The Affinity of the Faithful, Text
THE AFFINITIE of the faithfull: Being a verie Godlie and fruitfull Sermon, made vponupon part of the eight Chapter of the Gospel of Saint Luke.
By Henrie Smith.
AT LONDON, Printed by William Hoskins and Henrie Chettle, for Nicholas Ling, and Iohn Busbie. 1591.
Luke 8. 19, 20, 21.
Then came to him his mother and his brethren, and could not come neare him for the prease: and it was tolde him by certaine which said; thy mother and thy brethren stand without and would see thee: but he answered and said vntounto them, my mother and my brethren are those which heare the word of God and doe it.
HEre Christ is preaching, a great prease hearing, & his mother and his friends interrupting, and Christ againe withstanding the interruption, with a comfortable doctrine of his mercies towardes them which heare the word of God & do it. When Christ was about a good worke, & manie were gathered to heare him, the diuell thought as the Priests and Sadduces did in the fourth of the Acts; If I let him alone, all the world will follow him, and I shal be like Rahel without children: therefote deuising the likeliest policie to frustrate & difgrace but one of his Sermons, thereby to make the people more vnwilling to heare him againe; As he set Eue vponupon Adam, & made Iobs wife his instrument, when hee could Gen. 3. 6. Iob. 2. 9.not fit it himselfe: so hee sendeth Christ his mother, & putteth in the minde of his kinsmen to come vntounto him, at that instant when hee was in this holy exercise; & call vppon him as he was preaching, to come away, and goe with them.
Christ seeing the Serpents dealing, how he had made his mother his tempter, that al this auditorie might goe away emptie, & say where they came; Wee heard the man which is called Iesus, and he began to preach to vsus with such words as though he would carie vsus to heauen; but in the midst of his Sermon came his mother and brethren to him, that it might be knowen what a kinsman they had, and so soone as hee heard that they were come, suddenly he brake off his Sermon and sl…pt away from vsus to goe and make merciemercy with them. Christ, I saie▪ seeing this traine laied by Sathan to disgrace him as hee would do his mini…ers, did not leaue off speaking, as they thought hee would: but as if God had appointed all this to credit it & renowme him; that which was noysed here to interrupt his doctrine, he taketh for an occasion to teach another doctrine, that there is another coniunction betweene Christ and the faithfull, than betweene the mother and the sonne which are one flesh: and therefore when they saie; Thy mother & thy brethren a…e come to speak with thee, hee pointeth to his hearers and saith; These are my mother, and my brethren, which heare the word of God and do it; as if he should saie, I hauehave a mother in deede which brought mee foorth, but in respect of these which heare the worde of God and do it, shee is like a stepmother, and these are like a natural mother. With this wise aunswere he quieted the auditors, & made them heare him better than they did before: for nowe they thought with themselues; what man is this which loueth vsus more than his mother? his mother called him, & yet he would not goe from vsus: his brethren staye for him, and he maketh as if he did not know them, but sayeth: Who is my mother? Who are my brethren? Thus Christ stoode vp (as I weene) in an indignation against Sathan, & said; Sathan, this sermon was not begun for thee, neither shall it ende for thee: this worke was not done for my mother, neither shall it be left for my mother. Thus he caught the Diuell with his owne baite, & made the people more louing and attentiue to him, by that which Sathan thought to disgrace him. He was so armed with the spirite, that let Diuell tempt, or the woman tempt him, or Princes tempt him, all is one.
Here are two doubtes, the first is, the difference betweene the Euangelistes: for Mathewe saith, that Math. 12. 47. Mark. 3. 31. Luk. 8. 10.one brought this message vntounto Christ, Marke and Luke attribute it vntounto moe; Both may stand: for the worde which his mother gaue of calling him foorth was receiued of the rest, and so passed amongest manie till it came vntounto Christ; so that one and manie may be saide to bring this message, because one may sende it first, and manie noyse it after.
The seconde doubt is, because Christ had no brethren, how then they saide; Thy brethren woulde speake with thee.
