minde was strangely altered before he was all for getting now he is all for giving This was not the first day that he seemed rich to others but this was the first day he seemed rich to himself Riches bring contention Godlinesse brings contentation Gain hath often hurt the getters piety and Godlinesse is profitable to all men and for all things I Tim. 4. 8. Godlinesse is the most profitable thing in the world because it maketh all things else profitable And it is for want of Piety and Godlinesse that the covetous mans riches no whit profit him Godlinesse setteth such a glass before the eyes of them that possesse the same that it will make a shilling seem as great as a pound a Cottage thought as sumptuons as a Palace a Plow seem as goodly as a Scepter so that he which hath but twenty pounds shall be as merry as he who hath an hundred and he who hath an hundred shall be as â—ocond as he who hath a thousand and he who hath a thousand shall be as well contented and think himself as rich as he who hath a million Even as Daniel did thrive with water and â—ulse as well as the rest did with their wine and junkers Godliness is called by the Apostle great gain 1 Tim. 6. 6. And well it may for it gains God and with him his blessing upon all things else He saith also That bodily exercise profiteth little but godliness is profitable for all things 1 Tim. 4. 8. But shall I shew you in some Particulars how gainfull and profitable it is and how it brings the blessing of God upon all or rather all Gods blessings upon him that is godly CHAP. VII The particular Benefits and Priviledges of Grace and Godlinesse above all worldly commodities are innumerable I 'le name only Nine that you may the better remember them There is nothing wherein men usually rejoyce but the godly more than find it in Christ. First Does any man desire or glory in Knowledge In him are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge Col. 2. 3. I desire to know nothing among you but Jesus Christ and him crucified 1 Cor. 2. 2. This is eternal life to know thee the only God and whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ John 17. 3. Secondly Does any man desire or glory in Honour and Nobility Believers are more Noble than any other men Act. 17. 11. The righteous is more worthy than his neigbour Prov. 12. 26. 28. 6. The best Nobility is the Nobility of Faith and the best genealogie the genealogie of good works The only true greatnesse is to be great in the sight of the Lord as John Baptist was Luk. 1. 15. Whence it is that David thought it not so happy for him to be a King in his own house as a door-keeper in Gods house That Solomon preferred the title of Ecclesiastes before the title of the King of Jerusalem That Theodosius the Emperour preferred the title of Membrum Ecclesiae before that of Caput Imperii professing that he had rather be a Saint and no King than a King and no Saint And that godly Constantine rejoyced more in being the Servant of Christ than in being Emperour of the whole world And indeed Gods servants are the only worthies of the world for Christ hath made them spiritual Kings Rev. 1. 6. So happy are they as to have this high honour and dignity given them Yea so soon as regenerate we are made Sons to a King 2 Cor. 6. 18. Brothers to a King Heb. 2. 11. Heires to a King Rom. 8 17. Even to the King of glory Joh. 17. 22. Rom. 8. 18. 2 Cor. 4. 17. Nor are we his Sons only but he accounts us his precious Jewels Mala. 3. 17. And repures us his intimate Friends Joh. 15. 14 15. Our Friend Lazarus saith Christ Joh. 11. 11. O what an high and happy condition is this for mortal men to aspire unto that the God of Heaven should not be ashamed to own them for friends that before were his cursed and mortal enemies By nature we are like Nebuchadnezer no better than beasts grazing in the forrest but when grace once comes we are like him restored to his reason and high dignities Dan. 4. 29. to the end Or like Manasses brought out of a loathsome Prison to be King of Jerusalem 2 Chroâ— 33. 11 12 13. Thirdly Does any man glory in riches Christ is an unexhaustable treasure never failing and of his fulness have all we received Joh. 1. 16. Nor are these transitory riches though these we have also when God sees them good for us For riches and treasures shall be in the house of the righteous Psal. 112. 