word that he hath given Therfore it is a speciall meanes to keep men in the Pale of obedience when they hedge themselves in with holy resolutions I know Cardinall Bellarmine and he more remarkably then any other of the Romish Writers is very large and peremptory in declaring that that which is within the compasse of precept cannot fall within the compasse of a vow that no necessary duty can fall within the compasse of a vow But if there were not Testimony of the Saints in Scripture the Testimony of their owne Writers are sufficient evidence against it besides the truth it self Alphonsus Picus Cajetane Valencia these foure they are bold all of them to expresse themselves to be of another opinion that properly and directly that that we are tied to by the necessity of precept most properly falls within the compasse of a vow and it is most safe for one may safely vow that that he is tied to doe and the vowing and resolving of it adds a second obligation it is an awaking Therefore David took this course he bound himselfe by vow and promise and oath I have sworne that I will performe thy righteous judgements He excites himselfe by these Obligations to every duty of piety he set himselfe those Lessons of piety he tasked himselfe to such duties sometimes to repentance To thee will I confesse Sometimes to obedience I will walke in thy Commandements Sometimes to prayer At morning noone and evening I will call on thee Sometimes to thankfullnesse Seaven times in a day I will prayse thee He tasked himselfe to these duties thereby to keep and hidge in his obedience So will every Christian that he may keep himselfe in the path of Piety he will oft consider how he walks and consider his purposes and resolutions and strengthen himselfe in holy purposes it is a great meanes to arme our selves A heart will not easily be overcome with temptations that is armed with good purposes good purposes incite to Prayer and practise you take away perseverance you take away practise and performance you take away endeavour if you take away resolution Therefore if you will learne to keepe your selves in the wayes of Gods Commandements learne oft to resolve to purpose We shall tread awry when we have done the best but if there be a good purpose God takes that for performance if we arme our selves with good resolutions Let us not take this help from our selves since we come short of performance let us have endeavours and purposes This the Prophet teacheth them when they come to performe their thanks they must have purposes We will give thee Those are the two first things he minds them of in generall There are other things he minds them of in perticuler and they are these foure The first is this That Thankfullnesse is due to God for all his mercies It is due by right of Lordship because God is Lord and owner of all we have he is Lord of our life and being there is the Fountaine of all goodnesse Whither should the streames run but back to the Fountaine to the Sea sayth Bernard let the streames of thankfullnesse run back to the Head they are drawne from grace they come from God the grace of pardon and grace must returne to God the grace of thankfullnesse And it is by right of Debt his we owe it him it is a Debt to any man that doth us a courtesie no lesse requitall can be made for the least good turne then thankfullnesse yet those that they doe are small and they are tied by the bond of Charity and by the Law of God and they sin if they doe it not and those that they doe God doth by their hands he inclines them to it Then if we account it a misery if we be unthankfull to men we owe much more of this duty of thankfullnesse to God by another bond because from him we have all mercy and the choisest mercies What hand soever reacheth us a Blessing God is the Author God gives it And can we give him any thing lesse then thanks We can give him nothing else He gives it us when we give him thanks and prayse we pay him with his owne we give not his mercy back in the kind but vertually in the strength He that gives glory to God he gives the mercy back in strength But we can give nothing to God that he hath not before in a more eminent manner whether it be praise or glory or blessing or reverence or worship His name is glorious though we give it not his name is admirable he will make his glory appeare though we dishonour him But he so interprets it in mercy we are sayd to give it when we acknowledge it He is not capable of our gift but when we testifie that he hath it we are said to give it The Knee when it bowes before him worships him and the heart when it is ravished with admiration gives him reverence and the tongue when it speakes of his prayse gives him thankfullnesse if God take these as gifts at our hands that we owe and can add no addition by it we can doe no lesse then acknowledge that thankfullnesse is due to God for all his mercies That is the first thing A second thing he would teach them to acknowledge that thankfullnesse is especially due for the pardon of sin when sin is pardoned the first bud of new righteousnesse in the heart O it is thankfullnesse to God Bless the Lord O my soule and all that is within me and then followes That forgiveth all thine iniquities We owe God praise and glory for all his mercy and goodnesse but for none more then the pardon of sin for here is the Stock upon which other graces are grafted when once sin is pardoned all temporall things prove comfortable Therefore when they beg for the Pardon of sin say they We will give thee the Calves of our lips There is thankfullnesse due to God especially for spirituall mercies and of them for the grace of reconciliation