TO THE RIGHT honourable THE house of LORDS ASSEMBLED IN PARLIAMENT. MY LORDS, YOur Honours were then Princes in sackcloth, and it was one argument of your humbled spirits, that your Honours gave so gracious entertainment to so poor a messenger. I omitted something while I spake before you, that I might invite your Honours to hear. And I have added a little now, that I may invite your Honours to read. The Lord keep your Honours humble in the midst of all your successses, that your hearts may not be lifted up upon the great things that God hath done by you, and for you. think on the poor Church of Christ, and hasten the settling of some government, that the Foxes may be taken that destroy the Vines. think on those that perish for want of knowledge, and thrust out more Labourers into the Vineyard; Yea, think on those that labour in the vineyard, and let them have their double honour. The God of heaven strengthen your Honours hearts and hands, that you may continue to contend for truth and peace, and in the seeking of both, honour God, that God may honour you, and increase your Honours. I am my Lords, The meanest and weakest, but a faithful servant to your Honours in Christ, DANIEL EVANCE. The Noble order, Or, The Honour, that God doth to them that Honour Him. Delivered In a Fast Sermon before the House of Lords, Upon 1 SAM. 2.30. For them, that Honour me, will I Honour. THe map and draft of that Story, § 1. The Connexion the Text with the story. whereof this Text is a but spot, Is[ Beginning at the 1● vers. Vsque. ad finem capitis. Gods judicial process against Ely and his House.] Ely was now advanced to the Priesthood, and the priesthood( it seems) Ver 30. entailed by promise upon his House for ever. While the family stood in this posture, and service of Honour, the office was abused; Ver. 12 Usque ad 18. Ver. 22, Usque ad 25. partly by the sins of Elyes sons, and partly by Elyes own sin; By his sons chiefly, in the looseness of their lives; and yet by Ely too, in the looseness of his discipline. Upon this delinquency Ely is committed to the black Rod; and a Bill of Attainder preferred against him by Verse 27. A man of God, that came unto him in the name of the Lord. From the 27 ver. Usque ad 30 The charge lights heavy upon Ely, and is aggravated against him from swelling circumstances;[ Gods benefits, Elyes Advancement, the dignity of his office and Priesthood, the abuse of all, suffering his sons, So called ver. 12. those sons of Belial, to go unpunished, which God calls The kicking at His Sacrifice, and at His offerings, and the preferring of his sons before him, vers. 29. According to this high charge God proceeds to sentence against him, Verse 30. vers. 30. [ Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith, I said indeed, that thy house, and the house of thy father should walk before m for ever: But now thus faith the Lord, Be it far from me, §. 2. The Analysis of the whole verse, in which the Text lies. For them that honour me, will I honour.] In the whole verse, there are these three things considerable. Heb. dicendo dixeram. Planè proposueram G●otius. 1. Elyes enstallment, or a large grant of honour to Ely and his house for ever: [ I said indeed, that thy House, and the house of thy Father should walk before me for ever] Decreveram onminò, ita statueram: Vatablus,& Peter Mar●yr, promisi olim Francis de Mendoc. J said it, Heb. I saying, said it; i.e. I certainly said it; I plainly said it; I decreed it; or, I promised it; you may take it in what sense you will; But what was it, that God said, or decreed, or promised? It was a large, and noble grant, that Ely and his House should Ambularent coram me, i.e. fungerentur officio summi sacerdotis, Vatablus, Peter Martyr, &c. Non patitur Iustitia mea ut sacerdotium vobis diutiùs permittam. Pet. Mart. walk before him for ever; i.e. In one word, that the priesthood should continue in Elyes house, as long as that worship lasted. 2. Elyes degrading, or Gods revoking of this promise: the white staff is taken from him; [ But now, thus saith the Lord, be it far from me.] But now, i.e. since you and your sons have abused yourselves, and abused the Priesthood— Be it far from me, i.e. The priesthood shall not continue in your house, though I once said it. 3. Gods Reason, or His ground of proceeding against Ely in this severity; And that lies in the words of the text, [ For, them, that honour me, will I honour.] I have nothing to do with the Context, § 3. The Connexion of the text with the immediate Context. farther then it may contribute some light and assistance to the Text; This is clear by the first particle [ For] that the words stand in some Connexion and affinity with that which went immediately before; And so they are, the Ground or Reason of Gods repealing of a grand ordinance which was made for the settling of the Priesthood upon Ely and his house for ever. I said indeed, &c. But now— &c. For them, &c. The Ordinances indeed, that are made in the highest Courts on earth, are subject to repeals. But a man would wonder, that any thing, which the unchangeable God hath once said, or decreed, or promised, should ever be called in, and cancelled. I have but this one knot to untie, as I pass from the Context to the Text, and the Resolving of it will open a door for us into the words, and then wee enter. §. 4. The propounding of a great doubt which lies in the Context. But i● easily resolved by the text. Quaere. How can God be said to say and unsay?[ I said indeed that Ely and his House should walk before me, but Now, be it far from me.] Is not this J, and No? or, may it not argue a kind of change in Gods will? Resp. Vorstius is both a knave and a fool in this point, who in stead of untying this knot, quiter cuts it; And, that he might secure the Arminian from Blasphemy, audaciously makes himself the blasphemer— in that detestable conclusion, That in parte aliquâ divini decreti fieri all quam mutationem. V●rst. de Deo. there may be some change made in some part of Gods will. An Assertion to be accursed with the Anathema of every soul, that professeth itself Christian. Aquinas, and the schools are sound, but subtle, who affirm, that[ though God never changeth his will, yet he may will the change of some things;] Voluntas Dei est omnino immutabilis, said aliud est mutare voluntatem,& aliud est velle. Aliquarum rerum mutationem, Aq. part. 1 a. Q 19. Art. 7. R●vocat sententiam, ipse non mutatur. Peter Martyr, Others speak more plainly[ God may change the Sentence which he hath pronounced, but never the council which he hath decreed;] and therefore God is not changed, when the sentence is changeable, because God hath unchangeably decreed with himself, what shall be changed in order to us. The common stream of our best Interpreters gives us the fullest satisfaction:[ the Decrees of God, they are not all of them absolutely definite, but many of them are conditional,] and though the Condition be not always expressed, yet it is to be understood of course; And such was the promise, that was here made to Ely, or the decree concerning Ely in order to the Priesthood: Decreta Dei non omnia sunt absolutè definita, said multa conditionem in sc●contin●nt, Quâ deficiente deficiunt, Grotius. It could not bee absolute, because it was not fulfilled, and therefore it was but conditional. This would be noted in the point, and the knot is loose. Non absolut●, 〈◇〉 n●● f●●●● Rei●sâ ●●pleta, or ● conditio●●ta. Francist. de Mendoc. 1. There are some promises, which are partly absolute, and partly conditional: As for example; The promise of bringing the Israelites to Canaan, In respect of the Nation, it was an absolute promise, And therefore at length really accomplished. But in respect of every particular Isralite it had an implicit condition, viz. if they believed and obeied. And therefore the most of them dyed in the wilderness because of there murmuring. 2. There are some promises which are absolutely expressed, But yet they are made upon condition, and are so to be understood: As some threatenings are made upon condition of impenitency, so are some promises upon condition of obedience. [ jonah. 3.4. Yet forty dayes and Nineveh shall be destroyed;] The threatening seems to be absolute and definite, And yet to be understood with this reserve, unless Nineveh Repent. And so for promises.[ Gen. 6.3. Yet his dayes shal be an hundred& twenty yeares.] Vid annotat. in bibl. folio. vid. Fra●cisc. de Mendoc. in 1. Sam. 2 30. It is a promise or grant to the old world, of so many yeares space of Repentance before the flood should come: And interpriters observe, that God cut short the promise about twenty yeares, because the wickedness of man was great upon the Earth; For Compare Gen 6.3. w●th Gen. 7.6. Noah was five hundred yeares old when the promise was made,& but six hundred, when the flood came: And therefore, There was an implicit condition, Though the promise was expressed absolutely 3. To put all out of Question; The case is clear concerning the point in hand; That, Though Gods Decree concerning Elye seemed to be most absolute[ I said indeed, that thy House should walk before me for ever] Yet, That God intended a condition is most plain; Not only by Gods revoaking of the promise [ But now, Be it far from me;] But because God adds the condition in the words of the Text, And adds it as the reason, why he did Revoake the promise.