Can any thing be more plaine then this do you not marke the reason Such as will not heare the Lord calling so earnestly to them offring so great kindnes he will not regard nor heare them when in their distresse they shall cry vnto him In the 28. chapter of the Prou. ver 9. it is written He that turneth away his earâ— fâ—â— hearing the lawe euen his prayer shall be abominable Is not this a most fearefull thing Is not thiâ— the same also in effect with that which is heeâ—â— spoken of Esau Then the doctrine is generall Let euery man then take heed to it God doesâ— now offer vnto vs grace hee hath sent vnto vs the word of reconciliation he openeth vnto vs the heauens calleth vs with an holy calling then take heede wee be not so prophane aâ—â—o set light by it for if we doe it may be that we shall afterwardes seeke it with teares and yet misse thereof Men cannot beleeue this therfore they liue dissolutely trusting that at their end they shall call to God for grace and so obtaine pardon O poore wretches if their prayer it selfe then be abominable wher is their help what shall become of them I pray you le◠〈◊〉 repeat it againe The Lord God doth call vpon men to turne vnto him from their wicked and sinfull wayes he promiseth to become their father as it is written in the Prophet and alleadged by the Apostle 2. Cor. 6. ver 17.18 Therefore come out froÌ„ among them saith the Lord and separate your selues and touch no vncleaâ— thing and I will receiue you and I wil be you father and you shall be my sonnes and daughters saith the Lord God almighty and beeing sonnes they bee the heyres of God and fellow heires with Christ Rom. 8. Nowe while this dignitie and glory is propounded and set before them men prophanelie dispise the same they doe more esteeme a messe of pottage they satisfie their vaine lustes and carnall appetites they haue all threatnings in derision they will repent and cal for grace when age or sicknes shall take holde of them they hope to do euen as well then as the godliest of them all that liue vpon the earth Thus with Esau they fall to their pottage what care they for the birth-right Well sicknes comes terror of conscience ariseth from the sight remembrance of their sins in which they haue walked they must now come before the high Iudge they wish now that they had neuer committed such abominable and filthy vices where is their refuge onely in prayer They cry out with feare with horror and with teares And where are they then if this their prayer be abominable to God Ye see the place which I alleaged Prou. 28. Which telleth vs so They crie and call now vnto Christ and he doth mocke them and laugh at their destruction as he saith hee will Prou. 1. Doe you not see now what a wofull case these prophane men are in which now dispise the grace of God that the prayer and the repentance which they trust vnto is abominable This is hard will some man say For doe not they esteeme highly of Gods blessings which weepe and crie to haue it Againe doth not the Scripture teach that God will forgiue at what time soeuer a sinner doth repent hiâ—â— of his sinne Shall we say that they doe not repent which crie with teares to GOD for mercie To this I answere that Esau woulde faine haue had the blessing at the last but that doth not argue but that he was prophane Who is iâ— that woulde not willingly be saued Or who 〈◊〉 so prophane but that he would bee glad to escape from the damnation of hell And touching their crying with teares it is not true repentance no more then that in Esau He wepâ— not for any detestation of his prophanesse bâ—â— because he had lost the blessing Euen so these doe weepe and crie out not that they loath and hate the sinne by which they haue dishonoured GOD and defiled themselues but because their conscience doeth terrifie them with the losse of heauen and with thâ— feare and horror of hell O beloued learne to knowe true repentance least we bee seduced and caried awrie to destruction It will bee obiected further that the holy Scriptures doe testifie how some haue repented at their ende and haue beene saued as for example the theefe vppon the crosse And Christ in the Parable of the man that hired labourers into his Vineyarde doeth teach that some come at the eleauenth hower Most true it is that God alwayes hath and doth conuert some euen towarde the ende of their life when as they haue spent a long time in wickednesse for thereby the Lorde doth declare the riches of his mercie drawing men euen out of hell which of themselues would neuer haue returned But shall euerie man therefore presume that God will doe the same to him He doth open the eyes of some giuing them faith and repentance which haue liued in blindnesse and ignoraunce al their life will he therefore heare thee which hast for a great part of thy life yea it may bee euen from thine infancie beene taught and hast dispised the grace of GOD boldning thy selfe in sinfull wayes and saying thou wilt cal for mercie and pardon at thine ende Yea thou sayest that thou hast knowne many which haue liued verie wickedly which haue made as good an ende as the godliest calling euen to their last breath for mercie and for pardon Well Esau trust not to such kinde of repentance thinke not that such must needs be saued because they weepe and cry for pardon but heare what Christ hath spoken Maâ—â—â—e the seauenth Not euerie one that sayth vnto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but hee that doth the will of my 〈◊〉 which is in heauen Turne turne and doe the will of God while thou hast time 〈◊〉 godly life that so thou mayest maâ—e a godly and a happie ende Let vs call vpon God for this wisedome and grace The end of the third Sermon THE FOVRTH Sermon Romanes 6. 