this confident perswasion that surely God will be his God for euer 1 Iohn 4.13 Hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in vs because he hath giuen vs of his Spirit Hence it is that this Spirit thus giuen is called an earnest Ephes 1.13.14 It is a significant comparison and most pregnant to our purpose An earnest we know is something giuen in hand at the making vp of a bargaine the buyer giues it the seller receiues it and thereby both parties are bound to the full performance of the bargaine so it is betwixt God and our poore Soules in our conuersion God bargaines couenants with vs to be our God and to make vs his children and heires of saluation he giues vs an earnest and we receiue it what is that His Spirit to assure vs that as he hath begun so he will go on with vs and that his Couenant shall neuer be broken and wee receiue it vpon the same condition If but a man giue vs an earnest if he be an honest man wee are perswaded he will go on with his bargaine much more will God if he giue vs an earnest wee may be confidently perswaded that he will not breake with vs If God should giue but a small earnest but a penny we would beleeue that he would performe with vs but he giues vs his owne Spirit as great an earnest as himselfe in reuerence be it spoken to his great Maiesty and therefore he will surely goe on with vs he giues vs his Spirit to assure vs that he will not faile vs and therefore we may confidently be perswaded of it that he will performe his word to vs and he giues vs this earnest nor in our hands for haply we might loose it then but in our hearts and there it rests as a Seale to seale vs vp to God for euer and euer 2 Cor. 1.22 Who hath also sealed vs and giuen the earnest of his Spirit into our hearts Wee vse to cal this earnest giuen and receiued a Gods penny Here is a Gods penny indeed the best Gods penny that euer we tooke giuen vs vpon the greatest and best match that euer we made to assure vs certainly perswade vs that God wil perform his couenant to vs. Secondly the voyce of the Spirit in vs confirmes it for vpon our true conuersion as we receiue this Spirit so our Spirit growes into a blessed familiarity with Gods Spirit and in this familiarity Gods Spirit acquaints our spirits with many heauenly truthes and amongst other the Spirit tells vs in plaine tearmes that wee are in the number of those that shall be saued thou poore sinfull soule art in truth the child of God Rom. 8.16 The same spirit beareth witnes to our spirits that we are the children of God there is a liuely voyce in the hearts of all Gods true children wherby the Spirit tels them plainly so The Apostle in the 1 Cor. 2.10 to the 16. reasons the case plainely This is a secret might some say Yea but saith the Apostle God hath reuealed them to vs by his Spirit c. But it is hid in Gods minde Wee know the minde of God saith the Apostle verse 16. But how doe we know Gods minde why God hath reuealed it to vs by his Spirit verse 10. And in the 12. verse the Apostle saith that he hath giuen vs the Spirit that is of God that wee might know the things that are of God he hath giuen vs his Spirit to this end to confirme and seale vnto vs that wee are appointed vnto life Thirdly the nature of faith requires it Faith requires Reason 3 a confident perswasion how else can we say I beleeue in God and doubting is opposite to faith Iames 1.16 Aske in faith and wauer not Doubting is opposite to faith as darknes is to light they cannot stand together but with strife and contradiction one against another Fourthly the fruits of the Spirit and of Reason 4 faith approue it what are the fruits of the Spirit why the Commandements of God 2 Pet. 1.10 If yee doe these things ye shall neuer fall God giues his word for it hereby we are sure saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 2.3 that we know him if we keepe his Commandements and 1 Iohn 3.14 we know that wee are translated from death to life because we loue the Brethren If I loue my Brother truely for Christs sake I am sure that I am translated from death to life as sure as I know it to be day by the light Reason 5 Lastly the truth of Gods promises ratifie and establish it for as this makes our state sure in it selfe so also it makes it sure to vs Heb. 10.23 Hee is faithfull that hath promised and therefore let vs draw neere vnto him with full assurance and hold fast the profession of our hope without wauering this will carry vs out through thicke and thinne Vse 1 The first Vse is matter of Confutation it serues to confute Popish doubting I will insist specially vpon that because it is true that there is doubtings sometimes in the dearest of Gods children but they acknowledge and confesse them to be sins and infirmities and striue against them and repent of them But Popish doubting is maintained and they cherish men in it and they condemne an vndoubting faith to bee grosse presumption Alasse all our doubting is of our selues and not of God and confident perswasion is of God and not of vs and shall doubting be called good Religion and assurance condemned to bee presumption This is a grosse iudgement and a damnable censure But it is strange that euer the Papists should doubt of their saluation seeing they pretend that they haue the Law and the Gospell for them too The Law saith Doe this and liue and they pretend to performe perfect obedience to the Law and yet they doubt whether they shall liue The Gospell saith Beleeue this and thou shalt be saued and they say they are onely the true beleeuers Haue they both the Law and the Gospell to assure them and yet doe they doubt whether they shall be saued If the Law assure them not of saluation yet the Gospell might at least both together should not faile them But all things well considered it is no maruell seeing they ioyne their merits with Christs it is iust with God to deny them the greatest comfort in the world namely this full assurance by the merits of Christ And seeing they will be iustified by their owne workes no maruell though their iustification faile them seeing their workes faile them The euils of Popish doubting But let vs see the euill of this their Doctrine hereby they impeach Gods truth and call all his promises into question and deny one of the chiefest priuiledges in the world to Gods children and bereaue them of their best comfort and hereby they dishearten Gods children and dampe them in the course of grace and many other euills follow hereupon I will insist onely
liuely and quicke to vs and therefore let our thankefulnesse be so to him Thirdly hence we learne this Dutie to take comfort Dutie 3 in this loue of God It may comfort thee in afflictions in sicknesse in pouerty at the houre of death Many times God brings vs to the gates of death yet let vs know that God loues vs and then our state is happy we shall haue a sweet and comfortable passage through death to life So it may comfort vs against all the disgraces and scornes of the world the world accounts vs as of-scourings yet here is our comfort that howsoeuer the world accounts of vs yet God loues vs and then it is no matter though the whole world hate vs. Againe this may comfort vs in our prayers which we make to God If wee can come to God and pray Lord remember mee in thy loue can the Lord choose but heare vs If we can come to God with a sound perswasion in our hearts that God loues vs then our prayers shall ascend as a sweet perfume to God and God will surely heare them and that quickly The fourth Dutie we learne hence is to keepe our Dutie 4 selues in this loue of God Iude 21. It is the richest Iewell that euer we can haue and hee that changeth this state of Gods loue for any other hee changeth heauen for hell Therefore doe not prouoke God to breake off his loue from thee displease him not breake not his Lawes resist not his Spirit of grace grieue not his Children neglect not Prayer the Word nor the Sacraments nor other meanes of grace but obserue him duely and be ruled by him and so thou shalt keepe in his loue aboue all things turne not backe to thy olde Sinnes and if thou dost sinne as who doth not presently humble thy selfe make thy peace with him by vnfained Repentance and prayer and faith in the Mediator Iesus Christ renew thy Couenant in him and thus doing thou shalt be sure to keepe in his loue for this is the mercy and goodnesse of God to vs he remembers whereof wee be made and that we cannot but fall yet such is his mercy that if we returne vnto him hee will loue vs still Dutie 5 Fiftly here wee must learne this Duty to recompence our God with loue againe If a man of any fashion loue vs we were very hard-hearted if we would not loue him againe If God loue vs therefore wee must much more loue him againe In many things we cannot recompence God againe God is mercifull to vs we cannot be mercifull to him againe and so in other things But God is louing to vs and wee may recompence him and loue him againe for his loue to vs Our loue to him indeed comes farre short of his loue to vs yet it is that which God requires and which hee will accept and that loue which wee cannot shew to God let vs peece it vp with our loue to his Children and to his Gospell and to his Ministers and thus we may in some sort recompence Gods loue which he shewes to vs. Vse 3 The third Vse It teacheth vs how to esteeme of this great loue of God Ephes 2.4 which passeth knowledge Ephes 3.19 How Why thus As the originall and procuring Cause of all the good that euer we receiue at the hands of God 1 Ioh. 3.1 Wee are the Sonnes of God saith the Apostle What doth he rest there No Behold saith he What loue the Father hath giuen to vs that wee should be called the Sonnes of God Gods loue is the cause of our adoption If you aske why God chooseth vs iustifies vs sanctifies and glorifies vs the answere is because he loues vs But if you aske why hee loues vs There can be no reason giuen of it but because he loues vs. This is the Bond of all it comprehends all the rest of the good that God doth for vs but is not comprehended of any of them This Loue is God and God is Loue. Lastly this shewes vnto vs the Excellency of that Vse 4 Communion which true Beleeuers haue with God The excellency of a true Beleeuers communion with God manifested in foure things 1 Neerenesse because it is bound vp and tyed fast within the vnbounded limits of Gods loue Psal 144.15 Blessed are the people that be so yea blessed be the people whose God is the Lord Consider the Excellency of it in these particulars First the neerenesse of this Communion it is of loue and therefore it is most neere Loue doth transanimate vs as it were and makes of two one as it is betwixt man and wife or as the Heathen man said of two friends that they had one soule and two bodies and so Gods loue makes vs one with God not as if God hereby were become man or man God in proper and precise tearmes but as in a Communion betwixt a man and his wife they are not one man or one wife but one flesh so the loue of God to vs in this Communion makes vs not one God or one man but one Spirit 1 Cor. 6.17 2. Freenesse Secondly consider the Freenesse of this Communion Hosea 14.5 I will loue them freely saith God Luke 1.28 freely beloued God loues vs freely as when a father adopts a Childe for his owne freely As if one of you should see a Childe goe vp and downe the streetes and you should take him into your House and freely adopt him and make him your Childe so doth God he loues vs freely and out of his free loue takes vs into his House and adopts vs to be his Children 3. Surenesse Thirdly consider the Surenesse of this Communion the Bond of it is Gods loue and his loue is euerlasting Ier. 31.3 no time can weare it out and Can. 8.6.7 Loue is strong as Death much water cannot quench Loue It is so betwixt man and woman much more betwixt God and vs It is not our sinnes can quench his loue no loue couers a multitude of sinnes 4. Sweetnesse Lastly consider the Sweetnesse of this Communion betwixt God and vs if it be from the loue of God then it is most sweet Cant. 1.1 Thy loue is better then Wine If a man haue but a sparkle of this loue in him it cannot but quicken him yea it will rauish him Psal 63.3 thy loue is better then life All the blessings that we inioy whether they be spirituall or temporall are no blessings to vs except they be sweetened with this loue of God our meate our drinke our life yea Heauen it selfe is no blessing vnlesse it be sweetned to vs by this Loue of God what good did heauen to the Angels that fell wanting this loue of God Oh the loue of God to a Sinner What is it It is the heart of our hearts the life of our liues and happinesse of our Soules Worldly men let them haue what the world can affoord them wealth and honours and the like they can
accompany a Christian life as Christ himself the Author of thy saluation But here some will pleade their priuiledges that they are exempted from this hard portion for they are loth to come vnder affliction as the child is to come vnder the rod First say they God loues vs therefore he will not afflict vs I say he loues thee therfore he will afflict thee Reu. 3.19 As many as I loue saith God I rebuke chasten Againe they say God is our Father and we are his children therfore he will not correct vs Nay therfore he wil correct vs Heb. 12.6 Whom the Lord loueth he chasteneth and scourgeth euery Sonne that he receiueth Again say they Christ hath suffered all for vs therfore we must not suffer any such things Nay therefore we must suffer Mat. 16.24 If any man will follow Christ he must take vp his Crosse and follow him vnlesse we doe thus we cannot be Christs disciples Iohn 15.20 It is true that these are sweet heauenly priuiledges and such as exempt vs from the euill of all afflictions but not from any one kind of them The second Vse is for Exhortation first to teach Vse 2 euery man to make account of afflictions to look for them continually Make account as duly of thy portion in the Cup of afflictions as of any part of thy daily bread which thou liuest vpon when we are in health and prosperity let vs looke for sicknes aduersitie But will some say what shall I look for these before-hand this is to vexe and trouble our selues without need for if the distresses we looke for do not come then we trouble our selues in vaine If they do come then they bring harme trouble enough with them Why should we sorrow before-hand I answere yet we must looke for them before-hand for if we do so then if they do not come as haply thy godly feare hath preuented them we haue cause to blesse God for it If they doe come then if wee haue made account of them before the smart of them wil be much easier vnto vs temptations troubles and losses when they come vnawares they do commonly lie very hard and heauy vpon vs but when we haue made account of them before-hand they are much lighter to vs. I will not deny but that we must vse all possible meanes to auoid afflictions we must pray against them preuent them what we can as our Sauiour prayed If it be possible let this cup passe from me Luk. 22. yet wee must make account of them before-hand These times wee liue in are such as call vpon vs to looke for afflictions they are the last dayes of the world and they are the worst and most dangerous times present troubles and miseries and imminent dangers and feares there were neuer more The Lord is abroad in Iudgement and carries his cup in his hand the Germans drinke of it first the French soone after the Polonians soone after them and haue not the English iust cause to feare that wee shall pledge them and that ere long we know not how soone Secondly againe this teacheth vs not onely to account of afflictions before-hand but also to prepare for them and to furnish our selues accordingly there is much good to be had by them and therefore we are to prepare for them and therefore doth God warne vs of dangers before-hand that we might be armed to beare them when they doe come Things to be laboured for that we may beare afflictions And that we may prepare for them we must labour for these things First wee must labour to get a resolution in vs to beare them and to stand it out to the death we must resolue with the Apostle Act. 21.13 not onely to suffer but to die with Christ Secondly we must season our hearts with the comforts of Gods promises before-hand to counteruaile our afflictions when they come as that he will neuer faile vs nor forsake vs that he loues vs and that the issue shall be good Thirdly esteeme basely and vildely of thy selfe deny thy selfe and so take vp thy Crosse and follow Christ Matth. 16.24 If we be choise and leaning to our selues we will neuer endure the Crosse compare Matth. 16.20 with Phil. 2.7 And fourthly we must labour to be well acquainted with the death of Christ this is Armour of proofe against all afflictions to know Iesus Christ and him crucified by sensible experience in our selues If I finde the life of Gods Spirit in me applying the death of Christ to mee and thereby subduing and crucifying my sinnes if we can finde this we shall be well armed against all afflictions We come here to receiue the Lords Supper in remembrance of Christs death then let vs desire to be made conformable to his death and then afflictions will be sweet vnto vs. Againe let vs labour for the assurance of Gods loue and fauour for that is it that makes the Apostle thus boldly to beare vp himselfe against all afflictions The last Vse teacheth vs Pacification euen in our Vse 3 greatest distresses let vs sit downe and say this is my portion and therefore will I beare it Many are ready to complaine and cry out and to say when they are afflicted especially when Gods hand lies heauy vpon them Oh my affliction is great and strange my case is not like vnto other mens no man is so hardly handled as I am as the Church Lam. 1.12 but this is the frowardnesse of our corrupt hearts Whatsoeuer it is it is thy portion and therefore be pacified and contented It is no otherwise with thee then it is with all Gods children euery one hath his portion of them 1 Pet. 4.12 It is no strange thing 1 Pet. 5.9 It is the same afflictions that are accomplished in our Brethren 1 Cor. 10.13 No temptation doth befall vs but such as appertaine to man and therfore let vs be content and pacifie our selues looke not so much on thy afflictions but looke vp to God It is his Ordinance that euery one of vs should beare his portion of affliction whatsoeuer thou dost endure it is but thy portion thy draught Shall I not drinke of the Cup which my Father giues me to drinke of saith our Sauiour Ioh. 18.11 This is it our Sauiour comforts himselfe and his Disciples withall and let this comfort thee It is thy Fathers Cup and therefore thou must drinke of it And secondly let vs looke vpon others of Gods children some of them are equall with thee in afflictions others come short but many goe beyond thee and thy afflictions are but little to some of theirs and those that are at more ease now may be in great distresses hereafter and wilt not thou be content to beare that which all Gods children beare and must beare more or lesse first or last All of vs haue sinned Christ onely excepted but none are exempted from the rodde not Christ himselfe And is it not a
