The Golden Scepter Held Forth to the Humble, Treatise · Doctrine 3
The next may be this third Doctrine:
The Lords Name is called upon his people, that is, Doct. 3. The Lords Name called upon his People.they are called by his Name: for the opening of this point, we must know first, that it is the Lord that putteth his name upon them; for who durst take this honour, but those upon whom the Lord himselfe pleaseth to bestow it? this is no small thing; where God puts his name, it brings something with it.
So as secondly, it is not an emptie title, Titulus sine re, but there is a reality in it; for where God 2gives his Name to any man or people, there he bestowes himselfe, and all he hath is theirs, because they are Gods, 1 Cor. 3. ult. As an husband when 1 Cor. 3. ult.hee bestowes his name upon his wife, then he also giveth himselfe to her. Now in the Scripture the Lords name and the Lord himselfe are put one for another, so that it is no small priviledge to have the Lords Name called upon us.
And to open this further; let us consider, who they are yet that are called by anothers name amongst men.
First, wives are called by the name of their husbands.
Secondly, children by the name of their Parents.
Thirdly, Temples are called by their names to whom they are dedicated.
Lastly, they that addict themselves to some man to follow his opinion, are called by his name. As the Platonists, Aristotelians, Ramists, &c. from their masters.
In the same respects, those that are called by Gods Name are such as are married to him, and that are borne of him (for they are his children) and all such as are his Temples dedicated to his service. Lastly, all such as are addicted to follow him; as Ioshua was, who said, I and my house will serve the Lord, and as Iacob was, thou shalt be my God, and I will serve thee; all these are called by the name of the Lord, and the Lord is called by their names: so he is called the God of Abraham, Isaac and Iacob, &c. so that it s…mes that there is (as it were) a certaine match betweene them, a mutuall agreement and relation, as there is betweene a husband and a wife, a father and a sonne; so if thou beest one who is married to Christ, and hee hath changed thy heart, and begotten thee anew by his word, and art dedicated to his service as his Temple; then thou art called by his Name.
And the only reason of this is, because he hath Reas. Because of Gods choyce.chosen thee, there is no other; when hee cast his eyes upon all the earth, he chose thee out, to have his Name called on thee; as it is said of the Temple at Ierusalem, that he chose that place rather then any other, to put his Name there: and there is the same reason why his Name is called upon a whole Church; as when he looked on Europe, he chose out the reformed Churches to put his Name there; and where the Lord puts his name, there he dwels, so as the one is put for the other, either to say, he chose a place to dwell in, or that his name is called upon it, they are all one. There are two places where God Isa. 57. 15.dwelleth, Isa. 57. 15. Thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity, whose Name is holy, I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also who is of a contrite and humble spirit, &c. The highest heavens and the lowest hearts are Gods chiefest dwelling places. He hath indeed other places, he dwelleth elsewhere, but in these two he manifesteth a peculiarity of his presence, and that peculiarity is of the presence of his grace and comfort; for he saith in the same vers. to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones; hee reveales himselfe to these, and his secrets, which are hid from all the rest, and hee fills their hearts with joy and comfort.
