disobedience of the law in sinne the third is the root and fountaine of sinne originall corruption These are three deadly woundes and three running sores in the hearts and consciences of all sinners Now Christ Iesus is perfectly righteous and in him a sinner may find three inestimable benefits answerable to the three former euils First the suffringes of Christ vpon the Crosse sufficient for all mens sinnes Secondly the obedience of Christ in fulfilling the law Thirdly the perfect holines of the humane nature of Christ these are three soueraigne medicins to heale all wounded consciences and they are as three running streames of liuing water to bathe and to supple the bruised and contrite heart Now commeth faith and first laieth hold of the sufferinges of Christ and so a sinner is freed from the punishment and guilt of sinne and from eternall damnation and thus the first deadly wounde is cured Againe faith laieth hold of the perfect obedience of Christ in fulfilling the lawe thus the second wound is cured Thirdly faith applieth the holines of Christs humane nature to the sinner then his nature is accepted of God as perfectly sanctified and so his third deadly wound is cured Thus a sinner is made righteous by the righteousnes of Christ imputed to him XXV From true iustification proceede manie other benefits and they are either outward or inward Outwarde benefites are three The first is Reconciliation by which a man iustified is perfectly reconciled to God because his sinne is done awaie and he is arrayed with the perfect righteousnes of Christ. The second is that afflictions to the faithfull are no punishments for sin but only fatherly and louing chastisements For the guilt and punishment of sinne was borne of Christ. Now therefore if a Christian bee afflicted it is no punishment for then God shoulde punish one fault twise once in Christ and the seconde time vpon the Christian which thing doth not agree with his iustice it remaineth therefore that afflictions are only corrections in the faithfull The third benefite is that the man iustified doth deserue and merite at Gods hands the kingdome of heauen For being made perfectly righteous in Christ he must needs merite eternall life in and by Christ. And therefore Paul called it the iustification of life Rom. 5. 18. XXVI Inward benefites proceeding from iustification are those which are inwardlie felt in the hart and serue for the better assurance of iustification and they are principallie fiue The first is Peace and quietnes of conscience As al men naturallie in Adam are corrupt so all men naturallie haue corrupt and defiled consciences accusing them arraigning them before Gods iudgement for their sinnes in such wise that euerie suspition of death and feare of imminent danger maketh a naturall man stand agast at his wits end knowing not what to doe but by faith in Christ the Christian is perswaded of remission of his sins and so the disquietnes of his conscience is appeased and hee hath an inwarde peace in all extremities which cannot be taken from him XXVII The slumbring dead conscience is much like to the good conscience pacified manie through ignorance take the one for the other But they maie be seuered and discerned thus First let the beleeuing Christian examine himselfe whether his conscience was afflicted with the sense of Gods iudgements and pressed downe with the burden of his sinne before hee came to that quietnes for then he may be in good hope that it was the Spirit of God who brought that peace because God hath promised That he will dwell with the humble and contrite to reuiue and quicken them But if hee haue alwayes had that peace from the beginning of his dayes he maie easilie deceiue himselfe by taking the numnesse and securitie of a defiled conscience for true peace of coÌ„science Secondly let him search from whence this peace of his conscience proceedeth For if it come from anie thing else but from the certaintie of the remission of sinne it is no true peace as manie flattering themselues in sinne and dreaming of a pardon are therevpon quieted and the Deuill is readie enough to put this into their mindes but this can bee no true peace Thirdlie let him examine himselfe if he haue a care to keepe a good conscience which if hee haue he hath also reciued from the Lord a good and a quiet conscience For if God bestowe vpon anie man a gift concerning his saluation he giueth him also a care to keepe it XXVIII The seconde inwarde benefite is An entrance into Gods fauour and a perseuerance in it which is indeede a wonderfull benefite When a man commeth into fauour with his Prince then hee is bolde to come vnto his Prince and hee maie haue free accesse vnto his presence and he may sue to his Prince for anie benefite or preferment whereof he standeth in neede and may obteine it before anie other so they which are in Gods fauour by reason that they are freely pardoned and iustified in Christ do boldlie approach into Gods presence and they are readie to aske and sure to obteine anie benefite that is for their good The third is a spirituall ioy in their harts euen then when they are afflicted because they looke certainely to obtaine the kingdome of heauen The fourth is that the loue of GOD is â—hed in the hartes of the faithfull by the holie Ghost that is that the holie Ghost doth make the faithfull verie euidentlie to feele â—he loue of God towards them and doth as it were fill their harts with it XXIX The second maine benefite is Adoption whereby they which are iustified are also accepted of God as his owne children FroÌ„ Adoption proceed many other benefits First the elect child of God hereby is made a brother to Christ. Secondly he is a King and the kingdom of heauen is his inheritaÌ„ce Thirdly he is Lord ouer all creatures saue Angels Fourthly the holie Angels minister vnto him for his good they garde him and watch about him Fiftlie all things yea greeuous afflictions and sin it selfe turne to his good though in his owne nature it bee neuer so hurtfull threfore death which is most terrible vnto him is no entrance into hell but a narow gate to let him into euerlasting life Lastly being thus adopted he may look for comfort at Gods hand answerable to the measure of his afflictioÌ„ as God hath promised XXX The inward assurance of Adoption is by two witnesses The first is our spirit that is an heart and conscience sanctified by the sprinckling of the bloud of Christ. Now because it commeth to passe that the testimonie of our spirit is feeble and weake God of his goodnes hath giuen his owne spirite to bee a fellow witnes with our spirit for the
elect haue in themselues the spirit of Iesus Christ testifying vnto them perswading them that they are the adopted children of God For this cause the holie Ghost is called the spirit of adoption because it worketh in vs the assurance of our adoption and it is called a pawne or earnest For as in a bargaine when part of the price is paied in earnest then assurance is made that men will pay the whole so wheÌ„ the child of God hath receiued thus much froÌ„ the holy ghost to be perswaded that he is adopted chosen in Christ he maie be in good hope and he is alreadie put in good assurance fullie to inioy eternall life in the kingdom of heaueÌ„ Indeed this testimonie is weake in most men can scarce bee perceiued because most Christians though they may be old in respect of yers yet they are babes in Christ not yet come to a perfect grouth may find in themselues great strength of sin and the graces of God to be in small measure in theÌ„ And again the children of God being most distressed as in time of triall in the houre of death then the inward working of the holy ghost is felt most euidently But a reprobate cannot haue this testimonie at al though in deede a man flattereth himselfe and the Deuill imitating the Spirit of God doth vsuallie perswade carnall men and hypocrites that they shall bee saued But that deuilish illusion and the testimonie of the Spirite may bee discerned by two notes The first is heartie and feruent prayer to God in the name of Christ. For the same spirite that testifieth to vs that wee are the adopted