thing which here I note is that the Apostle saith that he was sure of this that he should abide in the flesh and continue with all the Philippians yet for some time longer Whence I obserue that the Apostle in his first imprisonment at Rome was deliuered and restored vnto the Churches which before he had planted which I do the rather gather hence for that the two words which the Apostle vseth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shew that he knew so certainly that he should be deliuered as hee could not otherwise but by the reuelation of the spirit And in the Epistle to Timothie in plaine words he professeth 2 Tim. 4.17 that he was deliuered out of the mouth of the lyon meaning of Nero. And the ecclesiasticall stories beare witnesse that after his first imprisonment by the space of ten yeares or thereabouts he preached the gospell and then returning to Rome againe was slaine by Nero about the 14. yeare of his reigne Which may serue to encourage the faithfull thus farre in their troubles that whatsoeuer be their troubles if it bee for his glory the Lord will deliuer them As he did with Paul so will he doe with vs as our farther tryall or present deliuerance shall be for his glory so will he try vs or deliuer vs. Let vs therefore in troubles be of good courage and let vs assure our selues of deliuerance if it be for his glory Onely let vs as himselfe exhorteth call vpon him in the day of our trouble Psal 50. and then his promise is we neede no reuelation for it that he will deliuer vs alwaies this condition vnderstood if our deliuerance bee for his glory And what else is it that we should desire but that he may be glorified in our bodies whether it be by life or death The second thing which here I note is the end wherefore he saith hee should abide and with them all continue which was for their furtherance and ioy of their faith that their faith by his ministerie might be furthered and so their ioy in the Holy Ghost increased Whence I obserue wherefore the Christians life in generall and the Ministers life in particular is preserued and continued here on earth and that is the Christians life in generall is preserued and continued for the glory of the Lord and the Ministers life in particular for the good of Gods church and of that people ouer whom they are set Be of courage Paul said the Lord vnto him Act. 23.11 for as thou hast testified of me in Ierusalem so must thou beare witnesse also at Rome as if hee should haue said howsoeuer the Iewes practise against thy life in Ierusalem yet feare not I must yet haue farther glory by thy life as thou hast testified of me in Ierusalem and there brought â—lory vnto my name so shall thy life be preserued and conâ—â—nued to the farther glory of my name by thy testimonie of be at Rome And so is euery Christian when he is deliuered â—â—om any perill of sicknes enemies or the like to resolue â—ith himselfe that his life is preserued and continued for â—he farther glory of his God and euery Minister in partiâ—ular that his life is preserued and continued for the farther â—ood of Gods church and for the profit of his people by â—he worke of his ministerie The point is cleare enough â—nd needeth not any large confirmation This may serue first for the instruction of all Christians â—n generall and of the Ministers in particular Of all Christians in generall to teach euen all of vs to liue vnto the Lord and to the glory of his name to liue to doe good This is the end wherefore our life is preserued and continued here on earth and this being the end in our whole â—ife we are euer to be looking vnto this end Of Ministers â—n particular to teach them to spend willingly their whole strength and their life in the worke of their ministerie for the edification of the Church and the furtherance of their faith ouer whom the Lord hath made them ouerseers This is the end also wherefore they are preserued from all dangers and their liues continued vnto their people and this being the end in their whole life they are euer to be looking to this end What shall we say then vnto such Christians in name as liue vnto themselues and vnto their pleasures As would haue euery bodie to serue their turne and care not for others As desire to liue rather to get goods then to do any good For such there are as so liue as if they were to liue vnto themselues and not vnto the glory of God as if the life of others were to be for their good and their life not for the good of any others as if they were to scrape asmuch vnto themselues as they could not to do any good vnto any other Nay I adde further that such there are as so liue as if in their life they were to serue sinne in the lusts thereof as if they were to liue by the spoile and hurt and losse oâ— others as if they were to flie that which is good and to doe that which is euill And surely such are here iustly reproued as men neuer remembring that the continuance of their life should be for Gods glory or rather as men opposing themselues vnto euery thing that may make for Gods glory What shall we say likewise vnto such in the ministerie as feede themselues but not the flocke as seeke their owne and not that which is Iesus Christs as do more harme by their bad example of life then they doe good by their paines in teaching as either for idlenesse or daintinesse or other like reason will not put their hand vnto the Lord his worke to helpe forward the building of his house nay as destroy the faith of some which were to bee builded vp in Christ Iesus Is this the end wherefore they liue in the bodie wherefore their life is prolonged among their people Nay surely this also serueth for their iust reproofe as men abusing that vse which God giueth them of life But on the other side it serueth for the great comfort of all them be they Christians in generall or Ministers in particular whose life serues for the good of the Church For what greater comfort if wee be Ministers can we haue of our life then that by our life the Saints hearts be stablished in the faith the ioy of the faithfull be fulfilled the Church of Christ Iesus be builded the truth of Christ Iesus be maintained the mouth of all gaine sayers be stopped and our people kept a chaste spouse vnto the Lord Or what greater comfort can we haue of our life whatsoeuer we be then that by our life the Lord be glorified the good of our brethren procured and the common-wealth bettered Surely so may the Minister and euery Christian make account that he liueth if hee liue vnto God and to his brethrens
obeyed is called a sacrifice Now what sacrifices be these These be the sacrifices of the new Testament these bee liuely sacrifices and holy and acceptable vnto God and these together with the sacrifice of praise and of the workes of loue are the only sacrifices which now Christians are to offer vnto their God An end of all other sacrifices was then when Christ cried vpon the crosse it is finished These onely remaine and these are our reasonable seruing of God How should not this stirre vp both Pastor and people to doe that they should In the Pastor his burning zeale to giue his life for his people in the people their obedience of faith by the ministery of their Pastors are their holy and Christian sacrifices and their reasonable seruing of God And these sacrifices are now no lesse to be offered by vs in the new Testament then were those sacrifices of beasts and other like things to be offered in the old Testament and surely are farre more acceptable vnto God then were they But I promised only to speak of this in a word Now a word likewise of that that followeth For the same cause c. In these words the Apostle armeth them against sorrow if he should be offered vp vpon the sacrifice of their faith As he would be glad and reioyce with them if their faith should be confirmed by his death so hee would haue them likewise to be glad and reioyce with him if hee by his bloud should seale the testimony of their faith What then must we be glad and reioyce when our best Pastors and teachers are taken from vs Did not the Church well when Steuen was stoned to death Act. 8.2 to make great lamentation for him Yes no doubt they did well and whensoeuer the Church is depriued of any worthy member especially of any worthy Pastor and Teacher there is iust cause of great sorrow And the Apostle alloweth a moderation in lamenting for the dead so that we sorrow not as they that haue no hope 1 Thes 4.13 And it was a part of Iehoiakims plague that he should be buried like an Asse and none to make lamentation for him The meaning then is not that we should reioyce and be glad and not mourne simply at the death of our best Pastors and Teachers but that wee should bee glad and reioyce at the fruite which comes to the Church by their death if they suffer martyrdom for the confirmation of the brethrens faith For seeing their constancie and their cheerefulnesse to seale that truth with their bloud which they taught and preached this should both make vs reioice that God giueth such strength vnto his Saints and likewise confirme vs in the faith of Iesus Christ and further animate vs patiently to endure whatsoeuer tribulations for Christ his sake The Apostle himselfe would not no doubt reioyce simply in his suffering and death but in that onely thereby God should be glorified and Gods children strengthened So we are to reioyce not simply that our Pastors and Teachers are taken by the hands of Tyrants and racked and martyred but in that God vouchsafeth thus to conforme them to the image of his sonne and to make their bloud the seede of the Church so that thereby both the faith of them that are already in the Church is confirmed and others likewise are brought vnto the faith Here only wee are to looke to this caueat that we do not iudge of a martyr only by his suffering but further by the cause of his suffering For not the suffering but the cause of his suffering makes him a Martyr If he suffer death for the testimonie of Christ Iesus his death is well called a martyrdome And in his death we are so to reioyce as already ye haue heard Thus farre of the reasons enforcing obedience to those exhortations which the Apostle inferreth vpon the example of Christ his humility and obedience which the Apostle laid as a most strong and sure ground of his exhortation vnto humblenesse and lowlines of minde LECTVRE XXXIX PHILIP 2. Verse 19.20 And I trust in the Lord Iesus to send Timotheus shortly vnto you that I also may be of good comfort when I know your state c. AND I hope in the Lord Iesus In this latter part of this Chapter the Apostle his desire is to comfort the Philippians and indeed to confirme them that they should not bee troubled though they liued in the middest of a naughty and crooked nation as it appeareth they did ex vers 15. but that they should grow forward from grace vnto grace that when hee should heare of them he might heare of them to his comfort To comfort them therefore he 1. promiseth to send Timothy vnto them a man whom themselues knew to bee a faithfull minister of Christ Iesus and to loue them sincerely 2. He putteth them in hope of his owne comming shortly after vnto them 3. He telleth them that now he sendeth their faithfull minister Epaphroditus vnto them and the causes why By all which things as the Philippians were iustly to be comforted so were they so many caueats to warne them that neither Timothy nor hee nor Epaphroditus might finde any cause of griefe or discomfort amongst them when they should come vnto them In his promise to send Timothy vnto them I note 1. his promise to send him 2. the reason why he sent him rather then any other In his promise 1. I note the holy limitation thereof 2. The promise 3. The end of sending him Touching the 1. Paul doth not absolutely promise to send Timothy vnto them but saith he I hope in the Lord Iesus c. It is to bee vnderstood that at this time when the Apostle wrote these things he was in prison at Rome where Timothy ministred vnto him and serued him in such things as he needed Now it seemes he was in hope shortly to bee deliuered out of prison and then his certaine resolution was first to send Timothy vnto them and then shortly after himselfe to come vnto them But how the Lord would dispose of these things he knew not Onely hee knew that the heart of Nero who had cast him in prison was in the hand of the Lord Iesus to dispose of as seemed best to his godly wisedome and so he loued them that he hoped the Lord Iesus would deliuer him out of prison and bring him vnto them Because therefore he knew not certainely how it would please the Lord to dispose of these things hee doth not absolutely promise to send Timothy vnto them but inasmuch as his loue to them made him to hope the best hee saith I hope in the Lord Iesus c. The lesson which hence wee haue to learne is this in all things whatsoeuer we purpose to doe still to depend vpon the will and pleasure of the Lord Iesus not resolutely to set down this or that will I doe but with these or the like conditions and limitations I
The 3. cause of the dissensions in the Church of God is because we doe not all minde one thing For such oftentimes â—s our waywardnesse that when in the substance of the doctrine we agree with the Church yet will we picke a quarrell either at the Professors of the truth or at some ceremonie or at some defect in the discipline of the Church whereby we will make a schisme in the Church What a stirre made Corah Dathan and Abiram in the congregation of Israell And whence was it They could not abide Moses and Aaron but tooke exceptions against them saying Num. 16.3 Yee take too much vpon you seeing al the congregation is holy euery one of them and the Lord is among them wherefore then lift ye vp your selues aboue the congregation of the Lord What contentions likewise were there in the Church of Corinth and how did they one swell against another 1 Cor. 1.12.11.4.21 And whence was it One held of Paul another of Apollos another of Cephas another of Christ one would pray and prophecie bare-headed another with his head couered and when they came vnto the Lords supper one was hungrie and another was drunken This distraction in minde and iudgement bredde among them so great dissensions as that it may seeme to haue beene one speciall cause why the Apostle wrote the former Epistle to the Corinthians euen to represse their dissensions caused by their distractions in minde and iâ— iudgement And this at this day is the cause why the Brownists and Baroists separate themselues from our assemblies and making a schisme and diuision will not present themselues in our congregations They doe not charge vs with corruption of doctrine but because of some things in some ceremonies and in our outward discipline they cannot they say be of one minde with vs and therefore they breake out from vs. Thus ye see what the causes of the dissensions in the Church of God are at least such as this place of Scripture seemeth vnto mee to point at The 1. because in things that are not yet reuealed vnto vs we doe not with patience expect and waite till God in his good time reueale vnto vs that truth which as yet is hidde from our eyes The 2. because in things that are reuealed vnto vs we do not proceed by that one ruâ—e of his word vnder whose banner we fight but fling out some of vs vnto traditions decretals constitutions legends and the like The 3. because we doe not minde one thing but are too readie to fall at oddes and through contention to make a schisme and to rent the seamlesse coate of Christ The 2. thing which hence I note is touching the remedies of the dissensions in the Church of God at least of such dissensions as spring from these causes before mentioned The â—medies according to the number of the causes are three â—â—h sore requiring a salue and each cause of dissension stanâ—ng in neede of a remedy against it The 1. remedie against â—â—â—sensions caused by not waiting till God reueale things not 〈◊〉 reuealed is when any truth is not yet reuealed vnto vs â—â—h patience to waite till God in his good time reueale his â—â—ly truth vnto vs. For this we know that he who praied thus to his Father Sanctifie them with thy truth thy word is truth Ioh. 17.17 â—d was heard in the things which he praid for will reueale 〈◊〉 truth vnto vs so farre as shall be necessarie for vs. But in the â—â—an time either we should so speak of the things that are not â—â—ealed vnto vs as submiting that we speake vnto the iudgeâ—ent of the Prophets as the Apostle willeth 1 Cor. 14.32 or else we should â—ld our peace and hearken vnto him vnto whom God hath â—ealed his truth as the same Apostle willeth in the same â—ace saying If any thing be reuealed to another that sitteth by 30. 〈◊〉 the first hold his peace A rule to the practise whereof the â—postle seemeth vnto me to exhort where he saith Rom. 12.3 Let no man â—esume to vnderstand aboue that which is meete to vnderstand but 〈◊〉 him vnderstand according to sobrietie as God hath dealt to eueâ— man the measure of faith For he which will seeme to vnderâ—and before it be reuealed vnto him how doth he vnderstand â—â—cording to sobrietie how doth hee not vnderstand aboue â—â—at which is meete to vnderstand But the Apostle would â—aue euery man to vnderstand according to sobrietie and no â—an to vnderstand aboue that which is meete to vnderstand â—nd consequently would haue all men with patience to waite â—ll God shall reueale that vnto them which as yet is hid from â—heir eyes In the practise of which rule if wee would bee as â—arefull as we are skilfull in the knowledge of it many of vs â—he Church should be freed from dissensions wherewith it is â—roubled As many of vs therefore as loue the peace of Sion â—n the things that are not yet reuealed vnto vs let vs with paâ—ience expect till God in his good time reueale them vnto vs â—nd in the meane time let vs either submit that we speake vnâ—o â—he iudgement of the Prophets or else let vs hold our peace hearken vnto them vnto whom God hath reuealed his truth The second remedie against dissensions caused by not proceeding by one rule in the things reuealed is in the things that are reuealed and generally agreed vpon amongst vs to proceed by one rule euen that one rule which God hath prescribed vs in his word and not to decline from that either to the right hand or to the left Gal. 6.16 For as the Apostle saith as may as walke according to this rule peace shall be vpon them and mercy and vpon the Israel of God Whence it is cleere that so we haâ—e peace both with God and amongst our selues if wee walke according to the rule set downe by the Prophets and Apostles For that is the rule which hee speakes of and whereof hee had said before 1.9 If any man preach vnto you otherwise then that ye haâ—â— receiued let him be accursed So that as the Lord commanded Iosua Ios 1.7 we may not depart or turne away from it to the right hâ—â—â— or to the left To this purpose also is that of our Apostle where he saith Rom. 16.17 I beseech you brethren marke them diligently which cause diuision and offences contrary to the doctrine that ye haue learned In which place the Apostle would haue the Romans constantly to hold fast that doctrine which they had learned signifying withall that they should not want those that would labour to cause diuision and offences amongst them But thus they should auoid them if they would continue in the things that they had learned Whence it appeareth that it is a notable way to auoid diuisions and dissensions to beleeue and liue after the rule of the word By which rule if our aduersaries would haue
that here he thus spoke as he thought by the rule of charitie For what saith the Apostle in another place of charitie 1. Cor. 13.7 namely that it beleeueth all things and hopeth all things yea and where it seeth certaine fruites and effects of election and saluation there it is certainly to be perswaded of election and saluation Our Apostle therefore seeing how faithfully those his fellow-labourers had laboured in the worke of the Ministerie with him in the planting of the Church at Philippi how constantly they had walked in the truth notwithstanding the great opposition that was against them how vnblameably they had had their conuersation amongst men in charitie thus he iudged that their names were in the booke of life And this may verie well stand with the other that the Lord onely knoweth who are his For that which properly belongeth vnto the Lord absolutely and by himselfe to know whose names are in the booke of life that the Apostle assumeth not to himselfe but seeing the fruites of their election in their liues he by the rule of charitie thus iudgeth of their saluation that euerlasting life was surely sealed vp for them with God To come then vnto my note the thing which here I note is the Apostles charitable iudgement of his fellow-labourers in the Gospell of Christ Iesus By their fruites he iudged that they were branches of the true vine vpon their holy profession and constant endeuor to increase the kingdome of Christ Iesus he pronounceth that their names were written in the booke of life Whence first my obseruation in generall is that the children of God not onely may and ought certainly to be perswaded of their owne saluation in Christ Iesus but further that they are by the rule of charitie to assure themselues of the saluation of such of their brethren as walke in the truth hauing their conuersation honest For albeit this be most true that not any can be so certaine of any other mans election or saluation as of his owne because he feeleth onely in himselfe the testimony of the Spirit witnessing vnto his spirit that he is the sonne of God and because onely in himselfe he knoweth his faith towards God and his loue towards all Saints not onely by the outward fruites thereof but like wise by the inward motions thereof which he feeles in his owne soule yet may the children of God by such outward fruites and effects of their election as they shall see in their brethren according to the rule of charitie iudge that they are the chosen children of God and heires of saluation So we see that the Apostle writing to the Romanes Corinthians Ephesians writeth vnto them as Saints by calling sanctified in Christ Iesus chosen in him before the foundation of the world and predestinated to be adopted through Iesus Christ vnto God And why did he thus iudge of them Euen because of their communion with the Saints in the Gospel of Christ because of the testification of their faith and of their loue towards all Saints whereby they shewed themselues to be partakers of the fatnesse of the true oliue Christ Iesus So Peter writing vnto the strangers that dwelt here and there throughout Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bithynia calleth them the elect of God And why Euen because of their constant faith constant loue and constant abiding in the Church of Christ Iesus So Iohn calleth them vnto whom he wrote the sonnes of God and the Lady vnto whom he wrote the elect Ladie because they continued in the Church and walked in the truth Do we then see in our brethren the outward fruites of an holy vocation of regeneration and sanctification Do we see them make an holy profession of the blessed truth of Christ Iesus giue good testimonie of a sincere faith in Christ Iesus walk in holy obedience towards God and loue towards their brethren faithfully labour in the workes of their calling and denying vngodlinesse and worldly lusts liue soberly and righteously and godly in this present world Of such we may and are to perswade our selues that they are reserued vnto the same inheritance in heauen with vs and of them we may say that they are the sonnes of God elect in Christ Iesus our Lord vnto eternall saluation prepared to be shewed in the last times And besides this that the holy Ghost by the mouth of the Apostles warranteth vs hereunto the rule also of charitie directeth vs so to do For as before we heard Charitie beleeueth all things 1. Cor. 13.7 charitie hopeth all things Which yet is not so to be vnderstood as if charitie were foolish rashly to beleeue euery thing that is told and there to hope where there is no cause of hope for that the Wiseman maketh a note of a foolish man Prou. 14.15 where he thus saith The foolish will beleeue euery thing But so charitie beleeueth all things and hopeth all things as that it keepes it selfe within the rule of pietie wisedome and religion If the thing displease God be repugnant to the truth be hurtfull or disgracefull to any of Gods children charitie beleeueth it not hopeth it not But where there are good tokens of Christianitie plaine signes of a sincere faith euident testimonies of an holy obedience there surely the rule of charitie bids vs beleeue and hope the best and there we may be bold to say that they are the sonnes of God that their names are written in the booke of life And is it not our Sauiours rule that we should iudge of the tree by the fruite for that a good tree bringeth not forth euill fruite Mat. 7.18 nor an ill tree good fruite If it beare grapes will any man iudge it to be a thorne if it bring forth figs will any man iudge it to be a thistle Nay by the fruite the tree is knowne what it is and if the fruite be good it may thereby be knowne that the tree is good Right so if we haue our fruite in righteousnesse and holinesse it may thereby be knowne that we are the branches of the true vine Christ Iesus Whether then we looke vnto the example of the Apostles or vnto the rule of charitie which the Apostles followed or vnto that rule of Christ to discerne of the tree by the fruite we see that the children of God may not onely perswade themselues of their owne saluation in Christ Iesus but further also may certainly iudge of the saluation of their godly brethren Now see viri fratres men brethren the great necessitie that there is that we should be thus perswaded one of another euen so great as that without it the bond of peace loue and Christianitie cannot be maintained For how can we loue them of whom we haue no hope that they shall be heires of the same saluatiō with vs How can we haue peace with them of whom we are not perswaded that they are at peace with God How can we pray with them and
