may appeare by examining the common practise of our common professors by these six notes First true Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word preached as the Apostle sheweth Rom. 10. How shall they cal vpon him in whom they do not beleeue q Rom. 10 14 How shall they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard how shall they heare without a Preacher and how shall they preach except they be sent This place is not vnfitly called a Ladder that reacheth to Heauen whereby as by certaine steppes we climbe vp to heauen God sendeth the Minister preacheth the people beleeueth The same Apostle asketh the Galathians r Gal. 3 2. Iohn 17 20. Whether they receiued the spirit by the workes of the Law or by the hearing of Faith But the Faith which many talke and boast of is conceiued and conceited without the preaching of the worde for they cannot abide it they will not attend vnto it they regard not to heare it True it is if they be asked whether they haue Faith or not they will thinke it a straunge question and maruell that we shold make doubt thereof they suppose themselues to haue a sound Faith in Christ but how come they by this faith They say they beleeue in Iesus Christ for their saluation and yet they liue in a perpetuall neglect and continuall contempt of the publicke Ministerie of the word Such is their beleeuing as is their hearing and their Faith is aunswerable to their attending It is a great foolishnesse worse then madnesse for any man to imagine to attaine to Faith by any other meanes then God hath ordained When God hath sayde that the ordinary way to obtaine Faith is by the preaching of the worde wilt thou in the high pride of thy ignorant heart say I can haue Fayth without preaching This is to crosse the ordinance of God and to thinke thy selfe wiser then God For although all haue not Faith that ordinarily heare yet ordinarily none haue faith that doo not heare If then we would haue Faith we must seeke it as God hath appointed where it is to be found and when it is to be found let vs be diligent hearers attentiue hearers constant hearers and then we shal see the blessing of God vpon vs that we shall be sauing hearers Secondly true Faith is also ioyned with Prayer to God and with repentance from dead workes for how shall they call vpon him in whom they doe not beleeue And the Apostle Å¿ Acts 15 9. Peter teacheth that Faith purifieth the hart Paule exhorting the Elders of Ephesus saith t Acts 20 21 That he witnessed both to the Iews and to the Grecians the Repentance toward God and faith toward our Lorde Iesus Christ It was the substance of Christs Sermons which he preached when hee came into Galile u Marke 1 15 The Kingdome of God is at hand repent and beleeue the Gospell But there are many amongest vs that professe Faith which haue a Faith of another kinde and Nature it is not ioyned with inuocation of Gods name they make no Conscience to call vpon him they haue not the Spirite of Prayer that cryeth in their hearts Abba Father it worketh not in them conuersion of heart a turning of the minde a chaunge of life they boast of Faith but they remaine the same men they were before a deade life a deade Faith a prophane life a false Fayth that will in the end deceyue them Thirdly true Faith worketh in vs an holy contentation in our estate and teacheth vs to depend vpon Gods prouidence touching Food Raiment and all things necessary for this present life This Christ our Sauiour teacheth vs from the example of the Fowles of the Heauen of the stature of our body of the Lillies of the fielde from the grasse of the earth what doo pensiue thoughts distracting and distrustfull cares auaile to sustaine vs or preserue our life Wherefore seeing the Birdes are nourished our stature is encreased the Lillies are beautified the Grasse is cloathed by the power and prouidence of God x Math. 6 30. and 8 20. Shall hee not do the same much more to you O ye of little Faith Faith therefore maketh vs rest vpon God want of Faith taketh away all trust in him But many among vs that will needes boast of Fayth in Christ want this Faith in his prouidence for they dare not trust GOD with their life they doo not depend vpon him for their liuing they are affraid he will leaue them and forsake them they do not beleeue he will bee a mercifull and gracious God vnto them they haue not that affiance confidence reposed him that naturall children haue in their Parents A Childe doth not wearie him-selfe with matters of the World hee dooth not fore-cast for manie yeares hee is not intangled and choaked with earthly Cogitations all his care is cast vppon his Father hee trusteth vppon him hee knoweth hee will prouide for him and so passeth his dayes without distrust or dispaire And shall wee not be ashamed to bee sent to Schoole to learne of little Children that depend vpon their Father whereas we haue not learned to lift vppe our eyes vnto our Father that dwelleth in the Heauens but vse vnlawfull meanes and vngodly shifts to helpe our selues A plaine argument that wee haue not that Faith which we falsely imagine and vainely imagine our selues to haue Fourthly true Faith is the Mother of loue and maketh vs liue in peace one with another the Apostle y Gala. 5 6. Paule teacheth That Faith worketh by loue And Iohn in his first Epistle saith z 1 Iohn 3 23 This is his commandement that we beleeue in the name of his son Iesus Christ loue one another But many that wil seeme to haue faith in Christ shew no fruits of loue toward their Brethren they are not careful if it be possible and so farre as lieth in them to haue peace with all men they do not seeke after peace and ensue it but liue in hatred and contention in malice and enuy and least of all do affect the children of God An enuious Faith is no Faith and therefore let such men looke vnto it Fiftly true faith is mingled with doubting and vnbeleefe with wauering and feare and oftentimes strongly shaken and assayled as with a mighty Tempest This we see in the Father of him that was possessed with an vncleane spirit he was readie to rest vpon Christ but he felt the fruite of his owne corruption the spirit was willing but the flesh was weake he found a fight within himselfe betweene Faith and Infidelity When he considered the infinite power of Christ that was able to cast out Satan and to binde the strong man he was moued to beleeue On the other side when he saw the strangenesse the continuance the incureablenesse of his sonnes disease when he marked that the Deuill tooke him tare him cast him into the fire to burne him
is sweeter then the Hony it is purer then the Gold it is better then the Pearles more nourishable then meate more forceable then the Leauen more profitable then the Raine more comfortable then the Dew that falleth vpon the Herbs It is able to make a Blinde man see a Crooked man straight a Bond man free a poore man rich a sicke man whole nay a dead man it is able to make aliue againe This is a great worke it is a wonderfull Miracle that God worketh in the time of the Gospell We are borne dead in sinnes g Ephe. 2 1. and trespasses without Faith without Repentance without Grace without God without Hope without Sanctification without Saluation but the Word of God is able to bring restoring of sight to the blinde deliuerance to the Captiue liberty to the bruised healing to the broken hearted and life to the dead This is noted as the end of Paules calling and sending to Preach the Gospell h Act. 16 18. To open their Eyes that they may turne from darknesse to light and from the power of Sathan vnto God that they may receiue forgiuenesse of sinnes and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by Faith in Christ Iesus Thus also the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes writeth i Heb. 4 12. The word of God is liuely and mighty in operation and sharper then any two-edged sword and entreth through euen vnto the diuiding asunder of the soule and the spirit of the ioynts and the marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart If any aske the question how it hath this power I answer not by any inherent quality in it selfe nor by any force it receiueth from man that preacheth it but from the Supernaturall power of God k Gal. 2. and Psal 19 7 8 13 who is mighty in the hearts of men reioycing the heart conuerting the Soule giuing wisedome to the simple graunting light vnto the eyes and keeping from presumptuous sinnes by it Reason 2. Secondly that way whereby God worketh Faith in vs by the same meanes he beginneth our new-birth and maketh vs his owne Children But the ordinary meanes to worke Faith in vs is the preaching of the word For how shall they l Ro. 10 14 17 call on him in whom they haue not beleeued And how shall they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard And how shall they heare without a Preacher And how shall they Preach except they be sent So then Faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God We see heereby that Faith is the cause and beginning of repentance we see also that Faith is wrought by the word and therfore by necessary consequence repentance must come by the word Here are three things offered to our considerations the Word Faith and Regeneration Regeneration is a fruit of Faith Faith is an effect of the Word the Word is preached by the Minister Now it is a true rule m Causa causae est causa causati that the cause of the cause is also the cause of the effect and therefore the preaching of the Word beeing the cause of Faith which causeth Repentance and Regeneration must also needes be the cause of Repentance and of Regeneration Reason 3. Thirdly it is the ordinance of God to worke this good worke of Regeneration in vs because we cannot by our wisedome or any naturall guifts in our selues though most esteemed in our owne eyes and greatly magnified by others attaine sanctification of life or beleeue vnto saluation This the Apostle testifieth 1 Cor. 1. and maketh this the reason why God will saue vs by the hearing of Faith preached n 1 Cor. 1 21. Seeing the World by it owne wisedome knew not God in the wisedome of God it pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue them that beleeue There is a double knowledge of God and a double way to know him one Naturall the other Spirituall Naturall by the sight of the Creatures by the view of the world by beholding the heauens o Psal 19 1. Rom. 1 19. which declare the glory of God whereby the eternity the Maiesty the power the wisedome the greatnesse the goodnesse of God doe appeare Spirituall by hearing and hearkning vnto the word of God which not onely beareth witnesse to those essentiall properties of God more sufficiently and fully then the former but setteth down distinctly the Trinity of the persons and the mercy of God toward the elect promised and performed vnto them for Christs sake Naturall reason is blind in the matters of God and though it may serue to make vs without excuse it cannot suffice to bring vs to saluation without a farther and better guide So then the Lord to make the wisedome of the World foolishnesse and to gaine glory to his owne Name and to shew that he hath vouchsafed that grace mercy to vs which he denyed to the wisest among the Gentiles that were learned and skilfull in all humane knowledge but were vtterly ignorant of his Word hath raised vp to vs a light which they neuer saw and made vs to heare the sound of a voyce which they neuer heard Seeing therefore the word preached is of so great force that it causeth Faith in vs which all the wisedome of the World could neuer worke it followeth that this word of God is the ordinarie cause or Instrument of our conuersion and saluation This is so plain so pregnant a truth that it is greatly to be wondred that any should stumble or stagger at it and that all doe not submit themselues vnto it Obiections brought to proue preaching not to be the ordinarie meanes to beget faith But because doubts arise and Obiections are made against this point and principle plainly proued and firmely established by reasons out of the Scripture let vs see what they are and how they may be answered Obiection 1. First of all it is obiected that there are other meanes effectuall to worke Faith and to bring to Repentance as afflictiō or priuat admonition Touching affliction such as liued in Idolatry in ignoraunce in vncleannesse that fauoured wholly of the flesh and nothing at all of the spirit haue bin brought to confesse and forsake their sinnes and to humble them-selues vnder the mightie hand of God some being afflicted in body p 2 Chron. as Manasseth others troubled in Conscience feeling the wound of the spirit groaning vnder the stroke of Gods iudgements q Actes 9 6. as Paule in his conuersion haue by this meanes had Faith and Repentance giuen vnto them And touching priuate exhortation it is made auayleable to turne vs to God Hence it is that the Apostle teaching that a beleeuing Husband may with a safe Conscience vse the company of an vnbeleeuing Wife and a beleeuing Wife vse the companie of an vnbeleeuing husband so that the one ought not depart from the other hee vseth this Reason
to the Gospell and by submitting our selues to the Ministery of our owne Pastours to Minister all comfort and giue them cause of reioycing in their labours But if wee seuer our selues from them and refuse their Ministery we greeue them not comfort them we discourage them not encourage them we afflict them not reioyce them It is therefore a most vaine pretence and great folly of such as being reprooued for their negligence in resorting to their owne Pastours answere that they can profit more by another they can be edifyed better by hearing in another place whereas peraduenture they regard not to heare any man and contemne the Gospell out of whose mouth soeuer it proceed and be vttered Besides we haue greatest hope of receiuing blessing from our owne Pastour and euery member of the same assembly must seeke the Lord and serue him in the place appointed vnto vs for that purpose and therefore wee ought not to with-draw our selues from thence where our presence is required If God haue put the word of x 2 Cor. 5 15. Reconciliation into his mouth to say vnto vs in the Name of the Lord be ye reconciled vnto God and haue made an Ambassadour to speake in his Name who is he that shall ouer-rule the ordinance and counsell of God or refuse to submit himselfe vnto his most holy and mercifull assignement Secondly this conuinceth and reprooueth those that contemne deride scorne abase abuse and reuile their Ministers These are vngodly and vngratious Children that thus behaue themselues toward their spirituall Fathers and bereaue themselues of the blessinges that belong to such as obey their Parents These are like to curssed Cham that mocked his Father and heard an horrible cursse denounced against him which tooke effect afterward in his season or to those malicious Children y 2 King 2 24 which mocked the Prophet scorned him and his calling and brought vpon themselues the iudgements of God If we follow their sinne let vs looke for their end if we walke in their waies we must be assured of their wages and if we imitate their deedes wee shall be partakers of their destruction How many are there among vs that are growne to that hight of sinne that they regard not the doctrine that is deliuered but set themselues against the Minister that doth deliuer it These men are growne to bee shamelesse and impudent that regard not the meanes of saluation nor esteeme of the ordinance of God nor desire to heare of their sinnes These haue stiffe neckes and hard hearts they are come to sit downe in the seat of the Scorners and they shall haue the reward of Scorners And let all such as will know nothing else learne this as a certaine rule gathered out of a continual Tenor of the Scriptures and the constant course of Gods iudgements that when once they beginne to make a mocke of sinne and of the meanes that should recouer them out of their sinne then wrath is not farre from them but is neere vnto them The more presumptuous and secure they are the neerer to destruction We see this in the people of Israell 2. Chron. 36. 16. When once they began to dally with God nay with their owne soules z 2 Chron. 36 16. and mocked the Messengers that the Lord God of their Fathers sent to them rising early and late for he had compassion on his people and on his habitation he brought vpon them the King of the Caldeans who spared neither young man nor Virgine neither auncient nor aged God gaue all into his handes This is a fearefull example of his iudgements that fell vpon this people for their contempt of the word and misusing the Messengers that were sent vnto them to teach all men to beware and be warned of falling into the same sinne and returne betimes that if it be possible his plagues may be preuented by timely repentance Few that runne thus farre looke backe againe to say what haue we done When the measure of sinne is perfected the time of iudgement is hastned Howbeit God is able to touch and to turne their hearts and his word before contemned if now it be beleeued is able to saue their Soules Whom I haue begotten in my bondes Before wee heard how the Apostle calleth Onesimus his Sonne In these wordes he expresseth how he became his Sonne namely that by his Ministery hee begat him to God and turned him to beleeue the Gospell Hee setteth downe the force and efficacy of the Ministery of the word and sheweth that it is not an empty sound and an idle noyse of wast words vanished in the ayre without fruit or profit as foolish and franticke Spirits doe blasphemously report but is an effectuall instrument whereby God worketh the Regeneration Conuersion and Saluation of Men. Heereby we learne a Doctrine 3. The preaching of the word is the meanes of regeneration that men are regenerated and borne a-new by the Ministery of the Word to bee the Children of God and Coheires with Christ of eternall life God working by the meanes of his word and by the Ministery of his Seruants whereby hee conueyeth it vnto vs his Spirit being the powerfull Applyer Blesser and Effectour of this new-birth So the Apostle saith b 1 Cor. 4 15. In Christ Iesus through the Gospell I haue begotten you The Prophet Ieremy teacheth That his c Ier. 23 29. Word is like a fire and like an Hammer that breaketh the Stones It is able to burne vp and consume our corruption and to mollifie our stony hearts that we may haue hearts of Flesh This the Apostle Peter speaketh d 1 Pet. 1 23 25. Wee are borne againe not of Mortall but of immortall Seede by the word of God which endureth for euer and this is the word which is preached among you In like manner Iames saith e Iam. 1 18. Of his owne will begat he vs with the word of truth that we should be as the first Fruites of his Creatures To conclude Elihu setting downe diuers meanes that God hath and vseth to instruct Man and to draw him out of sinne vnto himselfe maketh this one and one of the principall f Iob. 33 23 24. If there be a Messenger with him or an Interpretour one of a thousand to declare vnto man his righteousnesse then will he haue mercy vpon him and will say Deliuer him that he goe not downe into the pit for I haue receiued a reconciliation These testimonies both of the Prophets and Apostles are plaine to proue that the word preached is the ordinary Instrumentall cause of our conuersion and regeneration and the meanes that God hath sanctified to bring vs to bee members of the Church and Heires of Saluation Reason 1. The Reasons are very plaine to confirme this point of Doctrine First the word is of a most powerfull and piercing Nature it is hotter then the fire it is stronger then the Hammer it is sharper then the Sword it
Ministry as forcible and powerfull to his own soule as euer he perceiued the Ministry of another The threatninges of God denounced by his owne mouth in the name of GOD haue made him shake the consolations that he hath pronounced haue entred into his soule and refreshed his bowels And of this we haue from time to time to our owne comfort a blessed experience Besides if the Lord would blesse other wayes and means to the Minister who is necessarily restrained by the commandement of God the discharge of his calling from the hearing of others what is that to the people who are charged to heare the Law from their mouthes and no way hindred from the performance of this duty so that they must followe the way that God hath left vnto them that is to attend to the ordinance which hee hath chalked out vnto them Obiection 4. Fourthly it may be saide that Christ appointed reading to be an ordinary meanes to beget Faith when he sendeth out his Apostles into the world to i Math. 28 14 teach all Nations which includeth a commaundement to teach them by writing as well as by worde and consequently implyeth that the people should be taught as well by reading their writings as by hearing their preachings to come vnto faith Heereupon it is that Christ willeth the people to search k Iohn 5 39. and 20 31. Luke 16. the Scripture because in them they thought to haue eternall life they did testifie of him And the Apostle Iohn saith These things are written that yee might beleeue that Iesus is that Christ that sonne of God and that in beleeuing ye might haue life through his name So Abraham saide to the rich man They haue Moses and the Prophets let them heare them Answere I aunswere the commandement giuen to the Apostles concerneth principally the preaching of the Gospell by word of mouth and liuely voice vttered in the hearing of the nations and therefore some of them wrote more some of them lesse some of them nothing at all But if the commandement had beene as general for writing as for preaching none of the Apostles would haue omitted it nor could haue stayed their pennes without a manifest breach of their owne duty and Gods commandement Now so farre as their writing was one kind of teaching and included in that word the meaning is for confirmation preseruation of that truth which they deliuered preached among them Thus the Apostle speaketh to the Corinthians l 1 Cor. 15 1 2 I declare vnto you the Gospell which I preached vnto you which ye haue also receiued and wherein ye continue whereby ye are saued if ye keepe in memory after what manner I preached vnto you except ye haue beleeued in vaine Likewise writing to the Romaines m Rom. 15 14 15. I my selfe am perswaded of you my Brethren that ye also are full of goodnesse filled with all knowledge and are able to admonish one another neuerthelesse I haue somwhat boldly after a sort written vnto you as one that putteth you in remembrance thorough the grace that is giuen me of God So the Apostle Iohn saith n 1 Iohn 2 21 I haue not written vnto you because ye know not the truth but because ye know it that no lye is of the truth Whereby we see that they wrote to those to whome before they had preached to confirme them in the truth which they had imbraced and receiued They did not write to them that were wholly ignorant of the truth and had neuer heard the Gospell but to such as they hadde taught to the end that either standing in it they might be established or being falne from it they might be recouered and reclaimed Thus he commendeth o 1 Thes 3 12 the Thessalonians because they had kept all the ordinances and traditions receiued from him and thus he telleth the Galathians p Galath 1 6. That he maruailed much that they were so soon remoued away vnto another Gospell from him that had called them in the grace of Christ It remaineth therefore to answere such testimonies as are alledged to iustifie the sufficiency of reading and to make it an ordinary meanes of saluation Touching the place Iohn 5. commanding the searching of the scriptures Christ Iesus in the same referreth them to the Scriptures or worde written to correct their iudgements touching himselfe his person and offices For whereas they beleeued not the Sermons of Christ and the Lord Iesus could not safely referre them to the chaire of the Scribes and Pharisees who were grossely deceiued and maliciously blinded in that Mystery there remayned onely the reading and searching of the Scriptures that thereby they might learne the truth of his Sermons Againe where the Apostle saith These things were written that ye might beleeue Iohn 20. it is to be vnderstood of the Myracles of Christ wrought for confirmation of his Doctrine and for strengthning of faith as appeareth in the words immediately going before q Iohn 20 30. Many other signes also did Iesus in the presence of his Diseiples which are not written in this Booke And that this is the true and right end of Myracles apeareth by the Apostle to the Hebrews where he sheweth that the Gospell began first to be preached by the Lorde and afterward was confirmed vnto vs by them that heard him r Heb. 2 4. God bearing witnesse thereto both with signes and wonders and with diuers Myracles gifts of the Holy-ghost according to his owne will Lastly where it is saide They haue the Bookes of Moses and the writings of the Prophets let them heare them Luke 16. This is the summe of all our Sermons and preachings we preach nothing out of the Law and the Prophets but both Moses and the Prophets must bee expounded and applyed The Eunuch f Act. 8 30 31 sitting in his Chariot had Moses and the Prophets and read them as he sat yet when Phillip came to him and asked Vnderstandest thou what thou readest He answered How can I without a guide Furthermore the reading of the Scriptures is not heere opposed against the preaching of them but against Visions and Apparitions of the dead as the Prophet speaketh t Esa 8 19 20 When they shall say vnto you Enquire of them that haue a spirit of diuination and at the Soothsayers which whisper and murmure should not a people enquire at their God From the liuing to the dead To the Law and to the Testimony if they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Obiection 5. Fiftly if the word preached bee the ordinary meanes of bringing vs vnto sanctification and so to saluation then where it is not there is not ordinarily saluation and consequently no Church visible where no Minister is Heerby we shall condemne many particular Congregations to be no visible churches because they want the publicke preaching of the word
