Commentary on Titus, Title page – Dedication
Αρχην απαντων και τελοσ ποιει θεον
A COMMENTARIE VPONUPON THE EPISTLE of S. PAUL written to TITVS. Preached in Cambridge by THOMAS TAYLOR, and now published for the further vse of the Church of God. With three short Tables in the end for the easier finding of 1. Doctrines, 2. Obseruations, 3. Questions contained in the same.
Eph. 4.7.
VntoUnto eueryevery one of vsus is gi… …cording to t… measure of the gift of Christ.
Printed for L. GREENE. 1612.
TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE ROBERT LORD RICH, Baron of Leez: Grace and peace from the Father, Prince, and Spirit of peace: Amen.
RIght Honourable, worthy is that saying of Salomon, Cant. 2.2. Like as the lillie among the thornes, so is my louelove among the daughters. By the lillie is meant the Church, and the true members of it: so called, 1. Because they are planted by the good husbandman in the feild of the Church, watred with the dewes of heauen, hedged and preserued by his continuall care. 2. They are beautifull, for Salomon in all his royaltie is not clothed like one of the lillies of this feild, who are couered with the roabe of Christs righteousnesse, who is the true Salomon. 3. They are fragrant for their smell: The smell of their garments, (that is,Cant. 4.11. the graces of God, which decke and adorne their soules, as a costly and comely garment doth the bodie) are like the smell of Lebanon: which in the spring by reason of the Cedars, and other sweet trees, gaue a most sweet sent: euen so these graces in Gods children smell sweete, that is, are in much acceptation, and delightfull to God and good men. By thornes are meant wicked men, hypocrites, heretikes, tyrants, open and flagitious sinners, scandalous in doctrine, and life: so called, 1. because although the earth be a naturall mother to them, as a stepmother to the lillies; yet Satan the malicious man busieth himselfe in the incessant sowing and setting of them. 2. They would for euer choake and keepe vnderunder the lillie, if the hand of God were not euer with it to preserue it. 3. They are dangerous to meddle withall, except a man be well fenced: hardly can a man carrie coales in his skirt, and not be scorcht; and as hardly runne into wicked companie, and not be hurt. So is my louelove: the faithfull spouse of Christ is his louelove. So called because, 1. he maketh her louely: 2. accounteth her so: 3. worketh a reciprocall louelove in her heart towards him: 4. desireth mutuall coniunction with her, and effecteth it: 5. his louelove beeing liberall, he giueth her himselfe, and with himselfe, all things which pertaine to life and godlinesse: euen grace here, and glorie hereafter. Among the daughters: not virgins, as Cap. 1.2. who make vp this louelove of Christ; but all other assemblies in the world, which professe themselues daughters, by challenging the Catholike Church for their mother, and yet indeed cleaue vntounto it but in outward profession onley.