[ For them, that Honour me will I Honour.] Which is as if God had said: When I said it concerning the House of Ely, That the priesthood should continue in his House for ever, It was but upon condition, That They should Honour me in the priesthood: But Ely and his Sons dishonoured me in the Office; And therefore be it far from me, For them, that Honour me, will I Honour. § 5. The full resolving of the d●ubt. The sum of all comes to this: [ God holds still to his principles, or to that Decree which is unchangeable] I will Honour them, that Honour me. And therefore if Ely be casheird, when God said he should walk before him, It is not because God is changeable, but because his Decree is unchangeable: Ely dishonours God in his Office; And therefore God casheirs Ely; And God is still at his own principle; For them that Honour me will I Honour. But I have kept you too long in the Suburbs and outworks of the Text; It is high time now to enter: The Text itself( without any mangling or breaking) I shall take up in the mass and Lump; §. 6. The text laid cut for handling. And only present it to you under a double Notion. 1. As the particular ground of Gods proceeding against Ely to degrade him from the priesthood. 2. As the general rule of Gods intentions towards all in the point of Honour. The first takes-in the Connexion of the Text with the story in the first particle [ For.] The second takes up the Text by itself. As the general and perpetual rule of Honour. For, Them that Honour me I will Honour. 1. If you consider the words As a particular ground of Gods proceeding against Ely. §. 7. Th● text handled as a g ound of flies degrading. To sequester him and his House for ever from the priests office, So there are three things implyed. 1. God Honoured Ely and his House in advancing them to the office of the priesthood. 2. God expected, That Ely and his House should Honour him in that place of Honour. 3. God declares, Iusta illa Judicia Chald. paraph. That his proceedings against them, because they did not Honour him, were just and equal from this principle, For them that Honour me, will I Honour. I meddle not with these observations severally, because they do but border on the text, and are rather implyed then expressed; And yet I must discourse them over in a general way, gliding out of one into the other, that you may have a smack and taste of all. It must needs be an honourable service to be employed for God; Let the service bee never so mean, 1. point. yet if it be for God, it is honourable. If it bee no more, then to be a doorkeeper in the house of God; to hue wood, or to draw water; yet, if it bee for God, it is a place of honour. Wee are wont to say, [ No service to the service of a King.] The honour and greatness of a Lord and Master reflects with Honour upon the lowest, and meanest servant in the family; I had almost said, the Kings fool hath a place of honour, because he hath a King to his master; And therefore what a shine of honour, glitters upon them that are ennobled to this exceeding great dignity, to have dependence upon, and attendance on the great Jehovah? David thought it a greater honour to style himself the servant of God, then the King of Israel: and Paul( as an Apostle) to serve Christ, then( as a Pharisee) to bee called Rabbi. To serve, is a kind of Diminution in itself; But to be a servant to some Masters, is a greater honour, then to be a Freeman. There are three things that make any service honourable; If wee serve an honourable Master, if we serve in an honourable employment, and if wee serve upon honourable terms. Now there is no man that is employed for God, but all these beams of honour, they meet together and mingle their strength, to guild over that man with the highest state of Honour. The master that you serve is a great Lord, and the service that you do is the best service, because done for such a master; And the Reward you shall have is according to the greatness of your master, and according to the honour of your service. My Lords, it was an honour for Ely, that he was a priest in Gods house; and it is an honour to you, that God hath made you Rulers in Israel. The Scripture makes it a periphrasis of the dignity of Kings[ They shall walk in and out before their people.] And God Records it, as the honour, which he did to Ely, that he had said it concerning his house,[ that they should walk before him.] It is a Kings honour, that he walks before his people, but it is the honour of them that are employed in any service for God, that they walk before God. It was a queen, that blessed those servants, that stood before King Solomon, but it is a God, that blesseth those Princes, that stand before the God of Solomon. Now, where God bestows most honour, there God requires most service; If God honour Ely with the priesthood, Ely must honour God in it. We are wont to say [ Honos onus.] And it is most true here; If God advance to the Service of honour, God requires the honour of service; It is this that makes the state of honour so epilepticall, so slippery, and tottering, and unstable at the highest, because there is a burden of service, a weight of duty that lies on it; And if the honourable become unserviceable, truly they are the greatest fools in Israel. The salt, when it hath lost its savour, is the honourable when they become unserviceable; That salt is good for nothing but the dunghill, and that Honour is fit for nothing but the dust; If God make it the Law of honour on his part, to honour them that honour him; How much more is it the law of Honour on mans part, to honour God in the places of Honour that God hath exalted man too? The Nest of honour is so high built, that the bide in it thinks it shall never be cast down; But while Belshazar is in the pride of his greatness, the kingdom may be numbered, and the King weighed, Dan 5.25. and the Principality divided, and given to the Meads and Persians. It is Grace only that perpetuates Honour, but sin degrades it; There is a Moth( my Lords) that can feed upon Scarlet, and eat thorough furs; And the Text tells u●, that sin will[ {αβγδ}, Septuagint. ] Exininate honour, and turn it into dust and nothing; You have Cabinets and Caskets for your Jewels and Treasures, but a mans name, a mans honour is not in his own keeping. Honor est in honorant. Wee are wont to say, Honour is in him that honours; And how easy is it for that God,( who is the Commander of hearts) to make him to be despised among the people that despiseth God? Du●ante benè placito. Gods Patents and Grants of honour, they are not perpetual, but during his pleasure only; And if God say concerning a person, He shall walk before me; Quam diu been se gesserit. It is said with a reserve, If he walk before me. It was the honour that God put upon Ely, that he said concerning him and his house [ they shall walk before me] and it was the duty that God expected from Ely, that they should indeed walk before him in that office of Honour. Though Ely was settled by a promise in the priesthood, yet God had the Condition in his own bosom; And because Ely and his sons dishonour God, they are all cashiered, For them, that honour me, will I honour. And this is the Relative account of the words( as they stand in Connexion with the story) and are given as a ground of Elyes degrading. II. To the words themselves, §. 8. The words took up by themselves, and considered as the general rule of Honour. Illud signum universale est. Francisc. de Mendoc. and so they are[ The general Rule of Gods intentions towards all, in the point of honour;] Calculated they are most properly( as they stand here) for the Meridian of the High Priesthood, but yet may serve for the general Latitude of all eminency whatsoever. For God says [ Them] them that honour me; And this Them is such an universal, as takes in all, and excludes none. I must not Rack nor Torture the words, but shall present them to you in their own Native beauty and fullness. 1. At distance, in their general Prospect. 2. At hand, in a stricter survey; I would first carry you to the top of Pisgay, that you might take a view of this good Land, and then bring you within the borders, that you may taste the milk and honey. 1. §. 