sinne and the poison thereof till that mortalitie be swallowed vp of immortalitie and we enioy the presence of him that sitteth vpon the throne The measure then of our sinning no more that the Lord requireth of his children as the duetie of their deliuerance is the verie same which the Apostle Paule vrgeth to the Rom. Let not sinne raigne in your mortall bodies that ye should obey it in the lusts therof Neither giue ye your members as weapons of vnrighteousnes vnto sinne but giue your selues vnto God VVherein the Apostle willeth the Rom. to straine and striue that being by Iesus Christ deliuered from the bondage of sin and the slauerie of their spirituall Pharaoh sin get not the dominion ouer them againe that it should not like a mercilesse tyrant rule ouer them againe neither that euer their powers and strengthes should serue to Sathans becke and bend againe but to labour continually that sin may die the old Adam may be slaine in them and a continuall care and principall studie to serue God should beare the rule and haue the preheminence in them Calu. in Rom. Cap. 6. ver 12. Tamet si peccatum in nobis residet tamen absurdum est vt ad exercendum suum regnū vigeat Although sinne while we liue will haue some resiancie with vs yet is it verie absurd and vnmeet that it should ouerrule vs. Totis viribus extinguēdo in nobis peccato Bucer in Rom. Cap. 6. vitae Dei excitanda insistere debemus Striue we must with all our strength that sinne in vs may more and more be lessened and the spirituall life of God raised and quickned in vs by Iesus Christ our Lord. This proofe of the Apostle Paule being so pregnant for confirming this point of the measure of our ceasing from sinne performing obedience to the Lord I wil as God shall guide me by his holy spirit insist a little further in laying downe the reasons and arguments that the Apostle vseth in the two aforesaid verses That sinne in the godly ought not to rule and raigne and carie them captiue after their conuersion as it did before Let not sinne raigne in your mortall bodies The first argument The first argument he alleadgeth to proue that sinne ought not to raigne in them is drawne from the filthinesse and power of sinne it is a most filthie and daungerous matter to suffer sinne to rule in you and to exercise power in you But vnlesse you withstand sinne with all your strength and keepe continuall watch against him he will breake in vpon you and bind the keeper of the house this part is drawn out of these two words sinne raigne The second argument The second reason is drawne from the effect of sinne which is death for it is sinne that causeth our bodies to be mortall as hath beene proued at large before this the Apostle noteth in these words mortall bodies The third argument The third argument is drawne from the comparison of our worthinesse in Christ clothed with his righteousnes with the filthinesse of vnrighteousnes For if we giue our members vnto sinne we make them the weapons of vnrighteousnes by meanes whereof issueth nothing from them but that which is vnrighteous altogether whereas God hath created them in Christ to be instruments of righteousnes drawne out of these words Your members weapons of vnrighteousnes The fourth argument The fourth reason is drawne from the comparison of sinne God viz. of eternall death and eternall life for when as the Apostle had said Giue not your members to sinne he annexeth the contrarie and saith But giue your selues wholly to God And that he may expresse with what seruice and endeuour we ought to addict our selues to God and his worship he doth not say barely Giue your members to God as he forbiddeth them to giue them to sinne but hee saith Exhibete vos ipsos vtique totos Giue your whole selues vnto God euen all that euer is in you The fift argument The fift argument is drawne from the precious gift of God which is bestowed vpon vs by Christ viz. That when as through sinne we were dead now we liue being endowed with the life of God then why should we not apply our selues and whole strength for the continuall enioying of it especially when as to make a relapse into sinne againe is to fall into euerlasting death without Gods great mercie in Christ from eternall life contained in these words as they that are aliue from the dead The sixt and last argument is drawne from the excellencie of righteousnes The sixt argument the weapons and defence whereof we make our members when as we giue them vnto God and dedicate them vnto all holinesse the speciall end for which they were giuen vs of the Lord. Now by the due and carefull consideration of all these arguments the diligent and carefull Christian out of this one proofe shall finde himselfe compassed about with many reasons and sound argumēts all enforcing this point After thy deliuerances bestowed vpon thee by God Sinne no more Viz. suffer not sinne to make thee his slaue no more to make thee his carthorse to rule and raigne in thee to obey his lustes to giue eare to his inchantements but hauing the vncleane spirit driuen out of thee entertaine him no more being escaped from the filthinesse of thy sins fall not into thy old wont and vomit of sinne againe but striue and straine to be lead forward to perfection Phil. 3.24 1. Cor. 9.24 Philip. 