speake let him speake as the word of God and the embassadors of Christ must speake his message euen as himselfe would vtter it 2. The soule of the word is the presence of the spirit which euerie Minister must striue to make demonstration of for else it is but a dead letter or sound it is the spirit that quickeneth it and maketh it liuely and mightie in operation it is not the demonstration of the person nor manifestation of the man that getteth authoritie to the word but when out of good conscience a man faithfully striueth to make it appeare to the consciences of others that not he but the spirit of God speaketh in him that when simple men shall perceiue the secrets of their hearts made manifest they may fall on their faces and worship God saying God is in this man indeede 3. The Prophets and Apostles haue gone before vs as presidents in this behalfe Micha 3.8 I am full of power by the spirit of the Lord and of iudgment and of strength to declare Iacob his sinne and Israel his transgression Before Isai was sent on his message his lippes were touched with an hote coale from the altar The Apostles accordingly were not sent to witnes of Christ vntill the spirit had descended vpon them and that in the forme of fierie tongues to signifie that themselues beeing kindled with zeale and feruencie in the Lords businesse they should also by their doctrine enflame others and that their speech should not light any where but it should kindle and enflame the hearts of the hearets But the most perfect patterne of imitation herein we haue in the cheife doctor of his Church who not onely after his resurrection could and did make the hearts of the disciples burne within them euen in his ordinarie talke but all the time of his humilitie it is truely verified of his whole doctrine that he taught with authoritie and not as the Scribes Indeed neuer man spake so nor can speake by the confession of his verie enemies for neuer man spake so in his owne name verily I say vnto you neuer man confirmed his speaches with such powerfull and proper miracles neuer man spake with such peculiar grace zeale libertie and command of the spirit in the conscience but yet all his Ministers are to imitate him in zeale in power in libertie of speach and spirit for the glorie of God and come as neere this copie as they can Vse Ministers must take heede of coldnes in their ministerie of liueles and spiritles preaching of powerlesse and a frozen manner of deliuering the word alwaies preseruing a fire of zeale and conscience in themselues mettals we knowe will not worke without fire no more will the steely and stonie heart of man melt or soften without the spirituall fire taken from the altar And yet here I must not be vnderstood as condemning all coolenesse or moderation of speach for doctrine may be ponderous and weightie where the speach is calme and treatable still waters often runne the deepest and Salomon saith that a man of knowledge spareth his words but yet it followeth that he must be of an excellent spirit so there must of necessitie be at the least a soft fire in these distillatiōs But the thing iustly condemned is when men by their owne default beeing giuen ouer either to pride sensualitie or worldlynesse haue benummed their spirits and are become frozen without power or life in their ministerie and so bring forth their doctrine as many women doe their children stil-borne teaching as the Scribes onely of forme without zeale or conscience or experience of that they speake And before I leaue this point it must be knowne that whereas I require heate and authoritie in the deliuerie of the word that therefore euerie heate should be warrantable for some is iustly condemned as 1. all heate of humane affection proceeding from perturbation and passion 2. all inconsiderate heate of youth 3. all heate not well guided although in good men full of godly affections but suffered to boyle ouer so farre as a man looseth his memorie and interrupteth his doctrine and whole discourse 2. A flattring Ministrie is an enemie to this authoritie for when a Minister must sing placebo and such sweet songs it is impossible for him not to betraie the truth 3. To withstand this authoritie or to weaken it is a fearefull sin whether in high or low and the Lord will not suffer his messengers feet to be cut off 4. Hearers must 1. pray for their Teachers that they may deliuer the word with authoritie with boldnesse and with open mouth Ephes. 6.19 Coloss. 4.4 2. Not deeme this authoritie in Ministers humor or anger or bitternes and much lesse madnesse with Festus and least of all to cast them in prison as men rauing as Ieremie was cap. 29.26 3. Not to refuse to yeeld subiection vnder this authoritie nor be angrie when it beateth down some practise which they are loth to part with seeing it is iust with God to reprobate put out the light of such as refuse the conuiction of the light offred The third and last precept of this Chapter and verse Let no man despise thee teacheth two things First how people and hearers should entertaine the Ministers sent them of God seeing they cannot without great sinne despise them for seeing the Lord who could by himselfe worke the saluation of men yet is pleased to vse as his helpers herein weake and base men whom he assumeth into fellowship with himselfe to become coworkers with him although not in the act of conuersion yet in the Ministrie of it who dare despise such whom the Lord so farre honoureth and therefore calleth them his white horses horses in that he vseth them in his battailes against sinne Satan the world and wicked ones and white for the puritie of their doctrine and integritie of their liues yea his Angels namely such as by whom he reuealeth his good pleasure vnto vs and his owne voyce by whom he beseecheth men to be reconciled Secondly how carefull is the Lord to preserue his Ministers from contempt when he affirmeth that such as despise them despise himselfe that sent them In which sence we read that the posteritie of Caine contemning the preaching of Noah dispised and contended against Gods spirit so Israel murmuring against Moses and Aaron Moses saith he hath heard your murmurings against the Lord for what are we that yee haue murmured against vs. Thirdly how vnnaturall a part were it for children to despise their Fathers and what seueritie hath the Lord shewed against it in his law but godly Ministers are the Fathers of their people I am your Father saith Paul and Onesimus yea and Titus here begotten by him vnto the faith he calleth his sonnes Let no cursed Cham presume to scorne them which is not so hurtfull to them as dangerous to themselues beeing the next way to bring themselues vnder
praises which vnbeleeuers are as heauie vnto as a beare to the stake because they wāt the spirit which crieth in the hearts of Gods children abba father Fourthly it hath a liuely hope accompanying it it causeth watchfulnesse and waiting for yea and reioycing in the hope of the appearing of the Lord Iesus Rom. 5.2 beeing iustified by faith we reioyce vnder the hope of the glorie of God Secondly we may hence gather a cause why some beleeue some beleeue not it is not because some will and some will not whatsoeuer free-will-men presumptuously auouch the Holy Ghost telleth vs it is not in the willer nor in the runner but therefore men come to the faith because they are elected Act. 13.48 And why did not the Iewes beleeue the heauenly doctrine of Christ himselfe the reason is giuen Ioh. 10.26 Ye beleeue not because ye are not my sheepe most true is it here the elect haue obtained sauing faith the rest are hardened Rom. 11.7 The third conclusion is that this peculiar faith of the elect is ordinarily wrought in them by the ministrie of the word this beeing noted here that the end of the ministrie is to bring the elect vnto the faith Iob. 33.23 If there be a messenger or interpreter one of a thousand to declare to man his righteousnesse now this righteousnesse is no other then the righteousnesse of faith for this ende were the Apostles called furnished and sent out into the world to teach men faith on the Sonne of God as appeareth in their commission Mar. 16.16 Goe into all the world and preach the Gospel to euery creature he that beleeueth and is baptized shall be saued to this purpose is it that Paul affirmeth of the great mysterie of Godlinesse that it must first be preached vnto the Gentiles and then beleeued on in the world Vse 1. If this be the principall ende of the ministerie let ministers herein employ their first and principall paines to bring men vnto the faith wherein they shall imitate our Apostle not onely here but in his other Epistles who first dealeth in the causes and meanes of saluation and then instructeth in Christian manners as one whom the wisdome of God had taught that if the inside be not first made cleane and the heart purified by faith whatsoeuer actions can proceede from men be they neuer so glorious yet indeede they are no better then glistering sinnes he hath the right way of teaching in the schoole of Christ that first layeth for his ground faith in Christ and then buildeth thereon all his precepts of Christian Philosophie 2. The Minister ought to propound before him Gods end in performance of euery ministeriall dutie and that is by enlighting conuerting confirming comforting to bring and stablish men in the faith Which iustly reprehendeth such as forgetting themselues their dutie and people out of the pride of their hearts busie themselues in finding out obscure and darke mysteries tying hard knots to vntie them againe not much vnlike the dogge which refuseth soft meate to gnaw vpon bones and all this to get the praise of nimble heads and sharpe wits whereas the true glorie of a Minister is the number of those that are begotten to the faith who are gathered by the plaine euidence of the word in the words not which mans wisdome but which Gods spirit teacheth 3. The Lord hauing set out the ministrie for this vse let euery hearer acknowledge herein Gods ordinance and yeeld themselues with all submission vnto the ministerie and the word there preached that thereby they may haue faith wrought in their hearts God will haue men taught on earth and not from heauen by man not Angels or dead men let this meanes be despised nothing in heauen or earth can do thee good fast pray afflict thy soule forget not to distribute doe all the good thou canst but yet all this while despise the word offered and thou hast forsaken thine owne mercie nay more come to the ministerie heare the word read preached ioyne in the prayers and Sacraments of the Church if thou commest without the submission of thy heart whereby thou art become as prepared ground to couer the seede vnto increase all is in vaine for what is Paul what is Apollos what is the minister be he neuer so choise and excellent except he be the Minister of thy faith and so what is the ministerie to thee if it be not the ministerie of thy faith 4. Euery man may hence examine himselfe whether in the vse of the ministerie he finde sauing faith begotten wrought in his heart and by examination some may finde their vnderstandings more enlightened their iudgements more setled their practise in some things reformed but a very fewe shall finde Christ apprehended and rested in vnto saluation seeing so fewe there are that liue by faith in the Sonne of God for of all the sinnes that the spirit may and shall rebuke the world of this is the chiefe because they beleeue not in Christ. Howsoeuer many are in some things bettered by the ministerie yet very fewe haue attained this principall ende of it which is to put men in possession of true faith and by it of saluation And the knowledge of the truth which is according to Godlinesse The Apostle beeing called to beget faith in the elect magnifieth and extolleth this his calling from the difficultie of the worke for it is not to bring forth by his trauell any blind perswasion of faith which beeing too naturall to men would rise of it selfe fast enough without any such manuring but such a faith as is peculiar to the elect as before we heard In the which least men should be deceiued as easily and willingly the most be he taketh paines to set downe the whole nature of it in particular And first here we haue the ground of faith which is knowledge and because the truth of faith cannot find footing vpon follies or fansies nay nor vpon euery profitable knowledge he teacheth what kind of knowledge he speaketh of and that is the knowledge of the truth that is of the Gospel beeing a word of truth yea truth it selfe so called by way of excellencie or eminencie as though no other truth deserued that name or because this carrieth the onely vndoubted truth with it And further because many thinke all cocksure and that they cannot faile of faith if they be able to discourse of this truth he teacheth vs that it is not euery knowledge of the truth he meaneth but such a one as is according to godlinesse that is such as frameth the heart of the possessor to true Godlinesse Whence naturally arise these three conclusions First that the doctrine of the Gospell is the truth it selfe Secondly that the knowledge of this truth is the ground of faith Thirdly that where it is aright it frameth the heart to Godlinesse First the doctrine of the Gospel is truth it selfe 1. because the author of it is truth
way in writing to the Iewes but because he knew his person and name to be merueilously hated at Ierusalem and that he was growne into great contempt among the enemies of the Gospell from whom he had separated whose furie he gaue place vnto and would not excite by adding his name beeing desirous that they should entertaine the naked truth for it selfe And howsoeuer it is a vaine thing to be peremptorie in defining it to be Pauls yet is it more vaine to conclude it none of his because it wants his name for by the same reason it hauing no bodies name they might conclude it to be no bodies nay rather vpon this occasion wanting his name it is liker to be his 2. From Pauls example euery Christian man may learne to be readie to giue his name to the Gospel and like a child of wisedome by a bold profession to iustifie it vpon euery iust occasion many are too indifferent herein and loth to be knowne disciples of Christ the shame it is of many professors in such a sunneshine day as this to cast themselues with Nicodemus into the night A seruant of God This is a title which all the Apostles delight in for thus also Peter Iames Iude in the beginning of their Epistles stiled themselues which is not to be vnderstood in a generall sense as Reu. 7.3 for thus not onely they but all Christians nay more all creatures euen the worst are some way seruiceable vnto God in executing his will but it here specially respecteth that office and function to which they were set a part expressed more particularly in the next words and an Apostle Doctr. This beeing the first title whereby the Apostle would get himselfe authoritie teacheth That the very name of a seruant of God is full of honour and authoritie The Apostle comparing the glorie of Christ with the glorie of the Angels Heb. 1.14 advanceth them as farre as possibly he can that Christ his glorie beeing so much more excellent then theirs there described might be most highly exalted and yet the highest ascent of their honour which he can rise vnto is to title them ministring spirits standing about God from which seruice they are honoured with glorious names of thrones dominations powers Rulers principallities and although the Scriptures most vsually vnder this title expresse the low and humble condition of Christ who tooke on him the forme of a seruant yet also thereby the Lord would sometime signifie his great glorie as Isa. 42.1 Behold my seruant I will leaâ—e vpon him mine elect in whom my soule delighteth The Apostle Paul when he would prouoke himselfe to magnifie the free mercie of God toward himselfe maketh this the ground of his glorie and reioycing that God had counted him faithfull and put him in his seruice Vse 1. This serues to teach ministers their dutie that seeing the Lord hath so highly honoured them as to draw them so neere vnto himselfe as it were admitting them into his presence chamber yea vnto his councell table they are in way of thankefulnesse more straightly bound to two maine duties 1. diligence 2. thankefulnesse First diligence in wholly giuing vp themselues and strength in the dispatching of their masters businesse whose now wholly they are their eare is boared neuer to depart from him so as now they may not seeke or serue themselues but take themselues to be as the ciuill law calleth seruants 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as sustaine no person but are become dependances and adiuncts yea indeede reasonable instruments in the hand of their master If motiues would stirre vp our diligence vnto the worke of God we want not a multitude as 1. this master hath most absolute power of life and death ouer his seruants 2. his eie is euer ouer them which prouoketh euen eie-pleasers to quicknesse 3. the fruit of diligence is the sauing of our selues and others 4. blessed shall that seruant be whom the master shall finde so doing 5. without this thou shalt become the vnprofitable seruant that shall be bound hand and foote and cast into hell the seruice is difficult as beeing an haruest an husbandrie a building a planting all which require labourers and painfull workemen it is the diligent hand that bringeth these workes to a commendable passe nay more it is a sighting with spirituall weapons against mightie and malitious enemies and requireth quicknesse and courage This busines needeth not whole armies of such souldiers as we reade of 1. Sam. 17.24 who ranne away when they sawe Goliah a farre off one poore and contemptible Dauid who is as good as his word when he saith Thy seruant will goe and fight with the Philistim v. 32. brings the businesse more happily forward then a nation of the former in whom we see the picture of the euill and slothfull seruant whose ende the Euangelist recordeth to be fearefull The second dutie is faithfulnesse It is required of euery dispenser that he be found faithfull and this faithfulnes must appeare 1. in gaining disciples not to himselfe but vnto Christ Iohn was a faithful seruant to Christ he must increase and I must decrease and Paul I seeke not yours but you but this was to present them as virgins vnto Christ. The lawe of equitie concludeth that whatsoeuer the seruant gaineth should become the masters But the world is full of vnfaithfull seruants who when they should come in their Masters name come in their owne Gehezi runnes after Naaman for talents of gold and change of raiment and saith his master sent him 2. In seeking to please and approoue himselfe vnto his master and not to other men Thus was Moses faithfull but as a seruant in all the house of God nay Christ himselfe is herein preferred Heb. 3.2 that he was faithfull to him that appointed him But wherein was this faithfulnes seene In Moses in that he did all things according to the patterne in the Mount In Christ in that his doctrine was not his but his fathers neither did he any thing of himselfe but all that his father taught him that spake he and all that he sawe the father doe that did he This same was the faithfulnesse of the Apostles also who preached onely what they had heard and seene of Christ and deliuered onely what they had receiued and this must be the faithfulnesse of vs their successors the Pastors and teachers to the ende of the world Vnto which we may bee mooued not onely in that we haue such a cloude of worthie examples but also in that we serue a good master one full of faithfulnesse readie to retribute our fidelitie with infinite advantage a farre more foreceable argument to bind vs vnto God then that of the Apostle to binde seruants to faithfull seruice of beleeuing masters And lastly because our master standeth in neede of our faithfulnes now when the most haue forsaken him I meane not onely the Clergie of Rome
it selfe and cannot lie it beeing a part of his word who can neither deceiue nor be deceiued 2. because the penmen of it were inspired by the holy Ghost and spake and writ as they were mooued by him who is called the spirit of truth Ioh. 14.17 3. because it is a doctrine of Christ and aymeth at him who is the the truth principally as well as the way of our saluation Whence it is that the Apostles often stile it by the word of truth as Eph. 1.13 After ye heard the word of truth euen the Gospel of your saluation and Coloss. 1.5 For the hopes sake whereof ye haue heard before by the word of truth which is the Gospel True it is that the Lawe is a true word without all error but yet neuer thus called For the morall law will not now affoard such a truth as by which a sinner can be iustified in the sight of God and the ceremoniall law although it doe acknowledge such a truth yet was it a farre off and in types and not in the truth but the Gospel onely is such a truth as whereby we are raised to saluation Vse 1. Ministers must rightly devide this word of truth as such who would be approoued of Christ both the author and subiect of it for the more notable the subiect is the more care must there be in handling it Which the Apostle Peter teacheth If any man speake let him speake as the word of God The word of truth would be truely dealt with purely preached wisely applyed and so faithfully dispensed as that both God and good men and a mans owne conscience may approoue his worke 2. This word so purely handled shall euery soule finde to be truth it selfe so as beleeuers shall not faile of the saluation published in it and vnbeleeuers shall as surely meete with condemnation seeing hereby they are condemned alreadie 3. Not to haue this truth seated in our hearts is a fearefull case for it argueth a man to be giuen vp to error and delusion 2. To doubt of any part of it is to giue a lie to all the rest 3. To seeke for saluation out of it or besides it as the blinded Papist doth is to cleaue to folly and falsehood 4. To despise this truth is to contemne great saluation for if to despise Moses law bringeth death without mercie how much more sorer punishment is he worthy of which treadeth vnder foot the Sonne of God 5. But to fight against this truth is most wofull for it is strongest and will preuaile neuer man lifted against the truth but he found it too heauie for him neuer man spurned against it but to the bruising of himselfe Secondly the knowledge of this truth is the ground of faith for so our Apostle would haue vs conceiue that the faith of the elect is raised vpon knowledge of the truth as the matter of it and in this sence we read that faith is called the faith of truth euen for this reason because it is begotten in the acknowledgement of the truth and Paul in asking that question How shall they beleeue except they heare plainly concludeth that no hearing of the truth no faith in it and how may he that runneth read in the Scriptures that to whomsoeuer faith is giuen they be such as are taught of God such as to whom the holy spirit is become a schoolemaster who openeth their vnderstandings that with much assurance they can see and acknowledge the truth for seeing faith is much more then an vncertaine opinion or wauering fancie it followeth that that knowledge which is the ground of it must be no shaking reede with euery winde but a certaine acknowledgement of the truth approouing of it and assenting vnto it Neither may we thinke that the spirit of truth traineth men in blinde and vngrounded conceits nor leaueth their hearts in vncertainties but that wheresoeuer he worketh such an eminent grace as faith is he maketh men able in some good measure to giue a reason of the hope that is in them And as little reason haue we to conceiue that the worke of the Ministerie is to build castles in the ayre or the castle of faith without a foundation but that Ministers are sent to make the misteries of saluation cleare in the euidence and demonstration of the spirit and so lay men on that foundation to become a spirituall house consisting of liuing stones fit for the honour of the Lord. And to ende the proofe notably doth the Apostle Paul prooue the effectuall faith of the Thessalonians from this ground of it for our Gospel was not vnto you in word only but in power and in the holy Ghost and in much assurance which place must be vnderstood so to be both in the teachers and the hearers as the context declareth Vse 1. If knowledge be the ground of faith then sleight is the faith of the most whatsoeuer men professe Numbers of most silly creatures swarme euery wheare who pretend and presume vpon as strong a faith to God ward as the best preacher of them all and yet liue no better then Atheists euen without God in the world without the knowledge of his waies without his feare in their hearts to loue God aboue all and their neighbours as themselues is but a breath with them to beleeue in Iesus Christ is so naturall as they neuer doubted of it all their liues to bring forth fruits of faith whose propertie is to worke by loue in the obedience of the Commandements of the first and second table this they do they hope as well as God wil giue them leaue or as others of their neighbours do whereas alas euen their speach bewraieth them to be destitute of vnderstanding and consequently vtterly voide of the faith of truth 2. If the ground of faith must be a certaine knowledge of heauenly truth then hereby 1. is ouerturned that fond distinction of the Papists which masketh there more then Egyptian blindnes ioyned with wilfulnes and obstinacie vnder their modest vaile of vnexpressed faith or the faith of lay-men whereby if they can professe themselues Catholikes liue and die in the beleefe of their falsely so termed Catholike Church although they know not what it beleeueth it is sufficient for their saluation And indeed be that professeth that religion which like the apples of Egypt will abide no touch had need leane vpon an implicit faith And so some of them pretending more learning thē is common among them beeing pressed by argument haue thought they haue learnedly enough answeared in saying that their Doctors can answer for them But who seeth not these Pharisies taking away the key of knowledge and incurring that we denounced against such as will neither enter themselues nor suffer others to enter into the kingdome of heauen for surely if little or no knoledge little or no faith of a mans owne were enough how vnwise was Paul so to trouble
not in the change of the minde but know it that no time is thine but the present and it is little better then Poperie to professe free will in this matter it is too much thou hast beene deceiued in the time past deceiue not thy selfe also in time to come Well said one God hath left man time past to repent of and time present to repent in but the time to come he hath reserued in his owne hands Doct. 3. The manifestation of saluation is to be sought for in the preaching of the word Which point is plaine in that the preaching of the word is an ordinance of God 1. to make Christ knowne in whose name alone saluation is to be had 2. to beget and confirme faith in the heart by which alone as by an hand we apprehend and applie him with his merits to our saluation The former the Apostle affirmeth Ephes. 3.8 the vnsearcheable riches of Christ was by preaching made knowen to the Gentiles and Coloss. 1.27 God would make knowne what is the riches which riches is Christ in you whome we preach For the 2. that faith is wrought by the word preached see Rom. 10.14 and 1. Cor. 1.21 By the foolishnesse of preaching it pleaseth God to saue such as beleeue in that herein he both offereth Christ vnto vs and giueth vs faith by which we receiue him 2. This truth appeareth in that wheresoeuer the Lord had a people to call to saluation there he sent his Prophets and Apostles whom he appointed so long there to stay till his worke was finished and then sent them elsewhere when Paul was resisted and blasphemed by the Iewes at Corinth he pronounced them guilâ—ie of their owne blood and purposed to turne to the Gentiles but the Lord suffered him not but caused him to staie there a yeare and six moneths longer because he had many people in the cittie so Paul and Timothie hauing gone through Phrygia and Galatia were forbidden by the holy Ghost to preach in Asia and by a vision were assured that the Lord called them to preach in Macedonia Which direction of them by the spirit to some places and restrayning them from other argued that they carried with them the meanes of conuerting such as whom the Lord at that time purposed to call In this ordinance is it called the word of faith 1. Tim. 4.6 deliuered by exhortation and doctrine vers 13. in this embassadge is it called the the word of reconciliation and thus preached is called the Gospel of the kingdome of God Mark 1.14 Iohn came preaching the Gospel of the kingdome of God powerfully raysing vp men thereunto and the Gospel of our saluation Ephes. 1.13 Vse 1. The preaching of the word is the greatest blessing that the Lord bestoweth vpon any people and such a one as God in his anger depriues that people of against whom he intendeth a plague the former appeareth in that great care of Christ himselfe who before and after his ascension prouiding for the good of his bodie the Church as the speciall gift and loue-token he could leaue behind him appointed Apostles Euangelists and after them Pastors and teachers to continue to his comming againe The effects also shew the power and price of the blessing which are reconciliation with God sanctification of the spirit mortification of the flesh the life of God all which are brought by the reuealing of Iesus Christ. The latter is euident in Amos 5.13 that when the Lord is about to bring euill times he maketh the prudent to keepe silence Both which shew vnto vs that the Lord hath opened vnto vs in this Church and land his chiefest treasure in that he hath put the barres into the rings of the Arke whereby his glorie is carried throughout our countrie and in that he hath lifted vp his cloud in the sight of all our people to direct vs in all our iourneies he hath not dealt so freely with euery nation neither haue they knowen his lawes Psal. 44. last Vse 2. Those people are bound to much thankfulnes and dutie among whom the Lord hath planted a preaching Ministerie by which men may be directed in the path of saluation It is a blessing we are to wish and pray for to all Gods people and bewaile their want that haue it not The former we are enioyned by the expresse precept of Christ considering the greatnesse of the haruest The latter by his example who mourned to see people as sheepe scattered without a shepheard Obiect But people may doe well inough if they haue the word read publikely and they can read it at home Ans. My purpose is not by establishing preaching to derogate from reading the manifold fruite which accreweth by reading the Scriptures hath otherwise taught mee together with the custome of the Prophets Apostles and Christ himselfe of which I haue elsewhere expressed the principall But the things which God hath ioyned together let no man separate In the old Testament the Levites must read the booke of the law giue the sence and cause the people to vnderstand the reading In the New after the reading of the law there was expounding Christ himselfe after the lecture of the law had a booke giuen him found the prophecie closed the booke sate downe expounded it so did the Apostles Paul and Barnabas Act. 13.15 Thus hath the Lord afforded his Church a further benefit and more full blessing a more ordinarie and principall meanes to beget faith and repentance and to lead men along vnto saluation by a more ful manifestation of the promise of life which is here said to be by preaching that is by explaning and applying things read to the heart and affection This is the labour in word and doctrine commended vnto vs that are the Lords builders and laborers who in raysing the spirituall walls must imitate Nehemiahs builders euery one of whom in repayring the walls of Ierusalem must hold the trowell in one hand and the weapon in the other in like manner should euery Minister exhort with whose some doctrine there is the vse of the trowell and improoue the gainsayer which is the vse of the sword to want which ordinance is to want that which the wisedome of the Lord thought most necessarie for the welfare of his Church who would not haue his people sticke in the outside but pearce into the depth of his wisdom reuealed neither content themselues with a bulk of corne but to get it troden out nor with bread in the lumpe but deuided Whether therefore their estate may be good in such a want or no we are not so much to sit as iudges vpon them as become petitioners for them that their want may be supplied seeing the word hath taught vs that where vision faileth people perish And for priuate reading would God men were better acquainted with it then they are yet although the Iewes had the law priuately at home the
