Israel is hâ—linesse to the Lord. They are his treasure the people that he onely looketh at and after upon whom he sets his love his eyes are always upon them for good The eye of the Lord is over the righteous and his eares are open to their prayers The World are his goods thâ— Earth is the Lords and all that therein is the round world c. But they are his treasure and as where a mans treasure is there his heart will be so is Gods heart upon his treasure upon his secret ones upon his peculiar He writes them upon the palm of his hand he sâ—ales them upon his heart they are as deare and near unto him as the Apple of his Eye A book of remembrance is written for them that feare the Lord Mal. 3. 16. God will certainly remember the services of his children and not forget the labour of their love nor the good they doe Heb. 6. 10. Saint Peter as you you have heard gives the Jewes an eminent and transcendent Title having honoured them with these Denominations a chosen generation a royall Priesthood a holy Nation he adds what the Apostle here intimates a peculiar people populus acquisitionis a peculiar people And two reasons may be given of this appellation 1. They are a peculiar people because God hath every way fashioned them for himself 2. Because as I told you they are a peculiar people or the first fruits of his creatures set apart and consecrate for his service and worship They are his treasure his onely treasure all he hath the righteous comprehend all Gods gettâ—ngs All other men are Gods creatures but these are the first fruâ—ts of his creatures and as they are consecrate to him so they often consecrate and blesse them and I am sure if they be not bettered by their conversation they are blessed by their protection 3. Which is a bold assertion it is a dignity above the Angels to be the sons of God by regeneration and to be redeemed by Christ For 1. The Angels fell he lets them lie in their fall he reservâ—s and keeps them in chaines of darknesse till the judgement Man fell and God presently sends him nay gives him by word of mouth a promise of a Redeemer That the seed of the woman c. So that God did more in our restauration and redemption in our regeneration than he did for the Angels of Heaven 2. To which of the Angels said he Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee He that is Christ took not the seed of Angels but the seed of Abraham And again He was made of the seed of David Rom. 1. 3. He in no sort took the seed of Abraham Heb. 2. Christ to fit himself for Mans salvation took upon him an humane body the nature of Man and in this kind dignified and honoured Mans nâ—ture above the Angels And this I dare say seemeth to be a greater preheminence and dignity of the children of God above the Angels in regard there is a neerer conjuâ—ct on between Christ and us than between Christ and the Angels I meane in nature and person not in place In place indeed the Angels are neerer unto God than Man being in Heaven and seeing the face of God his glorious face but in nature the children of God are nearer than they are for you have it expresly said That Christ was made of the seed of David 3. Adde hereunto that he took upon him this seed in the womb of the blessed Virgin in his Incarnation so that by his Conception and Incarnation he was made one with us and we wâ—th him And why did he take our nature upon him and not ouâ— nature onely but the contumelies of our nature so base and meane that they are not to be named why did he this but to redeeme us that were lost when our fall in Adam made us liable to eternall death and left every mothers child of us in the merit and guilt of condemnation When he took upon him to deliver Man he did not abhor the Virgins womb Surely the Virgins womb was not so puâ—e or cleane a placâ— but the glorious and great God might have abhorred and despised it but when he took upon him to deliver Man he did not Blessed be his Name therefore who was borne that we might not die who was made the Son of Man that we might be made the sons of God Ideâ— Filius Dei factus â—st homo ut homines faceret filios Dei Adde hereunto that the Angels of Heaven desiâ—e earnestly to look into this mysterie of our Redemption and doe attend it 1 Pet. 1. 11. it doth them good at the heart to see their places filled and supplyed by men from which the evill Angels by their Apostasie and pride fell Lastly to honour the Regenerate yet farther the Angels are charged and commanded to attend and wait upon them He hath given his Angels charge over thee c. Psal 91. 11. They are not onely Fellow-servants with the Angels as Iohn the Divine calls them but they are servants to the children of God for it is said They are ministring spirits sent forth to minister to them that are heires of salvation Heb. 1. last Thus have you seen the dignity of the Regenerate the superlative honour of the children of God in some kind above the Angels For 1. Christ took not the seed or nature of Angels but the sâ—ed of Abraham and David men subject to infirmities 2. He was conceived in the womb of a Virgin and in the fulnesse of time made of a woman and made under the Law c. So that by his blessed Incarnation he is made one with us and we with him he sits at the right hand of his Father glorified and blessed in our nature Vexit in coelum carnâ—m nostram c. He took our flesh into Heaven with him as the pledge and token of his love and favour and hath sent downe his Spirit unto us as the pledge and seale of his love Now Gloria capitis est spâ—â— corporis The glory of the Head is the Members hope and if the Head be crowned the whole Body is honoured 3. The glorious Angels and them blessed Spirits in heaven desire to look into the mysteriâ— of our Redemption and indeed they themselves receive some benefit by it for they are thereby confirmed that they cannot fall 4. The Angels are commanded to be our Guardians and Protectours Never had any King or Prince such Protectours as the sons of God have For the heavenly Angels pitch their tentâ— about them Psal 34 11. and they have charge given them of their Father which is in heaven to bear them up in their hands that they dash not their feet against a stone Oh how fearfull should we be to offend having such eyes over us and such hands under us and such glorious spirits about us Who cannot but admire the great love and mercy of God in the words of Daâ—id
