should greatly reproue such Ministers as labour not either 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 their peoples soules so they reward euill to their owne soules Note the Apostles affection in obseruing GODS prouidence in the successe of his labours 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 hee 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 hee knew how vnable the meanes was to worke without Gods blessing 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 It is God that workes in the ministery of the Word 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 bee aduised least by resisting the Ministery they bee found fighters against God and it may bee 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 bee thankefull 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 contained 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 ackowledgment 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 he were absent in the flesh yet he was present in spirit Ob. 3. But it is charitie to entertaine surmises of vs Sol. He saith he did reioyce in there order and stedfastnes present But he wrote this to warne them to take heed Quest Tell vs at once what you would haue vs doe 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 hee setteth downe the matter from which he dehorts v. 8. Secondly he giues six reasons to confirme the dehortation from verse 9. to 16. Thirdly he concludes and that seuerally from v. 16. to the end In the 8. verse he sets downe three thinges 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 God-head 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 thinges v. 10. Here note the persons yee the time are the benifit compleat the author Christ the limitation in him 4. Because we are circumcised without hands and therefore need not circumcision made with handes and consequently no ceremonies This reason is propounded v. 11. confirmed by prolepsis v. 12. Concerning Circumcision without hands fiue
2 Thess 1. and Peter u 2 Pet. 3. and Iohn * Reuel and Iude x Iud. 6. Neither is the assurance of the Iudgement to come warranted 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 sinne The drowning of the old world the burning of Sodome the destruction of Ierusalem y Matt. 24. were assured fore-tokens 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 z Rom. 2.15.16 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 fore-types 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 laid vpon vs. Be vvise to sobrietie This is one of the things wherein we must be wise to sobrietie a Rom 12.3 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 feed the curiositie of contemplation Concerning the Iudgement to come if any aske Who shall iudge Who shall iudge I answer that in respect of authoritie the whole Trinitie shall iudge but in respect of the execution of that authoritie Christ onely shall iudge and that as man b Act. 17 31. It is true that the Apostles and the Saints are said to iudge the tribes of Israel and the world but they only 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 Who shall be iudged he shall iudge the euill Angels for they are reserued in euerlasting chaines vnder darknesse vnto the iudgement of the great day Hee shall iudge also the man of sinne c Iud. 6. 2 Pet. 2.4 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 d 2 Thess 2.8 He shall iudge also all reprobates men women and children of all ages nations and conditions for though he shall not know them e Matt. 7.22 25.12 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 f 2 Cor. 5.10 Lastly in some sense it may be said he shall iudge the whole world for the heauens and the earth that now are are kept by the word of God and reserued vnto fire against the day of condemnation and of the destruction of vngodly men g 2 Pet. 3. And the Apostle Paul saith that the feruent desire of the creature made subiect to vanitie 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 libertie of the sonnes of God h Rom 8.19.20.21 Where shall it be Thirdly if any aske where this iudgement shall bee 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 wee know it shall be neere the earth in the clouds of heauen 1 Thess 4.17 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 bee When shall the day of Iudgement be Some thought that as the world was six dayes in creating and then the Sabboth of rest came so the world should last 6000. yeeres reckoning a 1000. yeeres as one day and then should come the eternall Sabboth Others distribute the times thus 2000. yeeres before the Law 2000. yeeres vnder the Law and 2000. yeeres after the Law and then comes the iudgement Others thought the world would last after Christ so long as it was to the floud from the creation and that was as they say 1656. yeeres Others thought it should be as long to the iudgement after Christ as it was from Moses to Christ and that should be 1582. yeeres 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 blinde 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 i Act. 1.7 And of that day and houre knoweth no man no not the Angels of heauen but my Father only k Matt. 24.36 Mark 13.32 And the Euangelist S. Marke addeth that the sonne of man himselfe knoweth not the day and houre Hovv it is that the sonne is said to be ignorant of the day of â—â—â—gement Not that simply Christ is ignorant of the time of the last iudgement but he was said not to know because hee 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 doth fully vnderstand it But letting these things passe the principall things for vs to be informed in as concerning the day of iudgement and this last appearance of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ are these three first the signes of his comming Secondly how or the forme of the iudgement it selfe when he doth come And lastly the vse we should in the meane while make of the doctrine of the last iudgement The signes of the day of iudgement For our better remembrance the signes of Christs comming to iudgement may be briefly reduced into this Catalogue Some signes goe before and are fulfilled before he appeare Some signes are conioyned with his
what were it to lose not some of our credits or our goods but euen our liues seeing wee are sure to finde them againe with more then a hundred fold aduantage Mat. 16.24 vlt. at the time when Christ shall come in the glory of his Father to giue vnto all men according to their deeds Besides wee must know that there is no talking of sitting at Christs hand in glory till we haue asked our selues this question whether wee can drinke of the cup he dranke of and be baptized with the baptisme he is baptized with a Mark 10 â—7 c. And then if we can suffer with him we shall raigne with him b 2 Tim. 2.12 and shall be glad and reioice with exceeding ioy when his glory shall appeare And in the meane while the spirit of glory and of God resteth on you c 1 Pet. 4.13.14 Thirdly seeing Christ will receiue Christians into such glory it should teach vs to receiue one another d Rom. 15.7 into both our hearts and houses Why shouldst thou be ashamed or thinke it much with all loue and bountie and bowels of affection to entertaine and welcome the heires of such eternall glory Oh if thou couldst but now see but for a moment how Christ doth vse the soules of the righteous in heauen or will vse both body and soule at the last day thou wouldst for euer honour them whom Christ doth so glorifie and make them now thy only companions whom thou shouldest see to be appointed to liue in such felicitie for euer Fourthly 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 wee are the men shall partake of this glory and speede well in the day of Iesus Christ What vvee must doe that vvee may be assured of the glory of heauen A. First Euery one that would haue this hope must purge himselfe as Christ is pure e 1 Ioh. 3.3 we must be much in the duties of mortification For no vncleaue person can enter into the kingdome of glory And vncleane wee are all till we be washed in the bloud of Christ by iustification and bathed in teares of true repentance by mortification It hath beene obserued before that if we would not haue the Lord to iudge vs we must iudge our selues f 1 Cor. 11.34 And if we would not haue Christ to take vnto him words against our soules we must take vnto vs words g Hos 14.3 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 h Heb. 11.1 T is faith that shall be found to honour and praise in the reuelation of Iesus Christ i 1 Pet. 1 7. It is faith to which the promise of eternall life is made k Ioh. 3.18 Thirdly wee should labour to get vnto our selues the benefit of a powerfull preaching ministerie for thereby our hearts may be wonderfully stirred vp to see the glory of sincerity on earth and it will open a wide doore 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 wonderfull expediency Fourthly we must be circumspect and watchful in speciall manner attending to our owne hearts that wee be not at any time oppressed with the cares of this life or voluptuous liuing l Luk. 21.34.36 if euer wee 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 Fifthly 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 praying in the holy Ghost and keepe our selues in the loue of God m Iud. 20.21 we must be afraid of whatsoeuer may estrange the Lord from vs or any way darken the sense of his loue For we may be assured if we haue his fauour and walke before him in the sense of it we shall haue glory when wee die Likewise praying in the holy Ghost with constancie and frequency doth maruellously enrich a Christian both with the first fruits of glory euen glorious ioy on earth with the assurance of fulnesse of glory in heauen Sixthly the Apostle Iohn seemes to say if loue be perfect in vs wee shall haue boldnesse in the day of iudgement n 1 Ioh. 4.17 As if he would import that to be inwardly 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 wee may winne the fauour of Christ Lastly the Apostle Paul shewes in the second to the Romanes that they that seeke glory and honour and immortalitie and euerlasting life must be patient in well doing For they shall be rewarded according to their workes And to euery man that doth good shall be honour and glory and power to the Iew first and also to the Graecian o Rom. 2.6.7.10 For all that haue any tydings of saluation in the Gospell or looke for that blessed hope and appearing of that glory of the mightie God must liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world p Tit. 2.11.12.13 Without holinesse no man shall see God q Heb. 12.14 And therefore we should be abundant in the worke of the Lord forasmuch as we know that our labour shall not be in vaine in the Lord r 1 Cor. 15. vlt. And thus farre of the glorious appearance both of Christ and Christians And thus also of the first rule of life namely the meditation of heauenly things VERS 5. Mortifie therefore your members which are on earth fornication vncleanesse the inordinate affection euill concupiscence and couetousnesse which is idolatrie THese words with those that follow to the tenth verse The diuision of this part of the Chapter 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 other 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
in obedience by them 2 Cor. 7.15 6. That great respect be had of frugalitie Luk. 10.8 Thus of verse 10. VERS 11. And Iesus which is called Iustus which are of the circumcision c. THe third person that doth salute is described by his proper name Iesus and his surname Iustus Quest Quest May the name of Iesus be giuen to any man Answ Answ Before it was appropriated to the sonne of God it was both lawfull and vsuall to giue it to men as appeares by Ioshuaes name which is the same Whether the name of Iesus may be giuen to any man novv and the sonne of Syrake But now it is not expedient any way and therefore the Iesuites may change their names like Iebusites as they are The name Iustus was not giuen him by the Iewes but by the Romans as the varying of the language sheweth and in all probabilitie giuen in praise of his faithfulnesse and true dealing with all men Quest What may we doe to winne the reputation of iust persons What vve must doe to vvinne the reputation of iust men Answ 1. Be peaceable and make peace and doe all things without murmuring or reasonings Mat. 5.8 Phil. 2.15 2. Be watchfull vnto chastitie and the honestie of the seuenth commandment 1 Pet. 2.11 12. 3. Let your conuersation be without feare 1 Pet. 3.2 4. Be not vaine in apparell 1 Pet. 3.3 5. Get a meeke and quiet spirit 1 Pet. 4.3 4. 6. In yeelding apologie be constant and vnmoueable with all cheerefulnesse willing to giue answer with all meeknesse and reuerence and good conscience 1 Pet. 3.15 16. 7. Shew all vprightnesse in thy calling and this vprightnesse hath three things 1. Diligence 2. All true and faithfull dealing in words and promises 3. A conuersation without couetousnesse Finally to liue inoffensiuely is a strong inducement euen to the worst men many times to draw from them a good testimonie euen of Gods children Thus of their names In the second place they are described 1. By their countrey they were of the circumcision that is Iewes 2. By their praises 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 perhaps 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 separate 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 to 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 worke-fellowes 3. The subiect about which they labour the kingdome of God These onely 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 proue 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 What hearers amongst vs are like to fall avvay if the times should change 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 temporarie 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 gaining of a Bishopricke made him giue ouer his worke Worke-fellowes 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 Angels 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 waies to come into Gods house and by reforming abuses which hinder Gods grace and kingdome amongst men Priuate persons must help by instruction admonition consolation c. Fellowes Here note 1. The honor of these labourers they are all one fellowes though differing in gifts 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 imitable in all though neuer so much excelling in place or gifts Vses of all 1. For instruction First pray to the Lord of the haruest to send forth more labourers though Clergy-men are very corrupt and few of them faithfull yet it is better our mouthes bee filled with prayers 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 pouertie attend sloth yea weomen 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 Secondly for consolation to all Gods workmen especially ministers though they haue not so great gifts as others yet if they shew all good faithfulnes 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 workemen 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 A threefold kingdome of God 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 threefold kingdome of God
the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ remembring you earnestly and constantly in our daily Prayers being exceedingly fired and inflamed since we heard by continuall and true report of your precious Faith by which you haue with firmenesse and stedfastnesse of assurance laide hold vpon IESVS CHRIST for life and righteousnesse and the rather because wee likewise heard of your holy affection to such as haue separated themselues from the prophanenesse of the world to the seruice of God especially considering that you haue not the glorious Faith of Christ in respect of persons but loue all the Saints as well as any And as a People not destitute of any sauing Grace Verse 5. For the hopes sake which is laid vp for you in heauen whereof ye haue heard before by the word of truth which is the Gospell wee reioyce to heare of that liuely hope by which you haue laid hold on the Promise of eternall glory which God the Father hath prepared and laide vp in Heauen And the more are we confirmed in this resolution constantly to praise 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 Verse 6. Which is come vnto you euen â—s it is vnto all the world and â—s fruitful as it is also among you from the day that yee heard and truely knew the grace of God 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 Conuersion by the daily fruits of amendment 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. Verse 7. As yee also learned of Epaphras our deare fellow seruant which is for you a faithfull Minister of Christ 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 he is for your best good a faithfull and most humble Minister of Iesus Christ Verse 8. Who hath also declared vnto vs your loue which yee haue by the Spirit Verse 9. For this cause wee also since the day wee heard of it cease not to pray for you and to desire that yee might be fulfilled with knowledge of his will in all wisedome and spirituall vnderstanding Verse 10. That yee might walke worthy of the Lord please him in all things being fruitfull in all good workes and increasing in the knowledge of God 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 praises 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 only 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 sweetnes 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 Verse 11. Strengthened with all might through his glorious power vnto all patience and long-suffering with ioyfulnes 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 assistance of the glorious power of GOD in the vse of all meanes and helpes appointed of God yee might accomplish your most holy profession with singular comfort and contentment being able cheerefully and with all patience and Long-suffering to beare the Crosses Tentations Infirmities Persecutions and whatsoeuer Wrongs or Indignities might befall you waiting 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 prosperity of your soules Verse 12. Giuing thankes vnto the Father which hath made vs meâ—te to bee partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light 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 we 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 Vers 13. Who hath deliuered vs from the power of darkenesse and hath translated vs into the Kingdome of his deare Sonne in which the darkenesse of Gentilisme and Sinne and Ignorance and Aduersitie and Death and Damnation had power ouer vs hath translated vs into the Kingdome of Iesus Christ the Son 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 Verse 14. In whom wee haue redemption through his bloud that is the forgiuenes of sinnes yet are we not onely bought with a price but effectually and truely redeemed and in some sort fully too for in our Iustification we are perfectly reconciled and all our sins absolutely forgiuen