If we be such as beare the Name of God, then Vse 1. To learne Obe dience.let us learne to be obedient unto him, to give up our selves unto him; for so much is intimated by this, that we are called by his Name, and therefore we are said in Scripture to bee baptized into the Name of Iesus Christ; that is, we doe by our baptisme professe thus much, that we give our selves to his service; for to beare his Name is to beare our owne names no more, that is, our owne natures no more. A man that is called by the Name of the Lord is no more sui juris, his owne man: As a man that giveth himselfe to serve another, how much hee serveth himselfe, so much hee wrongeth that man And the reason why a wife leaves her owne name, it is to shew that shee is to give up her selfe to the obedience of her husband, shee is not mistresse of her selfe, not free, shee depends on her husband as the Ivie on the tree, shee hath no root of her owne to rest on, but dependeth on him. So wee having taken the Name of the LORD upon us, wee must thinke that wee are no longer free, wee leave We are not to serve our selves.our owne names, wee must have no more root of our selves, but of the Lord; we must have no will of our owne, his will must be ours: therefore, yee that beare the Name of the Lord, let it not bee in profession onelyonly, but doe that thing which the Name requireth, that is, follow no more your selves but follow GOD. A Wife before had the name of her father, but when shee is married, as she leaves that name, so she leaves father and mother also to cleave to her husband; if her Parents command one thing, and her husband another, shee leaves her father and mother and cleaves to her husband: so as leaving father and mother, implies leaving to beare affection to them, in comparison to her husband, and thus must you doe to Christ, as you have it in Luke 14. 26. If thou wouldest bee matched to the Lord, thou must be divorced from Luk. 14. 26.all things else in the world, from every thing that is very neare and deare to thee: father and mother, sonnes and daughters are deare, but you must hate them all for Christs sake, or you can not be his Disciples: yea, he that is married to the Lord, must hate and deny his owne soule; when his owne soule desires one thing, and Christ another, he must deny it and be divorced from himselfe, and take no roote from The nearenesse of our relation to God.himselfe, but from the Lord, because he is able to sustaine him. Wives are not bound to destroy themselves for their husbands, but this bond is nearer, therefore Ephes. 5. 31, 32. this neere conjunction Ephes. 5. 31, 32.betweene man and wife is made but as a shadow of that betweene Christ and his Church, who is flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone, verse 30. And as for this cause they leave father and mother, as the Apostle sayes, verse 31. so for this cause must wee leave all to cleave to Christ and bee subject to him, as verse 24. that is, our will must be subject verse 24.to the Lords. As if thou hast such a journey to go, say, yea but what sayes my husband to it? thus Saint Iames teacheth us to speake, Iam. 4. I will goe Iames 4.into such a City (if God will) so in other businesse, say, if the Lord will (to whom I am married) I will doe it, else not: and you have reason for it, because Christ loves us as his Spouse and body: by this union we are one flesh with him, yea one spirit, and no man hates his owne flesh, saith the Apostle there; though a man hath all the imperfections in his body that may be, soares and biles, &c. yet he hates not his owne flesh, but laboureth partly to cover those wounds and imperfections, and to heale them, if he can, for it is his owne body; So doth the Lord love you, if you have taken him to bee your husband; you have reason therefore never to forsake him. And if any should object and say, I am a sinfull wretch, an unfit match for him; Con sider that yet being his, he will cover your imperfections with his righteousnesse, as a man covers his sores from the view of others; and he will wash you from your corruptions. As if a man have a sore arme, he doth not only cover it, but also washeth it, and heales it, because it is a member of his. So sayeth the Apostle there, hee hath washed his Church with his owne bloud. And this the Apostle S. Paul calleth a great mystery: as if hee had said, great things are now revealed therein to you, and worth your considering: why therefore should wee not give up our selves to him? a Wife may object against her husband and say, another ones husband is more wise, more kind, but thou canst say nothing against him. Consider this, and let it not only be as a notion in your heads, but let it sink down into your hearts: And let the Name of the Lord not onelyonly be upon you, but also in you. As we have it in Exod. 23. 21. spoken of the Angel that went with them in the wildernesse; my Name is in him. My Exod. 23. 21Name is not only upon him, so that he is not only called my Angel, but my Name is also in him, that is, he is so affected as I am, he hates sinne as I doe, and therefore will punish it in you, and loves what is good as I doe. So let the Lords Name bee in you, that is, labour to be of the same mind and disposition that God is of, to have a heart after his heart, to be affected as he is, labour to be thus minded, and you shall be the Glory of the Lord, as the Wife is the glory of her husband, as shee is called, 1 Cor. 11. 7. 1 Cor. 7. 11.because when shee behaves her selfe wisely and vertuously, those that see her doe commend her The wife the glory of the husband how.husband: Therefore so behave thy selfe in the world, so shew thy selfe like thy husband, that thou bee his Glory, shew forth the vertues of Christ, as the Apostle hath it in 1 Peter 2. 9. A man 1 Pet. 2. 9must so behave himselfe, as the Image of God may appeare in him; and then he shall be his glory, as a wife when she carries herself as the image of her husband, so as his wisdome and vertues appeare in her, then she is his glory. Consider this seriously; you are called by Gods Name; if you make this but an empty title, then you shall have but an empty benefit by it: but if in earnest you cleave to him, and follow him, then he is yours and you his, and all that is his is yours.
