Testament is made There is no Mediatour besides him Mediatour quasi medius dator Of the New Testament which is farre different from the Old Covenant or Testament for it consisteth on better promises Hebrewes 8. ver 6. By the meanes of death that death being or comming betweene for the redeeming of us from the punishments due to the transgressions and the price wherewith he redeemed us from them was his owne bloud If CHRIST his death doth redeeme us from all transgressions then there needs no sacrifices for sin after his death Yes say the Iesuites one to be a representation of that on the Crosse. I but you say that the sacrifice of the Masse and that on the Crosse are all one in substance differing only in the forme and manner Now if Christ be really present in the Masse how can the Masse bee a representation of him And that manner is opposite to the Scriptures for the Scripture sayes he is only offered up with bloud Your unbloudy sacrifice is no sacrifice In the former covenant whereas we for our part were not able to performe that which belonged to us GOD performed his part but we could not doe ours It is unseasonable here to dispute whether CHRIST delivered them that lived in the time of the Law for by the Old Testament is meant the Old Covenant not the time of the Old Testament Therefore it is opposed to the New Testament In the Greeke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if it were for the sins of them that were under the Old Testament That they which are called namely effectually as well internally by the spirit as externally by the word 1 Cor. 1.2 24. Rom. 8.30 Not only heare it but receive it namely by faith The promise The full fruition whereof they should receive hereafter in the meane season the Holy Ghost is as a Seale and earnest penny of it Ephes. 1.13 2 Cor. 1.22 It is not a thing merited by our workes but a gracious inheritance promised to us CHRIST is the right and principall heire Hebr. 1.2 we are secondary heyres with him and by him Rom. 8.17 Not a fading inheritance as these be but that lasteth for ever CHRIST is the sole Mediatour 1 Tim. 2.5 Ioh. 16.23 Apoc. 8.3 Let us not cry with those Idolaters ô Baal heare us but aske the Father in his Sons name and say ô CHRIST heare us Who prevailes more with the King then the Kings Son Let us not leave the Sonne and goe to servants There is a double calling the one externall alone by the outward sound of the word the other externall and internall too not by the Trumpet of the Word alone ringing in the eare but by the voice of the Spirit also perswading the heart and moving us to goe to Christ. Of this calling spake our SAVIOUR CHRIST no man commeth to me except the Father draw him namely by his spirit as well as by his word Iudas was called hee was not a professour alone but a Preacher of the Gospell Simon Magus was called he believed and was baptized Herod was called he heard Iohn Baptist sweetely and did many things that he willed him Sundry at this day come to Church heare Sermons talke of Religion that doe not answere Gods call Therefore let us entreat the Lord to call us effectually by his blessed Spirit out of our sinnes to holinesse and newnesse of life If wee be thus called we shall receive the eternall inheritance which CHRIST hath purchased for us Let us be suiters to God that he would make us partakers of this calling that makes an alteration of us 1 Cor. 6.9 11. If wee were Idolaters as Manasseh to call us out of our superstition and idolatry if persecutors as Paul to call us out of our persecuting if wee are Adulterers as David to call us out of our uncleannesse if drunkards out of our drunkennes if covetous oppressours as Zacheus was to call us out of our oppression and make us new Creatures in Christ Iesus It is not a purchase bought with the money of our owne merits but an inheritance bequeathed to us by the last Will and Testament of our Saviour Christ Luk. 22.29 and I appoint unto you a kingdome as my father hath appointed unto me The inheritances that bee in the world seeme faire and glorious it is a goodly thing to have the inheritance of a great Gentleman of a Knight Lord Earle Duke but a Kings inheritance surpasseth all yet these are but strawes to this inheritance These inheritances may bee taken from us while wee bee here Mephibosheth's lands were given away to Tsibah and Naboth lost his Vineyard though it was the inheritance of his fathers When Death comes then we must forgoe all houses and lands all that our fathers left us But this inheritance is eternall wee can never be deprived of it we shall enjoy it world without end Therefore let us seeke to have an assurance of this inheritance in our hearts and consciences If a man be sure to be a Lords heyre though hee is in misery yet he will endure it we are sure to have an eternall inheritance by Christ let us therefore abide patiently the miseries of this short life VERSE 16. THere must needs be carryed as a true and an infallible report it must be sure and certaine that the Testatour is dead Where 1. The axiome 2. The proofe or illustration of it Verse 17. Here wee see it was necessary CHRIST should dye Ought not CHRIST to suffer these things and to enter into his glory Luk. 24 26. why not because the Devill would have it to be so not that the rage and fury of the Pharises should bee satisfied not because Iudas would but because God the Father in singular love to mankinde had so ordained in his eternall counsell and because Christ was willing to dye for us Can mankinde bee saved no otherwise but by my death then here am I take me I will dye for them ô the wonderfull love of Christ Here the Testatour would live still if he might and then the legataries should never have their legacies our testatour might have lived still if he would being the Lord of life yet that we might have our legacy hee would dye ô unspeakable love Let it bee imprinted on our hearts that it may constraine us to leave all sins VERSE 17. NOw followes the proofe or illustration of the axiom A Testament is thus defined by Vlpianus Est declaratio voluntatis nostrae de eo quod fieri volumus post mortem Is of force Is firme After the Testatour is dead both because hee may alter it at his pleasure and the goods remaine all still in the Testatours hands it is testamentum ambulatorium usque ad mortem The Testament of our SAVIOUR CHRIST is a good Testament It is partly nuncupativum as it was pronounced by himselfe when hee was alive partly Scriptum as it was after committed to
Gods Councell as the Preachers be at this day the Iewes were honoured that God would speake to them by them but to us hee hath spoken by his onely Sonne therefore our honour is the greater we are set in an high chaire of dignity above them happy are the eyes that see that which we see Many Prophets and Kings have desired to see these things which we see and have not seene them God give us grace to use our happinesse to his glory and the salvation of us all In this the Old and New Testament are equall God is the Author of them both God spake by the Prophets then and he speaketh now by his Ministers The word of the Lord the burthen of the Lord thus saith the Lord. These were the preambles of all the Prophets God spake by the mouth of David as he spake by the mouth of all his Prophets So God speaketh by the mouth of the Preachers at this present day It is not you that speak but the spirit of your Father which speaketh in you Wee are the Ambassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us When we teach God teacheth when we exhort God exhorteth when we reprove sinne God reproveth sin It makes no matter what the man be that speaketh so as he be the lawfull Minister of Christ God speaketh by the man when the man speaketh Gods word When the Ambassadour of the King of Denmark of France or any other Countrey speaketh in the Court the King speaketh whose person he doth represent when my Lord Chiefe Iustice gives the charge at the Assizes the King gives the charge for he sustaines the Kings Person and is a Commissioner for the King so when the Preacher speakes in the Pulpit when he in Gods name gives a charge against pride malice c. God himselfe speakes and gives the charge Oh that this were imprinted in the hearts of all that come to Church the Preacher is a man as thou art but God speakes by him and if thou despise him thou despisest God that speakes in him VERSE 2. WE have seene the estate of them in the time of the Law Now let us take a view of our condition under the Gospell Theirs were the first dayes ours be the last In those that were the first dayes some new Doctrine was daily to be expected but in these last dayes GOD hath opened to us his whole counsell there is no mint of any new Doctrine to be looked for now nothing but the second comming of our SAVIOUR CHRIST is to be expected which hath revealed the whole will of his Father to us If an Angel from Heaven preach any other Doctrine than that which wee have received in these last dayes let him bee accursed 2 In the last dayes there is greatest aboundance of knowledge In the last dayes I will powre out my Spirit on all flesh GOD then was sparing of his Spirit he sent it downe by drops but now he powres it out upon the Church they had the Moone-light we have the Sun-light Therefore if we be ignorant our condemnation shall be the greater as GOD knowes a number of ignorant persons are in this glorious light of the Gospell yea in those Towns where the Candle of Gods Word hath shined brightly these many yeares together The preaching of the Word is a well of water but we will not come with our buckets to fetch water at this Well or if we doe we come with riven buckets the water runs out by and by 3 These last dayes wherein we live are the most dangerous sinne overfloweth with a full streame In the last dayes perillous times shall come Never did sin shew her selfe with such a brazen face as it doth now Men now stick not to set themselves against the Word of GOD it selfe to call the authority of the Scripture in question whether all things be true in it or not To band themselves against the Preachers if not openly yet secretly and to pull downe if possible the Church it selfe these be the last times wherein we live GOD keepe us in them by his holy Spirit 4 Seeing they be the last dayes let us not be so much in love with them Will any be bestowing great cost on his house the last day when he is to goe out of it These are the last dayes of the world wherein we are ready to be turned out of the house of this world therefore let us not be inflamed too much with the love of it In the first dayes when they entred first into the farme of the world they might be merry and jocund we live in the last dayes when we cannot have long to tarry in it therefore let us not be glewed and wedded to it let us use this world as if we used it not for the fashion of this world fadeth away in these last dayes let us so live that whensoever Christ comes to judgement we may meet him joyfully in the Ayre and be translated with him into his kingdome of glory Spoken unto us 1. To the Apostles first that saw and heard him then to all Christians His must be understood Mat. 21.37 But last of all he sent unto them his Son in his Sonne Col. 2.9 For in him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily The which Sonne speaketh to us by his Ministers to the worlds end they had servants to speake to them but God hath spoken to us by his Son yet even his Son is little regarded Many of the Pharisies knew him to be the Son of God this is the Heire yet they said come let us kill him I am perswaded if CHRIST were now alive and preached many yeeres together in this Towne yet there be some so maliciously set against the Word and the preachers of it that they could finde in their hearts to kill him Hee that heareth you heareth me and he that goeth about to kill them goes about to kill CHRIST too What a vile age doe we live in What manner of Son not adopted but naturall 1 Heire The Son is the Fathers Heire he hath a right and interest to all his Fathers goods and lands when his Father is dead he hath the same power lordship and authority over all that his Father had So Christ Psa. 2.8 Iohn 16.15 Ioh. 17.10 Yet God his Father never dieth He is Heire as God and Man the King and Mediator of the Church All power is given unto mee in Heaven and Earth God appointed Him He did not intrude Himselfe He was not appointed Heire because being in time made He deserved it by His holy life as Photinus said not only Heire in time but with the Father before all times Of all Of all persons as well as of all things CHRIST hath a right to all he that taketh away any thing bequeathed to the Heire by the Will and Testament of his Father robs the Heire and is guilty of theft if we goe about to take
crany to escape by but we shall find none he makes them Iudges I appeale to your owne selves Iudge you He doth not say if we contemne secretly or openly but if we neglect The carelesse neglect of the Gospell shall pull damnation on us He doth not say so great a word as before but so great salvation A glorious and comfortable title which cannot be ascribed to the law that killeth it doth not save Saint Paul calls the law a killing letter the ministration of death and of condemnation but the Gospell sayes It is the word of salvation Act. 13.26 The power of GOD to salvation Rom. 1.16 So that they which contemne it contemne their owne salvation So great as can not be expressed by the tongue of men and Angels wrought by so great a Saviour Tit. 2.13 So great as eye hath not seene eare heard neither entred into the heart of man to conceive not a saving of us from our enemies in this world but of soule and body from the Devill death and damnation in the world to come Great also in eternitie and durance for it shall never have end The greatnes of this salvation is amplified three kind of wayes 1. By the first Preacher and divulger of it 2. By those worthy instruments that succeeded him 3. By the miracles wherewith it was graced That which wee heare is salvation a matter of great weight and singular importance therefore let us not neglect it If a man lye in a deepe pit ready to be drowned and one come to him offering him his hand to pull him out will he not listen to him The preaching of the word is Gods hand to pull us out of the pit of hell and shall wee neglect it If a man tell thee of a Lord-ship which thou mayest have for a little money wilt thou not give him the hearing We bring you tidings not of an earthly Lordship but of an everlasting kingdome which you may have without Gold and without Silver only reaching out the hand of faith to apprehend it and shall we turne away our eares and not regard it How shall wee escape if wee neglect so great salvation When men are at a play they will be attentive and the preaching of the word whereby we may be saved in the life to come is had in small estimation What a lamentable thing is this This must needs pull the wrath of GOD on us Wee count it a small matter to neglect the Word of GOD yet they that doe it shall hardly escape the vengeance of GOD how shall they escape sayes the Apostle Certainly with great difficultie therefore let us be diligent hearers of it The threatnings of Angels if despised were severely punished and shall not the threatnings of the Sonne of GOD in the ministrie of the Word The Preachers in the name of CHRIST thunder out GODS judgements against swearing profanations c. A number heare them and are no more moved than the stones in the wall but GOD will meet with such they shall hardly escape GOD will one way or other make them feele the smart of his heavy hand there is no way of escaping for them Therefore let us with reverence tremble at the word Which at the first began Having taken a beginning to be preached by the LORD which brought it first out of the bosome of his Father he did not introduce it into this world by stealth secretly as heresies and phantasies are wont to be but openly Christ alwayes taught in the Synagogues and in the Temple The Lord. That is the LORD IESUS the LORD of heaven and earth The LORD often so called not by Angels as the Law but by the LORD the naturall SON of GOD not by mortall men as Plato Aristotle c. In this respect the Gospell should be most welcome to us The LORD IESUS Himselfe was the Preacher of the Gospell he went up and downe through Citties and Townes preaching the Gospell The first Sermon hee made was in Nazareth where hee was brought up from thence he went up to Ierusalem c. CHRIST was a Preacher and shall we thinke basely of Preachers Was it not an high office which the Sonne of GOD will take on him CHRIST would not be a King be refused that then what wretches are they that will rayle on Preachers gibe and jest at them make songs of them Reverence the Preachers seeing CHRIST Himselfe was a Preacher And was confirmed unto us c. Some expound it thus and after them that heard it of Christ it was confirmed to me that is after it was preached by CHRIST and the first Apostles that heard him on the earth it was confirmed to me also as a later Apostle yet one that heard and saw CHRIST from heaven rather Paul in modesty and humilitie puts himselfe in the number of the common Saints and Christians to whom the Gospell was confirmed by the miracles of the Apostles or by the Apostles that heard Christ. Or he doth not speake here of his doctrine as if he received that from the Apostles but that hee was confirmed in the truth of the Gospell by the miracles of the Apostles which was no disparagement to him This is the strongest argument to perswade some that this is none of Pauls Epistle Saint Paul is wont to stand stiffely on the reputation of his Apostle-ship hee had his doctrine not from men but God he was not inferiour to the chiefest Apostles whereas the Author of this Epistle was one of the Apostles Schollers he had the doctrine of the Gospell not at the first hand but at the second This may be answered diverse kinde of wayes 1. Both these may well bee applyed to Saint Paul the LORD IESUS first preached the Gospell to him from heaven when he called him and he was confirmed in it by Ananias 2 It may be a rhetoricall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 frequent in divine and prophane writings when as the speaker assumes that to himselfe which is proper to the hearers and by a Synecdoche includes himselfe in their number as the Penman of this Epistle sayes how shall wee escape if we neglect so great salvation yet he was none of them that neglected this salvation Heb. 10.26 Yet he did not commit that wilfull and horrible sin against the Holy Ghost Paul 1 Thes. 4.17 sayes We that are alive yet he was not alive at Christ's second comming so though he say which was confirmed to us yet he speakes in the name of the Hebrews not of his owne as 1 Pet. 1.12 where S. Peter seemes to exempt himselfe out of the number of the Apostles yet he was one 3 S. Paul by conference with the Apostles that heard Christ preach when he was on the earth might without any disparagement to him be the more confirmed in the truth of the Gospell 4 He doth not say he was confirmed but the Doctrine was and that clause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports not the persons but the
us to the celestiall Canaan we shall be left behind and not enter in we shall come tardie as the five foolish Virgins did as fainting and loitering travellers are wont to doe and so never come to the journeys end therefore let us look to it the danger is great In the substance of the dehortation is commended to us an holy and religious feare which we must carry in our hands for feare of falling This feare is amplified by the object whereabout it must bee occupied and the danger that will ensue if wee let goe that feare Must we that be Christians feare It may seeme not Luk. 1.74 Rom. 8.15 For the determination of this yee must know that there is a foure fold feare mundanus servilis initialis filialis This filiall feare is not a boysterous winde to shake the pillar of the certeinty of the Salvation of Gods Children which in respect of God our Salvation is sure our life is hid with God in CHRIST Col. 3.3 yet in regard of our owne weakenesse and frailety we must feare all the dayes of our life Though a Souldier make sure of the victory yet he must not rush into the battell unarmed nor be carelesse of himselfe he must feare the Pikes Swords and Pellets of the enemy and be carefull to avoyde them Though a wayfaring man make sure to come home safe to his house yet he must not be reachlesse but feare in some sort the thieves that be in the way They that be on the Sea though they make no question of their safe arrival yet they must not give themselves to sleeping and playing let the ship drive whither it will they must feare the waves windes and tempests A kinde and loving Wife doubts not of the good affection of her husband yet she will feare him So we neede not doubt of Gods love he will doe his part for whom He once loveth he loveth to the end yet we must feare him There bee two dangerous rockes the one of doubt and despaire the other of security and presumption Though there is no reason to despaire Rom. 11.29 Iohn 10.28 Heb. 6. yet we must beware that we be not drowned in security not give our selves to eating and drinking I am sure I shall be saved therefore I care not how I live Christians must feare in regard of our owne weakenesse we must distrust our owne wit policy strength and depend upon God alone we may stand a great while and yet fall in the end as Adam Noah David Salomon Peter In our selves we are as weake as water therefore let us distrust our selves and put all our trust in the living God Againe wee must feare in respect of the strength and policy of our enemies We have many enemies to encounter withall and those not weake but potent We wrastle not with flesh and bloud but against principalities and powers against the rulers of the darkenesse of this world The Divell like a roaring Lion walkes up and downe seeking whom he may devoure 1 Pet. 5.8 therefore we must feare VERSE 2. THE reason is deduced from a gracious benefit bestowed on us as well as on them which if it be rejected by us as it was by them will shut us out of heaven It hath two parts a par and an impar If they for not believing the Gospell were banished out of his rest then the like may happen to us for we are partakers of the Gospell as well as they and for that cause let us feare 1 That is to be unfolded wherein they and we are alike We are Gospelled as well as they nay in that wee are advanced above them Adam Abraham Iacob had the Gospell velatum to us it is revelatum To them CHRIST was preached afarre off to come to us already come a Virgin hath conceived They had the Gospell by a servant which was Moses we have it by the Sonne of God they had it darkely and obscurely we have it cleerely and plainely They had the Moone light and we the Sun light Blessed are the eyes that see that which we see It was one and the same Gospell in the Old and New Testament Iohn 5.46 and 39. here is the imparity the Word preached did not profite them as it did us that believe The word of hearing That word which indeede above all other words is to be heard by the which faith commeth Rom. 10.17 Plato Aristot. Seneca Tullie Augustine Hieron Irenaeus Tertul. c. in time and place are to bee heard but this word above all This is a word meet to sound in our eares continually He doth not say which came not unto them for it was preached to them as we heard before Profited them not did them no good The Gospell is a precious pearle an unspeakeable blessing of God yet all that are partakers of it are not saved Iudas had the Gospell yet it profited him not Simon Magus Hierusalem c. The Sun is not comfortable to all The most delicate fare doth not make all bodies fat The raine doth not make all grounds fruitfull neither doth the Word of God though it be mighty in operation profite all that partake of it Luke 13.26 Mat. 8.12 nay it is the heaping up of a greater measure of condemnation to some through their own default Ioh. 15.22 Ioh. 9. ult Therefore let us not trust to lying words as they did crying the temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord neither let us cry the Gospell the Gospell and thrust our selves under the figge leaves of a bare profession of it but bring forth fruits worthy of the Gospell that it be not taken from us and given to another nation Why did the Gospell doe them no good Because it was not mixed with faith in them that heard it It is a metaphor borrowed from liquid things A physician prescribes to a man a cup of strong wine but he wills him to mingle it with Sugar lest it fume into his braine and make him sicke if he mingle it not and temper it wel with Sugar he hurts himself So because they mingled not the wine of the word with the sweet Sugar of faith it was their destruction it turned them over even into hell It is fayth that makes the word profitable For the procuring of an harvest it is not enough to have ground and seede cast into the ground but raine must fall from heaven and bee mingled with the ground So it is not sufficient to bring our selves as the ground to a Sermon to have the immortall seede of the word sowen in our hearts by GODS husbandmen but there must be the drops of faith mingled with this seede to make it fruitfull Noah preached to the old world yet they did not believe Lot to his Sonnes in Law but hee seemed to them as a mocker CHRIST to the Pharisees but they derided him Luk. 16.14 Let not us doe so but rather tremble at the threatnings believe the promises and
1.20 From the testimony cited in the former verse he reasons in this They did not enter therefore some others shall for Gods promise shall take effect and not fall to the ground If a man having prepared a sumptuous dinner shall say if these dine with me then never trust me againe thereby we may safely collect that there bee others that dine with him Hath he said it and shall he not doe it They that shall not enter into this rest are described by a prerogative vouchsafed to them and by the contempt of that prerogative The Prerogative hath two branches the 1. is the preaching and manifesting of this rest to them 2. is the order of time in respect whereof they were preferred before others They were the first that had this glad tydings of peace offered to them yet they were stubborne froward and disobedient they would not beleeve GOD and his promise for that cause they never sate a foote into that rest Yet some there be that shal take possession of it namely they that believe in God heaven and earth shall passe away but not one jot of Gods word shall be unfulfilled Though diverse regard it not and thinke it to bee but a fooles Paradise yet undoubtedly some shall have it There be first that shall be last sayes CHRIST Many may have this priviledge to have the Gospell first preached to them and yet not be saved by the Gospell Christ gave commandement that his Apostles should beginne their preaching at Ierusalem The Gospel is the power of God to salvation to the Iew first Yet easier for Tyrus and Sydon at the day of judgement then for many of them We in England in this last age of this world have had the Gospell againe revealed unto us before a number of places in the world we even in these parts have had it a long time in most plentifull measure above and before sundry places in the land yet let us not flatter our selves in that Some of them that be still in darkenesse may goe to heaven before us Howsoever they that have the first offer which is a singular priviledge regard it not yet some out of all question shall have it Many come from the east and from the West and shall set downe with Abraham Isack and Iacob in the kingdome of heaven and the children of the kingdome shall be cast out into outer darkenesse Matth. 8.11.12 Those that were first bidden to the marriage would not come they made excuses yet the Lord sent into the high wayes and hedges and his house at the length was filled God is not tyed to any If the first refuse the last shall have it therefore while this rest is preached to us let us take hold of it and not reject it as the ancient Israelites did VERSE 7. 2. HEE proves it by the circumstance of time For David spake this a long time after they were setled in the land of Canaan by Iosua even foure hundred yeares after therefore he must needs meane another rest then the land of Canaan In David 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is here put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Hebr. 1.1 2. Not that voice that spake in the wildernesse but which soundeth now in the preaching of the Gospell Christ speaketh to us at this present day he that heareth you heareth me As if God did beseech you through us Therefore let us take heede that wee harden not our hearts against him VERSE 8. Iosua which was a type of CHRIST hath the same name with our Saviour CHRIST yet in a diverse manner Iosua was a Saviour for them in temporall things CHRIST in spirituall and eternall things hee saved them from the Canaanites earthly enemies CHRIST from sinne death hell and Satan spirituall enemies He gave them a land flowing with milke and hony in this world CHRIST gives us an everlasting habitation a celestiall paradise in the world to come If Ioshua had given them this rest then would not the Holy Ghost have spoken of another VERSE 9. WHereupon hee inferreth the conclusion 1. Introduced then confirmed Verse 10. There remaineth therefore By necessary consequence by the force and strength of reasoning A rest besides the land of Canaan wherein yee now rest In this place he reteineth the Hebrew word There remaineth a sabbatizing a keeping of a Sabbath in heaven for whom not for the people of the Devill but of GOD an holy nation a people zealous of good workes Many Atheists make a mocke at the kingdome of heaven The Preachers talke much of a glorious and wealthie kingdome which we shall have after this life but God send us wealth peace joy and pleasure in this world let them looke for that kingdome I but there remaineth a rest a Sabbath where we shall never be molested any more For whom doth it remaine and who be this people of God All nations in the world are his people by Creation but these bee his people by adoption whom hee hath adopted in his Sonne Christ Iesus whom he hath constituted a Prince and ruler over this people Rebels and traitours are not the Kings people they be the kings people that obey the Kings lawes 1. Every people is gathered together by some meanes or other a people is a collection of many men So we that are the people of God are gathered together with the trumpet of the word 2. A people gathered together must have lawes to rule them by otherwise they will soone be out of order leges à ligando because they are the bond that ties the people together otherwise they will range beyond limits even so Gods people have Gods lawes set downe in his word 3 Every people must have a King or ruler which is lex loquens even so the Ruler of Gods people is Iesus Christ they that will not have him to rule over them are none of Gods people 4 A people must have some Country to dwell in some in Denmarke some in France c. So the Country where this people dwell is the Church militant in this life and triumphant in the life to come 5 All people are distinguished by some outward habite and attyre French men goe not as English men Spanyards goe otherwise then Turkes c. So GODS people have the Sacraments to distinguish them Baptisme which is Christs marke and the Supper which is his Seale 6 People must live in obedience to the lawes of their King Traytors and rebels are not the Kings liege and loyall people So we that be GODS people must live obediently to Gods lawes If we be abominable swearers that rend GODS name in pieces contemners of his word if wee bee beastly drunkards and impure adulterers and adulteresses if we wallow in the mire of all sinne we are none of GODS people neither can we have any assurance of this rest therefore let us shew our selves by our workes to bee GODS people in this life that we may have this rest in the life
