these for all that were before him and shall come after him being true beleeuers thirdly the graces of Christ doe farre exceed the sinne of Adam else would Saâ—â—â— in perswade thee thou art halfe saued and halfe damned for if the vertue thou hast by Christ were but equall with the corrupâ—â—on thou hast by Adam it could not produce so incomprehensible a worke as thy saluation is and therefore Rom. 5.17 it is said If by the offence of one death raigned through one much more shall they which receiue that superfluity or superabundance of grace raigne in life through one that is Christ thereby shewing that the righteousnesse of Christ made ours by grace is of greater power to bring life then was the sin of Adam to bring death to his posterity Therefore seeing through faith God reuealeth to thee these riches laid vp for thee in Christ bend thine eie toward him and he will so supply thee with spirituall wisdome as thou shalt answer with ease and comfort the sophistry and deceits of Sathan who willingly would plunge thee into terror and trouble of conscience Which walke not after the flesh but after the spirit Vnto such as thus walke there is no condemnation and this is the third thing spoken of at first namely that a sanctified life must be the sure euidence of our ingrafting into Christ for howsoeuer the spirit which is within vs testifieth thus much that we are Christs and Christ is ours as 1. Cor. 2.10 The things which God hath prepared for them that loue him he hath reuealed to vs by his spirit and vers 12. We heaue not receaued the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God yet because through selfe loue no man will say but he hath the spirit therefore steppes in the other testimony of holinesse of life and this is visible reall vndeceiuable and true as 1. Ioh. 3.6.8 Whosoeuer abideth in him sinneth not and he that committeth sinne is of the diuell which place we must not vnderstand simply of sinners for all of vs are so but of such as fauour themselues in their sinnes blesse their soules in them make a trade of sinning and persist in it so as we that are made mystical members of Christ must labour to extinguish the life of any grosse sinne and not to make them the members of an harlot of an vsurer of an Idolater of a flatterer and such like for being ingrafted into Christ it is as odious in Gods sight for vs to commit these sinnes as if Christ should commit them and by them without repentance we doe rend our selues from Christ for the Sonnes of God are led by his spirit Rom. 8.14 And they are led by it that liue in it Gal. 3.25 And this life is knowen by the effects that is by walking in the spirit And they walke in it that fulfill not the lusts of the flesh Gal. 5.16 And they fulfill them not that haue crucified the flesh vers 14. And they onely haue done this that cease from sinne 1. Pet. 4.2 with a full purpose of heart to liue better for as the dead body hath no breath so must sinne haue no strength in vs and he that doeth not this is a reprobate I speake not of a finall reprobate but of a reprobate for the time for such stand in the state of condemnation But if we labour to liue godly as neere as we can after the example of Christ and make holinesse of life as the load star whereby we may be seen to direct our iourney toward heauen then this doth knit vs in the persawsion of our vnion with Christ prouided alwaies that there be speciall repentance for speciall sinnes extraordinary repentance for extraordinary sinnes great repentance for grosse sinnes and daily repentance for daily sinnes Threfore let euery of vs examine our selues what sinnes remaine in vs vnrepented and what vnsubdued what be blushing and shamefast and what be crying and insolent sinnes and let vs take the same course with them all cast them from vs and purge our selues cleane of the leauen of Sathan for a sinne supprest and not destroied will at lengh breake forth to the hinderance of our walke in the spirit and if we be stopt in this course then so long do we stagger in the assurance of our being one with Christ which is the only helmet of our saluation Secondly obserue hence the order the scripture setteth down namely that first we must be in Christ which is the cause and then we shall walke after the spirit which is the effect euen as iustification goeth before sanctification our ingrafting into Christ being our iustification and being so it causeth holinesse of life so as both must goe together making no difference betweene faith and a godly life in the person but onely in the properties and maner and therefore if it be asked who shall be saued Such as leade a sanctified life But if how we shall be saued the answer is by the merits of Christ apprehended by faith so as by faith wee are saued for the fruit maketh not the root good but the root the fruit the streames are not the cause of the fountaine but the fountaine of them and the streames are but the effects euen as breathing is the effect of life so we are not saued because of our workes and walking in the spirit but because of our faith for workes are the fruits of faith yet we shall receiue according to our workes 2. Cor. 5.10 and shal be recompensed for them not for the dignity of the worke but in the benignity of the Lord who hath accepted our persons in Christ and therefore Tit. 2.11.12 the Apostle doth not say Because we deny vngodlinesse therefore the grace of God hath brought saluation but saluation being offered in the Gospell we must thereby learne to be profitable schollers in holinesse of life So Mat. 11.28 Christ doth not call vs to ease vs of our sinnes because we liue godly after his example but faith being wrought in vs by the power of his calling vs we then liue godly euen as the thiefe vpon the crosse Luke 23.40 was no sooner called but he brought foorth fruit his confession being a token of his faith So we must first be within the couenant of God and then we shall walke in the couenant as Gen. 17.1 God said to Abraham I am sufficient therefore walke before me so that he made not his couenant with him to be his God because he walked before him but first he made his couenant with him that being assured of his protection he might more chearefully walk before him euen so fareth it with vs we are first made members of Christ and then being vnited to his body we must shew forth the life of Christ in our coÌ„uersation And here we must further learne to answer two obiections First the carnall man will say Christ hath satisfied for his breach of the law and supplied the imperfection of his
forth our cold petitions and that which was generally beleeued by faith before is now particularly chalenged of God by praier that wee may finde and â—â—ele the former promise to be true by this particular instance of reaching foorth our requests to God by praier And the more to hearten and encourage vs in this exercise and Christian taske God giueth and graunteth our requests differing in three respects from the gifts and benefits of worldly men For first he can giue all things in his power secondly in his wisedome he giueth and neuer repenteth thirdly in his goodnes he giueth and neuer vpbraideth This is the perswasion of faith and therefore now if wee spare to speake wee may well spare to speed whereupon the Prophet Dauid saith I beleeued therefore I spake hauing his faith for most to prepare his lips to praier And surely the cause why wee call not vpon God so often or so boldly as we ought is either because our faith failâ—s vs that wee thinke not to speede or else because wee haue but weake and faint hope to speede For as the Philosopher saith Qui timide rogat docet negare He that craueth fearfully draweth on a deniall for that faith that openeth the eies to see such treasures openeth the mouth to supplicate and to pray for them so as by this learne in one word that the Apostle will measure thy faith by thy praiers Whereby we crie In this word crie is implied three things first a confident boldnesse secondly a great earnestnesse thirdly an importunacy with perseuerance Boldnesse in that wee speake not softly as in feare but loud as in assurance euen as a fauorite of an earthly Prince that hath a promise to haue and obtaine what he can spie out hauing speciall security to speed commeth boldly to his Prince and craueth the performance of that was pledged vnto him by promise before Earnestnesse not to take a nay or deniall at the first at our fathers hands but to goe on with I pray you Father Good Father I beseech you Father and such like speeches of vehemency and feruency which is heere expressed by the geminating and doubling of the word Father Father Then with these must there be an importâ—nacy in praier which Paul expresseth Rom. 15.30 by striâ—ing or wrestling in praier shewing thereby the feruency of the minde and of the voice euen as Iacob did Gen. 32.26 that would not let the Angell goe before hee had blessed him and according to the example set downe Luk. 18. â— of the widow who by her importunity which in the Greeke word signifieth impudency so troubled and wearied with her cries as it were with blowes the vnrighteous Iudge as she wrested her sute from him Christ in that parable teaching vs that wee ought to vse a holy kind of impudency in our petitions vnto God and neuer to giue him rest till hee hath yeelded to our requests which wee make in faith and present in hope Heereupon it is that the soule is very earnest with God as either being laden with some sinne which it desireth to be eased of or priuy to some wants which it faine would haue supplied or in some apprehension of Gods iudgement for sinne which it seeketh to escape or the loue of God constraining it to be thankfull for the rich mercies formerly receiued or else being assaulted with some danger and temptation craueth to bee â—â—liuered so as alwaies the soule hath occasion to bee quicke and earnest in praier for causes to moue vs euen in our owne particular persons vnto this duty besides the generall cause of the Church doe daily occurre and fall out In that it is said We crie Father heere is questionable whether onely God the first person in the Trinity be to be praied vnto and not the Sonne nor the holy Ghost To this we answer that the word Father and God is taken essentially for the whole essence of the God-head which includeth them all as it is in the Lords praier or else it is taken personally for that the Sonne must be praied vnto the place is plaine Act. 7.59 And they stoned Stephen who called on God and said Lord Iesus receiue my spirit And that the holy Ghost must be praied vnto appeareth by Saint Paul who endeth his Epistle 2. Corinthians 13.13 with this praier The communion of the holie Ghost be with you So as the word Father in this place is not meant of any one distinct person subsisting in the name of Father but it is to bee vnderstood of them all the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost for as they be all offended with vs for our sinnes so must they all bee reconciled to vs by our praiers And heereupon is it that Saint Augustine saith that the whole Trinity is Father in respect of the creature and hee is onely named heere because the Father is the fountaine of the God-head and the first in order but not in time howbeit being vnderstood in respect of their diuers subsistences they are seuerall Whereupon it is true that the word Father or God is sometime taken personally as Iohn 3.16 where it is said God so loued the world that hee gaue his onely begotten Sonne that wâ—â—â—euer beleeueth in him should not perish And 1. Corinthians 8.6 Vnto vs there is but one God which is the Father of whom are all things in which places the word God is taken personally as it is also in the Greede when wee say I beleeue in God the Father But the whole Trinitie is called Father in two respects first because hee is the fountaine of the God-head and the fountaine of all loue election and saluation the will of the Father going before the will of the Sonne in order not in time Secondly because howeâ—â—â— wee pray to Christ and to the holy Ghost as we doe to God and howeuer all the workes of the Trinity be vndiuided that they doe all saue and not the Father only yet they doe it by degrees Christ saueth vs insubmitting his will to his Fathers will the holy Ghost saueth vs in perswading and leading vs to goe to Christ and froâ— Christ to the Father so as our praiers are made vnto God in the name of Christ his Sonne by the direction of the holie Ghost Againe in that we name him Father learne that all our security and assurance that our praiers shall be effectuall and that we shall speede in our sutes and requests lieth in this that we are his children and so all that wee doe and performe pleaseth him no further then the person pleaseth him And therefore Dauid Psal 7. 17. 26. making a commemoration of his vertues as that there was no wickednesse in his hands that he had purposed his mouth should not offend that he had not hanted nor sorted himselfe with dissemblers doth it not the rather to moue God to heare him and to incline his eare to his petition but by these testimonies of a good conuersation