If at any time you sinne against God, this should Vse 2. To humble our selves having sinned.be a great motive to humble your selves the more, that you should sin against him whose Name you beare, to whom thou hast given up thy name, and made a vow and promise to obey him. Thus learn to aggravate your sin, for it doth aggravate it; and this use also I make for the day. There is a double Humiliation double.humiliation; one comes from selfe love, and that sometimes makes way for grace, but is not grace: but there is another that comes from a tender affection and love to God and Christ; for when a man loves one, he desires to please him, and therefore when hee displeaseth him, it grieveth him: And this is such a humiliation, as is required of us on these days of Fasting, therefore labour to worke your hearts to this.
Now there is nothing will worke our hearts kindly to be humbled more then love: and neerenesse Love humbleth.will surely make us love GOD: for why doth the wife love the husband, and the husband the wife, but because they are neare one to another? Now when the Name of the LORD is called upon us, it is an argument that wee are neare unto him; therfore let that soften thy heart, that thou shouldest carry thy selfe unworthy of this nearenesse. That was that which smote the heart of David, when he considered how kind and loving the Lord had beene to him; the LORD himselfe when hee comes to humble his people, hee taketh this course with them, to …ell them of the nearenesse that is betweene them and himselfe, as is plaine in Ier. 2. 2, 3. Thus saith the LORD, I remember thee, Ier. 2. 2, 3.that is, put thee in mind of the kindnesse of thy youth, that is, which I shewed thee in thy youth, the love of thy Espousalls, when, &c. Now when wee see the LORD take this course, we should take the same; when he would humble David, he sent Nathan to humble him, this was one part of his message to tell him of GODS kindnesse to him, 2 Sam. 12. 7, 8. thus saith the LORD, I annointed thee King 2 Sam. 12. 7 8.over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul, &c. And this doubtlesse was the chiefest cause that made him confesse and say, I have sinned against the LORD, as it is in Psal. 51. he repeats (against thee) twice, there lies the Emphasis, I have Psalme. 51.sinned against thee, against thee have I sinned, that wounded him in a manner alone, that there was so great a nearenesse betwixt the LORD and him. When a man commits a sin, there are two things to be considered in it; first in that he sinnes against Two things in sinne.the Law of GOD, and so hee sees a great obliquity in sin; when he lookes on sin and the streight Law of GOD, he sees a deformity in it; but this alone doth not humble us in that kindly manner; this will make us vile in our owne eyes, this will make us to see a wonderfull deformity in our selves: but now there is another thing to be seene in sinne, and that is the person against whom we commit it, and that is the LORD, and sinne so looked upon comes to have another relation put upon it, not onelyonly as an obliquity and deformity, but as an injury, as a rebellion, an unkindnesse, recompensing evill for good. The first way sinne is considered as an obliquity from a straight rule; but in this latter, as against the Person of GOD, as against thy husband.
Now therefore to humble thee, doe thus; Goe Way to humiliation.through all the particular dealings of GOD with thee, remember all the speciall kindnesses of the LORD, his keeping thee from thy youth, his many deliverances, how many special kindnesses he hath done thee, recount his mercies every Fast-day; and when thou hast done this, then go to thy sinnes and say: These are not only transgressions against GODS streight Law, but also, they are unkindnesses and injuries against his Person; and adde to all this the consideration of the patience of GOD: though I have plaid the wretch and harlot as never any have done, yet he hath been patient, and is so kind, as he bids me yet to returne, and this will cause thy heart to melt towards him: labour to doe this more and more.
There is an exercise of Humiliation which is done after this manner, spoken of, by seeing the Lords kindnesse to thee, and thy injury against him, and comparing the one with the other. But thou wilt say, I would faine do it, but I cannot, my heart is hard, and I cannot get it thus melted. Therefore I say, exercise thy selfe to this. The reason mens Cause of hardnesse of heart.hearts are thus hard, &c. is, because men are idle, not willing to recount Gods mercies to them. Say not thy heart is hard, but thou art sluggish, this therfore you ought to doe especially at this time. In Levit. 23. 29. there was a time set apart for the Israelites, for the performance of this duty of humiliation, Levit. 23. 29and it was to bee their exercise that day, they were then to labour to afflict their soules; such as did not, were to bee cut off from among his people. And this consideration, that wee are called by the name of the Lord, is a meanes to doe it.