You must vnderstand that they which are here called Christes brethren, were his Cousins by the Mothers side, that is to saie, his Mothers sisters children: for there were three Maries, and these three were sisters: Marie the virgine, and Marie the mother of Iames, & Marie the wife of Cleophas, whose sonnes these were; their names were Iames and Ioseph & Iudas and Simon; and they are called the Lordes brethren, because they we…e kinne vntounto him. Therfore note that in holie Scriptu…es, there be iiij. sortes of brethren; brethren by nature, so Esau and Iacob are called Gen. 25. 25brethren, because they had one father and one mother; Brethren by Nation, so all the Iewes are called brethren, because they were of one Deut. 15. 22.countrey; Brethren by affinitie, so all are called brethren which were of one familie, and so Abraham cal…ed Gen. 12. 5.Lott his brother and Sara his sister, because they were of one lyne; Brethren by profession, so all Christians are called brethren, because they are of one Religion: these were brethren of the thirde order, that is by affinitie, because they were of one familie.
Nowe when his mother and his brethren were come to see him, it …s said, that they could not come neere him because of the prease; here were auditours enough: Christ saw now, that his mother could hauehave no rome to heare him; but after a while it was lowe water againe. When the shepheard was striken, the sheepe were scattered; when he preached in the streetes, and in the Temples, and in the fieldes, then many flocked after him: but when hee preached vponupon the Crosse, then they left him, which said they would neuer forsake him, then there was as great a prease to see him die, as there was here to heare him preach; and manie of these which he calleth his mother, and his brethren, & his sister, were his betrayers and accusers, and persecutors; so inconstant we are in our zeale, more than any thing else. Thus much of their comming to the doctrine.
Here be two speakers: one saith; Thy mother and thy brethren are come to speake with thee: the other sayeth; These are my mother, & my brethren, which heare the words of God & do it. The scope of the Euangelist is this, First, to shew that Christ would not hinder his doctrine for mother or brethren or any kinsmen: then to shewe that there is a neerer coniunction between Christ and the faithfull, than betweene the mother and the sonne. The first is written for our instruction, & the latter is written for our comfort. Touching the first: he which teacheth vsus to honor our father & mother, doth not teach vsus here to contemne father or mother; for it is said, that he was obedient to his parents. This he shewed, Luke. 2. 51when being found in the Temple among the doctors, he left all to go with his mother, because she sought him; so he honoured her, that he left all for her. This he shewed againe at his death, being vponupon the crosse, he was not vnmindful of her: for pointing vntounto Iohn, he said Woman behold thy sonne: and pointing vntounto him he said, Behold thy mother; so he commended her to his beloued Disciple Iohn. 19. 26.before he died; therefore this is not a doctrine of disobedience, but a rule how to obey. As hee taught his disciples, to giuegive vntounto Caesar, that Luke. 20. 25.which is Caesars, and to God that which is Gods: so he teacheth them here, Mat. 19.to giuegive vntounto parents that which is parents, & to the Lord that which is the Lords. When God said, Honour thy father and thy mother, he did not Exod. 20. 12.giuegive a commandement against himselfe, & therefore he saith Honor me, before he saith Honor them. The first commandement of the first table is, Honor God: and the first cōmandement of the second table is, Honor Parents; lest you should honor your parents before God. When Salomon 1. King. 2. 16.bad his mother aske him any thing, & denyed her that one thing which shee asked; he sheweth that the mother should not be obeyed in all things. When Christ said, You hauehave but one father but one master, hespake of faith and religion; shewing, that when it concerneth our faith & religiō, we shuld respect but one father & one master which is the giuer of our faith, & the mater of our religiō.