to the letter of the Text and in all simplicitie to deliuer the meaning of the Holy Ghost Their iudgement our Author approued and followed their example opening in these Lectures the simple and most naturally intended sense of the holy Apostle and and thence vrging applying the Obseruations so effectually that many not only of his ordinarie hearers but euen of the Vniuersitie by whom he was much frequented blessed God for the direction and comfort they receiued from his mouth The life of deliuery in him was very powerfull made great impression in his hearers this booke wants that aduaÌ„tage which yet is here supplied because those things which then were only deliuered in the eares of few are here submitted to the eyes of all Touching the Author himselfe I need not say much Altho after a sort he condemned himselfe to obscuritie and affected a priuate and retired life yet he could not hide himselfe from the eyes of the world being generally noted and esteemed for his holines his integrity his learning and grauity his indefatigable paines in the discharge of his ministeriall function his singular wisdome and dexteritie in the gouernment of our Colledge which by Gods blessing vpon his care hath sent forth many learned Ministers into the Church many worthy Gentlemen into the Common-wealth Briefely in his whole conuersation he was so sincere vnrebukeable that by some partly by occasion of these Lectures he was defamed for precisenes Indeede as the times are now the only meanes almost to auoid that reproch is to be notoriously wicked But in few words to wipe of that imputation how much he condemned the iniurious zeale of the Separatists how far he misliked all busie disturbers of the Churches peace quiet still grauely exhorting to calmnesse and moderation how heartily he reuerenced his holy mother the Church of England and how willingly he conformed himselfe to her seemely ceremonies and iniunctions besides his practise he hath so many reuerend graue witnesses as he had familiar acquaintance To say truth he was not of the Laodicean temper nor yet pure in his owne eyes zealous feruent not turbulent contentious a faithfull seruant of God an humble and obedient sonne of the Church an enemy to faction no lesse then to superstition Lastly when the few and euill daies of his pilgrimage were ended as a comfortable death euer followes a conscionable life he patiently meekly endured Gods gentle visitation earnestly longed after his dissolution and to be with Christ which he knew was best of all and at length when the time of his changing was come deuoutly coÌ„mending his soule to the mercy of his redeemer he closed vp his eyes in peace was caried to his graue with honor He now rests from his labors and his works follow him he hath left behind him a blessed memory and a name sweeter then any oyntment This holy monument of his industry I coÌ„mend to thy vse and serious meditation good Christian Reader which fauourably accepted may incourage me to publish other of his labours The Lord Iesus blesse all our indeuours to the building vp of his Church and our owne euerlasting saluation Amen Queenes Colledge Nou. 28. 1617. Thine in the Lord Iesus Christopher Potter A Table Alphabeticall A. ADuersaries of the truth not to to be feared pag. 253. Affliction a gift and grace of God 89. 700. 707. fruits of them 80. 180. Comforts in them 337. 763. 700. whether to be desired pag. 709. Aged Ministers to be respected pag. 492. Allusions approued in the Scripture pag. 592. Ambition a note of false teachers pag. 821. Anabaptists their errour touching oathes pag. 97. Apostates censured pag. 196. 250. Armour of a Christian pag. 512. B. BAptisme duties from it pag. 342. Bodies of men fraile and vile pag. 857. Booke of life pag. 745. Bowing at the name of Iesus pag. 353. Brownists taxed pag. 175. 293. 846. 782. C. CAluin we reuerence yet we no Caluinists pag. 292. 829. Carefulnesse pag. 800. Censures to be charitable pag. 869. Certainty of saluation pag. 402. 749. 724. Circumcision two-folde 597. carnall abolished 602. morall vse of it pag. 605. Charity hopes the best 79. 74â— a worke of Christ pag. 562. Christ the onely gaine 200. in life 203. in death 206. true God 316. his obedience 325. his second comming 796. duties from it 843. his sufferings in soule 329. fruits of his death 330. how exalted 341. all creatures subiect to him 356. the marke of our Christian race 750. his body not euery where 844. it is a true body pag. 862. Christians to bee like minded 289. why 290. how freed from the Law 328. not voyd of passions 538. their courage pag. 253. Church to bee remembred in our prayers 46. not without staine in in this life pag. 286. Company of wicked dangerous pag. 437. Confidence must bee in Christ 627. not in our best workes pag. 637. 661. 649. 657. 666. Contentions disswaded pag. 299. Contentation in all estates pag. 877. 921. Corporal presence in the Sacrament pag. 225. Couetousnesse pag. 880. Crosse of Christ 812. enemies of it ibid. D. DEacons described pag. 4. Death may bee desired 215. how 216. why 217. not to bee feared 219. 221. a mercy of God to the faithfull pag. 532. Diuels subiect to Christ pag. 361. Distrustfull care 802. reasons against it ibid. Dissentions obiected to vs answered 291. 786. causes of them 780. remedies pag. 782. Doubting of saluation a doctrine false and vncomfortable pag. 183. 195. 402. 724. Drunkennesse pag. 826. E. EArthly desires pag. 825. Elections pag. 906. Enemies to the crosse of Christ pag. 810. Equity and moderation vrged 774. â—ules for it pag. 779. Erasmus his iudgement of Luther pag. 591. 621. Exhortations whether they doe infâ—â—â—e 〈◊〉 pag. 398. 732. Exaltâ—tion â—f Chr st pag. 348. Exampâ—â—s â—â—â—â—tion pag. 790. Expeâ—â—â—â—ntall knowledge in the word necâ—ssâ—ry pag. 124. F. FA th commended 252. a gift of God 26â— by it are wee assured of saluâ—tion 403. how it iustifies pag. 678. Faithfulâ—â—sse pag. 919. Faul s how to be noted pag. 734. Fâ—lse teachers dogâ— 583 to beware of them 587. notes of them pag. 589. 814. Feare seruile an â—â—filâ—all 406. motiues to this laâ—â—er pag. 411. Fellowship in he Goâ—pell a blessing pag. 37. Flocke their duties to their Pastor pag. 231. Freewill conâ—uted pag. 72 398. 415. 731. 893. Friends their duty pag. 54. Fulfilling of the Law pag. 888. G. GOds immutability the ground of our perseuerance 63. hee the authour of all good 68. 416. deliuers out of troubles 190. prouidence ouer his 791. his glorie cheefely to be aimed at pag. 226. Good workes See Workes Good report to be desired pag. 843. Gospell of Christ a great blessing pag. 49. 650. Grace 4. author of it 5. effects pag. 22. 26. Grauity of carriage pag. 832. H. HEalth a mercy of God pag. 530. Hearers of the word their duty pag. 374. Heretikes contentious pag. 300. Hope a vertue necessary in Christians
to lay them out then to our masters aduantage let vs alwaies in all th ngs seeke the honor and glory of Christ Iesus and let vs not dare to seeke out owne ease or pleasure or profit or honor more then the things of Christ Iesus let our ministration which we haue receiued of our master Christ Iesus be most precious in our eyes and let not our liues be deare vnto vs to spend them in his seruice Thus indeed shall we be rightly entituled vnto the seruants of Christ Iesus in respect of our ministery and thus shall we well discharge that duty whereof this title may sufficiently remember vs. The second thing which I obserue from this title wherevnto Paul and Timothy are entituled is the great honor and dignitie vouchsafed vnto the ministers of the gospell of Christ Iesus For what greater honor and dignity then this to be the seruants of Christ Iesus the Sauiour of the world the mighty God the King of glory the prince of peace the great bishop of our soules the euerlasting high priest of our profession and that in that seruice to beare his name before the Kings and Princes and great men of the earth to be his Ambassadors to declare his will vnto his people to be his stewards to giue euery man their portion of meat in due season Let a man saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 4.1 so thinke of vs as of the Ministers of Christ and disposers of the secrets of God And how can a man be better esteemed then if he be so thought of Againe we saith the Apostle are ambassadors for Christ What for Christ what honor is this 2 Cor. 5.20 To be Ambassadors for a mortall Prince is such an honor as not many great men are vouchsafed vnto What honor then is it to bee ambassadors for Christ the King of Kings and Lord of Lords which all the ministers of the gospell are And when the Lord told Ananias that Paul was a chosen vessell vnto him Act. 9.15 to beare his name before the Gentiles and Kings and children of Israel in effect he told him that he had called him vnto the greatest honor among the sonnes of men And yet this is the honor of all them that serue him in the ministerie of the gospell Which honor if he knew that will needs be the vicar of Christ on earth then why doth he not rest satisfied with this honor to be the seruant of Iesus Christ in the ministery of the gospell of Iesus Christ but he must be the supreme head ouer all persons vpon earth so that Kings and Princes must lay downe their Crownes at his feete and be deposed and disposed of at his pleasure Howsoeuer he know it or know it not if it be knowne amongst vs why is it that we are made as the filth of the world and the off-scowring of all things The calling of a Minister what more base and contemptible amongst men and yet what calling indeed more high and honorable Whose person more maligned and disgraced then the person of the Minister and yet whose more to be reuerenced and countenanced Well howsoeuer commonly we be thought of we are the seruants of Iesus Christ in the ministery of the gospell for your sakes and as though God did beseech you through vs we pray you in Christs steed that yee be reconciled vnto God And howsoeuer yee thinke of vs yet thinke as yee ought of the word of your saluation which we bring vnto you and receiue it from vs not as the word of man but as it is indeede the word of God which is able to make you wise vnto saluation The fourth thing which I note is in the persons of them whom he saluteth and vnto whom he writeth The persons generally are all the saints in Christ Iesus which are at Philippi euen the whole Church of Philippi so many as were baptized into Christ Iesus Whence I obserue what ought to be the studie euen of the whole Church militant which is to be saints in Christ Iesus that such as they are in outward profession such they may bee in truth and in deed through the power of the of the spirit of sanctification in the inner man Now we are so many as are baptized into the name of Christ Iesus by an outward profession saints and holy our baptisme so witnessing our holy profession as circumcision did the Iewes It is then another holinesse wherevnto we are to giue all diligence then this sacramentall holinesse euen an inherent holinesse that being sanctified throughout both in our soules and in our bodies we may be blamelesse vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ We must studie to be holy in all manner of conversation euen as he which hath called vs is holy denying vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and liuing soberly and righteously and godly in this present world And here vnto we doe binde our selues as it were by solemne vow and obligation in the presence of the Church when we are sacramentally sanctified by baptisme promising there to forsake the deuill and all his workes constantly to beleeue Gods holy word and obediently to keepe his commandments So that thenceforth as the Apostle often exhorteth we should walke not after the flesh but after the spirit we should crucifie the flesh with the affections and the lusts and walke in the spirit in newnesse of life we should cast off the old man which is corrupt through the deceiuable lusts and put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnes and true holinesse in a word we should die vnto sinne and liue vnto God Otherwise how is our baptisme the washing of the new birth vnto vs and the renuing of the Holy Ghost Sacramentally it is but effectually it is not vnlesse by the power of the spirit of sanctification the body of sinne be destroyed in vs that it may not reigne in vs and the life of God be renued in vs that we may liue vnto God in Iesus Christ our Lord. Neither doth it indeed at all profit vs to be sealed outwardly with the seale of an holy profession vnlesse by the power of the spirit we be sanctified in the inner man to lead our liues in all godlinesse and holinesse for vnto these onely Christ Iesus is made of God wisdome and righteousnes and sanctification and redemption and these onely are made partakers of that imputed holines which properly is in Christ Iesus and is imputed vnto them which are in Christ Iesus And this is it which indeed makes vs holy and saints in Christ Iesus Our inherent holinesse is vtterly vnperfit full of vnholinesse and all shall be perfit in the heauens Yet is it so accepted with God thorow Iesus Christ our Lord that hauing it his is imputed vnto vs whereby we are made Saints in Christ Iesus So that if as we are called and as by outward profession through baptisme we are Saints in Christ Iesus so we will truly be Saints in
thanks vnto God on their behalfe 2. in remembring them in his prayers vnto God 3. in praying for them with gladnesse The grace of God already bestowed on them for which he reioyced in their behalfe is said to be 1. their fellowship with other Churches in the gospell 2. their perseuerance therein from the first day they had receiued the gospell till now that he wrote vnto them This is the generall resolution of these words Now for the more particular opening of the meaning of them in that in the beginning of his Epistle hee thanketh God on the Philippians behalfe he obserueth his vsuall manner For so he beginneth almost all his Epistles as anon we shall heare In that he saith that hee thanketh his God he signifieth his bold and neere approch vnto God in giuing thanks and in praying vnto him Againe in that he saith that he hath them in perfect memory alwaies in all his prayers for them all he meaneth that as alwaies he thanketh God for them all so alwaies in all his prayers vnto God he remembreth them And he addeth that his prayers are alwaies powred out vnto God for them with great ioy and gladnesse of heart Why because as he addeth the reason of the fellowship which they had receiued in the Gospell 1. Because they as other Churches had receiued the gospell and thereby had fellowship with the Father and with his sonne Iesus Christ and because they had continued in the truth from the first day of their conuersion vnto Christ by his ministery vntill now that he wrote vnto them This was the cause of his thanksgiuing and his continuall prayers wherein he alwaies remembred them were that they might continue in that grace euen in that fellowship which they had receiued in the gospell It is then briefly as if the Apostle had thus said I thanke my God alwaies on your behalfe for that fellowship which you haue with the Father and the Sonne with vs and with other Churches by embracing the Gospell and for your perseuerance therein from the first day that I and Silas and Timotheus preached it vnto you vnto now and alwaies in all my praiers vnto God I remember you praying for you with gladnes for the grace already granted you that yee may continue and increase in that grace This I take to be the meaning of these words The first thing then which here I note is the Apostles beginning of his Epistle with thanksgiuing vnto God on the Philippians behalfe And so he beginneth all his Epistles with thanksgiuing vnto God on their behalfe to whom he wrote onely his Epistles to the Galatians and to Titus and the former to Timothy excepted And so Peter beginneth his former Epistle Whence I obserue that thanksgiuing vnto God is a seruice principally requisite in a Christian I exhort saith the Apostle that first of all 1 Tim. 2.1 or aboue all things supplications prayers intercessions and giuing of thanks be made for all men And in the former to the Thessâ—lonians he willeth in all things to â—iue thanks 1 Thess 5.18 for that this is the will of God in Christ Iesus And not any sacrifice is more exactly commanded or described in Leuiticus then the sacrifice of thanksgiuing Wherevpon Leuit. 7.12 if we looke into the practise of the saints of God we shall finde that they were neuer slacke in this seruice Melchisedech after Abrahams victory slacked not this seruice Gen. 14.20 but gaue thanks vnto the most high God which had deliuered his enemies into his hand Moses also and the Israelites after their deliuerance from the Aegyptians Exod. 15.1 and out of the red sea slacked not this seruice but sung praises vnto the Lord. So did Deborah and Barak and Iehoshaphat and many others after their victories ouer their enemies And how often doe we read that as others of his seruants so our blessed Sauiour himselfe gaue thanks vnto his father All which shew clearely how requisite this seruice of thanksgiuing vnto God is if either we will hearken to the precepts and exhortations of the Holy Ghost or doe as we haue the saints of God and our blessed Sauiour for example What then Doth the Lord neede the praises of man or is he delighted with his giuing of thanks No the Lord needeth them not neither is he delighted therwith so much for his owne sake Yet doth hee require them of vs and is delighted therewith for our sakes for 1. in giuing of thanks vnto God we acknowledge that to be from him for which we giue him thanks 2. In giuing him thanks we shew our selues well pleased and content with that spirituall grace or temporall blessing wherefore wee giue him thanks 3. In giuing him thanks we returne what wee can vnto the Lord with humble confession that we can no more nor that but by grace Lastly in giuing of thanks vnto God wee prouoke him to bestow farther mercies vpon vs. All which things he requireth of vs and liketh well in vs. And for these very reasons besides the former is thanksgiuing vnto God so requisite a seruice in a Christian Yet as requisite a seruice as it is we faile asmuch in it as in any seruice It may be that being in perill or persecution or sorrow or neede or sicknes or other like aduersitie we will make our requests knowne vnto God in prayer and supplication as the occasions are publiquely or priuately But when the Lord hath heard our prayers and grâ—nted our requests when he hath done more for vs then we could desire or thinke What giuing oâ— thanks is there vnto God either publiquely or priuately For instance now of late when the Lord opened the clouds of heauen and threatned by raine to depriue vs of that blessing of the fruits of the earth which he had shewed vnto vs in great plenty and abundance then we powred out both publique and priuate prayers in our Churches and in our houses that it would please the Lord to send vs such weather whereby we might receiue the fruits of the earth in due season But now that the Lord hath sent vs seasonable weather and giuen vs good hope of reaping the fruits of the earth in due season in what Congregations publiquely in what houseâ— priuately is the voice of praise and thanksgiuing heard I instance onely in this but as it is in this so is it in other things Not one of ten that sings the song of praise and thanksgiuing after benefits receiued it is too harsh a note we cannot tune it all or the most part of vs being liker vnto those nine Lepers that neuer returned backe to giue God praise then vnto the stranger that returned Luc. 17.18 Beloued by vnthankfulnesse we prouoke Gods wrath against vs asmuch as by any sinne and therefore Paul reckons it vp amongst the most heynous sinnes 2 Tim. 3.2 but the sacrifice of thanksgiuing is as pleasant and acceptable vnto God as is any sacrifice and
