is now vsed in some colleges Hereby also wee are kept from surfetting and drunkennesse and from feeding our selues vnto an inflaming to lust Saint Chrysostome speaketh of this excellently Opus est nos et mensam petentes et desistentes gratias agere c. It is needfull that sitting down to meat and rising from meate we should giue thankes For he that is prepared hereunto shall neither fall into drunkennesse or insolence nor be swollen with gurmundizing but hauing the expectation of prayer as a bridle to his senses Chrys loco supra citato hee will with due modesty take of those things which are set before him and so fill his body and his soule with a plentifull blessing Holy Christians eate to the Lord but such as giue not thankes but surfet themselues and are drunke eate and drink to the Diuell VERSE 7. For none of vs liueth to himselfe and no man dyeth to himselfe THis verse hath another Reason to proue that the beleeuing Gentiles and Iewes the strong and the weake doe eate or not eate to the glory of God The reason is taken à generali intentione fidelium Aquinas Caluinus Pareus from the generall intention of the faithful which is to consecrate their whole life and death also to God Or you may say it is taken à toto ad partes from the whole to the parts thus They who liue and die to the Lord doe eate or not eat c. to the Lord. But both the strong and weake beleeuer doe liue and die to the Lord. Therefore c. For all our particular actions and passages are comprehended vnder life and death and therefore Peter Martyr calleth this Argument a generall cause and Rollocke a general reason from the end of life and death Here are the Thing Life and Death and the Amplification first from the Subiect None of vs secondly from the End denyed Not to our selues Life and Death A liuing to righteousnesse and dying to sinne is not here meant though only such glorifie God Neither is here meant a good life and a dying in sinne as Chrysostome expoundeth for this will not agree with that in the next verse Wee are the Lords for they which dye in sinne are not his children But here Naturall life and death are meant comprehending generally all actions and passions and whatsoeuer befalleth vs in life or death None of vs Though all men liue and dye yet here only the faithfull are vnderstood which are set downe generally in respect of themselues None and restrictiuely in respect of others none of vs. None liue c. True of right but not of fact but here of fact is to be vnderstood and therefore he saith None of vs iudging charitably that they were beleeuers in truth as himselfe Paul from their thankesgiuing iudgeth charitably of them Obser so where thou seest any signes of goodnesse iudge the best if thou knowest not the contrary The want of this charity is the cause of much contention Liueth Dieth To himselfe The end is denyed not to our selues and it is affirmed in the next verse To the Lord. To liue and die to a mans selfe may be taken Ciuilly or Theologically To liue to a mans selfe Ciuilly hath two Expositions First to be suiiuris as they say to be his owne man not to be subiect to the command and direction of others as a seruant and bondmen are and this is a Ciuill good 1. Cor. 7.21 and therefore Paul saith to a bondman if thou mayest be made free vse it rather Secondly In liuing onely to care for and respect a mans solfe and this is euill for wee are not borne for our selues but partly for our Countrey partly for our parents c. To liue and die to our selues Theologically both must bee denyed We may not liue to our selues for we are not our owne wee must liue to God and respect him in all things preferre his will before our owne to be at his becke and to refer all things to his glory To dye to a mans selfe is to die so as that wee respect no body and no body respecteth or careth for vs No man saith Ah my brother To die to the Lord is to acknowledge God to trust in God to haue hope of going to the Lord to beare our sicknesse and death patiently and to be content to glorifie God in any manner of death which God shall appoint All Christians must liue and dye to the Lord Doctr. not to themselues 2. Cor. 5.9 Wherefore we labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him 1. Pet. 42. That hee no longer should liue the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God Pauls drift is to perswade to vnity Vse 1 whomsoeuer therefore we see to haue a care to please God and to auoid the sinnes of the times wee ought not to iudge and censure them and to contend with them but to loue and embrace them for with whom should a man liue louingly if not with them which liue to the Lord ayming at nothing but how to please him Our whole life and Death must be to the glory of God Vse 2 Euery thought euery word and deed must bee directed to this maine end the glory of God at home abroad in the Church in the market in