9. The handling of the words, considered a part by themselves without their connexion, in their general Notion. If you stand at distance, and( as it were) upon the Hill-topp, there are these four faire Prospects, that present themselves at the first cast to every eye. And you may call them( if you will) so many general observations, that offer themselves willingly without vexing of the words at all. 1. Prospect. I. An excellent connexion between An implicit duty, An explicit rewa d. I observe here an execellent connexion betwixt service required and the reward promised; God hath no intent at all to be served by his Creature for nought; If the service be but once hinted,[ Them that honour me] the reward is expressed in terminis[ J will honour] Gods precepts are still waited upon by promises; Yea, His precepts are but subservient to his promises; God Commands that he may promise; And would have obedience, That he may perform blessedness to the Creature, whom he loves; And therefore as the precept comes forth( like Esau) there is a promise, which( like the hand of Jacob) takes hold on the heel of it, do but honour me, and I will honour. It is the peculiar Genius of that disposition, which we call bounty, to reward services, and that with a liberal and full hand, above the level, and nature of the service; And therefore this is that, which triumphs most in Gods nature,( who is the fountain of bounty) that he can not brook such a contradiction to himself, as to be served for nought. Said I unto the seed of Jacob, seek ye me in vain? Esay. 45.19. It is a {αβγδ}, When a rich sense and meaning is put into low and mean words; And it results to this; I never said it, I never exacted it of jacob or his seed, That they should serve me gratis; If I require service of jacob, it is for his own advantage, and not mine; And therefore Jacob shall never seek me in vain; That of our Saviour answers to this, Math. 10.42. Verily J say unto you, he shall not loose his reward, The meaning is not, that he shall have something, or that he shall have that which shall be as good to him as his Cup of could water, but that he shall be richly and abundantly rewarded; Pro. 11.18. Solomon calls it [ mercedem certam] a sure reward; Psa 19.11. And David[ mercedem valde magnam] an exceeding great reward. The point is obvious; It is as impossible to affirm it of the Creature ( as he is a Creature) that he can serve God for nought, as to affirm it of God,( as he is God) that he must not be served; The benefits that are already in hand, besides the blessings that are in bank, do infinitely outvye, and overbid all the endeavours and service of the Creature whatsoever. There is no man, but he hath more about him in his present engagements and obligations to God, then he will be able to answer in his best services, though he should live out his eternity here; And then add a Christians reversions to his present possessions, and it may be red running, that God is not beholden to the Creature for any work or service, that is done to him. There is nothing, that the Creature can bestow on God, but might be exacted upon a bare Command; And yet God adds the promise, when he presseth the precept; Not as a debt on Gods part; Psa, 11.7. Amore redundante in personam. Nor yet, as desert and merit on ours; But because the righteous God loveth righteousness, and would have the world filled with righteousness, therefore Hosea. 11.4. he draws us on with the Cords of a man, And spurs us up to duty by the promise. These two are at great distance; the Love, that God hath to righteousness, and the enmity, that man hath to righteousness; And therefore that God might win man to the love of that which himself loves,[ even therefore because God loves whom he loveth] God is fain to bait the book, when he would catch the fish, and to hang the promise upon the precept, that the Creature may be won to obedience. II An excellent order. 2. Prospect. I observe here an excellent order; God first hints the service, and then expresseth the reward, first he requires the service of honour in that phrase [ them that honour me] and then he grants the reward of honour[ I will honour.] The great God must stand upon his own prerogative; And Gods prerogative is to be served first, and served simply, even therefore because the great God requires service, Though God will not be served for nought, and therefore makes large promises; Yet he will not be served because of the promise, but because of the precept, and therefore that goes first. It is the devil, that makes bargains with his vassals, to hire them to his service, {αβγδ}, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me, Math. 4.9. But though God makes many promises to them, that serve him, yet he never makes any bargains with them. It is not Gods contract with his people, to honour them, that honour him, But Gods gratuitye; And therefore in all the obedience, that is done to God, a Christian must first eye the Command, and then the promise. It is not denied, but I may look upon the promise as a motive, as an encouragement, as an obligation, as an occasion to duty and obedience; But not as the end, and cause, and ground of my obedience, I may have respect to the recompense of reward. So had Moses; Heb. 11.26. But to seek Christ because of the Loaves, is to respect the Loaves more then Christ, or as much as Christ, and that is rotten. It is an argument of a base and unworthy spirit, to serve for ends; If it were no more but in the service of man, or in the service of the state, it is most odious and distasteful. For a captain to fight, that he may divide the spoil, or for a Minister to comply with Covenants and Ordinances, that he may save his own, or creep higher. It is hist at by those, that serve God in their generation, and therefore much more, To serve the great God for ends, is an abomination not to bee name among Christians. The devil thought to have locked Job upon that hip. job 1.9. Does Job fear God for nought? i. e. In the Devills sense; Job had a bias in what he did, and was carried on in the strength and sweetness of selfe-respects to serve God; And truly, if the liar could have made that good, Job had been an hypocrite indeed: Those that serve God upon such terms, they are not servants, but slaves; And truly, those that prove servile, they can never prove serviceable. It is merchandizing with God, and not obedience, to serve God, that I may serve myself; I am never at the pitch of sincerity, till I see enough in God himself to have him as my exceeding rich reward, and to account upon my strength to work, as my best wages. When it comes once to this queen, that the Beauties of God, and the pleasantness of his ways, and the Holinesse of his Will, and the equity of his laws, are the Arguments, and the wages, that hire me to his service. I may cry[ {αβγδ}] I have found that which my soul longs for: Otherwise, to be carried out to the service of God upon a leering bias, it argues a base, and foreign spirit: as sin is punishment enough unto itself, though there were no other punishment[ to do evil were Hell sufficient, if there were no Hell to come after.] So to do good, is reward enough unto itself, if the heart be gracious. III. An excellent style put upon th●●ervice of the creature. III. Prospect. I observe next, An excellent style put upon the service of the Creature; It is called here[ the honouring of God] so the style runs, Them that honour me. You may take it up, 1. As a character of duty. 2. As a motive to duty. 1. If you consider it as the character of duty, the Conclusion is strong; That this is the stamp which God hath set upon that obedience, which is of account with him, The Creature must honour him in the service that is done to him: A man may be abundant in service, and yet not honour God at all: A strict observer of the whole Law in the letter of obedience, and yet God may pled with such a man, as he did with those Priests in Malachy, Where's mine Honour? Malach. 1.6. It is not the doing of those things that are commanded us, but the doing of every thing commanded as the Lord our God hath commanded us, which is the right Key of obedience; Deut. 6 25. It shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these Commandements before the Lord our God, as he hath commanded us. And, unless I can reach that key, I may bestow all my Goods upon the poor, and I may give my body to be burned. And if any thing can be said higher, you may say on, and yet when all is done, God is not honoured in all, and therefore All will profit me nothing. It is not the [ opus operatum] the work done, that can redound with honour upon God, but the manner of performing what is done, is that, which pays in the tribute of honour that is due to God in duty; When I do all, that I do, as unto God, then God is honoured in what I do. When my principles and motives, and ends are right[ if I fast, I fast unto God, or if I regard a day I regard it unto the Lord; Or if I keep a passeover, I prepare myself to seek the Lord in that Ordinance, this is indeed to honour God in all I do. The very same work, and service may lie on divers hands, and yet God may be honoured in the one, and not in the other; Nay one man may be more in the service, and yet less in the honour, that redounds unto God by such a service, then another man, that does less. The poor Mite, that was cast into the treasury, honoured God more then the Talent. And though Jehu was as furious to cut of the whole race of Ahab, Est qui confitetur Deo, quia potens est; est, quoniam sibi bonus est; est, quia simpliciter bonus est, primus servus est,& Timet; Secundus mercenari●●, et cupit sibi; Tertius filius est,& diligit patrem. Qui de amore non venit honor, non honor est, said adulatio Bernard. as the greatest zealot for Reformation, yet God was not in all his thoughts: Every man would pretend service to God, but one serves him, because he is great; And another because he is good to them; And another because he is good in himself; The first is a slave, and serves him for fear; The second is an hireling, and serves him for wages; The third is a Son,& serves him for love, and this only is the man, that honours God; Then I honour God in my service when I serve God for love; Otherwise the service, which does not spring from love, is not honour but flattery, or a formal fawning. The sum of all comes to this love must first