in a holy conuersation Heere will be obiected since workes are so precisely vrged what say wee to the faith of the theefe vpon the crosse what workes did he and by this example many betray their soules in presuming of the like grace Wee answer that this was a particular priuiledge giuen to that theefe euen as a pardon may bee giuen to a man vpon the gallowes and if any embolden himselfe heereupon perhaps the rope will be his hire and it is not good to put it vpon the Psalme of Miserere and the necke-verse for sometime he proueth no Clarke And for this theefe the Lord neuer did it but to one that none might presume and yet hee did it to one and did saue one in the exigent of his life that none might despaire Secondly this was a worke reserued for the manifestation of the power of the Sonne of God that he should beleeue in his fellow sufferer and desire him to saue him that when the Pharisees denied him to be the Sonne of God yet a poore wretch and a theefe should confesse it Thirdly we must not regard the shortnesse of his confession but consider the time and circumstance when and before whom this confession was made euen then when no man durst defend the innocencie of the Sonne of God when the Pharisees left him when all his Disciples were scattered and when Marie his mother that stood a farre off and knew him to be the Sonne of God and yet spake nothing in his defence whereby she finned against the first table She was his mother and saw him put to death vniustly and yet would not testifie of his innocencie whereby she bore false witnesse against him so sinned against the ninth commaundement being her sonne she did not comfort him vpon the crosse and so sinned against the fift commaundement yet when all these either doubted of his diuinity or despaired the poore theefe did confesse him to be that Christ the Sonne of God who â—â—d Paradise to dispose Lastly know that he was such a wretch that he neuer knew God before and therefore was it no maruell though he committed felonie but as soone as the Lord knockt at his heart first he confesseth Christ to be God and to die an innocent Luk. 23.41 We suffer righteously but this man hath done nothing amisse wherein he wrought a worke of the first table secondly he reprooued his fellow who raned on Christ wherein he wrought a worke of the second table So as this example of the theefe is no warrant to deferre or trifle off our repentance till the last houre for hee wrought as soone as hee was called If therefore the Lord hath offered vnto vs the riches of his mercie let vs in the acceptable time embrace it and not abuse his long suffering by growing more leane and ill-fauoured by these many yeeres wee haue had of religious peace and plentie but let vs returne vnto him while he is in the way before darknesse too fast ouer-grow our soules and before death snatch vs away into the graue For the similitude which is vers 26. obserue onely that it agreeth not in all points for the soule is the cause of the life of the body but so are not good works the cause of faith but only an effect and fruit of it for faith giueth life to good works and faith worketh by loue in the person instified for we must as hath bene said first be good before we can do good and we are made good spiritually by our regeneration in Christ and we being ingrafted into him then we do good so as the meaning only of the Apostle is by this similitude to shew that when a dead man being dead can speake which is impossible then faith which hath no workes and so is but a dead faith shall iustifie and saue vs. 1. IOHN chap. 3. vers 9.10 verse 9 Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not for his seed remaineth in him neither can he sinne because he is borne of God verse 10 In this are the children of God knowen and the children of the diuell who so doth not righteousnesse is not of God neither he that loueth not his brother THE Apostle in the beginning of this chapter first setteth downe that God the Father by his euerlasting loue in his Sonne hath bestowed vpon the faithfull this priuiledge to be called the sonnes of God in the sonne of God Christ Iesus Secondly that this dignity to bee the sonne of God and so to be called is not to be discerned by the men of the world because they haue not knowen the Sonne hauing not his spirit for spirituall things cannot be discerned by them that haue nothing but fleshly policy Thirdly as this cannot be discerned of the world so it is impossible our selues should sufficiently conceiue of it while we remaine in the tabernacle of this life because there is another glory we expect vers 2. Fourthly he setteth downe an effect inseparable from this adoption As many as are the sonnes of God and haue this hope of future glory they striue to reformation of life not to be equally pure but to bee like pure to the Lord Iesus This hee prooueth first from the institution of the law God neuer ordained the law neither after our creation nor after our redemption but to bee kept and the reason is thus The breach of the law is a disparagement swinge and sinne it perfect strength Thirdly the godly eâ—e said not to sinne be 〈◊〉 he laboureth to walke in all the commandements of the Lord. Now he that walketh in the right way may somtime fall but if hee doe heâ— striueth to regaine it by greater carefulnesse and speedier passageâ— but the wicked goe cleane out of the way as if heauen stood at hell gate Lastly because in the godly there is a combat for there is two men in them in the inward man they would faine please God and by the outward as Saint Paul saith they are made captiue to sinne Rom. 7.23 but in a meere naturall man there is nothing but flesh and so no combat for where all is one there is no diuision and if there be any strife in him it is betweene his conscience and himselfe in iudgement conuincing him that it is sinne and not betweene his conscience and his affection misliking it as it is sinne for this is easily seene by his often relapse into the same sinne Now for the reason hee doth not sinne because the holy Ghost which is the seed of our second birth remaineth in him neither can he sin and this is proued by two places of scripture first Rom. 8.1 where the Apostle proueth these two graces inseparable iustification from sinne and sanctification from sinne thus There is no condemnation to him that liueth a spirituall man this is proued vers 5. by contraries They that liue after the flesh sauour the things of the flesh but he that is borne of God cannot doe so for then
they should be an astonishment and serue the king of Babel so many yeeres For the third which is the Lords mercy in their deliuerance they be the words of his owne mouth For thy sake O Israel I will not doe it for thou art filthy Ezec. 36.22 but for my owne sake I will that they may know I am able to doe it and for Dauid my seruants sake I will not vtterly put out the light of Israel Hence learne generally that there is no nation so free but the Lord may captiuate and if they decline and leaue their first loue the Lord may and will abandon them For if any people might haue presumed it was this who had the promises and a more peculiar presence of God then any nation vnder heauen yet were they vile and did stincke in his sight for abusing his kindenesse and setting at nought his Ministers Howbeit neuer were they more scorned then in these daies wherein either men make themselues deafe that they will not heare or heare but there is a noise of vanity higher and louder in their eares Heere then is the same cause of captiuity why should wee not feare the same iudgement We see it is our selues can doe vs the greatest hurt for when wee once giue our selues ouer to loosenesse of life and to distaste the word the Lord then disarmes vs both of policie and strength that euen a weake enemy may soone surprize vs. Let therefore euery man amend one albeit these times bee so mischieuous as it is to be feared lest many of vs be as willing to returne to Babylon for religion as euer were the Israelites to come foorth Secondly obserue the cursed and hard-harted disposition of the enemies of God that they thinke no torment nor cruelty too exquisite nor too sharpe for his people for Zedechia and Ahab did the King of Babel burne in the fire Ier. 29.22 and the rest were slaues to him and his sonnes 2. Chro. 36.20 With which malice the diuell hath poisoned and filled their hearts because they cannot be auenged of the Lord himselfe for euen at him doe the proud Nimrods of the world point their fingers Gen. 11.4 and against him doe they lay their siege to plucke him out of his seate for the Babylonians were more fierce to the Israelites then to any other whom they subdued onely because they were the chosen and beloued of the Lord. Lastly obserue in their deliuery the compassion of the Almighty that he will not be angry for euer and the truth of his promise that he will at the length visite his people in mercy when they thinke the clouds so thicke as they cannot be ouerblowne for now when Israel was euen rent to ragges he harboured Ier. 29.11 the thoughts of peace and not of trouble and gaue them an end of their fainting hope euen a mighty deliuerance by the hand of Cyrus king of Persia 2. Chro. 36.22 Where it is said Iechonias begat Salathiel obserue that Salathiel was not his naturall sonne but ouely succeeded him in the kingdome by legall succession as next heire for Iechonias had no sonnes but the house of Salomon ended with him as appeareth Ier. 22.30 Write this man that is Iechomas destitute of children So also Ezec. 21.26.27 the Lord speaking of Salomon I will ouerturne saith he repeating it thrice the diademe of this king and neuer shall any out of his loines weare it