and liberall speech Next he speakes in us according to that of Saint Paul 2. Cor. 13.3 Doe you seeke experience of Christ that speaks in me For which voice David prayeth thus Psal 35 3. Say thus unto my soule I am thy salvation O familiar and comfortable speech Thirdly he speakes for us according to that in Saint Iohn 17.24 Father I will that those which thou hast given mee bee there even where I am and in his first Epistle 2. cap. 1. If any man sinne wee have an Advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous Lastly he speakes of us according to that in the Revelation cap. 3.5 I will confesse his name before my Father and the Angells So then hee speakes to us by way of Invitation in us by way of Inspiration for us by way of Intercession of us by way of Commendation he speaks to us by his word in us by his Spirit for us by his bloud of us by his Iudgement But observe the Lords Order first to us next in us then for us lastly he speakes of us If thou wilt not heare the Lord speaking to thee in his Word if thou do'st not finde the Lord speaking in thee by his Spirit if thou dost not rest upon the Lord speaking for thee by his bloud thou shalt never heare him speaking of thee by commendable testimony That the Lord speakes for us is good and gracious but that he speakes of us as in the Gospell Mat. 25. Euge serve bone c. Well done good servant and faithfull is an absolute happy and honorable speech Blessed is that man may heare the Lord Iesus say of him Behold a true Christian 2. The Manner IN the manner of Nathaneels commendation eight things may be observed First the Order of Christ in praising The Lord knew Nathaneel before but yet he never said any thing of him by commendation untill he saw him comming unto him whence we may collect that then a mans actions are laudable in Gods judgement and his life honourable when Christ is made the end and scope thereof It cannot be but that the Lord sees thee comming hee sees thee going hee sees thee hearing praying working trading he is about thy bed and about thy paths and spies out all thy wayes then thy heart hath comfort thine action honour when the Lord may say that hee sees thee comming to him Men talke of faire and goodly sights but how happy for us and how comely a sight were it if the Lord might see us all this day comming unto him But we may now justly complaine with Bernard Vix quaeritur Iesus propter Iesum scarcely is Iesus sought for Iesus sake the falsehood of intention not ayming at Gods glory not respecting the Lords eye which beholds the truth of the inward parts make that though by customary and ceremonious professiō the Lord may say that he sees many comming yet indeed few comming unto him Secondly this praise is given 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in presence Iesus said of him and that before him he prayseth Nathanael to his face which showes that if praise bee free from flattery used with moderation intending the encouragement of vertue and approbation of the good it is no fault to commend in presence though it is the part of a wise man to use it sparingly and of a good man not greedily to heare his owne praise Thirdly this praise is given 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 openly and in publike in the audience of many The Lord is not asham'd to take notice of his poorest servant openly to acknowledge and honour his meanest professor Here have we specimenfuturae retributionis the very Image and token of our future recompence according to that of Christ Mat. 6.4 Thy Father that seeth in secret he will reward thee openly Let us endeavour to abound in good things and to lay up good works as treasures and let us leave it to the Lord to lay them open to shew them forth who hath all things noted in his booke Fourthly this praise is given by certainety of demonstration Behold a true Israelite saith Christ hee is pointed forth by him that is onely able to discerne betweene the Sheepe and the Goats we praise by the censure of charity Christ by the certainty of knowledge we hope well of many wee can point out none We leave them to be discerned and pointed forth by that finger that made them Fifthly this praise is according to the truth of the thing in him for Iesus would never have said this of him if hee had not found it in him It is impossible that the eyes of the Lord which behold the things which are just should be obscured with Error Vanity or Partiality For as Saint Iohn saith 1 Ioh. 3.7 He that doth righteousnesse is righteous so the man which is righteous indeed is so accounted before God and no other Think'st thou that the Lord will account the hypocrite the wanton the unjust person a true Israelite the praise that comes of God is not deceitfull or vaine Hee neither condemnes the righteous nor justifies the wicked And that praise which the scripture gives unto the servants of God is according to the truth of the thing in them not according to imputation Sixthly this praise is according to the favour of the Gospell and the measure of sincerity not according to the rigour of the Law and the fulnesse of perfection Though Christ saith of Nathanael Behold a true Israelite in whom is no guile yet he saith not in whom is no sinne Saint Iohn saith 1 Iohn 1.8 whosoever