accompanies his owne Ordinance which whilst the eye is fixed upon the signe the water carries the minde to the consideration and so on in a sweet meditation of the thing signified the blood of Christ by that the Baptist washes the bodie with this the holy Ghost clenseth the soule and this cleansing is a changing also persona tingitur natura mutatur Euseb Emissen de Ep. Hom. 3. and this purgation by the blood of Christ is a preparation for the grace of Christ which upon is infused into the soule so St. Cyprian in expiatum pectus purum desuper se lumen infundit and being then Cyp. lib. 2. ep secunda Donato pag. 69. circa sinem infused it giveth to the powers of the soule their first disposition unto newnesse of life which by frequent acts of vertue is wrought into a habit and so is Christ formed in us tantae molis erat such a do there was this blood and sweat it cost to Redeeme man from slavery and bondage to repaire the decayes of nature to recover the lost heritage and to restore to the Father his lost Sonne And now brethren you see your calling how the sons of Adam are made the sonnes of God here 's an Alteration which the spirituall eye may easily discover First here is a change of our estate and condition when we were enemies we were reconciled unto God by the blood of his sonne who by his death overcame death which we had deserved suffered for sinne which we had committed fulfilled Gods law which we had violated satisfied his justice which we had offended appeased his wrath which we had kindled recovered his favor and made our peace and by this means we that were by nature children of wrath by that Grace and favour which Christ hath obtained for us at Gods hands are taken in to be the sonnes of God for so well pleased was he with the obedience of the naturall sonne that for his sake and at his intercession he is pleased to accept us for his sonnes thus Christ became our baile and surety undertooke for us and humbled himselfe to the meanesse of a servant that we might be advanced to the estate of sonnes And that our nature may be fit for that estate there 's a change of that too the change of our estate is ascribed to the Credulitas quae deum spiritum proclamavit de carnis substantia mortali in vitalem spiritus sustantium vos mutavit Chrysol ser 71. 2 Pet. 14. Est in locū riches of Christs merit but this of our nature to the grace of his holy spirit this change is not in substance but in quality and so in quality though not in substance the spirit of God altereth our nature conformes us to the Image of Christ and makes us partakers of the divine nature but mistake not St. Peter for by nature he understands not the essence of God which is appropriated onely to the Trinity of persons and communicated to no man but the divine Attributes of wisdome justice holinesse truth glory and immortallity and in these we have fellowship with the Father and with his sonne Jesus Christ and so are made wise righteous holy mercifull immortal and glorious like God in respect of the qualities not equality our vertues being but a ray of his Son a sparke of his eternall Aq. in 2 Pet. 13. fire a participation of his fulnesse he being an inexhaustible fountaine of grace and goodnesse filleth our frayle vessels secundum modulum nostrum according to their capacity see that what soever grace the holy Ghost effectually worketh in us it is first originally in God and is made ours either by imputation or infusion our nature is corrupt I know that in me saith St. Paul Ro. 7. 18. dwelleth no good thing mans goodnes is not inherent but either impured or imparted and so when God is pleased to participate unto us his own goodnesse there is a change wrought in our nature new light is put into our minds new desires into our affections new obedience into our wils and a sweet conformity into all our actions in this renovation there is no destruction but a conversion no subversion of the old substance but a generation of new qualityes there still remaines the same subject and this alteration of our nature is a transformatiō not a transubstantiaton To this new man there is not wanting a new name and names are given to expresse the nature of things now no name can so fully and so fitly notifie him who is made partaker of the divine nature adopted to the inheritance of glory and immortality in the kingdome of heaven as this of Gods son here then is a change of our names too there are no more termes of hostility between God and man the enmity is now abolished and all such names as carrie in them sorrow shame and misery are done away and a new name that imports comfort glory and felicity is imposed and now we are no more enemies but sonnes now surely this is good newes to heare the father hath found his lost sonne an Angell is not an able and sufficient messenger God him-himselfe bowes the heavens and comes downe ecce novum behold a new thing upon earth Esay 43. 