Exposition Upon 1 Peter, Biblical exegesis · Chapter 1 · Verse 13
Verse 13. Wherefore gird up the loyns of your minde, be sober, and hope to the end, for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
HEre followeth the 2d part of the Epistle, containing matter of Exhortation, built on the foregoing Doctrine. Being begot again to the hope of such an inheritance, and to such salvation, whereinto the very Angels desire to look; they were thereupon to trust stedfastly, (without wavering) to the end, honoring this hope and Gospel by an holy life and conversation, not only renouncing the lusts of the time before their calling,Doctrine and Exhortation must be joyned together. but also living in Sanctification of life, wherein they might resemble God their Father, who being holy, requires that his children should so be; even holy, as he is holy: whence may be noted,Mat. 6. & 7. That for the building up of Gods Church, Doctrine and Exhortation must be joyned together.Rom. 12. Thus our Savior preached,1 Tim. 4. 1…. thus also the Apostles;Heb. 2. 1. & 4. 1. & 12. 1. as the one must inform the judgement, so the other pull on the affections (which are as much or more corrupted then the understanding part) wherby Knowledge, Conscience and Practice may go together.
Knowledge without Zeal is blockishness, as Zeal without knowledge rashness; but better less Knowledge and more Zeal, then more Knowledge and less Zeal or care of obedience. Doctrine without Exhortation, is to set a dull Horse in the way, and not spur him on: Exhortation without Doctrine, is to spur a Horse forwards, before he be put into the way; the one is the Foundation, the other the Building, both which must go together.
Ministers that would go to work indeed,Use. must go with their tools, use both Doctrine and Exhortation; as he that would cleave a knotty Log, must both use Beetle and Wedges, the one without the other would be to no purpose: We must be like careful Messengers, not delivering barely our Masters message,1 Thess. 4. 1. but earnestly entreating on his behalf: We must not bear the ayr as it were, multiplying words, yea good words, without a ground: Neither must we deliver sound Doctrine strongly proved, so leaving it, but urge and apply it, Practice being the life of all, and people being unapt to make particular Application; yea, it is the principal part of our Ministery, to draw on the will, and to perswade and work upon the affections, for want of which many finde but small fruit in their Ministery; for people are grown to that pass, that it is not the excellency and weight of the matter that will move (which for the most part proves but a sound with the most) if it be not whetted by some enforcement of Exhortation.
People also must not onelyonly be willing,Use. but glad of this kinde of teaching,Heb. 13. 22. suffering (as the Apostle speaks) the word of Exhortation; but too too many had rather have general Doctrine, then be called upon to Practice and examination.
In this Verse our Apostle Exhorts to stedfastness in Faith, and to relie and trust on the Salvation, to the hope whereof they had been called by the revelation of Jesus Christ, even the Gospel of Christ, and therefore to remove from them all such impediments as might hinder the same: Those were of two sorts; 1. Such as were in the understanding part, implied in the first part of the Verse: And 2. Such as were in their affections, implied in the latter.
Gird up the loyns of your minde,] A borrowed speech from those that wore long garments, which when they went any journey, or were to stir about any thing,Exod. 12. 11. they were wont to gird up, lest they might be troubled or hindred thereby. The meaning is this, As men do thus gird and truss up their clothes, lest they should be hindred in their work or journey,Luke 12. 35. so shake off all that may hinder you in going your Spiritual journey to Heaven,Ier. 1. 17. and doing the work of the Lord. By the loyns of the minde, we are to understand all lets in the understanding part, namely, all corrupt opinions about Salvation, contrary to the Word; Those must be reformed, else can we not trust perfectly, or hope to the end.The corrupt conceits of the Iews about Salvation. The Jews wanted not theirs, nor we ours: for the Jews, 1. They looked for earthly promotion by Christ, as a Potentate of the world; This could not but much hinder them from trusting in him for Salvation; This they must gather up, if they would profit by him, knowing that he is made of God unto them not ease, riches, &c. but Wisdom,1 Cor. 1. 30. Righteousness, Sanctification, and Redemption. 2. They did still stick much to Moses his Law and Circumcision: This also hindred them from resting wholly and onelyonly upon Christ for Salvation; This also they must tuck up, acknowledging Salvation to be by him alone. 3. They prized not Salvation at so high a rate as they should, and this also was no small let unto Salvation.