children of God doth also make vs crie that is feruentlie with grones and sighes filling heauen earth pray to God Now this heartie feruent and loud crying in the eares of God can the Deuill giue to no hypocrite for it is the speciall marke of the Spirite of God The other note is that they which haue the speciall testimonie froÌ„ the Spirite of God haue also in their harts the same affections to God which children haue to their father namelie loue feare reuerence obedience thankefulnes for they call not vpon God as vpon a terrible Iudge but they cry Father Father And these affections they haue not whome Sathan illudeth with a phantasticall imagination of their saluation for it may bee that through hypocrisie or through custome they may call God Father but in truth they cannot doe it XXXI The elect beeing thus assured of their adoptioÌ„ iustificatioÌ„ are indued with hope by which they looke patiently for the accomplishing of all good things which God hath begunne in them And therefore they can vndergoe all Crosses and afflictions with a quiet and contented minde because they knowe that the time will come when they shall haue full redemption from all euils This was the patâ—ence of Paules hope wheÌ„ he said that nothing in the world could seuer him from the loue of God in Christ. And like to this was the patience of Policarpe of Ignatius who when he was coÌ„demned and iudged to be throwne to wilde beasts and now heard the Lyons roring he boldly yet patiently said I am the wheate of Christ I shal be ground with the teeth of wild beasts that I may be founde good breade Also the same was the patience of the blessed Martir saint Laurence who like a meeke Lambe suffred himself to be tormented on a fiery gridiron and when he had beene pressed downe with fire pikes for a great space in the mightie spirit of God spake vnto the Emperor that caused him thus to be tormeÌ„ted on this wise This side is now rosted enough turne vp O tyrant great Assay whether rosted or rawe thou thinkest the better meat XXXII The third maine benefit is inward Sanctification by which a Christian in his mind in his will and in his affections is freed from the bondage and tyrannie of sin sathan and is by litle and litle inabled through the spirit of Christ to desire approue that which is good to walke in it And it hath two parts The first is Mortification when the power of sin is continually weakned consumed diminished The second is Viâ—ificatioÌ„ by which inherent righteousnes is really put into theÌ„ afterward is coÌ„tinually increased XXXIII This sanctification is wrought in al Christians after this manner After that they are ioined to Christ and made misticallie bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh Christ worketh in them effectually by his holy spirite and his workes are principallie three First he causeth his owne death to worke effectuallie the death of all sinne and to kill the power of the flesh For it is as a Corrasiue which being applied to the part affected eateth out the venime and corruption and so the death of Christ by faith applyed fretteth out and consumeth the concupiscence the corruption of the whole man Secondly the buriall of Christ is the buriall of sinne as it were in a graue Thirdly his ResurrectioÌ„ sendeth a quickning power into them to make them rise out of their sinne in which they were dead and buried to worke righteousnes to liue in holines of life Lazarus bodie lay foure daies and stancke in the graue yet Christ raised it and gaue him life againe and made him do the same works that liuing meÌ„ do so also Christ dealeth with the soules of the faithfull they rotte and stincke in their sinnes and would perish in them if they were left alone but Christ putteth a heauenlie life into them maketh them actiue and liuely to doe the will of God in the workes of Christianitie and in the works of their callings And this sanctification is throughout the whole maÌ„ in the spirit soule and mind 1. Thes. 5. 23. And here the spirit signifieth the mind and memorie the soule the will and affections XXXIIII The sanctification of the minde is the enlightning of it with the true knowledge of Gods word It is of two sortes either sprituall vnderstanding or spirituall wisedome Spirituall vnderstanding is a generall conceiuing of euerie thing that is to be done or not to bee done out of Gods word Spiritual wisdome is a worthie grace of God by which a man is able to vnderstand out of Gods word what is to be done or not to be done in any particular thing or action according to the circumstances of person time place c. Both these are in euery Christian otherwise Paul would neuer haue praied for the Colossians That they might bee fulfilled with knowledge of Gods will in all wisedome spirituall vnderstanding In both these excelled Dauid who testified of himself that Gods word was a lanterne to his feete and a light to his path and that God by his commandements had made him wiser then his enimies that he had more
of God a most excellent and wonderfull grace of God Salomon matcheth it yea and preferreth it too before al things in this world making it the end of all Without it a man cannot be wise it is the first steppe to wisedome in it is assured strength also it is a welspring of life to eschewe the snares of death The Churches of Iudaea being in peace were edified and walked in the feare of God and were aboundantly filled with the comfort of the holy Ghost In this feare of God there be two partes The first is a perswasion in the heart that a man is in Gods presence and when any by infirmitie forgets God a drawing of himselfe into Gods presence As it was in Dauid I haue saith he set the Lorde alwaies before mee For he is at my right hande therefore I shall not slide And this his beeing in the presence of God hee setteth downe most excellently in the 139. Psalme Enoch walked with God Abraham is commaunded to walke before God and to bee vpright The second part of the feare of God is in Gods presence to stand in awe of him which is when a man takes heede to his waies lest hee offende God This aduise Dauid giues to Saule Counsellers Stande in awe and sinne not Pharao commanded the Midwiues of Egypt to kill all the male children of the Israelites at the birth they did it not because they stoode in awe of God fearing to displease him And hence it is that the godly heare Gods word with feare and trembling XL The third is the hatred and detestation of sinne specially of a mans owne corruptions wherewith a Christian is so turmoiled that in regarde of them and for no other cause he most heartily desireth to be foorth of this most miserable worlde that hee may be disburdened of his sinne and leaue off to displease God Paule feeles in himselfe a huge masse of deadlie corruption it makes him deeme himselfe most miserable and to mourn because he was not deliuered frō it saying Oh miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of Death Againe it is sin that makes the Church cōplain that she is black that the sun hath looked vpō hir therfore she cries Come Lord Iesus come quickly XLI The fourth is ioy of heart in consideration of the nearenes or presence of the terrible day of iudgement The reprobate either trembleth at the consideration of the daie of iudgement or else in the securitie of his heart hee regardeth it not And when hee shall see the signes of the comming of Christ his heart shall faile him for verie feare and he shall call the hilles to fall vpon him but contrariwise the faithfull loue the second comming of Christ and therefore wait and long for it and when they shall see the signes of it they shall lift vp their heads because the ful accomplishment of their redemption is at hand XLII The sanctification of the bodie is when all the members of it are carefully preserued from being meanes to execute any sin and are made the instruments of righteousnes and holines So Paule praied for the Thessalonians that they might knowe howe to possesse their vessels in holines and in honour and not in the lust of concupiscence as the Gentiles doe which know not God And Iob made a couenant with his eies not to looke on a