adversitie and prosperity too Though wee bee not thrust out of our houses spoyled of our goods banished the Country clapt up into prison carryed to the stake for the profession of the Gospell yet if wee belong to CHRIST wee shall alwayes have our Crosses All that will live godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persequution If any will be my Disciple let him take up his Crosse. God will exercise us one way or other either he will send us sicknesse or stirre up some rayling Shimeis against us he will evermore be trying of our faith Therefore we have need of patience It is as needfull as our meat and drinke Patience is the foode and nourishment of the soule Therefore the Lord in mercy give patience to us all From hence some conclude that good workes are necessary to salvation Patience is a good worke The Apostle avouches that it is necessary not only ratione praesentiae being good workes they cannot bee separated from faith sed ratione relationis ad salutem for here hee doth not simply say that patience is necessary but with a reference to eternall life that yee might receive the promise Wee grant good workes are necessary to salvation none can be saved without them but how not as meritorious causes of salvation that is CHRIST alone which hath purchased heaven for us with his owne bloud but necessary as fruit for a tree and the way for a passenger to goe by to his house and Country Good workes are the way to heaven and so necessary for us all to walke in In that respect we have need of patience of vertues and good workes VERSE 37. HEre is a remedy against impatiencie taken from the shortnes of the time wherein we are to suffer Thou callest for patience thou wouldest have us to be patient in our afflictions but how long shall we continue in them To that he answers parvum quà m quà m the ingemination of the word augmenteth the signification of it as Toboth Toboth Raagnoth Raagnoth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hee that is the Lord Iesus Christ and deliver you out of all your miseries I he will come but it may be long first Nay he will make no tarrying If wee bee in any kinde of affliction wee thinke the time long though it be never so short As the Saints in the Apoc. 6.10 cry how long Lord So if wee be sicke we say how long Lord how long will it be ere this sicknesse be removed from me how long shall we endure the taunts of the wicked how long shall Christians in some Countries suffer banishment imprisonment losse of goods how long shall the Devill and his instruments tyrannize over them but a very little while even the turning of an hand the twinckling of an eye in respect of eternity What is tenne or twenty yeeres calamity if it should be so long What is thirtie eight or fortie yeeres as Ioh. 5. a man was so long diseased in his feete what is this to life everlasting who would not fight a while that he might have the victorie who would not take physike a while that he might be whole our light affliction which is but for a moment causeth unto us a farre most excellent and an eternall waight of glory Therefore let the shortnesse of our suffering comfort us hee that should come will come in his due and convenient time GOD comes to deliver us three kinde of wayes 1. By plucking us out of the temptations in this world as hee did Saint Paul out of the mouth of the Lion the Emperour of Rome 2. By our particular death he takes us out of the world by death and then there is an end of all our sorrow 3. By his comming at the generall judgement that is not long behold I come quickly Then shall we both in our bodies and soules in heaven where all teares shall be wiped from our eyes for ever Let us be of good comfort yet a very little while and the Lord will come graciously to us one way or other VERSE 38. THe second pillar for sustaining them in afflictions is Faith Where 1. The excellency of Faith 2. The application of it Verse 39. The excellency is 1. Set downe then illustrated Beemunatho Every man must live by his owne faith he cannot live by the faith of another In the Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by my faith that is by faith in me which is all one Here we see whereby a Christian lives not by the ayre as Camelions doe not by love as we use to say not simply by his meat and drinke by that indeed through Gods blessing the body liveth but the soule lives by faith Gal. 2.20 and they that want faith are dead even while they live as Saint Paul speaketh of the widdow A just holy and righteous man lives by faith I know whom I have believed Wee know what joy is laid up for us in heaven therefore we beare patiently all the afflictions of this present life We doe not only live by faith at our first conversion and justification as Saint Paul disputeth in his Epistle to the Romans but all the dayes of our life we live by faith Therefore let us entreat the Lord to encrease our faith that in all calamities we may live by it in this world and live without it in his kingdome in the world to come This is illustrated by the contrary but if any withdraw himselfe my soule shall have no pleasure in him So the Seventy have it The Hebrew in words is much different from it yet in sence they are all one Gnuphlah hee makes himselfe a tower whose heart is not upright in him He trusts to himselfe not to God that is he withdraweth himselfe from the Lord and if his heart bee not upright in him then God hath no pleasure in him But wee need not busie our selves in the reconciling of these places for Saint Paul doth not of purpose alleadge it as the Prophets testimony but only useth the words of the Scripture in them to commend faith to them If any with-draw himselfe by infidelity and thinke it a better course to sleepe in an whole skinne then to suffer any thing for Christ and his Gospell My soule Either it may be spoken in the person of the Apostle or in the person of GOD neither any good Christian nor GOD Himselfe will take any pleasure in such a one but hee is rather detested of God and man therefore let us live by faith and not withdraw our selves by infidelity VERSE 39. THen followes an application of it to the Hebrewes which is partly negative partly affirmative Though I have spoken of some unfaithfull persons that with-draw themselves or depart from the living God yet I would not have you imagine that I meane you that I put you into that black bill nay you are of another stamp you are birds of another feather yea he includes himselfe in their number that they might conceive the
heaven and never come thither themselves When was the floud Most Authors thinke in May. 1. Because it might wholly be adscribed to the power of God not any way to the course of nature as it might if it had beene in winter 2. That the wicked of the world being drowned in the pleasures of the earth might at that time of the yeere bee deprived of them when the earth was most pleasant 3. Because the floud began to dry up in the spring Gen. 8.11 4. Gen. 19.23 as it was a faire sunne shine morning when fire and brimstone fell from heaven on Sodom so the floud might come in the fairest time of the yeare Whether were they all damned that perished in the floud Some writers exempt infants they had something answering to baptisme that saved them The question is about adulti whether all they were damned Epiphan Ambrose Beda affirme that they went all to hell yet when Christ came and preached in hell they were delivered but in hell there is no Gaole delivery Cajetan and Lyra say that some of them went to hell yet not ad locum damnatorum but ad limbum patrum out of which Christ fetched them when he went to harrow hell 1 Pet. 3.19 For mine owne opinion It is not like they were all damned yet that reason of Saint Ieromes is not convincing Nahum 1.9 following the Seventie he translates it non vindicabit Deus bis in idipsum whereas in the Hebrew it is it shall crush them at the first time there shall be no need of a second blow God may justly punish both in this life and in the life to come one and the same fault that hath not beene washed away with repentance But three reasons may induce us so to thinke 1. Gen. 7.22 the floud was a prevailing fortie dayes and fortie nights Some that were hardned before at the sight of the waters running up into some high mountaines might repent of their folly and their soules might be saved inter pontem fontem est misericordia 2. Who dares avouch that they were all damned that were destroyed in the wildernesse that all went to hell whom the earth swallowed up in the conspiracie of Corah Dathan and Abiram and why should we affirme them to be al damned that were drowned in the floud wee must judge more charitably of them that are swept away in temporall plagues and calamities 3. Let us judge our selves which is the strongest As they were not all saved that were in the Arke Cham was a cursed wretch so were they not all damned that were carryed away with the waters By his framing of the Arke before the eyes of them all and his preaching to them of the floud the LORD might have sufficient matter by vertue thereof to proceed to the just condemnation of them all Or the word world is here taken for the wicked of the world as oft in Scripture Ioh. 17. I pray not for the world he brought in the floud upon the world of the ungodly 2 Pet. 2.5 This warning was not for Noe alone but for all the world that seeing the Arke a making they might repent This is the goodnesse of God Almighty he gives warning of his judgements before they come hee shoots off a warning peece not like austere masters who strike before they speake but herein he is like the Lion that roares before he goes to his prey He gave a warning to Adam and Eve that at what time they did eate of that fruit they should die he gave warning of the destruction of Sodom Lots sonnes had warning to goe their way if they would have lystened to it he gave the Israelites warning of the captivitie in Babylon Hierusalem had warning of her overthrow Christ wept over it and said O if thou haddest knowne at the least in this thy day those things which belong unto thy peace but now are they hid from thine eyes God gave the Ninevites warning of their destruction that it was at hand The old world had a faire warning of the floud they were warned of it an hundred yeares together This is Gods mercy he doth nothing but he reveales it to his Prophets that they might open it to the people At this day God gives us many warnings by his Word and creatures by earth-quakes thundring and lightning by blazing starres and fierie comets as wee have had a fearefull one of late yeeres continuing in some places of the land a moneth together portending wars c. Let us not stand in a slavish feare of them God is above them all yet let them be as trumpets to waken us out of sinne God hath warned us by his Ambassadours and Preachers of the Word we have had warning that if we loath the heavenly Manna of the Word God will take it from us if we receive it not with all gladnesse when it is put into our mouthes we shall goe from East to West and not finde it yet this warning doth us little good for all that we are not diligent and cheerefull in hearing of Sermons and in the participation of other holy rites we have had warning of Adultery Theft oppression cruelty of coozning one another that there is a God that sees all and wil revenge all yet these sinnes are ryfe among us As the old world had warning of the destruction of it by water so we have beene warned of the destruction of it by fire almost all the signes of the day of Iudgement are already past yet we feare not that day neither prepare for it All these warnings because we have not profited by them shall bee so many witnesses against us at the latter day Praemonitus praemunitus but our hearts are so hardned as that all the warnings in the world will doe us no good We are angrie with our servants if they will take no warning did not I warne thee of such a thing and then wee thinke we have just cause to be on his jacket how many thousand warnings hath God given us and yet we like bad servants will take no warning the Lord soften our hearts that they may enter into us for the reformation of our lives Of what was hee warned In themselves they could not bee seene yet Noah saw them by the eye of faith The incarnation and passion of our SAVIOUR CHRIST could not be seene in the dayes of Abraham because CHRIST was not then borne yet Abraham saw it by faith and was glad Neither Heaven nor Hell can be seene of us yet by faith we see them and believe them both That terrible day when the world shall passe away with a noise cannot yet be seene yet being warned by God of it we behold it and know assuredlie it shall be The resurrection is not yet seene wee doe not see the dead rise out of their graves yet because GOD hath said it we believe it The proper object of faith are invisibilia as for those things which we see properlie
Emperour to his God and ours But how by pure prayer 2. Of learned and godly Preachers that may winne many thousands to Christ. 3. Of extraordinary common-wealths men 4. Of rare Christians as Philemon was Alexander counted Achilles happie that he had such a trumpetter of his praises as Homer was PHILEMON might count himselfe happie that hee had such a worthie man to pray for him as Saint Paul was KING Abimelech was beholden to Abraham for his prayers and Iobs friends to him for his prayers Constantine thought his pallace strong because it was fenced with the prayers of holy Bishops Let us rejoyce in this that we have Pauls to pray for us VERSE 5. BVt what was the motive of his thanksgiving The excellent graces wherewith GOD had adorned him where there is 1. Fama bonorum the report of them 2. enumeratio bonorum an enumeration of them 3. Objecta eorum the objects of them For the fame or report Saint Paul heard of them an admirable hearing from Phrygia to Rome sayes Chrysostome and Oecumenius There are two things that are wont to be carried in the Wagon of fame bad and good the one swiftly the other slowly the one lamely the other lustily of the one we shall heare all and more than all and scant halfe of the other as it fell out in the Wisedome of Salomon What did he heare His love and faith where is hope then tanquam media in ijs intelligitur sayes Aquin. as a midle vertue betweene both it is comprehended in both These three in a golden chaine are linked together faith sayes parata sunt mihi magna great things are prepared for me hope sayes mihi servantur magna great things are reserved for me love sayes curro ad illa magna I make hast to those great things But why hath ' love the precedencie Love is the daughter faith the mother and must the daughter bee placed above the Mother It is so 1. Because it is Saint Pauls drift in this whole Epistle to procure PHILEMONS love to Onesimus 2. Because love is Notior Nobis better knowne to us then faith which is more hid and secret These are illustrated by their objects CHRIST and the Saints The Papists refer both to both objects whereupon they inferre As we love God and the Saints too So we must believe in God and in the Saints too yet diversely in God principaliter principally in the Saints consequenter consequently There is no consequence in this argument for God hath commanded us to love all but he hath not commanded us to believe in all that hee hath reserved as a regall prerogative to himselfe and his glory he will not give to another He sayes owe nothing to any man save love but he doth not say owe nothing to any man save to believe in him 2. Here the Apostle speakes of living Saints to whom Philemon extended his liberalitie now the Papists will not have us to believe in living Saints but in dead Saints therefore this place makes not for them 3. It is said to him that worketh not but belieueth in him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse Aug. makes a worthie collection upon it whosoever dares say justifico te I justifie thee may consequently say crede in me believe in mee which none of the Saints can truly say save only he which is Sanctus Sanctorum the Saint of Saints Ye believe in God believe also in mee Credimus Paulo sed non credimus in Paulum wee believe Paul but not in Paul we believe Peter but not in Peter As we believe the Catholike Church but not in the Catholike Church because the Creed sayes I believe in the Holy Ghost Nazian concludes from thence that the Holy Ghost is God for we must believe in none but God 4. Quid est credere in cum nisi credendo in cum ire ejus membris incorporari What is it to believe in him .i. In CHRIST but by believing to goe into him and to be incorporated as members into his body Now we are not incorporated into the Saints therefore we are not to believe in them 5. They can erect no such building out of this place for the praepositions in the Greeke distinguish the objects Hearing of thy love and faith there hee pauseth a while which thou hast towards the Lord Iesus there he restraines faith and towards all Saints .i. Thy love towards all Saints regulating 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before mentioned 6. Paul is a good expositour of himselfe Since we heard of your faith in the Lord Iesus and of your love towards all Saints Here he reduces them to their proper objects so that no question can be made of it 7 If we must believe in the Saints we must hope in the Saints It is St. Basil's reason But we must hope in God alone Maledictus qui sperat in homine cursed be he that hopes in man As Saint Paul heard of PHILEMONS faith and love So it were to be wished that all the world might ring of our faith and love these be necessary for all Christians faith in the first place love in the second nec palmes sine vite nec virtus sine fide there can be no branch without the Vine no vertue no not love without faith Faith makes a Christian love makes and showes a Christian No CHRIST no heaven no faith no CHRIST Faith is the hand that layes hold on CHRIST The high Priests and Pharisees gave a strait charge that if any knew where CHRIST was he should shew it that they might take him Would yee faine take him sayes Augustine I will tell you where he is and how yee may take him He is in heaven there ye may take him Sed quomodo mittam manum in Coelum ut ibi sedentem capiam How shall I send my hand into heaven to take him mitte fidem tenuisti Send thy faith thither and thou hast taken him By faith we apprehend him and all his benefits by faith we put on CHRIST as a garment wherewith our sinnes are covered from the sight of God and as Iacob got the blessing in the clothes of his elder brother so doe we get heaven clothed with Christ like the Woman clothed with the Sun CHRIST dwelleth in our hearts by faith O happie house where the Sonne of God dwelleth Faith is the victory whereby we overcome the world we are more than Conquerours through him that hath loved us Insomuch that we may take up that triumphant song O death where is thy sting Hell where is thy victory the strength of death is sinne the strength of sin is the Law but thankes be to God through Iesus Christ that hath delivered us from you all By Faith Moses saw him which is invisible by faith wee see the joyes of heaven and Christ standing at the right hand of GOD ready to receive us into them
to leane upon is superiour to him greater than he CHRIST trusted in GOD the Father therefore in respect of his humanity he is inferiour to the Father These words whether deduced out of Isai. 12.2 or out of Psalme 18.2 are fitly applyed to CHRIST Chasah I will flye to him as to a strong tower and Castle That song in Isaiah is sung by the whole Church and so consequently by CHRIST the head of the Church The 70. have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Psalme though David speakes it of himselfe that for all the fury of his adversaries hee would trust in God of whose goodnesse hee had comfortable experience by his deliverance from the house of Saul as in the title yet being a type of Christ figuratively hee speaketh also of him Sundry things in that Psalme cannot be applyed to David as Verse 43. and that Verse 7. Whereas at the passion of Christ the earth quaked Our Saviour Christ in his bitter agony in the garden trusted in God and when he hung on the crosse he knew that though God seemed to forsake him for a time yet hee would deliver him out of all and assume him into his kingdome thus he still put his trust in GOD. If he did trust in God in all calamities from whom the Deitie was never separated much more ought we miserable men in all adversities trust in God Some trust in Charets and some in Horses but let us remember the name of the Lord our God and trust in him Cursed be he that maketh flesh his arme Let us not put our trust in riches though our barnes be never so full of corne our coffers of gold and silver Let us not trust in our strength in the multitude of our men in our walled townes and defenced castles Let us not put our trust in the fortitude of this good yland that is compassed about with the Seas Let us not put our trust in our friends When we be sicke let us not put our trust in the Physitions as Asa did not trust in our pollicie as Achitophel but let us alwayes in all difficulties put our trust in GOD hee is able and willing to plucke us out of all dangers Hee delivered the Israelites from the red Sea Daniel from the the Lions Peter from the fury of Herod Hee can and will preserve us from all the devils of hell the gates of hell shall never prevaile against us Happy are they that put their trust in him he is a sure friend that will never faile them The fourth argument to prove the humanity of Christ is taken from the relatives The Father and the children are of one nature Christ is the Father we his children ergo This is at large amplified by the Apostle 1. He that makes himselfe equall with the rest of the faithfull and of the servants and children of God is a man as they be but Christ makes himselfe equall with the rest of the faithfull of the servants and children of God Ergo. 2. Hee that receiveth children as a gift from God is inferiour to GOD that gave him these children but CHRIST receiveth children as a gift from GOD ergo he is inferiour to GOD which cannot be but in respect of his humanity Ergo he is man as well as GOD. He produces an other testimony Isa. 8.18 That this testimony is to be applyed to the Messiah is evident by many places in that chapter where he is called Immanuel 2. That v. 14. is expounded of Christ in sundry places of the New Testament as Luk. 2. Rom. 9. 1 Pet. 2. 3. Though this was true in the Prophet himselfe and in his Disciples yet it is verified likewise of Christ of whom the Prophet was a Type Behold this argues his prompt and ready obedience presenting himselfe to the Lord so Christ was obedient to God the Father even to the death yea of the Crosse. By children are meant servants followers attendants upon any 1 Sam. 21.4 Acts 4.25 Ioh. 21.5 by them are signified the faithfull which as children and servants waited on Christ and attended to his voice as children doe to the voice of their Father All the faithfull in the world by whose ministery soever turned are Christs children he the chiefe Father we secondarily they are his children principally ours instrumentally It is CHRIST that begets us though not now in his owne person yet by the Ministers and Preachers who are our Fathers under Christ and we their Children GOD the Father gave him those children 1. By the administration of baptisme 2. Then by the working of his Spirit and the powerfull preaching of his word Ioh. 17.9.6 Ioh. 6.37 Iohn 10.29 Properly to speake they are given to no Prophet nor Minister but to Christ alone That they be as signes and wonders agreeth well to Christ and all the faithfull Christ was despised so are we Ioh. 15.18 1 Cor. 4.9 to 14. S. Paul might have had more pregnant testimonies for the confirmation of Christs humanity than these be yet he made choice of these partly because peradventure they were applied by the Rabbins and the Iewes themselves to the Messiah partly because these set forth to us the mercy of God towards us and our honour and dignity that we should be Christ's brethren that he and we should be in a manner equall coupled together in one yoke This is true in the Prophets and in CHRIST too the preachers of the Word have children given them of the Lord. The Prophets in their time had their children the Apostles theirs and we ours Saint Paul begat Onesimus in his bonds GOD gave Lydia as a child to Saint Paul in opening her heart and causing her to beleeve Yea many Nations were given to S. Paul GOD gave those three thousand soules as a great company of children to St. Peter And the Lord by the ministry of the Word gives us children at this present day You are our children and therefore you ought to love and honour us What childe will raile on his Father they be Bastards that endeavour to pluck out their Parents eyes yet some doe on the Ministers their spirituall fathers This also may be affirmed of Christ he is our brother and our father too he is the right and proper father of the faithfull whom he begetteth by the word of truth and they that are truly begotten by the word are Christs children whom the Father gave to him from all eternity before all times and whom in time he giveth to him daily by the preaching of the Gospell to the worlds end 1 We have not these children of our selves simply by our preaching be it never so powerfull It is GOD that gives them to us Children are the inheritance of the Lord so these spirituall children Let us praise God for them A Father rejoyces in his children so may and doe Preachers in their Children 2 There is no Father but will protect his Children as much as lieth in him hee will bee content to
and all the Prophets he built the Virgin Mary his Mother Saint Peter Saint Paul and all the Apostles and hee buildeth us at this present day and will build all his Elect to the end of the world Wee that bee the Preachers together with him are builders Saint Paul and the rest of the Apostles were arch-builders yet our building is nothing worth of no force and efficacy without him Saint Paul may plant and Apollos may water but God must give the increase CHRIST said to Saint Peter I will make thee a fisher of men Matth. 4.19 Yet without Christ he could catch never a fish Luk. 5.5 So we may build till our hearts and hands ake and yet not lay one stone well in the building without the Lord Iesus By one Sermon of Peters three thousand soules were added to the Church Act. 2.41 yet Christ wrought at that Sermon else Saint Peters preaching had beene in vaine It was not so much St. Philip as Christ that built the Citie of Samaria as a glorious house for the LORD It was not Saint Paul but GOD which by the key of his holy Spirit opened the heart of Lydia to believe and it is Christ Iesus at this day that builds us up by the preaching of the Gospell As they say in the Psalme except the Lord build the house they labour in vaine that build it So may we at every Sermon except the LORD IESUS CHRIST build with the Preacher we shall never be a fit house for GOD Almighty Therefore let us all bee suiters to CHRIST that it would please him by his holy blessed and powerfull spirit to build us up daily more and more and to water all the Sermons we heare with the dew of his gracious spirit VERSE 4. HE doth illustrate it by a common received principle Mervaile not though I said the Church is built for every house must be built of some the Church is an house even the house of the living GOD therefore it must be built By whom Not by a mortall man but by the immortall GOD which is Iesus Christ. Christ 1 Cor. 3.11 is the foundation in respect of doctrine hee is the materiall and efficient cause of the building An house consisting of many stones and pieces of wood must have an artificer to put them together so the Church consisting of Iewes and Gentiles of all people in the world must be fastned together by the Lord Iesus Christ. The force of the Article is not to be omitted all those things whereof wee entreate appertaining to the Church the house of GOD. It is true that CHRIST built all things in the world as well as in the Church but that is impertinent to the scope of the place therefore it is fittest to restraine the universall particle to that which we have in hand As in the former Verse was contained the proposition of the argument So in this the assumption The builder of the Church is greater than Moses or the whole Church Christ is the builder of this house being the high and eternall GOD therefore greater than Moses and all the Church VERSE 5. THe second comparison What then Makest thou no reckoning of Moses Yes as a servant but not as the Lord and Master of the Church The Sonne and heire hath greater preheminence in the house then any servant Christ is the Sonne Moses the servant 1. The Sonne especially the eldest Son and heire is more reverenced in the house then any servant I will send my Sonne it may be they will reverence him Moses being a worthy servant in the house was greatly honoured in his time but CHRIST is honoured in all ages He was reverenced but of men CHRIST is worshipped by the Angels themselves the Angels came and ministred unto him Matth. 4.11 2. The servant abideth not in the house for ever there is change of servants almost every yeere Moses was in the militant Church but for a time hee served out his yeeres and went away CHRIST tarryeth in the Church for ever 3. The servant waiteth on his Master he sitteth not at the same boord with his Master as the Sonne doth So Moses was attendant on GOD but CHRIST sitteth at the right hand of GOD as equall in Majesty with him 4. The servant may look for his wages but he hath no right no title to the goods that bee in the house as the Sonne hath So Moses as a servant had his wages of Gods mercie that is eternall life but Christ hath right to the Church it is his possession 5. A servant may bee faithfull in some measure but not so faithfull as the Son whose the house is and all things in the house wherefore Christ farre excelleth Moses Both the parts are handled severally I doe not deject Moses when I set up Christ. Let Moses be honoured in his place and Christ in his He was no coozening and deceitfull Merchant but faithfull in all the house of GOD committed to his charge but how As a servant not as Lord of the house Saint Paul hath made choyce of the fairest word the Grecians have for a servant hee doth not call him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an ingenuous servant that in respect of that reverent estimation which he hath of his Master performes to him all the duties and offices that he can one that honours and reverences his master he was a most rare and honourable servant Wherein did his service consist in bearing witnesse to Christ. Which hereafter should be published in all Ages concerning Christ to the people as they were able to conceive of those heavenly mysteries Moses prophesied of CHRIST Deut. 18.15 and Acts 3.22 he wrote of CHRIST Iohn 5.46 he instituted many types and figures of our Saviour Christ as the Paschall Lambe the brazen Serpent c. Thus did he beare witnesse to CHRIST to the Gospell this was one speciall peece of service that he did So the Apostles were CHRIST's witnesses and so be the preachers at this day Here we may behold the antiquity of the Gospell it is at least as old as Moses which was the first Writer that we read of The Athenians thought it to be a new doctrine Yet it is as ancient as Moses nay as Adam for the doctrine of the Gospell was in Paradise VERSE 6. YE have heard what Moses was now see what Christ is And there is great ods betweene the Son and the Servant Christ was a servant too Isay 53. yet he served GOD as a Son not as a Servant A Son serveth his Father not in the house as Moses but over the House as the Ruler and Governour of the House Not over another mans house as Moses was but over his owne house the house was his owne therefore more reverence by many degrees is due to Christ than was to Moses If the people heard him with great attention much more ought we in the time of
