essentiall parts of that Sacrament I answere Answer they are able to doe this but forasmuch as they doe it without a calling their doing is as no doing their powring on of water is no better then a defiling of it For who gaue them their commission so to do When possession of any house is giuen by deliuering a white wand and turfe another man may do as much in shew he may take a wand turfe as good as the others and make a deliuery of them and yet those actions may bee idle being done without warrant neither can assure the bargaine and sale It is no great matter or hard to doe to take bread and wine and deliuer the same by reciting the words of institution and yet if it be vndertaken without a calling it is a plaine and manifest prophanation of the Supper of the Lord. If they iudge this vnlawfull how can they hold the other lawfull The people of God or any among them were as well able to handle and carry the Arke as the Leuites they were an holy people to God they were all circumcised they did all carry about in their flesh the marke and impression of the Couenant yet the Lord sorted out the Tribe of Leui to beare the Arke of his Couenant Deut. 10.8 to stand in his presence to minister vnto him and to blesse in his Name He will haue vs wholly to obey his word he regardeth not our blinde zeale or purpose to serue him except it be ordered aright To proceede Hath God onely placed order in the Church and not in the common-wealth yes in the common-wealth also wherein euery one both superiours and inferiours must doe their duty He hath appointed the Magistrates their office to minister iustice without partiality and respect of persons 2 Chron. 19. 5 6. considering that they execute not the iudgements of men but of God who will be with them This is the comely order that hee hath set this is the way wherein he will haue them walke this is the ordinance that he hath established If then lawes be bought and sold or if they be made as the spiders webbe to catch the silly flie but to let the hornet escape or if they punish the poore and let the rich escape if the weake that cannot resist be intangled and the mighty be deliuered this is a great disorder and the Lord will not haue these things handled so confusedly Let such set before them the example of God who will reward euery man according to his workes He doth not spare the wicked Rom. 2.6 and reuenge himselfe vpon the Godly but he sheweth mercy to thousands of these and will not hold the other innocent So such as God hath called to execute iudgement and sit vpon the bench of iustice must know what God requireth of them they must not peruert the right ouerturne the Seat of equity they must not turne the edge of the sword vpon the poore because they are poore nor put it away from the rich because they are rich or from the mighty because of their might or from the greater sort because they haue many friends but they must smite them with the sword of Iustice that deserue to be smitten and defend them from that wrong that the malice of the oppresser would lay vpon the innocent On the other side God requireth that such as are inferiours should obey Princes and Magistrates submitting themselues vnto them reuerencing both their places and persons They therefore are reproued as breakers of this order of God and ouerturners of States and Common wealthes that rebell against them and moue sedition among the people Such walke in the steps of Corah and his company who were consumed and destroyed according to their deserts as appeareth afterward in this Booke â—hap 16. These proud spirits and ambitious men haue neuer preuailed but euer beene punished Such are they that Salomon speaketh off Eccle. 10. â—ccles 10.6 7 Folly is set in great excellency and the rich set in the low place I haue seene seruants on horses and Princes walking as seruants on the ground Such persons as seeke to take away the crownes and kingdomes of Princes are the very plagues of humane societie and goe about to take away as it were the Sunne out of the firmament and to leaue vs in miserable darkenesse nay to take from vs the breath of our nostrils and to expose vs as a prey to all violence and villany Let all such know that they fight against God and therefore cannot prosper or preuaile All sedition is pernicious to the contriuer and author thereof and no iniury receiued can bee any sufficient cause for any man to plot Treasons and rebellions Let euery soule therefore be subiect to the higher powers considering there is no power but of God and that whosoeuer resisteth the power resisteth the Ordinance of God and therefore purchase to themselues damnation Vse 3 Lastly seeing God requireth orderly obseruation of his ordinances we learne this duty that we must be carefull to obserue it and practise it with a due regard of his Commandement This is the generall rule that the Apostle commendeth vnto vs 1 Cor. 14. 1 Cor. 14 40. Let all things bee done decently and in order Order is nothing else but the meanes of peace and the auoiding of confusion or it is a disposing of diuers things August de ciuit dei lib 19. cap. 12 Câ—cer de effic lib. 2. giuing to euery one his proper place The end of all good order tendeth to profit as on the other side the end of confusion to losse and destruction The more common generall a good thing is so much the better it is and the more to bee esteemed aboue all other The benefit of good order stretcheth farre to the land and Sea and to the house and ship to the Common-wealth and Church If it be commendable to appoint a profitable order in the lesser charge of a priuate family it is a great deale better and more excellent to manage a Common-wealth prudently and to gouerne the Church wisely Gouernment that is right presupposeth order because it is vnpossible that any man should rule rightly and duely without order For gouernment is a right disposition of those things whereof a man taketh charge to bring them to a conuenient end This is done in the Church of God when there be Pastors and Teachers to preach the word truely and to minister the Sacraments sincerely when the people hearken to them are ready to seeke the law at their mouthes This is seene also in the obseruation of these rules First Rules of order to be obserued in the Congregation when one alone prayeth for many cannot pray with a loud voice together without confusion The Minister is to bee the mouth of the people to God his voice is in publike place to be heard that the people may ioyne with him with pure and humble hearts and
weaknesse in iudgment Thus also was Ieremy troubled ch 12 1 2. and no lesse the Prophet Habbakkuk ch 1 13. Wherefore lookest thou vpon theÌ„ that deale treacherously holdest thy tongue when the wicked deuoureth the man that is more righteous then he This which we esteeme to be a confusion is indeed no confusion and that is in order which we suppose to be out of order For God is a God of patience and long suffering who will take vengeance on his aduersaries and he reserueth wrath for his enemies Naum 1 2. and therefore is the Prophet much perplexed in spirit willed to waite by faith the issue that God will make for the vision is yet for an appointed time but at the end it shall speake and not lie 〈◊〉 37. though it tarry wait for it because it will surely come it will not tarry Hab. 2 3. Then the Caldeans thogh vsed of God as his rod to afflict his people shall be destroied Thus God hath set them in slippery places Ps 73 18. so as they passe away are â—ot they are sought but cannot bee found Ps 37 3â— The transgressours shall be destroyed together the end of the wicked is to be cut off ver 38. Lastly from hence euery man must learne Vse 5 to do the duties of his own calling God haâ—h set euery man in a certaine calling as it were in a certaine field to till wherein he is to labour We are apt indeed to break out into the callings of other men as if we weâ—e pinned vp in too narrow a roome This made Salomon to say I haue seene seruants on horses Eccl. 10 7. Prou. 2â— 27. and 19 10. and Princes walking as seruants vpon the earth And as God hath set euery man in a calling so must euery man waite and attend vpon that calling whether it be in the Church or in the family or in the Commonwealth In the Church there is order to be obserued in reading in preaching in prayer in the Sacraments that such as be at them may say in their hearts Surely God is in this place and repoâ—t that God is in them of a truth To this purpose doth Paul deliuer sundry instructions 1 Cor. 14. If any man speake in an vnknowne tongue let it bee by two or at the most by three and that by course and let one interprete 1 Cor. 14 27. Let the Prophets speake two or three let the others iudge v. 29 If any thing be reuealed to another that sitteth by let the first hold his peace v. 30. All Churches of the Saints haue this order v. 33. Let your women keepe silence in the Churches for it is not permitted vnto theÌ„ to speak but they are commanded to be vnder obedience as also saith the Law if they will learne any thing let them aske their husbands at home for it is a shame for women to speake in the Church And if it be not permitted vnto them to preach neither is it permitted them to baptize which is an appendance vnto the Ministery Their duty is to be in subiection but to baptize is a part of power iurisdiction So also ought euery one to learne and practise the duties of his calling in the priuate family An house diuided against it selfe cannot stand Math. 12 verse 25. but quickly falleth Luke 11 ver 17. Happy is that house when such as are Gouernours know how to rule and such as are inferiours know how to obey But if one encroch vpon the place of another there followeth much confusion And in the Commonwealth euery soule must learne to bee subiect to the higher powers for there is no power but of God the powers that be are ordained of God whosoeuer therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receiue vnto themselues damnation Rom. 13 1 2. Without this the whole order of nature will be peruerted A kingdome diuided against it selfe is brought to desolation When he sendeth Magistrates and Princes he meaneth to preserue mankinde by them he striketh a feare of them not only into men but also into beasts Dan. 2 38. Such then as rise against them and labour to set all in a broile 1 Pet. 2 14. and to bring al things to confusion are worse then the brute beasts that are without vnderstanding We cannot honour God except we honour the Magistrate And it is very apparent that they are possessed with the giddy and frantike spirit of vprore and sedition which will not be vnder the rule of such as God hath ordained We cannot honour God except we honour such as he hath set in his place He hath printed his owne image in them and in their persons we obey him And when superiours are no longer reuerenced all will be set in a tumult and turmoile and must needs goe to spoile and hauocke Now if we would speake of the practise of the Church of Rome The Church of Rome is wholy out of order there is no good order obserued among them but the whole ordinance of God is vtterly ouerturned the preaching of the word is little esteemed the word and praiers are in a strange tongue praiers also are made to Saints the vse of the Sacraments is horribly prophaned they permit baptisme vnto women and the Supper they haue quite abolished Christ and Antichrist are not more contrary then the Romish church to the true Churches of Iesus Christ They haue pulled vp the foundation of Christian religion and vtterly denied the faith The Scriptures they make vnsufficient and to containe a maimed and vnperfect doctrine They subiect them to the iudgement of the Bishop of Rome and to the authority of the Church They banish the people from them as if they were very dangerous vnto them They contemne Magistrates claime power to dispose of their kingdomes if they be supposed to be heretikes Ver. 29 30 c. And Moses said vnto Hobab the sonne of Roguel the Midianite Moses father in law We are iournying c. The next point is the conference betweene Moses and this Hobab Conference between Moses and Iethro For inasmuch as the passage thorough so many Mountaines and Deserts was exceeding both difficult and dangerous Moses leaueth nothing vnforethought which might serue for the aduantage of his enterprize and therefore instantly intreated his father in law to accompany them in their way toward Canaan Such as yeeld their helpe to further the Church shal neuer lose their labour promising to him such part and profit of the promised Land as GOD should bestow vpon them True it is Moses had liued long in those parts of Arabia thorough which he was now to trauaile yet the better to assure his passage and to saue so many thousand soules as he had brought out of Egypt which could not be so few as a million it was needfull for him to vse many guides and conducters and therefore he is so
should be as frontlets betweene their eyes and write them vpon the postes of their houses and gates of their Cities all these were as helpes for memory against forgetfulnesse as if he had said vnto them Haue them alwayes in remembrance Of all persons old men seeme to haue the weakest memories which decay with their age and these doe most of all complaine of them howbeit the heathen man telleth vs that there is no man so old Cicero lib. de Senect that hath forgotten where he laid vp his treasure All men remember the things they most regard such as they loue they will not forget forasmuch as Where the treasure is there will the heart be also Mat. 6.21 If then we remember not the things of God the chiefe cause is because we doe not much esteeme of them Set an high price vpon them value them aboue thy siluer and thy gold esteeme them beyond all pearles and precious stones and thou shalt finde thy memory much bettered and encreased The fourth is to plant in vs true godlinesse and reforme our liues as it were to rid our ground of all bryars bushes before we sow any thing in it The gate of Gods house is the gate of righteousnesse because none but the iust and righteous ought to enter into it Psa 118.19 20. This is the cause that Iacob when hee went to Bethel to worship God first cleansed his house of the filthines of idolatry and commanded his houshold to be cleane Gen. 35. â— and change their garments thereby vnderstanding the purity of the heart and the changing of their mindes by the renuing of them according to true godlinesse Thus doth the Lord command the Israelites to wash their cloathes and sanctifie themselues before they came to heare the law at his mouth Exo. 19.14 To this purpose Dauid saith Psal 26.6 I will wash mine hands in innocency so will I compasse thine Altar O Lord. If we come into Gods presence without sanctification we offer a sacrifice full of blemishes which his soule abhorreth He reiecteth our prayers as abominable and our hearing of his word is turned into sinne Lastly we are bound to lay vp in the heart that which we heare for God especially requireth the heart If that be wanting he misseth it by and by he espyeth it so soon as we come as he did him that came to the marriage feast without his wedding garment Mat. 22.11 There is no man hath any treasure that leaueth or layeth it commonly and carelesly but he locketh it vp that no man should take it from him the word is a pearle and a pearle of such price that when he hath found it that knoweth the worth of it Matth. 13. he selleth all that he hath to buy it the heart is as it were the coffer where we ought to keepe it If we hold it in our hands or haue it in our heads or suffer it to dwell in our mouthes onely and cannot afford to giue it roome and lodging in our hearts it is in danger euery foote to be taken from vs and we surprised of it Esay 29.13 Such persons honour him with their lips but their harts are far from him Matt. 15. The blessed Virgin is commended that she kept those sayings in her heart So did Isaac go out into the fields to meditate Luk. 2.10 Gen. 24.63 at euentide he chose a solitary place and fit season to call to minde such things as he had heard Wherefore let vs also lay vp in our soules and ponder in our hearts such good things as wee haue learned and let vs hide them as in the casket of a good conscience that in all times of need we may bring foorth these precious treasures to helpe vs. We know not into what troubles and perplexities we may come how we may be tempted assaulted into what dangers of spiritual enemies we may fall how bitter will those dayes be vnto vs if wee haue no word of God dweling in vs to comfort vs raise vs vp againe It wil then be too late to go and buy oile in our lamps when we should vse it Let vs store our selues with plenty of heauenly meditations that we may neuer be too seeke and arme our selues with such sufficient furniture that wheresoeuer the enemy seeke to foile vs and to make a breach into our soules we may be able to resist him and to stand fast in the power of God against all the wyles of the diuell 21. And the Lord spake vnto Moses saying 22. Take also the summe of the sonnes of Gershon throughout the houses of their fathers by their families 23. From thirty yeares old and vpward vntill fifty yeare old shalt thou number them all that enter in to performe the seruice to doe the worke in the Tabernacle of the Congregation 24. This is the seruice of the families of the Gershonites to serue and for burdens 25. And they shall beare the Curtaines of the Tabernacle and the Tabernacle of the Congregation his couering and the couering of the badgers skinnes that is aboue vpon it and the hanging for the doore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation 26. And the hangings of the Court and the hanging for the doore of the gate of the Court which is by the Tabernacle by the Altar round about and their cords and all the instruments of their seruice all that is made for them so shall they serue 27. At the appointment of Aaron and his sonnes shall be all the seruice of the sonnes of the Gersbonites in all their burdens and in all their seruice and ye shall appoint vnto them in charge all their burdens 28. This is the seruice of the families of the sonnes of Gershon in the Tabernacle of the Congregation and their charge shall be vnder the hand of Ithamar the sonne of Aaron the Priest Hitherto Moses hath spoken of the Kohathites and he hath done it more largely then he doth handle the other families for the causes noted before In the next place he proceedeth to the Gershonites Touching these first God commandeth them also to be numbred and tâ—â—ir age is appointed and limited as in the foâ—mer from thirty yeares old and vpward vntill fifty Secondly their proper and peculiar charge is expressed what burdens they are to beare to wit the Curtaines and the couerings the cordes the veiles and all the instruments appertaining to their seruice Thirdly all these things before mentioned must be done at the commandement of Aaron and his sonnes Ver. 22 23. Take also the summe of the sons of Gershon c. Obserue with me in this diuision that Moses repeateth sundry points that are set downe in the former chapter as will euidently appeare vnto vs if wee make tryall and comparison in euery one of the three families as for example touching the Kohathites that which hee speaketh of them in this chapter verse 5 7 9. compare it with the 31. verse of the third chapter