therefore by Dauid the Lord saith Psal 50.23 who so offereth me thanks and praise he honoreth me euen with most excellent honor Let vs therefore clense our selues from this sinne of vnthankfullnesse Phil. 4.6 and let as the Apostle exhorteth our requests be shewed vnto God in prayer and supplication with giuing of thanks The fouler that the sinne of vnthankfulnesse is let vs the more detest it and the more requisite that thanksgiuing vnto God is let vs the more abound therein Let vs follow the counsell of the Apostle and walke in Christ Iesus rooted and built in him and stablished in the faith Col. 2.6 7. as we haue been taught abounding therein with thanksgiuing The second thing which here I note is the cause of the Apostles thanksgiuing vnto God which is because of the fellowship which they had in the gospell from the first day vntill then 1. because they as other Churches had receiued the gospell whereby they had fellowship with the Father and the Sonne and because they had continued in the truth from the first day of their conuersion vnto Christ by the worke of his ministerie vnto now that he wrote vnto them Whence I obserue a principall matter of our thanksgiuing vnto God a principall cause why we should vpon the blessing bestowed vpon vs giue thanks vnto God for it In all things indeed is matter of our thanksgiuing vnto God for euery good giuing and euery perfit gift is from aboue Jam. 1.17 and commeth downe from the father of lights c. He created vs formed vs and made vs and that in his owne image in him we liue moue and haue our being he giueth health wealth peace liberty foode rayment he sendeth raine from heauen and fruitfull seasons deliuereth in all dangers comforteth in all troubles helpeth in all needs blesseth the worke of our hands and filleth vs with plenteousnesse of all good things And for all these we should and haue great cause from day to day to tell out his praises with gladnes and to offer vnto him the sacrifice of praise thanksgiuing But yet is a more principall matter behind which is the fellowship which wee haue with other reformed Churches in the gospell of Iesus Christ and the continuance thereof so long time amongst vs the preaching of the word of our saluation amongst vs and the blessed increase thereof vnder a most gracious gouernment Here is indeed principall cause of reioycing and thanksgiuing for by our fellowship which we haue with other Churches in the gospell we haue fellowship with the Father and with his sonne Iesus Christ as Iohn witnesseth saying that which we haue seene and heard to wit the gospell 1 Joh. 1.3 declare we vnto you that yee may also haue fellowship with vs and that our fellowship also may be with the Father and with his sonne Iesus Christ By our fellowship in the gospell we are called out of darknes into his marueilous light and we which in time past were not a people are now the people of God 1 Pet. 2.9 10. and we which in time past were not vnder mercy haue now obteined mercy as Peter witnesseth By our fellowship in the gospell we are borne againe not of mortall seede 1 Pet. 1.3.23 but of immortall and are begotten vnto a liuely hope in Christ Iesus as the same Peter witnesseth And by our fellowship in the gospell 2 Tim. 3.15 we are made wise vnto saluation through the faith which we haue in Christ Iesus as witnesseth our Apostle O blessed fellowship in the gospell whereby we are made wise vnto saluation whereby we are regenerate and begotten vnto a liuely hope in Christ Iesus whereby we are called out of darknes into light and of no people made the people of God and whereby wee haue fellowship with Christ Iesus which is the great end of the ministery of the gospell that we may haue fellowship with him and walke in the light as he is in the light Againe the continuance of our fellowship in the gospell from the first day of her Maiesties most gracious gouernment ouer vs vnto now our pereseuerance in the truth without being remoued away vnto another gospell which is not another gospell saue that there be some which trouble you and intrude to peruert the gospell of Christ what a principall blessing is this of our good God vnto vs Surely these are such blessings as may well make vs breake out into exclamation with Dauid and say Psal 116.12 13 17. What shall I render vnto the Lord for these his great mercies towards me I will receiue the cup of saluation and call vpon the name of the Lord. I will offer a sacrifice of thanks-giuing will call vpon the name of the Lord. This was Dauids resolution vpon deliuerance from dangers by Saul and much more vpon such blessings as these haue we iust cause of such resolution God being principally in this soft and still voice of the gospell Haue we then such principall cause of thanksgiuing vnto our God for the fellowship which wee haue with other Churches in the gospell and for the continuance of this fellowship from the first day vnto now euen these forty yeares This then 1. should teach vs willingly and gladly to embrace the gospell of Iesus Christ when it is brought vnto vs. For if there be such cause of thanksgiuing vnto God for it being had then surely is there great cause of gladly embracing it when it may be had And yet what dullnesse and slacknes and coldnes herein In this congregation how is it embraced I beare you record some of you that yee doe embrace it willingly and gladly and I assure my selfe that from your hearts you thanke your God for it But others there are that seldome or neuer come vnto the hearing of it others that when they should heare it turne their backs and depart away from the hearing of it others that heare it sleepingly or coldly so that either it enters not in or quickly after is choked by the cares of this world Do these thanke God for the fellowship which they haue with others in the gospell Nay they haue none and some of them will haue no fellowship with others therein and therefore vnlesse at length they take hold of the grace that is offered them they shall haue no fellowship with the Father or with Iesus Christ his sonne As for you beloued that gladly embrace the gospell of your saluation hold on your good course thirst after it as the Hart doth after the water brooks frequent the places where yee may heare it lay it vp in your hearts that yee may not sinne against the Lord and let your mouthes be euer filled with praises thanksgiuing to God for it Secondly this should teach vs to labour by all holy meanes to continue in the grace and in the truth wherein we stand vnto the end For if it should so principally cause in vs
thanksgiuing vnto God then should it also worke in vs all holy desire and labour to be daily more and more stablished and strengthned in the truth of Christ Iesus and in our fellowship with other Churches in the gospell And yet how wauering are we many of vs and how quickly caried about with euery winde of doctrine by the deceit of men and with craftinesse whereby they lay in waite to deceiue If a runnagate Seminarie that compasseth sea and land to make one of his profession and when he is made makes him twofold more the childe of hell then he himselfe is a sworne-vassall to that man of sinne a disloyall traitor to his Prince an vnnaturall enemy to his country if such a one I say shall with fained words creepe into secret corners amongst vs and glosingly slander the truth of the gospell of Iesus Christ and set abroche his owne damnable heresies how quickly doe we listen vnto them and are led captiue by them Howsoeuer it be with vs it is thus in too too many places But beloued let vs know that whosoeuer transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God 2 Ioh. 9. He that continueth in the doctrine of Christ he hath both the Father and the Sonne If there come any vnto you and bring not this doctrine 10. receiue him not to house neither bid him God speede I know they will tell you they bring the doctrine of Christ vnto you but doe yee as the men of Beraea did Act. 17.11 which are much commended for so doing examine it by the scriptures and search whether it be so and yee shall finde it to be the doctrine of deuills 1 Tim. 4.1 as the Apostle speaketh and as euen by that place it will appeare to be Wherefore beloued brethren as now yee haue fellowship with other Churches in the gospell of Iesus Christ so continue therein Let nothing bee able to remoue you from the truth wherein yee stand but hold fast your good profession vnto the end The third thing which here I note is the Apostles bold and neere and ioyfull approch vnto God in his thanksgiuing vnto God in that he saith I thanke my God Whence I obserue the manner of our thanksgiuing vnto God how we should offer our sacrifice of thanksgiuing vnto him And that is 1. with such assurance of Gods loue in his mercies towards vs as that in our thanksgiuing for them we dare boldly as sonnes say I thanke my God for so shall our sacrifice of thanksgiuing be acceptable vnto God if vpon assurance of his loue we boldly powre out our soules in praise vnto him And therefore the Apostle to the Hebrewes exhorteth Heb. 4 16. saying Let vs go boldly vnto the throne of grace be it in prayer or in thanksgiuing Let vs goe boldly vnto the throne of grace praying and giuing thanks vnto God through Iesus Christ our Lord. 2. Our thanksgiuing should be offered with such willingnesse and cheerefullnesse from our hearts vnto God that we might say I thanke my God So our Apostle in an other place 1 Cor. 14.18 I thanke my God I spake languages more then yee all How cheerefully he openeth his mouth in praise of his God And so shall our thanksgiuing be pleasing vnto God if we offer it from the heart cheerefully for he loueth a cheerefull giuer as of almes vnto the poore Saints so of thanks vnto his name And how can I goe vnto him with greater cheerefullnesse and thanke him then when I go vnto him as to my God and say I thanke my God 3. Our thanksgiuing vnto God should be offered vp with such soule-melting passion and affection that as if we had greater feeling experience in our soules of his goodnes then others and would be neerer him then others we should say I thanke my God for such the Lord loueth best as presse the neerest vnto him and then the sacrifice of praise pleaseth most where the soule is tied the closest vnto his God These are the things in which the manner how we should offer vp our sacrifice of thanksgiuing consisteth namely in faith and full assurance of Gods loue towards vs with all willingnesse and cheerefulnesse from our hearts and with a soule-rauisht affection as of a more then ordinarie feeling-experience of Gods goodnes towards vs. And this manner I take it may bee obserued from this that the Apostle saith I thanke my God Here then that cold and cursorie forme of thanksgiuing which commonly is vsed is vtterly condemned For what doe wee when the Lord hath remembred vs in mercy and done great things for vs I doubt not but there are who in their hearts cheerefully and with their mouthes ioyfully say with the Prophet thou art my God Psal 118.28 and I will thanke thee thou art my God and I will praise thee But a great many of vs like vnto horses and mules which haue no vnderstanding either remember not or regard not to giue God thanks A man may see it daily in many of vs that we come from our beds and from our meales as dogs from their kennels and oxen from their stalls Others of vs haue certaine words of course as to say God be blessed God be thanked I praise God I thanke God which being good words in themselues yet are so coldly and cursorily vttered by vs as that a man may well see they haue their beginning in the lips and their ending in the ayre but neuer pierce the heauens But beloued if we will haue our voice of thanksgiuing to breake thorow the clouds to come vnto the highest we must vse Maries magnificat and say My soule doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit reioyceth in God my Sauiour Luc. 1.46 As therfore it becommeth vs to be thankfull so let vs remember in faith and full assurance of Gods loue towards vs to powre out our soules in thanksgiuing vnto him that so our sacrifâ—â—â— may be acceptable vnto him LECTVRE IV. PHILIP 1. vers 3.4 5. Verse 3. Hauing you in perfit memory 4. Alwaies in all my prayers for all you praying with gladnesse 5. Because of the fellowship which yee haue in the gospell from the first day vnto now NOw farther the Apostle signifieth this reioycing on the Philippians behalfe and his loue towards them by remembring them in all his prayers vnto God and by praying for them with gladnesse when he saith that he hath them in perfect memory alwaies in all his prayers c. It is vsuall with the Apostle in his Epistles as to signifie his thanksgiuing vnto God on their behalfe vnto whom he writeth so to signifie his remembrance of them alwaies in his p ayers But yet here the Apostle signifieth this his remembrance of them in his prayers in more then an vsuall manner In the Epistle to the Romanes to the Colossians the former to the Thessalonians and to Philemon he telleth them to whom he writeth that he maketh
pray for perseuerance therein because he will haue all them so exercised whom he will confirme vnto the end Whatsoeuer graces therefore the Lord hath bestowed vpon vs yet still let vs pray vnto him either for our farther assurance and confirmation or for perseuerance and increase in them Let vs pray for our selues vnto the Lord for euery grace needfull for vs and let vs request to be commended by the faithfull in their praiers vnto God This is our wrestling with the God of Iacob and thus wrestling wee shall surely preuaile Matth. 7.7 for so he hath promised and faithfull is hee thâ—â— hath promised The second thing which I note is that the Apostle in his praiers for the Philippians praied for them all for so he saith that he had them in perfect memory alwaies in all his prayers c. Whence I obserue how in our praiers for the Church we ought to be affected towards it namely that so in our praiers we commend the whole Church vnto God For what though in the Church all bee not knit together in one minde and in one iudgment what though all be not alike forward in acknowledging and embracing the truth what though many things bee done in the Church through contention or vaine glory The Apostle knew well that it was thus in the Church at Philippi as many euidently appeare by sundry places in this his Epistle yet in his praiers vnto God for them he tooke no such notice of these things as that he did seclude any of them out of his praiers vnto God but ioyntly he commended them all in his praiers vnto God Right so we in our praiers for the Church we should not easily take notice of euery contention of euery defect of euery thing that may offend in the Church so to seclude any out of our praiers vnto God but in a Christian affection towards all and in an holy desire for all we should commend the whole Church in our praiers vnto God It was such an ordinarie practise with our Apostle both to giue thanks vnto God for all them to whom he wrote and likewise to pray for them all notwithstanding that many things were amisse amongst them that we are not to doubt but that we are so to doe as we haue the Apostle for an ensample Looke into his Epistles and by the beginning almost of all of them ye shall see that this was his ordinary practise leauing vs therein an ensample that as he did so we should do And the reason is plaine for doth not the Apostle in writing his Epistles vnto the Churches still write as vnto the beloued of God and vnto Saints in Christ Iesus still entituling the whole Church vnto which he wrote vnto these titles without exception of any Or doth the Apostle so and are not we to doe so Or are wee to doe so and not to commend the whole Church in our praiers vnto God The reason I take it inferreth the point and commendeth vnto vs that generall care of commending the whole Church in our praiers vnto God A good lesson and well worthy the learning of many in these our daies for as it fareth more priuately and particularly amongst men so doth it fare more publikely and generally in the Church Amongst men ordinarily euery trifling matter is enough to cut off all loue and friendship amongst vs nay to breed great hatreds and enmities amongst vs nay to set vs at such odds that rather we will banne and curse one another then pray one for another And if wee differ in iudgement one from another about some matters of the Church then nothing on one part but carnall gospellers and time-seruers nothing on another part but sacrilegious persons schismaticall persons troublers of the state and hypocriticall dissemblers nothing but slandering and forging things neuer writ or spoke nothing but such vncharitablenesse as that it may bee feared that on some part there is little praying for the other vnlesse it bee to confound them Neither is it otherwise more publiquely and generalâ—y in the Church if we may iudge by outward appearances Some parts of the Church vnto some seeme to haue so many defects and blemishes so many superstitious rites and ceremonies that they cannot brooke them they cannot abide in them they cannot pray with them I know not whether they doe pray for them And of others other parts of the Church because of their forme of gouernment are so misliked that they cannot with patience heare of them and therefore it is like do not in all their prayers remember them But these and all such might hence be better lessoned and such vncharitablenesse if any such be in them reformed Let vs beloued be otherwise minded Howsoeuer there be things amisse in the Church let vs not seclude any out of our praiers vnto God but let vs commend in our praiers the whole Church vnto God In our praiers vnto God let vs abandon all cogitation either of priuate quarrells one with another or of publike contentions in the Church and let vs pray each for other and all of vs for the whole Church vnto the Lord feruently Let the same minde bee in vs that was in our Apostle and let vs alwaies in all our praiers haue all the saints in Christ Iesus in perfit memory The third thing which here I note is the thing for which the Apostle praied in all his praiers for them and that was the same in substance with that wherefore hee gaue thanks vnto God For as his thanksgiuing vnto GOD on their behalfe was because of the fellowship which they had in the gospell from the first day vntill then so his praiers vnto God for them were that they might continue in that fellowship which they had in the gospell vnto the end Whence I obserue a very materiall point to be remembred in our praiers vnto God both for the whole Church and for our selues which is continuance in the fellowship of the gospell that our Church may continue in that fellowship which it hath with other reformed Churches in the gospell and that we may continue grounded and stablished in the truth wherein we stand Here is indeed principall cause of prostrating our selues before the throne of grace and powring out our soules in praier vnto our God whether we looke vnto the curse in the wanting or vnto the blessing in the enioying of the glorious gospell of Iesus Christ For what greater curse or plague of God could fall vpon vs then that our candlesticke should be remoued from vs that a famine of the word should be sent amongst vs that the gospell of our saluation should be translated from vs to another people The Lord threatning to bring a fearefull iudgment on the Church of Ephesus if they should not repent and returne to their former loue saith Remember from whence thou art fallen and repent Apâ—c 2.5 and doe the first workes or else I will come against thee shortly and will remoue
life of righteousnesse in himselfe that as he knew by the word Christ his resurrection to haue such a vertue so by experience in himselfe he might know Christ his resurrection to haue such a vertue And this care the Prophet exhorteth all men vnto where he saith Psal 34.8 Taste and see how gracious the Lord is Where yee may not thinke that the Prophet speaketh as if the gracious goodnesse of the Lord could be tasted on with the mouth or seene with the eye but his meaning is that such is the gracious goodnesse of the Lord vnto his children that they may haue as sound experimentall knowledge thereof as if they should taste it with their mouths or see it with their eyes It is then as if the Prophet had thus said Know yee doe the gracious goodnesse of the Lord by his manifolde mercies and more then so yee may know it by your owne experience Acknowledge therefore him to bee gracious whom by your own experimentall knowledge ye doe as it were taste and see to be gracious As then the Prophet doth exhort vs and as our Apostle both by example and exhortation moueth vs our care should be that besides our knowledge out of the word we might haue a feeling knowledge of that wee know out of the word by experience in our selues This then should teach vs to obserue the mercies and iudgements of the Lord to obserue the proofe and experience in our daily life of such things as wee know by the word that so we may haue not a contemplatiue onely but an experimentall knowledge of things in our selues As for example the scripture telleth vs that the poore crieth and the Lord heareth him and saueth him out of all his troubles Psal 34.6 This we know to be true because wee finde it so in the word But our care should be farther to know it by a feeling experience in our owne selues We must then obserue the mercies of the Lord in hearing vs when we call vpon him and deliuering vs in euery needfull time of trouble so shall we know not only by the word but by experience in our own selues that the Lord heareth the poore when they cry vnto him and saueth them out of all their troubles Psal 34.7 So Dauid besides this knowledge out of the word 1 Sam. 17.37 that the Angell of the Lord pitcheth round about them that feare him and deliuereth them had obserued the truth of it by his owne experience in his deliuerance out of the paw of the Lyon Matth. 16.18 and out of the paw of the Beare and thereupon was bold to encounter that great Goliah that vncircumcised Philistim Againe we know that the gates of hell shal not preuaile against Christ his Church because the scripture saith so But will wee so know it to be so as if our owne senses should tell vs that it were so Then we must obserue the stormes and tempests the persecutions and troubles the batteries and assaults that Satan in his members makes against the Church and how the Lord bringeth all their counsels to naught and maketh their deuises to be nothing else but the imagination of a vaine thing And thus in all things we must obserue that by long experience our spirituall senses may be exercised to know the truth of euery thing that wee know out of the word But so carelesse commonly we are that wee passe ouer the mercies and the iudgements of the Lord without obseruation at all whereby we might grow in all iudgement and sound experience It may be that some of vs sometimes will desire to know somewhat out of the scriptures touching the Sacraments touching the resurrection touching faith touching good workes c. But what is it It is onely to know it there it is not to haue a feeling of it in our owne soules If wee haue the text of scripture for proofe we thinke we haue knowledge enough but for proofe out of our owne experience in our owne soule we look not after it But beloued ye see we should haue a care as to abound in knowledge out of the Scriptures so in sound iudgment out of a feeling experience in our selues of the truth of that we know Let vs not therefore â—ightly passe ouer the things that we know out of the word but let vs labour to increase in a feeling knowledge of them in our owne soules Let vs obserue in our daily experience that as it is written so it is indeed that when we heare or read such and such things out of the word our owne soules within vs may giue witnesse vnto the same and say it is so indeede in mine owne experience I finde it to be most true Thus the Apostle exhorteth and thus it behoueth vs to doe The next thing which here I note is that the Apostle praieth for the Philippians that their loue may abound more and more in knowledge and in all iudgement which is that their loue might bee founded and grounded in sound knowledge and in sound iudgement that each hauing helpe of other and each being furnished by other they might the better discerne things that differ c. Whence I obserue yet a farther continuall care necessarie for all Christians and that is that their loue may abound in knowledge and in all iudgement Though saith the Apostle I had all knowledge and had not loue I were nothing 1 Cor. 13.2 So on the other side though we say we haue all loue and haue not knowledge it is nothing for what is all our loue if it be not grounded in knowledge and in iudgement Then these are good when they grow vp together and each hath helpe of other and which of these soeuer growes vp without other like vnto Ionas gourd it will quickly wither Our care then must be that our loue may abound in knowledge and in all iudgement In knowledge that we may know on whom our loue ought principally to be set And in all iudgement that knowing whom we ought to loue we may loue them whom wee ought Gal. 6.10 and as we ought Let vs doe good saith the Apostle vnto all men but especially vnto them which are of the housholde of faith Here we are taught whome we ought principally to loue We are to loue all men but especially them that are of the houshold of faith theÌ„ that are ioyned vnto vs in the band of Christianity And knowing that they are those whoÌ„ we ought principally to loue we are to loue them in deed in truth the more neerely that they are linked vnto vs in the bands of Christianitie the more dearely we are to loue them Otherwise our loue If it be not in knowledge and in all iudgement may do more harme then good euen as wee see that zeale doth without knowledge for it was in zeale but without knowledge Gal. 1.14 that Paul persecuted the Church of God extreamely and wasted it And it was in
