the Church The vse is to teach vs all to honour the Church as our mother but to worship God alone who is the father of our soule The Church cannot make her selfe our mother noâ— vs her children when she will but it is God that must speake the word and then we are made he must beget vs by the power of his spirit and ministerie of his word And further let vs learne heere what account wee are to make of Gods holy word which is the immortall seede of our regeneration whereby wee are made Gods children and heires of immortality Thus much of the two first effects of her faith The third is laid downe in the next verse which because it is much stoode vpon by the holy Ghost we will put it off till then being therefore worthy our deeper consideration And now followeth in the end of this verse the fift and last point which is the Ground of her faith Because she iudged him faithfull which had promised The foundation whereon she built this her faith that she should haue a sonne being barren and past age was not the bare promise of God so much as the conceite or opinion shee had of him that promised For promises are not of value so much by the things promised though neuer so great or excellent for they may promise much who can performe nothing or though they can yet wil recall their word in lightnesse and inconstancie as by the worthinesse of the party promising We say in this world we had rather haue some mens word then other mens bond and rather haue a little promised of some then much of others Now such was the Iudgement that Sarah helde of him that promisâ—â— namely GOD She iudged him faithfull which had promised Faithfull that is shee iudged him Able willing to accomplish what-euer hee promised to her So that the Grounds of our faith in God and all his promises must be a sure apprehension and knowledge of these two things in God 1. His ability to make good what-euer passeth him in word 2. His carefulnesse to doe it when hee hath said it Some wil promise any thing though their abilities stretch not to performe others are able enough but haue no care of their word But both these are in God all-sufficient ability and most carefull willingnesse So Sarah iudged of God and therefore shee beleeued against reason and so must wee doe if wee will beleeue Gods word aright Wee may reade and heare and knowe Gods word and haue the points therein swimming in our heads but if wee will constantly beleeue with our hearts his blessed promises in our consciences feare his threatnings we must be fully perswaded of these two to be in him So are wee taught by Christ the wisedome of God in the Lords Prayer afore wee pray for
they all know and some confesse it is surest and safest to die in our religion Let vs therefore cheerefully and comfortably liue in that religion and faith wherein wee may so boldly die that euen our aduersaries confesse it to be safest Now follow the foure effects and fruits of their faith The first is this that They receiued not the promises but saw them afarre off By Promises we vnderstād first the promises of the Land of Canaan Secondly the spirituall promises of the kingdome of Christ. These they did not receiue that is fully thogh in part they did for true faith doth alwaies receiue apprehend and apply vnto it selfe truely though not fully the thing promised God said hee would giue them the Land of Canaan but they did not fully enioy and possesse it So likewise the Messias was promised vnto them but they neuer saw his comming in the flesh and yet they beleeued Gods promise and died in that faith Where wee may see the inuincible force of their faith that cleaued fast vnto the promise of God euen vnto death though they neuer enioyed the things promised in this life which plainely condemnes our age of vnbeleefe for we haue more accomplished vnto vs than euer they had Abraham neuer saw Christ but afarre off yet wee haue him exhibited in the flesh we see and knowe hee liued and died rose againe and ascended and now makes continuall intercession for vs and we haue the true sacraments which shall last for euer pledges of him and of life euerlasting by him And for temporall promises wee haue farre more accomplished vnto vs than euer he had But though wee goe before Abraham in the fruition of Gods promises yet we come farre behinde him in beleefe for faith worketh by loue and loue is seene in true obedience but generally this is too true men make no conscience of obedience which sheweth vndoubtedly that there is little sound faith among vs. And it may be feared that these notable men Abraham Isaac and Iaacob shall stand in iudgement against vs to our further condemnation for they neuer receiued the accomplishing of Gods promises and yet they beleeued but we doe see the same fulfilled exhibited vnto vs and yet we will not beleeue But saw them afarre off Here is the propertie of their faith and the power of it the promises were afarre off and yet they saw them The phrase here vsed is borrowed from Mariners who beeing far on the sea cannot descrie towns and coasts afarre off but only by help of some tower or hie place which their eie will sooner discerne thogh it be afarre off And so Abraham Sarah Isaac and Iaacob beeing long before the day of Christs incarnation could not other waies see Christ but afarre off by the eie of faith in the promises of the Messias for this is the propertie of faith to make a thing absent to be present after a sort Faith beeing the ground of things hoped for and the euidence of things which are not seene Here then wee may learne a difference betweene the Church in the olde Testament and in the newe Wee in the newe Testament haue greater measure of knowledge more liuely discerning of the Messias and a clearer light of vnderstanding in the mystery of our saluation by Christ than the Church had vnder the olde Testament howsoeuer they excelled in faith yet in the knowledge and discerning of Christ they were inferiour vnto vs. And therfore the Lord made this promise to the time of the Gospel long before that thē the earth shall be ful of the knowledg of the Lord as the waters that couer the sea And Saint Paul prooues this performed when he affirmeth of the Church of the new Testament 2. Corinth 3.18 But all wee as in a mirrour behold the glory of the Lord with open face And Christ Ioh. 6.45 They shall be all taught of God If this bee true that knowledge should so abound in the time of the Gospell then all ignorant persons of this latter age of the world must knowe that they haue much to answer for at the day of iudgment for God in the new testament hath made his Church to abound in knowledge so that their ignorance for which they thinke God will hold them excused shall be a bill of inditement against them at the last day to their further condemnation because the light of the Gospell is so clearely and plentifully reuealed in these dayes that whereas the most excellent Patriarchs