to ouersee their manners to redresse their disorders and to teach and instruct them in the wayes of godlinesse To these Salomon speaketh Pro. 27 23 24. Bee diligent to know the state of thy flocks and looke well to thy heards For riches are not for euer and doth the Crowne endure to euery generation When the Sheepheard is gone frō the Lambes the wolfe watcheth to take his prey The husbandman sowed good seed in his field but while he slept his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheate Mat. 13 25. The diuell watcheth all occasions and maketh his vse of all aduantages to deceiue and seduce and therefore we must take heed we giue him no occasions Moses was absent from the people but forty dayes and what a change found he among them at his returne how deepely had they plunged themselues into idolatry and how had they corrupted the worshippe of God and were departed from him Such is the corruption of nature and prophanenes of the heart to euill continually Gen. 6 5 that they which are vnder vs are ready to fall into euill euen while wee are with them and haue them in a manner before our eyes much more when we are absent from them as Moses speaketh of the people Behold while I am yet aliue with you this day yee haue beene rebellious against the Lord and how much more after my death Deuteronomy chapter thirty one verse 27 Let vs take heed of long and vnnecessary absence from our priuate charges as wel as they ought that haue publike charges lest while by our absence wee prouide for their bodies we do not destroy their soules for want of our presence I will conclude this point with the words of Salomon Prou. 27 8. As a bird that wandreth from her nest so is a man that wandreth from his place Verse 10. And the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them vp together with Korah when that company dyed what time the fire deuoured c In the description of the Tribe of Reuben he fingleth out Dathan and Abiram as arch-conspirators against Moses the lawfull Magistrate set ouer the people they opposed themselues against authority and therefore perish As they withstood Aaron wee haue spoken before Numb chapter sixteene now consider theyr facte as they rebelliously stroue against Moses and in him against the Lord. Doctrine It is a fearfull sinne to withstand gouernment and authority We learne heereby that it is a fearefull and greeuous sinne to set our selues against lawful gouernment and authority which God hath set ouer vs. This is a most wicked and vngodly worke and the Scripture condemneth it in euery place Hos 8 3 4. Roman 13 1. 2. Pet. 2 10. Iude verse 8. The continuall practise of all the godly throughout the olde and new Testament tend to the contrary to commend to vs obedience for conscience sake and to reproue and condemne all resistance opposition as a worke of the flesh for they euermore submitted thēselues to those that were Magistrates Christ Iesus the Lord of all was not bound to Caesar in any sort whether wee consider him as God or as man Not as he was God Caesar was subiect vnto him and owed to him homage and obedience for as Dauid in spirit called him Lord Mat. 22 43 so might Cesar also and all Princes and Potentates in the world Not as he was man because he was of the blood royall of the seed of Dauid and the right heyre to the kingdome whereas Cesar had no other right but what he got by the sword and therefore he ought to haue receyued not to haue payde tribute yet because he would giue good example to others not offence to any Math. 17 27 he gaue to the receyuers for himselfe and for Peter a Stater which is thought to amount to halfe an ounce of siluer in value two shillings six pence after fiue shillings the ounce And as he taught them by his practise so likewise hee did by words to giue vnto Cesar the things which are Cesars Mat. 22 21. So did Paul for the tryall of the truth and the iustice of his cause appeale vnto Cesar from the high Priests who were carried with rage and enuy against him Acts 25 11. Psalm 18 43 44. Reason 1 The grounds heereof are euident First because publike authority is Gods ordinance euery soule ought to be subiect vnto it because it is of God Rom. 13 1 2. and whosoeuer resisteth it resisteth God himselfe The people of Israel were reiected of God for resisting the manner of gouernment that God had appointed when he set Iudges ouer them and they would needs haue a king to iudge them like all the Nations 1 Sam. 8 5 much more then shall they bee reiected of God that resist gouernment it selfe and be accounted foule fearefull sinners before him Reason 2 Secondly because the opposition against gouernment and the denying and withstanding of it must needs bring all confusion that may be so that nothing can be in peace and quietnesse It is saide and often repeated in the booke of Iudges that euery man did what he list because they had no gouernment Iudg. 18 1 and 17 6 and 21 25. God is the God of order not of confusion and therefore he alloweth of Magistrates because he would haue order among men Take away a Generall out of the field and expose the whole army to rout what followeth but the destruction and carnage of the whole host Take away the Pilot out of the Ship it is the ready way to perish the Ship so if you take away the Magistrate which is as the Chieftaine of the army and as the Master of the Shippe we shall liue a life more sauage and vnreasonable then the vnreasonable beasts leade the great ones would deuoure the lesse the rich the poore the strong ones them that are weake nothing would appeare but a miserable face of hauocke and confusion Before we proceed to the vses Obiect it is necessary to remoue an obiection For to resist gouernment may not be so fearefull a sinne forasmuch as sometimes it is said to be of God as the Scripture speaking of the apostacy of the ten Tribes from the house of Dauid saith that the Lord would giue them to Ieroboam and rent the kingdome from the house of Dauid 1 Ki. 13 31 and chap. 12 15 this was done from the Lord and verse 24 the other Tribes are commanded not to go vp to fight against Ieroboam and his followers for this saith the Lord is from me How then can the rebellion of the ten Tribes be a fearefull sinne seeing it was from the Lord. Answer Answer To cleere this point we must vnderstand that Gods appointment of Ieroboam to bee King and the renting off the house of Salomon doth not iustifie the acte of this people that it was not sin in them for this came to passe by the decree of God yet the people are not iustified in giuing him
Euery worde of God is the word of a great person and euery part and parcell of it is the Decree of a King nay of the King of Kinges to whom all Kinges and Princes are subiect and must rise vppe from their Throne when they appeare before him whose Throne is the Heauen and though they bee Lordes of the Earth they must resigne their Crowne vnto him that hath the earth for his footestoole and therefore the greatest regard and respect must be giuen vnto it For a Heb. 2 2 3. as the Apostle teacheth Hebr. 2 2 3. If the word spoken by Angelles was stedfast and euery transgression and disobedience receyued a iust recompence of reward how shall wee escape if we neglect so great saluation which at the first began to be preached by the Lorde and afterward was confirmed vnto vs by them that heard him Woe vnto them therefore that reiect the food of their soules and surfet of this heauenly Manna and do not hunger and thirst after the sincere milke of the word that they may grow thereby Neither let any obiect Obiection If God did speake we would heare and if he did call wee would answere if hee did threaten wee would feare and if hee did teach we would obey but so long as all proceedeth from man as sinfull as our selues wee cannot be so affected Answere This was the Obiection of the Reprobate rich man in the Gospell who albeit his Brethren had Moses and the Prophets yet hee would haue Lazarus sent from the dead vnto his Fathers house to testifie vnto them b Luke 16 28 29 30 31 Lest they should come into that place of torment But what was the answer of Abraham If they heare not Moses and the Prophets neyther will they be perswaded to amend their liues though one arise from the dead againe If we reason on this manner with the rich man and put on his affection let vs also take heede lest wee haue that recompence of reward that the rich man had He supposed that extraordinary meanes would worke extraordinarie effects and vndoubtedly procure the conuersion of those to whom they were sent but therein hee was vtterly deceyued and if wee were not Fooles and blinde we would not follow so foule and fearefull an example Wherefore to informe our iudgement aright and reforme our affection we are to obserue two points first we must acknowledge that it is Gods mercy to speake vnto vs by men like vnto our selues and subiect vnto the same infirmities and passions that we are who applyeth himselfe to our weakenesse and respecteth our capacity who are not able to abide his presence who is so glorious in holynesse fearefull in praises doing wonders We see this in the Israelites at the deliuerie of the Law when the voice of God sounded in theyr eares they ran away and could not abide it they feared to be consumed at once cryed out vnto Moses c Exod. 20 19 Talk◠thou with vs and wee will heare but let not God talke with vs lest wee dye When the Lord reuealed a part of his glory sitting vpon an high throne the angels couered their faces were not able to abide the beauty brightnes of his maiesty the lintels of the doore cheeks moued the house was filled with smoke the Prophet himselfe said d Esay 6 5. Woe is me for I am vndone because I am a man of polluted lippes and I dwell in the middest of a people of polluted Lippes for mine eyes haue seene the King the Lord of hostes In like manner if God should appeare vnto vs and vtter his voice from heauen we should feare and quake and fall downe as dead men and cry out with great astonishment Alas we shall dye beecause we haue seene and heard the Lorde as many of the Fathers did then we would make request to haue the Ministers of the worde speake vnto vs whom now we despise and whose word wee contemne as base and contemptible It is therefore to bee accounted and receyued as a notable token of his great mercy toward vs that he sendeth vs to school to learne of our Brethren to whom wee may freely and familiarly resort for counsell in our doubtes for comfort in our afflictions for knowledge in our ignorance for instruction in godlinesse and for resolution in all our wants Secondly we must labour to perswade our owne hearts that it is his word which we heare and his Ministers that speake vnto vs and that it is our duty to heare them as the Lord himselfe whose Messengers they are whose calling is from him and whose mouths he hath opened to speak his word with boldnesse as it ought to be spoken Let vs craue this mercy at Gods hands to resolue vs of this point and to settle our consciences in the full assurance of it This will be a forcible means to make vs heare it and regarde it as Gods owne ordinance ought to bee heard and regarded And vntill wee haue learned this Lesson we can neuer reuerence the preaching of the worde as is required of vs either for the aduancement of Gods glory or the comfort of our owne soules Let vs therefore perswade our selues of this and set it downe as a principle and firme conclusion that as the words of the Prophets and Apostles are of great authority euen the word of the eternall God most vndoubtedly to bee receyued and most assuredly to bee beleeued so likewise the words of all Gods true and faithfull Ministers truely expounding and faithfully giuing vnto vs the naturall sense and meaning of the Scriptures and gathering sound doctrine out of them for the instruction and edification of the people of God grounding all they teach on the sure foundation of the Prophets and Apostles the words I say of Gods Ministers in these dayes are no lesse to be esteemed and acknowledged the word of God himself then if Esay or Ieremy thē if Paul or Peter or any of the rest did write or speak vnto vs. For the Scripture standeth not in words letters or syllables but in the sense vnderstanding So long then as the Minister vttereth not the conceits of his own brain nor deliuereth the traditions and precepts of men but holdeth himself to the doctrine of the Scripture which is the touchstone to try truth from falshood to descern the word of God from the word of man hee is no otherwise to bee heard and the Gospell no otherwise to be receiued from his mouth then if some Prophet of God or Apostle of Christ were among vs. For wee must not haue the Faith of our glorious Lord Iesus Christ in respect of persons but when the same faith the same truth the same word is preached both by the former Prophets and Apostles and by the ordinary Ministers of the Church of the times wherein wee liue if it should bee receiued when it is published by them and reiected when it is deliuered by these a