prosperitie in aduersitie Many wil shew a face of glorifying God and liuing to him while they are taking and while they thriue but if God beginne to take and in stead of health and riches send the Crosse then they murmure It was falsely said of Iob Doth he serue God for naught let vs take heed it be not truly said of vs that we serue God onely for our bellies Some would be contented to dye to the Lord but haue no care to liue in the Lord It was Balaams wish to dye well but the onely way to this is to liue well True Christians both liue and dye to the Lord. Hee that liues to God shall die to God hee that liues to himselfe shall dye to himselfe and it is a thousand to one but that he which liues not to God shall die to the diuell None of vs Vse 3 as if wicked men had no such care as indeed they haue not Here we learne that the conuersation of beleeuers and the godly must bee otherwise directed then is the conuersation of wicked and profane beasts Their practices become not vs as they care not how they liue so they care not how they dye neither doth God care for them which is fearefull But all our care ought to bee for a good life and a comfortable death Wouldst thou not dye like a drunkard nor rise to the last iudgement as the Reprobates then liue not as they liue to themselues to Satan to sinne to vanity but to the Lord. A good death followes a good life Vse 4 and to liue well is to liue to the Lord and the first and hardest
Lord will haue it so willingly resigne them vnto him Whether the one or the other it is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good as sayd old Eli. Not as I will 1 Sam. 3.18 but as thou wilt Mat. 26.39 said our blessed Sauiour So Saint Paul Christ shall bee magnified in my body whether it be by life or by death If I liue by preaching if I dye by suffering A great comfort Vse 4 If we beleeue we are Christs He preserues vs while we liue and he takes care for vs when we dye Not as we doe doth Christ we when a seruant growes old turne him away But our Master tenderly cares for vs to old age in death and after death We cannot doe as Christ doth when our seruants dye it is out of our power both to command them and to doe for them But death cannot separate vs from Christ but it euen lets vs in to our Masters ioy O how sweet a thing is it Christ to be a good Master to vs when we are dying not to be forsaken in death and left to our selues O the miserable estate of an impenitent sinner As hee hath liued like a wretch and a beast so he dyes Thinke of it you drunkards c. you may liue in some pleasure here for a time but your death shall be a very euill death then you shall bee cast out The Hauke while it liues is in price and vpon the Masters fist sometimes but when it dyes it is cast vpon the dunghill The Partrich is hunted while it liues but when it dyes it is prepared for the Masters owne Table such is the difference betweene a wicked man and a true beleeuer in death He which hath no care to liue to Christ it is iust that in death Christ should take no care for him It belongs to him to care for vs in death to whom we haue directed our liues To whom hast thou liued to Satan O truly miserable for whom none takes care in the houre of death but the diuell our deadly enemy Happy is the man that in the houre of death hath the God of Iacob for his helpe so haue all those which haue liued to him If thou forsakest not God in thy life he will neuer forsake thee in death thy Master Iesus Christ will then stick close to thee when thou hast most need and all the world can doe thee no good Thou shalt haue assurance of the pardon of thy sinnes Thou shalt tread downe Satan vnder thy feet Thou shalt lye downe in the peace ioy and comfort of a good conscience For thy blessed Lord and Master lesus Christ careth for thee and his honour is great in thy saluation VERSE 9. For to this end Christ both died and rose and reuiued that he might be Lord both of the dead and liuing THat we are the Lords was concluded in the end of the 8. verse of which the reason is in this verse where we haue two parts 1. who is this our Lord. 2. what is the cause of his Lordship ouer vs. The person who is our Lord is Christ a title of the second person in the sacred Trinity noting both the Diuine and Humane nature in one person being the name of our Mediator declaring his office In the cause of his Lordship are the actions causing and the effect caused The actions are three 1. He died I call this an action because it was voluntary Potuit mori Iohn 10.18 he could dye if it pleased him No man taketh my life from me but I haue power to lay it downe saith himselfe The 2. He rose that is from death 3. He reuiued Ambrose inuerts the order of these speaking in the first place of his life as meaning his naturall life Hee liued he dyed and rose againe Chrysostome leaues out the second his resurrection the Vulgar