shewed before in the instance of the almes of the Pharises and this right end is not the praise of men onely or to merit thereby but the glory of God chiefely in the discharge of our obedience to God and the edification of our neighbour Fourthly The works wust bee done in the name of Iesus Christ. Wee must relie vpon the merits and intercession of Christ Iesus as that which can cause our works to bee pleasing to God Col. 3.17 Whatsoeuer it is wee do in word or in deed all must bee done in the name of Christ or it is done in vaine Without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 Now our works are done in faith first when we beleeue and know they are warranted by the Word Iohn 3.21 Secondly when we beleeue GOD's promises concerning the reward of weldoing Heb. 11.6 Thirdly when wee fly to Iesus Christ to couer the imperfection of our workes from the sight of God and so in that place Col. 3.17 and fourthly when our beliefe of Gods goodnes to vs makes vs carefull to doe all the good wee can Fiftly his works must be done with repentance for his sinnes and the iudging of himselfe for the euill of his best works by repentance I meane not the first work of a sincere turning to God for that is comprehended in the first rule but the preseruation of himselfe in his vprightnes and the daily iudging of himselfe for his frailties for if a godly man after his calling fall into presumptuous sins his workes done all the time hee liueth in beloued sinnes without the renewing of his repentance are polluted Esay 1. Sixtly his works must bee done willingly not grudgingly or of constraint or onely to auoid shame or punishment God loues a cheerefull giuer That almes that is giuen with an ill will or forced from men by the lawes or otherwise is not accounted a work of mercy in Gods sight to do mercy is not enough to make it a good work pleasing to God but to loue mercy Mich. 6.8 and to come into Gods presence to do his seruice is not pleasing vnlesse we humble our selues to walk with our God Seuenthly his works must bee finished to intend it or promise it or begin it will not serue turne as in the case of mercy to promise to contribute or to begin for a day or a weeke is not sufficient vnlesse wee performe it 2. Cor. 8. and 9. So it is in repentance it is then a good work when it is finished not when a man hath had some remorse or vttred a word or two of confession or praied for a day or two but when a man hauing repented repents still till he haue soundly humbled himself for his sins and reformed his waies So it is in generall in any work God settes vs to do Iohn 4.3 4. Eightly his works must bee his owne fruit such as belong to him in his place and calling As in the calling of the Ministry his good work is to preach the Gospell with all frequency and diligence and power c. So in the Magistrate to do the works of iustice so in other callings euery man must look to the duties of his owne place and so it is in our generall callings as Christians we must doe those which are meet for repentance which not onely concerne a penitent life but such as haue a due respect vnto the performing things wee are called to in our repentance Luke 4.44 Acts 26.20 Euery tree must not onely beare fruit but his own fruit proper to his kind as the proper fruit of rich men is mercy and if they had neuer so many praises otherwise that they were courteous wise iust chaste c. yet if they be not mercifull their works are not good works Ninthly his works must be full before God It was an obiection against the Church of Sardis that her works were not perfect or full before God and therefore she is threatned if she repent not to feele the heauy hand of God Reuel 3.1.2 Now as I conceiue a mans works are not full when he is not carefull of euery good work which he knowes concernes him as for instance If a man pray and yet bee not carefull of hearing the Word his prayers are abomination to God because his works are not full there bee some duties which he makes no conscience to obey in though hee know they bee required hee turneth away his eares from hearing the law his praiers are abominable Pro. 28.9 If a man would be neuer so careful about Gods seruice and yet make not conscience of the works of mercy required of him his sacrifice is not accepted Hosea 6.6 7 c. Thus the long prayers of the Pharises will not be regarded if they deuoure widdowes houses Mathew 23. and so on the other side if a man were neuer so mercifull a man if hee were not also a religious man in the things of Gods seruice his works would not abide triall before God they were not good because they were not full And for this reason the works of ciuil-honest men are not good such were Paul's works Phil. 3.6 which he accounts but dross and dung in comparison verse 8. of such as these Thus of the rules of good works the kindes follow The vulgar commonly when they hear of good works think of nothing but almes and hospitality or other courses of shewing mercy Now though it be true that works of mercy are good works yet they are but one sort of good works whereas the Christian is bound to bee ready to euery good work 1 Tim. 3.17 and therefore it will bee profitable to informe our selues of the many waies by which we may doe good works for thereby such Christians as are not able to giue almes may see a way how to inrich themselues in wel-doing other waies These then are the sorts of good works First to beleeue is a good work yea it is instead of many good works yea in some sence it is to vs instead of the works of the whole Law as it is a meanes to lay hold on all the good works that euer Christ Iesus did To put on the Lord Iesus is a good work in a high degree and so euery act of faith in all the passages of a mans life is a good work for this is the work of God to belieue as our Sauiour shewes when he giues that for answer for such as asked what they must do to do the workes of God Ioh. 6.28 Rom. 13 12 13.14 This is clearely acknowledged in these other Scriptures 1. Thes. 1.3 2. Thes. 1.11 Secondly all works of piety are good works all works of worship that is such works by which a man doth seruice to God are all in the number of good works and so to pray to fast to hear the Word to receiue the Sacraments c. are good works for Godlinesse hath the promises of this life and of the life to come and therfore
it is profitable to all things 1. Tim. 4.8 And these workes must needs be accounted good works for they are dear works the bloud of Christ was poured out that wee might bee clensed from dead works to serue the liuing God Heb. 9.14 Thirdly all works of repentance all that a Christian doth about his humiliation or reformation are euangelically good works as if he confesse his sinnes and doo execution vpon his sinnes if hee make satisfaction for his trespasses to men if he reform himself or his houshold or his charge these and the like are all good works 2. Chron. 19.3 Fourthly to suffer for a good cause is reckoned in the number of good works as to forsake father or mother house or land wife or children liberty or life for Christ's sake and the Gospell it is in the number of those good things shall haue good reward Mat. 19.29 Ier. 31.16 Ruth 2.11 12. Fiftly works of mens particular callings whether in the Common-wealth or Church or family or any vocation or trade of life so workes of Iustice are good workes and to obey Magistrates is called well-doing verse 14 of this chapter so to preach the Gospell is a good work 1. Tim. 3.1 So in the family for parents to bring-vp their Children well is a good work 1. Tim. 5.10 yea the labours of seruants in the family are such workes as shall haue reward of God as well as workes of piety Esay 6. Col. 3. Sixtly works of mercy are good works whether it be spirituall mercy to instruct admonish or reproue or comfort Psalme 140. or whether it bee outward mercy in giuing lending visiting defending the poore or the like All confesse these to be good works Act. 9.16 But that almes may be a good work these three rules must bee obserued First that it be giuen of goods well gotten else no good workes Secondly that hee that giues it haue a good eie to distribute where there is need for to keepe a good house and to entertain ruffians and drunkards and gamesters is not a good work nor hospitality because heere is not a good eie Thirdly almes must bee giuen for a good end not for the praise of men or to merit thereby Mat. 6. Thus of the kindes of good works The questions follow Quest. 1. How can any workes done by any man in this life bee accounted good seeing there is none that liueth and sinneth not yea al our works euen the workes of the most righteous are as a menstruous cloth Esay 64.6 For answer heereunto I say It is true that if God looke vpon the best works of the most godly in this life and examine them by the rigour of his couenant which he called His couenant of works then no flesh liuing can haue coÌfort of his works but all will appeare lothsom as a menstruous garment But the works of the beleeuing ChristiaÌs are otherwaies to be considered of For First they are tryed by the couenant of grace by the benefit of which couenant hee is deliuered from the rigorous perfection of the Law and his vprightnes is accepted in stead of perfection he is now no more vnder the Law but by God's grace acceptation his works are taken as if they had been perfect Secondly he hath the benefit of Christ's intercession who presenteth his works before God couering the euill of them and tendering them to God who accepts them for the loue hee beares to his Sonne and thus we read in Scripture that Christ presents the praiers of the Saints Besides that the Christian may not think too vilely of his works but be comforted in the Lord concerning them let him further consider these things First that his good works haue the Spirit of Iesus Christ which is in him for the Fountaine of them 1. Cor. 12.11 Esay 26.12 Secondly that the bloud of Iesus Christ was shed not onely for his iustification but also for his sanctification Heb. 9.14 Thirdly that though his works are not good effectu yet they are good affectu they are good in desire his desire was to haue them as good as God himself did require And this God is pleased to accept as if the work were perfectly done Quest. 2. What are works good for in that they are called good works Answ. I answer first affirmatiuely they are good 1. To testifie our thankfulnes to God for all his benefits in respect of which wee are debters vnto God Rom. 8.12 2. To assure the truth of our faith as the fruits of faith Mat. 7.17 1. Tim. 1.19 Iames 2. 3. To witnes our election and to make our calling sure 2. Pet. 1.10 4. To discharge our duty of obedience vnto which we are bound euen in the couenaÌt of grace 5. To further the edification of our brethren whom we help both by example and by well-doing to them 6. To winne wicked men to a better estimation of our Religion and to stop their mouthes as heer so verse 15. 7. To glorifie God as is in this place mentioned 8. They are good to make vs capable of rewards from God in heauen Heb. 10.36 Rom. 2.7 8. yea and in this life too 2. Tim. 4.8 Secondly I say they are not good 1. To iustifie vs before God as it is at large prooued by the Apostle in the Epistle to the Romans and Galatians onely they are good to iustifie vs before men Iames 2. 2. Not to merit or deserue heauen by them mens euill works doo merit punishment for the wages of sinne is death but our good works cannot merit both because the Scripture denies it expresly Eph. 2.8 as also to omit other reasons because the nature of merit casteth away our works for there must be three things in a work that must merit First it must bee a free work that was not due by any debt whereas our works are a part of our duty and we owe more to God than we can doe Luke 17.9 Rom. 11.35 Secondly the worke that should merit must bee profitable to him of whom we would merit but no goodnesse of ours can reach to God to profit him Psal. 16.3 Iob 22.2 Thirdly the worke that must merit must be of equall value with the thing that is giuen for it but neither our sufferings nor our deedes in this life can be worthy of the glory that is to bee reuealed Rom. 8.18 and therefore is eternall life called The gift of God Rom. 6.23 The vses follow and are especially for Instruction for this doctrine of good works should teach vs First to take notice of this doctrine and as we are carefull to beleeue so to be carefull to maintain good works and hereby to confute the malicious Papists that falsly charge vs to deny and disgrace good works Tit. 3.8 14. Secondly euery man should bee ready to doe good works yea to euery good worke since they are required of God and are so many waies good and serue vs for such excellent vses Yea wee should be zealous
A COMMENTARY OR SERMONS VPON THE SECOND CHAPTER OF THE FIRST Epistle of Saint Peter WHEREIN METHOD Sense Doctrine and Vse is with great variety of matter profitably handled and sundry heads of Diuinity largely discussed By NICHOLAS BYFIELD late Preacher of God's Word at Isle-worth in Middlesex LONDON Printed by Humfrey Lownes for George Latham and are to be sould at his shop in Paul's Church-yard at the Signe of the brazen Serpent 1623. TO THE HONOVRABLE KNIGHT SIR HORATIO VERE Generall of the English forces in the Low-countries and to his most worthy Lady the Lady MARY VERE all happiness that a poor widow may in their behalfe pray for at the Throne of Grace My much-honoured Lord and Lady AS that speciall duty which I my self owe to you both so that purpose which my deare husband had while hee liued of dedicating to you this Commentary of his vpon S. Peters Epistle bindeth mee who am left his sole Executrix to see his Will euery way performed to set out this first of his workes published since his death vnder your Honourable Names It pleased you to take into your Family a childe of his body be further pleased I pray you to take into your Patronage this childe of his soule which as an Orphane yea as a Posthumus in all humility is presented vnto you You manifested more than ordinary kindnes to my husband while he liued wee and ours haue oft tasted of the sweetnes of your bounty so that I should deserue to be accounted most ingratefull if I should bury so many fauours in obliuion or neglect to prouoke others to loue and good works by proposall of your example Accept I beseech you this poore acknowledgement of thanks which is most due first to that primary Fountain of all goodnes Almighty God for keeping your Lordship safe in your late imployment in the Palatinate and for freeing your Ladiship from those fears wherunto you could not but be subiect by reason of his long absence and for giuing you both a mutuall and comfortable fruition one of another And next to your selues for all those kindnesses which while my husband liued you did to him and his and since his death you continue to do to such as he hath left behinde him Now the good God continue his blessed protection ouer you both and take all that belong vnto you vnder the wings of his fatherly Prouidence And so I rest with the renewall of my sute that you would cast your eyes vpon this Worke of him who much honoured you in his life-time and is after his decease offred to you by Your humble Oratrix ELIZABETH BYFIELD To the Christian Reader MAny and great are the means which the Lord hath beene pleased since this latter Spring of the Gospell begunne aboue an hundred yeeres agoe to afford vnto his Church for opening of the mysteries of the Gospell Neuer since the Apostles times were the Scriptures more truly interpreted more fully expounded more distinctly diuided or more powerfully pressed then in our Times The number of those who haue taken good paine in this kinde is not small Wee may well put into the Catalogue of them the Authour of this Commentary vpon the second Chapter of the first Epistle of S. Peter Master Nicholas Byfield by name who continued for the space of twenty yeeres to take more then ordinary paines in the work of the Lord. Hee had a singular gift in diuing into the depth of those points which he vndertooke to handle As the many other Treatises which in his life time he published doe verifie as much so in particular this Commentarie here commended vnto thee In it thou shalt find besides the Grammatical exposition Logical resolution and Theological obseruations many diuine points copiously handled by way of Common-place which hath made the booke to arise vnto that bignesse that it hath In this manner of handling the holy Scriptures hee hath not gone alone Many of the main Pillars of the reformed Churches haue beaten out a path before him as Martin Bucer Peter Martyr Musculus Zanchius Lauater Perkins and sundry others The large volume of Peter Martyrs Common-places was gathered out of his Commentaries on the holy Scriptures The Church of God hath reaped much good by such copious and distinct handling of heads of Diuinity Their labours therefore who take paines therein are not to bee concealed from the Church If it had pleased the Lord to haue continued the life liberty and ability of this his Seruant longer vnto his Church he had questionlesse gon on further in this course which hee so well began and so might wee haue had by his paines as compleat a Commentarie on the two Epistles of Saint Peter as we haue vpon the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Colossians published by this Author In his life-time he entred vpon the third Chapter and went thorow a good part thereof all which is fairely copied out and prepared for the presse But there is so much matter in that which remaineth as it will make a competent Treatise by it selfe This I make knowne not that thou shouldst let this Book alone till the other be published for when it is published it cannot bee bound vp with this in one volume by reason of the bignes of both of them As care hath been had to print this Commentary on the second Chapter euery way answerable to the former on the first Chapter so like care shall be had of printing that which remains answerable to them both that so you may haue all the labors of this faithfull and painfull Minister of Gods Word on this part of Scripture in three euen volumes which is in a manner as good as if they were all in one volume They may for their matter be well distinguished into seueral volumes for though one continued Scripture be handled in them all yet the points in euery of them are different In this respect there is an Alphabeticall Index in the latter end that by the help of it you may the more readily finde out such points as you most desire to reade If the Author bee of force to commend a Work the more this Work may receiue no small commendation from the Author of it for hee was a man of a profound iudgement strong memory sharp wit quick inuention and vnwearied industry He was in his Ministery very powerful and that vnto all turns as we speak When he had to doo with tender and troubled consciences he was a Barnabas a sonne of comfort but when hee had to doo with impudent and obstinate sinners hee could make his face hard and strong and shew himself like to Boanerges the sonnes of thunder Graue sober and temperate he was in his carriage and yet with his intire familiar friend he could be modestly pleasant God gaue him a great measure of patience and hee had in his very body that which tried his patience for it appears that he carried a torturing stone in his bladder fifteen
proue like a festered sore Malice is like leauen a little of it will sowre the whole lumpe It is like Poyson a drop may spoyle vs. It is like a coale of fire within it wants nothing but the Diuell to blow it and âhen into what a flame may it kindle And therefore wee should all looke to our hearts to see that we be free from Malice and looke to our waies that we be guiltie of no kinde of Guile Such as are reconciled should note this point to see to it that they keepe not the least drop of the poysonfull grudge in their hearts It is not enough that they say daily they will forgiue or can receiue the Sacrament For if they cannot respect them with a free heart without reseruation they are still infected with the disease of Malice Hypocrisie The third sinne to be auoided is Hypocrisie Concerning Hypocrisie I propound two things to be considered First how many waies men commit Hypocrisie Secondly what reasons there are to disswade vs from Hypocrisie For the first the Scriptures discouer many waies of the practice of Hypocrisie In the 23 of Matthew our Sauiour notes eight wayes of being guilty of Hypocrisie 1. To say and not doe vers 3. 2. To require much of others and pleade for great things to be done by others and not at all do it our selues as we prescribe it to others verse 4. 3. To doe what we doe to be seene of men vers 5. This is at large opened Math. 6.1 to the middle of the chapter 4. To affect greatnesse in the respects and entertainments of others v. 6. to 1â 5. To do duties of Religion of purpose to hide some foule sin v. 14. 6. To be curious and strict in small matters and neglect the greater duties verses 23 24. 7. To be carefull to auoid outward faults and to make no Conscience of the inward foulnesse of the heart verses 25 27. 8. To commend and magnifie the godly absent or of former ages and to hate and abuse the godly present and of our owne times v. 29. to 36. There are diuers other Hypocritical practices noted in other Scripture as 9. To serue God outwardly and yet our hearts to be carried away with vile distractions Esay 28.13 This is a chiefe Hypocrisie to be auoided in such as come to the word 10. To pray only in the time of sicknes or danger when we are forced to it and to shew no loue of prayer or delight in God in time of prosperity or deliuerance Iob. 27.8 9. 11. To iudge others seuerely for smaller faults and to bee guilty themselues of greater crimes Math. 7.5 12. To bee iust ouermuch I meane to make sins where God makes none Luke 13.15 13. To be conuinced in his owne Conscience and yet not confesse it nor yeelde though they know the Truth Luke 12.56 57 c. Thus of the diuers waies of Hypocrisie There are many reasons to declare the hatefulnesse of this sinne of Hypocrisie I will instance only in the reasons from the effects The effects of Hypocrisie are eyther first to others Or secondly to the Hypocrite himselfe First to others the Hypocrite is a continuall snare He walkes in a net that conuerseth with an Hypocrite Iob. 34.30 Secondly to himselfe the effects of Hypocrisie in the Hypocrite are both priuatiue and positiue The priuatiue effects which the Scripture instanceth in are chiefly three The first is that the Hypocrite loseth all his seruice of God In vaine do Hypocrites worship God Math. 15. Secondly he infecteth all his gifts and prayses Hypocrisie is like leauen Luke 12.1 It sowreth all gifts and graces a little of it will marre all his prayses and gifts whatsoeuer for the acceptation and vse of them Thirdly he loseth all reward of his good workes Math. 6.1 An Hypocrite may doe good workes though hee neuer doth them well and for the good he doth may haue his reward with men but this is all for from God he shall haue no reward The Positiue effects of Hypocrisie may be referred to two heads For some effects may fall vpon him and some effects must and will befall him The effects that may follow his Hypocrisie are three For first he is apt to be seduced by euill Spirits and the doctrine of Diuels An Hypocrite is in the greatest danger of most men to bee seduced into vile opinions 1. Tim. 4.1.2 Secondly he may fall into a spirit of slumber his conscience may be scared with an hot iron Thirdly hee may fall into most wofull terrors such a fearfulnesse may surprise the hypocrite that God may be to him as deuouring fire and as euerlasting burnings Esay 33.14 Iob 18.14 The effects that will certainly fall vpon the hypocrite are these which follow 1. Iudgement in his owne conscience He goes about as a condemned man for hee is alwaies condemned in himself 2. The discouery of all his villany for there is nothing hid in his intents and dealings but all shall be laid open Luke 12.1.2 3. The miscarrying of his hope The hope of the hypocrite shall perish Iob 8.11 to 16 and that with these aggrauations that his hope will perish first easily secondly speedily thirdly vnrecouerably Easily for God can destroy his hope as easily as the maid can sweep down the house of the spider with her besome Speedily for it will wither while it seems rooted and is yet green before any other herb yea though it growe vp yet it is like grasse on the house top Vnrecouerably for his hopes being but as the house of the spider they will be dashed down for euer and though he would lean to his house and take hould of it yet his hopes shall perish for euer and when this day comes his hopes shall bee as the giuing vp of the ghost 4. Strange punishments in his death and condemnation And therefore when our Sauiour Christ would expresse a speciall terrour in the plagues of especiall sinners he saith They shall haue their portion with hypâcrites and workers of iniquity Matthew 24. and the last verse Iob 27.8 And these effects wil appear the more terrible if we consider that the Scriptures take off all the objections of hypocrites to shew that they bee left naked to the fury of God for all this will come vpon them Though they be many in number Iob 15.34 Though they be rich Iob 27 8. Though they triumph in all jollity now Iob. 20.5 Though they be yong or widows or fatherlesse Esay 9.17 Though they cry at their later end Iob 27.9 Though they doo many good deeds Mat. 6. Though their wickednes be yet hidden Luke 12.1.2 The vse may be first for information secondly for instruction and thirdly for consolation First for information and so it may shew vs First what to think of the great shewes of holiness mortification made in the Church of Rome Their fastings and their prohibition of marriage vows of chastity and wilfull
excellent knowledge of Christ which may bee heer had Philip. 3.9 Secondly Longing and appetite after it as true and certaine as the very appetite of a childe is to the brest This is expressed by the similitudes of panting thirsting and watching after the word in diuers scriptures and when this longing is more vehement it is set out by the passion of fainting for it and of the breaking of the soule for it Psal. 42.1 et 84.2 et 119.20.40 et 131. Thirdly Satisfaction and contentment when wee speed well in the word As the child is quieted and sleepeth in the rest and vertue of the milk it hath receiued Dauid saith his soule was satisfied as with marrow Psal. 63.1.5 and is graunted of all the godly and chosen ones Psa. 65.4 When it is sweet like hony to our tast Psal. 119.103 Fourthly Constancy the renewing of affection A childes appetite is renewed euery day though it seem to be full for the present and such is the true desire of the godly It is not a desire for a fit but is renewed daily as the appetite to our appointed food is Iob 23. Hee that hath this desire may be found daily waiting at the gates of wisdome Prou. 8.34 Vse 1. The vse of all may bee cheefly threefold For First it may serue for triall wee should euery one examine our selues whether wee haue this true desire after the word or no. For if wee find this wee are sure to prosper and if we find it not wee are nothing but staruelings in matter of godliness Question But how may wee know whether wee haue this estimation longing after and constant affection to the word Answer It may be knowne diuers waies especially if our affections bee grown to any good ripeness and tenderness in the measure of them For it may be euidently discerned First If we seek the blessing of the word of God as a cheefe happiness wee would desire of him in his specially mercy to giue it vnto vs. Psa. 119.68.132.155.144 and so by the constancy of praier we may also discerne the constancy of our appetite Secondly If wee can be diligent and content to take any paines or bee at any cost that wee may be prouided of this food that perisheth not Ioh. 6.27 Thirdly If wee can hoord and hide vp the word in our hartes as worldly men would doe their treasures Psalme 119.11 Ioying in it as much as in all riches Psalme 119.14.162 especially if wee can batten and wex fat by the contentments of it as carnall men doe when they liue at harts ease Psalme 119.70 Fourthly If it will still our crying that is If it will comfort vs and quiet our harts in all distresses Psal. 119.50.143.92 so as nothing shall offend vs. verse 165. Fiftly If we make haste and come willingly at the time of assembling Psalm 110.3 But especially if we make haste and not delay in practising what we learn thence Psal. 119.60 Sixtly If we be thankfull to God and abound in the free will offrings of our mouthes for the good we get by the word Psal. 119.7.108.164.171 Seauenthly If we can bee truly greeued and say with Dauid Sorow takes hould on vs because the wicked keep not gods lawe 119.159 Eightthly If we delight to talk of gods word and to speak of his wondrous works discouered in his word Psal. 119.27.172 c. These things and the like are in them that haue their affections tender and striuing in them Now whereas many of gods children may haue true desire to the word and yet not find euidently some of these signes therfore I will giue other signes of true affection to the word though ther be not alwaies such delight in it as they desire The lesser measure of true appetite to the word may bee discerned by some of these signes that follow First it is a signe that we doe hartily loue the word when wee can from our harts loue and blesse them that doe loue the word accounting them happy for their very loue to the word Psal. 119.1.12 Secondly T is a signe of desire after the word when we can stick to the word and the constant frequenting of it notwithstanding the scornes and shame of the world Psal. 119 31 46 141. It is a sure testimony of our loue to the gospell when we can forsake father and mother brother and sister house and land for the Gospells sake Mark 10.29 Thirdly It is a signe of loue to the word and of desire after it when we can mourn for the famine of the word as a bitter crosse Psal. 42.3.4 Fourthly Yea when men haue the word and yet finde not comfort in it it is a signe of their true affection when they long for those comforts with heauines of heart and account themselues in an vncomfortable distresse yea bitter distresse till the Lord returne to them in his person in the power of the meanes Psal. 119.82.83.123.131 Fiftly It is a signe we loue the word when such as feare god are glad of vs it is a signe that the godly doe discerne appetite in vs though we doe not when they are tenderly affected toward vs. Psal. 119.74 Sixtly We may know our affection to the word by our willingnes to be ruled by it If wee can make the word our Counseller it is sure we we doe delight in it whatsoeuer we conceiue of our selues Psal. 119.24 Lastly To striue against our dulnes constantly and to pray to be quickned is a good signe that we haue some desire to the word One may loue gods precepts and yet need to be quickned Psal. 119.159 Vse 2. Secondly this doctrine of desire and appetite after the word may much humble the most of vs some being altogether void of all desire after it more then for fashion sake and the better sort haue their appetites either dull or decayed Quest. Whence comes it that people haue no more affection to the word or that men are so cloâed with the word Ans. The lets of appetite and affection to the word may be considered two wayes First as they are without vs. Secondly as they are within vs. Without vs the cause of want of affection is sometimes in the Minister sometimes in the Diuell sometimes in the company men sort withall and sometimes in God himselfe 1. In Ministers there are two things which maruelously hinder the admiration and desire after the word The first is the manner of their teaching when they teach vnskilfully deceitfully vaingloriously negligently or coldly When there is not a maiesty and purity and life in the Teacher it is no wonder if there be no affection in the people 2. Cor. 4.2 1. Thessal 2. 2 3 4 6 8. 1. Cor. 2.4 2. Tim. 2.15 The second is their ill liues What made the people in Elies time so loath the seruice of God but the wicked liues of Hophni and Phineas 1. Sam. 3. Ministers must teach by example as well as by doctrine if they
1.20 Psal. 56.10 and 10.6 Fourthly as the Ministery of Gods seruants doth more declare the sincerity of the word so we should bee more in loue with it wee should like praier preaching I mean not witlesse and vnlearned preaching but such preaching as maketh demonstration to the conscience out of the pure word of God in things that concerne the good of the soules of men and the glory of God The word doth euer profit men most when it is most sincere that men onely speak the words of God Fiftly to stick to the word of God without going to the right hand or the left There can be no sinne but what is condemned in the word nor can there be duty not commanded therein nor can there be matter of faith not propounded therein Oh how happy were wee if wee could stick to the ould foundation euen the sincere word of God and not adde nor diminish The hatefulnesse of departing from the word on the left hand is in most places discouered But Oh the deceitfulnes of mens hearts and the wretched pronenesse of men to sinne by finding out many inuentions Men runne out and that very fast on the right hand we haue new opinions strange fansies coined euery day Little doo the better sort of people many of them think of traditions on the right hand Their faith is led into bondage when they can yield no better reason than It is such a mans judgement or else hee thinketh so himself or the reasons brought are vrged without any demonstration from the word of God and Scripture Happy aboue the most Churches vnder heauen were this nation if this point were vnderstood and carefully obserued if wee could stick to our first grounds in parting from the Church of Rome viz. to admit no opinions nor charge our conscience with more obligations but out of the word of God Ministers also may learn from hence what and how to preach That is the best preaching which is eminent for two things First that tends to beget sincerity cleernes of judgement distinct euidence of assurance and strict holinesse of life in the hearers secondly that shines in the natiue lustre of the word in it self without mixture when men knowe no matter no stile no wisdom coÌparable to that which may be had in the word This also may serue for reproof First of such Ministers as preach not sincerely and such are they that preach for corrupt ends though they preach true doctrine Phil. 1.17 and they that preach obscurely carelesly and striue not to set out the glory of the truths they propound and they that are like leâd Vintners which mix the word with the errors of their owne brains or with the traditions of men or with a manifest strife to bring in mans wisdome to Gods word more desiring to shewe their owne wittes and learning than the glory of the scriptures 2. Cor. 4.2 and 1. Cor. 1.17 and 2.4.5.13 2. Of the people for that great want of appetite to gods pure word and the plain preaching of it Thus of the second reason The third is taken from the effect and the profit which wil follow viz they shall growe thereby That ye may growe thereby This point of the growth of a Christian is of singular vse and meet to bee fully and particularly opened and therefore I will obserue fiue things concerning it more especially First that we ought to growe in grace Secondly in what things wee should labour to grow and abound Thirdly what are the rules to bee obserued that we might growe Fourthly the signes of growth Fiftly the vses of the whole First for the first Christians are bound not onely to get grace but they must labour to encrease in the gifts they haue receiued It is not enough to begin the work of God but wee must labour to abound in it and increase in well doing we must goe on and finish the measure of the work required of vs. These places euidently proue that God lookes for growth at our hands 2. Pet. 3.18 1. Cor. 15.58 1. Thes. 4.1 Prou. 4.18 1. Cor. 14.12 Secondly for the second before I number particulars I might tell you of diuers kindes of growth or increase in the kingdome of Christ. Christ himselfe is said to increase Iob. 3.20 The word is said to growe Act. 6. and in other places and Christians are said to growe so either first ioyntly in the mysticall body Eph. 4.16 Col. 2.19 or secondly seuerally euery one by himselfe Christ was said to increase not onely in stature and the declaration of his gifts Luke 2.40 but also in the glory of his kingdome and the aduancing of his dominion amongst men The word grew when the number of faithfull labourers was increased and when the light of the truth was more glorified and receiued by the people Christians are said to grow cheefly in two respects First in the number of beleeuers when there are daily added to the church Secondly in the power and practice of their gifts and this last is heer intended The word rendred Thereby might be read either in him or in it or as it is thereby In him that is in Christ. In it that is in the word or thereby that is by the word This last is intended heer in all probability Now then to the point There are certaine things wherein a Christian should striue to grow It is true wee should grow in euery good gift and work but if wee mark the scriptures these things in particular are especially to bee laboured after as being things that doe wonderfully honour God and credit the Gospell and bring a singular encrease of happiness to a Christian mans life and it is wonderful profitable to keep a Catalogue of these particulars stil before vs that we may euery day be put in mind of what we should especially labour after These are the things then we should distinctly labour to grow in First wee should labour to grow in wisdom Gods people should appear to bee a wise people aboue all the people of the earth Christ grew in wisdome Luke 2.40 Now wisdome hath two things in it First knowledge and secondly discretion In both these we should grow For knowledge the word of God should dwell plentiously in vs Col. 3.16 and wee should encrease in the knowledge of God Col. 1.10 and for discretion wee should abound in knowledge yea and saith the Apostle in all iudgement too Phili. 1.10 Secondly wee should grow in faith That which is lacking to our faith must be made vp 1. Thess. 3.10 and we should still bee praying with the Apostles Lord increase our faith Luke 17.5 2. Thes. 1.11 Now there be two things distinctly which wee should grow-in about faith viz. First assurance and secondly the exercise of it For assurance wee should hereunto giue all diligence that wee might get the full assurance of faith and hope to the end wee should neuer bee quiet till it bee established and rooted
will make all grace abound to them that striue to liue to be his seruants 2. Cor. 9.7.8 Seuenthly You must pray that your masters or if you will ministers may haue their harts enlarged and made fat and that they may come vnto you and conuert you with abundance of the blessings of the Gospel For if there be famine or scarcity and barrenness in Gods House you will not thriue well at home Rom 15.29 Eightthly We must take heed of al such things as hinder our growth as namely 1. Hypocrisie When men aduance a profession of Religion onely for carnall ends and seeke more the praise of men then of God These mens hearts will be fearfully blasted 2. Errors in opinion of strange doctrines 2. Pet. 3.17 18. Hebrews 13 c. 3. Spirituall pride 2. Cor. 12.6 7. For God giues grace to the humble Iam. 4.7 4. Headstrong affections as the passions of anger or the like these pull men back and hinder the growth maruelously 1 Cor. 3.2 3. Eph. 4.30.31 5. Liuing in places where we haue not powerfull meanes for our soules Eph. 4.13 For where vision failes they perish must needs faint and be starued in the famine of the word 6. Discord with such as feare God For if wee grow wee must grow vp in loue holding communion with the body of Christ Eph. 4.15.16 7. Domesticall vnquietnes and disorder For that will hinder not onely prayer 1 Pet. 3.7 but all other parts of piety 8. Worldliness This was the sinne did vndoe Demas 9. Sinister iudgement of our own practices in godliness when we are either iust ouermuch that is think too highly of what we do or wicked ouer-much that is thinke too vilely of the grace of God in vs or the good wee doe both these hinder Christians extreamely 10. The loue of any particular sinne For if once we dally with any corruption grace is dulled and the spirit of grace greeued and vexed in vs. Now for the fourth point we may know whether we grow or no by diuerse signes First if we be planted neere the riuers of water if the Lord make vs happy in liuing in such places where the means of grace aboundes and the ordinances of God florish in their life and power Psal 1.3 Eph. 4.13 Else if a good tree be planted in a dry heath far from water or raine no maruell if it grow not And when the Lord doth make the meanes plentifull hee doth vsually make his grace plentifull in so many as are ordaind to life Secondly and especially if we be conscionable in the vse of the means if wee measure to God in sincerity in hearing praying reading and receiuing the Sacraments c. there may be no doubt but God wil measure to vs in the plenty of his blessings if wee suck the milk of the word with desire we shall growe Wee need no more doubt whether our soules growe in grace if we can bring constant affections to the means than wee would whether the bodies of our children would growe if they haue good nurses and doo suck the breasts well Thirdly grace growes in vs as humility doth grow God wil giue more grace to the humble Iam 4.8 And look how we thriue and continue in true humility so we thriue in grace and contrariwise as pride and conceitednes growes in vs so doth true grace wither And the like may be said of meeknes which is a grace that orders the affections as humility doth the minde Fourthly we may try our growth by our loue to the godly the members of the mysticall body for the body of Christ increaseth in the edification of it self through loue As the loue of Gods children groweth or decaies in vs so doth grace growe or decay Eph. 4.15.16 This loue is the bond of perfectnes Col. 3.13 Fiftly we must try our confidence in God and the assurance of our faith For as grace growes so doo we growe more established and settled in God and the hope of his kingdome This is to abide in Christ and thus to trust in the LORD hath a promise of such a blessing as that man shal not wither Ier. 17.7 8. Sixtly we may discern our growth by the decay of taste in sinne and the world As the violence of temptation and the admiration of the pleasures and profits of this life go out of vs by the same degrees doth the holy Ghost get the victory and the Spirit settles the possession of grace in vs c. Seuenthly wee may discern it by our teachablenesse and honouring of prophecying when our Teachers according to their lines may bee inlarged and liue without suspicion or censure when we can beleeue them and rest in their testimony aboue the whole world 2. Cor. 10.15 2. Thes. 1.10 Eightthly wee may easily discern it by our constancy and frequency in good works either of piety or mercy or righteousnes either at home or abroad For to such as haue for vse it is certain more is giuen Mat. 13.11 Ninthly wee may knowe it by the frequency of our communion with God If the Lord daily dwell in vs or with vs and reueal himself to vs by the signes of his presence there is no doubt to be made of our growing The heart of a christian is Gods Temple and you may bee sure all prospers well in the Temple when the cloud sits there or often appears there Eph. 2.20 21. Vse The vse of this whole doctrine concerning growth may serue first for humiliation and so in many things First our hearts should smite vs for our ignorance There are many things of excellent fruit and praise which we haue not at all laboured in diuers of the twelue things before Secondly for our deadnes of heart and vnprofitablenesse of life which is aggrauated against vs 1. When God giues vs much means 2. When wee are insensible or at least incorrigible knowe all is not well and feel our selues to be lashed and yet mend not 3. When wee are slothfull and weary wil not stirre vp our selues nor receiue direction for the making vp of what is lacking to our faith or to any other gifts especially when wee are weyward and will go about rather than bee at the triall of direction or asking the way Ier. 31.21 3. Much more to such as are so farre from growing that they fall away and decline lose their first loue and what they haue wrought begin in the Spirit and end in the flesh This much vexeth God and is extremely dangerous to the parties Esay 1.4 Ier. 7.24 and 15.6 2. Pet. 2.20 But that this may not either pearce too farre or fall too deadly or flat vpon any that are guilty we must knowe there is a double declining or apostasie The one inward the other outward First the inward is when a mans heart is falne off from the care of godlinesse and the means of it and regards iniquity constantly being possessed of the raign of habituall hypocrisie and this
3.9 Especially wee should rest vpon this stone when we haue any great suite to God and haue occasion to continue to hold vp our hands in praier and so wee shall prosper as it was with Moses Ex. 17.12 Lastly it should be the singular ioy of our harts when wee see the corner stone cast downe and God begin to build in any place the work of godlines and religion Wee haue more cause to reioice for that spirituall worke then the Iewes had to shout when the corner stone of the Temple was brought out to bee laid for a foundation of the building Zachar. 4.7 10. Thirdly the third thing said of Christ is that hee was disallowed of men Disallowed of men This is added of purpose to preuent scandall which might arise from the consideration of the meane intertainment the Christian Religion found in the world The point is plaine that Christ was disallowed of men and this is euident in the stone The greatest part of the world regarded him not The Gentiles knew him not and the Iewes receiued him not Though three things in Christ were admirable his doctrine his life his miracles yet the Iewes beleeued not in him He came vnto his owne and his owne receiued him not Nay they reuiled him called him Samaritane and said he had a Diuel They preferred a murtherer before him and their wise men euen the Princes of this world crucified the Lord of life glory This as it was storied by the Euangelists so it was foretold by the Prophets Isaiah 53. and 49.8 and so we see hee is still of almost the whole world The Pagans yet know him not The Iewes yet renounce him The Turk receiueth him but as a Prophet The Papists receiue him but in part and wicked men denie him by their liues Vses The first impression this should make in our hearts is admiration and astonishment This should be maruelous in our eies that men refuse the Son of God miserable men their Sauiour captiues their Redeemer and poore men such vnspeakeable riches as is offred in Christ and that almost all mankind should bee guilty of this sin so as in comparison he should be Elect onely of God Secondly since this was foreseene foretold wee should bee confirmed against scandall and like neuer a whit the worse of Christ or religion for the scornes and neglects of the world Thirdly since the world disallowes Christ we may hence gather what account we shold make of the world and the men of the world we haue reason to separate from them that are separated from Christ and not to loue them that loue not the Lord Iesus 1. Cor. 16.22 Fourthly we may hence see how little reason wee haue to take the counsels and iudgements of carnall men though our friends and neuer so wise in naturall or ciuill wisdome Their counsels were against Christ they disallow Christ and all Christian courses Fiftly why are we troubled for the reproches of men and why doe wee feare their reuilings Shall we heare that Christ was disallowed and shall wee be so vexed because wee are despised Nay rather let vs resolue to despise the shame of the world and to follow the author of our faith euen in this crosse also Sixtly we may be hence informed that indiscretion or sinne is not alwaies the cause of contempt For Christ is disallowed and yet was without all spot of indiscretion or guile Seuenthly and chiefly we should look euery one to our selues that wee be not of the number of those that disallow Christ. For Christ is still disallowed of men and if any ask Question Who are they that in these daies be guilty of disallowing of Christ Answer I answer Both wicked men and godly men too Wicked men disallow him and so doe diuers sorts of them as First Hereticks that deny his diuinity or humanity or his sufficiency or authority or his comming as did those mockers mentioned 2. Pet. 3. Secondly Schismaticks that diuide him and rend his body mysticall 1. Cor. 1.10 Thirdly Pharises and merit-mongers that by going about to establish their owne righteousnes deny the righteousnes of Iesus Christ Rom. 10.4 Fourthly Apostataes that falling from the fellowship they had with Christ would crucify him againe Heb. 6.2 Pet. 2. Fiftly Epicures and prophane persons that will sell Christ for a messe of pottage with Esau and loue their pleasure more then Christ Heb. 12.16 2. Tim. 3. Sixtly Papists who therefore hold not the head because they bring in the worship of Saints and Angels Col 2.19 Seuenthly Whoremongers and fornicators who giue the members of Christ vnto a harlot 1. Cor. 6.15 16. Eightthly Reuilers that speak euill of the good way of Christ and reproach godly Christians especially such as despise the Ministers of Christ. For hee that despiseth them despiseth Christ himselfe Math. 10. Ninthly Hypocrites that professe Christ in their words but deny him in their workes Tenthly the fearfull that in time of trouble dare not confesse him before men Mat. 10. Eleuenthly All wicked men Because they neglect their reconciliation with God in Christ and will not beleeue in him nor repent of their sinnes All that will not bee reconciled when God sendes the word of reconciliation vnto them Esay 52.11 Secondly godly men sinne against Christ and are guilty of disallowing him 1. When they neglect the establishing of their hearts in the assurance of faith 2. When they faint and wax weary of praier and trusting in God in the time of distresse Luke 18.1 8. 3. When our harts wax cold within vs and are no inflamed with feruent affections after Christ We neglect him when we do not highly esteem him aboue all earthly treasures Phil. 3.9 The fourth thing affirmed of CHRIST is that hee is chosen of GOD. Chosen of God This is one thing wee must carefully knowe and effectually beleeue concerning Christ namely that he is chosen of God This was conscionably beleeued concerning him as appears Esay 42.1 and 43.10 and 49.2 Mat. 12.18 Now Christ may be said to be chosen of God in diuers respects First as hee was from all eternity appointed and ordained of God to bee the Mediator and Redeemer of all mankinde 1. Pet. 1.20 Secondly as he was called peculiarly of GOD from the womb by a speciall sanctification vnto his office Esay 49.1 Thirdly as hee was by solemn rites inaugurated vnto the immediate execution of his office as by baptism and the voice from heauen c. Mat. 3. Fourthly as hee was approued of God and declared mightily to bee the Sonne of God and the Sauiour of the world by the glory done to him of God notwithstanding the scorns and oppositions of the world Esay 49.7 The vse may be both for Information and Instruction For hence we may bee informed concerning diuers things First that Gods work shall prosper notwithstanding all the scorns or oppositions of men God's choice is not hindred but Christ is separated and sanctified and appointed to
