we Dwell not in it if we let it not raigne in our mortall bodies f Rom. 6.12 Sponte exequendo quod Peccatum imperat g Caluin in loc readily obeying whatsoeuer sinne commandeth wee neede not feare its Residencie Per Baptismum enim tollitur non vt Non sit sed ne Imputetur h Aug. de Nuptijs cap. 25. For by Baptisme it is taken away but how not So taken away as that it is not in them after Baptisme but So as that it is not accounted vnto them as sinne to whom all sinne is forgiuen And there are good reasons why Sinne should not haue this dominion Reason 1 First looke backe to our Baptisme in which being Baptised into Christ we haue put on Christ i Gal. 3.27 Proclaiming him to be our King and vowing our selues to be his Subiects and how can we then for feare or shame let sinne raigne in vs The Spirit hauing Deified vs by Baptisme saith Nazianzine k Nazian de bap orat 6. that is by Holinesse made vs Partakers of the Godly nature saith Saint Peter l 2 Pet. 1.4 yea being by It deliuered out of Prison discharged from the debt we owed It hauing deliuered vs also from Death regenerated the Soule gorgeously arrayed it and made passage for the Kingdome of heauen saith Basil m Basil 〈◊〉 ad Pâ—pâ—… how shall we then suffer sinne to raigne Reason 2 Secondly see Sinne who or what it is Sinne is a Tyrant yea such a Tyrant as thrusteth himselfe by force and fraud into our best holdâ— so to shoulder our the right owners which who will if he know him entertaine in his house much lesse let raigne in his heart Sinne indeed is a Tyrant yea a Consuming Exacting Insatiable and Holding Tyrant For being dead in it we are holden saith the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 n Rom. 7.6 Deâ—enebâ—ntur that is forcibly holden Holden in a miserable slauery and bondage both of the power of the law of the rigour of the law and of the curse of the law Sinne like a Tyrant ouerturneth all lawes and constitutions it maketh its owne will its law which when we haue entertained and obeyed and suffered to raigne what slauery is like ours Surely none No not the Israelites oppression in Egypt nor their vnmercifull entreatie in Babilon not the bloudy persecution of Antiochus nor the Turkes Gallie slauerie not the Popes fire nor Papists Gunpowder not the Spaniards Inquisition nor Amsterdam Brownists mercilessenes are not to be compared vnto it I remember a pretty question of the Orators and it is this Cicero Tarad 5 An ille liber sit cui mulier imperat cui leges imponat Whether he be a free man whom a woman may command and vnto whose lawes he must be obedient And he answereth Istum non solum seruum sed nequissimum seruum That such an one is not onely a Seruant but a Slaue yea an vnhappy bondslaue Etiamsian amplissima familia natus sit though he be both borne and bred and brought vp in neuer so ample neuer so honourable a familie I speake it not to approue the Orators speech I condemâ—e it rather but it will serue to inferre that the same may be sâ—ld of sinne For if any personall vice doth but obtaine its regeâ—cie what will it not make vs to doe Poscit et dandum est Vocat et veniendum Eijcit et abcundum Minatur et extimescendum It craues and we must giue it cals and wee must come it casts vs out and we must be gone it threatens and we 〈◊〉 fâ—are Nay and if this were all it were well but it is not â—f 〈◊〉 by as tyranny it makes the fruit of the wombe which is a Blessing to be a Curse it makes God of a tender Father to be a terrible Iudge it makes Christ which is a corner-stone to support to be a stone of offence to slumble at yea it makes the Gospell which is of it selfe glad tidings to be vnto vs heauie newes euen the sauour of Death vnto Death oh therefore let it not raigne in vs but rather let vs deale with Sinne as with a Tyrant and that on this wise 1. Take away its weapons 2. Banish its friends 3. Preuent its pollicies 4. Neuer offer conditions of peace with it for if we doe it will quickly encroach and get the chayre of estate and sit in our soules as King Therefore let it not Raigne c. Reason 3 Lastly consider sins wages when it hath made vs to take paines what will be our pay Surely in this life a galeing and wounded Conscience which shall continually suggest vnto vs our sinnes committed Gods law violated his Maiestie offended and punishment deserued This Worme shall gnaw this Scourge shall whip vs in this life Occultum quatiente animo tortore flagellum o Iâ—menal sat 13 Yea the Tormentor shall shake an hidden whippe in the soule of the Tormented Nay neither is this all but Death shall also play its part for That indeed is sins proper pay as the Apostle witnesseth Rom. 6.23 saying The wages of sinne is death Mors vt debitum soluitur peccanti vti Militi stipendium suum ex pacto p