vntill he come whose right it is that is the Messias and I will giue it him To prooue also that Salomons line must cease and that Christ must not come of him lineally appeareth by the prophesie of Isaiah 2. King 20.18 that there should not one bee left of the house of Iehoiakim which could not be so vnlesse the line of Salomon were vtterly extinguished and for Salathiel he came of Nathan the second brother as Saint Luke setteth it downe chap. 3.31 which nothing disagreeth from this of Saint Matthew for he was but to shew the line of the Kings and not naturally of whom Christ came but whom hee should succeed in the kingdome Where note the wonderfull prouidence of God that Salomon who had so many wiues and children hath not now any left to sit vpon the throne to teach vs that Salomon was to bee punished for his many wiues so as the Lord would not haue Christ to come of him naturally but of his yonger brother Whereby all nobility may bee swallowed vp in the glory of the Lords progeny and generation that drowneth all nobility that since Salomon in all his glory wanteth naturall heires that they stand not vpon these outward shewes and dignities but seeke to continue their posterity by liuing in a cleane and holy course of life for the Lord will wash away the vnholy seede and serape out their names from vnder heauen that seeke to establish their house in filthinesse and to pollute the mariage bed Further in that Christ is said to come of Ioseph the poore Carpenter heerein are the ancient Prophecies fulfilled Esay 53.2 that Christ should come and no man regard him and that he should grow vp as a roote out of the drie ground without forme or beauty and as Esay 11.1 that the should come as a rod out of the stocke of Ishai the Yeoman 1. Sam. 16.3 whereby we obserue that when things are most desperate then the Lord recouereth them and now when the kingdome was come to a poore Carpenter then Christ was borne to teach vs that in the greatest exigents and extremities we must neuer distrust nor seeke to extricate our selues out of any sorrow the Lord hath brought vs to but still to waite vpon him for as Dauid saith Psalm 32.7 The Lord is our secret place that is he hath many priuie deliuerances wee know not of and as Psalm 4.3 will strengthen vs vpon the bed of sorrow as he did Dauid who when Saul with his armie was euen at his heeles and hee no doubt much anguished yet the Lord had his secret deliuerance for him and turned Saul on the sudden another way 1. Sam. 23.27 Euen so heere when it had beene night with the Israelites a long time and that their enimies thought they should neuer recouer their sight againe then ariseth Christ like they day-starre and restoreth the beauty of their kingdome to greater glory then before let vs therefore waite with Simeon for the saluation that shall come Now remaineth to shew the difference in the recital of Christs pedegree by Saint Matthew and that of Saint Luke chap. 3.23 and it standeth in three points first Mathew doeth descend from the first to the last from Abraham to Ioseph Luke ascendeth from the last to the first from Ioseph to Abraham Secondly Mathew was to fetch his pedegree so as he might proue him to be the Messias of the Iewes and to come directly from the feed of Abraham Luke deriueth him not onely from Abraham but from Adam that he might shew him to be
cause of war which the godly haue with the worldlings to shew the diuision betweene the seed of the woman and the serpent and to exercise the patience and praiers of Gods seruants for these ends the Gospell breedeth commotion Now for the effect of this feare it makes the King to call a Synod of Diuines and he gathereth the learned and all the learned omitting none to this end not to satisfie the question of the wise men Where he was that was borne but to satiate his owne bloudy purpose That he might know the place where he should be borne Where we learne how Princes doe vse religion and to what purpose they call for Diuines not for conscience but for policy for it was the matter of the crowne onely troubled Herod so as he called them not for any reuerence hee bare to them for he knew them to be miserable claw-backes but to serue his turne and that they might releeue him in this his trouble and scruple Thus did Balak Numb 22.5 send for Balaam onely to curse the people and Ahab 1. Kin. 22.8 sent for Micah only that he might concurre in opinion with the foure hundred false Prophets For the third generall circumstance namely the resolution giuen by these Diuines which is right and sincere out of the Scripture the Iesuites hereupon note that these priests though their persons were neuer so wicked yet God doth force them to speake trueth by vertue of their vnction Iohn 11.50 So Caiaphas onely as high Priest shall say and that truly that one shall die for the sins of the people though he neither know what he speaketh not beleeue what he speaketh We answer that if the priuiledge of oâ—le did this then could he neuer sentence any thing amisse but if this vnction worke but by fits like Sauls frensie 1. Sam. 16.23 then must they seeke out some other cause of the vpright iudgement of these Diuines in this place Balaam Num. 24.17 prophesied true not because he was a Priest but he spake euen as his Asse spake God putting it into his heart to doe so And it is strange that the Popes person may be an heretike and yet the Pope himselfe as Pope be a Catholike and that though his person be ouerflowen with wickednesse yet that as some grounds will beare no poisoned beasts so his Consistory will breed no errors We say the seate of Moses had no such priuiledge much lesse they for though Caiaphas spake true that one should die yet as high Priest hee condemned the Lord Iesus that was innocent So we must take it heere that these Diuines resolued Herod of the truth not by inforcement but voluntarily euen as they thought for their lips preserued so much knowledge as to be acquainted with the Prophets euen in these speciall and secret points of the comming of Christ Note further in the prophesie of the Messias heere cited the great mercy of God that set downe particularly so many things by so many sundry instruments and all fall out to be as true as if the Prophets had then seene them It was first prophesied Gen. 3. he should bee the seed of the woman then to what nation hee should be giuen to the Iewes then to what Tribe to Iuda Gen. 49.10 then to what house of this Tribe to Dauid then at what time he should be borne Dan. 9.25 Genes 49.10 when the Scepter shall goe from Shilo then shall the Messias come then the person that should beare him a virgine his name Emmanuel Esa 7.14 his office a Sauiour the place where hee should bee borne Bethlem Micah 5.2 the maner of his life to be poore Za. 99. he shall come riding on an asse the maner of his death Esa 53.12 he should be condemned with sinners the price should be giuen to betray him and what should be done with it to buy a field Zach. 11.12 that he should be pierced and yet that in his death not a bone should be broken Exod. 12.46 that he should thirst vineger should be giuen him Psa 69.21 that lots should be cast vpon his garments Psal 22.18 Let vs therefore seeing this sweet harmony of the Prophets and as perswaded of the verity of the whole scripture labour to learne all things that are written and so to learne them as to doe them that we may be contrary minded to these Iewes reioyce at his comming who will fill vs with all ioy Further wee are to consider by what occasion the Lord wrought that the virgine should be brought to bed at Bethlem Luke reciteth it chap. 2.1 that Mary hauing purposed to be deliuered at Nazareth where shee had conceiued which had beene contrary to the scripture the Lord changeth this determination and sendeth a thought into the heart of Augustus the Emperour to impose a taxe vpon all the world Mary though great with child and neere her trauell yet is constrained to go to Bethlem Thus doeth the Lord turne the purposes of wicked men to a blessed end and makes all wind blow good for his children and prouokes the Emperor to bee an executioner of the prophesies not that he any whit regarded them in his heart or did this vpon any voluntary obedience for his end was to inrich his fist and to shew the Maiesty of his Empire that by this men might testifie their submission vnto him Thus did the Lord turne Gen. 45.7 the mischieuous malice of Iosephs brethren to an honorable end that he might be a purueyor and a nurse to his Church as Ioseph himselfe testifieth Gen. 50.20 speaking to his brethren Ye thought euill against me but the Lord turned it vnto good that I might preserue the liues of many Note further in the resolution of these Diuines that we are to wonder how they could so sincerely willingly answer to the question propounded whereas afterward they peruert all the scripture rather then they will subiect themselues to this Messias it is because as yet the Messias had not opened his mouth to conuince their sinne and shew their shame nor challenged them for murthering of soules but when he comes to discouer their hypocrisie and persecution of the truth then he is no more the King of the Iewes borne at Bethlem but he is a Nazarean and no good thing can come out of Galile Iohn 7.53 reprouing also Nicodemus verse 52. that would not haue him condemneâ— before he was heard graunting the truth in the generall but denying it in the particular which is the nature of all Atheists and Non-residents 2. Tim. 4.2 Mat. 15.14 which subscribe to the generall places of Scripture that the word must bee preached in season and out of season that if the blind leade the blind both shall fall into the pit of perdition that where the vision faileth the people perish Prou. 11.14 and that the price of soules is bloud but that hee himselfe is in this danger that taketh the fleece yet feedeth not the sheepe or that he doth