Ezra came into Iudea which no doubt Zorobabel and Ieshua brought with thē Heereunto agreeth the saying of Christ our Sauiour k Ioh 5 46 47 If ye had beleeued Moses ye wold haue beleeued me for he wrote of me but if ye beleeue not his writings how shall ye beleeue my Wordes Whereby wee see that the very writings of Moses himselfe were then read and to be read in the Church Thus also speaketh Philip to Nathaniel l Iohn 1.45 We haue found him of whom Moses did write and the Prophets Lastly to this purpose is Abraham brought in by the Euangelist speaking to the rich man m Luke 16 29 They haue Moses and the Prophets let them heare them All these testimonies to which wee might adde a surplusage of many others do directlie teach vs that we are not to doubt or to cal in question the ministeriall or instrumentall authour of this booke but acknowledge it to be not Ezra nor anie before or after him but Moses himselfe who was the first penner of it Vse 2 Secondly it is our duties carefully to reade the scriptures and diligently to be conuersant in them being thus published For wherefore were they put in writing Was it not that we should peruse them study them oftentimes search them with carefulnesse This was the purpose and intent of God Ioshua the successor of Moses in the gouernment of the people and General of the host of Israel had weightie affaires of Church Commonwealth to look vnto yet he is charged n Ioshua 1 8. not to suffer the book of the Law to depart out of his mouth but to meditate therein day and night that hee might obserue and do according vnto all that is written therein forasmuch as thereby he should make his way prosperous and haue good successe in his affaires and enterprises To this end Christ willeth vs to search the Scriptures not to reade them carelesly or cursorily but painfully and diligently as they do that digge for Mines of siluer and golde that go deepe and spare no labour to come to that which they seeke after So then there is required of vs study and prayer to God to open vnto vs the mysteries of his word otherwise our reading will be in vaine Vse 3 Thirdly this serueth to conuince the position and practise of the church of Rome who forbid the people the reading of these books and nuzzle them in ignorance the mother of superstition and blinde deuotion Moses deliuered the Law when hee had written it to the Priests and commanded them o Deut 31 1 3. to gather the people together men women and children the stranger that was within their gates that they may heare and learne and feare the Lorde theyr God and keepe and obserue all the words of this law that their children which haue not known it may heare it and learne to feare the Lord their God as long as they liue in the Lande The Scriptures are the onely weapons which we must fight withall against our spirituall enemies and without them wee lie open vnto them to take away our liues and to destroy our soules Wherefore we are commanded to take vnto vs p Eph 6 17. The sword of the Spirit which is the word of God When Christ was tempted of the diuell in the wildernesse hee resisted him and ouercame his tentations by no other weapon then this saying q Math 4 4 7 10. It is written This example of Christ our Lord and Maister must be followed of vs we must take this sword into our hand and be able to handle it as men of knowledge that we may be able both to defend our selues and to offend our aduersaries If we be thus armed the day is ours the field is won the victory is gotten we cannot be ouercome But if we presume to fight without it if wee leaue it behinde vs as souldiers that would go light we shall neuer returne without some dangerous or deadly wound Let vs not therfore be so fool-hardy as to go into the battell without our armour We are all warriours we must fight the Lords battels we haue enemies that seeke our destruction against which we must be watchfull being strong in Faith Lastly this reprooueth the cursed crew and damnable sect of the Manichees and their Vse 4 off-spring the Anabaptists a pestilent sort of brainsicke Heretiques sicke indeed as well of pride as of folly which spew out open and odious blasphemies against God and stick not to affirme that it was not the true God but the Prince of darknesse that spake to Moses and so would thrust him out of the church because he hath a veile ouer him alledging or rather deprauing the words of the Apostle r 2 Cor. 3 There remaineth vnto this time the same couering vntaken away in the read ng of the olde Testament which veyle in Christ is put away from whence they gather that Moses with his couering is by Christ quite abolished But this is to corrupt not to interprete The couering indeede remaineth but to whom Is is to vs who behold as in a mirrhor the glorie of the Lord with open face Not to vs but to the Iewes who hearing Moses read and cleauing to the letter of the Law doe despise the Gospell which is the ministery of the Spirite and willingly put out their owne eyes Neyther doth the Apostle say that Moses is taken away by Christ but the couering of Moses which is done not by the abolishing and abrogating of Moses but by the lightning of the Iewes by their conuersion to Christ a 2 Cor. 3 16. For after their heart shall bee turned to the Lord the Veile shall be taken away Againe they obiect that Moses was a seruant Heb. 3 5. But the seruant abideth not in the house for euer it is the Sonne that abideth for euer Iohn 8 35. therefore the Sonne beeing come the seruant is to bee cast out of the house that is Moses out of the Church otherwise wee should paralell and make equall the seruant to the Master A most fond collection and such as ouerthroweth themselues For if this be true that the seruant hath no place in the presence of the Maister then not onely the Prophets and Apostles but all Pastors and Teachers yea the Anabaptists themselues with such as seduce them who glorie to be seruants of Christ must be thrust out of the Church that the seruants departing may leaue the house empty for the Master Again the words of Christ are maliciously wrested against Moses who is expresly honoured by the Lord himselfe to be a most faithful seruant which are spoken against him that is the seruant of sin For thus the words lye in order Verily verily I say vnto you that whosoeuer committeth sin is the Seruant of sinne and the Seruant abideth not in the house for euer c. Therefore wicked seruants such as these frantique heretickes are shall not abide
is a worthy Calling 1 Tim. 3 1. If wee were imploied in some base office not beseeming our persons we might haue some colour and pretence to shunne and auoide it But hauing an excellent function wherein the Son of God Iesus Christ serued before vs it were intollerable pride to scorne it as too simple for vs. Wee may be a meanes to bring men to saluation which we must account our crown and glory Secondly the glory of God ought to moue vs which is to bee preferred before all things in the world Thirdly the loue of Christ the Prince of all Pastours ought to constraine vs who gaue him-selfe for his sheepe Wee must therefore vnderstand that they are not so much our sheepe as his hee hath a speciall care of them or else hee would neuer haue paide so dearely for them His wonderfull care of their good appeareth in this that demanding of Peter whether hee loued him Iohn 21.15 and asking the question of him againe and againe he saide Feed my Sheepe feed my Lambs thereby giuing all the Ministers a rule of trial to prooue themselues whether they loue the Lord Iesus or not If all were examined by this rule and their loue to Christ proued by this note it is to be feared that little or no loue at all would appeare in them toward their Sauiour and Redeemer As all men haue tasted aboundantly of the loue of Christ so all men professe to loue him againe as well as Peter and would be as ready to answere Lord thou knowest that I loue thee It is easie to professe it but it is not so easie to approue it and manifest it If we would assure our owne soules that the loue of Christ is in vs let vs feede the flocke let vs speake boldly in the Name of the Lord without respect of persons â—ucan institu â—c 13. de miâ—st let vs teach improoue correct instruct admonish exhort comfort and strengthen as we see the state of the flocke to require Let vs duly administer the Sacraments according to Christs institution let vs rule and gouerne the Church committed vnto vs let vs pray for them and be examples vnto them in life that when the great Shepheard of the sheepe shal appeare we may receiue an incorruptible crowne of glory Vse 5 Lastly let the people carefully attend to the Ministery of the word where it is setled and planted with a good conscience as to Gods holy ordinance vouchsafed vnto them Let them bring attention in hearing diligence in marking and obedience in practising Let them put away all pretences and excuses let them not inuent carnall reasons against themselues and their owne soules Let them not vse any delayes to shift off the performance of this duty But there are many men in the world that are wise to their owne destruction and seeke sundry colourable deuises to hurt themselues and hinder their owne good For this ordinance albeit comfortable and necessary ayming at nothing else but our saluation findeth through the malice of Satan and opposition of his instruments strong enemies that assault it and vndermine it to make it fall downe He knoweth well enough that if this were throughly receiued and generally established in all places his kingdome could not stand but would fall downe as lightning as we heard before Luke 10. When the trumpets sounded that God appointed though they were of Rammes hornes the walles of Iericho fell downe Iosh 6.20 â—osh 6.20 The preaching of the Gospel seemeth a weake and contemptible thing and is accounted of them that perish to be foolishnesse 1 Cor. 1.18 â— Cor. 1.18 But if it were as vnlikely to do any great work as the rammes hornes yet being imployed of God it shall be able to cast downe all imaginations and high things that exalt themselues against the knowledge of God 2 Cor. 11.5 â— Cor. 11.5 Forasmuch as to them that are called it is the wisdome of God and the power of God 1 Cor. 1.24 â— Cor. 1.24 Hence it is that the great enemy of our saluation hath stirred vp his disciples the Anabaptists and other detestable and damnable heretikes to subuert the faith of many lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine vnto them These seduced persons seeking also to seduce Obiection 1 others reason thus No creature can worke faith and regeneration in vs it is God that doth it alone But the word preached is but a creature nay it is the voyce onely of a creature and a bare sound consisting of letters and sillables so that the vertue of it can bee no more but to signifie vnto vs the will of God I answere the word preached Answer and the vse of it are to be distinguished The right vse thereof is to vnderstand it to meditate vpon it to endeuour to beleeue it and to obey it The word preached is of force and of power not simply because it is vttered and published and the bare sound thereof commeth to the eares of the hearers for then all men should know and vnderstand it receiue it by faith and practise it by obedience but because when it is preached through the blessing of God and his secret worke in vs wee heare it with an attentiue eare and a tractable heart so that his spirit and his word goe together Esay 59.21 Esay 59.21 our hearing with the eare and his opening of the heart accompany one another Act. 16.14 Act. 16 14. Hereupon it is called the power of God to saluation that is Rom. 1.16 an effectuall instrument of his power to euery one that beleeueth The Ministers are said to be labourers together with God 1 Corin. 3.9 to bee workers together with him beseeching vs not to receiue the word of God in vaine 2. Cor. 6.1 and as the Ambassadours of God to pray vs in Christs stead that we be reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5.20 Secondly others obiect None can be saued Obiection 2 but such as are elected but all ordained to eternall life shall be saued whether they heare the word preached or not forasmuch as all the elect shall of necessity be saued and therefore there is no need of hearing to bring vs to saluation election is sufficient Answer I answere this is a diuiding of those things that cannot be diuided and a separation of those things that cannot be separated If any should reason touching the temporall life as these ignorant persons doe touching the eternall euery man would soone espie the fraude and be able to answere the obiection and put to silence the folly of the obiecters For we might as well reason thus All that are appointed of God to liue shall liue and therfore it skilleth that what they doe whether they eate or drinke or sleep or clothe themselues or whether they doe none of all these things This conclusion is of the same nature force with the former and both of them starke naught and deceitfull Euery one hath
precepts and examples to teach vs the way wherein we are to walke Lastly we must haue the doctrine of the Scriptures plentifully dwelling in vs not in the mouth but seated in the heart that we may be able to stand in the truth to continue vnto the end to rise vp being fallen We are euery houre subiect to be tempted of the diuell his tentations are many and strong hee is an expert and experienced captaine he looketh where we are weakest he is a spie that commeth to search and see the nakednesse of our soules And therefore we must be able to draw out the spirituall sword put into our hands vpon euery occasion that we may put him to flight This is the way to resist him this is the way to ouercome him Iam. 4. We haue the example of our Lord Iesus Christ the head of his Church he said It is written he handled this sword at euery tentation Math. 4 4. to teach vs to furnish our selues plentifully with the doctrine thereof that so we may remember to apply the same to euery present purpose 17. And these were the sonnes of Leui by their names Gershon and Kohath and Merari 18. And these are the names of the sonnes of Gershon by their families Libni and Shimei 19. And the sonnes of Kohath by their families Amram and Izehar Hebron and Vzziel 20. And the sonnes of Merari by their families Mahli and Mushi these are the families of the Leuites according to the house of their fathers Hitherto we haue spoken of that numbring of the Leuites which is generall the particular followeth which is both propounded and concluded the former beginning heere continueth to the end of the 37 verse the latter is comprised in the 38 and 39 verses This particular reckoning vp of the Leuites is perfourmed by setting downe such sonnes or issue as were begotten immediately of Leui himselfe then such as descended of his sons and lastly such as proceeded of his sons sons The sonnes of Leui were three in number Gershon Kohath Merari Gen. 46 11. Exod. 6 16 These are described according to the number of their families so that of Gershon came two families the Libnites and the Shimeits Of Kohath came foure families the Amramites the Izeharites the Hebronites and the Vzzielites Of Merari were spread two families the Mahlites and the Mushites In this diuision is laid downe before vs a description of the genealogy or generation of the Tribe of Leui by their names and by their families wherein is set downe both what children Leui had and what were his childrens children insomuch that many did spring and spread themselues as branches out of that roote This we also finde set downe afterward chap. 26 Numb 26 â— and in other places of the word of God and yet it may seeme vnto some very vnprofitable and to minister little or no instruction at all to the Church of God Besides the Scripture speaking of Genealogies doth oftentimes cal them endles and fruiteles and brand them with this note to minister occasion of strife and contention rather then of godly edifying which is in loue 1 Tim. 1 4 and Tit. 1 4 and 3 9. But we must know that the Apostle condemneth not all Genealogies All Geneâ—gies not coâ—demned forasmuch as the Scriptures are full of them and the Iewes kept publike and priuate records of their tribes and families Numb 1 18. Nehem. 7 62. This was obserued vntill the desolation of the City and the Temple Paul was able to proue himselfe of the stocke of Israel Phil 3 5. of the tribe of Beniamin an Hebrew of the Hebrewes by lineall descent if any had doubted of it The first booke of the Chronicles is full of such genealogies so is Ezra and Nehemiah and few historicall books of the old Testament without them Hence it is that the Apostle ioyneth foolish Questions and Genealogies together where he condemneth not the mouing of euery question in handling the word or conferring of it for both Christ asked his Disciples many things Mat. 16. and there are many questions godly and profitable whereof we may enquire and reason which breed sound knowledge wholesome instruction and fruitfull edification to the hearers He is marked out as with a note of folly that rashly and headily beleeueth euery thing Prou. 14 15. And therefore the questions that are to be suppressed he calleth foolish questions that is idle superfluous vaine and vnnecessary seruing to no vse or profit The same title as a brand set vpon the head of them is to be stretched also to Genealogies foolish genealogies must be staied such as are of no moment such as serue to nourish vaine glory and serue not to the benefite of the faith of the Church But such as the Scripture setteth downe are very profitable sometimes to teach vs the accomplishment of Gods promises sometimes to giue light to other Scriptures sometimes to shew the continuance of the Church from age to age sometimes to discouer the enemies of true religion which often driue it into a corner of the world and sometimes to manifest the true Messiah that the scepter departed not from Iudah till his appearing But to omit this heere we are to consider and to compare the curse of Iacob with the blessings that wee see descend vpon this tribe Simeon and Leui instruments of cruelty in the destruction of the Sichemites haue an heauy curse laid vpon them by their father Gen. 49. Yet God raised out of the same these honourable families and turned the curse into a blessing as he promised to that tribe for their zeale in destroying the idolaters â—octrine 1. â—od chuseth â—eake and â— likely â—eanes maâ— times We learne from hence that God many times chuseth his seruants as his instruments to bring worthy things to passe euen out of low and meane degrees He chuseth weake meanes and vnlikely in the eyes of the world and maketh them his instruments to worke his will This doth Hannah confesse she was contemned and reproched by her aduersarie which caused her in the anguish and bitternes of her soule to pray to the Lord but hauing experience of his mercy toward her she saith The Lord maketh rich Sam 2.6 7 â— and maketh poore he bringeth low and lifteth vp he raiseth vp the poore out of the dust lifteth vp the begger from the dunghill to set them among Princes and to make them inherite the throne of glory So hee dealt with Ioseph he brought him out of prison and lifted vp his head aboue the Princes of Egypt Gen. 41.40 Thus he speaketh to the Israelites Deut. 7.7 8. and putteth them in minde of their naturall condition The Lord did not set his loue vpon you nor chuse you because yee were moe in number then any people for ye were the fewest of all people but because the Lord loued you and because he would keepe the oath which hee had sworne vnto your fathers hath the