For our selves,The corrupt conceits of Christians about it. How many corrupt conceits be in peoples heads that hinder them from Faith? As some think that they be no great offenders, and hope to be saved by good prayers, good meaning, civil life, &c. Others, that its no such hard matter to be saved, but if that men call to God for mercy, they shall do as well at the last, as they that make all the stir: These conceits be as it were the strong Castle of carnal People, whereinto being once got, all that we can say, proves unable to beat them out; Others hope to be saved by Christ, who yet live in their sins; Others think that if they should Repent, and go to Sermons, they should never be merry again: Now these, and such like, must be reformed, finding these lets, we must gird up our loyns, and remove them: Nay, even Gods good servants that are truly humbled in conscience for sin, and …it to believe, hungring after Christ more then all the world, as desirous to turn to him, yet are held off by some false conceits, O they be unworthy that God should forgive them! Therefore he will not, their sins be too many and too great; and, O if they could sorrow as deeply as some, and serve God as well, then they would hope, &c. and, O they have so many corruptions, and such a rebellious heart, as they know God will not forgive any such; whereas it is not that will hinder, so as our hearts be unfeignedly bent to strive against our corruptions, and serve the Lord in truth.
Neither do the very best prize so highly this Salvation as they ought,The best prize it not as they should. we weigh not what God hath done for us in Christ: This is the reason why we walk not more thankfully, joyfully, and zealously; let us gird up these loyns, rid our selves of these impediments, up, and be sound of these points, and whatsoever thought would hinder us from resting on Christ Jesus for Salvation,Mark 10. 49, 50. let us cast it from us, as the blinde man did his cloke, when he went to Christ.
Be sober] Sobriety is a vertue that keeps us not only from things unlawful,What sobriety is. but moderates us in the use of things lawful, that we exceed not our bounds therein:Luke 21. 34. These may be referred to two heads, Profits, and Pleasures,1 Iohn 2. 15. which we are most subject to abuse, and are therefore dehorted from them.
For the former, which is Pleasure, thereto may be referred meat, drink,1 Cor. 10. 31. apparel, recreation, &c. All which we must use soberly to the glory of the giver, our own good, and the good also of others.
1. For our meat and drink,Sobriety about meat and drink we must neither be excessive, nor over curious, as Dives that fared deliciously every day, making his belly his God; we must eat to live, and thereby be more fit for duty.
2. For our apparel,About apparel. we must not exceed for the matter of it, nor for the fashion, God hath given it for necessity, comeliness and decency;1 Tim. 2. 9. it must not be newfangled,1 Pet. 3. either we use it to wantonness or pride.
3. For Recreation,About recreation. it must be sparing in time, place, measure, to make us more fit for our duty; for God hath not set us here to satisfie and pamper the flesh, but to mortifie the lusts thereof; not to play, but to do his work; to this end is Recreation to be used.
1. This rebuketh those that wallow in beastly and unlawful lusts,Use 1. in whoredom, chambering, wantonness, drunkenness, &c. so in games altogether unlawful, yet many make a practice of these, to whom Solomons speech would well suit,Eccle. 2. 2. I said of laughter, thou art madness: For a man to sport at Gods dishonor, and their own destruction, is madness: Can we play with nothing but edge tools? the Lord will laugh such to scorn;Iam. 4. 9. O turn your beastly pleasures into weeping and wailing.
