sides St. Cyprian saith also that he is either Superbus or Stultus that sayes or thinkes he is perfect And good reason for that which shines in the eyes of mâ—n in Gods esteeme is base In thy sight shall no flesh be justified Now there are divers degrees of judgements in Gods judgement none shâ—ll be justified nor in judgement of lâ—w for in many things we offend all and for the judgement of the world what is it if it cleare us can that â—cquit us if God and the law condemns us for the judgment of our owne consciences if they be cleared they will condemne us Yea the Papists are not satisfied in their own consciences for this point For if there may be a perfect fulfilling of the law in this life by a mans owne inherent righteousnesse why doe they teach the doctrine of Doubting as necessary to salvation But how ever they may brâ—bble in schooles to maintaine this their assertion yet when death comes they must flye those shifts and lay hold onely on Gods love Some will say what are the graces of Gods spirit are the sacrifices the sweet odours and ornaments of the spouse are these dung I answer Things admit of one esteeme simply considered and of another comparatively starres in the day are not seene yet in the night are great lights So workes in regard of Christs workes are not visible are nothing but in themselves are good Secondly I say there are two courts one of justification another of sanctification in the Court of justification merits are nothing worth insufficient but in the Court of sanctification as they are ensignes of a sanctified course so they are jewels and ornaments But the ignorant Papist objects against us saying that we discourage men from good workes because we doe so basely esteeme of them I answer A sick man cannot eate meat but it breeds humours that strengthens the disease shall he therfore forbeare all manner of meats No for meat strengthens nature and makes it able to overcome the power of the disease So by reason of our corruption we have within us we halt in every good worke we put our hand to shall we not therefore worke at all Yes for notwithstanding our weaknesse though we merit not any good yet God he over-lookes the ill-nesse of our workes and accepts and rewards the good that is in them giving us comfort and assurance of our justification by the sanctified fruites which though imperfect yet are true To conclude Seeing we cannot have Christ putting any confidence in outward things Let us labour to get an esteeme of the weaknesse and imperfections that are in them as also in our persons and actions that wee may hunger after Christ. To this end dayly renew we our repentance and examination of our hearts and when we doe any good Examine what weaknesse want of zeale want of affection or attention hath possessed us in our performances of praying hearing reading the Word and the like and want of watchfulnesse in our courses and then shall we be of St. Pauls mind all will be naught And take heed of spirituall pride and conceit of any good in us for it hinders spirituall comfort from us Let us meditate of the greatnesse of Gods love to us and the infinite reward and it will make us ashamed of our weake requitance of Gods love to us Consider the multitude of our sinnes before the time we were called and consider of our pronenesse to spirituall pride let us by all meanes abase our selves For those that God loves he will have them vile in their owne esteeme for it is his method First to beate downe then to raise up And therefore Iohn he comes thundering Hypocrites generation of vipers Then comes Christ Blessed are the poore those that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse as if onely they were blessed that feele their wants We must disdaine any other titles to any good but onely in Gods mercy and accordingly give the glory of all to him Thus did the Church militant Not to us not unto us Lord but to thy Name and thus doe the Church triumphant Rev. 7.12 Honour glory and power bee to the Lambe those that doe not thus are no members of the Church Last of all Let us take heed of extenuating sinne the Papists tell us of divers sins that are veniall such are surreptitious thoughts taking of pinnes stealing of points and the like these they call veniall But we must know to admit that sinne as a sinne to be veniall is a contradiction though God doe pardon it for that is out of his free mercy these surreptitious stealing motions that unawares doe creepe into us though the Papists doe make them of small account God may punish with his fierce indignation Moses his anger kept him out of Canaan Adam his apple cast him out of paradice every sinne is a breach of the law the least sinne soiles us we must give account of idle words and the wages of any sinne though never so small is death VERS 8. For the excellencie of the knowledge of Christ Iesus THat is either all things are losse to me that hinder me from the knowledge of Christ Iesus or all things are losse in comparison of Christ Iesus Wherefore before wee can know Christ as we ought wee must know all other things to be losse for when we learne to know Christ aright we then cast those things out of our affections which would else keepe Christ out of our heart Wherefore it s no wonder that great Schollers should bee erronious in many points of Religion for looke to their lives and we shall see them envious and ambitious they maintaine Idols in their hearts they account not those things losse which must be losse or else they must account Christ losse Secondly This knowledge of Christ is an excellent knowledge better than the Iewes who had all their knowledge shadowed out in ceremonies but this is unvailed and therefore Christ said Blessed are the eyes that see those things that you see And as the estate of the Church growes more excellent now than before Christs comming and shall be most excellent hereafter in heaven even so our knowledge doth and shall grow in its excellent perfection It s better also than humane arts and sciences not in regard of the Authour for all knowledge is from God but First in regard of the manner of revealing therof for whereas we come to the other by the light of nature and reason this is inspired into us by the spirit Secondly In regard of the matter of this knowledge which is farre beyond the other for this teaches the natures and person of Christ God and man in one person which may swallow up the thoughts of man Great is the misterie of godlinesse In the next place It teaches us his offices that he is a King to rule over us and deliver us a Priest to make us acceptable to God a Prophet to teach and
necessarily die and how can we receive grace from Christ as our head but by union of our selves to the bodie whereof Christ is the head It must be our dutie to beware of all manner of seducers and to this end let us First get fundamentall truthes into our hearts affect and love truth for want hereof the Easterne Churches were given up to Mahomet and Antichrist ruled over many in these Westerne Churches because they loved not the truth 2. Thes. 2.10 For none are seduced that are not cold in love Secondly let us labour to practice that wee know and God will give us a fuller measure of knowledge whereby we shall learn to finde and know seducers Ioh. 7.17 If any man will doe his will he shall know Thirdly Pray to God for wisedome to discern of Schismes and Heresies and ill disposed persons God hath promised us any thing that is necessary for our strengthening and bringing us to Heaven God will not deny us so necessary an aide as this is Fourthly let us looke that we keepe in us a holy feare and reverence of God Psal. 15.12 What man is he that feareth the Lord him shall he teach in the way he shall chuse And those things are we duly to observe the rather because we shall ever finde seducers it will ever be a hard matter for men to finde the way to Heaven And though the doctrine and profession of Religion be not ever in all places opposed yet shall we ever finde the practisers thereof maligned As it is in these dayes where none are accounted of to be Protestants that are not loose libertines and thus instead of Concision from Religion they joyne that with it which is quite contrary to the power thereof Beware also of such for their