but they blush not with brazen faces and Iron fore-heads to breake out into all prophanenesse Let these take heede y Math. 10 33 least Christ bee ashamed of them when he commeth into his kingdome If wee be ready to confesse him and to professe his truth he will acknowledge vs before his Father which is in Heauen Obiect 2. Some say it is a note of hypocrisie to performe these duties and condemne them as Hypocrites that teach their Families These are euill Seruants that out of their owne mouthes may bee iudged Let them pray to haue their stony hearts taken away and new hearts giuen vnto them z 1 Ioh. 3 20. For if their hollow and hypocriticall hearts doe condemne them God is greater then their harts and knoweth all thinges And let them take heede they sit not in iudgement vpon others least with the same measure that they mete it bee measured to them againe Let them iudge nothing before the time but reserue iudgement to the Iudge of the whole world Obiect 3. Others say it will let and hinder their Seruants worke wee must haue so much praying that we shall haue little working These men can alot and alow no time for the Lord but thinke euery houre lost that is not spent in businesse of the World and affaires of this life These are like to prophane Saule who when the Philistims pressed toward him and hee was to aske counsell of the Lord a 1 Sa. 14 19. Hee commaunded the Priest to with-draw his hand that is he saide vnto him the season serueth not to seeke vnto GOD wee cannot spend the time in calling vppon him let vs goe vnto the battell and fight against our Enemies These men are like to wretched Pharaoh when Moses called vppon him b Exod. 3 4. to let the people goe into the Wildernesse to serue and sacrifice to the Lord he is charged to make them idle and to cause them to surcease from their workes These men are like to couetous Iudas c Iohn 12 4. who when Mary annointed Christes feete complained of the wast and said Why was not this Oyntment solde for three hundred pence and giuen to the poore Wherefore our Sauiour answereth such in his reply to Martha who was much troubled and cumbred about much seruing d Luke 10 41 One thing is needfull Mary hath chosen the good part which shall not be taken away from her Nay to be instructed in true Religion and to set out a time for calling vpon the Name of God is so farre from hindring our Seruants worke that it shall further it and giue a blessing vnto it We are commaunded to meditate in the Law of the Lord day and night e Iosh 1 8. that so wee may make our way prosperous and haue good successe in the workes of our hands And the Prophet teacheth That except the Lord builde the House and watch the Citty the labour of the Builder and of the Watch-man is in vaine Obiect 4. Others say they shall bee mocked taunted and scorned by the World they shall be tearmed Precisians they shall be called Puritans But wee must not seeke to please men by running into the displeasure of God For oftentimes it falleth out through the iust iudgement of God that whilst we hunt after the pleasure and fauour of men against God wee haue the fauour neither of God nor Men. The Apostle saith of himselfe writing to the Galathians f Gal. 1 10. If I should yet please Men I were not the Seruant of Christ It was the lot of Christ it hath beene the portion of all true Christians to bee scourged by the viperous and venomous tongues of vngodlie men that care not for God nor regard any Religion We are faint Souldiers not worthy to beare the Name of Christ if wee fly out of the fielde for euerie idle word and taunt of the tongue cast out against vs. Wee must prepare our selues against greater encounters g Ephe. 6 11. and arme our selues against wordes and Swords we must buckle both with the Deuill and with Deuilish men hand to hand except we will yeild him both our bodies and Soules to our destruction Obiect 5. Some say they cannot bring the vnlearned to knowledge and that youth are stubborn they wil be youth still and we were once youths they should hardly keepe any Seruants if they should strictly tye them to this order nay they should fly the Parish rather then beare this yoake I aunswere first let vs remember that GOD giueth the knowledge of his Mysteries euen to the simple and lowly minded that feare him Secondly consider that young men are commanded h Eccle. 12 1. to remember their Creator in the daies of their youth and shall giue an account of all thinges vnto God As for their stubbornnesse the word of God is the best remedy to bend them and make them pliable vnto all goodnesse so that the Prophet saith i Psal 119 9. Wherewith shall a young Man redresse his way In taking heede thereto according to thy word But if they bee so stiffely and stubbornely minded that they will not be reclaimed and reformed their roome is better then their company If admonitions will not winne them they are to bee auoyded thy house is better without them then with them Neither are we to feare their flying away and departing to another place for if this course of instruction were taken in hand euery where the Obiection were answered and their mouths stopped For whether would they goe to escape this training vp in the principles of Religion It is certaine they could turne themselues no whither but it would meete with them in all places Obiect 6. Others obiect our Fathers did well enough without obseruing any such order I trow you will not condemne them Why should wee make ourselues wiser then they They troubled not themselues or their Children with learning of Catechismes and wee see men doe well enough prosper in the World yet busie not their heads about this I answere if they meane those forefathers and Ancestors whose steps we should follow as Adam Abraham Isaac Iacob Iosua Dauid and diuers others which were indeede our Fathers then we may bee assured out of the word of truth that these busied and bestirred themselues this way they taught their Children they instructed their families they reformed disorders they remooued the disordered If they meane our forefathers that liued in latter times when darkenesse couered the earth no maruell if they were not vrged thereunto themselues or that they vrged not others for then they liued at the dyet of the Prelats and nothing pleased the Prelats better then the ignorance of the people k Math. 15 14 they were the blinde Leaders of the blinde they could neither enter into the Kingdome of heauen themselues nor suffer those that would enter Notwithstanding we will not meddle with condemning our forefathers neither will
is sweeter then the Hony it is purer then the Gold it is better then the Pearles more nourishable then meate more forceable then the Leauen more profitable then the Raine more comfortable then the Dew that falleth vpon the Herbs It is able to make a Blinde man see a Crooked man straight a Bond man free a poore man rich a sicke man whole nay a dead man it is able to make aliue againe This is a great worke it is a wonderfull Miracle that God worketh in the time of the Gospell We are borne dead in sinnes g Ephe. 2 1. and trespasses without Faith without Repentance without Grace without God without Hope without Sanctification without Saluation but the Word of God is able to bring restoring of sight to the blinde deliuerance to the Captiue liberty to the bruised healing to the broken hearted and life to the dead This is noted as the end of Paules calling and sending to Preach the Gospell h Act. 16 18. To open their Eyes that they may turne from darknesse to light and from the power of Sathan vnto God that they may receiue forgiuenesse of sinnes and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by Faith in Christ Iesus Thus also the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes writeth i Heb. 4 12. The word of God is liuely and mighty in operation and sharper then any two-edged sword and entreth through euen vnto the diuiding asunder of the soule and the spirit of the ioynts and the marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart If any aske the question how it hath this power I answer not by any inherent quality in it selfe nor by any force it receiueth from man that preacheth it but from the Supernaturall power of God k Gal. 2. and Psal 19 7 8 13 who is mighty in the hearts of men reioycing the heart conuerting the Soule giuing wisedome to the simple graunting light vnto the eyes and keeping from presumptuous sinnes by it Reason 2. Secondly that way whereby God worketh Faith in vs by the same meanes he beginneth our new-birth and maketh vs his owne Children But the ordinary meanes to worke Faith in vs is the preaching of the word For how shall they l Ro. 10 14 17 call on him in whom they haue not beleeued And how shall they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard And how shall they heare without a Preacher And how shall they Preach except they be sent So then Faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God We see heereby that Faith is the cause and beginning of repentance we see also that Faith is wrought by the word and therfore by necessary consequence repentance must come by the word Here are three things offered to our considerations the Word Faith and Regeneration Regeneration is a fruit of Faith Faith is an effect of the Word the Word is preached by the Minister Now it is a true rule m Causa causae est causa causati that the cause of the cause is also the cause of the effect and therefore the preaching of the Word beeing the cause of Faith which causeth Repentance and Regeneration must also needes be the cause of Repentance and of Regeneration Reason 3. Thirdly it is the ordinance of God to worke this good worke of Regeneration in vs because we cannot by our wisedome or any naturall guifts in our selues though most esteemed in our owne eyes and greatly magnified by others attaine sanctification of life or beleeue vnto saluation This the Apostle testifieth 1 Cor. 1. and maketh this the reason why God will saue vs by the hearing of Faith preached n 1 Cor. 1 21. Seeing the World by it owne wisedome knew not God in the wisedome of God it pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue them that beleeue There is a double knowledge of God and a double way to know him one Naturall the other Spirituall Naturall by the sight of the Creatures by the view of the world by beholding the heauens o Psal 19 1. Rom. 1 19. which declare the glory of God whereby the eternity the Maiesty the power the wisedome the greatnesse the goodnesse of God doe appeare Spirituall by hearing and hearkning vnto the word of God which not onely beareth witnesse to those essentiall properties of God more sufficiently and fully then the former but setteth down distinctly the Trinity of the persons and the mercy of God toward the elect promised and performed vnto them for Christs sake Naturall reason is blind in the matters of God and though it may serue to make vs without excuse it cannot suffice to bring vs to saluation without a farther and better guide So then the Lord to make the wisedome of the World foolishnesse and to gaine glory to his owne Name and to shew that he hath vouchsafed that grace mercy to vs which he denyed to the wisest among the Gentiles that were learned and skilfull in all humane knowledge but were vtterly ignorant of his Word hath raised vp to vs a light which they neuer saw and made vs to heare the sound of a voyce which they neuer heard Seeing therefore the word preached is of so great force that it causeth Faith in vs which all the wisedome of the World could neuer worke it followeth that this word of God is the ordinarie cause or Instrument of our conuersion and saluation This is so plain so pregnant a truth that it is greatly to be wondred that any should stumble or stagger at it and that all doe not submit themselues vnto it Obiections brought to proue preaching not to be the ordinarie meanes to beget faith But because doubts arise and Obiections are made against this point and principle plainly proued and firmely established by reasons out of the Scripture let vs see what they are and how they may be answered Obiection 1. First of all it is obiected that there are other meanes effectuall to worke Faith and to bring to Repentance as afflictiō or priuat admonition Touching affliction such as liued in Idolatry in ignoraunce in vncleannesse that fauoured wholly of the flesh and nothing at all of the spirit haue bin brought to confesse and forsake their sinnes and to humble them-selues vnder the mightie hand of God some being afflicted in body p 2 Chron. as Manasseth others troubled in Conscience feeling the wound of the spirit groaning vnder the stroke of Gods iudgements q Actes 9 6. as Paule in his conuersion haue by this meanes had Faith and Repentance giuen vnto them And touching priuate exhortation it is made auayleable to turne vs to God Hence it is that the Apostle teaching that a beleeuing Husband may with a safe Conscience vse the company of an vnbeleeuing Wife and a beleeuing Wife vse the companie of an vnbeleeuing husband so that the one ought not depart from the other hee vseth this Reason
we haue much infidelitie in vs and are cumbred with doubting in the promises of God it pleased him in great mercy to prouide a remedy for our infirmity so that we may truely say where Sin abounded Grace hath abounded much more Thus we see the Lord Iesus dealt with Thomas one of the twelue when he beleeued not the Resurrection nor those that were chosen Witnesses thereof but said h Iohn 20 25 27. Except I see in his handes the print of the Nailes and put my Finger into the print of the Nailes and put mine hand into his side I will not beleeue it Heere we may behold as in a Glasse the example of exceeding great infidelity and vnbeleefe hee neither beleeueth nor will beleeue he will liue by sight and not by Faith This was no small obstinacy and incredulity in one of the Apostles who deserued to perrish in his sinne But Christ Iesus raiseth him out of this sleepe and offereth mercy with much compassion as it were pulling him out of this danger Put thy Finger heere and see mine handes and put forth thine hand and put it into my side and be not faithlesse but faithfull This is it which the Euangelist Mathew setteth downe Chapt. 12. i Math. 12. 20. A bruised Reed shall he not breake and smoaking Flaxe shall he not quench till he bring forth iudgement vnto victory Now such as Thomas was such we are all by Nature we cannot be perswaded to beleeue except wee see and feele We will not beleeue the bare word of God but are alwaies ready to wauer through vnbeleefe Hence it is that God in great mercy did from the beginning of the world adde to his word his Sacraments to assure his people that as he is the GOD of truth so he meaneth truely and performeth effectually whatsoeuer hee hath promised The Sacraments therefore are as signes and seales of his promises and dependances vppon the word that is gone out of his owne mouth The Apostle speaking of circumcision giuen to Abraham saith k Rom. 4 11. He receiued the signe of Circumcision as the Seale of the righteousnesse of the Faith which he had when he was vncircumcised that he should be the Father of al them that beleeue not being circumcised that righteousnesse might be imputed vnto them also Whereby we may see what the Nature of the Sacraments is to wit l what a Sacrament is and to what end it was instituted that they are visible signes instituted of God to seale vp his promises in the hearts of the faithfull The Author or efficient cause is God who onely hath power and authority to appoint and ordaine them because he it is that can giue force and efficacy vnto them The matter is the visible signe the forme is the maner of institution according to the Rites taught and prescribed in the word The end is that the faithfull may bee confirmed and strengthned in the truth of GOD. The word was giuen to instruct the Church by hearing the Sacraments were giuen to instruct the Church both by it and by the rest of the senses Indeede if wee were Angels and not men and were Spirits without bodies and heauenly Creatures not earthly we should not stand in neede of visible and bodily Sacraments but because our faith is feeble and wrastleth with Sathan the World the Flesh and such Enemies it wanteth proppes and pillers to vphold it that it doe not fall For albeit our Faith be mingled with doubting assaulted strongly with the waues of infidelity yet it ceaseth not to bee a true Faith An vnperfect Faith is a sound Faith though it be weake so that it standeth vs vpon with the Apostles m Luke 17 5. To pray for the encrease thereof Faith goeth before the Sacraments the which without Faith are idle and empty signes without profit without comfort without vse True it is the Infidels as the Aegiptians Aethiopians and other prophane people who neither worshipped the true God nor embraced the true Religion had the outward vse of circumcision as n Herod in Euterpe Histories testifie as also the Turkes and Iewes haue at this day but their cutting off the flesh is not the Sacrament of God but a meere ciuill thing yea an euill thing Thus then we see that the Sacraments were ordained of God to help our infirmity The promise of God is certaine and his Couenant doth not wauer neither can these outward Seales make it stronger But it is we that stumble and stagger and haue neede to be supported And woe vnto vs if we vse not this help and remedy left vnto vs nor profit thereby in confidence and assurance of our saluation For God hath after a sort bound himselfe vnto vs as by an Obligation Indeede man notwithstanding his wordes his oaths his promises his bands his seales and his assurances is oftentimes changeable and vnconstant but it is not so with God whose word is yea and Amen Were it not that we are weake of Faith and slow to beleeue he needed not to sweare by himselfe and by his holinesse hee needed not to haue set Authenticke Seales to his Word sauing that he minded to leaue no place for doubting in vs. Hence it is that the Apostle writing to the Hebrewes Chapt. 6. saith o He. 6 17 18. God willing more aboundantly to shew vnto the heires of promise the stablenesse of his counsell bound himselfe by an Oath that by two immutable thinges wherein it was vnpossible that God should lie we might haue strong consolation which haue our refuge to lay hold vpon that hope that is set before vs c. The greater meanes God hath left vnto vs the greater faith he requireth of vs and the more conscionable vse of those meanes that we may not alwaies bee Children Woe then vnto vs if in the store of so great mercies and variety of so many meanes we remaine distrustfull and doe not labour to gather strength of faith and assuraunce of comfort Let vs therefore grow from Faith to Faith as it were from strength to strength and not stand at one stay let vs proceede from one degree and measure to another vntill Christ Iesus bee throughly formed in vs. Vse 4 Lastly seeing Couenants in writing be requisite by the Lawes of God and Man wee must know that it is our dutie to deale iustly and vprightly one with another and in our bargainings to keepe a good conscience toward God and Man For this is the end wherefore Instruments in writing were brought in that all cozenage might be cut off all occasion of strife might be preuented Whereby we may gather that in all ages of men and times of the World there haue beene many deceits and much vnrighteous dealing to the disturbance of publique peace and the dissoluing of concord among men otherwise it had beene in vaine to require or to receiue such security in our buying and selling in our borrowing and lending one with
went Then came he to the second and said likewise and he answeared I will sir yet he went not He seemed forward but he hung backe hee promised much but he perfourmed nothing at all The like we might say of the rich man he came vnto Christ i Math. 19 16. and said vnto him Good maister what good thing shall I doe that I may haue eternall life yet when he was tried hee went away sorrowfull and his good beginnings were as the morning dew verifying that which is spoken in the same Chapter k Verse 30. Many that are first shal be last and the last shal be first Reason 1. Our Sauiour setting downe the parable of the sower yeeldeth diuerse effectuall reasons to moue vs to imbrace this truth For first the Deuill is a subtle enemy that stealeth vpon vs and goeth about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may deuoure If the word be not deeply rooted in our hearts but doe onely swimme in our braines and abide in our mouthes it is in continuall danger to be taken away from vs. Hence it is that Christ saith l Math. 13 19 Whensoeuer any man heareth the word of that Kingdome and vnderstandeth it not that euill one commeth and catcheth away that which was sowen in his heart and this is he which hath receiued the seede by the way side This enimy is euer busie with vs and will neuer suffer vs to haue any rest so long as any good thing appeareth in vs. Reason 2 Secondly the Crosse is for the most part the companion of the Gospell which while some seeke to auoid they make shipwracke of faith and a good conscience Our Sauiour describing another sort of hearers saith m Mat 13 20 21. Hee that receiued seede in the stony ground is he which heareth the word and incontinently with ioy receiueth it yet hath he no roote in himselfe and endureth but a season for as soone as tribulation or persecution commeth because of the word by and by â—e is offended So long as we may professe the truth with peace and liberty of conscience and with the fauour of men it is an easie and ordinary matter to be a professor of the Gospell and an hearer of the word But when troubles and tentations arise they that are not throughly grounded do quickly fall away Reason 3. Thirdly as persecutions doe follow the Gospell so for the most part doth shame reproach and pouerty And as it is a common thing with vs to desire the ease of the flesh and the pleasures of the body so we are inclined to couet the profits and commodities of this life This caused Demas to forsake Paule because he imbraced this present world Heerevnto commeth that which Christ teacheth Math. 13. n Mat. 13 22. He that receiued the seede among Thornes is he that heareth the word but the cares of this world and the deceitfulnesse of riches choke the word and he is made vnfruitfull So long as the world as a ranke Thorne sticketh in our throats or rather in our heartes and we begin to preferre it in our thoughts and practises before the truth it is vnpossible that we should holde out our profession vnto the end Wherfore seeing the Deuill is alwaies ready to fist vs persecution to try vs and the world to ensnare vs we must know that for these causes it commeth to passe that many fall backe which seemed forward in the faith Vse 1 The Vses are many that may be made heereof First we may conclude that wofull is their estate and condition that shrinke away and melt as wax before the Sunne The estate of such men is most fearefull inasmuch as they are become very Dogges and Swine It had beene better for them that they had neuer knowne the truth nay it had beene better if they had neuer beene borne as our Sauiour speaketh of Iudas This the Apostle Peter setteth downe in his second Epistle Chapter 2. o 2 Pet. 2 20 21 22. If they after they haue escaped from the filthinesse of the world through the acknowledging of the Lord and of the Sauiour Iesus Christ are yet tangled againe therein and ouercome the latter end is worse with them then the beginning For it had beene better for them not to haue acknowledged the way of righteousnesse then after they haue acknowledged it to turne away from the holy commandement giuen vnto them But it is come vnto them according vnto the true Prouerbe the Dogge is returned vnto his owne vomit and the Sow that was washed to the wallowing in the myre It is a notable comfort vnto vs when we are as faithfull trees in the Garden of God That will bring forth their fruit in due season p Psal 1 3. whose lease shal neuer fade when we do not suffer euery one to go before vs but haue an holy emulation and striuing to go before others and euen to out-goe our selues so it is an euill signe and a fearefull forerunner of condemnation to run and then to giue ouer running to wrastle and then to giue ouer wrastling It is an hard thing to make a good beginning wee are not easily brought to set forward but to trip while we are in our iourney and to waxe weary of proceeding is the common custome of our common professours We see this in the Children of Israell while they were in the Wildernesse going to the Land of Canaan they did not keepe a constant course but sometimes they stoode at a stay and sometimes they went backeward and sometimes they wished themselues againe in the Land of Egypt Thus it fareth with vs that are Pilgrimes and Strangers in this life when we haue once giuen our hand to the Plough we are ready to looke backe as Lots wife did when shee was gone out of Sodome Euery little thing is able to turne vs out of the way and being once turned out of it it is harder to bring vs into it againe then if we were neuer entred into it Wo therefore be vnto such as follow Demas q Luk. 14 30. That beginne to build but are not able to make an ende Great plagues and greeuous iudgements hang ouer their heades they do not returne And repent r Reuel 2 5. and do their first workes and redeeme the time because the daies are euill Hee that knoweth his Maisters will and doth it not shall bee beaten with many stripes Yea often-times God giueth ouer such time-seruers and backe-sliders into a reprobate sence and taketh away his holy spirit from them so that they proue meere Monsters and worse then sauage beastes Who were greater enemies to the Gospell then the Iewes that hade the light among them and offered vnto them whereas by their calling they were the outward Church and the professed people of God Iudas being an Apostle of Christ became the most deuelish man vpon the earth exceeding all the Iewes in treachery and impiety This a greeuous
we dare do not so much only as we ought to do not considering how lawfull it is but how powerfull we are how weake they are All the prophane Histories are full of worthy examples of many Seruants who are commended for their trust and faithfulnesse Wittinesse and Courage Might and Magnanimity to all posterity and haue not doubted to giue their liues to death in their Maisters quarrell It is not therefore much to bee maruelled at that the Apostle perceiuing how t Heb. 4 12. Mighty the word had bin in Operation vpon Philemons Seruant doth account him as his Sonne and seeketh to reconcile him to his Maister in which respect he was willing and desirous to haue u Phile. 13 14 kept him with him to Minister vnto him He claimeth some authoritie ouer him being his spirituall Father howbeit because he was not only his Sonne but also another mans Seruant he would not retaine him without his Maisters knowledge Let them not therefore for their low degree be contemned nor haue the meanes of instruction denied vnto them Thus I haue set downe to thy view Christian Reader the scope of this Epistle wherein the Apostle in a narrow compasse doth couch together many Mysteries of our Religion which I haue laboured to lay open in this Commentary And howsoeuer the worke is growne in bignesse extended in length vnder mine hands more then at the first I purposed and intended yet I hope the manner of handling heerein obserued shall easily recompence thy labour bestowed in reading I cannot in few words comprehend the matters that are heere and there dispersed throughout the Booke Among many other these points are principally handled Touching affliction for the truth and persecution for righteousnesse sake Touching Christian Equity and Moderation Touching Gods free grace forgiuing offences Touching houshold Gouernment and Priuate possessions Touching the conuersion of Sinners and the Communion of Saintes Touching Faith and Good Workes Touching Friendship and Surety-ship Touching Prayer and Hospitality Touching the Gospell and Almes-deeds Touching Gods prouidence and of the force fruite of the Ministry as is more at large to be seen in the Table of the doctrines Accept I pray thee the paines I haue taken in the discussing of these points pardon the escapes if any be into which I haue fallen as in trauelling so long a iourney it is easie to fall into a slumber and wheresoeuer thou vnderstandest the hand of God to haue beene with me in publishing the truth giue him the glory ascribe the praise vnto his great name to whose grace goodnesse I commend thee Thine in our common Sauiour William Attersoll A BRIEFE RECAPITVLATION OF ALL THE DOCTRINES HANDLED AT LARGE IN THIS EPISTLE Out of the Praeface THe course of the Gospell cannot bee stopped but will haue his passage in the world page 1. The Argument and occasion of the Epistle together with the vses thereof page 7. Verse 1 and 2. Doct. 1. Good things must be followed and sought after earnestly and feruently not coldly and carelesly pag. 9 Doct. 2. It is no disgrace or reproch to the Seruants of God to bee cast into prison for the Gospels sake pag 12. Doct. 3. The persecutions of all true Christians are the persecutions of Christ Iesus when they are imprisoned for Christs sake page 15. Doct. 4. All good duties to God or man are better doone by the helpe of others then alone by our selues pa 21 Doct. 5. A christian friend wil performe any christian duty to his friend page 25. Doct. 6. Christian women should be helpers vnto their husbandes as heires together of the grace of life page 29 Doct. 7. The calling of a Minister is a painfull and laborious a needefull and troublesome calling page 33. Doct. 8. It is the duty of all house-holders to teach and instruct their families that belong vnto them page 38 Verse 3. Doct. 1. The free fauour and mercy of God in Christ Iesus is first and aboue all other things to be desired and prayed for page 48 Doct. 2. Such as are in Gods fauor haue his blessings flowing vnto them and following them page 55 Doct. 3. All blessings temporall and eternall are to be craued from God alone in Christ Iesus page 61 Verse 4 and 5. Doct 1. Men ought to take cause of great ioy to see others growe and proceed in good things page 68 Doct. 2. It is the nature of faith to apply the mercies and promises of God to our owne selues page 76 Doct. 3. It is the duty of the faithfull to pray not onely for themselues but also for others page 82 Doct. 4. True Religion must not onely bee inwardly beleeued but also outwardly confessed and openly professed page 86 Doct. 5. Faith and Loue are the cheefest thinges that commend a man to God and his Church page 95 Doct. 6. Faith in Christ and Loue to the Saints do alwaies go together in all the seruants of God pag. 99. Doct. 7. Christ must be the Obiect of our faith we must looke vnto him and depend vpon him page 106 Doct. 8. The workes of mercy are especially and aboue before others to be shewed to the poore Saints that are godly 111 Doct. 9. Such as truely beleeue in Christ and belong to him are Saints page 117 Verse 6 and 7. Doct. 1. It is our duty to stir vp our selues and others to encrease in good things page 126 Doct. 2. The guifts which we haue receiued must not lye hid in vs but be employed to the good of others 140 Doct. 3. The goodnesse of God bestowed vpon our selus or others must be published abroad and made known to others page 142 Doct. 4. The spiritual graces of God bestowed vpon others doe giue occasion of ioy to the Saints pa. 147 Doct. 5. The workes of mercie are to bee shewed to the poore distressed Saints page 154 Verse 8 and 9. Doct. 1. The Office of the Pastour and Minister of God is an Office of power and authority vnder christ 163 Doct. 2. Gentle meanes are to bee vsed rather then seuere to perswade men to holy duties page 172 Doct. 3. Superiors in guifts or age or both are to bee reuerenced and regarded aboue others pa. 177. Verse 10. Doct. 1. The least and lowest member conuerted to Christ must not bee contemned or condemned page 184 Doct. 2. The same affection that is betweene the Father and the Sonne ought to be betweene the Minister the people committed vnto him 189 Doct. 3. The preaching of the word is the ordinary meanes and instrument of our conuersion and regeneration page 205 Verse 11. and 12. Doct. 1. Christian religion maketh a man profitable and helpfull vnto others that before hath been iniurious and hurtfull page 227. Doct. 2. In godly religious and reformed families are many times vngodly obstinate and vnreformed persons both Children and Seruaunts page 237 Doct. 3. Former Offences albeit great and heynous vppon true repentance are to bee