When Paul said, Children obey your parents in the Lorde, hee meaneth Ephes. 6. 1that we should not obey them against the Lorde: as when he saith, Obey Princes for conscience; he meaneth that we should not obey them Rom. 13. 5against conscience. Therefore, when it commeth to this, that the earthly father commaundeth one thing, & the heauenly Father commaundeth another thing, then as Peter aunswered the Rulers, so thou maist answere thy parents, Whether is it Act. 4. 19.meete to obey God or you? then these are the hands which thou must cut off, then these are the eyes which thou must pull out; or else they should be as deare vntounto thee as thy hand or thine eye. In MATHEVV, Aman must for sake his father & mother Mat. 19. 5.to dwell with his wife; but in LVKE, He must for sake father and mother, and wife to dwell with Christ; for, He that for saketh father or mother or wife for me, shall receiue more (saith our Sauiour:) nay, he which doth not hate father and mother & wife for me, Luk. 14. 26cannot be my Disciple (saith he again in the same Euangelist): shewing that our louelove towards God should be so great, that in respect of it, our louelove towardes men shoulde seeme to bee but hatred. Thus hee that obeyed his parents more than wee, yet would hauehave vsus search some sentence, some example in scripture of not obeying them too; because it is such a hard poynt to know how far they are to be obeied which are set in authoritie ouer vsus. As none but God spake alwayes right; so none but God must alwayes bee obeyed: wee are not called onelyonly the sonnes of men, but the sonnes of God. Therefore, as Christ answered his mother when shee would hauehave him tourne water into wine; Woman what hauehave Iohn 2. 4.I to doe with thee? So we should answere father, and mother, and brethren, and sisters, and rulers, and m… sters, …nd wife too, when they will vsus to doo that which is not meete; Sathan what hauehave I to doo with thee? for else it were to turne wine into water. Peter was not Sathan: but when hee tempted Christ like Sathan, Christ aunswered him, as hee aunswered Sathan, Come behind mee Sathan; shewing, that wee shoulde giuegive no more attention to father or mother, or master or wife, when they tempt vsus to euill, than wee should giuegive to Sathan, if he should tempt vsus him selfe.
Three things children receiue of their parents, life, & maintenance, and instruction: For these three they owe other three: for life they owe louelove; for maintenance they owe obedience; for instruction they owe reuerence: For life, they must be loued as fathers: for maintenance, they must be obeyed as masters: for instruction, they must be reuerenced as Tutors. But as there is a King of Kings which must be obeyed aboue Kings: so there is a father of fathers, which must be obeyed aboue fathers. Therefore, you must aunswere like the sonne when he was bid to goe vntounto the vineyard, I will goe: and sometimes you must aunswere as Christ aunswered, I must doe my Fathers busines, I hauehave no other busines.
VVhen two milch kine did carrie the Arke of the Lorde vntounto Bethshemesh, their Calues were shut vp at home, because the Kine shoulde not staye, when they heard their Calues bleat after them: so when thou goest about the Lordes busines, thou shalt heare a crye of thy Father and mother, and thy brethren and thy sisters, and of thy kindred to staye thee; but then thou must thinke of another father, as Christ thought of another mother: and so as these Kine went on, till the Lord brought them where the Arke should rest; so shalt thou goe on, till the Lorde bring thee where thou shalt rest. It is better to flye from our kinred as Abraham did, than to stay with some friends as Sampson did with Dalila.
I may saye, beware of kinsmen, as well as our Sauiour sayeth, Beware of men; for this respect of cosenage 1. Sam. 2.hath made Elie his sonnes priestes, and this respect of cousenage hath made many like priestes in Europe This respect of cousenage brought Tobia into the Leuites chamber: and this respect of cousenage hath brought manie gentlemen, into Preachers liuings: as Christ preferred his spirituall kinsmen, so wee preferre our carnall kinsmen: many priuiledges, manie offices, many giftes, wee being by this tempted, hauehave stooped to this voice; Thy mother calleth thee; or Thy kinsmen would hauehave thee.
As this voyce came to Christe whiles hee was labouring: so manie such voyces come to vsus whiles wee are labouring; One saith, pleasure woulde speake with you; an other sayeth, profite would speake with you; Another sayeth, ease would speake with you; an other sayeth, abundance woulde speake with you; Another sayeth, a promotion woulde speake with you; Another sayeth, Delight woulde speake with you.