joy which they cannot doe if you be peevish perverse and froward therefore submit your selves to them What though wee grieve them what care wee will such a thing grieve him hee shall be sure to haue it then we will doe it for the nonce Some are at this passe But you shall have no benefit by that you hurt your selves more then them Vnprofitable 1. in this life and that two kinde of wayes 1. being grieved they cannot discharge their ministerie so well to your edification they cannot studie so well preach so well as otherwise they might doe and that makes against your profit The worse they preach the worse it is for you They cannot till the ground of your hearts so cheerefully they cannot build you up as an house to GOD so comfortably as it were meete Thus you gaine nothing by grieving of them but loose by it Griefe overthrowes any worke a clothyer cannot labour in his calling well that is grieved Griefe hinders any man much more a Preacher It deprives him of his sleepe and makes him unfit for any thing 2. The Preacher and Pastour being grieved must needs powre out his griefe into the bosome of GOD Almighty whose workeman hee is hee cannot but complaine to God of it Lord what untoward people be these and doe yee not thinke God will take his cause into his hand looke upon the griefe of his steward and by one meanes or other by the pestilence sword famine plague the people for it that are the Authours of his griefe therefore grieve them not You shall finde it very unprofitable for you in the end 2. It shall bee unprofitable you in the life to come if yee repent not of it CHRIST will say to all them that have opposed themselves to his Ministers come you are they that haue vexed my servants depart from mee I know you not Therefore so behave yourselves that they may performe their Office with joy not with griefe In grieving of them you grieve the Holy Ghost and Christ too It is not wee that speake but the Spirit of Father that speaketh in us If wee bee grieved hee is grieved and as Christ said to Saul Why persequutest thou mee So hee sayes to all peevish persons that set themselues to grieve his Ministers Why grieve yee mee Yee shall finde the incommoditie of it in the end Therefore grieve them not give them all the encouragement you can that they may doe their dutie with joy to the Salvation of you all In the former verse hee enjoyned Obedience to their Spirituall Governours now hee requires their prayers for them 1. He requests their prayers 2. hee affordeth them his prayers verse 20. In the former 1. the suit is propounded 2. prosequuted verse 19. In the propounding 1. what they are to doe 2. why they are to doe it VERSE 18. BY all probabilitie it was Paul and the rest of the Ministers that were with him that put up this grace to be prayed for 1. Wee will pray for them whom wee love most Wee are not commanded in the Word of GOD to love any so dearely as the faithfull Preachers Have them in exceeding love sayes the Spirit of GOD. Excesse is dangerous in all things yet wee must exceede in our love to the Ministers Paul hath exceeded in the choyce of his Word and wee must exceede in our Love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abundantly had beene enough yet hee abounds above that hee puts an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to it then an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee could not goe higher Above all abundance in love Wee love them best that doe most for us The Preachers doe more for us then any in the world under GOD. Our Fathers give us our bodies but not our Soules they make both Soule and body new creatures in Christ Iesus Our Fathers bring us into the light of this world which wee must one day loose againe they bring us to the light of the heavenly Ierusalem which wee shall enjoy for ever these then are most to bee loved therefore most to bee prayed for If that heathen King and mighty Emperour did thinke himselfe more beholden to his Schoole-master then to Philip his Father because from the one hee had his Esse from the other his benè esse Truly wee are more to praise GOD for the Preachers by whom wee are made new creatures in Christ Iesus and Citizens of Heaven then for our earthly Fathers by whom wee are made Citizens of the earth 2 We pray for you we sequester ourselves from worldly businesses that wee may give our selves to the word of God and prayer Acts 6. there is never a day but we pray for you wee count it sinne with Samuel to cease praying for you therefore pray you for us Vnum orare pro multis is a great matter and requires much boldnesse and confidence sayes Chrys. But multos orare pro uno nihil est onerosi When one man prayes for many oratio fit unius virtutis intuitu when many pray for one oratio fit multitudinis concordiae intuitu qua Deus ubique potissimum placatur Multi animi dum unanimes congregantur fiunt magni therefore you being many may more boldly pray for us then we for you 3 There is singular use of the Preachers Acts 16.17 we are GODS Torch-bearers that carry the flaming Torch of the Word of God before your eyes to shew you the way to the Kingdome of Heaven They are the Charets and horsemen of Israel Without us ordinarily you cannot be saved how can they heare without a Preacher Saint Peter saved three thousand Soules at a Sermon Saint Paul saved Sergius Paulus the Proconsul Dionysius a Iudge of Mars street Damaris a noble Gentle-woman and sundry others and ordinarily not one man or woman can goe to heaven unlesse a Preacher carry him on his shoulders not one sheafe can get into the barne unlesse a harvest man do carry it and thou canst not bee carryed as a sheafe into the barne of the Kingdome of heaven unlesse some of CHRIST's harvest men carry thee thither therefore pray for them 4 If we doe well the profit is yours postulamus quidem ut pro nobis oretis totum autem fit pro vobis in vos istae divitiae redunda bunt Chrys. If a Nurse have a full dugge it is the better for the Infant If the householder have refertam villam they shall fare the better that be in the house If our gifts of wisedome knowledge discretion of love zeale c. encrease the commoditie shall be yours Then pray for us and that heartily in the Church and in your houses that the Word of God may runne may have free passage may have nothing to stay the running that it may be glorified throughout all England to the joy and comfort of us all Pray for the Reverend fathers of the Church that they may use the Sword of authority which God hath put into their hands to the cutting
continue with Christ in our Temptations 675 Testament in what the Old and New testaments are equall 54. in what the New Testament is better than the old 294. A threefold difference betweene the Old and New Testament 318 319. the forcivenesse of sinne more clearely manifested in the New Testament than in the Old 324. it is the more comfortable covenant ibid. c. A Testament defined 362 Christs Testament twofold 362 Throne A twofold Throne 190. how we may goe boldly to Gods Throne 191. Thornie ground is neere to cursing 222 223 Tithes the taking of them an Argument of Greatnesse 259. whether Tithes be a perpetuall maintenance of the Ministery 260. They are perpetuall 261. what is ceremoniall and what perpetuall in Tithes 263 the difference betweene sacrifices and Tithes ibid. c. who must pay Tithes 265. whereof ibid. whether it be a sinne not to pay Tithes where the custome is not to doe it 267 whether they may give them to a bad minister ibid. hee that robbeth the minister of Tithes robbeth God 268 Tongue three things that may comfort us against an evill tongue 544 545. the persecution of the tongue a grievous persecution 545 Tryall vid. Temptations 474 Gods Tryalls begin with a Tragedy and end with a Commedy 481 V VAile Christs flesh called a Vaile 404. this Vaile is called A way A New way a Living way 404 405 Visitation It is twofold of Iudgement In Mercy 89 Vniversality It is no necessary note of the Church 451 452 Vnprofitable things may be sayd to be unprofitable two wayes 288 Vnregen the workes of the Vnregenerate please not God 444 Vowes what Vowes be lawfull 262 W. WAnder A wandring life is an uncomfortable life 533 Warning God warnes before hee warres 446 448 449 Warre It is lawfull on conditions 248 249. causes of it 249. sundry condemne it ibid by nature there is warre betweene God and us 253. God warnes before he warres 446.448 449. wals in warres are not the strongest munition 514 Water the Holy Ghost is called water 409 Waver we must not waver in our profession 409 Way how Christ is the way the Living way 405 Weakenesse it is twofold 528 Whoremongers God will Iudge and that many wayes 613 Will Gods will how revealed when and by whom 52 53. he accepts the Will for the Deede 475 Women Origens invective against them 662. S. Pauls and S. Iohns prayse of them 663 Word that Gods Word is never without fruite 141. we must take heede of Contemning the Word 179. the Word is a Lively Word ibid. Mighty and Powerfull 180. This power of the Word is set forth 1 Comparatively 2 Simply 180 181. It is lively 1 In the good 2 In the bad 181 this should gaine our Reverence to it 182 183 this before all other writings is to be propounded to the people by the preacher 183 the Word is a heart searcher 184. the Word is a Touchstone 205 the Word compared to Raine 220 the want of the Word miserable ibi we should be therefore thankefull ibid World It is of Gods making and therefore to be esteemed 57 what is meant by the World to come 87 88 In this world there is nothing but changing 278. whatsoever is worldly we must not bee too much in love with it 328 329 It is not eternall 371 the world is not the Saints Country 469 we are out of this world two wayes 625 Workes why called dead workes 207 Not meritorious 227 230 their proper end 228 one special good worke is to minister to the necessities of the Saints ib. our good workes shal not be forgotten 229. our best workes are defiled with some sinne 252 253. sinnes called dead workes 356. dead things and dead workes compared 357. sinnes well so called 357 358 the workes of the unregenerate please not God 444. the prayse of good Workes 628 the next way to be famous is to be full of good Works 692 examples 693 FINIS The Scriptures occasionally handled in this Booke either by way of Exposition Allusion or Reconciliation Lib. Cap. Vers. Page Genesis 2 2 149 Â 6 6 293 Â 22 2 473 Â 42 15 239 Â 48 16 576 Â 50 25 488 Exod. 2 14 503 Â 35 5 30 Â 40 20 331 Levit. 16 2 338 Num. 11 18 128 Â 19 1 2 354 355 1 Sam. 15 11 293 Â 21 9 180 2 Sam. 7 14 62 1 King 8 9 331 2 King 5 18 538 Â 20 3 584 585 1 Chro. 5 10 331 Iob 19 25 11 Psal. 12 4 545 Â 45 7 66 Â 91 7 685 Â 105 25. with the summe of the whole Psalmes 70. Â 110 1 74 Prov. 4 23 135 Â 26 11 61 Eccles. 12 12 680 Cant. 4 12 582 Esay 8 18 104 Â 9 6 390 Â 46 3 59 Â 53 3 98 Â 57 20 21 9 Mala. 3 8 268 Mat. 5 16 18 231 Â Â 24 27 Â Â 34 238 Â 10 3 41 693 Â 12 31 417 Â 16 18 118 Â 18 10 576 Â 27 4 113 Luke 1 74 11 356 Â 8 18 78 Â 14 33 430 Â 24 26 362 Iohn 5 17 150 Â 12 26 6 Â 13 34 670 Â 14 6 405 Â Â 9 677 Â 20 28 11 Acts 2 17 18 55 Â 9 4 189 Â 12 15 576 Â 15 36 681 Â 20 28 355 356 Â 21 13 687 Rom. 1 10 684 Â 2 5 217 Â 4 5 14 Â 8 8 443 Â Â 17 56 Â Â 26 298 1 Cor. 3 11 119 Â 9 5 609 Â 11 1 128 Â 13 1 15 16 Â Â Vlt. 13 2 Cor. 5 10 211 375 Â Â 20 54 Â 7 1 316 Â 8 12 30 Â Â 18 44 Â 11 22 26 25 Gal. 3 28 26 Â 4 4 117 Â Â 7 56 Â 6 10 16 228 Ephes. 4 5 209 Â Â 14 677 Â Â 26 27 Philip. 3 12 15 584 Â Â 13 158 Coloss. 1 16 58 Â 3 12 27 Â Â 23 30 1 Thes. 5 13 632 2 Thes. 1 8 339 Â 3 17 49 1 Tim. 2 5 587 Â 3 1 699 Â Â 4 5 608 609 Â 5 17 24 2 Tim. 1 24 701 Â 3 16 124 Â 4 15 423 Titus 1 6 608 609 Heb. 3 13 62 Â 5 4 280 Â 8 1 62 Â 9 27 211 Â 10 29 218 Â 13 17 39 Iam. 4 13 213 681 Â 5 16 41 42 1 Pet. 5 8 109 2 Pet. 2 22 61 1 Ioh. 2 27 67 Â 5 16 418 Revel 3 4 302 Â Â 11 188 Â 7 4 452 Â 14 4 302 Â 18 4 435 Â 22 12 445 FINIS A COMMENTARY VPON THE EPISTLE OF St. Paul to PHILEMON THis Epistle hath beene questioned as well as others yea above others There were some in St. Chrysostomes St. Ambrose and Saint Hieromes time that would have it to be quite wiped out of the sacred Canon two motives induced them to it the brevitie of it for the manner
we are not the Angels Ministers This is thy gracious goodnesse towards us thy name be blessed for it for ever and ever Whether he have appointed to every one of us a particular Angell or not let us not be too curious in the discussing of it this is comfortable for us that wee have many Angels to Minister to us Their Angels saies CHRIST of those that believe in him not their Angell not one Angell but many carryed Lazarus his soule into Abrahams bosome 3. What an unspeakable comfort is this for us What a Tower of defence against Satan and his Angels The Devill compasseth the earth to and fro hee walkes up and downe like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devoure and there be many 1000s of devils there were a legion in one man These by Gods permission raise up tempests stirre up extraordinary windes blow downe houses Nay if God did not bridle them they would quickly teare us all in pieces but let this be our castle to flye unto as there be bad Angels to hurt us so there be good Angels to defend us There were Charrets and horse-men of fire round about Elisha and the Angels of God though we cannot see them with our eyes pitch their Tents round about us these be stronger than the Devill and his angels because they never sinned and have God on their side In the time of Popery the people were much deluded with the walking of spirits they durst not go through a Church-yard in the night for feare of them Sundry are afraid of Fairies and of ill spirits that haunt their houses no doubt but the evill angels are busie in all places yet let us feare none of them all we are guarded with the celestiall guard of holy Angels that are able to protect us from them all especially Christ Iesus is on our side which is above all Angels he sits at Gods right-hand hath all power in heaven and earth he will preserve us from all dangers in this life and bring us to his everlasting Kingdome in the life to come 4 Seeing that God hath ordained the Angels to be ministring-spirits for our sakes which undoubtedly looke carefully to their charge seldome or never are they absent from us some or other are present with us continually Let us do nothing that may grieve these Heavenly Spirits let the Women be covered because of the Angels So let not us sweare and blaspheme the Name of God c. because of the Angels Men would blush to commit filthinesse in the presence of an honourable Personage the Angels are alwayes present with us therefore even in respect of them let us absteine from sin CHAP. 2. IN the former Chapter the Author as in a Glasse shewed the Deity of CHRIST and both simply and absolutely ratified it Now he applies it to them to whom he writeth Where 1. An application 2. A transition to his humanity In the Application 1. the Vse 2. the Reasons whereby it is pressed 1. From the incommodity 2. From the punishment set forth by a comparison 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 forsomuch as CHRIST the Author of the Gospell is not onely above the Angels but is the high and eternall God being the naturall Son of the everlasting Father and engraven forme of his Person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we ought So then it is not left to our discretion we are tied with the bond of necessity to it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intend our mindes that the things may be imprinted in our hearts and practised in our lives 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more aboundantly We should abound more in hearing attention and practice than they did in the time of the Law we should excell them by a more rare and singular attention for though the things are the same yet the party is not the same by whom they are delivered It is not enough to heare Sermons every weeke which is good and commendable but we must yeeld a diligent attention to the things that we heare we especially now in the time of the Gospell when God speaketh to us by his owne Son The people were bound to heare attentively in the time of the Law when the Prophets of God spake to them but much more are we when the Son of God the Prince of Prophets the Prophet of the Prophets speakes to us All Samaria gave heed to Simon Magus that bewitched them and lead them to the Divell and shall not we give heed to Iesus Christ that labours to carry us to Heaven Doe not onely heare but attend to that which ye heare Take heed how ye heare whether loosely or carefully profitably or unprofitably Lydia attended to the things that Paul spake Acts 16.14 We must not only heare the Preacher but attend to the things which he uttereth An Infant doth not only take the dug into his mouth but he sucketh at it and that with greedinesse So we must not onely lye at the big of the Word but we must suck sweet doctrines and heavenly instructions from it The ground that receives not the seed into it will never be fruitfull if it lye aloft and be not hidden in the bowels of the earth it can never yeeld fruit so when the seed of the Word is sowne if we doe not marke it and lay it up in our hearts hide it within us as David did the birds of the Ayre that is the divels that flie up and downe in the Church will pick it up and run away with it Therefore let us diligently give heed to the things which we heare hearing is good and they be commended that heare yet that is not sufficient a diligent attendance must be given to that which we heare When Christ reades a Divinity Lecture to us we that be his Schollers must attend to it It is said of the people that they hung on Christ watching the words that came from his mouth ready to receive them before they came so with all care and diligence we must hang on the Preacher marke his words and be ready to receive them into our eares and hearts even before they are delivered so eager should we be of the Word Especially now in the time of the Gospell what attention is there in the Starre-Chamber when the Lords of the Privie Counsell speake But if either the Prince or the King himselfe make an Oration then there is wonderfull attention In the time of the Law the Prophets spake which indeed were of Gods counsell by whom God revealed his will to the people but now the Prince of peace the everlasting Counsellor the Kings owne Sonne that lay in his owne bosome in whom all the treasures of wisdome are hid speaketh to us Therefore let us listen with all diligence to the things which he speaketh And how doth Christ now speak Not daily from Heaven as he did to Saul but by the mouth of his Ambassadours He that heareth you heareth me will ye have an experience of Christ that
speaketh in me Christ spake in Paul when he preached and hee speakes in us when we preach The Pearle is precious though it be in an earthen vessell that brings it to you therefore receive it with all reverence We ought more diligently to give heed to the things which we heare and yet we are more negligent in hearing than they were in time past an egregious fault Let it be amended by us all The reason is taken 1. From the danger lest we be as wet paper which blotteth out the words and letters that are written in it so as they cannot be read or lest we perish as water that runneth over and is spilt on the ground as wax that melteth away before the fire The words following seeme to ratifie this interpretation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostome Ne praeterfluamus lest we run by or run over lest we be like to Sieves and Vessels full of holes out of which the water runneth out immediately so soone as it is powred in as he said in Terence Plenus sum rimarum huc et illuc diffluo lest we runne by as water doth by a way and stayeth not So lest we passe by the celestiall doctrine propounded to us and regard it not we must dwell upon the things which we heare by a serious meditation and not flow like water from one thing to another We must let the Word slip at no time though we have never such weighty businesse One thing is necessary This one thing necessary is to be preferred before all others never let a Sermon slip from you without some profit I but how shall we keep them from slipping away There be foure things to hold the Word from slipping from us 1 A meditation in that which wee have heard blessed is the man that meditateth in the Law of God When thou hast heard a Sermon take some time to meditate in it that thou mayest imprint it on thy memory This is a common fault among us The word of God preached to us passeth away as water on a stony Rock When we are once out of the Church we never thinke on it againe therefore no marvell though it slip away from us The 2d. thing to hold it is conference with others The Disciples that travelled to Emaus conferred together the Bereans that came from S. Paul his Sermon tooke their Bibles and conferred together of the Sermon many eyes see more than one that which one hath forgotten another may remember Therefore let Christians recount the things they have heard and that repetition will be as a naile to fasten the things they heard The 3d. is prayer Our corporall meat will not thrive except GOD blesse it therefore they that have any feare of GOD have grace before and after meales no more can the food of our soules doe us good without the blessing of God upon it therefore it behoveth us to pray both when we come to Church and goe from Church that he would send us good speed blesse his word to us The 4th is a care to practise that which we have heard This is the digesting of our spirituall meat and the converting of it into our substance Many heare but few care to practise that which they heare it is never our owne truly and indeed till it be practised that will make us grow up as perfect men in CHRIST IESUS We heare swearing reproved yet we sweare still drunkennesse inveighed against yet we are drunke still envie and malice controlled yet malicious still yea against the Preachers that are as Gods arme to pull us out of our sins a manifest argument that we hold not that which wee heare but suffer it without fruit to slip from us Shall a Childe be put to a Nurse that hath aboundance of milke and bee never a whit the fatter for it Has God sent you many spirituall Nurses that in great plenty have delivered the sincere milke of the Word to you and are you never a whit the better for it Surely GOD will require it at your hands Doth a man sit at a table well furnished every day and yet is he leane and in no good plight There is some internall lett in himselfe as there was in Amnon Hath God spread before you a rich Table of his word where you had dish upon dish meat upon meat and yet are you leane and ill favoured doe you not grow up by the Word truly your meat is ill-bestowed on you and GOD shall deale justly with you if he take it quite away from you therefore let us attend diligently to the things that we heare that they slip not from us but may remaine and continue with us to the salvation of us all VERSE 2. THE second reason to inforce the use is drawne from the punishment which is set forth comparatively The greatest part of Interpreters by the word spoken by Angels understand the Law which they say was given by the Ministery of Angels grounding on those places Acts 7.53 Gal. 3.19 Whereas if the words be examined in the Originall they imply no such matter Stephen sayes not that they received the Law by the Ministery of Angels but among the Orders or Rankes of Angels that is the Angels by whom the fearefull Trumpet was sounded as a celestiall Guard and Armie attending upon God at the present time which gave the Law to the people and in the Galatians it is among the Angels by the hand of a Mediator therefore by the word spoken by Angels is not meant the Law but any doctrine or admonition whatsoever which God sent to man by Angels in the Old Testament The Lord then used much the Ministry of Angels and by them hee revealed his will to them the which if they despised and regarded not they were surely punished for it as Lots sons in law that would not beleeve the destruction of Sodom and Zacharie that would not give credite to the Angels speech was made dumbe yea even the word spoken by the Prophets though but men was severely punished much more shall that which is spoken by CHRIST Was stedfast that is remained firme and unmoveable against the contumacie and stubbornnesse of them that resisted it It tooke effect in despite of all the adversaries though they strove with might and maine against it Not some but every one GOD suffered none to goe unpunished some copies have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 responsation Transgression hath reference to those things that are forbidden 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to those that bee commanded every swarving or declining from the right way every stubborne contempt when men will scant vouchsafe to give it the hearing or reject that which they heare Received a just recompence a lawfull recompence which cannot be gaine-sayed pronounced by the Law it selfe Deut. 28. from Verse 15. ad finem They were diversly punished Of reward both good workes and evill are rewarded 2 Tim. 4.14 VERSE 3. WEE would seeke wayes of escaping any hole or
time Was confirmed to us that is to our time by those that heard him some of them being still alive even in our time the Law and the Prophets were to Iohn that is to Iohn's time The Gospell in England hath beene continued to us that is to our time not by me alone which am a secondary Apostle borne out of time but by the first Apostles of all those after Christ preached to you Hebrews VERSE 4. GOD Himselfe was a witnesse to the Gospell therefore let us beleeve it But how did GOD beare witnesse to it by signes and wonders c. Then they came not from Satan but from GOD. Signa quia significant the Divine Power and Majestie of God Signes are any miracles in generall as the fleece to Gedeon c. Hezekiahs signe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prodigia quòd porrò dicant Some call them praedicidia because they doe praedicere aliquid mali terrible miracles of GOD's wrath and judgement as the striking of Ananias and Sapphira with sudden death the killing of Herod by the Angell the blindnesse of Elymas the Sorcerer but it is sometimes taken also for miracles of mercie And with diverse miracles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby the power of God is shewed to the world Act. 2.43 cap. 5.12 The distributions of the Holy Ghost 1. Because they be freely and frankly bestowed by him 2. Because liberally and bountifully vid. 1 Cor. 12.8 9 10. The reason moving him to this distribution is no merits in us but his owne blessed will his gracious goodnesse is the cause of all both of sending the Gospell by Christ and of confirming it by so many miracles and gifts There be counterfeit miracles Matth. 24.24 2 Thes. 2.9 and true miracles they may be distinguished by the matter the cause and the end 1 Sometimes they seeme to be that which they are not as the walking of spirits in Church-yards bloud in their breaden god whereas they be but a cousenage 2 They may be substantiall for the matter and yet effected by a wrong cause as the Sorcerers in Egypt brought forth true Frogs c. yet by the Devill not by the finger of GOD and they may be wrought by a naturall cause which men see not nor can comprehend as they shut up Mahomet in an Iron-Chest brought him into a Temple and made it hang aloft which was done by Loadstones that the silly people were ignorant of There was a Lampe in Venus Temple that burnt continually which some thought to be a miracle whereas it was done by a certaine stone called Asbestus which was found in Arcadia 3 By the end If it be to confirme falshood it is a bad miracle Deut. 13.1 though never so glorious Whereas a true miracle is effected by the power of GOD exceedeth the bounds of Nature and is for the confirmation of the truth The Gospell at the beginning was adorned with many miracles 1. Because it seemed strange to the world a new doctrine 2. Because it seemed repugnant to the law of Moses instituted by GOD. 3. Because it could not bee proved and confirmed by naturall reasons But now since the famous miracles of CHRIST Resurrection ascension into heaven of the sending of the Holy Ghost of the spreading of the Gospell over all the world we must not still curiously gape after miracles that is reproved Matth. 12.39 Ioh. 4.48 Luk. 23.8 To the law and the testimonie Isai. 8.20 the people must resort The glory of miracles with the Papists is a note of the Church and they bragge much of their miracles they have one thousand miracles to our one Bernard the Monke restored sight to a blind man Dominicus raised up three from the dead Antoninus 38. Franciscus Xavorius the Iesuite cured many dumbe lame and blind in India As for us we have no miracles therefore ours is not the Church What of all this Iohn Baptist wrought never a miracle yet he was a good Preacher sent from God But for the determination of this point In some sence we will not deny but that miracles may be notes of the Church but here we must distinguish of notes and of miracles too One true note of the Church is the sound preaching of the Word where that is to beget men and women to CHRIST there is the Church yet miracles may bee an ornament to the Church a confirmation of it in the truth of the Gospell But what miracles 1. Not forged or counterfeit as the miracles of the Papists be their jugling being brought to light and detected to all the world but true miracles wrought by the finger of GOD. not lying wonders with the which Antichrist should come and delude the world 2. Not new miracles that came yesterday out of the mint but the old and ancient miracles of CHRIST and his Apostles are a demonstration of the Church and of the truth of the Gospell that the Gospell might be carryed more speedily throughout the world miracles were requisite at the beginning but now no such necessitie of them A wicked and crooked generation seeketh a signe Herod would faine see CHRIST that he might see some miracle done by him Let us not now gape after new miracles the miracles wherewith God honoured the Gospell at the first were sufficient for the confirmation of it to all posterity The rich man in Hell would faine have had a miracle for the saving of his brethren Lazarus must be sent from the dead to them but it was answered him they have Moses and the Prophets that is enough if we will not believe for the preaching of the word all the miracles in the world will not save us Yet the Gospell at this day has many miracles though they be not observed men are metamorphosed and changed by it of proud they become humble of Devills Saints men are raised from the death of sinne by it they that were blind in the knowledge of CHRIST are come to a cleere sight in matters of religion they that were lame and could not walke in the way to the kingdome of heaven are made to runne cheerfully in it they that were dumbe and could not speake for CHRIST are made to speake wisely and boldly in his quarrell These are excellent miracles which might procure an estimation of the Gospell in our hearts Now for so much as the LORD honoured the Gospell with so many miracles let us yeeld a reverent attention to it and not neglect so great salvation which with so many great and wonderfull miracles hath beene so much graced by GOD let us lay it up in our hearts let us frame our lives according to it that wee may feele the power and comfort of it in our hearts and be saved eternally by CHRIST in the world to come He returnes to CHRIST where 1. A farther confirmation of his deitie 2. A transition to his humanitie Verse 10. His deity is confirmed by this argument He to whom the world is subject is God the world is