easily bee resisted by the power of man nay it would in time fall downe of it selfe But seeing the whose Scripture is inspired of God and the doctrine thereof hath him for the Authour the light of it cannot be quenched Thus doth Gamaliell reason in the Councell f Acts 5 39. If this be of God ye cannot destroy it least ye be found euen fighters against God Who can prosper that prouoketh God Or who can look for good successe that fighteth against God and against his ordinances Reason 2. Againe God will bring their deuises to naught and confound all their endeuours that goe about to hinder the course of his word Although they band themselues together and assemble against the Lord and against his annointed yet he that dwelleth in the Heauens shall laugh and haue them in derision hee will breake their bandes and crush them in peeces like a Potters Vessell This the Prophet teacheth Psal 33. g Psal 33 10 11. The Lord breaketh the Counsell of the Heathen and bringeth to naught the deuises of the people The Counsell of the Lord shall stand for euer and the thoughts of his heart throughout all Ages Seeing therefore that the Doctrine of the Gospell is of God and that hee will dash them in peeces with a Scepter of Iron that stop the course of it we may truly conclude that the course thereof cannot be hindered Vse 1. The Vses of this point are many which I purpose breefely to point out that we may proceede First waigh with mee from hence the excellency of the word of God Who is ignorant what opposition hath been and is made against it What resisting and contradiction Yet it keepes on his course and hath his passage in the world and runneth through the whole Earth The Apostle declareth That the thinges which came vnto him turned rather to the furthering then to the hindring of the Gospell h Phil. 1 13. so that his bands in Christ were famous throughout all the Iudgement Hall and in all other places So he saith afterward in this Epistle which we haue in hand I beseech thee for my Sonne Onesimus whom I haue begotten in my bondes Was it not enough for the Apostle to labour when he was free and his Feete at liberty but hee must also spread the Net to catch men in Prison The light of Gods truth can neuer be put out the heat of it cannot bee smothered the power of it cannot bee broken Though the Teachers and Preachers of the word may bee stocked and stoned hewen asunder burned with the Fire slaine with the Sword clapt vp in Prison and fettered in chaines yet the word it selfe i Heb. 4 12. is liuelie and mighty in operation it entreth deepely it discerneth sharpely the thoughts and intentes of the heart True it is therefore the Ministers of the Gospell may be bound but the Gospell it selfe cannot be bound Their hands are bound and their feete are chained when the tongue is at liberty to vtter the gracious and glorious promises of the Gospell Nothing can binde the tongue but feare and infidelity If a man binde an Husbandman he hinders his sowing for he soweth with his handes but the teachers being bound the word is not bound for they sow with the tongue Let vt therefore acknowledge that the preaching of the Gospell hath in it a Diuine power nothing can be matched with it nothing can be compared vnto it The Deuill is called in the Scriptures by sundry Names to declare his power the God of the World the Prince of the Ayre the strong man that ruleth the House and he cannot be displaced and dispossessed but by a stronger But the Gospell is stronger then all the power of Sathan and is able to throw him out for it gathereth a Church where he hath his Throne and ruleth in the hearts of the Children of disobedience it deliuereth men from the power of the Deuill and bringeth them into the glorious liberty of the Sonnes of God If a man were in the shaddow of death and had one foote in Hell the word of God is able to bring him backe againe This is it which our Sauiour said to the seauentie Disciples when they returned from preaching the Gospell and confirming it by Miracles that followed it i Luke 10 18. I saw Sathan like Lightning fall downe from Heauen Where he teacheth that albeit Sathan be strong yet the Gospell is stronger so that he cannot stand before it He hath his ouerthrow by it and falleth downe before it as Dagon did before the Arke So the Apostle sheweth k Act. 26 18. that he was called and sent to Open the eyes of the blind that they might be turned from darknesse to light and from the power of Sathan vnto God We see it also in the example of Christ himselfe vpon the Crosse who conuerted the Theefe gaue him faith and repentance and assured him of eternall blessednesse in the heauens The Apostles were forbidden to preach the Gospell through the mallice and madnesse of the High-priestes they were apprehended and imprisoned they were scourged and euilly intreated yet they regarded not the wordes they despised the threatnings of all their enemies and continued to sound out the Gospell in all places Paul and Silas praied and sung Psalmes vnto God in prison and I gained the Iayler to the Faith l Acts 16 30. verifying that which the Apostle speaks in another place m 2 Tim. 2 9. I suffer trouble as an euill doer euen vnto bondes but the word of God is not bound Indeede sometimes it falleth out that the holy Seruants of God haue their hands tyed their feet fettered their bodies imprisoned their tongues cut out that they cannot speake to the people but euen then the word is not bound for then their constant suffering and patient bearing of the crosse doth as by a liuely voyce publish and proclaime the truth of the Gospell for which they suffer and serueth to win many to the Faith of Christ So then the patient suffering of the faithfull though they speake not with their tongues is as a solemne preaching and hath the nature of an effectuall Sermon to gaine many to the Faith Vse 2. Secondly wee see it is in vaine to set our selues against the Gospell of Christ and the Ministers of God that bring it vnto vs. True it is the World endeuoreth nothing more then to hinder the truth and to drowne all memory of the glad tidings of saluation but all their labour is lost and all their purposes shal be frustrate The Tyrants of the Earth may bind the professors of the Gospell but the Gospell it selfe they cannot binde and the course of it they cannot withstand Paul was cast into prison yet he freely preached the Gospell of the Kingdome to all that came vnto him Let all those that say it is in vaine to serue God and to pray vnto him know for a surety that it
Surely mine Enemy did not defame mee for I could haue borne it neyther did mine Aduersary exalt himselfe against me for I would haue hid mee from him but it was thou ô Man euen my Companion my Guide and my Familiar which delighted in consulting together and went into the house of God as Companions This falsehood haue the faithfull felt in all Ages This had Christ himselfe experience of being betrayed of one of his owne Disciples and Houshold So haue his members continually prooued the same beeing exercised by the deceipt of false Bretheren This was the sinne of Caine n Gen. 4 8. Who spake friendly to his Brother but when he had him alone in the Fielde he rose vp against him and slew him This was the sinne of Ioab o 2 Sam. 20 9. his false and fraudulent dealing with Abner and Amasa he spake peaceably but meant treacherously Art thou in health my Brother And so smote them with the sword that they dyed This was the sinne of Iudas p Mat. 26 48. who had Haile Maister in his mouth and couered the hollownesse and Hypocrisie of his heart with the kindnesse of a Kisse but this was a token of his Treason and the signe that he had giuen to apprehend him It was not a Kisse of loue but a Testimony of his villany and therefore Christ saide vnto him Betrayest thou the Son of Man with a Kisse Hence it is that the Apostle Iohn exhorteth 1. Iohn 3. q 1 Iohn 3 18 19. My little Children let vs not loue in word neither in tongue onely but in deede and in truth for thereby we know that we are of the truth and shall before him assure our hearts This is the true loue which standeth not in word but in deede which lyeth not in the tongue but in the heart which consisteth not in an outward shew but in the inward truth Such was the loue of the godly gathered together after the ascention of Christ they loued together in truth and had all thinges common in the vse For r Acts 2 44 4 32 34 35. all that beleeued were in one place and had all thinges common they were of one heart and of one Soule neyther any of them faide that any thing of that which he possessed was his owne neyther was there any among them that lacked Where the Euangelist declareth that their harts and affections were so ioyned in God that being all members of one body they could not suffer their fellow-members to bee destitute accounting the defeating and defrauding of them as it were a spoyling and robbing of themselues Wee must not deny our helpe to them that are in Christ but shewe our selues ready to cloath him to feede him and to visite him in all his members as wee shewed before otherwise wee are no true members but dead members And to our deare Sister Apphia c. Hitherto we haue spoken of the first and cheefe person to whom the Epistle is directed Now let vs come to such as are lesse principall being ioyned with him which are these first Apphia Secondly Archippus Thirdlie the Familie of Philemon to whom this Epistle was to bee read The first that commeth to bee considered is Apphia whom he calleth a beloued Sister This Woman seemeth to be the Wife of Philemon my reason is because she is placed immediatly after Philemon and before the Minister and Pastor of the Church For no cause can be assigned why she should follow Philemon and goe before Archippus but that she was the Wife of Philemon and therefore the Apostle ioyneth her next vnto him in place as she was ioyned to him by the ordinance of God And this Å¿ Chrysost hom 1. in Phil. Theophyl in Epist Phil. is the iudgement of many Now as Paule before did ioyne with himselfe Timothy so in this place he ioyneth Apphia as a Companion with Philemon that thereby he might make the way more open to obâ—…ine his purpose Good Women ought to doe much with their Husbandes and the Apostle prouoketh her by naming and saluting her to be a moouer and perswader of her Husband to this charitable and Christian duty Doct. 6. Christian women should be helpers of their husbands We learne from hence that it is required of all Christian Women to be helpers and furtherers of good things in their Husbands It is the dutie of Wiues to stirre vp and spurre vp their Husbands to all Christian duties and holie fruites of Religion The ende of her Creation was that she should bee an Helper vnto Man especiallie in the best thinges for the Woman was made for Man and not Man for the Woman and therefore GOD saide from the beginning t Gen. 2 18. It is not good for Man to bee alone let vs make him an Helper meete for him Salomon describing in the Booke of Prouerbes a vertuous Woman whose price is farre aboue u Prou. 31 10 11 26 27. the Pearles he saith The heart of her Husband trusteth in her and hee shall haue no neede of spoile Shee will doe him good and not euill all the daies of her life c. She openeth her Mouth in Wisedome and the Lawe of Grace is in her tongue shee ouer-seeth the waies of her Household and eateth not the Bread of idlenesse An example of this dutie wee haue in the Wife of Manoah the Mother x Iudg. 13 22 23. of Sampson when her Husband was greatly affrighted and astonied at the sight of the glorious departure of the Angell of God who ascended vp in the flame of the Altar and cryed out in the perplexitie of his Spirit and terrour of his heart We shall surely dye because we haue seene the Lord She encouraged him and comforted him being greatly cast downe If the Lord would kill vs he would not haue receiued a burnt offering and a meate offering at our handes neither would hee haue shewed vs all these thinges nor would now haue told vs any such Another example we haue in the Shunamite a Woman of great estimation when she perceiued the Prophet Elisha to come often that way y 2 King 4 9. she saide vnto her Husband Behold I know now that this is an holy Man of God that passeth by vs continuallie let vs make him a little Chamber I pray thee with Walles and let vs set him there a Bed and a Table and a Stoole and a Candlesticke that he may turne in thither when he commeth to vs. Where we see she stirreth vp her Husband to doe good to the Prophet and to prepare him a study by himselfe fit for his Meditations And the Apostles doe often vrge this duty and teach that all Women should bee helpess not hinderers furtherers not discouragers stirrers forward not houlders backeward from good things Reason 1. The Reasons are plaine For first they may by the gracious goodnesse of GOD be blessed Instruments to winne their Husbands to the Faith by beating
but the Labourers are few pray ye therefore the Lord of the Haruest to thrust forth Labourers into his Haruest Where we see he calleth the Ministers of the Gospell Labourers in the Haruest-fielde and gatherers of the Lords Corne. We see what great paines men take in Haruest and how necessary Labourers are when the Corne is ripe and ready to be reaped The Apostle Paule speaking of himselfe and the rest of the Apostles saith q 1 Cor. 3 9. We together are Gods Labourers And in another place r 1 Tim. 5 17 The Elders that rule well is worthy of double honour specially they which labour in the word and doctrine Heerevnto agreeth that which he writeth in another Epistle Å¿ 2 Tim. 2 15. Study to shewe thy selfe approued vnto God a worke-man that needeth not to be ashamed diuiding the word of truth aright All these testimonies teach vs this truth that the office of the Ministery is not so much a dignity as it implyeth a duty it is not onely an honour but a burthen it is not onely a Title of renowne but a work of labour Reason 1. This will better appeare if wee marke the Reasons following First the ordinance of God appointeth that euery calling should eate their Bread in t Gen. 3 19. the sweate of their browes that is should be industrious and painefull in their seuerall vocations whether it be in bodily or in spirituall labour The bodily calling requireth bodily labour the spirituall calling requireth spirituall labour Idlenesse and negligence in any u Ier. 48 10. worke of the Lord is accursed An idle hearer that ioyneth not practise is abhominable a loose and carelesse professor that addeth not obedience is a bad professor Reason 2. Secondly the Ministers of God fight the Lords spirituall battels for vs by their prayers care watchfulnesse faith and the whole Armour of God by opposing and setting themselues against Heritiques Atheists Worldlinges Schismatiques Wicked men and all thinges that exalr themselues against God Is not this a great worke of great labour to resist the budding and growing of so many sinnes as daily rise vp as men that striue with the whole Earth To labour in study in word in doctrine in zeale in watching According to that which the Apostle saith x 2 Cor. 11 27 28. I was often in wearinesse and painefulnesse in watching often besides the things which are outward I am combred daily and haue the care of all the Churches who is weake and I am not weake Who is offended and I burne not How did Moses fight in prayer y Exod. 32 31 and labour in zeale for the people of Israell when hee stood in the gap and stopped the wrath of God that was kindled against them If then we would reason from the generall to the speciall waying the purpose and appointment of God who hath annexed labour to euery calling or consider that the Ministers of the word are the Souldiers of God to fight his battels against sinne and sinfull men in both respects we may conclude that the calling of the ministery is an office of great necessity and of much labour Vse 1. This doctrine teacheth vs and offereth vnto vs diuers Vses First let vs learne to acknowledge the worke of the Ministry to bee a worke of great diligence painefulnesse and labour if it be performed as it ought to be We must keepe backe z Act. 20 27 28. nothing from the people but shew vnto them the whole counsell of God We must lay the Foundation of Religion among them and build constantly vpon it which cannot be done without faithfulnesse If wee take heede to our selues and to all the flocke whereof the holy Ghost hath made vs Ouer-seers to feede the Church of God which hee hath purchased with his owne bloud we shall find our function to be full of labour and sweating to receiue much euill intreating and hard entertainement heere in this World The Apostle teaching the duty of the hearers toward their Ministers saith a 1 Cor. 3 1 2. Let a man so thinke of vs as of the Ministers of Christ and disposers of the secrets of God and as for the the rest it is required of the Disposers that euery Man be found faithfull So he teacheth in another place b 1 Tim. 3 1. This is a true saying If any Man desire the office of a Bishop he desireth a worthy worke Where he sheweth indeede that the calling is a worthy calling but it requireth also worthy labouring This will farther appeare vnto vs if we consider the Titles that are giuen vnto them They are called Builders that are continually busie in building hewing tough Timber and squaring rough stones No Timber no Stones of themselues so vnfit for building as we are by Nature to be coupled together and to grow vnto an holy Temple in the Lord. They are called Souldiers they are alwaies fighting or looking for their enemies and drawing out the Sword of the Spirit c Ephe. 6 17. which is the word of God Is any calling vnder Heauen more necessary then the profession of a Souldier in time of danger And when an assault is made or the battels ioyne is any profession more painefull Sometimes they are called Husband-men Is not the life of the Husband-man a painefull life and is not the ending of one worke the beginning of another Doth not euery season of the yeare bring his seuerall trauell So that no calling is accompanied with more labour and lesse ease Sometimes they are called Watch-men who stand continually on their watch Tower to discry the comming and approaching of the Enemy Sometimes they are called Shepheards abiding in the fielde and keeping watch by night ouer their flocke they are in the day consumed with heate and with Frost in the night and their sleepe departeth from their eyes Seeing therefore the Ministers aie builders of the Lordes house Souldiers in the Lordes Campe Husbandmen in the Lords fielde Watch-men in the Lordes Citty and Shepheardes ouer the Lordes flocke which hee hath redeemed with his precious blood we must all confesse that the Ministry of the word is a worke of great labour if it be discharged aright For this if wee know not by practise wee may see by experience that to study with constantnesse to meditate with earnesse to instruct with diligence to exhort with carefulnesse to reproue with zeale to comfort with cheerefulnesse to conuince with boldnesse to watch ouer the people with a godly d Heb. 13 17. ouer-sight as they that must giue accountes for their Soules to conceiue godly anger and great sorrow for sinne to pray in publike and priuate to goe in and out before the people of God in the doctrine of Faith and in example of life to prepare themselues to handle the word and to deliuer it with power and euidence of the spirit with earnest affections being thus prepared I say to performe all these duties
73. Psalm Å¿ Psal 73 25 26. Whom haue I in heauen but thee And I haue desired none in the earth with thee my flesh faileth and mine hart also but God is the strength of mine heart and my portion for euer So the Apostle Paul accounteth all thinges as losse and dung in comparison of the grace of God Whereby we see that all men should principally and in the first place seeke wish and intreat for the feeling of Gods fauour in Christ as the blessed Fountaine of all good things to come vpon vs. Reason 1. Let vs consider the causes and Reasons of this point First one drop of his free loue is better worth then all the World and it shall yeelde vs more sweet and sound comfort in the latter end If we should put the grace of God and the glory of the world and peize them together in the ballances the least dramme and drop of the fauour of God toward vs would ouer-weigh and ouer-sway all the whole World and all the thinges that are in the World which worldly men make their chiefest Treasure This the Prophet Dauid found by experience so soone as he had prayed for the louing countenance of GOD hee addeth t Psal 4 7. Thou hast giuen me more ioy of heart then they haue had when their Wheate and their Wine did abound This giueth a man more sound comfort then hee can finde else-where Wee haue a common saying that runneth in euery Mans mouth Giue a man good lucke and throw him into the Sea But this is a Diuine truth Let a man haue the free Grace and fauour of GOD and then neyther Sea nor Land neither Fire nor Water neyther Sword nor Pestilence neyther force nor Famine neyther any other thing shall be able to hurt him We see this e Exod. 14 30. in Moses and the Israelites when they were come to the Red Sea and Pharaoh with his Army followed at their backes they were brought through the Sea as on dry Land and were carried safely in the Wildernesse as on Eagles Winges by the prouidence and protection of God The three Children f Dan. 3 27 6 22. were cast into the Furnance Daniell was thrown into the Lyons denne yet they were not consumed with the Fire neyther he deuoured by the Lyons This made the Prophet say g Psal 23 4. Though I should walke through the Valley of the shaddow of death I will feare none ill for thou art with me thy Rodde and thy Staffe they comfort me All other comfort is no better then discomfort all other ioy is no better then sorrow and vexation of Spirit without this according to the saying of the Wise-man h Eccle. 2 2. I said of laughter Thou art mad and of ioy what is this that thou dost Reason 2. Secondly the grace and loue of God blesseth sanctifieth and furthereth all other thinges vnto vs honour wealth wisedome riches strength fauour friendship and whatsoeuer befall the Sonnes of Men. The Prophet testifieth Psalme 45. Because God had blessed him for euer i Psal 45 2 3. therefore it is said vnto him prosper thou with thy glory ride vppon the word of truth and of meekenesse On the other side the want of the loue and grace of God curseth all other things vnto vs yea defileth and poysoneth them and maketh them deadly our honour it turneth into shame our strength into weakenesse our wisedome into foolishnesse our riches into snares our beauty into vanity our sauour into hatred We haue many examples in the word of God and by daily experience offered vnto vs of this truth the wisedome of Achitophell the honour of Haman the valour of Ioab the beauty of Absolom the knowledge of Iudas all these were good and great blessings of God but all are turned to be cursses vnto them because wanting the free grace of GOD they wanted the sanctified vse of them Seeing therefore the loue of God is of greater price and more excellent value then all the world and seeing his grace sanctifieth and seasoneth all other blessings and the want thereof bringeth a cursse vpon them wee conclude and gather from these reasons that the free fauour and mercy of God in Christ Iesus is first and aboue all other things to be intreated and desired for our selues and others Vse 1. Now let vs make vse of this point First let euerie one of vs seeke to haue our hearts established and setled in this free grace to finde and feele in vs his loue shed in our hearts by his holy Spirit Let this bee our first our chiefe our principall and special care to obtaine the loue and fauour of God that wee may be beloued of him This was the prayer of the Prophet k Psal 51 12. Restore to me the ioy of thy saluation and stablish me with thy free Spirit So the Apostle teacheth l Hebr. 13 9. It is a good thing that the heart bee stablished with grace We see how men are filled and carryed away with naturall presumption euen from their Cradle perswading themselues to stand in a sure estate and thinking to escape the wrath of God but of this free grace they haue no tast no desire no feeling of any want They imagine themselues to stand in no neede thereof they presume they are in the fauour of God they dreame that he cannot chuse but loue them If we want any earthlie blessing the helpe of Friendes the health of bodie the Treasure of this World we can very quickly feele it our senses are sharpe enough to discerne it but though we want the grace of God and his fauour toward vs wee haue no more feeling then dead Men hath wee neyther feele it nor desire it nor once regard it We spend our strength wast our life and consume our daies in seeking riches honours pleasures and preferments but wee neuer looke so high as to the grace of God We lye groueling like the Beastes vpon the Earth wee vse euery day nay euery houre nay euerie minute the blessings of God f Acts 17 28. In whom we liue and mooue and haue our being yet wee will not lift vp our eyes to the chiefe cause of all the Grace of God Let vs therefore aboue all thinges seeke earnestly for the grace of God wherein the Foundation of all our happinesse is laid He that liueth in his fauour hath comfort in all sorrowes and miseries He that dyeth out of his fauour dyeth as a Beast nay worse then a beast and shall haue fellowship with the Deuill and his Angels it had beene good if such a one had neuer beene borne For euen as the rich man in the Gospell desired g Luke 16 24 one drop of Water to quench the fire and to coole his tongue and if he might haue gotten it hee would haue preferred it before the gaining and obtaining of a thousand Worlds so when God shall set our sinnes in order before
Children of God c Psal 123 3. Haue mercy vpon vs ô Lord haue mercy vpon vs for we haue suffered to much contempt This is the direction that the Apostle Iames giueth d Iames 5 5. If any of you want wisedome let him aske of God which giueth to all men liberally and reprocheth no man and it shall be giuen him This is that which the Apostle both teacheth and craueth The Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ the loue of God and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all The like we see vsed by the Apostle Iohn Reuel 1. 4. All which testimonies serue directly to teach vs that what blessings soeuer we want we must beg them of God and of him onely Reason 1. Let vs see the Reasons to confirme vs in this truth First God is the fountaine of all good thinges and the Well-spring of all graces whatsoeuer Hee is a most bountifull and liberall Giuer none can helpe vs but he alone If hee shut his handes who can open them If hee stoppe his eares who can heare If hee turne awaie his eye from vs who can see our wantes If hee close vp his heart who can shew mercie Hence it is that the Apostle saith e Rom 11 36. For of him and through him and for him are all thinges to him bee glory for euer Amen And Iames in the first Chapter of his Epistle Iam. 1. 17. f Iames 1 17. Euery good giuing and euery perfect guift is from aboue and commeth downe from the Father of lights with whom is no variablenesse neither shaddow of turning Reason 2. Secondly the three persons in Trinity doe worke ioyntly together euen from the first beginning of our creation to the last finishing of our saluation It is said all things were made by the Sonne g Iohn 1 3. and that without him nothing was made that was made the Spirit also did sustaine and vphold that confused Lumpe which was the matter of the vniuersall so that they are said and set downe to be Creators as well as the Father In the worke of our saluation the Father willeth it and electeth vs the Sonne meriteth and deserueth it the Holy Ghost applyeth and appropriateth it This is it which Christ himselfe h Iohn 5 17. 16 13. saith Ioh. 5. My Father worketh hitherto and I worke And Chap. 16. When he commeth which is the Spirit of truth he will lead you into all truth So we might say the like touching the guifts of Sanctification and Iustification the Father forgiueth and washeth away sinne by the blood of Christ through the sprinkling of the Spirit he mortifieth sinne by the power of the death of Christ through the working of the Holy Ghost he raiseth vnto newnesse of life by the power of Christes Resurrection applyed by the Spirit hee iustifieth vs by the righteousnesse of Christ imputed and appropriated vnto vs by the Spirit Seeing therefore that God is a most munificent and liberall giuer rich vnto all and niggardly to none and seeing these three persons beeing one God doe worke ioyntly together in all things touching the creation of the World and the saluation of man and the redemption of our Soules it followeth whensoeuer we want any guifts needefull for Soule or body for this life or the life to come we must aske the supply of them at the handes of God onely the Father the Sonne and holy Ghost Vse 1. Now let vs handle the Vses breefely that arise from hence First we see that it is necessary for all that would pray aright and would obtaine that which they desire to be well instructed in the Vnity of the Godhead and the Trinity of the persons and to know the distinct properties of the persons without the vnderstanding whereof wee worship not the true God but an Idoll Our Sauiour in his conference with the Woman of Samaria chargeth the i Iohn 4 12. Samaritans to worship they know not what so doe many in our dayes both Heretiques and ignorant persons they call vppon God confusedlie but they haue no particular knowledge of God at all We must conceiue no otherwise of God in our minde then he hath expressed in his word The scripture teacheth to knowledge to beleeue to worship one God and him onely If we conceiue or imagine or receiue a multiplicity of Gods wee turne the truth of God into a lie and we erect vnto our selues so many Idols Againe the same Scripture setteth before vs three persons in that Godhead the Father which is the first person in the Trinity of himselfe the Son which is the second person begotten of the Father the holy Ghost which is the third person proceeding from the Father and the Sonne The Father is God the Sonne is God the holy Ghost is God and yet these three persons are not three Gods but one onely God And heere we haue in this place a notable Testimony of the God-head of the Sonne where the Apostle desireth and prayeth for grace and peace to be giuen to Philemon and his Wife to Archippus and the Church not onely from God the Father but from the Lord Iesus Christ This had bin monstrous horrible Idolatry and blasphemy Lastly if Christ had not bin in Nature Maiesty and glory equal with the Father hee of whom and from whom we craue spirituall and eternall gifts k Iohn 1 16. And of whose fulnesse we receiue and grace for grace must be confessed and beleeued to be God but such is Christ Iesus and therefore let this be an article of our Faith written in our hearts acknowledged with our mouth and confessed in the Church for euer that Christ is true God Vse 2. Secondly all good things are to be craued of God whether it be the supplying of his graces or the remoouing of our troubles we are taught to goe immediatly to God by Christ whensoeuer he blesseth vs and to returne vnto himselfe the praise of his owne worke This duty being required it serueth to meete with many corruptions that are too common in the world It conuinceth such Heathnish minded men as are of dead harts and haue no spark of the life of Gods Spirite in them that receiue and swallow vp daily diuers blessinges yet neuer looke to GOD that blesseth them but wee are like vnto the Swine that goe groueling to the ground like the Horse and Mule that haue no vnderstanding at all and so vse all the profites and pleasures of this life without any acknowledgement and consideration from whence they come and of whom they haue receiued them l Ezek. 32 6. or like vnto the Israelites when they had forsaken God They sate downe to eate and drinke and rose vp to play or as c Gen. 25 34. Esau He did eate and drinke he rose vp and went his way he filled his paunch and such was his prophanenesse that hee was touched with nothing These men doe daily deuour infinite