woman In whose example it appeareth how euery member is to be kept pure and holie XLIII If any humbled Christian finde not this measure of sanctification in himselfe yet let him not bee discouraged For if any man haue a willingnes a desire to obey Gods commandements he hath the spirit and he who hath the spirit is in Christ and he who is in Christ shall neuer see damnation And though he faile greatly in the action of obedience yet God will accept his affection to obey as obedience acceptable to him God will approue of thee for his owne worke which he hath wrought in thee and not reiect thee for thine XLIIII From sanctification ariseth repentance For a man cannot hate his owne sinnes before he be sanctified and he cannot truely repent for them before hee hate them Repentance is when a man turnes to God brings forth fruites worthie amendment of life This turning vnto God hath two parts The first a purpose and resolution of heart neuer to sinne any more but to leade a new life This was in Dauid who fully purposed to keepe Gods commandements and applied his heart to fulfill his statutes vnto the end And vnto this did Barnabas exhort the brethren at Antioch that with full purpose of heart they would cleaue vnto the Lord. The second part is an holy labour in mans life and conuersation to purifie and cleanse himselfe from sin of this speaketh Iohn And euerie one that hath this hope in him purgeth himselfe euen as hee is pure This did Dauid practise as may appeare in that hee saide Certainely I haue cleansed my heart in vaine and washed my handes in innocencie If anie maruaile howe repentance followeth sanctification considering it is the first thing of all that the Prophets Apostles and Ministers of God preach vnto the people whome they woulde winne to Christ I answere that all other graces are more hidden in the heart whereas repentance is open and sooner appeareth to a mans owne selfe and to the eies of the worlde It is like the budde in the tree which appeareth before the leafe the blossome the fruite and yet in nature it is the last for a man must bee renewed and come to an vtter disliking of his owne sins before hee will turne from them and leaue them XLV By this it may appeare that there is one maner of sinning in the godly and another in the vngodly though they fall both into one sinne A wicked man when he sinneth in his heart he giueth ful consent to the sin but the godly though they fall into the same sinnes with the wicked yet they neuer giue full consent for they are in their minds willes and affections partly regenerate and partly vnregenerate and therefore their willes will partly abhorre that which is euill according as saint Paule saith of himselfe I delight in the lawe of God according to the inner man but I see an other lawe in my members rebelling against the lawe of my minde and leading mee captiue c. And that the godlie man neuer giueth full consent to sinne it is euident by three tokens First before hee commeth to doe the sinne hee hath no purpose nor desire to doe it but his purpose and desire is to doe the will of God contrarie to that sinne Secondly in the act or doing of the sinne his heart riseth against it yet by the strength of temptation and by the mightie violence of
she plainly opposed hir self to him wold take no denial for such is the nature of true faith Wherefore the faithfull when they feele theÌ„selues ouerwhelmed with sin turmoiled with coÌ„flicts of satan wheÌ„ they feele y e anger of god offended with theÌ„ yet they can euen theÌ„ lift vp their eie lids giue a glimps at the braseÌ„ Serpent Iesus Christ can fling theÌ„selues into the armes of gods mercy catch hold of the hand of god buffetting theÌ„ kisse it XL. By these teÌ„tatioÌ„s it coms to pas that a ChristiaÌ„ though he cannot fall finally froÌ„ Christ yet he may fall very dangerously froÌ„ his former estate First the graces of god may be by his defalt lessned in him else Paul wold not haue giuen out these exhortatioÌ„s quench not the spirit Grieue not the holy spirit of God by whoÌ„ ye are sealed vnto the day of redemptioÌ„ Secondly the graces of God may be buried in him couered for a time so that he may bee like a man in a traunse who both by his own sense by the iudgement of the phisition is takeÌ„ for dead This was the estate of Peter who though he coÌ„fessed that Christ was the son of the liuing Lord yet he denied him forswore him at the voice of a Damsel Thirdly he may fal againe into the same sin after repentance Indeed this is a dangerous fal yet it may befal a true christian Otherwise wheÌ„ as the Israelits gods people had fallen away froÌ„ him by their sins idolatries he wold not stil haue offered theÌ„ mercie as he doth by his prophets And Paul praieth the Corinthians in Christs stead that they would be recoÌ„ciled to God who neuertheles had once before bene reconciled to God Fourthly he may commit a sinne of presumption which is a fearefull sinne being done wittinglie of knowledge and willinglie and with some wilfulnesse Therefore Dauid prayed keepe thy seruant presumptuous sinne and to shewe himselfe to be in danger of it hee prayeth further let them not haue dominion ouer mee Lastly hee may fall into dispaire of Gods mercie for a time and this is a dangerous sinne For he which dispaires makes all the promises of God to bee false and this sinne of all other is most contrarie to true sauing faith In this estate was Dauid wheÌ„ being in trouble hee said this is my death And Paul shewes that the incestuous man might haue fallen into desperation when hee sayth Comfort him least hee bee swallowed vp of ouermuch heauinesse And it must bee remembred that the Church of Rome erreth in this that she teacheth desperation to bee a sinne against the holie Ghost This sinne against the holie Ghost is a blasphemie spoken against the knowen truth of Gods worde of a wilfull and obstinate malice But desperation may arise through ignorance of a mans owne estate through horror of conscience for sinne through an often relapse into some sinne through the ouerdeepe consideration of a mans owne vnworthines Lastly by abiuration of the truth through compulsion feare This befell Frances Spira who after his Apostasie dispaired Yet they are much ouerseene that write of him as of a damned creature For first who can tell whether hee dispaired finally or not Secondly in the verie middest of his desperation he complained of the hardnes of his heart which made him that he could not praie no doubt then he felt his hardnes of heart and the feeling of corruption in the heart is by some contrarie grace so that he was not quite bereft of al goodnes though he neither felt it then nor shewed it to the beholder LXI The cause why a ChristiaÌ„ caÌ„not fall away froÌ„ grace is this after that he is sanctified he receiueth froÌ„ god another special grace which may be called CorroboratioÌ„ For he hath in him not only the sanctifying but also the strengthning power of Christ. Therfore Paul praieth for the EphesiaÌ„s that they may be strengthned in the inner maÌ„ for the CollossiaÌ„s that they might be strengthned with the glorious power of Christ. And of himself he saith that he is able to do al things through the power of Christ that streÌ„gthen him Dauid saith that God renueth theÌ„ that fear him as the Eagle renueth hir decaied strength And Iob shewes worthily that they which by preaching of the word are reconciled vnto God are restored againe and gather new strength so that their flesh becomes as the flesh of yong children From hence as from a special cause ariseth patience perseuerance vnto the end for when a man is supported by the power of Christ hee may be able to beare many crosses patieÌ„tly with a coÌ„â—ented mind perseuer in bearing of it how long so euer the crosse endureth Thus much of the estate of a Christian in this life Now I wil ad some reasons in the way of perswasion to all meÌ„ but especially to worldlings to loose professors of the Gospell that they woulde vtterly deenie themselues vse all meanes to become true ChristiaÌ„s by being made new creatures in Christ and by leading such a life as may adorne the Gospell of Christ. My