haue saide he was some couzener or Coniurer some Impostor or deceiuer as often before they had falsely and blasphemously charged him Or had they faith in their owne power to beleeue when they would and to receiue him to be the Sauiour of the world These carnall men do resemble and reason like vnto the Scribes and Pharisees If God would descend from heauen as they wold haue Christ come downe from the Crosse then they would immediately beleeue then they would no longer lye in their sinnes But if God should with his dreadfull and terrible voice speake vnto vs we were not able to appear before him nor to abide the hearing of it but should bee swallowed vp with feare and stand amazed as dead men When God spake vnto the Children of Israell in the Mount they fledde from him and could not endure his presence they stood a farre off and cried vnto Moses g Ex. 20 18 19. Talke thou with vs and we will heare but let not God talke with vs least we die Shall we then in the foolishnesse and pride of our own harts challenge the Lord to come foorth vnto vs and presume to settle our selues to enter talke and communication with him when the earth quaketh at his voyce and trembleth vnder him When the Mountaines are remooued before him h Esay 6 2. and the Angels couer their faces from him If we wil not belieue the preachers of the worde nor content our selues with this ordinance of God but woulde haue eyther reuelation from Heauen or the presence of God or the person of Christ or the glorie of an Angell or the appearaunce of the dead or wee know not what we shall neuer bee partakers of the benefits of Christ we shall neuer receiue to beleeue wee shall neuer haue the grace of regeneration bestowed vpon vs. God hath not left vs to the preaching of Angelles but to the Ministry of men If we will not yeelde obedience to the voyce of God speaking to vs in his Ministers wee would not regard his owne immediate voyce thundring downe vppon vs nor beleeue if a damned soule or ghost shal come out of hell to preach vnto vs. If we will not beleeue Moses and the Prophets i Luke 16 31. we would not beleeue though one came vnto vs from the dead Wherefore let vs leaue this vanity and in a conscience to God and obedience to his ordinance in a loue to our own souls and desire of our own saluatiō let vs euery one be swift to hear slow to speak slow to wrath Now to the end we may heare aright k Three things required to be good hearers of the word of God three thinges are required of vs Preparation Attention and Meditation ioyned with practise Preparation before we heare Attention in the time of hearing Meditation and practise after our hearing When Christ had propounded the parable of the Sower and the seed in the end he gathered from thence this note and draweth this conclusion and admonition l Luke 8 18. Take heede how ye heare For some present themselues to the Ministery of the Word for forme and fashion for company and custome without conscience others thinke it enough to bee present howsoeuer they be affected in the hearing or mooued after the hearing It is therefore necessary that we should be prepared before we come Now to this preparation three thinges are necessary Faith Feare and Desire first we must haue Faith without which the Word is as a dead Letter without life and as an empty sound without power and if we doe not giue credit vnto it m Heb. 6 4 2. it cannot profit the hearers Secondly we must come with feare that we may feare God in his word and auoyd the breach of it For the Lord hath n Esay 66 2. respect vnto them that are of humble and contrite hearts and tremble at his word We must set our selues o Act. 10 33. in the presence of God and heare as if we saw him present before vs and so receiue the word as from Christ himselfe the Teacher of his Church Thirdly we must come with good stomackes as vnto a feast prepared for vs we must hunger and thirst after the word to feede our empty Soules desiring it and longing after it as doth the dry ground after the Dew of heauen and the shewers of Raine This the Apostle Peter teacheth p 1 Pet. 2 2. Desire the sincere Milke of the word of God that ye may grow thereby Hee that thinketh himselfe full before he come to the Lords house is no fit Guest to be partakers of his dainty fare In hearing the word we must be attentiue and intentiue to that which we heare As we are present in bodie so we must be present in minde God opened the heart of Lydia to attend to those things that were deliuered by Paule This is very profitable q Three benefits of attention many waies and helpeth as a Soueraigne remedy against the rouing cogitations of the minde against the entertaining of other actions of another Nature and against the loathsomnesse and wearinesse that for the most part accompanyeth the most holie thinges of God First we are subiect to vnconstancy and lenity of minde our hearts are ready to wander and goe astray from the present work in hand and oftentimes are carried away from the best matters so that wee neither remember where we are nor consider what we doe nor endeuour to profit as we ought Secondly it auayleth against those deceits and destructions whereby we entertaine other actions of piety which with-draw vs from the present occasion and duty of hearing required of vs. For some thinke they do God good seruice when they offer vnto him no bettet then a will worship which is abhominable before him Hence it is that many thinke it enough to be present with the assembly and regard not how they be occupyed so that whlie the Congregation is imployed one way they are imployed another while it performeth a publike action they are exercised in some priuate deuotion as for example when the Church is hearing they are praying or when the Church is praying they are reading This is to offer the Sacrifice r Eccle. 4 17. of Fooles For the publique actions of the Church must be publikely attended of all the assemblie and there is neither time nor place vnto any thing that is priuate or proper to one or to few For the Minister beeing a a publike person is alwaies either the mouth of God or the mouth of the the people the mouth of God to speake vnto vs from him and to deliuer the word in his name the mouth of the people and Congregation to speak vnto the Lord for vs so that the action is common to the whole Church So then it cannot stand with the rules of the word and the comely order that God hath left to his Church that in the time of publique
his Ministry by which he was at the first conuerted and hitherto continued in the state of grace which remained as a Seale engrauen and imprinted in his heart Doctrine 4. Such as haue gained vs vnto God ought aboue all others to be most deare vnto vs. From hence we learne that such as haue gained vs to God or preserued vs in the state of Saluation by the preaching of the Gospell ought to be most deare vnto vs we owing vnto them euen our selues and whatsoeuer we haue besides to doe them good The benefits bestowed vpon vs by the Ministry of the word can neuer be sufficiently esteemed nor worthily enough prized nor aboundantly enough be recompenced and rewarded Hence it is that when Elisha sell sicke of his sicknesse whereof he dyed Ioash the King of Israell came downe vnto him and wept vpon his face and said z 2 Kin. 13 14 O my Father my Father the Charrâ—t of Israell and the Horsemen of the same Where we may learne what to account of the Teachers of the Church by the testimony of a King that sitteth on his Throne if he do so account of theÌ„ such as are inferior to him must not make lesse reckoning of them Hereunto commeth the saying of the Prophet a Esay 52 7. Nah. 1 15. How beautifull vpon the Mountains are the feet of him that declareth publisheth peace that declareth good tidings and publisheth saluation saying vnto Sion Thy God raigneth Where he sheweth by way of admiration that it is one of the greatest benefits to haue Pastors sent vnto vs that may direct our steps into the way of peace and guide our feet to eternal life This is the estimation that the Galathians had of Paul and the commendation which Paule giueth of the Galathians that they accounted nothing too dear or too good for him b Gal. 4 14 15 The triall of me which was in my flesh ye despied not neither abhorred but ye receiued me as an Angell of God yea as Christ Iesus What was then your felicity For I beare you record that if it had beene possible ye would haue pulled out your owne eyes and haue giuen them vnto me Where he sheweth that he was entertained among them as an Angell nay aboue an Angell euen as Christ himselfe To this purpose he writeth to the Corinthians c 1 Cor. 4 1. Let a man so thinke of vs as of the Ministers of Christ and disposers of the secrets of God By all which testimonies it is manifest that such as conuerted vs to the faith and brought vs to be Cittizens of the kingdome of heauen ought to be dearely and entirely beloued of vs. Reason 1 Neither should this seeme strange vnto vs. First of all they are most of all to be loued and highly esteemed of vs that doe vs most good we are most deeply indebted vnto them that labour most for our benefit This it is which our Sauiour insinuateth in the parable of the lender that had two debters the one ought him more the other lesse and he forgaue them both declaring that he iudged vprightly d Luke 7 43. Who supposed that he would loue him most to whom he had forgiuen most The greatest benefit requireth of vs the greatest loue But the Ministers do vs or may do vs the greatest good if we lay not a barre in our owne way For the blessings that God bestoweth vpon men by the Ministry of his Pastors and Teachers are spirituall and eternall blessings but the blessings that the hearers do returne and recompence to their Ministers are Temporall and as the Apostle speaketh and calleth them Carnall saying e 1 Cor. 9 11. If we haue sowen vnto you spirituall things it is a great thing if we reap your carnall thinges They fight our Spirituall battels for vs and what do we not owe to such Reason 2. Again they are vnto vs in stead of Christ they are his officers that he hath appointed in his Church who when he ascended into heauen gaue gifts vnto men and ordained those that should teach his people vnto the end of the World Hence it is that the Apostle saith f 2 Cor. 5 20. Now then are we Ambassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you through vs we pray you in Christes stead that ye be reconciled vnto God If we did beleeue that the Ministers were left vs in Christes stead and did supply his roome we would otherwise respect them and esteeme of them then we doe Reason 3. Thirdly they are the Ministers by whom we beleeue and consequently by whom we are saued They are our Fathers in Christ by whom we are begotten to eternall life To this end the Apostle saith g 1. Cor. 3 5. Who is Paul then And who is Apollos but the Ministers by whom ye beleeued and as the Lord gaue to euery Man Can we haue a greater blessing bestowed vpon vs then Faith without which it is vnpossible to please to God But Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the Word of GOD And the word is brought vnto vs by the Ministers of God Seeing then that they deserue the greatest loue that doe vs the greatest good Seeing the Ministers are vnto vs in the place of Christ Iesus and lastlie seeing they are the Instruments by whom we beleeue It followeth necessarilie that such as turne many vnto righteousnesse are highly to be regarded and to bee greatly magnified of vs aboue many others Vse 1. The Vses arising from hence are of diuers sorts First of all it directeth vs to other necessary truths to be learned of vs. It is noted by the Apostle to be one generall vse of the Scripture that it serueth and sufficeth to teach all truth needfull to saluation so the former point being receiued will help vs to finde out and conclude other truthes First we learne that wheresoeuer there is a true profession a sound feeling and true tast of Religion or ioy of saluation there will be a reuerent account and ioyfull entertainement of the teachers and publishers of the Gospell On the other side a light slender account of the Ministers argueth a light account of the word of Christ of the doctrine of saluation and of the truenesse of Religion Let euery one of vs examine our owne affections and try our owne hearts by this Touchstone It is vnpossible to make any diuorse betweene the true Ministers of God and the true Doctrine which is according to godlinesse He that honoreth one magnifieth the other and hee that contemneth the one despiseth the other Whosoeuer it is that being distempered and diseased esteemeth of his health or desireth it he will honour the Physitian that cureth and recouereth him He that being wounded is throughly healed will greatly regard him that gaue vnto him the salue to make a plaister He that hath beene ignorant and is taught the knowledge that he had not before will make much of him that
that after the Thessalonians had heard the Gospell of Christ published vnto them so many of them as were ordained vnto eternall life beleeued and submitted themselues to be duided and reformed by it This dutie hath c Foure degrees of submitting our selues to the Gospell manie branches First it is required of vs to heare the worde of God with patience This is the first step and degree that leadeth vnto life and it proceedeth from the meere grace and fauour of God whensoeuer it is wrought in our hearts For how many are there that when they heare stop their eares That when they see shut their eyes That when they vnderstand doe harden their hearts When Stephen made a defence for himselfe before the chiefe Priests that sat in the Counsel d Acts 7 57. They gaue a shout with a loud voyce and stopped their eares and ran violently vpon him all at once and cast him out of the Citty and stoned him with stones When one Alexander a Iew beckned with the hand prepared himselfe to speak and would haue excused the Apostles e Acts 19 33 There arose a great shout almost for the space of two houres of all men crying Great is Diana of the Ephesians Likewise when Paule made a perticuler rehearsal of the manner of his conuersion to the faith before the Iewes they heard him quietly and with silence vntill he said He was sent to the Gentiles but then thorough impatience f Acts 22 23. they cried out they cast off their cloathes and threw dust into the ayre and lift vp their voices saying Away with such a fellow from the earth for it is not meet that he should liue We see by these examples that it is a token of Gods goodnesse when he giueth vs circumcised eares to listen and attend to the word preached vnto vs with patience and perseuerance vnto the end albeit we heare our sins reproued our secret thoughts opened vnto vs. It is our dutie to shew our selues swift to heare but slow to speake and slow to wrath We must be slow to speake against that which hath bin deliuered and we must be slow to anger and indignation against those that haue deliuered the truth vnto vs. Secondly it is required that we receiue the word that we haue heard assent vnto it as to the word of truth and acknowledge it to bee good and true euen that part of the word that containeth his iudgements his threatnings his cursses his punnishments This is to be craued of God as being a special worke of grace in those that belong to his kingdom For many there are that heare and haue their eares open to attend these are not dull hearers that marke nothing but ate ready to listen and giue care and yet they will not giue their assent to that which they haue heard The Apostle teacheth g 1 Cor. 2 14. That the naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned When Paule preached at Athens in the hearing of the Stoikes and Epicures touching the resurrection from the dead they saide h Acts 17 18 What will this Babler say A great part of our ordinary hearers may be placed in this rank who are content to heare and then sit in iudgement vppon that which they haue heard and neuer giue credit vnto it but measure the truth of God by their carnall conceits and naturall reasons Thirdly it is farther required of vs to embrace the truth in our hearts carefully to apply it to our owne soules It belongeth vnto vs not onely to heare it with the eare and to assent to it with the mind but to lay it vp deeply rooted in vs and to make it our owne by a speciall application This is the right vse of the word this is peculiar to the elect and this is a work of grace in our hearts The Hystoricall faith giueth a generall consent to the truth of God but neuer goeth farther to apprehend it as we see in Simon the Sorcerer who is said to haue beleeued that is in a generall maner to haue consented to the Gospell and yet Peter telleth him i Acts 8 21. That his heart was vpright and that he remained in the gall of bitternesse Let vs not therefore approbriate the word of grace that is able to build farther vnto our owne selues otherwise we shall haue no more comfort then the Reprobates haue who come so farre as to confesse the word to be true and that God by his Sonne will saue the Vessels of mercy Lastly it is required in this speciall manner to entertaine the worde to wit as the word of God Many receiue the word and imbrace it willingly readily chearfully and ioyfully but not as the word of God I wil not stand to speake of the Church of Rome which holdeth that the word written hath not authority in it selfe vnlesse the Church approue it and therefore albeit it embraceth the word of God yet it embraceth it not as the word of God For how many are there among our selues that receiue not the word of God with that reuerence and obedience that they ought as appeareth by the euil practises of their liues These men do not receiue the word of God as the word of God who if they did in truth sincerity acknowledge this truth to be of God to haue him for the author thereof they would lead their liues in another maner then they do they would be afraid to rush forward to run headlong as it were with violence into the breach transgression thereof They would consider that God will not beare and endure the contempt of his word but reuenge the dishonor done to his name with great plagues and most grieuous iudgments These are the duties that are to be performed of vs and the foure degrees that testifie our submitting of our selues to the truth of the Gospel preached deliuered vnto vs by the Ministers of Christ Vse 4 Lastly seeing they by whose ministry we are gained to God and preserued in the state of saluation being gained ought to be most deare to vs we owing vnto them our owne selues This must teach the Ministers of God a necessary duty and lesson to be marked of them to wit to endeuor by their daily diligence and continuall preaching of the Gospel to make the people indebted vnto them For how do the people come so much in their debt but that they receiue heauenly Doctrine by their Ministry as from the mouth of God Such as haue need of admonition must be exhorted such as are weak in the faith must be strengthned such as need comfort ought to be comforted such as are ignorant must be instructed such as are willing to be taught must be beseeched and intreated and euery one must be handled according to his nature and condition according to the rule
