God-Man, Exposition · Verse 15
Verſ. 15. John bare witneſs of him; He cryed, ſaying, This was he of whom I ſpake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me, for he was before me.
16. And of his fulneſs have all we received, and grace for grace.
For this fifteenth verſe, which I am now to cloſe with, there are in it theſe particulars.
Firſt, The Witneſſe-bearer; that is John the Baptiſt, John bare witneſſe of him.
Secondly, The manner of his Witneſſing, He cryed, ſaying.
Thirdly, The time when he witneſſed, which lyeth couched in theſe words, This was he of whom I ſpake. I ſhall open that by, and by.
Fourthly, The matter of his teſtimony here, He that commeth after me is preferred before me, for he was before me.
I ſhall begin with the firſt. The Witneſſe-bearer was John the Baptiſt, of whom we read, verſ. 7. that he came The office of John the Baptiſt.for a witneſſe, to bear witneſſe of the Light; and here we find him doing, what he came for. He came for a witneſſe, and here he bears witneſſe. This is the Obſervation.
That a good man will not be wanting, to the duty of his Obſerv. place.
This was his Office, and ye find him taken up in the diſcharge of it, and ſo ſhould every one be; For we muſt walk Circumſpectly, not as fools, but as wiſe, not to forget the errand we are ſent about. Every bleſſed man is like that Tree, Pſal. 1. that bringeth forth his fruit in his ſeaſon; which is proper to his Calling, and in ſuch a time, as is moſt proper for that fruit, Rom. 12. 7, 8. Ye have an Apoſtolicall Injunction. Let him that hath a Miniſtry, wait upon his miniſtry; or he that exhorts upon his exhortation; He that giveth, let him do it with ſimplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that ſheweth mercy, with Cheerfulneſſe. Men loſe nothing, by being imployed in that ſervice, that Nothing loſt by diligence in God's ſervice.God cals them to; and men get nothing, by being buſie in other men's matters. One may be over-buſie, and yet, in God's account, but an idle perſon, if he doth not his proper work, 1 Tim. 5. 13. And withall, they learn to be Idle, wandring about from houſe to houſe; and not onelyonly idle, but Tatlers alſo, and buſie-bodies, ſpeaking things which they ought not. Buſie bodies, and yet idle: Why? why, becauſe buſie in matters that concern them not.
The next is the manner of John's witneſſe bearing, He 2. The manner of his witneſſe-bearing.bare witneſſe, and cried; The Baptiſt cried in his witneſſing of Chriſt. There is ſomething remarkable in that, whereas the Scripture contents it ſelfe in other Caſes, to ſay, He opened his mouth, and ſpake; here John, Crieth. What is the myſtery of this? He is ſaid to cry for ſome one, or all (perhaps) of theſe three Reaſons.
Firſt, In reference to a fore-going Prophecy; Iſaiah 1. In reference to fore-going prophecies.had fore-told as much, which is applied in, Matth. 3. 3. ſpeaking of John the Baptiſt, This is he that was ſpoken of by the Prophet Iſaiah; Behold the voice of one crying in the wilderneſſe, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths ſtraight. He fore-told, he ſhould have the voice of a Crier; therefore; this voice is applied to him.
Or Secondly, In reference to the time, when he firſt began 2. To the time of his witneſſing.to witneſſe of Chriſt, and that was, as Philogus telleth us, in the year of Jubilee; under the Law, every fiftieth year, the Jewes were to keep a Jubilee, wherein they were to ordain liberty to their ſervants, and reſtore men to their poſſeſſions, that had been mortgaged, Levit. 25. 9, 10. Then ſhalt thou cauſe the Trumpet of the Jubilee, to ſound in the tenth day of the ſeventh month; in the day of attonement, ſhall ye make the Trumpet ſound through all your Land, unto all the Inhabitants thereof. It ſhall be a Jubilee unto you, and ye ſhall return every man to his poſſeſſion, and ye ſhall return every man unto his family. John, that came to be the Miniſter of the Goſpell, he began in a year of Jubilee, becauſe he was to proclaime a liberty, that came by Chriſt; who was now to be exhibited, and to ſhew himſelfe, becauſe he came, by the Miniſtry of the Goſpell to reſtore men to thoſe poſſeſſions they had loſt in Adam, even to an Eternall Inheritance, reſerved in Heaven for them. The year of Jubilee, was to be proclaimed by a Trumpet; Therefore, John comes crying. The Interpretation, receiveth a ſtrong confirmation of that, Iſaiah 58. 1. Cry aloud, ſpare not, lift up thy voice, like a Trumpet, and ſhew my people their tranſgreſſions, and the houſe of Iſrael their ſins. Here John's voice cometh, as a Jubilee-Trumpet, to proclaim liberty to them that were Captive; therefore, he is ſaid, to Cry.
