their confusion If any thing may be accounted theirs it is t Dan. 12 2. Math. 13 42. destruction of their Soules confusion of their faces contempt of their persons horrour of their consciences the company of the Deuils the tormenting of their bodies the feeling of Gods wrath and the separation from his presence and glory all these shall indeede be theirs and wholly theirs and onely theirs and alway theirs when their secret sinnes and wickednesse shall bee reueiled Then they shall call to the Hils to couer them and try to the Mountaines to keepe them from the sight of God from the seat of his iudgement and from the fiercenesse of his wrath and indignation And as the Apostle teacheth concerning the godly as we shewed before that all things worke for the best to them so we may truely teach on the contrary that to those which loue not the Lord nor the Lord them all thinges turne to their destruction and further their condemnation the Word the Sacraments and all other exercises of Religion u Deut. 32 15 and 2â— 4. as we see in the Israelites and in Iudas whom no instructions could conuert no miracles could mooue no meanes could profit or bring to repentance If a man had any suit in some Princes Court to make or a supplication to put vp and there should finde the Prince the Peeres the Nobles the Commons and all men set against him to crosse him and contradict him to resist and gaine-say him his case would be iudged of all men to bee most miserable but thus the case standeth with all euill and vngodly men that stand in neede of God and of good men and of all Gods Creatures yet shall haue no releefe or refreshing from them God will deny them Christ wil not know them the Spirit will not comfort them the Angels will not guard them the Prayers of the Church will not help them the Gospell shall not pardon them the Sacraments shall not strengthen them the Beasts shall not spare them the Creatures shall not sustaine them And if they shall peraduenture finde any comfort or consolation in them yet what would that auaile them when their owne conscience within their owne breasts should arraigne them as a Malefactor conuince them as a witnesse condemne them as a Iudge and torment them as an Executioner This we see in the example of Caine when hee had made a breach and wound in his conscience he could rest no where he could abide in no place he stood in feare of euery Creature he cryed out x Ge. 4 13 14 My punishment is greater then I can beare Behold thou hast cast me out of this day from the Earth and from thy face shall I be hid and shall be a Vagabond and a Runnagate in the Earth and whosoeuer findeth me shall slay me In this State and condition doe all the Reprobate and vnregenerate stand they shall finde no peace in any Creature in Heauen and Earth and their owne conscience as a thousand witnesses shall torture and torment them And if any time they seeme to haue peace and to finde rest their peace is a false and deceitfull peace They laugh sometimes but it is from the teeth outward and in mirth the heart is heauy They haue riches but they are as Vsurpers and as Theeues haue them who shall come to be arraigned and condemned for them Their outward estate seemeth happy but it is most slippery and vncertaine when they say peace peace then commeth sudden destruction as the paine vpon a Woman in trauaile But the righteous howsoeuer they seeme many times miserable in trouble and destitute of all good thinges do indeede want nothing which God seeth to be for his glory and their good they haue that true peace which our Sauiour promiseth to leaue with them and to bestow vpon them y Iohn 14 27. Peace I leaue with you my peace I giue vnto you not as the world giueth giue I vnto you let not your hart be troubled nor feare Marke then the difference betweene the godly and the vngodly the condition of the godly is in shew miserable but indeede most blessed z 2 Cor. 6 9. They are as vnknowne and yet knowne as dying behold they liue as chastned and yet not killed as sorrowing and yet alway reioycing as poore and yet making many rich as hauing nothing and yet possessing all thinges On the other side the condition of the wicked is in shew blessed and happy but indeede and in truth most wretched lamentable and miserable Their laughter is madnesse their peace is vnquietnesse their ioy is sorrow of heart and the end thereof is heauinesse To this purpose the Wise-man saith a Pro. 14 12 15. There is away that seemeth right to a man but the issues thereof are the waies of death So then howsoeuer the vngodly eate and drinke sing and daunce iest and talke of vaine thinges howsoeuer they labour to auoid greefe and put away the euill day farre from them howsoeuer they passe away the time merily and liue as if they had made a Couenant with death yet they cannot be in quiet and rest for they haue an Hang-man and Tormentor within them