his works neuer creature did works of such price so vsefull so exquisite so transcendent Fourthly in respect of his sufferings hee paid such a price to God in the ransome of man as all the world besides could not raise or any way make Fiftly in respect of effects he giues the most precious things no treasures like those may be had from him his very promises are precious 2. Pet. 1.4 This may serue first to inform vs in diuers things as First concerning that matchlesse loue of God to vs that gaue vs his Sonne who is so precious Rom. 8.34 Secondly concerning the horrible sin of Iudas and the high Priests that valewed him but at thirtie pieces Thirdly concerning the most miserable condition of all prophane people and persons euen whole multitudes of people that so neglect Christ that can with Esau sell him for trifles pleasures or profits euen as meane sometimes as a messe of pottage c. The more glorious Christ is the more vile is their sinne of neglect or contempt of Christ. Woe to them that disallow him then Euen to all those sortes of men before mentioned Christ will not be a foundation stone to support them nor a precious stone to enrich them but as the vpper and nether milstone to grinde them to pieces or as a rock falling vpon them Quest. But what should bee the reason that Christ is in no more request amongst men Answer First one cause is mans ignorance both of their owne misery out of Christ as also of the glory of Christ in himself of the priuiledges man might attaine by him and of the singular glory to come Secondly another cause is vnbeliefe Men haue a secret kinde of Atheisme in them and doe not beleeue the report of the seruants of Christ out of the Word Esay 53.1 3. Thirdly another cause is that the most men look vpon the outside of the kingdom of Christ and of the estate of Christians which because they find it couered with afflictions and seated in a low condition without outward splendor they therefore contemn it Our life is hid with Christ in God Colos. 3.3 Fourthly but the maine reason is because men doe falsely esteeme of other things they set so high a price vpon their pleasures profits lusts credits honours hopes c. that Christ is not remembred nor valued vnlesse it bee at Iudaâ his rate and yet many will not valew him at so much as thirtie pence but they will make shipwrack of a good conscience euen for a peny I meane for extreme small gaine in buying and selling and such like dealing And thus much of the third thing wee may be informed of The last is concerning the wealthy estate of all true Christians How rich are they that possesse this Mine of treasure who haue his spirit graces righteousnes ordinances and glory And as it may thus informe vs so it should teach vs Vse 2. First to account of Christ as most precious to esteeme of him as euer precious in our eies and shew it 1. By seeking to get Christ aboue all gettings 2. By accounting all things but as dust and dung in comparison of the excellent knowledge of Iesus Christ Phil. 3.8 3. By selling all to buy this precious stone Math. 13. forsaking father and mother house and land for Christs sake and the Gospels 4. By keeping our communion with Christ with all carefulnes 5. By auoiding all the waies by which Christ is disallowed and dis-esteemed 6. By longing for and louing his appearing 2. Tim. 4. hasting to it and looking for his comming 2. Pet. 3. Secondly to consecrate our selues and whatsoeuer is deare and precious to God and the seruice of Christ striuing to bee a precious people and peculiar to God zealous of good things and workes Tit. 2.12 14.1 Cor. 6.20 Thirdly We should liue like such as hauing attained so precious a treasure 1. Liuing by the faith of the Son of God Gal. 2.20 2. Not being the seruants of men 1. Cor. 7.2 3. 3. Keeping our selues from all pollution by which the Kingdome of God may be defiled laying vp this treasure in a pure conscience Lastly Ministers that know that there is no other foundation but this liuing and precious stone should study by all meanes to build gold siluer and precious stones and not hay and stubble striuing like skilfull master-builders to make the whole frame some-way answerable to the foundation 1. Cor. 3.12 Thus of the description of Christ. Now followeth what Christians must doe that from Christ they may receiue vertue for the attaining of holinesse of life First they must come vnto him To whom comming Diuers things may heere bee noted in the generall First that men may come vnto Christ euen while they are on earth Secondly that naturall men or naturally men are absent from Christ or without Christ. Thirdly that without comming to Christ we can neuer be sanctified Fourthly that all that once take taste of the sweetnes of Christ in his ordinances will come vnto him Fiftly that to come to Christ is a continuall work Christians are still comming their life is but a continued iourney to Christ or a daily seeking out of Christ c. But in particular I especially consider two things First how many waies men come to Christ. Secondly In what manner men must approach to Christ. First we must come to Christ diuers waies First and chiefely by belieuing in him wee must drawe neere to Christ by the assurance of faith Heb. 16.22 Secondly by making him our daily refuge in praier vsing him as our continuall mediator and aduocate Psa. 65.12 Ierem. 31.9 carrying all our petitions to him in all our distresses making our moane to him as the Client doth to the Counsellor or as the oppressed doe to the Iudge Thirdly by the frequenting his ordinances viz. the Word Sacraments thus to come to his feasts euen to his great Supper Prou. 9. Luke 14. 17 c. Math. 22. Thus we come to worship Fourthly by contemplation remembring him and setting our affections on him thinking on him that sits at the right hand of God Col. 3.1 Fiftly by receiuing his seruants and visiting them in their distresses He that receiueth them receiueth Christ Math. 10. and to visit them in prison is to come vnto Christ or to visit Christ Mathew 26. But the fourefirst waies are especially meant and the first chiefely For the second Wee must come to Christ. First speedily as the men that suffer shipwrack quickly haste to the shore Secondly penitently going and weeping we must goe Ierem. 50.4 Hee cals to him sinners and that to repentance Math. 9.13 we must come weary and heauy loaden Math. 11.28 we must returne and come Esay 25.12 and not as they Ier. 7.9 10. Zachar. 14.1 c. that came in their sinnes with Idols in their heart Wee should come to Christ as Benhadad did to Ahab with ropes about our necks that is with all
If you consider the manner of their calling into the Church they are digged out of the quarry of mankinde as stones digged out of the earth being in themselues by nature but stones of darknesse such as might neuer haue seene the light Secondly If you consider their vnion with Christ and Christians in one body they are like the stone of the house compact in themselues and vpon the foundation Vse The vse may be briefly First for information Heere is come to passe that saying that is written God is able of stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham Secondly let all the seruants of God take pleasure in the stones of this spirituall Sion Psalm 102.15 and let vs all learne to be like stones in the former sences for the receiuing the impression of the law and for constancy and durablenes and for care to keepe our communion with Christ and Christians Lastly woe to the multitudes of wicked men whom God neglects with that heauy curse so as a stone is not taken of them to make a stone for the building Ierem. 50.26 Thus they are stones It is added they must be liuely stones to signify wherein they must not be like vnto stones they must not be dull and insensible they must be liuely and cheerefull and that for diuers reasons First Because the second Adam is a quickning spirit and they dishonor the workmanship of Christ if they be not liuely 1 Cor. 15. Secondly Because one end of the offering vp of Christ was that their consciences might bee purged from dead workes Heb 9.14 Thirdly They are therefore condemned according to men in the flesh that they might liue according to God in the Spirit 1 Pet. 4.6 Fourthly Because we haue beene aliue to sin and it is a shame to expresse lesse life in the seruice of God then wee haue done in the seruice of sinne Fiftly Because we haue liuely meanes we are fed with liuing bread Ioh. 6. and wee liue by the power of God 2 Cor. 13 4. and we haue the spirit of Christ in vs which is the fountaine of life and hath springs of ioy in him Rom. 8.9 Ioh. 6. and the Word of God is liuely and mightie in operation Heb 4.12 and Christ himselfe liues in vs Gal. 2.20 Sixtly because wee professe our selues to bee consecrate to God as liuing sacrifices Rom. 12.1 Seuenthly because we haue such excellent priuiledges we partake of the diuine Nature and God is a liuing God and we haue precious promises 2. Pet. 1.4 and we haue plentifull adoption in Christ and we haue a hope of a most glorious inheritance which should alway put life into vs 1. Pet. 1.3 4. and we haue a secure estate in the mean time For to liue is Christ and to die is gaine and whether we liue or die we are Christs Rom. 14.8 Phil. 1.21 Vse The vse should bee therefore for instruction Wee should stir vp our selues and striue after this liuelinesse and that for the two reasons imported in this text to omit the rest For without a ready hart wee shall make no riddance in matter of sanctification and holy life and besides wee shall extract but a small deale of influence from Christ. For it is heere required that wee should bee liuely when wee come vnto him Now this liuelinesse we should shew First by contentation in our estate Secondly by patience and cheerefulnes in afflictions Rom. 5.2 3. Thirdly in the performance of holy duties with power and life Thus wee should bee liuely in praier such as will bestir themselues and take no deniall as Philip. 4.5 6. Quest. Now if any ask What is good to quicken vs against the deadnes of our hearts Ans. I answer First faith and assurance makes a mans heart aliue wee liue by faith Secondly wee must goe still to Christ who is the life and by praier still draw the water of life out of his wells of saluation Thirdly the word of God is liuely Heb. 4.12 Fourthly godly society and a profitable fellowship in the Gospel puts life into men there is a great deale of prouocation to good works in it Fiftly We should often meditate of the gaine of godlines and of the priuiledges of the promises belonging to the godly Vse This doctrine implies a great deale of reproofe also First to Hypocrites that haue a name that they liue but they are dead Reuel 3.1 Secondly to declining Christians that suffer their first loue to abate in them and can be contented to lose sensibly the power of affections which formerly they had Thirdly to many drooping Christians which out of melancholy and vnbeliefe affect a kind of wilfull sadnes and hartlesnes hindring therby their own assurance and causing the easie yoak of Christ to bee ill thought of besides many other inconueniences Thus of the second thing Be yee built vp It may be read either in the Imparatiue mood or in the Indicatiue I think the Imparatiue answers more to the scope heere it being the drift to shew what wee must doe when wee come to Christ. The third thing then wee must doe that wee might extract vertue out of Christ for holiness of life is We must be built vp which imports two things First progression in faith and secondly repentance We must not begin onely and lay the foundation but wee must still labour to bee built vp further wee must still bee edified in our most holy faith Iude 20. verse Now that this may be attained vnto that wee may bee built vp the similitude imports diuers things First preparation A man that will goe about the work of godliness must think he goes about the building of a towne and therefore must cast vp his accounts for the charge of it and get his stuffe prepared before hand Secondly a constant relying vpon Christ. If wee build wee must build vpon the rock and not on the sands Mat. 7. and 16. Thirdly the warrant of all our actions out of the Word of God When Moses was to build the tabernacle he made it iust according to the patterne in all things about it c. Fourthly a respect of things necessary wee must not bee intangled with vnnecessary and doubtfull disputations The building of a Christian must be a siluer palace He must build gold siluer precious stones hee must keep his hart to choice and necessary things Cant. 8.9 1. Cor. 3. 1. Timoth. 1.4 Fiftly Counsell and Direction Men must endure the hewing and squaring 1. Kings 5.17 18. To this end are Ministers giuen Eph. 4.12 The Word is able to build vs vp Acts 20.32 and so good conference may edifie or much edifieth Ephesians 4.29 Sixtly attendance This building must haue her distractions cast out 1. Cor. 7.32 Dauid could build the Temple because of his wars and his vnrest on euery side Seuenthy Order and distinction Men must not rake together a great deal of stuffe without order confusedly This is to build Babel and not Sion Eightly
sacrifice their owne affections which resemble those sweet odors with which the Tabernacle was perfumed The outward couerings of the Tabernacle do assure safety and preseruation to the Godly and the rather because the cloud rested vpon them as is affirmed Esay 4.5 6. Besides the double couering of slain beasts may signifie that God hath two waies to prouide for the Church The red skinnes of Rammes may note Christ crucified which is that which on the inside of the Tabernacle was onely sewed The couering of Badgers skinnes may note that God will serue himself of the wicked their skins shall protect the Church If Israel want room Canaan must dy for it Now thirdly the Tabernacle was a type of euery beleeuer if we respect the end of it For the Tabernacle was erected of purpose as the place of the presence of God God's visible House such are the hearts of Christians they are prepared of purpose for the entertainment of Iesus Christ that by his Spirit he may liue and dwell therein Gal. 2.20 Col. 1.27 2. Cor. 12.9 2. Cor. 13.5 Vse The vse of all may be both for instruction and consolation For instruction and so it should teach vs diuers things First to abhor fornication seeing our bodies are the temples of the holy Ghost 1. Cor. 6.21 Secondly to keepe our selues for being vnequally yoked Because there can bee no communion betweene light and darknes the Temple of God and Idols Thirdly to looke to our harts in respect of inward sinnes and to keepe the roome cleane for the Lord to dwell in 2. Cor. 7.1 Fourthly to stir vp our selues to much praier if our hearts be the house of God let them bee a house of praier also Fiftly let vs still lift vp our harts as euerlasting dores for the Lord of Glorie to come in Psalme 24.7 For consolation Shall wee not say as Paul doth We will reioice in our infirmities that the power of Christ may dwell in vs How should wee hold vp our head against all tentations and afflictions Is not the grace of Christ sufficient for vs 2. Cor. 12.9 And shal we not be confident that through Christ we can doe all things Will he forsake the house vpon which his Name is called Will hee not perfect his owne work and repaire his owne dwelling place Was the tabernacle safe in the wildernes while the cloud was vpon it and are not our hearts safe while Christ is in them How are the abiect Gentiles honored Col. 1.27 whose hearts are so enriched by Christ that dwels in them If the outward Sanctuary were like high palaces Psal. 78.69 what is the hart of man the true tabernacle and if he established it as the earth how much more hath he established vs in his fauour and grace so that it may comfort vs in respect of honor done to our harts and against tentations and afflictions and in respect of hope of perseuerance and also in respect of increase of power and wel-doing Hee will work our works for vs. And it shewes vs also the honor cast vpon our good works they haue a noble beginning in respect of Christ and as they come from him Howsoeuer wee ought to be abased for our owne corruptions that cleaue vnto them Yea how should it wonderfully establish our hearts in all estates to think that Christ is with vs wheresoeuer we goe not only as our witnes but as our guide and our protector If God be with vs who can bee against vs. As also it is comfortable if wee consider the comparisons imported in the furniture of the outward tabernacle And thus much of the fourth thing The fift thing is Wee must bee a holy priest-hood vnto Christ which is amplified both by the labour of it To offer sacrifice and by the honor of it acceptable to God through Iesus Christ. Heere are many things to be noted The first is that Christians are priests before God and Iesus Christ This is acknowledged in other Scriptures Reuel 1.5 Exod. 19.6 The meaning is that they are like to the Leuiticall priests and that in many things First in respect of separation they are Gods portion giuen him out of all the people so are the godly all the portion God hath in the world They are said to bee the ransome of the children of Israel Numbers 8.9 Secondly in respect of consecration The oile of God is vpon the godly and as it was powred out vpon Aaron and his Sonnes The oile of grace and gladnes powred out vpon Christ our true Aaron hath run downe vpon his garments so as all his members are Christians that is anointed with him Psalme 133.2 Cor. 1.22.1 Ioh. 2. The holy Ghost is called the anointing in this respect Thirdly in respect of the substance of the ceremonies in their consecration for First as it was required in the Law that the Priests should bee without blemish Leuit. 21.17 so is it required of Christians Col. 1.22 Secondly as the Priests were washed in the great lauer of water Exod. 29.4 Leuit. 8.5.6 so must Christians be washed in the lauer of Regeneration Eph. 5.23 Titus 3.5 Thirdly as the Priests had their holy garments beautifull and goodly ones which they called their Ephods so doth the Queene the Church stand at Christs right hand in a Vesture of Ophir Psalme 45. Thus Iosuah hath change of garments mystically giuen him Zach. 3.4 Those garments are promised to such as haue had a spirit of heauinesse Isaiah 61.3 called garments of saluation verse 10. and roiall garments and like the newe wedding garments of the Bride Isaiah 62.5.7 Those garments signified either the singular glory and ioy of Christians Esaiah 61.3 or the righteousnes of Christ imputed Reuel 19. or the excellent diuine gifts and graces bestow'd vpon them Fourthly The Priest must haue blood sprinkled vpon his eare and vpon his thombe and vpon his toe to signify that our hearing practice and progresse must bee all sanctified to vs by Christ and that the maine thing Christians should expresse and attend to should be Christ crucified and that Christ by his blood hath consecrated them in all these respects so as their hearing and practice and progresse shall all bee blessed vnto them And thus of the ceremonies of their consecration Fourthly Wee should bee like the Leuiticall Priests for knowledge the Priests lips should preserue knowledge and they should seeke the Law at his mouth Malac. 2. And it is true of Christians that they are a people in whose heart is Gods law Esay 57.7 Hebr. 8. Ierem. 31. Fiftly We should be like the Priests in respect of the work they did For First It was the Priests office to carry about the Arke of the Lord when it was remoued vpon their shoulders What is the Arke to be carried but the doctrine of Christ and the Church Christians must carry about the Word of God and hold it forth in the light and life of it as lights that shine in the darke places of the
wildernes of this world Philip. 2.15 Secondly it was their office to blow in the siluer trumpets and that vpon foure occasions as you may see Num. 10. First The one was to assemble the congregation or the Princes to the tabernacle Secondly The other was to giue an alarum when there was any remoue of the campe Thirdly The third was in the time of Warre when they mustred to battaile Fourthly The fourth was for ioyes sake at the time of solemne feasts and for thanksgiuing to God and in all these we should be like the Priests We should be as trumpets to call one vpon another to goe vp to the house of the Lord Esay 2.2 Secondly We should euery where proclaime mortality and signify that the whole hoast must remoue we must cry All flesh is grass 1. Pet. 1.23 Thirdly We should also blow the trumpet of defence and arme our selues in the spirituall warfare and call vpon God to saue vs from our enemies and stir vp one another prouoking to loue and good workes 1. Pet. 4.1 2. 2 Tim. 2.3 4. 2 Cor. 10.4 5. We should cry alowd like a trumpet in reproouing the transgressions of men and opposing the sinnes of the time Esay 58.1 Ephes. 5. Lastly we should trumpet out the praises of God for all the goodnes he hath shewed vnto vs we should blow as in the new moon Psal. 81.3 But then in all this we must remember that we blow with a siluer trumpet that is with all discretion and sincerity c. Thirdly a speciall work of the Priests was to blesse the people and to put the name of God vpon them The former whereof is prescribed Nam 6.22 23 24. and so should we all learne the language of Canaan or the language of blessing we must blesse and not curse for we are thereunto called 1 Pet. 3.9 Lastly their principall work was to offer sacrifices of which in the next words The Vses follow First For reproofe For there are many faults in Christians whereby they transgresse against their spirituall Priest-hood as 1. When men are yoaked with vnnecessarie society with the wicked for heereby they forget their separation to God c. 2. When men neglect the finishing of their repentance and assurance they looke not to their anointing 3. When men are scandalous of their indiscretions and faults they forget that such as haue any blemish must not offer the bread of their God and forget their washing from their old sinnes 2 Pet. 1.7 4. When men are barren of good workes or are vncheerefull and dull they leaue off the Priests garments of innocency and gladnes 5. When the liues and behauiours of men sauour of vanity and worldliness they remember not the blood of sprinkling 6. When men are ignorant and idle seeke not knowledge or doe not teach and instruct and admonish How doe the Priests lips preserue knowledge or how doe they beare about the Arke of the Lord 7. When Christians are fearfull and irresolute and colde and not frequent in the praises of God how doo they blowe in the siluer trumpet 8. When Christians are bitter-hearted and accustomed to euill-speaking how doo they forget their duty of blessing To omit the neglect of sanctifying till I come to handle it in the next place Vse 2. Secondly for consolation to all godly and mortified and inoffensiue Christians they should be wonderful thankfull to God that hath made them partners of this holy Calling howsoeuer the world conceiues of it God promiseth it as a great mercy to his children that they shall be called the Priests of the Lord Esay 61.6 and the Church is wonderful thankful for it to God Reu. 2.6 and 5.10 And the rather should we reioyce in it because God hath promised to take vs to himself as his portion and peculiar treasure Exod. 19.6 And it is his promise also to satiate the soules of his Priests with fatnes Ierem. 31.14 And what a priuiledge is it to haue accesse vnto the Lord and to stand before God daily which the Priests not onely might but were tied to it by their office But then for conclusion of this point let vs all bee sure wee haue our part in the first resurrection Reu. 20.6 and be carefull to be like the Priests for obedience and sanctity Exod. 19.5 6. and to get knowledge plentifully into our hearts Col. 3.16 and in the cause of God to blow the trumpets of zeal and resolution carrying our selues with all humility and readinesse to doo good and so becomming instruments of blessing to the people And which I had almost forgotten we must remember to be like the Priests for teaching and confuting and reprouing and informing our Familiars and friends as wee haue fitnes and occasion Thus of the Priest-hood of Christians in generall In particular hence is further to be considered first their work secondly their honour Their work is To offer vp spirituall sacrifices their honour is Acceptation and high account with God through Iesus Christ. First then of the work of Christian Priests which is To offer secondly what they must offer viz. sacrifices thirdly the difference of those sacrifices from those in the Law of Moses they are spirituall which word notes both the substance of Christian sacrifices viz. that they are such sacrifices as were not according to the Letter but according to the mysticall significations of the sacrifices of Moses Law and withall the manner how they must be offred vp viz. spiritually or after a spirituall manner The main thing heer intended then is To auouch that ChristiaÌs haue their sacrifices which they must offer and that in a spirituall manner Now for the cleerer opening of this doctrine two things must bee distinctly considered of First what sacrifices can remain to Christians since the Law of Moses is abrogated and secondly what things are requisite to the offring vp of these sacrifices For the first There are diuers sorts of sacrifices among Christians Some are proper to som Christians onely some are generall to all The sacrifices that are proper to some Christians are such as three sorts of men must offer First Ministers secondly Martyrs thirdly rich men First Ministers haue their sacrifice which they must with all care offer to God and their sacrifice is the soules of the hearers Thus Paul was to offer vp the Gentiles to God Rom. 15.16 And thus it was prophecied that in the time of the Christian Church the Elect should be brought in as an offring to God out of all Nations Esay 66.20 Ministers sacrifice their people either in this life or at the day of Iudgement In this life in generall when they perswade them to their attendance vpon the House of God and breed in them a care to come before the Lord in Ierusalem Esay 66.20 In particular when they work repentance and true conuersion in their hearts and when they make them go home and mortifie their sinnes and tender their vowed seruice to God And
came downe from heauen to signify that true zeale is kindled in heauen and comes down from aboue It is no ordinarie humor nor a rash fury It is no wilde fire And it was required about this fire that they should preserue it and neuer let it goe out but put fuell still to it and so it was kept for many yeeres so must wee doe with our zeale wee must labour by all meanes to preserue the feruencie of our hearts that wee neuer want fire to burne our sacrifices Our zeale should bee as the loue mentioned Can. 7.10 that much water could not quench it Euery sacrifice must haue fire Marke 9. Sixtly The sacrifices must be salted with salt so must our Christian sacrifices as our Sauiour Christ shewes Marke 9.49 50. And thus we must haue the salt of mortification and the salt of discretion and we must looke to it that our salt lose not his saltnes but that it haue a draining power in it to extract corruption out of our sacrifices our words to God and men must bee powdred with salt Col. 4.6 and so must all our actions Seuenthly the sacrifices must be without leauen Leuit. 2.11 Leauen is wickednes or malice or sowrenes or deadnes of heart or worldly griefe euen whatsoeuer leaueneth that is infecteth or maketh the meate offring to be heauie or sowre 1 Cor. 5.8 Eightthly in the same place of Leuiticus 2.11 Honie likewise is forbidden to be mingled with their sacrifices and by hony may be meant our beloued sinnes or particular corruptions wee should especially watch against them in the time of performance of holy duties that they mingle not themselues with our sacrifices by infecting our cogitations Ninthly the offring must bee waued and shaken to and fro before the Lord Leui. 7.3 And this signified the wauing of our lips in praier to God for his acceptation our sacrifices should bee soundly tossed to and fro in praier before the Lord Iob prayed before he sacrificed Iob 42. Tenthly on the Sabbath the sacrifices were to bee doubled to signifie that in a speciall manner wee should consecrate our selues to piety and mercy on the Sabbath day Eleuenthly our sacrifices must bee offered vp with all gladnes of heart and spirituall delight Thus Gods people were said to be a free-harted and willing people Psa. 47.9 and 110.3 And this was shadowed out partly by the oile that was powred into the meat offerings which is expounded to be the oile of gladnes and partly by the feast they made at the end of their solemne sacrifices vnto which they inuited their friends to ioyne with them in reioicing before the Lord and it is likely Dauid alludes to this feast when he saith hee would take the cup of saluation and praise the name of the Lord For as yet the Lords Supper was not instituted nor doe we read of any vse of a cup in the sacrifices or sacraments themselues Exod. 18.12 1. Chr. 16.1 2 3 4. Psal. 116.13 Twelfthly If wee be called to it wee must not deny vnto God the fat of the kidneies and the inwards By the fat was meant the things which are dearest to vs most beloued and that most delight vs and if the seruice of God and the Church and the poore require it wee must deny our selues and sacrifice what is most deare to vs. Thirteenthly the Apostle to the Hebrewes Chap. 13.13 addes that we must not leaue off wel-doing for reproach sake but be contented to bee like Christ who suffered without the gate as scorned of men and like the sacrifice was burnt without the campe Though all men hate vs and speake euill of vs and cast vs out of their companies yet wee must persist in our intention to sacrifice still to God Fourteenthly In the Sacrifices God had a great respect of mercy that cruelty were not shewed as Leuit. 22.27 When he enioyned that the creature must be seuen dayes vnder the damme and that no damme with the young one was to be slaine the same day Certainly God abhorreth that cruelty should bee exercised vnder pretence of piety Cursed be those long praiers that will deuoure widowes houses Matth. 23. In one thing we differ from the sacrifices For the sacrifices were dead or consisted of things without life but wee must be liuing sacrifices wee must do what we will do while we are aliue and must do it liuely with the affections that belong to the duties to be done Vse The vse may be briefly twofold for partly it should humble vs for our neglect of praiers and thanksgiuing and almes and contrition Wee omit the maine duties of our generall calling when we omit these It was the abomination of desolation when the temple was without sacrifices and how can it but be exceeding vncomely with Gods spiritual house that hath not sacrifices in it We are Christians but in name when pietie and mercy is neglected But especially we should be instructed from hence to mind our worke and to striue to answere our high calling by a continuall care day and night to exercise our selues herein the smoke of our incense should daily ascend vnto God The Apostle Paul beseecheth the Romans by the mercies of God to look to their sanctifying Rom. 12.1 Which shewes it is of wonderfull necessity and would make vs in some measure walke worthy of the Lord. And to the Hebrewes he bids them take heede of forgetting these sacrifices importing that vsually our deficiency in these seruices are from forgetfulnes we forget to pray and forget to shew mercy euen after we haue purposed both And thus much of the worke of a Christian. Now his honour followes Acceptable to God by Iesus Christ. Wherein three things may be noted First that howsoeuer piety and mercy and weldoing find little acceptation in the world yet it shall neuer want honour and great esteeme with God Pious and mercifull Christians shall neuer faile of the loue and fauour of God Their workes are accepted It is true that God may change his minde concerning the Ceremoniall Sacrifices but the acceptation of Christian Sacrifices is a thing established with God Heb. 10.9 These offerings shall be pleasant vnto the Lord Malach. 3.4 They are well-pleasing in his sight Heb. 13.16 They are a sweet sauour vnto the Lord Phil. 4.18 God hath a booke of remembrance Mal. 3.17 and our fruit shall certainly remaine Ioh. 15.16 And thus Cornelius his prayers and almes came vp before the Lord Acts 10. Secondly that it is not enough to doo good duties but wee must striue so to doo them that God may accept them Heb. 12.28 Esay 1.11 12 13 14. Thirdly that now our best works are made acceptable to God onely by Iesus Christ Reu. 8.3 4. It is from the presenting of Christ that wee are found holy and without blame in Gods sight Col. 1.22 Therefore we must doo all in the name of the Lord Iesus Col. 3.17 Vse The vse of all should be to teach vs with all care to
all others in diuers respects First because these writings were inspired all of the holy Ghost 2. Tim. 3.17 2. Pet. 1.21 so were no other writings Secondly those writings containe a wisdome far aboue all that that can be had by the Princes and men of this world the platforme of the wisdome that is in God himselfe 1. Cor. 6.7 Thirdly they were penned by more excellent men then any other writings the greatest wisest holiest men Moses Dauid Salomon the Prophets Euangelists Apostles c. Fourthly they haue such properties as no other writings haue they are more perfect pure deep and immutable then any mans writings These can tame all things necessarie vnto faith and a good life 2. Tim. 3.17.18 These writings onely are pure without fault or error or any corruption in them and for depth and maiesty neuer any writings came neere them and for vnchangeablenes Heauen and earth must passe away but a iot of Gods Word shall not passe away Math. 5.24 1. Pet. 1.23 Fift If wee consider the effects that must bee acknowledged to the praise of the Scriptures which can bee true of no writings besides no writings can describe God so fully to vs no writings do so bring glory to God no Scripture but this can conuert a soule to God Heb. 4.12 13. Other writings may shew vs some faults to bee auoided but giue no power to subdue them Psal. 19.8 These writings onely can minister solid comfort to vs in aduersity and these onely can make vs wise to saluation and perfect to euery good word and worke The consideration whereof should work in vs a singular loue to this booke aboue all other bookes in the world yea aboue all the treasures in the world we should account them with Dauid more sweet then hony and more precious then Gold Psal. 19.11 Psal. 119.14 15 27. Thirdly the third thing may bee noted from hence is the harmony of all these bookes they all agree as if they were but one writing yea one sentence yea one word Though the bookes were written by diuers men yet they agree so perfectly that they all sound one thing for they were all inspired by the same Spirit of God which should teach vs when wee meete with doubts or obiections or seeâing contradictions to condemn our owne ignorance and to be fully resolued that there is a sweet harmony though wee doe not see it And secondly and especially it should knit our harts to the Scriptures wee should be affected as with the most delightfull musick of the world or in the world Fourthly the fourth thing concernes the vse of Scripture and so wee may note two things First that we must receiue no opinions but what can bee proued by Scripture To the law and to the testimony if they speak not according to these it is because there is no truth in them Isaiah 8. Secondly we may note hence that the best men must proue what they teach by Scripture If the Apostles did it who were men priuiledged from error then much more must other men wee must beleeue no man aboue what is written 1. Cor. 4.6 and he is accursed that teacheth other things then what is written Gal. 1.7 though he were an Angel from heauen Which should teach vs to get proofes into our heads for all that wee beleeue and to take heed of receiuing traditions euen from good men For there be traditions on the right hand as well as on the left Ioh. 5.39 Acts 17.1 Thes. 5.21 Secondly Thus of the place where this testimonie is The manner how it is there is in the word Contained It is contained in Scripture Contained ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã There is much adoe about the word heer rendred Contained among Interpreters The word sounds actiuely in the Originall as if it were rendred doth containe or he containeth But the Translators and many Interpreters think the actiue is put for the passiue He containeth for It is contained If we read it actiuely then the Name of God must bee supplied thus Hee that is God contained it in Scripture noting that as a singular treasure God hath placed this Testimonie in Scripture concerning Christ and faith in him and sure it is a great treasure that wee may haue places in the sure Word of God that so plainely testifie of Christ and our happines in him wee should take great notice of them and bee much thankfull to God for giuing vs such sentences so briefely and yet so plainely and fully to informe vs. Some supply the name of Christ and so they say Christ containeth that is excelleth as the word may signifie Hee is had fully and excellently in Scripture and in particular in this testimonie of Scripture The word rendred Contained signifies sometimes barely to bee had sometimes to bee possessed as Luke 5.9 They were possessed with fear And so we possesse a great treasure in Scripture when wee haue such Testimonies as these There is a Nowne deriued of this Verbe which is thought by the exactest Diuines to mean a speciall Section or portion and when it is applied to a place in Scripture it signifies such a Scripture as is diuided from the rest as a principall matter either to bee meditated of or expounded Such was that speciall portion of Scripture which the Eunuch had to meditate of and Philip expounded to him Acts 8.32 where the word is vsed And so whether the word bee vsed actiuely or passiuely it commends vnto vs this place of Scripture and withall shewes vs a way how to inrich our selues namely by singling out such choise places throughout the Scripture as may most fittingly furnish our thoughts for meditation in the maine matters of Religion Wee may heere note what cause we haue of thankfulnes to God for the helpes wee haue in teaching seeing wee haue the Chapter and verse quoted to vs which they had not in the Primitiue Church and withall wee may obserue that one may haue the profit of the scriptures though he cannot quote Chapter and verse And thus of the second thing concerning this testimonie Thirdly the third followes which is the matter testified which concernes either the giuing of Christ or the safety of the Christian in beleeuing in him In the words that describe the giuing of Christ obserue First the wonder of it in the word Behold Secondly the Author of it God I lay or put Thirdly the manner of it Hee laid him downe as the stone of a foundation in a building Fourthly the place where In Sion noting that this gift of Christ belongs onely to the Church Fiftly what Christ was vnto the Church viz. a chiefe corner stone elect and precious Behold This word is vsed in Scripture sometimes to note a thing that is vsually knowne or ought to bee knowne so Dauid saith Behold I was conceiued in sinne Psalme 51. Sometimes to note that some great wonder is spoken of and must bee much attended In this place it may note both For it is certaine
that the testimonies of Scriptures concerning Christ ought to bee familiarly knowne of vs and this as an especiall one But I rather think it is vsed to note the wonder of the work heere mentioned and so the word may import diuers things vnto vs. First it was a maruelous work that God should giue vs his owne Sonne to be our Sauiour and the fountaine of life to vs. Hence it is that wee may obserue throughout the Scripture that God doth set this note of attention and respect both vpon the generall and vpon many particulars that concerne Christ as it were by the Word to pull vs by the eares to make vs attend or to giue vs a signe when we should specially listen Thus God brings out Christ to the Church and tells how he loues him and hath resolued vpon it by him to saue both Iewes and Gentiles and wils them to behold him and wonder at him Isaiah 42.1 So when hee promiseth the comming of Christ And of the ends of his comming hee makes a proclamation all the world ouer that he hath appointed a Sauiour vnto Sion Thus hee would haue vs wonder at the seruice of the Angels about the time of his birth Math. 1.20 Luke 2.9 10. and at the miracle of his conception that he should bee borne of a Virgin Mat. 1.21 and at the Wisemen led by a starre out of the East Mat. 2.1 9. and at the opening of the heauens when the voice came downe to testifie that Christ was the beloued Son of God in whom he was well pleased Math. 3.16 17. and at the seruice which the Angels did him and at his wonderfull abasement for our sakes Math. 21.5 and especially that hee should sacrifice his owne bodie for our sinnes 1. Iohn 1.29 Heb. 10.7 and that he is aliue from the dead and liueth for euer Reuel 1.18 and that he hath opened the secret book of Gods counsel and made it known to the world Re. 5.5 and that after such hard times vnder the raign of Antichrist hee should recollect such troops of Gospellers as stood with him on Mount Sion Reu. 14.1 It were too long to number vp more particulars Onely thus much wee should learn that the doctrine of Christ is to be receiued with great affection attention and admiration Secondly this word strikes vs like a dart to the heart for it imports that naturally wee are extremely carelesse and stupid in this great doctrine concerning Christ faith in vs. For when God cals for attention it implies that we are maruellous slowe of heart to vnderstand or with affection to receiue the doctrine Let the vse of all be then to striue with our owne hearts and to awake from this heauinesse and sleepinesse and with all our soules to praise God with endlesse admiration of his goodnes to vs in giuing vs his Sonne Thus of the wonder of it 2. The Author of it follows I lay or put God would haue vs to take speciall notice of it that it is he that was the Author of this glorious worke He is the work-master the chief master builder It is Gods worke and the knowledge of this may serue for diuers vses For first it should direct our thankfulnes wee should giue glory to God and praise his rich grace Hee will not lose his thanks for Christ. He holds himselfe much honoured when wee praise him for so great a gift as Christ. Secondly it should much strengthen our faith and make vs beleeue the loue of God and his willingnes to bee reconciled He is the party offended and if he were hard to be pleased he would neuer haue sought out such a proiect for reconciliation Besides what can God deny vs if he can giue vs his owne Son and who is pleased also in his Word to signify so much and commanded it by his seruants to bee told to the parties offending that he hath found out such a way of perfect peace Thirdly we should hence be comforted in all the straits of godlines when the Lord goeth about to lay the foundation of grace in our hearts and to forme Christ in vs we should remember it is the Lords work and it shall prosper if the Lord will haue it go on who can hinder it The gates of Hell shall not preuaile against it when God builds it vpon this Rock Fourthly it should teach vs in al other distresses to trust vpon God and neuer be afraid of the oppositions of men or the impediments of our deliuerance For what shall restraine Gods mercy from vs If the Lord can bring about such a worke as this to found Sion by laying Christ as the chiefe corner stone in her then we may trust him in lesse matters The Lord will accomplish all the Counsell of his will and he that hath promised that all shall worke together for the best will performe it To this end hee pleades this worke of founding Christ in the womb of a Virgin of purpose to giue them thereby a signe of deliuerance then in a temporal affliction it is easy for him to saue vs and deliuer vs from all our troubles that can giue vs a Sauiour for all our sinnes Lastly Ministers that are but vnder-Masons CarpeÌters must learn to take al their directions at god both to see to it that they lay no other foundation then what God hath laid which is Iesus Christ and in all things to be faithfull in good workes as such as must make their accounts to God And thus of the Author Thirdly The time followes I lay or put Hee speakes in the present time yet meaneth it of a thing to bee accomplished in the time to come For God laid Christ downe as the corner stone partly in his Incarnation when he sent him into the world in the flesh to take our nature and partly he is said to lay down this corner stone when spiritually by meanes hee formes Christ in the hearts of men in the visible Church Now the Lord speaketh in the present time I doo lay for diuers reasons First To signify that the care of that busines was then in his head he was plotting about it did continually minde it Secondly to signify that howsoeuer the maine worke of the open restoring of the world by Christ in the calling of the Gentiles was long after to be done yet God did spiritually forme Christ in the hearts of the remnant so as at all times hee did more or lesse further his building Thirdly to note the certainty of the accomplishment of it he saith he did then do it to assure them it should as certainely be done as if it were then done which should teach vs to beleeue God and neuer limit him When we haue his promise let vs reckon vpon it if God promise vs any thing it is as sure as if we had it Thus of the time Fourthly The manner followes noted in the word Laid I lay There are many things imported vnder this
