The Whole Armor of God, Exegesis · Treatise 3 · Part 2 · Section 69 – Section 70
§. 69. Of the abundant matter of thankſgiuing.
HEre we ſee what abundant matter of thankſgiuing is offered vntounto vsus. If we ſhould ſpend our whole time (as the triumphant Church in heauen doth) in lauding & praiſing God, wee could not want matter, conſidering that ALL THINGS are matter of thankſgiuing.
If I ſhould ſay we hauehave more matter of thankſgiuing then of petition,More matter of thankſgiuing then of petition. I ſhould not ſpeake amiſſe: for the bleſſings which any of Gods children, any of thoſe who truly beleeue in Chriſt, hauehave receiued already, are much more, and farre greater then the things which they want. God hath long ſince elected and choſen them to bee veſſels of mercy & glory: when he created man, as he made man moſt happy, according to the image of God, ſo before he made man he created all things needefull for him, that ſo he might be deſtitute of no good thing: for he made heauen and the whole hoaſt thereof, earth and all the fruites of it, yea the aire and water and all creatures in them; in a word God made all things that were made, for the good of man. The price of mans redemption is already paid: All true beleeuers are reconciled to God, adopted to bee his children, made actuall members of Chriſts body, effectually called, and taken into the kingdome of grace, being perfectly iuſtified euen in Gods ſight by the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt Ieſus. What are the ſpirituall bleſſings which wee want, that may bee comparable to theſe which we hauehave receiued?
Obiect. 1. We hauehave not receiued freedome from, and full victory ouer all ſinne.
Anſw. How farre we are freed from ſinne.Sinne hath receiued a deadly wound: though it aſſaile vsus, yet ſhall it not get conqueſt ouer vsus. Beſides the guilt & puniſhment of thoſe very ſins, which yet we are ſubiect vntounto, ſhall not be laid vponupon vsus: they are cleane remitted, and in that reſpect we fully acquitted.
Obiect. 2. Wee want many good and comfortable graces, and faile in the meaſure of thoſe we hauehave: our ſanctification is not perfect.
Anſw. How far ſanctified.All the faithfull hauehave al ſuch graces as are abſolutely neceſſary vntounto ſaluation, actually wrought in them. As a childe borne of a woman hath all the parts of ſoule and body, ſo he that is borne againe of God hath al the parts of a new man. No Saint wanteth any grace that may hinder his ſaluation, though he ſhould inſtantly die. As for that meaſure which ſome want, it is not ſo great as can iuſtly impeach the truth of grace: that grace which they hauehave is true, though it may bee weake: and their ſanctification is ſound, though imperfect. The perfecting of ſanctification is not ſo great and powerfull a worke, as the firſt beginning of it. The moſt effectuall & powerfull worke of Gods ſpirit in the faithfull, is their very new birth, the firſt act of their conuerſion. For when a ſinner is firſt conuerted, he is a new created: of nothing (I ſpeake in regard of of our ſpirituall being) he is made ſomething: of a man dead in ſin, he is quickned, & hath ſpiritual life put into him. Now the growth in ſanctification, is but a proceeding from one degree to another in the ſame kinde: yea the very perfection of ſanctification is but an attaining to the higheſt ſtep & degree of that which was begun before. It is therfore a more powerfull worke to beget a ſinner to God, and to worke his firſt conuerſion, then after he is regenerate and conuerted to perfect that good worke which is begunne. Whence it followeth that faithfull Saints hauehave more matter of reioycing for the grace they hauehave receiued, then of mourning for the grace they want.
Obiect. Wee want the poſſeſſion of our heauenly inheritance.
Anſw. How farre we are made partakers of heauen.1. The purchaſe of it is made: for Chriſt by his bloud hath purchaſed it.
2 Wee hauehave receiued the firſt fruites of it, as peace of conſcience, ioy in the holy Ghoſt, free entrance vntounto the throne of grace and glory, with confidence in Chriſt and the like.
3 We are actually entred into the kingdom of grace, which is a part of the kingdom of glory, the firſt ſtep thereinto, and the portall (as I may ſo ſay) thereof: no entring into the kingdom of glory, but thorow the kingdom of grace.
