well in respect that wee are raysed up with Christ as also in respect of that opinion which God hath of us giving unto us his holy spirit and of that which we haue of him endeavouring to make our selves very like to the Image of his onely begotten Son Iesus Christ our Lord. After that the Christian name began to hee honoured and glorious in the eyes of the world Kings and Emperours themselues being honoured thereby And after that Baptisme is given and communicated to them which doe not persevere in that first deliberation to iudge them selves dead unto the world albeit in baptisme the Christian name is taken and that in Baptisme a man doth promise and make profession to imitate Christ in as much as he died unto the world and liues to God For although in the eyes of the world it be an honourable thing to take the Christian name and to make the Christian profession it is a dishonour to accomplish that which is promised to keep the profession Men commonly contenting themselues with taking that part with Christ which is now honourable that is the name and the profession care not to take that which is ignominious that is to dye unto the world nor that which the world neither sees nor understands that is to liue unto God And therefore that which S. Paul saith belongeth not unto them for they are neither dead with Christ nor are raised with Christ for none riseth but he who is dead I consider that it belongs to a Christian to the intent he may satisfie the name which he holds and obserue the profession which he hath made in his Baptisme to reduce himselfe to that deliberation to which men in the beginning of the manifestation of the Gospell did reduce themselves resolving themselves in this manner I am dead and buried as much as belongs to the world for when they baptized me they slew me and buried me I am raised up and liue towards God for when Christ died I was buried in Baptisme with Christ in his death I began to rise and to liue with Christ in his resurrection and in his life God killing the flesh of Christ on the Crosse killed mine and raising up Christ raised up me Now it being true that I am dead and buried it is necessary that in me there be no greater livelinesse of affections and appetites then in a man who truly and effectually is dead and buried And it being likewise true that I am raised and aliue it is needfull that all those affections and conceits should be aliue in me which are in a man who is truly and effectually raysed up He that liues with this deliberation and resolution will liue on his guard and watchfulnesse in such sort that when he shall know in himselfe any affection or any appetite which belongs to a man that liues to the world straight way he will labour to kill it saying this belongs not nor appertaines to me who am dead to the world And when he shall finde himselfe sollicited by any thing that is matter of honour and of worldly esteem or when he shall resent himselfe because the one or the other is taken from him hee will quickly provide remedy for the evill saying I know I liue not unto the world why then I ought not to pretend unto or to esteem that which the world esteems and if I liue unto God I ought not to pretend unto nor to esteem but only that which God pretends unto and esteems that is that I should esteem my selfe dead buried in respect of the world and that I should esteem my selfe raised up and liue unto God in such sort that I being dead and buried unto the world ought not to pretend unto the things of the world nor I ought not to resent myselfe when I am deprived of them and being raised up by God and living unto God I ought to pretend unto the things of God and to be grieved and to resent my selfe when I shall be deprived of them And the things of God which a Christian ought to pretend unto are the holy Spirit that may rule and govern him and which may maintain him in the possession of the kingdome of God in this present life as much as may be and in eternall life as it ought to be and this by Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. XX. That in the Infirmity Amendment and Health of the mind Men ought to govern themselues as in those of the body IN the Infirmity in the Amendment and in the Health of the minde I conceiue that those men which remaine in the kingdome of God ought to govern themselues as discreet men govern themselues in the Infirmities Amendment and Health of the body That which I would say is that as the discreet person that is sick in his body seekes discreet and experienced Physitians who by applying unto him his convenient medicines and giving him a right regiment doe cure him Even so he that finds himselfe sick in his minde ought to seek a spirituall and experimented Physitian or Physitians that may set him in the way of the knowledge of Christ that so becomming the member of Christ he may be healed of the Infirmity of his soule of which I understand all those are healed who being called of God doe belieue in Christ all others whosoever remain in their infirmity Furthermore I would say that the discreet person that is upon recovery of his bodily infirmity liues alwaies very attentiue and very wary of himselfe in all things being carefull not to eat any thing that may cause him to relapse nor to commit any excesse that may make him fall into the same inconveniency so hee who findes himselfe to haue any health of minde whilst he remaines upon his recovery ought to liue very attentiue to himselfe and very wary over himselfe in all things being carefull not to engage himselfe in any of those things which may cause him to relapse or loose any part of that health which he hath gotten being alwaies when ever he comes into conversation and in other affaires of the world attentiue and watchfull not to take any of those things that may doe him hurt even as he carries himself that is upon recovery in banquets and other occasions where he is afraid to erre in any thing that may spoyl his bodily health feigning that he eats and doth not eat and entertaining himselfe in such sort that hee hurts not his bodily health nor offends those that behold him Furthermore I would say that as he who having been sick and upon recovery although he finde himselfe well if he be a discreet man yet doth not suffer himselfe to be transported to eat things contrary to his body nor do any dammageable exercises although hee doâ—… not liue with that attention with which he lived when he was upon recovery being afraid to return unto the sicknesse from which he was cured so in like manner he that finds himselfe healed
because this is a thing most alienated from her own proper generation And besides this I understand that as in â—…ase a worme should come to understand in what manner a man is generated of another man and would make other wormes to understand it they would never be capable thereof it being a thing altogether alienated from their generation so supposing that some one man should come to understand the divine generation of the sonne of God and would make other men understand it they would never be able to understand because it is a thing most different from their generation And therefore extreme great is the rashnesse of men who with their naturall light only will understand this divine mystery and also great is that of them who will understand it being helped by the holy Scriptures in that language And hence it comes that albeit S. Iohn understood the divine generation of the sonne of God and would give it to understand to men they are not capable thereof not understanding that which according to S. Iohn the words signify with which he would declare it as it were to say what thing S. Iohn meant saying Logos oâ—… Verbum willing also to shew better the incapacity of humane intelligence in the divine generation of the sonne of God I thinke on this wise that if it be incapable of the spirituall regeneration of them who being incorporated by faith in the sonne of God come to be the sonnes of God by adoption how much more shall it be uncapable of the divine generation of the proper son of God Now the humane intelligence is uncapable of this spirituall regeneration all they who are regenerated know by experience knowing in themselves that they should never have understood this divine mystery if they had not experimented it and knowing also that although