of the godly nature in that ye flee the corruption which is in the world through lust Quest Hereupon it may be demanded how we are partakers of the godly nature and how we are said properly to be the children of God Answ We are partakers of the godly nature two wayes First in respect of the effect vertues and gifts of the holy Ghost working in vs and by vs as first enlightning our minds with the true knowledge of Christ secondly begetting faith in vs and incorporating vs into Christ thirdly purging out the leauen of naturall corruption in vs fourthly fashioning vs into new obedience fiftly applying Christ with his gifts and treasures vnto vs sixtly leading vs into all truth seuenthly comforting vs in afflictions eightly sealing the certainty of our inheritance in our hearts by his testimony as a pledge or earnest of the promises of God Ephes 1. 14. Hence it is that he is called The spirit of wisedome and vnderstanding the spirit of counsell and strength the spirit of knowledge and feare of the Lord Esay 11. 2. Because hee begetteth worketh and increaseth those vertues and graces in vs. Likewise the spirit of meeknesse Galat. 6. 1. The spirit of faith 2 Cor. 4. 13. The spirit of loue 2 Tim. 1. 7. Moreouer the Apostles were partakers of the diuine nature in respect of those extraordinary gifts wherewith they were endued for the execution of their Apostolicall office Secondly we are partakers of the godly nature in respect of the essence of God not that Gods essence is any part of vs but as he is God euery where filling heauen and earth with his essence so is he in speciall manner with and in his children and by his presence is effectuall in them Whereupon Paul saith Rom. 8. 11. The spirit of him which hath raised vp Iesus dwelleth in you Ioh. 14. 23. If any one loue me he will keep my word and my Father will loue him and we will come and dwell with him God is present with the wicked also but it is in such sort as the Iudge is present with the malefactors Thirdly in this place the following of Christ is compared to the following of light or to a lanterne that giueth light to trauellers to goe the right way without error falling or stumbling Such a comparison the Psalmist maketh Psal 119. 105. Thy word is a lanterne to my feet that I might not stumble nor erre The word then both sheweth the right way for a Christian to walke in and guideth him in the right way to walke without offence So that to follow the light is to haue our conuersation in this world according to the word of God which by his sonne he hath sent and reuealed to vs and is effectuall in them that are saued bringing them out of the darknesse of this world into the glorious light and sunshine of his kingdome and grace Thus much of the exhortation It followeth now to speake of the negatiue reason inforcing the same III. Shall not walke in darknesse What it is to walke or liue in darknesse the Apostle plainly declareth Ephes 4. 17. 18. 19. the 17 verse is a dehortation Walke not as other Gentiles doe in the vanity of their minds Vanity of mind is a priuation or want of true wisedome and knowledge whereupon the imaginations of the minde the affections of the heart and actions of life are not according to true wisedome and knowledge but vaine that is foolish fruitlesse vnprofitable to no end Rom. 6. 21. What fruit had you then in these things whereof you are now ashamed for the end of these things is death In the two verses following he farther expresseth this vaine and foolish life of the Gentiles shewing and declaring it by the causes thereof which are two The first is in the 18. verse namely the corruption of the mind The second is in the 19 verse and that is remorcelesnesse of conscience The corruption of the minde stands in two things First in the presence of euill hauing their cogitation darkned Secondly in the absence of good Being strangers from the life of God Concerning the darknesse of the minde I thus expresse it Man was created in the image of God that is in the true knowledge of God Col. 3. 10. And haue put on the new man which is renued in knowledge after the image of him that hath created him and in true righteousnesse and holinesse Ephes 5. 24. Put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse This knowledge was as a pure and eleare light in the minde of man but after that by the fall man was separated from God this light was darkned that is this knowledge was corrupted with ignorance as a punishment of the fall so that there remained onely some small notions glimmering or remainders of light or knowledge in him Then againe this light or remainder of knowledge is farther corrupted by the frowardnesse of the affections and will Now this small remnant being taken away there succeedeth meere darknesse and brutish ignorance Mat. 6. 