19. This is novum and inauditum a thing never heard of before God in the flesh revealed it heaven and earth God and man reconciled good tidings Blessed be the peace maker God and man made friends good news welcome be he whosoever brings it his lips are gracious and his feet beautifull whose heart doth not leape for joy to heare himselfe by the everlasting Father called my Sonne And this new name must be attended with a Chrys ser 68. in ora Domi. new life qui Dei filium credit actu vita moribus honestate tanto generi respondeat they that professe themselves the Sons of God must be answerable to such honorable compellations this is a high and a heavenly calling and our conversation must be suitable to our calling nec degeneret Cyp. ser 5. de ora Domi. actus noster a spiritu ut qui coelestes spirituales esse caepimus non nisi spiritualia coelestia cogitemus agamus we must looke unto the Rock from whence wee are hewne and beware we degenerate not from that Royall family where into we are admitted but we who call God our Father should be blamelesse and harmelesse the sonnes of God without rebuke Phil. 2. 15. a godly name and a wicked life agree not sinners are hardened and God dishonoured when he that is called a sonne of God behaves himselfe as a servant of sinne it is very fit that every sonne of God should imitate his Matth. 11. heavenly father or if he desire a patern neerer hand let him learn of his elder brother discite à me saith Christ learne of me Frame your lives to his rule and they wil acquit you convince men
* Luk. 1. 38. ancilla domini Behold the hand-maid of the Lord nay more yet he that was Lord of all became a servant So by Gods own compellation Esay 53. 11. So by his owne profession 4. Matth. 20. 28. and no more in the worlds estimation Philip. 2. 7. enough it is for any man to be reckoned amongst these worthies to be of Gods familie in any Relation but God thinkes it not enough for his Love It is not therefore My servant but My Sonne We that were unworthy to be accounted servants he hath advanced to the honour of Sonnes Not My Servant therefore but My Sonne Nay not my friend this priviledge had Abraham the father of the faithfull Ja. 2. 23. for his faith And the same is promised to Christs disciples upon condition of their obedience Jo. 15. 14. And a great prerogative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Laere Diog. do vita c. Ego sensi animam meam animam amici mei unam fuisse animam in duobus corporibus Ang. lib. conf 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ar. lib. 8. 1 th it is to be Gods friend for a friend is alter ego a second selfe and amicorum omnia communia all things are common amongst friends no comfort with-held no secret hid from a friend * Gen. 18. 17. Pet. 1. 4. yet it is not my freind but My Sonne for Gods love which is infinite knows no bounds but extends to the highest degree of kindnesse and calls man now not my Servant not my Freind only but my Sonne To be of Gods Court his servant is much to be of his counsel his Friend is much more but to be partakers of the Divine nature the Sonne of God is most of all of this I may say as Elizabeth in a case not much unlike unde hoc mihi * Luk. 1. 43. whence is this to me that I should be called the Son of God But how the Sonne of God Or what Sonne doth God here meane Not his naturall Son so is none but Christ as God he is both Primogenitus and unigenitus his first-begotten and only-begotten of the same essence consubstantiall coaeternal and coaequal with the father begotten by an unspeakable Generation which we may adore cannot search out for who shall declare his Generation Esay 53. 8. Yea Christ as man by grace of hypostatical or personall union is after a speciall manner the Sonne of God so fore-told to be before he was so Luke 1. 32. That holy thing that shall be borne of thee shall be called the Sonne of God And so declar'd to be when he was so Matth. 3. 17. This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well-plea-sed And thus is none the Sonne of God but only he who both by nature and the union of his person is indeed the very Sonne of God Others there are whom holy Scripture hath honoured with this title Adam he was so by Creation the immediate Sonne of God for God was Father Mother God-Father made him produced him named him Luke 3. The Angels they are so made in Gods image and stiled his Sonnes Psal 89. 6. And so are Kings by Gods owne ordination and special appointment the Sonnes of God Psal 82. 6. I have said ye are Gods and all of you are Children of the most high This title thus taken is a singular prerogative peculiar to some special persons But here we will take it more generally as it is a common title given by God to all the faithfull My Sonne Not by naturall Generation for so is none but Christ as God Not by grace of personall union for so is none but Christ as man Not by immediate creation for so was Adam and the Angels only Nor by Divine Ordination for so are Kings and Princes only But by grace adoption every true beleever is truly the Son of God The faithfull by adoption are filij designati appointed by the Father for the Sons of God Through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus they are filii facti made the Sonnes of God And by the laver of regeneratiō they are filii signati sealed by the