they labour to make them capable who are out of it they doe nothing at all as the worme also should doe nothing at all which having understood how the matter of humane generation goes would make other wormes capable thereof This selfe-same I understand by that discourse which S. Iohn tells that passed between Iesus Christ our Lord and the great Master of Israel called Nicodemus who came to speak with him by night And so it is that Christ speaking unto him of the spirituall regeneration whereby a man leaves to be the son of wrath and becomes the son of grace leaves to be the son of Adam and becomes the son of God Nicodemus with all his naturall light withall his humane Sciences and with all his intelligence of sacred Scriptures was so incapable of this spirituall regeneration that Christ marveiling at it said unto him Art thou a Master in Israell and knowest not these things And addes If I have told you earthly things and you believe not how will you believe if I tell you Heavenly things Willing to say If thou beest incapable of this spirituall regeneration which although it be spirituall is neverthelesse such as is wrought here on earth and in the men of earth how much more incapable wilt thou be of the divine generation to believe it of which I would speak unto thee for as much as it is not done on earth but in Heaven and is not done in an earthly thing but in an heavenly Let this then be the conclusion that it being true that whilest a man is without the spirit with all his naturall light with all his sciences and human learnings and writings he is not only uncapable to understand the divine generation of the only begotten son of God but he is also uncapable to understand the spirituall regeneration of the adopted sons of God Let none be so bold without having obtained the spirituall regeneration to presume to understand it nor to speak of it Nor let none be so rash that without having obtained the spirituall regeneration and having been admitted to those sacraries of God unto which S. Iohn was admitted when he said In the begining was the word he should dare to will to understand it penetrate nor compasse it with his wit and humane discourse holding for certain that of this divine mystery they only are capable unto whom by the will of God the proper son of God Iesus Christ our Lord will reveale it CONSID. XCVI That as then a man knowes himselfe a pilgrim in this world when because God loves him the world persecutes him COmmonly all men esteem themselves cittizens of those places where they were borne esteeming themselves pilgrims and strangers in all other places They who pretend that every place is a mans country esteem themselves strangers no where They who being regenerated and renewed by the holy spirit are more then Man esteeming themselves Cittizens of the Kingdome of God and of eternall life esteeming themselves pilgrims in all countries of the world The first following sence goe after the judgement of sensuality The second following the naturall light goe after prudence and human reason And the third following the spirituall light goe after Faith Hope and Charity The first delight themselves of that which pleaseth sensuality The second despising that which pleaseth sensuality seek their proper glory and their proper satisfaction of their mindes The third despising both the one and the other thing love the honour of God and the glory of Christ. The first the world loves The second the world despiseth albeit on the other side it prize and esteeme them And the third the world despizeth hates and persecutes The first God knowes not The seconn God abhorres The third God prizeth loves and favours Where I doe not understand that God prizeth loves and favours this third sort because the world despiseth them abhorres them and persecutes them but that the world despiseth abhorres and persecutes them because God prizeth them loves them and favours them Farther I understand that from their thus feeling themselves on one part prized loved and favoured of God and on the other part despised persecuted and hated of the world it redounds that they following where the holy spirit leads them running after Faith Hope and Charity esteem themselves Pilgrims in this present life esteeming themselves Cittizens of eternall life Esteeming themselves Pilgrims in this present life they live like Pilgrims having no intent to inherit in this present life nor to rejoyce of that which they rejoyce who are Cittizens thereof and so they passe lightly through all these things setting affection to none of them And holding themselves Cittizens of eternall life they begin to live as they live there and they have intent to inherit in it and to rejoyce in that which they rejoyce in who are cittizens thereof and herein they set their affections They I understand that albeit the remembrance of death frightens them in regard of the sence in regard of the livelinesse that is in them in their affections and appetites in regard of esteeming themselves Pilgrims in this present life and cittizens of eternall life it
with this I consider to the selfe same purpose that in our Christian Determinations we ought alwaies to consider whether that which we determine be acceptable to God or no For it is a signe of great ignorance to determine to doe a thing for the honour of God which thing we are not certain is acceptable to God And so I resolue in my selfe in this matter that our Deliberations shall then be good and discreet when they shall be conformable to that which God would haue from us and conformable to our possibility for as much as it is a foolish thing to promise another that which is not in the power of him that promiseth to put in execution And this being true it is well said that the Deliberation consisteth in desiring and remitting to God the execution of our desires holding for certain that he will favour as in them for Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. VIII The Covenants which Iesus Christ our Lord made between God and Man ALL men in acknowledgement of that being which we have from God are borne with obligation to love God to depend upon him and to suffer our selves to be ruled and governed by him This obligation being hindred by our depravation and evill inclination draws to that which is altogether contrary This obligation we may call the law of nature and we may say that to discover this obligation of ours and this depravation the law came which God by meanes of Moses gave unto the people of the Hebrews This evill inclination is so powerfull in the mindes of men that however much they labour they never come to satisfy entirely to their obligation God knowing this sent his only begotten Sonne into the world being made man and was pleased that in him should bee executed his justice for that which all men had failed and were to â—…aile touching the obligation with which we are borne In such manner that this is the covenant between God and man That they should believe and hold that that justice which was executed upon Christ the Sonne of God doth free and make them exempt from the chastisement which they should deserve for that wherein they faile in regard of the obligation with which they are borne and that God makes tâ—…em just holds them for adopted Sonnes and as such ruleth and governeth them in this present life and afterwards raiseth them up and shall give them eternall life Humane wisdome is not capable to admit this covenant First because seeing Christ a man as others are it cannot be brought to understand that he is the Sonne of God Afterward because it sees not in what to found the truth of this covenant to believe it and hold it for certaine and to rely upon it For hereunto is necessary a proper and particular Revelation from God which must throw down to the ground all the discourses of humane wisdom in such manner that holding it for certain firm that Christ is the Son of God and that the justice which was executed in him doth make us exempt from that wherein we faile touching our obligation we doe oblige God to justify us according to the covenant which hee hath made with us And being justified wee are incorporated in Christ and planted in him in such manner that as an hearbe is sustained by vertue of the earth where it growes or is planted so we are sustained by the vertue of Christ in whom