first reason is this the man that liueth in this world nor beeing a true Christian is farre more vile then the basest creature of all euen the Dogge or Toade For first he is nothing els but a filthy dunghill of all abhomination and vncleannes the stinke whereof hath infected heauen and earth and no perfumes coulde euer delaie it in the nostrils of God but onely the suffering of Christ beeing a sacrifice of a sweet smelling sauour to God Wee make it very daintie to come nere a lazar man that is full of botches blaines sores but much more are those men to bee abhorred which haue lien many yeares starke dead in sins and trespasses therfore now do nothing els but rot stinke in theÌ„ like vgly lothsome carrions SecoÌ„dly he which is no ChristiaÌ„ is vnder the power of darknes hauing Sathan for his Prince and God and giuing vnto him in token of homage his best partes euen his minde and conscience to bee his dwelling place and his whole conuersation is nothing else but a perperuall obedience to Sathan If Atheists worldlings carnal gospelers were perswaded of the truth of this as it is most true it would make them howle cry though now they liue at ease without feeling any prick of conscience for sinne And if they had but the least sense of it in the worlde it woulde make their flintie hearts to bleede and it woulde make them shedde riuers of teares But how long shall they continue in this vile estate Truely vntill they come to Christ awake therefore thou that sleepest and stand vp from the dead and Christ shall giue thee light Open thine heart to receiue Christ and then hee will come binde
the strong man Sathan and cast him out and dwell in thee himselfe Thirdly hee which is no Christian is in danger of al the iudgements of God so that euery moment some of them may befall him He may perish sodainly by water with the olde world he may bee consumed with fire and brimstone with Sodome and Gomorrha hee may bee swallowed vp of the earth with Core Dathan and Abyram hee may hang himself with Iudas he may haue his braines dashed against the grounde and bee eaten vp of dogs with Iesabell he may die in the hardnes of heart with Pharao he may dispaire with Caine and Iudas he may be stricken with sodaine death with Ananias and Saphira his wife he may be eaten of wormes with Herode hee may bee smitten with trembling that he cannot heare Gods worde with Foelix hee may voide his guts at the stoole with Arius he may crie at his death that he is damned with Latomus he may bee left vnto himselfe to mocke blaspheme and renounce Christ with Iulian and hee may suffer manie more fearefull iudgements whereof the Lord hath great store and all tende to the confounding of them which will not be humbled vnder his hand Contrariwise the true Christian is so farre out of the reach of Gods iudgements that they cannot hurt him Christ is a couering and a cloude against the heat and tempest of Gods iudgementes when a mans heart is sprinkled with the bloud of this immaculate Lambe all the plagues of God passe ouer him In the destruction of Ierusalem the righteous beare a marke in their foreheads and are saued Therefore let him that hath regard to his owne safetie become a Christian Thirdly the man which is no Christian is in danger of eternall death and damnation in hell fire and they which fall into this estate it had beene ten thousand folde better for them if they had neuer beene borne for they are quite separated from the presence of God and from his glorie al the company they haue is with the Diuell and his Angels Their bodies and soules are tormented with infinite horrour and anguish arising of the feeling of the whole wrath of God in which as into a bottomlesse sea they are plunged Thus they are alwaies dying and yet are neuer deade Furthermore the length of this torment must bee considered which greatly aggrauates the paine If a man might be deliuered from the panges of hell when he had suffered them so many yeares as there be droppes in the sea or little sands in the whole earth it were some comfort but after that those yeares be expired there shall come no release but the damned shall continue in shriking yelling and gnashing of teeth enduring the consuming heate of Gods wrath without any ende for euer and euer Yea to goe further a wicked man carrieth an hell about him in this life namely an euill conscience which if it bee neuer so litle touched with any of Gods anger a mā shall feele himselfe to haue euen the panges of hell in his heart Nowe therefore all they that woulde escape out of this hellish and damnable estate while they haue time let them pray for the pardon of their sinnes in Christ and walke according to the spirite in newnes of life and then they may assure themselues that there is no condemnation can belong to them And it must be alwaies remembred that he which would liue when he is dead must die while he is aliue namely to sinne And againe he which would rise to eternall life in the daie of iudgement must rise from sin before he die vnto newnes of life The fourth reason God hath appointed vnto euerie man that liueth in the Church a certaine time of repentaunce and of comming to Christ. And hee which mispendeth that time and is not made a Christian then can neuer bee saued This made our Sauiour Christ weepe for Hierusalem and say O if thou hadst knowne at the least in this thy daie those things which belong to thy peace but now are they hidden from thine eies And further signifieth the destruction of Hierusalem because she knew not the time of hir visitation Againe the neglecting of this time is one cause why not one or two but manie shall seek to enter into the kingdome of heauen and yet shall not be able It is a maruailous thing that they which seek to be saued should perish but the fault is theirs which seeke when it is too late Nowe therefore thou secure worldling thy conscience telleth thee that thou hast not yet repented and that thou art not as yet a liuely member of Iesus Christ. And thou knowest further that howsoeuer thou art aliue at this time yet thou hast no lease of thy life God may call thee foorth of this worlde the next yeare the next weeke the next howre Yea he may strike thee with sodaine death at this very present And in very truth if thou goest foorth of this world beeing no Christian thou goest damned to hell Wherefore delaie not one minute of an hower longer but with all speede repent and turne vnto God and bring forth fruites worthie of amendment of life that all thy sinnes may be done away when the day of death or the day of iudgement shal be And doe not thinke with thy selfe that it shall be sufficient to differre thy turning vnto God till the last ende For late repentance is seldome true repentance And he which continueth long in any sinne is in a dangerous case If a man lie long in any disease he will scarce recouer his former health and hee which is growen in the custome of any sin and the sinne is become ripe in him it is a thousand to one he is neuer saued according to that of saint Iames sinne being perfected bringeth forth death The fift reason Eternall life is a thing desired of all men yet none shall be made partakers of it but the true Christian and the glorious estate of this life woulde mooue any man to be a Christian. First of all they which haue eternall life are freed from all pains sickenesses infirmities hunger thirst cold wearines from all sin as anger forgetfulnes ignorance from hell death damnation Sathan from euery thing that causeth miserie according to that of saint Iohn And God will wipe away all teares from their eies there shall be no more death neither sorrow neither crying neither shall there be anie more paine for the first things are passed Secōdly the faithful shall be in the presence of Gods Maiesty in heauen there to behold his face that is his glorie as our Sauiour Christ saith Father I will that they which thou hast giuen me be with me euen where I am that they may beholde my glorie which thou hast giuen me And Dauid saith In thy presence is fulnes of ioy and at thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore Thirdly they