23. If the light that is in thee be darknes how great is that darknesse As if he had said if thy naturall reason be darkned through the malice of thy heart there is nothing but meere darknesse Secondly the corruption of the mind standeth in the absence of good strangers from the life of God Life is naturall or spirituall the former we haue by generation from Adam and it is the function of the soule in motion sense and reason Spirituall life is that which we haue by regeneration or new birth which is the action of the holy Ghost begetting faith in vs by the power whereof we destroy the body of sinne and are renued into the image of God which is here called the life of God This life of God Paul doth plainly declare Gal. 2. 19. 20. That I might liue to God I am crucified with Christ as touching the old man 20. Thus I liue yet not I now but Christ liueth in me his spirit worketh new obedience in me In the words following he defineth this dying to sinne and newnesse of life by the cause And in that I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith of the sonne of God The Gentiles and prophane persons are far from this godly life Furthermore this their strangenesse from the life of God is declared by the cause thereof that is their ignorance their ignorance is declared by the cause also to wit the hardnesse of their heart which is the peruersenesse of the will and of the affections in the heart And because froward and peruerse men doe resist and seeke to quench the small light that is in them therefore God giueth them vp into a reprobate minde voide of all iudgement Rom 1. 28. This is the first cause of vaine foolish and fruitlesse liuing The second cause is remorcelesnesse of conscience verse 19. Which being
these knew them not But the Church of God the Israelites knew them not yea they were worse then the Aliants For the Niniuites persecuted not Ionas but beleeued God Ionas 3 4 5. c. But the Israelites persecuted al the Prophets with derision contempt imprisonment death Act. 7. 52. Which of the Prophets haue not your fathers persecuted and they haue slaine them that shewed before of the comming of that iust c. Which were the slaughter-houses of the Prophets and Saints before Christ euen Samaria and Ierusalem Mat. 23. 37. Euen Ierusalem where was the Temple and worship of God where aboue all places in the world Gods name was called vpon Ezec. 16. 46. Thy eldest sister is Samaria thy younger sister is Sodome Againe the world knew not the Apostles that were after Christ In Acts 5. 28. the preaching of the Gospell is counted sedition and rebellion In verse 38. 39. Gamaliel a Doctor of the Law doubteth whether it be of God or of men comparing the Apostles to Theudas and Iudas of Galile that made insurrection in the dayes of tribute In Acts 24. 5. Paul is counted a pestilent fellow a moouer of sedition a maintainer of the sect of the Nazarites In the vers 14. his doctrine is called Heresie chap. 26. 44. Madnesse 1. Cor. 4. 13. We are counted the of-scourings of al things And Iohn the Baptist that came in the way of righteousnesse is said to haue the diuell In the primitiue Church what euills soeuer happened to the City or prouinces of Rome whether famine pestilence earth-quakes warres vnseasonable weather the Christians were thought to be the causes thereof whereupon rose great persecutions whereas indeed they themselues were the causes thereof which by reason of their vnbeliefe and malice brought these iudgements of God vpon thei owne heads And herein note the condition of this blinde world it alwayes hath beene and is suspitious of the truth and the true profession thereof fearing and dreading the same as an enemy to their peace and safety Worldly peace rest safety liberty prosperity is all that the carnall man seeketh for or careth for making the end of their owne doings and Gods doings also the rest ease and pleasures of their bodies and the pompous gloryfying of their persons Whatsoeuer is aboue this and for God they take to be against them because they are against God though not in outward shew yet in spirit yea making themselues their owne Idols Ioh. 11. 48. If we let him alone all men will beleeue in him and the Romanes will come and take away both our place and the Nation These worldly Politicians whose policy was not guided nor seasoned with grace are afraid of Christ and Christian profession If we let him thus alone say they all men will beleeue him to be the Prophet and Messias that should come and so make him King which when Caesar heareth he will come with an inuincible host against vs and vtterly destroy this City and the whole nation Therefore our safest course is by some meanes to plot his death which plot and which meanes was the cause of the same destruction that they feared for the Romane Emperour came and tooke away their place and nation because they slew the sonne of God and persecuted the Gospell These wicked wretches neuer feared that their infidelity pride couetousnes oppression hypocrisie should be the causes of their ruine but they feared the Gospell and godly life Againe Act 5. 