The Saints Sacrifice, Section 96 – Section 98
§. 96. Of Gods favourites.
I. GOD hath favourites. Without all queſtion they were his favourites that had theſe teſtimonies following. aGen 44.The Lord had reſpect to Abel and to his offering. bHeb. 11. 5.Enoch was tranſlated that he ſhould not ſee death, for before his tranſlation he had this teſtimony that he pleaſed God. cGen. 6. 8.Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. dIam. 2. 23.Abraham was called the friend of God. eExo. 33. 11.The Lord ſpake to Moſes face to face, as a man ſpeaketh to his friend. fIoſ. 1. 5.The Lord ſaid to Ioſhuah, I wilbe with thee; I will not faile thee nor forſake thee. gAct. 13 2….And dil…ctum Deo. Componitur ex foreign & foreign nomine Dei.to David, I have found David a man after mine owne heart. h… Sam. 12. 25.Salomon was called *foreignIedidiah becauſe of the Lord: the Lord loved him. iDan. 10. 11.Daniel a man greatly beloved. kHag 2. 23.Zerubbabel as a ſignet. lIoh. 21. 7.Iohn, the diſciple whom Ieſus loved. mIoh 15. 15.The reſt of the Diſciples he called friends. And nActs 9. 15.Paul a choſen veſſell. Yea to the whole communion of Saints theſe titles are given, oExo. 19. 5.A peculiar treaſure above all people: p1 Pet. 2. 9.A choſen generation, a royall Prieſthood, an holy nation: qZac▪ 2. 8.the apple of Gods eye: rEph 5 1. foreign.dearely, or onelyonly beloved children: ſHeb. 12. 23.first borne: tRom 8. 17.heires of God, joynt-heires with Christ: u1 Pet. 1. 4.Begotten againe to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reſerved in heaven. If they that are made partakers of ſuch prerogatives, be not compaſſed about, and followed with mercies, if they be not favourites, and that in regard of the favour of the great Lord and King of heaven and earth, ſurely there can be no favourites at all.
Theſe, and other like to theſe being aEph. 1. 4.choſen in Christ, are bIoh. 6. 39.given of the Father to him and by him are cEph. 1. 7.redeemed, d—2. 16.reconciled, e—5. 26, 27.ſanctified, cleanſed, made holy and without blemiſh, f—1. 6▪and made accepted. The beloved one of God hath taken theſe for g2 Cor. 11▪ 2. Rev. 21. 9.his wife, and made them hEph 5. 30.members of his body: by vertue of which myſticall and reall union, iIoh. 17. 23.God loveth them with that love he beareth unto Chriſt, and ſo maketh them his favourites. The very word of this text, *Pſal. 16▪ 10. Acts 2. 27, &c.—13. 35.is primarily attributed to Chriſt: and in and thorow him to others.
Inſtruction in the prerogative of Saints.Good and great ground of comfort have Saints by reaſon of this prerogative, that they are the favourites of the great King. What needfull thing doe they want that they may not confidently expect from this their Liege? What hurtfull thing need they feare? Is not the King who favours them able to ſupply all their neceſſities? Is he not able to protect them from all enmities? If he be, what doubt can be made of the one, or of the other? Conſider what mortall Monarchs do for their favourites. lEſt. 6. 3, &c.They invent, they conſult how to doe them honour. Though it oft fall out that they have unworthy favourites, inſtance Haman, yet a King can deny his favourite nothing. Let a favourite aske Honours, Mannours, Offices, Immunities, for himſelfe, or for his friends, he ſoone obtaineth what he asketh. kPro▪ 16. 15.In the light of the kings countenance is life: and his favour is as a cloud of the later raine: and as l—19. 1….the dew upon the graſſe. He is therefore counted an happy man that may come to be a Kings favourite. Such an one ſcorneth the envy, the diſdaine, the backbiting, and all that the vulgar can doe againſt him. As for all his enemies, he puffeth at them. If it be thought an happineſſe to be a mortall Kings favourite, what is it then to be a favourite of the King of Kings? Kings on earth are not alwayes able to do what they will. Their favourites may deſire, and they may be willing to grant, more then they can. They have not alwayes underſtanding to know what is beſt for their favourites. Their favourites may beg, and they give that which is pernicious. They doe not alwaies retaine the ſame mind. Their favour may be cleane alienated from their old favourites, and caſt upon new. They do not alwayes live. They may die before their favourites, and their favourites then be the worſe dealt withall even for that favour ſake which by the deceaſed King was ſhewed unto them. Moſt of theſe may be exemplified in Ahaſhucroſh and his favourite Haman. But the Lord our God is ſubject to none of theſe. He is able to doe what he will: and what his favourites can juſtly aske. He knoweth what is good, what not good to be granted to his favourites. He is alwais of the ſame mind. His favor is ſtable, and perpetuall. He ever liveth. It never did, it never ſhall, it cannot repent any, to have beene this Kings favourite. As Chriſt himſelfe that high, and chiefe favourite ſaid, ſo may every one that is in him accepted for a favourite, ſay, The Pſal. 16. 5, 6. Si vis verum agnoſcere, Deus eſt dilitiae tuae, requies tua▪ ſanitas tua, gaudium tuum, foelicitas tua, refrigerium tuum, amoenitas tua, & quicquid ſau…tè poſſit deſiderare anima tua, totum tibi Deus erit. Aug. ad Frat in Erem. Ser 55. Information in favours conferred on Gods favourites. In all the places following foreign the word uſed in this text is expreſſed: though tranſlators do diverſly turne it.Lord is the portion of mine inheritance, and of my cup: thou maintaineſt my lot. The lines are fallen unto me in pleaſant places: yea I have a goodly heritage. If thou wilt acknowledge the truth, God is thy delight, thy reſt, thy health, thy joy, thy happineſſe, thy refreſhing, thy glory, and whatſoever thy ſoule may piouſly deſire, God wilbe all that to thee.