sense of much loue in forgiuing many sinnes doth greatly constraine and enforce double thankefulnesse all which I haue spoken that no man be discouraged otherwise then to lead him through his course with constant humilitie for his estate past if for the present he finde a change but rather breake forth into the magnifying of that maruelous power of God and that free grace of his who is the moouer and perfecter of our whole saluation The 2. point in this description of the person of Titus is the title of relation my sonne according to the common faith that is my son not whom I haue begotten according to the flesh but to the faith namely both to the gift of faith for Paul was his spirituall father by whose meanes and ministerie he was conuerted as also to the doctrine of faith not to beleeue and professe it onely but also become a teacher of it Which doctrine is called the common faith 1. because the matter of it is common to Paul Titus and all the elect 2. the manner of propounding it in which they did mutually consent is common to all beleeuers 3. in regard of the common obiect which is Christ and all his merits which belong to all the faithfull 4. in respect of the common profession of it it beeing the badge of euery Christian. 5. of the common ende of it which is saluation the ende of euerie beleeuers faith Out of this title note two lessons 1. That Ministers ought to be spirituall fathers to beget children to God 2. That faith is one and the same in all the elect Doctr. 1. That Ministers are spirituall Fathers to beget children to God appeareth in that the Hebrew phrase not onely stileth them by the name of fathers 1. who indeed are so properly by the way of blood naturall generation 2. neither onely those who are in a right descending line though neuer so far off 3. neither onely those who adopt others into the roome and place of children 4. but those also that are in the roome of fathers either generally as all superiors in age place or gifts or more specially such as by whose counsell wisedome tendernes and care we are directed as by fathers who in these offices and not in themselues for sometimes they be inferiours otherwise become fathers vnto vs. Thus was Ioseph an inferiour called a father of Pharaoh that iâ— a counseller Iob for his tendernes and care called a father of the poore Schollers of the Prophets called sonnes of the Prophets Elisha saith of Eliah my father my father and Iubal was the father of all that plaie on harpes But much more properly is the Minister called the father of such as he conuerteth vnto the faith because they beget men vnto God as Paul did Onesimus in his bonds in which regeneration the seede is that heauenly grace whereby a diuine nature is framed the instrument by which it is conueied is the word of God in the Ministerie of it The mother of these children of God is the Church which conceiueth them in her wombe which trauelleth of them and bringeth them into this spirituall world which bringeth them vp in her bosom and nourisheth them at her brests first with the milke of the two Testaments and after with stronger meate till they be strong men in Christ. Obiect Matth. 23.9 Call no man father in earth and God is the onely father of spirits Hebr. 12.9 Ans. The place doth not simply and absolutely forbid the calling of any man father for then had the Apostle sinned in calling himselfe the father of the Corinths and Timothie and Titus his sonnes yea the Lord himselfe goeth before vs in example in giuing this title not onely to the fathers of our bodies but all superiors besides in the first commandement But the scope of that place is 1. to condemne the ambitious seeking and boasting in the titles of father doctor c. 2. to teach that no man should depend vpon any other as the principall efficient cause of his birth either naturall or spirituall for God is properly the father of vs all not according to our spirituall birth onely but euen our naturall also for he formeth in the wombe he bringeth out of the wombe and in him we liue and mooue and haue our beeing and what Ministers or fathers of our bodies act herein they doe it as instruments by whom the Lord worketh True it is that the Lord hideth his worke by instituting such meanes as haue in them some shew of inherent power to produce such effects and for their further reuerence ascribeth to these instruments his owne work and his proper titles of fathers sauiours yet is no man for this to ascribe the principall power of begetting him whether in the flesh oâ— in the faith to any man otherwise then as a subordinate meanes vnder God that the whole praise of the worke and of our life naturall and spirituall may be ascribed vnto the God of life and the spirits of all flesh Thus we see how Ministers are fathers and so to be accounted Vse 1. No man can be saued in an ordinarie and visible Church where the Ministerie of the word is setled but by a second begetting and birth for that which is borne of flesh is flesh and therefore he must haue another father besides the father of his bodie for no spirituall father in earth none in heauen euery child borne into the world hath a father although many sonnes of the earth know not their father examine thy heart am I born into the Church who was my father and here what a number of the sonnes of the earth earthly and base minded men and women professing themselues to be the sonnes and daughters of God know neither father nor mother besides those of their bodies and conceiue no more of this heauenly birth then Nicodemus who although Christ himselfe taught the doctrine of regeneration yet asked how could those things be for what is that which is generally taken and rested in as the new birth and deceiueth the most men and women in the Church surely the repressing of wickednes of nature that it breake not out into excesse of riot and perhappes not the restraining only but the reforming of some grosse vice or vices which may be and generally are where is no renewing nor birth into the Church Iudas so liued as no man could say blacke was his eie but yet was a deuil out of which example we euidently see that euen the supernaturall decrease and restraint of vice in the reprobate is farre from the new birth of the elect Let him then that would not be deceiued in this waightie matter looke he be renewed that he be a new creature a new man compleat in all his parts for as the soule is whole in euery part of the bodie so is the beleeuer renewed in euery part that although there be no lust but may assaile him yet none shall dwell
2. More specially by grace of those who are adopted and renewed by grace and thus God is properly our father in heauen and no man is to be called father in earth Secondly when God is personally called father then it is to be taken for the first person and this title is giuen principally to the first person in Trinitie 1. because he is the Father of the second person the word by nature and by eternall generation 2. because he is Father to Christ in respect of his manhood not as to other men by nature or grace of adoption but by personall vnion the humane nature subsisting in the person of the word 3. because from both these followeth that by Adoption he becommeth the father of all the elect beeing members and making vp the bodie of Christ. And this is the respect wherein God is tearmed Father in this place both because it hath relation to the second person here nominated as also because in prayer we must repaire to God the Father in Christ our head and Mediator And our Lord Iesus Christ Christ is Lord in himselfe as God and Lord ouer all blessed for euer both in that he giueth essence and susteining to all things as also possesseth all things and ruleth euen the most powerfull and glorious of all creatures and is called Lord of the Angels much more ouer the Deuils themselues Againe he is our Lord 1. as Mediatour we beeing his inheritance giuen him of his Father 2. as a Redeemer purchasing vs beeing captiues and thralls to Satan 3. as a head of his Church quickning and gouerning the whole bodie of it whether militant or triumphant 4. in regard of his power and dominion for to him all power is committed in heauen and in earth who hath put all things vnder his feete in him we hold all things as in capite and to him we owe all homage and subiection in all obedience both actiue and passiue Quest. But how can Christ be a Lord seeing he is euery where called a seruant Ans. Christ considered in the office of Mediatourship is after a speciall manner a seruant of his Father and so his Father calleth him for my seruant Dauids sake and Behold my seruant because he faithfully serued him in the worke of redemption in that he was made man came into the world fulfilled the law prayed vnto his Father and was made obedient euen to the death yet all the while of his seruice he remained a Lord in himselfe and by his seruice became the Lord of his Church redeemed ones in a speciall manner Our Sauiour There is no other name giuen but this Obiect The Father and the holy Ghost saue also Answ. Although all outward workes of the Trinitie which make for our comfort and saluation are vndeuided as beeing one and coworking yet in performing them we must obserue an order among them the Father is the fountaine from whom the Sonne for whom as a meritorious cause the holy Ghost by whom we communicate of all blessings so all three saue but the Father by sending the Sonne the Sonne by paying the ransome the holy Ghost by applying it so all create redeeme sanctifie yet obseruing this order and manner of working when the workes are more personally attributed vnto them creation is ascribed to the Father not excluding the sonne and holy Ghost redemption to the Sonne and sanctification to the holy Ghost Which order is rather here to be obserued because our Apostle expresseth it in his prayer for these graces when he craueth them both from the Father and the Sonne not excluding the holy Ghost whereby we are taught how to direct our suits also namely that the Father by the Spirit through his Sonne our Lord Iesus Christ would enrich vs with grace and the fruits of it Obiect But there are other sauiours as Ioshua and other Iudges and Kings yea Prophets and Ministers are called sauiours Ans. 1. These all were men and as men saued But of Christ it is said Behold our God he shall saue vs. 2. Some of them as Iudges were typicall sauiours sauing 1. the bodies 2. of one people the Iewes 3. from temporall death and oppression but Christ saueth the bodies and soules of all beleeuing Iewes and Gentiles from hell and condemnation 3. Others as Prophets and Ministers are onely ministeriall and instrumentall sauiours not properly onely for sundrie causes the worke of the efficient is ascribed to the instrument whom the Lord vseth in publishing this saluation but Christ alone saueth by meriting and paying the price and bringing home to the heart this redemption Obiect But we haue yet sinne in vs and therefore are not saued from it Answ. We are saued euen for the present from the wrath and poyson of it in part for euer from the damnation of it so as the strength of it is gone This is the meaning of this salutation which beeing a prayer sheweth vs both of what kinde our salutations ought to be in which we would testifie our loue to whom we write namely to wish them the best blessings as also in what manner not sending formall salutations without feeling abstracting curtesie from conscience but they must proceede from a religious and reuerent affection of the heart for euery prayer ought to come from the heart and as hauing God himselfe a witnes of the truth of the spirit in such wishes as Rom. 1.9 and Phil. 1.8.9 Now the principall lessons in this prayer are two 1. That the free and euerlasting grace of God in Christ is the foundation of all blessings spirituall and temporall 2. Peace is the fruite of the grace and mercie of God Doctr. 1. The grace of God is the whole sufficiencie of his people the first middle and last cause of euery good thing conuaied vnto them or issuing from them not once did the Lord enforce this point vpon his owne people teaching them by things temporall their spirituall estate and condition Deut. 7.7 The Lord set his loue vpon you and chose you not because you were moe in number for you were the fewest but because he loued you cap. 9.4.6 Say not in thine heart because of my righteousnes the Lord hath giuen me this good land for thou art a stiffnecked people and were they not yet further off from meriting and procuring to themselues spirituall blessings and that heauenly Canaan and euerlasting rest prepared for the people of God and if we consider our condition before this grace be reueiled and shine vpon vs are not we in our blood when the Lord first couereth vs with his skirts and no eie but his pitieth vs he calleth vs with Adam out of our thickets when we runne from him and are hiding our selues then finding vs when we would not be found Vse 1. To confute the Popish doctrine which depresseth this grace of God and endureth not that the castle of a mans saluation should be altogether founded without
himselfe or builded without his owne strength while it teacheth that there are some meritorious works which serue to prepare men to their iustification and that there is a cooperation of mans will with Gods grace in the first act of conuersion a doctrine full of pride and vanitie as though the Lord did not first by setting his loue vpon vs make vs louely rather then finde vs so Besides if our iustification saluation were partly by grace partly by our own dispositions preparations grace were not euery way grace consequently no grace at all The Prophet Hosee sheweth the nearest reason that we can reach vnto of this grace of God I will loue them freely but wherfore not for any disposition or desert in them but because my wrath is turned away If we be about the doing of any good it is not I saith Paul but the grace of God in me that doth it for as it was in the building of the second Temple Zerubbabel who represented Christ must lay the highest stone of the building notwithstanding the high mountaines that is the strong opposition of the enemies and this he must doe not by armie or strength but by his spirit so in this liuing Temple which we are the Lord himselfe both foundeth the lowest and laieth the higest stone not by our arme or strength nay we rather haue mountaines of impediments to hinder this greate worke and our selues are the greatest enemies to our owne building but by the power of his spirit which maketh all plaine before him Yea further whereas the abstaining from the least euill is good though the least good euen this is denied to our power and laid out of our owne reach and must be giuen vs from the father of lights Let the Papists therefore sacrifice to their owne nets and burne incense to their yarne as though their owne hand had made them rich and their owne arme happie but let vs labour to see 1. how woefull creatures we are by nature and be ashamed of our selues and sinnes 2. flie to this infinite grace and mercie which is the liuing fountaine of our welfare 3. returne the praise and honour of all our good to the right author of it which is the right vse and end of all the doctrine of free election iustification vocation and saluation all which are noted by Paul to tend to the praise of the glorie of his grace yea and of all the Gospel which is to stop euery mouth and cause all that would finde saluation and happines to seeke and finde it onely in God and the riches of his grace Vse 2. This free grace beeing the fountaine of all blessing it behooueth euery man to seeke it in the first place for himselfe and others to whom he wisheth any good get grace for thy selfe or another thou hast gotten peace a lesson obserued of few Husbands Fathers Masters who whilest they beate their heads till thy quickly become hoarie with cares for the purchasing of outward things for themselues and theirs scarce dreame of the best blessings and of purchasing by laying hold of the couenant for themselues and theirs the grace of God in Christ which is the portion of verie few Many say who will shew vs any good and can reioyce when their corne and wine and oile is encreased but to say Lord lift thou vpon vs the light of thy countenance is the voice of the smallest number Thus it is too plaine that the spirit of prayer and supplication hath no delight in the most who can heartily pray for daily bread for health for wealth in the want of them but neglect the fountaine which is Gods grace and mercie in Christ and no otherwise doe they craue for others then they haue done for themselues in these distempered prayers resembling sicke persons both in that they haue more sence and griefe for the fits of their sicknesse then for the cause as also that they most desire that which standeth with the feeding of the vicious humor which should rather be purged and expelled The spirit of God is the spirit of wisedom and directeth to a more compendious way of preuailing with God and so teacheth vs to aske as that we obtaine farre more then we haue asked or that which is farre better Doctr. Onely they that are by grace and mercie accepted of God haue their portion in this peace here mentioned Reas. 1. Peace that is all kinde of prosperitie is promised onely to the godly Psal. 1. they shall prosper in euerie thing and the Apostle pronounceth it onely vpon the Israel of God 2. it is accordingly bestowed vpon those onely that are iustified by faith Rom. 5.1 seeing they onely haue peace with God which is the principall part of it 3. to shewe it to be a fruit of Gods grace sundrie phrases in Scripture might he alleadged as that it is called the peace of God Philip. 4.7 and that God is called the God of peace 1. Thess. 5.23 as also that difference which is worthie to be obserued betweene the salutations of the old and new testament In the old Testament grace and peace are neuer ioyned the ordinarie forme of salutation was Peace be with thee peace be to this house goe in peace but the Apostles after the mysterie of redemption was reuealed and perfected before the ordinarie salutation prefixe this word Grace or mercie or both that as they are neuer ioyned in the old Testament so are they neuer separated in the new to shewe that we cannot looke to haue one of them alone or separate them no more then we can safely sunder the branch from the roote or the streame from the fountaine Vse 1. Here is an other motiue to stirre vp euery man to seeke to partake in this grace euen as he desireth sound and setled peace Who is the man that desireth to see peace and good daies here vpon earth among men let him lay the foundation of it aboue with God Wouldest thou not offend men nor that men should offend thee be carefull that thou offendest not God Wouldest thou be at peace with the creatures and haue a league stricken with the stone in the wall and beast of the field the way is by beeing at one with their Creator whose hoasts they are then shalt thou walke safely vpon the lyon tread the basilisk vnder thy feete wouldest thou find inward peace in thine owne heart conscience to stablish thee in thy combat against terrors of sinne and temptations of Satan thou must serue vnder the Prince of peace and become a subiect vnder him who will possesse thee with such peace as shall make thee in mourning and suffering persecution for righteousnesse reioyce not onely in the promise but in thy possession of a present happinesse wouldest thou haue all enmitie subdued vnder thee and thine enemies become friendly then let thy wayes please the Lord. In a word wouldest thou enioy all prosperitie
him in possession The Apostle gathereth a flocke of the wild beasts of the forrest the Pastor must staie to feed and attend vpon that flocke the Apostle must change his place vpon immediate commandement the Pastor may not for he must be readie at all assaies to feed the flocke depending vpon him 1. Pet. 5. he must alwaies present himselfe as a patterne and example vnto it 1. Tim. 4.12 except we will say that the ordinarie Ministerie of the Gospel is not as straitly bound to dutie as the ordinarie Minister of the law for the Priests must alwaies be readie in the Temple to answer all doubts as Ely 1. Sam. 1.9 to keepe in the holy fire and lights to receiue all sacrifices and oblations to renew the bread before the Lord yea and for this end was that institution that the Priests might not dwell farre from the Temple but their houses were builded close to it according to the patterne of Dauid 1. Chro. 28.13 Yet so as by the Churches call a Pastor whose gifts are found fit for such a purpose may be sent from his place if in the interim it be sufficiently prouided for either to gather a Church or reduce such as haue gone astraie See 2. Chron. 17.7.9 2. Note That Paul departing from Creta leaueth them not at sixe seauens neither neglecteth the busines and worke he had in his hands but leaueth Titus to perfect that which he had begunne Herein teaching vs that euery man whome the Lord hath called to doe good in his Church and whose conscience stirreth vp his care must finde in himselfe this holy desire that the Lords plow be euer followed his building euer reared his worke euer furthered by all but especially so farre as lyeth in his power by his owne meanes and that both in the places abroad as also where he liueth Paul careth not onely for the Churches where he becommeth but where he hath beene and this was the ground why he left Timothie at Ephesus 1. Tim. 1.3 and Titus here at Creta vpon which occasion he wrote both these Epistles So should euery man in his place whom God honoureth to be the beginning of any good thing imitate that worthy Nehemiah in his care RemeÌ„ber me O God blot not out my kindnes that is suffer not thy worship restored by my meanes in Ierusalem to be defaced and much lesse abolished In like manner if a man be called from his place so as he must leaue it to another his care must be that it be furnished with a fit man Eliah when he was to be taken vp walking with Elisha whom he knew was to be his successor by prayer obtained for him an hard request namely the doubling of his owne spirit vpon him Memorable is the speach and practise of Moses who when the Lord had bid him goe vp into the Mount and see the land and then die he neglecteth himselfe and forgetteth after a sort his owne present death and breaketh out into prayer for the people O Lord God of spirits appoint a man ouer the congregation 1. that he may be instructed to go in and out 2. least this people be as sheepe without a shepheard Neither would Christ himselfe the mirrour of grace ascend vp into heauen before he had appointed furnished men for the building vp of his bodie his earnest charge to Peter and in him to all the Disciples and their successours that if euer they louâ—d him they would feed his sheepe sheweth the care of this great shepheard of our soules Men need not be prouoked to prouide for their children while yet they are with them that it may be well with them after their departure and should not spirituall fathers doe the like for their children to whom they are tyed by a strayter bond Fearefully sinne they against this example who while they craple and couple liuings together that they may fill their owne bellies and haue there portion in the fleece and fat neither staie themselues to teach as they ought nor yet leaue any Titus behind them of whose sufficiencie we heard before to redresse things that remaine but offer the sheepe of Christ to the wolfe and sell soules for peeces of siluer and morsells of bread The men of God were wont to extend their care for Gods people with neglect of themselues euen to the time of their departure yea and after although they might seeme to be loosed by remoouall or at least by death but these feele no waight of such an heauie burthen which presseth them euen for the present 3. Note That the Apostle thus sending Titus he will haue him consider the end of his calling and placing both to prouoke himselfe to diligence as also to obtaine for him more libertie and authoritie in that Church where he had left him and it was no more then needed for to goe about to innouate and reforme a whole Iland hauing an hundreth cities in it and bring new offices and officers among them might both exasperate the one and altogether discourage the other to both seeme a thankles busines But now if Titus shall thinke with himselfe This is the end of my calling wherein God requireth my faithfulnes and if the Cretians shall conceiue within themselues for this end was Titus placed amongest vs both to settle things that are wanting and to reforme things that are amisse this consideration could not but mooue and perswade both of them to a mutuall and comfortable consent in the busines of Christ and a louing entertainment one of the other Which teacheth that that man who would Christianly and comfortably carrie himselfe through any calling must euer haue the end of it in his eye The Magistrate must set before â—is eie that he is the Minister of God for mens wealth and that therefore he must not carrie the sword for naught but necessitie lyeth vpon him to execute the iudgements of God The Minister must propound before him his end which is the gathering together of the Saints hence a necessitie is imposed vpon him and wo to him that not ayming at this end preacheth not the Gospel The priuate man must set before him the publike and common good and in his whole course aime at that The efficacie of which argument is such as that the Lord himselfe most vsually vrgeth it in stirring vp men to the right receiuing and vse both of spirituall blessings as also the holy fruition of temporall mercies How doth the Lord vrge his people to the pure vse of his holy ordinance of marriage otherwise then from the three ends of it 1. in that thence they must expect an holy seed 2. for auoyding of fornication 3. from the comfort of a fit helpe and a comfortable companion Mal. 2.14 compared with 1. Cor. 7.2 and Gen. 2.18 So as looke what Mordecai said of Hesters aduancement Who can tell whether thou art come to the kingdome for this time let euery man say
of his owne gifts why hath God giuen me learning wealth aduancement surely for some good ende in the Church or common wealth and how dangerous a thing is it to peruert Gods ende in giuing his gifts And further from hence let him that would take a compendious way to entertaine the Ministerie alwaies behold with one eie the end of it for otherwise it will often seeme harsh and intolerable flesh willingly abideth not the handling of the Minister oh no meddle not with mine eies my deere and tender sinnes the bodie abideth not the pulling out of eies or cutting off of hands and feete so as let the Minister come to saw or feare a desperate member there is such reluctation and opposition as maketh a whole parish too little for the Minister and people The cause of all this is they consider not this end of the Ministerie If they could thus reason for this end is this man set here to be the watchman ouer the house of Israel to sound a trumpet against the sinnes of Iudah to redresse our disorder to plant Gods graces amongst vs to beate downe sinne superstition ignorance profanesse then should we not here such gracelesse speaches as Corah and his companie vtter against Moses the man of God Who made him a controller he is very busie to meddle with such and such things which concerne him not come let vs smite him with the tongue and much a doe is there to keepe Zidkiahs fist from Michaes face Whereas if they could thinke them the Ministers of God for their wealth as the Apostle speaketh of the Magistrate or if they could conceiue them to haue the watch of their soules committed vnto them either of these arguments by the iudgement of the spirit of God would be strong inough to enforce reuerence vnto their persons and obedience vnto their doctrine Now to the dutie and office of Titus the Apostle reduceth all his labour to two heads 1. the reforming of things that remaine 2. the appointing of elders in euery citie In the order of which precepts the Apostle sheweth that the way to plant Gods ordinances is first to redresse and remooue such disorders as make most opposition for Dagon and the Arke will not stand together but one will fall downe on his face As it is in the naturall bodie so is it in the Ecclesiasticall if there be a predominancie of some peccant humour that must necessarily be first purged out before any meanes can be to purpose vsed to breed good blood and humours Neuer did any of the kings of Iudah any great matter for the establishing of true religion till they had rooted out Idolatrie and broken downe the altars and groues of their Idols Asa tooke a right course to bring the holy vessels and things dedicated to the Lords house into the temple when he broke his fathers idols tooke away the Sodomites put downe his mother Maacha from her regencie for her idols and burnt them by the brooke Kidron See the like in Hezekiah 2. Chron. 31. who gathered all Israel to breake downe altars cut down groues cast downe the high places and then made the diuisions of the Priests and Leuites according to their ministerie in the Temple Of Iosiah see c. 34.1 ad 8. Yea Iesus Christ the wisdome of his father could not nor did establish any thing vntill in his first sermon he had reformed the grosse expositions and Pharisaicall glosses whereby they had corrupted the law teaching the same truth with our Apostle that the redressing of disorders is but a way and meanes of planting the Lords ordinances Vse We pray that Gods kingdome may come euerie where and that the Lords ordinances onely may take place in his Church now that this may be effected we must also pray that he would ouerthrowe the man of sinne and disperse the mists of darkenes in all countryes which trouble the shining brightnesse of the Gospel that the whole bondwoman may be cast out which standeth against the right of the right heire that the head and tayle of Antichrist may be cut off and that no stumpe of Dagon may remaine to keepe out the institutions of Iesus Christ. For the former of these two It will first be asked what power Titus had to controle disorders in this Iland and if he had any whether it did not derogate from the power of the ciuill Magistrates Ans. Titus had a ministeriall power which no more derogated from the soueraigne power of the Magistrate then if the Gospel were now established in it againe would it weaken the power of the Venetians in whose hands now it is nor no more then the power of the Gospel doth weaken the states and scepters of Christian Princes which indeede are stablished by Christs scepter The reason is because the power of the word and sword of the magistrate and Minister are of a diuerse nature for although both of them haue their power from God and one generall scope which is the good of men yet in them is it farre different 1. In their obiect The one hath power ouer all men and all the things of men The other hath power ouer all men but onely in the things of God The one bindeth the outward man his bodie goods life conuersation the other the inward man his soule conscience and spirit of which God onely is the Lord the one ordereth causes Ecclesiastiacall according to the wâ—â—d the other onely may execute them 2. In their manner of commanding The ciuill power may command obedience to it selfe in it owne name as hauing vnder God the power in himselfe but the ecclesiasticall or ministeriall power is not in the person of the Minister but in Christ neither can he command obedience to himselfe but vnto Christ nor come in his owne name but in Christs as being not his Leiftenant as the Magistrate nor his vicar for as he is Mediator he hath not any but his Minister only 2. the ciuill power may absolutely compell the outward man but the ministeriall can onely perswade and exhort 3. In their meanes of enforcing The ciuill hath the vse of the sword to arrest imprison make warre execute the sentence of death vpon malefactors the ministeriall can only either by admonition cure or excommunication cast out the obstinate offenders and esteeme them as Publicans and heathens The weapons of this warfare are spirituall as doctrine exhortation admonition reproofe good life c. This latter then while Titus exercised he encroached not vpon the ciuill Magistrates power nor weakened but strengthened it Christ himselfe although the rightful King of the Iewes would not so much as devide an inheritance but subiected himselfe to all tributes and hard sentences and yet all his life and death was nothing else but the establishing of his owne scepter one of these powers is the ornament and muniment of the other and therefore let none commit Moses and Aaron together but esteeme it as a sweet
committed his flocke vnto him â—o let him resolue and say to the Lord as Iacob to Laban I will feede and keepe thy sheep In like manner let euery congregation to whom the Lord hath giuen a pastor according to his owne heart testifie their thankfulnes herein in beeing contented to haue their waies looked into and spoken of as well conceiuing the miserable estate of sheepe without shepheards not saying to the Seer see not least that plague befall theÌ„ pronounced against the men of Anathâ—th praying also that the kingdome of God may come euery where and his lightsome countenance shine on them that want such meanes seeing their estate is such as hath great need of watchmen Secondly from the force of the argument namely that he that is to be a Bishop ouer others must of necessitie watch ouer himselfe and his owne in priuate note a generall rule to be obserued in all elections and furnishing of any place and office namely that due respect must be had what gifts the office requireth and those must be principally regarded in that person that is to be placed in it as for example if the place require the tongue of the learned seeke out for learned men if wisedome seeke out wise men if grauitie sobrietie conscience and diligence seeke out for graue sober conscionable and diligent men and thus the Lord dealeth whensoeuer he placeth any man If he haue a curious sanctuarie to build he seeketh out some Bâ—zaleel some Aholiab or other filled with excellent spirits of wisedome and vnderstanding and knowledge to worke in curious works of gold siluer c. If he set Salomon to build a glorious temple to himselfe he directeth him to send to Hieram for a cunning man a wise man and of vnderstanding If he be to bring his people out of Egypt he furnisheth a Moses and an Aaron If to take the land by fighting he fitteth some valiant captaine as Ioshua if to bring them out of captiuities he raiseth some Darius or Zerubbabel or Nehemiah euen suiting persons vnto places yea the Sonne of God beeing to gather his Church among the nations and to plant his owne ordinances to bring men out of their nusled idolatry and Gentilisme to serue the true God if he had not aforehand considered the difficultie of the work and accordingly furnished such as he dismissed for this purpose how had it like euer to haue beene effected Vse The cause of all corruptions in elections and designements to offices and places lyeth here that men looke not to the qualitie of the place first but beginning where God ends first at the man either because he is a proper man for parts and gifts of bodie and minde or by such and such commended or furnished to performe such expectations and contracts or an auntient or a kinsman c. this marres all and often setteth fooles on horsebacke when wise men walke on foote by them Let everie man whom it concerneth learne wisedome of God and his spirit here which first inquireth into the place and so in passing their suffrages in elections thus reason oh this is a difficult matter where haue we a fit man for it if to choose a Magistrate this requires one able to execute the Lords iudgements where haue we a man of courage fearing God and hating couetousnesse If a fellowe of a colledge this requireth learning iudgement and one able at least to bring vp youth in knowledge and godlinesse where shall we finde such an one but if a minister oh this requires one able to build vp the bodie of Christ and who is sufficient for this thing The reasons hereof are 1. the externall election of the Church ought to follow the internall of the spirit see 1. Sam. 10.24 2. it euer argueth corruption to preferre priuate respects before the publike good 3. the ends of euerie calling are 1. and principall Gods glorie 2. neerer and inferiour 1. the helping of the communion of Saints 2. building of the Church which he who is likely most to preferre is principally to be preferred As Gods steward Here are likewise to be considered two things 1. the signification of the word 2. the force of the argument First the word implyeth thus much that God is a great housholder Matth. 21.33 that his house is his Church where he as a great personage keepeth his residence more stately and honourable then the court or standing house of any earthly king in the world in that herein he pleaseth to manifest his presence by his spirit working in the word and ministerie and as it is with other great houses so the spirit of God speaketh of this as committed not to one but many stewards who take the charge of it to order and gouerne it according to the minde of the Master and vnto his greatest honour and aduantage And these stewards are the ministers so called 1. because as the steward in an house is to dispence all necessaries vnto the whole familie according to the allowance and liking of his Lord euen so the Minister receiueth from God power to administer according to the necessities of the Church all the things of God as word Sacraments prayer admonition c. 2. As the steward receiueth the keies of the house to open and shut to lock and vnlock to admit or exclude out of the house for so is it said of Eliacim Isa. 22.22 euen so euery Minister receiueth the keies of the kingdome of heauen to open and shut heauen to bind and loose to remit and retaine sinnes as Matth. 16.19 3. As the steward sitteth not in his owne as an owner or freeholder but is to be counteable and to giue vp his bills monethly or quarterly when the master shall call for them so euery Minister is to be counteable of his talents receiued and of his expenses and how he hath dispensed his masters goods Heb. 13.17 They watch for your soules as they which must giue accounts Doct. From which similitude we may learne that it is the dutie of euery Minister to see that he haue both the calling and also the properties beseeming him who is the steward of God And for his calling he must be Gods steward the Lord must set him in this place of seruice so neere him or else he is but a theife and intruder of whom it cannot be said that the Lord hath made him ruler ouer his house The properties of Gods steward are principally two 1. Wisedome 2. Faithfulnes So we finde them in the place alleadged who is a wise and faithfull seruant whom the Lord may make ruler ouer his house And first of the faithfulnes of this steward as the cheife Doctor of his Church hath gone before in example who was first appointed and then faithfull vnto him that appointed him Heb. 3.2 so is it required of euery Minister of Christ and disposer of the secrets of God that he be found faithfull Now this
