The Worlds Resurrection, Section 38 – Section 45
Thou being a wilde Oliue tree.2 Doctr.
In that wee Gentiles are compared to a wilde Oliue, wee heare learne this instruction, that as wee Gentiles, euen the best of vsus, are naturally, and before our conuersion vntounto Christ, barren, fruitlesse and cursed trees▪ vntoward and vnapt to any goodnesse, and wholy disposed and inclined vntounto euil. Gen. 6. V. 5. Titus ▪ 3▪ V. 3. Ephes. 2.….2.3. Psal. 14.1.2.3. 1. Cor. 6.9.10.11.
The first reason hereof is, because all men are conceiued and borne in Originall sinne,Psal. 51. V. 5. and so are wholy corrupted in all the powers and fa…ulties of body and soule, so wee are become crab trees, wilde Oliues, wilde Vines, and wholy degenerate. Secondly, all the actions of the Gentiles considered,Titus 1. V. …5.16. Rom. 14.23. Hebr. 11.6. as they are Gentiles and men vnregenerate, are in Gods sight and acceptation (albeit otherwise neuer so laudable & alowed before men) nothing but sin, for without faith it is impossible to please God, and whatsoeuer is not of faith is sin.
Vse. 1, If we would iudge equally and charitably of other mens sins and follie, we must …ooke vntounto our owne Originall sinne and to our stuffe at home▪ and obserue wherein others hauehave the preheminence before vsus so shall we censure others with more conscience & compassion, and be the more preserued from filling our selues.
Vse. 2. Let no man trust in his owne natural goodnesse, vertue and worthynesse,Luke. 18. V. 13. which is nothing but sinne, but lette him with the poore publicanes hold downe his head and humble himselfe before God for his sinnes, let him with the prodigall sonne cry out and say, I hauehave sinned against heauen and against God, Luke 15. v. 18.19.and I am no more worthy to be called Gods sonne.
Vse. 3. Let eueryevery christian, seeing that of a wild Oliue, he is ingrafted into Gods Church, be alwaies thankfull for so great a benefit, and lay aside his wild & sauage nature, & in piety, virtue, & good workes imitate & resemble the noble vine Christ Iesus into whō he is ingraffed,Ephe. 5. ver. 1 for we must walke in the light, as hee is light, and walke in louelove as wee hauehave Christ for an example, for Christ his morrall vertues are not onlie for our contemplation but for our imitation.
Vse. 4. The Ministers and Preachers of Gods word must not looke to finde the people good, for all by nature are blinde, ignorant, corrupt, rebellious sinfull; but by doctrine, exhortation, and examples to make them good, let them labour to husband and proine the vine-yard, let them gather out all the stones and rubbish of infidellity and superstition, and let them endeuor by continu…l Preaching & exhortation to beget faith in their hearers, and so to ingraft them into Christ.
V. 20. Was graffed in for them.
No man must despise boast or glory against them that bestow a benifit vponupon them,Psal. 35. ve. 11.12.13.14.15. as here the Gentiles did against the Iewes. Thus false witnesses rose vp against Dauid, and rewarded him euil for good; he visited them in their sicknes, praied, and mourned for them, but they sought his downfall and ruine.
The reason hereof is, for that it is pride and great vnthankefullnesse,Hebr. 6. ver. 8 and God will punish men for it. They are like to the ground that yeeldeth to the husbandman that tilleth dresseth and manureth it, nothing but thornes and briers, and therfore is reproued nere vntounto cursing, whose end is to be burned.
Vse. Seeing that we receiue the couenant and doctrine of saluation from the Iewes, and are of meere grace grafted in by God for them, we must humble and debase our selues before him,Iam. 1. ve. 21 and acknowledge our own vnworthinesse, that so we may not onelyonly conteine our selues from contempt of others, but with meeknesse daily receiue and profit in the word grafted in vsus, which is able to saue our soules.
Fatnesse of the Oliue.
In that here and also in the 55. of Isaiah and Luk. 14. and other places,4. Doct. the giftes, graces, and blessings, (especially that concerne saluation in Christ) are compared to fatnes, fatlings, a banquet, yea to wine, hony, milke, spices, and such like delicate things, wee learne that howsoeuer the wicked ones of the world,Prou. 9.… Cant. 5. v. 1. glut and pamper themselues with the abundance of Gods blessings, and their flesh is fatted and fed like hogges, yet their soules pine and famish; whereas the soules of the beleeuing are filled with Gods liberality and replenished with spiritual consolation, which is to them a speciall pawne and pledge of Gods louelove and prouidence towards them.
In the Gospell they hauehave most sweete and delicate food,Isa. 5 5.2 not onelyonly for the necessity but also for the delight of their soules, here their faith is engendred and strengthened, and their trembling soules are solaced, with the most comfortable assurance of remission of sinnes, and they by the word and sacraments are fed and nourished to eternall life.