we are planted because we persevere in the covenant From this covenant two other covenants depend the onâ—…s that we believe that Christ rose glorious and that this faith doth incorporate us in the resurrection of Christ to the intent that we should rise as he arose and that God should doe unto us that which he did unto Christ. Humane wisdome findes not wherein to found the resurrection it believes it not but the man that hath accepted the first covenant doth easily accept this second The other covenant is that we believe that Christ liveth an everlasting life in a soveraigne degree with God and that this faith is to give to us eternall life and that by this faith God should doe with us that which he did and doth with Christ. Humane wisdome findes not wherein to founde the hope of this eternall life but the man who hath by revelation accepted the first covenant and by the first hath accepted the second doth easily accept this third in such manner that we being certified that Christ is the sonne of God we doe by faith accept the covenant of justification which doth incorporate us into the death of Christ and we doe accept the couenant of the resurrection of Christ which doth incorporate us into the resurrection and we doe accept the covenant of eternall life which doth ncorporate us into that eternall life which Christ liveth Wee believe foure things and God doth foure things with us We believe that Christ is the sonne of God That he dyed That he rose And that he lives And God makesus his sonnes he justifieth us he raiseth us up and he gives us eternall life Of the two first we have enjoyment in this present life and these make us that we love God that wee depend upon him according to the obligation where with we were borne having overcome great part of our evill inclination Of the other two wee shall have enjoyment in that otheâ—… life and experimenting in this life In these two fiâ—…st things the truth that is in the covenant which Christ made between God and us we certifie our selves of the â—…uth which is in the two second which we shall experiment when it shall please the divine Majesty In the mâ—…â—…ace let us attend to stand and persevere in the covenant and covenants which Iesus Christ our Lord hath made with us CONSID. IX An excellent priviledge of piety ALL good the works whereunto we apply our selves in this present life doe appertaine either to the being a man or to the being godly The being of a man which we have draweth us to have compassion one towards the other to helpe one another and that in all those things that appertain to the commodities of this life Piety drawes us to have confidence in God to love him to depend upon him it drawes us to have confidence in Christ to love him and to preach him it drawes us to mortification of the affections and appetites that are after the flesh and it drawes us to the despising of all that which the world doth prize as honours states riches There will be a person altogether estranged from piety who will not onely exercise himselfe in all those things to which the being of a man which he hath doth draw him but also in those things that are proper to piety enforcing himselfe also to doe those things and hee shall doe some of them And there will be another altogether pious who shall not only exercise himselfe iâ—… those things which are properly belonging to piety but also
serving God and Christ in those things which are not required of them nor are acceptable unto him and by which they doe peradventure more procure the wrath of God against themselues In this errour I understand it all men come who govern themselues in Gods affaires with humane wisdome not knowing God nor knowing Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. XXXIX That Quickning answereth to Mortification and the glory of the Resurrection answereth to Quickning THis is certain that as soon as a man being inspired of God accepts the covenant of justification by Iesus Christ our Lord he begins to dye unto the world and to liue unto God to dye unto Adam and to liue unto Christ to come out of the kingdome of the world and to enter into the kingdome of God And that at that time which a man dyes the soule being separated from the body hee doth accomplish his dying to the world his dying to Adam and his comming out of the kingdome of the world and that when he shall arise again his soule returning to unite it selfe with the body he shall liue perfectly and entirely unto God he shall liue unto Christ and shall abide in the kingdome of God Whereupon considering the difference that is betwixt the state of a man however much mortified he be to Adam and to the world whilst his soul remaines with his body and the estate of another man already dead his soul being severed from his body I understand the difference that shall be between the estate of a man how much soever mortified he be to God to Christ whilst he continues in this present life from that estate in which he shall stand being raised to God to Christ in eternall life understanding that there shall be without all compare greater difference between the state of the Resurrection and that of Vivification then is between the state of Death and that of Mortification although this should be never so great I would say that much greater is the difference between a man raised up and him that is quickned then that which is between a man that is dead aâ—…d him that is mortified understanding that the mortified stands as it were dead standing â—…rucified unto the world and unto himselfe rather in the other life then in this and that he who is quickned stands as it were not raised up standing subject to passions and to death from all which he is free in the Resurrection And understanding all this I use so to call Mortification an imperfect death and vivification an imperfect resurrection And I understand that such shall the resurrection â—…e in eternall life as the Vivification is in the present I would say that the glory of the resurrection shall answer to the perfection of the Vivification Whence I gather that since Vivification answereth to mortification in this present life and that the glory of the resurrection in eternall life shall answer unto vivification it belongs to the pious Christian who desires to liue eternall life to attend to mortify himselfe much to become much like to Christ in his death that he may be likewise much like to Christ in his surrection in which a man shall perpetually abide in the kingdome of God together with the son of God himself Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. XL. Two Wills in God one Mediate and another Immediate IN God I consider two Wills one Mediate and Generall and another Immediate Particular With one I understand it he governs the universe And with the other I understand he governs those who are redeemed by Christ. Of the one I understand all the creatures are the executioners every one in his degree and office and of the other I understand the holy Spirit is the executioner and the persons which are partakers of the selfe same spirit Furthermore I understand that men doe oftimes grieue themselves for those effects which result from the Mediate Will of God because it seems to them to redound unto their dammage And I understand that of those effects which result from the Immediate Will of God those persons to whom they appertain doe alwaies rejoyce because they alwaies redound to their good The effects of the Mediate Will I understand to be those which result from the heavenly influences and other naturall causes which following the order that God hath set doe sometimes hurt and sometimes help This order and this course I understand is sometimes altered by the Immediate Will of God and I understand it is sometimes restrained by the selfe same Will And in this alteration and restraint I understand that one part of that Will of God which we call Immediate doth conâ—…ist because it followeth not the common and generall order The other part of the Immediate Will of God I understand consists in those things which he himselfe doth by his word and by the holy Spirit such as are the Creation of the world and particularly that of Man the Reparation of mankinde by Iesus Christ the Vocation of the participation of this good the Iustification with all the other spirituall knowledges