3.12 Follow hard toward the marke so run that thou maist obtaine and comprehend that for whose sake also thou art comprehended of Christ Iesus out of all which I may inferre this conclusion no striuing no ouerruling no victorie ouer our sinnes wee haue had most certainly no conuert no true Christian no dutifull man for his manie and great deliuerances Heretikes Papists Cath. Coelest Donat. Perfect See Cal. in Ephes 1. ver 4 Now because the arguments of the Papists Catherans Caelestins Donatists and vnpure Perfectists for prouing and confirming an absolute obedience to the law of God a totall puritie from sinne amongest the godly in this life seeme to the reader at the first view to carrie some weight I will a little more stand vpon the confutation of their obiections the right sense and meaning of those testimonies of scripture which they falsely peruert to their owne destruction the endangering of manie Ierom. aduersus Pelag. ad Ctesiphon And first let me set downe what Ierome his iudgement is of them in these wordes What greater rashnesse can there be then for a man to chalenge to himselfe not onely to be like but to be all one with God which poyson hath issued from the impure fountaine of the Philosophers and especially Pythagoras and Zeno who affirmed that those which the Graecians call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we passions as griefe hope fear ioy
Psalme to all men in his tâ—… 〈◊〉 â—…red out of dangers O that we would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnesse Psal 107.5 and declare abroad the workes that he doth for vs most sinfull men Further in that he healed this man which had been possessed with a lamenes or numnes so long a space as thirtie eight yeeres in his whole body appeareth the exceeding great power of almightie God for in that the disease was vniuersall ouer the whole body and besides had continued so long till he was old The power of the Lord set forth there is no rule in phisicke that euer could giue him any hope of recouerie yet herein note the vnspeakable power of the Lorde that by speaking a word or two he healed him perfectly in mans hope past healing By the like power hee healed the woman of the bloodie issue Luk. 8.42 who had spent all her substance vpon Phisitions and could not be healed By this power he healed the woman who had a spirit of infirmitie eighteene yeres and was bowed together Ioh. 11.43 44. Mar. 7.32 and 9.26 Matth. 11.5 24.36 Mar. 1.42 Ioh. 6. Matth. 14.19 By this power hee raised Lazarus from death to life who had lien in his graue foure daies By this power he made the deaffe to heare the dumbe to speake the lame to go and clensed the leper By this power hee fed fiue thousand with fiue barly loaues and two fishes I may in like sort speake of this mightie and exceeding great power towards all those that are translated and deliuered out of the kingdome of darknesse and Satan into the kingdome and cleere light of the Gospell of Iesus Christ What a great power of the Lord was it Act. 9.1.20 that persecuting Saul was healed of his sinne made zealous Paul preaching Christ Iesus and him crucified What a great power was it that Mary Magdalene in whoÌ„ raigned dwelled 7. The true conuersion of a sinner manifesteth Gods power Luk. 7.37.38 c. diuels was cleaÌ„sed made whole and a woman euer after to weepe for her sins and to wash Christ his feet with her teares But greater was the manifestation of his power wheÌ„ he healed the man which had a legion of diuels in him And at this day may euery true conuert say oh the exceeding greatnes of Gods power towards me poore wretch who being vnder the bondage of sinne and thereby the bondslaue of Satan all the power that was in me or that I was able to make could neuer make me free from that thraldome till that the exceeding power of GOD by the sounding ministerie of his word cryed vnto me Awake thou that sleepest Ephes 5.14 and stand vp from the dead and Christ shall giue thee light Such a miraculous power and a powerfull miracle is the raising vp of a sinner from his snorting in iniquitie to walke and runne the race of a Christian Moreouer Note his mercie as we