Conclusions of Peace, Part 3
The excellencie, pleasures, and beautie of Gods Children.
NOw let vsus take a little viewe of the commodities and benefits which belong vntounto this charter, and priuiledge of beeing the sonnes of God, and then shall we see the excellencie and dignitie of Gods children, aboue all other which be not the children of God. Their excellent estate and condition doth partly appeare in the very names and titles that be giuen them in the word of God, where they be called, the citizens of the heauenly Ierusalem, a royall priesthood, a kingly generatiō, the beloued of God, the spowse of the lambe Christ, the signet of the Lords right hand, the apple of his eye, the annointed of God, the friendes of God, the brethrenand sisters of the Lord Iesus, his louelove, his doue, and his vndefiled, the bodie of Christ, the Lordes vineyard, his holy ones, the saintes of God, the seruauntes of the most high: and that which passeth all the rest, the sons and daughters of God. Now (as Dauid said when he should hauehave married Saules daughter) Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a kinges sonne, seeing that I am a poore man, and of small reputation? So seemeth it to any, 1. Sam. 18. 23a light thing to be sonnes and daughters of God the king of all kinges, seeing wee are sinfull men, and of no reputation, but deserued rather eternall confusion.
It is a great matter (as it seemeth by Dauids words) to be a kings son, but hee that is sonne and heire to a 1000. kingdomes, or 1000. worlds, if it were possible, cannot compare with the sons of God, if they were as naked as euer Iob was, or as poore as euer was Lazarus. The sonnes of Princes are in great accompt with men, but the children of God are in accompt with God and man. The children of princes are attended vponupon by noble men, and garded with strong men, yet both but mē whose breth is in their nostrels, and their handes cannot accomplish the deuise of their heart. The children of God are attended vppon by God himselfe, whose eye is alwaies ouer the righteous, and they are garded by the angels of God, who for their swiftnesse are said to hauehave wings, for their readinesse, they are said to stand in the presence of God, and Psal. 34 15.for their strength incomparable, or else aske Senacharibs host.…. Kin. 19. 35
The pleasures of the sons of men are such as the worlde doth affoord, carnall securitie, worldly prosperitie, fleshly delightes, beastly sensualitie, with pride & ease, fulnesse of bread, and such like; the pleasures of the childrē of God is such as the world can neither giuegive nor take, as the louc of righteousnesse, delight in the law of God, patience in affliction, louelove Psa. 16.of the saints which excell in vertue, and such like.
The riches and treasures of the sonnes of men are golde and siluer, houses and landes, lordships and manners, rents and reuenewes, and such like, which theeues may steale, or mothes may eat, or rust may fret, or fire may consume, or water may ouerflowe, or time may weare, or death may end, but the riches and treasures of Gods children are, the word of God, Gods fauour, forgiuenesse of sinnes, freedome from hell and the diuel, liberty with the saints, the spirite of contentation, peace of conscience, continual ioy in the holy Ghost, and a kingdome of glory in heauen, & such like, which no theefe can steal, no rust can fret, no fire can consume, no water can drowne, no plague can infect, no time cā weare, nor death can ende. The ornamēts which the children of men hauehave to commend them vntounto the worlde, they are of the worlde, and such as the word doth like of, as gold and siluer, silkes and veluets, iewels and precious stones, sumptious and rich attyre, beautifull faces, comely bodies, ripe wittes, smooth toonges, &c. These are also bestowed vponupon many of Gods children, but they hauehave better ornaments than these. Their liues are adorned with holinesse, and righteousnesse, with Iob. 29. 14.vertue and religion, their bodies are attyred with chastitie and sobriety, their frontlets are modestie and shamefastnesse, their robes are grauitie and wisedome, their bracelets are merciemercy and compassion, their wordes are the wordes of grace, their lippes are the dores of knowledge, and their hearts are the storehouses of vnderstanding.
