meddle not now with those other glorious titles giuen to the word in holy Scriptures as that it is called the word of God the wholesome word of truth the Gospell of saluation c. Euen this that it is called the word of life may teach vs how precious the ministerie and preaching thereof ought to be vnto vs euen more precious than thousands of gold and siluer and as wee desire to be saued in the day of Christ so should wee thirst after these most sweet waters of life But what thirsting is there after them They are brought vnto vs in conduits euen vnto our doores and yet wee will scarce step out of our doores to drinke of them nay wee will sit in our doores and in our houses talking and sleeping rather than wee will come into the house of God and drinke of these waters Euery light excuse and euery small businesse will serue to stay vs from comming to heare the word read and preached I told you euen now of our slacknesse in comming of our negligence in hearing of our carelesnesse to meditate after we haue heard of the holy word of life If I should adde vnto that complaint another of prophaning the Lords day which should be wholly spent in hearing and reading and meditating of the holy word of life of prophaning it I say with dancing and drinking and playing at this or that game or keeping this or that vnprofitable and vnnecessary obseruation and custome should I iustly be reproued Yea but this yee doe in the morning or in the euening not in seruice-time of day Yea but this yee doe on the Lords day which the Lord hath commanded to be kept holy not only in seruice-time of day but Remember saith he that thou keepe holy the Sabboth day Hee doth not limit it to this or that part of the day but keepe the day holy by hearing and reading and meditating in the holy word of life Yea but this is too precise and strait and sauours too much of Puritanisme Well be it as it will thou must either be a Puritan in obseruation of the commandement or else thou bringest vpon thy selfe iudgement O consider this men and brethren what it is that wee call you vnto It is the word of life by which you must be begotten vnto eternall life or else you cannot be saued by the direction and guidance whereof you must enter into rest or else you shall neuer finde rest vnto your soules Dauid when he could not be present in the assemblie of Gods people to praise his God heare his word because of his persecutors he thought the sparrowes and the swallowes happy that might nestle themselues in the house of God Insomuch that he brake out as Psal 42.1.2.84.1.2.3.4 10. Our case is not as Dauids was wee may come We should say therefore with Dauid in another place I was glad c. Yea we should call one vnto another and say as it is in Esay Come and let vs goe vp c. Psal 122.1 Esa 2.3 Col. 3.16 Scrutamini Scripturas c. Ioh. 5.39 Let the word of Christ dwell in you plenteously c. In a famine of bread yee need no exhortation to seeke for bread to refresh and sustaine your bodies Your soules farre more precious than your bodies and your soules hunger-starued and yet what care for your soules The sicknesse is most dangerous when it is least felt LECTVRE XXXVIII PHILIP 2. verse 15 16 17 18. That I may reioyce in the day of Christ that I haue not runne in vaine nor laboured in vaine c. THus farre of the former reason and of the vses thence to bee made by vs heretofore Now followeth the latter reason drawne from the Apostle himselfe in these words that I may reiojce in the day of Christ c. That I may reioyce c. This is the Apostle his latter reason whereby he would enforce his former exhortations and it is as if he had said My beloued I exhort you that you make an end of your owne saluation with feare and trembling and that ye do all things with your neighbours and brethren without murmuring and reasonings and these things I would haue you to doe as for your owne sakes that yee may be blamelesse and pure so for my sake also that I may reioyce c. Yea and if yee marke it euen in these words he would haue them to doe as he hath exhorted them both for his sake and for their sakes also For he would haue them to walke before God in all obedience with feare and trembling and with their neighbour in all loue without murmuring c. why that he may reioyce that 's for his owne sake But wherein doth he desire to reioyce Euen in their saluation that he hath not runne in vaine nor laboured in vaine amongst them but that by his Ministerie and Apostleship they are gained vnto Christ That I may reioyce in the day of Christ c. By the day of Christ the Apostle meaneth that day when God shall iudge the secrets of all men by Iesus Christ that day of Christ his second comming vnto iudgement when it shall be rendred vnto euery man according to that he hath done in his flesh be it good or euill as also in many other places of the new Testament This day is called sometimes the day of Gods wrath sometimes the day of his appearing sometimes the day of iudgement sometimes the great day sometimes that day sometimes the day of the Lord sometimes the day of our Lord Iesus Christ sometimes the day of Christ Now that day of Christ his second comming vnto iudgement is therefore called the day of Christ because in that day God shall giue all iudgement vnto him and he shall descend from heauen with a shoute and with the voice of the Archangell and with the trumpet of God and all shall appeare before his iudgement seate and he shall separate the sheepe from the goates and set the sheepe on his right hand and the goates on the left and shall say to the one Come yee blessed of my Father and to the other Depart from me yee cursed Now the Apostle would haue the Philippians so to walke both before God and men that in this day of Christ when he shall giue to euery man according as his worke shall be he may reioyce wherein that hee hath not runne in vaine c .i. that by his labours he hath gained them vnto Christ The manner of speech which the Apostle vseth seemeth to be borrowed from them that runne in a race wherein though many runne and labour hard toward the marke yet one alone receiueth the price and the rest runne in vaine and labour in vaine because they obtaine not the prâ—ce or the thing which they runne for So the Apostle maketh his account that in respect of them he should be like vnto those that runne in vaine and labour in vaine if hauing laboured to gaine them
Dan. 12.3 that they that be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and they that turne many vnto righteousnesse shall shine as the starres for euer and euer Matt. 17.2 And a glimpse of it Peter Iames and Iohn saw when Christ was transfigured in the mount before them 1 Cor. 15. And the Apostle at large shewes the whole manner of it to the Corinthians First then hence wee learne that the body of Christ is not so deified or glorified as that the essentiall properties of God are communicated to it as to be omnipotent infinite present euery where c. For this being true that our bodies shall be made like vnto his glorious body then our bodies also should then be omnipoteâ—â— infinite euery where c. which no man will say They erre therefore that maintaine the body of Christ to be really present euery where Secondly hence we may learne not to be dismaied at whatsoeuer sicknesse danger or death It may be that thus our bodies may be turned into the graue and that death haue there dominion ouer vs for a season but in the last day our bodies shall be taken out of the power of death and made like vnto Christ his glorious body Thirdly hence we may receiue great comfort that we haue such a Sauiour as will thus change our vile bodies and make them like vnto his glorious body Hee will be a perfect Sauiour and therefore as he receiues our soules at their deparâ—ure out of our bodies to keepe them safe vnder his custodie â—and protection so will hee also in the last day change our vile â—odies and make them like vnto his glorious body that so he may be a perfect Sauiour both of our soules and bodies The fift and last thing which from these words I note is â—ouching the meanes whereby Christ in that day shall glorifie â—ur vile bodies For here is the doubt which the carnall man â—akes He cannot see nor conceiue how the bodies which are â—urned into dust and ashes which haue beene some torne in â—eeces by the beasts of the land some deuoured by the fishes of the sea some eaten vp by the fowles of the aire how they â—he same in substance should possibly be raised vp againe and â—lorified To meet then with this my obseruation hence is â—hat Christ by that diuine power and effectuall working â—hereby hee raised vp his owne body from the graue and â—hereby hee is able to doe what hee will euen to subdue all â—hings to himselfe shall raise our bodies in that day euen the â—elâ—e same in substance that wee laid downe and shall glorifie â—hem Christ he is the first-fruits of them that sleepe and by â—is resurrection he hath sanctified all the elect thereunto and 〈◊〉 according to the working of his mighty power hee raised â—imselfe from the dead so by the same working of his mighâ—ie power shall he also raise vs vp It may be that this may â—eeme impossible with men Luk. 18.27 but the things that are impossible â—ith men are possible with God And why should it seeme so imâ—ossible Can the potter make a new vessell of the same lumpe 〈◊〉 clay if the first fashion did dislike him and is not God â—uch more able out of our dust to raise againe our dead boâ—â—es Can the Goldsmith by his Art sunder diuers metals â—ne from another or the Alchymist draw one metall out of â—â—other and is not God much more able to distinguish the â—ust of mens bodies from the dust of beasts and the dust of â—ne mans body from another and to draw out our bodies â—oâ— whencesoeuer they lie Was God able in the beginning 〈◊〉 create all things of nothing and is hee not much more able 〈◊〉 make euery mans body at the resurrection of his owne matter Againe shall napkins be brought from Pauls body and diseases depart from them shall the shadow of Peter helpe the weake and sicke shall Elizeus his bones giue life to a dead corpes cast into his graue and shall not Christ much more by his diuine power change these vile bodies and make them like vnto his glorious body Hee that doubteth of his power shall be drencht vp of his maiestie Take this one proofe further from our daily experience At night wee lie downe and sleepe and in the morning wee wake and rise vp againe Our death what else is it but as a sleepe and our resurrection what else but as it were an awaking againe And as in the one it is so in the other the mighty power of God shall be seene when by his power hee shall raise vs vp out of the sleepe of death and glorifie vs with himselfe in the kingdome of hiâ— Father This then may serue vs to meet with all doubts against this point of the resurrection and glorification of our mortall and vile bodies He which is willing hath also power to doe it and by his power hee shall raise vs vp in the last day and shall change our vile bodies that they may be fashioned like vnto his glorious body We are not therefore to doubt of it lest so wee also denie his power but rather wee are to comfort oâ—â— selues in this that he who by his power is able to subdue all things vnto himselfe will also by his power raise vp our bodies in the last day and will change our vile bodies that they may be fashioned like vnto his glorious body Laus omnis soli Deo THE FOVRTH CHAPTER LECTVRE LXXV PHILIP 4. Verse 1. Therefore my brethren beloued and longed for my ioy and my crowne so continue in the Lord ye beloued 2. I pray Euodias and beseech Syntiche c. MAny and notable and most worthy our continuall meditation haue bin the points which we haue heard by occasioÌ„ of the things contained in the former Chapter as touching necessary watchfulnesse against false teachers together with certain marks of such ver 2.19 touching the true circumcision of the Spirit ver 3 touching the vanitie of all confidence and reioycing in any thing without Christ ver 4. to 9 touching iustification by the alone righteousnes of Christ Iesus through faith in his bloud v. 9 touching sanctificatioÌ„ by some sence of the knowledge of Christ and of the vertue of his resurrection in our selues c. and by an holy acknowledgement of imperfection and pursuite after perfection ver 10. to 15 touching Christian perfection ver 15 touching the sole rule of mans life ver 16 touching an holy imitation v. 17 touching euill and vngodly walkers ver 18 19 touching an holy conuersation ver 20 touching the expectation of the faithfull for Christ his second coming v. 20 touching the glorification of our vile bodies in the day of Christ by the power of Christ ver 21 some of which the Apostle purposely disputeth and others by occasion he toucheth For in that Chapter ye may remember that the Apostle instructeth the Philippians touching circumcision and
ten for one that neuer praise the Lord for his mercies May not the Lord now take vp the complaint of Malachie and say A sonne honoreth his father and a seruant his maister If I then be a Father where is mine honour And if I be a Maister where is my feare May he not say An holy nation worshippeth their God and good children honour their father If I then be your God where is my worship If I be your Father where is mine honour I doubt not but there are who with the Prophet say Thou art my God Psal 118.28 and I will thanke thee thou art my God and I will praise thee But is it one of ten Nay might we not go into a citie and with Abraham beginne at fiftie and come downe to ten and yet not finde ten such there We haue certaine words of course which we vse as to say God be blessed God be praised I thanke God I praise God but commonly they come but from the lippes It is not with vs as it was with Marie that we can say My soule doth magnifie the Lord Luke 1.46 and my spirit reioyceth in God my Sauiour For though we blesse God with our mouthes yet do we dishonour him in the wayes of our liues If ye say with them in Malachie Mal. 1.9 Wherein haue we despised thy name wherein haue we dishonoured our God I tell you in that ye haue profaned his holy Sabboths And if ye say vnto me Wherein haue we profaned them I tell you out of the Prophet In that therein ye haue done your owne wil and not the wil of the Lord For not to speake of your absenting of your selues some of you from your Churches on that day when ye should come thither as it were to his Schoole there to heare his voice to learne his most holie will and to be instructed in the things that belong vnto our peace not to speake of your fruitlesse and vnnecessarie talking on that day in your houses or at your doores or as ye walke abroad when ye should either meditate with your selues or conferre with others of the things that ye haue heard at the Church out of the word not to speake of your running vp and downe with your wares of your selling of your wares euen in open shop and of doing the workes of your calling on the Sabboth day when ye should be either preparing your selues in all holie reuerence to the hearing of the word or else be present in the congregation at the hearing of the word or else be meditating or conferring of the things that ye haue heard not I say to speake of these and many such like things whereby the Lord his Sabboths are profaned in that your owne wil is onely done and the Lord his wil neglected what wil ye say vnto piping and dancing and drinking and lording and ladying and may-gaming on that day Is this the Lord his will or is it your owne will Nay is it not to oppose your selues against his will He requires of you on that day to do his will and not your owne will but ye do your owne will and not his will Can ye pleade ignorance in this behalfe Nay ye haue bin taught what is his will for this day and that this is not his will but as much repugnant to his will almost as can be And therefore is your sinne the greater because being taught in these things ye haue refused to hearken and to obey and chosen rather to follow the wayes of your owne heart O but ye tooke onelie the euening vnto these delights Yea but the euening is a part of the Lords day wherein he looketh to be serued as well as ye looke to be serued by your seruants on the working daies in the euening The whole day is to be consecrated vnto the Lord so that that whole day we ought to employ either in an holie preparation to his seruice or in hearing or reading or meditating or conferring of the holie word of God and not otherwise What no honest recreations and delights lawfull on that day First these whereof we now speake are not such but vnhonest and vngodly Secondly for those that are such it is doubted whether they be lawfull on that day For if worldly but necessarie duties be forbidden when we should attend on the Lords worke because we cannot be wholly occupied in both much more things which seeme but for pleasure are then to be abandoned Beloued being occasioned at this time to speake of our dishonouring of God whom we ought to praise and honour alwayes and in all things I haue instanced onely in this one point of our dishonouring of God both because the profanation of the Sabboth is one of the greatest dishonours of God and one wherein we too too much and too too grossely offend Nehe. 13.18 Did not your fathers said Nehemiah to the rulers of Iudah breake the Sabboth and our God brought all this plague vpon vs and vpon this citie yet ye increase the wrath vpon Israel by breaking the Sabboth Consider your owne waies in your hearts and be thinke your selues well whether amongst other our sins the breaking of our sabboths haue not broght heauy plagues vpon vs. And do ye yet increase the wrath vppon Israel by breaking his Sabboth Marke well what I say and the Lord giue you a right vnderstanding in all things The Lord is alwayes and in all things to be honoured and praised Let vs not in this or any other thing dishonour his holy Name Let vs in all things glorifie God through Iesus Christ and let vs alwayes haue that Song in our mouthes Praise and glorie and honour and thankes and power Apoc. 7.12 and might be vnto our God for euermore Amen And as our Apostle concludeth this his Epistle with praise vnto the Lord so let vs remember to praise God euen our Father for that it hath pleased him so often to assemble vs together to heare a great part of it opened vnto vs and thence to be instructed in the things that belong vnto our peace The beginning of this worke was his worke and the continuance of it is his worke vnto him therefore euen God our Father be praise for euermore Amen Salute all the Saints c. Now in the end of this Epistle the Apostle addeth salutations from himselfe and others vnto the Philippians which manner also he vseth almost in the end of all his Epistles And first he remembreth his owne salutations vnto them saying Salute all the Saints c. Secondly he remembreth the salutations of his brethren and fellow labourers in the Gospell vnto them saying The brethren c. Thirdly he remembreth the salutations of all the rest of the Saints that were at Rome vnto them saying All the Saints c. Lastly he shutteth vp all and sealeth as it were his letter with that vsuall prayer which he vseth both in the beginning and in the end of all
a prisoner of Iesus Ch ist and our brother Timotheus But here he makes no difference betwixt himselfe and Timothy assuming onely that title which was commune to them both the seruants of Christ Iesus Which title in it selfe albeit it be common to them with all that haue giuen their names vnto Christ Iesus forasmuch as this is the title of all that are baptized into Christ Iesus yet both in other places doth our Apostle entitle himselfe and in this place entitle both himselfe and Timothy and consequently all the Ministers of the gospell herevnto in a speciall respect of their seruice in the ministery of the gospell of Christ Iesus and of the great dignity and honor vouchsafed them thereby Hence then 1. I obserue a duty for the Ministers of the gospell whereof their very names is to put them in minde They are called the seruants of Christ Iesus they must therefore remember that they are so and carry themselues as seruants of Christ Iesus and not Lords ouer Gods heritage A seruant is to doe that and that onely which his master commands him he is to be faithfull in his seruice he is not to seeke his own but the things of his master his life is not to be deare vnto him in the seruice of his master The Ministers then of the gospell being the seruants of Christ Iesus as he doth bid them to plucke vp or to root out or to destroy or to build or to plant so they are to doe If he giue them a roule to eat they must eat it vp if he giue them a commission they must looke vnto it and not goe without the bounds of it if he send them to Kings and Princes or whomsoeuer they must keepe nothing backe but deliuer vnto them all the counsell of God if he require them to lay downe their liues for his sake they must not loue their liues vnto the death Goe saith our blessed Sauiour and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father Mat. 28.19 20. and the Sonne and the Holy Ghost teaching them to obserue all things whatsoeuer I haue commanded you These be the words of our commission teach but what what I haue commanded you For other we must say as Balaam vnto Balak If Balak would giue me his house full of siluer and gold Num. 24.13 I cannot passe the commandment of the Lord to doe either good or bad of mine owne minde what the Lord shall command that will I speake We are seruants of Christ Iesus and therefore we must doe as he hath commanded vs and not otherwise What shall we say then vnto them that coyne vs out new articles of the faith that adde and detract and change at their pleasure the rites and ceremonies in the Sacraments that thrust vpon vs traditions and vnwritten verities that presse vs with a number of things as obseruation of daies and moneths times and yeares vowes of pouerty chastitie and blinde obedience pilgrimages invocation of Saints adoration of images and the like things neuer commanded by God nor hauing any warrant in the word Are these the seruants of Christ Iesus They will needs be the Vicars and Vicegerents of Christ Iesus vpon earth But is not this to carry themselues as Lords ouer Gods heritage thus to rule ouer them in things not commanded by the Lord If they be the seruants of Iesus Christ they may not rule ouer the consciences of men in things not commanded by the Lord or if they so rule ouer them they are not the seruants of Christ Againe what shall we say vnto them that hide their talent in the earth that suffer the graces of Gods spirit to wax idle and to decay in them that doe not vse the gifts bestowed vpon them to the gaining of men vnto the faith and to the increase of Christ his kingdome that sowe pillowes vnder all arme-holes that heale the hurt of the daughter of the Lords people with sweet words saying peace peace when there is no peace that giue not the people warning when they are commanded that keepe backe part of their message and do not deliuer the whole counsell of God as they are appointed Are these the seruants of Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 4.2 Of euery seruant and of euery disposer it is required that he be faithfull Now is this to be faithfull in the Lord his seruice either to leaue it vndone or to do it otherwise then it should be done or to doe it but in part and by halues If so then let these be seruants of Iesus Christ if not then either they are no seruants or vnfaithfull seruants of Christ Iesus And to be none or to be but bad ones is no great difference Againe what shall we say vnto them that with Demas forsake Paul and embrace this present world that with Diotrephes loue rather to haue the praeeminence amongst men then to labor in the works of their calling that follow their ease or their pleasure or their profit and looke not to the charges committed vnto them Phil. 2 21. that seeke their owne and not that which is Iesus Christs like vnto those of whom our Apostle complaineth Are these the seruants of Christ Iesus A good seruants care is about his masters matter not his owne So that if they be seruants yet surely no good seruants because they care for their owne and not their masters or more then their masters Lastly what shall we say vnto them that when persecutions and troubles arise start aside like a broken bowe that loue their liues better then that for their ministery they will hazard them vnto the death that either will not speake vnto Herod or else will handle the matter better then that for ought they will speake they will lose their head with Iohn Baptist or be cast into prison and there haue their feete clapt fast in the stocks with Ieremiah the Prophet Are these the seruants of Christ Iesus Our Apostle when he was going vnto certaine bands I passe not at all saith he neither is my life deare vnto my selfe Act. 20.24 so that I may fulfill my course with ioy and the ministration which I haue receiued of the Lord Iesus to testifie the gospell of the grace of God Here was a good seruant of Iesus Christ and such should all his seruants be and they that are not such are either none or no good seruants of Iesus Christ If then we will be rightly entituled with Paul and Timothy vnto the seruants of Iesus Christ let his word be our warrant for whatsoeuer we teach men to obserue and doe and let vs not dare to passe the limits of our commission to doe otherwise then we haue receiued commandment of our Lord and master Christ Iesus let vs faithfully vse the gifts and graces of Gods spirit bestowed vpon vs for the gaining of men vnto the faith and knowledge of Christ Iesus and let vs not dare either to smother them or otherwise
speake vnto you suffer yee the words of exhortation and instruction from vs gladly My second obseruation hence is from this that there were now Bishops and Deacons there vnto whom hee might write For hence I obserue the great blessing of the Lord vpon the preaching of the word A litle while before at the first preaching thereof vnto the Philippians it was so vnsauory vnto them that they could not brooke Paul and Silas but cast them into prison but now such a blessing the Lord had giuen vnto the word preached by them that the number of conuerts and beleeuers was very great insomuch that now they had Ministers to attend on teaching and Deacons to attend on distribution and an absolute ecclesiasticall gouernment as it may seeme amongst them This was the Lords his doing 1 Cor. 3.6 for Paul plants and Apollos waters but God giues the increase And this increase he giueth as it pleaseth him sometimes sooner sometimes later Vpon one Sermon of Peter there were added vnto the Church about three thousand soules Act. 2.41 But at other times and in other places the seede of the word which both he and other of the Apostles did sowe lay oftentimes a good while in the ground before it brought forth fruit vnto the Lord. So in this City of Philippi Lydia at the first receiued the word gladly Act. 16.14 but in others it tooke roote downeward and sprung vp afterward howsoeuer sooner or later as in the primitiue Church through the Apostles doctrine the Lord added to the Church from day to day such as should be saued so doth he alwaies make a blessing to follow vpon the word though vnto vs it seeme oftentimes to perish So he promised long since that hee would Esay 55.10 saying Surely as the raine commeth downe and the snow from heauen returneth not thither but watereth the earth and maketh it to bring forth and bud that it may giue seede to the sower and bread to him that eateth so shall my word be that goeth out of my mouth 11. it shall not returne vnto me voide but it shall accomplish that which I will and it shall prosper in the thing wherevnto I sent it Here then is a great comfort ouer our labors in our ministerie with you that heare vs. Though the word which we bring vnto you be reiected and despised and we reviled and persecuted yet we faint not but are full of comfort because we know that the Lord will giue a blessing vnto his word Which howsoeuer it doe not alwaies appeare vnto vs yet shall it and doth at one time or other breake forth into the fruits of holinesse and a sauing knowledge in as many as are ordeined vnto life And still wee know this that his word alwaies doth his will and prospereth in that wherevnto it is sent so that this blessing alwaies followes vpon it that Gods name is thereby glorified whether it be in them that be saued or in them that perish For as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 2.15 We are vnto God the sweet sauour of Christ in them that are saued and in them that perish 16. To the one we are the sauor of death vnto death and to the other we are the sauor of life vnto life And let this suffice for the inscription Now followeth the salutation wherein the Apostle wisheth the Philippians all good from him which is the author of all goodnes And 1. is set downe the thing which hee wisheth vnto them grace and peace vnderstanding by grace the free fauour of God wherewith hee loueth his children and by peace euery blessing corporall and spirituall flowing from that fountaine of grace 2. Is set downe vnto whom he wisheth this grace and peace viz to all the Saints at Philippi with the Bishops c. 3. Is set downe the author from whom and by whom he wisheth this grace and peace vnto them which is from God our Father as the fountaine and first originall from whom commeth euery good and perfit gift and from the Lord Iesus Christ as the meanes whereby euery grace of the spirit is conveyed and deriued vnto vs. The first thing which here I note is that the Apostle wisheth grace and peace vnto the Philippians The receiued manner of salutation among the Iewes was this Peace be vnto you So Amasia vnto Dauid Peace 1 Chro. 12.18 peace be vnto thee and peace be vnto thine helpers So the Lord vnto Gideon Peace be vnto thee So Christ vnto his Disciples Iud. 6.23 Luk. 24.36.110.5 Peace be vnto you So hee taught his Disciples to say Peace be to this house wherein they wished all prosperity and good to them whom they so saluted But after the full and cleare manifestation of grace in the whole mystery of our redemption still we see the Apostles salutations to be grace and peace be with you Wherein they doe not onely comprehend all blessings absolutely that are to be praied for whether for this life or that that is to come but plainly demonstrate the fountaine whence all other blessings doe flow and which principally is to be praied for bee it in praier for our selues or for others 3. Hence then I obserue what the things are which we must wish and pray for to our brethren if we will wish them all good and they are grace and peace onely two blessings of goodnesse in shew of words but indeede all the blessings of the God of Isaac vnto Iacob and his seed for euer For what is grace It is the loue of the euer-liuing God wherewith he freely loueth and accepteth vs in Christ Iesus And what is peace It is principally a tranquillitie and quietnesse in conscience through the forgiuenesse of our sinnes by the grace and loue of God toward vs but generally whatsoeuer goodnesse floweth from grace Now we see the rich treasures of blessings stored vp in these blessings of grace and peace In the blessing of grace there is giuen that which is the cause both of peace and all good blessings whatsoeuer For whence are our election vnto saluation our vocation vnto the knowledge of the truth our adoption into the sonnes of God our iustification vnto righteousnesse our sanctification vnto holinesse our reconciliation with God our hope of glorification in the heauens Whence is it that wee beleeue in the holy Trinitie that wee are strong in hope that we loue God and our brethren that we haue peace with God and our owne consciences that we reioyce in the holy Ghost that in our thoughts wee thinke in our desires we will in our actions we doe any thing that is good Are not all these things from the blessing of grace Is not the free fauour and loue of God in Christ Iesus the cause of al these things yes surely because God loueth vs in his welbeloued therfore doth he thus enrich vs with spirituall graces in heauenly things and further giueth vs the true possession of all temporall