come out then they murmure against God despaire of his providence and are ready to exclaime against God This was the Israelites fault and thus often times they tempted God in the wildernesse If they wanted water to quench their thirst withall then they must needs dye God was not able to provide them water If they wanted bread So they did likewise and in a pelting chafe were ready to stone Moses and Aaron Then they would back againe to Aegypt then they wished themselves dead as if the same God that had miraculously beyond the expectation of men provided for them heretofore was not able to doe so still So when some told them of the walled townes that were in the land of Canaan of the mighty Gyants that were in the Country in comparison of whom they were but Grasse-hoppers then they brake forth into this exclamation God is not able to bring us into this land wee and our Children shall perish in this wildernesse They had seene with what a strong hand God had brought them out of Aegypt how miraculously he divided the red Sea that the waters stood as a wall on both sides till they safely passed over yet for all that when they were in any difficulty then God was no body of no power or willingnesse to doe for them This was a vile tempting of God which highly displeased him But there is no reason why we should thus tempt God casting off the hope and confidence we have in him He is subject to no changes yesterday and to day the same for ever Men may change but God changes not a man may be strong to day and weake to morrow whole to day and sick to morrow rich now and poore afterwards alive now and dead a while after a man may love us this houre and hate us the next as Amnon did his sister therefore we may make a question of the helpe of man But God is one and the same continually not a shadow of turning in him his arme is never shortned the welspring of his mercy and goodnesse is never dryed up Therefore in all distresses let us trust in him though all worldly meanes fayle us in sicknesse and health in poverty and wealth in death and life let him be our pillar to leane upon The Prince that would not believe the plenty that GOD had promised was troden to death 2 Reg. 7.17 and the carkasses of these men that thus tempted God fell in the wildernesse therefore let us beware of incredultie As Faith is the best vertue so infidelitie is the greatest vice CHRIST could doe nothing among his owne kinsfolke because of their unbeliefe Shall any thing bee impossible with God Indeed that which he wills not that he cannot doe it is his will that CHRIST in respect of his humanity should be in heaven till the day of judgement therefore he cannot doe this make his body to be here on the earth The Papists set Gods omnipotency on the tainters and stretch it too farre as some bad clothiers deale with cloath But if God have once given us his faithfull promise to doe this or that let us believe it though all the world say nay to it God had promised to bring them into the land of Canaan though there were never so many blockes in the way they should have depended on this promise So God hath promised us the kingdome of heaven feare not little flocke it is your Fathers pleasure to give you the kingdome Luke 12.32 though now and then through weakenesse we fall into sinne though Satan and his instruments rage though we be sicke dye be buryed our bodyes consumed to dust and ashes yet let us certainely know wee shall have this kingdome This is amplified by an excellent meanes which they had to pull them out of this infidelity which was a continuall view and contemplation of the wonderfull workes of God although they saw my workes in the Hebr. they saw the Aegyptians drowned in the red Sea and themselves safely walking through it they saw the cloudy pillar conducting them day and night water gushing out of a stonie rocke Manna descending from heaven that the clothes on their backes and shooes on their feet did not waxe old many yeares together they might have felt with their hands the power and goodnesse of GOD protecting them yet they would not believe in him whereas the sight of Gods former workes should strengthen our faith in all future calamities That use did David make of the workes of GOD. The LORD delivered mee from the clawes of the Beare and pawes of the Lion therefore hee will deliver mee from this Philistim GOD was gracious to mee in such a sicknesse therefore hee will be in this GOD provided for mee when I was a child and could not shift for my selfe therefore hee will provide for me being a man growne GOD preserved mee in such a plague and pestilence therefore I will depend on him still when I was in such an extremity GOD helped me therefore he will helpe me still God delivered England in the yeare one thousand five hundred eightie eight therefore if England serve him hee will deliver it still When Queene Elizabeth the mirrour of the world was taken away we looked for a wofull day yet God gave us a joyfull day after it therefore alwayes let us trust to him let the sight of his wonderfull workes dayly before our eyes be as oyle to nourish the lampe of our faith that it never dye The last circumstance appertaining to this sinne is the time how long it continued they tempted and proved him 40. yeares though they saw his workes These words in the Hebr. are coupled with that which followeth 40. yeares was I grieved with that generation Yet there is no jarre betweene Paul and David for these two are convertible and depend the one on the other They be both true they tempted God 40. yeares and he was grieved with them 40. yeares If they tempted him 40. yeares then he must needs be grieved with them and if God was grieved with them 40. yeares then they tempted him so long so that the one cannot be separated from the other They dwelt in this sinne a long time and would not bee plucked out of it VERSE 10. THe punishment of the sinne Gods wrath was kindled against them In the end after hee had borne the burden of their sinnes many yeares together his wrath did breake out against them for it They were irksome and tedious to me I could beare them no longer after that I had striven with them fortie yeares when there was no remedy I cast them off God is grieved similitudinariè That rebellious that obstinate generation Hee was not grieved with their Children but with them The Children doe not smart for the fathers faults if they make not their fathers sins their own sinnes Their Children went into the land of Canaan though they did not Least it should seeme to be a griefe or anger without reason
ashes of that ashes a certaine water was to be made which being sprinckled on them that were uncleane by the touching of a dead body c. it did sanctifie them and made them capable of the Tabernacle being purified by that water they might goe with the rest of the people into the place of Gods worship This Cow was a type of Christ. 1. As shee was Red So was hee dyed red in his owne bloud 2. As she was without spot or scab or any disease So Christ was without the spot of sin 3. As shee was never used to the yoke no more was Christ to the yoke and servitude of sin 4. As she dyed so Christ. Therefore if the water made of her ashes was precious much more the bloud of Christ sprinckled on our consciences In the proofe of this hee doth not insist because it was confessed by the Iewes So I thinke holy water may sanctifie touching the purity of the flesh If a man have dirt on his face when he is about to enter into the Church their holy water may take it away but it cannot helpe for any spirituall thing to scare away Devills or to put away veniall sins VERSE 14. THerefore he proceeds to the Apodosis Where 1. The sacrifice of Christ. 2. The end of it Not equally but much more Then the bloud of a beast The which he illustrateth by diverse circumstances 1. By the Person that offered this bloud he was Sacerdos victima 2. By the Party or power by the which he offered it Some by the eternall Spirit understand the Holy Ghost as by him he was conceived in the Virgins wombe by him lead into the wildernesse to bee tempted Mat. 4.1 So through his assistance he offered up himselfe but by the eternall Spirit is rather meant the eternall deity of our Saviour Christ 1 Pet. 3.18 19. As hee was man consisting of flesh and bloud So he was also God an eternall and incomprehensible spirit From this his infinite and unspeakeable deity the bloud of CHRIST received a power to make satisfaction for our sinnes Whereupon it is called the bloud of God Acts 20.28 The bloud of none that was a meere man could doe it if CHRIST 's bloud had not beene offered up by his eternall spirit it could not have purchased our redemption The bloud of Martyrs was offered up by the assistance of the HOLY GHOST yet it was not meritorious it was not that but the power of the deity that made Christ's bloud meritorious 3. By the thing offered not any brute Creature not a man an Angell but Himselfe 4. By the quality of the thing offered even in respect of his humanity and for that cause his bloud was more forcible 5. To whom to God As a full satisfaction for the sins of the world Then he comes to the efficacy of the bloud of Christ deduced out of the former the bloud of Goats and Bulls did purge the flesh and outward man this the conscience and inward man In some Greeke copies it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our consciences All stand in need of purging We have a double benefit by the bloud of Christ justification and sanctification from dead workes that is sins Now from these dead workes that lay as an heavy loade on our consciences the bloud of Christ purgeth us Sinnes are called dead workes 1. Because they come from dead men 1 Tim. 5. Verse 6. Eph. 2. Verse 1. 2. Because they engender death Rom. 6. ult The bloud of CHRIST purgeth our consciences from all sinnes so as our consciences cannot accuse and condemne us for sinne because it is washed away in the bloud of CHRIST Hebr. 10.2 Rom. 8.1 The second fruit issuing from the former is our sanctification that being thus justified wee may be sanctified in soule and body to serve the living God Luk. 1.74 He is stiled the living God 1. Because he lives of himselfe and that for ever 2. Because hee makes us by his spirit to live a spirituall life in this world 3. Because hee will raise us up from a corporall death at the latter day and cause us to live with him for ever in the world to come 1. Grievous is the sting of Conscience This chest worme gnaweth sore this made Iudas to cry out I have sinned in betraying innocent bloud This made Iosephs brethren to condemne themselves when no man laid any thing to their charge verily wee have sinned in that wee saw the anguish of his soule when hee besought us and wee would not heare This made those Iohn 8. that seemed holy men to the eye of the world to depart out of the Temple one by one being convicted of their owne consciences This was truly said to be mille testes Now how shall wee stoppe the mouth of these thousand witnesses We are all miserable sinners our consciences accuse us of innumerable sinnes but here is our comfort the bloud of Christ sprinkled on our consciences purgeth us from all sinne being justified by faith wee have peace with God Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God 's Elect it is CHRIST that hath dyed yea rather that is risen againe that with his owne bloud hath entred into the holy place and hath made an eternall expiation of our sinnes Let us all entreat the Lord to apply the force of this bloud to our consciences dayly more and more 2. There bee living workes a reverent using of the name of GOD a cheerefull and reverent hearing of his word temperance chastitie sobriety liberality c. these come from us when wee live by faith in the Sonne of GOD there bee also dead workes blasphemie swearing lying covetousnesse pride oppression envie hatred malice and these are to bee abhorred of us all 1. Dead things stincke If wee meete with a dead carkasse by the way wee hold our noses even so sinnes blasphemie prophanations pride envie hatred malice covetousnesse these stincke in the nostrills of God Almighty therefore let them be detested by us 2. Dead men are forgotten I am as a dead man out of minde So let not our mindes run on these dead workes on the profits of the world the pleasures of the flesh let these dead things bee no more remembred 3. That which is dead must be buryed give me a place to bury my dead out of my sight as Abraham said to the sons of Heth Gen. 23.4 Idolatry blasphemy all sins are dead things therefore let them be buryed 4. Dead things are abhorred of us We shun dead things by the way we will not come neere them so let these dead workes be abhorred of us Wee decline those things that bee deadly wee will drinke no poyson because it will kill us we will not goe where the plague is least wee dye All sins are deadly they will bring us to everlasting death therefore beware of them If wee meet with a dead body by the way wee decline it yet the savour that comes from it can but
for this faith Ergo. Elders whom we are to reverence which went before us and lived longer than we Reported of adorned by the testimony of God and man the testimony of the Lord is pure As the Father testified of Christ this is my beloved Sonne So also of Noah that he was a just and upright man and one that walked with God Abraham the friend of God Moses the meekest man upon the earth David a man after Gods owne heart hast thou not considered my servant Iob how none is like him in the earth an upright and just man one that feareth God and escheweth evill Of Nathaneel Christ said behold indeed an Israelite in whom there is no guile This also got them a goodreport among men all their famous exploits were done by faith Verse 29. A good name is above Gold and silver it is greatly desired of all but all take not the right course of getting it Some thinke to get them a name by building as they that set up the tower of Babel they imagine to be famous by sumptuous buildings some by hunting as Nimrod some by drinking as Fâ—cidius some by whoring as Hercules some strive to get them a name by their courteous behaviour as Absalom did by a counterfeit kinde of kindnes towards all some by liberality and house keeping and I would there were moe of them some by their great variety of learning but all these misse the marke they begin at a wrong end The best foundation for a good name is faith she will leave a sweete savour behinde her wheresoever she become she will procure us favour with God and man when the name that the wicked have gotten shall rot the faithfull shall be had in perpetuall remembrance therefore let us all beg faith at the hands of God that we may be renowned in this world and eternally famous in the world to come VERSE 3. SEcondly it is illustrated by an instance in one particular which is famous by this we understand the world was made of things not seene therefore faith is the evidence of them Ages or times The world mas made in time hath continued in time and shall end in time Omnibus numeris absolutus no commoditie no pleasure wanting To this end that we might all understand c. We believe the Scriptures as Agrippa did they tell us that the world was made by GOD. In principio creavit Deus therefore we believe the creation of the world Aristotle held that the world was eternall Plato that GOD made the heavens and Angels but the Angels made the bodies of men and beasts but we by faith understand that God made the world yea that all creatures were of his making and that without him nothing was made he made the high and celestial Angels the Sun Moone and the whole host of heaven birds of the ayre fishes of the Sea all trees men and beasts on the earth and all these did he make by his owne bare word he commanded and they were created let there be a firmament and there was one let there be a Sea birds and it was so only he paused and deliberated at the making of one creature which was man because he was to be his vicegerent and a King over all creatures By his omnipotent word all were made And of what was the world made what timber what stones had God to make this building withall Surely nothing yet hee made it Not so much as any atomes even materia prima was made of him he found it not in the world before O mighty and puissant God! Let us all feare him that made heaven and earth O how wonderfully am I made said David of himselfe much more of the whole world how wonderfully was the world made of nothing The world came not by chance or fortune it was framed by no earthly artificers Aholiab Bezaleel made the Tabernacle Hyram the Temple God the world and this did he make principally for sinfull man All creatures were made for us the Sun Moone Birds Fishes c. that we might freely eat of all yea the Angels were in a sort made for us that they might be ministring spirits for our salvation Therefore let us praise God all the dayes of our lives that made the glorious pallace of the world for us Now as the world was made so it must have an end 2 Pet. 3. therefore notwithstanding all the pleasure and wealth of this world let us use it as if wee used it not for the glory thereof fadeth away they waxe old as doth a garment Therefore let us lay up our treasures in a better world From hence the Iesuites make this collection we must believe the world was made out of nothing though wee doe not see it so we must believe that the body of CHRIST is corporally in the Lords Supper though we cannot see it But they might see there is a different reason Wee believe the world was made of nothing though we see it not because the Word of God hath avouched it God's Word never teacheth us that the body of CHRIST is in the Sacrament corporally but in heaven therefore there is no cause why we should believe it VERSE 4. NOw hee returnes to the examples 1. At large then summarily Verse 32. before the floud and after before the entrance into Canaan and after 1. A commendation of Abels fact 2. An approbation of it In the former 1. What it was that gave a relish to his sacrifice 2. To whom it was offered 3. The eminencie of it Caine had the more worthy name Caine acquisitio as if she had gotten the Messiah Abel vanity or weeping 2. He had the worthyest trade bread is the staffe of life 3. He was the first borne 4. He built a City Yet Abel is preferred before him A fuller sacrifice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 kissed Caines sacrifice was voyd of faith therefore empty Cain tooke absque delectu Abel chose 2. Corne was not so lively to represent CHRIST as Sheepe and Lambes 3. His more sparing Abels more plentifull rather better for his faith By the which faith not sacrifice as Verse 2. and in the end of this Verse The second thing is the approbation 1. In his life 2. After his death In life internall in his owne heart and conscience that he was righteous believing in the Messiah externall either by word Gen. 4 4. or by action as Levit. 9.24 1 Reg. 18.38 1 Chron. 21.26 2 Chron. 7.1 Some have beene of opinion that Adam was damned because he is left out of the catalogue of the faithfull but if none should be saved save those that be in this calender few should be saved The salvation of Adam and Eve may bee concluded by probable reasons rendred by Irenaeus Epiphan Chrys. Aug. 1. It is not like that GOD would cast away the first man that he made the first borne is greatly beloved Seldome doth any father disinherit his first borne Adam was the first that God
to speake wee doe not believe when wee shall see CHRIST our blessed SAVIOUR in the kingdome of heaven then faith is turned into fruition but there is singular use of it in this world and let us entreat the Lord to make bright the eye of our faith daily more and more that with Noah wee may see the things that are not yet seene What entertainment did Noah give to this warning did hee contemne it or set light by it in his heart no verily he reverenced it Wee must reverence the judgements of GOD. When Daniel pondered in himselfe the fearefull fall of Nebucadnezar that such a faire and beautifull tree which reached to heaven should bee cut downe he held his peace by the space of one houre and his thoughts troubled him When the Angels were to blow their trumpets there was silence in heaven they were stricken with a kinde of astonishment and could not speake When the booke of the Law was read before Iosiah his heart melted at it he reverenced the judgement denounced in it When this proclamation was made in Nineveh yet fortie dayes and Nineveh shall be destroyed they all reverenced it from the King to the beggar c. they put on sackcloth fasted and prayed to GOD. Noah hearing of a floud to come feares it after a godly manner and provides against the comming of it But some there be that are no more moved with them then the stones in the Church-wall Ier. 36.24 yet were not they afraid c. When Paul preached of the resurrection and of the day of judgement some in Athens mocked at it and Lots sonnes laughed at the destruction of Sodom that was at hand Let the Preacher thunder out GODS judgements against abhominable swearing lying flattering and dissembling and other sinnes that reigne among the people some laugh at it in their sleeves tell them of the day of judgement when as all nations shall appeare before the sonne of man they set not a straw by it they are worse then Felix he trembled when Saint Paul discoursed of righteousnesse and the judgement to come they are worse than the Devills for they believe that there is a GOD and tremble at it There is great difference betweene trembling and reverencing The wicked that have no portion in CHRIST tremble they cry to the mountaines and rockes fall on us c. but the holiest men of all must feare and reverence the judgements of God and we must prepare our selves for the avoyding of them as Noah did Doth the Lion roare and shall not the beasts of the forrest quake Doth GOD Almighty roare doth he threaten and shall we be mooved with no reverence as Noah reverenced the comming of the floud so let us reverence all the plagues that are denounced by God What doth Noe in this his feare hee is not as a man amazed and besides himselfe but as GOD had commanded him he prepares the Arke he doth not reason with flesh and bloud surely this may be but a scare-crow there is no such inundation to come God will not bee so unmercifull as to destroy all that hee hath made as for the Arke it must be very large to be a receptacle of all kind of creatures an hard and difficult thing to make such a Vessell when it is made how shall I and my family be preserved in it a thousand to one but wee shall be drowned hee admits no such consultation But knowing from GODS owne mouth there was a flood to come he prepares an Arke for the saving of him and his Faith must leape over all difficulties all stumbling blockes that lye in the way if God have sayd a thing let us beleeve it though all the world seeme to be against it GOD hath said there is a Iudgement to come let us all prepare for it as Noah did for the flood The old world prepared and Noah prepared they prepared by building of houses planting of Vinyards So we prepare for the world but not to meete GOD by repentance Noah prepared an Arke for the saving of himselfe and let us prepare the Arke of a good conscience for the saving of our selves at that day When it is said he prepared the Arke it is not to be imagined that he wrought it with his owne hands he was a Preacher and it is not like he could play the Carpenter or shipwright They may be like the Bell in the Steeple that calls others to the Sermon but hath no benefit of it itself they may build up others yet be unbuilt themselves Therefore it shall be good for us to preach to our selves as well as to the people lest while we preach to others we our selves be reprobates He provided all things for it Wood Pitch Nailes made it after the forme God had prescribed with many severall Roomes in it This Arke in the judgement of all interpreters was a type of the Church 1. The Arke was made after Gods appointment not after Noahs So the Church must be framed by GOD 's Will and not by mans 2. All were drowned that were not in the Arke so all regularly are damned that are not in the Catholike Church 3. The Arke was neere drowning yet never drowned it was miraculously preserved by God So the Church may be brought to a low ebbe yet it shall continue still 4. There was in the Arke good and bad cleane and uncleane so wee must never dreame to have all holy and sanctified persons that be in the Church 5. In the Arke there were diverse mansions and roomes some for men some for beasts so in the Church Ioh. 14.2 In my Fathers house there are many dwelling places 6. The Arke had but a few in it eight persons yet there was the Church Vniversalitie is no necessary note of a Church Christ's flocke is but a little flocke Here we see what a priviledge it is to be of the household of a godly man that may bee as a Sanctuary to thee from temporall plagues and judgements All that were in the ship were saved for Saint Pauls sake God gave him the soules of them all Noahs family was preserved for his sake because cursed Cham was of this house-hold he was saved Potiphars house was blessed for Iosephs sake Gen. 39.5 Strive to bee of the house-hold of a man that feareth God that shall be a shelter to thee from earthly punishments thou shalt fare the better in the world for that There is much contending much suit made to bee in the house of a rich man c. If they bee godly and religious men too as many are it is well but thou haddest better bee in the house of a godly poore man who is deepe in Gods books then in the house of a wealthy and wicked Nabal Labour to be one of Noahs house-hold Noe and his family were saved in the Arke yet with much a doe they endured much they were in continuall danger they passed through many difficulties the smell of