delight hath the Nurse then to see her child liue in health grow vp in strength and stature and prosper in the world So there is no comfort like to this comfort no ioy like to this ioy no delight like to this delight to behold the haruest of the Lord the sheepe of Christ the Children of God to flourish and to encrease more and more to grow from faith to faith from grace to grace b Ephe. 4. 13. vntill they all meet together vnto a perfect man and vnto the measure of the age of the fulnes of Christ Hence it is that after the Apostle had testified his ioy and thankes to God for the faith and loue of the Colossians he addeth c Col. 19. 10. for this cause we also since the day we heard of it cease not to pray for you and to desire that ye might be fulfilled with knowledge of his will in all wisedome and spirituall vnderstanding that ye might walke worthy of the Lord and please him in all thinges being fruitfull in all good workes and increasing in the knowledge of God and let vs by this example comfort our selues in such as increase in good thinges and pray for such as are comming forward We liue in a decaying and declining time wherein many haue forgotten their first loue we see the cold season and Winter of all Godlines wherein men are frozen in the dregs of Sinne. Wee may behold with our eyes if we be not starke blinde a generall wasting languishing and consumption of the heate and heart of Religion If then in this common pining of the vital parts we may discerne any reuiuing and refreshing to appeare or any flourishing of Godlines which seemed dead at the root to spring vp let it be a comfort vnto vs and teach vs to giue God the glory who maketh light to come out of darkenesse and life to arise out of death This serueth to reproue those that neuer desire the profiring of their people nor regard what their estate and how their standing is in heauenly thinges they neuer consider whether they goe forward or backward whether they grow vpward or downe-ward to Heauen or to Hell to God or to the Deuill to Saluation or to damnation These are they that feed themselues to the full but regard not to feed the flocke ouer which the holy Ghost hath made them ouerseers These are they that liue of the Alter but care not to minister at the Alter they will be sure to reape carnall things but they haue no conscience to sow spirituall thinges They liue of the Gospell but they will not preach the Gospell The Apostle testifying his longing and thirsting after the saluation of the Church said I seeke not yours but you But these men if they would speake the truth from their hearts might say we seeke not you but yours we care not what become of you so that we may find the sweetnes of that which is yours How farre are these from the zealous affection of the same Apostle who became all thinges to all men if by any meanes he might saue some he teacheth that a necessity lay vpon him to preach the Gospell and denounceth a woe vpon himselfe if he preach not the Gospell Let vs all in our places follow his example and pray vnto God to giue the grace of conuersion to turne the hearts of men to the sauing knowledge of the Gospell and where he hath granted this mercy let vs pray him to encrease it more and more and to continue it vnto the day of Iesus Christ Vse 2. Secondly as the growing in good thinges is matter of ioy so on the other side it is caused of great sorrow and griefe of heart when the professors of the saith and hearers of the word and such as seemed louers of the truth do not profit but reuolt do not goe forward but goe backward do not grow better and better but become worse and worse It must not seeme strange that great sorrow ariseth vnto the seruants of God when men do not profit in good thinges We see what worldly sorrow is found in worldly men that causeth death the least occasion of losse the least feeling of trouble the least crossing of their humors can draw from them abundance of teares But such as are led by the spirit of God are spiritually minded d 2. Cor. 7. 10. they haue godly sorrow that causeth repentance vnto saluation not to be repented of This was in the Prophet Dauid when he saw a decay in Godlines and a growing in wickednesse e Psal 119. 136. mine eyes gush out with Riuers of water because they keepe not thy law This was in the Prophet Ieremy f Ier. 9. 1. and 4. 19. O that mine head were full of water and mine eyes a fountaine of teares that I might weep day and night for the slaine of the Daughter of my people This was in Christ our Sauiour when he came neere to Ierusalem he beheld the Citty and wept for it g Luke 19. 41. 42. O if thou hadst euen knowne at the least in this day those thinges which belong vnto thy peace but now are hid from thine eyes This was in the Apostle Paule when he saw the reuolting and back-sliding of the Galathians h Gal. 4. 19. and 5. 7. O my little Children of whom I trauaile in Birth againe vntill Christ be formed in you I am in feare of you least I haue bestowed on you labour in vaine ye did runne well who did let you that ye did not obey the truth This is a speciall note to discerne and distinguish true Pastors from hirelings and faithfull shepheards from Wolues for the true Ministers of Christ are inwardly touched and grieuously pained to behold the present sinnes of the people and the future iudgments of God hanging ouer their heads This is a great griefe of heart and goeth neere them to see so little growth of Godlines so little fruit of their labours so great encrease of all vngodlines This reproueth those that make a mocke of sinne and can laugh as heartilie at the committing of iniquitie as at the best ieast and the greatest sport If we begin once to laugh at sinne we will not make any conscience to commit it When once we do not sticke to ieast at it we will quickly come to it in good earnest When we can make a play of it there is but a short step to put it in practise The very Heathen i Plutar. in Solone Valer. Maxim lib. 2. Cap. 6. saw thus much that had but halfe an eye that if they suffered euill to be committed merrily and in sport they should finde it practised in their earnest contracts common affaires And many of the heathen by other Heathen are commended k Tacit. in his description of Germany among whom vices were neuer laughed at But how many are there among vs that would be counted and are indeed called Christians
and refuse to heare him but to shewe himselfe true in his worde and faithfull in his promise hee dooth acknowledge him as his owne because hee confessed him before that sinnefull and wicked generation saying vnto him Verily I say vnto thee to day thou shalt be with me in Paradise The Apostle Iohn liuing when the Deity of our Sauiour beganne to bee doubted of and called into question saith p 1 Ioh. 4 2 3. Euerie Spirit which confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God and euery spirit that confesseth not that Iesus Christ is come in the Flesh is not of God If therefore wee looke to bee confessed of Christ and to haue our soules saued in the day of the Lord let vs boldly beare and behaue our selues vnder the Crosse and not shrinke in the wetting like deceitfull cloth let vs know that confession and saluation must goe together if wee waite for the one wee must expresse the other if confession go before we may build surely and ground our selues strongly vpon the promise of Christ that the saluation of our soules shall follow after and no man shall take it from vs. This made the Apostle say q 2 Tim. 1 12. For this cause I suffer these things but I am not ashamed for I know whom I haue beleeued and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I haue committed to him against that day Vse 2 Secondly seeing our Faith and Religion must be confessed it is a duty that lieth vpon vs to seeke to know the truth and labour to expresse the power of godlinesse otherwise it is vnpossible that euer we should make profession of it For profession of the faith presupposeth a knowledge of the faith for how can we confesse that which we kno not or manifest that to other wherof we are ignorant our selues This controlleth and condemneth those that liue in the Church heare the word and haue the Gospell sounding a long time in their eares yet know not what faith is nor how to beleeue so that whereas in regard of their continuance in the Church in regard of the meanes offred to them and in regard of their age wherewith God hath blessed them r Heb. 5 12. they might haue been teachers of others they haue neede to be taught the beginnings of faith the grounds of religion the principles of the word of God and are become such as haue neede of milke and not of strong meate Alas who can consider without great greefe of heart and anguish of spirit in what state the greatest number of our people stand and remember that after al our planting watering sowing and labouring they are apt and fit to receiue any religion because they are blinde and ignorant and know not God aright or any part of his truth to their soules health They are like the potters Clay which is readie to take any forme and receiue any impression or like the earth which altereth and changeth as the winde or weather as the Spring or Winter shall worke vpon it If they were taught to beleeue and receiue the Cabala of the Iewes the Alcoran of the Turkes the Reuelations of the Anabaptists the Traditions of the Papists or such like rotten trash of mans deuises and if they were countenanced by authoritie of Princes and Lawes of men they were as easie to be wrought vpon as waxe that is readie to receiue any stampe and impression A lamentable case that wee should bee still as Babes and children not knowing the right hand from the left carried about with euerie waue of Doctrine and receiuing the darknesse of errour for the light of the truth But we haue not so learned Christ and the Christian Religion When we haue once giuen entertainment vnto the truth and imbraced it soundly in our hearts we must not denie the faith whatsoeuer befall vs whatsoeuer trouble come vnto vs whether prosperity fawne and flatter vpon vs or whether aduersity pinch vs and paine vs whether the Sunne of peace shine vpon vs or whether the clouds of affliction ouer-shaddow vs wee must alwayes be the same and our standing in the faith should not be wauering or wandering to giue ouer at euery assault and to shrink backe for euery brunt and to deny our Lorde and Maister by euery tentation This serueth to reproue those that knowe nothing and therefore can professe nothing and as they know nothing so they will know nothing of whom we may say as the Apostle doth Å¿ 2 Pet. 3 5. This they wittingly know not and so are wilfully ignorant and shut their eies because they would not see and because the light shold not shine into their hearts For seeing God hath commanded the light to shine out of darknes we may truly say t 2 cor 4 3 4 6 If our Gospell be then hid it is hidde to them that are lost in whom the God of this world hath blinded the mindes that is of the Infidels that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ which is the Image of God shoulde not shine vnto them Thus doth God send them strong delusion that they shold beleeue lies u 2 Thess 2 11 12. That all they might be damned which beleeued not the trueth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse Let vs therefore seeke after knowledge as for great Treasures Let vs search the Scriptures that in them we may find eternall life let vs haue the word of God dwell plentifully in vs which is able to make vs wise vnto Saluation Let vs vse all good meanes to encrease knowledge in vs to begin in Faith to hold out a good confession to maintaine the truth against all the aduersaries that rise against vs. Vse 3. Thirdly seeing it is a duty to open our mouthes and lose our tongues to confesse to his name that hath called vs to his truth it standeth vs vpon continually and constantly to pray for the Spirit of strength or corroboration that we may be made able to stand in the time of danger It is not in all that know and acknowledge the truth to auouch it and to maintaine it to confesse it and to stand to it but onely of such as haue receiued the strengthening power of Christ Hence it is that the Apostle saith of himselfe x Phil 4 13. I am able to doe all thinges through the helpe of Christ which strengthneth me So he prayeth for the Colossians That they might be strengthned with the glorious power of Christ When a man hath once receiued to beleeue hee wanteth a new grace to bee giuen vnto him that the graine of Faith which lyeth hidden in the heart and couered in the Ashes of mans frailty may grow vp openly and bring forth in vs the confession of the mouth This appeareth by the words of the Apostle Iohn who testifieth y Iohn 12 42 43. That euen among the cheefe Rulers many beleeued in him neuerthelesse because of the
at home Fot it is their Religion that is a broaching of lies and of all liberty to do euill as all men by the light of Nature not blinded with the loue of error might soone espy Behold therefore some kinds of their Catholick Faith taught by their holy Mother the Church They teach the lawfulnesse of deposing Princes and discharging their Subiects of their allegeance and obedience toward them This Doctrine filleth Kingdomes and Countreyes with Treasons and Rebellions and alloweth Traitours and Assassinates and Murtherers of them at the Popes pleasure They doo teach and allowe the worship of Images and bowing downe to Stockes and Stones whereby the people are drawne away from the liuing God to palpable Idolatry as common experience hath declared o Polid. Virg. de inuent rer lib. 6 cap. 13. and some of themselues haue confessed They publish at large the benefit of Pardons which may easily be procured for money which open wide the Flood-gates of al vngodlynesse For who will spare to commit sinne that is able to redeeme it with his purse Yea this emboldned certaine p Chemni exam conc Trident de poenit men to rob the Popes pardoner who before hand had giuen them a pardon to commit the next sinne though it should bee a great sinne They teach touching the Sacrament of the Lordes Supper that a Dogge or Mouse or Swine or any Beast eating a consecrated host eateth the very flesh and bodie of our Sauiour q Treatise of the Sacram. in the conclusion as I haue shewed else-where They maintaine the filthy Dunghill of Stewes and Brothell-houses which giueth allowance vnto open whoredome and vncleannesse yea they say it is good for a r Hard. against the Apology Common-wealth and the Pope tollerateth the Curtezans in Rome and in other places vpon a yearly rent to practise and professe Bawdry Vnto this rablement of their Catholicke conclusions Å¿ See White of the way to the true Church we might adde many others which suffice to discouer what the holinesse of the Romish Religion is and to direct vs to come out of it betimes least partaking with the same sinnes we also partake in the punishments The second reproofe Secondly this coniunction of these two Vertues ouerthroweth the carnall loosenesse of all Libertines such as are Hypocrites and vaine boasters of Faith which thinke it sufficient to speake of Faith and to boast that they beleeue These men doth the Apostle Iames plainly reproue in his Epistle teaching that where there is want of works t 1 Tim. 1 5. there is also want of Faith of a true Faith which is the right Faith Wee must therefore examine our Faith by the fruits and prooue our beleeuing by our working We haue many such in our daies that glorie of their Faith and boast that they are of a right beleefe and yet lay them to the triall and examine their liues what they are and we shall finde them to be lyars against the truth and deceiuing their owne soules Knowe therefore that our faith is as our liues are A good life a good Faith a dead life a dead Faith an vnfruitfull life an ydle Faith And thus much of Faith and Loue ioyned together Now let vs speake of them seuerally as they are described first touching Faith and afterward touching Loue. Faith in Christ The first Vertue which is heere commended to bee in Philemon is Faith which is saide to respect Christ This Faith is a guift of God whereby we apprehend Christ and his benefits beleeuing the remission of our sinnes and our reconciliation with God Marke therefore that the faith heere set forth is saide to be toward Christ and Christ who is the proper obiect of Faith dooth also point vs vnto the Father who willeth and ordaineth our Saluation Redemption Reconciliation and Saluation and to the Holy-Ghost who applyeth and appropriateth to the elect these benefits which are willed by the Father and merrited by Christ Doctrine 7. Christ is the obiect of our Faith So then when the Apostle saith of Philemon that his faith was in Christ hee teacheth that true faith looketh vnto Christ dependeth vpon him trusteth and resteth in him for saluation and not vpon any creature in heauen or earth Our faith must direct vs to Christ to beleeue in him to haue recourse to him and to looke for saluation from him as the Israelites did health from the Brazen serpent This is proued vnto vs by many consents of the word of God The Apostle Iohn in his Gospell a Iohn 1 12. 3 16 17 20 6 29. 3 14 15 and 12 44 46. and 14 12. offereth plentifull Testimonies of the truth as Chap. 1 12. As many as receiued him to them he gaue prerogatiue to be the sonnes of God euen to them that beleeue in his name And Chap. 3. God so loued the world that hee hath giuen his onely begotten Sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life And again Chap. 17. I pray not for these alone but for them also which shall beleeue in me through their word So before in the third Chapter As Moses lift vp the Serpent in the Wildernesse so must the sonne of man be lift vp that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue eternall life Thus he speaketh in another place This is the worke of God that ye beleeue in him whom he hath sent When Phillip saide to the Eunuch If thou beleeuest with all thine heart thou mayst be baptized He answered b Acts 8 37. 16 31. I beleeue that Iesus Christ is that sonne of God So Paule and Silas willed the Keeper of the prison to beleeue in the Lord Iesus Christ and he should he saued And the Apostle Gal. 2. teacheth That a man is not iustified by the Workes of the Lawe c Gal. 2 16. but by the faith of Iesus Christ euen we I say haue beleeued in Iesus Christ that we might be iustified by the Faith of Christ All these places of Scripture plainly instruct vs in this principle of our holy religion that Faith must be in Christ in whom it findeth a sure ground to rest vpon Reason 1. The Reasons are to be marked and considered which confirme this Doctrine First because the worke of saluation is wholly and onely wrought by him and no part thereof is reserued to any creature in whole or in part To be called Iesus is as it were the proper name of Christ who is a perfect and absolute Sauiout beginning continuing and finishing our saluation This is it d Acts 4 12. which Peter preacheth Among men there is no other name giuen vnder heauen whereby we may be saued but by the Name of Iesus And the author to the Hebrews saith that he e Heb. 7 25. is able perfectly to saue them that come vnto God by him seeing he euer liueth to make intercession for them Thus
in life more backward in good thinges more prophane in heart more contemning the word of God and loathing the meanes of saluation then they were in the beginning of their dayes This is our estate and condition most lamentable and fearefull and yet wee can complaine of Idle boyes and sluggish Schollers that thinke they take to much learning for their money and neuer consider that we are the men and that the prouerbe concerneth our selues God will enter into iudgement with vs and if we be not learners in his Schoole he will remoue vs and discharge vs out of his Schoole It had beene better for vs that we had neuer knowne God that we had neuer receiued his truth nay it had beene better for vs that we had neuer beene borne or beene borne Turkes and Canibals Pagans and Infidels then to haue the Gospell among vs and not to heare it or to heare it and not to learne by it or to learne by it and not to obey it and grow daily in the practise of it This appeareth by the greeuous threatnings denounced by Christ our Sauiour against those Citties where his word had beene preached and professed and his great miracles had beene wrought and shewed n Mat. 11. 21. 22. 23. 24. Woe be to thee Corazin woe be to thee Bethsaida for if the great workes which were done in you had beene done in Tyrus and Sidon they had repented long agone in sackecloth and ashes but I say vnto you it shall be easier for them at the day of iudgement then for you And thou Capernaum which art lifted vp vnto Heauen shalt be brought downe to Hell for if the great workes which haue beene done in thee had beene done among them of Sodome they had remained to this day But I say vnto you that it shall be easier for them of the Land of Sodome in the day of iudgement then for thee He compareth heere Corazin and Bethsaida with Tyre and Sydon likewise Capernaum with Sodom that is the places where Christ had dwelled where the Gospell had beene offered where many of his miracles had beene manifested with such Citties as neuer had the Law neuer heard the Gospell neuer saw the Prophets neuer knew the Doctrine of saluation but liued in ignorance and in idolatry And in this comparison he teacheth that such Townes and Villages as haue had the preaching of the word and the ministry of the Gospell among them shall receiue greater punishment in the day of iudgement then other poore blind wretches that neuer had these meanes offered vnto them We would all of vs thinke it a very harsh and homely comparison and farre from all likely-hood of truth if I should compare vs euen vs of Isfield with Sodome and Gomorrah wee know o Ezek. 16. 49. how foule and filthy these places were we confesse they are loathsome in our eyes and odious in our eares we know that for their wickednesse they p Gen. 19 â—4 were destroyed with fire and brimstone from heauen and yet I say vnto you in the name of God from the warrant of his sacred word by which we shall all be iudged that if we liue in this contempt of the truth that is preached vnto vs and do not bring forth the fruits of the Gospell it had been better we had beene borne Sodomites and Gomorrheans for our iudgement shall be greater and our punishment heauier because our sinne is heinouser No sinne greater then the contempt of the Gospel as no mercy is greater then the peaceable enioying of the liberty of the Gospell and therefore no reward of sinne shall be more horrible So that we may truely say from the mouth of Christ it shall be easier for Sodome in the day of iudgement then for our Village Let vs apply this to our selues and lay it to our heartes to worke in vs true repentance Corazin Bethsaida and Capernaum had many priuiledges and might glory as much as we in the fauours vouchsafed vnto them and yet they are vpbraided by Christ with their vnthanke-fulnesse toward the Gospell so that the case of Sodome is made better Take heed therefore least we contemne the Gospell and so committing one of the greatest sinnes wee make our selues guilty of the greatest iudgementes that can fal vpon mankind The contempt of the Gospell hath brought the heauy hand of God vpon the Iewes that were Gods owne people Let vs not be high minded we are no whit better but rather feare least God spare not vs and tremble vnder his grieuous but yet righteous iudgements who spareth not those that are deere vnto him when they sinne against him Vse 2. Secondly we are bound to vse the meanes that may further these guiftes in vs that is the ministry of the word which being reuerently vsed hath a promise of blessing It is a light vnto our feet and a lanthorne vnto our paths it setteth vs in our way and directeth vs vnto our iourneies end The Apostle teacheth q 1 Cor 3. 6. that Paule planteth Apollos watereth but it is God that giueth the encrease to wit by the planting and watering of the Ministers The Husbandman tilleth and toyleth about his ground he soweth his Corne but he cannot make it spring vp nor send the earely and latter raine So is it with the Ministers of the Gospell the Lordes Husbandmen they must labour in his field which is the Church that the people may grow in faith and grace This reproueth those that attend not to the ordinance of God with care and diligence but neglect the worke of the Lord in them They will not suffer themselues to be ploughed and tilled that grace may grow in their hearts as Corne doth in the Fieldes They say they increase and proceed in the waies of Godlinesse but they will not vse the meanes which God hath ordained and therefore they do deceiue themselues He that heareth not at all doth not grow at all he that heareth negligently groweth slowly in any good thing For as we sow so we shall reape Againe this checketh the dulnesse and drowsinesse of such as when they haue begun in the spirit would end in the flesh which say the word is profitable and necessary to gather a Church but not to continue it to begin faith but when it is begun and begotten in vs we need not heare still we haue faith already by the preaching of the word we shall not therefore need to frequent the preaching of it still we haue that wrought in vs which the word is appointed to worke These men vnder a colour of hauing faith do scorne and deride the preaching of faith But the word is not onely the immortall seed to beget vs but wholesome food to sustaine vs it is milke for such as are weake and strong meate for such as are of riper yeares He neuer had faith by the word that seeketh not the strengthning of it by the word It is not enough to haue saith but we must
Child of the Deuill and of representing his Image For as the names giuen to Sathan describe his nature so the word Deuill in the orriginall tongue which the holy Ghost vseth q Reuel 22 10 signifieth a false accuser a carper a cauiller a disgracer a slanderer one that by all means seeketh to deface the truth and those that vphold and support it Thus the nature of our spirituall aduersity is notably painted and purtraied out vnto vs. His whole practise standeth in false accusations wrongfull imputations and wilfull calumniations of God to man and of man to God He falsely accused God to our first parents in the beginning r Gen 3 5. to enuy their good estate and therefore of malice forbad them the Tree of the knowledge of good and euil He falsely accused Iob to serue God s Iob 1 9 10. 11. in hipocrisie not in sincerity with shew of the body not with singlenesse of heart to be seene of men not to approue himselfe with an vpright conscience in the presence of God These quallities of the Deuill are to be found in all the wicked If you talke and reason with them of such as truely feare God either they will censure them as Hipocrits and falsely accuse them not to be the persons which they make profession to be or else they will detract from them and diminish those guiftes that God hath abundantly bestowed vpon them Christ Iesus himselfe could not escape this viperous brood who was accused by the Deuils ofspring and the Children of darknesse the Scribes and Pharisies to be a Samaritan to haue a Deuill to be a Drunkard to be a Seducer a Blasphemer and what not So was it with his Apostles they were filled with the holy Ghost and endued with the guiftes of tongues yet they felt the smart of this rod and were wounded with this sharpe sword they were accounted Deceiuers accused as Drunkards slaunderd as Disturbers of the common peace and reuiled as Traitors and Rebels against Caesar for the Disciple must not looke to be t Iohn 15 20. aboue his Maister nor the seruant greater then his Lord. These reuilings and reproaches are not peculiar to Christ and his Apostles but common to all the faithfull and true beleeuers in his name they tast of the same cup and haue the like measure measured vnto them They are slandered and backbited they are reuiled and taunted for the truthes sake But let all such carpers and cauilers looke to themselues and take heed to their estate u Iohn 8 44. they resemble their father whose workes they doe and they shew themselues to be petty-Sathans and very Deuils incarnate Now such as are the Children of the Deuill must look to haue their portion with the Deuill and his Angels Let vs therefore be ready to magnifie the mercies of God toward our bretheren let vs speake of the praises of him that hath giuen them let vs remember what God hath done for vs and others and especially let vs beware that we do not disgrace them and their guiftes which tendeth to the dishonour of him that gaue them For as Salomon saith x Prou. 17 5. and 14 31. He that mocketh the poore reprocheth him that made him so is it true that whosoeuer contemneth and despiseth reuileth and treadeth vnder his foot the Godly adorned from the Throne of God with the precious graces of his spirit he reproueth and reproacheth God himselfe y 1 Iohn 2 29 who hath giuen that annointing which they haue receiued of him Thus we see how we are to behaue our selues in respect of Gods guiftes we must not be ashamed to confesse them but we must be both ashamed and afraid to deface them and so to defraud God of his honour due vnto him Vse 2. Secondly seeing it is our duty when God hath beene good vnto vs or others to make knowne his goodnesse we learne heereby how the Saintes of God may be rightly and religiously honoured of vs and remembred to their euerlasting praise It is our dutie to giue thankes to God who hath blessed them with his graces and gouerned them by his holy spirit and to pray vnto him so to direct vs dispose of our waies that we may follow their godlines walk in their steps wherein they haue gone before vs. True it is the church of Rome go a great deale farther and teach vs to go further in the honoring of them then God alloweth the word approueth For they lade them with the spoils of Christ take from him the royalties of his Priest-hood therfore indeed they do not honor them but dishonor and disgrace them when they decke them with feathers that are not theirs Is there any good godly man liuing on the face of the earth that could bee content to haue theeues and robbers spoile other men of their goods and bring them vnto him and if they offred them would he accept and receiue them If he would not receiue them as his owne but refuse reiect them as belonging to others how shold the blessed Virgin the holy Apostles and other Saintes of God account those sacrilegious wretches to be their friends which rob spoile God of his honor and thrust Christ Iesus our mediator from his office to bestow vpon thē It is their honor to honor the same God with vs and to worship him And it is our honoring of them to giue all honor to God by walking in those wayes wherein they haue ledde vs the way and by following the light which they haue carried before vs. And if we would know how to honour the Saints aright and to giue them their due z Wherein the honour of the Saints consisteth it consisteth in these pointes First that God be magnified and praised in them our praising of them must tend to the praising of him who hath aduanced them and crowned them with his gifts God must be all in all to vs and his glorie must be preferred and sought for of vs. The Apostle remembring the History of his owne calling and conuersion telleth that the Churches of the Iewes saide a Gal. 1 22 23 Hee which persecuted vs in times past now preacheth the Faith which before hee destroyed and they glorified God for me When they heard he was gained to the Gospell they considered therein the power goodnesse and mercie of God and with ioy of heart they gaue him thankes for it Secondly the Saints should be honoured by an approbation of Gods guiftes in them and by an honourable mention of them For seeing they haue vsed the gifts of God faithfully he wil haue their gifts praised and extolled and the Saints themselues to be magnified commended So the Apostle mentioning his persecuting of the church in the time of his ignorance addeth b 1 Cor. 15 10 But by the grace of God I am that I am and his grace which is in me was not in vaine but I laboured