the forgivenesse of sins A Christian will be methodicall in his thankfullnesse as well as in his Prayer I shewed before that devotion keeps good order it prayes for spiritualls before temporalls and against spiritualls before temporalls And thankfullnesse keeps a good order it gives thanks for the best mercies first and most Though all the mercies of God be good yet there is a difference there is a difference betweene spirituall mercies and temporall For temporall mercies Liberty is better then Wealth and life then liberty and grace then all As God hath set an order in mercies so thankfullnesse observes an order he doth not thanke God so much for temporall mercies as for pardon of sin that swallowes up the heart and takes up the whole latitude of the affections There is thankfullnesse due for establishing us in our civill Callings but more for calling us to the acknowledgement of the truth There is blessing due for keeping us
both the staine take away the corruption take away the guilt take away the defilement Take it out of thy sight that it accuse us not that it condemne us not that it destroy us not and expose us to thy judgements and take it from us too that it defile not that it corrupt not that it spread not It is as much as those two words in Psal 103. that forgives and heales and those two in two pardon and cleanse it includes both this taking away Take it away from us and take it away from thee let it have no more residence in our hearts no more appearance in thine eyes from below from above both take it away Nay yet further if we shall gather together all those phrases and forms of speech in Scripture to expresse the pardon and forgivenesse and removing of sinne all comes within the compasse of this one phrase Not to observe sin not to impute it not to remember it to remove it to cover it to pardon it to cast it behind his back to shut his eyes upon it to cast it into the bottome of the sea in a word to purifie to purge to cleanse us from it there is as much in this one word to take it away It is a word so weighty that that frivolous distinction that is used by the Church of Rome for the defence of their doctrine of satisfaction I wil not stand upon it the distinction is this that when sin is pardoned the pardon of sin it extends in part to the guilt but it doth not extend for the removall of all punishment because there is the penal part of satisfaction after to be performed in purgatorie A distinction that will not stand before this word to Take away for if there be some punishment that God exacts still sin is not taken away It is a frivolous distinction that stands not with sence for that that is taken away is not that that hath no entity hath no guilt that that hath no being obligeth not to punishment Besides it is not only in it selfe frivolous but injurious to the satisfaction of Christ as if his blessed merits and intercession were able to quench the greater fire and not to put out the lesse as if it were able to free from eternall death and not from temporall not a death but a dying Besides if God have pardoned or taken away sin for the merits of Christ then it were unjust for God to exact it A man that forgives a debt once it is unjust to demand it If God have pardoned it and if he hath taken away sinne he hath pardoned it if he have pardoned it how shall he be satisfied in punishing againe He that is gracious in pardoning will hee not be true in keeping his promise Nay he that is just in pardoning as the Apostle saith hee is just and faithfull to forgive sinne will he be unjust in exacting that punishment that he hath remitted It is true the question is not about the pouring out of temporall punishments in this life for so oft times God doth even when he hath pardoned sinne he punisheth it in his dearest servants but those are not punishments but chastisements and instructions So Davids it was not saith Saint Austin a punishment but a plaister that God laid to David to cure his sinne it was not a punishment inflicted for sinne That is not the question about punishment continuing in this life because they have not the nature of punishments But the question is about punishment properly so called after this life whether it stand with Gods justice and truth or Christs merit that there should be any part of satisfaction after God hath pardoned and taken away sin It is a doctrine that will not stand before any of those words whereby pardon of sin is set forth in Scripture In Isa 38. God saith he will cast their sins behind his backe that is a full word In Isa 44. he saith he will remove them as a cloud that is another full word In Mich. 7. he will cast them into the bottom of the Sea another full word In Jerem. 31. he saith hee will not remember them he will forget forgive them And here and in other places he will take them away Their doctrine will not endure the tryall of these places they cannot stand together For if God punish how doth he remove it and if God revenge sin how doth he cast it out of his presence how doth he forget it for to punish is not only to remember it but sharply to remember it if the paines of purgatory be so sharp as they say But if we look to the phrases see how God expresseth the contrary I will cast them Behind my backe How is that I will not looke upon them that that is behind God is not before that that is not before is not seene is not taken knowledge of God takes no knowledge of them therefore he punisheth not And so I will remove them as a cloud A cloud when the water is drawn forth of it there is no more foot-steps or appearance of it so God promised to make their sins they shall be so far from sending