But you will say, I have done this, and yet my Object.heart is hard still.
It may be so indeed, and your heart not softned, Answ. 1 God accepteth endeavours.but yet this I say; First for thy comfort, that if thou continue doing this, the Lord accepteth it; but if thou dost it not, thy bloud shall bee upon thine own head: we require that thou shouldst only labour to doe it, and the Lord will accept it, though thou art not able to soften thine heart: And secondly, know for thy comfort also, that God will joyne 2 Hel pes them.with thee, if thou labour thus with thy heart, and send the spirit of humiliation on thee; as the Disciples, though they rowed all night, yet CHRIST came at the last, so though thou toilest many dayes, and makest no proficiency (as thou thinkest) yet know, that God at length will come and help thee, and that because he hath commanded thee to doe this, he will not suffer you to be doing that alwayes in vaine, which he commandeth, and therefore hee will come: but that you may have the more ground Promises of Gods helpe. Luk 11. 13.for this, remember that you have many promises made of Gods helpe; as in Luk 11. 13. If yee then, being evill, know how to give good gifts unto your chil dren, &c. You shall never alone, of your selves, bee able to soften your hearts without the Holy Ghost, but continue knocking, and the Lord will give you the Holy Ghost, though you bee but strangers. So that every man may come to God and say; Lord thou hast made such a promise, thou canst not goe from thy word, and therefore deny me not; and bee earnest with God, and hee cannot deny thee. The woman of Canaan was not a Iew, yet shee having this ground, that hee was the Messias, she would not bee put off, therefore doe thou so, and thou shalt in the end finde that thy heart is softned: and the longer thou waitest, the greater measure thou shalt have of the spirit; and when thou hast him, hee shall humble thy heart, as in Zach. 12. 10. I will poure upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Ierusalem, the spirit of Zach. 12. 1…grace and supplications, and they shall looke upon him whom they have pierced, and they shall mourne for him as one mourneth for an onelyonly sonne. The people of Israel were here exhorted to mourne, and to separate themselves, and to doe it every family apart. The businesse was the same that you are to doe every fast-day. Now sayes GOD, if you seeke me aright, you must have the spirit; and sayes GOD, I will doe my part, I will poure on you the spirit of bowells, for so the word may be translated. The The Spirit workes humiliation. Iob 42.meaning of it is this, that when the Spirit of God is thus upon you, you will bee tenderly affected to the Lord, even as a mother toward her child: then saith hee, they shall looke upon him whom they have pierced, and they shall mourne for him, as one mourneth for his only sonne, and be in bitternesse for him, that is, you shall then remember your rebellions, and the remembrance of them shal be bitter to your soules, as bitter things are to your tast: so it was with Iosiah: the reason why his heart melted, and he wept when he heard the booke of the Law read, was because he had the spirit of bowells, which every one of us should have: So Iob, Now I have seene thee, I abhorre my selfe, Iob 42. he was not thus before; he Iob. 42.was a holy man, but this was a new worke: for says he, I have heard of thee by the hearing of the eare, but now my eye sees thee. He was enlightened anew; as it were, the spirit shined into his heart with a new light: I have beene in a myst all this while in comparison; but now mine eye hath seene thee, and I have an experimentall feeling of thee, now I abhor my selfe. It is a hard thing to abhorre a mans selfe thus, which then a man doth, when Gods Spirit with a new light enableth a man to see Gods love and kindnesse, and his owne unkindnesse in their colours.