to the rule and line of the word If a man giue but a looke toward the Gospell and do not professe himselfe an open enemy vnto it if he shew the least entertainment to the truth and do not set himselfe against the professors of it though he be a common Gamester a rioteous liuer an vsurer an incrocher and oppressor he hath the name and title of a good Christian he hath the praise and commendation of a good professor What ioy therefore can the Children of God haue in such workes of darknesse and in such workers of iniquity We may wish with the Prophet b Ier 9 1. that our head were full of water and our eyes a Fountaine of teares to weepe day and night for the desolation and destruction that hangeth ouer their heads The Husbandman taketh no pleasure to see Tares and Darnel grow in his field in stead of good Corne. The Gardiner cannot without greefe behold weedes spring vp in his Garden in stead of wholesome Hearbes So when we see the Church of God to bring forth Chaffe instead of Wheat Beanes instead of Fruit vice in stead of vertue and sinne in stead of righteousnesse what greater greefe can arise in our heartes or what greater sorrow can be wrought in vs If we greeue through the wickednesse of our waies and prophanenesse of our liues the Children of God we likewise greeue the spirit of God and quench such good motions as are inspired into vs. Vse 3. Lastly it is our duty to seeke the good and prosperity of the Church by all good meanes and to draw them and moue them to embrace the waies of saluation This duty hath many branches growing from it For seeing Gods graces bestowed giue occasion of great ioy it ought to teach vs to exhort one an other to comfort them that are comfortlesse to reproue them that goe astray to pray for our bretheren to seeke to gaine and winne them to the faith and when they are gained and wonne to reioyce vnfainedly at their conuersion and if we see any hope of their repentance and turning to God to conuerse with them and not to be ashamed of their company Certainly he is not truely conuerted himselfe that doth not reioyce at the conuersion of others He neuer knew what true repentance meaneth that conceiueth no ioy at the repentance of others He is ignorant of the way of saluation that is not greatly delighted and comforted when others begin to be saued that we say of them as Christ doth of Zaccheus c Luk 19 9. This day is saluation come to this house forasmuch as he is also become the sonne of Abraham This doth directly reproue foure sortes of men The first reproofe First such as reioyce in those that will sinne with them and runne into all excesse of riot with them Great is the delight that sinners take in the society and company one of another They ioyne hand in hand together it is their solace and pastime to agree together as bretheren in euill it is as meat and drinke vnto them to follow after vngodlinesse Christ teacheth that the Angels in Heauen reioyce for one sinner that repenteth Our ioy ariseth vpon their repentance Their turning to God worketh our reioysing So long as men flatter themselues in their sinnes and proceed in their euill doing no matter of ioy is offered vnto vs. The second reproofe Secondly such as seeke to draw them to euill to vanity and to all vngodlinesse a common sicknesse that raigneth in our daies when men entise one another to euil These men beare the Image of the Deuil and are transformed into his likenesse For how can they gaine their bretheren to Godlinesse that are meanes to seduce them and so to bring them to all vngodlinesse Hence it is that Salomon councelleth vs d Prou 1 10. when sinners entise vs not to consent vnto them It is a greeuous sinne to be an entiser but it shall not excuse him that is entised Let vs therefore know that we must exhort one an other to piety not to impiety and further one another to saluation not to condemnation bring one another to heauen not to hell The thirde reproofe Thirdly it teprooueth those that enuy and murmure at the calling of our Brethren to Repentaunce and at their bringing into the Kingdome of Christ This corrupt affection was in Ioshua e Num. 11 29. who repined that the Elders had the guift of prophesie bestowed vpon them as well as Moses This was in f Ionas 4 1 2. Ionah when he had preached to the Niniuites and saw the great mercy of God in sparing of them and not destroying them according to hls preaching and their deseruinges was angry and it displeased him exceedingly He regarded his owne credit and estimation among men more then their conuersion and preseruation This was in the elder Brother of the riotous and prodigall Sonne g Luke 15 31 when he saw the ioy of his Father at the receiuing of his Childe and his readinesse to forgiue he was angry and would not go in But his Father perswadeth him that there is no cause why he should be grieued inasmuch as he is not himselfe hindered or indamaged by this receyuing of his Brother into fauour and reproueth him in that hauing no regard of his brother he is sorry for the common ioy conceiued of his returne That ioy did offend him whereof he should haue bin a Companion These two Reasons are to be noted and obserued to root vp all enuy and malice out of our hearts considering that we loose nothing whensoeuer God doth graciously receiue into fauour those which through sinne were falne from him that it is haughtinesse without godlinesse greefe without mercy and cruelty without compassion not to reioyce and be glad when we see any of our fellow seruants restored from death to life raised from sinne to righteousnesse and found who before were lost He then is vnrighteous and vngodly who enuyeth his brother receiued into fauour and he doth peruersely and maliciously which doth murmure at the mercy of God vpon our brethren The fourth reproofe Fourthly it condemneth such as faile in the former duty that neuer exhort their brethren to godlinesse neuer disswade them from sinne neuer comfort those that are in misery neuer praying for them that are in distresse neuer desire God to be good vnto them neuer reioyce with them when God hath shewed mercie We liue in these times when the hand of God is stretched out against many of our brethren they are restrained and shut vp by the contagion of plague pestilence This their woful condition doth cal vpon vs and crie vnto vs to be mindfull of them and to pray to God our common Father to haue pittie vpon them to call in his arrowes that he hath shot against them to remember his olde mercies that he was wont to shew to his inheritance The Prophet exhorteth and
or on the South it skilleth not seeing it becommeth the owners and it falleth to him so the bountifulnesse of good men whether it bee giuen to the worthy or vnworthy to the faithfull or vnfaithfull shall turne to his benefite that bestowed it To conclude euerie Christian man must haue the Spirite of Christ u Rom. 8 9. if hee bee his hee that hath not the Spirite of Christ he is none of his But Christ is mercifull and therefore wee must be mercifull Vse 3. Lastly seeing it belongeth to those that haue the goods of this world out of their plenty to supply the wants of the poore it belongeth vnto vs to haue an earnest care and dilligence to prouide for the poore especially the poore Saints This dutie and diligence was in the Apostle Paule as it is expressed Rom. 15. where it is x Rom. 15 25 28. saide That he Ministred to the Saintes at Ierusalem and withall that hee gaue himselfe no rest in this vntill hee had sealed this fruite vnto them that is till hee saw it done and effected according to his desire It is not enough for vs to giue good wordes or to vtter from our mouthes good wishes but we must in our seuerall places and particular callings do our vtmost endeuour that releefe may euen be sealed to our poore It is not enough to giue to those that aske and craue the fruite of our liberality but we must learne to enquire of the wants of the Saints and to search what is their condition It belongetb vnto vs not onely to haue eares prepared to heare but to haue mouths opened to aske of the welfare of those that are in necessity We would desire to be so dealt with all our selues and therefore let vs be so minded toward our Brethren This wee see in Abraham y Gen. 18 19. hee staied not till those strangers came into his house til they desired to be receiued haue lodging but he went out of his tent of his owne accord to see whom hee could espy that he might bring them to his house So did Lot z Iudg. 19 17. so dealt all the Fathers Thus did Nehemiah when he saw some of his brethren that were come from Ieâ—usalem a Nehem. 1 2. he asked them concerning the state of the Church and of the residue of the Captiuity Wee must not alwayes waite till we bee intreated and vrged to shew mercie but offer it our selues to testifie the willingnesse of our hearts Wee must not onely readily giue our releefe when the poore require it but goe vnto them search them out and call for them whether they aske our Almes or not whether they require our releefe or not As Christ hath loued vs so let vs loue one another Now hee loued vs being his enemies when we neuer asked remission of our sinnes for he was found of them that sought him not and shewed mercie to them that desired it not so ought wee also to deale with our Bretheren not tarrying till they craue but offering our Compassion There haue euer beene poore that make not their wants openly knowne and are so deiected and reiected of many that they are ashamed to shew their necessity This dutie requiring our earnest care to seeke after and see to the wants of our poore Bretheren reprooueth three sorts of men The first reproofe First such as helpe them only in words but not in deedes with their mouth not wirh their hands in outward shew not by any true fruit of Charity Such men doth the Apostle Iames note in his Epistle b Iam. 2 15 16 who when they see a poor man or a poore Woman which wanteth bread to eate and cloaths to put on they say vnto him God help thee poore man and succour thee and send thee releefe it is great pitty thou art no better prouided for These are destitute of a true Faith which standeth not in worde onely and the poore notwithstanding all these faire Wordes and goodly promises may starue for colde and die for thirst and perrish for Famine if they should finde no better comfort and if euery man should serue them after this sort It is a verie true saying of the Wise Salomon A Man c Prou. 25 14. that boasteth of great liberality is like Cloudes and Winde vvithout Raine So the Apostle Iohn saith d 1 Iohn 3 15. My little Children let vs not loue in word neyther in tongue onely but in deede and in trueth It is not enough for a man to say hee will helpe and succour his Neighbour vnlesse hee helpe him indeede The second reproofe Secondly it reprooueth those that do not rightly consider what poore the Apostle meaneth and setteth before vs as obiects of our compassion He doth not vnderstande the ydle Begger or sturdy Rogue or vagrant Companion who not applying himselfe in any lawfull calling maketh a profession of beggery and liueth altogether vpon the spoyle of other mens goodes the profite of other mens labour and the sweate of other mens browes Neither doth he meane such manner of persons as are common and continually haunters of Ale-houses Vnthrifts Spend-als Carders Dicers Drunkards which spend all the Weeke in going from one tipling place to another hauing Wiues and Children at home that want those things which they wast and when they come vnto them they raile and rage as mad men against those they shoulde releeue These are excluded and wiped out of the roll and Register of the poore Saints spoken of in this place being worse then e 1 Tim. 5. Infidels and denying the Faith The Turkes and Sarazens shall rise vp in iudgement against this wretched generation and condemne them But the Apostle pointeth out such vnto vs to be holpen and comforted as albeit it hath pleased God not to bestow so great a portion of worldly blessings vpon them as vpon others as the Artificer the Handy-crafts man and Day-Labourer yet labour diligently in their Callings and follow their Trades with all carefulnesse to releeue them-selues and to maintaine their Families as those that professe the feare of God and the Faith of Christ Vnder this ranke we may range poore Widdowes and Fatherlesse Children all aged and impotent persons such â—s are lame and diseased that would worke but cannot that desire to labour but are not able It is the rule of the Apostle that ought to take place in all Churches f 2 Thes 3 10. That such as will not take paines must not eate All those that through frailty of Child-hood or weakenesse of Olde age or impotencie of limbes or greeuousnesse of sicknesse or thorough greatnesse of their charge labouring according to the vtmost of their strength yet are not able to maintaine themselues must haue their wants supplied willingly and chearfully not grudgingly and sparingly shewing our selues to haue a feeling of their necessities The third reproofe Thirdly it reprooueth such as neuer open their mouths to know
can tell thy disease open the cause of it shew thee the cure and remedy of it and restore thee to thy former state and strength so when thy soul is sick vnto the death and euen to damnation the man of God can heale the deadly wound that Satan hath giuen and apply a soueraigne plaister for thee made of the precious blood of Christ From hence all men may learne how to esteeme Gods Ministers and with what affection we are to heare them The Sheepe of Christ t Ioh. 10 27. will heare his voice and follow him This is a notable token to know the children of God by to disobey the Ministers of God is to disobey God himselfe to despise their word is to despise the word of God himselfe Is not the Embassador of an earthly Prince receiued with great honor reuerence Is not his message receiued as vndoubtedly as if the Prince himselfe were present Are not they which despise his authority as heinously punished and as vilely accounted of as if they resisted and rebelled against the Kings owne person Shall then the Messengers of the liuing God the King of Kings and Lord of Lords bee receiued lesse worthily then the other whose authority is greater who message is waightier whose place is higher It is requisite therefore that the people feare and reuerence their Minister or else they wil in no case honor and obey him For where feare is not present all honour is absent whosoeuer scorneth to performe this dutie of feare let him be well assured hee contemneth not him but the Lord that sent him This feare is to be yeelded not to his person but to his Office For as the Apostle exhorteth the Thessalonians to u 1 Thes 5 12 13. acknowledge them that laboured among them and haue them in singular loue for their workes sake so wee ought to feare those that are set ouer vs in the Lord for their worker sake So he witnesseth that the Galathians x Gal. 4 14. receyued him as an Angel of God yea more then so they receiued him as Iesus Christ himselfe This was not as he was a man but as the Minister of God this was not for the excellency of his person which hee acknowledgeth to be simple and testifieth to be contemptible but hee was receiued for that excellent message which he brought among them Therefore Paule writing to the Phillippians sayth y Phil. 2 12. As yee haue alwayes obeyed mee not as in my presence onely but now much more in my absence so make an end of your saluation with feare and trembling This reprooueth all those that are stubborne and disobedient and wil not obey the word of exhortation deliuered vnto them such also as heare not often and constantly but seldome and carelessely as if they were perswaded that they had nothing to do with God or God with his word such as when they heare are not stricken with any feare of the presence of God or of the power of the word or of the truth that is deliuered so that they neuer can heare aright seeing GOD accounteth those only the right Hearers z Esa 66 2 5. that tremble at his Worde and are of humble and contrite hearts Lastly such as are content to heare and listen with their outward eares but it is no longer then they list and no farther then their owne fantasies are fed and their desires followed and their humors pleased They are willing to heare vntill their speciall sinnes be reprooued but when they finde themselues touched or their iniquities which they dwell in discouered they grow out of patience and begin to reuile and raile at the Ministers that seeke with a good Conscience to discharge their duties This is an euident note of a corrupt hearer and a plaine testimony of an euill heart We must be ready to heare the curses of the Law as well as the promises of the Gospel we must account it a benefit to be reproued our selues as well as to heare others reproued A sicke man would not content himselfe to haue the Physitian shew vnto others their diseases but would haue his owne disease discouered vnto him so is it profitable vnto vs to see our owne sinnes and to heare our owne corruptions reuealed and manifested vnto vs. If we once desire to come out of our sinnes and iniquities wherein wee haue liued if once they become bitter and vnpleasant vnto vs it will bee no griefe or burthen to see our selues stripped and layde open to the view and sight of the worlde Let vs therefore with meekenesse of spirit submit our selues to the stroke of Gods word and not rage when wee are reprooued as the manner of those is that purpose to perseuer and to continue in their sinnes vnto the end Verse 9. Yet for your loues sake I rather beseech thee Heere we haue the second part of the diuers reason before remembred The former Verse was a preparation or entraunce into the prayer or petition of Paule and containeth the authoritie that he had if hee would vse it to command Philemon that which was conuenient for him to do These words are a mild mittigation of the former namely that albeit he might commaund him by his office yet he would rather entreat and beseech him thorough loue The Apostle hauing to do in this place with a matter of Christian moderation and equitie wherein hee might from the Lord command with authoritie doth notwithstanding pray and beseech and when hee might lawfully vrge and require the practise thereof hee rather resolueth to vse gentle humble and louing meanes Doctrine 2. Gentle means are to bee vsed rather then seuere to perswade men to the truth The Doctrine arising from hence is this That the Seruants of God ought to vse mildnesse and meekenesse in deliuering the will and message of God to his people rather intreating them with lenitie then commanding them with authoritie albeit they haue libertie so to do Courteous and gentle meanes are first to be vsed if they may preuaile rather then checking and chiding sharpely and rigorously with Offenders We see this in Christ Iesus himselfe who did not breake the bruised reede nor quench the smoaking Flaxe hee sayth c Mat. 11 28. Come vnto mee all yee that are weary and heauie laden and I will ease you for my yoake is easie and my burden is light This appeareth in sundry places of Paules Epistles Rom. 12 1. I beseech you Brethren by the mercies of Christ that ye giue vp your bodies a liuing Sacrifice holy and acceptable vnto God which is your reasonable seruing of God So 2 Cor. 5 20. Now then are we Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you through vs we pray you in Christs stead that ye bee reconciled to God And in the tenth Chapter of the same Epistle d 2 Cor. 10 1. I Paule my selfe beseech you by the meeknesse and gentlenesse of Christ which when I am present
truth of the word of God or not One man defending a truth is to be preferred before an hundreth others holding and vpholding an error or heresie and we are rather to beleeue z Luther lib contra Henr. Octa. Panormitan T it de elect can Significasti a poore and silly man grounding himselfe vpon the scriptures before a thousand Doctors building vpon humane Traditions and vnwritten verities If these men that are blinde themselues and looke vpon all things through other mens spectacles had liued in the daies of Eliah Micaiah and Ieremy when the truth of God was so often contradicted and ouerswaied by multitudes of men a 1 King 18 19 and 22 6. when for one true Prophet of God there were fiue hundreth false Prophets whom would they haue beleeued whom would they haue receiued whom would they haue condemned It would haue gone hard with the truth and beene euill spoken off by the euill mouths and malicious tongues of these partiall Iudges They would haue said Eliah is but one the Prophets against him are many are not they liker to see the truth then he Thus the faith of Christ and pure Religion is not waighed in the ballance of the Sanctuary nor measured with a iust Ephah and a true Hin but with false waights and deceitfull ballances which are an abomination vnto the Lord. In all causes and questions that rise the word of God must iudge Vse 3. Thirdly this giueth comfort and contentment to the meanest smallest of Gods Saints and putteth them in remembrance not to be discomforted and out of heart for their meane calling or for their low estate for they are nothing the lesse regarded of God or to be esteemed of his Church They haue as great an interest in all Gods blessings as the richest sort and many times a greater they haue as great a portion in Christ as the mightiest men and many times a greater For God b Luk 1 52 53. hath put downe the mighty from their seates and exalted them of low degree he hath filled the hungry with good things and sent away the rich empty What grace of God what meanes of saluation is hidden from these poore little ones so accounted off by the men of this world They haue interest in the word and Sacraments they haue free accesse to come into the glorious presence of God to pray vnto him and to poure out their supplications before him as well as they that swell with riches and abound in earthly thinges When God had made a couenant with Abraham and planted his Church in his family he gaue Circumcision as a signe and seale thereof not onely to Abraham but to all his house and commanded him to Circumcise c Gen 17 26 27. not onely himselfe and his seed but all the men of his houshold both borne in his house and bought with money of the stranger Whereby we see that the lowest of his seruants and bondmen that belonged vnto him haue as great right to the Couenant and as good a Title to the promises of God as he had in asmuch as they were assured by the commandement of God that the visible signe that was in their flesh was not in vaine The like we see in the Apostle writing to the Corinthians d 1 Cor 10 1 2 3 4. Moreouer bretheren I would not haue you ignorant that all our fathers were vnder that Cloud and all passed through that Sea and were all baptized vnto Moses in that Cloud and in that Sea and did all eate the same spirituall meate and did all drinke the same spirituall drink for they dranke of the spirituall Rocke that followed them and the Rocke was Christ This people was a great body standing of many members some of them were the Elders of the people and the heads of the families others were of the lower sort and of inferiour degree yet they had alike priuiledge in the Sacraments and the Apostle fiue times remembreth that all of them were partakers of them This is it that e 1 Cor 7 21. 22. made him say in another place Art thou called being a setuant Care not for it for hee that is called in the Lord being a seruant is the Lords free-man likewise also he that is called being free is Christs seruant We see this in the members of our natural bodies some members are more high and honourable then others yet none are contemned We haue a care not onely of the head and hart of the hands and liuely parts but of the least and smallest that belong to the body e 1 Cor 12 22 23 24 25. Yea much rather those Members of the bodie which seeme to be more feeble are necessary and vpon those Members of the Body which we thinke most vnhonest put wee more honestie on and our vncomely partes haue more comlinesse on for our comely parts neede it not but GOD hath tempered the bodie together and hath giuen the more Honour to that part which lacked least there should bee any diuision in the bodie but that the Members should haue the same care one for another So ought none that belong to Christ Iesus to bee neglected Hee contemneth Christ himselfe whosoeuer contemneth the least member that belongeth vnto him This Christ our Sauiour sheweth f Math. 18 6. Whosoeuer shall offend one of these little ones which beleeue in mee it were better for him ehat a Mill-stone were hanged about his Necke and that hee were drowned in the depth of the Sea As this causeth contentment in the poor so it worketh Humility in the rich considering that their Honour Wealth Authoritie and such like priuiledges of the flesh cannot commend the more to God or to the Saintes but their soundnesse in Faith and sincerity in life according to the saying of the Apostle Iames g Iam. 1 9 10 Let the Brother of low degree reioyce in that he is exalted Againe He that is rich in that he is made low for as the flower of the grasse shall be vanish away The poorest man that is of base account and reckoning in the World hath as great and as good a Title to Christ as the greatest men that be They haue not so great a portion in outward blessings but they haue as great a part in Heauenly Graces Hee that hath Christ is a Rich man hee bringeth with him all thinges else for in him are hidde all treasures which we are bound to seeke after He that wanteth Christ h Reuel 3 17. is a poore begger if he had his house full of Siluer and Gold and possessed Mountains of Pearles and precious Stones The Apostle teacheth i Gal. 3 29. that If we be Christes then we are Abrahams seede and heyres by promise so that the poorest person that is in the Church if hee beleeue in Christ is in the place of Abraham and succeedeth him in the inheritance of the Kingdome of Heauen which is a greater Honour
