stand in the presence of God and for their strength incomparable or else aske Senacharibs host The pleasures of the sons of men are such as the worlde doth affoord carnall securitie worldly prosperitie fleshly delightes beastly sensualitie with pride ease fulnesse of bread and such like the pleasures of the childrē of God is such as the world can neither giue nor take as the louc of righteousnesse delight in the law of God patience in affliction loue of the saints which excell in vertue and such like The riches and treasures of the sonnes of men are golde and siluer houses and landes lordships and manners rents and reuenewes and such like which theeues may steale or mothes may eat or rust may fret or fire may consume or water may ouerflowe or time may weare or death may end but the riches and treasures of Gods children are the word of God Gods fauour forgiuenesse of sinnes freedome from hell and the diuel liberty with the saints the spirite of contentation peace of conscience continual ioy in the holy Ghost and a kingdome of glory in heauen such like which no theefe can steal no rust can fret no fire can consume no water can drowne no plague can infect no time cā weare nor death can ende The ornamēts which the children of men haue to commend them vnto the worlde they are of the worlde and such as the word doth like of as gold and siluer silkes and veluets iewels and precious stones sumptious and rich attyre beautifull faces comely bodies ripe wittes smooth toonges c. These are also bestowed vpon many of Gods children but they haue better ornaments than these Their liues are adorned with holinesse and righteousnesse with vertue and religion their bodies are attyred with chastitie and sobriety their frontlets are modestie and shamefastnesse their robes are grauitie and wisedome their bracelets are mercie and compassion their wordes are the wordes of grace their lippes are the dores of knowledge and their hearts are the store-houses of vnderstanding Before the world in themselues they are blacke as though they had lodged among the pots but before the lord in Christ they are white as the Lillie and comely as the curtaines of Solomon Behold saith Solomon the beloued of Christ is faire yea behold shee is faire indeed her eyes are like the doues her haire is like the flock of goates which looke downe from the mountaines of Gilead her teeth are like a flock of sheepe in good order which go vp from the washing her lippes are like a threed of Scarlet her talke is comely her temples are within her lockes as a piece of Pomegranate her necke is as the tower of Dauid built for defence her breasts are as two young Roes which are twinnes feeding amongst the lillies She is all faire and there is no spot in her The loue of Christ hath threescore queens and of damseles without number to wait vpon her the doue of Christ is alone and vndefiled she is the only daughter of her mother and she is deere to her that bare her the daughters haue seene and coumpted her blessed yea euen the queenes and concubines haue seene her and they haue praised her shee looketh foorth as the morning faire as the moon pure as the sunne and terrible as an armie with banners The rich Iewels of Gods children are sweete fruites of the holyghost as loue ioy peace long suffering meekenesse patience temperance c. for the spirit of God is in them which is a spirit of knowledge and vnderstanding a spirit of councell and courage and a spirit of the feare of the Lord by which they are led as by the hand of God by it they stand as by the staffe of God by it they are instructed as by the mouth of God and by it they are corrected as by the rod of God For want wherof the sonnes of men are most miserable when they seem to be most happy their aboundance seemeth nothing their libertie is bondage their peace is warre their rest is sorrowe their health is sicknes and their life is death Their laughter is but from the teeth outward Their feasts are like the feasts of Balthasar and their honour is like the honour of Haman They feare any thing but not sinne they loue any thing sauing God they ioye in euery thing so it be not goodnesse like the swine which had rather wallow in the stinking puddles of mire than in a sweete bed of Roses They sleep as a drunken man in the top of ship mast in a mightie storme in the midst of the sea their head is fraught with aboundance of care and their hearte with continuall feare Their foes they hate their friendes they suspect they trust no body they haue no ioy of any thing they possesse they are a burden to thēselues their whole life is vanitie and vexation of spirit when sicknes cōmeth they lye like blocks they rore like Bulles and they die like beastes and as they serued the Deuill all their life time so they looke euery houre when they shall goe to hell But the children of God are most happie when they seeme to be most