a righteous nation may enter in Esay 26.1 2. Men may deceiue themselues but God will not be deceiued For he hath his fire in Sion and furnace in Ierusalem Hee will try euery man and make his count onely by righteousnes Esay 31.9 Rom. 9. and therefore the sinners in Sion haue reason to be afraid Esay 35.14 And if yet wee would haue signes more particular wee may trie our selues by these that follow First Sion is a Virgin and all the Godly are the Daughters of Sion and so the chiefe Daughter of a chiefe mother Now this is a true vertue of a true member of the Church that his loue is vndefiled towards Christ Hee is not enamored with other things Hee will haue no other God but one Hee accounts all things but drosse and dung in comparison of Christ Hee harbours no beloued sinne but denieth the inticements of it with detestation and griefe that hee should euer be so assaulted Secondly God knoweth his owne in Sion by this signe that they are they that mourn in Sion that are farre from making a mock of sinne The Lord himselfe is their witnes that their hearts are heauie by reason of their sinnes and they knowe no griefe like to the grief for their sinnes Esay 61.2 Thirdly thou maist knowe thy estate by thy subiection to Christ and his ordinances For God hath set his King in Sion Now if thy Soueraigne bee in Heauen and thou canst bee willing to be ruled by his ordinances this will bee a comfortable testimonie to thee as contrariwise if thou dislike his gouernment and wouldst faine cast his yoake from thee so as this man may not rule ouer thee thou art of the number of the people but not of Gods people Psal. 2.6 Thus of the second vse Thirdly wee should bee carefull to celebrate the praises of God yea and therefore carefull for all the goodnes he shewes vnto vs in Sion Praise should waite for him The Lord is great and greatly to bee praised in Sion the Cittie of our God Psal. 48.1 Psal. 147.12 Esay 51.16 All that serue the Lord in Sion and are refreshed with the comforts of his presence should get large hearts both for admiration and celebration of his goodnes Psal. 134. the whole Psalme Come say the godly Ierem. 31.10 let vs declare the worke of the Lord in Sion c. Fourthly since Sion is the place where the Lord keepes house and giues entertainment to all his followers wee should call one vpon another to goe vp to the Lord in Sion wee should run thither to the bountifulnes of the Lord and in all our wants shew our selues instructed in this point by making our recourse vnto Sion as the place where God is pleased most readily to declare his shining mercies Ierem. 31.6 12. Fiftly we should be stirred vp to much praier for the accomplishment of the building of God in Sion Our hearts should long to see this work prosper Oh that the saluation of Israel were come out of Sion Psal. 14.1 For Sions sake wee should not hould our peace Esay 62.1 but still beseech the Lord to doe good to Sion and build vp the walls of Ierusalem Psal. 51.20 Sixtly we should especially be greeued if we see that Sion prospers not Of all iudgements we should most lament the desolation of Sion The whole booke of Lamentations is spent vpon this subiect Wee should hang our harpes vpon the willowes if we remember that Sion lieth waste and there be none to build her vp Psal. 137. Seuenthly the especiall vse should be for consolation If the Lord doe vs good in Sion wee should account it a maruelous felicitie if the lord admit vs to be members of the true Church in places where Gods work prospers The Lord giues this promise in Esay to comfort them against all the miseries were outwardly to fall vpon them This work should make amends for all other troubles If God build vs vp in spirituall things hee giues vs double for all outward crosses we should striue with our owne hearts to be exceedingly affected with the happines of our owne condition on earth when we know our interest in Sion wee should liue without feare yea euerlasting ioy should bee vpon our heads and sorrow mourning should flee away Esay 31.10 and the rather if wee consider the prerogatiues of Sion aboue all the world besides for First the Lord dwells there It is the Palace of his residence on earth as hath beene shewed before Secondly the fauor of God shines there Hee delightes in his people and ioyes in all the members of Sion He reioiceth ouer them with ioy Zeph. 3.15 16 17. Psal. 86.2 Thirdly in Sion we are loosed from our fetters and bonds It is a place where the Captiues goe free The Lord turnes back the captiuitie of his people Psal. 14.7 Fourthly in her Palaces God is knowne for a refuge in all distresses Psal. 48.3 There is wonderfull safetie there The Lord doth mightily preserue and defend his people wee are safe if wee be members of the true Church and haue true grace the greatest aduersaries labour in vaine and seeking see and maruell and haste away Psal. 48.11 12. They shall certainly be confounded and turned back that hate Sion Psal. 129.5 Vpon euery place of mount Sion shall be defence Sion is a quiet habitation God hath his yeere of recompence for the controuersies of Sion and his day of Vengance Esay 34.8 Fiftly the Lawe comes out of Sion and the word of the Lord from Ierusalem There we haue directions for our life and for eternall life Esay 2.3 It is Gods foddering place there hee giues vs shepheards to feed vs Ierem. 3.14 Sixtly the inhabitants of Sion haue all remission of sinnes and the healing of their infirmities as the Prophet shews in these words excellently The inhabitant thereof shall not say I am sick the people that dwell therein shall bee forgiuen their iniquitie Esay 33.24 Seuenthly all the good newes is there to bee had we are naturally Athenians we loue to tell and heare newes if we were spiritually so Oh! how would we reioice in Sion whose spirituall glory is to bring good tidings Esay 40.9 and 41 27. and 52.7 c. Eightthly If the Lord bee displeased with Sion yet it is but for a moment hee will returne in euerlasting compassion It is a sure thing The Lord will yet haue mercy vpon Sion Psal. 102.14 Hee will againe comfort Sion and make his wildernes like Eden and his Desart like the garden of the Lord Esay 51.3 Lastly and specially we should reioice in Sion because the Redeemer comes to Sion and to them that turne from their transgressions in Iacob Esay 59.20 Yea saluation only comes out of Sion Psal. 14.7 In Sion onely hath God placed saluation for Israel his glory Esay 46. vlt. And therefore we should labour to walk worthie of so great mercies of God and liue with all contentment whatsoeuer our
the thiefe vpon the Crosse Consider that God hath offered thee thy pardon in the Sacrament Feare the Lord therefore and his goodnes and returne with all thine heart and iniquity shall not be thy ruine Hitherto of their sinne their punishment followes and so first vpon their rulers and leaders in these words The Stone which the builders refused is become the Head of the corner Which words are taken out of Psal. 118.22 where they are vsed by the Prophet Dauid and here quoted by the Apostle Peter The words haue a double sense for they did concern both Dauid and Christ. As they concern'd Dauid this was the meaning that Though the Nobles and Courtiers did despise and reiect and oppose Dauid yet such was God's prouidence that the man whom they reiected GOD made King of Israel and the chief stay support of that State Now for this sense of the words diuers things may be noted First that God âath raised vp great men in the Common-wealth for this end that they might seek the publick good and imploy their labours for the building vp and prosperity of the State Which should both teach great men to think of their duties and the accounts they must make to God as also it should teach the people to pray the more heartily for them and to obey them in all lawfull things Secondly we may hence gather the imperfection of all humane things For in that earthly Kingdomes need building vp still it shewes that they attain to no perfection but at the best are stil in progresse Thirdly that many times great men wilfully oppose the right and set themselues against the righteous and resist the will of GOD. Which should teach vs not to place our confidence in the great men of this world nor to be alwaies led by their example in opinions Fourthly that God will finde out the wickednes of great men and bring them to confusion God accepts not persons hee hateth sin in great men as well as in mean men and will crosse and confound their godlesse and vngodly counâels Fiftly that God takes to himself the power to dispose of earthly Kingdomes and to giue Kings and Rulers at his owne pleasure It was the Lord's dooing and it was maruellous that Dauid should become the Head of the corner Psal. 118.23 The Lord pleads it as a part of his soueraignty and prerogatiue To set vp Kings By me Kings raign Pro. 8. Which should teach Princes and Iudges and Nobles to doo homage to God and acknowledge him for their Soueraign and therefore serue him with fear Psalm 2. And it should teach the people to giue honour and tribute and custome and obedience for conscience sake to their Rulers seeing the power that is is of God Rom. 13. Now as these words were vnderstood in the case of Dauid so was Dauid heerin a type of Christ and so the words are to be vnderstood in the case of Christ also as our Sauiour himselfe applies them Mat. 22. and as it is euident to bee the meaning of the Apostle heer And it is the drift of the Apostle to strengthen weak Christians against the scandall that might arise from the opposition of the Kingdome of Christ. For it might trouble them and amaze them to consider how Christ was opposed by the Scribes and Pharises who were the great learned men of the time and such as were eminent in the Church and in the account of the most men were the chief persons that took care for Religion and the state of the Church and did excell all other sorts c. Now that this scandall might be remoued he shewes in these words First that nothing did therein fall out but what was the lot of Dauid in his time Secondly that all this was foretold in the old Testament and therfore might not seem strange Thirdly that all those oppositions should bee in vain for GOD would reiect and confound those opposites and would prosper and aduance the right of Iesus Christ without the help of those men In the particular consideration of these words three things must bee noted First the persons threatned viz. the Builders that is the Scribes and Pharises and those that vnder pretence of religion did oppose Christ. Secondly the cause of their punishment viz. the refusing of Christ the foundation stone Thirdly the iudgement inflicted vpon them which is twofold the one implied the other expressed There is a iudgement implied viz. that Though they were by calling and in the account of the multitude Builders yet God would reiect them and go on with his work in conuerting both Iewes and Gentiles without them The iudgement expressed is that Christ whom they so much hated and opposed should be in spight of their hearts and to their extreme vexation made King of the Church and exalted to supreme power ouer all things and the only stay of the whole Church both of Iews and Gentiles And heerin it is to be noted both the manner how this shall be done in the word is become or is made and also the time in that hee sayth It is made Builders Quest. A question may be moued heere for the sense viz. how the Scribes and Pharises and such like men can be sayd to be builders Ans. For answere whereunto we must vnderstand that the Scribes and Pharises and so wicked men that possesse eminent places in the Church may be said to be builders First in the account of the multitude whatsoeuer they were indeed yet they were commonly so accounted as builders and prime men in managing the affaires of the Church Secondly the Scribes and Pharises may be acknowledged in some respects as builders indeed they did God some worke For howsoeuer they did not soundly teach Christ yet they drew the people by their doctrine to auoid on the right hand the Stoicall strictnesse of the Essenes and on the left hand the prophane irreligiousnesse of the Sadduces Thirdly they were builders by calling they haue the name not so much from what they were as from what men in their places had been or ought to haue been And these are the persons that oppose CHRIST and are thus seuerely iudged of God Diuers things may be hence noted First that men may be great in their owne opinion and in the account of the world who yet are nothing set by of God such were these Pharises Luke 16.14 15. And therefore wee should labour for a spirit without guile and not be wise in our selues or rest in outward shewes but seek the praise of God we are safe if God allow of vs though all the world disallow vs. Secondly that God will acknowledge freely any good hee findes in his very enemies as heer the Pharises are not denied the title of Builders for that generall work they did in encountring the Sadduces and Essenes And as they are called Builders so are the diuels called Principalities and Powers to import what is any way of praise in them notwithstanding
their horrible fall Which should teach vs to learn of God to doo likewise towards all our enemies and withall it may much comfort vs. If God will do thus with his enemies what will he do with his owne children and seruants how will hee honour and reward them and if the notorious oppositions of the Pharises cannot hinder God's acknowledging of that little goodnes was in them how much lesse shall the meer frailties of the Godly that will doo nothing against the truth though they cannot doo for the truth what they would hinder the glorious recompense of reward and acceptation with God! Thirdly we may hence note that Christ and Religion and the sincerity of the Gospell may bee disallowed opposed by great learned men by such as are of great mark in the Church euen by such as were Gouerners of the Church in name and title Quest. 1. Two questions do easily rise in mens mindes vpon the hearing of this doctrine The first is Whence it should bee that learned men who haue more means to vnderstand the truth than other men and by their calling more especially tied to the study of all truth yet should be drawne to oppose or reiect Christ and the truth Ans. I answer that this may come to passe diuersly First sometimes it is because of their ignorance neither may this seem strange that they should be ignorant for though they may be very learned in some parts of study yet they may be very blockish in some other Besides the naturall heart of man doth not take any great delight in the study of the Scriptures and therefore the answer of Christ was proper Yee erre not knowing the Scriptures or the power of God Secondly in some it is because of their secret Atheisme Many learned men bee very Atheists in heart and such were some of the Pharises for they neither knew the Father nor Christ as he chargeth them Thirdly some haue a spirit of slumber they haue eies and yet cannot see as in the case of some of those Pharises they could not apply the very things themselues spoke For being asked about the King of the Iewes Matth. 2. they could answer directly out of the Scriptures and giue such signes of the Messias as did euidently agree to Iesus Christ and yet these men were so infatuated that when God shewes them the man to whom their owne signes agree they cannot allow of him Fourthly in some it is enuy They are so fretted at the credit and fame of Christ or such as sincerely preach Christ that for very enuy they striue to destroy the work of God and to disparage the progresse of the Kingdome of Christ they cannot endure to see all the world as they account it to follow Christ. Fiftly in others it is ambition and desire of preeminence and the quiet vsurpation of the dignities of the Church that they alone might raign and be had in request this no doubt moued the Pharises and was the cause why Diotrephes made such a stir in the Church Sixtly in others it is couetousnes and desire of gain These are they that account gain to be godliness as the Apostle speaks and such were some of the Pharises Luke 16.14 Seuenthly in others it is a wilfull and malitious hatred of the truth and such was it in those Pharises that were guilty of the sin against the holy Ghost Quest. 2. But how shall a simple ignorant man stay his heart and bee settled in the truth when the wise and learned men of the world oppose it how can he tell it is the truth which they reiect who haue more learning and wit than hee Ans. I answer A simple and single-hearted Christian may some-what be helped against the testimony of those wise men of the world if hee mark but their liues for vsually by their fruits they may bee knowne Mat. 7. For commonly such as oppose Christ and the Gospell or the sincerity of the Gospell are men that may be apparantly detected of profanenesse as our Sauiour Christ shewes by diuerse instances in the Pharises Mat. 23. But because sometimes the messengers of Satan can transforme themselues into Angels of light therefore I answer secondly that all the Godly haue the sure Word of the Prophets and Apostles which may bee the touch-stone to try the opinions of men by which in the points absolutely necessary to saluation is euident and plain and infallible to the Law and to the Testimonies if they speak not according to these it is because there is no light in them Esay 8.20 And that they may bee sure let them pray to God to teach them for hee hath promised to teach the humble his way if a man come to God with an humble minde and with desire of reformation of his life in that hee knowes God hath bound himself to shew him his will Psal. 25.9 Iohn 7.17 Besides euery childe of God hath the Spirit of God in his heart who knoweth the things of God which indited the Scriptures and is the onely supreme Iudge of all controuersies Hee that beleeueth hath a witnes in himself the Spirit working much assurance in his heart and anointing him with ey-salue and leading him into all truth And by this help the entrance into the Scriptures giues light to the simple Vse The vse of the point then is First to informe vs concerning that great Iustice of God in hiding his truth from the wise and reuealing it to babes and children or infants which our Sauiour and Saint Paul take notice of Secondly to confirme vs against the sinister iudgement of worldly-wise and learned men and in matter of religion not to be swaied by that inducement since it is thus plainly told foretold Thirdly to confute the Papists that plead vnto the ignorant that their religioÌ is the right because it is hath bin maintained by such a number of Popes Cardinals which haue excelled in learning greatnes of place for heer we see the builders reiect the head stone of the corner Fourthly to shew vs that whatsoeuer wicked wise great men pretend yet their quarrell is against Christ and his Kingdome Fiftly to reach vs therefore to pray for our teachers and gouernors that God would guide them by his good Spirit and assist them in their callings c. Sixtly to bee more thankefull to God when the Lord giues vs builders not in name onely but in deed that settle about Gods work with all their hearts and labour with all faithfulnes to promote the Kingdome of Christ. Hitherto of the Persons The cause of their punishment is their refusing of Christ. Refused They refused Christ they disallowed him as vnfit for the support of the building They cast him away as rubbish they reiected him or accounted him as a reprobate Christ is refused or disallowed many waies First when the Gospel of Christ is contemned or neglected that is when men neglect or contemne the doctrine of saluation by
they are appointed for the good of many Christians and should shew that they remember that they are Kings by deuoting themselues to all possible profitablenes of conuersation Fourthly by their contentation What should they fear or what should discontent them Hath not GOD giuen them a Kingdome and great glory Fiftly by subduing carnall and seruile feares of men Why should Christians fear the faces of great men on earth are they not spirituall Kings themselues and is not the breath in the nostrils of the greatest men on earth why art thou then afraid to come before them c. Priest-hood The fourth thing for which Christians are commended is their Priest-hood which notes the honour of their imploiment in things that concerne God and his seruice Esay 61.6 Reuel 1.6 c. Now the Priest-hood of Christians is a singular priuiledge if wee first either consider the kindes of Priest-hood or secondly the specialties of their calling and imploiment First for the kinde The Priest-hood of Christians is better then the Priest-hood of the Leuites the sonnes of Aaron because it is a royall Priest-hood They are Priests after the order of Melchisedech as Christ himselfe was in which order euery Priest was a King so were none of the sonnes or house of Aaron Secondly and for the specialties of fauour imported in the Priest-hood of Christians diuers prerogatiues are included in it For first the Priest-hood of a Christian imports separation and consecration to God The godly of all the people in the world are the onely people that are deuoted to God and chosen out of all the world as his portion as the Leuites were out of all Israel Secondly it imports neernesse and constancy of communion with God The Priests liued in Gods House and stood alwaies before the Lord dwelt in his presence and did approach neerer to him then all the people else so doe the godly spiritually They onely dwell in his sight and enioy his speciall presence and see the glory of his presence and haue their soules satiated with fatnes arising from the comfort of Gods fauorable presence Ierem. 31.14 Vses Now the consideration of this excellent Priest-hood of Christians should serue first for consolation secondly for instruction and thirdly for great reproofe First it should much comfort godly and carefull Christians to consider how neere God hath placed theÌ to himself euen in his chamber of presence as it were how meanly soeuer the world doth account of their seruice yet they hence knowe that their Priest-hood is a Royall Priest-hood and the godly imploiments of Religious men are more honourable then the greatest imployments of the greatest Monarchs of the earth withal it may specially comfort feareful Christians against one scruple They sometimes are afraid to goe into Gods presence or they doubt their accesse they are so vnworthy to come before the Lord. Why this word Priest-hood satisfie them For it imports that they are priui-should ledged by their calling to come before God The Priests might enter into the House of the Lord yea they must doe it it was required of them It was a sinne if they did it not and they did not sinne by doing it Secondly the Priest-hood of Christians should put them in minde of diuers duties as First it should work in them a care of knowledge the Priests should preserue knowledge and they should seeke the Law at his mouth A godly Christian should bee able to direct others and hold forth the light of the Word for the profit of others and as dumb Ministers are to be disliked so are dumbe Christians too Secondly it should teach Christians to striue to bee of an harmelesse and inoffensiue disposition The Priests in the Law of God were men without blemish and so should Christians in the Gospel Phil. 2 15. Thirdly wee should hence learne to set the Lord alwaies before vs and to walke before him seeing it is our office to keepe in the Temple and to bee neere the Lord. Fourthly it should compell vpon vs a care of our sacrifice The maine worke of the Priests was to offer sacrifices Now our sacrifices are principally praiers and good works as more at large is shewed on the notes of verse 5. and in these wee must be daily imployed But then we must in all our seruices looke to the rules of Sacrificing which as I said I haue handled at large verse 5. onely for the present remember these few things 1. That their sacrifices are worth nothing without an Altar to sacrifice them on and this Altar is Iesus Christ Heb. 13.10 2. That thou must haue fire to burne the sacrifice on the Altar and this fire is holy affections Marke 9. 3. That in all thy sacrifices thou must keep out leauen now the spirituall leauen that marres thy sacrifices are first malice secondly any notable wickednes thirdly euill opinions fourthly worldly griefe and passions which like leauen sowreth the sacrifice Thus of the second principall vse Vse 3. This may serue for reproofe-of diuers sorts of men as First of the Papist They haue fire but no Altar and therefore cannot sacrifice They haue zeale but not knowledge as was said in the case of the lewes who knew not the righteousnes of Christ. Secondly of the carnall Protestants They haue an Altar in that they professe iustification by Christ but either they haue no sacrifice or no fire The rich among them bring not their sacrifice of almes and all sorts neglect praier and good works or if they doo any seruice to God there is no fire to burn the sacrifice they serue God without zeal and holy affections Thirdly hypocrites are heer rebuked They bring for matter the right sacrifices sometimes and they haue fire too but it is strange fire many times they haue zeal but it is rash and vnwarranted they doo good duties in an ill manner or spend their zeal on traditions either on the left hand or on the right Fourthly fearfull Christians are heer reproued because when they haue sacrifices and an Altar and fire too yet they beleeue not the atonement may come by it or the acceptation of them from God Thus of the fourth point An holy Nation The holinesse of a Christian is his fift prerogatiue wherein he excels all other people and the Godly are holy many waies Some are lesse principall some are more principall First they are holy in respect of GOD's appointment and calling God hath decreed them to holinesse Eph. 1.4 and created them to good works Eph. 2.10 and called them to bee Saints 1. Cor. 1.16 Secondly they are holy in their sect or kinred They are of a holy kinred for their Head Christ Iesus is infinitely holy and their brethren are holy brethren Heb. 4.1 Thirdly they are holy in their Lawes No people haue so holy just and exact Lawes there is no defect or error in them The Word of God is perfect Psal. 19. Pro. 8.5 6. Fourthly they are holy in their signes they
wear the badges of righteousnes The vncircumcised were accounted vnholy and the Iewes a holy nation because being circumcised they had the signe of righteousnes so are Christians holy by Baptism sacramentally Fiftly they are holy in regard of separation from the wicked and the World A thing was said to be holy in the Law which was separated from common vses to the vse of the Tabernacle so are the Godly holy because separated from the vnholy But chiefly the Godly excell for holinesse if we respect the holinesse First of justification they are holy by the imputation of the perfect holinesse of Christ and so are they as holy as euer was Adam in Paradise or the Angels in heauen Secondly of sanctification they haue holinesse in their natures and they practise holinesse too and thus they are holy in heart and by inchoation They haue grace in all parts though not in all degrees they are not destitute of any sauing or heauenly gift 1. Cor. 9.11 And this kind of holinesse must not bee slighted or meanly accounted of for first it is a holinesse wrought by the holy Ghost Secondly it is presented to God by the intercession of Christ whereby all imperfections are couered And thirdly it is acknowledged in the couenant of grace which admits of vprightnes and sincerity in stead of perfection which in the other couenants were required Thirdly they are holy in hope because they look for perfect holinesse in nature and action in another world There is a righteousnes which they wait for that exceeds all the righteousnes that euer was in any man in this world Christ Iesus excepted But I conceit it is the holinesse of sanctification which is heer meant Now this holiness consists either of mortification or viuification Mortification is imploied about the subduing of corruptions and viuification about qualifying the heart and life of the beleeuer with holinesse Viuification also is exercised either about new grace in the heart or new obedience in the conuersation I take it the later is heer meant and so the Apostle intends to say that no people are like the belieuing Christians for the holinesse of their conuersation Vses The vse of this point may bee first for great encouragement to the true Christian notwithstanding all his infirmities with which he is burdened and therefore hee should take heed that he be not wicked ouer-much Eccles. 7. that is hee should not think to vilely of himselfe For though hee be guilty of many sinnes yet hee is truely holy and that many waies as was shewed before God hath done great things for him that hath giuen him a holy head and a holy calling and especially that he hath already made him perfectly holy by Iustification and will make him perfectly holy in Sanctification in another world yea hee ought to take reason of comfort for his holines of Sanctification as for the reasons before so the verie holines of his conuersation is much more exact then is the conuersation of the wicked or then was his owne before his calling And withall this should much stirre vp godly men to the care of sound holines in their conuersation and the rather because first they were redeemed from a vain conuersation by the bloud of Christ 1. Pet. 1.18 Secondly they should much thereby aduance the profession of true Religion Phil. 1.27 Thirdly because a holy conuersation is a good conuersation God requires nothing of vs to doe but it is all faire work and good for vs whereas when wee haue done the Diuel the world and the flesh work that which was extremely ill for vs. Fourthly wee hold our profession before many witnesses many eies are vpon vs and the most men are crooked and peruerse 1. Tim. 6.12 Phil. 2.15 and the best way to silence foolish men is by vnrebukeablenes of conuersation 1. Pet. 2.15 Fiftly our heauenly Father is heereby glorified Math. 5. and 6. Sixtly it will bee a great comfort to vs in aduersity 2. Cor. 1.12 Lastly great is our reward in heauen For heereby will bee ministred aboundantly an entrance into the glorious Kingdome of Iesus Christ 2. Pet. 1.11 But then wee must looke to diuers rules about our conuersation that it may bee right for First it must be a good conuersation in Christ 1. Pet. 3.16 Secondly it must bee a conuersation discharged from those vsuall vices which are hatefull in such as professe the sincerity of the Gospell and yet common in the world such as are lying wrath bitternes rotten comunication or cursed speaking or the like Eph. 4.25 Col. 3.8 1. Pet. 1.14 Thirdly it must bee all manner of conuersation 1. Pet. 1.15 we must shew respect to all Gods commandements at home and abroad in religion mercy righteousnesse or honesty Fourthly wee must shew all meeknes of wisdome when wee heare outward praise or doe good or are to expresse our selues in discourse or otherwise Iam. 3.13 2. Cor. 1.12 And that wee may attaine to this holines of conuersation First wee must walk according to the rule of Gods Word and let that bee a light to our feet and a lanthorne vnto our pathes Gal. 6.16 Ioh. 3.21 Secondly wee must set before vs the pattern of such Christians as haue most excelled that way Phil. 3.17 and walke with the wife Thirdly especially as obedient children wee should learne of our heauenly Father to fashion our selues according to his nature and in all conuersation striue to be holy as hee is holy and as it followes in this verse wee should study and striue to shewe foorth the vertues that were eminent in Iesus Christ 1. Pet. 1.15 16. and 12.10 Thirdly in so much as holines is the prerogatiue of a Christian it should teach all sortes of men to try themselues whether they haue attained true holines or no so as they bee sure their holines exceed the holines of the Scribes and Pharises For else they cannot enter into the Kingdome of heauen For a Christian must haue that holines of conuersation which no wicked man can attaine vnto Now that this triall may bee done effectually I will shew wherein the holines of a true Christian exceedes the holines First of a meere ciuill honest man Secondly of the most glorious Hypocrite First for the meere ciuill honest man the true Christian exceedes his righteousnes both in the righteousnes of faith and in the internall holines of the heart and the power of holy affections but because it is holines of conuersation which is especially heere meant I will touch the differences in conuersation and so First they differ in one maine cause of orderly life For the holines of the godly Christian proceedes from a regenerate heart whereas the meere ciuil man is so naturally or onely by restraining grace Hee hath not beene in the furnace of mortification for sin Secondly the meere ciuil honest man glories in this that hee paies euery man his owne and is no adulterer or drunkard or the like notorious
bloud of Christ. And so the people of God were purchased out of the world by the bloud of Christ and the Israelites were typically redeemed out of Egypt by the bloud of the Lamb. The Godly are a people bought at a great price none euer so dearly ransomed But I take it as it is heer rendred A peculiar people and so the word may intimaâe a double reason For first they are a peculiar people because God hath euery way fashioned them for himself Secondly they are a peculiar people because they are his treasure yea all his treasure The Godly comprehend all his gettings they are as it were all hee hath And so Exodus 19. verse 6. may explain it Vse The vse may be partly for consolation and partly for instruction First it should exceedingly comfort the Godly to knowe their acceptation with God they are in high fauour with him they are his very Fauourites And this should distinctly comfort them diuers waies as first that God doth make so much account of them to loue them as any couetous man can loue his treasure Hence God is said to delight in them to rejoyce ouer them with ioy and his mercy to them pleaseth him Secondly it should comfort them in respect of the sutes they may obtain from God He is rich to all that call vpon him No King can doo so much for his Fauourites as God can and will do for his God's Fauourites may ask whatsoeuer they will and be sure to haue it and therefore it were a shame for them to be poor Thirdly the Fauourites of earthly Princes may lose all and fall into the King's displeasure and so be vndone for euer and go out with singular disgrace and ruine but God's Fauorites haue this priuiledge they shall neuer lose the fauour of God He will loue them to the end Iohn 13.1 Nothing shall separate them from the loue of God in Christ Ro. 8. vlt. God hath not appointed any of them to wrath but to the obtaining of saluation 1. Thes. 5.9 10. And all this should be the more comfortable because God respects no persons Euery Subject cannot be the King's Fauourite nor is euery seruant in Ordinary nor is euery one that serues in the Chamber of Presence or Priuy-Chamber but in God's Court all seruants are Fauourites and hee hath treasure enough to enrich them all and affection enough to loue them all Secondly diuers instructions may be heer gathered for if we be God's Fauourites and his treasure it should teach vs 1. To liue comfortably euen to liue by faith to trust vpon God's fauour for life and saluation nor need we doubt our pardon nor question our preferment 2. To liue humbly to bee euer ready to acknowledge that it was God's free grace that hath raiâed them vp from the very dung hill as it were to such high preferment wee must confesse that we hold all from him wee must humble our selues seeing we haue this honor to walk with our God Pride is one of the first things destroies the Fauourites of the world 3. To liue holily denying vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and liuing religiously and soberly and righteously in this present world since he hath redeemed vs to bee a people peculiar to himself wee should bee zealous of good works An exactness of liuing is required of such as must liue in Princes presence and since GOD hath bought vs at so dear a rate wee must not liue to our selues but to him that died for vs 2. Cor. 5.15 Tit. 2.12 14. 4. To submit our selues to God's disposing wee are his treasure it is reason hee should doo with his owne what hee will and the rather because he will neuer imploy his treasure but for aduantage He that blamed the euill seruant for not gaining by his talent will certainly himself gain by all the waies hee imploies his owne treasure This doctrine should serue also for a double warning to wicked men First to take heed how they wrong God's people if they touch his Anointed they touch the apple of his eie Hee will be sensible and requite it They are not in a safe condition that wrong the Fauourites of Kings their backs are as good as broken and euery man is afraid of them and it is no lesse danger to bee injurious to that people which is so dear to God And withall this doctrine should teach vs and them that if they haue any desire to get the King of heauens pardon or to obtaine fauour with him if they haue any minde to repent they should doe well to get some of those Fauorites to commend their suit to the King God will not deny them The praiers of the righteous auaile much especially if they be earnest with him Hitherto of the enumeration of the particulars of the prerogatiues of the godly The end of them followes viz. That they may shew the vertues of Christ that called them Vertues The originall word heere translated vertues is but sparingly vsed in Scripture the Apostle Paul onely vseth it once viz. Phil. 4.8 and the Apostle Peter heere and twice in the next Epistle neither doe Interpreters agree about the translation of it For many following the Syriach render it praises and not vertues And so the meaning is our priuiledges are bestowed vpon vs to this end that wee should shew foorth the praises of Christ and that diuers waies First by embracing these prerogatiues themselues For these doe set out much the praises of Christ as his loue to man his wisdome and power that could redeeme a people out of such miserie to happines and his singular acceptation with his Father from whom hee obtained such large prerogatiues for his seruants Secondly by thanksgiuing when wee praise God for Christ and giue praise to Christ for all his goodnes and loue to vs. Thirdly by commending the riches of the loue of Christ to vs setting forth his praise from day to day as wee haue occasion by discourse to others Fourthly by liuing so as that God in Iesus Christ may be glorified in the world especially in the Church Now other writers follow the natiue signification of the word and translate it vertues but with different interpretation For some by the vertues of Christ vnderstand the benefits exhibited to vs by Christ and so we are enriched with the former priuiledges that so wee might make it appeare how much wee haue gained by Iesus Christ And these benefits of Christ wee shew forth by thanksgiuing to God daily praising him for them as also by the word of exhortation when we call vpon others to seek after them and lastly by carrying our selues so as may become so great treasure keeping them with all care esteeming them aboue all gettings and liuing as contentedly as if God had giuen vs a kingdome on earth and ordring our conuersation so as men might see our care of good works becomming such high preferment But I rather follow those Interpreters that take the word as it
and yet become grieuous to men by their vile offenses Thirdly vnfruitfull Christians which lie in a continuall barrenness whose ground is alwaies fallow haue but little consolation from hence for though they are better than the former in that they are not openly wicked yet they fall short of their duty heer because they do not more effectually shew forth the graces of Christ. And that there may bee a healing of this error they must mend first their ignorance and pray to GOD to teach them to profit secondly their slothfulnesse rowzing vp themselues to more zeale of good works and care to answer the opportunities of well-doing Vse 2. Secondly for instruction All that loue the Lord Iesus should hence be perswaded to increase in all care of well-dooing and study how to shew forth the light of their workes before men and the rather because 1. They haue receiued such singular mercy from the Lord. 2. They shall heerby glorifie their heauenly Father and make Religion to be well-spoken of Phil. 2.15 16. 2. Thes. 3.21 and put to silence the ignorance of the foolish we should be as tender of the honour of our profession as of our owne honour 3. They shall heerby wonderfully establish their owne harts in the assurance of their calling and election 1. Iohn 1.5 6. 2. Pet. 1.5 to 10. and much increase their owne contentment and joy in the Lord 1. Cor. 15.58 4. They shall haue a full and plentifull reward in the day of the Lord Rom. 2.7 8 9 10 11. 5. The hearts of their Teachers shall bee heerby filled with ioy when they see they haue not laboured in vain Phil. 2.16 2. Cor. 3.1 2 3. Of him that c. In the third place it may bee heer considered of why those vertues shewed forth by Christians are yet called the vertues of Christ. For answer whereunto we may be informed that they are the vertues of Christ in diuers respects First because they are such vertues as are had onely by such as bee in Christ by effectuall calling for all the Wicked are strangers from the life of God Secondly because they are receiued from the Spirit of Christ of his fulness we haue all receiued these graces Iohn 1.14 Eph. 1.21 Thirdly because they are shewed forth for his glory All our gifts and seruices are deuoted to the glory of Christ as they are in him so they are for him Lastly I think they may be called the vertues of Christ because they resemble his vertues as the picture of a man is called by the name of the man himself And the consideration heerof should the more incite vs to the care of these vertues seeing wee are heer to follow no worse a patterne than the example of the Lord Iesus himself and withall we should be the more humble when wee haue had and done all we can seeing we haue nothing but what we haue receiued And since all should be for his glory we haue reason to say at the best Wee are vnprofitable seruants And withall it should comfort vs against the sense of our infirmities to consider how weak soeuer wee haue been yet our gifts are acknowledged for the vertues of Christ himself and by the benefit of Christ's intercession are accepted of God as if they had bin found in the person of Christ himself Thus of the third point He that hath called you The fourth thing to be noted is this Periphrasis heer giuen of Christ. In stead of saying the vertues of Christ hee saith the vertues of him that called you which he doth of purpose to exalt the praise of the gifts of God in our calling and partly to shew that we enter vpon the possession of the former prerogatiues the most of them when we are called by the grace of Iesus Christ and partly thereby guiding vs to the knowledge of that work of God which may assure vs of our interest in the former prerogatiues All which shewes that we haue great reason seriously to study the doctrine of our calling by Iesus Christ. Calling is either personall or naturall or spirituall or supernaturall The personall calling is to some office the naturall to the exercise of some morall vertue the spirituall or supernaturall is to Christ calling vs to seek happinesse and blessednes in him This is heer meant And so the calling of a Christian is to bee reckoned among the gifts or endowments God bestowes vpon his people which that wee may distinctly vnderstand according to the order of them there are seuen gifts of God First vocation by which he calls men out of the world into the Church Secondly iustification by which he forgiues the Called their sins and clothes them with the rich Robe of Christ's righteousnes Thirdly sanctification by which he qualifies their nature with all heauenly gifts necessary for their saluation Fourthly adoption by which hee acknowledgeth and receiueth them for his sonnes and heirs Fiftly Christian liberty by which hee frees them from all things that might hold them in bondage or in a seruile condition as from the rigour and curse of the Law from the dominion of sinne from the burden of Moses ceremonies and humane traditions and from those seruile fears in God's seruice bred by the spirit of bondage Sixtly consolation by which he keeps them in this happy condition which hee performeth three waies 1. By defending them against all aduersaries 2. By deliuering them out of their many troubles in their militant estate 3. By bestowing vpon them the gifts of perseuerance to the end and for euer Seuenthly temporall blessings by which hee furnisheth them for this present life The six first of these are gifts principall the last is but accessary The three first are the chief gifts and the three next are such as arise out of the first Now this work of calling men into the church is either externall or internall By the externall men are called into the visible Church by the internall men are cald into the inuisible Church And that we may conceiue of this distinctly in respect of calling all men may be cast into foure companies First some are not called at all any way by the Gospell as many of the Pagans c. Secondly some are called onely externally as those in Mat. 20. Many called but fewe chosen Thirdly some are called internally onely as the thief on the Crosse. Fourthly some are called both internally and externally so the Elect of God for the most part and ordinarily It is the last sort of men that are vnderstood heere Now that this work of God calling vs may in the order of working bee more cleerely vnderstood we may conceiue it thus The first cause is Gods loue of men his kindnes and loue to men as the Apostle calles it Tit. 3.4 First that God conceiues in himself a compassionate loue of man lying in his extreme naturall distresse Secondly Christ then as Mediator laies the ground of this calling and