Thirdly, Crying may referre to the temper of his ſpirit, 3. To the fervency, and alacrity in his witneſſe-bearing. Exod. 14. 15.in his witneſſe-bearing to Chriſt; you may note his fervency, or alacrity, or both. Crying noteth fervency, Why Crieſt thou to me, ſaith God to Moſes at the Red Sea, when Moſes was moſt fervent in ſpirit; yet we read of nothing he ſaid, ſaith Auguſtine. The people cried, and God heard them not, Moſes held his peace, and yet was heard, becauſe there was a louder cry within. Of Chriſt himſelfe it is ſaid, In the daies of his fleſh, He offered up Prayers with ſtrong cries, and tears. The ſpirit crieth Abba, Father. It is a term of earneſtneſſe, and ſo of alacrity too, Hoſ. 12. ult. Cry out, and ſhout thou inhabitant of Sion, for great is the Holy one of Iſrael, in the midſt of thee; John went about this work, with a great deal of earneſtneſſe, and delight. He that leapt in his Mother's Womb, when the newes came Luk. 1. 41.of the Conception of Chriſt; now he leapeth with much more joy, when he himſelfe came to be the proclaimer of Chriſt. He himſelfe hath the honour to be the Day-Star, that ſhall uſher-in the Sun of Righteouſneſſe, to be more then a Prophet; He pointed at him with the finger, and ſaid, This is the Lamb of God, that taketh away the ſins of the World. Let us all learn from hence, to cry up Chriſt in our ſeverall places, and according to our ſeverall capacities; John did ſo, when he witneſſed of him, to cry up Chriſt with all the alacrity, and fervency, that may be. You know how Demetrius, and the Silver-Smiths, criedup Act. 19. 28.Diana, of the Epheſians; becauſe they got their Living by making of her Silver-ſhrines. The merits of Chriſt will bring us more, than the ſhrines of Diana can bring to them; We ſhall have Life, and Life Eternall, with this Life. Therefore, we have more cauſe to cry up, Great is the Lord Jeſus; Great is the Lord, the Rock of our Salvation, and our Righteouſneſſe. And the rather, becauſe in few words, the beſt way in the World, to cry down both ſin, and errour, is, to cry up Chriſt. Luſt, and Hereſie both, will fall like Dagon before the Ark, if Chriſt were once up in men's hearts.
There is uſe, of other Arguments and Conſiderations, as of the Law, and the terrour of the day of Judgement, and torments of Hell, theſe have their place; There is nothing ſo effectuall to draw ſinners out of hell, as the ſetting up of Chriſt; when they know Chriſt is Crucified, they then are crucified with Chriſt. A man may be terrified with the threats of the Law, and thoughts of iudgement to come, and yet have an heart filled with luſt all this while; If Chriſt once come into the heart, he driveth out theſe luſts before him: The like may be ſaid of Errors, Corrupt opinions. If the Sun of Righteouſneſſe comes in, it is his beams that cauſeth all theſe ſhadowes to fly away; nothing ſo ſoon, nothing ſo ſure. Inſtance, in Popery. There may be great uſe of preaching, againſt the particular points of it; againſt Purgatory, Tranſubſtantiation, and Worſhipping of images. But if once a man could ſet up Chriſt in his heart, How ſoon would theſe vaniſh? Saith Calvin, Popery cannot ſtand, but where the ignorance of Chriſt is brought in; for the knowledge of Chriſt maketh Popery to fall. Chriſt and Antichriſt are like two buckets in a Well; if the one goeth up, the other goeth down. Popery cannot thrive in that ſoyl, where Chriſt is planted. Thus much from theſe words, the manner of his bearing witneſſe, He came crying.