from whose hands they cannot be deliuered to wit their conscience which doth checke them and terrifie them before the iudgement seat of God although they striue to make themselues beleeue that there is neither God not Deuill neither heauen nor hell neither saluation nor damnation Thvs much of the blessings craued in this saluation From God our Father and from the Lord Iesus Christ Now we come to consider from whence these guifts come and who is the Author of them to wit from God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost So then these graces heere intreated are craued and wished from the blessed Trinity distinguished into three persons Doctrine 3. All blessings are to be craued from God alone in christ Iesus Wee learne from hence that all good things of what sort soeuer either for obtaining blessings or auoiding iudgements are to be intreated and requested from God All thinges temporall and eternall are to be asked and begged from that one God which is reueiled vnto vs by the Scripture in the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost When Isaac purposed and prepared a Gen. 27 28. to blesse his Sonne Iacob and to pronounce what blessings should come vpon him and his posterity hee said God giue thee of the Dew of Heauen and of the fatnesse of the Earth and of the plenty of Wheat and Wine God gaue this forme to Aaron and his Sonnes of blessing the Children of Israell b Num. 6 24 25. The Lord blesse thee and keepe thee the Lord make his face shine vpon thee and be mercifull vnto thee the Lord lift vp his countenance vpon thee and giue thee peace The Booke of the Psalmes doth plentifully offer this truth vnto vs in the practise of Dauid and other the deare
in this manner passe them ouer Now let vs handle the perticular Doctrine that ariseth from this Salutation The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with your Spirit Amen This is the last clause of the Epistle wherein he wisheth the same that he did in the beginning to wit the grace of Christ If there had beene any more notable or excellent blessing to craue and desire for him then this grace of Christ no doubt he would haue asked it and should haue obtained it for him Hee would haue made some mention of it either in the beginning or at the latter ending or in some other place of this Epistle But seeing we finde no other blessing rehearsed or required beside this grace of Christ it is most certain the Apostle knew no greater or better guift then this grace of christ And indeed he which nameth and commendeth the grace of Christ doth except or exclude nothing which is good for vs or profitable vnto vs either in this life or in the life to come For the grace of Christ whereby we vnderstand the free fauour of God which we by no duties or workes haue deserued or can any way deserue comprehendeth vnder it as it were within the compasse of it euery good thing and euery perfect guift For the spirituall blessings of God as Remission of sinnes Iustification Sanctification and eternall Life doe all flow from this grace as from a Fountaine Now it is called the grace of Christ and that fitly and worthily because he hath obtained it for vs by the price of his owne precious bloud he hath deserued to haue the same bestowed vpon vs. For the grace of God the Father properly belongeth vnto him and Christ Iesus his naturall sonne in whom alone he is well pleased is the Treasure Store-house of his Father by whose hand is bestowed whatsoeuer is bestowed vpon vs. Doctrine 1. Spirituall thinges are to be prayed for and preferred before earthly thinges Seeing therefore the Apostle maketh so great reckoning of this grace that he speaketh of it first and last and remembreth it in the beginning and in the ending and sendeth this Salutation vnto him wee learne from hence that Spirituall thinges are to be prayed for and preferred before earthly thinges they must haue the first place and earthly thinges be set in the last place This appeareth in that forme of blessing which God prescribeth vnto Aaron and to his Sonnes d Num. 4 6 23 24. Thus ye shall blesse the Children of Israell and say vnto them The Lord blesse thee and keepe thee the Lord make his face shine vpon thee and be mercifull vnto thee The Lord lift vp his countenance vpon thee and giue thee peace Heere we see what the Priests and Leuites were especially to craue to wit the fauour of God and his free grace This is plentifully prooued in the Psalmes of Dauid as Psal 4. e Psal 4 6. Many aske who will shew vs any good but Lord lift thou vp the light of thy countenance vpon vs where he sheweth that the multitude call for Riches and Honour and Pleasure and account them the onely good thinges but the godly preferre the fauour of God before all and make it their chiefe felicity And in another place f Psal 80 3. Turne vs againe ô God and cause thy face to shine that we may