When a man is in a good waye, and studyeth the Scriptures to bee a teacher in the Church of GOD, a voice commeth into his eare, as this came to Christ, and sayth; thy friendes would hauehave thee to studie the Lawe, or thou shalt attaine to no preferment: For the reuerendest of that profession, are by the vylest of the people contemned; and so sometimes Ionas turneth his sayles from Niniueh to Tharshish.Ioh. 1.
If he be a Diuine alreadie, and preach his conscience in reproouing sinne, a voice commeth to him againe, as this did to Christ, and sayeth; Thy friendes would hauehave thee be quiet, or thou wilt be enuyed for that which thou sayest; or there be fellowes which lye in wait to returne scornings for thy paines. so somtimes with a litle intreatie, he beginneth to drawe vp his hande and laye his fingers to his mouth, and preach peace when hee is sent with warre.
Thus are wee cumbred like our master before our sermons, and in our sermons, and after our sermons; euen of those sometimes which shoulde incourage vsus, and therefore as Christ saieth, Beware of men; so Mat. 10. 14.I saye, beware of kinsmen.
So soone as the children bee borne, their Parents bring them to the Temple and baptise them, and offer them vntounto GOD: but as soone as they are able to serue him, they tempt them awaye from him, some to the Lawe, some to Physicke, some to marchaundise, and some to husbandrie, and had rather they should be of any other Tribe than of the Tribe of Leni, which serueth in the Temple: hee which wilbe hindred, shall hauehave blocks enough: but we must learne to leape ouer all as Christ did ouer this. If wee shoulde leaue father and mother▪ and wife, and children for Christ; much lesse shoulde wee care for labour, or losse, or shame, or trouble, or displeasure: for wee would venture these for our friends. Thus much of his naturall kindred: nowe of his spirituall kinred.
Here is another Genealogie of Christ, which MATTHEVV and LVKE neuer spake of; As CHRIST sayeth, I hauehave another bread which you knowe not: So he sayeth, that I hauehave other kinsmen, which you knowe not.
Saint IOHN writing to a Christian Ladie which brought vp her children in the feare of God, calleth her The elect Ladie; shewing, that 2. Iohn. 1.the chiefest honour of Lordes and Ladies, and Princes, is to be elect of God. LVKE speaking of certaine Beroeans which receiued the worde Act. 27. 11.of GOD with louelove, calleth them more noble men than the rest; shewing that God counteth none noble but those which are of a noble spirite. As Saint Iohn calleth none elect but the vertuous, and Saint Luke calleth none noble but the religious; so our Sauiour Christ calleth none his kinsmen but such as are righteous: these are my mother, and my brethren which heare the worde of God and do it.
As Abrahams children are not counted after the flesh, but after the Spirite: So Christes kinsmen are not counted after the: flesh but after Gen. ….the Spirite: for the flesh was not made after the Image of God, but the Spirite: therefore God is not called the father of bodies, but the father Heb. 12. 9.of Spirites.
Now God which is a Spirite preferreth them which are kinne vntounto him in the spirite: therefore Esau was not blessed, because he was of Isaacks flesh: but Iacob was blessed because he was of Isaacks spirite. As wee louelove in the flesh, so Christ loueth in the spirite: therefore hee calleth none his kinsmen, but them which heare the worde of God and doe it.
It seemeth that Paul thought of this saying when he said, till Christ Galla. 4. 10be reformed in you. If Christ be found in vsus, as Saint Paul saith, then wee are Chists mother: euerie one which will hauehave Christ to be his Sauiour, must be Christ his mother.
The virgin asked the Angel, how shee could beare Christ, seeing shee had not knowen a man: so you may aske how you can beare Christ seeing he is borne alreadie. As there is a second comming of Christ: so there is a seconde birth of Christ. When we are regenerate and borne againe, then Christ is borne in vsus againe. The virgin Marie was his mother by the flesh, and the faithfull are his mother by the Spirite. Againe, the Holie Ghost did conceaue him in her: & the Holie Ghost likewise did conceaue him in them: Hee was in her wombe, and hee is in their hearts: Shee did beare him, and they doe beare him: Shee did nurce him, and they doe nurce him. This is the seconde birth of Christ. As the soule of man may be called The Temple of the Holie Ghost: so it may also be called the wombe of the sonne; that is, the mother of Christ.
