ministery of his angels to translate the blessed soules to their place of peace rest and ioy And lastly hee shall appeare in the end of the world in glorious Maiesty to iudge all men and Angels and this is the appearance heere mentioned There is noted to be a threefold Iudgement The first Iudgement and that was accomplished on man and Angels at their first fall then there is a middle Iudgement and so God iudgeth the wicked and the righteous euery day And there is a last Iudgement and that is this Iudgement about which Christ is heere sayd to appeare The doctrine of the last Iudgement is in a manner onely to bee found in the Church They were darke and vncertaine things the Philosopher could see by the light of nature And the Lords messengers haue in all ages from the first beginning till now mightily vrged the terror of this day to awaken the secure worlde Henoch prophesied of it so did Moses and Dauid and Solomon and Daniel and Ioel 〈◊〉 â—â—lachie so did Christ himselfe and Paul and Peter and Iohn and Iude Neither is the assurance of the Iudgement to come waranted by the words of Gods seruants onely but the Lord hath left many works of his owne as pledges that he will once at length for all iudge the whole world for sin The drowning of the old world the burning of Sodome the destruction of Ierusalem were assured foretokens that the Lord would not put vp the infinite iniquities of the world but will most seuerely punish for sinne the pleading of the conscience foretels a iudgement to come the sentence of death pronounced in Paradise and renewed with such terror on Sinay did euidently assure that God meant to call men to an account The lesser Iudgements in this life are but foretypes of that last and greatest Iudgement to come And lastly the dragging of men out of the world by death is nothing else but an Alarum to Iudgement Yet as there is a necessary vse of the knowledge of this dreadfull and glorious doctrine So there is a restraint to be layd vppon vs this is one of the things wherein we must be wise to sobriety We must represse the itching of our eares and be content to be ignorant of what is not reuealed this is a doctrine to be inquired into more for vse of life then to feede the curiosity of contemplation Concerning the Iudgement to come if any aske Who shall iudge I answer that in respect of authority the whole trinity shall Iudge but in respect of the execution of that Authority Christ onely shall iudge and that as man it is true that the Apostles and the Saints are sayd to iudge the tribes of Israel and the world but they ony iudge as assessors that is they shall sit as it were on the bench with our Sauiour Christ when he iudgeth And if any aske in the second place Whom Christ shall iudge I answer hee shall iudge the euill Angels for they are reserued in euerlasting chaines vnder darknesse vnto the iudgement of the great day He shall iudge also the man of sinne euen the great Antichrist that hath made such hauocke in the Church and seduced the nations with the wine of his fornications euen him shall he consume with the brightnesse of his comming He shall iudge also all reprobates men women and children of all ages nations and conditions for though he shall not know them in respect of approbation yet he shall iudge them and make them vnderstand he knew their transgressions Further he shall iudge the very Elect though it shall be with a different Iudgement For we must all appeare before the tribunall seat of Christ that euery one may receiue the things which are done in his body Lastly in some sence it may be sayd he shall iudge the whole world for the heauens and the earth that now are are kept by the word of God reserued vnto fire against the day of condemnation and of the destruction of vngodly men and the Apostle Paul sayth that the feruent desire of the creature made subiect to vanity by man waiteth for this reuelation of the sonnes of God at the last iudgement for they are subdued vnder hope and shall at that day by the sentence of Christ be deliuered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God Thirdly if any aske where this iudgement shall be I answer that seeing the Lord hath not determined it it is curious to enquire and more curious to assigne the very place as some haue that wrote it should be in the valley of Iehoshaphat or as others would haue it on Mount Sion whence he ascended This we know it shall bee neere the earth in the clouds of Heauen where Christs throne shall be set and further then this we need not enquire There haue beene also many opinions about the time when it should be Some thought that as the world was sixe dayes in creating and then the Sabaoth of rest came So the world should last 6000. yeares reckoning a 1000. yeares as one day and then should come the eternall Saboath Others distribute the times thus 2000. yeere before the Law 2000. yeeres vnder the law and 2000. yeers after the law and then comes the iudgement Others thought the world would last after Christ so long as it was to the flood from the creation and that was as they say 1656. yeers Others thought it should be as long to the iudgement after Christ as it was from Moses to Christ and that should be 1582. yeers this experience hath proued false Other say Christ liued 33. yeeres and the world should continue for 33. Iubilies after Christ. What can be said of all or the most of these opinions and such like but euen this that they are the blind fancies of men For is there not a plaine restraint laid vpon men in this question when the Lord Iesus said it is not for you to know the times and seasons which the father hath put in his owne power And of that day and hower knoweth no man no not the Angells of heauen but my father only And the Euangelist S. Marke addeth that the sonne of man himselfe knoweth not the day and hower Not that simply Christ is ignorant of the time of the last iudgement but he was said not to know because he kept it from our knowledge Or else he knew it not as he was man or rather in his estate of humiliation and in his humane nature he did not precisely know it But that hinders not but that in his estate of exaltation as he is now in heauen and hath all power and iudgement committed vnto him he may and doth fully vnderstand it But letting these things passe the principall things for vs to be informed in is concerning the
the thought of this glory should win vs to a care to be such as may be capable of it Qu. What must we doe that we may haue comfort that we are the men shall partake of this glory and speed well in the day of Iesus Christ Ans. First Euery one that would haue this hope must purge himselfe as Christ is pure we must be much in the duties of mortification For no vncleane person can enter into the kingdome â—f glory And vncleane we are all till we be washed in the blood of Christ by iustification and bathed in teares of true repentance by mortification It hath been obserued before that if we would not haue the Lord to iudge vs we must iudge our selues And if we would not haue Christ to take vnto him words against our soules we must take vnto vs words against our sinnes to confesse and bewaile them in secret Secondly we must labour for the assurance of faith T is faith that is the euidence of the things not seene T is faith that shall be found to honor and praise in the reuelation of Iesus Christ It is faith to which the promise of eternall life is made Thirdly we should labour to get vnto our selues the benefit of a powerfull preaching ministery for thereby our hearts may be wonderfully stirred vp to see the glory of sincerity on earth and it will open a wide dore to behold as in a mirror the glory to come with an open face changing vs into the same image from glory to glory by the spirit of God I say not that this is of absolute necessity as the former are but it is of wonderful expediency Fourthly we must be circumspect and watchfull in speciall manner attending to our owne hearts that we be not at any time oppressed with the cares of this life or voluptuous liuing if euer we would be able to stand in the day of iudgement and escape the fearefull things that are to come especially we must looke to our selues in these things least that day come vpon vs at vnawares Fiftly Doe we looke for the mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ into eternall life then we must as the Apostle Iude sheweth edifie our selues in our most holy faith praiyng in the holy Ghost and keepe our selues in the loue of God we must be afraid of whatsoeuer may estrange the Lord from vs or any way darken the sence of his loue For we may be assured if we haue his fauour and walke before him in the sence of it we shall haue glory when we die Likewise praying in the holy Ghost with constancy and frequency doth maruellouslie enrich a Christian both with the first fruits of glory euen glorious ioy on earth and with the assurance of fulnesse of glory in heauen Sixtly the Apostle Iohn seemes to say if loue be perfect in vs we shall haue boldnesse in the day of iudgement As if he would import that to be inwardly and affectionately acquainted with Christians on earth is a notable meanes to procure vs gracious entertainment with Christ in heauen especially if we perfect our loue and grow to some Christian ripenesse in the practise of the duties of loue in a profitable fellowship in the Gospell It is good discretion to grow as great as we can with Christians that so we may winne the fauour of Christ. Lastly the Apostle Paul shewes in the second to the Romanes that they that seek glory and honor and immortality and euerlasting life must be patient in well doing For they shall be rewarded according to their works And to euery man that doth good shall be honor and glory and power to the Iew first and also to the Grecian For all that haue any tydings of saluation in the Gospell or looke for that blessed hope and appearing of that glory of the mighty God must liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world Without holinesse no man shall see God And therefore wee should be abundant in the worke of the Lord forasmuch as we know that our labour shall not be in vaine in the Lord And thus far of the glorious appearance both of Christ and Christians And thus also of the first rule of life namely the meditation of heauenly things Verse 5. Mortifie therefore your members which are on earth fornication vncleannesse the inordinate affection euill concupiscence and couetousnesse which is idolatrie Thâ—se words with those that follow to the tenth verse containe the second principall rule of holy life and that is the mortification of euill These euills to be mortified are of two sorts for either they are vices that concerne our selues most or else they are iniuries that concerne the hurt of others also Of the mortification of vices he intreats v. 5.6.7 of the mortification of iniuries he entreats v. 8.9 In the first part viz. the exhortation to the mortifying of vices I consider first the matter about which he deales and the reasons The matter is in verse 5. and the reasons v. 6.7 In the fift verse there are two things First the preposition of mortification in these words mortifie therefore your members that are on earth Secondly a catalogue of vices to be mortified or the enumeration of certaine speciall sinnes a Christian should be carefull to keep himselfe from viz. fornication vncleannes c. The generall consideration of the whole exhortation to mortification should imprint this deeply in our hearts that vnlesse we doe repent of those sinnes haue been in our natures and liues and be carefull to flee from the corruptions that are in the world we shall neuer haue comfort that we are accepted with God We should bring to the particular opening of all the verses a mind resolued of the generall And to quicken vs a little the more to the respect of this doctrine and to enforce the care of parting with our sinnes I will briefly touch by the way some few reasons why we should be willing to entertaine all counsell that might shew vs any course to get rid of sinne First our vices are the fruits of our corrupted nature They arise not from any noble or diuine instinct but are the effects of base flesh in vs. And we should carry the thoughts of it in our minds when we are inclined or tempted to vice we should say within our selues this euill proceeds not from any thing that might declare greatnesse or true spirit in a man what is passion or lust or couetousnesse but the base worke of the filthy degenerated flesh Secondly our vices are the only things that defile vs and make vs loathsome before God and men T is not meane cloathes or a deformed body or a poore house or homely fare or any such thing that makes a man truly contemptible no no it is only sinne can defile and bring that which is true contempt Thirdly the bond and forfeiture of the law
names In the 2 place they are discribed 1 by their countrey they were of the circumcision that is Iewes 2 By their praises and thus they are commended either for what they were to the Church in generall they were labourers fellow workers or for what they were to Paul they were to his consolation Which are of the circumcision This is added perhappes to note that euen those men though they were Iewes did subscribe to the Apostles doctrine concerning the abolishing of Iewish ceremonies But by this periphrasis the Iewes were noted not so much because God did once hereby distinguish and seperate them from the world as by a partition wall but because of pertinacie in refusing though they were Christians to lay downe circumcision This obstinacie of the Iewes should teach vs resolution for the truth and be more constant in all good courses then they obstinate in euill In the praise of their paines I note 1 Their paucity or fewnesse these only 2 Their labour workefellowes 3 The subiect about which they labour the kingdome of God These only Here obserue 1 That when God hath any worke to do there are found few faithful men to do it 2 That a people that hath had the meanes and been conuinced if they turne not speedily prooue of many others the most obdurate and hard hearted thus almost the whole nation of the Iewes resisted Christ. 3 Persecution driues many Hearers into Apostacie this was not the case of the Iewes in Rome onely but would be our case if the times altered Quest. What hearers amongst vs are like to fall away if the times should change Answ. 1 Such as heare without affection 2 Such as haue only a temporary faith 3 Such as now forbeare societie with Gods seruants in the fellowship of the Gospell For if now they shame their presence how farre would they stand off in perilous times 4 If these three onely of all the Iewes were faithfull labourers in Rome where was Peter if he had been at Rome either Paul much wrongs him not to mention him and his eminent praises or else the gaineing of a Bishopricke made him giue ouer his worke Workefellowes Here consider 1 Their labour worke 2 Their honor fellowes For the first obserue 1 That Gods kingdome on earth is erected by mans hands as the outward instruments an honor done to man which is denied to the Angells 2 Gods kingdome needs much labour and helpe Ministers must worke they may not be loiterers yea they must worke hard for cursed is he that doth Gods worke negligently yea they must worke in their owne persons not by substitutes Magistrates also must helpe forward this worke by protecting the ministerie and good men by compelling such as are by the high wayes to come into Gods house and by reforming abuses which hinder Gods grace and kingdome amongst men priuate persons must helpe by instruction admonition consolation c. Fellowes Here note 1 the honor of the labourers they are all one fellowes though differing in guifts 1. Cor. 3.8.9 2 Their vnitie some are workers but not Coworkers for they preach not Christ purely 3 Humilitie in the Apostle imutable in all though neuer so much excelling in place or gifts Vses of all First for instruction 1 Pray to the Lord of the haruest to send foorth more labourers though clergy men are very corrupt and few of them faithfull yet it is better our mouthes be filled with praiers then with reproches 2 Ministers must studie to approue themselues workemen that neede not be ashamed 2. Tim. 2.15 3 The people must take heede they hinder not Gods worke by disobedience 1. Cor. 16.16 Lastly must Ministers in their callings labour surely then must euery man worke in his calling also else iust with God if pouerty attend slouth yea women must worke and not destroy their houses by pride and idlenesse and all both men and women must not talke of it as many do but set to it Pro. 14.23 nor begin onely but perseuere Pro. 18.9 but some are so settled vpon their lees in this point that they are wiser in their owne conceit then seuen men that can giue a reason 2 For consolation to all Gods workemen especially Ministers though they haue not so great gifts as others yet if they shew all good faithfulnesse in discharge of their places they are fellowes euen to Apostles though all that wrought at the Tabernacle had not Bezaliels skill yet all were coworkers yea Gods workemen differ from all the workmen in the world For first God himselfe will worke with them so will no Prince though the worke be neuer so princely 2 Though their worke be not finished yet they shall receiue their wages though Israel be not gathered yet their iudgement is with the Lord and their worke with their God Isay. 40.4.5 Vnto the kingdome of God There is a thereefold kingdome of God First of nature Psal. 103.19 Secondly of grace Math. 3.2 Thirdly of glory Iohn 3.3 The kingdome of grace is here meant here I obserue first the priuiledges of this kingdome Secondly the properties or signes of the subiects Thirdly the vses For the first the excellent condition of such as by true conuersion are admitted into the kingdome of grace may be three waies considered for they are happie first in their king secondly in their lawes thirdly in the personall prerogatiues of the kingdome 1 They are happie in their King for he is nobly born the sonne of the most high 2 He comes rightly by the crowne Psal. 2.7 3 He is of eminent soueraignety he hath a name written on his garments and thigh The king of kings and Lord of Lords Reuel 19.16 Prince of the kings of the earth Reuel 1.5 4 He is a Prince of admirable qualities wonderfull counseller the mightie God an euerlasting father prince of peace one that keepes the gouernment vpon his owne shoulders Isa. 9.6 5 Lastly he is immortall 1. Tim. 1.17 in the earth if a prince were neuer so good yet in this the subiects are vnhappie that they shall loose him but Sions king will neuer die 2 They are happie in their lawes for they are not only cleerely digested in Gods sacred volume but they are euery way most perfect to make men wise to saluation and absolute to euery good worke such as neede no repeale nor addition a perfect rule to all ages and so are no lawes of man vnder heauen 2. Tim. 3.3.15.16 17. 3 They are happie in the personall prerogatiues of the kingdome for â— Heere is certaine saftiâ— and quiet habitation for all the Kings subiects Isa. 33.20 21. Ier. 23.5.6 Secondly to all the subiects it is giuen to know â—he mysteries of this kingdome Math. 13.11 Thirdly in this kingdome poore men may get aduancement as easily and as soone as rich Iam. 2.6 Fourthly if any of the subiects fall into desperate crosses that they be without all meanes yet they are prisoners of hope and shall be saued and deliuered
God the Father hath prepared and laid vp in Heauen And the more are wee confirmed in this resolution constantly to prayse GOD for these excellent Graces because they are not sodaine Fancies or presumptuous Conceits raised out of the Forge of your owne braine or conceiued for some corrupt or carnall ends but were indeede begotten in you by the mighty working of the most sweet Doctrine of Reconciliation proued in it selfe and by effect to be a Word of Truth euen that word of the LORD long foretolde now truely reuealed and accomplished also begetting the true forme of pietie in you with constancie and true vprightnesse both of heart and life This is the word of Reconciliation which is come vnto you as by incredible power and swiftnesse it is now to the greatest part of the world euen to people of all sorts and Nations causing them to shew the soundnesse of their Coâ—uersion by the daily fruâ—â—s of amenâ—ment of life and this increaseth continually in all places as it doth and hath done with you since the very first day that you truely heard and effectually beleeued this rich Doctrine of the grace of GOD. And this very Doctrine which you haue heard of Epaphras is the selfe same diuine truth that is gone all abroad the world of Epaphras I say whom wee all reuerence as our deare fellow-Seruant being assured that hee is for your best good a faithfull and most humble Minister of Iesus Christ. Hee hath with great contentment boasted of you in reporting to vs your spirituall and heauenly affection to God and godlinesse and one towards another and for the same cause since the first time we heard of your prayses in the Gospell wee haue beene importunate without ceasing praying for you and beseeching God to increase in you and make compleate your knowledge of his reuealed will not onely for contemplation but for practise also with a gracious experience of the working of the Spirit That yee might carry your selues in a holy eminency of godly conuersation striuing to proportion your Obedience in a greater degree then ordinary as might become the great measure of Gods Mercies of all sorts towards you expressing a liuely kinde of pleasingnesse both in carriage towards God and man being refreshed with the sweetnesse of acceptation in your seruices and that you might extend your carefulnesse to beare fruit not in one kinde or some few but in all kindes and sorts of good workes daily increasing in a holy acquaintance with the sacred nature of God which is both the effect and cause of all comfortable progresse in holy life That so growing vp to a ripe age in CHRIST in the sanctification both of soule and body and spirit in all the Graces and Duties of CHRIST and Christian life through the assisâ—ance of the glorious power of GOD in the vse of all meanes and helpes appoynted of GOD yee might accomplish your most holy profession with singular comfort and contentment being able chearefully and with all patience and Long-suffering to beare the Crosses Tentations Infirmities Persecutions and whatsoeuer Wrongs or Indignities might befall you wayting for the Promise of GOD being neuer weary of well-doing And as wee haue thought good thus to let you vnderstand our loue towards you and our reioycing for the prosperitie of your soules so wee thought good to write vnto you both to put you in minde of the most holy Doctrine of CHRIST as also to exhort and beseech you to be constant in the Faith and Hope you haue receiued without listening to the entising speeches of false Teachers which as wicked Seducers would beguile your soules of that high prise of your most holy Calling What thankes can wee euer sufficiently giue vnto GOD the Father of CHRIST and Christians that of his meere Grace and free Loue hath by a holy Calling made vs in his account meete to haue a Lot in that heauenly Canaan in that sweet and eternall fellowship with the Spirits of the iust not onely reuealed vnto vs in this light of the Gospell but to be inioyed by vs in the light of Heauen And hath also already deliuered vs from that wofull estate in which the darkenesse of Gentilisme and Sinne and Ignorance and Aduersitie and Death and Damnation had power ouer vs and hath translated vs into the Kingdome of Iesus Christ the Sonne of his loue inrolling our names among the liuing and accounting vs as Subiects of this Kingdome of Grace and Heyres euen Coheyres with Christ of the glory to be reuealed And howsoeuer our Sanctification be as yet vnperfect yet are wee not onely bought with a price but effectually and truely redeemed and in some sort fully to for in our Iustification wee are perfectly reconciled and all our sinnes absolutely forgiuen vs as if they had neuer beene committed through his merits that shed his bloud for vs. Who is a most liuely and perfect Image of the inuisible God not onely as hee workes Gods Image in man or because hee appeared for God the Father to the Fathers in the old Law or because as man hee had in him the likenesse of God in perfect holinesse and righteousnesse or because hee did by his Miracles as it were make God visible in his flesh but as he was from euerlasting the very essentiall naturall Image of God most absolutely in his diuine person resembling infinitely the whole nature of his Father and therefore is to be acknowledged as the begotten of God by an eternall generation so the first begotten of euery Creature as he was before them so is he therefore the principall heyre of all things by whom and in whose right all the Saints doe inherite what they haue or looke for For by him all things in heauen or earth whether visible or inuisible were created yea the very Angels themselues of what Order or Office soeuer whether Thrones or Dominions Principalities or Powers were all made by him of nothing and therefore hee and not they are to be worshipped in short all things were created by him yea and for him to And hee was from euerlasting with GOD the Father before all Angels or other Creature was made and still all things are preserued and continued as consisting in him yea the very Angels haue their confirmation from him And hee is that glorious and alone Mysticall head of the Church which in an holy order and relation by the admirable worke of the Spirit as a bond vniting together is a true body vnto CHRIST and worthily is hee to be acknowledged a head vnto the Church for three great Reasons first in respect of Dignitie for hee alone hath the primacy and ought to be acknowledged to haue preheminence in all things for if we respect the estate of Grace hee is the beginning of all goodnesse and if wee respect the estate of Glory hee is the first borne of the dead not onely because hee is risen