be saued The Church was now in affliction they wanted temporall blessings yet their chiefe desire was to feele the louing countenance of God to shine vpon them This appeareth farther vnto vs in the Lordes prayer left vnto vs by Christ our Sauiour to direct vs to pray he teacheth and prescribeth this order vnto vs that g Mat. 6 9. we first of all aske such thinges as concerne God and his glory and then those thinges that belong to our selues Thus are the prayers directed that the Apostle Paule maketh and offereth vp for the Churches to which he writeth he craueth aboue all thinges grace and peace he desireth that they might haue h Ephe. 1 7 3 16. Collos 1 9. the Spirit of wisedome and of reuelation that the eyes of their minde may be lightned that they may be strengthened in the inner man Yea this is so plaine and pregnant a truth that the very Heathen in their best meditations haue confessed i Virgil. eclog. 3. A loue principium this that God must haue our first thoughts and the beginning of all our workes who blesseth those that are so begun and giueth vnto them good successe If all these Testimonies produced out of the Old Testament alleaged out of the New and confirmed by the vniforme consent of the Gentiles be laide together wee may gather from thence that in our praiers and iudgements we are to preferre and desire especially and principally spirituall things Reason 1. If any doubt remaine in vs let vs consider the reasons that so it may bee remooued First Spirituall and Heauenly blessings are beyond all comparison more excellent and bring more sound ioy of heart then earthly blessings can doe The Prophet testifieth this by his owne experence k Psal 4 7. Thou hast giuen me more ioy of heart then they haue had when their Wheate and their Wine did abound The thinges of this life are corruptible the thinges of the life to come are incorruptible The Apostle Peter speaking of the inheritance of eternall life calleth it l 1 Pet 1 4. immortall and vndefiled and that withereth not reserued in heauen for vs. But among the earthly Treasures what more excellent then Gold Yet he calleth it m 1 Pet. 1 7 18. the Gold that perisheth and afterward Ye are not redeemed with corruptible thinges as Siluer and Gold from your vaine conuersation but with the precious bloud of Christ as of a Lambe vndefiled and without spot If then all worldly thinges euen those that be most pure and precious be transitory and corruptible they are not chiefly to be esteemed Reason 2 Secondly howsoeuer the wedge of Gold preuaileth much with men and can in a manner doe all thinges yet it is of no force with God it cannot remoue his iudgements or turne away his wrath from vs it cannot redeeme or pay the ransome of one Soule we were boght with a greater price Hence it is that the Prophet saith n Psal 49 6 7. They trust in their goodes and boast themselues in the multitude of their Riches yet a man can by no meanes redeeme his Brother he cannot pay his ransome to God If riches that can doe much could doe this then the richest should be the happiest and the poorest men should be the most miserable But this standeth not with the will and wisedome of God To this purpose the Prophet Ezekiell saith o Ezek 7 19. Zeph 1 18. They shall cast their Siluer in the streetes and their Gold shal be cast farre off their Siluer and their Gold cannot deliuer them in tht
please the tast of a well-affected stomacke I confesse the fault is in the Cooke that hath prepared and dressed it I would therefore entreat thee to accept of these three Dishes and to consider the person that was the writer the person to whom he writeth and the person for whom he writeth The person that penned it was Paule the Apostle the person to whom it was written was Philemon the Maister the person for whom hee wrote was Onesimus the Seruant Vpon these three as on certaine pillers stand the maine drift and purpose of this whole Epistle heere expounded Touching the first o The person of the Writer of the Epistle which is Paul the Writer he doth not stile himself in this place as commonly he vseth An Apostle of Iesus Christ but The Prisoner of Christ and declareth that he begat Onesimus to the Faith in Prison It is honourable to the Saintes to suffer for the truthes sake The Apostles reioyced that they were p Actes 5 41. Iames 1 2. Counted worthy to endure afflictions and troubles in a good cause They endured imprisonment as Martyrs not as Malefactors as Preachers of the Gospell r 1 Pet. 1 15 not As Busie-bodies in other mens matters as doers of good not as euill doers neuer ceasing to further the saluation of others euen when their bodies were restrained of libertie and yet in this want of enlargement they were mighty in deede and word to worke the conuersion of such as resorted vnto them verifying the saying of the Apostle 2. Tim. 2. 