1 What shall we saye then shall we continue still in sin that grace may abound God forbid 2 How shall we that are dead to sin yet liue therein 3 Know yee not that all we which haue beene baptized into Iesus Christ haue beene baptised into his death 4 We are buried then with him by baptisme into his death that like as Christ was raised vp from the dead by the glorie of the Father so we should walke in newnesse of life 5 For if we bee grafted with him to the similitude of his death euen so shall we be to the similitude of his resurrection 6 Knowing this that our olde man is crucified with him that the body of sinne might bee destroyed that henceforth we should not serue sinne 7 For he that is dead is freed from sinne 8 Wherefore if we be dead with Christ we belieue that we shall
◠verse 8. Sinne there is called the workes of the deuill which the sonne of God was made manifest to loose that is to dissolue to breake and so vtterly to destroy Marke well then Christ died to slay sinne hee had none of his owne to slay And thereupon it must needes follow that his death is to slay the sinnes of those which be ingrafted into him This is it that Saint Paule sayth wee are baptized into his death that is wee are baptized into Christ crucified that the power of his death may be in vs to crucifie and to slay our sinne He the◠that hath not the bare signe alone in baptisme but the very efficacie of the grace represented must needes without all controuersie be dead vnto sinne And therefore S. Paul doth insinuate how grosly blind they are euē in the principles of the Christiā religion in the doctrine of baptisme which suppose that a man can be a true Christian and yet continue in sinne Do ye not know saith he as if he should say It is a strange thing if ye knowe not this that all which haue bene baptized into Christ Iesus haue bene baptized into his death Know ye not that they which doe die with Christ doe die vnto sinne how then can they liue vnto sinne or how can 〈◊〉 be a true Christian that continueth still in sinne S. Paule as I said did propound this as a strange matter that any should be found so ignorant and blind as not to know that all which are baptised into Christ Iesus are baptized into his death and so haue sinne slaine in them are become dead to sinne and therefore cannot any longer liue therein But in our dayes it is no wonder for the most which glory in their baptisme vnderstand as much as a blocke what the doctrine of Baptisme is for if they did would they continue still in so many wicked abominable vices and yet imagine that they be true Christians What know they that euery true Christian is baptized into the death of Christ and that the power of his death is to slay sinne in them Can they be both aliue to sinne and dead to sinne Thus wee see that the first argument of the Apostle but he doth open it more at large in the wordes that follow because it is so necessarie a matter for all men to be well taught and instructed in It is the new birth figured by baptisme of which the Apostle maketh three partes the one from the death of Christ an other from his buriall the thirde from his resurrection We are buried with him by Baptisme saith hee into his death that like as Christ was raised vp from the dead by the glory of the father so we shuld walk in newnes of life you se◠it plainely here expressed that in our baptisme these three things are represented namely that we die with Christ that wee are buried with Christ and that wee rise with Christ Howe i◠this to be taken Thus. The death of Christ vnto which we are baptised doth slay sinne which is called our olde man this is the first step for vntill sinne be slaine in vs we can not liue vnto righteousnesse And there is nothing of power to kill sinne but the death of Christ The second steppe is buriall for when a body is dead it doth by little and little rotte and consume away in the graue Euen so our olde man or sinne hauing receiued a deadly wound by the death of Christ remaineth still as a deade carkasse in those which bee in Christ and by the vertue of Christes buriall doth euen as it were by little little too rotte and consume This is certaine that whosoeuer is in Christ crucified and so the power of Christs death in him sinne is slaine in him yet sinne is not by and by vtterly abolished but remaineth in him and by the vertue of Christs buriall is consumed Wee may not think then that so soone as euer a man is in Christ that sin is vtterly abolished in him but in continuance of time it diminisheth and doth become lesse and lesse What then if a man haue sinne as strong in him this yeare as he had the last