of all could then but see Christ afarre off the most simple may now see him neere vnto them Again where is more knowledge there should be more obedience therefore it concerneth all those that professe themselues to be Christians submit themselues to heare and learne the word of God taught vnto them not content themselues with bare knowledge though it be neuer so much But withall to bring forth the fruites of obedience in their liues cōuersations For though Abraham Isaac and Iacob in regard of faith did goe farre before vs yet seeing we haue more knowledge then they had in the Messias we must labour to becom like vnto them in the obedience of our liues Their faith was stronger then ours but our obedience should be greater then theirs because wee haue more cause to belieue then they S. Paul saith We all behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord with open face And the end thereof is this that we may be transformed into the same image from glory to glory as by the spirit of the Lord. So that the more knowledge wee haue the more sanctification wee ought to haue and the more hatred of sinne more obedience to Gods commaundements But the more is the pitie the case goeth farre otherwise with the world for euen many among vs that are no Students by profession haue great and commendable knowledge in religion But where is the fruite hereof in holy obedience to the Lawes of God God by calling hath made vs a pleasant vine but the sower Grapes of sinne are our ordinarie fruite they be the Grapes of gall as Moses saith For Atheisme blasphemie contempt of Gods word and worship with open profaning of Gods Sabaoth doe euery where abound to omit the hainous crimes against the second table as oppression adultery and bloud touching bloud for all which wee may iustly feare that the Lord will either remoue his Candlesticke from vs and so of a Church and people of God make vs no Church or else sweepe vs away by some fearefull iudgement as with the besome of destruction because we withhold the truth in vnrighteousnesse Rom. 1.18 For better it were not to haue knowen the way of righteousnesse then to turne from the holy commaundement giuen vnto vs let vs therefore ioyne with our knowledge obedience that so wee may shew forth our faith in doing the duties of pietie vnto God and of brotherly loue and Christianity vnto our brethren Thus much of
obey And thus much of the third fruite of the Patriarchs faith The fourth fruite of their faith followeth And confessed that they were strangers and Pilgrimes on the earth Heerein we are to consider diuers points 1. The Text saith They confessed that is they professed openly what they were and what their religion was and that not onely amongst themselues but before the face of Gods enemies and heathen men Gen. 23.4 Abraham tolde the people of the Land of Canaan that he was a stranger and a forrainer among them And when Iacob came before Pharaoh hee confessed that both his dayes the dayes of his Fathers were dayes of Pilgrimage Gen. 47.9 Now affirming so openly that they were strangers in those Countries they intimated a plaine deniall and dislike of the religion and idolatry of those heathen Countries and proclaimed themselues to be of another religion so that this is true which here is said of them that they made confession and profession of their estate and their faith and that to the enemies of God Hence we learne that we are not to be ashamed of that holy profession of Christian religion to which wee are called Our calling is to professe the Gospell and religion of Christ now to many it is a reproach ignominie but we must learn this special lesson by the example of these men that howsoeuer the world iudge of Christ and his religion yet we hauing entred into this holy profession and being called hereunto must neuer be ashamed of it much lesse denie or forsake the same In the primitiue Church it was a cōtemptible thing both among the Iewes Grecians to be a Christian to the one the Gospell was a stumbling blocke to the other a laughing-stocke 1. Corin. 1.23 And yet Paul professed openly that hee was not ashamed of that holy Gospell Rom. 1.16 And so it ought to be with vs we professe Christes religion and therefore wee must not be ashamed of it Some there be that knowe but little yet haue a good minde to religion but when they see some do nothing else but make a mocke and a iest of religion they are thereby daunted and held back from the open profession and embracing of it But if we looke to be saued by faith as these men were we must learne by their example not to be ashamed of the profession of Christianitie whereto wee are called but must followe this notable example of Abraham and the Patriarchs who were not ashamed nor afraid to testifie their profession among the Heathen whensoeuer any occasion was offered for whosoeuer is ashamed of Christ in this world Christ will be ashamed of him at the day of Iudgement be-his Father in the world to come Luke 9.26 To goe further These Patriarchs professe two things 1. That they were strangers 2. That they were Pilgrimes A stranger is one that hath his abode not in his owne but in a strange Country though he trauaile not And a Pilgrime is one that is going through a forraine Country to his owne home Abraham Isaac Iacob were strangers because they dwelt as strangers in Tents not in their owne Countries where they were borne but in that strange Country whither God had called them and they were Pilgrimes because they were alwaies ready to goe thence whithersoeuer GOD would call them and in all places wheresoeuer they were still they waited on God and sought to him for the kingdome of heauen Now this was not proper to these Patriarchs but is also common to all Christians that looke to be saued by the same faith for Dauid long after them cōfesseth vnto God Psal. 39.12 that he is a Stranger and a Pilgrime or soiourner with him as all his Fathers were And euen we also must followe their faith in the practice of this profession dwelling here on the earth we must testifie professe our selues to be both Strangers and Pilgrimes But how will some say shall we be answerable to this profession Answer For the practice hereof we must doe these 3. things 1. We must vse this world and the things therof as though we vsed them not 1. Cor 7.31 The temporall blessings we here enioy wee must so vse as though they were not ours but as strangers doe onely for the present occasion but we must not set our hearts thereon And the rather to perswade vs heereunto let vs consider the practice of these godly Patriarchs They had the promise of the Land of Canaan distinctly absolutely so as no man in the world hath more right to any thing that he possesseth then they had to this Land yet when they came into it they enioyed it and all things therein as strangers and possessed nothing but did euen buy ground to bury their dead in And so must wee vse