might be saued and he would stand abashed that hee that should bee a Christian should bee separate from Christians and thrust out of the Church out of which there is no saluation whereas now seeing that his sinne doth not separate him from the communion of the Saints it brings him a sleepe in it and hardly he comes to repentance Thirdly he sinneth against the Church in admitting such a one for who would suffer a leprous man to lie with a child and this animateth and emboldeneth others to sinne by the sight of his impunity and many are infected by the scab of such a one Did God in the law abhorre lepers and must no man that touched a dead carkase partake of the Passeouer a moneth after and shall not whoredome and such like vncleannesse bee a cause to barre men from the Supper of the Lord Paul said plainely 1. Cor. 5.7 Purge out the old leauen speaking of him that had committed incest comparing the Paschall lambe to the Gospell the seauen daies wherein it was eaten to the whole course of our liues the house where it was eaten to the Church the lumpe to the multitude the leauen to maliciousnesse and filthinesse the vnleauened to the children of God so as they must separate all that are leauened in malice or wickednesse that not onely euery peculiar man may be blamelesse but all the Church may be cleane comming to so holy a place For since we are all partakers of that immaculate Lambe that is slaine Christ Iesus we must cast both out of our selues and out of our houses and congregations all impurity Wherefore let not thy hand bee in sacriledge to permit such a one it is in thy power to giue and answer the church at thy perill thou must whatsoeuer the law of the Magistrate is for no man may command thee to sinne but according to the rule giuen to Timothy speaking of vnable men to goe before the people in life and doctrine 1. Tim. 5.22 Lay not thou saith Paul thy hands on him It will be said this was an easie matter in the Apostles time when they had the keyes of the Church and the power in their hands to cut off the incestuous person and when the Gospell was but newly entred and but stept as it were within the threshould but now men are not so easily corrigible as they were then being now more growen and sturdy in sinne then before We answer that if the censures of the church were so duly executed when there was no Christian magistrate to countenance and protect them much more might they bee so now when they might haue the sword also to assist them And if they had fewer offences when they had lesse meanes to purge them for they could but separate from the congregation only and then if they would they might haue returned againe to the infidels far greater beuty might be looked for now if the gouernors of the church had not some great mist before them And if the churches of Iudaea and Galile as we may see Acts 2. 3. did multiply exceedingly hauing the magistrate not against them though not with them much more might they flourish now hauing the Christian law of the Magistrate binding their bodies whose consciences should be bound by the censures of the Church But is it no true Church where this exact cleansing is not And is it not the table of the Lord because some strangers besides children are receiued and is the whole lumpe infected by a little leauen God forbid onely we say the leauen ought to be separate and the incestuous man ought to be cast out for they thaâ— eate the Passeouer must haue none come to it that hath eaten leauen and if wee ought not to eate with him that is haue no familiatity with him much lesse ought he to bee admitted by the Minister but if he be yet to thy conscience that art a worthy receiuer it is a sacrament If Saul be in the Tabernacle I little doubt but Dauid will with all his heart wish to pray with him And was Zacharie any whit polluted by praying and scrificing with the filthy Pharises or Annaes praiers lesse auailable because many swine entred into the Temple The church saith Paul hath no such custome to be contentious 1. Cor. 11.16 but if it be yet it remains a Church stil And to resolue this point to whom spake Iohn in this place but to the Church of God for as yet there was no separation of the wheate from the chaffe but afterward they prooued sworne enemies to Christ and it was Moses chaire though they sate in it and the people were commanded to heare them Was not the church of Iuda the floore of the Lord though the Pharises taught false and corrupt doctrine that Gods name was not taken in vaine vnlesse men were openly forsworne Mat. 5.33 and though the high Priests were aduanced by simony Christ himselfe saith it was and laboreth onely to remoue these errors and to reduce euery thing to the purity of his Fathers institution But now with vs since this long venting of the word of God hath beene with so litle profit and that the Pharises stand so close about the Princes mouth as that she can hardly breath in the wholsome aire of the truth what hope is there of a better separation but the fanne of fiery triall that if wind will not doe it persecution may doe it for the drosse that cannot be scattered by blasts must be consumed with burning Now when the floore is cleane and swept within the Church then is there another cleansing out of the Church which is either particular or vniuersall particular when good or bad men die and such as they die such they shall continue for the tree that is fallen there it lieth Vniuersall at the last day when all things shall be complete and perfect when not onely the chaffe shall bee blowne away but euen the tares that is secret hypocrites shal be cut vp by the Angels for open offenders should be cut off heere by the word and discipline Further in that it is said Some shall be gathered into the Lords garner obserue that it is a most detestable opinion to thinke that all shall be saued and that damnation is preached but for fashion to containe men in some obedience For let the scripture be burnt if this be true and let Belzebub bee saued if all shall bee saued and let Iudas come foorth of hell if none shall goe thither Nay our owne consciences doe adiorne and summon vs to thinke of a generall iudgement and Iudas owne heart condemning him caused him to hang himselfe Mat. 27.5 The Lords house must be fully furnished and in all such houses as S. Paul speaketh there must be vessels of honour and dishonor 2. Tim. 2.20 some prepared to glory some to destruction for in that hee is willing to shew his wrath Rom. 9.23 appeareth that it is his will some should bee damned
the profanenesse of our mindes we make a sauour of death and as it were a trumpet of debate and sedition to consume each other yea Ioh. 6.66 we see how diuers of Christs disciples went backe from him when hee preached a long sermon touching the sacrament of the supper which is a badge of our friendship with God with our brethren which proceeded not from the sacrament but from their rebellion that their sinne might bee made more sinfull yea such contagion is there in our nature as wee make Christ himselfe the authour and finisher of our hope to bee our condemnation a stone to stumble at and a rocke of offence 1. Pe. 2.8 the cause not being in him who is the light of the world but in our selues making him an occasion of our darkenesse Iohn 3.19 which by this light shall be made in the end farre more sinfull and damnable Since then the power of our corruption is so forcible as it is able to peruert all the meanes ordained for our saluation as to make the commandement of God in his law the promises of God in the Gospell the seales of God in his sacraments and the loue of God in his sonne to be vaine and of no value this must teach vs to humble our selues in the lowest degree in a hatred and detestation of our flesh and sinfull faculties of our soule which are as the poisoned soile that either casts vs or corrupts all the seeds of fruitfulnesse or wholsomenes that we throwen into it whereas our sin being disclosed both by the law and Gospell it is the more to bee hated and abhorred because it turneth the edge and benefit of both these to our destruction For what could the Lord doe more to preserue our first parents in their innocency than to set as it were a double fence about his commandement forbidding not onely the eating of the fruit but the touching of it binding the hands that they should not conuey it to the mouth and yet more hath he done for vs taking vs out of the fire by casting as it were his Sonne in the fire though as if we had neuer beene scorched or else being past sense we carrie still the coles in our bosome and will not haue them quenched with the water of the spirit to newnesse of life But let vs not be so wilfull peruerse so strong headed and stifnecked as not to bee turned into the way by the rod of the law but hauing spent the portion of the flesh and wasted the lusts thereof let vs grow in loue with our fathers house for what fruit can we haue in those things whereof we shall be ashamed or which at length shall bring shame on vs Let vs therfore shake off the sinnes we haue delighted in and then haue we suffered in the flesh and then hath Christ suffered in the flesh for vs which if he haue then is our flesh destroied in vs which if it be then shall we cease from sinne which if we doe then shall we liue after the will of God though not in perfection yet reformable to the perfection of his will and then to vs that are sanctified shall not the law be grieuous nor burdensome as Saint Iohn saith 1. Iohn 5.3 but it shall reioice the heart giuing light to the eies and sweetnesse to the taste as Dauid saith Psal 119.7.8.9.10 God sending his Sonne c. This is the second generall pâ—n spoken of at first namely that what was impossible to the law is made possible in Christ wherein obserue foure things First the person which sendeth Secondly the person which is sent Thirdly the maner how he is sent Fourthly the end of his sending For the first which is God consider the cause mooued him to this mercy not any thing in vs but his owne loue and compassion towards vs as it is expressed Ioh. 3.16 God so loued the world that he sent his sonne and Ezek. 16.3.4 It is said concerning the Church of God that at the beginning she was born and begotten of the heathen her father an Amorite her mother an Hittite at the day of her birth shee had no mid-wife neither was shee washed but remained filthy shee had not so much as a swadling clout to couer her neither did any that passed by pitie her but shee was cast out in the open field lay polluted in her blood ready euery houre to perish In which words the meaning of the holy Ghost is to set forth our vnworthinesse our shame and our nakednesse If now an honorable person shall passe by and open his compassion on her and bring her home and spread his owne skirts ouer her feed her at his owne table make her beautifull and aduance her to great honour whereby she that was despised comes to be beloued of all nations and yet she should againe fall to her pollution and become a common strumpet if notwithstanding this vnthankefulnesse and apostasie he should draw her home againe and renue his former fauours towards her no reason could be giuen of this but the free mercy of him that did it euen so hath God like an honorable person full of all power and riches strength and maiesty mercy compassion seene vs polluted in our bloud before our birth borne of corrupt parents brought forth into a more corrupted place which is this world yet hath he said we shall liue he hath caused vs to bud as the flower of the field yea our time hath beene as the time of loue hee hath spread the skirts of his protection ouer vs entred a couenant with vs and we are become his now for vs to enquire the cause of this we can finde none but his willing loue to haue it so but let vs striue by the fruits of our liues to honor him and with the calues of our lippes to praise him that hath thus aduanced his mercy on vs and let vs not doe the worke of a presumptuous whore either in giuing rewards to the flesh or taking rewards of the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof lest the Lord diminish our ordinary as Ezek 16.27 and feed vs with the blood of wrath and lealousie Againe heere note that the Lord neuer worketh but when it is impossible and the cure desperate in the eies of men for when the Law could not saue vs then rather than hee would want a people and lose the glory of his mercy hee sent his sonne to saue vs. The woman Mar. 5.25 that had her issue of blood twelue yeeres and had spent all her substance among Physitians and auailed not when man could not heale her then Christ did it when he that had beene diseased 38. yeeres and had line long at the poole of Bethesda Ioh. 5.6 and could get none to helpe him in when the water was troubled then did Christ bid him take vp his bed and walke when Ioh. 11.39.42 Lazarus had been in the graue foure daies that it was impossible for man to restore