thanks vnto God on their behalfe 2. in remembring them in his prayers vnto God 3. in praying for them with gladnesse The grace of God already bestowed on them for which he reioyced in their behalfe is said to be 1. their fellowship with other Churches in the gospell 2. their perseuerance therein from the first day they had receiued the gospell till now that he wrote vnto them This is the generall resolution of these words Now for the more particular opening of the meaning of them in that in the beginning of his Epistle hee thanketh God on the Philippians behalfe he obserueth his vsuall manner For so he beginneth almost all his Epistles as anon we shall heare In that he saith that hee thanketh his God he signifieth his bold and neere approch vnto God in giuing thanks and in praying vnto him Againe in that he saith that he hath them in perfect memory alwaies in all his prayers for them all he meaneth that as alwaies he thanketh God for them all so alwaies in all his prayers vnto God he remembreth them And he addeth that his prayers are alwaies powred out vnto God for them with great ioy and gladnesse of heart Why because as he addeth the reason of the fellowship which they had receiued in the Gospell 1. Because they as other Churches had receiued the gospell and thereby had fellowship with the Father and with his sonne Iesus Christ and because they had continued in the truth from the first day of their conuersion vnto Christ by his ministery vntill now that he wrote vnto them This was the cause of his thanksgiuing and his continuall prayers wherein he alwaies remembred them were that they might continue in that grace euen in that fellowship which they had receiued in the gospell It is then briefly as if the Apostle had thus said I thanke my God alwaies on your behalfe for that fellowship which you haue with the Father and the Sonne with vs and with other Churches by embracing the Gospell and for your perseuerance therein from the first day that I and Silas and Timotheus preached it vnto you vnto now and alwaies in all my praiers vnto God I remember you praying for you with gladnes for the grace already granted you that yee may continue and increase in that grace This I take to be the meaning of these words The first thing then which here I note is the Apostles beginning of his Epistle with thanksgiuing vnto God on the Philippians behalfe And so he beginneth all his Epistles with thanksgiuing vnto God on their behalfe to whom he wrote onely his Epistles to the Galatians and to Titus and the former to Timothy excepted And so Peter beginneth his former Epistle Whence I obserue that thanksgiuing vnto God is a seruice principally requisite in a Christian I exhort saith the Apostle that first of all 1 Tim. 2.1 or aboue all things supplications prayers intercessions and giuing of thanks be made for all men And in the former to the Thessâ—lonians he willeth in all things to â—iue thanks 1 Thess 5.18 for that this is the will of God in Christ Iesus And not any sacrifice is more exactly commanded or described in Leuiticus then the sacrifice of thanksgiuing Wherevpon Leuit. 7.12 if we looke into the practise of the saints of God we shall finde that they were neuer slacke in this seruice Melchisedech after Abrahams victory slacked not this seruice Gen. 14.20 but gaue thanks vnto the most high God which had deliuered his enemies into his hand Moses also and the Israelites after their deliuerance from the Aegyptians Exod. 15.1 and out of the red sea slacked not this seruice but sung praises vnto the Lord. So did Deborah and Barak and Iehoshaphat and many others after their victories ouer their enemies And how often doe we read that as others of his seruants so our blessed Sauiour himselfe gaue thanks vnto his father All which shew clearely how requisite this seruice of thanksgiuing vnto God is if either we will hearken to the precepts and exhortations of the Holy Ghost or doe as we haue the saints of God and our blessed Sauiour for example What then Doth the Lord neede the praises of man or is he delighted with his giuing of thanks No the Lord needeth them not neither is he delighted therwith so much for his owne sake Yet doth hee require them of vs and is delighted therewith for our sakes for 1. in giuing of thanks vnto God we acknowledge that to be from him for which we giue him thanks 2. In giuing him thanks we shew our selues well pleased and content with that spirituall grace or temporall blessing wherefore wee giue him thanks 3. In giuing him thanks we returne what wee can vnto the Lord with humble confession that we can no more nor that but by grace Lastly in giuing of thanks vnto God wee prouoke him to bestow farther mercies vpon vs. All which things he requireth of vs and liketh well in vs. And for these very reasons besides the former is thanksgiuing vnto God so requisite a seruice in a Christian Yet as requisite a seruice as it is we faile asmuch in it as in any seruice It may be that being in perill or persecution or sorrow or neede or sicknes or other like aduersitie we will make our requests knowne vnto God in prayer and supplication as the occasions are publiquely or priuately But when the Lord hath heard our prayers and grâ—nted our requests when he hath done more for vs then we could desire or thinke What giuing oâ— thanks is there vnto God either publiquely or priuately For instance now of late when the Lord opened the clouds of heauen and threatned by raine to depriue vs of that blessing of the fruits of the earth which he had shewed vnto vs in great plenty and abundance then we powred out both publique and priuate prayers in our Churches and in our houses that it would please the Lord to send vs such weather whereby we might receiue the fruits of the earth in due season But now that the Lord hath sent vs seasonable weather and giuen vs good hope of reaping the fruits of the earth in due season in what Congregations publiquely in what houseâ— priuately is the voice of praise and thanksgiuing heard I instance onely in this but as it is in this so is it in other things Not one of ten that sings the song of praise and thanksgiuing after benefits receiued it is too harsh a note we cannot tune it all or the most part of vs being liker vnto those nine Lepers that neuer returned backe to giue God praise then vnto the stranger that returned Luc. 17.18 Beloued by vnthankfulnesse we prouoke Gods wrath against vs asmuch as by any sinne and therefore Paul reckons it vp amongst the most heynous sinnes 2 Tim. 3.2 but the sacrifice of thanksgiuing is as pleasant and acceptable vnto God as is any sacrifice and
thy candlesticke out of his place What is that that is he will remoue his Church from thence by taking his gospell from them Euen as our blessed Sauiour also threatned the Iewes saying Matth. 21.43 The kingdome of God shall be taken from you and giuen to a nation which shall bring forth the fruits thereof So the Prophet threatning a heauy iudgement vpon the rulers of Israel Behold saith he the daies come that I will send a famine in the land Amâ—s 8.11 not a famine of bread nor a thirst for water but of hearing the word of the Lord which how grieuous a famine and how heauy a iudgement it is appeareth by that of Salomon where he saith that where there is no vision Prou. 29.18 .i. no sincere preaching of the word no sound fellowship in the gospell there the people perisheth euen perisheth both in soule and body And as the curse and iudgement is great and grieuous of wanting so is the blessing and benefit of hauing this fellowship in the gospell exceeding great and happy for it is indeed our very life and soule 1 Pet 1.3.23.2.2 whereby we are begotten borne and nourished vnto euerlasting tife as Peter witnesseth It is the lanterne vnto our feete and the light vnto our steps to bring vs to the Citie of the liuing God the celestiall Ierusalem Heb. 12.22 23 24. and to the company of innumerable Angells and to the congregation of the first borne which are written in heauen and to God the iudge of all and to the spirits of iust and perfit men and to Iesus the mediator of the new testament and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things then that of Abel By it we are called out of darknes into light instructed in the way of God perfitly grounded and stablished in the faith and made wise vnto saluation Rom. 1.16 for it is the power of God vnto saluation vnto euery one that beleeueth See then whether here it be not principall cause for vs to pray for our Church that in it the gospell of our saluation may for euer be freely and sincerely preached and for our selues that we may continue in that grace wherein we stand by the gospell of our saluation Yes surely if either feare of as great a plague of Gods wrath as can fall vpon vs may force vs to pray or desire of as great a blessing of God as can befall vs may perswade vs to pray we haue great cause euen to powre out our soules in prayer and supplication vnto our God for the blessed continuance of that fellowship which we haue with other Churches in the gospell that as now so euer this grace may bee continued vpon vs. Yea beloued if yee shall but cast your eyes abroad into the land yee shall finde that there is great cause thus to pray For how doth Atheisme and abominable irreligion spread it selfe and ouer-spread the whole face of the land Hath it not nestled it selfe on hie and said within it selfe who shall bring me downe to the ground How doth Papisme and out-worne Pelagianisme now shoote out the head and breake out in many places as if now the day approched wherein they may say so so thus would we haue it How hath cunning policie broken the necke of Christianitie and now so swaieth that it carieth all almost with it What neglect and contempt of the word is there in all places And what else are these but forerunners of a fearefull iudgement to follow What else doe these threaten but the remouing of our candlesticke from vs Beloued shall wee see and know these things and shall wee not pray Let vs pray at euening and at morning and at midday let vs pray and that instantly that this iudgement may neuer fall vpon vs that this light of the gospell may neuer be put out but that it may shine amongst vs from generation to generation vntill the day of Christ Iesus The more that the danger is let vs pray the more feruently and let vs not giue our selues any rest but still pray vnto the Lord for our continuance which we haue with other reformed Churches in the gospell The fourth thing which here I note is that the Apostle thus praied for the Philippians alwaies in all his praiers Whence I obserue with what constant assiduity and carefullnesse we ought to pray for our Church and for our selues that we may continue in the fellowship which we haue in the gospell we should neuer pray but alwaies in our praiers this praier for our Church and for our selues should continually be remembred that the fellowship which we now haue with other Churches in the gospell may for euer be continued vnto vs. To pray alwaies Rom. 12.12 1 Thess 5.17 Luc. 18.1 and not to faint or giue ouer is a thing much commanded by the Holy Ghost Continue in prayer saith our Apostle And againe in another place Pray continually And to the same purpose is that parable of the importunate widow in the gospell All which places shew vs the necessitie of praier that whensoeuer we stand in neede we haue recourse vnto God by praier so the constant perseuerance that is to be vsed in praier that howsoeuer for some time we seeme to pray and bee not heard yet we faint not nor giue ouer but still pray and that instantly Now as wee are to pray and to pray alwaies so alwaies in all our praiers this is to be remembred that we pray that the Lord his way may be knowne vpon earth and his sauing health among all nations that the preaching of the gospell may bee fruitfull vnto vs and vnto the whole Church that the word of the Lord may haue free passage and be glorified that we may continue grounded and stablished in the faith as wee haue beene taught in Iesus Christ that we and our whole Church may continue in the fellowship which we haue with other Churches in the gospell This the example of our Apostle teacheth vs to do who in that he did for others left vs an example what to doe for our selues and for others Yea but is not the Lord alwaies more ready to heare then we are to pray and hath he not said that whosoeuer asketh receiueth that he that seeketh findeth and that to him that knocketh it shall be opened Or if it be so what needeth it alwaies in all our praiers thus to pray as hath beene said True it is that whosoeuer asketh receiueth and that the Lord is more ready to heare and to grant our requests then we are to pray and call vpon his name for commonly he preuenteth vs with his blessings and whatsoeuer it is that we haue by praier he it is that teacheth vs to pray for it as we ought But some things we aske often and receiue not Jam. 4.3 because we aske amisse and some things he hath appointed so to be granted if they bee continually asked And of this sort
is this thing whereof we now speake Hee will as it shall be for his glory continue vs in the fellowship which wee haue in the gospell if wee continue to aske it in faith and faint not This then may teach vs of what weight and moment our continuance in the fellowship of the gospell is It is not a thing which hapneth by fortune or which humane policie effecteth but onely it is of God and therefore alwaies in all our praiers we are to pray vnto him for it Let vs therefore pray vnto the Lord without ceasing for this grace let vs neuer forget to commense this suite in our praiers vnto God let vs alwaies pray for it and not faint The fift thing which here I note is that the Apostle praied for the Philippians with gladnes because of their growth in godlines and in the knowledge of Iesus Christ by the worke of his ministery Whence I obserue a necessary care which ought to bee in the whole Church I meane in all them that are taught in the word and that is that they so profit and increase in all knowledge and iudgement in all godlinesse and holy conuersation that their Pastors and Teachers may pray for them with gladnes Such a care it may seeme that the Romanes had vnto whom the Apostle giueth this testimonie that their faith which was published and their obedience which was come abroad much gladded him Rom. 1.8 Such a care it may seeme that the Colossians had vnto whom the Apostle giueth this testimonie that though he was absent in the flesh yet was he present with them in the spirit reioycing and beholding their order and their stedfast faith in Christ And such a care ought all the people of God to haue that they which watch for their soules as they that must giue accounts vnto God for them may now pray for them with gladnes and afterwards giue their accounts for them with ioy and not with griefe But this care is not common among the people for where the Pastor in an holy care for his people praieth for them he praieth for them in many places with great heauinesse with heauinesse I say for their neglect and contempt of the word with heauinesse for their ignorance in the things that belong vnto their peace and vnwillingnesse to bee instructed therein with heauinesse for their vngodly conuersation and vnchristian walking with heauinesse for spending his strength in vaine and for nothing amongst them Hee praieth but his soule mourneth because hee cannot gaine them vnto Christ Iesus he praieth but his soule mourneth because they runne and needs will runne headlong to the deuill So litle care commonly there is of profiting by the ministery of the word amongst them that are taught in the word Beloued let it neuer be said so of you but let your care be that they which labor in the word amongst you may pray for you with gladnes Jam. 1.21 Lay apart all filthinesse and superfluity of maliciousnes and receiue with meeknes the word that is graffed in you which is able to saue your soules Follow the truth in loue and in all things grow vp into him Eph. 4.15 which is the head that is Christ Let your conuersation be such as it becommeth the gospell of Christ and striue to increase in all good things with all godly increasing for so and so onely shall we haue cause to pray for you with gladnesse Lastly in that the Apostle hauing taught the Philippians the way of truth giueth thanks for them praieth for them and that with gladnesse because of the fellowship c. Hence I obserue a duty of the Pastors of the Church which if time had giuen leaue and the place had beene so conuenient should principally haue beene stood vpon and that is that the Pastors are not onely to teach their people with the wholesome word which cannot be reproued but they are also to pray for them that the word may haue a blessing among them that they may grow and increase thereby in all knowledge and holinesse to the Lord they are to be glad in their soules for their profiting in the word of grace and they are to giue thanks vnto God on their behalfe when they see their order their stedfast faith in Christ their growth in godlines and righteousnes and holy conversation This should be and might be and I wish it were and if it be not it is their perill in whom it faileth to be LECTVRE V. PHILIP I. Verse 6. And I am perswaded of this same thing that he that hath begun this good worke in you will performe it vntill the day of Iesus Christ NOw giue mee leaue briefly to note one thing further from those words and that is that both our thanksgiuing and our praying are alwaies to bee vnto God Our thanksgiuing because all deliuerance in dangers all comfort in troubles all helpe in time of neede all spirituall graces in heauenly things and all corporall blessings whatsoeuer are from him the father of all mercies and giuer of all goodnesse for euery good giuing and euery perfit gift is from aboue and commeth downe from the father of lights Iam. 1.17 He vpholdeth all such as fall Psal 145.14 15 16. and lifteth vp all those that be downe the eyes of all waite vpon him and he giueth them their meat in due season he openeth his hand and filleth all things liuing with plenteousnes He killeth and maketh aliue bringeth downe to the graue and raiseth vp 1 Sam. 2.6 maketh poore and maketh rich bringeth low and exalteth He is our rocke and fortresse our strength and shield 2 Sam. 22.1 and he that deliuereth vs in all time of danger He is the father of mercies 2 Cor. 1.3 and the God of all comfort which comforteth vs in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in any affliction by the comfort wherewith we our selues are comforted of him 4. He succoureth vs when we are tempted and suffereth vs not to be tempted aboue that we be able 1 Cor. 10.13 but giueth the issue with the tentation that we may be able to beare it He created vs Esay 43 7. Act. 17 28. Eph. 1. formed vs and made vs for his owne glory In him we liue moue and haue our being Hee blesseth vs with all spirituall blessings in heauenly things in Christ hauing chosen vs in him predestinate vs to be adopted through him redeemed vs through his blood iustified vs and sanctified vs washed and cleansed vs from our sinnes in him and begotten vs by faith vnto a liuely hope in him In one word he is all in all things vnto vs. Vnto whom then should wee sacrifice the calues of our lips Col. 3.11 and offer the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiuing but vnto him of whom through whom and for whom are all things and by whom we haue all blessings in good things and deliuerance from all
this purpose then the rest for 1. it is a vision and no thing so done as here is set downe and therefore no cleare argument will hence be drawne Againe here is nothing spoken of the saints in heauen for it is generally agreed vpon that the 24 elders represent the Church militant here on earth whose conversation is in heauen whose golden violls full of sweet odours were their own praiers powred out of faithfull hearts vnto the Lord. Lastly they say that praying one vnto another here on earth to be assisted by their praiers is lawfull therefore praier vnto Saints in heauen is lawfull But to this wee answer 1. that to desire one anothers praiers is warranted by the word which they grant but to request the praiers of the Saints departed hath no warrant in the word howsoeuer they contend the contrary 2. There is no such reason of desiring the praiers of the Saints in heauen as of desiring one anothers praiers for wee know one anothers necessities but they know not our necessities as hath beene proued 3. Our praying one for another to be holpen by their praiers is a godly request to our brethren but no religious invocation of them as by their merits or worthinesse to bee brought into Gods fauour such as is praier vnto Saints And as we are in a Christian sort to giue thanks one vnto another for benefits receiued so are we in a Christian sort to request one anothers praiers But that religious thanksgiuing and that religious invocation whereof we now speake are in no sort due to any but to God So that the Saints departed not knowing what wee say or thinke nor giuing either grace or glory to vs nor any way warranted by the scripturs to haue such honor giuen vnto them we conclude that we are not to pray or to giue thanks to them Nay absolutely we say that it is vtterly vnlawfull to pray or giue thanks to them For 1. praier and thanksgiuing are honors onely due vnto the Lord and therefore he saith Call vpon me in the day of trouble Psal 50. and I will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me praise me giue thanks vnto me Where albeit the word onely be not expressed but it be said Call vpon me as neither it is expressed in Deuteronomie but said thou shalt feare the Lord thy God Deut. 10.20 and thou shalt serue him yet as our Sauiour Christ sheweth that it is there to be vnderstood by his adding of it Matth. 4.10 and saying him onely shalt thou serue so is it plaine that in this place where the Prophet speaketh of the same thing it is vnderstood as if he had said Call vpon me onely and I will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie mee onely Therefore it is vtterly vnlawfull either to pray or to giue thanks vnto the Saints vnlesse we will communicate that to others which belongeth vnto him and so make other Gods beside him Exod. 20.3.23 and with him contrary to the commandement 2. It is vnlawfull to beleeue in them which they will grant therefore vnlawfull to pray or to giue thanks vnto them for so it is written How shall they call on him in whom they haue not beleeued Rom. 10.14 3. To pray vnto Saints is iniurious vnto Christ who is ordeined the only mediator betweene God and vs 1 Tim. 2.5 Rom. 8.34 who sitteth at the right hand of God and maketh continuall request for vs Heb. 4.16 Ioh. 16.23 vnto whom we may goe boldly and for whose sake whatsoeuer we aske the Father in his name he giueth it vs. Many other arguments of like weight might here bee brought to the same purpose But these for this time may suffice Neither let any man thinke that because wee thus teach we make not that reckoning of the Saints departed which we ought Yes beloued of the blessed Virgin Mary we say that shee was blessed aboue other women that shee was dearely beloued of God that shee was adorned with excellent gifts and graces of Gods holy spirit and that her memory is to be reuerenced for euer and of all the Saints departed we say that their memory is blessed and that they are to be commended vnto the Church that by their doctrine and examples others may be strengthned in true faith and inflamed to follow true godlinesse yea and that in a generall desire both for vs and for themselues and for all the elect of God they pray that the day of our refreshing were come and that all the people of God were ioyned in one and that their enemies were vanquished and destroyed and farther that it may bee that God sometimes may reueale some things in particular vnto them at his pleasure and as it seemeth good vnto him Onely as the Holy Ghost hath taught vs so wee teach you that in the word is nothing written whereby to proue that they know our affaires in particular that they pray for vs in particular or that they doe any thing for vs in particular and therefore that we are not to pray vnto them or to giue thanks vnto them but onely to the Lord to whom alone that honor is due Giue thanks therefore ô Israel vnto God the Lord in the congregations from the ground of thine heart Psal 68.26 55.17 Pray vnto the Lord as Dauid did euening and morning and at mid-day and that instantly As your occasions are for blessings in good things or deliuerance from euill so let your requests be shewed vnto God in praier and supplication with giuing of thanks Yea in the middest of troubles giue thanks vnto the Lord that ye are not ouercome of them and pray vnto the Lord that he will giue you patience in them And amongst all things giue thanks vnto the Lord for that fellowship which ye haue with other Churches in the gospell and pray vnto the Lord that yee may continue in that grace wherein yee stand through the gospell of your saluation vnto your liues end And I am perswaded As before the Apostle testified his loue toward the Philippians by his reioycing on their behalfe for the grace of God already bestowed on them so now likewise he testifieth his loue towards them by signification of his assured hope of Gods farther mercy towards them in their perseuerance in the same grace vnto the end Where 1. he signifieth his assured hope of their perseuerance vers 6. 2. Hee setteth downe the reason which caused him so assuredly to hope thereof namely their piety and his loue of them v. 7. 3. He maketh earnest protestation of his loue towards them vers 8. For the first the Apostle sheweth his great confidence and assured hope of their perseuerance when he saith I am perswaded of this same thing c. And closely he implieth a reason of his confidence drawne from the constant immutabilitie of God in his doings when hee saith that he which hath begun c. for it is as if hee had thus reasoned
God is constant in his doings so that looke what he beginneth that he finisheth therefore I am perswaded that hee which hath begun this good worke c. Now it is to be noted that the Apostle saith not I am perswaded that God which hath c. but that he which hath begun wherby he implieth that the beginning of that as also indeed of euery good worke was alone from God for if it had been from any other then they should not haue vnderstood him to haue spoken of God when he said that he Againe it is to be noted that the Apostle saith not I am perswaded that you which haue begun well shall also end well but that he which hath begun c. grounding his perswasion not on their vertue and constancie but on the constant immutabilitie of God which had begun a good worke in them Now the good worke which he had begun in them was their embracing of the gospell whereby they had fellowship in the gospell with other Churches which was indeed a speciall good work and such as they that persecute them in whom God hath begun this good worke make but vaine braggs of their good works I am then saith the Apostle perswaded that he that hath begun this good worke in you of embracing the gospell will performe it .i. will confirme and stablish you in it or will finish and perfit it vntill the day of Iesus Christ when he shall come and change your vile bodies that they may bee fashioned like vnto his glorious body for albeit by the day of Christ might be ment the day wherein the faithfull die in Christ yet by the day of Christ I rather vnderstand here the day of Christ his second comming in the flesh in the last day as also it is vnderstood in the next chapter vers 16. because the Apostle speaketh not onely of them that then were at Philippi â—ut of the Church also which afterward should bee there vntill the second comming of Christ Thus much of the sense of the words The first thing then which here I note is the ground of the Apostles confidence of the Philippians perseuerance His ground is not the Philippians vertue and constancie as if now they were so well grounded stablished in the faith that they could not but hold out keep fast their good profession vnto the end but his ground is the constant immutabilitie of God who where he beginneth to worke a good worke there he maketh an end of it Whence I obserue a notable ground of the perseuerance of all Gods faithfull children in that grace wherein they stand and that is this he that hath begun a good worke in them will performe it and confirme them vnto the end To which purpose also there are many other places in the holy scripture as where it is said of Christ Iesus Ioh. 13.1 that forasmuch as he loued his owne which were in the world vnto the end he loued them Whence we take that commonly receiued saying that whom God loueth once he loueth vnto the end And againe where Christ himselfe saith Ioh. 4.14 Whosoeuer drinketh of the water that I shall giue him shall neuer be more a thirst but the water that I shall giue him shall be in him a well of water springing vp into euerlasting life Here is but once drinke and neuer thirst once sanctified by the spirit and neuer vtterly forsaken of the spirit And againe where Iohn saith 1 Ioh. 3.9 whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not namely vnto death and why because the seede of God remaineth in him the spirit of God hauing once seazed vpon him alwaies abideth in him And againe where our Sauiour saith him that commeth to mee I cast not away once come by faith Ioh. 6.37 no feare of forsaking afterward And the reason is plaine for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance Rom. 11.29 He calleth vs by his gospell and giueth vs gifts and graces of his holy spirit not for our owne sakes or for any thing that he seeth or foreseeth in vs for then we might well feare a fall and a change but his gifts are giuen freely by grace according to his good pleasure So that he neuer repenteth of any grace which hee bestoweth vpon vs nor suffereth his mercies to faile from vs for euer but holdeth our soules in life and keepeth vs from the pit of destruction Wherevpon we read that as Dauid hauing had experience of Gods helpe in his deliuerance out of the paw of the Lyon and out of the paw of the Beare afterwards feared not to encounter Goliah but assured himselfe that the Lord that had deliuered him out of the paw of the Lyon 1 Sam. 17.37 and out of the paw of the Beare would also deliuer him out of the hand of that Philistim so the children of God hauing once felt the loue of God in Christ Iesus in their soules and the testimonie of the spirit witnessing vnto their spirits that they were the sonnes of God afterwards feared not the encounters of sinne or Satan but assured themselues that nothing should be able to separate them from the loue of God in Christ Iesus So wee see that our Apostle breaketh out and saith Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ Rom. 6.35 shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednes or perill or sword Nay I am perswaded that neither death 38. nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come 39. nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall bee able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord And againe I know whom I haue beleeued and I am perswaded that he is able to keepe that which I haue committed vnto him 2 Tim. 1.12 which is my selfe against that day And thus many others of Gods children as vpon other grounds so in assurance of Gods vnchangeable resolution in his doings haue builded a full and assured perswasion of their perseuerance Now we must vnderstand that in perseuerance there be two things which ye may call the parts of it the one is a holy will and desire to perseuere in that grace wherein we stand the other is a reall continuance and continuall persisting in that grace wherein wee stand This reall continuance and continuall persisting in the grace wherein we stand is often in the best of Gods children so abated and diminished that it seemeth vtterly to bee extinguished but that holy will and desire to perseuere the Lord doth neuer suffer vtterly to faile from his children Take for example the holy prophet Dauid and the blessed Apostle Paul did not Dauid in the bitternes of his soule cry Will the Lord absent himselfe for euer Psal 77.7.8.9 88.14.15.16 and will he be no more intreated Is his mercy cleane gone for euer and is his promise come vtterly to an end for euermore Hath