the things that wee haue in this world for our houses we must vse them as Strangers doe an Inne and for our goods we must vse them as Pilgrimes doe other mens goods where they stay for a night we must so vse them alwaies as being ready and willing to leaue them the next morning or at any time when God shall call vs away Secondly we must cast off all things in this world that may any whit hinder vs in our iourney to the kingdome of heauen like vnto good trauailers who will carie nothing with them in the way but that which may further them to their iourneyes end and if any thing hinder them in the way they will cast it from them and rather lose it then be hindred from their home But what is that which is burdensome vnto vs in this our iourney to heauen This S. Paul sheweth when he saith 2. Tim. 3.6 that certaine simple women are laden with sinne Behold sinne is that that ladeth v◠and the Author to the Hebrewes calleth sinne the thing that hangeth on so fast and presseth vs downe Heb. 1◠1◠Therefore if we will be good trauellers and pilgrimes towards the kingdome of heauen wee must take heed of all sinne for that will hold vs downe that we cannot goe one step forward but will draw vs backeward vnto hell for the way is straite that leadeth vnto life and the gate narrow and few there be that can enter into it Math. 7.13 He that would come hither must come with an humble and pure heart for the gate will not suffer any that is laden with sinne to enter therein The prowd man whose heart is puffed vp with pride and the couetous man whose heart is enlarged with desire of gaine the ambitious man who i◠with childe with worldly pompe state and the luxurious and voluptuous man who fats himselfe with earthly and carnall pleasures all these are growen too big to enter into this straite gate But the meeke in spirit who lead an humble and innocent life these shall tread this path though it bee narrow and enter in at this doore though it be straite And therefore we must cast off
wish themselues to be Dogges Toades or Serpents rather then men and women and yet though they would be glad of that exchange of state they shall neuer compasse it but shall remaine woefull men and women for euermore because that once they made so profane a choise when the path of life was set before them they chose the way of death rather then of life and therefore when they would desire death they shall not haue it but shall liue a life more bitter for euer then any death in the greatest pangs Thus wee see in generall their choise was of the better Particularly the Text addeth That is an heauenly In which words is laid downe the last and chiefe point in this reason to wit that the Patriarchs desired a better Country then the Land of Canaan and that was an heauenly Country euen heauen it selfe the proofe whereof is principally intended in this place Now whereas the Patriarchs being our fore-fathers in faith and patternes whom we must followe did desire heauen by their example euery one of vs is taught the same duty to aime at another and a better Country then that in which we liue euen at the kingdome of heauen and not to thinke that this world is the Country we are borne for This better Country we must all seeke for whatsoeuer we be high and lowe young and olde learned and vnlearned if we will followe these godly Patriarchs And this wee must doe not at death onely seeking this world all our life long for that is to despise heauen but euen in the time of our youth strength of our daies must we set our hearts on heauen endeauouring so to vse this world and the things thereof that when we die we may come to heauen that blessed countrie which we desired and sought for in our liues And to perswade vs hereunto consider the reasons following First worldly wisdome teacheth this If a man dwell on his owne land and in his owne house he is carelesse But if in another mans house whereof hee hath no lease but contrariwise is certaine to be put out hee knoweth not when this man wil in time prouide himselfe of another that so he may remooue into it and not be destitute and if it be within his power he will prouide a better that so he may not remooue for the worse Beholde while wee liue in this world our bodies are tents and tabernacles wherein our soules doe dwell for a time and besides this time is vncertaine for there is no man that can say certainly he shall liue to the next houre Therefore we must euery one of vs prouide for himselfe a dwelling place in heauen where we may abide for euer in all blessednesse Again consider the state of all sorts of men in the world for sinne Atheisme and profanenesse abound euery where the blaspheming of Gods holy name and the breaking of his Sabbath besides daily sinnes against the second table Now all these crie continually for vengeance and for Gods iudgements to be inflicted vpon vs and we know not how God will deale with vs for owne sinnes whether he will take from vs our goods and good name our health friends or life it selfe and therefore it standeth vs in hand to prouide for our selues a resting place wherein we may abide for euer after this fraile life full of misery is ended Thirdly if we shall not doe this marke what followeth this and no other is our estate By nature wee are the children of wrath and of the deuill and by our manifolde sinnes we haue made our ease farre worse Now what is due vnto vs for this corruption and for these transgressions Surely not heauen but another place euen the contrary the place of eternall woe and destruction the bottomlesse pit of hell Now if this be our due by nature then let not sinne nor Sathan deceiue vs perswading vs that wee may come to heauen and still continue in the state of our corrupt nature but let vs labour by all meanes to eschew this place which is due vnto vs by nature that thorough the gift of faith in Christ we may come to the heauēly citie which these godly Patriarchs so seriously soght for But if we remaine in our sinnes and so die we are sure to goe to the place of destruction and there to remaine in woe and torments with the diuell and his angels for euermore so that it stands vs in hand to vse all good meanes to come to heauen or else our case will be the most miserable of all creatures for perdition and destruction will bee our portion world without ende This must awake and stirre vp our dead and drowsie hearts that are so besotted with sinne that though wee heare yet wee neither learne nor practice In worldly things we can take care and paines but if we will doe any thing for our owne euerlasting good let vs labour by all meanes to come to heauen for if wee misse of that citie it had beene good for vs we had neuer beene borne or that we had beene the vilest creatures in the world rather than men For when the vnreasonable creatures die there is an ende of all their miserie but if we die and be not prepared for that place our death will be