afflictions but reioyce in them rather that for diuers reasons First because they are the afflictions of CHRIST that is such as he accounts to be his Secondly because I know that in Gods Decree I haue my part of troubles assigned me and it is my ioy to think that in so good a cause I haue almost fulfilled them Thirdly because these Afflictions extend but to my flesh and outward man And lastly because it is for your good I suffer euen for the confirmation of your Faith and for the good of the whole body of Christ which is the Church Thirdly Verse 25. Whereof I am a Minister according to the dispensation of God which is giuen mee vnto you ward to fulfill the word of God Verse 26. Which is the mystery hid since the world beganne and from all ages but now is made manifest to his Saints I haue receiued this Commission concerning the Gospel immediately from GOD himselfe with strict charge that for your good I should pursue the execution of it till not only Faith and Hope were wrought but till we saw the worke and word of God euen accomplished and fulfilled Fourthly what can there be more excellent and worthy to be beleeued and trusted in then this Gospell of IESVS CHRIST and our reconciliation in him seeing it is that dreadfull Mystery which worlds of men haue wanted as being hid from whole Ages and Generations hitherto and now by the vnspeakeable mercy of GOD is reuealed by preaching vnto the Saints as a peculiar treasure entrusted to them And fiftly the rather should you hereupon settle Verse 27. To whom God would make knowne what is the riches of this glorious mystery among the Gentiles which riches is Christ in you the hope of glory considering the admirable subiect of the Gospell for it is the good pleasure of GOD in this rich and glorious Mystery of the Gospell to make known to the poore Gentiles Christ Iesus himselfe and that by giuing him therein to dwell in your hearts by Faith and as your assured and onely hope of immortall glory Sixtly Verse 28. Whom we preach admonishing euery man and teaching euery man in all wisedome that we may present euery man perfect in Christ Iesus neyther should you euer cast away the confidence of your assurance and hope or grow weary heerein seeing it is the drift and end of all our preaching wherein wee eyther admonish or instruct you leading you through all sorts of wisedome in the word of GOD. I say the end of all is to present you at the length perfect and compleate euery one of you in CHRIST IESVS in some acceptable measure of Sinceritie and Knowledge in him Verse 29. Whereunto I also labour and strâ—â—e according to his working which worketh in me mightily And sâ—â—â—hly being incouraged with that successe which the LORD hath giuen to my ministery I will labour at I haue laboured and still striue with all possible diligence and endeauour in this glorious worke hoping that this also may proue a motiue among the rest to perswade with you to keepe Faith and Hope to the end with all Constancie and holy perseuerance CERTAINE OF THE Chiefest things obserued in the Notes vpon this first CHAPTER WHat rules wee must obserue in alledging the examples of godly men sinning fol. 4. The assurance of a lawfull Calling serues for many vses fol 5. Gods Children called Saints in this life in foure respects fol. 7. Comforts for the dispised Saints with answere of some Obiections fol. 7. 8. How Saints may be knowne fol. 9. Christian faithfulnesse is to be shewed in fiue things in spirituall things and in three things in temporall things fol. 10. 11. Idlenesse in Professors taxed fol. 11. Seuerall Vses arising out of the consideration of this that wee are Brethren fol. 13. How wee may get into Christ and how we may know whether we be in Christ fol. 13. 14 Spirituall things are the best things for nine reasons fol. 15. The Motiues and the manner of Thankesgiuing to God fol. 20. Foure Rules of tryall in our Thankesgiuing to God for others fol. 21. A Child of God neuer giues thankes but he hath cause to pray and contrariwise fol. 21. Foure sorts of prayers for others fol. 21. 68. Fiue reasons to warrant praying euery day fol. 22. The Sorts Obiects Parts Degrees Benefits Le ts Signes of Faith with the misery of the want of Faith the incouragements to beleeue and the defects of the common Protestants Faith fol. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28 29. 30. 31. 32. Indiscretion is not the cause of the reproaches and troubles of Christians fol. 33. The surest way to get Credit is to get Grace fol. 34. Foure Signes of Vaine-glory fol. 34. Seauen Obseruations about Loue. fol. 35. Seauen things to be shewed in Christian Loue. fol. 36. Foure things in the manner of our loue fol. 37. Motiues to perswade to the exercise of mutuall loue fol. 38. 39. 40. Eight helpes of Loue. fol. 41. 42. The defects of the common Protestants Charitie or Loue. fol. 42. 43. Eight Differences betweene true Hope and common Hope and seauen meanes to breede true Hopâ— fol. 45. 46. What wee must doe if we would haue heauen when we die fol. 46. What profit good men get by hearing Sermons fol. 49. 50. The sorts of euill hearers with their miserie fol. 50. 51. How the Word is said to be a word of truth and that it worketh truth in vs six wayes fol. 52. Concerning the Gospell what it containes who may and who doe receiue it and the effects of it fol. 53. 54. Motiues to fruitfulnesse what fruit wee should beare and the meanes to make vs more fruitfull fol. 55. 56. There is a season for fruit fol. 58. Seauen things to be done that we may heare the Word in truth fol. 59. The causes of fruitlesse hearing fol. 60. The great commodities of assurance ibid. Who loue not God and who loue not men fol. 64. To loue as Christ loued vs hath foure things in it ibid. Incouragements to prayer fol. 66. 67. Why many pray and speede not fol. 67. What wee should seeke to know Motiues to knowledge and rules for attaining knowledge fol. 70. 71. Signes of a naturall man fol. 73. Who make Schisme in the Church fol. 73. Rules for Contemplation fol. 75. Tenne Obiections against Knowledge answered out of Prou. 8. fol. 75. 76. Wherein Wisedome consists Wisedomes order in seauen things Wisedomes specialties in the behauiour first of the Heart in fiue things secondly of the tongue in seauen things thirdly of the Conuersation in eight things fol. 76. 77. 78. Motiues to holy life the causes of prophanenes rules for holinesse and the gaine of holinesse fol. 78 79. 80. Nine Reasons against merit fol. 81. What it is to walke worthy of the Lord it hath sixe things in it fol. 82. Eight rules to be obserued if we would please God and sixe rules if we would please men fol. 83.
of the world and worldly occasions Fourthly his last signe is that hee did set the Lord alwaies 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 fourth of Esay Esay 4.3.4 the Prophet fore-tels of men that vnder the Gospell should bee 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 acquainied 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 guilty 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 ardor 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 The acceptations of the word faithfull Faithfull This worde is diuersly attributed in Scripture It is giuen to a 2 Cor. 1. God and God is said to be faithfull in the accomplishment of his promises It is giuen to b Reuel 19.11 Christ and hee is called faithfull and true It is giuen to the c Psal 89.37 Psal 19 7. 111.7 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 faile but one iot of it shall not faile 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 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 entertaineth them into his Court Psal 101.6 Psal 101.6 The names of these wee doe for the most part take vpon our selues but the signes of these are but sparingly found amongst vs. That we may examine our selues I will consider what is required of vs that we may shew our selues faithfull Faithfulnesse in spirituall things Hereunto fiue things are requisite 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 bee 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 Psal 78. And therefore the Israelites are charged not to bee 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 daies did consume in vanitie and their yeeres hastilie then they crie vnto him and seeke him in their distresse they returne and seeke him earelie 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 returned 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 sincerity 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 Hos 11. vlt. 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 bee a good Seruant and faithfull that hauing receiued fiue Talents hath gained with them fiâ—e moâ— Mat. 25.21.23 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 dueties as belong vnto such seruice Thus Timothy is praised to bee faithfull in the Lord 1 Cor. 4.17 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 2 Cor. 11.8 and willingly take vp the Crosse of Christ and that daily so as they may further the building vp Luke 9.23 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 preferments and those that
to CHRIST 1 To Christ then it should teach vs two things first to liue comfortably for an higher estâ—te of Vse 1 excellencie canst thou not haue secondly to liue nobly like the Sonnes of Vse 2 the most High not basely like the Sonnes of the Earth Why wallowest thou in 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 Romanes 8. and walke as becomes the coheyre of Christ Secondly 2 To the Apostle 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 Vse neyther to neglect their good for why should thy brother perish nor with proud insolency or tyrannie eyther in correction or seuere carriage to Lord it ouer them Thirdly are they Brethren to the Saints abroad 3 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 neere 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 4 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 sinke 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 waies 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 How thou maist get into Christ Ans Obserue three things First before thou canst be ingrafted into Christ thou must be cut off the old 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 wordly 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 between 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 plead 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 spitituall Marriage Againe would a man know whether hee bee in Christ Who are 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 bee 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 void 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 exercises 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 Romanes 8. 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 demonstratiuely 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 hearty feelings wrought by the Worde and Sacraments by Prayer and Fasting by Reading and Conference are certaine and sure signes and seales to prooue 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 Of Salutations IT hath beene an ancient custome both in the Iewish Christian 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 Stoickes 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 The acceptations of the word
Gods children will still pray vnto God And looke how many promises are made in Scripture to the prayers of the Saints so many consolations are inuiolably preserued vnto them against the rage of whatsoeuer extremitie wicked men can cast vpon them this is a singular comfort Miserie breeds vnitie Wee Doct. Miserie breedeth vnitie The Apostle that in more prosperous times iarred with Peter and Barnabas can now hold peace and firme vnitie with meaner men and therefore he saith Wee not I. And thus wee see it was in the times of persecution in Queene Maries daies the Bishoppes and Pastors that could not agree when they were in their Seates and Pulpits willingly seeke agreement when they are in prison and must come to the Stake And so it many times falls out in common Iudgements as the sword and pestilence Esay 24.2 in such times the words of the Prophet are fulfilled Like People like Priests like Seruant like Master like Buyer like Seller like Borrower like Lender like Giuer like Taker to vsury Great and preuailing Iudgements take away all that vanity 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 calamitie 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 either of place or respects amongst men and that they may more seeke the truth then victorie And as for those that neither loue the truth nor peace the Lord open their eyes and conuert them or else giue them to eate of the fruite of their owne wayes Doe It is not safe to put ouer good motions Not safe to deferre good motions Note When Paul findeth fitnesse to pray and giue thankes he doth not omit the occasion In spirituall things delay is alwaies dangerous but in sinfull motions the only 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 It is good to praise before thou reproue 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 praise-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 he did it not of malice a thing especially Reasons 1 to be looked to in all admonitions in familie or else-where as well to praise for vertue as dispraise for vice Secondly hee holds this course to let them Reasons 2 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 Reasons 3 might the more hate sinne seeing it did darken their graces which else would more appeare Fourthly that they might be made thankefull themselues for their owne graces a shame that others should praise God for his Reasons 4 mercies to vs and we neuer praise God our selues Lastly it carrieth with it Reasons 5 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 ouerflow 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 thankfulnesse especially to God There is a flattering thankefulnesse to men Acts 24.3 Luke 18.11 and a Pharisaicall proud conceited thankesgiuing to God Concerning the spirituall mans thankefulnesse to God I propound three things onely in the generall briefly 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 bee obserued for the manner of performance of it There are many reasons scattered in Scripture Motiues to thankfulnesse 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 1 Cor. 14.16 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 liberality hee vrgeth them with this reason that the supplying of the necessities of the Saints would cause much thankesgiuing to God d 2 Cor 9.12.13 1 Cor. 4.16.2 And in the 4. of the 2. of Corin. he sheweth that the thankesgiuing of many would breed both a plenty of grace and an abounding of much praise 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 Thanks e Ephes 43.4 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 f Col. 2.6.7 Secondly if men in all things let their requests be shewed vnto God with giuings 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 g Phil. 4.6.7 Thirdly it is a signe nay a very meanes of a contented mind He that
c. 1 Corin. 13.3 Lastly for that grace by which felicitie and the thiefe good is applied and thus it is called the faith of Gods Elect Tit. 1.2 and by Diuines iustifying Faith Secondly there are diuers sorts of Faith The sorts of Faith I will not speake of Faith generall or speciall infused or acquired formed and vnformed but leaue them to the troublesome Schoole-men onely I rest in the vsuall distribution which hath ground in Scripture thus Faith is Historicall Temporary of Miracles and iustifying First Historicall Faith Historicall Faith is to beleeue the doctrine of the word of GOD to be true and therein is supernaturall and differeth from all humane knowledge whatsoeuer neither is it in the power of Nature alone to perswade men that the Scriptures are Gods word further then the remnants of Gods former image doe giue a glimpse of it and is cleared by the spirit of generall illumination This Historicall Faith doth both vnderstand the Doctrine and giue assent that it is true yet doth not iustifie and therefore their case is so much the more fearefull that haue not so much as their ignorance any way redressed nor gotten so much as any knowledge by the Word of God Secondly Temporary Faith Temporary Faith goeth yet further for such as haue that Faith doe not onely get knowledge and yeeld assent to the truth but also professe the truth with some earnestnesse not sticking at it to giue their names in some more speciall manner then others to a respect of Religion yea they reioyce inwardly in the doctrine of the Word and lastly bring forth some kinde of fruit and amend some faults Luke 8.13 Heb. 6.4.5 onely because the Word of GOD would haue them so to doe Therefore is this Faith vnprofitable because they neuer had the particular assurance of Gods fauour in forgiuenes of sins nor will bee brought to dislike much lesse to humble their soules for those speciall sinnes wherein they haue transgressed but nourish some one particular presumptuous sinne or sinnes which raigning in them doth wholly engrosse and take vp that inward worship which is due to God onely And this is the Faith of our better sort of people Thirdly Faith of Miracles Faith of Miracles was that Faith by which many in the Primitiue Church were able to worke Miracles and was of two sorts eyther Faith to heale or Faith to be healed this Faith may bee in such as are reprobates as Matth. 7. some shall say Haue wee not cast out Deuils by thy name to whom Christ shall answer Depart I know you not Fourthly but that Faith in the enioying of which is comfort for euermore is iustifying Faith Iustifying Faith The nature of this Faith will appeare if wee consider The Obiects The Parts The Degrees of it The obiects of Faith First of the Obiects this Faith may be perceiued by that which it carrieth 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 laboured 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 comfortably in Scripture that if men examine themselues before the conditions of Gods promises they may finde in diuers of them the cleare determining of their estate Here may bee 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. The Parts of Faith Secondly that the nature of this Faith may yet bee 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 Faith in the minde 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 Isay 53.11 By his knowledge he shall iustifie many that is make iust Iudgement is either 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 bee happie and no other Iudgement of goodnesse is when we 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 Faith in the heart Desires Fiduce or Confidence Perswasion or Apprehension and application It may not be dissembled Desire to beleeue is of the nature of Faith that there are in the world many definitions or descriptions of Faith such as doe not comprehend in them that only thing which is the chiefe stay of thousands of the deare Seruants of God and that is Desires which may not be denied 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 he had them in his owne possession so that by the Spirit and Promises of God he might be assured that the sins 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