courses of life are as pernicious as fundamentall errors for none shall be saved for his knowledge VERS 3. For wee are the Circumcision IN these words and those that follow our Apostle describes who are truely circumcised We are the true Israel the circumcised Sonnes of Abraham who are members of Christ. The Philippians they were not circumcised outwardly yet were they truely circumcised they had the truth of it even as they that were under the cloud and in the Sea were said to be truely baptized in the Cloud and in the Sea The Sacraments therefore before and after Christ were in substance all one as the Church was one and the same they may be said to be baptized as we and we circumcised as they the difference was only in the outward Ceremony and shew which the Church being then young had need of It is the same Religion cloathed diversly Bellarmin saith that their government was carnall the promises to them were carnall but it is carnally spoken of him Heb. 11. The Fathers before Christ had respect to the recompence of reward and in vers 35. they accepted not deliverance that they might obtaine a better resurrection are these carnall promises The Anabaptists they presse rebaptizing not considering that the same Covenant was before Christ and after in substance So as every true Christian is spiritually circumcised being once regenerate before indeed he is uncircumcised and a spirituall leprosie over spreads all his frame of body and minde which must be washed pared and cut off Wee must part with uncircumcised hearts eares and lippes that is such eares as doe delight themselves to heare corrupt lewd discourse such a tongue and lippes as delight to uâ—ter and let out words savouring of a rotten and uncircumcised heart such eyes as doe delight thâ—mselves in the beholding of lustfull and sinfull â—bjects whereby the heart is kindled inâ—o vaine dâ—sires I say a Christian must circumcise himselfe his heart and those parts that are uncircumcised before hee can ever thinke to goe to Heaven whither nothing that is corrupt or uncleane entreth Religion therefore is no easie thing Circumcision is painfull and bloody Mortification is very hard corruption it must be cut off though the blood follow else it will kill thee at length Wherefore wee are also to labour for circumcised hearts to understand Gods truth his will and commandements Cut off all extravagant desires who by litâ—le and little take away comfort and communion with God it s no mercy therefore to spare them Circumcise thy eyes pray with David Turne away mine eyes from regarding vanity Stoppe thy â—ares at the charming of such objects as may infect thy soule we can never injoy that beatificall vision hereafter if we weane not our selves from the liking of these things And though we cannot while we are in this house of clay come to that perfection we should yet indeavour to it earnestly and God will accept our very indeavours and will further them yea we shall get the victory at length If sinne begins to fall it shall surely fall the house of David in us shall grow stronger and the house of Saul shall dayly be weakened The meanes to this dutie are First know thy sinne and thy particular sinne by thy checks of conscience and by the checks we receive from our enemies who will spie what they can in us thereby to scandalize us As also observe what thy thoughts worke most upon what is the maine thing that generally takes up your cogitations When thou hast found out thy sinne Make it as odious as thou canst For Circumcision implies a thing that is odious and superfluous now all sinnes that be cherisht in us may well be odious to us for that it hinders us from all good and clothes us with all evill and makes all outward things evill to us who otherwise are no further ill than as they strengthen our corruptions It hinders us from all good duties pride of heart and corruption doe dogge us this made Paul cry not of temporall bonds but of the bonds of sinne and of death Who shall deliver me wretched man that I am saith he Rom. 7.23.24 Thirdly having found out thy sinnes and the abominablenesse of them Complaine of them to God as Hezekiah did of the blasphemous letter that Senacherib wrote and challenge the fruit of Gods promise For hee that bids us circumcise Deut. 10.16 Promised that he himselfe will doe it Deut. 30.6 Faith in the promises is an effectuall meanes to attain to them Men come with doubtings they see a great deale of corruption they think their labour is vaine they cannot be releeved against them they are deceived Touch but thou the hemme of Christs garment flie to God in his name and thou shalt finde this issue of sinne though not wholly dried up yet much abated And here is the excellencie of Faith that assures us of all the promises concerning sanctification here as concerning glory hereafter VERS 3. Which worship God THe Apostle places â—ircumcision before worship for unlesse there bee a cutting off we cannot bring our corruption to performe duties of Gods worship aright The words containe a description of
how can this righteousnesse performed by Christ be sufficient for us I answer first because God ordained it to that purpose 1 Cor. 1.30 Christ by God is made to us wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption and to this end God the father sealed him Ioh. 6.27 Secondly I say Christ is a second Adam and a publick person and became ours wee then being in his loynes so the righteousnesse of Christ is made ours wee being borne in Christ by faith and found in him hee being our head we have a spirituall life descending upon us he being our husband all his goods are ours also This point is the soule of the Church and the golden key which opens heaven for us if we joyne any other thing to it it opens hell to us as God will reveale at that great day It s true the Papists doe acknowledge now that their good workes are not of themselves but from God but thus did the Pharisee he thanked God that he was not as other men nor as the Publican but the poore Publican disclaiming all such goodnesse went away justified rather than the other let it bee our wisedome therefore to relye onely on Christ whose obedience and righteousnesse is so all-sufficient as nothing may bee added thereto and say with the Apostle not I but the grace of God in me VERS 10. And the fellowship of his Sufferings THe Apostle having shewed his desire of Christs righteousnesse now comes to shew his desire also of having communion with Christ in his sufferings shewing that whosoever brags of justification he must shew it in his sanctification he must shew that he hath his part in the fellowship of his sufferings if hee meaneth to shew he hath his part in the power of his resurrection water is not alone but water and blood must goe together Now Christs sufferings are either for us as mediatour or with us as being our head and we his members As mediatour he suffered death which was onely for our good we can have no trust in our death as to deserve any thing thereby as he did for by his death he appeased Gods wrath and got his favour to us which we lost and by it he sanctifies our sufferings and puls out the sting of all our afflictions as it is with the Vnicorne who having put his horn into the water discharges all poison thereout so as the beasts may freely drinke without hurt so it is with us wee may suffer and indure afflictions without hurt seeing Christ hath purged them of all poisonous nature that was in them But there are other sufferings that wee and Christ suffer joyntly he as our head suffering with us his members for as if the foot be grieved the head is grieved so the Christians sufferings are called Christs sufferings and a Christian must looke to suffer if he be a lively member of the body of Christ. Yet is not every suffering of affliction Christs suffering for a man may suffer justly for his deserts notwithstanding even then when a man suffers for his faults after repentance Christ may bee said to suffer with him and therefore the Fathers called the death of the repentant Thiefe a martyrdome For in all our sufferings Christ is in us teaching and helping us to beare them with patience and as a sanctifier of all of them to a blessed end and as one that frames us to beare all of them even