sinceritie they haue taught amongst you Are they beaten and scourged and cast into prison and bound with bands and their feete made fast in the stocks for the defence of the gospell Are they brought to the fire and fagot to the rope and hatchet to Lyons and wilde beasts by their bloud to confirme the gospell of Christ Iesus Such times and tyrannies beloued our forefathers haue seene and it may be that some of you haue seene them but ô Lord let neuer our eyes see such times and tyrannies againe neither let our seede see them nor our seedes seede from henceforth for euer But put case it were thus as hath beene said Doe yee thinke yee should stand close to the truth in such time of trouble and not start aside like a broken bow Could yee finde in your hearts to vndergo with your Ministers and Teachers the mercilesse cruelty of any bloudy inquisition to stand with them at the barre in defence of that truth which they haue taught you To be tried with them by mockings and scourgings by bonds and imprisonment to goe to fire and fagot with them and with your bloud to seale that truth which they haue taught you Here were zeale for the gospell in deed here were loue of your Ministers here were a proofe of the power of the word in you here were an argument of the effectuall preaching of the gospell vnto you And such proofes and arguments many in the primitiue Church both had vnto themselues and gaue vnto others as the Apostle witnesseth to the Hebrewes where he saith Heb. 11.36 37 38. that some were racked and would not be deliuered that they might receiue a better resurrection others were tried by mockings and scourgings yea moreouer by bands and imprisonment others were stoned c. So powerfully had the word wrought vpon them that nothing could daunt them but through persecution and anguish and tribulation and famine and nakednes and perill and sword and all they went Yea but you will say there was no such matter with the Philippians whose example I vrge they gaue no such proofe of their zeale or loue or growth in godlines thorow the preaching of the gospell as now we speake of Well then could yee willingly be partakers with your Ministers and Teachers in their bands and in their defence and confirmation of the gospell in such sort as the Philippians were with Paul Would yee not be ashamed of their chaines Would yee communicate to their affliction and supply that which they lacked Would yee be carefull that some might minister vnto them such things as they wanted Would their bands so affect you as if yee were bound with them Would yee count their sufferings for the defence and confirmation of the gospell as common to you with them Would yee in heart soule be ioyned vnto them both in their bands and in their defence and confirmation of the gospell This also should be a notable proof both vnto your selues and others of your holy zeale for the truth of your godly increase in all spirituall vnderstanding through the word and of the effectuall power of the spirit in you through the ministerie of the word Such a proofe Onesiphorus had vnto himselfe and gaue vnto others as appeareth by that testimonie which the Apostle giueth to him when he saith that he often refreshed him and was not ashamed of his chaine 2 Tim. 1.16 17 18. that at Rome hee sought him very diligently and found him and that in many things he ministred vnto him at Ephesus Not once but often he refreshed him he shunned him not nor was ashamed of him because of his bands but comming to Rome and vnderstanding that Nero had cast him into prison hee sought him very diligently and would not rest till he had found him and before at Ephesus hee had in bountifull sort cared for him Here the word had taken roote downeward and brought forth fruit vpward and powerfully wrought on him And so the blessing that followed hervpon 2. Tim. 1.18 The Apost prayed for him saying the Lord grant vnto him that he may find mercy with the Lord at that day nor for him onely but for his whole house 16. saying The Lord giue mercie vnto the house of Onesiphorus and in that the Apostle prayed for him and for his house 1 Thess 1.6 it was in effect a promise of blessing and mercie vnto him and to his house The like testimonie the Apostle giueth vnto the Thessalonians where hee saith that they receaued the word in much affliction with ioy of the holy Ghost When there was much affliction when there was great tribulation and persecution because of the word yet they receiued the word willingly and ioyfully Which the Apostle bringeth as a plaine proofe vnto them of their spirituall coniunction with Christ and election vnto life So that when the word hath wrought thus vpon vs that in much affliction wee can delight in it that wee gladly cherish and refresh them that suffer trouble euen vnto bands for the Gospels sake that we are so affected therewith as if we also were in bands with them that we count their sufferings for the defence and confirmation of the Gospell our sufferings it is a notable argument that the word hath had great power in vs and that we haue well profited in the Schoole of Christ But if many in these our daies should examine themselues by this rule of what power the word is in them and vnto what growth in godlynesse they are come it is to be feared that their triall would not be much to their comfort Our blessed Sauiour expounding the parable of the Sower saith That he that receaued seed in the stonie ground is he which heareth the word and incontinently with ioy receiueth it Yet hath he no roote in himselfe Mat. 13 12. and endureth but a season for as soone as tribulation or persecution commeth because of the word by and by hee is offended And our Apostle complained 2 Tim. 4.16 that at his first answering no man assisted him but all forsooke him Not to speake of those which refuse to hearken to instruction and to present themselues in our assemblies is not much seede now sowen in stonie ground if tribulation and persecution should come because of the word would not many of vs be offended and rather turne as they say then burne If our Paules and Preachers should bee brought to their answere in the defence of the Gospell would they bee much assisted or would they not be vtterly forsakē Yes beloued a great many of vs that now giue them reasonable good countenance would bee ashamed of their chaines a great many of vs that now heare them patiently would feare or disdaine to looke on them in their trouble We think our selues now reasonable good fauorers of the Word and of the Ministers thereof if we be not enemies vnto them But if we come vnto them and countenance them
earthly Canaan was a type 2. This may teach vs to giue all diligence vnto the reading and hearing and meditating of the holy scriptures that so we may abound more and more in all knowledge and vnderstanding Very lamentable it is beloued to see and consider how many hundreths nay thousands in this cleare light of the gospell when the scriptures are or may be read and knowne of vs all yet are as ignorant in the scriptures and of the things that belong to their saluation as when they sate in the darknes of Aegypt when they could see no light of the scriptures by reason of the strange language We haue had many Ezraes that haue read in the booke of the law of God distinctly giuen the sense thereof that the rest might vnderstand many Ministers of Christ Iesus that haue read the law the gospell vnto vs euery Sabbath day in our Churches many Preachers of the Gospel that haue plainly opened the scriptures vnto vs whereby we might be made wise vnto saluation euen 40 yeares long And haue not the scriptures beene read vnto the greatest number of vs in vaine Notwithstanding so much preaching and teaching of the holy word of life are we not still ignorant and haue still neede to be taught the very beginnings of Christ the very principles of religion Haue we not many masters of Israel that thinke themselues great men like vnto Nicodemus that know not those things which the very babes in Christs schoole ought to know Haue we not many leaders of the people and masters of families vnto whose shame it may be spoken that they haue not the knowledge of God Haue we not many that if they be asked are not able to giue an account of their faith nor know truth from error religion from superstition The thing is too true and too lamentable Beloued hath not the Lord our God said vnto vs all Deut. 6.6 These words which I command thee this day shall be in thy heart and thou shalt rehearse them continually vnto thy childrem and shalt talke of them c. and shall we not hearken to his voice to doe according to all he hath commanded vs Hath not our blessed Sauiour told vs Joh. 17.3 that this is eternall life to know God to be the onely very God and him whom he hath sent Iesus Christ and shall not we labour to grow in the knowledge of God and of our Lord Iesus Christ Hath not the holy Prophet said that blessed is the man whose delight is in the law of the Lord Psal 1.2 and which meditateth therein day and night and shall wee not giue all diligence to the reading and hearing and meditating of the holy scriptures Nay let me I beseech you exhort you as that godly Father did his people Chrys Prouide you Bibles which are the medicine of your soules if you will nothing else at least get the new Testament In the Bible there yee haue the whole will of your heauenly father there yee shall see what legacies he hath bequeathed vnto you and what duties he requireth of you If the father of our bodies had bequeathed vs a great legacie by his will it would not be much needfull to wish vs get our Fathers will and to looke diligently into it to see if not what he requireth of vs yet what he bequeatheth to vs neither would wee sticke at the cost for the search of it if we knew where to haue it And shall the father of our soules leaue vs his Will and by his Will bequeath vs euerlasting life and shall we not labour to get his Will Shall a matter of ten shillings stay vs from the hauing of his Will shall not we search it and looke diligently into it Let vs beloued get the booke of Gods law into our hand and let it not depart out of our mouthes Jos 1.8 but let vs meditate therein day and night that we may obserue and doe according to all that is written therein as the Lord exhorted Iosua Let vs likewise flocke as Doues vnto the windowes vnto the places where the word is preached and when we haue heard let vs meditate and conferre of that we haue heard If the children of our bodies had gone to the schoole and in the space of seauen yeares had profited nothing what would we say vnto them or thinke of them Hardly enough no doubt And what shall we then thinke of our selues that in the space of fortie yeares are scarce yet past our A. B. C. and haue not yet attained vnto any reasonable knowledge Let vs hereafter recompence our former negligence with greater diligence and let vs slacke no holy meanes whereby we may growe into all holy knowledge Let vs labour to be rich in all knowledge and leauing the doctrine of the beginning of Christ let vs be led forward vnto perfection Let vs henceforth be no more children wauering and carried about with euerie winde of doctrine but let vs grow vp vnto a perfect man and vnto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ that we may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the bredth and length and depth and height and to know the loue of Christ which passeth all knowledge that we may be filled with all fulnesse of God By reading by hearing by meditating by praying let your care bee to abound more and more in knowledge The next thing which here I note is that the Apostle prayeth for the Philippians that they may abound more and more in all iudgement in all iudgement that is in sound iudgement that hauing their wits exercised through long custome they may discerne both good and euill So that as hee would haue them to abound more and more in knowledge so farther he would haue them also to abound more and more in a sound and feeling experience of spirituall things in themselues that they might spiritually feele in their hearts and soules that which they knew out of the word Whence I obserue a further continuall care necessarie for all Christians and that is that they may abound daily more and more not in knowledge onely of Gods will out of his word but in sound iudgement also through a feeling experience in themselues of such spirituall things as they know out of the word that what they know out of the word they may feele the truth of it by experience in themselues This care our Apostle sheweth that hee had where hee saith that the thing which he esteemed was to know Christ Phil. 3.10 and the vertue of his resurrection Hee knew the doctrine of Christ his resurrection and hee knew this to be the vertue of Christ his resurrection that by it the Saints of God rise from the death of sinne vnto the life of righteousnesse But his desire farther was that he might feele in himselfe and know by his owne experience the vertue of Christ his resurrection by the death of sinne and the
be more deare vnto you then the propagation of â—he Church the furtherance of the Gospell Matth. 14. If any man â—ome vnto mee saith our Sauiour Christ and hate not father â—nd mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters 26.27 â—ea and his owne life also he cannot be my Discisple And whosoeuer beareth not his crosse and commeth after mee cannot bee â—y disciple Where our blessed Sauiour teacheth vs that if aâ—y thing in the world euen our liues be more deare vnto vs â—hen his glory and the encrease of his kingdome then we cannot be his disciples If we do not beare our crosse whatsoeuer it be that is laid vpon vs we cannot be his disciples And withall I adde that howsoeuer they seemed to admire the word and to kisse the Gospell yet if when the winde bloweth and the storme ariseth they start aside like a broken bowe surely they were neuer borne a new by the immortall seede of the word of God for that endureth for euer as true in it selfe so grounded in him that is begotten thereby in such sort that it is dearer vnto him than his life Let them then looke vnto it that when stormes arise fall away from the hope of their profession If they faint or shrinke it is more then they should doe because the Lord may turne their sufferings to the furtherance of the Gospell But if they fall away it is as if they refused to take vp their crosse and to follow Christ And whereas their liues should not bee deare vnto them vnto the death for the furthering of the gospell their liues and liuelyhoodes are so deare vnto them that to saue them they hinder the gospell Let this be our rule the Lord turnneth the persecutions of his Saints to the furthering of the gospell therefore in persecutions and troubles we may not faint or slide backe Againe beloued this may teach you not to doubt of the truth or to dislike of the professors of the truth because they are disgraced persecuted and cruelly entreated Yee shall not want enough that will insult ouer them in their troubles that will tell you they are odious men and meâ— vnto whom such sufferings and troubles most iustly do befall and so cunningly will labour to discredite the truth which they professe But be not deceaued Whatsoeuer of this kinde can bee said no doubt was spoken vpon Paules bands and troubles so to discredite the gospell which hee preached And it cannot be but that the world should hate and persecute and reuile the children of the light because they loue darkenesse better then light But howsoeuer the world hate them and whatsoeuer it practiseth against them the Lord shall turne all their sufferings and their wrongs to the furthering of the gospell Let not therefore the persecutions and troubles of Gods Saints bee any argument against the truth but rather for the truth and rather let them cause vs to like then to dislike theÌ„ It is Satans arte to turne their troubles to the slaunder of them and of the truth but the Lord turneth them to the furtherance of the gospell and of their reckoning in the day of Christ And let this be spoken touching this which is the maine poynt principally to be noted in these words The next thing which I note is that the Apostle in his proofe that his bands were turned rather to the furthering of the gospell then the hindering saith that his bands in Christ .i. which he sustained for Christ his sake were famous throughout all the iudgement Hall and in all other places Whereby he meaneth that by occasion of his bands Christ and his gospell came to be knowen and to be belieued both in the Emperours Court and in the Citie of Rome and in many other countries Which as it sheweth a notable fruite and effect of the persecution of gods Saints namely the propagation of the gospell which falleth in with the former obseruation So farther hence I do obserue the power of God to raise vp a Church vnto himselfe where he will and by what meanes he will in Kings courts in great Cities Countries where the gospell is scant heard of or little regarded there hee can if hee will euen by the bands of his Saints raise vp a Church vnto himselfe No place so prophane so farre without God in the world but if â—e will haue his name there called vpon there it shall be calâ—ed vpon Rome at that time it is likely was as heathenish 〈◊〉 now it is superstitious Nero his Court it is like was then â—s prophane and as far without God in the world as might â—e and the Countries thereabout it is like had not so much 〈◊〉 heard of Iesus nor knew what the gospell meant Yet â—ere the Lord would haue his Church and therefore hee â—aith vnto Paul Be of good courage Paul Act. 23.11 for as thou hast testiâ—ied of mee in Hierusalem so must thou beare witnesse also at Rome Here the purpose of God was reuealed and according to this purpose he brought Paul to Rome and euen by his bands there begat Children vnto himselfe in Neroes Court in the Citie of Rome and in the Countries there aâ—out Elisha may send his seruant with his staffe and the Shunamites Sonne not be raised but if the Lord send his seruant whither he will a Church shall be raised to the honour of his name by what meanes he will for he can do what he will and what meanes he listeth he vseth to do his will Let no man then measure the Lord by himselfe If hee send thee whom he hath called to the worke of his ministerie to the Princes Court or to the great Citie goe when he sendeth thee and feare not thy weakenesse but remember his strength that sendeth thee If thou goe thither bound with a chaine for the gospels sake euen by thy chaine thou shalt so preach vnto their hearts that thou shalt gaine children in the faith As it is all one with him to saue with many or with few so it is all one with him to gather his church by this or that meanes which pleaseth him best Whatsoeuer be thy weakenesse hee will perfect his strength in thy weakenesse Onely bee of good courage and thou shalt see the power of the Lord. Againe let no man thinke any place so prophane but that the Lord may haue his Church there Kings Courts are coÌ„monly not the best pride pleasure ease abundance of all things commonly choakes the word therein so that it is vnfruitfull Nay saith Amaziah to Amos Amos 7.13 prophesie no more at Bethell for it is the Kings Chappell and it is the Kings Court. In great Cities likewise sinnes most commonly rage and reigne No lewdnesse or wickednesse so grieuous and abhominable but there it is so rise that it ouerfloweth all Yet in these places the Lord hath his Church euen those that know him and belieue in his holy name Euen in Iezabels Court
he hath an Obadiah to hide and feede his Prophets and in sinnefull Sodome hee hath a righteous Lot whose soule is daily vexed with their vnlawfull deeds Farre be it therefore from vs to condemne where the Lord hath not condemned Who are his he onely knoweth but that in all places he hath those that are his we are not to despaire yea euen at this day in Caesars Court and in sinnefull Rome it selfe The third thing which I note is that the Apostle saith that many of the brethreÌ„ in the Lord were emboldned through his bands and durst more franckely speake the word Whereby hee meaneth that through his constancie in his bands sufferings many Pastors teachers were emboldned to professe and preach the gospell more freely then before Whence I obserue another notable fruite and persecution of Gods Saints namely the emboldening of others to the profession of the gospell more freely Which as it serueth very notably for the proofe of the maine poynt that the persecution of Gods Saints rather furthereth then hindereth the gospell so may it be a strong consolation for the children of God against the time of persecution It may bee that some of vs in the time of the peace of the gospell may doubt how wee shall stand in the time of persecution and feare that when the tryall shall come we shall not quit our selues like men But let vs plucke vp our hearts and be of good comfort When wee shall see the constancy of other of Gods Saints in their sufferings then shall we also be emboldened freely to professe the truth of Christ Iesus the Lord shall turne the constancie of them in their sufferings for the hope of their profession vnto our encouraging and emboldening to make a good profession Thus we finde it to be in Ioseph of Arimathea of whome it is said Mat. 27.57 that he had beene the Disciple of Iesus before his Passion But he shewed it not till then and then hee went euen to Pylate himselfe and professed himselfe his Disciple and begged his bodie and entombed it The like we finde to be in Nicodemus of whome it is said Ioh. 19.39 that till the death and passion of Christ Iesus he onely came vnto him by night for feare of the Iewes But then he professed himselfe and ioyned with Ioseph of Arimathea to burie him most honourably By whose examples as also by the example of these heere mentioned in our Apostle yee see how the Lord by the sufferings of his Saints giues that boldnes and courage vnto others of his children which neither themselues felt nor euer any saw in them before Let vs not therfore feare how we shall stand when persecution commeth but let vs depend on the Lord who alone giueth strength and perseuerance and he will strengthen vs to stand LECTVRE XIV Verse 15. Some preach Christ euen through enuie and strife and some also of good will 16. The one part preacheth Christ of contention and not purely supposing to adde afflictions to my bands 17. But the other of loue knowing that I am set for the defence of the Gospell 18. What then yet Christ is preached all manner of wayes whether it be vnder a pretence or sincerely I therin ioy yea and will ioy NOw followeth the amplification of the latter effect and fruit of the Apostles bands which was the third thing noted in the former part of the Apostles narration set downe in these words Some preach Christ c. In which words the Apostle sheweth that of those brethren in the Lord which through his constancie in his bands were emboldened to preach Christ more frankly then before all of them did not preach Christ with the same minde nor vpon the same motiue nor for the same end but some with a corrupt minde moued through enuy and strife and to the end to adde more afflictions to the Apostles bands and others of a good minde moued through loue and to the end that with the Apostle they might defend the gospell So that here is set downe a distribution of such as preached Christ according to the diuersitie of the mindes wherewith of the motiues wherevpon and of the ends wherefore they preached Christ The distribution is this that some preached Christ sincerely and others not sincerely set downe ver 15. The minde wherewith the motiues wherevpon the end wherefore the worse sort preached Christ is set downe vers 15.16 Likewise the minde wherewith the motiues wherevpon the end wherefore the better sort preached Christ is set downe vers 15.17 Touching their mindes the better sort preached Christ of good will and a good minde toward the Apostle and toward the Gospell but the worse sort preached Christ not purely but of a corrupt and bad minde toward the Apostle Touching their motiues the better sort preached Christ euen vpon loue towards the Apostle and towards the Gospell but the worse sort preached Christ vpon enuie toward the Apostle and to stirre strife and contention in the Church among the brethren Touching their ends the better sort preached Christ to helpe the Apostle in the defence of the gospell knowing that he was appointed of God for the defence of the gospel but the worse sort preached Christ to adde more affliction to his bands thinking by the contentions which they raised in the Church both to greeue him and to exasperate Nero against him Thus I resolue the order and meaning of these words The thing which hence I obserue is the great difference of such as preach Christ in the Church of God For not to speake of such as set abroche false doctrine in the Church whereby either the foundation of our faith is either pluckt downe or shaken or the Church is burdened with â—aine traditions and commandments of men which are not â—fter God as the Apostle in his day so we in our day may â—ee that of those that preach Christ truly and soundly for â—octrine some preach Christ as they should and others â—therwise then they should some may be called good and â—thers bad preachers of Christ Which difference of Preaâ—hers as then it did so now it doth come to passe through â—he diuersitie partly of the mindes wherewith they preach â—artly of the motiues which cause them to preach and partâ—y of the ends wherefore they doe preach For in some it is â—ery cleare that they preach the glad tidings of your saluaâ—â—on vnto you of a very good minde towards God towards â—ou and towards the gospell of Christ Iesus only desiring â—nd that from the ground of their hearts the glory of God â—â—e saluation of your soules and the growth of the gospell â—f Christ Iesus But in others it is greatly to be feared that â—â—ey preach Christ of a naughty and bad minde affecting â—ther their owne glory then the glory of God seeking raâ—â—er their owne things then the things which are Iesus â—hrists hunting after yours rather then you minding any â—â—ing else rather then
Christ and that so much strife is among them 〈◊〉 as the chiefe man and maintainer of that way may either be forced to desist from preaching of Christ and so bring a shame on my selfe or else may be put to death But I know that this which they practise against me shall through your prayer and by the helpe of Gods spirit and according to my certaine expectation hope turne to my saluation euen to the saluation of my soule because of my confident constancie in the defence of the Gospell whether it bee by life or by death and to the saluation and deliuerance of my bodie out of prison so that neither shall I bee put to shame for leauing the defence of the Gospell nor put to death for standing in the defence of the Gospell This I take to be the order and meaning of these words in generall Now it wiâ—â— be needfull that yet a little more perticularly we sift and examine the meaning of them For I know c. These words ye see containe in them a reason of something that went before Before the Apostle had said 〈◊〉 Christ be preached whether it be vnder a pretence or sincerely I therein ioy yea and will ioy Will ioy why Fâ—â— I know that this c. I know how euen by the reuelatioÌ„ of the spirit and by warrant out of the word What did he know I know saith he that this this what euen that this chaine wherewith I am bound and this practise of some brethreâ— in the Lord to bring me to shame by leauing the defence oâ— the gospell or to bring me to death if I stand in the defence of the Gospell I know saith he that this shall turne to my saluation Now what is meant by saluation all doe not agree Some thinke hee meaneth thereby his bodily deliuerance out of prison as the word is often vsed for a bodily deliuerance Act. 7.25 as where it is said of Moses That he supposed that be brethren would haue vnderstood that God by his hand would haue giuen theÌ„ deliuerance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as here it is said and ofteâ— elsewhere Others thinke hee meaneth the saluation of hâ—â— soule in the day of Christ as the word is most of all vsed â—â—t I thinke the Apostle may be vnderstoode to speake of â—â—th whether we consider the opposition betweene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—â—d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the matter of the Philippians prayer For â—â—at was the affliction which they supposed to adde vnto 〈◊〉 bands Euen this that he as the chiefe by the threats 〈◊〉 Nero should be forced to leaue the defence of the gospel â—his shame and the hazard of his soule or if hee should â—â—nd in the defence of the Gospell should be deliuered vnâ—â— death Now in opposition to this he saith that whatsoeâ—â—r they supposed hee knoweth that this euen this their â—â—actise against his constancie or his life should turne to his â—â—luation euen the saluation of his soule through his conâ—â—ncie in the defence of the Gospell so that in nothing hee â—ould be ashamed c. And likewise to the saluation and â—eliuerance of his body out of prison quite otherwise then â—â—ey had intended And againe the Philippians prayer no â—oubt was for both these euen that hee might abide conâ—â—ant so that in nothing he might be ashamed and that hee â—ight be deliuered from the mouth of the Lyon And for â—hese causes I vnderstand saluation in this place both of â—oule and bodie in such sort as hath beene said I know that â—his shall turne to my saluation How by what meanes first â—hrough their prayer praying for his constancie and deliâ—arance Secondly By the helpe of the spirit of Iesus Christ which should be giuen vnto his seruant to helpe him euery way against all practises And thirdly Rom. 8.19 according to his ferâ—ent desire for so the word is translated or according to his â—arnest expectation and hope whereof he should surely not â—e deceaued I know saith hee that by these meanes this â—hall turne to my saluation How to his saluation by these meanes that is in that thus it should come to passe that in nothing pertaining to the defence of the Gospell he should bee ashamed but that with all confidence and liberty to speake in the defence thereof as alwaies so now where hee strengtheneth his hope by his experience Christ should be magnified and honoured in his body whether hee should liue by preaching the gospell or should die by sealing it with his bloud Wherevpon he signifieth his owne indifferency to either life or death and the conueniencie of his life in respect of them and then he tells them how this shall turne to his saluation in the deliuerance of his bodie out of prison And thus much for the opening of the meaning of these words in particular which as yee see is somewhat intricate and obscure Now let vs see what notes we may gather hence for our farther vse and instruction The first thing which I note is in the maine proposition in that the Apostle saith that he knoweth that this casting of him into prison and this practising against him being in prison shall turne to his saluation not onely of his bodie by deliuerance out of prison but of his soule because of his constancie in the defence of the Gospell Whence I obserue what fruit the godly may assure themselues shall follow vpon their sufferings and wrongs euen their saluation in the day of Christ Iesus For though the Apostle might know this some other way then now the godly can euen by the reuelation of the spirit as no doubt he did know of his deliuerance out of prison yet may the godly thus farre goe with the Apostle and say I know that my sufferings and wrongs shall turne to my saluation in the day of Christ Iesus But how shall they know this or assure themselues of this Euen because the Holy Ghost hath said Rom. 8.28 that all things worke together for the best vnto them that loue God In which place amongst many other arguments for the comfort of the godly against afflictions and troubles he vseth this drawne from the prouidence of God who so wisely ordereth and disposeth all things that eueâ— the crosses and afflictions of his children worke for the good of his children euen their best good their saluation Be it then tribulation persecution famine nakednes sword imprisonment or what crosse soeuer that doe presse vs we know that all things euen all crosses and calamities worke together for the best vnto them that loue God so that if we loue God we neede not shrinke at all these or any such like but certainely know that they shall turne to our saluaâ—ion More plaine it may be to this purpose will be thought â—hat of the Apostle where he saith Rom. 8.7 2 Tim 2.12 that if we suffer with Christ we shall also be glorified with Christ and againe if
