saith he Matth. 11. 19. yea he was wont to take the benefit of Gods creatures not of such onely as serue for mans necessity but of such also as God hath giuen vs for our delight It was noted of him by his carping enemies that he was wont to drinke wine Luke 7. 34. And it is said of him twice that he suffered his feet to be annointed with very precious oyntment Luke 7. 38. and Iohn 12. 3. 5. neither refused he to goe to feasts when he was bidden no not vpon the Sabbath day Luke 14. 1. And for his Disciples we know there was offence taken at him because he did not teach them to fast Luke 5. 33. Why then doth he forbeare his meate at this time surely because he would not let slip a notable occasion and opportunity of winning soules to God which he knew was now to be offered vnto him Hee had another matter in hand which he calls his meat which he did as earnestly desire as any hungry man can desire meat and which he knew would delight refresh and comfort him as much as any meat can doe him that stands most in need of it and that was to winne and conuert soules vnto God Why but may some say he might haue eaten somewhat in the meane while in the space wherein the woman was going to fetch her neighbours and they in comming out of the City vnto him So that his eating of somewhat need haue beene no hinderance to that good worke he so much desired to do but a furtherance rather vnto it I answer it is true he might haue done so but his heart was so taken vp either in secret prayer to God for them or in meditation of that he was to teach them when they should come or with the ioyfull expectation of their comming and of the good he knew he should haue occasion to doe as it made him quite to forget all hunger and thirst Now that we may receiue our instruction from this notable example of our Sauiours zeale which is here set forth for our imitation let vs obserue these three points in it 1. That he is so carefull to take the occasion and opportunity that is here offered of inlarging his Fathers Kingdome that though he was hungry he neglects his meat for it 2. That he calls this his meate to doe the will of his Father in instructing and conuerting of men 3. That though he had time to eate without any hinderance vnto that worke yet the care he had of this businesse and ioy he conceiued in the expectation of the good hee was to doe made him forget his hunger And from hence this Doctrine will arise for our instruction That he that will be a true Disciple of Christ must be zealous in the Lords businesse zealous in seruing God and seeking to honour him It is not sufficient to a mans comfort that he hath professed the truth serued God in his calling done the duties God hath required of him vnlesse he haue done it with a zealous heart and earnest affection This is required of vs that would approoue our selues to God in preaching of his Word Apollos is commended for this Acts 18. 25. that being feruent in the spirit hee taught diligently the things of the Lord This is required in them that heare the Word Luke 24. 32. Did not our hearts burne within vs when hee opened to vs the Scriptures This is required of them that would pray with comfort Iames 5. 16. The effectuall feruent prayer of a righteous man auaileth much This is required in euery part of that seruice that we doe vnto God we must be Rom. 12. 11. Feruent in spirit seruing the Lord. Yea this is in generall required of vs in our whole profession and practise of Religion Tit. 2. 14 Christ gaue himselfe for vs to purifie to himselfe a peculiar people zealous of good workes Therefore it is noted to the praise of Iehosaphat that hee lift vp his heart to the waies of the Lord 2. Chron. 17. 6. And of Hezechia it is said that in all the workes he began for the seruice of the house of God to seeke his god hee did it with all his heart and prospered 2. Chron. 31. 31. And of Iosiah that he turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soule and with all his might 2. King 23. 25. They maintained and held out the profession and practise of Gods pure Religion with great zeale and earnestnesse of affection The Reasons and grounds of the Doctrine are principally three 1. Euery one that lookes to be saued by Christ must be a follower of Christ He that saith he abideth in him saith the Apostle 1. Iohn 2. 6. must himselfe walke also euen as he walked The best euidence that we can haue that we remaine in him is when we are conformed vnto his example and by his spirit made like vnto him 2. The Lord cannot abide such as serue him without zeale This is plaine by that speech of Christ to the Laodiceans Reu. 3. 16. 1. He professeth that he liketh not so ill of him that is cold that is an Idolater or a worldling a man of no Religion as he doth of the Christian that is lukewarme 2. That he will spue such a one out of his mouth yea he threatneth the Church of Ephesus that because she had lost her first loue her zeale that once she had he would come against her shortly and remooue her candlesticke if she did not repent and amend this fault Reu. 2. 5. 3. The Spirit of God is said to be like vnto fire in all them that haue receiued it and from thence comes that speech quench not the spirit 1. Thess. 