Wee cannot aske in our owne name u Ferus in Ioh. 16. that is for our owne merits any thing we ask and obtaine in the name of Christ By his name we must vnderstand his incarnation his passion his death his deserts his intercession For as he that hath Christ hath eternall life because Christ is the way the trueth and the life so he that hath Christ obtaineth all things because he it is alone in whom the Father is well pleased It is therefore a lawfull and laudable custom of the true Church to conclude and shut vp their prayers in the name of Christ declaring thereby that their trust and confidence to be heard standeth not in themselues nor in any other then the Mediatour betweene God and them True it is the Church of Rome vseth this form and endeth in his name but this is no better then a meere mocking of Christ For albeit they adde in the closing vp of their prayers Through our Lord Iesus Christ yet the substance of them is full of Idolatry and the Saints are made Idols and Christ a Mediator to bring vs to them which is as foule a dishonour as if the eldest sonne who is heire of al should be vsed and employed to bring vs into the fauour of the seruant of the house So then we must holde it as a principle of our Faith to direct vs in our prayers that they be not made in the name of any creature but in the name and mediation of Christ alone And heereby is discouered a manifest fault and palpable error of ignorant people They powre out many Prayers and cry out oftentimes Lord helpe me Lorde haue mercie vpon me Thus doe these poore and simple blind soules rush vppon the Lord as it were into the Chamber of presence without a guide they know not the nature of God that he is as well a most fearefull iudge as a most mercifull father and they are ignoraunt of the Office of the Mediator in whose name they should present their prayers to him Hee that commeth in his owne name commeth in a wrong name and he that commeth without Christ departeth without fruite Hee sprinkleth our prayers with the sweete Odours of his merits and mediation without which our prayers and our persons are abhominable The fift thing required in Prayer The fift and last thing required in Prayer is that it must be made with assurance to be heard Prayer is to be made in faith whereby a man must haue confidence that he shall obtaine that which he hath asked This affiance being wanting maketh Prayer to bee no prayer Whosoeuer doubteth whether God will graunt his requests or not can neuer pray for any thing earnestly and effectually This our Sauiour teacheth Marke 11 24. Whatsoeuer ye desire when ye pray beleeue that ye shall haue it and it shall bee done vnto you None can haue this perswasion to be heard none can haue this affiance that God is both willing and able to helpe them but the faithfull who haue assurance that their sinnes are pardoned and their personnes reconciled vnto God in Christ Such as stand in doubt of this can neuer beleeue anie other promises reuealed in the word nor be sure that any of his prayers shall bee heard If any come and make any suite or supplication vnto vs whom wee know to doubt of our good will and meaning toward vs can wee regarde them or accept of them So they can by no meanes please God that while they are praying doubt of his good meaning or Almighty power and know not how he is affected and disposed toward them For this cause the Apostle Iames directing vs in the right course of prayer commandeth rhat it be made in faith without doubting Iames 1 6 7. Let him aske in Faith and wauer not for he that wauereth is like a waue of the Sea tossed of the wind and carried away neither let that man thinke that he shall receiue any thing of the Lord. It is a great corruption of the flesh and such as springeth from the bitter root of Infidelity to imagine that God doeth not or will not regarde our prayers according to that saying of the Prophet Psal 10 13. Wherefore doth the wicked contemne God He saith in his heart Thou wilt not regard Obiection But heere some may Obiect say How can we haue this assurance seeing many pray and yet receiue not they aske and obtaine not The Prophet Dauid complaineth y Psal 22 2. O my God I cry by day but thou hearest not and by night but haue no audience And in another place z 2 Sam. 12 14 He prayed for the life of his child with great earnestnesse of spirit with great humblenesse of mind with great anguish of hart and yet he obtained not the life of his sonne that he desired for the Child died Answere I answere to this many waies First God doth sometimes deferre to answere his seruants to make them cry more earnestly We are made of a dull Mettall we quickly wax weary in prayer we must haue some means to kindle our zeale Now it is a great error in the faithfull to thinke that GOD deceyueth vs because hee delayeth vs it is the purpose of God to try vs for the exercise of our faith and the encrease of our zeale Secondly men doe sometimes pray that are prophane and lye in some greeuous sinne that is vnrepented of which is as a thicke cloude standing betweene the Lord and vs and as it were stopping his eares that he cannot heare vs or as a barre that lyeth in our way that we cannot possibly come into the presence of God True Repentance wil scatter the Cloud and remoue the barre that is before vs but till sinne bee forsaken a Iohn 9 31. our Prayers cannot bee graunted Many complaine that they are not heard and murmure that they spend their wordes as in the Winde but they neuer consider what the cause is and where the fault lyeth and how it is to bee reformed Thirdly they pray to satisfie their lusts and do not aske such thinges as they ought to desire according as the Apostle Iames vpbraydeth the Iewes to whom he wrote b Iames 4 3. Ye aske and receiue not because ye ask amisse that ye might lay the same out on your pleasures It is not enough to craue good thinges but we must aske them to a good end If our purpose be euill our Prayers cannot be good our requests cannot be granted Fourthly we must pray for earthly things with condition so farre as they may serue to the glory of God and our owne good and therefore we must refer our selues wholy to his will and pleasure as we are taught in the Lords Prayer to say Thy will be done Spirituall Graces we may aske without exception but earthly benefits with limitation Lastly God heareth our prayers two wayes First when he granteth that thing which we aske Thus he heard
be extended to all 86 A fruit of loue to admonish 27 We must loue most where God loueth most 112. Not the vngodly most 115 Loue betweene Pastour and people 192 193 Loue those that haue conuerted vs 261 Loue one another 332 355. It is a Christians badge 356 355 Loue God aboue all 340 Loue to the Saints must be feruent 254 257. What it is 256. The manner how we must loue 257 258 Long life a punishment to the vngodlie 308 Losses See comfort in losses Lowest member in the Church must bee respected 184 329 The low estate comforted 1â—0 Luke-warme 433 M A Magistrate sustaines two persons 247 Man by Nature sociable 22 A Martyr who is 19 20 Markes of Christ what 18 Marriage must be in the Lord. 32 English Martirs canonized by the Pope were deuillish Traytors 121 Mankind stand in neede one of another 83 Masse 93 Maintenance of the Minister 400 Maner of doing God accepts more then the deede 284 Maisters must pray for their Families 241. They haue comfort in teaching them 242. they are Ministers in their owne houses 45 Meditations to mooue vs to Prayer 462 Necessary after hearing 220. For Patrons 222 A meane to be kept 76 Meanes must be vsed to bring vs to faith 108 109. To further his guifts in vs 129 Members we are one of another 173 Mercilesse men 276 Mercifull men 280 Meritorious workes 458 Merits taught in the Church of Rome 463 Ministers calling painfull 33. they must not entangle themselues in worldlie things 37. They must seeke cheefely the profit of their people 70. It is a greefe to see them go backward 71 Ministers must preach willingly 286. They are Gods Instruments to conuert Soules 165. They must be maintained 287. Giuen to Hospitality 444. Being idle their guiftes are diminished 136 they haue no right to be maintained 137 Ministers must loue the people as Children 194 They must be faithful 216 They shall giue an account for soules 216. They haue comfort in labouring 242 Ministry a worthy calling 165 Ministers are Gods Ambassadours 171 How to be esteemed 171. They must vse mildenesse and gentlenesse 172 173 Mitigation of offences required 363 Three rules belonging thereto Ibid. Mishapen Children See Children deformed Monkish life See Solitary Mocking the Ministers 204 Multitude no rule to try truth 90 N Name that is good onely the godly haue 96 It hath many enemies 427. Euill men haue an euill Name 96. Against such as take away the good Name of the godly 96 Vngodlinesse brings a blot to mens names 97. ciuil men are ignorant of a good Name Ibid Seeke aster a good name 97. how many waies men are deceiued in it Ibid Wherein a good name consisteth 98 The enemies to it Ibid Naturall condition what 299 Negligence in Religion 11 Neglect of Prayer 456 Neighbour who is 256 Nicodemus 481 Niggardlinesse See Couetousnesse Non proficients 128 324 Non residency what it is 194 Notes to proue men voide of Faith 108 Nouatians 317 O Obiections answered pretending that ministers liue idely 35. that they need not heare that haue faith already 130 Obiections against instructing families 40. of them that say they spend nothing but their owne 115. Of miserable men against liberality 158 190. of Non residents 197 Obiections brought to prooue preaching not the ordinary meanes of regeneration 207 Obiections of Anabaptists 265. 367 Obiections made against forgiuing offenders 246. against vsing salutations 247 Obligations lawfull 385 Occasions of doing good must be sought 31. of contention must be cut off 251 Odious tearmes not to be vsed against the penitent 311 Offences of penitents not to be aggrauated 293. they are to be forgiuen 243 Offences forgiuen two wayes 247. they will arise many wayes 487 Old age honourable 178 Old men instead of Fathers 18. their Duties and sins 181 491. their long life is a testimony of Gods mercy 182 Oppression 393 Opportunity 444 Order in praying for blessings 505 Ouer-seers of the Church 221 Outward blessings recompenced with inward 305 P Painims religion what 156. they regard not the poore Ibid Papists no friends to Princes 266. falsely called Catholicks 322. they seuer faith and loue 102 104. they slander vs about Good-workes 105 Parents of deformed children comforted 311 316. they must not reproue their children for good thinges 328. they must pray for their families 241 Pardon open for penitents 217 Pastors ioy 69 Pastors and people are as Father and son 189. they are tied to a particular charge 199. not to discourage people that are forward 329 Pastors of meane guifts must bee heard 203 Patrons admonished 221. whence they had their names Peace giuen to the faithfull 55 58 The three Persons in Trinity worke our saluation 61. the distinction betweene them must be knowne 62 Peace is brought by the Gospel 264 Penitent persons not to be reproached 317. their confession not to be reueiled 321. abuse of the church of Rom therein Ibid. â—alse perswasion of Faith set downe by certaine notes 108. Peters being at Rome vncertaine 46â— disagreement of Popish writers about it 471 Persecutions of Christians are the persecutions of Christ 15 Popish Idolatry like the Gentiles 63 Popishe assertions touching the Scriptures 78 Pope held to bee the Saint-maker 121. he is enemy to Princes 266 Popish deuotion 288. Martyrs 10. Religion which giues liberty to sin 105 Church what it is 470. The Popes Supremacy 470. his Saints 120 Poore Saints to be relieued 154. What those poore are 161. Poorest beleeuer is rich 189. the godly are specially to be respected 1â—1 Pray for the free passage of the gosp 3â—… Praier necessary 63. 437. it must bee made to God for others 82. it is a part of spirituall armour 83. the vse of it ibid. other mens to be intreated 84. We must pray for spirituall strength 91. and for spirituall things 505 Praier what it is 447. it is a medicine against all diseases 83. how made vnprofitable 461. what is required in it 449. why God defers to heare 453. Popish prayers Idolatrous 452 Prayer heard two waies 453 Prayer contemned 454 Prayer to Saints 454. It robbeth God of his honor 155. It cannot merit People must maintaine their Ministers 38. They must delight the heartes of their Teachers 73. They must not thinke it enough not to hurt them 74. They come to entrap them Ibid Howe many waies they grieue their Pastors 75 People must employ their guifts 139. They must not despise the Ministry of the word 170. They must honor their Pastors 202. They must attend theyr owne Pastors 203. they are in the ministers debt 402 Poore vnthankfull 412 Precisenesse not to bee obiected against Professors 93 Presence of the Pastour necessary 190 191. Preaching of the word the meanes of regeneration 205. A token of Gods loue 215 Preachers preach to themselues as well as to others 210 Preaching Ministery necessary to saluation 213 Preparation before hearing 219 Priuiledges of the godly 58 Profession of Faith See Confession
doers of the word and not hearers onely deceiuing our owne soules we must l Iam. 1 21. Lay apart all filthinesse and superfluity of maliciousnesse and receiue with meekenesse the word that is grafted in vs which is able to saue our Soules Now we haue in this Epistle m Illyr arg in hanc Epistol a most worthy example of receiuing them that are fallen of forgiuing the penitent of the pardoning of iniuries of ioy for the conuersion of a Sinner Yea we learne not onely to be louers of peace but to be makers of peace as Paul doth betweene the Maister and the Seruant Our Sauiour pronounceth them blessed n Math. 5 9. That are Peace-makers for they shall be called the Children of God We are charged not onely to seeke peace our selues but to make peace with others whereby we beare the liuely Image of God who is called the God of peace we are made like vnto Christ who is our peace and hath reconciled vs vnto his Father Vse 5. Fiftly we are taught to take heede we doe not rashly sit in iudgement vpon any This euill Seruant had picked and purloyned from his Maister and when he had done ranne his waies yet GOD found him out and gaue him repentance when he sought not after God It is a common Prouerb He runneth farre that neuer returneth Christ Iesus calleth some at the leaueth houre as hee did the Theefe that hung with him vpon the Crosse The Apostle chargeth that o 1 Cor. 4 5. We iudge nothing before the time vntill the Lord come who will lighten things that are hidden in darknesse and make the counsels of the heart manifest and then shall euery man haue praise of God And in another place p Rom. 14 4. Who art thou that condemnest another mans seruant He standeth or falleth to his owne Maister All men are in the hand of God and all times and seasons are disposed by him The Husbandman Tilleth the ground and soweth his Corne but it doth not by and by gtow vp The Disciples of Christ heard many things of his mouth which seemed buried and forgotten but the precious fruit thereof appeared plentifullie afterward Let vs not limit vnto God his times and seasons nor goe about to teach him knowledge Paul was a Persecuter of the truth a Blasphemer of God an oppressor of the Church yet in the end he was called by the voyce of Christ Let vs therefore condemne no man nor iudge any rashly least we be iudged Vse 6. Lastly we see euidently as in a Glasse in this Epistle that all that are elected of God to eternall life shal in Gods good time be called effectually to the knowledge of the truth God hath made all things in number waight and measure As no more shall be saued then he hath appointed so not one of them shall bee lost that he hath prepared to be heires of glory God hath many waies to pull them out of the fire whom he will haue saued So many as belong to him he will at one time or other send them and offer them the meanes of their saluation yea when we least of all seeke our owne good and intend our owne conuersion it pleaseth God to call vs and to gather vs into the bosome of the Church The Parable q Math. 20 1. of the Housholder hiring labourers into his Vineyard teacheth that he calleth at all times and houres of the day We see it in the example of Paul when Christ Iesus called vnto him from the Heauens he thought nothing of his owne conuersion but of the Churches subuersion Wee see it in the Penitent Theefe in Manasseth in Mary Magdalen and many others VVe see it in Onesimus in this place Who would haue imagined that this man playing the vile Runna-gate and the false Theefe and departing out of the religious House of godly Philemon which is honoured with the Name of a Church would euer haue turned a new leafe and come to the acknowledgement of the truth who would haue thought that the prodigal Son r Luke 15 24. going from his Father forsaking his Brother wasting his patrimony and spending his strength and wealth vpon Harlots would euer haue seene his owne folly and that it should be said of him My Son was dead and is aliue againe he was lost but he is found This is that which is set downe in the Actes of the Apostles Å¿ Acts 13 48. When the Gentiles heard it they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord and as many as were ordained to eternall life beleeued God is able to make a way for the execution of his purposes and knoweth how to accomplish his decrees Thus much of the circumstances of time and place as also of the Argument of this Epistle Now let vs come to the words 1 Paul a Prisoner of Iesus Christ and Brother Timotheus vnto Philemon our deare friend and fellow helper 2 And to our beloued Apphia and to Archippus our Fellow-Souldier and to the Church that is in thine House The order of the words and interpretation of them In this Epistle we are to consider two thinges First the Praeface in the three first verses Secondly the substance and matter of the Epistle in the rest The Praeface or entrance containeth the inscription or Title in these two verses sundry prayers in the foure verses following The inscription remembreth both the parties writing to wit Paul and Timothy and likewise the persons to whom the Epistle is written Philemon Apphia Archippus and the Church that was in Philemons house These persons as well writing as written vnto are not barely and nakedly set downe but are described by their seuerall notes and titles giuen vnto them wherein are contained seuerall Arguments of perswasion to mooue Philemon to that whereunto he exhorteth and intreateth him And first for himselfe a Captiue and Prisoner hee mooueth him to respect his suit in regard it was the suit of one vnder persecution bound in chaines and kept in thraldome whom he ought to pitty especially seeing he was a Prisoner of Iesus Christ that is not for any bad cause but for the professing and Preaching of the glorious Gospell of Christ Secondly he ioyneth in this suit with him Timothy a Brother nay more then a Brother a famous Euangelist whose commendation was thoroughout all the Churches who with him intreated for his Seruant Moreouer concerning those to whom this Epistle is written first Philemon himselfe is mentioned with whom he presumeth to preuaile both because there is mutuall loue between them louing one another in the truth and Christian Faith and because he is a fellow-helper seeking to promote and further by all good meanes the course of the Gospell in both which respects there should be a neere familiarity and speciall interest one with another Secondly to him he ioyneth Apphia which seemeth to be his Wife both because she hath the second place after Philemon and
contrary to the Doctrine deliuered by himselfe contrary to the rest of the holy Scriptures and contrary to the Articles of our Faith Contrarie to himselfe because he teacheth i Rom. 10 13 14. that we cannot call vpon any whom we do not know out of Gods word and beleeue to be both able and willing to help vs saying Whosoeuer shall call on the Name of the Lord shall be saued how then shall they call on him on whom they haue not beleeued Where he reasoneth thus that we must beleeue onely in God and therefore pray onely to God Hee should be contrary to other Scriptures because we are k Heb. 4 16. taught by them To come with boldnesse to the Throne of Grace therefore the inuocation of Saints is vaine and needlesse seeing we haue a free accesse and bold approching vnto God through Christ againe they are l Ier. 17 5. Curssed that trust in man and make flesh their Arme and so with-draw their heart from the Lord. Christ calleth vs vnto himselfe and commaunded m Iohn 16 20 vs to aske the Father in his Name for the Father himselfe loueth vs. He should be contrary to the Articles of Faith wherein we are taught to beleeue onely in God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost Againe such as are not obstinately blinded and peruersely disposed may easily distinguish the Apostles words and see that he referreth not Faith both to Christ and the Saints but Faith to Iesus Christ and loue to the Saints For after that he had commended Philemon for two chiefe guifts of God Faith and Loue in both which consist the perfection of a Christian man he assigneth to eyther of them their propper subiect namely that Faith is in our Lord Iesus Christ and Charity is toward all the Saints which distinction and diuerse Relation may appeare by the Latine Interpretour and by their owne Rhemish Translation altering the preposition and reading it thus n In Iesu Christo in omnes Sanctos Loue and Faith in Iesus Christ and toward all the Saints Thirdly the Apostle else-where hauing occasion to mention these two graces of God he doth describe them distinctly by their seuerall obiectes and expresly referreth Faith to Christ and loue to the Saints o Ephe. 1 15. Col. 1 3 4. as writing to the Ephesians he saith Therefore also after that I hear of the Faith which ye haue in the Lord Iesus and loue toward all the Saints I cease not to giue thankes for you making mention of you in my prayers So in the Epistle to the Colossians We giue thankes to God euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ alway praying for you since we heard of your faith in Christ Iesus and of your loue toward all Saints Compare these two places with the words of Paule in this place and wee shall see they serue as a Key to open this and doe vtter that plainely which here is spoken more darkely Thus we see by the way that the Scripture is the best Expositer and Interpretour of the Scripture p August lib. 2 de doctr Christ cap. 6. and that which is spoken obscurely in one Book is made euident and manifest in another Fourthly it were not hard to produce and alledge sundry authorities and testimonies of elder times thus distinguish the words as we doe and auouching that no Faith and confidence is to be put in any of the Saints q Theodoret Ambrose Theophylact as if the Apostle had saide I know how great Faith thou hast reposed in our Lord which hath saued vs and with how great Charity thou hast releeued them that are the Seruants of God and esteeme godlines Lastly Faith in the Saints cannot bee prooued and inuocation of them established and grounded from hence because the Apostle speaketh of the Saints liuing not departed in the Church Militant not Triumphant the Saints on Earth not in Heauen For the Saints on Earth want our help and craue our releefe to be extended toward them but they that are in glory and haue receiued their Crowne doe not stand in neede of our comfort and refreshing and therefore this is a weake foundation to builde the Popish Faith and beleefe in Saints that are dead and departed out of this life seeing the Apostle vnderstandeth it of one sort and they take it and stretch it to another The third question answered The third question is this why the Apostle restraineth Philemons loue to the Saints whereas loue is a common debt that we owe to all men as the Apostle saith r Rom. 13 8. Owe nothing to any Man but to loue one another for hee that loueth another hath fulfilled the Law Seeing therefore loue should not be restrained to the Saints as though we ought to shut vp our bowels of pitty and compassion from others and seeing we are not to despise our owne flesh but honour the Image of God engrauen in our Nature how is it that his loue which ought to comprehend all mankind and enlarge it selfe to all others is onelie mentioned to haue beene toward the distressed Saints and Members of the Church The reason is they which are of the Houshold of Faith are tyed to vs by a stronger and straighter band of friendship and familiarity and God commendeth them vnto vs more particularlie and so they ought to challenge the first place in declaring the fruits of our loue The Apostle doth direct vs to this point when he saith Å¿ Gal. 6 10. While we haue time let vs doe good vnto al men but especially to them which are of the Houshold of Faith We are charged to loue all but we must loue the Saints with a peculiar and speciall loue euen as heires with Christ and Members of the same body with vs. God requireth of vs to loue al men as his Creatures but the godly as his Children Though therefore our loue should be common and extend it selfe farre and neere into all the world yet there should bee certaine degrees and an order in our loue should be obserued We are commaunded to loue all but we are not commaunded to loue all alike We are bound to loue the godly and vngodlie but we are not bound to loue the vngodly as the godly the Reprobates as the elect the Vessels of wrath as the Vessels of honour the Children of Belial as the Children of God We are therefore heere directed whom we are most neerely and deerly to loue euen those that haue Christ dwelling in their harts and grace shining in their faces Contrary to the practise of worldly Men who onely loue such as are of this World their loue is like themselues prophane men a prophane loue carnall men a carnall loue they loue euill men for their euill because they partake with them in euill they hate the godly for their godlinesse because they are vnlike them and will not runne with them into all excesse of ryot t Psal 38
