vnwillingly or after any sort the latter signifieth to entertaine or receiue willingly to welcome Therefore of this word commeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the right hand That which we doe vnwillingly is done as it were with the left hand sinisterly and vntowardly but that which we do willingly it is done as it were with the right hand dexterouslie aptly and handsomely to receiue the word here therefore signifies to welcome to embrace with willingnes and liking and to apply it to themselues This is then the third degree of Faith to welcome entertaine embrace the word with readinesse willingnesse loue delight and to apply the same particularly to our owne hearts and consciences This is also of meere grace without which grace none can be saued Many heare the word with the outward eare many do also vnderstand it and beleeue it to be true but few receiue the same into the heart to giue it intertainment and rooting there In Acts 8. 21. Simon Magus beleeued the Gospell historically yet Peter saith there that his heart was not vpright in the sight of God In Acts 5. 3. Ananias beleeued the Gospell and seemed to bring forth fruits thereof as did the other Christians but it was not rightly receiued into the heart for hypocrisie which is is the worke of Satan and sauing faith which is the worke of the spirit cannot dwell together in one heart Iudas vnderstood and beleeued the word and was a Preacher thereof but it was neuer intertayned and rooted in his heart but thorny couetousnesse was rooted therein which in the end choaked the word So 2 Tim. 4. 10. Demas was a follower of Paul but the loue of the world was neuer rooted out of his heart therefore in time it choaked the word c. Iulian the Apostata giue intertainment to the word but pride was neuer rooted out of his heart therefore it choaked the word in him 1 Tim. 5. 11. Paul speakes of young widowes that hauing entertained and professed the word doe afterward waxe wanton against Christ and break their first faith because concupiscence and fleshly lust was neuer rooted out of their hearts therefore it choaked the word in them When as the word is receiued into the heart together with these and such like lusts which our Sauiour Christ calleth thornes Math. 13. 24. the thornes being naturall to the heart and therefore hauing strong rooting must needs in time ouergrow and choake the word euen as weedes being naturall to the earth doe ouergrow and pine away the corne that it cannot fructifie And this is the condemnation of the multitude I meane of the common hypocriticall Protestants which giue entertainment to the word but expell not their beloued company or guest their head personall sinne with the branches and fruits thereof either must Christ and that sinne dwell together or else must Christ be expelled that it may rule But cast out the bond-woman with her children for shee and her sonnes cannot be heyre with the free if Isaack be heyre then must Ishmael be cast out and if the birth-right belong to Iacob Esau cannot haue it Crucifie the olde man with his children the lusts of ignorance and the workes of darkenesse for if the sonne of God by his word and spirit hath taken possession of your hearts and dwell therein as owner and heyre then cannot the bond-womans sonne be heyre whether it be pride or couetousnesse or enuy or fleshly lust which spring out of originall corruption The word of God and naturall lust cannot both dwell together they cannot both be heyres they cannot both be maisters but being contrary one to the other the one of them will haue the dominion and vpper hand sinne and Satan lay claime to all by right of antient inheritance from many descents but the word is the sword of the spirit driuing them out of the heart and cutting them downe As Ioshuahs sword slue all the ancient inhabitants of Canaan and placed the Israelites therein euen so must wee cast out and subdue these Canaanitish lusts and affections the word must be as a sword or sacrificing knife in vs to cut downe these ancient in-bred inhabitants worldly lusts yea as the Land of Canaan spued forth her Inhabitants so must we cleare our hearts of this menstruous filth that they may be Temples for the holy Ghost euen as Salomons Temple beautified and adorned with holinesse righteousnes faith goodnes meekenesse loue truth continence temperance and all vertue 4. Degree of Faith is their intertayning and embracing of the word in such sort as is peculiar and proper to the word which is propounded first negatiuely not as the word of Men and then affirmatiuely but as the word of God Heerein appeareth euidently the difference betweene hypocrites and true beleeuers Infidels heare the word of God altogether as the word of man Hypocrites receiue the word of God as the word of man that is they allow it to be the word of God so farre forth as it is agreeable to their liking and wherein it differeth from them they contemne and put it off from them as but the word of man this is therefore the meere and especiall and sauing grace of God to receiue the word as from God and not from Man The Pharisees heard the pure word of the Gospell from the mouth of the Sonne of God himselfe but because he was in the shape and forme of man therefore they receiued it but as the word of man Iohn 8. 