yeare the last yeare as strong as ten yeares past Will not any man saye that the burial of Christ hath not takē effect in him Shal a dead body being buried rotte and consume nothing at all in so long time Wel if ther be no power of his burial there hath beene no power of his death the body of sinne is still aliue and not slaine for a body doth not consume so long as it is aliue If it last surely it is aliue and thereby we may bee sure that hee in whome sinne is not diminished is not partaker of the buriall of Christ and then is hee also not partaker of his death for they goe inseperably together wherefore S. Paul saith We are buried with him by baptisme into his death Such a man then as doth continue in sinne hath receiued onely the outward signe in baptisme but not the power of Christ crucified Let all men beware of this for if they haue but the external signe that they are buried with Christ by baptisme into his death and the power of his death and buriall be not in them to slay and to consume the body of sinne they be as far off from the benefites of Christ as either Iew or Turke And now touching the third part of our newe birth which is the walking in newnesse of life this followeth from the resurrection of Christ As Christ saith hee was raysed vp from the dead by the glory of the father so wee should walke in newnes of life Heere needeth some exposition to make this plaine When he saith Christ was raysed from the dead by the glorie of the Father we may take it that the glorious power of God did rayse him vp and that GOD was grorified by his resurrection all which is true but not the thing which S. Paul here meaneth The Greeke preposition which is translated by may as it is sometimes vsed be translated into or vnto Thus it is Christ before his passion tooke vpon him the shape of a seruant hauing as S. Paul saith Phil. 2. Emptied himselfe of the high glorie being in the shape of GOD when hee thought it no robberie to be equall with God and then hee had taken vpon him all our infirmities sinne onely excepted Hee was subiect vnto hunger to thirst to wearinesse and such like But when he rose from the dead all these things are left behinde and he entreth into the glorie of the father euen into the glorious and heauenly life of the Father and we being baptized into him and dying with him must needs also bee raysed vp with him into that heauenly life of God which hee expresseth by walking in newnesse of life Thus it is if Christ dyed for to slay sinne and then roase vp from the deade into that
to coÌ„demne vs. Seeing then that as by the disobedieÌ„ce of Adam many were made sinners so by the obedience of Christ many are made righteous Why came the lawe To this Saint Paul answereth that the lawe entred that sinne might abounde but where sinne abounded there grace hath superabounded The greater the sinne was the more plenteous was the grace of God in Christ in taking it away That as sinne had raigned vnto death so grace should raigne through righteousnes vnto life eternall by Iesus Christ Then the more that sinne abounded the greater is the riches of the grace of God in Christ that doth pardon it and so the greater is the praise and glorie of God All this is true Now hereupon the wisedome of the flesh doth argue thus If the more the sinne be increased the greater is the glorie of God in pardoning it then is it good for those which beleeue in Christe to continue still in sinne to commit all abundance of sinne that so God may haue the greater glorie This is a pleasant doctrine to mans corrupt nature and much followed in all places for albeit you shall not heare many vse the same words which S. Paule setteth downe to bolden themselues to continue in sinne yet marke iâ— well and you shall perceiue that there is the same reason in effect Great multitudes as you knowe doe professe Christ and they say they looke to haue all their sinnes forgiuen only be his death and bloudshedding Look vpon then liues and you shall finde that the greatest paâ—â— are eueÌ„ ouerwhelmed and lie as it were drowned in all manner of vncleane and abominable vices Deale particularly with any one and say but thus vnto him These foule sinnes which you continue in and daylie commit are such as God doeth threaten vengeance against will he not answere I know they be grieuous sins but I hope to haue them al forgiueÌ„ me through the bloud of Iesus Christ yea are there not many which will say I hope I shall call for mercie and pardon at the last This is the doctrine of the holy Ghost the grace of God which bringeth saluation hath appeared vnto all men teaching vs to denie vngodlines worldly lustes and to liue soberly iustly and godly in this present world Tit. 2. ver 11.12 Behold how contrary to the doctrine of GOD such men be He saith that the grace giueÌ„ vs in Christ doth teach vs to deny all wicked waies and to liue a godly â—â—fer and they say because there is pardon in Christ we will continue still in our wickednes and â—all for mercy at the last Al such men doth the holy Apostle heere quite cut downe proâ—â—â—g indeed that they haue no part in Christ they doe but deceiue themselues Also he doth heere meete with the Papistes