note his power in healing him of such a long continuing sicknesse so note wee his compassionate mercie in hauing a feeling and before touched with our infirmities We haue an high Priest Heb. 4.15 who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all things tempted in like sort as we are sinne only excepted This his compassion and mercie made him to weepe ouer Ierusalem Luk. 19.41 viewing their great sins and his fathers wrath readie to fall vpon them for the same It made him pitie the great multitude of people that came pressing vpon him when hee saw them as sheepe without a shepheard It made him to sigh and groane at the hardnes of the peoples hearts yea so forcible and plentifull was it in him that hee neuer denyed helpe to the miserable comfort to the comfortlesse nor heaueÌ„ly counsell to them that carefully sought for it His loue to vs for our saluatioÌ„ is as large as the East is from the West Psal 103.12.13 and the North from the South as great and greater then the loue the father hath to his sonne or the mother to the babe sucking her breasts for that hee euen spreadeth out both his armes of mercie readie to embrace euery sinner truly turning vnto him and clocketh vs vnto him by his liberall mercies Matth. 23.37 Deut. 32.11 12 13. euen as the hen gathereth her chickens vnder her wings Yea this one thing doth greatly extoll the largenes of his loue and fauour in that he extendeth it to vs without any of our merits or deserts For he loued his owne before euer the foundation of the world was laid Rom. 9.23 ere euer Iacob had done good or euill he loued him and hated Esau The Apostle Paul saith Rom. 10.12 He that is Lord ouer all is rich vnto all that call vpon him Rich he is in power able to helpe rich he is in mercie most willing and readie to heare all those that call on him faithfully I should be endlesse if I should repeate the proofes of this great loue mercie of God The loue of God to vs in his son Christ is endlesse in and by his Sonne Christ Iesus But because his loue to vs is endlesse I wil here end the speaking of it with that admiration wherewith the Apostle Paul endeth his speech of Gods election and reprobation O the deepnes of the riches both of the power and mercies of God Rom. 11.33 how infinit is the one and the other not able sufficiently to be expressed by the tongue or penne of any man Our dutie hence Our dutie hence that we must learne is regeneration and true repentance otherwise wee shall treasure and hoord vp wrath and clowdes of witnesses against the day of wrath and declaration of the iust iudgement of God Rom. 2.3.4 Seeing the bountifulnes of God ought to leade vs to repentance The comfort we may hence reape is great The comfort Art thou sicke art thou afflicted art thou pressed downe with the sight of thy sinnes criest thou after Christ and desirest with blind Bartimeus to be healed of thy infirmitie No sore to the Christian but Christ will serue it then continue thy crying labour that thy sighs and groanes may be increased yea if it were possible euen to pearce into the heauens And though thou findest not present remedie dispayre not consider Gods power is able to raise thee vp when thou art fallen consider also his mercie to bee such that although the wife play the harlot and her husband giue her a bill of diuorcement hee will neuer receiue her againe yet saith our gratious and mercifull God vnto our sick soules turne again thou disobedient man whosoeuer thou bee and though thou hast committed whoredom with thy louers Ierem. 3.2 3 4. yet will I receiue thee into my fauour againe And thus much for the second circumstance to bee considered in healing of the man vz. how long hee had beene
our soules for healing our sicknesses the good Samaritane to bind vp our wounds the euerlasting high Priest for bearing our infirmities euen Iesus Christ the righteous that thereby our sinnes the originall of our sicknesses may be blotted out and cleane clensed and from Christ we may heare this comfortable voyce Arise and walke c. Be whole for thy sins are forgiuen thee My beloued in the Lord No sounde course but this to saue vs from perishing except this through course be taken neuer looke for sauing sound and continuing health but euen with Gehezi to die a leprous man Now as I haue spoken of particular men for particular sinnes diuersly diseased so may I speake of whole countries kingdomes and places who for sin and iniquitie haue been plagued Some with sudden destructiō Genes 19. as Sodom Gomor Some with captiuitie as the Israelites vnder the Babylonians 2. Chro. 36. Some with hauing the godly wise and aged Counsellors taken from thē as Esay threatneth the Iewes Esay 8.1.2.3.4 1. King 20. 