out vapours of provocation that they shall be as a cloud they shall vanish Again saith he I will drowne them in the bottome of the Sea It is true Gods eye pierceth to the bottome of the Sea and further he looks to hell it selfe but he speaks after the manner of men that that is at the bottome of the deep is not able to be fetched backe by any creature or by man no man can goe to the bottome of the Sea to search for any thing that is there that is laid up sure that man cannot come neare it so God will hide sin That that is in the bottome of the Sea is more safe then that that is at the bottome of the greatest mountaine for Art may dig there but Art cannot come at the bottome of the Sea even as that that is at the bottome of the Sea is taken out of mans sight so will I wipe your sinnes out of my sight Farther I will not remember them that which God covers he calls not to account for that that God remembers not he will not revenge that that God casts behind him he will not cast his eye upon that that God takes away he will not examine If sinne come to this passe that God pronounce it to be taken away it shall never appeare more that that is buryed he hath taken it away it is eternally hid Saint Austin understood this well when he made that excellent gradation in one of his Sermons saith he if God once cover sinne then it is playn that he would not see it if he will not see it hee will not censure if he wil not censure he wil not punish if he will not punish he will pardon Nay he hath pardoned that that he saith to take away is to pardon to pardon is to blot
in this World but more for the hope of life in another world Many thanks are due for Creation but more for redemption for in Creating us he made us once but in redeeming us he made us againe and in giving us the hope of life everlasting he makes us for ever There is great thanks due for removing temporall Plagues but more for the removing of his wrath and our sins Therefore the Prophet would have them understand that as they prayed first Take away iniquity so they should give thanks in that order when their iniquities were taken away then they should thanke God for the pardon of their sins first for spirituall then for temporalls Reason shews this order for in our Prayers we Pray for temporall things with conditions but for spiritualls without conditions as we pray for them more fervently so we should be thankfull for them with more enlarged hearts So in taking away temporall things we give thanks as Job did but in spirituall things we give thanks when God gives them but none gives thanks for the taking them away It is true when God with-holds grace he can make grace grow out of that separation from himselfe but that is by accident that the want of grace should be a meanes of the propagating of grace but properly and directly none can rejoyce in the taking away of grace We give thanks for temporalls when we want them but for spiritualls onely when we have them That is the second thing Thirdly another thing he would instruct them in by adding this clause is this that thankfullnesse must be joyned with Prayer first he teacheth them to pray Take away iniquity but he closeth the Prayer with thankfullnesse These must goe together they are Sister-duties and in a large sence speaking thankfullnesse is a part of Prayer therefore as Prayer inlargeth it selfe in expressing of wants so thankfullnesse in expressing it selfe in Gods goodnesse It is a defect we find in the Missalls of the Romish Church where we find many Prayers made to Saints but not one forme of thankfullnesse If it be lawfull to pray to them it is lawfull to thanke them for favours received by them What a grosse error is it in them to make Prayers and not to thanke them Those are more rare they set them at the end of their Books Glory and praise be to the Virgin Mary but for the particular since they make so many Prayers to the Saints why doe they not thanke them As in the one they are injurious to God in praying to Saints so in the other they are injurious to the Saints in not thanking them for so many mercies they receive for the rule is firme whom we pray to we must give thanks to for the mercies we may pray we may give thanks As Elisha spread himselfe upon the Child hand upon hand and face upon face so in these two duties the hands must be spread to God and hands and eyes must be fixed and fastened on God in giving thanks when we receive mercies as they are fixed in begging and the hands must be spread as wide in blessing God as ever they were in praying to him and the Knees must bow as low and the voyce of the lips must be lifted as loud in giving thanks for mercies as ever they were extended in praying for mercies It is a signe of an ungratefull heart to be fervent in begging mercies and to be unmindfull of thankfullnesse Therefore the Prophet bids them joyne thankfullnesse to Prayer That is the third thing he minds them of that thankfullnesse is due for all mercies and for spirituall mercies and that thankfullnesse must goe along with prayer The Fourth is this that thankfullnesse is to be the close of Prayer here the Prayer ends So will we give thee the Calves of our lips Prayer is one of those duties that I said had a Language there are two Letters that make up the Language Confession of sin that is the Alpha and thankfullnesse to God that is the Omega of it All Prayer opens with confession of sin all Prayer shuts with thanksgiving that is the end of Prayer Prayer it selfe is the Key that opens to all duty and thankfullnesse is the Key that locks up prayer O! How sweet will the order be observed when Prayer makes the Way and Thankfullnesse