24. The chiefe Priest Saduces had put the Apostles in prison but an Angel deliuered them in the night and commanded them to preach in the Temple the next day Now the chiefe Priest and the Captaine of the Temple and the high Priests hearing what was done doubted of them whereunto this would grow These carnall and gracelesse politicians regarding only the establishing of their place and of themselues and of all things for themselues feared an alteration doubted whether it would in the end proue to be with them or against them And because indeed that it could not but be against them for the preaching of Iesus to be the sonne of God the Prince and Sauiour of the world must needs conuince them of rebellion and murther to their vtter disgrace shame and confusion among all the people therefore they laboured by all meanes to murther the Apostles to quench the light of the Gospell In like sort very many in these times hanging between Popery and protestancy doubt and haue long doubted what this geare will grow to in the end In the meane time not regarding at all what their vnbeleefe pride oppression couetousnesse epicurisme and mocking will grow to Furthermore as the world in all times and ages heretofore hath not knowne the straight paths of God so in these present dayes of ours the true and right profession of Christianity is counted of many puritanisme and precisenesse phantasticalnesse affectation of singularity and hypocrisie True it is indeed that as there are true Preachers and true beleeuers so Satan stirs vp counterfeits that haue an outward shew and resemblance of them but are not purged from their inward filthinesse These are they that worldlings stumble at concluding thus euen so are they all therefore their profession is but a kind of sect and to follow the common course and practise of the world is the surest and safest way Here Satan hath his desire Againe if any godly man that hath alwayes made conscience of his wayes shall offend though of meere infirmity or occasioned by some strong temptation but yet so as he may iustly be taxed why then the matter is now out of all doubt both he and all of his rancke are hypocrites and none else such is the blindnes of the world and their praeiudicate opinion of the children of God But now to conclude this first part let me leaue this as a bone for the world to gnaw on that stumbling blockes shall euer be cast before the feet of the wicked yet shall the lanterne of Gods word shine vnto them to guide them without stumbling or erring notwithstanding stumble they will and fall downe euen to the breaking of their necke for their owne wickednesse blindeth them yea and they doe wilfully out of tbe hardnesse of their hearts close their eyes against the wayes of truth because the waies of errour death destruction are more pleasant vnto them Thus much of the principle or ground of the reasons enforcing the exhortation which followeth next in order to be spoken of II. He that followeth me There are sundry sorts of followers I. Yong gentlemen that are trained vp for education sake vnder great personages and for experience countenance and preferment sake in the world are called their followers II. They that hold on some sect of the Philosophers schooles are called their followers III. They that fashion and conforme themselues to the example of any man that excelleth in any faculty are called his
past feeling haue giuen themselues to wantonnesse Custome in sinne hardneth the heart and the heart being hardned rebelleth against the mind and putteth out the light of reason which bringeth a curse vpon the conscience and taketh away all remorse of sinne which is a token of reprobation The Apostle calleth it a seared conscience that cannot bleed 1 Tim. 4. 2. Thus haue I shewed what it is to walke in darknesse which is to liue not according to the knowledge of God and his waves but according to the imaginations and corrupt affections of our owne hearts And thus doe all men naturally liue though neuer so wise learned ciuill and great in the world their whole life is foolish fruitlesse vnprofitable and their end is eternall death For the further clearing of this point I will shew in what particulars the vaine and foolish life of the ignorant is compared to darknesse First darknesse is a priuation and want of light so spirituall darknesse that is the ignorance and blindnesse of the heart is a priuation and want of the light or knowledge of God Secondly in darknesse all things are inuisible one thing cannot be discerned from another Blacke and white good and euill hurtfull things and profitable things are not discerned So in spirituall darknesse men call good euill and euill good sinne is delightfull and sweet to them yea they coun tit abhomination todepart from euill 1 Pet. 4. 