The Dignity of Gods Children, Title page – Dedication 1
THE DIGNITIE of Gods children. OR AN EXPOSITION OF 1. IOHN 3. 1. 2. 3.
Plentifully ſhewing the comfortable, happie, and moſt bleſſed ſtate of all Gods children, and alſo on the contrarie, the baſe, fearefull, and moſt wofull condition of all other that are not the children of GOD.
PROV. 12. 26. The righteous is more excellent then his neighbor: but the way of the wicked will deceiue them.
IOHN 1. 12. 13. As manie as receiued him, to them he gaue prerogatiue to be the ſonnes of God: euen to them that beleeue in his name, Which are borne not of blood, nor of the will of fleſh, nor of the will of man; but of God.
LONDON Printed by Thomas Haueland, for Thomas Man, and are to be ſold at his ſhop in Paternoſter Row, at the ſigne of the Talbot. 1610.
TO THE NOBILITY AND GENTRY OF GREAT BRITAINE, Grace and Peace.
RIGHT Honorable, and right Worſhipfull, to you all, and to eueryevery one of you, am I bold to preſent and dedicate this my treatiſe of the dignity of Gods children, not ſo much ſearing the ſame to be offenſiue to any of you, either by the meanneſſe & obſcurity of my perſon, or by the plaine and homely manner of writing thereof, as hoping it will be acceptable to you all, for the argument and ſubiect matter therein handled. For to whom more fitly appertaineth the dedication of a treatiſe of the dignitie of the ſonnes of the Pſal. 29. 1.Almighty in heauen, then to thoſe who are called the ſonnes of the mighty in earth?
Although alſo it behooueth all, well to conſider and to make good vſe of the whole treatiſe, yet the ſame eſpecially belongeth to all that are of higheſt honor and dignity in the world. For to whomſoeuer much is giuen, of Luk. 12. 48.him ſhall be much required. And the more eminent that any are in place, the more excellent ought the ſame to ſhew themſelues in grace.
Our dread Soueraigne writing to his moſt princely Sonne, by many golden ſentences teacheth, that as any 1. … pag. 4.in dignity be erected aboue other, ſo they ought in thankefulneſſe towards God (that hath aduanced them) goe as far beyond all other: and that the highneſſe of any dignity doth not dimin…ſh, but rather much increaſe the faults of ſuch as are in ſuch dignity. The ſame alſo is grounded vponupon the commandement of the Soueraign of all ſoueraignes, euen of the mighty God and Lord of heauen and earth touching a greater ſacrifice for the ruler of the people offending of ignorance, then for a priuate perſon in like manner tranſgreſſing. … 4. 22. …. …7.Is not the ſame much more to be ſaid of the ruler of the people that offendeth of knowledge?
As in theſe reſpects I was the bolder to dedicate theſe my labors to your Honors and Worſhips, ſo not fearing any imputation of preſumption, I thought it more fit to dedicat the ſame to you all generally, then to any one, or to ſome few particularly, that ſo none might think himſelfe excluded, and that eueryevery one might accept them as dedicated to himſelfe, and ſo vouchſafe to read them the more diligently, and to make the better vſe of them, according to his place.
The rather alſo did I take incouragement ſo to doe, that yee eſpecially might by theſe my labors the more cleerly ſee, that without this dignity in this treatiſe ſet ſorth, and the right vſe of the ſame, all nobility, honor, and dignity in this world is of no value, of no price, of no account.
As age is a crowne of glory, being found in the way of righteouſneſſe, Prov. 16. 31.and no otherwiſe; ſo may it be ſaid of nobility, and of all other dignities of the world. The deſcription of the ſonnes of Nobles by eating in time for ſtrength, and not for drunkenneſſe: (this ſobriety in eating and drinking for Eccleſ. 10. 17.the rareneſſe of it in great perſons of the world, being ſynecdochically put for all vertues) This deſcription (I ſay) of the ſonnes of nobles, doth plainly teach them only to be truly worthy of the ſaid honorable title, which by the foreſaid vertue and all other accompanying the ſame, do ſhew themſelues to be the children of God.
Doth not the ſame Salomon alſo ſay without exception of any degree in the world, that the righteous is more Prov. 12. 26.excellent then his neighbor? Elſewhere alſo he preferreth (not a great name, but) a good name aboue great riches, and Prov. 22. 1. Ecceſ. 7. 3.before precious ointment: both which commonly are apurtenances and ornaments of nobility, and other worldly dignity. What is a good name, but ſuch a name as is gotten by doing of thoſe things, which belong to the children of God?
The former point is further euident by diuers reaſons. For all honor and dignity according to this world, is only in this world. But the dignity of being the ſennes of the moſt High, is alſo in heauen. For ye ſhal afterward ſee in the treatiſe, that the children of God doe ſit with Chriſt Ieſus in the heavenly places, euen while they are here in the earth. All worldly honors and dignities doe end with this life. For as in the reſurrection, men ſhall neither marry wiues, nor women ſhall be giuen in mariage; ſo then Mat. 22. 30.there ſhall be neither Gentlemen, nor Eſquires, nor Knights, nor Barons, nor any ſuch degree of men, but all ſhall be as one in Chriſt Ieſus. But the dignity of the children of God after this life is inlarged, and in the reſurrection ſhall be made greater then it was. Euen then (I ſay) ſhall the dignity of adoption be increaſed, when all worldly dignity ſhall be vtterly ceaſed.
As men are noble, honorable, or worſhipfull in this world, they are but in fauor with men; but as they be the children of God, they are in grace with God himſelfe.
Worldly dignity doth but giuegive acceſſe to worldlie Princes: but the dignity of adoption, hath acceſſe (with aſſurance of preuailing) to the throne of him that is Lord of heauen, and earth.