crown God, and set him on the Throne; i.e. I must do all purely and primarily in obedience& honour to his majesty, and then Moses his recompense of reward[ our subordinate desires of heaven and glory] may be suffered to stand at the right hand; And if you will, those terrors of the Lord( by which Paul would persuade men [ our fears of Hell and the avoiding of the wrath to come] may be suffered to stand on the left hand; But Jehu's crown, that paltry crown, of all other ends and references[ our eye to present wages and returns in order to self] must lie at the footstool; self ends are so base in themselves, and dangerous in the consequence, that they must scarce have the lowest room in order to service; The Cognizance or Badge of the faithful fervant, is to do all for his Masters honour, and to count himself then most honoured, when he can do any thing to honour God; And therefore that's the man, that hath the [ Euge bone] well done good and faithful; Thou hast honoured me, and I'll honour thee. II. You may consider it, as a motive to duty, that the service, which God requires of the Creature is here called the honouring of God;[ Them that honour me.] We are wont to say[ honour is a great spur to virtue. Laud●t aque virtus cr●sci●& immensum gl●ria calcar habet; Ovid. ] i. e. the honour, that follows upon gracious activity, is some G●ade to service; But my thinks( beloved) it is the greatest obligation to duty, that can be, that the great God should account himself honoured by those that serve him: Nay I think, it is a great deal more, that God says he is honoured by them that serve him, then that God says he will honour them that serve him. What Paul speaks of Christs love, it doth {αβγδ}, is more true of the gracious esteem which God hath of the service of the Creature, it does {αβγδ}, compel and constrain the Creature to service. We are wont to calculate the greater nobility for him that gives, then for him that receives: Prestantius est dare quam accipere. I dare not say, Acts. 10.35. {αβγδ}. that the Creature can give any thing to God, but what hath been received first from him; But yet this I must say, that God is pleased to put that nobility upon service, as to take that as a gift of honour from the Creature, which God strengtheners the Creature to perform. The Question will be, whether Mordecai or Mordecai was the better man? Mordecai in the service that he did the King, or Mordecai in the honour, that the King did him? do but consult that well, and you will not be long out of service. God hath but two Cords to draw you; And either of them are strong enough to prevail with you, to List yourselves under his service. If you will do nothing upon the promise, that God will honour you, Yet do something, because God says, you will honour him. believe it, it is the service of Angells to honour God; And what would you be employed in, if you refuse the work of Angells? Nay it is your service in Heaven to honour God, and how will you endure Heaven for Eternity, if you are loathe to begin your Heaven here. He beg no more, Bee but as hearty contented to have as good thoughts of the service, which you may do to God, as God is willing to have of your service, and you will not be out of the List long. God says you will honour him; And I can not but judge, that your hearts are ready to echo to it. I would honour him. And truly if you will not serve the great God upon these terms, that he says, you'l honour him, I must give you over for Malignants against God, as those who have no mind to honour him. IV. An excellent proport●on, between the se 'vice required and the reward promi ed. IV. Prospect. I observe here, an excellent proportioin betwixt the service of the Creature, and Gods reward; Here is honour for honour; And here is contempt for contempt;[ Them, that honour me, will I honour, and them that despise me, shall be lightly esteemed.] Exod. 21.24, &c. God Commands it as a law to Magistrates,[ that there should be an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth; Burning for burning, and wound for wound, and stripe for stripe, and life for life:] And if God impose this upon Magistrates, it is because it is Gods law of parity in his own Court. {αβγδ},& {αβγδ}. Rom. 2. Rev. 22, The rule of Gods rendrings to the Creature, is according to our works, and as every mans work is. And God keeps a double proportion according unto this rule. 1. A proportion[ in respect of kind and quality] if the work be good, and God be honoured, here's honour for honour: If the work be evil, and God be despised, here's contempt for contempt; {αβγδ}. Whether it be good( says the Apostle) or whether it be bad, every man shall receive according to what he hath done, 2. Cor. 5.10. The evil of sin shall have the evil of punishment, and the good of obedience shall have the good of reward; God must be like himself[ to hate and love,] to hate that which is against his Essence, and to love that which is according to his nature. And after this proportion, and from these principles God gives our to every man[ Thunderbolts of displeasure upon them that hate him, Exod. 20.5 6. and showers of love, upon them that love him.] There are some that follow the Lord fully, and there are others that do not fulfil after him; And according to this, the Scripture speaks of 2 Epist. John 8. {αβγδ}. a full reward, and of an half reward. God is not such a niggard of his bounty, but he will reward every man that does him service, and yet God is not so prodigal of his bounty, but that he will keep to his own proportion still[ to reward every man in kind] according to the service that is done to him. Common Graces shall have but common favours, and temporary obedience, but a temporal reward. Christ speaks it Math 6.2.5 16. {αβγδ}. 2. Cor. 5 10. more then once of them whom he brands for Hypocrites, that they have their reward: It is Gods bounty, that an Hypocrite hath[ {αβγδ}] a Reward, but it is the proportion that God keeps in his bounty, that an Hypocrite hath but[ {αβγδ}] an Hypocrites reward; Jehu and Ahab, and Nineveh may be Rewarded for their obedience and zeal, and repentance, and the like; And so may Aristides or Cyrus be rewarded for their Justice, or Bias and Diogines for their contempt of the creature, or Codrus and Regulus, for their love to their country. God can as well afford it to reward an Heathen with outward blessings for his moral honesty, as to reward a Christian for his temporary and hypocritical services. There is no man( I suppose) who calls himself Christian, that would bee contented to go away with an Heathens reward, or an Hypocrites reward; And therefore our service must be of an higher strain, or we can never expect better wages, because God keeps still to his [ quid pro quo] Honour for honour. It is a lamentable reward, when God says concerning a man, He hath his reward, i.e. he hath all that I owe him, and all that he can claim of me; It is a sign that God is resolved with himself, To give us no more then our service comes to, and that must needs be a lamentable reward, which is proportioned to our service; It is as if God should say to the Pharisee, John 12 43. Thou shalt have the praise of men, but thou shalt never have Rom. 2 29. {αβγδ}. that praise which is of God; Or, as if God should say to Jehu, Thou shalt have the kingdom of Ahab for four generations, 1 Kong. 21.29. but thou art a Reprobate and cast-away from Gods kingdom, and that for ever; or, as if God should say to Ahab, The evil shall not come in thy dayes, but, it shall come in thy sons dayes, to ruin it in the root and branches for a final extirpation. Such rewards are no better then the rewards of wrath, and the rewards that God gives in wrath, are the sharpest punishments.[ quails and wrath, are a great deal worse then no quails.] The sum of all comes to this, God will not be baffled by the creature; he that serves God with such Graces as are not sound and real, God will reward him with such blessings as are not solid and substantial. Something we would be Huckstering for God, or rather trucking for ourselves, and therefore we afford him a little temporary and formal obedience, and that's all that the most do for him; And something God would bee doing for such, by way of requital[ because he will not be beholding to the creature.] They shall have some honour, and some blessings, and some rewards from him, as superficial and slight as their service is, and that's all. Gods Lex talionis is as firm as the laws of the Meads and Persians. He that gives God the outside without inward affections, God will give him the reward without love: As we sever the heart from obedience, so God severs his love from the reward. 2. Luk 12 47, 48. {αβγδ}. A proportion[ in respect of measure and degree.] The general rule in order to eternal rewards and punishments holds the proportion;[ As our works have been better or worse, so shall our joys in Heaven, or our pains in Hell be more or less.] The gospel speaks of many stripes, and fewer stripes, according as the servant sins wilfully, or sins ignorantly: of an hotter hell, and of an hell that is more Math. 12 24. {αβγδ} tolerable, according as Caepernaaum exceeds sodom and Gomorrah in sin. Of Math. 24.51. {αβγδ}. a portion with hypocrites as the reward of great sinners, and of ● Cor 4.17. {αβγδ}. a weight of glory, as the reward of great sufferers. As there are many mansions in Heaven, so there are John 1●. 