which are enimies to the crosse of Christ and can by no meanes indure to heare that we haue our iustification only in Christ but they will haue mens owne good works and merites to iustifie them before God And thus they cry out against vs you open a gappe vnto all loosenes and licentiousnes of life you destroy all zeale and care of good works when you teach that men are iustified onely by faith in Christ for if a man shall haue all his sinnes forgiuen by the grace of Christ what wil he eare what sinnes he commit Also if a man shall be made righteous only by grace in Christ and not by his own good deedes who will care to doe anie This also I say doth S. Paul here meete withal shewing and proouing by strong reasons that all they which haue a true faith in Christ and so haue al their sinnes forgiuen by his bloude and haue also his obedience imputed vnto them and be fully iustified cannot but liue a godly life Iustification in Christ and true sanctification cannot be parted asunder first therefore propounding the question Shall we continue still in sâ—â—â— that grace may abound he reiecteth it with detestation saying God forbid as if he should say It is a thinge that ought not to enter into our thoughts And then he propoundeth the first reason in these words How shall we that are dead to sinne yet liue therein This is a principle in the light of natural reason so that if a man haue not lost the common vnderstanding he cannot deny it We all doe know that contraries cannot be together in the same subiect at one time in the same part and in the same respect but the one necessarily doth exclude the other and if the one be it is vnpossible that the other should also be And that is the cause why S. Paule saith How can we which are dead to sinne yet liue therein As much as to say it is vnpossible for to be aliue to sinne and to be dead to sinne at the same time which are so flat and perfect contraries cannot be He that is aliue is not dead and he that is dead is not aliue Thus now the matter standeth wee that is all true Christians are dead to sinne howe can wee then liue to sinne And so if it bee vnpossible for a man which is a right Christian and therefore dead to sinne yet to liue in it how should wee continue still in sinne that grace may abounde Well may some man say This is a cleare case that such contraries as these to be aliue and to be dead cannot stand together but how shall thâ—â— appeare that a true Christian of necessitie is dead to sinnâ— for S. Paule hath but affirmed that we are deâ—d to sinne and therefore in the 〈◊〉 words he proueth it for the death to sinne being proued the life to sinne is thereby of necessity excluded Knowe ye not sayth he that all wee which haue beene baptized into Iesus Christ haue beene baptized into his death Loe heere is his proofe and this is a plaine a strong and an inuincible demonstration that euery true christian is deade to sinne and so by consequence cannot possibly be aliue to sinne It is drawen from the vse of Baptisme or from that which Baptisme doth represent vnto vs. It representeth that we are ingrafted into Christ therefore he saith Knowe you not that wee which haue bene baptized into Iesus Christ Beeing then baptized into Christ the holie Baptisme doth represent vnto vs that wee are washed in his bloude and so haue the free remission of our sins but also that in him wee haue the new the spirituall and the heauenly birth Now the death of Christ is as it were the fountaine of this regeneration therefore the Apostle putteth vs in minde that wee are baptized into the death of Christ He that is baptized must remeÌ„ber that hee is baptized into Christ crucified and therefore into the death of Christ To what end then was the death of Christ Not onely to make satisfaction for sinnes but also to destroy and vtterly to abolish sâ—nne in his mistical bodie which is the Church 〈◊〉 Iohn
heauenly and glorious life then wee that die to sinne with him must needes be raised vp also with him into the partaking of that spirituall and heauenly life As the killing and burying of sinne is called the putting off the olde man so this rising with Christ vnto new of life is called the putting on of the new man This is to walke in true holynes Seeing all this is thus I pray you how can hee be a true Christian that doth continue in sinne Shall wee continue still in sinne that grace may abound You see it manifest that a true Christian is so farre off from continuing in sinne that contrariwise he doth walke in newnesse of life This Saint Paul doth further examplifie in the verses that follow namelie that all they which die with Christ vnto sinne must needes also rise with him vnto the partaking of the newe life and further that being once raised vp from the death of sinne into that life of righteousnes they neuer returne backe againe to liue vnto sinne Touching the former of these for to expresse it hee vseth a similitude taken from a plant If saith he we be grafted to the similitude of his death euen so shall wee be to the similitude of his resurrection Thus it is in the naturall plant as we also doe knowe that when the siences are grafted into a stocke and that