life yea scarce possible to abide his smell then Christ by the speaking of a word could doe it when Luk. 15.20 the prodigall sonne had wasted all and was reiected of all then the father receaueth him home againe when Ionas was Ionah 2.2 in the whales belly and as the text saith in the belly of hell that hee thought himselfe cast out of Gods sight then did the Lord bring vp his life from the pit and deliuered him when Daniel was put into the Lions den Dan. 6.22 to be made a pray for beasts then the Lord shewed his power by stopping of the Lions mouthes that they hurt him not when the three children Dan. 3.23 were cast into the fornace seuen times hotter then it was wont to bee because they would not consent to idolatry then did the Lord restraine the nature of the flames that it rather cooled then scorched them when Dauid 1. Sam. 23.26 was compassed on euery side by Saul and his company that he had no way to escape then God sent a messenger to the King to tell him of a power comming against himselfe whereby they left persuing him when the Isralites had the red Sea before them the mountaines on each side them and the Egyptians behind them Exod. 14.21 then did the Lord by a meanes to man impossible prouide for their safety The vse whereof is to our exceeding comfort that if we be closely imprisoned the Angell can vnloose vs when all doe forsake vs then will the Lord gather vs vp Psal 27.10 If we bee ready with Peter to sinke into the sea if we cry but Lord saue vs we shall be safe if we be as dead as the dry bones Ezek. 37.4 the Lord can and will put life into vs the slauery that the Pharaohs of the world can put vs to nor the bondage they can hold vs in is nothing to the Lord with whom nothing is impossible which if we could but once beleeue we would be lifted vp in what misery soeuer for the Lord 〈…〉 â—s from â—ell it selfe so as we are the cause of our â—â—ne miseries and of our discomforts in our miseries because we are so incredulous therfore let vs pray to the Lord to increase our faith that wee may neuer distrust in his power for that hee worketh not till it bee impossible hee is moued thereto by our pride lest if he should doe it by meanes wee might attribute it to the second causes and not to his prouidence and so rob him of his glory and on the other side if wee haue no meanes then we distrust his prouidence and so despaire as men without God in the world whereas our affiance in him should driue out all trembling distrust whatsoeuer for hee that hath thus prouided for our soules when they were mouldring away in our sinnes how can we feare but our bodies which with the soule make the whole man shall bee as deare and pretious to him also For the second which is the person sent it is the sonne of God wherein our vnworthinesse appeareth the more that vnlesse Christ had beene sent wee had not beene saued and this wil the more appeare by considering what we are without Christ euen heires of condemnation subiect to euerlasting curse and if we would haue a description of our selues without Christ before we were borne we deserued that the mid-wiues should teare vs and rend vs out of our mothers wombe and cast vs not into water as Pharaohs mid-wiues should haue done to the Israelites Exod. 1.17 but into the fire which might in some sort prefigure the heat in hell and that the first swathing-band should haue beene the chaines of darkenesse to bind vs fast to the diuel and that the first fire to warme vs at should haue beene that that burneth by the breath of the Lordâ— and that the first milke to cherish vs should haue beene poison to choke vs and that the first garment to cloath vs with should haue beene the wrath and vengance of God for we are so deformed in our conception as the Lord cannot discerne that euer any part of our image came from heauen so polluted in our liues as if the Diuell were let loose among vs yea for our sakes all the creatures both in heauen and earth are accursed except the Angels elect and the diuell who was accursed from the beginning and that ceremoniall leprosie in the law Leuit. 15. prefigureth and 〈…〉 morall vncleannesse and leprosie of our soules for in the law the chaire he sate on the bed he lay on the basen he washt in was vnclean the meat he eat yea the company he kept was so also now in regard hereof God sent his sonne to make that possible which was in vs impossible to make his worth answer our vnworthinesse that since his eie could not indure the sight of our vncleannesse it might delight in the beholding of his holinesse and that the hand that could not bee staied from being auenged on vs might through the obedience of his sonne be tied and fast bound from striking vs and that the violes of vengeance which were opened to bee powred forth on vs might through the pleasure he tooke in his sonne be stopt and diuerted from vs. Secondly it was necessary Christ should be sent for our sinnes being against the maiesty of an infinit God deserue iustice of the same nature which iustice must haue either infinite satisfaction or infinit punishment therefore God being both infinitely iust and infinitly mercifull there must be presented to him one of the same nature who by being infinite may reconcile both these if we should present our selues besides that we are but finit we must needes taste of iustice for what haue we but figge-leaues to couer our shame If we could offer the Angels for our attonemet it were too low a price for they are in themselues finite being at the first created and for this their creation they stand indebted to the Lord and the satisfaction they can giue is but their obedience which is their duty therefore the price of reconciliation must bee the Sonne of God who is infinite aswell as God himselfe equall with him in maiesty in power and in purity and he hath infinitely satisfied his infinite iustice and ioyned him in infinite mercy to vs that as Dauid saith Psal 32.10 we are now compassed about with mercy and we know whatsoeuer compasseth a man there is nothing can come vnto him but it must first come through that doth so compasse him so as wee being through Christ compassed about with the Lords mercy there can no sorrowes come neere vs but either mercy will keepe them out or if they come in they must come through mercy and proceed from mercy and not from iustice nor displeasure 〈…〉 â—â—â—rd in what manner he was sent In the similitude of â—â—â—â—full flesh Out of which learne that God could not be satisfied for sinnefull flesh but by flesh not by the similitude of flesh but of
which we no sooner feele but being warned by this spirit we gather our feete the more close together to stand fast Since then this spirit of God hath set vp his rest in our soules let vs as liuely stones in this spirituall building cleanse polish our selues from all corruptions that it may take delight to continue with vs for if he come to suruey thy heart to see what roome thou hast for him and he finde euery chamber there full of some sinne and seeth that as fast as he emptieth it with one hand thou fillest it vp with another reâ—sting the power of him as if he came to torment thee he will take his flight from thee and thy sinnes shall breake out as the plague-sore vpon thee to thy vtter confusion but if thou submit thy selfe to his worke suffering him to mine and vndermine euery veine in thy body and to cleanse euery corner in thy soule and being emptied of thy corruption wilt labour in sanctification to keepe thy selfe cleane so beating downe thy fleshly thoughts and carnall desires as they shall not so much as sleepe with thee and if they chance to creepe into thy bed thou wilt spurne them out as a chaste louer wil a harlot then shal the spirit take vp thy body as his house and thou entertaining him he will keepe out all thine enemies that may disturbe thy peace with Christ Lastly where he saith But he that hath not the spirit of Christ is not his obserue that by an argument drawne from a naturall man he prooueth that as many as haue the spirit of Christ are sure of their saluation for as a naturall man who hath not the spirit is not Christs so long as hee remaineth a naturall man so consequentlie it followeth that they that haue the spirit are Christs and being his it were an absurd thing if they should not be saued for the conscience being pacified that God will accept vs in Christ we are not now perplexiuely to doubt of our saluation or how to auoid damnation for if we should doubt of our ROM chap. 8. vers 10. Vers 10 And if Christ be in you the bodie is dead because of sinne but the spirit is life for righteousnesse sake IN this verse the Apostle maketh the preuenâ—â—â—â— of a doubt which might haue risen out of the former doctrine for hee hauing before prooued that the spirit of God the spirit of Christ and Christ himselfe are in vs that are elect wee might make question of the trueth of this seeing we haue a large remnant of sinne and of the corruption of nature abiding in vs To this the Apostle answereth in this verse and those that follow First granting that so long as wee carrie about vs this bodie so long shall we carrie about vs sinne in our bodie part whereof is alreadie mortified in this life the rest can not be but by mortalitie But then in the second place that wee might not be too much deiected with this clogge of sinne we draw after vs he would haue vs with this occasion we haue to humble vs to ioyne withall the consideration of the spirit of Christ which is in vs to raise vs vp againe assuring vs that if our faith by her visible fruites can appeare in our liues that though we haue a portion of sinne which can not die but by death yet we haue the spirit of God the spirit of Christ and Christ himselfe-dwelling in vs the fruite whereof is euerlasting life in glorie obtained by the righteousnesse of Christ for vs applying himselfe in the latter part of the verse to comfort the weakenesse and to cheere vp the faint hearts of the faithfull labouring to relieue them with some spirituall consolation that notwithstanding they cannot shake off the sluggishnesse of the flesh but are taken as it were with a palsey halfe dead on the one side being compassed about with many infirmities in this life and hauing many grudgings and resistances of this earthly lumpe which is the bodie against the worke of our sanctification yet for all this the faithfull and elect may know and be assured that they are not trained foorth to fight and haue the foile nor that they are called to any doubtfull combate but to such a field where our hands shall be held vp if wee faint Exod. 17.12 as were the hands of Moses and where wee shall preuaile not onely against the Amalekites as did Ioshua which are enemies without vs but euen against the hidden enemies of our heart the rebellion of the flesh and the corrupâ—â—â—â— of nature which is contained in these words But the spirit is life so as the verse standeth on two parts First hee granteth part of the obiection namely that sinne cannot fully be shaken off Secondly to the full satisfaction of our consciences he answereth the other part of the obiection namely that notwithstanding this remainder of sinne in vs we need not be perplexed or doubt of our saluation Heere first wee are to consider of the three speciall kindes and phrases of speech the Apostle vseth in the former verses and in this concerning the spirit of God which is in vs the spirit of Christ which is in vs and Christ himselfe which is in vs. Whereby we are taught to beleeue that the whole Godhead and Trinitie dwelleth in euery Christian Howbeit concerning the spirit of God wee must know we cannot attaine vnto it but by the spirit of Christ for as the waters that boile in the earth cannot be conueied vnto vs but by wels and pipes by which we receiue of the fountaine it selfe so the spirit of God is the fountaine of life but a Well too deepe and the place too high for vs to reach to hee dwelling in a place vnaccessible and not to be approched vnto and for this cause the spirit of Christ is the well-spring and pipe which passeth this life to vs and by this we are made partakers of that life in glory so that in this respect the spirit of God is said to bee in vs and also the spirit of Christ which spirit could not be conueied vnto to vs but by the flesh of Christ God and man to reconcile vs to his Father and yet all this is but one God and one spirit as 1. Ioh. 5.7 which prooueth these two things first that Christ is God secondly that the holie Ghost proceedeth both from God and Christ because they both are but one and the selfe-same spirit is but one And in that Christ is also said to be in vs it is but the same in effect that the spirit of Christ is in vs yet are wee verily to beleeue that verie Christ is really in vs indeed yet inuisiblie and this must bee vnderstood supernaturally and therefore they that hold they are onely partakers of the graces and benefits of Christ but not of Christ himselfe cannot beleeue that Christ shall saue them for Christs benefits are so inseparablie vnited to his person as
