a humane hardening or the hardening of God and the the hardening of man and yet the one of these doeth not harden without the other for God hardeneth not Pharaohs heart but that Pharaohs owne will is the cause of it his hardening proceedeth not from any other but froÌ„ himselfe And therefore the scripture saith that Pharaoh hardeâ—ed his heart Neither for al that Eâ—od 9. 34. doeth Pharaoh harden his owne heart but God doeth it iudicially or according to his secret iudgements for the kings heart is in the hand of the â—ord Pro. 21. 1. But when it is said that God hardeneth the heart we must not so vnderstand it as if God should make that hard which before was softe and tender or of it selfe was not hard For the truth is that all men are borne with a hard heart and darke vnderstanding even with a heart of stone like the Adamant of the which wee haue heard already And for this cause the Lord saith by his Prophet I will take away the stoâ—â—◠〈◊〉 36. 26. heart oâ—â— of your bodie and I will giue you an heart of flesh God therefore is saide to harden the heart when as he denieth his grace and the fire of his holy spirite to molâ—â—fie and soften that which is naturally hard even as when the heat of the fire is denied to the softening of the hard and vntempered waxe This is called of some a prâ—vatiue hardening because God detaineth his grace from men for iust causes which are not knowne to vs. Beside this God hardeneth after an other manner when he doeth not only suffer the heart to remaine in that hardnesle and obduration which it hath by nature but doeth also externally harden it more and more by his ministers For as we may see in 〈◊〉 Pharaoh was made more obstinate hard-hearted by the ministery of Moses and Aaron then he was before hee had heard â—hese men And in these daies we haue too much expetience hereof by seeing vngodly men to become the more froward and malicious the more that they heare Gods worde and are taught by his ministers This is Gods iudicial hardening of the heart whereby in his iust iudgementes hee punisheth the former sinnes of men and for this purpose he commandeth his ministers as it is written Make the heart of this people â—at make their eares heavie Isa 10. shut their eies least they see with their eies and heare with their eares and vnderstande with their hearts and convert that I might heale theÌ„ Here we see how and wherefore God hardeneth the heart Now the humane hardening or the hardening attributed to man himselfe is that which the text that we handle warneth vs to beware of if yee heare his voice harden not your hearts This hardening of the hart is nothing else but a voluntary purpose and intent of man to continue in sinne and not to follow nor obey the doctrine of Gods everlasting trueth howsoeuer it be preached vnto him as hereof we haue examples in king Saule in Iudas in Iuhan the Apostaâ—â— and others ' but specially in Pharach whom the scriptures do set before vs as a notable paterne of a disobedient and hard-hearted man After this maner thhrefore the Israelies in the wildernesle hardened their heartes by grudging and bitter strining against Moses when they wanted water notwithstanding they had the word of the Lord among them This is it Exod. 17. which the Apostle putteth vs in minde of when he saith harden not your hearts as in the pâ—ovâ—â—ation And this is the hardening wherewith man hardeneth his heart even his own perverse will and purpose of sinning wherin he persisteth and so becoÌ„meth the minister of death perdition to his own soule Now the cause of all hardening of the heart is sin and the custome of sinning For Moses saith Phiraoh sinned againe and hardened his hearte Exod. 9. 34. There Pharaohs sinne goeth before the hardening of his heart VVherefore consider how fearefull and dangerous the custome of sinne is it bringeth hardnesse of hearte which denyeth obedience to the worde of God and despiseth his holy ministery and so groweth to fulnesse of sinne the wages whereof is death eternall Let the consideration Rom. 6. 23. of these thinges cause you with feare reverence to hear the Gospel of your salvation and before you come to heare it bee careful as the Apostle exhorteth to cast away euery thing that presseth downe and the sinne that Heb. 12. 1. hangeth so fast on that wheÌ„ the Lord speaketh by the mouth of his messâ—gers you may haue cares to hear hearts to vnderstaÌ„d be in a readmes to heare his voice to say with Samuel speake Lord for thy servaÌ„t heareth Here 1. Sam. 3. 10 we see that as there was a voice hard so there was a readines to hear it Here â—od did speak here man was prepared to heare him But this exaÌ„ple of obedieÌ„ce preparatioÌ„ to heare the Gospell which is more glorious speaketh better thinges then the law is too rare in our age For most men and women though they resort to church and to Christian congregations are yet in the time of divine exercise of the word of God more ready to speake then to heare They are more ready to pray by themselues and to offer vp a sacrifice of their owne superstition then either to heare reading or preaching of the holy scriptures or to consent with one mind to the common praters of the whole church if the time so require yea and some are not content to be thus farre superstitious but wil also giue themselues to read on some praier booke when God speaketh to them out of his booke of life Such blinde devotion of men and private repeating of words out of due time and place must needes be a sacrifice not accepted but reiected of God For it cannot be the fruit of faith because you haue not so learned Christ and whatsoever saith the Apostle is not of faith is sinne Rom. 14. 13 Marke a speciall doctrine of that famous preacher Salomon touching this point take heede to thy foote when thou enterest into the house Eccl. 4. 7. of God and be wore neere to heare then to giue the sacrifice of fooles for they know not that they dâ—â— evill If they know not that they do evil then they do it of ignorance But it is evil saith he and we are taught that Christians must abstaine not onely from evill it selfe but from al appeâ—â—â—nce of evill Yet because nothing is so 1. Thess 5. 22. evill but if it be commonly vsed seemeth to be good and men will needs defend it so to be as in this case some are wont to say that when they giue themselues to pray privatly in the church they doe it that they may be the better prepared to serue God But as the Apostle saith to the Corinthians which came disorderedly to the receiving of the