2. This rebuketh also such as are drunk with lawful things,Use 2. as some that so glut themselves, and so pamper the body, that they make themselves unfit for any duty; many waste and consume themselves this way, Bodies and Goods, yea, Souls and all: Others also are so curious in their meats, as that nothing can please them, nothing's good enough for them; yea, are more angry for any want this way, then for any sin in themselves or others; they have fat Bodies, but lean Souls: O, think they, this is a goodly life, but indeed it is a swinish life, fitter for beasts then men, most unseemly for a Christian: So for Apparel, they that follow every new fangled Fashion, and are so proud and costly, and so over curious, as they spend no small time in trimming themselves, taking no care to trim their Souls with Christs Righteousness and Spiritual Graces, How are they to be reprehended? What painted Sepulchres are these? may not an image have gay clothes put on? yet how many spend their precious time and goodly patrimonies about this vanity? So for Recreations, some are so mad on them, as they think and speak of nothing else, as if they were set here to eat and drink, and rise up to play; thus spend they the greatest part of their time.
3. Let us therefore pare away whatsoever super fluity hath been in us in these things,Use 3. and learn soberly to use these mercies, as the Gospel teacheth us, so as thereby we may ever be made fitter for our duties, and to serve God, and that they may be as a staff in our hand, to help us on in our journey, and this is to walk pilgrim like; be we more careful in feeding, clothing and making merry the Soul.
For the latter,About profits. namely profits, we must also be sober, both in getting and keeping them.
We must not onelyonly use no unlawful means to get the world, but use the lawful means moderately, not setting our affections upon the world,See Mat. 6. 24. or being too earnest to compass it,1 Tim. 6. 6. filling our selves with too many businesses,Heb. 13. 5. and following the same too eagerly, lest we neglect good duties,Iam 44. or be hindred from doing them as we should.1 Iohn 2. 15▪
1. This condemns those that use flat unlawful means to get the world,Use 1. swearing, lying, deceiving, oppression, usury, false weights, and the like:Hab. 2. 6, 9, 12. These pull a w… upon themselves,Ier. 17. 11. besides that they heap up but chaff,1 Thess. 4. 6. which the wind of Gods wrath will scatter; God is an avenger of all such things: O what reckonings do these multiply against themselves! What answer shall they make that sell their souls to hell for pelf?
2. This condemns not those onelyonly that get thus,Use 2. but those that follow the world so eagerly, as they minde nothing else; of which sort most are, all day long nothing but of the world, no Prayer, no hearing of the Word; they think and talk of nothing else but the world, Lords days and all; they think Prayer would be an hindrance, they savor nothing but of the earth; they make more account of their old Shoes, then they do of a Sermon, they prize not such things; when they are called to the Wedding Feast, they have Farms and Oxen to hinder them, or if they come, all runs over, for they be full already, or as the Pharisees,Luke 16. 14. mock at that they hear, or if they hear with joy, the thorns (worldly cares) quickly choke it; O this world undoeth most men! its an enemy, but not of it self, but by reason of our sottishness and drunkenness,See 1 Tim. 6. 9. and note the place. that cannot moderate our selves, but take too much of it, and wound our selves many ways; What will it profit them in the end to have embraced this strumpet? she will serve us as Delilah did Sampson, deprive us of our strength, and give us into our enemies hands, and as Jael the Wife of Heber did by Sisera; thus will she serve her favorites.
3. Learn we to be wise indeed,Use 3. laying up a treasure in heaven, and laboring for meat that endureth to everlasting life,Mat. 16. 26. For what will it profit a man to win the whole world, if he shall lose his own soul? O that Gods good servants should be so incumbred with the world? O that that these base things should beguile and ensnare those that are born from above, to the hope of so great glory! Many good Christians are half drunk, they are unfit for good duties, cannot minde heaven, from Monday morning till Saturday night, and it is well if they be sober on the Lords day; many be not, but let both their hearts and tongues be employed on the world, who yet count themselves Christians.
O what excellent Christians would some be, were it not for the world! but how doth it mar many, keep them from good duties, weigh down their mindes?Heb. 12. 1. its that wherewith they are too easily beset.