for a man an old man who to shew he hath lived long in the world hath no other witnesse to produce but his gray hairs And Diogenes the Cynick as bitterly as wittily told one that boasted of his age and eldership and therefore scorned to be reproved that he had put off pueritiam but not puerilitatem he had put off his childhood but his childishnesse he had not put off Beloved though we should be as new born babes in desire to the sincere milk of the word yet we should not alwaies be as babes new born stand at a stay like a horse in a Mil which is all the day going about and yet at night in the same place he was If we proceed not nor make any progresse in grace and goodnesse we have no grace nor goodnesse at all like Scullers or Oars if we goe not forward we goe backward Examin we then the truth of our spiritual birth by this of our natural I mean by this likenesse and â—imilitude to our natural Art thou a stronger man in Christ now then formerly this day then yesterday are thy sins more mortified and weakned and thy graces more strengthened is it between thy old man and new the flesh and spirit as it was between the house of David and Saul Doth Davids house grow stronger and stronger Sauls weaker and weaker Doth the old man die daily and the new grow and quicken Try and sift thy heart and the graces thereof by this rule for minime sane est bonus qui melior esse non vult good that man or woman cannot be which endeavours not every day to be better Si dixeris sufficit periisti if thou ever say thou art good enough thou art in a manner undone for in the waies of vertue and goodnesse not to goe forward is to goe backward Grace and goodnesse never were in us if they are not improved in us as I said He was never good at all that desired not every day to be better And therefore though we be never a day good as we should be yet let us be every day better then we were every day break one thread of that net in which we are ensnared every day grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ the second of Peter the 3. and last For howsoever we shall not find it profitable nor it may be commendable in these evil daies wherein grace and goodnesse is ashamed of it self and the name yet I am sure we shall find it comfortable Indice nos sentire meliores every day to find our selves better and better For faith and a good conscience a regenerate and holy life had it no further or future reward it is it self praemium sui it s own reward and gives such unspeakable peace and quietnesse to the soul and mind that none know it but they that have it It was the commendation of our blessed Saviour Luke 1. That as he grew in years he grew in favour with God and man and it will be our exceeding comfort to see that our last daies be our best daies and that our latter end be better then our beginning They that are planted in Gods house saith David are flourishing and well liking and will bring forth most fruit in their age Yea and even thenw hen their Almond Tree doth flourish their hearts will be as neare as they can as white in innocency as their hairs are with age and indeed herein is our heavenly Father glorified if we c. Jo. 1â— 8. As the little child then grows in every member of the body so the regenerate growes in every affection in every grace for graces and goodnesse like the babes milk are so sweet to the souls of them that taste it that they do they must needs long for more As Then the woman of Samaria when she heard Christ speak of a water of which whosoever drank should never thirst more cries out Lord give me evermore of this water And the Disciples hearing Christ speak of a bread of which whosoever did eat should never hunger more desire Lord give us evermore of this bread So whosoever doth once taste how good and gracious the Lord is as David speaks must needs pant after him as the hart c. and as a new born babe desires the sincere milk of the word that he may grow thereby for no growth no grace So much of the similitudes and likenesses betweene our first and second birth Follows now the eminency and dignity of a Christian new born and truely very superlative and great is the dignity and honour of a Christian born of God as the Ambassadors of Pyrrhus said of the quondam Senators of Rome Quod vidi Senatores tot vidi reges So many Senators as I saw I saw so many King The same and more we may say of them that are born of God Quot vidimus in terris renatos vedebimus in coelis regnantes So many as we see on earth converted we shall see in heaven crowned See a little into this dignity He that is born from above hath God for his Father and Jerusalem which is from above to wit the Church for his Mother Christ Jesus the son of Gods love for his Brother the Noble bloud of Jesus Christ runs in the veins of every true Christian He is of the bloud-Royal For as I told you before they are by this heavenly birth made partakers of the Divine Nature 1 Pet. 1. 4. and so a noble generation a royal Priesthood a peculiar people c. the noblest born of any in the world are they that are born from above It was the religious and pious speech of Theodosius an Emperor of Rome Mallem esse membrum Christi quam caput imâ—erii I had rather be a member of Christ then Head of an Empire And Luther to that purpose Mallem esse Christianum rusticum quam paganum Imperatorem I had rather be a Christian clown then a Pagan King Rejoyce not saith Christ in these and these things that you have preached in my name and in my name have cast out devils but in this rejoce that your names c. So boast not so much that you are born of these and these houses of that high and noble bloud as that you are born from above Look not so much to your natural generation as to your spiritual regeneration Civis aequat omnes impares nascimur c The dust equals all Look therefore to that birth by which we are made heirs of God and joynt heirs with Christ The true honour I say again is to be born again by which birth we are allied to Christ and made of his alliance and linage For he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven saith Christ the same is my sister and brother and mother and when some came and told him that his mother and brother were without to speak with him he answers as I told you Mat. 12. and Luke