abstaine from such enemies Strangers and pilgrims doe commonly stand in more feare of enemies theÌ„ they that dwell in their knowne country and among their acquaintance as it appeareth by Iacob howe Gen. 34. 3 〈…〉 he feared the Cananites when his sonnes had slaine Hamor and Sechem He feared because he was a stranger in the land few in â—â—mber in comparison of his enemies So Lot is despised of the Sodomites because Gen. 19. 〈◊〉 he was a stranger and one that had not been borne in that country therefore they regard not his praiers nor his intreaty he made vnto them but bid him bee paâ—king as a stranger This pride of insulting against strangers lyeth as poison within vs all what nation soeuer we be of and vpon any light occasion sheweth it selfe It pleased God therefore Acta 10. 34. who is no accepter of persoÌ„s to bridle such insolencie by his holy word as it is written loue the stranger and againe thou shalt loue the Deut. 10. 19 stranger as thy selfe With a memento that wee haue iust cause so to do For yee were strangers Levi. 19. 34. â—n the land of Egypt Io 〈…〉 hes brethren do behaue themselues in the lande of Egypt with greate humility and a 〈…〉 nde at the rough wordes of Ioseph which they woulde not haue done but for that they were stâ—â—gers in the land few in number And that is it that should cause al strangers and pilgriâ—s to looke to their owne waâ—es to liue warily because they are coÌ„pâ—â—led about with strange people of strange conditions which are many in nuÌ„ber they few Now the state of all true Christians here vpon earth is by the condition and nature of strangers most â—iâ—ly expressed For in the sacred scriptures â—hey are called straÌ„gers The Prophet speaking in the person of the faithfull confesâ—eth that they are so saying I am a Psal 119. 19 Psal 39. 12. stranger vpoÌ„ earth And againe I am a stranger with thee a soiournor as all my fathers were in another place where he coÌ„fesseth his own and his peoples vnworthines he saith we are strangers before thee soâ—ourners â—ike all our fathers our dates are like the shadow vpon the earth 1 〈◊〉 29. 15. and there is none abiding We see that this is true for man so long as hee dwelleth in the tabetnacle of his flesh dwelleth as a stranger among his spirituall enemies vvhich are the lustes of his flesh daily fighting against him and wounding his soule more deadly theÌ„ the multitude of any strange and barbarous people can wound or hurt his bodie vvhen they are mooved to fight against him Man can kill but the bodie but fleshly lustes kill both the soule and bodie too This the Apostle Paule sheweth where hee saith if yee liue after the Rom. 8. 13. flesh yee shall die VVee reade in an heathen vvriter that D 〈…〉 C 〈…〉 de bâ—th Tre. lib. 4. the arrowes of Hercules had beene dâ—pt in the blood of the venimous monster Hidrâ— And therefore whosoeuer was shot of wounded with any of them perished and dyeil without recovery The lustes of the flesh may be compared to such Arrowes for the flesh of al men hath euer since the fal of Adam been infected with the vemme of â—lie old serpent the Deuill And therefore the lustes thereof â—lay the soule with endlesse death of they be not refisted with great vigilaâ—ty For as Iames saith when lust hath conceived Iam. 1. 15. it bringeth forth sin sin when it is finished bringeth foorth dâ—ath Here is the wounde that lust giueth to the soule to wâ—t death which shall neuer haue an end againe the sâ—nâ—e Apostle saith from whence are vvarres Iam. 4. 1. and contentions among youâ— are they not hence even of your lustes that sight in your members here note that he saith your lustes and in your members For if they were not in our members within our bodies we might be safe from the danger of them if they were in our garmeÌ„ts we might haue them washed out or change and put on such as shoulde bee cleane or if they were in some one kinde of meate wee might abstaine from that and liue by other meate But the Prophet saith of them that had fasted from meate your lust remaineth still Isa 58. 4. Or if they were as a plague in some towne or citie or in some mens houses the inhabitants there of might change their dwelling and so avoide them Or if they were in some one countrey more then in another men would be content to leaue that as a wildernesse rather then to die in it even as Abraham forsooke Gen. 12. 10 Canaan and went into Egypt in time of a famine Nay if these lustes were but in some one outward member of the body as in the hand or the foote some men would bee content to cut of that member to saue the rest of the body from infection or death But the scripture saith the heart is deceitfull and wicked Ier. 17. 9. aboue all thinges who can know it here wee see that the principall part of the fleshis infected even the heart and no man can make him a newe heart no man can go out of his own flesh nor change the dwelling place of his soule so long as this life lasteth Luther writeth of one that was grieued Martin Luther of one that intended to bee an Heremite with himselfe for sinne weary with seeing hearing the iniquities of the world which made him forsake the societie of meÌ„ goe into a desert place thinking there to be safe from evill froÌ„ all occasion of sinne but herein he was greatly deceyued for being in the desert he had with him an eartheÌ„ vessell to hold water in this vessell with often falling downe from the place where he would haue had it to stand did moue him to such angerâ— that at the last it caused him to breake it in peeces Then he beganne to consider what his nature was saw that he could haue no peace with himselfe though no maÌ„ disquieted him If this be true as most true it is that in maÌ„s flesh dwelleth no good thing Rom. 7. 18. what excelleÌ„t thing do the Heremits such people as forsake the felowshipe of men vnder a pretense of religion if they abstayne from offending when they want occasion to offende you know that the theese cannot steale so long as nothing is lesâ—e in his way If ther be no battell there caÌ„ be no victorie but we see that the Christians victorie is not gotten by alteâ—â—ng the dwelling place of his body oâ— by going out of the woâ—ld that is out of the â—oâ—ieâ—â—e of men but it must be in the world by â—eâ—iâ—â—ing his daylâ—e aduersaries to keepe himselfe as â—â—mes sâ—â—th vnspoâ—ted of the Iam 1 27. world For Christ will not haue his disciples to be exempâ—ed from the