and Spirit in this life that wee may have entrance into the holy Hierusalem in the life to come If CHRIST and we are all of one much more are we among our selves A King and a beggar are of one a rich man and a poore man are of one a faire and beautifull man or woman and they that want beauty are of one we descended all of Adam and were taken out of the dust of the ground therefore let us not insult one over another GOD for a season hath advanced one above another the Magistrate above the Subject the Father above the Son the Rich man above the poore man and every one is to be honoured according to that place whereunto God hath exalted him yet if we look back to our originall to the stocke from whence we are taken we are all of one The Wax that hath the print of the Kings seale on it is the same in substance with the waxe that hath the print of the seale of a meane man yet it is honoured in that the Kings seale is set on it So we are all of one weake and waxie nature save that it pleaseth God to set a more honourable print upon one then on another Therefore let us not thinke highly of ourselves and contemne our brethren but submitte to them of low degree using the greatnesse that GOD hath given us to the glory of the Giver Seest thou a poore Lazarus full of sores desirous to bee refreshed with the crumbes that fall from rich mens bordes Contemne him not in thy heart he and thou though thou farest deliciously every day and rufflest out in silkes and velvet are both of one This he proveth by the relatives They that be brethren come of one Father and Mother CHRIST and wee are brethren therefore we are of one of one Adam which is our Father and of one Mother which is Eve Whereas some interpret it of one God of one heavenly Father it is impertinent to the Text. He doth not simply say they are his brethren but hee is not ashamed to call them brethren Prov. 19.7 All the brethren of the poore doe hate him how much more doe his friends goe far from him He pursueth them with words but they are wanting to him But Christ thought it no disparagement to his glorious Deity to call men his brethren Though there be wonderfull ods betweene Christ and us hee the Creator we the creatures hee the LORD and Master we his servants he without sinne we defiled with sinne in Soule and body he mervailous rich heaven and earth being his we poore men of our selves not worth a groat yet Christ is not ashamed to call us brethren If a man come once to be Lord Major of London hee will scant acknowledge his poore brethren and Sisters when they come to him Christ is not a Lord for a yeere and a day but an everlasting King yea the King of Kings yet he vouchsafes to call us brethren One Iudge will call another brother and if he be a Sergeant he shall have that name but every pettifogger and paltrie Lawyer shall not be the Iudges brother yet Christ the Iudge of the whole world calls us all brethren O the humility of Christ and the dignity whereunto he hath advanced us VERSE 12. THis he proved out of the Psalme 22.22 Many things in that Psalme are in the New Testament applyed to CHRIST as Verse 1. Verse 16. Verse 18. The Prophet speaketh this of himselfe that when GOD had delivered him from his enemies he would declare his name to the people which were his brethren though GOD had exalted him above them But prophetically also he speaketh of the Messiah after that CHRIST was delivered from Satans fury and the rage of his instruments from the power of death and of the grave hee would declare the name of GOD to his brethren This he did while he was alive Ioh. 17.6 but especially after his resurrection when hee sent his Apostles to preach the Gospell to all nations CHRIST was not only the Author and matter of the Gospell but he was also the proclaimer and Preacher of it he declared it in his owne life time by himselfe after his Ascension by his Apostles The name that is the power mercie and goodnesse of God By brethren here are understood not the Apostles or faithfull onely though they in more speciall manner bee the brethren of CHRIST Matth. 12.49 Ioh. 20.17 but all men generally for CHRIST and all men came of one which is Adam and were made by one God Mal. 2.10 CHRIST will not declare his name in a corner but in the middest of the Church In the middest of the Church among the rest of my brethren as fellow singers Christ did sing with his Disciples after the supper he prayed worshipped and sung as we doe CHRIST hath many Brethren 1. All men in respect of our humane nature which Christ assumed to himselfe are his brethren hee a man as all are 2. In regard of Country and lineall descent the Iewes are his brethren of whom Christ came according to the flesh Rom. 9.5 Deut. 18.18 3. In respect of consanguinity the kinsfolke of CHRIST in the Scripture are called his brethren Iames the brother of the Lord that is the kinsman of the Lord. 4. In respect of the Ministery the Preachers of the Word are CHRIST his brethren for hee was a Minister and Preacher of the Gospell as we are although in gifts and graces he excelled us all as the Sunne doth the Starres But more neerely and properly the faithfull are his brethren being made the Sonnes of GOD by faith in CHRIST IESUS I goe to my God and your God to my Father and your Father Ioh. 20.17 1. As CHRIST is not ashamed to call us brethren so let us doe nothing so neere as wee can that may shame this our Brother Is it not a shame that the Kings brother should bee a common drunkard whoremaster or such like Doth not the King take himselfe disgraced by it And shall wee that are Brethren to the King of Kings take such courses as that great ignominie should redound to CHRIST by it As hee is not ashamed to call us brethren so let us doe nothing that may pull a shame on him and his Gospell 2. Can a brother that is a wealthie man of faire revenewes and ample possessions see any of his brethren goe a begging will hee not rather receive him to his owne house and set him at his table CHRIST which is the Lord of heaven and earth is our brother therefore let us feare no want so long as wee feare him This may be a comfort to us in all our calamities that CHRIST and we are brethren VERSE 13. AN other argument to prove the humanity of Christ it is drawne from the effects Christ putteth his trust in God therefore he is man Hee that trusteth to another is inferiour to him to whom hee trusts the party whom he makes his pillar
to leane upon is superiour to him greater than he CHRIST trusted in GOD the Father therefore in respect of his humanity he is inferiour to the Father These words whether deduced out of Isai. 12.2 or out of Psalme 18.2 are fitly applyed to CHRIST Chasah I will flye to him as to a strong tower and Castle That song in Isaiah is sung by the whole Church and so consequently by CHRIST the head of the Church The 70. have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Psalme though David speakes it of himselfe that for all the fury of his adversaries hee would trust in God of whose goodnesse hee had comfortable experience by his deliverance from the house of Saul as in the title yet being a type of Christ figuratively hee speaketh also of him Sundry things in that Psalme cannot be applyed to David as Verse 43. and that Verse 7. Whereas at the passion of Christ the earth quaked Our Saviour Christ in his bitter agony in the garden trusted in God and when he hung on the crosse he knew that though God seemed to forsake him for a time yet hee would deliver him out of all and assume him into his kingdome thus he still put his trust in GOD. If he did trust in God in all calamities from whom the Deitie was never separated much more ought we miserable men in all adversities trust in God Some trust in Charets and some in Horses but let us remember the name of the Lord our God and trust in him Cursed be he that maketh flesh his arme Let us not put our trust in riches though our barnes be never so full of corne our coffers of gold and silver Let us not trust in our strength in the multitude of our men in our walled townes and defenced castles Let us not put our trust in the fortitude of this good yland that is compassed about with the Seas Let us not put our trust in our friends When we be sicke let us not put our trust in the Physitions as Asa did not trust in our pollicie as Achitophel but let us alwayes in all difficulties put our trust in GOD hee is able and willing to plucke us out of all dangers Hee delivered the Israelites from the red Sea Daniel from the the Lions Peter from the fury of Herod Hee can and will preserve us from all the devils of hell the gates of hell shall never prevaile against us Happy are they that put their trust in him he is a sure friend that will never faile them The fourth argument to prove the humanity of Christ is taken from the relatives The Father and the children are of one nature Christ is the Father we his children ergo This is at large amplified by the Apostle 1. He that makes himselfe equall with the rest of the faithfull and of the servants and children of God is a man as they be but Christ makes himselfe equall with the rest of the faithfull of the servants and children of God Ergo. 2. Hee that receiveth children as a gift from God is inferiour to GOD that gave him these children but CHRIST receiveth children as a gift from GOD ergo he is inferiour to GOD which cannot be but in respect of his humanity Ergo he is man as well as GOD. He produces an other testimony Isa. 8.18 That this testimony is to be applyed to the Messiah is evident by many places in that chapter where he is called Immanuel 2. That v. 14. is expounded of Christ in sundry places of the New Testament as Luk. 2. Rom. 9. 1 Pet. 2. 3. Though this was true in the Prophet himselfe and in his Disciples yet it is verified likewise of Christ of whom the Prophet was a Type Behold this argues his prompt and ready obedience presenting himselfe to the Lord so Christ was obedient to God the Father even to the death yea of the Crosse. By children are meant servants followers attendants upon any 1 Sam. 21.4 Acts 4.25 Ioh. 21.5 by them are signified the faithfull which as children and servants waited on Christ and attended to his voice as children doe to the voice of their Father All the faithfull in the world by whose ministery soever turned are Christs children he the chiefe Father we secondarily they are his children principally ours instrumentally It is CHRIST that begets us though not now in his owne person yet by the Ministers and Preachers who are our Fathers under Christ and we their Children GOD the Father gave him those children 1. By the administration of baptisme 2. Then by the working of his Spirit and the powerfull preaching of his word Ioh. 17.9.6 Ioh. 6.37 Iohn 10.29 Properly to speake they are given to no Prophet nor Minister but to Christ alone That they be as signes and wonders agreeth well to Christ and all the faithfull Christ was despised so are we Ioh. 15.18 1 Cor. 4.9 to 14. S. Paul might have had more pregnant testimonies for the confirmation of Christs humanity than these be yet he made choice of these partly because peradventure they were applied by the Rabbins and the Iewes themselves to the Messiah partly because these set forth to us the mercy of God towards us and our honour and dignity that we should be Christ's brethren that he and we should be in a manner equall coupled together in one yoke This is true in the Prophets and in CHRIST too the preachers of the Word have children given them of the Lord. The Prophets in their time had their children the Apostles theirs and we ours Saint Paul begat Onesimus in his bonds GOD gave Lydia as a child to Saint Paul in opening her heart and causing her to beleeve Yea many Nations were given to S. Paul GOD gave those three thousand soules as a great company of children to St. Peter And the Lord by the ministry of the Word gives us children at this present day You are our children and therefore you ought to love and honour us What childe will raile on his Father they be Bastards that endeavour to pluck out their Parents eyes yet some doe on the Ministers their spirituall fathers This also may be affirmed of Christ he is our brother and our father too he is the right and proper father of the faithfull whom he begetteth by the word of truth and they that are truly begotten by the word are Christs children whom the Father gave to him from all eternity before all times and whom in time he giveth to him daily by the preaching of the Gospell to the worlds end 1 We have not these children of our selves simply by our preaching be it never so powerfull It is GOD that gives them to us Children are the inheritance of the Lord so these spirituall children Let us praise God for them A Father rejoyces in his children so may and doe Preachers in their Children 2 There is no Father but will protect his Children as much as lieth in him hee will bee content to
with all reverence Secondly a strengthning of the charge by an argument which he disputeth by the example of their fathers Where first the sinne of their fathers then the punishment of the sinne Their sin is set downe first generally then particularly with the circumstances belonging to it of the place where it was committed the persons by whom the nature and quality of the sin amplified by the meanes they had to call from it the time how long they continued in this sinne The punishment is double 1. GODS wrath and displeasure 2. A definitive sentence proceeding from it an exclusion of them out of his rest VERSE 7. SEeing we have such a rare and excellent Prophet as is not as a servant but as the Sonne in the house of GOD let us attend to him and for so much as faith makes us to be of this house and hope is as a pillar for the susteining of us in it let us beware of infidelity that pulls downe the house and shuts up the doore against this Prophet that he cannot enter in into us Now because hee was to make a commemoration of the stubbornnesse and contumacie of the ancient Israelites which in time rejected this Prophet and would not heare him very wisely for offending of the Hebrews he delivers it in the words of the Holy Ghost rather then of his owne They would peradventure have kicked against his reproofe but they durst not spurne at the reprehension of the Holy Ghost The Holy Ghost long agoe by the mouth of David provoked the people to lysten to CHRIST the true Prophet of the Church therefore let us all attend to him The Author of this Epistle was not ignorant that David was the penman or Authour of this Psalme for he himselfe affirmeth Hebr. 4.7 yet he doth not say as David speaketh but as the Holy Ghost saith whereby he gives us to understand that the Holy Ghost the third person in the glorious Trinity speaketh in the Scriptures the whole Scripture is given by inspiration of God 2 Tim. 3.16 this heavenly spirit did breath them into those worthy instruments which he used Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost The Manichees sayd that the evill GOD was the Author of the Old Testament and the good GOD of the new yet the Holy Ghost spake in the Old Testament This then is the prerogative of the sacred Scripture above other wrytings In other books men speake but in this God speaketh In other writings Tullie Seneca Plato Aristotle Plutarch speaketh who indeed were wise and learned men but in the bookes of holy Scripture the Holy Ghost speaketh which is the fountaine of all wisdome In them the servants speake in this the LORD speaketh In them the subjects in this the Prince The Holy Ghost speaketh in the bookes of Moses of the Psalmes of the Prophets in the bookes of the New Testament yet such is the blindnesse of our understanding and the corruption of our nature that we preferre humanity before Divinity the writing of men before the writings of God the Moone before the Sunne wee had rather be reading of humane Authors then of these heavenly books wherein the HOLY GHOST speaketh to us Now if yee will heare his voice as God hath commanded you to doe Deut. 18.18 Then harden not your hearts Thus it is as cleere as the noone day that the Spirit of God gives an evident testimony of our Saviour CHRIST To day In the time of the Gospell The law was as the night this as the day While he speaketh to us 2 Cor. 6.2 CHRIST spake in Moses time in Davids time he spake in his owne person on the earth and he speakes in the Ministerie of the Gospell to the worlds end The Gentiles that were not as yet of CHRISTS fold heare the voyce of CHRIST Ioh. 10. but CHRIST is now in heaven therefore the voyce of the Preachers is the voyce of CHRIST He doth not say to morrow post it not off till to morrow but heare it To day while it may be heard VERSE 8. WHat then He doth not say stop not up your yeares we must not doe that neither but it is in vaine for the eare to heare if the heart bee hardned therefore first he beginneth with the heart God opened the heart of Lydia The heart is the principall thing which GOD requireth in the hearing of the Word In vaine doe wee heare with our eares if our hearts bee not opened therefore sayes the Holy Ghost harden not your hearts GOD hardeneth the hearts of men and men harden their owne hearts He hardned the heart of Pharaoh and Deut. 2.30 GOD hardneth not only permissivè but also activè the LORD hath a kinde of act in it his providence is in it He gave up the Gentiles unto their owne lusts Rom. 1.24 Hee sendeth the wicked strong delusions to believe lies He did not only suffer Pharaohs heart to be hardned but he hardned it indeed How Not infundendo malitiam by infusing evill into our hearts for they be as pots full of all impiety already GOD needs not nay GOD cannot it is repugnant to his nature to put any evill into us yet hee doth not harden onely subtrahendo gratiam though that bee one meanes but by having an operation in the action yet so as he is free from the least imputation of sinne As hardnesse of heart comes from GOD it is a punishment of sin of our former contempt of his grace and mercie offered to us as it proceedeth from our selves it is a sinne yea an horrible sinne To conclude we first contemne that grace which should soften our hearts and then God hardens them We our selves properly to speake are the hardners of our own hearts GOD gives us his sacred word as a trumpet to waken us out of sinne he sends us his Ministers and Preachers as bells to toll us to the kingdome of heaven they will us in GODS name to believe in CHRIST to forsake our sinnes be they never so neere or deere unto us we for all that harden our hearts that those heavenly admonitions cannot enter into them Let God say what hee will let him preach by his Embassadours we will still continue in unbeliefe and dwell in our sinnes we say with them in the Gospell we will not have this man to reigne over us Sinne shall be our King Lord and Master CHRIST IESUS shall not rule us by his word and Spirit This is the hardnesse of heart that is in us by nature Oh Hierusalem how often would I have gathered thy children together and yee would not Matth. 23.37 The LORD sent his Prophets early and late 2 Chron. 36.16 and in Zach. 7.12 there is a wonderfull example to this purpose This hardnes of heart reigneth exceedingly at this present day yea even in those townes where there is most plentifull preaching Therefore let us intreat the LORD to give us a new heart to take from us
speaking to them by his servant Moses Whereby wee are given to understand that one of the greatest things that provokes the wrath of God is the contempt of his Majesty in the preaching of the Word When they heard they provoked him to anger therefore take heede how yee heare if ye despise the messengers by whom God speaketh if ye regard not their word God will be mightily offended with you They made God bitter against them Furthermore whereas he saies some not all it teaches us that the word of God is never without some fruite some or other profit by it The thorny ground the stony the ground by the high way side received not the seed yet some good ground received it and brought forth fruit When the booke of the Law was read the hearts of all that heard it were not hardned Iosiahs heart melted at it The greatest part of the assembly at Athens the wise and learned Philosophers mocked at Saint Paul when he preached Christ and the resurrection yet some believed at his Sermon as Dionysius amongst the women to whom Saint Paul spake one Lydia believed Let this encourage us that be Christs Ambassadours our labour is not altogether fruitlesse we shall carry some sheaves or others into the barne of the Kingdome of heaven Though many in a towne where the word is preached provoke God to anger they heare and regard it not yet some there be in whom we may rejoyce and though there were none yet our reward is with God A fisherman is to bee commended for his painefulnesse in his calling though he get never a fish So God will reward us His Spirituall fishermen though we should not catch one fish in the net of the Gospell yet for the most part there be some in the worst towne that is that profit by the ministery of the Word these some though they be few shall be our crowne of rejoycing at the latter day Againe heere we see the estate of the Church militant the bad are alwayes mingled with the good Cockle and Corne in the field chaffe and wheat in the barne floore In this house there be earthen and golden vessels In the Church triumphant no uncleane thing all dogs enchanters c. stand without and are not admitted in but in the militant Church there be many dogs prophane persons as Esau was there is a Cain as well as an Abel a Saul as a David an Ishmael as an Isaac a Iudas as a Peter neither let us be discouraged at it It hath been so from the beginning and it shall be so till the day of judgment when Christ shall come to purge this floore of his Moses whom God used as his hand to carry them out of Aegypt God will not have those famous instruments to be buried in silence whom he hath used for our good the sword of the Lord and of Gideon S. Paul thankes Priscilla and Aquila and heere an honourable mention is made of Moses though he were dead long agoe We in England were lead out of the Spirituall Aegypt of blindnesse superstition and ignorance by Queene Elizabeth and other good Princes of worthy memory therefore let them bee remembred still with thankesgiving to GOD. VERSE 17. SEcond branch with whom he was grieved in the ninth verse the terme of forty yeares was annexed to their tempting of God heere the time that God was displeased with them But we have shewed that this is all one They with whom God was grieved are set forth 1. By their action 2. By their passion 1. By that which they did 2. By that which they suffered That persisted stubbornely in their sinnes and would not be reclaimed from them GOD is displeased with none but with them that sin against Him He strikes not as a blind man every one hand over head that comes under his reach all is fish that comes to his net he is angry with a godly man as well as with an ungodly man The Sodomites were destroyed but Lot was saved Sinne not and though thou dwellest amongst sinners yet GOD will not powre downe the Vialls of His wrath upon thee the soule that sinneth shall surely dye 2 By that which they suffered Whose members The parts put for the whole yet the word members is very emphaticall Come into a field where a sore battell hath beene fought and you shall finde heere a legge and there an arme one member in this place an other in that which is lamentable to behold So their members were scattered in the wildernsse some lay in this place some in that They fell some one way some another Some devoured by wild beasts some stung to death by Serpents some the earth swallowed up quicke some swept away with the pestilence They all fell in the wildernesse by one death or an other namely all the impenitent sinners It is to be restreined to them for Moses and Aaron and sundry others are to be exempted Gods wrath was not thus extreamely kindled against them All those that dwelt in their sinnes fell thus in the wildernesse The consideration of these temporall plagues inflicted on sinners should scare us from sin the water wherewith the old world was drowned the fire and brimstome that consumed the Sodomites the casting of Iezebel that filthy strumpet out of a window and the eating of her by dogs the hanging of Absalom by the haire of his head the fal of the tower of Siloam upon eighteen persons and the falling of the carkasses of the Israelites in the wildernesse Though we feare not hell because we see it not yet let us feare the arrowes of GODs wrath which he may shoot at us in this world and pierce us through If ye will not feare him because he can kill the soule which is the greatest yet feare him because he hath infinite wayes to destroy your bodies He can make the French Pox to eate up the body of an Whore-monger He can make the body of an ominous and malicious person to consume away to the very bones He can wash away the flesh of a drunkard He can give all our bodies if it please Him as foode to the foules of the ayre he can make them to lye rotting on the earth and not to have the honour of buriall as Iezabel and these in the wildernes but make us to be buried as an Asse is buried as it fell out to Iehojakim Therfore in respect of these bodily punishments at least let us feare God and take heed of displeasing him VERSE 18. THE third branch who they were that God by an oath excluded out of his rest he sayth not to whom spake he that would not be perswaded by all the heavenly Rhetorique he used but still persisted in their sins He doth not say them that heard him not they gave him not the hearing as we saw before but because they obeyed not they were shut out of his rest Obedience is better then Sacrifice Hearing is good to heare many Sermons is a
good thing but to obey that which we heare is better Not every one that saith Lord Lord but he that doth the will of my Father shall enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Mat. 7.21 Christ shall come from heaven to render vengeance to them that obeyed not the Gospell 2 Thes. 1.8 The ancient Israelites were banished out of Gods rest because they obeyed not His voyce I was not disobedient sayes Paul to the heavenly vision Let us by their example learne to obey God that we be not excluded out of His everlasting rest VERSE 19. IN the last place he poynteth out that maine and capitall sin for the which they were debarred this rest and he introduceth it in Emphaticall termes In the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a conjunction copulative but often it hath the force of an illative as 1 Cor. 15.21 It is as cleere as the noone day we may behold it with our eyes Not that they would not it may be they had a minde to enter into that rest but could not why what barred them out unbeliefe Infidelity is a grievous sin The Noble man on whose hand the King leaned was troden under foote in the gate because he believed not the Word of the Lord. If the Lord would make windowes in heaven might this thing be it cost him his life for it The ancient Israelites were heere excluded out of the Land of Canaan and many of them out of the Kingdom of heaven too because of their unbeliefe Can God give us flesh to eate can he prepare a table for us in the wildernesse thus they mooted on Gods power and called it into question ô the townes of the Land of Canaan are walled up to heaven the inhabitants are Gyants we as Grashoppers in comparison of them Can God bring us into this land for that cause they entred not into it therefore let us labour to pluck up this bitter roote of infidelity out of the hearts of us all Neverthelesse it is the proper vice of this age it reigneth exceedingly among the professors of the Gospell we believe neither Gods threatnings nor His promises God saies whoremongers I will Iudge a poynt for his judging we will be whoremasters still God resisteth the proud yet we will be proud men still Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruite c. We reade of no hurt that Dives did to Lazarus hee did not set his dogges on him nor cudgel him from his gate yet because hee did no good hee fryed in Hell wee will not believe this for all that wee will keepe that wee have to our selves and doe no good with it The curse shall not depart from the house of the swearer yet we sweare still we laugh in our sleeves at the threatnings of God And as for his promises we believe them not God hath promised us a Kingdome where though we be consumed to dust and ashes yet we shall rest with Christ for ever yet we believe not this A Bird in the hand is better then two in the bush We will not leave our earthly pleasures in hope of this Kingdome Our unbeliefe is in a manner as great as theirs therefore God may worthily shut us out of his rest But let us remove this infidelity out of our hearts This is the time of the yeare that we remoove tenants out of houses unbeliefe is a bad tenant that will not onely pay us no rent but will also rend Gods Kingdome from us hath dwelt in the houses of our hearts many yeares together let us now at length give him a remoove thrust him out of doores let us beleive God in all his sayings in this life that we may rest with him in his eternall Kingdome in the life to come CHAP. 4. IN the former Chapter he excited us to a reverend attention to Christ the Doctor and Prophet of the Church by a fearefull example of the wrath of God that fell upon the ancient Israelites for hardning their hearts against his voice and contemning him for this cause they were excluded Gods rest Now in the beginning of this Chapter he makes a more large and evident application of that example to us in the time of the Gospell wishing us not to tread in the steps of the rebellious Iewes least we drinke of the cup of Gods wrath as they did This Chapter divides it selfe into two branches 1. The remainder of Christ his prophesie to Verse 14. 2. A transition to his priesthood In the remainder the former example is applied to us In the which application wee have first a dehortation from incredulitie which was the barre that kept them out of God's rest to Verse 11. 2. An exhortation to a diligent studie to enter into that rest Touching the former 1. A propounding of the dehortation 2. A preventing of an objection that might bee made against it In the propounding of it 1. The substance of it 2. A reason whereby it is strengthened The substance of it is comprehended Ver. 1. VERSE 1. SEeing we have such a terrible example of Gods wrath in the ancient Israelites which for their unbeliefe and contumacie were shut out of Gods rest let us being subject to the like frailety and as little able of our selves to stand as they let us feare that we fall not as they did What is it that we must feare Least any of us should seeme to come short of his rest for there is no time to sin and goe to hell in our youth or elder age How lest the promise being left cast behinde our backe and not regarded the cause of infidelity is a carelesse neglect of God his promise Where read we of any promise made of entring into his rest we read of a commination or threatning that some should not enter into it but in the former testimony there was contained no promise True not directly yet indirectly and by necessary consequent for if God sware that they should not enter which disobeyed him then a secret promise was included that the faithfull and obedient should enter in therefore let us feare least forsaking this promise of entring into his rest c. Any of you For I love you all and would be loath that one of you should perish Seeme not simply say be deprived Some thinke the Apostle so speaketh that he might not exasperate the Iewes which would have taken it in great snuffe Therefore he sayes if any seeme but that word may have his force Seeme and that worthily even in the judgement of all the world by neglecting so great salvation to be deprived To come short The word is very significant To be left behind If among them that travell by the way some being weary of the length and tediousnesse of the journey slacke their pace sit downe and will make no hast the rest enter into the towne or City to the which they travell but they are left behind So if we goe not on cheerefully in the way following God calling us that leadeth
