condignitie you are condignely fallen from Christ you are condignely fallen from the iustification which is in Christ which is only by grace not by Rom. 11. workes otherwise grace should not be grace if the Apostles argument in his Epistle to the Romanes may stand and take place and that of the same Apostle also to Titus stand firme Nos iustificatos esse illius gratia vt haeredes efficeremur aeternavitae That we are iustified by his grace that we might bee made Heires of euerlasting life And that againe of the same Apostle in his Epistle to the Romanes Iustificati ergo ex fide c. We being iustified therefore by Cap. 5. faith let vs haue peace to God through Iesus Christ our Lord by whom we haue accesse by faith into this grace in which we stand and doe glorie in the hope of the glorie of the children of God How admirable therefore is the excellencie of Christian faith by which the faithfull beleeuer is iustified in Christ is inserted to Christ made the Sonne of God the Heire of heauen partaker of iustice possessor of life not by purchasing merits of his owne but by the same faith possessing all the merits and iustice of Christ which thereby are efficaciously for his iustification communicated vnto him But what doe wee by this extolling of faith and by this comfortable doctrine of iustification by faith subuert the necessitie of good workes God forbid doe we grant a license or impunitie of sinning God auert it doe wee grant a Christian securitie and hope of saluation without merits Yes without merits but not without good works not without the fruits of sanctification which God hath ordained prepared and commanded his elect to walke in Heare that learned man master Caluin cap. 10. of his learned institutions that his propugnacle and defence of Christian religion which no Pontifician durst euer yet attempt to confute Per fidei iustificationem c. By iustification by faith the Aduersaries cauill good works to bee destroied what if thereby they be more established for we dreame not saith he of a faith voide of good works or of a iustification which consisteth without them this is only the difference that whereas we confesse faith and good works necessarily to cohere together notwithstanding we place iustification in faith and not in works And the same by what meanes it is done it is easie to explicate if wee conuert our selues to Christ to whom our faith is directed and from whome it receiueth all vertue and force why therefore are we iustified by it because by faith we apprehend the iustice of Christ by which only we are reconciled to God But this thou maist not apprehend vnlesse thou doe withall apprehend his sanctification for he is giuen to vs for Iustice VVisedome Redemption Sanctification therefore Christ iustifieth no man whom hee doth not also sanctifie For these benefits are with an insolluble knot conioyned so that whom Christ illuminateth those hee redeemeth whome he redeemeth hee iustifieth whome bee iustifieth hee sanctifieth thus hee most excellently agreeingly to sacred scriptures and all antiquitie conformably to the faith of the Church of England and accordingly to the Christian doctrine and resolution of all reformed Churches as the harmonie of confessions testifieth And I dare auouch that the vniuersall and Catholike concordance of this fundamentall point of iustification without which no Church and no person can bee held for Christian in the strict proper and true acception of the name of Christian is more vniformely taught and held by all the reformed Churches then any point of Doctrine controuerted in these times is held by the Pontisicans How glad would they be had they but such a vnity and conformitie for the verie rule of their faith touching which they are not yet agreed as I haue shewed in my motiues But the conformitie and irreprehensible agreement of all reformed Churches for this fundamentall article of iustification by faith in the bloud of Christ Iesus as it is an euidentargument of Christs spirit amongst them and tendeth greatly to the glorie of our Redeemer so it produceth wonderfull and vnmoueable consolation in the soules of the faithfull and sanctified beleeuers The aduersarie forsooth frame vnto themselues an Historicall beleefe for iustification in Christ the which as 1. Ioh. 2. the Diuels haue and yet notwithstanding doe tremble so the Christian auncient Churches neuer knew it and the Reformed doe explode it and against iustification by this Historicall faith they muster argument vpon argumentt and produce text vpon text to shew that besides such a faith there is required necessitie of good works and the fruits of sanctification But alas oleum operam perdunt they wast their oyle and loose their labour For what Christian reformed Church euer taught such a blasphemous paradoxe of iustification by such an Historicall faith they vtterly detest abhominate and renounce such a iustifying faith And here giue me leaue most beloued and Catholike Auditours to feele the very pulses of your consciences and my owne also to see how you stand and whether wee are cleansed with the bloud of Christ or no by this