the first borne c. We see heere that the Leuites were substituted in the place of the first borne who did first of all execute the Ministers office The Lord if it had pleased him could haue serued the Church with them for euer but for the causes before rehearsed he exempted them from this seruice after that for a small time and a few yeeres he had tryed their obedience to his holy wil and commandement Now in their stead he taketh the Tribe of Leui to minister vnto him and for his Doctrine 1 people We learne hereby The office 〈◊〉 the Ministery is an high and worthy caâ—ling that the office of the Ministery is a most worthy and excellent calling This is that which the Apostle saith writing to the Hebrewes chap. 5.4 No man taketh this honour to himselfe but he that is called of God as was Aaron If then it be an honour to be called to this office it followeth to be an high and honourable calling Likewise writing to the Romanes and declaring that none can preach except they be sent hee addeth out of the Prophet How beautifull are the feete of them that preach the Gospel of peace and bring glad tydings of good things Rom. 10.15 And instructing Timothy touching this office he saith This is a true saying If a man desire the office of a Byshop he desireth a worthy worke and afterward in the same Epistle cha 5.17 Let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour specially they who labour in the word and doctrine Seeing then the Ministery is an honour as the Priesthood of Aaron was seeing the office is a worthy worke and seeing the feet of the Ministers that bring the word vnto vs are beautifull so that they are worthy not onely of single but of double honour it followeth that the calling is exalted aboue many others and ought to haue a reuerent and speciall account among vs. The trueth heereof will farther appeare Reason 1 vnto vs by the force of reasons as so many proppes to stay it vp First we must consider the title giuen vnto them of an Embassadour what greater honour then to be the Embassadour of a Prince The Minister is more he is the messenger of the Lord of hostes Mal 2.7 2 Cor. 5.20 and commeth from the King of kings and Lord of lordes He is in stead of Christ appointed and sent of him to reconcile men to himselfe and to saue them So then the Ministers supply the office and sustaine the person of the Sonne of God who is the word and wisedome of his Father Not that he would haue the Ministery of his word lesse esteemed then if he should speake from heauen with terrible signes of Thunder and lightning but that he might by this meanes teach in a more familiar manner and so make the better tryall of our obedience Therefore the Apostle saith He that knoweth God heareth vs Ioh. 4.6 he that is not of God heareth vs not hereby know we the spirit of trueth and the spirit of errour We must heare the word preached by man not as the word of man but as it is indeed the word of God Thess 2.13 and so set our selues in his presence Hence it is that he saith to the disciples whom he had sent out â—ct 10.33 He that heareth you â—â—rk 10.16 heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me If then the Ministery be an embassage sent vnto vs from God whereby God after a sort sueth to vs for reconciliation it serueth to set forth vnto vs the honour of this calling Secondly the honour of the Ministery is to Reason 2 saue mens soules which of all workes is the highest the holyest the heauenlyest the greatest What other calling can compare with it in this respect Other professions and ordinances respect the good of this life as peace or health or wealth and such like but the end of the Ministery alone is the saluation of soules Paul willeth Timothy to take heed to himselfe and vnto doctrine adding this reason Tim. 4.16 â—biection for in doing this thou shalt saue both thy selfe and them that heare thee It will be obiected we are saued by Christ onely as I haue beene oftentimes answered we haue saluation by no other then by him â—nswer It is true indeed Christ hath performed so much as is sufficient for the saluation of all yet none are actually saued but they onely to whom the benefits and merites of the Messiah are communicated Now his merits are applyed two wayes by the Ministery of the word and by receiuing of the Sacraments for which cause the power of saluation is ascribed vnto them We doe not teach that men are saued by the preaching of the word to driue men from Christ thereby or to build our saluation vpon any other for we preach nothing we regard to know nothing but Christ and him crucified We goe not about to lay any other foundation but the question is of the meanes how we shall come to the sauing knowledge of Christ which is ordinarily done by the sound and sincere preaching of the Gospel so that this calling is a most excellent calling Reason 3 Thirdly this truth is farther confirmed and strengthened by the contrary in that without it ordinarily no man can attaine to saluation as may appeare by the meanes whereby it is effected and by the degrees whereby it is finished None shall be saued but such as are effectually called but what is the Church other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then a company of men called and they are called by the Ministery of the Gospel made powerfull and effectuall by the Spirit of God Ye are called by our Gospel 2 Thes 2.14 to the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Iesus Christ By it our mindes are enlightened to see our owne miseries and Gods infinite mercies and then by it Luk. 1.79 Act. 26.18 Esay 53.1 as by the strong arme of God we are drawne vnto him Againe none are saued but such as are iustified being acquitted from their sinnes and accepted in Christ as righteous and as heires of eternall life But we are iustified by faith and faith commeth by hearing the word of God Rom. 10.17 1 Cor. 3.5 so that the Preachers are the Ministers by whom we beleeue Lastly none are saued but such as are sanctified by the Spirit of regeneration and whosoeuer is in Christ is become a new creature 1 Pet. 1.23 but we are borne againe by the immortall seed which is the word of the eternall God so that we are begotten into him by the preaching of the word In this respect the Ministers are called spirituall fathers 1 Cor. 4.15 because they beget vs as children by the Gospel of Iesus Christ Thus then we see the worthinesse and excellency of this calling and what we are to esteem therof As then we heard
then God hath not left vs as it were to the wide world to shift for our selues but he hath appointed the Magistrate to be his Lieutenant As in the priuate family where many seruants are he hath not left one seruant to quarrell with another and to draw vpon another he hath set the master ouer them all for the punishment of euil doers for the praise of them that do well 〈◊〉 â— 14. If any of thy fellow seruants do wrong thee giue not hurt for hurt or blow for blow or taunt for taunt for that will make thee guilty of sin though otherwise thou be innocent and thy cause be iust and righteous ye haue one common master that is set ouer you goe vnto him plead your cause before him accuse him in whoÌ„ any wickednes is found Euery man is presumed to be partiall in his cause let the master be iudge betwene you who is no way interessed in the businesse And as the master is iudge within the walles of his owne house and appointed to decide the controuersies that arise therein so the Magistrate is his ordinance to end the matters that fal out betweene neighbor and neighbor and therefore we must not think our selues wiser to determine our cause then he or God himselfe So theÌ„ we must practise two points first we must beare wrongs patiently and put away all reuenge far from vs whereby we hurt our selues much more then we doe our enemies for we may annoy them in their bodies or goods but we make a deep and dangerous wound in our owne soules And therfore Christ saith I say vnto you 〈◊〉 6.39 Resist not euill but whosoeuer shal smite thee on the right cheek turne to him the other also c. Secondly we are to vse the Magistrates helpe when we are wronged For alwayes to suffer the rod of the malefactour vpon our backe neuer to seek redresse were to make our selues Asses to receiue euery burden that will be laid vpon vs. Albeit therefore we are not to resist euill but if any man will sue vs at the law and take away our coat 〈◊〉 â—0 41 we should giue him our cloake also and whosoeuer will compell vs to go a mile we must go with him twaine to wit rather then we should reuenge our selues for this is to be vnderstood as spoken by comparison yet we are not forbidden hereby to haue recourse to the Magistrate who beareth not the sword in vaine to whom euery soule ought to be subiect 〈◊〉 3.1 For as it is a fault to suffer nothing so it may bee our fault as well to suffer too much namely when we will beare all things whereby we shal be gulled and forbeare to craue and call for the help of the Magistrate God is offended as well when lawfull meanes are not vsed as when vnlawfull means are practised 〈◊〉 3. Thirdly the question may be asked what if a man be violently assaulted either in the priuate house or in the high way whether by theeues that would rob vs or by quarrellers that would wound vs may we not resist reuenge Obiect to saue our liues or our goods I answer this is a case of necessity wherin a man cannot haue the benefit of Magistracy but is himselfe a Magistrate vnto himselfe A man being thus assaulted must vse the sword as the last remedy and refuge Wherein we must obserue these cautions conditions First we must not thirst after blood nor be willing to take away either life or limme if we can chuse Secondly we ought to the vtmost of our power to striue to free our selues from them their assaults and inuasion that there be no blood shed if it be possible vsing all good and lawfull meanes we may in fauour of life Thirdly we are so to behaue our selues that we rather defend then offend and seek more to saue our own liues then to take away another mans Fourthly if wee can no way escape the hands of the oppresser by flying or calling for the help of the Magistrate it is lawfull so farre to stand in our iust defence as that we should chuse to kill rather then to be killed for now God calleth vs to be a Magistrate to our selues puts a sword into our hands to execute reuenge vpon our aduersary Hence it is that albeit God saith vnto priuate men resist not euill yet might they lawfully kil a theefe in the night season without breach of law guilt of blood Exod. 22.2 If a theefe be found breaking vp and be smitten that hee die there shall no blood be shed for him This is to be vnderstood of the night theefe when a man being assaulted cannot run to the Magistrate and therefore God alloweth him to be an officer minister of iustice euen in his own cause wherin necessity pleadeth for his defeÌ„ce Lastly if a man in this case be compelled to take away life to shed blood he must be greeued and mourne for it that he hath defaced an image of God These conditions being obserued a man may lawfully withstand force by force and violence by violence defend the goods that God hath giuen him euen with the sword if it be vsed as the last remedy and in the last place Fourthly others will say it is a commendable Obiect 4 thing to put vp wrongs patiently I would I could do it I wish it with all my hart but we are flesh and blood we are not able to beare the iniuries that are offered vnto vs they are so great I answer Answer neuer lay the blame vpon flesh blood neuer acuse theÌ„ of this fault For thou makest them in such sort a common pack-horse to beare the burden of all thy sins as that thou art resolued to be flesh blood still Thou neuer desirest God to giue thee grace and to guide thee by his spirit thou neuer labourest with thine owne heart to pull out the root of reuenge Answer me one question which I will demaund of thee Thou saist thou art flesh and blood and flesh and blood cannot put vp these things but art thou flesh and blood onely or in part art thou nothing but a lumpe of flesh or else art thou partly flesh and partly spirit One of these two thou must needs be both of theÌ„ thou canst not be Tell me thy meaning and expresse more plainly what thou art Such as are onely flesh are not yet the Lords If thou be nothing else but flesh blood then woe be to thee Thou confessest against thy self that thou art yet carnal vnregenerate dead in sinnes and trespasses the bondslaue of Satan the heire of destruction without Christ Ephes 2.12 without hope without God in the world an alien from the Commonwealth of Israel and a stranger from the couenants of promise For flesh blood shall not inherit the kingdome of God and if euer we looke to be saued and to be partakers of
a sinne as to iustifie the wicked Wee ought none of vs to doe that which is abhominable in the sight of God the which he greatly abhorreth A Iudge may offend two waies both by oppressing the innocent and by deliuering the guilty person by pronouncing the transgressor righteous and the righteous man a transgressor This is set downe Prou. 17 verse 15. He that iustifieth the wicked and hee that condemneth the iust euen they both are abhomination vnto the Lord. Such a one spareth the wolfe and hurteth the lambes turneth the edge of the sword vpon the godly and the backe of it toward the wicked and vngodly Reason 4 Fourthly God would haue no man put to death without witnesses For wherefore doth he often establish this in the Law that the witnesses shall come face to face be heard but that no man should perish beeing innocent Wherefore doth hee ordaine that one onely witnesse shall not be taken as sufficient but that hee would haue the cause cleered by moe witnesses This is the decree of God Deut. 17 verse 6. At the mouth of two or three witnesses shall he that is worthy of death die but at the mouth of one witnesse shall he not dye Hee will not by any meanes haue innocent blood shed Reason 5 Fiftly innocent blood cryeth to heauen for vengeance and shall not suffer him that sheddeth it to escape It is one of the crying sinnes as wee shewed before in this chapter which ascend vp and enter into the eares of the Lord of hosts There is indeed no sinne so little but commeth vp in remembrance before him against whom it is committed his eyes see and his eares heare all the workes of men 〈◊〉 4 13. which are all naked and open before his eyes and nothing kept from his knowledge neuerthelesse to note out the horrour and hainousnesse of some sinnes in comparison of others the Scripture teacheth that they cry vnto the Lord. Moses to shew the greatnes of Caines sinne committed against his naturall brother bringeth in God speaking vnto him Behold the voice of thy brothers blood cryeth vnto me and to shew the barbarous cruelty and inhumanity of the vexing and exacting Egyptians whereby they ouercharged and ouerburdened the people of God he saith to Moses I haue seene I haue seene the oppression of my people which are in Egypt and haue heard their cry because of their Taske-masters Exod. chap. 2 verse 9. Thus also he speaketh to Samuel at another time of their oppression by the Philistims I haue looked vpon my people and their cry is come vnto me 1 Sam. chap. 9 verse 16. Thus God heareth the cry of the afflicted Iob chap. 34 verse 28. They haue caused the voice of the poore to come vnto him and he hath heard the cry of the afflicted This is the reason vrged by the Lord himselfe Exod. chap. 23 verse 7. And Ieremy protesteth and professeth as much to the face of his enemies and persecutors that sought his destruction chapter 26 verse 14 15. As for mee behold I am in your hands doe with mee as yee thinke good and right but know yee for certaine that if yee put mee to death yee shall surely bring innocent blood vpon your selues and vpon this Citty and vpon the inhabitants thereof for of a truth the Lord hath sent me vnto you to speake all these words in your eares Thus we see how God sheweth himselfe an enemy against all wrong iudgements and he will not suffer them to