which the Papists follow leaues out the last He reuiued Tolet censures the third to be superfluous Caietamu but one of his owne side approues it noting thereby such a reuiuing which shall neuer be subiect to death or one might say the pretertense is put for the present He reuiued that is Erasinus Beza he now liueth or rather hee reuiued to a new state of life not subiect to hunger wearinesse c. but free from such things The effect caused or the end That hee might bee Lord both of the dead and the liuing where we haue the authority that he might be Lord and the obiect both of the dead and liuing That he might be Lord that is so Lord as to protect and saue vs as well as command vs a Lord not onely ouer vs but for vs to deliuer vs from the bondage of other cruell Lords we haue need of such a Lord to defend vs he hath no need of such seruants as we are to serue him Both of the dead and of the liuing sometime quicke and dead comprehends all men both good and bad as in the Creed but here it is meant onely of beleeuers of whom some be dead and some are now liuing and some shall be liuing at the comming of Christ His sauing power reacheth to all beleeuers it is sufficient for all but in regard of the Application the wicked are excluded Christ by dying Doct. rising and reuiuing obtained power ouer vs to saue vs and bring vs to heauen Matthew 28.18 All power is giuen me in heauen and earth which words he spake after his rising and reuiuing Iohn 17.2 Thou hast giuen him power ouer all flesh that hee should giue eternall life to as many as thou hast giuen him Ephesians 1.19 seq Philippians 2.6.7.8.9 Obiect But God is said not to bee the God of the dead Matth. 22.32 Answ The Sadduces denied the resurrection of the body and the Immortality of the soule holding that men dyed as doe beasts now Christ affirmeth that God is not the God of men so dying Then by dead the Sadduces vnderstood men ceasing to liue at all Paul here by dead vnderstands men ceasing to liue this naturall and common life Quest Did he merit and deserue this Lordship for himselfe by his death and resurrection Answ c. So say the Schoolemen but I find no sound ground for it Amb. de fide resur c. 24. The Scripture no where saith that hee died or rose for himselfe but for vs men and for our saluation as saith the Nicene Creed Si nobis non resurrexit vtique non resurrexit qui cur sibi resurgeret non habebat If he rose not for vs he rose not at all who had no cause why he should rise for himselfe Also such power and glory was due to him as hee was God for euer as he was man from the time of his Incarnation by reason his manhood was assumed into the vnity of his person But God appointed and ordained that he should this way enter vpon the execution of his right and that it should be thus made manifest
strenuously cheerefully and watchfully In setting downe whereof there are two things first A Transition secondly An Exhortation The Transition And that not Bezaes Idque nor Chrysostoms Praesertim referring it to the eight verse of this Chapter as an enforcing of the dutie of loue to our neighbour as Piscator but rather the ancient Et hoc so that we do not with Aquinas construe it with tempus or M. Caluins Hoc etiam supplying Edico out of the third verse of the twelfth Chapter or Paraeus his Insuper or if you will Ad haec Praeterea in English Moreouer or Besides or Furthermore I say that now it is high time to awake out of sleepe I take this verse then to be as a Preface to that which followes though it may also be a conclusion of all that is before from the beginning of the twelfth Chapter for watchfulnesse is necessary to the duties precedent and that which followes is referred vpon occasion of these words So that this verse may be likened to Noah who saw the old and new world or to Ianus whose two faces beholds the old and new yeare or to Christ who is the end of the law and the beginning of the Gospell In the Exhortation we haue two parts The Dutie exhorted vnto and the Reason The Dutie It is now high time to awake out of sleepe High time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the houre of waking a short part of time being named to signifie that wee must speedily awake and not lose a minute To awake The Greeke word signifies more namely to arise which is best here and to be necessarily vnderstood if we translate awake for many awake who rise not The Drunkard common Swearer c. are awake sometime they know they doe euill and vnderstand admonitions but they lye still in their sinnes and arise not now the intent of Paul is that we should awake and arise too that is to stand vp from the dead as he speaketh elsewhere Ephes 5.14 Out of sleepe Sleepe is two fold so properly called and Metaphoricall the first is of the body only for the soule sleepeth not and it is that naturall rest which God hath appointed for the refreshing of the