Before those wordes, it is sayde, that Christ asked, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? As if hee should saye; You thinke that I am affected to my kinsmen as you are: But I tell you, that I count them my kinsmen, which heare the worde of GOD and doe it.
To shewe that Christ loueth vsus with an euerlasting louelove, he sheweth, that he doeth not louelove vsus for any temporall things, but for that which endureth for euer. If Christ loued vsus as ISAAC loued ESAV for Venison; then wee might misse the blessing as ESAV did. But as IOHN saith, He loued in the trueth; so Christ loueth in the trueth. To louelove in the trueth, is the true louelove. EueryEvery louelove but this, at one time or other, hath turned into hatred; but the true louelove ouercommeth hatred, euen as the trueth ouercommeth falshood.
No we see this louelove, Christ calleth them by the names of louelove, his mother, his brethren, and sisters. In the sixth to the ROMANES, they are called his seruaunts; If that be not enough, in the fifteenth of saint IOHN, they are called his friends; If that be not enough, in the thirde of MARKE, they are called his kinsmen; If that be not enough, in the 24 Chapter of LVKE, there he calleth them his brethren; If that be not enough, in the first of MARKE, they are called his children; If that be not enough, here they are called his mother; If that be not enough, in the fifth of the CANT. they are called his spouse: to manifest that he loueth them with all loues; the mothers louelove, and the brothers louelove, and the sister louelove, and the masters louelove, & the friends louelove. If all these loues could be put together, yet Christes louelove exceedeth them all; and the mother, and the brother, and the sister, and the childe, and the kinsmen, and the friends, and the seruaunt, would not doe and suffer so much amongest them all, as Christ hath done and suffered for vsus alone; Such a louelove wee kindle in Christ, when wee heare his worde and do it; that wee are as deere vntounto him as al his kindred together.
Nowe as wee are his mother, so wee should carrie him in our hearts, as his mother did in her armes; as we are his brethren, so we should preferre him, as Ioseph did Beniamin; as wee are his spouse, so wee Gen. 43. 34shoulde embrace him, as Isaac did Rebecca: if thou be a kinsman, do like a kinsman.
Nowe wee come to the markes of these kinsmen; which I may call the armes of his house. As Christ saieth, By this all men shall knowe my Disciples; if they louelove one another: So hee sayeth: by this shall all men knowe my kinsmen, if they heare the worde of God and doe it. Here it is continuallie saide, Hee which Psal. 11….heareth the worde of God, and doeth it: both are one: for his worde is his will: and therefore it is called his will.
As hee spake (therefore) of doing; so hee speaketh of a certaine rule which hee calleth The worde of God: whereby all mens doinges must be squared: for if I doe all the workes that I can to satisfie an others will, or mine owne will, it auaileth mee nothing with God, because I doe it not for God. Therefore hee which alwaies before followed his owne will; when hee was stricken downe to the ground, and began to repent, he cryed out, Act. 9.Lorde, what wilt thou hauehave mee to do? as if he should saye; I will doe no more as men would hauehave mee, or as the diuell would hauehave mee, but as thou wouldest hauehave mee. So Dauid praide, Teach mee O Lorde to do thy will; not my will: for wee woulde not to be taught to doe our owne will, euerie man can goe to hell without a guyde. Here is the rule, nowe if you liue by it, then you are knit to Christ. As other kindreds go by birth or by marriage, so this kindred goeth by faith and obedience. Hearers are but halfe kinne, as it were in a farre degree: But they which heare and doe, are called his mother, which is the nearest kinne of all. Therefore if you hauehave the deede, then you are kinne in deed. There is no promise made to bearers, nor to speakers, nor to readers, but all promises are made to beleeuers and to doers.
