thee sinne committed by thy selfe no no when he beginneth to smite thee hee shall neuer lift vp his hand from thee but double his stripes vpon thee and there shall be no end of thy sorrow As the ioyes prepared for the godly so the paines prepared for the wicked are such as the eye neuer saw the tongue cannot vtter nor the heart conceiue That place of the damned is the great deepe the Ocean of all the iudgements of God all his temporall plagues are but like little riâ—ers and strands running into it If therefore the beautie of Sion doth not allure vs let the terrour of Sinai afray vs. The Lord proclaimed his Law in a fearefull manner vpon mount Sinai but in a more terrible manner will hee execute it if Moses who was so familiar with the Lord trembled when hee heard it proclaimed what horrible feare shall ouer-take the wicked when they shall see it executed vpon themselues Let therefore the children of wisedome hearken in time to the ioyfull tidings of peace which are daily proclaimed on mount Sion let vs drinke of the still and peaceable waters of Siloh which flow from it let vs embrace that mercy which Iesus by the merit of his death hath conquered vnto vs that so wee may be saued from the wrath which is to come His owne Sonne Iesus Christ is called Gods owne Son both in respect of his diuine and humane natures for as hee is God he was begotten of the Father by so vnspeakable a generation that as Esay saith none are able to declare it and as hee is man hee is the Sonne of God conceiued by the holy Ghost made man indeed but not after the manner of other men but of this see Verse 3. But gaue him for vs all This is very often alleadged in holy Scriptures as an argument of the great loue of God toward vs that he gaue his sonne to death for vs and so it is indeed for it is not by any corruptible thing as Gold and siluer that he hath redeemed vs but by the precious blood of his owne Sonne the Lambe vndefiled and without spot There is no man will giue much for that whereof he esteemes but little we measure the price of a thing according to the worth of it in our iudgement euen so of the greatnesse of that gift which our God hath giuen for vs wee may estimate the greatnesse of his affection toward vs. Pretious indeed in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints who to redeeme vs from death spared not to giue his dearest sonne vnto the death It was the Lords reasoning to Abraham now I perceiue thou louest mee because for my sake thou hast not spared thine onely sonne and haue we not much more cause to turne ouer the same reasoning to the Lord now Lord we perceiue thou louest vs because for our sake thou hast not spared thine onely one sonne The Lord shed abroad in our hearts more aboundantly the sense of that inestimable loue that we may be carefull to requite the kindnesse of the Lord putting his holy will before all things in our affection and endeauouring in holy loue to serue him who hath saued vs. Shall hee not with him giue vs all things also Wee are to vnderstand all things that are needfull for vs And here it is necessary that we put a difference betweene our right and our possession The children of God haue the right and propertie of all Gods good creatures for Christ their Lord is the heire of all and hath made them with himselfe fellow heires All things are yours saith the Apostle and yee are Christs and Christ is Gods But as for the possession of them the Lord giues it or with-holds it according as hee sees may be for the good of his children We know our father Abraham had the right of Canaan when he had not the possession of it and are not therefore to thinke it strange that the Lord giues not alwayes possession of that to his Children whereof they haue the right But as for the wicked they haue possession without a right and therefore shall be punished as theeues and robbers and violent vsurpers of Gods creatures whereunto Iesus Christ who is the heyre of all hath neuer giuen them a right Secondly wee marke here that the giuing and dispensation of earthly things is from God if wee could remember this it would moderate our care and make vs in our callings first to seeke the Lords blessing loath any manner of way to take the things of this world vnlesse we see they be giuen vs out of the hand of God For we are to know that Sathan who is a counterfaiter of God doth also arrogate to himself though falsely to be the giuer of things hee that durst say to the sonne of God all the kingdomes of the earth are mine I will giue them to thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship me will hee stand in awe to speake it vnto sinnefull man No indeed it is his daily tentation by which he circumuents many intangling their hearts with the loue of worldly gaine that to obtaine it they care not to lye to steale to sweare to oppresse to deceiue one another which in effect is to fall downe before Sathan and worship him Thus Sathan rules in the kingdome of Babell like a spirituall Nabuchadnezar presenting to his subiects his great image of gold accompanied with all sorts of musicall instruments that is worldly pleasures vvealth and