so he doth two waies First by remoouing what might hinder the work as the displeasure of God and the curse of the Law which he did by being made sin for vs 2. Cor. 5.22 Secondly by purchasing and bringing to light immortality and also the people that should possesse it which purchase he made with his owne bloud Acts. 20.28 2 Tim. 1.9 10. Thirdly then God sends the Word of reconciliation furnishing men with gifts to preach the Gospell and so vseth their ministery of reconciliation as the onely ordinary meanes of calling men 2. Cor. 5.18 19. Rom. 10.14 17. Fourthly the Spirit of Christ doth inwardly perswade the harts of men to receiue the Word and so to be reconciled to God The vse of this doctrine of our Christian calling may serue both for instruction and for terror for instruction and so it may teach First vnregenerate men in the Church as euer they would bee saued to awake to the care of of their calling Eph. 5.14 and to bee entreated while they haue the ministry of reconciliation 2. Cor. 5.20 and to open when Christ knocks Reu. 3.21 taking heede they be not as the horse or Mule Psal. 32.9 and that they may prosper in this work of their calling they must looke to two things 1. That they be not hardned through the deceitfulnes of sin Heb. 3.13 2. That they despise not professing but account the feet of them that bring the glad tidings to be beautifull Esay 52.9 There are foure reasons assigned by the Apostle Heb. 3 c. Fourthly why men should be ruled when Christ graunts them the meanes First because it is to day they know not how long they shall haue the meanes Heb. 3.7 c. Secondly because of all deceits it is most miserable to bee deceiued of the things offred vs in the Gospel verse 13. Thirdly because God is extremely grieued and prouoked by our neglects herein verse 16. Fourthly because else we shall faile of the promise of entring into his rest Heb. 4.1 2. Secondly godly men should hence learne diuers things First to be diligent aboue all things to make their calling sure now there be diuers signes of a true effectuall calling such as these As 1. The opening of the heart to receiue the Word of God and to attend the things which are spoken Acts 16.14 whereby they are inabled to heare as the learned Esaiah 51.6 2. The wearines of heart vnder the burthen of sin Math. 11.29 9.13 3. The answere of the heart to the voice of Christ consenting to obey and to enter into couenant with God Esaiah 1.18 19. 4. The taking away of the detestable things their abominations from them Ezech. 11.17 21. Col. 2.11 5. The knitting of the heart to the godly 6. The remoouing of the stony heart and the planting of the heart of flesh Ezech. 11.19 7. The vertues of Christ as in the coherence in this text 8. In generall the truth of our calling appears by the demonstration of the spirit power The holy Ghost quickning the heart to new obedience called the manifestation of the spirit Secondly it should teach them to striue to walk worthy their calling for the manifestation of the spirit was giuen to profit withal we are therfore called that we might be to the praise of his rich grace Now that we may walk in some measure as becomes this great gift of God First wee should be humble and not wise in our own conceit though hardnes lye yet vpon the hearts of some Rom. 11.25 30 31. For the winde blowes where it listeth and the Spirit of Christ workes where and when it pleaseth him Iohn 3. and wee haue nothing but what wee haue receiued Secondly wee should bee exceeding thankfull to God for his rich grace in our calling And the rather 1. Because this is no common fauour but in speciall grace communicated to vs For no man commeth but whom the Father draweth 2. Because it was done without respect of our owne works without al desert on our part 2. Tim. 1.9 For God called vs that were worldly carnall naturall sinfull men strangers from the life of God dead in sins seruing the lusts and diuers pleasures yea such as neuer sought God wee were miserable sinners Ephes. 2.1 12. Mat. 13. 3. Because of the meanes and manner of our calling God the Father worketh his part I work saith our Sauiour An excellent work when such workmen are needfull to it and in this work the ministration of the spirit exceedes in glory 2. Cor. 3.7 8. and it is a holy calling wherewith hee hath called vs 2. Tim. 1.9 4. Because they are so great happinesses to which hee hath called vs As to the fellowship of his Sonne To be sonnes and heires with him 1. Cor. 1.7 and to a Kingdome and so great glory 1. Thes. 2.12 2. Thes. 2.14 5. Because Gods gifts and calling are without repentance Hee will neuer repent that hee hath so called vs Rom. 11.29 Esay 54.7 8 9 10. Iam. 1.17 And thus of the second way by which wee should shew our selues desirous to walk worthy of our calling 3. Wee should shew this by well doing we must bee carefull to maintaine good works Tit. 3.8 For wee were called that we might serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of our life Luke 1.74 75. 4. Wee should therefore liue contentedly when wee are assured of the work of Christ in calling vs with such a calling Iacob should not now bee ashamed nor his face wax pale Esay 29.23 24. 5. Wee should in our particular bee carefull to rest where wee are in the doctrine wee haue learned and beene taught and not bee carried about with euery wind of Doctrine Eph. 4.11 12 14. Thus as the vses are common to the Godly in generall Thirdly Ministers in particular from the consideration of this doctrine of our calling by Iesus Christ should learne to preach Christ and him crucified and to deny the excellency of wisdome or words that mens faith may bee in the power of Christ It is Christ must giue them increase they should learne of Paul 1. Cor. 2.2 4 5. One thing by the way I might note concerning the time of our calling we should not bee curious about that to knowe the day or hower when it was but wee must rest satisfied to know that wee are the Called of Iesus Christ. And thus of the vses for instruction Vse 3. Hence also may bee concluded much terror to wicked men that are not called in that this work of calling is the dore of all grace communicated to vs Now wicked men not called are of two sortes first some outwardly refuse their calling secondly some seem to obey it but it is not effectually both are in miserable case but not both alike For the later are neere the Kingdome of God many times The first sort resist the holy Ghost put the Word of Christ from them refuse
hath done as great a work vpon our hearts as he did when he commanded the light to shine out of darknes in the beginning of the world Thirdly if we consider what glorious things are reuealed vnto vs for by the gospell hee hath caused to shine in our hearts the knowledge of the glory of God c. Finally it is the more comfortable in that the Apostle cals this light maruellous light which is now in the next place to be opened Maruellous light The spirituall light which shines in the harts of the godly by the Gospel is a maruellous light either because it is such as the Godly do maruell at or because it is such as they ought to maruell and wonder at When men first enter into the truth that is when they are first conuerted Christians beeing for the most part full of affections as they that haue scaped lately singular danger and as they that neuer before saw the Kings Court they are frequently stirred vp with admiration at the glory of the Gospell they wonder at and are vehemently affected with the new discouery of the riches of Christ shewed them in the preaching of the Gospell and thus it is a maruellous light in this sense Esay 30.26 But I rather consider of it in the other sense It is a maruellous light though wee should not haue the heart to bee so affected toward it it is maruellous I say First because it is a light that needed the Mediator to procure it none but Christ can giue vs this light Other light is free wee pay nothing for it but this is carried in the hand of the Mediator to vs and for vs Esay 42. and 49. Secondly because it commeth after so long a night of ignorance and sin they must needs account the light precious that haue not seen it a long time as blind men when they receiue sight Thirdly and more because it is a light commanded to shine out of darknes 2. Cor. 4.6 That God should call light out of such darknes as was in our hearts is maruellous Fourthly in comparison with the times of the Law and the shadows of the old Testament Fiftly because it is a light comes not from any creature but from God the Creator God is our light Esay 6.19 And in this respect this light is like the light that shone about Paul Acts 22.6 Sixtly because it is a light that shines at the time of the euening of this world That the Sun should shine in the day time is no wonder but that it should shine in the night or at euening were a dreadfull wonder euen so it is in this last age of the world Zach. 14.7 Seuenthly because it is a knowledge aboue the reach of reason it is the light of faith Eightthly because it shines onely to the godly It is light in Goshen when there is no light in Aegypt that was maruellous and so is it when we see the light shining all abroad and many men sit in darknes euen in the same place in the same congregation city or family When the Godly see cleerly the Wicked discerne nothing light is with-held from the Wicked Ninthly because it hath more force than any other light for it is the light of life it quickens the soule and enlyues it Iohn 8.12 Lastly because it is an euerlasting light it is such a day as no night followeth it The consideration of all this should work diuers things in vs. For if in all these senses it bee a maruelous light then First we should be maruelously affected with it and striue to be exceeding thankful for it How haue we deserued to be cast againe into darknes for our extreme vnthankfulnes How haue wee giuen God cause to take away the Candlestick from vs Let vs therefore striue after thankfulnes and admiration and if the Lord doe work it in vs let vs take heed we lose not our first loue Secondly wee should arme our selues for the defence of the light we should preserue it as a singular treasure both in our hearts and in our Churches we should with the more resolution resist the works of darknes standing alwaies vpon our guard Rom. 13.12 Thirdly we should striue after all the degrees of the assurance of faith Fourthly we should striue to make our light shine the more excellently both for the measure of good works Malac. 5.16 and for the strict precise respect of the exact doing of good duties Now we haue the light so cleerely shining wee may doe euery thing the more exactly then if it were dark Ephes. 5.15 Our gifts must not bee hid The light must not be put vnder a bushell Math. 5.15 Phil. 2.15 We should now auoid not onely greater faulâs and falles but lesser stumblings 1 Ioh. 2.10.11 We should doe all things to the life and power of them and shew discretion aswell as knowledge This doctrine also doth imply the grieuous misery of wicked men for if it bee maruelous light into which the godly are called there is a maruelous darknes in which wicked men liue The whole creation of God had been but a confused heape if God had not set in it the light of the Sun such a confused Chaos is the world of men if the Gospell shine not into their hearts Finally this should much comfort the godly they are called into maruelous light in all the sences before named which should much inflame their hearts and they should rebuke their owne hearts for not valuing so rich treasure Wee may from hence take occasion to note how little wee should trust to the iudgement of flesh and bloud in valuing spirituall things when the very godly themselues doe not so much esteeme of them as they should Whatsoeuer we think yet in Gods account the light of the Gospel the light of faith and knowledge the light of Gods countenance c. is maruelous light But if the light of the godly bee maruelous in this world what shall it be in the world to com when God the Lamb shall be their immediate light Heere God lights vs by the meanes there God himself will be our euerlasting light Heere our light may be darkned with clouds of affliction and temptation there shall bee an eternall light without all darknes Heere we haue no light but what is infused into vs there we shall our selues shine as the Sunne iâ the firmament Hitherto of the description in Tropicall tearms Now it followeth in plaine words Verse 10. Which in times past were not a people yet are now the people of God which in times past were not vnder mercy but now haue obtained mercy THe Apostle takes the words of this verse out of the Prophet Hosea chapter 1.11 where the Lord promiseth that the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea and in the place where it was said vnto them Ye are not my people it shall bee said vnto them Ye are my people Now the Apostle
any nation may be admitted to this estate and the Lord without respect of persons will blesse them with the blessing of his people as the Prophet excellently shewes Esay 2.19 and 19.24 25. The Gentiles haue come to reioice amongst his people Rom. 15.9 10 11. They were hard times when the Lord's dominion was in a manner confin'd in the Kingdome of Iudah and Israel 2. Because it is so great and glorious a work on God's part to make vs his people for hee doth as it were plant the heauens and lay the foundation of the earth that hee may say vnto Sion Thou art my people Esay 51. verse 16. 3. Because in the hardest times that can befall the godly the Lord will haue them plead this priuiledge and they may go to God and he will acknowledge them in all their distresses and sanctifie their afflictions and deliuer them at the voice of their cry Esay 64 9. Zach. 13.19 4. Because they shall yet enioy a farre more excellent estate in another world than now they haue Reu. 21. They are now but as the children of Israel in Goshen or in the wildernesse Vse 2. Secondly diuers things may bee hence obserued for instruction as 1. Such as liue in the Church and yet haue not the marks of God's people on them should awake and look about them and labour to get into the number of God's people These fooles among the people as the Prophet Dauid calleth them should vnderstand and these euill neighbours vnto Israel should bee perswaded to learn the waies of God's people and so they may bee built vp in the midst of Israel Ier. 12.16 And it should bee their daily praier vnto God to grant them this one request namely to blesse them with the fauour of his people Psal. 106.3 4. 2. The penitent sinner that feels his heart called by the voice of Christ should hence bee moued to enter into the couenant of God and speedily to take the oath of subiection alleageance binding himself with all his heart to God and his diuine seruice deu 29.10 11 12 13. Ier. 50.5 3. Such as haue taken the oath and are acknowledged for true Subiects should for the rest of their time study how to carry themselues as becomes the people of God and so In generall they should remember two things 1. To giue eare to God's Law and hearken what the Lord will say vnto them from time to time Psal. 78.1 Esay 51.4 2. To lead a holy life and conuersation for therefore hath God seuered them from all nations that they might bee holy to him Leuit. 20.26 All God's people are righteous Esay 59.21 and 62.12 And Christ hath redeemed them from all iniquity and purified them that they might be a peculiar people vnto him zealous of good works Tit. 2.14 They must therefore bee no more polluted with their transgressions nor bee fashioned to the lusts of their former ignorance Ezech. 14.11 and 36.25 c. In particular they should 1. Giue God thanks for euer for blessing them with the blessing of his people Psal. 79. vlt. 2. They should humble themselues to walk with their God Mic. 6.8 being humbled at his feet to receiue his Law Deut. 33.3 bowing down with all reuerence to worship him Psa. 95.7 For God is a great God aboue all gods and a great King aboue all kings 3. They must auoid needlesse society with the wicked 2. Cor. 6.16 and take heed that they learn not the manners of other nations Leuit 20.24 4. The Law of GOD must bee in their hearts For they should be a wise and vnderstanding people aboue all men and this is the signe of God's people Esay 51.7 Deut. 4.6 And it is God's couenant to write his Laws in their harts Ier. 31.33 5. They must auoid Idols and keep Gods Sabbath this God requires perpetually Leuit. 26.1 2 3 11 12. and graciously accepts when hee findes this care Esay 56. with protestation against those that will not keep his Sabbaths Ier. 17 c. 6. They must walk confidently in the trust vpon God's goodnes and couenant with them as the godly resolued Mic. 4.5 All people walk in the name of their god and therefore we will walk in the Name of the Lord our God for euer and euer resoluing to cleaue to God in a perpetuall couenant Ier. 50.4 5. 7. They should approoue themselues to bee God's people by their language their language should bee a pure language not speaking lies a deceitfull tongue should not bee found in their mouthes and their words should be gracious such as might minister grace to the hearers Zeph. 3.9 13. Eph. 4. Col. 4. 8. They should be patient in all aduersities as being of Moses minde that it is better to suffer affliction with God's people than to enioy the treasures of Egypt Heb. 11 25. 9. They should obey according to all that God commands them shewing a respect to all God's Commandements seeing they serue God and not men and that all dissimulation will bee open before his eies Ieremie 11. verse 4. And thus of the second way of comparison In the last words of the verse their estate is considered in relation from God to them And so in the state of nature they were not vnder mercy but in the state of grace they are now vnder mercy Not vnder mercy Doct. All the time that men liue without repentance for their sins and faith in Iesus Christ they liue without the mercy of God they are not vnder mercy God loues them not nor regards them they are children of wrath Eph. 2.3 and the wrath of God abideth on them Ioh. 3.36 Yea though the Lord be exceeding mercifull in himself and to the faithfull yet by no meanes will he cleer the guilty Exod. 34.6 Num. 14.18 Now this not beeing vnder mercy imports diuerse things First that their sinnes are not forgiuen or pardoned Secondly that their soules are not healed of their originall diseases but they liue still in their blood Thirdly that they are liable vnto all sorts of iudgements and those which are vpon them came from the wrath of GOD which hateth them c. Fourthly that they are in danger of eternall condemnation in generall that they liue and lie vnder the forfeiture of the couenant of works and haue no part in Christ or the couenant of grace Vse The vse should be therefore to teach wicked men to take heed how they presume of Gods mercy they may deceiue themselues but God will not be mocked Gal. 6.7 For such things as they are guilty of the wrath of God comes vpon the children of disobedience Eph. 5.5 They that liue after the flesh shall die Rom. 8.13 For the more distinct vnderstanding of this point foure things would be considered of First that wicked men are exceeding apt to plead Gods mercy thogh it belong not to them and doo not beleeue that God will deale so with them as they are threatned Secondly that God directly
prouided for that God preserues them yea and himselfe finds them out means of singular refreshing all their dayes Eightthly He crownes them with blessings Psal. 103.4 Ninthly hee giues them assurance of an immortall inheritance 1. Pet. 1.3 4. The consideration of this maruellous mercy which the godly haue obtained may teach vs diuers things First with all thankefulnesse to acknowledge the mercy of God wee should alwaies mention the louing kindnesse of God in all the experiences we haue of the truth of his mercies toward vs Esay 63 7. We should frame our selues to an easy discourse of the glory of God's Kingdome and talke of his power Psalme 145.8 9 10. Wee should be so perswaded of this truth as freely to say that we know that the Lord is gracious and very mercifull Psalme 116.5 It is a great sinne Not to remember the multitudes of God's mercies Psal. 106.7 Oh! that men would therefore indeede prayse the Lord for his goodnesse c. Psalme 107. foure times repeated in that Psalme Christians should glory in it not in their riches strength wisedome c. but in this that they know God that exerciseth mercy Ier. 9.24 Secondly in all our waies heartily to disclaim merits of works or opinion of our worthinesse or deserts say still with the Prophet in the Psalme Not vnto vs not vnto vs Lord but to thy Name giue the glory for thy mercy and truths sake Psal. 115.1 The whole frame of our saluation depends vpon God's Grace not on works Ephes. 2. Tit. 3.5 Thirdly let vs with Dauid resolue to dwell in the house of the Lord for euer since our happinesse lieth in mercy and since we haue the tidings of mercy in God's house there the fountain of this grace is daily opened vnto vs and we may draw water still with ioy out of this well of saluation in the Gospell Psal. 5.7 23. vlt. Fourthly we should learne of God to be mercifull Let vs striue to comfort others with shewing them mercy as we haue receiued mercy from the Lord. Oh let vs bee mercifull as our heauenly Father is mercifull Luke 6. Fiftly we should hence be incouraged and resolued since we know our priuiledges to goe boldly vnto the throne of Grace vpon all occasions to seeke mercy to helpe in the time of neede We haue obtained mercy of the Lord and therefore may and ought to make vse of our priuiledge Heb. 4.16 Secondly this doctrine of God's mercy may serue for singular comfort to the godly and that both in the case of sinne and in the case of afflictions 1. Against the disquietnesse of the heart for sinne it should much refresh them to remember that they haue obtained mercy yea though innumerable euils haue compassed them about Psal. 40.11 12. and though our offences are exceeding grieuous Psal. 51.1 Exod. 34.6 7. 2. Secondly in the case of afflictions many things should hence comfort vs. 1. That howsoeuer it goe with our bodies yet God hath mercy on our soules 2. That it is mercy that our afflictions are not worse that wee are not consumed Lamentations 7.22 3. That in the worst afflictions God doth many waies shew mercy his mercies are new euery morning Lament 3.23 4. That though God cause griefe yet hee will haue compassion to regard vs according to our strength hee will deale with vs in measure Lament 3.32 Esay 27.7 5. That hee doth not afflict willingly Lament 3.33 6. That all shall worke together for the best Rom. 8.28 Deut. 8.16 7. God will giue a good end Iam. 5.11 Hee will lift vp from the gates of death Psal. 9.13 God will giue thee rest from thy sorrowes and feares and hard vsage Esay 14.1 3. Psal. 57.3 He will send from heauen to saue thee 8. Hee will afflict but for a moment Esay 54.7 But in both these cases wee must remember First to seeke mercy of God Ezech. 36.32 Secondly if wee bee not presently answered our eies must looke vp to God and wee must waite for his mercies Psal. 123.3 4. Thirdly wee must check our selues for the doubtfulnes of our hearts as Dauid doth Psal. 4.7 8. and 77.10 Fourthly because we liue too much by sence we must beseech God not onely to be mercifull but to let his mercy be shewed and come to vs Psal. 85.8 and 116.77 Fiftly wee should also beseech God not onely to let vs feele his mercies but to satisfie vs also earely with his mercies Psalme 90. verse 14. Sixtly wee must looke to it that wee walk in our integritie Psalme 26.11 and liue by rule Gal. 6.16 Lastly howsoeuer wee must trust in God and looke to it that wee rest vpon the Lord Psal. 32.10 and 33.18 22. For God takes pleasure in those which hope in his mercy Psal. 147.11 Quest. But how may a man that is not yet comforted with Gods mercy take a sound course to obtaine mercie Ans. That men may obtaine mercie First they must take vnto themselues words and confess their sins to God and hartily bewaile their offences Ioel 2.13 Hosh. 14.3 Secondly they must turne from and forsake their euill waies and their vnrighteousnes inward and outward Esay 55.7 Thirdly they must bee carefull to seeke the Lord while hee may bee found Esay 55.6 Fourthly they must bee mercifull and loue mercie For then they shall obtaine mercie Math. 5.6 Fiftly they must learne the way of Gods people and learne them diligently Ierem. 12.15 16. They must haue pure hands and a cleane heart and not lift vp their soules to vanity Psal. 4.5 Sixtly they must hate the euill and loue the good Amos 5.5 Seuenthly they must cry vnto God daily Psal. 86.3 Eightthly there must nought of the cursed thing cleane vnto their hands Deuteronomie 13. verse 17. Ninthly when the Lord saith Seeke yee my face their hearts must say Thy face O Lord will wee seek Psal. 27.7 8. Verses 11.12 Dearly beloued I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which fight against the soule And haue your conuersation honest among the Gentiles that they which speak euill of you as of euill doers may by your good works which they shall see glorifie God in the day of their visitation THese words contain the epilogue or conclusion of the whole exhortation as it concerns Christians in generall from verse 13 of the former chapter hitherto and it hath in it matter both of dehortation and of exhortation as answering in the substance to all that hee hath hitherto intreated of by way of vse The dehortation is in verse 11 the exhortation in verse 12 in the one shewing what they should auoid in the other what they should doo They should auoid fleshly lusts and that they should doo is to liue honestly In generall we may note that it is the proper effect of all sorts of doctrine in scripture to make an impression of care in our hearts about the reformation of our liues that it is in vaine heard which doth not
some way breed in vs a hatred of vice and a loue of honesty this is the vse of all Scripture 1. Tim. 3.16 17. Which may serue for triall of such as come to the Word they may knowe whether they be good or euill hearers by the impression made vpon their hearts by the Word And it may serue for information to shew vs the excellency of the Word aboue all other Writings because there is no line in Scripture but some way it tends to the redresse of our natures from sin and to plant holinesse in vs which can be true of no human Writings And withall it shewes the happy estate of the godly who though they haue many diseases in their natures yet they haue wonderfull store and variety of medicines in God's Word to heal their natures If for the diseases of our bodies there bee but one herb in the whole field that is good for cure we haue reason to think that God hath prouided well in nature for vs but how is his mercy glorious who in the spiritual Field of his Word hath made to growe as many herbs for cure of all our diseases as there be sentences in Scripture And lastly it should teach vs to vse the Scriptures to this end to redresse our waies by them And thus in generall The first part of the epilogue hath in it matter of dehortation where obserne First the parties dehorted who are described by an epithet importing their priuiledge aboue other men viz. Dearly beloued Secondly the manner of propounding the dehortation viz. by way of beseeching I beseech you Thirdly the matter from which hee dehorts viz. fleshly lusts Fourthly the manner how they are to bee auoided viz. abstain from them Fiftly the motiues First Yee are strangers and pilgrims secondly these lusts are fleshly thirdly they fight against the soule Dearly beloued This tearme is not vsed complementally or carelesly but with great affection in the Apostle and with speciall choice and fitnes for the matter intreated of which we may obserue in the most places where this louely epithet is giuen to the godly in other Scriptures GOD is exceeding choice of his words hee neuer mentioneth the teaâms of loue but hee brings to his children the affections of loue as I may so say Men through custome vse faire complement of words when their hearts be not moued but let our loue bee without dissimulation But let that go The point heer to bee plainly obserued is that Christians are beloued of all other people they are most loued I will but briefly explicate this First GOD loues them and that with infinite and euerlasting loue and hath manifested it by sending his owne Son to be a propitiation for their sinnes 1. Iohn 4.9 10. Secondly Christ loueth them which hee shewed by giuing his life for them Thirdly the Angels of heauen loue them which they shew by ioying in their conuersion and by their carefull attendance about them Fourthly the Godly in generall loue them There is no godly man that knowes them but loues them for euery one that loues God that begot them loues euery one that is begotten of God euery one I say that he knowes 1. Iohn 5.1 Lastly the godly Teachers loue them which they shew in that they are not onely willing to impart to them the Gospell but euen their owne soules because their people are dear vnto them 1. Thes. 2.8 Now this loue of God of Christ of the Angels of the godly men Ministers should serue to support vs against the contempt and hatred of the world wee haue a loue that is much better than the loue of worldly men can be to vs. First because it is of better persons and secondly because it is of a better kinde for it is more feruent and it is more pure and more constant Worldly men can shew no loue that hath comparison to the loue of God or Christ or any of those for the feruency of it And if worldly men loue vs it is to draw vs vnto one euill or other and besides it will not last for wicked men will agree with themselues no longer than so many Curres will agree they are alwaies contending hatefull and hating one another Secondly this point should much check the vnbeliefe of Christians and their vnthankfulnesse for many times they are affected as if they were not beloued of any whereby they much dishonour the loue of God and of Christ and of Christians towards them also and thereby they flatly contradict the Text which saith They are beloued Thirdly impenitent sinners should bee moued heerby to become true Christians because till then they are monstrous hatefull creatures GOD loaths them and their works Iohn 3.36 Esay 1.11 c. And such vile persons are vile and odious in the eâes of the godly Psalm 24.4 Psalm 15. Fourthly Christians should labour to preserue this loue vnto themselues with increase of the comfort of it and so diuers things would much aduantage them in this loue as 1. Faith To liue by faith commends them wonderfully to God's loue as being the condition mentioned when he sent his Sonne into the world Iohn 3.16 For without it it is impossible to please God 2. Humility would much commend them to the loue of the Angels who reioyce more in one sinner that is penitent than in 99 iust men that need no repentance 3 The fruits of wisdome mentioned Iam. 3.17 haue a maruellous force to win loue among men To be pure in respect of sincere Religion to be gentle and peaceable free from passion and contention to be easie to be intreated to be also full of mercy good works and all this without iudging or hypocrisie to bee no censurers nor counterfets oh this is exceeding amiable if these things were carefully expressed 4. And for their Ministers two things would much increase their loue to them First obedience to their doctrine for this will preuail more than all the bounty in the world 1. Thes. 2.13 Heb. 13.18 Secondly to conuerse without back-biting or vncharitable iudging of them By these two the Philippians and Thessalonians were highly aduanced in the affection of the Apostle and through the want of these the Corinthians lost much in the loue of the Apostle Thus of the persons dehorted The manner of the dehortation followes I beseech ye In that the Apostle in the name of God doth beseech them diuers things are imported as First the maruellous gentlenesse and loue of God to men hee that may command threaten punish yea cast off yet is pleased to beseech men Secondly the dignitie and excellency of a cleane heart and honest life It is a thing which God by his seruants doth vehemently begge at our hands Thirdly the honor of a Christian he is spoken to as to a great Prince as the two former reasons shew him to be Fourthly a rule of direction how to carry our selues towards others in the case of reformation wee must learne of the
as it works either apprehension Secondly or motion The apprehending senses wrought vpon the body by the Soule are of two sorts First eyther outward Secondly or inward Outwardly the Soule workes vpon the body fiue senses or fiue waies of apprehending things by sense The body of a man is enabled by the Soule to discerne of things without it selfe by outward helps fiue waies viz. By Seeing 1. Hearing 2. Smelling 3. Tasting 4. Feeling 5. And these wayes of discerning are not to bee contemned For admirably ought it to be conceiued of Gods wisedome in and towards man euen in these For first by the sight through the benefit of light which God hath caused to shine vpon his whole creation man may see what God hath wrought whereas else if the light be taken out of the ayre or sight from man the works of God are buried as it were in the darke yea the body of a man is as it were but a Dungeon without sight and what the Sunne and Moone are in heauen that are the eyes in man shining in his head as these Starres in the firmament The sight is a chiefe helpe for all the great imployments of life in all callings The eyes are as watchmen set on high in their watch-Tower to discouer the comming of enemies The eyes are also as the true windowes of the Soule by which the Species or formes of things are taken into the Soule For God hath caused all substance in the World to cast out beames as it were which haue the pictures of the things themselues carried about and these comming to the sight are by it aboue all other senses taken in and deliuered to the Soules within the eyes being a looking glasse that resemble the things seene and this noble sense may put vs in minde of God's knowledge if wee marke the degrees of seeing The eye of man discernes at once a great share or quantity of things together The minde of man will take in a farre greater quantity and number and yet is finite for it cannot reach to all things that God hath made at once Now God's vnderstanding is infinite and beholds all at once For the second the sense of hearing is worthy to be thought on if we consider eyther the benefits come by it or the manner how it is performed for by hearing is let into the Soule and Body not onely sounds of delight or wonder but also sounds of necessity both for naturall life by letting in speech and discourse and for eternall life by letting in the Word of GOD. First the manner of hearing is admirable Sound is the breaking of the aire stirred vp by the dashing or collision of sollid bodies and is spred in the aire as a stone cast into the water makes and drawes from it circles Thus the sound is brought to the eare the hollow turnings in the eare gather and hold the sounds as it were canes The sound at length rusheth vpon a little bone or gristle like a hammer which moued smites vpon another bone like an Anuel by which stroak the spirits in the hearing moue and are stirred vp and so they take in the sound carry it to the braine the seat of inward senses These two are the most noble outward senses yet there is great vse of the other three Thirdly for by tasting we discerne of meates profitable or hurtfull for the body Fourthly by smelling we receiue in those delightfull sauours God hath caused to arise from diuers of his creatures and to auoide things by sauor âoysome to the body Fiftly and touching though it bee the most stupid sence yet is of great vse for the safety of the body All these senses are as a guard for the body and as Intelligencers for the Soule Thus of the outward senses The Soule worketh likewise inward senses vpon and by the body and the generall vse of these inward senses is to receiue and lay vp what is brought vnto them by the outward senses for the outward senses are like seruants that trade abroad and get together the images of diuers things which they carry with them home to the inward senses Now there are three inward senses 1. The common Sense 2. The Phantasie 3. The Memory And these are lodged in three seuerall roomes or little cels in the braine First the common sense lieth in the former part of the head and containes all that store by which all the outward senses are furnished For spirits fetch the vigour of each sense from this the common sense As the lines that goe to the Circumference meet all in the Center so doe all the outward senses meet in the common sense and hither likewise are all the formes of things taken by the outward senses brought and distinguished SecoÌdly the phantasie is lodged in the middle part of the braine where as in a shop it takes in the images of things brought to the common sense and there formes them more exactly and oftentimes makes new after an admirable manner by thinking and then after it hath separated what it likes not it deliuers the rest ouer to the memory which is lodged in the hinder part of the braine which is as it were the treasurie to keepe what the phantasie as a Iudge hath sentenced to her keeping the common sense being but as the doore-keeper vnto the phantasie And these three senses differ in the abilitie to receiue and keepe the impression of the images of things brought to them For the common sense is seated in the more soft part of the braine and so not able to keepe them long as waxe ouer-soft doth not long keep the impression of the seale The phantasy is placed in a harder part of the braine and therefore keepes the impression longer But the memorie is placed in the hardest part of all and behind in the head further off from the concourse and trouble of the outward senses and by reason of the stifnes of the braine it keepes the impression longest Now that naturall heat with the animall spirits is like a fire to keepe the braine soft in the degrees therof that it may receiue the impression as hot water the wax fit to be marked Thus of the senses But before I passe from them it is profitable to note certaine things which befall the senses for the good of the body and soule and that is the binding and loosing of the senses For God hath so tempered the state of the senses in man that they should neither alwaies rest nor alwaies work Hence from their resting comes sleepe and from their working comes waking or watching we wake when the senses are loose and sleepe when the soule binds them vp both are thus wrought when the vegetatiue power wants help for concoction of the meat the naturall heat is sent from the senses to dispatch that work and then we sleep and when that is done the heat returnes to the senses and tickles them and so they awake But it is to
of truce 2. There is no safety or help by running away for thy aduersary is seated within thee and thou canst not runne from thy selfe 3. The flesh hath might and continuall aid from the diuell and the world which almost with infinite variety of occasions ministers obstinacy to the flesh 4. For want of care many worthy Champions haue beene for the time foiled shamefully as were Noah Lot Dauid Peter and others 5. No Christian can auoyd it but hath this combate within him Gal. 5.17 And as these or the like reasons may breed care and watchfulnes so hath the true Christian no cause of despaire but rather many arguments of hope of good successe and daily victories and triumphs ouer the flesh if he be watchfull for 1. God hath prouided him of armour against those kindes of assaults and it is mighty to preserue and subdue 2. Cor. 10.3 4. 2. Christ in his power doth rest in vs for this end to assist vs in the combate as we cry for help 2. Cor. 12.10 3. We fight against an aduersary hath beene often foiled by all sorts of Godly Christians and by our selues in diuers particular combates yea against an aduersary that hath receiued a deadly wound that cannot bee cured for so the flesh the first day of our conuersion was mortified All that are Christs haue mortified the flesh with the lusts thereof 4. Wee haue assurance of victory if wee resist Rom. 8.38 5. An incorruptible Crowne is laid vp for all that ouercome 2. Tim. 4.7 8. Reu. 2. Now for the seuenth point wee obtaine victory against the flesh diuers waies as 1. In our iustification when wee by faith obtaine the pardon of our sinnes committed and a righteousnes able to couer vs notwithstanding all the spite the flesh doth vs. This is our victory in Christ Rom. 7. 2. In our sanctification and so wee get victory 1. When we conquer some sins wholly so that we neuer commit them againe 2. When we turn and subdue the power of the sin that remains so as they cannot raigne though they rebell 3. We shall haue our finall and full victory in our glorification in the day of CHRIST when the flesh shall be vtterly abolished for euer Now for the eightth point wee may knowe that wee are not at any time ouercomne by these signes if we finde them in vs. 1. If wee iudge our selues for all knowne sinnes so as there be no sin arising from the flesh but wee condemn it and keep our selues as men condemned in the flesh being grieued at the rebellion of the flesh in vs Rom. 7.1 Pet. 4.7 2. If we hold fast our assurance of faith we are safe so long as we keep the faith 2. Tim. 4.7 3. If wee goe on in our Christian way or course and doo not giue-ouer the practice of knowne duties against the light of our consciences if we finish our course 2. Tim. 4.7 Vse 1. The vse of all should be First for information and so two waies for 1. It shewes the miseries of such persons as neuer feel this combate that haue all quiet in them it is a signe the flesh and the diuell rule all and there is no sanctified Spirit to resist 2. It shewes the folly of some godly persons that are troubled as if their states were not right because they finde such a combat in themselues whereas they should rather conclude the contrary that therefore there is some workmanship of Christ in them which is so opposed by the flesh and the diuell and that it is the case of all the godly to bee assaulted with rebellious thoughts and desires and other practices of the flesh reckoned vp before Secondly for instruction and so it should teach Christians and warn them to take heed of three things viz. of security despair and fainting for all these are mischieuous We may not be secure sith we haue such an enimy within vs nor must we be too much out of hope or despair of successe for the reasons before alleaged nor yet must wee giue way so much as to fainting of spirit but pluck vp our owne hearts and with trust in God's grace resist still the risings of corruption till we get a finall victory Verse 12. And haue your conuersation honest amongst the Gentiles that they which speak euill of you as euill doers may by your good works which they shall see glorifie God in the day of their visitation HItherto of the dehortation The words of this verse are an exhortation wherein consider both what hee exhorts to and by what reasons The matter hee exhorts to concernes their outward conuersation which he would haue to be honest and amiable The reasons are First because the Christians liued among Gentiles that imbraced not the true Religion Secondly because diuers of these Gentils were so spiteful against the Christians that they would take all occasions to speake euill of them Thirdly because some of them that now did speake euill of them might hereafter be conuerted to the true Religion Fourthly because if they now obserue their good works when they shall be visited of God they will much magnifie them to the great glory of God That which he then exhorts them to is the care of their conuersation which he amplifies by shewing what kinde of conuersation hee would haue it to be viz. A fayre or honest conuersation And haue your conuersation honest Diuers things may be hence obserued First that a sound Christian must shew himselfe to bee so by his conuersation a Christian must shew the power of his Religion by his works and by sound practice and that too amongst men abroad he must be knowne by his fruits Col. 1.9 10. Tit. 2.12 and therefore the Apostle beseecheth them to proue before the Gentiles that they were true Christians by their works and conuersation This reproues their discontentment that are vexed because they are not reputed for sound Christians and yet shew no care of a conscionable behauiour in their dealings and carriage among men and withall this may warne all sorts of Christians to looke to themselues that they be not deceiued with vaine shadowes in pretences for 't is not talking and discoursing of Religion will serue turne nor the frequenting of the exercises of Religion nor is it enough to doe secret duties but they are bound to the good behauiour generally in their carriage amongst men This is the first point Secondly from the coherence wee may note also that a man must first reforme his heart and then his life hee must first get a cleane heart freed from lusts and then looke to his conuersation Holinesse must bee both within and without hee is an hypocrite that hath a fayre conuersation and a foule heart neither may hee pleade the goodnesse of his heart that leades a foule conuersation both must bee ioyned together Thirdly we may hence note that euery Christian must be carefull and looke to it in particular that his conuersation be honest
honesty of life is with speciall care to be intended now this must be explicated The word translated Honest signifies properly Fayre and the Translatours respecting the matter of our conuersation render it well Honest so as withall for the manner wee adde that it bee a faire conuersation so that two things must bee obserued in our conuersation the Matter and the Manner For the Matter We must bee sure that we bee honest It is a vaine thing to thinke of being religious if wee fayle in honesty wee must not onely studie the duties of the first Table but wee must be carefull to proue the power of our Religion in the sound practice of the duties of the second Table we must liue righteously as well as religiously Tit. 2.12 wee must adde vertue to our faith 2. Pet. 1.5 and withall we should labor to excell in honesty to carry our selues so in all our dealings that our carriage might allure through the fairenesse of our behauiour we must in the things of honesty striue for an alluring carriage There be diuers things in our outward conuersation which set a great glosse vpon many actions and certaine particular duties which shew exceeding comely in a Christian mans behauiour those the Apostle would haue vs to studie and bee carefull of euen all things that are honest and might win credit to the profession of Religion Phil. 4.8 This then is the question What are those things which would so adorne the outward conuersation of Christians and make it faire and amiable For answer heereunto there are things distinctly which are of singular praise and much adorne a Christians conuersation and make it faire The first is harmelesnes to bee free from all courses of iniury and cruelty and oppression and the like A hurtfull and iniurious conuersation is a foule and vnseemely conuersation The second is discretion when men carry themselues with all due respect of their words and the consideration of the time place and persons with whom they conuerse a discreete conuersation is a wonderfull faire conuersation when as a foolish vaine rash conceited talkatiue behauiour is extremely irkesome and lothsome Col. 4.5 Iam. 3.13 The third is quietnes and gentlenes which excels as it shewes it selfe First by humblenes of mind thinking meanely of himselfe esteeming others better then himselfe Esay 4.2 in giuing honour going before others Rom. 12.13 Secondly by peaceablenes when men study to be quiet Eph. 4.11 12. and meddle with their own busines and auoid contention by all meanes rather suffering wrong then proue quarelsome Heb. 12.14 Thirdly easines to be entreated in case of offence taken and willingnes to be guided in things profitable and good Iam. 3.17 The fourth is sobriety When a man liues so as hee is not blemished either with filthines or drunkennes or couetousnes a man that is vnspotted of the world for any foule crimes and withall can shew a mind not transported with the greedy desires after earthly things is much honoured and iustly amongst men the worst man cannot but acknowledge the praise of such So as men shew this in their dealings euidently Rom. 13.13 Iam. 1.26 The fift is fidelity and plainnes when men are iust and true in all their dealings and will keepe their words and promises and abhor the sinnes of deceit and auoid subtilty and worldly wisedome and shew themselues to bee plaine men as it was said of Iacob that hee was a plaine man not like subtill Esau. This ought much to bee sought after by Christians that men may see their hearts by their words 2. Cor. 1.12 The sixt is profitablenes rendred in the end of this verse good works They lead a faire conuersation that doe good and are helpfull to others and ready to shew any kindnes or mercy to any that liue neere them or haue occasion to vse them This is an admirable prayse The vse should be therefore to teach vs to study how to adorne our conuersation with such integrity and vertuous behauiour as may winne prayse and reputation to our profession especially we should at least shunne all those hatefull euils which by experience we finde to bee grieuous and lothsome and are to be accounted as blemishes in our conuersings being things as are in a speciall manner lothsome and prouoke ill opinion in others as being against honesty and that faire conuersation should bee found in vs as First the sins of vncleannesse and whoredome and fornication and lasciuiousnes and filthy speaking Rom. 13.13 Eph. 5.3 4. Secondly the sins of drunkennes and riotousnes Rom. 13.13 1. Pet. 4.3 Thirdly the sinnes of passion malice wrath bitternes crying and euill speaking Eph. 4.31 Fourthly sinnes of deceit lying dissimulation and hypocrisie Fiftly Pride statelines desire of vaine glory Gal. 5.26 Sixtly backbiting complaining censuringe iudging Mat. 7.1 Iam. 4. Gal. 5.13 Seuenthly idlenesse and slothfulnesse 1. Thes. 4.11 12. Eightthly to bee a busie-body in other mens matters prying and inquiring and meddling with things that belong not to them 1. Thes. 4.11 12. 1. Pet. 4. To which adde prattling and talkatiuenesse 1. Tim. 5.13 Ninthly such courses as haue appearance of euill in them such are the vse of vain apparell and wilfull resorting to persons and places that are of euill report Thus of the matter to which he exhorts The reasons follow why they should bee carefull of an honest and faire behauiour and first because they liue among the Gentiles Among the Gentiles Those Gentiles were such as liued in their naturall idolatry the nations that had not receiued the Christian faith Those that think this Epistle was written onely to the prouinciall Iews alleage the words of this verse to proue it for they say it was written to such as liued among the Gentiles and were no Gentiles and they onely were the Iewes But this reason is of no force for those Gentiles that were conuerted to the Christian faith became Christians and so were no more Gentiles or Pagans and so these words may bee vnderstood of all sorts of Christians that liued among the vnconuerted Gentiles whether they were in their naturall estate either Iewes or Pagans In that the Christians liued among the Gentiles and must by their faire conuersation bee rightly ordered towards those Gentiles diuers things may be obserued First we may hence note how hard a thing it is to recouer men from a false religion though their religion bee grossely absurd In this place whither the Gospell came we see multitudes of men remained Gentiles still and would not receiue the Christian faith And this is the more to be noted if we either consider the reasons the Gentiles had to remain in their religion or the manifest causes they had to mooue them to imbrace the Christian Religion for for their owne religion they might easily obserue these things amongst many other First their palpable and sottish idolatry in worshipping so many gods and those so accounted to bee gods being many of them apparantly but