and feelings To this Immediate Will of God I understand a man was subject in his first creation And I understand that in sinning hee made himselfe subject to the Mediate Will of God under which subjection I understand all evills doe consist and all troubles to which our humane nature is subject amongst which death is a most principall one In this discourse that hath been said I understand two things the one that Adam disobeying God made us subject to that Will of God which is Mediate and theâ—…eupon to evils and to death And that Christ obeying God returnes his to the subjection and to the Will of God which is Immediate and therefore he frees them from evils and from death From death he frees them habilitating them unto the Resurrection in which they shall liue an eternall life And from evills he doth sometimes free them causing that those should not touch them which should touch them according to ordinary course At other times depriving them of the feeling of them and othertimes mortifying them therewith In such sort that the evill is converted into good in such sort that like as he doth not in such manner free them from death that they should not dye but he doth abilitate them to a most happy everlasting life so neither doth he free them from evills in such sort as they should not touch them but hee doth abilitate them to draw good out of these evills The other thing which I understand is that the continuall sighing of a man that feels or begins to feel in himselfe the benefit of Christ ought to be desiring and demanding to be freed from the subjection of Gods Mediate Will and return under that Will which is Immediate For God being soveraignly good or rather good it selfe in that Immediate Will of his there can be nothing but that which is such as he himselfe And I think assuredly
God without depraving themselves and without loosing charity nay rather illustrating the glory of God mortifying themselves and growing in charity they come to belieue that God doth all things some with his mediate will and others with his immediate will some as in vessels of hatred of wrath and disfavour and others as in vessels of loue of mercy and favour And those are they who amongst all men are pious knowing God and are iust knowing the Son of God Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. L. In what the Depravation of man doth consist and in what his Reparation doth consist In what Christian Perfection doth consist COnsidering that which I understand and know of Gods being in as much as he is impassible and immortall and in as much as he is wise just and mercifull faithfull and true and considering that which I understand and know of the being of a man in as much as he is passible and Mortall and in as much as he is ignorant impious vindicative false and a lier And understanding by the testimony of holy Scripture that man in his first creation was created after the Image and similitude of God I come to understand that there is as much difference from the kinde of being in which God created man to that kinde of being wherein hee now is and abides as from that being which I know of God to that being which I know of man And knowing by testimony of holy Scripture that for the sinne of the first man from that first perfect being and that being like unto God man is come to this imperfect being and like unto the being of other animals in as much as pertaines to his body and to the being of evill spirits as touching his soule I come to understand that the evill which is to come to mankind by the sinne of the first man consists in this that of impassible he is become passible subject to cold and to heate to hunger and to thrist with all other corporall incommodities and of immortall hee is become mortall subject unto death and of wise he is become ignorant of just impious of mercifull vindicative of faithfull false and of true a lier Whereby I understand that because the evill into which mankinde fell through sin toucheth men in their bodies and in their mindes the grace which God hath pleased to doe unto mankinde by meanes of Iesus Christ our Lord appertaines likewise both to bodies and to mindes and so it is that assoone as a man is called of God he doth accept for his the Iustice of God executed on Christ being made a member of Christ hee begins to be partaker of that first Reparation which is of the minde and is by the death of Christ And it is also true that that man who shall depart from this life a member of Christ shall be partaker of the last Reparation which shall be of the body and shall be by the resurrection of Christ and shall be in the generall resurrection of all men in such sort as they who are members of Christ by the death of Christ doe repaire the evill of their mindes in this present life if not altogether yet in part and they doe repaire by the resurrection of Iesus Christ the evill of their body in life everlasting and then shall they have recovered intirely that Image and that similitude of God with which they were created being in their bodies impassible and immortall and being in their mindes just wise mercifull faithfull and true in which I understand our whole felicity doth consist After that I have understood all this I resolve my selfe that the proper exercise of a Christian in this present life is to attend unto the reparation of his minde to recover the image and similitude of God with which he was created And albeit as I haue said so much of this is recovered as there is as a man may say of the incorporation in the death of Christ in a man neverthelesse I understand it appertaines to a Christian to exercise him selfe to recover it in this manner When he shall be sollicited by the depravation of his minde unto impiety remembring himselfe that God is just he shall say no to me it belongs to be just and not impious When he shall be sollicited unto revenge remembring himselfe that God is mercifull he shall say no to me it appertaines to be mercifull and not vindicatiue When he shall be sollicited unto wrath remembring himselfe that God is patient he shall say no to me it appertaines to be patient and not wrathfull When he shall be sollicited to falsity and lyes remembring himselfe that God is faithfull and true he shall say no to me it appertaines to be faithfull and true When he shall be sollicited to desire to bee esteemed and prized of the men of this world remembring himselfe that God is a Pilgrim and stranger in this present life he shall say no for to me it appertaines to be a pilgrim and stranger with God that I may be altogether like unto God And finally when he shall be sollicited to any thing which may redound to the hurt of his neighbour in any sort whatsoever remembring himselfe that God loues men so much that to repaire their evill and dammage in which they were thrown down headlong he gaue his own Son unto death hee shall say no to me it appertaines to haue loue and charity And so running through all those things with which a man may be sollicited by his own affections through the depravation of the minde he shall finde perfections in God with which he may represse them and so by litle and litle hee shall goe augmenting in himselfe the reparation of his minde which is the first thing and hee shall goe every houre more abilitating the reparation of his body which is the last And in this exercise I understand the Christian perfection consisteth I would say that 〈◊〉 is a Christian more or lesse perfect in this life 〈◊〉 â—…ch as occupying himselfe more or lesse in this exercise he doth obtain more or lesse of that part which is to be gotten in this present life of the image and likenesse of God with which he was created And for this cause I understand that our Lord Iesus Christ concludeth his discourses of Christian perfection saying Be you perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect As if he should haue said Finally I say unto you that you attend to be like unto God in perfection He is perfect and you also attend to bee perfect as he is And this is properly a Christian admonition in as much as it is of Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. LI. In what manner God makes himselfe to be felt and in what manner God makes himselfe to bee seene HAving oftentimes said that to those persons who are entered into the kingdome of God accepting the grace of the Gospell God makes them to Feele his presence and to the selfe same he lets his presence