contrary The same also we may see by the Holy Ghosts commendation of the men of Beraea Act. 17.11 for searching the Scriptures to see whether the things that were spoken were so It was Paul that preached vnto them and when he preached vnto them they turned their books and lookt diligently into the scriptures to see whether in any thing he differed from the doctrine of the Holy Ghost And this is registred both for their commendation and our instruction to admonish vs that we are to care that we may discerne things that differ either in doctrine from corrupt doctrine or in faith from sound or in manners from a Christian and holy conuersation And why The reason is very plaine Psal 49.20 euen that we be not like to the beasts that perish as the Prophet speaketh of a man that is in honor and hath no vnderstanding For what will yee thinke of such a man that cannot discerne betweene chaffe and wheat drosse and gold sowre and sweet Will yee not say that he is like to the beast that perisheth What then must yee needs say and thinke of that Christian that can not discerne betweene truth and error religion and superstition vertue and vice good and euill Any better Nay surely for these are as wheat chaff gold drosse and not to discerne betweene them is not to discerne between wheat and chaffe gold and drosse If then we will not be like vnto the beasts that perish our care must be that out of our knowledge in the Scriptures we may be able to discerne things that differ But doe we thus imploy our care Nay thus farre I haue onely said what we should doe but what we doe our vnablenesse to discerne betweene things that differ one from another too too plainly discouer For what is the cause why so quickly wee hearken vnto those deceiuers that compasse sea and land to make one of their profession and when he is made they make him twofold more the childe of hell then they themselues are Why we are so easily seduced to beleeue the spirits of error and to fall from our owne stedfastnes Is it not euen hence because we cannot discerne things that differ one from another They bring vnto vs the fancies of their owne braine the traditions of their owne Church lies out of their owne Legends and we receiue them because wee cannot discerne them from the truth of Christ Iesus They come vnto vs in the name of Christ Iesus but bring with them the doctrine of Deuils forbidding to marrie and commanding to absteine from meats which God hath created to be receiued with thanksgiuing and we beleeue them because we cannot try the spirits whether they be of God to see which is the spirit of truth and which is the spirit of error For God forbid that I should thinke that if we could discerne betweene truth and error religion and superstition any of vs would follow their damnable heresies by whom the way of truth is euill spoken of Againe what is the cause why we are often deceiued with the shadowes of good things with the semblances of things honest and iust and pure with the dimme shewes of vertue and praise and holines of life Is it not euen hence because we cannot discerne things that differ one from another Oftentimes we thinke we runne well when we runne quite a wrong course oftentimes we count that our praise which is indeed our dispraise and a great many of vs thinke that we haue Abraham to our father when indeed we are of our father the deuill And all hence as I thinke because we cannot discerne things that differ And yet tell a great many of vs that we know not good from euill that we cannot discerne between truth and error right and wrong c. we cannot brooke it but we disdaine to be counted so simple and ignorant that we cannot discerne things so different But let me but aske these questions How is it that so commonly we fly that which is good and follow that which is euill How is it that so easily we are drawen oftentimes from the way of truth into error How is it that vice vnder the colour of vertue so often doth deceiue vs Is it not because we cannot discerne good from euill truth from error vertue from vice Either it is so or worse for either ignorantly we erre as not able to discerne betweene things that differ or wilfully we runne a wrong course as discerning well enough things that differ but wilfully running our selues on the rockes Beloued let vs thinke of these things and let vs be ashamed of it that we cannot discerne betweene things that differ one from other It is enough for vs that we haue spent the time past ignorantly and foolishly Let vs henceforth redeeme the time and learne to discerne things that differ If we consider the time that we haue spent in the schoole of Christ we may well thinke that now we should haue so much knowledge as to discerne things that differ one from another And if truth and error good and euill c. be vnto vs as yet as colours vnto blinde men that we cannot discerne betweene them we may well thinke that we are blinde Let vs therefore go vnto Christ Iesus in his word that we may receaue sight and see clearely Let vs reade and heare and meditate in the holy word of God that thence we may know what is good and acceptable vnto God Let vs pray and labour by all holy meanes that we may abound in knowledge and in all iudgement that we may discerne things that differ one from another The second thing wherefore the Apostle prayed that the Philippians might abound more and more in knowledge and in all iudgement was that they might be pure namely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from any leauen of corruption in doctrine life or manners for so the word heere vsed signifieth such as are cleare and free from all mixture of corruption as white wooll neuer dyed fine flower neuer leauened And this was so an end of the Apostles prayer for their encrease in knowledge and in all iudgement that it seemeth to be subordinate to the former end for hee would haue them able to discerne things that differ corrupt from vncorrupt doctrine c. that they might be pure from all corruption in doctrine life and manners and for both these causes he prayed that they might abound more and more in knowledge Hence then I obserue another employmēt behouefull for all christians namely that they may be pure free frō all corruption in doctrine life or manners For it is not enough that we be able to discerne things that differ one from another and to know what in doctrine is corrupt and vncorrupt what in life is good and euill and what in manners is holy and what prophane but farther also it is behoouefull that we be pure from whatsoeuer is corrupt in doctrine from
the growth of the gospell of Christ â—â—sus Againe in some it is very cleare that the motiues â—â—awing them to preach Christ is a sincere and holy loue â—â—th towards you that they may present you holy and vnâ—â—ameable before God in that day and in the meane time â—ay reioyce ouer your faith loue and holy obedience and â—â—ewise towards the truth that the truth by them may bee â—â—owne in all places But in others it is greatly to be feaâ—â—d that their comming to preach Christ is vpon spitefull â—â—uie towards the faithfull seruants of Christ Iesus maligâ—â—ng the gifts and graces of Gods holy spirit in them vpon â—ontentious humor casting vp and downe the firebrands 〈◊〉 schismes strifes and debates to set the Church on fire or â—â—on euery other inordinate affection rather then vpon â—â—e Againe in some it is very cleare that the end of their comming to preach Christ is to glorifie the Lord to beget children in the faith to comfort the humbled and afflicted soule to build vp the ruined walles of Sion and to turne them that belong vnto the Lord vnto righteousnesse that they may receiue forgiuenesse of sinnes and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith in Christ Iesus But in others it is greatly to bee feared that the end of their comming to preach Christ is to grieue the soule which the Lord would not haue greeued to cast dunge in the faces of their brethren to adde affliction vnto them that already are afflicted and vnder the name of the Church to wound the Church euen with a deadly wound I wish indeede euen from my very heart roote that all that preach Christ in our Church at this day were of the better sort and that our day might haue this exception from the Apostles day And I doe assure my selfe that there were neuer moe in our Church then at this day there are which preach Christ of a pure and good minde vpon a sincere and holy loue towards the Church and towards the truth to gaine men vnto the Church and to ground men in the truth Neither doe I or dare I pronounce of any but that he so preacheth Christ But as I said it may greatly be feared that in this our day there are such as doe not so preach Christ For as the Apostle reasoneth whereas there are among you enuying 1 Cor. 3.3 and strife and diuisions are yee not carnall and walke as men So doe I reason touching this point whereas there are amongst vs such as are euer obscuring the lights of our Church euer girding at them whose graces haâ—â— beene and are most eminent in the Church euer crossing and thwarting the things most behouefull for the Church euer snarling and catching at euery aduantage they caâ— take euer casting firebrands of schismes and contentions iâ— the Church are there not that preach Christ vpon enuâ—â— and strife and not purely but of purpose to greeue As I wish there were no such diuersitie among them that preach Christ so this diuersitie for me might haue beene buried iâ— silence if this scripture had not forced me to so much as 〈◊〉 haue spoke The vse which I make hereof is for the Minister and â—â—eacher of the gospell who hence may take good notes â—hereby he may know whether he be a good minister and â—â—eacher of the gospell The first note whereby hee may â—low this is if hee speake the worde for it is not the wiseâ—â—me of man or the traditions of the Church or the sophiâ—â—ie of the Schooles but it is the word of the euer-liuing â—od that he must speake if he be a good minister and preaâ—â—er of the gospell as it is written If any man speake 1 Pet. 4.10 let him â—â—eake as the word of God Whereby is implyed that if hee â—â—eake not so he speaketh not as he ought The second note whereby hee may know this is if hee â—â—eake the word franckely and boldly for it is not for the â—â—ord his Ambassador to be babish or bleatish or for feare 〈◊〉 keepe backe any part of the Lord his counsaile but as â—â—hn vnto Herod so he must speake boldly vnto the faces of â—â—e greatest and feare not the face of any man as it is writâ—â—n Cry aloud and spare not lift vp thy voice like a trumpet Is 58.1 â—â—d shew my people their transgression and to the house of Iacob â—â—eir sinne whereby he implieth that this is most requisite 〈◊〉 the Lord his Prophet and Minister that he boldly do the â—â—ill of him that hath sent him whether he be to plucke vp 〈◊〉 to roote out or to destroy and throw downe or what â—â—se soeuer The third note whereby he may know this is if he speake â—â—e word boldly and of a good minde For it is not enough â—â—at he speake the word and speake it boldly but if he will â—pproue himselfe for a good Minister and Preacher of the Gospell he must also speake out of a good minde towards God to glorifie him towards them that heare him to saue â—â—em and towards the truth of Christ Iesus to make it â—â—owne in all places as it is written 1 Tim. 3.9 that they should haue â—he mysterie of the faith in a pure conscience or in a sincere â—nd good minde The fourth note whereby hee may know this is if hee â—peake the word vpon a sincere and holy loue For this alâ—o is requisite that he preach the word not vpon strife and contention to moue brawles and stirres in the Church bâ—â— vpon loue towards him who hath commanded to feede 〈◊〉 sheepe and his lambes vpon loue towards the sheepe 〈◊〉 Christ that they wander not as sheepe without a shepherd and vpon loue towards the word that it be not hid as vndeâ— a bushell if hee be a good Minister and Preacher of the word The last note whereby he may know this is if he speake the wo d to the end that God may be glorified his Church builded and his Gospell defended If I say he finde these notes in himselfe hereby hee shall know that he is a good Minister and Preacher of the word Otherwise if he speake not the word but the deuises of his owne braine or speake the word coldly and fearefully fearing mens persons or speake the word of a corrupt and naughty minde or vpon an enuious and contentious humor or to greeue the godly and hinder good things let him know that he is not a good Minister and Preacher of the word Let euery man therefore that is set apart vnto this worke examine himselfe of these things and so let him iudge of himselfe and where be hee findes a fault in himselfe let him mend that which is amisse Now if any man shall here except and say how then If the case thus stand among the Preachers of the word that some of them preach Christ euen through enuie and strife not of a pure and good minde but rather to vex the soule of the righteous
then to build the Church of God how shall we brooke to heare such how shall we loue or like such how shall we take ioy or comfort in such Wherevnto 1. I answer out of the rule of charitie that because we know not who doe so preach Christ therefore we are to presume the best of them whom we heare The Lord only knoweth the hearts of men and the purposes and intents of their hearts Who art thou then that iudgest he standeth or falleth to his owne master 2. I answer out of the Apostle iâ— this place that if Christ Iesus be truely and soundly preached we are to take great ioy and comfort therein and willingly gladly to heare them that deliuer the truth soundâ—â— with what minde soeuer and to what end soeuer it is that â—â—y doe speake the word That is for them to looke vnto 〈◊〉 for vs to ioy in the other Hence then I obserue that that â—â—â—ister and preacher of the word is gladly and ioyfully to â—â—eard that preacheth Christ and the doctrine of the goâ—â—â—l soundly and truely with what minde soeuer vpon â—â—â—t motiue soeuer or to what end soeuer he preach Christ 〈◊〉 his gospell To which purpose also Mat. 23.3 is that of our Sauiâ—â— where he willeth to hearken vnto the Scribes and Phaâ—â—es sitting in Moses seate whereby he meaneth that the â—â—ctrine which the Scribes and Pharisies deliuered faithfulâ—â—â—ut of Moses was gladly to bee receaued howsoeuer in â—â—â—ir actions and liues they were iustly to be noted And 〈◊〉 reason is because the word is the Lords which they â—â—â—g with what minde soeuer they bring it or how vitious â—â—ad soeuer they bee that bring it And tell I pray you â—â—ch of you would much looke at the minde or affection â—â—he messenger towards you or other qualities in him â—â—ch should bring you a bill signed from the Prince for â—â—e pension or liuing for you If he should faithfully deliâ—â— the bill from the Prince vnto you would ye not ioyfulâ—â—â—eceaue it How much more gladly then and ioyfully â—â—ght yee to receaue the word of the Lord wherein is your 〈◊〉 when it is faithfully deliuered from the Prince of Heaâ—â—â— and Earth with whatsoeuer minde and affection the â—â—nister thereof deliuer it If Christ crucified be preached â—â—e holy word of life be truely and soundly deliuered this â—â—uld so warme our hearts and glad our soules that other â—â—ngs whatsoeuer should not greatly trouble vs. This then first serueth for the confutation of their erâ—â—r that cut themselues from vs so that they neither will â—â—re the word of vs nor communicate in the Sacrament â—â—â—h vs because of some defects in our Church because of â—â—e blemishes in vs. For I demaund is the word of truth â—â—ely taught with vs are the Sacraments rightly adminiâ—â—â—d with vs doe we labour amongst our people with vncorrupt doctrine Then surely if there were the same miâ—â— in them that was in the Apostle they would so reioyce 〈◊〉 this that they would brooke all things the better for thâ—â— If we be defiled in our minds or in our liues euery thinâ— that we touch is likewise defiled What to you Nay but to vs. The word that we preach shall saue you and thâ— Sacraments which wee administer shall profite you hoâ— fruitfull or vnfruitfull soeuer they be vnto vs. Secondly this serueth for the reproofe of them that 〈◊〉 cutting themselues from vs yet cannot brooke to heare thâ— word of such of vs as they thinke haue gauled them anâ— spoken the word with an hard minde towards them Fâ—â— thus commonly it is said he is a good Preacher he deliueâ— good and sound doctrine he teacheth the word faithfullâ— but in his Sermons I see hee saith many things vpon a stomacke against mee with a minde to girde mee and of pâ—â—pose to note and brand me before all the people and theâ—â—fore I caÌ„not brooke to heare him I take no comfort in tâ—â— hearing of him But Paul was of another minde for thougâ— there were that preached Christ of a badde minde towarâ— him through enuie and strife touching him and of puâ—pose to adde affliction to his bands yet that Christ was preâ—ched that gladed him that reioyced his heart And 〈◊〉 would it each of vs if we were so singly and sincerely afâ—â—cted towards the gospell as hee was whatsoeuer minde thâ— Preacher carried towards vs yet would we most gladly anâ— ioyfully heare the word at his mouth It were indeede bâ—â— of all if they that speake the word were as in doctrine 〈◊〉 in life vncorrupt and that they spake of a good minde alwaies and vpon loue But if they preach Christ soundly and truely we are not so much to be troubled what their affection or what their life be If persecution should come then wee would bee glad if wee might heare the word preached and not curiously looke with what minde it were deliuered Seeing the word and the worth and price thereoâ— is the same now let vs with the Apostle reioyce and be glaâ— if Christ bee preached whether it bee vnder a pretence oâ— sincereâ—y LECTVRE XV. PHILIP I. Verse 19. For I know that this shall turne to my saluation through your prayer and by the helpe of the spirit of Iesus Christ 20. As I feruently looke for and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed but that with all confidence as alwaies so now Christ shall bee magnified in my bodie whether it be by life or by death NOw followeth the latter part of the Apostles narration wherein hee tells the Philippians what successe he hoped his bands and the practises of those brethren which imagined mischiefe against him should haue And the summe of it is that he certainely â—oped and knew that his bands and all the practises of the â—icked against him should turne to his saluation and to â—heir good and comfort by his comming againe vnto them â—irst then the Apostle setteth down the proposition or main â—oynt for his hope hereafter in these words For I know c. Secondly he setteth downe the meanes whereby this shall â—ome to passe namely through the prayer of the Philippians by the helpe of the spirit of Iesus Christ and according â—o his owne faith and hope in these words Through your â—rayer c. And thirdly he explicateth what saluatioÌ„ he hopeth for and assureth himselfe of by these meanes as first the saluation of his soule in that by these means he hopeth â—hat in nothing he shall be ashamed but that with all confidence Christ shall be magnified in his bodie whether it be by life or by death in these words That in nothing c. And secondly the saluatioÌ„ or deliuerance of his bodie out of prison to their good comfort in vers 25. 26. For the meaning in general theÌ„ of these words it is as if the Apostle had thus said they by preaching Christ suppose to adde affliction to my bands that when Nero shall heare that so many preach
such power with God And â—herefore ye see how often the Apostle requesteth the praiâ—rs of the Church for him as Ephes 6.18 Colossi 4.3 â— Thes 3.1 And in his Epistle to Philemon there hee proâ—esseth as here he doth that he trusteth through their prayâ—rs to be giuen vnto them by deliuerance out of his bands â—herein commending himselfe to their prayers A good lesson for vs to stirre vs vp vnto publique and priuate prayer both for our selues and for others seeing they are so powerfull with God as to bring his blessings and graces both vpon our selues and vpon others And this lesson is as needfull as it is good especially in this our day wherein there is such neglect both of publique and priuate prayer vnto the Lord. Priuate praier so rare that if it be vsed by any it is noted by many and they straight way censured as thinking themselues more holy then other men And publique prayer so little regarded by some that verie seldome they are present with the congregation in publique prayer I cannot stand of it Only I say he that neglecteth the meanes vnto grace he shall neuer finde grace Secondly hence I obserue a dutie of the Church in publique prayer which is to pray for the afflicted members of Christ Iesuâ— for the Apostle in saying that he knew that this should turne to his saluation through their praiers therin stirreth them to pray for him And see the points wherein the Church is to commend them in their prayers vnto God As first that the Lord may turne their affliction and trouble to their saluation Secondly that hee will helpe them by his holy spirit in euerie needefull time of trouble Thirdly that they may so stand in the defence of the truth of Christ Iesus that in nothing they may bee ashamed Fourthly that the Lord will strentghen them with strong faith and hope in him Fiftly that Christ may be glorified in their body whether it bee by life or death Thus the Church should pray and thus the afflicted should desire the Church to pray LECTVRE XVI PHILIP I. Verse 19. And by the helpe of the holy spirit of Iesus Christ 20. As I feruently looke for and hope that in nothing I shall bee ashamed but that with all confidence as alwaies so now Christ shall bee magnified in my bodie whether it bee by life or by death ONe thing hence I obserue which is that not for our prayers or for the praiers of the Church for vs but through our praiers and through the praiers of the Church for vs the Lord giueth his grace vnto vs. And therefore the Apostle saith Vers 22. I know that this shall turne to my saluation through your prayers not for your praier And to Philemon I trust through your prayers I shall be giuen vnto you Neither doe wee euer reade that for our prayers as for the merit and worth of them any grace is giuen vnto any Neither doe I build this note vpon this ground as if because it is said through therefore it cannot be for our prasyers For I know that we are saued through Iesus Christ and yet for Iesus Christ euen for his merits sake so that the phrase barely considered canot inferre the note but hereon it is builded taht it is so said through that neither euer it is nor can be said that for our praiers any grace 〈◊〉 giuen vnto vs. For not for our praiers sake not for the â—erit and worth of our praiers doth the Lord heare vs and â—rant vs our requests but for the promise sake which of his â—wne free grace he hath made vnto our praiers He hath â—assed his promise Mat 21.22 that whatsoeuer we shall aske in praier in â—is name if we beleeue we shall receiue it and he hath bidden â—s aske and we shall receiue seeke and we shall finde Mat. 7.7 knocke and â—e shall be opened vnto vs. Because then he hath promised grace vnto our praiers he is intreated for grace through our praiers Aske and haue first aske and then haue and â—he better beggers the greater getters For it is not with the Lord as with vs we say a great begger would haue a good â—ay saier and vnto whom but euen now we haue giuen wee loue not that they should by and by come againe and begge of vs. But I say it is not so with the Lord but of the greatest begger he is most intreated and the oftner wee come a begging to him the more welcome we are vnto him for he loues to be intreated and being intreated he promiseth to giue and so through our praiers he giues euen for his promise sake but not for our praiers sake for they when they are best are so full of imperfections that they merit nothing but to be reiected Seldome but we are troubled with wandring by-thoughts often we pray for things and against things without submitting of our wills vnto the Lords will often we pray not in faith towards God often not in loue towards our brethren often coldly often hypocritically and when not so but that our praiers might iustly be turned into sinne vnto vs Causes therefore they are not for which the Lord bestoweth any graces vpon vs but meanes onely through which we receiue graces needfull for vs for the promise sake made in Christ Iesus Farre be it therefore from vs to stand vpon the merit of our praiers as if for our praiers sake we deserued any grace to be bestowed vpon vs. Let vs as we ought powre out feruent praiers vnto the Lord in faith and in Christ his name and assure we our selues we shall be heard But withall let vs know that it is for his promise sake made vnto our praiers and for his Christ his sake which offereth vp our praiers whatsoeuer be our state and place let vs not slacke this seruice neither let vs presume vpon any merit by this seruice If we lift vp pure hands vnto the Lord in his Temple in our houses or in our chambers he will heare vs though not for our praiers yet through our praiers he will be intreated of vs. Let it be enough for vs that he will heare vs and let this most of all glad vs that for his Christ his sake and for his promise sake he will heare vs. And let this suffice to be spoken touching the first meanes in particular that through our praiers and the praiers of the Church for vs all things worke together for the best vnto so many of vs aâ— loue God and are in Christ Iesus The next meanes whereof the Apostle speaketh is the helpe of the spirit of Christ Iesus whereby he saith he knew that this should turne vnto his saluation I know c. Where the spirit is called the spirit of Iesus Christ as because of his proceeding from the Sonne so because of his dwelling in him in all fullnes as also because Christ sendeth him into our hearts and by him worketh his will in