8. by pointing to his Disciples Mat. 12. 49 50. He stretched forth his hands towards his Disciples and said Behold my mother and my brethren for whosoever doth c. The same Luke 8. My mother and my brethren are they that hear the word and do it verses 21. By which places of Scripture we see plainly and evidently that Christs respects are greater and he is dearer and nearer to them that are united to him by faith than by bloud by spiritual regeneration than by natural generation And St. Austin from hence is bold to affirm Felicior Maria credendo in Christum quam concipiâ—ndo carnem Christi Mary was more happy in believing in her Son than in bearing him in believing in him in her mind than in bearing him in her womb They are dearer and nearer to Christ that are allied to him by faith than by the flesh and this our Saviour mildly intimated to the woman who looking too carnally and sensually upon his outward and natural generation and crying out blessed the womb and he corrects her in these words Nay more blessed are they that hear the word of God and do it It is not the conception of the body but the conception of the mind which unites us to Christ for howsoever by the body we are born at first by the mind we are born again The womb of which conception lies higher namely in the heart where the seed of the word is sown to receiv the ingraffed word and to conceive the new man and by faith to impregnate and bring him forth This is the work of regeneration and this unites us to Christ makes us bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh The word of God which is called the seed of our new birth goes in at our ears from thence down to our hearts and there as I said it doth iâ—pregnate and fructifie and bring forth the new Men. God begets us of his will by the word of truth I will conclude this Point with the Prayer of St. Augustine before one of his Sermons beseeching God that Quicquid meditatum est cor meum whatsoever my heart hath profitably meditated upon this divine Subject may enter from my mouth into your ears from your ears into your hearts from your hearts spring forth in your lives and be fruitfull so that receiving the ingrafted word with meekness it may be able to save your souls As you have in part seen the eminency and dignity of a Christian of which you shall hear more anon so I pray you note three great and singular priviledges and prorogatives of one born of God they are worth your noting and observation I. First They that are born of God sin not 1. John 3. 9. He that is born of God doth not commit sin Sin not may some say how can you make that good since the most righteous sin seven times a day and there lives not a man upon earth that sins not If we say we have no sin saith St. John We I for one we are not only deceivers but lyars 1 John 1. In many things we offend all saith James We he puts himself in James called the Just puts himself into the number of sinners We offend all all of us in many things and many of us in all things Verebar omnia opera mea saith Job I feared all my works knowing that in the best of them is weakness in the worst wickedness error in all David cries out Who knows how often he offendeth The highest form of believers are not without the actings of sin though the lowest forms are not under the dominion of sin And what were Noahs drunkenesses Lots incest Abrahams dissimulation Davids Adultery Solomons Idolatry Peters Apostacy Thomas â—â—s â—â—credulity were not these sins Noah was a just man in his generation Abraham the Father of the Faithfull and friend of God David was a man after Gods own heart nay the Father of Christ according to the flesh Solomon a type of Christ and Prince of Peace Peter the prime Apostle upon whose faith Christ did build his Church Thomas vouchsafed that never man was to put his finger into the hole of our Saviours side and to handle his wounds yet these tall Cedars were not only shaken but overthrown Et si non timuit lupus illum gregem intrare If the Wolfe feared not to enter into the â—old of which Christ was the Shepherd how may we fear our standing since these strong ones were ever taken with faults no small ones and infirmities not a few Let him that standeth take heed 'T is true peccatum inest in electis non praeest It is in them not over them remanet non regnat it remains in them it reignes not in them Vivit non vincit it lives in them but it conquers them not bellat not debellat it wars but it wins not They are not so perfect so throughly sanctified here in this life that ye fail not or fall at all nor sin at all that peccatum non sit or nisit that sin should not be or be in them but they are so upheld and preserved by the power of God unto salvation ut peccatum non praesit non obsit that sin should not reigne in them nor ruine them because as I said God keeps the feet of his Saints and his seed that is his spirit and word remains in them So that though they fall yet they fall not foully or finally though sin be in them yet it reignes not in their mortal bodies that they should obey it in the lusts and desires thereof because they be born of God and by faith lay hold upon the Lamb of God which hath taken away c. and they have an Advocate with the Father c. But we are to know that this Advocate this Jesus who was so called because he should save though he hath taken away the strength and sting of sin the guilt and condemning power thereof yet he hath not taken away the being of sin The site of sinne that Christ hath not stirred but the spite and might of it that he hath quelled the might that it should not regnare reigne the spite of it that it should not damnare damn Sin is in the best and holiest but it condemns not them that are in Christ Rom. 8. 11 They commit no wickednesse saith David that walk in thy waies that is willingly purposely or resolvedly They sin indeed out of weaknesse and frailty and error out of negligence and carelesnesse and rashnesse but not out of wickednesse intention or presumption out of infirmity and inadvertency they sin but not delightfully or desperately willingly or constantly they sin not finally or to death with their mind they obey the Laws of God though with their flesh the Law of sin or as one saies upon the place They live not unto sin but unto Christ who died for sin or which is the truest and the most comfortable exposition of all They sin