Boldly and ſafely may we alſo on this ground encourage our ſelves againſt all the envy, malice, ill language, and evill intreating of the men of this world. What if the world account us forſaken, deſolate, ſo long as God ſaith to us, Hephzibam, my delight in them, Iſa. 62. 4.
That we may the more ſoundly and ſafely comfort and encourage our ſelves in this great prerogative of being Gods favourites, let us diſtinctly note what evidences of Gods favour towards his favourites the Holy Ghoſt doth expreſly ſet downe, and that in one booke, the booke of Pſalmes.
1 The Lord ſets apart him that is a favourite to himſelfe, Pſal. 4. 3.
2 Every favourite ſhall pray unto God in a time when he may be found, Pſal. 32. 6.
3 Gods praiſe is in the congregation of favourites, Pſal. 149. 1. They are incited to ſing to the Lord: and to bleſſe him, Pſal. 30. 4. & 145. 10.
4 The Lord will ſpeake peace to his favourites, Pſal. 85. 8.
5 He preſerveth the ſoules of his favourites, Pſal. 97. 10.
6 He exalteth the praiſe of his favourites, Pſal. 148. 14.
7 Favourites ſhall ſhout aloud for joy, Pſal. 132. 16.
8 This honour have all his favourites, Pſal. 149. 9.
Direction to favouritesThat we be not puffed up with this prerogative, but rather provoked to mCol. 1. 10.walke worthy of the Lord, nEph. 4. 1.worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called, our care muſt be
1 To underſtand his will, Eph. 5. 17.
2 To love him with all our ſoule, Deut. 6. 5. Pſal. 31. 23.
3 To cleave to him, …oſ. 23 8.
4 To give thanks to him, Pſal. 30. 4.
5 To do that which is well pleaſing in his ſight, Heb. 13. 21.
6 To be followers of his ancient favourites, Heb. 6. 12.
Si voluntatem Dei noſſe quiſquam deſideret▪ fiat amicus Dei Non autem quiſ quam …citur amicus Dei, niſi purgatiſſimis moribus. Aug. cont, Manich. l. 2.God hath beene pleaſed to chooſe us in their roome, they being tranſlated, hee beares ſuch a mind to us, as he did to them. Is it not then moſt juſt and equall that the ſame mind ſhould be in us, that was in them towards God, that the faith of Abel, converſation of Enoch, uprightneſſe of Noah, obedience of Abraham, meekneſſe of Moſes, courage of Ioſhuah, devotion of David, repentance of Salomon, conſtancy of Daniel, love of Iohn, ſuch readineſſe to follow Chriſt as was in the Diſciples, and other like properties in other favourites of God, may be in us, that ſo it may never repent the Lord that he hath caſt his favor upon us, and made us his favourites. God ſtill remaines the ſame: the ſame in his eſſence, the ſame in his mind & affection to ſuch as are ſo minded and affected towards him as his ancient favourites were. Wherefore though Abel, Henoch, Noah, Abraham, and other favourites be dead and gone, yet let their ſpirit appeare to live in us: that, while we live, God may not want favourites on earth: but that we for the preſent may ſhew that we have ſo ſet before us the life of our predeceſſors, as we become examples and patternes to our ſucceſſors.
§. 97. Of Gods account of Saints death.
II. *§ 96.GOD is tender of his favourites death. Their aPſal. 7…. 14.bloud he accounts precious. If he have b—56. 8.a bottle for their teares, what hath he for their bloud? Chriſt doth forcibly inferre his Fathers care of the life and death of his favourites, by arguments from the leſſe: as firſt from one of the meaneſt of creatures, thus, cMat. 10. 29, 30, 31.One ſparrow ſhall not fall on the ground without your father: Then from the meaneſt accident that is inherent in man, his haires (which are no page missing forcible then death? Aſſuredly their name, eſtate, liberty and every thing els is precious to him, to whom their life and death is precious.