Hab. 2 4. The iust shall liue by his owne Faith Faith is the worke of the Spirit in the heart of man so that if it must be in the hearts of euerie one of vs it followeth that it must bee speciall Reason 2. Secondly true Fayth giueth sound comfort and worketh peace with God this is the property of that Faith which we must haue in vs. But comfort commeth vnto vs by hearing of a promise made to others not belonging to our selues What consolation of heart can this worke in vs to know that others shall bee saued This the Apostle speaketh of Heb. 6. God willing more abundantly h He. 6 17 18 to shewe vnto the heyres of promise the stablenesse of his counsell bound himselfe by an Oath that by two immutable thinges wherein it is vnpossible that God should lye we might haue strong consolation which haue our refuge to lay hold vpon that hope that is set before vs. No man receyueth comfort by the riches of another himselfe being poor or by the honor of another himselfe liuing in disgrace can so no man can feele any comfort by the Faith of another so long as he wanteth Faith himselfe to apply Christ vnto himselfe Seeing then that euery man must attaine to saluation by his owne faith which is able to minister comfort vnto him in the time of neede we see that Faith consisteth in applying the mercies of God vnto our owne selues Vse 1. The Vses of this Doctrine are now to bee considered and stoode vpon that so wee may vnderstand how to apply this applying of Fayth vnto our selues First this confirmeth the forme and manner of speech vsed in the Articles of Fayth wherein euerie one is taught to say I beleeue in God Not We beleeue in God For howsoeuer wee are to pray for others as well as for our selues and are taught to say Our Father which art in Heauen yet when the question is of our Fayth wee must say not We beleeue but I beleeue We pray for others but we beleeue for our selues The like is to be sayde of euerie principle of Faith euerie man must holde them all and beleeue them all This ouerthroweth the Doctrine of the Church of Rome which teacheth a generall and implicite Faith to bee sufficient for vs to Iustification and Saluation For they teach if a man can say I beleeue as the Church beleeueth though hee know not how or what the Church beleeueth though hee vnderstand nothing though he be able to apply nothing vnto himselfe hee hath a good faith and by that faith may be saued Answereable to this Diuinity i Bellar. de iustif lib. 1. cap. 7. are the Iesuites and Schoole-mens damnable and diuellish positions which maintaine that the people are not bound to know what the matters of Faith bee that ignoraunce is better then the knowledge of them that they neede not enquire after them and that Faith is better defined by ignorance then by knowledge Hence it is that they commend the Colliars Faith k Apol. translated by Staplet part 1. page 53 who as the tale is told being at the point of death and tempted of the Deuill what his Faith was Aunsweared I beleeue and die in the faith of Christs Church but being againe demanded what the faith of Christs Church was that faith said he that I beleeue in and thus the deuill getting no other aunswere was ouercome and put to flight This fable hath beene so long told and related among them that now themselues begin to beleeue it to be a truth as a lyar by often telling an vntruth beginneth to thinke it may be a true tale This Colliars faith is the popish Creed which being founded in ignorance is too weake a shield to quench the fiery Darts of the Deuill and to resist his tentations Thus true faith is suppressed ignorance is set on foote by these ignoraunt Teachers who as they are blinde themselues so they would put out the eyes of others They require no knowledge of the things we pray for l Rhem. annot on 1 Cor. 14. on Luke 12 11. but preferre ignorance they require no ability to professe the perticular points of our faith but in grosse and general This ignorance is plentifully condemned in the Scriptures We are taught m Col. 3. 16. 1 Pet. 3 15. that the word must dwell plentifully in vs and that we must be able to giue an account of the hope that is in vs to them that shall require an aunswere of vs. We are taught n Math. 22 29 Rom. 15 4 Hebr. 5 11. Iohn 5 39. that ignorance is the Mother of all euill the roote of all error the cause of all vnbeleefe and that whatsoeuer things are written afore hand were written for our learning that wee might haue comfort and beleeue Thus do these enemies of God and his people take from them their sword when they should go to fight and strip them of their Armor when they should enter the battell like Theeues that put out the Candle which serueth to discouer them To conclude let vs know that an ignorant faith is no faith for where there is no knowledge there can bee no faith But such as liue in the Church of Rome being blindly led of blinde Teachers doo know nothing to their comfort they haue the key of Knowledge taken from them they are nuzled and encouraged in ignoraunce they heare it magnified and extolled vnto the skies Some of them pretend the reading of the Scriptures in the mother tongue and in the translation that all may vnderstand to bee a principall cause of heresie Another shameth not to auouch that it was the inuention of the Deuill to permit the people to read the Bible Another blusheth not to write that he knew certaine men possessed of a Deuill because being but Husbandmen they were able to discourse of the Scriptures They teach that it is Heresy for a Lay-man to dispute in a point of faith These men speake not by the spirit of God but vtter the Deuils language and instruct the people in the Colliars Creed It is written of Timothy o 2 Tim 3 15. that hee was trained vp of a childe in the knowledge of the Mysteries of Religion It is written p Deut. 29 29 that the things reuealed belong to vs and to our children In former times the Doctrines of godlynesse and seuerall points of religion were knowne of all and the lowest of the people reasoned of them q Chryso hom 3 in Lazarum Aug. tract 21. in Ioh. and their Byshops exhorted thē thereunto asking why they are vttered if they may not be known Why they haue sounded if they may not bee heard And wherefore are they heard but that we should vnderstand them Vse 2. Secondly seeing it is the very forme of faith to receiue and apply this teacheth that it is not enough for men to haue an hystorical faith to belieue those things
to be true which the word teacheth touching God Christ Fayth Eternall life and such like but we must apply them to our own hearts haue a perticular faith of them otherwise we may be sent to Schoole to learn faith of the Deuils who go so farre And howsoeuer some may thinke it to bee a very grosse and homely comparison to compare men to the Deuils yet if wee examine the faith and practise of wicked and carnall men we shall easily perceiue not onely that the Deuils are equall vnto them but doo go manie degrees before them For first the Deuils vnderstand the Law and the Gospell They know the end of the one and the vse of the other They giue assent to the Couenant of Grace that it is true they know that it is certaine sure and that God will giue remission of sinnes and the glory of immortality to the members of his Church They know the Person the Natures the Offices of Christ They know that all things spoken in the Scripture shall be performed This appeareth in the confession which they make in many places of the Gospell concerning Christ r Marke 1 24. 3. 11 Luke 4 41. I know thee what thou art euen that holie one of God thou art the sonne of God thou art that Christ And the Apostle Iames speaking of such as gloried in a false faith but wanteth the true Faith sayeth Thou beleeuest that there is one God thou dooest well Å¿ Iames 2 19. the Deuils also beleeue it and tremble He setteth downe a chiefe point of Religion which the Deuils beleeue concerning the vnity of the God-head and this faith of the Deuil is not to be restrained to this one principall point but it stretcheth to the whole Doctrine of faith so that he setteth down expressely this one ground foundation instead of the whole body of Christianity For the Deuils do not only beleeue that there is one God who hath created all things and gouerneth all things and shall iudge all the world but that there is one Christ one Sauiour one Redeemer And this is a sure reason that they knowe this great Mystery of godlinesse God manifest in the flesh because they seeke to ouerthrow destroy and deface it by contrary errors But how manie are there among the sonnes of men that take themselues to bee great Christians and thinke they are better then the Deuils that know not these things Are there not many that are among vs and liue in the bosom of the Church who would defie them that should charge them to come behinde the Deuils yet know not the Doctrine of the Trinity the person of Christ the vnion of his Natures the end of the Lawe the Sacraments of the Church the Couenant of the Gospell the Nature of Faith the Iustification of a Sinner and the way of saluation Againe the Apostle teacheth not only that the Deuils beleeue the things that are written in the scripture but likewise that they tremble at the Iudgements of God contained in the scripture They knowe the promise of the Gospell they heare of remission of sinnes they beleeue there is in eternal life which the blessed of the Father shall inherite but they feele no ioy in it they receyue no comfort by it they are neuer a whit delighted with it because they know themselues separated from it and to be reserued for the wrath to com as we finde it vttered of the Deuils through the mouth of the possessed t Math. 8 29. Why art thou come to torment vs before our time Whereby they acknowledge that they looked for â—he accomplishment of threatnings and the feeling of torments but they would haue the time prolonged and put off so long aâ— they could And we see that they beleeue all matters of Faith to bee true but â—…y are not perswaded nor cannot beleeue that they pertaine any thing at all vnto them They haue no hope of mercy they haue no assurance of pardon they haue no expectation of saluation Now as they beleeue that the promises of God do not concern them so they know that the threatnings of God shal certainly come vpon them and that eternal torments are prepared for them which is the cause of their feare and trembling But how many wicked men are there that liue in sensuality and are drowned in security They are resolued to lye still in sin and yet consider not what hangeth ouer their heads Tell the Deuils of their estate wherein they stand and they tremble Tell the vngodly of their condition they are carelesse The Deuils in remembraunce of Iudgements despayre the vngodly presume The Deuils are constrained to confesse that God is iust the vngodly wash it away and say tush God is mercifull Thus doth Satan besot and bewitch the Reprobate teacheth them a lesson which he could neuer learn himselfe namely that Gods word is not all true and that the threatnings there pronounced shall not fall vpon them and therefore we see such as are taught and reprooued by the Ministry of the word either to be as sencelesse blockes not mooued at all with them or as open blasphemers reuiling and railing at the word These are notable and forward Schollers and haue profited deeply in the Deuils Schoole they are growne to bee more cunning then their Maister and haue out-gone him in their profession and therefore they must be as neere condemnation as he This faith then to beleeue that part of Gods worde which consisteth in beleeuing Gods vengeance and threatnings is hardly to be found among the vngodly and therefore the faith of the Deuils is more perfect which should teach vs to labour that our faith may exceed and go beyond the Deuils and that wee may seeke to apply the mercifull promises of God to our selues and so to find comfort in them which the Deuils want We must not only say Christ gaue himselfe but he gaue himselfe for me It is not enough to say he loueth man but he loueth me he is a Sauiour but hee is my Sauiour hee is a Redeemer but he is my Redeemer he forgiueth sinnes but hee forgiueth me my sinnes It is not enough to say he saued others but we must say he saueth me hee is not onely the God of others but he is my God and my Lord. This was the comfort that Dauid felt when hee saith u Psal 18 2. The Lorde is my Rocke and my Fortresse my God and my strength my shield the horne of my saluation and my refuge It is the tenor of the Couenant that God made with Abraham and all beleeuers x Gen. 17. 7. I will be thy God and the God of thy seede If then God haue promised this mercie and spoken peace vnto our Consciences saying to euerie faithfull person I will be thy God why should not euerie beleeuer take holde of this and say The Lord shall be my God as I am one of his people This is not to offer
iniurie to other men or to make him peculiar to our selues but to leaue him the same to others that hee is to vs as euery man enioyeth the light of the Sunne without excluding others from the vse thereof Vse 3. Lastly we learne that it is no Doctrine of pride and presumption to teach assurance confidence and certainty of Faith that euery one should beleeue that God is his God that Christ is his Sauiour that the Holy-Ghost is his sanctifier that forgiuenesse of sinnes and eternall life shall bee giuen vnto him If we beleeue not this we beleeue nothing if we deny this or doubt of this all our Faith is in vaine For as wee pray for the forgiuenesse of our owne sinnes so we must beleeue the forgiuenesse of our owne sinnes The promises of the Gospell are generall these we are to knowe do belong to vs and therefore must take them as spoken to vs. It is promised y Iosh 1 5. to Ioshua imediately after the death of Moses that God would not leaue him nor forsake him This the Apostle applyeth and maketh it common to all the faithfull whom he chargeth to haue their conuersation without couetousnesse z Heb. 13 5. seeing it is written That God will not leaue them nor forsake them God commandeth vs to call vpon him with promise to heare vs a Psal 50 15 and 4 3. Call vpon mee and I will heare thee This was the comfort of Dauid and the assurance that hee had When I call vpon the Lord he will heare him Christ our Sauiour giueth vs encouragement to prayer because b Iohn 14. 13 1 Iohn 5 14 Whatsoeuer we aske in his name that will hee do that the Father may be glorified in the Sonne Hence it is that Iohn sayeth This is the assurance that wee haue of him that whatsoeuer we aske according to his will he heareth vs And if we know that he heareth vs we know we haue the petitions which we aske of him When Christ sayde to the poore distressed man in the Gospell If thou canst beleeue all things are possible to him that beleeueth He answered c Marke 9 24 Lord I beleeue help mine vnbeleefe So saith the Prophet d Psal 116 16 and 119 125. Behold Lord I am thy seruant I am thy seruant ô giue mee vnderstanding that I may keepe thy Commandements c. The Lord saith generally e Iohn 3. 15. Math. 28. Whosoeuer beleeueth shall be saued Hence the Apostle inferreth this particular to the Iailor f Acts 16 32. Beleeue thou and thou shalt be saued When God saith g Psal 27. 8. Seeke ye my face the voyce of the faithfull doth returne and rebound this backe again Thy face Lord I will seeke God by his new Couenant bindeth himselfe to the heyres of promise saying h Ier. 31 33. Esay 25 9. I will be their God and they shall be my people whereupon they are emboldned to say Loe this is our God we haue waited for him and hee will saue vs we will reioyce and be ioyfull in his saluation God saith vnto vs I am thy saluation our heart againe with vnspeakeable comfort inwardly ministered answeareth Thou art my God So then when we say aright we belieue in God the Father it is as much as to say I beleeue that God is my God and I haue assurance and trust in him for my saluation And to beleeue that God is my God is to beleeue that he is my life my peace my deliuerance my saluation not onely that he is these things in himselfe and in his owne nature not onely that he is these things to other men that trust in him and depend vpon him but that he is indeede the same to mee that his mercy dooth compasse me his power defend me his prouidence watch ouer me and his fauor keepe and preserue me to himselfe in life and death For there are many degrees of faith i Credere deum Credere Deo credere in Deū one step is to beleeue that God is the second step is to beleeue God that is to giue credit to him that al his words which he hath spoken and the promises which he hath made are true the third step is to beleeue in God which requireth trust in God according to his word and promise being firmely resolued that he will do whatsoeuer he hath said Thus it is required of vs to doe in euery Article of Faith in euery promise of Mercy in euery word of grace offered vnto vs we must by a speciall faith receiue it and apply it Obiection If such a faith be required the question may be asked how Infants can be saued that cannot haue this faith of their owne and therefore it seemeth they must be saued by their Parents faith Answere I answere that the faith of Parents dooth bring the Infants to haue a Title and interrest in the Couenant of grace and in all the benefits of Christ but it cannot apply the merits of Christs death his obedience his righteousnesse vnto the Infant For this the Beleeuer and faithfull Parent doth onely to himselfe and to no other but the merrites and satisfaction of Christ and ingrafting into his bodie are wrought by some speciall and secret working of the Holy-Ghost vnto vs vnknowne but effectuall to the Infant and comfortable to the Parent albeit it be not done by his faith and therefore this that men are iustified by a speciall faith holdeth to be true in men of yeares and discretion not in Infants and children who are iustified and saued by an extraordinary woorking of Gods spirit k Iohn 3 8. Like the wind which bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it commeth and whether it goeth so is euerie man that is borne of the Spirit Obiection Againe sometimes the deare children of God faile in this speciall faith want this particular application they are not able to say God is my God Christ is my Sauiour Answere I aunswere this falleth out indeede sometimes in the tentations of Satan and in the infirmities of the flesh so that they haue not a feeling of Gods mercy toward them but euen then they cease not to beleeue We must liue by faith not by feeling A man may haue life in him though the sicke man in extremity do not know it or feele it so may faith bee in vs in some great tentation albeit we feele it not present Dauid lost and wanted this feeling l Psal 151. when he prayed God to create in him a cleane heart and to renew a right spirit within him But was it vtterly lost No for he sayth Take not away thy Spirit from me In this case it shall be good for vs to remember the former mercies of God toward vs and consider how hee hath dealt with vs and thereby assure our harts that howsoeuer God for a season with-holdeth the
confession and lastly seeing the Gospell of Christ is the instrument of Gods power to woorke in vs saluation it followeth that the Religion of God and the gospel of Christ must not onely be beleeued in heart and embraced in Iudgements but also bee confessed by the mouth and professed in the practise of an holy life Obiections answered Against this truth somewhat may be obiected First if true Religion must openly bee confessed then such as are dumbe and cannot speake can haue no Religion if Confession be a fruite of faith then they must of necessitie want Faith that want the vse of the tongue Answere I answere the Doctrine must be vnderstood of such as haue the vse of the tongue giuen them to glorifie God If God haue giuen vnto vs the freedome of speech hee requireth this dutie at our hands If hee haue giuen vs no more then a sanctified and faithfull heart let vs honour him with the holy Meditations thereof he will exact no more of vs then hee hath giuen vnto vs. Hence it is that the Prophet Dauid sayeth or rather the Lorde himselfe by the Prophet Psalme 81. i Psal 81 10. Open thy Mouth wide and I will fill it In like manner it is sayde k Rom. 10 17 That Faith commeth by Hearing and Hearing by the worde of God yet can God extraordinarily giue faith to those that are deafe and haue not their hearing who is not bound to the outward sences nor tieth his graces to the outward eares but supplieth those wants by the working of his holy spirit to the endlesse comfort of such as haue those infirmities Obiection 2 Againe the Apostle sayth Rom. 14 22. Hast thou Faith Haue it with thy selfe before God Where we see hee seemeth to say that it is sufficient if we haue Faith inwardly in the heart albeit no confession followe outwardly with the mouth Answere I answere the Apostle in this place speaketh of another thing to wit of a perswasion touching Christian liberty in things indifferent as if hee shoulde say Art thou strongly perswaded and assured that all Meats are lawfull to Christians Be it so yet vse it betweene God and thine owne Conscience and hurt not thy Neighbour with it nor offend thy weake Brother by it This serueth nothing at all to maintaine a dumbe Religion without open Confession which some would willingly bring in considering as one l Tertullian sayth that he which doth dissemble faith doth deny it Obiection 3. Lastly it is Obiected that Religion is better to bee concealed that we may giue no offence vnto others and auoyde the troubles that ariseth by Confession Answere I aunswere that is no offence giuen to men but a greeuous sinne committed against God who requireth the profession of his trueth And the Apostle Paule was readie to suffer bandes and imprisonment yea euen death it selfe for the profession of the Gospell of Iesus Christ Thus much breefely shall suffice in answere of the Obiections that are made Vse 1. Now let vs see and marke the Vses that arise from hence First wee learne who are to bee accounted true Christians and true Beleeuers to wit such as shew soorth their Fayth by their Confession It is not left to our owne choyse whether wee will make a solemne and sound profession of the Faith or not no more then it is at our libertie whether wee will beleeue or not or whether wee will bee saued or not It is required of all that belong to God to confesse his name and maintaine his Religion All men must confesse that would be confessed before the Father Christ Iesus will neuer beare and endure that seruant which is ashamed of his seruice The Prophet prophesying of the Kingdome of Christ and shewing how they should grow and multiply as the grasse of the field maketh this as a fruite of their conuersion to the Faith l Esay 44 5. One shall say I am the Lords another shall bee called by the name of Iacob and another shall subscribe with his hand vnto the Lord and name himselfe by the name of Israell This the Apostle m Ro. 10 9 10 also teacheth Rom. 10. If thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lorde Iesus and shalt beleeue in thine heart that God raised him vp from the dead thou shalt be saued for with the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse and with the mouth man confesseth to saluation So our Sauiour doth not make it proper to his disciples but common to all to confesse him and his words before men And he doth not say whosoeuer shall confesse mee in heart but with his tongue not inwardly but outwardly not secretly but openly For albeit the Faith of the heart be the principall thing and cheefely required of vs yet the confession of the mouth must not bee separated from it This reprooueth such as account this open confession of the truth to bee of no absolute necessitie but a meere thing indifferent left to our liberty to be practised or not to bee practised These are those Libertines that woulde liue as they list and make it no matter of what Religion they be For if it be indifferent whether wee professe Religion or not it is indifferent whether we beleeue or haue faith and let them hold it indifferent also vnto them whether the Lord Iesus doo professe to know them or not Againe we see that it is not enough for vs not to denie Christ but there is required of vs a farther dutie euen to confesse him before men It is required of a dutifull son to confesse his Father with a sound and vpright hart but yet he must not deny his father before men if he would haue his Father confesse him So is it the part of a true Christian to beleeue to righteousnes and to confesse to saluation Euery one would seeme willing and desirous to be saued but if we looke to be partakers thereof Christ must know vs for his seruants and he will not acknowledge vs in his kingdome vnlesse heere we make confession of him If we will not heere know him he wil say to vs heereafter I know you not depart from me n 2 Tim. 2 12. If we deny him he will deny vs If we be ashamed of him take heede least he also bee ashamed of vs. The Theefe that was vpon the Crosse made open confession of his faith reproued the blasphemy of his Companion and called vpon Christ for saluation Luke 23. he rebuked his fellow saying o Luke 23 40 42 43. Fearest thou not God seeing thou art in the same condemnation We are indeed righteously heer for we receiue things worthy of that we haue done but this man hath done nothing amisse And he sayd vnto Iesus Lord remember mee when thou commest into thy Kingdome And albeit hee were a Theefe and a Malefactor for which hee suffered death yet is not Christ ashamed of him hee doth not stoppe his eares