true it is that rash anger against the teacher neuer accomplisheth the righteousnesse of God but causeth men to cast off the care of that righteousnes which God in the Ministerie enioyneth and vrgeth vpon them Wherefore laying apart all filthines and superfluitie of maliciousnesse let vs receiue with meeknes that is with silence moderation of mind and teacheablenes the ingrafted word for vpon whom else can that holy spirit of God rest but vpon the humble and meeke and none but these doth the Lord teach in his way Vse 3. Let no man minister nor people giue place to this vnruly and troublesome affection of rash anger which must be pleased in euery thing be it neuer so vniust or else the whole man is enflamed with the vnnaturall heate of this raging feuer of the mind The truth of which appeareth in Abner when Ishbosheth King of Israel asked him why he so boldly went in into his Fathers Concubines what faith he am I a doggs head that thou shouldst say thus vnto mee and yet euery man saw the vnrighteousnes of the action besides himselfe Besides that the dangerous fruits of it are daily discouered in suddaine quarrells and barbarous mischeifes Notorious was the effect of it in Theodosius otherwise a good Emperour who vpon occasion of a seditious tumult wherein a few of his officers were slaine called all the citizens of Thessalonica into the theatre as though he had had to shew them some solemnitie and there commanded his souldiers to fall vpon them and slew of them both innocent and guiltie to the number of about seauen thousand for which fact Ambrose excommunicated him and brought him to publike repentance and humiliation How cursed was the rage of Simeon and Levi who most treacherously and barbarously for one offender brought so much innocent blood vpon themselues How fearefully did Dauid forget himselfe in vowing the death not of Nabal only who was churlish towards him but of all his guiltles family who were so well affected towards him Obiect Oh but I am of such a nature that I cannot but be angrie would to God I could bridle mine hastie anger Ans. 1. A Christian must haue more then nature in him grace must teach him when and how and how long to be angrie it breaketh not meeknes for trifling occasions but in causes of importance especially in case of Gods dishonour in our owne great damages of name goods or estate and the iniuries of others especially the Saints of God in all which cases the Scriptures are plentifull in examples Againe grace must moderate anger and suffereth it not vpon any pretext to degenerate into rancour and malice not to wrack it selfe vpon the person but the sinne nor for one person to hate any other as commonly for the weaknes of some one professor all are hated nor to puffe vp but to humble himselfe in the weaknes of another nor to reioyce but sorrow in their falls nor to reuenge but compassionatly to correct considering himselfe And for the time grace suffereth not the heart to giue place to the deuill nor the sunne to set vpon our wrath much lesse to make it our bedfellow 2. The meanes to bridle and staie this rash and vnaduised anger stand partly in meditations partly in practises For the former 1. Meditate on the prouidence of God without which not the least greife or iniurie could befall vs for euen the least is a portion of that cup which Gods hand reacheth vnto vs to drinke of And this would be as water to quench this inflammation as may be seene in Dauid when Shemei railed on him God hath bid him rayle and Iob looked not at the Sabeans and theeues but the Lord hath taken away blessed be his name and Ioseph accused not his brethren but comforted them after their fathers death and said The Lord sent mee into Egypt before you 2. On the patience and lenity of God who with much mercie suffereth vessells ordained vnto destruction How long did he suffer the old world how loath was he to strike if in an hundred and twentie yeares he could haue reclaimed them And adde herunto the meeknes of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath commanded vs to learne it of him his voice was not heard in the streetes a bruised reed he would not breake how long bare he with Iudas beeing no better then a Deuill within his family that euen when he was meditating his sinne he was loath to discouer him plainly to be the man but hee that dippeth with mee and one of you shall betraie me not expressely noting Iudas and when he was acting his sinne Christ refused not to kisse him but called him freind and vttered such words as might haue wrung out not teares but blood out of the most rockie heart of any but the sonne of perdition 3. On the vnbounded measure of Gods mercie whose vertue his child must endeauour to expresse God forgiueth to that man which iniureth thee much more then thou cansts he forgiueth him infinite sinnes and canst not thou passe by one offence and thou hast more reason for thou knowest not his heart nor his intention it may be he meant better vnto thee neither art thou acquainted with the strength of his temptation which perhaps was such as would haue ouerthrowne thy selfe nor the reason why the Lord suffereth him to be ouercome and fall by it And yet if all this cannot bridle the headines of this vile lust apply this mercie of God to thy selfe thou standest in need of a sea of Gods mercie for the washing of so many foule offences and wilt not thou let one drop fall vpon thy brother to forbeare and forgiue in trifling wrongs 4. Vpon the danger of retaining wrath which is an high degree of murther thou praiest to be forgiuen as thou forgiuest the promise is forgiu◠〈…〉 you the threatning is that iudgement mercilesse shall be to him that sheweth not mercie and be sure that what measure thou metest vnto others shall be measured to thee againe and returned into thine own bosome And for the practises 1. In thine anger make some delay before thou speakest or dost any thing which point of wisedome nature hath taught her clients to obserue That of Socrates to his seruant is better knowne then practised I had smitten thee but that I was angrie and memorable is that answer of Athenodorus to Augustus desiring him to leaue him some memorable document and precept aduised him that when he was angrie he should repeat ouer the Greeke Alphabet before he attempted any speach or action But although this be a good meanes yet will it be to no purpose without the heart be purged of disorder 2. Apply to thy heart by faith the death of Christ to the crucifying of this lust of the flesh nothing else can cleanse the heart but the blood of Iesus Christ who as he was crucified so they that are his haue also crucified the flesh and the
can want and abound I can be full and hungrie in euery condition I can be content If the world come in vpon thee vse it as not vsing it if it doe not yet account the present condition the best for thee because the Lord doth so account it and the way to get wealth is to giue it vp into Gods disposition as Abraham by offering vp Isaac to the Lord kept him still 2. Turne the streame of thy desires from earthly to heauenly things making with Dauid God thy portion then shalt thou be better without these then euer thou wert or canst be with them Zacheus when he had Christ was rich inough although he had not a quarter so much as he had before and for his graces esteeme them aboue goods crauing with Salomon wisdome before wealth the blessing of Iacob before Esaus pottage Especially labour to feele the want of Christ aboue all things for this hunger would starue the other and worke this effect that while the foole gathereth riches to himselfe and is not rich in God thy conuersation shall either be without couetousnesse or if at any time thou couet it shal be certaine not vncertaine riches which thou maist treasure vp in heauen and then send thy heart after them while the other are fit onely to fixe the hearts of the possessors in the earth Hereunto agreeth that of Paul to reioyce in the crosse of Christ by which the world shall be crucified to thee and thou vnto it for once beginne to reioyce in the things which he hath done and suffered for thee and thou wilt beginne also to account of all things as doung in comparison of him hereupon the world will beginne to frowne on thee and hate thee and then shalt thou with more ease hate it and thus daily the more thou risest with Christ the more wilt thou seeke the things that are aboue 3. Thou must goe one step further daily to crosse the affection directly 1. by daily seeking the assurance of the pardon of sinne 2. by daily prayer against this sinne especially 3. by daily reading the Scriptures which are the sword of the spirit to cut off such lusts wisely obseruing and applying such places as most crosse it 4. by beeing readie to do good and distribute and exercising liberalitie vpon all good motions and occasions So Paul counselleth rich men to become rich in good works 1. Tim. 6.18 The earthly minde will say these are hard taskes but let such a one consider how hard it is for a couetous rich man to get into the kingdome of heauen Vers. 8. But harberous one that loueth goodnesse wise righteous holy temperate Now the Apostle proceedeth to make enumeration of those vertues which in the Minister are to be opposed to the former vices of which we haue spoken at large and these vertues are opposed either specially as to couetousnesse hospitalitie to frowardnesse loue of good things and men to drunkennesse wisedome and sobrietie or else more generally two other vertues are set against them all namely righteousnesse in regard of men and holinesse in respect of God Whence before we come to the particular handling of thē seuerally as they lie in the verse this instruction is generally to be noted That it is not sufficient for the Ministers neither any other Christians to be free from many vices but for the beautifying of their place and profession they must shine out by many positiue graces to the glorie of God and the gracing of his glorious Gospell which they teach and professe 1. Tim. 6.11 But thou O man of God flie these things and followe after righteousnesse godlines faith loue patience c. which truth is euident in an inferiour office euen in the poore widdowes which were to be admitted to the seruice of the Church cap. 5.10 And for the common Christian the commandement is not onely to eschewe euill but doe good and the generall reasons are these 1. Euery commandement in Scripture hath two parts the affirmatiue and negatiue and one of these still included in the other God in his law commanding any good forbiddeth the contrarie euill and this euen mens lawes doe so in prohibiting any euill he enioyneth the contrarie good which mens lawes doe not for example Forbidding to take his name in vaine hee commandeth the holy vse of it and forbidding to steale or kill he commandeth truth charitie the ground whereof is this that Gods lawe is not onely a bridle to restraine vice as mens be but also a rule and direction and way whereby and wherein to walke 2. The true knowledge of Christ is effectual operatiue for to know Christ right is to be a true beleeuer Now euery true beleeuer is 1. Gods newe creature and such a workemanship as is created vnto good works Eph. 2.10 2. Gods peculiar to set out the vertues of him that called him out of darkenesse into a wonderfull light 1. Pet. 2.9 3. Gods planting to grow vp as by the riuers of water to a tree of righteousnesse laden with the fruits of the spirit for this is the blessing of the Lords plants Isa. 61.3 4. a member of Christs bodie and therefore as a member in the bodie must not onely be harmelesse but of good vse for the seruice and benefit of the whole 3. The danger of fruitlesnesse in Christianitie for not only the ground that brings thornes and thistles is neare a curse nor onely the tree that bringeth forth bad fruit is nere the burning but if it bring not forth good fruit it shall be hewne downe and cast into the fire The rich glutton was sentenced for not releeuing Lazarus he did him no wrong one would think nor tooke nothing from him but he did him no good and so detained his right from him so the tenour of the sentence shall runne at the last day not against them onely who reuiled reproached condemned or crucified Christ but those also who clad him not fed him not harboured and visited him not Vse 1. This doctrine fully answereth a common plea which is made for the iustifying of many drones insufficient and ignorant ministers they are euerie where receiued in the minds of most as honest simple men well meaning peaceable and harmelesse and such as would be loth to doe any man iniurie and all this is well but what fruits of the spirit haue they what wisedome of God shineth in them what sufficiencie to doe the dutie of their calling what loue to Gods people what diligence in preaching and making knowne the wayes of God oh no here we cannot say much then I say thou sayst not so much as would haue mooued our Apostle to haue either admitted or permitted such in the Ministerie who requireth that such should not onely be not gracelesse and wicked but gracious persons shining in the robes of pietie and righteousnesse 2. This doctrine discardeth also a number that goe vnder the name and in the number of Christians
to his person and consequently winneth authoritie to his doctrine not only of the best but euen of the basest such cariage in Iob caused the young men when they saw him to hide themselues and the aged to arise and stand vp and all sorts of men to listen vnto his words and all eares that heard him to blesse him In all which regards how carefull was the Lord himselfe that none but such qualified persons should serue before him in that walking and elementarie worship in the time of the law He will haue none but wise hearted men to worke in the building of the Tabernacle Exod. 35.10 and no doubt aymed at the selfe same thing when he made that law in Numb 4.43 that only they of 30. yeares olde and aboue euen vntill 50. should serue before him in that tabernacle after it was builded For herein he required necessarily two things first and especially gifts of minde as wisedome iudgement grauitie experience and diligence which most appeare from 30. yeares vpward secondly strength of bodie When he releaseth such as haue serued vntill 50. young men might bring strength before 30. but beeing without iudgement grauitie experience the Lord refuseth it old men aboue 50. might bring with yeares experience and iudgement but the Lord requireth the body to be answerable vnto the mind in some proportion And to this obseruation that giueth light in Numb 1.3 that howsoeuer in the tabernacle and Temple none might serue vnder 30. yet in ciuill things they might for they must count their warriers from 20. yeare old and aboue Vse 1. This doctrine bendeth it selfe against such light and childish young men who are so forward to thrust themselues into this great calling before they haue cast as we say their colts coates or coltish conditions whereas this function requireth another age and other manners May it not be said of many Ministers in England as it was of the Prophets in Ierusalem Her Prophets are light and wicked persons for these two in this calling goe together wherein euery thing is aggrauated Lightnes in some calling may beare a lower note and be tearmed weaknes but in this cannot be but wickednesse and why so because it will follow that they pollute the sanctuarie and wrest the law the former by ioyning themselues to euery light companion in euery light or lewd practise the latter because whereas the iudgement of the most controuersall matters was committed by God to the priests together with the interpretation of the law such was their leuitie and rashnes that they passed their matters inconsideratly and answeared insufficiently and often falsly in the name of the Lord and thus must it needs be with such as run and ride before the Lord hath called them 2. We must pray for the Ministers as Paul for Timothie That the Lord would giue them wisedome in all things not carnall and fleshly pollicie a thing too much studied of many of them for such wisedome the Lord neuer iustifieth in them but setteth such a cursed brand vpon it as that for most part it turneth to the ouerthrowe of the Church and the whole worke of the Ministerie but such wisedome as is grounded in the word of God the studie of which would make them wiser then the ancient euen wise to raise not only their owne estate but others also with them not vnto earthly preferments but vnto life and glorie immortall reserued in the heauens to such wise men is the promise made that they shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and in that they haue turned their wisedome to the turning of many to righteousnes they shall shine as the starres for euer and euer Righteous By righteousnesse here is not meant that euangelicall righteousnesse which is Christs fulfilling of the whole lawe for vs Neither that infused gift whereby beleeuers haue an imperfect conformitie begunne in them according to all the parts 〈◊〉 the lawe although not according to all the degrees of them but here is meant that which is called a particular iustice more externall looking out vnto other men to giue them their due obseruing equalitie both in contracts and exchanges which we call commutatiue as also a iust proportion in distributing offices rewards punishments which we call distributiue iustice So as this iustice is an equall and vpright dealing with men fearefull to offer the least wrong vnto any but readie to doe good vnto all grounded on loue which seeketh not all her owne things much lesse other mens and in a word is the summe of the second Table Now as this vertue is in the text set betweene wisedome and pietie or holines so may it not be diuorced from either of them for wisedome our Sauiour willeth all his followers to ioyne with this innocencie of doues the wisdome of serpents for wisedome without innocencie were but fleshly and from belowe and innocencie without wisedome were but reproachfull sillinesse Againe it must goe with holinesse which is euer mixt with pietie that it may be a fruit of that inward righteousnesse which is by faith for else it is grosse hypocrisie All our iustice must beginne in Christs iustice reckoned vnto such as practise pietie and are entred in some degrees of sanctification All our obedience must proceede from the inward renewing of the spirit of our minds by the finger of God that he may knowe it for his owne worke All our outward conformity must proceede from inward sinceritie for if we must approoue our actions to the consciences of good men much more to the Lord who is greater and a most occulate witnesse of all our wayes Ioyne these two louing friends which sweetely accord in a Christian heart and life then maist thou with Paul call God and man with boldnesse to witnesse that thou art vnblameable see 1. Thess. 2.10 But to speake briefly of these two vertues so farre as they concerne the Minister seeing we are to speake of both of them as prescribed vnto common Christians cap. 2.10 let euerie Minister be exhorted as Timothie was by Paul But thou O man of God followe after righteousnesse For hereby 1. He giueth testimonie of his righteousnesse before God Luk. 1.6 Zacharie and Elizabeth were iust before God and walked without reproofe Iob a iust man fearing God and abstaining from euill 2. He shall be able to set his foot against his aduersaries and the enemies of the truth and say with Samuel whose oxe or asse haue I taken c. 3. He giueth euidence that he professeth and teacheth the true religion in that he keepeth himselfe vnspotted of the world which the Apostle Iames maketh one propertie of pure religion and vndefiled by which meanes he both gaineth those that are without and confirmeth such as are within 4. It shall not boote a man to say in the day of iudgement Lord Lord haue we not preached and prophecied in thy name if Christ can make answer yea but ye were workers
of iniquitie and therefore depart from me Holy This holinesse respecteth God himselfe his worship his holy things as the word sacraments prayer his sabbaths his sanctuarie in all which the Minister ought to be an example of holinesse and yet not onely in these but in his whole conuersation also The commandement is generall to all Gods people be ye holy for I am holy which requireth both the internall sanctification of the heart and the externall symbolls and profession of the same But more necessarie is it yet for the Minister to be cloathed with these robes of holinesse both that inward which standeth in getting and keeping faith and good conscience and that outward which consisteth in a religious and strict course of life And yet this must not be so taken as that holinesse is so essentiall to a minister as that he cannot be a Minister that wanteth it for Iudas may be a disciple and a deuill too but that it is a dangerous estate vnto himselfe and hurtfull to others for him to be destitute of it How necessarie it is for men to put off their shoes that is their vnsanctified lusts and affectons before they come to stand vpon such holy ground I will take a little paines out of the Scriptures to demonstrate and then make some vse of it To omit the extraordinarie ministerie and Ministers of the old Testament as the Prophets some of whom were sanctified in the wombe and others had their lippes touched with a coale from the altar to remooue their pollution the ordinarie Ministers in the sanctuarie and temple were 1. Leuites 2. Priests 3. the high Priest Many things were required in the setting apart to their service the lowest of these which were after a sort furthest remooued from God whose seat was in the Sanctuarie but many more to the sanctification of the higher and those that approached nearer or next of all As first the Leuites were inferiour to the Priests as whose office was to serue vnder them to helpe to carrie the tabernacle and vtensils of it to keepe watch for the safetie of it together with the holy vessels and instruments to helpe them in killing the beasts for sacrifice although they might not meddle in offering them vnto the Lord yea as inferiours to the superious they paid vnto the Priests the tenth of their tenths And yet what a number of rites and ceremonies did the Lord enioyne to be performed before these could be admitted to these inferiour seruices first in the tabernacle and after in the Temple As first they must be of one peculiar tribe peculiar by Gods owne election for the first borne of all Israel Numb 3.13 2. Whereas the congregation was not numbred but from 20. yeares old and aboue Num. 1.3 for till then they were not apt to goe to warre the Leuites must be numbred euerie male from a moneth old and aboue Num. 3.15 not because they were then fit for seruice but that they must then be brought before the Lord and set apart to his seruice euen from the beginning of their daies 3. They must not be presented before the Lord before the 33. day of their age for till then they were legally impure and vnsanctified Leu. 12.3 but after this time they must growe on to the thirteth yeare which was the first yeare of this seruice Numb 4.43 at which time they must be taken from among the children of Israel and set apart to the Lord Num. 8.6 And further in this separation there were two things more for 1. they must be purged and then consecrated Their purification was 1. by sprinkling purification water vpon them 2. by washing their clothes 3. by shauing the haire of their whole bodies 4. by preparing two bullocks the one for a burnt offring the other for a sinne offering for them see for these Num. 8.8 Their consecration stood likewise in foure things 1. After all this preparation in drawing them neerer to the Lord v. 9. 2. In the imposition of the Israelites hands vpon them freely giuing them from themselues to the Lord and his seruice vers 10. 3. In Aarons receiuing them of the people and shaking them before the Lord v. 11. as such as now being mancipated to his seruice were to goe and come at his becke as also such as who daily were to shake off that corruption which hindred thē in their callings 4. By laying their hands on the heads of the two bullocks prepared acknowledging the expiation of their owne sinnes and in way of thankefulnesse now wholly offring themselues vnto that seruice When all these rites were performed they were admitted to administer and not before Secondly the Priests the sonnes of Aaron whose office was to teach the people the doctrine receiued from God to pray for themselues and the people to blesse them and offer sacrifices for them had yet more state in their consecration for besides many of the former rites as imposition of hands their shaking before the Lord and the sacrifices common with the former 1. In the election of such a one more care was had no deformed man no man wanting or abounding with any member no blind or blemished person might come so neere vnto the Lord. 2. In his consecration he must not haue his garments washed as the other but must haue newe garments put vpon him Exod. 28.41 neither must he be sprinkled as the Leuites with holy water but with holy oyle and blood from the altar and thus must he be consecrated seuen dayes Exo. 29.30 3. In his office he may not lament for the dead of his people no not for the Prince but onely for those that are neerest of blood in his owne house Leuit. 21.3 he may not marrie a whore nor a woman diuorced or one polluted v. 7. the reason of all this is because he must be holy to the Lord. 4. In his failing and offending he must haue more clensing then many other men before he cā be admitted vnto his seruice for his sinne cannot be put away without a whole bullocke Leu. 4.2 and no more was required for the expiating of the sinne of the whole congregation v. 14. and the blood of the bullocke must be sprinkled seuen times before the Lord for the Priest as well as for the whole congregation implying that the Lord requireth as much sanctitie in one Priest as in all the people Thirdly as for the high Priest both in that he was a more eminent type of Christ as also came nearer the Lord then all the other euen into the holy of holies he must haue peculiar garments made by cunning men filled with the spirit of wisedome euen beautifull and glorious Exod. 28.3 in these he must be consecrated in these he must stand before the Lord in one part of which namely the frontlet which was put vpon his forehead must be written holinesse to the Lord that by the Lords appointment that might be most conspicuous Againe
other Priests might not marrie diuorced or defiled women but he may not marrie a widowe but a maid onely Neither might he mourne at all no not for his father or mother which was lawfull for the other Priests thereby to pollute himselfe and the holy place All which with a number moe such solemne rites betokened a singular sanctimonie in such as were to be giuen vp and dedicated to the Lords seruice Whence I conclude that if in those that ministred but in a material Temple that serued but in shadows types and obscuritie that in comparison were so farre off from the ministerie of the spirit of grace of libertie of life and so after a sort from God himselfe was required such legall holynesse at the least how much more is the truth of those representations requisite in vs who serue in the spirituall house of God who carie the substance and the bodie and are so much nearer drawne vnto God by how much he beeing a spirit delighteth in spirituall seruice before elementarie In Exod. 19.22 there is a speciall iniunction that the Priests who were to come to heare the law deliuered should be sanctified least the Lord destroy them much more then those that are the mouth of God in the newe testament to deliuer the law and Gospel should be carefull of their sanctification least the Lord sanctifie himselfe in their confusion For else those should not be such sure consequents of the Apostle where he dehorteth Christians from vnholinesse and prophanenes because of their present condition in that they were not vnder the lawe but vnder grace and that they were not come to mount Sinai but mount Sion And if such arguments were strong enough to binde common Christians to followe holinesse without which no man can see God surely farre stronger are they to enforce the dutie vpon the minister whose whole doctrine meditation speaches and actions priuate as well as publike should sauour of the spirit of God and of his blessed regiment in their hearts Vse 1. Profane Ministers are hence admonished oâ— their danger and vnfitnes how dare they take Gods name in their mouthes when they hate to be reformed How dare they rashly attempt to touch holy things with vnwashen hands when Dauid a most holy Prophet of God would not compasse the Altar nor participate in holy things before he had washed his hands in innocencie are such fit successors of the Prophets and Apostles who were called holy men of God not only in that they were penmen of the Scriptures and immediatly assisted and inspired by the holy spirit of God and freed from error in their doctrine which priuiledge we cannot succedâ—â—hem in but also in regard of their holy and innocent liues wherein also they shined as lights in the world expressing and shewing in life the life of that true and pure religion they taught vnto others 2. Let such as count this holines which is nothing but puritie of heart and life in Minister or people too much puritie and precisenes see their error and repent of it if they shall not see God who are without it much lesse shall such as scoffe at it We serue a God of pure eyes who hath pronounced blessing vpon the pure of heart and threatned that dogges and vncleane persons shall stand without the gate of that holy citie Notwithstanding therefore many a fooles bolt if that be puritanisme which many so esteeme it becoÌ„meth all the people of God much more his Ministers in that way which they so tearme to serue the God of their fathers 3. Note that marriage is no impure or vncleane condition of life nor a breach of chastitie and holynes for â—e that in the words before is permitted to be the husband of one wife is here called also to holynes and chastitie Temperate The Papists to maintaine the former error of single life translate this word continentem but the words of Scripture which for most part are more generall and figuratiuely comprehend many particulars either in commanding or prohibiting may not be restrained to strengthen Popish error For although all the vertues of the seauenth commandement may be here included yet the word is more generall then so seeing he is properly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that hath any thing in his power that is Lord ouer a thing to command it and enioy it and here one who is Lord ouer himselfe his lusts affections appetite who enioyeth these and is not theirs who keepeth the command of these and they haue not him at command requiring that the Minister should be a man that can curbe and bridle himselfe in his will to ouermaster it in his affections of desire reuenge mirth sorrow c. to moderate them that they exceed not the meane and due measure in his appetite of meate drinke sleepe recreation that it be not inordinate yea in all his parts his hands his eyes his tongue c. so order himselfe as that no vnseemely kinde of gesture fashion word or dealing proceede from him which may disgrace his calling but to carie himselfe in such a temper as becommeth the former vertue of holines For euen the word hath affinitie with that which we call a right temperament or constitution whether of humors in the bodie or affections in the soule which is when none is predominant but one of them is equally mixed and qualified by another as strong wine is tempered and allaied with water and implyeth that the Minister by reason wisedome and religion especially either allay or breake off the headines and violence of those troublesome lusts and affections which may otherwise molest him and exceedingly preiudice him in the workes of his calling This vertue then standing in the moderation of our desires in the vse of all the gifts and liberties we enioy as also in laying a law vpon our selues that no inordinate lust beare sway in vs it cannot but be most nenecessarie in a Minister who may not either in his priuate course vnfit himselfe to the performance of his calling by the immoderate affection or vse of any externall libertie as of meate drinke recreation riches much lesse in his publike execution may he administer holy things as the word sacraments prayer according to distempered passion or affection as of anger sorrow lightnes or any such And further as it is a great preseruatiue in him of an equable and constant Christian course so is also a great nourisher of his inward quiet and outward peace and so procureth his freedome vnto ministeriall duties which aboue all other require that a man should be wholly his owne and the Churches for it bringeth downe high thoughts and proportioneth the minde vnto such an estate as becoÌ„meth the simplicity of the gospel it cutteth off al affectation of state pompe sumptuousnes superfluities aboue that which becommeth a Minister of Christ which things make rich men indeed but poore Ministers for the most part Now the meanes to attaine this vertue