dissipated spirits and the preseruation of wearied Nature Metaphoricall sleepe is either of the body or of the soule That of the body Olli dura quies oculos ferreus vrget Somnus Virg. Aen. 12. is Death often called in the Scripture Sleepe Iron sleepe as the Poet called it That of the Soule and it is either the Sleepe of sinne noting an vnregenerate estate or somnus inertiae the sleepe of sloath when hauing receiued grace wee begin to drowse in the duties of godlinesse this last is here meant for hee writeth to beleeuers who somewhat began to be remisse in holy duties So is it said of the mightie men of the hoast of the Ammonites and Moabites in the dayes of Iehoshaphat or of the hoast of Sanecherib in the dayes of Hezechiah They haue slept their sleepe that is they haue languished and fainted not hauing any heart to repell dangers Psal 76.5 The Reason is from the consideration of the time knowing the time Time that is opportunitie of time fit and seasonable time As men when they call vp their seruants vrge them because the Sunne is vp so Paul requires that wee should considering the season the more earnestly apply our selues to our duties This time is set forth by a comparison the time of faith receiued and begunne compared with the time of faith continued and encreased Now is our saluation nearer then when wes beleeued Saluation Not Christ incarnate nor saluation begunne in the remission of sinnes but eternall life which is the reward of faith vnto the which we are now nearer then when we first beleeued and therefore should be the more liuely in pressing toward the same The longer we professe the Gospell Doctr. the more strong in faith and zealous in godlinesse we ought to be Hebr. 5.12 Paul reproues the Hebrewes because they profited not according to their standing and Hebr. 11.32 he vrgeth them to constant enduring and patient suffering of persecution from the remembrance of their courage in the dayes of their first Illumination then they endured a great fight it were a shame now to faint and play the cowards The time of grace is no time of sleeping but of waking Vse 1 and labour Now lay hold now if euer get some thing for hereafter some faith and grace which may helpe and stand vs in stead in the euill day The Merchant obserues carefully the best time of buying in his fraught and then bestirres him The Husbandman in haruest time riseth early calleth his people together and away for it is good to take faire weather while it lasts Now is our haruest let vs be gleaning something The Sheplieard in Lambing time watcheth his flocke as Iacob did Labans let vs now watch to saue our soules Many when they come to heare the Word and to prayers then begin to nod Is this a time of sleeping for shame awake Ganst thou not watch one houre Lose not the pretious time of Repentance Non enim in tempore vtiliter viuitur Aug. Probae Epist 121. c. 7. nisi ad comparandum meritum quo in aeternitate viuatur Hee spends his time vnprofitably who gets not some grace whereby hee may liue in eternity said Augustine Our Aduersary the Diuell sleepes not The souldier that is asleepe when the enemie is come hath his throat cut Vt iugulent homines surgunt de nocte latrones Vt teipsum serues non expergisceris If the good man of the house know at what watch the theefe would come he would surely watch and not suffer his house to bee digged thorow Matth. 24.43 Besides our time is short all the time of grace is but an houre and an houre is soone out cito pede praeterit aetas said the Poet Qui hodiè habemus horam nescimus an cras habuerimus vitam Wee which haue an houre to day know not whether we shall haue a life to morrow said Anselme Anselm in loc Seuen times passed ouer Nabuchadnezzar Dan. 4.25 that is he liued seuen years like a beast but many among vs haue liued seuen yeares twice or thrice told like beasts and yet remember not to make vse of the time that remaines to turne vnto the Lord. Many of vs haue but a minute or two remaining let vs vow not to giue sleepe to our eyes nor slumber to our lids till we haue found fauour with the Lord and grace to helpe in the time of need Here is a commendation of godlinesse Vse 2 He that beleeues his saluation is euery day neerer then other as a wicked mans damnation is neerer and neerer let this encourage vs Thou meetest with many discouragements but behold the kingdome of heauen is at hand This reproues them which begin well Vse 3 but after grow sleepie and sluggish Hony at