have done pares in peccato shall be pares in supplicio Why should God spare us more than them We are his people So they We sit in the lap of the Church So they We have the preaching of the Gospell So they Verse 2. We the Sacraments So they They were baptized in the red Sea they eate of the same spirituall meat and they did all drinke the same spirituall drinke 1 Cor. 10.34 Therefore if we be guiltie of the like sinne we must looke for the like punishment The ancient Israelites went very farre towards the land of Canaan In many things obedient to the voice of God they journyed and stayed at his appointment they had sent spies that viewed the Country No doubt many of them were in fight of it they were on the borders setting a foot on it yet because they were incredulous stubborne rebellious and disobedient to God they were destroyed in the wildernesse and so came short of that rest both of the land of Canaan the figure of this rest and some of them it is to bee feared of heaven too prefigured by it they came saies Saint Chrys. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let us therefore take heede it be not so with us Would it not grieve you that bee Merchants to see a ship fraught with rich merchandise miscarry in the haven Alasse hath it passed the raging waves blustering windes terrible tempests so many miles on the Sea and is it cast away in the haven what a pittifull thing is this So wee may begin well goe out of Sodome with Lots wife follow God a great while as they did in the wildernesse some tenne twentie thirtie or fortie yeeres yet be banished out of the kingdome of heaven Therefore let us not flatter our selves in our faire beginnings but let us runne the wayes of Gods Commandements to the end forget the things that are behind but presse on to the marke that is before though as old disciples as Mnason yet let us study this to our dying day how to enter into this rest It is something to beginne well to goe towards heaven but that is not all Lots wife went out of Sodome Demas once embraced Christ. If thou goest to London you will not stay at Romford but goe till thou comest to that famous city Therefore let us all look to our selves as we have begunne so let us proceede and never cease to our dying day I forget the things that are behinde and follow hard to the marke Let us not stand bragging what wee have beene what we have done how many miles we have gone towards heaven but let us runne the wayes of GODS Commandements to the end as David Those that are travellours are subject to falling you are travelling to the heavenly Ierusalem therfore be not secure but take paines in the rowing of the ship of your soules to the haven of eternall rest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into the same example Vivitur legibus non exemplis all examples are not to bee followed Phil. 3.17 There be exempla imitabilia declinabilia If any good examples be set before your eyes follow them The faith of Abraham the uprightnesse of Noah the sincerity of David the patience of Iob the constancy of Paul the humility of the blessed Virgin Mary c. But if bad examples follow not them follow not Noah in his drunkennesse David in his adulterie and murder Peter in his denyall nor the Israelites in their obstinacie and disobedience to GOD in the Wildernesse for the which they were excluded out of the land of rest Away with those naughty examples of Lots Wife Absalom Iesabel Ananias and Saphira c. Come out sayes God of Babylon Let us not follow the wicked in their wickednesse least wee follow them to hell Let us believe God and his Word let us walke in an holy obedience to all his Commandements then believing in Christ and bringing forth the fruits of a true and lively faith when the reprobate shall bee in hell with the rich glutton wishing for a drop of water to coole their tongues we shall bee in Abrahams bosome and rest from all sorrow for evermore VERSE 12. THe second reason to excite us to this study is taken from the power and Majesty of the Word that commandeth this lesson to bee studied As it was to bee to the ancient Israelites So is it to us God often mooved them by Moses Iosua and Caleb and others to march on valiantly in the wildernesse as sure as God is in heaven yee shall have the promised land but they contemned this Word Num. 14. Therefore they were destroyed So will GOD deale with us for his Word is as mighty now as ever it was This is that study which God in his Word injoyned to you and hath often excited you thereunto beware how yee contemne this Word It is no dallying with edge tooles this sword of the Spirit is sharper than any two edged sword and will either open the soares of your soules that they may bee healed or it will wound you to death everlasting therefore despise it not but as God commanded you in his Word so study to enter into his rest 1. The nature of the Word is set downe then illustrated and confirmed For the nature it hath two qualities Many things are lively that are not mighty There is life in a little child but no great might in him the Word is not so As it is lively so it is mighty The Word of God is not a dead Word it hath life in it There is some wine and drink that is dead we can feele no life in it as it goes down our stomack the Word of God is lively Aqua-vita and no auditour but shall feele it to bee lively in him either to salvation or destruction They are called lively Oracles by St. Stephen Act. 7.38 There is life in it it begets us to a Spirituall life in this world and to an eternall in the world to come It is also a mighty or powerfull Word Ierome translates it evidens as if he read it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereas it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mighty There are sundry potions that bee mighty in operation purge mightily and cary away a great deale of corruption out of the body but none so as the word of God it purgeth us from Idolatry ignorance superstition prophanenesse from swearing cursing and banning from drunkennesse fornication and adultery c. It is a mighty purger and sweepes a great deale of filthinesse out of the soule and if it purge thee not it will kill thee as a medicine if not worke upwards or downewards it will kill the man so the Word will mightily clense thee or mightily confound thee These qualities are confirmed 1. Comparatively then simply by the effects thereof Now he setteth forth the power of it comparatively It is sharper Of a more cutting nature not then a blunt sword but a
sharpe not with one edge but two which pierceth more speedily and throughly with two mouthes The edge of a sword is as a mouth that biteth Isai. 49.2 Ephes. 6.17 Apoc. 1.16 it is said to have two edges in respect of the two testaments Aug. de civ Dei Not sharper then some but any Let all the swords in the world be put together and they are nothing to this Piercing as water and oyle to the dividing asunder bearing downe all that is in the way as a floud doth Of soule and spirit that is of the inferiour and superiour part of the minde the affections and understanding Isai. 26.9 1 Thes. 5.23 And of the joynts and marrow Some Greeke copies have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of all the members of the body Nothing so firmely compacted and united together as joynts so hard as bones so deepe as the marrow that lyeth hid in the bones but it passeth through all Goliah's sword not like to this David sayd of that none to it but none to this LORD give it to us This sword can hew in peeces the most stonie flintie and rockie heart in the world to see what blindnesse in the understanding what frowardnesse in the affections it will lay the heart open and bewray the secret filthinesse and all the sluttish corners of sinne that be in it When the Preacher is a speaking the word doth so pierce the harts of the hearers as that many in the Church imagine that the Preacher is acquainted with their sins What doth this man know of my drunkennes of my adultery of my backbiting of my oppression the Word so ransakes their hearts as that they think the Preacher knows their particular sinnes wheras he speakes in generall and the spirit by the Word doth so dive into their harts as that it summons them before God his tribunall seate and makes them cry guiltie so powerfull is the Word Plato said a Poet was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word is not so It is said of Pericles that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suada the goddesse of eloquence sessitavit in ejus labris and hee left Aculeos behinde him The infinite and admirable wisedome of GOD Almighty is couched in the Word and it leaves its effects behinde in the hearts of the auditors You shall finde it to be a lively and mighty Word one way or other either to save you or to condemne you It is lively and mighty in the good and bad The one it doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodor. Isai. 11.4 Ezek. 11.13 Act. 5.1 It is lively and mighty in the godly to kill sin within them to rayse them up unto newnesse of life to be as a wing to carry them to heaven Was it not mighty in David making him cry peccavi In Iosiah making his heart to melt in Manasseh when of the most horriblest Idolater that was ever heard of it made him a zealous worshipper of the true God in Zacheus when it made him to forsake his oppression and to restore fourefold in Mary Magdalen when it cast out seven Devills out of her in those three thousand soules when pricked in their hearts they went to the Apostles in the Citie of Samaria when it made them to abjure Simon Magus and to lysten to Saint Philip Was it not mighty by twelve men over all the world when it subdued by their Ministerie all nations to CHRIST in us by making us leave swearing covetousnesse adulterie drunkenesse c. and renewing us to the likenesse of CHRIST in righteousnesse and true holinesse it is a mighty word There may be a darke and misty morning the Sun comes scatters the mist cleares the ayre and makes it a bright day So the whole world was shadowed with the mist of blindnesse and â—he fogge of sin the word comes forth like the Sunne and introduces the knowledge of CHRIST and of his Gospell into all the world O mighty word Let us all acknowledge the power of this wonderfull word who is able to stand before this mighty word It is lively and mighty too even in the very reprobate Somtimes they may bee sencelesse and have no feeling of the cutting of the Word as those in Ieremiah nay they may even scoffe at the Word preached as the Pharisees did Luke 16.14 their consciences may be seared up and feele not the sword when it cutteth as they that be in a lethargie they may inwardly fret and fume be in a pelting chafe with the Preacher for reproving sins as Achab with Micajah and Iesabel with Elias yet but like madd dogges that sit biting of the chaine wherewith they are tyed but not break the chaine So they may snap at the Preacher and the Word but they themselves have the hurt yet for all that at one time or other God will make them to feele the power of his Word and the strength of this mighty arme of his Did not Belshazzar quake and were not his joynts loosed and his knees smote one against another when hee saw the hand writing upon the wall Did not the very officers themselves wonder at CHRIST did not the very enemies wonder at the boldnesse of Peter and Iohn Acts 4.13 was not Herod moved with Saint Iohn Baptist's preaching Marke 6.20 did not Felix tremble when Saint Paul discoursed of righteousnesse and judgement to come Acts 24. ver 25. was not Agrippâ— made an halfe Christian by Saint Pauls preaching Act. 26.28 did not the very Devill crye in the maide these are the servants of the most high God Act. 16. The preaching of the word makes the Devill himselfe to quake for it batters the walls of his kingdome and makes him fall like lightning from heaven Luk. 10.18 This should cause us to come with all reverence to the hearing of this lively and mighty word if it save us not out of all question it will condemne us it is like the raine that comes not in vaine if it bring not up flowers it will weeds Therefore let us pray to God to blesse this word to us that it may be the savour of life unto life not to death to any of us all 1. This should cause us to stand in a reverent awe of the word of God When yee come to a Sermon doe not thinke yee come to heare musicke to delight your selves withall to heare a man that hath a sweete and delectable voyce as the people sayd of Ezekiel that yee come to heare an eloquent oration finely penned by a flowing Rhetorician to tickle the eare withall that yee come to heare the song of some Syren to â—ull you asleepe that ye come to heare the word of a King that is able to inflict some corporall punishment on you if you doe not obey it but yee come to heare the Word of the King of Kings that is able to cast soule and body into hell if yee disobey it yee come not to heare a man There is
much questioning now who stands to day If such a one preach I will come to Church if such a one I will not stirre a foote out of doores for it There be diversities of gifts but heare all good Preachers for yee come not to heare man but God yee come to a sword and that a sharpe one Balaams Asse started at the Angels sword and shall not wee feare at Gods sword When that Parasite Damocles had the tyrant Dionysius sword hanging over his head he quaked and when we be at Sermons Gods sword hangs over our heads therefore let us heare with trembling Vpon whom shall my spirit rest Even on him that trembles at my word 2. Seeing it is such a mighty word let us take heede how wee jest with it Sundry there be that will make themselves merry with the Scriptures as they sit at table as they walke together and ride by the high way side they will snatch a sentence out of the Bible to exercise wit withall like Iulian that gave a Christian a boxe of eare and then bade him turne the other cheeke to take another for so scoffingly said he did your master CHRIST command you to doe it is ill jesting with edge tooles The word of God is a sharp toole sharper than any two edged sword therefore use it reverently in all your speeches make not your selves merry with that lest God make you sorry afterwards Will you jest with the writings of a King that learned King Iames whom the Lord in mercy set over us hath many excellent bookes in print dare any of you jest with a sentence taken out of them and shall we sport our selves with the sacred writings of the King of Kings Isack sported himselfe with Rebeccah his Wife God hath given thee many blessings a loving Wife besides many other earthly delights sport thy selfe with them after an holy and religious manner but sport not thy selfe with the Word of God if thou doest it will byte thee ere thou beest aware 3. This graphicall description of the Word of GOD should enflame us with a love of it it should cause us to preferre this above all other bookes in the world There is wit in Seneca Plutarch in Tully in Saint Aug. Chrys. Ierome Bernard yea many excellent pearles of learning to be found in them but not worthy to be named the same day with the Bible For there is an unspeakable Majesty in the Word of God to waken thee up being dull and drowsie to all good dutyes to comfort thee in all afflictions to make thee a new Creature in Christ Iesus Therefore Saint Augustine after he was converted professed of himselfe avidissimè arripui venerabilem stylum spiritus tui Aug. Conf. lib. 7. cap. 21. Illic potissimùm quaerenda est sapientia ubi staltitia titulus apparet Therefore let it be greedily affected by us all let us spend lesse time in other bookes and more in this 4. Seeing it is such a lively mighty and piercing Word let the Preachers especially propound this to the people they shall do more good with one sentence of Gods Word then with thousands of Poets and Philosophers c. those may delectare but these will inflammare did not our hearts burne within us when he expounded the Scripture by the way Those will tickle the eare but these will kindle a fire in the heart that cannot be quenched those will make the people to say of thee when they are gone a fine man hee hath a sweet and eloquent tongue but the proofes of Scripture will make them to say Oh mighty and powerfull man The Philosophers sayes Lactant. have many excellent precepts yet no pondus in them quia sunt humana authoritate majori i. divina curent therefore no man believes them quia tà m se hominem esse putat qui audivit quà m ille qui praecepit we cannot aliunde suadere de rebus fidei quà m ex literis fidei Tertul. At the Councell of Nice there was a Philosopher of singular note for learning that disputed with the Bishops there assembled about three hundred and eighteene he had so many cunning evasions that tanquà m anguis lubricus hee alwayes wound away At length an ancient man which was no Minister but a good professour takes him in hand he encounters with him only in the name of CHRIST and with the naked Word of God the Philosopher was overcome and yeelded the bucklers to him saying to his Schollers donec verbis mecum res gesta est verba verbis apposui ubi verò pro verbis virtus processit ex ore dicentis non potuerunt resistere verba virtuti nec homo adversari Deo Virtus crucifixi in Paulo fuit omnibus poetis philosophis rhetoribus potentior As David sayd of Goliahs sword may be sayd most truly of this there is none to the Word of God I will fight with that in every Sermon But what manner of Word is this that is so lively and mighty in operation Not the word that God speakes immediately with his owne mouth from Heaven as he thundered at the giving of the Law but the word that he speaketh by the mouth of his Embassadours Rom. 10.8 1 Cor. 1.21 1 Pet. 1.25 Though a weake man hath the handling of this sword yet because the Spirit of God striketh with it it will give a sound blow This word is a Discerner a Critick that judgeth soundly and narrowly as Aristarchus and Aristophanes leave nothing unsearched 1 Cor. 14.24 Luc. 2.35 As the Prophet Elisha revealed to the King of Israel whatsoever was done in the King of Syria his privie Chamber so the word of God doth discerne the most secret thoughts of our hearts the thoughts and intents of the heart that is The first conceptions which are as children of the mind the cogitations which delight and consent have apprehended and are ready to bring into practice The consideration hereof should cause us to have a reverent regard of the word of God and to stand in awe of it When ye come to a Sermon ye come to a diligent and narrow Searcher that can lay open all the secret sins that ye have committed your adulteries oppressions backbitings and slanderings thefts your beastly drinking in Tavernes and Alehouses Behold a man that hath told me all that ever I have done said the woman of Samaria and I say behold you are now hearing of that word that will tell you all that you have done You come to heare that which shall judge you at the latter day therefore heare not drowsily loosely carelesly negligently Take heed how you heare If it be not a sword to kill sin in you to mortifie the members of the old Adam in you it will be a sword to kill you everlastingly A strange thing there hath beene wonderfull plenty of preaching in this Land yet small profiting by it and why because wee have not the reverent estimation of the word of God
people the way to heaven to pray for the people in the congregation to carry their prayers to God to celebrate the Sacraments these be the lysts of the Minister The Magistrate hath his bounds and the Minister his Vzziah though a King must not meddle with the Priests office and Azariah the High Priest must not intrude himselfe into the Kings office yet that High Priest of Rome will have both swords hee will bee a Priest and a King too he will be for matters of the world as well as for GODS matters Boniface the eight shewed himselfe one day in the attyre of a Priest another day in the attyre of a Prince affirming that hee was both Bellarmine of late hath somewhat minced the matter that the Pope hath no power in temporall matters directè yet indirectè quoad bonum spirituale he may play Rex In respect of the spirituall good of the Church he may depose Princes at his pleasure and dispose of their kingdomes as pleaseth him So as a man get into an house it makes no great matter whether directly or indirectly and the Papists so as they may thrust the Pope into the possession of temporalities they care not whether directly or indirectly If one kill a man whether directly or indirectly all is one So as the Pope may play the butcher with Kings and Princes at his pleasure what availeth it whether directly or indirectly this is indirect dealing by an indirect distinction to breake downe the wall of partition that God Himselfe hath set up betweene the Priest and the Magistrate Every one shall finde enough to doe in his office and to guide his owne boate though he intermedle not in the office of the other and put his rudder into another mans boate Let the Magistrate look well to his temporall things and let the Minister keepe himselfe to his spirituall things they be both Gods deputies the one in things that belong to God the other in things that perâ—â—ine to men Let them discharge their offices to Gods glory and the good of them that be committed to their charge He insisteth in one particular pertaining to GOD that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sinnes that is for the expiation of sinnes The Iesuits will have a perpetuall Priest-hood to be heere described and ordained in this place There must be Priests to the end of the world to offer sacrifice for sinne whereas it is as cleare as the noone day that this description is borrowed out of the law to set forth the spirituall Priest-hood of Christ withall The Apostle here teacheth us not what must be in the time of the Gospell but what was in the time of the law applying it to Christ. An externall sacrifice propitiatory for sin as they will have it is injurious to the blessed and perfect sacrifice which Christ offred on the Crosse for the sins of the world All outward sacrifices for sinne must now cease the bloud of Christ shed on the crosse having purged us from all sinne Yet the Ministers of the Gospell have now some sacrifices to offer up they bee either common with all Christians or proper to their ministerie 1. They must offer up themselves soules and bodies as an holy sacrifice to God as all Christians are bound to doe 2. They must bee plentifull in the workes of mercie to their power as other Christians are for with such sacrifices GOD is well pleased But there be other spirituall sacrifices that are also proper to them 1. To present the prayers of the people to God Ezra praised the great God of heaven and all the people said Amen So the Minister as the mouth of the congregation as a Spirituall Priest must offer up the prayers of the people to God and they in an holy zeale subscribe to him saying Amen Amen 2. We by the preaching of the Word doe sacrifice the people to God The Priests in the time of the law took a knife and cut the throat of a Calfe a Sheepe a Goat and so sacrificed them to the Lord. We by the sword of the Spirit cut the throat of sin of covetousnes pride malice uncleannes and so offer up the people as a glorious sacrifice to the Lord an odour that smelleth sweete Happy are they that bee sacrificed by the Ministers of the holy Word these sacrifices wee must offer to the end of the world and pray for us that we may offer them to Gods glory the comfort and salvation of you all VERSE 2. HE must not only execute his office but in such a manner as God requireth not in rigour and severity but in love kindnesse and compassion Which is illustrated by the persons on whom he must have compassion and the cause why If any sinne on ignorance or weakenesse hee must have compassion on them Such as are seduced by others and carryed out of the way what and if they sinne on knowledge Must they not be pittied Yes God forbid else but if they sin on malice against the knowne truth we must not so much as pray for them nor bee touched with any compassion towards them Pray not for this people neither lift up a cry for them There is a sinne unto death I doe not say that yee shall pray for it Saint Paul had no pitty on Alexander the Copper-Smith but prayed against him Otherwise if any of the people through infirmitie fall into a sinne if upon weakenesse of braine he be overcome with drinke if by the flattering entisements of the flesh he happen to be carryed into Adultery if hee bee somewhat too much in love with the world if he be a little tinckled with pride if he happen to be seduced by any Heretickes that come with a shew of Religion with faire and sugred words and so beguile him ere hee bee aware wee that be the Preachers of the Word must have compassion on such A Minister must not have an heart of flint but of oyle ready to melt at the consideration of the infirmities of the people and there is good cause why Because he himselfe is compassed with infirmities as they are as with a gowne that covers him from top to toe VERSE 3. ANd that he proveth by an evident signe A Minister is compassed with the same infirmities that the people are The Lycaonians would have sacrificed to St. Paul and Barnabas but they refused it O doe not so we are men of the like passions with you Cornelius fell downe at Saint Peters feet but hee tooke him up saying I my selfe also am a man Elias was a rare and admirable Prophet yet a man subject to like passions as we are Though we be never so wise learned or holy yet let the best Preachers in the world remember that they be men cloathed with the ragged Coate of infirmities as others bee Hence it is that Ministers yea famous Ministers doe often fall As Noah did into drunkennesse David into Adultery and murder Peter