miserable Their peny seemeth a pound their pound seemeth a 100 pound In want they haue aboundance in prison they find libertie in sicknes they haue health in warre peace in labour rest in sorrow ioy in death life and after death they possesse the kingdome of heauen The reason is this where the spirite of God is there is perfect libertie where a good conscience is there is a continuall feast and where the light of Gods countenaunce doth shine there is more ioye of heart than when corne and wine and oyle is encreased Can the children of the wedding fast while the Bride-grome is with them And can the children of God miscarrie while God their father is by them The loue of earthly fathers is transitorie and vncertaine like the loue of Saul to Dauid but whom the Lord loueth he loueth for euer Worldly fathers do many times repent them of that which they bestow vpon their children but the gifts and calling of the Lord are without repentance But what do I goe about to set forth the hid honours the excellent state and the great priuiledges of the children of God which are giuen and bestowed not according to the basenes of our heartes and affections but according to the worthinesse and honour of his maiesty that adopteth Verely all that can be said of them is but a tast of them and when we haue done we are to beginne againe if we had the time of another world and the tongues of men and Angels to helpe vs. For who can measure the sea with aspoone who can put the cloudes into a bottell who can gather the windes in his fist who can number the sandes by the sea shore or who can reach the depth of the
kings paie without his fauour and what good shall the goodes of his subiectes doe him without their heartes and good will This knew the old counsellers of Salomon well inough and therefore when Rehoboam who succeeded Salomon asked them what course he should take to winne the heartes of the people they gaue him counsell to speak kindly vnto them at the first and they would be his seruantes for euer meaning that some token of loue or shewe of a kind affection towardes them would more preuaile with them than any thing els Shall the hope of Rehoboams loue make his subiects serue him for euer and shall not the assurance of Gods loue make vs serue him for euer Shall the kind words of Rehoboam the king of Ifrael win the heartes of his people for euer and shal not the kind wordes of Iehouah the king of heauen and earth win the hearts of his people for euer and for euer vnto himselfe besides that Rehoboam had neede to speake kindly to his subiects or els it is the worse for himselfe Iehouah needeth not to speake so for if we neuer loue him it is not the worse for him but for our selues yea if we be righteous we are righteous for our selues and if we all perish God wil not loose a whit of his glory shall we not then listen vnto the Lord when he speaketh so kindly vnto vs and hath displayed the flagge of Truce with My sonne the badge of loue vpon it When God commaunded Abraham to sacrifice his sonne Isaac he was ready to do it So deare was the loue of God vnto him but if all the world besides had persuaded him therevnto he would neuer haue yeelded God doth not commaund vs to sacrifice our sonnes but our sinnes least they sacrifice vs now if we thinke our selues as much beholding to God as Abraham was we wil not spare them though they be as necessarie for vs as our right hand or as profitable vnto vs as our right eye If Iudas had been the child of God as he was the child of perdition would he haue sold the loue of Christ for 30 pieces of siluer no nor yet for 30 thousande worldes but so it is with all Hipocrites and reprobate persons which are best knowne to the searcher of hearts They cannot be persuaded that God is their father in Christ their spirites are not assured by Gods spirit that God doth loue them They conceiue of the Lord as of their enemie and therefore as they could neuer feele the sweetenesse of Gods loue in their soules so they can neuer afford him their loue in their liues Whervpon it commeth to passe that the least temptation in the world the least feare of mans displeasure and the least shew of pleasure and profit doe easily persuade them to doe any thing against god against his glory against his word and against his feruantes as Baalam did who serued for the wages of iniquitie But the faithfull indeed hearing God calling them his sonnes and his daughters hauing the spirit of sanctification to assure them of their adoption they I say do fall into the reckoning of Gods vnspeakable loue in Christ vnto them howbeit not all at one time nor alwaies alike he that is not now may be hereafter but when they consider of it indeed they do therewithall resolue with themselues in token of thankfullnesse to serue the Lord in righteousnesse and true holines all the daies of their life yet still depēding vpon God by prayer