9. ſ 2 Tim. 2 9. I suffer trouble vnto bondes but the word of God is not bound Whiles he pleaded his cause in Chaines t Actes 16 28 hee had Almost caught Agrippa in the Chaine of the Gospell and wonne him to the Faith When he was come to Rome he would not be idle u Act. 28 17 23. but called the chiefe of the Iewes together and then expounded vnto them the way of Saluation testifying the Kingdome of God and perswading them those thinges that concerne Iesus both out of the Law of Moses and out of the Prophets from morning to night Thus doth one say most truely of him When he was bound he was stronger then they that bound him when he was a Captiue he was freer then they that kept him and when his Iudges examined him he examined them and set them at libertie that were vnder the thraldome of sinne and Sathan It is truely said of the Wise-man x Prou. 11 30 Dan. 12 3. He that winneth Soules is wise and shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and such as turne many to righteousnes shall shine as the Starres for euer and euer This wisedome is no where to be found no where to be sought no where to be learned but in the Word of GOD which is the wisedome of God and the power of God So then we see it is not the punishment that maketh a Martyr but the cause Some are punished as Malefactors some dye as Martyrs Ioseph was cast into the same y Gene. 39 20 and 40 3. Prison with the Butler and Baker of King Pharaoh They suffered imprisonment in the same place but the cause was not one for which they suffered Iosephs Maister tooke him and put him in Prison in the place where the kings Prisoners lay bound and there he was in Prison but because it was in a good cause and for a good conscience the Lord was with him and shewed him mercy and got him fauour in the sight of the Maister of the Prison The like we might say of Paule and Sylas who were not onely beaten with Rods but clapped vppe in close Prison with Malefactors but they were not without comfort in their sufferings z Actes 16 25 For At midnight they prayed and sung Psalmes vnto God so that the rest of the Prisoners heard them They suffered a 2 Tim. 2 9. As euill doers but not for euill doing And albeit they were Prisoners yet they were Christian Prisoners and when the body was ready to be offered and the time of their departure drew neere forgat b August ser de Sanct. Cypr. not their Apostolicall care of the Churches and watchfulnesse ouer the Lordes Flocke yea we see Paule in this place forgetteth not a base Seruant as shall bee shewed afterward Touching the second point c The person to whom Paul writeth we are to consider the person to whom Paule writeth which is to Philemon crauing at his hands the fruit of Christian Equitie and Moderation to forgiue him that had offended him according to the doctrine of the common Maister of them both Iesus Christ Luke 17. d Luk. 17. 3 4 Take heede to your selues if thy Brother trespasse against thee rebuke him and if hee repent forgiue him and though hee sinne against thee seauen times in a day and seauen times in a day turne againe to thee saying It repenteth mee Thou shalt forgiue him It is a great vertue in thee if thou e Isidor lib. 2. soliloqu wrong not him of whom thou art wronged It is great Fortitude if when thou art wronged thou remit it It is great Glory if thou be willing to spare him whom thou hadst power and ability to hurt As Christ taught forgiuenesse to others so he practised his owne Doctrine and f Luke 23 34. prayed for those that were his persecuters Philemon had bin greatly wronged by his false and theeuish seruant yet Paul craueth pardon for him vpon his repentance toward God and his submission toward his Maister It is the Doctrine of the g The doctrine of the Nouatiā Heretickes Nouatian Heretickes to deny hope of fauour and forgiuenesse to such as are fallen against whom Cyprian hath written a learned Epistle h Cypri ad Nouatian haeretic whereby they go about to kill whereas they should cure them that are wounded and to swallow vp them in despaire whom they ought to raise vp with comfort For they alledge that Christ threatneth k Math. 10 33 Whosoeuer shall deny him before men them will he deny before his Father which is in heauen But he vnderstandeth such as perseuer in it without repentance denying him vnto the end and forsaking him vnto the death such indeede he will disclaime and deny in the kingdome of his Father which plainely appeareth by the contrary in the opposite Member going before l Math. 10 32. where he promiseth that Whosoeuer shall confesse him before men them will hee also confesse before his Father which is in Heauen whereby hee meaneth such as continue in that confession and are faithfull without starting backward Peter being in the High-priests house did deny his Maister that chose him not only to bee an Apostle but to bee an elect vessell to preach the Gospell both to Iewes and Gentiles he denied him that bought him and redeemed him in word with an Oath with Cursing and Execration