many respects I haue beene mooued to Dedicate to you Mr. Doctor and to you the rest of my louing friends for three reasons First because I conceiue that it doth more properly belong vnto you then to any other for to whom should it belong if not to you Mr. Doctor who succeed the Author of it in his pastorall charge whereby you may see how with what kinde of nourishment he fed his now your people And to what people doth it more properly belong then to you my louing friends for whom it was first conceiued studyed penned and preached Secondly that I might manifest my intire loue and hearty wel-wishing to you all amongst whom I haue exercised my Ministery for the space of nine yeares last past and still doe by the mercy of God Thirdly that I might bee a meanes of further knitting and continuing you in vnfained loue one towards another by ioyning you together in this Dedication of this worke whom God hath by his speciall prouidence ioyned together in that neere band of relation of Pastor and people That this may be and that you and all others to whom this Treatise shall come may gaine as much spirituall good as the Author in studying penning and preaching and I in publishing desire I doe and will pray to him that is the God of loue and the giuer of all good things and that through him who is the Sonne of his loue and the meanes and way of all good things to vs euen the Lord Iesus In whom I am yours in the seruice of the Lord William Holbrooke To the Christian Reader VNderstand Christian Reader that these following Sermons were giuen by the Author as they were written by his owne hand to his louing friend Mr. Edward Misselden Merchant who most Christianly and willingly vpon the first motion deliuered them vnto me and condiscended to the publishing of them knowing that bonum quo communius eo melius a good thing the more common it is the better it is for which thou art much beholding to him for by this meanes thou hast these Sermons as they were penned and preached by the Author without addition or detraction Reade and meditate throughly vpon them thou shalt not I assure thee repent thee of thy labour for thou shalt finde therein much deepe and necessary heauenly doctrine and through Gods blessing be furnished with armour of proofe against all dangers and troubles whatsoeuer that are vpon thee or may befall thee in this life Be thankefull to God for this and all meanes of thy spirituall good which he affordeth thee and forget not to pray for him who forgetteth not to pray for thee and the whole Church of God and who will euer bee thine in the seruice of the Lord William Holbrooke SAINT PAVLS TRIVMPHES OR The SAINTS Coniunction with GOD and support in TROVBLES In the 116. Psalme verse 10. the Prophet Dauid speakes thus of himselfe I beleeued and therefore did I speake In imitation of the practise of the Prophet the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 4.13 takes vp the very same speech We also beleeue saith hee and therefore wee speake And in imitation of that practise both of the Prophet and of the Apostle I am now come here to speake as God shall enable me that which God hath enabled me to beleeue I beleeue that which I speake and I speake that which I beleeue and because I beleeue it therefore I speake it And what is that which I beleeue and speake Euen the very same matter and words which the Apostle Paul beleeued and spake in the depth of his Afflictions THE FIRST SERMON ROMANS Chap. 8. Vers 38.39 For I am perswaded or I am sure that neither Death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. FOr I am perswaded or I am sure c. It being the ordinary portion of all Gods children to suffer many afflictions in this life It was therefore the ordinary practise of the Apostles to minister comfort and consolation to all Gods children against all their sufferings Thus the Apostle here in this place to comfort himselfe and the faithfull against all afflictions propounds two considerations First what the afflictions are that may befall Gods children Secondly what harme they can doe them And this he doth from the 35. verse First what the afflictions are that Gods children are subiect to in this life and they are of all sorts sore and heauy Tribulation Distresse Persecution Famine Nakednesse Perill Sword c. Secondly what harme can they doe to Gods children He doth not exempt vs from any bodily dangers for therein wee are as other men but they cannot endanger our spirituall estate to depriue vs of that they cannot seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord for so the question intends verse 35. Who shall seperate vs from the loue of Christ shal Tribulation or Distresse As who should say nothing can No they are so farre from doing vs harme in our spirituall estate as that contrariwise we are much the better for them in that kinde In all these things wee are conquerors and more then conquerors through him that loued vs verse 37. And hereupon the Apostle growes to a peremptory resolution and determines the matter clearely both on his owne part and on the part of all the faithfull That neither life nor death nor Angels nor Principalities c. shall euer seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord verse 38.39 The parts of this Scripture are two First the Apostles resolution that neither life nor death c. shall euer seperate him from the loue of God Secondly his protestation of this his resolution I am perswaded or I am sure of it First the Apostles resolution that nothing shall seperate him c. The substance and effect whereof is this that true beleeuers can neuer fall away vtterly from grace which he expresseth in these termes that nothing can seperate vs c. So long as God loues vs we can neuer vtterly fall away from grace But God loues vs alwayes nothing can seperate vs from his loue Therefore we can neuer vtterly fall away from grace And that he might not seeme to speake vnaduisedly or rashly he knowes not what therefore he casts vp his reckoning before-hand as the wise King doth before he vndertakes War Luke 14.31 So doth the Apostle foresee and set before his eies all the causes dangers of falling away that may be thought of then heartens himselfe against them all against death against life against Angels c. and against all commers neuer shall any thing seperate vs from the loue of God neither death nor life saith the Apostle What danger soeuer befals vs it befals vs either in our life or in our death but
neither in death nor in life shall any thing seperate vs saith the Apostle therefore nothing can Yea but yet wee may be ouermatched with mighty enemies which are too strong for vs as Angels Principalities Powers the Apostle continues his resolution that God is infinitely more strong and mighty to saue vs then all our enemies are to destroy vs and therefore saith nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers shall euer preuaile against vs Yea but though our present state be good enough yet things to come are vncertaine We know not yet how hardly we may be bestead hereafter vpon our death-beds c. But saith the Apostle all shall be well then too our God is not a God a farre off but at hand too our louing God is not onely for the time present but for the time to come euen for all eternity his loue neuer changeth And therefore as our state is good for the present so it is for the time to come God hath secured vs for that too neither things present nor things to come Yea but there is a great height aboue vs we may bee snatched vp of that and a great depth below vs wee may be swallowed vp of that No saith the Apostle our God that loues vs rules in all things both in the highest heights and in the lowest depths that are and therefore it is neither the height of Heauen nor the depth of Hell that can separate vs Yea but there are infinite Creatures in the world and wee know not what mischiefe they may doe vs but saith the Apostle they are but Creatures and therefore in the hands and disposing of God their Creator who is our louing Father in Christ Iesus and therefore not any one of them can nor all of them together shall be able to separate vs c. Now secondly of his protestation I am perswaded or I am sure of it It is not a bare conceit but a full perswasion in me I doe not goe by thinkings and guessings but vpon a sure ground I am sure of it and here I make it knowne to all the world bee it knowne to the faithfull for their comfort and reioycing be it knowne to the wicked for their terrour and astonishment be it knowne to the Angels in heauen and be it knowne to the Diuels in hell that I am perswaded that I am confident in it that neither death nor life c. Oh Paul great was thy faith Oh thou beleeuing Man or Woman whatsoeuer thou art labour and striue thou to get this perswasion into thy heart and if thou canst not get this full perswasion which was in the Apostle yet labour to be a true Beleeuer make sure worke for that and then Paul doth here assure thee as himselfe that neither death nor life c shall euer be able to separate thee from the loue of God in Christ Iesus for Paul doth not speake this onely in particular of himselfe but of vs putting it the case of euery beleeuing Man and Woman He saith not nothing can separate mee but vs that is all the faithfull and surely hee had the Spirit and could not be deceiued and therefore what was his case is ours I am sure not any thing can seperate me and I am sure not any thing shall seperate them whosoeuer they be that haue sauing faith For I am perswaded saith the Apostle that neither death nor life nor Angels c. shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Now for my more orderly proceeding and your better vnderstanding I will cast this Scripture into this mould The whole substance of the Text doth spend and empty it selfe into these seauen particulars First is a matter of Implication and that is that there is a Communion or Coniunction betwixt God and the faithfull Separation presupposeth Coniunction when the Apostle saith nothing can separate vs from God it is necessarily implyed that there is a Coniunction betwixt God and vs for things that were neuer ioyned together cannot be said to be separated one from the other Then secondly he expresseth the Bond of this Coniunction and that is the loue of God Thirdly he shewes the ground and foundation of this Bond and Coniunction and that is Christ Iesus our Lord. Fourthly he declares a speciall Interest that the faithfull haue in Christ Iesus by a note of neere and speciall reference betwixt Christ and the faithfull our Lord. Fiftly the Apostle auoucheth the certainty of the safety of Gods Children amidst all dangers nothing can separate vs and this hee enlargeth in many particular dangers euen the greatest that can be imagined Death life c. Sixtly he protests his Confidence which hee hath concerning this their safety as being the vndoubted truth of God I am perswaded or I am sure c. Seauenthly he beares vp himselfe boldly vpon this assurance against all afflictions and dangers that euer did or euer could befall him for this is the maine drift of this whole discourse being propounded by way of a Reason for I am sure Why doth he insult ouer all these Because hee is sure and bold against them all Now to the particulars Doct. and first for the matter of Implication The Doctrine is this All true beleeuers are ioyned to God in Christ and haue a gracious and an holy and spirituall Communion and fellowship with him The point is but implyed here and therefore I must not be very large in it but yet because it is so implyed as being one speciall meanes of our standing fast in the state of Grace it must not be left vntoucht nor yet too sparingly handled It is a Doctrine hard to be vnderstood and I dare say it passeth the capacity of man to vnderstand it in the perfection of it I say it is hard to be vnderstood but it is harder to be beleeued but hardest of all to be practised we will speake somewhat of it therefore first by way of Explication that so we may the better vnderstand it secondly somewhat by way of Confirmation that we may the better beleeue it thirdly somewhat by way of Application that wee may the better practise it First for Explication Explication there is a twofold Communion with God one generall the other speciall the generall is common to all the Creatures all haue communion with God they in him and he in them they in him as their Creator he in them as his Creatures And this communion they haue with God in Christ too who is the first begotten of euery Creature and in him all things consist Colos 1.15.17 as if he should say Christ hath Communion with God for hee is the Image of the inuisible God the Creatures haue communion with Christ for hee is the first begotten of euery Creature and in him all consist and so consequently all the Creatures haue some kinde of Communion with God The speciall Communion is twofold either that Communion which the Angels haue
tell thee thou art in a damnable state except Christ be in thee It is very true that Iesus Christ in his owne person as he is without vs hath done and suffered all things that may cause and procure our saluation and it is as true that Christ Iesus must come and dwell within our hearts by his Spirit to apply these his doings and sufferings to our hearts else we can neuer haue any sauing benefit by him as for example Christ Iesus hath in his owne person by sacrificing himselfe on the Crosse offered a sweet smelling sacrifice to God his Father for my sinnes but yet except Christ come downe into my Soule by his Spirit and perswade mee to beleeue it and apply it to my selfe I can haue no sauing part in that his Sacrifice Vse 2 The second Vse is matter of Examination to teach vs to examine our selues concerning this point To all men whether Christ be in vs 2 Cor. 13.5 Proue your selues whether you are in the faith Examine your selues saith the Apostle Enter into a serious consideration with your owne Soules and see whether you haue any part in this blessed Communion with God or not This be sure of that whosoeuer hath not in some true measure this blessed Communion with God hee hath an accursed Communion with the Diuell there is no middle betwixt them Therefore lay thy hand vpon thy heart and examine thy selfe what Communion thou hast with God in Christ what knowledge what faith thou hast Dost thou know God in Christ dost thou beleeue in God through Christ dost thou worship God in Christ and all this in truth of thy heart then thou mayest be well assured that thou art ioyned to God in Christ else thou art without Christ and so without God To giue you a sure and true Rule for this Tryall which if you doe duely consider will neuer deceiue you there are two infallible Euidences of this Communion the Spirit and the fruits of the Spirit First the Spirit 1 Iohn 4.13 Hereby wee know that we dwell in him and he in vs because he hath giuen vs of his Spirit The Apostle makes this a certain Note of our Communion and therefore if wee haue the Spirit we are sure of it Yea but we may flatter our selues that we haue the Spirit when we haue it not that is true but that is their owne Errour and presumption that doe so but yet if thou doest make a Trade of this Examination thou shalt finde in time that thou doest know it of a Truth Hee that hath the Spirit indeed knowes it as certainly as he knowes he liues onely by practise experience and prayer this is brought to passe Secondly the fruits of the Spirit I will name but two Mortification and Quickning Mortifying the old man quickening of the new man these are two infallible Euidences of our Communion with God First Mortification Gal. 5.24 They that are Christs haue crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Secondly quickening Rom. 8.11 But if the spirit of him that raised vp Iesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised vp Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you And both these in the 10. verse If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sinne but the Spirit is life for Rightenesse sake Now examine thy selfe by these Rules Thou sayest thou hopest to be saued by Christ then shew that thou hast the Spirit and the fruits of the Spirit Looke well therefore into thy heart what portion of the Spirit hast thou Doth the Spirit of God beare witnesse to thy spirit that thou art Gods Againe examine thy selfe what fruits of the Spirit are in thee what mortification hast thou doest thou striue against thy corruptions doest thou mortifie thy earthly lusts doest thou finde that sin dyes and thy secret corruptions waste and consume daily in thee If thou doest then hast thou a blessed Communion with Christ Iesus in his death for it is by the power of his death that this is wrought in thee Secondly what quickening hast thou what newnesse of heart and life what zeale for Gods glory what delight in Gods Commandements what comfort hast thou in prayer what care and conscience hast thou to leade a godly life c. If thou findest these things in thee then thou hast a blessed Communion with Christ in his resurrection for this is our Communion with Christ to communicate with him both in his death and in his Resurrection and both these haue we by his Spirit but if thou dost not finde these things in thee certainely as yet thou art in a miserable case The second sort of Vses for those that haue attained this fauour at Gods hands 4. Vses to the faithfull onely to enioy this blessed Communion are these First we that haue found this should carry our selues worthy of it Hath God admitted vs to this happy Communion with himselfe and will not we carry our selues answerably If some great man should admit vs into fellowship with him we would be carefull how wee carry our selues we would be ruled by him loue that he loues c. then let vs doe so with God He hath admitted vs into fellowship with himselfe let vs therefore be Ruled by his Spirit Let vs be carefull to please him fearefull to offend him Let vs doe his will and not our owne wills Let vs loue that which he loues Let vs loue his children and his Religion and Righteousnesse and Holinesse because God loues them And let vs hate that which he hates Let vs hate our sinnes and corruptions 1 Iohn 1.6 If we say wee haue fellowship with him and walke in darkenesse we lye The Spirit giues them the lye in their face that say they haue fellowship with God and yet liue in sinne Before we enter into this league and Communion with God wee are at our owne hands happily we eate and drinke with the drunken we smite our fellow seruants wee walke in the lusts of our owne eyes we prophane the Sabboth and such like but when once we are admitted into fellowship with God then we are bound to our good-behauiour our Eyes Hands Sences Limbes all the parts of our Bodies and powers of our Soules are wholly consecrated and deuoted to Gods seruice As the Apostle speakes of Fornication 1 Cor. 6.11.15 A common Sinne in the Church of Corinth and too common amongst vs So we may say of euery sinne for so the force of this Reason extends it to all other sinnes as well as to that Shall we take the members of Christ and make them the members of an Harlot God forbid So we say of Pride Drunkennesse and other sinnes Shall I take the members of Christ and make them the members of a Drunkard or of a proud person God forbid No if any be in Christ let him be a new Creature Old things are passed and behold all things are become
new 2 Cor. 5.17 If any man haue beene a Drunkard let him now learne to liue soberly If any man haue beene a Sabboath breaker or a swearer or a lewd liuer now that he is in Christ he must be a new Creature Away with all thy olde sinnes and see that all be new within thee Decke thy selfe with all spirituall graces Faith and Repentance and Loue c. keepe them alwayes in exercise that so thou maist be alwaies gracious in Gods eyes euer hauing your Lamps burning thus we shall walke worthy of this blessed Communion Vse 2 Foure things to be practised for the increase of this Communion Secondly this teacheth vs to maintaine this Communion and to encrease it in our selues and grow vp in it First by Prayer Psal 86.11 Knit or vnite my heart vnto thee saith the Prophet or make my heart one with thee and Iohn 17.20 Our Sauiour prayes for his Disciples that they might haue this Communion Now Dauid and the Disciples had this Communion before but yet they pray for the increase of it and if we aske we shall receiue Secondly wee must seeke to maintaine and increase this Communion by the Ministery of the Word 1 Pet. 2.2.3 Hast thou tasted how bountifull the Lord hath beene to thee in working this blessed Communion betwixt him and thee by his Word then labour to bee further confirmed in it by that Word Thirdly the Sacraments are forcible meanes to maintaine this Communion especially the Lords Supper for there God admits vs to his owne Table feedes vs with the pretious Body and Blood of his owne Sonne What Communion can be greater then this Besides heere in this Sacrament the meanes of this our Communion the Body and Bloud of Christ are tendred sensibly vnto vs to our our hands and to our mouthes Then as the hand takes hold and the mouth receiues the outward Elements so let the heart take hold on Christ crucified for our further Communion with him wee neuer sauingly meditate on Christ but we eate Christ but when we come to the Lords Supper there we doe more sensibly feede vpon him We haue the Signes the Bread and Wine and the Ministers speciall Application This is my Body which was broken for thee my bloud which was shed for thee c. this is a great helpe to vs And whosoeuer receiues this Sacrament beleeuingly as the Minister giues him the Bread and Wine so God conuaies Christ into his heart by his Spirit Lastly euery of vs that comes to this Sacrament must renew his Couenant with God and binde himselfe to be a truer seruant to God then euer before else he can haue no Communion with Christ in this Sacrament Fourthly that wee may maintaine and grow vp in this happy Communion wee must make much of the smallest portion thereof the least relish of Gods fauour the least motions of this Spirit the least degree of Sanctification the least measure of true grace make much of that little thou hast and vse it well and be sure thou shalt haue more Math. 23.21.23 the Seruant that doth imploy his little well shall be made Ruler ouer much Vse 3 The third Vse is to teach vs Thankefulnesse We must acknowledge admire and be rauished with the thought of the infinite goodnesse of God in assuming thee and ioyning thee to himselfe This our blessed Communion in Christ is infinitely more then if the greatest Potentate of the earth should take the meanest man that is to be his Fauourite or the basest woman that is to be his Spouse for here the great God of heauen and earth the King of Kings makes vs his Fauourites and his Spouse his owne associates both in grace and glory Let vs therefore consider this aright and poure forth our soules in thankefulnesse to God for this infinite mercy To prouoke vs the more to thankefulnesse let vs solace our selues in this Garden of Eden for this is the Paradice of God Let vs behold and admire the particular passages betwixt God and vs in this blessed Communion God knowes vs and we know God he walkes and talkes with vs and we with him he couenants with vs and we with him Hosea 2.23 he loues and honours vs and we loue and honour him he liues and dwels and delights in vs and we liue and dwell and delight in him In admiration of this great mercy of God let euery one of vs breake forth and say Oh glorious God how infinitely good art thou to my poore Soule Oh my poore Soule how infinitely thankefull oughtest thou to be to thy glorious God! The last Vse is for Comfort and for singular consolation Vse 4 to all true beleeuers It is a great comfort to vs that God is with vs and wee with him But that God should be in vs and we in God that he should be one with vs and wee one with him this is the comfort of all comforts For being thus with vs then if afflictions temptations persecutions death men or Diuels can preuaile against God and Christ then may they preuaile against vs But if God and Christ be stronger then all the aduersary powers that are or can be against vs then surely they shall neuer preuaile against vs that are one with God in Christ Iesus FINIS THE SECOND SERMON Vpon ROMANS 8. two last Verses For I am perswaded or I am sure that neither Death nor life c. I Haue shewed the Dependance and Connexion of those words with the former from the 35. Verse Also I haue shewed you that they containe two parts First the Apostles Resolution neither Death nor life nor Angels c. should separate him c. Secondly his Protestation I am perswaded or I am sure of it I also opened the meaning of the words as you may remember which I will not now stand to repeate onely remember that I cast this Scripture into this mould and shewed you that it spent it selfe into these particulars First that which the Apostle implyes namely that there is a Coniunction betwixt God and true Beleeuers implyed in the word separate Secondly the Bond of this Communion and that is the loue of God Thirdly the Apostle shewes the ground both of this Bond and of this Communion and that is Iesus Christ Fourthly hee declares that there is a neere Interest betwixt Christ and the Faithfull our Lord. Fiftly he auoucheth the safety of Gods children in the middest of all dangers nothing shall separate them c. and inlargeth it in many particulars neither death nor life Sixtly hee protests the confidence he hath concerning this his safety I am perswaded or I am sure Lastly he beares himself boldly vpon this assurance that neither any thing that hath or shall befall him shall seperate him from the loue of God We haue begun with the first particular the matter of Implication and the point was this namely That all true Beleeuers are ioyned to God in Christ and haue a holy and spirituall and gracious