Pet 1 13 b Joh 1 14 16 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 c 1 Cor 15. 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 waiting 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 d Pro 12 2. Our vnderstanding will neuer be capable of this knowledge till the euills of the thoughts be in some measure purged out and subdued Besides we must take heede of scorning and contemning the meanes of grace e Pro 3 34. and labour for a hatred of euery sinne for till then wee 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 f Prou 14 6. but especially wee must labour to get and grow in humilitie for God bestowes his graces on the humble g 1 Pet 5 4. Iames 4 7. And if God euer comfort vs with his grace let vs so learne to make it our portion and to trust perfectly vpon it h 1 Pet 1 13 as not to receiue it in vaine i 2 Cor 6 2. 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 k Gal 1 6. 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 l Heb 12 15. 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 libertie to liue licentiously and follow their sinnes with presumptuous abuse of Gods mercy These are vngodly men ordained before to condemnation m Iud 4. Lastly such as cannot abide the doctrine of GODS grace but despise and hate the very Spirit of Grace how sore shall their pupunishment be n Heb. 10 29. 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 Diuision 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 them Vers 8. Doct. 2 From the generall consideration of all the words I obserue What a Minister should be First it much matters to the efficacie of the doctrine what the Ministers be hee that would profit his hearers must be First able to teach Secondly hee should be beloued not a man against whom the hearts of the people had conceiued vncurable preiudice or such a one as was scandalous Thirdly hee had neede to be a fellow-seruant one that will draw with others Fourthly hee must consecrate his seruice to God and the Church Fiftly he must be faithfull And lastly one that will loue his people Doct. 2 Secondly Ministers of greater gifts or places or learning may here learne how to carry themselues towards their fellow-Ministers Paul commends Epaphras confirmes and countenances his doctrine and giues him the right hand of fellowship Which example much condemnes the haughtie pride and arrogancy of many great Cleargy-men in whose eyes their brethren are despised sometime swelling against them with enuie sometimes openly pursuing them with censures especially if God blesse their labours with any good successe easily setting out with the formost to detract from their iust praises for gifts sinceritie or paines woe and a fall will be to the great pride of Cleargy-men Thirdly the Apostle striues to winne a greater estimation to the Minister that so hee might the better fasten their respects to his Ministery to note that where the Messenger is not in credit the Message is easily neglected or contemned And therefore as men would desire good successe in the Ministery of the Word they should labour to get and retaine an honourable opinion of the Ministers And to this end consider that they are called Gods Coadiutors o 1 Cor 3. Ministers of the Spirit p 2 Cor 3 6. Gods Stewards q 1 Cor 4 1. Tit 1 2. 1 Tim 3 4. Candlestickes r Reuel 11 4. the mouth of Christ ſ Reuel 1 16. Starres Angels t Reuel 1.20 and haue many other titles of dignity From these words as ye also haue learned of Epaphras I obserue First that if men would bee effectually wrought vpon by the word they must plant themselues vnder some setled Ministerie they that heare now one and then another at one end of the quarter heare a sermon of this man and at the other end of that man haue their knowledge much like their paines Secondly he is a true member of the Church that can shew sound grace and knowledge learned of the Teachers of the Church It is neither the account of the world nor profession of true Religion nor comming to Church demonstrates necessarily a true member of the Church but the effectuall subiection of the soule to be formed and wrought vpon by the Ministery of the Word Thirdly it is an ordinary infirmity in the better sort of hearers that in many points they receiue Doctrine vpon the credit of the teachers yeelding no other reason but Epaphras taught so which should awaken affection and conscience in Ministers out of the feare of God and sound and infallible knowledge and premeditation to deliuer what they doe deliuer
in this Verse both because holinesse of life is so much vrged as also because heere 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 Against merit of workes and secondly it cannot bee founded vpon this Scripture For the first we cannot merit for many reasons in Scripture first wee are not our owne men wee 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 c Luke 17. Secondly all our sufficiencie to doe any good is of God not from our selues d 2 Cor. 3.5 Phil. 2.13 Thirdly God gaines nothing by vs. If thou be righteous what giuest thou to him or what receiueth hee at thy hands e Iob 35.7 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 eternity there then afterwards if God create another eternity 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 f Rom. 8.18 Sixtly it is worthy to bee obserued that it is mercy in God to set his loue vpon them that keepe his Commandements Exod. 20. Command 2. Seauenthly wee are so farre from meriting that we are taught to pray God to giue vs our daily bread wee 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 Testimony 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 wordes worthy of the Lord cannot be applied to merit by any meanes for in as much as the Lord had bestowed many of his fauours already vppon 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 Matth. 3. to bring foorth fruites woorthy repentance now it were absurd to thinke that the fruits afterwards borne should merit repentance which God gaue before for that is to affirme that not onely a wicked man might merit his own conuersion but that hee might merit it by the workes hee would doe after his conuersion which I know not that any Papist will affirme and the like reason is there of the phrase here vsed Quest Quest But letting the Papist goe what is it to walke worthy of the Lord Ans Answ It is so to cleaue vnto God that we refuse not out of the holy estimation of Gods free mercies to forsake our selues and the world and to testifie our obedience to the Law and Spirit of God in vprightnesse with all thankefulnesse But that this may appeare more plainely if we would walke worthy of the Lord 1 In generall our righteousnesse must exceede the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees we must be so farre from resting in the custome and practise of the vile sinnes that abound in the world that wee must not be satisfied with this that we be ciuill honest men and well thought of in the world for Gods mercies challenge more at our hands then ciuill honesty g Mat. 5.20 If we would walke worthy of the Lord we must doe sixe things 2 In particular if we would walke worthy of God 1 Wee must walke with God in the sence of Gods presence and in the light of his countenance so knowing his Loue as wee forget not his presence h Gen. 17.1 And because the wandring and vnmortified heart of man is not easily brought to this therefore we must humble our selues to gaine a better ability to walke with our God i Mich. 6.8 2 Wee must set the Law of God as the onely rule of our actions alwaies before vs k Psal 119.1 and by all meanes be carefull to obey the motions of Gods Spirit euen the Law in our mindes that is to walke after the Spirit l Gal. 5.21 and according to the Spirit m Rom. 8.1 3 We must labour to glorifie God by endeauouring by an open light to approue our selues to the world in shewing the power of Gods grace in our workes and the newnes of our liues n Iames 3.15 Math. 5. Rom. 6. 4 We must be contented to deny our owne reason wit desires delights and profits and to take vp any crosse God shall lay vpon vs o Luke 9.24 5 Wee should go beyond all ciuill honest men in this that wee would respect all Gods Commandements and make conscience of euery sinne by Prayer and endeauour to auoid it and to obey God both in our soules and bodies and in euery part of both Lastly we should so admire Gods loue in deliuering our soules from death and our feet from falling c. that wee should seeke Gods face in the light of the liuing and neuer to come empty handed but Gods vowes should be vpon vs and we should euer be rendring praise Thankefulnesse is all wee can giue to God p Psal 56.12.13 In all pleasing This is the second thing required in our conuersation we should not thinke it enough to liue iustly and religiously but wee must liue pleasingly also and this is true 1. In respect of God Let vs haue grace that wee may so serue God that wee may please him q Hebr. 12.28 1 Cor. 7.31 2. In respect of our owne Conscience preseruing the rest and goodnesse of the conscience 3. In respect of men thus the wife careth to please her husband and the husband to please his wife r 1 Cor. 7.34 What we should do that we might not onely serue God but please him too It is not enough to be perswaded that that we doe be good but we ought to looke to it that it be pleasing So in all dueties to God and in our carriage to men Quest But what should wee doe that wee might so serue God as please him too Ans This is answered in diuers Scripture 1 Be sure thou be not in the flesh for no such can please God Å¿ Rom. 8.8 and they are in the flesh that can relish nothing but fleshly things that take no care to prouide for the life of Grace and peace of Conscience vers â— that will not bee subiect to the Law of God vers 7. that haue not the Spirit of Christ vers 9. and that dye not to sinne
men onely Some vnderstand by Thrones the Pallace of Gods Maiestie and the seate of blessed immortality and the rest of the words they interpret of Angels But the commonest opinion and most auncient is to vnderstand all the words of Angels onely But in this there is 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 go about to perswade you to Angel-worship yet if that were granted Christ onely were to be worshipped because hee 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 Why Angels are called by these names 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 bee yeelded that those names doe distinguish the diuers sorts of Angels The Vses of the doctrine of Creation and their order yet it will not follow that wee can tell their sorts as the bold Dionysius and the Papists haue aduentured to doe Thus of the doctrine of Creation the Vses follow and they are 1 For Reproofe 2 For Consolation 3 For Instruction The doctrine of Creation cannot but bee a doctrine of great reproofe and terrour to wicked men because those goodly Creatures being Gods workemanship will plead against them and make them inexcusable 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 e Rom 1.19 in the making of all those Creaturesr. 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 f Esa 45.19 And further if God made all then he knowes all and so all the sinnes of the sinner and in that hee made all hee hath 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 waies 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 mortalitie sinne labour infirmitie g Reuel 10.6 c. Secondly it may comfort them in the successe of Christs kingdom 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 wee 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 h Esa 42.5.6 Thirdly it may comfort vs in our vnion with Christ for what shall separate vs from his loue in as much as hee is vnchangeable himselfe nothing else can for they are all his Creatures and must not crosse his resolued will i Rom 8. Fourthly it must needes bee a comfort to serue such a God as hath shewed himselfe in the Creation to worke so wonderfully Blessed is hee that can reioyce in God and his seruice and is refreshed with the light of his countenance and assured of his loue k Psal 89.11.15 Fiftly the wonders of the Creation serue to shew vs how wonderfull the workes 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 l Ephes 2.10 4.24 2 Cor 5.17 Gal 6.15 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 m Esa 57.18 a cleane heart is a rare blessing for it is created also n Psal 5.18 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 o Esay 54.16.17 43.1.2.3 Lastly it may comfort Gods Children in the expectation of their saluation for God hath promised as certainely as hee hath created the Heauens he will saue Israell though it should bee as hard a worke as was the spreading out of the Heauens p Esa 45.15.17.18.19 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 wee 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 q 1 Pet 4.19 Esa 45.12.7.22 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 r Mal 2.10 Iob 31.14.15 Thus of the Creation The third thing in Christs relation to the Creatures is that All things are for
ioy of our hearts c 1 Tim 2.6 Esay 55.6 1 Cor. 1.6 Reconcile The word imports a restoring of one to Amitie from which he was by his owne fault fallen There is a three-folde estate of man there is the estate 1. of Innocency and heere the man is at Amity with God 2. of Corruption and heere is mortall enmity betweene God and man 3. of Grace and heere they are made friends and the League renewed Into the first estate wee came by Creation into the second by Propagation and into the third onely by Regeneration The distinct knowledge of this three-folde estate of man cleâ—res Gods Iustice from the blame of all those plagues broke in vpon man-kinde through corruption and it should scarre wicked men out of their wretched condition as they are by nature seruants of corruption And it greatly commends the mercy of God that could loue vs when wee were enemies In the performance of this worke of Reconciliation or Mediation there are six distinct things done by Christ the first is Discretion or Dijudication of the cause hee takes notice of the state and businesse of the Church Secondly hee doth report the Will of God the Couenant and Conditions of agreement with God to the Church Thirdly hee makes Intercession for the offending party Fourthly hee satisfies and expiates for sinne Fiftly hee applyes that Satisfaction Sixtly hee conserues the Elect in the state of Reconciliation Discretion and Relation belong to the Propheticall office Intercession and Satisfaction to the Preisthood Who are not reconciled to God in Christ Application and Conseruation to his Regall Office Enquire then whether thou bee reconciled to God in Iesus Christ I consider it negatiuely thou art not reconciled if thou bee not enlightened and inspired with the holy Ghost to lead thee into all truth For if Christ did reconcile thee as a Prophet hee must teach thee both by his Word and Spirit Againe thou art not reconciled if thou haue not consecrated thy selfe to kill the beasts thy sinnes in sacrifice before the Lord and by the Spirit of Intercession to powre out thy soule in Gods sight When Christ reconciles as a Priest he powres vpon man the spirit of Compassion and Deprecation d Zach. 12.12 Thou art not reconciled if Christ beget thee not by the immortall seede or rule thee not by the Scepter of his Word or conserue thee not in vprightnesse with respect of all Gods Commandements Why the Church is called all things All things That is the Church or Elect of God all the faithfull The Elect are called All things 1. because of their number there is a world of them e 2 Cor. 5.19 2. Because there is for their sakes a reconciliation with all the Creatures in generall for corruption is taken from the whole though not from euery part 3. Because God doth not receiue their persons into fauour but all things that belong vnto them that may concerne their felicitie 4. Because whatsoeuer they haue in heauen or earth comes by vertue of this Reconciliation Vses The Vse is 1. to teach vs to take notice of the worlds vanitie What is all the world if Gods Children were out of it Nothing The Elect are all things worth all better then all Kingdomes and Scepters and all the glory of the earth is nothing in Gods account And all is now corrupt with sinne God would haue it knowen hee stands not bound to any in the world or the whole world but onely to the Elect. 2. It should teach vs to know no man after the flesh that is not to respect men for their Lands apparrell titles parentage c. but for Grace f 2 Cor. 5.16 3. Wee should not much wonder at thee 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 g Ephes 4.6 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 To himselfe foure wayes Doct. We are reconciled in Christ or vnto Christ This is true foure waies 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 wee are receiued The Vse of all may bee to teach vs 1 To take heede of opposing Vses 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 wee 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 neere vnto God wee should humble our selues to walke before him in all reuerence and feare And to this end wee should labour for purity of heart that wee might see God h Mich 6.8 Mat. 5.7 Heb. 12.29 1 Sam. 6.10 Yea wee should hate all spirituall pollutions and bee zaalous in all good workes And seeing God hath chosen vs to himselfe wee should set vp the Lord to bee our God to serue him with our whole heart and haue respect to all his Commandements i 1 Pet. 2.9.11.12 Tit. 2.13 Deut. 26.16.17 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 k 2 Chro. 15 3. But let vs cleaue to the Lord with a perpetuall Couenant and resolue to receiue him as our guide vnto the death l Ier. 50.5 Psal 49. vlt. 1 Who made peace 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 hee that reconciles men to the Creatour he is the Prince of peace m Esvy 9.7 the chasticement of our peace was vpon him n Esay 53. He is our peace o Ephes 2. â—3 2 With whom they are at peace 2. With whom the faithfull are at peace they are at peace first with themselues Peace rules their hearts p Col. 3.15 Secondly with good Angels q Psal 34. Heb.
