The Saints Sacrifice, Section 99 – Section 101
§. 99. Of Saints being Gods ſervants.
I. SAints are Gods ſervants. As this Prophet here ſo ſtileth himſelfe, ſo are aExo. 32 13.the three great Patriarchs, Abraham, Iſaac, and Iſrael: ſo alſo bNum. 12. 7.Moſes, cIob 1. 8.Iob, dIer. 7. 25.all the true Prophets, the Apostles, as eRom 1. 1▪Paul, f2 Pet. 1. 1.Peter, gIud. 1.Iude, yea and hIſa. 42. 1.Chriſt himſelfe, ſtiled.
Sundry are the reſpects wherein Saints may truly and properly be termed Gods ſervants.
1 As iPſal. 119. 91.all creatures are: being made, ſuſtained, ordered and governed by the Lord.
2 As kIer. 25. 9.many naturall men; being deputed by the Lord to ſpeciall functions and ſervices.
3 As lMal. 1▪ 6. Iſa. 4…. 19.many in the Church, making profeſſion of God to be their Lord.
4 As true, faithfull profeſſors, who doe indeed take God for their Lord. In the three former reſpects, (as Gods creatures, as deputed to ſelect functions by God, as profeſſors of the name of God) others are ſervants of God as well as Saints: but the fourth reſpect, which is the moſt honourable, profitable, and comfortable reſpect is proper and peculiar to Saints: and that two waies,
1 By reaſon of Gods affection to them.
2 By reaſon of their diſpoſition to God.
1 God accounts them members of his houſe, and anſwerably affects them as of his houſhold. In regard of ſuch an affection he thus ſaith of Moſes. mNum. 12. 7.My ſervant Moſes is faithfull in all my houſe. Yea as united unto Chriſt, and in him adopted and accepted, he ſaith to Saints, as nIſa. 42. 1.to Chriſt, Behold my ſervants, whom I uphold, mine elect, in whom my ſoule delighteth.
2 They are affected to the Lord as dutifull, faithfull, gratefull ſervants. An heathen Monarch obſerved thus much, and thereupon ſaith, oDan. 6. …0.O Daniel, ſervant of the living God, whom thou ſerveſt continually.Gratulation for this dignity to bee Gods ſervants. Nobilis ſervitus de qua & David ad Deum loquitur, Ego ſervus tuus, &c. & beata Maria ad Angelum, Ecee ancilla Domini. Hanc ſervitutem hab…it & Moyſes, &c. Nec mirum quamvis ſanctos homines tamen Deiſervos nobiliter appella …i, cum per Eſay am Pater loquatur ad Filium, Magnum tibi eſt vocari te puerum meum. Hier. Com. in Tit. 1.
This relation thus taken affordeth matter of gratulation and direction to ſuch as can truly and juſtly apply it to themſelves.
Gratulation, by reaſon of the dignity of it.
Direction, by reaſon of the duties that are thereupon expected.
1 It is here as a dignity expreſſed, and made the ground of gratulation. And that not without cauſe. For though this title, ſervant, be in it ſelfe a meane title, yet in relation to God it is an high, an honourable title. The greateſt noble-man in a kingdome thinks himſelfe honoured with this title, The Kings ſervant. But what are mortall Monarchs to the immortall and incomprehenſible King of kings? Not onelyonly Patriarchs, Kings, Prophets, and Apoſtles, but Chriſt the Sonne of God, thought himſelfe dignified with this title ſervant, in relation to God. It is therefore a noble ſervice whereof David here ſaith to God, I am thy ſervant, &c. and bleſſed Mary to the angell, Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Moſes alſo and other Saints were ſuch ſervants. Neither is it any marvell that holy men were dignified with this title, whereas the Father thus ſpeaketh to his Sonne, It is a great thing for thee to be called my ſervant. Such is the Maieſty, Omnipotency, Immutability, Perpetuity, Integrity, Clemency, Mercy, Bounty, and Excellency every way of this Lord, as it nor will nor can repent any one to have any relation to him, or dependance upon him: which the royall Prophet well underſtood, when he ſaid to this Lord, A day in thy courts is better then a thouſand. I had rather be a doore-keepein the houſe of my God, then to dwell in the tents of wickedneſſe, Pſal. 84. 10.