be content without the loue of God but this is but as grauell in their mouthes wanting the other they stand in slippery places and suddenly they goe downe to Hell Therefore let vs relish all things wee inioy as being sweetned with this loue of God our Wiues Children Friends Goods yea our owne liues and then when these are gone yet the loue of God whereby they were made sweet vnto vs will still remaine Let vs labour therefore for some relish of Gods loue in Iesus Christ it is hard to get it Faith onely workes it FINIS THE THIRD SERMON Vpon ROMANS 8. the two last Verses For I am perswaded or I am sure that neither Death c. THe dependence of these words with the former and the meaning of them in themselues I haue already shewed Also I cast this Scripture into this moulde shewing that the substance thereof emptied it selfe into these seauen particulars First the things implyed and that was that there is a Communion betwixt God and the faithfull in the word seperate which necessarily implyes a Coniunction with God things cannot be seperate that are not first ioyned together Secondly there is shewed the Bond of this Communion the loue of God Thirdly the Apostle shewes the ground of this loue and Communion Iesus Christ Fourthly he declares the Interest which the Faithfull haue in Christ Iesus by a tearme of neere reference our Lord. Fiftly he doth here auouch the safety of all Gods Children in the middest of all dangers and inlargeth himselfe in many particulars neither death nor life nor Angels c. Sixtly he professeth his owne confident perswasion that hee hath of this I am sure Seauenthly hee beares himselfe boldly vpon this confidence against all Commers Death life Angels c. Of the first and second points we haue spoken Now in the strength of God we are to procceede to speake of the third point and that is the ground and foundation of this loue which God beares to his Children and that is Iesus Christ Nothing is able to seperate mee from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus The Doctrine for our Instruction is this Doctrine The ground or foundation of all Gods loue which hee beares or shewes to true Beleeuers is Christ Iesus The Doctrine is contained within the Text fully and deliuered almost in so many words for marke the words the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus As if he should say the loue that God beares to true Beleeuers in Christ Iesus is setled in him erected in him and made good vnto vs in him as hee being the ground and foundation of it The Doctrine may seeme plaine enough at the first sight and so it is yet that we may rightly and soundly comprehend it or rather be comprehended by it Explication it needes some Explication First of the names Christ Iesus Christ signifies the annointed Iesus signifies a Sauiour and wheras he is called in Scripture sometimes by the name of Christ onely and sometime by the name of Iesus onely the Apostle here ioynes them both together Christ Iesus thereby to set forth the perfection and fulnesse of Gods loue to vs in his Sonne Iesus is the name of his Person Christ the name of his Office he is called Christ respectiuely to God by whom he is annointed he is the Lords annointed and hee is called Iesus in respect of vs whom he comes to saue he is our Iesus our Sauiour Behold how compleat and perfect Gods loue to vs in Christ is Hee loues vs in his person he loues vs in his office he loues vs in his Christ and in our Iesus in his annointed and in our Sauiour How could he deuise to loue vs more then is meant and contained in these words that God loues vs in Christ Iesus Secondly we are to speake somewhat of the phrase in Christ Iesus which is to be receiued vnder a distinction for there is a difference in the actions of Gods loue to vs in his Sonne I say a difference in respect of our Sense and in respect of Gods loue it selfe Some actions of Gods loue to vs are so in Christ that they are wholly suspended on Christ and his merits are the onely procuring cause of them As for example forgiuenesse of sinnes is an action of Gods loue to vs and yet this wholly depends on Christ and his merits that his precious bloud must procure this mercy for vs from God else they will neuer be forgiuen and this and the like loue of God is both in Christ and for Christ There are some other actions of Gods loue which arise meerely and onely out of the absolute will of God without any concurrance of Christs merits As the eternall purpose of God whereby hee hath determined to chuse some men to saluation this is an action of Gods loue meerely rising out of his absolute will without Christs merits for Christ is a Mediator and all his merits are the effects of his loue not the cause of it and yet this loue though it be not for Christ yet is it in Christ too Ephes 3.11 according to the eternall purpose which hee wrought in Christ Iesus that is in regard of the execution of it for euen this eternall purpose and all the actions of Gods loue which arise from his absolute will are effected and brought to passe in and through Christ This distinction wee must here vndergoe that so God may haue his right and Christ may haue his right that we may honor the Father so as that we may also honour the Sonne and the Sonne so as that the Father may not loose his honour that so the absolutenesse of the loue of God and the Mediation of Christ may not impeach one another Thirdly we must obserue that Gods loue in this verse is called the loue of Christ in the 35. verse shewing that God not onely loues vs in Christ but that Christ loues vs too We must conceiue it thus God loues his Sonne Christ Iesus and in him all true beleeuers Christ Iesus loues God the Father and in him he loues all true beleeuers and this is the right straine of Gods loue to vs in Christ Iesus So much for explication For proofe of this point Proofes looke into these places of Scripture Mat. 3.17 This is my beloued Sonne c. Here is a Proclamation from heauen published by Gods owne mouth God the Father speakes it of his own Sonne This is my beloued Sonne c. The words intend two things First the loue of God to Christ Iesus This is my beloued Sonne that is my most dearely beloued Sonne for so it is in the originall Secondly the loue of God in his Sonne to all those that he is well pleased withall in whom I am well pleased He doth not say with whom I am well pleased as my loue staying vpon him only but in whom as my loue extending it selfe to all that are in him This loue that God beares
denie our selues and dye to sinne and rise againe to newnesse of life Thou that goest on in thy sinne neuer dreame that God loues thee in Christ except thou hast crucified the flesh with the lusts they that haue their part of Gods loue in Christ they crucifie the flesh Thirdly then this loue of God to vs in Christ is a most perfect loue Ioh. 17.23 God loues vs with the same loue wherewith he loues Christ and therefore it cannot but be a most perfect loue If God should loue vs in our selues it would be a very imperfect loue not worthy God because all the louely graces in the best of vs are stained with many imperfections and therefore God takes vs and sets vs into Christ forgiues all our sinnes in his death and couers all our vnrighteousnesse with his righteousnesse and so beholds vs and loues vs in him with a perfect loue and if we haue not this perswasion we shall neuer come to haue any true peace in our consciences Fourthly if God loue vs in Christ then his loue to vs is most vnchangeable and vnmoueable it is grounded and built on a Rocke and the Rocke is Christ Iesus and therefore can neuer be moued but stands fast for euer If any thing can alienate Gods loue from Christ Iesus then it may alienate his loue from vs If nothing can remoue his loue from Christ then nothing can remoue it from vs and let sinne and Sathan and all our enemies bodily and spirituall stand vp and say what they can doe against vs Can you draw vs from the loue of God wee will put you hard to it well doe your worst Can you draw the loue of God from Christ if you cannot as wee are sure you cannot then you cannot draw it from vs for it is grounded in Christ Iesus Lastly if God loue vs in Christ then this loue of God to vs is a most sweet and comfortable loue and that in all the former respects because it is a tender loue a holy loue a perfect loue and an vnchangeable loue yea but especially in this respect because it is in Christ Iesus the very name of Gods loue is very sweet and comfortable vnto vs but when the nature of it is tendred vnto vs in the name and person of Iesus Christ it is much more sweet and comfortable vnto vs To be sorted with Christ in any state whatsoeuer is very comfortable to the beleeuing soule to be in afflictions and reproaches with him yea to dye with him this is a comfortable thing to Gods Children Who would not thinke themselues happy to be ioyned with Christ in any of these Yea but to be sorted with Christ in the bosome of God in the loue of God that God should loue vs in Christ Iesus yea and with the same loue wherewith hee loued Christ Iesus Here is the comfort of all comforts and the fulnesse of our Consolation The last Vse teacheth vs that as God loues in Vse 6 Christ Iesus and measures forth all his proceedings to vs in him so must wee doe to God againe If wee doe any thing to God doe it in Christ If we beleeue in God let vs beleeue in him through Christ If wee pray to God let vs pray to him in Christ If we loue God let vs loue him in Christ If we obey God let vs obey him in Christ If wee worship God let vs worship him in Christ Whatsoeuer we doe in word or deed let all be done in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ Colos 3.17 else it is abhominable to God our spirituall sacrifices are acceptable to God onely in Iesus Christ 1 Pet. 2.5 Againe is Iesus Christ the ground of all Gods loue to vs then let the ground of all our loue to God to the faithfull and to the Creatures be setled in Christ Doth God loue thee onely in Christ and canst thou not loue where thou seest Christ Or darest thou loue where thou dost not see him Seeing God loues where he sees Christ and loues not where he sees not Christ learne his example and frame loue to his loue Let vs loue the Creatures of God in Christ the Children of God in Christ let vs loue the ordinances of God in Christ let vs loue God himselfe in Christ and whatsoeuer we doe in the seruice of God let it be done in Christ whatsouer we doe in word or deed let all be done in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ Yee come now to receiue the Sacrament of the Lords Supper then walke by this Rule in receiuing Let vs doe all that we doe herein in the name faith loue power and mediation of Christ Let vs receiue it in Christ as God giues it to vs for the loue hee beares to vs in Christ so let vs receiue it for the loue of Christ with a true purpose to serue God all our life and let vs bewaile our sinnes and know that all our worthinesse is in Christ and therefore let vs receiue it in the worthinesse of Christ beleeuing that God will make it effectuall to our soules in him And so receiuing it and doing all we doe in it in the name of Christ we shall receiue it with glory to God and comfort to our owne Soules FINIS THE FOVRTH SERMON Vpon ROMANS â—… the two last Verses For I am perswaded or I am sure that neither Death nor life nor Angels c. AS the Lord hath beene pleased to enable vs we haue entred into the handling of these verses and shewed the dependance of them with the former and the meaning of the seuerall tearmes of words that the Apostle declares himselfe vpon then I laide you downe seauen heads whereunto the whole force of the Apostles speech might be reduced the first was implyed and that was that there is a Communion betwixt God all true beleeuers Secondly the Apostle shewes the Bond of this Communion that is the loue of God Thirdly he shewes the ground of this Communion and of the bond of it and that is Iesus Christ Fourthly the Apostle declares the neere interest that the faithfull haue to Christ by a note of speciall reference our Lord. And this is the point we are now come vnto and if God shew vs strength in weakenesse it shall be our meditation at this time Christ Iesus our Lord The Doctrine hence is this Doctrine That there is a very neere and speciall reference betwixt Christ Iesus and all the faithfull whereby hee is interressed in them they in him He is our Lord saith the Apostle and consequently wee are his subiects and seruants for this is a terme of mutuall relation intending his right in vs and ours in him his superiority ouer vs and our subiection vnto him hee is our Lord and we are his subiects and seruants According to our manner we will speake somewhat of this by way of Explication Explication And therein wee are to consider of two things First of the Title Lord.
Secondly how it doth sute with the present purpose of the Apostle First of the Title Our Lord or the Lord of the faithfull or the Lord ouer his Church Christ is our Lord A Lord is a name both of honour and also of authority and power therefore when the Apostle saith Christ Iesus our Lord we must vnderstand that he is the owner and also the guider and ruler of the faithfull hee gouernes vs by his lawes and guides vs by his Spirit and keepes vs in his protection and imployes vs in his seruice The Lordship of Iesus Christ ouer the Church or ouer the faithfull is to be conceiued vnder these termes First that he is our speciall Lord secondly that he is our spirituall Lord thirdly that he is our sauing Lord and fourthly that he is our absolute and onely Lord. First Christ is our speciall Lord God the Father and God the holy Ghost as well as God the Sonne is our Lord and yet there is but one Lord as there is but one God but this is in a generall sence But Christ is our Lord not onely in respect of the Godhead as the other persons are but in a speciall manner as hee is our Mediator Acts 2.36 God hath made him both Lord and Christ that is God hath put this office and honour vpon him God hath appointed him to be our Lord in a special manner as he is our Mediator Secondly he is our spirituall Lord he is not the Lord of our bodies onely but of our soules and our consciences and this Lordship which he hath ouer vs he exerciseth not in any worldly state or outward pompe but in a spirituall state as a heauenly Lord Iohn 18.36 My Kingdome is not of this world as who should say I am a King but not an earthly King a Lord but not a worldly Lord but I am a spirituall King and a heauenly Lord. Thirdly hee is our sauing Lord he is the Lord of the whole world of the wicked as well as of the faithfull in a generall sence but to them he is a destroying Lord to vs hee is a sauing Lord 2 Pet. 2.18 Last and grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ Christ is so our Lord as he is also our Sauiour and that not onely with a temporall saluation to saue vs temporally for so as the Prophet speakes hee saues both man and beast but as our eternall Sauiour to giue vs euerlasting saluation both in grace and glory Fourthly he is our absolute and onely Lord ruling vs meerely by his owne will freeing vs from all forraigne powers and authority whatsoeuer If any creature haue any Lordship or authority ouer vs as Kings Princes Magistrates Parents and Ministers haue it is as subordinate to our Lord Iesus Christ And whatsoeuer they doe to vs they must doe it as vnder him and whatsoeuer we do to them we must doe it as vnto Christ Col. 3.23.24 Whatsoeuer ye doe doe it heartily as vnto the Lord and not men knowing that of the Lord ye shall receiue the reward for yee serue the Lord Christ It is in him and by him that they rule ouer vs and it is in him and for him that we doe seruice to them for so is the rule in that place The second point for Explication is how this Title sutes here with the present purpose of the Apostle Surely it sutes very fitly with it for it is a point very materiall to the cause in hand that is to proue the stability of the faithfull in the state of grace For some happily might obiect and say What if the loue of God be set vpon vs in Christ how come wee to fare the better for it Yes saith the Apostle the same Christ in whom God loues vs is himselfe our Lord and we are his seruants therfore his care respect for vs is such that looke whatsoeuer loue God doth intend and beare to vs in him himselfe being our Lord will faithfully mannage the same at all times for our best safety and greatest good The Apostle had named mighty aduersaries as Death Life Angels c. and for our better encouragement against them all hee sets out our Captaine and deliuerer in a high and glorious title He is a Lord and therefore farre aboue all our enemies he is our Lord and therefore can and will deliuer vs from them all Proofes We come to the proofes There is nothing more frequent in the new Testament then this that Iesus Christ is called our Lord and no maruell for this is the very summe of the Gospel the Apostle makes it to be so Rom. 1.1.3 Paul an Apostle of Iesus Christ called to be an Apostle put a part to preach the Gospel of God Concerning his Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord. I will onely serue my selfe vpon such places of Scripture where Christ is called our Lord in some speciall significancy that is with some speciall reference to some notable worke whereby he hath shewed himselfe to be our Lord. 1 Cor. 8.6 Vnto vs there is but one God euen that Father of whom are all things and we in him and one Lord Iesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him Hee had shewed before that there are many Gods and many Lords to others but to vs that is to the faithful there is but one God Father one Lord Iesus Christ Mark how significantly the Apostle applies this Title Lord to Iesus Christ in respect of the Soueraigne Lordly power he hath ouer all things especially ouer the faithfull Christ Iesus hath supreame authoritie ouer all things all things are by him and we by him and therefore he is our Lord and our onely Lord we haue but one Lord. Rom. 7.25 I thanke God through Iesus Christ our Lord. The Apostle had complained before of the bitter combate which he felt within himselfe betwixt the flesh and the spirit and finding himselfe ouer-matched with the lusts of the flesh in the 24. verse hee cryes out for helpe Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee and presently he thinkes vpon Iesus Christ our Lord and vpon him he sets downe his rest I thanke God through Iesus Christ our Lord as if he should say it is Iesus Christ our Lord that hath appointed me to this combate It is Iesus Christ our Lord that giues me strength in the combate and it is Iesus Christ our Lord that in due time will deliuer me and giue me victory in this combate though I be ouermatched with these enemies yet he will ouermatch them Who should a man flie to in his distresse but to his Lord So the Apostle here flyes to Christ Iesus as to his Lord 1 Cor. 15.57 Thanks be vnto God who hath giue vs victory through our Lord Iesus Christ The Apostle speakes there of Christ and of his Resurrection from the dead whereby he hath ouercome death not for himselfe onely but for the faithfull and in that