3. but we have heavenly and spiritual riches that true Treasure that is infinitely better than silver or gold and more precious than Rubies Pearles or any the most precious stones Yea it surpasseth all pleasure and prosperity strength honour or felicity It is more sweet than the Honey and the Honey-comb yea all the things thou canst else desire are not to be compared to it Length of daies is in her right hand and in her left riches and honour Her waies are waies of pleasantnesse and all her paths are peace She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her and happy is every one that retaineth her as Job David and Solomon will insure you Job 28. 13. to 20. Psal. 19. 10 119. 103. Prov. 3. 14 to 19. 8. 10 11. Eccles. 9. 16. Yea lastly Heaven it self is made sure to every gracious soul for her Patrimony Mat. 5. 3. to 12. Now consider before we go any further how poor a clod of earth a Mannour is how poor an inch a Shire how poor a span a Kingdom how poor a pace or Acre the whole earth And yet how many have sold their bodies and souls and consciences and Heaven and eternity for a few grains of this dust Only with Believers it is otherwise they consider that commodities are but as they are commonly valued And because transitory things in the next life bare no value at all and because there is nothing firm under the firmament They hold it very good covering what they may have and cannot leave behind them And though others most loye what they must leave and think that money will buy any thing like foolish Magus Act 8. 18. Or the Devil who presumed that this bait would even catoh the Son of God Yet the wise and religious can see no reason why it should be so doted upon as it is But Fourthly Does any one desire or glory in Liberty Christ hath delivered us out of the hands of all our adversaries and enemies Luk. 1. 71 74. As namely from the Law Gal. 5. 18. Rom. 6. 44. From sinne 1 Joh. 2. 1 2. From death Joh. 8. 51. 5. 24. And from the Devil with all the powers of darknesse Heb. 2. 14. Rom. 8. 35. to the end Or Fifthly Is it safety from fear
but having said enough to be thought too much I will mention no more only let me a little apply it We see that the shadow does not more inseparably follow the body than all blessings follow grace Bodily exercise profiteth little but godlinesse is profitable unto all things 1 Tim. 4. 8. as having the Promises of the life present and of that which is to come Men talk much of the Philosophers stone that it turneth copper into gold of Cornucopia that it had all things necessary for food in it of the Herb Panaâ—e that it is instead of all purges and cureth all diseases of the Herb Nepenthes that it procureth all delights of Vulcans Armour that it was of proof against all thrusts and blows Yea Pliny speaks of no lesse than three hundred and sixty benefits that may be made of the Palme tree if we will believe him But whether these things be so or not it much matters not this I am sure of that what they did vainly attribute to these rarities for bodily and transitory good we may with full measure and without any hyperbole justly ascribe to grace and Gods favour for spiritual So that Religion Piety and Holinesse are Mistresses worthy your service Yea all other Artes in the world are but drudges to these Fools may contemn them who cannot judge of true intellectual beauty but if they had our eyes they culd not but be ravished with admiration of the same And men truly wise have learned to contemn their contempt and to pity their injurious ignorance All which being so apparant and undeniable mens wisest and surest way were as one would think to become the Servants of God and be as industrious after grace as they have been after gold For in common reason who would eat huskes with the Prodigal when if he will but return home he shall be honourably entertained by his heavenly Father have so good cheer and banqueting hear so great melody joy and triumph Generally men are very eager and industrious to get worldly wealth yea no pains is thought too much for it but where shall we finde men thus eager after spiritual wealth which alone can make them happy CHAP. X. Objection But will some say How shall we obtain this happy condition It is not so easie a matter to become gracious and to gain the favour of God as you seem to make it I Answer Yes this may easily be helped if thou hast a mind to it For as when a man would have those things to be on his right hand which are now on his left it is but turning himself and the work is done so do but turn you affections from earthly things to things celestial and heavenly the case will be so altered that you will think your self as a blind man restored to sight a mad man to his senses a prisoner set at liberty a begger advanced to a vast estate and as one vexed with an evil spirit or troubled with a tormenting conscience to such a blessed peace as the world can neither give nor take away John 14. 