would haue beene glad if his purpose might haue beene confirmed by the Lords mouth And as it fareth with the sicke patient who affecting some meate hurtfull asketh the Physitian whether he may eate it or no who hauing the regiment of their bodies and knowing their disease telleth them no in no wise yet so strong is their appetite that they wil take it and onely would haue bene glad if the Physitian would haue approoued it So men will come to know the nature of sinne which being described to be vgly in it selfe yet seeming beautifull and gainefull in their affection they will stil embrace it shewing themselues to haue descended of that young man spoken of Matth. 19.16 who would needs bee questioning with Christ how he might goe to heauen and when he touched him in his wealth which he made his god as that he must fell all it is said hee went away sorrowfull for hee had great possessions Secondly obserue heere the order the spirit vseth placing iust dealing after sober liuing as if it were impossible to looke for true dealing where sobrietie went not before and therefore we hauing gone beyond the proportion of our old fathers and exceeding that sobrietie which was the auncient renowmed vertue of this age and nation iustice and iust dealing cannot haue her due course but the cloth must needs be stretched to maintaine our superfluities so as that of Ioel 1.4 fitteth for this What the Canker-worme hath left the Grashopper hath deuoured what the Grashopper hath left the Catterpiller hath deuoured c. So wee by the same proportion may saie in these daies That which purchasing which enlargeth it selfe like hel hath left that sumptuous building hath deuoured what this hath left magnificent furniture hath deuoured what this hath left pride of life hath deuoured and what this hath left ambition hath wasted for great men must be bribed and then poore men must needes be racked And therefore it is certaine if reformation beginne not at our selues that wee can pull downe whatsoeuer exalteth it selfe aboue the compasse of modestie comelinesse and sobrietie wee shall expect little trueth and iustice to others Thirdly obserue what this is commandeth vs to deale iustly it is not the law in terrour of death but the Gospell euen because the Lord doth purpose to saue vs by this grace so as it is a suite commended vnto vs by such a speciall token of the price of saluation as wee cannot chuse but performe it with great care vnlesse we will shew our selues greatly vnthankfull and prooue our hearts to be more then flintie Ieremie conuinceth Ierem. 35.14 the obstinacie of the Iewes by the example of the Rechabites who refused to drinke wine offred and set before them because their father Ionadab had so commanded them Heereupon saith the Lord Iuda I haue warned thee often but thou wouldst not incline thine eare nor obey me Of which example we must make this vse Rechah spake to his children but once the Lord hath spoken to vs often to liue religiously he was but the father of the flesh God is the father of our spirits his commandement was hard and his yoke heauy to forbeare the vse of lawfull things and necessarie as not onely to forbeare wine but they must neither sow nor plant and yet they kept it the Lords commaundement is that wee surfeit not with the cares of this life and that wee deale honestly with our brethren Rechah promised them but to liue long on earth our Father for our obedience hath promised vs eternall life so as both hee that commaundeth is higher and the reward that is giuen is greater Now followeth the third thing that is to be embraced and that is a godly life for it were absurd to be precise toward men and to deale wickedly with God and all is abominable if our religion toward God exceed not our righteousnes toward men To know what godlinesse is shall bee best discerned by the contrarie and vngodlinesse is three-fold first the worship of a false God secondly the worship of a true God falsly as the Iewes that executed the Lord Iesus and Paul that persecuted the Church of Iesus they did thinke they did God great good seruice thirdly such as worship the true God in a true seruice outwardly but with an vnzealous heart like Iudas that followed Christ and yet betraied him 2. Tim. 4.10 and like Domas that forsooke Paul and embraced the world yet did hee not returne to his idols againe and in truth there is no difference betweene these two last for it is all one to serue him fantastically as did the Pharisees as to serue him coldly as did the Laodiceans but now godlinesse is opposite to all these and is a true seruice of a true God in a true religion with a true heart And this is soone discerned by our affections for if we can tremble at the word preached and be possessed with the spirit of feare at the least offence and sinne which we can commit because we know that the maiestie of God is displeased and the spirit of God grieued and if from this feare doth spring sorow and from this sorow care of recouering our fall againe and when wee are cured can resolue and strengthen our selues in patience to goe vnder the yoke of afflictions and vnder the wheele of death for the truths sake we may assure our selues our paths are straight and that in our iourney toward God our feet be shod with the preparation of the Gospell of peace not any way to be distracted with cares nor distrustfull with the troubles of this life Hence obserue that none are to be commended for their sobrietie and honestie vnlesse also they be religions which is proued thus None are honest but they that be cleane in heart no mans heart is cleane that is not purified in conscience and none are purified in conscience without faith and none haue faith that are not zealous and religious toward God for faith striueth by praier with God Thou wilt say loue is the fulfilling of the law but this loue toward our brethren implieth and of necessitie presupposeth a loue of God which constraineth vs to loue man for no more then a man can loue God and hate his brother no more can he hate God and loue his brother and if he loue God in this is euer included a loue and zeale toward his glorie Againe if we take the loue of our brethren to be that Paul speaketh of 1. Tim. 1.5 it is then agreed for then it is loue from a pure heart a good conscience and a faith vnfained which being grounded on Christ is the foundation roote and well head of all honestie and iust dealing Lastly obserue hence that the godlinesse here spoken of must haue two properties for first it must not be hidden in the heart but fruitfull and visible to the eie that the world may see it secondly we may not deferre our godlinesse but it must be
shall want the Rauens shall feed him yea hee will make the wicked an instrument to prouide for his chosen as Zedekiah to command that Ieremy be fed in the prison as long as there is any bread in the City Ier. 37.21 which ought to teach vs not to compasse any thing vnlawfully or to dig vs cisternes out of the policy of the flesh but to relie vpon the Lord who can and will send vs reliefe from the vttermost parts of the earth and when we least looke for it and when it shall be most welcome as he did heere to the mother of Iesus For the sixt generall circumstance namely for the oracle giuen these Wise-men to goe home another way learne first how the Lord disappoints the purposes of tyrants and wicked men which bend their bowes whet their swords and make their arrowes keene to pierce the sides of the godly Psal 7.14 that it fals out they are but concerued with vanity and trauell of iniquity and bring foorth a lie For when Herod meant to haue glutted his bloudy minde vpon the report of these Wise-men then are they of the Lord sent another way And when Act. 23.12 the Iewes had bound themselues with a curse that they would neither eate nor drinke till they had killed Paul then the Lord sent into the heart of the chiefe Captaine so to intrench him about with souldiers as he was kept safe from their fury So when Senaherib the King of Ashur had thought to haue swallowed vp Ierusalem Esay 36.33 then the Lord said and performed it that he should not so much as shoot an arrow nor cast a mount against it Thus doeth the Lord alwaies preuent the dangers intended against his children Psal 91.5.6 that neither the plague that flies by day nor the pestilence that walkes by night nor the snare of the hunter can once intrap them but his eares are open euen to the praiers of Ionas c. 2.2 to deliuer him out of the Whales belly and his eies are so bent vpon Daniel c. 6.22 as the Lions haue no power to hurt him but he is as a shadow against the parching heat and as a shield against the blustering cold which may incoâ—â—age vs still to lay hands vpon him as our succour to behold him as our deliuerer to flie to him as our comforter to waite vpon him as our guide and to commit our soules vnto him as vnto the best keeper Secondly heere learne by the not returning of these Wisemen to Herod according as they were commanded that an oath or a vow taken and made against the bond of charity and tending to the hurt of our brother is not to be performed but being vndertaken vpon weakenesse is to be discharged vpon conscience and therefore rash was the vow of Iphtah Iudg. 11.31 to promise to the Lord without limitation a sacrifice of that he should first meet when he came home For though the Apostle Heb. 11.32 commendeth him for his worthy enterprise in deliuering the people yet by this rash vow and wicked performance of the same his victory was much defaced For we must make no haste with our mouthes to pronounce any thing but set a watch before our lippes that they may hedge in our tongues from speaking euill of our brethren and yet if we hap to slip in this wee must keepe in our hands from executing what vnaduisedly we vttered For first we are so farre from being bound to derect them when their liues or bodies are sought for as wee are to counsell them to hide them as Eliah 1. Kings 17.3 was counselled of the Lord to hide himselfe So did Ionathan 1. Sam. 20.42 make his fathers fury knowen to Dauid that hee might hide himselfe and therfore cursed be the Ziphims 1. Sam. 23.20 that promised Saul to deliuer Dauid into his hands and cursed be Irrijah Ier. 37.13 that staid Ieremy and brought him to the Princes as a fugitiue when hee was going to the land of Beniamin Secondly if they cannot hide themselues wee must doe it for them So did Obadiah 1. Kin. 18.13 in the court of Ahab hide a hundred Prophets from the cruelty of Iesabel So did Rahab Iosh 2.1 in great zeale to God and loue to his seruants hide the spies with the danger of her owne life So did the Disciples Act. 9.21 let downe Paul in a basket when his life was sought for by the Inquisition Thirdly if they be apprehended we must be so farre from accusing them as we must countenance and defend them to our powers So did Ebedmelech Ier. 38.9 when he came to the King in the gate and told him Ieremy had wrong to be imprisoned and so did Ionathan 1. Sam 20.32 defend Dauid against his owne father for it is not the commandement of a King that ought to make vs giue vp the sonnes of God into their hands nay the Lord himselfe in this place teacheth vs otherwise that would not suffer these Wise-men to obey Herod wherby the babe might haue beene exposed to his butchery Lastly in the departure of these Wise-men obserue that God both in the beginning and in the end will blesse all courses and actions enterprised and done in his feare and in a holy obedience as he did blesse and prosper the iourney of these Wise-men giuing them both a direction which way to come to Ierusalem and which way to goe from Bethlem which must make vs if we expect any blessed successe of that we vndertake not to begin but with the warrant of a good conscience nor to proceed but with a reuerent and resolute obedience as to the commandement of God and as aiming at the aduancement and promotion of his glory and the furtherance of his seruice MATH chap. 2. vers 13 14 15. verse 13 After their departure behold the Angell of the Lord appeareth to Ioseph in a dreame saying Arise and take the babe and his mother and flie into Aegypt and be there till I bring thee word for Herod will seeke the babe to kill him verse 14 So he arose and tooke the babe and his mother by night and departed into Aegypt verse 15 And was there vnto the death of Herod that the might bee fulfilled which is spoken of the Lord by the Prophet saying Out of Aegypt haue I called my Sonne THE Euangelist as before hee shewed the glorious and blessed beginnings of our Sauiours birth who though borne in basenesse had testimony giuen him of his maiesty by the starre in heauen and in earth by the Wise-men of Persia so now he setteth downe a matter of great discomfort that this same babe euen from his cradle should begin to bee crucified in himselfe and his members Wherein generally there be three points set downe first the commandement of the Angell secondly the obedience of Ioseph thirdly the fulfilling of a prophesie In the commandement consider first the circumstance of the time that it was after the departure of the Wise-men how long after is not
for the officers of the Church and the ministerie it is not onely ordained of God in generall but euery particular place and euery kind of office is set downe the Church being his owne house which he meant to beautifie with all necessarie furniture and none of this can be put downe neither may others be added 1. Cor. 12.28 and Ephes 4.11 For the Pastor may bee put downe by the Prince but not the Pastorship without maiming the bodie of Christ for then were it an humane constitution as is the other of Magistrates And therefore most grosse is it that women should be licenced to baptize which pertaineth onely to the office of a Minister and it is an idle answer to saie Quod fieri non debet factum valet that which should not be done is yet effectuall when it is done for this is a seale put into a wrong hand And if Vzziah 2. Sam. 6.7 being no Leuite was striken with sudden death for but touching the Arke of God which was readie to fall though his intent was good and if Vzziah 2. Chro. 26.20 was smitten with leprosie which he could neuer claw off to his death for burning incense to the Lord which onely pertained to the Priests to doe then may these intruders vpon the Lords possessions feare some plague to light on them for intermedling with these holy things and as well may they administer the Supper as Baptisme for they be seales of equall dignitie Howbeit if thou wilt be Iohn Baptist shew me these two things first a commission of thy calling secondly besides that thou must proue thy calling warranted shew me that thou commest rightly by it and that thou canst lawfully conuey it vnto thy selfe as Luk. 3.1 the spirit of the Lord came vpon Iohn For to haue this securitie is good in two respects first for the sasety of thine owne conscience in the day of affliction for thou knowest the iudgement of Christ concerning such as creepe in at the window they haue neither loue nor care of the flocke Ioh. 10.1 Therefore Ieremie chap. 1.6 cried O Lord I neuer thrust my selfe into this vnthankefull office but thou sentest me and thy wordwas as afire shut vp in my bones Secondly it is good to retaine the people in obedience when they shall see the Patent of thy calling whereas otherwise they will esteeme thee but as offering thy selfe vncalled and then thou maiest labour among them vnthanked For that Esay spake saying The voice of a crier in these words is set downe the execution of his office Where we learne that there are no names giuen to Ministers but they are words of emploiment and of labour For Preaching comes of Praeco to be a proclaimer in the market place so are they called trumpeters for that they must blow the siluer Trumpet of the Lords word that it may sound and ring in the eares of the people Criers Esa 4.11 Ezec. 34.10 1. Pet. 5.4 so as they must be no toong-tied fellowes for they are no fitter for this office then is a blinde man to be a Pilot. They must be shepheards which in Iuda were faine to watch all night to preserue their flockes from Wolues Watchmen who must take heed lest through their sloth the fort be surprized Embassadors hauing a great message to deliuer from the king of heauen Angels as Christ is called the Angell of the great couenant and Reuel 3. Write vnto the Augell that is 2. Tim. 2 1â— 1. Cor. 3 1â— the Minister of such a Church Workmen because they be builders of mens consciences Stewards to prouide meat for the Lords inheritance And as Iohn was to crie in his time so is there as great necessitie laid vpon vs to crie in this time according to the proportion of that grace we haue receiued In Pauls time 1. Cor. 9.16 it was a curse of damnation not to preach which cannot be appropriated to Paul himselfe it being a dutie specially required of all that labour in this vineyard And 2. Tim. 4.2 he adinreth Timothie to preach instantly so that as Iohn as the fore-runner and Timothie as an Euangelist were to preach with vehemencie so are wee as Pastors to crie the same crie for it neuer yet pierced deepe enough nor entred far enough to make men watchfull ouer their liues Now some are vnwoorthie the name of celers being scarce able to speake others are able but not willing to be criers bringing others a sleepe with their sloth vpon whom without repentance resteth a woe into lerable to beare and impossible to auoid Secondly obserue heere the agreement betweene the Prophet Esay and Iohn Baptist Iohn making that plaine was spoken obscurely by the Prophet Prepare yee the waies What is that Repent Let the high mountaines be brought low that is let pride of life be abated Let the low velleis be filled that is let despaire be reiected Let crocked things be made straight that is let the iudgement be rectified Let the rough waies be made smooth that is let thy swelling affections be changed Now this Allegorie vsed by the Prophet is borrowed from entertaining of Princes at their first coronation at which time all ordures bee clensed bridges repaired the streets pauâ—â—l herbingers goe before to take vp lodging the trumpets sound the volley of shot goeth off and euery man is arraied in his best robes not that the Lord of glorie expecteth such a transitorie triumph for hee requireth but this amend thy life and a cleane heart is his best harbour a spirituall entertainment being fittest for a spirituall king Lastly in this crie of Iohns obserue his faithfulnesse he prepareth a way for the Lord not for himselfe he might haue liued farre better in respect of the world then in this base office and in this base place for his priestly birth being the sonne of Zachary Luk. 1.13 would haue affoorded him a richer portion yea he was offered to be Christ Ioh. 3.28 but he would none of it contenting himselfe with that share the Lord had allotted him and attending on that dutie the Lord had enioined him And thus ought all the Ministers of the word to doe not to preach for reward nor to crie for ambition though the herbinger must not lie without doores but they must looke for a recompence from the highest for the world is vnthankfull And it is not enough to preach but they must preach to the consciences of men that the Lord Iesus may enter in and not to gratifie the affections of men with the eloquence of the flesh and in swelling words that themselues may enter in For if they crie to get a name or renowne or preach in contention they may crie long enough they haue all they shall haue hauing that they sought for to bee caried in the mouthes and to bee had in admitation of the people For the fift circumstance which is his extraordinarie austeritie his attire and girdle was such as Eliah did weare 2. King