2. King 6.19 2. King 17.29 Some with death and famine as was Samaria and Ierusalem and as this our nation of late and some with the disease of the pestilence burning ague and bloody issues as this our owne land first not long since in the South parts We haue felt the same and now these two yeres last past in our Northerne parts And seeing it hath been proued that these corrections and punishments flow from our owne disobedience and wilfull rebellion From whence these punishments flowe therefore if euer the effect wee desire to haue remoued let vs first take away the cause which is our sinnes Sublata causa tollitur effectus and assure our selues the effect will cease which is Gods fearefull punishments Doctrine These proofes examples and vses being thus laid downe this doctrine following shall bee the conclusion of it vz. what euill soeuer wee suffer either in body or minde we may impute it to our sinnes Psal 38.5 as the originall and first occasion thereof whereupon may bee gathered a second doctrine Caluin in Ioh. cap. 5. vers 14. Non sunt fortunae hominum calamitates sed totidem sunt castigatoriae ferulae Our sicknesses diseases or griefes bee they inward or outward proceed not from fortune or by chance Amos. 3.6 but by the foredecreed counsell of the highest that they may bee as so many checkes vnto the pride of our sinnes the truth hereof being granted there ensueth an exceeding comfort to the conscience A comfort carefull of Gods seruice vz. that our heauenly father taketh no delight nor pleasure in punishing vs and therefore doth hee neuer seuerely scourge vs Calu. ibid. but whē he is highly offended by our transgressions and perforce vrged to change mercie into iudgement The Lord is haled on to iudgement by our sinnes his louing countenance into seuere corrections And thus much generally haue I set downe and proued the cause and originall of sicknesse sorrowes troubles and death itself in all men liuing vpon the face of the earth as they are Adams branches and posteritie Now least the godly man for conscience sake persecuted or for his further triall of the Lord afflicted should be too much dismaied and thinke his persecutions were but iust plagues for sinne and his crosses no comforts contrary to the sweete promises of the Gospel in that behalfe How and for what end afflictions are laid vpon the godly therefore let vs search how and in what sort they are laid vpon the godly The nature and condition of all troubles both of body and minde in respect of their first originall are qualified to the children of God and true Christians not by any dignitie or desert at all of their owne but as Elisha healed the bitter and venemous waters by casting salt into them Note well so the bitter and intolerable sting of death the bitter and vnsauorie sicknesses and diseases both of our bodies and our soules are healed the nature of them changed the poyson remoued by the sauourie salt of Christ his blood yea all sicke halt lame and withered men haue their griefes eased by the troubled persecuted scorned scoffed and crucified body of our Lord Iesus Christ as this sick man was healed in his body by troubling the cleere water Christ his blood shedding being in iudgement of wicked men as vnlikely to worke vs any good as salt to make fruitfull or muddy water to make a lame man whole In this Christ Iesus our debt for sinne is discharged and vpon his crosse is the obligation of ordinances that was against vs fastned Reuel 3.18 and he is the very purgation that cleanseth the sauing eye-salue that giueth light Matth. 3.17 Collos 1.13 2. Pet. 1.17 and the wel-beloued sonne of God by whom our cries are conueied to his father in whom he receiueth and heareth our plaints and for vvhose sake wee enioy all the blessednes and good things that euer we haue Christ wholy altered the nature of afflictions to his owne Church Now therefore in this Christ our alone Sauiour sicknesse to his faithfull members is as comfortable as health affliction as sweete as peace aduersitie as acceptable as prosperitie death as welcome as life the graue as a most sweete perfumed chamber for the bodies of the Saints to lie in for they can with S. Paul say Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus It makes them not feare death but rather in Gods appointed time desire it in seeing the miseries of this present life and by a liuely faith soaring vp into the vnspeakable ioyes of the life to come And therefore they say with Paul We know that if this earthly tabernacle of ours be dissolued 2. Cor. 5.1 we haue a building giuen of God not made with hands but eternall in the heauens And Christ Iesus whether wee liue or die is vnto vs both in life and death aduantage yea we seeing that while we liue 1. Thess 5.10 Phil. 1.21 we are naked in this world we sigh desiring to be clothed with our house which is from heauē And seeing while we are here iournying vpon the earth wee are absent from our head and husband therefore we desire to be dissolued Philip. 