shall haue such an excellent communion with God that he shal be vnto them all in all For in the end of the world whē the whole number of the elect is accomplished Christ shall present them to his father and as he is mediator he shal cease to be a King a Priest a Prophet as Paule saith then shall be the ende when he hath deliuered vp the kingdome to God euen the Father when he hath put downe all rule al◠authoritie and power Againe among the elect there shall not bee king and subiect father mother child maister seruant noble ignoble rich poore liuing dead Some will say what then shall there be I answere one glorious and euerlasting God the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost shall be in all the elect all that heart can wish and desire Men shall not be in darkenesse neither shall they neede the light of the Sunne Moone or Starres God himselfe immediately shall be their light as Iohn saith And the Citie hath no neede of the Sunne neither of the Moone to shine in it for the glorie of God doth light it and the Lambe is the light of it Men shall not then neede meate drinke clothing sleepe recreation fire shade respiration or any other such like but God himselfe immediately shal be their life and all things concerning life by Christ. Which Iohn signifieth when he saith that he saw a pure riuer of water of life cleere as Christal proceding out of the throne of God of the Lamb there being by either side of it the tree of life which bare two manner of fruites and gaue fruit euerie moneth And whereas God is continually to be worshipped in heauen they neede no other tabernacle or temple thereunto but God himselfe shall be their temple as Iohn saith I saw no temple therein for the Lorde God almightie and the Lambe are the temple of it Fourthly from this glorious communion which is betweene God and Christ as he is man and all the saints which are his members there ariseth an vnspeakeable ioy and gladnes wherewith they are filled Dauid saith that Gods children shall be satisfied with the fatnes of his house and that he shall giue them drinke out of the riuers of his pleasures This ioye vndoubtedlie is infinite and the Saintes are not onelie replenished with it but they are also swallowed vp of it as with an huge and infinite sea of waters as may appeare in Peter who at the transfiguration of Christ was so rauished out of measure with ioy at the sight of it that he quite forgot himself saying to Christ Maister it is good being here let vs make three tabernacles here one for thee one for Moses and an other for Elias Lastly out of this communion ariseth a perfect loue of God whereby the Saints loue God with all their hearts with all their soules and strength and this loue sheweth it self in that they are eternally occupied in worshipping God by singing of songes of praise and thankes giuing vnto him Now thē seeing the kingdome of heauen is so glorious and none can haue it but the true Christian let all men accompt the best thinges in this worlde as drosse and dung so that they may obtaine Christ and his righteousnes The last reason is the endlesse loue of Iesus Christ shewed in his death and passion Thou art by nature the childe of wrath and vengeance Sathan hath wounded thee with manie a deadlie wounde of sinne thou liest bleeding at the heart and and art like to die eternally Thou being in this estate there is no Man on earth no no Saint in heauen no Angell no creature at all is able to helpe thee Christ onely was able hee therefore came downe from heauen and became man for this cause to worke thy deliuerance Furthermore in the curing of the wounde of sin no hearbe no water no plaister no Phisicke can doe thee any good onely the bodie and bloude of Christ is soueraigne for this matter being stieped in the wrath of GOD. Hee therefore subiected himselfe to the death euen the death of the Crosse vpon which hee suffered the wrath of God due to the sinne of mankinde and of his owne heart bloude hee tempered for thee a soueraigne medicine to heale all thy woundes and sores Nowe therefore despise not this mercie seeke vnto Christ lay open all thy sores pray him that hee woulde vouchsafe thee if it bee but one droppe of his bloude then he will come vnto thee by his holy spirite he will wash and supple thy wounds in his bloud and binde them vp He is the tree of life the leaues whereof heale the nations If thou get but one leafe of him thou art well it will heale thee and restore thy dead soule that thou maiest liue eternallie in the kingdome of heauen If this reason will not mooue thee to be a Christian thy case is desperate It is the best reason that Paule could vse to this purpose As obedient children saith he fashion not your selues vnto the former lustes of your ignorance but as hee which hath called you is holie so bee yee holie in all manner of conuersation His reason followeth Knowing that yee were not redeemed with corruptible thinges as siluer and golde from your vaine conuersation receaued by the tradition of the Fathers but with the precious bloud of Christ as a Lamb vndefiled and without spotte Thus much haue I spoken to the worldling who in his heart makes no more account of Christ then of his olde shooes and who had rather bee without Christ then be without his pigges with the Gaderenes Nowe for the true Christians I haue nothing to saie but this The Lorde increase the number of them And the Lorde fulfill them with the knowledge of his will in all wisedome and spiritual vnderstanding that they may walke worthie of him and please him in all thinges beeing fruitfull in all good workes and increasing in the knowledge of God And whereas they are at continuall warre against the flesh the world and the Diuel Lord Jesus strengthen them with all might through thy glorious power vnto all patience and long suffering with ioyfulnes And deere father of all mercie plant that gouernement in thy Church euerie where which thou hast reuealed in thy worde That thy Saintes may worshippe thee in o those meanes in that order and comelines which thou hast appointed abounding in righteousnes peace of conscience and ioy of the holy Ghost Amen Amen A Dialogue of the state of a Christian man betweene Eusebius a perfect Christian and Timotheus a wise Christian and the most of it was gathered here and there out of the sweete and sauorie writings of Maister Tindalland Maister Bradford TImotheus Because of our auncient acquaintance and familiaritie deare friende Eusebius I will make bolde with you to aske such questions as may be for my edification and comfort and of no other matters but
cut off from thee Christian. But Gods mercie farre exceedeth all these my sinnes and I cannot bee so infinite in sinning as God is infinite in mercie and pardoning Sathan Darest thou presume to thinke of Gods mercie why the least of thy sinnes deserueth damnation Christian. None of my sinnes can feare me or dismaie me Christ hath borne the full wrath and vengeance of his Father vpon the Crosse euen for me that I might be deliuered from condemnation which was due vnto mee Sathan If Gods purpose were not to condemne thee perswade thy selfe hee would neuer laie so manie afflictions and crosses on thee as he doth What is this want of good name this weaknes and sicknesse of the bodie these terrours of thy minde this dulnesse and frowardnes of thy hart what are all these I saie and manie other euils but the beginnings and certaine flashings of the fire of Hell Christian. Nay rather my afflictions are â—liuelie testimonies of my saluation For god as a louing Father partlie by them as with â—courges chastneth my disobedience and bringeth me into order partly conformeth me vnto my Sauiour Christ and so by little and little layeth open to mee mine owne sinnes that I may dislike my selfe and hate them and maketh mee to renounce the â—orâ—de thy eldest sonne and stirreth me vp to call vpon him to praie earnestly with â—grones and sighes which I am not able to expresse with anie wordes as I feele them Sathan Thy afflictions are heauie and â—omfortlesse therefore they can not be arguments of Gods fauour Christian. Indeed their nature is to bring griefe and heauines to the