and refuse to heare him but to shewe himselfe true in his worde and faithfull in his promise hee dooth acknowledge him as his owne because hee confessed him before that sinnefull and wicked generation saying vnto him Verily I say vnto thee to day thou shalt be with me in Paradise The Apostle Iohn liuing when the Deity of our Sauiour beganne to bee doubted of and called into question saith p 1 Ioh. 4 2 3. Euerie Spirit which confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God and euery spirit that confesseth not that Iesus Christ is come in the Flesh is not of God If therefore wee looke to bee confessed of Christ and to haue our soules saued in the day of the Lord let vs boldly beare and behaue our selues vnder the Crosse and not shrinke in the wetting like deceitfull cloth let vs know that confession and saluation must goe together if wee waite for the one wee must expresse the other if confession go before we may build surely and ground our selues strongly vpon the promise of Christ that the saluation of our soules shall follow after and no man shall take it from vs. This made the Apostle say q 2 Tim. 1 12. For this cause I suffer these things but I am not ashamed for I know whom I haue beleeued and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I haue committed to him against that day Vse 2 Secondly seeing our Faith and Religion must be confessed it is a duty that lieth vpon vs to seeke to know the truth and labour to expresse the power of godlinesse otherwise it is vnpossible that euer we should make profession of it For profession of the faith presupposeth a knowledge of the faith for how can we confesse that which we kno not or manifest that to other wherof we are ignorant our selues This controlleth and condemneth those that liue in the Church heare the word and haue the Gospell sounding a long time in their eares yet know not what faith is nor how to beleeue so that whereas in regard of their continuance in the Church in regard of the meanes offred to them and in regard of their age wherewith God hath blessed them r Heb. 5 12. they might haue been teachers of others they haue neede to be taught the beginnings of faith the grounds of religion the principles of the word of God and are become such as haue neede of milke and not of strong meate Alas who can consider without great greefe of heart and anguish of spirit in what state the greatest number of our people stand and remember that after al our planting watering sowing and labouring they are apt and fit to receiue any religion because they are blinde and ignorant and know not God aright or any part of his truth to their soules health They are like the potters Clay which is readie to take any forme and receiue any impression or like the earth which altereth and changeth as the winde or weather as the Spring or Winter shall worke vpon it If they were taught to beleeue and receiue the Cabala of the Iewes the Alcoran of the Turkes the Reuelations of the Anabaptists the Traditions of the Papists or such like rotten trash of mans deuises and if they were countenanced by authoritie of Princes and Lawes of men they were as easie to be wrought vpon as waxe that is readie to receiue any stampe and impression A lamentable case that wee should bee still as Babes and children not knowing the right hand from the left carried about with euerie waue of Doctrine and receiuing the darknesse of errour for the light of the truth But we haue not so learned Christ and the Christian Religion When we haue once giuen entertainment vnto the truth and imbraced it soundly in our hearts we must not denie the faith whatsoeuer befall vs whatsoeuer trouble come vnto vs whether prosperity fawne and flatter vpon vs or whether aduersity pinch vs and paine vs whether the Sunne of peace shine vpon vs or whether the clouds of affliction ouer-shaddow vs wee must alwayes be the same and our standing in the faith should not be wauering or wandering to giue ouer at euery assault and to shrink backe for euery brunt and to deny our Lorde and Maister by euery tentation This serueth to reproue those that knowe nothing and therefore can professe nothing and as they know nothing so they will know nothing of whom we may say as the Apostle doth Å¿ 2 Pet. 3 5. This they wittingly know not and so are wilfully ignorant and shut their eies because they would not see and because the light shold not shine into their hearts For seeing God hath commanded the light to shine out of darknes we may truly say t 2 cor 4 3 4 6 If our Gospell be then hid it is hidde to them that are lost in whom the God of this world hath blinded the mindes that is of the Infidels that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ which is the Image of God shoulde not shine vnto them Thus doth God send them strong delusion that they shold beleeue lies u 2 Thess 2 11 12. That all they might be damned which beleeued not the trueth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse Let vs therefore seeke after knowledge as for great Treasures Let vs search the Scriptures that in them we may find eternall life let vs haue the word of God dwell plentifully in vs which is able to make vs wise vnto Saluation Let vs vse all good meanes to encrease knowledge in vs to begin in Faith to hold out a good confession to maintaine the truth against all the aduersaries that rise against vs. Vse 3. Thirdly seeing it is a duty to open our mouthes and lose our tongues to confesse to his name that hath called vs to his truth it standeth vs vpon continually and constantly to pray for the Spirit of strength or corroboration that we may be made able to stand in the time of danger It is not in all that know and acknowledge the truth to auouch it and to maintaine it to confesse it and to stand to it but onely of such as haue receiued the strengthening power of Christ Hence it is that the Apostle saith of himselfe x Phil 4 13. I am able to doe all thinges through the helpe of Christ which strengthneth me So he prayeth for the Colossians That they might be strengthned with the glorious power of Christ When a man hath once receiued to beleeue hee wanteth a new grace to bee giuen vnto him that the graine of Faith which lyeth hidden in the heart and couered in the Ashes of mans frailty may grow vp openly and bring forth in vs the confession of the mouth This appeareth by the words of the Apostle Iohn who testifieth y Iohn 12 42 43. That euen among the cheefe Rulers many beleeued in him neuerthelesse because of the
at home Fot it is their Religion that is a broaching of lies and of all liberty to do euill as all men by the light of Nature not blinded with the loue of error might soone espy Behold therefore some kinds of their Catholick Faith taught by their holy Mother the Church They teach the lawfulnesse of deposing Princes and discharging their Subiects of their allegeance and obedience toward them This Doctrine filleth Kingdomes and Countreyes with Treasons and Rebellions and alloweth Traitours and Assassinates and Murtherers of them at the Popes pleasure They doo teach and allowe the worship of Images and bowing downe to Stockes and Stones whereby the people are drawne away from the liuing God to palpable Idolatry as common experience hath declared o Polid. Virg. de inuent rer lib. 6 cap. 13. and some of themselues haue confessed They publish at large the benefit of Pardons which may easily be procured for money which open wide the Flood-gates of al vngodlynesse For who will spare to commit sinne that is able to redeeme it with his purse Yea this emboldned certaine p Chemni exam conc Trident de poenit men to rob the Popes pardoner who before hand had giuen them a pardon to commit the next sinne though it should bee a great sinne They teach touching the Sacrament of the Lordes Supper that a Dogge or Mouse or Swine or any Beast eating a consecrated host eateth the very flesh and bodie of our Sauiour q Treatise of the Sacram. in the conclusion as I haue shewed else-where They maintaine the filthy Dunghill of Stewes and Brothell-houses which giueth allowance vnto open whoredome and vncleannesse yea they say it is good for a r Hard. against the Apology Common-wealth and the Pope tollerateth the Curtezans in Rome and in other places vpon a yearly rent to practise and professe Bawdry Vnto this rablement of their Catholicke conclusions Å¿ See White of the way to the true Church we might adde many others which suffice to discouer what the holinesse of the Romish Religion is and to direct vs to come out of it betimes least partaking with the same sinnes we also partake in the punishments The second reproofe Secondly this coniunction of these two Vertues ouerthroweth the carnall loosenesse of all Libertines such as are Hypocrites and vaine boasters of Faith which thinke it sufficient to speake of Faith and to boast that they beleeue These men doth the Apostle Iames plainly reproue in his Epistle teaching that where there is want of works t 1 Tim. 1 5. there is also want of Faith of a true Faith which is the right Faith Wee must therefore examine our Faith by the fruits and prooue our beleeuing by our working We haue many such in our daies that glorie of their Faith and boast that they are of a right beleefe and yet lay them to the triall and examine their liues what they are and we shall finde them to be lyars against the truth and deceiuing their owne soules Knowe therefore that our faith is as our liues are A good life a good Faith a dead life a dead Faith an vnfruitfull life an ydle Faith And thus much of Faith and Loue ioyned together Now let vs speake of them seuerally as they are described first touching Faith and afterward touching Loue. Faith in Christ The first Vertue which is heere commended to bee in Philemon is Faith which is saide to respect Christ This Faith is a guift of God whereby we apprehend Christ and his benefits beleeuing the remission of our sinnes and our reconciliation with God Marke therefore that the faith heere set forth is saide to be toward Christ and Christ who is the proper obiect of Faith dooth also point vs vnto the Father who willeth and ordaineth our Saluation Redemption Reconciliation and Saluation and to the Holy-Ghost who applyeth and appropriateth to the elect these benefits which are willed by the Father and merrited by Christ Doctrine 7. Christ is the obiect of our Faith So then when the Apostle saith of Philemon that his faith was in Christ hee teacheth that true faith looketh vnto Christ dependeth vpon him trusteth and resteth in him for saluation and not vpon any creature in heauen or earth Our faith must direct vs to Christ to beleeue in him to haue recourse to him and to looke for saluation from him as the Israelites did health from the Brazen serpent This is proued vnto vs by many consents of the word of God The Apostle Iohn in his Gospell a Iohn 1 12. 3 16 17 20 6 29. 3 14 15 and 12 44 46. and 14 12. offereth plentifull Testimonies of the truth as Chap. 1 12. As many as receiued him to them he gaue prerogatiue to be the sonnes of God euen to them that beleeue in his name And Chap. 3. God so loued the world that hee hath giuen his onely begotten Sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life And again Chap. 17. I pray not for these alone but for them also which shall beleeue in me through their word So before in the third Chapter As Moses lift vp the Serpent in the Wildernesse so must the sonne of man be lift vp that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue eternall life Thus he speaketh in another place This is the worke of God that ye beleeue in him whom he hath sent When Phillip saide to the Eunuch If thou beleeuest with all thine heart thou mayst be baptized He answered b Acts 8 37. 16 31. I beleeue that Iesus Christ is that sonne of God So Paule and Silas willed the Keeper of the prison to beleeue in the Lord Iesus Christ and he should he saued And the Apostle Gal. 2. teacheth That a man is not iustified by the Workes of the Lawe c Gal. 2 16. but by the faith of Iesus Christ euen we I say haue beleeued in Iesus Christ that we might be iustified by the Faith of Christ All these places of Scripture plainly instruct vs in this principle of our holy religion that Faith must be in Christ in whom it findeth a sure ground to rest vpon Reason 1. The Reasons are to be marked and considered which confirme this Doctrine First because the worke of saluation is wholly and onely wrought by him and no part thereof is reserued to any creature in whole or in part To be called Iesus is as it were the proper name of Christ who is a perfect and absolute Sauiout beginning continuing and finishing our saluation This is it d Acts 4 12. which Peter preacheth Among men there is no other name giuen vnder heauen whereby we may be saued but by the Name of Iesus And the author to the Hebrews saith that he e Heb. 7 25. is able perfectly to saue them that come vnto God by him seeing he euer liueth to make intercession for them Thus
we see Christ is made the Author and finisher of our saluation Reason 2. Secondly to put a difference betweene the Creator and the Creatute betweene the things pertaining to God and the things pertaining to men No creature is to be beleeued in nor any blessing that we receiue from Christ We beleeue the Church not in the Church the Communion of Saintes not in the Communion of Saints the forgiuenesse of sinnes not in the forgiuenesse of sinnes as wee shall see afterward Seeing therefore we haue Iustification and saluation from no other then from Christ and seeing we must make a difference and distinction betweene him and all other creatures it foloweth that we must beleeue in him and fasten our Faith as a sure Anchor of our soul vpon him Vse 1. Let vs see what are the Vses of this Doctrine and how wee may profitably apply it to our instruction and edification First seeing it is our dutie to beleeue in Christ we learne that Christ Iesus is true and eternall God equall with his Father to be worshipped and glorifyed together with the Father the blessed spirit This serueth to conuince the Heresie of the Arrians Iewes Turkes Persians and sundry other Infidels who deny the Deity of the sonne of God and cast him downe into the row and ranke of meere creatures who notwithstanding f Phil. 2 6 10. being in the forme of God thought it no robberie to bee equall with God at whose Name euery knee must bowe both of thinges in Heauen and things in earth and things vnder the earth Therefore we saw before that the Apostle in his salutation wisheth Grace and Peace to come vpon them to whom he writeth this Epistle as well from Iesus Christ as from God the Father If Grace and Peace come not onely from the Father but from the Sonne it followeth that he is God equall with the other Hence it is that he sayth in the Gospell g Iohn 14 1. 11 and 12 44. 10 30 and 14 11. 9 38 Ye beleeue in God beleeue also in mee let not your heart be troubled And againe He that beleeueth in mee beleeueth not in me to wit an ordinary man as they falsly imagined but in him that sent me And in another place Beleeue me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me I and my Father are one So when Christ had restored sight on the Sabaoth day to him that was borne blinde he sayd Lord I beleeue and worshipped him Whereby we see that whosoeuer is without the Sonne is also without the Father he that beleeueth not in the Sonne beleeueth not in the Father Hee that worshippeth not the Sonne Worshippeth not the Father So then this is a certaine and inuincible Argument of the Deitie of Christ that wee are to beleeue in him forasmuch as Faith is a Worshippe due onely vnto God Vse 2. Secondly seeing it is a principle necessarie to be holden of al men that we must beleeue in the Son we must put a difference betweene these sayings to beleeue God to beleeue in God For albeit hee that beleeueth in God beleeueth God yet it is not so on the contrary euery one that beleeueth God doth not by by beleeue in God The Deuils themselues as we shewed before do beleeue God they beleeue Christ they confesse him to bee the son of the Father they know him to be the Iudge of the Worlde the Sauiour of mankinde the holy one of God and yet they doo not beleeue in him they put no confidence in him they looke not for life and saluation from him but are assured they are reserued to destruction This maketh them cry out in h Math. 8 29. the Gospell Why art thou come to torment vs before the time And the apostle Iames sayth i Iames 2 19. The Deuils beleeue and tremble They beleeue God touching his Nature and attributes they beleeue Christ touching his Person Natures and Offices They beleeue the Holy-Ghost touching his Person and Guifts They beleeue there is a Church and singular prerogatiues imparted to it and bestowed vpon it And albeit our Faith must goe beyond the faith of the Deuils yet they goe farther then many professors of the Gospell among vs that haue no knowledge of these things So then it is required of vs not onely to beleeue that there is a Sauiour of the world but wee must beleeue that he is our Sauiour beginning our saluation in this life and perfecting it in the life to come This confuteth the Popish opinion that holdeth that wee may beleeue in the creatures as well as in the Creator in the Saints as well as in Christ in mortall men as well as in the eternall God They teach that wee may beleeue not onely the Church but in the Church not onely Moses k Rhem. Test vpon Rom. 10. but in Moses not onely the Prophets but in the Prophets Wee are charged to beleeue in the blessed Trinity in God the Father in God the sonne and in God the Holy Ghost but l Ruffin in Symbol when the speech is not of the God-head but of the Creatures and Mysteries we are not taught to beleeue in them and therefore we are no more to beleeue in the Church then to beleeue in baptisme in the resurrection of the bodie the Communion of Saints and in the participation of glory We are indeede to beleeue m Exod. 14 31 2 Chro. 20 20 Moses and the Prophets that they spake not of themselues that their word is not the worde of man that they ran not before they were sent but we are not to beleeue in them We are indeed to beleeue Peter and Paule n Angast tract 2â— in Iohan. but not in Peter and Paule Wee are to beleeue the Scriptuers but not in the Scriptures o Euseb Emissen de Symb. hom 2. for that were to bestow vpon the seruant the honour of the Lorde and to giue to man that which is proper to the diuine Maiesty Wee must beleeue in Christ Iesus our onely sauiour as for those that beleeue in any other or seek saluation in any other then in Christ whether in Saints or in Angels or in themselues they beleeue not in Christ as in their onely Sauiour For p Cyprian de duplic martyr he beleeueth not in God who doth not place in him alone the trust of his whole felicity who doth not put his affiance in him who doth not depend vppon him who is not assured of his good will and fauour looking for saluation from him and for deliuerance from all euils Vse 3. Lastly seeing it is necessary for vs to haue faith in Christ it is our dutie to vse all meanes to attaine to this Faith Many there are which are deceiued in thinking they haue it who indeede haue it not These suppose they are full of Faith who are as empty vessels and neuer tasted the sweetnesse of it as