closeth it Where these two are joyned when a man is conversant in that worke be it Morning or Evening Sacrifice both Sacrifices meet in this in Confession of sin there is the Dawning of the DAY and in giving Thanks there is the Evening Sacrifice the Latter end and Close of Prayer Christ taught us this in the Lords prayer after he had set downe six Petitions For thine is the Kingdome the Poweâ— and the glory to shew that Prayer must be shut up with thanksgiving The Apostle Paul shewes it in 1. Tim. 2. Texhort that Prayers and Supplications be made for all with thanksgiving In Phillipians 4. Therefore let your Suites and Requests in all things be made knowne to God by Prayer and Supplication and giving of thanks In both places giving of thanks comes in the last place With Prayer and Supplication and giving of Thanks Why doth he set it in the last place To shew that thanksgiving must close up Prayer So will we give the Calves of our lips That is the fourth thing And how well doe all these if they be put together concurr in the preparation we are to make this day for the Sacrament Looke back to the first point delivered and see if there be not a concurrence of all these Remember the three enlargements of the order of them remember these six things in joyning these to them So will we render the Calves of our lips When we come here we pray to God for his grace and for the continuance and enlargement of his grace therefore it is that he instituted the Sacrament that it might be an instrument for the confirming and conveying of grace it is the instrument that God useth Thereupon it is that diverse of the Fathers are bold to call it the preservative against everlasting death the conservative to everlasting life the salve of imortallity We come here to beg grace and the continuance of it we come to beg grace and the evidence of grace too by the confirming and assuring of it For that purpose the Sacrament was instituted to confirme our faith that we might not want a memoriall of all those great things that Christ wrought for us In this respect the Fathers call the Lords Supper the pledge of eternity the defence of faith the hope of the Resurrection because here grace is enlarged it pleaseth God to enlarge and confirme it this way For those that want certainty here they may get assurance those that have it may get an addition Thirdly here we beg pardon of sin and we give thanks for it and we come to have that sure to us and make acknowledgement of it by thankfullnesse Lastly
any man should be ignorant he doth not reserve the knowledge as long as he doth the thing the thing shall be given then it is promised now in the meane time it is God that hath promised it it is God that gives it That is the first thing that the Apostle implies Then if we look to the manner of the conveyance it is in this word it is by promise it comes to us by deed by good deed good assurance There is no better deed then that that is written by the Finger of God and sealed to us by the blood of Christ The promise depends both upon the merit of Christ and upon the truth of God He lets us see therefore the conveyance in this word that though we cannot yet come to see the glory of the crown in the thing we may see it in the conveyance and promise As he that is the Heire apparent to any great matter but is not come to the possession though he cannot behold the inheritance as his owne with the eye of sence he may with the eye of reason if he cannot read it where it is Scituated he may in his deeds and conveyances It is all that the Saints had to shew for Heaven when they were on Earth they could see Heaven in the promise they could see and read it in the conveyance Abraham did see Christs day and he that sees Christs day of his first appearing by faith can see his second appearing The Apostle tells us Heb. 11. of all the Saints in the Old Testament though they inherited not the possession of the promises they saw them a far off in the tenure of the promises God deales with us as he did with Moses because he would not bring him to the Land of Canaan he carries him to the Mount and shews it him there he shews it in a Vision in the Vision and glasse of the promises before he translates us he shews us what Heaven is Indeed when we come to Heaven there we shall see from the Mount of Vision but here we may look from the Valley of Vision that we may know what the conveyance is whence it comes the Apostle adds this word The Crowne of life the Crowne promised Yet he tells us not where it is promised nor in what place of Scripture The Apostles were full of quotations yet sometimes they did forbeare them too It had been but an easie labour but yet it was needlesse being a promise of a thing so precious as indeed all the promises are precious promises as the Apostle speaks being a promise so precious he supposed that every man that was conversant in the word of God would be sure to treasure up these Scriptures of all Scripture promises and of all promises those that concerne Heaven are most precious A man that accounts the Book of God a Jewell the most precious of all the Jewells are these promises that concerne Heaven He supposed that every man would pluck these and treasure and lay them up in the Store-house of his heart that he may pick comfort from them in the time of need he names them not therefore that every man might get these It was needlesse in another respect too there is hardly any Booke in the whole Bible in which there are not promises of â—alvation It is the sum of both Testaments there are promises of the Crowne of life every where In the Psalmes oft times With thee is the Well of