Thirdly, For the Time; that, I told you, lay in theſe 3. The time when he did bear witneſſe.words, This was he of whom I ſpake. Whence it is gathered, That John the Baptiſt having teſtified of Chriſt, when he came to his Baptiſm, continued his bearing witneſſe to him, now, when Jeſus was gone into the wilderneſſe; which, ye know, was preſently after he was baptized. That difference is between this Evangeliſt and the former; he relateth what they omitted, and omitteth many of thoſe things, that they relate. The other had ſpoken of the teſtimony that John gave to Chriſt, before he made himſelf known; our Evangeliſt ſpeaketh nothing of this, but falleth upon thoſe Teſtimonies which he gave to Chriſt, after he was made known. Now he was made known at his baptiſm, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleaſed. Chemnitius maketh it appear plainly, that what John ſaith in my Text, was ſpoken after Chriſt was baptized, when he was drawn aſide into the wilderneſſe, to be tempted of the Devill. I ſaid, This was he; yet he came after me, and was before me.
Obſerve from hence this, namely, That the Baptiſt was honouring Chriſt, when the devill was tempting of him Obſerv. While Satan was uſing all his ſubtlery, to overcome Chriſt in the wilderneſſe, John is uſing all his earneſtneſſe and endeavour to cry him up, to exalt him in the hearts of his hearers. This is a ſpeciall piece of Chriſtian prudence, for men to counterwork the devill; to appear ſo much the more for Chriſt, by how much the more Satan and his inſtruments appear againſt him. There ſhould be a kind of Antiperiſtaſis in the ſoul of every believer; as in the fire, that burns hotteſt then, when the aire round about it, is coldeſt. The middle Region is therefore coldeſt, becauſe the great heat of each, takes the reflection from the lower and the upper heat above. Such an Antiperiſtaſis ſhould be found in Chriſtians, they ſhould be witneſſes in the deadeſt times, and their hearts ſhould be ſofteſt in the hardeſt times, and fulleſt of activity for Chriſt, in the times of the greateſt oppoſition againſt him. As John is a honouring of him, when the Devill is a tempting him. The reaſon lyeth in that enmity, which was put at firſt between the Serpent, and the Seed of the woman; for enmities work one againſt another, contraries expell one another. The Devill will be ſure to croſſe us if he can, when we go to any ſpirituall duty; as, When the high Prieſt Zachary was ſtanding before the Lord, then it is ſaid, There was Satan ſtanding at his right hand to reſiſt him, Zach. 3. 1. Therefore when we ſee Satan plotting any miſchief, we ſhould ſtand at his right hand to reſiſt him. We ſhould do what we can for Chriſt, at ſuch times more eſpecially. Then our ſervice is moſt acceptable, and moſt uſefull. For men not to be aſhamed of Chriſt, in the midſt of a crooked and an adulterous generation; yet, for men to appear for Chriſt, in a back-ſliding generation, run through the ſtories of all times, and ye ſhall find, this hath been the ſpirit of the Saints. When Herod ſought for Chriſt, to deſtroy Matth. 2. 14.him in his Infancy, then was Joſeph and Mary moſt carefull of him, and took him into Egypt. When the Prieſts, When Chriſt is moſt oppoſed, then we ſhould moſt appear for Him.and Levites, and Scribes, and Phariſees, did much oppoſe him in his Members; then the Apoſtle's moſt of all appeared for him, and tell the Rulers to their faces, Whether it be better to obey God or man, judge ye. In the Primitive times, when it was death to bear the name of a Chriſtian, then did Pauſanius, when they asked him what he was, ſay, My name is Chriſtian, and my ſirname is Catholick. His name was Chriſtian, to diſtinguiſh him from Hereticks, and thoſe that oppoſed Chriſtianity. I need not tell you of our Worthies in Queen Mary's daies, that not onelyonly by their Writings, but by their Sufferings, witneſſed for Chriſt, not onelyonly in black and white, but in red too. It ſhould be ſo ſtill; the very thoughts of their flames ſhould kindle zeal in us. Chriſt is oppoſed even at this day, in many waies, therefore we ſhould ſtrive for him. There are many tempters and revilers now, therefore Chriſt ſhould have many Champions now. Heaven and Earth may both teach us this leſſon. Time was, when our Saviour came to the men of Bethlehem, He came to his own, and his own received him not; they refuſed to entertain Chriſt as became him. Then doth the Star from heaven own him, that comes, and ſheweth Matth. 2. 9.the Wiſe-men where he was, and ſtandeth before the houſe. Afterwards, when his own rejected him, Not him, but Barabbas, ſaid they; When the Jewes that pronounced Joh. 18. 40.him not worthy to live, had got their ends, then the Sun is darkned, and the Earth quaked; they owned their Lord and Maker then, when the Jewes refuſed him. The Sun is aſhamed to behold the Souldiers; and the earth quaked, as loath to bear the Souldiers. Thus far of the Witneſſe-bearer, the Manner of his witneſſing, and the Time when.