5. 19. And all that are regenerated by the Spirit of Christ are said to be baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire Matth. 3. 11. and where fire is there must needes be some heate The Vse of this Doctrine is 1. To conuince a great error in iudgement that is common in the world We see this is held as a perfect definition of a good Protestant that he is a man found in iudgement and in the knowledge of the truth but not forward nor zealous either in the profession or practise of it yea it is counted the wisedome of a Christian and euen of a Minister too to be a moderate man in Religion not forward nor hot nor zealous in it Whereas we haue heard that such as are regenerate and haue Gods Spirit cannot be without this heate and zeale 2. That in Gods account neither Papist nor Turke is in so bad an estate in some respect as the Gospeller is that is void of zeale 3. That God hath threatned to depriue them of the Gospell that professe it without zealous loue vnto it 2. To exhort vs to examine our selues well whether there be any true zeale in vs yea or no that if we want it we may be humbled and seeke
minded and dare say nothing for God hath enioyned them silence and forbidden them to meddle with thee therefore they can say nothing therefore they dare say nothing Thou art a priuiledged person I tell thee and I dare say thou gloriest much in it But thou wilt finde it a wofull priuiledge one day Cain had such a priuiledge and protection Gen. 4. 15. God forbad all men to kill him or to touch him because he would haue him to be spectacle of his wrath vnto men And thou hast a priuiledge too God hath forbidden all men to rebuke thee to speake of good things in thy presence that thou maist goe on and fill vp the measure of thy sinne to such as thou art the Lord himselfe speaketh in this manner Reioyce O young man in thy youth and let thy heart cheere thee in the daies of thy youth and walke in the waies of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes Eccles. 11. 9. If thou hadst so much grace as to iudge rightly of this thy priuiledge thou wouldst take small pride in it but pray rather that thou maist so liue as no godly man may be vnwilling or affraid to reproue thee according as Dauid a great King did Let the righteous smite me said he it shall be a kindnesse and let him reprooue me it shall be an excellent oile Psal. 141. 5. But you must obserue that when our Sauiour Christ was thus silent he stood as a priuate person In his publike ministry he spake good things and taught the will of God neuerthelesse freely and boldly though the Pharisees and other wicked men were present when he taught And by his example we are taught that we should not be daunted nor discouraged in our ministry by the presence of any wicked man whatsoeuer he be but we should do our work faithfully and chearefully whatsoeuer our hearers be For first though any come to heare vs with neuer so bad a minde God can and doth oft catch him and change his minde as he did the officers whom the Pharisees had sent to apprehend Christ Iohn 7. 45 46. and that vnbeleeuer 1. Cor. 14. 25. Secondly and though he doe not so yet our labour shall not be lost vpon them no not vpon the carpers the scorners that heare vs for they shall one day know there hath beene a Prophet amongst them Ezek. 33. 33. yet though this be an infirmity in a Minister to doe his worke heauily amongst such as he seeth no hope to do good vpon yet it is such an infirmity as the best of Gods seruants haue beene subiect to they haue beene apt to receiue great discouragement in their ministry by a bad auditory When God had made knowne vnto Ezekiel what a bad auditory he should preach vnto Ezek. 2. 3 â—…5 They are impudent children and stiffe-hearted surely they will not heare thee neither will they cease for they are a rebellions house it is said Chap. 3. 14. He went to preach to them in much bitternesse and griefe of spirit but saith he the hand of the Lord was strong vpon me that is to say Else I had neuer gone It may seeme by that speech that Iohn Baptist vsed when he saw many of the Pharisees and Saduces come to heare him O generation of vipers who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come Matth. 3. 7. that he was neuer a whit proud of such hearers No more surely are any of vs now to see notorious drunkards or whoremongers or blasphemers or prophane fooles that scorne all goodnesse come to hearâ—…e vs. On the contrary side when we haue such a people to heare vs as shew by their constancy and chearefulnesse in hearing and by their conuersation also that they are such whose hearts God hath prepared to receiue and obey his truth it doth vs good to preach to such a people be they neuer so learned this giues heart and cheerefulnesse to vs in our ministry and euen set an edge vpon our gifts and makes vs do our worke with more freedome of spirit and with a larger heart than otherwise we should The zeale and feruency which people shew in hearing doth euen warme their Minister and make him more zealous The Apostles had excellent gifts you know and yet the goodnesse of their audience did euen mend their gifts Though they had receiued commission to preach to all Nations Matth. 