soule but I haue had ioy in the middest of my afflictions strength sufficient to beare them and after them haue ben many waies bettered which befalleth to none of the wicked and for that cause it is a great perswasion to mee that â— shal not be damned with the wicked world but in spite of all thy power passe froÌ„ death to euerlasting life Sathan After these thy manifold afflictions thou must suffer death which is moâ—â— terrible and a verie entrance to Hell Christian. Death hath lost his sting bâ— Christes death and vnto me it shall be nothing els but a passage vnto euerlasting life Sathan Admit thou shalt bee deliuereâ— from hell by Christ what will this auailâ— thee coÌ„sidering that thou shalt neuer comâ— to the kingdome of heauen for Christeâ— death only deliuereth thee from death eternal it can not aduance thee to euerlastinâ— life Christian. I am nowe at this time a member of Christs kingdome and after this lifâ— shall raigne with him for euer in his euerlasting kingdome Sathan Thou neuer didst fulfill the lawâ— therefore thou canst not come into the kingdome of heauen Christian Christ hath perfectlie fulfilled euerie part of the lawe for mee and by this his obedience imputed vnto mee I my selfe do keepe the lawe Sathan Be it so for all this thou art farre inough from the kingdome of heauen into which no vncleane thing shall euer enter thou although that Christ hath suffered death and fulfilled the lawe for thee yet thou art in part vncleane thy cursed nature and the seedes of sinne are yet remaining in thee Christian. Christ in the virgins wombe was perfectly sanctified by the holie ghost and this perfect holines of his humane nature is imputed to me euen as Iacob put on Esaus garments to get his Fathers blessing so I haue put on the righteousnes of Christ as a long white robe couering my sinnes making me appeare perfectlie righteous euen before Gods iudgement seat Sathan Indeed God hath made promise vnto mankinde in all these mercies and benefits in Christ but the condition of this promise is faith which thou wantest and therfore canst not make anie accompt that Christes sufferings Christes fulfilling of the lawe Christes perfect holinesse can doe thee anie good Christian. I haue true sauing faith The conflicts of Sathan with the strong Christian. Sathan THou sayest that thou hast true faith but I shall sift thee and disproue thee Christian. The gates of Hell shall neuer preuayle against my faith doe what thou canst Sathan Tell me then doest thou thinke that all the world shall be saued Christian. No. Sathan What shall some be saued and some condemned Christiam So saith the worde of God Sathan Thou then are peswaded that God is true euen in his mercifull promises and that he will saue some men as Peter and Paul Dauid c. and this is the onely be leefe by which thou wilt be saued Christian. Naie this I beleeue and more too that I particularly am in the number of those men which shall be saued and this is the beleefe that saueth me Sathan It may bee thou art perswaded that God is able to saue thee but that God will saue thee that is that he hath determined to aduance this thy body and this thy soule into his kingdome that he is most willing to performe it in his good time heerein thou wauerest and doubtest Christian. Nay Sathan I in mine owne heart am fully perswaded that I shall be saued and that Christ is specially my redeemer and O Lord for Christes sake helpe thou my doubting and vnbeliefe Sathan This thy full perswasion is onely a phantasie and a strong imagination of thine owne head it goeth not with thee as thou thinkest Sathan It is no imagination but trueth which I speake For me thinks I am as certaine of my saluation as though my name were registred in the Scriptures as Dauids and Pauls are to be an elect vessell of God and this is the testimonie of the holy spirit of Iesus Christ assuring me inwardly of my adoption and making me with boldnesse and confidence in Christ to pray vnto God the father Sathan Still thou dreamest imaginest thou louest and likest thy self and therefore thou thinkest the best of thy selfe Christian. Yea but God of his goodnesse hath brought foorth such tokens of faith in me that I cannot be deceiued 1. I am displeased with my selfe for my manifold sinnes in which sometime I haue delighted and bathed my self Rom. 7. 15. 24. 2. I purpose neuer to commit them againe if God giue me strength as I trust he will 3. I haue a verie great desire to be doing those things which God commandeth 4. Those that bee the children of God If I doe but heare of them I loue them with my hart and wish vnto them as to my selfe 1. Iohn 3. 14. 5. My heart leapeth for gladnesse when I heare of the preaching of the word 6. I long to see the comming of Christ Iesus that an end may be made of sinning and of displeasing God Apoc. 22. 20. 7. I feele in my heart the fruites of the spirit ioy loue peace gentlenes meekenes patience temperance the workes of the flesh I abhorre them fornication adulterie vncleannesse wantonnesse Idolatrie strife enuie anger drunkennesse bibbing
this case in which thou art at this present Christian. Heerein thou prouest thy selfe to be a lying spirite for the Prophet Dauid â—aith of himselfe that he was foolish and as a beast before God and yet he euen then trusted in God And Paule was so led capâ—iue of sinne that he was not able to do the good he would but did the euill which hee â—ated and so in great pensiuenes of heart desired to be deliuered from this world that â—ee might bee disburdened of his corrupt â—â—esh Sathan Thou miserable wretch doest â—â—ou feele thy selfe gracelesse and wilt thou â—eare the face of a Christian and by thy â—ypocrisie offend God as thou art so shew â—â—y selfe to the world Christian. Auoide Sathan Christe hath anquished and ouercome thee for my â—ause that I might also triumph ouer thee â— am no hypocrite for whereas I haue had â—eeretofore some testimonie of my faith at his time I am lesse mooued though faith â—â—eme to be absent like as a man may seeme 〈◊〉 bee dead both in his owne sense and by the iudgement of the Phisition and yet maie haue life in him so faith maie bee though alwaies it doe not appeare Sathan But thou art a man starke dead in sin God hath now quite forsaken thee hee hath left thee vnto me to be ruled hee hath giuen me power ouer thee to bring thee to damnation he will not haue thee to trust in him anie longer Christian. Strengthen me good Lord remember thy mercifull promises that thou wilt reuiue the humble giue life to them that are of a contrite heart Sathan These promises concerne not thee which hast no humble and contrite but a froward and a rebellious heart Christian. Good Lorde forget not thy former mercies giue an issue to these temptations of mine enemie Satan And you my bretheren which know my estate praie for me that God woulde turne his fauourable countenance towards me for this I know that the ptaier of the righteous auaileth much if it be feruent Howe a man should applie aright the word of God to his owne soule I EVerie Christian containeth in himselfe two natures flat contrarie the one to the other the flesh and the spirite and that he may become a perfect man in Christ Iesus his earnest indeuour must bee to tame and subdue the flesh to strengthen and confirme the spirit II Answerable to these two natures are the two parts of Gods worde First the Lawe because it is the ministerie of death it fitlie serueth for the taming and maistering of the rebellious flesh and the Gospell containing the bountifull promises of God in Christ is as oile to powre into our wounds and as the water of life to quench our thirstie soules it fitlie serueth for the strengthening of the Spirite III Well then art thou secure Art thou prone to euill Feelest thou that thy rebellious flesh carrieth thee captiue vnto sinne Looke nowe onelie vpon the lawe of God applie it to thy self examine thy thoughts thy words thy deedes by it pray vnto God that he would giue thee the Spirit of feare that the law maie in some measure huÌ„ble terrifie thee for as Salomon saith blessed is the man that feareth alwaies but cursed is he that