If you aske God, Who shall rest in the holie mountaine? he sayeth, the Psalm. 15. 2man which walketh vprightly & doeth Iustice: Here are none but doers.
If yee aske Christ, Who shall enter into the kingdome? Hee saith, Not they which crye Lorde, Lorde, though Mat. 7. 21they crye twise Lorde; But they which doe the will of my Father: Here are none but deedes. If you aske him againe, howe you may come to heauen? hee sayeth, Keepe the commaundements. If you aske him Luk. 18.againe, who are blessed? He sayth: Blessed are they that heare the worde Luk. 11.of God and doe it. If you aske an Angell, who are blessed? He sayeth, Blessed are they that keepe the wordes Reuel. 21. 7.of this booke. If you aske the Prophet Dauid, who are blessed? Hee sayeth, The man is blest that keepeth Psal. 106. 3.iudgement, and doeth righteousnes. If you aske Salomon, who are blessed? Hee sayeth, The man is blest Pro. 29. 18that keepeth the Lawe. If you aske Esay, who are blessed? He sayeth, He which doeth this, is blessed. If Esa. 56. 2.you aske Iames, who is blessed? He sayth, The doer of the worde is blessed Iam. 1. 25.in his deede. Here you see al these are none but doers. Thus blessing and doing runne together, lest any man should looke to be blessed without obedience. Christ calleth LoueLove, the greatest commandement: but Salomon calleth Obedience, the ende of all: as though without obedience, all were to no ende. When Micah had gotten a Leuite into his house; now he sayth, I know the Lord will be good vntounto mee, seeing I hauehave a Leuite in my Iud. 17. 13.house: so manie thinke, when they hauehave goten a Preacher into their parish, now the Lord wil be good vntounto vsus: now Christ will louelove vsus: now we are good sonnes seing we maintaine a Preacher amongest vsus: But Micah was not blest for a Leuite, nor you for a Preacher. But as you would hauehave vsus doe as wee teach; so GOD would hauehave you doe as you heare: for you shall bee no more saued for hearing, than wee for speaking.
When God created the tree, he commaunded it to bring foorth fruit; so when he created Faith, he commaundeth vsus to bring foorth workes; and therefore it is called a liuely Gen. 1.faith. When our Sauiour woulde proue himselfe vntounto Iohn Baptist to be the Messias in deede, he saith to his disciples; tel what things you hauehave heard & seene: not onelyonly heard but Luk. 7. 22.seene. So if we will proue our selues to be Christes kinsmen in deede, we must worke that which may be seen as well as heard. Iohn Baptist was not onelyonly called the voice of a cryer, Ioh. 1. 13. & 5. 35.which might be heard, but a burning lamp which might be seene: so all which are crying voices, must be burning lamps. Iames doth not saie, let me heare thy faith, but let mee see Iam. 2. 18.thy faith. As the Angels put on the shape of men, that Abraham might Gen. 18. 2.see them: so faith must put on works that the world may see it. The works Ioh. 5. 36.which I do (saith Christ) beare witnes of me: so the works which wee do must beare witnes of vsus. Therefore Christ linketh faith and repentance together; Repent, & beleeue the Gospell: Therefore I conclude, Mar. 1. 15.That which Christ hath ioyned, Mar. 10. 9.let no man separate.
Thus I hauehave shewed you Christ preaching, and a great prease hearing; The conclusion.his kinsfolkes interrupting, & Christ againe withstanding the interruption. By this you may see what a spite the diuel had to hinder one sermon; therefore no maruell though hee cause so manie to bee mute, no maruell though he stand so against the learned ministerie; No maruell though hee raise such slaunders vponupon Preachers; no maruell though he write so many books against the Christiā gouernment in the Church; no maruell, though he make so manie ingrossers of church liuing, that being themselues without conscience, are vnwilling to hauehave the cure of soules committed to any other thā such as themselues: for these men make him the god of this worlde. The Diuell is afraide that one Sermon will conuert vsus, and wee are not mooued with twentie: so the diuell thinketh better of vsus, than wee are.