1.23 and to be with our husband Sauiour which is best of all And finally seeing there is nothing in this world but corruption Eccles 1.1.2 alteration and vanitie we waite we looke and long for the day of our refreshing when we may foreuer lift vp our heads meete our elder brother in the clowdes and receiue the incorruptible crowne of glorie laid vp in store for all the Lords elect ere euer the foundations of the world were laid Thus Gods children may reioyce when the wicked shall howle and weepe they shall bee satisfied as it were with marrow and fatnesse yea euen when they seeme to be
make him returne from the water with Naaman and come to offer the rich and precious gift of his whole heart to the Lord as an acceptable sacrifice wherewith hee in mercie is euer well pleased The like course if euery one of vs would take after our great and marueilous deliuerances euen with the Ruler Ioh. 4.52.53 whose sonne Christ had healed being at the point to dye to enter into a serious and through search This particular course is meete for all of vs the more to moue vs to thankfulnes of the very particular circumstances of the daunger wherein we were and the deliuerāce thereout in Gods mercie it could not but vrge the efficacie of this point wonderfull much Sinne no more And first I will by some examples and proofes out of the Scriptures shew how from time to time the godly being deliuered out of any dangers either spirituall or corporal the Lord hath required and they willingly haue acknowledged some speciall dutie therefore Moses with the Israelites hauing enioyed the great and memorable mercies of the Lord in ouerthrowing Pharaoh and deliuering them from him letting them goe through the red sea as on drie land doe present y ioyne all together with hart and voyce to praise the Lord Moses beginning and they all following in the heauenly melodie of thanksgiuing thus I will sing vnto the Lord Exod. 15.1 for he hath triumphed gloriously the horse and him that rode vpon him hath he ouerthrowne in the Sea Vers 4. The deliuerance Pharaohs charets and his hoste hath he cast into the Sea his chosen captains also were drowned in the red Sea Therfore as his dutie he acknowledgeth saith Ver. 2. The duetie The Lord is my strength and my praise and he is become my saluation He is my God and I will prepare him a tabernacle He is my fathers God and I will exalt him Iudg. 5. Ver. 27. The Lord hauing giuen Deborah and Barak a triumphant victorie ouer their cruel enemie Sisera Deborah thereupon reasoneth of the miracle in her song and resolueth of performing a most excellent dutie as thus They that remaine The deliuerance haue dominion ouer the mightie the Lorde hath giuen me dominion ouer the strong Ver. 13. He meaning Sisera bowed downe at her feete he fell downe and lay still at her feete he bowed him downe and fell and when he had sunke downe he lay there dead Therefore as our dutie Vers 2.3 The duetie Praise ye the Lord for auenging of Israel for the people that offered themselues willingly Vers 12. J will sing vnto the Lord I will sing praises vnto the Lord our God Vp Deborah vp arise and sing a song arise Darak and loade thy captiuitie captiue thou sonne of Abinoam Psal 107. The deliuerance Dauid rehearsing in the 107. Psalme many and great deliuerances as first of dispersed strangers and their miserie vers 3.4.5.6.7 deliuerance out of captiuitie and prison vers 10.11.12.13.14 and lastly the deliuerance of poore tossed shipmen from the dangers of the seas vers 25.26.27.28.29.30 addeth the dutie of all such as are deliuered therefrom thus Ver. 8.15.21.31 The duetie O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnesse and declare the wonders that he doth for the sonnes of men In the 105. Psalme Dauid from the beginning thereof vnto the latter end thereof Psal 105. The deliuerance is wholly occupied in expressing Gods miraculous and merciful power in protecting Israel from Abrahams time when they were but a few in number and strangers in the land till such time as by a mightie hande and out-stretched arme he brought them into the pleasant land of Canaan And in the last verse he noteth what vse they must make of so many mercies and what dutie diligently they must walke in for Gods fauourable dealing with them thus That they might keepe his statutes and obserue his lawes Praise ye the Lord. Ver. 45. The duetie Many moe proofes I might alleadge out of the word