Spirit for the Sons of God They are first designed by the Father for heires Then really made and accepted by Christ for Coheyres And finally assured by the holy Ghost of an Inheritance undefiled that fadeth not away reserved for them in the heavens Gods Sonnes the faithfull are before they are so in the purpose of the Vosque si nondum natos jam tamen designatos filios jam credite Chrys Ser. 71. in orat dominum pag. 306. father but not so in his Delight they must declare their predestination by their conversation before they can be admitted into Gods familie there must concurre with the Fathers purpose the purchase of the Sonne and the purging of the holy Ghost when in the Sonne and by the Holy Ghost they are made such as the father purposed they should be then he takes delight in them and ownes them for his Sonnes and not before for it is not the fathers Adoption nor the Sons Redemption that can priviledge the faithfull from being by nature the children of wrath even as others Ephes 2. 3. without righteousnesse holines Innocencie and all right to glory meer carnal men and so by nature must still continue for that which is borne of the flesh is flesh there John 3. 6. must be a new birth they must be borne againe and so made new Creatures before they can become the Sonnes of God and here must not be left out the office of the holy Ghost for as the Sonne of God could not become the Sonne of man so neither can Luke 1. 35. the Sonnes of men become the Sonnes of God without the speciall office and operation of the holy Ghost Jo. 3. this cannot be the worke of flesh and blood which naturally produces it's like carnall and sinfull nor the worke of man for parentes peremptores our parents are our murtherers wee derive from them the contagion of sinne * and Non imitatione sed propagatione with sin an Obligation to eternall death and so saith Saint Austin wee are damnati antequam nati dead in sinne before alive in the world Mans freedome from this wretched condition and translation into the glorious libertie of the Sonnes of God is a worke of Grace Gods entire worke so Saint James Of his owne will Tit. 3. 6. Verbum adveniens aqua dat ei virtutem abluendi Aq. in locum Austin begate he us with the word of Truth cap. 1. 18. with the washing of water by the Word so Saint Paul Eph. 5. 26. Accedit verbum ad elementum fit Sacramentum by the power of the word the Element is made a Sacrament And that water whose common use was to wash the bodie from filth now serves for a holy use to clense the soule from sin to this use God hath ordained it and his Spirit
sin but he hath not absolutely taken away but noly weakned Concupiscience the root seed of sin which though it be not as grace is an immortall seed 1 Pet. 1. 23. yet it is as graceis a remaining seed 1. Jo. 3. 9. rooted and growing in our nature It is not a condemning not a raigning but a remaining sinne abiding in our flesh and substance must have no place in our liking and affections and so it may sometimes somewhat lessen abate our comfort but can never destroy our happinesse whilest this body of sin is kept from raigning in our sinfull body and brought into subjection by the wholsome discipline of spirituall mortification and then this stimueles carnis this throne the flesh like a Serpent without a sting hath motum morsum non venenum It may stir and bite us cannot hurt nor kill us It may bruise our heele but we shall bruise it's head And thus though we be set in the middest of evill yet God withholdeth not his tender mercyes from us but his loving kindnesse and his truth continually preserveth us Psal 40. 11. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evill worke saith St. Paul and will preserve me to his heavenly kingdome 2 Tim. 4. 18. Sinne it makes no change in God it must in man Gods grace in man makes man to repent of his sinne against God Mans sinne against God makes not God Repent of his grace towards man 1 Man Repents for sinne and his repentance sendes him to the throne of grace to beg pardon for his sinne where we have an advocate with the father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sinnes 2 God repents not of his grace if man repent of his sinne wherefore that wee may continue in his favour we must come before him like the publican into the Temple with contrition in our heartes and like the lost sonne to his Father with confession in our mouths the Pharisie stood upon his justification the Christian must not confession is the way to absolution and thus although we offend God daily by our sinnes yet is he pleased againe by our repentance he repents not of his grace but is faithfull and just if we confesse he forgives True it is God will not connive at the errors of his children he will be angry with them for their offences as a father with his sonnes and in his anger visit their transgressions with the rod and their iniquities with scourges but can a Father forget can a Mother forget they may I will not saith God Esay 49. 