escape vnpunished but will enter into iudgement with such partiall and corrupt Iudges The vses heereof are to bee marked diligently Vse 1 of vs. First this serueth to reprooue all rashnesse headinesse and heedlesnesse of such as make haste to inflict punishment before an exact knowledge of the fact and fault Such are no better then cruell wolues that seeke and sucke the blood of the innocent lambes This was the sinne of wicked Iezabel that caused Naboth to bee stoned to death 1 Kings 21. We reade in the Acts of the Apostles how the chiefe Chaptaine commanded that Paul should be scourged that he might know wherefore they cryed so against him Acts 22 verse 24. Heere is a preposterous course to punish first and to enquire of the fault afterward so that the punishment shall be certaine whiles the offence is vncertaine But this is the lot and euer hath beene of Gods children they are punished heere oftentimes as malefactors and euill dooers and their enemies both rage and rush most furiously vpon them that doe possesse their soules with patience and doe not by violence resist against them They are more hungry then Beares more mercilesse then Tygers more rauenous then Wolues more greedy then Lyons more fierce then dogges against them they shew no mercy and they extend no compassion at all toward them They hate them in their hearts they slander them with their tongues they smite thē with their fists they grin and grinde their teeth at them they nod at them with their heads they circumuent them by fraud they oppresse thē with sorrow they take oftentimes their liues from them Thus did the persecuters deale with Ioseph with Ieremy with Dauid with Daniel with Paul with Silas with Iohn Baptist with Stephen with Iames with Peter and many others But God will in the end make their innocency knowne and the iustice of their cause manifest to all men It is noted by the Euangelist touching Pilate that albeit hee confessed hee found no fault at all in Christ yet hee would scourge him let him go He was the Iudge yet by his owne mouth he may be iudged himselfe that adiudged him worthy to be scourged that was vnworthy to receiue a stripe in whom he could finde nothing blame worthy He called together the high Priests and the Rulers and people and saide vnto them Ye haue brought this man vnto mee as one that peruerted the people and behold I haue examined him before you and haue found no fault in this man of those things whereof ye accuse him no nor yet Herod for I sent you to him and loe nothing worthy of death is done of him I will therfore chastise him and let him loose Luke 23 14 15 16. And as it befell the Master so the lotte fell vnto the seruants that they might drinke of the cup that he dranke off and be baptized with the baptisme wherewith hee was baptized For the Apostles were diligent in preaching Christ and teaching in his Name so that their enemies were not able to withstand the Spirit of God that spake in them and albeit they oftentimes examined them yet their best arguments and cheefest reasons and strongest motiues to put them vnto silence were beatings scourgings threatnings and imprisonments for otherwise they were not able to deale against them Hence it is that when Gamaliel exhorted them to take heed to themselues Acts 4 35. what they intended to doe touching those men to refraine from them
doth or can do the body Iohn 6 54 55 56. My flesh is meate indeed and my blood is drinke indeed that is they haue thē same nature to our soules which meate and drinke haue to our bodies Secondly in these and by these is prouision Reason 2 to satisfie all sorts in the word is sincere milke for children and strong meate for men of riper age Hebrewes chapter 5. Christ is hidden Manna which all did gather and were fed and nourished by it it feedeth small and great Thirdly the prouision of God is farre better then all earthly prouision This food is Reason 3 perpetuall the word of the Lord endureth for euer 1 Pet. 1.23 In eating of this food there is no danger of surfet and excesse This is durable meate it liueth for euer and maketh vs liue for euer who so eateth of it and digesteth it shall neuer perish for hunger and who so drinketh of this shall neuer thirst againe It is therefore Gods ordinance that his children and houshold seruants should be largely and liberally prouided for to haue euery one of them a full meale The vses From hence it followeth that the soule hath alwayes very great neede of Vse 1 food and sustenance as well as the body and will perish for hunger and die for thirst euen eternally through want of spirituall food as well as the body for want of temporall food The soule hath her diet as well as the body the strength of it is maintained by the bread of life as well as the state of the body by the bread of wheat How many are there among vs that consider not these things or at least care not for them Many there are that haue fat and lusty bodies that haue plenty of outward things who notwithstanding haue poore leane and pining soules euen ready to starue and to be famished and to giue vp the ghost For as the wise Salomon teacheth Prou. 29 18. Where there is no vision the people perish And the Prophet threatneth a greater famine of the word and more dangerous then the famine of bread or the thirst for water Amos 8 11. If then we be content to take paines and to trauaile farre for this earthly food as we see in Iacob when he and his family wanted corne how much more ought we to labour for the bread that endureth to euerlasting life Vse 2 Secondly we should come to the house of God with hungry and thirsty soules We must resort to the Word and Sacraments and to all the holy ordinances of God as an hungry person doth to a good feast Esay 55 1. Ioh. 7 37. Reuel 22 17. 1 Pet. 2 2. Let it be with vs as with Dauid 2 Sam. 23 15. he longed greatly and said Oh that one would giue me drinke of the water of the well of Bethlehem which is by the gate Where there is no desire of grace there is no grace The faithfull haue alwaies testified their desire Ps 42 1. The Prophet felt the sweetnesse of the word and sacraments testifieth often what a goodly taste he found in him as Psal 119 103 19 10. How sweet are thy words vnto my taste yea sweeter then hony vnto my mouth He that is sicke findeth no taste in any thing the purest hony is bitter vnto him but he that hath a good taste and is in health of body iudgeth and findeth it otherwise So if our soule be in health it findeth the word to bee sweeter then the hony and the hony combe and more to bee desired then gold yea then much fine gold Haue we then no taste in the word doth it not rellish with vs then most certaine it is we are soule-sicke we are sicke at the hart it is high time to run poste with all speed to the Physition Christ Iesus to restore this taste to vs which we haue lost or to bestow it vpō vs if we neuer enioyed it How irkesome is it for a man to haue no taste in his meate and drinke Elihu saith The eare trieth words Iob 34 3. as the mouth tasteth meat But we should thinke it a thousand times more troublesome to haue no taste of the good word of God as if it were no meate for vs. The Manna described in this place which figured out the word is compared for the taste sweetnesse to wafers made with hony Exod. 16 31. How then shall we thinke our selues well and whole in good health when we haue no more taste in it then is in the white of an egge Vse 3 Thirdly heere is comfort to all those that are poore christians which haue little store at home hard fare bare bread smal drinke and a thin diet al the yeare Let vs cheere vp our harts and refresh our spirits with this consideratiō that albeit we haue a scanty meale at home yet there is plentiful prouision in Gods house We haue much matter of great reioycing that although there be great difference in fare and furniture betweene the rich mans table the poor mans yet the priuiledges of Gods house are common to them both the poore hath as good interest in them as the rich yea sometimes a better portion if he make greater vse of them and take more benefit by them The poore are admitted to Gods table albeit they be not to the table of the rich haue accesse vnto his house and to his presence where is fulnesse of ioy and pleasure for euermore and this their ioy shall no man take from thē Nay such as haue riches and plenty at al times of al things which haue their tables furnished at home with variety of dainty dishes are serued in with sundry courses of most choise meates euen they must make account that their best fare is in the Church of God prefer it farre before the other otherwise they iudge not aright betweene soule body Psal 63 5 ◠65 4. betweene meat and meat betweene house and house Fourthly this serueth to reproue papists Ministers people For first it meeteth with Vse 4 the popish diet that bar the people from the cup of the Lord therby keeping backe a part of the spirituall banquet that Christ hath prepared for them when he spake to the communicants Drinke ye all of this Mar◠14 ◠But these Church-robbers allow not to the people any consecrated wine withdrawing from them a part of their allowance This sin is no lesse then sacriledge Christ saith Math. 26 ◠This is my blood which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins And who are those many that are there spokē off Doubtlesse all that should afterward beleeue in his Name From hence then we reason thus If the blood of Christ be shedde for the people then the cup of the Lord must bee communicated vnto them but the former is true therfore the latter For as we reason touching baptisme of infants that if the kingdome of God
neither more nor lesse is morall but if it should euer be changed againe we could not keepe the iust number of one in seuen but at the first change the proportion and morality would be broken â—ct If any aske how then was it changed at the first I answer â—er the Iewes that beleeued altered not the morality of one in seuen albeit they changed the day which was ceremoniall For in the first change they kept two Sabbaths together to wit the Iewish and the Christian yet without breach of the former proportion The Iewes kept the seuenth day for the week past we take the first day which is next to it and so keepe the Sabbath for the weeke to come they obserued that day in memoriall of the worke of creation which was past we christians keeping as we haue great cause the remembrance of the worke of redemption begin our Sabbath at the resurrection of Christ for the time following And thus was the day altered without breaking the morality of one day in seuen which is vnpossible euer to be so changed againe The Princes of Iudah are charged to change the boundes and landmarkes Hos 5 10. God hath set stakes and boundes as it were to compasse and inclose his Sabbath by appointing the time and limiting the season therefore to remoue this is as great an offence to God as to pull vp the pales and hedges of the ground is a trespasse to man If then we take vpon vs to appoint another day of our owne it cannot be called the Lords day but mans day or our owne day or the Churches day And it may be said of vs as Esay 1 12. Who required these things at your hands To set vp another day is to appoint a strange day like to Nadab and Abihu that offered strange fire If any say we may serue the Lord as well vpon another day I answer so might Nadab and Abihu consume the sacrifice with strange fire as well as by that preserued on the Altar yet they were punished of God because they altered his institution as we haue seen before Secondly this reproueth sundry sorts of persons Vse 2 that offend against this doctrine Of all the commandements of God none are more often vrged and yet not one is or hath beene more despised and transgressed The breach of the Sabbath is the maine sin of the world a generall euill spreading farre and neere an iniquitie abounding in euery congregation as if God had neuer spoken anything touching a Sabbath or as if it were a meere ordinance of man Nay humane inuentions and traditions are ordinarily better obserued and more regarded then this commandement of GOD. Now it reproueth especially three sorts First The first reproofe such as make the Lords day which should be the market day of the soule a day of vain pleasures and carnall delights a day of sports and recreations thinking it enough if they follow not the workes of their calling For wherefore are the workes of our ordinary vocations forbidden vpon the Sabbath and why are we restrained from them not that they are vnlawfull in themselues but because they take vp the minde and suffer it not to bee emploied in Gods businesse The same may be said of our owne pleasures much more which naturally we follow with more greedinesse and earnestnesse And it is well obserued that the multitude had rather goe to Church then goe to worke yet had rather go to play then to the Church This is the disposition of the greatest part especially of seruants and of the younger sort who commonly make no other reckoning of this day then as of a day of riot and reuelling of gaming and drinking neuer intending the worship of God which ought then especially to be performed Thus is the commandement turned vpside downe and that day which should be kept holy to the Lord is spent in the seruice of the diuell If they haue beene at the Church in the forenoone they dispense with themselues to serue Satan in the afternoone But as Christ telleth vs that none can serue God and Mammon so no man can serue GOD and their pleasures on that day Secondly The second reproofe heere are reproued such as seeme more ciuill then the former but yet take liberty to follow their owne businesse ordinary affaires Such are they which go or ride about their worldly matters to buy to bargaine to sell to talke with others robbing God of his day to spare one of their owne God hath kept but one day in the weeke to himselfe and euen this also we take from him and grudge at it to giue it to him like the rich theefe that hauing many sheepe of his owne yet killed his neighbours that had but one 2 Sam. 12 4. The third reproofe A third sort are reproued who thinke it enough if they obserue so much as is enioyned by lawes and in iunctions of men if they be at morning and euening praier they thinke they giue to the Lord a large allowance and iustifie themselues as if they were good obseruers sanctifiers of the Sabbath Such men take liberty all the rest of the day to do what they list pertaining to theÌ„selues whether to their profit or to their pleasure Thus they make it partly the Lords day and partly their owne howbeit there is no parting of stakes with him We cannot properly call it the Lords day except wee make it wholly to be his and consecrate it wholly to his worship Vse 3 Lastly it is our duty to remember this day before hand that so wee may euery way fit our selues to the sanctifying of it and therfore the Lord said Exodus 20 8. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy Our nature is very forgetful of this performance of holy duties and therfore we haue need to think of them before hand God hath giuen vnto vs sundry commandements but he commendeth the Sabbath to vs especially aboue all the rest he dealeth with vs like a master that giueth many precepts to his seruant but willeth him to remember one aboue all the rest So it is with the Lord he saith Thou shalt haue no other Gods before me Exodus 20 3. Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image verse 4. Thou shalt not bow downe thy selfe vnto them nor serue them verse 5. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine ver 7. But aboue all these Remember the Sabbath day to keepe it holy For indeede the right obseruation of all the rest consisteth in the due regard of this How can we learne obedience to the rest vnlesse wee be carefull to keepe this day Or how should we be able to practise them to know what God requireth except we giue attendance at the posts of his house to heare his voice We must euermore remember the precept of the Apostle Col. 3 2. Set your affections on things aboue and not on things vpon