O let's winde up our plummets (as the clock-keeper) once every day,Simil. keep our mindes from being weighed down with the world; we must set apart some time to draw up our minde, especially Saturday night, not letting them down all the day following: We must so use the world, as not to run into evil for it, neither to neglect any duty to God, our Souls, our Families, our Neighbors, the Poor, or any other, we must use it to further us, as the Pilgrim doth his staff: Learn we to prize Spiritual graces, which are the onelyonly current coyn in the Countrey we are going to; yet is not the seeking of Gods Kingdom the way to hinder us of that which is meet, but rather the onelyonly furtherer:Mat. 6. 33. would we have more then will do us good? But if we shall have less of the world, are we not more then enough recompenced, if we shall have more peace of Conscience, more credit here, more favor with God, more joy in death?
Hope to the end, for the grace, &c.] This is the main Exhortation to constancy in the Faith,Mr. Esty on the place. to the which the other two former Exhortations served as furtherances; others read the words thus, Trust perfectly on that Grace, &c. Where we have three things, 1. What they are exhorted to, namely, To trust: 2. How, Perfectly: and 3. On what, Grace; That is, Salvation; which is described by the means how they came by it, It was brought them, and that by the Gospel which revealeth Jesus Christ.
1. They are exhorted to trust and believe in Christ for Salvation; Faith is a particular assurance, that whatsoever Christ hath done, he hath done it for me:What Faith is, with the parts thereof. This is to put on Christ, to eat and drink his flesh and blood; It hath three parts: 1. Knowledge of the mystery of Salvation. 2. Consent. 3. Particular Application:Iohn 3. 16. This is the instrument of our Salvation, and puts a difference between justifying and temporary Faith, what else soever a man hath, there's no Salvation promised to it;Rom. 15. 3. This the mother of all true joy and peace, The mother of all obedience,Heb. 11. 17. and good life: See it in Abrahams offering up his Son; Hereby we are induced to do or suffer any thing for Christ: This we must labor to come to, when we feel our misery, and desire to come out of it, and hunger after Christ: we ought to believe that we shall be saved,Iohn 6. 40. This is the will of God (saith our Savior) that ye believe in him, &c. God is willing and de…irous we should believe;Mar. 1. 15. The commandment of the Gospel is so, and its commandments are as necessary to be obeyed as those of the Law, He that believeth, 1 Iohn 5. 10.hath put to his seal that God is true: Its therefore our fault, that being come to the birth as it were, we stand still and do not believe, when God hath made us fit to believe; either raze your selves out of the number of weary loaden sinners, &c. or else believe you shall be refreshed, and are pardoned in Christ.
2. They are willed perfectly to trust;How they were to trust. namely, 1. Sincerely without faining. 2. Stedfastly without wavering. 3. Constantly without breaking off. Sincerely, nor fainedly, but so believe as we have ground out of Gods Word for it: many say, they hope to be saved, and this is all; but put them to prove why, and whereon their perswasion is grounded, they can say nothing: Can you prove it out of Gods Word? What promise have you thence? if you have, then its well,See Downham, Christ. War. else its Presumption, not Faith. Try it by the fruits of Humiliation, and by the fruits of Sanctification, by thy love to the Word and Saints. Stedfastly, without wavering, we must not be off and on, we hope well, but we cannot tell; Gods promise is not yea and nay,Heb. 10. 22. but most certain and infallible, so that we may be out of all doubt:Rom. 4. 21. To this purpose its called assurance of Faith, and (as Abraham) we are willed to ask in Faith,Iam. 1. 6. and not to waver: Its true, no mans faith is so perfect, but there may be sometimes some doubtings, but they are not of the nature of Faith, but being from our corrupt nature, are contrary thereunto.