of God for corporall deliuerances bestowed vpō the Church from time to time and what must be the duty of such deliuerances but these may suffice for the plaine proofe of outwarde deliuerances and their duties Of spirituall deliuerances The deliuerance Luke 1.74 Vers 77. Vers 79. Now of spirituall deliuerances and their duties Being deliuered out of the hands of our enemies knowledge of saluation giuen vnto vs by remission of our sins in Iesus Christ light giuen to vs that sit in darknes and in the shadow of death and guiding our feete into the way of peace must of necessitie in the partakers of this deliuerance bring forth this duty euen to serue the Lord without feare Vers 74.75 The dutie in holines and righteousnes all the daies of our life The Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Romanes Rom. 13.12 The deliuerance noteth a great deliuerance in a fewe words The night is past and being so neuer forget the dutie which followeth therefore let vs cast away the workes of darknes Vers 13.14 The dutie and put vpon vs the armour of light hereafter to walke honestly as in the day time not in gluttonie and drunkennes chambering and wantonnes strife and enuying but put yee on the Lorde Iesus Christ 1. Cor. 6.20 The deliuerance The dutie Vers 20. Paul telleth the Corinthians of a great deliuerance thus Ye are bought with a price and therefore your dutie is to glorifie God both in your soules bodies for they are the Lords And againe Seeing ye are so dearely bought and purchased with such a pretious pearle therfore be not the seruants of men 1. Cor. 7.23 1. Pet. 2.18.19 The deliuerance Peter speaketh of a most comfortable deliuerance Yee know that yee were not redeemed with corruptible things as siluer and gold from your vaine conuersation but with the pretious blood of Iesus Christ as of a lambe vndefiled and without spot And therefore seeing the purchasing of our saluation was a matter of such difficultie for siluer and gold could not doe it a matter of such necessitie for the diuell ruled ouer vs as a cruell tyrant a purchase at such a high rate and the matter of it of such a pretious valuation for it was the blood of Christ being most pretious and the lambe of God vndefiled and without spot 1. Pet. 1.17 The dutie all Christians duties therefore it is that are partakers hereof euen hereafter to passe their time and spend the daies of their dwelling here on earth in Gods most holy feare Now out of all these testimonies and examples which haue hetherto beene alleadged concerning Christians duties for deliuerances either spirituall or corporall may further very fitly bee gathered what is the end of the grace and fauour of God towards vs in The end of Gods mercies towards vs. by and through his sonne Christ Iesus euen thus Vt Deo reconciliatus
Happie are we if we heare aright thy law thy lore and eke thy praise will wee beare obey extoll and magnifie all the daies of our life being here on the earth This if we doe then happy shall we be stand fast for aye and a parcel of the Lords vineyard beloued for euer but if we doe not but delay the time of our repentance as we haue done oh alas I must and will tell you what he will then doe vnto vs sinfull wicked and carelesse contemners of his graces euen take away his hedge from vs breake downe his wall lay vs waste A fearfull afterclap and neither plant prime cut nor digge vs any more and then marke what wofull sequell thereupon shall follow we shall be troden downe eaten vp and destroyed by the wilde bore out of the forrest and no good shal then grow amongst vs but brambles and bryers tokens of his wrath as in Adma and Zeboim Againe as this exhortation serueth to the man that neuer tasted of repentance before that now without delay hee turne vnto the Lord cease from his sinne and bring foorth fruites worthy amendment of life so likewise it may serue and bee in place of a louing and pithie exhortation to the protestant It serueth as an exhortation to all protestants of our countrie Ioh. 11. Marke our happy case on Gods behalfe Ephes 2. and professor of Christianitie in these our daies whose case on Gods behalfe is like to Mary Magdalens out of whom went seuen diuels like to Lazarus who was raised from death to life after foure daies rotting in his graue like to the Ephesians quickened raised vp made new and brought to sit in heauenly places by the blood of Christ from aliants and strangers to the commoÌ„-wealth of Israel without hope without God in the world yea of forreners and strangers made citizens with the Saints and of the househâ—â—d of faith And to conclude on Gods behalfe like to the vntoward and trewantlike schollers of whom the author to the Hebrues maketh mention