2. {αβγδ}. Quod dicit mullas esse mansiónes, non abud est, quám veria beatitud nis participatio. Brug●ns. in loc. many mansions in Hell, Degrees of glory, and degrees of torment. Si dispar retributio in illâ aeteraâ beatitudine non esset una potius mansio quàm multae essent. Greg. This is the exactness of that Divine Justice which triumphs in God, that he will measure to every man exactly, according to the measure they meet to him; God will not only observe a proportion in kind, but a due proportion in degrees too,[ not only honour for honour, but the more service, the more honour.] The greater that your toil and trials have been in your labour of love, the sweeter shall your rest and repose be in the Luk. 16. bosom of Abraham; yea, the more that your zeal, and pains, and travel hath been improved for God and for his Honour, the greater shall your glory be in Heaven and your honour here. Those that are Pillars to the tottering Church here, they shall be Apoc. 3.12. Pillars in the Church triumphant hereafter; and those that establish the Throne of Christ on earth, they shall sit upon Math. 19.28. thrones to judge his enemies. There is a right hand, and a left hand in the kingdom of Heaven; And there are some that shall shine with the brightness of the sun, while others shall but shine with the brightness of the firmament, Dan. 12 3. It is but working the harder while the day lasts, and when the night comes you shall have the sweeter rest, and the better wages. he that sows his grain, does not only look for the same in kind, but for a proportion of increase according to what he sows too; If you sow liberally, you shall reap liberally. Whether you sow passively or sow actively, whether you be doing, or whether you bee suffering for the cause of Christ, whatsoever you sow, that you shall reap, and as liberally as you sow, so shall you reap also. If you be doing, Phil. 4.17. it shall farther your reckoing, and {αβγδ}. 2 Cor. 4 17. abound to your account in the day of Christ; And if you be suffering every dram of sorrow and affliction,( if it be but {αβγδ}) it shall add the Apostles {αβγδ}, to your {αβγδ}, i. e. the least suffering and affliction for Christ shall add more weight to your glory, to make it a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Wee have as yet been but( as it were) upon the hill top, to take a prospect of the Text at distance, § 10. The text considered in a closer survey. to make way for the ●aine proposition. I shall now bring you within the borders, and give you a short survey of all. The words briefly in their pro[er platform are Gods highway to honour, or the rightway to true honour, delivered in one short maxim or rule of honour by God himself, [ Them that honour me, will I honour.] The Heathen Orator saw thus far into nature, Omnes mortales honorem exoptant, ignominiam metuunt. Cicero. Tusc. {αβγδ}, Arist. Rhet. lib. 1. that it left an impression upon the hearts of all to be [ Honoris avidi] greedy of honour; It is a game that all fly at, and yet the honour that most seek, is but the shadow, and not Juno; In stead of their Goddesse, they do but Ovid. Ixion-like catch at a cloud, and that's all. It was pitty, that those Heathen knew not God, who made Arist. Eth. Honour the effect of goodness, and laid the rule as close to virtue, Cicero Tusc. as the shadow to the body. Certainly if they had known the true God, they would have sought after the true honour. If the Philosopher, and the Orator, and the Poet, and the Historian, do entail honour upon virtue and goodness, I may well say that such Christian-heathen will rise up in judgement against our Ragan Christians, who would be honourable and not good, and not virtuous. The Egyptian Hyeroglyphick painted honour between humility and labour, and therefore what a mons●er of honour would that be among Christians, if the honourable should be found between pride and idleness; Plutarch. And we red of the Romans, that they observed this order in the building of their Temples, that he that would go to the Temple of honour, he must pass thorough the Temple of virtue, and therefore let it never be name among us, that there is a passage found to that Temple, thorough the Temple of Venus, and the Temple of Bacchus, or the Temple of Ceres. A rise to Honour by lust and luxury, and intemperance and oppression, the only baine and choak-ball to Honour. Every man would be upon the wing to fly after this game, but the most men they have but waxed wings that melt and fail them, when they are most upon the speed after it. joh. 12.43. Numb. 22.17. It is not men that can help the Pharisee to honour, nor is it Satan that can help Balaam to honour; Nor can Achitophel promote Absalom; nor yet Babel itself raise the builder. When all's done, there is but one Temple of honour, and there is but one Gate to that Temple; i.e. But one kind of true honour, and but one way to that honour. Our Saviour tells us, that true Honour, is the Honour which John 5.14 comes from God alone; And the text tells us, that the way to that, is to honour God; For them, that honour me, I will honour. The words are but one proposition, and so I take them up immediately. Doct. Them that honour God, God will honour. §. 11. The main Proposition in the text, which is the text itself. The terms of the proposition are easy and obvious. Here's honour and honour, God and the Creature, The Creature honouring God, and God honouring the Creature. Materialiter accipitur pro co, quod exhibetur, &c. The schools would but puzzle the Pulpit, if I should tell you of their materiality and formality in the distinction of honour. Formaliter pro ipsa protestatione dignitatis, &c. The Hebrew copy hath enough in it to explain all. The original, that is here translated Honour, in the roote signifies[ Heavy or ponderous] because that which we honour and respect, {αβγδ} In Kal significat g●ave esse, siue& engrave scere in pi●l honora●e Quia quos honoramus non habemus viles aut leves, said eorum autoritatis pondus suscipimus. Rivets. wee look upon it as a thing that hath weight and substance in it; And therefore the Apostle calls the glorious estate of the Saints in heaven [ pondus gloriae] a weight of glory, 2 Cor. 4.17. It is the same word that is used in the fift Commandement [ Honour thy father] i. e. Thou shalt look upon thy father, as upon a person of weight and worth, whom thou art bound highly to reverence and esteem. And therefore, if you mind the antithesis in the text, that which is made opposite to Honour, {αβγδ} Parvi aut nullius ponderis fuit. Per metaphoram levis, vilis fuit, In piel maledixit blasphemavit. Is called [ despising] But them that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. The word is full of elegancy both in the Hebrew and the Septuagint, and is translated sometimes to despise and contemn, or to make nothing of, and sometimes again to curse and blaspheme; So that the word properly signifies such a despising of a thing or person, as makes him ready to curse it in his heart, or such a cursing, as ariseth from the contempt and light esteem that I have of a thing or person. Septu. {αβγδ}. ab {αβγδ}. nihili facio. consul Iud. v. 8. {αβγδ} est {αβγδ} In the 20th of Lev. ver. 9. it is translated Cursing, every one that nurseth his father, or his mother] and so it must needs be opposed to that Commandement[ Thou shalt honour thy father.] In the text it is translated despising, and is opposed to the like Commandement,[ thou shalt honour me,] so that if wee put all together, we have the Negative sense of the term clearly, to deny God his honour, or not to honour him, is to despise God, and such a despising of God, is a cursing of him. § 12. The main t●arm in the Proposition opened, what it is To honour God. Q. But what is it positively and clearly to honour God, which is the main term of the Proposition to be opened. Ans. To honour God, is no more but to give God his own, i.e.[ the reverence of the inward, and the outward man] according to that worth and weight of excellency that is in God. Then I honour God in my heart. In my heart. when the heart, and all the counsels of the heart, and the aff●ctions of the heart, and the purposes of the heart, are set in such a just and due proportion to the name of God in all his excellencies[ rightly apprehended, unfeignedly believed, feelingly considered and embraced] that they have a pro[er and peculiar, and distinct effect[ suitable to every one of them] upon my heart and spirit. As eg. when the goodness of God makes me love him, and the greatness of God makes me fear him, and the faithfulness of God makes me trust him, and depend on him; And according as these perfections of God rise the higher in my apprehensions of them, and in their impressions on me, so my love and fear, and delight and trust, is proportioned in the measure and degree, then I honour God in my heart. And so onward. Then I honour God in my life, In ●y life. when I so manage all my actions, that they do simply tend to the glorious manifestation of his divine excellencies according to the apprehension, that I have of them in my heart with an intent to honour him. I add the last clause in the description, because it is an essential requisite to my honouring of God, that I make it my end to honour him. Jehu honoured God materially in the service he did against the house of Ahab, because the work done, tended in a kind to Gods honour; But yet he did not formally honour God, because Jehu's end in that service was not to honour God, but to honour himself:* Heart and hand, actions and ends must go together in every service, or no honour. The point that I have in handling is the Text itself, §. 