affections if our vnderstandings be illuminated and lightened with the lampe of the Gospell if we be inflamed and set on fire with the zeale of Gods glory and well hearted toward his children then may wee hope to haue beene baptized truely for the holy Ghost worketh these things in beleeuers But he that is drossie or luke-warme in his profession that is hard hearted to the Saints that followeth the sent of his affections and that is weary of the candle of truth hath cause to suspect that he is not yet baptized with the holy Ghost In Ioh. 3.5 this spirit is compared to water cleansing the soule inwardly which hath three properties first to wash away filthinesse secondly to moisten that which is drie and to quench thirst and allay the scorching heate thirdly to fructifie as Psalm 1. willowes are said to bee fruitfull planted by the water side euen so the holy Ghost doth purifie and wash the soule refresheth the conscience scorched with the feare of Gods vengeance and giueth power to make our drie and barren hearts to prosper in euery good worke MATH chap. 3. vers 12. verse 12 Which hath his fan in his hand and will make cleane his floore and gather his wheat into his garner but will burne vp the chaffe with vnquenchable fire BEcause it falleth out in great auditories and assemblies that there bee many wilfull and peruerse persons which doe not esteeme of the Lords rich bounty but doe scorne and tread vnder foote tâ—â— mercy offered Iohn Baptisâ— doth heere denounce peremptory vengeance and intollerable torment against all â—â—ose that shall not submit themselues to the ministery of the Messias and that they which will not bee baptized with the fire of the holy Ghost and of Christ that is with his bloud and with his spirit shall be baptized with the fire of hell The words doe containe an Allegorie or continued borrowed speech which may be thus resolued First by the Fanne vnderstand the ministerie of the Gospell which should begin at the preaching of Iesus and should winnow the people to make a separation betweene the bastardly brood of Abraham and the true Nathaniels Ioh. 1. chap. 47. Israelites in whom is no guile betweene them that had onely the marke of circumcision in the flesh and them whose hearts and vile affections were inwardly circumcised By that it is said In his hand is ment that it is presently to be manifested By floore vnderstand all places where a Church may be gathered or more specially for a visible Church alreadie gathered Iohn addressing his speech heere to the Iewes which were at this time the Church of God By wheate is ment all that should beleeue either Iewes or Gentiles By the Garner is ment the kingdome of heauen By chaffe is ment hypocrites and vnbeleeuers mis-liuers or the children of perdition that refuse to bee fanned by the Lords voice By cleansing is ment that separation the Gospell should make betweene the apostate Iew and the beleeuing Iew. By vnquenchable fire is ment the torment of hell prouided for vnbeleeuers Out of this first generally obserue that where the Gospell comes and is preached with power and with a good conscience and not huckstered nor merchandized as men doe their wares but that they so labour as not to be ashamed of that they doe preaching their doctrine not to the eare but to the doore of the conscience that there it makes a manifest difference betweene true and false children whereas before all was shuffled together for though before this time the Pharisees and all others were as one bearing the same title of Abrahams seed yet saith Iohn afterward shall come the venting of the Gospell which with the powerfull blast thereof shall scatter the hypocrites and make knowne the faithfulnesse of them that with honest hearts embrace and cherish it After this maner is the word in the Epistle to the Hebrewes Heb. 4.12 compared to a sword with two edges that cutteth two waies either to conuersion if it be beleeued or to confusion if it be despised Hereupon it is that Simeon did prophesie to Mary Luk. 2.34 to preuent any conceit might rise in her minde of her dignitie and glory being the mother of the eternall Lord heereby thinking that all the world should applaud her for her Sonne telling her that this child should be set vp for the rising and ruine of many a marke that euery man should shoot at and by his comming should the hearts of many be discouered For the sound of his mouth Heb. 4.12 deuides betweene the ioynts and the sinewes and the marrow and the bones anatomizing the hearts of men to see whether they be sound or rotten And they that before seemed to bee all one shall when the fan comes differ then the poison that before lurked shall bee layed foorth and the hidden gall shall be displaied Heereupon also the word is compared to fire which hath a double effect to wast stubble and drosse and to purifie that is refinable as siluer and gold For the Gospell hath this vertue to inflame some mens hearts with a zealous loue of God and his glory setting others on fire to persecute it to quench and to impugne it This effect had it in Iohns time some saying that he was an honest man some that he was Christ others that he was a Galilean Luk. 3.16 Mat. 11.16 whence could come no good thing and others more plainely that hee was a diuell all before being as they thought well circumcised and the children of Abraham So when Christ spake in his owne person the chaffe flew away and then was easily knowen who was an hypocrite hee comming to some place where they had rather haue their hogges Mark 5.17 then their soules saued Luk. 4.29 and to others where they brought him to the side of a hill of purpose to haue throwne him downe and to Iairus house where some Mark. 5.40 laugh him to scorne for his speech This fanne by Christ was committed to his Apostles that they likewise should make a separation where they came Paul Preaching at Antioch the Iewes railed against him when the Gentiles desired him to preach the same sermon the next Sabbath And by the power of this Fanne Act. 22.23 the Iewes cast vp dust in the aire and crie that Paul is vnworthy to liue And Act. 23.12 certaine doe bind themselues by oath not to eate nor drinke till they had killed him when as others in Iudaea did submit themselues and became the true disciples of Christ Yea Luk. 12.53 it appeareth that there is no bond so streight nor so well knit but religion will violate and cause the father with the sonne the mother with the daughter to impugne the Gospell with hostility not that it is the property of the Gospell to breed dissention but it is the malice of Sathan to enrage mens hearts that they should not receiue it that his barnes might be full And then must Ahab 1. King 21.19
Whereas wee so looke to the meanes on earth as if there came no blessing from heauen when as wee should in duty first lift vp our eies to the Highest that hee would adde his fauour to our labour for hee can make vs aswell want in abundance as abound in scarcity the dearest things a man can haue either for possession as lands or for affection as wife in the middest of persecution if the crosse be sanctified vnto vs by the hand of God in the want of both these we shall haue an hundred fold more that is more peace of conscienc more contentation of minde and more sweet tast of the Lords loue then wee should haue had auoiding this persecution in an hundred wiues or an hundred times more liuing We being now assured of Gods fauour and being but pilgrims on earth wee shall see Christ in the heauens with his armes displaied to imbrace vs a ioy surpassing all that worldly men can conceiue in all their superstuities this but tickling the sense and nothing contenting the mind the other wrapping vp the soule in assurance of full and perfect blessednesse For the second point which is the affirmatiue that is for the blessing of God and the way he hath deemed to bee most fit to maintaine our selues that is his word we are to learne a double vse the first speciall the second generall Speciall in the matter heere expressed for sustenance that it is the Lord who doth maintaine vs so as his blessing must be vpon the bread else it can affoord no nourishment Whereby are to be reproued those inordinate men that go vnto their meates like horses to prouinder and like hogges gathering the mast and neuer looking vp to the tree whence it falleth They should consider first that the bread vnlesse it be sanctified 1. Tim. 4.4.5 by God is none of theirs for we lost all the benefite of Gods creatures in the fall of Adam and can no way challenge them but by restitution in Christ and this must be by praier Secondly if wee would thinke that God could take away the strength from bread wee would feed more religiously let vs know that he may rot the graine in the clods or blast it in the eare he may restraine the latter raine that it may not yeeld in the barne vermine may consume it if it passe the flaile the mill the ouen yet in thy mouth it may be rats-bane and turne to poison or in thy stomacke it may become the gall of Aspes for why shouldest thou feede on Gods creatures not acknowledging them whence they come Set before thee the example registred in the Scripture Numb 11.33 quaâ—les came loth somely out of their nostrels and they died with meate in their mouthes hauing fat bodies and leane soules Therefore let vs pray that the food wee take may doe vs good otherwise wee haue no more right to vse them then the Israelites had to the quailes And as God can turne stones into bread so can hee also turne bread into stones for it is not the nature of the thing it selfe simply to nourish without a blessing but wine which doth comfort the weake the Lord can make it to the wicked a cup onely to infatuate them that their account may be the greater for vsurping the Lords creatures And this is the reason why wee are taught in the Lords praier to pray that our daily bread may be giuen vs thereby acknowledging first God to bee the giuer secondly that we haue trust that through our praiers onely it shall bee giuen vs thirdly that not onely the creatures themselues but the blessing vpon them comes from God for though our garments were as costly as the Ephod of Aron yet without his blessing they were nothing For so miserable is our condition that we are not able to liâ—â— one moment without the speciall prouidence of God For the second vse which is generall as it is true in bread so is it in all other things that without the blessing of God they can auaile vs nothing when wee are sicke wee seeke like Asa 2. Chron. 16.12 to the Physitian fixing our eies and fastening our hope only vpon this outward meanes whereas if the Lord hath called for a plague vpon vs what man can cure it vnlesse the Lord doe reuoke it So is it for warres men may prouide money munition and horses for the day of battell but victory commeth of the Lord for it is he that amazeth the rider Prou. 2â— 31 and asswageth the fury of the enemy and blindeth the wisedome of the Princes of the world that they shall faile in policy And how commeth it to passe saith the Prophet Hagge 1.6 that ye sow much and reape little weare much apparell and it doth not warme you drinke and your thirst is not quenched but onely that the Lord hath blowne vpon it hath blassed and not blessed it Therefore let vs learne to remooue this fault that by the secret infidelity of our hearts wee doe not attribute too much to the meanes for the Lord can feed without bread but bread cannot nourish without his blessing The vse then of this doctrine is double first for our indgements secondly for our affections For the first first we are heereby warranted to pray for things necessary for this life as Math. 7. it is said Aske and it shall be giuen you secondly that the expectation of these things from God and not to haue them without him is an outward profession that he is onely the distributer of them and therefore will giue to euery one his appointed portion Wee may not therefore simply pray for these outward and earthly things but with limitation first that they be subiect to the pleasure of God secondly that they be desired not for themselues but to glorifie God and to profit our neighbour Thirdly heere is confuted the error of the heathen that worshipped Ceres as the God of corn and Bacchus as the God of wine which howsoeuer they were the first inuenters of grinding the one and pressing the other yet both the Corne and the Grape come from God For the second which concerneth our affections heere is first reproued couetousnesse in getting the venome of all vertue and is contrary to the keeping of a good conscience before God and desiring of a good name before men making vs deafe to the noise of infamy For if the hand of God containeth all and the blessing of God continueth all to what end shall we tempt him or bury our selues as it were in the graues of lust Secondly is reprehended our vnthankefulnesse in vsing Gods blessings pasting by them with our eies shut and glorifying the meanes aboue the matter Thirdly our diffidence lest we should lose or want them for the fountaine of all riches streaming from the Lord hee can conuey vnto vs whole riuers of them and measure them vnto vs without stint if we depend vpon his prouidence Then the Diuell tooke him vp into the holy
first let there be no bitternesse secondly a degree further a heating of the blood by anger thirdly wrath more then anger that is into a further distemper fourthly loud speaking that is crabbednesse or brawling fiftly blasphemy standering backbiting and open reuiling sixtly malice when a man will keepe it in his heart And all these by degrees do grieue the spirit let vs not therefore yeeld a little to the course of the waters lest some streame carrie vs away Lastly since we see what is in an hypocrite that is seuen spirits woorse an infinit number of enormous and notorious sinnes examine thy heart whether thou hast contrary affections to an hypocrite or is assure thy selfe thou art one too For the Lord setteth downe their sins for vs to take heed by and their punishments for our example As they then haue seuen woorse spirits so must thou labor to haue seuen better spirits for if thou do not increase in zeale in thankfulnesse and in humility nor hast greater grace now than thou hadst when thou first began to beleeue thou art not the Lords for if thou wert hee would haue multiplied his mercie vpon thee as hee doth his iustice in sending seuen woorse spirits to them that despised him And this is proued Matth. 25.28 the talent that was taken away was not giuen to him that had fiue but to him that had ten talents so as to him that hath shall more be giuen and the more we haue the more delight will the Lord take to load vs as vers 29. To him that hath shall be giuen and he shall haue abundance Wherefore commend me to thy conscience by this token if the grace of God be not increased in the end it will be taken away which is prooued Reuel 22.11 He that is righteous must be more righteous the reason is rendred by Saint Ioh. 1.4 4. Because he that is in vs is stronger than hee that is in the world Why then as they grow dailie more wicked so must wee grow more godly the rather because hee that hath the seuen candlestickes that is Christ that hath the fulnesse and is the distributer of all the graces of God will giue liberally to vs whom he hath vouchsafed the name of brethren So the last state of that man c. This is the fift point spoken of at the first how Satan whom hee first trained on in hypocrisie neuer leaueth till hee hath brought him to confusion Answerabale to that 2. Peter 2.20 If they be tangled againe and ouercome of the filthinesse from which they were at first escaped the latter end is woorse with them than the beginning And this is true whether we respect this life or the life to come for first while they carried a face and countenance of religion they were wrapped vp in the generall praiers of the Church but when the maske of hypocrisie is taken from them and their leprosie appeareth they are singled out as the enemies of God and his iudgements hastned vpon them at the intreatie of his seruants Secondly while they liued in their hypocrisie they were quiet within themselues and they had good hope the night wold neuer haue come but when they depart in the open contempt and hardnesse of heart then they find their consciences open to condemne them and hell gates open to let them in Thirdly their end shall be worst at the last iudgement when the least part of the Lords wrath shall be bigger than all the torments they felt before when his iron rod shall bruise them and they shall be beaten with woorse than Scorpions But now with the godly shall it fare otherwise whose end shall be better than their beginning whether wee measure the blessings they haue heere or which shall be reuealed to them hereafter as Ioh 42.10.12 when the Lord had turned away the captiuitie of Iob hee blessed his last daies more than the first and gaue him as the text speaketh twise so much as he had in outward things and when he died full of yeeres he gaue him ioies without comparison without measure and without end ROM chap. 8. vers 1. verse 1 Now then there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus which walke not after the flesh but after the spirit THe Apostle beginneth this chapter with a conclusion full of all comfort depending vpon his former treatise and disputation for before he shewed what our estate was in the marriage with our first husband which was the flesh namely that while we liue at the becke and commandement of our corruption and can no sooner haue a motion to sinne beating as it were in our pulse but wee bend our desires and consent to encourage it to the fruit of actuall sinne that all this while so long as we giue wine as it were to strengthen sinne in the conception wee are no better then in the state of damnation But when being diuorced from the flesh wee are by the power of the spirit vnited vnto Christ which not onely keepeth vs from that bondage of sinning whereto wee were at first enthralled and vnder which wee were so forceably held as we were constrained to sinne by violence but also so killeth that muenomed flesh of ours that there is as it were a new creation in vs the strength of Christ dispossessing and disarming the strength of sinnefull flesh and wee are so changed both in the outward and inward man as all is become fresh and new our thoughts our wils our affections our endeuours seruing and performig their duties to God in the newnesse of the spirit not in the oldnesse of the letter then when Christ hath thus sanctified vs and wee liue sanctifiedly in him when his spirit hath rifled the corrupted corners of our hearts and planted the flowers of grace where before grew the weedes of concupiscence then neither is there any hell to swallow vs nor any feare of condemnation to torment vs nor any sinne so to presse vs downe but with the wound we receiue the cure nay before wee are smitten wee haue our Sauiour Christ our most approued Physitian and salue who when we are left more then halfe dead by the sting of sinne like the mercifull Samaritan doth lay vs in his owne breast bosome Luk. 10.34 powreth the oile of his owne blood into our wounds and deliuereth vs ouer to be cherished preserued and guided by his owne spirit This verse standeth on three parts first a description of the persons that are and shal be preserued from damnation set downe indefinitly yet restrained to a particular all those and those only and alone that are in Christ and no other Secondly by what meanes this preseruation from hell is wrought namely by our being in Christ not by our being neere Christ Thirdly to take away the strife which commonly is in the world because forfooth all will be Christs he setteth downe a visible badge wherby to discerne whether we be truly married to Christ or no.