as he himselfe did This ought to teach us to conceive aright of the estate of a Christian that hee is not alone when he seemes to bee alone Christ leaves them not in miserie no for in miserie he is most neare and present It is therefore a good estate though miserie in it selfe be not desirable for Christ desired to die and not to die and so we in severall respects may doe for if wee regard death as a destroyer of nature so is it not to be desired but considering it as the will of God my father so are we to desire it and yeeld our selves to it and accordingly wee desire not afflictions for their proper naturall good yet in regard they are a meanes to prepare and fit us for heaven we say with David its good for us to be afflicted In the second place this will teach us that we are not to feare any thing that we shall suffer because there are more with us than against us Ioseph in the dungeon Israel in Egypt Daniel among the Lions the three children in the fire Paul in prison feared not danger for what cared they so long as they knew God was with them and therefore they rejoyced if we have Christ we have all if we want Christ we want all Thirdly this may serve to daunt Christs enemies they cannot hurt the least of his little ones but they hurt him Saul why persecutest thou mee Fourthly this should teach us to take part with Gods children what though they suffer affliction Moses chose the better part that did chuse to bee with the afflicted people of God before the Court of Pharaoh wicked men may bite and kicke but they can doe no hurt lingua malorum est lima bonorum VERS 10. Being made conformable to his death THis conformitie here meant is not in regard of the end that as Christ dyed for sinne so should we but in the manner of suffering as he did suffer and die so must wee suffer and desire death Secondly as he died patiently and meekely so must we suffer patiently and meekely Thirdly as he had so must wee have sweet comforts to sustaine and support us and Fourthly as he had so must wee indeavour to obtaine the same issue of our afflictions that is eternall glorie briefly we are to bee conformable to Christ in grace in suffering and in glorie all these are unevitably linked together and our head having led us an example we are to follow Every Christian must therefore die to sinne as Christ died for sinne But how shall we know whether wee die to sinne or not A dead man does no harme hath no power contrarily are we strong to commit sinne and doe we earnestly intend it surely wee are not mortified Secondly dead mens senses are not delighted with faire and sinfull objects if we be dead with Christ let the sinfull objects bee never so delightfull they will not move us or affect us one whit nay they will be distastfull to us Most are of a contrary minde offer them good discourse and occasions they cannot away with them offer any fleshly pleasure like tinder they are soone set on fire such as these as they have no heart to suffer for righteousnesse so if for vaine glory they would neither would God honour them so much as to suffer them For grounds of this doctrine First its honourable to bee like Christ our Captaine our head our husband Secondly it s not proportionable for the head to be crowned with thornes and the members to bee clad delicately that
the naturall sonne in whom is no blemish should suffer and the adopted sonnes who are the causes of all offence should goe free It is equitie that we having taken Christ for our husband he should bee accompanied by us in sicknesse and in health in dishonour as in honour Thirdly it is long agoe decreed of God and predestinated and therefore cannot bee avoyded Rom. 8. â— 9 Whom hee did fore-know them he predestinated to be conformed to the Image of his Sonne Fourthly its equall that if hee were conformed to us we should be conformable to him now he was conformed to us in that hee suffered that which wee should have suffered and did that for us which we were to do and could not he having drunke deepe of the cup prepared for us let us therefore at the least taste of it Yea let us suffer any thing with an undaunted courage when we are called thereto for Christ he will come with comforts he is not emptie he will make us like him hee will prepare us hereby for glorie feare not therefore God will turne all thy troubles to thy good And thus we doe fill up the measures of the afflictions of Christ in our flesh Col. 1.24 And are made partakers of Christs sufferings 1 Pet. 4.13 We have the like exhortations hereunto 1 Pet. 2.21 1 Pet. 3.14 to 18. Thus did Paul 2 Cor. 4.10 hee carryed the dying of Christ about with him Let no Christian therefore promise to himselfe immunitie from crosses he that will be a Christian must be conformable to Christ and he that will be like to him in glorie he must be like to him in drinking the Cup hee dranke of while hee was here in the flesh VERS 10. If by any meanes I might attaine to the Resurrection of the dead BY Resurrection of the dead he meanes the glorious estate after this life whereas the resurrection is but the beginning and the words sound as much in effect as if the Apostle had said I know I shall be happie at length but betweene this time and that I know I shall meet with troubles with many crosses yet let the way be never so difficult I passe not by any meanes to come to such an excellent end as the resurrection of the dead is in which words wee will First consider that there is a happie estate reserved hereafter which begins with the resurrection of the bodie whereby wee are farre more happie than the Angels that fell and also more happie than we were in our first estate in Adam which we lost and therefore our hearts should be inlarged with thankes to God that respects us above the Angels whom hee hath left without hope of recoverie In the next place consider that the beginning of our blessed estate hereafter is at the resurrection which is called the day of restoring of all things and a time of refreshing Acts 3.19 It s a day when all good shall be perfected and all evill shall cease all griefe of minde all trouble of body and death it selfe shall be swallowed up into victorie But why are we not happie before our resurrection I answer because our bodies and soules are partakers of miserie and sinne here and therefore cannot partake of fulnesse of happinesse before they be united together again God will have us to stay while all his familie of blessed Saints shall meet together as well us that are now alive as our seed and posteritie after us In the third place observe that the Apostle makes resurrection of the dead the last thing establishing thereby an order that there must be meanes to the resurrection and then the resurrection it selfe Ought not Christ to suffer these things and so to enter into his glorie Math. 28. And if we suffer with him we shall also reigne with him the second resurrection must begin with the first we are sonnes and Saints hereafter but so we must also be here onely a difference there will be in degree of holinesse this resurrection doth not follow every manner of life although men ordinarily expect a crowne without crosses and never looke for justification and sanctification but thinke they shall be in heaven at an instant without them But we must suffer with Christ in Mount Calvarie before wee come with him to the Mount Olivet In the fourth place wee may likewise note that its hard to come to heaven because of this order established by God not in comparison of the end for that surmounteth in excellencie the hardnesse of the meanes but in respect of the meanes some by faire death with many crosses in their life some not by many outward crosses yet have store of inward troubles of the minde by reason of their inward corruption that doth trouble them others by violent deathes and by martyrdome the wayes are so many and the meanes so diverse as there is no certainty which way wee shall passe As St. Paul knew not the meanes so he cared not what the means were for he was content to go thither by any meanes let the cup of affliction be never so bitter the glorie insuing will sweeten all Away therefore with all idle and secure thoughts of sparing our selves Pitie thy selfe said Peter to Christ but was answered sharpely get thee behinde