dehortation And in nothing feare c. but is thus to bee vnderstood in true coherence with that which went before Let your conuersation c that whether c I may heare and see that yee continue in one spirit and in one minde fighting c and that in nothing yee feare your aduersaries For so wee are to vnderstand the Apostle that hauing exhorted the Philippians to such a conuersation as becommeth the gospell of Christ he doth particularly specifie some things whereby they might giue proofe vnto him of such a conuersation as namely if hee might heare or see that they continued in one spirit and in one minde fighting together c and in nothing fearing the aduersaries or being in nothing afraid of the aduersaries Thus then I read these words not by way of dehortation but as depending on the former words and in nothing fearing the aduersaries or and being in nothing afraid of the aduersaries The Syriac interpreter readeth in nothing feare our aduersaries our reading is in nothing feare your aduersaries But in the originall is neither read our nor your aduersaries but as I said before in nothing fearing the aduersaries or fearing them that oppose themselues The meaning is that if he might heare or see that both they stood fast by the power of the spirit against the aduersaries of the truth and that they ioyntly fought together against the aduersaries of the truth as men knit together in one minde and likewise that in nothing they feared them that opposed themselues against the truth and the professors thereof this should bee a good proofe vnto him that their conversation was such as became the Gospell of Christ Hence then I obserue a third speciall part and marke of such a conuersation as becommeth the Gospell of Christ which is christian courage against the aduersaries of the truth and of the professors thereof If in nothing we feare the aduersaries of the Church and of the truth but take a good courage against the Dragon and his Angels this is a good note of such a conuersation as becommeth the Gospell of Christ Whereunto the Holy Ghost seemeth to giue so many testimonies as he doth often disswade all feare of whatsoeuer and whomsoeuer exalt themselues against God Feare yee not them saith our blessed Sauiour Mat. 10.28 which kill the bodie but are not able to kill the soule but rather feare him which is able to destroy both soule and bodie in hell Mat. 10.28 In which place our blessed Sauiour putteth the very extremitie of that which any aduersarie can doe against vs. For what can any cruell tyrant or bloudy persecutor doe more then kill the bodie Nebuchadnezzars rage and furie against those three seruants of the Lord Shadrach Mesech and Abednego can no more but take hold of their bodies and cast them into an hote fiery furnace And the Deuill himselfe when he would wrecke his malice vpon Iob Job 1. 2. what could he doe more then touch him in his goods and in his bodie Assault the soule the Deuill may by many tentations and poyson the soule Heretiques may by their damnable heresies but none of them all can kill the soule neither can any of them all preuaile farther either against the soule to infect or defile it by heresies or other pollutions or against the bodie to kill or to afflict it then they haue power from God The Iewes in their rage may stone Steuen to death Act. 7.59 but though Nebuchadnezzar in his rage command the furnace to be hot seauen times hotter then it was wont Dan. 3.19.21.27 and cast Shadrach Meshech and Abednego into the middest of it yet not one haire of their heads shall be burnt nor their coates singed nor any smel of fire come vpon them And why but because the Lord giueth power ouer the one and not ouer the other The very extremitie then which any aduersarie can doe against vs is to kill the bodie and that if the Lord giue leaue they may doe yet saith the Lord feare them not seeing they can doe no more feare them not Yea but they are many and we but few how should we but feare them Nay though they be many and wee but few Luc. 12.32 how should we feare them seeing our great Captaine Christ Iesus hath said vnto vs Feare not little flocke Wherein he implieth that the aduersaries are many and wee but few yet saith he little flocke feare not And shall hee bid vs not feare and shall we feare Elisha we read feared not the King of Syria 2 Reg. 6.16 nor all his horses and charets nor his mighty hoste because he knew that they that were with him were mâ—e then they that were against him Be we nener so few we are to take vnto vs that weapon of faith whereof we spake before and to beleeue that God is with vs and then we are not to feare but with good courage and comfort to say If God be with vs who can be against vs Rom. 8.31 for surely if he be with vs none shall be able to preuaile against vs. Yea but they are mighty powerfull and strong Yea but God that dwelleth on high is mightier and be the aduersaries that oppose themselues against vs tyrants or heretiques or spirituall wickednesses which are in the high places his power is enough to â—quell them and to turne all that they can doe against vs to the furtherance of his Gospell and to our saluation And why are they mightier and stronger then we Is it because they are moe then we One God and Sauiour of vs all Christ Iesus enow for them all If he goe forth with our armies nay if he goe forth with vs alone with thee or with me hell gates shall not be able to preuaile against vs. What then Are wee desperately to runne vpon their pikes and to put our selues in danger or securely to walke and onely contemne them No these are extremities on the other side and either to runne our selues into danger when we neede not or to wish assaults by Satan grapling with heretiques persecution by tyrants or on the other side to sleepe the matter when such aduersaries lay their batteries against vs what else is it but to tempt the Lord by willfulnes and securitie We are to feare them so that we auoide them and runne not our selues into the danger of them when we neede not and we are so to feare them that we take heede that we be not circumvented by them For our blessed Sauiour himselfe so feared that hee runne not himselfe into the danger either of any other aduersarie or of the Deuill when he was tempted but was led aside by the spirit into the wildernes to be tempted of the Deuill Mat. 4.1 and so he feared that he tooke heede of being circumvented either by any other aduersarie or by the Deuill and therefore returned vpon his false allegations of scriptum est true allegations
And thus it appeareth that the Apostles thoght when they reioyced that they were counted worthy to suffer rebuke for Christ his name This they thought was their glory and a speciall guift of God by grace vnto them not communicated vnto others who could not endure any such sufferings for Christ but by a speciall guift giuen of god vnto them therfore they reioyced in their sufferings Now here ye must vnderstand that all sufferings are not sufferings for Christ his sake and that all that say they suffer for Christ his sake do not suffer for Christ his sake for such there are as suffer as euill doers touching which sort of sufferers the Apostle exhorteth vs saying Let none of you suffer as a murtherer 1 Pet. 4.15 or as a theefe or as an euill doer or as a busie bodie in other mens matters And againe such there are as say they suffer for Christ his sake and his truths sake when in truth they suffer for troubling the Church with their heresies as many Heretiques heretofore and for treason against their Prince and Countrie as some in our daieâ— Know therefore that two things are required in him that suffereth for Christ his sake The one is that his aduersaries persecute and trouble him not as an euill doer not for tumults â—n the Church by schisme or heresie not for treason or any â—ause that is not good but euen because of his constant â—rofession of Christ and of his truth And therefore the â—ufferings of malefactors of Heretikes schismatiques traiâ—ors or others that suffer for an euill cause are no sufferings â—or Christ his sake The other is that with patience he suffer â—hatsoeuer he suffereth only for Christ and his truths sake â—ithout respect of shame gaine glorie or any other like â—hing in the world And therefore the sufferings of such as â—uffer because they shame to bee counted reuoltors and Aâ—ostataes or because they desire to be honored as Martyrs â—r in any like respects are no sufferings for Christ his sake To suffer then for Christ his sake is with patience to endure mockings scourgings bonds imprisonments and death it â—elfe euen for his owne sake and for his truths sake and â—ather then we will depart from him or preiudice his glorie And thus to suffer for Christ his sake is a singular gift of God by grace as hath already beene shewed not the afflictions and persecutions themselues in themselues but â—hus to suffer them Now the Vse which our Apostle teacheth vs to make hereof is this not to feare the aduersaries in any thing For who would be afraid of a singular gift of God Now to suffer for Christ his sake by the aduersaries is a singular gift of God Let vs not therefore in any thing feare our aduersaries but take good courage against them Againe this may serue to teach vs what nouices yet wee are in the schoole of Christ for how many of vs esteeme it a singular gift of God to suffer persecution for Christ his sake Surely if we had learned this lesson well wee had profited very well in the schoole of Christ But when we are taught this lesson what doe many of vs I hope not many here but in many places what do many say within themselues surely I feare to remember what they say But doe they not say I bid no such gifts such gifts be farre from mee let him bestow such gifts on his dearest children not on me and such other blasphemous speeches which the godly may feare to heare or vtter And indeed he giueth no such gifts to such But let vs know that then we haue wel profited in the schole of Christ when we haue well learned this lesson that to suffer for his Christs sake is a singular gift of God especially when we haue so learned it that when it comes to the practise we can so account it Again this may teach vs that it is not in our own power or strength to suffer persecution for Christ his sake but this must be giuen vs of God To will to doe to belieue to suffer all must be giuen of God he must beginne and hee must make an end he must be all in all that hee may haue the glorie of all 1 Pet. 1.5 If Peter bee left vnto himselfe a damsell shall be enough to terrifie him and to make him denie his Lord and Master And therefore hee can tell vs out of his owne experience that wee are kept by the power of God through faith vnto saluation Whether therefore we beliue or suffer for Christ his sake let vs know that it is giuen vs of God and let him haue all the glorie of it Another thing yet I obserue in that the Apostle saith vnto you it is giuen not onely to beleeue but to suffer for Christ 〈◊〉 sake and that is that to suffer for Christ his sake is an argument of faith and a note of Gods Church and chosen children For vnto none is it giuen to suffer for Christ his sake but vnto whom it is first giuen to beleeue and it is for him that is borne after the flesh to persecute him that is borne after the spirit as it is written as then he that was borne afteâ— the flesh speaking of Ismael persecuted him that was bornâ— after the spirit Gal. 4.29 meaning Isaac euen so is it now All of them indeed striue not vnto death but most of them at one time or other are put to it Pâ—â— to take vp their crosse and only they suffer for Christ his sake for vnto them it is giuen and only to them to suffer for his sake This then may teach vs to brooke the crosse when hee laieth it vpon vs. For it is no strange thing that the crosse be laid vpon the children of the kingdome and that their faith be tried by troubles Nay rather it is strange if it bee not so And therâ—fore the Apostle saith Dearely beloued â—inke it not strange concerning the firie triall which is among you â— prooue you 1 Pet. 4.12 as though some strange thing were come vnto â—â—u If therefore if it be the will of God that wee suffer â—â—r Christ his sake let vs cheerefully take vp our crosse and â—â—llow him knowing that afflictions and sufferings are the â—arkes of the Lord Iesus in our body and that hee will not â—â—ffer vs to bee tempted aboue that wee be able c. It â—â—lloweth Hauing the same fight This is the last motiue or reason â—o perswade the Philippians in nothing to feare the aduerâ—â—ries wherein he presseth them with his owne example â—â—at as they had seen him at Philippie in nothing to feare the â—duersaries and now heard that at Rome hee feared them â—ot so they should in nothing feare the aduersaries But â—ow saith the Apostle that he had fought and now did â—â—ght He fought and ouercame as Augustine saith Non reâ—â—stendo sed patiendo he changed no blows with the aduersaâ—ies
his people Wee shall not now need other proofe than this of our Apostle in this place The Philippians had embraced the faith of Iesus Christ they abounded in knowledge and in iudgement they stood fast in the faith notwithstanding their assaults by false Apostles they were carefull ouer him and communicated to his afflictions they were excellent in many graces So that our Apostle had great cause to haue great ioy ouer them But because of some contention and vaine-glory amongst them his ioy was not full A sufficient president for the Pastor that he count not his ioy full so long as any thing is amisse amongst his people Which may serue to admonish the Pastor to labour that nothing may bee amisse amongst his people either touching life or doctrine that so his ioy may be full and that his people may be the crowne of his reioycing in the presence of our Lord Iesus Christ at his comming But I come vnto that which the Apostle exhorteth in generall The thing which the Apostle exhorteth the Philippians in generall is that they be like minded that is like affectioned hauing their affections likings and desires set on the same things An euident argument that they were not like minded as also the rest which followeth is that some things were amisse amongst them And in that hee dealeth so earnestly with them that these things might bee amended in them it sheweth that these are things which are carefully to be procured regarded and maintained LECTVRE XXV PHILIP 2. Verse 2. That yee be like minded hauing the same loue being of one accord and of one iudgement that nothing bee done through contention c. WE haue heard the manner of the Apostles exhortation and therein foure very patheticall arguments couched to perswade the things whereunto hee exhorteth all so closely followed and so passionately vrged as that the manner of the exhortation could not be deuised more effectuall to perswade the things whereunto hee exhorteth If there bee c. It remained to speake of the matter of the Apostles exhortation Wee spake only of that which I tooke to be onely a motiue prefixed before the matter of the exhortation in these words Fulfill my ioy Now wee are to proceed vnto the maine matter of the Apostles exhortation which is that they be like minded hauing the same loue c. By which matter of the exhortation this in generall appeareth that some things were amisse amongst them there was not that loue and concord amongst them nor that humilitie which should he in them many things were done amongst them through contention through vain-glory through selfe-seeking of their owne things so that though many things were to be much commended in them yet were some things likewise to be reformed in them which hindered the course of that Christian conuersation which becommeth the Gospell of Christ Iesus Whence I obserue in generall what the state euen of the best reformed Churches and so of the most holy men is no Church so reformed no men so sanctified but that many things are amisse amongst them though many things bee much to be commended in them yet some things likewise are still to be reformed in them Looke into all those Churches vnto which our Apostle wrote his Epistles yee shall not finde any of them so commended for embracing the truth and for standing fast in the truth as this Church of Philippi Hee giueth indeed testimonie vnto the Galathians that they were sometimes such as if it had beene possible would haue pluckt out their owne eyes and haue giuen them vnto him so loued they him and the truth which he taught But quickly were they remoued to another Gospell Gal. 1.6 as the Apostle witnesseth whereas the Philippians still stood so fast that the Apostle was perswaded that he that had begunne that good worke in them would performe it vntill the day of Iesus Christ Yet here ye see that some things were amisse amongst them Againe looke into those seuen Churches vnto which Iohn writeth in the Apocalyps and there yee shall see that some were fallen others decayed some were proud others negligent Of all the rest of those Churches the Church of Smyrna and the Church of Philadelphia are there most commended Yet in both those Churches by the right vnderstanding of those Epistles that were written to them it will appeare that there were some amongst them who professed themselues to be good Christians whereas indeed they were no better than a Synagogue and sinke of Satan Againe looke into the reformed Churches euer since that time vnto this day and at this day and still yee shall see that as in those seuen Churches of Asia so in these there were and are as many things to bee commended so likewise many things to be reprehended And so long as the Church is militant vpon earth it cannot be but that shee should be blacke blacke I say not onely in respect of her afflictions whereby her beloued doth sometimes proue her and sometimes chastise her but blacke also in respect of her blemishes imperfections and sinnes which are the causes of her afflictions For all men while they carry about with them the earthly house of this tabernacle vnto what degree of perfection in faith knowledge or other graces of the spirit so euer they be growne had still neede to pray O Lord increase our faith our knowledge and vnto what perfection in innocencie obedience or the like they be growne yet still they are taught to pray O Lord forgiue vs our debts and trespasses For here we know in part we beleeue in part we loue in part we obey in part and our greatest perfection is but great imperfection whiles we liue here at home in the bodie 1 Cor. 13.9 as that of the Apostle sheweth And so long as we are clothed with corruption if we say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues 1 Ioh. 1.8 and truth is not in vs. That which is in part either in knowledge or in loue or in obedience or in the like graces of the spirit shall be abolished our imperfections shall be taken away and we shall be made perfit But where and when Not here otherwise then by imputation but then and there when and where corruption shall put on incorruption and mortalitie shall put on immortalitie as the former place to the Corinthians sheweth ver 10. and the Church shall be presented vnto Christ Iesus her beloued not hauing spot or wrinkle or any such thing but pure and holy and without blame but then when shee shall bee made glorious when her vile bodie shall be changed and be fashioned like vnto his glorious bodie Eph. 5.27 as that place to the Ephesians sheweth This then should teach vs to long to be of that triumphant Church to long to enter into the holiest of holies to long to be loosed and to be with Christ Here the father of the faithfull holy Abraham here the man after Gods owne
matters of ciuill conuersation he would haue vs to be like minded as in the Lord it may be warranted Let vs therefore beware how we sooth vp our selues in dissenting about matters of lesse moment when we agree in matters of greater importance The more like minded we are in the Lord the more is our conuerâ—ation such as becommeth the Gospell of Christ Let our care â—herefoâ—e be that both in matters of lesse moment and likewise in matters of greater importance we may be like minded â—n the Lord as becommeth the Gospell of Christ But how may we be like minded in the Lord This our Apostle sheweth in the next words and that is 1. If we haue the same loue i. If we loue the same things in the Lord. 2. If we be of one accord i. If we agree in our wills and desires in the Lord. And 3. if we be of one iudgement i. If we agree in one truth of Christ Iesus For these the particulars are as I take it comprised vnder and meant in that generall so that iâ— we thus loue and agree in the Lord then are wee like minded in the Lord and our conuersation in a great part is such as becommeth the Gospell of Christ Because I haue stood long vpon the generall I shall the lesse neede to stand vpon these particulars which in effect haue beene handled in the generall Briefly therefore of these as time will giue leaue The 1. thing then which in these particulars I note is that the Apostle would haue them to haue the same loue the same I say in respect of the obiect that they should loue the same things the same Church the same Gospell the same truth euen as we say that they haue the same faith who belieue in the same Christ Hence then I obserue that if we will be like minded and walke as becommeth the Gospell of Christ theâ— must we loue the same things in the Lord not one one thing and another an other thing but the same things as simply the same things For we may loue the same things and yet be fâ—â— from that loue of the same things which becommeth vs as namely if we loue the same delights of the flesh the same sins or corruptions whatsoeuer but the same things in the Lord and in the loue whereof hee is delighted and well pleased Thus it is commaunded vs euery where in the booke of God that we all loue the same God the same truth the same meanes of our saluation in Christ and generally the same things whatsoeuer they be that belong vnto our peace And the reason of it is plaine For where one loues one thing and another another thing as for example one Christ and another Antichrist when one hateth that which another loueth where euery man loues that which himselfe liketh and scarce two loue the same things what loue can there be nay what distractions must there not needes be nay what desolation are not likely to ensue In the Church of Corinth they loued not the same things but one loued this man another that maâ— and what dissentions bred it in that Church In our neighbor kingdome of France they loue not the same things but one sort loue the light of the word another sort loue darkenesse better then light and what bloud hath it shedde in that kingdome Amongst our selues we loue not the same things in the Lord but one sort loue their pleasures another sort their profits another sort their promotions the fewest sort the things that they should loue and what but a iudgement likely to ensue Nay beloued here is the miserie and like to be the ruine of our Land in our Land wee loue not the same things in the Lord but we loue too many of vs that man of sinne and the poysoned cuppes of the fornications of that whore and too few of vs the simplicitie of the truth of Christ Iesus to speake plainely we loue too many of vs the Pope and his marchandize and too few of vs Christ and his truth we speake not the â—anguage of Canaan but halfe in the speach of Ashdod and halfe in the language of Canaan Hereupon it is that Pope and his adherents conceiue courage against vs to subdue vs and our Land and to make vs a prey vnto their teeth Beloued if we will not for the loue of the Lord and because the holy Ghost hath commanded vs yet for the loue of our owne liues and that we be not made a prey vnto our enemies let vs loue the same truth of Christ Iesus and generally the same things in the Lord. Let vs no longer halt betweene God and Baal Christ and Antichrist religion and superstition but with religious hearts let vs loue the same truth the same God the same things in the Lord that some may be â—ike minded according to Christ Iesus The 2. thing which in these particulars I note is that the Apostle would haue the Philippians to be of one accord i. to â—gree in their wils and desires touching euery thing that is good belong it vnto religion or vnto ciuill life and conuersaâ—ion Whence I obserue another necessarie dutie for vs that we be like minded and walke as becommeth the Gospell of Christ and that is that we agree in our wills and desires in the Lord that vnitie and concord amongst vs bee preserued and maintained To agree in mischiefe we are ready enough neither neede we any to moue vs thereunto For as it is in the Prophet Psal 50. If we see a theefe we consent vnto him and we are partakers with the adulterers we runne with the wicked to doe euill and we easily ioyne hands with the wicked and vngodlie But to bee of one accord in the Lord we are not so easily drawne albeit this be the agreement that the holy Ghost requireth of vs and commendeth vnto vs. Ps 133.1 Behold saith the Prophet how good and ioyfull a thing it is brethren to dwell together in vnity i. to liue together in that concord and good agreement which is acceptable to the Lord. And the more to shew the precious worth of holy agreement amongst the sonnes of God be likeneth it vnto the oyntment prescribed for Aaron which was so sweete that when Aaron was annointed therewith Ex. 30.23 the smell of it was most pleasant vnto all that were by And euen so sweete and pleasant a thing it is to see brethren to be of one accord in the Lord. This is that which is commended in the faithfull in the Acts Act. 4.32 that they were of one heart and of one soule agreeing in their mindes wills desires and affections And where this agreement in the Lord is not there the Lord is not And yet in matters wherein wee differ one from an other how hardly are we brought to bee of one accord in the Lord If we differ in matters of religion either we will not vouchsafe one to talke with an other in them