he is nothing ashamed of his sinne The sinne of whoredome cometh to the leacherous and to the wanton naminge it selfe sweete loue or a tricke of youth and then it is receiued as a delectable guest and not as sinne which stayeth â—he soule Pride in apparel deceiveth the prowd vaine glorious soule vnder the title of cleanlines and decencte because if it come vnder the name of pride it is more odiouse and is knowne to be sinne Neither is there any sinne so soule or detestable which is not smoothed with some faire name and title to cloake it with all For herein is the deceitfollnesse of sinne and here with are men deceyued and hardened that they sinne as with cart ropes and drinke vp iniquitie like water But woe vnto them saith the Prophet thas speake good of euil and euill of good which put Isa 5. 10. darknesse for light and light for darkensse that put bitter for sweete and sweete for sâ—wre Now if you haue not an evill heart of vnbeliefe call vpon the name of the Lord seeke the Lorde while he may be fouÌ„d seeke the knowledge of his waies while it is called to daie that so you may be able to exhorte and instruct one another and to avoide the deceitfulnesse of sinne before you bee hardened and blinded through the craftinesse thereof let vs nowe â—oâ—e togither and pray The thirde Lecture vpon the 14. verse of faith and of the assurance of salvation and â—verlasting felicitie to the true beleevers 14 For we are made partakers of Christ â—f we keep sure vnto the ende the beginning wherevvith we are vpholden THE Apostle having already prooued by plaine and strong argumentes that Christ is the sonne of God and the Messias that should redeeme Israell and hauing exhorted the Hebrewes to beware of infidelity and disobedience which waâ— the cause that their forefathers perished in the wildernesse whose example he layeth before them in the scripture of the Psalmist before alledged now he declareth howe and by vvhat means we are made true members of Christ and fellow heires with him of the celestiall inheritance We are made partakers of Christ saith he if vvs keepe sure vnto the â—nd the beginning wherewith we are vpholden These words lead vs to speak of faith and iustification by faith In the 6. of Iohn it is recorded that when the people which had seene the miracles of Christ asked what they shoulde doe that they Io. 6. 28. might worke the works of God Christ telleth theÌ„ this is the work of God that yeâ— cleeue in him whoÌ„ ver 29. he hath sent And in the 2. of the Actes those Iewes which had heard the sermon of Peter being pâ—icked in their hearts said to the Apostles men and brethren what shall we do To whoÌ„ Act 2. 37. the Apostle Peter answereth ameÌ„d your liues ver 38. be baptised every one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sins And in the 16. of the Acts to the layâ—er or keeper of the prisoÌ„ Act. 16. 30. demanding what he must do to be saued Paule ver 31. Sylas say beleeue in the Lord Iesus Christ These the like placeâ— of scriptures my brethreÌ„ do teach vs principally two things the one is that there is a feare of deatâ— eternall and of Gods iudgements naturally remaining in the hearts of all men according as it is written that for feare of death men are Heb. 2. 15. all their life time subiect to bondage And that is because of sinne and the testimony of a guilty conscience which as wee see vpon any occasion of feare bewraveth that sinne lyeth at the dore The other thing which wee doe heere learne is vvhere the remedie against the strength of sinne the sting of death is to be found namely in the Lord Iesus Christ by beleeuinge in him for among in in there as giuen noâ—e other name vnder heauen wherby we must be saued but by the Act. 〈◊〉 11. name of Christ Iesus who vvas deliuered to death for our sinnes and is risen againe for our instification Rom. 4. 25. As in the time of Moses there was no remedie not cure that could helpe them that were stung with the firie and venemous serpents in the wildernesse but onely the be holding of the braslen serpent which Moses had set vp made the poyson harmelesle Num 21. 9. and saued from death them that were bitten so is there no mediatour nor aduocate in heauen nor in earth nor any oblation or offering of man that can deliuer from the death of the soule and breake the force of the poyson of sinne but onely true faith which is the eie of the soule wherby we behold him that was figured in the brassen serpent and is lifted vpon the tree of the crosse for the health and saluation of all that beleeue This is the wedding garmente which whosoeuer hath not put on is in danger to be cast into vtter darkenesse where shall be weeping and guashing of teeth This is the faith wherby Mat. 22. 12. 13 the iust do liue This is the begining where with wee are vpholde which we must keepe sure vnto the end In the text it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the beginning of the substaunce And some translate it the foundation of the assurance vvhich foundation is the sounde doctrine of the Gospell of CHRIST apprehended by faith or according to Chrisostomes exposition faith it selfe For that is the organe or instrumente whereby we are made partakers of Christ VVee finde in an other place of this Epistle that the Apostle vseth the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Heb. 11. 1. definition of faith By this phrase therefore the beginning of the substance vnto the ende is meant nothing else but continuance or perseverance in the faith of Christ according to that to the Coloss 1. 23. If yee continue grounded Col. 1. 23. and established in the faith These and the like places in the scriptures which speake with this conditioÌ„ if ought not to be so vnderstood as if any of the faithful that are elected to life eternal could perish or fall away froÌ„ grace but they do effectually exhort vs to be the more strengthened in the spirit against the weaknes of the flesh the coÌ„tinual al teÌ„ptatioÌ„s of this life that would gueÌ„ch our faith For there are many imperfectioÌ„s in the faith of the godly so long as they liue vpon the earth And the narrownes of our harts is such that we cannot comprehend as wee ought to doe what God will doe for vs but yet the gates of hell and the stormes of this life that neuer put out the candel of Gods elect which is their faith This faith therfore is here called the substance or vnholding or sure standing by a the vse of building for as no building canne stand vvithout a sure substance or foundation to stande vpon