prosperitie which bewitch the simple and makes them fall downe and worship yeelding themselues seruants to Mammon But happy are those children who refuse so to do and can stand vp vvith their father Abraham lifting vp his hand to heauen can say I will not haue so much as the latchet of a shoe from the king of Sodome I will haue nothing by any crooked or indirect meanes out of the hand of Sathan or any of his instruments the buddes of Balak shall not hire me to doe euill neither the wages of iniquitie nor the reward of Sodome for doing good shall euer cleaue to my hands I will looke for my portion from the Lord. Againe seeing God is the giuer of all things let vs learne with the Apostle in whatsoeuer state we are to be content remembring that euery mans portion of vvorldly things is measured vnto him from the Lord. We see that a steward in a familie ministers not alike vnto all that are in it the aged and the young the seruant and the Lord receiues not a like portion yet no man gainsayes it and shall vve not reuerence the Lords dispensation who is the great steward of his familie in heauen and earth shall vve murmure against him if he giue Beniamin a double portion and bestow vpon some of his children these worldly things in greater aboundance than he doth vpon others farre be it from vs for he dispenses these
as for the fourth it shall be the estate of the Saints of God in heauen Let not therefore the children of God be discouraged by looking either vpon the remanents of sin in their soule or the beginning of death in their body for why this estate wherein now we are is neither our last nor our best estate out of this we shall be transchanged into the blessed estate of glorious immortalitie our soules without all spot or wrinckle shall dwell in the body freed from mortalitie and corruption made like vnto Christs owne glorious body which the Lord our God who hath translated vs out of our second miserable estate into this third shall not faile to accomplish in his time Againe it comes to bee considered here seeing by Iesus Christ life is restored to the soule presently why is it not Last of all there is here a notable comfort for all the children of God that there is begun in vs a life which no death shall euer bee able to extinguish albeit death inuade the naturall vitall powers of our bodies and suppresse them one after one yea though at the length he breake in vpon this lodging of clay and demolish it to the ground yet the man of God who dwels in the body shall escape with his lifâ— the Tabernacle is cast downe that is the most our enimie can doe but he who dwelt in it remoues vnto a better as the Bâ—â—d escapes out of the snare of the Fowler so the soule in death flighteâ—s out and flies away with ioy to her maker yea the dissoluing of the bodie to the man of God it is but the vnfolding of the net and breaking open the prison wherein hee hath beene detayned that hee himselfe may be deliuered The Apostle knew this well and therfore desired to be dissolued that he might be with Christ As in the battell betweene our Sauiour and Sathan Sathans head was bruised and hee did no more but tread on the heele of our Sauiour so shall it be in the conflict of all his members with Sathan by the power of our Lord Iesus we shall be more then conquerours The God of peace shall shortly tread downe Sathan vnder our feete the most that Sathan can doe vnto vs Manducet terram meam dentem carni infigat conterat corpus let him lick the dust let him eate that part of mee which is earth let him bruise my body this is but to tread vpon the heele my comfort is that there is a seede of immortall life in my soule which no power of the enimie is able to ouercome It is true that so long as wee inioy this naturall life with health of body the losse that comes by the want of the spirituall life is not perceiued no more then the defects of a ruinous house is knowne in time of fayre weather but when thy naturall life is wearing from thee if thou want the other how comfortlesse shall thy condition bee when thou shalt finde in thine owne experience thou haddest neuer more but a silly naturall life which now is to depart from thee In this estate the wicked eyther dye being vncertaine of comfort or then most certaine of condemaation Those who are strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them hauing no more but the light of nature the best estate wherein they can dye is comfortlesse if for want of light they know not that wrath which is prepared for the wicked and so are not greatly terrified yet farre lesse know they those comforts which after death sustaines the Christian that they should bee comforted The Emperour Hadrian when hee dyed made this faithlesse lamentation Animula vagula blandula quae nunc abibis in loca O silly wandring Soule where away now wilt thou goe and that other Seuerus proclaiming the vanitie of all his former glorie cryed out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I haue beene all thingâ— and it profits me nothing the one saith he found no comfort of things that were before him the other saith hee found no comfort of things that were behinde