iustifying by this sanctifying faith Doe you at any time persisting in the purpose of sinne desire of sinne perswade your selues that notwithstanding the same you are iustified in Christ apprehending him by a dead faith as your Sauiour Doe you at any time hauing a conscience to act sinne to commit approue consent to sinne thinke that Christ notwithstanding will iustifie and sanctifie you without humble acknowledgement and heartie detestation of the said sinnes if the Diuell hauing transformed himselfe haue lulled any of you into such a lethargie I must needs pronounce that such a confidence is but a mere presumption such a iustification is a most pernicious deprauation But arise arise and Christ will illuminate you and will tell you 1. Joh. 1 what you ought to doe Si confiteamur peccata c. If Iacob 2. we confesse and acknowledge our sinnes God is faithfull to remit 1. Joh. 3. them Againe he who saith he knoweth God by a iustifying faith and keepeth not his commandements is a lyar and the truth is not in him Againe Omnis quinatus est ex Deo non peccat c. Euery one who is borne of God sinneth not because the seed of God remaineth in him neither can he sinne because he is borne of God Millions of like passages of sacred Scripture might be produced to shew that no man can be iustified in Christ whiles with full consent and with a setled intention and purpose of sinne hee prosecuteth the same doubtlesse it were a most pernicious paradoxe to teach that Christ iustifieth any one while hee is proposing and prosecuting with full and free consent Rom. 6. sinne the hire and wages whereof are death and damnation Hâ—b 3. If any one here should bee so dangerously seduced by the fallacie of sinne and deceit of Sathan let him
Apostle speaketh either by my selfe the speaker or by you the hearers neither doth the time fauour me so much He is God what seek you he is God what desire you or why doe I yet presume to search Consider his attributes his perfections to day to morrow the more you shall seeke the lesse you shall find if you thinke to attaine for hee is incomprehensible beleeue the scriptures thus pronouncing lucem inhabitat inaccessam hee dwelleth in a light to which there is 1. Timoth. 6. no accesse Here therefore a periode and a stop of this my discourse not able to make any further progresse I answere as Simonides the Philosopher did to Hiero touching God the more I seeke the perfections of Christ the lesse I find them But for application and vse of this doctrine I will make no other then what I haue already made by which I see Christ already in faith and loue applied to your soules with whom I doubt not but that you will speake and commune as Christians ought with such a Christ so deere so sweet so perfect a Spouse How much more he blood of Christ But how shall I prosecure the other consideration of this my first part of my text what a paradoxe shall I seeme to deliuer to speake of the blood of such a maiesty of such a glory how ill doe consort the maiesty of Godhead and the humility of bloodshed these attributes of diuinity and such defects of humanity such a humility and such a glory If I should preach to the Gentiles they would esteeme mee in sanire to bee mad and such doctrine to be meere folly if to the Iewes they would not indure the scandall of the Crosse nor the ignominy of this blood but considering I preach to this so religious an assembly called and associated together non de sanguinibus not by bloods not by bloods of Buls Goates Sheepe c. but de sanguine quasi agni immaculati by the one blood of the immaculate Lambe one lambe and once sacrificed I shall easily perswade you the sweet coniunction of such a Maiestie and such a humilitie I shall easily perswade you that the blood of this lambe is virtus Dei omni credenti the very vertue of God to euery one who beleeueth and confideth in it How much more the blood of Christ Manifold is the acception of blood in sacred Scriptures and with prophane Philosophers Blood for murther man-slaughter death crueltie blood for impuritie vncleanenesse of life blood for the seed of generation blood as it is the seat and domicile of life the immediate cause and instrument of nourishment of motion of naturall health colour temperature due complection c. But intermitting all these acceptions and the moralizing vpon them the blood which our Apostle meaneth is the blood of Christ the Seale of the new Testament the blood of redemption satisfaction of reconciliation sanctification O wonderfull and most venerable blood But is the acception of this blood of our one Iesus one or manifold It is Christian Catholike Auditors both one and manifold one in Christ manifold from Christ one in Christ in an indiuiduall substantiall and integrall vnitie of nature concurring to make him a perfect liuing man manifold as it is effused and flowing from Christ to make vs perfect Christian men How manifold is this blood witnesse first that bloodie sweat in the garden arising rather from his tender and inward compassion ouer sinners then from any desolation O droppes not dropping but of blood decurrentis in terram