1. This condemns the Papists,Use 1. that tell us we may be of a good hope, but are great enemies to assurance; we may be assured, say they, in respect of God, but in respect of our selves we cannot; he being faithful, changeth not, but we are weak and variable, may be well now, but by and by fall; a tormenting Doctrine: If we look to our selves, we need not doubt, but despair rather; and God hath not promised Salvation to us upon condition of our constancy, as to Adam, Iohn 13. 1.but of his unchangeable love,Phil. 1. 6. he will never leave us, but finish the good work he hath begun in us; yea, say the Papists, if we hold out: What a foolish repetition is this? God will do great things for us, if we continue; what were this to us, if we were left to our selves?Ier. 32. 40. nay, he will give us a minde to continue, and so do all these things for us.
2. This reproves even good honest humble Souls,Use 2. that long after Christ, and hate sin with a deadly hatred, and have many excellent things in them, and yet stand at a stay; they would not for all the world, but hope that God will have mercy, but cannot be assured: Why, Is not God faithful? hath he not said, that such and such shall be saved? shall he say it, and not do it? God forbid.
O am I so unworthy.Object.
Therefore he will have mercy on thee;Sol. if thou didst not feel and bewail that, he would not care for thee.
O my sins be so great.Object.
Is his mercy onelyonly able to take away small ones,Sol. or the blood of Christ onelyonly for lesser offences? take heed.
O but its not for me.Object.
He names thee not;Sol. but faith he not, All weary and heavy loaden ones shall be eased? all that take up his yoke, shall finde rest to their Souls? excludes he any? exclude not thy self.
O but I have such a corrupt heart,Object. and offend him every day.
But how dost thou like thy sins?Sol. I hare them, they are as gall to my mouth, I desire to be rid of them, &c. Why, then be of good comfort, no better sign of a childe of God, then that thou strivest to mortifie them, and to please God: There is none free from corruption, yet if thou fightest this Spiritual combat, thou mayest believe and be thankful; therefore this do, strive against thy corruptions all thou canst, and labor to reform more and more, and then shalt not thou need to doubt of thy Salvation. Lay the foundation of thy Salvation once sure, and never raze it more; if there be any fault in the roof, be mending it, but let the foundation he still: Imitate thy Father Abraham, Heb. 11. 17.God promised him a Childe, What did he? he neither looked on his own old age, nor the deadness of Sarahs Womb, but looked on the promise of God: So do we look, not on this or that, our own unworthiness, or what Satan saith, but on Gods promise; If the Devil do but put into your head, you shall not be saved, it shall prevail more then all we can say out of Gods Word; fie upon it: Is not he a lyar, and a murtherer from the beginning? Doth he not tell them that have no Faith, that they have, as them that have it, that they have none; Cleave to one testimony of Gods mouth, and let all the temptations to the contrary be gone: Renounce Thousands of them, and stick to the promise.
O but I feel it not.Obj.
No,Sol. how canst thou, when thou wiltst not believe; believe first, and thou shalt feel after, but though thou shouldst not feel of a good while, yet believe the promise of God, constantly without breaking off; believe to morrow as to day, next year as this, we have good leave, God is the same, so shall we with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, dye in the Faith.
Therefore use all good means to continue it and encrease it,Use 3. hear diligently, receive the Sacrament carefully, pray continually, always keep a good Conscience▪ Iohn 15. 10.Wood is not more necessary and apt to nourish fire, then good works and well doing to nourish Faith: Also observe the dealings of God, and grow by your own experience: Many that have believed, and were very earnest in their beginning till they got it; after, growing secure and worldly, and withal neglecting the means, have (with David) fallen into some one sin or other, thereby losing the peace and comfort they formerly enjoyed: A great loss indeed, more then if a man were stript of all to his shirt. O lets take heed of this loss, as we are to be wise as Serpents, so let us shew our Serpentine wisdom in this one thing especially. The Serpent will be sure (so much as in her lies) to save her head;Simile. so must we our Faith, for on this hangs all: and if by any means we have fallen therefrom, recover we our selves by all means possible.
3. That which they are to hope for or trust on,Salvation a most special grace. is Grace, that is, Salvation: Every benefit is grace, but to be delivered out of our lost and undone state, and brought again into the favor of God, and saved,Eph. 1. 5. is a most special grace. Our Election is of grace,Ioh. 3. 16. so our Redemption,Iames 1. 18. so our effectual Calling.