like that Moses went in first they followed after as Iosephus writeth he as the Captaine they as Souldiers conducted by him Not by the witt devise and policie of their owne by the observation of the course of the Moone the constellation of starres or conjuction of planets but by faith Not they passed over by swimming by sayling by taking Ship c. but above art and nature they passed through They went not in a little way but passed through it Not a little shallow river but the great and deepe Sea Which by the colour might also strike a terrour into them being red as the fire terrifies men by the rednesse of it It was a corner of the Sea that parteth Arabia and Aegypt called red because the sand there was redder than in other places How not being somewhat wet at the least their feete and ancles but as if they had bin on the dry and firme land Exod. 14.22 This is adscribed to their faith At the beginning their faith was weake they cryed out like desperate persons without hope Exod. 14.11 but when they heard the promise of the Lord that he had said it when they saw the pillar of a cloud as a token of Gods presence with them when they beheld the waters driven backe by the rod of Moses then committing themselves wholly to the Lord they enter boldly into the red Sea This was a lively manifestation of their faith A weake faith at the first may prove a strong faith at the last 1 Sam. 27.1 Peter on the Sea There be three especiall things that commend their faith in it 1. That at Gods Word they would believe it hee said they should goe through the Sea they give credit to it Hath God spoken it Let us rest quietly in his word 2. The waters were on both sides on the right hand and on the left they might be in a continuall feare least they shold fall on them and overwhelme them yet through faith they go on and feare nothing 3. The Aegyptians followed them into the red Sea even there they were at their heeles this might have scared them Though we be not drowned in the Sea yet the Aegyptians may cut our throats and kill us in the Sea but through faith they likewise overcome that This was a supernaturall work if they had not had faith they could never have done it Faith is the best weapon to fight withall in all dangers the best bridge to passe over any river yea the Sea it selfe a coate of Maile in all battels All of them had not faith no doubt there were some unbelievers among them which went over for company and fashion sake for the saving of their lives they would venter with the rest but they had not a true and sound faith in the promise of God 1 Cor. 10.5 yet the fact hath the denomination of the better part There were many that believed therfore it is attributed to faith for the faithfuls sake the unfaithfull were kept from drowning The wicked in temporal blessings fare the better for the godly Every man must live eternally by his own faith but the unfaithfull in temporall blessings may fare the better for the faithfull The LORD blessed Potiphar for Iosephs sake It is like some bad ones were in the Ship some prophane Marriners wherein St. Paul sayled to Rome yet they were all preserved for Pauls sake So here the unbelieving Israelites were saved from drowning for the believers the world hates the godly and cannot abide to be in their company yet they escape many dangers for their sake This should cause them to make more of them than they doe Through faith the people went over Iordan the three Children walked in the middest of the fire Daniel continued safe in the Lions den Ionah came out of the Whales belly The nature of faith it leapeth over difficulties and followes God Through faith David said by the power of God I will leap over a wall If a man have the Kings passe-port he may passe all England over but if a man have faith he may passe all the world over through fire and water thicke and thinne Here we see that all creatures are servants to Gods Children all worke for them The Sun stood for Iosua The Starres fought for the Israelites against Sisera The fire durst not touch the three Children and here the water of the Sea is as a wall on both sides of the Israelites till they bee over If God bee with us who can be against us If the Lord of the house bee on our side will not all the serving men yea all creatures shall be on our side In the Israelites the Sea forgets her nature in the Aegyptians she exercised her nature 1. The cause of their destruction 2. The destruction it selfe Whereof the Aegyptians taking tryall why may not we passe through the Sea as well as they Why should it not give place to us as well as to them The Lord had hardened their hearts and they likewise went into the Sea Exod. 14.5 But what was the issue of it They were swallowed up by the Sea The waters turned backe on them they were all drowned not one escaped ut ne nuncius cladis domum reverteretur When the breath was out of their bodies the Sea cast up their carkasses againe and the Israelites saw them on the shoare wherby they might be the better perswaded they were dead and should trouble them no more Iosephus addeth that there fell raiâ—â— from heaven thundering and lightning The enemies of the Church may insult over it for a time as the Aegyptians made the Israelites their slaves and kept them in cruell bondage but at the lenght they shall drinke of the Cup of Gods wrath Iesabel was cast out of a window and eaten up with Dogs Herod was eaten up with wormes Sennacherib was slaine by his owne Sonnes The Aegyptians were overwhelmed in the red Sea Most of the Persecutors in Q. Maryes daies as Mr Fox reporteth came to a wretched and lamentable end Some ranne mad some stuncke above the ground while they were alive The rod may be aloft but it shall be hurled downe and cast into the fire Let this be our comfort we shall one day be conquerors over them all The Lord doth not onely meete with them but oftentimes in justice he serves them with the same sauce Iezabel spilt Naboths blood in the end her bloud was licked up with Dogs As Adonibezech had done unto 70. Kings so God rewarded him Iud. 1.7 The Aegyptians drowned the Children of Israel now they are drowned Some of the traytors that thought to have blowne us up with gun-powder were destroyed with gun-powder themselves Plutarke writeth of Hercules and Theseus that whom they sacrificed had sacrificed whom they hurled into the Sea had hurled into the Sea whom they thrust through with the Sword had thrust through with the Sword Let them take heed what tortures they put the godly unto the
1. A relation of them 2. A communication of them 4. Quare Why he gives thankes because he hath a joyfull experience of them in himselfe He doth not say I commend thee I extoll thee to the skies for this great love thou shewest to the Saints and for the faith thou hast in the LORD IESUS but I thanke GOD for them He is to be praised for all The Oratour would thanke God for honour but himselfe for vertue It was the Donatists song Scientia ex Deo charitas ex nobis knowledge is of GOD love is of our selves Whereas God is to bee blessed for them all for what have wee poore beggars but that which wee have received Eo quisque pessimus quo optimus fi adscribat sibi quòd optimus He that is best is worst if he ascribe his excellencie to himselfe Ioseph indeed saies Augustine found silver in Benjamins sacke but it was of his owne putting in So God findes silver and golden graces in us but he put them in before therefore he is to be thanked for all Homo est exceptorium bonitatis Dei Man is an emptie vessell that receives all which it pleaseth God to powre into it Whose God is he whom he thankes My God What is he Saint Pauls God and not Saint Peters God Yes verily It is not his meaning to monopolize God to himselfe as it is the manner of some to doe God is their God alone they are the Sole children of God all others are reprobates St. Paul was not of such a proud spirit he speakes this Non Deum restringendo sed Deum applicando not restraining God to himselfe but applying God to himselfe Aug. makes a sweete commentary upon it Dicis Deus meus thou sayest my God Securus dicis verum dicis thou speakest it securely thou speakest it truly at non fecisti ut non sit alterius yet thou hast not hereby brought it to passe that he should not be other mens God as well as thine Non enim sic dicis Deus meus quomodo equus meus for thou doest not so say my God as thou doest my horse equus tuus est non alterius he is thy horse and not anothers Deus tuus est alterius he is thy God and anothers too not of the Iewes only but of the Gentiles too yea the God of the whole world The Sunne is ALEXANDERS and Diogenes too But this is the propertie of faith to applie God particularly to our selves My Redeemer liveth sayes Iob there is no peace saith my God to the wicked my spirit rejoyceth in God my Saviour sayes the Virgin Mary My God and my Lord sayes Saint Thomas I thanke my God sayes Saint Paul which hath loved me and given himselfe for me Meus Iesus sayes Origen my Iesus frequent in his bookes Erasmus reports of Dr. Colet Deane of Saint Pauls that he was often heard to speake these words O Vtinam essem cum meo Christo. The Devill can say God and he trembles at it but he cannot say my God this is proper to the faithfull The Lord is my strength and my salvation whom shall I feare the Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I bee afraid though I walke through the valley of the shadow of death I will feare no evill he will be my God in life and in death too he will never forsake me till he hath brought me to his everlasting kingdome But where or when did he give thankes for him in his prayers making mention of thee He was not unmindfull of him he did not forget him as Pharaohs butler did Ioseph he remembred him he made mention of him Not now and then but alwayes Where Not in his cups but in prayers There were some in Saint Ambrose time that would make mention of the Emperour in their cups but St. Paul made mention of Philemon in his prayers as he praised God for him so he prayed to God likewise for him The best men cumulated with the greatest graces of the Spirit had need to be prayed for St. Paul was rapt up into the third heavens where he saw secrets not to be uttered yet he desires the Ephesians prayers Saint Peter was a stout champion yet CHRIST prayes that his faith should not faile Philemon abounded in all good gifts of knowledge faith and love yet St. Paul ceased not to pray for him 1. The best of all know but in part believe in part love in part therefore wee had need to pray for them that their defects may be supplied that they may encrease daily more and more 2. Here we are viatores non apprehensores wayfaring men we are not come to our journeyes end therefore wee had need to be prayed for that wee may persevere to the end and have the crowne of life Paul had his prayers So we must all Isaack went into the field to pray and hee prayed oft in his tent too David prayed at all seiles of the day morning evening noone and he prayed in the night too David was encumbred with the weighty affaires of the kingdome yet he prayed thrise a day Cornelius prayers went up into remembrance before God Our Saviour in the dayes of his flesh was full of prayers there was one that payd three hundred prayers to God every day as a daily tribute Constantine was stamped in his coine praying he would especially be marked for that 1. Our necessities are many for soule and body therefore let our prayers bee many We are as houses that stand in continuall need of reparations therefore let us pray to him that made us to repaire us that we may be fit buildings for his Majestie 2. Our enemies are many within and without too Now there is no strength in us against this great multitude let us pray to God to stand by us and for us But let us pray first in faith else we are like the Waves of the Sea and shall obtaine nothing 2. In fervencie remembring the Apostles If dignior sequeture effectus quem ferventior praecedit affectus that prayer shall have the greatest efficacie which hath the greatest fervencie 3. In humility omnis rogatio humilitate eget all requests must be preferred in humility This poore man cryed and the Lord heard him thou prayest and art not heard quia diveses because thou art rich in thy own conceit he sent the rich empty away 4. Pray with importunitie a kinde of godly impudency sayes Nazianzen is to be used in prayer 5. Perseveringly Speciall mention is to be made of some in our prayers 1. Of Kings which are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the pillars of the people they are worth tenne thousand of us therefore let us pray for them nominatim by name Sacrificamus pro salute Imperatoris Deo nostri ipsius sed quomodo pura prece we sacrifice for the safety of the
St. Augustine for calling them brethren That learned father deplores their case before the people doleamus illos fratres tanquam fratres let us lament them brethren as brethren Velint nolint fratres nostri sunt whether they will or no they are our brethren tunc esse desinent fratres nostri quando desierint dicere pater noster then they shall cease to be our brethren when they cease to say Our Father Stand apart sayes the Hypocrite come not neere me I am holyer than you So say some holy ones among us namely the brethren of the separation So they style themselves an unbrotherly title disdaining us for their brethren they are not so good brethren as we wish they were like ungracious children having forsaken their mother neither indeed will they say Pater noster with us for it is piaculum with them to say the LORDS Prayer yet for all that they shall be our brethren professing the same GOD the father of us all and the same CHRIST the SAVIOUR of us all Wee will not utterly discard them though they discard us VERSE 8. THat for the gratulation Now to the supplication Where 1. The manner of it Then the matter of it 10. For the manner it is not by the way of command 8. But of entreatie 9. Why doth he not command Because he wanted authoritie No he had sufficient power to doe it not fearefully but boldly he had not a little but much boldnesse not usurped but committed to him from CHRIST he had boldnesse not to request but to enjoyne Not that which was inconvenient but that which was convenient Ministers may be bold in the execution of their office 1. Quia Deus imperat because GOD commandeth it Ierem. 1.17 be not afraid of their faces he addes a forcible reason least I destroy thee before them And thou Sonne of man feare them not neither bee afraid of their words though thornes be with thee and thou remainest among Scorpions feare not their words nor be afraid of their lookes 2. Quia ipsi ministri pro hoc or ant because it is that which the Ministers themselves begge by earnest prayers at the hands of GOD. Now O Lord behold their threatnings and grant unto thy servants with all boldnesse to speake thy word Pray with all manner of prayer and supplication in the spirit watch thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all Saints and for me that utterance may be given unto me that I may open my mouth with all boldnesse to publish the secret of the Gospell Shall they pray for it and not practise it 3. Officii dignitas id postulat the dignity of their office doth require it an Embassadour may speake boldly We are the Embassadours of God the King of Kings we are in CHRISTS stead Therefore let us be bold 4. Protectio Dei ad hoc animat Gods protection may encourage us unto it Behold I have made thee a defenced citty an yron pillar and walls of brasse against the whole land against the kings of Iudah and the Princes thereof against the Priests thereof against the people of the land CHRIST holdeth the seven starres in his right hand and none shall dash us out of his hand 5. Admirationem apud ipsos inimicos procurat it procures admiration even with the very enemies When they saw the boldnesse of Peter and Iohn they mervailed the high Priest and the whole counsell This made Luther so famous among all The Pope himselfe and the Emperour could not but admire him This made Elias bold with Achab Iohn Baptist with Herod Liberius with Constantius Chrysostome with Arcadius and Eudoxia Ambrose with Theodosius which moved him to give him this commendation Solus Ambrosius dignus episcopi nomine only Ambrose that hath dealt so roundly with me is worthie the name of a Bishop Let us all be bold and couragious in our places with wisedome and discretion but not saucie and impudent as some are 2. Ministers have authority not only to entreat but to enjoyne The King hath his Injunctions and wee under God and the King have ours We may enjoyne you to leave your rash needlesse and unadvised swearing your prophanations we may enjoyne you to honour your Fathers in Church and common-wealth to live in peace and love and unitie one with another and he that despiseth these things despiseth not men but God But what to enjoyne Quod ad rem pertinet sayes the vulgar interpreter that which concernes the matter Sed hoc nihil ad rem nothing to the purpose Cajetan finds fault with that circumlocution affirming as the truth is that in the Greek there is but one word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod decens est conveniens which is decent and convenient we have no authority to enjoyne you any unlawfull and inconvenient thing to goe to Masse where CHRIST is offered up daily by a Priest because by one sacrifice once offered and that by himselfe alone hee hath perfected for ever them that are to be sanctified to conspire against Princes to kill kings if in our opinions they be Heretikes heresie makes no divorce betweene Man and Wife much lesse betweene the King and his Subjects so farre as God enjoynes you we enjoyne but no further VERSE 9. HEe hath produced his authority and shewne his commission yet hee layes it aside and falls to entreatie Where 1. The motive of it 2. A description of the party entreating The motive is love Yet for loves sake I rather beseech thee for the love of God towards us all in CHRIST for the love I beare to thee for the love thou bearest to me for the love I beare to Onesimus thy servant and my Sonne let the cords of all those loves draw thy affection to him Love hath a greater attractive force then feare the love of CHRIST constraineth us sayes the Apostle Lydia being but a woman by her loving eloquence constrained Paul and Silas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shee used a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the most forcible argument with the Logitians if the people bee perswaded of the Preachers love his preaching shall be more availeable he may wind himselfe into their affections Studeto magis amari quà m metui strive rather to be loved then feared Pontifices Christi non dominorum metu sed patrum honore veneramur the Bishops of CHRIST we doe not feare as stately Lords but honour as loving Fathers the love of a father will make a good natured child doe any thing What doth he for loves sake he rather beseeches then commands suspendite verbera producite ubera suspend your blowes produce your dugges pectora lacte pinguescant non typho turgeant let your breasts swell with milke not your hearts with pride Christus non fulminans tonans sed in praesepi vagiens tacens in cruce salvavit humanum genus CHRIST not thundring and lightning but weeping and holding his
he painted out Christ in lively colours sundry kinde of wayes this we are sure of he was a Physitian and greatly beloved too Luke the beloved Physitian saluteth you a Physitian for the body and the soule too which is more than ordinary Eusebius makes mention of one Theodotus a Bishop that was both Medicus Theologus a Physitian and a Divine too Paul sayes of one of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who is sufficient for Divinity alone he must needs be a rare man that is sufficient for both These be they that send commendations to him whom he dignifies with this Title my Fellow-labourers or Fellow-workemen Some in the calling of Christianity some in the calling of the Ministry too Both are workes both are labours Nomen Christiani est nomen operis sayes S. Augustine and S. Paul sayes he that desires the office of a Bishop desires a worthy worke Here a common place of salutations doth not only salute us but inviteth us unto it In Greeke saluting is a kinde of imbracing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because whom we salute we embrace with the armes of love or at the least pretend it In Latine Salutare est salutem optare to salute is to wish health and prosperity to the parties whom we salute The Anabaptists are not onely unchristian but uncivill also to condemne salutations Indeed Elisha willed his man that if he met with any he should not salute him and CHRIST charges his Disciples to salute none by the way Those were in matters of extraordinary importance which required great expedition otherwise we may and ought to salute Angels salute The Lord is with thee thou valiant man sayes hee to Gideon hayle Mary freely beloved sayes Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin CHRIST would not have his Apostles to be so unmannerly to goe into an house and not to salute it he himselfe salutes after his resurrection peace be unto you Saul went forth to meet Samuel and saluted him Though Nabal was a churle and a foole too yet David would not deale so foolishly with him as not to salute him Thus shall you say for salutation There is a sweet eccho of salutations betweene Boaz and his reapers the Lord be with you sayes he the Lord blesse thee say they David saluted his souldiers The greatest thinke no scorne to salute the meanest I but whom must we salute All. We must love all pray for all even for our very enemies Now saluting is nothing else save an intimation of love a kind of praying and well wishing therefore we must salute all I but Saint Iohn gives us other counsell If any come to you and bring not this doctrine receive him not to house neither bid him God speed We must not vouchsafe him a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We must distinguish betweene gods enemies and our owne if they be notorious open professed adversaries to CHRIST as those were we ought not to afford them a kind salutation nay if an Angell from heaven should preach any other doctrine we should hold him accursed But if they be secret adversaries and unknowne it is not impiety to salute them Some are so rigid that they will not salute a stranger because they know not whereabout he goes 1. It is repugnant to charity Love thinketh not evill it believeth all things It is greater charity in things doubtfull to believe the best then the worst 2. As Aristotle being reproved for giving an almes to a wicked man answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I had compassion of the man not of his manners so wee salute the man not his life we bid the man God speed not his actions But how are we to salute 1. For the externall manner by word of mouth or by writing Saint Paul omits salutations in never a one of his Epistles but in Rom. 16. he is most plentifull in them So is Ignatius Commendations are requisite in our letters if they bee not made commendations matters of course not greatly regarded 2. For the internall manner we must salute sincerely not hypocritically it must bee Saint Paul's haile not Iudas his haile Greete one another with an holy kisse They must be holy not unholy greetings The end of salutations is the preservation of love which by all good meanes had need to bee maintained by Christians and a demonstration of the respect we have one of another VERSE 25. THe last branch of the conclusion is a Valediction or farewell hee takes his leave with a short yet a sweet prayer where 1. There is the substance of it then the sealing of it In the substance 1. Res optata the thing wished or prayed for which is grace love mercy favour Grace must be Alpha and Omega the beginning and ending of every worke Saint Paul began with it and he ends with it 2. Cujus sit gratia whose grace it is of our Lord Iesus Christ which hath brought us into grace and love with God who before were his enemies and out of grace which hath graciously redeemed us from sinne death hell and damnation and hath opened to us the doores of the kingdome of heaven 3. Cui optatur to whom it is wished not to Philemon alone but to all that were with him Be with your spirit Man consists of two parts a soule and a body here by a Synecdoche melior pars pro toto the better part is put for the whole be with your spirit .i. with you The grace of CHRIST is to be preferred before the grace of all earthly Kings and Princes 1. Their grace is mutable to day in grace to morrow out of grace As Haman was with Ahasucrus and Belisarius with Iustinian CHRIST is not mutable 2. They dye CHRIST lives for ever CHRIST lives for ever the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with us all Then he seales his prayer with Amen Nec Graecum est nec Latinum sayes Aug. it is neither a Greek word nor a Latine but an Hebrew word mansit non interpretatum and by the providence of God remaines in all tongues uninterpreted ne vilesceret nudatum least haply being unfolded it should bee lesse esteemed as Hallelujah Hosanna c. It is particula confirmantis a particle of confirmation as Saint Ambrose well observeth So be it So be it The Lord grant it may be so It must in a fervent zeale be the shutting up of all our prayers It is doubled by the people when Ezra praysed the Lord the great God all the people answered Amen Amen with lifting up their hands and no doubt their heart too As the Church sayes we will lift up our hearts with our hands to God in the heavens If the hand be lifted up without the heart it is an hypocriticall Amen and unacceptable unto God The end of this Commentary A COMMENTARY VPON THE EPISTLE OF St PAUL to the Hebrews FIRST the inscription of the
subject to CHRIST Ergo he is God The proposition is laid downe Verse 5. Where the negative part alone is expressed but the affirmative is to be supplyed Not to the Angels but to CHRIST which is the heire of all things the Lord of the whole world The assumption is layd downe Verse 6. Which is confirmed by a testimony out of the Psalmes Where 1. The allegation 2. The application of it In the allegation an admiration of the goodnesse of GOD. 1. The dejection of man 2. His exaltation by his neerenesse to the Angels by his dominion over all creatures In the Application 1. An exposition 2. An anticipation VERSE 5. NOw hee comes to the confutation of them that opposed themselves to the Deity of CHRIST wherein we have two things 1. A constant holding of the conclusion that CHRIST is GOD. 2. An overthrow of the argument against the Deitie The conclusion soundly and largely ratified before is confirmed by a new argument if the world be subject to CHRIST not to the Angels then he is God superiour to the Angels but the world is subject to him not to the Angels ergo Here the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be supplyed The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie to subject in a military ranke or order when as the whole armie is subjected to one captaine leader or governour as the Church is to CHRIST Whether hath this coherence with that which went before or with that which followeth after Some thinke it is a proofe of that Verse 3. That CHRIST was called Lord. The world is subject to him therefore hee is Lord of all Others that it is a confirmation of that in the former Cha. concerning Christs superiority over the Angels It may have dependance on the words going before for he doth all things according to his owne will in regard whereof he hath subjected the whole world to his Sonne not to the Angels It is rather a patheticall introduction of the maine conclusion which still he keepeth in mind and prefixeth as a firme foundation the adversaries with all their cunning are not able to shake say what they will yet Christ is God for he hath subjected the world to him As for the Lord they deliver that first as the ground of all What is meant by the world to come Some expound it of that time and part of the world that is to come since the publike preaching of the Gospell till Christs second comming In the former time of the world while the Law was in force Moses and the Angels seemed to beare sway by whom the law was delivered but the world to come in the time of the Gospell God hath subjected to Christ not to the Angels Others interpret it of the world to come after the day of judgement In this world the Angels seeme to have rule they be the governours of the world Satan is the Prince of the world but in the world to come the Angels shall have nothing to do that shall be wholly subject to Christ alone Yet the Apostles meaning seemes to be more generall the whole world both present and to come is subject to CHRIST he hath all power in heaven and earth and Eph. 1.20.21 Phil. 2.9 and the Apostle alleadgeth out of the Psalme Verse 8. that all things are put in subjection under him The world in generall is said to come in respect of CHRIST which was from all eternity CHRIST was alwayes the everlasting Iehovah Before Abraham was I Am but the world in time was to come Now this world to come with all things with all creatures contained in it above and beneath hath the LORD subjected to CHRIST not to the Angels ergo he is God above the Angels and all other creatures Thus our Saviour Christ the second Adam is said to come in regard of the first Adam that went before him Rom. 5.14 So the world is said to come in respect of CHRIST that went before the world By the world to come is meant the whole company of Gods elect that shall be gathered together in the life to come the which is termed the world to come because both the number and perfection of them is to come the whole number not yet being accomplished in this world nor having aspired to perfection This agreeth with that which went before if we neglect so great salvation which is reposed for us in the world to come the which world God hath subdued to Christ that he may be the King of the Church and reigne for ever Whereof we speake in this our treatise shewing that all things are subject to Christ who is not only superiour to the Angels as he is God alone but even as he is God and man the mediatour of the Church VERSE 6. THen he comes to the Argument which the adversaries used for the overthrow of CHRISTS Deity Man is inferiour to the Angels CHRIST was a man therefore inferiour to the Angels The proposition they proved out of the Psalme What is man thou hast made him a little lower than the Angels To this hee answereth .i. confessing Christ to bee a man and in regard of humane infirmities his death passion c. inferiour to the Angels yet the same man Iesus Christ being God too is advanced above the Angels The proofe of the proposition One sayth in a certaine place c. Why doth he shoote at rovers not at pricks Hee speakes not this in contempt but. 1. Because the Psalmes were well knowne to the Iewes above other portions of Scripture being sung continually at home in their houses and publikely in their Synagogues therefore Saint Paul thinkes it needlesse to name the place which was common and triviall among them all One sayes you know whom I meane I need not to name any 2 Peradventure it was doubtfull who was the Penman of the Psalme whether David Asaph or one of the Sons of Chore therefore S. Paul sayes generally one saith it makes no matter who he was the Holy Ghost being the author of the Psalme 3 Hee did not well remember at the present what Psalme in order it was therefore hee contents himselfe with a generall allegation Many now a dayes take a pride in quoting the very Chapter and Verse S. Paul was not so scrupulous no more were the ancient Fathers they thought it sufficient to cite Scripture oftentimes not naming the Book out of the which the testimony was desumed And indeed it was a long time before the Scripture was sorted into Chapters of late yeeres was it divided into verses Let us be sure to 〈◊〉 the Scripture aptly and fitly and let us not be curious about chapter and verse which were but of late invention Here you have an admiration of Gods goodnesse towards man What is man Aenosh of Anash indoluit aegrotavit a receptacle of all miseries or of Nashash oblivisci he hath forgotten thee yet thou hast not forgotten him or the son of Adam the progeny and