vnto vs the beginning of all woe and miserie Wherefore God is not ashamed of them to be called 〈◊〉 their God for hee hath prepared for them a citie In these words is laid downe a second reason whereby is prooued that these Patriarchs died in the faith seeking their countrie in heauen The reason is drawen from the testimony of God himselfe recorded by Moses in the booke of Exodus where God saith He is the God of their Fathers the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob Exodus 3.16 The exposition Wherefore that is that this might appeare and be euident that these Patriarchs died in the faith and sought this Country of heauen God was cōtent to vouchsafe grant vnto them this fauour to be called their God Was not ashamed To be or not to be ashamed of one properly belongs to men and it cannot be affirmed properly of God that hee is ashamed or blusheth as the word signifieth but the meaning is that God vouchsafed vnto them this fauour and shewed them this honour and dignity Quest. What was this honour and dignity which he shewed vnto them Answer To be called their God By which is meant thus much that God accepted them in his mercy to be such with whom hee would make his couenant of saluation and not with them alone but with their seed after them Secondly that he chose them to make the couenant in their names for all the rest Thirdly he vouchsafed them a speciall and extraordinary fauour euen that himself would beare their names they should beare his making his glorious name renowmed to the worlds end by this title The God of Abraham Isaac Iacob Hereupon the reason is framed thus
did the Gadarens there was set before them Christ Iesus the Lord of life and their hogges and cattell Now they prefer their hogges before Christ A most miserable and senselesse choice And is it not as ill with vs There is set before vs on the one side heauen and on the other side hell but men for the most part chuse hell forsake heauen Ciuill worldly men whose delight is all in riches they prefer earth before heauen the seruice of sinne which is the greatest slauerie before the seruice of GOD which is perfect freedome and glorious liberty of the Saints in light and thus doe all men without Gods speciall grace Whereupon Paul prayes in his Epistles for the Churches that God would giue vnto them the spirit of wisedome that they may be able to iudge betweene things that differ And this wisdom we must labour for that when these different things are set before vs we may make a wise choise otherwise we shew our selues to be like brute beasts without vnderstanding do quite ouerturne our owne saluation In the Ministerie of the word we haue life and death good euill set before vs as Moses said to the people Deut. 30.15 19. Let vs therfore endeuour our selues to chuse life by embracing and obeying the word of God so shall we followe both his precept and practice To suffer aduersity with the people of God Heere wee may obserue what is the ordinarie state and condition of Gods Church and people in this world namely to be in affliction and vnder the crosse Hence Paul saith That we must come to heauen through manifold afflictions Acts 14.23 The Lord knoweth what is best for his seruants and children and therefore he hath set downe this for a ground that all that will liue godly in Christ Iesus must suffer persecution 2. Tim. 3.12 Thus the Lord dealeth with his children for speciall causes for first all crosses as losse of goods friends liberty or good name they are meanes to stirre vp and awake Gods people out of the slumbring fit of sinne for the godly are many times ouertaken this way The wise virgines sleepe as well as the foolish Now afflictions rouze them out of the sleepe of securitie See this in Iosephs brethren who went on a long time without any remorse for selling their brother But when they were stayed in Egypt then they are rowzed vp and can say Genesis 42.21 This trouble is come vpon vs for selling our brother Secondly afflictions serue to humble Gods children Leuiticus 26.41 So the Church of God speaketh I will beare the wrath of the Lord because I haue sinned against him Micah 7.9 Thirdly they serue to weane the people of God and to driue them from the loue of this world for if men might alwaies liue in ease they would make their heauen vpon earth which may not be And heerein GOD dealeth with his children like a Nurse when shee will weane her childe she layes some bitter thing vpon the pappes head to make the childe to loathe the pappe so the Lord to draw our hearts from the world and to cause vs to loue and seeke after heauen and heauenly things hee makes vs to taste of the bitternesse of affliction in tâ—is worlde Fourthly afflictions ferâ—e to make Gods children to goe out of themselues to seeke sincerely vnto GOD and to relie onely vpon him which in prosperity they will not doe This Paul confesseth of himselfe and others Wee saith hee receiued the sentence of death in our selues because wee should not trust in our selues but in God 2. Corinthians chapter 1. verse 9. So good King Iehosaphat when hee was compassed of his enemies Hee cried to the Lord and said Lord wee knowe not what to doe but our eyes are towards thee 2. Chronicles chapter 20. verse 12. Yea the rebellious Iewes are heereby driuen to seeke the Lord whom in prosperity they forsooke as wee may see at large Psal. 107.6.12.13.19 Lastly afflictions serue to make manifest the graces of GOD in his children The Lord saith Iob knoweth my way and trieth me Iob 23.10 Deuteronomie 8.2 Remember all the way saith Moses to the Israelites which the Lord thy GOD ledde thee this fourtie yeares for to prooue thee and to knowe what was in thine heart Hence Iames calleth temptations the triall of faith Iames chapter 1. verses 2.3 And Paul makes patience the fruite of tribulation Romanes chapter 5. verse 3. For looke as the showers in the spring time cause the buds to appeare so doe afflictions make manifest Gods graces in his children Patience hope and other vertues lie close in the heart in the day of peace but when tribulation comes then they breake forth and shew themselues Hence wee learne that it is not alwayes a token of Gods wrath To suffer affliction If any man or people be laden with crosses it is no argument that therefore they are not the children of GOD for as Peter saith Iudgements begin at Gods house 1. Peter chapter 4. verse 17 and any crosse vpon a people family or particular persons if it bring forth the fruite of grace in them is a true signe they belong to GOD. Yea when men wander from God by an euill way these afflictions are meanes to call them home to GOD. Psalme 119.67 Before I was afflicted I went astray And they that forsake their sinne and returne to GOD in the time of affliction are certainly Gods people for the wicked man fretteth and murmureth against God when a crosse commeth and he cannot abide it But the godly man is