Againe, by this wee may knowe howe to withstande temptations: whether it be the father, mother, brother, sister, kinsman, rulers, master, or wife, that tempteth. As Christ would not knowe his mother against his father: so thou shouldst not knowe any father or mother, or whosoeuer against God. If a mothers sute may be refused somtimes, a mightie mans wil may be refused too; he which can turne his hinderance to a furtherance, as Christ did here, may make vse of euerie thing.
Againe, by this you may learne how to choose your friend. As Christ counted none his kinsmen, but such as heare the worde of God & do it: So wee should make none our familiars, but such as Christ counteth his kinsmen.
Againe, by this you may see the difference betweene Christ and the world: Christ calleth the godly his kinsmen, though they be neuer so poore: wee scorne to call the poore our kinsmen, though they be neuer so honest; so prowd is the seruaunt aboue his master. Againe, by this yee may knowe how Christ is to be loued; for when he calleth vsus his mother, he sheweth vsus the waye how to louelove him like a mother: for in deede he is the mother of his mother, and his brethren too.
Againe, by this all vaunting & boasting of kindred is cut of. Glorie not that thou hast a gentleman to thy father, but that thou hast God to thy father. Glorie not that thou hast Kings to thy brethren, but glorie that thou hast the Lorde to thy brother. Hee which called Abraham his father, fried in hell fier, because God was not his father. Luke. 16.If Marie might not be prowde of such a sonne as Christ, much lesse may wee bragge of any friend or sonne that wee hauehave.
Againe, by this you may knowe whether you be kinne to Christ: as those priestes were shut out of the Temple which could not count their Genealogie from Aaron; so they shall bee shut out of heauen which cannot reckon their pedegree from Christ.
Here are the Armes now whereby you may shewe what house you come of: If you heare the worde of God, and doe it, then Christ saith vntounto you, as he said vntounto them: these are my mother and my brethren & my sisters; you women are his sisters, & you men are his brethren: and if you be Christes brethren, then are you Gods sonnes: and if yee be Gods sonnes, then are yee his heires, for all Gods sonnes are called heires.Rom. 8. 17
Lastly, by this yee may knowe the diuels kinsmen: for if Christ counted none his kinsmen, but they which heare the worde of God; then they which doe not, hear the word of God, but contemne it, are the diuels kinsmen: and therfore Christ sayeth, You are of your father the aiuell; for the diuell and the wicked Iohn. 8. 44are as nere kinne, as Christ and the faithfull.
Now as Dauid sayeth, Seemeth it a light thing vntounto you to be the sonne of a King, seeing I am a poore man and 1. Sam. 18. 23of small reputation? so I may say, seemeth it a light thing vntounto you to be the sonnes of a King, the King of Kings, seeing you are pooremen, and of small reputation? It is counted a great honour to Abraham, Isaac and Iacob, that God was not ashamed to be called their God. What an honour than is this, that God is not ashamed to be called our Father, nay our brother; as though we were matches with him. If the Israelites had such care to marrie with the seruaunts of God; what a blessing is this, to marrie with the sonne of God. Therefore, if anie affect rich kinsmen, or great marriages: here is a greater than Salomon to marrie with you; this kinsman of ours is nowe gone vp into heauen, that we may hauehave a friend in the court. IOSEPH desired the Butler to remember Gene. 40. 14.him when hee stoode before PHARAOH, and he forgot, though he had pleasured him: but a theefe desired Christ to remember him when hee came into his kingdome, and Luke. 13. 42he receiued him into Paradise the same daie, though hee had alwaies offended him; to shew that though wee hauehave beene as bad as theeues, yet wet may hauehave hope in Christ. Therfore I may conclude, you hauehave heard the worde. If you goe awaie and doe it: then you are mother, brethren and sisters of this heauenly King: to whom with the Father & the Holie Spirite, be all honour and glorie for euer and euer.
Amen.
FINIS.
End of the text · Henry Smith, The Affinity of the Faithful (1591)