speaketh absolutely powerfully A new hart will I giue you I will take away the stony hart For howsoeuer it is meet Adam should haue this free election being made a perfect resemblance of the image of God yet is it not meet for vs in this second creation lest heereby we should make the death of Christ of no effect neither his grace nor spirit for if we had it then should we fall from Christ because of that flesh infirmity that is in vs therfore as the Lord doth begin with vs by his spirit to conuert vs without any thing in vs to further it but altogether to withstand it so doth he proceed with vs by his spirit and end with vs by his spirit that he may be all in all in our weldoing and in the worke of our saluation And yet notwithstanding this we haue neede of exhortations threatnings praier and such like to strengthen and stirre vp our dull and senselesse wils for the inward working of the spirit which frameth our wils to will good doth not abolish the instrumentall causes but we haue need of these meanes first because they are sanctified of the Lord and ordained to make vs lay hold on the spirit secondly because without these the spirit and graces of God would soone perish which counsell is giuen Heb. 3.13 to exhort one another daily lest we be hardened through the deceit of sinne for though God could doe this onely by his spirit yet hee will haue these meanes vsed that we be neither high minded nor idle for since we cannot doe good why should we be proud and since we so hardly keepe good we must not be idle but as Phil. 2.12.13 end and worke forth our saluation with trembling for as one holdeth a great masse of lead or other vnremoueable weight not to remoue it for hee knowes hee cannot but onely to trie his strength so though we cannot nor need not performe the law because Christ hath done it yet must we make it the rule of our obedience and of a sanctified life that heerein we may resemble Christ who alone hath sanctified vs. We are then to consider how Christ hath fulfilled the righteousnesse of this Law and that he hath done two waies partly by abrogating it and partly by establishing it he hath abrogated the law in two things First in the power of separation between man and man which was the law of ceremonies so as what was enmity betweene Iew and Gentile that hath Christ abolished and therefore as it is said Ephes 2.14 Christ is our peace which made of both one and hath broken the stop of the partition wall through his flesh in abrogating the hatred that is the law of coÌ„mandements which standeth in ordinances for to make of two one newe man in himselfe Secondly in the power of malediction betweene God and man whereupon it is said Gal. 5.23 There is no law against vs that is the curse of the law for sinne is not due to vs because Christ hath taken it away and therefore it is said 1. Tim. 1.9 The law is not giuen vnto a righteous man that is against a righteous man there is no law the curse of the law belonging onely to the reprobate and not to the elect howbeit we must not thinke we are so deliuered from the condemnation of it as that wee are freed from the obedience of it Christ therefore hath likewise established the law and this two waies First in the doctrine Secondly in the obedience to the doctrine For the first that not any thing of the doctrine is abrogated but perfectly taught by Christ as appeareth Mat. 5.22 2â— That the least euill thought is damnation That anger in heart is flat murder That he that lusteth but in hart after a woman committeth adultery and Saint Paul saith Rom. 7.7 hee knew not what lust was till he knew the righteousnesse of Christ Againe as was touched before Christ came but for these two ends first to make peace betweene man and man secondly between God and man now the moral law made no enimity betweene Iew and Gentile but the ceremoniall law for that was the wall parted vs and them and that onely is broken downe by the comming of Christ and for the other the curse of the law made all the warre betweene God and vs the rigor of it Christ hath satisfied but the doctrine of the law made none for we yet in the precise keeping of it challenge life Christ hauing fulfilled it in vs and for vs so as Christ giueth vs no new righteousnesse but that wee our selues could not perform yet we claime it as done in our person by the righteousnesse of the law that Christ in our flesh performed for the second he doth also establish it in the obedience to the law and this two waies Fiâ—â—t bâ—â—â—he person of Christ for by his inherent holinesse was fulfilled all the law which is imputed to vs Secondly as by righteousnesse inherent in him so by his spirit of sanctification dwelling in vs hauing the whole man in part changed that we are able to doe what God will and in iudgement to allow in affection to embrace and in action to execute what he commandeth so as if we consider our filthinesse we haue the blood of Christ to bathe in if our nakednesse wee haue the robes of his righteousnesse if our beggery we haue his riches filled with all graces yet must we alwaies ioyne bloud and water faith and works in the person iustified for they are notes of our religion signes of our conuersion seales of our election fruits of our iustification testimonies of a good conscience in their end they are referred to the Lords glory they are causes to stirre vp others to the seruing of the same God they are of the Lord accepted and recompensed in the mercy of the rewarder and not at the merit of the worker for he can accept of none by desert but that which is according to the precise couenant of the law but water is to be stood vpon as a signe that bloud hath gon before and the writing of his law in our hearts by sanctification of life is a proofe that our sinnes are purged in the blod of Christ and pardoned through the mercy of God And in respect of these seuerall operations and workes of Christ in aboliâ—â—â—â— the law in the curse and establishing the law in the obedienâ—◠〈◊〉 it we that are elect are said to be dead to the law Rom. 7.4 and also liuing to the law wee are dead to the law in three respects First to the condemnation of it because being iustified by Christ we cannot be condemned by the law for the wrath of God is taken away through the imputation of his righteousnesse Secondly to the constraint of the law for it doth not constraine vs which are Gods elect as it doth the reprobate because Christ by the worke of his spirit doth bend our wils to
the Saints of God beloued of the Lord hauing our long robes in signe of statelinesse as Senators palmes in our hands in signe of victorie as conquerours Reu. 7.9 for we in Christ haue ouer come Satan Further wee must obserue and know though this spirit of life dwell in vs yet so long as wee are inclosed in this earthly tabernacle and haue the corruption of nature clasping about the soule as Ivie to the Oke Ioh. 13.8 we cannot be free from infirmities and sinnes nor washed so cleane but that some filth will cleaue to our hands or our feet Yet there is great difference betweene the slips and sins of him that hath and of him that hath not the spirit of God as great difference as there is betweene him that is drenched and plunged ouer head and eares in a puddle and him that hath onely fouled his foote according to the speech of Christ to Peter Ioh. 13.10 He that is washed needed not saue onely to wash his feete as if he should haue said Peter thy head and thy hands are cleane onely thy feet need washing 〈◊〉 that is alwaies in this life some inferior affection is vncleane and there will be a litle boiling against the working of the spirit but the principall purpose of our hearts shall be to please God and to loath the world For the children of God are as poisoned vessels washed by the holie Ghost 2. Cor. 10. â—â— wherein notwithstanding there rests some taste and tang of their former filthinesse but the wicked are as vessels full of the poison of the diuell wherein the spirit of God neuer set footing Againe sinne in the regenerate hath a wound and is like the Sun faintly appearing through some thicke cloud but in the wicked it hath it full stroke Againe the wicked are so chained that they cannot stirre one foote to heauen and being cast from God they so little care for it as they wil with Cain Gen. 4.17 fall a building of cities and hauing lost the harmonie of a good conscience they will get some Iubal or other Genes 4.21 to plaie on the organs to make them merry but the godly though they be loosed from the chaines of the diuel yet while they soiourne heere they must draw some irons after them Againe the wicked from their birth haue turned their backs to God and their face to the diuell but the godly though they be hindred in their course and staied in their profession of godlinesse and of sanctification by some infirmities inseparable from the flesh yet doe they striue in their running to recouer their fall and wrastle for a prize that shall neuer fade And yet no doubt there is a contradiction in the wicked euen in finning as it is said Gen. 4.7 sinne lieth at the dore of Caine that is the blood of his brother Abel should torment his conscience Howbeit this combat and contradiction is but betweene his conscience that condemneth his sinne and his heart that loueth it but in them there is neuer any strife betweene affections and affections whereas the godly haue this fight betweene affections and affections as the flesh desireth to doe such a thing but the spirit that dwelleth in the flesh doth alwaies abhorre it and striueth against it So as if God hath sealed thee vp to saluation and hath giuen thee the stone of absolution and pardon for thy sinnes though thou art now discouraged at that remnant of sinne that rests in thee and fearest lest God should frowne at thee and turne his face from thee for thy weake seruice of him yet lift vp thy head thou shall bee sure heereafter through the power of this spirit to cast downe that great Goliah 2. Cor. 3.18 and thou shalt haue the full fruition of that hope thou yet doest apprehend and see as in a glasse Eph. 1.14 and if thou hast receiued but the earnest penny of the spirit in this life thou shalt be sure to receiue thy full wages and hire in the life to come Neither need we be dismaied that we limpe like Iacob 2. Cor. 5.5 2. Cor. 12.8 Genes 32.25 and be imperfect in this life for if we had not infirmities we would bee as proud as the diuell whereas now they make vs to expresse our thankefulnesse to God that hee so mercifully restraineth them and so fatherly passeth by them they serue to multiply our grones in the spirit to God Phil. 1.23 Rom. 7.24 Heb. 13.3 that we might be deliuered from this body of death and bondage of sinne yea they stirre vs vp to the loue of others to sorrow for the afflictions of Ioseph and of our brethren whereas if wee our selues were not infirme and weake we would neuer be touched with compassion Vers 11. But if the spirit of him that raised vp Iesus from the dead dwell in you hee that raised vp Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you Howsoeuer wee haue aduantage and comfort by the former doctrine that by the extinguishment of this light which wee haue heere beneath and by the separation of our bodies from our soules sin must die and cannot otherwise be mortified than by mortalitie yet in this verse the Apostle stirreth vs vp to greater ioy and to the top of all Christian comfort shewing that the time shall come when our vile bodies shall bee made like to the glorious bodie of Christ Iesus The verse standeth on two parts first of the raising vp of Iesus Christ secondly of the raising vp of our bodies to bee made conformable to Christ our head First obserue the maner of the Apostle his speech If the spirit c. consider wisely this speech propounded by Paul as it were conditionally which doth not argue any suspended doubt fulnesse of the matter or make it any whit subject to exception but carieth with it a peremptorie necessitie that it is so the Apostle taking that for granted which cannot be denied without falling into grosse absurdities For if he should haue doubted whether Christ had beene risen againe then in vaine had he gone about to prooue that we should rise againe and therefore by this maner of phrase the Apostle cals not the matter in question as a doubt but doth boldly assume it to all Christians that Christ is risen And this is the common course of the Scripture and of the Ministers of God in all times vsually to say If there be a day of iudgement 2. Pet. 3.11 and if it be so that this booke of Gods word shall be wâ—â—â—â—â—â—â— our hearts then is there a fearefull reckoning to bee exâ—â—â—â— for which they do not as doubting of these things but taking them as granted of all men they be so certaine without contradiction So the Apostle before in this chapter vers 9. If the spirit be in you speaking to the elect for all that is spoken in this chapter belongeth onely to them that
to God but not to our selues A miserable euasion of a sottish distinctioâ—â—â— for the scope of Christ is in that place to proue from the lesse to the greater negatiuely that if such seruants whose life and death were in their masters hands as bond-men were in those times doing their duties and seruice neuer so well cannot deserue so much as thankes at their masters hands much lesse that they should emancipate and set themselues free and much lesse to be their masters heires then much lesse since there is no comparison betweene God in heauen and man on earth can we deserue at the hands of God lying in the vncleannesse of our first birth and ouergrowne with sinnes as we haue growne in yeeres to be sanctified by his spirit in this life and glorified by himselfe in the life to come for there is no bond-man so inthralled to his master as we are to God euen in respect of our first creation when we caried the glory of his image in our face and had as it were the crowne of innocency set vpon our heads and yet we wilfully ran from him to our shame till he returned vs againe in his loue so as now all that we doe is duty and not desert and why should he receiue thanks that doth but what we ought Yea say the Papists but yet we deserue something because we are not vnprofitable to our selues Absurd for what master will thinke himselfe beholden to that seruant who by his seruice only inricheth himselfe and bringeth no commodity to his master And yet by the meaning of the Papists because we get something vnder God and by his seruice God must be indebted to vs. But heereupon we say that true it is we are not vnprofitable to our selues for in Christ not onely the person but the worke also is accepted and the person onely in respect he is adopted and this adoption is onely in Christ but yet so as we neuer haue God beholden to vs. Therefore when he saith Come good seruant and faithfull Mat. 25.21 enter into thy masters ioy it is true that the Lord doth recompence the vsing of our talents well but this is so farre as we are iustified and are his sons so as first he loueth the person and then the worke and if he did not accept the iustification of the person he would disauow the worke but being his chldren though we are farre from doing that we ought yet as a kind and louing father he accepteth it pleasingly ROM chap. 8. vers 15. verse 15 For ye haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe but ye haue receiued the spirit of adoption whereby we crie Abba Father IN this verse and that which followeth the Apostle doth confirme that hee set downe before namely that wee are intitled to eternall life by inheritance and to confirme and ratifie that vnto vs wee haue this priuiledge to bee Gods sonnes and so heires of heauen The arguments he vseth be two first ye haue receiued that spirit whereby God doth witnesse that he doth accept you as his children in his naturall Sonne Christ Iesus And to proue we haue this spirit of a doption he doth it by the contrary for saith he like bond-slaues ye do not now feare the ghastly looks of the tormenter nor yee haue not now that hellish horrour and fearefull apprehension of Gods iudgements wherby Sathan vseth to whip mens consciences nor ye haue not that loud alarme of the killing law sounding in your eares and seizing vpon your soules to affright you Secondly in the verse following he proueth it by a double testimony first of Gods spirit which witnesseth this vnto vs and which were blasphemy to thinke it could suggest false things and secondly by our owne spirit which may assure our selues of it by our godly and holy conuersation By the spirit of bondage in this place is meant the holy Ghost who by the instrument of the killing letter that is the law doth propose and set downe such a condition of obedience to which we are obliged and bound by our creation and yet are now vtterly disabled by our corruption to performe it so as it is impossible to be kept and yet ought to be kept and laieth such a burthen vpon vs as neither wee nor our first parents were euer able to beare since they declined from the estate wherein they were at first created Whereupon this spirit of God by this meanes setting the law before vs as a glasse wherein wee may behold our selues conumceth the conscience of the good not done and of the euill that is done thereby shewing that no flesh can by this be iustified before God and sheweth and setteth before our eies not only the sinne but the vengeance which the sinne drawes after it so as our conscience can not bee but grieuously wounded with that hellish horrour wee haue voluntarily made our selues subiect vnto Now on the contrary the spirit of adoption is that worke of the holy Ghost whereby the incomprehensible loue of God in his Sonne is powred into our hearts that hee doth auow and know vs for his children so farre as we are not now bond-men to feare the performance of that impossible condition proposed by the law but we are heereby assured that what the law commandeth this spirit will either enable vs to performe or dispence and beare with our imperfections in not doing it with that perfection it requireth and so by consequent we ascertaine our selues that wee are the sonnes of God The parts heerein to be obserued are two there being set downe an opposing of a double spirit of contrarie natures working contrarie effects according to their natures The effect of the first being a dreadfull and fearefull expectation of endlesse and hellish torments the effect of the other being a comfortable securitie and breeding a heauenly hope that wee shall bee blessed of the Lord out of which as out of a root springeth and ariseth chearefull obedience to God our Father the other inforcing vs only through feare to loue God as bondslaues Herein is questionable whether by this spirit of bondage here spoken of is meant the spirit of Sathan or the holy Ghost that should thus terrify and affright vs. But note it must be vnderstood of Gods spirit which is the author of working holy despaire and by consequent of terror and is an occasion of despaire in the wicked and this is as proper for the spirit of God as to offer the sweet comfort of Christs bitter passion vnto vs. For by this meanes and maner of terrifying it bringeth both the elect and the reprobate to despaire but to a diuers end For the elect in this sort that shewing it impossible and past our power to performe the law euen as impossible as to build a tower to the heauens or to remooue a promontorie with our finger it bringeth vs to a holy despaire in our selus in respect of our own deserts thereby driuing vs to seeke