4. The fourth particular remaineth, namely, The Matter of the Teſtimony, which John here giveth of Chriſt, which 4. The matter of John's teſtimony of Chriſt.lyeth in theſe words, This was he of whom I ſpake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me, for he was before me.
Let us expound the words firſt.
This was He.
There lyeth ſome matter of commendations even in that. So that your great Oratour of Greece, Demoſthenes, he accounted it matter of commendations, when he went in the ſtreets, to have it ſaid, foreign, This is Demoſthenes. Res eſt magnoperè laudanda. It is a matter much to be valued, to have one pointed at with the finger, and to have it ſaid, This is ſuch a man of note. The holy Ghoſt ſpeaks it by way of commendations of Moſes and Aaron, Exod. 6. 26, 27. ye have it twice there, Theſe are that Aaron and Moſes, to whom the Lord ſaid, Bring out the children of Iſrael out of the land of Egypt according to their armies. Theſe are they which ſpake to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring out the children of Iſrael from Egypt. Theſe are that Moſes and Aaron. Here it is thrice. So, This was he, ſaith John. But the commendations he giveth, lyeth more apparent in the following words, He of whom I ſpake, He that comes after me is preferred before me, for he was before me.
He that comes after me.
Queſt. What is that? How doth Chriſt come after John?How is Chriſt ſaid to come after John?
Anſw. In three reſpects, which I frame as a ground from this.
Firſt, In regard of his Nativity.
Secondly, In regard of his own Miniſtry.
Thirdly, In regard of his attendance upon the Miniſtry of John.
Firſt, In regard of his Nativity. Chriſt was born of the 1. In regard of his Nativity.Virgin Mary, ſome ſix months after John the Baptiſt came into the world; ſo he came after him in that reſpect. Luk. 1. 36. You may find, that the mother of John the Baptiſt was gone with child ſome ſix months, when the Virgin Mary had newly conceived: Behold, thy couſen Elizabeth hath conceived, and ſhall bear a ſon, and his name ſhall be called John. So ſaith the Angel that came to Mary, and brought the firſt tydings of Chriſt our Saviour.
Secondly, Chriſt came after him, In regard of his own 2. In regard of his own Miniſtry.Miniſtry, and the diſcharge of that. Chriſt did not begin to exerciſe his Miniſtry, till John had ended his: Mar. 1. 14. After that John was put in priſon, (where he loſt his head) Jeſus came into Galilee, preaching the Goſpell of the Kingdom of God. We uſe to ſay, that ſeldom comes a better; but, let not that proverb occaſion diſpair in any, for here Chriſt comes after John. It may be, the people may think themſelves undone, now they have loſt ſuch a Miniſter as John the Baptiſt. After him comes Chriſt, even as Eliſha comes after Eliah, with a double portion of the ſpirituall truths of God, for all that have to do in the world.
Thirdly, Chriſt is ſaid to come after John, In regard of 3. In regard of his attendance upon the Miniſtry of John.his attendance upon the Miniſtry of John the Baptiſt. foreign, That word is ſeldom or never to be found in Scripture, as relating to time, but alwaies to place; and ſhould not be uſed for: poſt me, but pone me, as Beza renders it. So it reſpects time, After me, in regard of his Nativity, and exerciſe of his Miniſtry, that ye may take in the other. But now, After me; that is, In regard of his attendancy upon my Miniſtry. So it was with Chriſt, who was a hearer of John the Baptiſt. Joh. 1. 26. John anſwered them, ſaying, I baptize with water; but there ſtandeth one amongſt you, whom ye know not. There ſtandeth one amongſt you. Therefore Chriſt was one of John's followers, he ſtood amongſt John's Diſciples here. And, in the Scripture-phraſe, the followers of any Teacher, it is uſually ſaid of them, that they go after ſuch a one; becauſe the Teacher was wont to go before, and the Diſciples after, which is the proper notion of the phraſe in that place, Matth. 16. 24. Then ſaid Jeſus to his diſciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himſelf, and take up his croſſe, and follow me. The Diſciple is ſaid to come after, and to follow the Teacher. Chriſt here to come after John, becauſe he was one of his Hearers. Go we on to the next words.
He that comes after me, is preferred before me.