Aretius in Rom. 6.23 Death is the Sinners due and shall be as surely paid him as the Souldier hath his presse money and the Seruant his couenant penny Therefore let not sinne raigne c. My application of which point shall be none other but this Vse namely to instruct vs Therefore to raigne ouer sinne Which if we will doe we must as warlike-kings fight lustily and with a good courage fearing none but God and yeelding to nothing but godlinesse which hath the promise of this life and that which is to come Both which if we will doe wee must follow the counsell of the Apostle who willeth vs To take the whole armour of God that wee may be able to withstand the assaults of the Deuill q Eph. 6.11 and to Resist in the euill day and to stand fast r v. 13. Know this oh thou Christian man whatsoeuer thou art that liuing here thou liuest in a Millitary world t 1 Cor. 7.31 and in a Church Millitant v 1 Tim. 2.15 Thou must therefore be a Souldier * 2 Tim. 2.3 and the course of thy life must be a fight x 1 Tim. 1.18 thou must expect the opposition of enemies y Luke 1.71 and annoyance with assaults z 1 Pet. 2.11 And therefore like a good Souldier thou must fight manfully that thou maist raigne Regally But before thou entrest combat with thy foes Put on thine armour be euery way in euery thing wel instructed as Mr Caluin expounds it a Quo signisicat debere omni ex parte instructor esse ne quod nobis desit But what Armour must thou put on Not Ionathans Bow nor Sampsons Iaw bone not Dauids Sling nor Peters Sword not
yea so saith the Text For this Ruine is for their Iniquitie p Ezec. 7.19 Againe I will swite thee saith God to Iacob yea I will make thee sicke in smiting thee and in making thee Desolate and why Because of thy sinnes q Micha 6.13 And Ecclesiasticus saying is not to be buried in silence who saith That hee that finneth before his maker shall fall into the hands of the Phisitian r Ecclus 38.16 and so did this man without doubt For me thinkes it could no otherwise be but that he who was sicke 38. yeares should with that woman Marke 5.25.26 sicke of the bloudy Issue 12. yeares suffer many things of the Physitians Of all which painefull effects of Sinne we may make plentifull vse to bring vs vnto Sanctitie As Vse 1 First it may teach vs to Abhorre Sinne aboue all things By Nature we hate euery thing that Hurteth vs how much more should we Abhorre Sinne that woundeth vs so sorely as it doth Her way like the way of a Strumpet leades downe to Death and her footsteps take hold of Hell Å¿ Prou. 5.5 Yea saith Saint Bernard Via Peccati Ingredientes Contaminat Progredientes obstinat Egredientes exterminat t Bern. in Senten Sinne in the first Entrance thereinto Defileth in the Progresse Hardeneth at its Going out Destroyeth If I might with patience follow an Ancient v Beda lib. exhortat 4. c. 5. in Sinnes discription I thinke it would if any thing would make vs to abhorre it Hee termes it a Monster yea and not onely so but also A monstrous Witch which saith he In tot Monstra te transformat in quot Peccata te alterat causeth thee to accept the resemblance of so many Beasts as it maketh thee to attempt sinnes For example let it bring thee to fleshly pleasure It will change thee into an Hogge an Horse a Syren a Sparrow Or let it leaue thee to Sloath then it will metamorphize thee into an Ostridge an Elephant a Cammell a Dragon an Asse Or let it possesse thee with Couetousnesse and then no Harpie shall be compared vnto thee though insatiable in Coneting swift in Pursuing hard in Holding Or let Crueltie take hold of thee and then no Hiena no Wolfe no Viper shall be able to match thee Oh monstrum miserabile Oh miserable monster oh bewitched Sinner who art so Taken as they say with such a Witch as makes thee so foule in Nature so monstrous in Mortalitie so damnable in Diuinitie Sinne it will not onely make thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Impium improbum void of holinesse and honesty for a time but it will change thee into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Insignem Nebulonem x Iohn 9.16 Aretius in Loc. a notable notorious a palpable apparent grosse and gricuous sinner yea into one whose Eyes shall be full of Adulterie whose Eares shall be open to all vaine delights whose Tongue shall be swollen with Deceipt whose Lips shall be boulstred with the Poyson of Aspes whose Throate shall be an open Sepulchre whose Hands shall be full of Briberie whose Belly a timpany of Gluttonie whose Backe shall be loaden with Idlenesse and whose Feete shall be swift enought though to shed bloud Loe then Sinne being such a thing as will make thee such an one who will not abhorre It aboue all things Yea indeede let vs not loue that which causeth God to loath vs let vs not swill