off-spring of man what a vile and contemptible thing of no worth of no value In respect of his originall he is dust for the course of his life on the face of the earth he is subject to all griefes sorrowes sicknesses diseases a continuall sinner against thee for his end he is wormes-meat That thou once mindest him that thou hast such a fatherly care over him that thou carriest him in thy remembrance that thou hast written him in thy Table-bookes and art mindfull continually to doe him good Non vacat exiguis rebus adesse Iovi said the Poet. Visitest him There is Visitatio irae gratiae not in judgement but in mercy as appeareth by that which followeth as a Physitian his Patient or a Father his Son Elizabeth wondred that the Virgin Mary should visit her Whence commeth this to me that the Mother of my Lord c. Much more may we admire this visitation that the King of Kings and Lord of Lords should visit us Forsomuch as this Psalme is applyed to the Messiah by our Saviour Christ Mat. 21.16 and by Paul 1 Cor. 15.27 the Author of this Epistle doth directly apply it to him in the words following Sundry learned and godly men apply it first and principally to our Saviour Christ but I see not how that can be shall wee say of CHRIST What is he that God should be mindfull of him his beloved Son in whom he is well pleased that never did any thing amisse that never transgressed his Commandement though hee bee a man as wee are yet hee is an unspotted man separate from sinners higher than the heavens as hee is man so he is GOD too and shall we say of him What is he that God should visit him Sundry things in this Psalme must needs be applied to him but not the whole Psalme It is not so in any Psalme First it is understood of the type then of him that is figured by the type What is man He doth not speake of man in his first creation he retained that estate but a while therefore he would rather have deplored than admired it He doth not speak of man as he is after his fall for in that respect he is most miserable not glorious therefore he must needs speake of man as he is ingraffed into Christ by whom he is advanced to wonderfull and unspeakable glory What is man Not onely considered in his first creation but even in his renovation what is the best man that ever was What is Abraham Isaac and Iacob What is Moses David Peter Paul What is the holiest man on the face of the earth that God should have any respect to him by creation indeed he is the workemanship of God the image of God Almighty yet for all that in respect of his originall he was taken out of the ground he is but a peece of earth since the fall he is a masse of sin though he be regenerate and by faith ingraffed into Christ yet still he hath sin in him and must dye Therefore what is this man that thou shouldest powre downe so many blessings on him That the Sun Moone and Stars should give him light That the birds of the Ayre fishes of the Sea the beasts of the field should be his meat That he should walke as a King on the earth especially that thou shouldest send thy only Son to dye for him make him a member of his body and provide an everlasting kingdome for him in the life to come What is vile wretched sinfull corrupted man that thou shouldest be so farre mindfull of him Protect him with the shield of thy fauours from all dangers That thou shouldest vouchsafe him thy word and Sacraments That thou shouldest give him thy holy Spirit to helpe him to pray and to comfort him in all miseries We should not be like the Peacock spreading forth our golden feathers and say within our selves what goodly men be we wee ought to thinke basely of our selves what are we that God should regard us What am I and my Fathers house said that regall Prophet that thou hast brought me hitherto What are we miserable wretches wormes meat that God Almighty should doe any thing for us we are lesse than the least of all his mercies Yet we are wont to vaunt of our selves doe ye not know who I am Doest thou not consider to whom thou speakest yes very well I speake to dust and ashes Let no high conceit of our selves enter into our minds let us thinke basely of our selves What am I O Lord that thou shouldest give me the least thing in the world A drop of drinke a crust of bread an hole to hide my head in especially that thou shouldest give me thine only Son and together with him all things that be good What is any man in the world Art thou a rich man God can puffe away thy riches and make thee poore Art thou a wise man God can take away thy senses and make thee a foole art thou a beautifull man God can send the pox and many diseases to take away thy beauty art thou a strong man God can send sicknes and make thee weak art thou a Gentleman a Knight a Lord yet thy breath is in Gods hand This night he can take away thy soule from thee and what art thou then therefore let us all have an humble opinion of our selves let us cast downe our selves at Gods feet and say What are we O Lord that thou art mindfull of us that thou so graciously visitest us especially with thy everlasting mercies in Christ Iesus VERSE 7. MAclohim Some interpret it then God as Hierome Bucer But the seventy Interpreters translate it Angels so doth the Chalde Paraphrase and the word in Scripture is most commonly applied to them The Angels are glorious creatures and when we speake of an excellent man we call him an Angell 1 Sam. 29.9 2 Sam. 14.20 Acts 6.15 There is not much ods betweene the Angels and us they are immortall wholly we immortall in part they have no sin because they never fell we that are ingrafted into Christ have sin within us yet it is covered with the garment of Christs righteousnesse so that it is not imputed to us They have a rule and dominion under GOD in the world whereupon they are called principalities powers thrones dominations and wee have a rule in the world too all things through CHRIST being subjected to us they are in heaven and behold the face of God So wee one day shall be in heaven and like the Angels they are endewed with wisedome knowledge and understanding So are we though we come short of them by many a mile they are our brethren and fellow servants in sundry things there is not much difference betweene them and us We are but a little inferiour to them we have massie heavy sinfull corruptible bodies So have not they They tooke to them true bodies for a time but those bodies were no essentiall parts of
and Spirit in this life that wee may have entrance into the holy Hierusalem in the life to come If CHRIST and we are all of one much more are we among our selves A King and a beggar are of one a rich man and a poore man are of one a faire and beautifull man or woman and they that want beauty are of one we descended all of Adam and were taken out of the dust of the ground therefore let us not insult one over another GOD for a season hath advanced one above another the Magistrate above the Subject the Father above the Son the Rich man above the poore man and every one is to be honoured according to that place whereunto God hath exalted him yet if we look back to our originall to the stocke from whence we are taken we are all of one The Wax that hath the print of the Kings seale on it is the same in substance with the waxe that hath the print of the seale of a meane man yet it is honoured in that the Kings seale is set on it So we are all of one weake and waxie nature save that it pleaseth God to set a more honourable print upon one then on another Therefore let us not thinke highly of ourselves and contemne our brethren but submitte to them of low degree using the greatnesse that GOD hath given us to the glory of the Giver Seest thou a poore Lazarus full of sores desirous to bee refreshed with the crumbes that fall from rich mens bordes Contemne him not in thy heart he and thou though thou farest deliciously every day and rufflest out in silkes and velvet are both of one This he proveth by the relatives They that be brethren come of one Father and Mother CHRIST and wee are brethren therefore we are of one of one Adam which is our Father and of one Mother which is Eve Whereas some interpret it of one God of one heavenly Father it is impertinent to the Text. He doth not simply say they are his brethren but hee is not ashamed to call them brethren Prov. 19.7 All the brethren of the poore doe hate him how much more doe his friends goe far from him He pursueth them with words but they are wanting to him But Christ thought it no disparagement to his glorious Deity to call men his brethren Though there be wonderfull ods betweene Christ and us hee the Creator we the creatures hee the LORD and Master we his servants he without sinne we defiled with sinne in Soule and body he mervailous rich heaven and earth being his we poore men of our selves not worth a groat yet Christ is not ashamed to call us brethren If a man come once to be Lord Major of London hee will scant acknowledge his poore brethren and Sisters when they come to him Christ is not a Lord for a yeere and a day but an everlasting King yea the King of Kings yet he vouchsafes to call us brethren One Iudge will call another brother and if he be a Sergeant he shall have that name but every pettifogger and paltrie Lawyer shall not be the Iudges brother yet Christ the Iudge of the whole world calls us all brethren O the humility of Christ and the dignity whereunto he hath advanced us VERSE 12. THis he proved out of the Psalme 22.22 Many things in that Psalme are in the New Testament applyed to CHRIST as Verse 1. Verse 16. Verse 18. The Prophet speaketh this of himselfe that when GOD had delivered him from his enemies he would declare his name to the people which were his brethren though GOD had exalted him above them But prophetically also he speaketh of the Messiah after that CHRIST was delivered from Satans fury and the rage of his instruments from the power of death and of the grave hee would declare the name of GOD to his brethren This he did while he was alive Ioh. 17.6 but especially after his resurrection when hee sent his Apostles to preach the Gospell to all nations CHRIST was not only the Author and matter of the Gospell but he was also the proclaimer and Preacher of it he declared it in his owne life time by himselfe after his Ascension by his Apostles The name that is the power mercie and goodnesse of God By brethren here are understood not the Apostles or faithfull onely though they in more speciall manner bee the brethren of CHRIST Matth. 12.49 Ioh. 20.17 but all men generally for CHRIST and all men came of one which is Adam and were made by one God Mal. 2.10 CHRIST will not declare his name in a corner but in the middest of the Church In the middest of the Church among the rest of my brethren as fellow singers Christ did sing with his Disciples after the supper he prayed worshipped and sung as we doe CHRIST hath many Brethren 1. All men in respect of our humane nature which Christ assumed to himselfe are his brethren hee a man as all are 2. In regard of Country and lineall descent the Iewes are his brethren of whom Christ came according to the flesh Rom. 9.5 Deut. 18.18 3. In respect of consanguinity the kinsfolke of CHRIST in the Scripture are called his brethren Iames the brother of the Lord that is the kinsman of the Lord. 4. In respect of the Ministery the Preachers of the Word are CHRIST his brethren for hee was a Minister and Preacher of the Gospell as we are although in gifts and graces he excelled us all as the Sunne doth the Starres But more neerely and properly the faithfull are his brethren being made the Sonnes of GOD by faith in CHRIST IESUS I goe to my God and your God to my Father and your Father Ioh. 20.17 1. As CHRIST is not ashamed to call us brethren so let us doe nothing so neere as wee can that may shame this our Brother Is it not a shame that the Kings brother should bee a common drunkard whoremaster or such like Doth not the King take himselfe disgraced by it And shall wee that are Brethren to the King of Kings take such courses as that great ignominie should redound to CHRIST by it As hee is not ashamed to call us brethren so let us doe nothing that may pull a shame on him and his Gospell 2. Can a brother that is a wealthie man of faire revenewes and ample possessions see any of his brethren goe a begging will hee not rather receive him to his owne house and set him at his table CHRIST which is the Lord of heaven and earth is our brother therefore let us feare no want so long as wee feare him This may be a comfort to us in all our calamities that CHRIST and we are brethren VERSE 13. AN other argument to prove the humanity of Christ it is drawne from the effects Christ putteth his trust in God therefore he is man Hee that trusteth to another is inferiour to him to whom hee trusts the party whom he makes his pillar
with all reverence Secondly a strengthning of the charge by an argument which he disputeth by the example of their fathers Where first the sinne of their fathers then the punishment of the sinne Their sin is set downe first generally then particularly with the circumstances belonging to it of the place where it was committed the persons by whom the nature and quality of the sin amplified by the meanes they had to call from it the time how long they continued in this sinne The punishment is double 1. GODS wrath and displeasure 2. A definitive sentence proceeding from it an exclusion of them out of his rest VERSE 7. SEeing we have such a rare and excellent Prophet as is not as a servant but as the Sonne in the house of GOD let us attend to him and for so much as faith makes us to be of this house and hope is as a pillar for the susteining of us in it let us beware of infidelity that pulls downe the house and shuts up the doore against this Prophet that he cannot enter in into us Now because hee was to make a commemoration of the stubbornnesse and contumacie of the ancient Israelites which in time rejected this Prophet and would not heare him very wisely for offending of the Hebrews he delivers it in the words of the Holy Ghost rather then of his owne They would peradventure have kicked against his reproofe but they durst not spurne at the reprehension of the Holy Ghost The Holy Ghost long agoe by the mouth of David provoked the people to lysten to CHRIST the true Prophet of the Church therefore let us all attend to him The Author of this Epistle was not ignorant that David was the penman or Authour of this Psalme for he himselfe affirmeth Hebr. 4.7 yet he doth not say as David speaketh but as the Holy Ghost saith whereby he gives us to understand that the Holy Ghost the third person in the glorious Trinity speaketh in the Scriptures the whole Scripture is given by inspiration of God 2 Tim. 3.16 this heavenly spirit did breath them into those worthy instruments which he used Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost The Manichees sayd that the evill GOD was the Author of the Old Testament and the good GOD of the new yet the Holy Ghost spake in the Old Testament This then is the prerogative of the sacred Scripture above other wrytings In other books men speake but in this God speaketh In other writings Tullie Seneca Plato Aristotle Plutarch speaketh who indeed were wise and learned men but in the bookes of holy Scripture the Holy Ghost speaketh which is the fountaine of all wisdome In them the servants speake in this the LORD speaketh In them the subjects in this the Prince The Holy Ghost speaketh in the bookes of Moses of the Psalmes of the Prophets in the bookes of the New Testament yet such is the blindnesse of our understanding and the corruption of our nature that we preferre humanity before Divinity the writing of men before the writings of God the Moone before the Sunne wee had rather be reading of humane Authors then of these heavenly books wherein the HOLY GHOST speaketh to us Now if yee will heare his voice as God hath commanded you to doe Deut. 18.18 Then harden not your hearts Thus it is as cleere as the noone day that the Spirit of God gives an evident testimony of our Saviour CHRIST To day In the time of the Gospell The law was as the night this as the day While he speaketh to us 2 Cor. 6.2 CHRIST spake in Moses time in Davids time he spake in his owne person on the earth and he speakes in the Ministerie of the Gospell to the worlds end The Gentiles that were not as yet of CHRISTS fold heare the voyce of CHRIST Ioh. 10. but CHRIST is now in heaven therefore the voyce of the Preachers is the voyce of CHRIST He doth not say to morrow post it not off till to morrow but heare it To day while it may be heard VERSE 8. WHat then He doth not say stop not up your yeares we must not doe that neither but it is in vaine for the eare to heare if the heart bee hardned therefore first he beginneth with the heart God opened the heart of Lydia The heart is the principall thing which GOD requireth in the hearing of the Word In vaine doe wee heare with our eares if our hearts bee not opened therefore sayes the Holy Ghost harden not your hearts GOD hardeneth the hearts of men and men harden their owne hearts He hardned the heart of Pharaoh and Deut. 2.30 GOD hardneth not only permissivè but also activè the LORD hath a kinde of act in it his providence is in it He gave up the Gentiles unto their owne lusts Rom. 1.24 Hee sendeth the wicked strong delusions to believe lies He did not only suffer Pharaohs heart to be hardned but he hardned it indeed How Not infundendo malitiam by infusing evill into our hearts for they be as pots full of all impiety already GOD needs not nay GOD cannot it is repugnant to his nature to put any evill into us yet hee doth not harden onely subtrahendo gratiam though that bee one meanes but by having an operation in the action yet so as he is free from the least imputation of sinne As hardnesse of heart comes from GOD it is a punishment of sin of our former contempt of his grace and mercie offered to us as it proceedeth from our selves it is a sinne yea an horrible sinne To conclude we first contemne that grace which should soften our hearts and then God hardens them We our selves properly to speake are the hardners of our own hearts GOD gives us his sacred word as a trumpet to waken us out of sinne he sends us his Ministers and Preachers as bells to toll us to the kingdome of heaven they will us in GODS name to believe in CHRIST to forsake our sinnes be they never so neere or deere unto us we for all that harden our hearts that those heavenly admonitions cannot enter into them Let God say what hee will let him preach by his Embassadours we will still continue in unbeliefe and dwell in our sinnes we say with them in the Gospell we will not have this man to reigne over us Sinne shall be our King Lord and Master CHRIST IESUS shall not rule us by his word and Spirit This is the hardnesse of heart that is in us by nature Oh Hierusalem how often would I have gathered thy children together and yee would not Matth. 23.37 The LORD sent his Prophets early and late 2 Chron. 36.16 and in Zach. 7.12 there is a wonderfull example to this purpose This hardnes of heart reigneth exceedingly at this present day yea even in those townes where there is most plentifull preaching Therefore let us intreat the LORD to give us a new heart to take from us
this heart of stone and give us an heart of flesh let us desire him by the dew of his spirit to mollifie our hearts that the heavenly doctrines exhortations and admonitions delivered to us may sinke deepely into our hearts and make a conversion of us that our hearts may melt as Iosiah's did at the hearing of the law Nothing can enter into that which is hard if the ground be hard it cannot receive the seede if the Waxe be hard it cannot take the impression of any seale and so long as our hearts remaine hard they cannot receive the immortall seed of the word nor the print of the Spirit which is GODS seale Wherefore let us be suiters to God to soften our hearts daily more and more Above all evills the Lord deliver us from hardnesse of heart for that is the ready way to hell When yee be at Sermons harden not your hearts against the vices that are reproved but tremble at the word of GOD bee grieved for your sins open the doores of your hearts to the Lord Iesus which standeth knocking at them with the hammer of his word that he may come and suppe with you in this life and you dine and suppe with him in the life to come From this hardnesse of heart he disswadeth them by the fearefull judgement of God that fell upon their fathers for it which he propounds first generally In the provocation Hebr. Meribah in the chiding and contending when the fathers chode and contended with Moses which Saint Paul calls an exacerbation or provocation because God by that was provoked to anger in so much as he became very bitter in words and deeds towards the Israelites Doe not you dance after that Pipe and walke according as they did Temptation Hebr. Massah which is expounded afterwards It is a question among interpreters to what place of the Old Testament Saint Paul heere alludeth Some referre it to that Numb 14. Where after the returne of the Spies they despaired of entring into the Land of Canaan and murmured against GOD and Moses Others to that Exod. 17. where water came out of the rock whereas before they murmured for want of water There may be some allusion to both places for the one place hath her name of the contending and tempting and is called Massah and Meribah and in the other place is contained the forme of the oath that God used Neverthelesse it were fittest to expound it generally of the stubborne and contumelious behaviour of the Israelites in the wildernesse then of any one particular temptation 1. Because he names no particular place but the wildernesse in generall 2. Because the tempting he speaketh of here lasted the whole forty yeeres 3. The word day is often taken in Scripture not for any set and prescript time but for an indefinite time a continuance of time Ioh. 8.56 Psalm 25.5 all the time that the temptation lasteth Psalm 50.15 As to day in the former verse was largely taken So here 4. Num. 14.22 It is apparant that they tempted him many times Then he describeth it by all particular circumstances belonging to it 1. By the place where this sinne was committed in the wildernesse where they were subject to innumerable dangers scarsitie of meat and drinke to the invasion of wild beasts compassed with enemies on every side yet the LORD was as a wall of fire round about them hee carryed them on Eagles wings he suffered none to doe them any wrong but reproved Kings for their sakes Notwithstanding in this place where they were continually under the wings of GODS protection they tempted him and provoked him to wrath as if the Child should scratch the nurses face when hee is in her armes VERSE 9. 2. THe parties that committed this offence were their Fathers of whom they much gloried and boasted Our fathers eat Manna in the wildernesse God made a covenant with our fathers that he would bee their God and they should bee his people The oracles of God were committed to our fathers God talked familiarly with our fathers our fathers were deepe in Gods bookes If we doe as our fathers did we cannot doe amisse I but our fathers must not alwayes bee a rule for us to follow your father 's tempted CHRIST in the wildernesse so must not you doe your father 's resisted the HOLY GHOST so must not you your father 's killed the Prophets your fathers were often ready to stone Moses so must not you The Papists at this day are the Iewes Apes they are likewise wedded to their fathers Our fathers were of this Religion therefore we will be of it our father 's kissed the Popes feete ergo Our Fathers cast off the yoke of CHRIST therefore wee will doe the same our fathers would be joynt Saviours with Christ they would merit heaven therefore we will doe the like our father 's worshipped they knew not what so we will doe But Saint Paul gives us a better rule be yee followers of me as I am of Christ 1 Cor. 11.1 If our fathers followed CHRIST let us follow them otherwise let them goe alone thy father drowned himselfe and wilt thou drowne thy selfe too The Father of lights must bee preferred before the fathers of darknesse the Father of heaven before the fathers on earth If we delight in antiquity let us do as the ancient of dayes prescribeth us let us not dote with our fathers and goe to hell with our fathers Children must bee content to heare of their fathers sinnes for the better avoyding of them If any raile of our fathers that bee dead spew out their poyson against them disgrace our fathers where there is no cause or rake up the infirmities of our fathers a◠out of graves we have just cause to be moved at it but if any in the feare and zeale of GOD admonish us of our fathers grosse and notorious offences that we stumble not at the same stones and breake our neckes as they did wee are to take it in good part and profit by it to that end doth the Apostle here make a commemoration of their fathers sinnes but doe not you tempt me as they did The quality of their sinne was a tempting and proving of him probaverunt that is causâ curiositatis exquisiverunt an possem facere Num. 11.18 God is tempted diverse wayes 1. If having meanes we neglect them fondly flying to the supposed providence of GOD if CHRIST having a paire of staires to come downe by should have cast himselfe downe from the pinnacle of the Temple he had tempted GOD. Many that be sicke would faine be well but they are resolute to use no physicke many would gladly fare well have sufficient for themselves their Wives and Children but they will not labour nor take paines that is a tempting of God 2. Men tempt God when having had evident proofe and manifest experience of his wisedome power mercy and goodnesse yet if they be driven into any streights and see no present meanes to
and Spirit that ye may have rest and peace of conscience in this life and be received up into his everlasting rest where ye shall never be molested any more in the life to come Now followes the application of the former testimony wherein 1. A naration of the use that we are to make of it 2. A further declaration or exposition of it à 16. to the end In the use 1. An admonition 2. A reason In the admonition 1. A disswasion from the poyson of infidelity that was the bane and destruction of the Israelites 2. A perswasion to a mutuall exhorting and stirring up one of an other which may be a counter-poyson against infidelity In the disswasion the manner and the matter of it VERSE â—â— 1 FOr the manner he gives them a caveat to take heede of it See to it it is a dangerous vice therefore beware of it 2 Hee drawes them to the embracing of this caveat by a loving title given to them One brother should be carefull of the good of an other I count you as my brethren in the Lord Iesus having all one Father and one elder brother Christ Iesus therfore I could not but in love give you this watchword And what is the substance of it whereof should they take heed sooner or later at no time they must forsake Christ. There is no time for them that be on the Sea to make shipwracke especially when they bee neere the haven you have begun long agoe to give up your names to CHRIST continue with Him and forsake Him at no time In any of you For mine owne part I love you all and would be loath that any of you should perish What he doth not say an evill eye an evill tongue an evill hand but an evill heart that is the fountaine of all And least they should be ignorant what kinde of evill heart hee meaneth hee addeth of infidelity that is according to the Hebrew phrase an evill unfaithfull heart that is possessed with infidelity as the hearts of the Israelites were What to doe what will infidelity cause us to doe it will produce a lamentable effect if we looke not to it it will make us depart from the living God to leave His campe and to goe to the enemies campe that is the nature of the Word From whom from God to men from him that liveth for ever to them that continue but a while this is the horrible sin of infidelity these fruites it hath therefore let it be eschewed by us all The conjunction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verse 7. is to be referred hither as if all the rest had beene included in a parenthesis Wherefore as the HOLY GHOST sayd to them of old time so say I to you now beware that the same unfaithfull heart bee not in you that was in them 1 Heere we are taught that we of the new testament must make use of the examples that bee in the old Whatsoever things were written afore time were written for our learning Rom. 15.4 Hence it is that Noahs flood wherein the whole world was drowned that the destruction of the Sodomites the overthrow of Tyre and Sydon Lots Wife and such like are mentioned in the writings of the Evangelists and Apostles and Saint Paul in this place will have them to beware of infidelity which was the overthrow of their fathers We reade the Scriptures cursorily to be acquainted with the History that we may be able to talke of it but we make not that profitable use of them for the reformation of our lives as we ought to doe If any in the time of the Law have beene punished for any sin let us take heede of that sin 2 Whereas the Apostle chargeth us especially to take heede of an evill and unfaithfull heart it gives us to understand that every Christian is to looke most carefully to his heart It is good to set a watch over our eyes hands feete tongues but chiefely for to set a watch over our hearts Keep thy heart with diligence omni custodia The heart carries all the body as the great wheele in a clocke doth the whole clocke therefore let us all have an eye to it that it bee in good temper Out of the heart come Murders Adulterie all kinde of mischiefes therefore let us take heede to our hearts It is a folly to goe about to stop the streame if the fountaine remaine unstopped A beautifull apple is not worth a straw if it be rotten at the Core The roote of the tree is especially regarded by every good husband that there be no wormes in it otherwise it is a folly to looke to the branches Let us that be Christians sift and examine our hearts let us labour to purge and clense them especially let us take heede that the worme of infidelity which will cause us to depart from God be not breeding in them That is the maine point that he aymeth at Infidelity is a grievous sin As faith is the greatest vertue so infidelity is the greatest vice Christ could doe nothing among His owne brethren for their unbeliefe sake Matth. 13. ult Infidelity is a barre to keepe out Gods blessings Our Saviour after His Resurrection reproved the eleven Apostles for their infidelity Marke 16.14 The Holy Ghost shall rebuke the world of sin because they did not believe in Christ Iohn 16.9 The Iewes were cut off for their infidelity and we that bee Christians stand by faith Rom. 11.20 The noble man that would not believe Gods promise was trodden under feet in the gate 2 Reg. 7.17 The ancient Israelites whom God brought with a mighty arme out of Aegypt perished in the wildernesse for their infidelity and never set a foote into the promised land Therefore take heed there be not in any of you an unfaithfull heart shall we not believe God shall we make him a lyer hath he said it and shall He not do it Let us not upon the sight of every difficulty murmure against God as the Israelites did and cast away the hope wee have in His mercy and power but let us at all times and in all extremities trust in Him Let us never depart from Christ Iesus which is the high and living God as the Israelites did Will ye also goe away sayd Christ to his Apostles no sayes Saint Peter in the name of the rest Lord whither shall we goe thou hast the words of Eternall life There is no name under heaven whereby we can be saved but the name and power of Christ. Therefore let us not depart from Christ to Moses to circumcision and other Iewish ceremonies to seeke salvation by the observation of the law but as wee have begun to fight as Souldiers under Christs banner so let us continue fighting to the end Let us never depart from this our Captaine Let not the assaults of Satan the allurements of the world honour riches preferment let not the sweet pleasures of the flesh carry us away from Christ