once grow to that that they take a delight and pleasure in crossing and thwarting other men and in opposing themselues vnto whatsoeuer they say be the thing neuer so cleere neuer so true how can they as becommeth Christian be of one accord with others Nay how can it bee but that such opposition and contradiction should breed great discord and dissension Pro. 26.21 It is one of Salomons Prouerbs As the cole maketh burning coles and wood a fire so the contentions man iâ— apt to kindle strife Whence it is cleere that contention is as fit to stirre vp strife as cole and wood to make a fire Looke into the Church The schismes and heresies the broiles and stirres wherewith the Church at all times is troubled whence are they Are they not commonly from men of contentious humours which take a pleasure in dissenting from the rest of the Church and in maintaining new and quaint opinions by the sharpnesse of their wits Arrius Nestorius Macedoniâ—â— and many other the like by whose heresies the Church hath heretofore beene troubled were they not such men And what are they that endanger the peace of the Church in our day Are they not such men Againe looke into the Common-wealth The diuisions and discords the tumults and brabbles wherewith all societies and bodies are troubled whence are they Are they not commonly from contentious men which loue to say and doe otherwise than the rest Experience hath so tried it that it will not be denied So that ye see there is great reason of abandoning al contentions among Christians that nothing be done through contention amongst them What then May nothing be done through contention If 400. false Prophets counsell Ahab to goe to warre 2 Chro. 18. may not Michaiah set himselfe against them all and tell Ahab that if he goe Ier. 15.10 he shall fall there May not Ieremie contend and striue euen with the whole earth as himselfe witnesseth that he did Indeed if Michaiah or Ieremie doe so they shall bee counted contentious men for their paines insomuch that Ieremie shall crie out and say Woe is mee my mother that thou hast borne me a contentious man and a man that striueth with the whole earth for so he was accounted And so our whole Church for dissenting from the Romish Church wee are counted schismaticall hereticall contentious men But ye must know that there is a great difference betwixt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 betwixt a due examination and a peruerse opposition betwixt dissenting â—rom others and a delight to dissent from others betwixt disâ—enting from others to maintaine a truth and a dissenting â—rom others only to contradict whether the thing bee true or â—alse Wee may not as our Apostle here saith doe any thing â—hrough contention but wee may and must duly examine â—hings that are called into question Wee may not take a deâ—ight in dissenting from others but wee may dissent from â—thers wee may not dissent from others only to contradict â—hether the thing be true or false but wee may and must disâ—ent from others to stand for the truth Let it be proued then â—hat Michaiah dissented from the 400. false Prophets onely â—pon a humour to contradict them or that Ieremie stroue â—ith the whole earth vpon a delight to set himselfe against all men and then let it be said that they were contentious men â—ndeed And let it be proued that wee generally in dissenting â—rom the Romish Church doe it vpon a delight and pleasure â—hat wee take to make a peruerse opposition and then let it be â—aid that wee are contentious men indeed Otherwise in vaine â—s it said that either those Prophets did or that wee in the geâ—erall or in the particular doe any thing in these matters â—hrough contention To know then whether any thing be done through conâ—ention these two rules are necessary 1. Is it done vpon a â—umour and delight to contradict whether it bee true or â—alse Then is it done through contention 2. When the â—ruth is manifested is the opposition still maintained Then â—s it done through contention Otherwise if wee dissent from others at the first and afterwards when the truth is manifeâ—ted yeeld vnto the truth as often it falleth out when there â—s dissenting through ignorance or if wee dissent from others â—n the things wherein they dissent from the cleere truth onely for the truths sake wherein wee desire that they would agree with vs that which wee doe can no way be said to hee done â—hrough contention for thus wee may doe many things but nothing may be done through contention Now I wish wee were all of vs as farre from being contentious as wee are euery one of vs loth to be called contentions and that both Church and Common-weale were as free from the thing as the name is odious in both Euery man more ready than other to post the name off from himselfe and none so ready to abiure that hee takes any delight in dissenting from other men as he that is most contentious of alâ— None will be contentious and yet both Church and Common-weale groane vnder the burden of contentious men Iâ— our Church what Cockatrice egges be now a hatching what out-worne errors of Pelagianisme be now a broaching Libertie of will vniuersalitie of grace saluation of all men and other like damnable errours must now be set on foot againe though the whole Church bee set on fire therewith And by whom but by contentious men which cannot abide to agree with the Church in the receiued truth but in a conceit of themselues and pride of their owne wits must run out from the rest and haue a conceit beyond the rest In the Common-weale likewise what siding and factioning what garboiles and diuisions in euery Company and Societie in euery Incorporation and Body And by whom but by contentious men which because they will bee aboue also then wiâ—â— not agree with any others The truth is that whereas nothing should be done through contention nothing almost is done but through contention And yet euery man will wash hiâ— hands of contention But it is but as Pilate washed his hands of the innocent bloud when as his fingers dropped with the bloud of that iust one And as well might Arrius Nestorâ—â— Macedonius and other like Arch-heretikes wash their hands as many in our day can wash their hands of contention Well wee see the Apostle would haue vs to doe nothing through contention Let vs hearken vnto the Apostle and let vs take heed of taking a delight in dissenting from others and being alwayes ad oppositum Another fault likewise it seemeth there was amongst the Philippians which the Apostle would haue repressed and that was vaine-glory a vaine affectation of glory which is when vaine men to get themselues glory single themselues in some vanitie from the rest Now the Apostle would haue nothing done amongst them thorow vaine-glory he would haue none â—f
which hee had ouer all those Churches which he had planted in all places In all which his Epistles as here laboureth to confirme them in the truth of that doctrin which by his preaching they had embraced so most carefully euery where he admonisheth them not to be troubled at the bonds which he suffereth for the Gospells sake assuring them that his imprisonment afflictions and all things that came to him were to the furtherance of the Gospell which he had preached In which points also the Apostle hauing laboured earnestly in the former Chapter of this Epistle now in this Châ—pter in the words before my text hee exhorteth them aboue all things to humilitie meeknesse of minde and brotherly loue that they should do nothing through contention or vaine glorie or selfe-conceit but that euery man should esteeme other better then himselfe and should looke on the things of other men and not on his owne things In these words which I haue now read vnto you the Apostle goeth forward to excite and stirre vp the Philippians and in them vs vnto this same true humilitie meeknesse of mind and brotherly loue Wherein that hee might the rather preuaile with them he presseth the example of Christ saying Let the same minde be in you c. In the opening and declaring of which example of Christ Iesus he first setteth down his humilitie and then the issue thereof which was his exaltation into glorie His humilitie is here described to bee twofold First in that he being in the forme of God i. being God and without all iniurie to the Godhead equall in might power and maiestie vnto the Father yet made himselfe of no reputation and tooke on him the forme of a seruant 1. was made man euen the most abiect amongst men 2. In that being made man he humbled himselfe willingly laying aside as it were the power of his Godhead and became obedient in all things which the law required of him vnto the death euen the most shamefull death of the Crosse After this double description of Christ his humility followeth and is set down the issue thereof which was that hee was not left in this loâ— estate but was highly exalted far aboue all principalitie and power and might and domination and euery name that is named not in this world only but in that also that is to come so that at his name should bowe euery knee both of things in heauen c. The argument then or reason which the Apostle draweth to perswad them to true humility brotherly loue one towards another from Christ his example in effect is this If Christ who being God blessed for euer and equall to the father yet so farre humbled himselfe that he became man and tooke on him the similitude of sinfull flesh And againe if Christ descending from heauen in the similitude of sinnefull flesh and being made man did yet so farre humble himselfe that he became obedient to the death euen the death of the crosse Lastly if Christ being God and hauing humbled himselfe to be man and being man hauing humbled himselfe to the death of the crosse was therefore highly exalted and had a name giuen him aboue euery name c. how then ought we sinfull men to put on vs this humility and meeknes of minde no man through arrogancie treading downe his weake brethren but euery man esteeming other better then himselfe This I take to be the Apostles argument in this place It is then as if he had thus said O ye Philippians my hearts desire for you is that ye may be found perfit and entire lacking nothing in the day of Iesus Christ Wherefore I beseech you that nothing be done among you through contention or through vaine glorie but that ye be like minded one towards another that ye loue one an other and that in all humblenesse and meeknesse of minde ye submit your selues one vnto an other euery man esteem other better then himselfe Learne I beseech you of Christ Iesus himselfe whose Disciples whose seruants members of whose bodie ye are learne I say of him to bee humble and meeke For he being God and without all iniurie to the godhead equall in glorie and honour and maiestie vnto the Father yet made himselfe of no reputation and became man and was like vnto man in desires in infirmities in sorrowes and in all things sinne only excepted yea being man he so far humbled himselfe that he was obedient in all things euen vnto the death and that the shamefull death of the crosse where â—he hung betweene two theeues Let the same minde bee in you that was in Christ Iesus be ye humble and meeke as hee was not in that degree but in some measure frame your selues vnto that humilitie that was in him and then assure your selues that as Christ was not thus lefâ— but was highly exalted c. so you if you humble your selues you shalâ— be exalted This I take to be the meaning of these wordes of the Apostle They braunch themselues as you may see into three parts whereof the first is an exhortation vnto humility and meeknesse of minde Let the same minde c. 2. Is set downe the humilitie of Christ as a paterne for them to looke vpon and to perswade them to humilitie Who being in the forme of God c. 3. Is set downe Christ his exaltation into glorie after his humiliation here on earth as a motiue also to perswade them vnto loue and humility Wherefore God hath also c. I can only point at those manifold notes and most profitable instructions which hence might be gathered First therefore in the exhortation wee are to note what it is whereunto the Apostle exhorteth the Philippians and in them vs. The thing whereunto he exhorteth both them and vs and all that will liue godly in Christ Iesus is that wee should bee humble and lowly kind and curteous gentle and louing one vnto an other in all humblenesse submitting our selues euery man one vnto another and in all meeknesse of minde esteeming euery other man better then himselfe The like exhortation the same Apostle maketh Rom. 12.01 where he saith be affectionâ—â— to loue one an other with brotherly loue and in giuing honour go out before an other In which place the Apostle together with his exhortation vnto humilitie the fruite whereof is the preferring of our brethren in honour before our selues ioineth the ground thereof which is loue For if wee loue our brethren then we can willingly submit our selues vnto them and preferre them before our selues but where this loue of our brethren is not there is contempt of them and lifting vp of our selues aboue them The like exhortation also the Apostle Peter hath 1 Pet. 5.5 where he saith Submit your selues euery man one vnto an other and decke your selues inwardly in lowlinesse of minde In which place you see how the Apostle speaketh of humility as of a speciall ornament wherewithall the childe
that as the beginning and progresse were in 〈◊〉 spirit so the end also may bee in the spirit that after the 〈◊〉 runne wee may haue eternall life It is a good thing to begin well but how little it profiteth vs vnlesse we continue leâ—â— example of Lots wife whose temporall punishment becâ—â—â— she looked backe vnto Sodome is registred in the old and 〈◊〉 example of Iudas the betraier of Christ whose fearfull end because hee went astray from that ministration and Apostle 〈◊〉 which he had obtained with the rest of the Apostles is râ—â—stred in the new Testament 1 Cor. 9.24 beare witnesse Know ye not 〈◊〉 the Apostle that they which runne in a race runne all yet â—â—e receiueth the price namely he that runneth to the end So 〈◊〉 saith the Apostle that yee may obtaine How is that that is to the end Runne to the end that ye may obtaine the priâ—â—â— for none are crowned but they that striue as they ought 〈◊〉 doe 2 Tim. 2.5 Now who are they that striue as they ought to doe bâ—â— they that without fainting and failing in the way hold our vnto the end In most miserable case then are they that like 〈◊〉 Church of Ephesus forsake their first loue that is that hauing â—â—ce followed the truth in loue and embraced pure religion â—â—d walked in the paths of righteousnesse doe afterwards fall â—ay and runne themselues vpon the rockes either of errors opinion or of corruption in life Luk 9.62 No man saith Christ that â—â—teth his hand to the plough and looketh backe is apt to the kingâ—â—me of God And the Apostle saith further 2 Pet. 2.21 that it had beene â—â—ter for them not to haue knowne the way of righteousnesse than â—er they haue knowne it to turne from the holy commandement â—â—en vnto them The reason is giuen by the Apostle Heb. 10.26 For if we â—ue willingly after that wee haue receiued the knowledge of the â—th there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinnes 27. but a fearefull king for of iudgement and violent fire which shall deuoure the â—â—uersaries Take heed therefore brethren Heb. 3.12 lest at any time there in any of you an euill heart and vnfaithfull to depart away from 〈◊〉 liuing Lord For wee are made partakers of Christ 14. if we keepe â—e vnto the end the beginning wherewith wee are vpholden Let runne with patience the race all out that is set before vs. â—ur Sauiour Christ did so before vs Heb. 12.2 who for the ioy that was set â—ore him endureed the crosse and despised the shame And shall â—e be weary and faith in our mindes We serue a most bounâ—â—â—ull Lord which giueth vs all things liberally let vs serue â—â—en with all that wee haue Wee serue a most louing Lord no will not change his fauour for euer let vs not serue him â—e a time but for euer And this let vs know for a suretie â—t if at our last end when death doth summon vs to yeeld â—r bodied vnto the graue and our spirits into the hands of â—m that gaue them if then with Paul we can say I haue fought good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept my faith wee all finde more sound ioy and sure comfort herein than in I things else vnder the cope of heauen whatsouer Mat. 24.13 for he that dureth vnto the end he shall be saued saith our Sauiour Christ â—nd againe He that ouer commeth Ap. 2.26 and keepeth my workes vnto â—e end to him will I giue power ouer nations and he shall rule them â—â—th a rod of iron and as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken 27. â—uen as I receiued of my Father 28. so will I giue him my morning â—urre Make an end therefore of your owne saluation Now before wee proceed vnto the manner how wee are to runne in this race and to finish this course a doubt arising from the Apostles exhortation is first to be resolued and answered The Apostle as yee see exhorteth vs to make an end of our owne saluation to runne on the race of righteousness which leadeth vnto saluation outright vnto the end Wheâ—â— upon some doe gather that our freewill is here called vpon that is that wee are not wholly and onely assisted by graceâ— the way of saluation and in the workes that leade thereunto but that it is in vs to consent vnto the grace which is offered and that wee of our selues being holpen with grace by the power of our free will are able to worke the things that aâ—â— good and acceptable vnto God For why else say they doâ—â— the Apostle exhort vs to worke out our owne saluation it â— vs there be no power at all to worke And generally they 〈◊〉 conclude that all admonitions exhortations reprocâ—es â—â—cepts promises and threatnings in the Scriptures are in vaâ—â— if free will in man be not granted by the power whereof 〈◊〉 may together with grace worke that which is good The doubt then is whether this exhortation of our Apostle dâ—â— not implie that we by the power of our free will are able paâ—â— of our selues to make an end of our owne saluation and 〈◊〉 runne the race of righteousnesse which leadeth to saluations The resolution and answer whereunto is that it doth not at 〈◊〉 implie any such thing which yet more cleerely will appeare if first wee shew the friuolousnes of their whole reason draâ—â— from admonitions exhortations c. in generall which 〈◊〉 this If it be not say they in our owne power to doe the thing which is good and whereunto wee are exhorted and adâ—â—nished c. then in vaine are admonitions exhortations prâ—cepts reproofes and the like But see the vanitie of their reason Are not admonitions and the like needfull if it bee 〈◊〉 that it be wholly of grace and no way of our selues to doe those good things whereunto wee are exhorted It is as if they should say If the increase of the earth be wholly the blessing of the Lord then it is not needfull for the husbandman to 〈◊〉 his ground if faith be wholly the gift of God it is not needfull to come to heare the word preached c. for as he giueth corne and wine and oile and all things needfull for this life bâ—â— yet by such meanes as he hath ordained thereunto and as â—his his gift but yet giuen to vs by the meanes of hearing word preached so God worketh in vs both to will and to â—â—e those things whereunto he exhorteth and admonisheth but by the meanes of such admonitions exhortations and like Howsoeuer then it be not in our owne power to doe good things whereunto wee are exhorted in holy Scripâ—â—e yet admonitions and exhortations there vsed are thereâ—e needfull because they are the meanes whereby God worâ—h his graces Againe if wee looke into the booke of God â—e shall easily see that all these things whereunto wee are exâ—ted they are wholly