27. As thus Would you quiet your clamorous conscience that will not be friends with you unlesse you be friends with God The ayer is not so cleer when the clowde is dissolved by rain as the mind is when the clowdes of our iniquities are dissolved by the rain or tears of true repentance These waters are the red sea wherein the whole Arm of our sinnes is drowned As O the calm spirit of a godly man his very dreams are divine When Ptolomy King of Aegypt had posed the Seaventy Interpreters in order and asked the nineteenth man what would make one sleep quietly in the night he told him the best way was to have divine and celestial Meditations and to use honest actions and recreations in the day time The godly man enjoyes Heaven upon earth peace of conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost 1 Thes. 1. 6. Nor is joy lesse when it is least expressed as it fares with grief but as the windowes of the Temple were narrow without but broad within so is the joy of our hearts greater than it does outwardly appear to the world Again It is as falfe a slander as common that when once a man imbraceth Religion farewell all joy and delight For virtue hath neither so crabbed a face nor so stern a look as men make her Pleasure is not gone when sinne is gone It is not Isaac that is sacrificed that is our laughter and mirth but the Ramme that is the bruitishnesse of it The soul of joy lies in the souls joy What saies holy David Be glad ye righteous and rejoyce in the Lord and be joyfull all ye that are upright in heart Psal. 32. 11. It was not the Eunuchs riches nor honours but his faith which set him on his way rejoycing Act. 8. 39. In this rejoyce noâ— saith our Saviour that the spirits are subdued unto you but rather rejoyce that your names are written in Heaven Luke 10. 20. Yea there is even joy in grief where the sorrow is for sinne Besides how can men partake of that fountain of joy and rejoyce not He is no good Christian that is not taken with the glory he shall have and rejoyce that his name is written in the Book of life The worldly man hath joy in prosperity the Child of God in adversity The believing Hebrews suffered with joy the spoyling of their goods knowing that they had in Heaven a better and more enduring substance Heb. 10. 34. Yea let the worst that can come they are still merry and joyfull as hath been observed in sundry of the Martyrs who clapt their hands for joy even in the midst of the flames And reason good when all things shall work to their good that are good and when the very draught and abridgment of Heaven is in every sanctified heart upon earth Then live religiously and thou shalt both live and die comfortably For live in grace and die in peace is a rule that never fails Only this hinders our joy our love to spiritual things is too defective of worldly things too excessive Earthly goods are earnestly and eagerly sought after Heavenly not once thought upon Much travell taken for the body little or no care used for the soul. It would be otherwise if with Paul at his conversion they had those scales taken away from their eyes by some godly Ananias some faithfull Minister of the Gospel which during their natural condition covers their eyes from seeing things spiritual It is a sad thing to see what fools men are that walk according to the flesh and how they are gulled by the God of this world and their own deceitfull hearts The covetous man is like a mad man that loves and is unmeasurably delighted with the sight and gingling of those chains wherewith he is fettered and tormented He hugs them I mean his money and adores them and even makes them his god that occasion him all
the wheels one way such an oyl is upon the heart that it makes all nimble and current about it but without the heart all is mute and dumb As the tongue will not praise because the heart doth not love the ear doth not hear because the heart does not mind the hand does not give because the heart does not pitty the foot will not go because the heart hath no affection All stay upon the heart like the Captain that should give the onset Nor is any service we can do accepted without the heart and affections flowing thence Therefore Davids prayer is Create in me a new heart and renew a right spirit within me Psal. 51. 10. The Scribes and Pharisees did fast and watch and pray and hear and read and give and do all that we can do and yet Christ rewarded all their works with a wo because they wanted a good heart and true affections flowing thence They honoured God with their lips but their hearts were far away from him Whence he also calls them hypocrites Mark 7. 