suffer with Christ we shall raigne with him if we dye with Christ we shall liue with him if we n Rom. 8 29. 2 Tim. 2 11 12 1 Pet. 4 12. be made like vnto him in ignominy wee shall be made like vnto him in glory The Apostle Peter exhorteth the people of God Not to thinke it strange concerning the fiery tryall which was among them to prooue them as though some strange thing were come vnto them but to reioyce inasmuch as they were partakers of Christs sufferings If any thing be able to lift vp your handes and to raise vp your harts vnder the Crosse this consideration is able to refresh our weaknesse and comfort our feeble Spirits that our afflictions shall no otherwise bee respected and regarded then if the load were laid vpon Christ himselfe On the other side this serueth to terrifie the hearts of all persecuters of the godly and Enemies of all righteousnesse they can neuer escape the hand of God and of Christ whom they do persecute in his members They haue not to doe onely with men like vnto themselues but with him that is the eternall God against whom they can neuer preuaile This is it that deceiueth the proud persecuters of the poore people of God they dreame they haue to doe no further then with weake men who are not able to resist them and that they haue no farther account to make But they must know that their persecutions reach to Christ and that they slander reuile reproach and hurt the person of Christe himselfe so often as they slander reuile reproach and hurt the least and lowest member of Christ and therefore shall not escape fearefull punnishment Hence it is that Christ speaking vnto Saule when hee was conuerted to the Faith o Acts 9 5. It is hard for thee to kicke against prickes It is therefore a fearefull thing to be a persecuter p 2 Thess 1 6. It is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you which are troubled rest with vs when the Lord Iesus shall shew himselfe from Heauen with his mighty Angels c. So the Apostle Iohn describing the tribulation of the Church saith q Reuel 2 10. Behold it shall come to passe that the Deuill shall cast some of you into Prison He doth not say the persecuters shall doe it but the Deuill because he ruleth in them hee carrieth them to do his will albeit they be blind and see it not albeit they be hardned and vnderstand it not albeit they be senselesse and regard it not And our Brother Timotheus c. Heere is the second person writing this Epistle Paule ioyneth vnto him Timothy a man of reuerent account and famous in the Church as he doth in many other places of his Epistles The former Epistle to the Corinthians r Magdeb. Centur. lib 2. cap. 7. was written by Paule and Sosthenes the latter by Paule and Timothy Paule and all the Bretheren which he had with him at Rome ioyned together in the writing the Epistle to the Galathians Paule Siluanus and Timothy wrote the Epistles to the Thessalonians So in this place Paule ioyneth Timothy with him in his suit because howsoeuer he were in great credit with Philemon and able to obtaine a great matter at his hands yet he knew he should preuaile better by the helpe and assistance of another then he could do himselfe alone seeing two may preuaile more then one He honoureth him also with the name of a deere Brother whom oftentimes hee calleth his naturall Sonne that his guiftes and graces may be considered with his person and carry the greater waight in his suite and so Philemon sooner yeeld his consent and grant this request beeing requested and as it were set vpon by so many Doct. 4. All duties are better done by the help of others then alone by our selues From this practise of the Apostle we learne that what good thing soeuer we enterprise and take in hand wee shall better effect it with others then alone by our selues The ioyning vnto vs the hand and help of others is profitable and necessary to all things belonging vnto vs for the better performing and accomplishing of them This the Wise man teacheth Eccl. 4. when he saith Å¿ Eccles 4 9 12 Two are better then one Abimelech being directed by God to stirre vp Abraham obtaineth by his meanes t Gen. 20 17. who prayed for him that which he could not compasse and accomplish alone by himselfe The like we might say of the three friends of Iob they obtained the fauour of God u Iob. 42. 8. and the accepting of their Sacrifice through the intercession of Iob which without him they could not obtaine Absolom not beeing x 2 Sam. 14 4 able to purchase procure of himselfe the good will of his Father moueth Ioab to deale for him Ioab vseth the helpe of the subtill Woman of Tekoah whereby hee is reconciled to his Father Heereby it commeth to passe y Ephe. 6 18. Col 4. 3. 