13 Thou bearest record of thy selfe c. Mark 6. 2. Our Sauiour Christs Countrymen friends kinsfolks hearing his wisedome and seeing his workes were astonied but beleeued not in him What was the cause Vers 3. Is not this the Carpenter Maryes Sonne brother of Iames Ioses c. They looked with fleshly eyes on his outward appearance only and esteemed his word but according to his outward appearance therefore it became vnprofitable to them Such like Pharisees are the heads of the Romish Church the teachers and maintainers of hypocrisie which auouch that the written word hath no authority with vs but by their approbation and what is their approbation First they wrest it to such a sence as may serue for the erecting and maintaining of their owne authority and their Antichristian synagogue and then hauing adulterated it and made it their owne word they giue allowance to it Heereupon euery Impe of that Church will not heare the word as the word of God but as of the Church that is of the Pope and his Cardinals and in this they rest satisfied and resolued thinking it heresie to receiue the word meerely as the word of God Of this sort are all prophane Esaues and Epicurish Politicians which count themselues Protestants but are not they acknowledge and receiue the olde and new Testament as the word of God but as for Doctrines Instructions Vses and especially Applications thereof they receiue as but the word of men and chiefly when the
shorten his hand and to take his graces from vs. Lastly whereas hee giueth thankes without ceasing we obserue what is the greatest matter of ioy and reioycing to a faithfull shepheard namely the faith and obedience of his flock to his doctrine instructions and exhortations not as from him but as from God as the husbandman reioyceth in a plentifull haruest forgetting all his labours and trauels in seede time euen so the true shepheard reioyceth in the fruits of his labours and seeing a plentifull haruest towards is glad that God hath made him an instrument to gather his wheate euen the soules of men into his Barne The Minister hath cause of reioycing and thankesgiuing in the faithfull discharge of his calling when his conscience doth assure him that he hath kept himselfe innocent from the bloud of all men and hath kept nothing back but to his vtmost power and grace giuen him hath declared all the counsell of God by word and example of life Act 20. 26. 27. he hath I say cause of reioycing herein though hee see no fruits of his labours as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 2. 15. Wee are vnto God the sweete sauour of Christ in them that are saued and in them that perish But when his ministerie is effectual in men to beget and increase faith in them to regeneration and to eternall life then is he the sauour of life vnto life and there is double matter of reioycing and thankesgiuing Paul little reioyced in his owne grace and conscionable discharge of his owne dutie neither esteemed much all his labours and sufferings when he saw them not effectuall in the conuerting sinners vnto God but when hee had done all that he could he complaineth that he had run in vaine Gal. 4. 11. I am in feare of you least I haue bestowed labour on you in vaine i. seeing no fruit of my labour in your conuersion The matter of the gratulation and thanksgiuing is their Faith which is not simply named but propounded by way of circumlocution and as it were described by certaine degrees The first degree in this description or rather definition of their faith is their hearing of the word when yee receiued of vs the word of the preaching of God which words in the greeke are thus because receiuing the word of hearing from vs of God both haue one meaning but I rather follow the Greeke verbatim because he speaketh here especially of their act of beleeuing the first degree whereof is hearing and emplyeth his act of preaching in these words from or of vs. It is called the word of the hearing of God because there is no light or ground of the Gospell in mans reason he hath not the least sparkle of this knowledge of God in Christ in him therefore the Apostle saith Rom. 10. 14. Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the Preacher Adam was created perfect man in all the faculties of his reasonable soule yet was hee without this knowledge which was hid in God and reuealed and preached to him by God himselfe after his fall Gen. 3. 15. who foreseeing the fall foresaw the remedy also This sauing knowledge God likewise reuealed to Abraham Gen. 18. 