6. The Disciple that betrayed Christ heard as much as the Disciples that loved him CHAP. XIII But here least I should be mistaken let me joyn to what hath been said and what shall be further said by way of caution Expect not that this should be done by any power of thine own for except God give thee repentance and removes all impediments that may hinder thou canst no more turn thy self than thou couldst at first make thy self We are not sufficient of our selves to think much lesse to speak least of all to do that which is good 2 Cor. 3. 5. We are swift to all evil but to any good immoveable We can lend no more active power to our conversion than Adam did to his creation than the Child doth to his conception than the dead man to his raising from the grave It was the Lord that did open the heart of Lydia to conceive well Act. 16. 14. the ears of the Prophet to hear well Isa. 50. 4. the eyes of Elishaes servant to see well 2 Kings 6. 17. and the lips of David to speak well Bid a man by his own strength do the least good or bear the least trouble you may with as good successe stand in the street and bid a chained prisoner come out of his dungeon S t. Paul before his conversion could do as much as the best accomplished moralist of them all his words are If any man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh much more I Phil. 3. 4. Yet when he speaks of his doing or suffering he sheweth that it was because the love of God was shed abroad in his heart by the holy Ghost which was given him Rom. 5. 5. Of himself he could do nothing though he were able to do all things through Christ and by the Spirits assistance who strengthened him Phil. 4. 13. Man is like an Organ-pipe that speakes no longer then wind is blown into it Wherefore as when David came to fight with Goliah he cast away Sauls armour so let us in this case cast away all trust and confidence in our selves and only set forward in the Name of the Lord God of Israel If we trust to our own resistance we cannot stand we cannot miscarry if we trust to his Yet this is to be considered that God does not work upon us as upon blocks and stones in all and every respect passive but converts our wils to will our own conversion He that made thee without thy self will not justifie nor save thee without thy self Without thy merit indeed not without thine endeavour When those deadly waters were healed by the Prophet the outward act must be his the power Gods he cast the salt into the spring and said Thus saith the Lord I have healed these waters there shall not be from thence any more death or barrennesse Elisha was the Instrument but far was he from challenging ought to himself Wherefore be sure to use that power which Christ shall give thee and then my soul for thine he will not be wanting on his part And amongst other thine endeavour exercise Prayer Omit not to beg of God for the grace thou wantest and praise him for what thou obtainest Abhor to attribute or ascribe ought to thy doing trust only to Christs obedience in whom only what we do is accepted and for whom only it is rewarded Now you are to know that as no Sacrifice was without Incense so must no service be performed without Prayer And Prayer is like the Merchants Ship to fetch in heavenly commodities It is the Key of Heaven as S t Austin terms it and the Hand of a Christian which is able to reach from earth to Heaven and to take forth every manner of good gift out of the Lords Treasury Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name saies Christ believing he will give it you John 16. 23. Matth. 21. 22 Unto fervent Prayer God will deny nothing It is like Sauls Sâ—ord and Jonathans bow that never returned empty Like Ahimaaz that alwaies brought good tydings It is worth the obseâ—ving how Cornelius his serious exercies of this duty of Prayer brought unto him first an Angel then an Apostle and then the Holy Ghost himself Hast thou then a desire after that happinesse before spoken of seek first to have the asistance of Gods Spirit and his love shed abroad in thine heart by the Holy Ghost Wouldst thou have the love of God and the asistance of his Spirit ask it of him by Prayer who saith If any of you lack in this kind let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him James 1. 