vs. And thus also and for these causes I take it he is called in the Epistle to the Romanes Rom. 8.9 and the spirit of the Sonne in the Epistle to the Galathians But to omit many things which might here be noted vpon this occasion Gal. 4.6 that the spirit is called the spirit of Christ Iesus because they are not things specially here intended by the spirit the principall thing to be noted is that the Apostle saith that he knew that this which he suffered by his bands and by the practises of the wicked should turne to his saluation by the helpe of Gods spirit by whom the Father and the Sonne worke in vs and for vs. Whence I obserue the true cause indeed whereby the sufferings and the wrongs of Gods children turne to their saluation and that is by the helpe of the spirit of Iesus Christ The Lord by his spirit helpeth them and turneth their heauinesse into ioy and their sufferings into the quiet fruit of righteousnes in the heauenly places Thou Lord saith the Prophet hast brought my soule out of the graue Psal 30.3.11 thou hast kept my life from â—â—em that goe downe to the pit thou hast turned my heauinesse â—â—to ioy and thou hast loosed my sackcloth and girded me with â—â—adnes Where the Prophet sheweth that it is the Lord â—hat helpeth vs and deliuereth vs when troubles compasse 〈◊〉 about that it is the Lord that lifts vs vp from the gates â—f death and putteth an end vnto all our troubles that it 〈◊〉 the Lord that wipeth all teares from our eyes and turneth â—ur heauinesse into ioy And so Peter Act. 12.17 being deliuered out â—f prison through the praiers of the Church professed that â—he Lord had brought him out of prison Through their â—raiers he was deliuered but it was the Lord that deliuered â—im their praiers were the meanes but the Lord was the â—uthor of his deliuerance Againe Behold saith our blesâ—ed Sauiour it shall come to passe Apoc. 2.10 that the deuill shall cast some â—f you into prison that yee may be tried and yee shall haue tribuâ—ation ten dayes be thou faithfull vnto the death and I will giue â—hee the crowne of life Which words were spoken immeâ—iatly to the Church of Smyrna but so that they serue also â—or our vse Wherein the godly are both warned of perseâ—ution and affliction which they are to looke for in this â—ife and perswaded likewise by sundry motiues not to â—eare them Behold it shall come to passe that some of you â—hall be cast into prison here is the aduertisement of such â—fflictions as they are to suffer But the exhortation is feare â—one of those things which ye shall suffer And the motiues to perswade vs not to feare them follow As first who is the contriuer of all the persecutions and troubles which we suffer Euen the diuell the Deuill shall cast you into prison Hee alwaies kindles the fires of persecutions against the Church as also it is said in another place Apoc. 12.15 that he casts out of his mouth water after the woman like vnto a floud He blowes the bellowes vnto all the practises of the wicked Secondly what is the end wherefore we suffer affliction and trouble not for any harme vnto vs but that wee may bee tried That the tryall of our faith being much more precious then gold that perisheth though it be tryed with fire may be found to our praise 1 Pet. 1.7 and honour and glorie at the appearing of Iesus Christ as the Apostle Peter speaketh Thirdly what is the durance of our afflictions We shall haue tribulation ten daies a while a short while an euening doth heauinesse last and then ioy commeth in the morning 2 Cor. 4.17 as also the Apostle saith that our afflictions are but light and but for a moment in comparison of that farre most excellent and eternal weight of glory which shall be shewed vnto vs. Lastly what is the reward of our afflictions The reward which our blessed Sauiour in mercy promiseth is this that he will giue vnto vs the crownâ— of life Iam. 1.12 As also Iames saith Blessed is the man that endureth tentation for when hee is tryed hee shail â—eceaue the crowne of life which the Lord hath promised to all that loue him Whatsoeuer then our afflictions be they turne ye see to our saluation by the helpe of the Lord. Sometimes in the day of trouble he breaketh the cords of the wicked and deliuereth vs and sometimes hee suffereth them that hate vs to haue their wils ouer vs but suffereth vs not to bee tempted aboue that wee able but giueth the issue with tentation that wee may bee able to beare it And alwaies so hee prouideth that in the end he turneth our troubles to our saluation He doth it euen he alone doth it and none but he can doe it A point wherein we will all of vs seeme very loath but to be throughly perswaded For who is he that will not seeme to giue full assent vnto that truth which hath beene deliuered that it is the Lord that helpeth vs in our troubles and that he turneth them to our best But tell me I pray you whence is it that in the day of trouble we faint and droope and hang downe the head Whence is it that when we are persecuted reuiled slandered oppressed imprisoned and hated of men we sinke vnder the burthen and are ready to fall away from the hope of our good profession Whence is it that in the dayes of pouertie sicknesse or other aduersitie wee are oppressed with heauinesse and hardly will be comforted Is it not for that we haue not yet learned this lesson that all this shall turne to our saluation by the helpe of God Yes surely the taking out of this lesson would rid vs of all such passions when any troubles doe assault vs. â—â—r how could the things cast vs downe which wee know â—ould turne to our saluation by the helpe of God Let vs â—â—w learne it and let it teach vs to feare none of those â—â—ngs which we doe or shall suffer but seeing by his helpe 〈◊〉 shall turne to our saluation let vs abide faithfull vnto the â—â—th Againe let this teach vs in the day of our trouble to lift vp â—â—r eyes vnto the Lord. Let others say as it is in the Proâ—â—et I will lift vp mine eyes vnto the hils Psal 121.1 from whence commeth 〈◊〉 helpe That is let others looke for helpe from the arme 〈◊〉 flesh but let vs say with the Prophet Our helpe standeth 〈◊〉 the name of the Lord which hath made both Heauen and â—â—rth Let others flie vnto other meanes and neuer looke â—â—to the Lord when troubles doe assault them but let vs â—â—vse other meanes that principally we look vnto the Lord â—â—d put our whole trust in him For by his helpe whatsoâ—â—er is said or done against vs shall turne to our saluation â—â—d let this
beleeue But how doth God giue this gift vnto vs to beleeue in him Euen by his holy spirit 2 Cor. 4.13 therefore called the spirit of faith because God by the inspiration of his holy spirit worketh faith in vs. But by what meanes doth he worke faith in vs Euen by the hearing of the word preached as it is written Faith commeth by hearing Rom. 10.17 and hearing by the word of God Where the holy Apostle sheweth that hearing of the word euen of the word of God is that ordinarie meanes whereby the Lord worketh faith in the hearts of his children He blesseth and sanctifieth the hearing of his holy word vnto them and reacheth it vnto their hearts by the finger of his holy spirit and so they are begotten in the faith of Christ Iesus Thus Lydia was brought vnto the faiâ—h as Luke witnesseth where hee saith Act. 16.1 that the Lord opâ—nâ—d her heart so that she attended vnto the things which Paul shake and beleeued Shee heard the word the Lord opened her heart and shee beleeued And thus 3000 soules were brought vnto the faith in one day of whom it is said that when they heard the word they were pricked in their hearts Act. 2.37 and beleeuing they said Men and brethren what shall we doe They heard the word they were prickt in their hearts by the spirit they beleeued and were baptized So that faith in Christ yee see is the gift of God giuen by his spirit through the hearing or the word preached 2 Thess 3.2 Tit. 1.1 Non omnibus non enim omnium est fides sed tantum electorum vnde dicitur fides electorum hic vâ—bis donatum est Not to all men for all men haue not faith whence it is called the faith of the elect and in this place To you it is giuen Is then faith a gift of God by grace This may teach vs that it is not in our selues or in our owne power to beleeue if we will and when we will neither that for any merit or worth of ours this gift is giuen vnto vs for if it be in our selues to beleeue how then is it the gift of God And if it be giuen vs for our owne merit how then is it the gift of God by grace If it be giuen vs we haue it but of him that giueth it not of our selues If he giue it of his owne grace it is ours but of his grace that giueth it not of our merit to whom it is giuen He must giue it or else we cannot haue it and therefore it is not of our selues and by grace it must be had or else can neuer bee had and therefore not by our owne merit Jam. 1.17 Euery good giuing is from aboue therefore faith is giuen of God therefore it is not in our selues to beleeue if we will And by the grace of God we are that we are therefore faith whereby wee are the sonnes of God is by grace 1 Cor. 15.10 therefore not by any merit or worth of our owne Againe is faith the gift of God This then may teach vs to powre out our requests vnto God in prayer and supplication for faith in Christ Iesus for increase confirmation of our faith in Christ Iesus for if he giue it then we are by prayer to aske it of him and so wee shall receaue it and if he giue it by meanes we are to pray vnto him that hee will so blesse those meanes vnto vs that thereby this gift may be giuen vnto vs. Let vs therefore after the example of the Father of the childe in whom was the dumbe spirit go vnto our God and say vnto him Lord I belieue Mar. 9.24 helpe my vnâ—eleefe helpe the wants and weakenesse of faith And after â—he example of the Apostles Lord encrease our faith He giâ—eth where it wanteth he encreaseth where it is and he conâ—irmeth where it is weake Let vs therefore by prayer goe â—nto him to haue the wants of our faith supplied the weaknesse of our faith strengthened the lesse then graine-small â—ittlenesse of our faith encreased He hath said Aske and ye â—hall receaue and hee giueth liberally and reproacheth no man Let vs therefore aske in prayer faith of him that giueth it and assuredly he will giue liberally euen that meaâ—ure wherewith he will be pleased Againe doth God giue faith by the hearing of the word preached This then may teach vs gladly to frequent those places where we may heare the word preached His power â— know is not limitted to this meanes but that he can if he will beget vs in the faith without these meanes But by this meanes he hath appoynted to giue this grace and ordinarily he giueth this grace by these meanes And yet how carelesse are we too too many of vs of vsing this meanes of hearing the word preached as if either this gift of faith in Christ Iesus were not giuen by these meanes or wee esteemed not this gift and so neglected these meanes or were strong enough in the faith and so needed not these means Why should we loue rather to sit reading in our houses or drinking in our houses or idle in our houses or to be playing in the streetes or walking in the fields or or any otherwise occupied then to come vnto the house of the Lord and to heare the word preached Now the means of begetting confirming vs in the faith are offered vnto vs. We know not but the time may come wherein we may thinke that the Sparrowes and Swallowes are happie that haue their nests by the Alters of the Lord. Yee that gladly come vnto the house of the Lord and reioyce in the word of your saluation comfort your selues in that yee vse the meanes whereby God hath appoynted to beget you and to confirme you in the faith of Christ Iesus and assure your selues of his blessing vpon these meanes As for the rest that loue darkenesse better then light and vnder this or that pretence whatsoeuer will not come to heare the worde preached let them feare for want of faith and a good conscience in that day to heare the word which wil be too fearefull for them to heare Goe yee cursed c. But I proceede to that which followeth The second thing which here I note is that the Apostle saith it was giuen by grace vnto the Philippians to suffer for Christ his sake not simply to suffer but to suffer for Christ his sake Whence I obserue that persecution and suffering for Christ his sake is a gift of God by grace And this our Sauiour himselfe sheweth by those his words vnto Peter Ioh. 18.11 when he had cut off Malchus his eare where hee saith vnto him Put vp thy sword shall I not drinke of the cup which my father hath giuen me To suffer death was a cup which his father had giuen him to drinke and should hee refuse the gift of his Father Act 5.41
superstition By bowing the knee â—e Apostle here meaneth that subiection and worship which â— creatures ought continually to performe and which all â—atures shall performe to Christ in that day some willingly â—d cheerefully as holy men and Angels some vnwillingly â—d to their confusion as the deuils and wicked men his instruments for so the Lord by his Prophet vseth the same phrase of speech Esa 45.23 where he saith Euery knee shall bowe vnto me that is shall be subiect to mee and worship mee Here then is a dutie prescribed necessarily to be performed of euery Christian which is to glorifie him who is exalted into the height of glory both in our bodies and in our spiritâ— to worship him with holy worship to subiect our selues vnto him in all obedience vnto his heauenly will for worthy is the Lambe that was killed Ap 5.12 to receiue all power and wisdome and strength and honour and glory and prâ—ise The Angels in heauen they glorifie the name of Iesus in that they are alwayes ready to execute his will and to doe whatsoeuer he commandeth them Hâ—b 1.14 Whereupon they are called ministring spirits sent forth to minister for their sakes which shall bee heires oâ— saluation This also is that holy worship wherewith we oughâ— to worship him and to glorifie his name euen to be heare and doers of his word to obey his will to walke in his lawes and to keepe his commandements Not the bare and outward capping and kneeling at the name of Iesus but principally obedience vnto his will that is named is the honor which here he accepteth of vs. For as not euery one that saiâ—â— vnto him Lord Lord shall enter into his kingdome so noâ— euery one that boweth at the name of Iesus shall enter inâ—â— his kingdome but he that doth his will and walketh in hiâ—wayes Saul when he was sent to slay the Amalekites though to honour God greatly by sparing the best of the sheepe are of the oxen to sacrifice vnto him But it was said vnto hiâ— Hath the Lord as great pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrificeâ— as when his voice is obeyed 1 Sa. 15.22 Behold to obey is better than sacrifiâ—â— and to hearken is better than the fat of Rammes So you happiâ— may thinke you honour our blessed Sauiour greatly when yâ— bowe your selues at euery sound of his name but behold 〈◊〉 obey his will is better than capping and kneeling or all ouâ—ward ceremonies whatsoeuer Yet mistake mee not I beseeâ—â— you as though I thought that the names of Iesus of Christ of the Lord of God of the Father of the Sonne or of thâ— holy Ghost were names of ordinary account and reckoning or to be passed ouer without reuerence as other names Nay whensoeuer wee heare or speake or thinke of them wee are â—o reuerence the maiestie of God signified thereby And feare-â—ill it may be to them that thinke or speake of them proâ—hanely or lightly or vpon each light and trifling occasion â—r otherwise than without great reuerence and feare that the â—ord will not hold them guiltlesse But this I say that neither â—he sound of these syllables of Iesus nor the name of Iesus â—hould affect vs more than any other names of Christ aâ—â—hough there lay some vertue in the bare word but whensoâ—uer wee heare or thinke or speake of him wee are to reueâ—ence his maiestie and in the reuerent feare of his name to â—â—biect our selues vnto his will This is a part of that dutie â—hereby wee must glorifie Christ Iesus Men and brethren let vs at length looke to it Hee that â—all come will come and will not tarry We pray daily Thy â—all be done in earth as it is in heauen but it is but lip-labour The Angels in heauen are alwayes ready to execute his will â—ut on earth wee follow our owne wils and walke in the â—ayes of our owne hearts Wee regard not to walke in the way â—f the Lord or to hearken to the words of his mouth Wee â—ill not obey wee will not incline our eare but wee will goe â—fter the counsels and stubbornnesse of our wicked hearts â—ell rebellion is as the sinne of witchcraft 1 Sa. 15.23 and transgression â— wickednesse and idolatrie Take heed and put not off from â—ay to day Come and learne to know the Lord his will and â—e not forgetfull hearers but doers of the word If wee now â—rue him and doe his will wee shall afterwards raigne with â—im But he that now will not be subiect vnto his will let him â—now that wee shall all appeare before the iudgement seat of Christ and then euery knee shall bowe vnto him Blessed are â—hey that heare the word of God and liue thereafter LECTVRE XXXI PHILIP 2. Verse 10.11 That at the name of Iesus should euery knee beâ— both of things in heauen and things in earth and thâ—â—gâ— vnder c. NOw before we proceed vnto the next point it the words following one or two doubts arising from these words are first to be resolued and answered The Apostle saith that God hath giuen vnto Christ being raised from the dead a name aboue euery name that a the name of Iesus should euery knee bow c. that is that all creatures should be subiect vnto him and worship him Heretheâ— it may be doubted and demanded how it is that all creatures are not subiect vnto Christ that all creatures doe not worship him For not only the Deuils in hell but likewise many wicked men instruments of Sathan here on earth are so farre from being subiect vnto him that they are sworne enemie vnto him and to his kingdome and swell and rage againâ—â— him some against him in his owne person and all against hiâ— in his members here on earth True it is indeed that Christ hath many enemies which are not subiect vnto him nor worship him 1 Cor. 15 25 For he must raigne as saith the Apostle till her 〈◊〉 put all his enemies vnder his feet Where the Apostle plainlâ— implieth that Christ hath and shall haue enemies which 〈◊〉 not be subiect vnto him and worship him euen till such time as he shall deliuer vp his kingdome to his Father that is eâ—â—â— till hee shall come in the last and great day to iudge both the quicke and the dead in his second comming Yea and it is for the glory of his kingdome that still there be enemies vnto hiâ— kingdome that so hee may be glorified both by the victorâ— which he giueth vnto his Saints here on earth ouer these enemies and likewise by the victorie which himselfe shall haâ—â— ouer them in that day when their faces shall gather blacknes and darknesse before him and when hee shall adiudge them â—nto that Tophet prepared of old Esa 30.33 the burning whereof is fire and â—uch wood and the breath of the Lord like a riuer of brimstone â—oth kindle it as the Prophet speaketh But to answer vnto â—he question how
of displeasure feare to be too forward â—n confessing Christ and professing his name and therefore â—raw backe the shoulder and shrinke at euery blast of winde Now the confession which must spring from this root is â—hat Iesus Christ is the Lord the Lord and therefore his hoâ—our not to be giuen to another the Lord and therefore to â—e serued in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our â—â—fe Thus saith God the Lord Esa 42 5.8 euen he that created the heaâ—ens and spread them abroad c. to wit Christ Iesus I am â—he Lord this is my name and my glory will I not giue to another neither my praise to grauen images Where wee see how our Sauiour Christ both challenged that vnto himselfe to bee the Lord and plainly auoucheth that he will not giue his honour to another Hee then that confesseth Iesus Christ to bee the Lord and yet giueth his honour vnto another doth onely iâ— words confesse that which indeed and in truth he doth deâ—â— Let them looke vnto this that make their praiers and supplications vnto the Saints in heauen that worship images crosses 1 Joh. 2.2 or what reliques soeuer Wee haue an aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the iust and he is the reconciliation for our sinneâ— He sitteth at the right hand of God and liueth euer to make intercession for vs. Whosoeuer then praieth vnto or vseth the intercession of any other be it Saint or Angell he giueth Christ his glory to another As also he doth who doth worship any other but God and him whom hee hath sent Iesus Christ seeing it is said Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God 〈◊〉 him only shalt thou serue He likewise that confesseth Iesus Christ to be the Lord and yet serueth him not in holinesse and in righteousnesse all the dayes of his life his confession is in vaine because in deed and in truth he denieth that which in words hee doth confesse A sonne honoureth his father Malac. 1.6 and a seruant his master If I thâ— saith the Lord by his Prophet be a father where is mine â—â—nour and if I be a master or a Lord where is my feare Whenâ—â— it is most plaine that feare and obedience to his will beloâ—geth to the Lord. They certainly vnto whom the Lord by his Prophet thus spake confessed the Lord which they plainly afterwards shew taking their reproofe hardly and saying Wherein haue wee despised thy name But because they fearâ— not the Lord whom they confessed because they walked not in his wayes nor kept his commandements therefore theâ— confession was as no confession the Lord regarded them not but his wrâ—th was kindled against them This men and brethren is a thing needfull for vs to looke vnto We would be loth so deeply to be charged as not to confesse Iesus Christ to be the Lord. But if he be the Lord where is his feare Wheâ— wee confesse Iesus Christ to be the Lord wee confesse him 〈◊〉 be the sole rightfull commander of vs and our selues to be his seruants him to haue all power ouer vs and our selues wholly 〈◊〉 be his What meaneth then such neglect of conforming â—ur selues according to his most holy will and of yeelding â—bedience vnto that which daily wee are taught and which â—ee know to be his will If we giue our members as weapons â—f vnrighteousnesse vnto sinne which should be as weapons â—f righteousnesse vnto God whatsoeuer confession we make â—ee are the seruants of sinne we are not the seruants of Christ â—â—e Lord and wee are like to those or whom I spake before â—â—at professe they know God but by their workes doe denie â—im O my brethren if yee did indeed confesse Iesus Christ to â—e the Lord your soules would be filled with gladnesse when our mouthes were filled with this confession yea your very â—earts would be warme within you when your tongues were â—â—us talking that Iesus Christ is the Lord your wils would be â—amed to his will your feet would reioyce to come into the â—ourts of his house and to runne the way of his commandeâ—ents Iesus Christ is the Lord denie him not before men Luk. 12 9. â—or he that shall denie him before men shall be denied before â—he Angels of God And certainly hee beleeueth not that â—ares not confesse him Iesus Christ is the Lord confesse â—im so to be and giue not his honour to any other to men or Angels much lesse to stockes or stones Confesse him to be â—he Lord and serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse all â—he dayes of your life This confession becommeth the Saints â—f God and this is a good confession before God And euer â—emember that that they which will not now thus confesse â—esus Christ to be the Lord shall then in that last and great â—ay be forced to confesse that Iesus Christ is the Lord when he shall iudge his enemies on euery side and render to the wicked according to the wickednesse of their wayes Vnto the glory of God the Father Here is the issue of all â—uen of our subiection vnto Christ and of our confession that â—esus Christ is the Lord. All this redoundeth to the glory of God the Father for he that honoureth the Sonne Joh. 5.23 honoureth â—he â—ather and he that honoureth not the Sonne honoureth not the Father for the Father is in the Sonne and whatsoeuer is done vnto the Sonne is done also to the Father Let vs theâ— so subiect our selues vnto Iesus Christ let vs so confesse his to be the Lord as already wee haue beene taught God hath created vs Esa 43.7 formed vs and made vs for his glory Seeing theâ—â— our subiection vnto Christ Iesus and our confession or be glorious name in such sort as hath beene taught is vnto the glory of God the Father let vs be subiect vnto him in all obedience to his will and let vs out of an vnfained faith confesse that he is the Lord euen our Lord. LECTVRE XXXII PHILIP 2. Verse 12. Wherefore by beloued as yee haue alwayes obeyed or as in my presence only but now much more in 〈◊〉 absence c. WHerefore my beloued c. In these word now following wee haue the conclusion oâ— the Apostle his exhortation vnto the Philippians set downe by way of applying Christ his humilitie and obedience vnto his Father vnto their vse and instruction and consequently vnto ours In this conclusion of the Apostle his former exhortation the Apostle againe exhorteth the Philippians and in them vs first vnto humble obedience towards God vers 12.13 secondly vnto humble and modest conuersation towards our neighbour vers 14.15.16 and thirdly he addeth as a reason why he thus exhorteth them the comfort and ioy which they shall bring vnto him in the day of Christ if they so walke as he exhorteth them vers 16.17.18 In the first exhortation which is vnto humilitie and obedience or humble obedience towards God wee haue first to consider the
with kinde speeches and in all louing manner wiâ—â— my beloued my little children my deare brethren thâ— must ye study so to approue your selues both vnto God and men as that we may speake vnto you as vnto our beloued vnto our brethren c. Otherwise as Christ came not 〈◊〉 all with this feare not little flocke but vnto some with this O generation of vipers how can ye speake good things when yee 〈◊〉 euill And as the Apostle came not to all with this I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God but vnto some with this O foolish Galathians who hath be witched you that yee should not obey truth so ye must looke that as sometimes wee come in â—e and in the spirit of meeknesse so sometimes wee should â—me vnto you with a rodde and with a woe vnto such as oâ— not the Gospell of Christ Iesus that they might be saued â—n and brethren our hearts desire is that ye may be saued in â— day of Christ and we watch for your soules as they that â—st giue accounts vnto God for them haue ye care that wee â—y do it with ioy and not with griefe We are loth to come â—o you with a rodde we had rather come in loue and in the â—â—rit of meeknesse haue yee care that wee may come vnto â—u and that we may speake vnto you as vnto our beloued â— we sometimes sharply reproue sinne it is for your sakes at we may reclaime the sinner from wandring out of the â—â—ht way and againe if sometimes wee restore such as are â—â—en with the spirit of meekenesse it is for your sakes that â—e may binde vp the broken hearted and minister a word of â—â—mfort vnto the troubled and afflicted soule Both I meane â—arpnesse and meeknesse the rodde and loue both I say in â—â—eir due places is needfull and wise discretion in them both most needfull And so I come to the 3. point At ye haue alwaies obeyed What the Apostle in falling owne vnto him and kissing his feete as is now done vnto at man of sinne Nay the Apostle herein commendeth â—â—eir former obedience vnto God and vnto his word after â—â—ch time as they had receiued the Gospell of Christ Iesus â—nd this he doth to stirre them vp to continue their obediâ—nce that as they had begunne well so they might now go â—orward as they had begunne Whence wee are taught that â—is not enough to beginne well and for a time to embrace â—e truth and to obey the Gospell of Christ Iesus and afterâ—ards to quence the spirit and to suffer our selues to bee enâ—ngled in the filthinesse of the world but hauing begunne in â—â—e spirit we must go forward in the spirit and hauing begunne â—o loue and like the truth we must not fall from our first loue â—ut hold fast the same and continue therein Whereupon â—re those often exhortations in the Apostles to continue in â—he faith to continue in the grace of God to continue in the things that we haue learned to hold fast the profession of oâ—â— hope without wauering and with full purpose of heart 〈◊〉 cleaue vnto the Lord. The reason hereof is the schoole 〈◊〉 Christ is not a schoole of idlenesse or a schoole of non proficiencie but the schollers of Christ his schoole they must follow the truth in loue and they must in all things grow vp 〈◊〉 him which is the head Eph. 4.15 that is Christ as the Apostle shewed And therefore our Sauiour Christ himselfe told the Iewes 〈◊〉 beleeued in him Ioh. 8.31 saying if ye continue in my word yee are 〈◊〉 my disciples and shall know the truth They no doubt 〈◊〉 whom he spake had begunne well and had embraced 〈◊〉 truth but he telleth them that if they will be his schollers they must continue as they haue begunne and they must grow forward and encrease in all knowledge and spirituall vnderstanding A lesson as needfull to be taught in these our dâ—â—â— as any other For wee see by our owne experience that the word of the Lord is of such maiestie and so powerfull that draweth oftentimes the veriest miscreants that be vnto a liking of it and causeth them many times to doe many things we But as it is in the parable of the seede in the Gospell Mat. 13. some receiue the word with ioy but when persecution comes theâ— are offended other heare the word but the cares of the world and the decietfulnesse of riches choke it that it made vnfruitfull in others the euill one commeth and catcheth the word that was sowen in their heart and in a great many the liking of the word and the obedience thereunto is but like vnto a flash of lightening come and gone againe almost in a moment For a day or for a moneth or happily for a yeere or two they will harken and obey they will make a good sheâ— of louing and liking the word and many things they will doe well But after a while they will loath this heauenly Mannâ— and in their hearts returne vnto the flesh pots of Egypt 2 Pet. 2.22.21 or a Peter speaketh with the dogge they will returne vnto his vomit and with the sow vnto her wallowing in the mire Men and brethren we must not be like vnto such men For as Peter speaketh in the same place it had beene better for such men not a haue knowne the way of righteousnesse then after they have knowne it to turne from the holy commandement giuen vnto them We must hauing tasted of the good word of God â—nd hauing begunne to forsake the corruptions that are in the world through lust continue in the grace of God and grow â—orward from grace vnto grace till wee be perfit men and â—ome vnto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ Hauing begunne to haue a liking of the word and to desire â—he preaching thereof we must take heede that wee grow not weary of it but the more we haue it the more our soules must â—ong after it and the more we heare it the more wee must grow in obedience vnto it to frame our liues according thereunto We must not here stand at a stay much lesse must wee go backward we must go forward and wee must pricke hard vnto the marke of the high calling that is set before vs. For in the way of godlinesse that is most true which is so common not to goe forward in that way is in truth to goe backward But I shall haue occasion againe to speake of this point in handling the exhortation To leaue therefore this point here it may be demanded â—how the Apostle saith that the Philippians had alwaies obeyed as yee haue alwaies obeyed For in that the Apostle doth admonish them euery man to esteeme other better then himselfe as verse 3. and to doe all things wihout murmuring and reasoning as verse 14. he plainely signifieth that there were many faults amongst them euen contention vaine-glory murmuring reasoning and