4 Wee hauehave the earneſt of the ſpirit, as a pledge and pawne till wee come to the full poſſeſſion of the purchaſed inheritance.
5 Chriſt our head hath full and actuall poſſesſion thereof:Ephe. 2. 6. whereupon wee being members of his body, are in him exalted, and ſet in heauenly places.
In theſe fine forenamed reſpects we may truely ſay that the faithfull in Chriſt hauehave more cauſe to glorifie God for that aſſurance they hauehave of inioying their heauenly inheritance, then to murmure or mourne that for a time …hey want the full poſſeſſion of it. Thus we ſee that in re…ard of ſpiritual blesſings, we hauehave more matter of praiſe …or that wee hauehave, then of petition for that wee want. I might here further ranke among theſe ſpirituall bleſſings, the liberty of the Lords Sabbaths, of the Miniſtry of his word, and adminiſtration of his Sacraments, of the publike aſſemblies of Saints to worſhip God, with the like, which we among others plentifully inioy: I migh alſo further declare how God hath already cauſed his whole wil to be reuealed, and recorded in his word, ſo far forth as is needful for our ſaluation, & expedient for vsus to know: all which do much amplifie the forenamed point: But I haſten to ſet foorth a view alſo of ſome of thoſe temporall bleſſings whereof we hauehave been, and are made pertakers. They are exceeding many, as our Being, Life, Nouriſhment, Education, Health, Strength, Food, Apparrell, Goods, Friends, &c. Gods bleſſing on all theſe, and on the Church and ſtate wherein we liue. Whether-ſoeuer we turn our ſelues, or caſt our eies, either vpwards to the heauens, and the whole hoaſt of them, or downeward on the earth, and all the fruits thereof: or vp and downe on all the creatures in the aire, on the earth, and in the waters, on the right hand or on the left, before or behinde, eueryevery where the bleſſings of God doe preſent themſelues to our view and conſideration. By this which hath thus generally been ſpoken, I doubt not but any of meane capacitie may obſerue that none of the Saints doe want ſo many good things as they hauehave receiued.
Obiect. Many of the Saints doe want euen neceſſaries to preſerue this temporall life,Luk. 16. 21. as Lazarus.
Anſw. Why many Saints want outward things.1. God ſeeth it to bee good for them to want ſuch neceſſaries.
2 Inſteed of theſe outward neceſſaries, they hauehave inward graces which are much more valuable & profitable as inſteed of of outward refreſhing of the body, they hauehave inward comfort of the ſoule: inſteed of outward ornaments of the body, inward graces of the ſpirit: wanting outward eaſe, they hauehave ſweet peace of conſcience: wanting plenty, they hauehave contentment: In a word, God depriueth his children of no outward thing, but he ſupplieth the want of it with ſome ſpirituall recompence: their want therefore cauſeth matter of thankſgiuing.
As all the Saints hauehave receiued more good things then they want,Saints are freed from more euils then ſhal euer fal vponupon them againe. ſo alſo vndoubtedly are they freed from more euils then iuſtly they can feare to fall vponupon them. For beleeuing in Chriſt, they are freed from the feare of hell, from the curſe of the Law, from the wrath of God, from the ſting of death, from the victory of the graue, from the power of him that hath the power of death, the diuel; from the guilt and puniſhment of ſinne, from the rule and dominion of ſinne, and from infinitely more, both ſpirituall, and bodily euils.
Obiect. Many Saints are ſubiect both to many ſpirituall euils, (as trouble of minde, doubt of Gods fauour, ſnares of the Diuell, fallings into ſinne, with the like,) and alſo to many temporall diſtreſſes, as paine, ſickneſſe, captiuity, impriſonment, ignominy, penury, &c.
Anſw. How ſpiritual euils may proue matter of thankeſgiuing.Thoſe ſpirituall euils are as deſperate phyſicke for the cure of ſome ſpirituall deſperate diſeaſe, as ſpirituall ſecurity, pride, preſumption, &c. Now who will denie but that it is good in a deſperate caſe to vſe a deſperate remedy? If the remedy cauſe recouery, he that vſeth it ſhall be commended, and rewarded? But whenſoeuer God ſuffereth any of his children to fall into any of the forenamed, or other like ſpirituall euils, hee worketh thereby a recouery from ſome more dangerous and deſperate euill: therefore the iſſue and effect euen of thoſe euils affordeth matter of thankſgiuing.