humbled therby and it makes him more obedient in all duties vnto God This wee should consider for by an outward profession wee beare the world in hand that we are Gods children and therefore wee come to heare Gods word and to learn how to behaue our selues as beseemeth his children But if we would be knowen to be Gods children indeede then when any of Gods iudgements doe befallâ— vs wee must make this vse of them namely labour thereby to be humbled for our sinnes and to forsake our sinnes and to make conscience of all bad wayes for euer afterward and then wee shewe our selues to be Gods children indeede but if vnder the crosse or after the crosse wee be as dissolute as euer wee were and still followe our olde sinnes then wee cannot be iudged to be Gods people and children but rather a wicked and stubborne generation which the more they are corrected the worse they are like a stithy the more it is beaten the harder it is Let vs therefore by the vse of Gods iudgements shewe our selues to be Gods children so shall wee say with Dauid with much ioy and comfort It is good for vs that wee haue beene in trouble Psal. 119.71 Thus wee see what Moses chose now come wee to the thing he refused To enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season By pleasures of sinne wee must vnderstand the riches and dignitie that Moses
wee must followe Moses example choose religion and a goood conscience and let honour and preferment goe This is Moses practice we may resolue our selues that if hee might haue enioyed them together hee would haue refused neither but because he could not haue them both therefore he preferreth the religion of Christ with a good conscience before the honour and wealth of Egypt Thirdly note this Moses doth not onely refuse the riches and pleasures of Egypt when they would become vnto him the pleasures of sinne but rather than hee will enioy them hee is content to suffer great miserie and aduersitie with GODs people Where behold a singular vertue in Moses Hee iudgeth it too bee the greatest miserie to liue in sinne and therefore hee chooseth rather to suffer any aduersitie and reproach in this world than liue and lie in sinne because thereby hee should displease God his most louing father in Christ. A most notable vertue in this seruant of God and the like minde beare all those that haue the same graces of sauing faith and true repentance that Moses had S. Paul esteemed the Temptations vnto sinne which Satan suggested into his minde to be as beatings and buffettings and as pricks and thornes in his flesh 2. Cor. 12.7 And Dauid saith Psal. 119.136 His eies gush out with riuers of waters because men brake Gods commandements Was Dauid thus grieued for other mens sinnes Oh! then what a griefe did he suffer when he himselfe brake Gods commandements and thereby displeased God Now looke how these seruants of God were affected so must euery one of vs that professe the faith and religion of Christ labour to bee affected towards sinne wee must iudge it the greatest misery and torment in the world to doe any thing that shall displease God But alas come to our daies and the case is farre otherwise for to most men it is meate and drinke vnto them to commit sinne so farre are they from counting it a misery Yea if a man be ordinarily addicted to some speciall sinne you then may as soone take away his life as bereaue him of his sinne he will aduenture the losse of heauen for euer for the pleasure of sinne for a time But all such are farre vnlike these holy seruants of God for they counted it the greatest crosse and miserie that could be to doe any thing that displeased God and did checke and breake the peace of a good conscience And if we looke to enioy like peace and comfort with them we must striue against our owne corrupt disposition and labour to finde sinne to bee our greatest sorrow Worldly miseries may affect vs but in respect of sorrow for sinne all worldly griefe should bee light vnto vs. Indeede wee are otherwise minded naturally but herein wee must shew the power and truth of grace that to displease God by any sinne is our greatest griefe The second reason that mooued Moses to refuse the honours and pleasures of Pharaohs Court was because hee should haue enioyed them but for a time for the time of his naturall life was the longest that possibly hee could haue enioyed them And the same reason must moue euery one of vs to vse this world and all things herein euen all temporall benefits as though we vsed them not being alwayes willing and ready to leaue them whensoeuer God shall call This same reason doth Paul render when hee perswades the Corinthians to the same dutie 1. Cor. 7.31 Vse this world saith hee as though you vsed it no◠for the fashion of this world goeth away As if he should say All things in the world last but for a time and if a man would neuer so faine he could but enioy them to the ende of his life and therfore vse them as though you vsed them not But pittie it is to see how farre men are from the practice of this dutie for they set their whole heart vpon the world and to get riches is their delight and their God This ought not so to bee God hath not laid downe these precepts and examples in vaine vndoubtedly if they draw vs not to the like practice they shal rise vp in iudgement against vs at the last day And thus much of Moses choyce and refusall VERSE 26. Esteeming the rebuke of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt for he had respect to the recompence of reward MOses as we haue heard refused the honour wealth of Egypt and chose to liue in affliction with Gods people Now because this might seeme to bee a strange choyce and a naturall man would soone condemne him of folly for his labour therefore here the holy Ghost laies downe a reason that mooued Moses thus to doe to wit Moses chose rather to suffer affliction with Gods people than to enioy the pleasures and honours of Egypt because he was perswaded that reproach for Christ his sake was greater riches than all the wealth in Egypt So that he refused not absolutely riches honour and other comforts but chose the best riches and honour and left the worser vpon a sound iudgement betweene things that did differ Hereby wee may obserue in generall how needfull a thing it is for euery Christian to haue sound knowledge vnderstanding in the word of God For he that would walke vprightly and approoued of God must be able to iudge betweene things that differ not onely betweene good and euill but betweene good and good which is the better and so of euils which is the worser Which no man can doe but he that hath a sound and right iudgement in the word of God for therein is attained the spirit of discerning Many there be that by the course of their liues choose hell and refuse heauen which vndoubtedly comes from their ignorance in the word But ignorāce wil excuse none He that will come to heauen must be able to