tongues full of deceit c. So vnpure that euen our mindes and consciences are defiled so vntoward that wee cleane peruert the straight waies of the Lord and in stead of giuing our members weapons of righteousnesse vnto God making them weapons of vnrighteousnesse vnto sinne and in stead of seruing God altogether yeelding our selues seruants vnto sinne Most miserable and wretched is our state darknesse without light ignoâ—rance without vnderstanding foolishnesse without wisedome before such time as all mists of darknes ignorance and foolishnesse be expelled by the bright beames of Gods holy Spirit and we brought vnto the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God Yea and such thou standest as by nature thou art whosoeuer thou art that sleepest in sinne and delightest in vnrighteousnesse making no conscience of thy waies but treasuring vnto thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath and of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God But thou that fearest God and walkest in his waies consider from what bondage into what freedome the Lord hath brought thee how of a childe of wrath of death and of hell he hath brought thee into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God and made thee an Heire of euerlasting glory how he hath sanctified thy corrupt will and heart and vnderstanding how hee hath new moulded thee and framed thee and renewed thee how hee hath begotten thee againe not by flesh and bloud but by the immortall seed of his holy word consider these things I say and let them be as goades and spurres vnto thee to stirre thee vp as vnto thankefulnesse to thy God so vnto obedience to his will Hath he made thy darknesse to be light walke not in the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse Hath hee freed thee from the bondage of sinne flie from sinne as from a Serpent and haue nothing to doe with the stoole of wickednesse Hath he sanctified thy will and all the powers and faculties of thy soule glorifie thou thy God with all the powers and faculties of thy soule Hath he washed and cleansed thee both in thy body and in thy spirit glorifie thy God both in thy body and in thy spirit So shall the King haue pleasure in thy beauty so shalt thou make true and right vse of thy naturall corruption and of thy regeneration by God his spirit and so shalt thou shew thy selfe to be the sonne of God without rebuke in the middest of a naughty and crooked nation LECTVRE XXXVII PHILIP 2. Verse 15. Among whom ye shine as lights in the world holding foorth the word of life AMong whom ye shine c. In this last clause of the Apostles former reason we haue a notable commendation of the Philippians which the Apostle so truely giueth vnto them that withall in the wisdome of God giuen vnto him hee doth implie a duty or an exhortation that they shew themselues to be such as hee commendeth them to be insomuch that some read these words thus among whom do yee shine as lights c. Their commendation ye see is that they shine amongst that naughty and crooked people with whom they liue euen as lights which shine in darknes and which hold forth the word of life to giue light to them that sit in darknes they are called lights shining lights lights shining in the midst of a naughty and crooked nation lights holding forth the word of life vnto others The whole forme of speach seemeth to be drawne from those high places by the sea-coast whence continually lights and fires are set out for the direction of sea-men into the hauen and safest entrance For euen such the Apostle here commendeth the Philippians to be lights which shined in holinesse of life vnto them that sate in darknesse round about them by the direction of which their light they might come into the hauen of euerlasting rest where they might find rest for their soules Now let vs see what we may obserue hence for our vse 1. In that the Apostle calleth the Philippians light I note the singular prerogatiue and honour of all the faithfull members of Christ Iesus For that which the Apostle here giueth to the Philippians belongeth to all the faithfull All the faithfull children of Christ are called lights shining lights lights shining in the world Now for our better instruction how they are called lights we are to vnderstand that there are foure speciall lights mentioned in the holy Scriptures The 1. is that light Christ Iesus the light of the world and the brightnesse of his father This light by a principall prerogatiue is called that light that true light which lighteth euery man that commeth into the world that sonne of righteousnesse that starre of Iacob that day spring from an high that brightnesse of his fathers person 2. The word of God in many places of the Scriptures is tearmed a light as where it is said Thy word ô Lord is a lanthorne vnto my feete Psal 119.105 2 Pet. 1.19 and a light vnto my pathes As also where the godly are commended by the Apostle Peter for that they attend vnto the sure word of the Prophets as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place By this light the holy Ghost illuminateth the blindnesse and darknesse of our grosse vnderstandings and directeth vs in the waies of God which leade vnto saluation 3. The Apostles and Ministers of Christ Iesus are called lights as where our Sauiour saith vnto them yee are the light of the world Mat. 5.14 Which glorious title is giuen vnto them both because of that testimonie which they giue vnto that true light the euerlasting sonne of God Christ Iesus and because of the Gospell of Christ Iesus which they preach vnto vs. 4. All the faithfull members of Christ Iesus all Christians are called lights as where the Apostle telleth the Ephesians that they were once darkenes Eph. 5.8 but are now light in the Lord and therefore exhorteth them to walke as chrildren of the light and in this place of our Apostle where they are called lights in the world shining among the sonnes of darknesse and holding forth the word of life Now the faithfull are called lights in these respects 1. In respect of Christ Iesus that true light which lighteneth euery man that commeth into the world inasmuch as he hath vouchsafed to communicate his light vnto vs and by the bright beames of his holy Spirit shining into our hearts to expell thence the thicke mists of blindnes darknesse and ignorance For whatsoeuer light the faithfull haue they haue it from him who hath light in himselfe and of himselfe and in whom is no darknesse They borrow their light from him euen as the Moone and the starres doe borrow their light from the Sunne in the firmament For hee is the sonne of righteousnesse which springing from an high hath through the tender mercy of our God visited vs to giue light to them that sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death and to
the Apostle plainly sheweth that being made lights wee ought to walke as children of the light approuing that which is pleasing vnto the Lord hauing no fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse but reprouing them if not by word for that wee cannot all at all times doe yet at least by the example of our holy and vnblameable life But of this wee shall haue more occasion anon to speake Let this suffice to be spoken generally why the faithfull children of God are called lights and of the instructions which the reasons thereof may minister vnto vs. Secondly here I note two qualities attributed to these lights mentioned by the Apostle The first they shine in the middest of darknesse in the middest of a naughtie and crooked nation Secondly they hold out vnto others the light that is in them euen the word of life shewing it selfe in the integritie of their conuersation Whence I note two properties necessarily requisite in all the faithfull children of God the one is that they haue light in themselues the other is that they communicate it to others Touching the first light yee know is not called light vnlesse it haue light in it selfe in whatsoeuer darknesse it shine The faithfull children of God then if they will be as here they are called lights they must still so looke vnto themselues and their owne wayes that howsoeuer they walke amongst the children of darknesse yet they suffer not that light which is in them to be darkened but that they shine as lights in the world amongst them whose hearts are set on mischiefe The Sunne when it setteth forth as a Giant to runne his course casteth forth his beames and they are dispersed throughout all places of the earth And albeit often times it light and shine vpon most loathsome and filthy places yet still doth it remaine in his owne puritie not at all defiled therewith Herein these lights I meane the faithfull children of God must resemble this light of the Sunne It cannot be that they should not at all conuerse with wicked and vngodly men for then they must goe out of the world 1 Cor. 5.10 as the Apostle saith but herein they must be as lights though they liue amongst wicked and vngodly men yet must they keepe themselues vnstained of the corruptions which are in the world through lusts though they haue to doe with prophane and impure men yet must they retaine still within themselues the puritie of the sonnes of God And therefore the Apostle in the place before alleadged thus exhorteth Haue no fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse Hee doth not simply forbid all fellowship with the children of darknesse but with the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse such as are gluttonie and drunkennesse chambering and wantonnesse strife and enuying and the like with the filthinesse of these and the like fruits of sinne hee would haue vs not to defile our selues For what fellowship as saith the Apostle hath light with darknesse Surely no more than hath righteousnesse with vnrighteousnesse the beleeuer with the Infidell or Christ with Belial If then we be such lights as here the faithfull children of God are tearmed no question wee hate all fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse and if we haue fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse then wee are no such lights A rule whereby yee may quickly trie and examine whether ye haue that light in your selues which yee heare the faithfull children of God should haue in themselues Light where it is expelleth all darknesse If then yee haue the light of the sonnes of God within your selues yee haue no delight in the workes of darknesse Now what the workes of darknesse are yee know out of the Apostle euen gluttonie and drunkennesse chambering and wantonnesse strife and enuying and generally all the workes of the flesh euen whatsoeuer things are such as the doing whereof may not well abide the light Examine your selues of these things and condemne your selues that ye be not condemned of the Lord. If any of you be tainted with any of these things purge out this old leauen that ye may be a new lumpe cleanse your vessels from these filthy dregges I meane your selues from these pollutions of sinne that ye may be an holy Temple vnto the Lord. True it is God alone is light without any darknesse and there is no childe of God whose light is not dimmed with some darknesse But this is no ground for thee that therefore thou maist wallow in wickednesse and maist delight thy selfe in the workes of darknesse Thou if thou wilt be the childe of God thou must come as neere vnto God as thou canst as hee is light without darknesse so thou must striue thereunto And therefore thou must striue to abandon all sinne and wickednesse thou must be carefull to walke honestly as in the day thou must approue in thine heart and in thy word and in thy workes that which is pleasing to the Lord. And this if thou doest whatsoeuer is wanting shall be imputed vnto thee and the light that is in Christ Iesus shall be thine and expell whatsoeuer darknesse is in thee Suffer therefore the same words of exhortation that the Apostle vseth to the Ephesians Eph. 4.17 Walke not henceforth as others doe in vanitie of their minde c. And againe with the same Apostle I say vnto you Rom. 13.12 The night is past the day is at hand let vs therefore cast away the workes of darknesse c. Haue light in your selues and communicate the light that is in you vnto others which is the second qualitie mentioned here by the Apostle The second qualitie which I noted here in these lights in the Philippians is that they held forth the word of life vnto others How Not so much in word and talke as that by the example of their life they gaue plaine proofe that the word of life dwelt in them plenteously Whence I noted another qualitie necessarily requisite in all the children of God which is that they haue not only light in themselues but they also communicate the same vnto others The children of God must not thinke it enough to keepe themselues vnspotted of the world but they must by word and deed and example of life helpe to pull others out of the fire The Prophet describing the wicked man by certaine fruits of the flesh amongst other things saith he When thou sawest a theefe Ps 50.18 thou runnest with him and hast beene partaker with the adulterers But the faithfull seruant of God must not only be no such man as will runne with others vnto mischiefe but hee must reproue the sinnes of vnfaithfulnesse either by word or at least by example of life that either by word or by example of life hee may reclaime the wicked from the wickednesse of his wayes The Sunne yee know keepeth not his light vnto it selfe but communicateth it to the benefit of all creatures vnder heauen The Moone and
vnto Christ they should not walke worthy of Christ This therefore in this place is the summe of the Apostle his desire that the Philippians would so walke worthy of Christ both before God and with their brethren that in the day of Christ when his labours in the Lord should not be in vaine he might reioyce that he had not spent his strength amongst them in vaine but by his preaching of Christ Iesus vnto them had gained them vnto Christ who should then giue both vnto him and them the crowne of saluation for their glory This is the summe and the sense likewise of that which the Apostle speaketh in this place Now let vs see what vse we may make hereof for our selues Here then 1. I note that the saluation of Gods people is the ioy crowne of the faithfull Minister of Christ in the day of Christ This shall be his glory in that day with his Christ whose Minister he is that he hath gained many vnto Christ And therefore this our Apostle in another place calleth the Philippians his ioy his crowne Phil. 4.1 whereby he signifieth both the present ioy comfort which he taketh in them and the sure hope which he hath that they shall be his ioy and his crowne in the day of the Lord. To the like purpose he writeth to the Thessalonians 1 Thes 2.19 saying what is our hope or ioy or crowne of reioycing are not euen you in the presence of our Lord Iesus Christ at his comming 20. Yes yee are our glory ioy when not onely now present but in the presence of our Lord Iesus Christ at his comming As plaine to this purpose is that in the last of Daniel Dan. 12.3 where he saith that they that turne many vnto righteousnesse shall shine as the starres for euer and euer which no doubt is principally meant of the Ministers of Christ Iesus And if it shall be said in that day vnto euery good and faithfull seruant Mat. 25.21 It is well done good seruant and faithfull enter into thy masters ioy how much more shall it be said so vnto the faithfull Minister of Christ Iesus What greater encouragements can there be vnto the Ministers of Christ Iesus to make them faithfull and painefull in their places to make them labour with all alacritie and cheerefulnesse to gaine many vnto Christ to turne many vnto righteousnesse O but there are many discouragements For who more contemned who more disdained who more hated who more disgraced then the Ministers of Christ Iesus True it is and it is the shame of our times that they are counted of many as the very of-scourings of the world and the more faithfull that they are the more they are hated and oftentimes the more persecuted If we sowe cushions vnder all arme-holes if we speake smoothing and fawning words if we cry peace peace all is well if we meddle not with the sinnes of the people but onely teach a truth in a generalitie happily we shall please or not displease but liue in rest and quiet But if we lift vp our voices like trumpets and tell the house of Iacob their sinnes and the house of Israel their transgrassions if we search and cut vp and lance the sores of our people if we sharply reproue such such sins whereof their own consciences condemne them to be guilty then they begin to hate vs to disgrace vs to persecute vs to traduce vs as cursed Chams as seditious fellowes troublers of the State and to speake all manner of euill sayings against vs. Herod ye know when he heard Iohn did many things Mar. 6.20 Mat. 14.10 and heard him gladly But after that Iohn had reproued him for his incest he quickly lost his head The Iewes likwise heard Steuen a great while answering for himselfe But when he began to come somewhat neere vnto them and to touch them to the quicke when he came vpon them with Act. 7.51.54.55 Yee stiffe-necked and of vncircumcised hearts and eares yee haue alwaies resisted the Holy Ghost c. then it is said that their hearts brast for anger and that they gnashed at him with their teeth and quickly after stoned him to death I say not that it fareth so at this day For sinne God be thanked may be boldly rebuked without feare of such danger But this we finde true by experience that whose sore we touch his hatred most commonly we purchase and if wee be but suspected in our reproofes of sinne to note such and such men we shall not want whatsoeuer they can say or do against vs. Thus render they vnto vs hatred for our good will and when we strike at the roote of any sinne and wound only that we may heale they tell vs we only vtter our choler or malice and that we might well enough finde our selues other matter then to note them in our Sermons But this as I said is the shame of our times that the more faithfull and painefull they are the worse commonly they are intreated But herein we comfort our selues that our conscience beareth vs witnesse in what singlenes of heart as before the Lord we doe the worke of our ministerie and that howsoeuer now through their disgraces and reproches and contempts and hatreds and persecutions our reioycing be diminished yet our reioycing in the day of Christ shall no man take from vs but then they that haue beleeued and they that haue beene conuerted from going astray out of the right way by our ministerie shall be vnto vs the crowne of our reioycing Then for that we haue laid out our talent to the best aduantage we could we shall heare that voice It is well done good seruant and faithfull and then those that hated vs without cause and disgraced vs without our desert shall not dare to hold vp their heads against vs but shall be confounded in that day In the meane time if when we haue sowen the seede of Gods word many sharpe showres doe follow and many blacke tempests ouertake one another yet must we with the husbandman patiently expect the time of haruest we must in patience possesse our soules vntill the day of Christ and then we shall reioyce in the presence of our Lord Iesus Christ at his comming when we and they whom we haue gained vnto Christ shall meete him in the clouds that we may be euer with the Lord. For they whom we haue gained vnto Christ shall be the crowne of our reioycing in that day Yea but what if when we haue laboured either we see no fruits of our labours in them that heare vs or that fruit which seemed to shoote forth in the blade doe afterwards fall away and wither 2 Tim. 1.15 as the Apostle complaineth that they of Asia were turned from him doth the glory of the Minister in that day depend vpon the saluation of them that heare him Doth he runne in vaine and labour in vaine if he gaine
not them vnto Christ Certainly of this I am perswaded that the moe soules they gaine vnto Christ the more glorious shall be their crowne of reioycing And therefore the Apostles glory no doubt shall be exceeding glorious by whose labours so many Churches were planted so many soules were brought vnto the faith Yet his glory in that day doth not wholy depend vpon the saluation of them that heare him The vsing of his talent faithfully shall be accounted vnto him as gaining with it Neither is his running and his labouring in vaine in respect of himselfe but onely in respect of them whose hearts the Lord doth not open that they should heare and beleeue and be saued as it is plaine out of Esay where Christ in his members thus complaineth I haue laboured in vaine I haue spent my strength in vaine Esay 49.4 and for nothing but my iudgement is with the Lord my worke with my God though Israel be not gathered 5. yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord and my God shall be my strength By which words it is out of all doubt cleared that howsoeuer the Ministers labour be often in vaine howsoeuer his strength be often spent in vaine in respect of them that heare him because thereby their hearts are not mollified and they brought vnto the obedience of the faith yet for themselues their iudgement is with the Lord and their worke with their God Though they that heare them be of such vncircumcised hearts and eares that they cannot be gained vnto Christ yet shall they be glorious in the eyes of the Lord and their God shall be their strength To the like purpose is that in Ezechiel where the Lord instructing the Minister and watchman of the house of Israel in his dutie he saith EZec. 3.17.19.21 Sonne of man I haue made thee a watchman c. if thou warne the wicked and he turne not from his wickednesse nor from his wicked way he shall die in his iniquitie but thou hast deliuered thy soule c. What is then the Ministers dutie To warne the wicked and his dutie is to turne from the wickednesse of his waies If the Minister warne his labour is not in vaine in the Lord he deliuereth his owne soule but if the wicked being warned turne not from the wickednesse of his waies he dieth in his iniquitie so that his Minister in respect of him hath runne in vaine and laboured in vaine because he hath not reclaimed him from the wickednesse of his wayes Here then is a notable aduertisement for them that are hearers of the word to take heede that their watchman which is set ouer them spend not his strength in vaine and for nothing amongst them The Minister yee heare he runnes he labours he sweates he is still playing his prizes still trying his maisteries still plowing vp the fallow ground of your hearts in euery season yea in season and out of season sowing the immortall seede of the word alwaies on his watch tower in cold and in heate giuing warning of euery enemie which he doth descry Happily yee haue another conceit of the Ministers labour at least many haue that it is no such continuall labour that there is no such care or paines therein as is pretended Well whatsoeuer account yee make of the labour therein he spends his strength and oftentimes his bloud It is for you to looke vnto it that he spend not his strength in vaine If he teach you the waies of the Lord and yee receiue not instruction if he reproue such sinnes as breake out amongst you and ye hate to be reformed if hee call to fasting weeping and mourning and ye fall to eating drinking and dauncing if he exhort you to study to bee blamelesse and pure and the sonnes of God in the middest of a naughty and crooked nation and to shine amongst them as lights holding forth the word of life and ye giue your members seruants to vncleanesse and to iniquity to commit iniquity in a word if he out of the word either teach or improue or correct or instruct in righteousnesse ye refuse to hearken to the voice of the charmer charme he neuer so wisely what else doth hee in respect of you but runne in vaine and labour in vaine And if he spend his strength in vaine amongst you his worke is with his God but your bloud is vpon your owne head yee die in your sinnes but his soule is deliuered The minister his desire is to reioyce in the day of Christ but wherein in your saluation If in that day he shall not reioyce in your saluation what do ye thinke will be your portion His desire is not to runne in vaine nor to labour in vaine but it is in respect of you that he may gaine you vnto Christ For hee knoweth that his labour is not in vaine in the Lord. Hearken therefore and obey and harden not your hearts as in the prouocation and as in the day of tentation in the wildernesse If thou hearken thou shalt be the crowne of his reioycing and the crowne of his reioycing is in thy saluation And in any case take heed that thou iudge not amisse of him that is set ouer thee in the Lord to admonish thee of thy wâ—â—es For whatsoeuer it is wherein he either teacheth or improueth or correcteth or instructeth thee it is that hee may reioyce in the day of Christ that he hath not runne in vaine nor laboured in vaine And this much of this later reason to enforce the former exhortations Yea and though I be offered c. The Apostle as yee haue heard vrged the Philippians that they would walke in all obedience with God and in all meeknesse with their brethren euen the rather for his sake that he might reioyce ouer them in the day of Christ Now the better to enforce this reason drawne from himselfe in these words hee assureth them that such is his longing after their saluation that if by his death they might be confirmed and strengthened in the faith hee would most willingly and ioyfully giue his life for them and if he shall do so he would not haue them to be sory but to be glad and reioyce thereat The manner of speech here vsed is drawne from the sacrifices of the old law wherein the Priests were commanded after their comming into the land of Canaan Num. 15 7 alwaies to poure out a drinke offering vpon the sacrifice that was offered The Apostle therefore alluding hereunto saith that if his soule should now bee poured out as a drinke offering vpon that spirituall sacrifice of their faith which by his ministery and Apostleship they had embraced for their farther confirmation and strengthening therein he would be glad and reioyce with them for that their faith by his death were strengthened Here then we may obserue how zealous the Pastor ought to be of the saluation of his flocke he ought with Saint Paul in this
continuall fight against their spirituall enemies so the Minister in particular hath a chiefe part in this fight I will not stand to enlarge this point The deuill knoweth that if the shepheard can bee turned out of the way his sheepe will quickly be scattered and if hee can make the Angell of the Church of the Laodiceans to be neither hot nor cold hee will quickly bring the Church vnto his bent And therefore hee bends his full force against them arming both the flesh and the world and himselfe against them to see if hee can ouerthrow them euen as he did against Christ desirous to breake the head whereas his power was limited onely to bruise the heele Now what should this teach vs Surely first it should teach vs this lesson that since wee haue such enemies continually to deale withall therfore we should put on the whole armour of God that we may be able to resist in the euill day and hauing finished all things stand fast for so the Apostle teacheth vs in the last to the Ephesians where hauing set downe what enemies we haue to wrestle against as against principalities against powers Eph. 6.12 c. For this cause saith hee take vnto you the whole armour of God c. Yea but what is this armour of God which may serue as the best armour of proofe against these mightie enemies which we haue to wrestle and encounter withall The Apostle setteth it downe in the same place The girdle wherewithall our loynes must be girded must bee veritie and integritie of doctrine 14. our brest-plate which wee must haue on our brest for the defence thereof must be righteousnesse and holinesse of life 15. the shooes wherewithall our feet must be shod must be the preparation of the Gospell of peace euen a prompt and ready minde to confesse and embrace the Gospell of peace 16. the shield wherewithall wee may quench all the firie darts of the wicked must be faith which as Iohn saith is the victorie whereby wee ouercome the world 1 Ioh. 5.4 17. our helmet for our head must be the hope of saluation purchased by the death passion of our Sauiour Christ Iesus our sword wherewithall to wound our enemie must be the word of God and praier and supplication in the spirit is also a necessary part of our armour if wee will be so thorowly armed that we will be without all gun-shot as they say This is that armour which the Apostle prescribeth vs both to defend our selues and to offend our enemies withall and this armour if wee put on wee shall be able to stand against all the assaults of the deuill for here is armour for the whole body from the head to the foot vnlesse wee will turne our backe vpon our enemie Now consider this men and brethren and lay it vnto your hearts Yee cannot but see by this which hath beene spoken that yee haue great enemies euery one of you to encounter withall yee cannot but see that the whole armour of God is necessary for you if ye will be safe from your enemies If either yee want your helmet and head peece which is the hope of saluation by Iesus Christ or if yee want your brest-plate which is righteousnesse and innocencie of life or if yee want the sword of the spirit which is the word of life or if yee want the girdle of your loynes which is veritie and soundnesse in religion or if yee want your shooes which is a minde prepared and ready to embrace the Gospell of peace or if besides all these things yee be fainting and failing in praier and supplication in the spirit in such parts as these are wanting one or moe yee are disarmed and lie open vnto euery stroke of that enemie which woundeth deadly and euery of whose venewes are as so many stings of death It is the Apostle Iames his aduice Resist the deuill and he will flie from you Iam. 4 7. Would ye then haue your great enemie the deuill to flie from you Yee must not turne your backe and flie from him for hauing no armour as euen now I told you for your backe parts if ye flie he followes and strikes and wounds deadly because there is no armour to keepe backe the force of his stroke If yee will put him to flight yee must stand to him and resist him Now your resistance must be by putting on this armour of God and if the whole armour be not put on the enemie quickly espies his aduantage and there assaults where any part of the armour wants Now will yee know whither to come for this armour of God and where to haue it Come to the word of God and the Gospell of peace there shall yee haue it and there shall ye learne so to put it on that the enemie would he neuer so faine yet shall not be able to hurt you This is that word vnto the reuerent hearing and embracing whereof I doe often exhort you neither can I euer too much exhort you And now againe I tell you that if yee will stand fast in the euill day if yee will be safe from such enemies as wound the soule deadly if yee will as good souldiers so fight that yee will neuer flie then must yee let the word of the Lord dwell in you plentifully for so and so onely yee shall bee mightie through God to cast downe holds and euery thing that exalteth it selfe against God whether it bee the lust of the flesh or the lust of the eyes or the pride of life or whatsoeuer other thing else of the world it be The second lesson which this should teach vs is that if our whole life bee nothing else but a continuall warfare against such mortall enemies then should wee desire to be dissolued and to bee with Christ rather then to continue still in such a vale of miserie where there is continuall fighting After a sore and sharpe fight at Sea or at Land continued by the space of seuen or eight houres or happily a whole day together would wee blame them if then they did desire rest or rather would wee not maruell at them if then they should not desire rest Now the fight which wee maintaine against our spirituall enemies is not onely for the space of certaine houres or dayes but for dayes and nights euen for the whole tearme and course of our life Should it not then seeme a thing maruellous and strange that wee should not desire peace and to haue our warfare at an end Yet who is he that is not loth to lay downe his house of clay Who is hee almost that when death knockes at his doore would not liue a little longer if hee might Yet let mee not here be mistaken for I doe not say this as if I liked of this that men should desire to be loosed from the bonds of this life before the time appointed of the Lord come Nay let the children of