As here men are Dukes, Marqueſſes, Earles, Vicounts, Barons, &c. they hauehave but men to attend vponupon them: but the treatiſe following will ſhew, that as any bee the children of God, the glorious Angels of heauen do wait vponupon them, and continually guard them for their ſafety, and further good.
As here men be in great place, they hauehave but earthlie inheritances, whereof they or theirs may be diſpoſſeſſed and cleane diſinherited: But as they bee the children of God, they hauehave an inheritance in heauen, far paſſing all the kingdomes of the world, and the which all the power of hell ſhall neuer take away.
Many other the like prerogatiues ſhall ye find in this treatiſe, of the children of the Almighty in heauen, far excelling the honors of the ſons of the mighty in earth: Of the which prerogatiues I do here giuegive you but this taſt, thereby the more to quicken your appetite, and the better to incourage you to vouchſafe the reading of thoſe more largely handled, and of many other contained in the treatiſe it ſelfe.
Pleaſeth it your Honors and worſhips further to ſee the former point in the glaſſe of a few examples? Behold then (I beſeech you) Moſes, Ioſhua, Othniel, Ehud, Deborah, Gideon, I phtah, Sampſon, and all the other good Iudges of Iſrael, before the kingdome of Iſrael eſtabliſhed. For were they ſo honourable by being kings fellowes, and hauing kingly authority, as they were by doing thoſe things which teſtified their adoption? Behold Dauid and Salomon, (two mighty kings of al Iſrael) with Aſa, Iehoſhaphat, Hezekiah, and Ioſiah, all good Kings of Iuda. For were theſe ſo honorable by being great and mighty princes, as they were by being the children of God? Behold Eſter, Mordecai, Shadrach, Meſhach, Abednego, and Daniel. For were they ſo honorable, the one by being a Queene, and the wife of a moſt mighty monarch, that had 127. prouinces vnderunder him, the other by beeing in great grace & fauor with the like mighty monarchs; as they were by ſhewing themſelues the children of God? Yea, behold Cyrus, Artaſhaſht, Darius and Ahaſbueroſh, all heathen Emperors. For were they ſo honorable by being ſuch Emperors (though ſome of them had 127. pro. uinces vnderunder their gouernment) as they were by doing ſome things for the Church and people of God, whereby they did only reſemble Gods children, and were not ſo indeed? May not the like be ſaid of Iehu King of Iſrael? For was he ſo honorable by being King of Iſrael, extraordinarily annointed ſo to bee by the appointment of God; as he was by his zeale (though only temporary) againſt Baal, and his Prieſts and ſeruants? Behold further Ioſeph of Arimathea, and Nicodemus. For were they ſo honorable, in that the one was a rich man, and an honerable Mat. 27. 17. Mark. 15. 45. Ioh. 3. 1. & 10.counſellor; and the other a great Phariſee, a ruler of the Iewes, and a teacher in Iſrael; as they were, in that the one went to Pilat, and begged the body of Ieſus, and the other ioined with him in the honorable buriall thereof?
Behold the Eunuch of Ethtopia. For was he ſo honorable, Act… 8. 27.by being the Queen of the Ethiopians chiefe gouernor and her Lord treaſurer, as hee was by comming out of his owne country (a long, a chargeable, and a dangerous iourny) to worſhip the Lord at Ieruſalem: by reading the ſcriptures as hee rode in his chariot; (whereas ſuch great men for the moſt part ſpend ſuch times in vaine ſports, or in ſome idle diſcourſes) and by his meeke acknowlegement of his ignorance of the Scripture which he did read: by his courteous ſpeech to Philip (a poore trauelling footman, neuer before nor after ſeen of him) and by his like kind taking him vp into his chariot to himſelfe to be further inſtructed by him, and by his humble ſubmitting himſelfe to bee examined of his faith, and to be baptized of him?
The like may bee ſaid of many Chriſtian Emperors, Conſtantine and other: of our late moſt noble King Edward the ſixt; and of our more late Queen (Elizabeth) of moſt happy and bleſſed memory.
To produce the examples of any Princes or nobles liuing, would not (perhaps) bee ſo well approued, as ſuſpected of flatterie, or ſome other ſiniſter meaning.
What now (right Honorable and right Worſhipfull) ſhall I ſay more? As Noah ſaid, God perſwade Iaphet that he may dwell in the tents of Shem; ſo ſay I: If any of G…eſ. 9. 27.you, to whom I doe in all humilitie preſent and dedicate theſe my labours, hauehave not yet receiued the ſpirit of adoption, God perſwade ſuch to dwell in the tents of his ſuch children, as whoſe dignitie I doe in this treatiſe lay foorth: as likewiſe, to thinke it a woe vntounto them to vemaine in Meſhech, and to dwell in the tents of Kedar.Pſal. 120 5.
The ſame God alſo of power, maieſtie, and glory, who hath the hearts of all Kings, and Nobles, and of all other great perſons in his hand as the riuers of waters, to turne the ſame whither it pleaſeth him; euen this God, that Father of our Lord Ieſus Christ, ſo incline all your hearts, Prov. …1. 1.both to conſider of the reaſons whereby the dignitie of his children is here declared, and alſo to apply the vſes of the doctrine thereof to your ſelues, according to your ſeuerall ſtates and places in this world, that as ſome of you doe ſometimes here in earth ſit in Parliament with our moſt gratious Soueraigne King IAMES: ſo yee may all at the laſt ſit with Chriſt Ieſus in heauen, euen in his throne, as himſelfe ſitteth Rev. 3. 21.in the throne of his Father: and that for euer and euer. Much Totham in Eſſex: Aprill 16. 16 10.
Your Honors, and Worſhips, Moſt humble in the Lord to be commanded, THOMAS STOVGHTON.