behold the Sun-shine of the Lord in full measure which is the Sunne of light and of life yet we haue such a glimpse as wee cannot bee perswaded but it shineth vpon our soules And as the child in the mothers womb stirring neuer so weakly yet euen by that feeble motion she is assured that it hath life so the least light of the Sunne of righteousnesse is most sweet comfortable vnto vs. Which doctrine as it ministreth and bringeth consolation to a weake soule so must it be as a sharpe spur vnto vs that this righteousnesse may be encreased and that this spirit of God may delight to dwell in vs that we being grounded and growing daily in a perswasion of Gods loue towards vs it may enforce vs to loue him more and more and the strength and perfection of this loue may and ought to make vs resist and shunne all contrary means whereby our encrease and growth in faith may bee hindered And because this spirit of the Lords adoption is inward and can not be perceiued that many be deluded by Sathans subtilty and forgerie foisting and thrusting in another deed than euer God gaue vs especially working vpon the weake heart of man which being fraught and full of selfe-loue is easily perswaded of any good to it selfe therefore we must learne how to discerne whether it be the true euidence of Gods spirit or no which we haue within vs. And for that the Apostle here setteth down one effect and fruit of this spirit for all that is that there is a confidence of any good conscience to come boldly before the Lord as a child before his father to preferre our suites vnto him and to offer vp our praiers vpon the golden altar Reuel 8.3 that is the mediation of Christ by whose meanes and through whose obedience and suffering they shall sauour before the Lord as a sweet incense and the Lord shall put into them daily a new incense by the spirit assuring vs more and more of his louing fauor◠and we shall not hide our selues and run away when we are called Gen. 3.8 as Adam did but being disburdened of that which doth presse vs downe from the presence of God we shall come cheerefully before him and ioy our selues in that the Lord will looke so pleasingly vpon vs Other effects of this spirit and yet arising from the former are these If the spirit worke in vs the same affection towards God that nature doth produce in children toward their parents as first to loue God secondly to feare him thirdly to reuerence him fourthly to be obedient to him fiftly to be thankfull to him all which vertues be in good children who do alwaies acknowledge all they haue to proceed from their father as the speciall instrument from God and if we haue beare these affections to God our father as to loue him for his mercies to feare him for his loue to reuerence him for his goodnesse to obey him for his greatnes and to be thankfull to him for his kindnesse then may we assure our selues that we haue the spirit of adoption sealed vp in vs for our saluation In that we crie Abba Father learne that no obstinate or resolute sinner persisting deliberately in his sinne and his heart deliting in it can once open his mouth to pray nor neuer did pray The like whereof may be said of the hypocrite for though they may falsely perswade themselues that offering vp a few words in forme of a praier it is sufficient to purge the vncleannesse of their liues and that impudently and in presumption they may call God Father when their harts be impure and vncleane yet Iohn 8.44 Christ calleth them the children of their father the diuell And though Sathan may perswade an obstinate and wilfull sinner as he did Houah Gen. 3.4.5 that doing such an euill and wicked thing they shall not hang in hell alwaies threatening where God promiseth and promising where God threatneth vntill he take them in the lurch at the time of their death and then he ouerreckneth them yet it is certaine he cannot pray vnlesse he haue this spirit and this spirit none hath if they delight and sauour of sin so as though they cry Peace peace to their owne conscience and seruing the diuell will neuerthelesse vaunt themselues to bee the sonnes of God it is the Lords iustice that permitteth Sathan so to blinde them that they cannot see their sickenesse to the death for 1. Iohn 3.8 it is said He that committeth sinne is of the diuell Can the poison of Aspes and the sacrifice of praier proceed both from the same tongue No. Grapes cannot grow of thornes nor figs of thistles and Esay 66.3.5 the Lord saith that he that offereth sacrifice without trembling that is without reformation of life it is as if he killed a man which is most vnsauory to the Lord. So as lawfull things and things commanded be an abomination to the Lord when the soule and conscience is not answerable to the action and to the outward profession Howbeit things simply forbidden are sinnes both in the regenerate and vnregenerate and the prayers of these men that thus can lie on their beds and imagine mischiefe and yet can open their lippes by way of conference and speech with God are no better then those of the rebels in the North who when they had published all their mischiefe which tended to the ouerthrow of our dread Soueraigne yet ended and concluded their proclamation with God saue Queene Elizabeth Now concerning hypocrites that they cannot pray but by imitation of Christians as Parots looke vpon the rule of Dauid Psal 66.18 If I regard saith he wickednesse in my heart the Lord will not heare me that is if I delight in sin my praiers shall not come neare him so as make what shew thou wilt if thy heart be not vpright it auaileth not For as it is said Iohn 9.31 God heareth no sinners that is no malicious and deliberate sinners which intend and compasse mischiefe in their inward parts howsoeuer in hypocrisie they dissemble it And it is certaine it is as impossible to pray without this spirit as to vnderstand without a soule Further obserue how this spirit begets in vs such peace of conscience that makes vs confident in crauing our wants at Gods hand as from the spirit of adoption cōmeth faith so from faith issueth and streameth inuocation and calling vpon God by praier This faith grounded vpō the loue of God in Christ doth assure vs that whatsoeuer is good in heauen or in earth God wil bestow it vpon vs then steppeth in praier and according as the soule is burdned either with a desire to be deliuered from danger or with an affection to haue some wants supplied or to declare and expresse our thankefulnesse it doth take the present occasion and for sloweth no time to enter into the sanctuarie of Gods presence and there to lift vp our weak hands and to send
and a holy life which in those places he bringeth in he proueth himselfe to be adopted So as to assure vs we are Gods children we are to get as many testimonies of the spirit of regeneration as wee can whereby to comfort and secure our soules that we shal be heard because we are beloued Abba Some thinke this was vnderstood that God would be serued onely of the Iewes who spake this language but the Apostle by geminating and doubling the word both in Hebrew and in Greeke wherein he spake doth teach vs that as God was once onely serued in the Hebrew nation of thâ—â—â—â—â—â—s who had this speciall priuiledge aboue other peopâ—â— so the time should come and now is that all the world should bee as Canaan to serue him in their seuerall and special language and that all tongues should bee pleasing and acceptable to God Rom. chap. 8. vers 16. verse 16 The same spirit beareth witnesse to our spirit that we are the children of God WHereby is meant that we are so fure of our saluation that except the holy Ghost can lie we cannot be damned Where obserue first that a man may be certaine of his saluation for this witnesse and testimony giuen by the spirit to out spirits is that which euery elect child of God doth and must feele euen in this life Secondly they are heere confuted that perswade themselues by a vaine and false hope that they shall be saued as well as others For the first carie abou◠〈◊〉 the speech of Saint Paul 2. Cor. 13.5 Know yee not your oâ—â—e selues how Iesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates And 1. Cor. 2.12 We haue receiued the spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are giuen to vs of God not hope for them but know them and 1. Iohn 4.13 Heereby know we that we dwell in him because he hath giuen vs of his spirit and chap. 5.19 We know we are of God and the whole world lieth in wickednesse Now he that hath the true knowledge that hee hath this spirit hee may know he is the sonne of God and so in Christ and so out of condemnation as the Apostle saith in the first verse of this chapter There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ So as then he that is the sonne of God is sure of life that is saluation but all the doubâ— is how we may be sure we haue this spirit which will and may easily be discerned by walking in the spirit and by sauouring the things of the spirit For if we sit in the seat of the scorner and walke in the waies of the wicked suffering our thoughts to range after that the flesh desireth and not relishing the foolishnesse of the Gospell to bring our affections in captiuity to the obedience of Christ we may well dreame of the spirit but the spirit as yet hath not lodged within vs for where the spirit is there it worketh and workes of a contrary nature then those which the wisdome of the world produceth Where those men are confuted that stand vpon their owne spirits to assure them that they are Gods children their spirits being no sufficient witnesse the heart of man being alwaies euill and oft-times deceitfull as was the heart of the Pharisie Luk. 18.11.12 who might haue a good worke in hand but tooke no fit time to performe it nor propounded no good end to fulfill it praying in the market-place and giuing his almes to be seene of men But it is the testimony of the spirit of God which must secure vs and by which we stand and this must thou shew me by the visible fruits of the spirit in the reformation of thy life for thine owne conscience will no more serue thee then it did the Iewes who thought they did God good seruice when they crucified Christ Ioh. 19.7 nor no more then it did Paul who being a Pharisee and before he was stricken to the ground in his iourney to Damascus Phil. 3.6 Act. 9.21 made hauocke of the Church of God and tooke a pride in persecuting of the Gospell of Christ whereby weâ—â—â—â—y see 1. Ioh. 3.19 that euery mans heart is enough to condemne him but not to iustifie him But yet must we needes haue the testimony and witnesse of our consciences to fasten vs and ground vs in this perswasion that we are Gods children for as it is said 1. Ioh. 3.20.21.29 If our owne hearts condemne vs what boldnesse can we haue with God And Paul speaking of his ministerie saith 1. Cor. 4.4 I am guilty of my selfe in nothing yet am I not thereby iustified So as the best conscience of it selfe is not able to warrant vs of Gods fauour to eternall life but it is soone able to assure vs of his displeasure to damnation For if the conscience be wounded the heart cannot be cheared and a grieued spirit who can beare Now as our conscience must generally signifie vnto vs our election so particularly it must auow euery action that we performe The conscience by excusing cannot iustifie because there may be error of iudgement and therefore must haue a seale and warrant to it that is it must bee ratified and confirmed by the word and though it cannot excuse yet can it and doth it easily and often accuse for whatsoeuer is done against the conscience is sinne be it neuer so lawfull of it selfe or neuer so much commanded yea though it be the sacrifice of prayer wherein we are most familiar with God yet if it receiue not an edge and sharpnesse from thy owne spirit but that thy conscience doth checke thee and pull in as it were thy words againe it maketh that thy prayer can neuer ascend to God nay it so smothers it in thy heart as it not onely returneth empty but bringeth a plague with it which otherwise had beene of force to haue driuen away any present vengeance wherein the conscience doth amisse and doth rather wound vs than cure vs. So as obserue that to the performance and accomplishment of euery good action there must these two concurre the spirit of God and the conscience of the party But yet let vs bee well aduised where the conscience doth accuse vs of such things as may iustly be reprooued as of adultery bribery vsury and such like for if wee doe directly resist this forewarning of our soules or do whet our selues on when our consciences do call vs backe then haue we this our conscience to testifie 〈◊〉 vs which doth counteruaile a thousand witnesses hauing alwaies these two properties first not to conceale any truth secondly not to open any more than truth for what the conscience speaketh our selues shall subscribe to And therfore if wee shall feare this checke of conscience and yet not feare to performe the sinne it will come to passe that either wee shall preuaile for a time to bring our consciences to a dead sleepe and Lethargie 1. Tim. 4.2