13. The Proposition o● the text resolved for handling into one general conclusion, and opened in four distinct points which are a l in the text. considered as one proposition[ Them that honour God, God will honour.] But I must resolve it for the clearer handling into this general conclusion;[ It is the shortest cut to true honour, to honour God.] The strength of which general conclusion will result out of these four points, which are distinct in the text. 1. God is the fountain of all honour, F●ns honoris. [ J.] 2. The top of honour, is to be honoured by God, Culmen honoris. it is [ J] still. 3. All those, and only those, who honour God, Subjectum honoris. God will honour [ them.] 4. God is not only graciously forward, Certitude honoris. but under engagements to honour them, that honour him, For, he hath said[ I will do it.] Now mark how the truth of the general conclusion triumphs as it stands upon these four strong pillars. If God be the fountain of all honour; and if the top of honour be to be honoured by God, and if all those, and only those, who honour God, God will honour; and if God be graciously forward, and strongly engaged to honour all them that honour him, Then it must needs follow of itself, that it is the shortest cut to true honour, to honour God. I have no more to do, but to show you how the four points lie in the text, and how they contribute to the opening and proving of the general Conclusion, and I shall fasten all with the Application. 1. God is the fountain of all honour. Fons honoris. In Heraldry, the King is the fountain of honour, but in divinity, God hath the absolute Prerogative to raise or ruin, and therefore when God speaks of the honour that shall be done to them, that honour God, the patent is given in his own name,[ I will honour.] A King is but [ vas honoris] a vessel of honour; It is God only that is [ fons honoris] the fountain of honour; The honour that is granted to a King, is but Gods Commission, and the honour that a King grants, is but Gods permission. It is from me( says God) that Kings reign, and therefore from him, that Kings bestow honours, Numb. 10.12. It is not Balaak that can promote Balaam, because the Lord hath kept him back from honour; Ver. 13. Nor is it Balaam that can curse Israel, because the Lord hath commanded him to bless his people, 1 Sam. 2 7, 8. [ it is the Lord( says Hannah) that bringeth low, and lifteth up; He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among Princes, and to make them inherit the seat of glory.] A man may travel East and West to arrive at Honour, and dig in every field we come at, to find out this treasure,; But the text tells us, Psal. 75 6, 7. Promotion comes neither from the East, nor from the West,( nor yet springs out of the dust,) But it is God that putteth down one, and setteth up another. 1 Chro 29.11, 12. His is greatness and power and glory, and both riches and honour come of him. I have but one word to interline for your Honours, you are as Gen. 47. v. 3. reuben among the Tribes, the first-born that excel in Honours; And therefore look to the fountain, and remember the roote from whence all your Honours spring. I beseech your Honours, let it never be heard, that Dan. 4 30. Nebuchadnezar boasts in the pride of his greatness,[ Is not this Babylon that I have built for the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty. Ezra 1 2. ] When Cyrus the Heathen will confess it to the Lord God of heaven, that he gave him his kingdoms, and his honour. My Lords, Verbum sapienti. one word is enough to your Honours, you can never have a firm possession, till you hold your, Honours in this title, that God bestows them, and until you give a Pepper corn of honour unto God again, as the Lord and fountain of all honour. 2. The top of Honour is to be honoured of God, I find this in the text too. For, Culmen honoris. when God speaks of the honour that shall be done to them that honour him, as if God could say no higher, he says no more, but I will honour. As God is [ Fons honoris] the fountain and spring of all honour; So the honour that God bestows upon the Creature, must needs be [ Culmen honoris] the top of honour. {αβγδ}. Damasc. Our God is above all Gods, and his power is above all power, and therefore his honour is an honour above all honour; That which our Saviour calls, {αβγδ}. Cyril. The honours which comes from God alone, joh. 5 44. {αβγδ}. is the true honour, and none else; And as for all other honour[ {αβγδ}] it is nothing worth, Joh. 8.54. The most men they run to the hills, and to the mountaines for honour, but the hope of the hills is vain, Jer. 31.3. All the honour that comes from the creature, is but like the creature[ Ventus fumus umbra, nihil est. a breath of honour.] But now the honour which comes from God, it is like God, a stem that is as noble as the roote, and a stream that is as lasting as the spring. I red of three Kings in Scripture, that made an extract and elixir of all their Royalty, to honour the men whom they had a mind to honour, pharaoh is for Joseph, and Ahasuerus for Mordicai, and Belshazzar for the man that could read the writing. Gen. 41.43. {αβγδ} Bow the knee, or tender father, or the father of a King, Vid. A Lapid. in loc. Item. Annot in bibl. fol. And what think you, did all the honour of these great Kings amount too? But a ring for the hand, or a chain for the neck, or a crown for the head, or a garment of fine linen for the back, or a Proclamation before them.[ Hest 6.9, 11. Abrech Abrech.] This is the father of a King, or this is the man whom the King will honour; Dan 5 7. or this is the third Ruler in the kingdom. The Crown royal, and the Chain royal, and the Ring royal, and the Chariot royal, and the Horse royal, and the Servant royal, or one of the Princes to proclaim his honour, and that's all. Ah my Lords, and dear Christians, what a poor thing is it to be honoured by the Gods of earth, in comparison of the honour that shall bee done to him, whom the God of Gods delights to honour! james 2 23. Abraham my friend, and Numb. 14.24. Caleb my servant, that fulfilled after me; and Ephes. 3.1. Paul my prisoner, and Acts 13.22: David the man after mine own heart, is more then all. And yet, if you will have the Kings Ring, you shall have it as hearty as the poor prodigal had it from his Father[ Annuli usus est signare, non male ergò respondet annulo donum spiritus, qui nos obsignat. Grotius. {αβγδ}, &c. 2 Cor. 1.21. The seal and testimony of your fathers love.] And, if you would have the Kings rob, you shall have the* garment of righteousness, not to cover your body with honour, but your persons with acceptance; And, if you would have the Kings chain, you shall have the {αβγδ}, Apoc. 19.8. chain of grace, and Vid. Answ. the chain of salvation; And, if you would have the Kings crown, you shall have an Can. 1.10.5.9 immortal and Rom 8 30. {αβγδ} 1 Pet. 5.4 incorruptible crown of glory; Nay, you shall be Rev 1 6. Kings and Priests unto God for ever. 1 Pet. 2 9. A chosen generation, a royal Priesthood, a peculiar people; 2 Cor. 6.18. My very sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.* This, yea this is the honour which shall be done to him, whom God delights to honour, Psal. 149.9. And such honour have all his Saints. III. All those, and only those that honour God shall be honoured by him; Subjectum Honoris. And this takes in the condition of the text, and determines the subject upon whom God will bestow honour.[ Honorantes me, ●remelius Them, that honour me.] Them, i, e.[ All them;] and again, Them, i.e. Quicunque Hono●●ficaverit, Steph. Vatablus. [ only them] that honour God, shall bee honoured by him; The one takes in the valleys, the basest and meanest, if they honour God; and The other shutts out the mountaines, the greatest and the highest, if they do not honour him. Tantùm glorificantes. Septuag {αβγδ}. It is as ancient, as the ancient of dayes, that God is not {αβγδ}, a respecter of persons; It is not Dives at the table, but Lazarus at the gate, that God honours, and by that one Parable you may easily guess what might be said on upon this point: The course of honour( throughout the Scripture) keeps touch with this Rule and Line of honour; God takes some from the judge. 6.11. threshing floor, and some from Ps 78 70. the sheep-fold,& some from the job 42.12. dunghill, to fit with Princes, yea, to be Princes among the people.[ He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the needy out of the dunghill,( when they honour God) that he may set them with Princes, Psa. 113.7, 8. And on the other hand, Dan 4.33. God throws down others from their Principalities and Dominions, and great dignities, and turns them out to graze with Oxen, because they have not honoured him. God must have the condition, though he does not stand in need of your honour, or he will not honour you; And woe be to that man( though all the world honour him) whom God denies to honour: I need not add words to aggravate the case of that man: [ He loseth more then honour, whom God denies to honour.] But, if you be in the subject of the proposition( among them that honour God) you are sure of your share in the predicate, God will honour you, because it is a proposition of eternal truth.