the Apostle set forth the fruits of Philemons loue most effectualy This is to be obserued of vs concerning the method and meaning of these words which are thus much in effect If thou wouldest more fully know the cause of my giuing thanks and the remembrance of thee in my praiers surely it is this that as God in mercy hath bestowed vpon thee a true sauing faith so my earnest desire and humble request is vnto him that the offices fruits and duties of thy faith may bee more and more communicated and fitted to the benefit of the poore Saints that so whatsoeuer good thing is to be found in thee through the grace and working of Iesus Christ may bee acknowledged manifested and published abroade to the glory of God the comfort of the faithful and the prouocation of others For indeed thy loue giueth me great occasion of much ioy because thou my brother dost not only cheere the Saints and reioycest them but cause their very harts and bowels euen their secret and inward parts to be refreshed reioyced Diuers points to be obserued out of these Verses But before we handle the doctrines arising in this diuision it shal not be amisse a litle to examine the force of the words and the maner that Paule hath obserued in the penning of them First obserue that he saith not simply thy faith may bee made effectuall but The fellowship of thy Faith that the fruit thereof might redown and returne to many Secondly he saith not barely That his Faith might be knowne but Euery good thing that is euery grace that was in his heart because when Faith is made knowne to others and brought into sight open light many other guifts of the Holy-Ghost are made knowne as Loue Patience Liberality and such like For the grace of Faith is neuer alone in the heart but is garded with a troope and company of all other vertues and when it commeth as it were out of the doores it commeth abroad with a band and traine of all other graces Thirdly he declareth the author and cause of all these blessings from whence they proceed to wit from Christ that we shold learne not to thinke or speake of any benefite without making mention of Christ Fourthly he draweth an argument or reason why hee prayed for the efficacy of his Faith from the former experience of his Loue which was as effectuall as his Faith teaching that the experience of grace already giuen should mooue vs to begge and craue the encrease of that Grace and a perseuerance and continuance in that grace and therefore wee must not bee so simple or sencelesse to imagine when we see grace bestowed vpon any man that we haue no more neede to pray for the encreasing and growing of that grace For wee must know that there are degrees of grace there is a first Grace there is a second Grace Now that Grace may bee multiplyed and a continuall encrease and accesse to it may be added we must make daily praiers we must pray that we may haue Faith and when we haue it we must not be secure but pray that it may be effectuall and working by loue Last of al in the commending of Philemons liberality x Theophil in hunc locum he dooth not nakedly say that he gaue to the poore but To the poore Saints for all that are poore are not poore Saints many are poore that are wretched and vngodly and haue no part of sanctification neither doth he say onely that he gaue to the Saints but he refreshed them and not only that he refreshed the Saints but the very bowels of the Saints Now let vs come to the Doctrines That the fellowship of thy Faith may bee made effectuall Heere the Apostle remembreth the matter and substance of his prayer what it was that hee besought and requested of God where we see hee affirmeth that it consisted in this that the fruits of his Faith might be encreased continually augmented Doctrine 1. It is our dutie to stirre vp our selus others to increase in good things We learne from this place that it is the duty of all men earnestly to desire wish and procure the good of others and to stirre vp our selues others to encrease in the graces of Gods spirit The growing and proceeding of our brethren in the best things should be sought for of vs. When Moses had word brought vnto him that som in the host did prophesy that is had receiued notable gifts of the spirit for the guiding and directing of his people he saide a Num. 12 29 I would to God that not only these but that all the Lords people were Prophets and that he would poure out his spirit vpon them The Apostle writing to the Thessalonians saith b 1 Thess 4 1. Furthermore I beseech you Brethren and exhort you in the Lord Iesus that ye encrease more and more as ye haue receiued of vs how yee ought to walke and to please God They had encreased already exceedingly they had gained in the Faith and were growne to a perfect age they receiue this Testimony and commendation c 1 Thess 1 6 7 8. 2 13. 5 1 2. 4 9 10. 3 10 11 that they became followers of the Apostles of the Lord They receiued the word in much affliction with ioy of the Holy-Ghost They were as ensamples to all that beleeue in Macedonia from them sounded out the word into al quarters they receiued it not as the word of men but as it is indeede the word of God which worketh in them that beleeue Touching the times and seasons he had no neede to write vnto them because they knew perfectly that the day of the Lord should come as a theef in the night Touching brotherly loue they had no neede he should write vnto them for they were taught of God to loue one another yet he prayeth to God still to encrease them and make them abound in loue one towardes another and toward all men yea he desired exceedingly night and day that he might see their face and might accomplish that was lacking in their faith Heereunto tendeth the exhortation that Paule giueth to Timothy d 1 Tim. 4 14 15. Despise not the gift that is in thee which was giuen thee by prophesie with the laying on of the hands of the company of the Eldership these things exercise and giue thy selfe vnto them that it may be seene how thou profitest among all men When the writer to the Hebrewes had reprooued the sluggishnesse of that people hee addeth e Heb. 6 1. Therefore leauing the Doctrine of the beginning of Christ let vs be led forward vnto perfection not laying againe the foundation of repentance from dead-workes and of Faith toward God All these places of Scripture serue to teach vs the truth of this Doctrine that we must all labour to perfection that wee may be perfect as our heauenly Father is
themselues may want if they shold be liberal in giuing Answere I answer this proceedeth from the bitter root of infidelity God hath promised to rewarde the liberall giuer but these men haue not hearts to beleeue him to consider that he is true of his word They thinke that by giuing almes they shall be wasted but the spirite of God pronounceth that their wealth shal be increased He that giueth to the poore k Prou. 28. 27 and 11 25. lendeth to the Lord shall neuer lacke The liberal person shal haue plenty and hee that watereth shal haue raine There is that scattereth and more is encreased but he that spareth more then is meet surely commeth to pouerty Whatsoeuer is bestowed vpon the poore is accounted as giuen to Christ who is a rich Rewarder of all that seeke him Hence it is that the Apostle saith l 2 Cor. 9 9 10 Hee hath dispersed abroad and hath giuen to the poor his beneuolence remaineth for euer also he that findeth seed to the sower will minister likewise Bread for food and multiply your seed and encrease the fruites of your beneuolence The Wise man teacheth that if our bread and our bountifulnesse were cast vpon the waters yet after many dayes we shall finde them againe The Husbandman casteth his seed in the earth and burieth it almost an whole year before hee receiueth reapeth the fruit of that he hath sowne Therefore let not those that vse to giue releefe to others feare that they shall want the releefe of others Obiection Again others plead and pretend that they are poore and needie themselues they are rather constrained to receiue then to giue to take then to distribute to accept then to bestow for he that hath but little cannot minister to others But this cannot excuse the neglect of this dutie Answere Let such knowe that if there bee a willing minde m 2 Cor. 12. A Man is accepted according to that which hee hath and not according to that which hee hath not The poore Widdowe mentioned in the Gospell cast but one Mite into the Treesury and yet that which she gaue of her penurie n Luke 21 3. was more respected of Christ then all the aboundance of the Rich. The Churches of Macedonia were themselues o 2 Cor. 8 9. in extream necessity and in great pouertie yet sent releefe to others aboue their abilitie They that were conuerted to the Faith after Christes ascension diminished their owne substance when they solde their possessions o Acts 4 5. and distributed the money among the poore according to the necessities of euery one Euerie man is bound to minister to his neighbour and to supply his wantes as God hath enabled him Obiection 3. Thirdly others alledge for themselues that they haue a great charge and heauy burthen lying vppon their shoulders they must prouide for Wife and Children they haue Father and Mother and Kindered to releeue and if they should not sustaine them they are made worse then Infidels and haue denied the Faith Answere These shiftes cannot serue our turne nor iustifie vs in our euill doing True it is these thinges must bee done but the other must not bee left vndone The Church gathered by Peters preaching after Christs ascending into Heauen not onely spent of their superfluity but solde their patrimonie to releeue the poore yet no doubt they had Wife and Children of their owne to prouide for So no doubt had the Macedonians who not onely according to their power but also beyond their power were willing to doo others good Wee must commit our Children vnto him that hath promised to bee a Father vnto them Hee hath promised that he will not leaue vs nor forsake vs but be our deliuerer p Heb. 13. So that vvee shall not feare what Man can doo vnto vs. Wee haue a full assuraunce of his worde That the righteous q Psal 37 25. shall not bee forsaken nor his seede begge their Bread Such therefore as set their hearts to prepare and prouide much for their posterity do withdraw themselues commonly from helping the poore and by this meanes do oftentimes bring a curse vpon their owne goods so that some of their Children or of their Childrens Children riotously wast them make hauocke of all most vnthriftily Obiection 4. Fourthly some there are that hang backe and will giue no Almes because the poore are lewde and wicked they are Idle and abuse their almes they haue bad tongues and are vnthankful persons towards such as releeue them Answere I aunswere wee must in our giuing respect more the Commaundement of God then the personnes of men and though it fall out that their tongues cursse vs yet if wee succour them in their necessitie the loynes of the poore shall blesse vs and wee shall thereby heape Coales of fire vpon their head and make them ashamed of their euill We are likewise commaunded to loue our Neighbor it is not mentioned in the gospell that we should not loue him except he bee godly We are commaunded to set before vs the example of God r Math. 5. Who maketh the Sun to shine rain to fall vpon the iust and vniust vpon the godly and the vngodly that so we may bee perfect as our heauenly Father is perfect Againe the Apostle Paule hauing taught that ydle personnes which will not labour should not eate Å¿ 2 Thes 3 13. addeth one thing further to bee practised That we should not bee wearie of well-dooing Let vs not therefore so much looke vpon the person of the men as consider the greatnesse of their want Let vs not looke for a recompence from them but from him that hath promised vnto vs that a Cuppe of colde Water shall bee respected and rewarded by him This is it which Salomon meaneth Eccles. 11 3. when hee sayeth t Eccles. 11 3 If the Clowdes bee full they will poure foorth Raine vppon the Earth and if the Tree do fall towardes the South or towardet the North in the place that the Tree falleth there it shall bee In this place the Wiseman perswadeth the Church to liberality toward the poore the Clowds when they are full of water doo not keepe it to themselues but poure it on the earth that gapeth for the raine as if it were a thirst and openeth his mouth to bee refreshed so when men are laden with wealth they are bound to cherish their bretheren as it were pined away with hunger third Then he preuenteth that obiection which Couetous men make to stay their hands from shewing mercie and to shut vp their compassion from the needy because they are wicked and vnworthy of any fauour that they will abuse it to Whoredome to Drunkennesse and to excesse For hee telleth them of the profite and reward that they shall receiue because as the Tree howsoeuer it falleth on the right hande or on the left on the North
his kingdome The fourth reproofe Fourthly if it be a calling of such dignity it reprooueth those that run before they be sent and wait not a lawful calling from God that they discharge it afterward with peace of heart and comfort of Conscience We see manie young men make more hast then good speede in entring into the Ministery who for the most part want that iudgment staydnesse experience grauity moderation that is meet to be in men of that profession Hence it is that they are called by the name of Elders in the Scripture The Apostle thought it necessary to giue this charge to Timothy a young man though he were of rare hope and of excellent guifts u 2 Tim. 2 22. To fly the lusts of youth and to follow after righteousnesse Faith Loue and peace with all them that call on the Lord with a pure heart And in another place he saith x 1 Tim. 4 12. Let no man despise thy youth but be vnto them that beleeue an ensample in word in conuersation in Loue in Spirite in Faith in Purenesse If hee had this neede of instruction howe much more others The fift reproofe Fiftly it reproueth those that are so hand-fasted that they repine at their maintenance that labour among them How many places and Parishes are there that regard not how they be taught or whether they be taught or not so they may be well dealt withall in their Tithes that is if they might pay little or nothing to maintaine their Minister There is growne in many congregations this agreement and bargaine betweene the Pastor and the people if he will spare them in temporall things they regarde not how hee deale with them in spirituall things If they may pay little they are content hee shall preach little If they may enioy their Tithes at a low rate they are well pleased that he take his ease and teach them seldome But albeit he preach in season and out of season and do his dutie with all diligence yet they murmure and repine at his allowaunce and thinke euery thing too much that is bestowed that way The sixt reproofe Lastly it reproueth such as regard not the censures of the Church inflicted vpon euill doers The censures of the Church are made as a scar-Crow and esteemed of many as a mocke But if that power and authority were regarded in the Ministers hand that the word of God alloweth and appointeth wherby he is authorized to exercise spirituall iurisdiction in Church-matters not onely to preach but to punish not onely to teach but to correct not onely to instruct but to excommunicate then would the Office be magnified then would the Ministry be esteemed according to the institution of them Our Sauiour giuing order and direction to informe the Gouernors of the Church when scandals and offences arose among them addeth y Math. 18 18 Verily I say vnto you whatsoeaer ye binde on earth shall be bound in Heauen and whatsoeuer ye loose on earth shall be loosed in Heauen We see God promiseth to ratifie the sentence pronounced and denounced in his name The abridgement of this power is the contempt of the men and of their Ministry and the curbing cutting short of their authority doth open a gappe to all contumely and reproach of their persons and office If a Magistrate shoulde prescribe and ordaine that Law which is wholesome and profitable to the Common-wealth and haue no power at all to punish the Malefactors and misdoers that transgresse who is it that would regard the Commandement If a School-maister had authority onely to rule and to teach but were restrained to take vp the rod to correct and chastise the obstinat sluggard what Scholler would harken or giue eare to his teaching In like manner so long as the Minister is allowed only to speake the word or to threaten but stinted that he shall go no farther his Ministry will be little regarded as if a Maister should tell some of his Schollers of their shrewde trickes but were not licensed to punnish their euill doing God hath ioyned authority to the Pastors office put into his hand the discipline of the Church and the Ministers of God haue exercised executed the same according to his ordinance Hence it is that the Apostle reprouing an heinous offence amongst the Corinthians and shewing the vse of Ecclesiasticall correction saith z 2 Cor. 4 21 What will ye Shall I com vnto you with a rod or in loue and in the spirit of meekenesse Vse 2. Secondly seeing boldnesse to command vnder Christ belongeth to the office of the Minister it teacheth vs and putteth vs in minde of manie good duties as first to aske this guift of God and craue of him to indue vs with the zeale of his glory and other graces of his spirit that we may speake the word a Ephes 6 20. boldly as we ought to speake We see an example heereof in the Apostles when they heard the threatnings of the enemies of the Gospel b Acts 4 29. 5 28 29. They lift vp their voices to God with one accord and said O Lord thou art the God which hast made the heauen and the earth the sea and all things that are in them beholde their threatnings and graunt vnto thy seruants with all boldnesse to speak thy word So when the cheefe Priests said Did not we straightly commaund you that yee should not teach in his name And behold ye haue filled Ierusalem with yoar Doctrine and ye would bring this mans bloud vpon vs. Then Peter and the Apostles answerd We ought rather to obey God then mē Many men are endued with great gifts of learning and knowledge but they want the tongue of the Learned to minister a worde in season they want zeale and vtteraunce to deliuer the word of God to the people Let euery one therefore seeke to fit and furnish himselfe to this calling and in Christ Iesus be bold to do this dutie This the Prophet saith c Esay 58 1. Crie alowd spare not lift vp thy voice like a Trumpet and shew my people their transgression and the house of Iacob their sinnes This reproueth those that haue the worde in respect of persons who dare not do their duties and are afraid of mens faces They would be counted the Embassadors of God but they are affraide to do their Maisters message Let such learne of Iohn Baptist who shrunke not backe but was bold to tell Herod that it was not lawfull for him to take his Brothers Wife Wee must not bee Dastards and faint-hearted souldiers to fight the Lords battels but first be sure we haue a good warrant out of the word and then go boldly into the fielde and feare not to looke the enemy in the face True it is if wee haue not our Commission signed and sealed vnto vs wee haue iust cause to feare we speake in our owne names and not in the name
and preferment vnto them then the want of outward benefites can bring abasement This is a most woorthy and excellent comfort whereof we shall be assured if wee walke in the steppes of faithfull Abraham if we repent and beleeue in Christ and walke woorthy of our calling I beseech thee for my Sonne Onesimus The party for whom the Apostle entreateth is in these words both named and described Hee is described first by relation when he calleth him His Sonne secondly by the meanes and manner how he is his sonne by a spirituall generation through the immortal seed of the Gospell and through the ministry of the worde in the time of his restraint and imprisonment at Rome Touching the former point which is the Title giuen vnto Onesimus hee esteemeth him as his Sonne and therefore accounteth himselfe as his Father If then Onesimus be his sonne the Apostle must needs be his Father and if Paul be his Father he must needs be his son For the Father the Son haue mutual reference one to another cannot consist one without the other Doctrine 2. The same affection that is betweene the Father and the Son ought to be betweene the Minister the people We learne from this name giuen vnto Onesimus conuerted to the Faith that there ought to be the same affection betweene the Pastour and the people which is betweene the Father and the Sonne The same loue that is betweene Parents and their Childeren ought to be betweene the Shepheard and his flocke betweene the Steward the houshold between the Master the Scholler between the Minister the people betweene him that winneth and them that are won to the Faith of the Gospell The Apostle Paule writing to Timothy and Titus calleth them his k 1 Tim. 1 2. 2 Tim. 1 2. Titus 1 4. naturall and beloued sonnes according to the common Faith because he had begotten them by the seede of the Gospell to bee the Children of God without which new byrth they could not belong to his kingdome So when the King of Israell came to the Prophet Elisha who lay sicke in his bed he wept vpon his face and said l 2 Kin. 13 14. O my Father my Father the Charriot of Israell and the Horsemen of the same Likewise Iohn writing vnto his beloued Gaius declareth that he reioyced greatly when the brethren came testified how he walked in the trueth and addeth m 3 Iohn 4. I haue no greater ioy then these to heare that my sonnes walke in verity And Paule writing to the Corinthians toucheth this at large n 1 Cor. 4 14 15. I write not these things to shame you but as my beloued children I admonish you for though ye haue tenne thousand instructers in Christ yet haue ye not many fathers for in Christ Iesus I haue begotten you through the Gospell To this purpose he also speaketh to the Thessalonians o 1 Thess 2 7 8 11 12. Wee vvere gentle among you euen as a Nurse cherisheth her children Thus beeing affectioned toward you our good will was to haue dealt vnto you not the Gospell of GOD onely but also our owne soules because ye were deere vnto vs. And afterwardes in the same Chapter Ye know how that we exhorted you and comforted besought euery one of you as a Father his children that ye would walke worthy of God who hath called you vnto his kingdom and glory These allegations are so many witnesses of this doctrine teaching that it is a most tender affection of Loue and compassion that ought to be between him that teacheth and them that are taught in the word Reason 1. This will farther appeare by the Reasons whereby it is confirmed vnto our Consciences First the Ministers of God giue as a beeing in Christ and consequently to bee the children of God which is the best being and byrth that can be bestowed vpon vs the word of God being the precious and immortal seed and they by teaching and applying it are the Instruments wherby through Gods blessing we are begotten to be new borne babes in Christ and of the children of men or rather the children of the Deuil are made the sons and daughters of almighty God Hence it is that the Apostle saith p 1 Cor. 4 15. In Christ Iesus I haue begotten you through the Gospell And Peter in his first Epistle sheweth q 1 Pet. 1 23. That we are borne againe not of mortal seed but of immortall by the word of God who liueth and endureth for euer So then by their Ministry we are made aliue that before were dead we are made sonnes that before were enemies we are made Cittizens that before were strangers wee are made heyres that before were Aliants Reason 2. Secondly the Ministers of the Gospell are as our Mothers and doe conceiue vs in their wombe trauell with vs in paine and bring vs forth as with labour of Childbed to fashion vs in grace and to perfect vs in Christ We know the Sorrowes the Paines the Passions and the perilles of a Womans trauaile to be exceeding great so the measure of the Ministeriall paines and labour is maruellous great r 2 Cor. 11 23 which the Apostle expresseth 2 Cor. 11 23. He endured labours abundantly stripes vnmeasurably imprisonment plenteously the danger of death continually Eliah being raised vp of God to restore Religion to pull downe Idolatry to destroy Baals Priests and to set himselfe against the enemies of God was at length so worne with care so wasted with sorrowes and so wearied in this busines Å¿ 1 King 19 4. that he desired the Lord to take him out of the world saying It is now enough O Lord take my soule for I am no better then my Fathers The paines and perplexity of the Prophet Esay made him cry out alowde with great anguish of spirite t Esay My leunnesse my leaunesse So Ieremy cryeth out u Ier. 4 19 My belly my bellie I am pained at the verie heart mine heart is troubled within me declaring thereby that his gripings and greefes in his Ministerie were so great that they were like the paines of a vehement Colicke Likewise the Apostle being carefull to bring backe the Galathians to the trueth of the Gospell which they had forsaken saith x Gal. 4 19 My little children of whom I trauell in birth againe till Christ be formed in you meaning that hee endured much trouble and sustained great paines to fit them frame them to Gods kingdome Seeing then the Ministers of Christ be as spirituall Fathers and Mothers Fathers to beget vs and Mothers to beare vs and bring vs forth we may conclvde that the Pastours and people haue as neere a coniunction betweene them as Parents and their children But because somewhat may be obiected against this truth we wil remoue those doubts and take away those Obiections before we proceed any further or handle the Vses that