me sathan no the way is very hard we must come to health by physick the end is so amiable as it will sweeten all sowre meanes and therefore its good for us to be afflicted crosses bring at length the sweetest comforts Denie wee our selves therefore in Christs cause know no bodie looke upon God and Christs promises and promise wee ourselves no more than God promises it s beyond our knowledge what God will doe with us he promises no immunitie from crosses Nay the Saints and the Apostles chose crosses and afflictions rather than the pleasures of sinne who were wise and had triall of both kindes and yet accounts these momentanie afflictions not worthy of comparison with the glory that shall bee revealed they were but light 2 Cor. 4.17 Rom. 8.18 And if wee would truly beleeve this it would be easie for us to be resolved as St. Paul was to come to heaven by all assurances and to come to all manner of assurances by any meanes for no worldly thing can bring content like these heavenly assurances of the presence of the light of Gods love which the children of God will by no meanes lose Secondly in all crosses let us not looke into the state we are in so much as that we are going into we are going to a Pallace let us not bee dejected in the consideration of the narrownesse of the way that leadeth thereto God will not suffer this fierie triall to consume any thing but drosse and therefore let us with Christ suffer the crosse and despise the shame Heb. 12. Thirdly labour for a right esteeme of the things of this world they are but momentarie and fading yea our lives they are given to us by
thing that others of our profession doe So as this is a direction to concord shewing that a Christian is a member of Christ as his head and of the mysticall bodie the Church faith ties him to Christ love ties him to the body so as he must walke with Christ and also with the body hee must looke to himselfe first and then to the body the ground of this union is laid downe here to bee first an union of minde and affection and this must bee in good or else wee are brethren in evill It s no marvaile the world complains of want of love when there is no agreement in the rule of our love when there is no agreement in the objects of our love it s not riotous fellowship but fellowship in the gospell that unites us let us minde this same thing and then we shall affect one another and because our knowledge doth not extend to every particular alike let us agree in the maine points and let not lesse things breake us off one from another If wee did walke according to our measure of knowledge in those things wherein wee agree betweene us and the Lutherans would not bee that bitternesse of spirit that there is all censures and distempers would cease and its a â—ault in manie Christians though bred up well in knowledge yet being of a harsh spirit and nature while hee walkes not according to the same rule and mindes not the same things in the maine as hee should doe he growes to be bitter as for those that would be sincere they must indeavour to bee united in one as they have one God one faith one baptisme for a Christian loves not to goe to heaven alone and when he is there he knowes he shall be one with Christ and one with the holy Saints and therefore will indeavour to be in perfect unitie here considering there is no good he hath but he injoyes it as being a member of the body of Christ he knowes its a horrible thing that members of the same bodie should fall out one with another and therefore what shall separate or divide us shall infirmities Alas we are all sicke of this disease veniam petimus damusque are they too hot we are too cold why should we not stoope and yeeld Christ he stooped from heaven to us Shall errors why the time will come God will reveale himselfe more fully Shall sinne Wee know what the Apostle saith Gal. 6.1 those that are spiriâ—uall must restore such with the spirit of meeknesse wee must not cut off members for every sore Shall injuries It s the honour of a man to passe by such doe wee looke Christ should forgive us when wee will not forgive others consider it is the practice of all holy men Paul became all things to all men if by any meanes hee might winne some Peter received reproofe of him yet fell not out with him some there are of such a perverse spirit as if they see in any one any infirmitie presently they breake out into these or the like words I will not be of that mans profession thus forsaking all the good in the holy profession because of some weaknesse in the professors If they will needs be separating let them separate from the world from scandalous carelesse riotous persons else Sathan rules in division he knowes hee is best able to deale with them that are alone and therefore drawes Eve from Adam and one Christian from another and so quickly overcomes them If in companie one fall another may helpe him up if hee be cold another may warme him by exhortation and example Consider therefore who are best minded and minde the best things with them if we finde we have attained to a greater degree in grace than others indeavour to bring them to us the Communion of Saints is an Article of our faith every one beleeves it but few knowes what it meanes and therefore no marvaile they desire it not VERS 17. Brethren be followers together of mee THese words containe another exhortation with a friendly compellation which I passe over having heretofore had often occasion to speake of it the exhortation is to imitation of the Apostle follow me And because I cannot ever be with you therefore follow those among you that walke as I doe Whence wee learâ—â— that together with the rules of religion wee must propound Gods graces in us as examples for others to imitate and this arises not from pride but from confidence of truth and holinesse in our owne hearts and conversations and religion maketh this a vertue and dutie without which it were boasting and so it doth make many things of themselves not seemely very fitting Davids dance was in worldly esteeme counted but folly yet having respect to Gods glory is commendable and therefore we must not be captious when we see such things in others that men ordinarily count indiscretion but mark their ground and by it esteeme of them and accordingly follow such Bee yee followers of mee saith St. Paul that is observe what my doctrine is and what I doe and acknowledge follow and imitate me The Apostles doctrine consists chiefly of three heads whereof the first concerneth our naturall condition as Rom. 1 2 3. chapters and Ephes. 2. And the second concerneth our remedy by Christ Iesus God and man being King Priest and Prophet as in the Heb. And the third the maÌ„ner how Christ is become ours by imputation and is laid hold on by faith which is given to us by God who being unchangeable and true we persevere in this rule and course of obedience by the mercies of God though with many combatings and strivings even to fulnesse of glorie The Apostles example see in part in this chapter in holinesse of life and death 〈◊〉 sinne and esteeme of the goods of this world as base In the Acts see his paines in the Ministerie his calling his heavenly and holy mind in the next verse And therefore let us reade these often and consider them they are an excellent glasse that will transforme us into an holy forme and fashion many things there are in him that are extraordinarie and not immitable he wrought in another calling for his living he was an Apostle had extraordinarie gifts by revelation and indeed not so much by studie as the Miniters of the Gospell now to whom God gives guifts but in the faithfull and painfull use of the meanes and therefore are they not bound to imitate the Apostle in this thing as in other things which he did as an Apostle But to proceed to particulars imitation implyes foure things First a doing that which another doth Second a doing it in the same manner Third a doing thereof grounded upon the same affections not as in a stage play where hee that acteth the person of a King is often a varlet but it implies such an imitation as is in a childe that indeavoureth to be like the father in disposition as well of