euen the like extremitie of sickenesse that Epaphroditus was brought vnto A step onely betweene them and death or rather no steppel but they deliuered out of the iawes of death as a pray out of the teeth of the wilde beast or as a bird out of the snare of the fouler And this the Lord may seeme to doe for these causes amongst many other 1. Thereby to make his power more to be knowne amongst the sonnes of men For what can more manifest the power of almighty God then to saue vs when the pit is now ready to shut her mouth vpon vs and nothing but present death before vs 2. To encrease their thankefulnesse who being brought vnto the gates of death are thence deliuered For how much neerer they were vnto death so much greater praises are due vnto him that hath deliuered them from death 3. Thereby to humble them for euer vnder his mightie hand by whom they yet liue moue and haue their being For what should more humble vs then plainely to see that it is no way in our selues but in the Lord only to saue our life from death and to deliuer vs from the power of the graue Seeing then it pleaseth the Lord oftentimes to bring euen his dearest children and choisest seruants into such extremities as of other dangers so of sicknesse let vs take heed how we iudge them as plagued of God for their offences because they are so extreamly visited Yee know it was the great fault of Iobs friends that still they vrged him that surely hee was a great and grieuous sinner a wicked and an vngodly man because the Lord his hand was so heauie vpon him Nay my brethren though some of our brethren in these hot and sharpe diseases through extremity of paine or otherwise howsoeuer should somtimes breake out into impatient speaches yet let vs take heede how we iudge them as forsaken of the Lord ye know the example of Iob into what execrations and words of impatiencie he brake out through that extremitie of griefe wherewith he was holden who yet was a very choise seruant of the Lord and whose patience is commended in the Scriptures Againe seeing it pleaseth the Lord oftentimes to bring euen his dearest children and choisest seruants into such extremities of sicknesse let this be a comfort vnto vs in what extremitie of sicknesse so euer we shall be For no new thing herein doth befall vs but such as oftentimes doth the dearest children of God and he which deliuered them from the hand of the graue when the pit had euen shut her mouth almost vpon them will also deliuer vs if it shall be for his glory and our good Sicknesse and extremitie of sickenesse all are of the Lord and all for the best vnto his children Let vs therefore in all things that befall vs so submit our selues vnto the will of the Lord as that both in heart and voice we euer pray and say thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen LECTVRE XLV PHILIP 2. Verse 27. But God had mercy on him and not on him onely but on me also lest I should haue sorrow vpon sorrow BVt God had mercy on him Where the Apostle first setteth downe the cause of his recouerie and restoring vnto health which was Gods mercy 2. The extent and bountifulnes of Gods mercy therein reaching not to Epaphroditus alone but to Paul also 3. The Apostle setteth downe the cause why the Lord in mercy towards him also restored Epaphroditus vnto health to wit left he should haue sorrow vpon sorrow .i. lest vnto that sorrow which already he had by his bands and imprisonment there should haue beene added another sorrow for his death The words are so plaine and easie in themselues to be vnderstood that there needeth no farther opening or explication of them Let vs therefore see what notes and obseruations we may gather hence whereof we may make some vse vnto our selues But God had mercy on him By which phrase of speech the Apostle signifieth Epaphroditus his recouerie and restoring vnto health Yet see how the Apostle was not content barely to say but he was restored vnto health but signifying euen this same thing he withall noteth both who restored him wherfore he was restored vnto health saying But God had c. As if he should haue said but God for his mercies sake restored him vnto health Whence I note that it is the Lord that woundeth and maketh whole that both visiteth vs with sicknesse and also holdeth our soule in life and healeth all our infirmities For so the Lord himselfe saith Behold now for I Deut. 32.29 I am he and there is no God with me I kill and giue life I wound and I make whole And againe in Exodus saith the Lord Ex. 15.26 I am the Lord that healeth thee And therefore the Prophet thus praieth Heale me ô Lord and I shall be whole saue me Iâ—r 17.14 Ps 103.2.3 and I shall be saued And the Prophet Dauid thus stirreth vp himselfe to praise the Lord saying Praise the Lord ô my soule and forget not all his benefits which forgiueth all thy sinne and healeth all thine infirmities or all thy sicknesses and diseases It is the Lord then yee see that healeth our sicknesse and holdeth our soule in life yea it is euen he that deliuereth vs both from the first and likewise from the second death Yet I would not here be so mistaken as if I iudged that because it is the Lord that healeth our infirmities therefore in the bed of our sicknes we should onely call vpon the Lord and neglect the meanes ordeined for the recouerie of our health For as he hath appointed the end so hath he ordeined the meanes vnto the end And albeit sometimes he worke without meanes and restore vnto health without any medicine or physicke at all yet most ordinarily he worketh by meanes and restoreth vnto health by medicine and physicke And therefore we are not at any time to neglect the meanes of physicke and such like helps for the recouerie of our health but rather we are to vse them with all thankfulnesse vnto the Lord for them and with all praier and supplication in the spirit for his blessing vpon them We see how that good King Ezechias when it had beene told him of the Lord by the Prophet 2 Reg. 20.5.6 thus Behold I haue healed thee and the third day thou shalt goe vp to the house of the Lord and I will adde vnto thy daies fifteene yeere yet for all that 7. when the Prophet said vnto him take a lumpe of dried figs and lay it vpon the boyle and thou shalt recouer he tooke it and laid it on and recouered He might haue said hath the Lord spoken and will he not performe it He hath promised me healâ—h and a lengthning of my daies for 15 yeeres what neede I more then his word what neede I any medicine or prescript from any Physician
businesse giues them best leaue Businesse belike they haue of greater importance then this and which they are more to regard then the saluation of their soules Others they turne their backs vpon the Preacher and stay they cannot or they will not I cannot but speake of it What an vnseemely thing was it when the last Lords day after the celebration of that holy sacrament of Baptisme which seeing the opportunitie was giuen might well haue beene celebrated after the Sermon but what an vnseemely thing I say was it to see so many then turne their backs and goe their waies some vpon that occasion and others therein keeping their wonted manner But take heede men and brethren how yee despise the word and turne your backs vpon it For howsoeuer now yee turne your backs vpon it Joh. 12.48 yet shall it iudge you in the last day If there be a fault in any of you studie to amend it and let the word of Christ dwell in you all plenteously and in all wisdome Rom. 1.16 For it is the power of God vnto saluation to euery one that beleeueth Receiue the Ministers of Christ in the Lord and harken vnto their message for the Lord. For though they be men that come vnto you yet are they men sent from the Lord and their words are to be heard not as the word of man but as it is indeede as the word of God Happy are yee if yee heare these things and meditate thereupon with fruit vnto your soules Blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it LECTVRE XLVII PHILIP 2. Verse 29. Receiue him therefore in the Lord with all gladnes and make much of such 30. Because that for the worke of Christ he was c. WIth all gladnesse This is the second manner of entertainment that the Apostle would haue giuen vnto Epaphroditus their Minister at his returne vnto them He would haue them to receiue him in the Lord and to receiue him with all gladnes that is with such gladnes as that both all should reioyce at his comming and that with an exceeding great ioy so that he would haue both their ioy to be vniuersall that all should reioyce for him as he had longed for them all and againe no ordinarie ioy but an exceeding great ioy as the same words are very well translated Iam. 1.2 What such ioy so vniuersall ioy so exceeding great ioy for their Ministers returning home in health vnto them Was Epaphroditus their Minister Was their Minister thus to be receiued Indeede this would make a man to doubt as the world goes now whether Epaphroditus were their Minister Enough for a noble man a great man one of the Peeres oâ— the Realme thus to be receiued A Minister thus to be receiued it is a scorne a meere iest Well let it seeme vnto thâ— world as it will a scorne and a iest the Apostle here we see would haue them thus to receiue their Minister and the Ministers of the Gospell are thus to be receiued euen with aâ— gladnesse so that all their people should reioyce and thaâ— with exceeding great ioy for them Esay 52.7 O how beautifull vpon the mountaines are the feete of him that declareth and publisheth peace saith the Prophet that declareth good tidings and publisheth saluation saying vnto Zion thy God reigneth Now of whom speaketh the Prophet this The Apostle plainely applieth this vnto the Ministers of the Gospell of Iesus Christ Ro. 10.15 They are they that declare and publish our peace and our reconciliation with God the Father by Iesus Christ his Sonne they are they that declare the good tidings of the full and free remission of our sinnes by the death and passion of Iesus Christ they are they that publish saluation vnto euery one that calleth vpon the name of the Lord departeth from iniquitie How beautifull then should their feete be vnto vs When they come vnto vs or when the Lord rather sendeth them vnto vs with what gladnesse should wee receiue them Surely I will tell you Consider that place yet a litle further The Prophet there speaketh first and primarily of the deliuerance of the children of Israel out of the captiuitie of Babylon and of them that should bring the message and gladd tydings therof With what gladnes then may we thinke would the children of Israell when they were in the land of their captiuitie receiue them that would bring them good tydings of their deliuerance out of captiuitie and returne vnto their countrie and ancient libertie Would not all of them receiue them with great gladnesse Would not all of them receiue them with exceding and vnfained ioy and reioycing With what gladnesse then should we receiue the Ministers of the Gospell of Christ Iesus who bring vnto vs most ioyfull tidings of a most blessed deliuerance out of the most wofull thrall and captiuitie that euer was euen out of the most tyrannicall captiuitie of sinne death and the deuill Surely we should receiue them with an vniuersall ioy we should receiue them with an exceeding great ioy we should all of vs be glad euen in our very soules for them euery way that we could we should testifie this our gladnes for them A good shew of such gladnesse many of the Iewes then gaue when Christ riding into Ierusalem on an Asse they spred their garments in the way and cut downe branches from the trees and strawed them in the way and cryed through the streets of Ierusalem and said Hosanna the sonne of Dauid Mat. 21.8.9 blessed be he that commeth in the name of the Lord Hosanna thou which art in the highest heauens Here were tokens as of great honor done vnto him so of great gladnesse for him that was the high Priest of our profession And the Euangelist S. Luke storying the same thing saith that the whole multitude of the Disciples reioyced Luk. 19.37.38 and praised God with a loude voice saying blessed be the King that commeth in the name of the Lord peace in heauen and glory in the highest places The whole multitude reioyced and that with no small ioy when they lift vp their voices and said Blessed be he c. So we read that when Philip came to Samaria Act. 8.5.6.8 preached Christ vnto them the people gaue heede vnto those things which Philip spake with one accord hearing and seeing the miracles which he did and it is said that there was great ioy in that Citie They heard Philip when he preached Christ vnto them they gaue heede to the things he spake and that with one accord and vpon this there was great ioy in that Citie So we read that when the Apostles passed through Phanics and Samaria Act. 15.3 declaring the conuersion of the Gentiles and no doubt strengthning the brethren also in the faith wherein they stood it is said that they brought great ioy vnto all the brethren no ordinarie ioy but a great ioy not vnto a small
number but vnto all the brethren Thus yee see with what gladnes the Ministers of the Gospell ought to be receiued yee see how our Sauiour Christ the high Priest of our profession was thus receiued when towards his passion he came downe from the mount of Oliues vnto Ierusalem yee see how the Disciples and Apostles of our Sauiour Christ were thus receiued euen with great ioy of all the brethren And thus at this day the Ministers of the Gospell are receiued euen with all gladnesse of all the brethren But as then it was so now it is the multitude of the brethren no great multitude as may easily appeare euen by this one note that the multitude of them that receiue the Ministers of the Gospell with all gladnes is no great multitude Well beloued to stand no longer vpon this point I cannot better exhort you touching this point then out of these words of the Apostle Receiue the ministers of Christ his Gospell in the Lord receiue them with all gladnes and make much of them for so it followeth And make much of such In which words the Apostle brings it to the generall which before he had spoken in the particular tels them how he would haue them to receiue not only Epaphroditus in particular but the Ministers of the gospel in generall Make much of such make much account of them haue them in high honor estimation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for so the word here vsed in the originall signifieth But whom must we haue in such honour Make much of such such as Epaphroditus such as faithfully and painefully worke in the Lord his haruest such as carefully watch for our soules as they that must giue accounts such as labour in the word and doctrine make much of them and account them worthy of double honor Here then we are taught in what account we are to haue such Ministers of the Gospell as faithfully and painefully labour in the word and doctrine We are to make much of them we are to haue them in high honor and estimation we are to account them worthy of double honor For so the Apostle else where also telleth vs saying 1 Tim. 5.17 The Elders which rule well are worthy of double honour especially they which labour in the word and doctrine Where whatsouer be meant by double honour in particular in generall it is meant that all honour is due vnto them that labour in the word and doctrine Yea indeede honour such make much of such such finde-faults such troublers of the state such hot-headed fellowes such discoueries of their fathers shame such publishers of whatsoeuer they know euen in Gath and Ashkelon For thus commonly they are accounted of especially if according to the necessitie of the times they lift vp their voices like trumpets and shew the people their transgressions and the house of Iacob their sinnes If they tell Herod of his incest they may doe it without that danger that Iohn did but let them looke for no lesse then to be counted troublers of all Israel 1 Reg. 18.17 Act. 19.25 as Elias was accounted by Ahab If Demetrius and the craftsmen men with him be like to sustaine any losse by their preaching if the godles Atheist or the superstitious Papist thinke themselues galled by their preaching then they traduce them by such and such names and then they raise vp whatsoeuer troubles possibly they can against them Thus are they rewarded with euill for good and with hatred for their good will thus doe they become enemies because they tell the truth thus are they honoured and accounted of the world thus commonly are they made of in the world that are carefull not to doe the worke of the Lord negligently Yea and see the strangenesse of it The cause why we should make much of the Ministers of the Gospell is for the message sake which they bring vnto vs because they bring vnto vs the holy word of life the Manna and foode of our soules and because out of it they both teach vs that truth which we are to beleeue and imbrace and improue those errors which we are to beware and auoide and correct those faults in our life which we are to flie and detest and instruct vs in that way of righteousnesse wherein we are to walke all the daies of our life Thiâ— I say is the cause why we should make much of them and this is the very cause why we cannot away with them It would best of all please a great many of vs that they should hold their peace and so 〈◊〉 and suffer vs to sleepe in our sinnes Other o◠〈◊〉 â—â—ppily can away with it that they should reach and instruct and exhort and speake to the eare But that there should be amongst the Disciples of Christ sonne of thunder that the Ministers of the Gospell should powre into the wound both oyle and vineger that they should improue and rebuke that a great many of vs cannot away with and therefore when they doe so we breake our into termes at our pleasure against them Well he that will be soundly healed he must suffer both oyle and vineger to be powred into his wounds and he that will liue must suffer himselfe to be awaked out of his dead sleepe of sinne and he that will shew himselfe to haue profited in the schoole of Christ must make much of such as both teach and improue and correct and instruct as the glory of God and the good of hiâ— people doth require As for those that are not such I say now no more but I wish they were such and that they would studie to be such Beloued I haue vrged this point touching the Ministers of the Gospell of receiuing them in the Lord of receiuing them with all gladnesse of making much of them partly the last day and partly this day For your sakes that yee might know how to vse the Ministers of the word that so yee may giue testimonie how yee honor the word For as men like or mislike the Ministers of the word so commonly they are affected towards the word Let the word of Christ therefore dwell in you plenteously let your delight be in the law of the Lord and loue the word of life as your life and for a proofe thereof such as faithfully and painefully labour in the word and doctrine receiue them in the Lord receiue them with all gladnes and make much of such It followeth Because that for the worke of Christ c. This is the reason which the Apostle bringeth why the Philippians should receiue their Minister in the Lord and with all gladnes The reason then briefly is this Epaphroditus was neere vnto death for the worke of Christ and regarded not his life to fulfill that seruice c. therefore yee ought to receiue him in the Lord and with all gladnes By the worke of Christ the Apostle meaneth in this place that whole paines and labour which Epaphroditus tooke
not be awaked out of the dead-sleepe whereinto they are fallen when men stop their eares at the voice of the charmer charme he neuer so wisely and will not hearken and obey when men come to that height of impiety that either they say with the foole in their hearts there is no God or else make the question whether there be knowledge in the most high when the fruits of vngodlinesse and vnâ—â—ghteousnesse I say not beginne to shoote out their heads and to shake their lippes but to swarme like the grashoppers in Egypt then I trow it is a time to be sharpe to speake out of mount Sinai in thunder and in lightening to denounce the threatnings of the law and the iudgements of Gods mouth against all vngodlinesse and iniquitie and to lay the axe vnto the very roote of the tree to strike and wound and to kill sinne if it be possible Againe when the soule is afflicted and brought low through any plague or trouble when the sorowfull heart shrinketh in the way and groneth vnder the burthen of his sinne when men beginne to loath and detest those wicked waies wherein they haue walked and to long and thirst after the things that belong vnto their peace then it is as a time to come in the spirit of meeknesse to speake comfortably vnto the heart to raise vp them that are fallen with all kinde speeches and in all louing manner to lead them on a long besides the water of comfort As therefore the times doe require so we come with a rodde or in the spirit of meeknesse and because commonly in our congregations there be both some such as neede to be wounded and againe some such as neede to be healed therefore it is that in our Sermons we doe both sharpely reproue and mildly exhort The sinner that goeth on in the wickednesse of his way and runneth headlong into many and noysome lusts we sharply reproue that we may reclaime him from the wickednesse of his way and that wee may pull him as a brand out of the fire lest he should perish in the day of Christ But such as are grieued because they are out of the right way and grope after it if happily they might finde it them we restore with the spirit of meeknesse wee poure oyle into their wounds with all mildnesse wee exhort them and we minister what word of comfort wee can vnto them Nay whatsoeuer sharpnesse at any time we doe vse yet still we exhort you with all mildnesse whether it be that wee exhort you to continue in the grace wherein ye stand and to hold fast your hope vnto the end or to turne from the wickednesse of your way and to make streight steppes vnto your feete that that which is halting may be healed And if the heartâ— of our people might be healed onely by applying gentle medicines without cutting and launcing their sores onely by pouring supplying oyle without pouring vineger into their wounds why should any man thinke that we would vse sharpenesse of speech Nay it would be our soules ioy if our meditations for the things that we bring vnto you might bee wholly and only set and setled on the sweet comforts of the Gospell that all our speeches vnto you might be of the mercies of God vnto vs in Christ Iesus Our desire is to present you pure and blamelesse not hauing spot or wrinckle or any such thing in that day Hauing this desire if any of our sheep wander and go astray beare with vs if with the good sheep heard we sometimes vse the hooke nay if sometimeâ— wee set our dogge after them pinch them to bring them in againe But aboue all things haue care that wee may still speake vnto you as vnto our brethren sonnes of one father with vs children of one wombe with vs baptized by one spirit into one body with vs continuing in one fellowship of Gods Saints with vs and walking with vs by one rule in the same way vnto our Country and Citie which is aboue where Christ which is our head hath taken possession for vs. Let vs walke and talke as brethren and let vs proceed by one rule that wee may minde one thing And thus much of this obseruation It followeth Reioyce in the Lord We haue spoken already of the manner of the Apostle his exhortation Now in these words I note the matter of his exhortation which is to reioyce but not so simply but to reioyce in the Lord. The like exhortation the Apostle also maketh in the next chapter where he saith Reioyce in the Lord alway Phil. 4 4. againe I say Reioyce The like whereunto the Apostle also in another place maketh out of the Prophet 2 Cor. 10.17 Jer. 9 24. 1 Th. 5.16 where hee saith Let him that reioyceth reioyce in the Lord. In the Epistle to the Thessalonians he only saith Reioyce euermore but the meaning is all one with that in the next chapter Reioyce in the Lord alway Hence then we may obserue what and wherein the Christian mans ioy and reioycing ought to be his ioy and reioycing is and ought to bee in the Lord. To be glad and to be merry and to reioyce is a thing which the heart of man very much euen naturally desireth so that there needeth no precept or exhortation at all that wee should reioyce but what and wherein our reioycing should be is a matter very well worthy our due and diligent consideration Looke abroad into the world and see a man shall there see gladnesse of heart and reioycing enough but what and wherein The rich and wealthy man hee reioyceth and cheereth his heart in his wealth and riches in his lands and possessions in the glory of his house and in the store that hee hath The strong man hee glorieth and reioyceth in hiâ— strength the wise man in his wisdome the great and honourable man in his greatnesse and in his honour the wanton in his pleasures the riotous person in his riotousnesse and generally the wicked man in his wickednesse Nay is it not with vs as it was in the dayes of the Prophet Esay with Ierusalem In the day that the Lord God of hosts cals vnto weeping and mourning and to baldnesse and girding with sackcloth Esa 22.12.13 is there not ioy and gladnesse slaying oxen and killing sheepe eating flesh and drinking wine eating and drinking for to morrow wee shall die Doe wee not as the Prophet Amos speaketh in this day wherein Gods iudgements lie so heauie vpon vs and vpon our whole land doe wee not I say put farre from vs the euill day Amos 6.3.4 and approach to the seat of iniquitie lying vpon beds of Yuorie and stretching our selues vpon our beds eating the lambes of the flockes and the calues out of the stall singing to the sound of the viole 5.6 drinking wine in boules and anointing our selues with the chiefe ointments but no man almost remembring the affliction of Ioseph Yes surely
This also is a part of the cause why hee disclaimes all righteousnesse by his workes because otherwise he could not be found in Christ in that day Why not What is it to be found in Christ The Apostle shewes that to be found in Christ is to bee found not clothed with his owne righteousnesse which is by the workes of the Law but clothed with that righteousnesse which is Christs and only ours through faith in Christ euen that righteousnesse which God doth impute vnto vs through faith in his name So that he that will be found in Christ in that day must disclaime his owne righteousnesse and renounce it as dung and rottennesse and must cleaue onely vnto the righteousnesse of Christ Iesus which God doth impute vnto him through faith in him The summe then of that which the Apostle tels the Philippians in these words is that hee now at this present in the state wherein hee now stands doth iudge all things euen his very best present workes to be so farre from any part of his righteousnesse as that he iudgeth them to bee dung euen vile and contemptible so that hee doth disclaime all righteousnesse by them that he may winne Christ that is that he may be more and more neerely incorporated into him and possessed of his righteousnesse by faith and that hee may be found in that last and great day not in Moses but in Christ that is not hauing his owne righteousnesse which is of the Law as his garment to stand before the Lord withall but hauing that righteousnesse to be clothed with which is indeed Christs and his through the faith of Christ euen that righteousnesse which God doth impute vnto him through faith in Christ his name This I say I take to be the summe of that which the Apostle tels the Philippians in these words So that yee see here is first a disclaiming of his owne righteousnesse by workes in that he iudgeth them to be dung 2. A reason why hee so iudgeth them and so disclaimes them that he may winne Christ and may be found in him thirdly an explication what it is to be found in Christ by a distinction of righteousnesse into his owne and Christs where hee saith not hauing mine owne c. Now let vs see what obseruations may hence be gathered First it is not vnworthy our noting that the Apostle goeth ouer and ouer these points so often as if he could neuer satisfie himselfe with disclaiming all righteousnesse by any works and proclaiming Christ alone to be all his righteousnesse In the former verse hee disclaimeth all his workes done before his conuersion as no vantage but losse vnto him and maketh Christ all his vantage either for righteousnesse or saluation In this verse three seuerall times he disclaimeth all his workes generally whether done before or after his conuersion as touching any righteousnesse by them and againe so many times auoucheth in effect Christ Iesus alone to bee all his righteousnesse Whence I obserue both the difficultie and the necessitie of enforcing these points A difficult and hard matter it is when we haue done any thing well when we haue walked faithfully in our calling when we haue releiued the oppressed iudged the father-lesse defended the widow when wee haue humbled our selues in praier chastened our selues with fasting absteined from the delights of the world or pleasures of the flesh c. a difficult and hard matter I say it is herein not to please our selues not somewhat to be puffed vp with these things not to haue some conceit of merit and righteousnesse by these things A difficult matter to perswade vs that these things are no vantage vnto vs vnto iustification or saluation A difficult matter to perswade vs that these things are but losse and dung things vile and contemptible And yet necessarie it is that we be thus perswaded of these and the like things as touching any confidence of our righteousnesse or saluation by them and that we count Christ alone all our righteousnesse and the horne of our saluation And therefore the Apostle knowing both the difficultie and yet the necessitie of perswading this beateth vpon it twise thrise often that he did thus and thus and therefore the Philippians should doe so This should teach vs with great diligence to obserue and marke the things that are so much and so often beaten vpon as things which either we are dull to comprehend or vnwilling to yeeld vnto and yet things which are as most certaine for their truth so most necessarie for their vse for albeit all the things in the whole booke of God be of such importance as that they are most worthie of our due meditation and diligent obseruation as able to make vs wise vnto saluation yet when things are so much vrged and so often beaten vpon we are to thinke that it is not without great cause that they are so pressed and therefore that they are with greater attention and heedfulnesse to be marked by vs. As therefore we are with all diligence to obserue whatsoeuer is written because all things are written for our learning so let vs with all diligence obserue the things so often vrged It may be that they are so often vrged because of our dulnesse to comprehend them it may be because of our vnwillingnesse to yeeld vnto them it may be because of the vnfeined assent that we should yeeld vnto the truth of them it may be because of the necessarie vse that there is of them Surely they are not so much vrged without great and vrgent cause And so for these points heere beaten vpon let vs assure our selues both that it is most true that our works are no part of our righteousnesse but Christ our whole righteousnesse and that it necessarily behooueth vs to be throughly perswaded thereof How good soeuer therefore our workes seeme vnto vs and how difficult soeuer it be to perswade vs that our very best workes are to be iudged but losse and dung yet seeing the Apostle so often tels vs that he iudged so of his best workes let there be the same minde in vs that was in him and let vs iudge so to 2. In that the Apostle saith and doe iudge them to be dunge I note the Apostles present iudgement of his present workes He now at this present in the state wherein he now stands doth iudge all things euen his very best present workes to bee so farre from being any part of his righteousnesse as that hee iudgeth them to be dung euen vile and contemptible so full of pollution and vncleanesse as that there is no reckoning to be made of them in respect of any righteousnesse by them but rather they are to be contemned as vncleanesse Whence I obserue that our very best workes such as are wrought after our knowledge of Christ Iesus and faith in his name are no part of that righteousnesse whereby we are accounted righteous before God Great difference I know there is betweene