into admiration to see the gifts giuen them knowing them to be vnlearned Act. 4.13 or else they were most fearce and bloodie enemies as Paul whom the Hebrewes could not beleeue that he was become a Preacher of that truth he had persecuted vntill the Lord gaue further testimonie of him Act. 9.26 3. The matter of this word is an euerlasting truth the Law an eternall rule of righteousnesse as ancient as God himselfe the Gospel an euerlasting Gospel Rev. 14.6 containing promises of eternall truth which shall haue their stabillitie after heauen and earth shall be no more besides such assured articles of faith concerning God in the three persons and the Church of God that if an Angel from heauen should come and teach another doctrine he must be accursed Moreouer such diuine prophecies and predictions together with the exact accomplishments although some hundreths yea thousands of yeares passed betweene as by this one part sufficient euidence may be gathered of the faithfulnesse and steadfastnes of the whole 4. The forme of it which is the conformitie of it with God himselfe maketh it appeare that if God be faithfull this his word must needs also be so in that it resembleth him in his omnipotencie for this power and arme of God neuer returneth in vaine but doth all the worke of it In his wisedome giuing most perfect and sure directions resoluing all doubtfull cases and making wise vnto saluation In his puritie and perfection beeing an vndefiled and perfect law In his omniscience it searcheth the heart discouereth the thoughts deuideth betweene the marrowe and bone Heb. 4.12 In his iudgement acquitting beleeuers to whom it is a sweete sauour of life to life condemning Infidels both here and much more at the last day Ioh. 13.48 In his truth and veritie as here and Coloss. 1.5 it is called the word of truth 5. The ends shew the certaintie and faithfulnes of it it beeing the onely meanes of regeneration 1. Pet. 1.21 of begetting faith Rom. 10. and consequently both of freeing men from hell and damnation and of assuring them of that freedome the onely word that can supplie sound and firme consolation yea setled and assured comfort vnto distressed consciences none of which ends could it euer attaine if it selfe were vnsound and vncertaine Now as it carrieth with it all these grounds so are there without it a nūber more wherby we may confirme the same truth as 1. It is the foundatiō of the church Eph. 2.20 against which if hell gates could euer preuaile the Church were vtterly sunke 2. Hereunto hath the Lord tyed his Church as to an infallible direction to the law and to the testimonie without which there is nothing but errour and wandring ye erre not knowing the Scriptures 3. This truth hath beene aboue all other oppugned by Satan Antichrist heretikes tyrants yet neuer a whit of it was euer diminished Salomons bookes may be lost but not these of the true Salomon Iesus Christ. That the Scriptures were burnt in the Temple and that Ezra composed a newe Scripture is to be reiected as a Iewish fable Ezra might put together parcells of Scripture scattered and compose them into bookes But where were Ezechiel Daniel Zacharie Hagge or what were they doing to suffer all the Scriptures to be lost in their times or where was the watchfull eie of God could it winke or nodde or not see or not preuent the perishing of his word vtterly from the Church 4. This word hath beene so certenly sealed in the hearts of the elect of all ages that where it once was harboured in truth it could neuer be shaken out by any kind of most exquisite torture and torment All which confirme the doctrine propounded most plentifully Obiect But some bookes of the canonicall Scriptures are perished Answ. Many indeede are reckoned but they were either not canonicall or the substance of them is still contained in the canonicall Obiect But if God himselfe had written the whole Scripture as he did the law and had deliuered it to men as he did the tables to Moses then had there beene no doubt of the certaintie of it but it was written by men Ans. Yet is it as certaine as if God had immediately writ it with his owne finger for holy men spake and writ as they were mooued by the holy Ghost not as men but Gods instruments guided by extraordinarie immediate and infallible assistance of the spirit Obiect In 1. Cor. 7.12 Paul saith I speake not the Lord. Ans. The plaine sense in one word is I giue counsell in this case of mariage by collection out of the word of which the word hath not deliuered any expresse lawe and no more can be gathered of it Vse This doctrine is of speciall vse both vnto teachers and hearers vnto teachers it affoardeth a twofold instruction 1. if it be so faithfull a word to hold it fast 2. to hold themselues fast vnto it For the former the teacher must looke that he lay such hold on it as he neuer suffer it to be wrested from him no danger no fauour no power no subtiltie may force him to vnfasten his hold much lesse goe backe and recoile from it or play fast and loose with it or so carrie it as one that would swim betweene two waters but carie it and hold it out as faithfully and constantly as becommeth such a faithfull word Ieremie on this ground that he had a sure word after he had beene smitten and stocked he went not into corners nor behinde the wall to speake the will of him that sent him but as one that had laid faster hold on it in tearmes of defiance and personall application to the stoutest and proudest of them he vttereth with much boldnesse and plainnesse what he had in commission The like we read of Amos against Amaziah The like of the Apostles thorough the Acts and their Epistles and all vpon this ground that the Lord sent them with a faithfull word And if reasons will perswade to this dutie we haue not a fewe For 1. what sound comfort can any Minister finde in life or in death but in beeing found faithfull where was Pauls reioycing towards his death but that he had fought a good fight and had kept the faith 2. This faithfull word was not easily purchased vnto vs but by the blood of many a faithfull man both of Pastors and people shed in our owne and other countries and should the preachers of it esteeme lightly of so precious and so dear a purchase 3. If the Pastor depart or be driuē frō the faithfull word how can his people hold it he is guiltie of all their Apostacie from the faith Let the Pastor receiue such a blowe the sheepe cannot but be smitten 4. Looke on the danger and Gods righteous iudgement on such teachers as esteeme of mens words and writings aboue that is meet in the meane time not embracing this word in the loue of their
so of such Christians as turne Iews againe beware of the concision and betake vs to the circumcision which worshippeth God in the spirit and haue no confidence in the flesh no confidence in the lawe Get Christ close him by faith in the heart he is the Lord and accomplisher of the lawe vnto righteousnesse and thus hast thou enclosed thy righteousnes as a ring encloseth a Iewel Say with that Martyr onely Christ onely Christ. 2. Seeing Popish doctrine hath not saluation but carrieth men from Christ it ought not to be tolerated where it can be abolished for the scepters of Christian Princes must hold vp the scepter of Christ the Prince of peace and as it is no good religion in Princes to set vp a religion that would abolish Christ so neither is it good policie in regard both of their treacherous positions and practises For as they teach that hereticall for so they call Protestant Kings may be depriued of life much more other royalties and temporalties so is their practise proportionable in deposing kings and Emperours practizing hellish treasons and iustifying the murdering of Princes And therefore howsoeuer we should seek to pull the poore seduced ones of them out of the fire yet if they be incurable themselues haue taught vs how we should deale with them or rather neither make nor meddle with them by the tenour of the oath taken of the old leaguers in France the forme of which was this Si ad haereticorum partes de flexero si amicitiam si foedus si matrimonium cum eis faxo si opem fidemve do si ave si vale dixero illa die fulmine ferito God make vs as wisely resolute to preserue the puritie of the truth amongst vs as they are cautelously circumspect to barre it out from themselues then should they goe farre inough and stay long enough before we should entreat their returne Whose mouthes must be stopped The phrase is metaphoricall and betokeneth such an euident conuiction of errors by weight of reason and euidence of the Scripture as wherby the aduersarie of the truth is struck dumb and hath no more to say then if he had his mouth shut vp Quest. But how should we shut their mouthes for such commonly rage against the truth and ioyne mallice to error and so prostitute themselues in impudencie as that they will euer haue some shew of words at least to pretend against the truth Ans. This precept is first and properly directed to the Minister of God who by all his endeauour must take away all the defence of such errors and then confirme the contrarie truth by such sure grounds and arguments as that all men may see they haue no sound reason much lesse Scripture at least interpreted by Scripture for their defence And thus when the Church shall heare what such persons can say for themselues it will appeare to be but vaine babling and multiplying of words flowing not seldome from such as are euen damned of themselues in their owne conscience And this practise is agreeable to that of Christ himselfe who sometimes by the Scriptures Matth. 22.34 sometimes by reason Luk. 20.25.26 Giue to Caesar sometimes by a like interrogation and question Luk. 20.7 The Baptisme of Iohn sometimes by posing and parling Matth. 22.46 so set vp and silenced the Pharisies Sadduces Herodians and others as none could either answer him or durst aske him any more questions But when men are thus confuted by argument ouerthrowne with the sword of the spirit and confounded by the power of truth and yet still proceed to trouble the peace of the Church and the faith of the Saints then may the Church and must proceed by censure and admonition to enioyne them silence the which if yet they will not heare they ought by the Church to be driuen from the societie of the faithfull if they prooue gangrenes they must be cut off Doctr. The dutie of euery faithfull Minister is when occasion is offered timely to oppose himselfe against seducers and stop the mouths of false teachers wherein also the Church ought to backe and strengthen him For 1. the example of Christ must be our president who most boldly and freely vindicated the law from the corrupt glosses and expositions of the Pharisies and that in his first sermon 2. In regard of the particular members of the Church that they may be preserued in soundnesse from starting away and forsaking of the truth Hence did our Sauiour Christ not seldome vtter holy things before dogges and swine that is the Scribes and Pharisies and malicious Iewes because of those that stood by that they might be confirmed against their corruptions And this is made one ende of the precept the madnesse of the false Apostles must be made manifest that they may preuaile no longer 3. In regard of the false teachers themselues fooles saith Salomon must be answered least they be wise in their owne conceit neither shall the labour be wholly lost vpon them for it shall be a meanes either to conuert them and bring them to the knowledge of the truth or else so to conuince them as they shall be made excuseles And further the Church must strengthen euery Ministers hands in this contending for the faith and so manifest her selfe to be the ground and pillar of truth which is committed to her trust and safekeeping against all gaynesayers Vse 1. This ministeriall dutie requireth a great measure of knowledge and a man furnished with gifts of varietie of reading and soundnesse of iudgement euen a man who hath a storehouse in his brest First he must be well read and skilfull in the Scriptures that by them in the first place he may be able to shut the mouth of the aduersarie partly by the expresse texts of Scripture partly by harmonical parallel and sutable places as by the mouth of many witnesses partly by the analogie of faith arising out of the whole bodie of the Scripture partly by the proprietie of the speach in the fountaine and partly by the apt knitting of the context that there may be full concent with it selfe the antecedents and consequents yea more he must be furnished with varietie of reading euen in the workes and writings of men that he may be able in good sort not onely to apprehend the state of the questions and originall of controuersies but also that he may refute his aduersarie partly by the concent of the Church in all ages and partly by the helpe of things that are granted and confessed on both sides and partly by the contradictions which the patrons of errors cannot but vnawares flip into for it is true of a lyar or a patron of lies that he had need of a good memorie Secondly to all this knowledge is required a sound iudgement that he may be able to inferre good and necessarie consequents vpon the graunting of the truth he standeth for and on the contrarie the absurdities and
bookes hath this hexameter Quest. But why doth Paul call him a Prophet Ans. Some thinke him so called onely by a generall acceptation of the word Prophet which as well signifieth a publike declarer of some truth past or present as of some to come and so he openly taught the truth perswading to vertue and dehorting from vice Others thinke the Apostle calleth him so ironically or in skorne one who was a Prophet fit inough for such a people Others because he was so in the reputation and account of the people who as the other Heathen were wont to ascribe some diuinitie vnto their Southsayers and called them diuiners yea the interpreters and sonnes of the Gods But I take it the truth that he is so called because he was indeed a Prophet and did diuine answer of euents to come some of whose answers and oracles are yet extant and recorded in authors besides that some of the Heathen confesse that he was the cheefe of those who by surie prophecied of things to come Quest. But what kinde of Prophet was he or how was he and the other heathenish prophets distinguished from the true Prophets of God Ans. The Prophets of God were of two sorts First such as were more properly so called who beeing extraordinarily raised and inspired by Gods spirit did reueale some parts of the will of God which he intended to doe in and for his Church for time to come such were Isay Ieremie and many other in the old Testament vntill Christ the cheife Prophet and accomplisher of all prophecies appeared but verie few after The second sort of true Prophets were such as onely did teach and interpret the holy Scriptures and ordinarily had not adioyned the foretelling of things to come but vpon some speciall extraordinarie occasion and of these were many both in the old and new Testament In the old such were the companie of Prophets among whom Saul prophecied and the children and sonnes of the Prophets who as it is like were such as studied expounded and more accuratly explaned the writings of Moses and kept the doctrine deliuered by Moses vncorrupt in the Church although the masters and those which were more eminent had both these gifts such as Eliah Elisha and the sonnes of the Prophets so farre as they were emploied and sent by these as we reade that the young Prophet knew not that Iehu was to be annointed King till Elisha told him In the new Testament the Apostle bringeth all ministeriall and ecclesiasticall duties of ecclesiasticall persons to 1. Prophecie 2. Ministerie Rom. 12.7 the former of which is nothing but the exercise of a gift of teaching in the Church applying sound doctrine out of the word to exhortation edification consolation 1. Cor. 14.13 Both of these are truly called diuine Prophets both of them beeing raised of God gifted by God dealt in the things of God and endeauored to lead men vnto God As for the other such as were the oracles of the Gentiles whether that of Apollo at Delphos or of other groaues caues dennes and woods very frequent amongst them or else the southsayers such as were Bacchis the Sibills and this Epimedes these consent almost in nothing with the former for they differ in all the causes 1. Whereas the former spake by instinct of the holy Ghost and consequently whatsoeuer they spake must needs come to passe in that manner and those circumstances in which it was deliuered the which the Lord maketh a note of a true Prophet These latter spake by instinct of Satan who beeing a lying spirit from the beginning was often a lying spirit in their mouthes but that he couered his errors by speaking in likelihoods and amphobologyes and the things that came to passe seldome came to passe as they were foretold 2. For the meanes whereby the Lord communicated his will it is either more generall or more speciall the former was either vision to those that were awake or dreame to them asleepe the latter was by word of mouth or face to face But the deuill vseth all manner of tooles as meanes to deceiue all elements fire ayre earth water so beasts birds starres lottes herbes windes and words that looke how many kinds of creatures there be so many kinds of diuination there are so infinite is delusion 3. Whereas the matter of the former are the great things of God and of them the maine the foretelling of Christ the Messias and Sauiour of the world the latter commonly dealt in things of men as publike or priuate euents of peace and warre c. in which also the deuill himselfe could but gesse but as for God and Christ he shut their mouthes vnwilling that Christ should euen thus be heard of among the heathen Or if as may be obiected of the Sibyls some of them did vtter some things concerning Christ which Satan had snatched and stollen from the writings of Moses these were so disguised and coloured as the naturall face of that truth could neuer be beheld nay euen themselues vnderstood not the things they vttered and therefore could not vtter them with purpose thereby to make Christ knowne to the world and much lesse to establish the true worship of God in Christ as the true Prophets did What other endes the deuill had in it it were too long here to enquire 4. Whereas the former receiued their reuelations into meeke and wise hearts beeing gratious and prudent and not madde men the latter neuer powred out their oracles but when they were rapt into a trance or madnes and knew not what they said or did Whereby it appeareth that they were meere instruments and organs of Satan by whose tongues he spake the resemblance whereof may be seene at this day in some demoniakes possessed by the deuill If any here obiect that Iohn was rauished in spirit on the Lords day and that the spirit also rushed on Ezechiel on Daniel and so this was no difference betweene them I answer that farre were these holy men from beeing meere passiue instruments or as blocks and stones as the other were they were indeede meere men and such as when Gods greatnes and glorious maiestie was more then ordinarily manifest were verie much affected and almost swallowed vp of it and almost rauished and out of themselues as Paul confessed of himselfe but neither were they madde nor sensles nor foaming nor deformed nor ignorant what befell them but with knowledge faith reuerence wisedome and affection receiued the things of God which they were to deliuer againe afterward to the vse of the Church 5. Whereas the former euer serued the vse of the Church and endeauoured to lead men to God furthering them in faith and obedience the latter onely serued the vanitie and curiositie of men and although they could not well lead men further from God then they were yet they the more detained them from seeking after the true God Thus the difference plainly
as any lyon or wolfe I haue spared no pray and as subtile as any foxe to deceiue my brethen I haue spit out my venome both to the face and behinde the backes of my neighbours and especially against the houshold of faith the professors of religion Oh what a beast was I in all this But now seeing my vnderstanding is restored vnto me againe I will neuer hereafter carrie my selfe but like a man not making my lusts my lawe any longer but reason shall be my guide nay nor that onely but like a Christian man I will by Gods grace suffer my self to be guided hence forth by renewed reason yea by the word and spirit of God If I must needes in any thing resemble the beasts it shall be the oxe and asse in knowing my Lord and Master the storke and crane and swallowe in acknowledging the seasonable time of my repentance the serpent in Christian wisedome the lambe and doue in Christian meekenes and innocencie and thus resembling them I neither shall be nor accounted a beast nor yet be condemned by any of them But if any loth to leaue his brutish properties will be a beast still and followe his lâ—st it is fit hee should see the ende of his way in one of his predecessors Prou. 7.22 He goeth on as an oxe to the slaughter Many such thinke and pretend they goe to heauen but deceiue not thy selfe no vncleane thing entreth within the gates of that holy citie thou shalt stand with thy fellowes without Reu. 22.15 Without shall be dogges and enchanters and whoremongers and murtherers and idolaters or whosoeuer loueth or maketh lies and one day shall by experience teach thee that the bread of children belongeth not vnto dogges Slowe bellies In these words this people of Creta are by their Poet accused of habituall idlenes and intemperance who howsoeuer to the duties either of the first or second table they were as heauie and slow as any snaile yet in the feeding of themselues and following Epicurus his trade so diligent and instant they were as euery man seemed rather to be a bellie then a man and therefore doth the Poet by an vsuall figure of speach thus expresse them And as this whole hexameter so much more was this part of it more frequent among the heathen who were wont prouerbially to call such persons bellies as they saw addicted to idlenes gormandizing and intemperance Doct. A life led in idlenes and delicacie is condemned both by the light of nature and of the Scriptures Of the former there is good reason seeing it is against that order of nature which God set in all his creatures at the first euery one of which are sâ—ill vnweariably employed according to their first institutions The celestiall bodies stand not still but by miracle In all inferiour bodily creatures if well ordered there must be these three things 1. An order of the parts the feete may not stand vpon the shoulders for that is the place for the head 2. A proportion of them or a symmetry for the eye may not be bigger then the head 3. A function of each of them for euery one of them must haue some distinct office which it must diligently attend vnto 2. And if we looke vnto the Lords institutions with man we shall see that this idle and dronish kind of life was banished out of paradise it selfe from that innocent estate to the preseruation of which all the creatures offred vp themselues to saue mans paines and yet euen then must Adam dresse the garden then when he was a more absolute Lord ouer all the earth then any man euer since was or is ouer any part of it yet might be not liue as many of our gentrie out of a vocation and calling but must abide in that vocation whereto he was called And euen in paradise seeing the Lord instituted no more Saboaths then one in seauen daies what would he else declare then that innocent Adam was no lesse bound then now we are to employ the most part of the weeke about the things of his calling still in the midst of them remembring to shew forth the loue of his creator and the religious keeping of a good conscience 3. And how much more now since the fall may we thinke is man borne to trauell as the smoke to flie vpward for seeing that by the curse of sinne the creatures haue denied their former serviceablenesse but vpon condition of great industrie and trauell Gods ordinance and commandement is that now in the sweate of our faces we should eate our owne bread prouiding for our selues and ours which is besides the pleasing of God who delighteth that man should make his calling a part of Christian obedience a sweete fruit of our paynes carrying vs more comfortably thorough our way in the world 4. And yet looking nearer the matter we find this order and ordinance of God more forceably fastned vpon those that professe themselues Christians euery one of whom must be so farre from that inordinate walking as that he must withdraw himselfe from such And if any man be he neuer such a professor of Christ will not worke he ought not to eate let him starue his blood be vpon his owne head For such as these in the profession especially whose pride whose ease whose tooth whose play bring in arâ—eareges vpon them vnawares are the spots and blots of religion Now therefore that such as professe the Lord Iesus may the better be contained in this order of God both for the discharge of their owne dutie and the good example of others these reasons are to be considered 1. That God who hath set vs in our callings hath promised also to be with vs to giue vs good successe in them to helpe vs to beare out the tediousnes which sinne hath brought vpon our labour to giue vs his protection in these our waies to feed and maintaine vs by the blessing of our labour in the house in the field in our stock and in our store whereas pouertie arresteth the idle person Prov. 28. the idle shall be filled with pouertie And all this is to encourage vs to faithfulnes and diligence in the duties of our callings See Ioshua 1.8 2. Whereas all other creatures liue vnto themselues man was appointed to liue aswell to others as to himselfe the Church the countrie the familie the poore euery man challengeth a part in euery man And therefore although some other creatures be all a bellie as the crabfish who walketh with her teeth yet a Christian man must be a hand to one an eye to another a foote to another a shoulder to support another he must not only consist of bellie and teeth Aske thy selfe then what good doth my life to Church to Commonwealth to family to men and if thy conscience answer truly little or none then maist thou conclude surely I am rather a
neither apprehend conceiue nor iudge of the truth propounded or the practicall facultie included in the conscience seeing this dependeth vpon the former it must also be polluted the which two faculties if they be depraued and vitiated that is if the vnderstanding be blinded and the conscience led by such a blind guid how can it be but the whole man should sinke downe in the puddle of all impious impuritie That is the scope the sense and meaning followeth To the pure all things are pure In this former branch of the verse three generall points are to be considered 1. Who are meant by pure persons 2. How all things are pure or impure 3. How all things are pure to the pure To answer the first question we must finde out what puritie both for kinde and degree is here meant All puritie is either in the fountaine or thence deriued The former is the most simple perfect and immeasurable puritie in the creator the latter is some darke image and shadowe of the former in the creature according to the measure of it so long abiding with it as it cleaueth vnto him or he vnto it The former is not meant but the latter which is of reasonable creatures either angels or men differing indeede in degree according to their capacitie but not herein that before the fall of either it was a puritie mutable in them both But to drawe to our Apostles subiect this puritie is not now considered in the Angels but in man Neither is it that puritie which we had in our innocencie for though then we were purer then the Nazarites of Ierusalem who were purer then the snowe and whiter then the milke yet by our captiuitie vnder sinne our visage is become blacker then a coale But a puritie of an other qualitie such a one as is renewed vpon vs by the Lords beholding vs cleauing vnto vs not that shining spotles purity which we had while we were able to behold him cleaue vnto him This puritie then is not set in vs by nature but made ours by grace and beeing the puritie of our Mediator is imputed vnto so many as shal stand righteous in the sight of God the Father The persons therfore here called pure are such as by faith are set into Christ by whose blood they are iustified and by whose spirit through the meanes of the word that immortall seede of regeneration they are sanctified and reserued vnto life euerlasting And hence to both these is the purifying and cleansing of sinners ascribed in the Scriptures 1. Faith not onely as a hand laieth hold on all Christs righteousnesse to make the sinner stand iust before God but inwardly by little and little purifieth the heart causeth that puritie to breake out to the eies of others as well as our selues And 2. for the word in Ioh. 15.13 Now are ye cleane through the word I haue spoken vnto you Quest. But how can such persons be called pure seeing the Lord findeth no puritie in the Angels themselues and how much lesse in those who dwel in houses of clay and besides Paul euen a regenerate man exclaimeth that he knewe no good by himselfe Answ. That place of Iob denieth not puritie to the Angels simply but onely comparing theirs with Gods it is as a little streame yea a droppe to the ocean which is nothing in comparison And for that of the Apostle it was with him as it is with other beleeuers who are able to discouer more drosse then gold in themselues and therefore neither he much lesse ordinarie and common Christians can be called pure of the greater part but onely of the better Hence is it that though beleeuers haue receiued the spirit but in weake measure yet are called spirituall and beeing farre from perfection are yet called perfect not by that legall perfection which is entire in all the degrees but that Euangelicall which bringeth all the parts forward towards those degrees Nay more Christ himselfe calleth his loue all faire and saith there is no spot in her yea as pure as the Sunne as faire as the Moone and to his Apostles that they were all cleane euerie whit saue Iudas 1. because by faith euerie member of the Church laieth hold vpon Christs most absolute puritie 2. the spirit of regeneration hath washed euery part although in part onely nor so cleane as it shall be yet so as that perfect puritie is sealed assured to the soule by it 3. the Lord doth account euerie such beleeuer pure euen for the present imputeth neuer a spot vnto them but reputeth in his Christ all faire 4. hath promised them that for time to come they shall become so absolutely cleane as though they had neuer beene defiled Doctr. The estate of a Christian is a most honourable estate because his person is pure in the sight of God euen whilest he liueth here vpon earth And this cannot otherwise be seeing such a one beeing predestinated vnto life is also iustified and sanctified by the former of which a sinner is perfectly freed from the guilt and curse of sinne and by the latter imperfectly and in part from the reliques and seruice of sinne the former in that the blood of Iesus Christ sprinkled vpon his conscience cleanseth him from all sinne the latter in that the spirit of sanctification washeth his heart with pure waters vntill it be cleane Now whereas some may thinke they haue inough confessed to endite sincere Christians of blasphemie or heresie at the least as hauing opinion of their owne puritie with a Pharisaicall despising of others saying with the Iewe stand aloofe for I am more holy then thou or with the Pharisie Lord I thanke thee I am not as this man c. let them know that we teach and true beleeuers hold that their puritie is neither their owne nor so in their owne account but onely in regard 1. of Gods washing of their robes in the blood of the Lambe and 2. of his gracious acceptance of them so washed as pure and cleane Farre is the true beleeuer from the damnable conceit of the Catharists whome in our language we tearme Puritans who following Novatus his heresie were also called Novatians who thought that the life of a iust man is to be made vp without sinne spot or wrinckle or else the Church could not be made vp of them Farre also from that accursed doctrine of the Papists who are indeede Puritane heretiks and the right successors of Iovinian Ebion Pelagius in that they affirme that in the regenerate after Baptisme there is nothing which hath the reason of sinne or which God can hate that they are able to fulfill all the commandements yea and doe more then so that they haue deuout men and women that can merit life eternall for themselues and others that men may must expect their saluation from an inherent righteousnes Why should we not then abhorre these