28. 19. yet they were at first vnwilling to goe to the Gentiles How did God encourage them Surely by making knowne the forwardnesse and readinesse of the Gentiles to receiue the Gospell Before Paul preached to the Gentiles at Antioch they besought him to doe it the whole city came together to heare the Word of God and vpon their first hearing of the Word they shewed much gladnesse when they heard that God had allowed his Word to be preached to the Gentiles and commanded it also yea they glorifyed the Word of the Lord Acts 13. 42. 44. 48. This made Paul so zealous and forward to goe to Macedonia he saw in a vision a man of Macedonia that prayed him saying come ouer into Macedonia and helpe vs Acts 16. 9. That made him shew such a zealous desire to goe and preach to the Romanes because they were so good a people Rom. 〈◊〉 8. 10. Yea our blessed Sauiour himselfe receiued as it were some helpe and increase of gifts by the forwardnesse and zeale of his hearers seeing the multitudes that flocked so to heare him he went vp into a mountaine that they might the better heare him and be opened his mouth set and bent himself to speake so as they might heare and vnderstand him and taught them Mat. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What made him deny so much time to himselfe from preaching as might serue euen for his necessary repast both at this time and also Mar. 3. insomuch as his kinsfolke euen thought him mad for it Mar. 3. 21. Surely the zeale of the people and their great desire to heare the multitude commeth together againe so as they could not so much as eate bread Mar. 3. 20. And if the Apostles and Christ himselfe had euen neede or at least receiued good by this helpe how much more may we The Reasons of this Doctrine are two 1. The faithfull Minister hath no ioy comparable to this when he seeth the forwardnesse of Gods people in receiuing and obeying the truth Iohn the Baptist reioyced to see his hearers flocke after Christ. Iohn 3. 29. The friend of the Bridegroome reioyceth greatly because of the Bridegroomes voice that is that the Bridegroomes voice is so well accepted that he findes so good entertainement with the Bride 2. The more zealous and prepared the audience is the better assistance of his Spirit God is wont to giue to his seruants As it is with thy prayer the better thy heart is prepared to pray the more comfortable and fruitfull shall thy prayer be when he prepares our hearts then will he cause his eare to heare
haue an eye to and watch our hearts well they will be rouing And as this is needfull in all our prayers so especially in prescript and set formes of prayer which we haue oft accustomed our selues vnto 2. To set our selues as in Gods presence and bring our hearts to a reuerent feare of Gods Maiesty before whom we appeare Serue the Lord with feare Psal. 2. 11. in thy feare will I worship toward thine holy temple Psal. 5. 7. The second sort of hypocrites that do not worship God in spirit and truth are they that vse Gods worship or any part of it as a matter of ceremony and formality onely and neuer seeke in it the edification of the spirit and conscience 1. That Preacher is but an hypocrite that seeketh not so to preach as his preaching may haue power in the hearts of his hearers I will know not the speach of them that are puffed vp but the power For the kingdome of God is not in word but in power 1. Cor. 4. 19 20. And he maketh this a note of an able Minister of the Gospell when he is the Minister of the spirit 2. Cor. 3. 6. It is that we should seeke to see Gods seale vpon our Ministry in the hearts of our hearers The seale of mine Apostleship are yee in the Lord yea he saith this was his maine answer and defence to them that examined him and questioned his Ministry 1. Cor. 9. 2. 3. We had therefore need not onely to preach but to teach such Doctrine as is profitable and which particularly concerneth and is of vse to those we teach this was Pauls direction to Titus to teach and stand vpon those things in his Ministry that were good and profitable vnto men Tit. 3. 8. neither onely to teach but to vse application also Preach the Word reproue or conuince rebuke exhort 2. Tim. 4. 2. 2. Those Christians also are no better then hypocrites who so they haue a forme of Gods seruice neuer care whether it edifie their conscience or no. Such are they as rest content with a dumbe Ministry for what power feele they in it Such also are they as heare good Preachers and praise them but neuer examine what profit they receiue in their conscience by them When you praise a good Preacher whose Ministry you frequent with your tongue your life and vnreformed course doth disgrace him Those hearers only praise their teachers indeed that haue profited in reformation of heart and life by their Ministry in whose hearts the spirit of God hath written that of their Ministers commendation as may be read of all men 2. Cor. 3. 2. 3. The third sort of hypocrites that worship not God in spirit and truth are they that will be deuout in the exercises of Religion and zealous in profession Make a shew of godlinesse but deny the power of it 2. Tim. 3. 