lessons and directions and encouragements to holy life and neuer did he conceiue a greater hatred against his sinne then when his reynes taught him secondly hee shewes that hee had them in the night that is when hee was alone and with-drawne from companie and the things of the world and worldly occasions Fourthly his last signe is that hee did set the Lord alwayes before him hee could be content to walke euer in Gods presence and to haue him the witnesse of his actions hee was not carefull onely to approue himselfe to men as wicked men may doe but his chiefe care was to walke in all good conscience before God Lastly in the fourâ—â— of Esay the Prophet fore-tels of men that vnder the Gospell should be called holy or Saints and these hee describes by their happinesse they shall be written among the liuing in Ierusalem and by their holines which will discouer it selfe by these signes first they are not acquainted with the damnable and hatefull extenuations and qualifications of sinnes they are not heard to say it is a little sinne a small fault no their sinnes in their eyes are filthinesse and bloud Secondly they are men that haue felt the power of God in the practise of mortification they are new creatures they are washed and purged Thirdly the Spirit of God in them hath beene a Spirit of Iudgement and a Spirit of burning a Spirit of Iudgement not onely in respect of knowledge and illumination but also because it hath kept an Assize in the soule of the sinner hee hath beene arraigned indicted and hath pleaded guiltie and beene condemned a Spirit of burning both in respect of the inward purifying of the heart from the drosse that cleaues vnto it as also in respect of zeale and order for the glory of God And thus farre of the first thing giuen vnto the people of God they are Saints Now followeth the second Faithfull This word is diuersly attributed in Scripture It is giuen to God and God is said to be faithfull in the accomplishment of his promises It is giuen to Christ and he is called faithfull and true It is giuen to the Sunne in the Firmament because it keepeth his certaine course It is giuen to the Word of God so as whatsoeuer it promiseth or threatneth men may certainely binde vpon it for heauen and earth may fayle but one iot of it shall not fayle Lastly it is giuen to Men especially and most ordinarily to such men as are true beleeuers and walke in all good conscience both before God and Men and as it is thus taken the words of the holy Ghost Prou. 20.6 may be taken vp Many men will boast euery one of his owne goodnes but who can finde a faithfull man These are they that Dauid so earnestly searcheth for and hauing found them doth so stedfastly set his eyes vpon them and entertayneth them into his Court Psal. 101.6 The names of these we doe for the most part take vpon our selues but the signes of these are but sparingly found amongst vs. That wee may examine our selues I will consider what is required of vs that wee may shew our selues faithfull The Christian mans faithfulnesse ought to shew it selfe first in spirituall things secondly in temporall things vnto faithfulnesse in spirituall things fiue things are requisite First faith in Christ to get sound reasons from the Word and Spirit of God and a sure euidence for the particular perswasion of the heart that God in Christ is graciously reconciled with the sinner He cannot be a faithfull man that hath not a iustifying Faith all that time of a mans life onely receiueth hee this honour to be accounted faithfull when aboue all things hee trauels after the sense of Gods fauour in the forgiuenes of his sinnes Secondly faithfulnesse stands in the performance of all those Promises Purposes and Vowes which men in their distresse inward or outward doe make vnto God And therefore the Israelites are charged not to be faithfull because when the wrath of God turned vpon them and the strongest of them were slaine and their chosen men were smitten and that their dayes did consume in vanitie and their yeeres hastily then they cry vnto him and seeke him in their distresse they returne and seeke him earely they acknowledge that God is their strength and the most high their Redeemer but when the Lord had beene mercifull vnto them forgiuen their iniquities so as hee destroyed them not and called backe his anger then they retuâ—â—ed and prouoked the Lord againe they flattered him with their tongue they tempted God and sinned still and therefore they are censured thus Their heart was not vpright neyther were they faithfull in Gods Couenant Thirdly it shewes it selfe in constant sinceritie in Gods worship when men will worship God according to the rules of his reuealed will without mixture of mens inuentions or the customary sinnes of prophanenesse and hypocrisie And thus Iudah is said to be faithfull with Gods Saints because as yet the worship of God was preserued amongst them in the auncient puritie in which the old Patriarkes and Saints did sincerely worship the God of their Fathers hee is a faithfull man that will worship God no otherwise then the Saints haue done that is precisely according to his will reuealed in his Word Fourthly faithfulnesse is exercised in the conscionable imployment of the Gifts Graces and Talents receiued in our generall calling to Gods glory the increase of our gifts and the inriching of our soules with true spirituall gaine And thus hee is said to be a good Seruant and faithfull that hauing receiued fiue Talents hath gained with them fiue moe or two Talents and doth gaine two moe and this we doe when hauing receiued Knowledge Faith Loue Hope Patience Spirit of Prayer c. wee doe by a constant and daily practise bring them out into exercise for our selues and for others Thus doing two commodities wee shall reape first it is a signe of our faithfulnesse secondly the gifts will increase and to him that hath such gifts to vse them shall be more giuen Lastly faithfulnesse shewes it selfe in mens sinceritie diligence constancie and care to promote and further the causes of God and the Church with the conscionable discharge of all such duties as belong vnto such seruice Thus Timothy is praysed to be faithfull in the Lord 1 Cor. 4 17. And thus the Apostle and Apostolicall men were faithfull when they could doe nothing against the truth but for the truth and thus men are faithfull that can patiently beare and willingly take vp the Crosse of Christ and that daily so as they may further the building vp and edification of Gods people Those then are not faithfull that doe the worke of the Lord negligently that set their hands to the plough and looke backe that minde their owne things honours pleasures profits and
base and filthy pleasures why dotest thou vpon vncertaine and sinfull profits why doth thy heart degenerate to regard and so aspire after worldly preferment Remember whence thou art descended and with whom alyed and walke as becomes the coheyre of Christ. Secondly are they Brethren to the Apostles and other great Gouernours of the Church it should then teach Ministers Magistrates and Masters of Families so to rule as to remember that they rule their Brethren neyther to neglect their good for why should thy Brother perish nor with proud insolencie or tyrannie eyther in correction or seuere carriage to Lord it ouer them Thirdly are they Brethren to the Saints abroad and are they of the same familie with them then it should teach them to pray for them and to lay the distresses of other Saints and Churches to their hearts for though they be remoued in place and carnall knowledge yet are they neare in the mysticall vnion if it be considered that the same Mother bare them and the same Father begat them Lastly are they Brethren to the Saints at home then they should learne to conuerse brotherly to liue and loue together as becommeth Saints and Brethren Oh that it could sincke into mens mindes or that this were written in mens hearts then could there be nothing more glorious and comfortable in this earth then this communion of Saints especially in the fellowship of the Gospell In Christ. Men are said to be in CHRIST three wayes first as the Plant in the Stocke Iohn 15. secondly as the Member in the Body 1 Cor. 12.12 thirdly as the Wife is one with the Husband Ephes. 5.25 Dost thou aske then how thou maist get into Christ. Ans. Obserue three things First before thou canst be ingrafted into Christ thou must be cut off the olde tree eyther a new man or no man eyther lose the World or neuer finde Christ eyther disarme thy selfe of all vaine confidence loue delight and support from the world and worldly men or the arme of the Lord will neuer beare thee vp and nourish thee Secondly a true Member is not but by generation in nature nor canst thou be a true member of Christ but by regeneration great oddes betweene a wodden legge though neuer so exquisitely made and a true legge all members in Creation be begotten and in Grace begotten againe Thirdly as they are not Man and Wife where there is no sure making by Contract or Marriage going before so neyther can any be in Christ vnlesse hee be receiued vnto the Couenant of Grace and as it is a mad thing in Nature for any woman to say Such a man is my Husband for hee is a kinde man and did cast his eye vpon mee or did me a pleasure at such a time c. So it is as great spirituall madnesse for any Soule to pleade interest in Christ when they can alleadge no more but his generall loue to man or that hee offered Grace to vs in the Word and Sacraments or that wee together with the Gospell receiued outward blessings or such like when men can shew no contract no mutuall entercourse betweene CHRIST and the SOVLE no manner of euidence for their hopes no witnesses from the Word Spirit or Children of God for their spirituall Marriage Againe would a man know whether hee be in Christ these Comparisons likewise resolue his doubt by a three-fold Answere first hee is in Christ if he blossome grow and beare fruit euen such fruit as is to eternall life If a man be abundant in the workes of the Lord and grow in such graces as are communicated onely to the faithfull hee is certainely a true Plant in this Stocke for by growing and fruit is the Plant that is ingrafted knowne from the sprigge that is lopped off and lyeth by and is withered A life barren and voyd of the workes of Pietie and Mercy is a manifest signe that the person is not in Christ. Secondly if there be in our soules the sense and feeling and motion of spirituall life then are wee members for in a wodden legge is there no sense nor naturall motion When men haue as much sense and feeling sauour and delight in the things of the Spirit as the Word Prayer fellowship in the Gospell with the exercise of holy Graces in the duties of Gods worship or things otherwise belonging to the Kingdome of Christ as the carnall man hath in the profits pleasures and fleshly things of this world These certainely are men after the Spirit and by the Spirit mystically vnited to Christ the head and on the other side a more plaine and palpable signe cannot be giuen to proue demonstratâ—uely that a man is not in Christ then when a man findes no taste hath no feeling can take no delight in spirituall Meanes Graces or Persons and yet is easily affected with the least profits and delights of the world Thirdly it will appeare by the holy communion betweene Christ and the faithfull Soule by his co-habitation and spirituall entercourse when Christ meetes a Christian with holy Comforts with heauenly refreshings with sacred answeres with spirituall direction and other sacred signes of the presence of Christ in the vse of the meanes sporting himselfe with the Christian Soule this entercourse I say this secret and chamber-meeting these inward and heartie feelings wrought by the Word and Sacraments by Prayer and Fasting by Reading and Conference are certaine and sure signes and seales to proue a marriage going before And thus farre of the foure titles giuen to the Children of God and also of the second thing viz. the persons saluted Now followeth the Salutation it selfe Grace and Peace be vnto you from God the Father and from the Lord Iesus Christ. IT hath beene an auncient custome both in the Iewish Christian and Pagan world to beginne Letters and Epistles with Salutations and in these they were wont to wish to their Friends that which was accounted the chiefest good Hence the Heathen as they were opinionated about the chiefe good they did differently wish good things to their friends in their salutations Some wished health some wished welfare or safetie some to doe well some ioy and a merry life as they were eyther Sâ—oickes or Epicures But the Apostle finding that true felicitie was in none of these doth religiously wish that which in the Kingdome of Christ was in greatest request viz. Grace and Peace Grace This word is diuersly taken For kindnesse 2 Sam. 16.17 for abilitie to affect or perswade Psal. 45.2 for the happinesse that is had from Christ in this world and so it is opposed to glorie Psal. 84.11 for the preaching of the Gospell Rom. 1.4 Tit. 2.12 for approbation from God Prou. 12.2 finally it is taken for the spirituall libertie that wee haue from Christ and so it is opposed to the Law Rom. 6.14 lastly it is taken for the loue and fauour of God receiuing the Sinner into couenant
Taker to vsury Great and preuailing Iudgements take away all that vanitie of conceit and swelling of pride which difference of gifts and places bred before The Lord for his mercies sake grant that at the length there may be found some remedie to cure the wound and heale the breach which proud contention hath made and continued with effects prodigious and vnheard of lest the Lord be at length prouoked to plague with more fierce and cruell Iudgements and worke vnion at least in one furnace of common calamilitie the same God for his Sonnes sake worke in all that any wise loue the prosperitie of Ierusalem on all sides that they more regard the glory of God and the good of the Church then their owne greatnesse eyther of place or respects amongst men and that they may more seeke the truth then victorie And as for those that neyther loue the truth nor peace the Lord open their eyes and conuert them or else giue them to eate of the fruit of their owne wayes Doe It is not safe to put ouer good motions When Paul findeth fitnesse to pray and giue thankes hee doth not omit the occasion In spirituall things delay is alwayes dangerous but in sinfull motions the onely way many times is to deferre the execution Many sinnes are preuented by the very benefit of taking time enough to execute them Giue thankes Paul giues them to vnderstand before he comes to dispraise their vices and the corruptions crept into the Church that hee takes notice of their prayse-worthy vertues hee reserues his taxation to the second Chapter and this course hee holds with them for diuers Reasons First to assure them of his loue and that hee did it not of malice a thing especially to be looked to in all admonitions in familie or else-where as well to praise for vertue as disprayse for vice Secondly he holds this course to let them see that he did account them as Christians though they had their infirmities It is a secret corruption in the affection of the reproued to conceiue that the reproouer likes them not at all They are not fit to reproue others that cannot loue them for their vertues at the same time that they dispraise their faults and therefore they are farre short of holy affections that say I neuer liked him since I saw that fault by him Thirdly hee did thus that they might the more hate sinne seeing it did darken their graces which els would more appeare Fourthly that they might be made thankefull themselues for their owne graces a shame that others should prayse God for his mercies to vs and wee neuer prayse God our selues Lastly it carryeth with it a secret taxation of vnthankfulnesse as the cause of their fall for had they beene more thankfull for the sinceritie of the preaching of the Gospell and for the riches of the grace of Christ offered the honourable opinion of the excellencie and sufficiencie thereof to giue all sound contentment would haue preserued them from mixing the worship of God with mens traditions or admitting contrary doctrine and from dishonouring the mediation of Christ with Angell-worship Then did Popish Traditions ouer-flow when the Scriptures were contemned and the light of them suppressed and in generall an vnthankfull man is euer a vicious man More specially in the dutie here mentioned two things are to be considered 1. What they doe Wee giue thankes 2. To whom viz. to God euen the Father c. We giue thankes Eucharist is sometimes appropriated onely to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper but most commonly is generall to all holy thankefulnesse especially to God There is a flattering thankefulnesse to men and a Pharisaicall proud conceited thankesgiuing to God Concerning the spirituall mans thankefulnesse to God I propound three things onely in the generall briefely to be noted First Reasons to incite vs to the practise of continuall thankefulnesse to God Secondly for what things we are to be thankfull Thirdly what rules to be obserued for the manner of performance of it There are many reasons scattered in Scripture to incite vs to Thankefulnesse first because it is a speciall part of Gods worship or one way by which we yeeld worship to God Hence that the Apostle accounts it a great losse if the people cannot say Amen when the Teacher blesseth in the spirit or giueth thankes Againe when he would exhort them to liberalitie he vrgeth them with this reason that the supplying of the necessities of the Saints would cause much thankesgiuing to God And in the 4. of the 2. of Cor. he sheweth that the thankesgiuing of many would breed both a plenty of grace and an abounding of much prayse to God Secondly the Apostle hauing dehorted the Ephesians from Fornication and all Vncleannesse and Couetousnesse Filthinesse Iesting and foolish Talking hee addeth but rather vse giuing of thankes As if hee would note that thankefulnesse for Gods Blessings and Graces duely performed would preserue them from the filth and power of these base vices Besides it is a thing that becommeth the Saints nothing better Thirdly it is a signe of three worthy things wherein it behooueth euery man to be well assured first it is a signe of a heart that hath rightly receiued Christ and is firmely rooted built and stablished in the faith Secondly if men in all things let their requests be shewed vnto God with giuing of thankes it is a signe of the peace of God euen that the peace of God that passeth all vnderstanding will preserue their hearts and mindes in Christ Iesus Thirdly it is a signe nay a very meanes of a contented minde He that can pray vnto God for what hee wants and is able thankefully to acknowledge what hee hath in possession or promise hee will in nothing be carefull as it appeareth in the same place to the Philippians Lastly it is one of the sixe principall meanes to make a man reioyce alwayes as the Apostle writeth 1 Thes. 5.18 Thus of the Reasons Secondly wee must consider for what wee must giue thankes First for spirituall things as well as temporall as for the Word for Mercies in prayer for Victory ouer a sinne for Knowledge Secondly in aduersitie as well as in prosperitie and that in all sorts of afflictions in danger in wrongs Thirdly in outward things wee must be thankefull not onely for great things done for our states or names but euen for the lesser and more daily fauours as for our foode and the creatures for our nourishment And in speciall manner haue the Saints in all ages bound themselues to a set course of prayer and prayse ouer and for their foode and therefore their grosse swinish prophanenesse is so much the greater that sit downe and rise from their meate like brute beasts without any Prayer or Thankesgiuing If any aske whether there be any expresse Scripture for Grace
sorts eyther Faith to heale or Faith to be healed this Faith may be in such as are reprobates as Mat. 7. some shall say Haue wee not cast out Diuels by thy name to whom Christ shall answere Depart I know you not Fourthly but that Faith in the enioying of which is comfort for euermore is iustifying Faith The nature of this Faith will appeare if wee consider The Obiects of it The Parts of it The Degrees of it First of the Obiects this Faith may be perceiued by that which it carryeth the minde vnto and from which it seeketh the comfort of the chiefe good and thus the Obiect is three-fold The Merits of Christ. The Promises of God The Prouidence of God So that wouldest thou trie thy Faith consider then what it is that thou makest thy refuge and the foundation of thy comfort What is it that thou most labourest after is it the assurance of Gods fauour by the application of Christ is it the distinct applying of such and such promises of life in Scripture dost thou liue by thy Faith in the course of life if so thou hast met with the right Faith without Christ it is not possible to attaine the chiefe good neyther is it enough to beleeue that Christ dyed for sinners c. vnlesse we labour in the day of our visitation for the certaine and particular apprehension of the efficacie and merit of Christs righteousnesse for the particular assurance of Gods fauour in remitting such and such our transgressions And because it is not easie at all times to discerne by the working of the Spirit of Adoption the imputation of righteousnesse from Christ therefore hath the Lord discussed the cases of conscience so comfortable in Scripture that if men examine themselues before the conditions of God promises they may finde in diuers of them the cleare determining of their estate Here may be iustly taxed the grosse ouer-sight and securitie of many otherwise the deare Seruants of God that are no better acquainted with the promises of life vpon the truth of which depends their happinesse and both present and future comfort And lastly by the same Faith whereby the iust are saued by the selfe-same they liue in the course of life in this world the ground of his Faith for his preseruation is the prouidence of his God whiles the men of this world wonderfully please themselues in sacrificing to their nets ascribing in their affections the stay of their maintenance vnto their labour friends inheritance c. Secondly that the nature of this Faith may yet be further opened the Parts of it must be considered Faith is eyther in the minde or in the heart and by the change of both it may be discerned In the minde it shewes it selfe in two things Knowledge Iudgement There is something in the very illumination of the Vnderstanding of the Saints which is of the nature of Faith Hence it is that the Prophet Isay saith of Christ By his knowledge he shall iustifie many that is make iust Iudgement is eyther of truth or of goodnesse Iudgement of truth is when we giue glory so farre forth to the way of life and the meanes of Reconciliation that our hearts being conuinced our vnderstandings doe clearely resolue that this is the way to be happy and no other Iudgement of goodnesse is when wee doe not onely beleeue the Doctrine of happinesse to be true as before but to be the onely good tidings our hearts can rest vpon Faith as it shewes it selfe in the heart stands in three things Desires Fiduce or Confidence Perswasion or Apprehension and Application It may not be dissembled that there are in the world many definitiues or descriptions of Faith such as doe not comprehend in them that onely thing which is the chiefe stay of thousands of the deare Seruants of God and that is Desires which may not be denyed to be of the nature of Faith I expresse my meaning thus that when a man or woman is so farre exercised in the spirituall seeking of the Lord his God that he would be willing to part with the world and all the things thereof if hee had them in his owne possession so that by the Spirit and Promises of God he might be assured that the sinnes of his former life or such as presently doe burthen his Soule were forgiuen him and that hee might beleeue that God were now become his God in Christ I would not doubt to pronounce that this person thus prising remission of sinnes at this rate that he would sell all to buy this Pearle did vndoubtedly beleeue not onely because it is a truth though a Paradoxe that the Desire to beleeue is Faith but also because our Sauiour Christ doth not doubt to affirme that they are blessed that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse because they shall be satisfied And to him that is a thirst I will giue to drinke of the water of life freely And Dauid doubteth not to say The Lord heareth the desires of his poore Fiduce or Confidence in the hart is a part of Faith and shewes it selfe in this when the Soule resteth vpon Christ and the Promises of God as the onely ground of all that happinesse which he must euer get vnto himselfe Perswasion or an apprehending application is the last thing in Faith and that in the beginnings of Faith is more in the power of the Spirit then in the sence and feeling of the conscience yet herein it appeares that though the Soule be tost with many temptations and feares and terrors yet more or lesse one time or other they are much refreshed with a sweet ioy arising they know not how from the very perswasion that they belong to God in and for Christ. So that if wee would try our Faith we must examine what Knowledge we haue gotten what Iudgement of the way of life what Desires wee haue of remission of sinnes how our hearts are setled and what it is that supports vs. There are two Degrees of Faith a weake Faith and a strong Faith a weake Faith is described before for all the former parts of Faith are found in the weakest Faith that is a strong Faith hath in it a certaine and full assurance of Gods fauour in remission of sinnes so as doubts and feares are stilled and ouer-come and such was the Faith of Abraham commended Rom. 4.18.19 20.21 and this Faith may be attained vnto by all sorts of the Seruants of God if they liue and may vse the benefit of the ordinances of God yet a grosse fault in the definition of Faith as it is made by many must be carefully shunned and that is that they make the Genus to be a full assurance which is onely proper to a strong Faith and is not vsually found in the weake Faith and yet that Faith is such as doth iustifie for the present and will saue for euer And that we may be affected with an