had proved the evill of rebellion of banishment they did deprive and dispose themselues of all friendship and of all intelligences with men and of all their own proper designes which according to their opinions might make them another time Rebels In this they emploied in this they exercised themselues whereupon by litle and litle they gained so much credit with the King that not only he restored unto them all that which they had lost by their rebellion but he made them many great gifts and he used them in that manner as if so be they had neverbeen Rebels This is the Comparison and although it bee of it selfe cleare I will not cease to declare a litle better and say that the first man being in the kingdome of God being created to the Imag◅ lik◅nesse of God rebelled against God for which rebellion he was deprived of this Image and likenesse of God he was driven out of the kingdome of God and he was condemned unto death and in this banishment all mankinde as it were abode serving the Divell a long while God willing of his infinite mercy to remedy this evill first of all executed the rigour of his justice upon his own proper Son Iesus Christ our Lord and afterward sent to preach throughout all the world how that now his justice was satisfied and how that he had now pardoned all them that were rebels and that they might at their pleasures return unto the kingdome out of which they were driven and that he would restore unto them his own Image and likenesse which they had lost This Proclamation hath been heard throughout the whole world And of mankinde some holding themselues Saints and just haue imagined that the pardon belongs not to them it seeming to them that where there is no errour there needs no pardon and so they haue let it passe Others although they hold themselves for rebels yet trust not to the pardon it seeming to them a thing too too strange that God should pardon them and receiue them into his kingdome and restore unto them that which they had lost by rebellion for anothers justice and obedience There are others who albeit they know themselues Rebels and although they hold the pardon for certain imbrace the Gospell and read it and preach it yet for all this they cannot bring themselues to enter into the kingdome of God because they haue more confidence in thēselues then in God and so they will rather stay under the goverment of their humane prudence then come unto the kingdome of God These think they ought to gaine the pardon of their rebellion with their industry and diligence and with their merits And because as well they as those others come not to the kingdome of God they feel not the benefit thereof nor enjoy the liberality of God nor the obedience of Christ. And unto this estate they are brought through their own arrogancy and presumption and so by this meanes continue alwaies in their rebellion There are others who know themselves rebels to God and doe giue entire faith and credit unto the pardon generall which is preached unto them on Gods behalfe in the Gospell and so instantly without farther bethinking accepting the pardon they come unto the kingdome of God renouncing the kingdome of the world and the goverment of humane prudence And albeit these at first may feem to make some kind of doubt doubt of the pardon doubt of the goverment and regiment of God yet in as much as they depart not from the kingdome they goe on certifying themselues both in the one and the other of these matters so much the more as they feel that God proceeds in restoring unto them that image and likenesse of God which the first man lost by his rebellion with all those other priviledges which were lost by the ◅ame rebellion And because the principall punishment of the rebellion was death albeit he doe not deliver them from temporall death for they die as wel as others yet he delivers them from eternall death promising them the resurrection and giving them a signall thereof by the inward vivification and by the resurrection of Christ. And these men liue in the height of cheerfulnesse attending only to mortifie their wisdom◅ and their humane reason and all those other things that led them to their fore passed rebellion and which might lead them on to the like In this they abide in this they persevere and so they goe getting so much favour of God that hee doth not only cause them to feel the pardon and that happinesse which is to be in his kingdome and to possesse the image of God in it but he doth many other graces and favours unto them accepting them for his Sons This kingdome begins in this present life and is continued in that which is to come And all this feli◅ity those persons doe acknowledge from the liberality of God from the obedience of his only begotten Son Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. XIIII Amongst the things which Christian Piety obligeth us to believe what that is which is believed with greatest difficulty HAving set my selfe sometimes to consider with how great difficulty mans minde is brought to belieue as it ought the things of Christian piety when it sets it selfe to view and review them I am come to examine amongst all these what that is in which there is greatest difficulty found And I am resolved that it is the Pardon Generall by the justice of God which was executed on Christ. I am come to this resolution by co◅ering that all men being friends to their own interesses doe easily believe those things in which they loose nothing by believing them and with difficulty doe they believe those things which being believed might redound any way to their dammage In as much therefore as it being true that amongst all those things which are believed in Christian piety onely this Generall pa◅don as it is said might redound unto the dammage of him that believeth it in case it should not be true it seemeth to me that my resolution is good Holding that amongst the things which are believed this is that which is believed with greatest difficulty I might fortifie this my resolution with many reasons But this seems to be so sufficient that I will content my selfe therewith fortifying it with that which is seen by experience that even he also who gives credence to the Proclamation which is published through the world concerning the Pardon generall shews that he doth believe that dispoyling himselfe of all outward justification and boldly entring into the kingdome of God in which God equally provides for his both of things that appertain to the body and the soule neverthelesse hee findes much repugnancy in his minde when he will reduce it to those termes that he should totally hope from God the sustentation of the body and that of the soule in as much as he alwaies goes thinking and saying in himselfe And
which a man should make with the world and with his own selfe and to the martyrdome whereunto hee ought to be ready Christ added And let him follow mee I conceive a man doth not obtain piety justice and holinesse through the resolution nor through the martyrdome but through the imitation of Christ in as much as imitating Christ he goes recovering in his minde the image and similitude of God with which the first man was created pretending to recover it also in his body in the resurrection of the just where having obtained impassibility and immortality the Christian shall perpetually rejoyce with Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. XVIII In what things that person who pretends and desires to enter and to persevere in the kingdome of God ought to be exercised and what a man brings of his own thereunto VNderstanding that which our Lord Iesus Christ saith that none can come unto him except his eternall Father conduct him And understanding what S. Peter saith that Faith is not for all men and that Faith is the gift of God I understand likewise that it is not in any mans power to believe to loue and to haue confidence Neither is it in a mans power to know God nor to know himselfe nor to hate the world and himselfe For as much as all this must come unto him by particular and especiall favour of God in such sort that as it seems hereby it is not in mans power to form himselfe touching the inward so that he should become pious just and holy for all this must come unto him