If the Lords Name be called upon us, we should Vse 3. Not to pollute Gods Name.learne hence to keepe his Name faire, to keepe it pure and unspotted: As it was said of Saint Paul, he was a chosen vessell to carry Gods Name; and therefore it behooves them to take heed how it bee polluted by them, or they give occasion that it be blasphemed; for the evill committed by you reflects vponupon the Name of the Lord. A small thing is a great matter in you: one fly corrupts a box of oyntment, but many flies in a barrell of Pitch or Tarre, are counted nothing; so many sinnes in a wicked man, redound not so much to the dishonour of Gods Name, as one in the Saints. When a Saint doth a thing that is uncomely, hee polluteth the Name of the Lord, not that it can be polluted in it self, but it seemes so to other men. Before men are regenerate, their sinnes are as blots upon a table, before a Picture be drawne upon it, which are not Simileregarded of any; but after it is drawne, the least blot is seene of every one: So it is when men are but strangers to God; the sinnes which they commit, reflect not to the disgrace of God: but when Gods Image is renewed in a man, then these sinnes are more taken notice of, and cause the Name of God to be blasphemed of his enemies.
This should teach us, not to be ashamed of God Vse 4. Not to be ashamed to professe Gods name.and the profession of his Name: for shall the Lord not be ashamed of us, as he shewes he is not, when he is willing to put his Name upon us; and shall we be ashamed of him? it is an unreasonable and an unequall thing for a child to be ashamed of his father, for a wife to bee ashamed of her husband, and so for us to be ashamed of the Lord, whose Name we beare.
This is the rather to bee spoken of, because it is a fault very common amongst us, that we doe not take notice of.
But the most will say, we are not ashamed of religion, but wee account it rather a glory to bee accounted Object.Christians.
Give mee leave to examine you by these two Answ. 1 Men ashamed of the power of re ligion.Questions. First, are you not ashamed of the strictest ways of religion? There is a common course of Religion, that you need not be ashamed of, because all are for it, and commend it; but yet there are some speciall acts of Religion that men cast shame upon, such was that act of David, when he daunced before the Arke, which seemed absurd in Michals eyes for a King to doe; yet he said, I will be yes more vile: some of the wayes of God give a more peculiar distaste to wicked men, and there is a shame cast upon the power of Religion, by reason that the multitude goeth another way. Now what is singular, that shame is cast upon: as in any Simile.thing, let the multitude have never so ill favoured a fashion, it is no shame, whereas if a few others weare a garment farre more comly, but different from the fashion, yet it would be a shame to them; so it is here, there is shame cast upon holinesse and sincerity, because the multitude is not holy, for holy men are like the gleanings after the harvest, or like the grapes after the vintage, exceeding few, and not enow to bring godlinesse into fashion: Therefore if thou wouldst know whether thou art ashamed of God or no, try whether you be ashamed of any the peculiar acts of Religion, upon which shame is usually cast among men.
The second question I would aske is this: are 2 Before wicked menyou ashamed of God, or any taske or duty, or his people among those where the shame will doe you some hurt? consider whether you are not ashamed of Religion among sinners; it is an expression put in for some cause, in Mark. 8. 38. Whosoever shall be Mark. 8. 38.ashamed of me: and my words in this adulterous generation, &c. As if he should have said, it may be you would not be ashamed of me among Saints; but he that is ashamed of mee among the worst of men, and in a dangerous time, in such a time as when it is ignominious to be a Christian (as it was then) of that man will I be ashamed in the day of the Resurrection. You must therefore try your selves, what you do before wicked men, and what you do before great men, when it is some losse to you to professe CHRIST, or any truth of H…s; and know that this is not a small matter: We must professe CHRIST in our times, wee must make the word of God the rule of our lives. Perhaps wee thinke that so long as our hearts are right, and so, that we runne not out into evill wayes with others, the matter of profession is but a small change, that is but as the leaves of godlinesse; if GOD have the fruit, what need we care for the leaves? But remember that in Rom. 10. 10. With the heart man believeth Rom. 10. 10.unto righteousnesse, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation: This will damne many of us, the want of profession, as well as the greatest sinnes. The Scripture is peremptory; wee must Outward profession is required.professe Gods Name at all times, even then when we shall doe it with the danger of our lives. You know that Daniel did so, in danger of his life, and it was not a needlesse matter, but it was in a matter that concerned his life. But that you may doe this the more willingly, consider why men are ashamed of this profession, why? because men doe speake evill of you, but is this a good reason? No, for they Why men are asham'd of profession.doe so out of their ignorance, as it is in 1 Pet. 4. 