Comfort in death.2 Admirable is the comfort which on the fore-named ground Gods favourites have or may have in their death. Naturall men account death the moſt terrible thing that can foreign. Ariſt. Ethic lib. 3. cap 6.befall a man, becauſe they conceive it to be the period of a mans happineſſe. But they whoſe death is precious in Gods ſight, cannot conceive it to be ſo terrible, much leſſe ſuch a period. For then would God keepe them from death. In that their death is precious, Bleſſed are they that die in the Lord, (Rev. 14. 13.) When they die, there is good cauſe they ſhould die. The wiſe God will not let go a precious thing without cauſe. Yea he will not let it go without advantage. Their death is advantageable to God, to themſelves, to others.
This may ſurviving friends apply to the death of ſuch as Oc…a…o non eſt danda Gentibus, ut nos merito reprehendant, quod quos vivere apud Deum dicimus, ut exti… ctos ac perditos lugeamus &c. Cypr. Ser. 4. de Mortal. Incitation to be a favourite.are taken away, be they Magiſtrates, Miniſters, Husband, Wife, Parent, Child, Neighbour, Kinſman, or any other, eſpecially if they have left any evidence of Gods favour towards them. Such are but gone before us, not cleane gone away from us. Miſſed they may be: they may not be lamented as loſt. Occaſion is not to be given to Pagans of juſt reproof in that we lament thoſe as periſhed & loſt, whom we avouch to live with God, & ſo by … expreſſion of our inward affection diſanull that faith which by word we profeſſe.
3 This high account which God maketh of his favourites death, is a forceable motive to ſtir us up to give all diligence to be of the number of theſe favourites, that ſo our teares may be kept in Gods bottle, our complaints in his boſome, our cries in his eares, our bodies within the guard, even Precioſior eſt unius Sancti anima, quam inſi …it… mu…utudin…s … Hier. Com in Pſal. 143.in the hands of his angels, our ſoules bound in the bundle of life, our life and death in the treaſure of his jewels, as a precious thing. For, Precious in the ſight of the Lord is the death of his favourites. Yea the ſoule of one Saint is more precious to him, then infinite multitudes of ſinners. Let us covet therefore, and with our utmoſt power endeavour to be of this bleſſed Society of Saints, and not conſorts of ſinners.
§. 98. Of the expoſition and reſolution of part of the ſixteenth Verſe.
PSAL. CXVI. XVI.
O LORD, truly I am thy ſervant, I am thy ſervant, and the ſonne of thine hand-maid.
THe *See §. 2.third reaſon whereby the Prophet was the rather induced to render ſolemne praiſe to God, is here laid downe. And it is taken from the conſtant favour of God towards him. God of old had taken him even from his mothers wombe to be his ſervant, and ſtill continued that grace to him. Therefore he would praiſe him. The argument may be brought to this briefe forme.
aforeignGodsancient ſervants muſt praiſe him.
bforeignBut I am Gods ancient ſervant.
cforeignTherefore I muſt praiſe him.
I deny not, but that this acknowledgement of Gods ancient kindneſſe to himſelfe in particular may be referred to the argument indefinitely ſet down in the former verſe, and here added as an application thereof. For, having indefinitely noted how the death of Gods favourites was precious in his ſight: here he giveth inſtance thereof in himſelfe, and ſaith, I am Gods ſervant: and my death was precious to him: for he looſed my bands. This reference is not impertinent. But I take this for another diſtinct argument, rather then for an application, or confirmation of the former.
There is in the originall a eforeign & foreign eſt particula incitantis: affe ctum ſignificat & impetum Eſt ſemper in initio ſententiae. Per Aphae reſin foreign quae ſemper poſtpo ….word premiſed which is diverſly expounded, becauſe in Scripture it is diverſly uſed, namely as a note of attention, or obſecration, or demonſtration, or aſſeveration: and tranſlated, Behold, Truly, I beſeech thee▪ But in all the acceptions thereof it hath an emphaſis: and here queſtionleſſe it is uſed for emphaſis ſake, as every of the other clauſes are. For firſt, here is an apoſtrophe to God, O Lord. 2 A note of aſſeveration, truly. 3 An
page missing The Aſſeveration is a note of confidence. So as,
II. Saints may confidently profeſſe that relation which God is pleaſed ſhall paſſe betwixt him and them.
The Ingemination importeth an earneſtneſſe in that which he profeſſeth, and giveth inſtance that
III. Confidence in the intereſt which Saints have in God maketh them earnest in preſſing it.
The continuance of the mutuall relation betwixt God and him, even from his birth is added as a prop to his faith. Therefore
IIII. Faith is much ſtrengthened by conſtant evidences of Gods favour.
The expreſſe mention of his mother, which is for honour ſake, ſheweth that,
V. It is an honour to children to deſcend from pious parents.