I am who shall deliver me from the bodie of this death and good reason for these spirituall evils of errour in judgement hardnesse of heart securitie seared conscience and the like they leade us the assured way to damnation as it is said in the words following whose end is damnation Contrarily outward crosses being sanctified to us they bring us to heaven as it is 1 Cor. 11.32 Wee are chastened of the Lord that we should not bee condemned with the world For those crosses are occasions of good affections purging the heart from deadnesse and fleshly trust they draw us to God and therefore spirituall danger is the proper object of pitie It is otherwise with us wee lament Christian bloud-shed but how many soules are carried into error dayly turned to Poperie and no remorse no pitie There is great need thereof both in the Magistrate and the Minister that they should bee moved to provide remedies against such mischiefes And let us be farre from envying such as are in ill courses let their outward pompe be never so great rather lament their miserie alas poore soules how are they hurried nay doe willingly runne to destruction while they are blinded with those idle shewes of vanitie But much more miserable is their estate that draw on others to mischiefe that are brethren in evill what other end can they looke for but to bee as tares bound up and cast into the depth of hell being guiltie of as many mens deathes as they are of ill examples in their passed life But for our selves let not our soules come into their secrets le ts mourne at the lewdnesse of some and the danger of all and to this end let us consider duly of the afflictions of Ioseph taking heed of sensualitie which as Hosea saith taketh away the heart Hos. 4.11 Moses saw the miserie of his brethren and pitied them so should we consider of the danger of Popery of Schisme and rebellion and this will breake our hearts and cause us with Ieremie to mourne in secret for the sins of the times Ier. 13.17 VERS 18. They are the enemies of the Crosse of Christ. IN these and the following words is a description of these in ordinate walkers which the Apostle speaketh of they are described by their disposition First outwardly that they are enemies to Christs death Then inwardly their bellie is their God they glorie in their shame and they minde earthly things Then by their end which is damnation They are pointed out and described to us to the end wee might take notice of them by the Crosse is not meant the signe of the crosse as the Papists fondly imagine but Christs death on the crosse whereby was made satisfaction and redemption and reconciliation The enemies of this crosse are first such as added thereto the ceremoniall obedience to the law and their owne satisfactorie workes Secondly such as are carnall denying the power of Christs crucifying in not crucifying their affections Thirdly such as could not indure of suffer for the testmonie of Christs crucifying and therefoe to avoid persecution they pressed circumcision with Christ and so were enemies to his crosse Gal. 6.12 Such were the enemies thereof then and such have wee now of the Papists let them brag never so much of their esteeme and reverence they give to the signe thereof while they seem to kisse it they betray it Iudas like For while they teach merits satisfaction in purgatory indulgences the like they make the crosse of Christ of none effect whic his onely and wholly sufficient in it selfe And whereas they say they doe adde they take nothing from the sufficiencie of Christ I answer circumcision was added here by these who are notwithstanding condemned for as to joyne poyson with wholesome meate takes away the nourishment of the meate so if we be circūcised Christ shall profitus nothing and grace is no grace where there is merit Rom. 11.6 Againe consider the equitie thereof in naturall reason can it be thought likely that God should become man to doe any thing which lies in the power of man to patch up and make good or else its unsufficient shall finite corrupt man be able to make an infinite worke perfect no God will not give his glorie to another and will he part with his glorie in this great worke which propounds his glorie as the maine end thereof Ephes. the 1.6 and 12. verses Fourthly there are another sort of enemies such as cast not themselves on the merits of Christs crosse those whose consciences were never convict of sinne abundance there are who glorie in their proud presumptious swaggering courses shewing that they are either blinde or starke mad they wilfully runne to perditiō they wil not heare nor be controuled Others that see their fore-passed life how wicked it hath bin they are so far from casting themselves on Christs merits as they despair grow more more obstinate therein even to their own destruction either by not seeing the merits of Christ or through want of confidence on thē though they see his righteousnesse to be above their sins and some are so detestably wicked as because they see no salve for them they run desperatly into a custome of sin continue therin to their death As we would desite to avoid this fearfull estate and condition so let us take heed of custome of sinning for that wil make us senselesse and will move God to give us over And therefore let us take heed that we receive no the grace of God in vaine it being so freely proffered to us And to this end know that so far as we suffer our lusts to over rule us we not crucifie them so far we are enemies For while we know and consider Christ as crucified for our sins it will make us if we have any grace think of sin as of a thing that deserves to be crucified and hate that that caused the death of our deere Savious for they were the cruell tormenters of Christ. And if we embrace Christ we shal have the same affectiō to sin that Christ had for Christ wil not lodg but in a hart humbled for sin And the estate of those men is miserable that are so farre from crucifying lusts as they thrust themselves upon all occasions of temptation and sinne and esteeme them as their onely enemies that tell them of their unchristian courses Surely however they may daube for a time yet their outward profession will never administer sound comfort to them but they shall finde bitternesse at their latter end There are yet another sort of enemies namely such as will indure nothing for Christ who notwithstanding bore his crosse and bids us take up our crosse of reproach for religion some will indure any paine travaile danger and watchings for riches or ambition but dare not speake a word or appeare in Christs cause are not these enemies Shall Christ out of his love come from heaven to the basest
enough they would be wiser than he and of deeper reach And thus even within the pâ—le of the Church what a scandall is it that men should glorie in a gracelesse grace of swearing filling up rotten discourse with new devised othes And others glorie in their foolish conceipted gallant apparell which was for no other end but principally to cover shame is not this to glorie in shame And much more those that blaming as it were God for making them no fairer will mend the workmanship of God by painting these while they seeke to keepe outward blemishes from the eyes of men doe discover to the whole world that they have a spotted rotten heart within them And indeed it s too common for men ill-bred up to thinke admirably of themselves when all their courses are meere vanitie He is the onely man of accompt that cannot put up a crosse word without bloud is not this to glorie in shame when as its the glory of a man to passe by an offence and they are the best men that can overcome themselves And as helpers on of this vaine boasting we have a generation of ignorant unsetled understandings that admire at such shamelesse boasters and so are causes of strengthening such in their vain-glory such are flatterers of great men let them remember what is denounced against such woe be to them that call evill good and good evill In the next place shame is not onely the object of vaine glorie but the end they that are vaine-glorious shall bee brought to shame at length thus is it sayd of Babylon in Esay and mysticall Babylon in the Revelations Though she say I sit as a Queene and shall seenâ— mourning yet stall her plagues come in one day death and destruction and mournlng Isa. 47.9 51.19 Revel 