they should thereby bee made carefull to order themselues aright in bearing reproaches in a right manner as resolued to prepare for the triall of this affliction if they be not scourged with it for as the diuell when he gaue-ouer to tempt Christ is said to cease but for a season so if wicked men hold their tongues we must not think they will be quiet alwaies for till God turn their hearts they are apt to speak euill Now that a godly man may be rightly ordered in respect of reproaches hee must look to three things First he must be sure he bee free from this euill himself that hee help not the wicked against the righteous and by his owne intemperance raise euill fames by reason of which Religion is euill-spoken of for railing cursing slandering censuring and the like will make the very godly look like wicked ones yea like the diuell himself Shall it bee accounted a Paganish offense and shall a godly Christian bee guilty of it Especially such Christians should be extremely abased for their euill natures that raise euill reports of other Christians in cases where wicked men themselues are silent Secondly that hee carry himself in a holy manner when he is reproached and so he must remember two things 1. That hee render not reuiling for reuiling but if he finde himself stirred with Dauid to go to God and betake himself to praier Psalm 109.4 1. Pet. 3.9 2. That he striue to confute them by reall apologies and so he doth if hee endeauour to put them to silence by his good works and a carefull course of conuersation Thirdly because the godliest men may haue their passions and may bee stirred vp with such indignations as appears Ier. 8.18 21. hee must labour to fense his owne heart with store of arguments that may make him patient and comfortable vnder this crosse and thus it should comfort him to consider 1. That no reproaches can make him vile in God's sight how vile soeuer he seem to bee vnto men yet in God's eies he is honourable Esay 43.4 2. That thou art but as an euill doer not an euill doer It is not miserable To be as an euill doer but it is miserable To be an euill doer 2. Cor. 6.8 9. 3. This is not to resist vnto bloud Heb. 12.3 This is a farre lesse crosse than hath been laid vpon many of the best seruants of God they haue lost their liues in the defense of pure Religion 4. That howsoeuer it go with thee in this life yet in the Day of Iesus Christ thy innocencie shall bee cleared and thy faith and sincerity shall bee found vnto praise and honour and glorie thou shalt haue aboundant praise in that Day 1. Pet. 1.7 Thus of the vse that concernes either wicked men or godly men There is yet a vse that concerns all men and that is To take heed of receiuing euill reports against the godly for seeing it is so vsuall for ill-minded men to deuise divulge euill reports of them all men should be wary and take heed of receiuing the euill speeches that are bruited or spoken of any in the businesse of godlinesse The receiuing of false reports is forbidden in Scripture as well as the deuising or divulging of them Exod. 23.1 And it is made a signe of a wicked disposition To giue heed to false lippes and that man is himself a lyar that harkneth to a naughty tongue Pro. 17.4 And therefore GOD will plague in hell not onely lyars but such as loue lies Reu. 22.8 And a good man is said to haue this property that he will not receiue an ill report against his neighbour Psal. 15. And by receiuing euill reports a man becomes accessary to the slander and guilty of it for as it is true that the receiuer of euill-gotten goods is accessary to the theft so is it in the case of slander and somewhat worse for there may be theeues though there bee no receiuers but there can be no slanderers without some to receiue the slander Neither is there any great difference between the tale-bearer and the tale-hearer for the tale-bearer hath the diuell in his tongue and the tale-hearer hath the diuell in his eare Quest. But what should wee doo to auoid tale-bearers or if we do hear reproaches or slanders of other men Ans. As the North-winde driues away the rain so must thy angry countenance doo the slandering tongue thou must not any way shew any liking of his discourse but the contrary yea and further thou must as farre as thou art able make apology to the godly man that is euill-spoken of And the tongue of a godly wise-man should be in this sense healthfull because it should be ready to heal that wound which the tale-bearer hath made in the name of his neighbour Pro. 12.18 25.23 Thus of the second reason The third and fourth reasons are contayned in these last words viz. That they may by your good works which they shall behold glorifie God in the day of visitation The reasons are because God may visit them and if he doo they will glorifie God vpon the remembrance of your good works But heer I purpose to handle the words as they lie in the order of reading them and so I haue foure things to consider of First of good works secondly of the beholding of good works thirdly of the glorifying of God fourthly of the day of visitation Good works Diuerse obseruations are implied heer First that Religion sets men to work there is labour in godlinesse He must work that will bee truely godly or religious God entertains no seruants but he sets them to work they are called to labour all the daies of their life Wee must work out our saluation without working we cannot be saued though our works be not the cause of saluation This point proues that the Gospell is not a doctrine of liberty religion doth call men to working not to liue as they list but as he lists that died for them and requires their seruice And secondly this doctrine shewes who is a true Christian. For as the Scripture is wont to describe a profane man by saying that hee is a worker of iniquity so doth it auouch that he is a godly man that worketh truth and righteousnes Psal. 5. Pro. 14.23 Iohn 3.21 Psal. 106.2 To be a worker of iniquity imports three things First grosse knowne sin secondly a daily custome in the practice of it and thirdly an estimation of sinne as the means of our happy life The wicked man liues by sin as the labourer doth by his trade So heer that man that will labour and that constantly about the works of a holy life making it his euery-daies care to doo God's will and accounts it the happinesse of his life to doo good duties that man is a godly man It is not talking of Religion will serue the turn nor the shewes of it but hee must work and endure the labour of godlinesse Iames 1.25
Acts 10.36 And further this should teach Christians often to remember their holy calling and examine themselues what works they haue done as such seruants as desire to giue a good account to their Master and the rather because no seruants can haue fairer work it is all good work and seruants were so ingaged to their masters nor did owe more seruice and because neuer was ther a master that gaue better wages than God doth to his seruants And therefore let euery Christian be daily carefull to look to his work that when his Master cometh he may finde him so doing Thus of the first point Doct. 2. Secondly that works do especially commend vs to the good opinions of men it is our works must iustifie vs before men by good works wee must winne testimony to our sincere Religion from men Faith iustifies vs before God and proueth vs to be true Christians as works doo before men proue vs to be so And therefore wee should striue by well-dooing to winne as much credit as wee can to our Religion among men Iam. 3.13 Doct. 3. Thirdly that the soundest way of confuting our Aduersaries is by our works we must make reall apologies we must put them to silence by well-dooing Now in that he calls the good works done by them their good works I might note diuerse things 1. The necessity of good works they must haue works of their owne the good works done by others auail not them nor iustifie them 2. The goodnes of God that vouchsafeth to call those works their works when yet they were wrought by him as hauing had their beginning from his grace and Spirit Esay 26.12 3. It is true that they onely can doo good works good works are onely theirs a wicked man cannot doo good works because his person is hatefull to God and his nature altogether impotent and though he may doo some actions which for the matter of them are good yet hee pollutes them with his sinnes of which hee hath not repented and cannot bring them forth compleat for matter manner and end Tit. 1. vlt. Mat. 6. But it is the goodnes of works which I especially intend to intreat of in this place Good works The goodnes of mens works may bee diuersly considered either according to the differences of works good from such as are not so or according to the forms of good works or according to the time of dooing works or according to the vses works are put to For the first Some mens works are neither good nor seem to bee so as are the apparant sinnes of men Some mens works seem good but are not as the almes and praier and fasting of the Pharises Some mens works are good but seem not so at least in the eies of some men and so the religious duties of godly Christians seemed to bee vain practices of Sectaries and Innouators Acts 28. and so Paul's zeal and knowledge seemed madnes to Festus Acts 26. Some works seem good and are so such are the open good works of the godly in the iudgement of godly men guided by charity For the second If works be tried by their form then those works are good works which are done with correspondency to the reuealed will of God in his Word they must bee commended in the Word and done according to the directions of the Word so that all works done besides or aboue the Law of God are sinfull and naught and the dooing of the works of supererogation or those works they call Counsels fall to the ground And yet wee confesse there were some works good which were not commanded in Scripture as Phineas his work in slaying the fornicators and Maries work in anointing Christ vnto the buriall for so it is called a good work Mat. 26.10 and Abraham's work in sacrificing his sonne and the like these were good works and had not warrant from Scripture but were warranted by extraordinary calling thereto and so they differ from the works of superstitious persons done without warrant ordinary or extraordinary For the third The time of dooing some works addes much to the consideration of their goodnes as for instance The charitable religious works done by men before their conuersion are not to be reckoned good works because the person that doth them is not reconciled to God and liues polluted in his sinnes Likewise the works of our calling done in the week-daies are good works but done on the Sabbath-day are euill workes So works done too late are not good as their prayers that would not answer when God called them Prouerbs 1. For the fourth If the vses of works be respected the outward works of wicked men that for the matter of them are required in the Word may be said to bee good works because they are good for men vnto whom they are done as the almes of a Pharisee is a good work in that it is good for the relief of the poor though it bee not good in the sight of God as failing of the right end which is God's glory Thus of the acceptation of the tearms The good works heer mentioned are such as are good in God's sight as beeing done in obedience to God's will and by persons that are godly Now concerning those good works I propound diuerse things profitable to be considered of First the rules of good works which doo tell vs what must bee had before a work can bee a good work Secondly the kindes of good works or what workes wee may account in the nature of good works how many sorts of good works there are Thirdly I would answer a question or two needfull to bee considered of about good workes and in the last place the vses of all For the first of those There are many rules to bee obserued before wee can doe works that God will account good And those rules are absolutely necessary and they are these First the person must bee reconciled vnto God in Iesus Christ or else all hee doth will bee abominable in Gods sight Hee must bee turned in Iesus Christ Eph. 2.10 Hee must bee pure or else his work is not right but polluted Tit. 1. vlt. Pro. 21.8 The people that doe good works must be purified vnto God being redeemed by Iesus Christ and so made a peculiar people Tit. 2.14 Hee must be purged and sanctified and so prepared to good workes 2. Tim. 2.21 Secondly his workes must bee warranted and required and prescribed in the Word of God he must walke by rule his patterne must be found in the Scripture Gal. 6.14 he must come to the light of the Word that his works may bee manifest that they are wrought in God Iohn 3.21 The Scriptures giuen by inspiration of God to this end that the man of God might bee perfectly directed vnto euery work that is good 1. Tim. 3.16 17. Thirdly hee must propound a right end in doing his works or else though the matter be good yet the worke is polluted as was
of good workes wonderfull eager and desirous to inrich our selues that way Tit. 3.1 2.14 yea we should hereby shew that we are indeede wise Christians and well skilled in the vse of our Religion Iam. 3.13 and not men onely but women also should be forward in good works 1. Tim. 2.10 It is their best apparel w hc should be a speciall motiue to them that are so carefull of their attyre indeed good works are to be desired and laboured for as the best apparell of any Christian yea they are his armour too Rom. 13.13 Yea they are a principall way for his inriching and preferment 1. Tim. 2.20 so as it is a great curse vpon a Christian to haue no minde to do good workes to be reprobate to euery good worke Tit. 1. vlt. Thirdly since there are so many things necessary to the constitution of a good worke Christians should in stead of prying into the liues of others euery one trie his owne workes and turne often to the light that it may be indeede manifest that his works are wrought in God Gal. 6.4 for one day euery mans works shall be tried in the fire when times of tryall by great afflictions either vpon mens Consciences or otherwise come that man's works that neuer seeme glorious and praise-worthy will bee reiected and cast away euen by our selues as vile and vnprofitable Besides at the best in our prosperity if the most of our workes be tryed by the fire of these rules of God's Word it is much to be doubted that our workes will burne though vpon our repentance for the euill that cleaues to our best workes our selues may bee saued in the day of the Lord. Let Christians therefore be careful that they lose not the things which they haue wrought Now a Christian may lose his workes diuers wayes First if he be but a Christian in shew hee may nay hee shall lose all hee doth The Pharises lost all their workes because they were done in hypocrisie Secondly the Christian that hath some kindes of heauenly gifts and temporary grace by falling away in the time of temptation loseth all that hee had wrought before God requires patient continuance in well-doing Rom. 2.8 Thirdly the true Christian may lose what hee wrought if he doe his works without respect of these Rules If it be not manifest that his workes are wrought in God they are lost to him so many of his works as are so wrought Besides he loseth the comfort of all that hee hath wrought and the sense of it if he fall into grosse sinne after calling for so long time as he continueth in sinne without Repentance Thus of good works Which they shall behold It is manifest from hence that good works may and ought to be so done as that men may see them It is not true that all good works must be hid from the view and beholding of other men this may seeme strange because the Pharises were blamed for doing their works to be seene of men but yet it may be easily and plentifully proued I will first proue it and then explane it for proofe our Sauiour Christ requires that the light of mens good works should shine that men may see their good works Mat. 5.16 Christians in respect of their practice should be as shining lights in the midst of a froward and crooked generation Phil. 2.15 16. They must maintaine good workes Tit. 3.8 They must shew their Faith by their Workes and so they are iustified before men by the workes which they behold Iam. 2. They are the expresse words of S. Iames also in the third chapter verse 13. Let him shew by good conuersation his works And the Apostle Paul saith If there be any praise think on those things that may get praise Phil. 4.8 Yea some Christians are charged to be paterns of good works Tit. 2.7 Now for explication of this point I would consider first what works may bee shewed and then secondly what works may not be shewed For the first I will onely now instance in the Apostle's catalogue in the second of Titus Ould men may safely shew sobriety grauity temperance soundnes of their faith loue and patience Ould women may safely carry themselues in a holy behauiour and bee teachers of good things especially to the younger women Young women must shew their sobriety loue and obedience to their husbands discretion chastity care of their children and houshold affairs Young men may shew that they bee sober-minded Ministers offend not by teaching vncorrupt doctrine with grauity and sincerity nor when in conference they speak soundly and things that cannot be iustly taxed Seruants offend not by shewing obedience to their masters and all good faithfulnes and desire to please them well in all things For the second the shew is condemned in diuers sorts of works as 1. Secret duties of what kinde soeuer must not bee done to the beholding of others thus to pray or fast that others may see or hear is not lawfull Mat. 6. 2. Such works as are done deceitfully are iustly taxed for the shew of them as when Ananias and Saphirah will make a shew of bounty which was not performed as they pretended Acts 5. 3. All works that are done with affectation when the praise of men is simply and only sought are Pharisaicall and ill done 4. All the works that are done about the vse of the means of godlinesse if practice bee not ioyned with them are reiected of God and the shew of them is condemned Thus to make a shewe of hearing Sermons reading the Scriptures frequent and long praiers strict obseruing of the rest of the Sabbath and the like when there is not a sound care of a holy life are not good works nor is the shew of them commended Esay 1. Mic. 6. 5. To shew care of lesser duties and liue in the carelesse and manifest neglect of greater and more necessary duties is likewise Pharisaicall and condemned Mat. 23. Thus of the beholding of good works They may glorifie God To glorifie GOD is in the etymology of the word to make God glorious Now the glory of God is the excellency of God aboue all things as is by way of exposition added Esay 35.2 The question then is How can God bee made glorious or excellent seeing his excellency is as infinite as his nature is and to that which is infinite nothing can be added For the resoluing of this question wee must vnderstand that if Gods nature be coÌsidered in it self it is so excellent as nothing can bee conceiued or done that should bring glorie to it But when the Scripture speakes of glorifying of God it meanes it of such an excellency as to our capacity by reflexion and resemblance some way expresseth the similitude of Gods excellency which wee call his glorie And so God is glorifyed by himselfe or by vs. God hath made diuers impressions of his owne excellency and set it out by way of
their secret offences Thus Achan gaue glory to God Iosh. 7.19 And thus the penitent sinner glorifies God when hee cares not to abase himself in the acknowledgement of his owne vilenesse that God may be magnified in any of his attributes or ordinances by it Ier. 13. 16. Mal. 2.2 Fourthly When the prayse of God or the aduancement of his Kingdome is made the end of all our actions This is to doe all to his glorie 1. Cor. 10.31 Fiftly when wee beleeue God's promises and wait for the performance of them though we see no meanes likely for their accomplishment Thus Abraham gaue glory to God Rom. 4. Sixtly when wee publikely acknowledge true Religion or any speciall truth of God when it is generally opposed by the most men Thus the Centurion gaue glory to God Luke 23.47 Seuenthly when men suffer in the quarrell of Gods truth and true Religion So 1. Pet. 4.16 Eightthly when on the Sabbath men deuote themselues only to Gods worke doing it with more ioy and care then they should doe their own worke on the weeke dayes refusing to prophane the Sabbath of the Lord by speaking their owne words or doing their own willes Thus Esay 58.13 Ninthly when men do in particular giue thanks to God for benefits or deliuerances acknowledging God's speciall hand therein Thus the Leper gaue glory to God Luke 17.18 so Psal. 113.4 Tenthly by louing praysing admiring and esteeming of Iesus Christ aboue all men For when we glorifie the Sonne we glorifie the Father Iohn 1.14 11.4 Eleuenthly when wee account of and honour godly men aboue all other sorts of men in the World and so these Gentiles doe glorifie God in that they prayse the Christians aboue all men whom before they reuiled This is one way by which the Gentiles glorified God Thus of the second way of glorifying God which is by acknowledging his glory The third way of glorifying God is by effect when men make others to glorifie God conceiuing more gloriously of him or in praysing God and his wayes Thus the professed subiection of Christians to the Gospel makes other men glorifie God 2. Cor. 9.13 So the fruits of Righteousnesse are to the glory of God Phil. 1.10 So here the good works of Christians do make new Conuerts glorifie God so euery Christian that is God's planting is a tree of righteousnesse that God may be glorified Esay 61.3 so are all Christians to the prayses of the glory of God's grace as they are eyther qualified or priuiledged by Iesus Christ Ephes. 1.7 Vse The vses of all should be especially for instruction and humiliation it should humble vs if we mark the former doctrine in that it discouereth many deficiencies in vs for besides that it sheweth that the whole world of vnregenerate men lieth in wickednes and that as they haue all sinned so they are all depriued of the glory of God and altogether delinquent in each part of making God glorious I say that besides the discouery of the generall and extreme corruption of wicked men it doth touch to the quick vpon diuerse persons euen the godly themselues to giue instance In the first way of making God glorious How meanly and dully doo wee for the most part conceiue of God! How farre short are our hearts of those descriptions of GOD made in his Word Whaâ strange thoughts come into our mindes at some times Oh! how haue we dishonoured the most High in our vnworthy conceptions of his Iustice Power Eternity Wisdome and Mercy For the second way of glorifying God What heart could stand before his holy presence if hee should examine vs in iustice 1. For our language What man is hee that hath not cause to mourn for his want of language daily in expressing of the praises of God! When did we make his praise glorious haue our mouths been filled with his praise all the day long 2. For our extreme vnthankfulnesse when we meet with GOD himself we haue been healed with the nine Lepers but which of vs haue returned to giue glory to God in the sound acknowledgement of his goodnes to vs It is required we should in all things giue thanks and yet wee haue scarce vsed one word of praise for a 1000 benefits 3. Our slight acknowledgements of sinne our backwardnes to search our waies our carelesnesse when wee knowe diuerse grieuous faults by our selues either auoiding God's presence and making confession for fashions sake neither out of true grief for our sinnes and in a speciall manner doo we fail in those cases of trespasse or sinne that come to the knowledge of others Do we knowledge our sinnes one to another Oh how hard it is to bring vs to bee easie to giue glory to GOD heerin 4. What man is hee that liueth and hath not failed of the glory of GOD about the Sabbath Doo we delight in God's work Haue wee consecrated that Day as glorious to the Lord Haue not our mindes runne vpon our owne waies After what an vnspeakable maner haue we slighted God in his Ordinances Lastly what shall we answer to the Lord for our neglects of Iesus Christ Haue wee glorified the Son or rather haue wee not shamefull wants still in our faith Which of vs can say that he liues by the faith of the Sonne of God and are not our affections to the Lord Iesus extremely dull and auerse Where is the longing desire after him and the âeruent loue of his appearing And for the last way of glorifying God by effect How vnprofitably and vnfruitfully doo the most of vs liue Who hath praised God in our behalf Whom haue we wonne to the loue of God and the truth Where are our witnesses that might testifie that our good works haue caused them to glorifie God But especially wo be to scandalous Christians that haue either caused wicked men to blaspheme or God's little ones to take offense and conceiue ill of the good way of God if they repent not it had been better for them they had neuer been born And as for wicked men that are openly so to giue a touch of them and their estate they haue reason to repent in sackcloth and ashes if their eies were but open to see what terrour is implied in this doctrine and how God will auenge himselfe vpon them both for their not glorifying of him and for changing his glory and for the opposing of his glory 1. In not glorifying God They haue spent their daies without GOD they haue either not conceiued of him at all or in a most mean and vile manner they haue not honoured him in his ordinances or in his Sabbaths they neuer loued the Lord Iesus in their hearts c. 2. In changing the glory of God they haue done shamefully Some of them haue turned Gods glory into the similitude of an Oxe or a Calf that eateth hay Some of them haue giuen his praise to Images and the works of their hands Some of them haue fixed the glory of their
of God either the great Book of the creatures or little booke of the Scriptures and so praying God to direct them take those things that easily offer them selues from thence The other way of meditating without booke as I knowe not whether it bee absolutely required so can it not bee so fruitfully performed nor so comfortably But to returne the viewing of GODs workman-ship in his creatures and of his wisedome rule in his Word will help vs in the first point which is to bring God into our minds For the second that wee may not mistake but conceiue of God aright wee must looke to diuers things carefully First wee must resist and subdue and no way harbour or fauour any atheisticall conceits against the doctrine of Gods nature or prouidence If wee find our minds intangled with any such wee must labour to get them cured for till our hearts bee whole of such diseases wee are disabled from any true conception of God Secondly wee must in thinking of God then cast out all likenesses wee must not conceiue of him in the likenes of any man or other creature but get aboue all similitudes and there rest in the adoration of him that is not like any of those things wee must haue no Images of God neither in our Churches nor in our heads Command 2. Esay 40. Thirdly we must learn distinctly the attributes of God's praises in the Scripture and conceiue of him as he is there commended to vs I mean wee should as wee are able when wee think of God thinke of him as he is omnipotent most wise most iust most mercifull c. It is an excellent prayse of the diligence of a Christian to accustome himselfe to conceiue of God according to descriptions made of him in his attributes in his Word Fourthly it may much helpe vs if we conceiue of God as dwelling in the humane nature of Christ for thereby it may somewhat arise in our mindes if we be prone to conceiue of likenesses Marke it carefully wee may not set before our mindes Christ-man and so worship without any more adoe but if we conceiue of the man-Christ and then worship that God-head that dwells in him we do right and besides attaine vnto a point farther which is to conceiue of God in Christ. Thus of the right conceiuing of God's nature The third thing which we must labour for is to magnifie God in our hearts to make him great to conceiue largely with full thoughts of God and to this I adde also to conceiue gloriously of him to clothe our thoughts of God with a shining excellency aboue any thing else wee thinke of Now that God may bee magnified and thought on after a glorious manner these things must bee done Wee must with all attendance and reuerence waite vpon the presence of God in his house for that is the place where his glory dwelleth Psalme 27.8 And God hath magnified his Word aboue all his name Psalme 138.2 And the vse of the Gospell is said to be the Gospel of the glory of the blessed God because it doth with the liuelyest impressions make a mans heart to discerne Gods excellency Mic. 5.4 1. Tim. 1.11 Secondly the meditation of the wonderfull works of God recorded in Scripture or obserued by experience is good to breed great and glorious thoughts of God for as the sight of the miracles of Christ wrought this in the hearts of the people Math. 15.31 Luke 7.16 so the contemplation of such great works may work the same effect in vs and the same effect also may the thought of the workes of God's speciall Iustice or Mercy haue Ezek. 38.23 Esay 13.13 especially the consideration of those works of fauour or deliuerance by which God hath declared his speciall goodnesse vnto vs Gen. 19.19 1. Chron. 17.24 Dauid also clotheth the thoughts of God with glory and greatnesse in his heart by thinking of the monuments of God's wonderfull Power and Wisedome in the heauens and earth seas c. Psalme 104.1 c. yea by thinking of his owne forming and making in the wombe Psalme 139.15 Thirdly we must pray earnestly to God with Moses and begge this of God that he would shew vs his glory Thus also of the third thing The next thing is to learne how to establish the thoughts of God's glory in vs and that is done especially two wayes First by striuing to set God alwayes before vs as Dauid did Psalme 16.8 Secondly by remembring God in all our wayes doing all our workes vnto the glorie of GOD 1. Cor. 10.31 Lastly to make vs in loue with God thus conceiued of according to his glory the thorow meditation of his mercies to vs are of singular vse to thinke eyther of the variety of them or of the speciall respect God hath had of vs aboue many others and the frequencie of his mercies that hee sheweth vs mercie daily but aboue all to consider that his mercies are free to think how vile we are vpon whom God looks with such grace and goodnes Thus the blessed Virgin taught her selfe to magnifie God and to loue his name Luke 1.46 48. Thus of making God glorious in our hearts by knowledge Now for the second which is to make him glorious by acknowledgement the particular wayes how that may be done haue been reckoned before in the explication of the doctrine onely wee must labor by praier to fashion our selues to that work that God in any of those particulars doth require of vs and that is the most speciall help which I knowe thereunto But by the way let mee warn thee to look to two things First that in any course of glorifying GOD which is to be done by thy words thou bee carefull to auoid hypocrisie and be sure that thy heart be lifted vp and affected according to the glory of God for the Lord abhorres to be glorified with thy lip if thy heart bee farre from him Esay 29.13 And the next is that thou presume not in any case to make the pretense of God's glory a couering for any wickednes as the Pharises that would hide their deuouring of widows houses vnder the praise of long prayer or those in the Prophet Esay's time that would persecute godly men and molest them with Church-censures and say Let the Lord bee glorified Esay 66.5 Thus of making God glorious in our selues Lastly that wee may make God glorious in the hearts of other men and cause them to speak of his praises we must carefully look to foure things 1. That when wee speak of God or his truth we doo it with all possible reuerence and fear that wee bee carefull in all our discourses of Religion instructions admonitions reproofs confutations or the like to treat of these things with all meeknes and reuerence God hath giuen vs a Commandement of purpose to restrain the taking-vp of his Name in vain 2. That wee striue by all means to liue vnspotted and in offensiue in
life that if any peruerse men did seek occasion against vs yet they might finde none and to this end striuing to auoid those things distinctly which we perceiue by the miserable example of others do vex and prouoke men to speak or think euill such as are idlenesse frowardnes deceit conceitednes and the like Philippians 2.15 3. That we shew forth the vertues of Christ it is a singular means to stirre vp others to glorifie God if they might perceiue in vs the sound habit of such Christian vertues as are not to bee found in other sorts of men such as are humility lowelinesse contempt of the world subiection to Gods will loue of the godly and the like The most of vs haue but the bare names of these there is not a reall demonstration of them Christian vertues set forth to the life are amiable and will compell men to conceiue and speak gloriously of God and his truth 4. That we be helpfull vpon all occasions to others ready to euery good work and harty in all works of mercy it is our good works must make men speak well of vs and our God and Religion Hitherto of the doctrine of glorifying God In the day of Visitation This word Visitation is in Scripture attributed both to men and to God To men in such cases as these as first to shepheards who when they did specially suruay their flock with intent to redresse what was amisse were said to visit them Ier. 23.2 As also to such men as had the gathering of tribute when they came to exact their tribute to the great vexation of the people they were said to visit them So the word rendred exactors Esay 60.17 in the Original is Visitors or Visitations Thirdly to visit was a tearm giuen to the Bishops and Apostles in the Primitiue Church that went about through the Churches to take notice of the estate of the Churches and to reform what was amisse Acts 15.36 And so the originall word heer vsed is translated a Bishoprick Acts 1.20 agreeable to the Hebrew word vsed Psalm 109.8 Finally to visit is reckoned among the works of curtesie or mercy Iames 1.27 The Hebrew word in the old Testament signifies oftentimes to muster or number vp the people as 1. Chro. 21.6 But in this place visitation is not referred to men but to God Now God is said to visit not onely men but other creatures so he visited the earth grauen images the vessels of the Temple and Leuiathan He visits the earth when hee makes it in an especiall manner fruitfull Psalme 65.9 Hee visited Images when hee brake them to pieces and confounded them Hee visited the vessels of the Temple by causing them to bee brought back again into the Temple Ier. 27.22 Hee visited Leuiathan the diuell by restraining his power and disappointing his malice Esay 27.1 But most vsually God's visitation is spoken of in Scripture as it concerneth men and so God holdeth two sorts of visitations The one is the visitation of all men the other of some men onely The visitation called the visitation of all men concernes either life or death In respect of life God is said to visit all men in that hee doth by his daily prouidence both giue and preserue life till the appointed time so Iob 10.12 And in respect of death God keeps his visitation when he causeth men to die an ordinary death at the time thereunto appointed so Numb 16.29 But it is not the common visitation is heer meant God's speciall visitation of some men is when in a speciall prouidence he takes notice of certaine men and comes among them to work the redresse of sinne and that is heer meant And this visitation must bee considered either according to the kindes of it or according to the time of it heer called The day of visitation For the kindes God doth visit men either with the visitation of iustice or with the visitation of mercy in wrath or in grace and the former words of this Text are true of either of these kinds For if God visit wicked men by his speciall iudgements they will then giue glory to God and commend godly Christians whom before against their consciences they spake euill of which they will also doo much more if God visit them with his grace and conuert them First then of the visitation of iustice and so the point to bee heer obserued is that Though God may spare wicked men long and seem to wink at their faults yet he will finde a day to visit them for their sinnes hee will hold a visitation for their sakes he wil discouer their wickednes and auenge himself on them Psal. 50.20 Eccles. 8. Psal. 37.13 Iob 18.20 As they haue had their daies of sinning so will he haue his day of visiting and that not only at that Day of the vniuersall visitation in the end of the world but euen in this life also Vse And this doctrine should especially humble wicked men and awake them out of their security and the rather if they consider seriously of diuerse things about this day of their visitation First that it shall certainely come vpon them Rom. 2.5 Secondly that when it doth come it will be a maruellous fearfull time with them for 1. God will then discouer their sinnes and make their wickednes manifest in the hatefulnesse of it Lam. 4.22 2. GOD will inflict sore punishments vpon them hee will bee auenged on them The day of their visitation will bee the day of their calamitie Ier. 46.21 3. The punishments determined cannot bee resisted there will be no help Esay 10.3 and 29.6 Coh and 26.14 4. God will not then respect their strength but their sinne Hee will recompence them according to all that they haue done Ier. 50.29 31. 5. If they escape one Iudgement another will light vpon them Ier. 48.44 6. God will giue them repulse in all they do euen in his seruice hee will not accept them Ieremie 14.10 7. It will bee a time of great perplexitie and counsell will perish from the prudent Mic. 7.3 4. Ieremie 49.7 8. 8. God will declare himselfe to bee in a speciall manner against them Ier. 50.29 31. Hosea 9.7 Quest. But what sort of men are in danger of such a fearefull visitation Ans. All men that liue in any grosse sinne against their knowledge such as are the sinnes of bloud whoredom deceit swearing prophanation of the Sabbath reproaching of Gods people and the like Ier. 5.9.29 and 9.9 especially where all or any of these things bee found in men First extreme securitie in sinning God will surely visit such as are settled in their lees Zeph. 1.12 Secondly such as place their felicitie in offending such as loue to wander Ier. 14.10 such as do euill with both hands earnestly as the Prophets phrase is Mic. 7.3 4. Thirdly such as continue and persist in wicked courses such as cast out wickednes as a fountaine casts out
subiect to Princes for hee that grants a priuiledge is greater than he to whom it is granted But the last and best answer is that Princes can grant no such priuiledge Can a father free his sonne that he shall not honour him or a husband free his wife that shee shall not bee subiect to him No more can a Prince free his subiects from obedience or subiection because the subiect is tied by the Lawe of nature and by Gods Law which Princes cannot vndoe Thus of the third point Fourthly when hee saith Submit your selues he doth not require them to submit those things to the pleasure of the Magistrate which are not theirs Euery godly Christian hath some things which are not his owne but Gods and those hee must not subiect to the will of Princes As his Religion his faith the Word of God the Sacraments his prayers for those are none of Caesars and therefore must not bee giuen to Caesar. Thus of who or what must be submitted To euery ordinance of man There are two senses giuen of these words som vnderstand theÌ of Magistrates themselues some of the Lawes of Magistrates It is not easie to tell how to restraine the text to either of these for both are true and the former included in the latter and the latter implyed in the former and therefore I purpose to handle the words according to the sense in both respects First then wee must bee subiect to euerie ordinance of man that is to all sorts of Magistrates And the Apostle seemeth to expound it when hee saith Whether it bee to the King or to the gouernours as importing that they were the ordinances hee spake of before Now concerning Magistrates as they are here intreated of those things are to bee noted First that Magistrates are an ordinance of men and so they are in diuers respects because magistracy is a thing proper to men Secondly in respect of the end because it is ordained for the good of men Thirdly because the choise of the kind of Magistrates hath beene for the most part left vnto men for God hath not tyed all nations to a kind of gouernment but left theÌ for the most part free and therefore some gouerned by Kings some by Emperours some by Consuls some by Dukes som by Princes or Earles or the like Fourthly because in the newe Testament Christ did not at al imploy himselfe in settling any order for the corporall gouernment of his Church in this world it being specially his intent for the raising of his spiritual kingdom and the ordering of the gouernment that coÌcerned the soules of men and their full subiection Only wee must take heed of one sinne heere and that is that wee conceiue not the Magistrates are mans ordinance as if man appointed or ordained or inuented them for that is contrary to express Scripture that calles all those earthly powers Gods ordinance they are by diuine Institution Rom. 13.1 2 3. Pro. 8.15 2. Chro. 19.6 Dan. 4.14 22. Ob. Hos. 8.4 it is said They made them a King but not by mee Sol. God disclaimes not the ordinance for hee himselfe had appointed Ieroboam to bee King of whome the Prophet speaketh but hee disclaimes the manner or the choise of him as it was done by the Prophet which chose him in a mutinie and without respect to Gods will Ob. Nimrod was the first that brought in Magistracy and hee is taxed for it in Gen 10.9 Ans. The words are Nimrod was a mighty hunter before the Lord. Now these words haue beene interpreted either properly thus Hee was a hunter of beasts before the Lord that is which beasts he would sacrifice before the Lord or metaphorically that he was the first that set vp Monarches of the thraldome appointing lawes and a forme of gouernment and this hee did by instinct from God for the protection of the Church and Common wealth against the iniuries of those that dwelt neere them Secondly say that hee is in these words condemned as a hunter that is a tyrant as the word is taken Lament 3.5 Ierem. 16.16 Ezech. 32.30 c and that it is added Before the Lord to note that hee did oppresse men by manifest violence openly shaking off all feare euen of God himselfe yet it followes not that his power was not of God the manner of getting it was euill but the power was good Thirdly it wil not follow that Magistracy is euil or not of God because it had an ill beginning if it were graunted that it did begin in Nimrod For so the translation of Ioseph into Aegypt and the Kingdome of Saul and Ieroboam c. should bee euill and not of God for they had ill beginnings But lastly I answer that Nimrod was not the first beginner of authority or power or gouernment though hee were of that kind of gouernours For there was a hunter both Ecclesiasticall and Ciuill before Yea there were citties in the world before therefore there must needes bee gouernment and gouernours Cain built a Citty yea and God himselfe ordayned Magistracy after the floud when hee said By man shall his bloud bee shed Genes 9.6 In short Nimrod was the author of the Babylonicall tyrannicall Monarchy Not the authour of the Magistracy or ciuill authority ouer others Obiect Many Kingdomes and officers are gotten by euill meanes Solut. So many men get goods by vsurie or robbery yet the things are of God Obiect But wee see that Magistrates are chiefe and set vp by men Solut. So the fruits of the earth are gotten in by the labour and care of men are they not therefore of God Ministers are chosen of men Is not their calling therefore of God Second causes doe not exclude the first To conclude the Magistracy is the ordinance of men subiectiuely as it is enioyed or borne by men and obiectiuely as it is imployed amongst men and in respect of the end as it is for the good of men But the true word Creation or Ordinance shewes it is Gods work or institution or appointment Secondly it is to bee noted that wee are bound to submit our selues to the ordinances that is to the office or calling or authority hee doth not mention the persons so much as the calling because oftentimes there is found in the persons vices and some causes of not obeying but in such againe wee must not consider the person but the ordinance or calling it selfe Thirdly wee must submit our selues to their ordinances that is to all sorts of Magistrates Now all Magistrates may bee distinguished either in respect of 1. Iurisdiction 2. or Religion 3. or Obiects 4. or Affaires 5. or Office 6. or Adiuncts 7. or Dignitie First in respect of Iurisdiction some are superiour that they haue none aboue them but God as Emperor King Dictator Senate c. or inferiour which is appointed by the superiour as are all inferiour Gouernours and Officers Secondly in respect of Religion some are beleeuers as