2 Thes 3 1. that Paule so often requesteth and requireth the prayers of the Church that vtterance may be giuen vnto him that he may open his mouth boldly to publish the secrets of the Gospell All these places of Scripture prooue plainely and directly vnto vs that what matter of waight and importance soeuer we enterprise and goe about it is good for vs to take to our selues the helpe of others to further vs therein Reason 1. The truth of this Doctrine will better appeare vnto vs if wee weight the causes and consider the reasons For first the labour and wages of two is better and greater then of one alone In all doing of duties there z Psal 19 11. is profit reward but where greater strength is ioyned and force vnited there is greater fruit of the labour seene This is the reason vrged by the Wise man Eccle. 4. where the Doctrine hath his confirmation when hee had taught that two are better then one he addeth immediatly a Eccle 4 9. For they haue better Wages for their labour It maketh vs hauing company to be more cheerefull in labouring it deuoureth the tediousnesse and wearisomnesse of the worke and it prouoketh vs to an holy emulation who shall goe before each other Hence it is that Christ Iesus calling and sending out his Apostles b Mar. 6 7. Mat. 10 2 3. did send them forth two and two and the Euangelist doth couple and as it were yoake them together Peter and Andrew Iames and Iohn Philip and Bartlemew Thomas and Mathew c. Thus they were sent and thus they laboured together When God had called Moses to go to Pharaoh and to will him to let his people go he sent him not alone but ioyned vnto him his brother Aaron When the Lord Iesus appointed the seauenty disciples to second the labours of his twelu Apostles c Luke 10 1.
see that many complaine of the hardnesse of the world of the straitnesse of the times and of the miserablenesse of many men Alas say they it neuer went worse with poore men wee know not what to do with our Children how to employ them or where to bestowe them except a man be able to giue a round and rich summe with his sonne he cannot get him a Maister or prouide him a seruice or bind him to a trade or place him to get his liuing another day But vnderstand O yee vnwise among the people and ye Fooles when will ye be wise How long will wee liue in the Church and yet not learne this one lesson which is the foundation and fountaine of al the rest that godlinesse is the greatest gaine Bind them to this trade this is the best trade with which no other can bee matched or compared this requireth no great stocke or substance to put them foorth They that haue nothing to giue and little to liue vpon may asloon aduance and preferre their children this way as they that haue great riches large possessions Hence it is that the Prophet saith m Esay 55 1 2 Ho euery one that thirsteth come ye to the Waters and ye that haue no Siluer come buy and eate Come I say buy Wine and Milke without Siluer and without Money wherefore do yee lay out Siluer and not for Bread And your labour without being satisfied Hearken diligently vnto me and eate that which is good and let your soule delight in fatnesse Whereby we see that whosoeuer are called to be of this Science it wil be able to maintaine the Tradesmen it will bring in the greatest profit There are so many of some Trades that they feare one will not bee able to liue by another one enuyeth another and hindereth another It is not so in this Trade the moe the better the moe the merrier euery one helpeth another and all do make vp a blessed fellowship and communion of Saints If then thou haue a care to put thy sonne to an Occupation that he may learn to liue another day and neglectest this which is the cheefe and ground of all thou art greatly deceiued in thy choise and Christ Iesus shall laugh thee to scorn for thy folly Let me therefore commend this waighty businesse of bestowing thy sonne to thy wise consideration a greater gaine I cannot name a richer trade thou canst not finde a better Maister hee cannot serue a farther freedome he cannot obtaine a surer inheritance he cannot purchase This is it which Salomon pointeth out vnto vs Prou. 22 6. Teach a childe in the trade of his way and when he is old he shall not depart from it Furthermore if we desire to haue our Seruants that attend vpon vs and labour for vs to be obedient and faithfull vnto vs painfull in their calling and trusty in their businesse let vs know that we our selues must be the means to procure it and further it by seeking their saluation and labouring earnestly their conuersion If they be truly Religious they will be truely righteous if they once know how to serue God faithfully they will soone learn to serue vs faithfully for Conscience sake Many haue euill seruants and vngracious Children they see it they complaine of it they seeme to lament it but they neuer consider that the cheefest fault is their owne Haue wee Seruants or Children giuen to lying to deceiuing to fraude to falshood