Before the world in themselues they are blacke, as though they had lodged among the pots, but before the lord, in Christ, they are white as the Lillie, and comely, as the curtaines Cant. 1. 4.of Solomon. Behold (saith Solomon) the beloued of Christ is faire, yea behold shee is faire indeed, her eyes are Cant 4. 1. 2, 3, …, 5, 7.like the doues, her haire is like the flock of goates, which looke downe from the mountaines of Gilead: her teeth are like a flock of sheepe, in good order, which go vp from the washing, her lippes are like a threed of Scarlet, & her talke is comely, her temples are within her lockes, as a piece of Pomegranate, her necke is as the tower of Dauid built for defence, her breasts are as two young Roes which are twinnes, feeding amongst the lillies. She is all faire, and there is no spot in her. The louelove of Christ hath threescore queens Cant. 6. 7. 8.and of damseles without number, to wait vponupon her, the doue of Christ is alone and vndefiled, she is the only daughter of her mother, and she is deere to her that bare her, the daughters hauehave seene, and coumpted her blessed, yea euen the queenes and concubines hauehave seene her, and they hauehave praised her, shee looketh foorth as the morning faire as the moon, 9pure as the sunne, and terrible as an armie with banners.
The rich Iewels of Gods children are sweete fruites of the holyghost, as louelove, ioy, peace, long suffering, meekenesse, patience, temperance, Gal. 5. 22.&c. for the spirit of God is in them, which is a spirit of knowledge and vnderstanding, a spirit of councell Esai. 11. 2.and courage, and a spirit of the feare of the Lord, by which they are led as by the hand of God, by it they stand as by the staffe of God, by it they are instructed as by the mouth of God, and by it they are corrected as by the rod of God.
For want wherof the sonnes of men are most miserable, when they seem to be most happy, their aboundance seemeth nothing, their libertie is bondage, their peace is warre, their rest is sorrowe, their health is sicknes, and their life is death. Their Prou. 14, 13laughter is but from the teeth outward. Their feasts are like the feasts Dan. 5. 3, 4, 5.of Balthasar, and their honour is like the honour of Haman. They feare any Hest 7.thing but not sinne, they louelove any thing sauing God, they ioye in eueryevery thing, so it be not goodnesse, like the swine which had rather wallow in the stinking puddles of mire, than in a sweete bed of Roses. They sleep as a drunken man in the top of ship mast, in a mightie storme, in the Prou. 23, 34.midst of the sea, their head is fraught with aboundance of care, and their hearte with continuall feare. Their foes they hate, their friendes they suspect, they trust no body, they hauehave no ioy of any thing they possesse, they are a burden to thēselues, their whole life is vanitie, and vexation of spirit; when sicknes cōmeth, they lye like blocks, they rore like Bulles, and they die like beastes, and as they serued the Deuill all their life time, so they looke eueryevery houre when they shall goe to hell. But the children of God are most happie, when they seeme to be most miserable. Their peny seemeth a pound, their pound seemeth a 100 pound. In want they hauehave aboundance, in prison they find libertie, in sicknes they hauehave health, in warre peace, in labour rest, in sorrow ioy, in death life, and after death, they possesse the kingdome of heauen. The reason is this, where the spirite of God 2. Cor. 3. 17.is, there is perfect libertie, where a good conscience is, there is a continuall feast, and where the light of Gods countenaunce doth shine, there is more ioye of heart, than Psa. 47.when corne, and wine, and oyle, is encreased. Can the children of the wedding fast, while the Bride-grome is with Mar. 2. 19.them? And can the children of God miscarrie, while God their father is by them? The louelove of earthly fathers is transitorie, and vncertaine, like the louelove of Saul to Dauid, but whom the Lord loueth, he loueth for euer. Worldly fathers do many Iohn 13. 1.times repent them of that which they bestow vponupon their children, but the gifts and calling of the Lord are without repentance. But what? do I goe about to set forth the hid Rom. 11. 29.honours, the excellent state, and the great priuiledges, of the children of God? which are giuen and bestowed, not according to the basenes of our heartes and affections, but according to the worthinesse and honour of his maiesty that adopteth? Verely all that can be said of them, is but a tast of them, and when we hauehave done, we are to beginne againe, if we had the time of another world, and the tongues of men and Angels to helpe vsus.
For who can measure the sea with aspoone? who can put the cloudes into a bottell? who can gather the windes in his fist? who can number the sandes by the sea shore, or who can reach the depth of the sea with his arme? let him that can do these things come forth, and describe the honours, the priuiledges, the riches, the pleasures, and the felicities of Gods children, which are such as no eye hath seene, no eare hath heard, 1. Cor. 2. 9.no tongue can vtter, and no heart is able to conceiue.