hereticall seducers vnder this title seeing they tread the sâ—me steps of the old Puritane heretikes the memorie of whom let it be accursed for euer No no the beleeuer is â—aught daily to pray Lord forgiue vs our debts with the Publican Lord haue mercie on mee a sinner he accounteth his owne righteousnesse as a stained clout well knowing that if he should challenge righteousnesse from himselfe that his owne cloathes would defile him yea let them take much snow and nitre yet of themselueâ— can they neuer be cleane but that Christ becommeth as purging fire and fullers sope vnto them Now if any yet thinke it vnreasonable to ascribe both puritie and impuritie to the same soule the answer is the Scripture hath taught vs how to conceiue it 1. Ioh. 1.7.8 The blood of Iesus Christ purgeth from all sinne yet if any say he hath no sinne he deceiueth himselfe It is indeede Gods grace and fauour to account the beleeuers his doue and vndefiled and in regard of that perfect robe of righteousnesse he couereth them withall to adde that there is no spot in them but it is grace in them to acknowledge and vtter of themselues that which Christ did of his disciples ye are all cleane but you had neede haue your feete washed seeing that this purging is not wrought all at once in vs but by degrees and that in this life there remaineth alwaies some impuritie to be purged Vse 1. Let none dare to scoffe at the godly vnder this title or any other which the Lord vouchsafeth them hearest thou the Lord accounting his Church as pure as the sunne and perfect and vndefiled in their way calling them his holy ones and saints and thinkest thou this a sufficient ground to scoffe at them or doest thou shewe thy selfe one of this number or rather is it not the part of an Ismaelite and a cursed wretch to scoffe at the sonnes of blessing for the blessings sake nay rather seeing the Lord thus honoureth his seruants and testifieth his loue in passing by all their imperfections as though there were none let such as haue taken occasion to scoffe at Christians from that which is their onely approbation before God euen ioyne themselues to the people of God that as the liberties of Gods people in Persia made many of their enemies become Iewes so those that haue been enemies and readie to offer them violence seeing the fauour of God towards them may be mooued to become friendly vnto them 2. If the deuill doe raise any scoffing Micholl to scorne our sinceritie while we solace our selues before the Lord and if the sonnes of men will not cease to turne our glorie into shame Let not those that feare God be daunted nor giue ground much lesse flie backe for any tearmes of contempt but account this their priuiledge before God a badge of Christs profession and their honour before all the world and thus encourage themselues to striue on to further puritie both of heart and life 1. Of heart because the inside must first be made cleane and 2. of life for when the soule is purified it must worke in the life in obeying the truth through the spirit Thus the Christian man beeing like a cleare chrystall glasse with a light in the midst which must needes appeare through euery part of it hauing within him the light of grace holdeth it forth although in the midst of a froward and wicked generation The reasons to mooue vs hereunto are sundrie 1. In regard of Gods account and estimation of such as shall choose such cleane paths to walke in as we haue heard what neede a man care if all men condemne him so God iustifie and approoue of him and his wayes 2. Hereby onely a man becommeth capable of Gods graces who powreth not his gratious liquors into any fustie or filthie vessell but if any man purge himselfe he shall be a vessell vnto honour sanctified and meete for the Lord and prepared vnto euery good worke 3. All the promises of God are made only to such Dauid breaketh out into a resolued conclusion Psal. 73.1 Surely God is good to Israel to the pure of heart Let his trialls be what they will let his person be neuer so meane let his name be neuer so reproched the Lord respecteth him that is of an holy conuersation there is no difference between Iew and Gentile rich and poore with God so the heart be purified Such are only fit to approach God in prayer who can lift vp pure hands and so offer that cleane offering prophecied of to be lifted vp in euery place God heareth not sinners saith the blind man And the exhortation is let vs drawe neare God with true hearts in assurance of faith sprinkled in our hearts from an euill conscience and washed in our bodies with pure water Heb. 10.22 Nay more the studie of puritie hath the promise of blessednesse of the blessed vision of God for who shall ascend into the mountaine of the Lord and who shall stand in his holy place Euen he that hath innocent hands and a pure heart Seeing then that without it no man shall see God and that all vncleane persons shall be kept without the gates of the Citie let this consideration added to the expectation of such prâ—â—ises mooue vs to cleanse our selues from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit and grow vp vnto full holines in the feare of God 2. Cor. 7.1 4. This course is a note of a true beleeuer who as in other things so herein is made conformable vnto Christ in purging himselfe as he is pure the scope of the place is to shew this to be a marke of our adoption when knowing our selues subiect to sinne yet we desire and endeauour by all good meanes to cleanse our selues daily propounding herein before vs Christ as a patterne of imitation 5. Lastly let vs be prouoked to a greater care of holines seeing the Lord hath not beene niggardly in affoarding vs meanes aboue many by the which we might be clensed He hath giuen vs his word plentifully wherby faith might be wrought vs to the purifying of our hearts He hath sent out his Sonne whose blood through the eternall spirit offred without spot by himselfe vnto God purgeth our consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God he hath giuen vs of his spirit to renew vs by whose blessed dewes we might be besprinkled as with pure water so as we might be iustified in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the spirit of our God He hath sent out his chastisements and afflictions in such greeuous manner as our Fathers neuer saw the like by which as by rubbing and beating and wringing many might be purified and made white He hath sought to purge his floore by sundrie fannes of afflictions by plague and pestilence famine and dearth violent and vnseasonable winds and weathers and by the angrie distemper of
of the soule letteth a simple man see the secrets of his heart laid open bringeth him to the sight of his sinne and to breake out into the acknowledgement and confession of the truth saying God is there indeed Now nothing but the word can tell a man his thoughts nothing else can pronounce sentence according to that which is in the heart and therefore cannot but come out from God whose only priuiledge it is to search the hearts which he hath made Vse 1. Let Ministers gird this sharp sword vpon their thigh and strike downe the high thoughts of men speaking rather to the conscience then to the eares of men for else the word which is spirituall and most directly worketh vpon the heart and spirit looseth in his hand the proper worke and powerfull vse of it This alone is that two edged sword in the mouth of Christ whereby he gets the victorie as Dauid said of Goliahs so more truely may we say of this there is no sword to this Philosophy Poetrie and profane things are too blunt to peirce the spirit too weake to conuert soules too dull to giue sinne and corruption deadly blowes or deaths wounds Whosoeuer would turne men from their wicked way and from the euill of their inuentions must stand in Gods counsell and declare his words to his people And the note of a true Leuite is to haue the law of truth vnder his lips Malac. 2.6 2. Labour in hearing the word to find it thus diuinely and powerfully working in thy heart finde thy soule stricken with the sence of death eternall find it the sacrificing knife to cut the throate of thy sinnes and lustfull affections find it to shake and astonish thy soule for this is the onely way for thee to finde rest in the day of trouble if it slay not thy sinnes it slayeth thy selfe insensibly for it neuer returneth in vaine 3. Be patient to suffer thy hypocrisie vncleannes yea thy most close and inward sinnes to be discouered in the Ministery and when thou seest this light of the Lord searching out all the bowells of thy bellie say of it surely God is in it for although I find not this presence by thunder lightning earthquake as in the mount yet by a still voice the Lord commeth and speaketh to my soule no voice but his can cast downe such strong holds as I see shaken within mee none but he can bind my conscience none but he can summon my thoughts none else but he that made it can worke my flintie heart like waxe The woman at the well conceiued nothing aboue ordinarie of Christ till he came neere her and told her of her secret vncleane course then could she acknowledge him a Prophet then could she aske her neighbours Is not he the Messias that hath told mee all that euer I did euen so is it not the Lord Iesus that in his word telleth thee of all thy waies come thy selfe call thy neighbours with thee to learne where such instruction is to be had When Christ told Nathaniel that he saw him vnder the figge tree where he thought he had not then could he say surely thou art the sonne of God the King of Israel euen so when thou findest the word discouering that in thee which thou thoughtest was hid from euery eye thou maist say truely this is the word of the Sonne of God herein it resembleth him it findeth me out of my figge leaues and calleth mee out of my bushes where I had hid my selfe Thou maist be bold to affirme surely he is a Prophet of the God of Israel that can discouer the secrets of the King of Syria and the words which he speaketh in his priuie chamber and as truely this is a man of God that can tell me the thoughts and counsells which I take in the most priuie chamber of my soule yea in the secret and most retyred closet of my heart Many not acquainted with this lesson storme and rage at the word when it pricketh them and thinke that the Preacher is informed and beginne to suspect some intelligencers the truth is we haue an intellengencer euen a spirit which goeth after Gehezi and stayeth by Ananias and Saphirah till their most secret conveyances be discouered and reuenged to whom day and darknes are alike and for such let them in time beware to spurne against preuailing truth least one day teach them to their cost what it is to despise such a word as this is 4. Iudge of thy selfe and actions as this word doth that is not according to thy shew in the world but according to thy purenes or vncleannes before God to whom a poore man in his vprightnesse is better then a froward person be he neuer so rich yea a poore wise child more accepted then an old foolish King This is the truest touchstone whence thou maist iudge certenly of thy estate and not be deceiued If this word reprooue or approoue any of thy waies or thy whole course thou maist safely pronounce of it Lord if I be deceiued in this thou and thy word hath deceiued me and if by thy word I erre I erre willingly for I know that this is according to Gods iudgement and that is according to truth Rom. 2.2 Doctr. 2. We learne further what is the estate of a man vnregenerate whom the Apostle setteth out thus 1. He is one that is vncleane 2. an vnbeleeuer 3. one to whom nothing is pure 4. his minde 5. his conscience is polluted in all which respects he is a most odious person in whom is nothing but filthinesse of flesh and spirit the which thâ— pure eyes of the Lord cannot abide All which will more easily appeare if we consider that by our fall we were not only depriued of that grace and goodnes which was set in our nature but there succeeded a foule and monstrous prauitie and euill opposed directly to the former good and that through the whole frame of the soule The minde which as a pure eye was able strongly to behold the brightnesse of God and the things of God is now not only destitute of that light of vnderstanding and reason but is couered and vailed with a black darknes of ignorance that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ which is the image of God though in it selfe neuer so cleare yet cannot shine out vnto them The will which was most conformable to Gods will is not only spoiled and robbed of the rectitude and freedome it had to good but is become rebellious and resisting the will of God Matth. 23.37 how often would I haue gathered thee but thou wouldest not Ioh. 5.40 yee will not come vnto mee that yee may liue yea and is a seruant of sinne Rom. 7.14 the inferiour parts called the flesh are not onely spoiled of that conformitie which all the affections and appetite had with the law but resist with hostillitie and enmitie against God yea and cannot
be subiect to the law of God Thus euery way the wickednes of man is great all the imaginations of the thoughts of his heart are only euill continually neither can be other seeing whatsoeuer riseth of flesh is no better then flesh Vse 1. Hence we see in part the corruption of our nature and in it the reproach of our first sinne and fruit of our first transgression whereby we might learne to be ashamed of our filthines which is thus seated and resteth not onely in the inferiour parts and powers of the soule or as Papists speak in the flesh and sensual part but euen in the reasonable most excellent part of the soule which is the minde and conscience This very cōsideration should be as a hammer to beat down proud thoughts which rise vpon the gazing of outward things and respects on which so many beare themselues who doubtles would quickly strike saile if they could turne their eie a little to see themselues by nature and naturall courses the children of wrath enemies of righteousnesse haters and hated of God Many a man blesseth himselfe in that he keepeth his bodie cleane from vnlawfull filthinesse his hands pure from open iniustice his words free from iniuring men and thus content themselues with a ciuill righteousnesse which is to glorie in the flesh But could they looke vnpartially into their soules they should finde a filthie sinke and puddle steaming out noysome and graceles parts into the whole behauiour all which thrust them vnder the regiment of death Yea euen the best of men regenerate finde this lawe of euill with them which ministreth smal ioy to some parts of their liues when they see the seedes of all sinne in themselues and these seedes to rise vp into the blade and care sometime before they attend to cut them downe or weede them vp and when they finde themselues as readie to yeeld an haruest of iniquitie as others if the good husbandman should not still be pruning and dressing them 2. As man could proceede from an habite of good to the priuation of it so can he not of himselfe go backe from this priuation to the habit seeing no freedome at all is left in any facultie of his soule to spirituall good Is the mind and conscience and all things impure to the vnbeleeuer and hath his will any more priuiledge then the other how erronious then is that doctrine of the Church of Rome and the schoolemen who teach that mans free will to good is not altogether lost but much weakened in spirituall motions that it can dispose and prepare it selfe to grace and that it coworketh with the grace of God in the verie first beginnings of grace Whereas the Scripture teacheth that man is so farre from his owne helpe in his recouerie that he resisteth it and fighteth against it till the Lord mightily subdue him as he did Paul on his way to Damascus The first degree or preparation to the cure is the knowledge of the disease but the naturall man will not be brought to acknowledge and confesse his estate Psal. 14.3 there is no man that vnderstandeth his way our Apostle hath elsewhere also ruled this case 2. Cor. 3.5 we are not sufficient of our selues to thinke a thought and therefore much lesse to will Philip. 2.13 It is God that worketh in vs both to will and to doe where we are not said to will actiuely but acted that is so farre as God maketh vs to will good Let our pouertie then be hence acknowledged Gods glorie magnified Christs merit amplified in which alone we recouer all our wants and are raised out of our graues of death 3. Hence we see the necessitie of regeneration in euerie part Eph. 4.22.23 be renewed in the spirit of your minds confesse then and crie out with the leper I am vncleane I am vncleane and seeing if Christ wash thee not thou hast no part in him pray with Peter wash me Lord not my feete onely but my hands and head yea my whole bodie and my whole soule my whole man The Apostle prayed that not onely the inferiour faculties of the Thessalonians as the affections and appetite which are the feete of the soule might be washed but vseth this forme The God of peace sanctifie you wholly 4. If the wicked man be thus vncleane then hate his companie the vile person is to be contemned come not neere him touch him and thou wilt be defiled he is filthie within and without and with the leper must be thrust out of the campe for feare of infection Doctr. 3. Before this naturall vncleanenes be purged euerie thing is vncleane vnto a man the vnbeleeuer tainteth euerie thing that he toucheth nothing within him nothing without him which is not polluted although not in his owne nature yet vnto him and in his vse Let a naturall man turne him to any action word or thought all of them not excepting the best are against God because they proceede from vncleane mindes and consciences 1. His actions spirituall euen his best seruices as praying hearing reading receiuing of Sacraments almes all these beeing the sacrifices of the wicked are abhomination vnto the Lord who first looketh to the person and then the gift who if he turne his eare from hearing the lawe euen his prayer is abhominable if he choose his owne wayes let him kill a bullocke for sacrifice it is all one as if slewe a man if he be a polluted person that toucheth any of these holy things shall they not be vncleane yes surely the most diuine ordinances are turned to him to sinne for the Lord first requireth pure parts and then pure actions Ezech. 36.26 2. His ciuill actions his honest dealing in the world his buying selling giuing lending his labour care yea all the duties of his calling are in and to him no better then sinnes 3. His naturall actions as eating drinking sleeping recreation physicke all are vncleane vnto him 4. All Gods creatures and humane ordinances as meate drinke cloath goods lands buildings mariage single estate in a word the whole way of the wicked is abhomination to the Lord Prou. 15.9 All these are witnesses of his sinne and filthinesse all of them are enlargers of his woe and damnation because he wanteth faith to lay hold on the Lord Iesus whereby the iust doe liue haue their heart purified and so are made Lords ouer the creatures Vse 1. Seeing no man can with good conscience goe about any thing while he is in his sinne and vncleannes let it mooue euerie man to beware especially that he approach not neere the courts of God nor compasse the altar without washing his hands in innocencie The Ministers may not take the word into profane mouthes and hands themselues hating reformation The brasen lauer must put them in minde of their dutie which was set betweene the tabernacle and the altar that the Priests might wash their hands and feete whensoeuer
that many who now stand not in the last ranks of professors if times should serue would play but an Hazaels part or stand at open defiance of the truth if once the chaffie profession should be blowen away no man euer saw the change and alteration of religion but he saw also this truth verified The third point in the words is the miserable condition of the hypocrite He is an abhominable person Where note that men of corrupt mindes taking vpon them the names of Christians and doing the works of Atheists are worthely abhorred of God and if they could be discerned ought to be an eyesore to men who should not with patience behold them They are abhominable to God which appeareth both 1. in their persons 2. their actions 3. their punishment For their persons they are but halfe Christians neither hote nor cold and therefore the Lord cannot digest them compared to cakes but halfe bakte Hose 7.10 and not turned on the other side below they are hote that is either in their owne superstitions or in smaller trifling matters or else in forme and outward appearance they seeme so zealous as though the zeale of Gods house would consume them but aboue in matter of spirit and truth in the inner man in the soule and heart remaine vnbaked impenitent vnturned the fire of the spirit hath not once touched them and so they remaine a mixt lump still neither hote nor cold Seeing therfore they are such as withdraw their best part from God the soule of God can take no pleasure in them Their actions although neuer so good in themselues neuer so specious vnto others neuer so behoofull to the societie where they liue yet are abhominable vnto God yea in their most deuout seruices they doe nothing but as Ephraim compasse the Lord with lyes and deceit Hose 11.12 Their punishment sheweth them to be euery way abhorred of God for as men deale with things they hate so the Lord 1. casteth them out of his sight Iob. 13.16 The hypocrite shall not come before him the workers of lies shall not enter within the walls of that holy Citie yea sometimes they are cast out of his presence as Caine was euen out of the visible Church as they are euer out of the inuisible to shew that they shall neuer be endured hereafter 2. Destroieth them for their destruction from the Lord sleepeth not but shall surprise them perhaps while they are in the bodie as Ananias and Saphirah but certenly hereafter and the damnation of such is no ordinarie damnation but a more ample and abundant iudgement is reserued for them then others and it is worthy obseruation that when the holy Ghost would rouse vp the slouthfull seruant he threatneth him his portion with hypocrites Matth. 24.51 and for both together it is said Matth. 13.41 that the Angels shall gather out of Christs kingdome all that offend and cast them into a furnace Ioh. 15.6 those that abide not in Christ though they cleaue a long time to the visible Church yet are seperated from the true inuisible Church and cast out like withered branches and men gather them and cast them into the fire how shall then such abhominable persons in Gods eyes avoid the damnation of hell it is almost an impossible thing for such a viperous brood of professed hypocrites euer to be saued And ought not such persons also to be an abhomination to good men in whose eyes euery vile person ought to be contemned yes surely could we discerne them or God discouering them we should be affected towards them as Elisha was towards Iehoram who in his straitnesse could seek to Gods Prophet and otherwise to Baal as the Lord of hostes liueth were it not that I regard the presence of Iehosaphat I would not haue looked towards thee nor seene thee Vse 1. If these be the notes and this the estate of an hypocrite then must it needs be very hard to know who is an hypocrite because it is a lurking sinne and so masked as there is litle yea often no outward difference betweene the sound and vnsound and consequently it cannot but be verie dangerous to lay this imputation vpon any man till the time least we iudge our brethren rashly and condemne the iust which is as odious a sinne as the iustifying of the wicked And this is rather to be noted because it is become so rise a practise to range euery professor vnder this title and marke him with this blacke cole of hypocrisie But as it is true that an hypocrite must be a professor so is it false that euery professor must be an hypocrite And as for all other notes here obserued or elsewhere in Scripture they are such as whereby the owne heart of a man and his owne spirit within himselfe may iudge of himselfe rather then the heart or eye of another man Many are so like vnto the deuill that they make no bones of accusing the godly as Satan did Iob of hypocrisie beeing led by that same spirit which is an accuser of the brethren but not by the spirit of God which is the spirit of loue which thinketh no euill but hopeth all things euen the best of the worst which is not iudging neither dare it enter into the counsell of God nor iudge the person of another mans seruant who standeth or falleth to his owne Lord which is so farre from carping at or misconstruing things well done in appearance as that maketh the best and giueth most fauourable construction of things and actions which are in appearance euill as well knowing that the searching of the heart belongeth to the maker of it and that no man can know with what intention vpon what grounds or causes this or that is done by another And much lesse yet doth that spirit of Christ which vseth not to quench smoaking flaxe but cherisheth euen good shewes as in the young man discourage better proceedings by deeming those who exercise themselues most diligently in the courses prescribed by the word the most worthy to be abhorred of God and man And yet where can a man goe but he shall meete with the spirit that beareth rule in the word which conceiueth not speaketh not so bitterly against whooremongers theeues drunkards c. as against many sound hearted professors of Christ and of his truth thus with the wicked Iewes preferring Barrabas before Christ himselfe Oh that men knew what they did and then would they not thus crucifie the Lord of glorie in his seruants who will fearefully reuenge such indignitie done against them When Dauid sent his seruants to Hanun to visit him and he euill entreated them vsing them as spies and not as visitors sent from a freind how hotly doth Dauid prosecute the reuenge of their wrongs he destroied seauen hundred charrets and slew fortie thousand horsemen beside the forte insomuch as he forced other Kings to make peace with him how much more will the Lord more
Eue was made for Adam and not Adam for Eue yea she was made of him and not be of her and therefore euen in innocencie was shee subiect vnto Adam though then without griefe and molestation which afterward came in by sinne Secondly consider Gods lawe and institution after the fall Gen. 3.16 Thy desire shall be vnto him and he shall rule ouer thee as if he had said seeing thou canst not rule thy selfe meete it is that now especially since thy sinne hath set thee out of order that thou shouldst be put vnder the rule and power of an other yea although this subiection be not so liberall sweete and free as before the fall but ioyned with sorrowe and difficultie yea although often thou vndergoe vnequall commands and this also is the Apostles reason Adam was not first seduced but Eue and therefore her honour was first lost and a lesse liberall subiection was bound vpon her so much more surely Thirdly the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is of his Church and therefore as the members are subiect to the head without reasoning so should the wife be vnto her husband he prouideth for all answeareth for all defendeth all as the head and doth not he best deserue the preheminence hath not nature giuen the highest place and prerogatiue vnto the head and were it not most vnnaturall that the wife by seeking for soueraigntie and rule ouer her husband should set the head vnder the feet And further by this superioritie he becommeth the image of God vnto his wife and his lawfull commandements haue a stampe of God set vpon the thing commanded and therefore she must signifie that she hath a feeling of him in her heart as the image of Gods maiestie glorie and soueraigntie through her whole behauiour in a meeke and quiet spirit shewing her selfe the glorie of the man respecting his authoritie as the Lords his will as the Lords in right and lawfull commands against which if she rebell shee riseth vp against the Lord himselfe In these regards especially the Apostle concludeth this dutie and exhortation Col. 3.18 wiues be subiect to your husbands that is yeeld your selues vnto the will direction and discretion of your husbands for it is meete or comely namely in regard 1. of the law of nature 2. of Gods institution after the fall 3. the husbands headship and 4. womanly infirmitie Neither is it onely meete but so necessarie as where it is not performed it cannot be but the family should be laid open to ruine and downefall no otherwise then if the feete should refuse to goe the eye to looke the hands to take the things which the head commandeth the whole man must needes perish All which considerations take away all the friuolous obiections of women for exemption from this so naturall and necessarie a dutie Some plead they are yoked to foolish Naballs others are matched to such as neuer consider their paines and kindnesse and not meeting with that kind and thankefull retribution from their husband which they expect take themselues freed from such strict obseruance others could loue their husbands passing well were it not for such or such a bad qualitie and others are tyed to frampoll or conceited persons and so drawe conclusions both of their vnfitnesse to gouerne and the inconueniences of their owne subiection But against all these reasonings which are so vnreasonable as that they directly fight with Gods ordinance and that order which he hath put in nature which admitteth nor of such exceptions here is a cannon of batterie Thou must and maist before thy marriage consider whether he be a wise man or a foole but after thou must knowe he is thy husband which if he be thou must be subiect ouer whome be it that he be a foole and thou wiser then he thou maist affect no rule but knowing still thy place by thy goodnesse wisedome counsell and perswasion if it may be preuent his or thy hurt as Abigail did As for his vnworthinesse whatsoeuer it may be in thine eies yet the Lord depriueth him not of his worthinesse to rule ouer thee who hast entred into the marriage league with him And for his vnfitnesse he cannot be so vnfit to gouerne thee as thou art to gouerne him who wert taken to be an helpe and not an head vnto him and a monstrous thing were it in nature for the feete to direct the head But that women should obey their husbands none are so rude as not in generall to acknowledge but come to particulars as 1. wherein 2. the manner how there growes some question The former the Apostle answereth Eph. 5.24 Wiues be subiect in all things that is in all lawfull and bonest things in all which there must be a departure from their owne wills if a contrarie commandement proceed from the husband yea euen in those things which may seeme to be her peculiar for the gouernment and keeping of his house whether in his absence or presence she must administer according to his minde and direction For so the members of the bodie are subiect to the head each doth his owne dutie yet all by the appointment of the head mooue or rest themselues And thus the Church dispenseth to the sonnes of God the children of the Church all necessaries for their direction consolation and saluation but yet by the prescript and order of Christ the head and not any thing without his appointment and no more is the wife to administer no not in the absence of her husband against or contrarie to his minde Looke vp to the heauens and verie nature will teach this lesson while the sunne is absent the moone takes vpon her gouerneth the heauens and shineth aboue all the starres but yet not without the borrowing of all this light from the sunne if Philosophie teach vs truely but when the sunne is present she giueth place contracteth her light and reuerenceth him after a sort by vayling her face at his presence vpon whom she wholly dependeth and thus should it be with the wife when the husband presenteth himselfe whether in person or in his commandement Quest. Whether the wife may dispose of goods without her husband consent to good vses Answ. There is no question but she may 1. of any goods before marriage excepted 2. of those her husband giueth her after marriage for these also are proper goods and not common 3. If she haue generall consent when his heart trusteth in her and referreth in generall things to her discretion 4. If she haue implicit consent when her husband knoweth she giueth and holdeth his peace 5. In extreame necessitie for often the case suffereth not to expect his consent 6. In the vnfitnesse of the husband to gouerne as suppose he be striken with frensie and madnes for then the disposing of things is deuolued vpon her 7. In his longer absence as suppose he be a souldier marchant or seafaring man 8. Of that she can well
when we see Satan so busie and stirring in the plotting contriuing and executing mischeefe against the Church may we not conclude that surely his time is verie short when we see particular iudgements vpon our countrie lingring and durable plagues threatnings of whole kingdomes and countries with visible iudgements vpon particular persons why doe we not conclude that surely these are forerunners of the general and that it is not farre off If we see the sunne and moone great lights in the Church fall from heauen and be darkned if the starres the professors of the Gospel loose their shine and fall from their first loue why doe we not thinke that shortly the heauens themselues shall shriule away like a scroule and be no more seeing the Scriptures affirme that immediatly after such things this appearing shall be In a word when we see such generall securitie that all men cry peace peace vnto themselues if we shall perceiue Noah daies returned againe in which men eate and drinke build and plant marrie and giue in marriage and thinke nothing either nothing else or nothing more how is it that we cannot conceiue of this appearing which shall be as a flood and destruction to all that thinke not of it for as a snare shall it come vpon all the vngodly of the earth Vse 3. Seeing the doctrine of the Gospel not onely bringeth the euidence of saluation but lifteth vp the heart to waite for it it appeareth that it is the doctrine of God brought by the Sonne of God from the bosome of his Father the doctrine that raiseth the minde to heauen must needs be heauenly and this is the doctrine which we preach because it is fruitfull herein Some busie themselues in prying more into the men and their callings that bring it then into the doctrine it selfe and refuse this most blessed treasure because they see not the holy Ghost so visibly calling our ministers as if he should sit on our heads with fiery tongues These I would wish 1. to looke well to their owne callings for sure he that is pragmaticall in other mens callings is carelesse and negligent in his owne and let themselues weigh the matter and giue sentence whether to contemne and neglect so great saluation will stand with an effectuall calling vnto the grace of God 2. To enquire not so much whether our callings as whether our doctrine be as good as Peters or Pauls 3. To obserue the worke and fruite of our Ministerie in regenerating many thousands and begetting them to heauenly life and conuersation whereas false teachers and false doctrine regenerate none Doctr. 2. An excellent meanes to prouoke men vnto the duties of Christianitie is the consideration of Christs comming vnto iudgement For some might haue asked the Apostle but how shall we be able to goe through the duties you haue described and hold out against the manifold discouragements which in the entertainment of this doctrine we are sure to meete withall the answer is Wayting for the appearance of the mightie God our Sauiour For first it is a notable meanes to set and enter men into this course of godlinesse and this is cleare in the Scriptures where we may obserue the spirit of God vsing this consideration as a speciall motiue both to draw men out of their sinnes together with the loue of this world as also to plant in them the feare and reverence of the Lord all which must be done before men can come to breathe in the common ayre of Christians For the first how doth the Scripture reuoke the young man from his vnbridled vanitie and from walking in the sight of his owne eyes and lust of his owne heart but by the remembrance that for all this hee must come to iudgement This was the argument vsed by Peter to the people of Ierusalem who flocked to see the lame man who laie at the bewtifull gate of the Temple healed Amend your liues and turne that your sinnes may be put away when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord and he shall send Iesus Christ. By the same argument would the Apostle Paul haue wonne the Athenians from their idolatries Act. 17.30 But now he would haue all men to repent because he hath appointed a day in which he will iudge the world and haue reclaimed vnhappie Felix from his wicked and voluptuous life when he made him tremble in hearing the iudgement to come 2. To the forsaking of the world in the profits and pleasures of it how effectuall this perswasion is the Apostle in his owne example declareth Philip. 3.7 who accounted all aduantages losse yea dung to attaine the resurrection of the dead while his minde was vpon the resurrection and Christs appearing he was mortified vnto the world and the world vnto him 3. For the working of awe and reuerence of God in the heart Eccl. 12.13 Feare God and keep his commandements for God will bring euery worke vnto iudgement And when the Angel would prouoke the inhabitants of the earth to feare and reuerence before God and stand in awe of him he vseth no other argument then that the houre of his iudgement is come And surely were we not harder of heart then the anuill it could not be but the consideration of this iudgement should hammer and work vs to the vndertaking of a godly and Christian course Secondly as this consideration may be of efficacie to beget vs vnto God so is it a most notable nurse of all good duties and a sweete prouocation to cheerefulnesse and diligence in the duties of pietie righteousnesse and sobrietie The Apostle Paul himselfe was hereby vnderpropped in keeping good conscience before God and all men because he looked for the resurrection of the iust and vniust and hence did the Apostles spurre and prouoke themselves and others to the diligent practise of the duties of their callings both generall and particular 1. Corinth 5.9 considering the terrors of the Lord we perswade men Thus Paul chargeth Timothie not only to keepe those his commandements without spot vntill the appearing of the Lord Iesus Christ but also as he would answer at the appearing of Christ to preach instantly in season and out of season and Peter warneth the Elders to feede the flocke and be ensamples vnto them that when the chiefe sheepeheard shall appeare they might receiue an incorruptible crowne By which motiues they much more prouoked themselues to their owne speciall duties as appeareth 1. Thes. 2.19 And for the generall duties of Christianitie euerie Christian is by this reason spurred forward thereunto 2. Pet. 3.11 considering these things shall be dissolued what manner of men ought we to be in all godly conuersation And that this expectation of Christ is a notable preseruatiue of all Christian vertues who can denie that readeth those manifold places where watching and keeping the garments watching and sobrietie be sober and watch watching and stedfastnesse