In which fortie yeares he overthrew them and made an end of them with their sinnes Fortie daies and fortie nightes was the raine vpon the earth when all the inhabitants Gen. 7. 12. of the old world except Noah and his family were drowned In those fortie daies and fortie nights the Lord wiped away all wickednesse and crueltie wherewith the earth was corrupted Forty daies are limited to the people of Niâ—eveh for repentaunce And in that space they repented for they beleeved God as it is in Ionah and proclaimed a fast and put on sacke-cloath Ion. 3. 4. 5. from the greatest of them even to the least of them And to speake according to naturall observation it is noted in mankinde generally that an * Plin. nat hist lib. 7. in proâ—m infant doth seldome or never laugh before he be fortie daies old Here we may see that man â—ath iust cause to bee alwaies sorie and to mourne for his sinnes which are the cause of all the miseries of this life When God establisheth perfect righteousnes vpon earth forty of daies and nightes are spoken of as when Moses was called from the sight of the people he was with the Lord in mount Sinai forty daies and forty nights Exod. 24 18 34. 28. in which he fasted miraculously that so the law of God which hee was to deliuer vnto the Israâ—lites might receiue the more honor and authority And againe fortie daies and 1. King â—9 〈◊〉 fortie 〈◊〉 E 〈…〉 h at the calling of the Lord continued â—â—sâ—ing because hee was the minister that should restore the law to the former perfection thereof And our saviour Christ is said to haue fasted Maâ— 4. 2. â—uke 4 2. 〈…〉 and fourtie mightes before hee beganne his publique life and preaching The end of which fast o◠〈…〉 le as * Vpon the harmony of the â—â—aÌ„gell Mat. 4. 〈◊〉 M. Câ—lvâ— doeth well obsetue was that it should bee a seale to the doctrine of the Gospell which as it is more glorious then the lawe of Moses so was it to bee adorned with miracles and rate signes And after he had suffered his passion and was â—â—sen againe hee was seene of his Apostles by the spice of forty daies Act. 1. 3. In which fortie daies he confirmed vnto them the verity of his â—uâ—â—ection Thus we see where vnto this number forty is vsually applyed in holy scriptures For as teâ—â—e is a perfect and absolute number and all supe 〈…〉 numbers doe arise either by adding vnto teâ—â—e oâ— els by multiplying of ten so the multiplying of ten in this number forty declareth vnto vs the louing kindnesse and mercy of God who giueth vnto men such space of daies or of yeares either to see the confirmatioÌ„ of his truth and his workes or to amend and turne vnto him before they bee destroied for their sins and transgressions And here we may learne that our departing from iniquity our faith and obedience to the worde of GOD must bee effectuall earnest and vnsamed and wee must persevere in the same not for one day but fortie dayes or fortie yeares that is so long as the LORDE vvill haue vs to remayne in the vvildernesse of this world Nowe the cause why the LORDE was displeased with his people fortie yeares was sinne For the Apostle sayeth vvas hee not displeased vvith them that sinned vvhose carâ—â—â—ses fell in the vvildernesse The roote and beginning of all sinne is the naturall corruption or originall sinne vvherein all menne are vvrapped from their mothers wombe and vvherevvith mankinde hath beene infected euer since the fall of Adam This corruption bringeth foorth fruite vnto death by transgressing the law of God We sinne three maner of waieâ— three maner of waies that is in thought worde and deede according to the wordes of our saviour Christ affirming that those thinges which desile a man come from the heart For out of the hearte saith hee come Mat. 15. 19. eviâ—â— thoughts These are sinnes and defile thâ— whole man Murthers adulteries fornications theftes These are sinnes in deed False testimonies slaunders These are sinnes committed in word And now all these transgressions and every one of them as they are committed of men are called actuall sinnes And they are Three sorts of actuall sinnes of three sortes One is counted a sinne of infirmitie into the which the godly and regenerate men of God doe commonly fall through the weakenesse of the flesh Of this kinde of sinne speaketh Paule when he saith the evill which I vvould not that do I. And Rom 7. 19. 1. 〈◊〉 1. 8. of this Saint Iohn saith If we saie that wee haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs. The second is a sinne of ignorance committed through lacke of knowledge when hee that sinneth knoweth not that he doeth evill Such was the sinne of Paule before his conversion when hee liued a Pharisâ—â— and persecuted the Christians notwithstanding he had zeale and in his life was vnrebukeable Phil. 3. 6. touching the righteousnesse of the law And of this sinne after he was conuerted hee saith I did it ignorantly through vnbeliefe 1. Tim. 1. 13. The third kind of sinne is a sinne of malice or a sinne of disobedience to the trueth of God when they that haue experience of Gods fauour and goodnesse towards them and know his word to be the rule of righteousnesse will not for all that forsake their owne waies to followe it and to obey it Such was the sinne of Saul when he did not 1. Sam. 15 9 obey the wordes of Samuel being commanded to destroy the Amalekites and all that appertained vnto them This sinne of disobedience was the sinne of the children of Israell for the which the Lord was displeased with them fortie yeares who knowing the goodnesse of God to bee more extended towardes them then any other nation of the earth did notwithstanding disobey his voice and tempte him â—enne tymes as the scripture witnesseth Num. 14. â—2 And therefore they were reiected of the Lord that they should not enter into his rest and were punished in the wildernesse with horrible plagues where their carkeises fell for an example and a terrour to all that should haue thereof This sinne of maliciouse frowardnes disobedience to the word of God is of all other most fearefull is therefore called rebellion 1. Sam. 15. 23. wickednes idolatrie compared with the sinne of witchcraft And of this kind of sinne Iohn saith hee that commiteth sinâ—s of 1. 10. 3. 8. 9. the deuill And whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not This is therefore the sinne that we must beware of We see how fearefully it was punished in Gods chosen people And their punishments as Paule witnesseth being written to admonish vs might if they were 1. Cor. 10. 〈◊〉 well weyed terrifie the stubborne froward generation of this age and might moue those that preferre the