that he hath a name at which all knees shall bow and this name is giuen him so as he hath it not as God for being God nothing could be giuen him Phil. 2.13 so as he hath it not as God for being God nothing could be giuen him but hee hath it as man and God for his bare humanity could not deserue this neither yet to be gouernour of all the world Now for the third which is the priuiledge we haue by being his brethren they are chieflie three First we are by this heires and fellow heires with him of all things in this life and in the life to come as appeareth vers 16.17 of this chapter Secondlie by this followeth and from this commeth the soueraigntie we haue ouerall creatures as 1. Cor. 3.22 Whether it be the world or life or death all things are ours for we are Christs and Christ is Gods and being vnder Gods wings no man neither dareth and though his stomacke bee neuer so good yet hee hath not the strength to hurt vs for the Lord will keepe vs as the apple of his cie Thirdlie by this though the Angels be farre aboue vs in nature yet we haue one of our nature better then they that is Christ and through him they doe all become our ministers Heb. 1.4.7 Christ is made more excellent then the Angels and he maketh them but his messengers Now for the degrees wherby the Lord doth execute this his eternal purpose for the first of them which is calling it is wrought by the holie Ghost as the principall cause and by a double instrument the holy Ghost vseth first the preaching of the law whereby we are brought to a holie despaire of our selues by the sight of our owne corruption that we may seeke for remedie in the profound sea of the Lords vnsearchable mercie The second the preaching of the Gospell whereby hee anointeth our eyes with the eye salue of the holie Ghost Col. 2.13 that being dead in sinne and not so much as dreaming of saluation the sound of the Gospel doth awake vs that we may heare that hearing we may liue Hereupon it is said that the Lord doth draw men and pull them vnto him as Christ saith Iohn 6.44 No man can come vnto me vnlesse the father draw him that is doth separate them from the cursed generation of the world and sets his inward seale vpon them that is his spirit and brandeth them in the forehead with a visible marke of holinesse of life that euery man may know them to be the Lords Hereupon also it is said that the Lord doth open the hart with the key of the Gospel as Act. 16.14 he is said to open the heart of Lydia and as Psal 40.6 he boareth the eare and softeneth the heart and moisteneth it with his grace that aboue all things a man shall esteeme of the pearle of the Gospell and be brought chearefully to sell all he hath to buy such a iewell as shall bring him righteousnesse to saue his soule so as this calling of the Lord is to this end to manifest and to secure a man in his soule that the Lord hath giuē him to Christ out of all the world Here may be obiected are not all vniuersally called by grace We answer No for first all men are not called effectuallie secondly some are not called at all Some are called externallie by the Preachers mouth and saluation is offered them by the ministerie of the word and sacraments and the kingdom of God is come to their dores and peace is shewed them and the glory of Ierusalem is set before them Math. 22.3 but yet we see of them that were bidden to the mariage there were three sorts not effectually called first they that being called carelesly refused to come being possessed with the cares of this world and with voluptuous liuing secondly they that cruelly persecured the inuiters messengers of the Bridegroome not onely refusing to come being called but disdaining to come as scorning such cheare and faring euery day better themselues at home thirdly they that came hand ouer head neuer looking to their feet before they entred into the Lords house nor neuer changed their attire but came without the wedding garment of a holy life So wee reade that of the foure sorts of ground that receiue the word and the seed thereof Mark 4.4 one sort onely shall be saued not that we must vnderstand it as if of foure hearers there should be but one saued for the Lord may haue mercy vpon a whole congregation to saue them but three sorts of them filled with seuerall affections that vouchsafed to come and to stand before the Lord as hearers were reprobate that is such as did not beautifie the profession of the Gospell with a holy life And truly of them that come and feed vpon the word and yet be reprobates it is wonderfull to see how farre they goe euen in the right course for first they may be enlightned generally in the knowledge of the truth and may taste of the heauenly gift yea and be partakers of the holy Ghost Heb. 6.4.6 and yet may fall away neuer to be renewe◠by repentance Secondly they may haue faith Luk. 8.13 for a time not counterfeit yet not truly sincere for in the daie of trial they fall away like fruit from the tree with a blast of wind yea they may take ioy in the word as Herod did Mark 6.20 who was glad to heare Iohn Baptist and with Herod they may for a time do many things at the request of Gods Ministers Mark 16.20 And for outward reformation swine we know may be washed so may they leaue off and discontinue some grosse sins for a time when Sathan being for a season cast out of them doth not worke so forciblie in them as Math. 12.34 the Pharises and Sadduces may for nouelties sake come to Iohns baptisme and for a time speake good things when they are euill and yet be but a generation of vipers yea they may wish with Balaam to die the death of the righteous Num. 23.10 iustifying in their owne conscience the course of holinesse and which is more they may partake of all the graces of God sauing that one grace of sanctification and yet they may seeme to bee sanctified as Hebrews 10.29 they tread vnder foot the Sonne of God and count the bloud of the new Testament an vnholy thing were with they were so sanctified Now others there be that are not called at all and these be of two sorts either those to whom the Lord hath denied the verie contemplation of the booke of nature as children that die as soone as they be borne who if they be elect it is by a supernaturall power of the holy Ghost if they be reprobate it is iust in respect of their naturall filth and corruption that did cleaue so fast vnto their bones for in that they die it proues they had finned and
hauing described the necessitie of these miseries that shall befall the elect the demand or question is most triumphantly answered when he saith In all these we are more them conquerors For the first which is the demaund it selfe it cannot be made plainer onely in the words To be separate from the loue of Christ we must not vnderstand it actiuely but passiuely not of the loue wherewith we loue Christ but of that loue wherewith wee are beloued of God in Christ For though our loue to Christ is so substantially rooted in our hearts as that it is Cant. 8.6 strong as death which ouercometh all things hard as the graue that swalloweth vp all things like the flame of God that whole flouds of water cannot quench yea such as we will not depart with for any money and such and so great as it is true that nothing thing can separate vs from the loue of Christ yet this is to be taken and vnderstood of the loue of Christ to vs as appeareth by the end of the 37. Luk. 22.60 2. Tim. 4.10 2. Tim. 2.13 and 39. verses So as if it were possible we should forget Christ or renounce him as Peter did or forsake him as Demas did yet he cannot forget vs for he is faithfull that hath promised For the second which is the testimonie out of Psal 44.22 that we that are Christians do as verily looke for these miseries as we do for the rising of the Sunne the Prophet setting it down as an absolute purpose of God not to bee preuented nor auorded and not onely permitting it as a thing which may and may not come In which words consider two points first what is the cause in Gods sight why the world afflicteth the Church secondly in what grieuous sort it is afflicted For the first the cause is set downe in these words for they names sake that is because thou opposest thy selfe against Anrichrist and dost not fall downe nor bow to Baal nor dost not fashion thy selfe after the world in swallowing vp their iolities and delights Wherein obserue that true Christians are not only subiect to common miseries as those that beare the face of fleshly Adam but to some peculiar calamities that neuer disquiet the wicked and this onely as they beare the image of that heauenly Adam Christ Iesus from which the world is exempted euen as the chaffe and the wheate they both feele the flaile but the chaffe is free from the milstone from the fanne and from the ouen for of these onely doth the wheate taste and happy is he that is ground fit for the Lords table for though the chaffe feele not the bitternesse of the mill nor the heare of the ouen yet marke what becommeth of it Hark 9.50 it is like vnsauorie salt good for nothing but to be cast foorth and is either troden vnder feete or caried away with the winde and so vanisheth in the aire Such is the case and estate of the wicked for when they are separated as tares from the corne either the Lord treads vpon them in his wrath or burneth them in his displeasure or bloweth them from his presence like the stubble Secondly obserue where it is said We are killed for thy names sake that though God doth neuer chastise any man vniustly because hee may haue occasion enough to afflict him for his owne corruption whereby he may be humbled yet heerein appeareth his infinite wisedome that hee maketh the cause of our sufferings to be more honorable bearing this title and superscription for the name of God the puritie of religion and because we will not communicate with the world in their superstitious deuotions So as the Lord changeth the nature of the chastisement and imputeth it as borne for none of our wickednesse but for the glorious profession of the Gospell the wicked not punishing in vs our sinnes but Gods graces for if we would partake with them in their lusts we might goe free For if Balaam would curse the people hee might soone rise to promotion Numb 22.37 and if Michaiah would please the king in his Prophesie hee need not befed with the bread of affliction 1. King 22.27 and if the three children would worship Nabuchadnezzars Image they might easily escape the fornace Dan. 3.12 but we must keepe our standing and not shrinke a foorâ— from the foolishnesse of the Gospell what stormes soeuer may arise for it is no more then as if Christ should borrow our lines for a time to do him credit withall which shall bee mightily rewarded Thirdly in that it is said killed for thy names sake there ariseth this consolation that forasmuch as our suffrings are ioyned with Gods glorie and are brought vpon vs for Gods glorie we may be sure they shall haue a good issue and shall end well for as he tendreth his owne glorie so will hee also tender vs. We thinke it strange that the wicked haue such a swinge in their delights and that wee hang downe our heads Yea Danid complaineth that seeing the prosperitie of the wicked he had almost in his haste accused God of partialitie but Paul 2. Thes Psal 73.13 1.5.6 prooueth that it is impossible since we that are thus tossed and vexed as it were in the whirlepoole of sorrowes are better then the world and in higher account with God but that there shall come a day when rest shall be giuen to our soules and vengeance powred into the bosomes of persecutors For there cannot be a truth more certainly to be beleeued then this that since we doe suffer at their hands who are woorse then our selues it is a sure token that there shall come a reuelation of Gods iudgement wherein the iron rod of the Lords wrath shall bruise them soule and bodie when wee shall be caried vp with S. Paul into the third heauen and with Lazarus into Abrahams bosome 2. Cor. 12.4 Luk. 16.23 and when the vengeance of the Lord shall pursue our enemies driuing them from his presence and from the glorie of his power 2. Thes 1.9 Fourthly in that it is said for thy names sake obserue that it is not the suffering of euery phanaticall or phantasticall spirit that shall be taken for the Lords truth for there may be such forcible illusions as men may giue their bodies to the fire or neckes to the halter for the supposed truth of Poperie then their suffering is as a seale set to a wrong instrument but it must bee in a true zeale of a true cause for the death doth not iustifie the cause to be good but the cause iustifieth the death to be holie and religious For Paul 1. Tim. 1.13 was a zealous persecutor when he was a blasphemer and yet though the did God good seruice but when God receiued him to mercie then hee forsooke and disclaimed the righteousnesse of workes So that if our sufferings be for God we must lay our foundation onely in Christ crucified harbouring and maintaining a pure
then conquerers two waies first in respect of our selues secondly in respect of others We are conquerers in respect of our selues three waies first in the afflictions that goe before death secondly in the very suffering of death thirdly that sometimes there comes a speciall deliuerance and the wicked are made a ransome for the godly Prou. 21 1â— The first of these appeareth in that wee chuse to suffer rather then to admit any ill condition in seruing God as rather then the three children would stoupe to the worship of the beast they embraced the fire Daniel 3.22.23 And though through the sharpnesse of the trouble oftentimes the outward man trembleth and decaieth yet are wee strengthened and renewed in our soules and consciences that wee are not carefull to answer the greatest tyrant vpon the earth that that God whom wee serue is able and will deliuer vs from the sting and poison of any torment yea though sometimes the Lord strangely handleth them that suffer for the Gospel so as their soule is troubled and cannot apprehend any comfort but euen feele the iustice of God vpon them for their sinnes and in the instant of their dissolution they seeme to be void of inward heauenly power to strengthen them and do find a heauy vnaptnesse and vnapt heauinesse to sustaine the triall and that though they haue poured foorth their soule with teares vnto the Lord yet they cannot finde that resolution in any comfort to take the cup but as it is held to their mouths yet at the last being for the cause of Christ they may be sure he will send his spirit to quicken them and dispatch such a comforter from heauen as they shall find euen in the flames such alacritie and delight as if they had rather receiued a pardon from death then any power to bee thrust on to death for the Lord will comfort the abiect bring light out of darknesse and as 2. Cor. 4.11 make the life of Iesus manifest in our flesh by our being deliuered vp to death for his sake For the second that we are more then conquerers in death we haue many examples in the booke of Martyrs and elsewhere how some haue protested they haue sate in the flame as easilie as in a downe bed some haue lifted vp their hands when they were halfe consumed verifying this speech in Esay 43.2 Neither shall the waters drowne thee nor the fire burne thee nor the flame kindle vpon thee meaning thereby that the Lord shall make the most bitter drinke pleasant to them whom he hath called by his name Thirdly wee are more then conquerers in our owne person by the Lords sending of some strange deliuerance and by seeing our enemies consumed in our stead and this is two-fold either extraordinarily immediate or extraordinarily mediate The first appeareth Act. 5.19 Peter cast into prison had the dore opened by the Lords messenger was brought forth in despite of his enemies the same Peter was whipt and being Act. 12.6 a sheepe appointed to the slaughter lying fast bound between two souldiers the prison doores being watched the Angel of God smote him on the side and his chames fell off he was brought through the first and second watch and the praiers of the church did disappoint the purpose of the tyrant whose hands were not yet washed from the blood of Iames whom he had killed with the sword So vehement also were the praiers of Paul and Silas Act. 16.25 that an earthquake shaked the foundation of the prison and loosed the bands of all the prisoners and the Lord put it into the hearts of authority to send Paul foorth in peace and when hee would not standing vpon the law of the Romanes Act. 22.25 that no man should be scourged before he was condemned his enemies were glad to intreate him to goe Of which examples wee must make this vse that if the Lord saw it good for his glory he could doe as much now for nither is his power abated nor his loue diminished Exod. 16.15 Deut. 8.3 For in that he fed the Israelites with Manna he shewed that he can make a man liue without bread in that he blessed the small quantity of meale which the widow of Sarepta had he sheweth that our life standeth not in abundance 1. Kin. 17.16 and he that made the three children dance in the fierie fornace Dan. 3.22 when they that put them in were killed with the heat of the ouens mouth he can and will cheare vs and make glad our hearts in the vale of death For it is he that strengtheneth Dauid to ouerthrow Goliah and his power shall support vs to ouer come death 1. Sam. 17.45 Now for the deliuerance which is extraordinary mediate wee haue example in Saul Act. 9.25 who by the Disciples was put thorow the wall and let downe by a rope in a basket when the Iewes watched the gates to kill him Wee haue likewise our owne Prince Queene Elizabeth on whom many waters did beat and ouer whose head many flouds haue runne and when euen in her sisters time she was as a lambe to be led foorth to the shambles it pleased the Lord to snatch her out of the mouthes of the mighty and to set her seate farre aboue their reach and then were they sory they had cur downe the branches and suffered the stocke to stand Secondly we are more then conquerors in these afflictions in respect of other and that two waies either in the conuersion of others in seeing the Lords power in the midst of our perplecities or else in the confirmation of others they being emboldened by the Lords hand on vs to assure themselues he will not leaue them destitute in the like extremitie Examples of the first wee haue Act. 4.32 and 5.14 how in the heat of the disciples afflictions and when it was counted little better then insurrection to flocke to sermons the people sold their possessions to buy a good conscience and to know the fruit of Christ his death and how the number of them that beleeued grew more and more and how out of the blood of that constant Martyr Stephen there sprung vp daily fresh and new Christians Examples of the latter wee may see in the testimony of Paul who said his bonds were famous in the Court of the Emperor Phillip 1.13 and by that others were taught to preach more boldly and 2. Tim. 2.10 I suffer as an euill doer euen vnto bonds but the word of God is not bound therefore I suffer for the elects sake meaning thereby that his example of captiuity and patience did sundry waies confirme the Church in the hope of a better life For this is the property of the Gospell to grow highest where it is troden downe and to spring fastest where it is killed For when Ahab and Iezabel thought they had not left a Prophet of the Lord but had destroyed all but Eliah and him had they sought for as with
