Luk< 14 26. F.ph<f 6. ,; i'rov. )O· 17• Pf.L 1:::8. r, 3, 4· 1 Tim 4· 4· Dtur. 33, 9. Luke 14. 26 Chap 5. SeCl:.6. bcing. I fhali begin with the latter, and that contains either exurnalhclatzor.s, JPecia/1 grft .s or t:onmwn ends. , . . . 1. \Ve are conditionally to deny our external relatiOns';To thrs purpof~(faith Chrifl) Ifanym.:zn cumtth to me, and bateth not fa~her, and mother, and chtldren,and brethren>tmd rvf,,a, d(,j{m-- he cannot be my Dtfltple. Not that Religion teacheth,or co'mman. dcth, or'cndurcth a Saint to break the tyes of Religion, or nature.; you fee it puts in a plea againfi fuch unnaturalnelfe, Honour thy fmiJcr and mother,•stbc firfl Command– ment, 1 vtth Prormfe. .Aild the Ravens cf the valleysJh~lt pidz. out their eyes that mock...and dtft'fe 1heir f,u/xr tnd mother. Gods Commandments do not enterfere, the Gofpel in this cafe g1vcs no fupcrfedeas to the law : and therefore in the denyall of relations J Cautions. lhall hy down I Diredions. The Cautions are thefe. - 1. That relations are the bleflings ofGod ; they are Gods gifts·, and·beftowed on the S;ints in a way of Promife. Hie!fed is evtry one that fearcth the Lord, that walk!th i" hu Jraycs; How may that appcar?thy wifeJhall be as .1fruitful vine by the fides of thine hcufl,thy thrldrcn ltk! Ulivc-plams 1·ound abcut thy tablc:JJehola thus fht!ll the"'"" be bicffed thatfcarerh the Lcrd. Now rhus we mufr not deny, but love, and chcri01, and dcerly cf!cem of cur relations: they are the gifts of Gods bounty, of his gracious Covenant, proceeding fron1 the free, undeferved love of God; they are the tokens of Gods fpecial good will and favour in Jefus Chrift: · They are the loving tokens which Chrd fends to our foulcs, that fo he might draw our loves to him againe ; and hence it is lawful and commendable to rcjoyce in them in their way, and efpecially to lift up our foules in thankfgiving to God for them; for every n·eawre ofGod is good (much more the children oi our loyncs, ond wives of our bofomes) ifrecei"..cd rvtth than/z.Jiiving,· 2. Notwithlbnding they are the blcfling of God, yet we mufi deny them for God, as in thefe cafes - 1 . If they retard us in the way to Chrill:, if they entice us to make haltings' in our runnings through fire and through water to the Lord Jefus. Thus as it was.faid of L cw, fo fhould it be faid of every Saint, Hefaid unto hu fathcrtmd mother, I have not feen hr.fll, neuhet dtd he ack!_tow/edgc his brethern, nor /z.>JoW hHolVn children. This is meant eith. r of the Priefis continual duty, who, if his father, mother, brother, or child dyed, he might not muurn for them, bur carry himfclf as if he did not rcfpect, know, or care for them : or, it is meant of that fad of the fons of Levi, who being commanded of Mof<J,thcy /z!llcd evny man his brother,frimd, neighbo~tr, andfon, that had finned in ma· king and wor01ipping the golden calf; and to this latter the Chaldee referrs it,tranOa– ting thus, J¥tJo had no c;ompajfi(/n on hisf :ether, or on his mother, when they were guilty of j•agmcm, tmd aueptcd not 1 he perfons of his brother, or cfhu fon. If our dearell: re– lations fhould beckon us out of the way, or retard us in the way to Jefus Chrill:, we rtmjl nor refpeCt father or mother, we m~tjf not ac/z.nOw!edge our brerheren, nor k..;1uw our own chtldrcn. And Chrift gives the reafon, he that loveth father or mother morethen me, is not w~,~rt.hy tfme.? and he that lQvethJonne or daugther mere then me.. is not W07thy ofme. A man fhoul.> love father and mother, and a man will love fonne an~ daughter, for love dcfccnds rather then afcends ; but ifany man love father, or mother, or fonne, or daughter more then Chiill:, he is not worthy of Chrill:, he is not fit to be a Difciple of Chrift, or to be faved by Chrifl. 2. If they draw contrary wayes to Chriil:, · if their waycs becrofs, Chrifi drawing one way and rclations·drawing another way. Now in this c~fe, as ChrifHaid; ifa 11Ul'1 hrtte'not fatlur 3 and mother) tend w;fe, and childrtn 3 and bruhrcn, andfjhrs ;yea and his own lifeAifo, hecannot be my Difcifle. If a man hate not, (i.e.) if a ~1an rertounee not all carnal affedion, if a man be not d1fpofed (where rhcfe loves arc rncompat1ble) to hmc far/;er, and mother, and all for the love of Chrifi, he cannot bdong to Chriit. Thefe twp cafes may be fummed up thus ; if our relation; do either retard our way to Chrift, or draw us from Chrifi, in this fenfe they ought to be furgottcn, yea, to be hated. Chrifl: in this cafe, c~llcd Peter Satah; We muft not low father, or mother, or daughter, or wcfe, or child morerhen Chrift. So Mat. 1 o. 37. expounds that place of Luk... 14- 26. This is plaine, for we rdufi love Chri:l: withal/ or<rheart, Mdwitha/1 oJtr foul; and though by the fecond Commandment,we muft love otl> nrighbour "' o1<r fclf, y.et we mufi not love our neighbour·as our Chrilh Sl'CT.
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