would hide our selues yet sistemur we shall be set or presented before the Iudge The consideration of the last iudgement Doctr. should perswade vs to our duties and to refraine from that which is euill Act. 17.30.31 God commandeth all men euery where to repent because hee hath appointed a day wherein he will iudge the world c. 2 Cor. 5.10.11 We must all appear before the iudgement seat of Christ that euery one may receiue c. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we perswade men Iudge not thy brother Vse 1 for thou thy selfe shalt bee iudged Shall the prisoner that stands at the barre for his life leap vp into the seate of the Iudge Anselmus Qui iudicat fratrem tantum crimen elationis in currit vt Christi tribunal fibi videatur assumere eius iudicium praeuenire Hee which iudgeth his brother shewes so great pride as if hee should aduance into Christs tribunall and preuent his iudgement Iudge nothing before the time vntill the Lord come saith Paul elsewhere 1 Cor. 4.5 Let vs not meddle with iudging wee shall haue iudging enough at that day let vs rather be carefull that wee may stand with boldnesse and confidence before the Iudge Saint Paul giueth vs here to vnderstand that one of the bils of enditement that shall be put in against vs and to bee enquired of is for Iudging our Brethren for which he cueth the Romanes to answer it before the great Iudge at that day There shall be a day of generall Iudgement Vse 2 though many scoffers beleeue it not of whom Saint Peter speaketh 2. Pet. 3.3 4. and though thousands wish it might neuer be Oh how much would the Drunkard and other abominable sinners giue to buy off that day But we must all stand before the Iudgement seate of Christ It is most true that euery particular mans soule in death vndergoeth a particular iudgement and in the same moment is eleuated intellectually to heare the Sentence of the Iudge by an illumination or locution intellectuall and so knoweth it selfe to be saued or damned by the authority of Christ by the law appointed by God and accordingly at that instant goeth vnto or is in ioy or torment But this is but Particular and there must bee a Generall Iudgement as the Scripture signifieth which may also appeare by reason 1 Many iust persons are here afflicted and wicked prospered there shall be therefore a time wherein exact Iustice shall be manifested 2 Many wicked men are punished here and many are not there must be therefore a time of generall iudgement or else there may seeme to be some inequalitie 3 Many iust persons are condemned here to death as if they were wicked and many wicked dye with an opinion left of their sanctine 4 Also in the particular iudgement onely the soule is iudged but the body must also therefore there must in iustice be a generall Iudgement 5 Some affirme Bellarm. in Explicatione Symb-Apostol art 7. that our good and ill deeds are not finished in death but our sinne or worthinesse encreaseth to the day of Iudgement as any are bettered or corrupted by our example speeches writings c. and therefore because euery one shall receiue according to his workes that there must be a generall Iudgement euen for this It is a great consolation to true Beleeuers Vse 3 that there shall be a day of Iudgement and that Christ shall be their Iudge who dyed for them who yet maketh intercession for them who is their Aduocate their Friend their Brother whose members they are Surely this day will be the happiest day that euer dawned vpon vs It shall neuer repent vs that we haue serued God mortified our corruptions denyed our selues refused the pleasures of sinne which are but for a season that we haue fasted prayed wept for our sinnes endured the Crosse c. for we shall then receiue a thousand fold by the sentence of the Iudge This day is not so comfortable to the good as it will bee terrible euen a day of blacknesse and confusion to the wicked when their greatest Enemy shall sit vpon his greatest Enemies Oh how shall Iudas and Pilate tremble and be confounded at that day Thinke of it thou Drunkard thou blasphemer c. He whom thou hast condemned shall be thy Iudge How darest thou expect pardon and mercy Now indeed is the time of mercy but then only of Iudgement The remembrance of the day of Iudgement should perswade vs to repentance Vse 4 for this end Christ commanded his Apostles especially to testifie this to all men Act. 10.42 that he is ordained Iudge of quicke and dead So Saint Paul vseth this as the last Argument to draw men from their sinnes 2. Cor. 5.11 And truely who can haue any desire or delight in sinne when he shall thinke of that Iudge of that Iudgement of that Sentence of that neuer dying worme of those vnquenchable flames Magna est peccati poena Aug. ser 120. de Temp. metum memoriam futuri perdidisse Iudicij It is a great punishment of sinne to lose the feare and remembrance of the Iudgement to come said Saint Augustine But if thou dost remember it and heare of it and yet not feare it is a signe of the infinite Anger of God vpon thee The found of the last Trumpet was alwayes in the eares of Saint Hierome who wheresoeuer he was thought he heard the voyce of the Arch-angell Arise yee dead and come to Iudgement Act. 24.25 Yea Foelix himselfe trembled to heare Paul preach of the Iudgement to come Alwayes