that wee neede not be informed Thus the Pharises are blinde though they heare Christ himselfe or it comes to passe by reason of mens faultinesse in hearing they heare carlesly or without application or with preiudice or not at all or else it is because men smother their doubts and seeke not resolution in priuate by conference or seeking the Law at the Priests mouth and in many fruitlesse hearing is caused by want of catechising when people are not fitted for preaching by information in the principles before Secondly the hearing and true knowledge of Gods grace to a man in particular doth make fruitfull the salutiferans appearance of Gods grace in a mans heart workes in a man a desire and endeauour to shew all good faithfulnesse that may adorne that doctrine by which hee comes to know God to be his Sauiour It teacheth men to deny vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and to liue godly righteously and soberly it purgeth vpon iniquitie and inflames the zeale of good workes When Gods Children haue the tydings of grace giuen vnto them it kindles in them a singular incouragement to goe about Gods worke and to hold out to lay the very last stone with ioy Thirdly as other Doctrines so especially the doctrine of our reconciliation with God or of our particular assurance of Gods grace to vs is exceeding hard and men are strangely turned off from the right knowledge of it This comes to passe where it is effectually preached because it is hindred by common hope and by a resolution in many to part with no sinne for the attayning of it and by a naturall darknesse in the vnderstanding of man in matters of the Kingdome of Christ and by the speciall malice of the Diuill and by pride in other knowledges And lastly by an incredible auersnesse in our natures that will not be brought to set time apart to minde this point seriously and to apply our selues vnto the meanes that might further vs thereunto Whereas if men were assured of Gods fauour and possessed of sauing grace the profit of the knowledge of it would appeare to be exceeding great though the heart of man be exceeding dull yet it could not but meruailously refresh vs to thinke of the pardon of all our sinnes yea if wee were sure of this point and had trauelled soundly about the experience of Gods grace to vs in particular it would for euer settle vs in the plerophorie of our religion A man needs neuer care for disputes and the thousands of Volumes about which should be the true Church or true Religion for if a man by sound reasons from the word and Spirit of God had gotten the assurance of Gods loue hee would become as Mount Sio◠that could not be moued This also would make a man able to contemne all earthly mutations and liue in firmenes of heart in some measure out of the feare of any afflictions or of death it selfe and besides it would preserue vs from the poyson and infection of earthly pleasures and vaine delights and profits And to conclude it is to enioy a kinde of heauen vpon earth as being an entrance into the first degree of eternall life When men get from vnder the Law to liue vnder Grace it workes not onely a dissolution of the dominion of sinne but a consecration of the members for the seruice of righteousnesse of the fulnesse of Christ doe all the faithfull receiue euen grace for grace the truth of Sanctification and new Obedience together with the perfection of Redemption and Iustification To conclude euery faithfull man may say as the Apostle said By the grace of God I am that I am The vse is first for instruction euen to labour so much the more earnestly for the certaintie of assurance of Gods grace and free fauour to vs in particular because it will make vs abundant in the worke of the Lord and inrich vs with those things that may further our reckoning against the last day But that wee may speede in suing for Gods grace and wayting for the tydings of his speciall loue wee must labour to be good men and shew it by this that wee be men of holy imaginations Our vnderstandings will neuer be capable of this knowledge till the euils of the thoughts be in some measure purged out and subdued Besides we must take heede of scorning and contemning the meanes of grace and labour for a hatred of euery sinne for till then we neuer get any sound experience of Gods fauour So long as a man makes a mocke of any sinne and securely against the light will commit it so long he remaines vnder the power of folly and vnregeneration but especially wee must labour to get and grow in humilitie for God bestowes his graces on the humble And if God euer comfort vs with his grace let vs so learne to make it our portion and to trust perfectly vpon it as not to receiue it in vaine but obey all the counsell of God and his Ministers that beseech vs to expresse the power of it in our liues Secondly the doctrine of the power of Gods grace doth bitterly reproue foure sorts of men First such as neglect Gods grace and seeke not any particular euidence for it Secondly such as fall away from the grace of God and giue ouer the vse of the meanes of grace which apostasie many times befals such men as will not wash off the pollution nor by mortification stay the springing vp of some bitter roote or other within their hearts such Apostates when they were at the best had in their hearts some imperious lusts and passions or other that they made not conscience of to subdue Thirdly such as turne the grace of God into wantonnesse men that before they haue any reason of comfort vpon the bare hearing of the promises of the Gospell take liberty to liue licentiously and follow their sinnes with presumptuous abuse of Gods mercy These are vngodly men ordayned before to condemnation Lastly such as cannot abide the doctrine of Gods grace but despise and hate the very Spirit of Grace how sore shall their punishment be Thus farre of the Thankesgiuing for the principall meanes of Grace The Instrumentall followes Verse 7. As yee also learned of Epaphras our fellow-seruant who is for you a faithfull Minister of God Verse 8. Who hath also declared vnto vs your loue which you haue in the spirit HEe hath giuen thankes for the Ministery now hee giues thankes for the Minister who is here described by his name Epaphras by the adiunct Loue of others to him beloued and by his Office a Seruant by his willingnes to ioyne with others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fellow-seruant by his faithfulnes in the execution of his Office which is for you a faithfull Minister of Christ lastly by his loue to his people which hee shewes by the good report hee thankefully giues of
to get holinesse into our hearts for if grace be within duties will be without if corruption be mortified in the Soule which is the fountaine it will haue no great sinne in the life which is the streame which flowes from the heart first we should guide our hearts into the way for thereout commeth life 6 Wee must submit our selues to Gods corrections learne obedience by the things we suffer obey the checkes of our conscience and be contented to eate the bread of affliction beare the words of rebuke and admonition for he that refuseth correction will certainely goe out of the way of life Lastly we should commit our way to God and by constant and daily prayer beseech him that hee would shew vs the way and lead vs forth and then that hee would stay our steps in his pathes that our feete doe not slide and to this end that he would remoue out of our way all impediments and euery lying way and that he would daily quicken vs in the way against the sluggishnesse of our owne Natures and bend our hearts to his holy feare but especially euery morning we should beseech God so to assist vs and guide and strengthen vs to doe the duties of the day and that he would see to and defend the thing of the day in his day by the vertue of Christs intercession and his words which are neare vnto God day and night Fourthly thus doing and endeauouring our selues to know and doe Gods will 1 The Lord would know vs by name and take notice of our wayes euen with the knowledge of approbation 2 Our liues would be full of Ioy and chearfulnesse yea they that haue tasted of the ioyes of a Crowne shall leaue the Throne and Pallace to seeke the sweet delights of the faithfull and to sing their songs 3 God would walke in the middest of vs 4 Yea hee would keepe his Couenant and Mercy with vs 5 Wee should be protected against all hurtfull troubles being eyther preserued from them or in them if wee walke in the day we shall not stumble yea though we went through fire and water yet Gods holy presence and strong arme would be with vs yea wee might dwell with euerlasting burnings that is within the knowledge of Gods terrible presence and sight of his great iudgements when the hypocrites of the world would be afraid 6 Or if there were sorrowes and griefes vpon vs in this world yet heauen shall come and wee shall rest in the beds of eternall ease whatsoeuer betides vs wee shall not lye downe in sorrow 7 Thus to liue is to rule with God and to be faithfull with his Saints 8 Thus shall wee scape the vigor of the Law and the flames of Hell Lastly if we continue faithfull to the death there is laid vp for vs a crowne of life Thus of walking or holy conuersation in the generall now in particular that wee might walke in an holy eminencie three things as is before noted are here vrged First that wee should walke worthy of the Lord. That is so to know and consider the singular mercies of God in Christ as to endeauour to expresse our thankefulnesse in the obedience of our liues in such a measure as might become the mercies of God Before I open the words further I consider in the generall two things 1 That the obedience of the faithfull is raysed by the contemplation of the mercies of God which should teach vs as we desire more to abound in good fruits so to be more in the assurance and often meditation of Gods loue to vs more knowledge of this kinde would worke more obedience and a confused knowledge of Gods mercy is vsually accompanied with an vnconstant obedience Besides this reproues the dangerous and sinfull abuse of Gods mercies in the common people that vse to pleade their safetie notwithstanding their sinnes by the alledging of the mercy of God to sinners whereas it is most certaine that the right knowledge of Gods mercy would make men afraid to sinne There is mercy with thee that thou maist be feared saith the Psalmist and it is the infallible signe of a true conuert that hee doth feare God and his goodnesse euery man can feare God and his Iustice especially in some kindes of iudgements but a childe of God doth neuer more tenderly feare God then when he hath greatest taste of Gods mercies 2 The Papists would finde merit of workes in this Verse both because holinesse of life is so much vrged as also because here is the word worthy vsed as if the Apostle should grant that they might be worthy of and merit the blessings of God My answere is First that merit cannot be founded vpon Scripture and secondly it cannot be founded vpon this Scripture For the first we cannot merit for many reasons in Scripture first we are not our owne men we are so tyed vnto God that gaue vs beeing in Nature and Grace that when wee haue done all wee can doe our owne mouthes must say wee are but vnprofitable Seruants Secondly all our sufficiencie to doe any good is of God not from our selues Thirdly God gaines nothing by vs If thou be righteous what giuest thou to him or what receiueth he at thy hands Fourthly men talke of their well-doing but what shall become of their sinnes If the Papists will first goe to hell for their sinnes and stay all that eternitie there then afterwards if God create another eternitie they may haue hearing to relate what good they haue done the curse of the Law will be first serued the punishment of Adams one sinne barred the plea for any reward for former righteousnesse Fiftly what comparison can there be betweene the glory of heauen and our workes on earth Sixtly it is worthy to be obserued that it is mercy in God to set his loue vpon them that keepe his Commandements Ezod 20. Command 2. Seauenthly we are so farre from meriting that wee are taught to pray God to giue vs our daily bread we haue not a bit of bread of our owne earning Eightly the Sanctification of the most righteous is but begunne in this life Lastly vnto all these Reasons adde the further Testimonie of these Scriptures Dan. 9 9. Rom. 4.5 and 11.9 1 Cor. 4.4 Phil. 3.8.9 Secondly this place hath no colour for merit for to passe ouer that reason that the Scripture requireth good workes therefore our workes merit as a most false and absurd argument the words worthy of the Lord cannot be applyed to merit by any meanes for in as much as the Lord had bestowed many of his fauours already vpon them and giuing his hand and writing and seale for the rest they cannot by any workes afterwards be said in any colour to merit what is past They are vrged Mat. 3. to bring forth fruits worthy
not agreement for some thinke the Apostle speakes by way of Concession as if hee should say Be it so that Angels are Thrones and Dominions c. as the Iewes and false Apostles affirme when they goe about to perswade you to Angell-worship yet if that were granted Christ onely were to be worshipped because he made all those and what excellency they haue they had it from him Others thinke that the Apostle reckoneth vp the excellent'st things in humane gouernment and giues them to Angels to shadow out their glory and consequently the glory of Christ that made them I thinke there is no hurt in their opinion that giue all these words vnto Angels And they are called Thrones Dominions Principalities Powers because God by them gouernes the Nations and as some thinke moues the Heauens restraines the Deuils workes Miracles foretels things to come protects the faithfull and exerciseth his iudgements vpon the world yet so as these names may be giuen to all Angels in diuers respects and vpon occasion of diuers employments Or they may be giuen to some Angels for a time and not for euer Or if it be yeelded that those names doe distinguish the diuers sorts of Angels and their order yet it will not follow that wee can tell their sorts as the bold Dionisius and the Papists haue aduentured to doe Thus of the doctrine of Creation the Vses follow and they are 1 For Reprooâ—e 2 For Consolation 3 For Instruction The doctrine of Creation cannot but be a doctrine of great reproofe and terrour to wicked men because those goodly Creatures being Gods workemanship will plead against them and make them inexcuseable in the day of CHRIST in as much as they haue not learned to know and serue God with thankefulnesse and feare that shewed his Wisedome and Power and other the inuisible things of God in the making of all those Creatures And besides from the great power of God in the Creation of themselues and other Creatures they may see that they are in a wofull case that by sinning striue with him that made them for hee hath the same power to destroy them And further if God made all then he knowes all and so all the sinnes of the sinner and in that he made all he hath all at his command as Lord by creation all Armies to raise them against the wicked for their subuersion Secondly the Doctrine of the Creation may comfort Gods Children many wayes first it may comfort them in the faith of the worlds dissolution it is hee that created Heauen and Earth that will accomplish it that time shall be no more I meane not times of mortalâ—tie sinne labour infirmitie c. Secondly it may comfort them in the successe of Christs kingdome on earth Though it be a great thing to gather men againe into couenant with God and to open the eyes of men blinde with ignorance and to deliuer the soules of men that haue long lyne in the prisons of sinne and miserie yet we may be assured that God by the ordinances of Christ will accomplish all the great things of this spirituall kingdome because hee was able to create the Heauens and Earth And God himselfe doth remember his power in the Creation to assure his performance in our regeneration Thirdly it may comfort vs in our vnion with Christ for what shall separate vs from his loue in as much as he is vnchangeable himselfe nothing else can for they are all his Creatures and must not crosse his resolued will Fourthly it must needs be a comfort to serue such a God as hath shewed himselfe in the Creation to worke so wonderfully Blessed is he that can reioyce in God and his seruice and is refreshed with the light of his countenance and assured of his loue Fiftly the wonders of the Creation serue to shew vs how wonderfull the works of Grace are in the working of which the Lord vseth the very tearme of creating To regenerate a man is as glorious a worke as to make a world the protection of a Christian hath in it also diuers of the wonders of the Creation The peace that comes into the hearts of Christians as the fruits of the lippes is created a cleane heart is a rare blessing for it is created also Sixtly it is a comfort against the force of wicked men and their wrongs the wickedst men are Gods Creatures Hee created the destroyer to destroy and the Smith that bloweth the Coales and him that bringeth forth an instrument and therefore all the weapons that are made against Gods Children cannot prosper And it is a part of the Christians inheritance to be protected against the malice of the wicked that would destroy him Lastly it may comfort Gods Children in the expectation of their saluation for God hath promised as certainely as he hath created the Heauens he will saue Israell though it should be as hard a worke as was the spreading out of the Heauens Thirdly the doctrine of the Creation should teach vs diuers duties First the admirablenesse and varietie of Gods workes should prouoke vs to contemplation How deare are thy thoughts vnto me Psal. 139.17 Secondly in affliction we should willingly commit our selues to God and trust in him though our meanes be little or vnlikely for he is a faithfull Creatour his loue to vs affords him Will to doe vs good and the creation proues his Power Thirdly the greatnesse of the workes in Creation should imprint in vs Reuerence and Feare and force vs to the duties of the adoration and worship of God Reuel 4.11 5.13 Psal. 104.31 100 13. Fourthly the knowledge of the glory and greatnesse of the Creator should inflame in vs indignation against Idols and the worship of the creature Ier. 10.3.7.10 11.12.14.16 Rom. 1.25 Fiftly the remembrance of our Creator and Creation should worke in vs an abatement of our pride and iollitie and dull the edge of our fierce appetite to sinne Eccles. 12.1 Sixtly the consideration of our equalitie in our Creation should keepe vs that we transgresse not against our Brethren Wee haue all one Father and one GOD hath created vs Thus of the Creation The third thing in Christs relation to the Creatures is that All things are for him For him In diuers respects first as it is he onely in whom the Father is well pleased and so the loue of God to the World is for his sake Secondly as all the Creatures doe serue to point out the Sonne as well as the Father and that because they shew Christ as the wisedome of the Father And besides their changes and corruptions doe cry for the liberty of the sons of God in Christ and further they are all at commaund for the propagation and preseruing of the kingdome of Christ. Thirdly as he is heyre of all things s they are for him that is for his glory so as he is not onely
respect men for their Lands apparrell titles parentage c. but for Grace 3. Wee should not much wonder at the disorders are in the world for were it not for the Elect it would soone appeare by the ruine of all how little God cared for rebellious Reprobates 4. It is a great comfort no one of the Elect shall perish for all things be reconciled 5. It should teach vs to make much of them that feare the Lord. Let them be in stead of all things in our account Lastly seeing all things are reconciled now let vs keepe the peace euen the vnitie of the Spirit in the bond of Peace To himselfe Some reade in him There is difference betweene for Christ by Christ and in Christ. For noteth the meritorious cause In noteth the coniunction with the head By noteth the instrument Doct. We are reconciled in Christ or vnto Christ. This is true foure wayes 1. As hee is the person by whom we are reconciled 2. As his glory is the end of our reconciliation 3. As his glory and holinesse is the patterne after which our happinesse and holinesse is proportioned 4. In respect of his loue prouidence custody and protection vnto the which we are receiued The Vse of all may be to teach vs 1. To take heede of opposing disgracing or persecuting of such as are reconciled to God for hee that toucheth them toucheth the apple of Christs eye Note hee saith to himselfe 2. In the Vse of all things to carrie our selues so as we prouide to giue account and giue the things to God which are Gods and as good Stewards dispose all things in that time and according to those rules Christ hath appoynted 3. Seeing wee are now brought so neare vnto God wee should humble our selues to walke before him in all reuerence and feare And to this end wee should labour for puritie of heart that wee might see God Yea wee should hate all spirituall pollutions and be zealous in all good workes And seeing God hath chosen vs to himselfe wee should set vp the Lord to be our God to serue him with our whole heart and haue respect to all his Commandements And to this end wee should labour for speciall sinceritie in the profession of Religion an ordinary care will not serue the turne if wee will liue with the multitude wee may perish with the multitude But let vs cleaue to the Lord with a perpetuall Couenant and resolue to receiue him as our guide vnto the death Set at peace The effect of our reconciliation is peace Concerning this peace I propound fiue things 1. Who made it no other can set a peace among the Creatures but he that reconciles men to the Creator he is the Prince of peace the chasticement of our peace was upon him He is our peace 2 With whom the faithfull are at peace they are at peace first vvith themselues Peace rules their hearts Secondly with good Angels Thirdly with the seede of Abraham the Iewes the partition wall is broken downe Fourthly with Gods Ordinances God creating peace or else the Word would alwayes be goring and smiting with the stroakes of warre and words of vengeance Fiftly with the godly Sixtly with all Creatures onely there can be no peace first with the Powers and Principalities for after the two strong men haue fought there is no more peace secondly with the World the World hath hated the Master and therefore the seruants may not looke for better entertaynment 3 The effects of this peace which are principally two first the restitution of soueraignty and dominion ouer the Creatures secondly the safety of the Christian in all estates for from this peace flowes great securitie and protection euen to the poorest Christian eyther from or in dangers 4 That wee may attayne the sense of this peace we must be reconciled to God we must be sincere worshippers we must keepe vs in our wayes wee must get a meeke and quiet spirit wee must in nothing be carefull but in all things shew our requests vnto God wee must loue God and shew it by the loue of the knowledge of his Name Vses First Gods Children should know this priuiledge for themselues it will be a preseruation against sinne 2. Hence wee may gather the misery of all carnall persons that are not reconciled to God They want the protection of Angels they are vnder the gouernment of the God of this world the Creatures are armed against them they are stript of the royall priuiledges arising from the communion with Saints yea God fights against them in and by themselues as by terrours of conscience and by vnquiet affections and passions giuing them ouer to an vnruly heart What are Enuy Malice Lust and Rage but so many weapons to fight against the soule Yea God fights against the sinner by the deadnesse of his heart which both affamisheth the soule in spirituall things and takes away the contentment of outward things By the bloud Here hee notes how wee are reconciled viz. by the bloud of Christ this is that bloud of sprinckling the bloud of the immaculate Lambe the bloud of the euerlasting Couenant Christs owne bloud Many are the fruits and effects of the bloud of Christ 1. We are elected through it 2. It ratifies the Couenant of God 3. It is that Reconciliation iustifying vs from our former sinnes 4. It ioynes Iew and Gentile together in one Citie yea in one house 5. It purgeth the Conscience from dead workes 6. It turnes away wrath and saues vs from the destroying Angell 7. It makes Intercession for sinnes after Calling 8. It makes perfect in all good workes 9. By it the Faithfull ouercome the Dragon and Antichrist Lastly it opens the Holy of Holies and giues vs an entrance into heauen The Vse is first to teach vs to take heede of sinning against the bloud of Christ for if it be thus precious it must needes diffuse a horrible sinne-guiltinesse vpon such as transgresse against it If Abels bloud wronged cryed so fearefully and the bloud of Zacharias what shall the bloud of Christs doe And men sinne against Christs bloud 1. By resisting the meanes of application of Christ crucified 2. By prophane Swearing and Cursing 3. By ascribing remission of sinnes to the workes of the Law 4. By committing the sinne against the holy Ghost 5. By returning to the lusts of our former ignorance 6. By prophane and vnworthy receiuing of the Sacraments And in the Sacraments men offend against the bloud of Christ First when they come to it with an opinion of reall presence eyther by Transubstantiation or Consubstantiation for thereby they deny the truth of the bloud of Christ by consequent and open a gap to the adoration of