As for temporall diſtreſſes, I hauehave ſhewed*§. 67. before how they may be put on the ſcore of Gods bleſſings. To that which was before deliuered,2. Cor. 4. 16. Chriſtianorum propria virtus eſt, etiam in iis quae aduerſa putantur referre gratias Creatori. Hier. in Ephe. 5. let me ad this, that God doth alwaies ſo diſpoſe of the eſtat of the Saints, that he maketh the decaying of the outward man to be a renewing of the inner man. In theſe reſpects it is a vertue propper to Chriſtians, to giuegive thankes to God for ſuch things as ſeeme euill.
Beſides,Promiſe of ſupplying all our wants. God hath faithfully promiſed to ſupply in due time whatſoeuer his Saints want, and to perfect eueryevery thing that faileth in perfection, & withall to deliuer them from all euill. Now then adde theſe promiſes (which are alſo matter of thankſgiuing) to the abundance of good things which already we hauehave receiued, and to the manifold deliuerances which wee hauehave had from euils, and it wil appeare as cleare as the light, that of all duties belonging to faithfull Chriſtians this of praiſe and thankſgiuing is moſt beſeeming them, and leaſt of all to bee neglected: It is the leaſt that God deſerueth, the moſt that he requireth, and the beſt that we can giuegive vntounto him: the beſt ſacrifice in the kinde thereof which wee can offer vntounto God, and that which God doth beſt accept: for note what God ſaith hereof,Pſal. 50. 23. 22. He that offereth praiſe, glorifieth me. I might much further amplifie and inlarge theſe points. But as Painters, when they hauehave many millions, and armies of men to ſet down in a ſmall mappe,Simile. vſe onelyonly to draw out ſome number of heads of men and ſet them together, leauing the whole number of heads, and all the other parts and liniaments to the meditation of the beholder: euen ſo am I conſtrained thorow abundance of matter to propound onelyonly ſome general heads of this point of thankſgiuing and to leaue the amplification of them to your priuate meditation.
§. 70 Of their blindneſſe who can ſee no matter of thankſgiuing.
Vſe 2 HEere behold how palpably blinde they are who can finde no matter of thankſgiuing: much more blinde are theſe in their vnderſtanding, then they in their bodily ſight, who at nooneday in the midſt of ſummer when the ſunne ſhineth moſt brightly, can ſee no light at all. Yet either thus blind are many, or elſe (which is worſe) they ſee, and will not ſee: they know there is abundant matter of thankſgiuing, & yet will take no notice of any at all. Are not almoſt all much more ready to craue and aske, then to giuegive thanks? I ſpeake not th…s of the prophane men of the world, or of carnal & careleſſe profeſſors, who regard no dutie due vntounto God: but of thoſe who make a greater and truer profeſſion, yea who make conſcience of their duty to God. Marke & obſerue if their requeſts to God be not more frequent & feruent then their thankſgiuing. If trouble of minde or body, if any inward or outward diſtres ſeaſe vponupon men, if they feare any ſpirituall or temporall danger hanging ouer their heads, how inſtant and conſtant wil they be in intreating the Lord to remoue his heauy hand? Or if they ſtand in need of any temporall or ſpiritual good thing, they are ready to doe the like: yea in …heſe and ſuch like caſes, they will beſeech others to helpe …hem with their praiers. Are they as thankfull for good …hings beſtowed on them, and for the remouing of euils from them? I would they were: if any bee, they are very …are: But I hope hereafter more will be.
To leaue mens priuate practiſe whereof we cannot ſo …ell iudge: obſerue that which is in more open view. What publike praier books ſo pleintiful in thankſgiuing … in requeſt? What Miniſters almoſt ſo carefull in performing that, as this? I blame not all without exception: many there be who are conſcionable in this point: but I taxe the greater ſort. For many of them who vſe ſolemne and ample formes of Petition, commonly include all their thankeſgiuing in this, (or ſuch like) ſhort clauſe, Through Ieſus Chriſt, to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghoſt, be all honour and glory for euer, Amen.