thinke of this day and repell the temptations vnto sinne with the remembrance thereof Consider what it will cost thee Now the Drunkard the vncleane person the proud the couetous c. see not the foulnesse of their faults but then thou shalt see and wonder that thou wert so mad to runne into such danger for such small and idle satisfactions When thou shalt appeare before that Iudge when Satan and thine owne conscience shall accuse thee when thou shalt behold the frowning and irefull countenance of the Iudge and those fires prepared for thee What wilt thou doe whither wilt thou goe nor friends nor riches nor promises nor prayers nor teares can auaile What shall we doe if that day shall finde vs often forewarned but vnprepared How shall wee endure that fire that cannot endure the tooth-ake the stone a fit of an Ague Let vs vse all care while wee liue here so to behaue and discharge our selues that that day may be happy and comfortable vnto vs. Amen VERSE 11. For it is written As I liue saith the Lord euery knee shall bow to me and euery tongue shall confesse to God IN this verse is prooued that wee shall all stand before the Iudgement seat of Christ and in the next verse the end of such appearance there is declared The proofe is by a Testimony In which wee may note the qualitie
be cate Is damned of his owne conscience which he violateth and of God also if he repent not The Reason from the procreant cause is faith For though all actions as they are actions proceed from the vnderstanding and the will yet as they are referred to God they must spring from faith which supposeth an vnderstanding well informed as a beginning imperant and a will pliant as a beginning obsequent and exequent The Reason may be thus formed He that eateth not of faith is damned But he that eates doubting eates not of faith Therefore c. The Minor is in the Text the reason whereof is because contraries expell one another for as it is betweene light and darknesse so it is betweene faith and doubting they mutually expell one another The Proposition Maior is proued from the cause of damnation which is sinne Thus Sinne is the cause of damnation or Whosoeuer sinneth is damned But he that eateth not of faith sinneth Therefore c. The Maior is manifest Rom. 6.23 The wages of sinne is death The Minor is in the Text. All the tearmes are easie are familiar sauing doubting and Faith Doubteth The word signifyeth to discerne sometime and to put a difference as a weake Christian holding this meate lawfull and that vnlawfull this is more then to doubt and so is à minore here included But here it is better rendred doubteth as also it is vsed Acts 10.20 Iames 1.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nothing doubting And it is expounded by a learned man alternantibus sententiis secum disceptare Budaeus Comm. ling. Graec. when a man is at no certainty with himselfe but at variance sometime being of one minde and sometime of another Mr. Caluin and Aretius with others render it dijudicat which is when the iudgement is carried into diuers parts So dubius signifies such doubting as when a man of two wayes knowes not which to take this is Iames his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 double minded man who is now of the mind that hee may kneele now that hee ought to sit Iames 1.8 halting betweene two opinions Faith this many take for a iustifying faith whereby our persons are accepted before God and surely what is not done out of this faith it shall bee accounted as a sinne to the doer But I refuse this because Paul speakes not of a prophane man but of such a one who hath confidence in Christ but erreth in some particular action Therefore it is to be taken for that knowledge and constant perswasion of which we haue spoken before whereby by the word of God or good reason from the same a man is perswaded of the lawfulnesse of indifferent things To doe any thing without this perswasion is a sinne In this perswasion we speake of that which faith vnderstandeth Conscience applieth to the worke If therefore when faith vnderstandeth a thing to be vnlawfull or doubteth of the lawfulnesse we doe the same we sin and are in danger of damnation because we doe that which we beleeue may be contrary to the word of God These two faiths therefore are to be distinguished neither doe they alwayes concurre in one person but the one may be without the other Iustifying faith is applied to the person the faith of indifferent things onely to the worke By the first we obtaine remission of sinnes and acceptation of our imperfect obedience By the second onely we vnderstand that this particular is not a sinne whether wee doe it or abstaine from doing thereof The faith and knowledge of Christian liberty in things indifferent is necessary to preserue vs from sinne and condemnation Doctr. proued before by vers 5.14.22 Weake Christians that are docible and not obstinate Vse 1 are not seuerely but gently to bee dealt withall because that which they are vrged to doe may be to their damnation if they repent not Labour for this Faith and perswasion Vse 2 of the which there is a continuall and necessary vse through our whole liues Without it not onely things middle but things commanded and good become euill to vs and damnable if we do them for it argues a contempt of God and a profane minde when we dare doe a thing whatsoeuer it be in it selfe which wee are perswaded tends to the contumely and dishonour of God That we may haue and keep this faith First 2 Pet. 1.