good thing but to obey that which we heare is better Not every one that saith Lord Lord but he that doth the will of my Father shall enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Mat. 7.21 Christ shall come from heaven to render vengeance to them that obeyed not the Gospell 2 Thes. 1.8 The ancient Israelites were banished out of Gods rest because they obeyed not His voyce I was not disobedient sayes Paul to the heavenly vision Let us by their example learne to obey God that we be not excluded out of His everlasting rest VERSE 19. IN the last place he poynteth out that maine and capitall sin for the which they were debarred this rest and he introduceth it in Emphaticall termes In the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a conjunction copulative but often it hath the force of an illative as 1 Cor. 15.21 It is as cleere as the noone day we may behold it with our eyes Not that they would not it may be they had a minde to enter into that rest but could not why what barred them out unbeliefe Infidelity is a grievous sin The Noble man on whose hand the King leaned was troden under foote in the gate because he believed not the Word of the Lord. If the Lord would make windowes in heaven might this thing be it cost him his life for it The ancient Israelites were heere excluded out of the Land of Canaan and many of them out of the Kingdom of heaven too because of their unbeliefe Can God give us flesh to eate can he prepare a table for us in the wildernesse thus they mooted on Gods power and called it into question ô the townes of the Land of Canaan are walled up to heaven the inhabitants are Gyants we as Grashoppers in comparison of them Can God bring us into this land for that cause they entred not into it therefore let us labour to pluck up this bitter roote of infidelity out of the hearts of us all Neverthelesse it is the proper vice of this age it reigneth exceedingly among the professors of the Gospell we believe neither Gods threatnings nor His promises God saies whoremongers I will Iudge a poynt for his judging we will be whoremasters still God resisteth the proud yet we will be proud men still Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruite c. We reade of no hurt that Dives did to Lazarus hee did not set his dogges on him nor cudgel him from his gate yet because hee did no good hee fryed in Hell wee will not believe this for all that wee will keepe that wee have to our selves and doe no good with it The curse shall not depart from the house of the swearer yet we sweare still we laugh in our sleeves at the threatnings of God And as for his promises we believe them not God hath promised us a Kingdome where though we be consumed to dust and ashes yet we shall rest with Christ for ever yet we believe not this A Bird in the hand is better then two in the bush We will not leave our earthly pleasures in hope of this Kingdome Our unbeliefe is in a manner as great as theirs therefore God may worthily shut us out of his rest But let us remove this infidelity out of our hearts This is the time of the yeare that we remoove tenants out of houses unbeliefe is a bad tenant that will not onely pay us no rent but will also rend Gods Kingdome from us hath dwelt in the houses of our hearts many yeares together let us now at length give him a remoove thrust him out of doores let us beleive God in all his sayings in this life that we may rest with him in his eternall Kingdome in the life to come CHAP. 4. IN the former Chapter he excited us to a reverend attention to Christ the Doctor and Prophet of the Church by a fearefull example of the wrath of God that fell upon the ancient Israelites for hardning their hearts against his voice and contemning him for this cause they were excluded Gods rest Now in the beginning of this Chapter he makes a more large and evident application of that example to us in the time of the Gospell wishing us not to tread in the steps of the rebellious Iewes least we drinke of the cup of Gods wrath as they did This Chapter divides it selfe into two branches 1. The remainder of Christ his prophesie to Verse 14. 2. A transition to his priesthood In the remainder the former example is applied to us In the which application wee have first a dehortation from incredulitie which was the barre that kept them out of God's rest to Verse 11. 2. An exhortation to a diligent studie to enter into that rest Touching the former 1. A propounding of the dehortation 2. A preventing of an objection that might bee made against it In the propounding of it 1. The substance of it 2. A reason whereby it is strengthened The substance of it is comprehended Ver. 1. VERSE 1. SEeing we have such a terrible example of Gods wrath in the ancient Israelites which for their unbeliefe and contumacie were shut out of Gods rest let us being subject to the like frailety and as little able of our selves to stand as they let us feare that we fall not as they did What is it that we must feare Least any of us should seeme to come short of his rest for there is no time to sin and goe to hell in our youth or elder age How lest the promise being left cast behinde our backe and not regarded the cause of infidelity is a carelesse neglect of God his promise Where read we of any promise made of entring into his rest we read of a commination or threatning that some should not enter into it but in the former testimony there was contained no promise True not directly yet indirectly and by necessary consequent for if God sware that they should not enter which disobeyed him then a secret promise was included that the faithfull and obedient should enter in therefore let us feare least forsaking this promise of entring into his rest c. Any of you For I love you all and would be loath that one of you should perish Seeme not simply say be deprived Some thinke the Apostle so speaketh that he might not exasperate the Iewes which would have taken it in great snuffe Therefore he sayes if any seeme but that word may have his force Seeme and that worthily even in the judgement of all the world by neglecting so great salvation to be deprived To come short The word is very significant To be left behind If among them that travell by the way some being weary of the length and tediousnesse of the journey slacke their pace sit downe and will make no hast the rest enter into the towne or City to the which they travell but they are left behind So if we goe not on cheerefully in the way following God calling us that leadeth
people the way to heaven to pray for the people in the congregation to carry their prayers to God to celebrate the Sacraments these be the lysts of the Minister The Magistrate hath his bounds and the Minister his Vzziah though a King must not meddle with the Priests office and Azariah the High Priest must not intrude himselfe into the Kings office yet that High Priest of Rome will have both swords hee will bee a Priest and a King too he will be for matters of the world as well as for GODS matters Boniface the eight shewed himselfe one day in the attyre of a Priest another day in the attyre of a Prince affirming that hee was both Bellarmine of late hath somewhat minced the matter that the Pope hath no power in temporall matters directè yet indirectè quoad bonum spirituale he may play Rex In respect of the spirituall good of the Church he may depose Princes at his pleasure and dispose of their kingdomes as pleaseth him So as a man get into an house it makes no great matter whether directly or indirectly and the Papists so as they may thrust the Pope into the possession of temporalities they care not whether directly or indirectly If one kill a man whether directly or indirectly all is one So as the Pope may play the butcher with Kings and Princes at his pleasure what availeth it whether directly or indirectly this is indirect dealing by an indirect distinction to breake downe the wall of partition that God Himselfe hath set up betweene the Priest and the Magistrate Every one shall finde enough to doe in his office and to guide his owne boate though he intermedle not in the office of the other and put his rudder into another mans boate Let the Magistrate look well to his temporall things and let the Minister keepe himselfe to his spirituall things they be both Gods deputies the one in things that belong to God the other in things that perâ—â—ine to men Let them discharge their offices to Gods glory and the good of them that be committed to their charge He insisteth in one particular pertaining to GOD that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sinnes that is for the expiation of sinnes The Iesuits will have a perpetuall Priest-hood to be heere described and ordained in this place There must be Priests to the end of the world to offer sacrifice for sinne whereas it is as cleare as the noone day that this description is borrowed out of the law to set forth the spirituall Priest-hood of Christ withall The Apostle here teacheth us not what must be in the time of the Gospell but what was in the time of the law applying it to Christ. An externall sacrifice propitiatory for sin as they will have it is injurious to the blessed and perfect sacrifice which Christ offred on the Crosse for the sins of the world All outward sacrifices for sinne must now cease the bloud of Christ shed on the crosse having purged us from all sinne Yet the Ministers of the Gospell have now some sacrifices to offer up they bee either common with all Christians or proper to their ministerie 1. They must offer up themselves soules and bodies as an holy sacrifice to God as all Christians are bound to doe 2. They must bee plentifull in the workes of mercie to their power as other Christians are for with such sacrifices GOD is well pleased But there be other spirituall sacrifices that are also proper to them 1. To present the prayers of the people to God Ezra praised the great God of heaven and all the people said Amen So the Minister as the mouth of the congregation as a Spirituall Priest must offer up the prayers of the people to God and they in an holy zeale subscribe to him saying Amen Amen 2. We by the preaching of the Word doe sacrifice the people to God The Priests in the time of the law took a knife and cut the throat of a Calfe a Sheepe a Goat and so sacrificed them to the Lord. We by the sword of the Spirit cut the throat of sin of covetousnes pride malice uncleannes and so offer up the people as a glorious sacrifice to the Lord an odour that smelleth sweete Happy are they that bee sacrificed by the Ministers of the holy Word these sacrifices wee must offer to the end of the world and pray for us that we may offer them to Gods glory the comfort and salvation of you all VERSE 2. HE must not only execute his office but in such a manner as God requireth not in rigour and severity but in love kindnesse and compassion Which is illustrated by the persons on whom he must have compassion and the cause why If any sinne on ignorance or weakenesse hee must have compassion on them Such as are seduced by others and carryed out of the way what and if they sinne on knowledge Must they not be pittied Yes God forbid else but if they sin on malice against the knowne truth we must not so much as pray for them nor bee touched with any compassion towards them Pray not for this people neither lift up a cry for them There is a sinne unto death I doe not say that yee shall pray for it Saint Paul had no pitty on Alexander the Copper-Smith but prayed against him Otherwise if any of the people through infirmitie fall into a sinne if upon weakenesse of braine he be overcome with drinke if by the flattering entisements of the flesh he happen to be carryed into Adultery if hee bee somewhat too much in love with the world if he be a little tinckled with pride if he happen to be seduced by any Heretickes that come with a shew of Religion with faire and sugred words and so beguile him ere hee bee aware wee that be the Preachers of the Word must have compassion on such A Minister must not have an heart of flint but of oyle ready to melt at the consideration of the infirmities of the people and there is good cause why Because he himselfe is compassed with infirmities as they are as with a gowne that covers him from top to toe VERSE 3. ANd that he proveth by an evident signe A Minister is compassed with the same infirmities that the people are The Lycaonians would have sacrificed to St. Paul and Barnabas but they refused it O doe not so we are men of the like passions with you Cornelius fell downe at Saint Peters feet but hee tooke him up saying I my selfe also am a man Elias was a rare and admirable Prophet yet a man subject to like passions as we are Though we be never so wise learned or holy yet let the best Preachers in the world remember that they be men cloathed with the ragged Coate of infirmities as others bee Hence it is that Ministers yea famous Ministers doe often fall As Noah did into drunkennesse David into Adultery and murder Peter
and not in his heart It hath beene an ancient custome in the Church of Rome to sweare by Saints and by their relikes But consuetudo sine veritate erroris est vetustas Cypr. l. 2. ep 3. The laying on of the hand on a Bible or a testament when we sweare This may bee excused for properly to speake wee doe not sweare by the Bible it is only an obtestation as the words of this bible are most true so is that which I sweare and it is an outward token whereby wee declare to the world that wee sweare by him which is the authour of the Bible or because in this booke are contained the promises and threatnings of the LORD to them that sweare truly and against them that sweare falsely so among the heathen they touched the altar when they swore yet they swore by him whom they worshipped on that altar for they would lift up their hands to heaven when they swore denoting by that bodily gesture of theirs that they did sweare by God alone who made the heavens We may sweare by God primariò principaliter but we may sweare by the creatures Secundariò This is but a meere shift and fond evasion Zephan 1.5 for they sware by the Lord primarily by malchum secondarily yet God was offended with them Besides there is none greater than man but God The Angels are creatures as well as we they are our fellow-servants and one fellow-servant must not sweare by another therefore we that be creatures must sweare only by the Creatour 3. Here wee see what a reverent estimation wee are to have of an oath it must be the end of contradiction after men have sworne wee should be as mute as fishes not have a word to say An oath was sacred among the heathen 1 Sam. 30.15 Abimelech and Phicol his Captaine were satisfied when they had Isacks oath Gen. 21.22 but with us small credit is to be given to oathes the oath of a Christian is no sure foundation to build upon Iesabel had false witnesses at her elbow to condemne Naboth withall the Pharisees had two false witnesses in a readinesse to sweare against our SAVIOUR CHRIST And now a dayes such is the corruption among Christians that small credit is to be given to many mens oathes for they say it is an easie matter in London and I would to God it were not in the country to procure men to sweare to what they will So that now a dayes an oath is rather the beginning then the end of controversies whereupon so many perjuries are found in the land a manifest argument that Atheisme growes among us The foole that is the wicked man sayes in his heart there is no God and I thinke many sweare by God if there be a God but all false swearers shall one day know to the terrour of their conscience that there is a God who will be avenged on them for abusing his name Let an oath be such an holy thing with us that there may be no more controversie after we have sworne Then why should we doubt of our salvation God hath bound himselfe by oath and promise to bring us to his kingdome and shal wee bee as reeds wavering with the winde I for our salvation dependeth in some sort on our workes pendet ex certitudine operum quae conjectu ralis atque imperfecta certitudo est It dependeth on works not as causes but as inseparable effects of faith not upon their dignity or perfection but upon their being with faith Be faithfull to the end and I will give thee the crowne of life I but who can tell whether he shall persevere to the end or not We may be good to day and bad to morrow Noah David Peter fell Yes we may be comfortably sure of our perseverance for hee that hath begun a worke in us will finish it to the day of Christ and though we fall yet we shall rise againe for the Lord putteth to his hand whom he once loveth hee loveth to the end and never forsakes them till hee have brought them to his kingdome Onely let us not bee rocked a sleepe in the cradle of security but work out our salvation with feare and trembling VERSE 17. Ἐφ ' ῷ̔ wherein in the which thing or in the which oath or for the which cause God did it willingly not by constraint none could enforce him to it More abundantly then was necessary for his bare word had beene enough save that the weakenesse of man required it See here GODS dealing with us after the manner of men To shew that is to make a lively and evident demonstration Vnto the heyres of promise not to Abraham alone but to all the faithfull The immutability which cannot be transposed or altered Not of his promise but counsell arguing that it was no sudden or fickle promise but such as proceeded from wise and deliberate counsell and the counsell or decree of God standeth for ever That of Hezekiahs and the Ninevites had a secret condition unlesse he had prayed earnestly for life and the others repented Ier. 18.7 8. or it was rather a commination then the pronuntiation of a decree or counsell Interposuit se as if CHRIST the Mediatour had made this oath and interposed himselfe in it betweene the father and us for the greater ratifying of it Oecumen Annexed to his promise Here we have the dignity of the godly they are heyres not of a Knight of a Lord a Duke c. but of God and the promises that is of the joyes of heaven which GOD hath promised to them in his word The kingdome of heaven belongs to Children not to servants the faithfull are the Children of God and joynt heires with Christ so that the inheritance of the celestiall Canaan pertaines to them how then dare you despise the lest of the heyres of promise 2. This may comfort us against the crosses of this life Art thou a poore man hast no money in thy purse to relieve thy selfe and thy family withall as Peter and Iohn had not hast thou not a bed to rest thy weary body on nor an house to hide thine head in as Christ had not the foxes have holes and the birds of the ayre have nests but the Sonne of man hath not whereon to lay his head yet faint not neither be discouraged for thou art an heyre of promise and shalt one day have a full fruition of the heavenly inheritance prepared from before the foundations of the world were laid The heyre of a Gentleman is kept under Tutors and Governours in the time of his nonage but as soone as that is expired he is at liberty and free from all so though we be the heyres of God yet in the time of our minority and nonage in this world we are kept under many austere masters yet the day of our redemption drawes nigh when as all teares shall be wiped from our eyes and we shall have full
of tithes by the Ministers argues a superioritie that GOD hath given them over the people In things appertaining to their office they are greater than the temporalty they are Gods Ambassadours and workmen with him and the tithes are a tribute which the people are bound to pay them for their worke Here wee behold the greatnesse of the Ministerie and what great men the Ministers bee It is a thing worth the consideration of us all for the Holy Ghost wills us to consider it The receiving of tythes from the people argues the greatnesse of the Ministers to whom tithes are paid The world through the subtilty and malice of Satan hath a base opinion of the Ministers supposing them to be little men of no account or reputation yet in very truth whatsoever their stature be if as little as Zacheus whatsoever their outward estate and condition be though as poore as Peter and Iohn that said silver and gold have we none yet in truth they are great men Obadiah though the Kings steward had an high opinion of Elias sayes he art not thou my Lord Elias the King of Israel esteemed highly of Elisha My father the charet of Israel and the horseman thereof Herod reverenced Iohn Baptist and the very Devill speaking in the mayd spake honourably of Paul and Silas Constantine the Emperour used the Bishops at the Councell of Nice with marveilous respect he would needs have them to sit downe by him and he would not be covered when any of them were preaching The Spirit of God sayes in this place consider how great a man Melchizedec was So say I to you all consider what great men the Preachers of the word be Is not the Kings Ambassadour a great man they are Ambassadours of the King of Kings therfore great men Is not the steward of a noble mans house a great man these are Gods stewards the disposers of the secrets of God as Paul termeth them 1 Cor. 4.1 they are as Christ himselfe in their place and office he that heareth you heareth me Luk. 10.16 When they preach Christ preacheth therefore great men to be received as Angels from heaven yea as Christ himself yet some prophane persons there be that suppose them to be the least of all others of least account and estimation He is no Iustice of peace no governour in the Common-wealth therefore a little man a straw for him I but though in secular affaires they are subject to the civill Magistrates yet in spirituall matters they are above them I speak of subordinate Magistrates Consider them that labour among you and are over you in the Lord they are the Shepheards and all others though there be a Gentleman a Knight a Lord in the parish yet they be all his sheepe Therefore the Minister in respect of his office is a great man So let us esteeme of him and receive with meekenesse feare and reverence the word delivered by him The small account that the people make of the Preacher causes the Word of God to finde the lesser entertainement among them therefore banish that opinion out of your hearts and know them to be great men as indeed they be VERSE 5. AGainst that might bee objected What is the receiving of tithes an argument of greatnesse Why then the Levites are as great as Melchizedec for they take tithes Sol true indeed yet great oddes betweene them 1. They are of the tribe of Levi which GOD consecrated to the Priest-hood in that respect they have a right to receive tithes Melchizedec is none of that tribe yet hee takes tithes because his Priest-hood is more excellent in regard whereof he hath a greater interest to tithes 2. The people give them tithes because they have an expresse commandement from GOD to take them Abraham not by commandement but willingly of his owne accord gave tithes to Melchizedec because he knew he had an immediate autority to take them from God being in a more excellent manner the Priest of God 3. The Levites take tithes of the progeny of Abraham Melchizedec of Abraham himselfe the author and foundation of the whole stocke of the Hebrewes They have a commandement which is laid downe Num. 18.21 31. Lev. 27.30 Deut. 14.22 27. therefore they may lawfully take and who be they that dare resist this commandement According to the law not of their owne braines but by warrant from the Law Not of some but of all the people none are exempted from paying of tithes To tithe the people that is by a metonymie the goods of the people He shewes what is meant by the people the Israelites their brethren they were brethren in nature having all one father which was Abraham and in religion professing one God and religion This should make them more loving one to another 4. They tooke tithes or their brethren but Melchizedec of their father which was Abraham Vterini as it were though in this respect they and the people are equall both came out of Abrahams loines yet that did not priviledge them from paying tithes to the Levites There be two veines and two arteries from the loines which carry the seede to the place thereof therefore they are put for generation Though the Ministers bee advanced into a chaire of dignity above the people yet they must remember that they are their brethren The King is the subjects brother when thou makest a King thou shalt take him from among thy brethren much more is the Minister brother to those to whom hee speaketh Our Saviour Christ is not ashamed to call us brethren and shall wee disdaine to call the least Sheepe in our flocke our brother or our sister Wee must not bee as Lords and tyrants over God his heritage but carry our selves as brethren towards them Speake kindely have compassion one on an others infirmities as brethren VERSE 6. HEre we see Melchizedec Priest of the most high God received tithes and the Levites had a commandement to take tithes Now here a question doth necessarily offer it selfe whereunto the text draweth mee whether I will or no whether tithes bee the perpetuall maintenance of the Ministery or not A thing somewhat controversall in this last and wicked age of the world wherein charitie waxeth cold as to all in generall so to the Ministers in speciall Some if there were no law to compell them would give them neither tithes nor any other thing at all so unthankefull are they for the foode of their soules I but wee will not stand to mans courtesie for then in most places we should have a cursey but it shall be evinced out of the Word of GOD that tithes is that part and portion which God Almighty hath allotted to us It was not only the Levites maintenance in the time of the law but it is our maintenance in the time of the Gospell and must continue to the worlds end Bellar contendeth that tythes are due to the Ministery non jure divino sed ecclesiastico yet he alloweth that