to robbing and stealing and breaking out into sundry disorders in their life Let vs marke what the cause is let vs see where is the occasion and let vs prouide howe these abuses may be remedied and redressed There is no better way to recouer them then to teach them their duties to shewe them their sinnes out of the word of God and to lay before them his Iudgements that are due vnto them It is a great blessing of God to haue a Religious seruant he bringeth the blessing of God with him the heart of his Maister may trust in him and he shall haue no neede of spoile he will do him good and not euill all the dayes of his life This wee see in the seruant of Abraham who as hee had a care to teach and traine vp his housholde in the wayes of godlinesse so the Lord blessed him with a faithfull family and a n Gen. 24 42. religious seruant whom hee employed in a waighty businesse of fetching home a Wife for his Sonne Isaac The like we see in Ioseph he was sold for a slaue and brought down into Egypt and bought at the hand of the Ishmaelites And the Lorde o Gen. 39 2 3. was vvith him and he was a man that prospered and was in the house of his Maister the Egiptian and his Maister saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand So afterward when as thorough â—he slanderous accusation and false information of his Mistris he was cast into prison p Psal 105 18 where he was laid in Irons and his feete were held in the stockes the Lord made his innocency known and shewed mercy vnto him and got him fauour in the sight of the Maister of the prison q Gen. 39 22. and the Keeper of the prison committed to Iosephs hand all the prisoners that were in the prison whatsoeuer they did there that did he and the Keeper of the prison looked vnto nothing that was vnder his hand seeing that the Lorde was with him for whatsoeuer he did the Lord made it to prosper Beholde heere in Ioseph as in a cleare glasse the right picture and patterne of a right religious seruant who being a poore prisoner and lying in a darke Dungeon beeing vniustly falne into the displeasure of his Maister and wrongfully cast into a close prison did in that wofull and pittifull condition both gain glory to God beautifie his owne profession and seeke the good of his Maister that put his trust in him For no man is in so low and meane an estate if he be a poore Seruant a base Kitchen boy or a vile prisoner but by diligence in his Calling such as it is and by shewing fidelity to his Maister such as he is may greatly glorify the name of God whom he doth serue and adorne the Gospell of Christ which he doth professe Hence it is that the Apostle exhorting all religious seruants saith r 1 Tim. 6 1 2 Titus 2 10. Let as many seruants as are vnder the yoake count their Maisters woorthy of all honour that the name of God and his Gospell be not euill spoken of and that they may adorn the Doctrine of God our Sauiour in all things The example of Iacob also is worth and worthy the obseruation in this case who albeit he serued an hard froward Maister yet he rather considered what he ought to doe then what the other deserued to suffer so that he witnesseth
ſ Gen. 31 40. Hee was in the day consumed with heate and with frost in the night and his sleepe departed from his eyes whatsoeuer was torne of Beastes he brought it not vnto him but made it good himselfe This is it which the Centurion in the Gospell confesseth and commendeth in his seruants t Math. 8 9. For I am a man also vnder the authority of another and I haue Souldiers vnder me and I say to one Goe and he goeth and to another Come and hee commeth and to my seruant do this and hee doth it These examples also of that seruant and Souldier that waited vppon Cornelius is notable to this purpose u Acts 10 7. who being trained vp in the feare of God shewed all fidelity and forwardnesse to performe the will and commaundement of his Maister and went to bring Peter by whose Ministerie they might bee further instructed Thus we see that religious seruants are the best Seruants the most dilligent Seruants the most true and trustie Seruants the most prouident and profitable Seruants and therefore it belongeth to al Masters of families to be carefull to teach them the feare of the Lorde and to traine them in the wayes of godlinesse Heereby they shall honor God heerby they shal do great good to their soules heerby they shal discharge a good Conscience heereby they shall procure their owne profite and further their owne gaine Which in times past was to thee vnprofitable but nowe profitable both to thee and to mee The Apostle in this place speaking of the estate of Onesimus and shewing what hee was before his Conuersion and what hee was after dooth fitly distinguish the times and sayeth that before his Calling to the Faith hee was vnprofitable seruing to no other purpose but to feede himselfe and fill vp a place but no