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 study the Scriptures and search them for they beare true witnesse of all things the Word of God is a more sure word on which a man may safely rely When our Sauiour bade Peter and his fellowes to launch forth and let downe their nets for a draught after a whole nights labour lost Neuerthelesse saith Peter at thy word I will let downe the Net So if thou haue the word for thy warrant be confident thou mayest do it Yet it is not necessary that we should haue an expresse word it is enough if we haue it by Collection So baptizing of children is warranted not by an expresse word but by collection so the publike solemnization of matrimony by the Minister in the Church c. So Rahab receiued the spies by faith not of an expresse word but by collection as appeares Iosh 2.9 10.11.12 Correspondence to the generall rules of things is sufficient vnto faith in the particular actions of things of those kinds Yea in matters hidden and not expressed which are commanded to be done a probable certainty sufficeth if nothing of moment be brought to the contrary and that we neglect not to be informed and are ready to yeeld vpon better information Saint Augustines rule is Quod neque contra sidem nec contra boros mores iniungitur c Aug. Iaâ—uarto cp 118 c. 2. that whatsoeuer is not contrary to faith and good manners is indifferent and to be obserued for their society among whom we liue Secondly timely resist doubting and giue not place to the Diuell he will iniect and throw doubts apace into thy heart doe thou throw them out as fast Thirdly trust not too much to thine owne wit and knowledge neither be thou partiall Bring not affections without iudgement but let iudgement rule affections Fourthly be carefull not to trouble thy owne peace with euery doubt that may bee put in Many desire to bee resolued and yet neuer leaue seeking obiections and refuse all resolution till they vnderstand an answer to all arguments which is the way not to be setled in any article of the Faith against which obiections may be framed which especially vnlearned men cannot answer Fiftly pray to be illightned and so to be setled and of such stayed iudgement that thou mayst not bee carried about with euery winde of doctrine Here are diuers to be reproued Vse 3 1 Those who refuse to kneele at the Sacrament and will sit or else they will renounce the Sacrament this cannot be of faith for this is to resist authority and the word prescribes not any particular gesture
that Paul by his Ministery might offer them vp to God through faith of the Gospell Sanctified by the Holy Ghost not a spirituall conuersation but noting the third Person in the Trinity the Author of Sanctification As S. Pauls Apostleship is here described so proportionably the ministery of the word to be continued to the end Paul is a Priest the Gentiles the sacrifice the preaching of the Gospell the sacrificing knife Ministers must by preaching offer vp the people an acceptable sacrifice to God Esay 66.20 Doctr. They shall bring your brethren as an offering to the Lord out of all Nations Eph. 4.12 Act. 26.18 Rom. 1.16 Ministers by their office are sacred persons they must therefore adorne their function with a holy life and their calling should so farre be from being a disgrace vnto them that euen in this regard they should bee had in singular estimation If the Ministery of the Law were glorious more the ministery of the Gospell The office of the Ministery is sacred Vse 2 by themselues therefore to bee reuerently performed and carefully by the people reuerently to be attended vnto Ministers are priests Vse 3 not properly but by allusion not Masse priests of the order of Rome to offer vp their Maker as a propitiatory sacrifice for the quick and the dead we abhor such blasphemy Nor Leuiticall priests of the order of Aaron they offered beasts wee men in sacrifice killing their lusts that they may be an offering sanctified and acceptable As wee are Priests so all Christians are priests or else wee haue no part in the blood of Christ Reuel 1.5 6. and we are a holy 1 Pet. 2.5.9 and a Royall priesthood saith Saint Peter alluding to Exod. 19.6 where God saith that the Israelites shall bee to him a kingdome of priests for though