to the throne of grace with broken hearts and contrite spirits that so we may find favour in this life by Iesus Christ that came into the world to save sinners and eternall happinesse with him in the life to come Now followes the manner of the punishment and the guilt of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to their owne condemnation Rom. 2.5 But after thy hardnesse and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous Iudgement of GOD. There can bee no renewing but by the death of Christ now Christ dyed and was crucified once for all that believe and abide in him If any fall quite away from CHRIST they cannot bee renewed unlesse CHRIST bee crucified againe but that is impossible therefore the other That they should bee renewed to repentance They tread under foote the Sonne of God Hebr. 10.29 The greatest indignity that can be offered greater than to spit in a mans face The foot is the lowest member of the body they will have Christ the King of Kings under their feet the greatest contempt that can be before they had an honourable opinion of him that hee was the Sonne of God the Saviour of the world but now they count basely of him They count the bloud of the Testament a prophane thing what is the bloud of Christ shed on the Crosse the bloud of a malefactor is as good as that ô horrible blasphemy And despise all the graces of the spirit which they have received And put him to an open shame exemplificantes make a mocke Matth. 1.19 Then Ioseph her husband being a just man and not willing to make her a publike example as those that be made publike examples and pointed at by all exposing him to the reprochfull death of the Crosse on the which he was derided of all or CHRIST being once crucified and dead is made immortall and living for ever To crucifie him againe were to make him mortall againe which were an egregious mockerie Or they despise CHRIST once crucified and would faine have him to be crucified for them againe which is to make a mock of him Or it may be a reason drawne from the malice of men seeing they are so spitefully set against Christ as that they could finde in their hearts to crucifie him againe if it lay in their power and so to make him a mocking-stocke to all the world accounting the crucifying of CHRIST to bee but a ridiculous thing to make sport withall of no moment to life eternall therefore it is impossible they should bee restored As much as lyeth in them they crucifie the Sonne of GOD and make a mocke of Him which are such horrible sinnes as that GOD cannot in justice give them Repentance for them Now he describeth them that sin against the Holy Ghost comparatively hee sets them out by a lively similitude taken from the earth As the earth that is painefully tilled and hath plentifull raine powred downe on it and yet for all that instead of good fruit bringeth forth pricking thornes and scratching brambles is good for nothing but to be burnt So those men who having bin washed with many sweete showres of the Word of God and enriched with diverse excellent graces yet prooving pricking thornes in the end hurtfull to men and God too they are good for nothing but to burne in hell fire for evermore Before he comes directly to this lamentable end of the reprobates he doth illustrate it by a comfortable Antithesis in the good and godly which might provoke them with all cheerefulnesse to contend to perfection in Religion VERSE 7. THe Protasis only is set downe the Apodosis is to bee supplyed 1. For the Protasis The earth which is apparant to us all none can be ignorant of it As a thirsty man taketh in drink which is dispersed into his bowels So doth the drie and thirsty earth the raine she takes it and conveys it into her bowels It comes into the earth but because it must come upon it before it can come into it therefore the HOLY GHOST useth that phrase not seldome but often God being bountifull to the earth to send it much raine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bringeth forth as a mother her Children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a Synecdoche is put for all the fruits of the earth because the herbe is one of the first fruits that it bringeth forth Not onely herbes but trees and all kinde of corne for hee speakes of such an earth which is tilled whereas herbes spring up without tillage What manner of fruit Which doth benè reponere gratiam requites the cost and charges which the dressers have bestowed on it Receiveth blessing from God without whose blessing the earth would be as brasse and yron for all the labour of the husbandman As such an earth is blessed of God God blesseth it with a rich and plentifull harvest to the joy and comfort of men so is it with all those that profit by the Word of God For a more particular opening of every branch in the similitude The earth is every Christian man and woman in the lap of the Church Man was taken out of the earth and therefore may fitly bee resembled to the earth bad hearers are called bad ground and good hearers good ground Luke 8. verse 15. The raine that falls upon it is the Word of GOD Deuteronomie 32. ver 2. Isaiah 55. ver 10. 1. Raine comes downe from heaven So the word 2. Raine comes down to us by the clouds So the Word by the Preachers 3. Raine refresheth the earth So the Word our soules 4. Raine never returnes in vaine So the Word accomplishes that which the Lord pleases and prospers in the thing whereunto he sends it it never returnes voyd either we are the better or the worser by it through our owne fault The fruits that they bring forth is increase of knowledge and of all vertues The dressers of this ground are God and the Ministers Ioh. 15.1 1 Cor. 3.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The blessing that good hearers receive is a further increase of all graces in this life to him that hath shall be given c. Mat. 13.8 and eternall blessednesse in the life to come Blessed are they that heare the Word of God and keepe it 1. All people are as the ground that stand in need of the Raine of the Word of God the earth must have Raine all the yeare long more or lesse else it dryeth and withereth away So doe we if wee want the Raine of the Word In what a miserable case were they in Israel when there fell no raine by the space of three yeeres and sixe moneths and in what a pittifull taking are those townes and countries though they feele it not which want the Raine of the Word of GOD You that have it be thankfull to God for it and learne to esteeme more highly of this blessing than ye doe If it raine on your wheat
of tithes by the Ministers argues a superioritie that GOD hath given them over the people In things appertaining to their office they are greater than the temporalty they are Gods Ambassadours and workmen with him and the tithes are a tribute which the people are bound to pay them for their worke Here wee behold the greatnesse of the Ministerie and what great men the Ministers bee It is a thing worth the consideration of us all for the Holy Ghost wills us to consider it The receiving of tythes from the people argues the greatnesse of the Ministers to whom tithes are paid The world through the subtilty and malice of Satan hath a base opinion of the Ministers supposing them to be little men of no account or reputation yet in very truth whatsoever their stature be if as little as Zacheus whatsoever their outward estate and condition be though as poore as Peter and Iohn that said silver and gold have we none yet in truth they are great men Obadiah though the Kings steward had an high opinion of Elias sayes he art not thou my Lord Elias the King of Israel esteemed highly of Elisha My father the charet of Israel and the horseman thereof Herod reverenced Iohn Baptist and the very Devill speaking in the mayd spake honourably of Paul and Silas Constantine the Emperour used the Bishops at the Councell of Nice with marveilous respect he would needs have them to sit downe by him and he would not be covered when any of them were preaching The Spirit of God sayes in this place consider how great a man Melchizedec was So say I to you all consider what great men the Preachers of the word be Is not the Kings Ambassadour a great man they are Ambassadours of the King of Kings therfore great men Is not the steward of a noble mans house a great man these are Gods stewards the disposers of the secrets of God as Paul termeth them 1 Cor. 4.1 they are as Christ himselfe in their place and office he that heareth you heareth me Luk. 10.16 When they preach Christ preacheth therefore great men to be received as Angels from heaven yea as Christ himself yet some prophane persons there be that suppose them to be the least of all others of least account and estimation He is no Iustice of peace no governour in the Common-wealth therefore a little man a straw for him I but though in secular affaires they are subject to the civill Magistrates yet in spirituall matters they are above them I speak of subordinate Magistrates Consider them that labour among you and are over you in the Lord they are the Shepheards and all others though there be a Gentleman a Knight a Lord in the parish yet they be all his sheepe Therefore the Minister in respect of his office is a great man So let us esteeme of him and receive with meekenesse feare and reverence the word delivered by him The small account that the people make of the Preacher causes the Word of God to finde the lesser entertainement among them therefore banish that opinion out of your hearts and know them to be great men as indeed they be VERSE 5. AGainst that might bee objected What is the receiving of tithes an argument of greatnesse Why then the Levites are as great as Melchizedec for they take tithes Sol true indeed yet great oddes betweene them 1. They are of the tribe of Levi which GOD consecrated to the Priest-hood in that respect they have a right to receive tithes Melchizedec is none of that tribe yet hee takes tithes because his Priest-hood is more excellent in regard whereof he hath a greater interest to tithes 2. The people give them tithes because they have an expresse commandement from GOD to take them Abraham not by commandement but willingly of his owne accord gave tithes to Melchizedec because he knew he had an immediate autority to take them from God being in a more excellent manner the Priest of God 3. The Levites take tithes of the progeny of Abraham Melchizedec of Abraham himselfe the author and foundation of the whole stocke of the Hebrewes They have a commandement which is laid downe Num. 18.21 31. Lev. 27.30 Deut. 14.22 27. therefore they may lawfully take and who be they that dare resist this commandement According to the law not of their owne braines but by warrant from the Law Not of some but of all the people none are exempted from paying of tithes To tithe the people that is by a metonymie the goods of the people He shewes what is meant by the people the Israelites their brethren they were brethren in nature having all one father which was Abraham and in religion professing one God and religion This should make them more loving one to another 4. They tooke tithes or their brethren but Melchizedec of their father which was Abraham Vterini as it were though in this respect they and the people are equall both came out of Abrahams loines yet that did not priviledge them from paying tithes to the Levites There be two veines and two arteries from the loines which carry the seede to the place thereof therefore they are put for generation Though the Ministers bee advanced into a chaire of dignity above the people yet they must remember that they are their brethren The King is the subjects brother when thou makest a King thou shalt take him from among thy brethren much more is the Minister brother to those to whom hee speaketh Our Saviour Christ is not ashamed to call us brethren and shall wee disdaine to call the least Sheepe in our flocke our brother or our sister Wee must not bee as Lords and tyrants over God his heritage but carry our selves as brethren towards them Speake kindely have compassion one on an others infirmities as brethren VERSE 6. HEre we see Melchizedec Priest of the most high God received tithes and the Levites had a commandement to take tithes Now here a question doth necessarily offer it selfe whereunto the text draweth mee whether I will or no whether tithes bee the perpetuall maintenance of the Ministery or not A thing somewhat controversall in this last and wicked age of the world wherein charitie waxeth cold as to all in generall so to the Ministers in speciall Some if there were no law to compell them would give them neither tithes nor any other thing at all so unthankefull are they for the foode of their soules I but wee will not stand to mans courtesie for then in most places we should have a cursey but it shall be evinced out of the Word of GOD that tithes is that part and portion which God Almighty hath allotted to us It was not only the Levites maintenance in the time of the law but it is our maintenance in the time of the Gospell and must continue to the worlds end Bellar contendeth that tythes are due to the Ministery non jure divino sed ecclesiastico yet he alloweth that
carnall that is impotent and beggarly rudiments Gal. 4.9 which served for the institution of the rude and ignorant people of the Iewes they did teach nothing but served onely for the honourable maintenance of them that taught the people 2. They bee no types of an holy thing in CHRIST and his kingdome they did signifie nothing to come in Christ or in his kingdome 3. They were not instituted for the service of the tabernacle but assigned to it for a time 4. They were not to cease at the time of reformation for still they are retained in the Church as the maintenance of the Ministery which the Church should not doe if it were a ceremony that should end at the comming of Christ. Here is no institution or assignation of tithes but a declaration of the Lords right I doe you no wrong in assigning the tithes to Levi for they be mine and not yours They are holy to the Lord that is separate from the use of men So that it is sacriledge to take them away Here is an assignation of them to the tribe of Levi only for the time of their service at the tabernacle Here we may see what is ceremoniall what perpetual in tithes This proposition all tithes are the Lords is perpetuall the assignation of them to the Levits in the second place is ceremoniall that is Levitically ceremoniall for if there bee any ceremony in tithes it is a Leviticall ceremony Object Sacrifices were in use before the Leviticall and ceremoniall law yet they are ceremonies So are tithes though paid before the Law Sol. Sacrificing it selfe is in the law of nature but particular ordinances for the manner of sacrificing are ceremoniall So the paiment of tithes is in the law of nature but certaine particular ordinances for the paiment of them are in the ceremoniall law Yet there is a difference betweene sacrifices and tithes 1. In the propriety Tithes are ever the LORDâ— sacrifices are not his till they be offered to him before the man that offers them hath a right in them When a man offers a sacrifice hee offers of his owne when he gives tithes he gives that to the Lord which is the Lords In not sacrificing godlinesse is violated in not paying tithes not only godlines but Iustice also is violated Now a ceremonie standeth not in paying to God that which is his but in giving to God that which is thine owne 2. In the end Sacrificing is to signifie the great sacrifice on the crosse for the sinnes of the world The end of tithes is not to signifie any thing but is the honour and maintenance of the Ministery and therefore they are to remaine so long as the Ministery remaineth That assignation of tithes to Levi or that lease being expired they returne to their proper right againe that is to CHRIST which liveth for ever Hebrewes 7. Verse 8 for though it bee first true in Melchizedec the type who in respect of the silence of his death is said to live yet most of all is it verefied of Christ. The service of the tabernacle being abrogated the assignation of tithes to the Levites is voyd but the propriety of them ever was and is in the Lord for his Ministers Improperly to speake the assignation of tithes was ceremoniall that is appertaining to the ceremoniall law but properly to speake there is nothing ceremoniall in the paying of tithes for in it there is no carnall type of an holy thing neither in the Leviticall nor Evangelicall ministery There is no proofe in all the New Testament for any other ordinarie maintenance of the Ministery therefore tithes remaine still the ordinary maintenance He that preacheth the Gospell must live on the Gospell Somewhat more sparingly then the Priests did in the time of the Law They are injurious to the Ministers of the Gospell that will say so If they had the tenth part of the peoples goods shall we have lesse Gal. 6.6 Let him that is taught in the Word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things Though tithes were buried for a season in persecution yet they were resumed and established againe in the Church in all ages as appeareth by the Fathers and Councells till the Pope comming to the height of his usurped autoritie exempted some from paying of tithes and made impropriations In the defence of whose unjust dealing first Alexander de Hales then Aquinas and all the Schoolemen contended that tithes were judicialls yet they are still due de jure though de facto the Ministers of the Gospell are deprived of them for tithes are morall by divine institution Mat. 23.23 there tithes have Christ his approbation as a thing that ought to be done where there is an opposition betweene things of the same kinde the greatest morall things are in mercy and judgement and the least morall things in paying the least tithes Luk. 18.12 tithes are morall as fasting is The causes remaining the things must still remaine but the causes of giving tithes remaines still ergo 1. It was an acknowledgement that they had all from GOD and ought all to him Levi. 27.30 So must we doe still 2. That thereby they might learne to feare God who otherwise might bring sterility and other plagues on the land Deut. 14.23 So we must doe still Nazianz. imputes the haile to this de calamitate per grandinem 3. That the Priests and Levites having no other maintenance might have this to sustaine them in their office the Ministers of the Gospell cannot be husbandmen clothyers they cannot waite on tables but must give themselves to the Word and prayer therefore it is meete they should have the same maintenance still 2. Quest. Who they be that must pay tithes All high and low rich and poore husbandmen and Clothyers because the payment of thithes belongs to justitiam commutativam in qua non consideratur conditio personae sed qualitas rei ad rem 2. The poore have benefit by the Ministery as well as the rich the Clothyer hath as great benefit by the preaching of the Word as the Husbandman hath therefore why should not he give as largely to the maintenance of the Preacher as an other In law they may have a shift but in equitie and conscience they have none let him that is taught in the Word but the Clothyer is taught in the Word therefore hee that teacheth him should have as deepe a part in his goods as in the goods of an other man Shall the poore Farmer pay all to the Minister and the rich Clothyer nothing Shall he that sits in the lower end of the Church pay and hee that sits in the upper end not 3. Quest. Whereof we must pay tithes Some things are due to the Ministers ex justitia some ex dono as houses and gleebe land 1. God hath given us all and shall it grieve us to give him for his Ministers the tenth part 2. Give to Caesar the things that are Caesars
at the first springing up of the custome was but worth a Groate is now worth tenne shillings and yet will yee against all reason hold that custome still 2. The Iewes had a custome upon small occasion to put away their Wives derived from Moses yet CHRIST brake the necke of that custome saying ab initio non fuit sic Moses permitted that for the hardnesse of your hearts because hee had to deale with a stubborne and stiffe-necked people but from the beginning it was not so So say I the law for the hardnesse of your hearts permits this custome as it doth eight in the hundred but looke backe to the originall and yee shall finde that from the beginning it was not so It is an Axiome in the law nullum tempus occurit regi The King never looses his right for discontinuance of time And shall the King of Kings be debarred of his right because of a new upstarte custome Flatter not your selves in your customes they are but broken reeds for you to leane upon St. Paul sayes If any man list to bee contentious we have no such custome nor the Churches of God So say I to you if any list to rob God and his Ministers of their right we have no such custome nor the Churches of God It is a wonderfull delusion that the Devill hath bewitched many withall stollen waters are sweete and all is good that we may take from the Ministers He that robbeth a Minister robbeth God Mal. 3.8 and is it no sinne to rob God he that stealeth from a common Christian is a thiefe but hee that stealeth from a Minister is a Church-robber the one is theft the other is sacriledge the one breakes the second table the other the first table Therefore take heed of this grievous sinne Tithes are the LORDS hee hath given them to us therefore take you good heede how yee take them away from us least you bee found fighters against God as wise Gamaleel said to the Councell Take away maintenance from any calling and it will quickly fall to the ground who would be a Merchant if hee must be a beggar all the dayes of his life Who would be a Clothier if he get no gaine by it Who would put his Sonne to the Vniversity there be at charges with him seven or eight yeares afterwards to be a Minister and to have no comfortable maintenance in his calling it is a matter of greater importance then we are aware of the denying of the Ministers right is the overthrow of the Ministery and so consequently of the Word of God whereby wee must bee saved in the life to come therefore let us not have a finger in it You thinke to waxe rich by defrauding of the Ministers but that is the high-way to poverty and beggery too Such money is put into a bottomlesse bagge it will never prosper Consider what the Lord saith Mal. 3.10 Prove me c. pay your tithes conscionably in truth and sincerity as you ought to doe and Gods blessing shall bee on you and yours steale from the Ministers of God and thy wealth one way or other shall melt away as the waxe before the fire Therefore in the feare of God let us all looke to it let us as God hath given tithes to them for their livelyhood so give them cheerefully for God loveth a chearefull giver let us deale bountifully with GOD and his Ambassadours in this present life that he may deale bountifully with us and give us his owne kingdome in the life to come The second argument whereby the Apostle proves Melchizedec to bee greater than Abraham is laid downe in the last words of this sixth verse Hee that blesseth is greater than he that is blessed but Melchizedec blessed Abraham ergo he is greater than Abraham whom he blessed Hee doth not say him that had so many merits Abraham the Father of the faithfull had no merits whereof he might glory before God Hee was not justified in the sight of God by any of his workes but only by believing the promises this is our righteousnesse to believe the promises of God We are to make a precious account of Gods promises they be the most excellent jewells that wee can have hee doth not say hee blessed him that had silver and gold Sheepe and Oxen but the promises Abraham was a mervailous rich man God had blessed him exceedingly hee had at this time above three hundred uprising and down-lying in his house yet the Holy Ghost doth not say he blessed him that was such a wealthy man that had such large lands possessions but hee blessed him that had the promises The promises of GOD are the greatest riches that a man can have our silver and gold may bee taken from us but Gods promises shall abide with us for ever Now Abraham had not the promises for himselfe alone but for all the Children that believe as he did Acts 2.39 as hee had the promises so have wee and let us make much of them they must be our comfort in all calamities yea in death it selfe heaven and earth shall passe away but not a tittle of my word shall passe unfulfilled therefore let us highly esteeme of the promises of God they be the strongest pillars we have to leane upon VERSE 7. THe major proposition of the argument is proved by the confession of all and without all contradiction the lesse is blessed of the greater that which is of lesser account and reckoning the thing being put for the person I but is the lesse blessed of the greater Iacob blessed Pharaoh Gen. 47.10 and 1 Reg. 8.66 the people blessed the King yet they were not greater than Salomon we blesse God yet we are not greater than God 2 Cor. 1.3 There is a double blessing the one improper the other proper Improperly to speake to blesse is to wish well as to pray for one 1 Cor. 14.16 So the poore blessed Iob. Iob 31.20 So inferiours may blesse their superiours that is pray to God for them So the Child may blesse the father the people the Minister the subjects the Prince but properly to speake blessing is a pronouncing and an actuall bestowing of happinesse on them that are blessed Thus God Almighty doth blesse us all thus CHRIST blessed his Church at his Ascension into heaven hee left an actuall blessing with them and in them with us all thus the Priests in the name of God blessed the people and so doe we that be the Ministers of the Gospell at this day we as Gods Ambassadours and in CHRIST 's stead 2 Cor. 5. doe not only pronounce a blessing on the People but by the gracious operation of Gods Spirit wee are as Gods hands to powre downe a blessing on them In this respect we sustaine Gods person and are greater than the people whom we blesse The Papists ascribe too much to the blessing of the Ministers and we give too little to it they say that a Bishops
put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is evident because he is created after an other manner Before he said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verse 11. now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some of the Iesuits being notable fishers have found a deep mystery in this pond the alteration of the word And wherin I pray you consisteth this similitude It must needs be in this and nothing but this That as Melchizedec offered bread and wine as a sacrifice of praise to God after Abrahams victorie So our Saviour Christ offered his body and bloud under the shape of bread and wine in the Supper for this cause and for this cause alone or chiefely and principally he is a Priest after the order of Melchizedec and in the end having the streame of all the fathers running with them they desire Christ to confound us that strive against it But cannot Christ be a Priest after the similitude of Melchizedec unlesse it be in this Surely then he is not a Priest at all after the similitude of Melchizedec for Melchizedec offered no bread and wine The Hebrew is Hotziah protulit non obtulit as their owne vulgar Interpreter doth translate it and the Septuaginta expound it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a confirmation of Melchizedec's kingdome not of his Priesthood as a King of his Prince-like liberality he brought forth out of his store-house plenty of bread and wine to refresh Abraham and his men after the battell he brought them forth not to offer them to God but to comfort Abraham and his wearied Souldiers withall Therefore concerning the forged sacrifice of the Masse Christ can be no Priest after the similitude of Melchizedec 1. Melchizedec offered no bread nor wine at all 2. If he did he offered the substance of bread and wine not the shewes alone as the Papists doe therefore in this hee cannot bee a Priest after the similitude of Melchizedec for Melchizedec did never any thing like to this But in sundry other respects hee is a Priest after the similitude of Melchizedec 1. As Melchizedec being a Priest of the most high God blessed Abraham and prayed to God for him So Christ blesseth and prayeth for his Church Verse 25. 2. As Melchizedec is said to live for ever because there is no mention of his death in the Scripture So Christ liveth for ever and of his Priest-hood there is no end 3. As Melchizedec was a Priest yet not made after the manner of other Priests but had an extraordinary calling from God so CHRIST is made a Priest not after the manner of the Leviticall Priest-hood but after a more excellent sort as Melchizedec was 4. As Melchizedec was a King and a Priest too So was our SAVIOUR CHRIST in these sences Hee is a Priest after the similitude of Melchizedec not in that sence which the Papists imagine The man of GOD and dispenser of the Word that is appointed to teach the people whether hee doth it by word of mouth or wryting must make things cleere and evident unto them It was evident by that which hee said in the former Verse that the Priest-hood is changed because the tribe consecrated to the Priest-hood is changed yet not contenting himselfe with that he makes it a great deale more evident in these Verses A mysterie of Religion cannot bee too evident to the people A Preacher must bee as plaine as possible hee can as plaine as a pike-staffe as wee use to speake Hence it is that Preachers are compared to Nurses a Nurse though shee have a fine flowing and eloquent tongue yet shee will speake plainly to the Child So must we to those Children whom God hath put to us to nurse when we deliver the sincere milke of the Word to them Who hath more learning then God the fountaine of all Wisedome yet the Scripture which is his Word is the plainest writing in the world he is the best Preacher and drawes neerest to God Almighty that speakes most plainely to the capacity of the people They in Ezra gave the sense and made the people to understand it as for those that affect obscurity that love to speake in the cloudes that desire rather to be admired for an opinion of learning then to profit and benefit the people they can have no comfort of their labour Heraclitus that was surnamed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is reproved by the rest of the Philosophers Hereticall teachers have beene darke but the true teachers have beene perspicuous St. Hierome had more adoe to understand Iovinian then to confute him Arrius was obscure in setting downe his heresie whereas St. Aug. had rather speake false Latine to say Ossum for os then hee would not be comprehended by the people Our Apostle here strives to make the alteration of the Priest-hood more and more evident Indeed the Papists holding it the best policy to keepe the people in ignorance are of purpose obscure in their writings and sayings The Rhemes Testament of late yeeres set forth in English is so darke such inck-horne termes so many Latine wordes unenglished as that the common people cannot understand it even as good as Aristotles physickes that were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but as for us that be sincere Preachers of the Word which seeke Gods glory and the profit of the people more than our owne credite and estimation let us labour to make that evident which we speake VERSE 16. NOw hee sheweth how this is more evident by the manner of creation of this Priest farre different from the creation of Priests in the law Not of the Law of a Carnall Commandement not after the rite and manner of the ceremoniall Law as Aaron and his Sons were The ceremoniall Law is termed the carnall Commandement because it did consist in carnall and outward observations that were not to continue long Hebr. 9.10 Eph. 2.15 At the consecration of Aaron and his Sonnes very costly and glorious apparell was provided which were put on their backes an Ephod a breast plate a miter Exod. 28.1 two Rams and a young Calfe without blemish Exod. 29. were offered up to God for them and a boxe of holy oyle was powred on their heads CHRIST being a Priest after the order of Melchizedec had no such outward solemnity but was annoynted with the oyle of the spirit above his fellowes and cloathed with the white robe of unspotted innocency that was to be found in no Priest in the time of the law therefore his Priest-hood is more excellent then theirs But after the power of an endlesse life that is after that powerfull manner which it pleased God to shew in the Gospell that bringeth with it an endlesse life If he had made a direct opposition it should have beene thus but after the Law of the Spirituall Commandement yet hee speaketh more emphatically Instead of Law hee uses the word power because both our Saviour Christ and the Gospell is the power of God to salvation Ro. 1.