their calling and are fruitfull in â—ood workes Which may serue to acquit vs of that carelesse â—ecuritie and presumptuous certainty which they say we teach â—en We know that as God hath ordeined the end so he hath â—rdained the meanes vnto the end And therefore we teach â—oth that the children of God may and are to ground the cerâ—ainety of their saluation vpon the sweet promises of God in Christ Iesus wherein there can be no vaine presumption and â—hat they are to labour and endeuour by walking in such good workes as God in Christ Iesus hath ordained them vnto to â—aue a sure testimonie vnto themselues of their saluation which must needs banish carelesse securitie O but they could â—e as sure of their saluation as we thinke our selues if it were â—pecially reuealed vnto them by God as Ezechias his health â—nto him and Pauls safetie vnto him I demand then haue â—hey no assurance from God of their saluation No maruell â—hen that they doubt of their saluation But we are sure of â—ur saluation Rom. 8.16.17 because the spirit of God doth witnes vnto our spiâ—â—â— that we are the sonnes of God and if sonnes then also heires â—uen the heires of God and heires annexed with Christ So that we haue two witnesses to assure vs of our saluation Gods spirit our owne spirit certified by the spirit of God Yea but why doth the Apostle say if I may comprehend if he were sure to comprehend and come vnto the marke This if argues a doubting Not so but some difficultie in the thing which he â—arnestly wisheth as also it often signifieth I magnifie saith the Apostle mine office Ro. 11.13.14 to try it by any meanes I might procure theâ— of my flesh to follow them and might saue some of them Doth thâ— Apostle doubt of sauing some of the Iewe by his ministerie because he saith if I might saue some of them No but thereby he signifieth his earnest desire to doe it and the difficultie of doing it Act. 8.22 Againe Pray God saith Peter vnto Simon Magâ—â— that if it be possible the thoughts of thy heart may be forgiuen thee Doth the Apostle doubt of Gods mercies to him if he could repent because he saith if it be possible c. No but theâ—eby he giues him to vnderstand of the difficultie of obtayning pardon for that sinne that so he might see the wickednesse of his sinne So the Apostle here saith that he laboureth if by 〈◊〉 meanes he may attaine c and that he followeth if he may coâ—prehend not that he doubteth of attaining to the glorious resurrection of the dead or of comprehending but thereby he signifieth his earnest desire to attaine vnto it and withall the difficultie of attaining vnto it 2 Tim. 2.5 For as the Apostle saith 〈◊〉 where No man is crowned except he striue lawfully .i. except he doe and endure whatsoeuer is to be done and suffered vntill he come to his races end He must deuoure all difficulties that will haue the crowne in that day And these difficulties increased the Apostle his desire so that he laboured if hee might attaine and followed if he might comprehend Thâ—â— then yee see that this place maketh nothing for that vncomfortable doubting of our saluation which they labour to perswade Nay to speake in one word vnto the whole point the whole streame of the scriptures maketh against this doubting for the certainty of our saluation Iob 19.25.26.27 I am sure saith Iob thâ— my redeemer liueth he shall stand he last on the earth though after my skin wormes destroy this bodie yet shall I see God in my flesh whom I my selfe shall see and mine eyes shall behold and nonâ— other for me 2 Tim. 4.8 So Paul Henceforth saith he is laid vp for meâ— the crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord shall giue me at thâ—â— day and not to me onely but vnto all them also that loue his appearing What To him onely Nay saith he but to all them also that loue his appearing Marke then the ground wherevpon he builds the certainety of saluation euen vpon that ground which is common to him with all the faithfull the â—â—ue of God in Christ Iesus So that by the power of the same â—â—rit and vpon the same ground that Iob and Paul assured â—â—emselues of their saluation may all the faithfull children of â—od assure themselues of their saluation Againe doth not â—e holy Ghost define Faith to be the ground of things which are â—â—ped for the euidence of things that are not seene a full assurance 〈◊〉 assurance without wauering the anchor of the soule both sure â—â—d stedfast It is cleare And is it not as cleare that we may â—â—rtainely know that we haue faith Rhem. in 2 Cor. 13.5 The Rhemists themselues 〈◊〉 knowledge it vpon that place of the Apostle Proue your â—â—â—ues whether yee are in the faith And may we not then asâ—â—e our selues of our saluation Verily verily Joh. 5.24 saith our Sauiâ—â—r Christ he that heareth my word and beleeueth in him that 〈◊〉 me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation 〈◊〉 hath passed from death vnto life Where euerlasting saluaâ—â—â—n is assured vnto him that beleeueth as surely as if he were â—eady in full possession of it Yea euerlasting saluation is â—sured vnto him that loueth the brethren as surely as if he â—ere already in full possession of it as S. Iohn witnesseth 1 Ioh. 3.14 where 〈◊〉 saith we know that we are translated from death vnto life beâ—â—use we loue the brethren Infinite almost are the places which â—â—ainely shew that we may and ought to assure our selues of â—â—r saluation I grant that euen the best of Gods children oftentimes doe â—â—gger and wauer and doubt and haue diuers spices and â—â—arkles of infidelitie and distrust arising in their hearts For 〈◊〉 long as we liue both our knowledge and our loue and â—â—r faith and our hope and the best graces that we haue are â—nely in part and vnperfect our knowledge not without â—â—me mixture of ignorance our loue not without some mixâ—â—re of hatred our faith not without some mixture of infideâ—â—tie our hope not without some mixture of distrust But this 〈◊〉 it that we teach that the children of God may and ought 〈◊〉 assure themselues of their saluation Indeed if we looke â—pon our selues our owne workes and our owne worthinesse â—e may iustly doubt of our saluation hauing in our selues deâ—â—rued euerlasting damnation But the ground and foundation of the certainety of our hope is the sure promise of Goâ— in Christ Iesus who hath promised in his word eternall lâ—â—â— to all them that beleeue in his name We looke not on oâ—â— selues but we looke on him that hath promised euen as Abraham did whose faith we are to follow of whom it is said thâ—â— he neither did consider his owne bodie which was now dead Rom. 4.19 being 〈◊〉 most an hundreth
in mercy by God that hath called vs in mercie and giuen 〈◊〉 in Christ Iesus by God that hath called vs in Christ Iesus to be partakers of his glory Here then behold and wonder at the louing kindnesse of our God We must runne and we shal be very well rewarded For if we runne albeit we can merit nothing by our running because when we haue done what we can we are but vnprofitable seruants yet in mercie will he giue vs an euerlasting crowne of glory A good reward for a meane seruice performed but meanely by him that runnes the best And therefore the greater the goodnes of our God who giueth such reward in mercie where there wanteth all merit The mercie of our God should stirre vp our thankfulnes vnto our God and the great reward which in mercy he doth giue should make 〈◊〉 runne the waie of his commandementes Rom. 8.18 All that euer wee can doe or suffer is not worthy of that glory which shal be shewed vnto vs. Yet if we suffer willingly for Christ his sake and doe the workes of our calling he will in mercy giue vnto vs an incorruptible crowne of glory Let our mouthes thereâ—â—re be filled with his praise and honour all the day long who â—â—ere there wanteth merit sheweth such mercie And if duâ— or loue cannot preuaile with vs yet let this inestimable â—â—ward perswade vs to runne the way of his commandeâ—entes In a word we know that our labour shall not be in â—ine in the Lord. Let vs therefore abound in euerie good â—orke and let vs runne with patience the race that is set beâ—â—re vs. The next and last thing which hence I obserue is that as â—od hath chosen vs in Christ Iesus so hath he called vs in â—hrist Iesus Ephes 1.4 The former appeareth by the Epistle to the Eâ—â—esians the later by this place of our Apostle and many oâ—â—ers Yea Christ Iesus alone it is in whom and for whom â—â—d hath blessed vs with all spirituall blessing in heauenly thinges 3. 〈◊〉 the Apostle both speaketh there and manifestly sheweth â—oth there and elsewhere For in him are we predestinate 〈◊〉 him are we chosen in him are we called in him are we aâ—â—pted in him are we iustified in him are we sanctified and 〈◊〉 him through hope are we glorified and in him are all â—e promises made vnto vs both of the life present and of â—at that is to come If we had beene called in Peter or in â—aule or in Moses then might we haue belieued in them â—nd lookt vnto them as vnto the marke that is set before vs. â—ut now that we are called in Christ Iesus we are to belieue in â—â—m and alwaies to looke towardes him in the whole course â—f our life In him we haue all thinges and in him shall our â—â—y bee made perfit Let this then teach vs to reioyce onely in Christ Iesus in â—hom onely wee are called and in whom onely wee are â—lessed In our selues we are nothing else but bondslaues of â—atan Children of wrath a naughty and crooked nation vnâ—ble altogether to thinke or speake or doe any thing that is â—ood abominable disobedient vnto euery good worke reâ—robate and not onely neare vnto cursing but cursed But in â—ur Christ Iesus we are freede from sinne and condemnation â—nd made the seruants of righteousnes and heires of saluation â—â—d in him we are called vnto that high calling to be the sons of God and haue all the priueledges that belong vnto the sonnes of God Let vs therefore reioyce in him alwaie let our songs be made euer of him and dayly let vs praise him Let vs iudge whatsoeuer is best to be but dung for the excellent knowledge sake of him and let vs in all thinges grow vp in him c. LECTVRE LXIV PHILIP 3. Vers 15.16 Let vs therefore as many as be perfect be thâ—â—â—â—ded and if ye be otherwise minded God shall reueale c. NOw the Apostle hauing thus in particular told the Philippians what he thought of Christ and likewise of all things without Christ 〈◊〉 goeth from the particular vnto the generall and exhorteth that this truth which he haâ—â— professed may be generally receiued and approued And if any of them will not happily presently receiue this truth yet he signifieth his hope that God will afterwards reueale it to them that they may embrace it wiâ—h him and in the meane time till God reueale it and make it knowne vnto them he exhorteth that such grounds of the truth as already they had might with one accord be receiued and maintained This I take to be the generall meaning of these words in these two verses Now let vs yet a little more particularly sift and examine the meaning of them Let vs saith the Apostle c. This speech yee see is exhortatiue in that he saith let vs be thus minded and ye see like wise that the exhortation is made by way of conclusion from the particular example of the Apostle vnto the Philippiâ—â—â—â— generall in that he saith Let vs therefore as many as be perfeâ—â— and ye see that it is to bring ouer his own priuate example vnâ—o a generall doctrine in that he saith Let vs therefore as many â—â—s be perfect be thus minded Let vs therefore therefore why euen because I your Apostle by whom ye haue beleeued am â—hus minded as I haue told you let vs therefore as many as bee perfect be thus minded Thus minded How to renounce all confidence in the flesh to iudge all our owne righteousnes by workes whatsoeuer to be but dung to reioyce only in Christ Iesus and his righteousnesse which is through faith to thirst after the knowledge of Christ and of the vertue of his resurrection and acknowledging our want of perfection in the knowledge of Christ incessantly to runne forward in the Christian race vnto perfection forgetting that which is behind and endeauouring our selues vnto that which is before and following hard towards the marke for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus let vs be thus minded euen as many of vs as be perfect Yea but who were those were there any such Did not the Apostle immediately before deny that he was perfect How then doth he now say let vs as many as be perfect c. We must vnderstand that the Apostle doth not here speake of any that were perfect indeed either in knowledge or in obedience but he speaketh partly vnto those that thought they were perfect and partly vnto those that by their holy walking shewed that they were in the way to perfection that both they that thought themselues perfect and they likewise that by their holy walking shewed plainely that they were in a better way to perfection than others would thinke as he did touching the points before mentioned and controuersed betwixt him and the false Teachers Yea but is not his exhortation generally vnto all Why then doth he require it of them that
be good or euill Wee see the manifold examples of holy men mentioned in the holy word of God euen so many and so diuers as that whether wee looke for direction in the generall course of Christianitie or in the particular calling wherein wee are placed we cannot want multitude of examples to direct vs. And wherefore hath the holy Ghost set them downe but for our vse that wee might so walke as wee haue then for examples For Rom. 15.4 as the Apostle saith whatsoeuer things were written aforetime were written for our learning The Prince in Iosiah the Counsellor in Hushai the rich man in Abraham the poore man in the Shunamite the great Officers of great men in the â—unuch of Candaces the Queene of Ethiopia Act. 17. the captiue in â—aniel and the three children the banished in Ioseph the affliâ—â—ed in body or goods in Iob the souldier in Cornelius the merâ—hant in those merchants that holpe to build the wals of Ieruâ—â—lem the artificer in those that wrought in the worke of the â—emple the husbandman and those that are occupied about â—â—ttell in Noah and the Patriarkes women in Sara and those â—â—at are mentioned in the Acts the Magistrate in Moses and â—osua the Ministers of Christ in the Apostles of Christ haue â—otable examples after which they may walke and be directed 〈◊〉 their seuerall Christian duties No course of life no state of â—alling no condition of either sex but may haue examples in â—â—e word for all holy direction in euery holy course And if â—ee looke euen into our owne times wherein wee liue we shall â—ot heare of that dutie enioyned vnto vs but wee shall heare 〈◊〉 see those that haue to their high praise both with God and â—en performed it before vs. This then wee must know that â—â—ese examples both old and new are in this manner set before â—ur eyes to the end that wee might be lead thereby vnto those Christian duties which the Lord our God requireth at our â—ands which make profession of his glorious Gospell For of his we may be sure that if the multitude of holy examples â—herewith we are beset shall not preuaile with vs to doe the â—â—ke they shall assuredly be so many witnesses against vs to â—he increasing of our condemnation Now herewithall we must note that the life of such holy â—aints of God as either haue liued before vs or doe now preâ—ently liue with vs is not nor may be any certaine or perpetuâ—ll rule vnto vs of religion piety or Christian life For none â—f all the Saints of God were they neuer so holy neuer so â—eare in Gods sight but they haue had their blemishes in their â—â—ues budding out of that naturall corruption which they â—rew from the loynes of our first Parents Noah that preacher â—f righteousnesse is noted for drunkenesse lust Lot with inâ—est Abraham the father of the faithfull with lying Isaac the â—eed promised by God with the same fault Iacob that wrested â—ith God and preuailed with the same fault Ioseph preserued from many dangers by Gods prouidence with prophane swearing Moses vnto whom God spake face to face with murmuring Dauid a man after Gods owne heart with murther adulterie Peter with denying his Master Christ Paul with boasting of his reuelations Iames and Iohn with ambition and the like is to be said of all other the Saints of God none that may not iustly be noted with some blemish in their life so that none of all their examples may be vnto vs the rule of our life Onely the word which is a lanthorne vnto our feeâ—e and a light vnto our steppes is the rule of our life All examples of men if they be looked into wil be found too crooked to make a straight-rule Onely the example of Christ Iesus both God and man is without all exception a perfect example all whose actions are our instructions and whose whole life is a thorow direction for our whole life In the imitation then and following of the Saints of God to make an holy vse thereof wee must obserue these rules 1. That we do not otherwise follow the example of them then they follow the example of Christ So the Apostle teacheth vs where he saith 1 Cor. 11.1 be ye followers of me euen as I am of Christ Iâ— then Paul be exalted through the abundance of Reuelations wheras Christ hath taught vs to be meeke and lowly in heart or if Peter denie his Master whereas Christ hath told vs that whosoeuer denieth him before men he will also denie him before his father which is in heauen here we must leaue Peter and Paul and follow our Master Christ Him we must alwaies follow and Peter and Paul and other of Gods Saints as they follow him but not otherwise If they be feruent in loue as Christ was meeke and lowly in heart as Christ was patient in trouble as Christ was ready to forgiue as Christ was bee earnest in praier as Christ was if they go about his busines that sent them as Christ did in these and the like wherein they follow Christ we are to follow them The 2. rule to be obserued in the imitation of the Saints of God that wee folloâ— them no in things peculiarly belonging vnto them but in the things which they did as Christians For so to follow Christ Iesus himselfe in the things which peculiarly belong vnto himselfe were very absurd as to follow him in fasting fortie daies and fortie nights in walking vpon the seas in causing â—e surging waues to cease with his word in cleansing the Leaâ—ers raising the dead and the like whereby he shewed himâ—elfe to be the true Messias And so likewise to follow Abraâ—am in offering vp of his sonne Isaac to follow Moses in smiâ—â—ng the stonie rocke that waters may runne in drie places to â—â—llow the Apostles in preaching from city to city and not to â—â—ttle in any one place were an imitation so foolish as that it â—ould want all ground of reason and warrantize And thereâ—ore when Iames and Iohn said vnto Christ wilt thou that wee â—ommand that fire come downe from heauen as Elias did Luc. 9.54.55 Christ rebuked them and said ye know not of what spirit yee are 〈◊〉 if he should haue said Elias did so indeed but ye are not â—erein to follow Elias We are therefore to obserue what they â—id by peculiar office authoritie or commandement and â—ot to labour to follow them therein and what they did geneâ—ally as Christians and therein to follow them as they folâ—ow Christ The 3. rule to be obserued in the imitation of the Saints â—f God is that in earnest desire to be like vnto them we resemâ—le as neere as we can such holy actions of faith towards God â—nd loue towards all Saints as they were most renowned for For to eate and drinke to talke and walke to borow and lend and the like which nature teacheth are no actions of imitation but
told them And what was that That they should beware of dogges of euill workers of the concision Whereby the Apostle sheweth his owne continuall care ouer them and likewise the greatnesse of the danger by these enemies of the Gospell of Christ which caused him so often to tell them of them Whence I obserue the great care which ought to be in the Pastor ouer the people committed to h s charge once and againe continually to warne and admonish them of such things as may bee dangerous and huâ—tfull vnto them Our blessed Sauiour the good shepheard and great bishop of our soules hath by his owne example taught vs to doe so For as we read he ceased not to tell his Diâ—ciples of rauening wolues of such as would deliuer them vp to the councels and would scourge them in their synagogues of being baptised with his baptisme he ceased not to â—arne them to beware of the Scribes and Pharisies to beware of the leauen of the Pharisies to take heede and beware of coâ—etousnes Our holy Apostle likewise as a follower of Christ professeth vnto the Ephesians Aâ—t 20.31 that he ceased not to warne euery one both night and day with teares of grieuous wolues which after his departure would enter in amongst them not sparing the flocke and often he warneth the Churches vnto which he writeth to beware of diuision and dissension Will they then that haue the ouersight of any people walke as they haue Christ and our holy Apostle for an ensample It may not grieue them to teâ—l their people often of such kinde of men and such manner things as may be dangerous and hurtfull for them And this often beating vpon the same thing what ought it to teach you men and brethren Surely if we tell you often of some thing whereof we would haue you to take heede and beware it may be an argument vnto you that the greatnesse of the danger and the grieuousnesse of the sinne causeth vs so often to vrge it and to beat vpon it Doe we then often tell you of profaning â—he Lords day of negligence in comming to this and the like places to heare the word of the Lord of giuing your members weapons of vnrighteousnesse vnto sin and the like Doe we often warne you to beware of those that compasse sea and land to make one of their profâ—ssiâ—n and when he is made they make him twofold more the chiâ—de of hell then they themselues are of those that through couetousnesse seeke with fained words to make merchandize of your soules of those that liue at ease in Sion and put farre from them all remembrance of the euill day and the like Assure your selues the danger is great if yee doe not hearken and the punishment of your sinne lieth at your doore if you reforme not that sinne whatsoeuer it be whereof yee are so often told Looke well therefore vnto it whensoeuer yee are often told of any thing to be reformed and thinke not with your selues that it is but a small matter and that there needs not halfe so much adoe about it but perswade your selues that it much concerneth you to redresse it And whether it be for any manner of thing to be reformed or for any kinde of person to be auoided deferre not too long to hearken to that which is told so often Againe this often telling you of the same thing to be reformed or auoyded may put you in minde of that naturall corruption which hangeth so fast on you Much ado to bring vs to the mortification of the olde man and though we be told againe and againe of such sinnes as hold vs captiue at their owne pleasure yet can we be content to put of from day to day and with the sluggard to say yet a litle sleepe a litle slumber 〈◊〉 6.10 a litle folding of the hands to sleepe But let vs know that this is a part of naturall corruption to stand in neede so often to be told or not to hearken when we are told so often Let vs therefore shake of this corruption and either let vs not neede so often to be told of any thing or at least when we are so often told let vs hearken and obey and auoide or reforme whatsoeuer it is that we are warned and admonished of For as it is the Pastors dutie to tell vs of things to be reformed or auoided so is it our dutie to hearken and obey when we are told and this dutie to tell vs often of such things is imposed vpon the Pastor because of the negligent performance of our dutie to hearken and obey when we are told Let vs therefore at all times giue all diligence to hearken vnto the things that belong vnto our peace and to obey from the heart that forme of doctrine whereunto we are deliuered to conforme our selues according vnto it The second thing which I note is that the Apostle saith that now at the writing hereof he tells them weeping of these enemies of the crosse of Christ Whereby the Apostle sheweth both his great affection towards the Philippians and his great griefe that either there should be such or that they should hearken vnto such Whence I obserue the great and godly affection which ought to be in the Pastor towards his people euen so great that it should grieue him and euen cause him to shed teares to see the enemies of the truth to trouble his people or to see his people drawne into any sinne or error by any that are otherwise then well and godly minded For thus wee testifie generally our affection vnto the Church of God if we be grieued to see it assaulted by the Dragon or the Dragon any way to preuaile against it We see how Samuel mourned for Saul 1 Sa. 15.35 when by his disobedience he had prouoked the Lord to anger against him We see how the Prophet Ieremie wished that his head were full of water Jer. 9.1 and his eyes a fountaine of teares that he might weepe day and night for the slaine of the daughter of his people and how in another tâ—ee he crieth My belly my belly 4.91 I am pained euen at the very â—â—art mine heart is troubled within me I cannot be still for my soule hath heard the sound of the trumpet and the alarme of the â—attell Wee see how our blessed Sauiour beheld the Citie Ierusalem and wept for it saying Luc. 19.41.42 O if thou hadst euen knowne 〈◊〉 the least in this thy day those things which belong vnto thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes We see likewise how our Apostle testifieth of himselfe that in great affliction and anguish of heart he wrote his former epistle to the Corinthians with many teares 2 Cor. 2.4 caused no doubt partly by their diuisions and dissensions and partly by that incestuous person And â—uch should be the zealous and ardent affection of all faithfull Pastors towards their people and towards Gods
can we except we abide in Christ the Lord. Nay if we continue not in the Lord and in the faith and knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ it is a plaine argument against vs that whatsoeuer shew we make in the flesh yet indeed we neuer walked in the truth So the Apostle Saint Iohn plainely argueth 1. John 2.19 where he saith They went ouâ— from vs but they were not of vs for if they had bene of vs they would haue continued with vs. But this commeth to passe that it might appeare that they are not all of vs. Where ye see that Apostataes and such as fall away from the faith and from the truth of Christ Iesus are proued plainely to be hypocrites and neuer indeed to haue walked in the truth by this argumen tbecause they continued not in the truth which they had learned and receiued As therefore the precept or exhortation both of our Sauiour and of our Apostle requireth this dutie of vs that wee continue in the Lord and in the faith and knowledge of Iesus Christ so this also that it may appeare that we were truly rooted in Christ Iesus and that we walked in the truth And now see whether the same reason do not vrge vs vnto this dutie whereby the Apostle then vrged the Philippians thereunto for are there not now many that would separate vs froÌ„ Christ Iesus Are ther not now many euill workers that teach vs to repose confidence in the merite of our workes and not to reioyce onely in Christ Iesus many that teach iustification to be by our owne righteousnesse which is of the Law and not by the alone righteousnesse of Christ Iesus through faith many that teach perfection of sanctification in this life otherwise then we are taught by the Gospell of Christ Iesus many that teach vs to be otherwise minded touching the vantage and merite of workes touching the righteousnesse of Christ through faith â—ouching the perfection of sanctification in this life then was â—his Apostle of our Lord Iesus Christ Yes many such deceiâ—ers there are as heretofore we haue heard creeping in eâ—ery corner and leading captiue simple men and women afâ—er their owne lusts And therefore the vrging of this dutie â—uen for that cause is now necessarie vnto vs that Christiâ—ns at this day continue in the Lord and in the faith and â—nowledge of Iesus Christ so as they haue bene taught out of the writings of the Prophets and Apostles and so as they â—aue done by the illumination of the Spirit through the miâ—isterie of the word A doubt or two will here haply be moued First wheâ—her it be in vs to continue in the Lord if wee will or it be â—holly and onely from grace without anie power of our â—wne Whereunto I answer Iohn 6.44 That as no man can come vnto Christ except the Father draw him making him of vnwilling â—illing by putting his holy Spirit into him so no man can abide and continue in him but only by the grace of the same Spirit Phil. 2.13 For it is God that worketh in vs both the will and the deed euen of his good pleasure of his owne free grace that he may be all in all and that all the glorie of our saluation may be gâ—uen vnto him alone Why then doth the Apostle exhort vs to continue in the Lord if it be not in our owne power if we will being holpen by grace to continue in the Lord Which is as if it should be said If the fruite and increase of the earth be wholly the blessing of the Lord then why doth the husbandman manure and till his ground and bestow such paines and trauell therein Or as if it should be said If faith be wholly the gift of God then why are we so called vpon to come and heare the word preached For as he giueth corne and wine and oile and all things else needfull for this life but yet by such meanes as he hath ordained thereunto and againe as faith is the gift of God alone but yet giuen vs by the meanes of hearing the word preached 1. Cor. 1.8 so the Lord which confirmeth vs vnto the end worketh in vs this holy gift of perseuerance and continuing in him but by such holy admonitions and exhortations as he will haue vsed to that purpose For admonitions and exhortations are not therefore vsed to imply any power in our selues to doe the things we are exhorted vnto but because they are the meanes whereby God worketh his good graces in vs. And they do and may rather put vs in mind of our vnablenesse then of our ablenesse to do the things that we are exhorted that seeing we cannot of our selues will or do the things whereunto we are exhorted as to come vnto the Lord to continue in the Lord therefore we should flie vnto him and pray vnto him that he would draw vs vnto him that he would confirme vs vnto the end and that he would frame our wils according to his blessed will that we may by him do what his will is To continue then in the Lord is the grace of Gods holy Spirit and the exhortation thereunto is very needfull both because it is the meanes whereby the Lord will worke his grace in vs and to set vs vnto the Lord to beg that of him which of our selues we are no way able to do A second doubt also may be moued Whether it can be that such of Gods children as are in the Lord should not continue in the Lord Whereunto I answer that such of Gods children as are graffed in the true oliue may for some while seeme like vnto withered branches the graces of Gods Spirit may for a time decay in them and lie smothered so that they appeare no more then the fire vnder the ashes or imbers So we may see in Dauid who hauing committed murder and adulterie walked on a long time and was neuer touched with any remorse for such his grieuous sinnes so that for the time he might seeme to be as a withered branch So we may see in Peter many eclipses of the graces of Gods Spirit when he disswaded Christ his passion when he denied Christ his maister and that with an oath when he fled from his Maister when he dissembled for feare of them of the circumcision and drew Barnabas also into the like dissimulation c. So we may see in Demas who for a time left Paul and embraced this present world and yet afterwards became again a fellow-helper with Paul In other holy persons the like may be shewed in whom the graces of God haue for a time decayed and they bene like to withered branches But they cannot finally fall from grace but he that hath begun a good worke in them Phil. 1.6 Ioh. 10.28 will performe it vntill the day of Iesus Christ For hath not he himselfe said I giue vnto them eternall life and they shall neuer perish neither shall any plucke them