so no man can stande or walke in the way of life without faith vvhich is the thing that quickeneth evene true Christian and is vnto him a rising againe from death vnto life through Christ the saviour For even as the body is dead without the soule so the soule is dead without faith and therefore Augustine writeth Super 10. tract 49. auima â—uâ— anima siâ—es est faith is the life of thy soule And againe where the A postle faith that Christ may dwell in your heartes by Eph. 3. 17 faith How should Christ dwell in my heart hee answereth thy faith in Christ is Christ dwelling in thine heart And nowe speaking of this faith that iustifieth the elect of God we must note that it differeth from other giftes of the spirite which in the scriptures haue the name of â—aith that so we may the better vnderstand what that faith is whereby we are said to be iustified and made the sonns of God There is therefore an illumination or inlightning 4 Kindes of faith of some mens mindes to consent to the doctrine of the Gospell and to receiue it for the infallible truth of God for in the gospel they that ar on the stones which Mat. 13. 20. 21. Mat. 4. 16. 17. Luk. 8. 13. receiue the word with ioy but haue no root are said to beleeue for a tune but in the time of temptation they fall away This beleefe or faith for a time is commonly called temporary faith because it is not permanent nor effectuall to iustification but it is a faith that reprobates haue that are yet in the state of condemnation There is also a gift of doinge Miracles which an vngodlie or reprobate man may haue and this is called the faith of miracles of the which 1. Cor. 13. 2. the A postle speaketh if I bade all faith so that I could remoue mountaines and had not loue I were nothinge This faith or gifte maketh no man partaker of Christ Thirdlie there is a generall kind of acknowledging the word of God and the historie of the Gospell to be true and that Christ is such a sauiour of men as the scriptures do report of him and yet he that so beleeueth cannot apply the grace of Christ nor the comfort of GODS promises confirmed in CHRIST to himselfe He cannot beleeue the remission of sinnes to belong to himselfe for CHRISTES sake This is called faith historicall and is common both to the devilles and to reprobate men And of this kinde of faith the Apostle Iames faith thou beleevest that there is one God thou doest well the devilles also beleeue it and treâ—ble Iam. 2. 19. Lastly the faith which the Apostle speaketh of in this text and which is proper to Gods childreÌ„ only is called a pastifying faith because it apprehendeth and layeth hold on the iustification which is in CHRISTIE-SVS Some learned devines make of these 4. sorts of faith but two wherof the one as they cal it is a faith of Christ and this is such as the de vils false Christians haue the other a faith in Christ such as true Christians haue Yet for difference betweene the faith of repiobate men and the saith that devils are said to haue the former kind of faith to wit a faith of Christ is devided of others as we haue hard into a temporary faith a 〈…〉 h of miracles and a faith historicall Nowe the faith in CHRIST which none but the godly areindued with is defined in the 11. chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrewes Heb. 11. 1. to bee the substaunce of thinges vvhich are hoped for and the demonstration of thinges vvhich are not seene It is called the substance or grounde or the state of the soule for that we liue by it I liue faith the Apostle yes not I Gal. 2. 20. now but Christ liveth in me and in that I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith in the sonne of God VVhen the scripture faith that wee are iustified by faith it signifieth as much as that we are set free from the penaltie of the law and acquitted from the sentence of condemnation For this word iustification is the contrary to condemnation and without Christ it is manifest that all men are in the state of condemnation as it is written like vvise then as by the offence of one the fault came Rom. 5. 18. on all men to condemnation so by the iustifying if â—ne the benefite abounded towarde all men to the iustification of life This is the free gifte of GOD to bee iustified by faith and counted righteous in the sighte of GOD through the imputation of CHRISTES righteousnesse VVee conclude faith the Apostle Rom. 3. 28. that a man is iustified by faith vvithout the workes of the law And againe being iustified by faith wee haue peace toward God through Rom. 5. 1. our Lord Iesus Christ And to the same effect againe being now iustified by his blood we shall be saued from wrath through him Thus we see Rom. 5. 9. how the faith that iustifieth differeth from other faithes which reprobate men and devils are said to haue VVe see also the vertue and propertie of this faith and what it is to be iustified by it But in that we are said to be made partakers of Christ by a right faith we are further to note two thinges in the vertue and quality of this faith that iustifieth I he one is the assurance of our saluation because our sinns are for giueÌ„ vs. The other is the assurance of our glorification with Christ in life eternall for where remission of sinnes is there is also life everlasting Touching the assurance of our saluation we are sure to be saued because we beleeue and are surely Perswaded that the price of our redemption is * Christ hath in his owne person sustere whatsoever was due to our sins hath therby fully â—reed vs froÌ„ the ire of God the curse of the law Of his sufferings I haue else where spoken more at large which iflets were not should haue beene published fully and sufficiently paid For the holy Ghost witnesseth God so loued the world that he hath giuen his only begotteÌ„ son that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life 10. 3. 16. again he beareth witnesse saying the sonne of man came Wherfore to giue his life for the raÌ„some of many or as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is interpreted of the best translatours for the price of the redemption Mar. 10. 45. of many This assureth vs of full satisfaction made for our sinnes For to ransome or to redeeme is properly vsed to signifie the desiverance of captiues when man for man or life for life is redeemed So Christ being the good shepheard did giue his own life for the life of his sheepe And 10. 10. 11. Gal. 3. 13. thereby hath redeemed vs from the curse of the law when he