like to the Priestes c Num. 7 9. 2 Sam. 6 3. who beeing commaunded to beare the Arke vppon their owne Shoulders did set it vpon a Cart and draw it with Oxen. So ought the Ministers to feede their Flockes themselues and not put them to bee fed of others Some d Damasus epist 4. compare such foolish and idle Pastours that put ouer their charges to others vnto Harlots which so soone as they haue brought forth their Children by and by commit them to be kept and nourished of others that they may sooner giue themselues to their lusts againe Others resemble them to a e Espenc lib. 3. digress ad 1. Timoth. man that doth marry a Wife and being himselfe vnapt for generation or vnwilling to giue due beneuolence is content she become fruitfull and made the Mother of many Children by another Father so is he accounted and presumed to be as vaine a man who being espoused and married to a Church as a man to his Wife doth vse the help of others in getting spirituall Children vnto God Christ Iesus is the Shepheard f 1 Pet. 5 4. the cheefe and great Shepheard of the Sheepe all other Pastours are but his Seruants and Substitutes and therefore themselues being his Deputies they cannot make a Deputy no more then one Seruant discharge himselfe by another So then we must know that they can no more be saide to preach the Word that preach by others then to be resident that are resident by others or to bee godly that lead a godly life by others and thus they may be saued by others and themselues goe to Hell But as euery man is bound to liue godly himselfe so is euery Pastour bound to preach in his owne person This appeareth vnder the comparisons and similitudes of Builders Captaines Ambassadours Stewards and Shepheards which wee spake of before When a man hath made choyce of a skilfull and cunning Builder to build his house the Worke-man hath not done his duty if he put it out to bee finished by another When a Prince hath made choyce of a Generall to lead his Army against the Enemy he may not send another in his roome and himselfe sit idle at home but his alleageance bindeth him to goe in his owne person The like we might say of the rest Thus we haue seene at large that the loue betweene the Pastour and people ouerthroweth the ordinary absence without iust and conscionable causes the one from the other so that if the Minister would assure his owne heart that he loueth the sheepe which he hath taken vpon him to teach he must shew it by feeding them with the wholesome and heauenly pastures of the word of God Secondly it reprooueth such as outwardly are in sheepes cloathing but inwardly are rauening Wolues vnto the Flocke not carefull Pastours not louing Parents but such as haue no prouision no store no food no Bread of Life to breake vnto them but seeke to starue and famish them through want of Milke and meat to put in their mouthes If they be resident and remaine with them and yet doe not instruct them and preach vnto them it is all one as if they were absent from them If there be meat and drinke in the house and none set vpon the Table or giuen to the Children they may dye and perish for hunger These idle Drones are no better then Murtherers and Man-slayers nay Soule-slayers which is the greatest and most bloody Murther For as the Steward that should feede the bodies of such as are in the Family and pineth them to death is a Murtherer and the Nurse that vndertaketh the nourishing of the Childe and yet eyther through daintinesse or idlenesse or wilfulnesse will not draw out the breast but suffereth the Child to languish and perish is a Murtherer of the Childe so such as are Stewards of Gods house and Nurses of Gods people yet feede not their Soules but starue them to death are Bloud-suckers and Murtherers in the highest degree They are worse then the Canibals that liue vpon bloud for these liue vpon the soules of men and carry them head-long to Hell The Lord complaineth in the Prophet g Hos 4 6. That the people perish through want of knowledge Such as are blindely led doe fall into the Ditch with their blind Leaders The bloud of such as perish in their ignorance through want of teaching h Ezek. 3 18. shall be required at the Watch-mans hand The Prophet Dauid hauing the Water of the well of Bethlehem that he longed and lusted to tast brought vnto him i 2 Sam. 23 17 yet would not drinke thereof when he had it but poured it for an offering vnto the Lord because it was the bloud of the men that went in ieopardy of their liues O that these men would consider of their sinne and had a feeling of their iniquity that they eate and drinke the bloud of Men and maintaine themselues by the destruction of their soules Suppose he lead an vnblameable life giue good example to others keepe hospitality fill their bellies make peace among his Neighbours be able priuately to exhort and comfort them and to performe other common workes of Charity yet he hath not discharged the duty of a Minister vnlesse he preach vnto them diligently and faithfully and diuide the word of truth aright Vse 3. Lastly seeing the Minister and people ought to be as Father and Sonne this sheweth the duty of the people that are vnder their Ministery that they regard their Ministers as their Parents honouring them yeelding them due recompence esteeming them as Fellow-workers with God to beget them to Christ to turne them to Saluation to nourish them vp and continue them in the estate of Christ Nay we should account of them if it be possible more then of naturall Parents Of our Parents wee haue receiued onely to be Of our Ministers we haue receiued to be well Of our Parents we haue taken our first birth of our Ministers we haue obtained our second birth Of our Parents we haue beene brought into the World by Generation of our Ministers we haue bin brought into the Church by Regeneration Our first begetting was to death our second or new birth is to Life and Saluation By the first birth wee are Heires of Wrath by the second we are made the Sonnes of God So then if it be better for vs to be borne againe of Water and the Holy Ghost k Iohn 1 13. which cannot proceede from the will of the flesh nor from the will of Man but of God we ought to esteeme of those that are Instruments of our Regeneration as dearelie and tenderly as if they were our Parents and to say with the Apostle l Rom. 10 15 How beautifull are the Feete of them which bring glad tydings of pcace and bring glad tydings of good thinges Hence it is that he speaketh to the Thessalonians m 1 Thes 5 12 We
to the Gospell and by submitting our selues to the Ministery of our owne Pastours to Minister all comfort and giue them cause of reioycing in their labours But if wee seuer our selues from them and refuse their Ministery we greeue them not comfort them we discourage them not encourage them we afflict them not reioyce them It is therefore a most vaine pretence and great folly of such as being reprooued for their negligence in resorting to their owne Pastours answere that they can profit more by another they can be edifyed better by hearing in another place whereas peraduenture they regard not to heare any man and contemne the Gospell out of whose mouth soeuer it proceed and be vttered Besides we haue greatest hope of receiuing blessing from our owne Pastour and euery member of the same assembly must seeke the Lord and serue him in the place appointed vnto vs for that purpose and therefore wee ought not to with-draw our selues from thence where our presence is required If God haue put the word of x 2 Cor. 5 15. Reconciliation into his mouth to say vnto vs in the Name of the Lord be ye reconciled vnto God and haue made an Ambassadour to speake in his Name who is he that shall ouer-rule the ordinance and counsell of God or refuse to submit himselfe vnto his most holy and mercifull assignement Secondly this conuinceth and reprooueth those that contemne deride scorne abase abuse and reuile their Ministers These are vngodly and vngratious Children that thus behaue themselues toward their spirituall Fathers and bereaue themselues of the blessinges that belong to such as obey their Parents These are like to curssed Cham that mocked his Father and heard an horrible cursse denounced against him which tooke effect afterward in his season or to those malicious Children y 2 King 2 24 which mocked the Prophet scorned him and his calling and brought vpon themselues the iudgements of God If we follow their sinne let vs looke for their end if we walke in their waies we must be assured of their wages and if we imitate their deedes wee shall be partakers of their destruction How many are there among vs that are growne to that hight of sinne that they regard not the doctrine that is deliuered but set themselues against the Minister that doth deliuer it These men are growne to bee shamelesse and impudent that regard not the meanes of saluation nor esteeme of the ordinance of God nor desire to heare of their sinnes These haue stiffe neckes and hard hearts they are come to sit downe in the seat of the Scorners and they shall haue the reward of Scorners And let all such as will know nothing else learne this as a certaine rule gathered out of a continual Tenor of the Scriptures and the constant course of Gods iudgements that when once they beginne to make a mocke of sinne and of the meanes that should recouer them out of their sinne then wrath is not farre from them but is neere vnto them The more presumptuous and secure they are the neerer to destruction We see this in the people of Israell 2. Chron. 36. 16. When once they began to dally with God nay with their owne soules z 2 Chron. 36 16. and mocked the Messengers that the Lord God of their Fathers sent to them rising early and late for he had compassion on his people and on his habitation he brought vpon them the King of the Caldeans who spared neither young man nor Virgine neither auncient nor aged God gaue all into his handes This is a fearefull example of his iudgements that fell vpon this people for their contempt of the word and misusing the Messengers that were sent vnto them to teach all men to beware and be warned of falling into the same sinne and returne betimes that if it be possible his plagues may be preuented by timely repentance Few that runne thus farre looke backe againe to say what haue we done When the measure of sinne is perfected the time of iudgement is hastned Howbeit God is able to touch and to turne their hearts and his word before contemned if now it be beleeued is able to saue their Soules Whom I haue begotten in my bondes Before wee heard how the Apostle calleth Onesimus his Sonne In these wordes he expresseth how he became his Sonne namely that by his Ministery hee begat him to God and turned him to beleeue the Gospell Hee setteth downe the force and efficacy of the Ministery of the word and sheweth that it is not an empty sound and an idle noyse of wast words vanished in the ayre without fruit or profit as foolish and franticke Spirits doe blasphemously report but is an effectuall instrument whereby God worketh the Regeneration Conuersion and Saluation of Men. Heereby we learne a Doctrine 3. The preaching of the word is the meanes of regeneration that men are regenerated and borne a-new by the Ministery of the Word to bee the Children of God and Coheires with Christ of eternall life God working by the meanes of his word and by the Ministery of his Seruants whereby hee conueyeth it vnto vs his Spirit being the powerfull Applyer Blesser and Effectour of this new-birth So the Apostle saith b 1 Cor. 4 15. In Christ Iesus through the Gospell I haue begotten you The Prophet Ieremy teacheth That his c Ier. 23 29. Word is like a fire and like an Hammer that breaketh the Stones It is able to burne vp and consume our corruption and to mollifie our stony hearts that we may haue hearts of Flesh This the Apostle Peter speaketh d 1 Pet. 1 23 25. Wee are borne againe not of Mortall but of immortall Seede by the word of God which endureth for euer and this is the word which is preached among you In like manner Iames saith e Iam. 1 18. Of his owne will begat he vs with the word of truth that we should be as the first Fruites of his Creatures To conclude Elihu setting downe diuers meanes that God hath and vseth to instruct Man and to draw him out of sinne vnto himselfe maketh this one and one of the principall f Iob. 33 23 24. If there be a Messenger with him or an Interpretour one of a thousand to declare vnto man his righteousnesse then will he haue mercy vpon him and will say Deliuer him that he goe not downe into the pit for I haue receiued a reconciliation These testimonies both of the Prophets and Apostles are plaine to proue that the word preached is the ordinary Instrumentall cause of our conuersion and regeneration and the meanes that God hath sanctified to bring vs to bee members of the Church and Heires of Saluation Reason 1. The Reasons are very plaine to confirme this point of Doctrine First the word is of a most powerfull and piercing Nature it is hotter then the fire it is stronger then the Hammer it is sharper then the Sword it
q 1 Cor 7 12 13 16. For what knowest thou O Wife whether thou shalt saue thy Husband Or what knowest thou O Man whether thou shalt saue thy Wife So the Apostle Peter setting downe the wiues duty toward her husband saith r 1 Pet. 3 1 Let their wiues be subiect to their Husbandes that euen they which obey not the word may without the word be wonne by the conuersation of their wiues Where we see that some are won to the Faith without the preaching of the worde Answere I answere it is true that God blesseth and sanctifieth many meanes beside the preaching of the word to the good of his Children as Meditation Conference priuate instruction Prayer feare of Hell and such like Notwithstanding many that are conuerted to God are deceiued in the meanes and instrument of their conuersion For albeit such as are afflicted are brought to know themselues and to acknowledge the damnable estate wherein they stood yet it is not the affliction it selfe that wrought their conuersion The trouble that they sustained and endured whether it were in body or in mind or in both was sent by the goodnesse of God vpon them to bring them to a loue of the word who before loathed it and made no account or reckning of it This is it which the Apostle teacheth Å¿ Rom. 3 20. That by the Lawe commeth the knowledge of sinne So affliction may lay before vs the knowledge of our sins but it cannot take them away it may shew vs our wound but it cannot help vs and heale vs it may cast vs downe but it cannot raise vs vp it may bee a Schoole-maister to bring vs to Christ but it cannot make vs partakers of Christ It is like a sharpe Needle which doth not nor cannot sow the cloth but it is necessarie to prepare the way for the thred or it is like an eating or a fretting corrasiue which cannot cure but yet it is profitable to make the way for the healing medicine So the afflictions that God layeth vpon vs may bring vs to the sight and knowledge of our sinnes and to the consideration of the miseries which we deserue and to the feeling of the flashes of hell fire but they cannot worke Faith in vs nor assure vs of pardon nor apply to vs the promise of God touching the remission of sinnes It maketh a good beginning but it cannot bring the worke to perfection The like may bee saide of priuate admonition and a godly conuersation which the Apostles teach may be meanes of saluation to others it is not spoken to lessen or weaken the authority or efficacy of publicke preaching as if it were not the ordinary meanes to conceiue nourish and encrease faith in vs neither is it simply to be vnderstood that they are able to conuert the soule but onely that they are good occasions fit inducements and profitable helpes to drawe vs and allure vs to a liking and louing and longing after faith For when a man that is not a Christian but an Infidell beholdeth the holy pure chast conuersation of his Wife after her calling to the knowledge of the truth and hir subiection and obedience toward himselfe he may be mooued to embrace the Christian Religion whereof he seeth such worthy fruites We haue a notable example heerof in u Ioh. 4 39. 42 the woman of Samaria who perswading the men of the Citty to go out and heare Christ they saide vnto her after they hadde heard his preaching Now we beleeue not because of thy saying for we haue herd him our selues and know that this is indeede that Christ the Sauior of the world The exhortation of this woman preuailed with them to heare Christ and by their hearing they were conuerted she was the cause of their hearing their hearing was the cause of their beleeuing shee was the Instrument that brought them to Christ and hee wrought Faith in them when they vvere brought vnto him Obiection 2. Secondly it is saide that reading is preaching and therefore it is a sufficient meanes of saluation To this purpose they quote Actes 21. Moses of olde time hath in euery City them that preach him seeing he is read in the Synagogue euery Saboth day Loe say they he is preached when he is read therfore the bare reading must needs be preaching yea some adde it is better then preaching because when they heare the Scriptures read they knowe it is the word of God but when they heare preaching it is mens exposition and interpretation and they know not whether it bee true or false sound or vnsound right or wrong Answere I answere this obiection falleth of it selfe and it is ouerthrowne by that whereby it is sought to be strengthned For if reading be preaching then reading cannot be better then preaching inasmuch as nothing can be better or worse then it selfe It is not denied but the word Preaching may in a general sence include not only the reading of the word x Marke 1 45. 5 20. 7. 36 but any other way of declaring and publishing the power truth glory and workes of God Rom. 2 20 21. Psal 19 1 2. but then it is not vsed as wee take the word in the state of the question For wee meane by preaching the expounding of the Scripture according to the proportion of faith applying thereof according to the capacity of the hearers And thus they are set downe in the place alledged before as two distinct things one accompanying and following the other according to the ordinance of God and practise of the seruants of God Hence it is that the Apostle giueth this as a duty and direction belonging to Timothy y 1 Tim. 4 13. Till I come giue attendance to reading to exhortation and to Doctrine So it is sayde in the booke of Nehemiah z Nehe. 8 7 8. The Leuites caused the people to vnderstand the Law and the people stood in their place and they read in the Booke of the Law of God distinctly and gaue the sence and caused them to vnderstand the reading Likewise when Christ came to Nazareth where he had beene brought vp and went into the Synagogue on the Saboth day he stood vp He opened the Booke a Luke 4 17. and read the Scripture then he closed the Booke he sate downe the eyes of all of them were fastned on him and he began to preach vnto them Thus also wee see that when the Apostle Paule wrote his Epistle to the Romaines hee excused himselfe that hee could not come to preach vnto them b Rom. 1 11 15 14. For he longed to see them that he might bestow some spirituall guift among them and acknowledged himselfe a debter to the Grecians and to the Barbarians to the Wisemen and vnto the vnwise so that as much as lay in him hee was ready to preach the Gospell to them also that were at Rome Whereby we see that preaching and hearing are
Ministry as forcible and powerfull to his own soule as euer he perceiued the Ministry of another The threatninges of God denounced by his owne mouth in the name of GOD haue made him shake the consolations that he hath pronounced haue entred into his soule and refreshed his bowels And of this we haue from time to time to our owne comfort a blessed experience Besides if the Lord would blesse other wayes and means to the Minister who is necessarily restrained by the commandement of God the discharge of his calling from the hearing of others what is that to the people who are charged to heare the Law from their mouthes and no way hindred from the performance of this duty so that they must followe the way that God hath left vnto them that is to attend to the ordinance which hee hath chalked out vnto them Obiection 4. Fourthly it may be saide that Christ appointed reading to be an ordinary meanes to beget Faith when he sendeth out his Apostles into the world to i Math. 28 14 teach all Nations which includeth a commaundement to teach them by writing as well as by worde and consequently implyeth that the people should be taught as well by reading their writings as by hearing their preachings to come vnto faith Heereupon it is that Christ willeth the people to search k Iohn 5 39. and 20 31. Luke 16. the Scripture because in them they thought to haue eternall life they did testifie of him And the Apostle Iohn saith These things are written that yee might beleeue that Iesus is that Christ that sonne of God and that in beleeuing ye might haue life through his name So Abraham saide to the rich man They haue Moses and the Prophets let them heare them Answere I aunswere the commandement giuen to the Apostles concerneth principally the preaching of the Gospell by word of mouth and liuely voice vttered in the hearing of the nations and therefore some of them wrote more some of them lesse some of them nothing at all But if the commandement had beene as general for writing as for preaching none of the Apostles would haue omitted it nor could haue stayed their pennes without a manifest breach of their owne duty and Gods commandement Now so farre as their writing was one kind of teaching and included in that word the meaning is for confirmation preseruation of that truth which they deliuered preached among them Thus the Apostle speaketh to the Corinthians l 1 Cor. 15 1 2 I declare vnto you the Gospell which I preached vnto you which ye haue also receiued and wherein ye continue whereby ye are saued if ye keepe in memory after what manner I preached vnto you except ye haue beleeued in vaine Likewise writing to the Romaines m Rom. 15 14 15. I my selfe am perswaded of you my Brethren that ye also are full of goodnesse filled with all knowledge and are able to admonish one another neuerthelesse I haue somwhat boldly after a sort written vnto you as one that putteth you in remembrance thorough the grace that is giuen me of God So the Apostle Iohn saith n 1 Iohn 2 21 I haue not written vnto you because ye know not the truth but because ye know it that no lye is of the truth Whereby we see that they wrote to those to whome before they had preached to confirme them in the truth which they had imbraced and receiued They did not write to them that were wholly ignorant of the truth and had neuer heard the Gospell but to such as they hadde taught to the end that either standing in it they might be established or being falne from it they might be recouered and reclaimed Thus he commendeth o 1 Thes 3 12 the Thessalonians because they had kept all the ordinances and traditions receiued from him and thus he telleth the Galathians p Galath 1 6. That he maruailed much that they were so soon remoued away vnto another Gospell from him that had called them in the grace of Christ It remaineth therefore to answere such testimonies as are alledged to iustifie the sufficiency of reading and to make it an ordinary meanes of saluation Touching the place Iohn 5. commanding the searching of the scriptures Christ Iesus in the same referreth them to the Scriptures or worde written to correct their iudgements touching himselfe his person and offices For whereas they beleeued not the Sermons of Christ and the Lord Iesus could not safely referre them to the chaire of the Scribes and Pharisees who were grossely deceiued and maliciously blinded in that Mystery there remayned onely the reading and searching of the Scriptures that thereby they might learne the truth of his Sermons Againe where the Apostle saith These things were written that ye might beleeue Iohn 20. it is to be vnderstood of the Myracles of Christ wrought for confirmation of his Doctrine and for strengthning of faith as appeareth in the words immediately going before q Iohn 20 30. Many other signes also did Iesus in the presence of his Diseiples which are not written in this Booke And that this is the true and right end of Myracles apeareth by the Apostle to the Hebrews where he sheweth that the Gospell began first to be preached by the Lorde and afterward was confirmed vnto vs by them that heard him r Heb. 2 4. God bearing witnesse thereto both with signes and wonders and with diuers Myracles gifts of the Holy-ghost according to his owne will Lastly where it is saide They haue the Bookes of Moses and the writings of the Prophets let them heare them Luke 16. This is the summe of all our Sermons and preachings we preach nothing out of the Law and the Prophets but both Moses and the Prophets must bee expounded and applyed The Eunuch f Act. 8 30 31 sitting in his Chariot had Moses and the Prophets and read them as he sat yet when Phillip came to him and asked Vnderstandest thou what thou readest He answered How can I without a guide Furthermore the reading of the Scriptures is not heere opposed against the preaching of them but against Visions and Apparitions of the dead as the Prophet speaketh t Esa 8 19 20 When they shall say vnto you Enquire of them that haue a spirit of diuination and at the Soothsayers which whisper and murmure should not a people enquire at their God From the liuing to the dead To the Law and to the Testimony if they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Obiection 5. Fiftly if the word preached bee the ordinary meanes of bringing vs vnto sanctification and so to saluation then where it is not there is not ordinarily saluation and consequently no Church visible where no Minister is Heerby we shall condemne many particular Congregations to be no visible churches because they want the publicke preaching of the word
wisedome in the end be turned into folly our presumption into despaire our dallying with the word into destruction Thirdly wee are put in mind by this meanes of our regeneration to acknowledge the happy estate and condition of that Nation of that people of that parish to whome God hath vouchsafed the preaching of his word because it is a sure pledg proof of his loue toward them and a manifest argument and testimony that he hath a Church there to be gathered a people to be conuerted and many soules to be saued For euen as God withholdeth the meanes of saluation from those that he doth not determine to saue i 1 King 17 1. As he stayeth the heauens from raining vpon the earth when he will bring a famine so when he will shew mercy he wil send the meanes plentifully It was a great mercy to the Iewes when Christ called his Disciples k Math. 10 6. and bad them Go and preach to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel that the kingdom of heauen was at hand It was a great blessing intended to the Macedonians when a vision appeared to Paul in the night l Acts 19 6 10 and 18 10 11. There stood a man of Macedonia and prayed him saying Come into Macedonia and help vs whereby Paul was assured that the Lord had called him to preach the Gospell vnto them It was a great fauour bestowed vppon the Corinthians when the Lorde saide to Paul Feare not but speake and hold not thy peace for I am with thee and no man shall lay hands on thee to hurt thee for I haue much people in this City so he continued there a yeare and sixe months and taught the word of God among them Where the Lord telleth his seruant that he had people there whome he meant to saue and therefore he sent them his word to saue them yea he had much people there to saue and therefore the Apostle must bestow much time and diligence among them to bring them to saluation When God would preserue Moses out of the waters that might haue drowned him hee sent m Exod. 2 5. Pharaohs daughter to the Riuer to take vppe the Childe and to prouide for it who brought him vp at her owne cost So when God will saue a people from their sinnes and make them partakers of his Kingdome hee offereth vnto them the meanes he sendeth his word he giueth guiftes vnto his Ministers hee toucheth their hearts with a Conscience of their duties and causeth them to preach vnto them that so they might be conuerted and saued If God haue thus blessed vs and bestowed this mercy vpon vs which he hath denied to many places and persons n Amos 4 7. causing it to raine vpon one Cittie and not vpon another Cittie so that one peece was rained vppon and the peece vvhereupon it rained not vvithered Let vs therefore acknowledge this goodnesse and walke worthy of this benefit least the Gospell bee remoued from vs and giuen vnto another Nation that will bring forth the fruites of it When the Gospell was offered vnto the Iewes o Acts 18 6. and they resisted blasphemed the Apostle shooke his raiment and saide vnto them Your blood be vpon your owne head I am cleane from henceforth will I go vnto the Gentiles It had beene better for vs we had neuer had the word preached among vs then to haue it offred and we not regard it It shall bee easier for the Turkes and Sarazens in the day of judgement then for vs for if they shall be condemned that neuer had the truth of God among them and knewe not what the preaching of it meaneth much more iustly shall we perish that haue had the Gospell taught in our streets and brought vnto our doores and Christ Iesus described in our sight and among vs crucified Let vs therefore take heede that the Gospell be not the sauour of death to death vnto vs and that Christ be not a rocke of offence to stumble at least if we fall on him he grind vs to peeces and to powder Vse 2 Secondly seeing the word preached is the meanes whereby we are regenerated it teacheth the Minister to be careful to exercise his duty with faithfulnesse and seruiceablenesse to Christ and his Church Heereby he shal deliuer his owne soule gaine glory to God and turne many vnto righteousnesse This made the Apostle say p 1 Tim. 4 15 16. 1 Cor. 4 1. 2 Cor. 4 5 6. We preach not our selues but Christ Iesus the Lord and our selues your seruants for Iesus sake The Lord Iesus himselfe went about all Citties and Townes preaching the Gospell and healing the sicke The Apostle Paule saith of himselfe q 1 Cor. 6 19. A necessity is laide vpon me and woe vnto mee if I preach not the Gospell And thus he exhorteth the Elders of Ephesus Take heede vnto your selues and to all the flocke whereof the Holy-Ghost hath made you Ouer-seers to feede the Church of God which hee hath purchased with his owne blood Acts 20 28. It is his dutie to be well studied in the word of God to exercise himselfe carefully in the reading thereof that he may be able to declare the same vnto the people He must be as a plentifull Store-house of all necessary prouision that they may resort to him and seeke the Lawe at his mouth For how shall he be able to teach another that which hee himselfe hath not learned Or how shall he deliuer that which himselfe neuer receyued Neither is it enough for him to seeke knowledge himselfe and to keepe continually in his study till he become as r Greenh part 4. Sermon 4. one saith as a Tun that wil not sound being full when one knocketh vpon it but he must come foorth and preach the word of God and deliuer wholsome doctrine and declare by feeding the flocke of Christ that hee loueth his Maister and the Maister of the Sheepe whose seruant he professeth himselfe to be This is it which the Apostle Peter teacheth Å¿ 1 Pet. 5 2 3 4 Feede the flocke of God which dependeth vpon you caring for it not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready minde not as though ye were Lords ouer Gods heritage but that ye may be ensamples to the flocke and when that cheefe Shepheard shall appeare ye shall receiue an incorruptible crowne of glory If we do not thus labour but loyter in the Lords Vineyard we cannot assure our selues to be the Ministers of the Lord but robbers and spoylers nay murtherers and man-slayers who do not onely eate the sins of the people and fill our bellies with the sweat of other mens browes but make a prey of their soules and expose them to bee destroyed and deuoured of their enemies When the great day of the Lord shall come and the great Shepheard of the Sheepe shall appeare and a great account of our Stewardshippe