faith in him wee have peace with God and a comfortable accesse to his Majesty Ahasuerus held out his golden Scepter to Hester and she drew neere to him So God being reconciled to us by CHRIST holdeth forth the golden Scepter of his favour to us and wee draw neere to him What a prerogative is this that we may draw neere to the high and mighty God which in himselfe is a consuming fire Wee thinke it a great favour to draw neere to an earthly King to kisse his hand to speake our minde freely to him that noble man is greatly honoured that can in such sort draw neere to the King We have all free accesse by Iesus Christ to the King of Kings wee may boldly draw neere to him and preferre our supplications to him wee need not stand aloofe off and goe to God by the Virgin Mary and the Saints triumphing in heaven by the Meditation of Christ alone we may draw neere to God Himselfe and say Our father as Christâ—eacheth â—eacheth us hee beareth such a love to us as that Christ Himselfe protesteth in the Gospell I say not that I will pray to the Father for you the Father Himselfe loveth you Therefore let us with a Christian confidence draw neere to him This may be an unspeakeable comfort to us in all calamities in sickenesse in poverty when wee have crosses in our soules in bodies goods or name when any thing grieveth us let us draw neere to our heavenly father and powre forth our griefes into his bosome he tenders us as the Apple of his owne eye and will not deny us any thing that is good 2. As we draw neere to him in all our troubles by hearty prayer in this life so by Christ our blessed Saviour we shall draw neere to him in his owne kingdome in the life to come where wee shall eate of the hidden Manna and of the tree of life in the Paradise of God for ever Behold then what a singular blessing we have by CHRIST such as the Law could never have given to us therefore let us bee thankfull to God for it let us love the Lord Iesus Christ by whom we draw neere to God let the love of Christ constraine us to forsake our sins which banished us out of Gods kingdome let us glorifie Christ by whom we have this accesse to God in this present world that we may be partakers of his eternall glorie in the world to come VERSE 20. THe third argument is taken from the manner of the institution of both Priest-hoods He that is made a Priest with an oath is greater than they that are made without an oath Christ was made a Priest with an oath the Levites without an oath Ergo. The consequence of the proposition is evident it must needs be a great thing and of singular weight and importance which God Almighty ratifieth with an oath God Almighty swore at the consecration of our high-Priest so did he not at the consecration of Aaron and his Sons therefore he is greater than they Both the parts of the assumption are expressed in the Text and the conclusion is emphatically inferred Verse 22. For so much as Christ was not made a Priest without an oath whereas those in the time of the Law were The word of the high and eternall God which is truth it selfe in whom there is not a shadow of turning is sufficient to procure credit and authority to that which hee speaketh By the word of a King as we use to say nothing can bee more sure Shall not then the word of the King of Kings bee believed but when an oath is annexed to it we ought the rather to be confirmed in it Now there be three principall things which God sweareth in Scripture The first is the eternity and perpetuity of Christ's Priest-hood he hath not onely said but sworne thou art a Priest for ever Which is a singular comfort to us all wee may bee bold to believe Gods oath Our Priest that makes intercession for us lives for ever The second thing is the destruction of the wicked of stubborne and disobedient persons that by Gods voice in the Ministery of the word will not be reclaimed from their sins I have sworne in my wrath that such shall never enter into my rest God sware that none of those that came out of Aegypt save Caleb and Ioshua should enter into the land of Canaan It came so to passe all their Carhasses fell in the wildernesse God hath sworne that such as have the Trumpet of the word continually sounding in their eares and yet will lye snorting in their sins shall perish eternally Therefore let us tremble at it and believe it The third thing that God hath sworne unto in the Scripture is the salvation of the faithfull that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye wee might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us Hast thou a true and lively faith in CHRIST which is fruitfull in all good workes as Dorcas was and canst say with Saint Paul I live yet not I but CHRIST in mee c. GOD hath sworne that thou shalt be saved therefore doubt not of it Though the Devill walke about as a roaring Lion seeking to devoure us though he labour to win now us as Wheat though through the corruption of our nature we fall into many sinnes as the holyest of all doth sometimes fall though we be visited with grievous sicknesses though brought to poverty though death is before our eyes yet let us not stagger about our salvation we have Gods Word and oath for it therefore undoubtedly we shall be saved Howsoever wee bee here tossed in the Waves of this miserable world yet at length wee shall arrive at the haven of eternall rest Shall God sweare a thing and not performe that which he hath sworne VERSE 21. WE never reade of an oath when the Priests under the Law were set apart to the Priest-hood On the other side this our high Priest was made with an oath Where 1. The substance of the oath 2. The immutabilitie of it There is a compound verb in the Greek not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the swearing of an oath which is more emphaticall then to say simply with an oath God did sweare an oath when he appointed him to be high-Priest By him that is God the father that said to him Hee introduceth the words of the Psalme tu It is put discretive thou and no other He will admit of no after-thought to amend the former Men repent oftentimes of their words and oaths too but God will never repent of this oath that which hee hath sworne in this oath is immutable Object Gen. 6.6 1 Sam. 15.11 Sol It is a figurative
the sences They say that the body and bloud of Christ are there invisible under the shape of bread and wine therefore by their owne position it is no sacrifice 2. They confesse it to bee an unbloudy sacrifice and then not propitiatory for the quicke and the dead as they will have it for Hebr. 9.22 Without shedding of bloud there is no remission of sinnes There is no bloud shed therefore no remission of sins and then a masse not worth a figge thou canst not have the remission of sins by it but it is a phantasticall dreame of their owne Let us magnifie the Lord Iesus for his owne sacrifice which he offered for us and lay hold on it by a true and a lively faith What did Christ offer for us not silver and gold not a Bull a Sheepe or a Goate not the haire of his head the paring of his nailes or his little toe not one of his Disciples but himselfe Oh blessed SAVIOUR that spared not himselfe for our sakes So let us give our selves to him he that will be my Disciple let him deny himselfe and follow mee We must not only sacrifice our sins for Christ his sake which wee will hardly doe but if occasion require offer up our selves for him we must say with Paul my life is not deere to me c. I am ready not only to be bound but to dye at Hierusalem for the name of the Lord Iesus But alas wee are wanting in love and thankefulnesse to Christ hee offered himselfe for us We will not offer up our pleasures for him Hee laid downe his owne life for us we will not lay downe our sinnes for him Wee will not forgoe our lusts our covetousnesse pride drunkennesse for Christs sake how then shall we offer up our selves for him as he did for us VERSE 28. THe reason is taken from the excellencie of this our high-Priest he that is the Sonne of God voyd of all infirmity sanctified for ever is able by one sacrifice to satisfie for the sins of the Church but Christ is the Sonne of God voyd of all infirmity sanctified for ever ergo This is illustrated by a famous antithesis betweene the Priests of the Law and him whereof there be foure branches 1. The ceremoniall Law made men Priests the Gospell made God a Priest For this our High-Priest as hee was the Sonne of man so the Sonne of God too and therefore God 2. The Law made servants Priests as Heb. 3.5 The Gospell the Sonne which is more honourable than any servant 3. The Law made them that had infirmities namely of sinne and corruption otherwise CHRIST tooke on him all our naturall infirmities 4. The Law made those that were mortall and endured not long by reason of death the Gospell hath made him that is consecrated for evermore By the word of the oath may be meant the Gospell as Luk. 1.73 because it was ratified by Gods oath But rather by it is meant the promise made to Christ which God confirmed in the Psalme with an oath If we respect the substance of the oath it was from all eternity CHRIST was ordained an everlasting Priest in the eternall decree of his Father 1 Pet. 1.20 but it is said to be after the Law because it was written published and exhibited after the giving of the Law The word of this oath comming after the Law did put the Law out of place though Gal. 3.17 because the promise was of greater force and efficacy then the Law but as the last Will disannulls all the former wills so the word of the oath comming after the Law did abrogate the Law Which is sanctified for evermore or perfected and therefore is able perfectly to fulfill the office of an High-Priest There was no Priest no Prophet in the time of the Law there is no Minister no Preacher no Christian whatsoever but hath some infirmity or other Noah a Preacher of righteousnesse was overtaken with wine and lay uncovered in his Tent. Abraham a Prophet so the Lord himselfe termeth him to Abimelech had his infirmities when hee dissembled for the saving of his life David a man after Gods owne heart had his grosse faults when hee was carryed into Adultery and murder using one as a Cloake to cover the other withall Saint Peter had his infirmity when he did Iudaizare cum Iudaeis applyed himselfe to all companies Saint Paul and St. Barnabas had their infirmities when they were at an open jarre and publike defiance one with another about St. Mark and departed in a chafe one from another Shew mee the garden that hath not one weede in it and shew mee the man either Preacher or other that hath not some infirmitie Let not us cast off men because of infirmities much lesse let us be ready as some are to hurle away the word because of the infirmities that be in the Preachers of the word If we will have a man without infirmities we must goe to heaven for one for there be the Spirits of just and perfect men There is none perfect in this world we are all full of infirmities the Lord be mercifull to us only Christ Iesus our High-Priest is voyd of infirmities hee is consecrated for evermore and holds to consecrate all that belong to him Let us serve this our High-Priest in holinesse and righteousnesse in this life that wee may triumph with him and offer the sacrifice of praise to God with him his Saints and Angels in the life to come CHAP. 8. IN the Priest-hood of Christ there bee two things 1. His calling to that office cap. 7. and 8. 2. The exequution of it cap. 9. and 10. In his calling 1. The Party called which is set forth at large in the former Chapter 2. The thing whereunto he is called in this Chapter which is to Minister for the good and salvation of his Church This Ministration of his is advanced above the Leviticall ministration by foure arguments 1. From his empyre rule and authority by reason whereof hee Ministreth after a more magnificent manner then the Levites did Verse 1. 2. From the place where he Ministers 3. From the Sacrifice wherewith he Ministers ver 3.4 5. 4. From the subject whereabout he is occupied In the first argument 1. An entrance into it 2. A description of his power and authoritie Having cast up the account this is the summe that ariseth of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or upon the things spoken this is the chiefe of all it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is to stirre us up to attention The summes of things are welcome to us Who is not desirous to have the summe of the Bible The summe of the Law contained in so many volumes a summe of Physicke c. The Oratours in the end of their Orations deliver the summe of that which they have spoken so doth St. Paul here hee delivers to us the totall summe of the things which he had spoken before
England is mine and shall any goe about to wring them out of his hands The King of Kings sayes vengeance is mine and wilt thou wrest Gods sword out of his hand Take heede how thou doest it lest thou beest found a fighter against God Say not such a one hath angred mee I will be even with him ô saucy Merchant wilt thou intrude thy selfe into Gods office The second branch of the testimony The greatest part of Interpreters are of opinion that the Apostle alleadgeth this to his purpose indirectly by the way of consequent If God will bee avenged on the enemies of his people much more on the enemies of his Sonne They thinke that to judge his people is to judge the enemies of his people for his peoples sake But this is alleadged directly and to judge is put for to punish The Lord shall judge his owne people even so many of them as revolt from him the living God to dumb and dead idols That is the scope of the whole Chapter as yee may see from Verse 15 to this place and Saint Paul citeth Verse 21. Rom. 10. to prove the rejection of the Iewes Though they be his owne people whom he hath honoured with the Word and Sacraments that have given up their names to him and taken upon them the profession of his holy truth yet if they fall from him he will severely punish them Therefore those men that have beene enlightned with the Spirit of grace that have had CHRIST IESUS revealed to them and yet contumeliously despise that spirit count the bloud of the Testament a prophane thing and tread the Sonne of God under their feete undoubtedly they shall drinke deepely of the cup of Gods vengeance for vengeance is Gods and he will powre it in full measure on them It cannot bee denyed but that God is exceeding mercifull his mercy reacheth to the clouds is higher than the heavens his mercy is over all his workes There is not halfe a Psalme of Iustice but an whole Psalme of his Mercy The foote of that song is this for his mercy endureth for ever yea he is the Father of mercies of a great number of mercies yet for all that hee is just too As mercy is his so vengeance is his he is a Iudge as well as a Father As he is wonderfull kind and beneficiall to his people when they serve him so he will judge his people when they depart from him David said concerning the government of his house and kingdome I will sing of Mercy and Iudgement Wee sing of Mercy but we let Iudgement goe like bad Musitions wee leave out one part of the song wee harpe much on the string of Mercy but we never meddle with the string of Iustice. Though wee sweare be drunken commit adultery steale secretly from our neighbours though we make small reckoning of his word raile on it and the Preachers too yet God is mercifull ready to forgive our sins I but remember likewise that vengeance is his and he will judge even his owne people especially if with an high hand they sinne against him hee will wound the hairie scalpe of them that goe on in their sins The Scripture records examples of Gods vengeance as well as of Gods Mercie He threw the Angels out of heaven when they sinned hee drowned the whole world for sinne he rained fire and brimstone on Sodome he made Iesabel a filthy adulteresse though a Queene to be cast out of a window and eaten up with dogs If we know the truth and make no conscience to live according to the truth if we cause his Gospell to be blasphemed by our wicked lives especially if wee choake the truth revealed to us set our selves against it and maliciously despise the spirit of grace whereby wee were in some measure sanctified then the vengeance of GOD will light heavy on us Therefore let us thinke as well on Gods Iustice as on his Mercy VERSE 31. OVt of this divine testimony the Apostle inferreth a fruitfull conclusion shewing what use we are to make of this doctrine it must cause us to feare God Almighty An horrible thing to fall suddenly when we little thinke of it and deepely too into the wine presse of Gods wrath so much the word doth import Into what into the hands of the living GOD. Why God hath no hands therefore we need not feare falling into them True indeed God hath no part or member of a body as we have for he is a spirit yet for our capacitie it is adscribed to him By the hands of God in this place is meant the wrath power and anger of God Almighty As a master sayes to his servant take heede how you come into my hands againe so it is a fearefull thing to fall into Gods hands What is this God A living God that lives for ever not a dead and dumbe Idoll therefore there is no escaping out of his hands if we fall into them For the better explication of it know that GOD hath two hands The one is Manus protegens into thy hands I commend my spirit It is a comfortable thing to fall into these hands The other is manus puniens and that is double the one as he is Pater castigans so David chose to fall into the hands of God the other as he is Iudex vindicans and so it is a fearefull thing to fall into his hands The wrath of a King sayes Salomon is as the roaring of a Lion what is the wrath of the King of Kings An earthly King may be appeased with rewards and requests but his wrath if he be once angry as a Iudge cannot be appeased Some by violence may snatch thee out of a Kings hand which is stronger than he none can deliver thee out of Gods hands if thou beest his prisoner once looke for no Gaole delivery Thou mayest run out of a Kings kingdome but there is no running from GOD whither shall I flye from thy presence in any corner of the earth hee will finde thee out yea though thou haddest wings to mount up into the heavens he can fetch thee downe An earthly King lives but for a time at the length hee dyes but GOD lives for ever Therefore it is a fearefull thing to fall into his hands Yet men little consider this they imagine it is nothing to fall into Gods hands A servant had rather fall into Gods hands by making a lye then into the hands of his master by speaking a truth A number of desperate persons had rather fall into Gods hands by swearing and forswearing then into the hands of an earthly judge We make no account of Gods hands tush God sees it not or if he regard it he is a kinde God it makes no matter for falling into his hands yet it is a fearefull thing for though he beare long with thee in wonderfull patience and long suffering yet he will make thee beare in the end Therefore let us not wittingly and willingly
for this faith Ergo. Elders whom we are to reverence which went before us and lived longer than we Reported of adorned by the testimony of God and man the testimony of the Lord is pure As the Father testified of Christ this is my beloved Sonne So also of Noah that he was a just and upright man and one that walked with God Abraham the friend of God Moses the meekest man upon the earth David a man after Gods owne heart hast thou not considered my servant Iob how none is like him in the earth an upright and just man one that feareth God and escheweth evill Of Nathaneel Christ said behold indeed an Israelite in whom there is no guile This also got them a goodreport among men all their famous exploits were done by faith Verse 29. A good name is above Gold and silver it is greatly desired of all but all take not the right course of getting it Some thinke to get them a name by building as they that set up the tower of Babel they imagine to be famous by sumptuous buildings some by hunting as Nimrod some by drinking as Fâ—cidius some by whoring as Hercules some strive to get them a name by their courteous behaviour as Absalom did by a counterfeit kinde of kindnes towards all some by liberality and house keeping and I would there were moe of them some by their great variety of learning but all these misse the marke they begin at a wrong end The best foundation for a good name is faith she will leave a sweete savour behinde her wheresoever she become she will procure us favour with God and man when the name that the wicked have gotten shall rot the faithfull shall be had in perpetuall remembrance therefore let us all beg faith at the hands of God that we may be renowned in this world and eternally famous in the world to come VERSE 3. SEcondly it is illustrated by an instance in one particular which is famous by this we understand the world was made of things not seene therefore faith is the evidence of them Ages or times The world mas made in time hath continued in time and shall end in time Omnibus numeris absolutus no commoditie no pleasure wanting To this end that we might all understand c. We believe the Scriptures as Agrippa did they tell us that the world was made by GOD. In principio creavit Deus therefore we believe the creation of the world Aristotle held that the world was eternall Plato that GOD made the heavens and Angels but the Angels made the bodies of men and beasts but we by faith understand that God made the world yea that all creatures were of his making and that without him nothing was made he made the high and celestial Angels the Sun Moone and the whole host of heaven birds of the ayre fishes of the Sea all trees men and beasts on the earth and all these did he make by his owne bare word he commanded and they were created let there be a firmament and there was one let there be a Sea birds and it was so only he paused and deliberated at the making of one creature which was man because he was to be his vicegerent and a King over all creatures By his omnipotent word all were made And of what was the world made what timber what stones had God to make this building withall Surely nothing yet hee made it Not so much as any atomes even materia prima was made of him he found it not in the world before O mighty and puissant God! Let us all feare him that made heaven and earth O how wonderfully am I made said David of himselfe much more of the whole world how wonderfully was the world made of nothing The world came not by chance or fortune it was framed by no earthly artificers Aholiab Bezaleel made the Tabernacle Hyram the Temple God the world and this did he make principally for sinfull man All creatures were made for us the Sun Moone Birds Fishes c. that we might freely eat of all yea the Angels were in a sort made for us that they might be ministring spirits for our salvation Therefore let us praise God all the dayes of our lives that made the glorious pallace of the world for us Now as the world was made so it must have an end 2 Pet. 3. therefore notwithstanding all the pleasure and wealth of this world let us use it as if wee used it not for the glory thereof fadeth away they waxe old as doth a garment Therefore let us lay up our treasures in a better world From hence the Iesuites make this collection we must believe the world was made out of nothing though wee doe not see it so we must believe that the body of CHRIST is corporally in the Lords Supper though we cannot see it But they might see there is a different reason Wee believe the world was made of nothing though we see it not because the Word of God hath avouched it God's Word never teacheth us that the body of CHRIST is in the Sacrament corporally but in heaven therefore there is no cause why we should believe it VERSE 4. NOw hee returnes to the examples 1. At large then summarily Verse 32. before the floud and after before the entrance into Canaan and after 1. A commendation of Abels fact 2. An approbation of it In the former 1. What it was that gave a relish to his sacrifice 2. To whom it was offered 3. The eminencie of it Caine had the more worthy name Caine acquisitio as if she had gotten the Messiah Abel vanity or weeping 2. He had the worthyest trade bread is the staffe of life 3. He was the first borne 4. He built a City Yet Abel is preferred before him A fuller sacrifice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 kissed Caines sacrifice was voyd of faith therefore empty Cain tooke absque delectu Abel chose 2. Corne was not so lively to represent CHRIST as Sheepe and Lambes 3. His more sparing Abels more plentifull rather better for his faith By the which faith not sacrifice as Verse 2. and in the end of this Verse The second thing is the approbation 1. In his life 2. After his death In life internall in his owne heart and conscience that he was righteous believing in the Messiah externall either by word Gen. 4 4. or by action as Levit. 9.24 1 Reg. 18.38 1 Chron. 21.26 2 Chron. 7.1 Some have beene of opinion that Adam was damned because he is left out of the catalogue of the faithfull but if none should be saved save those that be in this calender few should be saved The salvation of Adam and Eve may bee concluded by probable reasons rendred by Irenaeus Epiphan Chrys. Aug. 1. It is not like that GOD would cast away the first man that he made the first borne is greatly beloved Seldome doth any father disinherit his first borne Adam was the first that God
Saul in seeking of his fathers Asses lighted on a kingdome Let us seeke GOD as wee ought to doe by prayer hearing of Sermons receiving of the Sacraments by tendring our service to him in the exequution of his Lawes and he will reward us with an everlasting kingdome But how must we seeke him 1. Only Aut Caesar aut nullus him only shalt thou serve Wee must not sweare by GOD and Malchum we must not with Ahaziah seeke to Baal zebub the God of Ekron but to Iehovah the God of Israel 2. We must seeke him diligently as Saul did his fathers Asses the woman her lost Groat There must be no stone unrol led as the Ninevites who cryed with all their might 3. At all times In health in wealth in honour Hos. 5. ult In their affliction they will seeke me diligently in health as well as in sicknesse If wee have any losses by fire or water let us seeke unto God We will seeke to a man so long as wee need him we need God at all times therefore at all times let us seeke unto him 4. In time as Gal. 6.10 While we have time let us doe good unto all men but especially unto them that are of the household of faith not as the five foolish Virgins who sought too late and could have no admittance into the marriage feast VERSE 7. THe third is Noah which was both before and after the floud Whereupon some paint him like Ianus with two faces the one looking backward to the old world the other forward to the new world the last Patriarcke of the old world and the first of the new In him consider 1. A fact for the demonstration of his faith 2. A commendation of his faith His fact was the making of the Arke illustrated by the procreant cause and end thereof The procreant or impulsive cause is partly externall Gods warning partly internall a reverence he had of it The end proper accidentall the condemning of the world Then the commendation of his faith by it hee was made an heyre of the righteousnesse of Christ and so of the kingdome of heaven Noah of Nuach or Nacham quietem or consolationem his father imponit exponit nomen Genesis 5.29 hee was a type of CHRIST that brings the true peace and comfort to the world Come unto me all yee that labour and I will give you rest Ezek. 14.14 Isai. 54.9 The first motive cause that set him on worke was a warning given of GOD divino oraculo admonitus which is amplified by the object thereof namely of the destruction of the world by water and his owne preservation in the Arke These could not yet be seene because they came not of an hundred yeeres after Gen. 6.13 these things he believed though hee could not see them by his eyes and addressed himselfe to the exequution of them so the comming of CHRIST and the destruction of the world by fire is not yet seene yet because God hath given us warning of it in the Scripture we must believe it there was no likelihood at this time that the world should be drowned yet he believed it 1. It is a propertie of faith to believe the word of God though sense and reason cannot comprehend it Noah had not a foresight and knowledge of the floud by Iudiciall astrologie as Berosus affirmed by the influence of stars and conjunction of planets he had it immediately from God 2. God gives warning of his judgements The other mooving cause was internall hee did not count this a tale of a tub some old wives fable but he had a reverent regard of it ô this is a fearefull punishment which GOD will inflict on mankinde yet undoubtedly it shall come to passe hath hee said it and shall he not doe it Thus with a reverent feare he went to the making of the Arke We feare neither God nor man As a goodly vessell appointed by God Arca ab arcendo because it kept away the waters from comming to them There were three principall things commanded by GOD to bee made the Tabernacle by Moses the Temple by Salomon the Arke by Noah The Arke in sundry respects may bee preferred before the other 1. It was a making an hundred yeeres none of them so long this is probable Gen. 5. ult 7.11 Noah was five hundred yeeres old before then sixe hundred 2. It was the preservation of all the world 3. All creatures came into it of their owne accord by the secret instigation of God Almighty 4. Though they were of diverse kinds some of a more fierce some of a more mild disposition yet they continued quietlie in the Arke an whole yeere together Lions Beares Lambes Hawkes Doves Vultures c. 5. It was guided not by any art or industrie of man but by God Himselfe there was no Pilot to sit at the Sterne no Mast no Sailes no Rudders but God by His unspeakable providence kept it from the violence of the waters The proper end is taken from the deluge to come Gen. 7.1 some of them were wicked men yet they had that temporall salvation for the faith of Noah The word Arke is nearer 2. The Antithesis requires it As he and his house-hold were saved by the Arke So the world was condemned by it he condemned it by his preaching for 2 Pet. 2.5 and by his practise in making the Arke before the eyes of them all which might have brought them to repentance The commendation of his faith is by the fruit of it He was not a purchaser of this righteousnesse but an heyre of it he had it by an inheritance from the meere love and mercy of God Not which is by workes but by faith he had many excellent workes he sequestred himselfe from the world hee walked with God he built the Arke when the whole world laughed at him for his labour yet the building of the Arke nor any worke of his did make him righteous these shewed him to be a righteous man but it was his faith alone that made him a righteous man yet this faith must have workes as ye see in all these examples They are all celebrated for some famous worke or other That faith which brings forth the fruit of good workes makes us righteous Who made the Arke here it is said that Noah prepared it and Genesis 6.14 the conjunction is given to him alone Some thinke it was made by him and his three sonnes alone but there is no likelihood of that It is very probable that he got himselfe skilfull artificers to make it who though they derided the prophesie of the drowning of the world yet for money they were content to be imployed in that worke Some Carpenters Masons Plummers Glaziers may worke in the building of a Church for the enriching of themselves though they care not a halfe penny for a Church and the service of God in it Some made Noahs Arke that were not saved in it and many Ministers may prepare others for