God and one another in love in some calling or other The eye serveth one way for the benefit of the body the eare another way the hand another way and the foote the lowest part of the body serves too the service whereof is so necessary as that the body cannot be without it We may serve God to his glory and our owne comfort in the meanest calling that is and let us all so serve him in our severall places in this world that wee may raigne with him in the world to come The Apostle doth not say whereof no man ruled at the Altar It cannot bee denyed but that Ministers in some sort are rulers of the people obey them that have the oversight of you in the Lord yet our office must not puffe us up with pride we must remember it is a service yea a painefull and an honourable service He that desireth the office of a Bishop desireth a worthy worke on us rather than honos prodesse rather than praesse 2 Cor. 4.5 Our selves your servants for CHRIST 's sake Yet it is not a base service as some imagine and in reproch they will say of a Minister hee serves at such a towne Wee grant we are servants yet in an high and honourable place we serve in the Church the house of God as stewards do in a Noble mans house we dispense to you the foode of life Therefore as all the household honours the steward so ought all the parish to honour the Minister VERSE 14. TO put it out of all doubt hee sheweth to what Tribe this Priest appertaineth he proves it by the common voice and testimony of all it is a cleere case all confesse it Of whom it is said the Lord said to my Lord sit thou on my right hand c. As the Sunne dispelling the clouds and darknesse of the night riseth in the morning and scattereth his beames over all the world So the Sonne of righteousnesse rose dispelling the foggie mists of the ceremoniall law and spreading the light of the Gospell over all the world Iudah both on his supposed fathers side Luk. 2.4 and on his mothers side Luk. 1.27 It seemes that Christ pertained to the Tribe of Levi too 1. Elizabeth was Maries Couzin she was Wife to Zacharie which was of the Tribe of Levi now they were to marry in their owne Tribes Sol They of the Tribe of Levi might take Wives out of other Tribes so as the inheritance were not transported out of the Tribe as 2 Chron. 22.11 yet the men not the women gave the denomination of the Tribe and the child was not said to be of that Tribe whereof his mother was but whereof his father was 2. Nathan was of the Tribe of Levi yet Christ came of him Luk. 3.31 It was not Nathan the Prophet but one of David's sonnes of that name 2 Sam. 5.14 It is manifest Christ was of the Tribe of Iudah the Sonne of David concerning which Moses Gods Scribe and Pen-man of that that was deputed to the Priest hood The Tribe is changed ergo the Priest-hood It pleased CHRIST to come of the Tribe of Iudah not for any holinesse that was in Iudah above the rest of the twelve Patriarchs Iudah himselfe committed incest with his daughter though unknowne to him at the least hee tooke her to be an Whore and lay with her but our Saviour made choice of this Tribe of his owne gracious goodnesse Though CHRIST descended of the Tribe of Iudah yet all of that Tribe were not sayed There are seald as many thousands of all other Tribes as of that and of that Tribe as Kings and others are noted to be wicked men Therefore wee must not flatter our selves in any outward prerogatives as the Papists doe They have a part of the coate wherein Christ went to be crucified some of the nailes wherewith hee was fastned to the Crosse they make pilgrimages to the Sepulchre of Christ c. All these are nothing to salvation Though thou couldest derive thy generation from Christ according to the flesh though thou haddest beene one of Christs brethren if possible lien in the same wombe yet that makes thee not the neerer to the kingdome of heaven Lay hold on Christ with a lively faith labour to say with Paul I live and yet not I but the Son of God liveth in mee then thou shalt be eternally saved Our LORD CHRIST is often honoured in Scripture with this title it may worthily bee adscribed to him He created us of nothing preserveth and upholdeth us being created hee bought us with his precious bloud when we were worse than nothing therefore justly is he our Lord. This we confesse in our Creede And in Iesus Christ our Lord this we professe in our prayers which end thus through Iesus Christ our Lord. Yet we use him not as our Lord yee call mee Master and Lord and yee doe well but then yee ought to behave your selves as dutifull and obedient servants to me Servants goe and come at the commandement of their Lord. I have servants under me sayes the Centurion I say to one goe and he goeth doe this and he doth it Doe we deale so with Christ our Lord hee sayes come not at the Ale-house there to sit quaffing and swilling till reason be buried in you yet we will be as drunken as Apes as wee use to speake Our Lord sayes your bodies are mine they bee my members and the temples of the Holy Ghost doe not prostitute them to Whores and Harlots yet we will do it Our Lord sayes one thing is necessary preferre the hearing of my Word before all worldly businesses yet if there be a Sermon in the Towne and a paltry faire a little from the Towne we will preferre the faire before the Sermon Christ shall speake to the walls for all us Our Lord sayes use my name reverently in all your talke yet we will make it as common as a Tennis ball and sweare by God and Christ at every word Is this to call Christ Lord Christ hath the name of our Lord and the Devill hath our service what a monstrous thing is this As in word we call Christ Lord so let our deeds shew us to be his servants we are bought with a price wee are not our owne but Iesus Christs therefore let us glorifie him in our Spirits and bodies which be his VERSE 15. THe second Argument is taken from the discrepant creation of Priests he that is made a Priest after an heavenly and Spirituall manner is greater then they that are made after an earthly and carnall manner our Saviour Christ is made after an heavenly and Spirituall manner they after an earthly and carnall manner therefore he is greater then they Hee makes an entrance into it by the cleerenesse and evidencie of the case More abundantly evident that the Leviticall Priesthood is gone and the Priesthood of Christ is come into the roome of it If after but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is
hundred thousand thousand Angels is with us Wheresoever we be let us be as bold as Lyons Neh. 6.11 No King so guarded as we are 2. Having such holy attendants as the Angels be let us doe nothing that may grieve them and make them weary of their service Let the women bee covered because of the Angels so let not us that be Christians sit quaffing and swilling because of the Angels Let us not be together by the eares because of the Angels Let us not commit filthinesse with Whores and harlots in secret corners because of the Angels as our keepers be holy so let us be holy 3. Let us bee thankefull to God Almighty that hath given us his Angels to overshadow us Let us live in the feare of the living God in this world that we may sing praise to him with his Angels in the world to come Sundry other things there were about the tabernacle the narration whereof might have delighted the reader But Saint Paul here jogs himselfe by the elbow and is a Moderatour to himselfe you are desirous to heare more but it is expedient to cut them off Wherein he may be a president to all teachers Though the discussing of curious and intricate questions would more delight the auditory yet we must not feede their humour that way Let us give them but a taste of them and a whole mouthfull of sound and wholesome foode The Child would take pleasure in a knife with a golden haft but it shall bee the wisedome of the nurse to keepe it from the Child so the people as wayward Children are much carryed away with the golden shew of wittie conceits but let us that bee their nurses give them that milke which is most requisite for them Some peradventure in this place would have said O Paul why doest thou so sleightly handle the things belonging to the tabernacle repeat I pray thee every particular to us it doth us good to heare of them yet he doth not satisfie their itching eares in that I but St. Paul hath more necessary matter Let us especially be desirous to heare of Christ our High-Priest and Bishop of our soules of repentance of faith in him of making our calling sure by good workes of the true Sanctuary of heaven then of those earthly things these are more profitable for us Some at this day would have us to discusse these questions in the pulpit tell us on what day Adam fell on what day the Angels were created what diversity there is among them how originall sin is conveyed to us speake of the diversity of glory in the life to come as for Christ faith good workes these be stale things But wee must not satisfie them therein curious matters must not bee stood upon when more weighty and proffitable things are to bee propounded The Spirit of God passeth over sundry other things about the Tabernacle because hee had more substantiall points in hand tending to our salvation by Christ. VERSE 6. THe typicall actions were either common to all the Priests Verse 7. or proper to the High Priests Ver. 8. Now when these things were thus ordained that is all the parts of the Tabernacle being framed and all instruments set in their place In the actions belonging to all the Priests there are these circumstances 1. The place where they did minister to that they were tyed and might goe no further 2. The time when they did minister 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at every time when it came to their courses Some or other were alwayes to be implyed in the first Tabernacle 3. The manner of their ministery they accomplished the services of Religion and of divine worship which the Lord had appointed to them they trimmed the lights looked to the Table and shew bread that was on it offered up sacrifices and prayers for the people for there was a morning and an evening sacrifice every day All these things did the Priests in the first Tabernacle and they did them not by halves but finished and accomplished them As they did their duties so must wee that be the Ministers of the Gospell doe ours Wee must give our selves to the Word of God and prayer we must be instant in season and out of season feeding the flock committed to our charge we must administer the Sacraments for the strengthning of the faith of the people that when the great Shepheard shall appeare we may appeare with him in glory The killing of the beasts the preparing of the wood the kindling of the fire the offering up of the sacrifices to the Lord the sprinckling of the people the instructing of them in the Law of God this was the service of God in the Old Testament Now the publike prayers of the Church the reading of Scripture in the congregation the administration of the Sacraments the Preaching of the Word these are the service of God in the New Testament And will you be sitting in the Church yard when Gods service is exercised in the Church doe yee make no more account of the service of God It is a singular honour to be Gods servant Nebuchadnezar my servant It is no disparagement to the greatest Prince in the world to be Gods servant The Angels glory in this that they are Gods servants I am thy fellow servant Christ Himselfe tooke on him the forme of a servant he came into the world to serve There is no fishing to the Sea no service to the King Let us serve the King of Kings with all cheerefulnesse in this world that we may raigne with him in the world to come VERSE 7. THe second part of the typicall service was performed by the common Priest the other typicall action or service is peculiar to the High-Priest wherein wee have these circumstances 1. The place where he served it was the Holy of Holies 2. How he served there he had none of the inferiour Priests with him nor any of his men to attend on him neither Wife Childe servant nor friend might goe with him hee went into it alone wherein he was a famous figure of our SAVIOUR CHRIST who himselfe alone without the Virgin Mary his mother Peter Thomas or any of the Apostles made a propitiation for our sinnes As the High-Priest did offer up bloud alone for the sin of the people in the second Tabernacle So CHRIST alone hath satisfied for our sins 1 Pet. 2.24 When hee went to the Crosse to bee offered up for our sins all his Disciples left him he was faine to be crucified Himselfe alone for us therefore wee are beholden to him alone for the wonderfull worke of our redemption 3. The time when he went not once a day but once a yeere A straight charge was given concerning it Levit. 16.2 Why did he goe into it but once a yeere 1. That this sacrifice offered once a yeere by the High-Priest might bee more solemne and the better regarded by the people those things that are done dayly are lesse esteemed that
Testament is made There is no Mediatour besides him Mediatour quasi medius dator Of the New Testament which is farre different from the Old Covenant or Testament for it consisteth on better promises Hebrewes 8. ver 6. By the meanes of death that death being or comming betweene for the redeeming of us from the punishments due to the transgressions and the price wherewith he redeemed us from them was his owne bloud If CHRIST his death doth redeeme us from all transgressions then there needs no sacrifices for sin after his death Yes say the Iesuites one to be a representation of that on the Crosse. I but you say that the sacrifice of the Masse and that on the Crosse are all one in substance differing only in the forme and manner Now if Christ be really present in the Masse how can the Masse bee a representation of him And that manner is opposite to the Scriptures for the Scripture sayes he is only offered up with bloud Your unbloudy sacrifice is no sacrifice In the former covenant whereas we for our part were not able to performe that which belonged to us GOD performed his part but we could not doe ours It is unseasonable here to dispute whether CHRIST delivered them that lived in the time of the Law for by the Old Testament is meant the Old Covenant not the time of the Old Testament Therefore it is opposed to the New Testament In the Greeke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if it were for the sins of them that were under the Old Testament That they which are called namely effectually as well internally by the spirit as externally by the word 1 Cor. 1.2 24. Rom. 8.30 Not only heare it but receive it namely by faith The promise The full fruition whereof they should receive hereafter in the meane season the Holy Ghost is as a Seale and earnest penny of it Ephes. 1.13 2 Cor. 1.22 It is not a thing merited by our workes but a gracious inheritance promised to us CHRIST is the right and principall heire Hebr. 1.2 we are secondary heyres with him and by him Rom. 8.17 Not a fading inheritance as these be but that lasteth for ever CHRIST is the sole Mediatour 1 Tim. 2.5 Ioh. 16.23 Apoc. 8.3 Let us not cry with those Idolaters ô Baal heare us but aske the Father in his Sons name and say ô CHRIST heare us Who prevailes more with the King then the Kings Son Let us not leave the Sonne and goe to servants There is a double calling the one externall alone by the outward sound of the word the other externall and internall too not by the Trumpet of the Word alone ringing in the eare but by the voice of the Spirit also perswading the heart and moving us to goe to Christ. Of this calling spake our SAVIOUR CHRIST no man commeth to me except the Father draw him namely by his spirit as well as by his word Iudas was called hee was not a professour alone but a Preacher of the Gospell Simon Magus was called he believed and was baptized Herod was called he heard Iohn Baptist sweetely and did many things that he willed him Sundry at this day come to Church heare Sermons talke of Religion that doe not answere Gods call Therefore let us entreat the Lord to call us effectually by his blessed Spirit out of our sinnes to holinesse and newnesse of life If wee be thus called we shall receive the eternall inheritance which CHRIST hath purchased for us Let us be suiters to God that he would make us partakers of this calling that makes an alteration of us 1 Cor. 6.9 11. If wee were Idolaters as Manasseh to call us out of our superstition and idolatry if persecutors as Paul to call us out of our persecuting if wee are Adulterers as David to call us out of our uncleannesse if drunkards out of our drunkennes if covetous oppressours as Zacheus was to call us out of our oppression and make us new Creatures in Christ Iesus It is not a purchase bought with the money of our owne merits but an inheritance bequeathed to us by the last Will and Testament of our Saviour Christ Luk. 22.29 and I appoint unto you a kingdome as my father hath appointed unto me The inheritances that bee in the world seeme faire and glorious it is a goodly thing to have the inheritance of a great Gentleman of a Knight Lord Earle Duke but a Kings inheritance surpasseth all yet these are but strawes to this inheritance These inheritances may bee taken from us while wee bee here Mephibosheth's lands were given away to Tsibah and Naboth lost his Vineyard though it was the inheritance of his fathers When Death comes then we must forgoe all houses and lands all that our fathers left us But this inheritance is eternall wee can never be deprived of it we shall enjoy it world without end Therefore let us seeke to have an assurance of this inheritance in our hearts and consciences If a man be sure to be a Lords heyre though hee is in misery yet he will endure it we are sure to have an eternall inheritance by Christ let us therefore abide patiently the miseries of this short life VERSE 16. THere must needs be carryed as a true and an infallible report it must be sure and certaine that the Testatour is dead Where 1. The axiome 2. The proofe or illustration of it Verse 17. Here wee see it was necessary CHRIST should dye Ought not CHRIST to suffer these things and to enter into his glory Luk. 24 26. why not because the Devill would have it to be so not that the rage and fury of the Pharises should bee satisfied not because Iudas would but because God the Father in singular love to mankinde had so ordained in his eternall counsell and because Christ was willing to dye for us Can mankinde bee saved no otherwise but by my death then here am I take me I will dye for them ô the wonderfull love of Christ Here the Testatour would live still if he might and then the legataries should never have their legacies our testatour might have lived still if he would being the Lord of life yet that we might have our legacy hee would dye ô unspeakable love Let it bee imprinted on our hearts that it may constraine us to leave all sins VERSE 17. NOw followes the proofe or illustration of the axiom A Testament is thus defined by Vlpianus Est declaratio voluntatis nostrae de eo quod fieri volumus post mortem Is of force Is firme After the Testatour is dead both because hee may alter it at his pleasure and the goods remaine all still in the Testatours hands it is testamentum ambulatorium usque ad mortem The Testament of our SAVIOUR CHRIST is a good Testament It is partly nuncupativum as it was pronounced by himselfe when hee was alive partly Scriptum as it was after committed to
offer any sacrifice for sin but remaining in heaven still he patiently abideth Then let us waite The foot-stoole of his feete Donec imports a continuation of time Sinne the Devill and his instruments death it selfe If Christ tarrieth for us shall not we tarry for him Luk. 12.36 2 Pet. 3.12 The soules of the Saints that lay under the Altar cryed how long Lord but this answer was returned to them that they should rest for a little season untill their fellow servants and brethren were fulfilled Apoc. 6.10 11. The patient abiding of the poore shall not perish for ever Let us by patience and long suffering passe through the sea of afflictions in this world that we may be with Christ in the haven of eternall happinesse in the world to come Let us tarry for him till the breath bee out of our bodies and let our flesh rest in hope till the day of judgement 2. This phrase doth signifie the greatest and basest part of subjection that can be Ioshua made the men of War to set their feete on the neckes of the Kings that fought against them Ios. 10.24 Adonibezeck made them whom he subdued to gather crumbes under his table Iud. 1.7 The Psalmist sayes of the enemies of Christ they shall licke the dust under his feete and Rom. 16.20 The God of peace shall tread Satan under our feete I will lay thee at my foote we are wont to say Now as they shall be Christ's footstoole so our footstoole too Wee shall be conquerours yea more than Conquerours by him that loved us but this full and compleate victory shall not be till the day of judgment when death the last enemy of all shall be subdued In the meane season while we be here we must look to have our enemies on our top to spit on our face to smite us as they did Christ to make long furrowes on our backes to offer us the greatest indignity that can be but let us be of good comfort the time shall come when they shall be our foot-stoole to their everlasting shame and we shall be as Kings with crownes on our heads and palmes in our hands for ever and ever VERSE 14. THere is great reason he should sit still at the right hand of God in heaven because with one offering he hath perfected that is hath gi-given them all things that were requisite reconciliation remission of sins sanctification redemption Not for a time but for ever Not all the world in generall but those that are sanctified they that remaine dogs and swine still have no benefit by this sacrifice but those that are sanctified Eph. 1.4 1 Cor. 6.11 All have not benefit by the sacrifice of our Saviour Christ only they that are sanctified Acts. 20.32 This is the will of God even your sanctification If we be not sanctified we shall never set a foote into the kingdome of heaven Dogges Enchanters Whoremongers are without Follow peace and holinesse without which no man shall see GOD. Except a man bee borne of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdome of God Ioh. 3.5 Such were some of you but yee are sanctified c. 1 Cor. 6.11 This is little considered of us We falsely imagine that we may wallow like swine in the mire of our sinnes and yet goe to heaven when wee dye That cannot bee None are perfected by the offering of CHRIST but they that are sanctified If thou remainest a covetous miser still and beest not sanctified from thy covetousnesse if thou continuest a drunkard still and art not sanctified from thy drunkennesse if thou dwellest in thy fornication adultery stil and beest not sanctified from these sins If thou beest a proud man still and art not sanctified from thy pride to have a lowly opinion of thy selfe thou shalt never have any comfort by the oblation of CHRIST Wee must be Saints in some measure while wee are here on the earth or else wee shall never be Saints in heaven hereafter Paul writeth to them that are sanctified 1 Cor. 1.1 Therefore let us entreat the Lord to sanctifie us in soule spirit and body throughout that we may enter into the holy Hierusalem in the life to come VERSE 15. FOr the HOLY GHOST testifieth this also to us 2 Pet. 1.21 For after hee had said before these are the words of the Apostle making a collection out of the Prophet He doth not say for Ieremie beares us witnesse but the Holy Ghost The whole Scripture was given by inspiration from God it was inspired by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.21 The HOLY GHOST speakes in the bookes of Moses in the Psalmes and in the Prophets in the writings of the Evangelists in the Epistles of the Apostles and in all the rest In other writings men speake but in the Scripture GOD Almighty speaketh therefore how reverently are they to bee read and heard of us wee that bee the Preachers speake yet it is not wee but the Spirit of GOD that speaketh in us the HOLY GHOST speaketh by the mouth of all his servants therefore let us take heed how we resist the Holy Ghost VERSE 16. AFter he had promised a New Covenant instead of the Old After those dayes namely of the old Testament those being expired Then saith the Lord concerning the New Covenant that was promised Two things Renovation and Remission of sins Verse 17. God doth not promise to put his lawes in our eyes that wee might look on them in our mouthes that we might talke of them or on the fringes of our garments as the Pharises had the Law of God but if wee feare Him Hee will put his lawes into our hearts that the heart being possessed with the Law of God it may set the tongue and all the members of the body on worke VERSE 17. NEither the guilt nor punishment of them This testimony was cited Chapter 8. to prove that there was a New Covenant to abolish the Old Here it is alleadged to prove that remission of sins is effected by the sacrifice of Christ in the New Testament which was only figured out by the sacrifices of the Old Testament So that one and the same Scripture may be applyed to diverse purposes The foundation whereupon the remission of sins promised by God was built was the sacrifice of Christ in the New Testament otherwise this testimony should not be alleadged to purpose That which we minde to punish we will remember I remember Amalek said the Lord. A master being displeased with his servant sayes I will remember you anon but God will not remember our sins he will rase them out of the booke of his remembrance An happy turne for us for if he should remember but one sin against us it were sufficient to cast us into hell As God remembers not our sins So let not us remember the injuries done to us Ioseph would not revenge himselfe on his brethren for the injurie they intended against him and practised but
yee shall meete with bad examples every where but let us not be seduced by them To this he induces us by a forcible reason Ye may see it with your owne eyes Almost all the signes are passed already they be blind that cannot see this Here then it is cleere that there is a day of judgment and that day drawes neere If it were neere in the Apostles time how neere is it now a thousand and odde yeeres being passed since Let not us bee like them that put farre from them the evill day not like that servant which saith my Master defers his comming and falls a beating of his fellow servants not like those mockers that say where is the promise of his comming but let us make a just reckoning that this day is drawing neere indeed that CHRIST is ready to open the heavens and to descend in the cloudes and to assemble all nations before him Behold I come quickly said he in the Revelation he comes and he comes quickly therefore let us so live in a carefull discharge of all duties to God and man that our account may bee joyfull at that day that then wee may meete Christ in the ayre and be translated with him into the kingdome of glory If the Assizes at Bury draw neere will not they that have nisiprius to trye provide their Lawyers and have all things ready the generall Assizes of the world is neere therefore let as consider how we shall answer then VERSE 26. WEE had need to make much of the fellowship we have among our selves and provoke to love and good workes for the danger is great if we doe not If we It is good for all to looke to it He doth not simply say if we sinne for then it were woe with us all because in many things we sinne all Neither doth he say if we sinne contrary to our knowledge or if we sinne upon weakenesse and infirmitie as the deerest children of God may doe David sinned against his knowledge when he committed adultery and murder So did Peter when he denyed Christ. But if wee sinne willingly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yeelding our selves voluntarily to Satan maliciously opposing our selves to Christ and his Gospell and rending our selves from the society of his Church and members suffocating and choking the knowledge of the Lord Iesus revealed to us as appeareth by the next words There is a great difference betweene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 volens and voluntariè A man may sinne willing his will consenting to it yet upon a suddaine passion of the minde drawne to it in some sort against his will But he that sinneth willingly doth it upon a mature deliberation with a resolute purpose to doe it come on it what will which indeed is rather a wilfulnesse than a willingnesse Such as doe wilfully and maliciously resist Christ and his Gospell that fall utterly away Not being blind and ignorant but when we have received of Gods gracious goodnesse and as it were with both hands taking some delight in it at the beginning having a taste of the good Word of God Hebr. 6. What the acknowledging of the truth not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 acknowledging it to be the truth of God it being sealed up to them in their hearts and consciences by the HOLY GHOST Their own consciences did tell them that it was the truth of God yet they sinned willingly and oppugned it That Christ is our only King Priest and Prophet that hee by the sacrifice of his owne body hath purchased to us remission of sins and the kingdome of heaven That there is no way to be saved but by him yet this blessed truth they afterwards condemne and resist it by might and maine Their estate is lamentable For the expiation of their sinnes this sacrifice being rejected by them wherewith alone the sinnes of the world are taken away there can be no sacrifice for the abolishing of their sinnes they can have no remission of sins and therefore no place in the kingdome of heaven Their sins are sealed up in a bagge This is it which he said before Heb. 6. It is impossible they should be renewed to repentance and that which Christ said Matth. 12. This sin cannot be forgiven neither in this world nor in the world to come For the better explication of this place errors are to bee avoyded The Novatians have egregiously abused this place sucking this poysonfull doctrine out of this sweete flower that whosoever sins after baptisme is damned no hope of forgivenesse of sin for them In baptisme we have remission of our sins therefore if any sinne after this generall pardon there remaineeh no remission of sinnes for them In baptisme we receive the HOLY GHOST therefore to sin after baptisme is to sin against the HOLY GHOST and there is no expiation of that sin Who then shall be saved Alas then we are all in a wofull case and none should set a foote into the kingdome of heaven Peter sinned after baptisme and after the receit of the HOLY GHOST yet he wept bitterly for his sinne and was received into mercy The incestuous man in the Church of Corinth that lay with his fathers wife sinned fowly after baptisme yet Saint Paul would not have him to bee swallowed up with griefe but admitted into the Church againe The Church of Ephesus had fallen after shee was baptised yet CHRIST raises her from that fall againe Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent and doe the first workes At what time soever a sinner repenteth him of his sinnes though it bee twenty times after hee bee baptised I will put his sinne out of my remembrance We are to know that not all sins after knowledge are the sinnes against the Holy Ghost Aaron knew the Commandement Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any graven Image yet he made the Israelites a golden Calfe for all that he obtained mercy at the hands of God David knew adultery and murther to be grievous sins yet he fell into them St. Peter contrary to his knowledge denyed CHRIST hee said I know not the man yet hee knew him well enough hee denyed him not once but thrise he added an oath a curse an execration to his denyall yet hee sinned not against the HOLY GHOST It is a dangerous thing to sinne against our knowledge for hee that knowes his Masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes It had bin better for them they had not knowne the way of truth c. yet not every sin against knowledge is the sin against the Holy Ghost But this may be a fruitfull caveat to all whom God hath enriched with knowledge They are the most subject to the sinne against the Holy Ghost Ignorant persons may be condemned for the Lord Iesus shall come in flaming fire rendring vengeance unto them that doe not know God