who were lightened tasted of the heauenly gift Heb. 6.3.4.5.6.7 and were made partakers of the Holy-ghost casted of the good word of God and of the power of the world to come The professors I say on Gods behalfe being in as happie a case as Magdalen grace offered from God the father by his sonne Christ to dispell and driue backe Satan and dispossesse them of many diuels as comfortable a case as Lazarus was in called by the sounding ministerie of Gods word out of the pit and graue of their sinnes where they haue not laine almost foure daies as Lazarus but by an inueterate custome of sinne all their daies rotting therein yet at last made to heare this powerfull voyce Awake thou that sleepest and stand vp from the dead c. And to conclude of no people made a beloued people of aliants from the common wealth of Israel made owners and heires thereof by grace and of seruants by nature made sonnes vnto God by adoption in Christ Iesus But these professors of the Gospell so gratious on Gods behalfe who hath layd out himselfe and his mercies wholly in his sonne Christ vnto them all yet in regard of themselues and the courses of their liues not vnlike the foolish Galathians Gal. 3.1 who did for a time run well but in the end obeyed not the trueth loued their Apostle so dearely Gal. 4.15 that they would haue plucked their eyes out of their heads to haue done him good yet after a time harkening to false Apostles they accounted him their vtter enemie Vers 16. be cause hee told them the trueth These at the first publishing of the Gospell were very feruent accompting it sweete but after some trials for the same laid vpoÌ„ them they fainted adiudging themselues vnable to vndergoe the burthen And to conclude though they begun in the spirite yet Paul was afraid of them that they would altogether end in the flesh Yea fitly may many of our Christians at this day be compared with the protestants against whom Peter wrote who promised vnto others libertie 2. Pet. 2.20 and yet were themselues the seruants of corruption who after they had escaped from the filthines of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and of the Sauiour Iesus Christ were yet againe tangled therein And to conclude as I compared them to the Ephesians before in regarde of the multitude of Gods mercies offered them so now may I againe fitly resemble them to the same Ephesians but not in the same sense as before being now comparable with them for carelesnes Apocal. 2.4 coldnes and luke-warmenes in Gods seruice For vnto the Ephesians Angell or pastor Iohn the Diuine was coÌ„manded to write diuers things amongst which this for one that the Ephesians had forsaken their first loue Thus then the case going with vs all that professe the Gospell so happily so comfortably on Gods behalfe euen raised vp to sit in spirituall places with Christ Iesus and so dangerously and so doubtfully on our own parts amongst many in regarde of their sensuall carnall and carelesse cariage of themselues in the middest of a sinfull and crooked generation this dutie of the sicke mans deliuerance laid downe and described in our text here by Christ may serue very fitly for vs all and be continually applied of euery one of vs and stil sounding in our eares as though Christ were calling vpon or conferring with vs saying Behold thou art made whole sinne no more Ye that were dead in your sins hath Christ quickened Marke well ô my brethren ye that were strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that was in you because of the hardnes of your hearts hath he illuminated and opened the eyes of your vnderstanding that ye may see and discerne of things that differ one from another Yea vnto you all that professe the Gospell let me speake Behold beho d ye that were deaffe doe heare Blessed bee God for it ye that were lame doe goe ye that were dumbe doe speake ye that were leprous are clensed and ye poore soules whom Satan once ouerruled keeping you in darknes poperie superstition to you to you I say is the Gospell preached the happy newes of saluation sent and the kingdome and glorious throne of Christ Iesus erected amongst you But me thinke I heare some say that the man to whom these wordes were first vttered by Christ The secure reasoning of many had cause and great cause to put in practise this holesome counsell for hee was made whole not onely in soule and the parts thereof but also in his body when he neuer expected any recouerie but as for vs or as for me although the spirituall blessings wee feele and perceiue yet for bodily healing or preseruing from dangers wherein can wee finde it O my beloued behold further and ye shall see what mercies the Lorde hath magnified towards you in regard of