blood of Christ by often meditating and applying vnto himselfe his death and merits which are the onely purging â—ire and fullers sope without which although he take much sope and nitre yet can he not be purged this is the onely fountaine opened to the house of Dauid for sinne and vncleannesse this is the onely lauer of the Church 2. He laboureth in the encrease and strengthning of his faith which as an hand apprehending the former purifieth the heart 3. He diligently and reuerently frequenteth the word and Sacraments as the outward meanes appointed by God for the effecting and encreasing of sanctification 4. When he heareth Christ say If I wash thee not thou hast no part in mee he reuerently falleth downe at his feete in feruent prayer Lord not my feete only but my hands and my head wash mee throughly euen from toppe to toe Thus he knowes he can onely become cleane and by these same meanes he seeth he can only be kept cleane he dare not neglect these meanes as the foule monsters of the world that had rather be wallowing in the dung of the earth and bathing themselues in their dirtie and sinnefull sports and delights then frequent the places where these pure waters streame in most pleasant abundance but their cards dice bowles boules vnprofitable companie idle solitarines which as so many draynes carie with them all vncleannes the which they powre on the heads of wicked men with full buckets chaine them with chaines of darknes that they cannot so much as desire these cleane waters which the spirit powreth on those which thirst after them The second point is the motiues to become purged and to labour in sanctification 1. Because hereby wee resemble the Lord himselfe by which reason we are often in the Scripture mooued to the study of holines Leu. 19.2 and hence we become deare vnto God when he spieth his owne image vpon vs for euen naturall fathers loue their children best who are likest vnto them 2. Hereby we are not only conformable to his image but to his will for this is the will of God that euery man know to possesse his vessell in holinesse and in honour 1. Thess. 4.3 3. Hereby we distinguish our selues from the profane Esaus of the world whereas by nature we are as foule as they 4. We attaine to the end of our redemption and haue an argument that Christs death is effectuall to vs because we see the power of the deuil and sinne destroied in vs. 5. All legall purifications are resolued into nothing but euangelicall sanctimonie which may not be neglected vnlesse we will come behind those who were directed by shadows types whereas we haue the truth substance 6. Without puritie of heart and life no man shall see God Blessed and holy are they that haue part in the first resurrection the second death shall not hurt such for only those that are slaine by the first death are hurt by the second and the second resurrection only profiteth those that haue part in the first Without shall be dogges and whatsoeuer is filthy and vncleane and know we not that the vnrighteous shall not inherit the kingdome of God 1. Cor. 6.9 What meane men then to feare least they should be too pure and too holy and to reproach others as beeing so What a fearefull delusion is it for men to flatter themselues as most doe that there need no such strictnes or precisenes but to come to Church and receiue Sacraments according to law and do as other men do and sometimes as their leysure suffers to read or pray alone and heare a sermon extraordinarie But alas what will it profit a man to be a sundaies Saint and a work-daies Deuil Or what great good can good moods do are we not exhorted to the following of holines to cleanse our selues from all filthines of soule and bodie to an heauenly conuersation to haue no fellowship nor touch any vncleane thing On the other side are we not vrged to continuall prayer In all things to be thankfull to meditate day and night in the law of the Lord to make the word our marke to aime at and in all things with full purpose of heart to cleaue fast vnto the Lord And now dare any flesh except and say but if I shall doe thus it is more then need and I should become too precise and too pure and so are they that do so we serue a God of pure eyes that will not be thus dallied withall To be a peculiar people vnto himselfe In these words is set down one end why Christ vnderwent such paines not only to iustifie but also to sanctifie his Church namely that it might become impropriate vnto himselfe and applied vnto his owne best purposes For as vncleane vessels can neuer be vsed vnto any good purpose vntill they be washed and sweetned no more can sinnefull men euer become vessells of honour reserued vnto the Lords owne vse before they be washed by the blood of Christ and those pure waters of the spirit before mentioned The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifieth something on which a man for some excellencie in it setteth his affection more then other and therefore layeth it vp and reserueth for some speciall vse and purpose and will not at any hand part with it as if a man should laie vp some bright and bewtifull peeces of gold which he will not suffer to see the sunne as we say or be brought out scarce in extreame necessitie Thus although all the earth be the Lords who beeing the God of nature and grace hath all power and libertie to conferre where he pleaseth grace aboue nature yet his good pleasure was to choose Israel to be his cheefe treasure aboue all people and an holy nation that vnto them he might shew his wisedome and glorie and his loue and mercie vpon them But that was but a type the thing it selfe is specially apparant in the Church of the new Testament euen the true Church of God in all ages since vnto which all those titles iustly belong which Peter giueth to the beleeuing dispersed Iewes A royall prâ—â—sthood a chosen generation an holy nation and a peculiar people Now the Church may be said to be a peculiar people by the Church vnderstanding the true and essentiall members of the Church 1. Because beleeuers are the most precious of men euen the most noble persons of the earth descended of the blood of Christ in which regard they are the dearest of men and nearer vnto God because more noble then the rest Thus Salomon describeth the Church as though it were a stately court where are none but of the blood royall Kings Queenes Lords and Ladies and hence are beleeuers called sonnes of God brethren of Christ and heyers vnto the crowne of heauen Secondly In regard of God they are a peculiar people distinct from others by his grace of election by which they are chosen
hand of God or with the Pharisie to be seene of men or in which our owne respects prouoke our zeale whether glorie fauour credit wealth or any other by-end verily we haue already our reward Now what a necessarie attendant this right ordered zeale is to our good workes and what great reason the Lord hath to require it will appeare by the fruits and effects of it which are such as make the workes we doe not good only but glorious And because zeale is a mixt affection of loue and anger therefore at one time it hath respect both vnto the good worke it selfe as also that which is contrarie and produceth effects of loue to the former and properties of hatred against the latter The effects of zeale against euill are 1. a great hatred of it with a care and diligence to preuent it or if that cannot be it causeth an inward greefe and vexation of heart for the euills it cannot reforme thus was the righteous soule of Lot vexed for that he could not redresse and this greefe giueth often testimonie outwardly of it selfe in sighs and teares as Dauids eyes gushed out with riuers of teares because men kept not the word and Ieremie wished his head a fountaine of teares to weepe for the sinnes of the people yea it is a marke of such as are marked for the Lords that their zeale prouoketh them to mourne for the abhominations of the rest 2. As anger pursueth the obiect of it so doth zeale hunt out and reforme euill where it hath calling and power and that most earnestly Examples we haue in Nehemiah who reprooued smote and pulled off the haire from the beards of the Sabboath-breakers In Phineas who beeing stirred vp extraordinarily slew Zimri and Cosbi in their filthy fact In our Sauiour himselfe who in great zeale whipped out of the Temple the buyers and sellers giuing this reason because the zeale of his Fathers house consumed him And although it properly feedeth vpon the sinne Reu. 2.6 Thou hatest the doctrine of the Nicolaitans Psal. 15. I hate the workes of them that fall away yet it disliketh euen the persons so farre as they are agents in sinne for thus farre this grace carried both the Prophet and the Angel of the Church in both those places Reu. 2.2 Thou canst not forbeare them which are euill and Psal. 15. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned so Salomon Prov. 28.4 those that keepe the law set themselues against the wicked but yet so as it carrieth with it such sympathie and compassion that it can quickly turne it selfe into praiers for the offender The effects of zeale for good are 1. It preserueth in the heart a fitnesse and preparednes to euery good worke required of euery beleeuer 2. Tim. 3.17 Secondly it exciteth diligence and hast in the things we doe it abandoneth idlenesse slothfulnes and delaies by which occasions of well doing are often cut off the zeale of Dauid made him prepare diligently for the Temple zeale in the Magistrate causeth in him diligence throughout his gouernment zeale in the Minister maketh him like Apollos of whom we read that being feruent in spirit he taught diligently the way of God zeale and feruencie in priuate men causeth them to shake off slothfulnes in their duties and remooueth in all conditions the curse which is denounced against the man that doth the worke of the Lord negligently most fitly therefore doth the Apostle combine those precepts Rom. 12.11 Not slothfull to doe seruice feruent in the spirit seruing the Lord. Thirdly zeale causeth continuance in well doing which is also required in euerie good action as well as in prayer it contenteth not it selfe with one or two good actions but is plentiful in them and bringeth the partie possessing it to be rich in good workes and to shine light somely therein yea it maketh a man hold out and keepe a constant tenor in good courses and that as well in aduersitie as prosperitie so as he is neither choaked by preferments as verie many nor discouraged by distresses as not a fewe Fourthly zeale setteth such an high price vpon the glorie of God and performance of conscionable duties that it causeth the partie to attempt and goe through though with neuer so much difficultie whatsoeuer he seeth himselfe bound vnto it hardneth the face like brasse against dangers and losses the losse of the world is in his iudgement gaine yea all things are losse and dung so as he may winne Christ this alone yeeldeth ioy in the spoyling of goods by this can a man hate father and mother in comparison of his obedience be contented to be hated of all men for well doing in which case the losse of freinds is but light This zeale for God maketh a mans libertie small in his eye nay in standing out in a good cause his life will not be so deare vnto him as the finishing of his course with ioy yea he can reioyse to be offered vp vpon the sacrifice and seruice of the Churches faith as Paul And which is yet much more the zeale of Gods glorie will so burne in the heart as it can carrie a man so farre beyond himselfe as that he shall neglect his owne saluation and wish to be accursed yea and blotted out of the booke of life if God may be more honoured by the one then by the other What be the things then which zeale will not forgoe for Gods honour and mens saluation when as things most precious are parted with yea and cast away in comparison as vile will it sticke to be at a little labour or charge for the saluation of men when it willingly will part with possessions freinds preferments fauour libertie and life yea bodie and soule for God and his Churches causes By all that hath bin said may be concluded how aptly the spirit of God requireth zeale to good works which not onely as we haue seene hateth watcheth against pursueth and reformeth euill but prepareth inciteth continueth in good and will not be driuen from it by any meanes Vse By this doctrine many may see and challenge themselues of want of zeale in religion yea of religion it selfe For 1. a number there are who thinke it well and enough to giue a countenance or some shewe to religion and sometimes they can speak to a good cause but so coldly and so warily as if they would not heare that voice of the damsell which would as much terrifie them as once it did Peter surely thou art one of them which imputation they would take as hainously as the Iewes did the speach of the blind man will ye be also his disciples here may be wisdome of the flesh but little zeale or feruencie of the spirit here is policie but pietie scarse euer a whit 2. Others walke so indifferently betweene the Protestants and Papists that a man cannot tell what to make of them other then such as neither worship
conscience are not all the people my Lords seruants wherefore doth my Lord require this thing why should he be a cause of trespasse to Israel as if he had said there is no warre in had no rebellion in the land no commandement from God and therefore this wil be turned into trespasse against Israel yet he did it Thus by these instances we haue cleared the second point considered in this doctrine and haue seene wherein and how farre we are bound to obey now we come to the third The third point in this second doctrine is wherefore we must be subiect Answ. The reasons are sundrie First that we may herein acknowledge the ordinance of God which we must looke vnto whatsoeuer the persons be for to this the forme of speach in the text calleth vs as I haue alreadie noted The which that we may take better notice of 1. the Lord challengeth it to belong to himselfe to raise vp and giue Kings to rule ouer people By mee Kings raigne and Daniel 4.14 The most high hath power ouer the kingdome of men and giueth it to whomsoeuer he will Moses praying for a successor saith Let the God of the spirits of all flesh appoint a man Secondly the Lord hath put his owne name vpon such whom he thus raiseth I said yee are Gods Thirdly he setteth a stampe of his owne maiestie mercie iustice and wisedome vpon these little gods yea a great part of his image shineth vpon euery one of thē both in that so many hundred thousands are subdued vnder the power of one in that the whole administration of a people is in one hand and that the good estate of all dependeth vpon him vnder God alone Fourthly he putteth his own spirit vpon them as he did vpon the seauentie Elders to assist Moses yea he giueth them extraordinarie spirits and as we read of Saul changeth them into other men not alwaies the spirit of sanctification but of regiment and authoritie Fifthly he maintaineth this their authoritie and this sundrie waies 1. by putting on them a maiestie and presence euen a sparkle of his own to draw an awfull reuerence of themselues and daunt offenders 2. he permitteth them an answerable estate whereby they may lawfully beare themselues with state pompe and magnificence aboue all other and by their costly apparrell stately pallaces and sutable seruice and attendance they may not be only distinguished from their subiects but expresse also the maiestie and greatnes of there estate 3. by diuerse laws and iniunctions he preuenteth such things as any way might bring the calling into contempt As 1. concerning their persons if any be to be chosen they must be men of courage fearing God and hating couetousnesse to this purpose he gaue a lawe to the Iewes that no bastard should be raised vnto office among them to the tenth generation and this was least the place should bee embased by such persons 2. Concerning their behauiour in the place it must carrie with it a stately grauitie beseeming the place and scorning to attempt any meane or base actions such as Dauid intimated Saul did in persecuting and hunting him Is the King of Israel come out to seeke a flea To this serue such precepts as that It is not for Kings to drinke wine nor for Princes strong drinke this were an indigne thing and a great blot in his high place 3. Concerning our behauiour towards them it must be euery way humble and dutifull hence are such precepts thou shalt not raile or reuile the Prince of thy people no nor curse the King in thy heart nor the rich in thy bed chamber Thus is the Lord euerie way carefull by his lawe to preuent whatsoeuer might lighten this authoritie in the hearts of men 4. The Lord maintaineth this authoritie by directing their counsells God sitteth in the midst of the gods by protecting their persons for he giueth saluation vnto Kings and strangely to this purpose by reuealing the priuie thoughts onely imagined against them By all which the Lord will haue vs to honour them whom himselfe thus honoureth and espie his own stampe and image vpon them so as in our subiection and obedience vnto them we may knowe that we haue to deale with God and in our despising of them make account to heare that in 1. Sam. 8.7 They haue not cast thee away but me from ruling ouer them The second reason is drawne from the profit we receiue by this ordinance which is also the Apostles reason he is the minister of God for thy wealth namely both to defend from a thousand euills from the robber and spoyler from him that would defile wife and daughter as also settle euerie man vnder his vine and figtree that with good hearts and cheerefulnesse they may serue God A King neuer so bad is a great good and better a tyrant then no king when there was no king in Israel euerie man did whatsoeuer seemed good in his owne eyes anarchie openeth the windowe to all licentiousnesse and farre better is it to beare one tyrant then many to suffer wrong of one rather then of all and to part with a tenth then be stript of the whole for where any gouernment is although sometimes the good be punished so are the bad too that they cannot doe what villanie they gladly would What a rich blessing then is a religious and vertuous Kings from whom his people vnder God receiue the whole benefit of religion and iustice here is the nurse of the Church the father of the commonwealth an husband to the widow a mouth for the dumb here is Nebuchadnezzars tree flourishing againe the height of which reacheth to heauen from whence it came the sight of it to the ends of the world while it selfe standeth in the midst of the earth that there might be equall accesse of all vnto it in it is meate for all it maketh a shadow vnder it for all the beasts of the feild and all the birds make nests in the boughes of it Let vs here cast our eyes vpon our own happines in our noble King Iames whom we haue great cause to account as the Israelites Dauid the light of our Israel yea and as they of Iosiah the breath of our nostrils the serious acknowledgment whereof wil not suffer vs to be wanting in the cheerefull performance of all submisse and loyall dutie vnto him The third reason is drawne from the danger of resisting and rebelling against this ordinance which the Lord hath taken vpon himselfe to maintaine as he did Moses against Corah Miriam and the murmuring Iewes Who hath euer taken the sword God not putting it into his hand but he perished by it What Shebah or Adoniah euer blew a trumpet of sedition but they did this thing against their owne liues When Dauid would haue spared rebellious Absolon did not the Lord hang him by the haire betweene heauen and earth vnder an oke Had Zimri peace which
publike proceedings of religion or iustice so Dauid put on zeale to weed the wicked out of the land and the Minister hath bin taught if he see beasts or slow bellies to reprooue them sharply The priuate person must priuately also but yet plainely reprooue his brother and not suffer his sinne vpon him or at the least by shewing his indignation against sinne he freeth his owne soule from the guilt of it as also the punishment yea from the suspition of it in such as may be present who else may think him that holdeth his tongue a partner or of consent with the sinner Quest. What is then the vse of this meeknesse Answ. To purifie our zeale for so the Apostle Iames would haue a wise man to shew forth his good conuersation in meeknes of wisedome Which meeknes of wisdome or wise mildnesse 1. causeth a man to put a difference betweene the person and the sinne and affecteth him with pittie to the person euen in reuenge of the sinne so Ioshua called Achan my sonne when yet presently he executed the iudgement of death vpon him 2. Between sinne and sinne for Christians are no Stoiks to account all sinnes alike some are motes troubling the eye some are beames putting out the eye a mote may soone be blowne away and remooued a beame requireth more strength wise meeknesse will more shew it selfe in the one but more retyre it selfe in the other Againe some sinnes are more directly iniurious to men and perhappes the partie himselfe others more iniurious to God Now this meeknesse of wisedome will be Queene in the former but giueth place to zeale in the latter 3. It discerneth between sinner and sinner for all sinners are not of a suite some sinne of ignorance some against their light and knowledge some of weaknes some of set purpose and obstinate wickednes some are leaders and setters of sinne some are led and seduced some seeke excuses as ashamed of that they haue done others defences as glorying in their iniquitie Now commeth this meeknes of wisedome and putteth difference shewing compassion on some and others sauing with feare Thus meeknes and zeale destroie not but strengthen one another and thus all meekenes of wisedome must be shewed to all men but this is such as neither impayreth the glorie of God nor the proceedings of the Gospel nor the edification of men Vse Beware of that vice which Paul would here note in the Christians of those dayes which we may well wish they had not traduced to sundrie professors of our times for they beeing conuerted they scorned vnbeleeuers and cared not how carelesly they carried themselues towards them Which spice of pride I would it brake not out only not against the godles persons but against poore beleeuing brethren as deare to God inwardly as rich and sometimes as farre stripping them in store of grace as they come behind them in store of outward things but let this text teach vs how vnbeseeming it is for a Christian to be churlish to the worst weakest and most abiect And let the motiues be effectuall to perswade to the generall practise of this dutie 1. It is a grace verie acceptable to God The Apostle Peter wisheth women to deck themselues herewith which as a precious garment will bring them into reputation with God as their ordinarie most costly attyre maketh them bewtifull and setteth them out before men neither is it so peculiar a garment to the woman as the man also may not put it on for it serueth not to distinguish the sex as bodily clothing but commendeth euery soule possessing it vnto God of whom not male nor female but a new creature is respected 2. It is an essentiall marke of a Christian who ought herein to imitate his Lord Iesus who for the same purpose became a speciall schoolemaster of it Learne of mee for I am lowly and meeke 1. of heart 2. of speach when he was reuiled he reuiled not againe but sometime said nothing at all and when he spake how meekly receiued he the greatest wrongs appeares Ioh. 18.23 If I haue euill spoken beare witnes of the euill but if not why smitest thou mee 3. of action he was as a sheepe dumb before the sheareâ— This was the Sonne of God on whom the spirit lighted in the similitude of an innocent doue and euen we to testifie our selues the sonnes of God must in the practise of this grace after a sort manifest the lightning of Gods spirit vpon vs. To this purpose the Scriptures hence denominate the righteous and make it a title of the iust Zeph. 2.3 Seeke the Lord all the meeke of the earth 3. The blessings intayled vnto it should mooue vs to the prastise of it 1. spirituall God will teach none but the meeke Psal. 25. neither can any learne of God but the meeke and therefore Iames willeâ—h vs to heare with meeknes the ingrafted word without it prayers will be interrupted or not accepted and therefore the meeke are commanded to seeke the Lord. 2. Temporall blessings euen all outward prosperitie so farre as God seeth good for this is the blessednesse of the meeke that they shall inherit the earth And in daies of distresse and times of straitnesse and affliction they shall be safe for the Lord hath promised to hide them in the day of his wrath Zepâ— 2.3 Vers. 3. For we our selues also were in times past vnwise disobedient deceiued seruing the lusts and diuerse pleasures liuing in malitiousnesse and envie hatefull and bating one an other This verse layeth down a weightie reason whereby our Apostle would bow and bend the minds of Christian men to the practise of the former â—ertues namely of equiâ—ie lenitie long suffering and meekenes towards all men foes as well as friends yea the worst as well as the best The reason is drawne from the consideration of the present condition of conuerted Christians compared with that estate they were in before their conuersion and calling to the faith to which purpose he is verie large in describing 1. our estate of corruption in this 3. vers 2. our estate after conuersion in 4 5 6 and 7. verses from both which the Apostle thus concludeth the same thing thus First from the former If we our selues were in times past in the selfe same condition which other men are not yet called out of then ought we to be meeke and mercifull euen to those who are not yet conuerted But we our selues were in times past as they are we lay in the same puddle of corruption were hewne out of the same pit and though we may thinke we were neuer so gracelesse as we see some others yet we cannot charge them so deepely for time present but they may come ouer vs with the same in times past as this third verse will teach vs and therefore we ought to shewe all lenitie and meekenes to all men Secondly from our latter condition of conuersion thus our Apostle frameth his
can with new delight thinke and speake of old sinnes for there the selfe same affection and vile lust which brought on that sinne is yet aliue and vnmortified For the latter euery such remembrance should mooue vs to commiseration to our brethren offending Alas why should not I be meeke to others if I had no reason else my owne estate ministreth a multitude I was in times past as bad as any the child of wrath aswell as any other If for the present there be a change by grace I am all that I am and for the time future my selfe may be tempted and am as subiect to fall as any other thus I was and then I would haue bin borne withall that thus I am not it is the Lord that hath seperated me and now I see what hand it is that keepeth me from beeing led and left in tempation Thus if we behold our sinne we may sucke some sweet out of poyson and out of our euill take occasion to grow better all our daies furthering our selues thereby to walke humbly before God and meekly towards our brethren otherwise to behold sin past neither of these prouoked prooueth but an idle beholding of it and becommeth an hurtfull â—earer of the conscience in the end Doct. 2. Whosoeuer are called vnto the faith haue experience of a double estate in themselues one in time past and another for the present the one of nature the other of grace our Apostle affirmeth it of all beleeuers of which there are none but he had his once his time past in regard of which he may now be said to be changed into another man Rom. 7.5 6. The time was when the Romans were in the flesh when sinnefull motions had force in them vnto death and there was an aftertime when they were deliuered from the law and serued God not in the oldnesse of the letter but in the newnesse of spirit Ephes. 2.3 Among whome the Gentiles we beleeuers had our conuersation in time past Colos. 3.7 Wherein ye walked also once but now c. 1. Cor. 6.11 And such were some of you but yee are washed And good reason there is that he that is now beloued should see that once he was not beloued and that he who now is in the state of grace should see that he was once in the state of wrath aswell as others which will cause him to loue much and indeed the elect could not be elect nor iustified nor washed if they were alwaies the children of God and were it not for this once and time past wherein there was no difference betweene them and the reprobate but only in Gods counsell and possibilitie of calling I adde further that the conuerted may and must haue experience of this change for the conuersion of a sinner is a miracle aboue all naturall wonders and therefore except in some Ieremie Iohn Baptist and some few sanctified from the wombe is no such insensible thing as cannot be perceiued It is no such naturall change as is effected by insensible degrees as when he that was a child is now become a man but a supernaturall change by the spirit of grace such as when a man is borne into the world or when a blind man is restored to his sight or rather a dead man vnto life which are things of much note and manifest alteration and that of the whole man Againe faith it is which as an internall instrument purgeth the Augian stable and purifieth the â—oule cage of the heart now this we may know and must examine whether we be in the faith or no know yee not that Christ is in you vnlesse ye be reprobates and 1. Cor. 3.16 Know yee not that yee are the Temple of God and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you and Rom. 6.11 Know yee that yee are dead to sinne but are aliue to God in Iesus Christ our Lord. Vse 1. Labour to find this change in thy selfe and examine whether thou canst put difference betweene time past and time present for otherwise I see not but thou must set thy selfe downe without comfort aâ— one that hath no sound proofe of thy conuersion Quest. But how shall I come to any distinct knowledge of this change in my selfe Ans. Enquire and make search whether thou canst find the life of grace in thy soule for before this change thou wast dead in trespasses and sinnes Hath then the powerfull voice of Christ called thee out of thy graue hath he breathed the breath of life into the face of thy soule hast thou thy spirituall sences restored thee are thine eyes opened that thou canst say with the blind man One thing I know that whereas I was blind now I am sure I see hath he said Ephata to thine eares that now they are become the other sence of spirituall illumination and vnderstanding dost thou sauour the things of God Is the word sweet to thy tast dost thou feele the prickings of the Law and the lenitives of the Gospel surely if thou hast any true sence of God thou art not altogether destitute of the life of God Againe examine thy motion which is another inseperable companion of life euen in things that want sence namely whether thy cogitations motions speaches actions publike and priuate be changed and haue a new qualitie vpon them whether they are now holy spirituall heauenly fruitfull whereas before thy change thou wast in all these led by the command and instinct of the flesh Canst thou pray in faith and crie in assurance Abba Father this is also a signe of the presence of the spirit which is the earnest pennie of thy adoption whereas before this change thou fledst from the presence of God and tooke him for thine enemie Dost thou loue God for himselfe and thy neighbour for Gods sake this will be as the heate of a stone in summer which argueth the shining of the sunne whereas before this change thou hatedst God and loued thy neighbour either not at all or but in carnall respects Is thy heart estranged from the world the honours profits and pleasures of it this change maketh the woman at the well forget her waterpot whereas before thy heauen was here vpon earth thy treasure here and so thy heart also Doth the Church of God and the number of Gods people acknowledge this chang in thee for this is not to be contemned seeing that hardly can the child liue in the womb and not stirre or stirre but the mother shall perciue it take knowledge therefore what good men conceiue of thee and by these notes examine thy selfe vnpartially thou shalt come to know whether thou art begotten of immortall seed borne into the Church of God and called to the estate both of grace and glorie Obiect Some will here say alas I now feare that I know not what this change meaneth I haue good desires to doe well to loue God to auoid sinne to do good to good men and yet I find