Tabernacle therefore they were worthy to receiue their wages and ought not to be defrauded thereof Before the law Abraham gaue vnto Melchizedek tithes of all Gen. 14 20. And the Apostle to the Hebrewes saith that euen the Patriarke Abraham gaue the tenths of the spoiles Heb. 7 4. It is therefore both lawfull iust that the Minister should require and receiue and the people pay vnto theÌ„ that which is due in respect of their labour Reason 1 The reasons are First that thereby the Ministers may be encouraged in their duties 2 Chron. 31 4. It is said of Hezekiah that he coÌ„manded the people that dwelt in Ierusalem to giue the portion of the Priests and the Leuites that they might be encouraged in the law of the Lord. They had receiued much discouragement and discontentment in the daies of Ahaz his father who regarded neither God nor his word nor his worship nor his Ministers for he tooke away a portion out of the house of the Lord and cut in peeces the vessels of the house of God 2 Chro. 28 21 24. And in our daies I am well assured that the Ministers of the Gospel haue as many discouragements as euer the Leuites had and therefore stand in need of some encouragements Secondly it is an ordinance of God that they which preach the Gospel should liue of the Gospel 1 Corin. 9 14. Thirdly they are to attend wholly vpon that calling and do spend themselues to gaine soules to God 1 Tim. 4 13 15.16 2 Tim. 2 4. Euery art should maintaine the artificer and euery trade the tradesman and euery profession the professour The calling of the Minister is not of the lowest callings and it is none of the least labours so that their maintainance should arise from their great paines that they take in that calling Fourthly it is the law of God and nature that children which haue receiued liuelihood from their parents should recompence theÌ„ the Apostle sheweth that if any widow haue children or nephewes let them learne first to shew piety at home and to requite their parents for this is good acceptable before God 1 Tim. 5 4. If then children ought to recompence their parents for their care in their education as Ioseph did his father Iacob much more ought faithfull people to do the same to their faithfull Pastors to whom they owe euen themselues and of whoÌ„ they haue receiued the life of their liues Gal. 4 14. 15 19. Phil. â— 10. Lastly euery labourer is worthy of his hire and whosoeuer deteineth the wages of the poore labourer is a great oppressour committeth a crying sin Iames 5 4. and the cry entreth into the eares of the Lord of Sabbath How then should that which is due to all laborers be denied to the labors of the Minister And howsoeuer this be an euident truth yet it findeth hard entertainment in the world mens profits doe so rownd them in the eare that they can quickly finde sundry obiections against the same I will touch some of the cheefe and principall First the Apostles had great Obiect 1 gifts yet they preached freely Math. 10 v. 8. Why then shold not the Ministers in our daies do the like I answer Answer this must be vnderstood of the gift of working myracles as appeareth by the circumstances and as I haue prooued elsewhere Hence it is that Elisha would not accept though he were vrged of the blessing that Naaman offred vnto him for the curing of his leprosie 2 Kin. 5 16. Againe if they may receiue nothing for their labours how doeth Christ say afterward The workman is worthy of his meate Mat. 10 10. Besides our Sauiour ioyneth these two together receiuing freely and giuing freely and maketh the former the cause of the latter that they ought to bestow freely because they had receiued freely And how had they receiued freely Surely two waies freely without any of their owne desarts and freely without any their owne labor for they had their gifts by reuelation Gal. 1 1 16 17. True it is we haue our gifts by the gift of God freely without any the least desart of ours but wee haue not receiued them freely without our great labour and industry therefore as in this sense we haue not receiued freely we aâ—e not bound by this rule to goe about and preach freely That talent which we haue we haue it by our great paines and therfore it is lawfull for vs to take for our paines Obiect 2 Againe the Apostles are forbidden to prouide and to possesse gold and siluer Math. 10 9. I answer Answer so he forbiddeth them to haue two coats or shooes or staues for their iourney v. 10. But to obserue this perpetually were contrary to the practise of Christ himselfe Iohn 12 6. and 13 4. and 19 23. Luke 22 36 and of his owne Disciples who no doubt liued according to the direction and instruction of their master Acts 12 8. 2 Tim. 4 13. So then this precept had place onely for that present sending and was not to binde them for euer much lesse their successours that came after them for now they were appointed to make haste and might carry no prouision with theÌ„ but must cast themselues wholly vpon the power protection and prouidence of Christ that sent them gaue them their commission Thirdly Paul preached to the Corinthians Obiect 3 and Thessalonians without receiuing any wages at all of them 1 Cor 9 15. 1 Thess 2 6 7. Acts 20 34. He labored with his owne hands and became a Tent-maker Acts 18 3. I answer Answ the question is not de facto but de iure not what he did or any of them did but what he and they had right and power to do For albeit he did not take wages yet he had authority to do it as himselfe professeth 1 Cor. â— 6 12. yea he saith that at such times as hee freed them he robbed other Churches and tooke wages of some to do seruice vnto other 2 Cor. 11 8. And albeit he were well content to depart from his right yet he ceased not to lay claime to his right 2 Thess 3 8 9. And in other churches where he preached the Gospel he liued of the Gospel and taught all the Ministers by his example to doe the like If any aske the question why he abstained from pursuing his owne right I answer that many things are lawfull in themselues which are not expedient and as circumstances often alter the matter so Paul did this for sundry causes expressed in diuers places First lest he should ouer-burden them that had already an heauy burden of pouerty lying vpon them 2 Thess 3 8. Secondly that he might giue example to those that were idle which abounded among the Thessalonians to teach them to worke with their owne hands and to eate their owne bread 2 Thess 3 9. Thirdly that by this meanes it might manifestly appeare that he sought them rather then theirs that he
1 Cor. 8 1. lest our knowledge puffe vp and adde to our farther condemnation Therefore the Apostle writing to the Church of the Thessalonians being one of the most goodly and glorious churches that the Apostle planted who aboue the rest of the churches surpassed in knowledge excelled in faith abounded in loue shined forth in obedience yet he saith to them 1 Thess 4 1. and 5 20. despise not prophesie and we exhort you in the Lord Iesus that you increase more more as ye haue receiued of vs how ye ought to walke and to please God We are here in our race we haue not yet attained to the end of our iourny We see how men think they neuer haue riches and substance enough they alwaies account themselues poore and needy and are euer endeauouring to increase better their estate so it should be in true and heauealy Treasure wee should hunger and thirst after righteousnesse Mathew 5 6. Psal 143 1. wee should grow vp in grace and desire euermore greater strength assuring our selues that if we haue an appetite and thirst after the Wel of the water of life we shall be fully satisfied onely wee must vse the meanes that God hath appointed to attaine faith and other sauing graces as earnest prayer reuerent hearing of the Word diligent receiuing of the Sacraments beeing carefull to honor God for that which wee haue alreadie receiued and I am perswaded that hee which hath begun his good worke in vs will perfect the same vnto the day of Iesus Christ As for the peruerse and crooked generation of those that think they haue knowledge enough they manifestly bewray their want of knowledge For as such as haue attained and receyued the greatest knowledge doe finde in themselues the greatest ignorance so such as imagine themselues to be most richly replenished in all knowledge vnderstanding are indeed most sottish and ignorant in the matters of GOD like empty vesselles which make the greatest sound Hereby therfore we shall try our selues whether we haue attained any measure of acceptable knowledge if it worke and kindle in vs a desire of more knowledge if it light vs a Candle to see our owne ignorance and if it teach vs that still our wants are greater then our store The grace of God in the heart is like a grain of mustard seed small to see to at the beginning Matth 13 31. but being once placed planted in the ploughed ground of a fruitful heart it increaseth speedily and spreadeth it self far and neere The master deliuering his Talents to his seruants Matth. 25 25. saith to them Occupy til I come and not hide them in the earth And the Apostle exhorteth Timothy to stir vp the gift in him and to blow the coales lest the graces of God decay as fire is apt to goe out 2 Tim. 1 6. beeing kindled in greene wood The fourth obiection answered Touching the last obiection of hauing already good prayers and good Homilies I answer as they are hated of God and men that make dissention betweene brethren so such as magnifie praier to iustle out preaching which ioyne hand in hand together and walke as friends that are agreed are indeed enemies to them both Indeed we confesse the prayers of the Church are good as it is written My house shall be called the house of prayer Matth. 21 13. but these men little regard them saue to serue their owne turne for few of them make conscience to be present at the confession of sins or absolution of a sinner Nay if they stand at the Church doores they scarse afford vs their presence to come in and if they do we must be deeply indebted to them for their company Now wher they thinke to stop our mouths to choake vs with the Law they crosse the high Ordinance of God slander the good lawes of Princes and sin against their owne soules making the reading of Sermons and exhortations of equall dignity and preheminence with the liuely preaching of the word For first no people vnder heauen should want so far as is possible the preaching of the Gospell it is the commandement of God it is his ordināce necessary for the planting and continuance of a Church which cannot be saide of the other which also are appointed to giue place hold their peace as an inferiour institution when any is present to preach vnto the people Again the liuely preaching of the Pastor applyeth Doctrine and exhortation to the present circumstances and occasions of times and budding of new sins and broaching of new heresies so that according to their manifold windings turnings it is ready to meet them to strike at the very heart and head of them Thirdly there is a great difference in gifts of interpretation exhortation zeale vtterāce memory moouing of affections and such like as the very Heathen haue in another case and kind acknowledged For when the people after the reading of an Oration Cicero de to lib. 2. penned in the perswasible words of human eloquence greatly wondred it was replied Doe you maruaile hearing me reade it What affections would it haue wrought in you if you had heard himself with liuely voice vtter pronounce it As for godly and learned Homilies we doe not condemn or contemn them in the famine scarsity of teaching we know that a cup of colde water is better then no drink and halfe a loafe better then no bread yea as Salomon sayth Prou. 27 ◠the person that is full despiseth an hony-combe but vnto the hungry soule euery bitter thing is sweet yet it is no disgrace or disparagement vnto them to giue place to the preaching of the word as a man may say the Peers Nobles of a kingdome are inferiour to the Prince without defacing of them or that siluer is baser thē gold without disgracing of it Thus much in answer of the Obiections that are made against the preaching of the Gospel being the ordinary meanes which God hath left vnto vs to further our saluation Secondly see Gods mercy to his Church Vse 2 his Decree is concluded his prouidence is determined all things are written in his Booke yet hee will vse men as his owne hand and instruments to doe that which himselfe could worke alone hee will haue them as Ioynt-workers 1 Cor. 3 ◠and as fellow-helpers with him This is a great honour and speciall prerogatiue as the Apostle sheweth We together are Gods Labourers ye are Gods Husbandry and Gods Building And againe 2 Cor. 5 ◠Wee are Ambassadours for Christ as though GOD did beseech you through vs wee pray you in Christs stead to bee reconciled to God It is a verie great honour and dignitie to represent the person of an earthly Prince whose breath is in his nostrils but it is a greater priuiledge and preheminence to stand in the roome of God They are greatly honored that sit in his seat whether in the
graces set them at an higher rate make a greater reckoning of them then of al earthly things This appeareth Mat. 13 44 45 46. The kingdome of God is like vnto a treasure hid in the field which when a man hath found he hideth it for ioy therof departeth and selleth all that he hath and buyeth that field Againe the kingdome of heauen is like to a Merchant man that seeketh good Pearles who hauing found a Pearle of great price went solde all that he had and bought it Phil. 3 8 9. So the Apostle Paul accounteth all things losse and iudgeth them as dung that he might winne Christ might be found in him not hauing his owne righteousnesse which is of the Law but the righteousnesse of God through Christ But the vngodly despise the graces of God like the Gadarens who prefered their swine before Christ Math. 8 34 and like prophane Esau Heb. 12 16. who for one portion of meate sold his birthright If they sustaine any damage or losse in their riches and substance of their house how are they greeued and vexed How do they howle and cry out as if they were vtterly vndone What seeking and searching farre and neare is made to finde the same And they are of such impatiency of spirit that they are neuer quiet till they haue found the same What man hauing an hundred sheepe if hee lose one of them doth not leaue ninety and nine in the wildernesse goe after that which is lost vntill he finde it Either what woman hauing ten groats if she lose one groat doth not light a candle and sweepe the house and seeke diligently till she finde it Luke 15 v. 4 8. But if the gifts and graces of GOD decay in them if they lose his fauour and louing countenance if they grow poore and thred bare in spirituall blessings it neuer troubleth their mindes it neuer greeueth their hearts they neuer complaine of any wants for being wholy earthly plodding vpon the world like earth wormes they haue no feeling of the want of heauenly things Would we therefore know a faithfull man from an vnfaithful and would we haue some assured marke and token to discerne the one from the other Marke how they esteeme things that concerne a better life If they reioyce in the word of God as they that finde great spoiles if first they seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse if they labour after the excellent knowledge of Christ and stirre vp the precious gifts of God in them we haue vnfeigned testimonies of their vnfeigned faith But if wee see any contemne knowledge and despise the graces of God if we see them tread vnder their feete the sweete blessings of God as swine do precious Pearles they giue euident witnesse against their owne soules and do carry about them in their owne bosomes a note of horrible prophanenesse Secondly let vs looke carefully vnto our Vse 2 selues and learne daily to call our selues to a reckoning account for the benefits of God which haue beene bestowed vpon vs lest we vnthankfully deuoure and wickedly swallow them vp forgetting both them and the giuer of them â—l 40 6. which are moe in number then the haires of our heads Let vs also learne to feele our owne pouerty and wants Hunger we say commonly is the best sawce so the surest and fittest remedy to recouer vs of this sin of loathing and discontentment is to consider our need and necessity of heauenly graces and what want we haue of the word which is the food of our soules sweeter then the hony and the hony-combe more to be desired then the finest gold yea then all riches more precious then Pearles and all things thou canst desire are not to bee compared vnto it Psal 19 10 and 119 103. Prouerb 3 15. Now we shall neuer be weary of this our wearinesse and contempt of the best things vntill we haue learned as new borne babes to desire the sincere milke of the word of God that we may grow thereby 1 Pet. 2â— 1. Therefore the Prophet calleth such to heare him Esay 55 1. Ho euery one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and yee that haue no siluer come buy and eate come I say buy wine and milke without siluer and without mony Hereunto cometh that which Christ proclaimed at the last and great day of the feast If any man thirst let him come vnto me and drinke Iohn 7 37. This was the affection of the Prophet Dauid Psal 143 5 6. and 63 1 5. I meditate in the works of thine hands I stretch foorth mine hands vnto thee my soule desireth after thee as the thirsty Land exceedingly So theÌ„ when we come to the banquets of God which he hath furnished for vs we must come with hungry stomacks crauing to be satisfied and filled with his dainties We see when men go to a great feast prepared and prouidedfor them whereunto they are curteously inuited they doe not fill themselueS before hand but come with hunger and desire so must we do in coming to the exercises of our religion Seeing then Wisedome hath built her an house killed her victualles and prepared her Table calling vs to come eate of her meate and drinke of the wine which she hath drawne Prou. 9 1 2 5 it is our parts to come to the Word and Sacraments as to the high ordinances of God with a ready minde with a thirsty soule and with a good appetite that we may be satisfied as with marrow and fatnesse He affoordeth vnto vs a plentifull allowance Ps 36 7 8 9. and appointeth vnto vs a liberall diet hee dealeth not sparingly and niggardly with vs but inuiteth vs as his guests to good cheare and bountifull prouision of his word prayer and Sacraments If then God haue denied vnto vs this worlds good that we are driuen to rise early fare hardly at home in our owne houses and sometimes haue scarce a crust of bread and a pot of water yet heere is matter of great contentment and câ—nsolation that we haue such plenty of spirituall prouision prouided for the soule in the house of God whereby we are nourished to eternall life and comfortably taught to beare the penury and distresses of the body A dinner of greene hearbs and Gods word going with it are notable sare For as one saide The Gospel and browne bread are good cheere Lastly Vsâ— consider from this naturall loathing of the blessings and best things of God why GOD especially punisheth those places and people euen because they are fallen into a spirituall surfet as it were into a deadly sleepe and slumber and are clogged and cloied with the store and plenty of that food which God hath giuen them When the Gospel was restored to vs againe as the book of the Law that Hilkiah the Priest found with what ioy of heart and applause of the people 2 King 22 8. with what comfort and courage was it heard