life In thy presence is fullnesse of joy and at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore When I awake I shall behold thy face in righteousnes You have it in the Book of the Proverbs oft repeated Length of dayes are in her right hand and in her left hand riches and glory You have it in the Prophets oft Those that are just shall shine as the stars of the Firmament in glory It dropt oft from the mouth of Christ and oft from the mouths and pens of the Apostles What need was there to point out any place where the promise was made when it is made in every place A man cannot open the Bible almost but he shall hit on it God would plant this foundation of faith in every part any man that is not conversant in reading the whole let him cast his eye on any part he shall meet with this there are frequent iterations of it it was renewed daily being the grand promise of the rest it was fit it should have many repetitions and many renovations There was no way it could be conveyed to us by any assurance but by promise even the least blessings there is no blessing that we look for in act but it is conveyed by promise If it be comfort to a distressed man that is oft repeated Come unto me all you that are weary and heavy laden and I will ease you If it be the promise of support and strength in sicknesse that is repeated He shall make all his bed in his sicknesse What say I more If there be promises of lesse blessings there must needs be of the greatest that that comprehends all in it the promise of glory the Crowne of life it is the course that God observes in Scripture he gives all by promise he gives it twice because he would be sure to give Heaven to us he gives Heaven in the PROMISE that is Heaven in hope and then in act that is in possession and fruition There is a great deale of reason if we look on our selves or on God First look on God it was fit he should give it by promise Partly for the better testification of his truth that he might appeare to be Deus verax a God of his word The truth of God could not appeare unlesse there were a word to make good and fullfill his gift and that could not be but by promise this glorious Attribute would fall to the ground but for that there might be some suppositions of him to be a God of infinit goodnesse and purity but we had not had experience of it but by promise And then for the demonstration of his wisdome that he would not give Heaven without advise and deliberation and not as we give rashly He took counsell the gift of glory is a work of counsell a work of counsell in the first ordaining Ephes 1. We are predestinate according to the Counsell and purpose of his will God doth all advisedly as he begins with counsell so he carries it along with counsell there is no better testimony of his wisdome then to give it first by promise he disposeth it by degrees that he may appeare to be a wise God he gives it by deliberation and therefore by promise Lastly for the better demonstration of his goodnesse that he might appeare to be Deus bonus Promise is a kind of debt he that gives a promise makes himselfe a Debtor Whereas we are all Debtors to God debtors to his justice in regard of our sins debtors to his love for
we rob him then of all there is nothing that God desires but our love therefore in this regard it is that the Apostle sets here the qualification Those that love him If we take love single then the promise is made to love to love first of all graces love hath the first promise it hath preheminence in the graces and preheminence in the Crowne it hath the first portion Then take it as it is joyned and is in concatination with other graces it hath not onely the chiefe place in the promise but all because it is all it includes all graces gifts being accepted of God as all the Apostle sets it downe to stir us up above all things to take care to have our hearts fill'd replenish'd with the love of God the promise is made to love They shall inherite and receive the Crowne of life which God hath promised to them that love him * ⎠* THE SAINTS HERITAGE DELIVERED IN ONE SERMON BY That Learned reverend Divine RICHARD HOLSWORTH Doctor in Divinity somtimes Vice-Chancellour of Cambridge Master of Emmanuell Colledge and late Preacher at PETERS POORE in LONDON Psal 16.6 The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places yea I have a goodly Heritage LONDON Printed by M. Simmons in Alders-gate-streete 1650. PSAL. 119.111 Thy testimonies have I taken as a Heritage for ever for they are the rejoycing of my heart THIS Psalme it is penned in the same straine that Solomons Book of Proverbs is it is not enlarged by production but by coaugmentation As in that Book so in this Psalme there are many passages even all that are very precious but they have no great dependance one part on another There is in this Psalm as many severall ejaculations as there are Sentences there but yet there is no good documentall dependance between them The passages of this Psalme are rather the ebolitions of a devout â—oul then any continued narration A kind of dependance there is but it is like that that was between the links of those Rings that St. Austin speaks of that were touched with a Load-stone The parts they doe hang one upon another not by rules of Art but by the touch of the Spirit And yet that is set forth with that variety that a man that reads the Psalme will think that the Prophet David was in all the severall kinds and sorts of Divine tempers In some passages you have him transported with the rapture of admiration in another breaking forth into humble devout supplication then againe into penitentiall confession then into holy