discerne good from euill and accordingly to choose the good and to refuse that which is euill which without diuine and supernaturall knowledge no man can doe And therefore all ignorant persons and all such as are blinded through the deceitfulnesse of sinne must shake off their securitie and get sound knowledge in scripture with a good conscience that when things which doe differ are set before thē they may with Moses choose the better But let vs come to Moses iudgement more particularly Hee esteemed the rebuke of Christ c. that is hee was firmely resolued that reproach and contempt for Christ his sake was greater riches vnto him than the treasures of a whole kingdom But some will say This is a very strange iudgement can it possibly be true and good Ans. Yes vndoubtedly it is most sound iudgement and worthy eternall remembrance of euery one of vs that to suffer reproach for Christ his sake is greater riches than all worldly wealth The truth hereof is proued by many reasons out of Gods word 1 God hath made a promise of blessednes to those which
in the Iudgement and the mercy Hitherto of the first effect It followeth Prepared the Arke The 2. effect of Noahs faith wherby it is coÌ„mended is that he vpon a coÌ„mandement receiued froÌ„ God as we heard before doth make build an Ark wherin to saue himself his family CoÌ„cerning this Ark much might be spoken out of the book of Gen but it is not to our purpose which is no more in this Chapter but to shew the obedience and practice of faith and therein the excellencie of it Now the point here to be spoken of is not the matter nor the measure nor the proportion nor the fashion nor the vses of the Arke all which in the 6. Chapter of Genesis are fully described but the action and obedience of Noah in preparing it as God bad him whereof the holy Ghost in Genesis 6.22 saith Noah did according to all that God had commaunded him euen so did he Now in this action of Noahs faith diuers points of great moment are to be considered First why did God bid Noah make an Arke 120. yeeres before the floud when hee might haue built it in three or foure yeeres The answere is God did so for diuers causes some respecting the sinfull world as that they might haue longer time and more warnings to repent euery stroke of the Arke during these 120. yeeres being a loude Sermon of repentance vnto them Againe that they might be without excuse if they amended not and lastly that their iniquities might be full and their sinnes ripe for vengeance But of all these we will not speake because they concerne not Noah of whose faith we are onely to speake let vs therfore touch only those causes which concerne Noah And in regard of him the Lord did thus that he might try his faith and patience and exercise other graces of holinesse in him Thus God dealeth with his seruants alwayes hee exerciseth them many and strange wayes in this world He led the Israelites in the deserts of Arabia fourty yeeres whereas a man may trauell from Rameses in Egypt to any part of Canaan in fourty dayes and this God did to humble them and try them and to know what was in their heart Deut. 8.2 God promised Abraham a sonne in whom all the nations of the earth should be blessed Gen. 12.3 But he performed it not of 30. yeeres after Gen. 21.2 He gaue Dauid the kingdome of Israel and anointed him by Samuel 1. Sam. 16.13 But he attained it not of many yeeres after in the meane time was persecuted and hunted by Saul as a flea in a mans bosome or as a Partridge in the mountaines 1. Sam. 24.15 and 26.20 And thus God exercised him both in that and other his promises as he saith Psal. 40.1 In waiting I waited on the Lord and Psal. 119.82 Mine eyes faile for waiting for thy promise O when wilt thou comfort me Thus God dealt with them and thus in some measure hee deales with all his children to humble and to try them and to know what is in their hearts for that in these cases men doe alwaies shew themselues and their dispositions When men enioy all things at their will and wish who cannot make a faire profession but where men are long deferred and kept from that is promised and they expect and are so long crossed in their expectations then they appeare in their owne colours And as God dealt with them so will he one way or other doe with vs if wee be his seruants hee will at some time of our life or other lay some such affliction vpon vs as may try vs and our faith and our patience and our humility For if we be hypocrites and haue no true graces but onely a shew this will discouer it and if we haue true and sound faith and patience this will make them shine like orient pearles in their true and perfect beauty Secondly as God bad Noah build an Arke so long time before any neede of it so he did without denying or gainesaying So saith the story in Genesis He did according to all that God commaunded him And thus the holy Ghost saith here He being warned of God by faith prepared the Arke Where we learne That where true faith is there followeth true obedience to euery commaundement of God insomuch as a godly beleeuing man no sooner heareth any duty to be commaunded of God but hee thinks his soule and conscience is tied to obedience and this is the nature of true faith And it is as impossible to be otherwise as it is for fire hauing fewell not to burne Acts 15.9 Faith purifieth the heart namely from carelesse disobedience to Gods word for if from any corruption at all then from it especially because it is most contrary to the purenesse of true faiâ—h This being so sheweth vs not any fault in our religion as the Papists slander vs but the want of our religion and the want of true faith in the world for there is almost no obedience to Gods commaundements For first Turkes Iewes acknowledge not the Scriptures and the Papists haue set aside Gods commaundements to set vp their owne And few Protestants haue the feeling of the power of true religion nothing indeed but a bare profession but it must be a feeling of the power of it which produceth due obedience And alas wee see men obay not Gods commaundements God saith Sweare not by my name vainely keepe my Sabbath Where is there a man of many that feareth to breake these Alas there are more mockers of such as would keepe them then carefull and conscionable keepers of them How truly said Christ When the sonne of man commeth shall hee finde faith on the earth It is likely therefore these be the dayes wherin we may wait for the coÌ„ming of Christ for the generall want of obedience sheweth the generall want of faith But this obedience of Noah is better to be considered of for it was very excellent extraordinary there being many hindrances that might haue stopped him in the course of his obedience and haue perswaded him neuer to haue gone about the making of the Arke As first the great quantity of the Ark amounting to many thousands Cubits a work of huge labour great charge Againe the length of his labour to last 120. yeeres It is a tedious thing and troublesome to mans nature to be euer in doing and neuer to haue done Thirdly the building of it was a matter of much mockery to the world for it signified 1. the destroying of the whole world 2. the sauing of him and his These things were taunted at by the worldly wise men of that sinful age and he was loudly laught at by many a man to thinke all the world should perish but much more if all perished to imagine that he and his should be deliuered Lastly the building of the Arke was a harsh thing to nature and naturall reason in many respects for First that all the