Ephes. 4.13.14 Sixtly he presseth after perfection forgets what 's behinde and lookes to the marke of the high price of his calling labouring to finde out the vertue of Christs death and Resurrection Phil. 3.13.14.15.10 9. Seauenthly hee hath a Plerophory or full assurance of the will of God towards him Col. 4.12 Eightly hee can digest the stronger Doctrines of Religion Heb. 5.14 Ninthly patience hath in him her perfect worke Iames 1.4 Tenthly he sinnes not in word Iames 3.12 Eleuenthly hee keepes the word 1 Iohn 2.5 Twelfthly he is setled in the loue of God and hath not feare but boldnes 1 Ioh. 4.18.17 Euery man Euery true Christian might be made a strong Christian which may serue for great humiliation to such as hauing the meanes haue neglected so great grace or measure of it What knowledge what power of gifts what abundance of faire fruit we might haue had and borne if wee had attended the meanes and seriously laboured to redeeme the time wee might many of vs haue beene Teachers that now need to be Catechised In Iesus Christ. All that supposed perfection that is out of Christ Iesus is not worth seeking after whatsoeuer carnall men propound vnto themselues concerning the worth of their owne proiects yet all in the end will proue vanitie that is not in Christ Iesus And contrariwise all true perfection is in Christ which should so much the more comfort fearefull Christians seeing their perseuerance and the perfecting of grace begunne is in him it is his office to see it performed and it will be accomplished by his power as it is giuen for his merits and it should teach all the faithfull to make much of communion with Christ to keepe their hold and not let goe their confidence to preserue by all meanes tendernesse in an holy intercourse with Christ for if once Christ absent himselfe the worke of grace will stand still Thirdly this shewes how perfection can be attributed to Christians namely as in Christ Iesus the euill of their workes is couered by him and what is good is presented by him to the Father Lastly it should teach vs in all our wants to seeke to Christ in the vse of all meanes appointed by him to giue or confirme grace waiting vpon him with Faith and Prayer Verse 29. Whereunto I also labour and striue according to his working that worketh in me mightily IN this Verse is contayned the seauenth reason to inforce the Exhortation and it is taken from the great paynes and strife of the Apostle and the great successe the Lord was pleased to giue to his paines Whereunto Some reade in whom viz. in which Christ that is by whose assistance and blessing and protection c. But I take it as it is here Whereunto and so it may be referred eyther to the Exhortation in the three and twentieth Verse or to perfection in the Verse before It is sure that the perfection of Ministers labours should be the perfection of their hearers It is not enough to know how to preach Sermons but it must tend not onely to beget men vnto Christ but also to build them vp which is a wonderfull hard worke and few Ministers are well skilled herein and therefore Ministers should much consult with God and the people should pray constantly and earnestly for their Teachers Labour An effectuall Ministery is a painfull Ministery the Lords worke must not be done negligently which may iustifie continuall and daily preaching Quest. But what needes all this preaching Ans. It is exceeding needfull for it is the ordinary meanes to saue mens soules and to beget Faith and in as much as there are daily still to be added to the Church therefore still the meanes is to be vsed besides the secret iudgement of God in the induâ—ation of the wicked and leauing them without excuse And as there needes daily food for the body so doth there for the soule and the Lord by his word doth heale the daily infirmities of his people Men thinke it needfull the Exchequer should be open all the yeere that their Law-cases may be determined and more neede it is the Lords spirituall Exchequer should stand open for the daily determining of the Cases of Conscience which arise in the soules of Gods people and we need a daily light for our paths and Lanthorne for our feete What shall I say our very Calling needes direction out of the word and our crosses and temptations cause vs to feele a daily neede of the comforts of the word to be applyed to vs the godly are to be incouraged in well-doing and that continually and wee all neede to be called vpon daily for reformation and preuention of sinne Grace will not hold out without meanes and Knowledge must be encreased and a daily Ministerie is of singular vse to prepare vs for death and weyne vs from the world These and many other be the reasons of daily preaching which should greatly reproue such Ministers as labour not eyther for want of gifts or pluralitie of places or distraction of businesse or for very idlenesse or vnwillingnesse to take paines Woe vnto them for as they prouide euill for peoples soules so they reward euill to their owne soules According to his working that worketh in mee mightily Before I consider particularly of these words I note how feelingly the Apostle speakes of Gods Prouidence and with what affection hee sets out the obseruation he made of it which greatly shames the most of vs that are so excessiuely dull in apprehending and so affectionlesse in the thought of things Now if any would know what should be the reason wee are so dull and the Apostle so tenderly sensible of Gods power and prouidence I may answere that a number of vs are not throughly perswaded of Gods particular prouidence besides hee was excellently acquainted with the word of God and thereby hee saw liuely how euery promise or threatning came into execution there could hardly any thing fall out but hee remembred some Scripture that fore-told or fore-shewed it And no question he knew how vnable the meanes was to worke without Gods blessing he knew what vnfitnesse was in man now wee giue too much to the meanes Further it is certaine that such holy men as hee sought Gods blessing by prayer and therefore now they were affected when they obserued what followed their prayers And besides the Apostle did walke with God in a great measure of sanctitie and holy care in all things to keepe his communion with God whereas wee are estranged by our corruptions and for the most part negligent in a daily walking with GOD. Lastly hee was humble and not conceited of his owne gifts and had consecrated himselfe and deuoted his life to Gods glory and therefore hee was sensible of the glory of God in his working prouidence But the maine particular Doctrine is that in the Ministery of the Gospell there is Gods speciall working for it is Gods worke to
raise vp men that will labour in the Gospell considering the ill successe in many hearers and the infirmities in themselues and the strange discouragements from the world and when the Lord hath gotten him Labourers it is his working that they can get fit Meditations and Affections into their hearts in priuate and fit vtterance in publike it is not Art and Learning alone that will furnish them with powerfull matter And thirdly it is Gods working to extend the power of the word to the hearers so as the heate of it goe not out before it kindle in the peoples hearts What shall I say it is Gods mighty working that the people are preserued and daily built vp by the word in Grace All which should teach vs to place our Faith not in men but in the power of God And let wicked men be aduised least by resisting the Ministery they be found fighters against God and it may be a great comfort to a Minister to for if God worke for vs and by vs it matters not who be against vs. And lastly Christians should make much of and be thankfull for and greatly admire all Knowledge and Grace gotten from the word for it was wrought by the very finger of God FINIS THE ANALYSIS of the second Chapter TWo things are conteined in this Chapter First the continuation of the exhortation begun in the 23. verse of the first Chapter to v. 7. Secondly a dehortation from verse 8. to the end The exhortation is continued two waies First By alleaging more reasons v. 1.2.3 Secondly by prolepsis remouing sundry obiections v. 4.5.6.7 There are three reasons to presse them to care of perseuerance in the doctrine they had receiued The first reason is taken from the care of the Apostle for the deliuerie and defence of the Gospell in these words I would you knew what great fighting I haue for your sakes and for them of Laodicea and for as many as haue not seene my face in the flesh vers 1. The second reason is taken from the effects of the Gospell and they are two 1. consolation that your hearts might be comforted 2. loue and knit together in loue The third reason is taken from the adiuncts of the Gospell and they are three First certaintie vnto all riches of full assurance of vnderstanding 2. Sublimitie to the acknowledgment of the mysterie of God euen the Father and of Christ v. 2. Thirdly perfection in these words in whom or in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge v. 3. Thus of the reasons The answer of obiections followes Ob. 1. Why doth the Apostle vrge vs so largely with this exhortation Sol. This I say lest any beguile you with inticing words Ob. 2. But how doth he know our estates being absent Sol. To this he answereth that though hee were absent in the flesh yet he was present in spirit Ob. 3. But is it charitie to entertaine surmises of vs Sol. He saith he did reioyce in their order and stedfastnes present But he wrote this to warne them to take heed Quest. Tell vs at once what you would haue vs do Answ. v. 6.7 two things are to be done the first concernes holy life the second faith Concerning holy life there is first a precept walke on secondly a rule after which that precept is to be squared viz. as yee haue receiued the Lord Iesus Christ. Concerning faith there is first a precept they must be rooted built vp and stablished secondly a rule as they had been taught And thus of the exhortation The dehortation followes from v. 8. to the end There are three parts of the dehortation First he setteth downe the matter from which he dehorts v. 8. Secondly he giues six reasons to confirme the dehortation from vers 9. to 16. Thirdly he concludes and that seuerally from v. 16. to the end In the 8. verse he sets downe three things from which he dehorts 1. From Philosophie which he calls vaine deceits 2. From traditions of men 3. From the ceremonies of Moses which he calls the rudiments of the world The reasons are 1. because they are not after Christ v. 8. 2. Because in Christ there dwels all the fulnes of the Godhead bodily v. 9. where note an excellent description of Christ In him he notes his person the Godhead his diuine nature corporally his humane nature and dwells the vnion of both and for the measure it is in all fullnes 3. Because we are compleat in Christ without any of these things v. 10. Here note the persons yee the time are the benefit compleat the author Christ the limitation in him 4. Because we are circumcised without hands and therefore need not circumcision made with hands and consequently no ceremonies This reason is propounded v. 11. confirmed by prolepsis v. 12. Concerning Circumcision without hands fiue things are to be noted 1. the persons yee 2. the time are 3. the manner set down negatiuely without hands 4. the form of it affirmatiuely putting off the bodie of the sins of the flesh 5. the efficient cause the circumcision of Christ. Ob. But it followes not we are circumcised without hands therefore need not circumcision with hands Sol. It followes to vs now in the new Testament because we haue baptisme in steed of circumcision with hands we are buried with Christ by baptisme Ob. But was not Circumcision a more liuely signe Sol. It was not which he shewes to be true both in respect of mortification buried with him and in respect of viuiâ—ication raised vp together with him by baptisme which is amplified by setting downe what is required in them to whom baptisme is thus effectuall viz. the faith of the operation of God 5. Because none of these can helpe vs in miserie nor further to happinesse when we want it v. 13. The words in themselues expres a twofold estate of Christians First what they are by nature and so 1. they were dead in actuall sinnes 2. they were in the vncircumcision of the flesh in respect of originall sinne Secondly what they were in the state of grace 1. they were quickned 2. they were forgiuen all their sinnes 6. Because Christ hath cancelled the Chyrographie that was against vs which were these ceremonies v. 14.15 concerning these two things may be noted 1. what the ceremonies were in themselues 2. how the Church was discharged of them For the first they were for honor ordinances of God for vse hand-writings for effect they were against vs. For the second Christ on the crosse cancelled them fastned them and tooke them out of the way yea hee spoiled the deuills and triumphed ouer them openly who had the power to serue execution for forfeitures v. 15. Thus of the reasons the conclusion followes from v. 16. to the end The conclusion hath three branches For first hee concludes against ceremonies v. 16.17 Secondly against philosophie v. 18.19 Thirdly against traditions v. 20. to the end In the conclusion against ceremonies note 1.
attaine to it to beleeue that baptisme doth signifie and assure these things to vs Answ. 1. Labor to expresse that which on thy part is required that is set vp the confession of thy sinnes and amendment of thy life 2. Then go vnto God and let thy conscience make request for the answere of the spirit of adoption by which the Lord may assure thee that in the mediation of Iesus Christ thy baptisme is giuen to thee as a particular seale of Gods couenant and grace Quest. But how may I doe to be assured that my sinnes shall be subdued and that I shall be raised vp in holy graces and duties Answ 1. Acquaint thy selfe with Gods promises of this kinde and grow skilfull in them 2. Cry strongly to God for the testimonie of Iesus in thy heart that by his spirit hee would settle thee in this perswasion 3. Waite vpon the word and prayer till God doe effect it 4. Strengthen thy selfe both by the experience of others as also with due obseruation of successe in the subduing of any sinne or the exercise of any graces or duties The vses may be diuers First for information we may here see how vaine the common faith of the common Protestant is shew me thy faith by thy fruits how canst thou beleeue aright and yet thy sinnes not mortified and thy heart and life vnsanctified Againe we see we haue not comfort of our baptisme till the power of holinesse in some measure appeare in our liues Secondly for instruction we should all examine our selues whether wee haue faith or no and whiles we haue meanes of assurance make vse of all aduantages to settle our hearts in the faith and to this end we should deliuer vp our soules to be nursed vp in the words of faith and wholesome doctrine Lastly we might here be greatly comforted if we had true faith wee see God can denie nothing vnto faith it should be to vs in the sacraments in mortification and in graces and duties according to our faith Of the operation of God The doctrine of Gods power and working is of singular vse in the Church great is the interest of Gods seruants in his power and therefore great cause they haue to rest vpon it The elect onely can reason for Gods power to the effect he is able to doe it therefore he will doe it but then these three things must be noted 1. They must be beleeuers that looke for this priuiledge 2. They must bring a particular faith to draw out this power of God into operation 3. It will not be set a worke about euerything but such things for which there is promise or meet examples in the scriptures Now it is a matter of singular weight to know in what things we may haue warrant to beare our selues vpon the power of God The power of God is engaged for operation in foure things for the benefit of the faithfull First in their afflictions Secondly in their temptations Thirdly in the difficulties of holy life Fourthly in his ordinances In afflictions God hath bound himselfe to shew his power 1. In giuing strength to endure them 2. In moderating the afflictions to their strength 3. In guiding them to the right ends 4. In deliuerance out of them If we looke vpon the enemieâ— of the godly in particular God shewes his power 1. In restraining or disappointing them 2. In rewarding and ouerthrowing them So likewise in temptations the power of God though it be secret yet it is wonderfull in dissoluing the works of the deuill and in vpholding his seruants and destroying the strong holds and fortifications of Satan Thirdly in the difficulties of holy life the Lord vseth his power 1. In making his seruants able to walke in his waies both by giuing them power and strength and by relieuing and reuiuing their strength daily and renewing it 2. In keeping them from euill 3. In establishing them that they may perseuere and hold out Lastly Gods operation is wonderfull in the vse of his ordinances and this is that is meant in this place In respect of this the Psalmist faith God is greatly to be reuerenced in the assembly by all them that are round about him O Lord God of hostes who is a strong God like vnto thee Thus the Lord is mightie through the ministerie of his seruants Thus the Lord performeth the counsell of his messengers his word returneth not to him in vaine yea his ordinances are his power vnto saluation they are all mightie through God Thus it is in particular in the sacraments though for their outward shew they doe not promise much yet by the maruellouâ— operation of God they are auaileable in effect for all that is promised in them only if we could get this faith in this operation of God here mentioned The vse of all is First for information we may here take notice of the difference between hypocrites and the godly in matter of godlinesse they can know know nothing but the forme of it the other haue experience of the singular power of God in all the passages of holy life both in the vse of the meanes and in his preseruation Secondly for instruction we should obserue and seeke out the working of the Lord and daily ascribe power vnto God and pray for the experience of it and that he would establish that which he hath wrought in vs Againe it may teach vs not to despise the weake Christian for the Lord is able through his operation to make him stand And it should incourage vs all to the works of righteousnes seeing Gods operation is so ready to be found and for hereafter in the vse of all the meanes our faith should be in the power of God Thus of the operation of God Through the resurrection of Iesus Christ Many are the benefits which wee reape from the resurrection of Iesus Christ. As first the resurrection of our bodies Secondly the accomplishment of the promises made vnto the Fathers Thirdly iustification and forgiuenesse of sinnes Fourthly a secret vertue vnto the ordinances of God Fifthly regeneration Sixtly liuely hope of an immortall inheritance Seuenthly the power of viuification and raising of vs vp to new obedience And this last is acknowledged in this place VERS 13. And you being dead in your sinnes and the vncircumcision of the flesh hath he quickned together with him forgiuing you all your trespasses The sixt reason of the dehortation is conteined in this verse and it stands thus That which cannot helpe vs when we are in miserie nor further vs to happinesse when we want it is not to be followed nor rested vpon but such things are philosophie traditions and ceremonies they cannot heale the corruption of our natures nor raise vs out of the graues of sinne nor any way procure vs the pardon of our transgressions or
is brought vnto them in the reuelation of Iesus Christ And since they are in so happie an estate they should alwaies reioice and let their moderation of minde be knowne to all men being in nothing carefull but in all things making request vnto God with praiers and supplications and giuing of thanks so should the peace of God that passeth all vnderstanding keepe their hearts and mindes And for our carriage towards others first we should for euer in all places acknowledge such as are borne againe of God Secondly we should exhort one an other and prouoke one another to loue and goodworkes and not forsake the fellowship of the Saints praying one for another that God would fulfill the good pleasure of his will and the worke of our faith with power that wee might abound in loue and be established in holinesse before God in the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ with all the saints Thus of our quickning only we may obserue that he saith we are quickned together with him which is true diuers waies men are quickned together 〈◊〉 Christ 1. Because we are quickned aswell as he 2. Because being quickned we are vnited vnto him 3. Because we are quickned by the same spirit â—nd power that raised him from the dead All which may increase our consolation in this gratious worke and confirme vs vnto the end Forgiuing you all your trespasses First for the meaning of the words the word forgiuing as it is in the originall signifieth to acquit them gratis and as a free gift of his grace to send them the newes of their pardon the word rendred trespasses vsually is vnderstood of actuall sins But yet we must not thinke that originall sin is not forgâ—â—en for either it is a Senecdoche and so one sort of sinnes is named in steede of all or else he speakes according to the feeling of many of the godly who 〈◊〉 after forgiuenes are maruellously troubled with the flesh and the wicked â—â—oanesse to daily sinnes But for the matter it selfe we may here note 1. That God doth certainly forgiue men their sinnes when he giues them â—â—pentance and conuerts them by his word 2. That where God forgiues our sinnes he heales our natures too therefore quickning and forgiuing are here ioyned together and herein Gods pardons differs from all the pardons of Kings Men may forgiue the treason or fellony but they cannot giue a nature that will offend no more but now it God forgiue a man he will certainely giue his good spirit to mend his nature and clense him from his sinne 3 That howsoeuer iustification go before sanctification yet it is sanctification first appeares therefore quickning first named 4. That it is a singular happinesse to obtaine of God the forgiuenesse of our sinnes 5. That if we were vsed according to our deserts God must neuer forgiue vs it is his free grace The vse of all may be first for great reproofe of the generall carelessenes of the most men that will take no paines at all to get the pardon of their sinnes but wholie neglect the seeking of the assurance of it Now this monstrous neglect of so admirable a benefit comes first from ignorance men know not their wofull miserie in respect of their sinnes 2. From the hardnesse of mans heart and their hearts in this point of neglect of remission of sinnes are hardened both by the effectuall working of Satan and by the example of the carâ—lâ—sse multitude and by the entertainment of false opinions about it as that it need not be sought or cannot bee knowne or hereafter will be time â—nough to inquire or else men are conceited in false acquittances either they rest in this that Christ died for them or that God makes promises of forgiuenesse in scripture or that their ciuill course of life or their workes of mercie or pieâ—ie will make God amends c. Againe this neglect ariseth from the forgetfulnesse of mans latter end if men knew the time of the day of the Lord they would get their pardon confirmed if it were possible least it should come vpon them vnawares Lastly this comes from the loue of sinne men are loath to leaue their sinnes and therefore not carefull to seeke forgiuenesse of them 2 Here is a confutation of merit of workes for if we pay the debt then it is not forgiuen vs and if it be forgiuen vs then certainly we pay it not besides the word notes that it is freely done as hath been shewed before 3 Shall we not be stirred vp to seeke forgiuenes of sinnes Quest. What should we doe that we might be confirmed in the assurance to obtaine forgiuenesse of sinnes Answ. 1. Thou must forgiue men their trespasses 2. Thou must acknowledge thy sinnes 3. Thou must pray and get others to pray for the forgiuenesse of thy sinnes 4. Thou must often receiue the sacrament of the Lords supper for this is Gods seale of forgiuenesse of sins 5. Thou must bewaile thy sinnes and begge the witnesse of the spirit of adoption in the intercession of Iesus Christ till those vnspeakable ioyes of the holy Ghost fall vpon thee and seale thee vp vnto the day of redemption And thus farre of the thirtenth verse VERS 14. Blotting out the hand-writing of ordinances that was against vs which was contrary to vs and tooke it out of the way nailing it to his crosse This Verse and the next containe the seuenth reason of the dehortation it is laid downe in this verse and amplified in the next The argument may stand thus If the ceremonies were a Chyrographe or hand-writing against vs when they were in force and if now Christ haue cancelled that writing then we ought not to vse them againe but such they were for they were a hand-writing against vs and Christ hath remoued them by fastening them vpon the crosse therefore we ought not to reuiue them againe or thus it the debt be paid and the obligation cancelled then is it a fond course to cause the obligation wilfullie to be of force againe Hand-writing This hand-writing is by diuers diuersly referred for some thinke it is to be referred to the couenant with Adam all mankinde in him was bound to God this obligation he brake and so the forfeiture lay still vpon our necks till Christ paid the debt and cancelled the obligation Some referre it to the law of Moses in generall and say the people did binde themselues vnto it Exod. 14 by the rites there vsed This bond was forfeited by the Iewes and lay vpon them Some referre it to the morrall law in speciall and therein we did enter into bond which was called the couenant of works the rigor and curse of this law lieth vpon all mankinde and when God sues out this bond men are carried to prison euen to the prison of hell Some referre it to the conscience of men and say that an euill conscience is a