mire by this token that the Gospell hath saued thee from hell For the second benefit it was singular fauour to be freed from the former misery but the Lord together with that hath aduanced and raised vs to speciall dignity that of the bond-slaues of the diuell we are made heires not of this world onely but of the world to come fellow heires with the Lord Iesus to be beloued with the same loue and to tast of the same glorie Iohn 17.22 so as wee may say with Ioseph Thus and thus bountifull hath the Lord beene vnto mee how can I then commit such wickednesse against the maiesty and in the presence of so good a God Hence learne since the Gospell exhorteth vs by this sauing argument to reformation of life whensoeuer we are assaulted inwardly by our owne lusts by the instrument which is the diuels to vse the benefit of this saluation to stay vs from that sinne we are tempted to let it be it were to wantonnesse then let euery of vs argue thus with himselfe And what shall I vse the members of Christ bought with such a price as the blood of the Sonne of God and shall I make them the members of an harlot 1. Cor. 6.15 shall I thus requit the Lords kindnesse and so lightly esteeme the riches of his mercy Why now hee doth not command to performe the law and so be saued but because I am already saued he doth beseech me to amend my life and shall I set no more by all his benefites bestowed both vpon my soule for instruction and vpon my body for health and comelinesse shall I not remember the manifold temptations he hath freed me from and the multitude of his compassions extended towards me shall I make no more reckning of his fauour that hath bestowed on me so many graces and pardoned so many sinnes Far bee it from me that aduisedly and deliberatly I should so despite the Lord as to grieue his spirit and dishonor that God that hath giuen me Christ out of his owne bosome and with Christ all things else and through him saluation Now for the instruction and first for the things we are to forbeare the first is vngodlinesse that is not onely the superstition of the heathen and palpable Atheisme but all carelesse seruing of God when men regard nothing lesse then the purity of a good conscience in the seruice of God and when they little respect the true worship of God but onely make a shew and a semblance to serue him so as the word vngodlinesse doth signisie all dispising of him openly or seruing of him negligently Now all vngodlinesse prophannesse and urreligiousnesse doth touch first the exercises God hath appointed to testifie our sincerity secondly it toucheth God himselfe For the first when wee come to heare the word or to pray if we doe not perswade our selues that hee that despiseth the teacher despiseth God as wee may see Luk. 16.29 by the answer of Abraham to the rich man They haue Moses and the Prophets let them heare them And further if we doe not beleeue that what so is preached out of the Bible shall as fully be executed as if it were now performed as we may see Reuel 22.19 this is open vngodlinesse and for this diminution of the truth of Gods word his part shall be taken out of the booke of life for a man must iudge of vngodlinesse by the effects of vngodliness as to say a mans good meaning is good beleefe for then was Vzziah vniustly punished and smitten with the Leprosie for burning incense vnto the Lord 2. Chron. 26.19 for his intention was good but his action was accursed because it was not for the King to deale in the Priests office So when we heare men say It were no matter if there were no more going to Sermons since there is no more following of them these and the like are speeches of open vngodlinesse for did euer any man grow colder for sitting by the fire or leaner for eating of bread The second thing to be eschued is worldly lusts which be two fold first to lust after vnlawfull things which be either the fleshly desires of a carnall man in himselfe or which may hurt our neighbour either in name goods or body Secondly when we lust after worldly lawfull things vnlawfully and immoderatly both which are set downe in three generall points by Saint Iohn 1. Ioh. 2.16 first the lust of the flesh that is that the flesh would liue at ease as we may see by she reasoning of the rich man with himselfe Luk. 12.19 after great store gotten Now soule saith he liue at ease eate drinke and take thy pastime Secondly the lust of the eye to liue wantonly and to haue an adulterous eye as Euah had that could not see the fruit but shee must eate it Genes 3.6 and as Achan had Ioshua 7.21 that could not see the Babylonish garment but hee must haue it and as Shechem had that could not see Dinah but hee must rauish her Thirdly the pride of life that is the desire of honour and thirsting for preferments in this life for it is impossible for that soule that is surfeited with these things to carrie any true loue toward God or any burning zeale toward his truth And these bee they that wrought so forcibly with our first mother in yeelding to the first temptation that euer was in our flesh for first the apple seemed faire to the eye Gen. 3.6 secondlie it was good for meate thirdlie it was good for knowledge which implied pride of life shee thinking thereby to bee as wise as God These three the Gospell denieth vs of when we sauour so of them as our greatest care is to enioy them and wee affect them more then the righteousnesse of Gods kingdome And as the Gospell teacheth vs to forbeare these things so also doth our Baptisme for who so is dipped in the water which representeth the blood of Christ hee is thereby instructed to denie himselfe and to hate the workes of the diuell this being a Sacrament which not onely sealeth to vs remission of sinnes in the blood of Christ but also sanctification by the spirit of Christ which consisteth in mortifying the old man and quickening the new The first standing on these two first death secondly buriall that as wee beleeue Christ to bee dead to obtaine pardon for all our sinnes so we beleeue that hee by his obedience obtained the spirit of God to mortifie all our corruptions and when hee went into the graue our old man was buried with him that we might bee raised vp with him to newnesse of life and this is set downe 1. Peter 1.2 where he saith We must suffer in the flesh that is die in corruption and in sinne daily euen as Christ did in his bodie And he that doth not crucifie his affections performeth not his vow in Baptisme nor cannot chalenge any part in Christ his death for he is said to
looke that they bee first of honest report which giueth small warrant for cards or dice and if they were lawfull yet ought not the children of God so much to vse them because in that they imbolâ—en others that doe abuse them For that is the Apostles rule Phil. 4.8 Whatsoeuer are honest and of good report thinke on such things Secondly wee must looke we vse them as recreations â—â—t so long as they may make vs vnfit to discharge our vocatioâ—â— for the end of our play must bee labour and not to be brought asleepe with it for then doth it neither comfort the strength of the bodie nor releeue the powers of the mind for which recreation was ordained For the third that is apparell the holy Ghost giueth vs a glasse to see when we are seemely arraied wherein we must obserue two rules first that it be not costly secondly that it bee not garish costly for the price nor garish for the fashion Paul 1. Tim. 2.9 comprehendeth both these by name forbidding costly apparell which is that that is either aboue a mans abilitie or aboue those whom in degree profession sâ—xe and age the Lord hath matched with vs. For wee must alwaies in attire striue to match our selues with the grauest Christians of our profession Garish is opposite to comelinesse and is that which followeth the cut which by the outward vanitie of the bodie sheweth the instabilitie of the minde for the visible attire hath these inconueniences with it first it descrieth the inuisible pride of the minde and saie and pretend what thou wilt that thou hast no such end when the leafe is greene on the toppe of the tree how can I beleeue that the sappe is gone downe to the root and when I see these streames of pride about thee how can I thinke but they flow from the well head which boileth in the heart Secondly as it expresseth pride so it exciteth and stirreth vp lust and very oft the occasion maketh the sinne Neither is it good for a light braine to drinke much nor to put flaxe to the fire nor oile to the flame nor to lay open a costly garment before a glancing eie Thirdly it doth abridge vs in the performance of many christian exercises as contribution to the poore hospitalitie in the house and such like for as the French man saith Where there is a veluet coate there is a belly of rust and when wee are growne so high in pride as wee cannot looke downe vpon the low estate of our brethren but behold them as Grashoppers vpon the earth we may well curse that garment that withdrawes that blessing pronounced by Christ to them that visit the needy and relieue the naked Mat. 25.36 True it is the Gospel prescribeth no set fashion but looke what the most godly doe of our profession by the grace of this Gospel we ought to follow that and wee shall finde peace for our soules for the Lord dwelleth but in two places either in the high heauens or in an humble heart And as a Philosopher said of concupiscence some was naturall and necessary some naturall but not necessarie some neither naturall nor necessary so may we say of apparell some is comely and necessary some comely but not necessarie and some neither comely nor necessarie The second thing that is to be followed is righteousnesse in life and iust dealing betweene man and man and this is either generall and vniuersall or particular and peculiar The first is the ground of nature That all men deale as they would bee dealt with the second is this that euery man in his seuerall calling should deale with a good conscience giue euery man his due Iohn Baptist hauing preached a sermon of repentance Luke 3.8 first generally exhorts them to newnesse of life and then descendeth to speciall duties to be recommended to speciall men as particularly for the Publicans vers 13. you must receiue tribute according as it is taxed and not inhaunce it for your owne gaine For souldiers vers 14. Doe no man any violence neither robbe yee vnder this pretence but be content with your wages For rich men vers 11. that as the Lord had dealt bountifully with them so they should extend their compassion to others Wherein obserue that as euery calling hath his speciall sinnes waiting on it so the Baptist setteth downe speciall and particular remedies that euerie man must labour to furnish himselfe withall So heere to speake of one kinde of righteous liuing as that which is most abused though the thing it selfe be most common namely of bargaining first obserue that Paul setteth downe a rule 1. Thessalon 4.6 that no professor in his trade should goe beyond a man that is that euery seller should set such a price as there may bee a iust proportion betweene the value and the thing bought Now this value must be rated according to the generall rule of nature Luk. 6.31 Doe as thou wouldst be done vnto and it is not enough to say Caueat emptor Let the buyer looke to it but thou oughtest to haue care that he may haue equall aduantage of the thing he buieth with the benefite thou receiuest Prouerbs 20.14 is set downe the generall corruption of both these It is naught saith the buyer abasing it that hee may haue it the cheaper which implieth It is good saith the seller praising it too much that hee may price it the higher Howbeit we must consider that the same God that commaundeth thee not to assault his person but to preserue it from violence the same God enioyneth thee to haue care ouer his goods that if his money doe passe thorow thy hands thou doe vse it with the same affection thou doest thine owne alway remembring Prouerbs 20.23 that diuers weightes are abomination to the Lord and that 1. Corinth 6.9 no vnrighteous or vniust dealer shall euer see God Manie will come and make such a shew of holinesse that their endeuour is to deale iustly toward all as they will needs bee resolued what are false weights what is vsurie and what is circumuention or cosenage that they may auoide it and when it shall bee tolde them truely out of Gods worde what they are and it falleth out to bee such as they expected not then they returne either with heauie or with angrie hearts and will resolue themselues what was spoken was false Euen as Ieremie 42.5 Iohanan commeth to Ieremie to know whether hee and the rest might goe downe into Egypt to dwell there where they should see no warre and promiseth whether his message from the Lord was good or bad he would obey it Ieremie went and asked counsell of the Lord who answered they should not in any case goe downe to Egypt When Iohanan heard this he burst foorth into outrage saying It is not the Lord hath told thee this Ier. 43.2.3 It is Baruch that maketh thee thus precise against vs so hee was resolued before what to doe onely hee
prescribed and with that alacrity and resolution that we ought euen as Abraham did heere to the sacrificing of his sonne Secondly in this example obserue that if Abraham could for beare to command his naturall loue of a father to a child at the Lords commandement how much more shall wee bee vnexcusable that cannot command our selues from vncleannesse of the flesh and such like sinnes but will keepe our sinnes as tenderly and as long as wee keepe our liues and yet will bee counted the children of Abraham But wee must answer our selues as Christ did the Pharisees Ioh. 8.44 and as Saint Iohn did answer those to whom he wrot 1. Iohn 3.7 that we doe but flatter our selues with the name when wee are in truth the children of the diuell for hee that doth righteousnesse is righteous and if Abraham resigned vp the lawfulnesse of the tender affection of a father at the Lords commandement much more must wee resigne vp our affections and discourses in vnlawfull matters Further obserue that it is not enough for vs to deny our vnlawfull pleasures and appetites but wee must euen forbeare things lawfull if the Lord command it If hee call vs foorth to triall for the Gospels sake Mat. 4.20 we must with Peter and Andrew leaue our nets that is our calling and forsake our wiues that is our comforts Mark 9.47 and our selues euen to pull out our right eyes if they be any impediments to vs in the progression of faith and a good conscience and if there be any repugnancy that we cannot enioy our wiues and glorifie God we must not regard them in respect of God for if we doe the Lords mouth hath spoken it we shall neuer be saued Let vs therefore take heed how wee build for if our foundation be of stubble the day of affliction will soone consume it and wee shall be as blowne bladders emptied with the least pricke of any triall and as brasse that yeeldeth an hideous sound vnder the hammer but if we ground vpon that golden foundation of faith then in our afflictions shall we be as gold which is more agreeable in the sound and more pliable in the stroke and we lying betweene the anuill of death and the hammer of the Lords hand shall shew our selues in patience to possesse our soules euen like Abraham who without grudging did execute the Lords ambassage though most repugnant to nature and to the promise made Againe obserue as this matter of triall in Abraham turned in the end to a comfortable issue euen so shall it fare with vs in our afflictions and temptations and if we wil sacrifice vp our honor our affections our Isaac that is our laughter the ramme only shall die for it that is our cares our troubles our afflictions and our vexations shall be wiped away This is agreeable to that Mat. 10. Yee shall for my names sake forsake what you honour most and loue best and then followeth If any man doe this I will giue him in this life an hundred fold more that is more ioy more resolution and peace of conscience and more comfort in this base and low estate then he should haue had in an hundred fathers or an hundred wiues not regarding the quantitie but the blessing of God in the comfortable enioying of them This offereth singular consolation to those that suffer for the crosse of Christ that the thrones of this life shall onely be sacrificed and our soules and consciences shall rest secure filled with greater ioy in the end and issue of our troubles then euer wee were before And as the world saith that he is rich that is contented euen so we say that he is safe that resteth in the Lords hands And if we stretch foorth all our powers to embrace Christ then is he gone as a harbinger to prouide a place for vs in heauen Ioh. 14.3 and he that saueth our soules wee may well trust him with our bodies Further obserue that he offered vp his sonne and yet he did it not wherein we learne that the purpose of a mans heart being fully resolued to do a thing it is in the Lords eies as if he did it though he doe it not for therefore is Isaac said to be offred vp because he was so in the purpose of Abrahams heart which the Lord accepted as an execution of the thing it selfe And this holdeth both in vertues and in vices for if a man be called before the iudgement seate as an heretike in any time whatsoeuer and being called thus to triall offereth to seale his opinion with his blood and matters going further doth not relent what is this man in the light of God if his religion bee true but a Martyr though his life be after pardoned Not that euery resolution is taken of God as if it were performed for Peter was caried with a vehement precipitation and presumptuous conceit of his owne strength when he said Master though all men forsake thee yet will not I Iohn 13.37 but I will lay downe my life for thy sake and yet afterward vpon a small occasion he denied him But if a man stand in the day of his examination and triall and shrinke not but is ready to sacrifice his life for the defence of God his truth as Abraham was ready to haue sacrificed his sonne then because in the triall he did not relent but euen in this time did purpose it it shall be taken of God euen as this worke of Abraham done though not done and his life lost though he escaped with his life In like manner falleth it out in sinnes for if thy heart be full of a dultery and yet because shee that should bee thy harlot dallied too long with thee or else occasion did not fit thee wherby thou art kept from the act it selfe yet art thou a whoremonger in the sight of God Mat. 5.28 The like may be said of other sinnes for though Saul threw not a stone at Stephen but onely kept the clothes of them that did it yet is he Act. 8.1 inrolled in the booke of God as one that consented to his death Vers 22. Seest thou not that the faith wrought with his works and through the works was the faith made perfect 23. And the Seripture was fulfilled which saith Abraham beleened God and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse and hee was called the friend of God 24. Ye see then how that of workes a man is iustified and not of faith onely This is the third part namely the amplifying of this example in the 22. and 23. verses together with the conclusion in the 24. verse Heereupon the Papists take occasion to say that not faith alone but faith together with workes worketh our iustification Whereunto we answer that there be some things wherein faith worketh alone and some things wherein it worketh together with workes Faith worketh alone with God it hath wings and flies to heauen it dealeth onely betweene God and Christ