purposes and resolutions and then againe making of serious and solemn protestations to walk in the Commandements of God and to this head we are to refer this Verse that now I have read to you It is a holy protestation that the Psalmist makes by way of Remonstrance or declaration to testifie the great esteeme that he had of the Commandements of God and the comfort he received by them Therefore I have now made choyse of it to follow the Scripture which I last handled as a supply of that which was not there exprest That Scripture shewed to us how a Christian may draw comfort to himselfe in the time of Tribulation from the consideration of the future Crowne of glory that is referred to the other life And here now we have a Foundation of comfort laid downe to us for the present to be had and onely to be had in the word of God in the testimonies that are divine which were the rejoycing of Davids heart and so of all others in the same condition It is set forth to us in this excellent example the person of him that penned the Psalme whose heart was more deeply stricken with the wound of love towards the Commandements of God then any creature that ever breathed upon the Earth and better versed in them By making inquiry into that that was his practise we shall the better learne what should be our owne For that purpose I will divide the words onely into these two parts There is Davids Profession There is Davids Motive The Profession in these words Thy testimonies have I taken for a heritage for ever The motive in these For they are the rejoycing of my heart The profession is one of those many that he makes in this Psalme but more compleat and full then any if not then all of the rest He sayth in other places of the Psalme of Gods Commandements that he had them in esteeme above gold above fine Gold above all riches he comes more neare home to the point in this testification here and it is more full when he sayth he esteemed them as his Heritage as his lot and portion he makes them both as Lands as goods as all above all temporall things whatsoever That we may see it now more fully let us First consider what it is that the Psalmist here speaks of Then what it is that he testifies of it The thing here spoken of is the word of God couched under that name The testimonies of the Lord. Thy testimonies It is a relative name given to the word of God as indeed most of the names whereby it is called in Scripture if not all are relative Some in reference to God Some in reference to Man Some in reference to Both In regard of God himselfe the word is called Voluntas domini the will of the Lord because it containes in it the declaration of his will and pleasure to be wrought by us It is called Verbum domini the word of the Lord because it was published by himselfe Viva voce at the first when he gave the Commandements and voce spiritus by the secret voyce of the Spirit after when he inspired the Prophets and Apostles to pen it Then it is called Statuta Domini the Statutes of the Lord because he hath stablished and ratified it to be the rule of truth and life and Salvation for ever Then in regard of man it is called Lex Domini the Law of the Lord Quia ligat it binds him to performe and to obey and Timor Domini the feare of the Lord because it begets in every one that is acquainted with it a holy ravishing and feare both of the nature and power and judgements of God Then in regard of both it is sometimes called Mandata domini the Commands of the Lord to be performed by us and Judicia domini because it containes the judgements of the Lord to be executed upon us if we breake it And Testimonia Domini the Testimonies of the Lord. The Testification as one sayth between God and his people both that they receive this Law and engage themselves to obedience and conformity to it So now this linck of words and names hath brought us to the name here used A name more frequent then many of the rest and more often used when the Speech is not onely of the word of God it selfe but of any thing that hath reference to it First
the Tables of the Law that containe the Commandements they have this word on them they are called the Tables of testimony Then the Ark that contained these Tables that hath this word it is called the Ark of the testimony Then the Tabernacle that held the Ark had this word stamped on it it is called The Tabernacle of Testimony Here they hang the Tabernacle held the ARK the Ark held the Tables the Tables held the Law it transmitted by the power of it this name to all that had reference to it And it is fitly called testimonies Respectu Sui Respectu Dei Respectu Nostri In regard of it selfe First because it was a Law given at first by many solemn testifications as one observes Lex evangelium c. The Law and the Gospell were given under testimonie Besides therefore the testimony because it is the testification of all Divine sacred truths of all things that concerne Salvation The Scriptures onely give witnesse to themselves there is no truth doth so besides Divine truths and the Commands of God And Salvian gives the reason very well it must needs be Incorruptum testimonium an uncorrupt testimony that is given by the pure incorrupt Spirit of God that was the Inspirer of it Then againe it is a testimony in respect of us Actively Passively Actively because it is the testimony to be beleived by us Hence it is that we confirme all truths Non est processio c. we can have no proofe of any thing in Christianity but out of the holy Scriptures As St. Chrysostome well Sine his testibus c. without these sacred witnesses our inventions have no validity they are of no force Therefore because it