good no grace no godlinesse appeared to bee in him But where did he conuerse and lead this life Was it where the name of God was not knowne or where the sound of the Gospell was not heard No it was in faithfull Philemons house This may at the first seeme a very strange and wonderfull thing that he liuing in so religious an house in so reformed a family with so godly a company which had the reputation of a little Church should fauour nothing of piety nothing of Christianitie but remaine in vnfaithfulnesse toward God and in vnrighteousnesse toward his Maister Doctrine 2. In godly families are manie times vngodly Children and Seruants In godly families are manie times vngodly Children and Seruants From this description of Onesimus in the time of his ignorance before his eyes were opened and his heart reformed wee learne that it falleth out notwithstanding the desire and diligence of the Gouernors of the house that in reformed families are oftentimes found vnreformed persons In godly places do many times lurke vngodly Children and vncorrigible seruants into whose hearts no instruction will enter and whose disposition no meanes of reformation can alter We see this in the first family that euer was vpon the earth and there haue beene no more wicked men in the world then they that haue had the best meanes to direct them Adam had malicious and murthering Caine Abraham had persecuting and sauage Ishmaell Noah had scoffing and cursed Cham Isaac had vngracious and prophan Esau Dauid had ambitious and aspyring Absalom So it was with Eli with Samuel with Hezekiah with Iosiah sundry others who after good means vsed by themselues haue found much euill practised by their Children The Fathers are often carefull to lay a good foundation to nurture their children with good instruction a Homer Odysis lib. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet few children prooue like their Fathers but are a degenerate and vnregenerate off-spring Reason 1. And albeit this do sufficiently appeare vnto vs by Testimonies of Scripture and by daily experience yet we shall farther be confirmed in this truth if we waigh the Reasons whereupon it standeth First Religion commeth not by inheritance and grace cannot be conueyed by propagation but euery man begetteth his like as he himselfe is by nature as one Serpent engendereth another This Moses teacheth that when Adam was faln from God and had lost the grace of sanctification b Gen. 5 3. He begat a child in his owne likenes after his owne Image Godly Parents may leaue their children temporal possessions but they cannot bequeath vnto them Faith and a good conscience which are not to be found in the naturall man Reason 2. Secondly there must be a new byrth begun by Gods spirit for the grace of regeneration whereby we are brought to haue one foote in Gods Kingdome is not of flesh and blood but of water and the spirit it is not of the will of man but of the worke of God This is it which our Sauiour setteth downe c Iohn 1 12 13 and 3 3 5. As many as receiued him to them he gaue prerogatiue to be the sonnes of God euen to them that beleeue in his Name which are borne not of bloode nor of the will of the Flesh nor of the will of man but of God Likewise when hee disputed with Nicodemus who was ignorant of this Doctrine he saith Verily verily I say vnto thee except that a man be borne of Water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdome of God It is he onely that gaue the heart that is able to change the heart it is hee that gaue the eyes that is able to open the eyes Reason 3. Thirdly albeit the vnregenerate persons and loose liuers doe not want education and good bringing vp yet they are not amended and reformed because God doth not purpose their conuersion but appoint their confusion The Lord stirred vp Pharaoh d Rom. 9 17. to this same purpose that hee might shew his power in him and that his name might be declared throughout al the earth yet he sent vnto him Moses and Aaron to cleare his owne Iustice to make him without excuse The like the Scripture speaketh of the sonnes of Eli who were reproued of him for making the Israelites to trespasse and to abhorre the offerings of the Lord yet they regarded not his reproofe beeing the Father of their bodies the Priest of the most high God and the iudge of the people and this reason is rendered why they obeyed not his voice hearkned not to his Counsell e 1 Sam. 2 25. Because the Lord would slay thē So then whether we do consider that grace cannot be conueyed by propagation or that it is the proper worke of the spirit to effect our regeneration or that God will glorifie his great name in the confusion of such as break the bands and cast away the Cordes of Discipline from them wee cannot greatly maruaile that in reformed places are oftentimes to bee found vnreformed persons Vse 1. Let vs make vse of this Doctrine and see