and herein through Gods grace they are resolute whatsoeuer dislike of men or hinderance in the world or daunger to their owne liues they might purchase for their labor And thus wee see what an Orator the loue of God is Therfore when the Lord saith My son let vs looke for no more eloquēce to entice vs nor reasons to persuade vs for heare is eloquence inough reasons inow and learning inough and fathers inow to persuade any man that hath the spirit of God in him and whosoeuer doth not find the cords of Gods loue and authoritie strong inough to knit his hearte vnto the statutes of the Lord he hath good cause to suspect himselfe as yet that he is not the child of God Why My sonne in the singular number and not my sonnes NOw we will see why the Lord saith not My sonnes in the plurall number seeing as he speaketh to all his childrē but My sonne as if it concerned but onely one body This is partly for the particular encouragement and confirmation of euery one in his duety and partly for the particular comfort of euery one of Gods children when he shall be troubled for doing of his duety for when the Lord in particular shall giue euery one his charge then if any man be offended at him he may shew his warrant and say thus Sir the Lord did not speake generally to all least one should post it off to another but he speaketh particularly to me aswell as to another and therefore I am discharged for when the Lord speaketh indefinitly meaning none he excepteth none But in this particular kind of speaking the Lord doth binde euery one of his children in particular wholy to serue him and none els so therewithall he giueth vs to vnderstand that he hath a speciall eye and fatherly care ouer euery one in particular that is his childe and will surely protect and defend him as his childe against all annoiances watsoeuer than the which there can be no greater comfort whensoeuer the crosse shall come But we will first see how they doe binde vs wholy to God and afterwarde we will see how God hath bound himselfe to vs and euery one of vs if we be all his children as I hope we be Some thinke it lawfull to serue God and the worlde too to be of this Reiiglon and of that Religion too to goe to Bethell the house of God and to Bethauen the house of Idolitrie To goe with Barnabas and Barrabas and to ioyne with Simon Magus as with Simon Peter thinking themselues sufficiently discharged if they serue God a little now and then or if they keepe their consciences to themselues and giue God their heartes like Protestantes at large which thinke they need not heare a sermon because they heard seruice or they need not come in the after noone because they came in the forenoone or like the most which think when they haue heard a sermon they are then at libertie to do what they will or like those men which will heare a Masse and worshippe the crosse at the least in other countries that they may get commodities thereby but they will keep their consciences to themselues as our church Papists doe here amongst vs but all these men are deceiued for no man can serue ij maisters Therefore my good brother when any such temptations do beginne to fawne vpon thee Remember that God doth here call euerie particular member of the church
and so louingly embraced is this he whom he saluted with such sweete kisses and teares of ioy was it for him that the fat calfe was killed and is all this feasting and reioycing for his returne as though he had neuer offended surely so it should seeme But what shall man now giue vnto God for so greate loue and fauour or how shall we shew our selues thankfull for such kindnesse vndeserued Surely this is the Lordes doing and it is wonderfull in our eyes but that our profit may encrease to the further instruction of our iudgmente and comfort of our faith we will by the grace of God set downe certain pointes to consider of and by this text to be examined First we will consider how or by what meanes we are come into this fauour with God and how we are come by the knowledge thereof Secondly we will see the exellencie of the children of God aboue other men Thirdly we will enquire what duety the children-of God do owe vnto God their heauenly father wherby they may shew themselues thankful for such fauour restored Fourthly we will consider why the Lord both here and els where vseth these wordes My sonne Last of all we will see what may bee gathered frō them as they bee the words of Solomon How we are made the sonnes of God NOw touching the First point if we be the sonnes of God then God is our father the church of god is our mother the members of the church be our bretheren and the kingdome of heauen is our inheritance This purchase the father hath bestowed vpon vs the sonne hath bought it for vs and the holy ghost hath sealed vnto vs. Of this couenant God is the author the sonne of God is the purchaser and the spirite of God is