hardeneth his heart IIII In the Law these are most effectuall meditations to humble and bridle the flesh which follow First meditate on the greatnes of thy sinnes and of their infinite number and if it may be gather them into a Catalogue set it before thee and looke vnto it that thou think no sinne to be a small sin no not the bare thoughts and motions of thy heart Often with diligence consider the strange iudgements of God vpon men for their sinnes which thou shalt find partlie in the Scriptures partlie by dailie experience Doubtlesse thou must thinke that euerie iudgement of God is a sermon of repentance Thinke oft on the fearefull curse of the law due vnto thee if thou shouldest sin neuer but once in al thy life and that neuer so litle Remember that whensoeuer thou committest a sin God is present and his holie Angels that he is an eie witnes that he taketh a note of thy sin registreth it in a booke Thinke dailie of thy ende and know that God maie strike thee with sodain death euerie moment and that if then thou haue not repented before that time there is no hope of saluation Thinke on the sodain comming of our Sauiour Christ to iudgement let it moue thee continually to watch and praie If these will not moue thee think on this that no creature in heauen or in earth was able to pacifie the wrath of God for thy sins but his owne Sonne must come downe from heauen out of his Fathers bosome and must beare the curse of the lawe euen the full wrath of his Father for thee V When by these meanes thou art feared and thy minde is disquieted in respect of Gods iudgement for thy sin haue recourse â—o the promises of mercie contained in the â—ld and new Testament Is thy conscience stung with sin And doth the law make theâ— feele it With all speede runne to the braseâ— Serpent Christ Iesus look on him with the eie of faith and presently thou shalt be healed of thy sting or wound VI When thou doest meditate on the promises of the Gospell diligentlie consideâ— these benefites which thou enioiest by Christ. Through Adam thou art condemned to hell by Christ thou art deliuereâ— from it Through Adam thou hast transgreâ—sed the whole law in Christ thou hast fulfilled it Through Adam thou art before Goâ— a vile a lothsome sinner through Chriâ—â— thou doest appeare glorious in his eies Bâ— Adam euerie litle crosse is the punishmenâ— of thy sin and a token of Gods wrath by Christ the greatest crosses are easie profitable and tokens of Gods mercie By Adam thou diddest loose all thinges in Christ aâ— things are restored to thee again By Adam thou art dead by Christ thou art quickneâ— and made aliue againe By Adam thou art slaue of the Diuel and the childe of wratâ— but by Christ thou art the child of God 〈…〉 Adam thou art worse than a Toade moâ—… detestable before God but by Christ thoâ— art aboue the Angels For thou art ioined vnto him and made bone of his bone misticallie Through Adam sinne and Sathan haue ruled in thee and led thee captiue by Christ the spirite of God dwelleth in thee plenteouslie By Adam came death to thee it is an entrance to hel by Christ though death remain yet it is onelie a passage vnto life Lastlie in Adam thou art poore and blinde and miserable In Christ thou art rich and glorious thou art the King of heauen and earth fellow heire with him and shalt as sure be partaker of it as he is euen now Adam when he must needs tast
into euerlasting life XV For the better vnderstanding of this that God worketh sowing faith in the hart of man after this manner it must bee obserued that a sinner is compared to a sicke man oft in the scriptures And therefore that the curing of a disease fitly resembleth the curing of sinne A man that hath a disease or sore in his bodie before hee can bee cured of it hee must see it feele paine of it and be in a feare lest it bring him into danger of death after this he shall see himselfe to stande in neede of Phisick and he longeth till he be with the Phisitian when he is once come to him he desireth him of all loues to helpe him to shew the best skill he can he will not spare for any cost then he yeeldes himselfe into the Phisitians handes perswading himselfe that by Gods blessing he both can and will helpe him after this he comes to his former health againe On the same manner euerie man is wounded with the deadly wound of sinne at the very heart and he that woulde bee saued and escape damnation must see his sinne bee sorrowfull for it and vtterlie dispaire of his owne strength to attaine saluation thereby furthermore he must see himselfe to stande in neede of Christ the good Phisition of his soule and long after him and crie vnto him with deepe sighes and grones for mercie after this Christ Iesus will temper him a plaister of his owne heart bloud which beeing applied he shall finde himselfe reuiued and shall come to the assurance of the forgiuenes of all his sinnes So it was in Dauid when he repented of his adulterie and murther First God made him see his sinnes for he saith I know mine iniquities and my sinnes are euer before me Secondly he felt Gods anger for his sinnes make me saith he to heare ioy and gladnes that the bones which thou hast broken may reioice Thirdly hee vtterly dispaired of his owne strength in that he said stablish me with thy free spirit signifying therby vnlesse the Lord woulde staie him with his glorious power he should run headlōg to his own cōfusiō Fourthly he comes to see himselfe stand in great neede of Gods fauour one mercie will not content him hee praieth for the whole innumerable multitude of his mercies to bee bestowed on him to doe away his iniquities Fiftly his desire and his praier for the forgiuenes of his sin are set down in the whole Psalme And in his praier hee gathereth some comfort and assurance of Gods mercie towardes himselfe in that he saith the sacrifices of God are a contrite spirit a contrite and broken heart O God thou wilt not despise XVI There are diuers degrees and measures of this vnfained faith according as there be diuers degrees of Christians some are yet in the wombe and haue their mother the church traueling of them some are new borne babes feeding on the milk of the word some are perfect men in Christ come to the measure of the age of the fulnes of Christ. XVII The least measure of faith that any Christian can haue is compared to the graine of mustard seede the least of all seedes and to flaxe that hath fire in it but so weake that it can neither giue heate nor light but onely maketh a smoake and is called by the name of a litle faith and it may be thus described when a man of an humble heart doth not yet feele the assurance of the forgiuenes of his owne sinnes and yet hee is perswaded they are pardonable desiring that they might be pardoned And therfore praieth to God that he woulde pardon them and giue him strength to leaue them XVIII A litle faith may more plainly be known by considering these foure points first that it is onely in his heart who is humbled for sinne for the Lord dwelleth with him that is of a contrite and humble spirite to receiue the spirite of the humble and to giue life to them that are of a contrite heart Secondly it is in a man especially at the time of his conuersion and calling to Christ after which hee is to growe from faith to faith Thirdly this faith though it be in the hart yet it is not so much felt in the heart this was in Dauid at some times my God my God why hast thou forsaken me saith he The first wordes my God my God are speeches of faith yet the latter why hast thou forsaken me shewe that then he had no feeling of Gods mercie A little faith then is in the heart of a man as in the spring time the fruit is in the bud which yet appeareth not but only hath his nature and substance in the bud Lastly the beginnings and seeds of this faith are three The first is a persuasion that a mans own sins are pardonable this perswasion though it bee not faith yet it is a good preparation to faith For the wicked cut themselues of quite from Gods mercie in that with Cain they say their sinnes are greater then that they can be forgiuen The second is a desire of the fauor mercy of God in Christ of the