sicknesse is from God the manner of it the measure of it the time of it the matter of it is of God which giueth good assurance and affiance that God will be mercifull and gracious vnto vs seeing he striketh vs that is our Father and in the stroke be it neuer so sharp he cannot forget his former compassions but he will make all things fall out to further our saluation neither will hee lay more stripes and strokes vpon vs theÌ„ we shall be able to beare He will make a way for vs to escape 1 Cor. 10 13. Psal 56 8. Psal 11 3. Cant. 2 6. he will make our bed in all our sicknesse hee putteth our teares in his bottell his left hand is vnder our head and his right hand doth embrace vs. Let vs comfort one another in these things Vse 3 Thirdly it standeth vs vpon whensoeuer his hand is vpon vs to seeke to him for health that smiteth and no man healeth that maketh the wound and no man restoreth We are directed by this consideration to whom to seek for our recouery to wit first to the hand that striketh and next to goe to mans helpe which is his ordinance We must not first seeke to the Physition as Asa did 2 Chron. 16 13 but first be reconciled to God the chiefe Physition of soule and body and pray vnto him in our trouble as Hezekiah did Esay 38 2. Let vs neuer looke that any means be they neuer so excellent shall profite vs and prosper with vs vntill we be at peace with God and haue renewed our repentance from dead works for our daily sinnes This the Apostle sheweth Iam. 5 13. Is any among you afflicted let him pray This condemneth those that seeke to witches and wizards and forget the God of their saluation 1 Sam. 2 6. who killeth and maketh aliue bringeth downe to the graue and raiseth vp againe Let vs thereby be put in mind of our death which is Gods messenger and serieant to arest vs and to bring vs into his presence Let vs euer prepare our selues to depart in peace cOnsidering that as the home of death shall take vs so the day of iudgement shall finde vs. Here we repent or else we repent neuer Chrys hoâ— de Lazaro Basil de moral 1. Reg. 2. Here is time of changing and turning but after this life there is no more place of repentance but an horrible expectation and fearefull looking for of iudgement which shall deuoure the aduersaries The Scripture teacheth that Caine that euill man was of euil one and slew his brother wee may multiply thousands of yeares since he vttered that fearefull and comfortlesse speech Gen. 4 13. My sinne is greater then ca be pardoned my punishment is greater then can bee suffered yet when Christ shall breake the heauens and come to iudge the quicke and dead hee shall appeare no otherwise at the last day theÌ„ as he was taken out of this life The like wee might say of Esau of Saul of Iudas and of others who ended their daies in desperation as they died so they shall be iudged abide for euer after iudgement As they turned not to God their Creator while they liued so they shall receiue no ease or alteration in their estate when they are once departed and haue receiued iudgement of whom we may say as Christ once spake of Iudas It had beene good for these men if they had neuer beene borne Mat. 26 24. For not to bee is ten thousand times better then euer to be in a liuing death in coÌ„tinuall horrour and desperation where their worme dieth not the fire neuer goeth out Mark 9 4â— This was the vse that Hezekiah made of his sicknes Es 38 10 11 I said in the cutting off of my daies I shall goe to the gates of the graue I am depriued of the residue of my yeares I saide I shall not see the Lord euen the Lord in the Land of the liuing I shall see man no more among the Inhabitants of the world Wherefore in sicknesse we are taught to seeke health of God and to bee put in minde of our mortality Lastly when God hath shewed mercy vpon Vse 4 vs in our deliuerance let vs spend the residue of our daies in a godly conuersation It is a common and ordinary matter to make solemne promises and protestations to becOme new men if we recouer Many do then lament the former errors and ignorances of their life but when they haue obtained mercy at the hands of God when they haue found a blessing and beene restored they become as leud and prophane as they were before And this moued Christ our Sauiour to exhort the impotent man to sinne no more lest a more greeuous iudgement were brought vpon him Ioh. 5 14. We see how Hezekiah being healed the third day after he went vp to the house of the Lord to praise him 2 King 20 â— Esay 38 18 to speake of his goodnesse who had seene his teares heard his praiers and who had remoued his afflictions The graue cannot confesse thee death cannot praise thee they that goe downe into the pit cannot hope for thy truth but the liuing the liuing hee shall confesse thee as I do this day the father to the children shall declare thy truth This duty is required of vs al when we are deliuered from our sicknesse or sorrow from trouble calamity to be thankfull to God and mindfull of his mercy Let euery one examine his owne heart how he hath practised this duty what vse he hath made of his affliction There is none of vs but hath a blessed experience of Gods goodnesse toward him hee hath oftentimes preserued vs from dangers restored vs from sicknesse deliuered vs from diseases freed vs from troubles happy are we if thereby we haue profited vnto amendment of life and in the study of godlinesse and be carefull that we fall not backe againe into our former offences We must not be like to Pharaoh who returned to his vomit and the hardnesse of his heart â— 7.13 14. after hee was freed from the plagues of God lest with him we be destroyed by the iust hand of God The Lord sent fiery serpents among the people which stung the people so that many of them died God might haue destroyed these euer-murmuring Israelites by the Canaanites or Edomites their aduersaries hee hath men and Angels at his booke and commandement to afflict them and ouerthrow them but he sendeth stinging serpents which tormented theÌ„ and a multitude of venomous beasts vpon theÌ„ that they might know that where with a man sinneth by the same also he shall be punished as we shewed before The Doctrine from hence is that GOD hath all creatures in his owne hand â—ctrine â—d hath all â—atures eueÌ„â—â—malest to â—ploy in his â—uce which â—ing â—ent do â—euaile and he armeth them at his owne pleasure to execute his will and being so imploied they
Secondly we are taught heereby to stand in feare of God Mat. 8 26 27. to tremble vnder this mighty Commander of sea and land and to beware we do not teaze with him or prouoke him to anger indignation against vs seeing he hath so many royall Camps of armed souldiers in readinesse to be reuenged of vs to destroy vs when and how and where it pleaseth him He is able to cut vs downe as grasse to blow vs away as dust to sweepe vs away as dung to tread vpon vs as wormes of the earth he needeth no weapon for the matter hee can scatter vs as chaffe before the winde he can make the least dust to be our death and the smallest vermin to be our destruction If he arme the silly simple flye it is able to work out our confusion and is farre aboue our power to encounter and buckle withall These are the men of war that God chuseth to wage battell for him and to pull downe the hautinesse of our hearts Let vs profite to humility and stoope downe vnder his hand He can as easily send strange plagues strange diseases mortality among vs as hee in former times hath done This the Prophet Ieremy teacheth chap. 5 21 22 24. Heare now this O foolish people and without vnderstanding which haue eyes and see not which haue eares and heare not feare ye not me saith the Lord Or will ye not bee afraid at my presence which haue placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetuall decree that it cannot passe it though the waues thereof rage and rore they cannot preuaile or passe ouer it Lastly this teacheth that none can escape Vse 3 iudgement and though hand ioyne in hand the vngodly shall neuer go vnpunished For as it ministreth comfort to the faithfull in all daÌ„gers to put their trust affiance in God who hath so many souldiers and seruants to protect and defend them so on the other side it assureth tribulation and anguish death and destruction to euery soule that doth euill Looke how many creatures he hath so many meanes he hath to destroy vs and we cannot escape if we be at warre and defiance with him If God be on our side who shall be against vs Rom. 8 31. But if he bee against vs what creature shall stand with vs Nay what creature is not armed against vs If God bee our enemy nothing in heaueÌ„ or earth can shew vs any good or be in league and friendship with vs but is ready to bid vs battell and to proclaime open warre against vs. Therefore the Prophet saith God is iealous and the Lord reuengeth Nah 1 2 5 â— he will take vengeance on his aduersaries and heere serueth wrath for his enemies the Lord is slowe to anger but he is great in power and will not surely cleere the wicked the Mountaines tremble and the Hils melt before him the earth is burnt at his fight yea the world all that dwell therein Who can stand before his wrath his wrath is powred out like fire and the Rockes are broken by him If a man were compassed about with thousands of his enemies and hemmed in on euery side with a mighty hoast ready to draw their swords and discharge their Ordinance at him would hee not despaire of deliuerance and put his soule in his hand as the Prophet speakes This is the estate of all naturall and wicked men All creatures aboue their head and vnder their feete on the right hand on the left hand and round about them before them and behind them are set against them haue made a generall conspiracy against them It were a vaine hope and foolish presumption for such a prisoner to dreame of freedome deliuerance The murther of Abel lying heauy vpon the heart and conscience of Caine Gen. 4 1â— made him stand in feare of euery creature that came to meete him or ouertooke him If then we would be at peace with the creatures and finde peace in our own selues which passeth all vnderstanding labour first of all to be at peace with God Let him haue no quarrell or controuersie against vs. Let vs send out an Embassage of peace â—14 32. and hang out of our hearts a flag of truce that he may call backe his army from pursuing of vs. If he once blow the retreate all his souldiers retire they are all able to doe vs no hurt the stones of the streete shal be in league with vs all creatures shall serue them that serue the Lord. Seeing therfore the least of Gods creatures are made by him too strong for a kingdome who shall bee able to resist his power Seeing in his wrath he can arme all the creatures in heauen and earth against vs the meanest whereof is aboue our strength what vain hearts haue we in our brests and what wicked tongues in our prophane mouthes to thinke and speake it that we will shift well enough with his iudgements Let vs shake at his infinite power betimes lest the fire of his iealousie burne against vs and it cannot bee quenched Let vs tremble at our security and presumption that haue taken hold vpon vs lest the guiltinesse thereof shake and shiuer vs in peeces for euermore seeing he bringeth out his armies by number calleth them by their names Esay 40 26. Verse 7. Then the people came to Moses said We haue sinned for wee haue spoken against the Lord and against thee Marke heere how the Israelites seeke helpe and succour of Moses A man would haue thought that this rout of Rebels of all other would not haue gone to Moses nor haue stooped downe to him whom before they had contemptuously scorned contumeliously abused and despitefully spoken against yet in their misery they making a vertue of necessity come with one accord to Moses to be helped succoured to be releeued and praied for they can finde no comfort nor remedy but in him We learne from hence â—trine â—ked are â— driuen â—eke helpe â—e â—godly â— they â— despised this doctrine Such as are disobedient wicked are oftentimes driuen to seek comfort and helpe of the godly whom they haue scorned and derided reuiled and spoken against I say vngodly men and such as blaspheme God and are enemies to God and to his seruants are many times inforced and constrained to sue to them whom they haue despised and to seeke to them in their necessity and extremity when they are in affliction and the hand of GOD is any wayes heauy vpon them This appeareth in many places of the word of God Abimelech hauing taken the wife of Abraham and wronged him in the most precious part of his possession â— 20 7 17. standeth in need of his praier that he might liue bee healed of the diseases that God had laide vpon him and his people In like manner Isaac was hated of the Philistims they enuied his riches they stopped his wels
2 20. Because this people hath transgressed my couenant which I commanded their Fathers hath not obeyed my voice therefore will I no more cast out before them any of the Nations which Ioshua left when he died that through them I may proue Israel whether they will keepe the way of the Lord to walke therein or not So the Lord left those Nations and droue them not out immediately neither deliuered them into the hand of Ioshua Reason 2 Secondly the people of God trespasse against him so as the Lord cannot roote out their enemies together but leaueth some among them 〈◊〉 20. â—â— 13. as we saw before the Nations were left among the Israelites to be as snares in their paths whips in their sides and thorns in their eyes because they transgressed the Couenant that God had made with their fathers So the Prophet speaketh Psal 81 13 14. Oh that my people had hearkened vnto mee and Israel had walked in my waies I would soone haue humbled their enemies and turned mine hand against their aduersaries Likewise Moses among the curses and iudgments denounced against such as are disobedient to the lawes of God Leu. 26 18 21 24 28 sheweth that when he hath chastened and corrected vs for our sinnes yet if we go forward to despise his ordinances our soule abhorre his lawes he will punish vs seuen times more according to our sins And if wee proceed to walke stubbornely against him hee will then bring seuen times more plagues vpon vs walke stubbornly against vs in his anger The Vses of this Doctrine remaine to bee considered are not to be passed ouer First Vse 1 this teacheth that the prosperity of the wicked cannot assure them of the fauour of God nor secure theÌ„ from his punishments It sheweth indeed the patience and long-suffering of God toward the vessels prepared to wrath to make them without excuse but when they haue filled vp the measure of their sinnes they shall know that GOD hath not forgiuen or forgotten them This the Prophet teacheth Psalm 50 19 20 21 and 73 6 7 18. When thou seest a theefe thou runnest with him thou art partaker with the adulterers thou giuest thy mouth to euill and with thy tongue thou forgest deceit thou sittest and speakest against thy brother and slanderest thy mothers sonne These things thou hast done and I held my tongue therfore thou thoughtst that I was like thee but I will reprooue thee and set them in order before thee O consider this ye that forget God lest I teare you in peeces and there be none that can deliuer you And in another place it is declared that albeit the wicked be malicious speaking wickedly talking presumptuously