is a witnesse to the truth it is called Gods testimony hence we are to draw the testimony of confirmation Then passively too therefore the testimony in regard of our selves because it testifies against us if we doe not observe and keep it It is true of the Old Testament It is true of the New Testament Of the Old God himselfe speaks he Commands Moses to put the Tables in the Ark that they might be a Witnesse and Testimony against them And our blessed Saviour speaks of the new in the Gospell The words that I speake shall judge you shall witnesse against you at the last day They are testimonies of comfort as St. Austin sayth well if we keep them and testimonies of conviction if we transgresse them That no man may think he can sin without a witnesse there are many Books of witnesse will be produced The Book of the creatures the Book of Conscience and the Book of Gods prescience and the Book of the Scriptures too Every Chapter that we read every Text that we heare at any time Expounded will eyther be Pro or Contra a testimony a witnesse eyther for us for our comfort and assurance or else against us for our conviction therefore in respect of us it is called a testimony Last of all in respect of God himselfe both because it doth give a testimony to him it makes God knowne to us it gives a testimony of all those attributes that are himselfe of his Wisdome of his power of his justice of his goodnesse of his truth The Declaration of these we have them all in the Book of the Scriptures there is never a Book but there is a testification of these In the Book of Genesis we have there a testimony of his power in making the World A testimony of his justice in drowning the World Of his goodnesse in saving Noah In the Book of Exodus we have a testimony of his providence in leading the People of Israell through the Red Sea in bringing them out of Aegypt We have a testimony of his wisdome in giving them his Law What should I name more In the New Testament in the Gospell all is testimony As the Old gave testimony to God so the New to Christ To him give all the Prophets witnesse not onely the Old but the New These are they that testifie of me Every where there is testimony of Christ of his humility in taking our Nature of his power in working of Miracles of his wisdome in the Parables that he spake of his patience and love in the torments that he suffered for us Both Law and Gospell the whole Book of Scripture and every part of it in these regards is fitly called The testimonies of the Lord. And the holy Psalmist makes choyce of this name when he was to speake to the honour and glory of it because it was that name from which he sucked a great deale of comfort in that it was the testimony of Gods truth and goodnesse and wisdome and power to him thereupon he makes so precious esteeme of it as to account it his heritage This is the first thing what the Psalmist speakes of the word of God under this name The testimonies of the Lord. Now from that we may goe on to the next to see what it is that he thus predicates and testifies of them and it is an honourable Elogium I have taken or as some read it I have chosen or as others I have claimed them as my heritage and a heritage for ever In all these variations we may see abundance of Heavenly affection in the Psalmist at this time Considering that the word of God it was that great blessing that God bestowes upon the Church and hath intitled and interessed all his Servants in it therefore David makes advantage of the premises he challengeth his title and interest as being one 〈…〉 one of the Servants of God I have claimed 〈◊〉 an Heritage for ever Considering againe that the word of God is that great gift that God reacheth out himselfe the greatest gift that ever he bestowed upon the World but the gift of his Son and the gift of the holy Ghost next them the word of God that is the great gift and God reaching out this great gift now David as it were spies Gods hand extended towards him therefore he meets him in this work and God having a hand to give he hath a hand to take I have taken them as my heritage for ever Yet againe remembring that they were of more worth and esteem then all Earthly things whatsoever more precious then gold then fine gold and all spoiles and riches he is here put to his choyse which way he will take and what he would make choyse of the glory of the World of which he had plenty the royalty of it or that that was more deare to his Soul the testimonies of the Lord. What doth he With Mary he makes choyse of the better part here he pitcheth and fixeth his election I have chosen thy testimonies as a Heritage for ever Any of these wayes it is full of affection And what is it now that David takes and chooseth and claimes The testimonies of God For an Heritage An Heritage it is a word that is precious and a word