what Country man he was he answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mundanus The whole world is my Country all Countries are alike to me Yet in truth wee have no Country in the world England is not our Country Heaven properly to speake is our Country as Christ sayes call no man father here on earth so call no Country your Country on the earth Now heaven is our Country so we must seeke it it is worth the seeking and we cannot have it without seeking seeke the kingdom of God We must seeke it by prayer reading of Scripture hearing of Sermons by godly and fervent desire of the heart by heavenly meditations Our whole life ought to be a continuall seeking of heaven but alas we seeke for silver and gold Sheep and Oxen houses and lands and let heaven goe we are like Aesops dogge that snatched at the shadow and lost the substance We seeke more for shadowes then for the substance all the weeke long we are seeking of the world and scant on the Lords Day no day in the weeke doe we seeke heaven VERSE 15. THis is illustrated 1. By a declaration of the Country which they sought 2. By the fruit and reward of their seeking Object They professed themselves strangers because they were out of their soile the land of Chaldea Sol. That cannot be the Country which they had longed after for if their minde had run on that they had opportunity and time enough to returne in they had leysure but they would not take it 1. He shewes what Country it was not which they sought VERSE 16. 2. WHat it was which is first described comparatively then plainly pointed out with the finger The reward 1. A favour or prerogative in this life 2. In eternall happinesse in the life to come Exod. 3.15 he is the God of the whole world in generall he is the God of the wicked for temporall blessings of the faithfull for spirituall and eternall He that is the God of the whole world is now the God of three men Chrys. It is a glory to servants to have a denomination from their Lords and Masters I am servant to such a Noble man but it is no honour for a Lord to say I am the master of such a poore man such a beggarly fellow is my servant yet God glorieth of us that hee is our God Master and Father He makes this a piece of his style as if a puissant Prince would be called the King of Pigmies He hath prepared Hebr. 13.14 Ioh. 14.2 They doe not merit it GOD in mercy prepares it for them When Vide Matth. 25.34 God prepares many excellent things for us in this world but none comparable to this He prepared the world as an house furnished for man at the first We can but prepare temporall houses for our Children Some by this City understand the Church which though it bee on the earth is called heavenly because her chiefest part Christ her head is in heaven and her conversation is in heaven Hyperius But they were in the lap of the Church already within the walls of that City they needed not to seeke that which they had Heaven then is better than earth it is better by many degrees Men chuse that which they thinke to be best we choose earth rather than heaven therefore in our opinion that is the better What fooles what dolts be we men are ready to change for the better who would not change a beggars cottage for a Kings Pallace a patcht Cloak for a Princes robe We say heaven is the better yet we are loath to change our dwelling on earth for it by our good wills we would tarry here still We say heaven is a better country then this but we would faine continue in the earth still Many a Child is ashamed of his Father when hee comes to great honour We were base and ignominious wretches yet God was not ashamed of us If a great man have a kinswoman that is poore yet if a faire and beautifull woman haply he will not be ashamed of her We are all fowle and black by reason of sin yet God is not ashamed of us and shall we one of another A King is not ashamed of a beggar and shall one beggar be ashamed of another Shall one earthen Pot though it be a little guilt and tipt with silver be ashamed of another earthen Pot Though thou beest a rich man and hast more silver and gold than thy brother yet be not ashamed of him thou art earth as well as he yee are Pots of one Potter Constantine was not ashamed of the Bishops the Angels are not ashamed of us they acknowledge themselves to be our fellowes and brethren and shall we be ashamed one of another Though he be never so poore a man if he believe in Christ be not ashamed of him 2. As God is not ashamed of us so let us not be ashamed of him though Christ be afflicted here on earth yet let us not be ashamed of him and his Gospell for if we be he will be ashamed of us when he commeth with his holy Angels How doth it appeare he is not ashamed of us because he disdaineth not to be called our God He doth not say to be called their Lord and Master but God I thank my God that we read often This comprehendeth all good things for this life and that to come happy are the people that be in such a case blessed are the people whose God is the Lord. The Lions shall be hungerbit but they that have God for their Lord shal want nothing that is good This may strengthen us against poverty sicknes and all calamities against sin Satan and death it selfe Will any child feare want that hath a rich and loving father our God our Father is rich heaven and earth are his he is most loving he tenders us as the apple of his eye therefore wee can want nothing that is good The Lord is our God our shield Protectour and defender therefore let us feare nothing If God be on our side who can be against us Nay this may comfort us against death it selfe From this one word our Saviour proves the resurrection he is not the God of the dead but of the living for all live to him Though we dye God is our God he will raise us up againe at the latter day and translate us into his kingdome This may be a pillar of comfort for us to leane upon that God is our God By what token doth he shew himselfe to be our God because he hath prepared a City God is an excellent preparer Hee prepared the world as an house well furnished against the comming of man into it he prepared a Table for the Israelites in the wildernesse he gave them water out of a stony rocke and Manna from heaven he prepared a kingdome for Hester when she was a poore banished maide hee prepared a Whale for Ionah when he was cast into the
profit of affliction is so great lift up the hands Manus sunt organa organorum they that be faint and of a feeble courage hang down their hands and have weake knees The knees sustaine the weight of the body he would have them to take heart to them to lift up their hands and to strengthen their knees that they may run the race set before them Runners stretch out their hands legs and knees too So must wee in this spirituall race VERSE 13. STagger not but goe firmely like stoute men make straight steps goe not awry rectos gressus facimus rectè credendo confitendo patiendo Now yee halt but ye are in the way if yee looke not to it ye may be carryed quite out of the way There is triplex obliquitas In intellectu affectu actione The people in Elias time halted betweene two opinions 1 Reg. 18.2 So some of the Hebrewes began to halt betweene two Religions Iudaisme and Christianisme The false Apostles and persecuting Iewes made them as it were to halt The ceremoniall law the Temple are of Gods institution shall we forsake them and believe in Christ crucified they that bee Christians are hated of all the world spoyled of their goods and lives too Wee will pause a little on the matter wee will consider with our selves whether it were best for us to be Christians or not This halting hee would have removed and wishes them to make straight steps to goe on manfully in the profession of the Gospell that no afflictions make them to halt As for us GOD be thanked for it we live not in the time of persecution as the Hebrewes did wee are not spoiled of our goods cast into prison constrained to flye our native Country carryed to the stake to be burnt for the name of CHRIST we have a Vertuous and Religious King that is a nursing Father to the Church yet the chastisements of the Lord are ryfe among us because wee are not bastards but Sonnes When the first borne were destroyed in Aegypt there was not one house of the Aegyptians but one dead in it There is scant one house among us but there is one sicke or afflicted in it A man can travell almost into no Country but hee shall finde a number sicke sometimes the man and Wife Children and servants downe at once Neither are they of the worser sort drunkards adulterers atheists c. but many of the better sort good professours sober godly and religious men that are thus visited Our heavenly father sees something amisse among us which causeth him to send forth his rods into so many places The Church of Corinth was an excellent Church yet St. Paul sayes for this cause namely a negligent and disorderly receiving of the Lords Supper many are weake sicke and sleepe among you The Lord sees us to bee rocked asleepe in security to bee negligent in prayer reading of Scripture comming to Church he sees the heavenly Manna of his Word the food of our soules to be loathed in all places men waxe too nise and dainty in hearing he sees the Sacraments not to be regarded men make small reckoning of these seales of faith For these causes many are weake and sicke among us yet let us not faint under these afflictions Let us lift up our hands that hang downe c. Let us consider who it is that striketh us it is the LORD said Eli c. It is not an unlucky conjunction of Planets they be not the dogge dayes which are the cause of these diseases they are not simply to be imputed to the weather or the time of the yeere It is the Lord that smiteth us and let him doe what seemeth him good Hee is our loving and mercifull Father in Christ Iesus hee will lay no more on us then hee will enable us to beare to our everlasting comfort in the end We are chastned by the Lord that wee should not bee condemned with the world Hee suffers the wicked oftentimes to live in jollity the rod of God is not upon them they are not in trouble as other men but hee Schooles his owne Children they shall seldome bee without some affliction or other least they should bee drowned in the pleasures of the world Therefore let us beare the chastisements of the LORD patiently for a short time in this life which is but a spanne long that wee may live with our heavenly Father in the life to come Hitherto he hath given a precept touching our selves how we our selves are with patience to runne the race set before us quietly enduring such chastisements as our father imposeth Now hee doth further enjoyne us to bee as trumpets to waken others to it that they may run together with us in the race of Christianity Where 1. An admonition 2. A reason for the enforcing of it Verse 18. In the admonition 1. A generall propounding of it Verse 14. 2. A particular unfolding of it In the generall propounding of it 1. The vertues commended to us peace and holinesse Then the reason for the enforcing of them of the latter especially VERSE 14. HE doth not say embrace peace when it comes to you and offers her selfe to you but though she runne away follow her lay hold on her and bring her whether she will or no. We must seeke peace instanter follow it generaliter with all prudenter in holinesse Not with some but all not with your friends alone but with your enemies too not only with them of the same Religion but with those that be of another Religion Bee at peace with their persons though not with their vices bee at peace with all what in thee lieth especially holinesse that is of absolute necessity bee not so greedy of peace that yee should forget holinesse holinesse of soule and body 1 Thes. 4.3 2 Cor. 7.1 Hereunto he inviteth us by the danger of the want of it without which no man be he never so wise learned honourable though he be a King he cannot be saved without holinesse shall see the Lord in his blessed and glorious kingdome in the life to come as a Citizen of the same kingdome Our Saviour was at peace with the Pharisees hee went to many of their houses to dinner hee was at peace with Caesar though he were a persecutor of the Church and payd tribute to him and wee may be at peace with all men throughout the wide compasse of the world with Atheists drunkards adulterers c. 1 Cor. 5.10 Yet here two cautions are to be observed 1. Wee must distinguish betweene peace and familiarity wee may bee at a generall peace even with the enemies of God but wee must not bee familiar with them There is danger in that All our delight must be on the Saints that be on the earth they must be our familiars 2. Wee may bee at peace with the persons of all but with the vices of none Bee at peace with a drunkard but not with his drunkennesse reprove that
the husband of one wife not which is So. So wee may say of the rest such a one must bee chosen which was sober which was modest which was apt to teach 2. Tit. 1.6 The Verbe of the Present tense is plainely expressed Ob. 3. Bell. Soule that Saint Paul doth not make a law that a Bishop should have a wife but that he forbiddeth him to have moe wives then one So. But if it had not beene his meaning to permit a Bishop a wife why doth hee make mention of his wisedome in the education of his children unlesse hee should have children without a wife as the Pope and his Clergie sometime have had if their owne Authours say true 3. If it bee lawfull for a Minister to demande maintenance at the charges of the Church for the keeping a wife then may hee lawfully have a wife But it is lawfull as Saint Paul disputeth by many reasons Who goeth a warfare at his owne charges what shepheard doth not live of his flock why should not the spirituall Shepheard of the soule bee maintained himselfe his wife and children by the sheepe whom he feedeth Ob. This is to be referred to those women which served the Apostles of necessaries as certaine wealthy women following Christ ministring unto him of their owne substance Luc. 8.3 So. 1. It cannot be understood of them They were wealthy more able to give then to receive but it is the drift of Saint Paul in that place to proove that hee might lead about such a woman as should be maintained by the Church 2. Having put the name of Sister in the first place for so the words are to be translated according to the Greeke not as it is in our English Bibles He addeth the name of Wife in the next place to shew what manner of sister he meant not any common woman but a wife It were ridiculous thus to translate it Have we not power to lead about a sister a woman as if there were a sister that were not a woman 3. Those women were wont to follow the Apostles of their owne accords they were not carryed The Greeke word importeth that right which the husband hath over the wife to carry her about with him 4. Clemens Alexandr as Euseb. reports l. 3. c. 35. doth interpret this place of the Apostles wives 4. All the Apostles were marryed All save two at the most Saint Paul and Saint Iohn Saint Philip also the Evangelist was marryed for hee had foure daughters that were Prophetesses Act. 21.9 Sundry might be alleadged in the Ecclesiasticall histories Gratian and Platina both reckon up many Popes whose Fathers were marryed Priests as Boniface the first Felix 3. Gelasius the 5. and others yet hee saith they were not borne in fornication but in lawfull marriage One exception they have that they were marryed before they had taken Orders not since and that afterwards they lay not with their wives But how proove they that The Apostles indeede forsooke all and followed Christ but it is like they left their wives no more then they did their goods rather affectu then effectu as one speaketh for Matthew retained his house still and made Christ a great feast in it Luc. 5.39 Iohn 19.27 it is not like they would keepe their houses and not their wives 2. Saint Paul affirmes 1 Cor. 9.4 That the brethren of the Lord and Peter did then lead about their wives when they had long since taken holy Orders and hee prooveth that hee himselfe being then in holy Orders hath authority to doe the like 3. If the High Priest in the time of the law after he was anoynted with the holy oyle might marry then Ministers now after they bee in Orders may marry for greater sanctity was required in the High Priest being a type of CHRIST then the Ministers of the Gospell but hee after hee was consecrated might marry Levit. 21.10 13. A virgin hee might marry but not a widdow Wherefore let the Ministers of the Word as just occasion is ministred unto them take upon them this estate which the Lord pronounceth to be honourable among all and let us heartily give thanks to GOD for this happy reigne of our gracious Sovereigne wherein wee may safely enjoy the libertie which GOD hath left unto us in his Word Here a Question may be demanded whether it be honourable among them that marry the second third or fourth time c. As for the first marriage all confesse except it be the Tatians Eustathians Eucratitae that this is lawfull The Papists doe not condemne second marriages yet they count them not so honourable as the first for they subtract benediction and blessing from them Tertullian writing to his wife perswades her not to marry againe the second time but in his Booke de monogamia hee shewes himselfe plainely in his colours and is very bitter against second marriages his principall reasons are as weake as water 1. Vnum matrimonium novimus sicut unum Deum A strange reason God lives ever therefore there needs but one God a wife lives not ever but dyes therefore there is no necessitie of one wife when one is dead in the feare of God we may take an other 2. It is not good for man to bee alone Faciamus ei adjutorium adjutores dixisset si eum pluribus uxoribus destinasset There was but one man then in all the world therefore one helper would suffice him 2. This is spoken of a wife in generall not of the first wife alone every woman successively is an helper the second third or fourth is an helper God provided but one helper at once yet successively hee may have many helpers 3. They that be of Faith are Abrahams children Now when Abraham beleeved God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse he was monogamus praepatiatus therefore they that be Abrahams children must be Monogami Recipe digamiam admitte Circumcisionem 1. Abraham believed God after hee was marryed to Keturah his second wife as well as hee did when hee had Sarah his first wife therefore digami may bee Abrahams children as well as monogami 2. Circumcision and a second wife are not relatives for Abraham was circumcised when he had his first wife Then they that have but one wife must also be circumcised 4. Ioseph had but one wife hoc nomine audeo dicere patre meliorem Aaron and Iosua had but one wife Anna one husband Saint Peter one wife We may oppose many holy men to them that have had two wives 5. Christ supped at the first marriage not at a second Whether it was the first or second is not expressed All the acts that CHRIST did are not recorded hee might afford his presence to a second marriage 6. This was the Institution of Matrimonie they twaine shall be one flesh A second wife is aliena Caro and a second marriage is adultery The first twaine are one flesh so are the second twaine and the third
no good with it you make your riches your enemies they will condemne you at the latter day If yee doe good with them you make them your friends and these good workes of yours will follow you at your dying day Yet some are so farre from doing of good that they doe hurt by secret counsell and perswasion Many are like rotten trees that doe no good till they dye they yeeld nor fruit while they stand when they bee cut downe they make a good fire to warme many withall So it may be there is good cheere at a rich mans buryall a dole then to refresh the poore withall that did little good while hee was alive Let us remember this Lesson to doe good and to distribute God is well pleased with such Sacrifices hee is so well pleased with them that hee will give us a Kingdome for them in the life to come Come yee blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome c. when I was hungry c. Therefore inherit the Kingdome prepared for you VERSE 17. AS they must doe good to all so especially to the Ministers that have the spirituall rule and government of them 1. How they must behave themselves to all in generall 2. what they must doe for him in speciall In the former the duties prescribed and certaine reasons for the enforcing of them The duties are Obedience and Submission It cannot bee denyed but that all of what condition soever must submit themselves to the ministerie of the word yea Kings Princes and Emperours because it is Gods Ordinance and in so doing they submit themselves to GOD which is no disparagement to the greatest of them all Yet touching matters of externall politie in the Church and Common-wealth all on the other side must bee subject to Kings and Princes they may prescribe constitutions even of Religion agreeable to the Law of GOD to Ministers and they must obey them Let every Soule bee subject to the Higher Powers Yet in the Essentiall points of the ministery all must subject themselves to the Rulers of the Church For a more full unfolding of the matter the duties we owe to these Spirituall Fathers are foure 1. Reverence in regard of their Office Alexander reverenced Iaddus Herod Iohn the Baptist. Obadiah called Elias Lord. My father said Iohash to Elisha If wee reverence them not the Word will not have so free a passage among us They that use their Pastours unreverently sin against God 2. Love Have them in exceeding love for their workes sake It is the best worke in the world the Saving of your Soules therefore love them for it You love the Fathers of your bodies that brought you into the world and will yee not love them that beget you with the Word of truth and bring you to a Kingdome Obad. ult 3. Obedience to their doctrine exhortations and admonitions Herod observed Iohn Baptist and did many things You will obey the prescript of the Physition for the health of your bodies though it be a bitter potion you take it well at his hands and will you not obey them that give you counsell for your soules though their reproofes be bitter their rebukes sharpe Tit. 1.13 as the qualitie of the sin requires yet accept of it if they tell you and that in love of your covetousnesse drunkennesse pride malice obey them in the reformation of those vices 4. Is Maintenance All Rulers must be maintained The King hath maintenance due from the people and so must the Minister You receive spirituall things from them and is it much if ye give them carnall They that served at the Altar lived on the Altar and shall not they that preach the Gospell live on the Gospell If the Preachers would preach to us and take nothing wee would like them well but wee grudge at their maintenance an Argument that wee feele not the sweetnesse of the Word of GOD. The Galathians would have plucked out their eyes to doe Paul good withall Wee thinke much to pull money out of our purses to doe him good withall In the feare of GOD if yee be good and religious people discharge the duties that GOD requireth to them that have the Spirituall government and oversight of you Why there bee two reasons to excite us to it the one taken from the matter of their worke the other from the manner of their working They are your watchmen therefore submit your selves to them love them regard them Not over your goods and bodies as the Magistrate is but over your Soules which are more precious not as the fowler watcheth for the bird to catch it and kill it but they watch for the preservation and eternall Salvation of your soules therefore submit your selves to them All Ministers have Curam Animarum none can bee a Minister without that charge Your Soules are subject to many enemies there bee innumerable devils that seeke to carry away your Soules As the henne watches for the chickens against the kite so doe they for you against the devill There be sundry Heretiques that go about to infect your Soules with the poyson of false doctrine Papists Anabaptists Schismatiques Priests and Iesuites Arrians Nestorians c. The Ministers watch for you against them There be sectaries that for small matters would draw you from the Church there be many dangerous sinnes that are ready to cut the throate of your Soules covetousnesse pride ignorance c. they keepe a watch over you and labour to bring you out of those sinnes Therefore esteeme highly of them make much of these watchmen This is illustrated by a spurre that pricks them to this watching they know they must be countable for your Soules therefore they watch over them Iacob gave account to Laban of every sheepe he had if any were lost or torne by the wild beasts hee required it at his hands hee made it good so wee must give an account to IESUS CHRIST the great Shepheard of every sheepe in our fold This makes us to watch carefully over your Soules Some are to give a single account We must all give account of our Stewardship as private persons for themselves alone some a double accompt as Magistrates Masters Fathers Ministers therefore wee had neede to looke to it to cast over our Bookes betimes in this life that our accompts may be joyfull in the life to come That wee may say Here am I and the children that thou hast given mee Here am I Lord IESU and the sheepe that thou hast given mee Suffer us to meddle with you to reprehend that which is amisse in you for we must give an accompt for you Therefore we cannot let you alone wee cannot nay wee must not permit you to sleepe in your sinnes wee must lift up our voices as trumpets to waken you because wee are to give accompt for you The second Reason is taken from the manner of their working they would gladly doe their worke with joy they would watch over you with