from God On the other side I perceive many Exhortations and Admonitions of which the holy scripture is full by which generally men are exhorted and instructed unto piety iustice and holinesse I conceive that it appertaines to every man to pretend to desire and procure Piety Iustice and Holinesse but seeking it of God pretending to haue it altogether from him and by him And as I understand it appertaines to that Christian man that exercises himselfe in desiring and demanding this to exercise himself with all study and diligence in those things which belong to him and which seem to be in his own power to do that is in refrayning the affections and the appetites at least in outward things in which they may be restrained that is to say not to see that which would give satisfaction to thine eyes and not to heare that which delights thy eares and so in all the other outward senses in which a Christian may overcome himselfe separating his body when he cannot separate his minde But aboue all things a Christian man ought to attend principally not to content the men of this world neither to walk nor to speak after the rellish of their words ever more remembring himselfe of that saying of S. Paul If I seek to please men c. In which matter hee ought to obserue this rule If so be he be sollicited to please men in things contrary unto piety he shall in no wise please them if in things conformable to piety alwaies And if in indifferent things he shall please them in those things in which he displeaseth himselfe and he shall not please them in those things wherein he findes his own proper satisfaction In such manner that then he shall bring himselfe not to please men when they desire of him things contrary to piety and when he shall haue in those things his own proper satisfaction And in this manner he shall not forbeare to satisfie them because he would not satisfie them but because he would not offend piety and because he would not giue nourishment to his minde touching its own satisfaction To this passe a man shall easily bring himselfe recommending himselfe to God and alwaies living with watch over himselfe imagining that hee liues amongst more then mortall enemies amongst which it becomes to stand alwaies on his guard that nothing may happen unto him unawares And exercising and occupying himselfe in this he must not pretend hereby to get piety justice and holinesse but he shall pretend only to keep his minde very wakefull and his manners well moderated to the intent that when it shall please God to give unto him piety justice and holinesse they may fall into his soul so happily and prosperously as water falls on good ground when it is plowed and purged from thornes and stones Holding this for certain that as the Tiller when he cleares his ground from thornes and stones doth no way oblige God that he should send his raine his Sun upon it so neither doth a man by purging and cleansing the appetites of his body and the affections of his minde oblige God that he should send his holy spirit to him And as the Sun and the rain doth more good to the earth which it findes plowed and purged from thornes and stones so in like manner the holy Spirit doth more good to the minde which he findeth free and purged from affections and appetites And after this manner the Christian man understanding that which belongs to him and exercising himselfe therein and understanding what hee is to expect from God and desiring it in short time shall finde himselfe much comfortable to the image of God unto that of Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. XIX That the Christian life consisteth in this that a man esteem himselfe dead to the world and pretend to liue to God THe Christian name in the first beginning was in the eyes of the world so vile so despised dishonoured and abject that none accepted it but only they who being called of God and having set an end to Ambition to Glory and all worldly reputation did esteem and judge themselues altogether dead unto the world And properly this name of a Christian was taken by them when they came unto Baptisme in such sort that it was first that they were called of God and that they did esteem and judge themselves as it were dead unto the world and after that they came to Baptisme in which they took the Christian name For those which were baptized although they were formerly called Saints were afterward called Christians in as much as being chosen of God they did accept the justice of God executed on Christ and being baptized they became dead and buried as much as belongs to the world and they were raysed up and did line towards God making profession to imitate Christ who died with ignominy to the world liveth gloriously to God This S. Paul meant where hee saith that the Christians are dead and buried in Babtisme with Christ în his death to the intent that as Christ was dead and buried and liveth so we also being dead and buried may liue We Christians are dead and buried as well in respect of our being dead on the Crosse with Christ as also in respect of the opinion which the world hath of vs and of that which we have of the world and we are raysed up and Liue as
that if hee had never beene ashamed hee would never have gloried in not being ashamed In like manner I understand that none hath mortified the affection of the honour of the world and of his owne proper esteeme but hee that having beene sollicited thereunto and having combated is now no more sollicited This selfe same I understand of the affections of anger of envy of hatred and of revenge as I likewise understand it of the seusuall appetites Vnderstanding that none hath mortifi'd the carnall appetite but he that having beene sollicited by it and having combated with it is no more sollicited This selfe same I understand of that Appetite which delights to see things that please the eyes and to eate things that please the tast and to heare vaine things and matters of the world to smell delicate things understanding it that he only may say that he is mortified in these appetites who having beene sollicited and molested by them and having combated with them is is now reduced to such termes that either he feeles them not or is so much master of them that with â—…ase he overcomes them when ever they molest him And because none dyes but he that hath lived it being necessary that in them who are to be quickned all that which is according to the flesh should die as well touching affections as appetites I understand that all this being to die in the regenerated it is the worke of God that presently when a man sets himselfe to pietie he should bee molested and sollicited not only from those affections and appetites with which he was formerly sollicited but moreover with others which he never before felt being different yea and very strange ones to the intent that feeling them alive hee may kill them and killing them his regeneration should be made perfect as appertaines to them that are members of the Sonne of God Iesus Christ our Lord. CGNSID XLV Whence the feare of death proceeds in pious persons and that it is a signe of Predestination for a man to content himselfe that there should be another life VVIlling to understand whence it proceeds that many estranged from piety have voluntarily offered themselves unto Death and have willed and desired it and have themselves killed themselves And many pious are grieved and much resent the remembrance of Death not being able to reduce themselves to be content to die which according to humane reason ought to be cleane contrary In as much as they who are estranged from piety either doe not believe the other life or are doubtfull of it or doe not thinke to bee happy in it And in as much as they who are pious believe the other life and are very certaine of it and are assured that they shall be happy in it I come to thinke after this manner that amongst them who are estranged from piety some doe not feare death for some opinions whereof they are perswaded and others because they hold it for a point of valour not to feare it And others love death believing that they shall get fame by dying and others because it is troublesome and painefull unto them to live in necessity or in dishonour wherein they doe as the sick-patient that puts himselfe into hazard of running into a greater infirmity through