5. Wouldst thou pray that thou maist be heard Ask in faith and waver â—ot for he that wavereth is like a wave of the Sea test of the wind and carried away Vers. 6. Wouldst thou have saith be diligent to hear the Word preached which is the sword of the Spirit that killeth our corruptions and that unresistable Cannon-shot that battereth and beateth down all the strong holds of sinne and Satan Rom. 10 17. Unto him therefore that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think I commend thee CHAP. XIV Lastly For conclusion of this point Wouldst thou be a contented and Happy man then strive to be a Thankefull man and when God hath the fruit of his mercies he will not spare to sow much where he reapes much Wouldest thou become thankefull then bethink thy self what cause thou hast by calling to mind and considering what God and Christ hath done for thee As first That he is the Authour of thy natural life For in him we live and move and have our being Act. 17. 28. Secondly Of thy spiritual life Thus I live saies Paul yet not I now but Christ liveth in me Gal. 2. 20. Thirdly Of thy eternal life 1 Joh. 1. He is the way
make it our daily exercise benefacta benefactis partegentes as one saith making one good deed an introduction unto another and never leaving to do good so long as there is any power in our hands to do it And unto this the Apostle exhorreth 2 Thess. 3. 13. Brethren be not weary of well doing And 1 Thess. 5. 15. Ever follow that which is good both among your selves and to all men And in this we shall imitate our heauenly Father and approve our selves to 〈◊〉 his children who reneweth his mercies unto us every morning and â—â—â—â—iplyeth his blessings upon us every day with a now supply and so we shall be sure to receive a rich reward For it we be stedfast and 〈◊〉 alwayes abounding in these good works of the Lord we may be assured that our labour shall not be in vaine in the Lord as it is promised 1 Cor. 15. 58. Many other places there are that require us to give constantly to seven and also to eight as Solomon phraseth it even so often as the necessities of the Saints require For thâ—â—s the Apostle saith 〈…〉 is the necessities of the Saints He doth not say distribute but distributing using the participle which noteth a continued act of 〈…〉 saith St. Paul of the Philippians 〈◊〉 sentence and again to my necessity A Well-head or a Spring ruâ—â— with a constant streame and will not be dry so should mercifull deeds flow from us The liberall Man ill devise of liberall things and continue his liberality Isa. 32. 8. And such in one was Boaz of whom Naomi could say out of 〈◊〉 common 〈◊〉 Blessed be he of he Lord for he ceaseth not to do good to the living to the dead Roth. 2. 20. Again we most increase in doing good our care Must be as to grow in grace so to bring forth new 〈◊〉 of good works imitating herein the Church of Thyatirâ— whose last works excelled the first Rev. 2. 19. Seeing we cannot otherwise be sure to be constant in them For they who go not forward but stand at a stay will not long stay in their standing And in this the beneficence of a godly man differeth from that which is in worldlings who do some good works of mercy by fits but are not constant in well doing and also in that which is in Hypocrites who do some good deeds for praise or profit but yet desist when their turne is served The flame of their charity lasting no longer than the fuell doth wherewith it is nourished but these have onely a green blade of an outward profession and never come to the bearing of ripe 〈◊〉 They run well for a time but get not the garland because they do not hold out to the end of the race They are not true Christians but onely dead images of Christianity like that which 〈◊〉 saw in a Dreame which had an head of gold the middle parts of filâ—er his thighes of brasse his legs of iron and his feet part of iron and part of clay for so the head and first beginnings of their workes are golden and glorious but the last and latter ends base and of no worth Thus we ought not onely to performe this duty presently and constantly but we should increase in the doing of it CHAP. XXXIX But alass the rich worldling takes a quite contrary course for either he never does any good at all or if he do it is at his death The miserly Muckworms manner is never to be liberall till he dies never to forsake or leave his goods untill his goods leave and forsake him Being like the Muckhill that never does good till carried out or the fat hog that is good for nothing till he comes to the kâ—â—â—â— or the poor mans boxe that yeelds no money till broken up Like a tree that lets fall none of his fruit till he be forc'd by death or violently shaken by sicknesse And then perhaps he may thinke upon the poore and part with something to