affirmeth that hee hath no sinne deceiveth himselfe and there is no Truth in him and if Nathanael should have thought that hee had no sinne in him he should have had no truth in him By the grace of Imputation we have no guilt no sinne but by the grace of Sanctification we have no guile no fraud That is in very deed we confesse that in many things we offend all and sincerely and from our hearts indeavour no longer to serve sinne but to please God in all things Before the preventing grace of GOD comes which makes us to walke commendably before God we are all lame from our mothers wombe like the Creeple at Lystra not able to stirre in the waies of GOD having receiv'd grace yet we are many times lame like Mephibosheth 2 Sam. 4.4 by some grievous fall and having present grace he that stands surest may cry with David my foot had well-nigh slipt and the truest Israelite that striveth to walke with God in uprightnes Gen. 32.31 is lame like Iacob that halts on his thigh though not in his heart and though his spirit be willing yet his flesh is weake Though the true Israelite doth not appeare before the Lord empty yet he hath but a Mite in his hand and he that sees clearest by the annoynting of the eye-salve hath yet a mote in his eye and he that is covered with the white
rayment that his filthy nakednes appeare not hath yet a moath in his garment He that turnes his back to the Sunne hath his shadow before him and he that lookes upon the Sunne though his Shadow be not before him yet he hath a shadow He that looks not upon Christ hath no cōfort his sinne being ever before him to torment him and he that lookes upon the Mediatour though his sinne be not before him by way of horrour because there is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Iesus yet he is not without sinne dwelling in him though not raigning over him So farre is Nathanael from the praise of perfection that as Origen saith the just man lives rather in the shadow of vertue than in vertue it selfe There is an insufficiency in the best men Hee that is soundest is not without concupiscence which is as it were naevus in cute a spot in the skinne which though it endangers not our health yet it takes away our beauty so that of no man living can that be verified spoken in the Canticles Thou art all faire Can. 4.7 O my love and there is no spot in thee unlesse it be meant of the spots of worldly corruption injustice intemperance prophannesse concerning which St. Iames saith that pure religion causeth a man to keepe himselfe unspotted of the World Iam. 1.27 the soundest Israelite is not without the difficulty of tentation which is as it were morsus in calce a nibling at the heele a bruising and weakning of our strength so that a man cannot pull on the shooes of the preparation of the Gospell of peace without some pinching paine and difficulty Nay the best man is not free from infirmity ignorance negligence passion which is as it were morbus in corpore a hidden disease a sudden fit of distemperature which though it doth not make it deadly sicke because our heart consents not to the evill yet it makes us farre from the perfect soundnes which needs not the Physitian Seventhly this phrase is spirituall not according to the savour of carnall vanity Christ doth not say of him Behold a man skilfull and learned in the Lawes and yet St. Austin calls him eruditum ac peritum legis a learned man But behold a true Israelite in whom is no guile Here is no mention made of Nathanaels learning or of any outward parts but that which Christ commends in him is the sincerity of his heart the truth of his religion and his upright intention in comming to him Prov. 23.26 Therefore God speakes by Solomon saying My sonne give mee thy heart the Lord cares not for thy head be it never so witty nor for thy face be it never so beautifull nor for thy tongue bee it never so eloquent that which God loves and commends in a man is the truth of profession according to that of David Psal 51. Thou requirest truth in the inward parts and againe The Lord taketh no pleasure in any mans legge Ps 147 10.11 but his delight is in them that feare him and put their trust in his mercy So Solomon speaking of the woman saith Favour is deceitfull Prov. 31.30 beauty is vaine the woman that feareth the Lord shee shall be praised Eighthly this praise is by way of admiration Ecce behold shewing that a true Israelite is the wonder of the world a rare and excellent person So speakes the Prophet Esay 8.18 Behold I and the children which the Lord hath given mee as signes and wonders in Israel And yet this praise is common to all the Israel of God for though in respect of the measure of Gods grace there bee extraordinary gifts and one Israelite excells another and though in respect of the world this froward nation the true Israelite shines as a light rare and supernaturall yet to be a true Israelite without the guile of a false heart in the profession of religion is so common that all the people of God every man that is saved is adorn'd with that praise T' is no prerogative in Nathanael but the generall praise of all Christians indeed to bee true Israelites Hence obserue two things 1. The Honour of praise 2. The Rule of praise The Honour of praise is 1. To be commended of God 2. To be cōmended for Truth 1. Of God FOr whatsoever applause the wicked have amongst fooles and flatterers yet they shall never have the Honour of the sonnes of God their names shall wee Prov. 10.7 the Lord will not make mention of them within his lippes Onely the true Israelite shall have his name confest before the Father and his Angels No contumely no reproch in this world can discourage the minde of him that hath the honour of this testimony Let the Iewes thinke and speake of Christ what they will that voice from heaven sufficiently honours him This is my beloved sonne in whom I am well pleased Matth. 