respect he calls him our Lord For wherein did euer Christ Iesus shew himselfe more plainely to be the Lord then by his Resurrection And wherein may he Lord it more then in giuing his subiects and seruants victory ouer Death and Hell and all their enemies To proceed yet a little further in the proofe of this point according to this generall proportion of Christ being our Lord that is the Lord of all the faithfull wee shall finde that particular beleeuers haue laide particular claime to Christ euery one of them as to his Lord Luke 1.43 And whence commeth it that the mother of my Lord should come vnto me A strong faith in a weake woman to confesse Christ Iesus to be her Lord euen whilest he was in his mothers wombe My Lord that came downe from heauen for me My Lord that tooke flesh of the blessed Virgine my neere and deare Kinswoman euen for my sake to redeeme mee Iohn 20.13 They haue taken away my Lord c. She speakes it as a woman weeping and mourning but not out of a womanish passion but out of a spirituall and heauenly affection My Lord that hath forgiuen mee so many sinnes My Lord that hath cast out seauen Diuels out of me My Lord that hath stood it out manfully on the Crosse against all the powers of darknesse for the redemption of my poore sinfull soule Oh they haue taken him away and I know not where they haue laid him If I could tell where they haue laid him I would surely goe to him I would goe through thicke and thinne that I might enioy my Lord but alasse they haue taken away my Lord. Iohn 20.28 My Lord and my God It is the speech of Thomas he saw in our Sauiours hands the print of the nailes whereby he was fastened on the Crosse and in his side he saw the wound of the Souldiers Speare and vpon sight thereof he cryes out my Lord and my God as who should say Oh my Lord these wounds thou hast receiued for my sinnes and trangressions Oh my Lord c. The Reasons First Christ is our Lord because Reason 1 he made vs Euery free agent is Lord and Master of the worke of his owne hands He made vs therefore he is our Lord. Col. 1.16 By him all things were made Yea but so he is the Lord of the wicked hee made them too yea but he is our speciall Lord hee made vs not onely to be Creatures which is common to the wicked but to be new Creatures which is peculiar to the faithfull onely 2 Cor. 5.17 If any man be in Christ let him be a new Creature Hee transformes and new moulds vs and makes vs new Creatures if we beleeue in him Our Lord Christ as he makes vs Creatures so he makes vs new Creatures Christ Iesus hath made vs both Creatures and new Creatures too and therefore he must needes be our absolute and speciall Lord. Secondly he is our Lord because we were giuen Reason 2 to him of God Iohn 17.6 Thine they were and thou hast giuen them me God hath giuen vs to his Sonne Christ and therefore wee are his in the best and surest right that may be What better right can we haue then to that which is giuen to vs freely And marke in what termes God hath giuen vs to Christ and by what right we are Christs Thine they were and thou hast giuen them mee In the same propinquity that we were Gods in the same propinquity we were giuen vnto Christ but we were Gods as he is our Lord and therefore we are Christs so too And marke further here how hee shewes himselfe to be their Lord and they to be his seruants I haue declared thy word to them that is I as their Lord haue set them their taske what they must doe that they may be saued And they haue kept thy Word saith our Sauiour that is as good and faithfull seruants to their Lord they haue followed my direction Reason 3 Thirdly he is our Lord because he hath deliuered vs from all our enemies Sinne Sathan c. Luke 1.71 A temporall deliuerer from a temporall bondage deserues iustly to be Lord ouer those whom he doth deliuer and this the Law and light of Nature taught among the Heathen for looke who it was deliuered another from any bondage his Lord hee was Our Lord Iesus Christ deliuered vs from the spirituall and eternall bondage and slauery of Sinne Sathan Curse Death Hell and Eternall damnation And therefore he must needes bee our Lord much more And this Reason may be yet further confirmed if we consider the intendment of Christ in our deliuerance and that was that we his seruants might serue him all the dayes of our life Luk. 1.74 Fourthly he is our Lord because he hath bought Reason 4 vs 2 Pet. 2.1 Denying the Lord that he hath bought them Naturall reason teacheth vs this Shall not a man be Lord of that he hath bought and truely and dearely paide for But Christ hath bought vs and paide dearely for vs not siluer and gold but his owne pretious bloud therefore he hath most soueraigne right ouer vs as our Lord and we are most strictly bound to him as his seruants It is the Apostles reason in the 1 Cor. 6 2â— Yee are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your bodies and in you spirits for they are Gods This Doctrine is full of Vse the first Vse is concerning Christ himselfe the second is concerning vnbeleeuers and the third is concerning the faithfull The first Vse is concerning Christ himselfe He is Vse 1 our Lord This is an euident proofe of his Godhead he is our Lord and therefore our God Christ is sometime called the Lord and that intends his Soueraigne power and authority ouer all things sometime our Lord and this intends his Soueraigne power and supreame authoritie ouer the Church euery way the name Lord proues him to be God For to haue Soueraigne power and supreame authority ouer all things or ouer the Church cannot be giuen to any but to God Remember the termes before mentioned vnder which wee are to conceiue Christ to be our Lord and euery one of them will necessarily conclude that Christ our Lord is Christ our God First hee is our speciall Lord as hee is our Mediator and he must be God as well as man that he may be Mediator betwixt God and man Againe hee is our spirituall Lord he is Lord ouer our soules and consciences and a conscience well rectified acknowledgeth none ouer it but God Againe he is our sauing Lord and none can challenge this but God himselfe Saluation belongs to God alone Lastly hee is our absolute Lord to be obeyed without questioning without controule and without resisting in all things whatsoeuer he commands and this none can challenge but God onely I hope there is none here present that will either deny or doubt of Christs Godhead but there are many of vs that in prayer and
conference name Christ our Lord but yet neuer thinke of his Godhead which is the life of his Lordship both in himselfe and vnto vs Christ Lord without Christ God is no Lord at all Vse 2 The second Vse is concerning the wicked and vngodly vnbeleeuers If Christ be our Lord that is the Lord of the faithfull and of his Church then the wicked and vnbeleeuers haue nothing to doe with him that is as a sauing Lord What a desperate wretchlesse and wofull case are they in Iesus Christ is none of their Lord to saue them nor they are none of his seruants they yeeld him no homage nor obedience and therefore can expect no comfort nor saluation from him Consider both their life and their death In their life they goe vp and downe doing their owne wils and not Christs will neither are they ruled by his Lawes but like Lordlesse and Masterlesse men they goe about saying What Lord shall controule vs If they doe serue or be ruled by any Lord at all it is the Diuell his word is their Law they are ruled by his will and are at his becke Let him bid a wicked man sweare or lye or prophane the Sabboth be drunke steale c. straight way he will doe it he is led by the Diuell at his will as the Apostle saith Oh that the faithfull would and could performe such true seruice to their Lord Iesus Christ as these doe to their Lord the Diuell It is a foule shame to vs that wee yeeld not such true seruice to Christ as they doe to their Lord the Diuell and it is a foule shame in them that they yeeld such true seruice to the Diuell So at their death when they are on their death-beds doe they pray no saith Iob the wicked pray not at all times No they curse and rage and dispaire or at the best they are like to Naball their hearts are dead as a stone within them there is no spirituall life nor comfort in them they haue neuer a Lord in heauen to commit their soules vnto but the Lord whom they serued in their life the Diuell stands by them ready at their death to carry away their soules to hell when they part from their bodies as he did the rich mans and then this cursed Lord and Master that set them on worke and to whom they haue done such true seruice here shall truely pay them their full wages in euerlasting torments They haue sinned with the Diuell and his Angels here and therefore it is iust with God to giue them their part and portion and to damne them with the Diuell and his Angels for euer And then this our Lord Iesus Christ whom they neglected and opposed in their life and would not acknowledge to be their Lord hee shall shew himselfe to be a mighty Lord against them and then hee shall exercise his Lordly power and authority ouer them in wrath and vengeance to their eternall condemnation And then the very thought of the Lord Iesus shall be as terrible to them as the torment they endure to thinke that Christ should come downe from heauen to saue them and that they should be such wretches to serue the Diuell rather then him Vse 3 The third Vse is for the faithfull this toucheth them in many respects First here is the honour of the faithfull in that they serue this great Lord Christ Iesus is their Lord and they his Seruants When sundry Ambassadors meete together from sundry places in a strange Country he that serues the greatest Prince amongst them hath the precedency of place and honour before the rest because hee serues the greatest Lord We all liue here as Seruants to Kings or Nobles or Magistrates or Masters but the faithfull howsoeuer they serue other Lords yet their spirituall Lord is the Lord Iesus Christ and by how much he is greater then other Lords so much the more is their honour aboue all other Seruants whatsoeuer It was that which the Apostle Paul and other of the Apostles boasted of and so much comforted themselues in as we may see in their Epistles that they were Seruants to this Lord Paul a Seruant of Iesus Christ Iames the Seruant of Iesus Christ and so others A man when hee sends an Epistle graceth himselfe with the greatest title he can the Apostles grace themselues in their Epistles with this Title the Seruants of our Lord Iesus Christ as the greatest title they can haue Nay the very Angels in heauen take delight and comfort in it Reuel 22.9 I am thy fellow seruant saith the Angell to Iohn the seruant of the Lord Christ as well as thou Some thinke it a shame to be counted Christs Seruants What shall we be ashamed of that which is our greatest glory and honour with God God forbid In trouble and in persecution let vs acknowledge him to be our Lord that will giue vs full content both in grace and glory Let carnall and prophane worldlings reproach vs as in these dayes it is too common that wee are too precise and that we are zealous for the Lord of hosts that we make conscience of our wayes and that we keepe our selues from the corruptions of the times and that we will not runne with them into excesse of riot this is the scandall of the Crosse in these times that the faithfull will not company and symbolize with the wicked in their sinnes no we will not serue your sinnes wee serue the Lord Iesus Christ and if you reproach vs for it we will weare that reproach as our Crowne The glory of the wicked is their shame but the shame that the wicked lay vpon vs is our greatest glory though this be a shame with men yet it is honour with Christ hee will take knowledge of vs as his Seruants Secondly this is matter of comfort to Gods Children and they stand in great neede of comfort in these vncomfortable times why this that Christ is our Lord if we be sure of that it will support and cheere vp our hearts in all our distresses against desertions of men when men when friends yea when our Parents forsake vs our Lord Christ wil neuer forsake vs Psal 27.10 Though my Father and Mother should forsake me yet the Lord would gather me vp It comforts vs against all oppositions of men they are many great and strong they rage and plot and they band themselues together against the Lord and against his Christ but yet here is our comfort hee that dwelleth in heauen shall laugh our Lord shall haue them in derision Psal 2.2.4 So it may comfort vs against all our wants Christ is our Lord and therefore wee shall want nothing Psal 28.1 The Lord is my Shepheard I shall not want Againe it may comfort vs against weakenesse and infirmities Christ is our Lord and his grace is all-sufficient for vs as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 1.9 Againe it may comfort vs against all dangers present imminent and future Christ is our Lord therefore
we will not feare The Lord of hosts is with vs the God of Iacob is our refuge Psal 46.1.2.3 So it may comfort vs against all Sathans temptations the fiercest greatest and fearefullest that Sathan can assault vs withall Christ is our Lord and Master and can a Lord or Master see a faithfull Seruant of his wronged and oppressed by his enemy and not stretch forth his hand to helpe and rescue him If men will yet our Lord Christ will not nor cannot but the more fiercely wee are assaulted by our enemies the more ready will hee be to helpe vs. Therefore in the depth of temptation retire thy selfe to this sure Hold to Christ as to thy Lord and say vnto him Oh my Lord seest thou how I am oppressed with thy enemy and my enemy Wilt thou see me trodden vnder feete Vp Lord I pray thee fight for me suffer not my soule to be a prey to such a cursed enemy And surely if thou doest thus the Lord will be very ready to heare thee the God of peace will tread Satan vnder thy feet shortly Lastly it may comfort vs against death it selfe whosoeuer thou art that hast serued the Lord Christ in truth in thy life thou maist boldly put thy selfe vpon him as thy Lord at thy death hee whom thou hast serued all thy life will surely comfort thee at thy death and in death and after death therefore be not discouraged at death it is terrible and fearefull to Nature but let vs arme our selues for it before hand let vs before hand goe to Christ and let him be our Lord and then we may say to our soules at our death Oh my soule thou hast serued the Lord Iesus Christ thus many yeares be not now afraid to goe to thy Lord and master home to his owne house and we may turne to the Lord and say Oh my Lord thou hast beene my protector many yeares now Lord helpe me for now I stand in more neede of thy helpe then euer I did before Lord receiue my soule now into thy mercifull hands and if thou doest thus assure thy selfe thou shalt not be more ready to commend thy soule to him then he will be ready to receiue it into his hands The third Vse is for matter of dutie teaching vs Vse 3 that seeing Christ is our Lord we must cary our selues to him as to our Lord in all dutie as good and faithfull seruants he that doth so is the right seruant of Iesus Christ the true and sound Christian The duties we are to performe to him are many we will reduce them to these two heads Doing and Suffering In both these we must conforme our selues to Christ as to our Lord. In doing First if Christ bee our Lord we must beleeue in him trust in him and rest vpon him Isa 26.4 Trust in the Lord for euer for in the Lord God is strength for euermore and therfore let vs be confident in him rowle our selues vpon him and know whom it is that wee haue trusted and hazzarded our soule vpon him Let vs trust in the Lord when we see nothing in the world but desolation he is a Lord and therefore can doe for vs what he will and he is our Lord and therefore he will doe for vs what he can And if he can do for vs what he will by his absolute power and will doe for vs what he can of his meere grace and goodnesse why should wee not beleeue in him and rest vpon him both in life and death Secondly if he be our Lord then wee must reuerence him as our Lord. Mal. 1.6 If I be a Lord where is my feare Psal 2.11.12 Serue the Lord in feare and reioyce in him with trembling Kisse the Sonne c. Let vs therefore reuerence him in his Nature Person Word Ordinances in our hearts liues and all our courses Let this feare be alwayes before our eyes that wee may neuer sinne against him It is a fault to be taxed in many Christians that they come to the Word and to the Sacraments with little reuerence to God none at all to man God will be honoured with an orderly zeale Thirdly if Christ be our Lord then wee must loue him as our Lord. Deut. 6.5 Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule Our loue must be such to him as his loue was to vs that is not colde or little but maruellous great so that he shed his bloud for vs. Hath our Lord loued vs thus dearely to lay downe his life for vs then let vs loue him as dearely let vs lay downe our liues if we be called to it for him Fourthly if Christ be our Lord we must imitate him Iohn 13.13.14 Yee call me Lord and Master and yee say well for so I am if I then your Lord and master haue washed your feete yee ought also to wash one anothers feete and verse 15. For I haue giuen you an ensample c. Thus we should imitate Christ in loue and humilitie and other graces wee are much wanting in these Duties now in these dayes but if Christ be our Lord wee must shew our loue and humility as Christ did thinke scorne of nothing that is to be done for the Children of God Euery seruant will follow his Lord if it be but in an ill fashion then let vs imitate Christ in his graces and conforme our selues to his fashions Fiftly if Christ be our Lord wee must serue and obey him as our Lord wee must doe what hee commands and nothing else and we must doe it as hee commands it to be done and we must leaue vndone that he forbids We must not be seruants to men wee must serue other Lords as vnder our Lord Christ and in his name much lesse must wee serue our owne lusts or the world Christ is our Lord and wee will serue him and not the world nor our owne sinfull lusts Secondly in our sufferings we must conforme our selues to Christ Let vs know for certaine that wee must looke for affliction The seruant is not aboue his master Matth. 10.24 It is the nicenesse of many Christians that their finger must not ake they must not endure one temptation they would fain flie from afflictions but we must looke for them Did Christ goe from the Crosse to heauen and shall not wee goe the same way we must take vp our Crosse and follow him Secondly as we must looke for them so we must carry our selues with patience as he did in them who when he was reuiled reuiled not againe when he suffered he threatned not c. 1 Pet. 2.23 Leauing vs an example saith the Apostle that wee should follow his steps verse 21. And therefore let vs labour to be patient in the least affliction for hee is thy Lord that puts thee to it And let them be our owne afflictions and then we shall the better beare greater afflictions Christs afflictions Christ ware a Crowne of
thornes and was stroke vpon that Crowne to adde affliction to his afflictions so we must looke for many thornes many afflictions and for affliction to be added to affliction But yet be of good cheere Christ will recompence all with a Crowne of Glory Let vs apply this to the Sacrament We come heere to the Lords Table this is a great honour to vs therefore let vs be thankefull for it Secondly let it comfort vs that if we come in repentance we shall haue our comfort sealed vp vnto vs to our hands to our mouthes and to our hearts Againe we professe Christ to be our Lord then let vs examine whether we feare him loue him and obey him as our Lord. Alasse wee must all confesse we come short in these duties let vs acknowledge this vnto him and let vs say Lord though we deserue not to be thy seruants yet thou art our Lord and let vs come with more faith and feare and loue and with more resolution to obey him better then euer we haue done If this Sacrament Seale vnto vs that Christ is our Lord it must also seale vnto vs that we are his seruants and then we must not honor him for an houre while we are here but all our life time If thou be the seruant of Christ he is thy Lord but if thou serue the world or thy belly or thy pleasure or any thing else and not the Lord Iesus in the truth of thine heart then he is none of thy Lord nor thou art none of his seruant And therefore when thou shalt come and knocke say Lord Lord open vnto me he will answere thee away from me thou art none of my seruant therefore let vs subiect our selues vnto him in all obedience both in doing and suffering as vnto our Lord and so he will recompence vs with grace here and with glory hereafter FINIS THE FIFTH SERMON Vpon ROMANS 8. the two last Verses For I am perswaded or I am sure that neither Death nor life nor Angels c. IN handling this Scripture as GOD in mercy hath giuen strength wee haue proceeded thus farre First wee haue shewed the dependance of the verses with the former then we shewed the meaning of the words in themselues After that we cast this Scripture for our better instruction and memory into this mould and shewed that it did empty it selfe into these seauen particulars First that which is implyed namely that there is a Communion betwixt God and the faithfull Secondly that which is exprest namely the bond of this Communion and that is the loue of God Thirdly the Apostle shewes the ground of this Communion and of this bond too and that is Iesus Christ Fourthly hee shewes that the faithfull haue a neere interest in Christ Iesus and this he sets forth by a terme of neere Relation our Lord Thus farre we haue proceeded already The fifth point is that the Apostle auoucheth the safety of all the faithfull in the middest of all dangers that they are subiect to nothing shall seperate vs from the loue of God And this he inlargeth in many particulars as by and by we shall see This is the fifth thing then that we are to consider of namely the safty of the State of Gods children in the midst of all dangers wee will propound the the Doctrine thus The hould that the faithfull haue in the loue of God through Iesus Christ it is a sure hould Doctrine the estate of grace that they are in is an vndefeasable estate nothing can void them nothing can depriue them of it Consider well the words of the obseruauation the very words whereof are in effect the very words of this Scripture and the whole matter of the obseruation is the whole matter of this Scripture For that which we haue spoken heretofore touching our Communion with God the bond of it Gods loue the ground of both Iesus Christ c. haue beene but preparations to this Truth and these points which follow touching the Apostle his certainty he hath and the vse he makes of it are but inferences from this truth This is the truth it selfe that is here peremptorily and precisely affirmed that nothing shall seperate the faithfull from the loue of God to them in Iesus Christ nor from the estate of grace that they are in And this the Apostle contents not himselfe onely to affirme in the generall but withall confirmes it in particular by a sufficient reckoning vp of all the parts of the Aduersarie power that is or can be against vs Death shall not nor life shall not nor Angels c. nor any other creature nothing shall seperate vs not any one of these dangers asunder no nor all of them ioyned together no nor any other added to them nor any other Creature put what you will to them nothing shall seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus and to put the matter out of all shew of doubt he saith not onely they shall not seperate vs but he puts it vpon an impossibâ—lity they shall not be able to seperate vs let them ioyne all their powers together and doe what they can they shall neuer be able to doe it Thus we see the Doctrine is naturally raised and the Apostle presseth it as the maine matter of the Scripture Explication I will speake somewhat as our order is for Explication of the Doctrine and therein I will handle but this one point Because the Doctrine speakes of the loue of God and of the state of grace we must know what it is to be in that state of the loue of God and the estate of grace for either it hath been our state or now is or hereafter shall be our estate else we can neuer be saued therefore before we shew that wee cannot fall away from this state it is needfull to shew what it is to be in it The estate of the loue of God and the state of grace is to be throughly reconciled to God through the precious bloud of Iesus Christ whereby we are iustified from all our sinnes and entred into a course of true sanctification It is called the estate of Gods loue in opposition to the estate of Gods wrath wherein we are all by nature Ephes 2.3 In this state of wrath God lookes downe from heauen vpon vs in mercy and receiues vs freely into his loue through Iesus Christ and so wee are translated out of the estate of Gods wrath into the estate of his loue It is called the estate of grace in opposition to the state of sinne that we are all in Rom. 3.28 All haue sinned c. In this sinfull state the Lord lookes downe from Heauen in mercy vpon vs and in Iesus Christ bestowes vpon vs the sauing grace of Iustification forgiuing vs all our sinnes and the grace of Sanctification making vs new creatures and so translates vs out of the state of sinne into the state of grace These things wee must