perfection cannot bee denied onely the sense must be inquired into How we are perfect The faithfull are said to be perfect first comparatiuely with wicked men or the Gentiles vnconuerted Religion will make a man perfect in comparison of that which by nature man can attaine vnto secondly they may be said to be made perfect that is to want nothing that is absolutely necessary for saluation thirdly in righteousnesse there is perfection and so they shall be absolutely perfect at the day of Iudgement and are alreadie perfect in respect of Iustification yea this word here vsed is giuen to the sanctification of the faithfull and that two wayes first as to be perfect notes nothing else but to be a strong man in Christ so Heb. 5. vlt. Secondly as to be vpright is accepted with God for perfection by the benefit of the Couenant of Grace and the Intercession of Christ Thus I thinke the very word is vsed in these places 1. Cor. 2.6 Phil. 3.15 Iames 1.17 Heb. 6.1.12.13 Thus there is perfection in Doctrine Heb. 6.1 In Faith Iames 2.22 In Hope 1. Pet. 1.13 In loue 1 Iohn 4.18 Iohn 17.23 In Vnderstanding 1 Cor. 14.20 Quest Quest But who is a strong man in Christ or a perfect man as here Ans First hee that is a strong man in Christ can forgiue his enemies Ans Twelue signes of a strong Christian and pray for them and doe good to them Mat. 5.48 Secondly hee doth finish his worke hee doth not beginne sleightly and worke for a spirt but perseuers The word vsed in that sense Iohn 17.4 Thirdly he doth hold a constant amitie and holy communion with Gods Children 1 Iohn 4.12 Iohn 17.23 Fourthly hee hath renounced the world denied himselfe and consecrated his life to God Rom. 12.12 Fiftly he will not be carried away with euery winde of Doctrine but will acknowledge and follow the truth with all constant vnmooueablenesse 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 he hath a Plerophory or full assurance of the will of God towards him Col. 4.12 Eightly he 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 he keepes the word 1 Iohn 2.5 Twelfthly he is setled in the loue of God and hath not feare but boldnesse 1 Iohn 4.17.18 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 or 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 vanity 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 bee accomplished by his power as it is giuen for his merits and it should teach all the faithfull to make much of communion with Chirst 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 bee 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 mee mightily IN this Verse is contained the seauenth reason to inforce the Exhortation and it is taken from the great paines of the Apostle and the great successe the Lord was pleased to giue to his paines Whereunto Some read 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 bee referred either 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 nor 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 painefull Ministery the Lords work must not be done negligently a 2 Tim 4.1.2.3 1 Thes 5.12 which may iustifie continuall and daily preaching Quest Quest But what needes all this preaching Ans It is exceeding needfull for it is the ordinary meanes to saue mens soules Ans The need of daily preaching 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 induration of the wicked and leauing them without excuse And as there needes daily foode for the body so doth there for the soule and the Lord by his word doth heale the daily infirmities of his people b Psal 107. 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 wee need a daily light for our paths and Lanthorne for our feete c Psal 119. 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 applied to vs the godly are to bee 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 Ministery 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
Lord vseth his power 1. In making his seruants able to walke in his waies both by giuing them power and strength k Eze 36.28 Esay 26.12 and by relieuing and reuiuing their strength daily and renewing it l Esay 40.29 vlt. c. Esay 57.15 2. In keeping them from euill m 2 Tim. 4.18 3. In establishing them that they may perseuere and hold out n Phil. 1.6 Iude 24. 1 Pet. 1.5 1 Sam. 2 9. 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 saith 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 o Psal 89.7 8. Thus the Lord is mighty through the ministerie of his seruants p Galat. 2.8 Col. 1. vlt. Thus the Lord performeth the counsell of his messengers q Esay 44.26 his word returneth not to him in vaine r Esay 55.11 yea his ordinances are his power vnto saluation Å¿ Rom. 1.16 1 Cor. 1.18 they are all mighty through God t 2 Cor. 10.4 Thus it is in particular in the sacraments though for their outward shew they doe not promise much yet by the maruellous operation of God they are auaileable in effect for all that is promised in them onely if we could get this faith in this operation of God here mentioned The vse of all is First for information Vses we may here take notice of the difference betweene hypocrites and the godly in matter of godlinesse they can 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 u Psal 111.2 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 * Psal 68.28.33.45 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 x Heb. 11.35 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 y 1 Cor. 2.5 Thus of the operation of God Through the resurrection of Iesus Christ Many are the benefits which we reape from the resurrection of Iesus Christ As first the resurrection of our bodies z 1 Cor. 15.16.20 Secondly the accomplishment of the promises made vnto the Fathers a Act. 13.33 Thirdly iustification and forgiuenesse of sinnes b Rom. 4. vlt. Fourthly a secret vertue vnto the ordinances of God c 1 Pet. 3.21 Fifthly regeneration Sixtly liuely hope of an immortall inheritance d 1 Cor. 15.14 1 Pet. 1.34 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 happines when we want it is not to be followed nor rested vpon but such things are philosophy 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 thus If in Christ we be deliuered from the power of our sinnes by his quickning grace and from the guilt of them by the free pardon which is to be had by his meanes then we need not goe any whither else neither to philosophie nor traditions c. but so it is and so the very Colossians found it in their case as the words of the text expresse Ergo. The words in themselues expresse the twofold estate of Christians in this world what they are by nature in their vnregenerate estate and what they are by grace in the state of grace In the state of corruption two things are true of them and are true of all men 1. They were dead in actuall sinnes 2. They were then in the vncircumcision of the flesh and likewise dead in it In their estate of grace he puts them in minde of two benefits 1. Regeneration 2. Remission of sinnes Thus of the coherence and order of the words Diuers things may be noted in the generall 1. We may from hence be informed of the fruitlesnes of philosophie traditions or ceremonies of Moses they cannot make a miserable man happy they cannot infuse the least sparke of spirituall life into any 2. We see the Apostle thinks it meet to put men often in minde of their miserie by nature and great reason for it exalts the praise of the riches of Gods grace in Christ And it may serue to humble men for their falls after calling and to keep them still suspitious and watchfull ouer a nature that hath been so prone to sinne and securitie in sinning it may serue to eat down the pronenesse of our nature to vaine boasting confidence in the flesh and it should much excite men to the loue and care of godlinesse and pietie with all life and power seeing they haue been so long slaues to sinne And lastly the Apostle rips vp this matter of purpose to withdraw their mindes from traditions and philosophicall dreames Dead in sinnes They were dead in sinnes both if you respected their publike estate or each particular person If you looke vpon publike states before they are framed and reformed by the word what are they but heaps of men dead in the graues of sinne and senselesse in their sinfull courses and thus it is with euery particular person the words import that he is guilty of many sinnes The svvarmes of sinnes in vnregenerate men and he is dead in them also Naturally euery man is guilty of secret atheisticall conceits of vnbeleefe of ignorance of hardnes of heart of swarms of euill thoughts and affections of hurtfull passions and lusts besides his defects of the knowledge of God and that warmth of the holy affections of loue feare trust and ioy in God Who can sufficiently rip open the vnthankfulnes lukewarmenes hypocrisie inconstancie and presumptuous profanenesse that is in our hearts by nature in matters of Gods seruice how do men daily offend either by not calling vpon the name of God or by taking it vp in vaine who can number the othes lyes reproches curses flatteries and filthy communication hath and did daily infect the mouths of men Oh the world of sinnes we are actually guilty of against God or men or our
know whether we be conuerted and quickned or not I answer it may bee knowen by diuers signes of these signes some agree to the weake Christian and some to the strong Christian The first signe that vsually breaks out in a conuert is affliction of conscience which is such an inward pricking in the heart l Acts 2.41 as causeth him voluntarily to remember his euill wayes m Eze. 20.43 and iudge himselfe daily for it n Esay 4.4 mourning for his sinful life o Esay 61.2 3. confounded in himselfe for his waies which were not good The second is affection to the word such an affection it is as esteemeth the word aboue all treasure p Matth. 13. and longs daily after it q Iob 23. it makes them flie as the doue to Gods house and as doues to the windowes r Esay 60.8 yea their affections to it are such as heauen suffers violence ſ Matth. 11. They feele a sauour of life in the word t 2 Cor. 2.14 Christs words to them are spirit and life u Ioh. 6. Yea such is their affection to the word they can be content to receiue it with patience and much afflictions * 1 Thess 1.6 And if they obtaine a sanctuary of God they will endeauour their owne daily sanctification by it x Ezec. 37. vlt. They will practise the word and be exercised by it The third signe that discouers it selfe in them is their loue to such as feare God y 1 Ioh. 3.14 which they shew by their admiration of them z Isay 61.7 and by their delight in their fellowship a Phil 1.5 and by a willing communicating to them in all ready seruice b Acts 16.14.15 Heb. 6.9.10 Esay 23. vlt. and well-doing The fourth signe is their ceasing from sinne euen their daily endeauour to subdue and forsake all sorts of sinnes inward aswell as outward secret aswell as open lesser aswell as greater yea not sparing their most pleasing gainfull or beloued sinnes c 2 Tim. 2.19 Psal 14.6.4 Esay 55.8 Matth. 18.8 The fift signe is a holy constant desire d Esay 55.1 Matth. 5.6 after Gods fauour and remission of sinnes as the greatest happinesse reioycing in all the hopes and signes of it The sixt is that they can loue and forgiue their enemiese. Now there are other signes in stronger Christians such as these 1. A full assurance of faith in Iesus Christ 2. A longing and constant desire of death and loue to the appearing of Iesus Christ in a sensible and ardent measure and that in prosperitie 3. A greate conquest and victorie in ouercomming the world and the flesh 4. The spirit of prayer and such like Vses The vse of this point concerning the quickning of the godly by true conuersion to God is diuers First since this is the first and common worke without which we can neuer get out of our naturall miserie here may the cursed and damnable waiwardnesse of the most be reproued who liue snorting in sinne as if they needed no conuersion to God How hath a very spirit of spirituall fornication intoxicated men and besotted them that they cannot minde to returne f Hos 5.4 Three sorts of men greeuously transgresse against this doctrine 1. The carelesse that freeze in their dregges and consider not whether God will doe good or euill 2. The inconstant whose righteousnesse is as the morning dew that by flashes and fits only thinke of turning to God 3. The profane scoffer that speakes euill of the good way of God and reprocheth by consequent the very bloud of Christ without which he can neuer be saued Note 2. Heere is an excellent comfort to weake Christians note that the text saith quickned not borne to assure the weake that though their strength be but as the childs when it lieth in the wombe and is first quickened and not so much as the strength of a childe new borne yet they are accepted with God The first springings in the wombe of grace is precious before God though euery thing be not yet so cleerely performed yet if grace be but conceiued in them God knowes them and owes them and will not denie his owne workes but annexeth heere forgiuenesse of sinnes euen to this first sprouting and forming of true grace 3. How should the consideration of this work and the glorious priuiledges belonging to it euen compell all men to awake and stand vp from the dead and neuer giue ouer till Christ bee formed in them labouring aboue all things to be made new creatures resoluing to begge this quickning at Gods hands till by his word he be pleased to beget it in them Lastly how should they walke in newnesse of life that are borne againe of God there is a path and it is called holy and they must walke in it g Esay 35.8 seeing this grace hath appeared how should they deny vngodlinesse and worldly lusts for euer resoluing to liue soberly and godly and righteously in this present world h Tit. 2.12 And they should giue all diligence to make vp their assurance of their holy calling and election i 2 Pet. 1.10 Heb. 6.12 Girding vp the loynes of their mindes that they might trust perfectly on the grace that is brought vnto them in the reuelation of Iesus Christ l 1 Pet. 1.13 And since they are in so happie an estate they should alwaies reioyce and let their moderation of minde be knowen to all men being in nothing carefull but in all things making request vnto God with prayers and supplications and giuing of thanks so should the peace of God that passeth all vnderstanding keepe their hearts and mindes m Phil 4.6.4.7 And for our carriage towards others first we should for euer in all places acknowledge such as are borne againe of God n 1 Cor. 16.10 2 Cor. 1.14 Secondly we should exhort one another and prouoke one another to loue and good workes and not forsake the fellowship of the Saints o Heb. 10.24.25.26 praying one for another that God would fulfill the good pleasure of his will and the worke of our faith with power that we might abound in loue and be established in holinesse before God in the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ with all the Saints p 1 Thes 3.12.13 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 with 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 and 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 forgiuen for either it is a Synecdoche 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 euen after forgiuenes are maruellously troubled with the flesh and the wicked proanesse 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 repentance 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 if God forgiue a man he will certainely giue his good spirit to mend his nature and cleanse him from his sin 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 wholly 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 hardnes 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 carelesse multitude and by the entertainement of false opinions about it as that it need not be sought or cannot be knowne or hereafter will be time inough to inquire or else men are conceited in false acquitances 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 works of mercie or piety 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 certainely we pay it not be sides 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 What wee must doe to obtaine forgiuenesse of sinnes Answ 1. Thou must forgiue men their trespasses q Math. 6 16. 2. Thou must acknowledge thy sinnes r 1 Ioh. 1.9 3. Thou must pray and get others to pray for the forgiuenesse of thy sinnes ſ Iam 5.16 4. Thou must often receiue the sacrament of the Lords supper for this is Gods seale of forgiuenesse of sins t Math. 26. 5. Thou must bewaile thy sinnes u Zach. 12.12.13 13.1 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 contrarie 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 down 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 if the debt be paid and the obligation cancelled then is it a fond course to cause the obligation wilfully 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 neckes 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 Chyrographe a bill of debt and it accuseth by ordinances that is it taketh conclusions from the law of God to arrest or condemne the sinner But most vsually it is referred to the ceremoniall law by some of them men did enter into bond as by circumcision so faith the Apostle he that is circumcised is bound to keepe the whole law Gal. 5.5 By others of them men made bils of debt circumcision confesseth corruption of nature by propagation The washings were open confessions of the foulenes of our liues x in the sacrifices men subscribed to their owne death and damnation for they confessed they had deserued to die in steed of the beast The words may be true of all but most principally of the ceremoniall law In generall he here intreateth of deliuerance from the ceremonies of Moses then two things may in particular be noted 1. What the ceremonies were in themselues 2. The manner or meanes how the Church was discharged of them For the first if we require what they were They were 1. for honor ordinances of God 2. for vse hand-writings 3. for effect they were against vs or contrarie to vs. Ordinances Some read for ordinances some read by ordinances some with ordinances and some of ordinances They that read for ordinances say the hand-writing was for ordinances that is either in fauor of the decrees that