that end and therefore may comfort himselfe in the Lord how ill soeuer his execution of iustice bee spoken of among men Thus of the punishment of euill doers The second end of the sending of Magistrates is for the praise of them that doe well For the praise of them that doe well By such as do well he means such as in publick societies liue without offense and cary themselues honestly in their places especially such as are profitable and doo good to others whether it bee to the mindes of men by instructing or reproouing or to the bodies or estates of men by works of mercy or righteousnes and among these he meaneth especially such as 1. Are Inuenters of good the first Authors of the publick good 2. That doo good daily and frequently 3. That study how they may do all the good they can and doo imploy all the helps and furtherances of good they can Heer may many things be noted from hence First that all that are members of publick societies are bound to bee carefull to doo good to others and to liue so that the Church and Common-wealth may be the better for them Which should much humble such Christians as liue and doo little or no good and should quicken in all sorts of good Christians a desire to serue the publick we are not set heer to doo good to our selues onely but also to others Secondly that in this world it is not to bee expected from men that all that doo well or deserue well should bee rewarded by them hee saith For the praise not For the reward as importing that many a man may deserue well that shall neuer haue recompence from men And this ariseth partly from the corruption of Magistrates that are not carefull to dispose preferments or recompense to such as are worthy and partly from the insufficiency of any earthly greatnes to doo it For great men can reward all their seruants or friends but no King can giue the honour or preferment that is due to all his Subiects that deserue well Which should teach vs partly to doo good without hope of reward from men and partly to quicken our harts to the admiration of the reward that God giues in heauen wee should prouide to be his Subiects and then we are sure to haue a full reward of well-dooing in heauen Thirdly that to be praised or to haue a good report among men is a great blessing of GOD and therefore in the old Testament blessing praise is expressed by one word Pro. 28.20 And this may appeare to be so 1. Because God himself seeks praise from his creatures and accounts himself honoured by it Psalm 50.23 Eph. 1.6 12 14. 2. Because praise is a part of the glory of God shining vpon a man 3. Because it is in Scripture preferred before things of great price as great riches Pro. 22.1 and pretious ointment Eccles. 7 c. 4. Because it so much refresheth a mans hart it makes his bones full Pro. 15.35 5. Because an ill name is noted as an extreme curse Iob 18.17 and in many other places Vses The vse is first to comfort godly men and to make them thankfull if God giue them a good report heer but especially it should comfort them to think of the praise they shall haue at the last Day For if it bee a blessing to bee praised of men what is it to be praised of God If it be such a comfort to be praised by a Magistrate before the Country what is it to be praised of Christ before all the world at the greatest and last Assises If praises be good in this world where there is mutable vaunting and they may be blemished what is it to haue praise in that Day that shall last for euer vnstained If it be such a comfort to be praised of a Magistrate for some one good deed what shall it bee to bee praised of Christ for all that euer was good in thoughts words or works Secondly it should teach men to seek a good report and to doo all things that might haue a good report Phil. 4.9 As a man may seek riches so he may seek and desire a good name Pro. 22.1 But the praise of men is then vnlawfull and vnlawfully sought First when men doe their things onely to bee seene of men and haue no better respects then applause Mat. 6. 1. Thes. 2.6 Secondly when a man praiseth himself with his owne mouth Pro. 27.2 Thirdly when it is challenged of others and men will not stay till God giue them a good report Iohn 8.49 50. Fourthly when men seek praise onely for the shew of goodnes and are not good in deed Fiftly when men seek praise of men but seek not the praise of God or the praise that comes from God onely which is tried in this that they will not doo duties that God onely cares for or that are disgraced in the world Rom. 2.28 Iohn 5.44 and 12.42 43. Otherwise it is lawfull to seek praise and there is an infallible signe to knowe whether praise bee not ill for vs and that is if praise make vs more humble and more carefull of sound holinesse and do refine vs then praise is lawfull and a great blessing when it is like the refining pot it melts vs and makes vs better Pro. 27.21 Further if praise bee so great a blessing then an euill name must needs bee a great curse when it is for euill-doing and if it be so euill to be dispraised of men what shall it be to be dispraised of GOD not for one but many sinnes not before a few but before all the world when it shall be not to mend a man as the Magistrate's reproof may bee but to his eternall confusion Thus of the third doctrine Doct. 4. It may hence bee noted that the best men need praise and therfore God prouides that they shall be praised euen such as doo well need to be commended And this may appear both by the comfort they take if they be commended Pro. 15.30 and by their earnest desires to cleer themselues if they be dispraised as we may see in Dauid Christ himself and the Apostles especially the Apostle Paul Vse And therefore the vse should bee to teach men to acknowledge the good things done by others and to giue them praises especially if they be godly and humble men it may do them much good and greatly both comfort them and incourage them This made the Apostle Paul so reioice in the Philippians Phil. 3. vlt. It was no flattery It is flattery in some other men if they doe commend others for their owne ends or with selfe praises or without daring to reproue their faults or to get praise to themselues or for any other corrupt end especially when our praises are to such as are publick instruments of good in Church or Common-wealth And it is a course of singular vse to be held in priuate families if such as do wel might haue
praise as well as such as do euill dispraise Vse 2. Secondly it may much condemne the corruption of heart which appeares in many men in this point in sinning against the iust praises of others either by speaking euill of them and blemishing their good names which is to steale their riches from them or by withhoulding due praise which is to withhold the good from the owner thereof It should much affright such as are guilty of this fault that our Sauiour Christ measures our loue to God by our readines to praise for the Works of God done by another Iohn 5.41 42. It is a signe that men loue not God when they loue not goodnes in others which sure they doe not if they commend it not Doct. 5. Weldoing ought to be esteemed whersoeuer it is found in a subiect as well as a Prince in a seruant as well as a Master in all estates and conditions of men For God doth so as may appear Ephes. 6.7 8. and grace and goodnes is alike precious wheresoeuer it is in the like degree which serues to rebuke that secret corruption in the natures of men that are apt to obserue and praise good things in greater persons but withhold the incouragement is due to other men onely because they are poore and because they are worser Iames 2.1 2 3. You may now by this doctrine try whether they be good themselues For it is a signe of goodnes to obserue and loue goodnes wheresoeuer he seeth it in a seruant as well as in a frend and in a poore Christian as well as a rich Doct. 6. It may bee yet further obserued that if men would bee praysed they must doe well praise is onely due to weldoing Rom. 2.10 2. Tim. 2.20 21 1. Thes. 4.4 Rom. 13.5 And therefore it is a poore praise that men raise to theÌselues for other things all that fame which is raised for any thing but weldoing is externall vain and therefore they are greatly deceiued that rest in the report that is raysed from their wit or beauty or birth or preferment or sumptuous buildings or the like Those may cause a great fame but onely well-doing can cause a good fame Secondly it shewes that hypocrites that haue gotten reputation onely because they are thought to bee good haue but built in the sands For when in time it shall appear that their owne works doe not praise them they shall find that the praise of men will not last It is not saying well that works a durable good name but doing wel It is but complementing at the best to professe and promise great care of practice and praising and yet bee barren and vnfruitfull Vse 3. Thirdly this shewes the great corruption of their nature that so vnquietly seek after praise and complain how much they be neglected and yet their own consciences know how idle and vnprofitable they are and which is worse that they not onely doe not well but manifestly doe euill and sin daily in pride and enuy in passion and wilfulnes or other open transgressions This thirst after respect aboue others is a signe of a great strength of hypocrisy when they are more desirous to be thought good then indeed to be so and more carefull of the praise of men then of God Fourthly they sinne shamefully that praise the wicked and iustify him that God condemneth but Salomon hath set a note vpon those persons that they are naught themselues For hee saith that they that break the law praise the wicked Prou. 28.4 and 24 25. Psal. 10.3 Fiftly they are yet worse that glory in their shame that seek praise for the excesse of wickednes committed by them either against God or men as they doe that would bee commended for their cost bestowed on Idols or for their worshipping of Saints or Angels or for their reuenges and wrongs done to men or for their mightinesse to hold out in drinking wine or for their filthy acts of any kinde or for their excesses in strange apparell or for the raysing of themselues by vnlawfull meanes or for their deliciousnes in their fare or the like As those glory in their shame so their end is damnation Phil. 3.18 Lastly this doctrine should beget in men a great desire to liue profitably and to doe good and in a speciall manner to apply themselues to such works as are most praise-worthy Quest. Heere then ariseth a question What things in particular doe most aduantage a mans iust praises Ans. The answer is that there are diuers things will make a man to bee much praised as First to honour God hee hath promised to honour those that honour him Prou. 8.17 Now to honour God is to seek his Kingdom first and to confesse his name before men though it bee in euill times Secondly humility and a lowely carriage with meekenes For the humble shall bee exalted and the proud brought low Luke 1.14 20. Thirdly mercy to the poore This made the Macedonians famous in the Churches especially to shew it liberally and readily 2. Cor. 8. Fourthly diligence and exact carefulnes to discharge the labours of our particular calling with all faithfulnes this made the good woman famous mentioned Prou. 31.27 28 29 30 31. especially if wisdome and prouidence bee ioyned with diligence Fiftly to liue in peace and stand to bee quiet and meddle with our owne busines and to be a peace-maker winnes a great deal of praise 1. Thes. 4.11 Math. 5.9 Sixtly to bee exactly iust in mens dealings and true in his words and contracts this wil make men abound with blessings The word is praises as it is in other places translated Prou. 28.20 Seuenthly to bee courteous is to bee amiable so as it bee done without affectation and not directed for thy owne ends and not done with dissimulation Eightthly to doe good to our enemies to bee not onely ready to forgiue but to pray for them forbeare to wrong when it might be executed and to shew all willingnes to ouercome their euill with goodnes Rom. 12.20 21. Ninthly a care in all things strictly to submit our selues to the iust Laws of men auoiding transgression for conscience sake as the coherence in this place shewes And thus of the sixt doctrine Doct. 7. It may yet further bee obserued from hence that God doth require Magistrates in a speciall manner to looke vnto it that they doe all they can to praise and incourage Godly men and such as do good in the countries where they liue Rom. 13.5 This is the end of their calling Iob 29.25 This wil proue heauy one day for those prophane Magistrates that in the places of their abode disgrace men more then such as are godly and countenance none more then such as are most dissolute and lewd of life The iudgements of the Lord wil be terrible against these vnrighteous men Lastly the Antithesis is heere to be noted For when hee saith that such as doe well should be praised he doth not say
that such as doe euill should bee dispraised and this may be considered of either in the case of priuat persons or in the case of Magistrates For priuat persons they are bound to the good behauiour in respect of the euill of others many waies First till their euils are knowne not to mistrust or condemn others Secondly when their euils are knowne if they bee secret they must not bee reuealed if they bee open and the persons bee good men they must doe what they can to couer them and if they bee euill men they must not speak of their dispraises without a great respect of glorifying God by it and besides they must not venture so far to iudge of the finall estate of any man for any euils till the end come In the case of superiours it is true they may vse dispraise but it must bee as a medicine which must bee applied with many cautions and the ingredients must bee Gods words and not their owne Verse 15. For so is the will of God that with welldoing you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men IN these words is contayned the second argument taken from the will of God God is specially desirous that Christians should doe all the good they can and in particular should bee carefull to obey the Magistrates because by that meanes they may confute such ill-minded men as are apt to speake euil of religion so that the words containe a choice rule prescribed vnto Christians to bee carefully obserued In which rule consider First the authority of it So is the will of God Secondly the matter of it well-doing Thirdly the end which is the silencing of wicked men For. This word For seems to giue a reason not of what went next before in the former verse but of the exhortation to Christians as they are subiects shewing the happy effect of well-dooing in generall and in particular of their submission to Magistrates and how orderly and profitably their life should bee as they are good Subiects and seruiceable to the Common-wealth For so is the will of God The will of God is diuersly accepted in Scriptures for though God's will indeed bee but one yet for our infirmities sake it is considered of with distinction and so it is either personall or essentiall There is a will of God that is personall restrained to some of the persons so the Father wils the obedience and death of the Sonne and Christ obeies that will of his Father Iohn 6.38 39 40. Mat. 26.39 42. But it is the essentiall will of God heer meant the former is the will of God ad intra and this the will of God ad extra as they say in schools The essentiall will of God is taken sometimes for the faculty of willing sometimes for the act of willing sometimes for the thing willed and sometimes for the signe by which that will is declared as his Word is his will So heer by his essentiall will God wils both good and euill Good is the obiect of God's will properly and of it self Euill is the obiect of the will of God but onely vnder some respect of good Euill is either of puânishment or of sinne Euill of punishment GOD wils and is the Author of Psalm 115.3 as the iust Iudge of the world and punishment of it self is a good thing as it is a work of iustice Euill of sinne God onely wils to permit Acts 14.16 but it is not God's willing of euill is heer meant As the will of GOD concerns vs in matter of good it may bee considered either euangelically or legally Euangelically his wil giues order what shall be done with vs and so he wils the saluation of his Elect Eph. 1.11 Iohn 6.40 Legally his will giues order what shall bee done by vs and so hee wils our sanctification in all the rules of it and in euery part Col. 1.10 By the will of God in this place then he meanes the Word of God as it contains the reuelation of what God would haue done by his seruants in the cases specified in this Text. Many things may bee obserued out of these words Doct. 1. First wee may take notice of the two onely Springs of all things to be knowne in Religion in these words viz. God and his will GOD and the Word of God God is principium essendi the Author of their Being and the Will or Word of God is principium cognoscendi the Fountaine of the knowledge of them Doct. 2. God doth will all that which is to bee done by his seruants in any part of their obedience or in any case of their liues as heere the course they are to take either toward the Magistrate or toward their enemies God wils it that is hee doth in himself approoue or determine or appoint and by his Word he doth warrant and require it And the same is true of all the well-dooings of godly men God wils them which I obserue for these vses Vses First it may be a great comfort to a Christian when he knowes he hath done what GOD would haue him to doo for then he may be sure God will not forget his labour and work of loue and obedience Heb. 6.8 The Hebrew that signifieth will signifies pleasure and delight and when it is giuen to God it notes that what hee wils hee takes pleasure in as in Esay 62.4 Hophzibah My will is in her or My delight is in him God takes great delight when wee doo his will Euery carefull Christian is his Hophzibah And besides if God doo will we should doo so God will defend and protect vs in our waies That may support vs against all the crosses or oppositions that may bee like to befall vs. And that made the Apostles place in euery Epistle that They were Apostles by the will of God And so such godly Christians as obey the humane ordinances of men in these times of quarrell and contention must comfort themselues with this that Thus was the will of God that they should so obey and that must support them against the contrary wils of men otherwise minded how well soeuer reputed of and make them bring their owne hearts into obedience to that which God would haue them to doo c. Doct. 3. The Word of God is the willing of God and so called here and God's Word may be said to be his will in two respects eyther because of the form or in respect of the matter In respect of the form it may be cald his will because it is digested in forme of a Testament and Christ the Wisdome of God hath set it in such forme as if it were his last Will and Testament as in some respects it is Or else chiefely because what God doth expresse or require in the Scriptures is agreeable to the very Nature and will of God hee doth in himselfe will it as well as in his Word promise or require it which shewes a great difference between the lawes of
Princes and the Lawes of God For many times the lawes of Princes agree not with the natures and hearts of Princes whereas God's Word is alwaies agreeable to God's Will and withall this should the more quicken to obedience because by conforming our selues to God's Word we conforme our selues to God's Nature And further it may comfort vs in the hope of strength to bee enabled to doe God's Will and what he requires because he wils what we should doe For God's Will causeth an impression vpon the creature it giues assistance it will see it done he will worke our works for vs God's Word is a Word of power it workes what it wills which mens lawes cannot doe When wee know God wills such a thing in his Word to bee done we should conceiue that he doth not onely shewe vs by that place what is to be done but also what assistance we shall haue to doe it Doct. 4. The Will of God is the rule of our actions what he wills we must doe and so it is vrged here by the Apostle and therefore it should teach vs to labour to vnderstand what his will is since all is lost that is not conformed to this rule Ephes. 5.10 We must get vs to the Law and to the testimonies For whatsoeuer is not directed from thence hath no light in it Esay 8.20 Secondly we must go to God and pray him to teach vs to doe his Will since he hath enrolled it in his Word Ps. 143.10 Thirdly if this doctrine were throughly digested vnruly froward and wilfull Christians would make more conscience of their passionate and incorrigible courses Let them look to it in time they must giue account to him that so hath prescribed rules by his will that he will not admit of courses carried onely by their wils Fourthly Inferiours must look to the warrant of their actions it is not the will of man but the will of God can iustifie them to doo well 1. Pet. 4.2 Lastly if his will rule vs then wee must take heed of that fault of making the lawes of our wils the causes of his will as they doo that think God must will to doo nothing with wicked men vnlesse his will bee confined to certain rules which they conceiue in their wils Doct. 5. That the bare signification of Gods will should be argument enough to perswade a godly Christian to doo any thing though it bee to deny himself or to go a course which is crosse to his owne desires The knowledge of God's will alone doth compell a godly minde to obey It is not the Maiesty or the rewards of God but God's wil which alone sufficeth to guide him which may try the obedience of man by the motiues For onely the sound Christian wil obey simply for the commandement sake and must teach vs to stick to it the bare will of God must rule vs though there were neuer so many men contrary-minded Vse The vse is for triall of hypocrites the true Christian laies down all his owne courses as soon as euer hee heares the sound of Gods will Doctr. 6. The practice of a Christian must bee confirmed iust according to the pattern so is the will of God it must bee iust so as the will of God is so from the manner as well as from the matter which should teach vs three things First to walk circumspectly seeing wee must look so precisely to the manner as well as to the matter of Gods will Ephes. 5.15 Secondly wee must therefore increase in the knowledge of his wil Col. 1.10 for the more things are to be done or the more exactly God wills vs to doe the more care wee must haue to increase our knowledge and study his will since all must be iust so as hee wils to haue it Thirdly wee should bee stirred vp to pray for our selues and one for another seeing it is such a hard thing to liue a Christian life and to please God Mark with what force of words the Apostle praied about this point Heb. 13.20 21. Now the God of peace that brought againe from the dead our Lord Iesus that great shepheard of the sheepe through the blood of the euerlasting Couenant Make you perfect in euery good work to doe his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Iesus Christ to whom bee glory for euer and euer Amen Quest. But can a Christian bee so exact as to answer the pattern to doe iust so as God wils him Ans. 1. Hee may for the substance of the obedience though not for all the degrees or circumstances 2. He may do it in desire hee must set his patterne before him as that hee desires to follow and striues as well as hee can and is vexed because hee cannot do it and with God if wee haue alwaies done as much as well as we did desire to do hee accepts the desire for the deed but it is certaine of the most of vs in the most things that we haue neither done the things right nor brought the desiring to do them and therfore it is iust with God if wee lose what wee haue wrought Doct. 7. That in some cases God would haue vs take notice of his will in more especiall manner hee hath certaine speciall wils there are some things that hee doth as it were more stand vpon then other things and these speciall wills of God we must heedefully take notice of as for instance 1. Thes. 4. about auoiding fornication this is the will of God hee meaneth his speciall chiefe will so about thanksgiuing 1. Thes. 5.18 Where the Apostle vrgeth the wil of God as a thing that God would aboue many other things haue don Aboue all things giue thanks For this is the will of God c. So our Sauiour Christ notes in his owne occasions an especiall wil of God Iohn 6.39 41. So heer God doth in a special manner will vs to obey Magistrates and to silence wicked men by well-doing Vse The vse should bee to teach vs to marke what things God doth specially require of vs and to apply our selues to his will that the Lord may take pleasure in vs and say of each of vs as he did of Cyrus He is the man of my will which is heer explained He is the man that executeth my counsell Esay 46.11 It was Dauids singular glory that hee would doe all Gods will whatsoeuer speciall seruice God had to do Dauid was ready to execute it Acts 13. For heerein lieth the triall of a sound Christian he doth the will of his heauenly Father and rests not in talking of Religion onely and professing it Mat. 7.21 Rom. 2.11 1. Iohn 2.17 And in particular in this text wee see there bee two things that God would faine haue vs do to silence wicked men and stop their mouthes First hee would haue vs so to behaue our selues that wee keepe out of their danger in respect of the Lawes of Magistrates Secondly and then
to liue such a discreet and profitable life that they may see that wee differ from all other sorts of men in the goodnes of our conuersation If wee would doe what might bee specially pleasing to God we must bee carefull of these two things Doct. 8. Lastly wee may heere note that the will of God may bee knowne effectually though it bee not knowne distinctly The Apostle is sure this is the will of God and yet there is no Book Chapter nor Verse quoted nor can any particular place be alleaged that these precise words doo expresse God's will but inasmuch as the meaning is to bee found in the scope of many places of Scripture therefore it may bee well so called The will of God Thus of the authority of this rule The matter of it follows which is well-dooing With well-dooing ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã The word is not the same with that in the former verse for heer it is a Participle of the present time and notes the continuall custome of well-dooing and giues vs to vnderstand that if euer we would effectually silence wicked men we must be continually exercised in well-dooing Our good works though of great excellency yet work but a sudden blaze the effect of them will be quickly ended or soon put out and then will wicked men return to their old course of reproaching if they bee not daily confuted by the still fresh and new fruits of a Christian wee must bee full of new and good fruits Iames 3.17 and neuer weary of well-dooing The sense of the word then is this as if it were rendred thus This is the will of God that they that are daily exercised in doing good should put to silence foolish men for the originall word doth note the person as well as the good done which affoords another doctrine Doct. 2. God would haue good men that are full of good fruits to enter into the lists against wicked men to vanquish and silence them which implies that God would not haue formal Christians or hypocrites to meddle with the quarrell of Religion for they will spoil all in the end when their hollownesse and hypocrisie is discouered they will make foolish men rail and blaspheme worse than before Such are fit to plead for and defend Religion as be manfull and full of good works And therefore the weak Christians should not be ouer-busie and fiery in meddling with wicked men or putting themselues forward to defend sincerity til their works could plead for them before we set-on to be great talkers for Religion we should prouide good store of good works by which wee might demonstrate the truth and power of godlinesse in vs. Of well-doing in it self I haue intreated before onely before I passe from it me thinks it is lamentable that our hearts can bee no more fired to the care of it Oh that wee were once brought but to consent from the heart with confirmed purpose to set vp a course by our liues to win glory to our Religion We see how fain God would haue vs do so and it would plague wicked men that would fain rail at vs nothing would more confute them And besides other Scriptures shew no life aboundeth more with stedfastnes and contentment than a life fruitfully spent especially how can wee bee still thus careless if we remember the great recompense of reward in another world Oh this formality and outward shew and seruing God for fashion how deeply is it seated in mens manners It is likely the most of you that hear this doctrine will say it is good and perhaps some one or two of you wil be a little toucht with a kind of consultation in your selues which way you might doe well But alas alas out and alas Oh that I could get words to gore your very Soules with smarting paine that this Doctrine might be written in your very flesh for a thousand to one you will goe the most of you away and not redresse your waies Religion shall not be honored by you more then before cursed be that worldly drosse or spirituall security that will thus robbe and spoyle your Soules and keepe Religion without her true glosse and beautie and shining glory I might here also note that submission to the ordinances of men is one part of a Christian man's well doing and a speciall ornament of the sincere profession of Râligion because it is the discharge of the duty enioyned vs by God and so is a part of the obedience due to God himselfe to keepe their ordinances is to obey God's commandement Secondly because such a conscionable submission to mans Lawes makes the religious workes of Christians to be the more vnrebukeable in the eyes of wicked men and therefore they are to bee warned of their rashnesse that say that conformity to mens lawes is euill dooing when God sayes it is well doing they say it is a sinne God sayes it is a good worke It is neerer to the truth and safer to say that not conforming is a sinne because it is a breach of God's expresse commandement in the former verse and therefore also godly Christians whether Ministers or priuate persons that obey the lawes of men simply out of Conscience of God's Commandements and not for corrupt ends may comfort themselues that the good God doth like of what they doe because it is his will that so they should doe and he sayes they do well though som good men are coÌtrary-minded out of weaknes censure them as euill doers Then it is implyed heer that the conscionable conformity of godly Christians shall be rewarded in Heauen For all well-doing shall bee rewarded in Heauen but submission to humane Ordinances is well-doing and therefore shall be rewarded in Heauen Paul is crowned in Heauen for his holding to the Iewish Ceremonies to win the Iews and further the liberty of his Ministery Thus of the matter required The end follows That you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men The word heer rendred To put to silence is diuersly accepted or the force of it is shewed by diuerse tearmes in seuerall Scriptures Sometimes it is translated to still a thing that is tumultuous and raging and so the Sea was silenced or made still Mark 4.39 Sometimes it is translated To make speechlesse or dumb so Math. 22.12 Sometimes To confute so as they haue not a word to answer so Mat. 22.34 Sometimes To muzzle or tie vp the mouth so 1. Cor. 9.9 1. Tim. 5.18 and so it signifies properly and so well-doing is intended heer as a means to muzzle the mouthes of wicked men The word heer rendred Foolish-men signifies properly men without a minde or men that haue not vse of their vnderstanding and so are either naturall fooles or mad men The Doctrines that may bee gathered from hence are many For it may bee euidently collected from hence Doct. 1. That wicked men do vsually in all places speake euill of godly men they are prone to it
they doe it vsually The holy Ghost heer supposeth it to bee done as the vsuall course in all ages and conditions of the Christian Church and no maruell For it hath beene in all ages past the condition of godly men to be euill spoken of and slandered God's children were as signes and wonders Esay 8. And whosoeuer refrayneth himselfe from euill maketh himselfe a prey Esay 59.15 The throats of wicked men are the ordinary burying places for the names of the Righteous Rom. 3. And this is the more to be heeded if wee mark in Scriptures eyther persons reproaching or the persons reproached or the matter of the reproach or the maner For the persons reproching we shall read sometimes that men are reproached by such as are of the same Religion with them Psalme 50.16 Esay 8.18 Cant. 1.6 Yea sometimes that godly men are reproached by such as are of their owne house and kindred as Isaak was by Ismael and Ioseph by his brethren the parents are against the children and the children are against the parents and a mans enemies are those of his owne house And for the persons reproached we shall finde them to be the most eminent and godly persons as Iob Iob 30.1 Moses Heb. 11.26 Dauid Psalm 35.15 Ieremiah 18.18 the Apostles 1. Cor. 4.9 10 13. yea the Lord Iesus Christ himself Heb. 12.3 And for the matter obiected we shall finde that godly men haue been reproached with the most vile slanders that almost might bee I may spare other testimonies now seeing Christ himself was charged with gluttony blasphemy sedition deceit diabolicall working and to haue a diuell in him and hee supposeth it to bee the case of Christians to bee spoken against with all manner of euill-saying Mat. 5.12 And for the maner two things may be noted First that many times wicked men set themselues to study and inuent without all colour of occasion mischieuous things to reproach godly men withall thus they deuised deuices against Ieremiah Secondly that when they haue euill reports afoot they pursue them and divulge them with all possible forwardnes and malice thus the Abiects âare Dauid's name and ceased not Psalm 35.15 and ill-minded men cease not till that good men may be euery where euill spoken of Acts 28. The reason of this strange kinde of ill humour in wicked men is twofold First there is their naturall hatred of goodnes it is not because of the sin of godly men but simply because they follow goodnes There is a naturall antipathy between a good life and a bad man 1. Iohn 3.13 14. 1. Pet. 4.5 Psalm 38.20 Secondly the other is because it is one of the rules of the diuell To be an accuser of the brethren and good liuers and the workes of their father the diuell they will doo Iohn 8.44 The vse is diuerse for Vses First it should informe men not to think it strange when they see such things come to passe for no other triall in this point of reproach befalls godly men but what hath accompanied the condition of all godly men almost in all Ages Secondly godly men should be the more stirred vp to prepare Apologies and in all places where they come to contend for the truth and striue together to preserue the reputation of one another Pro. 12.18 Thirdly godly men should arme themselues and prepare for reproaches and accordingly stirre vp their hearts with comforts out of the Word of God against the time of euill and trials Fourthly they should be made for that reason the more carefull of all their carriage that they giue not occasion to people that are so apt to speak euill of them as was vrged out of verse 12 of this chapter Fiftly all men should look to their ears and take heed what and how they heare reports It is an ill signe of a vitious nature To be apt to beleeue scandalous reports of godly men Pro. 17.4 And God will plague men in hell not onely for making but for louing lies though they be made by other men Reu. 22.8 And therefore as the North-winde driueth away the rain so should their angry countenance driue away the showres of reproach that fall from backbiting tongues Prouerbs 25. verse 23. Thus of the first point Doct. 2. It may be hence also noted that reproaches are to be auoided as much as lieth in vs God would haue vs doo all we may to liue so that wee might not be reproached Psalm 39.8 Phil. 2.15 We must striue to bee vnrebukeable and the reasons are first because euery Christian is not able to bear reproaches when he shall finde himself to be slandered Dauid shewes himself very vnquiet when he was slandered especially in some cases as diuerse Psalms shew and Ieremy falls into desperate extremities about them Secondly because reproches slanders haue diuerse ill effects for they are like swords and raysors and a man should auoid the wounds of swords and raysors as much as hee can Thirdly and besides some kindes of slanders doo keep many men off from imbracing Religion as the Iewes would not receiue Paul's doctrine because that way was euery where ill-spoken of And further many times in the best mindes that are perswaded the things obiected are vntruths the reproaches leaue a kinde of stain and work a kinde of suspicion and lessen the estimation of the person traduced Fourthly it is to bee auoided because it is so easily diffused slanders will run strangely A whole Country yea the whole Kingdome will be in a short space filled with the slanders which must needs come to many persons that are destitute of all apology for the innocent And lastly the showres of slanders that are cast vpon godly men many times are but forerunners of grieuous stormes of persecution And therefore they doe very foolishly that desire to bee reproached and by their indiscretions irritate the tongues of wicked men against them It is a grosse folly in some Christians that will of purpose doe things that bee crosse to the course of the world in things indifferent thereby to proclaime a wilfull opposition to the world And therefore also wee should bee very thankefull to God when he giues vs any breathing times from reproaches and slanders by all good meanes to keepe wicked men quiet if it may bee Doct. 3. It may here be further noted that it is a hatefull thing to be an ignorant and foolish man in spirituall things they are mentioned here with a kinde of grieuous scorne many reasons make this point euident For first the Sacrifices offered for the ignorances of the people shewed them that it was a vile thing to be ignorant Heb. 9.7 Secondly the very nature of ignorance shewes it to be a vile thing for is it not a hatefull thing to vs to bee blinde in our bodies how much more is it to haue the eyes of our mindes out Thirdly because it argues that a man hath not the Spirit of God in him for God's Spirit is giuen to
protection of God to fall to trust vpon outward things Thus it was madnes in Dauid after so many trials of Gods power for him to stand about to number the people and to rest vpon the strength multitude of his subiects 2. Sam. 24.10 9. To be slow of heart to beleeue and treasure vp the promises of God and the proofes of Scripture that should comfort vs and warrant the truth of our saluation in Christ Luke 24.25 10. To speake proudly or wickedly and with prouocation to others especially to wicked men or if they themselues be wicked men Pro. 30.32 33 11. All dotages about earthly things are in a great degree madnes For godly men that are heirs of the promises and of the Kingdom of heauen to yeeld themselues ouer to the inticements and lusts after worldly things is maruelous folly and madnes especially in them who haue tasted knowne better things to neglect their glory which is their soules for so Dauid calleth his soule Psal. 30. vlt. and to serue the sensuall desires of their flesh is miserable folly 12. All sinfull courses are foolish courses and to deale sinfully is to deale madly Psal. 69.5 The last vse of this doctrine may bee to shew the vanity and insufficiency of all humane wit and learning and morall indowments in comparison of heauenly and spirituall knowledge and vnderstanding For if all vnregenerate men be foolish men then it will follow that a man may be a great wise man in this world and indued with all the ornaments of humane learning c. and yet at the same time in Gods sight bee accounted but as a naturall foole or a mad man in respect of his want of the true wisdome from aboue to discerne things that are excellent that is spirituall things Thus of the fourth doctrine Doct. 5. It is a hard task to ouercome and cure ignorance Ignorant men especially those that are bent against godlines are wonderfully vnteachable God himselfe is faine heere to deuise a strange way to silence them Salomon obserued that these men are wiser then any man that can giue a reason And if a foole be brayed in a morter yet his folly will not depart from him and a reproofe will enter more into a wise man then 100. stripes into a foole yea it is heere to be noted that it is hard to silence them from their reproches and follies The reasons are First because it is naturall to them to bee hatefull and hating others and it is a hard task to ouercome a naturall disposition in man Titus 3.3 Secondly because the vnregenerate minde of man is full of obiections and the diuell suffers many heads of purpose he prompts them and supplies them with cauils Thirdly because many with-hold the truth in vnrighteousnes they doe willingly misprison the truth they desire not information they loue darknes and lies and therefore are loth to haue what might satisfie them and resist the power of the truth and willingly striue to neglect doctrine in publike and Apologies in priuate Fourthly because they incourage one another in an euill way they obserue that the great men of the world and many that are in reputation for wisdome and learning are scorners as well as they yea it mightily confirmes them to heare many times in the very pulpits showres of reproches which ambitious and malicious temporizers powr out to strengthen the hands of the wicked and discourage the hearts of the righteous they think they may reuile securely because they heare that way euerie-where euill spoken of that cause and language is the cause and language of the multitude Fiftly because many ignorant persons when they are confuted yet are so foolish that they will willfully persist in their obiections vpon this pretence that though they cannot reply against the answer yet they think if such and such were there that haue more experience and learning they would confirme and make good what they say Sixtly because malice hath no eares they hate the truth and godly men and therefore are vtterly vnwilling to abate any thing of the disgraces of the truth or godly persons If it be not as they say yet their malice would faine haue it so and if it may disgrace the godly they care not whether it be true or no. Seuenthly because many times God giues them ouer to such a reprobate sence that through custome and euill thoughts and euill surmizes they think verily they doe not much amisse to oppose and hate such persons This was the case of such as reuiled and persecuted the Apostles they thought they did God good seruice as Christ prophesied of them The vses of this doctrine follow Vses First therefore we should not wonder if we see this daily come to pass that men of all sorts should reproch the good way of God so vniustly so foolishly so pertinaciously Secondly it shewes that godly men had neede to be circumspect and to watch their words and works with all exactnes and that they which will confute ignorant men must striue to bee very able and throughly furnished with wisdome of words and abundance of good works Thirdly it shewes that ignorant persons are in a lamentable case that are so in wrapped in the snares and cords of their owne folly that so willingly and wilfully runne towards the gates of death ruine that are so hardly cured of this spirituall blindenes Fourthly it imports that sturdy self-will'd peruerse Christians that cannot bee diuerted or aduised are to be reckoned in the rank of these fooles what shew soeuer they make of a better estate Fiftly it doth comfortably import that when one is teachable and hates reproching and will do or say nothing against the truth and is not pleased with his ignorance but iudgeth himselfe for it and vseth the meanes to get the knowledge and loue of the truth that such a person is escaped from the congregation of these fooles and is in some measure inlightened with true wisdome from aboue Sixtly it may warne all that loue their owne soules hereafter to take heede and with care to auoide wilfulnes and selfe-conceitednes Let men take heed they be not wise in themselues but striue to frame theÌselues to be true workers of wisdom and withall to take heed of a multitude of words he that cannot be silent cannot be wise or godly And thus of the first doctrine Doct. 6. Sixtly wee may heere note that well-doing is the best way to confute wicked and vnreasonable men A sound and fruitfull life is the likeliest and surest way to still them if any thing will doe it it is the best way for diuers reasons 1. Because we see heere it is a course of Gods chusing and he saith it will euen muzzle them and binde vp their mouthes and hee will giue successe to the obedience of his owne commandements 2. Because by a conuersation full of good works we doe not onely confute them our selues but we make others able to answere
for vs in all places 3. Because if a man vndertake to answere them by words he is in danger to be prouoked to speak vnaduisedly and so may prooue like those fools whom he reproues Pro. 26.5 4. Because the naturall conscience of the wicked is as it were feared to take notice of a good conuersation and will struggle and resist within the wicked man so as hee cannot so securely vent his reproaches 5. Because it is a way that brings most peace and comfort to ones owne heart If he deale with them by words his heart may afterwards smite him for some absurdity or other he hath committed whereas he is safe that fights against them by his good works 6. Because it is the surest way of reuenge to ouercome their euill with goodnes especially if thou canst get but the aduantages to doo good to them that reproach thee Rom. 12.18 19. Vse The sound consideration of this truth should subdue in vs that ouer-eager desire of answering such as wrong vs by bitter words or works of reuenge yea it should compell vpon vs a consultation whether it bee best to deale with them at all by words God's way is by works and thou must get a great deal of temperance and wisdome if thou think thy self able to confute them throughly by words It is true also that in some cases wee may resort to the Magistrate to punish them that abuse vs but yet still this counsell of God that bids vs silence them by well-dooing should intimate that other courses must bee vsed with much caution and without rashnes or confidence in them Secondly this may reprooue that vnquietnes and impatience which is found in some Christians when they are reproached and wronged they are much vexed at the indignities offred to them and think it strange that wicked men should not cease traducing of their names whereas perhaps if they examine themselues they may finde that they haue not vsed the meanes to still them they haue not muzzled these dogs and therefore no wonder if they bark and bite too and muzzled we see heer they will not bee but by their good workes And therefore if they bee barren and vnfruitfull they must take notice of the fault in themselues There are other things that may be noted out of these words but I will onely touch them as Doct. 7. That onely foolish men doo reproach godly men Such as reuile and censure many are vsually either openly carnall men as they were drunkeards that reproached Dauid and Abiects Psalm 35.15 and 69.13 They were either fools or the children of fools but viler they were than the earth that had Iob in derision Iob 30.1 8. men that ranne into excesse of riot as the Apostle writeth 1. Pet. 4.5 or else hypocrites that haue nothing in them but words and empty shewes Or if at any time there bee a sinne found in godly men it is in such as are but babes and look like carnall men and haue a great deal of their naturall folly and madnes vnsubdued in them 1. Cor. 3.1 2 3. But for the most part it is a fault found onely in wicked men Doct. 8. That it is a great pain to a wicked man to bee restrained from reproaches hee is as much vexed when hee cannot or dare not speak euill of godly men as a dogge or an oxe is when hee is muzzled Doct. 9. That the good life of godly men may silence wicked men and yet not make them leaue their wickednes hee doth not say that by well-doing they may winne ignorant and foolish men It is true that sometimes a good conuersation may winne them as 1. Pet. 3.1 2. and before verse 12. Yet ordinarily they will doo wickedly euen in the Land of vprightnes Esay 26.10 Verse 16. As free and not vsing your liberty for a cloke of malitiousnes but as the seruants of God IN the two former verses he confirms the exhortation by reasons in this he answers an obiection The obiection seems to be that Christians are made free by Christ and therefore are not to bee tied with the bonds of humane ordinances or subiection to men The Apostle answereth that it is true that Christians are made free-men but so as they must not vse their freedome as a cloak of malitiousnes and the liberty of sinning either against God or men for they are still God's seruants and bound to doo what he would haue them to do and so consequently to obey Magistrates since GOD requires them so to doo So that in this verse hee intreats of Christian liberty And so first hee grants the vse of it or the right of it in these words As free Secondly he remoues the abuse of it in these words Not vsing your liberty as a cloke of malitiousnes And thirdly he giues a reason of his remoueall Because they are the seruants of God still In the first part you must consider what he granteth viz that they are free Secondly how far he grants it viz. that they are as free Free Freedome is either ciuill or spirituall Ciuill freedom is when a seruant is manumitted or made free that was an apprentise or bond-slaue before and so when a stranger is admitted to the right of a City or a Common-wealth or the like The spirituall freedome is that estate which Christians do enioy by God's fauour in Christ after their calling It is a spirituall manumission or freedom that is heer meant and this is called Christian liberty partly because it is a freedome that we haue onely by Christ and partly because it is a freedome now onely enioyed by Christians and no other men in the world Christian liberty is one of the great gifts or endowments bestowed vpon the Church by Christ. It is not amisse to reckon vp all the gifts in order that the relation which this gift hath to the rest may appear The gifts then that Christ hath bestowed vpon Christians are these First their ransome paid vnto God for their redemption Secondly their vocation by the Gospell calling them out of the world into the Church Thirdly the holy Ghost which hee sends into their hearts Fourthly their iustification imputing his owne righteousnes and procuring forgiuenesse of all their sins Fiftly their sanctification by which hee giues them new natures Sixtly their adoption by which they are made the sons of God Seuenthly their Christian liberty by which they are freed from all former bondage and enioy great priuiledges this is a fruit of their adoption Eightthly consolation refreshing their hearts in all estates especially by the comforts of his Word Ninthly the gift of perseuerance by which tey are kept from falling away Lastly an immortall and vndefiled inheritance in heauen after they are dead Christian liberty is either the liberty of grace in this life or the liberty of glory after this life The liberty of glory concerns either the soule or the body The glory or liberty of the soule is the freeing of it from all