vrge the multitude of reasons which to this purpose offer theÌ„selues I will onely name those two which are couched in the verse 1. Because that we professe that we were such in times past but now are begotten vnto God which were it not a forceable reason the Apostle would not so often beat vpon it as Col. 3.8 But now put away all these things wrath anger maliciousnes cursed speaking wherein yee walked once when ye liued in them and if we would prooue our selues a newe lumpe we must purge out the old sowering and swelling leauen of malitiousnesse 1. Cor. 5.8 So the Apostle Iames 1.18 of his owne good will he begate vs wherefore lay away all filthinesse and superfluitie of maliciousnesse and Pet. 1.2.2 laying aside all guile envie malitiousnesse as newe borne babes desire c. If euer thou wouldst haue euidence of thy conuersion thou must put on as the elect of God these bowels of mercie to Gods people and loue to Gods image in whomsoeuer for how else wouldst thou be knowne to be a disciple 2. These hatefull sinnes make vs iustly odious 1. to God Prou. 14.32 The wicked is cast away for his malice both roote and fruit 2. to man in that they wage battell against Christian loue which is the preseruatiue of all societie Thus haue we been somewhat large in discouering the nakednesse of our corrupt nature by which not onely our cheife but all our holds are taken and we turned naked into the curse of God Now how fewe returne backe to the pit whence they are digged how fewe acknowledge and bewaile this mother sinne which is the roote of all sinnes and layeth vs open to all inundations both of sinne and the curses due thereunto for so the Lord mentioneth it as the cause of the fâ—ood because hence sprung all those actuall sinnes which were the next causes of it I knowe not how those Popish positions haue preuailed in the practise of most men who are yet of an other iudgement who call this naturall corruption lesse then all sinnes yea then any veniall sinne yea indeed not properly sinne but a propensitie to it as tinder not as fire not deseruing death of it selfe yea too many Christians liue as though it were not in them at all as though they had drunke that Popish dregge that originall sinne is not in the regenerate any sinne at all But mistake not our Apostle he saith not we were thus or thus as though any were quite escaped from this corrupt condition but it is a most fearefull sinne pressing down and hanging fast on the best subiecting them in it selfe to the wrath of God still vrging them to bring them backe if it were possible into deepe condemnation such a corruption as is contrarie to all the commandements bred in the bone lurking close in the soule hardly seene hardly resisted neuer abolished in the best while they carrie this house of clay This is the cause why so few perceiue this estate of theirs that so few see the necessitie of beeing renewed in the spirit of their minds and that so few seeke in true humilitie to be shrowded vnder the righteousnesse of the Lord Iesus But if euer thou wouldst be raised labour to see and bewayle the poyson of thy nature the more thou seest it the lesse it is and the more thou art sanctified the more weakenes thou findest yea little else but death and darkenes in thy soule There is as great difference betweene two sorts of men as betweene fire and water The former haue alwaies found a good disposition in themselues they haue grace at will they neuer doubted of Gods loue they haue euer loued and serued God without let yet these pitifull deluded creatures liue no otherwise then the very Stoiks who followed nature for their guid and neuer find fault with their estate Another sort of men such as Saint Paul can cry out of themselues as miserable men ouermatched with a bodie of sinne and death they pray for a free spirit and then when first the Lord hath enlarged them and loosed their bolts they can promise to runne the way of his commandements These would doe good but they cannot they would not doe euill but they do it which of these two now are more Puritanes Againe in their falls and slippes they differ no lesse The former if he sinne he layeth it vpon something without himselfe as the sight of some obiect and beholding of some Bathsebah some Achans wedge or his inward sences call to his minde some iniurie vanitie or some such occasion or other which had he escaped all had bin well thus he will lay his sinne any where but on himselfe The other know and acknowledge that they are led away by their owne concupiscence and that their sences obiects and occasions are but seruants to their corruption Dauid beeing checked for one sinne goeth to this roote Psal. 51.5 and such as he vpon euery occasion can set vpon this sinne as the most dangerous enemie of their saluation If they find ignorance in themselues they presently haue recourse to this darknesse of mind which naturally hath depriued it selfe of the knowledge of God If they come short of doing any good as they would or doe it not so well they can blame this inbred euill which is present with them when they finde themselues heauie to that which the vnderstanding rightly conceiueth they can grone vnder the rebellion of their will which is renewed but in part only when they goe halting and fall downe sometimes in their course here they can espie their owne counsells casting them downe when they see a conquest to will and effect that which is good they can returne the honour to the author and glorie in him who hath wrought both the will and the deed yet so as they forget not the combate and molestation of this their familiar foe who continually eateth drinketh and sleepeth in his bosome watching Dalilah-like to deliuer him to his destruction Lastly let euery one learne timely to take in hand this crooked nature before he be accustomed to euill for else as hardly as a blackmoore changeth his skin shalt thou become changed when wicked nature and worse custome haue both barred thy repentance and bound thy sinnes faster vpon thee And because much of this folly is bound vp in the hearts of children and seruants let masters and fathers seeke seasonably to driue it out fathers especially because they helped their children into it must by Christian instruction godly example and the rodde of correction labour to helpe them out and thus do their best to make their children a part of a mends Zuinglius calleth this corruption the disease of nature And herein it fitly resembleth the diseases of the bodie the which the longer they continue the more incurable they are and if they be let go too long they bring certaine death and therefore let parents and masters many of whom are
appeareth in that some are iustified before baptisme as Abraham was before he receiued the seale of circumcision Cornelius Act. 10.47 the Eunuch Act. 8.37 38. some after baptisme as numbers who are daily conuerted some out of Poperie some out of profanenes Yea whereas onely two sorts of persons were baptized either infants or men of yeares in the latter was faith euer required before their baptisme so Phillip to the Eunuch If thou beleeuest with all thy heart thou maist And for infants if they be of beleeâ—ing parents they are holy in the roote and to them belong the kingdome of heauen euen before they are presented to this water 5. This opinion of tying grace to the Sacrament ouerthroweth 1. the highest and most proper cause of our saluation which is Gods free election to which onely grace is tyed 2. the only meritorious cause of our regeneration which is the blood of Christ properly purging vs from all sinne 3. the most powerfull next and applying efficient which is the holy Ghost to whome our renewing is here ascribed and not to the Sacrament of Baptisme in this our first sense Secondly how is baptisme then the lauer of regeneration Answ. In diuerse regards 1. As it is an institution of God signifying the good pleasure of God for the pardoning of sinne and accepting to grace in Christ for as the word signifieth this so doth also the Sacrament which is a visible word And thus is it truely said of the word and Sacraments too that they saue and sanctifie because they signifie the good pleasure of God in sauing and sanctifying vs euen as we say a man is saued by the kings pardon not that the pardon properly doth it for that is the meere mercifull disposition of the King but because the pardon written and sealed perhaps by an other signed by the king is the ordinarie instrument to manifest the mercifull minde of the king in pardoning such a malefactor 2. As it is a seale or pledge of our sanctification and saluation as certenly assuring these to the soule of the beleeuer as he is or can be assured of the other that as a man hauing a bond of a thousand pound sealed him may truely say of it here is my thousand pound that is a securitie as surely confirming it vnto me as if I had it in my hands or as I haue this euen so may the beleeuing partie baptized say of his baptisme here is my regeneration here is my saluation 3. As it is a meanes to excite and prouoke the faith of the receiuer to lay hold vpon the grace of the Sacrament and apply it to these purposes in which regard it may be as truely said to renewe as faith is said to iustifie and that is onely as it is a meanes or hand to lay hold on Christ our righteousnesse so Baptisme is a meanes helping forward our renewing by the true vnderstanding and conscionable and serious meditation of it 4. In that in the right vse of it it giueth and exhibiteth Christ and all his merits to the fit receiuer for then Gods grace putteth forth it selfe and after a sort convaieth it selfe in and by this instrument into the heart of the worthie receiuer And thus principally it is the lauer of regeneration because in it and by it as a meane and organe the holy Ghost freely worketh his grace in such as in whome he delighteth and thus are we fitly lead to the second point propounded concerning these persons The second point namely the consideration of the persons to whome baptisme is the washing of the newe birth will more cleare this difficult point for we must not conceiue it thus in euery partie baptized but in such as haue the gift of faith to receiue the grace offred Ioh. 1.12 so many as receiued him he gaue them power c. Eph. 5.27 clensed with water through the word namely beleeued for whence else can water haue power to wash the soule It is not then the washing of the bodie with water but the receiuing and applying of the promise by faith which bringeth grace into the soule without which faith both word and Sacraments are vnprofitable This Christ we knowe required in baptisme he that beleeueth and is baptized shall be saued The Apostle in the supper requireth a worthie receiuing and who can denie but if grace be conferred in the Sacrament it must be receiued also and if it must be receiued I would knowe how any thing which is spirituall can be receiued but by this hand of the soule Whence it is necessarily concluded that vngodly and vnbeleeuing ones receiue nothing in baptisme but the element and that as a naked signe example whereof we haue in Iudas who are the Passeouer but remained a deuill In Simon the sorcerer who was baptized but remained chained in the bonds of iniquitie and in the gall of bitternes In Ananias and Saphira who no doubt were among other Christians baptized but not washed from their hypocrisie In all which neither was grace conferred nor wickednes weakened And what meruell if vnto vngodly ones the Sacrament he as an emptie boxe without oyntment or as a dead letter without spirit for nothing is promised them in the word seeing all the promises goe with condition of faith and repentance which they want and can we meruaile if the seale doe him no good that hath no name no right in the couenant Quest. But howsoeuer in men of yeares faith is required vnto baptisme yet we are most to respect it as administred vnto children in whom we cannot expect faith and therefore vnto them either faith is not requisite or by the former answer their baptisme is vnprofitable Answ. This well is deepe and we want wherewith to drawe certentie of resolution but will assay in some propositions to deliuer summarily that which may be extracted out of the Scriptures and expositors as most probable for the vnfolding of this difficultie To which purpose let vs first distinguish of infants of whom some are elected and some belong not vnto the election of grace These latter receiue onely the element and are not inwardly washed the former receiue in the right vse of the Sacrament the inward grace not that hereby we tie the maiestie of God to any time or meanes whose spirit bloweth when and where he listeth on some before baptisme who are sanctified from the wombe on some after but because the Lord delighteth to present himselfe gracious in his own ordinance we may conceiue that in the right vse of this Sacrament he ordinarily accompanieth it with his grace here according to his promise we may expect it and here we may and ought send out the prayer of faith for it Obiect But they want faith Answ. 1. They want indeede actuall faith which presupposeth hearing vnderstanding c. neither could it be that if they had at that time such an habituall faith that they should so vtterly loose it as neuer after
a word the very scope of this washing in Iordan directly concludeth against that Popish collection of his for why doth the Lord command him to goe and wash in Iordan rather then as he expected that the Prophet should lay his hand vpon him or by a word heale him Surely no stronger reason can be giuen then this that he should not attribute any power or vertue of the cure to the Prophets hand bodie or person but seeing he must doe that in which there is no such power at all but is so vnlikely a meanes of cure as Naaman almost scornefully reiected the whole glorie of the worke might returne to the God of Israel As vnlikely yea more that water should wash the leprosie of sinne from the conscience as the outward leprosie from the bodie of Naaman and indeede the worke in both is from the spirit of the Lord. The like may be said of the poole of Siloam wherein the blind man must wash and for that place in the 5. of Iohn concerning the poole of Bethesda which healed all manner of diseases the text saith plainly that it was the Angels stirring of the water and without it nothing was done and if the power had beene proper and naturall or inseparably tyed to it it would haue healed the second and third that had stepped in as well as the first So we say when the spirit of God mooueth these waters of baptisme there followeth a cure without which if a man were euery day baptized it would be vnavaileable to regeneration and sanctification Thus not to followe the rest and wast time in them we may see that when men willingly blind themselues it is iust with God to giue them vp to all delusions that in seeing they might not see nor vnderstand Vse 2. As to magnifie and reuerence these sanctified waters as the outward meanes in the right vse of which the spirit worketh and exhibiteth that which they represent so also to beware least wanting this inward worke of the spirit which giueth all efficacie and comfortable fruit of baptisme it become not a barren and a naked signe the rather in that the Lord himselfe obserued this corruption among his owne people that they stood too much vpon outward institutions as the Temple the law circâ—mcision the fathers c. and therefore in many places charged them not to trust in such lying words but to get the foreskinne of their hearts circumcised as well as the foreskinne of their flesh and not to rest in the title of a Iewe which was to be one but outwardly and in the letter nor that they were descended of Abraham according to the flesh except they were Iewes within and descended of Abraham according to the faith also so as by doing his workes they might resemble him So when we see Christians stand so much vpon outward baptisme and are well contented without the inward vertue of it when we see them glorie in the bare title without the power of Christianitie it is our part to imitate the Lord and his Prophets and call our people to get the circumcision not made with hands but by the finger and spirit of God which is more then to wash the foulenesse of the bodie for it is to put off the sinfull bodie euen the wicked corruption of the heart for so it is expounded to be the resemblance of Christ in his death and buriall first and then in the life of grace and glorie to which he rose againe Boast not then of thy baptisme without this change of thy heart and life for then thou boastest of a broken vowe call it not thy Christendome vnlesse by it thou beest set into Christ and transplanted by it into the similitude of his death thou art no better before God then an heathen oâ— Turke notwithstanding thy bodie hath beene washed in this lauer if thy heart still remaine foule and filthy and as good neuer a whit as neuer the better And this I speake of good ground and in the language of Scripture Do we not see the Iewes charged as not circumcised although they had the skinne of their flesh cut Isai. â—4 57.3 and Steuen goeth not as we say behind the doore to call them stâ—ffâ—necked and vncircumcised so why may not we speake the truth retaining in our hearts and stile the reuerence of that holy ordinance that the water in baptisme further then ioyned to the word and applyed to this holy ende authentically to seale that which God hath engrauen vpon it is no better vnto the vnbeleeuer then ordinarie pumpe water It is too Iewish and yet too common that the religion and profession of ChristiaÌ„s standeth for most part in outward shewe and glorie and such things as are made by the hands of men wanting that spirit and truth which is indeede the crowne of Christianitie and yet alas what will the representation of Christs death and resurection doe good if the vertue and power of it be wanting in the soule Vnto thy outward baptisme get the heauens opened as in the baptisme of Christ and see that the spirit hath descended vpon thee to the conuerting of thy soule and begetting thee to a newe life for this is the soule of baptisme without which it is a dead letter and a fruitlesse ceremonie Vse 3. As it is with baptisme so is it with all other ordinances of God no outward meanes of saluation can be effectuall vnlesse the inward worke of the spirit be added We haue power to come and heare the word but vnlesse the anoynting teach vs we shall remaine vntaught yea let the Apostles themselues preach the Lord must worke with them also or nothing will be done These two the spirit of the Lord vpon vs and his word in our mouthes make vp a sweete harmonie And how is it else that men after so long powerfull preaching and frequent hearing remaine ignorant hard hearted rebellious surely the reason is because the Lord giueth not an heart to perceiue and because the spirit bloweth not there to giue the seeing eye and hearing eare which where it is wanting a man may sit out as many summons as Pharaoh did and neuer the better yea the more hardned So in afflictions and corrections which are durable and lingring on many why do men profit so little why doe they not open the doore of discipline why are not the roddes of correction the tree of life to a number surely because the spirit boareth not the eare he teacheth not the right vse of them Obiect But what can I doe withall if the spirit teach me not Answ. The spirit would not be wanting if men would come preparedly to be taught But 1. men come without beleefe and mingle not the word with faith and so it becommeth vnprofitable or 2. without repentance whereas the humble shall be taught in the way onely or 3. without praier and the spirit powreth not out these waters of grace but vpon thirstie
grounds or 4. laden with lusts and then the spirit will not sowe among thornes And thus all the meanes of saluation enioyed out of their holy vse are turned to greater condemnation Who art thou then that contentest thy selfe to come to Church to heare to pray to reade keepest the Sabbaths professest the Gospel to haue the countenance of religious persons whereas in the meane time thou wantest the inward master the spirit of supplication the power of the Gospel All is wrong with thee thou hast embraced a shadow for the substance and found aâ— it were the cloathes of Christ but the bodie is risen and gone Begge at the hands of God therefore in all thy duties publike and priuate the presence of the spirit who alone can worke thy heart wait for Gods teaching for this is the way to become vvise to saluation Doctr. 2. God in sauing vs from our miserie reneweth vs vnto his own image of righteousnes and holines for he saueth vs by giuing vs vnto his sonne and if any be in Christ he must become a new creature which new creature is called the new man which after God is created and which must be renewed on vs in knowledge after the image of him that ereated him Colos. 3.9 The Apostle Peter teacheth vs that great and precious promises namely of life and saluation are made vnto vs. But how come we to â—nioye them the next words shew by beeing made partakers of the diuine nature and flying corruptions which are in the world through lust This diuine nature is nothing else but the renewing of vs vnto the image of God by which beeing freed from the corruption of the world we become of earthly and fleshly heauenly and diuine like vnto our Father practising those heauenly qualities which God by his spirit createth in vs such as are the hatred of sinne loue of pietie the contempt of the world and the breathing after life eternall by all which we seeme and after a sort put on his nature and image The same truth haue we confirmed by Zachariah in his song where he maketh this part of Gods image standing in righteousnes holines a fruit of our redemption and iustification Vse 1. This doctrine letteth vs see the absolute necessitie of our renewing without which there can be no saluation Ioh. 3.5 Except a man be borne againe of water and the spirit he cannot be saued And the reason is because by it as by an inward meane the Lord setteth vs into the state of saluation That washing of the Disciples feete was not only an example of humilitie but a symbole and representation of this washing away of sinnes in this our renewing by the blood of Christ and therefore Christ saith vnto Peter If I wash thee not thou hast no part in mee And indeed who can haue part in Christ that will not part from his foule sinnes that he may be cleane which if it be true how farre doe men delude themselues who thinke they can walke with Christ and haue part in him and yet haue neither hand nor foote head nor heart washed from guile Euery Simon Magus will thinke to haue part in this businesse as well as Simon Peter and yet inwardly nourish a bitter gall of iniquitie But let no man henceforth deceiue himselfe for the sinner that will not be washed hath no part in the kingdome of God and of Christ. 2. It affoardeth a triall whether a man be in the way of saluation or no hee that is a new creature is in the way of life Obiect But this is a secret worke of the spirit and how can we know it Answ. First thou must be borne againe to which is required that God become thy Father in Christ the Church thy mother the word the immortall seed of which thou art begotten there must be a conception wherein Christ must be formed in thee a birth wherein by the helpe of Ministers as midwiues thou must be brought into this spirituall world a desire of the sincere milke of the word drawne out of the two Testaments the brests of the mother and after a desire of stronger meat to grow stronger by Now thou art borne vnto God but what a parable is this to many euen old men Masters and Teachers and Rulers in Israel who know no natiuitie but one of Adam and Eue no progenie of God and his Church know no parents but such as beget earthly children vnto naturall life base borne sonnes of the earth not knowing any heauenly Father neither principall nor ministeriall begetting them to any heauenly life of grace or glorie Secondly after this birth all old things must passe away and euery thing must become new he that is washed is all cleane And therefore there must be 1. a new light in the minde and vnderstanding conceiuing the things of the spirit of God For as the further blinding of men is a note and brand of a reprobate so is it a note of one begotten to God to be renewed in knowledge Col. 3.9 Secondly there must be a newe qualitie in the will readie to heare the voice of Christ in all things and obey it The Scripture noteth it a marke of an vngodly wretch to be further obdurate and hardened but he that is borne of God heareth his words Ioh. 8.47 he carrieth a flexible heart vnto the word and 1. Ioh. 2.29 he that doth righteously is borne of him Thirdly there must be a new conuersation manifesting the workes and fruits of the spirit a life lead in the practise of raigning sinne and making shewe of the works of the flesh is a note of him that is lead by the flesh but he that is borne of God sinneth not 1. Ioh. 3.9 he hath sinne in him but not raigning Rom. 6.4 he doth sinne also but 1. it is not he but the sinne in him 2. it is against his heart and intention 3. he lyeth noâ— in his sinne but his course is according to the commandement and a walking after the spirit Fourthly There must be new affections as the loue of God hatred of all sinne especially in himselfe loue of good men of pietie of puritie of the light the whole first Epistle of Iohn beaâ—eth vpon this point for it is a note of one in darkenesse to hate the light to hate the brethren c. men thinke it a sound plea when they ouershoote themselues in affections speaches or actions to say they are flesh and blood and they must hate and speake their minds c. but if thou beest no more then flesh and blood thou shalt neuer come in heauen Christians are of the blood and flesh and bone of Christ and therefore must subiect themselues in all things to be ruled by his spirit Fiftly there must be meanes vsed to preserue all these as namely the spirit of prayer and supplication Zach. 12.10 a child new borne into the world crieth presently and that which doth
tyeth not himselfe and truth vnto it Obiect But we haue no teachers who teach not the truth Answ. We are to blesse God that the truth of religion is so happily taught and protected as it is and Satan wanteth of his will that it is so and yet can we thinke that his mallice now towards the end is so abated or that the state of the Church is now aboue all times so priuiledged as that he hath not his instruments still labouring to corrupt and depraue the truth broaching so farre as they dare their priuate opinions for which the truth is little beholding vnto them The Prophet Ieremie speaketh of Prophets who prophecied lyes in the name of the Lord and saith they prophecied false vision and diuination and vanitie and the deceitfulnesse of their owne hearts why what was that in that they said Yee shall not see the sword and famine shall not come but I will giue you assured peace in this place If we shall heare such sweet inchanting voyces all is well with vs we haue the most flourishing and most reformed Church that euer was since the Apostles dayes and we may take a nappe and rest in our peace and prosperitie what way can we be mooued surely these words may seeme the visions of mens owne hearts the rather in that the Lord by his owne hand from heauen proclaiming the contrarie by durable plagues and lasting iudgements of plagues famines vnseasonablenesse of weather by yeares together and for the troubles and oppositions in the Church when or where were they stronger since the Gospel first entred If we shall here voyces whispering oh men are too precise too pure too forward and what need so much teaching so much running trotting to sermons and disgracing such as frequent the meanes of saluation more carefully with the tearmes of sermon-gadders and sermon-mungers and such Is the truth which desireth nothing more then the light beholding to such visions of mens owne hearts or can we here acknowledge the stile of the spirit and word of truth If we shall meete with doctrines giuing libertie to profane gaming and pastimes on the Lords sabboath and then hauing gotten in a finger go on to make it an indifferent thing to keepe or not to keepe but only the times of Church required by law and further make it questionable whether we ought to keepe this present Sabboath or devise some other is not this as great a blow to the truth as she can receiue more then she looketh for in the house of her freinds which let it preuaile we shall see a poore staruen pietie among men in very few daies If we meet with other defences iustifying and approouing euery thing and any thing to be spoken in the pulpit besides the pure word of God which is profitable to teach improoue correct and instruct in all righteousnesse that a man may moyle himselfe and hearers in pudles I speake comparatiuely in regard of the pure word of God when in the meane time the sweet streames which run from vnder the threshold of the Sanctuarie are neglected how is the truth here honoured when the Scriptures the fountaine of it are so vnequally matched If it shall be affirmed that whosoeuer shall in name professe themselues to be Christians the Sacraments are not to be denied them although they be openly wicked because all men are subiect to sinne If men shall make a tush and a light or no falt to sweare by faith or trothe c. because it is but a custome of the tongue surely we may say if these be the voyces of Prophets they are of such as Christ speaketh of which deceiue many which make iniquitie abound and the loue to the truth grow key cold Vse 2. To people to pray to the Lord 1. To giue pastors according to his owne heart not such as may seeke out vaine and foolish things the froth of wit and learning but such things as may feed their soules with wisedome and vnderstanding 2. For the spirit of discerning to trie the spirits by which are of God for the guise of false teachers is priuily to bring in damnable doctrines and craftely to creepe into mens affections and men more easily run after them because they speake something pleasing to corrupt nature sometimes in the matter sometimes in the manner and therefore such as would not be deceiued by them must be prouoked to more warinesse 3. For the spirit of subiection that they may receiue the truth as truth for else it will be iust with God to giue them ouer to be seduced with false teachers and to beleeue lyes For those that despise his counsell shall eate of the fruit of their owne way and be filled with their owne devises those that regard not to know God shall by God be deliuered vp to a reprobate sence and those that will not beleeue one Micah but hate him shall fall into the hands of foure hundreth false Prophets to fall by them 4. Commend the cause of the truth vnto the Lords protection entreating him that it may be continued euen to this our Church and Land the which surely by the great contempt and abuse of the light and the bringers of it we haue iustly forfeyted and deserue to be plagued with all kind of illusions as Poperie profanesse Brownisme Atheisme the which fearefull iudgements haue made out great head alreadie and are forerunners of greater euills and beginnings of more bitter sorrowes without timely repentance And to what other ground can we ascribe all these euills but vnto the iust iudgement of God for our hatred and abuse of the light the candlesticks of it Vers. 9. But stay foolish questions and genealogies and contentions and brawlings about the lawe for they are vnprofitable and vaine Although Titus hath beene in the former verse commanded to teach and beat home such true and profitable points of doctrine as we haue heard yet must he know that he hath receiued but halfe his errand and is but halfe way in his dutie wherein if he would be compleat he must further circumspectly watch against and represse all vaine and fruitles teaching especially those kinds here mentioned either suffering them not to breake out at all or if they doe to nippe and blast them quickly and betimes if he can he must stoppe them in the head if he cannot do that he must stay them in the streame The verse standeth on two parts 1. a precept to stay foolish questions and genealogies and contentions and brawlings about the law 2. a reason of it for they are vnprofitable and vaine For the meaning of the words we must knowe that our Apostle condemneth not the moouing of euerie question in handling the word for there are many necessarie ones in diuinitie which for our instruction and edification we may enquire and dispute thus we reade that Paul disputed often and thus we are trained and furnished in the diuinitie schoole to defend
as that wee must affect pray for and to our power procure the peace of Ierusalem yea so farre herein to straine our selues as that onely peace and truth may abide vndiuorsed But well saith one that hee who hath magnified his truth aboue all things Psalm 138.2 hath also aduanced it aboue peace 3. Vse meanes to avoide heresie and keepe out of the degrees of such a distastfull fruit of the flesh Gal. 5.20 The cheife of these meanes are 1. to lay thy ground in humilitie which onely cuâ—â—eth off contention the eldest daughter of pride and hath the promise to be taught in the way 2. to be diligent in the hearing and reading but especially in obeying the word for this is the readie way to attaine and containe thy selfe within the bounds of truth Ioh. 7.17 If any man will doe his will he shall know whether the doctrine be of God and whether I speake of my selfe And whosoeuer embraceth the counsell and wisedome of the word he walketh safely and his foote shall not stumble Prou. 3.21.23 where note with what conscience any Papist dare say that the Scriptures are the causes of heretikes Thirdly to growe vp in the affecting and loue to the truth for so shalt thou growe in the hatred of falshood Psal. 119.113 Dauid had neuer come to such an hatred of vaine inventions if it had not beene for his singular loue vnto the lawe Fourthly beware of hereticall bookes and companie for thou canst hardly get good out of the former and as hardly doe good vnto the latter but most easily receiue harme from either both of them beeing leauen and infectious The like may be said of sticking vnto Philosophie in matters of faith for euen this will easily breede an heretike Fiftly content thy selfe with thy estate and portion be it more or lesse couetousnesse and ambition haue throwne downe a great number of the starres of heauen from their former shine and beene the seedes of most heresies as in Ecclesiasticall storie appeareth yea in our dayes not a fewe haue growne into dislike of their estate who in hope of better preferment haue betaken themselues vnto the heresie of Poperie and therewith haue drunke in all manner of deadly poysons that treasons parricides murders of kings blowing vp of whole states with all such desperate attempts are most resolutely vndertaken and as vnnaturally acted by them Now hauing cleared the first point who are heretikes we come to the second namely how Titus must carrie himselfe towards them and that is he must after once or twise admonition reiect them Now because admonition is first in nature and order of proceeding though it be not so in the placing of the words we will consider of it somewhat in the first place And first it will be demanded what kinde of admonition this is I answer that this is not meant of that priuate admonition whereunto both priuate Christians and the Minister as a Christian are bound towards those that erre and are knowne so to doe but of that publike admonition in the face of the Church which is a seruant and maketh way to the publike censure of excommunication For it maketh way to the Churches reiection of such a one as the next verse sheweth incurable both because he is cast off the foundation as also is condemned of his owne conscience Further this admonition must be once or twise namely when the Pastor hath priuately conferred with him for the conviction of his conscience and admonished him to the reuoking of his wicked error if now he still stand out then generall warning is to be giuen two seuerall sabbaths of such an offender in the congregation not yet naming the person or cause in particular but threatening the sentence of excommunication vnlesse the delinquent come in in the meane time and yeelde himselfe vnto the truth And thus shall he see that all gentle and good meanes are vsed with him before the Church descend to such a grieuous censure Obiect But Christ requireth three admonitions Matth. 18.17 why doth the Apostle vrge but two yea Paul himselfe admonished the the Curch of the Corinths three times 2. Cor. 13. 1. this is the third time Answ. Those places speake of the processe of priuate persons in priuate offences which goeth before the publike notice and proceeding of the Church 2. Paul dealeth by Epistle in a louing and fatherly manner and prescribeth not to the Church how to proceede in their publike censures 3. In such questions of fact for the manner of processe much is left to the wisedome and iudgement of the Church which may so proceede as may make most for the good of the partie and may vse two or three admonitions at their discretion but so as admonitions must not be multiplied as we say toties quoties nether on the other hand must be vnder the number of two for two must be the least Doct. Hence we learne that euen heretikes and enemies to the church must be tenderly and louingly dealt withall so long as there is any hope that they may be gained and wonne Neither must they be seuerely or suddenly proceeded against by the Church but vpon due warning and threatning For herein 1. the Church beeing the daughter of God shall resemble God himselfe who still admonisheth before he strike 2. the commandement is that those that are spirituall must euer labour to restore offenders by the spirit of meekenes and neuer to remooue till all meanes of restoring haue beene assayed so that seueritie at first in those that are spirituall were meere crueltie 3. This softnesse in the proceeding of the Church bewrayeth her loue of the partie maketh his sinne better knowne vnto him letteth him see the danger of it and if all this be scorned and contemned it heapeth coales vpon his head and maketh the ensuing censure more iust and heauie 4. Hereto ioyne the examples of Paul who turneth not to seueritie till gentlenesse doe no good nor vseth the rodde so long as the spirit of meekenesse can preuaile yea of our Lord Iesus who pronounced not his woe against Corazin and Bethsaida till other great meanes vsed with them were reiected by them Vse 1. Hence may wee gather the meaning of sundrie places in the Scripture as Rom. 16.17 Brethren I beseech you marke them diligently which cause divisions and offences among you and avoide them 2. Ioâ— 10. If any come and bring not this doctrine receiue him not these and such like places must be vnderstood by this our text namely after admonition and good meanes vsed for their reclaiming they must be avoided and reiected and not before 2. If heretikes must be thus dealt with how much moree are we to deale louingly with brethren who fall not wilfully but of frailtie how carefull should we be to set them in ioynt againe tenderly couering the bitter pill of reproofe with sugred perswasion how should the spirit of Moses coole and