in this work beares the Image of Christ and in him Christ riseth before our eyes 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 because he imprinteth a secret kinde of heauenly mindednesse the Christian in some weake measure liuing as Christ did in the interim betweene his resurrection and ascension waiting alwayes for his exaltation into heauen Now the consideration of this worke is heere vsed by the Apostle to perswade vnto the meditation of heauenly things and that fitly for if wee bee risen as Christ was then we must bee minded as hee was now wee know that after hee was risen againe hee was not encumbred with this world nor did he conuerse with the men of this world but liued with the Lord as it were immediately in a heauenly manner waiting for Heauen so should a Christian doe he should euery day bee striuing to get vp his heart by faith and prayer and meditation and voluntary abnegation by all meanes begging and seeking the vertue of Christs resurrection that being enabled to forsake the world and the vnnecessary society with worldly men he might haue his heart and conuersation in heauen euery day waiting when the time of his changing should come Quest How may a man know whether he be risen with Christ Ans Hovv a man may knovv vvhether he be risen vvith Christ Who are not risen vvith Christ This question may bee resolued both negatiuely and affirmatiuely For first they are not risen with Christ that are in bondage to traditions as the coherence with the latter end of the former chapter shewes nor they that are drowned and made sencelesse with the cares of this life or the pleasures of voluptuous liuing i Luk. 21.34 nor they that confirming themselues in a dead presumptuous common hope plead the abounding of Gods grace to auouch their continuance in sinne k Rom. 6.1.4.5 1 Pet. 1.3 For the Apostle in the Epistle to the Romans vseth a reason taken from our conformity to the resurrection of Christ to confute this vicious and prophane plea of carelesse men Further they that worship the Beast the great Antichrist of Rome and receiue his marke vpon their foreheads or their hands are reckoned among the dead men that haue not their part in this first resurrection l Reu. 20.4.5.6 Also the Prophet Esay seemes to say that such men as will not see Gods high hand of Iudgement nor will learne to doe vprightly in the land of vprightnesse nor can bee allured to godlinesse though mercy be shewed them are to bee accounted among the dead men that shall not liue m Esa 26.9.10.14 Lastly they are not risen with Christ that doe not beleeue in Christ n Joh. 11.25 Now for the affirmatiue They may haue comfort in the first resurrection that haue felt a diuine power in the voyce of Christ quickning their hearts with effectuall desire and endeauour to rise out of the graues of sinne o Ioh. 5.25 and to stand vp from the world of the dead p Eph. 5.14 2. That are constantly affected with an holy estimation of the knowledge of Christ crucified and risen againe an effectuall knowledge I meane valuing the meanes and signes of it aboue all earthly things q Phil. 3.9.10 3. That finde their hearts changed from the cares and delights of this life to a constant desire of the second comming of Christ to translate them to the presence of glory in heauen 4. That shew a daily care to walke in newnesse of life yeelding their members as weapons of righteousnesse striuing to crucifie the olde man and destroy the body of sinne as they that are aliue vnto God r Rom. 6.4 5.6.13 2. Againe in that the Apostle saith if yee bee risen againe with Christ seeke those things that are aboue wee may note that it is as hard a thing to get vp the heart of men to the study of heauenly things as to lift vp a massie corps out of the graue and to inspire it with the desire of life As easie to reuiue a dead man as persvvade a carnall man there is neede of the spirit and power of Iesus to doe it And therefore wee should not wonder to see naturall men so heartlesse nor should we attribute it to any inefficacy in the meanes if carnall men bee not perswaded for a man may long perswade a dead man to rise before he will get vp and it should touch vs with all thankfulnesse to acknowledge Gods mercy if he haue giuen vs a minde to heauenly things to desire them and delight in them Thirdly in that he saith if yee bee risen speaking not onely conditionally but doubtfully it imports that one should bee exceeding carefull to search and trie whether they haue their part as yet in this first resurrection and withall implyes that many a man may seeme to himselfe and others to bee deliuered from the kingdome of darknesse and yet lie buried still in the graues of sinne Seeke thâ—se things which are aboue Heere the Apostle enters vpon the proposition of the first maine exhortation or rule of new life Now before I bring in the Apostle vrging this duty imagine with thy selfe how farre the Christian thus now to bee instructed for order of life hath already proceeded by faith for before a man can bee truely capable of direction of life there bee diuers things requisite in the preparations of faith The preparations of faith before a man can be capable of directions of life And these things are necessarily to be presupposed 1. That faith hath plucked him out of the world of sinners or dead men so that hee is already withdrawen from the society of the wicked 2. It hath shewed him Gods fauour and ioyned him to Christ 3. It hath shewed him in some measure such things in the Kingdome of Christ as his naturall eare neuer heard nor his naturall eye neuer saw nor his naturall heart neuer conceiued Å¿ 1 Cor. 2.9 4. It hath ioyned him to the liuing Saints so as he now with great desire delight conuerseth with them 5. It hath made him to suffer in the flesh for his sins and withall hath refreshed his spirit and cured him of his distrustfull and solitary sorrowes 6. It hath garnished his soule with new budding graces and opened for him a fountaine and spring of grace within him euen in his bowels t Ioh. 7.38.39 7. It hath raised in him a true and constant desire of new obedience of life with a secret resolution not to depart from any thing the Lord shall command all the dayes of his life Now presupposing the Christian to bee thus farre proceeded the Apostle comes in and to beginne his institutions of manners hee first chargeth him with this rule Doct. Seeke those that are aboue teaching vs that the first maine thing to be
of Gods works of old stretch foorth thy hand vnto God and let thy soule desire after him if he shew thee his louing kindnesse thou hast enough hide thee with the Lord by daily and secret praier and he will teach thee his will and his spirit shall leade thee and if he see it meet he will bring thy soule out of aduersitie and execute his righteous iudgement vpon all those that haue oppressed thee T is the Lord that quickneth the dead Rom. 4. and calleth things that are not as if they were Lastly hath the Lord deliuered thee out of desperate and deadly crosses Then let the vowes of God be vpon thee and render thou his praise and confesse his name before the sonnes of men i Ps 56.12.13 Your life is hid Doct. The happinesse and spirituall felicitie of Christians is hid and that vsually from the men of the world and many times from the faithfull First the life of Christians is hid from the world Their life is hid from the men of this world First because God who is their life k Deut. 30. vlt. is hid from them Secondly because the glory of their naturall life is many times buried in the gulfe of outward trouble l 2 Cor. 6.9 Thirdly because the life of grace which is only brought to light by the Gospell m 2 Tim. 1.10 is hid from the perceiuing of the naturall man whom the God of this world hath blinded n 2 Cor. 4.4 Fourthly because the way of holy conuersation is hid from them for carnall men are all strangers from the life of God o Eph. 4.17 It is a narrow way and few there bee that finde it p Mat. 7.14 Fiftly because many of the priuiledges of a gracious life are hid from them As first the inrolling of a Christian in the booke of life q Esay 4.4 Phil. 4.3 Secondly the seale of the spirit of promise r 2 Cor. 1.22 Thirdly pardon of sinne Wicked men perhaps know the faults of Gods children but not the forgiuenesse of those faults Fourthly the power of the meanes The word is a sauour of life ſ 2 Cor. 2.14 and hath spirit and life in it t Ioh. 6. Yet it is as a treasure hid in the field or a little leauen hid in three peckes of meale u Matt. 13. Fiftly comfort in their affliction Wicked men know their afflictions but not their consolations x 2 Cor. 2.9 they seldome or neuer marke the glorious issue and how God compasseth them about with ioyfull deliuerance And generally we may burst out with the Psalmist and say How great is the goodnesse thou hast laid vp for them that trust in thee y Psal 31.19 It is great goodnesse but yet note that hee saith it is laid vp Lastly in respect of the life of glory the world knowes not Christians for it doth not yet appeare what they shall be z 1 Ioh. 3.12 Seeing this is so that the life of Christians is hid from the world as it should inferre the Apostles former exhortation so it should further teach vs not to respect nor care for the iudgement counsell censures c. of carnall men in the whole or any part of Christian life for it is hid from them and they know not of what they speake Yea the life of Christians is hid many times from themselues Nay in the second place sometimes the life of a Christian may bee hid from Christians also themselues so as they cannot discerne their owne happinesse especially in some fits of tentation and seldome or neuer doe they fully discerne in this world so much as the glory of their present estate Dauid thought he was cast out of Gods sight a Psal 31.22 Psal 77. And hee most mournfully makes his mone in the 77. Psalme as if hee were almost resolued that the Lord would not be mercifull to him Iacob cries out My way is hid from the Lord b Esay 40.27 and the people somewhat vehemently say Verily thou O God hidest they selfe O God the Sauiour of Israel c Esay 45.15 Which should comfort afflicted Christians since they may here see that it hath beene an vsuall distresse of Gods deare seruants to haue their life hid in God Vse And withall it may warne vs let him that now standeth in the refreshings of the comforts of Gods presence take heed lest he fall But especially it should quicken vs to a desire to be gone and to be in heauen that we might be past all danger But lest Christians should be discouraged he addeth two comforts First it is with Christ Christs life was hid and in what respects Secondly it is in God With Christ The life of Christ also was hid while hee liued For first the glory of his diuinitie was couered as it were with a vaile in his flesh Secondly his outward glory of his life amongst men was obscured by the many crosses he sustained for our sinnes d Esa 53.7 so as the world did not owne him and hee was without forme and despised among men Thirdly his life was hid in the graue Fourthly it was hid in respect of the horrors he felt in his soule the Lord as it were hiding his louing countenance from him for the time Fiftly his glory in heauen is hid from the world and the Saints on earth haue but a glimpse of it All this may comfort vs seeing nothing can befall vs but what hath befallen our head and if the world will not acknowledge our glory and the beautie of the profession of sinceritie it matters not it could not see the excellencie of Christ when he was on earth In God Our life is hid in God either in respect of obiect Obiectiuè Causaliter because it principally consists in the vision of God or causally as God is the first cause to beget it and still to preserue it or else with Christ in God that is with Christ who incomprehensibly rests in the bosome of the Father or lastly in God that is apud Deum in the power of God to dispose of it at his pleasure Which should comfort vs seeing none hath power ouer our life but God and teach vs to commend our spirits into his hands VERS 4. When Christ who is our life shall appeare then shall yee also appeare with him in glory THese words containe the second motiue to perswade to the meditation of heauenly things The second motiue is taken from the consideration of the appearance of Christ the glory of heauenly minded Christians at the day of Iudgement If men would consider of the certaine and glorious appearance of the Lord Iesus Christ when he shall come to take account of all the actions of all men and put an end to all the earthly felicities which man hath with so many inuentions sought and withall but thinke how vnauailable all earthly things will be
his exceeding great reward c Gen. 15.1 The third preseruatiue is the daily practise of pietie If we would seeke the kingdome of God first both in the first part of our life and in the first part of euery day of our life as well in our houses as in Gods house these religious duties constantly performed would be a great and continuall helpe against worldly cares they would cleanse our hearts of them and daily prepare our hearts against them But how can it be otherwise with a man then it is They must needs liue and die the drudges of the world seeing they haue no more care of holy duties at home or abroad they liue like swine without all care of any thing but rooting in the earth The fourth preseruatiue is the due preparation for Christs second comming For when our Sauiour Christ had dehorted men from the cares of this life he adioynes this exhortation Let your loines be girded about and your lights burning and ye your selues like vnto them that wait for their master when he will returne from the wedding that when he commeth and knocketh they may open vnto him immediately blessed are those seruants whom the Lord when he commeth shall finde waking c. One great reason why couetous men doe so securely continue in the immoderate cares for this world is because they doe so little thinke of death and iudgement Whereas on the other side Christians doe with some ease withdraw their hearts from the world when they haue inured themselues to die daily by the constant remembrance of their latter end and by holding fast the euidence of faith and hope waiting when Christ will call for them The fift preseruatiue is to shun the meanes and occasions of couetousnesse And to this end it is good not to conuerse much with couetous persons or to get our selues libertie to conceiue the hope of any long prosperitie and rest in the world and generally we should labour to obserue our owne hearts and other mens liues and what we finde to be a meanes to kindle or inflame couetous desires that wee should auoid and betimes set against it or mortifie it And thus farre of couetousnesse And thus also of the catalogue of sinnes from which he doth disswade The reasons follow VERS 6. For the which things sake the wrath of God commeth on the children of disobedience VERS 7. Wherein ye also walked once when ye liued in them THese words containe two reasons to enforce the exhortation in the former verse The one is taken from the euill effects of the former sinnes vers 6. The other is taken from their owne experience while they liued in the estate of corruption vers 7. In laying downe the reason from the effect two things are to be noted First what sinne brings viz. the wrath of God Secondly vpon whom viz. vpon the children of disobedience Before I come to intreat of the wrath of God apart I consider of it as it stands in coherence with the former reason For in these words we are assured that man liuing and continuing in filthines and couetousnes shall not escape Gods wrath for they incurre both his hatred and his plagues both which are signified by the word wrath Gods wrath vpon vncleane persons And if any aske what plagues filthy persons and couetous persons shall feele I answer briefly and distinctly that neither of them shall scape Gods wrath as the Scriptures plentifully shew The filthy person brings vpon himselfe Gods curse temporall corporall spirituall and eternall Temporall for whoredome and any kinde of vncleannesse brings vpon men many temporall plagues in their estate the fire of Gods iudgements consuming many times their whole increase as hath beene shewed before Corporall for God many times meets with the sinnes of the body by iudgements vpon the body so that many filthy persons after they haue consumed their flesh and their body by loathsome diseases which follow this sinne in the end say with the foolish young man Oh how haue I hated instruction and despised correction d Pro. 5.11.12 Now I am brought almost into all euill in the middest of the assembly Spirituall for vncleannesse breeds in many a reprobate sense e Rom. 1.24.29 c. and finall impenitencie Many also for their filthinesse are pursued with secret and fearfull terrors of conscience and sometimes phrensie and desperate perturbations Eternall for the adulterer destroyes his owne soule and is shut out of the kingdome of heauen as hath beene also before declared Neither let the couetous person thinke hee shall speed any better for God hates him wonderfully And therefore the Prophet Ezechiel saith that the Lord smites his fists f Ezech. 22.13 at the couetous which is a borrowed phrase to expresse most bitter and sharpe threatnings Now lest the people should obiect that those were but great words the Lord would not doe so they would deale well enough with the Lord he preuenteth it and saith Can thy heart endure Vers 14. or can thine hands be strong in the dayes that I shall haue to doe with thee I the Lord haue spoken it and will doe it Let couetous persons without further enquirie 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 countrey their burnt offerings would not bee pleasant nor their sacrifices sweet vnto him g Ier. 6.13.20 Ob. But couetous persons are of most men so well furnished that there is not that meanes 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 may fall vpon it and neighbour and friend may perish together h Ier. 6.21 The Lord hath meanes enough when men little thinke of it to bring downe rebellious sinners Ob. But wee see couetous persons and wealthy worldlings scape the best and longest of many others Sol. The Prophet Amos saith Amos 8.5 6.7 the Lord hath sworne by the excellencie of Iacob will neuer forget any of their workes Though the Lord may deferre yet certainly hee 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 k Hab. 2.10 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 l Iob 27.8 he that is a great oppressor shall not prolong his dayes m Pro. 18.16 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 n Ier. 17.11 How horrible then shall
