The Christians Apparelling, Part 3 · Section 69
Par. 3. §. 69
Thus others, though otherwiſe, Mightie and Noble, High and Honourable, yet hauehave not bin aſhamed of Chriſt, or of performing the meaneſt duties; euen after the example of the ſame Theodoſius, who, by reaſon of a cruell fact againſt the Theſſalonians, being by Saint Ambroſe debarred from the communion and Church aſſemblies at Eaſter,Sic egit paenitentiam, vt Imperatoriā celſitudinem, pro illo populus orans magis fleret videndo proſtratam quam peccando timeret iratam. Aug. ibid. & viues. was not aſhamed in a Religious humility, to ſhew his repentance, to confeſſe his fault, and craue pardon, firſt, of God, then of Saint Ambroſe, and laſtly of the whole Church, and that in ſuch ſubmiſſe manner, that the people praying for him, wept more to ſee him ſo humbled, then feared his diſpleaſure for their offending him. Thus to doe, and to ſhew themſelues Chriſtians in deed, and in the power of Chriſtianity, the godly account their honour, and themſelues graced thereby, (though not alwaies with men, who mocke and deride them for ſuch actions, as Michal did Dauid, for dancing before the Arke) yet alwayes with God. And why?Why? becauſe they know that the true practiſe of Piety and Chriſtianity is the moſt honourable profeſsion,By him they hauehave a new and great name. and that the true and ſincere ſeruice of God is more honour then to be a King on earth. This is when withall, their ſin is pardoned and done away (as it is by Chriſt). For they know it will auaile them little to bee by birth Noble and Honourable on earth, & ſo to hauehave a great Name among men, if they hauehave not alſo giuen vntounto them,Reuel. 2.17. the white ſtone (of abſolution) and in it, a new name written. Chriſt was long ſince promiſed to bee raiſed vp for his people a plant of renowne, In Nomen. Ezek, 34.29or for renowne: and by putting him on, or by being planted into him, each ſound Chriſtian hath the reproach of his ignoble birth in ſinne done away,Ezek. 16.4.5. &c. to 15. whileſt God, finding him in his blood, not ſalted, nor ſwadled — but caſt out in the open field, to the loathing or contempt of his perſon — spreads his skirt ouer him and couers his nakedneſſe — waſheth him — decketh him with ornaments — and puts a beautifull crowne vponupon his head, And their reproach through ſin is done awaymakes him exceeding beautifull, &c. This is, whileſt being truly baptized inro Chriſt, hee puts on Chriſt, for thus he becomes truly honourable; euen as when Joſhua of old circumciſed the Iſraelites, the Lord ſaid, This day hauehave I rowled away the reproach of Egypt from you. Ioſhua 5.9.Now the true Chriſtian, not ignorant of this his glorious eſtate in Chriſt, is ſo well pleaſed therewith, that hee is aſhamed of nothing that may ſtand with this eſtate: he accounts the Chriſtians profeſsion his chiefeſt ornament and honour, & himſelfe moſt graced when hee can moſt glorifie God therein; hee is aſhamed of nothing more then of ſin,They ſhame of nothinge but of ſinne and of himſelfe, ſo farre as hee is ſinfull: when hee remembers his own waies he is aſhamed, Ezek. 16.61 and 36.31.yea loathes himſelfe in his owne ſight for his iniquities. He knowes nothing to be aſhamed of but ſinne, Which of al things is moſt loathſome.which as it is moſt loathſome of all things, as being compared to mire, 2 Pet. 2.22.in which the filthy ſwine wallowes himſelf, yea to the filthy and hatefull vomit of a dogge; ſo it infects and makes abominable (where it raignes) a mans beſt and moſt glorious actions, his very prayers, Prover. 28.9 Iſai 64.6.yea his very righteouſneſſe. Though the world highly eſteeme of riches, & both account and make them honourable who are rich; yet hee is taught to account and call it (as commonly it is attained vntounto) filthy Lucre. Titus. 1.7.& wanton talke wherwith many pleaſe themſelues, with him, is filthy ſpeaking; Coloſſ. 3.8yea all ſinnes are in his account, but the page missing in duſt and aſhes. No, wee ſee it otherwiſe; ſo farre are they from being aſhamed of themſelues and their ſinnes,2 They boaſt of their ſin. and ſo farre from ſeeking, by the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt, to hide & couer their ſins from God or man (vnleſſe it be to commit them cloſely) that, inſtead thereof, they not only by all meanes they can, goe about to leſſen and extenuate them by excuſes, but plainely and openly defend them, yea, make a trade and profeſsion of ſinne; nay, moreouer brag & boaſt of them, reioyce in them, account them their honour and ornaments, whereby they would be diſtinguiſhed and knowne,3 They ſeeke to Grace themſelues. from all ſuch, as of whom they account baſely, in regard of their harmeleſſe and holy life and profeſsion. They account ſo highly and honourably of their ſinnes, and ſo baſely of Chriſt, and of Religious duties,1 With oaths, pride, curſing. &c. that they neither thinke the one worthy hyding or denying, nor the other of profeſſing. Such are they that (in ſtead of cloathing themſelues with Chriſt) adorne, and as they wickedly thinke and imagine, grace their ſpeaches with oathes, as if they were too naked and vnſauery without them;Pſa. 109.18 and cloath themſelues with curſing like as with a garment; with lying, ſlandering and diſgracing of others, whereby they ſeeke credit to their owne perſons and cauſes, or religion, (as is practiſed by the lying Papiſts againſt vsus:) and ſo generally with ſuch vices, of anger, wrath, malice, blasphemie, filthy communication. Col. 3.8.9. Pſalm. 