the certifier It is freely graunted it is fully discharged it is certainely assured and shall be for euer possessed This prerogatiue as it is great so the first cause thereof was the infinite loue of God in his son Iesus Christ. It is the free gift of the father so saith the sonne Feare not litle flocke it is youre fathers pleasure to giue you a kingdome It is the free gift of the sonne so saith the Lord Iesus My sheepe heare my voice and follow me and I giue vnto them eternall life It is also the gift of the Holy Ghost so saith the prophet Dauid Lord let thy good spirite lead me into the land of righteousnesse and therefore it is no way merited or purchased by our selues while we liue nor gotten by any friendes for vs when we are deade as Papists teach for nothing can be more contrary than these To haue it of our selues and to be freely giuen of God The euidence or assurance which we haue to shew for this priuiledge is Gods promise which is surely ratified in heauen by the eternall decree of the holy Trinitie as it were by an euerlasting Act of Parlement neuer to be repealed wherunto the father the word and the spirite do beare sufficient witnesse If therefore we receiue the witnesse of men the witnesse of God is greater The recordes of this charter promise are left among vs here vpon earth in the written word of God contained in the bookes of the old and new testament whereupon all the faithfull must rely as vpon their fathers last will and testament and these we are al cōmaunded to search because they beare witnesse of the loue of God in Christ to our eternal saluation Therefore if any forsake this foundation to build vpon reuellations and dreames as Anabaptistes do or vpon mens traditions as the Papists do or vpon the persuasions of their owne hearts as Atheists do what do they els but builde vppon the sands The proclaimers and publishers of high prerogatiue are pastors and teachers which are appointed to be ministers of the Gospell truly sent of God and lawfully called of Gods church whose badges are knowledge and holines whose feete are beawtifull because they bring the glad tidings of peace The seales of this charter are either outward or inward The outward seales are the Saeraments of Baptisme and the Lordes Supper duely administred according vnto Christs holy institution The inward seales are two one is the spirite of adoption which beareth witnesse to our spirits that we are the sonnes of God and sealeth vp our heartes to the day of redemption The other is a good cōscience in all thinges desiring to liue honestly whereby we know that the spirit of God is in vs. The hand by which we receiue it is faith the closet wherin we keep it is the heart and till the soule may fully possesse it she must lye at the anchor of hope and so much for the first point The excellencie pleasures and beautie of Gods Children NOw let vs take a little viewe of the commodities and benefits which belong vnto this charter and priuiledge of beeing the sonnes of God and then shall we see the excellencie and dignitie of Gods children aboue all other which be not the children of God Their excellent estate and condition doth partly appeare in the very names and titles that be giuen them in the word of God where they be called the citizens of the heauenly Ierusalem a royall priesthood a kingly generatiō the beloued of God the spowse of the lambe Christ the signet of the Lords right hand the apple of his eye the annointed of God the friendes of God the brethrenand sisters of the Lord Iesus his loue his doue and his vndefiled the bodie of Christ the Lordes vineyard his holy ones the saintes of God the seruauntes of the most high and that which passeth all the rest the sons and daughters of God Now as Dauid said when he should haue married Saules daughter Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a kinges sonne seeing that I am a poore man and of small reputation So seemeth it to any a light thing to be sonnes and daughters of God the king of all kinges seeing wee are sinfull men and of no reputation but deserued rather eternall confusion It is a great matter as it seemeth by Dauids words to be a kings son but hee that is sonne and heire to a 1000. kingdomes or 1000. worlds if it were possible cannot compare with the sons of God if they were as naked as euer Iob was or as poore as euer was Lazarus The sonnes of Princes are in great accompt with men but the children of God are in accompt with God and man The children of princes are attended vpon by noble men and garded with strong men yet both but mē whose breth is in their nostrels and their handes cannot accomplish the deuise of their heart The children of God are attended vppon by God himselfe whose eye is alwaies ouer the righteous and they are garded by the angels of God who for their swiftnesse are said to haue wings for their readinesse they are said to