1. This condemns the Papists,Use 1. that teach partly Grace, partly Works: No, these cannot be mingled, either all or none; they be as contrary as light and darkness,Rom. 11. 6. honey and gall, else were grace no more grace. Gal. 1. 7.To joyn any thing with Christ, is to pervert the Gospel: They now begin to be ashamed, and mince this Opinion, saying, We be saved most by Grace, yet partly by Works; and, that these Works be died in the Blood of Christ; and, that it is most safe to rest on his merits alone: Well, God make them so ashamed, as altogether to renounce it, and so let us in the mean time.
2. Let us serve the Lord with a chearful and constant love and service,Use 2. for his free favor to us all the days of our life.
3. Shew we grace and favor to others,Use 3. not to such as have deserved well of us, but even to such as have not, nay ill, as we had of God.
Grace] That is, Salvation. See, he calls their mindes from looking for earthly preferment by Christ, whereunto they had a lingring minde, and calls them to look for Spiritual riches, even Salvation by him.What we are to expect by Christ. What are we then to expect by Christ, and by professing the Gospel zealously? not Wealth, Honor, Peace, Credit in the world, but pardon of our sins, freedom from Hell and Gods wrath, peace of Conscience, joy in the holy Ghost, that our persons and works shall please God, Angels to be our guard, our Prayers to be heard, our Souls at death to be carried into heaven, both our Bodies & Souls to be glorified at the great day; Will this satisfie us? Hereof we may be assured, if we believe in Christ, and zealously embrace the Gospel.Iohn 18. 36. As for other things, his Kingdom is not of this world, he promiseth not plenty, peace, ease, &c. He had them not himself, but (contrarily) troubles,2 Tim. 3. 12. as all shall have that live godly in him.
This teacheth us to lay our hand upon our heart,Use. when we go about to profess, we know what we shall finde, but it may be sorrow withal; if we can be content so, then may we go forward, else not. Many having gone on in profession not so advisedly, and after having found the wind and tide against profession, and reproach, trouble and danger for the same, have shrunk away, and with Demas, have forsaken Paul, and embraced the present world: Others seeing how hardly such be dealt with, though in their conscience they think best of such, yet keep in their heads, thinking that its best sleeping in a whole skin: But alas, they make but a weak choyce; were they not better have these heavenly comforts and priviledges here, and be acknowledged of Christ, and saved at the great day, though with some sorrows here, then to make the world their friend, and God their enemy, and to have him ashamed of them at that day, as he will? for we cannot have it go on our side now and then too.
That is to be brought unto you] God tarried not till they sought Salvation, but he of his goodness brought it them, which he useth here as an Argument to perswade them to trust stedfastly to this Salvation, and look accordingly for it, because God would bring them to the Faith of it, when they thought not thereof.
Note here, That
Salvation is not of our own procuring or seeking:Salvation is not of our own procuring or seeking. Alas, what could Adam and we in him do? we could fall, but what then towards our Salvation? we could run and hide our selves, and excuse our sin, and encrease our danger,Ezek. 16. 6. but God was fain to bring him the seed of the woman,Eph. 2. 5. he could not make himself an help, a wife (for God made and brought her to him) much less a Savior. So, whats the reason he hath given us the Gospel in this Land, and not to our Forefathers, not to many other Lands? we sought it not, but when Idolaters in darkness, God brought it. So have we not been brought by marriage or by Service into Towns where we have had the Word, when we purposed no such thing? So to our hearts, what were any of us when God called us? Did we seek him? Alas no, we ran from him rather, long ere we yielded, but he followed us, and overcame us: See it in Saul, Acts 2. & 16.did he seek Salvation? he was going to Damascus to persecute,Luke 19. God brought it him; so to Zacheus, the Goaler, &c. so we.Rev. 3. 20.