18.8 For God hath knit vaine-glory and shame a punishment proportionable and fitting to the sinne and striking the offender most neere even to the heart and thus did God meete with Achitophel Absalom Haman they sought vain-glory and their ends were shamefull such shall be the end of all such as boast that they can doe mischiefe like Doeg Psa. 52. And the righteous shall see and feare laugh at them For use to our selves therefore let us take heed of this sinne For by nature the best of us are subject to it we are all inclinable either to glory in such things as we should not or to receive glory from such things as wee ought not or else to glorie after an inordinate manner and in that measure we glorie amisse in that measure wee consult shame to our selves glory we may but it must bee well grounded and in a right manner And to the attaining thereto we must first labour for a sound knowledge of God and for a sound dependance upon him in all things and also labour for to see our owne estate and our many wants for wanting this knowledge men glorie in merits while they live but when they die they grow ashamed of their courses and blinde judgement for while they live they judge of themselves by their owne conceipt of themselves which is grounded either by comparing of themselves with those that are worse than themselves as the Pharisee that thanked God he was not as the Publican or else upon the conceipt that shallow persons have of them But these are not rules for us to follow look rather what sayes the humbled conscience what sayes Gods Word and his Iustice and take example of the Apostles and holy men of God that gloried in the Lord reconciled to us in Christ who is made to us wisedome sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 30.31 Rejoyce that our names are written in heaven Luke 10.20 Rejoyce that we understand and know God to be â—ust and mercifull Ier. 9.23.24 Glorie in the testimonie of a good conscience that we are true Christians though but weake 2 Cor. 1.12 Secondly we should be content with the judgement and approbation of God and hearken to the admonitions of his Ministers and care not for the censures of the world Thirdly take wee heed of the first beginnings and motions of sinne at the first they are ever modest the worst man that ever was was not shamelesse in sinne at the beginning but giving way to sinne by little and little loses all shame and causes at last corruption in judgement and justifying a mans selfe in wicked courses pleasures riches and such things they are like a vizard onely an outside of beautie or like one that vaunteth himselfe hee can act the person of a King but is in himselfe a bondslave they act their parts here on this worldly Stage for an houre and leave all their followers in eternall bondage forever Therefore let us not bee ashamed for Christs cause but stand out labour for sinceritie now and wee shall have glorie hereafter which as the light shall increase when as the candle of the wicked shall be put out VERS 19. Who minde earthly things TO Minde in this place is taken largely to thinke upon remember desire joy and to have all the soule exercised Earthly things that is lusts of the flesh lusts of the eyes pride of life pleasures and profits and honours which are therefore called earthly because they are conversant about earthly things and because they make their followers earthly minded and lastly they are called earthly in opposition to those that are heavenly and thus in particular those that minde honour are ambitious those that minde riches are covetous if pleasure then they are voluptuous and all of them are earthly For as the Ocean is but one and yet divers parts thereof have severall names so worldlinesse is but one sinne yet having many kindes it hath also divers names The observation that hence we may gather is that the earthly disposition and minde is the temper of that man who is in the estate of damnation for the minde of such doe shew a dead soule estranged from the life of God to be carnally minded is death saith the Apostle Rom. 8.6 For a man lives as hee mindes and loves Secondly earthly disposition is opposite to God so Rom. 8.7 The carnall minde is enmitie against God Observe we further the Apostle describes not these by any notorious grosse scandalous sinne but by the inward disposition of the heart for outward actions are onely effects and rivers flowing from the spring of corruption in our hearts Whence we may note that God lookes to the inward frame of the soule in men and therefore though in the eyes of men a man may be without spot yet is his corruption that is within open and manifest to the all-seeing eye of God And therefore from hence we are to be stirred up to humble our selves before God by examining our hearts and laying open our most secret corruptions And secondly this ought to comfort us that though in our dayly practice we often fall yet God in his goodnesse lookes at the inward frame
hunger fulnesse And base wee are because wee are upheld by inferiour creatures We enter into the world by one way but goe out by divers deaths some violent some more naturall and by divers sicknesses lothsome to the eyes to the nosthrils and especially when wee are nearest our end when as our countenance is pale our members tremble all our beautie is gone But after wee are departed so lothsome is this our carcasse it must bee had out of sight yea though it bee the body of the Patriarch Abraham Gen. 23.4 For as the bodie of man is the best temper so the corruption thereof is the most vile the best countenances of the greatest personages are the most ugly gastly objects of all others by so much the more by how much they were the more excellent so much the greater is their change And yet are wee not to conceive of this bodie so as though there were no glorie belonging to it for first its Gods workmanship therefore excellent and so excellent as the heathen man Galen being stricken into admiration at the admirable frame thereof breakes out into a hymne in praise of the maker And David could not expresse it but sayes I am wonderfully made God made this his last worke as an Epitomie of all the rest Secondly we are told that we owe glorie to our bodies and therefore we are bidden that wee should not wrong our bodies and the Scripture speakes infamously of selfe-murtherers as of Iudas Saul Achitophel they are branded with a note of shame and reproach And God to shew the respect we owe to our bodies hath provided to every sense pleasing recreations as flowers for the smell light for the eyes musicke for the eare to be briefe hee made all things for the bodily use of man Thirdly these bodies of ours are members of Christ redeemed and sanctified Temples of the holy Ghost as well as our soules And therefore we must take heed when wee read of the base termes that are given to the bodie that we doe not mistake For it is true in regard it keepes the soule from heaven it is the grave of the soule but indeed it is the house the temple and instrument of the soule but being misused it proves an unto ward darke house an unweldie instrument Wee are to take heed therefore of the error of those who afflict it by writing and declaiming against it or by whipping of it when alasse it is the sinne of the soule the unruly lusts and affections that are the causes of all rebellions in us and if the body doth rebell as often it doth come to passe since the fall this proceeds from the corruption of the soule yeelding to the bodie ayde to serve the lusts and God hath appointed a religious abstinence as a meanes to tame such lusts and weaken them which it were to be wished were used oftener than it is But it will be said are the bodies of Christians base for whom Christ shed his most precious bloud I answer while we live here we are in no better condition than others as concerning our bodies Hezekiah is sicke Lazarus hath his sores David and Iob troubled with lothsome diseases and thus its fitting it should fare with us For first Christ laid us this example he tooke our base ragged nature on him hee hungred and thirsted was pained and death had a little power over him and shall we desire a better estate than our master our head had or doe we ever thinke to partake with him in happinesse that