that sought his life to take it away he spared him when he might haue slaine him and hee cut off onely a peece of his coate when he might as easily haue cut off his head which kindnesse of his heaped vp coales of fire vppon his head and so wrought with him k 1 Sa. 24 17 that hee called him Sonne and prayed God to recompence vnto him that goodnesse that he had shewed and ceased from persecuting of him at that time The like example wee haue in Elisha l 2 King 6 22 23. who woulde not suffer the Horsemen that were sent to take him to be smitten with the sword but commanded Bread and water to be set before them so they did eate and drinke they refreshed themselues and returned to their Maister Let vs follow these worthy presidents and account all men our neighbors let vs account our selues bound in dutie to help them and do vnto them as we would haue them deal toward vs. Thus we see what loue is we haue heard from whence it commeth wherein it consisteth and to whom it is to be shewed It commeth from God and is the worke of his spirit it consisteth in a fellow-feeling of their good and greefe of their prosperity and aduersity so that we shold reioyce with them and mourne with them according to the condition wherein they are it is to be shewed to all such as are of the same nature and are couered with the same flesh that is to all mankinde Secondly we are to consider the property of this Loue m The property of Loue. how it is to be performed For as we haue seene the parties who are to be loued euen al so we must marke the manner how they are to be loued that is feruently and earnestly This is taught by the Apostle Iohn n 1 Iohn 3 18 11 12. My little children let vs not loue in word neither in tongue onely but in deede and in truth This also he pointed out a little before This is the Message that yee heard from the beginning that wee should Loue one another not as Caine who was that wicked one and slew his Brother And the Apostle Paule saith o Rom. 12 9. Let Loue be without dissimulation Likewise in the Epistle to the Galathians p Galat. 4 18. It is a good thing to Loue earnestly alwayes in a good thing and not onely when I am present with you Our Loue therefore must not onely be true but feruent and that for these causes We haue the perfect example of Christ q Iohn 10 11 Who gaue his life for his Sheepe and suffered the shamefull death of the crosse to redeeme them Againe if occasion require it and our calling will beare it r 1 Iohn 3 16. we ought so to Loue them as wee shoulde giue our liues for the brethren which duty wee can neuer fulfill except our Loue bee feruent Lastly there are manie meanes to quench Loue as wronges iniuries vnkindnesse vnthankfulnesse hatred and emulation all these corrupt affections are as water to the fire Seeing then it is so quickely and by so many meanes cooled and quenched let vs kindle it and labour to continue it that it may alwayes burne and not decay This feruent Loue is a rare Iewell which seemeth almost gone out of the world Thirdly we must know the forme and manner how wee are to Loue our brethren to wit euen as our selues By this rule our practise must bee squared and by this rule shall our loue be iudged As we wish our own good hartily sincerely and vnfaignedly so ought we to desire the good of our neighbor It is the Law of Nature that teacheth vs to doe to others as wee would haue others do to vs. It is the Law of God that commandeth vs to Loue our neighbor as our selues Our Loue must be without hypocrisy and dissimulation from the very heart This hearty Loue is as it were the life and soule of the duty due to our brethren Let vs therefore loue them with a sincere affection and in vnfaigned simplicity This appeareth plainly in such as prayed for their persecutors and vtter enemies as Stephen when they stoned him kneeled downe and cried out with a lowd voyce Å¿ Acts 7 60. Lorde lay not this sinne to their charge And our Sauiour Christ when they crucified him said t Lu. 23 33 34 Father forgiue them for they know not what they do If we can practise and performe the like wish their good as our owne pray for them as for our selues and desire their forgiuenesse as we would be forgiuen of God then is this true loue to our true comfort found in vs. Vse 2 Secondly seeing this is the Loue that must bee found in vs towardes the Saints it serueth to meet with many enormities and to reproue manie sinnes that raigne in the world and are as the fore-runners of the full and finall ruine thereof Our loue to others is a cold loue frozen without heat dead without life barren without fruite such as our Sauior speaketh of in the gospell u Math. 24 12 Because iniquitie shall be encreased the Loue of many shall be cold But our Loue is hot toward our selues we haue abundance of selfeloue which ouerfloweth in vs and ouercommeth true loue This is the onely loue that remaineth in the worlde in these daies which is the corruption nay the bane and poyson of true loue This is it which the Apostle prophesied of long agoe x 2 Tim. 3 1 2 This know also that in the last dayes shall come perrillous times for men shall be louers of their owne selues without naturall affection no louers at all of them which are good Where we see that Paul prophesying of the last dayes daies of great perill and much impiety doth put selfe-loue in the first place as it were in the forefront and make it the fountaine from whence the traine floweth that followeth afterward For he which loueth himselfe will not regard what he doth to others and arrogateth all things to himselfe hee setteth vp himselfe as the onely man of account he magnifyeth himselfe hee contemneth all others Hence it is that he is couetous proud treacherous stubborne heady high minded and heapeth or hoordeth vp sinne vpon sinne till he fill vp the measure The worlde is pestered with these Monopolies which are all for themselues nothing for the common good of Church or Countrey We haue a common Prouerbe rife in their mouthes but more rife and ripe in the practise of the people Euery one for himself and God for vs all The first branch sheweth what is in vse but the second part must be changed for where euerie one is for himselfe there the Deuill is for all Wherefore the former is the Deuils Prouerbe and is no more to be vsed among Gods people The Christian Prouerbe must be Euery one for his Brother and God for vs all y 1 Cor. 13 5
faces from the faithfull as the Priest and Leuite did in the Gospell but be ready to helpe as God giueth ability and offereth opportunity Nay it is not enough for vs to succor such religious Saints as we see want succour but we must learne and labour to know the state of the Church and aske of others howe it fareth with the godly poore among vs. The children of God haue gone before vs in the doing of this dutie It is noted of Abraham the Father of the faithfull that he waited not till the strangers craued entertainment at his hands but he ran to meete them from the Tent doore and prayed them to take some refreshing at his hands z Ge. 18 19 Heb. 13 2. whereby he receiued Angels into his house at vnawares If we beleeue him to be the Father of the faithfull as the Scripture calleth him that we would be accounted as his children wee must be carefull to doo the workes of Abraham They are not children that tread not in his steps and follow not his example The like we might say of Lot who sat at the gate of Sodom and rose vp to meete the men and prayed them to turne into their seruants house and to lodge with him all night The holy man Iob iustifieth his innocency cleareth himselfe from Hypocrisie a Iob. 31 32 That he suffered not the stranger to lodge in the street but opened his doores vnto him that went by the way Nehemiah was carefull to know the state of the Church b Nehem. 1 2. and asked his brethren that came from Ierusalem concerning the Iewes that were deliuered which were of the residue of the captiuity by whom he heard that they liued in great affliction in reproach that the Citty was broken downe and the gates thereof burnt with fire So the Shunamite hauing prepared a Chamber for Elisha to lodge him and set therein a bed and a Table a Stoole and a Candlesticke constrained him to come into her house to eate bread We see how Lazarus and his two Sisters Martha and Mary receiued the Lord Iesus to house c Luke 10 38. Iohn 11 3. ministred vnto him They fed him and hee fed them they gaue him the meate that perisheth but he gaue them the bread of life and the meate that endureth for euer Likewise the Euangelist Luke noteth in the Acts of the Apostles that when the heart of Lydia was opened to attend to the thinges that Paule deliuered she besought them saying d Acts 16 15. If ye iudged me to be faithfull to the Lord come into my house and abide there and she constrained them These are worthy examples of faithfull men and women that teach vs by their owne practise what maner of seruice is due to the Saints not onely to helpe those whose miserie we know but to enquire of them whose state we do not know This indeed is pure and perfect loue when we do to our brethren as we desire they shold deale toward vs. The Wise-man would haue euery one e Prou. 27 23 to bee diligent to know the state of his flocke much more it is required of vs to enquire the state of Gods flocke which is his Church that hee hath redeemed with his precious blood It is not therefore enough for vs to say wee knew not their wants seeing all those are wilfully ignoraunt that haue the meanes to come knowledge and yet will not vse the meanes We may oftentimes know the necessities of the Saints but we will not enquire of them because we wil not know them This shal not excuse vs in the sight of God but accuse the more because our ignorance is affected ignorance inasmuch as we might knowe and yet we do not desire to know Verse 14. But without thy minde would I do nothing that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessitie but willingly We haue seene already the reason why Paul was desirous to haue retained Onesimus with him to wit that hee might haue ministred vnto him and serued him in his afflictions that did befall him for the Gospels sake Now he declareth the reason why without the knowledge and consent of Philemon he would not detaine him to the end that the dutie or good turne which he might that way receiue at his handes might be done freely willingly and chearefully not by constraint and compulsion Doctrine 2. All Christian duties done to God or man must be done willingly and cheerefully Heereby we learne that all Christian duties doone to God or man must be done with a free willing chearefull and hearty affection This is it which the Lord requireth Deut. 6. Heare ô Israell the Lord our God is Lorde onely And thou shalt loue the Lord thy God f Deut. 6 5. Math. 22 37. with all thine hart and with all thy soule and with all thy might So the Prophet Dauid g Psa 119 108 prayeth O Lord I beseech thee accept the free offerings of my mouth and teach me thy iudgments No other Sacrifices please God but such as are free and voluntary all things must bee done in loue with a ready minde The Apostle teacheth that h Rom. 12 8. Hee that distributeth must do it with simplicity he that ruleth with diligence he that sheweth mercie with chearefulnesse This also was figured out vnto vs in the shadowes and Ceremonies of the Law when the people were commaunded to offer a male without blemish presenting him i Leuitic 1 3. of his owne voluntarily vvill at the doore of the Tabernacle of the congregation before the Lorde declaring thereby that our seruing of him must not be grudgingly but wee must performe it frankly and freely and with a willing minde The Apostle moouing the Corinthians to bountifulnesse toward the poor Saints at Ierusalem teacheth them that they must offer a free will offring k 2 Cor 8 19 I sent the brother whose praise is in the Gospell which seemeth to bee l Acts 13 2. Barnabas who is also chosen of the Churches to be a fellow in our iourney concerning this grace which is ministred by vs vnto the glory of the same Lord and declaration of your prompt minde All these vvords of Scripture are vvitnesses of this trueth beyond all exception that God neuer liketh of constrained seruice but will haue men to doo their duties to him voluntarily as is fit to be performed of the creature toward his Creator and of the Childe tovvard his Father Reason 1. Let vs see hovv the reasons vvil make this better to appeare vnto vs that vve may haue strong proofe to put the matter out of all doubt First God loueth a cheerefull giuer a cheerefull seruant a cheerfull seruice It is the hart and the invvard affections that he accepteth regardeth vvhich is the principall part of a man and the fountaine from whence al outward actions proceed He will haue the heart or else he will
pretenses or excuses or delayes shal auaile vs. Then shal the poore begger appeare without his rags the rich Glutton without his Robes Couetous Indas without his bagges Crafty Gehazi without his money Proud Haman without his Honor Aspyring Absolon without his Ambition Murthering Caine without his Weapon Cunning Achitophell without his Pollicy The Kings of the earth must lay downe the glory of their Crownes and the dignity of their Scepters the Nobles must renounce the Ensignes of honor and all persons must set aside outward respects of honor and dishonor of glory and shame of fauor and contempt Neuerthelesse it is to be obserued that albeit these men must stand before the throne of God without these respects that they made their chiefest felicity yet they shall not appeare without their cruelty bribery treachery blasphemy couetousnes such like impiety for their euill works shal follow them cleaue fast vnto them Let vs therefore neuer think to escape when we shal com naked before the eternal Iudge as euer we came into the world more naked then we departed out of the world for wheras some haue their Coffins to couer them others their Tombs to beutify them and all men their winding sheets to wrap their Carkasses in whē the Lord shal descend with thousands of his Angels they shal not haue a rag or a poore fig-leafe to hide their shame Let vs seek while we haue time to put on Christs righteousnesse as a Garment that we may be able to stand before the sonne of man and receiue the glory prepared for vs before the foundations of the earth were laide Specially to me how much more then vnto thee both in the flesh and in the Lord. We haue heard how the Apostle accounteth and how he would haue Philemon account of Onesimus to wit aboue a Seruant euen as a beloued Brother In these words he vrgeth him farther and sheweth that hee had more cause to respect him and greater reason to loue him then himselfe had because he was ioyned to him by more bands whereof two he nameth one of the flesh as being his seruant the other in the Lord as being his brother Paule was mooued to respect him onely in regarde of the common fayth and therefore he saith if he were not so much a Seruant as a Brother to him much more hee ought to bee so to his Maister not because hee was his seruant as other seruants are but because he was the Lords seruant so that hee was bounde to loue him both for the Lordes sake and for his owne sake Doctrine 6. The more bands reasons are giuen vs to care for any the more we are bound to care for him Heereby there is offered to our considerations this Lesson to bee learned that the more bandes and reasons are giuen vnto vs of God to care for anie the more wee are bound to care for him and to respect him A professor of the Gospell is more to be regarded then he that is wirhout One of the same Nation more then a stranger one of our own Kindred more then another farther from vs a Neighbour more then one that dwelleth manie Miles from vs one of a mans house more then him that is out of his house a Kinsman conuerted to the faith becom a true and perfect Christian more then a Kinsman not conuerted A Child that hath the sparks of grace in him more then a Childe voyde of them a Seruant fearing God more then a Seruant in the same family that doth not feare God nor regard his worde nor make Conscience of the meanes of his saluation Abraham loued Isaac the sonne of Promise hauing more graces in him f Gen. 21 9 10 14. 25 5 6. more then Ishmael the son of the bond-woman and a scoffing wretch and more then all the Sonnes of Keturah to whom he gaue guifts and sent them away Wee see this in the dealing of Abraham toward Lot his Nephew he would suffer no contention to rest among them and when he heard he was taken prisoner he would not haue stirred for the wicked sinners that dwelt in Sodome but hee armed his seruants to recouer him out of the hands of his enemies This is it which Salomon teacheth g Prou. 27 10 Better is a Neighbor that is neere then a Brother farre off The Apostle teacheth this truth when he giueth this precept While wee haue time let vt do good to all men h Gal. 6 10. but especially to them which are of the houshold of faith And in another place i Tim. 5 4. If any Widdow haue Children or Nephewes let thē learne first to shew godlinesse towardes their owne house and to recompence their Kindred To this also we are directed in the fift Commandement when we are commanded to Honour Father and Mother Wherby appeareth the truth of this doctrine that it standeth with Gods ordinance to haue the most care of those and to shew the greatest fruits of loue vnto them to whom wee are bound in the greatest and neerest bands Reason 1. The Reasons being wisely considered will make this plainely to appeare vnto vs. It is a generall sentence deliuered by Salomon in the booke of Ecclesiastes k Eccl. 4 9 10. Two are better then one and a threefold Cord is not easily broken Wheresoeuer there are stronger Cordes to tye vs and moe bandes to ioyne vs together our Loue ought to bee the more greater one towardes another Manie stickes make the greater Fire and many stringes the better Musicke Reason 2. Secondly it is a thing verie well pleasing in the sight of God to consider what meanes he hath affoorded to encrease mutuall loue and societie one with another This is the reason vrged by the Apostle to perswade the Children and Nephewes of poore Widdowes to take care for their Parents according to their ability l 1 Tim. 5 4. Because that is an honest thing and acceptable before God Now we are bound vnto them by many effectuall Reasons as it were with barres of Iron and bandes of Brasse to nourish those that haue nourished vs that haue fedde vs that haue cloathed vs that haue begotten vs and brought vs into the world so that wee must acknowledge it both right and reasonable Reason 3. Thirdly such as breake these bands cast away these Cords from them do set themselues against the Doctrine of Christ and may be sent to schoole to the Infidels nay to the brute beasts which are not voide of a certaine naturall affection This the Apostle teacheth m 1 Tim. 5 8. If there be any that prouideth not for his owne and namely for them of his houshold he denieth the faith is worse then an Infidell For howsoeuer they professe the Faith in words yet in deede and in truth they deny it But God is delighted with our workes not with our words and looketh vpon the substance not the shewe of our Religion
according as the Apostle speaketh n Titus 1 16. They professe that they know God but by workes they deny him and are abhominable and disobedient and vnto euerie good worke Reprobate This profession is vaine and hyppocritall and no more regarded of God then the leaues of a Tree of him that looketh to finde fruite vpon it So then seeing two are better then one seeing it is a thing wel pleasing with God and last of all seeing the Faith is denied of those that regard such as are nearest to them nothing at al we learne howsoeuer we owe somwhat to all mankind and there is a common band that knitteth vs fast togither yet where the debt is greatest there we are bound to pay most where the Obligation is straightest there we are to performe the greatest duties Vse 1. The Vses remaine to be considered First of all if it be a dutie of man toward man to require most where most is committed and to yeelde the greatest loue againe where are the greatest occasions to couple and combine vs together then much more are we bound vnto the Lord of whom we haue receiued all to whom we doe owne all and by whom we doe enioy all We must doe homage to him as to our King we must giue honour to him as to our Father o Mal. 1 6. we must yeeld him feare as to our Maister we must performe subiection to him as to our Creator we must shew obedience to him as to our Law-giuer He would be holden as a man vtterlie voyde of all wit and wisedome who being indebted vnto many men and owing to some more and to others lesse bound to some in one band to others in two to others in many bands to some owing all that he hath and to others more then he hath or is able to pay would begin to pay his debts without difference and discretion deliuering much to whom he oweth little and little to whom he oweth much satisfying two bands where he is bound in one onely and regarding onely to haue one cancelled where many other are required at his hands Thus it fareth with euery one of vs to one we owe one Talent to another three Tallents to another fiue Tallents but to God we are aboue all others most deepely indebted we owe vnto him our goods our good Names our substance our libertie our liues our selues our soules our bodies and when wee haue giuen him all all will not serue to pay him seeing we owe vnto him more then we haue Hence it is that our Sauiour saith p Math. 22 37 38 39. Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thine heart with all thy Soule and with all thy minde this is the first and the great Commaundement and the second like vnto this Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe We see then the order of the Commaundements set downe by the God of order that God hath the first place and man the second the duties we owe vnto him are preferred before the duties we owe to our Brethren And if we marke the Lords prayer and the order which we are taught to obserue in our Prayers and Petitions we shall finde those ranged in the first place that touch the honour of his Name before such as belong to our necessities so that the duties are greater the Chaines are stronger the bands are faster and the reasons are firmer to binde vs and knit vs vnto God In him q Acts 17 28. and 14 17. we liue and mooue and haue our being He sendeth Raine and fruitfull seasons he filleth our hearts with ioy and gladnesse He made vs and not we our selues he made vs of nothing and when we became deformed hee reformed vs. He hath written his Lawes in our hearts and our sinnes and iniquities he will remember no more What wrong and iniury hath the Lord done vs that hauing receiued so many pledges of his fauour and sealed so many bands acknowledging the infinite debts that ws owe vnto him wee should preferre Dust and Ashes before him and set vp proud flesh in disgrace and despite of him We see what mightie and waightie reasons wee haue to magnify him aboue all Creatures in Heauen and Earth and to aduance him aboue all excellency that is in man whose breath is in his Nosthrils and yet who is it that giueth him his due and doth not extoll the Creature aboue the Creator who is blessed for euer True it is euery man will pretend loue to God as to him that hath elected him created him redeemed him called him adopted him iustified him sanctified him and preserued him But doe we loue his word aboue our owne pastimes and pleasures Our Sauiour saith r Iohn 14 23. If any Man loue mee hee will keepe my word and my Father will loue him and we will come and dwell with him he that loueth not me keepeth not my word If then we preferre the following of our owne vanities before the hearing of his truth we plainely bewray the hypocrisie of our hearts and shew that our loue is fastned vpon the Earth We will all seeme to loue the Lord and his word least all men should condemne vs and cry shame of vs but this our loue continueth no longer then till some profit or pleasure round vs in the eare and come in comparison as it were to be waighed in the ballance together then farewell God and his Word and his Sabbaoths we will none of them so long as we haue the other to follow after What is more common in continuall practise then this Will not a drunken Feast a ryotous company of prophane Fellowes sooner draw vs to their Lure then a conscience of our duty to God to keepe vs at home to attend to his ordinances for the saluation of our Soules Euery man almost can say the Commandements and pronounce the words but they consider not the meaning of them and how large they are They know the Law Å¿ Exod. 20 3. Thou shalt haue no other Gods but me and they would complain of the iniurie done them if they should be charged to breake the same Neuerthelesse if we loue the World more then we loue God or delight in our Riches more then in his Worship if we trust in the Creature more then in the Creator or if we feare men more then God we offend him and transgresse his Commaundement Let vs now consider with our selues how deeply we are indebted vnto God and remember that we owe many duties vnto him he hath giuen vs much so that he may require much of vs again he hath bestowed many blessings vpon vs and therefore he looketh for the greater seruice at our hands Vse 2 Secondly seeing the Band and Obligation is much more powerfull and astringent to some then vnto others albeit we are required and charged to loue all men as they are men and to wish well vnto them according to the diuers degrees whereby they
the truth but to haue our harts and affections sanctified to follow it It behoueth therefore not to rest our selues satisfied with generall notions but so to ensue after them as that we make speciall application of thē Dauid in general knew that Adultery was euill Noah knew that drunkennesse was beastly Peter knew the denying of his Maister was fearefull yet in the brunt of tentation though the minde had knowledge of it the affections would not refuse it but yeelded as a Cittie besiedged by an enemy Fourthly the Apostle putteth Philemon in minde that seeing there was so neere a coniunction between them twaine that they were become as it were one man and had one minde in two bodies it followeth that whatsoeuer was ioyned to one of them ought of necessity to bee ioyned to the other Whereby we see that such as are our friends ought to be also the friends of our friends that is of those that are ioyned vnto vs. Philemon was the friend of Paule and therefore if Onesimus were the friend of one he must needes be the friend of the other Paule and Philemon were as two Brethren if then Onesimus were the Brother of Paule he ought also to be accounted the Brother of Philemon and therefore he would haue him receiued as himselfe It is no true friendshippe when one taketh profession to loue another man and yet hateth him which is his cheefest and dearest friend for if indeede we loued him we would for his sake loue the other that loueth him This we see in the couenant made with Abraham n Iam. 2 23. who is called The friend of God whereby it appeareth o Gen. 12 3. that the Lord promised to be a friend to his friends and an enemy to his enemies Fiftly in the amplification of the conclusion he addeth As my selfe thereby shewing that he would haue him regarded no otherwise then himselfe Whereby we learne that our loue to the Brethren ought not to be in word or in tongue or in shew but in deed in truth and in hart This is Christian loue this was in Christ toward vs and this should be in all of vs one toward another 1. Iohn 3 18. Rom. 12 9. 1 Pet. 4 8. These particular obseruations and sundry others might be stood vpon and farther enlarged but I haue only pointed them out and will leaue them to your farther consideration I wil onely stand vpon the Doctrines that are more principally intended and more particularly purposed which consist in the strength of the reason and in the truth of the words in themselues considered If thou account our things common receiue him as my selfe This reason is drawne from the working cause Where to moue Philemon to graunt his petition he alleadgeth the communion that was betweene them If I bee partaker with thee and thou with mee of the common benefites so that the same thing which is mine is thine and the same thinges which are thine I may account mine thou being my Friend canst not deny to loue and receiue him that is my Friend Indeede if we had onely a priuate respect vnto our selues so that my things were mine owne and not thine and thy things were thine owne and not mine thou mightest deny me my request but seeing thou art another my selfe and deare vnto me as mine owne soule it is a forcible reason to stirre thee vp both to heare and graunt that which I desire and request of thee Doctrine 1. The consideration of the cōmunion one with another ought to moue vs to regard one another From hence we learne that the consideration of the mutuall coniunction that we haue one with another giueth vs an interest one in another and ought greatly to moue vs to heare and regard each other So then the acknowledgement of our communion ought to stirre vs vp to haue such a care one of another that nothing requested vpon good ground should be denyed This is it which the Father of the faithfull calleth vnto Lots remembrance p Gene. 13 8. Actes 7 26 Let not vs striue for we are Brethren So dealeth Moses toward the Israelites he shewed himselfe vnto them as they stroue and would haue set them at one againe saying Sirs ye are Brethren why doe yee wrong one to another The Apostle telleth the Ephesians that they were as one Body and one Spirit they had all one Faith and Baptisme and hope of saluation q Ephe. 4 3 4. and thereupon perswadeth with them to endeuour to keep the vnitie of the Spirit in the Bond of peace Thus he teacheth the Corinthians r 1 Cor. 12 13 By one spirit we are all baptized into one body whether we be Iewes or Grecians whether we be bond or free and haue been all made to drinke into one spirit so that the gifts giuen vnto vs are giuen to profit withall The Apostle Iohn speaketh to this purpose Hereby haue we perceiued loue that he laid downe his life for vs therefore we ought also to lay downe our liues for the Brethren This appeareth in the practise of Christ ſ Iohn 11 11. he said vnto his Disciples Our friend Lazarus sleepeth but I go to wake him vp Where we see he maketh the friendship that was betweene them a motiue to go to Bathania to raise him vp from the dead This is offered also vnto vs in the parable propounded by Christ Which of you shall haue t Luke 11 5. a friend and shall go to him at midnight and say to him Friend lend me three loaues c. declaring thereby that he which hath a friend indeed resteth vpon him and is bold with him in the time of his necessitie Al these places and examples teach vs to be ready to performe all duties of loue and kindnesse one to another seeing there is or ought to be a common fellowship among vs. Reason 1. The reasons of this truth are very plaine and apparant For first of all we haue all of vs one common Father we are al his children we haue one common Maker we are the worke of his hands If then we be so neerely tied so closely linked yoked one to another we ought to haue a great care and respect one of another This is it which Iob considered to moue him to mildnesse toward his Inferiors u Iob 31 15. He that hath made me in the wombe hath he not made him Hath not he alone fashioned vs in the womb Where he sheweth that the Maister and the Seruant haue one and the same Creator so that they are so straightly ioyned together as that they are bound to bee beneficiall one to another To this purpose Salomon saith x Prou. 22 2. The rich and the poore meet together the Lord is the maker of them all that is they liue together in a common fellowship and one standeth in need of another Reason 2. Secondly as we haue one common Father so we haue one head and