5. True Religion where it is receiued will command the heart and the whole man Let a man professe what he will if his heart and life be not reformed he is an hypocrite and whatsoeuer worship he doth to God is but a false worship We know that God heareth not sinners but if any man be a worshipper of God and doth his will him he heareth Iohn 9. 31. yea the very seruice he doth to God doth but increase Gods wrath against him either amend thy life or giue ouer seruing of God THE THREE AND FORTIETH LECTVRE ON FEBRVARY XXVII MDCIX IOH. IIII. XXV XXVI The Woman saith vnto him I know that Messiah commeth which is called Christ when hee is come hee will tell vs all things Iesus saith vnto her I that speake vnto thee am he THese words containe the conclusion of that conference that was betweene our Sauiour and the Woman of Samaria In the interpretation of the words for the helpe of your memory these fiue questions are distinctly to be opened and resolued Whom meaneth shee here by Messias seeing it is plaine shee vseth this word as the proper name of some person I answer it is euident by the words following that she meaneth the same person that is called Christ. For as our blessed Sauiour being promised to the Church from the beginning of the world was described and made knowne to them both by his natures specially his humane nature I will put enmity betweene thy seed and her seed it shall bruise thy head Gen. 3. 15. And Gen. 22. 18. In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed and by those offices he should exercise and whereby he should procure the saluation of his people viz. 1. His Propheticall office I will raise them vp a Prophet from among their brethren like vnto thee Deut. 18. 18. His Priesthood He shall be a Priest vpon his throne Zach. 6. 13. His Kingly office Reioyce greatly O daughter of Zion shout O daughter of Ierusalem behold thy King commeth vnto thee Zach. 9. 9. and by the place where he should be borne But thou Bethlehem Ephratah though thou be little among the thousands of Iudah yet out of thee shall hee come forth vnto me that is to be ruler in Israel whose goings forth haue beene from old from euerlasting Mic. 5. 2. So had he three proper names in the Old Testament giuen him 1. One in respect of his two natures hypostatically vnited in one person Esay 7. 14. He shall call his name Immanuel 2. Another in respect of the obscure place of his education Zach. 6. 12. Behold the man whose name is the Branch 3. A third in respect of his office Dan. 9. 25. Messiah the Prince Now of all the names whereby our Sauiour was described in the Old Testament this name was the most famous among the Iewes When Herod gathered together all the chiefe Priests and the Scribes to resolue him in the question that the Wise men came to Ierusalem to mooue he asked them where Messias should be borne Matth. 2. 4. For though the Euangelist writing in Greeke vse the word Christ in that place yet it is certaine that he in his language vsed the word Messiah So Iohn 1. 41. We haue found the Messias saith Andrew to his brother Simon Now this Hebrew name Messiah and the Greeke name Christ doe in our language signifie the annointed one and we shall finde it was giuen to sundry others in the holy Scripture for the Kings of Gods people were called the Lords annointed 2. Sam. 19. 21. and so were the Priests Leu. 10. 7. and so were the Prophets Psal. 105. 15. Because euery one of these were by the ceremony of annointing as by a Sacramentall signe assured from the Lord that he would inwardly annoint them that is endue them with such graces of his holy spirit as whereby they might be enabled to discharge those offices that he called them vnto yet was this name of Messiah Christ the annointed of the Lord made a proper name onely vnto our blessed Sauiour 1. Because all those Kings
To the naturall man indeede they are obscure the naturall man receiueth not the things of the spirit of God 1. Cor. 2. 14. 2. But in themselues they are plaine and cleare to them whose eyes God hath opened the entrance into thy Word giueth light it giueth vnderstanding vnto the simple Psal. 119. 130. 3. God hath promised to teach all his Elect and to giue them his Spirit to open their mindes that they may vnderstand the Scriptures in those points the knowledge whereof is necessary to their saluation they shall be all taught of God Ioh. 6. 45. Seeing all are bound to seeke for certainety in the matters of their Religion we are all to be Exhorted First That we would in these matters not rest vpon the credit of any man but seeke to ground our consciences vpon the Word of God else will we be found in the day of tentation no better than the foolish man that built vpon the sand Matth. 7. 26. Secondly That we would labour to bring good and honest hearts to the reading and hearing of the Word because to such onely the promise is made that God by his Spirit will instruct them What man is hee that feareth the Lord him shall hee teach in the way that he shall choose Psalme 25. 