sinne therefore resolue deliberately rather to be drawne in pieces then to be drawne to sinne againe Fourthly wee must make our resolutions in confidence of Gods promises and empty our selues of all power to doe any thing as of our selues Lastly wee must goe to God by prayer for his Spirit that he may frame thy resolutions within thee Say Lord thou hast giuen mee these good resolutions let thy Spirit worke and confirme them in my heart and then they shall stand sure and if we can preuaile with God by prayer to frame these resolutions in our hearts they shall be sure to stand Thirdly that we may be established in grace and perseuere therein wee must daily rippe vp our hearts and our reines before God wee must discouer our sinnes and corruptions and infirmities and wants to God Psal 16.8 I haue set the Lord euer before me because he is at my right hand I shall neuer be moued The way to keepe vs from falling is to walke openly and nakedly before the Lord without dissembling reseruations circumloquutions neuer bee either afraid or ashamed to tell GOD what thou wantest for so much as thou failest in making thy selfe throughly knowne to GOD so much thou euer giuest thy selfe to fall away from grace Fourthly to preserue vs from falling from grace we must watch continually ouer our owne hearts that we doe not fall Matth. 26.41 Our Sauiour prescribes it of purpose as a preseruation from falling Thy heart is deceitfull aboue all things watch thy heart therefore at euery turne lest it fall away But alasse what will our watchfulnesse doe Yes it is very effectuall when it is ioyned with prayer Watch to keepe thy selfe and pray to God to keepe thee and thou shalt be well kept Bring God vnto thy watch by thy prayer and then though thou be heauy and sleepy yet hee neuer slumbers nor sleepes he will surely keepe thee Fiftly if thou beest fallen rise vp againe without delay sleepe not till thou recouer thy selfe Reu. 2.5 Remember from whence thou art fallen and repent Hast thou sinned oh what hast thou done Get thee to God humble thy selfe before him confesse and bewaile thy sinnes with a broken heart take hold on the promise of grace in Christ renew thy vow and promise to God and see thou performe it to be more careful for euer after and this do speedily It is a great aduantage that sinne gets of vs by resting in vs like a sore that is let alone it festers and is harder to be cured Sixtly if we will hold out in the estate of grace we must labour to be constant in all duties of Relâ—gion in hearing the Word meditating conferring practising it in receiuing the Sacraments in companying with the godly and this we must do not in formality and for fashion or custome that is the very moath that eates out the life of all godlines when we think if the duty be done all is well no matter how but this makes a foule bracke in the estate of grace but let vs not do these things for custome or formality sake but let vs see that the life and power of godlinesse be in vs in the performance of them Lastly let vs be sure we be alwaies going forward for surely our not going forward is some degree or beginning of going backward Phil. 3.13 We must forget those things which are behinde and reach forward to those things which are before Labour to weaken thy sinnes and to strengthen thy graces and to be more frequent in good duties and so shall we goe forwards and not fall away And now we come to the Lords Supper let vs not be content to receiue it in the Elements but let vs see that the life and power of it be in our hearts and then they shall be a powerfull meanes to keepe and helpe forward the beleeuing Soule in the state of grace Here the promise of God is sealed vnto vs for the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and here we binde our selues to God for new obedience and here we eate Christs flesh and drinke his bloud after a spirituall manner and so shall neuer dye saith our Sauiour but liue for euer And so this Sacrament is a powerfull meanes to confirme vs in this Doctrine that the hould that the faithfull haue in the loue of God through Iesus Christ is a sure hould c. FINIS THE SIXTH SERMON Vpon ROMANS 8. the two last Verses For I am perswaded that neither Death nor life c. AS God hath beene pleased to giue strength and opportunity we haue proceeded in the handling of this Scripture to these fiue points the first is contained in the Text by way of Intimation namely that there is a neere Communion betwixt God and all the faithfull in Iesus Christ intended in the word seperation Secondly we haue spoken of the Bond of this Communion which is the loue of God Thirdly we haue shewed both the ground of this Communion and of the Bond of it and that is Iesus Christ Fourthly we haue shewed the neere reference that is betwixt Christ and the faithfull hee is our Lord and we are his Subiects and Seruants Fiftly we haue shewed the safety of all the faithfull in the midst of all dangers which the Apostle auoucheth here That neither death nor life c. shall seperate vs from the loue of God the Children of God are and shall be in the loue of God let their enemies doe what they can Now we come to speake of the sixt point and that is the confident perswasion which the Apostle hath concerning this heauenly truth I am sure hee is sure of it First I will propound the Doctrine in that the Apostle saith I am perswaded or I am sure that all the faithfull shall continue in the loue of God without seperation the obseruation is this Doctrine Gods Children all true Beleeuers may and ought to haue a confident perswasion in themselues of their owne certainty and continuance in the state of grace and saluation for howsoeuer the perswasion here spoken of is a personall and a particular perswasion of Paul I am perswaded yet the matter which he is peswaded of is generall to all beleeuers I am perswaded saith he that nothing shall seperate vs and therefore the estate of all true beleeuers being in it selfe as firme and sure as Pauls was then their assurance must be in some measure answerable to his To set the Doctrine right that we may receiue it in the truth of the Apostles intendment and apply it to our selues rightly against despaire and yet without presumption Doctrine cleared for such exceptions as seeme to lye in the Text. we are first to cleare it of some exceptions and then to bound it within certaine bounds or limmits First of the exceptions I doe not meane such exceptions as are made against the Doctrine it selfe for of them we shall speake in the vses but of such as are made against this Scripture
from whence the Doctrine is raised The first exception is this the word here translated I am perswaded or sure doth not alwaies in Scripture signifie such a confident perswasion as we heare speake of it signifies indeed a probable or hopefull opinion not a confident perswasion as for instance Rom. 15.14 I my selfe am also perswaded of you my Brethren that ye are full of goodnesse and filled with all knowledge c. Is this a confident perswasion The Apostle knew not their hearts and therefore could not be confidently perswaded of this it was onely a probable and hopefull opinion say they and so that in 2 Tim. 1.5 I call to remembrance the vnfained faith that is in thee which dwelt first in thy Grand-mother Lois and in thy Mother Eunice and I am perswaded that it dwelleth in thee also To this exception I answere that it is true that these places are to be vnderstood of a hopefull or charitable or probable perswasion and so the word may sometime signifie and yet in these places Paul might speake by speciall reuelation but wee will not stand vpon that But yet it is as true sometime this word signifies a certaine knowledge and a confident perswasion as Rom. 14.14 I know and am perswaded through the Lord Iesus that there is nothing vncleane of it selfe c. Here is a confident perswasion and so in the 2 Tim. 1.12 For I know whom I haue beleeued and I am perswaded that he is able to keepe that which I haue committed vnto him against that day Here is a confident perswasion because it is ioyned with certaine knowledge and therefore the perswasion must be certaine too so that all this while the matter lyes in suspence for in some places it signifies a confident perswasion and in others a probable perswasion Which then is here meant Goe to the Rule Where one and the same word is vsed in diuers sences in diuers places of Scripture the circumstances of the Text must iudge and declare in what sence it is to be taken in that place Now looke into the circumstances of this Text and we shall finde that it is here to be taken and must be meant of a confident perswasion for in the 35. Verse the Apostle had confidently insulted ouer all dangers what shall seperate vs from the loue of God in Christ c. And he giues the reason of it in this Verse for I am perswaded c. Why doth he sleight his enemies so Because hee is sure nothing shall seperate him from the loue of God For I am sure Doth he so confidently insult ouer all dangers because hee supposeth or hath some probable opinion or slender perswasion That were too weake a ground to cause him to insult ouer such strong enemies as these are but because he is sure and certainly perswaded that they shall not hurt him therefore he may and doth safely and confidently insult ouer them therefore this a confident perswasion Againe in the 30. Verse he had pronounced himselfe a Conquerour yea more then a Conquerour as if the victory were already gotten In all these things we are more then Conquerours and he giues the reason of it in the 38.39 Verses for I am perswaded c. And doth the Apostle pronounce himselfe a Conquerour before he be sure of the Conquest that were a proud and a vaine boasting which Paul was free from but he doth pronounce himselfe a Conquerour vpon this perswasion here spoken of because hee is sure that neither death nor life c. can hurt him therefore the word in this place signifies a certaine and a confident perswasion such as the Apostle dares build his soule vpon against all commers Secondly it is excepted that Paul might haue this certaine perswasion that he nor any of the faithfull should euer be cut off from the loue of God by special reuelation Had he so They that make this exception will deny this when it comes to the proofe For if Paul had it by speciall Reuelation that he nor none of the faithfull shall euer fall away from the loue of God then it is certaine that the state of the faithfull is vnfallible and that they shall neuer fall from it for speciall Reueâ—ation is neuer of false things But secondly I say Paul had it not by speciall Reuelation but by the liuely power of a iustifying faith For first speciall Reuelations are of matters not reuealed in the word but this is secondly they are extraordinary this is ordinary as we shaâ—l shew in the proofes in others of Gods Children in their measure our perswasion is built vpon a sure and ordinary ground the promises of God rightly built vpon and his loue truely felt in Christ true faith and repentance c. and therefore Paul had not this certaine perswasion by speciall Reuelation The Doctrine limited and bounded within certaine limits Secondly we will bound this Doctrine within certaine limits and bounds and they are two The first is concerning all true beleeuers in generall the second concerning one and the same Beleeuer in particular First concerning all in generall we must not thinke that it is the portion of euery Beleeuer to attaine to this high straine of confident perswasion as Paul had no we must come short God giues his graces to his Children in seuerall portions to some more to some lesse as he will himseâ—fe but yet euery true Beleeuer hath some measure of this confident perswasion especially at sometimes and euery one must striue to haue it in the highest measure We must striue after the most excellent gifts saith the Apostle and when they haue it not it is their owne fault Euery Beleeuer must labour for it and when they come short of this height of perswasion they must know that they come short of that high straine that God would haue them come to and they must say with the man in the Gospell Marke 9.24 I beleeue Lord helpe my vnbeliefe And so farre as we come short of this full and confident perswasion so farre our beliefe is tainted with vnbeliefe and yet this doth not vtterly ouerthrow our faith but it doth much disparage it for all this our faith is a true faith and we shall be saued by it So that the Doctrine stands firme that wee may and ought to haue this certaine and confident perswasion c. The second limit is concerning one and the same particular Beleeuer hee must not alwaies thinke to haue this confident perswasion alike the strongest faith is sometimes abated to much weakenesse There was a time when Iob said that though God did kill him yet would hee trust in him Iob 13.15 And there was a time againe when the same Iob said Oh that I might haue my desire that is that God would destroy mee c. Iob 6.8.9 Here is a great difference betwixt Iob and Iob betwixt Iob in the strength of his faith and Iob in the weakenesse of his faith yet still he had
of this comfort alwaies specially in time of temptation and at the houre of our death and therefore let vs get it before we are sicke it will be too late to get it then many put it off to the last gaspe like the fiue foolish Virgins that slipt the opportunity of getting Oyle into their Lampes till it was too late And therefore let vs labour for it in time if wee once get this confident perswasion of Gods loue in Christ Iesus vpon good grounds we shall neuer wholy loose it It may be quelled and lost in sence in thy extremity but it shall neuer dye in vs but it shall comfort our hearts when we haue not the sence of it Meanes how this assurance may be gotten· But how shall we get it may some say I answere first by prayer if we aske we shall haue so did the Apostles Luke 17.5 they prayed Lord increase our faith and so did Dauid Psal 35.3 Say vnto my soule thou art my saluation Secondly we must get it by hearing and obeying the word of God 1 Ioh. 5.13 These things haue I written vnto you that beleeue in the name of the Sonne of God that ye may know that ye haue eternall life and that yee may beleeue in the name of that Sonne of God Labour to heare the word and to know it and to obey it and then wee shall know that we haue eternall life it was written for that very end and purpose Ioh. 14.21 Thirdly by the vse of the Sacraments they are Seales to confirme this vnto vs We haue heard of the inward Seale Gods Spirit these are outward Seales Rom. 4.11 After he receiued the signe of Circumcision as the Seale of the Righteousnesse of faith c. By the vse of the Sacraments we come to haue this confident perswasion In Baptisme the Minister saith I baptize thee in the name of the Father c. Some say where is it said in particular that I or thou shalt be saued Yes in Baptisme the Minister saith to me and to thee in particular I Baptize thee and God saith I reeciue thee So the Sacrament of the Lords Supper that is a Seale to vs and how why God hath annexed it to his word as a Seale to our soules of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and if we come with beleeuing hearts vnto it then we eate Christs body and drinke his bloud and so shall not dye eternally and there is also the particular appâ—ication of the Minister eate thou and drinke thou in remembrance that his body was broken for thee and his bloud shed for thee and so by this means this confident perswasion is increased in vs. Fourthly another meanes is this make much of the motions of Gods Spirit grieue not the holy Spirit whereby ye are sealed Eph. 4.30 The Spirit workes this confident perswasion in vs if we grieue this Spirit he will goe away and withdraw the sence of this perswasion If we haue but a little fruits of the Spirit a little faith c. let vs make much of it and God will giue vs more as Christ said to Nathaniel Iohn 1.50 Because I said vnto thee I saw thee vnder the figge-tree beleeuest thou Thou shalt see greater things then these So God saith to euery poore beleeuing soule I giue thee but a glimpse of assurance now but thou shalt see greater things then these Fiftly another meanes is to walke vprightly and constantly before God Gen. 17.1.2 If we walke vprightly before God he will be our God all-sufficient Sixtly another meanes to get this assurance is a serious meditation on the promises of God and an humble and sound application of them to thy selfe Heb. 10.22.23 they shall stand though our faith be weake if we haue our eyes surely fixt on them it will comfort vs in all troubles Psal 119.50 Dauid professeth that Gods promise was his comfort in trouble and that it did quicken him Seauenthly let vs obserue faithfully the daily experiments of Gods truth on others specially on thy selfe and that will helpe vs greatly herein Iudges 13.23.22 Manoah said to his wife We shall surely dye because wee haue seene God but his wife said If the Lord will kill vs he would not haue receiued a meat offering and a burnt offering at our hands neither would hee haue shewed vs all these things c. Shee obserued and builded vpon Gods former mercies and that workes a confident perswasion in her for the time to come So if we haue got some perswasion of the loue of God though afterward we loose the sense of it yet let vs say to our soules surely God would neuer haue done all this for me he would neuer haue shewed me the way of Religion and wrought some good perswasion in mee of his loue towards me if euer he had purposed to destroy me Lastly let vs try and finde and labour to be well acquainted with our vnion which we haue with Christ for that will be an excellent meanes to worke this confident perswasion in vs therein is thy fulnesse of grace and so the fulnesse of thy assurance 2 Cor. 13.5 Prooue your selues whether you are in the faith c. The Apostle would haue vs to attaine to this certainty of perswasion and how why saith he proue your selues try your selues of what whether Christ be in you Whether he liue in you by his grace and by his Spirit whether by his death he mortifie your sinnes and by his resurrection quicken you vp to newnesse of life if he do then we may be fully assured that we shall neuer be cast off This point we must bring our selues to for this will bring comfort to vs in our sinnes in our sicknesse in our temptations in all these if we looke to our vnion which we haue with Christ we may haue comfort God hath knit me to himselfe in Iesus Christ and therefore I know that all these stormes shall end and turne to my good And so in the want of any grace this is our comfort that we are knit vnto Christ al-sufficiency is in him and of his fulnesse wee shall receiue grace for grace therefore let vs labour to bee well acquainted with this grace our vnion with Christ And let vs make good vse of this word now deliuered vnto vs wee know not what tryals God hath in store for vs and therefore let vs labour by all these meanes for this confident perswasion of Gods loue to vs God giues vs his Sacrament to assure vs of it and would haue vs be perswaded that he loues vs and though we cannot attaine to this perswasion in that strength that we should why yet God is not captious he will take all things at the best walke before him and be vpright and hee will be our GOD all-sufficient FINIS THE SEAVENTH SERMON Vpon ROMANS 8. the two last Verses For I am perswaded that neither Death nor life c. IN handling of these words as you may remember wee proceeded