3.17 What though vile wantons make a jest of the servants of God and disgrace them with names of scorne yet the holy Ghost hath graced them with sufficient Honour whilst hee makes their hearts his temple sealing them to salvation whilst hee speakes in them comfortably and Christ of them honourably 2. For Truth FOr what wouldst not thou have true thou desirest a true wife a true friend a true servant Dost thou affect that in another which thou regard'st not in thy selfe know that thy profession makes thy soule the Lords Spouse his servant his friend for every soule is either Gods wife or the devills Concubine Now what more precious than Truth in the Spouse of Christ what more necessary in the Lords servant what more honourable in the friend of God 2. The Rule of praise VVHich is first Not to praise our selves for as St. Paul saith hee which praiseth himselfe is not allowed but whom the Lord praiseth If the Lord say unto my soule I am thy salvation I am glad to heare it If it please the Lord to say of me Behold a true Israelite his testimony carries honour and comfort But of my selfe let mee say with the Publican Luke 18.13 O Lord be mercifull to me a sinner Rom. 7.14 1 Tim. 1.15 and with the Apostle Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O wretched man that I am what lost the Apostle Paul by saying of himselfe Christ came into the world to save sinners of which I am the chiefe what lost Saint Iohn the Baptist by counting himselfe unworthy of the meanest office about Christ Matth. 3.11 even to unloose the latchet of his shoe In the judgement of Christ the one was nere the lesse a chossen vessell Acts 9.15 the other the greatest man that ever was borne of a woman Matth. 11.11 What can I loose by taking the lowest roome if the Lord say Amice ascende superius Luke 14.10 friend sit up higher Yea let mee have part in Christ Iesus though it be but at the hemme of his garment and
plaines without fraudulent Policie 2. Reverent religion without rudenesse 3. Holy devotion without prophannesse 4. Humble confession without pride 5. Constant resolution without faintnes 6. Zealous integrity without corruption 7. A pilgrims life sober Contentment without Luxurie without love of the World The true Israelite is discerned 2. By exemption from fraud THere is a three-fold Fraud from which the true Israelite is free 1. Fraus iniqua the fraud of injustice deceiving others 2. Fraus stuha the fraud of folly deceiving themselves 3. Fraus impia the fraud of impiety deceiving the Lord. The first is in outward Conversation the second in the information of the Conscience the last in the profession of Religion If Nathaniels testimony from Christ saying a true Israelite without fraud be considered according to this difference of guile we shall more plainely perceive who is the true Israelite without fraud First therefore the fraud of couzenage or deceit in the matter of bargaining or trading or outward conversing one with another is hatefull to every true Israelite as being contrary 1. To Iustice 2. To Charity 3. To Piety To Iustice for St. Paul calls it Oppression 1 Thes 3.6 Let no man saith he oppresse or defraud his brother in any matter for the Lord is an avenger of all such things To Charity therefore the Apostle Eph. 4.25 exhorts Christians saying Wherefore cast of lying and speake the truth every man to his neighbour for we are members one of another T is the care of one member to helpe but not to hurt the other Contrary to Piety and Christian profession for St. Paul Col. 3.9 chargeth us saying Lye not one to another seeing yee have put of the old man with his works Now then how should not a true Israelite a true Christian man be ashamed of that worke which hath neither justice nor charity nor godlinesse in it The plainnesse and simplicity of faith in Christ admits neither of false weights false measures nor couzening trickes nor equivocating fraud This deceit is com to that height now that it is admired studied and practised as a great mystery and hee is rejected as a foole that hath it not What an injurious proverbe unto truth and upright dealing is that Plaine dealing is a Iewel but hee shall dye a beggar that useth it whether he shall dye a beggar or no I will not strive one thing I am sure of hee shall live a Saint All the wickednesse of this fraud is now put of with caveat emptor let the buyer looke to it O foolishnesse should the buier take heed of being deceived of suffering losse in his penny and the seller take no heed of being a deceiver and so to loose thereby the Grace of God the Honour of Truth the Hope of a better life Of this deceit speakes the Lord by