wee long not for his presence if he be absent generally wee sorow not for his sicknesse if he be sicke generally wee take no such pleasure either in his presence or in his life Nay rather if he be absent we will wish him farre enough and to tarie long enough and if he be sicke vnto death wee will reioyce and be glad at his death So farre short of these Philippians that were but newly planted in the Church and had but lately embraced the truth of Christ Iesus are wee who haue long enioyed the ministerie of the word and the bright light of the holy word of truth For so they accounted that the Apostle could not haue giuen a greater token of loue of them then to send their minister backe againe vnto them and it was the greatest pleasure and ioy of heart that might be vnto them to see their minister againe thorowly well and in good health And surely if we tooke that ioy and comfort in the word that we ought we would take more ioy and comfort in the Ministers of the word then we doe But how the Ministers of the word are to be accounted of we shall see in the handling of the next verse that followeth It now followeth And I might be the lesse sorowfull In these words the Apostle setteth downe a third cause or reason why hee sent their Minister vnto them with such diligence and speede And this cause respected himselfe For it was that hee might be the lesse sorowfull 1. That howsoeuer his sorowes after this should be some for some other things yet they might bee the â—esse when their ioyes were fulfilled by their Ministers presence and when their Minister should againe bee amongst them to labour amongst them In that then that the Apostle saith not and that I might be without sorow but onely and that I might be the lesse sorowfull Hence I gather this obseruation that the children of God are not much to hope nor greatly to seeke in this life to be quit and ridde of all sorow but it is enough for them if their sorowes be abated and if they haue lesse sorow then they deserue and then they are enabled to beare Ioh. 16.33 In the world saith our Sauiour ye shall haue affliction euen many-causes of sorow and griefe and vexation of spirit For so it is ordained that through many afflictions we should enter into the kingdome of God Act. 14.22 aâ— the Apostle saith And therefore our Sauiour Christ saith againe if any man will come after me let him denie himselfe Luc. 9.23 and take vp his crosse daily and follow mee Daily saith he For as one day followeth an other so one crosse followeth in the necke of an other Wee looke and hope for an holy citie Apoc. 21.4 the new Ierusalem where God shall wipe all teares from our eyes and where there shall be no more death neither sorow neither crying neither any more paine But that citie is not here on earth where we be but Pilgrimes it is in our Counâ—rey in heauen where we shall haue an abiding citie where we shall be euer with the Lord. Nay if it were here on earth we would not long for that in heauen Let vs not therefore looke in this life to be without all trouble or sorow or griefe Let vs rather consider how in this life our whole life is stained with many sinnes and how for our sinnes wee haue deserued not only death euerlasting after this life but troubles also and sorowes vnsupportable in this life And then when we see that we are not onely freed from that death by the death of Iesus Christ and by saith in his name but that our sorowes in this life are much lesse then we deserue let vs reioyce in the Lord and comfort our selues in his mercies that our troubles and sorowes are nothing in comparison of that wee haue deserued And againe let vs consider that howsoeuer our troubles and sorowes and griefes be many yet so onely they presse vs as that we are able to say with the Apostle 2 Cor. 4 8.9 We are affected on euerie side yet are we not in distresse in pouertie but not ouercome of pouertie we are persecuted but not forsaken cast downe but wee perish not c. And then when we see that our troubles and sorowes and griefes are no more but such as the Lord hath enabled vs to beare let vs reioyce in the Lord and comfort ourselues in his mercies towards vs who doth not suffer vs to be tempted aboue that wee be able but giueth the issue together with the tentation that we may be able to beare it For surely these are great mercies of the Lord towards vs that our sorowes are so lessened and abated that they are neither such as we haue deserued neither such but that wee are able to beare them by the power of him who doth strengthen vs hereunto And therefore though in this life we be not quite free from all troubles and sorowes yet let vs account this a great mercie of the Lord vnto vs that wee are lesse sorowfull that our sorowes are lesse then the desert of our sins and lesse then he enableth vs to beare But how was it that the Apostle should be lesse sorowfull by sending their Minister Epaphroditus vnto them because by his presence they should haue occasion to reioyce For as by their heauinesse for their Minister his sorow was encreased so againe by their reioycing for their Minister his sorow would be abated Here then we may obserue another notable qualitie of Christian loue and friendshippe Rom. 12.15 which is to weepe with them that weepe and to reioyce with them that reioyce A rule which the Apostle giueth all Christians to obserue keep from which who so declineth may seem therin to crosse euen nature it selfe For naturally we see that the members of our body are so affected one towards an other as that if one member suffer all suffer with it and if one be had in honour 1 Cor. 12.26 all the members reioyce with it How much more should it be so in the mysticall body of Christ Iesus that they who are ioyned together in one faith and in one baptisme should so likewise be ioyned together in loue and affection one towards an other that the sorow of one should be the sorow of an other and the ioy of one should be the ioy of another But I haue had occasion heretofore to obserue this note vnto you and therewithall the great want of this Christian loue in vs one towards another for that we are so farre from this duty as that we weepe and are sorie one at the prosperitie of another and againe laugh and reioyce one at the calamity of another If either by that or this instruction ye be taught in this dutie then practise it and if either by that or this admonition ye see your want in the performance of
which Paul preached vnto them were so as he preached For they hauing receiued the Scriptures in credit before were so to accept of those things which Paul preached vnto them if they were consonant to the holy Scriptures according to that of the same Apostle Gal. 1.9 If any man preach vnto you otherwise then that ye haue receiued let him be accursed then that ye haue receiued 1. Then that which God had promised before by his Prophets in the holy Scriptures as the same Apostle speaketh And as the men of Berea did Rom. 1.2 so wee read he willed the Thessalonians to doe where he said vnto them trie all things 1 Thes 5.21 and keepe that which is good where it is plaine by vers 12. that he speaketh not onely to the Pastors but also to the flocke So the Apostle Iohn in his Epistle vnto the faithfull dispersed Iewes saith dearely beloued belieue not euery spirit 1 Ioh. 4.1 but trie the spirits whether they are of God for many false Prophets are gone out into the world Where the Apostle deliuereth a generall doctrine that concerneth euery one of the faithfull as he will auoide the seducing and deceits of false Teachers which is that euery man should trie by such rules as the Scripture setteth downe who is a true or false Teacher which is true or false doctrine And therfore we see that the Apostle rebuketh the Galathians very sharpely because they had giuen place vnto false Apostles which corrupted the pure doctrin of Christ Gal. 3.1 and had suffered themselues to be seduced by them By which his sharpe reproofe of them hee plainely sheweth that they should haue tried and examined the doctrine which those false Apostles brought by that which he had taught them and so reiected that which was not agreeable vnto wholesome doctrine And what else meane those often admonitions in the Prophets vnto all the Iewes to beware of false Prophets Ier. 23.16 heare not saith Ieremy the words of the Prophets that prophecie vnto you and teach you vanitie they speake the vision out of their owne heart and not out of the mouth of the Lord heare them not How then Esa 8.20 what is to be done Esay telleth thee To the law and to the testimonie if they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them This then is to be done when the false Prophets and Teachers speake vnto you heare them not so as to rest on what they say but so heare them as that yee examine them by the law and by the testimonie and if they speake not according to this word surely they haue no knowledge but are blinde leaders of them and so account of them Thus then both by the commendable example of the men of Berea and by the precept of the Apostles Iohn and our Apostles and by the sharpe reproofe of the Galathians and by the warrant of the Prophets it doth and may appeare that euen all the faithfull children of God may and ought to trie and iudge by the Scriptures whether their teachers doctrine be true and so to reiect whatsoeuer they finde not agreeable to the Scriptures Yea but it will be said that this were to make the sheepe iudges of their shepheards and the people to controll their Ministers No not so but the people must heart their Ministers and obey them and be ordered by them which they will the more cheerefully doe when by searching the Scriptures they shall finde their Minister and Teachers doctrine to be the doctrine of the holy Ghost and not the inuention or tradition of men If the teachers bring not the truth thus their errors will indeed be descried and no reason that when they bring not the truth their doctrine should be receiued as sound and good But if they bring the truth by this search of the scriptures the truth which they bring is with the greater lacritie reuerenced and embraced and themselues the more honoured and esteemed Learne ye then men and brethren to make this vse of this doctrine 1. To beware of such as teach you otherwise then now we haue taught you Beware of such as will tell you that yee are not to meddle with the sense of the Scripture or to iudge of such doctrine as ye heare whether it be true or false but yee are onely to trie the spirits by taking knowledge of them to whom God hath giuen the gift of discerning spirits and by obeying the Church to whom Christ hath giuen the spirit of truth and this Church say they is the Church of Rome By this that ye haue heard ye see that such are false Teachers deceiuing and being deceiued 2. Learne hence to be diligent in reâ—ding and in hearing the Scriptures that so ye may be able to trie the spirits Ioh. 5.39 In the Scriptures as saith our Sauiour wee thinke to haue eternall life and by meditating therein wee shall easily skill of those that would lead vs out of the right way that guideth to eternall life Let vs therefore exercise our selues in the doctrine of the Gospell of Iesus Christ which we haue receiued and let vs marke them diligently which cause diuision and offences contrarie to the doctrine which we haue learned and let vs auoid them yea if any come vnto vs and bring not this doctrine 2 Ioh. 10. let vs not receiue him nor bid him God speede let vs haue no familiarity with him but let vs abandon all fellowshippe with him The 2. thing which here I note is the Apostles often iteration of this caueat vnto the Philippians admonishing them agaâ—ne and againe euen three times to beware of false Teachers Whence we may obserue how needfull a matter it is for vs to take heed of false Teachers which seeke to seduce vs from that doctrine which wee haue learned in the Gospell of Christ Iesus Which thing as this often iteration of this caueat may confirme vnto vs so this circumstance also euen in this matter that the Apostle hauing often before by word of mouth warned them of false Teachers yet aduentured the reproofe if they should blame him for warning them againe by writing Againe when our Apostle tooke his last farewell of seeing the Ephesians any more how carefully did he warne them of false Teachers Take heede saith hee Act. 20.28 29.31 vnto your selues c. For I know this that after my departing shall grieuous wolues c. Therefore watch and remember that by the space of three yeares I ceased not to warne euery one both night and day with teares He beginnes with take heede vnto your selues hee ends with watch and remember c. as if this taking heede of false Teachers were a thing most needfull for them to be diligent in And our Sauiour Christ Mar. 8.15 Take heed and beware of the leauen of the Pharises and of the leauen of Herod Where willing his Disciples to beware of the contagious
speake of this point Againe that hee saith I count not my selfe c. I note the Apostles most wise taxing of the Philippians as hauing suffered themselues somewhat to be perswaded that they had already atteined to the perfect knowledge of Christ and were now to ioyne vnto it the workes of the law For he doth not say vnto them they among you that count themselues that they haue attained to perfection in the knowledge of Christ they are shamefully deceiued But saith he I your Apostle by whâ—â— ye were brought to the knowledge and obedience of Christ I count not my selfe to haue attained to the perfect knowledge of Christ so gently admonishing them that they that count themselues perfit take heed that they doe not deceiue themselues whence I obserue the wisedome that is required in noting of faults which is that faults are not alwaies to bee noted plainely by their names but sometimes they are onely wisely to bee insinuated When the scholar hath a good opinion of himselfe and thinkes that he knowes all things the Master doth not alwaies represse his arrogancie by telling him that hee doth not know many things whereof hee vainely boasteth but sometimes he saith vnto him well I count not my selfe that I haue attained to the knowledge of all things and so by his owne example bringeth his scholar to a more modest conceâ—â— of himselfe Euen so the Minister of Christ Iesus labouring to represse such faults as doe arise is not alwaies plainely to direct his speech vnto them that offend and barely to note their faults but sometimes he is onely to propose himselfe as a patterne whereby they may reforme themselues And herein is great wisedome in the minister required to know when plainely to note and when onely to insinuate such faults as are to be reformed And this wisedome they want that either censure all men and all faults alike or note them and their faults more sharply whom and whose faults they should touch with more mildnesse And how much this wisedome is wanting might easily be shewed if I might in this place as fitly speake of it as there is iust and great occasion to speake of it But because it doth not much concerne you vnto whâ—â— my speech is wholly directed I passe it ouer and proceed vnto the next point LECTVRE LXII PHILIP 3. Vers 13.14 Brethren I count not my selfe that I haue attained to it but one thing I doe I forget that which is behinde c. NOw to omit other notes which hence happily might be made ye see that this of our Apostle here is in substance the very same with the former member of the former verse Brethren I count not c. The substance of which speech is an acknowledgement of his want of perfeâ—tion in the knowledge of Christ and of the vertue of his â—esurrection c. whereby he might attaine to the glorious resurrection of the dead But why doth the Apostle againe â—ome vnto the same point why doth he againe in culcate his â—mperfection in the knowledge of Christ and of the vertue â—f his resurrection It was no doubt to beat out of the Phiâ—ppians their conceit of perfection in the knowledge of Christ â—nd to let them see what a matter of moment it was to acâ—nowledge their want of perfection in the knowledge of Christ So the faithfull people of God to beate out all trust â—n themselues and to shew how much they thought it did concerne them so to doe cry and say not vnto vs and againe Psal 115.1 not â—nto vs ô Lord but vnto thy name giue the praise So the Prophet to beat out that stupidity and blockish carelesnesse which â—en haue of the goodnesse and wonderfull workes of the Lord and to let them see how much it behoueth them to obserue the louing kindnesse of the Lord saith Psal 107. O that men would â—raise the Lord for his goodnesse and declare the wonders that hee â—ath for the children of men And againe O that men would praise â—he Lord c. and so foure seuerall times in that Psalme Hence then I obserue that the children of God are at no â—and to entertaine any conceit of any perfection in themselues â—ither in the knowledge of Christ or in obedience vnto his will but by all meanes to cast downe euery such imagination and meekely to acknowledge their imperfection 1 Cor. 8. It was the fault of the Corinthians that they had such a conceit of their perfection in the knowledge of Christ that presuming there upon they durst to be present at idolatrous sacrifices and to eate of things sacrificed vnto Idols They they knew Christ well enough they knew that there was but one God and that an Idoll was nothing they knew that they had a christian libertie in things indifferent and therefore they would vse it at all times and in all places And it was the fault of the Pharises often reproued in them by our Sauiour that they had such an opinion of their owne holinesse and righteousnesse that they despised other as appeareth by that parable of the Pharisie and the Publicane And it is a fault plainely condemned by our Sauiour where he saith Luc. 18.9 that he came not to call the righteous but the sinners to repentance Where hee calleth them righteous that trusted in themselues that they were righteous Mat. 9.13 them he came not to call they were whole they needed not the Physition they were perfect they needed none to supply their want Esa 5.21 And a woe is pronounced vnto them that are wise in their owne eyes and prudent in their owne sight i. That please themselues in their owne wisedome and in their owne knowledge as if they had all knowledge and all vnderstanding It is not then for the children of God to flatter themselues with any conceit of any perfection in themselues either in knowledge or in holinesse and righteousnesse or any such thing For besides that all such conceit is so condemned as wee haue shewed see the inconueniences which followes 〈◊〉 which makes it to be condemned For 1. whom it possesseth it makes them to presume of that which they haue aboue that is meete so that in confidence thereof they doe many things which they should not Which appeareth both by the example of the Corinthians of whom wee spake euen now whom the conceit of their knowledge so puffed vp that thereupon they presumed to be present at idolatrous sacrifices and to eate of things sacrificed vnto idolls and it is likewise apparant by the example of all these Heretiques which at all times haue troubled the Church For whence else did spring all their heresies but from this that they in an opinion of their own knowledge would not submit themselues vnto the iudgement of the Church but broched such vntruths as seemed vnto them to be truths 2. It makes them that they seeke not â—hat which they should haue and that they disdaine to
hath opened to know things that are spiritually discerned should labour to draw them on vnto the same truth with them And therefore besides other duties which they should performe vnto them when they goe vp vnto the house of the Lord they should say vnto them as they in Esay Esay 2.3 Come let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob and he will teach vs his waies and we will walke in his paths come let vs goe to the Church come neighbour come friend let vs go to the Sermon and there we shall heare what the Lord will say vnto vs and there we shall be instructed in the truth or Christ Iesus But what doe we We thinke it well if we come â—ur selues and indeed I wish all would doe so but though we now our neighbour ignorant yet do we not either priuately â—lke with him or say vnto him come let vs goe to Sermon â—hich certainely is a defect in vs. For true zeale taketh that â—f the fire that the truely zealous man would haue all like â—nto himselfe and the more he hath profited in the knowâ—edge of the truth the more will his heart bee inflamed to â—raw others out of ignorance vnto the knowledge of the same â—ruth with him And what doe we know but that God hath â—rdeined vs by this or that holy course to be the meanes to â—ring this or that man vnto the knowledge of the truth Let â—s not therefore despaire of doing good with our weake and â—gnorant brother but let vs hope so long as there is any hope â—â—at the Lord will reueale his truth vnto him and in the â—eane time let vs beare with his ignorance and labour by all â—eanes to bring him to the same minde that is in vs touching â—he truth of Christ Iesus And this withall let vs weigh is â—here any of our alliance or acquaintance or knowledge whose eyes the Lord hath so opened that he seeth the truth in diuers mysteries of the faith but yet some things are hid from â—is eyes let this be an incouragement of our hope that the Lord wil also reueale these things vnto him For great hope we may conceiue as we see here our Apostle likewise doth that he which hath begun to reueale the truth in diuers mysteries of the faith vnto them will also in his good time reueale these â—hings vnto them which as yet are hid from their eyes Times we may not prescribe vnto the Lord for he calleth not all his children to the knowledge of his Sonne at one houre but some at the third some at the sixth some at the ninth some â—t one some at another houre as vnto his heauenly wisdome seemeth most meete and his truth he doth reueale vnto his children not all at once but here a litle and there a litle as seemeth best vnto him But yet we may hope that vnto such as loue not darknesse better than light vnto such as doe not oppose themselues against the truth the Lord that commandeth the light to shine out of darknesse will in his good time shine in their hearts and reueale his truth vnto them so farre as shall be necessarie for them Though therefore now they doe not embrace the same truth altogether with vs yet let vs hope that the Lord will also reueale this vnto them wherein they now dissent from vs and let vs labour with them to the purpose according to that measure of grace that is giuen vnto vs. The third thing which I note is that the Apostle saith 〈◊〉 yee be otherwise minded God shall reueale it Whereby the Apostle sheweth that he could onely preach vnto them but it is God that reuealeth his truth vnto them If they were otherwise minded than he was he could not doe withall his office was to teach the truth he could not open their eyes that they might see the truth but that must be let alone vnto the Lord for euer who alone reuealeth when he will that truth whereâ—â— we were happily long before instructed Whence I obserue that in the worke of the ministerie the Ministers of Christ do onely dispense the mysteries and secrets of God but it is God that reuealeth them vnto vs opening our eyes that we may see the wondrous things of his law And therefore it is said that when Peter had preached vnto Cornelius Act. 10.44 and them that weâ—â— with him the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the â—â—ra And againe it is said that when Paul preached neere vnto Philippi vnto certaine women that were come together 16.13.14 the Lord opened the heart of Lydia that shee attended vnto the things that Paul spake And often when the Apostles had preached it is said that the Holy Ghost fell on them that heard and they beleeued Whereby is meant that they preached but the Holy Ghost reuealed and so their preaching was effectuall as the Holy Ghost wrought with it in the hearts of them that were ordeined vnto saluation And to this agreeth that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 3.6.7 where he saith I haue planted and Apollos watred but God gaue the increase and neither is he that planteth any thing neither he that watreth but God that giueth the increase The Ministers like Gods husbandmen they sowe the seede euen the immortall seede of his word in the fallow ground of mens hearts but it is the Lord that giueth the earely and the latter raine whereby it groweth vp and bringeth forth fruit in some thirty in some sixty in some an hundreth fold The Ministers of Christ they are they by whom we do â—eleeue and by whom we doe obey but it is the Lord that 〈◊〉 the powerfull working of his holy spirit together with the â—ord causeth vs to beleeue and to obey This honour the â—ord taketh vnto himselfe saying Eze 36.25 I will powre out cleane water â—pon you and yee shall be cleane yea from all your filthinesse â—â—d from all your idols will I cleanse you 26. a new heart also will I â—ue you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away â—e stonie heart out of your bodie and I will giue you an heart of â—â—sh and I will put my spirit within you 27. and cause you to walke in â—y statutes and yee shall keepe my iudgements and doe them this â—onour I say the Lord taketh to himselfe and this honour â—e will not giue to any other But here happily you will â—ke me if the Ministers of Christ onely preach the word â—nd the Lord reserue this power onely to himselfe to beget 〈◊〉 by the word if the Ministers of Christ onely teach â—s the way of truth and the spirit alone lead vs into all â—â—uth 1 Cor. 4.15 1 Tim. 4.16 how then doth the Apostle say vnto the Corinâ—â—ians I haue begotten you through the Gospell and how doth â—e say vnto Timothie Take heede vnto thy selfe and