like that Moses went in first they followed after as Iosephus writeth he as the Captaine they as Souldiers conducted by him Not by the witt devise and policie of their owne by the observation of the course of the Moone the constellation of starres or conjuction of planets but by faith Not they passed over by swimming by sayling by taking Ship c. but above art and nature they passed through They went not in a little way but passed through it Not a little shallow river but the great and deepe Sea Which by the colour might also strike a terrour into them being red as the fire terrifies men by the rednesse of it It was a corner of the Sea that parteth Arabia and Aegypt called red because the sand there was redder than in other places How not being somewhat wet at the least their feete and ancles but as if they had bin on the dry and firme land Exod. 14.22 This is adscribed to their faith At the beginning their faith was weake they cryed out like desperate persons without hope Exod. 14.11 but when they heard the promise of the Lord that he had said it when they saw the pillar of a cloud as a token of Gods presence with them when they beheld the waters driven backe by the rod of Moses then committing themselves wholly to the Lord they enter boldly into the red Sea This was a lively manifestation of their faith A weake faith at the first may prove a strong faith at the last 1 Sam. 27.1 Peter on the Sea There be three especiall things that commend their faith in it 1. That at Gods Word they would believe it hee said they should goe through the Sea they give credit to it Hath God spoken it Let us rest quietly in his word 2. The waters were on both sides on the right hand and on the left they might be in a continuall feare least they shold fall on them and overwhelme them yet through faith they go on and feare nothing 3. The Aegyptians followed them into the red Sea even there they were at their heeles this might have scared them Though we be not drowned in the Sea yet the Aegyptians may cut our throats and kill us in the Sea but through faith they likewise overcome that This was a supernaturall work if they had not had faith they could never have done it Faith is the best weapon to fight withall in all dangers the best bridge to passe over any river yea the Sea it selfe a coate of Maile in all battels All of them had not faith no doubt there were some unbelievers among them which went over for company and fashion sake for the saving of their lives they would venter with the rest but they had not a true and sound faith in the promise of God 1 Cor. 10.5 yet the fact hath the denomination of the better part There were many that believed therfore it is attributed to faith for the faithfuls sake the unfaithfull were kept from drowning The wicked in temporal blessings fare the better for the godly Every man must live eternally by his own faith but the unfaithfull in temporall blessings may fare the better for the faithfull The LORD blessed Potiphar for Iosephs sake It is like some bad ones were in the Ship some prophane Marriners wherein St. Paul sayled to Rome yet they were all preserved for Pauls sake So here the unbelieving Israelites were saved from drowning for the believers the world hates the godly and cannot abide to be in their company yet they escape many dangers for their sake This should cause them to make more of them than they doe Through faith the people went over Iordan the three Children walked in the middest of the fire Daniel continued safe in the Lions den Ionah came out of the Whales belly The nature of faith it leapeth over difficulties and followes God Through faith David said by the power of God I will leap over a wall If a man have the Kings passe-port he may passe all England over but if a man have faith he may passe all the world over through fire and water thicke and thinne Here we see that all creatures are servants to Gods Children all worke for them The Sun stood for Iosua The Starres fought for the Israelites against Sisera The fire durst not touch the three Children and here the water of the Sea is as a wall on both sides of the Israelites till they bee over If God bee with us who can be against us If the Lord of the house bee on our side will not all the serving men yea all creatures shall be on our side In the Israelites the Sea forgets her nature in the Aegyptians she exercised her nature 1. The cause of their destruction 2. The destruction it selfe Whereof the Aegyptians taking tryall why may not we passe through the Sea as well as they Why should it not give place to us as well as to them The Lord had hardened their hearts and they likewise went into the Sea Exod. 14.5 But what was the issue of it They were swallowed up by the Sea The waters turned backe on them they were all drowned not one escaped ut ne nuncius cladis domum reverteretur When the breath was out of their bodies the Sea cast up their carkasses againe and the Israelites saw them on the shoare wherby they might be the better perswaded they were dead and should trouble them no more Iosephus addeth that there fell raiâ—â— from heaven thundering and lightning The enemies of the Church may insult over it for a time as the Aegyptians made the Israelites their slaves and kept them in cruell bondage but at the lenght they shall drinke of the Cup of Gods wrath Iesabel was cast out of a window and eaten up with Dogs Herod was eaten up with wormes Sennacherib was slaine by his owne Sonnes The Aegyptians were overwhelmed in the red Sea Most of the Persecutors in Q. Maryes daies as Mr Fox reporteth came to a wretched and lamentable end Some ranne mad some stuncke above the ground while they were alive The rod may be aloft but it shall be hurled downe and cast into the fire Let this be our comfort we shall one day be conquerors over them all The Lord doth not onely meete with them but oftentimes in justice he serves them with the same sauce Iezabel spilt Naboths blood in the end her bloud was licked up with Dogs As Adonibezech had done unto 70. Kings so God rewarded him Iud. 1.7 The Aegyptians drowned the Children of Israel now they are drowned Some of the traytors that thought to have blowne us up with gun-powder were destroyed with gun-powder themselves Plutarke writeth of Hercules and Theseus that whom they sacrificed had sacrificed whom they hurled into the Sea had hurled into the Sea whom they thrust through with the Sword had thrust through with the Sword Let them take heed what tortures they put the godly unto the
make gatherings for the poore we may quench a fire we may fight with our enemies if wee be urged and there bee necessity for in all these and the like cases that rule must take place I will have mercy not sacrifice VERSE 31. THe second example of them before the full possession of the Land of Canaan is the harlot Rahab who by faith was preserved from the common destruction of the whole Citty whose preservation is amplified 1. By the instrumentall cause 2. By the estate of the party preserved 3. By the goodnesse of God extended to her 4. By the motive of her preservation Not by any strength or prwes of her owne for shee was a woman and by force could not have wrastled out of this danger Her faith shineth cleerely as in a Chrystall glasse Ios. 2.9 1 By faith she was perswaded that GOD had given them the Land although as yet they were not firmely settled in it 2 She reckons up the wonderfull workes which God Almighty had done for them 3 Shee shewes how the feare of GOD had fallen upon them all 4 Shee acknowledgeth the supreame power and the authority of their God 5 Shee requires no better security and assurance for her delivery then a sacred oath in the name of God All these are lively demonstrations of her faith Though shee did speake nothing of the promised Messiah the true and proper object of faith yet it may bee shee had some glimmerings of that heavenly mystery specially before the spies departed out of her house they perceiving good affections in her already might Catechize her further in the principles of religion certaine it is that she had faith Where first it may be demanded how she came by faith Rom. 10.14 faith comes by hearing of the Word there were no Preachers in Iericho the trumpet of the Word Preached did not sound in that Citty It pleased God to bring her to faith by the report of Gods wonderfull workes which he had done for his chosen people The Preaching of the Word is the ordinary meanes whereby wee come to faith but God is not tyed to that he may worke faith in men and women by extraordinary meanes 2 In all Countryes and Nations God hath His faithfull and elect though they be not knowne to the World In Vz he had Iob in Syria Naaman in Ethiopia a worthy Eunuch For her former condition of life shee had beene an harlot Some of the Rabbies supposing it to bee a blot of ignominy to their Nation that any of them should be reputed harlots they will have the word to bee derived from another roote of Zun and translate it an Hostesse or Inkeeper Rahab that Vitler or Inkeeper but harlot she was none But 1. the most native signification of the word is an harlot neither is it otherwise taken or by probability can be in the Old Testament Let all the places be examined where it is used 2 The 70. translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so doth the Author of this Epistle and the Apostle Iames now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth import nothing save an Harlot that sels her chastity makes a gaine of her body It doth never signifie an Inkeeper therefore undoubtedly before her conversion she was an Harlot yea a famous and notorious strumpet Hazzenah Here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Harlot which was publikely knowne all the Citie over 1 Let none take occasion from hence to set light by preaching where it is God can save mee without preaching therefore a flye for it what need I goe to Church and bee such a diligent hearer there As if a man being at a Table furnished with all kinde of dishes should say wherefore should I eate GOD can preserve me without meat as if a sick man having learned and expert Physitians about him should say Why should I take Physick God can restore me to my health without it as if a man should say God can give me light without the Sunne therefore I will close up my eyes when the Sun shineth or as if a man being on the top of a Pinnacle as Christ was should say wherefore should I goe downe by the stayres though I cast downe my selfe headlong God can keepe me If God vouchsafe thee the preaching of the word beware how thou contemnest that Ladder Let us say with the Prophet David Lord how love I thy Law It is deerer to me than thousands of gold and silver 2 Therefore let none say of any Countrey as Nathaneel did of Galilee Can any good come out of Turkie Muscovie Indie I surely God is not the God of the Iewes only but of Spaine Ireland England of France Italy c. Of all Tribes some were sealed and of all Nations some shall be saved They shall come from the East West North South into the Kingdome of Heaven 3. Even among Publicans hee had a Zacheus among persecutors hee had a Paul an Abraham among idolaters among them that were possessed of devils hee had a Mary Magdalen among the Pharisees a Nicodemus among Harlots he had a Rahab Therefore let us peremptorily condemne none Let us not shoot our fooles bolt rashly with the Barbarians doubtlesse this man or this woman is a reprobate there is no hope of salvation for such an one the mercy of God is wonderfull As the wind bloweth where it will so the Spirit breatheth where it pleaseth him notorious sinners may be called when glorious hypocrites shall be condemned Whereupon Christ said that the Publicans and harlots enter into the Kingdome of Heaven before the conceited Scribes and holy Pharisees as they seemed Many may be written in Gods book whose names we would scorne to set downe in our bookes Let us examine our selves whether Christ be in us 4 Though we be egregious sinners have led a loose life and defiled our selves with many sins yet let us not suffer our selves by the malice of Satan to be plunged in the pit of desperation I have beene an Harlot an Adulterer therefore I can have no place in Heaven Indeed the Scripture saith Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge he will judge them though they bee his owne children with temporall plagues in this life for their owne instruction and the terror of others as he did David The childe borne in adultery dyed all his fasting and crying would not serve the turne hee lay with Vriahs Wife GOD stirred up his owne Son to lye with his wives David lay with Bathshebah in secret Absalom lay with his wives in the open sight of all Israel Thus God judged him for it Yet David escaped eternall judgement There is no sin but the sponge of repentance will wipe it away If they that have sinned against the Holy Ghost could repent they might have beene saved It is impossible for them to be renewed to repentance therefore they are damned but at what time soever a sinner repenteth c. Let drunkards thieves murtherers harlots repent and GOD will receive
of Gideon c. The time allotted to mee to write in would be too little if I should insist particularly in all the faithfull men and women that are in the history of the Bible Wherein the Apostle shewes himselfe a singular Rhetorician Tempus prius deficeret quà m oratio I have other weighty matters in hand Preaching Reading Conferring comforting of distressed soules I cannot spend my whole time in writing therefore I must needs abrupt my course and contract them in a narrow roome There bee three kinde of persons in this short enumeration Iudges Kings and Prophets The Iudges are foure He doth not heere observe ordinem temporis but as it seemeth dignitatis Barac was not so worthy a man as Gideon nor Iephte as Samson therefore they have the latter place though they were before in time There are 2. especiall things that commend the faith of Gideon the overthrow of superstition and the vanquishing of the enemies of Israel 1 In the night hee pulled downe the Altar of Baal and cut downe his grove whereupon hee was called Ierubbaal and for that hee was like to have beene torne in peeces by the people 2 By him the Midianites were put to flight which cruelly oppressed Israel they were as grassehoppers in multitude without number they were as the sand on the Sea shore Iudg. 7.12 Yet Gideon with three hundred men having no weapons but Trumpets in one hand and lamps in an other overcame them all this hee could never have done without faith In this Gideon there are 2. principall things worthy the observation 1 He was a man of no great account in the eye of the world a poore man by his owne confession Iudg. 6.15 and he was a threshing when the Angell appeared to him yet the Lord made him a thresher of the Midianites and a Iudge of Israel The Lord raiseth up the poore out of the dust and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill to set them among Princes and to make them inherit the seate of glory Hee raysed poore Ioseph from the Prison and made him ruler of Egypt and he advanced poore Hester to be Queene in Vasti her roome Let not poore folkes be discouraged but depend upon GOD which can extoll them if it seeme good to him even in this world if not yet if they believe in Christ Hee will make them heyres of His Kingdome in the world to come 2 Though he be heere extolled for his faith yet his faith at the first was marvellous weake and staggering GODS bare word will not serve the turne he must have three signes for the confirmation of him Neither were they sufficient hee must have a certainty of the victory the night before from the mouth of the enemies themselves Thus at the length with much adoe he sets on them being haled to it yet this faith of his is not onely allowed but commended too Even our weake workes so as they be sincere are acceptable to God The second is Barac His faith likewise was not very strong hee would not enter upon the worke without a woman he would not set a foote out of the doores without Deborah therefore the honour of the victory redounded upon Iael Yet in confidence of Gods protection he went forth encountred with Sisera's Army and overthrew it This was the worke of faith As also that afterwards hee tooke no praise to himselfe but adscribed the glory of the victory to God alone whereupon a song of thanksgiving to God was made by Him and Deborah Samson Sundry things are remarkeable in him 1 His birth was extraordinary his mother being barren and it was foretold by God with an Argument that hee should bee some rare and singular man 2. By Gods speciall providence he was an avenger of the Israelites on the Philistims 3. His workes were wonderfull surpassing the strength of Nature and were done by the hand of God Himselfe In all of them it is said the Spirit of the Lord came on him then he did this or that He rent a Lion in pieces having nothing in his hand with the Iaw bone of an Asse he slew a thousand Philistims hee brake the cords asunder as if they had beene threds hee carried away the gates and bars of the Citty Azzah on his shoulders Achilles Hebraeorum 4. He was a Nazarite in speciall manner dedicated to God and in many things hee was a type of our Saviour Christ. There is one onely Spunge which may seeme to wipe him out of the Catalogue of the faithfull hee killed his owne selfe yet even that also proceeded from faith as Saint August well defendeth it de civit dei lib. 1. cap. 21. cont secundam epist. Gaudentii cap. 23. As Abrahams killing of Isaac was obedientia because GOD commanded it So it had beene dementia if that Commandement had been wanting The like may bee affirmed of this Samson had beene a mad man if hee had done it without a warrant from God but because hee had a commission from God to doe it therefore it was of faith Spiritus latenter hoc jusserat as Aug. speaketh 1 Hee doth it not rashly but with prayer that prayer came from faith and God heard it 2. God Himselfe did strengthen him to that businesse 3. He did it in the execution of his calling hee was ordained of God to avenge Israel on the Philistims At this time he was a Prisoner and could not goe abroade to doe it therefore by the instinct and motion of Gods Spirit he doth it within the house he puls downe the house upon himselfe and upon them all being willing to lay downe his life for the people of GOD as if a Souldier for the safety of his Country should dye in the middest of his enemies A worthy and valiant man but this must bee no president for us Iephte It may seeme strange that he should come into this famous Calender of most holy and renowned men which sacrificed his onely daughter The most ancient Rabbins the Chalde paraphraste Iosephus Saint Ambr. Saint August Saint Ierome are of this opinion and it is generally received of all be it that he did so in a blind zeale yet the Holy Ghost heere commends his faith not every action that he did Neverthelesse it may be collected by probable arguments out of the word of God that he did not sacrifice his daughter which is also the opinion of some late writers and by name of Vatablus and Tremellius besides some Rabbins and some Schoolemen 1 It is not like that a man enlightned with the knowledge of God and endued with a lively faith should commit so grosse so unnaturall a fact as nature it selfe abhorreth 2 The conjunction Vau is not onely a copulative but often times a disjunctive with the Hebrewes The thing that first meeteth me when I come home shall be the Lords or I will offer it for a burnt offering that is if it be a thing which I may lawfully offer Iudg. 11.31
are never mentioned in Scripture but to their disgrace Let there bee no Traytor among you as Iudas no grosse and open Idolater as Ieroboam that made Israel to sinne no Strumpet as Iesabel whose adulteries were in great number no worldling is Demas no drunkard as Falcidius qui superavit totam Asiam bibendo If their names be registred to posterity it is with a perpetuall blot of infamy His prophanenesse doth appeare by a Sale that he made The Gardarens were prophane persons which had rather forgoe Christ then their Hogs The Pharisees were prophane persons that laughed at Christ when he preached against covetousnesse That Iudge was a prophane person that neither feared GOD nor reverenced man Those Philosophers that mocked at the resurrection and those Epicures were prophane persons that said Let us eat and drinke to morrow wee shall dye They that sit quaffing and swilling in Tavernes and Ale-houses in Sermon time they know there is a Sermon in the Church yet wittingly and willingly they continue in the Ale-house still What are these but prophane persons For a little drinke they loose the sincere milke of the Word whereby they might grow to everlasting life All covetous Misers that are glued to their wealth that had rather lose the Kingdome of Heaven than their riches are prophane persons the pottage of this world is sweeter to them than the joyes of Heaven Let mee live merrily while I am here let me have the world at will and let them take Heaven that can get it O miserable wretches Farre unlike Moses that preferred the rebuke of CHRIST before the treasures of Egypt They count Heaven but a Tale of a Tub whereas we ought to Count all as Dongue that wee may winne CHRIST Let there bee no such prophane persons among us where the sound of the Word ringeth daily in our eares let us have holy and heavenly mindes Yet are there not prophane persons among us that count all preaching prating that no credit is to be given to the Scripture full of contradictions shall we beleeve them They have gotten such a savour in drinking and whoring that the very Scriptures seeme bitter to them VERSE 17. THE second thing considerable in Esau is the punishment of his fact Where 1. A desire to have it againe 2. A denyall of it He would have had it againe but could not his repentance was too late Ratified by their owne testimony for ye know how that afterward being exercised in the Scriptures The blessing which depended on the birthright Then hee would have had it with all his heart but could not get it he begged it earnestly at his Fathers hand but could not get it Shall a man seeke repentance and not finde it At what time soever a sinner repenteth of his sinnes from the bottome of his heart c. Esau sought not repentance but was grieved for the punishment not for the sinne he grieved non quia vendiderat sedquia perdiderat primogenita as one speaketh Neverthelesse this is not referred to Esau his repentance but to Isaac His Father Isaac would by no meanes repent of that which hee had done Iacob hee had blessed and hee should bee blessed Esau could not move him to reverse the blessing doe what hee could 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he sought it earnestly with teares with howling and crying too There is no necessity in the Greek to supply the word blessing The pronoune may be referred to the word repentance immediately going before he found no place of repentance that is of his fathers repentance though hee sought it with teares All his crying would not make his father repent Iacob had the blessing and hee should enjoy it Esau had a kinde of blessing too concerning temporall things but not like that of Iacobs For ye know I speak to such as are acquainted w th the word of God The Sadduces did erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God but all good Christians must know the Scriptures they must have their senses exercised in them they must search them daily as the Bereans did that when the Preacher speakes of any History in the Bible he may speake as to men of knowledge But now a dayes a number even in the Countrey are better Lawyers than Divines more skill in the Statutes and Lawes to wrangle with their neighbours than in the Law of God This is the foolish nature of man There be many rich and excellent blessings which we make no reckoning of when we have them which afterwards we would willingly have and cannot get them When David had free liberty to come to Gods house hee was not so much inflamed with the love of it but in exile he longed after it then the Sparrowes and Swallowes that build their nests by GOD's Altar were in better case than he When the prodigall Son was at home in his fathers house where he had aboundance of all things he set light by it but when he was keeping Swine ready to starve for hunger than hee would bee as one of his fathers hired servants his fathers Table could not content him before now hee would bee glad to sit at the servants Table While Esau had the birth-right and the blessing too he regarded it not now he howles for it and cannot get it Let us make much of good things while we have them So it is with us we live now in peace and prosperity there is no leading into captivity nor complaining in our streets we may come to Church without any feare of the enemy sicknesse doth not keepe us at home as it doth many Yet these benefits are now scarse worth a good mercy What care we we will not set a foot over the threshold to go to Church now But I pray God that the time come not that we shall not onely wish but howle and cry for them and not get them Let us use with all thankfulnesse the gracious mercies of GOD while we have them least afterwards we seeke for them when it is too late While we have the light let us walke worthy of the light while ye have the word make much of the word while ye have health use your health to Gods glory and the salvation of your soules 3 Esau found no place to repentance All that he could doe or say could not make his father to repent If we have done a thing that is agreeable to the will of God we must never repent of it Psal. 15.4 Iacob had laid his righthand on the head of Ephraim Ioseph would have removed it but he could not Isaac had blessed Iacob he would not reverse the blessing Pilat had written The King of the Iewes the Scribes and Pharisees could not move him to alter it What I have written I have written If it be a bad thing let us repent quickly of it Let us not persist in an evill thing for that is stubbornnesse and wilfulnesse but in a good thing let us persevere to
the end in that let us be rocks not reeds or weather-cocks As Iesus Christ yesterday and to day the same for ever so in all holy and upright things let us be like Socrates semper idem the same yesterday and to day continually Could he not make him repent Why what did he for the effecting of it he used as strong arguments as he could Teares are forcible and oftentimes move flinty hearts When Pharaohs Daughter saw Moses cry she pittied him Esau cries for the blessing yet God will not move Isaac to give it him This is strange Seeke and yee shall finde Esau sought and that with teares too yet hee found not All teares are not acceptable to GOD there be lachrymae compunctionis such as Mary Magdalens were being pricked with sorrow for sinne she wept aboundantly and watered CHRIST's feet with her teares These be good teares which the Angels in Heaven rejoyce at There be lachrymae compassionis such as Christs were when hee wept over Ierusalem There are lachrymae devotionis such as the Iewes teares were that wept because the second Temple was not so glorious as the first Esra 3.12 There are lachrymae desperationis such are the teares of the damned in hell There be lachrymae simulationis as Ier 41.6 Such are Crocodiles teares and as they say some Womens teares that have them at command There are lachrymae rancoris indignationis such were the teares of Esau hee wept more upon stomacke being vexed in his minde that he should be thus defrauded by his brother than for any griefe for sin more for the losse than the fault It seemes he never wept because he had displeased God in selling away his birth-right but because he saw into what misery he had plunged himselfe Therefore God regarded not his teares neither would he have Isaac to be moved with them Otherwise if they be holy and religious teares flowing from the Fountaine of a true sorrowfull heart for sin God esteemeth highly of them he puts them into his bottle and of his mercy will reward them in the life to come Therefore let us weepe bitterly for our sinnes in this life that GOD may assume us into that place where all teares shall be wiped from our eyes in the life to come The argument for the enforcing of the exhortation is taken from the bounty of GOD towards us in the time of the Gospell above them that lived in the time of the Law If God have dealt more kindly and mercifully with us then hee did with them then our holinesse must exceed theirs but God hath dealt more kindly and mercifully with us then hee did with them Ergo we must be more holy than they were The comparison is 1. Propounded to Verse 25. Then applyed It hath two members 1. A narration of their condition in the time of the Law 2. Of ours in the time of the Gospell The narration hath two parts 1. A description of their estate 2. An amplification of it Verse 20. Theirs was status terror is ours amoris VERSE 18. THeir estate is described 1. By the place where the Law was given it was a materiall mount that might be touched with the hands and fingers of men ours is spirituall and immateriall In respect of Gods charge it might not be touched but in it selfe it was touchable so is not ours 2. By the accidents that fell out in the place That burned with fire which strikes a terrour into the beholders Nothing more terrible then fire it makes men afraid to look upon it Blacknesse which are uncomfortable therefore hell is resembled to outer darkenesse And tempest that came with a force and power it may bee it did beare downe trees before it the Law as a Schoolemaster came with rods VERSE 19. 3. BY the manner of Gods teaching and instructing of them at the delivery of the Law It was by the sound of a Trumpet to prepare them to attention The Trumpet that soundeth to a battell is terrible so shall the Trumpet be at the day of judgement And by Gods immediate voice speaking to them which the people could not endure but requested that God would not speake to them any more VERSE 20. A Reason is rendred from their inability for they could not endure Here wee may behold the necessity of the word preached by men like to our selves We are not able to beare Gods owne voice Therefore in mercy he speakes to us by his Ambassadours Hee spake to them in the Old Testament by Moses and the Prophets to us by Christ and his Apostles by learned and godly Preachers sent to us in all ages Though they be men subject to the same passions that wee are as Saint Iames speakes of Elias yet their voice is Gods voice he that heareth them heareth Christ. Therefore let us not despise them because they bee men but honour them as the men of God receive them as Angels from heaven yea as Christ himselfe Preachers were appointed in regard of our weakenesse therefore let us praise God for them and heare them with all reverence This fearefull spectacle is amplified 1. By the strictnesse of the charge If a beast beasts grase here and there in the valleys and Mountaines too they bee unreasonable creatures and understood not the charge given by God Yet if a beast touched the Mountaine c. So severe was the delivery of the Law VERSE 21. 2. BY the affection of Moses who was a principall man among them by whose hand the Law was delivered yet he feared and quaked 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mente 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 corpore I exceedingly feare and quake These words are not expressed in the Old Testament yet we are to believe them as the names of the sorcerers Iannes and Iambres supplyed by Saint Paul Neverthelesse they may be collected out of Exodus Moses said I feare and quake God answered comforting him Exod. 19.19 dixit facto etsi non verbo Moses was a rare and singular man greatly honoured by God Almighty he divided the Red Sea and brought the people over God talked familiarly with him as one friend useth to doe with another when he was dead God vouchsafed to bury him himselfe yet Moses shooke like an Aspenleafe He was not only afraid but he trembled too Such is the Majesty of God that it makes the holiest men in the world to quake because of sinne in them When God spake to Adam after the fall he was afraid and hid himselfe among the trees Manoah cryed out we have seene God therefore we shall dye Moses at the delivery of the Law did quake and tremble then how shall the wicked shake when Christ shall come at the latter day to take an account of the fulfilling of the Law Felix trembled when he heard of the day of judgement what shall they doe when they see it they shall cry out with them in the Apocalyps the great day of his wrath is come c.