12. Followeth now the fruit and effect whereby they testified their Faith Viz. the open profession they make of it to the Woman that first drew them to Christ which teacheth vs this Doctrine That he that hath true Faith will be ready to make profession of it when occasion shall be offered with the heart man belieueth vnto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made vnto saluation Rom. 10. 10. Wee hauing the same spirit of faith according as it is written I beleeued and therefore haue I spoken we also beleeue and therefore speake 2. Cor. 4. 13. God sets vp the light of his grace in no mans heart for his owne priuate vse onely but that it might giue light vnto others men light not a candle and put it vnder a bushell but on a candlesticke and it giueth light euen to all that are in the house Matth. 5. 15. 1. To reprooue the Nicodemites of our time such as pretend to haue Faith and to haue receiued the loue of Gods truth and yet are ashamed or affraid to make profession of it among such as will hate or scorne them for it such I would wish to meditate of these two places Iob 6. 10. Then should I yet haue comfort yea I would harden my selfe in sorrow let him not spare for I haue not concealed the words of the holy One. And Matth. 10. 32 33. Whosoeuer shall confesse mee before men him will I confesse also before my Father which is in Heauen but whosoeuer shall deny me before men him will I also deny before my Father which is in Heauen 2. To reprooue the Hypocrites who will pretend to haue grace and yet no man of iudgement that conuerseth with them is able to discerne it eyther in their words or deeds One principall way whereby we are to make profession of our Religion is a holy life Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heauen Matth. 5. 16. A verball profession without this is little worth THE SEVENTIE SEVEN LECTVRE ON IANVARY XV. MDCX. IOH. IIII. XLIII XLIIII XLV Now after two dayes he departed thence and went into Galile For Iesus himselfe testified that a Prophet hath no honour in his owne Country Then when he was come into Galile the Galileans receiued him hauing seene all the things that he did at Ierusalem at the Feast for they also went vnto the Feast THe last day we finished the History of that speech that our Sauiour had with the woman of Samaria and of the great good that came of it both vnto her selfe and vnto her neighbours it followeth now that we proceed vnto the History of his going into Galile the place which it pleased him to make choice of for the exercise of the greatest part of his Ministry and to spend most of his time in This History was begun in the three first verses of this Chapter and hath beene hitherto interrupted and discontinued by a long relation of that which fell out in the way These three Verses which I haue now read doe summarily set downe our Sauiours returne into Galile But before we come to the diuision of the Text and the handling of the seuerall parts of it one doubt and difficulty is to be remoued to make our way plaine vnto the Doctrine that is to be deliuered from it For it may be demanded whether Galile were not his owne Country and if it were what sense is there in this reason He went into Galile because a Prophet hath no honour in his owne Country To this I answer that though Christ were brought vp in the Prouince and Country of Galile for Nazaret was a city in Galile Marke 1. 9. in which respect also hee was sometimes called Iesus the Galilean Matth. 26. 69. yet in this place by his owne Countrey is meant Nazaret as it is also called Matth. 13. 54. Luk. 4. 23. because though he was not borne there but at Bethlehem in Iuda yet Nazaret was the towne where his parents had dwelt Luke 2. 39. and wherein he was brought vp and had liued by the space of thirty yeares Luke 4. 16. In which respect also the Iewes were wont to call him Iesus of Nazaret Matth. 21. 11. Luke 24. 19. Yea it was necessary he should be brought vp there because of that Prophesie that had beene made of him Matth. 2. 23. Hee came and dwelt in a City called Nazaret that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophets He shall be called a Nazaren So that the words that I haue now read are as if the Euangelist should haue said in plaine termes thus After two daies he departed thence and went not to Nazaret for he shund that towne of purpose but into other parts of Galile for he knew that in Nazaret his owne Country he should haue no honour his Ministry would not be regarded at all So that in these Verses that I haue now read there be foure principall points to be obserued First our Sauiours leauing and shunning of Nazaret his owne Country and going into other parts of Galile Secondly the reason why he did so because he knew he could haue no honour there Thirdly the good entertainement that he found in those parts of Galile that he went vnto When hee was come into Galile the Galileans receiued him Fourthly the cause of that good entertainement he found among them They had seene all the things that he did at Ierusalem at the Feast for they also went vnto the Feast For the first it is a thing worthy of our obseruation that our Sauiour being now to begin to preach for till after this