out like fire and the rockes are broken by him The wrath of God to shew the exquisite and intolerable Secondly by similitude 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 said to be a consuming fire z Heb. 12.29 Deut. 4.24 Moses also saith 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 a Deut. 32.22 Thirdly by example Thirdly who can th nke the anger of God not to be infinitely terrible that can but seriously consider these examples and presidents of it First Gods reprobating or fore damning of millions of men Secondly the sinne of Adam pursued with such vnconceiueable iudgements vpon him and his name Thiâ—dly the drowning of the old world the burning of Sodome the opening of the earth to swallow vp the rebellious the sea swallowing vp Pharaoh and his hoâ—st Fourthly the forlorne estate of the Gentiles not looked after for many hundred yeeres Fiftly the Iewes sometimes the only 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 suretie for 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 be liuely in this point When but a drop of anger lights vpon the soule of man in this world how vnable is he to sustaine 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 point Hovv vvrath is brought vpon vs. For the second wrath is wrought or brought vpon vs foure wayes First the Law workes wrath for being transgressed it breeds displeasure pleads for iudgement records sinne and presents it in Gods sight Secondly Christ in the ministerie of the word applies wrath or discouers Gods indignation and so he is said to smite and slay the wicked b Reu. 19.15 Esay 11.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 13.4 Thirdly the Magistrate is a reuenger in executing Gods wrathc. Fourthly wrath is brought vpon vs by Gods armie 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 The signes of Gods anger Thirdly concerning the signes of Gods anger wee must vnderstand that Gods eternall anger towards other men in particular cannot be knowne nor his temporall anger by any ordinary way of certaintie 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 knowne and so may his priuate anger to our selues in speciall Signes of publike anger 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 be knowne 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 births 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 we know Gods anger Wee know fire either by the report of men worthy to be 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 Ambassadors 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 Signes of priuate anger The signes of Gods anger to a particular man are such as these First if a man haue not the markes of a childe of God vpon him for whom God loues and is not angrie with they are marked with peculiar graces as indelibly as they were marked in Ezechiel with the letter Tau d Ezech. 9. Secondly if he finde himselfe directly vnder the threatnings of Gods word Thirdly it 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 reades and prayes without all affection or life and is so constantly For if the Lord were pleased hee would shew himselfe in the vse of the meanes of communion with him Fourthly a man may gather something by his crosses for if he finde a sting in them that God fights against him in them so as they pierce and vex and disquiet his soule with perplexitie but especially if hee finde his heart also closed with hardnesse so as hee doe not call when the Lord bindeth him this is in all likelihood not onely a signe of wrath but that the wrath increaseth e Iob 36.13 this is the rod of indignation Fiftly if a man liue in some sinnes they are manifest signes of wrath as persecution f 1 Thess 2.16 whoredome g Prou. 22.14 hatred of the brethren h 1 Iohn with-holding the truth in vnrighteousnesse i Rom. 1.18 couetousnesse and vncleannesse k Eph. 5.35 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 terrors and paine of the conscience the Lord making some men to feele the edge of his axe and fighting against them with his terrors Now wheresoeuer these are felt by a soule that hath not beene truly humbled for sinne they are assured pledges and beginnings of Gods wrath from heauen Hitherto of the greatnesse meanes and signes of Gods anger Hovv publike vvrath is pacified Now of the way to pacifie Gods anger when it is perceiued Gods publike anger is pacified and staied first by the praiers 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 l Ioel 2.13.14 c. Secondly by the seuere execution of iustice by Magistrates vpon notorious offenders and thus Phinehas staied the plague m Num. 25.1 Thirdly by the generall repentance of the people and thus Gods anger towards Nineuie was pacified n Jonah 3. Fourthly and especially by the intercession of Christ intreating for a Citie or Nation So was Ierusalem deliuered out of captiuitie as the Prophet Zacharie declares Zach. 1.12 Zach. 1.12 How priuate wrath is pacified 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 o Ioh. 36.18 and the most mighty helpes cannot cause the Lord to with-draw his anger p Iob 36.18 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 attonement for the sinnes of thy soule q Mich. 6.6.7 To crie Lord Lord at home r Matth. 7. or the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord Å¿ Ier. 7. 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 t Ioh. 2.1 Râ—m 5.9 Yet in some respects and as meanes the Lord doth appoint vnto vs that wee 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 hee is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes u 1 Ioh. 1.9 and if we iudge our selues the Lord will giue ouer iudging vs * 1 Cor. 11.34 If disobedient Israel will returne and know his iniquities the Lord will not let his wrath fall vpon him x Jer. 3.12.13 Godly sorrow also is very auailable to quench wrath If Ierusalem will wash her heart she shall be saued y Jer. 4.14 the Lord will heare the voice of our weeping z Psâ—l 6.8 Praier also is of great vse and force for the Lord is a God that heareth praier a Psal 65.2 And the Prophet Zephany sheweth that if the people can learne a language once to call vpon the name of the Lord b Zeph. 3 9. in the sinceritie of their hearts hee will not poure vpon them that fierce wrath which shall certainly fall vpon all the families that call not vpon his name Secondly faith in the bloud of Christ procureth reconcillation and forgiuenesse of the sinnes that are past through the patience of God c Rom. 3.25 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 importunitie casting himselfe vpon Christ for shelter and seriously setting himselfe against euery iniquitie euen because there is hope Hovv vve may knovv that God is pacified Finally wee may discerne that God is pacified diuers 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 comfortable testimonie that the Lord is returned Thirdly it may bee perceiued by the witnesse of the spirit of adoption speaking peace d Psal 85 8. to our consciences and with vnutterable ioyes quieting and satisfying our hearts Vses 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 innocencie e Hos 8.5 Be not a mocker lest thy bonds increase f Esay 28.22 Art thou an vncleane person a railer a drunkard an vsurer a swearer a lier a prophaner of Gods Sabboths 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 g Psal 90.11 Secondly seeing Gods wrath is so exceeding terrible and fierce blessed are all they that are deliuered from it in Iesus Christ We should be stirred vp to constant thankfulnesse because the Lord hath forgiuen vs the punishment of our sinnes 1 Thess 5.8.9 Heb. 3.11.12 so as now there is no condemnation to vs being in Christ Iesus Lastly seeing the Lords anger is so dreadfull wee 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 wee be not hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sinne And thus of the wrath of God The children of disobedience 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 indeed are wicked and prophane Esaus The former sort were disobedient men D sobedient men and the latter are disobedient children Disobedient children And these disobedient children in the Church are of two sorts for some will not be tied to liue in their fathers house but that they may the more securely sinne and wallow in all filthy abominations they shunne Gods house for the most part and liue without any conscionable subiection to any ministerie Such was the prodigall sonne and such are our common swearers drunkards and vncleane persons nay they goe further for they speake euill of their fathers house and slander their owne mothers sons Now the other sort liue in their fathers house they come to heare and receiue the Sacraments they are there at bed
5.17 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 securitie of multitudes of people that are sunke so deepe in rebellion that they cannot consider nor seriouslie minde their owne conuersion They looke not vpwards to behold the angry 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 defaced and the Deuill intrenched in strong holds for tentations and the conscience either awake and then the fire 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 things 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 bee new creatures I would answere him they are not to be found in Tauernes Ale-houses Play-houses cock-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 will be accepted of in Iesus Christ Renued in knowledge Knowledge is a chiefe part of the new grace of a Christian without it the minde cannot be good x Pro. 19.2 it is a singular gift of God to the elect to reueale vnto them the mysteries of the Kingdome y Mat. 13.11 it is the beginning of eternall life on earth z Ioh. 17.3 but wee must vnderstand that this knowledge here meant is neither naturall nor sensuall nor ciuill nor morall nor historicall nor a generall Theologicall knowledge What true knowledge is but a religious sauing knowledge it is a knowledge by which a Christian sees in a mirrour hee stands and wonders it is a knowledge that will transforme a man a 2 Cor. 3.18 it is the experimentall knowledge of the vertue of Christs death and resurrection b Phil. 3.10 it is a knowledge will keepe a man from the euill way c Prouerb 2. it is a knowledge will encounter euery thought and affection d Es 11.8.10 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 hypocrisie e Iam. 3.17 Rules for attaining of true knovvledge 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 f Ephes 5.14 2. Wee must consecrate our selues to holy life and seeke the feare of God for that is the beginning of this wisedome g Rom 12.1 Prou. 1. 3. Wee must denie our carnall wisedome and become fooles that we may be wise h 2 Cor. 3.18 4. Wee must walke with the wise i Prou. 13.20 5. We must begge of God a lowly and a humble heart for with the lowly is knowledge k Prou. 11.3 Lastly wee must studie the Scripture and attend vpon daily hearing and reading for they are the onely fountaines of true knowledge and wisedome l 2 Tim. 3.16 Renued The knowledge of the faithfull in this life euen after calling needes to be daily renued 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 store of prouision out of the word for defence And our affections are wonderfull apt to lose sence and feeling and then there is no other way to recouer sence but by renuing contemplation And besides in asmuch as faith and repentance must be daily renued therefore also must examination of life and meditation of Gods promise and grace be renued 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 Vse This may serue 1. for information For here we may know the necessity of daily teaching since we neede daily to be renued 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 sobriety 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 represse the itching curiositie of our natures thirsting after forbidden knowledge Lastly we should resolue of the neede we haue to be admonished instructed directed or rebuked and therefore reioyce in it if any will shew vs that mercie to smite vs with rebukes or guide vs in the way After the Image of him that created him How Christ is the Image of God Gods Image is in Christ in the Angels and in man Christ is the Image of God in two respects because he is the eternall sonne begotten of his substance and therefore called the character of his person or substance m Heb. 1.3 The Image of the inuisible God n Col. 1.16 and so he hath most perfitly the nature of the father in him 2. Because he was manifested in the flesh for in Christ made visible by the flesh the perfection and as it were the face of the Father is now seene And therefore our Sauiour saith he that seeth mee hath seene the Father o Ioh. 14.9 for the fulnesse of the godhead which was in the sonne being vnited and as it were imprinted on the flesh bodily p Col. 2.9 he did resemble and as it were expresse his owne and his fathers nature after diuers manners and by diuers workes or actions How the Angels are Gods Image The Angels are Gods Image and therefore called the sonnes of God because they resemble him as they are spirituall and incorporeall and immortall substances And secondly as they are created holy iust and full of all wisedome and diuine perfections in their kinde How man is Gods Image Amongst the visible creatures man onely beares the Image of God And so he doth 1. By creation q Gen. 1.26 2. By regeneration r Ephes 4.24 He was created in it And then falling from God by sinne hee recouers the renuing of
propagated 4. His obedience was charged with the obseruation of the tree of life and of good and euill Vses 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 freedome like the Angels from all terrene necessities 2. An vtter abolishing of the sinfull flesh and of the very naturall disposition to die 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 honour to be like God it 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 keepe them with all diligence x Pro. 4. 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 libertie 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 steed thereof with so much care fashion themselues after this world y Rom. 12.2 or after the lusts of their owne and old Ignorance z 1 Pet. 1.14 or after the wills and humors of men a 1 Pet. 4.2 3. How are we bound vnto God for this vnsearchable 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 wee must vnderstand that to say man is the Image of God and man is after the image of God Imago ad Imaginem is not all one for man is said to be the Image of God because hee is truely so and hee 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 waies created first in respect of being and so God created him 2. In respect of new being and so Christ created him b Ephes 2.10 1 Cor. 8.6 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 sustained the person of all mankinde else how could we be said to bee 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 thinke God must needes saue them because hee made them 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 repentance 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 c Psalm 51. and to create the fruite of the lips to be peace d Esay 57.19 and to create vpon euery place of Mount Sion and vpon the assemblies thereof a cloude and smoake by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night that vpon all the glory may be a defence e Esay 4.5 and to create light f Esay 45.7 and deliuerance out of afflictions Besides the doctrine of the creation teacheth vs the feare of that dreadfull maiestie that was able to worke so wonderfully g Psal 33.7 and 8.9 and it inforceth humilitie by shewing that we 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 h Rom. 8.19 And secondly in the impressions of the vertue of his death and resurrection i Rom. 6. Phil. 3. And thus of the tenth 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 an other 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 here 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 wrangling 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 Here 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 Barbarian nor Scythian bond nor free Out of these words these two things may be obserued Nothing will auaile without Christ I. That nothing without Christ can make vs truly happy The image of God or felicitie of man stands not in birth freedome naturall parts or outward obseruances for he is not a Iew that is one outwardly nor is that liberty that is onely in the flesh nor is that wisdome that is onely in learned men such as were the Graecians Diues 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 a Gal. 3.28 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 b Rom. 1.16 so in the disposing of his gifts c 1 Cor. 12.13 hee bestowes knowledge and other graces vpon people of all sorts and for acceptation whosoeuer feareth him and doth righteousnesse he is accepted of what nation or state soeuer hee be d Act. 10.34 and all this will more fully appeare when he shall iudge euery man without respect of persons according to his workes at the last day e Rom. 1.10 Vses 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 swaied with outward respects f Deut. 10.16.17 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 Act. 10.34 1 Pet. 1.17 for the Lord accepts not the persons of Princes nor regardeth the rich more then the poore or the learned more then the vnlearned for they are all the worke of his hands g Ioh. 34.19 3. To be industrious in well doing seeing he that doth good shall be accepted whether he be bond or free Graecian Barbarian one or other h Rom. 2.8.9.10 for the same God is Lord ouer all and rich vnto all that call vpon him i Rom. 10 11. and endeauour by well doing to approue 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 k Iam. 2.1.5 5. Not to giue titles to men l Iob. 32.21.22 and by seruile flatterie or feares to bee 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 friends or foes strangers or home-borne should carry them besides the iust regard of the cause m Deut. 1.17 2 Chron. 