cloaths the habite of the mind we cast off that For that livery what consists it in In righteousnesse and holinesse Doe we desire to adorne our minds with these Are we attired in our Masters livery To weare his collours We cannot judge of the habite of the mind Look on the habite of the body are you in your Masters livery now a dayes Doth God prescribe such vanities and follies that Creatures should delight to make themselves Puppits that they must be flouted at doth God prescribe such apparell Rich apparell is as due to them that are great as meane apparell to them that are inferiour So that there be due order and caution kept that they estrangenot the mind from God that they take not up too much time that it be in the compasse of sobriety But this makes Christianity disdained we steale all from God Is this Gods livery Did he appoint you to goe with naked Breasts and naked Armes Did not he appoint apparell to cover the shame of sin Did any of the Apostles prescribe it so See what the Apostle sayth you are to be adorned as becomes godlinesse and the profession of Christ modesty and religiously and decently Are you in Gods livery Is Christ your Master If you be then you may make a good account at the last day but if there be a distinction to be made there it will appeare who are his Servants Secondly if God be your Master where is your obedience Obedience is the peoper duty of Servants take away obedience you destroy the nature of Servants If we give obedienco to God where are Gods Commands What are Gods Commands St. Austin goes about to see if he can reckon them Sayth he God might have said if his nature were capable as other Masters say to their Servants wait upon me to bed while I rest wait upon me to the Bath while I wash me wait at my Table when I take sustenance No God needs not these inferiour services but then what doth he command Wait upon me in mine Ordinances and in my Commands in my service in my love and feare that I require at thy hands Here is the rule are these those that we keep If God be our Master where are his Commands Where is our work Doe we think the work of Christianity the work that God hath appointed us Doe we think that that was the end why we were sent into the World to work out our Salvation If we think not of this we are not Servants There is not the worst Servant but he comes into his Masters House to doe service We have entered into our Masters house we have taken Presse-money to be Gods Souldiers and to be his Servants then where is his work Is that left undone Look but what Christ will say at the last day when they shall be called to account Well done good and faithfull Servant Take away the unprofitable Servant Certainly if Christ be the God of truth and the Gospell the word of truth these words shall be said at the last day where is thy work Where is thy account What hast thou done How hast thou behaved thy selfe If we cast off Gods Commandements we cast off our relation if we be not under Command we are not under a Lord. O Beloved recall your selves remember that it is that that the beame of Christianity hangs on it is a high honour to be Gods Servant more then to be the Heire of the World O what a credit is it to retaine to such a Master To belong to God what an honour is it He is such a Master that promiseth better freedome then other Masters and ties himselfe to us and us to him in more Obligations and sets us an easier task but to work out our owne Salvation and payes us better wages Take all the Princes in the World that are so great and glorious and so able to reward their Servants put them altogether they are as the dust of the Ballance both they and their rewards in comparison to the reward that God gives to the worst Servant of his Stir up your selves from the consideration of Servants God gives you out comfort and blessing stir up your selves to give true and faithfull service to Christ Never look on your Servants but think you are Gods Servants When your Servants testifie their obedience to you make Davids use of it bring it to this lesson if we cannot exceed these Servants remember to equall them So So doe our eyes The equality will appeare by comparing so you shall see both the duty of good Servants to their Masters and of Christians to God First good Servants delight in their Masters presence so should we in the presence of God Secondly good Servants put on the same affections with their Masters A good Servant as Euripides sayth rejoyceth if his Master be chearfull and grieves if his Master be sorrowfull he puts on the same affection We must put on the same affection with Christ and God doe I not hate them that hate thee Doest thou love them that God hates We must put on the same affections with God though we must hate none put on Christs affection walke in love be humble and mercifull as he is This is to have the nature of Servants Thirdly Servants are not Sui juris to walke where they list and doe what they list but they must doe the will of their Masters they are not at their owne appointment no more are we we are not our owne we are not Sui juris your Master hath bought you and redeemed you out of captivity Servants will greive to heare the name of their Masters evill spoken of He is an unworthy Servant that can heare the name of his Master touched and doth not as far as is modest to his power vindicate it So we must greive and be zealously affected when we heare that sacred name blasphemed by which we are called A Servant is sorry if his Masters affaires succeed not well he labours to accommodate his Master and to content him in every thing It is a great discontent to a Servant if things thrive not with his Master So we should greive when Gods affairs goe not well on though God will make them succeed yet when things goe not well with the Church and Children of God we should lay it to heart Againe good Servants wait upon their Masters for all things for Meat and Drink and Cloaths and Wages and Provision and Custody and Defence and when they get these things when they have Wages from them they give them thanks though they have wrought hard and they pay them upon Covenant made God gives plenteous wages let us be thankfull to him and wait upon him for all we have as Servants upon their Masters Againe good Servants doe not take upon them to prescribe their Masters either time or manner they will not tell their Masters what they desire to doe and what they will have themselves but they wait on their Masters