[ Those that honour me, will I honour,] and this brings us into the fourth point. IV. God is graciously forward, and under strong engagements to honour those that honour him. Certitud● Honoris. This [ I will] shows the freeness of Gods heart, to honour all those that honour him; and this [ I will] shows the certainty of that honour which shall be done to them that honour God; It is Gods promise, and therefore free; It is Gods principle, and therefore certain. It is a notable observation, that would not bee lost; If we compare the first member of the Text with the latter, you may find an excellent variety in Gods manner of speaking. When God speaks of the contempt, that shall be rendered to those, that contemn God, God speaks it in the person of others [ They shall be contemned.] But when he speaks of the honour that shall bee done to them, that honour him, God grants out the patent in his own name[ J will honour.] In priori membr● loquitur Deus de se activè[ glorificab● eum] tanquam de propri● gloriae largitore; In posteri●ri non item. Francisc. de Mendoc. God is swift and free, and forward to reward, and to bestow honour upon them that honour him, and therefore Operatur gloriam paenam relinquit Ambros. owns that to himself, but very loathe and slow to punish, or to return contempt with contempt, and therefore leaves that to others. Though God be( in a safe sense) Quamvis utraque facultas tam punic●di, quam been faciendi sit a Deo tamen hanc, non illam sibi attribuit quasi de unâ potiús quàm de aliam glorietur. the Author of both, yet God attributes the one rather to himself, then the other, because he glories in Grace above Justice. He that knows any thing of God, can not but know this of him, that it is against his divine Nature, that God should bee behind hand with the creature for any service of honour, that hath heen done unto his great Name. If the King of Persia cannot red his princely Annals, but as he finds a piece of service recorded, demands presently, What honour and dignity hath been done for this, Hest. 6.1, 2, 3. Can it ever enter into the thoughts of the creature, that the King of Kings[ who hath his book of remembrance written before him, Mala●h. 3.16. for them that fear him, and that think upon his Name,] should ever forget to honour them, that honour him? God may as well forget himself, or his own honour, as forget to honour them that honour him. The great God, whom you serve, is a bountiful God, and therefore a plentiful rewarder of those that seek him; Yea, he is Luke 6.35. kind to the unkind, and to the evil, and therefore much more to his own children,. Yea, Math. 10.42. he will reward a cup of could water, and therefore much more your Honours and, estates and lives, and liberties laid out for him, or denied for him, and for his great Name; Yea, he will reward them that are but [ bruta instrumenta] But brute instruments of his will and providence, such as are employed secretly by him for the bringing about of his own purposes and decrees, and have no respect at all to God in what they do, but to their own ends, and their own lusts, and yet such shall not go without their reward. Jehu shall have the kingdom for destroying Ahab, and the whole Land of Egypt is given to Nebucadnezzar King of Babylon.[ As the wages for his army,] and for his labour wherewith he served against Tyrus, because they wrought for me, saith the Lord God, Ezek. 29.18.19, &c. Jehu, and Nebucadnezar wear but brute instruments to work Gods purposes and decrees against Tyrus, and against Ahab, and yet God rewards the instrument though there was no intention in the agent to serve God. And therefore how much more will God reward them with full measure, heap't on, prest down, and running over, that offer themselves willingly to the work of the Lord? Again. The God, whom you serve is the God of Justice, and therefore he can not be unrighteous, that he should forget your work and labour of love for his great Name: Heb. 6.10. Heb. 6.10. God may as well cease to be, as cease to be just, and therefore if God be just he must return honour for honour. Gods honour is dearer to himself, then your honours can be to you; And therefore be confident, he will not loose his own honour[ The honour of his Justice] in suffering you to go without that honour, which his zeal shall perform to them, that honour him; even the zeal, that he bears to his own Name. And yet again; That noble Lord, whom you serve is free and faithful; According to the tener of his goodness.* He is become a voluntary debtor to every servant in a debt of honour, for a loan of honour. And according to the tenor of his faithfulness in making himself by promise a debtor, he must undoubtedly perform what he hath promised; Though there be no worthiness in the service, that you can do, yet for the promise, which God himself hath made he must honour them, that honour him. do but red over the records of Abraham, and joseph, and Moses, and Samuel, and Daniel, and the three children, and tell me whether they found not according to this rule of honour[ honour for honour] honour in the prison as well as the palace, in the den and dungeon as well as the kingdom; among friends, among neighbours, among enemies, finding favour both with God and man. You think the public faith is good security; and I think the faith of Heaven is better then all the security in the world; And that you have, as strong as the promise of God can make it, for, he hath said it, nay he hath sworn it, so Vivo ●go dicit Dominus, &c. Franscisc de Mendoc. in loc. some interpreters add[ them that honour me, I will honour.] §. 14. An objection that seems to strangle the point, improved to strengthen it. Object. There is but one easy exception, that seems to cross this general rule; But it will add a farther varnish to the point, or I would not name it: It may happily struggle in the thoughts of some, how can this be Gods principle, and promise, and rule of honour [ to honour them, that honour him] when we find by daily experience, that[ Ps. 12.8. the vilest men are exalted; and those, that honour God most are mostly despised?] If any be made Ps. 69.12. the Song of the drunkards it is such as David; or if there be any that are made 1 Cor. 4.9. {αβγδ} ver. 9. a Theature unto the world, and to Angels and men it is such as Paul; If any be {αβγδ} ver. 12. {αβγδ}. reviled, {αβγδ} persecuted, {αβγδ}. defamed, and made as the {αβγδ}, ver. 13. filth of the world and the* of sc●wring of all things, It is such as Paul too; And can all this be Honour for Honour? Resp. There is nothing that sets off the point more then this Objection. 1. As we say of some [ their Glory is their shane] so of these [ their shane, is their glory.] it is a blessed thing to be despised for God. Blessed are ye( says Christ) when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and say all maner of evil against you falsely for my sake, Math. 5.11.12. It is neither Honour nor blessedness( simply considered in itself) to be reviled or persecuted; But yet if you take in all,[ to be despised by those that are bad, because you are good; or to be hated by those that hate God, because you love him, and stand for his name] it is the greatest honour in the world; 2 Sam. 6. 1●, 20. David was never more honoured then when Michal despised him in hir heart, for his leaping and dancing before the Lord[ Ver. 21. it was before the Lord( says David) and Ver. 22. if this be to be vile, I will be yet more vile then thus; And of the maid-servants, which thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in honour. But secondly the text says not, that [ men] shall honour you, but [ I will honour you;] And truly as it is but the shadow of honour to be honoured by men, if God contemn, so it is La●dari à laudat● ea dem●●● est vera laus. honour sufficient, to be honoured by God, though all the men in the world should despise you. God knows, you will have hard measure from the world in all the service you do for him, and therefore God makes this the reward, that [ he will honour you;] I add but this; Others can not, if God will not; But if God will, others shall whether they will or no. You have the Doctrine of the text briefly explained; I can but hint the application. § 15. The text applied. And so I resolve the text again into the duty.& the motive. The duty is implicit[ to honour God.] 1. As a duty. The motive is explicit[ God will honour.] 1. Convinced. If you take up the duty implyed[ God will and must be honoured[ Malach. 1.6. There is all the equity that can be in it. It is the duty of the creature as a creature, and of a Christian, as a Christian, and of a Saint as a Saint to honour God.[ Rev. 4 11. If I be a Father where's mine honour?] The law of Titus. 2.14. Creation, the law of Redemption, the law of Election, the law of Providence constrains us unto this Homage. But Eph. 4.1. how will God be honoured? First in the 2. directed. heart, and then with the Prov. 13.26. tongue and then by the Math. 25.8. hands[ as the Instruments by which God will be honoured.] In every relation, in every condition, in every calling[ as the way in which God will be honoured.] In his Ps. 24 4.26 6. Children, in his Math. 25 40. Ministers, in his 1. Timoth. 