18. and afterward preached the same by typicall ceremonies and by the Prophets to his church lastly by his owne Sonne who hath reuealed all the wisdome of God concerning mans iustification and saluation and accomplisht the same in himselfe and the sonne hauing all power and authoritie giuen of his Father in heauen and earth hath preached the same to vs Gentiles by his Apostles and Euangelists Pastours and Teachers Againe it is called the word of hearing after the imitation of the Hebrew for the word heare or which you heard Now to heare this word of faith preached is meerely of grace and is the first degree of faith The gracelesse viz. naturall men will not patiently heare this word of the preaching of God it is to them foolishnes and vaine talke for they make this doctrine and profession groundlesse and to no end Groundlesse because they comprehend not the same by their carnall reason To no end because they measure euery thing by the worldly vse profit or pleasure thereof 1 Cor. 1. 18. Praedicatio Euang. est ijs qui periunt stultitia In Act. 7. 57. 58. The Iewes stopped their eares at Stephens preaching c. Act. 19 24. The multitude of the Ephesians when Alexander shewed them of Paul and his doctrine c. Act. 23. Ananias the high Priest caused Paul to be smitten on the mouth in the very beginning of his Apologie The Turkes Iewes and Papists are ready to stop their eares as soone as they heare the truth Yea and many protestant Atheists and Epicures would at no hand heare the word if they were at their owne libertie they hate and deride the very name of a Preacher and cannot looke on a blacke coate as these blacke mouthed hell-hounds terme them with a patient eye which shewes that they hate our calling and are the enemies of God and their owne saluation And that enuious murtherous heart which shewes it selfe now in mocks and taunts would shew it selfe in open rage and cruelty if it were not bound in with chains and bonds of iron 2. Degree of their Faith is in these first words when ye receiued of vs c. This is the second degree of faith after we haue heard the word to giue assent in general to the same as true and to approue of it as good And this is also meerely of grace for there are many which heare but their hearing is not mingled with faith and therefore they profit nothing by hearing Heb. 4. 2. The Gospell was preached to them as also to vs but the word which they heard profited not them because it was not mixed with faith in those that heard it And Paul saith 1 Cor. 2. 14. The naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishinesse vnto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned In Acts 17. 18. When Paul preached at Athens certaine Philosophers of the Epicures and Stoikes heard him but some counted him a babler and others a setter forth of strange Gods This generall consent vnto the word preached in man is of grace but this is not sauing grace for the Deuills beleeue also and tremble Iames 2. 19. I say it is of grace in man because he cannot do this by supernaturall light but the Diuels by light of nature not by created light but by obseruation 3. Degree of their faith is expressed in the middle of the verse in these words ye receiued it c. This word receiued is twise vsed in the english but it is of differing significations as the Greeke and Latine doe shew The former is in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 accipere the latter is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 excipere the former whereof signifieth to receiue or take willingly or
we consider the cause hereof it is no wonderfull or strange thing but naturall and common if wee could but reflect our eyes vpon our selues to see the things within vs as we doe the things without vs but it is giuen to very few to discerne the times and seasons by application of the true light to the same which maketh euery thing manifest as it is The cause heereof was the bewitching hypocrisie of the hart for howsoeuer they pretended religion deuotion and zeale and therein matched the Romish Iesuites yet was not the same truly rooted in their harts but pride ambition vaine-glory couetousnesse and enuy were deepely rooted and firmely setled therein which sinnes being coloured with fayre pretences of religion blinded not onely the eies of the world but euen their owne eyes that their religious titles prayers fastings almes and other outward works were but cloaked and coloured pride vaineglory couetousnes oppression and this true body namely their outward profession had not a true soule in it but an euill spirit or Deuill vsing this body deceitfully and craftily for his owne aduantage For this is the nature of the hypocriticall heart to transforme euen the best and holiest exercises of religion into the nature of it selfe that is to serue it selfe of them These holy Deuils of the Iewish Church retayning the bare names and liuelesse titles of their Iewish priuiledges as to be called the Israell of God the children of Abraham c. As also the outward ceremonies of the Law together with their owne ambitious traditions and gainfull dispensations but being of worldly hearts and spirits were so farre from the true knowledge and spirituall meaning of the Law of the types and ceremonies thereof as also of the Prophets as that they could not abide to heare the same sounding to their eares as strange and new doctrine for bare titles and the outward