From this place I gather two conclusions. First, what is the estate of the Church in respect of it selfe, it beeing as a lillie among thornes. Secondly, what it is in respect of God, so is his louelove among the daughters: The former sheweth, that the condition of the purest Church vponupon earth, is to be beset with dangerous and noysome thornes, hurtfull and gracelesse men, who prick and annoie the lillies in their goods, names, liberties, and liues. For when there were but two persons borne in the world; one was a lillie, and the other a thorne, which trod downe the lillie. Cain drew his brother into the feild and slue him. Afterwards, when one would hauehave thought that all the thornes had bin destroied by the flood brought vponupon the world to this purpose, yet was there a Cham left, of whome quickely sprowted that cursed race of the Cananites, who were euer pricks in the sides, and thornes in the eyes of Gods people. It is no newe thing for Iacob to be ouertopped by an Esau: nor for Ioseph to be pricked and molested both at home and abroad: neither his fathers house, nor his fathers eye can safegard him. Nay, the fairest lillie that euer saw the sunne, was most beset with thornes that euer was: all his innocencie, wisedome, meeknesse, puritie, and louelove, could not keepe them off him; but they pricked him to the heart, and wounded him to the death, euen the shamefull and ignominious death of the crosse. How was this lillie beset with thornes in Egypt, in the wildernesse, in Babylon, in Iudea, when Christ sent his Disciples out as sheepe among wolues? how in the tenne persecutions? how at this day? and so shall it be till the great day, in which all the thornes shall be cast into the fire. And no wonder, thornes do but their nature, which are good for nothing but to pricke and to burne. It standeth therefore the lillies in hand, to be so much the more carefull to fence themselues against their molestation. And this shall they doe by obseruing these fowre rules. 1. Because the thornes hinder the rooting of the lillies, these must double their diligence in the rooting of themselues in the grounds of true religion: for this yeeldeth hope of rising, stablishing, and continuance in the faith. 2. Because thornes seeke to keepe the sunne from the lillies, and hinder the comfortable heat and light of the word from them: these must so much the more carefully frequent the places where the light of wholesome, pure, and comfortable doctrine doth more brightly displaie it selfe. 3. Because thornes seeke to pricke the lillies in their names and profession: these must more circumspectly fence themselues, with innocencie and godly conuersation, and in nothing, in no part lie open vntounto them. 4. Because the lillie is a weake plant to defend it selfe from the stiffnesse of the thorne, it must fortifie it selfe partly with comfort in the presence, care, and louelove of God the husbandman who is euer in his feild; and partly with the prayer of faith, that he would be pleased still to looke vntounto it, to raise vp Pastors and teachers according to his owne heart to water, cherish, and preserue it: especially in these last daies, wherein the feild is ouergrowne with scandalls, Apostacies, trials and reproches, wherewith the lillies are daily scratched, torne, and in great ieopardie.
The second conclusion is, that the Lord maketh a pretious account of euerie faithfull soule, and preferreth it aboue the wicked, so farre as a lillie is for the beautie & sweetnes of it, to be esteemed aboue all the thornes with which it can be beset. And indeed beleeuers are the most precious of men, the most noble persons of the earth, descended of the blood of Christ, neere vntounto God, and next attendants to the king of glorie: advanced aboue all the rest by the speciall grace of free election, of iustification, of sanctification, and adoption. And who can denie seeing these are Gods peculiar, an hallowed thing, a chosen people, the Lords first fruits, his remnant called out of all nations and kinreds, the sonnes and daughters of God, brethren of Christ, and heires apparant to the crowne of heauen; but that they are highly aduanced as the choise of God, and Gods delight aboue all the people of the earth? And hence followeth it, that whosoeuer would be in this price and reckoning with God, must be sure he be a lillie; which he shall know by these three notes. 1. If he be planted in the garden of God, and be a true member of the Church, not tied to it as a scion to a tree by a threed of outward profession, but by soundnes of faith, and louelove; the former of which setteth into the head, and the latter vniteth to the members. Secondly, if he hauehave the beautie of a lillie vponupon him, 1. in the sight of God, by the righteousnesse of Christ iustifying and couering him. 2. in his own eyes, by the sanctification of the spirit daily washing the conscience from dead workes. 3. in the sight of other men, by an innocent life and godly conuersation. Thirdly, if euerie where he leaue a sweet smell behind him, that the places where euer he goe sauour of the graces of God laid vp in his heart: by bewraying the humilitie, faith, louelove, patience, hope, sobrietie, and the like. A lillie can leaue no stinke behind it any where, as many in their meetings, whose speaches are, if not hurtfull, yet vnsauourie and vnfruitfull.