Answere I answere let this bee supposed which is not graunted yet in such assemblies many may appertaine and belong to the Church Catholicke Secondly the reputation of the Church holdeth them to be visible assemblies which wee are not lightly to esteem or passe ouer notwithstanding the want of a preaching ministery both because they haue the vse of the worde the administration of the Sacraments and the exercise of Prayer which no doubt are auayleable where more cannot be attained and because the wants of the Minister hauing an outward calling bringeth not a nullity to a Church Thus no doubt it was in Israell when they were without a Priest to teach them euen then God reserued vnto himself seuen thousand that bowed not the knee to Baal Thus Christ himselfe teacheth that when the Laborers were few Mat. 9 37. yet the Haruest was great Thus it was in many of the Iewish Synagogues that were dispersed heere and there among the Nations u Acts 13 15. where they hadde the Lecture of the Law and the Prophets and when Paule and Barnabas entted into the Synagogue on the Saboth day the Rulers of the same sent vnto them and said Ye men and Brethren if ye haue any word of exhortation for the people say on Whereby it may be gathered that vnlesse the Apostles had com at that present the assembly had bin dismissed without preaching When Zechariah the Priest was strucken x Luke 1 23. dumbe by the hand of God so that he could not speak to the people yet he continued the time of his course the people were present at his ministration The Priests vnder the law were oftentimes vnlearned and vnsufficient yet were they not therfore no priests at al neither did the people refuse the seruice of the tabernacle being done with their vnwashen hands So ought we to do in the want of a preaching ministry when we cannot haue al that we would or that we should haue we must be contented to take what they can giue what we cannot haue at home we must seek abroad or rather with Dauid y 2 Sa. 6 3 10. We must seeke with all care endeuour with all our power to bring home the Arke of the Lord vnto our owne dwellings And in the meane season we may pray with them we may heare them read the worde of God and we may receiue the Sacraments at their handes This is not spoken to defend ignorant Ministers who are vnwoorthy of the places which they hold but to shew that we are not to separate for euery want and blemish in the Church but rather to tollerate that which we are by no meanes able to redresse Obiection 6 Lastly it may be saide that Sermons written by the Minister and read to the people may breed Faith and Repentance in vs and therefore much more the Sermons of the Prophets and Apostles Answere I answere breefely first of our Sermons written and then of the Sermons of the Prophets Apostles written and then read to the hearers or by the hearers First touching our Sermons written if they be the right diuiding of the word and proceede from the guifts of the Minister enforced thereunto by weaknesse and infirmitie they are to be held a preaching and may worke a faith This is not spoken to be a Patron of ydlenesse of ignorance of negligence of carelesnesse but it is spoken to support the weake to moue them to cal vpon God to strengthen them and to perswade the people not to despise their ministery Secondly touching the Sermons recorded and read in the Scriptures preached by the Prophets and Apostles they are not rehearsed at large as they were deliuered but summarily set downe with intent to bee diuided and opened by the Ministers of the Church So then the comparison holdeth not from the Sermons of the Ministers that are reade to the Sermons in Scripture because there we haue not whole Sermons but only the chiefe points and principall heads and as it were the contents of them set downe vnto vs. Thus we haue run ouer the obiections that are alledged against this doctrine and answeared them particularly that no starting hole might be left vnto them that impugne it For the enemies of this truth are such as take themselues to be wise and will not easily receiue satisfaction z Plutaran Pericle like vnto him that was so skilfull in wrastling or rather in wrangling that though hee receiued a fall yet hee would perswade the wrastler that cast him and the people that behelde him that he was the Conqueror Vse 1 Hauing now cleared the doubtes that were brought against this principle which now wee haue taught and ouer-maistered the enemies thereof stripping them out of their armour wherein they trusted and turning them out of their shifts whereof they boasted let vs com to make vse of this point First seeing the preaching of the word is the Instrumentall cause of our regeneration we learne for the encreasing of our Faith that the preaching Ministerie is necessarie to saluation No Sonnes without it are begotten vnto God Regeneration is a most needefull grace of Gods spirite whereof if wee be destitute it had beene better for vs that we had neuer beene borne Thou must bee conceyued of another seede thou must haue another Father thou must feele in thee another byrrh then that which is Naturall thou must finde another change and a newe disposition in thy heart minde affections and conuersation before thou canst turne from sinne to righteousnesse and come from hell to heauen This the Apostle Iohn teacheth a 1 Iohn 3 9. Iohn 3 3â— Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not but his seede remaineth in him neyther can hee sinne because hee is borne of GOD. This is the point wherein Christ instructeth Nicodemus Verily verily I say vnto thee Except that a Man be borne of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdome of GOD. This regeneration making a beginning and giuing vs an entraunce into the kingdome of God cannot bee attained without the hearing of Gods word preached and the word it selfe cannot bee published without a preacher so that Preachers are the soueraigne meanes appointed of God to work Faith Repentance and saluation in all his children To this purpose Salomon speaketh in the Prouerbes b Prou. 29 18 Where there is no vision the people decay but he that keepeth the Law is blessed This necessity of the preaching of Gods holy word and our necessary attending vpon it as vpon the ordinance of God offereth to our considerations these three points First the miserie of those that want it Secondly the fearfull condition of al such as haue it yet contemne it that enioy it and yet make no account of it that liue vnder it and yet will not submit themselues vnto it Lastly the blessed estate of such as haue this meanes and profit by it Touching the first wee may behold the wretched
multitude of his compassions Doth he see vs any better by Nature then others whome hee hath reiected and refused No in no wise We are of the same moulde with them and by nature no better then they Let vs not stand vpon the righteousnesse of our owne nature or the deserts of our own works or the goodnesse of our Ancestors but seeke to haue grace in our hearts x Ouid. Metamorph lib. 13. Quae non fecimus ipsi vix ea nostra voco and not to call that our owne which we our selues haue not done The Father shall not be saued by the Childe nor the Childe by the Father y Ezek. 18 25 26 27. but euery man shall confesse the wayes of God to bee equall and giue an account for himselfe Manie godly and faithfull parents haue had children appointed to wrath and reserued to destruction and therefore whether our fore-fathers were beleeuers or vnbeleeuers let not vs looke so much vpon them to glory in them or to rest vpon them or think to be saued by them as enter into our selues and labor to approue our obedience in the sight of God Vse 3. Thirdly seeing that in good houses are found euill persons it putteth all Parents and Maisters in minde of a necessary duty and offereth them comfort in the discharge of their duty Their duty is not to forget or neglect to pray vnto God earnestly constantly and continually for Gods blessing vpon his labours in their family For when wee haue doone our best endeuours and vsed the greatest diligence there remaineth somwhat behinde to be performed for our Children and people euen to wait for the encrease of our labors and the worke of Gods Spirit to season and sanctifie their hearts that belong vnto vs. It is not the outward worke of teaching that can conuert the soule and reforme the life We can but speake vnto the eare it is God that speaketh vnto the heart Hence it is that some beleeue and others blaspheme some are bettered by the word others are made worse by instruction and become desperate and extreamly wicked as the Sun that softneth the wax and hardneth the Clay The Iewes that were fedde by the word z Acts 13 45. and 19 9. were filled with enuie and contemned the ordinance of God offered vnto them and spake euill of the way of God and the meanes of saluation So it was with Pharaoh the more Moses and Aaron spake vnto him so much the more his heart was hardened For the word thorough the corruption of our nature is as an Hammer that hardeneth the Anuile as a fire that consumeth the Stubble and as a Raine that bringeth vppe briars and bushes that are reserued to be burned There is no godly Housholder but if he be diligent to marke the manners and to know the behauiour of the people about him he shall espy not onely many vnreformed in themselues but secret enemies to reformation in others So that it is their parts to entreat God both before and after the meanes vsed to make them effectuall and profitable and to desire him to encline their hearts to practise and obedience We must follow the example of the Husbandman who after the sowing of his seede and Tilling of his ground a Iames 5 7. looketh for the early and the latter raine to come from heauen so must we call vpon God our Heauenly Father to send a gracious raine to moysten their hard hearts and so to soften them as that they may bee fit to receyue instruction This the Prophet Ieremy teacheth b Ier. 31 18. I haue heard Ephraim lamenting thus Thou hast corrected me and I was chastised as an vntamed Calfe conuert thou me and I shall be conuerted for thou art the Lord my God And in another place the Church saith c Lamen 5 21 Turne thou vnto vs O Lord and we shall be turned renew our dayes as of old Whereby we see that we must depend vppon God to poure out his grace vpon them and to beginne in them the work of regeneration Moreouer this serueth to comfort all faithfull Parents and godly Maysters who haue with a good conscience beene carefull to discharge their duties and to reforme their families albeit many remaine obstinate and continue setled in the Dregges of their sinnes It is vnpossible for the d Ier. 13 23. blacke Moore to change his skin and the Leopard his spots it is hard for them to do good that are accustomed to do euill Our labour shall not bee in vaine to our selues albeit it be in vaine to others our worke shall return into our owne bosome albeit it will not enter into the bosome and breast of others This is it which Christ our Sauiour saide to his Disciples whom he sent vnto the lost Sheepe of the house of Israell When e Math. 10 12 13. ye come into an house salute the same and if the house be worthy let your peace come vpon it but if it be not worthy let your peace returne to you Our carefull endeuours shall be rewarded of God albeit they be smally regarded of men they are approued in Heauen albeit reproued reiected in earth When the Prophet Esay bringeth in the Lord Iesus complaining that his preaching tooke none effect among the vnthankfull people of his owne hard-hearted Nation hee comforteth himselfe in this assurance that he knew his labors should not be in vain in the Lord f Esay 49 4. I said I haue laboured in vaine I haue spent my strength in vaine and for nothing but my iudgement is with the Lord and my work with my God So shal it be with euery one of vs that are deuout and diligent in doing our duties and in instructing our families God will not measure our paines by their profit nor reward our diligence according to their negligence g 1 Cor. 3 8. For euery man shall receiue his wages according to his labour This ought to be an encoragement to al men to take pains with their people and to comfort them against al discomforts that arise in their way to slake their diligence to cool their zeal to hinder their paines and to stop the course that happily they haue begun to win their families to a loue of the truth Vse 4. Lastly seeing euill persons are found where good meanes are vsed it teacheth all those that are vnder the gouernment of godly Masters not to blesse themselues as though they were happy because they dwell not in prophane places because they serue not prophane Maisters because they are partakers of instruction which many thousandes want but it belongeth vnto them to labor by all meanes to make the vse of the meanes offered vnto them to bee fruitfull and effectual for their saluation For as when we come into the congregation of the faithfull we ought to bee prepared and fitted to receiue the spirituall food of our soules so in comming to the priuate exercises of
hee may prouide thinges honest in the sight of God that he may reioyce in the labour of his owne handes and be thankfull to the father and giuer of all good thinges It is a rule taught by nature approued by experience strengthened by custome f Aristot polit lib. 2. Cap. 2. and established by the founders of Citties and Kingdomes that whatsoeuer is cared for of all is cared for of none as it ought to be but is neglected of all This appeareth in euery Towne and incorporation in euery house and congregation If a matter be committed to many seruants to be dispatched it is commonly either altogether left vndone or done negligently and worse then if it had beene assigned to one I haue heard it deliuered as a prouerbe that he which hath one man is sure of a man he that hath two men hath but halfe a man and he that keepeth three hath none at all One looketh vpon another and leaueth the worke for his fellowes thinking with himselfe that albeit he neglect the dooing of it yet there are two others to finish it and so among them all the businesse of the Maister lieth vndone We see this in mending of high waies which because it is to be done by a common hand and by a generall agreement of many together is generally posted ouer from one to another and commonly left off from yeare to yeare Marke this moreouer in the prouision for the poore who ought to be charitably rel◅ued by the lawes of God and man yet because the burden lieth vpon the shoulders of all all men are ready to shake it off from them and pinch curtesie who shall begin But when euery one knoweth his owne it encreaseth care and doubleth diligence in him he reioyceth with his family in the blessings of God and learneth to be a good Steward in the vse of them disposing of them to the glory of the giuer and to the comfort of the receiuer This it which Salomon teacheth Chap. 5. of the Prouerbs g Prou. 5 15 18. 19. Let thy fountaine be blessed and reioyce with the wife of thy youth let her be as the louing Hind and pleasant Roe let her breastes satisfie thee at all times and delight in her continually So then the distinction of dominion and possession when euery one knoweth his owne and what is not his owne maketh men carefull to looke vnto them Wherefore seeing God is the author of propriety the hater of confusion and the commander and appointer of euery man his seuerall taske and labour it followeth that the community of the Saintes doth not destroy the propriety of substance but euery man keepeth the title and tenour of his owne goodes which no other can chalenge to himselfe Vse 1. As we haue seene the reasons that confirme this Doctrine so let vs see the vses that instruct vs in many profitable points tending to edification First of all this confuteth and conuinceth the detestable and damnable sect of the Anabaptistes who deny to men any property in any thing but would haue all thinges common True it is among faithfull friends all thinges are common as we haue already prooued and confessed so that as we haue one father so we haue one fraternity and are of one family Hence it is that Tertullian in his Apology teacheth h Tertul. in Apologet. that among Christians all things were common except mens wiues What then Were these first Christians Anabaptistes Or are these Anabaptistes like these first Christians No in no wise They alledge indeed the example and practise of the primitiue church but it doth not no way fauour their opinion nor countenance any such Communion as these Heretikes would bring in amongs vs. Obiection 1. But they obiect that all that beleeued were in one place and had all thinges common yea they accounted nothing to be their owne Answere I answeare that these words are not to be vnderstood as though they had forsaken their owne houses and liued together in publike and in common in the same house as it were in the celles and Cloisters of Monkes but as it followeth in the next wordes i Acts. 2 46. They continued daily with one accord in the Temple and breaking bread from house to house did eate their meate together with gladnesse and singlenesse of heart If this be true let the Anabaptistes a new sect of Monks answere at whose houses this was done Was this meeting and eating of their meat in the houses of the Infidels or of the beleeuers I thinke no man is so sottish to say it was in the houses of the vnbeleeuers who would not receiue them to house nor giue them any entertainment among them seeing they hated them and their profession to the death Wherefore it must of necessity follow that these assemblies were in the houses of such as were faithfull If then the faithfull Christians had their houses in which they met together then they did not at all sell nor forsake their houses and dwellings nor coop vp themselues as is it were in Monasteries or Hermitages from the society of men Obiection 2. Secondly whereas they obiect Chap. 4. k Acts. 4 34 35. As many as were possessors of Landes sold them and brought the price of the thinges that were solde and laid it downe at the Apostles feet Answere It is not so to be vnderstood as if they had cast away all care of their houshold affaires and possessed nothing in priuate afterward For this was done by some of the richer and wealthier sort who were not compelled to sell neither can it be gathered that they sold all Nay it appeareth throughout this booke of the Actes that many after this fact possessed houses of their owne The Euangelist Luke noteth that when Peter the Apostle was brought out of prison by the Ministry of the Angel that was sent to deliuer him l Acts. 12 12. As he considered the thing he came to the house of Mary the mother of Iohn where many were gathered together and prayed Frō whence I pray you had this woman this house If all Christians sold their inheritances and proper houses So then the communion of goods that was among the first Christians was nothing but a sale of part of their possessions to succor the poore Saints least being constrained through Famine and left destitute of the helpe of the Bretheren they should turne backe againe to the Iewish Religion and therefore it is said that distribution was made of those things that were sold not equally or confusedly m Actes 4 35. But according as euery one had neede so that he that had the greater charge had the greater allowance and he that had the lesse Family had the lesse maintenance Tiue it is it is said n Acts 4 32. 2 44. The multitude of them that beleeued were of one heart and of one Soule neyther any of them atcounted any thing of that