Namely, In regard of his worth and dignity. The Prince Chriſt preferred before John, in regard of his worth and dignity.comes after the Harbinger, and yet is preferred before him. The Word comes after the Voice, and yet is preferred before it; for it was a voice during the time of articulation, and not a word till it be articulated. Chriſt was the Prince, and John the Harbinger; Chriſt, the Sun of righteouſneſſe; and John the Morning-ſtar; Chriſt the Word, and John the Voice. Though he comes after me, he was before me. And it is reaſon he ſhould be preferred before him in dignity, becauſe he was before him in regard of his Eſſence, as being God from everlaſting to everlaſting, whoſe going forth is from all eternity. He was not onelyonly before John, but before Abraham; Joh. 8. 58. Before Abraham was, I am. Before Abraham was, yea, before the World was. Prov. 8. 25, 26. Before the mountains were ſetled, or before the hills were brought forth; while as yet he had not made the earth nor the fields, nor the higheſt part of the duſt of the world. Ye have John the Baptiſt telling us in this Chapter, verſ. 34. that he bears witneſſe to the Divinity of Chriſt; And I ſaw, and bear record, that this is the Son of God. Now this he doth in this place, He proveth, and bears record, that Chriſt is the Son of God, becauſe he was before all. That is a teſtimony of his Divinity. The ſum of all then is this, John's endeavour is, to preferre Chriſt before him; that is the thing I would have you to obſerve. And it ſhould be the care of every Believer, to prefer and exalt, and ſet up Chriſt above himſelf. He that came after me, is preferred before me, for he was before me.
John was put upon this, becauſe the people had a conceit of him, that he was the Meſſias; and therefore he made it his buſineſſe throughly to depreſſe himſelf, to exalt his Saviour. I muſt decreaſe, but he muſt encreaſe. I am the friend of the Bridegroom, but he is the Bridegroom that hath the Bride. I baptize with water, but he with the holy. Ghoſt. I am the pooreſt ſinner, but he is the Lamb of God, that taketh away the ſins of the world. It was the ſcope of his Miniſtry, to prefer Chriſt before himſelf, whom the people were apt to magnifie. And ſo Peter, Act. 3. 12, 13, 14. ſaid, Ye men of Iſrael, why marvail ye at this, or why look ye ſo earneſtly upon us, as though by our own power or holineſſe we had made this man to walk? The God of Abraham, and of Iſaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jeſus; whom ye delivered up, and denied in the preſence of Pilat, when he was determined to let him go. But ye denied the holy One, and the Juſt, and deſired a murderer to be granted unto you. The four and twenty Elders, in the Revelations, ye find them caſting down their Crowns at the feet of Chriſt, and giving all praiſe to him; Rev. 4. 10, 11. The four and twenty Elders fell down before him that ſate upon the throne, and worſhipped him that liveth for ever and ever; and caſt their crowns before the throne, ſaying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive honour, and glory, and power; for thou haſt created all things, and for thy pleaſure they are, and were created.
The more to blame are they (to make ſome Uſe of this, before I end) that either in point of Salvation, or Edification, aſcribe more to themſelves than to Chriſt, inſtead of preferring Chriſt before them, as John did. This Reproof may concern a great many of us, and, haply, more, than are well aware of it. For this is truth, that Spanhemius lately ſaid, in one of his Treatiſes, Naturaliter aliquid Pelagii, & aliquid Phariſaei in nobis habemus; We have all by nature ſomething of the Pelagian, and ſomething of the Phariſee in us. Pelagian-like, we are all apt to aſcribe too much to our own free-will; and, Phariſee-like, we are all apt to aſcribe to our ſelves the merits of our good works. What men are thoſe that maintain, that God hath given them a power to will, but the act of willing they have in themſelves? Is not this to aſcribe more to themſelves, than to God? Is it not more, actually to will what is good, than to have a power to will it. Auguſtine profeſſeth himſelf, once of opinion, That men were able of themſelves to receive the Goſpell, when it was preached; but he was converted from that errour, by that place of the Apoſtle, What haſt thou that thou haſt not received? And, O man, who hath made thee to differ? And yet a Dutch-man of late hath dared to ſay, I have made my ſelf to differ from others. Though God gives me power to will, yet to will is of my ſelf. Here is ſomething of the Pelagian. See now ſomething of the Phariſee, in thoſe that pride themſelves for their good works, with the neglect of Chriſt. Ye know what