Vse. Let vsus therefore seeke to feed and satisfie our selues only here, let vsus louelove and delight in fatnesse, and bring alwaies with vsus an appetite to the word, and then shall we feed on the bread of life.
Made partakers of the roote and fatnesse of the Oliue— Boast not thy selfe against the branches.
These two members may be, and are much more aptly and iustly ioyned togither, then the mingling and blending togither of some mens Merchandise and wares, ad deceptionem visus et emptoris, for better shew and vent; and from this coniunction and the consideration thereof this doctrine ariseth,Doctr. that they that either in spirituall, or temporal blessings rise by occasion of other mens ruines, and florish by reason of their decaies, must not herevpon grow high minded, and much lesse scorne and contemne those that are falne, but rather commiserate and releeue them in what they may.
For first thus to offend, argueth an vnthankefull heart to God for his free mercies which they thus abuse. Secondly, it sheweth an heart voide of equitie and compassion; and therefore GOD in his iustice cannot but in time punish the vnthankefull, and denie meanes to those who impart none to others.
Vse 1. Wherefore in all preferments and exaltations (for the auoiding of pride and contempt of our inferiours,) let vsus walke humbly before our God, and ascribe our aduancement and happinesse to his mere merciemercy and not to our ragged and sinfull merits.
Vse 2. By this doctrine are checked and condemned, some in the worke, who rather by prescription of time and secret encrochment, then by equities (perhaps) and diuine approbation, are become monopolists and engrossers of other mens callings and commodities, and herevpon doe not onelie like the leane kine of Aegipt eate vp the fat kine of Canaan, but (sometimes) also take occasion to triumph and insult ouer others that are (perhaps) better members in a common-wealth then themselues. But herein let the offenders learne humility and practise more equity in words and deedes, and let the wronged, not apprehend matters ouer deepely, or ouerstretch them, but commit themselues and their iust cause to the diuine prouidence, and to humaine iustice, and count it a more blessed thing to suffer wrong then to offer it
Boast not thy selfe against them.
Doctr.No men must for any temporall or spirituall grace wherewith they are endowed aboue other, be high conceited of themselues to detract from and despise others. Luk. 18. ver. 9.13. 1. Cor. 11.22. Iam. 2.6. 1. Cor. 4.7.8. Luk. 16.15.
The first reason hereof is, they hauehave not these gifts and endowements aboue others, because they are better by nature then they, for all are sinners alike, and they hauehave them not of themselues,1 Cor. 4.17 but of Gods fauour and mercy onelyonly.
The second reason is, that God can, and often doth, for mens vnthankefulnes,Luk. 17.24 25 26. both lessen, yea, and take away his gifts and benefits from them that abuse them, either by attributing to much to themselues or scorning others.
The third reason is, because God can, and many times doth conuert those who in the iudgment of the world, are desperate and past care, examples hereof wee hauehave in Manasses, Luk. 13.30 Apoc. 3▪ v. 9.Paul, Mary Magdalen, and the Iaylor, and in many of them that crucified Christ, yea and in those whom Saint Iohn calleth the Sinagogue of Sathan.
Vse. This doctrine serueth to condemne a sort of iolly and flourishing professors, who because they exceede others in sharpnesse of witte, and quicknesse of apprehension, and because they can (better then other) argue, dispute & discourse of Misteries and matters of faith and Religion, vse to swell in a conceite of their own perfection, as though they were ye only singularists & magnificoes of the world, but as for their brethren, that are (perhaps) in respect of vnspotted life, guilesse dealing, pure and humble affection much before them, they, because they want that outward flourish and acute appreh…sion wherein themselues seeme to excell; deface, and dispraise, vilifie and despise them, whereas God regardeth the inward parts principally, without which all outward things are of no acccount with him.
Thou bearest not the roote but the roote thee.
We learne here,Doctr. that we Gentiles are beholding vntounto the Iewes, and in many respects inferiour vntounto them, howsoeuer they (for the present) are generally cast off and plucked from the vine.Rom. 3. v. 2
For first, we hauehave our religion & doctrin yea the beginning, foundation & establishmēt of our church from thē. Isa. 2.3. but not they from vsus. For the Fathers & the Prophets, sowed the seed of the church of the new testament:Ioh. 4. v. 38 ye couenant is deriued from thē into vsus & we are changed into their commonwealth and not they into ours.
Secondly our Sauiour Christ God blessed for euermore, had his birth and beginning from them, and so hee came from them. Rom. 9.4.
1. Pet. 2. v. 9 and 10. Ephes 2.7. Deutr. 32Thirdly they were the chosen nation, the peculiar people, and a royall Priest-hood, when all the world besides were out of the couenant, and so no people nor beloued, yea and were without God in the world.