meanes to attaine to that fauour This desire is a speciall grace of God and it hath the promise of blessednes and it must be distinguished from that desire which wicked men haue who though they desire life eternal as Balam did yet they cannot desire the meanes as faith repentance mortification c. The third is praier for nothing in this world but onely for the forgiuenes of their sins with great sighes and grones from the bottome of the heart which they are not able to expresse as they feele them Nowe this hearty praying and desire for the pardon of sinne can neuer come from the flesh but onely from the spirite who stirreth vp these heauenly motions of longing desiring sighing after remission of sinne and all other graces of God which hee bestoweth vpon his children And where the spirit of Christ dwelleth there must needs be faith for Christ dwelleth in the harts of the faith full by faith Therfore as Rebecca whē she felt the Twins striue in hir wombe though it pained hir yet shee knewe both that she had conceaued and that the children were quicke in hir so they who haue these motions holy affections in them before mentioned may assure themselues that the spirit of God dwelleth in them cōsequently that they haue faith though a weake faith XIX Examples of this small faith are euident in the Apostles who though they beleeued that Christ was the sauior of the world yet they were ignorant of his death and resurrection which are the chiefe meanes of saluation After his resurrection they were ignorant of his ascention of his spiritual kingdome for they dreamed of an earthly kingdome at his death they
all fled from him and Peter fearefully denied him They being in this estate are not saide to haue no faith but to be of litle faith Another example we haue in Dauid who hauing continued a lōg space in his two great sins adultery murther was admonished therof by Nathan the Prophet being admonished he cōfessed his sins and strait way Nathan declared vnto him from the Lord the forgiuenes of thē Yet afterward Dauid humbleth himselfe as it appeareth in the 51. Psalme and praieth most earnestly for the forgiuenes of those and all other his sins euen as though it had not beene true that they were forgiuen as Nathan tolde him The reason is howsoeuer they were remitted before God yet Dauid at his first repenting of them felt none assurance in his heart of the forgiuenes of them onely he had a persuasion that they might be pardoned And therefore hee vehemently desired and praied to the Lorde to remitte them and to sanctifie him anewe This then beeing the least measure of faith it must be remembred that he who hath not attained to it hath as yet no sauing faith at all XX The greatest measure of faith is a full perswasion of the mercie of God For it is the strength and ripenes of faith Rom. 4. verse 20. 21. Abraham not weake in faith but beeing strengthned in the faith was fullie perswaded that he who had promised was able to doe it This full assurance is when a man can saie with Paul I am perswaded that neither life nor death nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor thinges present nor thinges to come nor height nor depth nor anie other creature shall bee able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. And lest any should think this saying is peculiar to Paule the whole Church in the cāticles vseth the same in effect saying Loue is strong as death iealousie is as cruell as the graue the coals thereof are fierie coals a vehement flame Much water cannot quench loue neither can the flouds drown it if a man should giue all the substance of his house for loue they would contemne it XXI No Christian attaineth to this full assurance at the first but in some continuance of time after that for a long space hee hath kept a good conscience before God and before men and hath had diuers experiences of Gods loue and fauour towardes him in Christ. This Paul declareth to the Romans in afflictions God sheds abroad his loue in their hearts by the holie Ghost which is giuen to them hence ariseth patience from patience commeth experience from experience hope and hope neuer maketh ashamed or disappointeth him of eternall life This is euident in Dauids practise Doubtlesse saith he kindnes and mercie shall followe mee all the daies of my life and I shall liue a long season in the house of the Lord. Marke this his resolute perswasion and consider howe hee came vnto it namely by experience of Gods fauour at sundry times and after sundrie manners For before he set down this resolution he numbred vp diuers benefites receaued of the Lord that he fed him in greene pastures led him by the refreshing waters of Gods word That he restoreth him leadeth him in the pathes of righteousnes That he strengthneth him in great dangers euen of death and preserueth him that in despight of his enemies hee enriched him with many benefites By meanes of all these mercies of God bestowed on him he came to be perswaded of the continuance of the fauour of God towards him Againe Dauid said before king Saul let no mans heart faile him because of Goliah Thy seruant wil go and fight with the Philistine And Saul saide to Dauid Thou art not able to goe against this Philistine to fight with him for thou art but a boy he is a man of war from his youth Dauid answered he was able to fight with to slaie the vncircumcised Philistine And the ground of his perswasion was taken from experience for thus he said Thy seruant kept his fathers sheep and there came a Lyon and likewise a beare and tooke a sheepe out of the flocke And I went out after him and smote him took it out of his mouth and when he arose against me I caught him by the beard and smote him and slewe him So thy seruant slew both the Lion and the Beare Therefore this vncircumcised Philistine shal be as one of thē seeing he hath railed on the host of the liuing God The like proceeding must bee in matters concerning eternall life Litle Dauid resembleth euery Christian Goliah and the army of the Philistines resembleth Sathan and his power Hee therefore that will be resolued that he shall be able to ouercome the gates of hell and attaine to life euerlasting must long keep watch ward ouer his own hart he must fight against his own rebellious flesh and crucifie it yea he must haue experiēces of Gods power strēgthning him in many tēptatiōs before he shal be assured of his attaining to the kingdome of heauen XXII Thus much concerning faith it self now followe the fruits and benefites of faith By meanes of this speciall faith the elect are truely ioined vnto Christ and haue an heauenly communion and fellowshippe with him and therfore doe in some measure inwardly feele his holie spirite moouing and stirring in them as Rebecca felt the Twins to stirre in hir wombe Christ is as the heade in the bodie euerie beleeuer as a member of the same body now as the head giueth sense and motion to the members and the members feele themselues to haue sense and to moue by meanes of the head so doth Christ Iesus receiue and quicken euerie true beleeuer and by his heauenly power maketh him to doe the good which he doth And as from the stocke sappe is deriued to the graft that it may liue and grow and bring foorth fruite in his kinde so doe all the faithfull that are grafted into Christ the true Vine And as the graft loseth his wilde nature and is chaunged into the nature of the stocke and bringeth forth good fruit so in like manner it is with them that are in Christ who by little and little are whollie renewed from euill to good XXIII The elect being thus ioyned vnto Christ receiue three wonderfull benefites from him Iustification Adoption Sanctification Iustification is when the elect being in themselues rebellious sinners and therefore firebrandes of hell fire and Gods owne enemies yet by Christ they are accepted of the Lord as perfectlie pure and righteous before him XXIIII This Iustification is wrought in this maner Sinne is that which maketh a man vnrighteous and the childe of wrath and vengeance In sinne there are three things which are hurtfull to man the first is Condemnation which commeth of sinne the seconde is the