desire of comming out of that lesse which he feeles In all these I consider their owne proper rashnesse their owne proper folly and their owne proper impatiency Moreover I thinke that amongst the pious that feare death some feare it because they are not throughly confirmed in piety nor throughly assured of that Iustice by which eternall life is obtained others feare it through naturall instinct it being Gods doing that men should feare Death and love life to the intent they may preserve themselves in life and others feare it in as much as it is given to men in punishment of their sinne it being Gods doing that a man should feel as a punishment that which is given him as a punishment by generall sentence which belongs to every man as indeede the evill of originall sinne belongs to every man In every of these I know pietie Iustice and holinesse albeit in the first I know weaknesse and infirmity as I also know in those pious persons who without feeling the inward Inspiration that God would have them to die doe desire and love Death For this desire is not free from some branch of impatiency like unto that of them who are strangers from piety Whence I take this resolution that for as much as in them who are strangers from pietie the not fearing of death and the loving it proceeds from rashnesse folly and impatiency and the fearing of death in the pious proceeds from pietie Iustice and holinesse that neither the stranger from piety hath cause to exalt himselfe when he feares not Death nor the pious hath cause to be sorrowfull when hee findes himselfe fearefull of Death knowthat the feare comes to him through weaknesse and infirmity for his small assurance and firmenesâ—…e in his confidence or it comes to him by naturall inclination or it comes to him through sence of the punishment of sinne which is effectuall in all them that appertaine to the people of God yea even when themselves thinke it not so Whereupon if a man shall say that Christ having satisfyed for originall sinne they who are his members ought not to feele the punishment or chastisement of death I shall say unto him that Christ did not revoke that sentence given against us whereby we are all obliged to Death but that he remedyed it by his resurrection in such sort as wee die by Adam and shall rise againe by Christ. I also take another resolution that is that a pious person doth then content himselfe of Death as pious when by his death the glory of God is illustrated as the Christian Martyrs did content themselves and when it is Gods will that he should die For then as I understand God gives him content in such sort as when a pious person feeles in himselfe a strong feare of Death not being able to bring himselfe to be content to die hee may hold for certaine that God will not at that time take him from this life And he ought to thinke that as long as he feares the naturall inclination and the chastizement of sinne worke their effects in him and so hee will not be grieved nor accompt himselfe Iesse in pietie for this matter They that are strangers from piety when they least feare Death and when they have most brought themselves to be contented with it if they wouid speake truth will confesse that if it were in their power they would not that their should be any other life for they are not certaine to be happy therein And they who are pious when they most feare Death speaking the truth will confesse that they would not be contented that there were no other life feeling within themselves that God hath not created
all us every man taking that part which belonged to him for his offences and sinnes wee should all have gone into destruction there being none none of us sufficient to be able to endure on himselfe that part of chastizement which belonged to him for his part in case Christ had not satisfied the justice of God for us all And the going into destruction I understand should have consisted in this that none of us should have been able to stand solid and firme in the suffering without fainting and so to sever our selves from the obedience of God And therefore Caiaphas said well if hee had meant well whed he said it it is expedient that one man should dye for the people that the whole nation perish not The other thing which I understand here is that it was more then necessary that he should be more then a man nay that he should be the Sonne of God who was to reconcile men with God For being to be chastized for the sinnes of us all knowing them and feeling them all in himselfe as if he had committed them all he might make resistance to the agony feare and sorrowfulnesse to the shame and confusion without comming to nothing and without in any manner departing no not in any part from the obedience of God persevering and standing therein solid and constant as our Lord Iesus Christ stood who was likened to a lambe that is lead to the slaughter as well for the innocency with which he lived as for the obedience wherewith he was content to be sacrifized for us being the son of God and one selfe same thing with God which obedience is and shall be unto him glory and honour for evermore Amen CONSID. LXXXIII Five Considerations in the resurrection of Christ. IN the glorious Resurrection of Iesus Christ our Lord I consider five things which doe in a great manner excite me to live in this present life a life very like unto that which I am to live in life everlasting The First is that as the torment which Christ felt in suffering was in great manner increased because he had took upon him our sinnes and because he knew them on himselfe as well as if he had himselfe committed them all so the glory which Christ felt in his Resurrection was increased in great manner to see that we all of us arose with him The Second that as God slaying on the crosse the flesh of Christ slew ours in such manner that to himward we are held and judged as if we had been really and indeed dead so God raising up Christ raised us all up in such manner that as much as belongs to him we are held and judged as if we had been really raised up The third That as the effect whereby our incorporation in the death of Christ in this present life is known in our mortification not that which we make with our own industries but that which we obtain by the incorporation in Christ which the holy spirit works which is by faith communicated unto us making us to abhor the world with all that which is world and also our selves with all that which is ours So likewise the effect by which our incorporation into the Resurrection of Christ is known in this present life is our vivification which selfesame incorporation in Christ the selfesame spirit works in us regenerating and renuing us all and altogether and making us to loue God and all that which is Gods and to loue Christ and all that which is Christs The fourth thing which I consider is that as with my sinnes I augmented the agony and the torment of Christ in his passion so with my Resurrection I augment the joy and pleasure of Christ in his Resurrection And as I am grieved at that so I glory in this Nay the glory of this makes me to forget the sorrow of the other The fift thing which I consider is that only they who stand incorporated in Christ are certain of their Resurrection founding it in the Resurrection of Christ. And therefore S. Paul willing to perswade the Corinthians the resurrection of the Iust founds his perswasions on the Resurrection of Christ. With these Considerations we Christians shall come to feele in our hearts the profit which comes from the glorious Resurrection of Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. LXXXIV That only the Incorporation in Christ is that which mortifies REturning to consider that which I haue at other times considered about the two depravations that are in a man whereof the one is naturall and hereditary and the other is acquisite and is learned I come to understand that both these depravations are in the minde and are in the body I would say that from our first parents all men inherit this that they are borne in their mindes impious and enemies of God and infidels to God and full of selfe loue and in their bodies they are born vicious evill inclined And I say further that with evill exercises with evill companies and with false doctrines we go on augmenting as well the depravation of the