for shee set them out at a window a thing done without mutinie or any fraudulent purpose to escape and therefore iustifiable euen as the letting downe of Paul in a basket was Acts 9.25 And in this whole worke shee sinned nothing but in making of a lie which though some excuse and extenuate because it was Mendacium officiosum an officious and dutifull lie yet it is no way excusable for no lie to saue a soule is lawfull Wherein wee obserue that euen the Saints of God in their best purposes haue in some things followed their mother wit and their owne corruption Withall note the louing kindnesse of the Lord that this particular blemish in the worke doth nothing derogate from the excellencie of her obedience no more then Rebecca Genes 27.8 who notwithstanding she subscribed to the oracle of God that Iacob should ouercome Esau yet shee by indirect meanes sought to preuent this worke of God which the Lord in mercie did winke at in respect of her generall resolution to be obedient The like may bee saied of Abraham who because hee thought the feare of God was not in the house of Abimelek and that they would haue slaine him for his wiues fake Genesis 20.2 dissembled Sarah to bee his wife and caried her vnder the name of his sister which infirmitie the Lord passed by because in other his actions hee was faithfull Heere some to debase this worke of Rahab may say Why was this such a matter to haâ—◠〈◊〉 few messengers of the Lord and why should this commend her faith since she neuer came to triall to auouch this worke We answer that the resolution she admitted was very great since it might haue cost her the greatest torment that could bee and shee might so haue stunke in the sight of the people by thus betraying them and their countrey as either the people in a mutiny or the King in iustice might seuerely and cruelly haue executed her so as by this it argueth that she was perswaded that the God of Israel was onely to bee worshipped and the seede of Abraham onely in the world to bee esteemed and heereupon shee did practise the rule of our Sauiuor Christ euen to hate her owne nation Mat. 11.20 and tooke her life as it were into her hands to saue theirs that were the seruants of God So as though in the former example the Ramme onely was sactificed and not Isaak and in this example Rahab safely deliuered and her parentage reseued yet the resolution of them both was nothing lesse and so the speech of Christ true that they that for his sake forsake all Mat. 10.37 shall haue more comfort in that little that is left hauing peace of conscience then of all the former store nay that they that suffer for his sake shall bee free when their persecutors shall bee fettered as appeareth Ieremie 39.11.15 Ieremie that was in desolation and in prison was safe when the King himselfe had his eyes put out and Ebedmelech the Kings counsellour was promised not to perish when the rest should fall by the sword because hee had made the Lord his arme Further this example of Rahab to stand so resolutely for the deliuerance of the Lords messengers conuinceth all those that howsoeuer religion twang vpon their tongue that they can prate of it yet proue that they haue nothing in them but the Laodicean luke-warmth Reuel 3. in that they so professe it as they shrinke in the day of triall and dare not aduenture to harbour the Lords Embassadors and to succor them as Rahab did Yea and this example condemneth others who are so farre from forsaking lawfull things as wife possessions life c. for the Gospels sake as they will not forbeare vnlawfull things no not to leaue off the least shew 〈◊〉 pride or the least profit in biting gaine Whereas by this example wee are taught to take vp our crosse and not to looke backe-like Lots wife Genes 19.26 for there is no tarying in Idolatrie or other profanenesse to fetch any thing from the house toppe Mat. 24.17 or to runne backe into the fields to take our garments though they bee necessarie for this life as our Sauiour speaketh in the Gospell But more iustly the example conuinceth them that row with the tide and professe with the parliament for he that doth therefore professe religion because he hath his protection from the Prince and State would with the State serue the diuell Nay in matters of religion wee must not ground vpon examples but vpon the trueth of the religion for as we must not follow a multitude to do euill so neither must we follow a multitude to do good onely because they do it Exod. 23.2 For it is not the religion of God which we enioy because the parliament enioineth it but therefore it is by parliament commanded because it is the religion of God and fearefull it is to thinke that a Prince can prescribe a law to the eternall God which is farre more disparagement then for a subiect to make a law how he will obey his Prince which notwithstanding is not sufferable But as Rahab was perswaded that the God of Israel that sent those men was the onely God and that the loines of Abraham for whom this land was to be gained were the true owners by the speciall promise of God and in this respect she regarded not her Prince nor her countrey nor her owne fathers house but that by speciall mercy they were exempted but she did most faithfully and in great obedience and in a most Christian resolution willingly resigne vp the countrey to them to whom the Lord had giuen the title Euen so must wee in matters of the Lords seruice alwaies preferre and stand for the will of God to be obserued rather then either to haue our countrey preserued or our Prince obeyed For as Peter saith Act. 4.19 It is better to obey God then man yet still so as we submit our selues to the power and authoritie of the higher powers vnder whose sword are our bodies though our soules be vnder the shadow of the Almightie Againe where it is said She receiued the messengers obserue the cause why she did it beâ—â—â—se she was perswaded the God of Israel sent them so that it was not to gratifie the men respecting the men sauing that religioâ—â— did constraine her and her loue to them arose in respect of her loue to God that had conuerted her Whereupon we noâ—â—â—â—at the world determineth wrongfully of good workes 〈…〉 man may be an honest man and liue well and doe good 〈◊〉 neighbor though he be not greatly religious for all actions wherein the glorie of God the loue of God in Christ the comfort of our consciences and the desire of the saluation of our brethren do not concurre those are not good so as a good action without religion can no more be good then a house without a foundation a tree without a root water without a
wel-head or to bee good without God for where there is no zeale there is no faith where no faith no conscience where no conscience no loue and shewing our loue not for conscience we may for our charitie go to the diuel for a man must first be good before he can doe good and good he cannot be without God 1. Sam. 6.17 The workes such a man doth may bee perhaps like the Emeraulds of the Philistims varnished ouer with gold that is make a faire shew in the sight of men but if they proceed no further that is to haue the testimonie of the spirit that they bee wrought by his hand they are most abominable before the face of God Wilt thou set a face as if thou wroughtest well because thou wilt not take the penaltie of an obligation and yet thou wilt prosecute a matter against a preacher for a superstitious ceremonious beggerly element What good worke is this to speake well of all men and yet at euerie word to wound to bloud to heart the holy one of Israel What is it not to hurt thy neighbour to be a friend to thy friend and yet to be an enemie to the friend of God What great worke is it not to beate false witnesse and yet priuily to suggest against him thou darest not reproue to his face So as vnlesse our doing of good arise from religion wee may easily straine at a gnat and swallow a Camel heare Iohn Baptist gladly for a time Mat. 6.20 and chop off his head afterward as Herod did Matth. 14.10 Now as for moralists and such as transforme themselues according to the times they are as Iude 13. tearmeth them the raging waues of the sea foaming out their owne â—â—me as the wind serueth and like the wandring starres of the â—â—â—ament vnconstant and vnsteddy void of faith for sides must be firma non ambulatoria we must haue a standing not a walking faith and as without faith they cannot please God so except they please God they shall not be saued She tooke them and sent them away Where learne it is not enough for vs not to hurt a man that professeth religion but wee must doe him good euen as this harlot wrought not enough in receiuing the spies and then to haue left them to their owne hazard but as in obedience she did receiue them so in faith she must safely send them away Yea we are bound by praier by purse by person by credit by countenance to releeue them not onely to thinke well of them and to like them so farre must we be from vexing them For if Obadiah 1. King 18.4 had onely hid the Prophets of God and had not fed them it bad beene but halfe a good worke Heereupon is it that in the last day in the sentence of the reprobate shall neuer be mentioned what euill they haue done as that they haue bitten by this vsury or polluted their bodies by that whoredome but there shall be recited onely the good they did not as Mat. 25.41 for not clothing the naked for not visiting the sicke for not releeuing the poore brethren for Rahab must not onely conceale and hide the spies but shee must send them away safe And if the sentence of iudgement drawne in this forme cannot affect vs let vs further know that though euill is the absence of good yet good is not the absence of euill for Rahabs worke is but lame if she doe but harbour them and if she doe not finish it by letting them foorth it shall neuer bee registred as a worke of faith For looke Iudg. 5.23 Cursed be Meroz that came not to helpe the Lord against be mighty not because he did persecute the Lord or did him any hurt but because he helped him not And wee see Rahab vpon this least knowledge of God â—entred her life to saue them Besides we shall read in the Gospell that the greatest torment of the glutton is Luk. 16.25 that he gaue Laâ—aruâ— no water not that hee was an extortioner or that hee spurned the poore man from his doore By all which examples we are taught that where religion is oppâ—â—sted by all meanes and in all things we can to releeue the Gospell for the good we haue omitted and the euill we haue committed shall come to iudgement Lastly marke the words Rahab the harlot which reprochfull speech must not bee referred to the present state of her conuersion but to her former conuersation as if hee should say Rahab that once had beene a whore for none truly conuerted can remaine in their former sinne but if hee doe after his conuersion fall into some grosse sinne as Dauid did in killing Vriah 2. Sam. 11.17 the Lord will scourge him as hee did Dauid And to bee raised vp of the Lord after such a relapse must not bee by slubbering vp our repentance but we must so be humbled as to feele drinesse in our bones with griefe as Dauid did Psal 32.4 And we shall neuer receiue comfort vntill wee haue soundly and seriously repented Whereupon we gather that the Lord regardeth not what sinnes we haue committed before our regeneration so that after our conuersion we walke worthy of our calling for many that were whores and wicked were conuerted As Luk. 7.37 she that washed Iesus feete with the teares of her eyes and heart and wiped them with the haire of her head had beene a whore but wee read not that after that she was any more so So Zaccheus Luk 19.5 was an extortioner before Christ called him from the tree but we reade not that he euer tooke peny vsury after And Mat. 20.20 such bee inuited to the supper as bee patched and lame to expresse our spirituall beggery but after we are come thither wee must haue the wedding garment of a good conscience For Saul was a persecutor of the Church before hee was called Act. 9.2 but wee nerer reade that he was so after his conuersion For if we continue in a sinne looke what followeth euen in this life 1. Cor. 5.11 If any that is a professor be a whore-monger eate not with him that is forbeare thy priuate familiarity with him so then being conuerted wee must shew our repentance from those sinnes wherein before we were fallen as the repentance from vsury is liberality the repentance from pride is bumility from whoredome chastity for repentance is the leauing of thy sinne and the cleauing to the contrary vertue and it is no repentance to leaue thy sinne when it must or hath left thee as vpon thy death bed to reâ—eâ—â— thee of thy vsurie when thou canst take no more or in thy age to repent thee of thy lecherie when thou canst satisfie it no more but to repent from thy sinne is as 1. Peter 4.1 to suffer in the flesh to suffer in the flesh is to cease from sinne and to cease from sinne is not onely to leaue thy sinne but to spend the rest of thy time