are Seruants to sinne other are Seruants to righteousnesse and whosoeuer is Seruant to one cannot be Seruant to the other they are so opposite and contrary the one to the other that no man can serue these two Maisters This is it which the Apostle Iohn handleth He that Å¿ 1 Iohn 3 8. committeth sinne is of the Deuill for the Deuill sinneth from the beginning for this purpose was made manifest that Son of God that he might loose the workes of the Deuill Let vs all suffer the Ministers of the Gospell to take vs out of the hands of Sathan and to subdue vs to the Kingdome of Christ by the two-edged Sword that goeth out of his mouth Thus much may suffice for the generall obseruations which arise out of the words and might be stood vpon at large but I haue onely breefelie pointed them out Now let vs particularly lay open such doctrins as are more especially aymed at in these words If he hath hurt thee or oweth thee ought c. In the former verse we haue heard how the Apostle hath reasoned on this manner with Philemon If our things be common thou oughtest to receiue him to fauour whom I haue so great cause to fauour vrging a community and fellowship in all Gods blessings But in this verse he acknowledgeth a debt to Philemon from Onesimus and doth take it vpon himselfe to answere it Doctrine 1. The communion of the Saints doth not take away the possession interest that is in the things of this life We learne from hence that the communion which is among the faithfull Saints doth not take away the priuate possession dominion distinction and interest in the things of this life Albeit the things belonging to this temporall life be in some respect common yet in another respect they are priuate They are common touching vse they are priuate touching possession This appeareth in the practise of the Fathers that liued after the flood as Abraham Isaac Iacob Iob Dauid and diuers others who albeit they willingly imparted to their Brethren the blessings of God bestowed vpon them yet they had their speciall houses of abode inheritances of lands possessions of goods Flocks of Sheep heards of Cattell and distinction of Seruants Mark this in the order that God tooke with his owne people when he had subdued their Enemies and brought them into the Land t Num. 32. and 34. euery Tribe had his seuerall inheritance and euery Family in the Tribe had his peculiar possession deuided vnto him by lot to auoyd all Controuersie and contention among them When Naboth was vrged by Ahab to passe his Vineyard to him eyther by sale or by exchange he answered u 1 King 21 3. The Lord keepe me from giuing the Inheritance of my Fathers vnto thee This is it which Salomon speaketh in the Prouerbs x Prâ—… 5 15 16 17. Drinke the Water of thy Cesterne and of the Riuers of Waters in the streetes but let them bee thine euen thine onely and not the Strangers with thee He teacheth the faithfull to liue of their owne labours and to be helpefull to the godly that want Great were the wants and miseries of the poore Saints of God as we see in the Actes of the Apostles so that many solde their possessions to releeue the distressed Members of the Church yet the Apostle Peter saith to Annanias who had kept backe a part of the price of that he had sold y Acts 5 4. Whilst it remained appertained it not vnto thee And after it was solde was it not in thine owne power How is it that thou hast conceiued this thing in thine heart Thou hast not lied vnto men but vnto God By which words it is manifest that albeit the Saints accounted nothing their owne but had all thinges common among themselues yet they alwaies retained a seuerall right and propriety in those things that they possessed Reason 1. This truth will yet further and better appeare vnto vs if we enter into the consideration of the Reasons that serue to strengthen it First it is confirmed by the Commaundements of God and by the fourth petition of the Lords Prayer The z Exod. 20 15 eight Commaundement forbiddeth vs to steale away our Neighbours goods and to do him the least hurt therein The tenth commandement a Exod. 20 17. restraineth the inward lusts motions that arise in our minds and condemneth the coueting of his house of his wife of his seruant of his oxe of his asse or of any thing that belongeth vnto him If then God commandeth the preseruation of euery mans goods and forbiddeth all iniuries to be offered vnto them it standeth vs vpon to acknowledge a right and interest that euery one hath in earthly things giuen vnto him Likewise our Sauiour Christ teacheth vs b Mat. 6 11. daily to aske our daily bread so that no man ought to desire that which is anothers bread but euery one to know his owne what God hath giuen him and what he hath giuen to others If then there be bread that is ours then also there is bread that is not ours And if somewhat be ours and somewhat not ours it followeth that euery one hath an interest in his owne goods and cannot lay hold on another mans Reason 2. Secondly the inuading of other mens inheritances and the incroaching vpon their priuate possessions is the fruit either of a confused Anarchy or of a loose gouernment and both of them are contrary to that ordinance which God establisheth and the order that he requireth This we see in the latter end of the booke of Iudges where it is recorded and oftentimes repeated that c Iudg. 17 6 18. 1. 19 1. 21 25. In those daies there was no King in Israell but euery man did that which was good in his owne eyes And what I pray you was that Euen that which was starke naught they brake out into open outrages riots vsurpations oppressions and community of women All thinges were out of course no man ordered his life aright euery man followed his owne lustes But God is a God of order and not of confusion d 1. Cor 14 33 40. as the Apostle teacheth 1. Cor. 14 God is not the author of confusion but of peace as we see in all the Churches of the Saintes let all thinges be done honestly and in order But if euery man may enter vpon the labours of other men and take to himselfe what he pleaseth it would bring as great a confusion of families and common wealths e Gen. 11 8. as once there was of tongues when one did not vnderstand another so that they were constrained to breake off the worke they had begun Reason 3. Thirdly euery one hath a proper and peculiar possession his owne seruants to order his owne ground to till his owne fieldes to husband his own family to gouerne and his owne domesticall affaires to manage that
deliuered the Poore that cryed the fatherlesse and him that had none to helpe him the blessing of him that was ready to perish came vpon me and I caused the Widdowes hart to reioyce Where we see how he rendereth an account of his life past being of his Aduersaries charged with great wickednesse and much dissimulation So the Prophet describing the blessednesse of that Man that feareth the Lorde and delighteth greatlie in his Commaundements saith y Psal 112 9. He hath distributed and giuen to the Poore his righteousnesse remaineth for euer his Horne shall be exalted with glorie He sheweth heereby that the godlie doe not spare niggardlie but distribute liberallie according as the necessitie of the poore Saints requireth and as his owne power and abilitie suffereth him Heereunto commeth the precept of Christ z Luke 12 33 Sell that yee haue and giue Almes make you Bagges which waxe not old a Treasure that can neuer faile in Heauen where no Theefe commeth neither Moath corrupteth Let vs consider that God hath made the poore as well as the Rich and that the poore man is our owne Flesh Especiallie let vs alwaies remember that the godly poore are our Bretheren in Christ a Math. 25 34. and that in the last iudgement the Lorde Iesus will account it and reward it as done vnto himselfe whatsoeuer hath beene bestowed vpon his needy and distressed Brethren If we be carefull to practise these duties of Christian Charity and Community it shall auaile to seale vp Gods fauour toward vs in the remission of our sins and much aduantage vs to obtaine many blessinges seeing many supplications shall be made and offered vp for vs and so we shall tast the fruite that wee haue planted and haruest the Corne that wee haue sowed For b Gal. 6 7. Whatsoeuer a Man soweth that he shall reape as the Apostle testifieth to the Galathians and therefore if wee be diligent to helpe the poore and needie we shall receiue a full recompence with much increase into our owne bosomes That impute to me I will recompence thee c. See heere the most earnest affection of Paule for this poore Seruant He offereth himselfe to become Suretie and Pay-maister for Onesimus to answere for his debt and to stand as a debter himselfe in his place in respect of his Creditor and to pay whatsoeuer would be or could bee required at his handes Obiection But before we come to the point of instruction here offered to our consideration it shall not be amisse to answer a question that may here be demanded how he promiseth the paiment of mony to another who vnlesse he were himself helped and sustained of the Churches had not whereupon to liue We know how it went oftentimes with the Apostles by the confession of Peter and of Iohn who said to the Cripple that lay at the gate of the temple c Actes 3. 6. Siluer gold haue we none And the Apostle Paule was also constrained to labour with his owne handes How then is he on a suddaine become so wealthy as to offer his seruice to another and to vndertake to discharge the debt of another Answere I answere the meaning of the Apostle is that he would haue him forgiue his Seruant and to require the debt neither of him nor of his Seruant as appeareth euidentlie by the whole course of the preuenting of this Obiection Hee would not therefore haue him to contend with his poore penitent Seruant nor seeke any trouble against him vnlesse he would account him a debter in his stead And furthermore he addeth forth-with that Philemon was indeede wholy his to whom he owed all that he had so that if he would require the debt he should consider that the paiment was already made From this offer that Paule maketh which is to satisfie another mans debt Wee d Doctrin 2. It is lawfull for one man to become surety for another learne that it is a lawfull thing for one man to become Suretie for another and to engage himselfe for his sure and faithfull Friend of whom he is well perswaded Howsoeuer suretiship be to some very hurtfull and to all dangerous yet it is to none in it selfe and of it owne nature vnlawfull or sinnefull This truth is confirmed vnto vs by diuers examples of such as haue gone before vs in the practise of this dutie When Iacob refused to send his youngest and beloued Sonne Beniamin whom he begat in his old age into Egipt with his other Sonnes to fetch Corne saying Ye haue robbed me of my Children Ioseph is not and Simeon is not and ye will take Beniamin all these things are against me e Gene. 42 36 37. Then Ruben answered his Father saying Slay my two Sons if I bring him not to thee againe deliuer him to mine hand and I will bring him to thee againe Where we see he offereth his Sonnes in hostage and was ready to deliuer them as pledges and to binde to his Father Man for Man Sonne for Sonne bodie for bodie and life for life which is a greater matter then to be bound mony for mony and goods for goods The like we see more euidently in the Chapter following when Iacob did hang backe and seemed resolued not to let Beniamin depart with them Iudah is earnest with his Father saying f Gene. 43 8 9 10. Send the Boy with me that we may rise and go and that we may liue and not dye both we and thou and our Children I will bee suretie for him of mine hand shalt thou require him If I bring him not to thee and set him before thee then let me beare the blame for euer In which words we see that when Iudah considered the cause of their long delay and the extreamitie of the great dearth and the daunger of their present estate that except they had made this tarrying doubtlesse they might haue departed from their Father and returned to their Father againe the second time he vndertaketh the matter and becommeth surety for the Child This is it which he freelie and francklie confesseth before Ioseph when they had beene brought backe to him the Cup being found in Beniamins sacke g Gen. 44 32. Doubtlesse thy Seruant became surety for the Childe to my Father and saide If I bring him not vnto thee againe then will I beare the blame vnto my Father for euer now therefore I pray thee let me thy Seruant abide for the Childe as a Seruant to my Lord and let the Childe go vp with his Brethren Whereby also it appeareth that he considering with himselfe that hee could not without impeachment of his credit without breach of his promise and without heauinesse to his Father returne to him except the Child were with him he offereth himselfe as a pawne and pledge and prisoner to Ioseph as before he had done to his Father This also we see euidentlie in the Actes of the Apostles when Paule was troubled fot
that after the Thessalonians had heard the Gospell of Christ published vnto them so many of them as were ordained vnto eternall life beleeued and submitted themselues to be duided and reformed by it This dutie hath c Foure degrees of submitting our selues to the Gospell manie branches First it is required of vs to heare the worde of God with patience This is the first step and degree that leadeth vnto life and it proceedeth from the meere grace and fauour of God whensoeuer it is wrought in our hearts For how many are there that when they heare stop their eares That when they see shut their eyes That when they vnderstand doe harden their hearts When Stephen made a defence for himselfe before the chiefe Priests that sat in the Counsel d Acts 7 57. They gaue a shout with a loud voyce and stopped their eares and ran violently vpon him all at once and cast him out of the Citty and stoned him with stones When one Alexander a Iew beckned with the hand prepared himselfe to speak and would haue excused the Apostles e Acts 19 33 There arose a great shout almost for the space of two houres of all men crying Great is Diana of the Ephesians Likewise when Paule made a perticuler rehearsal of the manner of his conuersion to the faith before the Iewes they heard him quietly and with silence vntill he said He was sent to the Gentiles but then thorough impatience f Acts 22 23. they cried out they cast off their cloathes and threw dust into the ayre and lift vp their voices saying Away with such a fellow from the earth for it is not meet that he should liue We see by these examples that it is a token of Gods goodnesse when he giueth vs circumcised eares to listen and attend to the word preached vnto vs with patience and perseuerance vnto the end albeit we heare our sins reproued our secret thoughts opened vnto vs. It is our dutie to shew our selues swift to heare but slow to speake and slow to wrath We must be slow to speake against that which hath bin deliuered and we must be slow to anger and indignation against those that haue deliuered the truth vnto vs. Secondly it is required that we receiue the word that we haue heard assent vnto it as to the word of truth and acknowledge it to bee good and true euen that part of the word that containeth his iudgements his threatnings his cursses his punnishments This is to be craued of God as being a special worke of grace in those that belong to his kingdom For many there are that heare and haue their eares open to attend these are not dull hearers that marke nothing but ate ready to listen and giue care and yet they will not giue their assent to that which they haue heard The Apostle teacheth g 1 Cor. 2 14. That the naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned When Paule preached at Athens in the hearing of the Stoikes and Epicures touching the resurrection from the dead they saide h Acts 17 18 What will this Babler say A great part of our ordinary hearers may be placed in this rank who are content to heare and then sit in iudgement vppon that which they haue heard and neuer giue credit vnto it but measure the truth of God by their carnall conceits and naturall reasons Thirdly it is farther required of vs to embrace the truth in our hearts carefully to apply it to our owne soules It belongeth vnto vs not onely to heare it with the eare and to assent to it with the mind but to lay it vp deeply rooted in vs and to make it our owne by a speciall application This is the right vse of the word this is peculiar to the elect and this is a work of grace in our hearts The Hystoricall faith giueth a generall consent to the truth of God but neuer goeth farther to apprehend it as we see in Simon the Sorcerer who is said to haue beleeued that is in a generall maner to haue consented to the Gospell and yet Peter telleth him i Acts 8 21. That his heart was vpright and that he remained in the gall of bitternesse Let vs not therefore approbriate the word of grace that is able to build farther vnto our owne selues otherwise we shall haue no more comfort then the Reprobates haue who come so farre as to confesse the word to be true and that God by his Sonne will saue the Vessels of mercy Lastly it is required in this speciall manner to entertaine the worde to wit as the word of God Many receiue the word and imbrace it willingly readily chearfully and ioyfully but not as the word of God I wil not stand to speake of the Church of Rome which holdeth that the word written hath not authority in it selfe vnlesse the Church approue it and therefore albeit it embraceth the word of God yet it embraceth it not as the word of God For how many are there among our selues that receiue not the word of God with that reuerence and obedience that they ought as appeareth by the euil practises of their liues These men do not receiue the word of God as the word of God who if they did in truth sincerity acknowledge this truth to be of God to haue him for the author thereof they would lead their liues in another maner then they do they would be afraid to rush forward to run headlong as it were with violence into the breach transgression thereof They would consider that God will not beare and endure the contempt of his word but reuenge the dishonor done to his name with great plagues and most grieuous iudgments These are the duties that are to be performed of vs and the foure degrees that testifie our submitting of our selues to the truth of the Gospel preached deliuered vnto vs by the Ministers of Christ Vse 4 Lastly seeing they by whose ministry we are gained to God and preserued in the state of saluation being gained ought to be most deare to vs we owing vnto them our owne selues This must teach the Ministers of God a necessary duty and lesson to be marked of them to wit to endeuor by their daily diligence and continuall preaching of the Gospel to make the people indebted vnto them For how do the people come so much in their debt but that they receiue heauenly Doctrine by their Ministry as from the mouth of God Such as haue need of admonition must be exhorted such as are weak in the faith must be strengthned such as need comfort ought to be comforted such as are ignorant must be instructed such as are willing to be taught must be beseeched and intreated and euery one must be handled according to his nature and condition according to the rule
of the Apostle k 2 Tim. 2 15 Study to shew thy selfe approoued vnto God a Workeman that needeth not to bee ashamed diuiding the word of truth aright All men are not to be handled after one maner but one after one manner and another after another He were a badde and mad Physitian that would vse all his patients to one receit Some haue grosse humors in them and stand in need to be purged some more strongly others more gently according to their condition and Constitution Others haue more need to haue nature restored then purged such must haue Cordials and Restoratiues ministred vnto them So is it with such as neede Physicke for the soule The Minister must not be dumb and silent among his people but speake vnto them and instruct them as a good Father doeth his Childe one after one manner another after another manner and euerie one by some meanes or other This the Apostle setteth downe as a duty by his owne practise l 1 Thes 2 7 8 Phillip 2 17. Acts 20 24. Wee were gentle amongest you euen as a Nursse cherrisheth her Children Thus beeing affectioned towardes you our good will was to haue dealt vnto you not the Gospell of GOD onely but also our owne soules because ye were deare vnto vs. Where the Apostle testifieth his great loue and liberality toward them that he accounted not his owne life precious deare vnto himselfe but was content to offer it vp vppon the Sacrifice and seruice of their faith that he might reioyce in the day of Christ So then it belongeth to vs the Ministers of the word to preach the Gospell with all patience diligence and long-suffering Let vs be instant in season and out of season Let vs be gentle i 2 Tim. 2 24. toward all men apt to teach suffering the euill and instructing them that are contrary minded Paul writing to the Romaines and declaring vnto them that he oftentimes purposed to come vnto them that hee might haue some fruit also among them yeeldeth this as the reason k Ro. 1 14 15 I am Debter both to the Grecians and to the Barbarians both to the Wisemen and vnto the vnwise therefore so much as in me is I am readie to preach the Gospell to you also that are at Rome So in another place he testifieth that Albeit he was free l 1 Cor. 9 19. yet he had made himselfe a seruant vnto all men that he might win the moe To the Iewes he became as a Iew that hee might win the Iewes to them that are vnder the Law as though he were vnder the Law that he might winne them that are vnder the Law to the weake hee became as weake that hee might win the weake he was made all things to all men that he might by all meanes saue some Thus we see how the Ministers ought to apply and to imploy themselues in labouring in the Lords haruest to gaine a people vnto him and to bring them into the sheepfold of Christ For how or which way should the people be indebted vnto vs if we neuer commit the Gospell vnto them A Debter and a Creditor are Relatiues and haue reference one to another If we do not seeke to make our hearers pertakers of the treasures of the Gospell nor labour to inrich them with the sauing knowledge of the Doctrine of saluation we cannot be deare vnto them they cannot bee indebted vnto vs. If we reape and receiue their temporall things and eate and drinke feede and cloath our selues by their labor without labour in our places we run continually into their debt and they owe vs nothing but shame and contempt to be powred vpon vs according to our deserts It is a great comfort to the people that make much of them that haue the ouersight ouer them submitting thēselues to them that must giue an account for their souls considering that thereby they may gather confidence and get assurance to themselues that they are true beleeuers and haue embraced the Gospell in sincerity So on the other side it is a singuler point of sound comfort to all the Ministers of the word that haue bin painful in the work of the Lord they may claime as their owne right and proper possession of their people to bee maintained and honoured with double honor of them and nothing indeed can be sufficient or answerable in proportion to their paines But what reason can be alledged that the people should be burthened not instructed Charged with Tiths and not helped with teaching Pay their duties and receiue no Doctrine Hence it is that the Apostle saith m 1 Cor. 4 1 2 Let a man so think of vs as of the Ministers of Christ and disposers of the secrets of God and as for the rest it is required of the disposers that euery man bee found faithfull Whereby wee see the good account and estimation that the Minister receiueth of his people ought to mooue him to faithfulnesse and painefulnesse in his Office so that we must conclude that such as will be reputed for the Ministers of Christ should shew themselues to be so indeede by their care of the flock committed vnto them 20 Yea Brother let mee obtaine this pleasure of thee in the Lorde comfort my bowels in the Lord. 21 Trusting in thine obedience I wrote vnto thee knowing that thou wilt do euen more then I say The order of the words Hitherto we haue seene the Reasons that Paule hath propounded to vrge Philemon to receiue and entertaine his seruant In these words wee see the matter concluded and repeated againe howbeit not ydely or vnprofitably but with gaine and an holy aduantage for in the closing vp of the whole he reasoneth farther inferreth a new argument to perswade Philemon drawn from the benefit and comfort hee should receiue by it This reason is taken from the effects and may be thus concluded If heereby I shall obtaine fruite of thee in the Lorde and if thou doest refresh my bowels in the Lord Then thou shouldest receiue him to thee againe But I shall heereby obtaine fruite and haue my bowels refreshed Therefore receiue him to thee againe Or we may frame the Reason on this manner That which may greatly reioyce me and both please and pleasure mee I am assured thou wilt willingly do But the forgiuing of Onesimus will do so Therefore I am assured thou wilt willingly do it This is contained in the 20. verse In the next verse we haue the preuenting of another Obiection which might be made not against some part but against the whole Epistle and the Apostles manner of handling thereof The Obiection is wanting but may easily be gathered and may be thus supplied out of the Answere which is expressed Why are you so earnest and vehement in this matter Haue you so great distrust and so little confidence in me that you vse so many words and deale so earnestly with me Do you think I haue
louing and friendly exhortations then by seuere threatnings denounced against them They are indued with Gods spirit which is a Maister to teach them worketh in them the wil and the deed Of vnwilling they are made willing of tough rough hewen they are made pliable and apt for the building of stubborn they are become obedient ready to learn They are as good schollers in the school of Christ who feare more the displeasure of their Maister whom they loue and who loueth them then the suffering of many stripes and strokes giuen vnto them This is a true note to know the disciples of Christ from al others Euill men abstaine from sin for fear of the punishment for feeling of iudgment so that if there were no threatnings denounced no curses annexed no plagues and torments feared they would grow worse and worse quickly fill vp the measure of their iniquity Fourthly we may gather heereby that pollitick order is not ouerthrown by the Doctrine of the Gospell neither is the right and authoritie of Maysters ouer their seruants abrogated by the faith of Christ For Philemon was not an Infidell or vnbeleeuer d Verse 1. but a fellow-helper with Paul yet rule ouer his seruants is not denied him nor taken from him but hee is onely bidden to receiue him curteously and to pardon him mercifully yea Paule as we see doth humbly beseech him that hee may obtaine and retaine his former place and doth not straitly command him to discharge him of his seruice This iurisdiction standeth by good warrant of the Lawes of God and Men but of this wee haue spoken more at large before in the 12. Verse of this Epistle Fiftly we see the Title againe repeated that he giueth to Philemon when he calleth him by the name of his Brother Thus he called him before verse 7. and so he esteemed of Onesimus verse 16. VVhereby wee see that all men made members of Christ and engrafted into his body are become as faith Brethren one to another Thus doth the Apostle call this Onesimus e Col. 4 9. A faithfull a beloued Brother who is as one of them that were chiefe in the church The consideration heereof ought on the one side to pull downe our proud Feathers and make vs equall with them of the lower sort and on the other side to make vs loue one another not with dissimulation but with brotherly loue not in word onely but in truth as members of one body and as brethren of one father Sixtly he continueth his humble supplication for Onesimus which sheweth that they are farre from true repentance that doe excuse or defend or deny their faults and offences For hee that i Prou. 28 13. hideth his sinnes shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall finde Mercie When Onesimus did see so famous an Apostle of Christ so carefully to intreate for his cause he ought much more to be humbled with a feeling and remembrance of his former offences thereby to mooue the minde of his Maister to gentlenesse and moderation Lastly obserue out of this place that albeit we doubt not to obtaine that which we desire but are assured to inioy that which we ask yet we must deal earnestly and effectually both in regatd of the matter it selfe for in a waighty and necessary cause we ought not to proceed slenderly and in respect of the nature of men who many times are dull to conceiue and slow to graunt that which we craue There is no man so quick of pace but needeth to haue the spurres clapped to his sides now and then No man runneth so swift a pace but sometimes wanteth exhortations consolations reprehensions admonitions threatnings and such like encoragements We haue not yet attained vnto perfection so long as we liue we must be Schollers in Christes schoole and as it were proceed from step to step Thus much breefly touching the generall Obseruations Now let vs come to the handling of the perticuler Doctrines Yea Brother let me obtaine this fruite By this conclusion it may appear that albeit Onesimus had robbed his Maister and run away with a great part of his substance yet hee had spent all as it often falleth out with ill-gotten goods and then being beaten with his owne rod as the k Luke 15 17. prodigall sonne and brought to necessity tasted of the sweete fruite of the Ministery of the blessed Apostle Hence it is that he vrgeth so earnestly and presseth Philemon so exceedingly to remit the debt to forgiue the hurt he had receiued by his naughty seruant as being no way able to satisfy him nor by any means heereafter being likely to satisfy him For if any ability had bin in him to make satisfaction there had bin no place for pardon and remission nor for Paules vndertaking of the debt If we by fraud and stealth by iniury and iniustice possesse the goods of other men we are commanded to make actuall and reall restitution The word of God teacheth vs directly that such as detain the goods of other men l Leuit. 6 1 7. Math. 5 23 24 Numb 5 6 7. are vnmeet for his worship vnfit for his seruice Againe such as with-hold them from the right owners m Eze. 18 15 33. shall die in their sins and not haue pardon before restitution when God hath enabled them thereunto But if we do keep backe from them their owne n August epist ad Maced our repentance is not conscionable but counterfet Heerby it appeareth that Onesimus was not able to pay vnto his Maister such things as he had taken away for otherwise it had bin an vnreasonable request to haue a debt pardoned which might be restored For that which any man doth vniustly detaine is none of his but that persons from whom it is detained So then this being the poore seruants condition that he had left nothing of all that which he had taken away as commonly goods euilly gotten are euilly spent the Apostle craueth pardon Doctrine 1. No mā ought to be eager extreame in exacting debts dues from the poore and needy From hence we learne that wee ought not to bee eager and extreame in vrging and exacting debtes from the poore and needie but rather be readie to remit releeue or at least to forbear what we may and are inabled to do Heerunto commeth the precept deliuered in the law of Moses o Deut. 15 2 Euery creditor shal quit the loue of his hand which he hath lent to his neighbor he shal not ask it again of his neighbour nor of his brother for the yeare of the Lords freedom is proclaimed Where he teacheth that mercy should be shewed to their brethren in necessity that they ought not to be hasty in calling for the things that are due to thē but rather to giue farther day respit So afterward Verse 7. If one of thy Brethren with thee be poore within any of