those things that are aboue where Christ sits at the right hand of God HITHERTO of christian doctrine now followeth christian life The Apostle hath before discoursed of matters of faith now he intends to intreat of matters of life and to prescribe rules of conuersation And these rules belong either to our generall calling as we are Christians or to our particular callings as we are people of such or such condition or state of life The generall rules are set downe from the first verse of this Chapter to the eighteenth and the particular rules begin at the eighteenth verse and continue to the second verse of the next Chapter The rules of the first kind may be referred to three heads for either they concerne first the meditation of heauenly things or secondly the mortification of vice or thirdly the renouation of life The meditation of heauenly things is vrged from v. 1. to the fift the mortification of vice is vrged from v. 5. to the tenth Renouation of life is generally laid down v. 10.11 and more specially opened v. 12 to the eighteenth The exhortation to the care and studie of heauenlie things is thus digested First it is expounded v. 1. Secondlie it is illustrated v. 2. Thirdly it is confirmed by motiues and reason v. 3.4 And thus for the order of the whole Chapter and the generall frame of this first part Before I open the words more particularly there are diuerse things may be noted from the coherence and dependence of these words with the Chapter before and the matter following in this Chapter From the coherence with the former Chapter I obserue these things-First that there can be no holinesse of life without faith and therefore the Apostle first instructeth them in matters of faith It is a true rule whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne and may be extended further then things indifferent while we are out of Gods fauour and know not our reconciliation and iustification in Christ our best actions are but faire sinnes For without faith it is vnpossible to please God Secondly that the terrestriall blessednesse of man is in respect of sinne two waies principally assaulted First with errors in opinion Secondly with corruptions in manners And against both we should learne from the Apostle in the latter part of the former Chapter and the first part of this to be armed and furnished with holy directions and meditations Thirdly that these men that are so superstitiouslie earnest and so zealouslie forward for ceremonies and the traditions and obseruations of men whatsoeuer they protest or pretend or seem to be are indeed void of true deuotion and feruent affection to heauenly thingsc. Fourthly that he that is by faith made a new creature must resolue to be at Gods appointment for his whole carriage in his generall and particular calling Thus of the coherence with the former Chapters From the order of doctrine in this Chapter two things may be noted First that before a man can be good in his particular calling he must first be good in his generall thou maist be painfull and diligent but thou canst not be euerie way a faithfull and sound hearted husband wife seruant child c. till thou be a good man or good woman in respect of grace and godlinesse And therefore we should first seeke the righteousnesse of Gods kingdome and it may serue for direction vnto such as choose wiues or seruants or the like if they be not faithfull to God how canst thou be assured they will prooue faithfull to thee moreouer wouldst thou haue thy seruants or children to be amended then bring them to the powerfull preaching of the word and call vpon them to get into the fellowship of the godly that they may learne to be good abroad in matters of religion and then thou maist hope to find them by proofe and daily experience trustie and faithfull in thy businesse finallie this reprooues both the sinfulnesse and follie of many carnall paâ—ents and masters they neuer care so their seruants do their worke though they altogether neglect Gods worke And many times they restraine their seruants and children and will not let them heare sermons or come into godly companie as if that were the way to make them idle and carelesse whereas we see the cleane contrary to be true Secondly that men are neuer likelie to hold out and proue sound in the reformation and new obedience of their liues till they fall in loue with heauenlie things and grow in some measure wearie of the world and the things thereof Thus of the generall obseruations from the twofold coherence Now followeth the particular opening of the words In the proposition of the exhortation to the study of heauenly things laied downe in this verse two things are to bee considered first what or the dutie required viz. seeke those things which are aboue secondly why or the reasons to enforce the dutie and they are foure First ye are risen with Christ in the first resurrection Secondly these things are aboue and not attained without seeking or studie Thirdly Christ is aboue in his bodily presence Fourthly Christ sits at the right hand of God exalted in the glory of his father each of these strongly conclude the exhortation as will further appeare in the particular handling of them If ye be risen with Christ. There may be conceiued to be a threefold resurrection of a christian The first is sacramentall And thus we rise againe in baptisme The second is corporall and so we shall rise againe in the day of Iesus Christ in our bodies out of the dust of the earth The third is spirituall and so we must rise in this life in soule from the death of sinne or else we shall neuer be deliuered from the second death of this spirituall resurrection called elsewhere the first resurrection he here intreats And it is a worke of the spirit of grace deliuering vs from the power of sinne by which vve are quickned to the heauenly desires and endeuours of holy life by the vertue of the resurrection of Iesus Christ applied vnto vs by faith in the effectuall vse of Gods ordinances It is a worke by which we grow conformable to Christ bâ—ing risen againe by which also we taste of the powers of the life to come and are borne again to a liuely hope of an eternall and incorruptible inheritance the earnest of which we haue receiued and shall shortly receiue the whole possession purchased though for a time we be absent from the Lord. This first resurrection carieth with it a similitude or resemblance of Christ rising againe so as euery Christian in this work beares the Image of Christ and in him Christ riseth before our eies not onely because the Lord Iesus doth in this gracious worke giue vs a daily and fresh remembrance of his resurrection by renewing such fruits of it but also
mercilesse men shall then haue iudgement without mercy All whoremongers and adulterers and all that defile the flesh God will be sure to iudge a fearefull looking for of Iudgement and violent fire shall deuoure all those Apostataes that sinne willingly after they haue receiued and acknowledged the truth How sure doe ye suppose shall his punishment be that doth despight the spirit of grace by which he was sanctified all those that haue troubled Gods seruants shall beare their condemnation whosoeuer they be O man thou art inexcusable that iudgest another man wherein thou art guilty thy selfe For the Iudgement of God must needs be in truth against such as commit such things especially if men grow masterlike in censuring it will increase to greater condemnation all gotes or vnruly Christians that will not be kept within Gods fence that is will not be ruled by Gods ordinances and ministers shall be separate in that day from Gods sheepe and as a people accursed to be cast into an vnauoidable fellowship with the diuell and his angels all hypocrites that say and doe not or doe all their worke to be seene of men and take Gods couenant into their mouthes hate to be reformed how shall they escape the damnation to come all wicked men with their scant measure and deceitfull waights and wicked ballances shall neuer be iustified in the day of the Lord. what shall I say it were too long to proceede to reckon all and it is a short labour to conclude with the Apostle no wantons nor drunkards nor railers nor extortioners nor theeues nor wrathfull persons nor gluttons nor idolaters nor iesters nor filthy talkers nor fearfull persons nor liers nor any that louelies shall be able to stand in the day of Christ but shall be shut out of the Kingdome of Heauen and cast into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone And thus of the vse for terror Secondly vpon the meditation of this last iudgement diuerse lessons for our instruction are inforced First it should restraine vncharitable iudging and censuring one of another for lesse matters especially for things indifferent Who art thou that iudgest another mans seruant he standeth or falleth to his owne master Christ is the Lord of quicke and dead And therfore why dost thou condemne thy brother or why dost thou despise thy brother for we shall all appeare before the iudgement seat of Christ ' In as much as the Lord Iesus Christ will iudge the secrets of all hearts and giue a iust triall to the actions of all men why should we forestall his iudgement or in doubtfull matters arrogate to our selues this honor of Christ if we could consider that we shall then euery one giue accounts vnto God for himselfe we should find worke enough to doe to looke to our owne score Let vs not therefore brethren iudge one another any more Secondly are there any matters of difference amongst vs let the saints iudge them and end them God will be contented to put his cause to them at the last day for we know the Saints shall iudge the world and therefore why should we refuse their arbitration Thirdly it should order and moderate our sorrowes for our dead friends We should not sorrow as people without hope seeing we beleeue that all that sleepe in Iesus God will bring with him We shall meet together againe in that day and afterwards liue with the Lord together for euer And therefore we should comfort one another with these words Fourthly this summons to iudgement giues a dreadfull warning and admonition to the world euen to all men euery where to repent Inasmuch as God hath appointed a day wherein he will iudge the world in righteousnesse by the man whom he hath appointed wherof he hath giuen an assurance in that he raised him from the dead Woe will be vnto vs if that day come vpon vs vnawares before we haue made our peace and humbled our selues before God and by vnfained repentance turned from all our euill waies It is an vnsearchable compassion that God shewes when he offers vs this mercie that if we will iudge our selues we shall not be iudged of the Lord in that day And it will on the other side excessiuely incense his wrath when hauing such grace offered we neglect it and death and iudgement find our sinnes both vnremitted on Gods part and vnrepented on ours Fiftly Seeing all these things must be dissolued how should it fire vs and daily quicken our dead and drowsie spirits to a constant care of all possible holy conuersation and godlinesse vnles we would discouer our selues either to be Atheists that mocke at the iudgement to come or men giuen to a spirit of slumber that in soule sleepe it out and will not consider our latter end Seing we are all Gods stewards let vs arme our selues as they that must then giue accounts of our stewardship And since we haue all receiued some of Gods talents and gifts in our seuerall places let vs be carefull to approue our selues to be good seruants and faithfull such as can returne them with aduantage least the portion of the seruāt that hid his masters talents in the earth fall vpon vs. Lastly since the day of iudgement is the day of our full and finall redemption and since he shall come as a thiefe in the night euen in the hower that we thinke not let vs therefore watch and be ready alwaies carefull and diligent sighing and groaning longing and praying hasting to and looking for this glorious appearance and reuelation of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. Thirdly this may be a singular comfort to all mortified and penitent christians they may lift vp their heads and reioice with ioy vnspeakable and glorious For the Lord shall then come to be glorified in his saints and made maruellous in all them that beleeue Ob. But the terrour of the day may amaze a christian Sol. There is no sparke of terror in this doctrine to a godly mind For what should he feare if he either consider the fauour of the iudge or the manner of the iudgement For the Iudge is he that hath beene all this while their aduocate to plead their suits by making intercession for them And therefore when he comes to sit in iudgement he cannot goe against his owne pleading He is their brother and caries a most brotherly affection and will he condemne his owne brethren he is their head and hath performed all the offices of a head vnto them and can he then faile them when they haue most need of him nay it is he that hath been iudged for vs on earth and will he iudge against vs in heauen what shall I say he died for vs to shew his vndoubted loue euen that he might redeeme vs as a peculiar people to God and will he faile vs in the last act
thine hands be strong in the dayes that I shall haue to doe with them I the Lord haue spoken it and will doe it Let couetous persons without further enquiry assure themselues that couetousnesse is a maine cause of all the euils are vpon them or theirs and besides they may be assertained that all the seruice they doe to God is abhorred and meere lost labour it were to no purpose if they would bring him incense from Sheba and sweet calamus from a farre country their burnt offerings would not be pleasant nor their sacrifices sweet vnto him Ob. But couetous persons are of most men so well furnished that there is not that means to bring them to any great hurt Sol. The Prophet shewes that God can lay a stumbling blocke before them and father and sonne together mayfall vpon it and neighbour and friend may perish together The Lord means enough when men little thinke of it to bring downe rebellious sinners Ob. But we see couetous persons and wealthy worldlings scape the best longest of many others Sol. The Prophet Amos sayth the Lord hath sworne by the excellency of Iacob will neuer forget any of their workes Though the Lord may deferre yet certainely he will neuer forget and therefore they are not a iot the better for scaping so long But howsoeuer they might escape outward iudgements yet they may be infallibly sure they haue sinned against their owne soules and that they shall know in the day of their death their riches shall not then profit them when the Lord taketh away their soule he that is a great oppressour shall not prolong his dayes for he that getteth riches and not by right shall leaue them in the midst of his dayes and at his end shall be a foole How horrible then shall that voice be Thou foole this night shall thy soule be taken from thee and thus far of these words as they concerne the coherence with the former words now I consider them as they are in themselues And first of the wrath of God Wrath of God It is apparant that wrath in God belongs to his Iustice. And Iustice may be considered as it flowes from God foure wayes First as he is a free Lord of all And so his decrees are iust Secondly as he is God of all and so the common works of preseruing both good bad are iust Thirdly as a father in Christ so by an excellency he is the God of beleeuers and thus he is iust in performing his promises infusing his grace and in bestowing the Iustice of his sonne Fourthly as Iudge of the world and so his Iustice is not onely distributiue but correctiue And vnto this Iustice doth wrath belong Anger in man is a perturbation or passion in his heart and therefore it hath troubled Diuines to conceiue how anger should be in the most pure happie and bountifull nature of God And the rather seeing affections are not properly in God Neither is their declaration full enough that say it is giuen to God improperly and by anthropopathie for I am of their opinion that thinke anger is properly in God First in such a manner as agrees to the nature of God that is in a manner to vs vnconceiueable Secondly in such a sence as is reuealed in Scripture The wrath of God in Scripture is taken sometimes for his iust decree and purpose to reuenge sometimes for commination or threatning to punish So some thinke it is to be taken in those words of the Prophet Hosea I will not do according to the siercones of my wrath that is according to my grieuous threatnings Sometimes it is taken for the effects or punishments themselues as in the Epistle to the Romans is God vnrighteous which bringeth wrath it is well rendered which punisheth The wrath of God is distinguished by diuerse degrees and so hath diuerse names for there is wrath present and wrath to come Present wrath is the anger of God in this present life and is either impendent or powred out wrath impendent is the anger of God hanging ouer mens heads ready to bee manifested in his iudgements and so wrath hangs in the nature of God and in the threatnings of his word and in the possibilities of the creatures Wrath powred â—â—t is the iudgement of God fallen vpon men for their sinnes by which they prouoked God and so there was great wrath vpon the people in the destruction of Ierusalem and thus he reuealeth his wrath from Heauen vpon the vnrighteousnesse of men Wrath to come is that fearefull misery to be declared vpon the soule of the impenitent at his death and vpon soule and body at the day of iudgement in the euerlasting perdition of both But that we may be yet more profitable touched with the meditation of this point I propound sixe things concerning Gods wrath further to be considered First the fearefulnesse of it Secondly what it is that works or brings this wrath vpon vs. Thirdly the signes to know Gods wrath Fourthly the meanes to pacifie it Fistly the signes of wrath pacified And lastly the vses of all For the first The fearefulnesse and greatnesse of Gods wrath or anger for sinne may appeare three wayes First by Scripture Secondly by similitude Thirdly by example That Gods anger for sinne is exceeding terrible and fearefull I will shew by one place of Scripture onely and that is the first of Nahum the Prophet for he sayth God is iealous and the Lord reuengeth the Lord reuengeth where the repetition shewes the certainty of it that God will be as sure to reuenge as euer the sinner was to sinne but this is more confirmed when he sayth he is the Lord of anger as if he would impart that his anger is his essence as if he were all made of anger and that he is the authour of all the iust anger that is in the world and if the drops of anger in great men haue such terror in it what is the maine Ocean of anger which is in God himselfe and to assure vs yet further of the terrour of his wrath he addeth the Lord will take vengeance on his aduersaries which signifieth that the Lord will account of impenitent sinners as a man accounts of his worst enemies and therefore the Lord will shew his displeasure to the vttermost of their deserts and his Iustice. And therefore if any doe obiect that they see it otherwise for the plagues of wicked men are not so many nor so great as their sinnes he answereth that and sayth that the Lord reserueth wrath for his enemies he hath not inflicted vpon them all they shall haue there is the greatest part behinde the full vials of his fury are not yet poured out And if any should reply that they haue obserued that wicked men haue prospered long and scaped for a great while without any
punishments to speake of The Prophet answereth that and sayth that the Lord is slow to anger that is hee is many times long before he manifests his great displeasure but he is great in power that is hee is of singular fiercenes and vnresistablenes when he doth enter into Iudgement he will not faile nor be hindered and if any would hope that God would change his minde that also is preuented the Prophet auouching it confidently that he will not surely cleere the wicked And this is the more certaine because of the dreadfull meanes that the Lord hath to declare his anger His way is in the whirlewinde and in the storme and the cloudes are the dust of his feet the meaning is that God hath wayes to execute his Iudgement wayes I say that are vnresistable for who can stay a whirlewinde and terrible like the storme plagues falling thicke and threefold like the drops of the tempest and in the meanes the Lord can runne like a Giant running feircely and raising the dust with his feet And to this giue all the creatures witnesse He rebuketh the sea and it drieth Bashanis wasted and Carmell the floure of Lebanon is wasted The mountains tremble before him and the hils melt and the earth is burnt at his sight yea the world and all that dwell therein And therefore who can stand before his wrath or who can abide the fiercenesse of his wrath his wrath is powred out like fire and the rockes are broken by him The wrath of God to shew the exquisite and intollerable and remedilesse paine that wicked men feele when they beare it is compared to a consuming fire and to note the infinitenesse of it God himselfe is sayd to be a consuming sire Moses also sayth that the fire that is kindled in Gods wrath shall burne to the bottome of hell and it were able to consume the earth with her increase and set on fire the foundation of the mountaines Thirdly who can thinke the anger of God not to be infinitely terrible that can but seriously consider these examples and presidents of it First Gods reprobating or foredamning of millions of men Secondly the sinne of Adam pursued with such vnconceiueable iudgements vpon him and his name Thirdly the drowning of the old world the burning of Sodome the opening of the earth to swallow vp the rebellious the sea swallowing vp Pharoah and his hoast Fourthly the forlorne estate of the Gentiles not looked after for many hundred yeeres Fiftly the Iewes somtimes the onely people to whom the Lord drew neere now made a curse and astonishment and a hissing throughout the earth Sixtly the torments which Christ himselfe endured when he was but surety foâ— sinners Seuenthly what are warres famines pestilences diseases seditions heresies and the infinite molestations in the life of man but so many euident proofes of wonderfull anger in God Eightly the testimonies of afflicted consciences bee liuely in this point When but a drop of anger lights vpon the soule of man in this world how vnable is he to sustain his spirit what flouds of teares flow from his wounded heart Lastly the burning of the world and the flames of hell shall one day make full proofe of Gods anger And thus of the first poynt For the second wrath is wrought or brought vpon vs foure wayes First the Law workes wrath for being transgressed it breedes displeasure pleads for iudgement records sinne and presents it in Gods sight Secondly Christ in the ministery of the word applies wrath or discouers Gods indignation and so he is sayd to smite and slay the wicked Thirdly the Magistrate is a reuenger in executing Gods wrath Fourthly wrath is brought vpon vs by Gods army the creatures are Gods warriours they fight for the Lord against sinners and are speedily and vnresistably armed when God is pleased to raise them Thirdly concerning the signes of Gods anger wee must vnderstand that Gods eternall anger towards other men in particular cannot be knowen nor his temporall anger by any ordinary way of certainty except it be extraordinarily by reuelation as to the Prophets or Apostles For by outward things we cannot know Gods loue or hatred to particular persons onely Gods publike anger to publike states may be knowen and so may his priuate anger to our selues in speciall There are three signes to know Gods publike anger 1. The prediction of his Ministers as extraordinarily the Prophets from vision or reuelation did foretell the Iudgements to ensue and ordinarily wrath may bee knowen by the comminations of faithfull Preachers for when vpon obseruation of threatnings in the Law made to such sinnes as then abound they doe with one consent in many places with instance and confidence giue warning of plagues to ensue it is time for the world to awaken for the Lords secrets are with his seruants And he will make good their righteous threatnings Secondly The signes in Heauen or earth or sea prodigious sights or signes in the sunne or moone or commets or strange birthes or the extraordinary raging of the seas and such like Thirdly publike plagues are both signes of wrath present and withall they giue warning of greater wrath to come if we doe not repent Such are famine warre pestilence and other raging diseases the death of great Princes and the sudden and common death of the best men these all foretell euill to come as wee may know fire so may wee know Gods anger we know fire either by the report of men worthy to bee credited or by the smoake or by the flame beginning to breake out And so may discerne Gods wrath either by the relation of his Ambassadours that are faithfull men or by the smoake of prodigies or wonders in Heauen and earth or else by the flame of Iudgements already begunne and thus of the signes of Gods publike anger The signes of Gods anger to a particular man are such as these Fist if a man haue not the markes of a childe of God vpon him for whom God loues and is not angry with they are marked with peculiar graces as indelibly as they were marked in Ezechiel with the letter pau Secondly if he finde himselfe directly vnder the threatnings of Gods word Thirdly if there bee no effectuall working of the spirit of grace in the vse of the meanes it is a plaine signe of Gods anger when a man heares the word powerfully preached and reads and prayes without all affection or life and is so constantly For if the Lord were pleased he would shewe himselfe in the vse of the meanes of communion with him Fourthly a man may gather something by his crosses for if he finde aâ—sting in them that God fights against him in them so as they peirce and vexe and disquiet his soule with perplexity but especially if he finde his heart also closed with hardnesse so as hee doe not call when the Lord bindeth him this is in ali likelihood not