29.6 How Christ is all in all 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 n Eph. 2.10 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 amends for all wants he is in steed of liberty to the seruant and in steede of birth and honour to the Scithian and Barbarian he is the substance of all shadowes to the vncircumcised what shall I say he is righteousnesse o Dan. 9.29 riches p Col. 1.27 and wisedome q 1 Cor. 1.30 sanctification and freedome r 2 Cor. 3.17 and a recompence Å¿ Esay 40.9 to Christians yea in him all things are theirs t 1 Cor. 3.21 and as the pledge of all they haue receiued the spirit of the sonne into their hearts u Gal. 4 6. Vses The vse of all this may be diuers 1. Vnto vs therefore there should bee one Lord euen the Lord Iesus Christ * 1 Cor. 8.6 The Vses 2. All sorts of men should striue by all meanes to set out and shew Christ onely Ministers should reach Christ only 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 wee 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 we want health or liberty or wealth or worldly friends 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 hee will giue vs all things also 4. This may greatly reproue the wonderfull stupidity 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 he 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 Excellent consolation in Christ 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 x Rom. 3.25 hee is the end of the Law for them y Rom 10.4 yea all that the Law can require of them hee will be their witnesse and their testimony z Esay 55.6 1 Cor. 1.6 Hee giues them promises and faith to beleeue them a Gal. 3.22 and it is his bloud that perfectly cures and clenseth them from all their wounds and sinnes b 1 Ioh. 1.7 Secondly are they distressed vnder the power of Sathans temptations or accusations why he sitteth at the right hand of God to see that nothing be laid to their charge he maketh intercession for them c Zac. 3.1.2.3 Rom. 8.33 and for the stings of this ould serpent hee is a continuall brasen serpent d Joh. 3. they may but looke vpon him and be healed Yea hee was tempted himselfe that hee might succour them that are tempted e Heb. 2.18 and his power dwelleth in them to be manifested in their
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 grieues 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 glorie should bee aboundant in the worke of the Lord. Vse therefore to quicken vs to a desire to walke precisely circumspectly exactly Ephes 5.15 striuing to redeeme the time that hath been lost in the seruice of sinne and the world Giuing thankes to God euen the Father by him These words are diuersly considered Some thinke the former words are an explication of these as if he should say be carefull in all things to glorifie God for this is right thanking of God when men do not only praise God in words but in obedience Some thinke in these words is lodged a reason of the former as if he should say glorfie 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 be an inlarging of the former rule by wishing them whatsoeuer fals out to be thankefull so as neither prosperitie puffe them vp nor aduersitie deiect them but I take it to be a distinct rule from the former and so heere is to be noted 1. The dutie 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 thankfulnesse to God I consider Why. 1. the necessitie oâ— it God will not dispense with it therefore in Ephes 5.20 the former rule being omitted this is specially vrged and 1 Thess 5.18 this is charged vpon vs as the will of God in Christ Iesus Secondly For vvhat for what wee must giue thankes viz. for Christ as the fountaine of all fauour Eucharist 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 libertie in Christ euen vnto outward things Å¿ 1 Cor. 10.30 for any successe or victorie ouer our corruptions of nature t Rom. 7 25. in short for all things whatsoeuer u 2 Cor. 4.15 1 Thess 5.18 Hovv 1 Cor. 14.16 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 i. with vnderstanding and feeling in our hearts 2. When we giue thankes we should doe 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 * 2 Cor. 4.15 3. With a deepe sense of our owne vnworthinesse and thus the 24 Elders are said to cast downe their crownes and fall on their face when they praised God Reu. 4.9 10. and 7.12 Luk. 17.4 By all meanes We must praise God by Psalmes praier celebration of the Sacrament workes of mercy and obedience Hovv long 4. How long That is answered Eph. 5.20 Reuel 7.12 Alwayes If wee must pray alwayes then wee must praise alwayes wee may no more neglect thanksgiuing then praier Nay when praier shall cease because all mortall infirmities and wants shall cease yet thanksgiuing must goe 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 alwayes watching hereunto preseruing sense not forgetting Gods mercies euen making it our daily sacrifice 2. To humble vs vnder our vnthankfulnesse for grace knowledge the word fellowship in the Gospell and all kindes of blessings yea wee 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 thanks Rom. 14.6 To whom then doe they eat that giue not thankes Certainly not to the Lord. Finally if the poore Gentiles were so punished for vnthankfulnesse Rom. 1.21 that had but the glimmering light of nature to guide them and read their lessons only 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 wee repent of our vnthankfulnesse wee shall perish with a worse destruction then Tirus and Sidon or Sodome and Gomorrah To God euen the Father These words are to be vnderstood not diuidendly but conioynedly and so declare who is our God euen he 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 maiestie he is a Father there is his loue and therefore great incouragement to go to him with all suits and praises With all suits he is God and therefore able to help and Father and therefore willing to help With all praises hee is God and therefore meet to be worshipped he is a Father and therefore will accept the calues of our lips nor 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 Angels or sacrifice to our nets 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 dwels 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
c. 1 Pet. 2.19.20 Ob. 6. But my Master is not only a froward man but a wicked man and an enemie of Christ Sol. Yet thou must honour and obey him willingly 1 Tim. 6.1.2 Ob. 7. But I am an hired seruant not a bought seruant Sol. Indeed Masters haue not that power ouer them they haue ouer bondslaues but yet all seruants are here bound to obey heartily Ob. 8. But vnmeet things are required Sol. Discerne things that differ but yet obey in all things All thiâ— reproues grudging and slow and stubborne seruants Whatsoeuer yee doe Not only 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 Doct. 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 willingnesse prouidence conscience c. For comfort and encouragement also is this doctrine and that three wayes First here 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 as well as if thou wert preaching or praying c. When the Apostle saith not vnto men wee must vnderstand not principally or only Thus of the exhortations The reasons follow VERS 24. Knowing that of the Lord yee shall receiue the reward of the inheritance for yee 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 cheerefully 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 Doct. Seruants may and ought to know and be 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 libertie 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 be denied this knowledge and therefore in the second place it should teach vs to make our calling and election sure Reward Doct. The workes euen of seruants shall be rewarded Vse is for the comfort of seruants and for reproofe of the vnbeleefe that is many times in Gods children doubting of Gods acceptation of their praier and holy endeuours Shall the base and secular workes of mens seruants bee rewarded and the great workes of pietie 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 paiment it implies that the most masters are carelesse and vnmercifull and this they are not only in with-holding conuenient food and raiment but in sending their seruants after long time of wearie labour out of their families emptie and without meanes to liue in the world Reward of inheritance Two things are here 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. Wee should much loue esteeme and desire heauen it is the reward of God Princes giue great gifts but Gods least gift must needs be glorious 2. Wee should learne to be liberall as God is liberall giue freely giue largely 3. Here is a plaine confutation of the merit of heauen for heauen is an inheritance now the sonne doth not inherit the fathers lands hee hath not his lands in measure according to his deserts for most an end the land is purchased before the sonne be borne much lesse can we merit heauen and the rather because we cannot alleadge so much as this we came out of the loynes of the father seeing we are children but by adoption For yee serue the Lord Christ Doct. Christ is the chiefe Lord and therefore masters should be well aduised how they vse their seruants for they are Christs seruants and seruants should be carefull how they obey their masters for they must account to this Steward Thus of the first maine reason VERS 25. But he that doth wrong shall receiue for the wrong that he hath done and there is no respect of persons SOme take this twentie fiue verse to be a conclusion of the whole Doctrine before concerning Familie-duties as if hee would signifie that he would not haue this doctrine of houshold gouernment more contemned then the doctrine of piety or righteousnesse for whatsoeuer wife husband childe father or seruant shall doe wrong in the neglect or breach of these commandements for the familie shall bee sure to receiue for the wrong hee doth at Gods hand without respect of persons Some vnderstand the verse as a threatning to seruants if they doe any way wrong their masters But the commonnest interpretation is meetest viz. to vnderstand it as a reason taken from the certaine vengeance of God against all masters that wrong their seruants and so is the second maine reason to vrge their obedience In the verse I likewise obserue 7. Doctrines 1. Masters must account to God for all the wrong they doe to their seruants in word or deed 2. All Masters shall be punished of God that doe wrong if they repent not though they were otherwise neuer so great yea though they were neuer so good or righteous men for if good men wrong their seruants God will requite it and chasten them for that as well as for other sinnes 3. The soueraigntie of disposing an exact full and finall vengeance belongs to God only men administer only a part or drop of it 4. God will rise vp in the defence of the poorest and meanest Christians to right their wrongs 5. Seruants may not right their owne wrongs and returne words for words or blowes for blowes but commit that to God 6. Seruants must bee subiect not onely to the curteous and iust but to the froward and iniurious masters Lastly God is no respecter of persons or faces hee cares no more for the master then for the man all are one in Christ Iesus there is neither bond nor free Iew nor Grecian rich nor poore but Christ is all in all things as is before declared Verse 11. Thus of the duties of Seruants Thus also of the Doctrine of the third CHAPTER THE LOGICALL ANALYSIS OF the fourth Chapter THE first
vvhich is called Justus vvhich are of the circumcision These onely are my vvorke-fellovves vnto the kingdome of God vvhich haue beene vnto my consolation Vâ—rs 12. Epâ—phras the seruant of Christ vvhich is one of you sâ—luteth you and alvvayes striueth for you in prayers that yee may stand 〈◊〉 and full in all the vvill of God 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 yee may speake fitly 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 painfull 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 godly 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 sonne and it is hee 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 helpe 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. Vers 13. For I beare him record that hee hath a great zeale for you and them that are in Laodicea and them in Hierapolis Vers 14. Luke the beloued Physician Demas greet you Vers 15. Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea and Nymphas and the Church which is in his house Vers 16. And vvhen this Epistle is read amongst you cause it to be read also in the Church of the Laodiceans and that you likevvise reade the Epistle from Laodicea Vers 17. And I say to Archippus take heed to the ministerie vvhich thou hast receiued in the Lord that thou fulfill it Vers 18. The salutation by the hand of mee Paul remember my bonds grace bee vvith you Amen For I bare him witnesse that he is inflamed with great affection both for you and them of Laodicea and Hierapolis Luke also a Physitian 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 good order are as it were a little Church And when this Epistle hath beene publikely read of you send it to the Church of Laodicea to be read 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 owne hand and not by my Scribe I pray forget me not in this restraint The grace of GOD as the only faire portion be now and alwayes 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 wayes fol. 158 Of continuance in praier and of such as fall away from the affections and practise of praier with the inconueniences of it fol. 159 Obiections about praier answered fol. 160 Of watching in praier fol. 160 The doore of vtterance hath fiue things in it fol. 162 Fiue things stop the mouthes of Gods Ministers fol. 163 Christ is a mysterie to six sorts of men fol. 163 Christ a mysterie fiue wayes fol. 164 The Gospell hidden fiue wayes fol. 164 How Ministers must preach 165. How the people must heare fol. 165 What it is to walke wisely fol. 166 He walkes surely that obserues fiue rules fol. 166 Who are without fol. 167 The rules of answering in respect of wicked men fol. 167 Six things obserued concerning redeeming the time fol. 168 Foure considerations of the opportunitie of time fol. 168 What time is lost and how time may be bought againe and how time must bee vsed when it is bought fol. 169 Motiues to redeeme time fol. 170 Obseruations concerning gracious speech fol. 171 The reasons why some men cannot leaue their euill words fol. 172 What they should doe to get victorie fol. 172 Perseuerance in good words as well as good workes fol. 173 Six things concerning answering vnbeleeuers fol. 173 Seuen things required in answering well fol. 173 Foure things concerning answering beleeuers fol. 173 Six rules about receiuing one another fol. 178 Whether the name of Iesus may be giuen to any man fol. 179 Eight things to winne the reputation of iust men fol. 179 What hearers are like to fall away fol. 180 At threefold kingdome of God fol. 180 The priuiledges of the kingdome of grace fol. 181 Six signes to know the subiects of Christs kingdome fol. 181 How men may get into the kingdome of God fol. 182 Why many hearers haue no more comfort in hearing fol. 183 Who are Christs seruants fol. 184 The force of praier 185. Sorts of praier fol. 185 What striuing in praier imports fol. 186 Eight things wee must fight against in praier fol. 186 Rules for praier fol. 187 The miserie of such as fall away fol. 188 The causes of falling away fol. 188 How many wayes Christians may be said to be perfect fol. 189 What wee must doe to be perfect fol. 189 The arraignment of the ciuill honest man fol. 190. 191. 192 Twelue sorts of wrong zeale fol. 194 Six things in true zeale fol. 194 Foure sorts of men reproued about physicke fol. 195 Three rules for our practise concerning such as we suspect in profession fol. 196 A religious familie is a little Church fol. 197 Foure orders in the familie fol. 197 Of reading the Scriptures fol. 198 The profit of reading Scripture and the causes why many profit not fol. 198 Painfull Preachers many times grow idle fol. 199 How many wayes men remember the bonds of others fol. 202 Of the authoritie of the Postscript fol.