It is a property of the good and diligent seruant who being bidden to go will run about his businesse or being required to do little will gird vp his loynes and doe more as on the other side the Wiseman teacheth Prou. 10 26. that as Vineger is to the Teeth and smoake to the eyes so is the slouthfull to them that send him When we behold such an encrease in godlinesse and a running in the race of Christian duties let vs be mindfull to giue God the glory and the praise who hath touched their hearts to bring forth so great fruits Contrarywise it is the cause of much griefe and sorrow when men deceiue the hope and expectation that is conceiued of them in the best thinges when we looke for a plentifull Haruest and finde onely a few blasted eares when wee expect an encrease and see nothing but a fearefull fainting and languishing in honest and holy duties This is it which the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes reproueth in them p Heb. 5 21. When as concerning the time ye ought to bee Teachers yet haue ye need againe that we teach you what are the first principles of the worde of GOD and are become such as haue neede of Milke and not of strong Meate The like reproofe is cast vpon the Galathians Chap. 3 1. O foolish Galathians who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the trueth to whom Iesus Christ was before described in your sight and among you crucified Oh! see see the misery of our dayes all come short of the duties that are required of them be they neuer so iust honest necessarie so greatly to Gods glorie and the aduancement of true Religion If men would come thus farre to yeeld halfe so much as is requested of them or as farre as they should wee should iudge it much and it would appeare greater then it is Beholde the barrennesse and backwardnesse of our daies that yeeld no better fruit If a man would take a Light and search vppe and downe from house to house where shall he finde a true-hearted Philemon of whom we may boldly say as Paule doth in this place I know that thou wilt do euen more then I say I would we were come thus farre to say of our professors I know thou wilt do as much as I say We haue not learned to performe so much we have started backe from our former zeale we are fallen from much to little and from little to nothing at all and from nothing to lesse then nothing that is from no good to much euill For how many might a man single out by name and point out with the finger who nothwithstanding their happy beginnings raysing a woonderfull expectation of a glorious end are now become dry and withered of whom we may say I knowe thou wilt doe nothing I know there is nothing in them I know they haue embraced this present World These are q Iob 6 15 16 c. like those Streames or Channelles which immediately after a showre of Raine runne swiftly and promise to the poore Traueller that wandereth in the VVildernesse a most comfortable refreshing but in time of neede deceiue him So is it with such as haue embraced the Faith and seeme to haue receyued into their drie heartes the sweet r Deut. 32 2. Dewes and pleasant showers of the Word who appeare zealous for a time and afterward fall away they deceiue the hope that hath beene conconceiued of them and the end with them is worse then the beginning The Doctrine that hath dropped vpon them as the raine vpon the hearbes and the great raine vpon the grasse is quite dried vp and no remnants therof are to be discerned according to the saying of Christ Å¿ Math. 25 29. Vnto euery man that hath it shall be giuen and he shall haue abundance but from him that hath not euen that he hath shal be taken away This is notably expressed in the parable of the Man that going into a strange Country called his seruants deliuered and deuided to them his goods and when one of them went his way and hidde his Talent in the earth it was taken from him that had beene slouthfull and giuen to him that had gained fiue Talents Againe if the time would serue it were easie to shew how sumptuous costly and full of expenses men are to maintaine their vanities pleasures and delights aboue that we can desire or imagine but in other thinges most nigh and niggardly and hand-fasted We see how wasting and prodigall they are in the pursuit of their carnall lustes they thinke no cost to be too much no charges too great Vse 3. Lastly it is the duty of euery man to labour to be answearable at the least to the expectation that the Church hath had of him and to endeuour to be as good as he hath made shew off perfourming therein the practise of his profession not deceiuing any of the Seruants of God therein This requireth of vs a carefull obseruation and marking of the manners of men both of their beginnings and proceedings and not to stand as idle behoulders gazing in the aire that we may vnderstand the time the meanes the forwardnesse the knowledge the shew that hath beene in many all which haue promised much and caused vs to expect good thinges at their handes and yet oftentimes in vaine This appeareth in the song of the Prophet Esay Chap. 5. Wherein he setteth before the peoples eyes their great vnthankfulnesse t Esay 5 4. that albeit the Lord had done for his Vineyard what he could yet it brought forth wilde Grapes in stead of good Fruit and therfore he threatneth that the Thornes shall ouergrow it the Beastes should spoile it the Raine shall not nourish it Thus also the Apostle speaketh to the Hebrewes who as hee exhorteth them that leauing the Doctrine of the beginning of Christ they should be led forward vnto perfection so he threatneth such as turne backward with an horrible iudgement that shall come vpon them a fearefull curse that shall ouertake them u Heb. 6 7 8. For the earth saith he that drinketh in the raine that commeth oft vpon it and bringeth forth Hearbes meet for them by whom it is dressed receiueth blessing of God but that which beareth Thornes and Briars is reproued and is neere vnto cursing whose end is to be burned Whereby we see that an heauy curse belongeth vnto all such as answeare not the hope that is conceiued of them they deceiue men much they deceiue as farre as lieth in them God himselfe but especially they deceiue their owne soules We pitty those greatly whom we haue seene fresh and lusty strong and sturdy of body when they grow weake faint sickly and decaying in age and strength but much more ought we to lament to see those that haue beene forward and gone before many others to haue need to be taught againe the first principles of Religion and to
ground The like salutation we see in Iudas who had giuen the multitude that came with swords and staues from the High-Priests and Elders of the people a Token saying n Mat 26 48. 49. Whomsoeuer I shall kisse that is he lay hold on him and forthwith hee came to Iesus and said God saue thee Maister and kissed him Thus hee betrayed the sonne of man with a kisse We must haue our words and hearts goe together and not one wander and stray from the other We must not haue our words softer then Oyle hide swords and speares within vs. This is cruell and deceitfull dealing this is farre from true Christianity this is farre from that plaine and simple dealing that ought to be in vs. Such men are the most dangerous and pernitious enemies that are they are hardly knowne and therefore hardly auoyded One of these false hearted Brethren is worse then an hundred open professed aduersaries A pit which is couered so that thou canst not see it is more likely to worke thy hurt and cause thee to fall into it then that which is manifest to be seene Let vs therefore remember that our words bee alwayes seasoned and accompanied with truth Let our mouth speak as the heart thinketh and let vs take heed of lying cogging cozening glozing smoothing and dissembling which are the workes of the deuill the fruits of the flesh and the badges of Hypocrites Thirdly as we haue heard that they are to be reproued that disdaine to speake to others and such as are content to vse friendly greetings in word but their hearts go not with them so likewise such are condemned as vse vnkinde and vncourteous speeches nay foule and vncleane vngodly and prophane communication This the Apostle teacheth Ephes 4. o Ephe. 4 31. Let all bitternesse and anger and wrath crying and euill speaking be put away from you with all maliciousnesse Such was the snappish answere of Caine p Gen. 4 9. Am I my Brothers keeper So for this cause Nabell being a churlish currish man q 1 Sam. 25 10 11. is concluded to be a foole and a wicked man This vnciuill bitter dealing is a great signe and a certaine note of an vnregenerate and carnal man Let vs beware of al railing rotten speeches The mouth is the Messenger of the heart and from the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh A filthy tongue argueth a filthy heart an vnbrideled tongue a licentious heart A poysoned tongue that casteth out banning and cursing doth manifest a cursed and corrupt heart The tongue that raueth and rageth beyond all measure and belcheth out blasphemies and vomiteth out pocky and plaguy speech as it were the ouer-charging of a loathsome stomacke doth shew be it spoken with reuerence a pocky and plaguy heart It is a shame almost to speake those thinges I will not say which these men do in secret but which they speake openly publickely euidently And yet alas how common a thing is it when men and women are a little heated and prouoked to wish all euill to fall vpon the persons of their Bretheren and their Cattle nay sometimes vpon their owne wiues their own children their owne Seruants their owne Cattell crying out a vengeance on them a plague of God to come vpon them a Murraine take them the Deuill of hell go with thee and such like which come from an vncircumcised mouth nay from an vncircumcised and vnregenerate Neyther let any alledge for the excuse of their cursed and wretched speeches It is a custome they haue gotten but that they minde and meane no such thing whatsoeuer they speake for first this is a cursed custome and a custome in sinning the greater it is the worse it is The more thou doest accustome thy tongue vnto it the harder it is to be left Our Sauiour teacheth r Mat. 12 35. 36. that A good man out of the good Treasure of his heart bringeth forth good thinges and an euill man out of an euill Treasure bringeth forth euill thinge But I say vnto you that of euery idle word that men shall speake they shall giue account thereof at the day of Iudgement If then we must reckon and account at the end of the World and of our life for idle wordes what madnesse is it for vs to cast out and disgorge blasphemous wicked and cursed speeches which will bring vpon vs horrible plagues and heauy punishments to be suffered in hell fire Hence it is that Christ saith in the wordes following Å¿ Verse 37. By thy wordes thou shalt be iustified and by thy wordes thou shalt be condemned Heere-unto the Apostle Iames agreeth t Iam. 1. 26. Chap. 1. If any man among you seemeth Religious and refraineth not his tongue but deceiueth his owne heart this mans Religion is vaine Neither let them say they thinke not euill they meane not as they speake for this doth not take away the euill but rather increase it in asmuch as they adde sinne vnto sinne hypocrisie to impiety as it were drunkennesse vnto thirst Let such acquaint their hearts with blessiing not with cursing and striue against their corruptions which are growne to an head and haue gotten a custome in them remembring the saying of the Prophet Psal 109. u Psal 109 17 18. As he loued Cursing so shall it come vnto him and as he loued not blessing so shall it bee farre from him as he clothed himselfe with Cursing like a rayment so shall it come into his Bowels like water and like Oyle into his Bones Let vs therefore all of vs put in practise the precept of the Apostle x Ephe. 4 29. Let no corrupt communication proceede out of your mouthes but that which is good to the vse of edefying that it may minister grace vnto the hearers Where he declareth that corrupt speech should be to the eare as vnsauory meat to the stomacke A rotten Sheepe is knowne by his bleating so is an vnregenerate heart by his wordes Wherefore as the tast abhorreth rotten meate so should our mindes loath and detest rotten and vnreuerent talke Vse 3. Lastly seeing we are taught to vse all gentle and curteous communication and all louing salutations and well-wishings one toward another this teacheth vs that we must all diligently study and practise the gouernment of the tongue to order it aright and in due manner This is a worthy study it is an hard study it is a profitable study Hence it is that the Prophet saith y Psal 34 12 13. Psal 34. What man is he that desireth life and loueth long daies for to see good Keepe thy tongue from euill and thy lippes that they speake no guile To this purpose he speaketh in another Psalme z Psal 39 1. I thought I will take heede to my waies that I sinne not with my tongue I will keepe my mouth brideled while the wicked is in my fight The difficulty and hardnesse of this study the
Apostle Iames signifieth and setteth downe when he calleth the tongue a world of wickednesse and an vnruly euill a Iam. 3 7 8. Chap. 3. The whole nature of Beastes and of Birdes and of creeping thinges and thinges of the Sea is tamed and hath beene tamed by the nature of man but the tongue can no man tame The profit of this study together with the hardnesse is noted by the same Apostle in the same Chap. b Iam. 3 2. If any man sinne not in word he is a perfect man and able to bridle all the body Now because it is so excellent and difficult a study to guide and gouerne the tongue aright we must know that there is an Art and Science thereof to be learned and diuerse rules and precepts to be obserued that wee may knowe when to speake and when to holde our peace There is no Art whatsoeuer attained vnto without knowledge practise and experience The first lesson that we must learne in this study is to craue of God his assisting grace that may make this labour easie and the worke pleasant vnto vs without which we shall finde it vnpossible to holde in the Raines of our vnruly and vntamed tongues Hence it is that the Prophet saith c Psal 141 3. Set a watch ô Lord before my mouth and keepe the doore of my lippes Declaring thereby that of our selues we are not able to gouerne our tongues And againe he saith else-where d Psal 51 17. O Lord open thou my lippes and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise If God do not open our mouths we can neuer order our tongues as we ought Before we speake we must diligently consider what we speake and to what end The Wise-man telleth vs e Prou. 18 13. That he which answereth a matter before he heare it it is folly and shame to him To this purpose the Apostle teacheth vs To be slow to speake and swift to heare This vertue appeared notably in Elihu Iob 32. Who waited till Iob had spoken for they were more auncient in yeares then hee In our speaking we must be carefull that our wordes be gracious and seasoned with wisedome truth reuerence modesty meekenesse and sobrietie as it were with Salt which are contrary to the foolish rotten and gracelesse talke that aboundeth in our dayes wherein men are growne to be very Beasts f Ro. 3 13 14. Their Throat is an open Sepulcher they vse their tongues to deceit the Poyson of Aspes is vnder their Lippes their Mouth is full of cursing and bitternesse Nay the venome and Poyson of their tongues is worse then the poyson of Serpents and yet they would thinke themselues greatly wronged if they should be charged to be as a Brood of Adders and a Generation of Vipers For who knoweth not that the Serpent cannot hurt a man except he be present to see him and bite him but such as haue not learned to rule the tongue that is vnruly and to gouerne it from breaking out into vngodly and curssed speaking which is the Deuils Language doe hurt men as well absent as present as well farre off as neere at hand as much when they are from them as when they are with them The holy vse of the tongue is the g Esay 19 18. language of Canaan which we must all couet to speake that it may bee ordered according to the Word and will of GOD. But when the tongue which is an excellent Member giuen vnto vs of God to praise and glorifie his Name is abused h Iames 3 6. it is kindled by the fire of Hell according to the saying of the Apostle Iames Chapter 3. The Tongue is Fire yea a World of wickednesse so is the Tongue set among our members that it defileth the whole body and setteth on fire the course of Nature and it is set on Fire of Hell This he setteth foorth more at large in the wordes following and exhorteth vs that the harder it is to rule the tongue the more care we should vse in the gouernment of it and apply it to the honour of God and the good of our Neighbour Hence it is that he reprooueth those that one while are blessing another while are cursing with it blowing sometimes hot and sometimes cold sometimes praying to God and anone rayling at and reuiling their Bretheren i Iam. 3 10 11 There-with saith he blesse we GOD euen the Father and therewith cursse we Men which are made after the similitude of GOD out of one mouth proceedeth blessing and curssing my Brethren these thinges ought not to so to be Doth a Fountaine send forth out of one place sweete Water and Bitter c. Let vs then vse such meeknesse and moderation in our speech as that we doe not breake out into Choller let our answeres be soft and milde that anger be not kindled nor encreased nor continued If any shall reuile vs and rage against vs our dutie is to blesse and not to raile This is the Commaundement of Christ k Math. 5 44. I say vnto you loue your Enemies blesse them that cursse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them that hurt you and persecute you c. Thus doth the Apostle Peter speak l 1 Pet. 3 8 9. Loue as Brethren be pittifull be courteous not rendring euill for euill neyther rebuke for rebuke but contrariwise blesse knowing that ye are thereunto called that ye should be heirs of blessing If the least occasion of strife and contention arise among men it cannot be decided nay nor heard without such bitter tants reproaches as ought not to be nor to breake out among Brethren We ought to bee of a patient Nature and follow the example of God who beareth with vs al. The Apostle Iude affirmeth m Iude 9. That Michaell the Archangell when he stroue against the Deuill and disputed about the body of Moses durst not blame him with curssed speaking but saide The Lord rebuke thee Where we see that the Arch-angell abstained from all railing hauing to doe with the Deuill the greatest enemy of God and his people Be it that we haue to deale with bad men and such as are notoriouslie euill yet we must not take liberty to our selues to vse reuiling speeches to brawle and contend seeing the Angell would not do it and he would not do it against a worse aduersary then wee haue or can haue any We must commit reuenge vnto God who hath saide Vengeance is mine I will repay Marcus Aristarchus c. Touching Marke mentioned in this place we haue spoken already and declared out of the Actes of the Apostles that he was a Iew of the circumcision and called to be an Euangelist n Euseb lib. 3. cap. 39. who also wrote one of the Gospels as he had learned of Peter It appeareth that his Parents were well acquainted with the Apostles and receiued them into their house whereby it came to passe that Marke
as the Well-spring we haue it not of our selues we haue it from him according to that which the Euangelist Iohn setteth downe r Iohn 1 16. Of his fulnesse we haue all receiued and Grace for Grace Secondly it is called the Grace of Christ not of God the father not of God the Holie-Ghost but of Iesus Christ our Lord because hee is the meanes or as the Cunduit-pipe whereby he it is brought and conueyed vnto vs Thus the same Euangelist speaketh in the wordes following Å¿ Iohn 1 17. The Law was giuen by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Iesus Christ. He it is that is the Mediation and Propitiation for our sinnes he hath purchased the fauour of God he hath wrought reconciliation for vs so that through him we are accepted of God the Father and beloued in his beloued Ephe. 1. 6. Thirdly we must consider the Title giuen to Christ Iesus hee is called a Lord or Ruler and that in many respects First by creation in that he made vs of nothing when we had no being t Iohn 1 3. For all thinges were made by him and without him was nothing made that was made Secondly by right of Inheritance u Heb. 1 2. Psal 2 8. For he is made Heire of all thinges Thirdly by right of Dominion for he hath Dominion ouer all things and ouer vs also so that he ruleth preserueth and keepeth vs as his owne to eternall life being bought with his most preciour blood None of them can bee lost that are committed vnto him neither can any plucke them out of his hands All thinges are put vnder his feet and subiect vnto him Fourthly he is said to be our Lord he is not onely a Lord hauing right and might graunted vnto him ouer others but hee s called our Lord. First because the Father gaue him a people and chosen Generation ouer whom he should rule So then by reason of this donation appointed vnto him before all worlds he is truely called our Lord. Secondly in regard of the work of redemption which he hath wrought for vs he alone hath paid the ransom for vs and deliuered vs from the power of the Deuill so that hee hath the greatest right of possession in vs. Lastly we are thereby put in mind that we ought so to beleeue in Christ our Lord that we put our trust and confidence in him and that we rest throughly perswaded that by him we are throughly freed and deliuered from all euill It is not enough for vs or sufficient to saluation to beleeue Christ Iesus to be a Lord but we must beleeue him to be our Lord. For wee all knowe and beleeue that the Deuill is a Lord and ruleth in the hearts of the Children of disobedience he is the God of this World and a Prince that beareth great sway but wee doe neyther know nor beleeue him to be our Lord as we beleeue Christ Iesus to bee the Lord of vs all Fiftly he addeth With your Spirit He craueth this Grace to be with his Spirit whereby he meaneth as much as if he had said with you one part of man being named for the whole the more principall part being put for the whole person For man consisteth of two essentiall parts of Soule and Body True it is the Apostle Paule doth sometimes deuide man into three partes the Spirit the Soule the Body as when he prayeth for the Thessalonians x 1 Thes 5 23. That their whole Spirit and Soule and Body should be kept blamelesse vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. By the Spirit he vnderstandeth the mind reason or vnderstanding which else-where hee calleth the y Ephe. 4 23. Heb. 4 12. Ephe. 4. 17 18. Spirit of your mind This is nothing else but a faculty of the reasonable soule which is seen in inuention and iudgement By the the Soule he vnderstandeth the inferior faculties and powers as the will and affections both which followeth the body which is the Instrument whereby the Spirit and Soule do worke By the Spirit in this place is not meant onely the minde or onely the Soule but the whole man is to be vnderstood as it is expounded Phil. 4. 23. The Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with you all And Col. 4 18. Grace be with you yet he nameth the spirit because it is the principall subiect and seat of grace Sixtly the Apostle proceedeth and saith Your spirit hee speaketh not to Philemon alone saying With thy Spirit but he enlargeth his heart and saith With your Spirit as speaking to many Whereby wee are to vnderstand those to whom this Epistle is written and deliuered to wit cheefly to Philemon whose Title it beareth and to Apphia his wife to Archippus the Minister and to the Church that was in his house to all these he wisheth the Grace of Christ Lastly he endeth with the word Amen which is as much as euen so or so be it or so it shall be Indeede it is no part of the former prayer but it betokeneth and signifieth two things First an hearty desire whereby we wish that we may be heard and that God would answere vnto our requests Secondly the certainty of our confidence and the confirmation of our Faith whereby we trust that we shall be heard It is an Hebrew worde retained by the Apostles in their Epistles and in other places wherewith we are taught to conclude our Prayers withall by Christ our Sauiour It is added to shew that we should come with boldnesse and beleeue that we shall obtaine trusting in the truth of Gods promises The postscript of the Epistle Hauing thus laide open the sense and meaning of the wordes in this last Verse it shall not be amisse to speake some-what of the wordes following which are the subscription and vnder-writing of this Epistle in these wordes Written from Rome to Philemon and sent by Onesimus a Seruant It is most likely that this Epistle was written and sent at one and the same time with that entituled to the Colossians both because the same persons are named in both the Epistles the same persons writing and the same persons sending salutations to others and both of them in the Post-script are sayde to be sent by Onesimus as it were by a Carrier only heerein resteth the difference that this Epistle was deliuered to Onesimus alone to bee carried to Philemon a priuate man but the other was conueyed by Tychicus and Onesimus to the whole Church of the Colossians whereof Philemon and his Family were but one part But touching this subscription as also others in other Epistles we must vnderstand that they were added by men and are no part of the Cannonicall Scripture which is the rule of our faith to which we must yeeld without all contention or contradiction and from which we cannot appeale without intollerable iniury to the spirit of God For howsoeuer diuers of these Post-scripts may be true yet it is very plaine and
they are in death Å¿ Dan. 5 6. like Belshazzar who in the middest of his Feast and fulnesse saw the hand-writing vpon the wall as a Prognosticate of his destruction Lastly albeit they haue the blessings of God and keep them in bondage yet withall they possesse the Cursse of God which alwaies waiteth vppon them and is ready to seize vpon them The Theefe liueth alwaies in feare of the Iudge and of the day of Assises so doe these men liue in continuall daunger of Gods Iudgement and punnishment which shall one day meete with them Sixtly obserue that he desireth grace to rest in their spirits and albeit he meane heeereby their whole persons as we haue shewed before in setting downe the Interpretation of the wordes yet heereby he assigneth the proper Seat of Grace to be the Soule For the Grace of Christ is an inward and spirituall thing and therefore taketh vp the inward and spirituall part of man Indeed when once grace is entred into the heart and sitteth there as a Queen to order all our thoughts and affections it wil spread it selfe through the whole man and afterward as it were goe out of the dores into the outward actions We see heereby where grace is especially felt for as the Soule is the subiect of it so the Soule hath the especiall feeling of it Our Iustification and forgiuenesse of sinnes the peace of conscience which passeth all vnderstanding is felt in the Soule yea Glorification and eternall life throgh Iesus Christ is felt in the Soule This teacheth vs to labour earnestly t Heb. 13 9. to haue grace in the heart that from thence it may flow into all our actions It is not enongh to haue gratious tongues gratious wordes gratious mouths we must first haue grace within and giue vnto God our heartes Nothing is more detestable to God and man then Hypocrisie there appeareth grace without but there dwelleth none within there is great shew but little truth or rather no truth at all Lastly obserue with me the last word whereby the Apostle shutteth vp the Salutation and the whole Epistle to wit Amen This is set downe in a word and yet it containeth more then the prayer it selfe For in prayer we testifie our desire by this we witnesse our Faith By this we obserue that vnto our requests and petitions in prayer must be ioyned Faith and Beleefe that God will grant the thinges craued This appeareth in the Prophet u Psal 89 52. Psal 89. Praised be the Lord for euermore So be it euen so be it Wee are taught thus to shut vp our prayers by Christ our Sauiour in that platforme which he hath left vs. Thus the Apostle closeth and concludeth his Epistle x 2 Cor 13 13 The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the loue of God and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all Amen And indeed praier auaileth onely in them that beleeue y Iam. 1 6 and 5 16. It is the prayer of faith preuaileth much if it be feruent yea we must aske in faith and not wauer if we thinke to obtaine any thing at his handes From hence we learne that we ought alwaies to labour to giue assent to Gods promises when we pray and to striue against doubting and infidelity All the promises of God z 2 Cor. 1 20. are in Christ yea and are in him Amen vnto the glory of God through vs. This we see in the Father of the Child possessed Mark 9. When Christ Iesus said vnto him a Mark 9 23. 24. If thou canst beleeue all thinges are possible to him that beleeueth he answeared Lord I beleeue helpe mine vnbeleefe To pray without Faith is not to pray at all And to say Amen in the end of our prayers and yet to pray with doubting and without beleeuing is to make a lie and to teach our tongues to deceiue our hearts For this is a great iarre and discord when infidelity is in the heart and faith in the tongue when inwardly we wauer and outwardly the mouth vttereth Amen More-ouer so often as we vse publike prayers they must be pronounced and deliuered with that plainenesse feeling and zeale as that the people being thereby moued and their faith and affections going with that which is deliuered and prayed for may answere Amen vnto that which is desired This is it which the Apostle toucheth 1 Cor. 14. b 1 Cor. 14 15 16. I will pray with the spirit but I will pray with the vnderstanding also I will sing with the spirit but I will sing with the vnderstanding also Else when thou blessest with the Spirit how shall he that occupieth the Roome of the vnlearned say Amen at thy giuing of thankes seeing he knoweth not what thou saiest This reprooueth the Popish and Romish Liturgy that vse in diuine seruice a strange and vnknowne tongue whereby the people are nuzeled in ignorance and can receiue no c 1 Cor 14 19 1â— edification or instruction And heereby consider the deepe deuise of the Deuill how farre he hath preuailed in this false Church For when he saw he could not thus farre haue the vpper hand as vtterly to cast the word out of the Church and to take away the vse of prayer when he perceiued it to be vnpossible to roote out the word of God and to abolish the inuocation of his holy name he fell to worke another way and that is to suffer the thinges to remaine and to take away the right and profitable vse of them so that albeit the word is read it is read without knoledge and albeit prayers be made yet they are made without comfort Thus the names of the worde and prayer remaining the benifite of them is taken away The like we might say of the Sacraments especially of the Supper of the Lord they will seeme to haue it yet in truth they want it to allow of it and yet they destroy it and abolish it If the Deuill should vtterly remoue these thinges out of the way so that the names neither of the word nor of prayers nor of the Sacraments were heard among them all men might discouer this deceit no man would easily be seduced by this palpable grossenesse but he is a more cunning worke-man he can hide his snares from being seene so that he will not haue them vtterly remooued and renounced that the people might say we haue the word reade vnto vs wee haue good prayers saide among vs we haue the Sacraments with vs yet all is done in a strange manner the Priest vseth a strange tongue and the people are nurtured in strange ignorance For the word is heard ignorantly praiers are made ignorantly and the Sacraments are receiued ignorantly The whole frame of the Popish Religion is maintained by ignorance Thus much of the generall obseruations that might be enlarged and farther amplified which I haue briefly pointed out and albeit all of them be very pertinent yet I will