and seruing God there with fasting and praier night and day It seemeth that the first that embraced religion in Philippi Acts 16.13 were women Neither haue they onely beene religiously affected and such as feared God and walked in his wayes but further many haue mainly stoode for the defence of the Gospel and hazarded their liues Examples we haue in Priscilla vnto whom the Apostle giueth this testimonie that for his life she laid downe her owne necke Rom. 16.4 and likewise in this place of Euodias and Syntyche of whom ye see the Apostle saith that they stroue with him and others in the Gospell that it might haue a free passage and that they might speake the Word boldly Seeing then that these things are written for your learning iudge with your selues how religiously ye ought to be affected towards the truth of Christ Iesus Let their examples stirre vp your holy mindes and let it not seeme grieuous vnto you with holy Mary to sit you down at Iesus foot and heare him preaching in his Ministers Nay let it not grieue you boldly to stand in the defence of the Gospell of Christ Iesus and if the will of the Lord be so to lay downe your liues for that truth which ye haue learned and receiued in Christ Iesus If ye should look no further but vnto examples of your owne sexe ye might haue sufficient encitement hereunto As therefore at this day ye doe so go forward to receiue with meeknesse that word which is able to saue your soules Let the word of Christ dwell in you plenteously and let your religious minds be knowne vnto all men Secondly in the persons of Euodias and Syntyche I note a breach and falling out either betwixt themselues or betwixt them and the Church For in that he exhorteth them to be of one accord in the Lord it is plaine that there was a breach and falling out Whence I obserue that the children of God how religiously affected soeuer they be yet so long as they liue are subiect vnto their falls and subiect vnto diuers disordered affections as anger discord and the like We see how Peter and Barnabas were drawne on vnto shrewd dissimulation for feare of the Iewes Galat. 2.13 We see how the loue of the world drew on Demas to forsake Paul for a time 2. Tim. 4.10 and to embrace it We see how some haue bene almost seduced from the way of truth by false teachers as it is like these two women were if the breach were betweene them and the church Againe we see such a heate and breach to haue fallen out betweene Paul and Barnabas as that they parted companies Acts 15.39 the one going one way and the other way so that whom Satan had often sifted winowed before now a very little matter and small occasion set them at verie great oddes And many such falls and disordered affections are the children of God subiect vnto in this life as might farther at large be proued The reason is because though they be led by the Spirit yet are they not wholly guided by the Spirit but sometimes they walke after the flesh and not after the Spirit Here then first let the children of God learne to humble themselues and to walke before the Lord with feare and trembling The manifold falles and disordered affections whereunto they are subiect may keepe them in a reuerent and sonne-like awe that they presume not aboue that is meete for by their falls they may see what strength there is in themselues to stand if the Lord should not sustaine and vphold them As therefore the Apostle exhorteth so let all of vs make an end of our saluation with feare and trembling fearing but not doubting because he is faithful which hath promised standing in awe but sinning not euen standing in awe lest we doe sinne and displease the Lord. Secondly hence we may learne not presently sharply to censure men vpon their breaches or vpon their falls for they are no other things then do befall the children of God Rather we are if they be such as haue made a good profession of the truth in such cases to helpe them as here our Apostle speakes first to labour to raise them if they be fallen and if they be at oddes to set them at one euen because of their holy profession lest the way of truth should be euill spoken of for that our Apostle makes the reason vnto his faithfull yoke-fellow why he would haue him to help these godly women and to set them at one euen because they were such as had striuen with him in the Gospell LECTVRE LXXVII PHILIP 4. Verse 3. Whose names are written in the booke of life 4. Reioyce in the Lord alway againe I say reioyce WE haue heard the Apostles particular exhortations first vnto Euodias and Syntyche verse 2. secondly vnto his faithfull yoke fellow verse 3. Vnto Euodias and Syntyche that they would be of one accord in the Lord vnto his faithfull yoke-fellow that he would be a meanes to set them at one because they were such as for their labour with him and other his fellow-labourers in the Gospell were worthie that he should doe this for them One thing yet remaineth to be noted from the exhortation vnto his faithfull yoke-fellow which is the Apostles affirmation of his fellow-labourers that their names were in the booke of life Whereby he meaneth that their life was as certainely sealed vp with God as if their names had bene written in a booke to that purpose For the better vnderstanding of which phrase and manner of speech first we are to know that in the Scriptures there is mention made of three bookes attributed vnto God One the booke of Gods prouidence another the booke of Gods iudgement a third the booke of life The booke of Gods prouidence is his fore-knowledge of all things before euer they were And of this the Psalmist speaketh where he saith Psal 139.16 Thine eyes did see me when I was without forme for in thy booke were all things written which in continuance were fashioned when there was none of them before Where by the booke of God is meant his fore-knowledge whereby he knew all things from euerlasting The booke of Gods iudgement is his knowledge of all our thoughts words and workes which in the last day shall so clearely be presented vnto vs as if they were then read out of a booke and according to which he shall then iudge vs And of this Iohn speaketh where he saith I saw the dead Apocal. 20.12 both great and small stand before God and the bookes were opened and the dead were iudged of those things which were written in the bookes according to their workes Where by the bookes is meant that knowledge of all our thoughts words and works which God in the last iudgement shal present vnto euery mans conscience so clearely as if a man should open a booke wherein they were all written and
thought that we will vse moderation towards all men while such is our behauiour towards our neighbours and brethren Whilest it is thus among our selues we shew plainly how litle heed we haue taken vnto this exhortation of the holy Ghost consequently how litle care we take that the name of God and the truth which we professe be not euill spoken of Secondly here were to be reproued such carnall exceptions as are commonly taken against this exhortation The holy Ghost saith Let your patient mind be knowne vnto all men Vnto all men say we this is an hard saying Vnto such as vse vs kindly and curteously great reason that our patient mind should be knowne but vnto them that be euer readie to thwart and crosse vs to wrong and grieue vs to taunt and mocke vs to reuile and speake euill of vs what reason that our patient mind should be knowne Thus will we rather teach the holy Ghost what to speake then we will be taught by the holy Ghost what to do But such exceptions we must take heed of if we will suffer our selues to be taught by the ho holy Ghost and as our Apostle willeth we must let our patient mind be knowne vnto all men without such exception of any Thirdly hence we learne what we are to respect in the practise of euery Christian vertue namely the glorie of God and the propagation of his truth For as our Sauior saith of almes prayer fasting and the like Math. 6. that if they be done for the praise of men then they haue their praise but not with God so may it be said of the practise of euery Christian vertue that if therein we respect the praise of men we haue our praise but not with God The thing that we must aime at in the practise of gentlenesse goodnesse meeknesse temperancie moderation patience and other workes of the Spirit in vs is the glorie of God that men seeing these fruites of the Spirit in vs they may be brought vnto the same obedience and seruice of one God with vs. And thus it shall come to passe that they who haply haue said in their hearts there is no God that they who cannot yet grow to the liking of the same truth with vs shall say of vs Surely God is in you indeed surely this is the way of truth wherein ye do walke Let vs therefore hearken vnto the exhortation of our Apostle and as he exhorteth let our patient mind be knowne vnto all men Let vs not bangle and wrangle one with another for euery light matter but let vs beare one with another and yeeld one vnto another Let vs not after the fancie of our owne reason abridge that which the holy Ghost enlargeth but let our moderation be knowne to all without exception of any And let vs in the practise both of this and of euery Christian vertue aime at the glorie of God and the furtherance of his holy truth which we professe And as this day we professe by our meeting at this holy Table sound loue and charitie with all men so at all times let our moderation and patient mind be knowne vnto all men LECTVRE LXXXI PHILIP 4. Verse 5. The Lord is at hand THese words haue bene already noted to consist of an exhortation and a reason of the exhortation The exhortation this Let your patient mind c. The reason this The Lord is at hand In the exhortation were noted first the thing whereunto the Apostle exhorteth the Philippians secondly the large scope wherein the thing is to runne The thing whereunto the Apostle exhorteth the Philippians is mildnesse in their behauiour and moderation of their affections towards their neighbours and brethren so that for vnities sake they would rather lose their owne then strictly stand vpon their right in matters of ordinarie life The large field wherein he would haue this their mildnesse and moderation to runne reacheth vnto all men Let your patient mind be knowne to all c. The Lord is at hand This reason as I told you is added to preuent an obiection For the Apostle hauing exhorted the Philippians to such a mildnesse and moderation as that they should not alwayes strictly stand vpon their right but sometimes yeeld of their right and patiently put vp the losse and the wrong the Philippians might haply thus obiect and say that so indeed their case should be most miserable and they should be trampled vnder feete as clay in the streetes Therefore the Apostle addeth The Lord is at hand as if he should haue said Though they abuse your patient mildnesse and gentle moderation of your affections yet do ye hold on a good course in patience possesse your soules and let your patient mind be knowne vnto all men for the Lord is at hand otherwise indeed your case were hard if the Lord were farre from you and lookt not at you nor regarded you to helpe you in euery time of need and to relieue you in euery your wrongs But the Lord is at hand Now we must vnderstand that the Lord is said to be at hand after diuers sorts in the holy Scriptures For sometimes he is said to be neare or at hand in respect of himselfe of the presence of his deitie and glorious maiestie as where the Apostle saith Acts 17.27 that he is not farre from euery one of vs for in him we liue and moue and haue our being Thus himselfe saith that he filleth heauen and earth Ierem. 23.24 and therefore is thus neare vnto whatsoeuer is in heauen or earth Thus the Prophet saith that he cannot conuey himselfe out of his presence For if he climbe vp into heauen there he is Psal 139.7.8.9.10 if he goe downe into hell there he is if he take the wings of the morning and dwel in the vttermost parts of the Sea there also doth his hand leade him if he say the darkenesse shall couer him euen the night shal be light about him And thus he is neare euen vnto all the world vnto his enemies sitting in the middest of them seeing their deuices and laughing them to scorne vnto all that haue life or being communicating that vnto them which alone is properly in himselfe who is life and whose name is I am Iohn 14. â— Exod. 3.14 Againe the Lord is said to be neare or at hand in respect of his grace and prouidence and powerfull working of his holy Spirit as where the Prophet saith Psal 145.18 The Lord is neare vnto all that call vpon him yea to all that call vpon him in truth he is neare vnto them to heare them and to helpe them And thus is he peculiarly said to be neare vnto his children not that he offereth not this speciall grace of comming neare vnto them vnto the wicked for thus he saith vnto them by his Prophet Seeke ye the Lord whiles he may be found Esay 55.6 call ye vpon him whiles he is neare that is
any such spot of life or if he do speake or do any thing whereby any such suspition is or may be fastened on him that he so cleare it that he quite wipe it out for if the truth be preiudiced Mat. 18.7 it is a stumbling blocke in a brothers way and a woe is vnto him that putteth a stumbling blocke before his brother to cause him to fall or if his own person be preiudiced it is an hinderance vnto the worke of his Ministerie wherein shall he haue any comfort if not in the worke of his Ministerie If the example of our Apostle euen in this Chapter were not a sufficient president for all Pastors of Gods people to this purpose I might adde thereunto both the example of our blessed Sauiour and likewise of the rest of the Apostles for who so looketh into the new Testament shall see them alwaies so diligent in this point as they do not misse the teaching of any thing which might either preiudice the truth or their owne persons But I passe ouer further proofe for this point This first might serue for a very good instruction vnto many in the Ministerie in these our daies for how many are there in many places that sometimes moue moe doubts then they do answer How many that sometimes so speake as that they leaue their hearers in greater suspence then they found them How many that so speake as that their hearers by that they speake cannot discerne whether they be Protestants or Papists How many that couch their matters so closely and handle things so obscurely as if they would not be vnderstood of whom ye shall heare some say when they come from them they are fine men great schollers learned Diuines but aske them what they learned they can say iust nothing How many are there that say they care not what nor what men gather of that they say How many that speake smoothingly how many that speake egrely and yet neuer labour to cleare themselues of hatred and of flatterie Some are negligent carelesse to consider what they speake and these neuer thinke of clearing things as they go Others are so little zealous of the truth that though something slip them which may hazard the truth yet they will willingly let it go and these care noâ— for clearing things as they go Others loue to carrie things in the clouds and so to speake as that a man shall be little the better or the wiser and these will not cleare points as they go But beloued what should I speake to you of these things Ye see what duty lyeth vpon vs by the example of the Apostle euen so to cleare things as we go as that ye may not misconceiue of what we speake Hence then learne you to giue al diligence in hearkening to the things that we speake for if we be to be so carefull as that nothing slip vs which we cleare not lest ye should misconceiue of any thing then surely are ye to be as carefull of attending to that we speake that so ye may conceiue aright of euery thing that is spoken Otherwise if your thoughts be wandring and your wits as we say a woll-gathering what paines soeuer we take in clearing of things yet do ye mistake things And hereupon it is that we sustaine many wrongs of them that heare vs. We must take paines and labour that ye may conceiue aright of all that we speake and ye must sleepe a little and heare a little and wander in your thoughts a little and heare a little and then in something mistaking vs ye must runne vpon vs and we said ye know not what Howsoeuer this be commonly a fault amongst hearers yet beloued let it not be so amongst you When ye come hither pray vnto the Lord that he will stirre vp your dull minds by his holy Spirit that he wil vouchsafe to blesse the ministery of his holy word vnto you and when ye are here giue all diligence to hearken that so ye may conceiue aright of the things that are spoken that so by the things which ye heare the Lord may be glorified and your selues edified builded vp into a perfect man in Christ Iesus The second thing which I note is the Apostles fatherly affection towards the Philippians for in that he saith that he desireth not a gift but the fruite which may further c. he sheweth that as fathers in their tender affection towards their children desire not any thing of them but for their behoofe and good so he in his tender loue towards them desires not any gift of them but for their behoofe and good in the day of Christ Iesus Whence I obserue what a fatherly affection there ought to be in the Pastor towards his people namely such as that he seeke not theirs but them not his owne profit but the profit of his people that they may be saued Thus our Apostle often professeth that he did as where he saith that he sought not his owne profit 1 Cor. 10.33 2 Cor. 12.14 but the profit of many that they might be saued and againe where he telleth the same Corinth that he sought not theirs but them Wherein he hath left a president for vs that as he hath done so we should do also What then Is not the Pastor to labour with his people in the word and doctrine for their saluation and to desire nothing of them to looke for nothing at their hands No not so for we heard the last day that where spirituall things are sowne there carnall things are to be reapt and that he that teacheth may as well require them of them that are taught in the word as the souldier may do his pay or the labourer his wages or he that planteth a vineyard of the fruite of the vineyard or he that feedeth a flocke of the milke of the flocke But as at the first he is not to vndertake this sacred and holy function in any couetous or ambitious desire for worldly maintenance or promotion but in an holy desire to gaine men vnto the faith and knowledge of Christ Iesus so at no time is he so much to respect the gift and maintenance that he hath by his people as the saluation of his people in the day of Christ Iesus In a place therefore where his liuing is allotted and his maintenance set the benefit of his liuing should not so much reioyce him as to see his people offer their duties willingly and giue them chearefully for that this is a token of their growth in pietie a fruite which shall surely further their reckoning And so likewise in a place where onely a voluntary contribution is made for a time the allowance whatsoeuer it is is not so much to reioyce him as the euident tokens of their pietie therein which make it which shall further their reckoning And the care which in both places is by him to be taken is not to be for his owne profit but for
we haue and to be free from all suspicion of vngodly desires and vnlawfull attempts to increase that we haue as not content with that we haue so let vs follow our Apostle and as he hauing that which supplied his wants said I haue plentie and I am filled so whatsoeuer be our store if we haue but foode and raiment let vs thinke and say that we haue plenty and that we are filled The third thing which I note is the acceptablenesse of the Philippians gift vnto God Which the Apostle signifieth by a speech borrowed from sacrifices the odour wherof smelleth sweete as persume in the nostrils of the Lord. Whence I obserue how acceptable and pleasant vnto God our workes of charity are generally towards the poore and particularly towards the Ministers of Christ his Gospel they are as sweete smelling sacrifices wherewith the Lord is well pleased It is said that Noah after the deluge Built an altar vnto the Lord Gen. 8.20.21 and tooke of euery cleane beast and of euery cleane fowle and offered burnt offerings vpon the altar and it is added that the Lord smelled a sauour of rest that is he accepted his sacrifice and was so well pleased that he ceassed from his wrath So in the mentioning of many sacrifices in Leuiticus it is often thus added It is a burnt offering an oblation made by fire for a sweete sauour vnto the Lord. So that our Apostle calling our workes of charitie sacrifice and sweete smelling odours euidently sheweth thereby how acceptable and pleasant they are vnto God Such a sacrifice Obadiah offered vp vnto the Lord 1. Reg. 18.4 when he hid the Lord his Prophets by fifties in a caue from the furie of Iezebel and fed them with bread and water Such a sacrifice Ebedmelech offered vp vnto the Lord Ier. 38.13 when he got Ieremiah the Lord his Prophet out of prison where he was cast into the dungeon and dead almost with hunger Such a sacrifice the house of Onesiphorus offered vnto the Lord 2. Tim. 1.16 when he sought out our Apostle diligently and found him and often refreshed him and was not ashamed of his chaine These all in their charitable works for the Prophets and Ministers of the Lord offered vp sweete smelling odours and sacrifices acceptable and pleasant vnto God Such a sacrifice likewise the Churches of Macedonia offered vnto the Lord when in their extreme pouerty they were richly liberall to the reliefe of the poore Saints at Ierusalem And with such sacrifices whensoeuer they are offered God is well pleased as witnesseth the Apostle where he exhorteth to such sacrifice To do good Heb. 13.16 saith he and to distribute forget not for with such sacrifice God is well pleased Yea he keepeth the good deeds of a man as the apple of his eye and the almes of a man is as a thing sealed vp before him Yea looke whatsoeuer good he doth vnto the poore Eccl. 17.20 the Lord shall recompence it him againe into his owne bosome Prou. 19.17 For the day shall come wherein it shall be said vnto such workers of charitie Mat. 25.34 Come ye blessed of my Father inherite ye the kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world for I was an hungred c. Here then first learne what the Christian sacrifice is wherewithal God is well pleased The sacrifices of the old Law they are now abolished and done away euen since our blessed Sauiour gaue himselfe for vs to be an offering and a sacrifice of a sweete smelling sauour vnto God Other incenses and sacrifices which now in many places are offered and sacrificed vnto idols and images they are an abhomination vnto the Lord. It is not perfumes in temples burning of incense vnto Saints sacrificing vnto stocks and stones or hoasts vpon the altars that are acceptable and pleasing vnto God Nay he that doth these things is as if he cut off a dogs necke as if he offered swines bloud as if he blessed an idoll nay he is an idolater and he is an abomination vnto the Lord. If we will be sacrificing the Christian sacrifice which we must offer vnto the Lord to be a sweete smelling sauour vnto him must be the offering of the calues of our lips euen the sacrifice of praise thanksgiuing for such his louing mercies as he hath vouchsafed vnto vs or else the offering of our selues a liuing sacrifice holy acceptable vnto God which is our reasonable seruing of God or else the offering of our goods in a charitable deuotion to the poore afflicted members of Christ Iesus These sacrifices are commended vnto vs by the Apostles of Christ Iesus Heb. 13.15 the first where it is said Let vs by Iesus offer the sacrifice of praise alwaies vnto God that is the fruite of our lippes which confesse his name Rom. 12.1 the second where it is said I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God that ye giue vp your bodies a liuing sacrifice holy acceptable to God which is your reasonable seruing of God Heb. 13.16 the third where it is said To do good and to distribute forget not for with such sacrifice God is well pleased And these are the alone sacrifice left vnto Christians to offer which are acceptable and pleasant vnto God Secondly let vs hence learne to striue euery man to go one before another in doing good vnto all the afflicted members of Christ Iesus It is a sacrifice acceptable and pleasant vnto God witnesse the Apostle here It is more accepted with God then all burnt offerings and sacrifice witnesse the Prophet Hos 6.7 It shall further their reckoning in the day of Christ Iesus witnesse the Apostle in the words before It shall bring with it great recompence of reward through the promise made of God vnto vs in Christ Iesus witnesse our blessed Sauiour Mat. 25. Gal. 6.10 Let vs therefore as the Apostle exhorteth While we haue time do good vnto all men but specially vnto them which are of the household of faith Let vs as Daniel counselled Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 4.24 Breake off our sinnes by righteousnesse and our iniquities by mercies towards the poore Let vs as Salomon willeth Prou. 3.3 Binde mercie and truth vpon our neckes and write them vpon the tables of our hearts Let all hard-heartednes be farre from vs and let the bowels of compassion be kindled within vs so often as we behold the distressed members of Christ Iesus The law commandeth mercifulnes and compassion euen vnto the poore beasts How much more should we that are members one of another we that are members of the mystical body of Christ Iesus deale mercifully one with another and be feruent in charity one towards another Beloued let vs consider our selues and prouoke one another vnto euery good worke He that hath bene slacke let him be no more slacke and he that hath bene forward this way let him be forward still The day approcheth
promised life and saluation vnto all that beleeue in his name hath he promised deliuerance out of troubles vnto those that loue feare him hath he promised to fulfill all their necessities that shew mercie to the poore Here is the comfort that not one of these promises shall faile for euer because they are all made in Christ Iesus in whom he loueth vs for euer and therefore keepeth his promises made in him vnto vs for euer Let vs not therefore faile of what he requireth of vs and assuredly he will not faile of whatsoeuer he hath promised vs. Thirdly hence learne that the promises made of God belong onely vnto them that are in Christ Iesus The proofe whereof is this because the promises made of God are onely made in Christ Iesus so that vntill such time as we be graffed in Christ Iesus and made one with him we are meere strangers from the couenants of promise and quite aliants from the commonwealth of Israel Holy things are not for dogs nor pearles for swine nor the childrens bread for whelpes his faithfull oath is vnto Abraham and his seede and his holy promises vnto them that be at peace with him And who are at peace with him but they that are in Christ Iesus his Sonne by whom we are reconciled vnto him In vaine therefore do they looke after the promise that beare not fruite in the true vine Christ Iesus Worldly blessings they may haue and that in abundance Mat. 5.45 For he maketh his Sunne to arise on the euill and on the good and sendeth raine on the iust and vniust But the sure promises of grace and glory are vnto Iacob his people and to Israel his inheritance Will we therefore take comfort in his promises The Spirit must witnesse vnto our spirit that we are in Christ Iesus Will we lay hold on the promises as belonging vnto vs So we may if in the assurance of our soules we can crie Abba Father And therefore as we loue and long to be partakers of the promises so let vs in all things grow vp into him which is the head that is Christ Let vs be mercifull as our heauenly Father is mercifull and let vs do good vnto all but especially vnto them that are of the houshold of faith If we communicate vnto the necessities of the Saints the Lord our God shall fulfill all our necessities through his riches with glorie in Christ Iesus This promise is sure because made in Christ Iesus and belongeth vnto vs if we be in Christ Iesus and walke worthy of Christ Iesus abounding in this and euery good worke vntill the day of Christ Iesus Now one word of that wherewith the Apostle concludeth his Epistle saying Vnto God euen the Father c. Vnto God c. In these words the Apostle concludeth the Epistle with praise and thanksgiuing vnto the Lord. Where first I note that now he saith our God Before he said my God now our God So that howsoeuer more scruple be made about the one then the other yet ye see there is warrant for both to vse this or that speech as the occasions are Secondly I note that the Apostle saith our Father Not any but Christ alone saith my Father He when he speaketh of himselfe saith my Father when he speaketh of vs saith your Father as that place witnesseth where he saith Ioh. 20.17 I ascend vnto my Father and your Father and to my God and your God He can onely say my Father because he alone is his Sonne by eternall generation we onely can say our father because we are onely his sonnes by Adoption through Christ Iesus and regeneration by his Spirit Thirdly I note that here he is called our God in respect of our creation and our Father in respect of our regeneration our God in respect of temporall our Father in respect of eternall blessings Now vnto God euen our Father for both euen for all be praise for euermore that is throughout all ages from generation to generation that as his mercies endure for euer so his name may be blessed and praised for euer Whence I obserue that alwaies in all things God euen our Father is to be praised write we or speake we remember we or mention we temporall blessings or spirituall graces still he is to be praised And the reason is For of him and through him and for him are all things In all things therefore let vs glorifie God through Iesus Christ let vs alwaies haue that song in our mouthes Apoc. 7.12 Praise and glorie and thanks and honour and power and might be vnto our God for euermore Amen And as our Apostle concludeth this his Epistle with praise vnto the Lord so let vs remember to praise our God for that it hath pleased him so often to assemble vs together to heare a great part of this Epistle opened vnto vs and thence to be instructed in the things that belong vnto our peace The beginning of this worke was his doing and the continuance of this worke is his doing Vnto him therefore euen God our Father be praise for euermore Amen LECTVRE XCV PHILIP 4. Verse 20. Vnto God euen our Father be praise for euermore Salute all the Saints in Christ Iesus The brethren which are with me c. NOthing being needful to be spoken touching the coherence of these words with the former for the better vnderstanding of these I will also omit the repetition of what was spoken the last day and trust vnto your faithfull remembrance the rather for that my desire is at this time to conclud my obseruations vpon this conclusion of the Apostle In these words therefore now read we haue the conclusion of this whole Epistle Where first he concludeth the Epistle with praise and thanksgiuing vnto the Lord. Secondly he addeth as his manner is certaine salutations First for conclusion of the Epistle he saith Vnto God euen our Father c. or vnto our God and our Father referring our vnto both as vsually it is wont Where first I note vnto whom all praise is due euen vnto God our Father our God and our Father And here by the way first I note that the Apostle saith Vnto our God In the former verse he said my God now he saith our God So that howsoeuer more scruple be made about the one then about the other speech the one being vsed and approued by all the other being scorned and reproued by many yet ye see there is warrant for both and as the occasions are so we may vse this or that speech vnles we will take vpon vs either to censure the Apostle for vsing as well the one as the other or thinke that the Apostles example may not be our warrant to vse as well the one as the other It is as I told you the last day the policie of the Diuell to the end that he may stay men from this boldnesse and confidence and neare approch vnto God as to