life Walke according Mat. 3. 8. to this rule and persenere in it to the end and thou art â—â—dâ— partaker of Christ And it his appearing thou shalt receyue an incorruptible crowne of glory Let vs humble onr selues in prayer The fourth Lecture vpon the 15. verse of the necessitie of hearing the word of God how the hardening of the heart is to be vnderstood and of thâ— errour of praying in the church specially in the time of publâ—ke teaching or of common praiers 15 Solâ—â—g as it is said to day of ye hear his voice barden not your hearts as in the pâ—ovocation OF the word to day I haue aâ—â—eady shewed that it is applied vnto the time of grace that is so long as the word of GOD which is the light of the world is made manifest vnto vs. And here againe we may obserue that when the Apostle saith to day hee giveth vs to vnderstaÌ„d that the spirit of God did speake by the mouth of the holy Prophets not only for the learning instructioÌ„ of the people that liued in the daies of the Prophets but also for the learning of all men in all times and ages to the ende of the world For the Prophet David to instruct the people of his time saith to day Psalm 95. 7. and the Apostle almost eleven hundreth yeares after Dauid teaching the Hebrewes saith to day if yee heare his voice harden not your â—eartes Whereby he would haue them to vnderstand that the same scripture did then call them to the obedience of the Gospell which to the same effect was preached to their father so long ago by the Prophetâ— Dauid so at this present time you are called of God to the spirituall marriage of his sonne that you may receyue forgiuenesse of your sins and inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in him here is no more required of you but obedience and attentiuenesse to heare so long as it is called to day For now we haue the word neere vnto vs even in our mouth and in our heartes as the scripture Rom. 10. 8. saith And no man is commanded to go beyond the sea to heare it For it is not to be heard at the mouth of the Priests of Egipt nor of the Philosophers of Greece nor of the Rabbins of the Iewes to whom men in times past were wont to trauaile for to heare wisdome as the Queene of Sheba came from the furthest partes of the earth to Ierusalem 1. King 10. 1 Mat. 12. 42. To what end to heare the wysdome of Selomon Wee may easilie gather that such a iorney coulde not be perfourmed without great charges and many danger 〈…〉 and therfore as Christ witnesseth shee shall rise in Iudgement and shall condemne those that are carlesse to heare the wysdome of Christ the true Salâ—mon which he hath now blessed be his name for it sent out of Ierusalem And out of the land of Iudea even into this land and hath dispersed it over the same so that wee neede not trauaile farre for to heare it For now it is called to day with vs and now we may heare it if we will and by hearing it we may liue the houre shall come saith Christ and now is when the dead shall heare Io. 5. 2â— the voice of the son of God and they that heare it shall liue Loe heare it appeareth that we are spiritually dead and are estranged from God through sinne and therfore oppressed with eternall destruction without hope of life except we be quickened by hearing of Christes voice The Prophet Dauid had experience of this in himselfe which made him say I will neuer forget thy precepts Psal 119. 93 for by them thou hast quickened mee As if he should say before the time that I heard and obeyed thy voice I was dead but now the Gospell of thy sauing health hath restored mee to life CoÌ„sider therfore the necessitie of hearing and let that mooue you to put away hardnesse of heart It is manifest that without Io. 3. 36. faith none can be saved froÌ„ the secoÌ„d death nor froÌ„ the day of Gods wrath and faith as witnesseth the holy Ghost commeth by hearing Neither hath God appointed any other Rom. 1â— 17. meanes then the hearing of his voâ—ce for the attaining of faith and by faith salvation as it is most evident by that one and notable example of the rich man who because hee had not regarded the day of grace was after his bodily death tormented in hel Luke 16. and desiring to haue Lazarus sent to preach vnto his brethren least they also shoulde come into that place of â—orment receiveth this answere from Abrahaâ—â— they haue Moses and the Prophetes let them heare theâ— But â—er 29. when hee was yet more instant to haue one sent vnto them from the dead Abraham replyeth againe If they heare not Moses and the Prophetes neither vvill they bâ—e perswaded ver 31. though one rise from the deade againe This may suâ—â—ice any man that will vnderstande that God will haue no other way nor means for man to come to the knowledge of his wil and to be saved from the wrath to come but by hearing his voice revealed in the scriptures VVherefore so long as the time of grace lasteth let no man harden his hearte from hearing let no man looke the gate of heaven against his owne soule not become the minister of his owne death let no man as the maner of most men is be like the vaine Athenians more desiâ—â—us either to tell Act. 17. 21. or to heare some newes of other men or that coÌ„cerneth some worldly commodities then to heare the wisedome of God which yet cryeth openly vttereth her voice in the streâ—â—â— Pro. 1. 20. For the voice of this wisedome if thee bee heard and receiued vvith meekenesse saith the Iam 1. 21. scripture is able to saue mens soules and is the power of God vnto salvation to every one that beleeveth Rom. 1. 16. Herein the wisedome of God excelleth the wisedome of this world For all the counsell of the wise men and lawyers of the world al the learning of the Philosophers and sâ—â—oolemen and al the cloquence of the readiest oratours advocats though a man heare theÌ„ never so attentiuely cannot make him wise vnto salvation neither is it in them to bring the glad tidings of peace to a troubled soule disquieted with the feare of death the terror of hel for only the voice of Christ hath that pâ—eâ—ogatiue therfore al meÌ„ are coÌ„manded not to harden their hearts if they wil heare it But is it in the power of maÌ„ not to harden his heart sith the scripture saith I will harden Pharachs heart and in an other Exod. 〈◊〉 3. Revel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 place hee shutteth and no man openeth Here we must vnderstand that there is two manner of hardening of the heart to wit a divine hardening and