will not partake with him in his mean estate the decree of God is that to dust wee must as all the rest of our fellow Saints and servants shall Secondly hereby God doth exercise our faith and hope causing us to looke and expect a better resurrection and by this meanes are our desires edged to a better life for else would we set up our rest here and make this our Paradise Thirdly as yet there is sinne in us from the danger whereof though wee be deliuered yet there is a corruption that remaineth behinde in us and by this hee will teach us the contagion of sinne and teach us to see how the divell hath deceived us by the effects thereof bringing paine torment and lothsomnesse Forthly it shewes Gods wisedome in vanquishing sinne by death which is the childe of sinne for by it shall we be purged from sinne from corruption both of bodie and minde and thus is our base estate made a way to our excellent estate hereafter Wee must therefore moderate our affections to the best things of this life health is changeable and will not continue beautie is a flower of a stalke the flower quickly fades away and perisheth the stalke that is more base continues longest flesh is grasse either cut downe by violent deart or if by age the longer it lives the baser it is and increases continually therein till death when as it is most base It is therefore foolish for any to swell because of beautie or strength which at the best are but curious excellencies of a base bodie and farre more sottish are they that thinke to resist old age and Gods decree by trimming up and painting a withered stocke this is not the way to conquer vilenesse But if we will be rid thereof labour for the meat that perisheth not Ioh. 6.27 But that which maketh us indure to everlasting life is with Marie to chuse the better part that shall not be taken away meat for the belly and the belly for meate but God shall destroy both the one and the other And let this be as a cooler to quench the base wild-fire of love and conâ—ider what is it wee so affect it s but beautifull dust a painted sepulchre a body that after death will bee vilenesse it selfe that while it breathes its full of rottennesse the matter of wormes supported it may be by a carrion soule that whether it willeth or nilleth must leave it and goe into a farre worse place And contrarily in the last place it should teach us to be at a point cheerefully to honour God by sacrificing our selves to him when hee calles for us count it no shame with David to be vile in the eyes of men for Gods cause if the worst could be imagined which cannot be we had as good perish with usage aswith rust But this is the onely way to be glorious to avoid vilenesse even to sacrifice our bodies and all in a good cause what though the world esteem vilely of us as good for nothing but the shambles Rom. 8.36 shall wee feare them no feare him that can destroy both body and soule it s better to goe to heaven without a limbe than to goe to hell with a sound healthfull bodie therefore men temptation of the world doe begin to provoke thee say to thy flesh with Bernard stay thy time the time is not yet to be happie And therefore conclude our soule is but a stranger
best indeavours it is but a while and it shall not be in vaine is it not better thus to doe and partake of this blessed change than to spare this vile body and pamper it by sacrificing all or to imploy all our time in the serving and pleasing others and to that end not to care to prostitute our selves to all manner of filthinesse what shall we get by these courses but at the resurrection of the just when wee should lift up our heads because our redemption draweth nigh then shall we be overcome with shame griefe terror and horror of conscience But happie are we therefore if in a good course wee can so resigne up our selves so as to bee resolute with Hester If I perish I perish if I live I live to Christ if I die I die to him what I have committed to him he will keepe I am assured thereof and therefore I will not offend him for any pleasure or profit whatsoever these resolutions had the Patriarches and Gods Saints and these made them die with comfort VERS 21. According to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things to Himselfe THe word that is translated working may and doth signifie power and so it was translated heretofore and is to be meant But the words being plaine we will come to some observations And first of all observe That Christ hath a power able to subdue all things to himselfe and this hee hath by vertue of his office of Mediatorship and this in respect of God to reconcile and appease him Secondly in respect of opposite powers to overcome all of them Thirdly in respect of the persons to be saved that he might free them from all ill and raise them to all happinesse and these things requires a power that must be above all created powers for God could not bee appeased but by an infinite price the bloud of one that is God and wee could not bee defended from sinne and hell whose power is the greatest of all finite power but by a power beyond it and such a power as must regenerate and renew us notwithstanding the opposite power of the divell and our corruptions within us which is a greater worke than the worke of our creation And all this he hath done he hath subdued him that had the power of death the Divell Heb. 2.14 He hath subdued diseases and windes with a word and with a word he smote his enemies to the ground he hath subdued all ill of the body and minde forgiving sinnes opening our hearts subduing our corruptions and death hath yeelded to his power O death I will bee thy death In the next place as Christ hath this power so he will use this power for the good of his Saints and this hee will doe because what ever Christ is he is for the good of his Church hee is powerful merciful and loving for his Churches sake And secondly because our bodies doe require it for it must be an infinite power that makes the body of dust and therefore though Christ was the sonne of God declared from the beginning yet it was said hee was mightily declared to be the son of God by his resurrection from the dead for from a privation to a habit there can be no regression by a naturall course and therefore for our bodies to returne from dust must be by a supernaturall infinite power of one that is God Let those that are enemies to Christ his members consider this against whom doe ye strive even against the Almighty who in his humiliation was able with a word to strike his enemies to the ground and now being in glory how fearfull and terrible should his power be to such who should learn betimes to kisse the sonne before they perish in the mid-way And for his children let them comfort themselves that are under the government of so powerfull a majesty for he will bruise all their enemies under them Nay they are already all conquered and let them consider of all his promises and apply them to his power It is a powerfull Saviour that said Come to me all you that are heavie laden I will raise you up it is he that is able to subdue all things to himselfe that promises my grace shal be sufficient for you he is a Prophet to instruct fully a Priest to satisfie Gods wrath to the utmost a King to subdue all their corruptions Thirdly let this incourage us to set our selves against our corruptions some there are that having a little strove with their lusts and finding not that they have gotten any sensible ground against them they as out of hope and heart sit down with this opinion as good never a whit as not the better and so yeeld up the bucklers what a distrustfull incredulous estate is this is not he God that hath promised is hee not truth it selfe hath he said and shall it not come to passe feare not these Anakims nor Cananites depend on God in the use of the meanes and let him alone with the performāce of his promises Fourthly despaire of none though never so weake so long as they use the meanes for Christ hath created all by his word hee will raise us up by his word and will change us by his word and by this word he is able to change others though never so obstinate for so long as they are under the word and meanes they are under the armes of an almighty power and therefore if any be in our power