we are come like vnto good souldiers which turne not aside but march on along after the prescript rule of their Generall so let vs walke without turning aside to the right-had or to the left-hand after that one rule let vs beleeue and liue as we are directed by â—â—â—t one rule of his word vnder whose banner we doe fight 〈◊〉 vs so farre as we are come walke as Christ Iesus hath taught 〈◊〉 in his holy word The same phrase of speech is vsed to the â—â—e purpose where it is said Gal. 6.16 as many as walke according to this â—â—e i. As many as make this word of truth this Gospell of â—â—rist Iesus now preached and taught vnto you the rule and â—â—are of their faith life from which they will not swarue â—â—turne aside to the right-hand or to the left peace shall bee â—â—on them and mercy and vpon the Israell of God Let vs â—â—â—ceede by one rule and let vs minde one thing i. Let there bee 〈◊〉 dissentions amongst vs but let vs be knit together in one â—â—nde and in one iudgement being of like affection one toâ—â—rds another in Christ Iesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For so the phrase of speech â—â—re vsed signifieth to be of one minde of one iudgement of â—â—e affection one towards another so that nothing bee done â—â—rough contention amongst vs as it plainely appeareth both 〈◊〉 the 2. verse of the 2. Chapter of this Epistle and by diuers â—â—her places where the same phrase is vsed The summe of all â—â—s if the Apostle had thus said God will in his good time â—â—eale his truth vnto them that bee as yet otherwise minded â—â—an I am But in the meane time till God reueale it let vs 〈◊〉 such grounds of the truth as already we agree vpon proâ—â—ede both in faith and in life as we are directed by that one â—â—le of his word vnder whose banner we fight not turning aâ—â—â—e from it to the right-hand or to the left-hand and let vs 〈◊〉 knit together in one minde and in one iudgement so that â—â—thing be done through contention among vs. This I take 〈◊〉 be the simple and plaine meaning of these words Now let 〈◊〉 see what profitable notes we may gather hence for our own â—â—e and instruction The 1. thing which hence I note is touching the cause of â—issensions in the Church of God whence it is that there are â—â—ch dissensions and diuisions in the Church of God whereby â—â—e vnity and peace of the Church is rent a sunder and broâ—en Not to search farther into the causes thereof than this â—â—e scripture giueth occasion out of this Scripture I note 3. â—auses of the dissensions in the Church of God The 1. is because we doe not with patience expect and waite till God 〈◊〉 his good time reueale vnto vs that truth which as yet is hid 〈◊〉 from our eyes For such oftentimes is our inconsiderate heaâ—â—â—dinesse that if we seeme vnto our selues to apprehend this 〈◊〉 that point of doctrine through the suggestions and persuasions of this or that man by and by we aduenture the defence and maintenance thereof though Iâ—â—l haue preached though the Church of God haue beleeued otherwise We looke 〈◊〉 what it is that the Church hath receiued but what it is that 〈◊〉 haue apprehended or if we doe rather we striue to bring the Church to that which we haue apprehended than wee 〈◊〉 yeeld vnto that which the Church indeed hath receiued 〈◊〉 howsoeuer that we teach may hazard the peace and quite of the Church yet will we not stay our selues and expectâ—â— God may farther reueale his holy truth vnto vs. And 〈◊〉 hath beene heretofore and is at this day one great cause of diuision and dissension in the Church I might instance iâ— diuers heresies wherewith the Church hath beene troubled and which haue in part beene caused because the authâ—â— thereof would not waite till God should reueale the truth vnâ—â— them If that auncient father Tertullian had waited till God had reuealed vnto him that truth which afterward he did â—â—ueale vnto him he had not beene so tainted with the errors oâ— the Millenaries and the Montanists as he was neither haâ— troubled the Church therewith so much as hee did And iâ— some at this day that trouble the peace of the Church with their strange doctrine would both pray vnto the Lord for the reuelation of his truth and patiently waite till the Lord should reueale his truth vnto them we should be more free from disensions than we are The 2. cause of the dissensions in the Church of God 〈◊〉 because we do not proceede by one rule in that whereunâ—â— we are come For such oftentimes is our vntowardlinesse that in the generall grounds of Christian religion whereâ—â— we doe agree we will be slinging out of ranke and not proceed by that one rule of his word vnder whose banner we doâ— fight In the primitiue Church all the Churches of Chrâ—â—â— were come vnto that that they beleeued the resurrection of the dead and that they acknowledged iustification by the â—â—ghteousnesse of Christ yet then they proceeded not by one â—â—le in these things but some denied the resurrection of the â—ead of which sort were Hymeneus and Philetus 2 Tim. 2.17 and some â—ught that vnto Christ there must be ioyned the workes of â—â—e Law to be made righteous before God Whereupon folâ—â—wed then great dissensions in the Church In the reformed Churches of Christ at this day generally we are come to this â—â—at we professe that predestination vnto life is not by foreâ—â—ght of faith or workes but by the alone good pleasure of alâ—ightie God that the children of God cannot finally fall â—om faith or grace that the children of God may and ought 〈◊〉 assure themselues of their saluation that it is not in man to â—ue himselfe if he will that Christ hath freed vs from the of hell by suffering the paines of hell for vs. And if â—e shall not proceede by one rule in these things but one â—â—ape out from another what else can follow but great dissensions in our Churches And is it not a cause of many dissensiâ—ns betwixt the Romish Church and vs that we doe not both â—roceede by one rule in that whereunto we are come Wee â—re come to this that we agree in the Articles of the Christian â—aith that we both beleeue in the Trinitie that wee both beâ—eeue one Catholique and Apostolique Church that we both â—cknowledge one Baptisme for the remission of sinnes that â—e both looke for the resurrection of the dead and the life â—f the world to come And yet what dissensions betwixt vs â—nd them euen about these thingâ— And why because they do not proceed by one rule of the holy word of life with vs but â—hey flie out into Traditions Councels Fathers Decretals Constitutions and Legends and keepe no order with vs in marching along after the prescript rule of our Generall Christ â—esus
be our glorie in all places and the crowne of our reioycing in the day of Christ Iesus So were the Thessalonians vnto this our Apostle as himselfe witnesseth saying What is our hope or ioy or crowne of reioycing 1. Thess 2.19 are not you euen it in the presence of our Lord Iesus Christ at his coming Yes ye are our glorie and ioy And why so 20. Euen because of their effectuall faith and diligent loue and patient hope in the Lord whereof hee spake in the first chapter And so were these Philippians also vnto him as here he witnesseth and why Euen because he had not runne in vaine nor laboured in vaine amongest them And so ye should so abound in all knowledge and in all iudgement and be so filled with the fruits of righteousnesse which are by Iesus Christ vnto the glorie and praise of God as that ye might be the crowne of our reioycing in the day of Christ that we haue not runne in vaine nor laboured in vaine Otherwise if the more we loue you the lesse we be loued of you againe if the more we labour amongst you and admonish you the more ye harden your hearts and despise vs euen for our workes sake if the more carefull we are to informe your vnderstandings in the truth the more ye stoppe your eares at the voyâ—â— of our charming charme we neuer so wisely if the more we endeauour to beget you in the faith and present you before God blamelesse in that day ye start aside like a broken bow and defile your selues with euery hatefull sinne to be short if we spend our strength in vaine amongst you and for nothing then how can we reioyce in you as in our ioy and our crowne And if not so then how can we come vnto you in these termes of loue my brethren beloued my little children dearely beloued If ye be not ioyned with vs in one faith and in one hope in Christ Iesus how can we speake vnto you as vnto our brethren If the loue of God be not in you indeed how can we speake vnto you as vnto our beloued If ye honor not the Father nor obey his holy will how can we speake vnto you as vnto little children If ye desire not the sincere milke of the Word that ye may grow thereby how shall we say that we long for you when wee are absent from you That therefore we may alwayes come vnto you in such termes of loue as ye desire and as heere our Apostle doth vnto the Philippians let vs not runne in vaine not labour in vaine amongst you but receiue from vs with all gladnesse the word of saluation which is able to saue your soules Be diligent to heare and carefull afterwards to meditate on the things which ye haue heard that as good hearers ye may grow vp in all godly knowledge of Gods will and in all holie obedience thereunto and that ye may say with the Prophet O Lord I haue hid thy word within my heart Psal 119.11 that I might not sin against thee Let the word of Christ dwell in you plenteously in all wisedome Philip 1.9.10 that ye may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all iudgement that ye may discerne things that differ one from another that ye may be pure c. Follow after the truth in loue and in all things grow vp into him which is the head 〈◊〉 is Christ that as at this day we greatly reioyce to see the forward and willing mindes of many of you to come vnto the house of God and to heare those things that belong vnto your peace so our ioy may be fulfilled daily more and more and ye may be the crowne of â—ur reioycing in the presence of our Lord Iesus Christ at his coming And if at any time we vse sharpenesse of speech know this that it is for their sakes that obey not the truth that we may reclaime them from wandering out of the right way wherein they should walke And if the hurts of our people may be healed onely by applying gentle medicines without cutting and launcing their sores onely by pouring suppling oyle without pouring vineger into their wounds let no man thinke that we will vse sharpnesse of speech In a word this is our desire to present you pure and blamelesse in that day not hauing spot or wrinckle or any such thing Be ye filled with knowledge and loue and the fruites of righteousnesse that ye may be our ioy and crowne now and in the day of Christ The second thing which I note is the Apostles exhortation together with the reason thereof His exhortation is that the Philippians would stand and continue without shrinking fainting sliding or starting aside in the knowledge and faith of Christ Iesus rooted in him and stablished in the faith so as hitherto they had done and as now they had bene taught by example in his owne person renouncing all confidence in the flesh and in things without Christ and reioycing onely in Christ Iesus The reason of this his exhortaâ—ion vnto this perseuerance is because he would not haue them entangled with those euill workers of the concision which minded earthly things and whose end is damnation but would haue them followers of him and such as he is whose conuersation is in heauen c. Therefore so continue c. This exhortation then implying a dutie for vs hence I obserue a necessarie dutie for all Gods children which is perseuerance and continuance in the faith and truth of Christ Iesus so as we haue bene taught out of the Gospell of Christ Iesus A dutie much yet neuer too much vrged considering how many after they haue put their hand vnto the plough looke backe after they haue begunne in the Spirit Iohn 15.4 1. Cor. 16.13 end in the flesh Abide in me saith our Sauiour and I in you Stand fast in the faith saith the Apostle to the Corinthians â— Tim. 3.14 And vnto Timothie Continue saith he thou in the things which thou hast learned and art perswaded thereof knowing of whom thou hast learned them And of all the Apostles we reade that still they exhorted all the Churches euerie where to continue in the grace of God Acts 11.23.13.43 and with full purpose of heart to cleaue stedfastly vnto the Lord. For what shall it profite vs to haue tasted of the good word of God and by the hearing of the Gospell preached to haue come to some knowledge of the Lord and of the Sauiour Iesus Christ if afterward with the Church of Ephesus wee forsake our first loue and make not an end of our saluation with feare and trembling Iohn 8.31.32.15.4 If ye continue in my word saith Christ to the Iewes that beleeued in him ye are verily my Disciples and shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free But as the branch cannot beare fruite of it selfe except it abide in the Vine no more
lying Ephes 4.25 and speake euery man truth vnto his neighbour Is it a truth in our deeds and in the waies of our life We are to be as Nathaniels Iohn 1.47 true Israelites in deed in whom is no guile not to make shew of one thing and in truth to be another thing Whatsoeuer truth it is it ought to be so precious vnto vs as that with the Apostle we should say 2. Cor. 13.8 We cannot do any thing against the truth but for the truth we cannot hold of errour against the truth we cannot lie to falsifie the truth we cannot dissemble to make shew of others then the truth is we are Let this one reason for this time serue to presse this point Christ is truth as himselfe saith Iohn 14.6 I am the way the truth and the life and whatsoeuer he spake was truth and for the truth for no guile was euer found in his mouth 1. Pet. 2.22 we are the sonnes of him who is truth that is of God we are redeemed by him who is truth that is by God we are regenerate and borne againe by the Spirit of truth we are called to the knowledge of the truth and so we shall dwell with God for euer if we speake the truth from our heart As then we will haue him who is true and truth it selfe to be our God and our selues to be his people and heires of his kingdome we are to thinke on and to do whatsoeuer things are true Are we then to thinke on and to do whatsoeuer things are true First let this teach vs to take heede and beware of errours in religion whereby the truth of the Gospel of Christ Iesus is peruerted Whosoeuer saith it if it be a truth it is to be maintained but if it be an errour from the truth whosoeuer saith it it is to be reiected If Fathers Councels Church and all say it if it be an errour what is that to me But if it be a truth be it Arrian or Lutheran or Papist or Protestant that saith it what is that to me No authoritie may giue warrant to an errour neither may any mans person or profession preiudice a truth but whatsoeuer is true we are to thinke on it and do it whatsoeuer is erroneous we are not to thinke on it nor to do it What shall we say then vnto them that wholly build vpon the Church the Church and euer runne on vs with open mouthes the doctrine of the Church the doctrine of the Church and this Church forsooth is the Church of Rome What shall we say vnto them that hauing laid downe and taught a truth afterwards perceiuing themselues therein to concurre with Caluin did therefore reuoke it and turned the truth into an error We say vnto them as Esay said vnto the Iewes in his time Esa 8.19.20 Should not a people enquire at their God To the law and to the testimonie if they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them The thing that we aske is what is a truth according to the word what is an errour from the word not what the Church teacheth or what Caluin saith If they can shew that the things which their Church teacheth are true we professe our willingnesse to embrace whatsoeuer things are true and if Caluin say the truth why should they reiect it because he sayeth it Learne you to discerne betweene truth and error and looke not so much who sayeth it as whether it be true or erroneous that is said If the Church or some speciall professors of the truth agree vpon a truth it may verie well sway with vs. But howsoeuer men say a truth in religion is therefore to be receiued because it is a truth and an error therefore to be reiected because it is an errour If it be a truth receiue it if an errour reiect it Againe are we to thinke on and to do whatsoeuer things are true Let this then teach vs to put away lying out of our mouthes Whatsoeuer things are true we are to speake them in their due times and places but whatsoeuer things are lies and falshoods there is no time or place for the speaking of them For all lying is of the diuel and he is the father thereof Ioh. 8.44 And fearefull is the iudgement that lying draweth on with it for whosoeuer saith Iohn worketh abomination or lies Apoc. 21.27.22.15 shall not entâ—r into the heauenly Ierusalem and againe Without shall be dogs and enchanters and whoremongers and murtherers and idolaters and whosoeuer loueth or maketh lies And therefore the holy Ghost very often very carefully forbiddeth it saying Lie not one to another Coloss 3.9 Eph. 4.25 seeing that ye haue put off the old man with his workes and againe Cast off lying c. And yet see how men loue rather to lie then to speake truly as if they had rather runne with the diuell then walke in truth with God One desperately lyeth in despite of the truth and boasteth himselfe of his lying Another lieth hoping so to conceale his sins as he hath fallen into and so addeth iniquitie to iniquitie Another lieth but it is forsooth in ieast and he meaneth no harme by his lying And another lieth but it is forsooth greatly for the behoofe and good of his friend or else he would not doe it Thus lying which the Lord so much hateth euery where aboundeth And though none indeed can yet some thinke they may pleade pardon for their lying The desperate lier it may be hopeth not for nor reckoneth vpon any pardon He hath made a couenant with death and with hell he is at agreement And what pardon he hopeth for I know not that to conceale his other faults and sinnes also lieth But if two sinnes be not to be bound together because in one we shall not be vnpunished then what hope of impunitie when vnto other sinnes is added also lying Now for lying in ieast no man I thinke will say that it is either a lesse fault or more pardonable then an idle word and yet we see our blessed Sauiour tels vs Mat. 12.36 that of euery idle word that men shall speake they shall giue account thereof at the day of iudgement And as for lying for the behoofe and good of our friend the Apostle thereby plainly condemneth it in that we may not do euil by his rule that good may come thereof Rom. 3.8 So that we may not lie at all for as much as no lie is of the truth Some kind of lying is lesse faultie then other 1. Ioh. 2.21 but no lie is of the truth and we are to speake euery man truth vnto his neighbour Let vs therefore cast off all lying euen all kind of lying For the lying lips are an abomination to the Lord Prou. 12.22.19.5 and their iudgement sleepeth not For a false witnesse shall not be vnpunished and he that speaketh
Paul I note that it was Paules necessitie which the Philippians sent once againe to relieue Whence I obserue that euen the best Ministers of the Gospel of Christ Iesus are sometimes vrged and pressed with necessitie In Paul indeed it was lesse maruell both because that was the infancie of the church and for that he alwaies went about either planting or stablishing the Churches and setled himselfe in no certaine place But now that the Church is stablished and the Ministerie settled that now sometimes the very best should be pressed with necessitie I know not well what to say to it It is certainely one of the shames and discredites of our Clergie that in many places the worthiest labourers want and the veriest loyterers abound Some lights of the church haue either nothing or as litle as litle may be againe some others that either cannot or will not do any good in the Church at all haue liuing vpon liuing dignitie vpon dignitie heaped vpon them Ye see the note which I should prosecute but time will not giue me leaue LECTVRE XCII PHILIP 4. Verse 17. Not that I desire a gift but I desire the fruite which may further your reckoning 18. Now I haue receiued all c. NOt that I desire a gift c. In these words the Apostle signifieth the very true cause of that his ioy in the Lord whereof he spake before verse 10. and the very true cause of this his commendation of their liberality in the two verses next before For as before he signified in verse 11. that the principall cause of his reioycing was not because of his want because his want was supplied by their liberalitie so now he signifieth that the principall commendation of their liberalitie was not for that he desired a new gift of them as some thereby might haply imagine but the principall thing which he regarded both in the one and in the other the principall cause both of his reioycing in the Lord for their care for him and of his commendation of their liberalitie both first and last towards him was the fruite which followed thereupon to further their reckoning in that day of the great account But I desire c. The phrase of speech here vsed is borrowed from the Merchants counting-bookes for as in case of the debt of a great summe of money to a Merchant the more mony that is noted in his booke as payed the more his reckoning is furthered that payed it so the Apostle hereby signifieth that the more of their charitable workes towards him were noted as it were in Gods booke the more their reckoning was furthered with God who in the great account should reckon that to their fruite aduantage which they had done to him What was then the things which the Apostle principally desired euen more then their gifts though he needed them It was the fruite of their liberalitie that they might reape the fruite thereof with God And what was the fruite of their liberality Namely the furthering of their reckoning with God in that day when they should giue accounts of that they had done in their flesh whether it were good or euill for the Apostle knew that this fruite should follow their liberalitie towards him that thereby their reckoning should be furthered with God who would reckon that vpon their head to their vantage that they had done to him And this was it which principally caused the Apostle to ioy in their gifts and liberality Thus much for the opening of the meaning of these words Now let vs see what obseruations we may gather hence whereof to make some farther vse for our selues Not that I desire a gift The first thing which here I note is the Apostles diligent care to cleare things as he goes In verse 10. of this Chapter the Apostle signified his great reioycing in the Lord for the Philippians great care for him shewed by the things which they sent him by their minister Epaphroditus Whereupon lest it should be thought that before he receiued their gift he had bene cast downe through heauinesse or were not able to endure his want he cleares himselfe of all suspicion of any such abiect mind and tells them in the next verse that he spake not because of want that is that he reioyced not so much because his want was supplied by their liberality but there was another matter in it Againe in ver 11.12 he signified that he could be content with whatsoeuer state he were in that he knew how to be abased and how to abound that he was instructed both to be full and to be hungrie to abound and to haue want Whereupon lest he should seeme to haue boasted himselfe too much of himselfe as if by his owne power and strength he had bene able to do all those things he cleares himselfe of all such arrogant presuming of his owne strength and tells them verse 13. that he is able to do all those things but how by his owne power and strength No but through Christ which strengthened him Againe the Apostle hauing said that through Christ which strengthened him he could endure want and he could be content whether he were full or hungrie hereupon it might be thought that he made small account of their benefit and could as well haue bene without it as with it He therefore cleares this point also and tels them that notwithstanding he could do all things through Christ yet they had well done to communicate to his affliction Againe in verses 15.16 he highly commended the Philippians for their great liberality towards him euen from the first vnto the last and preferreth them before all other Churches of Macedonia Whereupon lest he should seeme to affect a new benefit to desire a new gift he cleares himselfe of any such desire and tels them plainly that he doth not so commend them for that he desireth a gift of them Thus sometimes to cleare the truth of doctrine sometimes to free himselfe from vniust suspitions alwaies to rectifie them that they do not misconceiue of things euermore he cleares matters as he goes Whence I obserue a good lesson for the Minister of the Gospel of Christ Iesus which is that he giue all diligence in his teaching so to cleare things as he goes as that his people may not misconceiue any thing either touching the truth or touching himselfe He is to be iealous of both euen with a godly iealousie of the truth that no speech of his may cause them to erre touching the truth that he speake not any thing against the truth but for the truth that in all simplicitie and plainnesse he deliuer the truth or if at any time he speake something which may be mistaken yet he so cleare it before he leaue it as that there neede to be no doubt of it Of himselfe that no speech slip him nor any action passe him whereby he may be noted of impatience or pride or contempt or couetousnesse or