those that are ordained in the eternall purpose of God to be saued after this sort those that are sure to be conformable to the glorious image of the Sonne of God to them all things doe worke for the best but they that are called in the Lords eternall purpose are ordained to bee conformable and made like to the glorious image of his Sonne therefore to these all things worke for the best Quos praenouit whom he knew before that is Quos vt suos cognouit whom hee knew and approued to bee his owne such should resemble his Sonne in glory that is should partake and taste of the same glory though not in the same measure according to the speech of S. Iohn in his Epistle We shall be like him he doth not say equall to him for Christ must haue the preheminence of an elder brother Hence obserue the indifferencey of the loue of God that he vseth but one and the selfe same course of discipline in his house for all his children for as he trained vp his first and eldest and best beloued sonne so will he traine and bring vs vp And how Christ was vsed here on earth the Scripture is plentifull and his owne mouth testifieth that he was worse then the beasts of the earth for he had not wherein to hide his head And therefore vnlesse wee doe despise the sufferings of Christ or thinke that God loueth vs better then he did Christ and hath prouided an easier way for vs to walke in let vs know that it is our portion to abide the indignities of the world and to bee hated of men nay if whole seas of troubles fall vpon vs wee need not bee dismaled for reuilings are made vnto vs as precious balme the whip is become but as soft silke the pangs of death but as messengers of a sweet sleepe and through Christ the graue is vnto vs as a perfumed bed Secondly obserue hence the power and vertue of Gods loue towards vs who will still haue vs beare about vs some notable marke of excellencie and of immortalitie for as at the first wee were created like to the image of God himselfe so in our second birth and restitution wee are made to resemble the image of the Sonne of God and our resemblance of Christ standeth in two things which formerly haue beene touched first in walking through the sierie afflictions of this life which we may the better doe remembring that being the sonnes of Iacob there is a ladder that reacheth from heauen to earth whereon the Angels are alwaies ascending and descending Gen. 28.12 readie to minister to the necessities of the Saints Secondly in climing vp to the seate of glorie after the Dragon hath spent his malice in sending foorth of his mouth whole flouds of waters to drowne vs Reu. 12.25 which did nothing else but onely wash away our filthinesse lest otherwise wee had beene like to that old Serpent alwaies groueling vpon the ground For certaine it is we must either resemble the Sonne in obedience or the Serpent in malice and if we thinke the inheritance of a sonne inferior and of lesse value and consequent then the curse of the Serpent then let vs runne on with Pharaoh in the heardnesse of our hearts that the Lord may shew his power in vs and after hee hath forborne vs a while in patience Roâ— 9.17 cast vs to the destruction prepared for vs. Vers 30. Moreouer whom hee predestinate them also hee called and whom hee called them also hee iustified and whom hee iustified them also he glorified Here the Apostle proueth his former speech and assertion by setting downe and declaring those subordinate and second meanes or degrees whereby the Lord doth accomplish this his purpose and decree The degrees be foure whom he foreknew first them he predestinated secondly after he called thirdly then iustified fourthly and lastly them he glorified After this sort speaketh S. Iohn He that beleeueth is alreadie translated from death to life so as the whole force of the Apostles argument is this They that shall certainly be glorified to them all things worke for the best otherwise the Lords purpose should be frustrate which cannot be by reason of the degrees of executing this his purpose which neuer faile Here consider generally two parts first his fore or daining vs to glorie secondly the inferiour degrees whereby he doeth execute this his purpose to glorifie vs. In the first consider three things first what this foreknowledge of the Lord is secondly what is meant by this to be like the image of his Sonne thirdly what is meant by the first borne among brethren For this which is the first namely the foreknowledge of God it is the very same which the Apostle called before his purpose whereby the Lord meant to know vs for his owne in his euerlasting loue which is the very highest cause of our saluation For that there is no other first cause may be vnderstood in this that we are not to seeke the first cause in Christ nor the first ordaining vs to life in the mediation of Christ for the Lord had a purpose to saue some before euer Christ had a purpose to be a Mediator though not in time yet in order and that nothing but his foreknowledge made the Lord to know vs in loue and to account vs for his owne wee may see it in our paterne Christ What could induce God that mans nature should be vnited to the very nature eternall Was it possible that the humane nature of Christ could deserue it No but it onely was the Lords purpose that it should be so which being true in constituting and ordaining the head is also to be considered in the members that euen so and in the like maner the simple and onely purpose of God should shew it selfe in fore ordaining vs. Now the worthinesse of man was no cause of this for Paul saith Rom. 9.11 the Lord loued Iacob and hated Esau before they had done either good or euil and saith it is therefore a mystery to be adored rather then to be scanned by reason If wee will search after the generall cause of mans saluation or damnation it is the manifestation of the Lords iustice on some and the declaration of his mercy on others for if all should haue bin saued then had there bin no iustice with the Lord and againe if all had bin condemned then had there beene no mercy Howbeit if we descend to particulars as why the Lord ordained such a one to be saued or to be damned no reason can be giuen heereof but his eternall purpose which is onely hidden in his owne breast For we must not expostulate with the Potter why he made this vessell to honor and that to dishonor much lesse must we contend and plead with the Lord about it This learne thou the Lord hardneth the reprobate either by the substraction and drawing away of his mercy or by giuing it so and in
a candle then had Obadiah hid an hundred of the Lords Prophets in a caue 1. King 18.4 that neuer bowed their knees to Baal Iob. 5.22 For the Lord doth but laugh at the policies of the wicked and he in his time will discouer their shame to their faces and lift vp the heads of his seruants aboue all the tyrants of the world Now for the meanes whereby wee obtaine this victory obserue that it is by a spirituall power of the holy Ghost enabling vs to so great a worke for such is our ambition to be great men as if Demas find no preferment by the Gospell 2. Tim. 4.10 he will nothing esteeme of Pauls company Such is our desire to be rich as if we gaine by our seruants that worke with the Diuell we had rather they should be possessed still then we would lose our gaine which we may see Act. 16.19 where Paul and Silas were haled before the Magistrates onely for casting out the spirit of diuination in the maide that got her masters great aduantage by diuining Yea such and so vehement are our naturall and earthly affections and so great our greedinesse to enioy the pleasures of our life that the mariage of a wife or the triall of a yoke of oxen shall keepe vs from Christ Mat. 22.5 Luk. 14.19.20 So that it must be a greater power then the faculty or abilitie of a man for if naturally we are not able to abide the snuffe of a candle much lesse to burne in the fire Why then so many examples as we see patiently induring death for the testimony of the truth of God so many testimonies haue wee of the Lords power to enable weake vessels to hold such scalding liquer For many through presumption of their owne strength haue apostated and Peter was well neare it notwithstanding his bragge that he would not leaue his master to the death if Christ his eie had not pierced his soule to repentance for his former denials Luk. 22.61 Dauid 1. Sam. 17.45.46 confesseth that it was not in his strength to contend with Goliah neither did he come to him with sword or with speare but in the name of the God of Israel who would close him into his hands And this in truth must be our paterne and our praise in these temptations and afflictions to flie out of our selues and to run to the wings of the Lord Iesus whose grace onely is sufficient for vs and whose power is made perfect in our weakenesse for where the flesh carieth a confidence in it selfe there is no roome for the spirit for the spirit helpeth onely those that be infirme and Christ is onely a Physition for a sicke sinner Mark 2.17 Now as wee are conquerors through him that loueth vs so let vs labour that Christ may thinke his loue well bestowed his bloud well spent and his victory for vs well gained by our loue of him againe that it may be as hot as the flame that whole flouds of waters may not quench it and so strong as neither terrors in persecution nor pleasures in life nor the anguish of death may make vs forsake our ankor Christ Iesus but that wee may hold our confidence in a hope sure and stedfast which shall at the last giue vs entrance into the veile whither Christ our forerunner is for vs entred in Heb. 6.29 ROM chap. 8. vers 38 39. verse 38 For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Augels nor Principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come verse 39 Nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. HEere