Lastly all the particular promises, such as were the land of Canaan, a certaine forme of gouernment, setled sacrifices, and ceremonies, the glorious Temple, particular promises of long life, and of dominion annexed to the morrall law, and the preseruation of the stock amongst them, out of which the Messias should come belonged and were proper to the Iewes of the olde Testament onelie.
Vse. We must therefore acknowledge our selues debters vntounto the Iewes, and deepely engaged vntounto them, we must bee so farre off from rendring or returning vntounto them euil for good, that we must pray for their recouery, and do our vttermost dilligence, by doctrine, writing, and vnblameable life to allure and winne them to the approbation and acceptance of the Gospell.
V. 19. Thou wilt saie then, the branches are broken off that I might be graft in.
V. 20. Well through vnbeleife they are broken off and thoustandest by faith: be not high minded but feare.
V. 21. For if God spared not the naturall branches, [take heed] lest he also spare not thee.
Thou wilt say. i. to me Paul, why doest thou boast of the holinesse of the Iewish stocke, surely, the branches are broken off. i. they are cast away, that I might be grafted in. i. am ingrafted in the Church in their sted.
Well. i. thou saieth truely, they through their vnbeliefe are broken off. i. excommunicated and eiected out of Gods church:V. r. 21. and thou now standest by faith grafted into Gods Church, neither art thou yet falne into the vnbeleife of the Iewes, be not high minded. i. do not thinke proudly of thy selfe or be ouer-wise in thine owne conceit, but feare. i. remaine in true humility and in the feare of God, and be religiously carefull to preserue faith.
For if God spared not. i. but cast them off for their vnbeliefe.Verse. 2…. The naturall branches, i. the Iewes borne in the Church discended from those holy Fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, [take heed] least hee also spare not thee, thou that art but ingrafted in, and taken out of the wilde Oliue, maiest possibly be discouered to bee but an hypocrite, mayest fall away from the grace of God, and bee thrust out of his Church.
Be not high minded, but feare.
Quest. Is a man to doubt or stand in feare, whether he bee in Gods fauour or not, or whether hee shall certainlie be saued or no?
Ans. No,I. Iohn. 4.18. for first Charity expelleth all slauish and seruile feare.
Secondly Christ forbiddeth doubting and distrust in many places.
Thirdly, doubting and distrustfull feare, maketh all the foundations and principles of faith and true religion [which need no demonstration] vncertaine and vnfruitfull vntounto vsus.
Fourthly, it doth extenuate Christs benefits, offer indignity to Gods goodnesse, and euert & peruert the nature and forme of faith, which is a firme assent & certaine application of Gods benefits to our selues in particuler.
Fiftly, it depriueth vsus of all sweet and solide comfort in aduersity and affliction, so that our hartes faile vsus, & our distracted and distressed conscience, can find no harbour and hauen to rest and repose our selues in.
Sixtly, it leaueth vsus no place nor vse for praier and the right inuocation of Gods name, for how can a man possibly, truly, and confidently pray vntounto God, of whose fauour and furtherance he is alwayes in doubt & suspence.
Lastly, hee that beleeueth not, maketh Christ a lyer, in that he will giuegive no credit and assent vntounto the promises that he propoundeth and offereth vntounto him.
But feare.
Q. Why then doth the Apostle bid the Gentiles feare? If they must feare, how then can they bee certaine?
A. First Paul directeth his speech here not to eueryevery particular person, but to the Gentiles in generall, wherein and amongst whom there might be many proud and vnmortified professors, and many doubling and dissembling hypocrites, for whom this admonition was very necessary
Secondly it is rather a Caue at then a Commination, & serueth not to astonish them, but to stirre them vp to more▪ carefullnesse and dilligence.
Lastly, feare in this text is not to bee vnderstood of any troubling and tormenting feare, but of a reuerend awe of Gods iudgements, and of an holy care and indeauor to preuent and diuert the disfauor and wrath of God, which may very well consist and consort with the certainty and assurance of faith,1 Ioh. 5.18. for whosoeuer hath faith and hope, hee purgeth him-selfe and keepeth him-selfe that the euill toucheth him not.
The naturall braunches.
How can the Iewes bee truly said to bee naturall braunches, and consequently good, seeing that euen they are by Adams fall, sinners, enemies to GOD and the children of wrath, as well as others? Ephes. 2.3.
Ans. The Iewes indeed had no naturall holynesse, neither was it deriued from carnall succession, neither was their nature better then ours, but they are naturall braunches and were so called by reason of the couenant of grace made with them, onelyonly, and their nation.
Secondly, because they were seuered and seperated by GODS outward couenant and calling, ceremonies and worshippe from all the world,Cant. 4.12 besides and were as a Fountaine sealed vp, and as a Garden inclosed. i. reserued and sanctified, for Christ his owne vse and seruice.