is the same for ever Doe not thinke that the Apostles had one Christ and wee an other they one doctrine and we an other The doctrine of Christ hath beene is and ever shall be the same Socrates among the heathen was semper idem but Christ is our semper idem alwayes the same therefore let us cleave to him VERSE 9. HEre followes the dehortation which hath two parts the one negative which wee must not doe the other affirmative what wee must doe Be not carryed about as chaffe feathers c. With diverse by this understand the legall rites and ceremonies which were diverse that are of diverse sorts Falsum multiplex verum simplex And strange doctrine which the Scripture doth not acknowledge Strange birds strangers out of an other Countrie not bred and borne in the Scripture Worshipping of Images a carnall eating of Christs flesh by transubstantiation c. are strange doctrines Now the heart cannot bee established with erroneous doctrine about meates c. but with the true doctrine of the grace and mercie of God towards us in Christ being justified by Faith wee have peace with God there is no condemnation to them that bee in Christ. This doth establish the conscience that the gates of Hell cannot prevaile against us Let our hearts bee established with this grace Not with meats .i. with unnecessary questions about the ceremoniall law A part is put for the whole There was a time when distinction of meates was strictly to be observed some had rather bee cruelly tormented even to death then to eate swines flesh but now the difference is abrogated God hath said to Peter and in him to us all arise kill and eat no creature now is uncleane all are sanctified by the Word of God and Prayer The severall Observations injoyned us in the Ceremoniall Law cannot make us acceptable to God these cannot strengthen the heart but the grace of God towards us in Christ that his bloud hath purged us from all sin this is the true Cordiall that strengthens the heart Therefore sticke to that and be not carryed away with other doctrines What went yee out into the wildernesse to see said Christ of Iohn Baptist A reede shaken with the winde Wee that bee Christians must bee as stones firmely built on Christ the rocke not as reedes If the East winde blowes the reed goes with that If the West winde arise it goes with that Christians must not bee weather Cockes that turne with the winde wee must be like the steeple it selfe that standeth firmely not like the weather Cocke on the steeple not like Ecebolius that changed his Religion alwayes as the Emperours changed In the time of Constantine and Constantius hee was a Christian In the Reigne of Iulian a Gentile offering to their gods When Iulian was dead a Christian againe lying at the Church doore and saying to the people Calcate mesalem insipidum Thus some now a dayes are carryed about there is no stay in them one while Protestants an other while Papists one while Brownists an other while Anabaptists Thus they are carryed hither and thither Be not as children c. Children are easily carryed won with an apple lost with a nut of one minde to day of an other to morrow ye may make them say and unsay yee may make them call a man good or naught with the turning of an hand Wee must not be like them wee must bee as men well advised what to doe Yee may carry a cow up and downe in the field with a lock of hay ye may carry some horses whither ye will with a horse loafe So the profits and commodities of the world carry many to any Religion So as I may enjoy my goods lands and living I care not of what Religion I be Let us carry other men to Christ but let us not be carryed by any from Christ. In the way of kindenesse any friend may carry us but let neither friend nor foe carry us from Christ. When certaine of Christs Disciples went away Christ asked the twelve Will yee also goe away but sayes Saint Peter in the name of the rest Whither shall wee goe so let us be as resolute though there bee never so many turne-coates let us say Whither shall wee goe to Popery Anabapt to Brownisme no We know whom wee have believed we will never depart from the truth and Word of God established amongst us Since the reformation of Religion in England God wonderfully blessed this land how did hee miraculously preserve it in Q. Elizabeths dayes how many treacheries have beene discovered how was the invincible Navy of the Spaniards foyled How prosperously without the shedding of one drop of bloud came King Iames to the Crown to the great joy of us al How graciously hath God protected him and his Realme since There hath beene treason on treason but God hath broken the nets of them all Among them all the powder treason that should have beene effected by a match is most unmatchable hell it selfe cannot devise such another Fight neither against more nor lesse said the King of Aram to his souldiers save against the King of Israel only So the Papists heretofore cried away with Queene Elizabeth fight against her that is enough Now not the King alone but the Queene Prince and all their royall Issue the Nobility and Clergy the Iudges the Knights and Gentlemen all the Parliament should have beene blowne up at once if this had gone forward where had we beene Here a leg there an arme here the head of such a Noble man should have beene carried about with gunpowder but GOD be thanked we all remaine still and pure Religion in despight of all is continued among us Therefore let us not bee carried about with diverse and strange doctrines As God hath upheld religion among us strangely and miraculously so let us hold it fast and persevere in it to the end Though an Angell from heaven much more though a Priest or Iesuit from Rome though a Papist an Anabaptist a Sectuary preach to us any other Gospell let us be carried by none of them all Let us carry to Christ let us not be carried from Christ. Let us say with Ruth we will live and dye with thee and with S. Peter Thou hast the words of eternall life we will not depart from thee but continue in thy truth for ever and not fall into errour VERSE 10. IT is taken from a contrariety betweene the Ceremoniall Law and Christ. If they that will bee justified by the observation of meats and other parts of the Ceremoniall Law cannot be partakers of Christ then that is to be abandoned but they that will bee justified by the observation of meats c. Ergo. Where first the Doctrine 10 11 12. secondly the Vse The Doctrine is first propounded then confirmed An Altar that is a Sacrifice upon an Altar which is IESUS CHRIST So the word is used 1 Cor. 9.13 2 The word eating doth
sees it as for the other wee shall feele it to our woe if wee doe not repent So much for the good conscience which wee must have from our entrance into our places Now let us come to the exequution of our calling being entred Wherein wee must examine our consciences about two things our preaching and our life In our preaching must bee observed the matter of our preaching and the manner 1. For the matter let us with a watchfull and circumspect eye see what wee deliver what foode wee minister to CHRISTS Lambes what bread wee breake to the people Let there bee nothing in our Sermons at any time that is contrary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Saint Paul speaketh to sound sincere and upright doctrine As there was not a blemish nor a soare by all probability in Absaloms body from the crowne of his head to the soale of his foote so let there be no blemish so farre as is possible no sore of corrupt doctrine from the beginning of our Sermons to the end Let all bee consonant to the Analogie of Faith as the Apostle speaketh Let us have never a drop of doctrine but wee are sure it flowes from the fountaine of GODS Word A lamentable thing it is to consider how many Preachers in the light of the Gospell partly for the ostentation of their owne wit and learning partly on an unstayed affection and unsetled judgement deliver dangerous points that make much hurlie burlie among the people Inter curas maxima cura est refraenare curiosos they are to bee avoyded etiamsi nescio qua umbra honestatis liberalium Studiorum nomine velatae atque palliatae sint O res indignas vigilijs lucubrationibus Episcoporum Aug. Epist. 56. Deliver those things rather that may pierce the hearts of the people to Salvation then that which may tickle the eares of the people with a carnall delight and to damnation in the end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Nazianz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As in a Countrey Village where be many Farmers to inveigh against Lords and Land-lords in the eares of the people to declaime against the vices of Ministers in the Church to lay open the blemishes of the state and governement ô this is as honey to them A famous Preacher a couragious Preacher I warrant you hee cares for none Alas what profit have the people by this applie every plaister to every soare Speake that which may be most fit for the edification of that auditorie to whom thou speakest Labour to beate downe Poperie Brownisme which sprouteth too fast bring whom yee can to the Church but scare none from the Church give no occasion by your preaching to runne out of the gates of Sion Above all things in your Sermons have a Christian regard to the peace of the Church wherein yee live which as a loving mother reacheth out to you the dugs of the Word of GOD which you may sucke to your comfort Pray for the peace of Ierusalem sayes the Psalm and if wee must pray for it wee must preach for it Therefore say I preach for the peace of Ierusalem wherein ye live that wee may see the peace of it if it be the will of GOD all the dayes of our life Of this preaching wee shall have great comfort to our consciences 2. Let us have an eye to the manner of our preaching In it let us seeke the glory of our master not our owne glorie A great number of Preachers have more respect to their words then to the matter to the sound of a syllable in the eares of the people then to the sounding of the trumpet of the Gospell in their hearts I will not denie but that the man of GOD may bee eloquent the Holy Ghost himselfe is most eloquent in the Scripture He that hath but halfe an eye may see that Sedeloquentia as Aug. speaketh tantò terribilior quantò purior tantò vehementior quantò solidior it must bee senilis not puerilis Divinae not humana It is the foolishnesse of preaching as the world accounteth it that must save us if any thing save us Crucifixi virtus in Paulo sayes Chrys. fuit Poetis Rhetoribus Philosophis potentior Let there bee a maternall eloquence in Preachers such as becometh the gravitie of the Word of God As Hester that had beauty enough of her owne required nothing of the Kings Eunuch but went in to him as she was and yet she was better accepted of then they all So the Word of God is beautifull enough of it selfe it needs no colours of over-affected eloquence and Rhetoricall painting to set it out withall this goes but to the eare it never enters in the heart where on the seed of the word shall fall for the most part it makes the Auditours to laugh and to smile in their sleeves but as Saint Ierome admonishes us lachrymae Auditorum laudes tuae sunto it is a greater commendation for a Preacher to make the people weepe being pricked in their hearts for their sinnes then to moove them to laughter Let us all strive to have a good conscience even in the manner of our preaching that when the Sermon is ended our consciences may beare us witnesse wee sought Gods Glory not our owne Saint Chrys. cryes out upon it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vix ullus est Sacerdos qui ad eum non allidit etiam hodie animus meus ab inani gloria capitur Let us all strive against it with might and maine For our preaching in the exequution of our office that shall suffice now let us come to our life which is either generall as common to all Christians or speciall as peculiar to our selves As all Christians are bound in conscience to adde to their faith vertue temperance c. to eschew all vices that may bee a disgrace to the Gospell and to embrace all vertues that may be an honour to it so especially the Preachers of the Word Magistrum vitae in vita offendere is a grievous thing as the heathen himselfe could say the offence of a Minister is a double offence quia peccat facto exemplo Abimelech said to his souldiers As yee have seene mee doe so make haste and doe the like If a Minister doe evill hee neede not say so to the people they will make haste to doe the like fast enough Nulli jam illicitum esse videtur quod ab Episcopo tanquam licitum perpetratur Id homines credunt esse laudabile quod Episcopus habuerit delectabile If the Minister bee a drunkard a frequenter of Tavernes and Ale-houses c. the people take licence thereby to commit the like sinnes If covetousnesse were a sinne would our Minister bee covetous c. Thus hee doth not onely sinne himselfe but hee makes others to sinne Therefore for conscience sake wee had need all to have an eye to it tanquam in coelo peccat sayes Saint Bern. Qui in Clero iniqua facit
let us annexe workes to our faith The Lord makes us perfect in workes that our election may be sure He doth not pray to GOD to make them perfect in some good workes but in all As he sayd homo sum humani nihil à me alienum puto So let us say Christianus sum nullum Christianum opus à me alienum puto Herod did many things but because hee did not all he was not saved Heere some trees bring forth Peares some Plumbes some Apples some Almonds There is no tree that bringeth forth all fruit But every Christian must be as a tree planted by the rivers of waters that bringeth forth all fruit We must be ready for every good worke wee must have prayers and almes deedes zeale meekenesse humility patience we must abound in every good worke 3 He doth not say the Lord cause you to begin in every good worke but God perfect you c. We must labour to aspire to perfection daily more and more as Iac. 1.4 So let zeale patience c. Let every grace have his perfect worke Vsus promptos facit use makes perfectnesse scribendo disces scribere use thy selfe to writing and in the end thou shalt write well use legs and have legs so use thy selfe to good workes and be perfect in good workes Milo by using to carry a Calfe when it was young did beare it when it was old So let us exercise ourselves in good workes from our youth as the young man sayes at the length it will bee easie to attaine such a perfection as is acceptable to God Let us use our selves to pray as Daniel did morning and evening Let us use our selves to reading of the Scripture as the Bereans to Preaching as Christ to fasting as Anna to give to the poore and needy as Dorcas and Cornelius At length we shall attaine to some perfection in them c. This is amplified 1. By the rule whereby our workes must bee framed that is the will of God Christ sayd not my will but thine be done So must every Christian say our will is to live at ease to wallow in pleasures to take the Tabret and Harpe to eate the Calves out of the middest of the stall to rejoyce with the instruments of Musicke Our will is never to taste of any misery to have no losses crosses sicknesse if possible not to have our finger ake But let us entreat the Lord that wee may doe His will to say with them Acts 21.14 The will of the Lord be done 1 Thes. 4. The will of God is your sanctification The Lord so perfect us to every good worke that we may possesse our vessels in holinesse and honour that we may serve Him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life 2 It is amplified by the manner of our working That which is well pleasing in his sight not for any worthinesse of ours but through Iesus Christ in whom God is well pleased with us for without him we can please God in nothing Cain and Abel both offered Sacrifices yet God was pleased with Abel not with Cain The Pharisee and Publican both praied in the Temple yet the one was heard and the other was not Why because one was in Christ not the other Let us desire the Lord to accept of our poore and imperfect workes for the worthinesse of Christ in whose name they are presented to him He concludes with a doxologie a song of praise and thankesgiving to Christ the great Shepheard which is God above all blessed for ever to him be glory for ever and ever He it is in whom wee were chosen before the foundation of the world in whom is our life breath and being He it is that in unspeakable love came downe from the pallace of heaven into the dunghill of the earth for our sakes that vouchsafed to take flesh of a woman for us to be borne in a Stable layd in a cratch to endure the speaking against of sinners to be called Beelzebub a bibber of wine a friend of Publicanes and sinners to be blindfolded buffetted spit upon cruelly whipped to be pittifully nailed hand and foote to the Crosse to susteine the wrath of his Father to dye to be buried to rise againe to ascend into heaven there making intercession for us therefore to him be praise for ever and ever He it is that though he bee absent in body yet hath not left us Orphanes poore fatherlesse children he hath given us his spirit to be a father to us to guide us into all truth an heavenly Comforter to comfort us in all distresses to seale us up to the kingdome of heaven He hath left us His Word the foode of our soules the sword of the Spirit to defend us from all enemies of our salvation Hee hath given us the Sacrament of His blessed Supper as a perpetuall memory of him wherein we may daily see him the bread and wine are as pledges of his body and bloud that we may eate him spiritually be one with him and he with us He it is that hath given us his Angels to pitch their tents about us to take our soules at our dying day and to carry them into the kingdome of heaven Therfore let us say with cheerefull hearts to him be praise worthy is the Lord Iesus the great Shepheard of the sheepe to receive all honour and glory prayse power and might now and for ever Amen VERSE 22. 1 AN admonition Suffer the word of exhortation 2. The reason which is taken from the brevity In admonitions I have beene briefe hee spent but three Chapters in them therefore take them the more patiently Such is the pride and perversenesse of our nature we cannot abide to be told of our faults like gauled horses wee are ready to winch and kicke at it Therefore this caveat is very needfull Suffer your selves meekely and quietly to bee reprooved for your sinnes Suffer the Preacher to tell you of your covetousnesse your pride malice c. of your drunkennesse fornication and adultery of your negligence in comming to Church of the little care that is had for the good of the Towne every man is for himselfe none for the Towne Suffer your selves to be admonished of these things it is good for you Ye suffer fooles gladly sayes Saint Paul yee suffer stage players to tell you of your faults and ye laugh at it and will ye not suffer Preachers ye suffer the Physition to give you sowre potions yee send for him and reward him for it and will yee not suffer the Physition of your soules to bee sharpe with you for your salvation Ye suffer Chirurgions to cut you and will yee not suffer us to lanch the soares of your sins that the corrupt matter may issue out Suffer the words of exhortation and magnifie God for them Blessed be thou and blessed be thy counsell sayd David to Abigail So when the Preacher tels us of that which is amisse and exhorts us to
Adam had a Cain Noah had a Cham Abraham had an Ishmael Isaac had an Esau. This collection doe some make but this is not necessarie he might finde them all good in externall carriage and behaviour he goes no further but how did he finde them not sitting still but walking in what not in falshood but in truth that is in the truth of the Gospell embraced professed honoured by them in framing their lives too according to the truth This doth argue the great care of this worthy Lady in the vertuous education of her children which is to bee imitated by all fathers and mothers If wee have a peece of ground we will bestow cost and paines in the manuring tilling and sowing of it If we have a young horse we will be at charge to bring him to a good pace and shall we neglect our children Children are the inheritance of the Lord and the fruite of the wombe is his reward and shall wee reward the giver so unkindly as not to give them education Which consisteth in three things religion learning manners and behaviour touching the former David and Bathsheba joyning together in seasoning the tender yeares of Salomon with the sweete liquor of celestiall pietie by the meanes of Hannah Samuel came presently à mamma corporali ad mammam spiritualem from the corporall to the spirituall dugge Eunice taught Timothy the holy Scripture from his child-hood Hierom would have Laeta to teach her daughter Paula the Canonicall Scriptures beginning with the Psalmes and ending with the Canticles the Psalmes as the easiest and sweetest the Canticles as the hardest To this end chatechizing is very requisite Clemens Alexandrinus was a chatechist Theophilus was Catechized David chatechiseth children There is a forme of catechizing and some principalls of religion specified and that hath the appellation of milke which is fit for children There were catechumenoy in the primitive Church which must say their Catechisme before they were admitted into the Church The Church of England hath a compendious and faithfull catechisme in the booke of Common Prayer which if it were diligently taught and effectually learned both young old should be better acquainted with the principles of religion and being wisely done would be more profitable than preaching without chatechizing for want whereof many that runne to Sermons have beene found to be very ignorant of the maine principles of religion For education in learning Pharaohs daughter trained up her adopted sonne in all the learning of the Aegyptians Aristippus that famous Philosopher was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taught by his mother the eloquent tongue of Cornelia was a great meanes of the eloquence of the Gracchi her two sons Hortensius his eloquence grew up inter paternos sinus in the bosome of his father and mother If we cannot nor have leysure to learne them our selves let us put them forth to learning provide fit teachers for them Iehonathan and Iehiel men of understanding were with the Kings Sonnes 1 Paral. 27.32 Iehoiadah taught King Ioash Saint Paul had Gamaleel to his Tutour a Doctor of the Law Philip procured two School-masters for his sonne Alexander Aristotle for his teacher Leonides for his directer and informer Constantine he procured three severall Tutors for his three severall sonnes one for Divinitie the other for the Civill Law the third for military discipline Concerning manners and behaviour we must bring up our children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in instruction and information that may formare mores frame their manners and put a good minde into them as the word importeth When Diogenes looked upon an unmannerly boy that eate his meate rudely he gave his master a box of the eare because the fault was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not in the Scholler but in the master Gregorie writes of a man well knowne but names him not who had a sonne to whom hee was too indulgent when any thing crossed him he was wont to curse and blaspheme his father never corrected him for it It fell out that he dyed blaspheming in his fathers armes and the Devill was seene to carry him away we are to have a diligent circumspection over the behaviour of our children when they bee young to keepe them from swearing lying pilfering and other vices least they grow up with them when they be old they be flexible in their young yeares proove inflexible afterwards While the waxe is soft ye may set a good impression on it as well as a bad the print of a Dove as well as of a vulture when it is hard ye cannot ye may safely bend a young plant so can yee not an old tree let us have a care of them while they be young least they and we repent afterwards when it is too late Naboth would not give the inheritance of his fathers to Achab children are inheritances given us of God and shall we through our negligence give them to the Devill let us treade in the steps of this renowned Lady give our children the best education we can every kinde of way We have had the greatnesse of his joy together with the object of it then comes the rule for the squaring of their walking wherein he rejoyced Not according to our owne braines or after the traditions of men but as we have received a Commandement from the Father in holy Scriptures This is his Commandement that we beleeve in his Sonne Iesus Christ and love one another Thy word is a light to my feet and a Lanthorne to my steps this is the light after which wee must walke God hath ordeined good workes that we should walke in them Let your light so shine before men that seeing your good workes they may glorifie your father which is in heaven walke as children of the light It is not a Councell which we may follow if we will it is a Commandement that must be obeyed not from a master but from a father and all children must obey their fathers Cammandement VERSE 5. THe other branch of the matter of the Epistle is an exhortatiō or an admonition where 1. he doth exhort to love in special 2 to constancie in the truth in generall v. 6. in the exhortation 1 there is the manner how it is introduced 2. the delivery of it being introduced It is introduced after a most kinde and lovely manner as Saint Paul had authority to command Philemon so Saint Iohn had authoritie to command the Lady yet they doe both rather beseech we might come with a rod yet we had rather come in love and in the spirit of meekenesse as Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you through us we pray you in Christs steed that ye be reconciled to God if we can prevaile any way with you wee are glad Having made a way for it hee delivers it where 1 there is a commendation of the vertue whereunto he doth exhort 2. a nomination of it
3 4. the other is Hospitalitie 5. his Sincerity is set forth by the joy wherewith Saint Iohn was ravished in regard of it The joy is first specified v. 3. then amplified v. 4. In the specifying of this joy there is 1. The greatnesse of it 2. The ground of it He did not envie it as Iosuah did the prophecying of Eldad and Medad but he joyed in it not a little but greatly vehemently as the Wise men rejoyced with an exceeding great joy when they saw the starre againe There is gaudium in carne in the flesh that is the adulterers joy gaudium in vindicta in revenge that is the malicious mans joy gaudium in mundo that is the worldlings joy gaudium in Christo that is the Christian mans joy We must rejoyce at the good things that be in others The ground of his rejoycing was a report that came to him of Gajus when the brethren came Preachers and common Christians that were with Gajus and testified to the truth boare witnesse of the truth that is in thee 1. Of thy sincere dealing and liberality to all The good things that be in others must not be smoothered or buried in silence our tongues must be as trumpets to sound them abroad that which the woman did to Christ in powring a boxe of precious oyntment on his head must be spoken of throughout the world the faith of Abraham the zeale of Phineas the patience of Iob the Centurions Synagogues Cornelius almes and the bountifulnesse of Gajus shall be propagated to all posterity Fame is like a ship that receives all passengers like a wagon that entertaines all good and bad Bad things goe abroad and good things goe abroad but here is the difference 1. Bad things goe speedily good slowly the one flies like Eagles the other creeke like Snailes Davids adultery went further then his sweet and heavenly songs 2. The one are inlarged the other diminished the one halfe of Salomons wisedome came not to the eares of the Queene of Shebah 3. The one all heares of but a few of the other Thousands heare of a false report as that Saint Paul preacht against the Law and Moses hundreds do not heare of the other 4. Bad things goe without ceasing men are like flies that are ever insisting upon soares the report of good things is like an hue and cry that quickly fals downe in the Countrey 5. The one we tell of with delight we take little pleasure in talking of the other the one shall be at ordinaries the other shall finde never an ordinary yet we ought rather to testifie of the one rather than of the other God and his Angels take delight in the one the devill in the other Let us witnesse of the vertues wherewith God hath adorned any It shall redound to his glory and it shall be a spurre to pricke on others to the like This is illustrated a pari Even as thou walkest in the truth 1. In the truth of the Gospel which thou dost adorne by thy good workes Thou dost not content thy selfe to beginne in the truth but thou walkest in it like a good traveller till thou come to the end of thy journey to the Celestiall Canaan VERSE 4. THen this joy is amplified by a comparison Some read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 greater grace But most Greeke Coppies have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 joy In the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greater joy than these Some referre it to the brethren mentioned before then in these men that relate this of thee Some Greeke Coppies have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 greater joy than this So the question were at an end Yet the plurall for the better exagarating of it may be put for the singular as if all joyes were comprehended in this What is that Then to heare that my children walke in the truth Why Saint Iohn was a perpetuall Virgin He had no children acording to the flesh but he had spirituall children among whom Gajus was one because he preached the Word of truth to him Preachers are fathers mothers and nurses too Fathers Though ye have ten thousand instructors in christ yet not many fathers I have begotten you through the Gospel Mothers My little children of whom I travel in birth againe till Christ be formed in you Nurses We were gentle among you as a nurse cherisheth her children Therefore we are to be loved and honoured of the people Some rejoyce to see their children flourish in wealth and honours of the world then in the graces of the Spirit It is more joy to them to see them Gentlemen Knights Lords c. than to see them upright and constant Christians It was not so with St. Iohn no more must it be with us We may joy to see them great men in the world but no joy to this to see them great in Christ. VERSE 5. THe second vertue commended in him is his hospitality and charity Whereof there is 1. A relation of it in this and part of the 6. ver 2. The prosecution of it 6. 7. 3. The necessity of it Not in him alone but in all christians ver 8. In the relation 1. The manner how he did it 2. The persons to whom it was extended Touching the manner Thou dost faithfully whatsoever thou dost In the Greeke not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou doest a faithfull deede making a faithfull demonstration of thy faith by thy workes as it becomes every faithfull man to doe Shew me thy faith by thy workes We must not onely doe bonum but doe it benè not onely that which is good but we must doe it with a good intention for God is not so much pleased with Nounes as with Adverbs This Gregorie sets downe excellently well 1. We must not doe them superbè proudly with a proud opinion of our selves thinking highly of our selves because we have done them as the Pharisee did which spread the Peacocks feathers of his works before God in the Temple In knowing of them we must not know them though they be recta good things yet we must account them minima little in our own eyes acknowledging when we have done all that we can we are unprofitable servants God may find many blemishes in our best workes 2. We must not doe them ambitiosè with an ambitious minde to get glory to our selves as the Pharisees did who had a trumpet sounded at their gates for the publishing of their almes Vaineglory is a secret thiefe that accompanies us privily in all our best actions to cut the throat of the soule when we have done them 3. We must not do them mundanò for wordly lucre and commodity hoping to enrich our selves by it as Iudas did by the boxe of oyntment he pretended the benefit of the poore but he intended his owne benefit If we doe them for these sinister ends we lose our reward The only scope we aime at must be