Particular prerogatives of Gods ſervants.The particular dignities and prerogatives of the Lords ſervants, are ſuch as theſe.
1 They are all free, 1 Cor. 7. 22.
2 All the ſervices which the Lord enjoyneth are faire ſervices, Pſal. 19. 7, &c. 1 Ioh. 5. 3.
3 The Lord gives ability to doe the worke which he expects and exacts of us, Ioel. 2. 29. Phil. 2. 13.
4 He accepteth and approveth what he enableth his ſervants to doe, Mat. 25. 21. Iob. 1. 8, 9.
5 He bountifully rewardeth every good thing. His wages are good and great, Mat. 10. 42. & 19. 29. & 25. 21.
6 Gods ſervants get favours even for others alſo, Iob 42. 8.
7 They are ſure of ſafe protection from all hurtfull things, and of ſufficient proviſion of all needfull good things, Iſa. 65. 13, 14.
8 The Lord taketh care of his ſervants ſeed, Pſal. 69. 36.
Direction to duties of ſervants.2 This relation directeth us unto ſuch duties as here follow.
1 To honour our Lord, Mal. 1. 6.
2 To obey him, Mat. 8. 9. Col. 3. 22.
3 To feare him with an holy trembling, Eph. 6. 5.
4 To be faithfull to him, Num. 12. 7.
5 To do all that we do on duty, Luk. 17. 10.
6 To be no men-pleaſers, Gal. 1. 10.
7 To ſerve him onelyonly: not to ſerve Mammon or any other maſter, ſave the Lord, Mat. 6. 24.
§. 100. Of Saints confidence in Gods mind to them and theirs to God.
II. *§. 98.SAints may confidently profeſſe that relation which God is pleaſed ſhall paſſe betwixt him and them. This confidence is manifeſted ſometimes in the acknowledgement of that part of the relation which is on mans part: and other times that which is on Gods part. In this text, that on mans part is profeſſed, truly I am thy ſervant. So where he ſaith, aPſal. 95. 7.We are the people of his paſture, and the ſheepe of his hands, People and ſheepe are notes of relation on mans part. So are clay, and worke of Gods hands, where the Prophet ſaith, bIſa. 64. 8.We are the clay, and the worke of thy hands. On Gods part, he ſaith, O Lord, thou art our father, and thou our potter. To like purpoſe are other like notes of relation on Gods part, with confidence profeſſed, thus, cPſal. 89. ….Thou art my father, my God, and the rocke of my ſalvation. d—44 4.Thou art my King, O God. e—3. ….Thou, O Lord, art my glory. In theſe, and other like places, though the note of aſſeveration, *foreigntruly, is not expreſſed, yet the manner of expreſſing the notes of relation on the one, and the other part, import much confidence.
Theſe and ſuch other relations betwixt God and man, give aſſurance of Gods gracious acceptation and favour. If God meant not to deale with us, as a Father with children, as an Husband with his wife, as a King with Subjects, as a Maſter with ſervants, as a Shepheard with ſheepe, as a Potter with pots (for all theſe, and other like notes of relation betwixt God and us, are expreſſed in Scripture) would God have ſuffered ſuch relations to be betwixt him and us? They are not complementall, and meere titular phraſes, but expreſſions of true, reall unions and communions.
Inſtruction in a ground of confidence.Take notice here, of the ground of true, holy boldneſſe and confidence. Wiſely and diligently obſerve how God offers himſelfe unto thee, what bond of relation hee ſuffereth to paſſe betwixt him and thee. As Saints in former times have done, do thou in thy time. Plead them before God. Confidently plead them, to ſharpen thy prayer, to ſtrengthen thy faith. Say to God, Thou, art O Lord, truly thou art my God, my King, my Father, my Maſter, my Maker, my Shepheard, Reſpicias populum tuum, qui quondam tuus eſt appellatus populus. Hier. Comment. l 17 in Iſa. 64. How Gods mind to us may bee knowne.&c. And on the other ſide, I am of thy people, & of thy flock, thy child, thy ſervant, the worke of thy hands. Behold thy people, which have of old beene called thy people. Theſe ſure grounds of faith will enlarge thine heart, and open thy mouth, and embolden thee both to pray to God, and to expect from God what thou prayeſt for.