This teacheth us,
1. To be humble.Use 1.
2. To be exceeding thankful all the days of our life.Use 2.
3. To rest confidently on him for the time to come,Use 3. in the experience of that we have had; as thus, That he that brought us Salvation, the Word to us, or us to it, and gave us to see our misery, long after Christ,Rom. 5. 8, 9, 10. have some taste of his love, and some desire to please him that were far from these, he will continue this, and will never leave us: Thus the Apostle reasons; But God commendeth his love towards us,Gen. 32. 10, 11. &c. So Jacob in danger of Esau, He came over Jordan with his staff, and God had given him two bands, therefore he was perswaded to relie on God for present deliverance; for why (might he say) I am perswaded thou hast not done all this for me, to be lost in an instant, as an ox should lick up a flower, or a candle be put out at once. We use not Gods mercies well, when we grow not stronger by them for time to come.
4. Comfort to a fearful heart,Use 4. that fears he shall not hold out, or that God will cast him away: O its impossible, did he bring thee Salvation that regarded it not? and now hath given thee an heart to prize it above the world, and to walk in the way to it, will he now disappoint thee? No assuredly: If he would not have saved thee, he would have let thee alone as thy companions and many others, and never have done this for thee.
O but the Devil is so strong and subtile,Object. and I so weak and simple.
He that hath pluckt thee out of his hands,Sol. will never suffer him to get thee captive again; It were else a disgrace to Christ: Except therefore he be stronger then God and Christ, thou needest not fear.
At the revelation of Jesus Christ.] He plucks these Jews from Moses Law, and the Ceremonies which were out of date, (but they could hardly be so perswaded) and brings them to the Gospel which discovers Christ: He was in that Law covered with Vails of Sacrifices and Ceremonies, &c. All these be done away in the Gospel, where Christ is laid open without any covering. Note,
We have the excellency of the Gospel,The Gospel lays open Christ Iesus unto us. that doth uncover and lay open Christ Jesus unto us, brings us tidings of him, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life, and the onelyonly Savior of the world; So that the Gospel is the glory of the World: The Sun is not so necessary in the Firmament, as the Gospel is to the world: This teacheth us Christ, which is life eternal, and St. Paul desired to know nothing, but Christ and him crucified,Phil. 3. 8. and counted all dung for the excellent knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord: O how welcome should this be! It is well called glad tidings, so it is indeed: The Gospel is our pardon. If we should finde evidences of great Lands and Inheritances to come to us, or a Will wherein were bequeathed great Legacies to us, how glad would we be of the same? How often would we revise and read them over? The Gospel brings us tidings, and tells us the way to come to an everlasting inheritance, and therein are bequeathed such blessed Legacies, Item, I give thee forgiveness of thy sins by my Sons death; Item, Eternal life by his obedience. Item; I give thee assurance that thou shalt be raised here from sin, and that thy body shall be raised at the last day by my Sons Resurrection; Item, I give thee assurance of a place in Heaven by my Sons Ascension.
1. Is it not a marvel then that the Gospel is so hardly entertained?Use 1. and that the World cares so little for it? Its welcome to most people, not as if it brought them news of a blessing, but as if it would spoil them of all they have.
2. How should they that want it be set on work to labor to get it?Use 2. as without which there's no Salvation; Its light, food, armor, without which darkness, famine, spoil: If the Sun should be wanting to a Town, and could be procured, how would all joyn to get it? Or rain for a dry and barren ground; who would not wonder at any that should be against it? yet who joyns, who labors for the Gospel.
3. If the Gospel be the revelation of Jesus Christ,Use 3. then are the Ministers revealers of this blessed Secret, therefore worthy to be acknowledged for their works sake,1 Thess. 5. 12, 13. for the greatness of their work, and the excellency thereof: Pharaoh reverenced and advanced Joseph for smaller matters;Rom. 10. 15. O how beautiful are the feet of such: Most people either rate them, or at least set light by them, not reverencing their calling, but esteeming them more base then the meanest Tradesman; But that grieves us not so much, as that unkindeness that we meet with from them, from whom we look for most comfort and encouragement.