as God enabled vs in this present seruice to reduce the whole Summe of these two Verses to these seauen heads First that there is a Communion betwixt God and the faithfull so the word seperation doth presuppose secondly wee shewed the Bond of this Communion the loue of God thirdly we shewed the ground both of this Communion of the Bond of it and that is Iesus Christ Fourthly we shewed the neere relation that there is betwixt Christ and those that beleeue in him He is our Lord saith the Apostle Fiftly we shewed the certainty of the State of the faithfull in it selfe that neuer any thing should seperate them from the loue of God The sixt point which we handled the last time was the certainty of it in our owne hearts The seauenth and last point which now we are come to is That the Apostle beares vp himselfe boldly vpon this assurance against all dangers and troubles that euer did or could befall him And this is the maine reach of the Apostles whole discourse propounded here by way of reason for I am sure As if hee should say I may boldly and safely insult ouer all those dangers mentioned in the 35. Verse But why Paul art thou so bold for I am sure saith hee that not onely those dangers there spoken of shall euer seperate me from the loue of God no nor greater then they nor the instruments of them nor Abettors nor Authors of them shall euer doe it Be it life be it death be it Angels or Principalities or Powers c. Not any of all these shall be euer able to seperate me from the loue of God so farre off is it that Tribulations or Persecutions c. shall seperate me that none of these that are greater shall euer do it This is the iust connexion of these verses with the former and in this consist the full waight and power of the Apostles Reason Now concerning this seauenth and last point here are two things to be considered First we are here to consider of the dangers that the children of God are subiect vnto Secondly of the support and comfort they haue against these dangers And both these we are to consider of God willing first in generall then in particuler First we will speake of the dangers and that in generall that Gods children are subiect to and then we will come to the support they haue in them For first we must know what the dangers are before wee can know the support and helpe we haue in them we must first know the disease before we can know the remedy and concerning the dangers in generall take notice of these foure things First the variety of them they are not one but many of diuers kinds some dangers of life some of death dangers wrought by diuers meanes and instruments some by Angels some by Principalities and Powers dangers at diuers times some present some to come dangers from diuers places some from the height aboue some from the deph beneath here is the variety of them for the Apostle speakes not idlely in any of these words Secondly we must take notice of the compleatnesse and fulnesse of these dangers they are not onely many and diuers but euen all the dangers that may be for here is a sufficient and perfect reckoning vp of all sorts of dangers to the full there is not one danger that can euer be named or imagined but it may fitly be reduced to one of these heads that the Apostle here names either to life or to death or to Angels c. And that the Apostle may be sure to comprehend all dangers hee doth not onely name actuall dangers such as doe ordinarily befall vs both of life death but possible dangers to come as well as present nay such dangers as in our ordinary apprehension are impossible from good Angels which is hard to be conceiued how that may be Thirdly we are to consider the crossenes thwartnes of these dangers propounded here in opposition one to another and also in opposition each of them to our owne state and mind the Apostle makes our case herein to be like vnto Iudahs Isa 9.21 Manasses against Ephraim and Ephraim against Manasses and both of them against Iudah So it is with Gods children in their tryals here is Death opposed to life and life opposed to death and both opposite to Gods children so here is good Angels opposed to bad and bad Angels opposed to good things present opposed to things to come and things to come opposed to things present height opposed to depth depth to height Gods children subiect to all these And this is the sting of our Crosses that we are thus crossed thwarted in our affliction as when we be pinched with pain on the right hand we turne to the left to find ease presently on the left hand we are pinched as much as before on the right yet such is the present portion of Gods children The 4 last point is that the Apostle propounds these dangers to himself to the faithful not as feares or shadowes or imaginations I fight not as one that beateth the aire saith the Apostle but as true reall dangers such as he doth acknowledge himselfe all the faithfull exposed vnto lookes to be encountred first or last with such things indeede The Doctrine that flowes naturally from this Scripture thus opened is this Doctrine That Gods children must make their account and set downe their rest vpon it that they shall be assaulted here in this world with all trials and dangers and distresses that euer possibly can befal them This Doctrine is easie enough to be vnderstood for Gods children see the truth of it daily in others and feele it in their owne selues but it is hardly digested It is a hard saying who can beare it Therefore that we may the better brooke it Foure preparations for the brooking of afflictions let vs receiue it vpon these preparations First wee must not think that all these dangers shall be heaped vpon euery one of Gods children in seuerall but they shall be distributed and parted amongst them all in common All the afflictions of the faithfull are but one cup and that Christ cals his Cup Matth. 20.23 Yee shall drinke indeed of my Cuppe It is Christs Cup and all the faithfull must drinke of it Yee shall drinke saith our Sauiour Euery one must haue his share and so amongst them they must drinke it all vp Now because none of vs knowes whether he shall drinke of the top of this Cup or of the middle or of the bottome till his turne come therefore euery one of vs must Arme himselfe to drinke of any part of it euery one is to make account that he is lyable to euery affliction The second preparation is this we must not thinke that these afflictions shall befall all Gods children alike No some must drinke deeper of it then others God hath
sweet thing for thee to be ranged with Christ and with thy brethren the children of God Is it not a comfort to thee to dye with thy Captaine Christ with thy fellow-Soldiers the children of God Dauid Iob Paul and others therefore when thou saist thy case is worse then any others thou speakest thou knowest not what thou knowest what thy selfe feelest but not what another man feeles thine are greater happily then thy brothers to day happily to morrow his will be greater then thine a little affliction may be greater to him then a greater to thee hee that hath least hath as much for his strength as thou hast for thine Thou must suffer afflictions therefore take vp thine owne Crosse suffer thine owne afflictions beare thine own burthen that is thy thou art appointed and called vnto The Lord hath appointed them to vs 1 Tim. 3. and therefore we must willingly beare them in obedience to Gods ordinance in our fellowship with Christ and all the rest of Gods Children and then God that hath brought vs into the tryals will surely bring vs through them all with comfort safety and deliuerance euen vnto a Crowne of life Iam. 1.12 Blessed is the man that indureth temptations for when he is tryed hee shall receiue the Crowne of life But see thou be the Childe of God for afflictions are common to all but the comfort and benefit of them is proper to Beleeuers onely Dost thou suffer as a Christian then reioyce in it for then blessed and happy are we 1 Pet. 4.13 to the 16. Verse if we suffer for Christs sake for righteteousnesse sake for a godly life for obedience to God in crucifying the flesh then blessed are we if we thus indure temptations for after we are thus tryed we shall receiue this Crowne of life FINIS THE EIGHT SERMON Vpon ROMANS 8. the two last Verses For I am sure that neither Death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities c. THe seauenth and last head that we reduced this Scripture vnto was the comfort and support that the Apostle hath in the loue of God through Iesus Christ against all feares and terrours whatsoeuer Wherein I obserued two things First the dangers of Gods children Secondly the comfort whereby they are sustayned in them Of both these I propounded to speake first in generall and then in perticular I began with the dangers in generall and shewed That the dangers which Gods children are subiect vnto are not onely such as they are subiect to with the rest of the world but also such as they alone are subiect vnto as persecution for Christs sake c. Now in the next place wee are to speake in generall of the comfort which Gods children are supported withall against all dangers and that is the true and holy assurance which they haue of the loue of God to them in Christ Iesus Now this comfort the Apostle doth extend and stretch out here vpon a double straine first by way of supposition secondly by way of insultation and triumph First by way of supposition for so his speech is to be taken as if he should say suppose or put the case that death or life or Angels c. should set themselues against vs to ouerthrow vs yet in the strength of my assurance which I haue of the loue of God in Christ Iesus I am comforted supported against them all Secondly the Apostle speaks by way of insultation or triumph for that the Apostle so intends it appeares partly by his manner of speech in the 35. Verse Who shall seperate vs as if he spake these things sleighting them and insulting ouer them and more plainely in the 37. Vers in all these things wee are more then Conquerours c. and thence be infers his protestation for I am sure that neither death nor life c. so that he speakes these words as a Conquerour by way of Triumph so that this comfort which he hath in this assurance is not a weake comfort but a marueilous strong comfort such a comfort that in the strength thereof hee may and doth insult and triumph ouer all dangers whatsoeuer These circumstances considered the Doctrine ariseth naturally thus namely Let vs propound to our selues what dangers soeuer may befall vs Doctrine yet notwithstanding the true and holy assurance that we haue of the loue of God towards vs in Christ Iesus shall be able to comfort and support our hearts against them all euen to a holy insultation and triumph ouer them There are two Questions to be considered of in the practise of the Apostle and so in this Doctrine The first question is Whether it be lawfull or fit for Gods Children to propound feares and dangers to themselues in their owne meditations Secondly how it can stand with distressed Beleeuers that they should triumph insult ouer their afflictions For the first question some will say haue we not sensible feares dangers enough vpon vs daily euen as much as we can stand vnder shal we increase our burthen propound more and greater feares and dangers to our selues I answere yes they may do it they ought to doe it it is no increasing but a lightning of our burthen If a man haue a grim and sterne aduersary to fight withall is it not wisedome for that man first to take a view of that aduersary to looke him in the face to see how he can brooke him before he vndertake to fight with him Oh beloued Gods children haue many grim sterne enemies to fight withal Persecution is a grim sterne aduersary and all that will liue godly in Christ Iesus must suffer persecution Temptation is a grim and sterne enemy Gods children must be tried with many hideous feareful temptations Death is a grim sterne enemy we must passe through the terrors and sorrowes bars of death to the ioyes of life Hell is a grim stern enemy we must make account to touch at the gates of hell when we saile to heauen The Diuel is a grim stern aduersary Gods children must fight with Diuels If wee will be the good Souldiers of Iesus Christ we must wrestle fight not with flesh bloud only but against principalities powers euen against the Diuel himselfe And therfore hauing so many so grim sterne enemies that we must fight against haue we not iust cause then to propound such things to our selues in our meditations to see how we can brook them to hearten our selues against the feare euill of them Yet herein we must obserue two cautions wee must not propound to our selues vaine and friuolous matters without reason or ground that were to fight with our owne shadow but serious thoughts and grounded meditations of true dangers such as may or will befall vs more or lesse first or last Secondly we must not propound to our selues any thoughts of sinne for sin is a defiler and the least thought or
fall FINIS THE NINTH SERMON Vpon ROMANS 8. the two last Verses For I am sure that neither Death nor life nor Angels c. WE haue proceeded in handling this Scripture as the Lord hath beene pleased to giue strength so far as that now we are come to speake of those particular dangers which the Apostle propounds to himselfe and to all the faithfull and the particular comforts which they haue to sustain themselues in them we haue spoken before in the generall of both Now we are to proceed to the particulars for so the Apostle makes mention of some principall and particular dangers here as Death life Angels c. wherin we must not thinke that our Apostle speaks rashly or at aduenture but vpon mature deliberation of set purpose he makes special choise of these particulars here mentioned as being the most materiall things whereby any danger may acrue to Gods children and secures himselfe and them of safety and preseruation against all these dangers Our Apostle vnderstood himselfe well for he spake as hee was moued by the spirit and the spirit neuer speakes idlely he spake it in the height of his faith and therefore in the height of his spirit and therefore he spake most seriously and aduisedly and not rashly and he spake it in the depth of his afflictions verse 36. and the words of the afflicted are not winde as Iob speakes that is a bare and empty sound but vsually they are full of matter and substance and surely that which the Apostle here mentions is so full of matter and substance that I could neuer find by my poore reading meditation prayers any full content touching the full sence and reach of the Apostle But a man may passe in a shallow boat ouer a deepe riuer and so farre as our lyne and plummet will reach wee will endeauour God willing to sound the depth of these mysteries Neither death nor life nor Angells c. shall separate vs. First of the first two particulars death and life By life and by death we are to vnderstand not onely the things themselues life and death but all occurrences and passages Our whole estate in life and death we are then to take it thus as if the Apostle had said I am sure that neuer any thing that doth befall Gods Children either in life or in death shall be able to separate them from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. The Doctrine is this All true Beleeuers are in good safetie vnder Gods assured protection against all dangers in life death Doctrine That the Doctrine may be the better vnderstood and beleeued take these two points for explication First Explication consider the dangers that are offered vnto vs in life and death Secondly let vs consider how farre all true beleeuers are in safety against them And first we will beginne with the dangers of life Two dangers of life Life indangers vs two wayes either on the right hand when we are too much in loue with it Or on the left hand when we are too much out of loue with it On the right hand life is in it selfe very sweet and much desired and delighted in but especially when it is seconded with outward comforts as health friends ease goods honours c. then it is much more sweet and desired Yea but Gods children must know that they must deny themselues forsake their own wills they must be crucified to the whole world the world must be crucified to them yea and happily they must bee called out to loose their liues for Christ and for his Gospell Now here is the danger whether they will loose their sweet liues or their sweet soules many of Gods deare children haue bin put to great plunges in this kind Peter himselfe though hee loued his Master dearely and profest that hee would neuer forsake him but resolued to dye with him yet when it came to the triall for the brunt of the proofe that either hee must forsake his Master or his life Peter had rather forsake his best Master then his sweet life When such tall Cedars shrinke in such a storme alas poore soules what shal become of vs the low shrubs Againe life indangers on the left hand by crosses whereby wee are too much out of loue with it After a time of well fare comes losses wants discontentments sicknesses paines infirmities temptations persecutions terrours of conscience they come What are wee to doe in this case Here are great dangers towards vs our hearts droope our spirits are dying wee are a burthen to our selues wee are weary of our liues heere is our danger Now whether are wee content patiently to endure this dying life or desperately to desire an vntimely death This was a danger of Ionas 4.3 It is better for mee saith hee to dye then to liue A fearefull speech of a Prophet of the Lord And so it was a danger of Iob chap. 7.15 My soule chuseth rather to be strangled and to dye Yea many of Gods deare children haue beene so hardly put to it in this kinde that they haue beene tempted to make away themselues and to put an end to a wearisome life by a desperate death I say they haue beene tempted to it but through Gods mercifull protection they haue beene kept from it Here are the dangers of life Secondly Death endangers vs another way How death indangers man The very name of death is terrible to vs and sometime the time of our death doth dismay vs and sometime the manner of our death troubles vs but the matter of death that scarres vs most of all when wee thinke with our selues that now wee must die and giue vp the Ghost and leaue all the world and forsake this present light that shines about vs when the body and soule must part that haue been all this while louing friends together the body to returne to the dust as it was and the soule to God that gaue it when wee thinke with our selues of the bitternesse and sowrenesse and pangs of death and of our particular Iudgement in death and the generall iudgement that shall come after death and begin to feele these things come vpon vs here is our danger Many of the children of God haue beene ready vpon their consideration hereof to let goe their hold in God and to say that God doth not loue them because he deales so rigorouslly and extreamely with them herein Adde herevnto that we may saue our liues and escape all these feares for the time if wee will our selues as in the case of persecution if we will forsake our Religion and deny our faith wee may saue our liues then the sweetnesse of life alluring vs on the one side the feare terror of death affrighting vs on the other side makes this a great danger oh what danger is vpon vs now in this case of our vtter seperation from the loue of God in Christ Iesus This