relieve them As sometimes after he hath in stead of feeding the bellies of the poor ground their faces by usury extorting wracking inclosing and halfe â—â—doing whole Villages he liberally relieves some sew at his death and befriends them with the plaisters of his bounty which is no other them to steale a Goose and sticke down a feather rob a thousand to relieve ten Or rather as the Jewes bought a burying place for strangers with the blood of Christ so he builde an Almes-house or Hospitall for the Children with their Fathers bones Nor is that out of conscience or love to the poore but rather he thinkes by this and a piece of Marble to raise his name and revive his credit which he had long since lost though it no whit avails him with men of judgement Again he thinkes that a little almes will make amends for a great deal of injustice But this pleaseth God like the offering of Cain or as that of Nadab and Abihiâ— when they offered strâ—â—ge five unto the Lord Levit. 10. For certainly as the Lord would not in the lâ—â— receive 〈◊〉 an offering the price of a dog or the hire of a whore so it is no going about to corrupt God with presents and call him to take part of the spoyle which he hath gotten by fraudulent meanes and extortion No he that offereth to the Lord of the goods of the poor is as he that sacrificeth the sonne in the sight of the Father Eccl. 3. 4. Yea even Plato an Heathen could say Neither the gods nor honest men will accept the offerings of a wicked man Nay a generous Roman would scorne to have his life given him by such a sordid 〈◊〉 gâ—t As when Syâ—â—a the Dictator had condemned to death all the Iahab 〈◊〉 of Peronza pardoning none but his Host he would needs dye also flying he scorned to hold his life of the murtherer of his Countrey as Appian relates And for my part I had rather endure some extremity then to be beholding to the almes of Avarice He that overvalues what he gives never thinks he hath thanks enough and I had better shift hardly then owe to an insatiable creditor Now herein is the difference between grace and corrupt nature the Christian exerciseth himselfe in the works of mercy in the whole course of his life and giveth his goods to the poor while he might enjoy them himself but the wordling is only liberal at the approach of death and then alone he is content to employ them this way when as he seeth he can keep them no longer And that not out of love towards God or the poor but out of feare of approaching judgement and that dreadfull account which he must presently make before a just and terrible Judge Or out of self-love either that he may gaine the vain-glory of the world or that he may satisfie for his sins and to escape eternall condemnation In which respect he giveth to the poor and casts his bread upon the face of
pretend what they wil he that hath Grace or the love of God in his heart wil shew it in Works of mercy to the end that God may be honored and others won and edified thereby Blessed are the pure in heart faith our Saviour for they shall see God Matth. 5. 8. They must lead vertuous lives on Earth that ever expect in Heaven to see the Lord Jesus Now the inward disposition of the heart is outwardly ingraven in the life Shew methy faith by thy works sayes James Jam. 2. 18. That is by thy active obedience which consisteth in doing God's Commandments and passive obedience in suffering his Chastisements Though Faith be alone in Justification yet not in the justified as the Eye though alone in seeing yet not in him that seeth but joined with the Ears Nose Hands and many other members of the body Faith the Queen of Graces hath her Gentleman-Usher before and her Servants following after If you see not Repentance go before Faith nor Works attending on her know that it is not she There is a zeal without knowledge and there is a knowledge without zeal there is a faith without obedience and there is an obedience without faith there is a love without fear there is a fear without love both are hypocrites We are justified by faith sayes Paul Rom. 4. 3. We are justified by works says James Jam. 2. 