15. he will not take away his loving kindnesse nor suffer his faithfulnesse to faile he hath sworne by his holinesse he will not the foundation of God standeth firme he changeth not but workes a change in man for sinne that his purpose according to election might stand * this is his purpose Ro. 9. 11. he hath declared by his promise he hath confirmed his promise by his word he hath strengthned his word by his Oath he hath sealed all these with the blood of his son he acknowledgeth this his seale by the witnesse of his spirit and his spirit assureth our spirit that notwithstanding our many fraylties we are still sonnes And this he doth not by immediate revelation but by an undeniable conclusion drawne from the revealed word For if when wee were enemies we were reconciled unto God by the death of his sonne much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Ro. 5. 9. for he living to make intercession for us is able to preserve his own mercies in us Thus God against all opposition of sin and Sathan hath exalted us to the dignity of sonnes and if after this advancement through infirmity we fall into sinne shall we account our selves no sonnes because sinners If we be truly humbled for our sins hartily loath them desire to leave them constantly purpose to forsake them to sin no more If we bewail sins past beware of sinnes to come strive against present Corruptions and by humble confession seeke for absolution it argues we ar truely penitent where God sees true repentance he sees no sin By sin we go from God and then he disclames us but by repentance we come againe unto him and whensoever we returne he receives us When the prodigall said I will go unto my Father and say father I have sinned the father upbraides not his former Riot but entertains him as his son this my sonne was dead but is now alive though he had lost the duty of a sonne yet had not God lost the bowels of a Father he retained still his fatherly affection and delict a Ego perdidi quod erat filii ille qd patris est amisit Chry. s 2. 7 de filio prodigo idem ser 3. de filio prodigo 1 Pet. 4. 8. non videt vis amoris love doth cover a multitude of sinnes * it may stand therefore with the honor of a father such an one as God to own sinners for his sons provided they have sorrowed heartily for their sins and then with God they that have sorrowed are as if they had not sinned But may it stand with the piety of a father to leave his children in distresse and to expose them to want misery If God be their father where is his care over them his provision for them or can it be that the sonnes of the highest should not be so wel provided for as the fowles of the ayre and foxes of the field sometimes it so falleth out that God hath a strict hand over his own family concealing from them the good he intendeth to them and withholding from them these present blessings which in a plentifull measure he powreth into the lappes of the men of this world not that he neglecteth his owne whilest he thus regardeth others as if he had forgotten to be gracious and shut up his loving kindnesse in displeasure but by some troubles in this life to make their joyes more full with the assured hope of glory and happinesse in the life to come nor is he wanting to them in the things of this life whereof they have the promise and shall have the possession too when Psal 31. God sees it may be for their good so still as a loving father hee sorts their condition as may be most for their welfare sometimes straightning and sometimes enlarging his hand either in povertie or riches want or plentie sicknesse or health adversitie or prosperitie they have their share both in the evill and good things of this life to let them know that those present evils are not the greatest nor the goods of this life the chiefest but that there are evills to come more to be feared and future good things more to be desired in the patient expectation whereof they must be content to endure the want of some present good and the sense of some present evills It should suffice them to
and please God whilest he sees his name honored in your conversation their conviction Old things are past behold all things are become new new estate new nature new name new life Estate happy the merit of Christ hath purchased that nature holy the spirit of Christ hath sanctified that name heavenly the love of God hath bestowed that life godly the grace of God hath wrought that happy estate holy nature heavenly name godly life man is now a sonne by grace not unworthy to be own'd of so great a Prolis tanto non in ficienda parenti Father At length I have brought you to the height of Gods love and Mans Dignity Gods Love never so Et quidem deitatis erga nos dignatio tanta est ut scire nequeat quid potissimum imitari debeat creatura utrum quod Deus ad nostram deposuit servit utem an quod nos ad suae divinitatis rapuit dignit at em Pet. Chrys ser 72. manifest as in making us his sonnes the utmost we could hope for was pardon not for preferment but to debase the naturall sonne in making him like us that he might honor us in making us like him is love without measure which we are as unable to conceive as we are unworthy to receive the expression is too meane and low to say it was paternall a it Et