things nâ—w more theÌ„ a yeere and a halfe agone occasion was giueÌ„ that I could do no lesse then in their owne colour as neere as I wâ—â— able set forth the manifold evills incoÌ„venienceâ—â— of certaine offensiue vnlawful games specialâ—y of 〈◊〉 may poles Which though it be a doctrine not acceptable nor welcome to the world specially to such aâ— be louers of vaine pleasures more thâ—â— louers of God yet must we not for fear of meÌ„ keepe backe those things which may do good These poles sâ—t vp maintained to stand in â—co many places of this lâ—â—d are evident markes of coÌ„tempt of the word of God true godlinesse and therfore â—s we haue alreadie by the late dearth scarcitie of foode that hath bâ—ne by sundrâ—e plagnes straÌ„ge sicknesses tasted of Gods anger against such contempt of his Gospelâ—â— so except as the Propheâ— exhorteth â—sâ— 55. 6. 〈◊〉 seeke the Lord while he may be sound and call vpon him while he is neere it is to be sâ—arâ—a that his wrath wil in greater measure be â—owred out vpoÌ„ the inhabitaÌ„ts of this land to the perpetuallâ—â—â— of them that haue neglected despiseâ— the gratâ—ous time of Gods â—alâ—ng For what can the end of the world which is so set on wickednesse loâ—ke for but blâ—odie warres sudden sorrowes deadly calamâ—â—ies 〈◊〉 that we would iudge our selues that we â—ight not be iudged of the Lord. The magistrate the minister if they do the worke of the Lord either negligently or deceitfully must thinke that other mens blood shall be required at their handes Pray therfore that all which are in authoritie al that haue the charge of mens soules committed vnto them may alwayes be found faithfull and vigilant to resist sinne and offences not fearing nor fauouring the person of any mortall man whose breath is in his nostrelles And pray that we all what calling or condition soeuer we be of may be alwayes mindfull of our vow made in our baptisme to sight against sinne the world the flesh till we become conquerors through Christ Iesus to whoâ— be all prayse dominion for euermore Against fleshly lustes 1. Pet. 2. 11. Deerely beloved I beseech you as strangers and Pilgrims abstaine from fleshly lustes which fight against the soule IN this parcel of scripture which you haue heard this morning as it is vsually read in the church this day the Apostle Peter as an excelleÌ„t instrumeÌ„t of the holy Ghost warneth the Christians of the Iewes of the imminent perill not of theeues nor of violent robbers nor of wilde beasts nor of forraine enemies but of the lustes of their owne flesh which are the more dangerous and the more hard to be avoided because they are inseparable companions of the flesh and nature of man In the former chapter of this epistle exhorting them to holines purity of living he putteth them in Minde that they were not redeemed from their vaine conversation as hee 1. Pet. 1. 18. 19. saith with corruptible things as silver and golde but with the precious bloode of Christ as of a lambe vndefiled and without spot in the consideration wherof they might more clearly see what they were before their calling what they are now being called sanctified in Christ Iesus They must walke therfore in their Christian race to withstand the continualâ—assaults of their spirituall enemies among which the lusles of the flesh are not the least nor the casiest to be subdued for that they fight against the soule so long as this life lasteth and bring forth fruite vnto eternall death Peter directeth this doctrine to theÌ„ which beleeued of his owne nation the Iewes notwithstanding it appertaineth to all Christians which haue obtained the like saith to become the true seede of Abraham For as the beleeuing â—ewes to whom hee writeth this Epistle were at that time strangers scattered among the gentiles had lost the lande of Iudea so as they were ChristiaÌ„s they were also strangers vpon earth and so are all the faithfull what nation of people soeuer they be of albeit that they liue and dwell in their natiue countrie where they were borne and brought vp It behoueth them therfore being strangers to be more circumspect and carefull to resist their enemies these enemies are the lustes of the flesh which fight against the more excellent part of man euen against the soule Here we may learne that man as he hath a body of flesh wherein his soule dwelletâ— is an enemie vnto himselfe This may seeme to bee a strange Paradox or a thing that most men because of the ignoraunce that is in them will not beleeue But the true Christian that walketh not after the flesh but after the spirite findeth and feeleth it to bee true according as it is vvritten I see another lavve in my members Rom. 7. 23. 24. rebelling against the lavve of my minde and leading me captiue vnto the lavve of sinne vvhich is in my members O vvretched man that I am vvho shall deliuer me from the body of this death And the heathen man by the lighte of Socrates nature coulde finde out the true cause of mans wretchednesse vvhereof hee thus speaketh the chiefe cause of all evilles that happen to man is man himselfe for hee through his greedy lustes and desires troubleth both himselfe and all other creatures Chrysostome in a certaine treatise of his Nâ—â—â— lâ—dâ—tur nisi aseipso doeth notablye prooue that no manne is hurt but of himselfe for as he saith hee that hurteth not himselfe can of none be hurt as Kaine sudas Iscartot king Pharaoh such others could not haue perished if the cause of their confusion that is the lusts of their own flesh which prevailed against them had not beene within them And contrary wise Iob Ioseph Daniell the Apostle Paule and al good men could not be hurt though for a time they did suffer and tooke in good worth the spoyling of their goods slaunder imprisonment persecution and al â—â—â—ury at the hands of them which did hurt and yet did to them no hurt because with patience they resisted not giving place to the motions of fleshlie lustes These lusts are those mighty enemies which overthrow the stoutest and the wisest among the sonnes of men King David and Salomon his son with other godly men haue beene grievously wounded herewith But the prowd man is overcome of them as Nebuchadn 〈…〉 r was of his prowd lusts The voluptuous man the drunkard and the vaine glorious in Apparell is overthrowne of his owne lusts as Dives was The covetous man as â—udaâ— was and the wanton fornicatour As if that story be true the vniust Iudges were that condemned chast Susanna Seeing therfore that our flesh is as a strong castl that defendeth so many lustes which fight against the soule as there be diversities of sinnes we are well admonished of the Apostle as strangers pilgrims to looke to our selues and to