the Prophet Ieremy Among my people are found wicked persons Iere. 5 26. that lay waite as he that setteth snares they have made a pit to catch men As a Cage is full of birds so are their houses full of deceit thereby they are become great and waxen rich First it is utterly a shame for us that the Lord should complaine that such persons are found among his people those that professe the knowledge of the Truth next very properly and significantly doth the Lord say that deceit is in their house as a bird in a Cage T' is there as imprisoned and cannot get forth they have got such an habit of Couzenage that they cannot leave it Yea their false swearing lying couzening trickes to draw in gain is become to bee a darling a delight unto them a bird that makes them sweet musicke and their shop is the Cage well is he that can get such a bird such a prentise boy that can tune his note artificially to deceive If thou bee'st a true Israelite thou wilt not make thy house a snare a pitfall to catch plaine men nor thy shop a Cage for that uncleane bird O rather let the voice of the Turtle Dove be hard in thy house Can. 2.12 mourning for sinne thankesgiving to God devout praiers comfortable instruction words of truth and love that is the true Israelites bird the true Christians musicke 2. Foolish fraud AS wee have seene the fraud of injustice from which the true Israelite is free so in the next place observe the fraud of folly by which the minde deceives it selfe from which the true Israelite is also exempted This deceit is in the information of the mind a couzenage of a mans owne heart of which St. Iames speakes Be ye doers of the word Iam. 1.22.26 and not hearers onely deceiving your owne selves and again in the same Chapter If any man saith he among you seeme religious and refraineth not his tongue but deceiveth his owne heart that mans religion is vaine Of this fraud there may be three branches observed 1. Vaine excuse to lessen sinne 2. A blasphemous cloake to cover sinne 3. A presumptuous security to lye in sinne 1. Vaine excuse FIrst it is a profitable sinne saith one it is the very means wherby I live O vaine folly O damnable fraud Is the certaine way to eternall death become the meanes of life Is it gainefull Open thine eyes O thou vaine man and consider the summe of thy gaine thou gainest drosse and loosest the true treasure thou winnest the world loosest thine owne soule thou gettest earth and loosest heaven thou art joyned to Mammon and divided from God I but saith another my children will find the good of it my posterity will praise my doings O fraud Thou shalt be prays'd saith Chrysostome where thou art not and tormented where thou art What profits it thee to be commended of thy posterity for leaving riches and to bee condemned eternally for getting them Can thy sonnes pleasure on earth ease thy paine in hell Oh that the scales of this fraud would fall from the eyes of these earthly men that they might discerne between things that differ the riches of Gods grace and the drosse of this world that in the love of the one and contempt of the other they may truely say Christ is to us both in life and in death advantage Philip. 1.21 But I heare the Wanton put his trick upon us saying the sinne is full of delight and what is a man but his pleasure And is it true Is it a sport for thee to offend the everliving God Canst thou dally with the consuming fire with the Maiesty of GOD into whose whose hands to fall is a fearefull thing Woe be unto thee thou hast thy Comfort here And yet alas 't is but the Comfort of an hogge in a stye a bird in a cage thou laughest and sing'st in the midst of thy slavery 't is but from the teeth outward no sound Joy the worme of remorse gnawes thee within thou hast not a Crumme of true Consolation much lesse that continuall feast with the sonnes of GOD. I but it is a
I shall bee safe A foolish kinde of men there be who cannot stay the Lords leasure but in the height of Pharisaicall pride fall to valuing to praising of themselues and despising others forgetting the hand-writing against Baltazer Dan. 5.27 Thou art weighed in the ballance and found to light pondus meum amor meus non lingua saith Saint Austin t is the truth of my heart not the vehemence of the tongue that is of moment and weight in Gods tryall Selfe-praise is the fruit of Folly Security Pride Vnthankefulnesse Selfe-love for he that praiseth himselfe either considers not the glory of perfect vertue 1 Esay 64.6 in comparison of which all our righteousnesse is as a stained cloth and so showes his folly and vain-glory Or remembers not the multitude of his secret sinnes under burthen whereof David praies 2 Psal 19.12 ab occultis munda me Domine cleanse me from my secret faults O Lord and so showes his Security Or forgetteth the bond of mans duty 3 Luke 17.10 which being performed leaves yet the doer as an unprofitable servant and so showes his Pride Or considers not the fountaine from whence every good and perfect gift commeth according to that of Saint Iohn Iohn 3.27 No man can receive any thing except it bee given him from above and so showes his unthankefulnesse Or lastly appeares singularly good in his owne eyes not taking notice wherein hee is exceeded by many and so showes his selfe-love