downe that which maketh God to swell against vs making vs sicke because of sinne and Weake by reason of Wickednesse but rather as I haue said already let vs Abhorre it Vse 2 But againe Doth Sinne cause sicknesse Then let this teach vs to commiserate and pittie men in their sinfull estates as well as in their sickly In visiting the sicke Ah my Brother and alas my Sister are the vsuall straines but comming to our sinfull soules and seeing them sicke with sinne euen vnto Death we cannot mourne nor pittie them nay rather we reioyce and sing Which may I not with Solomon call A mad mirth y Eccles 2.2 Surely yes For who would censure more charitablie of that man who when hee is called to the house of mourning wherein his Dearest friend lyes languishing he in stead of Mourning laugheth reioyceth and danceth for ioy And what shall we thinke of such as are Dying with sinne yea Dead in sinne Deadly Drunke Deadly Couetous whom when wee espie wee laugh at them But let all such Reioycers take heed and Repent of this their pitteous Mirth lest they pertake of that woe which our Sauiour hath denounced saying Wee be vnto them which now laugh x Luk. 6.25 for they shall weepe and houle z Vse 3 Thirdly doth Wickednesse cause Weakenesse Then let this teach vs to acknowledge without murmuring that all the iudgements which seaze on vs are iust and righteous altogether Two peerelesse patternes hereof we haue in sacred Write the first whereof is the Widdow of Sareptah whose Sonne falling sicke yea euen sicke vnto Death so that as the Text saith There was no Breath in him a 1 Kin. 17.17.18 She murmures not she repines not she reuiles not the man of God but rather disprayseth her selfe imputeth her Childes sicknesse and death vnto her selfe saying Art thou come to call my sinne to remembrance and to slay my Sonne Which had beene as much as if she had said Oh man of God I humbly acknowledge that it were iust with God if he did call my sinnes to remembrance and for punishment of them did take away my Sonne I had no cause to murmure but rather to mourne because my sinne is so great as to deserue this yea and many more heauie punishments then this Loe she is not like Vespatian who being sicke and out of hope of life threw the Curtaines aside spreading his hands and complaining against his Gods Se Immerenti sibi vitam eripi a Sacâ—onius in vâ—… Vesp cap. 10 That they tooke away his life without any fault or fayling on his part No no she doth not behaue her selfe any whit frowardly but humbly acknowledgeth that her sinnes haue deserued it The like we may reade of in the booke of Nehemiah How the Leuites laid open the sinnes of the whole land Condemning themselues and Commending the Lord. Confessing his kindnesse vnto Them and their Vnkindnesse vnto Him Yea surely say they Thou art iust in all that is come vpon vs Thou hast dealt truely but we haue done wickedly b Neh. 9.33 And thus it behoueth vs to doe likewise euen in all our Troubles and Afflictions that befall vs in this life therewith to be content and willingly to subiect our selues vnto Gods will patiently wayting his leisure and so doing let vs not doubt but that at the last the Lord will come yea and recompence his seeming slacknesse with plenty of ioy and glory and honour and immortalitie Vse 4 Fourthly what though sicknesse commeth for sinne yet let vs
fiue smooth stones and a Sling h Verse 40. In a word Are Horses Helpes Why then did not Pharaoh with his 600. Chosen Chariots and All the Chariots of Egypt ouercome ouertake and ouerthrow Israel i Exod. 14. a v. 7. ad 28. Why euen because The Lord was their Helpe and their Shield saith Dauid k Psal 33.20 In Admiration whereof one both pithily and pectorally saith Oh beatos qui ab hoc solo Opitulatore pendent ad hanc Anchoram salutis in Rebus aduersis Vera fiducia confugiunt l Strigelius in Psal 121. p. 479 in 8 Oh happy are they that hang on his helpe and that take hold on him as the Anchor of their hope in all their stormes of aduersitie and affliction But on the contrary Oh miseros quorum res exiguo filo pendent tantùm Praesidijs humanis quae sunt Euripo mobiliora m Strigelius vbi supra Oh vnhappy and miserable creatures are they that hang by such small threds and that onely trust on humane helpes which are more inconstant then the Riuer Euripus that ebbes and flowes seauen times a day No No Sperent Alij in Brachium carnis praesument in suis Viribus n Musculus in Psal 33.16.20 Let others make flesh their Arme and boast of their great strength yet let vs put our trust in the Name of the Lord who onely is able to make vs whole By Him onely had Israel helpe against the Philistines o 1 Sam. 7.10 By Him alone had Dauid strength against that Goliah p 1 Sam. 17.50 By Him onely had the