the Apostle setteth downe a conclusion full of all consolation proceeding from a diuine and heauenly resolution and christian magnan unity extended and offered by the Apostle in the person of all the faithfull wherein he doth couragiously challenge and exultantly triumph ouerall creatures being assured that nothing that euer was created could finally separate him from that loue wherewith the Lord had loued him in Christ This conclusion standeth on two parts first in the enumeration or reckoning vp of some particulars which if any thing could seuer vs from the Lord it were likely to bee some of these he named Secondly because the Apostle could not insist in the induction or bringing in of particulars he vseth a generall comprehension of all things that nothing might bee excepted in these words nor any other creature the things reckoned vp are nine which be either one contrary to another or else diuers from other For death that cannot separate vs from God for though it be most terrible to the flesh to see his prefixed end yet this is so farre vnable to seuer vs as nothing hath greater power to ioyne vs to God through the death of him that ouercame death which appeareth likewise by this that euen the wicked though they loue not to liue the life of the righteous because it is tedious through afflictions yet they can wish with Balaam Num. 23. vers 10. that their last end may be like theirs who alwaies resigne vp their soules in rest vnto the Lord. And though some wicked may make a peaceable end whereby Satan hardeneth others to thinke they are beloued of the Lord because they depart like the light of a candle and some of the elect die troublesomely whereby Satan maketh his instruments to condemne the generation of the godly yet in their inward man they doe not onely patiently expect but deepely sigh for the day of their dissolution that being vncloathed of this corruption they may be crowned with the Lords glorie for they that haue receiued the earnest of the spirit the pledge of their inheritance and the first fruits of the Lords loue and vnto whom he hath sealed and assured pardon of their sinne they do know they haue cause to expect the reuelation and shew of their happinesse being heere tossed with sundrie waues of perplexed miseries and being sure there to arriue from a tempestuous voyage to a most blessed hauen And it is ioyfull to a Christian to bee deliuered from this careful life wherein euery day is the messenger of fresh sorrowes and wherein hee findeth his corruption so burdensome so as though Paul was taken vp into the third heauen 2. Cor. 12.4 yet hee cried Who shall deliuer me from this body of sinne For heere wee know our selues to be scarce worth the ground we go on we are so worne with care and so ground with affliction but then we shall enter into the presence of God and dwell with him perpetually To be short many haue beene so rauished with this ioy which wee see but as in a mist as they haue not onely giuen vp themselues to naturall death but euen suffered violent death embracing it as chearefully as the souldier that comes after his valour shewed to be made a knight or as the King that goeth to his
present euen as the time of our life is for Gods children most bee like the rod of the Almond tree spoken of Ierem. 1.11 which in those countries where it groweth is the first that blossometh yea we must not onely giue the first fruits as vnder the law but euen all the fruits of our liues to the Lord for God often punisheth the want of his fear in our youth with the want of wisedome in our age if our godlines be not present he oftentimes cutteth vs off before we can see the time to come Neither yet must we thinke it sufficient to cherish godlinesse in our hearts no not in our chambers but it must be as a light set vpon a hill that not onely Gods children may see it for their direction but that euen the world may see it for their condemnation as Christ saith to his disciples I haue sent you to walke in the midst of a froward and crooked generation yet must they walke still for by this open profession of godlinesse we shew whose liuerie we weare and that we are not ashamed of the crosse nor abashed at it Howbeit this course of godlinesse which we must liue in is no more nor no lesse then an absolute resignation and giuing vp of all things in respect of God which standeth in three things first in giuing vp our reason secondly in denying our affections thirdly in framing our mind to a moderation in what estate the Lord shall set vs in For the first wee must resigne vp our reason to religion in two respects first for that it is an incomprehensible mysterie which is vnsearchable secondly for that the ignominie thereof is vnsufferable in our reason as to thinke that he is blessed that is hungrie they vnhappie that bee rich and that the Lords correction is loue For the second which is the giuing vp of our affections it will teach vs so to walke and so to deale as in the presence of God it will make vs plough vp those furrowes of pride and vaine-glorie which lie so deepe in our hearts and when by the instigation of our affections we are mooued to riot or voluptuousnesse it will make vs abstaine because we haue giuen our selues to God For the third to haue a willingnesse to suffer what the Lord sendeth will make vs resigne vp those inordinate cares of getting wherewith wee are oftentimes perplexed and to content our selues with that portion the Lord hath shared out vnto vs so as by religion and a godly life we shall learne to say with Dauid O Lord thou hast done it therefore I hold my peace and not only to beare an outward contentment in worldly things but euen in all calamities to rest vpon the mercifull hand of God IAMES chap. 2. vers 20.21 verse 20 But wilt thou vnderstand O thou vaine man that the faith which is without works is dead verse 21 Was not Abraham our father instified through workes when he offered Isaac his sonne vpon the altar THe word of God hath two parts in it first it is a word of wisedome secondly it is a word of knowledge by knowledge to reforme the iudgement and to conuince the conscience by wisdome to perswade the affections to the obedience of that we haue truly learned Saint Iames here indeuoreth to perswade that none could be saued without works and he proueth it by a double example of Abraham and of Rahab Wilt thou vnderstand c. as if he should say If that set downe before cannot sufficiently take root to affect thee and to perswade thee that without the workes of a holy life thy faith is no better then a diuels faith take this example of Abraham for all thou wilt grant that Abraham was an excellent person and had true faith and that the couenant was so made with him that none should be saued vnlesse they were of his seed either according to the flesh and spirit or at least according to the spirit And since the couenant was made with him and he was saued by faith so must all we be saued by his faith that is by a faith of the same kind that his was for there is but one faith though there be diuers measures of it Now Abraham had an approued faith as it is proued by this one act and worke of his for all because it was the principallest of all in that he staied not nor demurred vpon the Lords commandement in offering vp his fonne the greatest worke that euer flesh and bloud did except his that was more then flesh and blood namely Christ And because the Iesuits as hardened enemies against the truth haue strangely peruerted this place we must vnderstand a difference betweene these speeches Faith without workes is dead and Faith that is without workes is dead for by the first speech may bee thought that works giue life to faith which is most false but the second speech is true workes being a necessarie consequent of faith and an infallible signe that faith hath gone before euen as in these speeches to say The body is dead without breathing and the body that is without breathing is dead for if wee affirme and attribute the cause of life to breathing it is false for the soule is the cause of life in the body but the other speech is true for the body that hath no breath in it is deadâ— and where breath is it is a signe there is life So to say the tree that is without fruit is dead is true but not to say the tree without fruit is dead for the tree that standeth in the ground is not fruitfull we may well say is dead at the root but when the sap lieth at the root we may well say there is life in the tree though there be no fruit on the branches Now the aduersaries argue thus No dead faith can iustifie faith without workes is dead therefore no faith can iustifie without workes as if they should say Christ Iesus neuer raised vp himselfe without his humanity therefore his humanity helped in raising vp his flesh which is most blasphemous Howbeit Christ separated from his humanity was neuer raised vp this is must true So they in their former argument referre iustification to workes which is most false but if they had concluded therfore faith that is without workes cannot iustifie they had done well for thereby had been proued that works had been inseparable from faith but not that they concurre for faith is alone euer in iustifying but neuer alone in the person iustified euen as the eye alone of all the parts of the bodie doth see but the eye that is alone separate from the other parts of the body doth not sece at all but is a dead eye Was not Abraham c. Heere consider two points first in what sense this is true secondly why this worke aboue the rest is commended and registred for a proofe of Abrahams faith The words heere set downe are directly contrary to the
begets beames from thâ—â— Sunne and the beames proceeds light the beames cannot beâ—â— without the Sunne nor the light without them both So froâ— the spring riseth the well head yet is not the spring without thâ—â— well head and the streame proceeds from them both These 〈◊〉 steps and traces as it were to conceiue somwhat of this mysteâ—â— of mysteries Lastly obserue as the whole Trinity was present at Câ—â—â—â— baptisme the Father to iustifie his Sonne the Spirit to saâ—â— him and Christ to be sanctified so are they also present 〈◊〉 baptisme God the Father to receiue vs Christ to purchaâ—en for vs the holy Ghost to purge our consciences yea and the heauens are open that is we are as sure to come thither as we are sure Christ is there Therefore is the whole congregation bound to stay the setting on of this seale and to see the child receiued into the church since there is such a glorious presence at it and it ought to be meditated vpon when it is applied to others MATH chap. 4. vers 1 2 3 4. c. verse 1 Then was Iesus led aside of the spirit into the wildernesse to bee tempted of the diuell verse 2 And when he had fasted forty daies and forty nights he was afterward hungry verse 3 Then came to him the Tempter and said If thou be the Sonne of God command that these stones be made bread verse 4 But he answering said It is written man shal not liue by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God verse 5 Then the diuell tooke him vp into the holy City and set him on a pinacle of the temple verse 6 And said vnto him If thou be the Sonne of God cast thy selfe downe for it is written that he will giue his Angels charge ouer thee and with their hands they shall lift thee vp lest at any time thou shouldest dash thy foot against a stone verse 7 Iesus said