wisdome in the prudent in euill times to be silent Amos 5.13 T is not good prouoking euill men nor safe to pull a Beare or a madde dogge by the eares 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 T is the true ambition of a Christian to meddle with his owne businesses 1 Thess 4.11 For conclusion as wee haue seene what it is to walke wisely in the affirmatiue so we must be informed what this wisdome hath not in it It hath not in it a relinquishing of pietie or holinesse in the whole or any part to keepe peace with wicked men Heb. 12.14 It hath not in it a forsaking of fidelitie in the discharge of our duties Amos must not leaue the Court though Amaziah tell him it is his wisest way Michaiah must not flatter Ahab 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 here retained Six things obserued concerning the redeeming of time 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 extraordinary 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 Foure considerations of the opportunitie of time 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 deaw of heauen and the fruits of the earth Act. 14.17 so he hath for the manifesting of his will by preaching Tit. 1.3 for iustification Rom. 3.26 for the testification of our iustification 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 2.6 for mercy 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 ordinary nor easie and euery where to be had Euery day in the yeere 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12.11 Seruing the 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 we 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 What time is lost or in the superfluous feeding of nature either by food or sleepe or in ill company 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 ioyes 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 here is first a time of glory to come Hovv time may bee bought againe 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 dayes of sinne we shall haue dayes 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 we 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 Hovv time must be vsed vvhen it is bought and herein 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 inexpert in the word of righteousnes 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 mercy 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 world 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 wepe not and they that reioyce as though they reioyced not and they that buy as though they possed 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 moue vs to redeeme the time in this respect Motiues to redeeme time 1. We haue our times appointed and the bounds of our habitation assigned Act. 17.26 2. The times will not bee alwaies faier there are perillous times times of sorrow anguish sicknes 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 litle while with men There is a prime of 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 securitite 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 litle or no good imploiment Their estate that haue meanes to liue without labour is vsually accounted an estate of great ease and happinesse But in deed 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 deadnsse of spirit for it is the labouring seruant that enters into his masters ioy Adde that men that abound with leasure 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 wordly 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 imployment 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 imployment in reading hearing conference mortification mercy c. Thus of wise conuersation Let your speech be gracious alwaies and powdred with salt that yee may c. Godly communication is here exhorted vnto and for order here is a precept Let your speech c. 2. the end of the precept that yee may know c. In the precept concerning our speech obserue first the properties of speech which are two 1. they must be gracious 2. powdred with salt And then note the continuance how long the precept is in force and that is alwaies In generall we so heare that we must looke to our words aswell as our workes and therefore they are farre wide that say their tongues are their owne who shall controule 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 tryall for if God make vs new creatures he giues vs new tongues and if he turne the people to him by true repentance Note he doth returne vnto them a pure language Zeph. 3.9 and therefore if any man seemeth to be religious and refraineth not his tongue this man religion is in vaine Let It is not arbitrarie we may looke to our words if we will but it is a flat 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 labourers 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 three waies Obseruations concerning gracious speech 1. 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 First because they flow 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 Note but it is the God of nature that of his free grace giues vs good words Secondly 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 carry 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 a Psal 40.21 Thirdly our words ought to be gracious in respect of the effect such as tend to build vp and minister grace to the hearers b Ephes 4.29 yea gracious words are faire words and faire words are first gracefull words words of thankfulnes 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 c Pro. 15.23 4. Wholesome words not filthy rotten communication d Eph. 4.29 Vse Vse is for
them in that cleerenesse we now see them Thirdly willingly to suffer for righteousnesse 2 Thess 1.5 Lastly Ministers should here be informed and prouoked by all meanes possible in season and out of season to exhort perswade beseech men and turne themselues into all formes to preuaile for it is about a kingdome they labour Thus for instruction 2. It serues for reproofe first of such as can be so easily content either to want or lose the meanes the kingdome of God is taken from them Math. 21.43 Secondly of the waiwardnesse of caueling hearers that can neuer be set downe but are still obiecting against this word of doctrine or the estate of Christians these are condemned Math. 11.16 c. Thirdly it is a great terrour to rich men in speciall who are threatned with impossibilitie to enter into this kingdome if they doe not aboue all other men looke to themselues Math. 10.23.24 Fourthly of the discontentments of Gods seruants vnder crosses is there no king in Sion or is it no priuiledge that the first Dominion is come vnto them Mich. 4.9 Fiftly it specially reprooues those wicked persons that professe by their workes they will not haue Christ to raigne ouer them by his word Luk. 19.14.27 Zach. 14.17 woe is vnto them and woe to such as shut vp the kingdome of God before men Math. 23.13 3. For comfort to all Gods seruants Did so great Kings and Prophets desire to see these things we see what is it to enioy such a Kingdome was it a great offer in Herod to offer halfe his kingdome what is it in God to giue a whole Kingdome better then any kingdome on earth yea this comfort is the greater in that such christians whose grace is but like the graine of mustard seede may be possessed of this Kingdome Which haue beene to my consolation Doct. The labours of Gods seruants are a great comfort vnto good men it is a comfort to see Gods worke prosper and besides ioy in the holy Ghost is wrought in their hearts by the power of the word preached Quest What should be the reason Why many hearers haue no more comfort in hearing why many that come constantly to heare Gods seruants yet get not consolation or not the comfort they desire Answ The lets of comfort are either 1. in men or 2. in God In men they are either of frailty 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 bee 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 peruersnes 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. Contrariety 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 ioyes 3. An ouer high expectation 4. Presumptuous sinnes 5. Spirituall satiety 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 sense 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 imitable 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 need to be comforted of meaner men 3. Here 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 doe not Thus of the salutations of the Iewes The salutations 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 Colossians 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 honour 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 Doct. 1. Ministers are Christs seruants whence followes two things first they must doe his workes Secondly they must not be seruants of men Doct. 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 Prince 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 bee giuen to wine nor to filthy lucre nor fighters nor couetous not prophane in their families not young schollers not
keepe open shops or ride to Faires on the Sabbath day but who repents of the idle and fruitlesse spending of the Sabbath wee doe somewhat in publike duties but who cares for the priuate duties in the family on the Sabbath Men will not openly raile on Magistrates but how licentious are mens tongues in priuate or when doe men affectionately pray for their superiours where is a well ordered Familie to be found Say that men forbeare bloud fighting doe they forbeare anger enuy frowardnesse bitter words They auoide whoredome but doe they shunne filthy speaking and lust Some men shunne drunkenesse but doe they shun drinkings f 1 Pet. 4.3 Open stealth is abhord but secret fraud and deceit is common g 1 Thes 4.6 Deut. 25.13 Couetousnesse is condemned but in worldlinesse men are drowned and see it not Gaming for pounds and hundreds is easily censured but for crownes and shillings it is no offence Men make some conscience of false witnesse in Courts but at home they make no conscience of euill speaking or suspitions or censures It may be men would be loath to be found guilty of raising slanders but yet men loue lyes h Reuel 22. if any body else will inuent them and they will go about with tales and spread them i Leuit. 19.16 they will discouer secrets k Pro. 11.13 they will slaunder by scoffing or iesting l Eph. 5.4 they will report part of mens words but not all or not in their sense m Math. 16.61 and for euill thoughts and worlds of contemplatiue wickednesse these men neuer care for Obiect But some may say what neede all this adoe Ioh. 2.19 11. Obiections ansvvered it is precisenesse to be so curious Answ It is true it is precisenesse and wee are commanded to walke precisely for so the word is Eph. 5.15 And besides there is that necessitie of it that vnlesse our righteousnesse exceede the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharises who yet lead a ciuill life wee cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen n Math. 5.20 Obiect But we see the most men and those too men of great place learning doe not fauour such stricktnesse Answ What then such is the calling of a Christian that not many mighty not many wise nor many noble c. will be drawne to deny themselues that they may be saued But yet we must enter in at that streight gate that few findeo. * 1 Cor. 1.27 Math. 7. Obiect But there is none can doe as you require Answ In many things we sinne all but yet Gods children doe endeauour after the holinesse required confessing their failings and no sinne hath dominion ouer them but now other men allow themselues in these euils and thinke all is well and haue no desire or indeauour to shew their respect to all Gods commandements but venture all to Gods mercy yea they will not forgo such sinnes as they can leaue if they list they will continue in sinnes that neither bring them pleasure nor profit Obiect But might some one of the better sort say what are wee bound to respect all Gods wils and to be perfect and full and to stand so too who is able to beare it is it not a heauie yoake Answ It is true that all this is required and hereby wee may see whither sinne hath brought vs and what impotencie is now in vs It is true also that a mortall condition is a hard condition Our Sauiour meant some thing when he said striue to enter into the straite gate Yet a Christian needs not faint for it is all good worke and he is to obey no worse a will then Gods will and for no worse an end then his owne good and with no worse company then all the Saints Obiect But the multitude of my former sinnes troubles me that I cannot with that comfort addresse my selfe to vndertake this strickt course Answ This is thy comfort that in Christ there is a propitiation for all thy sinnes past and now that God calls for this obedience hee will accept thee as righteous by forgiuing thee all former accounts p Rom. 3.25 Obiect But if all were forgiuen me yet I cannot doe all that God requires of me in his law Answ Thou art not vnder the law but vnder grace q Rom. 6.14 thou art freed from the rigour of the law so that thou extend thy desire and indeauour 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 doe 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 r Math. 13. grow to in short time besides Gods ordinances are mightie through God to fulfill our obedience Å¿ 2 Cor. 10.4.6 and God will shew his power in thy weaknesse t 2 Cor. 12.9 yea it is his couenant not only to require all his will but to giue vs his spirit to cause vs to do them u Ezech. 36.27 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 * 1 Sam. 2.9 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 doe all Gods will and endeauoured it as thou knewest it and that with desire to doe all perfectly certainly the will study care desire is accepted with God 3. Consider whether God hath not let thee see all this while that thou art accepted as full and perfect what sinne hast thou begged pardon for and not obtained it what dutie or grace is it that thou hast praied for constantly and God hath vtterly denied to answer thee If God haue accepted thee why doest thou charge thy selfe falsly Ob. But I know not all Gods wils much lesse can I doe 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 wee not then doe all his wils Though the taske be hard and labour great yet the pay and gaine is exceeding great if we had so many wayes to thriue in our estates wee would refuse no labour Oh why should we not
There are many other benefits signified and assured vnto vs by baptisme The benefits signified in baptisme then these here mentioned for baptisme doth signifie seale vnto vs 1. Our deliuerance from the seas of Gods wrath g Mat. 3.8 1 Pet. 3.21 2. The resurrection of our bodies h 1 Cor. 15. 3. Our communion with the whole Trinitie i Matth. 28. 4. Our adoption k Gal. 3.27 5. Our communion with the Saints l 1 Cor. 12.13 6. Remission of all sinnes m Act. 2.38.39 Baptisme is auaileable for these respects when we amend our liues and confesse our sinnes n Math. 3.38 and gladly receiue the word o Cant. 2.41 and lay hold vpon the promises of grace p Mar. 16.16 especially when the conscience maketh request vnto God q 1 Pet. 3.21 for the application and fruition of the things signified by baptisme Hitherto of the effects The causes follow 1. Faith 2. The operation of God 3. Christs resurrection Through the faith of the operation of God The faith that is mighty through God to make baptisme effectuall and to raise vs vp after the buriall of sinne is neither historicall nor temporary nor of miracles but that which is in scriptures called the faith of Gods elect and by Diuines iustifying faith Nor is it enough to bring hither the perswasion of Gods mercy in Christ which is the first and chiefe act of iustifying faith but we must beleeue the power of God in the particular successe of the meanes for effecting both of mortification and viuification which as I suppose is here meant What faith doth in baptisme where he calleth it the faith of the operation of God Quest But shew vs how faith hath to doe in baptisme or in sanctification Answ In baptisme faith is needfull not onely the faith of explication but also the faith of application for we are bound not onely to beleeue that those things there shadowed out are so as they import but that also they are fulfilled not onely to the faithfull in generall but to my owne soule in particular And for sanctification faith must needs be of great vse for without faith The vse of faith about sanctification nothing we do can please God r Heb. 11.6 And by faith Christ liues in vs Å¿ Gal. 5.20 It quencheth the fiery darts of the deuill t Ephes 6.16 It lightneth our darknes u Ioh. 12.46 It purifieth the heart * Act. 15.9 It ouercomes the world x 1 Ioh. 5.4 It breeds ioy and consolation y Rom. 5.2 And loue to Gods children z Gal. 6. It maketh the Scripture auaileable to saluation a 2 Tim. 3.15 And lastly our prayers to be such as God cannot denie b Mat. 21.22 Hovv vve may come to beleeue the effects of baptisme Quest How may we attaine to it to beleeue that baptisme doth signifie and assure these things to vs Answ 1. Labour 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 goe vnto God and let thy conscience make request for the answer 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 Vses 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 we 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 we see God can denie nothing vnto faith it should be to vs in the sacraments in mortification Three rules if vve vvould reason from Gods povver to the effect 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 from Gods power to the effect he is able to doe it therefore he will do 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 euery thing but such things for which there is promise or meete examples in the scriptures * In vvhat things vvee may beare our selues vpon Gods povver 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 c Phil. 4.13 Esay 41.10 2. In moderating the afflictions to their strength d Esay 27.7 3. In guiding them to the right ends e Job 36.22 Esay 27.11 Zach. 13.9 4. In deliuerance out of them f Psal 71.20 Esay 43. If we looke vpon the enemies of the godly in particular God shewes his power 1. In restraining or disappointing them g Iob 12.16 Esay 54.16 17. 2. In rewarding and ouerthrowing them h Exo. 15.6 7 Esay 42.13 41.15 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 i 1 Cor. 10.12 2 Cor. 12.9 Esay 27.1 Thirdly in the difficulties of holy life the
strength or health Fourthly this care is a signe of little faith o v. 30. Fiftly t is for Gentiles that know not God nor the couenant of his grace and mercy in Christ to seeke after these things p v. 32. T is a grosse shame for any Christian to be so heathenish Sixtly doth not your heauenly father know all that you need q v. 32. If he be a father hath he not will and if he be in heauen hath he not power to helpe Seuenthly you haue a flat promise that if you seek the kingdome of heauen and the righteousnesse thereof which should take vp your cheefest care all these things without such carking so farre as is needfull shall be cast vpon you r v. 33. Lastly hath not euerie day his euill and is not the griefe of the day great enough Å¿ v. vlt. why then dost thou distract thy selfe for to morrow assure thy selfe the time to come will afford thee matter of griefe and trouble enough thou needst not disquiet thy selfe before hand Vse The consideration of all this as it may bee a comfort against all wants and crosses about these base earthly things so it may greatly reprooue those that burie their talents in the earth that is spend all their gifts about earthly matters But especially wee may hence learne diuers lessons And first since wee haue heard Salomons opinion after long discourse that all is vanity wee should learne of the same Salomon therefore to feare God and keepe his commandements for this is the whole of man and the end of all t Eccles 12.13 Secondly let the place of the sanctuarie u Ier. 17.11.12 where we may get the best things for our soules be as a glorious throne exalted Thirdly let vs vse this world as if we vsed it not Let them that reioyce bee as if they reioyced not and they that weepe as if they wept not and they that buy as though they possessed not x 1 Cor. 7.30.31 Fourthly if the Lord giue vs but a little portion in these things let vs esteeme his mercy and liue with contentednesse resoluing that better is a handfull with quietnesse then two handfulls with labour and vexation of spirit y Eccles 4.6 And fifthly we may hence be confirmed to take the more liberty to vse these earthly things for our owne ioy and refreshing they are none of the things the Lord would haue vs with such a doe keepe but hee allowes vs to eat and drinke and delight our selues with the profit of our labours z Eccles 2.24 Eccles 3.12 Lastly we should improoue them and vse them as meanes to doe what good wee can with them in this life I know saith the wise man there is nothing good in them but to reioyce and do good in his life And to this end we shold cast our bread euen vpon the waters for after many dayes wee may finde it Eccles 11.1.2 and giue our portion to seauen and also to eight The best vse of these riches is to be rich in doing good with them Thus of the illustration The confirmation followes VERS 3. For ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God IN this verse and the next the exhortation is confirmed by two motiues the one taken from the condition of the faithfull in this world the other taken from the confideration of their estate in the reuelation of the glory of Christ in the last day The first is in this verse the latter in the next There are two things in the condition of the faithfull on earth which should make them little to minde earthly things or desire to continue long in the world First that in respect of distresses they are as dead men while they liue Secondly that the happinesse they haue which is the life of their liues doth not appeare but is hid with God in Christ For yee are dead The faithfull are dead three wayes while they liue The faithfull dead three vvayes For first they are dead to sinne in respect of mortification Secondly they are dead to the Law by the body of Christ a Rom. 7.4 Gal. 2.19 in respect of iustification so as now the faithfull doe no longer wait vpon the Law for righteousnesse but vpon a second mariage they haue it from him that was raised from the dead for them They are dead to the world and that in three respects First in respect of their owne voluntary forsaking of the world and their mortifying of earthly desires ioyned with a sense of their owne mortalitie so was Paul as a man crucified to the world b Gal. 6.14 Secondly in respect of the worlds account of them For so soone as men get any true grace and retire themselues from the excesses of the time they are neglected and forgotten as dead men out of minde Thirdly in respect of the multitude of afflictions which doe many times ouerwhelme and drowne Christians It is not vnusuall in Scripture to say of men in desperate crosses they are dead men The Prophet Esay cals the people in captiuitie dead men when he saith Thy dead men shall liue c Esay 26.19 The Apostle Paul saith thus If we be dead with him we shall liue with him d 2 Tim. 2.11 Which hee seemes to explaine in the next verse thus If wee suffer with him wee shall also raigne with him Thus Dauid saith He was as a broken vessell forgotten as a dead man out of minde e Psal 31.12 And in another place he saith He was brought to the dust of the earth f Psal 22.15 And in the 88. Psalme hee saith his soule was full of euills hee was counted among them that goe downe to the pit free among the dead like the slaine lying in the graue yea he was laid in the lowest pit in the darknesse in the graue c. g Ps 88.4.5.6 I spare to alleadge other scriptures The vse may be Vses to teach vs as to obserue hence what may befall the best man so in the consideration of our owne estate to say within our selues as Iob did If I haue done wickedlie woe vnto me and if I haue done righteouslie I will not lift vp my head being full of confusion because I see mine affliction h Job 10.15 For though the Lord hath not yet thus ouerwhelmed thee with distresse yet in asmuch as he may doe it to thee as well as to others his deare seruants it should cause thee to walke humblie before God and to learne to die to the world before the world be dead to thee Againe hath misery broken in vpon thee and preuailed ouer thee so as thou seemest to be laid in darknesse as they that haue beene dead long agoe let not thy spirit be in perplexity in thee no strange thing is befallen thee Psal 143. Gods children are but dead men in this world Remember the time past and meditate