was one of Sathans chiefe bolts that he shot at Iob Iob 2.4 Skin for skin and all that euer a man hath will he giue for his life These are the dangers of life and death great dangers horrible dangers well yet whosoeuer is the childe of God is in safety vnder Gods protection against all these Therefore the second point is to know how farre the children of God are in safety against all these dangers They are not exempted from any of these dangers in respect of the matter of them for so all things fall out alike to all to the iust and to the wicked Preach 9.2 There are some dangers of life and some of death and they fall alike to good and bad yea but the faithfull are in safety from the euill of all these dangers Iob 5.19 Hee will deliuer thee in sixe troubles and the euill of the seauenth shall not touch thee Troubles shall be vpon them but the euill of the troubles shall not touch them Psalm 23.4 Though I should walke in the valley of the shadow of death I will feare no euill Dauid might walke in the valley of the shadow of death as well as others but God is with him therefore he shall not feare the euill of the shadow of death And this is as much as our Sauiour prayed for and obtained for vs Iohn 17.15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world but that thou shouldest keepe them from euill and therfore this is as much as we must or can looke for But what are these euils that we are subiect to in these dangers of life and death I answere Foure euils Gods people are freed from in affliction there are foure speciall euils in the dangers of life and death which all Gods children are freed from and which all the wicked fall into The first is losse of graces the second is the hardening of the heart by sinne the third is the furtherance of eternall damnation the fourth is the reuenging hand of God First losse of graces the seeming graces of the wicked may be and vsually are lost in their troubles and dangers their seeming faith their seeming repentance and their seeming obedience Luke 8.13 In time of temptation they fall away their faith is lost but Gods children can neuer loose their graces by their afflictions they may decay in some graces and the brightnesse of them may be dimbd and their edge blunted by the extremity of their afflictions but they can neuer be vtterly depriued of them Nay so farre off are Gods children from loosing their graces by their afflictions that they are gayners in grace by them by their afflictions their sinnes and corruptions are purged and they come forth like the pure gold as Iob speakes Iob 23.10 He tryeth me but I shall come forth like the gold The second euill is the hardening of the heart in sinne the wicked are hardened by their afflictions in sinne let Pharaoh be in danger of Gods iudgements and he will harden his heart in his sinnes but let Iosiah bee in danger of Gods iudgements and his heart will melt at them and he will humble himselfe before the Lord and so Iob 23.16 For God hath softened mine heart and the Almighty hath troubled me Iobs troubles softned Iobs heart and made him to feare the Lord. Thirdly the furtherance of eternall damnation that is another euill in these dangers to the wicked the tryals which they endure here are the beginnings of hell All these fearefull passages that befell Kaine in his life Iudas in his death were the beginnings of their passage into hell and condemnation but it is contrary with Gods children in their afflictions for all their afflictions are preuentions of condemnation 1 Cor. 11.32 When we are iudged wee are chastened of the Lord because we should not be condemned with the world Yea they are furtherances vnto heauen 2 Cor. 4.17 Our light afflictions which are but for a moment cause vnto vs a farre more excellent and eternall waight of glory Looke how it was with the Israelites and the Egyptians in the red Sea so it is with the wicked and the godly in their dangers of life and death they were both in the Sea together but the Israelites they passe safe through it and the Sea was as a wall to them on the right hand and on the left and a high way to helpe them forward in their passage from Egypt towards Canaan but the Egyptians were ouerwhelmed of it and it became their graue and they sunke to hell in it So the sea of all the troubles both of life and death are matters of vtter desolation to the wicked to further their damnation But all that befall Gods children in this passage of life and death are helpes and furtherances to the heauenly Canaan matters that further their saluation The fourth and last euill in these dangers is the reuenging wrath of God and this is the euil of all euils the true cause of all the former when God afflicts the wicked hee doth it to bee reuenged of them for their sins as a wrathfull Iudge But when he afflicts his children if it be in anger it is a fatherly anger and indeed it is rather a fatherly loue and a signe of his fauour Heb. 12.6 Whom the Lord loueth he chasteneth c. Iere. 10.24 Oh Lord correct me but in iudgement not in thine anger God corrects his children but he doth it not in anger fury no that is for the wicked Lay all these together First the children of God in all their troubles loose no grace no they are gayners by them secondly they do not harden their hearts in sin no their hearts are mollified by them thirdly their afflictions are not furtherances to hell but they further them to heauen Lastly they come not as the reuenging hand of God in fury vpon them but in loue as a father corrects his child and then see and say Oh how safe are all Gods children in all their dangers both of life and death So that we see the Doctrine is cleare that all true beleeuers are in good safety vnder Gods assured protection against all dangers of life and death For proofe of this point Proofes first consider life and death together and then consider them asunder and we shall find this to be true consider them together as Rom. 14.8 Whether we liue wee liue vnto the Lord or whether we die we die vnto the Lord whether wee liue therefore or die we are the Lords The persons there spoken of are true beleeuers wee and there are two things affirmed of them First their duty to God secondly Gods protection ouer them their duty to God in the former part of the verse in life and death whether we liue that is for the time of our life we liue vnto God that is we consecrate our bodies and soules our liues and all our endeauours to Gods seruice and to his glory or
whether wee die that is for our state in death we die vnto the Lord that is we consecrate and offer vp our soules and bodies a holy Sacrifice to God Then secondly Gods protection ouer them in the end of the verse Whether we liue or dye we are the Lords whether wee liue that is for our estate in life we are the Lords that is the Lord protects vs. keepes vs and preserues vs in all dangers or whether we die that is for our state in death the Lord comforts vs saues vs and deliuers vs out of all dangers and euils that by death are threatned vnto vs so thou be a true beleeuer and labour to liue and die in obedience to God and then surely whether thou liuest or dyest thou art the Lords he will protect preserue and saue thee in all dangers of life and death which is as much to say that all true beleeuers are in good safety c. As in the Doctrine In Psal 73.23.24 The Prophet makes it his owne particular speaking to the Lord in the sweet meditation of his soule I was alway with thee thou hast holden me by my right hand thou wilt guide me by thy Councell and afterward receiue me to glory I was alwayes with thee saith the Prophet then he was euer in true safety Thou hast holden mee by my right hand therefore alwayes protected by God in all dangers here is intire safety yea but that is for the time past but what shall be for the time to come All safety too for his whole life thou will guide mee with thy Councell thy counsell shall free me from all dangers preserue me in dangers carry me safely through all my dangers that is for the state of my life but what shall become of vs at death All safety too euen to death in death and after death yea more then safety euen safety in glory and afterward receiue me to glory Phil. 1.20 I am confident saith the Apostle that the Lord Iesus Christ shall be magnified in my body whether it be by life or by death Paul applies it to his particular he is confident of his safety whatsoeuer comes that Christ shall be magnified in his body c. And how shall Christ be magnified in his body in life and death why in life by his manifold deliuerances from the manifold dangers of life and in death by his full deliuerance from all euils and dangers of life and death Consider life and death asunder first in life Gods children are in full safety vnder Gods protection all their life Psal 66.9 Our feete are subiect to many slippings and slidings whilest we walke here in this world euen all our lifetime yea but saith the Prophet God holdeth our soules in life and suffereth not our feete to slip that is God holds vs so as that wee shall not fall away from his loue in Christ Secondly in death they are in safety too vnder Gods protection Psal 116.15 Pretious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints A poore childe of God lies vpon his death-bed and bemoanes himselfe his friends also greeue for him in the sight of the world he is in a greeuous and miserable state yea but in the sight and estimation of God his death is very pretious and deare the Lord loues him the Lord comforts him and at his death the Lord receiues his soule as a pretious Iewell into his owne bosome his death is pretious to the Lord it seperates the vile from the holy death seperates him from his foule sinnes and from his filthy corruptions and from his vncleane flesh and from the wicked world a pretious seperation but it neuer seperates him from the loue of God in Christ Iesus our Lord no it is so farre from that as God esteemes his children more pretious in their death then in their life Reason 1 The reasons why all Gods children are in such safety vnder Gods protection are especially these First because God is the Lord of life and death Deu. 32.39 I kill and give life and God is not onely the Lord of life and death it selfe but of the state of life and death he giues life and he disposeth of vs and of our whole estate in life and he inflicts death and disposeth our state in death we liue of the Lord and in the Lord and to the Lord and we die of the Lord and in the Lord to the Lord. I say he is the Lord of life and death and they are his seruants and they can doe nothing but what God will haue them to doe and therefore except God himselfe will hurt vs these can neuer hurt vs nor put vs out of his safty yea further seeing the Lord himselfe loues vs and protects vs life and death being his seruants shall be applyed and disposed of for the seruice of our safety and protection God is not gouerned by our state condition either in life or death but our state both in life death is altogether ouer-ruled by God framed according to his owne will so that his will being to doe vs good life and death therfore and our whole state in them must be answerable therunto Secondly the Ministry of Gods Angells that is Reason 2 another reason of it for both in life and in death we are vnder the custody of the Angells and that by Gods appointment as hee being the Prince of Angells God giues his Angels charge ouer vs to keepe vs in safety both in life and death and that is the true reason of our safety Psal 91.10 11. The Angels keepe vs and that vniuersally in all our wayes they keepe vs and that very charily and tenderly they beare vs in their hands and they keepe vs very safely and surely so that we dash not our foot against a stone Now the protection of the Angels is Gods own protection because it is by his appointment and therfore ascribe it not to the Creature it is due to the Creator blesse God for it The Angels doe many good offices for vs they waite on vs they destroy our enemies they comfort vs in our distresses and troubles but aboue al they guard our persons in the time of our life Psa 34.7 The Angel of the Lord pitcheth his Tents round about them that feare him deliuereth them And they guard our soules at the time of our death and carry them into Abrahams bosome as they did the soule of Lazarus Luk. 16.22 Here is the safety of Gods children vnder Gods protection both in life and death Thirdly Life and death are ours our friends and Reason 3 on our side and at our seruice 1 Cor. 3.21 All things are yours Life is ours and therefore all the passages of life are for vs and not against vs Death is ours and therefore all the passages of death are for vs not against vs Gods children haue a speciall title to life death to claime them for their owne they haue
warrant from God to take all the benefit they can afford them and a priuiledge too to free and secure them from all their hurts God hath imposed an ineuitable law vpon life and death that they shall be attendant vpon his children to doe them all the good they can but no euill and God hath giuen power an heart to his children to serue themselues vpon life and death for their owne safety Reason 4 Fourthly Death and life are sanctified and sweetned vnto vs by the life and death of Iesus Christ and that is the reason that we are in safety against the euill of all our afflictions and this reason the Apostle giues of it for his owne particular Philip. 1.20.21 Christ shall be magnified in my body whether it be by life or by death Why for Christ is to me both in life and death aduantage And so likewise it is the Apostles reason for all the faithfull in generall Rom. 14.9 why we are the Lords whether we liue or die for Christ saith he therefore dyed and rose againe and reuiued that hee might bee Lord both of the dead and quicke that is that hee might be a protecting and a sauing Lord to vs both in the state of life and death A Snake or a Serpent is in danger to poyson vs and sting vs if we handle them as they are but if wee get out their poyson and sting from them then we may handle them safely and they can doe vs no harme In this corrupt state life is as a Snake and death is as a Serpent full of poyson in themselues and we are in danger to bee stung and poysoned by them but Christ Iesus by his life and by his death hath taken away the poyson of our life and the sting of our death that is sinne and so wee are now in safety against all the dangers both of life and death there is no hurt in them The vses are these The first vse is for matter of comfort to Gods Vse 1 children It is matter of sound comfort to all true beleeuers that they liue in safety they die in safety They liue vnder Gods protection and they dye vnder Gods protection they liue a happy life and they die a happy death Blessed are the people that are in such a case yea Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord. Moses was rauished with the meditation of the happy estate of Gods children in their life and in their death Deut. 33.27.29 The eternall God is thy refuge and vnder his armes thou art for euer Blessed art thou oh Israel who is like vnto thee oh people saued by the Lord c. Here is a happy state indeed feares assault vs God comforts vs afflictions trouble vs God preserues vs our enemies thrust sore at vs that wee should fall but God is our helper our sinnes endanger vs God deliuers vs the Diuell tempts vs God vpholds vs death strikes at vs but God he shields and saues vs our hearts and our strength and our life they faile vs yea but God is our portion for euer he will neuer faile vs neither in life nor in death Shall the Creatures hurt vs No they shall nor for God hath made a couenant with them for vs Hosea 2.18 Would the wicked swallow and deuoute vs They shall not God will not giue vs as a prey to their teeth c. Psal 124.6 7. Is the whole world in an vproare round about vs Yet we are in safety Psal 91.7 8. Is the whole frame of Nature out of order as it lackes but little of it at this day yea but hee that calls vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued Ioel 2.31 32. A necessary consideration and meditation as at all times so in these troublesome cruell desperate and bloudy times when warres and rumors of warres are sounding in euery mans eare and Gods enemies make hauoke of Gods Church and the Angell of the Lord is abroad in the world executing Gods iust iudgements in many places and when there is a generall combustion in most parts of Christendome yet here is all our stay The Lord will surely helpe his people and saue his inheritance vpon all his glory shall be a defence Yea but are not many of Gods deare children at this day greatly persecuted in many places are they not murthered consumed and deuoured It is true let the wicked take away their liues yet they shall neuer take away their soules no God is ready when their liues are taken away by their enemies to receiue their soules and to place them in eternall glory Vse 2 The second vse is to stirre vs vp to much thankefulnesse to God that he being so holy and mighty and glorious a God should so respect and take such care for such poore sinnefull wretches as wee are as that he should continually watch ouer vs not for euill but for our good both in life and death whereas we haue deserued euill at his hands the best Master that is can but protect his seruant and looke to but while hee liues at his death hee giues him ouer and can doe him no good but our good God our heauenly Master keepes and protects vs his sinnefull seruants and doth vs good both in life and in death and after death This is a blessed Master and blessed are those seruants that serue such a Master Psal 48. the last verse This God is our God for euer and euer hee shall be our guide vnto the death Thirdly This should strengthen our faith against Vse 3 all terrours in life and death against all terrours in death against all terrours of life because the Lord is the strength of our life of whom then shall wee be afraid Psal 27.1 and Psal 42.8 God is said to be the God of our life this is a sweet comfort and should much strengthen our faith against all terrours in our life because God is the God of our life and what can spoile that which God preserues So it should strengthen our faith against all terrours of death Though hee kill me yet will I trust in him saith Iob 13.14.15 And the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.1 We know that if the earthly house of this our Tabernacle be destroyed we haue a building giuen vs of God that is an house not made with hands but eternall in the heauens If God take away our life we haue an eternall state in heauen Fourthly This teacheth vs patience in all our sufferings Vse 4 because we are in safety against them all vnder Gods protection It is our Sauiours owne argument Luke 21.18.19 There shall not one haire of your heads perish by your patience possesse your soules We haue great reason to be patient all the while wee are in safety but wee are in safety in all our sufferings not onely in life but in death too and therefore we must be patient in all our sufferings both in life and death Vse 3 The last vse teacheth vs to apply our selues
to God vnderstandingly and feelingly in life and death How we may apply our selues vnto God vnderstandingly both in life and death that so we may be partakers of the comforts of them both And herein consists the right art of a true Christian and till we are well-skild in the knowledge and practise of this art wee are but pidlers in our profession But you will say how may we attaine this skil to apply vnto our selues God vnderstandingly in life and in death I answer first we must stay our selues vpon the promise of God let vs fixe our eye stedfastly vpon the promise of God that is it wee must build vpon God hath promised that hee will neuer faile vs nor forsake vs that he will lay no more vpon vs then hee will giue vs strength to beare that he will be our shield and fortresse defence assurance saluation that we shall be safe vnder his wings c. Rest vpon these promises of God and be sure they shall neuer faile Though heauen and earth faile yet not one iot or tittle of Gods word and promises shall faile they shall stand fast for euer and euer We haue a conditionall promise for freedome from temporall dangers so farre as shall be good for vs we shall inioy temporall safety but wee haue an absolute promise for our eternall safety and this let vs absolutely build and rest vpon without exception Secondly Thou must cast thy selfe downe in an humble submission vnder Gods hand and vnto his will in the whole estate of life and death Psal 55.22 Cast thy burthen vpon the Lord and he will nourish thee c. Psal 37.4.5 Delight thy selfe in the Lord and he shall giue thee thine harts desire Commit thy way vnto the Lord and trust in him and he shall bring it to passe 1 Pet. 4.19 Commit your soules to God in well-doing as vnto a faithfull Creator God hath made and giuen vs soules let vs commit them to him in well-doing and he will neuer cast them away he is a faithfull Creator and will not suffer that to perish which is so committed to him If dangers offer themselues say thou Here I am Lord doe with thy seruant what thou wilt for life or death And then thou shalt haue God at hand to say to thy soule Here I am oh my seruant to vphold and to preserue and to comfort and to saue thee Thirdly We must grow to some familiar acquaintance with the life and death of Iesus Christ feelingly and sauingly not onely as hee liuing and dying in himselfe but as hee liuing and dying for thee and thou liuing and dying in him If once we can meditate soundly on the life of Christ apply our selues vnto it it will sweeten our life and so if we can meditate soundly and rightly on his death and apply it to our selues it will sweeten our death For this is the patterne that we must conforme our selues vnto both in Gods intendment and in our owne practise Looke how the Prophet Elisha did spread himselfe on the Child 2 Kings 4.34 and laid his mouth to the childes mouth c. so doth Christ spreade himselfe vpon euery true beleeuer that rightly apprehends him hee stretcheth himselfe vpon vs in euery particular hee layes his mouth vpon our mouth his eyes vpon our eyes and his hands vpon our hands c. to sanctifie vs and to preserue vs in them he layes his particular temptations and sufferings on ours to sanctifie and preserue vs in ours his life on our life to sanctifie and preserue vs in the state of life and his death on our death to sanctifie and preserue vs in our state of death This is a singular comfort to a poore soule to apply Christs life and death to himselfe I say it is a sound comfort to them both in life and death but this is a mystery euery one is not acquainted with it Lastly Let vs make application before-hand of the comforts of God against the dangers which we are subiect to not in generall onely but in particular It is our skill to apply particular comforts to particular dangers and troubles Is it matter of life that doth endanger vs Doe the comforts of life draw vs from God Let vs consider that they are but for the outward man and that they are our enemies and shall wee make much of an enemy and preferre their well-fare before our owne Secondly consider they are not permanent but vnconstant and transitory they endure but for a time and for a short time They are like to Ionas gourd that came vp in a night and perished in a night and wilt thou set thy heart vpon that which is nothing Riches haue winges and flye away they are quickely gone and so are honours and the like and wilt thou set thy heart vpon such transitory things Thirdly consider that all outward comforts are mingled with many sorrowes euery sweet pleasure and worldly comfort hath his sower paine and discomfort though they be pleasant for the time yet they are sowre and bitter in the end Lastly let vs consider that the comforts of grace are incomparably greater and better and more excellent then all outward comforts there is no sorrow in them they will make thee truely happy and blessed and wilt thou preferre the shadow before the substance Yea but will some say My crosses and afflictions they perplexe and trouble me and make mee vnfit to serue God I answere That is thy fault why should crosses hinder thee or disable thee for the seruice of God Stil apply Gods comforts to thy crosses first the crosses are but short though they be sharpe and wilt thou not endure a while for a time secondly they are light and momentary 2 Cor. 4.17 Thirdly they are nothing in comparison either of the paines of hell which wee must endure hereafter if we will not endure the crosse here or of the glory of heauen which wee shall bee sure to haue if we endure afflictions patiently Rom. 8.18 I account that the afflictions of this present time are not worthy of the glory that shal be shewed to vs. And again wee haue many times of comforts mixed with the dayes of affliction and this may keepe vs to the seruice of God in our liues Yea but what shall we doe in death that is the end of all shall I desire it to rid me out of all my troubles I answere no thy times are in Gods hands Psal 31.15 and not in thine owne but if thou desirest death that thou maist be with Christ it is well but if it be for worldly discontentments it is desperate and damnable What then shall I feare it wee know that the very name of death is fearefull vnto vs. I answere that it is onely thy owne feare there is no more feare in death then in any other thing we make it fearefull to our selues It is but the withdrawing hand of God if we feare it it is because wee are wicked for