21 St. James dealt with them that stood too much upon Faith without Works S. Paul dealt with them that stood too much upon Works without Faith Wirked men if we mark it are all for extreams and extreams onely bear rule in this World because there is still but one virtue for two vices which cowch so close beside her that the natural man can scarce see her as for instance you shall ever see Pride on the one side Rusticity on the other side and comeliness in the midst Flattery on the one side Malice on the other side and Love in the midst Diffidence on the one side Presumption on the other side and Faith in the midst Superstition on the one side Atheism on the other side and Religion in the midst Ignorance on the one side Curiosity on the other side and knowledge in the midst Carefulness on the one side Carelesness on the other side and Diligence in the midst Covetousness on the one side Prodigallity on the other side and Frugallity in the midst But to these Virtues or to keep the mean Worldlings are always to seek as hereafter they wil be of a blessing Gods Servants are known by this they square all their actions and intentions by the Rule of the Word as knowing that if they do never so much to satisfie anothers Will or their own it avails nothing with God if it be not done for God Therefore David prayes Teach me O Lord to do thy will not my Will for we need not be taught to do our own wills every man can go to Hell without a Guide Now he that wil do Gods Will and live by the direct Rule of his Word must repent and believe the Gospel Mark 1. 15. that is joyn with his faith in God's Promises obedience to his Precepts For Faith and Obedience are as inseparable as life and motion the Sun and its light And altbeit in our Justification Christ saith Fiat tibi secundum fidem tuam be it unto thee according to the Faith Matth 9. 29. Yet in our salvation Redditur unicuique secundum opera sua Every man shall be rewarded according to his works Matth. 16. 27. Neither wil Christ say when he shal sit upon his throne Ye have believed but you have done Come ye blessed Matth. 25. 35. and in Matth. 25. 21. Well done good Servants not wel known nor wel spoken nor wel purposed but wel done This is the perfect Rule Gal. 6. 16. And as many as walk according to this Rnle peace shall be upon them and mercy and upon the Israel of God Again it is not knowing or hearing or preaching or casting out Devils in Christs Name nor praying Lord Lord c. but he that doth his will and when he hath done it accounts himself an uprofitable 〈◊〉 that shal be saved Luke 17. 10. And 〈…〉 men were not wilfully blind and did not 〈…〉 follow the deceitfulness of their own 〈…〉 then believe God's Word It were impossible they should ever hope for mercy without filial Obedience since the scripture thoroughout continually calls for practice as to ad some instances to the former If you ask God who shall dwell in his holy Mountain he faith The man which walketh uprightly Psal. 15. 2. If ye ask Christ who shall enter into the Kingdom of heaven he saith Not they which cry Lord Lord though they cry twice Lord but they which do the will of my Father Mat. 7. 22. If you ask him again How you may come to Heaven he saith Keep the Commandments Luk. 18. 20. If you ask him again Who are blessed He saith Blessed are they that hear the Word of God and do it here are none but doers If you ask an Angel who are blessed he saith Blessed are they which keep the words of this Book Revel 22. 7. Here are none but doers If you ask David Who are blessed He saith Blessed are they that keep judgement and he that doth righteousness Psal. 106. 3. 103. 18. If you ask Solomon Who are blessed He faith The man is blessed that keepeth God's Law Prov. 29. 18. Here are none but doers If you ask Esay Who are blessed He saith He which doth this is blessed Esay 56. 2. If you ask St. James Who are blessed He saith The doer of the Word is blessed in his deed James 1. 25. Here is none but doers mentioned Matth. 7 21. Rom. 2. 13. So that blessedness and doing go always together For as the works that Christ did bore witness that he was Christ Job 10. 25. So the works that we do must bear witness that we are Christians And least any man should look to be blessed without obedience as Christ calleth Love the greatest Commandment so Solomon calleth Obedience the end of all as though without obedience all were to no end Eccles. 12. 13. When God created the Trees in Paradice Gen. 1. hee commanded them to bring forth fruit So when he createth a lively faith in any one he commandeth it to bring forth Works And when our Saviour would prove himself to John to be the true Messias indeed he said to his Disciples Tell John what what things you have heard and seen not only heard but seen Matth. 11. 4. So if we will prove our selves to be Christs Disciples indeed we must do that which may be seen as wel as heard Iohn was not onely called the Voyce of a Cryer but a Burning Lamp which might be seen James doth not say Let me hear thy Faith but let me see thy Faith As the Angels put on the shape of men that Abraham