barke serued their turnes hauing no farther sauour of religion nor loue of the truth in them Therefore when Christ preached the Law and the Prophets spiritually which they professed and wherein they boasted carnally It was a hard preaching who could heare it Iohn 6. The Papist doth marueile at the stupidity and vtterly condemne the obstinacy of the Pharisees and Iewes for their contempt of the Gospell and shamefull intreatment of the sonne of God and for their hypocrisie pride couetousnesse enuy c. And the Friars and Iesuites in their Sermons worke vpon the passions of men to prouoke and inflame their hearts to an hatred of them for hating the Gospell and putting our blessed Sauiour to death Surely it is a wonderful thing to consider the darknesse of their hard hearts that they haue no sight at all in themselues of these things for which they vtterly condemne the Iewes being no lesse enemies of Christ then the Iewes The Pharisees holding and maintayning the true principles of the law and Prophets did in their Interpretations Expositions and speciall Applications swarue so far from the true meaning thereof through the darkenesse of their earthly hearts as they became vtter enemies of the truth therein contained for Christ was the truth the end and fulfilling thereof whom they pointed at and whom the Pharisees heard and saw speaking and fulfilling the same in their eyes and eares yet will they not be his Disciples but Moses Disciples Iohn 9. making Moses and Christ contrary whereas indeede they themselues were contrary to themselues for if they had knowne and professed Moses and the Prophets spiritually and truly then had they knowne Christ and beene his followers but being carnall professours they are vtter enemies of the truth which they professed Let common Protestants note this well Euen so in the very same manner the Romish Synagogue with the whole Antichristian rout houlding the true principles of the Gospell the olde and new Testament and the abridgements of the same to wit the Creede the Commandements and Lords prayer doe in their Interpretations Expositions Glosses and particular Applications of the word so farre and wide run astray from the true meaning thereof as they are vtter enemies of the truth persecuting the true professours of the same vnder the names of heretickes as the Iewes persecuted Christ vnder the name of a seducer and deceiuer The Pharisees built their false sect doctrines and deuotions vpon the true ground or principles of the Law and Prophets so doe the Romanists build their Antichristian Synagogue their false doctrines workes and deuotions vpon Christ the Prophets Euangelists and Apostles But heere is the cunning of the Deuill who as he sees God in his great wisdome to bring good good out of euill yea to turne all his Satanicall policies and deuises vpon his owne head and to worke himselfe glory out of his plot of dishonour and subuersion euen so on the contrary he bringeth euill out of good turning the truth of God into a lye yea vpon Gods truth and ordinance builds hee his owne kingdome but this bay and stubble built vpon the true foundation shall be burnt by the fire of Gods spirit 1 Cor. 3. 15. and the plant which he hath not planted shall wither away and be rooted out Math. 15. 13. Now seeing that they haue built a false Church vpon a true foundation soothing vp themselues in their outward priuiledges and liuelesse titles making their owne lawes doctrines traditions and innumerable deale of beggarly baggagement the rule of conscience and holy life put the case that Iesus Christ the onely truth were to come or that it should please his glorious Maiesty to come from heauen into the Church of Rome which professeth it selfe to be the onely and holy flocke of Christ in such manner as he came among the Iewes instructing and teaching the people euery where in truth sincerity and without partiality prouing his doctrine by the written word which themselues acknowledge and professe as hee did the Gospell among the Iewes by Moses and the Prophets and confirming the Doctrine with miracles as also conuincing and reprouing them for their Idolatry superstition false doctrine vaine ceremonies traditions godly lies wicked dispensations ambition pride tyranny cruelty excessiue couetousnesse extortion bribery and all the heathenish abhominations of that holy denne of theeues If I say that Christ were at Rome amongst them at this instant in such appearance life conuersation and doctrine as he was among the Iewes I demand what manner of intertainment should be giuen him And whether his word and doctrine should be receiued as the word of God or as the word of man whether it should be receiued as the trueth of God or reiected as heresie Euen as the King of Niniueth with the Princes Rulers Nobles and Commons beleeued the word of God spoken by Ionah layd his robe from him couered him with sackcloath and sate in ashes and proclaimed that neither man beast bullocke nor sheepe should feede or drinke water that man and beast should put on sackcloth and cry mightily vnto God and turne