that worke about nothing more then he things of this life Luke 16.13 Thirdly all vnprofitable Christians that liue and doe no good will doe no work but spend their daies in spirituall idlenes and vnfruitfulnes making no conscience of the meanes or opportunities of wel-doing Math. 25.26 28. Fourthly all backward and dull Christians to whom it seemes euill to serue the Lord that account all religious duties to be tedious irksome and neuer from their hearts consent to obey but doe what they doe vpon compulsion from the lawes of men or feare of shame c. They are Gods seruants no otherwise then the diuell is For the diuell is forced to doe God some worke sometimes but it is alwaies against his will that God hath any glory by it Fiftly all ignorant Christians that are so farre from doing good workes that they vnderstand not Gods will nor are carefull to redeeme the time that they might get knowledge Sixtly all hypocrites that haue the forme of godlines but deny the power thereof promise to doe much worke but do it not These especially so many of them as know their Masters will and doe it not shall one day feele the weight of Gods hand Seuenthly all quarelsome contentious Christians that make diuision and cause offences contrary to the doctrine of Gods Word These the Apostle saith serue not the Lord Iesus but their own belly and by smooth pretences deceiue the simple Rom. 16.18 Vse 4. Lastly since Gods people are Gods seruants they are to bee much reproued that take liberty to iudge and censure other men for infirmities or things doubtfull or indifferent for what haue they to doe to iudge anothers seruant They are Gods seruants and must make their reckoning to him and therefore stand or fall to their owne Master Thus of the first doctrine Doct. 2. Secondly we may hence learne that it is an excellent freedome to be Gods seruant They are all freemen that serue God as the coherence shewes No freemen can enioy better priuiledges then Gods seruants doe and neuer were there any seruants that enioyed such prerogatiues as Gods seruants doe and this may appeare many waies for First all sorts of men are Gods seruants All his subiects are his seruants Psal. 135.14 yea all his sonnes are seruants yea Christ himselfe Esay 42. all his elect are seruants yea his friends are his seruants so Abraham that had the honour to bee the friend of God accounted it no desparagement to bee Gods seruant the Kings of the earth accounted it to bee the best part of their title to bee Gods seruants Psal. 36.1 All which proues that it is a most free and honourable estate to be seruant vnto God else those eminent persons would neuer haue sought them out such a seruice and this is the more euident because God accepteth not of persons but the poorest Christian may bee as well intertained of God as any of those States Gal. 3.28 Col. 3.11 Secondly Gods seruice may become any freeman in the world if we consider what kinde of intertainment God giues his seruants For First all his worke is faire work It is no disgrace for any man to doe it and hee requires no more of the meanest seruant hee hath then hee doth of the greatest Prince on earth after he hath retained him to be his seruant Secondly if it fall out that they endure any hardship or be put to beare any inconuenience it is no more then what the Master himselfe doth or hath endured Math. 10.25 Thirdly and that the difficulty of this worke may not dismay thee he powres out his owne spirit vpon his seruants Ioel. 2.29 and guides them so that in effect hee doth all their worke for them Esaiah 26. Psal. 90. Fourthly when they endeuour themselues to doe his worke in sincerity he accepts their seruice maruelous graciously hee is so well pleased with them that his countenance doth shine vpon them Psal. 31.16 yea he boasts of their seruice Iob 1.8 and 2.3 Fiftly if through ignorance or infirmity they misse it sometimes and so marre his work if they but come to him and confesse it hee is ready and easie to forgiue and plentious in mercy Psalm 86.4 5. Esay 44.20 21. Mal. 3.17 Sixtly no men are kept and entertained more comfortably than they are hee doth not onely finde them food but giues them gladnes of heart where a thousand of other men that haue meanes enough haue so many sorrows among that they bear their names as a very curse Esay 65.13 14. Seuenthly if by wilfull ignorance or carelesnes they offend him yet hee will correct in measure Ier. 30.10 11. and will quickly repent himself of his Iudgement concerning them Psalm 135.14 Hee neuer puts away any seruants Esay 41.8 9. If they should at any time runne away and be lost he will neuer cease seeking them till hee finde them and bring them home again Psalm 119. vlt. Eightthly he giues great wages none like him all his seruants haue a great reward Psalm 19.11 And in the end he bestowes vpon them great inheritances besides what free-holds he bestowes vpon them in this life Psalm 126.22 1. Pet. 1.3 Ninthly hee takes pleasure in the prosperity of his seruants Psalm 35.27 It is a ioy to him when they doo well and thriue Tenthly besides what they get for themselues they get great sutes for others also they beg many a pardon and obtain any of them yea great sutes Iob 40.5 Iohn 15.15 16. Eleuenthly when any thing ailes them his mercifull kindnes is a wonderfull comfort to them Psalm 119.70 And if they should fall into danger in respect of the debts of other men God becomes surety for them and sees all discharged Psalm 119. verse 122. Twelfthly no men haue such protections Their aduersaries are sure to come to confusion the men that striue with them shall certainly perish Esay 41.11 12 c. The hand of the Lord shall bee knowne towards his seruants and his indignation towards his and their enemies Esay 66.14 Thirteenthly they shall not lose what they haue wrought but God will establish their work hee will neuer forget them and their works shall bee had in euerlasting remembrance Esay 44.20 Psalm 90.16 17. Lastly God doth not onely thus extraordinarily prouide for his seruants but hee takes order and prouides also for the seed of his seruants which few or none of worldly masters doo Psalm 69.37 Vses The vse should be threefold First it should teach Christians to liue with contentation and in all things to giue thanks and to say alwaies with Dauid O Lord thou hast dealt well with thy seruant according to thy Word Psalm 119.65 Secondly it should make them take great delight to doo his work they should loue to bee seruants to such a Master Esay 56.6 Thirdly they should euery where speak of Gods praises that entertaines them so gratiously they should open their mouthes all the day long with the praises of such a
serue God or to bee so religious Mal. 3.14 15. Ios. 24.14 Fiftly they that make no conscience of secret sinnes or hypocrisy in God's worship these feare not God because they set not the Lord alwaies before them nor feare to omit or do such things as the world cannot take notice of Sixtly they that meddle with the seditious or changers how forward soeuer they seeme in religion yet such as are set to bee so inclinable to bee led by changers haue not the true feare of God in them Prou. 24.21 Seuenthly they that liue in any knowne sinne and make no conscience to depart from iniquity Prou. 3.7 and 14.2 Such are they that are mentioned in the Catalogue Mal. 3.5 sorcerers adulterers c. especially the men that bless themselues in their hearts when they are guilty of hatefull sinnes Psal. 26.1 2 4. On the other side such as truely feare God may bee knowne by these signes First they make conscience to obey God in their liues and keepe his ordinances Deut. 6.2 They shew that they feare him by seruing of him Secondly they doe beleeue God and his seruants speaking to them in his name This was a signe the Israelites feared God because they beleeued God and his seruant Moses Exod. 14.31 Thirdly they that truely feare God do depart froÌ euil dare not liue or allow themselues in any knowne sinne whether it bee sinne in opinion or in life In opinion they that feare God will giue him glory though it be to change for the opinions not onely they but all the world haue held Reuel 14.7 And so in practice he that truly feares God âates all sin in some measure It is a âoule signe one doth not feare God when hee will not forsake his errours or faults though he be conuinced of them Fourthly they that make a conscience of it to obey God in all soundnes of practice in their conveâsation and so not onely in worshipping him with reuerence Psal. 5.8 but in striuing to doe all the good duties God requires Psal. 5.8 and that this signe may be applied effectually wee may try ourselues by our obedience to God whether our feare of him bee right or no. First if we obey in secret and dare not leaue vndone such things as no man can charge vs withall and doe withall striue against and resist the very hypocrisie of the heart and stand in feare of God's offence for the euils are found in our very thoughts this will proue vs to feare God soundly in truth and vprightnesse of heart Iosh. 24.14 Col. 3.22 When we set the Lord alwaies before vs and with desire to approue our selues to him it is an excellent signe Secondly When wee heare the Word of God and are told what to auoide or doe wee are then tried whether we feare God soundly or no For if we dare not delay but make Conscience of it to practise God's will as fast as wee know it it is a good signe but otherwise it is a foule signe that many Christians that make a fayre shewe are not sound because they are not afraid to liue in the sinnes God reproues by his Word nor to leaue still vnperformed the Precepts Counsels and directions are giuen them from day to day The Religion of many that seeme to bee of the better sort is a meere formality as this very signe proues Psal. 86.11 Isaiah 50.10 Thirdly a great guesse may be had at mens feare of God by their care and Conscience they make of their obedience in their particular calling A man may haue comfort that his feare of God and profession of Religion is right if hee hate idlenesse lying couetousnesse deceit frowardnesse and vniust dealing in his calling For though to deale iustly with all men be no infallible signe of the true feare of God yet it is a probable one and where it is not there can be no true feare of God Thus Magistrates must proue that they feare God 2. Chron 19.27 Exod. 18.21 and thus euery man in his place yea if women would haue the reputation to be such as feare God they must let their workes prayse them If they be idle froward vndutifull busie-bodies and carelesse of their domesticall duties what feare of God can bee in them Fourthly it will be manifest that our obedience flowes from the true feare of God if we will obey against our profit or ease or credit or our owne carnall reasons or affections Hereby the Lord said he knew that Abraham feared him because he spared not his owne sonne c. Gen. 22.12 And thus of the feare of God The last part of the charge concernes our loyalty to the King Honour the King The Apostle intends in these words but briefely to vrge the practice of their duty vrged in the exhortation Verse 13. saue that the tearmes haue something in them of explication of that doctrine and something for confirmation For we must honour the King 1. In our hearts 2. In our words 3. In our workes First we must honor him in our hearts and shew it two waies 1. We must not curse the King no not in secret no not in our thoughts We must not entertayne impatient and vile thoughts of the King but from our hearts esteeme him for his greatnesse authority and gifts 2. When the King commands any thing that seemes to others or to vs harsh inconuenient or doubtfull we must honour the King by interpreting his Laws in the best sence If loue must not thinke euill but hope all things of all sorts of men then much more of Kings It were greatly to bee longed for that this note might enter into the brests of some men they would then bee afraid to charge so much euill of the Kings ordinances not onely when they might finde a fairer sence but oftentimes expresly against the intent and meaning of the ordinance Secondly wee must honour the King in our words three waies 1. By reuerent speeches to them and of them 2. By a thankfull acknowledgement of the good is in them and wee receiue by them 3. By praying to God with all manner of praier for them 1. Tim. 2.1 Thirdly we must honour them in our works 1. By paying their tributes and customes 2. By submitting and yeelding to their ordinances preferring the obedience to their ordinances before the censures or contrary opinions of what men soeuer and this is the maine thing intended verse the 13. of this Chapter And therefore I will omit the larger handling of this point in this place Verse 18. Seruants bee subiect to your Masters with all feare not onely to the good and gentle but also to the froward HItherto of the duties of subiects and so of the exhortation as it is politicall and concernes the Common-wealth Now the Apostle proceeds to giue directions oeconomicall that concerne the family or houshould gouernment Before I consider of the particular exhortations something would be said in generall concerning a family A
What hast thou to do to iudge another man's seruant he standeth or falleth to his owne master Rom. 14. Secondly that all masters haue authority ouer their seruants though the master be a poor man or an ignorant man or a cruell man or a froward man or a hard man yet the seruant must bee subiect to him and bear himself as reuerently and obediently as if he were the richest or wisest or worthiest master in the world and the reason is because the subiection is due not to the masters riches or gifts or greatnes but to the authority which God hath giuen him as a master and therefore seruants must look to this point and the rather because it will be the greater triall of their subiection and singlenesse of heart when neither feare nor reward nor any outward respect doth compell or constrain them but simply the conscience of God's Commandement and the masters authority Thirdly wee may heer inquire how masters come by this authority ouer seruants by nature they haue it not and therefore must haue it by law The lawes of men cannot make one man a seruant and another a master therefore it is by the Law of God Since it is by the Law of God if wee haue recourse to the tenne Commandements wee shall finde that it is the fift Commandement which giueth masters this authority and honor the exhortations of the Apostle being but interpretations of that Law And that this point may bee cleered two things must be searched into First what sorts of men are called fathers and mothers there and secondly why they are so called in the Commandement seeing the most sorts of them in the vsuall life of man haue other titles For the first This tearm Father wee shall finde in Scripture to be giuen first to such as begat vs Heb. 12.9 Secondly to Ancestors Ioh. 6.18 Thirdly to Tutors so Students are called Children of the Prophets Fourthly to such as beget vs in respect of grace as to our Ministers 1. Cor. 4.15 Gal. 4.19 Fiftly to Magistrates Gen. 41.43 1. Kings 24.12 Ezra 1.5 Sixtly to Elders in age 1. Tim. 5.1 Seuenthly to the Inuentors or Authors of any science art or trade Gen. 4.20 Lastly it is giuen to masters so Naaman's seruants called him Father 2. Kings 5.13 And from hence masters were wont to be called Patres familias as Magistrates were called Patres patriae For the second Magistrates Tutors Ministers Masters and all Superiours are called Fathers first because the father was the first degree of superiority and the fountain and seminary of all society Secondly God of purpose preserues this title in all superiority thereby to sweeten subiection to Inferiors and to make them think the seuerall dangers burdens labours and subiections in each condition to be not onely tolerable but meet to be born because they endure them vnder parents as it were and so such superiority for that reason should not bee resisted or enuied Thirdly that thereby Superiours may bee put in minde of their dutie to auoid insolency cruelty oppression and the too much respect of themselues God charging them by this title to remember that their Inferiors are to them by God's Ordinance as their children Thus of the proposition of the duties of seruants The exposition followes and so first he sheweth the manner how they must be subiect viz. With all feare Seruants must subiect themselues to their masters in all feare which being put downe indefinitely must be vnderstood both in respect of God and in respect of their masters Seruants must shew their feare of God in their places diuers waies First by auoiding such sinnes as are contrary to the will and commandement of God in their generall life such as are swearing lying slandering hatred of the godly drunkennesse whoredome and the like Psalm 101.3 4 5. Secondly by carefulnesse to doo God seruice as well as their masters not onely by spending the Sabbath in the duties of Religion but in redeeming the time in the week-daies as may be without hindrance of their work or offense to their masters to imploy themselues in praier reading conference c. and the reason is because as seruants must doo their masters work as they are seruants so they stand bound in the common obligation to do God's seruice as they are men and no man but is subiect to the Law of God who hath giuen all his Commandements to seruants as well as to masters Thirdly by dooing their masters work out of conscience respecting the will and commandements of God and therefore seruing their masters with all faithfulnesse as if the seruice were to bee done to God himself or to Iesus Christ Eph. 6.5 Col. 3.23 Fourthly by praying for their masters and for the good successe of their labours for their masters commodity thus Abraham's seruant is commended for his practice of the feare of God and left for an example to all seruants to doo likewise Genes 24. Fiftly by dooing their masters work without eye-seruice being as carefull and as diligent when their masters are absent as when they are present as remembring that the Lord sees them though their masters doo not Col. 3.22 The feare then toward their masters they may shew diuers waies First by auoiding what might displease their Masters such as is answering again Tit. 2.10 contention with their fellowes and all vnquietnesse Phil. 2.4 sullennesse Prou. 29.19 and all vnfaithfulnes shewed either by purloining in the least things Tit. 2.10 or carelesness in disappointing the trust committed to them as also masterfulnesse pride and haughtie behauiour when they will not abide it to be told or directed or doing what they list not what they be appointed Secondly by reuerent behauiour to be shewed by lowlynesse of countenance by giuing titles of honor and respect Iohn 13.13 by standing before them when they sit Luke 17. by auoiding rude behauiour or sawcy familiarity as accounting them in heart worthy of all honor 1. Tim. 6.1 one point of which reuerence is that seruants should not presume to deliuer their opinions easily in their Masters presence vnlesse it be required or may bee gathered by argument from the lesse Iob 32.6 7. Thirdly by their secrecy in all the affayres of their Masters especially they should take heede of discouering their Masters infirmities to others abroad out of the family Fourthly by auoyding inquisitiuenesse to meddle only with their owne businesse the seruant knoweth not what his Master doth Iohn 15.15 Fiftly by doing their work with all faithfulnesse and diligence in absence as well as presence that when the Master comes he may finde them so doing Math. 24. Thus of the manner of the duty âhe persons to whom they must thus submit themselues follow And so they must be subiect with all fear not onely to the good but also to the froward To the good and gentle For the sense we must enquire who are good Masters and who gentle Good Masters are discerned by diuers signes
doo many notorious iniuries and abuses to their conscience by resisting the motions of conscience not knowing what to make of them and by smothering the scruples of conscience and by deading the conscience or else by vexing them and many other waies Thirdly God hath giuen men a great charge about the keeping of their consciences which he placed in their soules as a great treasure and God would haue it respected and looked to with as much care as any thing hee hath giuen vs 1. Tim. 1.19 Fourthly God doth require that men should get grace and goodnes into their consciences as well as into their hearts or words or liues which they can neuer doo if they be not taught Fiftly God's Word in all the directions and precepts of it doth binde oblige mens consciences to see to the obedience of them now what can conscience doo if men knowe not what belongs to their consciences and the natures and works of conscience But aboue all things it should awaken men to study the knowledge of conscience yea of their owne consciences if they consider that the conscience of euery man is one of the principall books shall bee opened at the last Day for euidence before the Tribunall Seat of Christ and therefore men were best to look about them in this world to see to it what is written in this book for it is indeleble and will stand vpon record either for them or against them at that Day Now concerning conscience diuers things are to bee considered First what conscence is Secondly what the work of conscience is Thirdly what the prerogatiues of conscience are Fourthly the kindes or sorts of consciences Last of all what it is that bindes the conscience which is to bee inquired into because men are inioyned to suffer wrongs patiently for conscience sake euen seruants from their Masters For the first To know what conscience is we must looke both to the Etymology of the word and to the definition of the thing The word conscience imports a knowledge with another Conscientia quasicum alia scientia Conscience that is science conioyned and the reason is because conscience is a thing in vs that knowes what wee haue done and therein ioynes with some other thing that knows it too Some of our actions conscience sees within and the Angels and men see them without but for our secret thoughts conscience is onely ioyned with God or with our owne mindes as they are ioyned with God CoÌscience is a thing within vs which God hath plac't there of purpose to be his witnes or spy to discouer all wee think or do as it is ioyned with the mind of man it is the knowledge of what we know or the thinking of what we think To think of other things is the vnderstanding or mind but to think what wee think is the conscience of a man Or else conscience may bee called so because it is a concluding science Conscientia quasi concludens scientia and the reason of the tearme in that sense may bee thus because looke what discourse conscience hath with God or the minde of man it vttreth it by way of a Syllogisme which they call a practicall Syllogisme As for instance If the conscience speak within to a murtherer it speaketh by Syllogisme thus Euery murtherer is in a fearfull case but thou art a murtherer therefore thou art in a fearefull case Now that that reason which concludes thus in him is his conscience is most apparant For the mind giues onely the first part of the Syllogisme which is that a murtherer is in a fearefull case or that the mind sees either by the naturall principles planted in it or by the Scriptures The other branch the conscience takes out of the memory that is that thou hast committed murther now the concluding of both and applying them to the murtherer is the proper work of conscience and conscience is that within vs that so concludes vpon our actions Now for the definition of conscience omitting the diuersity of frames giuen by diuers men I expresse that which I take to bee the cleerer and fullest to shew vs what it is Conscience is a diuine facultie in the soule of all reasonable creatures applying the principles or propositions of their mind in their particular actions either with them or against them I say it is a faculty to note that it is more then the act or the habit of the minde iudging or determining For acts and habits may be lost but conscience cannot Besides the Scriptures shew that conscience doth act as it excuseth or accuseth and therfore must be a faculty it selfe and not the act of a faculty I say a faculty in the soule because I dare not assigne it or confine it to any part of the soule as they doe that make it a part of the vnderstanding for the vnderstanding hath no parts properly and to make it a part Analogically is not to bee borne in a definition as Logicians know I say moreouer it is in all reasonable creatures to note that beasts that haue onely a sensitiue soule haue no conscience And whereas God also is no creature therefore hee hath not conscience For God beeing holines it selfe needes no faculties to gouern himselfe by nor any conscience to witnes or prompt him And I say it is in all that none might imagine that some men haue a conscience and some haue none For euery man hath a conscience either good or bad Secondly the proper work of conscience is imported in the other words of the definition viz. applying the principles of the mind For the vnderstanding whereof wee must know that there are certaine notions or frames of truth planted in the mindes of all men being infused by God as a naturall Law in their minds shewing what is good or euill and those principles are increased in the mindes of such as haue the benefit of the Scripture more or lesse according to the degree of their knowledge Now that which conscience doth is this It repaires to these formes of truth or light in the minde and takes such of them as concerne the busines in hand and with the force of them either comforts or affrights men according as the occasion is Note that I say it is a diuine faculty I wanted a fit term to express my meaning for that I would vtter I say that it is a wonderful special faculty in vs It is a most celestiall gift conscience is so of God in man that it is a kind of middle thing between God and man lesse then God and yet aboue man So then Conscience concludes about a mans owne actions For if Conscience trouble it selfe about other mens actions it is either the weaknes or the error of coÌscience I adde particular actions because Conscience neuer imployes it selfe properly about generals and lastly I adde for the successe or end It is either with a man or against him to note that
good Conscience and the other is that a man runnes onely blindefolded so long till death and hell may seaze vpon him Thus of the effects of an euill Conscience The meanes how Conscience may bee made good follow That an euill Conscience may bee made good two things must bee looked into First that wee get a right medicine to heale it Secondly that we take a right course in application of the medicine First the medicine for the curing of an ill Conscience is onely the blood of Christ the disease of Conscience is of so high a nature as all the medicines in the world are insufficient nothing but sprinkling it with blood will serue the turne and it must bee no other blood then the blood of the immaculate Lambe of God as the Apostle shews Heb. 9.14 The reason of this is because Conscience will neuer bee quiet till it see a way how GODs anger may bee pacified and sinne abolished which cannot be done any way but by the blood of Christ which was powred out as a sacrifice for sinne Now vnto the right application of this medicine foure things are requisite First the light of knowledge Secondly the washing of regeneration Thirdly the assurance of Faith Fourthly the warmth of loue First knowledge a man must haue both Legall and Euangelicall For they must knowe by the Law what sinnes lie vpon the Conscience and trouble it and they must knowe by the Gospel what a propitiation is made by Christ for sinnes And for the second an euill Conscience will neuer bee gotten off vnlesse our harts bee sprinkled and washed from the filth and power of the sinnes which did lie vpon the Conscience Heb. 10.22 1. Tim. 1.5 Now vnto such remouing of such sinnes from the hart two things are requisite First that by particular confession wee doe as it were scratch off the filth of those sinnes that foule the heart and trouble the Conscience Secondly and then that wee wash our harts and dayly rinse them with the teares of true repentance and humiliation before God for those sinnes Thirdly assurance of faith is necessary to the cure of an ill Conscience because faith is the hand that laies on the medicine A man must apply the sufferings of Christ to himselfe and beleeue that Christ did satisfy for those sinnes that lie vpon the conscience and must accordingly all to besprinkle the conscience with that blood of Christ and then of an euill Conscience it will presently become good but men must looke to one thing and that is that their faith be vnfayned For Conscience will not be satisfied with the profession of faith they must beleeue indeed and with their harts and with sound application of the promises of the Gospell concerning the bloud of Christ or else Conscience will not bee answered Heb. 10.22 1. Tim. 1.5 Fourthly the heate of loue must bee added a man must so apply the blood of Christ as that his owne blood bee heated in him with affection both towards God and Christ and Christians Christian loue doth put as it were naturall heat into the Conscience and makes it now receiuing life by faith to bestir it selfe in all the works either of seruice to God or duty to men 1. Tim. 1.5 Heb. 9.24 Knowledge bringing it light Mortification making it cleane Faith curing it and putting life into it by sprinkling it with the blood of Christ and loue infusing or rather inflaming it with the heate of life All these things are requisite though I stand not vpon the precise order of the working of euery one of these Thus how conscience may bee made good Now I might adde a direction or two how Conscience may doe her worke aright that is a good Conscience and not doe ill offices in the soule Two things I say are of great vse for the guiding of a good Conscience First that in all her proceedings shee must follow the warrant of Gods word Secondly that shee doe not mistake in iudging of particular actions she must bee sufficiently informed about our Christian liberty For vnlesse the conscience discern that we are freed from the malediction of the Law and from the rigorous perfection of obedience and haue restored vnto vs a free vse of all things indifferent and the like shee may bee ouer-busy and troublesome disquieting the hart and restrayning the ioyes should refresh and support a man Thus of the meanes how Conscience may bee made good the signes of a good coÌscience follow First by the opposition it makes against the remainders of sinne in the godly It maintains a constant combating against the law of the members hauing at command the law of the minde It doth not onely resist grosse euils but euen the most secret corruptions in the heart of man This Paul discerned in himself Rom. 7. of doing God seruice Secondly by the manner of exacting of obedience for a good Conscience First doth incline a man to doo good duties not by compulsion but a man shall finde that he doth them by force of an internall principle in himself Secondly it cannot abide dead works a good Conscience abhorres all cold and careless or luke-warm or counterfet seruing of God it puts life into all good duties it exacteth attendance vpon God in doing them Heb. 9.14 Thirdly it more respecteth GOD than all the world or the man himself and therefore wil compell a man to obey against profit and pleasure and liking of the world 2. Cor. 1.12 Fourthly it requires an vniuersall obedience it would haue all God's commandements respected and therefore Paul saith I desired in all things to liue honestly Heb. 13.18 The allowing of one sinne shewes the deprauation of the Conscience if it be a knowne sinne and still tolerated As one dead flie will spoyle a boxe of pretious oyntment I say one dead flie tho many liuing flies may light vpon a boxe of oyntment and doe it no great hurt So a godly man may haue many infirmities and yet his Conscience bee sound but if ther be one corruption that liues and dies there that is such a corruption as is known and allowed and doth by custome continue there it will destroy the soundnesse of the best Conscience of the World and doth vsually argue a Conscience that is not good Fiftly a good Conscience doth require obedience alwayes Thus Paul pleades I haue serued God till this day It doth not command for God by fits but constantly Act. 23.1 A third signe is that a good Conscience is alwaies toward God it still desires to bee before God it seekes God's presence it reckons that day to be lost and that it did not liue as it were when it found not the Lord or had no fellowship or conuersation with God A good Conscience is like a good Angell it is alwaies looking into the face of God Act. 23.1 Thus of the signes The benefits of a good Conscience are many and great for First it is the best
imports For euery man that can write yet cannot set Copies for other men to write by so euery good Christian is not able to teach by example to the life but with great imperfection some had more need to bee learners then to bee teachers and therefore should not bee ouer-hasty to shew their gifts Doct. 4. Good examples are very scarce in the world therfore Christ is faine to leaue vs one of his owne the skilfull practice of Gods Word is so rare that it is very hard to finde a man whom wee would set before vs as a pattern to imitate Doct. 5. There was very great need of Christs example to teach vs by The world is so generally falne away from the care of obedience and the doctrine of well-doing is intertayned so dully as a very matter of forme and for outward shew and the examples of the godly are so imperfect that it was necessary after so many hundreds of yeers in which sound practice was neglected that the Christian world should bee fired with the incitations of so exquisite a patterne of obedience as Christs was Doct. 6. Christs example is to bee imitated by degrees God doth not looke we should follow the copy exactly at the first which similitude imports a great deale of incouragement to the weak but willing Christian and withall shewes the doubtful estate of such Christians as in a short time and with little labour think they haue learned the substance of all Christianity Doct. 7. In that hee saith Leauing vs an example it imports that many good works tarry behind the godly in the world For though it bee true that their works follow them to heauen yet it is true also they are left behind They follow them to heauen in respect of GODs remembrance and acknowledgement of them and they tarry behind them in respect of the example of them and the praisefull memory of them amongst men Weldoing cannot bee lost which withall imports that it is a great honour and comfort when a man goes out of the world to leaue the memory and patterne of good works behinde him and it is a fearefull thing for such men as goe out of the world to leaue an ill report behind them and die an example of euill doers though those could leaue a great estate in worldly things yet are they most accursed because they leaue behind them such an ill sent and sauour by reason of their filthy or vaine or worldly kind of liuing Doct. 8. It is more then a step to heauen wee are heere required to follow Christs steps importing it is a long iourney and wee are to make many steps Doct. 9. The more good any doth the neerer they come to heauen euery good work is as it were a step neerer to heauen and therefore as we desire to bee with the Lord so should wee hasten and finish our work nothing will bring vs sooner to heauen whereas if wee bee barren and vnfruitfull either wee shall neuer come there or it will bee a great while first Doct. 10. The way to heauen is a very hard way to hit it is marked out by steps If wee step awry wee are in great danger either of fouling our selues or losing our way It is like to his way that is to passe ouer a brook or through thornes or through miery waies where are placed steps or a print of some footing before which is hard to hit and dangerous to misse And therefore men must looke to themselues after they haue vndertaken profession of the care of a better life for the similitude importeth that men must neuer look off their way and they must not go ouer rashly or hastily nor must they listen to strange noises nor must they look to go that way with much company nor is it safe for them to haue distractions or cares in their heads all which parts of the similitude let men apply to themselues Doct. 11. He that liues so as hee hath the commandement of God and the example of Christ for a warrant of his actions is in a sure way and is safe and in the right way to heauen They that walk by rule and are carefull to tread right in the steps marked out in the way shall haue peace and much comfort and assurance Gal. 6.16 Doct. 12. If we bee not skilfull enough to teach others by our example yet if wee bee willing to learn goodnes from such as giue vs good example we may be happy Some Christians are examples to others as 1. Tim. 4.12 Tit. 2.7 1. Thes. 1.7 8. Other Christians learn both in matters of faith and life from them as those places shew and this Text imports that if we but follow example we please God Thus of the doctrines out of these words It remaines that we consider more specially of the copy or example heer left vs to follow God teacheth vs many things by examples and to that end hee hath giuen vs diuers sorts of examples to learne by And so God is pleased to raise vp in the world examples sometimes of his Power sometimes of his Iustice sometimes of his Holinesse Examples or monuments of God's Power are those strange works of wonder which God doth at some times to shew his Almightinesse and Soueraignty such was that Iohn 9.1 To make a man blinde from the birth to see Examples of his Iustice hee hath giuen vs in all Ages so Numb 5.21 Ezech. 5.15 Heb. 4.11 Iude 7. 1. Cor. 10. Examples and patterns of his Holinesse hee hath giuen vs partly in his adopted sonnes and partly in his naturall Son and his Sonne by the grace of personall vnion thus he gaue vs Iob and the Prophets for examples of patience in suffering Iames 5.10 Thus Timothy and Titus are charged to be paterns of good works 1. Timothie 4.12 Titus 2.7 But it is the example of Christ which is heer vrged as the best patterne of all others Quest. Now the speciall question is What must wee distinctly learn from the sufferings of Christ Ans. There are many things wherein Christ hath set vs an example in his sufferings which wee may and ought to learn from him as First his sufferings should make vs willing to resolue to suffer if God call vs to it it should teach vs to stand vpon our guard and look for warre as resolued It is meet we suffer with him if we mean to raigne with him 2. Tim. 2.11 Secondly when he was tempted or troubled in Spirit he left vs an example for the manner of the fight and which way wee should make resistance and ouercome and that is by the Word of God and praier for he beat the diuell away by Scripture Mat. 4. And in all his speciall agonies wee still heare him praying and making his mone to his Father Thirdly hee left vs a pattern of matchlesse humility and told vs if euer wee would learne any thing of him we should learn of him to bee lowly and meek who
of the world which casts off a man that will not run in the excesses of the time as a dead man indeed Col. 3.3 but in respect of themselues For first by the assise a man must keepe vpon himself he will be found dead by sentence when he iudgeth himselfe before the Lord he stands as a man condemned in the flesh He sentenceth himselfe to eternall death for his deserts by confessing what hee meriteth 1. Pet. 4.6 Now a condemned man is reckoned for a dead man in Law Secondly Repentance destroies the sences and affections and conceites and reason that were wont to bee aliue in men It dissolues the very frame of the old conuersation The word rendred dead signifies to vndoe what was done about the life of men to vnmake him as I may say so as all the old things passe away and all becomes new 2. Cor. 5.17 Rom. 6.6 1. Iohn 3.8 In the new Conuert there is not left the sauour sent lust or affections after sinne and the sinfull profits and pleasures of the world Hee doth not find that inflammation or inticement he was wont to feele from euill example or the glory of the world or euill company or the things before hee most esteemed and delighted in Thus hee is dead to himselfe because he denies himselfe and could bee well contented to forget that euer hee had beene such as hee was before Thirdly in some of Gods children their repentance is performed with such griefe and sorrow as brings their life almost to the buriers as is noted Iob 33.19 20 21. Fourthly they may bee said to bee dead in repenting because repentance is neuer fully finished till their naturall death sinne sticks so fast as they haue dayly cause of mortification in some degree and it will neuer bee gotten wholly out till they bee in deed dead men though in the meane time God accepts of their first repentance as if it were perfect This doctrine serues effectually to discouer the estate of multitudes of Christians not to bee right as they That do nothing at all about their sinnes That excuse their sinnes and hide them and fauour them and cast the fault vpon others Pro. 28.13 Gen. 3. Iob 20.11 12 13. That blesse themselues in their hearts when their iniquity is found worthy to be hated Ps. 36.2 That haunt with such persons as may make them sinne more That say It is no profit to walk humbly before the Lord Mal. 3.14 and rather blesse the proud That hate and reuile such as are mortified That are dead rather in faith and good works and finde a deadly sauour in the Word That haue sense and sauour onely in the things of the flesh Secondly this should teach all that minde their owne saluation to look carefully to the truth of their mortification and not to think it is such a slight easie work but to consider that in repenting for sinne they must neuer cease till they bee like Christ dying for sinne and that is in the sense before giuen So our bearing of the similitude of Christs death in our repentance notes diuers particular things in our repentance as 1. That our sorrowes bee voluntary not inforced hee gaue his life it was not taken from him wee must not tarry till the diuel fire vs with the terrors of despaire 2. That wee be payned at the very heart for our sinnes so was Christ it must be a harty griefe 3 That wee shew forth the fruites of our repentance so hee suffered openly 4. That hee suffered by degrees and ceased not till hee died so must wee by degrees resist sinne and neuer cease vntill it bee quite abolished Hence also wee may know whether wee haue truely repented It is a signe of true mortification when 1. A man hath seriously condemned himselfe before God for his sinne 2. When hee feeles the wonted violence of affections after sinne and the world to be deaded and his hart growne dul and out of taste in matters of sinne and the world Hee is crucified that hath his lusts and affections crucified Gal. 5.24 3. That he is aweary of life it selfe by reason of the remainders of sinne in his flesh Rom. 7. 4. That hath felt as sensible sorrowes for his sinnes as hee was wont to doe for his crosses sorrowes I say that are voluntary and for sinne as it is sinne Doct. 4. The Passion of Christ is the best medicine to kill sinne in vs He died that wee might die to sin There is a vertue in the death of Christ to kill sinne Rom. 6. Now the death of Christ may bee said to kill sinne First in respect of the guilt of it Christ in his death paied all that was needefull for satisfaction and so destroyed the imputation of it and stilled the clamour of it It cannot cry against vs in heauen because God is fully satisfied and the bond discharged and cancelled the plea of our sinnes died in the passion of Christ. Secondly in respect of the hatefulnes of it or the demonstration of the hatefulnes of it The passion of Christ giues all men occasion to see how vnworthy sin is to liue that made him die when it was onely imputed to him and not done by him Thirdly in respect of the power of it in vs actually There is a secret vertue in the wounds of Christ to wound sin and in the death of Christ to kill sinne and therefore the Scripture speakes not onely of the merit but of the vertue of his death Rom. 6. Phil. 3. which vertue is secretly deriued vnto the penitent sinner by the ordinances of Christ his Word Praier and Sacraments Vse The vse should bee for triall men may know whether as yet they haue any part in the death of Christ by inquiring whether they bee dead in their sins First they haue no interest in the merit of his death that haue not experience of the vertue of his death in killing their corruptions Secondly for instruction When godly men finde any corruptioÌ begin to be too strong for them they must fly to Christ for this medicine and then there is no sinne so strong in them but by constant praier to Christ for the vertue of his death will be subdued if they pray in faith Praier gets the medicine and faith applies it to the disease Doct. 5. True mortification doth not incounter one sinne onely but sinnes in the plurall number and indefinitely It notes that in true repentance there is a respect had to amendment of all sinnes To mend onely one or two faults is not true repentance For hee that is truly dead is dead to sinnes there is no sinne but the true Conuert desires and endeuors to bee rid of it so far as hee knowes it to bee a sinne Herod did mend in some things but yet was not sound because in one sin hee minded no repentance And this point doth giue an infallible rule of triall of mens estates in Christ for no wicked