soule through which we are born the sonnes of wrath as that of the body through which we are manifoldly worse then Beasts Humane wisdome not knowing the naturall depravation of the minde nor that of the body nay onely knowing the acquisite depravation of the body hath never had intent to mortifie in men but only that which it hath known for evill And hence it comes that all the Lawes Doctrines and Religions which men haue found haue had intent only to mortify the depravation of the body of this only the acquisite But God knowing principally the naturall depravation and of this holding that of the minde for the worse had in the law of Moses an intent to mortify both the one and the other depravation principally that of the minde which is more naturall more pernicious unto men being as it is more contrary unto God And therefore commanded the loue of God the worship of God and the confidence in God and forbade all inward concupiscence This which the Law of God pretended to doe it never did not through the imperfection thereof but through the imperfection of men But the incorporation in Christ doth it for as much as assoon as a man is incorporated by faith in Christ the naturall acquisite depravations begin to dye in him and they goe on dying according as he goes incorporating himselfe in Christ. And a man goes incorporating himselfe in Christ accordingly as he goes on being like unto the death of Christ and as long as he goes on through this way the things wherein he erres are not imputed unto him either through naturall or acquisite depravation and the naturall depravation dying first in him and of this rather that of the minde then that of the body the Mortification of the acquisite Depravation which remaines is facilitated to the end that he should as it were by way of exercise attend to
might practise and converse with all sorts of people If Christ had taken S. Iohn Baptists forme of life the Publicans sinners and harlots would have been ashamed to speak unto him nay verily if he would observe decorum he was bound not to speak nor converse with them if he had taken Moses his forme of life base and vulgar persons could not have practised and conversed with him by reason of his greatnesse And therefore it was necessary he should take that forme of life which he took wherein he might practise and converse as he did practise and converse with all sorts of people in so much as he was for this calumniated by them who made profession of holinesse The fourth cause is this Christ coming to Preach the Kingdome of God and to put himselfe in the possession thereof and the Kingdome of God consisting as S. Paul saith in justice peace and joy in the Holy Ghost it was necessary that by his example he should shew unto us a forme of life much to this purpose to maintaine us in the justice and in the peace and in the joy of the Kingdome of God If Christ had taken S. Iohn Baptist his forme of life which was by the world approved for holy for the world is so discreet that it esteemes them who esteeme not it he should have put his imitators in competency with the Saints of the world and if Christ had taken Moses his forme of living which is procured by the men of the world he should have put his imitators in competency with the men of the world and therefore it was necessary that forme of life which he took which is of such quality as they who imitate him conserve themselves in their justice in their peace and in their joy For coming not in competency with the Saints of the world nor with the men of the world they are not deprived of the possession which they have of the Kingdome of God The Fift cause is this that Christ having to suffer for our sinnes a cruell death shamefull and publique and uniust not voluntary it was necessary he should take a forme of life that was fit to come to this effect If Christ had taken S. Iohn Baptist his forme of life although the fame of holinesse would not have freed him from a cruell death as it did not free Saint John Baptist it would have freed him from a shamefull and publique death as it did free S. Iohn Baptist. And if Christ had taken Moses his forme of life albeit the greatnesse of the estate would not have freed him from violent death as it hath not freed many great men of the world it would have freed him from a shamefull and publique death and therefore it was necessary that he should take that forme of life wherein dying shamefully he did ennoble shame and dying publiquely he certifies all of us that we might know it may believe our iustification of which thing we ought to be most assured The Sixt is this that Christ coming to preach and to give inward regeneration and renovation which things presuppose mortification it was necessary hee should take a forme of life very accommodate to mortification to shew with it and by it the proper way of mortification If Christ had taken S. Iohn Baptist his forme of life he should have well shewen the way of the mortification of the body by the asperity of life but not that of the mortification of the mind for the reputation which this forme of life hath in the world And if Christ had taken Moses his forme of living he should not have shewed either the one or the other mortification and therefore it was necessary that he should take that forme of life which he took in which much better then in any other a man gets the mortification of the mind and by that of the mind that of the body in as much as the world holds for vile them who without making profession of outward holinesse live holily and despiseth these as a most base thing and in as much as after this despising comes the mortification of the body And so in them that imitate the forme of Christs living is certain and perfect mortification In these six causes I learn six things The first that he who by consideration of Christs life would know him to be the sonne of God must of necessity mortify the judgement of his human wisdome The Second that no man can excuse himselfe saying that he cannot imitate the forme of Christs living The third that then a Christian is most like to Christs living when he hath a forme of life more apt to make that all sorts of people may practise and converse with him The fourth that that forme of living is most apt to make that a man in it should conserve himself in the possession of the kingdome of God that comes not in competency with no sort of men neither of the Saints of the world nor of the men of the world The fift that that form of life is most like to that of the sonne of God that is most exposed to martyrdome And the Sixt that that forme of life is most proper and able to obtain the Christian mortification which is most despised in the eyes of the world in which without making profession of outward holinesse a man lives holy And of the things which have been spoken I take this resolutiō that they who live holily without making profession of outward holmesse are very much habilitated and exposed to martyrdome doe conserve nthemselves very well in the kingdome of God are fit to converse with all sorts of people imitating the forme of life which Christ held and deceive humane wisdome and therefore it properly appertaines to them that which S. Paul saith Colos. 3. Ye are dead your life is hid with Christ in God to whom be glory for ever Amen I will adde this that Christ conserving himselfe in that forme of life in which he was borne being borne the son of God untill that he dyed by the will of God teacheth us that we shall doe well conserving our selves in that forme of life in which we found our selves when we are called to be the sons of God So be it that in that we attend to reduce our forme of life as much as may be possible for us answerable to that forme of life which Christ held in this world in such manner as in us may shine out intirely the image and similitude of Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. XC In what the Christian perfection the Duty and Decorum doe consist I Have oftimes said that Christian perfection consists in this that a man incorporated in Christ in his death and in his resurrection should live according to the Christian Duty keeping the Christian decorum understanding that so much shall a man get Christian perfection in as much as he shall live according to Christian duty keeping christian decorum Now I