child the seruant to the master and the master to the seruant the kinsman to the kinsman nay in these nearer societies euen that entire familiaritie which the auncient ascribed to the identity of three things namely the house the bedde and the table must not be denied of those from whom it was due before this censure for he that was a brother before remaineth a naturall although not a Christian brother 4. This censure looseth not the bands of all spirituall societie but that notwithstanding it we may and must 1. loue the excommunicate in the Lord. 2. admonish and rebuke him 3. pray for him though not with him 4. vpon his repentance receiue him like a brother as before Quest. 1. Wherein then standeth this separation Answ. 1. From all those spirituall good things which the Lord communicateth in the Church as the word sacraments prayer for these are holy things and the priuiledges of the faithfull out of whose societie the other beeing cast out they are as swine to whom such holy things may not be cast and as dogges to whom the childrens bread belongeth not Obiect But if you shut them from the word you barre them from the meanes of their repentance Answ. Both the word and the nature of the censure shutteth them out of the congregation of Gods people and the practise of the auncient Church which suffered them not to enter within the doors of the Church The Iews permitted not the Publicans in their sinagogues but accounted them as Heathen neither would Ambrose suffer Theodosius the Emperour while he was excommunicate to enter into the Church of Milleyne But that now such persons are admitted to heare the word it is by an indulgence of the Church which I will not now stand to examine 2. From familiar conuerse in the outward life so farre as necessarily we are not bound vnto them as in the examples of the Primitiue Church I could be plentifull both in teachers and in beleeuing Christians Famous is the practise of Iohn the Evangelist towards Cerinthus when he found him in the bath and of Polycarp towards the heretike Marcion who as Irenaeus testifieth would flie from the place where the heretike stood or sate as fast as he could least he should here any heretical speaches Now the reasons why we are thus to auoid the excommunicate are these 1. That the offender may be brought to soundnesse of repentance for whatsoeuer power is giuen to the Pastors and Churches is giuen to edification and not for destruction 2. Cor. 10.8 And therefore such an offender must 1. haue his conscience terrified by beeing deliuered vnto Satan that is cast out of the Church out of which Satan ruleth and setteth vp his throne 2. Another end in regard of the partie is to shame him both by the publike rebuke of the Church in proceeding against him as also the auoiding of him as one of another societie 2. Thess. 3.14 Withdraw your selues that he may be ashamed 3. To worke sorrow in him for his sinne for the destruction of his flesh and fleshly corruption which is the ground of true repentance see 1. Cor. 5.5 4. To effect a desire to be reconciled first vnto God and then vnto the church against which he hath offended And thus 5. his spirit shall be saued in the day of the Lord. 2. There are other reasons in regard of the church First in generall that it heare not ill as a maintayner of vile persons and much lesse as if it selfe were a sinke or stie of filthy swine who professe themselues washed by the iustification of Christ and the sanctification of the spirit The Apostle Paul aymeth at this 1. Cor. 5.1 It is certainely heard that there is fornication among you and maketh this bad report the first ground of their proceeding against the incestuous person as though he had said these things ought not to be heard amongst you no not once named among Christians Secondly in respect of the speciall members 1. That they may be safe from the infection of such open and obstinate wicked ones which is also the Apostles reason 1. Cor. 5.6 A little leaven sowreth the whole lumpe a little sparkle kindleth an vnquencheable flame a little pitch defileth the whole man yea their verie word and much more their conuersation creepeth and corrupteth as a gangreene Worthy is it here worth our remembring how when the Emperour Theodosius senior was desirous to conferre with Eunomius the Arrian Bishop his wife Placilla the Empresse very earnestly disswaded him least he beeing peruerted by his speaches should beginne to like of his heresie 2. Least partaking with his sinne he should also partake of his punishment as all Israel did for Achan one rotten membeâ— not cut off endangereth the whole bodie and threatneth perill to the whole The iniunction of Moses hath here place Depart from the tents of these wicked men and touch nothing of theirs least yee perrish in all their sinnes 3. For examples sake least any of the rest grow to the like boldnesse and obstinacie in sinne but rather by such separation be terrified therefrom 1. Tim. 5.20 Them that sinne openly rebuke openly that the rest also may feare All which ends beeing so necessarie as by the Scriptures they appeare to be we see what a maime it is in any Church when this rod is either not vsed or not aright Quest. But whether may priuate Christians auoid an open notorious sinner before the Church haue reiected him or what must we doe while the Church winketh and will not doe her dutie in casting them out Answ. We may and ought to auoid the familiar societie of scorners and open wicked men for the former reasons euen before the Church haue cast them out but not as excommunicate persons or members cut off that we abstaine from the word and sacraments because of such vntill the Church haue cast them out for else a way is easily beaten and paued to Scisme and rash separation And if the Church do not as she ought cut off such rotten members yet is no doore opened to personall excommunication seeing this censure is the common action of the whole Church and not of any priuate person or persons We must then beare them as we doe festered members with paine and sorrow yea and complaints to such as can helpe vs but not breake our patience for that which our selues cannot and others will not cure for vs. And thus as one very well answereth the like case shall we be blessed euen in hungring and thirsting after righteousnesse and the sinne shall not lie at our doores but where it is committed and abetted Quest. But it seemeth if heretikes must onely be avoided that it is not lawfull to put them to death Answ. This beeing a matter of fact is most properly belonging to the Ciuil Magistrate who wisely considering both of the qualitie of the person offending
reasons also vpon which they are grounded As namely 1. some offenders are curable and what man in his wits will cut off his arme or legge so sonne as it beginneth to ake and paine him and not rather vse meanes of surgerie and cure is any member in the bodie so despised 2. Our selues must not be so vncharitable as presently to dispaire of any mans conuersion God may in time raise the most desperate sinner vnto repentance 3. The meanes vsed are not lost for if it attaine no other end yet shall it make them more inexcusable the censure more iust and the Churches proceeding more equall and moderate 4. Adde hereunto the Lords example who neuer striketh before he haue sufficiently warned he neuer precipitateth either sentence or execution but first commeth downe to see Gen. 18.21 and hearkneth and heareth Malac. 3.16 and accordingly passeth sentence 2. Note that when a sinner is knowne to sinne of obstinacie the best way is to auoid him and cast him out For 1. labour is but lost on such a one 2. He doth but tread holy things vnder his feete of which holy things the Church is the keeper and must be faithfull 3. He sinnes not only of iudgement and reason but of affection and this is the reason why verie few heretikes are conuerted when many vnregenerate men and outragiously wicked in other kinds are who sinne not of affection and wilfulnesse but of corrupt iudgement onely 4. The Lords example Hose 4.17 Ephraim is ioyned to Idols Let him alone he is incurable Obiect But if he be thus left vnto himselfe am not I accessarie to his condemnation or might not I by still following him be a meanes of his conuersion at length and ought not I to waite still when God will giue repentance Answ. No he so sinneth as the text saith himselfe condemneth himselfe and his sinne is vpon his owne head who wilfully and laboriously destroyeth him 2. As the ordinances of God are deare vnto himselfe so ought they to be also vnto vs so as we may not expose them to the contempt of a scorner 3. Thou hast not left him till he be apparantly desperate no otherwise then a Phisician hath left a desperate patient whose disease is not worse then his froward disposition in refusing all meanes of health and safetie 4. Euen the neglect of him may by bringing him to enter into himselfe prooue a nearer way of winning him then any familiar course or conuerse with him 3. Note hence also what vse the Lord maketh of a wicked conscience euen in desperate sinners It shall be the accuser witnesse and iudge to pronounce the sentence of death against his owne soule and so shall make way vnto the Lords most righteous iudgement Iudas himselfe beeing surcharged with conscience of his sinne read the sentence against himselfe there beeing no other to doe it saying I haue sinned in betraying innocent blood and then went and hanged himselfe For this purpose the Lord hath put into the soule not only a knowledge whereby naturally euen the wicked can discerne between that which is honest and dishonest yea between good and euill so farre as to make them excuseles but also an application of that knowledge vnto the seuerall actions of life From which two issue two other faculties which are the verie nature of conscience 1. A testification that such an action is done or not done yea although a man would not haue it so to testifie 2. A iudgement after triall whether it be well done or no the fruits of which iudgement are either ioy peace and glorying in things which the conscience saith are well done or else horror in soule as in Caine trembling in bodie as in Faelix fearefull dreams and visions as in Baltazer or despaire as in Iudas in the sence of sinne committed To this agreeth that of Salomon Prov. 20.27 The light of the Lord is the spirit of man and searcheth all the bowells of the bellie in which words mans conscience is compared to the Lords lanthorne that discouereth things to a mans selfe which are as secret as his owne bowells This obseruation affoardeth vs sundry speciall vses As Vse 1. It letteth vs see what an intolerable torment a wicked conscience is euen a gibbit and a rack set vp within the wicked to vex and torment them withall and as a fearefull hue and crie euery where ouertaking them that let them runne or ride where they will they follow themselues with a writ of apprehension which draggeth them will they nill they before the face of the iudge No sooner was Adam fallen but his conscience heard the voice of God ringing through Paradise which made him flie from God and hide himselfe No sooner had Cain slaine Abel but the voice of the blood filled heauen and earth and made his countenance fall No sooner did Paul dispute of iustice temperance and iudgement to come but Felix trembled And whence is that fearefull looking for of iudgement and violent fire which shall deuoure the aduersarie but from the worke of conscience fitting the wicked for the iudgement of the great day What meruaile is it then if the wicked would faine stifle and choke the noise of their conscience but that they cannot still doe it Which beeing so let euery one feare to sin against the light of his conscience and not dare to venture vpon or foster the least sinne for howsoeuer we may for the present thinke some sinnes light and little if the Lord neuer so little touch the conscience as the time commeth apace when he will awaken it we shall feele euery sinne euen the smallest to lie as heauy as a mountaine vpon our soules little do we thinke that that sinne which now we account as light as a feather should prooue so heauy vpon our shoulders as that our hearts shall not be able to sustaine vs from oppression vnder it And further howsoeuer men may thinke to carrie their sinne so close as the eye of the kite cannot pry into it yet know whosoeuer thou art that thy conscience is Gods booke take heed what thou writest in that booke for it carrieth a light in it selfe whereby it shall be read and discouered Vse 2. This further teacheth vs not to neglect the checks of conscience nor our owne hearts reproouing vs of our wayes as those men who are resolued to hold on their lewde courses let the word and spirit yea their owne spirits suggest what they will or can against it For the time commeth when thou canst not set the voice of thy conscience so light then that conscience which hath checkt thee shall iudge thee and that heart which hath reprooued thee shall torment thee and thou shalt neuer be able to turne off the charge of it but shalt by it be accused and conuicted to haue been a wilfull chooser of thine owne destruction This is that which is secretly implyed in the text that if these heretikes had listened
the first condition of any good worke that the worker must be a beleeuer in Christ. For 1. make the tree good and then the fruit will be good he must be a man that hath learned by the doctrine of the Gospel to doe a good worke as the words of the verse imply 2. the heart the fountaine of all actions is naturally corrupt with originall sin and the members are weapons of vnrighteousnesse and therefore before the heart be purified by faith the best actions passing through our vnderstandings wills affections and parts can no more auoid tainture and pollution then can the sweetest water running through a muddie channell or the purest liquor standing in a fustie vessell 3. He that being an vnbeleeuer hath not the sonne neither hath the spirit of the Sonne and consequently cannot send forth any fruites of the spirit the Sonne hath not set him free but he is bound hand and foote and not able to mooue in any one action of spirituall life 4. Hee that cannot pray by the spirit cannot bring forth any worke truely good nothing can be done without prayer the Lord must giue strength the will and the deed he must teach vs to worke set vs in and hold vs on in working he must giue it successe and blessing and make it fruitfull to our selues and others and without the prayer of faith nothing of this is obtained 5. Without faith it is impossible to please God for to euery good worke are required many actions of faith For 1. generall faith must make and warrant it good in the matter and know it to be commanded or allowed in the word for that is a good work which God will haue done and good intentions if they roue without a word make nothing good 2. Speciall faith must know the action to be good in the worker renewed in part and accepted in Christ who couereth the spots and imperfections of the worke for the Lord first respecteth the person and then the worke first Abel and then his sacrifice 3. Faith looketh that the worke be good in the endes of it a bad end spoileth the best action Now the right ends of a good worke are 1. Gods glorie for as all riuers goe out of the sea and returne againe into the sea so all good actions as they come from God so they tend vnto him againe be they the least and lowest euen eating drinking or what soeuer else all must be done to the glorie of God 2. The good of our brethren and edification of men for this end Christians must make their light to shine abroad before men and the whole law is fulfilled in this one word Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe 3. The exercise of our owne graces by doing our owne duties to God and man not selfe-pleasing profiting praise feare shame or such other sinister ends as sway with the vnregenerate but as is the end of the commandement so must it be of our obedience which is loue out of a pure heart and faith vnfained 1. Tim. 1.5 4. Faith will prouide that good actions be compassed by good meanes we may not doe euill that good may come of it It was Rebecca her sinne to draw the promised blessing vpon Iacob by deceit and Lots infirmitie to seeke deliuerance from the Sodomites by prostituting his daughters And though sometimes bad meanes succeed and the Lord by an ouerruling power bring light out of darkenesse yet is there alwaies iust matter of mourning and humiliation 5. Faith will haue respect to good circumstances as times places persons c. the fayling wherein often blemisheth most bewtifull actions and cause them to miscarie and prooue vnsuccesfull In a word faith in the heart is most carefull to doe good things well and because it knoweth that when it hath done the best it can yet all that seruice is vnprofitable it claspeth fast hold vpon the righteousnesse of Christ and will be found in that righteousnesse which is by faith in him Phil. 3. And therefore as for all other so for this good worke of beneficence and loue to the Saints the Apostle wisheth Titus to goe to beleeuers with whom he might be bold as who had receiued a spirit of effectuall faith working in obedience to God and loue to Gods people and could not suffer them to be either idle or vnfruitfull in the worke of the Lord. Well knew the Apostle that to haue sent him elsewhere on this errand it had bin but the losse of both their labors here he knew he should speed or no where So as we may conclude this point with that speach of Augustine where faith is not no good worke can be The third point in the precept is that these good works must be shewed forth for necessarie vses why Christians should shewe forth good workes I haue formerly shewed in handling the 8. verse of this Chapter and therefore will come to declare what are the necessare vses in generall of such good workes as are here called for And here we must know that the Romish Church hath not more boldly then blasphemously pretended many necessarie vses of good workes which the Scriptures neuer intending to set them vp in the place of Christ are far from acknowledging a tast whereof I haue giuen in a fewe positions which are stiffely defended by the pillars of that Church As 1. That good workes prepare a man to his iustification whereas the former point shewed that a man must be a iustified person before he can doe a good worke 2. That they doe iustifie the person of the worker before God notwithstanding the Apostle saith that by the workes of the Lawe no flesh can be iustified 3. That they make men more iust by a second iustification which distinction of the first and second iustification is a dreame of their owne not grounded in the Scriptures nor once heard of in the Church at the least fourteene hundred yeares after Christ and his Apostles 4. That they satisfie Gods iustice for temporall punishment 5. That they merit heauen yea a greater degree of glorie in heauen 6. That they purge away sinnes 7. That they apply Christs merit to purge them 8. That they merit at Gods hand for ones selfe and others 9. That they free from purgatorie paines 10. That a man may raise his trust in God from them All which with many other blasphemous tenures of this kind directly thrust Christ from his throne and make him but halfe a Sauiour at the most and consequently no Sauiour at all It would draw this point further then would well fit a commentarie to dispute here these positions with them and therefore intending our busines in hand and taking the mention of such hereticall blasphemies in this auditorie to be no small refutation we come to those necessarie vses which are warranted by expresse Scripture yea and thence commended vnto vs both in regard of 1. God 2. our neighbour 3. our selues
scarce berries trees of righteousnesse are laden with the fruits of the spirit and herein is the Father glorified that yee bring forth fruite Ioh. 15.8 5. Christians must continue fruitfull and growe daily more fruitfull where there is any soundnes the Lord purgeth that branch to more fruit Ioh. 15.2 and it is the propertie of them that are planted in the house of the Lord to bring forth much fruit in their age and their iust praise is that their workes are more at last then at the first Rev. 2.19 The second point is the consideration of the reasons to moue Christians to this fruitfulnesse The principall are these 1. Gods paines and costs with vs he hath bought vs at a deare raâ—e from our vaine conuersation to serve him all our daies he hath brought vs from that Romish Egypt where we grewe not well to make vs his owne vineyard he hath planted hedged manured vs he hath watered vs with the dewes of his word and Gospel from heauen he hath tâ—immed vs with his pruning knife of iudgements and corrections and what could he doe more to his vineyard doth he not now iustly expect for sweete fruits answerable to his labour with vs if we set before our eyes our talents our accounts Gods trauels together with his â—auourâ— spirituall and temporall wil not all these bind vs to fruitfulnesse 2. If we consider our time we shall confesse it more then time to yeild vp our fruits our Master hath suffred vs our first yeare already yea our second nay we are in our third yeare or rather beyond our third score of yeares if this be not the yeare of our fruit can we look to stand longer not be stocked vp Furthermore this is our summer our Autumne neuer had our fathers before vs such a season so fitted to fruitfulnesse as this our day is euen the day of our visitation Oh let vs therefore consider how much time we haue alreadie lost and how little remaineth behind and this cannot but be as loude voice in our eares vnto fruitfulnesse 3. Heauenly wisedome which is from aboue is full of good fruits which if it haue taken vp our hearts will bewray it selfe in loue in ioy peace long suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meekenesse temperance and such like and as naturally we reioyce to see euerie thing about vs fruitfull our fields our cattell our orchyards euen so this supernaturall wisedome would make it the delight of our soules to see our hearts and liues laden with the best fruits 4. The barren condition hath little comfort in it and the danger of vnfruitfulnes is verie great For Gods fearefull displeasure disburdeneth it selfe and seaseth on such persons by sundrie degrees 1. The Lord reiecteth them for if the Lords labour be not answered he will pull downe the fence breake downe the wall leaue his owne vineyard to wast owne it who will and what can be more fearefull then for a man to be left by God to become a lodge for deuills and lusts and wasting sinnes which yet is the state of many a man who is vtterly vnfeeling and sensles of it 2. Degree of Gods curse on such fruitlesse branches is the withering which presently followeth their casting forth and this the Lord bringeth on them two wayes sometimes by remoouing meanes of fruitfulnesse and so hauing laid his vineyard wast hee threatneth in the next place that the clouds should not raine vpon it Isa. 5.6 And sometimes by blowing vpon the gifts he had giuen he shall loose his sappe and greennes he once had the vnprofitable seruant after conuiction must haue his talent taken from him and this curse is so eminent vpon many men that comparing them with themselues not long since a man may say as the disciples of the figge tree against which the curse was passed from the mouth of Christ how soone is the figge tree withered 3. An other degree is that no meanes shall be able henceforth to doe such a person any good but the curse being passed against him this is one branch of it that he shall be like the heath in the wildernes which shall not see when any good commeth Now the heath it hath good comming vpon it the raine falleth the sun shineth the spring and summer season returneth vpon it but it seeth none of this good but remaineth a drie and parched heath still euen so is it with a barren soule which God hath begunne to curse the raine the sunne the season the word Sacraments dayes of grace Iesuâ— Christ himselfe doe him no good he sees no good towards him in all those nay the word iudgeth him the Sacraments are poyson vnto him and Christ himselfe is a rocke of offence to him on whom he breaketh the necke of his soule Hence was it that after the Lord had reiected his vineyard he sends his Prophet with his word among them but to what ende Goe make the heart of this people fat and their eares heauie and shut their eies least they see with their eies and heare with their eares and vnderstand with their hearts and conuert and I heale them so as the good meanes of saluation doe such persons no good And let no man thinke that this message onely concerned the Iewes for it is repeated sixe times in the newe Testament that we should not slightly passe it ouer but feare the like iudgement if we be found in the like sinne 4. After all these commeth the heauie sentence vnto which by all these this sinner hath beene prepared Cut him downe bring now the axe for the pruning knife hath done him no good hewe him downe by death from the ministerie vnder which he hath beene so long fruitlesse bind him hand and foote make a faggot of him and cast him into hel fire cast I say that vnprofitable seruant into vtter darkenesse there shall be wayling and gnashing of teeth and this is the wofull hire of vnfruitfulnesse The third point is the hindrances of this fruitfulnesse the cheefe of which are these 1. superfluitie of lusts and inordinate desires which are as dead branches and therefore must be lopped off before fruit can be expected the deniall of a mans selfe so farre as corrupt is the first lesson in Christianitie 2. The vnfitnesse of the soyle as if it be stonie or neere vnto a rocke where it cannot take deepe roots the hard and stonie heart suffereth not any good seed to take roote and much lesse rise vp to fruite Or if the soyle be a drie ground on which the raine falls not or an hie and hillie ground on which the raine staieth not so the haughtie and proud heart shutteth off the raine as fast as it commeth it moisteneth the crust and outside a little but it staieth not to get within it to prepare it to fruitfulnesse Or if the ground be shaded that the sunne cannot or seldome looke vpon it if the minde and affections
godly Ministers lade them with reproaches Pag. 419 Euery Christians care must be to stoppe the mouthes of the wicked Pag. 421 Seruants ought to be subiect to their masters 423 Theft of seruants neuer so coloured is condemned Pag. 429 Seruants are bound to shewe all good faithfulnesse Pag. 431 The meanest Christian may and must bring glorie to the Gospel Pag. 433 The Gospel is the doctrine of Gods grace Pag. 437 The doctrine of the Gospel is a sauing doctrine Pag. 440 The Gospel is a bright shining light Pag. 446 The Gospel is a schoolemaster as well as the Lawe Pag. 453 The doctrine of grace truely receiued teacheth to denie all vngodlinesse Pag. 458 A Christian must denie all lusts whatsoeuer may seeme to plead for them Pag. 463 The doctrine of grace teacheth both to eschewe euill and doe good Pag. 465 The Gospel looketh for some answearable return for the saluation it bringeth Pag. 467 The doctrine of the Gospel teacheth sobrietie of life wherein it standeth and rules of practise Pag. 468 The Gospel calleth for iust and righteous dealing at professors hands Pag. 471 The Gospel inioyneth a godly life the proper work of piety rules of practise Pag. 473 Godlinesse must be exercised in this present world Pag. 478 The Gospel receiued in truth lifteth vp the heart to wait for Christ his second appearing Pag. 482 The expectation of Christ his second comming is a notable meanes to prouoke to Christian duties Pag. 491 Christ his glorie shal shine out in ful brightnesse at his second appearing Pag. 494 Wee ought neuer to speake of God but in a weighie matter and reuerent manner Pag. 496 Christ gaue himselfe for his Church but not for euery particular man Pag. 505 Before Christ redeemed vs we were miserable slaues vnder sinne and death Pag. 511 The Sonne of God hauing once set vs free great is our freedome Pag. 514 Redemption and sanctification are inseperable companions Pag. 517 The members of the Church are Gods peculiar people Pag. 523 The worker must be good before any worke can be so Pag. 527 Iustified persons must needes bring forth good workes Pag. 527 The thing that God requireth in euery professour is zeale in weldoing Pag. 529 All proofes and reproofes must be fetched from the Scriptures Pag. 534 The word of God must be so handled as that the authoritie of it be preserued Pag. 535 To despise Gods Ministers is a grieuous sin Pag. 537 The doctrine of subiection to Magistracie must be often enforced and why Pag. 539 The scope of the Ministerie is to put men and keepe them in remembrance of Christian duties Pag. 540 The memorie ought to be taken vp with godly instructions learned in the Ministrie Pag. 541 Christianitie consumeth not Magistracie but confirmeth it Pag. 544 Euery soule must be subiect to the higher powers Pag. 548 Euery Christian must make account that euery Christian dutie belongeth vnto him Pag. 559 Euery man ought to preserue in himselfe a readinesse to euery good worke Pag. 563 The word condemneth as well vnbridled speaches as disordered actions Pag. 566 Euill speaking is a most hatefull sinne in Christians Pag. 568 A Christian may not be a common barrater Pag. 574 Christian equitie is a beautifull grace in Christians Pag. 579 Christian meekenes beseemeth euery Christian Pag. 584 The consideration of our common condition is a notable ground of meekenes Pag. 588 Whosoeuer is called vnto the faith hath experience of a change in himselfe Pag. 591 The whole course of an vnconuerted man is an vnwise walking Pag. 596 A marke of a man out of Christ is to resist and reason against the word Pag. 599 Before men bee brought to Christ their whole life is but a wandring from God Pag. 601 The spirit that is in man lusteth after envie Pag. 617 Then are wee saued when wee are sanctified Pag. 627 Before the Lord put forth his loue in Christ it could not bee reached of man nor angel Pag. 632 Workes of righteousnesse are excluded from iustifying vs before God Pag. 635 The Lord in baptisme not onely offereth or signifieth but truely exhibiteth grace Pag. 639 All the inward grace of baptisme is from the Holy Ghost Pag. 650 God in sauing men reneweth them to his owne image Pag. 655 The graces of the spirit are plentifully powred out vpon vs in the new Testament as not of a full mercie Pag. 660 Christ our Lord the onely fountaine of all our welfare Pag. 664 The righteousnesse of a sinner before God is not any qualitie in the beleeuer Pag. 669 The honour of the Saints is that they are heires of life eternall Pag. 674 All truthes must bee deliuered but some more stood vpon and vrged then other Pag. 680 A good worke cannot come but from a good man Pag. 684 Professors of the Gospel must be the first and forwardest in euerie good work Pag. 686 Doctrine must bee true and truely dealt withall Pag. 689 Sathan seeketh to corrupt the purest Churches by bringing in needelesse questions Pag. 696 There haue beene alwaies are and shall be heretikes in the Church of God Pag. 703 Euen heretikes and enemies of the Church must bee louingly dealt with by the Church Pag. 706 It is dangerous for the Churches to be left destitute of their teachers though for a short time Pag. 726 The Lord maketh good vse of the most wicked consciences Pag. 723 Christianitie enioyneth all kind of ciuill curtesie Pag. 731 Such as are in the Lords work must be carfully prouided for that they lacke nothing Pag. 732 Christianitie is no barren or fruit lesse profâ—ssion Pag. 739 Religion is the strongest binder of man to man Pag. 748 OTHER PROFITABLE NOTES which besides illustration of Doctrines lie either in the explication of the sence or in application of the vses RVles to be obserued in changing of mens names in number three 4 Cases in which a man may forbeare to set his name to his writings 3. 5 Reasons to stirre vp ministers to diligence 5. 7 Reasons to stirre them vp to faithfulnesse 4. 7 Comforts for ministers in their seruice 4. 8 Priviledges of the Apostle aboue the ordinarie Pastor 3. 9 Men may be called elect of God 3. waies 11 Difference of sauing faith from all other 3. 14 Truth of faith discerned by 4. notes 15 Gospel called Truth for three reasons 18 Notes shewing the heart drawn vpward towards heauen 3. 26 Infallible properties of Christian hope 8. 28 Reasons why we must freely loue our brethren 4. 41 The doctrine of the Gospel called the common faith for 5. reasons 58 Duties to spirituall fathers 5. 61 Differences of the Apostolicall faith from the Romish Apostaticall 4. 63 Letters testimoniall not rashly to be giuen for foure reasons 65 The first person called father for 3 reasons 68 Christ called Lord for 4 causes 68 Men are called Sauiours 3. waies 69 The wickeds peace crazy in 3. respects 73 The power of the Magistrate and Minister doe differ in