the Rituall priesthood were conferred vpon the tribe of Leui and appropriated to it Rom. 12.1 Phil. 2.17 Psal 51.17 Psa 50.14 Heb. 13.16 Psal 4.5 yet the Royall priesthood belonged to the whole kingdome You are all Priests your sacrifices are your selues your faith your repentance your prayers and prayses your workes of mercy offer then the sacrifices of righteousnesse and put your trust in the Lord. As Ministers are priests Vse 4 so the people are sacrifices which terme puts them in mind of their sinfulnesse deseruing death for sacrifices must be killed vnder the law there was confession of sinne by the parties bringing the sacrifice it was they which deserued to dye not the guiltles beast Also they must learne that they must be pure the sacrifices were washed and they must be sanctified or not acceptable There might be no blemish or imperfection in them Leu. 22. If we be wicked and profane we are fit for the Diuell but no sacrifices for God And if we our selues be sacrifices then our bodies soules with all the members and faculties of both must be dedicated to God We must deny our selues and liue onely to God The end of preaching and hearing is Vse 5 that wee may bee sacrificed when then thou comest to the word suffer the sacrificing knife to cut the throat of thy lusts It is painfull to be launced but if thou part not with them thou must be damned with them and canst be no sacrifice acceptable to God When thou comest therefore to a Sermon remember thou comest to be sacrificed struggle not yeeld thy selfe be not angry when thy sinnes are toucht lye as still as Isaack did when he should be made a sacrifice if thou desirest to be saued As Isaack said to his Father Here is the knife and the wood but where is the Lamb so I feare me a man may aske at our ser mons Here is the Priest and the knife but where is the sacrifice many come to the Altar but they break away and will not bee sacrificed going from the Sermon with more sinfulnesse and condemnation then they brought with them Great is the happinesse of such which are sacrificed to God Vse 6 for they are acceptable They which are not are reiected and a very abomination reserued for the shambles but if thou be conuerted thou art for the holy Altar in heauen He seemes to be depriued of the sense of piety which hearing that the conuersion of a sinner is an acceptable sacrifice reioyceth nor for it If thou hast once beene sacrificed to God thou art for euer to bee separated and set apart from common vse see then that thou take not thy body and soule being dedicated to God to prostitute before the Diuels altar by abominable sinning VERSE 17. I haue therefore whereof I may glory through Iesus Christ in those things which pertaine to God 18. For I will not dare to speake of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by mee to make the Gentiles obedient IN these words and so to the end of the 21. verse he commendeth his Apostleship from the efficacy of it which was such that he might iustly glory in it There are two parts First an assertion I haue whereof I may glory Secondly a declaration of certaine bounds whereby his boasting is limited which bounds are set downe in the 17. verse and expounded in the 18. Those bounds are either in regard of the efficient or of the matter of his boasting The efficient Iesus Christ The matter Things pertaining to God Not in my selfe but in and through Iesus Christ In things pertaining to God All things pertaine to God Good things as to the Author and Rewarder of them Euill things as the Iudge and auenger of them But here Paul hath another meaning In the 16. verse hee described his Apostleship in termes borrowed from the Leuiticall priest-hood calling it a Leyturgye and Hierourgye and here continuing the same Metaphor hee calleth the execution of his function Hes 5.2 a performing of things pertaining to God So in the Hebrewes A high priest is ordained in things pertaining to God that is to declare the will of God to the people and to offer the sacrifices of the people to God These two are expounded in the 18. verse The first I dare not speake of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me that is I acknowledge that what good soeuer hath come to men by my labours it is wrought by Christ whose instrument onely I haue bin It is not effected by my vertue but by his goodnes Let the glory bee to him I haue planted and watred but the encrease is of him Paul Apolles are but vnderworking causes Ministers by whom the Gentiles beleeued euen as the Lord gaue to euery man 1. Cor. 3.5 not according to their will and appointing This is amplified by Pauls modestie I dare not Augustine Melior est in malis factis humilis confessio quam in bonis superba gloriatio An humble confession of the euill we haue done is better then a proud bragging of the good we haue done therefore Paul dareth not glory in himselfe