Shunamites sonne Life q 1 King 4.36 and by Him and His Christ was this man made Whole r Iohn 5.14 That in Warres Weapons should be vsed That in Hunger Meate should be prepared That in Sickenesse Physicke should be administred who denies but if the Lord fight not if the Lord feede not if the Lord blesse not the meanes we shall be Slaine all the sort of vs wee shall be Hungary still yea and Languish euen vnto death For so doth Master Caluin excellently note saying Donec Calestis medicus opem nobis fert Nos non tantum intus fouemus multos morbos sed etiam mortes s Cabin Psal 130.3 that is Till that heauenly Physitian doth bring health wee doe not onely cherish in vs many diseases but bring on our selues many deaths Death Temporall Death Spirituall Death Eternall By the first whereof we shall be depriued of life by the second disioyned from grace by the third separated from glory Will we then be Cured will we be Made whole then let vs looke vp vnto God beleeue in God and depend on him for hee onely it is that maketh vs to dwell in safetie And good reason is there why we should so doe Reason 1 whether we regard our Selues or respect God Our weakenesse or His power The one is such as that we cannot Adde one Cubite to our Stature t Mat. 6.27 one Minute to our Dayes one Moment to our Liues yea such as that being Fallen we cannot Rise being Weake we cannot Strengthen our selues being Sicke we cannot be Healed yea such as Sowing Much shall reape but Little Eating much shall not haue Enough Drinking much shall not be Filled Cloathing our selues cannot be Warmed and Earning much Wages shall but put it in a broken Bag v Haggai 1.6 except the Lord puts to his hand except the Lord addes a blessing Yea Reason 2 His honour and praise it is to acknowledge That in the might of His power we are made Strong * Ephes 6.10 That through Christ Wee are strengthned x Rom. 8.37 That Corroboration is an hearoe of Grace that commeth from Aboue y I am 1.17 That Establishment comes from His free spirit z Psal 51.12 any of all which if we attribute vnto our selues wee Robbe God of his honour If therefore we haue attained vnto either safetie of body or saluation of soule if we are healed of the soarenesse of the one or eased of the sorrowfulnesse of the other let the praise and glory be Gods who onely maketh vs whole This is the vse hereof Vse euen this That when we heare that nothing is or can be done but by the might of Gods power That then we make it vt Machina ad Destruendam omnem Altitudinem Gladius ad Consiciendam omnem Superbiam a Caluin in Phiip 2.13 euen an engine to ouerthrow all high exaltings and a Sword to cut downe wast and consume all Pride that is in vs. Yea let it serue as an Axe to hew downe and a Sawe to cut off that high exaltings of theirs who boast and say We haue killed or wee haue made aliue We haue Saued or we haue Destroyed No no It is not Wee but it is God that worketh either IN vs or BY vs FOR vs or AGAINST vs. Therefore know thou oh thou mighty man whatsoeuer thou art that whatsoeuer thou hast done thou are but the Axe and Sawe of the most mightie Now saith the Prophet Shall the Axe boast it selfe against him that heweth with it Or shall the Sawe exalt it selfe against him that moneth it b Isay 10.15 No Nec in vllo glorianduâ—â— est quia Nostrum nihil est c Cyprianus in epiâ—t ad Cornelium Neither ought wee to boast in any thing because nothing is our owne For tell me is the Praise of writing well the glory of the Penne Or is the Praise of speaking well the glory of the Tongue Or is the Praise of doing-well the glory of the Hand No verily it is God that willeth that worketh that doth according to his good will and pleasure d Philip. 2.13 And whosoeuer shall giue it to any other let him be branded with the name of a Robber and a Theefe and of this so iealous is the Lord as that he will giue it To none other e Exod. 20. And therefore saith the holy Ghost Left Israell should vaunt it selfe against God and say MINE hand hath saued me f Iudg. 7.2 the Lord would not suffer Gideon to goe forth with any more then Three hundred men of Israel g v. 6.8 against two and thirty thousands of the Midianites and they put them to flight h v. 22. And remember how hainously the Lord tooke it at Nabuchadnezzars hands that hee should so proudly vaunt and say That HE had built an house by the Might of his power and for the Honour of His Maiestie i Dan. 4.27 And no lesse reproach was it vnto Christ that Pilate should say That HE had power to Crucifir him and HE had power to Loose him k Iohn 19.10 Might not a man say of his Exaltation as Ambrose said of Caines Desperation l Amb. in Gen. 4.13 Mentiris Pilate thou lyest Pilate Surely yes for as Christ hath it in the ensueing words He could haue no