This last means I take out of Math, 10. 11. When the disciples were sent forth by Christ to preach the Gospel, 1even the glad tidings of peace, to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ, they were commanded to make enquiry who is worthy in the City or in the town into which they entered, and if any man (saith Christ) be worthy, your peace shall come upon him, that is, he shall have his part in these riches of mercy that you preach. Therefore we put this as the last way of obtaining the mercies of God, to be worthy, now to be worthy is nothing but this, To be in a fit disposition to receive mercy; by 2worthiness is not meant any fitness of holiness or of sanctification, any Godly sorrow, or any measure of repentance, that is not the meaning, that such as have these they only shall obtain these mercies, for these things follow; but by worthiness is meant a fit disposition to receive the mercies of God, and so you have the words used in other places of Scripture; that which St. Matthew here calleth worthiness St. Luke calleth receiving, so that to be worthy is nothing else but to be fit to receive, so in another place 3when Paul and Barnabas had preached the Gospel at Antioch, and when the Jews spake against those things 4which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming, then, saith the text, Paul and Barnabas waxed bold and said we turn from you, because you judge your selves unworthy, that is, because you reject the Gospel preached to you, and despise these glad tidings of salvation, you are not of a disposition fit to receive these mercies of God that we declare to you. So those that were invited to the marriage of the kings son in the gospel, the text saith, they were not worthy: what was that? They had no hunger after the feast, they prized it not, and therefore they were unwilling to come. If you would therefore have the mercies of God, be worthy of them, labour to be in a disposition ⟨p. 17⟩fit to receive them. Now (as we said before) by worthiness we do not me an any measure of grace whatsoever, or any preparations, as if they came under any merit or desert, it seems good to the God of all grace by deeply affecting and humbling of us under our sins to beget in us vehement desires after Christ our Saviour.
This last means I take out of Math, 10. 11. When the disciples were sent forth by Christ to preach the Gospel, 1even the glad tidings of peace, to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ, they were commanded to make enquirie who is worthy in the Citie or in the town into which they entred, and if any man (saith Christ) be worthy, your peace shall come upon him, that is, he shall have his part in these riches of mercy that you preach. Therefore we put this as the last way of obtaining the mercies of God, to be worthy, now to be worthy is nothing but this, To be in a fit disposition to receive mercy; by 2worthiness is not meant any fitness of holiness or of sanctification, any Godly sorrow, or any measure of repentance, that is not the meaning, that such as have these they onely shall obtain these mercies, for these things follow; but by worthines is meant a fit disposition to receive the mercies of God, and so you have the words used in other places of Scripture; that which St. Matthew here calleth worthiness St. Luke calleth receiving, so that to be worthy is nothing else but to be fit to receive, so in another place 3when Paul and Barnabas had preached the Gospel at Antioch, and when the Jewes spake against those things 4which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming, then, saith the text, Paul and Barnabas waxed bold and said we turn from you, because you judge your selves unworthy, that is, because you reject the Gospel preached to you, and despise these glad tidings of salvation, you are not of a disposition fit to receive these mercies of God that we declare to you. So those that were invited to the mariage of the kings son in the gospel, the text saith, they were not worthy: what was that? They had no hunger after the feast, they prized it not, and therefore they were unwilling to come. If you would therefore have the mercies of God, be worthy of them, labour to be in a disposition ⟨p. 17⟩fit to receive them. Now (as we said before) by worthiness we do not me an any measure of grace whatsoever, or any preparations, as if they came under any merit or desert, it seems good to the God of all grace by deeply affecting and humbling of us under our sins to beget in us vehement desires after Christ our Saviour.
- 1Mat•. 10 11.
- 2What it is to be worthy of Gods mercy in general.
- 3Luke 10. 8.
- 4Acts 13, 45. 46.