or if wee wish well to any we should perswade them to prize the word and to use the meanes In the next place this is a ground of triall of our estates would we know whether we are of the number of those that shall bee raised up hereafter and changed then examine whether we have found this power changing us and bringing us to grace here for Eph. 1.19 20. the same power worketh in us to beleeve that raised up Christ doe wee then finde our understandings inlightned our wils conformable to his wil do we finde the strong holds of sin in us rased and new spirits new thoughts new desires in us O these are blessed evidences of Christs almighty power in us that will raise us up at the last day By this meanes also wee may try our profession doe we come by faith and religion with pleasure and ease alas this is no signe of any powerfull strong worke in us it s easie to goe to Church to heare the word or reade it to receive the sacraments contrarily if we finde an inward change that our hearts are so altered as we can over rule our members contrary to our lusts and contrary to occasions then stronger is he that ruleth in us than hee that ruleth in the world 1 Ioh. 4.4 it is easie to resist a temptation where none is the mightie power of Christ is seene when being invironed with temptations we are inabled to resist I pray saith Christ that thou should keepe
them from evill in the world and not that thou shouldst take them out of the world Ioh 17.15 If we be under crosses if this spirit and power of Christ be in us it will enable us to beare all patiently it will keepe us from murmuring and fretting It will also convince us of our naturall estate so as wee shall see evident necessitie of Gods almighty power to change us this made the Apostle Paul and the Iaylor to looke about them for helpe Lord what wouldest thou have me to doe and thus it will make us never to give God rest nor Christ respite till that power that shall raise up our bodies doe raise up also our soules and he shine in us by his spirit that did bring light out of darknes and fashion us as in his wisedome shall be most meet In the next place the consideration of Gods Almightie power should teach us not to be dejected or cast downe at the reports of the afflicted state of the Church abroad it should bring us rather to God to rely upon his goodnes and power for God is ever God almighty and the same mercifull God that ever he was and therfore we should pray for the Church the more instantly that God would give them beautie instead of ashes wee should urge him with his promise of building up and defending of his Church and destroying of Antichrist and let us make the resurrection of the body a ground to strengthen us in the beleefe thereof as the returne of the children of Israel from Babylon was sealed by the resurrection of the dry bones Ezek. 37. as also the Apostle from the resurrection of the dead gathereth that God by that power hath and will deliver him 2 Cor. 1.9 10. Furthermore when wee are oppressed with any extremitie though never so great by continuall meditation of his promises wee should strengthen our selves and apply them to our present estate and condition knowing that he that raised us out of dust will not suffer us to bee buried in miserie but will with the triall give us a gracious issue at the last by raising up our bodies at the last day by his almighty power which made also the Patriarch Abraham to hope above hope what though our helpes be few its no matter what the instrument is so as Christ is the chief worker In the next place This should incourage us to stand out sted fast in a good cause for the truth do not think with our selves alas I am but one and a weake sillie man what can I doe against a multitude let not such thoughts discourage thee thinke of Luther a poore Monke who alone set himselfe against the whole world and wrought that effect that wee have all cause at this day to honour the memorie of him it is not thou but God in thee that is able to confound all thine enemies and therefore with Moses behold him that is invisible Yet further this should bee observed by a Christian as a ground of his perseverance to the end for when wee know we are Christians what can bereave us of our blessings what can make our faith faile its Gods power that will keepe us to salvation and he that beleeveth shall have life and shall not come into condemnation Ioh. 6.39 40.44.47 and many other places and Christ by his almighty power swayes all our life to our building up to salvation and therefore in contraries we should beleeve contraries that death will worke life miserie happinesse corruption incorruption and this vilenesse glorie for its Gods order to worke by contraries that his power might the more appeare And at the houre of death then behold him that is thus able and all-sufficient that shall presently glorifie our soule and at length will raise up our bodie also and unite it to our soule to partake with it in glorie and happinesse that will then quit us of all sinne corruption death change all our enemies shall bee troden under our foote and all this by his almightie power whereby he is able to doe farre above that wee are able to think and therefore let us with a holy admiration thereof say with the Apostle Ephes. 3.20 To him be glorie for evermore Amen FINIS Loâ—uere ut videa 1 Cor. 8.5 Animus â—ujusque is est quisqueâ— 1 The Appellation 2 Exhortation 3 Limitation Meanes to get Ioy. Answ. 1. Ob. Answ. Psal. 120.5 Doctr. 1. Doct. 2. Note 3. Doct. 4. Reason 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Reason 4. Reason 5. Reason 6. Vse 1. Vse 2. Rev. 1. and 2 3. Doctr. 1. 1 John 4.1 Quest. Answ. Ob. Answ. A threefold judgment to wit I Of Discretion II Of Directiâ—n III Of Jurisdiction Doctrine Quest. Answ. Rev. 22.15 Remedies against seducers Remedy 1. Remedy 2. Remedy 3. Remedy 4. Meanes and waies to mortifie sinne Three parts viz. 1 The Act Worship 2 The Object God 3 The most part viz. in Spirit Reasons why God must be worshipped in Spirit Vse Reasons why outward worship is so well liked and loved Ob. Answ. Signes of spirituall worshippers Helps unto spiritual worship Doctr. 1. Doct. 2. Reason 2. Reason 3. Reason 4. Reason 5. Reason 6. Quest. Answ. Causes of true joy Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. Vse 5. Answ. Signes of true Christian joy 1 Signe 2. Signe 3. Signe 4. Signe 5. Signe Quest. Answ. Doctrine Ob. Answ. Reason 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Reason 4 Reason 5. Quest. Answ. Signes of fleshly confidence St. Pauls prerogatives Obj. Quest. Answ. Obj. Answ. Wherein and how the knowledge of Christ exceeds humane knowledge Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. Vse 5. Quest. Answ. Obj. Answ. Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Signes of the choice of Christ. Quest. Answ. Obj. Answ. Answ. The meanes how to be united to Christ. Vse 1. Signes of mortification Quest. Answ. Obj. 1. Obj. 2. Ob. Answ. Doctrine Vse 1. 1. Direct 2. 3. 2. Hind 3. Hind Direct 1. Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. 1. 2. 3. Hind 4. Hind Doctrine Vse Doct. Vse 2. Doctr. Vse Doctr. Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Vse 1. 1 Signe 2. Signe 3. Signe 4. Signe Vse 2. Quest. Answ. Doctrine Doct. 1. Signe 2 Signe 3. Signe 4. Signe 5. Signe 6. Signe 7. Signe 9 Signe 10. Signe Meanes unto perfection Motives to the use of the meanes and unto perfection Doctrine How to walk according to the Rule Ob. Answ. Doct. Wherein imitation consists Why examples are laid downe in Scripture Vse 1. 1. Dir. 2. Dir. 3. Dir. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse Reason 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Who were enemies to Christs crosse Gal. 5.4 A threefold judgment Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Reason 1. Helpes Remedies against vaine-glory Rules Signes Doctr. Quest. Answ. 1. Dir. 2. Dir. 3. Dir. 4. Direct 5. Dir. 6. Dir. Obj. Answ. 7. Dir. Ob. Answ. Reason 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Vsâ— Object Answ. Quest. Answ. Doctrine Doctr. 1. Quest. Answ. Vse Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse Quâ—st Answ. Obj. Answ. Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. Vse 5. Vse 6. Vse 7. Doctrine 1.