the Papiſts do, they aſcribe ſomething to their merits. They will give ſomething to Chriſt in the beginning, but the carrying on of their works they will have to themſelves. Which Biſhop againſt Perkins ſaith: A father beſtoweth a Farm upon his ſon; the ſon, by his improvement of this Farm, groweth ſo rich, as he is able to make the purchaſe of a greater Farm; which he hath not from his father, but hath purchaſed it by his own induſtry, and improvement of the ſtock which his father gave him. So, God doth at firſt beſtow a ſtock of grace upon us, ſaith he; but we, by the improvement of this grace, are able to purchaſe ſomething at God's hands. Who is the Purchaſer? whether he that layeth out the mony for what is bought, or he that gave the firſt Farm? So, Who is the Procurer of Salvation, whether Chriſt that giveth the firſt grace, or the man that hath ſo improved that grace, as to purchaſe Heaven at the hands of God? All theſe things are aſcribed to the next cauſe, not to the remore cauſe. Chriſt is the remote cauſe of ſalvation, but the man himſelf is the next cauſe of his own ſalvation and happineſs. Here the man is preferred before Chriſt. And have we not many amongſt our ſelves? Ask them, How they hope to be ſaved? Whereas there is no true anſwer in the world, but this, Chriſt in you, the hope of glory. Chriſt in me, is my hope to be ſaved: Yet their common anſwer is, They hope to be ſaved by their prayers, and duties, and good meaning, and good endeavours. What is this, but to ſet a man's ſelf above Chriſt, and to look for ſalvation by his own Performances, and not by the merits of his Saviour. Men may ſometimes have Chriſt in their mouthes, but look what their hearts run to when they think of ſalvation, that many times is their own works. It is a good ſaying of Mr. Fox, the Author of the Book of Martyrs, in a Latine Treatiſe of his, Nemo magnus eſt operando, quin Chriſtus; & qui magnus eſt, magnus eſt per fidem in illo: There is none great in works but Chriſt; and if we will be great, it muſt be by faith in him. Others, perhaps, will give you a better anſwer, to ſeem to; yet, in the iſſue, it commeth much to one: They tell you, They come to ſalvation by believing in Chriſt. But ask them, how they come to believe? Why, becauſe they find ſo much humiliation in their hearts, and dependency upon Chriſt. Here a man ſetteth up belief, whereas in the true courſe of things, good works ſhould be made out by the iſſue of faith. Here is a kind of baſtard-faith, made out as Faith to be manifeſted by works.the iſſue of good works. Certainly, good works may help faith. Faith groweth fat and well-liking, the more it putteth forth it ſelf in works of holineſſe. But it is faith laying hold upon Chriſt, that bringeth in all our comfort. Therefore he that will go the other way to work, muſt ſettle himſelf on Chriſt by faith. He that was mighty in Peter to the circumciſion, was mighty in me to the uncircumciſion. Chriſt was mighty in Paul, and mighty in Peter, they had great ſucceſſe in their miniſtry; but, Whom do they thank for it? Chriſt, and not themſelves. As Joab did, when they had taken Rabbah, 2. Sam. 12. 27. He ſent meſſengers to David, ſaying, I have fought againſt Rabbah, and have taken the city of waters. Now therefore gather the reſt of the people together, and encamp againſt the City, and take it; leſt I take the City, and it be called by my name. Joab had taken a great deal of pains in the ſervice, but he would have his Maſter David to have all the honour. So, whatſoever pains a Miniſter, or any other, hath taken in the work of God; he muſt take heed of ſetting up himſelf: now caſt in for Chriſt, let him have all the praiſe. There is a Rabbah taken, when a man is converted, a fort taken out of the Devills hands; who ſhall have the praiſe, the Miniſter? no, but the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, that giveth the ſucceſſe. Joab he fought, and took the City, but Joab was David's ſervant, therefore David muſt have the praiſe; All the ability, and grace, that thou haſt laid out in this ſervice, they are Chriſt's, therefore not to be aſcribed to thee. Thou canſt not go one ſtep, before Chriſt comes in to thy aſſiſtance; Joab bringeth the work to perfection, and yet David abſent a great way off. The Lord Jeſus Chriſt is alwayes preſent, with any that do a good work; therefore, all the praiſe is to be given to him. When Peter drew up the multitude of fiſh, doth he ſacrifice to his owne Net? no, but he giveth the glory of it to the Lord Chriſt; though it was Peters net, and Peters hand that drew up the net, yet it was not Peters ſtrength. Therefore, give to the Lord all the praiſe, that ſo we may preferre Chriſt before all, as John the Baptiſt did.