we haue much infidelitie in vs and are cumbred with doubting in the promises of God it pleased him in great mercy to prouide a remedy for our infirmity so that we may truely say where Sin abounded Grace hath abounded much more Thus we see the Lord Iesus dealt with Thomas one of the twelue when he beleeued not the Resurrection nor those that were chosen Witnesses thereof but said h Iohn 20 25 27. Except I see in his handes the print of the Nailes and put my Finger into the print of the Nailes and put mine hand into his side I will not beleeue it Heere we may behold as in a Glasse the example of exceeding great infidelity and vnbeleefe hee neither beleeueth nor will beleeue he will liue by sight and not by Faith This was no small obstinacy and incredulity in one of the Apostles who deserued to perrish in his sinne But Christ Iesus raiseth him out of this sleepe and offereth mercy with much compassion as it were pulling him out of this danger Put thy Finger heere and see mine handes and put forth thine hand and put it into my side and be not faithlesse but faithfull This is it which the Euangelist Mathew setteth downe Chapt. 12. i Math. 12. 20. A bruised Reed shall he not breake and smoaking Flaxe shall he not quench till he bring forth iudgement vnto victory Now such as Thomas was such we are all by Nature we cannot be perswaded to beleeue except wee see and feele We will not beleeue the bare word of God but are alwaies ready to wauer through vnbeleefe Hence it is that God in great mercy did from the beginning of the world adde to his word his Sacraments to assure his people that as he is the GOD of truth so he meaneth truely and performeth effectually whatsoeuer hee hath promised The Sacraments therefore are as signes and seales of his promises and dependances vppon the word that is gone out of his owne mouth The Apostle speaking of circumcision giuen to Abraham saith k Rom. 4 11. He receiued the signe of Circumcision as the Seale of the righteousnesse of the Faith which he had when he was vncircumcised that he should be the Father of al them that beleeue not being circumcised that righteousnesse might be imputed vnto them also Whereby we may see what the Nature of the Sacraments is to wit l what a Sacrament is and to what end it was instituted that they are visible signes instituted of God to seale vp his promises in the hearts of the faithfull The Author or efficient cause is God who onely hath power and authority to appoint and ordaine them because he it is that can giue force and efficacy vnto them The matter is the visible signe the forme is the maner of institution according to the Rites taught and prescribed in the word The end is that the faithfull may bee confirmed and strengthned in the truth of GOD. The word was giuen to instruct the Church by hearing the Sacraments were giuen to instruct the Church both by it and by the rest of the senses Indeede if wee were Angels and not men and were Spirits without bodies and heauenly Creatures not earthly we should not stand in neede of visible and bodily Sacraments but because our faith is feeble and wrastleth with Sathan the World the Flesh and such Enemies it wanteth proppes and pillers to vphold it that it doe not fall For albeit our Faith be mingled with doubting assaulted strongly with the waues of infidelity yet it ceaseth not to bee a true Faith An vnperfect Faith is a sound Faith though it be weake so that it standeth vs vpon with the Apostles m Luke 17 5. To pray for the encrease thereof Faith goeth before the Sacraments the which without Faith are idle and empty signes without profit without comfort without vse True it is the Infidels as the Aegiptians Aethiopians and other prophane people who neither worshipped the true God nor embraced the true Religion had the outward vse of circumcision as n Herod in Euterpe Histories testifie as also the Turkes and Iewes haue at this day but their cutting off the flesh is not the Sacrament of God but a meere ciuill thing yea an euill thing Thus then we see that the Sacraments were ordained of God to help our infirmity The promise of God is certaine and his Couenant doth not wauer neither can these outward Seales make it stronger But it is we that stumble and stagger and haue neede to be supported And woe vnto vs if we vse not this help and remedy left vnto vs nor profit thereby in confidence and assurance of our saluation For God hath after a sort bound himselfe vnto vs as by an Obligation Indeede man notwithstanding his wordes his oaths his promises his bands his seales and his assurances is oftentimes changeable and vnconstant but it is not so with God whose word is yea and Amen Were it not that we are weake of Faith and slow to beleeue he needed not to sweare by himselfe and by his holinesse hee needed not to haue set Authenticke Seales to his Word sauing that he minded to leaue no place for doubting in vs. Hence it is that the Apostle writing to the Hebrewes Chapt. 6. saith o He. 6 17 18. God willing more aboundantly to shew vnto the heires of promise the stablenesse of his counsell bound himselfe by an Oath that by two immutable thinges wherein it was vnpossible that God should lie we might haue strong consolation which haue our refuge to lay hold vpon that hope that is set before vs c. The greater meanes God hath left vnto vs the greater faith he requireth of vs and the more conscionable vse of those meanes that we may not alwaies bee Children Woe then vnto vs if in the store of so great mercies and variety of so many meanes we remaine distrustfull and doe not labour to gather strength of faith and assuraunce of comfort Let vs therefore grow from Faith to Faith as it were from strength to strength and not stand at one stay let vs proceede from one degree and measure to another vntill Christ Iesus bee throughly formed in vs. Vse 4 Lastly seeing Couenants in writing be requisite by the Lawes of God and Man wee must know that it is our dutie to deale iustly and vprightly one with another and in our bargainings to keepe a good conscience toward God and Man For this is the end wherefore Instruments in writing were brought in that all cozenage might be cut off all occasion of strife might be preuented Whereby we may gather that in all ages of men and times of the World there haue beene many deceits and much vnrighteous dealing to the disturbance of publique peace and the dissoluing of concord among men otherwise it had beene in vaine to require or to receiue such security in our buying and selling in our borrowing and lending one with
as the Well-spring we haue it not of our selues we haue it from him according to that which the Euangelist Iohn setteth downe r Iohn 1 16. Of his fulnesse we haue all receiued and Grace for Grace Secondly it is called the Grace of Christ not of God the father not of God the Holie-Ghost but of Iesus Christ our Lord because hee is the meanes or as the Cunduit-pipe whereby he it is brought and conueyed vnto vs Thus the same Euangelist speaketh in the wordes following Å¿ Iohn 1 17. The Law was giuen by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Iesus Christ. He it is that is the Mediation and Propitiation for our sinnes he hath purchased the fauour of God he hath wrought reconciliation for vs so that through him we are accepted of God the Father and beloued in his beloued Ephe. 1. 6. Thirdly we must consider the Title giuen to Christ Iesus hee is called a Lord or Ruler and that in many respects First by creation in that he made vs of nothing when we had no being t Iohn 1 3. For all thinges were made by him and without him was nothing made that was made Secondly by right of Inheritance u Heb. 1 2. Psal 2 8. For he is made Heire of all thinges Thirdly by right of Dominion for he hath Dominion ouer all things and ouer vs also so that he ruleth preserueth and keepeth vs as his owne to eternall life being bought with his most preciour blood None of them can bee lost that are committed vnto him neither can any plucke them out of his hands All thinges are put vnder his feet and subiect vnto him Fourthly he is said to be our Lord he is not onely a Lord hauing right and might graunted vnto him ouer others but hee s called our Lord. First because the Father gaue him a people and chosen Generation ouer whom he should rule So then by reason of this donation appointed vnto him before all worlds he is truely called our Lord. Secondly in regard of the work of redemption which he hath wrought for vs he alone hath paid the ransom for vs and deliuered vs from the power of the Deuill so that hee hath the greatest right of possession in vs. Lastly we are thereby put in mind that we ought so to beleeue in Christ our Lord that we put our trust and confidence in him and that we rest throughly perswaded that by him we are throughly freed and deliuered from all euill It is not enough for vs or sufficient to saluation to beleeue Christ Iesus to be a Lord but we must beleeue him to be our Lord. For wee all knowe and beleeue that the Deuill is a Lord and ruleth in the hearts of the Children of disobedience he is the God of this World and a Prince that beareth great sway but wee doe neyther know nor beleeue him to be our Lord as we beleeue Christ Iesus to bee the Lord of vs all Fiftly he addeth With your Spirit He craueth this Grace to be with his Spirit whereby he meaneth as much as if he had said with you one part of man being named for the whole the more principall part being put for the whole person For man consisteth of two essentiall parts of Soule and Body True it is the Apostle Paule doth sometimes deuide man into three partes the Spirit the Soule the Body as when he prayeth for the Thessalonians x 1 Thes 5 23. That their whole Spirit and Soule and Body should be kept blamelesse vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. By the Spirit he vnderstandeth the mind reason or vnderstanding which else-where hee calleth the y Ephe. 4 23. Heb. 4 12. Ephe. 4. 17 18. Spirit of your mind This is nothing else but a faculty of the reasonable soule which is seen in inuention and iudgement By the the Soule he vnderstandeth the inferior faculties and powers as the will and affections both which followeth the body which is the Instrument whereby the Spirit and Soule do worke By the Spirit in this place is not meant onely the minde or onely the Soule but the whole man is to be vnderstood as it is expounded Phil. 4. 23. The Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with you all And Col. 4 18. Grace be with you yet he nameth the spirit because it is the principall subiect and seat of grace Sixtly the Apostle proceedeth and saith Your spirit hee speaketh not to Philemon alone saying With thy Spirit but he enlargeth his heart and saith With your Spirit as speaking to many Whereby wee are to vnderstand those to whom this Epistle is written and deliuered to wit cheefly to Philemon whose Title it beareth and to Apphia his wife to Archippus the Minister and to the Church that was in his house to all these he wisheth the Grace of Christ Lastly he endeth with the word Amen which is as much as euen so or so be it or so it shall be Indeede it is no part of the former prayer but it betokeneth and signifieth two things First an hearty desire whereby we wish that we may be heard and that God would answere vnto our requests Secondly the certainty of our confidence and the confirmation of our Faith whereby we trust that we shall be heard It is an Hebrew worde retained by the Apostles in their Epistles and in other places wherewith we are taught to conclude our Prayers withall by Christ our Sauiour It is added to shew that we should come with boldnesse and beleeue that we shall obtaine trusting in the truth of Gods promises The postscript of the Epistle Hauing thus laide open the sense and meaning of the wordes in this last Verse it shall not be amisse to speake some-what of the wordes following which are the subscription and vnder-writing of this Epistle in these wordes Written from Rome to Philemon and sent by Onesimus a Seruant It is most likely that this Epistle was written and sent at one and the same time with that entituled to the Colossians both because the same persons are named in both the Epistles the same persons writing and the same persons sending salutations to others and both of them in the Post-script are sayde to be sent by Onesimus as it were by a Carrier only heerein resteth the difference that this Epistle was deliuered to Onesimus alone to bee carried to Philemon a priuate man but the other was conueyed by Tychicus and Onesimus to the whole Church of the Colossians whereof Philemon and his Family were but one part But touching this subscription as also others in other Epistles we must vnderstand that they were added by men and are no part of the Cannonicall Scripture which is the rule of our faith to which we must yeeld without all contention or contradiction and from which we cannot appeale without intollerable iniury to the spirit of God For howsoeuer diuers of these Post-scripts may be true yet it is very plaine and
not and enioy them as though we possessed them not To this purpose the Apostle Peter saith Chap 5. f 1 Pet 5 7 Cast all your care on him for he careth for you Wherefore then should we nourish immoderate and excessiue cares in our bosomes seeing we haue assurance of Gods care towards vs Let vs trust in him and be secure without all distrust and feare If we haue spent our daies in the following and pursuing after the vaine profits of this life let vs bethinke our selues what we haue done and study to redeeme the time that is to come and consider wherefore we were created redeemed The things that are seene are temporall the thinges that are not seene they are eternall Let vs aboue all preferre those thinges that are able best to preferre vs. Let vs not liue heere as men that spend all their daies in catching after feathers and following toyes and trifles that cannot profit If we should see a man wast his yeares from day to day and from moneth to moneth and from yeare to yeare and hauing liued forty or fifty yeares hath done nothing but catch after shadowes runne after Butter-Flies follow after Gew-gawes or behold the Moone-shine in the waters or alwayes looke downe vpon the earth or alwayes blowe vp Feathers in the Aire would we not thinke him starke mad and iudge him out of his wittes Euery man is ready to accuse him of Madnesse no man would thinke he did him wrong to call him so or craue pardon for that he hath done But bee not too hastye to censure such and to passe the sentence of Madnesse vpon them least the Parable be applied to thy selfe and be verified of thy selfe The wise man who knew best who are Fooles and what to iudge of folly preacheth and proclaymeth both in the entrance and end of his wordes g Eccle 1 2 12 8. Vanity of vanities saith the Preacher Vanity of Vanities all is Vanity If then these things be all vaine nay Vanity it selfe it is more then certaine that such as spend their time and wast their years and consume their strength in catching after these toyes these shaddowes these shewes these feathers these follies these trisles and spend more yeares in pursuing after these earthly thinges then they do houres in attaining Heauenly thinges may truely be accounted Fooles or Mad-men or sottish or such as are possessed with a Spirit of giddinesse that runne vp and downe hither and thether and know not what they do Wee vse commonly to pittye such as are mad and beside themselues and out of their right wittes None are farther out of the way nor more destitute of true Wisedome then these men are that haue the least care of the best thinges and the greatest care of the least thinges Let vs beeware least while we thinke our selues to be wise we become starke fooles while we thinke our selues spirituall we be proued to be carnall and while we loath madnesse and folly in others we loue madnesse and folly in our selues Vse 3. Lastly seeing spirituall thinges must be placed and preferred before earthly we learne another duty from hence namely that we ought to make greatest account of the greatest blessings and such as are highest of all must also be highest in our estimation These we ought especially to pray for of the want of these we must haue a speciall feeling Wee are ready to aske for our daily bread but we do not desire the bread of life we do not hunger and thirst after Righteousnesse Wee are wholly ignorant of the right manner and method of praying wee regarde not to obserue the order which God hath ordained Christ Iesus instrcting vs to pray h Math 6. and leauing vs a perfect pattern how to make prayer both for matter and method hath made this the fourth Petition to haue our daily bread giuen vnto vs. But we will not pray after this manner we will not obserue this direction we make this our principall care we make it the first Petition nay we make it both first and second the third and sourth the fift and sixt we make it the beginning and the ending we set it before and behinde wee enter with it wee conclude with it wee make it all in all to haue earthly blessings and temporall commodities and bodily necessities supplyed vnto vs. What a shame is it vnto vs that if we will not know the preheminence of heauenly thinges aboue these mortall and transitory vanities we should be such great strangers at home and so ignorant of our selues and of those parts whereof we consist Who is so simple that doth not vnderstand that the soule is more noble and excellent then the body If then it be more worthy as being a spirit an immortall spirit ought we not in the first place to prouide for it Ought wee not to adorne it with all spirituall graces Ought we not so to quallifie it as that it may be inheritour of eternall glory Let vs therefore affect the things of certaine abode and seeke after Wisedome Faith Sanctification and the true Riches of the Spirit If our Treasure be in Heauen our hearts will be there also Let vs lay vp and locke vp our Treasure in Immortality let vs be sure to lay a good foundation against the time to come One thing is necessary this is the good part that shall not bee taken away from vs. All humaine thinges are full of vncertainties and the meanes of their decaying and vanishing are manifold the Rust the Moth the Canker the Theefe beside a thousand other casualties that take them away from vs. It is an holy and heauenly admonition giuen vnto vs by Christ Math 6. i Math 6 33. First seeke the Kingdome of God and his Righteousnesse and then all other thinges shall be ministred vnto you This checketh and controlleth the preposterous order and bad practise of most men in their callinges they set the wrong end forward they labour first of all to get wealth and wellfare from day to day and from yeare to yeare but neuer thinke of the roote of welfare and from what Fountain all earthly blessings spring to wit from the grace of God Let vs imploy our paines to get Gods fauour and then transitory thinges Wealth Peace Honour Liberty and such like will follow so farre as they shall bee expedient for vs otherwise all our abundance shall turne to be our bane woe and destruction all thinges shall be accursed vnto vs our Table shall be made a snare to take vs and torment vs. The grace of God in Christ is sufficient to make a man blessed and without it all other thinges though we had them in the greatest measure cannot free vs from cursednes Now it is vnpossible that euer we shuld seeke for these gratious gifts of God except we feele our own misery in the want of thē It is the want of health which we desire to haue restored the feeling of our
in our way The third reproofe Lastly it reproueth such as refuse to giue them sufficient maintenance and do barre them of that competent and conuenient portion that God hath allotted vnto them in his worde For if such as haue spent their strength to bring vs vnto God ought aboue all others to be regarded of vs and haue a worthy recompense of their labours surely they deserue to be checked and controlled that deale niggardly toward them who haue kept back nothing from them but reuealed vnto them the whole Counsell of God Wee see in this place what the Apostle Paule challengeth at the hands of Philemon whom he had won to the Faith he accounteth him to owe vnto him all that he had so that if he should giue vnto him all the substance of his house nay his owne life it were but due it were but a debt that he owed vnto him He that hath ransomed a prisoner out of the hands of the enemies hath iurisdiction and authority ouer him and may worthily claime whatsoeuer he hath He that hath saued the life of his enemy in battell and made him captiue is wholly at his disposing that hath taken him In like manner such as haue pulled vs out of the fire of hell out of the Iawes of death and out of the slauery of Satan the Prince of this world that ruleth in the hearts of the Children of disobedience may by a Diuine and humaine right reape our temporall things and require to be sustained and maintained by vs. Might not he be registred for a most vnthankefull person to all posterities that shall come heereafter that would suffer him to want that hath fed him that hath nourished him that hath preserued his life Who doth not cry out against Pharaoh and the Egyptians x Exod 1 8. who forgat Ioseph a great Benefactor to their whole Land that prouided much Corne in the plentiful yeares and saued the liues of many thousands by his labour and industry So likewise what a shame is it to suffer such worthy Instruments of our good to lack and suffer hunger Vndoubtedly they deserue to be forsaken of God and all good men that forsake those that are their Fathers in Christ and instructers in Christianitie Notwithstanding this blemish and reproach sticketh neerer vnto many men now liuing then the skin vppon their backes which brandeth and blotteth them as with a coale of perpetuall infamy who being brought to knowe themselues to see their owne sinnes to vnderstand their secret offences to make Conscience of their wayes to come to true repentance and to begin to set their footing in the kingdome of heauen by the blessing of God vpon the labours of his Ministers yet haue no consideration of them are not greiued nor ashamed to see them want and to liue in necessity but haue forgotten all the comfort that they haue receiued and shut vp the eyes of their compassion from them So often as I consider the former times of mens zeale and forwardnesse that being drawne to a loue of the truth became Instruments to draw on others and compare the same with the present estate of things we may seeme to liue in a continuall Winter and vnder a frozen Climate wherein appeareth nothing all the yeare long but Frosts and Ice and cold and Haile and Snowes couering the Mountaines and Valleyes without any Spring or Summer without any heate or growing or flourishing of any thing For I remember how many being touched with a terror in Conscience and feeling the burthen of their sins more heauy then Lead pressing them downe to the nethermost Hell could finde no comfort in their pleasant Companions in their delightfull pastimes and in sweet Instruments of Musicke all these were tedious and bitter and wearisom vnto the flesh one word of comfort from the mouth of the Minister was as Balsam vnto them to refresh their faint and feeble spirits by whom they were raysed vp But now liuing in peace and prosperity they are fallen asleepe they remember not the kindnesse they haue receyued and the consolation that they haue tasted and can both heare and see their misery and almost beggery that were the greatest meanes of their bringing them from the greatest misery and slauery that can be imagined For what greater bondage then the bondage of sinne of Satan and of Hell It is a great reproach to see a Christian Brother to begge his Bread or to craue releefe of others a faithfull Minister is a Christian brother and more then a Brother yea a Christian Father whose Children in the faith ought to giue him maintenance in the flesh It is truely saide by the Apostle y Gal. 6 6 7. Let him that is taught in the word make him that hath taught him partaker of all his goods Be not deceiued God is not mocked for whatsoeuer a man soweth that shall hee also reape To this purpose he speaketh in another place z 1 Tim. 5 17 18. Deut. 25 4. Math. 10 10. The elders that rule well let them be had in double honour especially they which labour in the word and Doctrine for the Scripture saith Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the Corne And The Labourer is worthy of his wages It is a great shame to the people of God that such as are conscionable in their Callinges and are as faithful Stewards distributing to them in the family such store as they haue prouided should complaine for want of maintenance and a liberall pension in temporall things The Apostle Iames teacheth a Iames 5 4. That the hyre of the Labourers which haue reaped their fields which was of them kept back by fraud cryeth and the cries of them which haue reaped are entred into the eares of the Lord of Hoasts The Ministers of God are his Labourers and labor for vs to gather vs as good Corne into the Lords Barne if then wee detaine from them the Bread that they should eat and the fleece of the woll wherewith they should be cloathed and the fruits of the earth whereby they shold be maintained This is a crying sinne and will neuer cease vntill it haue brought downe Gods iudgements vpon our selues and our substance Vse 3. Thirdly seeing the benefits brought vpon vs both vpon our bodies and soules by the meanes of the Ministry can neuer be worthily esteemed and sufficiently expressed it serueth to instruct vs in the necessarie duties of our obedience euen to testifie our loue to the truth by reuerencing and respecting them that are as the Lordes Messengers to bring the trueth vnto our doores This the Apostle commendeth vnto vs in the Thessalonians b 1 Thes 2 13 For this cause also thanke we God without ceasing that when ye perceiued the word of God which ye heard of vs ye receiued it not as the word of men but as it is indeed the word of God which also worketh in you that beleeue Where we see