is digged into the ground if the stocke die they die with it and if the stocke doe growe and spring vp they doe growe and spring vp with it Euen so the holie Apostle teacheth that a man being by faith grafted into Christ as he is grafted and doth grow to him by a mysticall and spirituall vnion to die with him that is as Christ died to slay sinne so he dyeth to sinne or sinne by the power of Christes death is slain in him likewise he is grafted vnto the similitude of his resurrection that is he receiueth the sappe of life from Christ as from the stocke into which he is grafted and so doth liue and grow vp by him Then you see by the doctrine of the holy Apostle that from the neere coniunction which the faithfull haue with Christ these two thinges goe inseperablie together the dying to sinne and the rising to the newe life euen the life of righteousnesse For how should a man be in Christ and seperate these As a man cannot haue iustification except hee be in Christ Iesus and if he be in him he must needes with it bee partaker of the grace and power of sanctification so also if he be partaker of the one parte of sanctification he can not be voide of the other If he be dead and buried with Christ he shall also rise with him Whereby this is manifest that where holie life appeareth not in a man there sinne is not slaine for where there is a death and a buriall of sinne there must needes be a resurrection vnto a new life All they then are in the bondage of their sinnes which are not by the resurrection of Christ quickned vnto a new life euen to walke in the vertues of him that calleth vs. What shall wee say vnto those also which will seeme to haue the latter without the former They would seeme to be verie riche and plenteous in good workes and so to liue vnto righteousnesse but looke vpon their life and examine it by the rules of the holie worde of God and you shall behodle great and grieuous vices that raigne in them As those other which make no shewe of good workes are awrie when they imagine that they haue parte in the death of Christ and yet they are not partakers of his resurrection because they haue no holy life so these are vtterly deceiued which will seeme to be risen with Christ vnto an holie life and yet were neuer dead and buryed with him In deede they cannot be raised vnto the life of righteousnesse vnlesse they haue first died vnto sinne Will they be grafted to the similitude of Christes resurrection and haue not bene grafted with him to the similitude of his death What then are all those good workes which they worke that together with those good workes doe mingle so many bad vices all their life long Surely their good deedes are euen such as the almes fasting and prayers of the Pharisies which Christ doth reproue Mat. 6. Take this for a most vndoubted truth that there is no holy life but from the vertue of Christs resurrection There is no partaking of the true life of God and consequently not of any action of that true life but from hence that a man be grafted with Christ to the similitude of his resurrection And therefore all the good deeds which men doe that haue not sin first slaine in them proceed but of vain-glory selfe-loue or from other such sinister respects What is it when a prophane dispiser of Gods word an horrible abuser of Gods name by swearing a couetous a proude and an hawty person or an idolater doth almes deeds The poore indeede are relieued by it but they doe not any thing that is good before God And now touching the words that follow Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sinne might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serue sinne for he that is dead is freed frō sinne This being so notable a matter touching our ingrafting into Christ and growing together with him to the similitude of his death and resurrectiō the Apostle doth yet lay it open further and so cōmeth to that other pointe which I noted of not returning backe again from the life of righteousnes to liue vnto sin But heere now the speeches which are vsed be very effectuall to expresse to open vnto vs this whole matter As the olde man crucified the bodie of sinne abolished and the seruice of sinne from which we are freed First what is it which hee calleth our old man This you must vnderstand or else you shall not attaine to the doctrine of the Apostle It is neyther the essence of our soule nor body which is called the old man but the corrupt qualities As also the new man is in the pure vncorrupted qualities as whē we are willed to put off the old man and to put on the new man it is a speech borrowed from the putting off and on of garments for the putting off the old man is as the putting off a most filthy garment the putting on the new man is as the putting on of a pure and clean garment Then further we must note why it is called a man our old man and that is because the filthy corruption hath by nature ouerspread all parts of man both within and without All the powers and faculties of the soule and all the partes of the body are defiled so that there is nothing pure in man as he is in himselfe by nature The power and dominion of sinne hath gotten the mastery ouer all that