the righteous haue hope in their death Prou. 14.32 But what hope hath the wicked if God take away his soule Iob 27.8 Yea but the time of my death that feares mee I would bee richer and I would be better before I die it is yet too soone to die I answere this is thy peruerse iudgement but whatsoeuer thou thinkest certainely God neuer takes away any of his children but in due time howsoeuer it seeme vntimely to vs Iob 5.26 Thou shalt goe to thy graue in a full age as a Ricke of Corne commeth in due season into the Barne And so the kinde of death that feares me happily it may be cruell or reproachfull by warre or the like I answere it is all one howsoeuer it be it cannot be worse then thy Sauiours and why should it dismay thee It is the same hand of God and hee is there present with thee to receiue thy soule Yea but death is bitter But Christ Iesus hath loosed the sorrowes of death Act. 2.24 and that not for himselfe only but for vs also yea he hath sweetned them by his victory 1 Cor. 15.54 Lastly the consequents of death they are the worst most fearefull iudgement and the graue and corruption c. I answere against iudgement thou must get faith and repentance and against corruption and the graue thou must beleeue that God will raise thy body vp againe Psal 16.10 And so for thy soule thou must commit it into the hand of God it is deare and pretious vnto him Hast thou serued the Lord with thy soule all thy life and art thou afraid to trust him with it at thy death We are apt to suspect what shall become of our soules at our death Let vs looke vpon Christ Iesus consider what became of his soule at his death it went into Paradise into Heauen And what for himselfe alone no but for vs yea meerely for vs so that the children of God are as sure of it as Christ himself Thus let vs comfort our selues with the application of Gods particular promises against our particular troubles and both in life and death let vs apply our selues vnderstandingly and feelingly vnto God and so shall we be safe vnder his protection against all dangers both in life and death FINIS THE TENTH SERMON Vpon ROMANS 8. the two last Verses For I am sure that neither life nor Death nor Angels c. THe Apostle speaking here of the safety of all true beleeuers in the estate of grace against all dangers that can possibly befall them he doth not content himselfe as you haue seene to speake of their dangers and comforts onely in generall but for our better satisfaction he enlargeth his speech to their dangers and comforts in particular And these particulars he sets downe before vs in fiue seuerall branches or ranks The first ranke of dangers comforts are of life and death For I am sure that neither death nor life The second ranke are Angels Rulers and Powers The third ranke are things present and things to come The fourth ranke is height and depth The fift and last ranke is as it were an extent of his speech to all things that can be imagined nor any other creature as if he should say if I haue omitted any other creature in the world in these particulars yet they shall not seperate vs. We haue spoken already of the first ranke death and life Now we are to speake of the second ranke of dangers and of our comforts against them nor Angels Rulers and Powers wherein we see there are three sorts of dangers Angels Rulers Powers In this second ranke the Apostle climbes vp a higher straine then before for here he specifies the most mighty and principall actiue workers that are in the world vnder God that either haue or may haue any hand in the indangering of our estate Life and death are but certaine states and conditions wherein wee are subiect to certaine dangers but Angels Rulers and Powers these are certaine chiefe liuing agents which doe or may endanger vs either by life or death For the meaning of these three words I confesse that there is great hardnesse in them and great difficulty amongst interpreters about them I will not trouble you with many expositions generally the words are expounded altogether of Angels and nothing else but herein some speake more boldly some more modestly They that speake more boldly take it thus by Angels they vnderstand the whole Army of Gods Angels in generall and by Rulers and Powers they vnderstand certaine distinct orders of Angels one aboue another But this though it be the iudgement of many of the learned yet it is a meere coniecture for there is no certainety set downe in Gods word what be the distinct order of Angels and for a man to take vpon him to speake of such high mysteries as these are without warrant from Gods Word is great presumption They that speake more modestly doe vnderstand by all these three words Angels Rulers and Powers one and the same thing that is all the Angels indifferently But why doth the Apostle here giue them seuerall names they answere that hee doth it in three seuerall respects They are called Angels in respect of their office they are messengers secondly they are called Rulers in respect of the excellency of their natures and Powers in respect of their mightinesse and strength This exposition comes neerest the Apostles meaning and it containes nothing in it against the rule of faith nor against the vse of the words nor against the drift and scope of the place c. Yet it comes short of the Apostles straine and doth not reach the full meaning of the place for the Apostle here in the height of his spirit makes a generall challenge against all liuing mighty workers in the world vnder God that they shall neuer impeach the safety of Gods children in the state of grace therefore the words must be expounded that they may comprehend all such agents whatsoeuer Now there are other mighty liuing workers besides the Angels therefore sauing the iudgement of the better learned we expound it thus By Angels we vnderstand all the Angels that are as well those that stand as those that are fallen as well good as bad for so the word naturally signifies For when the Scripture speakes of good Angels onely it cals them holy Angels Elect Angels mighty Angels the Angels of God c. but here it speakes of Angels in generall and therefore we are to vnderstand it both of good and bad By Rulers or Principalities wee vnderstand earthly Gouernours the great and mighty Monarches and Magistrates of the earth Kings Emperours and the like for so this word in the originall is expresly confined to this sence in two places of the Scripture Luke 12.11 And when they bring you vnto the Sinagogues and vnto Rulers c. And Titus 3.1 Put them in minde that they be subiect to Principalities or Rulers It is true that
They take the cause of Gods children to heart they reioyce at the good of Gods Church and children especially at the good of their soules so let vs worship God alone and let the good of Gods children especially the good of their soules bee the ioy of our hearts Let vs imitate them thus but yet let vs beware of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Papists Vid. originall in single life and angelicall perfection Fiftly speake not euill of those that are in place and dignity for the Angels giue not railing speeches 2 Pet. 2.10.11 The Angels doe it not let vs take heed we doe it not Sixtly offend not these Angels 1 Cor. 11.10 The woman ought to couer her head because of the Angels The Angels are about vs obserue our doings and marke our carriage if it be reuerent and agreeable to our profession they reioyce at it if wee mis-behaue our selues and carry our selues vnreuerently in our words gestures or apparell mis-beseeming our persons places or profession this offends and greeues them they distaste it and are displeased at it let vs take heed therefore that we offend them not Seauenthly let vs not worship them in any case for that is the way to incense them against vs. In the Reuel 19.10 and 22.8 when Iohn would haue worshipped the Angell Hee was angry see thou doe it not saith he worship God It is an horrible dishonor to God and much displeasing to the good Angels themselues they tremble at it and abhorre it Away with it saith the Angell worship not me worship God Which is worse the Thiefe or the Receiuer If I worship the Angels I am the thiefe if they receiue and accept of it they are the receiuers but they abhorre it Lastly let vs glorifie God for the Ministery of the good Angels the shepherds in Lu. 2.20 hauing heard many good things from the ministery of the Angels they returned glorifying praising not the Angels but God for their Ministery Take the benefit of it and giue the Angels due reuerence and respect for their Ministery but giue the honour glory of it to God alone thus did Daniel Chap. 6.22 and Peter Act. 12.11 they doe not ascribe their deliuerance to the Angell but to God that sent his Angell and yet they doe reuerently mention the Angell that was the meanes of it And we haue great cause to glorifie God for their Ministery for first it is a great comfort to vs what greater comfort can we haue by any of the creatures then to haue thousand thousands of Angels the best and greatest of Gods creatures euermore to attend on vs Secondly it is a great honor to vs the greatest honor God that can bestow vpon vs by any of the Creatures that the Angels that are farre more excellent Creatures by creation then our selues should be attendants on vs Oh let vs honor God greatly that hath so greatly honored vs. Thirdly all the good they doe vnto vs they doe it but as instruments it is God alone that is the authour of it therefore let God alone haue all the glory and honour of it Obserue these rules carefully and conscionably and I will assure thee from God that thou shalt be made partaker of the comfort and protection of the good Angels they shall attend vpon thee all thy life to preserue thee from euill and to incourage thee to goodnesse and to comfort thee in troubles and to helpe thee out of them and at thy death they shall stand by thee to cheere thee vp against the bitternesse and terrour of thy dissolution and to carry thy soule into heauen And yet this is not all for behold yet further at the day of iudgement they shall summon thy body out of the graue and place thee amongst the sheepe at Gods right hand that there thou mayest receiue that ioyfull and blessed sentence Come ye blessed inherite the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world such honour haue all Gods Saints FINIS THE ELEAVENTH SERMON Vpon ROMANS 8. the two last Verses For I am perswaded or I am sure that neither Death nor life nor Angels c. THe Apostle here when he propounds the dangers that belong to the faithfull and the comforts against them hee sets them before vs in certaine rankes and orders And the first ranke is the dangers that come to vs by death and by life and the comforts against them and of that wee haue spoken The second ranke is of the dangers that come to vs by Angels Rulers and powers and that we haue entred into and shewed that by Angels are meant all sorts of Angels both good and bad both those that stand and those that are fallen Of the good Angels we haue spoken as it pleased God to giue ability Now we are to speake of the euill Angels that the euill Angels shall neuer be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. That the euill Angels must needs be here meant appeares because they are generally comprehended vnder the name of Angells which is common to all Angels both good and bad But especially the euill Angels are here meant because the drift of the Apostles speech necessarily requires that they should be here more specially intended for the euill Angels are the speciall instruments and chiefe procurers of all the dangers that tend to the separation of vs from the loue of God in Christ Iesus This is their maine reach and chiefe endeauour in all their practises against vs to make this separation and therefore they must needes be here specially intended in this challenge of the Apostle It were a small comfort to the faithfull for the Apostle to say that they were in safety because the good Angels should not hurt them for that were as much as if he should say hee were in safety because his friends should not hurt him for the good Angels are our friends and therefore will not hurt vs. But the Apostles reach is to auouch the safety of Gods children against all dangers that are or can be against them euen against the greatest and fiercest enemies that we haue and therefore hee must needs meane it especially of the euill Angels because they are the greatest and fiercest enemies that the faithfull haue And thus the Apostle hath brought vs into the meditation of the ground of all our dangers and woes and miseries namely the euill Angels or Diuels A fearefull and dismall argument in it selfe yet as it is here applyed by the Apostle it is a chearefull and a comfortable argument It is a fearefull and dismall thing to heare of our enemies but it is a comfortable thing to heare of the ouerthrow of them Let not any of vs therefore be afraid to heare of them we must not be afraid to fight with them and therefore much lesse to heare of them One thing the Apostle tells vs here as before wee haue heard for our sound comfort
maruell then if wee haue so little assurance Lastly Motiues to moue vs to looke that our assurance be true sound seeing this assurance is of such excellent Vse 4 vse then let vs labour to see that the assurance wee haue be true and sound and to presse vs hereunto consider these things First that thy assurance must beare a great burthen it must beare all thy afflictions in life and in death therefore see it be true and sound If the principalls of a house be not sound timber the house must fall Thou art sure to be sifted and tryed to the vttermost either liuing or dying therefore see that thy assurance that must beare these trialls be sound and good A man that hath good euidences for his Land dare bide tryall of his Title against all enemies but if they be counterfeit hee dare not bide the triall And so if our assurance be sound and good we dare bide the triall of all afflictions if not we will neuer stand to the triall Secondly consider Sathans pollicy when he cannot draw vs away from seeking sound assurance then he will put a tricke vpon vs he will labour to make vs beleeue wee haue it when indeed wee haue it not And therefore let vs see that it be true and sound and let vs take heed wee mistake not the Diuels assurance for Gods a shamefull mistake Yea but how shall I know that my assurance is sound and true or no 4. Wayes how a man may know whether his assurance be true and sound I answer thou shalt descerne it clearely by these foure obseruations First by the cause of our assurance Secondly by the Rise of it Thirdly by the nature of it And fourthly by the fruit of it First by the cause of our assurance how it was wrought in thee Was it wrought by the word and by the spirit Hath God made thee well acquainted with his promises reuealed in his word that hee will neuer faile thee nor forsake thee Doest thou finde the spirit of God to incline thine heart to remember them and to beleeue them to rest vpon them and to apply them to thine owne heart as the vndoubted truth of God and that heauen and earth shall faile but not one tittle of them shall faile Doest thou find that thou hast thy part in them and that they do belong to thee being in Christ as well as to any beleeuer If it be so with thee then thy assurance is sound and good else it is not sound except it arise from this cause for Gods word is the word of truth his spirit is the spirit of truth and they teach and worke no lye but looke whatsoeuer grace they teach and worke the same is a true grace without exception therefore if thy assurance arise from these it is sound and good Psal 119.49 Remember thy promise made to thy seruant wherein thou hast caused me to trust When the Lord acquaints vs with his word and promises and causeth vs by his spirit to put our trust in them this is a sound and true assurance that shall stand in remembrance before God for euer The contrary counterfeit assurance and vaine presumption is fetcht and doth arise from other causes as maintenance welfare in outward things selfe-loue Sathans flattery soothings vp of men and such like but this is presumption and neuer comes from the word and spirit An hypocrite may say he doth apply the promises of God to himselfe and that his assurance ariseth from thence and may haue some places of Scripture running in his head sometimes tending to that effect yet indeed he mis-vnderstands the word and mis-applyes the promises and they are not seconded by Gods spirit in their hearts causing them to put their trust in the promises Secondly looke into the Rise of our assurance and what is that It is when our assurance is gotten and doth arise vpon and after hearty and vnfained repentance for sinne and vpon hearty praier to God oh when a poore sinnefull soule findes that hee is ouerladen with sinne and hath the sence of the burthen thereof in his heart and goes to God and humbles himselfe for it throughly before the Lord with sighes and groanes vnspeakeable and hath bedewed himselfe with the teares of a troubled head and a broken heart and hath pleaded effectually the pardon of all his sinnes in the death of Christ and the grace of reformation by his spirit then is that soule in a fit case to receiue this assurance And vsually in this case God stirres vp the heart to begge this assurance and in this case vsually God giues it Psal 51.1.2.3.8.12 Dauid pleads hard for the forgiuenesse of his sinnes for iustification and sanctification and he addes this petition more Restore to me the ioy of thy saluation stablish mee with thy free spirit and vpon this petition God gaue it him Counterfeit assurance and vaine presumption hath no such rise but it ariseth from a benummed conscience and from a dead spirit I neuer doubted say some but haue good assurance of Gods loue in Christ and all shall goe well with mee True because thou hast a dead conscience and art past feeling and art not sensible of thy danger as a dead man feeles no hurt because he is dead and so it is with thy dead and benummed conscience Thirdly we may know whether our assurance be sound good from the nature of it True assurance is humble and lowly and stands not vpon its owne strength but it stands vpon the strength power and goodnesse of God They came about me like Bees saith the Prophet Psal 118.11.12 but in the name of the Lord I shall destroy them Dauid neuer makes mention of his owne strength but of Gods Goliah was confident in himselfe but hee had a shamefull fall Dauid was confident in God and had a glorious victory Let vs therefore humble our selues in the consideration of our owne weakenesse and let vs rest vpon the strength of God in Christ and that is true assurance Lastly let vs looke vpon the fruit of our assurance Is it ioyned with a godly life The same spirit that is the spirit of adoption to assure vs of our saluation is also the spirit of sanctification to renew vs and to make vs liue a godly life and none can haue this assurance but he that leads a godly life 1. Iohn 3.3 He that hath this hope in him purgeth himselfe If therefore thou sayest thou hast this assurance and art not purged from thy sinnes thou art a lyer When we sinne especially against conscience our assurance much decayes as fire when water is cast vpon it But if thou beest purged from thy sinne it will make thee more sure 2 Pet. 1.9 10. Hee that hath not these things c. hath forgotten that hee was purged from his olde sinnes but he that doth these things he that endeauours to leade a godly life and to stand it out to death he shall neuer