offred him for though the common opinion be that he was but 13. yeares olde yet the more receiued opinion of the best Writers is that Isaac was 25. or 27. yeares olde How then could Abraham being an olde man of more then 120. yeares be able to binde Isaac being a young and lusty man and lay him on the altar to kill him For though Abraham had a commaundement to kill Isaac yet wee finde not that God commaunded Isaac to suffer himselfe to be killed now Nature moues euery one to seeke to saue his owne life and to resist such as would kill vs. How then was Isaac brought to yeeld thus farre to his Father For answere heereunto wee are to knowe that Abraham was no ordinarie man but a Prophet and that an excellent and extraordinary Prophet So God himselfe testifieth of him to Abimelech Hee is a Prophet and he shall pray for thee yea he was esteemed and reuerenced as a Prophet an honourable man euen of the heathen The Hittites tell him Thou art a Prince of God amongst vs. Genesis 23.6 Now being a man of so high place and so great regard euen in the world doubtlesse hee was of much more authoritie in his owne house It is therefore very likely that hee tells Isaac his sonne that hee had a speciall commaundement from GOD to kill him in sacrifice Now Isaac being an holy man and well brought vp hearing this is contented to be sacrificed and obayes his Father herein This I speake not as certaine but as most probable and it is the iudgment of best learned who haue had good experience in the Scripture This circumstance well obserued serues greatly for the commendation of them both of Abraham the Father that had so religiouslie brought vp his onelie Sonne that was most deere vnto him that hee would not resist the will of GOD reuealed vnto him though it cost him his life Oh that Parents would followe Abraham in so doing to their children then would it goe well with the Church of GOD. Againe Isaacs behauiour is heere admirable that hee would not resist his weake and aged Father but suffereth him to binde him and to lay him on the Altar yeelding himselfe vnto death when his Father tolde him My sonne GOD will haue it so This example must bee a patterne of obedience not onely for children towards their parents but for vs all towards Gods ministers when they shall tell vs what God would haue vs doe we must submit our selues and yielde though it turne to our bodily paine and griefe for Isaac yeelds though it were to the losse of his life But alas who will follow Isaac For let the minister speake against our carnall pleasure and vnlawfull gaine let him crosse our humour and affections then wee refuse to heare and will not obey Nay if the minister of God as the Lords priest come with the sacrificing knife of Gods word to the throat of our sin to kill the same in vs that so we may bee pure and acceptable sacrifices vnto God doe we not resist him and say in our hearts Wee will none of this doctrine Or if he like a Prophet of God come and offer to binde our consciences with the cordes of obedience and to lay our affections on the altar of the Law then we resist and are either too yong or too olde too rich or too learned or too great to be taught and bound to obedience But let vs know that if wee will bee true Isaacs euen the sonnes of faith and obedience and the true heires of Abrahams faith as wee would beare the world in hand then as he did submit himselfe to be bound of his father so must wee yield our selues to the ministers of God to bee bound by his word and suffer the same word to be in vs the two edged sword of the spirit to cut downe sinne and corruption in vs and to make vs newe creatures that so both in body and soule wee may become pure and acceptable sacrifices vnto our God Thus much of the facte it selfe wherein Abrahams faith is set forth Now follow the Arguments or reasons whereby the same worke of faith is commended vnto vs. The first Argument is taken from the great impediments which might hinder his faith and they are in number three First that he was brought to this worke not by ordinary command but by an extraordinary course in temptation Beeing tempted Secondly that he was to offer his own childe yea his onely begotten sonne Thirdly that he who had receiued the promises must offer him and kill him in whom the promise was made For the first impediment In the ordinarie translation it is read thus When he was tried But that is not so fit beeing rather an exposition of the meaning than a translation of the word For the very word signifieth to be tempted and the meaning is when he was tried I would therefore rather read it thus when he was tempted or beeing tempted as the word signifies In the handling hereof first wee will intreat of the nature of this temptation and then come to the circumstances belonging to the same Temptation as it is here vsed may be thus described It is an action of God whereby he prooueth and makes experience of the loyaltie and obedience of his seruants First I say it is an action of God This is plaine by the testimony of Moses in Genesis Gen. 22.1 where if we read the history we shall finde that God did prooue Abraham Obiect But against this it may be obiected that Saint Iames saith Iames 1.13 God tempteth no man and therefore no temptation is the action of God Answ. That place in Iames is thus to bee vnderstood God tempteth no man that is God doth not stirre vp or mooue any mans heart to sinne Yet further it will be said That temptation is an action of Satan for so in the Gospel wee may read Mat. 4.3 that hee is called the tempter Answ. Some temptations are the actions of God and some the actions of Satan God tempteth and Satan tempteth but there is great difference in their temptations first in the manner for Satan tempteth a man to sinne against the will of God and to doe some euill God tempteth a man to doe something which shall be onely against his owne affections or his reason Secondly God tempteth for the good of his seruants but Satan tempteth for the destruction both of their bodies and soules Againe I say Whereby he makes triall c. Here some will say God knowes euery mans heart and what is in them and what they will doe long before and therefore hee needeth not to make triall of any man Answ. God makes triall of his seruants not because hee is ignorant of that which is in their heart for hee vnderstandeth their thoughts long before but because he will haue their obedience made knowen partly to themselues and partly to the world so that hee makes triall of his seruants