onely a signe of wrath but that the wrath encreaseth this is the rod of indignation Fiftly if a man liue in some sinnes they are manifest signes of wrath as persecution whoredome hatred of the brethren with holding the truth in vnrighteousnesse couetousnesse and vncleannesse and generally all sinnes contained in any of the catalogues against which the Lord denounceth his Iudgements in seuerall Scriptures Lastly sometimes Gods anger is felt in the terrours and paine of the conscience the Lord making some men to feele the edge of his axe and fighting against them with his terrours Now wheresoeuer these are felt by a soule that hath not beene truely humbled for sinne they are assured pledges and beginnings of Gods wrath from Heauen Hitherto of the greatnesse meanes and signes of Gods anger Now of the way to pacifie Gods anger when it is perceiued Gods Publike anger is pacified and stayed First by the prayers and fastings of the righteous And therefore it is the Prophet Ioels counsell that if they would haue the Lord repent him of the euill and returne and leaue a blessing behinde him they must sanctifie a fast and call a solemne assembly Secondly by the seuere execution of Iustice by Magistrates vpon notorious offendours and thus Phinehas stayd the plague Thirdly by the generall repentance of the people and thus Gods anger towards Nineuie was pacified Fourthly and especially by the intercession of Christ intreating for a citie or nation So was Ierusalem deliuered out of captiuity as the Prophet Zacharie declares Zach. 1.12 Concerning the pacifying of Gods anger to particular persons I will first consider what will not pacifie it and then what will pacifie it For the first no multitude of gifts can deliuer thee and the most mighty helpes cannot cause the the Lord to withdraw his anger it will not auaile thee to come before the Lord with burnt offerings and with calues of a yeere old The Lord will not be pleased with thousands of rammes or with ten thousand riuers of oyle Nor will the sonne of thy body make an atonement from the sinnes of thy soule to cry Lord Lord at home or the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord abroad will not a whit abate of his fierce anger and as little will it auaile to build Churches mend high wayes erect tombes for dead Prophets or the like workes of labour or cost Now for the affirmatiue if we speake properly nothing will quench Gods anger but the bloud of Christ. For hee is the propitiation for our sinne Yet in some respects and as meanes the Lord doth appoint vnto vs that we might be capable of reconciliation these things are auailable First the duties of mortification as confession of sinne and iudging of our selues and examining of our hearts and liues If we acknowledge our sinnes he is faythfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes and if we iudge our selues the Lord will giue ouer iudging vs if disobedient Israel will returne and know his iniquities the Lord will not let his wrath fall vpon him godly sorrow also is verie auailable to quench wrath If Ierusalem will wash her heart she shall be saued the Lord will heare the voyce of our weeping prayer also is of great vse and force for the Lord is a God that heareth prayer and the Prophet Zephanie sheweth that if the people can learne a language once to call vpon the name of the Lord in the sincerity of their hearts he will not poure vpon them that fierce wrath which shall certeinely fall vpon all the families that call not vpon his name Secondly faith in the bloud of Christ procureth reconciliation and forgiuenesse of the sinnes that are past through the patience of God especially the worke of faith whereby a Christian perceiuing Gods anger and encouraged with the support of Gods couenant and promise in Christ doth in all tendernesse of heart importune Gods free mercy and wrestle and striue with importunity casting himselfe vpon Christ for shelter and seriously setting himselfe against euery iniquity euen because there is hope Finally we may discerne that God is pacified diuerse wayes First by induction from the practise of the former rules for if we doe what God requires we may conclude and inferre we shall receiue what God promiseth Secondly it may be perceiued by Gods presence in the meanes If we finde our hearts vnloosed and the passages of the meanes againe opened that is a comfortatable testimony that the Lord is returned Thirdly it may bee perceiued by the witnesse of the spirit of Adoption speaking peace to our consciences and with vnutterable ioyes quieâ—ing and satisfying our hearts The vse followeth And first the doctrine of Gods wrath may greatly humble and astonish impenitent sinners Is the anger of the Lord kindled against thee how long then wilt thou be without innocency be not a mocker least thy bonds encrease art thou an vncleane person a railer a drunkard an vsurer a swearer a lier a profaner of Gods Saboaâ—hes a voluptuous epicure a carnall worldling or the like be not deceiued nor let any deceiue thee with vaine words crying peace peace dawbing with vntempered morter for assuredly the wrath of God for these things commeth vpon the children of disobedience And who knowes the power of his wrath Secondly seeing Gods wrath is so exceeding terrible and fierce blessed are all they that are deliuered from it in Iesus Christ. Wee should bee stirred vp to constant thankfulnesse because the Lord hath forgiuen vs the punishment of our sinnes so as now there is no condemnation to vs being in Christ Iesus Lastly seeing the Lords anger is so dreadfull we should all learne to walke before him in all vprightnesse and feare and trembling fencing our selues with the breast-plate of faith and the helmet of hope being in all things sober and watchfull taking heed to our selues that we be not hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sinne And thus of the wrath of God The second maine thing in this verse to be considered of is the persons vpon whom it fals viz. the children of disobedience And by children of disobedience he meaneth generally wicked and vnregenerate men Now wicked men are of two sorts Some are cleerely out of the Church and haue beene branded in seuerall ages with seuerall tearmes of distinction as now the infidels and before all the vncircumcised Gentiles Before the floud they were called sonnes of men Now others are in the Church and are children of God by creation generall vocation and externall profession but indeede are wicked and prophane Esaus The former sort were disobedient men and the later are disobedient children And these disobient children in the Church are of two sorts For some will not bee tied to liue in their fathers house but that they may the more
desire is to approoue himselfe to God without respect of the world how men will take it and he will constantly professe and practise though it be against his ease credit pleasure or profit The third thing propounded was the meanes of the new birth and howsoeuer the most men stand affected yet the truth of God is certaine and vnchangeable the ordinarie outward meanes to conuert a soule to God or make vs new creatures is the word preached we are borne againe by this immortall seed of the word as the Apostle Peter saith and the Apostle Paulis peremptorie in the epistle to the Romanes how can a man beleeue except it be by hearing of the word preached the inward meanes is the spirit of Christ which in respect of his working herein is called the spirit of reuelation of glory of loue of power and of a sound minde The vses follow And first all Gods seruants that haue felt the power of the word renewing them may greatly reioyce in the mercies of God to them and the rather if they further consider the priuiledge of their new estate for art thou a new creature then thou hast the benefit of a new couenant thou hast a new name vpon thee and a new spirit within thee to comfort thee to direct thee to confirme thee and to make intercession for thee thou hast new aliance a new father euen God the Father and new kindred with all the Saints both Iewes and Gentiles a new Prince and minister euen Iesus Christ new attendants the very Angels of God new wages and new worke a new commandement the rigor and curse of the Law being taken away new food euen Manna from heauen the word of life new signes and helps to guide thee in the way And when thou shalt die a new death not die as other men and a new graue or tombe wherein no carnall man lay thy graue being perfumed by the body of Christ a new way to heauen and a new Mansion in heauen what shall I say but conclude with the Apostle if thou be a new creature thou shalt haue all things new And therefore let all the holy seede the blessed of the Lord sing new songes of praise to God Secondly the consideration of the doctrine of the new birth may serue greatly for reproofe of the fearefull security of multitudes of people that are sunke so deepe in rebellion that they cannot consider nor seriously minde their owne conuersion They looke not vpwardes to behold the angrie countenance of God nor to the times past to consider the millions of men that haue perished for want of the new birth nor within them to see the Image of God defâ—ced and the Diuell intrenched in strong holds for tentations and the conscience either awake and then the fier of hell is within them or a sleep and then they are in danger euery moment when it will awake nor doe they consider the time to come or thinke of those last thinges death iudgement and hell Oh the spirit of fornication that doth inchaunt men that they cannot so much as minde to returne Now if any prophane spirit should aske mee where are any such men as I haue before described to be new creatures I would answere him they are not to be found in Tauerns Ale-houses play-houses cocke-pits beare-baits or such like but blessed be God there is a remnant a tenth one of a City and two of a tribe that are such as the Lord doth describe and wil be accepted of in Iesus Christ. Renewed in knowledge Knowledge is a chiefe part of the new grace of a Christian without it the minde cannot be good it is a singular gift of God to the elect to reueale vnto them the misteries of the Kingdome it is the beginning of eternall life on earth but wee must vnderstand that this knowledge here ment is neither naturall nor sensuall nor ciuill nor morall nor historicall nor a generall Theologicall knowledge but a religious sauing knowledge it is a knowledge by which a Christian sees in a mirrour he standes and wonders it is a knowledge that will transforme a man it is the experimentall knowledge of the virtue of Christs death and resurrection it is a knowledge will keepe a man from the euill way it is a knowledge will encounter euery thought and affection that exalts it selfe against the obedience of Christ it is a knowledge that is first pure then peaceable gentle easie to be intreated full of mercy and good fruites without iudging and without hipocrisie The vse is to teach vs that as we would be assured we are new creatures so we should labour to be possessed of sound knowledge and to this end 1. We must stand vp from the dead and with-draw from wicked society else Christ will neuer giue vs light 2. We must consecrate our selues to holy life and seeke the feare of God for that is the beginning of this wisedome 3. Wee must denie our carnall wisedome and become fooles that we may be wise 4. Wee must walke with the wise 5. We must begge of God a lowly and an humble heart for with the lowly is knowledge Lastly we must studie the Scripture and attend vpon daily hearing and reading for they are the only fountaines of true knowledge and wisedome Renewed The knowledge of the faithfull in this life euen after calling needes to be daily renewed For sinne makes a breach both in the heart and minde And Sathan plants daily temptations and obiects against the doctrin of God against which the minde needes new stoore of prouision out of the word for defence And our affections are wonderfull apt to loose sence and feeling and then there is no other way to recouer sence but by renewing contemplation And besides in asmuch as faith and repentance must be daily renewed therefore also must examination of life and meditation of Gods promise and grace be renewed also Finally we know but in part and successiuely and therefore ought continually to be growing and adding to the measure of the knowledge receiued This may serue 1. for information For here we may know the necessity of daily teaching since we neede daily to be renewed in knowledge 2. For great reproofe of that negligence is euery where to be found in omission of hearing or reading the scripture or vsing of other priuate helpes for knowledge 3. For instruction for it should teach vs to be constant in the vse of all the helpes God hath commanded or afforded vs. And wee should beare infirmities in others since our owne knowledge is vnperfit And wee should learne to be wise to sobrietie and not thinke our selues able to iudge of euery doctrine or worke of God The Lord hath laide a restraint vpon vs and in this life we cannot attaine a full knowledge and therefore we should
Gods Image first that Image of God in man and the Image of God in Christ differs in two things 1. Christ was the substantiall Image of the father as hee was God and we are his Image but by similitude 2. Christ as man by reason of the personall vnion is filled with almost infinite perfections aboue measure which are in no man else besides Againe it differs from the Image of God in Angels in three respects 1. Because they excell in nature for they are wholy spirituall and in action they performe Gods will with greater glory and power 2. They are free from all humane necessities euer since their creation 3. They enioy the vision of glory in the presence of glory in heauen in a manner peculiar to their place and natures Now for the differences of the image of God in man according to the different estates of man we must know the image of God according to the threefold estate of man is likewise threefold 1. there is the image of nature which Adam had 2. the Image of grace which the Saints now haue and thirdly the Image of glory which the blessed haue in heauen The Image of God in Adam had distinct specialties Adam was a perfect Diuine and a perfect Philosopher euen in an instant he knew the nature of all things in the instant of his creation which now is attained vnto with extreame labour and singular weaknesse 2. he had an immortall nature free from infirmities diseases death 3. he should haue propagated an immortall seed after the image of God whereas now grace will not be propagated 4. his obedience was charged with the obseruation of the tree of life and of good and euill The image of grace hath these specialties 1. faith 2. godly sorrow 3. the cohabitation of the flesh 4. a feeblenesse and defect in the measure of grace 5. a peculiar kinde of inhabitation of the spirit of Christ. Lastly the image of glory hath these differences a freedom like the Angels from all terrene necessities 2. an vtter abolishing of the sinfull flesh and of the very naturall disposition to dye 3. a full perfection of all graces 4. a losse of faith and sorrow and all the works of repentance 5. a speciall vnutterable communion with God and good Angels in glory The consideration of this doctrine of gods image should serue to teach vs to loue and admire all that feare god since the Lord hath graced them with this honor to be like god t is a greater fauour then if they had resembled the noblest Princes that euer were on earth no all the carnall men on earth in all their glory cannot reach to that absolutenesse of excellencie that is in one of the poorest of gods seruants 2. since the seat of this glorious resemblance of god is in the heart it should teach vs especially to looke to our hearts and keep them with all diligence euen to be conscionably carefull to see to it what thoughts and affections are lodged there the deuill desires no more aduantage then to haue liberty to erect in the heart houlds for euill thoughts and sensuall desires 3. If it should be our glory to be fashioned after the image of god then it condemnes the abhominable securitie of the most men that are so mindlesse of the repaire of the losse of this diuine gift and in stead thereof with so much care fashion themselues after this world or after the lusts of their owne and old Ignorance or after the wills and humors of men 3. how are wee bound vnto god for this vnsearcheable loue that is pleased to restore vnto vs this diuine gift through the gospell of Iesus Christ. Thus in generall of gods image But before I passe from these words there is further to be considered first the forme of speech in that he saith not his Image but after his Image 2. the efficient cause noted in those words of him that created him For the first we must vnderstand that to say man is the Image of God and man is after the Image of God is not all one for man is said to be the Image of God because hee is truely so and he is said to be after his Image because he is not perfectly so Christ onely resembles God in full perfection Now for the efficient cause of Gods Image he is described heere by a Periphrasis he that created him Man was two wayes created first in respect of being and so God created him 2. in respect of new being and so Christ created him neither of these senses can be well excluded And if the words be vnderstood of the first creation then these things may be obserued that Adam was not to be considered as a singular man but as he susteined the person of all mankinde else how could we be said to be created after Gods image and as in him we receiued this image so by him we lost it 2. That the interest we haue now to creation is not sufficient to saluation and therefore they are grossely deceiued that think God must needs saue them because he made theÌ„ 3. That the Lord would haue the doctrine of the worke of Creation to be remembred and much thought vpon by conuerted Christians and the rather because it serues for great vse in our regeneration for it furthers both repenâ—ance and faith and therefore in diuers places of Scripture where the holy ghost intreats of doctrine of repentance and faith the word Create is metaphorically vsed to assure vs that God will performe his promise though it were as hard a worke as to create all things at first Thus he hath promised to create a cleane heart and to create the fruit of the lips to be peace and to create vpon euery place of Mount Sion and vpon the assemblies thereof a cloud and smoake by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night that vpon all the glory may be a defence and to create light and deliuerance out of afflictions Besides the doctrine of the creation teacheth vs the feare of that dreadful maiestie that was able to worke so wonderfully and it inforceth humilitie by shewing that wee are made of the dust in respect of our bodies and that our soules were giuen vs of God with all the gifts we haue in our mindes as also by giuing vs occasion to consider the image of God that we haue lost and thus of creation as it is referred to God Secondly it may be referred to Christ and so be vnderstood of our regeneration which is as it were a re-creation or a new creation and in this sense it shewes that we should conforme our selues to the likenesse of him that doth regenerate vs by his word and spirit But may some one say is there any difference betwixt the image of God in vs and the image of Christ in vs I answer that to be fashioned after the image of Christ hath two
things in it more then is properly in conformitie to Gods image for wee must be like him in sufferings and secondly in the impressions of the vertue of his death and resurrection And thus of the 10. verse Vers. 11. Where is neither Graecian nor Iew circumcision nor vncircumcision Barbarian Scythian bond free but Christ is all in all things This Verse may containe another reason to perswade to mortification and holy life And the reason may be taken from the great respect God hath of true grace in Christ and the little loue or care he hath for any thing else a Barbarian a Scythian a bond-man if he haue grace shall be accepted wheras a Graecian a Iew a free-man without grace is without respect with God Christ is all It may be the Apostle heere meets with the false Apostles that so much vrged the obseruation of Iewish rites stand so much vpon it to diuert the people from the sound care of reformation of life by filling their heads with questions and vaine wranglings about the law whereas the Apostle shewes men may be absolute and compleat in these outward obseruances and yet their circumcision auailes them nothing before God Heere are then euidently two things in this verse first what it is God stands not vpon 2. what it is is all in all with him Where there is neither Graecian nor Iew circumcision nor vncircumcision Barbabarian nor Scythian bond nor free Out of these words these two things may be obserued I. That nothing without Christ can make vs truly happy The image of God or felicitie of man stands not in birth freedom naturall parts or outward obseruances for he is not a Iew that is one outwardly nor is that libertie that is onely in the flesh nor is that wisdome that is onely in learned men such as were the Graecians Dives was a rich man Goliah was a strong man Achitophell was a wise man Absolon was a faire man Esau was circumcised and Cain was well borne and yet all these are in hell II. That in Christ there is no difference all is one whether thou bee poore or rich Iew or Gentile bond or free male or female with God there is no respect of persons In the power of his ordinances as by name in the preaching of the Gospell he extends his mercy both to Iewes and Gentiles so in the disposing of his gifts hee bestowes knowledge and other graces vpon people of all sorts and for acceptation whosoeuer feareth him and doth righteousnesse hee is accepted of what nation or state soeuer hee be and all this will more fully appeare when he shall iudge euery man without respect of persons according to his works at the last day The consideration hereof may teach vs diuers things 1. to feare God and forsake our sinnes since hee is a God so terrible that will not be swayed with outward respects 2. not to stand vpon outward birth or greatnesse in the world nor to pride our selues in our wits or rest our selues vpon our outward seruing of God for the Lord accepts not the persons of Princes nor regardeth the rich more than the poor or the learned more then the vnlearned for they are all the worke of his hands 3. to be industrious in well-doing seeing hee that doth good shall be accepted whether he be bond or free graecian barbarian one or other for the same God is Lord ouer all and rich vnto all that call vpon him and endeuour by well-doing to approoue themselues in his sight 4. not to despise poore Christians seeing God accepts of them and hath made them rich in faith and heires of a kingdome 5. not to giue titles to men and by seruile flatterie or feares to be so much taken vp with their meere outward praises or places Lastly Magistrates in the administration of Iustice should resemble this absolutenesse of God so as no respect of persons poore or rich freinds or foes strangers or home-borne should carry them besides the iust regard of the cause But Christ is all in all And so he is 1. in respect of the vnion of the mysticall body as it is hee in whom euery one that is a new creature is considered to be and consist Euery conuert is created in Christ Iesus 2. in respect of sufficiencie a man needs no more then Christ hee onely may suffice the whole compleatnesse of saluation is in Christ. 3. in respect of efficiencie if wee looke vpon the benefits conferred vpon all Christians by Christ he makes a meanes for all wants he is in stead of liberty to the seruant and in stead of birth and honour to the Scithian and Barbarian he is the substance of all shadowes to the vncircumcised what shall I say hee is righteousnesse and riches and wisdome sanctification and freedome and a recâ—mpence to Christians yea in him all things are theirs and as the pledge of all they haue receiued the spirit of the sonne into their harts The vse of all this may be diuers 1. Vnto vs therefore there should bee one Lord euen the Lord Iesus Christ 2. All sorts of men should striue by all meanes to set out and shew Christ only Ministers should teach Christ onely Magistrates should chiefly intend the glory of Christ nay all sorts of men should seeke Christ in choosing callings wiues seruants places of abode c. Christ should be all in all with vs yea in those we haue to deale withall wee should beare with many wants and weaknesses so they haue Christ for that is all in all 3. We should learne to bee satisfied with Christ though wee want health or libertie or wealth or worldly freinds or great wits or strong memories c. Christ makes amends for all he is enough if the Lord haue giuen vs Christ he hath done enough for vs though it be sure that with him he wil giue vs all things also 4. This may greatly reprooue the wonderfull stupiditie of men that are so taken vp with admiration of these outward priuiledges when as we see how all is vaine without Christ what shall it profit a man if hee had all honour and riches and countenance of friends and the pleasures of life if when he came into Gods sight hee might haue no acceptance for his soule If Christ bee all things then without Christ all things else are nothing but especially this doctrine serues for singular comfort to Gods children in all their distresses and that will better appeare if wee consider the particulars For first are they afflicted in conscience vnder the sence of Gods anger and their owne sinnes Why he is the propitiation for their sinnes he is the end of the Law for them yea all that the Law can require of them he will bee their witnesse and their testimony Hee giues them promises and faith to beleeue them
this is to bee shodde with the preparation of the Gospell of peace Secondly that all be done in the name that is by the authority of Christ and his warrant in his word not in the name of Moses for Ceremonie or in the name of Angels or Saints for intercession nay in all wee doe our conscience should be tied onely properly by the command of Christ not because such great men would haue it so or I did it to please my parents or kindred c for then thou dost it in the name of men and not of Christ. Thirdly that all be done with inuocation or calling vpon God in the name of Christ all should be consecrate and begunne with praier Fourthly and principally that all bee done to the glorie of God in Christ this should be the scope of all our actions all should breath and sauour of Christ. In word d God requires to be glorified by the very words of Christians and contrariwise holds himselfe many times dishonoured by their words he that keepeth his tongue keepeth his life the honour and dishonour of the tongue is largely explicated Iam. 3. but the vse is for instruction to teach vs 1. to take heed of dishonouring Christ by our words but in speciall we should take heed of words of disgrace and slander to the members of Christ of vaine words that boulster men vp in presumption against repentance and faith in Christ of passionate and bitter words of words of deceit of the words that come from or tend to the strange woman filthy words yea take heed of high words for high talke or the lippes of excellency becomes not a foole for euill wordes greatly prouoke God and call for stripes bring many a crosse vpon a man and are snares to mens soules Secondly it should teach vs to indeuour to bring glory to God by our words to this end we should for matter learne to speake the words of clemency words of wisedome words of sobriety and truth words of righteousnesse wholesom words words of eternall life and to this end we should obserue diuers rules 1 That our words be not many for in a multitude of words cannot but be sinne we are not able to weld aright many words 2 That wee know and not forget Gods tenne words the ignorance of Gods tenne lawes causeth that men know not how they offend in their tongues but in the tenne words of God is an absolute patern of all vprightnesse both of heart speech and life 3 That we be much and often in taking vnto vs the words of confession and praier our speech is purified and God much glorified by often confession and prayer this is to speake a pure language 4 Our eare must seeke learning we must be swift to heare and slow to speake and bee contented to bee taught as well how to speake as how to liue Lastly we must tame our tongues make conscience of mortification for our sinnes in word as well as for euill deed set a watch before the doore of our lippes and pray God to open them Or deedes d God will haue deeds as well as words our hands must bee bound to good behauiour and that our labours and workes may be done to Gods glory they must be done 1. with prayer Psalm 9. last 2. with warrant from the word 3. with faith in Gods promise for the successe For whatsoeuer is not of Faith is sinne 4. With perseuerance they are not good works till they be finished and accomplished Whatsoeuer this worde is a note eyther of vniuersality or perfection Of perfection I say in this sence Whatsoeuer ye doe or settle about doe it all that is let it be compleat and perfectly done but I take it heere as a note of vniuersality d We are bound to glorifie God not onely in word and deed but in al our words and all our deeds wee are tied to euery good worke to respect all Gods commandements wee are bound to glorifie God not onely in actions of worship but of righteousnesse too Not onely in religious businesses but in ciuill offices not onely in our generall calling but in our particular Not onely abroad but at home making conscience not onely of filthy deedes but of filthy speaking not onely of great and crying sinnes but of lesser sins not onely of our open deeds but of our carriage in secret Vse is for reproofe men discouer their vnsoundnesse of heart in this respect exceedingly many will not forsweare that will sweare at euery worde at least by lesse oathes as by the masse faith troth truth c. many shop-keepers will not beare false witnesse in a Court that will lye daily in selling their wares Many will looke to their carriage abroad that care not how to order themselues at home Many will not do their owne worke by keeping shoppe or trauelling on the Sabbath that neuer sticke at it to speake their owne words on the Sabbath but if the case of such like men as these be to be suspected how fearefully bad is their case that are so farre from making conscience of euery worde and deede as they are to euery good Woorke reprobate that are neither good at home nor abroad neither in worship nor life neither to others nor to themselues Tit. 1. vlt. Yee d They that haue comfort in their election and Gods loue they that haue begunne to make Conscience of their waies and to loue the worde they that make a profession of the name of Christ aboue all others are exactly to looke to themselues to euery word and euery deede 1. Because they are neerer the courts of the great King they liue alwaies in the presence chamber 2. Because God hath bestowed vpon them more blessings and therefore as he giues more wages requires more worke 3. Because they are more obserued then any other A loose word is more noted in them then execrable blasphemy in others they are more talked of for seeing a vaine sight then others for haunting of leud playes 4. Because their hearts are made pure by the bloud of Christ and fine white linnen is sooner and deeper stained then course ragges 5. They are trusted with more glorious riches A little sinne in them much greeues Gods spirit whereas a great sinne troubles not a wicked man that hath no spirit of God in him 6. They are sure to haue a recompence of reward for euery good worde and worke and therefore to further their owne reckoning and glory should bee aboundant in the worke of the Lord. Vse therefore to quicken vs to a desire to walke precisely circumspectly exactly Eph. 5.15 striuing to redeeme the time that hath been lost in the seruice of sinne and the world Giuing thanks to God euen the Father by him These words are diuersly considered Some thinke the former words are an explication of these as if hee should say bee carefull in all