running downe vpon the earth what earth mankind by sinfull conuersation transformed into earth but this blood trickleth yea runneth downe vpon it to wash it to sanctifie it and to make it fructifie Witnesse those streames of blood which gushed from euery part of Christs sacred body when the mercilesse scourgers whipped and tormented him being fast bound to a pillar I reade elsewhere Christus erat petra bibebant de spirituali consequente eos 1. Cor. 10. petra Christ was a rocke and they drunke the auncient faithfull of the spirituall rocke which followed them Here I contemplate Christ not a rocke but a most tender man fast bound to a stone to a rocke whipped scourged tormented to yeeld forth a streame a great fountaine of blood of which all may drinke from the beginning vntill the consummation of the world For not onely Agnus occisus but Agnus flagellatus ab origine mundi was the Lambe slaine but also whipped from the beginning of the world Moyses Abraham Noe Adam drunke of this rocke or rather of this Christ bound to a rocke and yeelding a fountaine of blood Not here petra erat Christus Christ was a rocke a stone but apud Petram Christus a tender man a sensitiue man fast bound to a stone a pillar of stone feeling the sharpe paine of most cruell scourging able enough to haue killed Christ had he not also determined to ascend vp into the Palme-tree what said I the Palme-tree I should haue said the tree of the crosse the tree of curse of malediction Witnesse those currents from his head crowned with thornes his hands and feet nailed and pierced Witnesse his most diuine side opened with a speare whence in testimonie that this Christ had made a complete expiation for mankind with his last droppes of blood water also issued forth continuo exiui sanguis aqua presently instantly vpon the opening of the sacred side blood and water went forth Blood and water stood attending that opening of the diuine wall which once opened and launced blood and water fel not out rushed not out dropped not out but went out walked out going in fortitude in vertue strength to confront with Satan to vanquish death and damnation to consummate our redemption What maruell is this to vs beleeuing that this blood and water by a strange and wonderfull vnion were vnited to the subsistence and person of him who is the author of all life giuer of all motion O blood and water consummating all sanctification filling all ruines in heauen and vpon earth Waight and ballance are the iudgements of God Prou. 16. saith the diuine Scripture But in this extraordinarie worke of our redemption in this iudgement exercised vpon the sonne of God what measure hath beene kept what ballance hath beene vsed what meane hath beene obserued all is shedde all is effused and in testimonie thereof with the last droppes of blood water is adioyned by such a coniunction of water with blood proclaiming to mankind That the blood of Christ doth not onely merit redeeme satisfie but also wash purifie sanctifie with puritie of grace the consciences of all such who with a liuing and a sanctifying faith should confide in it Rowze vp you soules beloued in this blood and demaund of me by which of all these bloods are we redeemed and I will answer vnto you That wee are redeemed by them all all these are passio Christi the passion of
Christ by them all by them all plentifull therefore is your redemption absolute and in very rigour of iustice so consummate that applied by faith to your soules apprehended by faith iustifying faith sanctifying faith I meane which destroyeth dead workes innouateth your consciences with a new and with the principall spirit the seuere and iust eye of God cannot reiect or condemne such as are signed and marked with the same The last houre Christian hearers endeth the day the last sand emptieth the houre-glasse the last droppes fill the vessel the last figure consummateth and maketh perfect any number so the last droppes of Christs blood consummated perfected our redemption All these effusions of blood by me mentioned did concurre to your redemption and saluation but the last droppes consummated all for it is the blood of Christ dying the effusion of blood in which the life of Christ was offered which consummately perfected all merited satisfied for vs. O most sweet prouidence of God! non alius defuit Deo saluandi mundum modus there wanted not saith Saint Austen another manner or meanes to God for sauing of the world Notwithstanding by blood he would haue it done and this by the blood of his onely begotten sonne O most potent blood not of Bulles or Goates for a legall and carnall purification onely but of Christ to make such a purification of soules that the eie of the most iust Iudge looking vpon them signed with the same cannot repute them vncleane vnsanctified but diuinely beautified Not of Bulles and Goates Calues and Kiddes often to be repeated reiterated but of one only Christ by one onely oblation eternally sanctifying all sincere beleeuers Not of goates and oxen for the Iewish nation onely but of Christ the liuing fountaine irrigans vniuersam terram watering the whole