These things I write not, as taking vponupon me to teach your H. who wanteth not choice men and meanes to bring you forward both in the vnderstanding of pure doctrine, and in the institution of holy life. But 1. to put your H. in mind how highly the Lord hath honoured you both in his owne eyes, as also in the eyes of his children. The former, in that vntounto outward greatnes (which is as a rich legacie giuen by God both to good and bad) he hath vouchsafed to adde the chiefe good, and made your H. RICH indeede by disposing vntounto you the inheritance of his children: which is apparant, in that by a sound profession of the truth, he hath planted you in his own ground or garden; in that he hath set the beautie of a lillie vponupon you; and hath graced you with a sweet smell of many precious graces, which euerie where you leaue behind you. The latter, both in that he hath put in your heart a speciall care of fencing your selfe by religious and innocent walking; whereby you hauehave adorned your holy profession, in not laying your selfe in any part open to the enuious scratching of thornes: As also hath expressely engrauen this part of his image vponupon you, to esteeme his children as lillies among thornes; whereby a good euidence is ministred to your owne heart, that you are translated from death to life. 2. That I might stirre vp your H. as you hauehave cause to reioyce in, and set your heart vponupon this purchase which is the portion but of a fewe, to esteeme it, as it is, your truest honour and nobilitie; your vnperishing riches and treasure: whereas all earthly glorie, and greatnesse, worldly wealth and abundance, abstracted from this, neither are your owne, neither if they were, can they make you happie: It was an excellent speach of that noble Emperour Theodosius, Magis fe gaudere quod mē brum Ecclesiae Dei esset, quam caput Imperij.of whome Augustine writeth that he was wont to say, that hee accounted it more honour that hee was a member of the Church, then the head of the Empire. 3. That I might adde one incitement and prouocation to proceed (as you hauehave begun happily) in the louelove and practise of true pietie: wherein whilst you profit and encrease, you prouide a good stocke for the time of neede. Let your H. giuegive me leaue to encourage you to goe on in ennobling nobilitie it selfe, by beeing inferiour to fewe of your honourable ranke,Nec iam ferre potest Caesarve priorem Pompeiusve parem. Lucan. Humilitas virtus Christianorum, prima▪ secunda, tertia. August. as in your outward estate, so in the beautifull gifts and ornaments of your mind: such as are humilitie, humanitie, a lowly and louely carriage. Let Caesar and Pompey, & other gallants striue to be superiours in pompe and envied greatnesse: it is your honour to hauehave learned that humilitie is the first, second, and third staire of Christian nobilitie. Go on in the strength of the Lord, to continue a singular ornament, and muniment of the common wealth, which is not made by any thing more outwardly happie, then in Godly Magistracie, and nobilitie. Go on in shewing your selfe a carefull patron of the Church of God, in making free and vncorrupt choise of such Pastors, as whose holy doctrine and life, Quibus studio est foreign.are the counterpaine one of the other: in which godly care your H. hath worthily carried the palme. These were the cheife motiues, which drewe on this my presumption to dedicate this labour vntounto your H. although I wā ted not some more priuate respects also to force me therunto: namely, that I might giuegive some publike testimonie of my louelove of your vertues; some appobation of my christian dutie, and some signification of my thankefull mind (as for other fauours so also) for your Honours Christian and constant louelove of that worthy and vertuous Ladie the Ladie Russell, whom I could not but affoard an honourable mention in this dedication, which I must needs confesse, had beene her right if God had seene good to hauehave added vntounto her daies. Accept I humbly beseech your H. the mind of the offerer; accept also the booke offred, if not for the author of the commentarie, yet for the author of the text, and the argument which is worthy your H. name and respect. I doubt not but your H. shall redeeme many vacant houres in reading ouer many of the treatises therein contained. And thus crauing pardon for my boldnesse, I commend your H. to the grace of God, who protract your dayes and yeares, according to the large graces bestowed vponupon you; and prosper and finish the good worke he hath begunne, by adding that which is▪ yet lacking to your faith and graces, till he hauehave fitted you vntounto, and filled you with glorie and immortalitie. Amen.
From my house at Watford. March 16. 1612. Your H. in all dutie to be commanded, THOMAS TAYLOR.