vnto him It is written againe Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God verse 8 Againe the diuell tooke him vp into an exceeding high mountaine and shewed him all the kingdomes of the world and the glory of them verse 9 And said vnto him All these will I giue thâ—â— if thou wilt fall downe and worship me verse 10 Then Iesus said vnto him auoid Satan for it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God him only shalt thou serâ—â— verse 11 Then the Diuell left him and behold the Angels came and ministred vnto him NOW the Euangelist further sheweth that because the time was neare when our Sauior Christ was to enter into his office to which hee was before consecrated that it was ordained by God and the holy Ghost immediatly before that he should submit himselfe to bee exercised in a hot conflict challenging Sathan hand to hand that ouercomming in this first and great combate hee himselfe might bee consumed and others might know that he came to destroy the works of the diuell And to the end that Sathan might haue the greater power and fuller blow at him hee was led into a solitary and desert place where the diuell might be in his ruffe and to such a place wherein men possessed were specially tormented and there Christ liued among wild beasts as Marke saith chap. 1.13 that Sathan might doe his vttermost And forasmuch as Moses in the deliuery of the Law Exod. 34.28 was taken vp into a mount to God and was taken from men where hee abstained from meate fourty daies and fourty nights that the excellency of his doctrine might receiue the greater grace and might further be authorised and forasmuch as Eliah 1. King 19.8 in the restoring of the Law defaced in the idolatrous raigne of Ahab did goe in the strength of one cake and a pot of water fourty daies and fourtie nights So heere before the doctrine of the Gospell was to bee published it was meet that Christ should doe no lesse lest there might be thought some disparagement done and lesse glory to haue beene in the Gospell that the law being written but in stone and to endure but a time should bee adorned and beautified with a greater miracle then the Gospell which should bee written in the liuing stones of mens hearts Howbeit in this Christ giueth vs no example of abstinence for hee fasted because hee had no manner of stomacke all that while which was to confirme vs that hee was a man meerely supernaturall being able to forbeare without aâ—â— appetite forty daies During which time the Diuell set vpon him and he was not free from this encounter any while but after beginning to be hungry then the diuel more furiously assaulteth him hoping to worke and preuaile somewhat vpon this occasion of his infirmity whereupon follow three seuerall temptations which in their place shall be spoken of In the words are set downe three points first Saint Mathew diligently deliuereth all such circumstances as went before his temptation secondly what these temptations were both in number and in kinde after he grew hungrie from the third to the end of the tenth verse thirdly the euent and issue of this assault that when he had repulsed the rage and driuen backe the darts of his enemy the Angels came to doe him homage as to a great and mighty conquerour For the circumstances before the combat they be fiue first is noted the time then that is immediatly after he had receiued testimony from heauen that hee was the great Doctor of the church secondly the place where this was in the wildernesse a place most for the aduantage of Sathan thirdly by what motion he was caried thither by the direction of that spirit which before descended on him fourthly to what end he went namely to be tempted fifthly the occasion Sathan tooke more specially ta assault him which was his fasting and hunger For the first when he was solemnely pronounced to bee the Sonne of God and that he was full of the holy Ghost then the diuell setteth vpon him While he liued a priuate life and kept himselfe close and within his compasse hee assaied not to assault him but when he is to execute a matter and worke of his office concerning the saluation of mankind and that this is now to bee accomplished by the preaching of the Gospell and by miracles and that the power of the diuell is to be extinguished and that he is to be cast out of mens consciences now he begins to challenge him Where learne that the same which befell to the head the members be not exempted from especially such as be ordained to bee instruments for the setting vp of the Gospell When Moses liued priuate and shewed not himselfe to the world there was no cause of quarrell but when he saw one of his brethren suffer wrong and defended him and auenged his quarrell that had the harme done to him and smote the Egyptian Act. 7.25 then they began to disgrace him and he was
faine to flie to preserue his life Exod. 2.15 So Paul when he was a Pharisie no man in greater credit nor more commended for being zealous in their religion but when he began to preach Christ crucified then was there none more buffeted by Sathan nor more exposed to contumelies nor in greater perill of his life then he so as once he was faine to bee priuily conueied away by being let downe in a basker Act. 9 25. and a second time to be rescued from the Iewes malice by a Centurion Act. 23.23 And this policy and stratageme of the Diuell is confirmed to vs by our owne experience for when a Minister beginneth to make a conscience and to stand soundly in the doctrine of Christ and the holy life of his Apostles then Sathan stirreth vp instruments to bring his name in question and kindleth such coales as in the end he is either remoued or by the multitude of disgraces made weary of well doing The cause of this in Sathan is two fold first his malice against the Maiesty of God secondly his enuie against the saluation of man For being adiudged to torment he laboureth to be auenged on God his iustice and sinneth against the holy Ghost of purpose to despite God and seekes to disglorifie him by seeking to destroy the seed of the woman Hereupon it is noted that Angels sinning were neuer restored because they sinned without temptation meerely of malice being created excellent and pure spirits But yet howsoeuer Sathan bestirreth him to heape vp the displeasure of the world vpon vs and is euer at our heeles with some floud of waters or other let vs not be discouraged but proceed on in that sanctified course we haue begun for the Lord will either stirre vp the earth to drinke vp our affliction or else our faces shall shine notwithstanding his temptations For Christ till he began to exercise his office was quiet and though he was thus troubled yet ceased he not to performe his worke For the second which is the place he went into the wildernesse partly to imitate that Eliah had done 1. King 19.8 being in the mount of Horeb in the wildernesse and fasting there forty daies but especially to prouoke Sathan the more and to giue him all aduantage that might be that in the end be might shew himselfe the stouter champion And for this cause they that were possessed with diuels were cast into solitary places that the spirits might haue the greater power ouer them Now heerein Christ sheweth his greater courage giuing Sathan as it were leaue to appoint the field and to set downe his weapon like them that being determined and resolute to fight and to trie their manhoods go apart by themselues where they may haue no companie to part them Euen so Christ as a victorious Captaine dealeth where sathan himselfe will chuse that he ouercomming as it were at vneuen weapons it might be an incouragement and confirmation to vs that this was hee who was sent of God to breake the Serpents head and that hath the power to disarme him Where notwithstanding obserue that though Christ who was indeed the stronger did lay himselfe thus open to his enemy yet that this is no example for vs to imagine that we can follow who are lighter then vanity but that we must auoid solitarinesse as much as can be except we will prouoke the diuell for this is the humor that lieth fittest for his temptation when we are destitute of the comfort of company to worke the more violently vpon our affections Heereupon the Philosophers are wont to say and that truly that he which liued alone was either a God or a diuell For the third the guide by which hee was directed thither was the holy Ghost where we learne this comfort that seeing the diuell could not haue tempted Christ but that God by the wisedome of his spirit had so appointed both the time the place and the occasion wee may heereby haue good security giuen vnto vs that since Sathans power is limited and he deales but by commission and all temptations outward and inward are so sent from God that he intermedleth but as an instrument for the hardening of the reprobate and for the triall of the elect and since he hath no absolute power to exercise his tyranny but runneth like a dogge that is chained by the arme of the Lord we may returne this ioy to our soules that though we be compassed with clouds of calamities yet wee shall neuer be temped aboue our measure for hee cannot do it but by permission And since God is the maister of the prize to iudge who fighteth most valiantly if wee feare and tremble before him and walke according to the direction of his spirit prouided alwaies that we tempt him not to trie his goodnesse wee may assure our selues that as hee hath begunne a good worke in vs so hee will end it to the praise of his glory and as Esay 49.24 the iust captiuity shall be deliuered and the pray shall be taken from the tyrant for the Lord is stronger then he and therefore is able and hath better title then he both in creating vs when we were not and in redeeming vs being lost and therefore we shall be victors in this strong man Christ For the fourth the end why hee was tempted which was to sustaine the vttermost assaults Sathan could make by suggestion to seduce him Heere it may seeme strange at first that our Sauiour Christ should bee so farre abased to bee subiect to the temptations of the diuell and to bee directed to it by the spirit of God True it is there was no matter in Christ to worke vpon his nature being fully sanctified from his conception free from all corruption yet hee was apt and capable to be tempted that is it might glaunce as a thought thorough him but it was presently repulsed For such was the state of Adam at first that though he had no inward concupiscence yet hee was such a one as might be tempted to heare and to see if he would but this is the difference it clasped about Adams vnderstanding but it could not possibly lodge with Christ and it is no more disparagement to him thus to be tempted then it was for him to take and assume our flesh Heereupon consider that there be three kinds of motions in the minde of man The first which glaunceth and passeth thorough the minde without any troubling of it at all The second more permanent when somewhat assaults the minde and yet without any consent of the minde The third is that kinde of motion to which the heart consenteth The first of these is against no commandement the second is against the tenth commandement the third against the other nine commandements And this is singular comfort and consolation to vs that Christ was tempted for now we may bee bold to assure our selues that we may powre foorth our soules vnto him and may approach to him in all our