That thou maiſt doe this with the more ſtedfaſtneſſe of faith, ſearch thine heart, examine thy diſpoſition, try how thou ſtandeſt affected towards God. If thou have the mind of a child, a ſervant, a creature, a ſheepe towards God, thou maiſt reſt upon it, God hath an anſwerable mind to thee. Yea becauſe God hath the minde of a father and maſter to thee, thou haſt an anſwerable mind to him. The reflection of his reſpect to thee on thy heart, worketh reſpect in thee towards him.
§. 101. Of Saints earneſtneſſe in preſsing their intereſt in God.
III. *§ 98.COnfidence in the intereſt which Saints have in God, maketh them earnest in preſſing it. It maketh them againe and againe to preſſe the ſame thing, which is an undoubted evidence of great ardency. Did not the fire of a zealous ſpirit even flame out of the mouth of him that doth thus redouble a like relation before God, aIſa. 63▪ 16:Doubtleſſe thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Iſrael acknowledge us not: thou, O Lord, art our Father, our Redeemer. The like is manifeſted by the multiplication of ſeverall words to the ſame ſenſe, thus, bPſa. 80. 14 15Behold and viſit this vine: and the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted: and the branch which thou mad'st ſtrong for thy ſelfe. Vine, vineyard, branch, import one and the ſame thing.
Such confidence as is rightly grounded on an aſſured intereſt in God, perſwadeth a mans heart that God cannot ſuffer him to call and cry upon him, and not heare him. Therefore if God at firſt heare not, he will not preſently give over, but rather cry the more earneſtly and inſtantly till the Lord doe heare him. Indeed they that know no title that they can make to God, nor believe any intereſt they have in him, may ſoone be driven away: as c1 Sam. 28. 6, 7Saul, who, when the Lord anſwered him not, preſently enquired after a witch. But they that well knew their intereſt in God, tooke another courſe. dPſal. 80 4, &cWhen God ſeemed to be angry against their prayer, they humbly expoſtulate the caſe with God: they preſſe the former favours that God ſhewed to them, and that title which they had in him, and thereupon once and againe moſt earneſtly they pray that God would cauſe his face to ſhine upon them, reſting on this, that they ſhalbe ſaved.
By that ground of faith (whereof in the former §.) labour Exhortation to manifeſt confidence by earneſtneſſe.to bee ſtrengthened in faith. Get confidence in God; and that by conſidering, as what he is in himſelfe, a potent, prudent, faithfull, mercifull God: ſo what he is to thee, Thy God, thy King, thy Father, &c. And give evidence of this thy confidence, by ſtirring up thy ſpirit to depend on him, who gives ſo juſt cauſe to make thee depend on him. Oft and ſeriouſly meditate on thoſe grounds, and when thou art before God, whether it be in humiliation or gratulation, call them to mind, preſſe them againe and againe. Imitate the worthy patternes that in this caſe are preſcribed unto us in Gods Word. If thus with underſtanding we doe inwardly in our ſoules, or outwardly with our tongues inculcate our right, title and intereſt in Gods Word, urging the ſame againe Acceperunt repromiſſiones expectando at que confidendo quod acciperent. Si igitur conſidere ſit accipere, poſſumus ſic accipere Chryſ. Hom. 23 in Hebr. 11and againe, thereby our dull ſpirits … much quickned, our blunt prayers much ſharpened, and our weake faith much ſtrengthened: eſpecially if with patience we can reſt upon God. Saints of old by their patient expectation and ſtedfaſt confidence attained what was promiſed. If therefore to truſt confidently be the way to receive, we alſo may ſo receive.