sicut omnem ut scriptum est paternitatem in Coelo in terris a scipso volvit nominari fic a nobis patris in se affectum voluit cognosci quid dicam patris imo potius plus quam patris a Sal. di guber dei lib. 4. pag. 121 was more then mothers love and was what himselfe is infinit Man never so dignified who am I and what is my fathers house saith David that I should be Sonne in law to a King what is fraile man that he should be exalted to the dignitie of Gods son called to the hope and invested with some possession of eternall life what a happinesse is this above the rest of mankind who through ignorance and unbeliefe abide still in misery and I would to God he would perswade the hearts of all men to account this their chiefest honour to be Gods sons religion is and ever hath been the honor and safety too of kingdomes familyes and particular persons and this of Gods sonne preferred before the most glorious titles It was the Religious boast of the Emperor Theodosius malo esse membrum Aug. de civi dei l. 5. c. 26. eccelesiae quam caput imperij and in the most magnificent it is an addition to their honor to be Gods sonnes the greatest in the world is nothing if he be lesse the meanest is enough if he be so much and so much is every true beleever for to as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sonnes of God even to them that believe on his name Jo. 1. 12. How is it then this priviledge is so sleighted and undervalued of many and carnall alliance and kindred so much stood upon by all men account their carnall pedegrees and if they can reckon a great man of their house how they glory in it whereas there is greater cause of boasting to be of Gods family then to be descended from the loynes of Princes for carnall affinity is but transitory it abideth not Kingdomes and families have their periods and in death there is a dissolution of al kindred after the flesh the mightiest man alive must one day say to corruption thou art my Father Job 17. 14 to the worme thou art my Mother and my Sister but our alliance here by faith death nor the grave hath no power over 1 Cor. 15. 55 and as it is begun on earth by grace in our adoption so shall it not be ended but perfected in heaven by glory in ful fruition when all the adopted sonnes shall be like the naturall sonne and their bodies made conformable to his glorious body according to the mighty working whereby he is able to Phil. 3. 21. subdue all things unto himselfe Many excellent things are spoken of you ye sons of God! but what man lives that dares challenge to himself this priviledg seeing every man is a sinner if a sinner no son for he that is borne of Ro. 3. 23. God sinneth not 1. Jo. 5. 18. how sinneth not sinneth not at all God never gave any such priviledge to the regenerate saith Oecumenius for the Oecumcinus in locū best of Gods Saints speakes in his own name and others If we say we have no sinne we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us Wee sinne daily and hourely the best of us but the best of us sinne no otherwise 1 Jo. 1. then Gods children may sinne Not totally with a fulnesse of consent quasi ad peccatum vacantes but over come through infirmity with strength of tentation Nor finally ad mortem they sin not that is sin not untodeath that sin for which the holy Ghost hath said thou shalt not pray In all their sinnes there is still place left for their humiliation and Christs Intercession so still they are innocent from the great offence for although many lesser sins do passe them without their knowledge and many greater sinnes be committed with their knowledge yet in the escape of those lesse and the committing of these greater they are patients not Agents not obedient to the rule of sinne but overmastered by the rage of sinne here is St. Pauls case just Ro. 7. malum quod nolo facio they sinne unwillingly and their unwillingnesse to sinne will appeare in their heavinesse for sinne when the remembrance is grievous unto them the burden intolerable then is the waight not charged on them but laid upon him who hath satisfied Gods justice for it by bearing it on his owne body on the tree for whose sake lesser and unknowne sinnes charitate absconduntur are in charity covered and our greater and well known sins poenitentia abluuntur are by actuall and unfained Bernard repentance purged who then shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth thus the sons of God they are sinners and no sinners No sinners for being justified by faith they have not onely a plenary remission of all sinnes that are passed actually purchased by the blood of Jesus but also a preservation from sinnes to come effectually promised by the spirit of grace But sinners in regard of that inherent corruption which against their wils doth lead them captive into actuall transgressions For as there is semen gratiae a seed of grace in the regenerate which will not suffer them totally to sinne So also there is semen peccatia seed of sin which wil not suffer them wholy to be sanctified Christ by his death indeed hath wholy taken away both reatum suppliciun the guilt and eternal punishment of