To avoide this let us say of our selves as wee are taught of God let us devise nothing By the corruption of Nature let us say we are enemies Rom. 5.10 Gal. 4.6 by the grace of Adoption say Wee are sonnes by neerenesse of coniunction to Christ say Heb. 2.12 We are brethren by familiarity of love say We are friends Iohn 15.15 by tendernesse of Christ his protection over us say We are his spouse Reu. 21.9 by condition and covenant of our profession say We are servants and by true acknowledgement of our wants and insufficiency say Wee are unprofitable servants Luke 17.10 let the Lord find that we are without fraud let the world see that wee are without crime But let not us say that we are without sin yea let us say nothing of our selves but in the humility of mind because the poore in Spirit are blessed Mat. 5. Secondly the rule of praise is to speak in Truth without flattery or partiality It is not fit to cast the Childrens meate unto dogs Praise is onely the encouragement of vertue Never did Christ give this testimony of true Israelite to the hypocritical Pharisie Iohn the Baptist did not salute them as True Israelites but thus Mat. 3.7 O generation of Vipers It had not beene fit for Saint Paul to have graced Elymas with this testimony when as he was full of all subtilty and mischiefe Acts 13.10 the childe of the Devill and enemy of all righteousnesse As charity is not suspitious so it is not sottish and where apparant wickednes is there ought not to be the dawbing of untempered flattery Therefore it is well said by Elihu in the Booke of Job I will not accept the persons of men Iob 32.22 nor give titles unto men least my maker take mee away suddenly I will not reach Judas a sop nor cut a lappet from Sauls coat let us not speake good of the covetous whom God abhorreth nor extenuate the commendable deeds of any by envious destraction The sinners Oyle though bright and sweet yet is slippery and vayn and becomes not any wise man not any friend much lesse a Priest a messenger of GOD. Thirdly in the Rule of praise we are to observe that our praise ought to be spirituall not according to the vanity of worldly prayse which neither aymes at a spirituall end nor discernes the spirituall thing some praise out of lightnesse making way for lust so wantons praise in whole volumes some praise out of covetousnesse making way for lucre so worldlings praise where they think to make use of a man some out of feare making way for security so weaklings prayse to avoyd oppression some out of affection making way for consort and idle fellowship so schismaticall sectaries so good fellowes praise some in tongue and show onely making way for friendship so flatterers praise some praise to be praysed againe making way for glory so fooles praise some praise either the forbidden fruit or at least the apples of Sodome which when they are touched are but dust the vanities and trifles of this World which when they are weighed are but Smoake when they are embraced are but shaddowes honour wit riches beauty proportion noblenesse strength are the wonders of the world but the true Israelite whom heaven honoureth the Angells guardeth the Glory of Christ is neglected and passed over with no applause and yet in truth none more noble than hee that is borne of God none wiser than he that is wise to salvation none richer than he that possesseth God none more beautifull than he that is unspotted of the World none more proportionate than hee that beares about in his body the marks of the Lord Iesus none more strong than the true Israelite that prevailes with God Fourthly in the rule of praise observe that it ought to be in the discretion of charity more ready to incourage by praising the good than to grieve by publishing defects Though Nathanael had imperfections yet the Lord would bee no divulger of them The rule of praise requires charitable silensing of defects and weaknesses and therefore that butchers dogge as Bonaventure calls him that slanderer which hath his mouth alwayes bloudy in back-biting the godly is to be abhorred of all good men Those hoggs comming into the paradise of Gods Church stored with hearbs and flowers instead of taking their sweet savour with their foule mouths besmeares and brands the plants the people of God how much the Lord hates the wickednesse of Cham yee may know by his curse and yet wee see nothing more common nothing more pleasing to mans corruption for want of discretion and charity than to detract to gird at others to traduce and to play with others infirmities forgetting their owne 3. The matter of the praise a true Israelite THe manner of Nathanaels praise being finished the worthithinesse of the matter viz a true Israelite without fraud calls for a diligent observation what a true Israelite is may be discerned two wayes 1. By imitation of Israel 2. By exemptiō from fraud For the first Not all saith Saint Paul Rom. 9.7 8. are Israelites that are of Israel but the sonnes of promise are reckoned for the seede not all that cry Lord Lord are subjects indeed but they which doe the will of God Not carnall propagation not externall profession but imitation of Israel makes the true Israelite In Israel therefore seven speciall things may be briefly observed for Imitation First Israelis