earth all ages all sexes all conditions of mankind Foure-fold were the riuers which issued from one fountaine in the earthly Paradise and watered the whole earth making the same fruitfull not foure fold onely but manifold are the riuers which issued from the fountaine in the spirituall Paradise where Christ Iesus was placed with his spouse his wife his Church How manifold were the riuers issuing from this fountaine you haue already heard from euery part side and end of this fountaine from the head of this fountaine by thornes from the feet and hands by nailes from his sweetest face by blowes buffets and most cruell scratches from his side by the speare from his whole body by the sharpe scouâ—ging of 〈◊〉 executioners O Rare fountaine streaming on euery side O diuine altitude longitude latitude and pâ—ofundity of this fountaine Oh that we would with all Saints comprehend the altitude longitude latitude and profoundnes of this â—â—eding fountaine of this bleeding Christ commended by the Apostle in his Epistle to the Ephesians Ephes 3. O that we would or could endeauour to comprehend in our daily considerations the altitude of the bleeding head of this fountaine should we not trow yee with teares of sorrow and compunction bewaile the pride of our owne ambitious heads should we not wash away our aspiring thoughts by which yeerely lately at all moments we proiect our owne greatnesse to mount vp ourselues though it bee with the circumuention of our owne brethren breach of fidelity incurring of periurie and the commitment of any most dreadfull sinnes Oh that wee would consider the longitude of this bleeding fountaine longitude in time from thursday euening till friday euening for vpon friday euening Mar. 15. Circa horam nonam expirauit Iesus about the ninth houre sweet Iesus expired I should haue said longitude in time from the day of his circumcision vntill his expiration or rather vntill the apertion of his side after his expiring Longitude in place from the Garden of Gethsemanie vnto the houses of Annas Caiaphas thence to the towne house thence to the mount Caluary where wee haue many longitudes longitudes of his armes stretched out to the armes of the Crosse longitude of his feet and body proportioned to the length of the Crosse and in all these longitudes Christ boisterously drawne out stretched forth mercilesly hoysed vp immanely pitched downe with the crosse fastened in the ground what a mouing what an effectuall and diuine longitude would this proue if it were daily meditated vpon would it not thinke you produce in our soules a longanimity of patience in all our tribulations a longitude of hope against all suggestions of dispaire a length of loue to forgiue our enemies offending and iniuring vs though neuer so often A vertue very necessary and needfull in these times especially with our Gallants who so vnchristianly stand vpon their points of honour who neuer as yet haue learned for Christs sake to forgiue any wrong to put vp any iniury vpon any submission or acknowledgement whatsoeuer nothing will content them but lex Talionis the law of requitall of equality An eie for an eie a tooth for a tooth life for life blood for blood O yee Christians truly Gallants and truly nobles if you heare this lesson in the behalfe of this Christ which did once susteine your persons to deliuer you from damnation who suffered so many iniuries to giue you eternall honour I aske of you I require of you that for his sake for his loue for his honour and for the honour of the Christian name end your controuersies conclude your contentions and quarrels as Christians ought to doe that is so often though seuenty seuen times Mat. 18. saith Christ as the offender shall acknowledge his fault make submission doe ye forgiue be reconciled forget iniuries I dare here boldly pronounce he vnderstandeth nothing he knoweth nothing he is worth nothing he hath no dramme of Christian magnanimitie in him who will not admit and approue such a reconcilement to be Christian honourable glorious both before God and man such a reconcilement I say as the duty of a Christian to Christ crucified dead and sacrificed requireth challengeth commandeth And if any here will despise or neglect this Christian counsell and stand vpon Machiuillian and Italian puntidel-honore I will confidently proclaime against him or them whatsoeuer they be that of the Prophet Osee Ventum seminat turbinem metet he soweth a wind but shall reape a whirlewind Osec 8. he soweth a puffe of vaine glory a blast of spanish Ostentation but shall reape a whirle wind of confusion and ignominie to himselfe and his posterity perhaps in this liue if he offend the law and feele the seuerity of the same accordingly as he deserueth or else most assuredly at the dreadfull day of his iudgement he shall meet with that dreadfull whirlewind of Ito maledicte Depart thou accursed Mat. 25. which shall conuolue and wrap him vp with his consorts the seruants of the Roaring and deuouring Lion into the whirlepoole of Eternall damnation where and with whom he may if it shall so please him cast firebrands for precedency of honour and