and setting their mouth despitefully against heauen yet GOD hath set them in slippery places and cast them downe into desolation Wherefore whensoeuer we see the wicked prosper and flourish and the glory of his house to encrease let vs not conceiue euill of God as though he loued vnrighteousnes or fauoured the sinnes of men nor thinke that the wicked shall escape therfore Elihu saith Iob 35 15 16. Although thou saiest to God thou wilt not regard it yet iudgement is before him trust thou in him yet his anger shall visite the euill and call them to an account with great extremity Secondly let them not set their hearts vpon Vse 2 euill But let them seeke the Lord while he may be found let them forsake their wickednesse vngodlinesse and returne vnto the Lord that he may haue mercy vpon them who is very ready to forgiue Esay 55 6 7. What maketh many sinne against God but a vaine confidence and presumption to escape the iudgement of God What maketh them to put off the euill day to make a league and couenant with death but the abuse of Gods patience who doth not presently punish them This the wise man teacheth Eccl. 8 11 13. Because sentence against an euill worke is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the children of men is fully set in them to do euill but it shall not goe well with them hee shall be as a shadow because hee feareth not before God Albeit therefore they seeme to sinne scot-free and without punishment yet the greater patience appeareth to be in God the greater destruction is reserued for them Euen as wheÌ„ the shadow groweth to be longest then the light fadeth and departeth soonest and the night approcheth neerest so when God hath waited a long time for our conuersion the vngodly flatter themselues in their sinnes theÌ„ sodainely is the wrath of God reuealed from heauen against all vngodlines and vnrighteousnes of men so that the greater the stay delay of his iudgements hath beene the heauier will the stroke fall vpon them The punishment is prolonged it is not forgotten Their iudgement is comming and sleepeth not it gathereth force in going The higher the axe is lifted vp the slower it striketh but the deeper it pierceth into the wood If then God do not by and by smite the offender and strike him in the prophanenesse of his wicked heart let vs not be secure and continue in sinne God doth not at once make hauock of his enemies but bringeth them to iudgement one after another Wherefore let vs conclude with the saying of the Prophet Say ye surely it shall bee well with the iust Esay 3 10 11. for they shall eate the fruite of their works woe be to the wicked it shall bee euill with him for the reward of his hands shall bee giuen him Vse 3 Lastly as the bodily enemies of the Church shall be wasted with lingring long lasting iudgements so shall it be with the enemies of our soules The spiritual enemies of our soules and of our saluation are not brought vnder our feet at once to trample vpon them and to triumph ouer them they are brought in subiection by little litle For as these enemies are cast down so our sanctification ariseth As the Corne which the husbandman soweth before it can come to ripenesse and yeeld a plentifull encrease must first take roote shoote into a blade and spring vp by little and little till it bring foorth an eare so is it with the grace of sanctification and newnesse of life The kingdome of heauen is like to a graine of mustardseed which a man taketh and soweth in his field Mat. 1â— 31 32 33. which indeed is the least of all seed but when it is growne it is the greatest among Herbes and it is a Tree so that the Birds of heauen come and build in the branches thereof Againe the Kingdome of heauen is like vnto Leauen which a woman taketh hideth in three peckes of Meale till all be leauened So is the worke of God little and small in the beginning it is as a building that goeth slowly forward there must be much sweating and toyling about it there must be great laboring and hammering before we can
maketh all other blessings to be curses and iudgements vnto them that are destitute hereof therefore we must all call our selues to an account what account we make of it We should make it our meate and drinke a treasure for the obtaining whereof rather then want it we wold sell all that we haue but alas what thankefulnes hath it wrought in vs We are like vnto the Iewes they had this glorious light brought among them but they loued darkenes more then light because their works were euill If we be weary of this heauenly Manna let vs take heede lest the Lord grow weary of vs if we cast away his word he wil cast away vs and forsake vs for euer The Lord biddeth vs take heed to the sound of the Trumpet Ier. 6 17 let vs not answer presumptuously wee will not take heed let vs beware of securitie remember from whence we are fallen And let him that glorieth glory in this that hee vnderstandeth and knoweth the Lord and his word to his saluation Ier. 9 24. Vse 2 Secondly it followeth that wheresoeuer God hath established this his ordinance there certainly hee hath a Church and chosen people and some that belong to eternall life for whose sake it is sent among them For as the Spirit of God is the soule of the church quickning it and giuing it life so the word is this soules instrument or the seed wherby it worketh and the onely essentiall marke thereof so that where it is sincerely taught 〈◊〉 â—2 and constantly professed there certainly is a Church Where it is not there is no true Church albeit it haue neuer so goodly and glistering a shew but a very carrion carkas of a church without the life of the Spirit but as an house without light as the world without the Sun as a kingdome without the Law The Prophet Esay calleth it the standard of God saying I will lift vp mine hand to the Gentiles and set vp my standard to the people they shal bring thy sonnes in their armes and thy daughters shall be carried vpon their shoulders Esay 49. verse 22 Where the Lord Iesus is compared to a King and Captaine and therefore all that will haue comfort that they are members of the church must range themselues vnder it as soldiers vnder the banner of their Chieftaine otherwise they remaine as men In darknes in the shadow of death as stragling and runnagate soldiers out of the campe and as dissolute men vnder no law to gouerne them For they are the vilest and basest that liue without it very dogges and swine They of the Church are Gods chiidren and the word is the Childrens food belonging to them onely When the Canaanitish woman would haue beene partaker of Christs Ministery Mat. 15 26. he answered It is not meet to take the childrens bread and to cast it vnto whelpes But other are as vncleane and filthy beasts This which now hath bene spoken serueth to ouerthrow two sorts of people first those of the Church of Rome which make other markes and notes of the Church as antiquity vnity vniuersality succession subiection to the Pope and such like counterfet markes of their counterfet church and leaue this which is the most certaine and inseparable note This proueth vnto vs plainly that these which most of all boast of the name of the Church are indeede neyther the Catholike Church nor any sound part thereof because they want the immortall seede to beget them the milke and meate of the word to feede and norish them yea it is accounted an high point of heresie to haue read the Scriptures and none is permitted to looke into them without a license so heinous a sin it is to haue the word Secondly it censureth condemneth the Donatists Anabaptists Brownists and those of the separation which condemne our Churches to be no Churches our Sacraments to bee no Sacraments our Ministers to be no Ministers and in effect our religion to be no religioÌ„ because we do not with them in matters accidental fully agree albeit we do consent in matters fundamental we lay Christ alone for the foundation on which we build our saluation we lay hold vpon him by faith only we preach Christ crucified truly by their owne confession powerfully They hold themselues to haue receiued faith among vs by our Ministery before they made this rent and breach in the Church and that the end of such fayth if they had dyed in it had beene the saluation of theyr soules See the books of Greenwood Iohnson Let them therefore return and cause others to return ioyne with vs in hearing the word preached seeing where it is rightly established there must of necessity be a true Church And albeit some of them haue written many of theÌ„ haue spoken against our Church yet let them follow the example of that sonne Matth. 21 29. who answered his father stubbornly that he would not work in his vineyard but afterward repented earnestly and went his wayes Vse 3 Thirdly all such as are this way honoured and blessed must be carefull to vse the word as an honour and a blessing by imbracing it by entertaining it by magnifying this blessing of God in truth and not in opinion in heart and not in face in workes and not in words that we may walke worthy the Gospel and of the Lord that hath called vs and shew our selues carefull to bring foorth the fruites thereof saying with the Apostle Rom. 10 10. How beautifull are the feete of them that bring glad tidings of peace and bring glad tidings of good things Hitherto rendeth the exhortation of the Apostle 1. to the Thessalonians ch 2 11 12. Let vs be carefull to keepe this treasure among vs lest the kingdome of God bee taken from vs. Otherwise instead of being the water of life to saue vs it will be a sea to drowne vs instead of being the sauour of life to life it will turne to bee the sauour of death to death instead of being meate to feede vs it will bee our bane to destroy vs instead of good tydings to refresh comfort vs it will proue the saddest and heauiest newes that euer came to our eares and that day the blackest day that euer came ouer our heads Thus our Sauiour threatned Capernaum which hee had honoured with his presence blessed with his preaching aduanced by his dwelling in it and lifted vp with his miracles Mat. 11 26. Thou Capernaum which art lifted vppe vnto heauen shalt be throwne downe to hell c. Look vpon the seuen Churches of Asia we see what is become of them Behold what the contempt of the Gospel hath brought vpon the Iewes the like hath not falne vpon any people since the beginning what mischeefe miserie did not fall vpon them It cannot bee denied but God hath blessed vs as much as euer he lifted vp the head of Capernaum and hath magnified his mercies and loue vnto
what is good for it the hād wil apply salue to it the tongue wil ask counsel for it So it should be with the members of Christ if they be not dead or rotten Lastly we ought to shew our selues to be careful one for another and desirous to doe good one to another as 1 Cor. 12 25. There should bee no schisme in the body but the members should haue the same care one for another This teacheth that there is a communion among Vse 1 the Saints consisting not only in reioycing in the vse of gifts blessings but also in compassion and mourning one for the hurt of another and therefore Peter exhorteth 1 Peter 3 8. Be ye all of one mind hauing compassion one of another loue as brethren be pittifull be curteous The hart of one must be the heart of all whosoeuer shunneth the communion of Saints in time of misery shall neuer haue their communion in the kingdome of glory Euery one is ready to professe this communiō in prosperity but are ready to deny it in aduersity But as they that will reigne with Christ must first suffer with him so they that wil reigne with his members in heauen must first suffer with them also on the earth This is an excellent priuiledge to haue our communion with the Saints We are as freemen of Gods City which is aboue wee must therefore enioy the priuiledges thereof in common And hereby wee may assure our selues to belong to God Rom. 12.16 if we be alike affectioned one to another Do we at any time heare of the tribulations of the Church and do we inwardly lamēt for it Let vs comfort our selues in this it is a notable signe that we are members of the church Do we heare that our neighbor churches are troubled with dissentions diuisions that heresies are broched among them that heretiks and pestilent seedmen are entertained among them that the ancient doctrine preached professed is repealed and that the parts of that body are ready to bee miserably torne in pieces doth the meditation of this affect vs that we can secretly mourn for it and say with the Apostle Galath 5 12. I would they were euen cut off which trouble you this sheweth indeede that we are of the communion of Saints Are any of our brethren in particular in heauines haue they sorrow and can we greeue for them as if the affliction were our own then we may perswade our selues that wee haue a communion not only with our brethren but with our head Christ Iesus himselfe which is the foundation of all true comfort and consolation Secondly we may conclude that dead-hartednesse Vse 2 and the want of Christian compassion in the distresse of the Saints prooueth vs to bee no true members at all of the body of Christ If wee haue meanes put into our hands and do not helpe them and releeue them or if we want ability if there bee not a passion and commiseration in our hearts how doth the loue of God dwell in vs Nay this is a fearfull token and manifest signe of little or no grace as yet bestowed vpon vs. Here is no mutuall affection to reioyce together and to mourne together There is a generation that repine and grudge at the good and happie estate of their brethren and haue euill eyes toward them because God hath bene gracious vnto them this was in Cain towards Abel in Saul toward Dauid in the Scribes and Pharisies toward Christ in Abimelech toward Isaac in Laban toward Iacob There is a generation that feast and fill themselues that laugh and reioice that are merry sport themselues when the poore Saints grone and are grieued whereas we should be ready to communicate with them somwhat to asswage their greef and comfort their hearts in their affliction we should helpe them to beare their burthen in a common affection The holy man Iob protesteth that hee neuer reioyced at the destruction of him that hated him neither lift vp himselfe when euill found him chap. 31 29. The Prophet Obadiah telleth the proud insolent Edomites that shame should couer them Obad. ver 21. they should be cut off for euer because they reioyced ouer the children of Iudah in the day of their destruction and spake scornfully and despitefully in their distresse Rase it rase it euen to the foundation thereof Psal 137 7. Thus doeth the Prophet Amos reprooue the wantonnes of Israel chap. 6 1 4. Woe to them that are at ease in Sion that put away far from them the euil day that lye vpon beds of Iuory and stretch themselues vpon their couches that eate the Lambes out of the flocke and the Calues out of the midst of the stall that drinke wine in bolles and annoint themselues with the cheefe oyntment but no man is greeued for the affliction of Ioseph There is a generation that can mourne and reioyce in temporall things when they see their brethren in affliction they are greeued and when they behold them prosper they are glad when both these may be meere naturall affections and may also proceed from naturall men But we must extend this fellow-feeling if we will be assured that it is right more to spiritual then to temporall cases For let vs mourne neuer so much for their losses in temporall things yet except we can more earnestly lament their spirituall decayes thē their worldly distresses and reioyce more heartily for the accesse of heauenly graces then the encrease of transitory riches this our affection is no better then a corruption it can minister no comfort vnto vs at all Luk 1 58. Phil. Vse 3 1 3. 2 Iohn 1 2. Thirdly we ought to bee so carefull of the good one of another that wee should enquire of the state of the church of Gods people in other places how they fare what they want in what condition they stād Many think themselues excused from helping those that are in neede if they can say I knew not how it went with them I was ignorant of their condition but they are ignorant because they will be ignoran◠they know it not because they will not learne This is a willing nay a wilfull ignorance It is noted of Nehemiah that he asked his brethren concerning the Iewes that were deliuered which were of the residue of the captiuity c. Neh. 1 2 So did Dauid enquire after he was put in peaceable possession of the kingdom who was left of the house of Saul that he might shew him kindnesse for Ionathans sake 2 Sam. 9 1. So did Paul Barnabas returne backe to the places where they had preached the Gospel confirming the souls of the disciples and exhorting them to continue in the faith Acts 14 21 22. 15 36. And Paul often enquired of the brethren that came vnto him whether they stood firme and fast in the faith and resisted the false Apostles that sought to corrupt the sincerity of the Gospel