combates temptations of the world least they should waxe deâ—â—tie slouthfull or â—â—â—e vnprofitable to other men and therfore he doth not pray to hâ—ue them taken out of the world but hee Ioâ— 17. 15. prayeth to haue them kept from evill that in the middest of dangers they may not be wounded to death and that his power may be made perfect in weaknes For it is manifest that in the holiest men of this world the flesh is weake and lusteth after evill thinges I know saith the Apostle that in me that is 〈◊〉 Rom. 7. 18. my flesh dwelleth no good thing If the flesh were not corrupt full of evill lustes man should be free from all kinde of dangers for theâ— Saâ—han could haue no power ouer him the world could not deceiue him and the vanities of this life could not entiâ—e him But the flesh which euerie man heareth about with him so long as he is a pilgrim vpon earth is as a huge heape of all v 〈…〉 is like tâ— a puddle of water ful of 〈◊〉 â—â—t in the bottome which as sone aâ— it is sâ—â—red infecteth and fowleth all the water that it becommeth vnholesome both 〈◊〉 man and beast So â—â—than finding store of corruption and sinnefull lustes within mans body and flesh st 〈…〉 th vp the same and kindleth them evermore ministring occasion to commit onâ— sinnâ— or other that the soule may be deâ—iled and be made loâ—thsome iâ— the sight of God 〈◊〉 is the roote of evill and here is the puddle of deadly poyson even the flesh which ever lâ—stâ—th against the 〈…〉 is And for this cause the holy Ghost hath not concealed from vs what wil be the end if we suffer the flesh to haue the vpper hand For he telleth vs plainly if ye 〈◊〉 after the flesh ye 〈◊〉 but if we wil Rom. 8. 13. escape thâ—â— dâ—ath hee warneth vs to play the Souldiers and to kill that wee our selues bee not killed hereafter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith hee Col. 3. 5. Mâ—â—tifie or kill your members which are on the earth VVhat members fornication vncl 〈…〉 sse 〈…〉 te affection evill concâ—â—â—scence and c 〈…〉 sse But wee haue no members that are named with these names VVee thinke so indeedes but the spirite of GOD seeâ—â— more then vvee doe and therfore signifieth vnto vs that sinne hath taken so deepe roote in vs that for the most part it ouerâ—uleth vs in so much that it calleth the affectioÌ„s of our flesh by the name of meÌ„bers And therfore you caÌ„not here an exhortation more necessarie for Christians then is to mortifie or to abstaine from the deedes of the flesh and whosoeuer is adoer of this on lesson is a profitable scholler iâ—â— the schoole of Christ but when should we abstaine froÌ„ these lustes and mortifie them there is no time nor day of our life not any hower in the day but some of them do fight against our soule for they are so many in nuÌ„ber as you heard before as there be diversiâ—â—es of sinns â—f you will know theÌ„ by name the lust of pride is one the lust of vncleanes is another the lust of anger wrath is another the lust of couetousnes is another the lust of back biting and slandering is another the lust of enuy or euil wil to your neighbor is another the lust of gluâ—â—ony drunkeÌ„neâ— is another the lust of sweating of slouthfulnes of filthy talking with a number moe are the lusts that lie still in our flesh whithersoeuer we go and euerie one of them when opportunitie serueth will shew it selfe an enemie to our soules These are the children of â—abilon which lead the children of Israel captiue happy is he that taketh them and 〈…〉 th them against the stones Beate them downe therefore while they be young and put ye on the spiritual â—râ—â—ouâ— take to you the shield of faith that ye may be able to withstand theÌ„ You that wil be actiue seek to excel one another at games plaâ—es you that thinke it a disgrace to put vp Iâ—â—uriâ— to be abused at the handes of meÌ„ whâ—e are ye faint hearted herein and whâ—e will ye not see it when these enemies of your soules do abuse you and make you their slaues while yee serue them aâ—e led by them to committe sinne many of them need not fight against you for you geâ—e place to them without resistance do vtterly forget the vowe made in your baptisme which is to forsake them not to be led by them It is seene that they which are the souldiers of earthly princes when they come to the waâ—res can prepare themselues euery man in his place to sight and none must bee idle when his captaine putteth his life in hazard Because they are then to deale with their bodily enemies at whose handes if they be vanquished nothing but death or boÌ„dage is to be looked for And shall the souldiers of Christ sleepe when they should watch shall they play when they should fight shall they be careles wheÌ„ they are beset with so many enemies which intend to bring the soule to destruction and bondage to the Deuill his Angells Christian men are always in this danger and there is no hope of victorie against these aduersaries vnlesse we will with manly courage sight against them vnder the banner of our captaine Christ according as we haue promised at the tyme of our baptisine his banner example that he The meanes or the weapons whereby we must fight against fleshly lustâ— left vnto vs is sobâ—ieâ—â—e watching earnest praiers teares abstinence and abstaininge euen from all appearance of euillâ— These things he being free from sinne all fleshly lusts exercised in his life that he might leaue vs an example with what weapons we must ouercome our enemies saue our selues from their lying in waite for our blood How then will they be counted Christians or Christ his souldiers that neuer imitate him nor exercise any of these meaÌ„es This is the cause that so few obtaine the victorie to be crowned kinges and so many dayly perish in their sinnes by imitating the world and obeyinge their owne lustes For as one father saieth whâ—t LORDE or master would take it in good pait at the handes of his seruant that when 〈◊〉 himselfe did lacke and suffer hunger did labour and watch his seruant should then giue himselfe to eate and drinke to sleepe and liue at ease the seruants of Christ haue no such priuiledge for the saith that the s 〈…〉 is not greater then his Lord Iâ— 15. 20. Wherefore whosoeuer immitateth him not cannot be his seruant but is a seruant of his owne lustes wherevnto hee yeeldeth and obeyeth for so the Apostle witnesseth k 〈…〉 not that you are his seruants to whom Rom. 6. 1 yee obey whether it be of sinne vnto â—eath or of obedience vnto righteousnes Consider therefore brethren whether ye be