5.17. Word, in his Eccl. 4.17. Works, in his Joh. 26.24. Wonders,[ As the subject on which God must bee honoured.] But I must wave all. Ps. 150.1.2. II. As a motive. The Motive is as pressing, as the duty is necessary[ I will honour you.] 1. Here's honour for honour. 2. Here's a God to honour you. 3. Here's a God, that will honour all, that honour him. 4. Here's a God, that will honour none but them, that honour him. I have but one motion to make to your Honours, § 1●. One motion to the Lords of Parliament. and I have done: I must not flatter you, I dare not flatter you; But yet I dare say this, that your Honours have honoured God in your generation. My motion is but modest and honest,[ That your Honours would go on to honour him.] 1. Your Honours have took down the old frame, Ah! let not Christ wait long for his own government. Why should the Master stand so long knocking at the door, when the servants are resolved, and that [ upon Covenant] to let him in? Oh! remember the groans, and sighs, and cries of those honest petitioners, who have groand and sighed, and wept for your Honours, and bee honest to perform what you have promised to God and them. I profess( my Lords) I am neither for Paul, nor Apollos, nor Cephas, nor Christ, till I know what Paul and Apollos, and Cephas are for, and what those, that say they are for Christ, can say for him. But I could wish( my Lords) that wee had the pattern that every man might consult with the Mount, which of the two is Christs government. The child is christened( for ought I see) before it is born, and we have the names before the things. Thus far( my Lords) I presume upon the grant of your own hearts, that ( since the cessation of the keys) there hath been more disorder in the Church of Christ, then when the keys were in a withering hand; I think experience hath taught us all roundly by this time [ better a tyranny then no government.] In some Congregations no Sacraments, in other Congregations bloody Sacraments, God blasphemed, Christ unchristed, the Law outlawd, the children of your own loins robbed of the honour and discent of baptism; And Women( my Lords) that have got the gown as well as the Tippet; And how many more disorders in the Church( even in this City) under your Honours kenn, and all for want of government. Let me add but one sad consideration; There hath been much blood spilled in the field by this unnatural war, but I think I may safely speak it, that there hath been more blood spilled in the Church, by the Errors and Heresies, that have poisoned the pure waters of the sanctuary, then all the other comes too; Wee have been but anckle-deepe in the one( in comparison only, I speak it, for otherwise wee have been up to the chinn) but, wee have been knee-deepe in the other, And give me favour to tell you, that one drop of that blood, which hath been spilled in the Church, is worth all the blood, that runs in all the veins of England. 2. You have honoured God in topping the Poppyes[ the pride and insolency of the swelling clergy.] But let not the faithful Ministers of Jesus Christ, 1. Tim 5.17. {αβγδ} go without their double honour. It is Gods rule in the Text [ to honour them, that honour him,] and therefore it must be your Rule[ to honour them, that honour God.] Now the honour that God hath conferred upon those, that are faithful in the ministry, is [ double honour] an honourable respect, and an Stipendia Honoraria. Annotat. in bibl. folio. honourable maintenance; Reverentia& Alimonia. Ambros. Officium ac subfidium Beza. {αβγδ}. Th●ophil. cum Chrysost. Item, Estius& Cornelius a Lapide. Nec impugnat Calvinus. So the most Interpreters, both greek and Latin; ancient and modern, Protestant and Papists( that I have had time to consult with) agree together. Or( if you will) double honour i. e. said probabilius judicat hic fieri comparationem inter Viduas& Presbyteros. Comparatively, or in respect of that honour, which he had before granted to widows;[ Honour widows, that are widows indeed, v. 2.] But let the Elders, that rule well, be counted worthy of double honour. u. 17. Now, the honour that was done to Widows, was their honourable maintenance, being received into the public faith of the Church[ Vid. Calv. in 3 ver. ut ex publico alerentur] and therefore in this sense too; there is not only the honour of maintenance due to the ministry, but a double honour of maintenance above others. Or yet thirdly[ {αβγδ}. Theophilact. Duplex i.e. multiplex.] Double honour; i.e. Duplex Hebraeis dicitur, multum& Capiosum. Estius& Cornel. à Lapid. a liberal and bountiful maintenance; And so it is an eligant hebraism, as Isai. 1.2.[ Jerusalem hath received double for her sins.] and Jer. 17.18.[ Destroy them with double destruction] take it in what sense you will. Thus far the Apostle hath explained himself, that God hath given this grant of honour to all those that labour in the gospel, that they must live upon the gospel; And the Text says in the verse following, that they are as worthy of it, Ver. 8. as the Labourer is of his reward; or as the Ox is to share of the corn that he treadeth out. It is an hard case, that the Ministers of the gospel should be driven to plead for their own deuce, when they should be giving of God his due, and the people theirs. But there is a necessity lies upon us,( not only for our own sakes) but for your sakes, that this part of the gospel be preached; I think it may be safely spoken, that there was never more corn trod out in England, and yet the mouth of the Ox never so strait muzzel'd, as it is( at this day) in most places. I find, that it hath been Vid. Reverend Doctor Staughten his Sermon upon 1 Sam. 2.30. formerly spoken of some in the City, That their manner is to deal with their Ministers, as carriers with their Horses[ to lay heavy burdens upon them, and then to hang bells about their necks.] They shall have hard-worke, and great commendations, but easy commons; be applauded for excellent Ministers, have good words, but slight wages. I hope it is better with the City now; But I am sure it is bad enough in the country, where in many places they have a greedy project to allow the Ox nothing; but the straw for treading of the corn, and so much straw as themselves please. My Lords, wee know you would have a learned ministry, but it is impossible for Learning ever to flourish without maintenance; You may as well set Carpenters to build without tools, as sand forth Ministers without their Parchments. Wee pled not( my Lords) for our backs and for our bellies, but for good books, and furnished brains; There are some that will seduce upon cheaper terms, but there must bee an honest provision made, that every Minister may have a good library, or else the Land is like to have but an ignorant ministry, and a perishing people. again( my Lords) wee know that you would have a gracious people[ to fear God, and honour the King, and obey your Honours;] But it is sufficiently known, that a base ministry can never do good upon the people. The general pride of man is such, that poverty is enough to bring a man into contempt, though he be never so faithful; And if the Minister be once had in contempt, the offering of the Lord will be abhorred also. I would not offend your Honours, but I must not offend God, by with-holding any thing that should be spoken upon this point. The whole Land is defiled with sacrilege, with the spoils of the Church, with the spoils of God; And red W. Crashawes Epistle to Master Perkins his second Treatise of t●e duties and dign ties of Ministers. And compare it w th master Stock on Malac. p 219. a great part of the Church robbed and deprived of a painful ministry, because there is not Honey enough in many Hives to feed a drone? Oh that this may be called The Parliament that restored Impropriations! It is your Honour that you will be called the Parliament that hath crushed the pride of the swelling clergy, and it will be your double honour, if you restore the honour, the double honour, that is due to the faithful Mistrie. 3. Your Honours have turned the drone out of the Hive. and cashiered the scandalous sons of Ely from the Priesthood; But I beseech your Honours, let those in the ministry( who have suffered only for conscience sake) be remembered when the Land is settled in peace; And in the mean time, let not uzzah be suffered to touch the ark, nor the Generation of Nadab continue in their presumptions to offer up their strange fiers. 4. You have been all this while Reforming abroad, I beseech your Honours to remember home. You would not have swearers nor drunkards, nor scandalous persons to come unto Gods table; Oh let them not wait at your Honours table. You have a new-moulded Army, and you would have a new-moulded Church; I beseech your Honours to think of Joshuah, that you may have a new-moulded family[ I and my house will serve the Lord.] But I have been too bold with your Honours, I have done. FINIS. Errata. page. 23 veriâ p 34, {αβγδ} p 38 m {αβγδ}, Accents in the greek wanti●g or false, as p 12, l 7, {αβγδ}, p 14, l 15 {αβγδ} &c. p 32 ד p 19. praestantius.