4. wherein they thinke it strange, that you run not with them into the same excesse of riot, speaking evill of you. But if they knew the ground of your actions, they would not speake evill of you. They see your actions, but your rules and principles that you goe by in these actions, they know not: and therefore they speake evill of you. And shall we be discouraged for this? What if a Geometrician should be drawing of lines and figures, and there should come in a Country man and seeing him should laugh at him, would the Geometrician leave off his art for his derision? surely no, for hee knowes hee laughs at him out of his ignorance, because hee knowes not the art and the grounds thereof: and is it not as great a folly for us to be ashamed of godlinesse, because men that understand it not, speake evill of it! surely it is. And therefore remember Davids two reasons, when he did that act for which he was reviled by his wife. I did it for the Lord that chose me: as if he should have said, the Lord deserved it, hee loved and chose me, therefore I did it. So this is thy case: The Lord hath chosen thee, when hee hath passed by many thousands of others, therefore doe it for the Lord. And another reason of Davids was, it makes for my honour in the eyes of those that are good, 2 Sam. 6. 24. Men thinke it 2 Sam. 6. 24brings no honour, because they shall not get any credit by it amongst men: but know thus much, when men shrinke from God, then God makes true that rule, them that dishonour me, I will dishonour: he that hath made a profession of godlinesse, and afterward falls away, God never suffers such an one to escape, but he punisheth him one way or other. Therefore Moses exhorteth the people in Deut. 4. 6. to keepe GODs Statutes and to doe Deut. 4. 6.them: for this is your wisedome, and your understanding in the sight of the Nations, &c. Now why should you bee backward to beare the shame that the world casteth upon you? doth not God observe all, look on, and with approbation? doth not God tell the Church of Ephesus, in Revel. 2. 2. I know thy workes, and thy labour, and thy patience, &c. When any man at any time casteth shame upon you for religion, it is a persecution which God will record, as Luther said, when any spake evill against him; this will be accounted on my reckoning at the last day, that speech is to be considered and weighed of us all. I know thy patience; therefore be not ashamed, but be bold in the profession and feare of God, doing those things that are glorious in the eyes of God and men that judge of things aright.
If the Name of the Lord be called upon us, this Vse 5. Comfort concerning our selves and the Church.should comfort us concerning our selves, and concerning the Church of GOD; for where GODs Name is called upon any Church, any Nation, any man, you may be sure he will defend them, for he is engaged so to doe, that his Name may not bee polluted; for the Lord is the worse spoken of, when his people suffer. Therefore thou whosoever thou art, rich or poore, be confident, God will defend thee in all thy sufferings. A man will not suffer his wife to be wronged; for saith he, she is my wife, he accounts himselfe wronged, when any injury is done to her: so God accounteth himselfe injured, when any wrong is done to thee on whom his Name is called, Esay 4. 5, 6. Although (saith the Lord) they may seeme to bee helplesse, notwithstanding Esa. 4. 5, 6.this (saith the Lord) feare not, I will create a cloud by day and a flaming fire by night: that is, though there be no meanes, yet I will worke without meanes. I will create them, make them of nothing: I will be both their direction and protection; for the cloud by day, and the fire by night, hath reference to that cloud that went before the Children of Israel in the wildernesse, which led them in the way, and kept them from the heate of the Sunne. For upon all the glory shall bee a defence; that is, the Churches, though they seeme never so base, yet they are glorious; for therefore they are called glorious; and not only upon one man or two, but upon all the glory, that is, every man in the Church, upon all the glory shall be a defence.
But then if this objection come, why? doe we Object.not see them afflicted? doe they not often suffer a storm; are they not often scortched with the heate of reproach?
Therefore, the LORD saith, as they have divers Answ. &cpersecutions, so will I have divers meanes of helpe; and there shall bee a Tabernacle for a shadow in the day time for the heat, and for a place of re fuge, l…ke the Cities of refuge whither they fled that were pursued by the avengers of Bloud, and for a covert from a storme, and from raine. The Saints in a storme of persecution or any calamity, are as a man under a shelter; whereas all others are in the midst of the storme. Therefore be you assured, the Lord will not forsake his owne people; they are as the apple of his eye: a man may beare much, but hee will not suffer you to touch the apple of his eye; So God will suffer much, but hee will bee avenged on them that wrong his people. Thus much for this Doctrine.