things to glorifie God for this is right thanking of God when men do not onely praise God in words but in obedience Some thinke in these words is lodged a reason of the former as if he should say glorifie God in all your actions and seeke to God by praier in the name of Christ and ye shall bee sure of singular blessings and grace and comforts from God and in the assurance thereof when ye prouide to pray or practise prouide thankes ready also for God will not faile in the successe Some thinke these words to bee an inlarging of the former rule by wishing them whatsoeuer falls out to bee thankefull so as neither prosperity puffe them vp nor aduersity deiect them but I take it to be a distinct rule from the former and so heere is to be noted 1 The duty required viz. Giue thankes 2 The explication of it 1 By the obiect to God euen the Father 2 By the efficient cause by him Giuing thankes Concerning our thankefulnesse to God I consider 1. the necessity of it God will not dispense with it therefore in Ephes. 5.20 the former rule beeing omitted this is specially vrged and 1. Thes. 5.18 this is charged vpon vs as the will of God in Christ Iesus Secondly for what wee must giue thanks viz. for Christ as the fountaine of all fauour hence the Sacrament ordained to that end for all the comforts of Gods election and loue for all graces and meanes of grace coher for our liberty in Christ euen vnto outward things for any successe or victory ouer our corruptions of nature in short for all things whatsoeuer 3. How viz. not like the Pharisie with pride of heart and selfe-liking with opinion of merit or with ostentation but with obseruation of 4. rules 1. If we blesse we must blesse in the spirit 1. With vnderstanding and feeling in our hearts 2. When we giue thanks we should do it with such tendernesse that our praises should awake the graces of Gods spirit to make them get life and grow Our praises should stirre vp faith in Gods promise loue to Gods glory feare of Gods presence hatred of our sinnes ioy in the holy Ghost 3. With a deepe sence of our owne vnworthinesse and thus the 24. Elders are said to cast downe their crowns and fall on their face when they praised God Reuelations 4.9.10 and 7.12 Luke 17. 4. By all meanes Wee must praise God by Psalmes praier celebration of the Sacrament works of mercy and obedience 4 How long that is answered Eph. 5.20 Reuel 7.12 alwaies if we must pray alwaies then we must praise alwaies wee may no more neglect thankesgiuing then praier Nay when praier shall cease because all mortall infirmities and wants shall cease yet thankesgiuing must go with vs within the vaile and liue with vs for euer in heauen Vse 1. to inflame vs to the holy practise of thankfulnesse daily and alwaies watching heereunto preseruing sence not forgetting Gods mercies euen making it our daily sacrifise 2. To humble vs vnder our vnthankefulnesse for grace knowledge the word fellowship in the Gospel and al kinds of blessings yea we sinne greatly in not giuing thankes for our successe in our callings yea many are not yet instructed to giue thankes for their food Let those remember that men are said then to eat to God when they giue thankes Rom. 14.6 to whom then doe they eat that giue not thankes certainely not to the Lord. Finally if the poore Gentiles were so punished for vnthankefulnesse Rom. 1. 21. that had but the glimmering light of nature to guide them and read their lessons onely in the booke of Gods workes what shall become of vs in the day of the Lord that haue the light of Scripture of the Gospell of the Spirit of the Sacraments and so many incomparable fauours bestowed vpon vs vnlesse we repent of our vnthankefulnesse we shall perish with a worse destruction then Tirus and Sidon or Sodom and Gomorrah To God euen the Father These words are to be vnderstood not diuidedly but conioynedly and so declare who is our God euen hee that hath proued himselfe a Father in Christ louing vs in him and accepting of vs and heaping many blessings vpon vs two sweet words He is a God there is his maiesty he is a Father there is his loue and therefore great incouragement to go to him with all suites and praises With all suites he is God and therfore able to help and Father and therefore willing to helpe With all praises hee is God and therefore meet to be worshipped he is a Father and therefore will accept the calues of our lippes not according to what we bring but according to what we desire to bring and all this should make vs both to hate it to praise men or Angells or sacrifice to our nettes and also to honour him with the affection of children and with the feare of creatures By him these words may be referred 1. To singing of Psalmes in the former verse and so they note that all ioy is vaine without Christ yea these spirituall and better sorts of delight are vaine vnlesse Christ be ours How miserable art thou when thy tongue sings Psalms and Christ dwells not in thine heart many men sing the word of Christ that haue no part in the word Christ. 2. To the word Father next before to note that God hath shewed himselfe a Father in bestowing many mercies vpon vs by Christ and so the consideration of Gods mercies by Christ should breed thankefulnesse 3. To the word thanksgiuing and so they note the efficient helping cause and teach vs that as Christ brings downe Gods graces and blessings to vs so he carrieth vp our praises to God and as we must pray in his name so our praises will not be accepted vnlesse they be made in his name and presented in his intercession Thus of the generall rule Hitherto also of the first maine part of the information of holy life viz. the information of our life in generall Hitherto the Apostle hath taught vs what to do in our generall calling as Christians now from ver 18. to v. 2. of the next Chapter he showes vs what we must be in our particular standings or thus hitherto he hath giuen morall precepts now he giues oiconomicall or rather thus hitherto he hath set downe the duties belonging to all Christians now he informeth vs in the duties speciall as they are wiues husbands parents c. Vers. 18. Wiues submit your selues to you Husbands as it is comely in the Lord. Vers. 19. Husbands loue your wiues and be not bitter vnto them Before I come to the particular consideration of these words I must obserue some thing from the coherence and generall consideration of all the verses together d It is plaine that men are to be taught how to gouerne themselues in their houses aswell as in the duties of their generall calling this is
God Gen. 24. Fourthly they must be religious in the generall duties of piety to God as well as in the particular duties of seruice to their Masters they must so serue men as they feare God also Vses First for Seruants and then for Masters Seruants must learne to doe all their labour fearing God euen that God 1. That set them in that calling 2. Whose eies alwaies behold how they discharge their dutie in their calling and inasmuch as the feare of God is made the ground heere of other duties they should learne to be the better seruants to men because they feare God Masters also must learne first what seruants to choose not such onely as will doe their worke but such as feare God also and if they haue failed in that they should labour now to beget and nurse the feare of God in the seruants they haue for Gods feare would make their seruants more dutifull to them besides the reason why their seruants fall to whoring stealing vnthriftinesse c. is because the feare of God is not in them Quest But what should Masters doe that their seruants might feare God Answ Foure things First they should pray and reade the Scriptures in their houses and Chatechise their seruants Secondly they should bring them to the publike preaching of the word Thirdly they should giue them good example themselues Fourthly they should restraine them from prophane company and incourage them and allow them libertie at conuenient times to conuerse with such as feare God Thus of the feare of God Verse 23. The third thing required in their obedience is that they doe it hartily in this Verse is the manner of the dutie and the inducement therevnto Hartilie Ex animo The obedience of Seruants should be a hearty obedience the Apostle will not haue onely feare of God but loue of the master their obedience must beginne at heart not at hand or foot if the heart bee not with their obedience the master may haue their labour and that he hath of the Oxe but such seruants lose their labour Quest What is it to obey Ex animo Answ It is to obey voluntarily and out of a heart and affection rightly ordered but especially it is to obey out of a iudgement well informed The vse is therefore to vrge them to doe it and heere I would consider of the obiections of Seruants why they cannot obey Ex animo Obiect 1 Bondage is against nature Solut. It is against nature as it was before the fall but not as it is now since the fall Obiect 2 But Christ hath made vs free Sol Free in soule in this life not in bodie till your bodies be dissolued or till death Obiect 3 But my Master is froward Sol Yet thou must be subiect 1 Pet. 2.18 Obiect 4 But he doth not onely giue ill words but blowes Solu Perhaps it is needfull for a seruant will not be corrected by words Prouerb 29.19 Obiect 5. But hee correcteth me vniustly Solu First who shall iudge thus shall seruants themselues Secondly it is acceptable if for well doing and for conscience thou endure to bee buffeted c. 1 Pet. 2.19.20 Obiect 6. But my master is not onely a froward man but a wicked man and a enemy of Christ. Solu Yet thou must honour and obey him willingly 1 Tim. 6.1.2 Obiect 7. But I am an hired seruant not a bought seruant Solu Indeed Masters haue not that power ouer them they haue ouer bondslaues but yet all seruants are heere bound to obey hartily Obiect 8 But vnmeet things are required Solu Discerne things that differ but yet obey in all things All this reprooues grudging and slow and stubborne seruants Whatsoeuer yee doe Not onely faire easie cleanly and best sort of workes are to be done willingly but all or any kinde of labour whatsoeuer though neuer so base or vile As to the Lord and not to men Doctr Seruants in obeying their Masters serue the Lord. The vse is both for instruction of seruants and for comfort for instruction they must serue their masters as they would serue the Lord with all faithfulnesse diligence willingnes prouidence conscience c. For comfort and incouragement also is this doctrine and that 3. waies First heere is a limitation they must doe no seruice to men that is against the Lord. Secondly art thou a seruant care not for it thou art Christs freeman Thirdly let not the basenesse of thy worke discourage thee for in seruing thy master thou seruest God aswell as if thou wert preaching or praying c. When the Apostle saith not vnto men wee must vnderstand not principally or onely Thus of the exhortations The reasons follow VERS 24. Knowing that of the Lord yee shall receiue the reward of the inheritance for ye serue the Lord Christ. In this verse Seruants are perswaded to obedience by a reason taken from the retribution or reward of their seruice and the matter of the verse is comprehended in this Syllogisme What faithfull men soeuer serue Christ and doe their dutie to him faithfully and cheerfully shall receiue of Christ the reward of inheritance but you Christian seruants when you performe your obsequious obedience to your Masters serue the Lord Christ ergo you shall haue the reward of the inheritance Knowing Doctr Seruants may and ought to know and bee assured of their owne saluation Vse is for confutation of Papists and vnsound men that denie certaintie of saluation for if seruants that haue not the greatest wits or knowledge that are imploied about small businesses that haue not so much liberty nor learning as other men c. yet may be assured not by coniecture or hope but by certaine knowledge by most vndoubted faith then what colour of reason can there be why other Christians the Lords people should bee denied this knowledge and therefore in the second place it should teach vs to make our calling and election sure Reward Doctr The workes euen of seruants shall be rewarded Vse is for the comfort of seruants and for reproofe of the vnbeliefe that is many times in Gods children doubting of Gods acceptation of their praier and holy indeauours shall the base and secular workes of mens seruants be rewarded and the great workes of Piety in Gods seruice not be regarded Of the Lord God will be pay-master vnto seruants and in that they are turned ouer to God for payment it implies that the most masters are careles and vnmercifull and this they are not onely in withholding conuenient food and raiment but in sending their seruants after long time of wearie labour out of their Families empty and without meanes to liue in the world Reward of inheritance Two things are heere affirmed of heauen first it is a reward and so free Secondly it is an inheritance and so sure There are foure vses may be made of this Doctrine 1. We should much loue esteeme and desire heauen it is the reward of God Princes giue great gifts but
the salutation by the hand of me PAVL Secondly a request remember my bands Thirdly a loue grace be with you Amen verse 18. THE METAPHRASE vpon the fourth CHAPTER MAsters also must doe that which is iust vnto their seruants both for their soules and for their bodies also in diet wages or correction And that which is equall both while they stay with them in alowance of recreation and respect of their weaknesse and sicknesse and when they go from them not to let them go away emptie Knowing that they themselues are Seruants vnto GOD who is in heauen and will call them to accounts To conclude I returne againe to all sorts of Christians and exhort them to three things principally the first is about praier the second is about their carriage the third about their speeches For their praiers there are three things exceeding necessarie perseuerance and christian watchfulnes and thanksgiuing for the graces and blessings they do receiue Remembring vs also in their praiers that GOD would open vnto vs a doore of vtterance with libertie courage power and good successe to breake open the mysterie of the Gospell of CHRIST for which I am now in prison That I may so speake of those dreadfull secrets that I no way derogate from the maiestie of them or that trust that is committed to me or expected from me Thus of what I would specially commend to you about praier Now for your carriage I would haue you especially looke to your selues in respect of your behauiour before or amongst the wicked who are not of GODS familie and Strangers from the life of GOD it were an admirable thing to carry your selues in a wise and discreete manner towards them Hence and by all other waies shewing your selues to be skilfull Marchants in redeeming the time which hath been lost And for your communication let it be of good and holy things not offensiue or slanderous or filthy and powdred with the salt of discretion and mortification and thus let it be alwaies and in all companies that ye may speake fitlie vnto euery man and to his place and the occasion I haue sent ouer Tychicus to declare vnto you my whole estate who is both a godly man well respected and a painefull Minister that ioynes with vs in GODS workes And withall I send him to know how you doe and to comfort you by all meanes with heartie consolations And with him I haue sent Onesimus who is now a godlie man truly sincere and well respected euen he that was borne or brought vp amongst you These two will relate all things to you I haue also diuers commendations to deliuer to you some from some Iewes others from Gentiles Of the first sort are Aristarchus and Marcus and Iesus Aristarchus is my prison fellow Marcus is Barnabas sisters sonné and it is he concerning whom heretofore you receiued some aduertisements not to admit him but now if he come vnto you receiue him Iesus by his good carriage hath gotten himselfe the surname of Iust. These three are Iewes And indeed the only men that constantly hold out to help forward the kingdome of GOD they are men in whom I am much comforted Those of the Gentiles that desire to be remembred to you are Epaphras Luke and Demas Epaphras is a worthy Seruant of CHRIST and the dearer ought he to be to you because he is one of you he striueth mightily for you in all sorts of praiers being importunate with God that you might hold out without declining and be more and more compleat and full in the knowledge and practise of the whole will of GOD. For I beare him witnesse that he is inflamed with great affection both for you and them of Laodicea and Hierapolis Luke also a Phisitian both godly and greatly respected saluteth you and Demas I pray you also to remember my salutations to the brethren of Laodicea especially to Nymphas and that religious familie who for their pietie and good order are as it were a little Church And when this Epistle hath been publickly red of you send it to the Church of Laodicea to be red there also together with that letter which was sent to me from Laodicea Commend me also to Archippus your Preacher and charge him to take heed he do not his worke by halues but as he hath receiued his commission from the LORD so let him fulfill it both by constancie and painfulnesse and powerfulnesse of preaching I ioyne also my owne salutation which is written with mine own hand and not by my scribe I pray forget me not in this restraint The grace of GOD as the onely faire portion be now and alwaies with you And my confident hope is so it will CERTAINE OF THE choisest and chiefest points handled in the fourth CHAPTER HOw Masters doe that which is iust fol. 157. Masters doe vnequally fiue waies 158. Of continuance in prayer and of such as fall away from the affections and practise of prayer with the inconueniences of it 159. Obiections about prayer answered 160. Of watching in prayer 160. The doore of vtterance hath fiue things in it 162. Fiue things stops the mouthes of Gods Ministers 163. Christ is a misterie to six sorts of men 163. Christ a mysterie fiue waies 164. The Gospell hidden fiue waies 164. How Ministers must preach 165. How the people must heare 165. What it is to walke wisely 166. He walkes surely that obserues fiue rules 166. Who are without 167. The rules of answering in respect of wicked men 167. Six things obserued concerning redeeming the time 168. Foure consideration of the oportunitie of time 168. What time is lost and how time may be bought againe and how time must be vsed when it is bought 169. Motiues to redeeme time 170. Obseruations concerning gratious speech 171. The reasons why some men cannot leaue their euil words 172. What they should doe to get victorie 172. Perseuerance in good words as well as good workes 173. Six things concerning answering vnbeleeuers 173. Seuen things required in answering well 173. Foure things concerning answering beleeuers 173. Six rules about receiuing one another 178. Whether the name of Iesus may be giuen to any man 179 Eight things to winne the reputation of iust men 179. What hearers are like to fall away 180. A threefold kingdom of God 180. The priuiledges of the kingdome of grace 181. Six signes to know the subiects of Christs kingdome 181. How men may get into the kingdome of God 182. Why many hearers haue no more comfort in hearing 183. Who are Christs seruants 184. The force of prayer 185. Sorts of prayer 185 What striuing in prayer imports 186. Eight things we must fight against in prayer 186. Rules for prayer 187. The miserie of such as fall away 188. The causes of falling away 188. How many waies Christians may be said to be perfect 189. What we must doe to be perfect 189. The araignment of the ciuill honest
because the 400. Prophets did Lastly to walke wisely is not to walke craftily and deceitfully for such wisdome of serpents is required as may stand with the innocencie of Doues Redeeme the time To redeeme signifies either to recouer what is lost or to buy what is wanting It is vsually a metaphor borrowed from Merchants buying and selling of commodities Time signifies either space of time or the opportunitie of time both may be heere retained In generall as time is taken for space of time there are diuers things may be obserued 1. That time is a commoditie 2. That a Christian is a Merchant by calling 3. That as any are more wise the more they know the worth of time Eph. 5.15.16 4. That a Christian findes the want of time 5. That if he were prouident time for holy duties might be bought 6. Not to trade for time is a great fault and yet an vsuall fault and comes to passe because men haue no stocke of grace to imploy or they haue neuer serued a prentiship to learne how to vse time or else they haue had such extraordinarie losses they cannot set vp againe they haue so often made shipwracke of time by misse spending it that they cannot now well set themselues in a course to vse it well Againe if time be taken for opportunitie we may obserue 1 That there is a season an opportunitie a due time God hath his haruest for iudgement Matth. 13.30 his season for temporall blessings as for the dew of heauen and the fruits of the earth Act. 14.17 so hee hath for the manifesting of his will by preaching Tit. 1.3 for iustification Rom. 3.26 fo◠the testification of our iustification 1. Tim. 2.6 for mercie and deliuerance and the helpe of Sion Psal. 102.13 and for saluation spirituall and eternall 2. Cor. 6.2 Finally there is a season both for man to doe good Psal. 1.3 and to receiue good Isa. 55.8 2 That this opportunitie is not obuious not ordinarie nor easie and euery where to be had Euery day in the yeare is not the Faire day nor euery day in the weeke the Market day 3 When opportunitie is offered we must not neglect it or lose it Ministers must preach while the doore is open the people must walke while they haue the light so we must all pray in euery opportunitie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 6.18 Luk. 21.36 4 We must aduantage our selues by spirituall opportunities though it be with our losse and paines We should not thinke much to be at some losse for Gods wares as well as mens and wee must be content to trauell as well to the market of our soules as of our bodies In particular concerning redeeming of time consider 1. what time is lost 2. how time is to be redeemed 3. how it must be vsed when it is redeemed 4. the vses For the first all time is lost that is spent idly or in the superfluous feeding of nature either by food or sleepe or in ill companie or in the seruice of sinne and the lusts of the flesh or in the seruice of the world or superfluous cares about profits or icies about pleasures yea the time is lost that is spent in Gods worship where it is done idolatrously superstitiously ignorantly carelesly hypocritically c. For the second wee must distinguish of times and the persons that haue time to sell and the kindes of redeeming There is time past this cannot be brought backe againe by any price but yet wee may contract with time present for some allowance towards the losse of time past There is also time to come And heere is first a time of glory to come and a great bargaine to be made and for the buying of this heauen must suffer violence and we should throng and crowde into the market to procure it by praier hearing faith almesdeeds c. For though it be onely Christs merits that deserues it yet these things we must doe for the assurance of it Besides there is a time of sorrowes to come as sure as we haue had our daies of sinne wee shall haue daies of sorrow and torment This time is to be bought out with repentance watching fasting praying strong cries by all meanes endeuouring to make our peace and flie from the anger to come But time present is the commoditie we are with all carefulnesse to redeeme The deuill and the world haue time our callings haue time and God is a great Lord of time Time out of the deuils hands and the worlds must be redeemed by violent ablation time from our callings wee must redeeme by permutation only making an exchange and allowing time for godlinesse In the first and chiefe place time of God we must buy both the space of time to repent in and the opportunitie of time both for the giuing and the efficacie of the meanes and for this we must both offer and tender the sacrifice of Christ to pacifie for time lost and procure acceptation and also wee must offer vp our selues soules and bodies vpon the seruice of opportunities humbling our soules to walke with our God 3 When wee haue bought time wee must be carefull to vse it well and heerein a principall respect is to be had vnto the soule for all this merchandise is for the vse of the soule especially and for religious ends And thus we must spend some time in mortification 1. Pet. 4.1.2 and some part in searching the Scriptures lest that be said of vs which was said of the Iewes that whereas concerning the time they might haue beene teachers they did need againe to be taught the very principles they were so in expert in the word of righteousnesse Heb. 5.12 Much time should be spent in the workes of pietie abounding in the worke of the Lord as wee abound in time Some time should be spent in workes of mercie both spirituall instructing comforting exhorting admonishing c. and corporall in feeding clothing visiting c. Generally our time should be spent in well doing Gal. 6.9 And as for time for worldly businesses we should obserue the Apostles rule They that haue wiues should be as they that haue none and they that weepe as though they wept not and they that reioice as though they reioiced not and they that buy as though they possessed not and they that vse the world as though they vsed it not for the fashion of the world goeth away 1. Cor. 7.29.30 The vse of all is for reproofe of the most of vs for some of vs sinne against the seasons and opportunities of Gods grace some against the very space of time Men transgresse against opportunitie two waies first by ignorance of the signes of the seasons Matth. 16.3 secondly by a wilfull neglect of the opportunitie of grace when we haue them There are many things might mooue vs to redeeme the time in this respect 1. We haue our times appointed and the bounds of our habitation assigned