man in earth doth so much as in true desire forsake all sinne There bee some corruptions hee knowes that hee would vpon no conditions part with To desire and endeuour to bee rid of all sinnes is an infallible mark of a childe of God Doct. 6. Mortification makes a man dead onely to sinnes it doth not make him of a dead and lumpish disposition in doing good duties Heb 9.14 nor doth it require that it should destroy his nature or naturall temper or the parts of his body but his sinne onely nor doth it kill his contentment in the creatures of God and the vse of lawfull things nor doth it destroy his liberty in lawfull delights and recreations it kils his sinne onely Might liue vnto righteousnes These words containe the second effect of Christs death and passion viz. the raising of vs vnto a righteous life His death makes vs liue and liue righteously Diuers doctrines may bee hence obserued Doct. 1. First that men truly mortified shall liue happily These dead men will liue there is no danger in great sorrow and the other works of mortification It kils sinne but the soule liues by that meanes Hee is sure to liue that is dead to his sins RoÌ 8.13 Esay 26.19 1. Pet. 4.6 Eze. 18. Ho. 14.2 The reasons are First because God hath promised comfort to such as mourne for sinne Math. 5.4 Pro. 14.10 Secondly Christ hath a speciall charge giuen him to looke to those mourners that they miscarry not Esay 61.1 2 3. Thirdly they are freed from eternall death they cannot be condemned 1. Cor. 11.31 32. Iob 33.27 28. Fourthly because the fruit of the lips is peace to these they are euer after interessed in the comforts of the Word Esay 57.15 18. Fiftly the nature of godly sorrow is onely to tend to repentance It is worldly sorrow that tends to death 2. Cor. 7.10 Sixtly they that are conformed to the similitude of Christs death by mortification shal be conformed to Christs life by the resurrection from the dead The vse may be first for confutation of such as think that mortification is a way full of danger and makes many men come to great extremities wheras they may heere see there is no danger in it Hellish terrours and despaire and some kind of diseases may make strange effects in some men but neuer was any hurt by godly sorrow for sinne if wee will beleeue the Scriptures and therefore it should incourage men to fall to work soundly about searching their waies and confessing their sinnes and iudging themselues in secret for their sinnes Iames 4. chapter 7.2 Cor. chap. 7.10 11. But heere men must looke to some fewe rules First that they see the warrant of the course in the Word and know the places that require these duties that they lay vp such promises made to the duties of mortification as may vphold their hearts in the practice of them Thirdly that they refuse not consolation but when they haue found true humiliation for their sinnes and comfort from God in his ordinances that they turne their sorrow into ioy and their praiers into thanksgiuing and spend their daies alwaies reioycing in the Lord. Doct. 2. It is not enough to die to sinne vnlesse wee also liue to righteousnes It is not enough to forsake our sinnes but wee must spend our daies in good works wee are so charged to cease to doe euill as withall wee are charged to learne to doe well Esay 1.16 we must bring forth fruits worthy amendment of life as well as confesse our sinnes Math. 3.8 A man will cut downe his fig-tree for want of good fruite though it beare no ill fruit Luke 13.6 It will not please any husband-man that his Land beare no thornes nor briers nor weedes if it beare him not good graine It is not enough for a seruant that hee doe his Master no hurt but hee must see to it that hee doe his Masters worke For first obedience and good fruits are required at our hands in the Law of God besides the prohibition of sinne Secondly Christ died to this end that wee might liue righteously as well as die to sinne Thirdly because all the gifts of the Spirit bestowed on vs in our regeneration are giuen to profit withall not to lay them vp in a napkin 1. Cor. 12. Fourthly because wee shall bee iudged at the last day according to our works Rom. 2.6 Vse And therefore this shewes the dangerous folly of such carnall people as think if they come to Church and liue ciuilly and doe no body no wrong they are out of al question in a right course And besides it should awake carelesse and sluggish Christians to looke to their gifts and remember what accounts they will giue to God for their vnprofitablenesse and vnfruitfulnesse 2. Pet. 1.8 Doct. 3. It is from hence euident that the onely liuing is to liue righteously Hee is worthy to bee said to liue that liues to righteousnes a religious life is the best life And these are the reasons First because it is the most honorable life For to liue to righteousnes makes a man highly in the fauour of God Psal. 11.7 Prou. 15.9 and it shewes that a man is borne of God 1. Ioh. 2.29 and besides it helps a man to the best and most blessed memoriall Prou. 10.7 and the fruits of righteousnes are the best meanes of glorifying God Phil. 1.11 And therefore Salomon said well that The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour Prouerbs 12.26 And Dauid saith They are the onely excellent Ones Psal. 16. whereas euery wicked man is lothsome and a sinnefull life is a shamefull life Prou. 13.5 and 14.34 Secondly because it is the most profitable life and the most gainfull for blessings are vpon the head of the righteous Pro. 10.6 The wicked worketh a deceitfull work but to him that soweth righteousnes shall be a sure reward Pro. 11.18 And righteousnes is both the best riches and the most durable Pro. 8.18 19 20. And it hath the promise of this life as well as the life to come 1. Tim. 6. Iob 8.6 And the profit of righteousnes will help a man when he is to die when the treasures of the wicked will profit nothing Pro. 10.2 Yea a good man lacketh not an inheritance for his childrens children and the wealth of the sinner is many times laid vp for the iust Thirdly because it is the safest and quietest life He that walketh vprightly walketh surely Prouer. 10.19 and the fruit of righteousnes is peace Iam. 3.18 For God's promise is that No euill shall happen to the iust whereas the wicked shall be filled with mischief Pro. 12.21 And God's blessing makes them rich and hee mingles no sorrow with it Pro. 10.21 and 15.6 And righteousnes is reckoned as an impenetrable armour 2. Cor. 6.7 And God doth mark euery one that doth righteousnes and solaceth his heart Esay 64.5 And the very doing of good is sweetnes to the soule
His righteousnes is not intended for the praises of men for his praise is of God Rom. 2.26 Hee doth not his work to bee seen of men Mat. 6.1 c. He had rather be righteous than seem so Secondly in the parts of it The Pharises righteousnes is outward his is inward also The very thoughts of the righteous are right Pro. 12.5 Hee striues to get a clean heart as well as clean hands and is as well grieued for euill thoughts and lusts and desires within as for euill words or works wheras the Pharise is but like a painted sepulchre all full of rottennesse and filth within his soule desires euill when hee dares not practise it in his life Pro. 21.10 Again the Pharise makes conscience of great commandements but not of the least Hee refrains whoredome murder periurie swearing by God sacrilege c. but makes no conscience of filthy-speaking anger swearing by that which is not God or by lesser oaths deceit couetousnes or the like whereas a righteous man indeed makes conscience euen of the least commandements Mat. 5.19 20. Again a Pharise may bee good abroad but is not vsually so at home but he that is truely righteous is so at home as well as abroad hee becomes a good husband master father friend c. as well as a good man Finally the righteous man hath respect to all God's Commandements whereas the Pharise in some one or other of the Commandements liues in the breach of it wilfully and without desire of reformation some in couetousnes and extortion some in lust and filthinesse Thirdly in the degrees or measure of righteousnes The Pharise is carefull of some few works of which hee seeks glory but the righteousnes of the iust man is as the waues of the sea he is industrious to increase in all well-doing and to bee filled with the fruits of righteousnes euery day Esay 48.18 Fourthly in the continuance of righteousnesse The iust man doth righteousnes at all times Psalm 106.2 Luke 1.75 His desire is for euer to bee imployed in good works whereas the Pharises righteousnes is but by fits and as the morning deaw and if trouble come for righteousnes he fals away and forsakes his righteousnes c. And thus of the vse for triall Vse 2. Secondly the excellent liuing of such as liue righteously may greatly reproue such as cannot bee stirred with these things to a conscionable care of forsaking their sinnes and of liuing righteously Quest. What should be the cause that such men as heare so much of the excellent estate of righteous men are not perswaded to conuert and embrace that kinde of life Ans. The cause is diuerse in diuers men as First in some it is long of certain corruptions that discouer themselues about the hearing of the doctrine of righteousnes for either mens hearts are like a beaten path in the high-way that the sound of doctrine cannot enter into their vnderstanding Mat. 13. Or else they vnderstand not with application to themselues but think onely how the doctrine may fit others Luke 13.1 2. Or else they meet with some hard condition that they are not willing to obserue as the rich young Pharise did or some other harsh doctrine as they account it which doth so vex and offend them that they fall clean off from the respect of Christ and holinesse as Iohn 6.59 66. Or else they haue some vile opinions that let them in the time of hearing as to think that one is not bound to doo as the rules of Scripture doo require or that if one bee not a grosse offender God will not impute lesse faults contrary to our Sauiour's doctrine Mat. 5.18 19 20. Or else their hearts break that is they let the doctrine run out and neuer think of it when they are gotten out of the Church Heb. 2.1 Or else they haue resisted the light of the truth so long that God hath now deliuered them ouer to a spirit of slumber lest they should conuert and hee should heale them Math. 13.15 16. Esay 6.10 Secondly in some the world is the cause of it For either they are entangled with the examples of the multitude especially of the wise Ones and great Ones of the world 1. Cor. 1.26 27 28. Or else they are affrighted with the euill reports with which the good way of God is disgraced in the world Acts 28.22 Or else they are insnared with respect of their carnall friends they are loth to displease father or mother or sisters or brothers or any they haue great hopes from or dependance vpon Math. 10.35 37. 1. Pet. 4.2 Or else they haue so much busines to doe and so many cares about their worldly affaires they cannot bee at leisure so long as to think they cannot bring their liues into order Mat. 13.22 Luke 17. Or else they liue at hearts-ease and prosper in their estate and so desire not to alter their course of life so their prosperity destroies them Prou. 1.32 Thirdly in some men the cause is the lust after some particular wickednes of life in which they liue either secretly or openly which sinne is the very Idol of their hearts and hinders a good resolution Fourthly in some the cause is conceitednes they are pure in their owne eies and yet are not clensed they rest in the outward profession of religion and the feare of godlines and regard not the sound power of it in their liues Lastly in all vnregenerate men there are three causes why they are not perswaded to a religious life First the one is the forgetfulnes of their death therfore their filthines is stil in their skirts because they remember not their latter end Lament 1.9 Secondly the other is that they are dead in sinne What should hinder the conuersion of multitudes at once but that wee preach to congregations of dead men Thirdly the diuell works effectually in all the children of disobedience striuing to hide the Gospell from them and the glory of a righteous life that so they might perish 1. Cor. 4.4 And thus of the second vse Vse 3. Thirdly such as consent to obey and feele themselues raised from death to life and are now desirous to spend their daies in a religious and righteous course of life must obserue all such rules as may further them and establish them in an orderly fruitfull conuersation He that would liue in righteousnes must think on these directions following as the very gates of righteousnes First he must giue ouer al needless conuersation with vaine persons and prophane men hee must shun their company as hee would such as haue the plague running vpon them hee must not come neere them as is vrged Prou. 14.15 For what fellowship can bee betweene righteousnes and vnrighteousnes 2. Cor. 6.14 Depart from me ye euil doers saith Dauid for I will keepe the commandements of my God Psal. 119.115 Secondly Hee must redeeme time Hee must buy time from his worldly occasions and settle
9.1 and 67.2 5. Where is that walking with God required in Scripture Who doeth alwaies set the Lord before him Where are those soliloquies betweene the soule and God Are not many content to goe weekly and monthly without speaking to God And thus of the defects concerning the first table In the second table diuers things may be noted as were defectiue in the parts of righteousnes as First there is a generall defect of mercy men doe exceedingly faile in that liberality to the distressed and poore seruants The bowels of mercy are euery-where shut vp either altogether or in the neglect of many degrees and duties of mercy Secondly in many Christians there is a fearefull want of meeknes they being guilty of daily sinnes of passions and worldly vexations and that many times with a kinde of wilfulnes against knowledge and conscience Thirdly The cares of life and worldlines doe striue and blemish the conuersation of many and discouer a strange defect of that contempt of the world should bee in them Fourthly domesticall disorders doe euen cry to heauen against many husbaÌds for want of loue and of most wiues for want of obedience and of seruants for want of diligence and faithfulnes in their places And thus men faile in the parts of righteousnes In the manner of weldoing many things are wanting first both in the generall weldoing of good duties secondly and in speciall affection to God thirdly and in the manner of Gods seruice In Generall First zeale of good workes is exceeding defectiue in the most Tit. 3.14 Men shewe not that willingnes and feruency of affection should bee shewed in all parts of righteousnes men doe not lift vp their hearts in Gods waies Gods commandements are vsually grieuous and tedious Secondly there ought to bee a holy feare in the practice of their good duties 1. Pet. 3.2 which is vsually wanting men do so much trust vpon themselues and doe duties with such boldnes neglect of their waies whereas they should feare alwaies Pro. 28.14 Oh that meeknes of wisdome required Iames 3.9 where is it to bee found Thirdly men are not circumspect to make conscience euen of the least duties as they ought and to obserue to doo them euen to watch for the opportunity of well-doing and to look to the means of the performance of euery duty and to abstaine from the very appearance of euill and to bee discreet in looking to the circumstances of time place persons c. Eph. 5.15 Deut. 5.32 Fourthly there is great want of moderation in Christians for either they are iust ouer-much in conceiuing too highly of themselues for what they doo or else they are wicked ouer-much in thinking too vilely of their works Eccles. 7. Fiftly men are strangely negligent in the growth of grace and knowledge men stand still and doo not prosper and striue to increase in euery good gift as they ought 2. Peter 3.18 Many graces are not strengthned and many works are not finished Secondly in mens affections to God how are men defectiue Where is hee that loues the Lord with all his hart and all his might and all his soule Deut. 30.6 and 6.3 Thirdly in God's worship these things are in many wanting 1. Reuerence and that holy feare which should bee shewed when wee appeare before the Lord Heb. 12.28 2. Men vsually forget to doo all worship in the Name of Christ Col. 3.17 3. The care of praising of God that is of looking to God's acceptation in all seruice is much forgotten Heb. 12.28 4. The desire of vnity and consent in iudgement among our selues when wee worship God is miserably neglected and reiected by diuers wilfull Christians Zeph. 3.9 Phil. 2.2 3. 5. Men miserably neglect thankfulnesse to GOD for the good they receiue daily from his mercies Col. 3.17 6. Many faile publiquely and shamefully in want of care to come time enough to God's seruice Zach. 8.21 Esay 60.8 In these things Christians should bee admonished to minde their waies and their works and to striue to walk as becommeth the Gospell and the death of Christ that they may hold fast the light of the truth and shew out better the glory of a Christian life And thus of liuing to righteousnes Now follows the third form of speech By whose stripes we are healed The healing of our sicknesses is reckoned as another fruit of the Passion of Christ or else it is the same with the former exprest in other words These words then are borrow'd from the Prophet Esay chap. 53.5 who doth chiefly vnderstand the spirituall healing of our soules of our sinnes as the coherence shewes in the Prophet but yet the Euangelist saith Mat. 8.17 and vnderstands of the healing of our bodies also And therefore I consider of the death of Christ both in respect of soule and body And first as this healing is referred to the soule diuers doctrines may be obserued Doct. 1. The soules of all men are diseased by nature euen the very soules of the Elect are so till they be healed by Christ. The soule is diseased diuers waies especially by sorrows and sins it is the disease by sin is heer meant Quest. It would bee inquired how the soule comes to be sick of these diseases and why sinne is called sicknes in the soule Ans. This spiritual sicknes comes into the soule by propagation Adam hath inflicted all his posterity and euery man hath increased the diseases of his nature by his owne wilfull transgressions Now sinne is called sicknes because it doth work that vpon the soule which sicknes doth vpon the body for sinne hath weakned the strength of the soule in all the faculties of it which all men may discern and obserue in themselues by nature Besides it causeth spottednes and deformity in the soule as sicknes doth in the body and therefore sinne was likened to the leprosie in the Law Further it often causeth pain and torment in the soule as wounds diseases do in the body for there is no peace to the wicked especially when God fighteth against them with his terrors Besides it will cause the death of the soule as sicknes will of the body if it be not helped and so men are said to be dead in sins Vse The vse may bee to shew the fearfull negligence of worlds of people that are exceeding carefull to help their bodies to health but neuer think of the poor soule that lieth lamentably full of diseases And withall it shewes that all wicked men are men of ill natures because their dispositions are all diseased though there be degrees of ill nature or of this euill in mens natures as there is difference of sicknesses in mens bodies And godly men should be compassionat when they see the grieuous diseases in the natures and liues of other men remembring that they also were by nature subiect to the same diseases as well as they Doct. 2. The diseases in the soules of men by nature are very
saluation The internall meanes is Faith For that is it which turns a man cleane about and causeth him to set his face vpon God and Iesus Christ and to leaue all his old courses and by-waies Acts 15.9 The eightth point is the manner how wee must returne and so wee shall finde in Scripture diuers things vrged vpon vs. First that we in returning make a thorow search triall of our waies to finde out distinctly in what particulars wee haue gone astray Lamen 3.40 they must remember and bethink themselues and turne Psalme 23.28 Secondly wee must with true sorrow bewaile our former wandrings and iudge our selues for them going and reioycing wee must goe with our faces toward Zion Ierem. 51.4 5. Hosh. 14.2 3. 2. Chron. 6.24 37. Ierem. 3.13 Ioel 2.12 Thirdly wee must order our waies to a generall reformation The Prophet complaines that they would not frame their doings to turne to the Lord importing there can bee no returning to GOD vnlesse men cast their courses into a frame of reformation Hosh. 5.4 Men must amend their doings and their works Ierem. 35.15 Fourthly wee must returne in sincerity and that hath diuers things considerable for 1. Wee must returne with our whole hearts not fainedly Ierem. 3.7 2. Chro. 6.38 our very faces must bee turned from so much as looking after our abominations Ezech. 14.6 2. Wee must returne from our owne euill waies euery man from his way note it from his way that is from those courses in which he hath specially offended Iames 3.8 Esay 55.7 the wicked must forsake his way 3. Wee must forsake not onely outward sins but inward sinnes also we must reforme the wandring of our hearts as well as our liues the vnrighteous must forsake his very thoughts Esay 55.7 and put downe the very Idols of his heart Ezech. 14.7 4. We must turne from all our transgressions It is not enough to forsake sinne as some outward or inward sinnes but wee must forsake all sorts of sinnes Ezech. 18.30 5. Wee must returne with resolution neuer to start back wee must not bee like a deceitfull bow Hos. 7.16 Fiftly wee must so returne as wee must consecrate our selues to God to waite vpon him continually Hos. 12.6 and to serue the true and liuing God 1. Thes. 1.9 and to doe works meete for repentance Acts 26.20 The ninth point is the signes of returning or how wee may try whether we bee effectually returned and that may bee partly gathered by some of the points before and partly by some other things may bee added Hee that is truly turned may know it First by the cause of his returning It was somewhat aboue his owne power or disposition It was God that turned him by his Word neither did he turn out of despaire as Iudas did but faith in God and perswasion of Gods goodnes in Christ made him returne Hee feares God and his goodnes Secondly by the manner of his returning For if he returne in the manner before mentioned he needes not doubt the truth of his repentance especially if he bee sure to haue no hypocriticall or carnall endes of his reformation and that hee doe desire to returne from all his transgressions making conscience of the least commandement of God aswell as the greatest and of secret sinnes as well as open and of the euill that cleaues to his best works Esay 1.16 Thirdly by the fruits of repentance or returning and so hee may comfort himselfe 1. If hee esteeme Christs pasture aboue all worldly things finding the sweetest sauour in the Word of all things in this life Psal. 19. and 119. 2. Cor. 2. 2. If hee haue a minde to know God that he finde that out of habituall disposition hee haue an ernest desire to know God and to bee knowne of him Ier. 24.7 he will follow on to know the Lord. 3. If hee doe distinguish betweene the precious and the vile Ierem. 15.19 and discerne betweene the righteous and the wicked betweene him that serueth God and him that serueth him not Mal. 3.18 esteeming godly men to bee the onely wise men Luke 1.17 4. If hee bee carefull to put iniquity far from his Tabernacle If hee be carefull to reforme his house and cannot abide to dwell where sinne dwells vnreformed Iob 22.23 5 If he become as a little childe for humility and trust vpon God for all things necessary as the little childe trusts vpon his father for diet clothes inheritance preferment c. without any doubting or carking care 6. If hee bee earnest with God to heale his nature and to perfect his work Esay 19.22 Ierem. 31.18 19. He praies and that earnestly for the mending of his disposition to wander 7. If hee bee profitable according to his bignesse and pasture if hee bee full of mercy and good fruit if hee be zealous of good works These bee things meet for repentance that is things that bee of equall weight with it in the scales they each of them weigh iust as much as repentance The last point is what should be the reason that men haue so little minde to returne They will not be driuen home againe though they know that they liue sinfully and heare of Gods wrath and discerne vanity in all their pleasures and that sinne hath vsually proued it selfe to be a lie and that they are in danger of strange punishments and of eternall torment What I say should be the lets of returning or rather the causes that they mind not to returne Answer The causes are First the diuell is the cause hee hath blinded their eies and works effectually in them and leads them wandring and captiue at his will 2. Cor. 4.3 Eph. 2.2 2. Tim. 2.26 SecoÌdly impotency of coÌsideration is the cause they neither can nor doe think of the arguments should make them to returne or moue them they cannot spend an houre in the consultations vpon it whether they doe well not to returne Thirdly ignorance of the glory of Religion and the Kingdom of Iesus Christ Col. 1.26 there is a vaile vpon their hearts 2. Cor. 3. Fourthly opinion that it is a dishonour and shame to returne this makes diuers continue in erronious and humorous conceits or in fantasticall conformity to the wicked yea in the very excuses of sinning because they feare they shall be vilified laughed at and censured for it Fiftly expectation to haue their particular courses to be proued to bee sinnes Thus doe almost all men in their times persist in their sinnes vnder the couerture of this question Who can proue them to be sinners Thus scapes vsury excesse vanity of apparell excesse likewise in drinking of healths til the wine inflame them swearing prophanation of the Sabbath c. being willingly ignorant of this that God hath condemned sinne in the generall in Scripture and laies it to men to looke vnto it that they fall not into his hands for transgressing and if they doubt they must be ruled by their
all the godly All that haue committed their soules to him may rest vpon it that He is able to keep them till the Day of his comming 1. Tim. 1.2 They shall neuer bee lost none can take them out of his hand Iohn 10.29 It is the will of God that none of them should be lacking Iohn 6. And therefore they may comfort themselues with those words of the Apostle Nothing shall euer be able to separate vs from the loue of God Rom. 8. vlt. Thirdly for instruction and so it should teach vs to take chiefe care of our soules For from his office wee may learne that hee accounts our soules to bee the chiefe thing hee would haue kept safe Secondly seeing hee is the Bishop of our soules we should learn not to giue to any man aboue what is writteÌ seeing they are but stewards of his graces and seruants vnder him Thirdly wee should especially striue to bee such as Christ may take the charge of vs and may proue that we belong to his charge If wee bee of Christs charge then First wee must heare his voice all our daies with great attention and affection His sheepe heare his voice and the voice of a stranger they will not heare Iohn 16. Secondly wee must bee sure wee haue returned and repented vs of our former wandrings else hee is not the Bishop of our soules Thirdly wee must resolue all our daies to obey him that is thus declared to haue the ouersight of vs and bee ruled by such messengers as he sends vnto vs in his name Bishops also and Ministers should heere learne to knowe what a good work it is to haue the charge of soules vnder Christ and accordingly carry themselues with al faithfulnes and diligence and iustice and humlity not Lording it ouer Gods heritage but as such as giue account vnto the chiefe Bishop at his comming 1. Pet. 5.2 3.1 Tim. 4.1 2 3. and 3.1 They are but Christs Curates Lastly woe to such as are complayned of to this Bishop there will be no escaping he will not be corrupted they may escape the punishment of earthly Bishops but they shall neuer escape the punishment of this heauenly Bishop Math. 3.5 FINIS An Alphabeticall Index of the most principall things handled throughout the whole booke A Acceptablenes with God page 170 How works made acceptable 171 Apostasy inward and outward 89 Application of word 217 Astray of going astray 889 B Babes how taken 65 Why most Babes in religion 67 Duties of new-borne Babes 69 Wherein Babes to be imitated 70 Behold how this word is vsed 180 Beliefe see faith 201 Brethren all godly 699 Building spirituall see Edifie 146 God the chiefe builder 182 Wicked men builders 238 C Calling the sorts thereof pa. 336 4. Things in the order of working it 338 8. Signes of effectuall calling 340 Walke worthy of calling 340 Misery of them that refuse their calling 343 Calling of Gentiles 363 Ceremonies how to be yeelded to 595 Children see Babes 65 Christ a Bishop Shepheard 9â0 Christ described 115 How Christ excelleth al lords 118 Christ a stone and how 120 Christ disallowed and how 123 Christ how chosen of God 127 Christ precious many waies 132 How to come to Christ 136 Why we should com to Christ. 139 Christ a fiue-fold tabernacle 149 Christ a foundation what it imports 185 An esteeme of Christ how gotten 199 Christ many waies refused 242 Christs exaltation 246 Christs sufferings 796 Christs example 807 Christ had no sinne 812 How Christ bore our sinnes 831 Why Christ suffred on a tree 836 How Christs suffrings heal vs. 880 Christ how like Sion 187 Markes of the members of it 189 Their prerogatiues 193 Ciuil honesty 308 Compassion to enemies 328 Conscience why to bee instructed in it 750 What conscience is 751 Consciences proper work 753 How conscience is imployed 755 Prerogatiues of conscience 759 Kindes of conscience 760 Confusion spirituall 209 How kept from it ibid. How far Saints may bee confounded 211 Conuersation honest 472 Six things appertaining thereto 474 Why Saints conuerse with wicked 481 In what cases Saints may conuerse with the wicked 483 D Day diuersly taken 546 Day of grace 547 Darknes acceptation thereof 346 Degrees of darknes 347 Signes of spirituall darknes 351 Difference of darknes 353 Deceit see Guile 12 c. Diseases of soule 873 Why diseases of soule not felt 875 How diseases of soule healed 876 Desire of the Word of God see Word 50 Despaire of wicked 264 Preseruatiues against despaire 268 Difference of despaire 271 Men die diuers waies 838 Disobedience 232 Doers well 62â Euill doers 618 Doing well puts the wicked to silence 665 E Ecclesiasticall men and matters subiect to Magistrates see Magistrates 562 Edifie meanes to edifie 146 Why many little edifie 147 Election to life 280 Signes of election 283 To liue as assured of election 287 Enuie hatefulnes of it 33 Signes of one free from enuie 35 Euill doers 618 Equiuocation 820 Example of Christ. 807 Example how it binds 807 Exaltation of Christ. 246 F Father diuers acceptation 732 Faith in Christ. 201 Signes of true faith and of weake faith 223 A family what it is 712 Family-duties 714 Feare of God 703 What causeth vs to feare God 704 Motiues to feare God 705 Who feare not God 707 Signes of Gods feare 708 Flesh see lust Euill properties of flesh 413 Flesh wars against the Soule fiue waies 463 Folly spirituall 651 Folly in godly men 660 Free froÌ what ChristiaÌs freed 671 To what they are made free 674 How but as free 677 Frowardnes 738 Helpes against it 741 G Gifts bestowed on the godly 669 Glory vaine and good 784 God a terrible Iudge 826 God first to bee serued 562 God the chiefe Master builder 182 God how glorified in himself 515 God how glorified in vs. 519 Much failing in glorifying God 521 Motiues to glorify God 525 Helps to glorify God 527 How God glorified in heart 530 How others made to glorify God 533 Grace temporary 344 Graciousnes or goodnes of God 93 How to taste of it 95 It is felt especially in the Word 96 Growth spirituall kinds of it 78 In what christians ought to grow 79 Rules for growth 84 Impediments of growth 85 Signes of growth 86 Guile why to be auoided 12 13 Misery of guilefull persons 14 16 Sundry waies of guile 15 Secret guile guilefull seruants 17 Signes of a man without guile 20 Guile in words many waies 815 H Healing soule See diseases 876 Rules for healing the soule 886 Hearing one of the best senses 451 Heart made new 542 Holines of Christians 303 Holy conuersation 307 Honesty what it is 473 Honesty conuinceth the wicked 484 Honouring men 695 Humility 324 Hypocrisy How many waies committed 2 Motiues against it Effects of it 24 Preseruatiues against it 29 How it is discerned 30 32 What makes an hypocrite 31 Hypocrites holy coÌuersation 309 I Ignorance 647 Ignorance hardly cured 662 Imitation of
Christ. 320 Inferiours why first charged 715 Inoffensiuenesse 329 Inuentions of men how to bee obeyed how not See Magistrates 587 Iudgements how far extended 249 Iudgements spiritual the worst 251 K Kindred spirituall the best 290 Kings earthly and spirituall difference betwixt them 295 Kings meant by Saint Peter 604 Originall of Kings 606 Excellency of Kings 609 Supremacy of Kings 612 L Lawes of land not to be transgressed 561 Lawes of land to be studied 562 Learned men oft oppose the Word 238 Liberty of Christians 670 Liberty abused 680 Liuelinesse spirituall 143 Liuing spiritually how happy 852 Light acceptation thereof 354 Light of godly maruelous 358 Lost sheepe who be 893 How they that as sheepe may bee lost 896 Loue to the Godly 329 Saints onely loued of God 402 How that Loue prescribed 404 Lusts to bee auoided 406 Diffrence of lusts in the godly 408 Helps to auoid lust 409 Lusts how fleshly 413 How lusts hurt the soule 416 How victory ouer lusts 469 When ouercome of lusts 470 M Madnesse spirituall 654 Magistrates our dutie to them to be learned 561 Submit to Magistrates why 566 All to be subiect to magistrates 571 How Magistrates an ordinance of men 575 Magistrates distinguished 578 Magistrates in what to be obeied 581 In what not to be obeied ibid. Magistrates power in matters ecclesiasticall 582 Obedience to Magistrates for the Lords sake 600 Magistrates of God 615 Magistrates to encourage godly men 629 When not fit to complaine to Magistrates 824 When redresse may be sought of Magistrates 825 Masters their originall 732 Signes of good Masters 736 Malice signes of it 6 Remedies against it 10 Maliciousnes 680 Meditation rules for it 219 Meekenesse 323 Melancholy rules about it 64 Mercy in man 327 Men not vnder mercy 380 Why many obtain not mercy 388 4. Properties of Gods mercy 390 6. Effects of Gods mercy 394 Helpes to obtaine mercy 399 Ministers must apply the word 220 Mortification signes of it 849 N The godly nation 311 O Obedience see Magistrates Obstinacy of sinners 478 Offence see scandal 255 Offence by outward shewes 332 P Patience 327 Motiues to patience 822 The peculiar people of God 314 Wicked no people 366 Who are not Gods people 369 Gods people 3. waies 371 Gods people excell all other 372 Gods people onely beloued ones 402 The phantasy 452 The work of it in sleepe 454 Priests how the godly are Priests 155 What vses to bee made therof ibid. Priesthood of Christians 300 Praise of men how to bee sought 623 The best need praise 624 For what praise due 626 Helps to get praise from men 628 R The faculty of reason 457 Refusing Christ. 242 Remembrance of misery past profitable 345 RepentaÌce put off dangerous 548 RepentaÌce conformable to Christs death in many things 849 Reprobation 851 Reports when not to bee receiued 494 Reproaches see euill speaking 37 Helps to beare reproaches 493 Reproaches to bee auoided 646 Reuiling 818 Roiall estate of godly 293 Righteous life the best life 854 Righteous mens signes 857 Righteousnes distinguished 860 Righteousnes reiected why 862 Helps vnto Righteousnes 864 Defects of Righteousnes 868 S Sacrifices for Christians 161 Lawes for offering those sacrifices 165 Scandal defined and distinguished 255 How wicked take scandall at Christ. 257 Wherein not to regard scandall of wicked 261 How guilty of giuing scandal 262 Rules to preuent scandall 263 How scandal taken at word 273 Rules about giuing or taking scandall at ceremonies 595 Seruing God 686 Who serue not God 689 Prerogatiues of Gods seruaÌts 690 Seruants of men 718 Seruitude how it came in 719 Seruants comfort 723 Seruants subiection 727 Helps to seruants to obey 728 How seruants shew a feare to God 734 Scripture why Word so called 176 Wherein it exceeds other writings 176 Sense by the soule 449 Of the fiue senses 449 Sight and hearing the best senses 450 The inward sense 452 Sheep in allusion to men 888 Signes of lost sheepe 893 How they that are as sheep may be lost 896 Shame spirituall 209 Sicknes of soule see diseases 873 Sin against holy Ghost 106 Sin done many waies 809 Who aliue to sin 140 Sincere Word see Word 74 Sion spirituall 187 Society how made happy 713 Societies diuers kinds of theÌ 606 Soule diuers acceptation of it 418 Description of the Soule ibid. What it is not 420 The soule is a substance 421 The soule is immortall 423 The originall of the soule 429 It comes by generation 431 The soule created of God 434 Soule and body how vnited 441 The soules faculties 446 The soules working motion 455 Why the soule was made 460 War against the soule 463 Speaking euill 37 Motiues against it 39 How to keepe men from speaking euill of vs. 45 Saints euer euill spoken of 486 The causes why it is so 487 Reasons against euill speaking 489 Euill speaking when odious 491 Stone how Christ a stone 120 How the godly are stones 141 Why liuely stones 143 Godly strangers and pilgrims 410 Submission see Magistrates 566 Suffering for Christ marks of it 284 Sufferings of Christ. 796 787 T Tabernacle how Christ one 149 How godly a tabernacle 150 Taste of Word see Word 100 V Vaine glory 783 Vegetation by the soule 447 Vertue of God what it is 317 Nine vertues of Christ to bee shewed forth 321 Vertues in vs vertues in Christ. 334 Vnbeleeuers are disobedient 231 Visitation attributed to God 534 How God visits 535 Time of Gods visitation 540 Signes of being visited in mercy 541 Glorious effects thereof 552 W War lawfull 570. Will of God 631 ââds will a strong motiue 630 Well doing see Doing well 5 Things to profit by the Word 3 Hinderances of the Word 5 Desire of the Word 50 How desire of the Word discerned 53 Impediments to the desire of the Word 56 Meanes to get true desire of the Word 61 How to preserue a true desire of the Word 62 How wicked men may desire the Word 72 The Word resembled to milk 73 How the Word is sincere 74 The Word sweetned with Gods goodnes 96 How the sweetenes of the Word is tasted 101 Difference betwixt godly and wicked in tasting the Word 102 Why many haue no taste of the Word 109 Word of God our Warrant 559 How Gods word is Gods wil. 634 World contempt thereof 326 Worthy walking 340.378 Works note of Religion 496 Works iustifie before men 497 Works wherein good 498 Rules for good works 501 Kinds of good works 505 How works coÌfort the Saints 508 For what ends good works 509 How works may bee lost 511 What works may bee shewed 513 What may not be shewed 514 FINIS The coherence The Analysis of thâ first part of this chapter 5. Things to be auoided if we would profit by the word Generall obseruations The benefit of brief catalogues of sins or duties or graces How many waies the sinnes heer-mentioned do hinder the word Of Malice Acceptation of the word Signes of malice Reasons
and Gods elect in the holines of conuersation Vse The sixt prerogatiue is their number Vse The acceptation of the words Doct. The sence as the word is taken for praises The diuision The first part Fiue things we are not to imitate in Christ. 9. Vertues in Christ which we must shew forth in our liues 1 Wisdome How we should shew it viz. fiue waies What it must not haue in it 2 Meeknes shewed in foure things 3 Humility which is shewed 3 waies 4 Contempt of the world shewed in foure things 5 Mercie shâwed foure waies Patience to be shewed foure waies 3 Motiues Compasâion to enemies Inoffensiuenes Loue to the godly How many wayes we shew foorth the vertues of Christ. Phil. 4.5 7 Wayes wherein wee may offend by outward shewes Vse Motiues to the shew of vertue Why the vertues in vs are called the vertues of Christ. Sorts of callings 7 Gifts of God Distinction of calling 4 things in the order of working our calling Vse Eight signes of an effectuall calling Ezech. 11.18 2. Cor. 2.4 5. Ephes. 2.5 5 Rules that shew vs how to walk worthy of our calling The miserie of such as refuse their calling shewed in eight things Math. 10. Of the estate of such as haue temporary grace The remembrance of our miserie past is pofitable in ââx respects The acceptations of the word darknes Degrees of darknes Nine aggrauations of the darknes is in wicked men 4 Signes of spirituall darknesse 6 Differences betweene the darknesse is in godly men and that which is in wicked men Ioh. 12.46 Esay 50.10 Mich. 7 8. Psal. 1â2 â Acceptations of the word Light In how many respects the light of the godly is maruellous Esay 9.2 Mat 4.16 Of the calling of the Gentiles in generall Vse Many sorts of people in Scripture Why wicked men are said not to bee a people Who are not Gods people Men are Gods people three waies Ier. 31.3 How Gods people excell all other people Exod. 33.6 Rules for Gods people how to carry themselues to God Excuses of wicked men refuted What wicked men in particular are not vnder mercy Why many obtaine not mercy 4 Properties of Gods mercy 1 It is tender many waies 2 It is immense It is free mercy and that diuers waies Gods mercy is eternall 6 Effects of Gods mercy Vse 1. Vse 2. Helpes to obtain mercy How many waies Gods people are the onely beloued ones Vse How Christians may preserue this loue Iusts to be especially auoyded 3 Differences of lusts in Godly men and wicked men Helps to auoyd lusts Vse Lusts are fleshly in diuers respects 8 Euill properties effects of the flesh How these lusts hurt the soules of wicked men as also the souls of godly men Soule taken in diuers senses A discription of the Soule 7 things very considerable in mans Soule Psal. 49.18 The soule is a substance The soule is not a bodily substance The soule is immortall Eus. Eccl. Hist. l 2. c. 26. Aug. tom 6. de haeres c. 8.3 The originall of the Soule Anima non est ex traduce God creates the soule Vnion of the Soulâ with the body how The faculties of the soule 1 Vegetation Sense 1 Outward 2 Inward sense Of the faculty of reason in the soule and wherin it excels The end why the soule was made 4 Kinds of war against the soul. The flesh wars against the soule fiue waies Why God doth suffer this war How many waies wee get victory ouer our lusts Signes to knowe whether we be ouercomne of our lusts Six things to be looked to to expresse a fayre conuersation Vse In what cases it is lawfull to conuerse with wicked men Causes why godly men are euill spoken of In what cases it is not hurtfull to speake euill of godly men Reasons against euill speaking In what cases in particular it is odious to speak euill Helps against reproaches to bear them Wherein works are good Rules to bee obserued in doing good works Ier. 31.19 20. Heb. 9.14 and 12.14 Kinds of good works Esay 1â 8 How a godly man may comfort himself in his works What works are good for How a man may lose his workes What works may be shewed What works ought not to shewed How God is glorified by himselfe 1. Cor. 11.17 How God is glorified of vs in generall How God is glorified of vs in particular Motiues to the care of glorifying God Helps to glorifie God By what meanes God may bee brought into our mindes Helpes to conceiue aright of God Deut. 4. How God is to be magnified in our hearts and by what means The thoghts of Gods glory is 2 waies established Note A double caueat in glorifying God 4 Things must be done by vs to make others glorifie God Men are said to visit diuersly 2 God doth also visit many waies 1 The creatures But especially men and so either as he visits all men in generall or some men in speciall God visits men two waies especially 1 In iustice What kind of men in particular are in danger of this kind of visitation 2 God visits in mercie so either in temporall things aâ in the case of blessings or in case of afflictions God visits in spirituall things diuersly Doct. 1. Vse Vse Signes of such as are truly visited in mercy with true grace 1 Hee hath a new Lord. 2 New acquaintance 3 A new language 4 A newe heart Speciall signes of a newe heart 1 It hath no guile 2 It is void of malice 3 It is void of couetousnes 4 A newe mind New affections A new behauiour discouered diuers waies Many sorts of daies noted in Scripture Note How the day and season of grace may be knowne Note Against such as presume on late repentance First obiection answerd Note Second obiection answerd Third obiection confuted Note Note What glorious things the day of visitation brings forth Vse Note Vse 1. Vse 2. Note Note What submission hath in it viz. sixe things Si quis tentat excipere conatur decipere Agnoscit dominum suum cleri Aben-Ezra 1 Subiectiue 2 Obiectiue 3 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 4 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã In what things the Magistrate is not to be obeyed In what things they are to be obeyed In what matters ecclesiasticall the Magistrate hath no power In what things he hath power ecclesiastical Actions about Gods worship of two sorts Quoad ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Quoad ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Whether any inuentions of men ought to be obeyed Gal. 5. Mat. 15. Command 2. Circumcision was a burthen Acts 5.10 and these burthens called necessary things v. 28. and they were said to doe well if they obserue them v. 29. Pretended inconueniences by humane Lawes suruaied Acts 15.1 Rules about taking and giuing scandall at humane ceremonies ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Hypocrisie Originall of Kings Homo natura est animal politicum Diuers kindes of societies Pagus à ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã
ãâã The excellencies of Kings aboue others 1. Tim. 1.12 Bernard Epist. 170. Who are branded for euill doers Wherâin it is vnlawfull to seeke the prayse of men 2 Cor. 12.11 Ioâ 5.36 37 Helps to get praise from men Ier. 8.18 21 Vide Eph. 4 17 18 Signes of spirituall Iolly Prou. 17.16 Signes of spirituall madnes Wherein godly mân sometimes shew folly Why t is so hard to cure Ignorance and silence ignorant men Speciall gifts of Christ bestowed on the godly Quanquam humantur non tamen damnantur From what a Christian is made free Electì sunt liberi à damnaetione legis et à dominatione regis peccati To what a godly man is made free In what respects we are but as free ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Men may vse their liberties aâ a cloke of maliciousnes fiue waies 2. Pet. 2.19 â0 How Christian liberty is made a cloke of malice in things indifferent How we must serue God Rom. 12.45 Heb. 9.14 Who are reiected from the number of Gods seruants Deut. 2.847 Prerogatiues of Gods seruants By what waies wâe may express our honouring of men How wee shew our loue to the brotherhood In what respects godly men are brethren The Apostle doth especially vrge the inward worship of God The feare of God what it is It is twofold Fiue things in God wee are to stand in awe of Motiues to get the feare of God What kindes of men do not feare God Signes of Gods feare Pro. 31.30 Note What ae family is Three things required to make a society happy We are bound of God to the care of domesticall duties for diuers reasons Why Inferiors in a family are first and especially charged with their duties Seruants of men are of diuers sorts For what causes seruitude came in Gen. 12.16 and 32.5 Eccles. 2.7 How a godly seruant may comfor himselfe in that estate Seruants must be subiect 3 waies Helps for seruants to yeeld subiection The originall of masters The name father giuen to diuers sorts How many waies seruants shew the feare of God in their callings Signes of good masters Reasons against frowardnes Pro. 10.32 Pro. 16.28 Helpes against frowardnesse Reasons why men ought to be instructed about conscience What Conscience is Rom. 2.15 and 9.1 The proper work of Conscience These principles in the mind shâw a keeper they call Synteresis How Conscience is imployed in vs. Chirographia Dei Prerogatiues or properties of Conscience Kindes of Conscience Difference of euill in mens consciences Note The signes of an euil Conscience that is still Signes of an ill stirring Conscience Hurt of an euil conscieÌce Foure ill effects of an ill Conscience Aggrauations of the misery of an ill Conscience What must be done to make an ill Conscience good Two things for the guiding of Conscience Signes of a good Conscience Acts 23.1 Benefits of a good Conscience How farre Conscience may be bound Vse Wherein vaine glory is seene 1. Thes. 2.6 Wherin true glory consists God calls men to suffer diuers waies Christ suffered for vs in diuers respects Ten things for vs to follow in the example of Christs sufferings In what things Christs example bindes not How far examples binde conscience A man is said to make sin many waies How Christ had no sinne Guile in words many wayes Guile in Hypocrisie many wayes What reuiling is Who are guilty of reuiling Esay 5.20 Motiues âo patience In what cases it is not fit to complayne vnto the Magistrate In what cases men may lawfully seeke redresse from the Magistrate That God is a Iudge is terrible to wicked men and that in many respects But comfortable to godly men How God iudgeth righteously Vse Rules in committing our cause to God In what respects Christ bare our sins Christs sufferings fitted to the circumstances of sinne 1. Iohn 2.1 Rom. 3.26 Reasons why Christ suffered on a tree Men die diuers waies Natural men are said to be aliue to sin in diuers respects Great is the misery of such as liue in sin 2. Cor. 8. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Diuers things in Christs death that ought to be in our repentance Signes of true mortification The happines of such as liue spiritually Rom. 6.5 8 11. Vses A religious life is the best life for 6. reasons Signes that describe a righteous man in himself Six other signes of righteousnes as it groweth How the righteousnes of a godly man differs from that of the Scribes Pharises Why so many do not imbrace a righteous life Helps vnto a righteous life Phil. 3.3 1. Cor. 7.23 Defects of a righteous life of two sorts First in the parts of it And so either in respect of the first table Psal. 37.3 5 Pro. 26.3 Psal. 55.22 Psal. 16.8 Or else in respect of the second table 2 Defects in the manner of doing righteously and so 1 In generall 5. waies Many defects in Gods worship How the soul comes to be diseased The diseases of the soule are grieuous many waies Why many feel not the diseases of their soules Gal. 6.14 Rules for such as desire Christ to heale or help their bodily grieâes What is meant by going astray The misery of such as go astray appears in diuers respects Aggrauations of their misery Causes of mens going astray Esay 16.14 Iob 12.28 Signes of a lost sheepe Diuers things that giue hope of curing to such as bre out of the way Motiues to return Persons that need returning The time of returning False wayes to be auoyded in returning Aggrauations against diuers that returne not What number of lost sheepe doe vsually returne The meanes of returning The manner of returning Signes to knowe who are truly returned Hos. 6.3 Quest. Le ts of returning What attributes are giuen to Christ as a shepherd Christ is one Shepheard He is the true shepherd He is the good shepherd 1 Tim. 1.13 16 1 Cor. 9.10 11 And he is the great Shepherd and that in diuers respects The happiness of such as liue vnder this Shepheard appears in ten particular priuiledges Cant. 1.7 Zach. 11.9 10. Explanation of the tearm Bishop Christ excels all other Bishops in 10. respects Mat. 28. vlt. Such are happy that liue vnder the Charge of this Bishop Vse 2. Vse 3. Duties of such as bee vnder the charge of this Bishop