giuen vp Rom. 1.24 to serue their owne lusts that profited not by that one light of nature whereby they were constrained to acknowledge a superiour power that made that excellent frame of heauen and earth If the Pharisees were thus sharpely charged and reprooued for not amending their liues at these few sermons of one Iohn Baptist much more may wee feare lest wee be swallowed vp of present destruction that haue had so many sounds of the Lords trumpets and yet haue not retired from our owne waies that after so much dressing and pruning and lopping haue brought foorth nothing but briers that haue deuoured so many full yeares of peace and yeeres of preaching and plentie and yet continue leane and ilfauoured in the course of our liues for now at the time of the Gospel as we see heere beginneth iudgement Secondly learne how faithfully Iohn executed and performed his ministery which stood in two parts as was foretold by Malachy chap. 4. to preach mercie and iudgement both which he performed in this one sermon Heere the Iesuits take occasion to say that we should dehort men from euill for feare of hell and exhort them to doe well in hope of heauen We say with Paul who is our patterne and forerunner that we haue weapons for all those that shall despaire after the obedience of Gods Saints fulfilled but we preach not onely to worke well in hope of heauen for as we are seruants we deserue nothing but as children wee are receiued to an inheritance bought for vs before we were so we striue not that men should keepe themselues from sin onely for feare of hell for the Lord will neuer account of such a soule as will doe nothing but for feare of the whip for hee loueth a free giuer and hateth constrained subiection and it is not the horror of damnation but the commemoration of the Lords mercie shewed toward vs in giuing his owne Sonne to so ignominious a death to ransome vs from that curse wee had incurred This is that containes vs within the bounds of obedience for if the heart bloud of the Lord Iesus will not make thy heart to relent and thy hands to tremble to put them forth to wickednesse then art thou in a desperate case Shall the feare of the gibber or the ghastly shew of death make one that was a traitor and now pardoned and aduanced vnto high place by the meere mercie of his Soueraigne shall this make him afraid to commit treason againe and nothing else nay the grace of his Prince shall rest alwaies before his eies and shall most forcibly perswade him to perseuere in his loialtie For this is the most effectuall of all others to mooue vs in the bowels of the mercies of Christ to keepe our selues cleane and washed because wee are already purified in his bloud and not for feare of falling into the pit againe Thirdly note that if any man will escape and auoide damnation he must of necessitie liue wel for he must be a tree bringing foorth good fruit Where first consider what is good fruit which is implied in the text it cannot bee good except the tree be good as Christ saith If the casting out of a diuell be a good worke why am not I a good man Matt. 12.28 Ioh. 7.21 So as first the person must be accepted before the worke be accepted and no person can please without faith that purifieth the heart and there is no such heart where religion dependeth not vpon the true worship of the law of God and by consequent there is no good faith where the heart is not cleansed by the spirit of God Since then a man must first be good before he can doe good it is impossible that anie man erronious in religion should produce a good worke Externall righteousnesse and the morall vertues of the Papists is a vizard that bleares manie mens eies and wee say that they are honest as well may we say it of them that hanged vp the Lord Iesus thinking he had spoken blasphemie because being but a poore wretch to see to he challenged himselfe to be the Sonne of God and in this doing they thought they had done God an excellent peece of seruice And for Paul before his conuersion who could except against his life nay as he testifieth of himselfe Philip. 3. â— hee walked according to all the ordinances the law prescribed yet after hee was called he accounted all his morall righteousnesse but as the excrement of a dogge And if religion do not distinguish betweene men the heathen shall condemne both vs and them who by the meere instinct of nature liued in the hatred of grosse sinnes and walked soberly without exception and yet are they already damned For first we must be good by grace and being adopted into Christ then we doe good and of all the trees of the forest as Ezec. 15.3 there is none but is better then the vine if it beare not grapes for the oake is good for timber and euerie tree may serue for some good vse but the farments of the vine if it be not clustered is fit for nothing but for the fire The Papists are good as okes to build monasteries and to set vp houses and places of religion but an vnfaithfull and vnfruitfull Protestant and Professor is good for nothing being but a rotten bough or branch of a fruitlesse and barren vine but to be burned So that to iudge a worke to be good it must bee good both quo ad fontem quo ad finem proceeding from an honest heart and driuing to a right end the glory of God to whom I owe honor Further to come to the true knowledge of good fruit let vs know what bad fruit is which is double first sinnes in substance such as are contrarie to the expresse commandement of God as adulterie is absolutely a sinne in Dauid as wel as in any other secondly sinnes by circumstance as giuing of almes Matt. 23.5 onely when the trumpet sounds to be seene of men or to come into the sanctuarie with a purpose to pray and presently to returne to his vomit againe for the Lord abhorreth what himselfe commandeth Esay 66. if it be not doâ—â— with that heart he commandeth The sacrifice of a sheepe is 〈◊〉 his sight as the bloud of a man not that he hateth the action but the hypocrisie in the action which staineth the whole a Hagg. 2.13 if an vncleane person touch the holy flesh the flesh it selfe is vncleane but holie flesh maketh not other flesh holy which was not so before Further obserue where it is said Euery tree that bringeth 〈◊〉 foorth good fruit shall be hewne downe that it is not enough not to doe euill but it is damnable not to do good for he doth not say the tree that brings foorth no fruit but that brings not forth good fruit For it is not enough for Zacheus Luk. 19 after his conuersion to be no poller or robber of
the poore but his conscience cannot be assured of his pardon before he hath satisfied the poore for that he had got amisse secondly hee must bring foorth another fruit of repentance not onely to restore but to giue liberally and to be compassionate toward the afflicted Saints not by this to satisfie the Lord but to assure his owne soule that the Lord is satisfied in the death of Christ And it is not said Come yee blessed because yee haue not persecuted the truth Matt. 15.34 nor scorned the professors thereof for not the 〈◊〉 they haue not done but the good they haue done as releeuing the poore visiting the sicke and such like shall come to iudgement And for the damned it is not said to them Go and depart for ye haue put to death by all vniust waies vexed and abused my children for these are so grosse as their owne soules crie out against them but the forme of the sentence is Ye haue despised me and would not be of my liuery but disdamed to be found in the company of professors for cursed be Meroz Iudg. 5.23 that helped not in the day of battell not that euer she sought against the Lords cause or once drew weapon against Christ but because she came not foorth armed to assist the Lords cause So this must be the fruit of Peters repentance not onely not to deny his master any more but Math. 26.35 to stand to him to the death neither is it enough for persecutors of the Gospel to leaue off to persecute but they must with Paul learne to be persecuted for the Gospell and so for parents to take heed to their children not to be garish in their youth lest by this their hearts may be adiudged to be proud in their age Now if that tree be neare vnto burning that brings not foorth good fruit what shall wee say of those trees that from the root of a filthy and fleshly heart bring forth vnsauory and stinking fruit If Diues be damned Luk. 16.22 that gaue not bread and refreshing to Lazarus what shall become of them that take away bread and doe grind the faces of the poore If he were bound hand and foot Mat. 18.33 that prosecuted his right so extremely against his fellow seruant whither shall they be cast that labour the vniust vexation of men pretending title to that coat they neuer bought If Obadiah shall hardly answer it 1. Kin. 18.4 before God that hid the Prophets by fifty in a caue and fed them with bread and water because he durst not professe his religious heart openly being in the time of Iezabel a Queene and a queane how shall they bee able to excuse themselues which in the time of this gracious and good harted Prince libel against them by false suggestions and labour the vtter vndoing of them themselues professing nothing for feare of succession And if they that did but build and plant and mary and giue in mariage all which in themselues were lawfull were swept and caried away Gen. 7. with the vniuersall floud whither shall the tempest of the Lords fury cary them that blaspheme against his name snarle against his messengers and like swine doe wallow in their owne filthinesse all which are simply abhominable in themselues If the Pharisees that were carefull to heare Iohn with some good minde were so sharpely reproued as to be termed vipers what title may be giuen to them that refuse altogether to come If they that heare not the voice of Christ bee not his sheepe Iohn 10.3 Mat. 7.6 what be they that turne against him to rend him Or that come to the Temple to no other end then to intrap him If of three sorts of seeds and hearers whereof the one takes the feed the second receiues it with some good heart Mark 4.4 the third cherisheth it so well as it growe to a blade and yet all of them be damned where shall they rest that neuer vouchsafed with any religious eares to heare the message of saluation brought them If many bee shut out that preached the Gospell and many that striue to enter in shall not what place shall bee prepared for them that thinke themselues too fine to binde vp the wounds of the broken hearted and that haue euery step since their first birth directly sailed toward hell disanowing all meanes whereby they might bee reduced to the right way If the fig-tree was accursed because it had no fruit though Marke 11.13 it was full of leaues what curse shall light vpon those trees that are ful of poisoned and corrupt fruit Note also Saint Iohn saith euery tree not excepting any but what euer he be Iew or Gentile from the Prince to the basest of the people they must be fruitfull for being all equally corrupted we ought all equally to be cleansed and the Princes soule needes as much washing as the subiects Againe obserue a consequence of great comfort that euery tree that brings foorth good fruit must needs be saued and this is a wonderfull consolation to all Gods children for all that are in Christ Rom. 8.1 are out of condemnation and he hath Christ that hath his spirit he hath his spirit that striueth against his corruptions he doth this that crucifieth his flesh and he crucifieth his flesh that ceaseth from sinne and he doeth this that amendeth his life and repenteth Lastly learne hence that the tree and the fruit must goe together for though faith alone doth iustifie yet faith that is alone doth neuer iustifie but is dead without workes like that charity Iames 2.16 which onely bids a man warme him but doth not giue him wherewithall to refresh him The eye alone of all the parts of the body doth see but the eye that is alone separate from the body doth not see so the feet alone doe cary the body but if they be cut off and seuered from the body they doe not stirre True it is no tree shall escape the cutting vnlesse it be good but none shall therfore escape it because it is good for none shall be saued without mortification but none for their mortification shall be saued therefore let vs beware lest wee disioyne that in our liues which is alwaies conioyned in doctrine the faith of Paul and the workes of Iames. MATH chap. 3. vers 11. verse 11 Indeed I baptize you with water to amendment of life but he that commeth after me is mightier then I whose shooes I am not worthy to beare he will baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire NOW because among the multitude as more plainely appeareth Luke 3.15 they strongly held and esteemed Iohn to bee Christ and the Messias that should come hee knowing this by reuelation or otherwise by the speech of some particular person among them labouâ—eth to resolue them and to plucke vp this opinion by the â—â—ooes making protestation that there was great disparagement and inequality between him and Christ his baptisme and Christs his person
conscience in an vndefiled heart not stained with hypocrisie nor growing so hard as to be burned with a hot iron 1. Tim. 4.2 For the second point which is the grieuousnesse of the affliction befals Gods Saints it is to be considered two waies first their crueltie that nothing will staie their hunger nor stainch their malice but bloud for either we are killed or daily haue death before our eies the sight whereof oft â—â—mes is more bitter then death it selfe Secondly the indignitie they offer vs and the disgrace not onely to slay vs but to slay vs like beasts to set foorth and expresse their exceeding rancor and malice toward vs. Concerning the crueltie and indignitie hath beene vsed toward Gods â—aints for the old Testament let the Apostle to the Hebr. 11.36 speake who teckoneth vp twelue seue all kindes and sorts of persecutions wherewith the faithfull haue bene pursued and yet were neuer dauned nor dismared knowing they should receiue a better resurrection And how they haue beene vsed since Christ his ascension the stories of the ten persecutions in the Primitiue church do tel vs that Christians were so odious as they were out of the protection of law for not onely were lawes made against them that publikely they should be tormented but euery priuat man might be a butcher to a Christian and neuer come in danger nor question of law for shedding of bloud yea there was such exquisite torments deuised for them by Sathan as could not be greater as that some should be couered with the skin of a beast and then cast to a wolfe to be rent like a beast some smothered with a little smoake proceeding from a continual soft fire some scorched in the flame and powdred with falt and vinegar some cast downe headlong from the toppe of mountaines some hauing their flesh scrapt with shels and many such like torments so as though it may seeme Homo homini Deus man to be to man a God that is a helper and defender where there is loue yet in the difference of religion it prooueth Homo homini lupus that man becommeth a destroier of man Hereupon doth Christ foreseeing the affections of tyrants Mat. 10.16 tell the Apostles in plaine termes that he sent them as sheepe among wolues and presently expounds himselfe ver 17. Beware of men whose mouths be as open sepulchers to deuour vs and who are in nothing so wily and watchfull as in setting snares to intrap vs. We are killed all the day Wherein obserue that it is a portion ordained to euery Christian not to bee exempt from any calamitieâ— common with the wicked but to bee subiect to all these and to farre greater because iudgement must begin at the house of God and this indgement is to last not for a time or an houre but euen to continue all the day giuing no truce nor intermission but as one waue beateth vpon another and one day followeth another so must we learne Patiendo pati by suffering how to suffer and the end of the former trouble must beesteemed to be the beginner of another as Christ himselfe saith Take vp my crosse daily Neither yet must we thinke that we are called to any hand condition or that the calling of a Christian is any vncomely calling for wee haue Christ as a glusse before vs who walked as it were continually vpon the ice and was not one moment free from some subiection and basenesse in the outward man Secondly by sheepe appointed to the slaughter learne that a Christian must neuer thinke hee hath suffered enough till hee hath suffered death for it is not said appointed to the whip or to the racke or to the prison but euen to death which is the thing our flesh most abhorreth For this must be the Christian mans account not to bee cast and cassiered out of this warfare till death hath perfited our sanctification as Hebr. 10.33 the Apostle reckoning vp the afflictions of the godly as partly while they were made a gazing stocke by reproches partly while they suffered with other in compassion mourning to see them distressed partly while they did beare the losse of goods cheerefully yet as if this were but a small matter and as if yet they were farre short in their reckoning chap. 12.4 hee telleth them they haue not yet resisted vnto bloud nor suffered death as if the number of death made their account perfect and that they must still be casting till they come to death for hauing fought so many battels as went before in their sufferance of so many inferior blowes and as it were weake afflictions they must not cast away their confidence till they haue fought the last skirmish and haue ouercome death by dying Thirdly learne that by the Lords decree we are not all appointed to be offered vp in sacrifice but by the malice of the enemie we are all destinated and set forth for such a bloudy end though the Lord in prouidence do oftentimes rescue vs euen out of the iawes of the Lion howbeit God appoineth all to some I doe not say affliction but persecution for in the scripture we reade of a double martyrdome Cruentum and Incruentum a bloudy martyrdome and a martyrdome without bloud as when we suffer any shame imprisonment losse of goods c. And this appeareth in two of the first enemies of Gods Church Ismael and Esau the first scoffed at his brother Isaac the other out of the hidden malice of his heart could say Gen. 21.9 Gen. 27.41 If my Father die I will haue Iacobs life So as though we escape bloud yet wee must witnesse the trueth of Christ by bearing at least the sting of the tongue from which neuer any of vs was exempted And though Ismael said not so much as Esau yet assure thy selfe they haue both the same minde for sometime the butcher wanteth his knife and therefore settle thy heart and carry death as a seale vpon thy finger Heauen is compared to a treasure hidden Mat. 13.44 and woorth more then all thy substance meaning thereby that a man should not refuse to bestow any thing vpon the field of Grace that is the Gospell that thereby hee may enter into the kingdome of glorie And though the Lord calleth not all foorth to this sharpest combat to be slaine in the field yet must euery man carrie this Christian resolution that if he be called not to prize or esteeme any thing but to leaue all and with patience and cheerefulnesse to kisse and to embrace the sword of death We are more then conquerors c. Heere followeth the comfortable issue and as it were the gate of ioy set open vnto vs in our extreemest miseries namely that in all things we ouer come wherein obserue two points first the victorie it selfe secondly the meanes whereby we obtaine it that it is not by the naturall strength of flesh and bloud but through the power of Christ that loued vs. For the first we are more