Act. 17.26 2. The times will not bee alwaies faire there are perillous times times of sorrow anguish sicknesse tentation want losse feare perplexitie yea wee may purpose promise expect time of healing and curing when we shall be deceiued and finde a time of trouble Ier. 14.19 Besides Christ in the opportunities of grace is but a little while with men There is a prime of a mans life yea a prime of euery mans ministerie Ioh. 7.33 Further the Kingdome of God in the mercies of it may be wholly taken away if we bring not fruit in time of fruit Matth. 21.34.41 Lastly this is a very prouoking sinne for if God giue a space to repent and men will not know the day of their visitation most an end God casts such into a bed of affliction after they haue stretched themselues vpon the bed of securitie Reuel 2.21.22 Luk. 19.43.44 Yea many of Gods children are greatly to blame in neglecting the opportunities of assurance of grace and therefore because they are so carelesse in making their calling and election sure this forsaking of the promise of God is scourged afterwards with comfortlesse sorrowes arising from such a sense of their corruptions as makes them for a long time seeme to be depriued of all grace and mercy Heb. 4.1 Againe many men sinne egregiously against the very space of time in that they haue much leisure and time and fill it vp with little or no good imploiment Their estate that haue meanes to liue without labour is vsually accounted an estate of great ease and happinesse But indeed it is an estate of much danger for the men that abound in time without imploiment are liable to many temptations and lusts besides they are subiect to almost continuall hardnesse of heart and deadnesse of spirit for it is the labouring seruant that enters into his masters ioy Adde that men that abound with leisure are easily drawne by the inticements of ill company and much intangled with the sports and pleasures of the world Sometimes such persons grow into great habit of suspitiousnesse waiwardnesse filled with worldly passions and discontentments sometimes they prooue great medlers in other folkes businesse The remedie for these persons whether men or women is to exercise themselues in some kinde of profitable imploiment and to labour so as some way to see the fruit of it to eat their owne bread but especially they should bee abundant in the worke of the Lord they should double their imploiment in reading hearing conference mortification mercie c. Thus of wise conuersation Let your speech be gratious alwaies and pondred with salt that ye may c. Godly communication is heere exhorted vnto and for order heere is a precept Let your speech c. 2. the end of the precept that ye may know how c. In the precept concerning our speech obserue 1. the properties of speech which are two 1. they must be gratious 2. poudred with salt and then note the continuance how long the precept is in force and that is alwaies In generall wee so heare that we must looke to our words aswell as our workes and therefore they are far wide that say their tongues are their owne who shall controle them Psal. 12.4 From Coherence I obserue that he walkes not wisely that talkes not wisely for euill words corrupt good manners neither may he be accounted an honest man of life that is an euill man in tongue The vse is for triall for if God make vs new Creatures hee giues vs new tongues and if he turne the people to him by true repentance he doth returne vnto them a pure language Zepha 3.9 and therefore if any man seemeth to be religious and refraineth not his tongue this mans religion is in vaine Let It is not arbitrarie we may looke to our words if we will but it is a â—lat precept and so a matter indispensible Your God is no respecter of persons he forbids vngracious wanton and idle words in Gentlemen and Gentlewomen aswell as in poore men and Laborers he dislikes it in Masters and Parents aswell as in Children and Seruants it is as ill for the Master to spend his time in idle talke c. as for the Seruant Gracious Our words may be said to be gracious 3. waies First if we respect the cause 2 If we respect the subiect 3 If we respect the effect In respect of the cause good words are well said to be gracious 1 Because they flowe from the free grace of God without our merit for wee doe not deserue so much as to be trusted with one good word Reason yeelds vs conceits and nature an instrument to speake by but it is the God of nature that of his free grace giues vs good words 2 Our words ought to proceed from some grace of God in the heart as from knowledge faith ioy sorrow loue feare desire c. and in this sense when they are in the tongue carrie still the name of the fountaine whence they flow Againe our words must be gracious in respect of the subiect the matter we must talke of must be of good things or religious matters words of instruction comfort faith hope c. but especially our words should be seasoned with the daily memorie and mention of Gods grace to vs in Christ 3. Our words ought to be gracious in respect of the effect such as tend to build vp and minister grace to the hearers yea gracious words are faire words and faire words are first gracefull words wordes of thankefulnesse 2. Inoffensiue words not railing bitter slandering blasphemous or filthy words nay not iesting words that are intended to prouoke irritate disgrace and bite 3. Seasonable words 4 Wholesome words not filthy rotten communication Vse is for reproofe And men sinne against this exhortation 1 by omission of gracious words But 2 they do worse that vse euill words And 3 they are worse then the former two that vse their words to speake against grace and gracious courses But they are worst of all that loue euill wordes euen the wordes that may destroy either their owne soules or the soules of others 2 Heere is instruction we must labour by all meanes to get abilitie for a gracious speech either to God by praier or to men in conuersing with them and to this end first we must pray constantly and conscionably to God to giue vs gracious wordes Secondly we must get the law of grace into our hearts yea we should striue to be examples one to another not onely in faith and conuersation but in words also and if all Christians are charged to vse gracious speeches much more ministers they should speake the words of God they should keepe the patterne of wholesome words and stay all vaine babblings which increase to more vngodlines and all words that fret as a canker Thus of the first propertie Powdred with salt These are termes borrowed either from the vse
The lets of comfort are either 1 in men or 2 in God In men they are either of frailtie without any great sinne or such as arise of sinne The lets of frailtie are specially two 1 Bodily distemper by sicknesse or melancholy but this may be tried thus if they be dead hearted in all other things aswell as hearing and praier c. 2 Waiwardnesse in the distresse of conscience when the soule refuseth comfort Psal. 77.3 The lets of comfort that arise of sinne may be considered two waies first as they are in the worser sort of men Secondly as they are also in the better sort In the worser sort these are the lets First impenitencie Ier. 8.6.8 Secondly Prouidence Ier. 6.10 Thirdly vile affections such as are 1 Worldly griefe or fretting 2 Worldly cares these are thornes 3 Rage and passion Rom. 15.4 4 Lust 2. Tim. 3.6 5 Enuie 1. Pet. 2.12 4 A spirit of slumber Rom. 11.7.8 c. 5 Contrarietie or contradiction in opinions Phil. 2.1.2 In the better sort 1 want of preparation plowing must go before sowing Math. 17. Of attention Isa. 55.3.4 Of estimation of comfort receiued Iob. 15.11 Of godly sorrow Isa. 61.62 2 Preuailing of other ioies 3 An ouer high expectation 4 Presumptuous sinnes 5 Spirituall satietie and fulnesse when they seeme to haue grace enough and want nothing too like the Laodiceans Reuel 3. Thus in men 2 God doth restraine consolation sometimes for reasons secret to himselfe sometimes for reasons reuealed but not to vs as 1 To teach vs to know that comfort is his gift and to draw vs to looke aboue the meanes 2 To teach vs to liue by faith and not by sence 3 To scourge vnthankfulnesse 4 To compell vs to the vse of other of his ordinances too much neglected Thus of the lets To passe from this point we may here obserue 1 An immutable praise in the Apostle he enuies not the labours of his brethren he is so farre from it that he reioyceth in it 2 we may see that the wisest and greatest men haue neede to be comforted of meaner men 3 Heere is a reproofe of such workemen as by their labour grieue Gods people and are as thornes and goades in their sides but comfort them they do not Thus of the salutations of the Iewes The salutation of the three Gentiles follow the first is Epaphras who besides the report of his salutation is described 1 by his office the seruant of Christ. 2 By his relation to them who is one of you 3 By his loue to them shewed by striuing in praier for them 4 By his zeale not onely for them but for the two neighbour Churches vers 13. This Epaphras was the Cities preacher among the Collossians he is kept back at Rome for a time that so Tichicus might confirme the doctrine before taught by Epaphras Quest. But why is the Apostle so long in speaking of him being so short in the mention of the rest Answ. It is the Apostles discretion to honor him before his owne people A seruant of Christ He was a seruant of Christ first as a man and so by the necessitie of creation he must serue Christ whether he would or not 2 As a Christian man and so he serues him willingly and in religious workes 3 As a Preacher of the Gospell and so he serues Christ in a speciall function in the Church Doctr. 1 Ministers are Christs seruants whence followes two thinges first they must do his workes Secondly they must not be seruants of men Doctr. 2 The estate of the Ministers of God is an estate of seruing not of raigning they are not Lords ouer Gods heritage nor must they thinke to be like the Princes of the Nations Doct. 3. It is a great honour to be Christs seruant for all his seruants are freemen and their wages is euerlasting and therefore wee should loue to be his seruants neither should it euer seeme euill vnto vs to doe his worke Besides it is a great comfort to poore Christians though they cannot be Kings and Apostles yet they may be Christs seruants which Kings and Apostles haue accounted their greatest honour Thirdly men must take heed of despising or abusing Ministers seeing they are Christs seruants yea it is not safe to abuse any Christian for that very reason Lastly seeing it is so great a dignitie to serue Christ both Ministers and people must be carefull to performe Christs seruice with obseruation of what Christ requires for the manner or rules of his seruice Ministers must not seeke their owne things Phil. 2.21 they must not be giuen to wine not to filthy lucre not fighters not couetous not profane in their families not young schollers not scandalous 1 Tim. 3.3.4.5.6.7 2. Tim. 2.24 they must faithfully care for all the matters of the Church Phil. 2.20 they must serue with all modestie and teares Act. 20.19 Christians in their seruice of Christ must remember to lay aside all immoderate cares for the profits and pleasures of this world ye cannot serue Christ and mammon 2. That Christ will not be serued but in newnesse of spirit the old heart can doe Christ no worke Christ will accept Rom. 7.6 Quest. But who are Christs seruants Answ. If you speake of ministers it is answered negatiuely Gal. 1.10 Hee that preacheth mans doctrine or goeth about to please men he is not the seruant of Christ. If you aske of Christians in generall it is answered Rom. 6.16 His seruants you are to whom ye obey If ye conscionably endeuour to obey the word of Christ you are the seruants of Christ otherwise yee serue sinne vnto death For conclusion let vs so settle our hearts to serue Christ that we remember to doe it 1. constantly at all times 2. sincerely by doing all his workes both publike and priuate Which is one of you Doct. There is a speciall loue due to fellow-citizens This I haue noted before But I adde that the loue of Citizens must shunne fiue things as great rockes to make the shipwracke of true affection vpon 1. Opposition or quarrell and suits in matter of estate 2. Enuie at the prosperitie or trade of others 3. Faction or banding into sides in matters of gouernment 4. Schisme in matter of Religion but it is to be noted that it is prophane and fleshly men that haue not the spirit of God that cannot abide others because they runne not with them into the same excesse of riot for Gods seruants would faine liue at peace Iud. 18.19 5. A reioicing together in euill The loue that leads men from their calling to goe from tauerne to tauerne or from sport to sport is not true Citizen-like loue it is base and vnwarrantable The third thing in the description is his loue to his people shewed by praiing for them In his praier note 1. The action that he doth pray 2. The subiect persons for whom for you 3. The circumstance he praies absent 4. The varietie of his praiers praiers
for all thy sinnes past and now that God calls for this obedience he will accept thee as righteous by forgiuing thee all former accounts Obiect But if all were forgiuen me yet I cannot do all that God requires of me in his law Answ. Thou art not vnder the law but vnder grace thou art freed from the rigour of the law so that thou extend thy desire and indeauor to all the will of God thy perfection is but vprightnes Obiect But in my best seruices there is much euill Answ. Christ makes request for thee and by the vertue of his intercession the euill of thy good workes is hid and couered Obiect But I am so weake I cannot finde strength almost to do any worke of God much lesse all and to hold out too Answ. As weake as thou haue subiected themselues to all Gods wills of which some now sleepe in the Lord who from small beginnings grew to great abilitie in Gods seruice what may not grace like a graine of mustard seede grow too in short time besides Gods ordinances are mighty through God to fulfill our obedience and God will shew his power in thy weakenes yea it is his couenant not only to require all his will but to giue vs his spirit to cause vs to do them Obiect But if I were set in neuer so good a case and had for the present neuer so good successe yet I feare falling away Answ. God will keepe the feete of his Saints Obiect But I haue tried a great while and I haue great helpes and yet I finde not any such graces or fulnesse or any such likelihood to stand Answ. It is one thing what is and an other thing what thou feelest 2 Consider whether thou hast not desired to do all Gods will and endeauoured it as thou knewest it and that with desire to do all perfectly certainely the will study care desire is accepted with God 3 Consider whether God hath noâ— let thee see all this while that thou art accepted as full and perfect what sinne hast thou begged pardon for and not obteined it what dutie or grace is it that thou hast praied for constantly and God hath vtterly denied to answere thee if God haue accepted thee why dost thou charge thy selfe falsly Obiect But I know not all Gods wills much lesse can I do them Answ. It shall be to thee according to what thou hast and not according to what thou hast not increase in knowledge that thou maiest increase in grace what shall I say Consider but the recompence of reward God will reward euery worke and should we not then doe all his wills though the taske be hard and labour great yet the pay and gaine is exceeding great if we had so many waies to thriue in our estates we would refuse no labour Oh why should we not seeke the gaine of doing euery will of God Thus of the twelfth Verse Vers. 13 14 For I beare him record that he hath a great zeale for you and them that are in Laodicea and them in Hierapolis 14 Luke the beloued Phisition and Demas greet you In the 13 Verse the zeale of Epaphras which is the fourth thing is described First by the testimony of Paul I beare him record Secondly by the quantitie of it a great zeale Thirdly by the persons for whom for you c. The Apostle vseth all these words to set out his zeale because he was desirous to haue him in great respect with his hearers for hee knew if he were once contemned or suspected his doctrine would be vnfruitfull and his hearers made a prey to false Teachers Besides perhappes he found the people inclyning to grow to haue ynough of him or to suspect him or to lessen their regard of him I beare him Record Note 1 That the witnesse of one Apostle is a sufficient testimony and infallible which should incourage vs to studie their writings seeing we are sure to finde nothing but truth there 2 That the best testimony is not our owne record of our selues let thy neighbour not thine owne mouth praise thee 3 Godly ministers should be readie and forward to preserue the same of their brethren and in particular willing to giue record for them but if wee would haue record from others we must not beidle or ignorant or corrupt or scandalous Oh the miserie of these times how are insufficient or wicked Ministers written for to the Patron to the Bishop to the congregation concerning whom there can be no sufficient testimonie in the day of Christ and happie were it if no Church men had their hands in such records the Lord pardon and purge the sinnes of the sonnes of Leuie Zeale D. Zeale is needfull in a Minister now his zeale is two fold either for God or for Gods people a Minister should shew his zeale for his people by praying for them 2 Painfull preaching to them in season and out of season 3 By protecting them against the reproches and scornes of the world striuing by doctrine not only to comfort them but to wipe away the aspersions cast vpon them 4 By earnest rebukes and admonitions he must crie aloude and not spare not suffering them to sinne 5 By suffering either with them or for them The Vse is to excite zeale in Ministers and to awake them out of that coldnesse or deadnesse especially in teaching it is a wonderfull scourge to the people and a dishonor to the glorious doctrine of God where the teacher is without life or spirit in the enforcing of his doctrine And is zeale good for a Minister then sure it is good for the people too indeed it is of exceeding praise in all sorts of men of what degree soeuer neither will it be a misse heere a little to consider more seriously of zeale seeing there is much neede of it in the world and there is much mistaking about it Now if men will be rightly ordered in their zeale let them looke to these things 1 Let it not be a pretended zeale as in Ioash 2 Nor a superstitious zeale as in Paule 3 Nor a passionate zeale only for a fit as in Iohn at his first entrance 4 Nor a malitious zeale as in persecutors that thinke they doe God good seruice in vexing men wrongfully 5 Nor a wrong intended zeale such as is the zeale of merit-mongers 6 Nor a contentious zeale such as theirs that make needlesse rents in the Church 7 Nor a secure zeale that is a zeale not raised by godly sorrow or that is carried without care or feare of falling away 8 Nor an idle zeale that is all words without workes the word is rendred labour sometimes and it is certaine true zeale is spent about good workes 9 Nor an ouercurious zeale shewed either by sticking too much to the letter of scripture or by prying into or harsh censureing of the lesser faults of others 10 Or a bitter
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 g Gal. 5.6 h Gal. 5.22 2 Tim. 1.7 i Ephes. 1.4 k 1 Tim. 1.5 l 2 Thes. 2.20 m Iohn 5.42 n Iohn 15.10 o Rom 5.5 p 1 Iohn 2.6 q 2 Cor. 5.13.14 r 1 Iohn 2.15 s Rom. 13.10 t Rom. 14.15 u Rom. 15.30 x 1 Cor. 8.8 The Diuision We are neyther borne nor borne againe for our selues x 1 Cor. 12.7 y 1 Cor. 13. z 1 Iohn 3.10 Note Vses Doct. When thou sâ—ell the word begin to worke in any place pray feruently to God What thou shouldest pray for a Iames 5.16 b Mat 18.19 Incouragements to prayer c Psal. 50.15 d Esay 63.16 e Esay 49.15 f Mat. 7 9. g Psal. 145.18 h Iames 1.5 i Rom. 8.26 k Ioh. 14.13.14 Obiect Solut. l Psal 34 16. â—9 7. m 1 Pet. 3.7 n Luk. 18.1 to 8. Quest. Ans. o Iames 1.6 Iob 21.15 p Psal 116.12 q Mat. 6. r Mat. 5. s Iames 4.3 t Hose 7.14 Doct. The kindes of Prayers for others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The persons for whom we must pray 2 Thes. 2. u Rom. 15.30 x Ephes. 6.19 y Col. 4.3 z 2 Thes. 3.1.2 Not ceasing what it implyes * Iohn 4.21 1 Tim. 2.8 Mat. 26.41 Col. 4.2 Ephes. 6.18 1 Pet. 4.8 Iames 1.6.7 Heb. 10.36 c. Heb. 2.3 Obiect Solut. a Eccles. 5.1 Maâ— 6. Obiect Solut. b Psal. 40.4 Proprieties in God Bene placiti Placiti c Ephes. 1.5 d Ephes. 1.9 Acts 22.9 e Gal. 1.4 Mat. 18.14 Iohn 1.23 f 1 Cor 1.1 Rom. 1.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What wee should seeke to know g 2 Cor. 13.5 h 1 Cor. 2.9 i Ephes. 2.3 Motiues to knowledge k Ier. 9.24 l Marke 4.11 m Hos. 4.11 n Iob. 21.14 o Phil. 3.9 p Rom. 10.2 q Hos. 6.6 r Iohn 17.3 Rules for attaining knowledge s Mat. 11.27 t Iohn 7.17 u Hos. 6.1.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of acknowledgement or profession x 1 Tim. 2.4 y Ephes. 4.13 z 2 Pet. 2.20 * Rom. 1.18 a 1 Tim. 2.4 Of knowing againe Vse b Iob 21.14 c Hos. 4.6 2 Thes. 1.8 Obser. 1. d Rom. 15.14 e Iohn 2.14 f Act. 6.3.5 g Acts 6.8 h Acts 9.36 i Acts 2.28 k Rom. 15.13 l Ephes. 1. vlt. m Luke 5.12 n Acts 13.10 o Acts 19.28 p Iohn 16.16 q Rom. 1.19 r Ephes. 5.18 s Math. 23.32 t Acts 5.3 u Reuel 3.2 Obser. 2. Obser. 3. x Eccles. 1.2 Nothing can fill but knowledge and spirituall things Obser. 4. The differences betweene Wisedome and Vnderstanding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Two generall Doctrines Vses How a naturall man may be knowne Who make the Schiâ—me in the Church Diuellish wisedome 1 Cor. 2.8 Exod. 1.10 Earthly wisedome a 1 Cor. 1.18 b Ephes. 1.12 c 1 Cor. 1.26.27 d Mat. 11.27 e 1 Cor. 1.19 2.6 f Psal. 29.7 g Iob 5.3 h Prou. 12.15 26.12.16 i Prou. 17.27 k Prou. 29.11 l Prou 14.6 Rules for Contemplation m 2 Tim. 3.6 n Prou. 14.29 o 1 Tim. 6.4.5 p Mat. 13.14 Diuers obiections against Knowledge answered Obiect 1. Solut. Obiect 2. Solut. Obiect 3. Solut. Obiect 4. Solut. Obiect 5. Solut. Obiect 6. Solut. Obiect 7. Solut. Obiect 8. Solut. Obiect 9. Solut. Obiect 10. Solut. Wherein wisedome or discretion consists 1 Wisedomes order in seauen rules q Mat. 6.32 r 2 Tim. 2.3 to 8 s Acts 5. t Mat. 22.38.39 u Deut. 32.29 x Mat. 9.34 y Ephes. 6.3 Wisedomes specialties in the behauiour 1 Of the heart in fiue things z Marke 12.33 * 2 Cor. 10.4 a Iames 3.13 b Rom. 12.13 c Prou. 24.15 d Esay 33.6 2 Of the tongue in seauen things e Eccles. 5.1 Iames 1.19 Eccles. 10. vlt. f Deut. 28.58 Command 3. g Prou. 17.15 g Prou. 17.15 h Prou. 17.26 i Prou. 18.13 k 1 Cor. 4.5 l Tit. 3.2.3 m Prou. 15.23 3 Of the conuersation in eight things n Ephes. â— 15 o Deut. 4.5.6 p Iames 3.13 q 1 Thes. 4.11 r Psal. 4.6 1 Tim. 6.6 s Iohn 2 24. t Prou. 16.6 Esay 27.11 u Acts. 19.10.26 The generall Doctrine Motiues to holy life a 2 Cor. 5.15 b Ier. 2.8 c Rom. 13.11.12 d Gal. 6.7.8 e Ephes. 5.6 f Ier. 6.8 g Gal. 6.7.8 h 1 Pet. 1. i Mal. 1. k Mat. 11.28 l Col. 3.1 Phil. 3.21 m Ephes. 2.20 How it comes to passe that such multitudes liue without holinesse n Esay 25.8 o Esay 60.2.3 p Iob 24.13 q Psal. 36.6 r Iob 31.7 s Eccles. 11.9 t Iob 6.13 u Psal. 23.3 x Psal. 82.5 What we must doe that wee might be holy x Prou. 9.6 Ezech. 18. y Psal. 1.1 z Ier. 51.4 a Prou. 23.19 b Prou. 4.23 c Heb. 5.8 d Esay 30.20 e 1 Thes. 5.13 f Prou. 10.17 g Psal. 25.4 h Psal. 17.5 i Psal. 119.29 k Psal. 119.37 l 1 Kings 8.58.59 The gaine of godlinesse m Psal. 1. vlt. n Psal. 138.5 o Leuit. 26.11 p 1 Kings 8.23 q Iohn 11.8 9. r Esay 43.3 Psal. 23.3 s Esay 33.14.16 t Esay 57.2 50. vlt. v Hos. 11.12 x Gal. 5.18 y Rom. 8.1 z Reuel 2.10 2 Generall obseruations a Psal. 130.4 b Hos. 3.5 Against merit of workes c Luke 17. d 2 Cor. 3.5 Phil 2.13 e Iob 35.7 f Rom. 8.18 Quest. Ans. g Mat. 5.20 If wee would walke worthy oâ— the Lord we must doe sixe things h Gen. 17.1 i Mich. 6.8 k Psal. 119.1 l Gal. 5.21 m Rom. 8.1 n Iames 3.15 Math. 5. Rom. 6. o Luke 9.24 p Psal. 56.12.13 q Heb. 12.28 1 Cor. 7.31 r 1 Cor. 7.34 What wee should do that we migâ—t not onely serue God but please him to s Rom. 8.8 Obiect Solut. t Mat. 5.19 u Deut. 12.24.26 x 1 King 10.3 y Prou. 21.3 z Prou. 12.22 * Mich. 6.5.6.7 a Phil. 4.18 b Command 3. Deut. 28.58 c Deut. 29.19 d Esay 29.13 e Ier. 17. vlt. f Heb. 10.35.36 c. g Mal. 1.8.9.10.13.14 h Rom. 12.2 i 1 Thes. 2.15.16 What we must doe that wee may please men k Rom. 15.2 l Rom. 1.29 1 Tim. 5.13 Prou. 26.20 m Prou. 11.13 n Ephes. 5.3.4 o Prou. 27.1.2 p 1 Cor. 13. q 1 Cor. 10.32 r Gen. 13.8 How gouernours in families may walke pleasingly How Inferiours in the familie may please their Superiours s Tit. 2.9.10 How Ministers may walke in all pleasing t 2 Tim. 2.24.25 u 1 Tim 3. â— 3.4 How the hearers may please their Teachers How the Magistrate may please the people x Exod. 18. y Iosh. 1.9 z Mich. 2.3 * Exod. 18. How the people may please their Rulers a 2 Sam. 3.36 How we may walke â—n all pleasing towards our owne Consciences b Iohn 16.20 c Luke 6.25 d Esay 57. vlt. e Rom. 5.1 f Esay 9 6. g Psal. 119.165 h Iohn 3.29 i Iohn 16.24 k Psal 37.8.11 l Esay 32.17 Obiect 2. Solut. Obiect 3. Solut. Obiect Solut. m Phil. 4.6.7 n Mar. 13.34.36 o Acts 26.20