73.6&c. as we are commanded to put off. Others couer themſelues with cruelty and violence as with a garment, and pride doth compaſſe them about as a chaine or ornament. And theſe are they, who, being enemies to the Croſſe of Chriſt (of which yet Paul reioyced) glory in their ſhame, Philip. 3.19 Pſalm. 52.1boaſt themſelues in miſchiefe, ſpeak with delight of their couetouſneſſe, tricks of youth, or of coſenage, of their ſtrength to poure downe ſtrong drinke, &c. Are theſe men cloathed with Chriſt, who thus cloath themſelues, and glory in their ſhame? no: as now they cloath themſelues with curſing,Pſa. 109.19.29. ſo ſhall curſing come vponupon them as a garment which couereth them: they ſhall bee cloathed with ſhame, and couer themſelues with their owne confuſion, as with a mantle; they ſhall bee cloathed with ſhame and diſhonour. Pſal. 35.26 Iob. 8.22.And though all glory not thus palpably in vice, yet many beſides theſe, pride thē ſelues in vanity, 2 In the vanity of outward apparell.that eſpecially of outward apparell; for neuer regarding the nakedneſſe of their ſoules neither in a ſight of the filthyneſſe therof, ſeeking by Chriſt to hauehave it couered, they, deſirous to be eſteemed in the world, and knowing they cannot ſo bee for their vertues and graces, doe therefore ſeeke reſpect from their gay cloathes; like Apelles his apprentice, who in painting Helena, when he could not make her beautifull, he ſet her out in golden colours & made her rich. Of theſe as of the former we may well prognoſticate; that cōtinuing without changing of this their apparell & putting on Chriſt, the like, or more fearefull iudgement will befall them from this their cloathing, which is fabled to hauehave befalne Hercules; who putting on the garment of Neſſus the Centaure, ſent him from his wife Deianira, ſhortly after was ſo grieuouſly plagued and tormented that he runne mad, and threw himſelfe into a great fire flaming out of a mountaine: So &c.
But beſides,4 They glory not in Chriſt. wee can hauehave no better judgement of ſuch, as, though they glory not in open vice or vanity,1 They ſee no beauty in him. yet are aſhamed of Chriſt, of his Goſpell, or of thoſe that ſincerely profeſſe the ſame in power. Many ſuch there are. Thoſe firſt that ſee no beauty, no forme nor comlineſſe in Chriſt, that hee ſhould be deſired, but euen as it weare, hide their faces from him, Iſai. 53.2.3deſpiſing him and eſteeming him not; are theſe men Chriſtians? If they were that in truth, which they are in name, then would they ſee more beauty in him, then in the whole world beſides. They would account it more honour to them to bee true Chriſtians, then to bee Kings on earth.2 They account baſely of his ſeruants. & of his profesſion. The like queſtion we may aske concerning ſuch as account meanely and baſely of thoſe that are the trueſt and moſt conſcionable Chriſtians, whoſe liues are accounted madneſſe, and both life and end, or death, to bee without honour. Can any, indeed, himſelfe be cloathed with Chriſt and not account ſuch as truly ſo are, to be truly honourable? is the name of Chriſtian a credit, and is not the thing it ſelfe an honour? the very actions, ſufferings, and generally the perſons of the godly are, if not derided, yet diſtaſted, and accounted meanely of, how good ſoeuer they be; and men often take it as a matter of ſhame to them, to vſe the company of ſuch, or to conuerſe familiarly with them; thus Dauid complaines of himſelfe,Pſalm. 31.11 I was a reproach among all mine enemies, but eſpecially among my neighbours, and a feare to mine acquaintance; they that did ſee me without fled from me. How is this ſampled daily, when many are euen afraid to hauehave a good man in their company, leaſt they ſhould be thought to be like vntounto him. Is this to bee a Chriſtian, when the life of chriſtianity is accounted a reproach? yea the very name of Chriſtian, with ſome, is a name of diſgrace. It is notoriouſly knowne, D. Fulke Rhem. Teſt on Acts. 11. ſect. 4. out of Chriſtoph. Franch. Col Ieſuit. in fine. 3 They are aſhamed to ſuffer for Chriſt.ſaith Doctor Fulke, that the moſt honourable name of Chriſtian is in Jtaly and at Rome, a name of reproach, and vſually abuſed, to ſignifie a Foole or a Dolt.
But eſpecially, when men are called to ſuffer for Chriſt and for his Goſpell, either for the truth or ſincerity of it, how are they then ſhamed both of the bonds of godly Chriſtians, and of Chriſt himſelfe. Whereas thus a man by ſuffering, with, and for Chriſt, ſhews himſelfe moſt of all a Chriſtian, and thereby is moſt honoured, as, not only hauing his nakedneſſe couered with the merits of Chriſt, (which is common to all true Chriſtians) but as being ſingled out frō many others, to be Chriſts Champion and to witnes his truth with his blood; it is an honorable gift giuen of God to ſuch, added to their faith. For ſuch hauehave honour both with God, Phil. 1. laſt. Iſai. 43.4. Heb. 11.2. 2 Cor. 6.8.being precious in his ſight and honourable, and with good men, for by their faith and conſtancy they obtaine a good report: paſsing by honour and diſhonour, by euill report and good report. The ſtate of a Chriſtian then, being euen at his worſt, ſo honorable, can any bee called a true Chriſtian that in any of the foreſaid regards is aſhamed of Chriſt? Chriſt hath cauſe to be aſhamed of the beſt of vsus (though hee were not,Par. 3. §. 70 ſeing hee died for vsus) and ſhall we be aſhamed of him? this ſhame argues ſuch to bee none of his.