4. Wherein it seemeth strange vnto them that yee run not with them to the same excesse of riot therefore speake they euill of you Thirdly in darknesse a man knowes not the right way though he be neuer so quickesighted and although he be set in it yet will he soone goe astray running into by-paths and dangerous wayes like a blind man so in So in spirituall darknesse ignorance of God in his word a man knowes not the way of life this narrow way he can not finde though he be neuer so subtill politicke wise and learned well may he grope for the streight gate as the men of Sodome did for Lots dore but he shall neuer be able to finde it and though he daily looke on it yet shall he not discerne it All his wayes are the wayes of death and the good and right way seemeth to him to be the worst way Fourthly if this light of the sunne were not the earth should be a very picture and resemblance of hell a confused masse or heape of beasts foules and men one thing treading other vnder foot nothing but hunger thirst cold nakednesse feare terrours sorrow despaire mourning and wailing continuall dying one thing deuouring another Euen so in spirituall darknesse where the knowledge of Gods word is not there is a resemblance of hell and men are like diuels there is nothing but disorder and confusion no dueties towards God nor towards man put in practise Where this glorious light of the Gospell shineth not in the hearts of men they are like to beasts and Serpents yea they degenerate into the natures of all noisome and venemous beasts First they hatch cockatrice egges that is whatsoeuer commeth from them is deadly poyson Esay 59. 5. The poison of Aspes is vnder their lippes Psal 14. 5. Destruction and vnhappines is in their waies verse 7. Secondly they are vipers children deuouring parents and parents their children Mat. 3. 7. Thirdly They are as fed horses of vnbrideled and adulterous lusts Ier. 5. 8. Fourthly Reioycing and neighing in the victory and downfall of their neighbours like to strong horses Ier. 50. 11. Fiftly destroying their Prophets teachers instructors and the poore like to Lyons Ier. 2. 30. Psal 10. 9. 22. 13. Sixtly subtile and wilely to deceiue like Foxes Luke 13. 32. Seuenthly Girning and running about like dogges if they be not satisfied in their vnsatiable desires Psal 59. 14. Esay 56. 11. Eightly rauenous and greedy of the prey full of cruelty and without all mercy like to wolues Mat. 7. 15. Where the light of the Gospell shineth not in the hearts and mindes of men what can there be but pride vaineglory drunkennesse excessiue drinkings oppression deceiuing one another and being deceiued euery Superiour treading his Inferiour vnder foote politicke and craftie circumuenting one another wily intrapping and insnaring one another cousenage fraudulent dealing dissembling and lying in bargaining bloodsucking by cruell oppression hatefull and heathenish rent-racking vaine and prodigall spending voluptuous liuing and licentious gaming murthers enuy ill will contention and trouble whoredomes adulteteries and wantonnesse These and such like are the workes of darknesse euen of them that are aliue in body and dead in soule But Christ is the light of the world they that follow him shall not liue in such darknesse but shall haue the light of life Thus much of the negatiue reason the affirmatiue followeth IIII. But shall haue the light of life There be two lights of life or liuely lights First the knowledge of God in righteousnesse and holinesse participated by the sonne of God to Adam in the creation is called liuely light I say the naturall knowledge of God in Adam before the fall was the light of naturall life which life stood in absolute holinesse which was his perfect obedience to the first Table and absolute righteousnesse which was his obedience to the second But this liuely light by the fall was extinguished yet not wholly but so buried in ignorance and impurity as it is of no force to bring forth in vs any pure worship of God or holinesse of life but serueth rather to bridle and restraine vs from outragious sinne and to giue vs some light to discerne our ignorance and malice to our owne accusation and condemnation so that it is a deadly and not a liuely light The second light is a new knowledge that is the knowledge of God in Christ Of God in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe of God in Christ our mercifull and louing father of God in Christ redeeming and purchasing vs againe when by sinne we were vtterly lost of God in Christ restoring vs to sight that were vtterly blinde and ignorant of God in Christ abolishing the body of sinne and corruption in vs of God in Christ renuing vs into his owne image and likenes from which by Adams transgression we fell of God in Christ turning the curse of the earth with all afflictions and troubles into blessings and meanes to eternall blisse of God in Christ preparing a kingdome and heauenly Citty for vs whose pauements walles and buildings are of Golde Pearle Emeraldes Chrysolites Carbuncles and all costly ornaments a thousand times excelling the Sanctum Sanctorum of Salomons Temple in glory He that followeth Christ hath this liuely light in him he that followeth him not hath no light in him but is shut vp in ignorance and darknesse Hee I say that denying carnall wisedome and fleshly lusts doth follow him is enlightned to see and behold the glory of God in sauing