let us annexe workes to our faith The Lord makes us perfect in workes that our election may be sure He doth not pray to GOD to make them perfect in some good workes but in all As he sayd homo sum humani nihil à me alienum puto So let us say Christianus sum nullum Christianum opus à me alienum puto Herod did many things but because hee did not all he was not saved Heere some trees bring forth Peares some Plumbes some Apples some Almonds There is no tree that bringeth forth all fruit But every Christian must be as a tree planted by the rivers of waters that bringeth forth all fruit We must be ready for every good worke wee must have prayers and almes deedes zeale meekenesse humility patience we must abound in every good worke 3 He doth not say the Lord cause you to begin in every good worke but God perfect you c. We must labour to aspire to perfection daily more and more as Iac. 1.4 So let zeale patience c. Let every grace have his perfect worke Vsus promptos facit use makes perfectnesse scribendo disces scribere use thy selfe to writing and in the end thou shalt write well use legs and have legs so use thy selfe to good workes and be perfect in good workes Milo by using to carry a Calfe when it was young did beare it when it was old So let us exercise ourselves in good workes from our youth as the young man sayes at the length it will bee easie to attaine such a perfection as is acceptable to God Let us use our selves to pray as Daniel did morning and evening Let us use our selves to reading of the Scripture as the Bereans to Preaching as Christ to fasting as Anna to give to the poore and needy as Dorcas and Cornelius At length we shall attaine to some perfection in them c. This is amplified 1. By the rule whereby our workes must bee framed that is the will of God Christ sayd not my will but thine be done So must every Christian say our will is to live at ease to wallow in pleasures to take the Tabret and Harpe to eate the Calves out of the middest of the stall to rejoyce with the instruments of Musicke Our will is never to taste of any misery to have no losses crosses sicknesse if possible not to have our finger ake But let us entreat the Lord that wee may doe His will to say with them Acts 21.14 The will of the Lord be done 1 Thes. 4. The will of God is your sanctification The Lord so perfect us to every good worke that we may possesse our vessels in holinesse and honour that we may serve Him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life 2 It is amplified by the manner of our working That which is well pleasing in his sight not for any worthinesse of ours but through Iesus Christ in whom God is well pleased with us for without him we can please God in nothing Cain and Abel both offered Sacrifices yet God was pleased with Abel not with Cain The Pharisee and Publican both praied in the Temple yet the one was heard and the other was not Why because one was in Christ not the other Let us desire the Lord to accept of our poore and imperfect workes for the worthinesse of Christ in whose name they are presented to him He concludes with a doxologie a song of praise and thankesgiving to Christ the great Shepheard which is God above all blessed for ever to him be glory for ever and ever He it is in whom wee were chosen before the foundation of the world in whom is our life breath and being He it is that in unspeakable love came downe from the pallace of heaven into the dunghill of the earth for our sakes that vouchsafed to take flesh of a woman for us to be borne in a Stable layd in a cratch to endure the speaking against of sinners to be called Beelzebub a bibber of wine a friend of Publicanes and sinners to be blindfolded buffetted spit upon cruelly whipped to be pittifully nailed hand and foote to the Crosse to susteine the wrath of his Father to dye to be buried to rise againe to ascend into heaven there making intercession for us therefore to him be praise for ever and ever He it is that though he bee absent in body yet hath not left us Orphanes poore fatherlesse children he hath given us his spirit to be a father to us to guide us into all truth an heavenly Comforter to comfort us in all distresses to seale us up to the kingdome of heaven He hath left us His Word the foode of our soules the sword of the Spirit to defend us from all enemies of our salvation Hee hath given us the Sacrament of His blessed Supper as a perpetuall memory of him wherein we may daily see him the bread and wine are as pledges of his body and bloud that we may eate him spiritually be one with him and he with us He it is that hath given us his Angels to pitch their tents about us to take our soules at our dying day and to carry them into the kingdome of heaven Therfore let us say with cheerefull hearts to him be praise worthy is the Lord Iesus the great Shepheard of the sheepe to receive all honour and glory prayse power and might now and for ever Amen VERSE 22. 1 AN admonition Suffer the word of exhortation 2. The reason which is taken from the brevity In admonitions I have beene briefe hee spent but three Chapters in them therefore take them the more patiently Such is the pride and perversenesse of our nature we cannot abide to be told of our faults like gauled horses wee are ready to winch and kicke at it Therefore this caveat is very needfull Suffer your selves meekely and quietly to bee reprooved for your sinnes Suffer the Preacher to tell you of your covetousnesse your pride malice c. of your drunkennesse fornication and adultery of your negligence in comming to Church of the little care that is had for the good of the Towne every man is for himselfe none for the Towne Suffer your selves to be admonished of these things it is good for you Ye suffer fooles gladly sayes Saint Paul yee suffer stage players to tell you of your faults and ye laugh at it and will ye not suffer Preachers ye suffer the Physition to give you sowre potions yee send for him and reward him for it and will yee not suffer the Physition of your soules to bee sharpe with you for your salvation Ye suffer Chirurgions to cut you and will yee not suffer us to lanch the soares of your sins that the corrupt matter may issue out Suffer the words of exhortation and magnifie God for them Blessed be thou and blessed be thy counsell sayd David to Abigail So when the Preacher tels us of that which is amisse and exhorts us to
written in us by the pen of nature the labourer is worthy of his hyre we pay our Weavers Burlers Spinners our thrashers They that thrash out the corne of the Word of God to us we are loath to pay Our owne harvest-men we will recompence Gods harvest-men by our good will shall have nothing Saint Paul bestoweth an whole Chapter in pleading for the Ministers allowance Who goeth a warfare at his owne cost Who planteth a Vineyard and eateth not of the fruit thereof Yet our Pauls and Apolloes are worthy of nothing for their planting and watering They that served at the Altar lived on the Altar and they that preach the Gospel ought to live on the Gospel Extraordinarie examples must make no ordinary rule These tooke nothing Saint Paul tooke nothing therefore now we ought to take nothing The poore receive the Gospel The Gentiles were poore therefore in commiseration they would take nothing neither are we rigid exactors of the poore I but Paul tooke nothing of the Corinthians yet they were rich Not because he might not but because he would not to pull downe the arrogancie of the false apostles which exalted themselves and went about to depresse St. Paul There was one thing wherein all the world knew he excelled them that he preached the Gospel freely among them Whereas those greedy dogges could never be satisfied They devoured them they tooke away theâ—r goods yet they were had in high estimation among them This advantage he would by no meanes lose It were better for him to die than that any should make this rejoycing of his vaine These be unlearned cavils Saint Paul wrought for his living his hands ministred to his necessities therefore now Preachers must worke for their living 1. Saint Paul wrought not every where of some Churches he tooke nothing of others he did In so much as he upbraideth the Corinthians with it that he was faine to rob other Churches to take wages of them to doe them service 2. Saint Paul was furnished with the extraordinary gifts of the holy Ghost with all kinde of tongues which must cost us infinite labour to attaine to his understanding was opened to understand the Scriptures without helpe of Commentaries For Christ at his Ascention into heaven opened the understanding of all the Apostles So he did his when he revealed himselfe to him Saint Paul was able to preach without study without bookes so are not we The people call on us to preach they have never Sermons enough though none be practised yet they would have us to preach for nothing We must be painefull Bees flying up and downe from booke to booke as from flower to flower to gather honey for them yet we must be as Camelions to live by aire David professed he would not offer a burnt offering to the Lord his God of that which cost him nothing Yet some would have us to offer them up by the preaching of the Word for nothing They be such as feele no sweetnesse in the Word of God for if they did they would be content to plucke their eyes out of their heads for us if it were possible much more the money out of their purses They that build upon this place They went forth taking nothing of the Gentiles by a kinde of Alchimistrie which they have goe about to make a great matter of nothing VERSE 8. HE concludes this point by a necessity of it imposed upon all Wee Not thou alone but I too All that love the truth I am a poore man in respect of worldly wealth in comparison of others yet I am willing to put my helping hand to it He doth not say we may if we list but we ought It is a debt that we owe Whose debters are they saith Saint Paul of the Gentiles namely to the poore Iewes to contribute to them for if they be partakers of their spirituall things their dutie is also to minister to them in carnall things What to doe To receive such Such worthy labourers in Christ his harvest as these be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to take them from their tedious journeyes into our houses and to give them the best reliefe we can Why That we might be fellow helpers to the truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fellow workers for the truth together with them We are fellow helpers to the truth sundry kinde of wayes 1. Amicè alloquondo by speaking friendly to the Preachers of the truth Hezekiah spake comfortably to the Levites which was a cheering of their hearts as the word importeth 2. Instruendo alios by a private instructing of others as Priscilla and Aquila did Apollos Housholders that catechize their families are great fellow helpers to the truth 3. Pro eis loquendo as they that made apollogies for them 4. Eâ—periculis eruendo by pulling them out of dangers So they that let downe Paul in a basket through the wall of Damascus were fellow helpers to the truth that Paul preached So were they that conveyed Athanasius away in a ship from the fury of Iulian 5. By helping them to their maintenance So did Hezekiah by commanding the people to pay their tithes and offerings to the Priests and Levites whereby they were encouraged in the Law of the Lord. As they discourage them that with-hold their right from them as a number doe they thinke they may pinch on the Parsons side so doing they give a secret maime to the truth 6. Temporalia ministrando by ministring temporall things to them by receiving the Preachers of the truth into our houses by releiving of their necessities by affording them all the comfort we can by sending to them if they be in distresse This is the direct scope of the place So the Shunamitish women of great estimation was an helper to the truth in preparing a chamber a stoole a candlesticke all necessary provision for Elisha So was Iohanna the wife of Chuza Herods steward with other holy women that ministred to Christ of their substance Constantine was an helper to the truth in entertaining the Bishops in his owne Palace and admitting them to his owne table Let us all according to our ability receive such that we may be helpers to the truth The second part of the substance of the Epistle is a fruitfull admonition given to Gajus 1. Concerning a bad man 2. Concerning a good man ver 12. In the bad man 1. There is a description of him 2. A caveat to avoid him ver 11. He is described by a combate betweene him and Saint Iohn Where there is 1. His resisting of Iohn 2. Iohns resisting of him ver 10. Hee gave the assault Iohn is onely se defendere a defender of himselfe VERSE 9. IN his resisting of Saint Iohn is to be considered 1. What he did resist 2. Who resisted 3. The manner of his resistance That which he withstood was a letter written by Saint Iohn I wrote to the Churches that
not inordinately love it nor ambitiously affect it ô ambitio saith S. Bernard O blind and execrable ambition ambientium crux the very crosse of ambitious persons quomodo omnes torquens omnibus places how in displeasing and vexing of all doest thou please all Nil acerbius cruceat nil molestius inquietat nothing doth more bitterly torment more trouble and disquiet men Nil tamen apud miseros mortales celebrius yet for all that nothing is in greater request with wretched men than it let there bee Iohns among us in preeminence but let there be no Diotrepheses among us that love preeminence What did this Diotrephes how did hee behave himselfe towards Iohn he received him not Lorinus affirmeth he received neither his Epistle nor Gospel but the direct meaning is he received not his councell his authority his admonition in entertaining strangers contrariwise he rejected it he set slight by it he spurned it intollerable insolency Christ received him Diotrephes repelled him he was the Disciple whom Iesus loved Diotrephes hated him Christ tooke him into his bosome he will not take him into his booke he makes no reckoning of him Christ commended his Mother to him he will not receive Christs brethren upon his commendation had there beene nothing in him save his gray hayres without hee should have reverenced him The Galatians received Saint Paul as an Angel from heaven S. Iohn was an Angel of the Church a principall Angel yet Diotrephes regards him not this is the haughty spirit of ambitious persons they contemne all in respect of themselves they care for no body and indeede no body cares for them In not receiving of him he received not Christ and Christ will not receive him into his Kingdome at the latter day As he resisted Iohn so Saint Iohn will resist him where 1. there is a promise or threatning to doe it 2. the motives that urged him to it VERSE 10. PRoptereà 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for this cause for this his malepart dealing I will remember his deedes which he doth the vulgar hath admoneam breaking Priscians head But the Rhemists put admoneb◠in the Margent as a plaister to heale it withall I will admonish that doth not expresse the efficacie of the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will call them to remembrance I will rub his memory with them to his shame not in a corner but before the whole Church Catharinus thinketh he will inflict some temporall punishment on him suddaine death as Saint Peter did on Ananias and Sapphyra or blindnesse as Saint Paul did upon Elymas the sorcerer but I thinke Saint Iohns zeale was not so hot I will remember it when he thinkes I have forgotten it But when If I come which is not spoken doubtfully but with a secret confidence in the goodnesse of God that hee shall come If I come as I trust in God I shall come I will remember his deedes that is as Aquinas doth well interpret it in omnium oculos manifestius arguendo deducam I will set them by a manifest reproofe before the eyes of all hee hath sinned openly and I will rebuke him openly which was Saint Pauls rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the workes that he hath done by his tongue or any other way I will make them to be remembred when he thinkes they be forgotten They that oppose themselves to God and his Church are with might and maine to be opposed by us Iannes and Iambres withstood Moses hee likewise withstood them made them to confesse their sorceries digitus Dei est It is the finger of God We see God is greater than the devill Zidkiah smote Micajah one the face saying When went the Spirit of the Lord from me that it should speak to thee Thou shalt see saith he in that day when thou shalt go from chamber to chamber to hide thee and be ashamed of thy doings Hananiah the false prophet brake the yoke on Ieremiahs necke which signified the captivitie of the Israelites affirming that God would so breake the yoke of the King of Babel But Ieremiah went to him told him to his face thou hast broke the yoake of wood but God will put a yoke of iron upon thy necke and the neckes of all the people And because hee had spoken rebelliously against the Lord Hananiah died the same yeare Amaziah bade Amos prophesie no more at Bethel for it is the Kings Chappell hee accused him in a letter to the King of high treason that hee had conspired against him and the land was not able to beare his words Amos spared him not a whit Thy wife shall be an harlot in the Cittie thy sonnes and daughters shall fall by the sword thou shalt die in a polluted land and Israel shall surely goe into captivitie Elias resisted Ahab our blessed Saviour the Pharisees Saint Iohn Baptist Herod Saint Paul Elymas the Sorcerer O full of all subtilty and all mischiefe thou childe of the devill thou enemie of all righteousnesse wilt thou not cease to pervert the right wayes of the Lord. Saint Athanasius withstood Arrius Liberius spake his minde freely to Valens the Emperour Saint Basil resisted Eunomius Saint Augustine was malleus omnium haereticorum an hammer to crush all heretiques in peeces Here Saint Iohn sets us a flagge of defiance against Diotrephes Wee must all plucke up the like courage against the adversaries of the truth Saint Chrysostome commends Azariah the high Priest for going into the temple to King Vzziah and telling him plainely it is not lawfull for thee to burne incense to the Lord. Hee compares him to a couragious dogge that drew him out of his masters house The man of God must be gentle toward all men apt to teach patient In meekenesse instructing those that oppose themselves So hee must be curst against some men as the cause requireth To give wilde horses the reine too much is to spoile them and their riders too To loose the cords of the shippe is to drowne the ship To be too remisse in the Church is to overthrow the Church Lenitives will serve for little soares but great soares must hove drawing plaisters otherwise wee doe not curare but occidere not cure but kill It is the worthy saying of Saint Cyprian our blessed Saviour commends the Angel of the Church of Ephesus that he could not beare them that were evill Wee must beare our owne enemies but our backes must not be so broade as to beare Gods enemies Then he makes an enumeration of his deedes they be in number 4. like foure stayrs in a ladder one higher than another the lowest staire of all is his prating the next to that is his not receiving of the brethren the third is his forbidding of others to doe it the last and greatest of all is his casting of them out of the Church We will take them in order Prating against us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a metaphor taken from
offered to them if they would have transgressed Gods Commandement Which is illustrated by the end Some interpret it the better Resurrection not that worser of the reprobate that shall rise againe but to everlasting woe but that better resurrection of the godly to eternall glory Others A better that is a more glorious resurrection as martyrs not that common one of all the faithfull 1 Cor. 15.41 Yet by the opposition this is the meaning of it If they would have denied God and broken his Commandements they might have had a kinde of resurrection from the sentence of death pronounced against them and have lived longer in the world yet they refused that for a far better resurrection in the world to come when they shall rise againe with comfort and enter into GOD's Kingdome a better resurrection than they that were raised up by Elias and Elisha they rose to a temporall life So we by faith shall receive our Fathers and mothers brethren and sisters our sons and daughters alive againe by faith we shall receive our owne bodies againe after the wormes have eaten our flesh with the same eyes in substance that we now have shall we see GOD meet CHRIST IESUS in the ayre and be translated into the kingdome of glory Vnspeakable is the force of faith the LORD strengthen the faith of us all If Eleazar would but have dissembled that he had eaten Swines flesh he might have beene delivered If the three children would have fallen downe and worshiped Nebuchadnezzars golden Image they might have beene delivered if Daniel would have praied to King Darius he might have beene delivered from the Lions Master favour thy selfe said S. Peter to Christ when he went to Ierusalem to be crucified and many Syrens sang this sweet song to the Martyrs O favour your selves doe not wilfully cast away your selves have a care of your selves your wives and children Who would not bee intised with this Musick yet it could not prevaile with them And why That they might receive a better resurrection If for the preservation of this short life which is but a span long they had revolted from Christ and his truth they should have had a miserable resurrection they should have risen with a sting of conscience with a worme continually gnawing on them they choose rather to suffer death that they might rise with a cheerefull and joyfull conscience to eternall life All shall rise againe good and bad Cain shall rise with the same hand wherewith he slew his brother Iesabel with the same body that was eaten up by the Dogs Rabsekeh with the same tongue wherewith he railed on the God of Israel Iudas with the same lips wherewith he trayterously betrayed our Saviour Christ Turne-coats like Ecebolius shall rise but they shall rise with horror of conscience The godly that have stuck to Christ that have fought valiantly under his banner to the very death they shall rise with comfortable consciences meet Christ joyfully in the aire bee translated into the kingdome of glory and remaine with him forever Therefore let us all have an eye to this resurrection VERSE 36. THE lesser belong to the Name or to the body Some did incutere pudorem some dolorem some horrorem Were tryed by mockings as Elisha 2 Reg. 2.23 Ieremiah Cap. 20.7 Psal. 38.13 c. They received the triall of mockings and scourgings Yet it is not like they used wyre whips as some now in other parts doe By bonds and imprisonments As Micajah and Ieremiah The drunkards made songs of David Ieremiah Iob. Our Saviour was mocked on the crosse The Scribes the Pharisees the Elders and all the common people mocked him The Martyrs were mocked in the Primitive Church This is a tryall we have daily even in the peace and light of the Gospell There be Atheists Drunkards Adulterers Prophane persons that daily mock the children of God This is an horrible sin 1 Saint Paul cals it persecution Gal. 4.29 and all mockers are persecutors Seest thou a jesting fellow that is alwayes scoffing at good men Thou mayest well say there goes a persecutor 2 The seat of the scornefull is the highest step of sin Psal. 1.1 3 God is a speciall avenger of it he made Beares come out of a Wood and devoure two and forty litle children that mocked Elisha Then let those men looke to themselves that mock the Prophets of GOD the Lord will meet with them one way or other 4 Mocks touch the good name A thiefe is a lesser sinner than a mocker A good name is above gold Prov. 22.1 Therefore let us all take heed of this vice which is frequent among us The Apostle would not have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is when as men presuming on their wit think to turn a thing whither they will he would not have this to be named among us much lesse to bee practised by us Elias scoffed at Baals Priests in an holy zeale being directed to it by the Spirit of God Such Ironies proceed from an extraordinary motion of Gods spirit but let us beware how we scoffe at Gods workes how we make our selves merry with his Word how we mock his Ministers and other his servants It is a vice too rife among us Some had rather lose their friend than their jest nay some had rather lose the friendship of God than their jest It is a great sin to grieve any of Gods children wilt thou grieve him sayes S. Paul for whom Christ died he had rather eat no flesh so long as he lived than he would offend his brother and let not us jest so long as we live if we cannot doe it without the offence of our brethren Mockings are tryals woe to the tryers but blessed are they that with meeknesse and patience endure these tryals And scourgings which must needs be painfull to the body By bonds and prisonments which are uncomfortable to all Though a Bird want nothing in a Cage have bread and water enough yet she had rather an hundred times be abroad Liberty is sweet bondage soure though it bee accompanied with some delights and pleasures But I warrant you their imprisonment was hard enough they were fed with the bread of affliction and the water of affliction as Micaiah was and some as the Story saith in Queene Maries dayes were faine to drinke their owne water instead of drinke they had a miserable imprisonment which they notwithstanding endured cheerefully for the Lord's sake VERSE 37. THey were stoned as Zecharias the son of Iehojadah 2 Chro. 24.21 S. Stephen and S. Paul were stoned They were hewne asunder as Ierome reporteth by the common consent of the Iewes Isaiah was Origen sayes he was sawne in peeces with a woodden saw at the commandement of Manasseh because he affirmed he saw the Lord of Hosts Tempted This is left out altogether by Chrysostome and Theophylact Some read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were burnt as some were under Antiochus That might be entertained with some applause
because here speciall kindes of deaths are mentioned yet alterations are dangerous The word Tempted may be retained They were tempted with many faire promises of wealth ease honour and preferment to forsake their religion yet they persisted valiantly to death Achab and Iesabel put many to the sword so did Manasseh that made Ierusalem swim with bloud Saul did so 1 Sam. 22.18 eighty five persons he slew at once Their flight and banishment 1. Among Men then among Beasts 28. From one Towne to another being persecuted by the adversary Not in silkes and velvets like brave Gentlemen wheresoever they become But in Sheepes skins and Goats skins either for necessity because they could get no better or in policy because they would not be knowne and descried by the enemy This their flight was accompanied with many miseries Destitute of things necessary meate drinke money lodging Afflicted in soule and body Evilly intreated many kinde of wayes In the Primitive Church some were stoned as Saint Stephen put to the sword as S. Iames Acts 12.2 Crucified as it is reported of S. Peter with his head downeward Some broyled on hot Grydirons some cast to wilde beasts some drowned some buried even alive some burnt in the fire to ashes Men must prepare themselves for all kindes of death for the name of Christ and he that in his providence sendeth them will in his goodnesse inable us to beare them to his owne glory and our endlesse comfort 1. A wandring life is very uncomfortable It is a great benefit to live quietly at home without wandring to sit under our vines and figge trees Let us be thankefull to God for it 2. If we must needs wander let it not be in a foolish humour to see strange Countries and new fashions let it not bee in an idle vaine to decline working as our rogues and vagabonds wander but let it be for the keeping of a good conscience as in Queene Maries dayes some wandred to Franckford Embden c. VERSE 38. WHy did they wander because they were so bad that they durst be seene no where nor shew their heads no the world was not worthy of these holy men Therefore God did sequester them from the world The wicked counted them the dung and off-scouring of the earth not worthy to breath or to tread on the ground but indeed they were excellent men angelicall men of whose company the world was unworthy The godly being compared to Christ are unworthy men unworthy with Iohn Baptist to unloose the latchet of his shoe but compared with the wicked Phil. 2.15 worthy men too good indeed for the world how basely so ever they think of them The old world was unworthy of Enoch therfore God tooke him away Sodom was unworthy of Lot therefore God pulled him out of it Achab and Iesabel with the unthankfull Israelites were unworthy of Elias therefore God tooke him into heaven in a fiery Charret The world was unworthy of these men therefore God sent them into Caves and deserts The Towne wherein wee dwell was unworthy of many religious Townesmen which wee enjoyed therefore GOD hath taken them away We must learne how to esteeme of the worthinesse of men not by their beauty strength gay Coates c. But wee esteeme it by their wealth by the high places they have in this world we are like them Iac. 2. If a man had come with a gold ring they said sit thou here if he were a poore man though a godly man they set him at their foote-stoole but wee weigh the worth of men in a wrong ballance These were worthy men such as the world was not worthy of that wandred in wildernesses One godly man though never so poore is a more worthy man than ten thousand wicked men then a world of wicked men be they never so wealthy and honourable Vertuous men are the worthy men therefore let us make much of them In wildernesses as Elias 1 Reg 19.4 and dens and caves of the earth 1 Reg. 18.13 They were safe among beasts that could not be safe among men the very beasts were more favourable to them then men The Ravens fed Elias the Lions were kind to Daniel the dogs to Lazarus the Whale to Ionah being as an host to him and his belly as an Inne Though wee should be compelled to walke in wildernesses let us not be afraid he is God of the wildernesses as well as of Townes and Citties and hee can keepe us there his rod and his staffe comfort us wheresoever we become It is a misery not any felicity to be an eremite it is an affliction no set profession Saint Iohn Baptist was no eremite as the Papists imagine it was an inhabited wildernesse though lesse populous where he kept VERSE 39. WIth God and men Their actions and passions are amplified by an event which hath two parts the one affirmative the other negative Yet not They received Christ promised to them by faith they saw his day by the eye of faith and were glad as Abraham did they received likewise the fruit of their faith that is the salvation of their soules at their dying day This makes nothing for limbus patrum But they received not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that promise of Christ's reall exihibition in the flesh because the fulnesse of time was not yet come Neither did they receive the promise of full and complete happinesse in soule and body together they and wee shall be partakers of that at the latter day VERSE 40. A Reason is used taken from the gracious providence of God Who had respect to us as well as to them If Christ had beene exhibited in their dayes the end of the world had beene come for he came in the last dayes Hebr. 1.1 Then what should have become of us but God knowing hee had other sheep to call throughout the wide compasse of the whole world deferred the exhibition of Christ for the accomplishing of the just number of his elect that so both they in the old Testament and we in the new might bee perfected together and one day meete in heaven together with Christ our head as a perfect man God hath a care of all his Children he will not have one to be perfect without another A better thing not in substance but in circumstance We have Christ and so have they God hath provided heaven for us and so he hath for them How then are we better provided for Yes in respect of many circumstances They saw Christ afarre off we neere hand they saw Christ to come we already come they saw him in the Paschall Lamb our Passeover is already offered they had the shadow we the body their Sacraments to confirme their faith in Christ were many and those hard and difficult ours are few and easie they had a little light wee a great light they had Moone light we the Sun light Blessed are the eyes that see c. Some of us are ready to say in our