not for himselfe but for our sakes Now further God tempteth men three waies first by Iudgements and Calamities in this world so the Lord saith to the Israelites Deut. 8.2 Thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God ledde thee this fortie years in the wildernesse for to humble thee for to prooue and to know what is in thy heart That iourney might haue beene gone in forty daies but God did lead them in it forty yeares to prooue and trie by this vnwoonted calamity whether they would obey him or not So likewise God suffered false prophets and Dreamers of dreames to come among the people for this ende To prooue them and to know whether they loued the Lord their God with all their heart and with all their soule Deut. 13.3 Now this first kinde of temptations by outward Iudgements is most grieuous when the Lord laieth his own hand vpon his seruants so heauily as they shal thinke themselues to bee quite forsaken In this temptation was Dauid as we may reade at large Psal. the 6 and Psal. 38 and Iob being afflicted not onely outwardly in body but inwardly in minde crieth out that the arrowes of the Almighty were in him Iob 6.4 and through the whole chapter hee bewaileth his grieuous estate by reason of this temptation Secondly God tempteth his seruants by withdrawing his graces from them and by forsaking them in part and this kinde of temptation is as grieuous as the former herewith was good King Hezekias tempted for as wee may reade God left him to a sinne of vaine glory and the end was to try him and to proue all that was in his heart 2. Chron. 32.31 Thirdly God tempteth his seruants by giuing vnto them some strange and extraordinarie commaundement As in the Gospell when the young man came to our Sauiour Christ and asked him what good thing hee might doe to haue eternall life Math. 19.16 Christ biddeth him goe and sell all that he had and giue to the poore This commaundement had this vse to be a commaundement of triall vnto the young man whereby God would proue what was in his heart that the same might be manifest both to himselfe vnto others And vnder this kinde we must comprehend this temptation of Abraham for when God said Abraham offer vp thy sonne in sacrifice it was not a commaundement requiring actuall obedience for GOD meant not that Abraham should kill his sonne but onely of triall to see what he would doe And these are Gods temptations whereby he proueth his seruants Yet farther the temptations of God whereby he tempteth his children haue two ends 1. they serue to disclose and make euident the graces of God that be hidden in the hearts of his seruants so S. Iames saith My brethren count it exceeding great ioy when ye fall into diuers tentations Iames 1.2 The reason followeth Knowing that the triall of your faith bringeth forth patience verse 3. Where we see this end of temptation set down To manifest the gift of patience wrought in the heart And Saint Peter saith to the Church of God That they were in heauinesse through manifolde tentations that the triall of their faith being much more precious then golde that perisheth though it be tried with fire might be found vnto their praise and honour and glory at the appearing of the Lord Iesu 1. Peter 1.6.7 Where temptations haue this vse to make manifest the soundnesse of mens faith in GOD as the fire doth proue the golde to be good and precious So in this place The temptation of Abraham serueth for this end to make manifest his notable faith and obedience vnto GOD with a reuerend feare of his Maiestie as the Lord himselfe testifieth saying Now I knowe that thou fearest God seeing for my sake thou hast not spared thine onely sonne Genesis 22.12 Meaning this Now I haue made thy faith and loue and feare of mee so manifest that all the worlde may see it and speake of it Secondly Gods temptations serue to manifest hidden sinnes and corruptions partly to a mans owne selfe and partly to the world And for this end God tempted Hezekias For being recouered of his sicknesse after that the King of Ashur his great enemie was vanquished especially when the Embassadours of the King of Babell came to enquire of the wonders which were done in the Land God left him that hee might see his sinnes and the corruptions of his nature as pride and vaine-glory wherewith hee was puffed vp at the comming of the Embassadours to him And thus hee who little thought that pride and vaine-glory could haue taken such holde on him perceiuing how his heart was lift vp in him was doubtlesse much humbled at the sight of this his so great corruption for when the Prophet came vnto him he submitted himselfe to the word of reproofe Isay 39.8 First wheras Abraham the seruant of God was tempted that is was prooued and tried by God himselfe Here wee are taught that if we perswade our selues to be the seruāts of God as Abraham was then wee must looke to haue temptations at Gods owne hand for his example is a patterne for vs and therefore in him wee must see that which we must looke to haue for it could not be needfull for Abraham but it may be also needfull to vs. In regard wherof Saint Peter counteth it as a thing necessarie that men should fall into sundry temptations that the triall of their faith might be vnto their praise So that in this life we must looke for triall and the more glorious our faith is and the more like to our father Abrahams the more trialls shall we vndergoe Againe seeing we must be tried therefore euery one of vs must labour for soundnesse of grace in our hearts as of faith repentance hope and of the loue of God though they be but little in measure for we must come to triall it must appeare whether wee be hotte or colde Now if we haue not soundnesse of grace in vs in the time of triall then looke as drosse consumeth in the fire when as golde commeth out more cleere so shall hypocrisie formalitie and all temporizing profession come to nothing in the middest of tentation when sound grace and a good conscience shall passe through and shine more pure and perfect after than before Thirdly considering wee are to looke for trials and temptations from God therefore we must be carefull to remember and practice that counsell of Christ to his Disciples before his passion Watch and pray that yee enter not into temptation Math. 26.41 And because they were carelesse in practicing this dutie therefore they fell into temptation especially Peter fell most grieuously by denying his master Wee must perswade our selues that the same commandement is giuen to vs for God will prooue vs by temptations to make manifest the corruptions that bee in our hearts wee therefore considering our owne estate must pray for Gods assisting and strengthning grace