thus the wicked dye comfortlesse good things to come they neither know nor hope for good things past profit them not Or if they haue beene such wicked men as by the light of the word haue knowne the will of their master and yet rebelled against their light they go out of the body not onely comfortles but certain of condemnation hauing receiued sentence within themselues that they shall neuer see the face of God and such was the death of Iudas let vs not therefore rest contented with the shadow of this vanishing life let vs prouide for that immortall seede of a better life within vs which receiues increase but cannot decay it waxeth stronger the weaker that the bodily life is but cannot be weakned far lesse extinguished by bodily death He that finds it with in himselfe shall reioyce in death hee shall dye in faith in obedience and in spirituall ioy Committing his Soule vnto God as vnto a faithfull Creator hee rests in him whom hee hath beleeued being assured that the Lord will keepe that which he hath committed vnto him The Lord worke it in vs for Christs sake is that which the Lord promised to Iacob when hee bad him goe downe to Egypt Feare not to go for I will go downe with thee and I will bring thee vp againe He forewarned him that hee should dye in Egypt and that Ioseph should close his eyes but he promiseth to bring vp againe his dead body vnto Canaan O what a kindnes is it that the Lord will honour the dead bodyes of his Children The prayse of the canuoy of Iacobs corps the Lord will neither giue it to Ioseph nor to Pharaohs Seruants with their Chariots who in great number accompanied him the Lord takes it vnto himselfe I will bring thee vp againe saith the Lord the like kindnesse and truth doth the Lord keepe for all the remanent of his seruants Is thy body consecrated is it a vessell of honour a house and temple wherein God is dayly serued he shall honour it againe hee shall not leaue it in the graue neither cast off the care thereof but shall watch ouer the dust thereof though it tast of corruption it shall not perish in corruption The holy Spirit who dwelt in the body shall be vnto it as a balme to preserue thee to immortalitie this same flesh and no other for it though it shall bee dissolued into innumerable pickles of dust shall be raised againe and quicned by the omnipotent power of this Spirit It is a pittie to see by what silly meanes naturall men seeke the immortall conseruation of their bodyes and cannot obtaine it there is no helpe nature may yeeld to prolong the death of the body but they vse it and because they see that death cannot bee eschewed their next care is how to keep
this sense the Papists take it in this question but wrongfully Secondly to iustifie is to acknowledge or declare one to be iust so it is said that the Publicans iustified God of force wee must expound it they acknowledged or confessed him to be iust so S. Iames saith that a man is iustified by workes that is declared to be iust by his workes or as S. Iames expounds it himselfe his Iustification is shewed by his works Thirdly the word to Iustifie is a iudiciall terme and it signifieth to absolue in iudgement and is opponed to condemning so Salomon vseth it He that iustifies the wicked and condemnes the iust are both alike abhominatâ—on to the Lord and in this sense the Apostle vseth it here for he oppones it to condemnation This right vnderstanding of the word will lead vs to know what the benefit of Iustification is for what euer condemnation be Iustification must be the contrary they are both iudiciall termes vsed in iudgement holden on matters of life and death Condemnation no man will deny is the sentence of a righteous Iudge adiudging a malefactor to death for some capitall crime whereof hee is found guiltie in iudgement Iustification then is the sentence of God a righteous Iudge absoluing the man that is in Christ from sinne and death and accepting him to life for the righteousnesse of Christ which is his So that it is euident the state of the question in the controuersie of Iustification will be this how is a man iustified before God that is what is it that a man must bring before Gods tribunall for the which hee shall be pronounced innocent absolued from death and adiudged to life whether is it our workes of sanctification inherent in vs or is it the righteousnesse of Christ giuen vnto vs and made ours The question being this way taken vp shall giue great light to the controuersie that is betweene vs and the falsely named Catholikes of our time for we denie not that there is in Gods children an inherent sanctification and that they are changed from vnrighteousnesse to righteousnesse but this inherent righteousnesse say we is not able to purchase to vs an absoluitorie sentence from death To make this yet more cleare let vs know that the righteousnesse by which wee are Iustified receiues foure names first it is called the righteousnesse of Christ secondly the righteousnesse of God thirdly the righteousnesse of Faith fourthly our righteousnesse The righteousnesse of Christ because it is conquered by him and inherent in him as in the proper subiect The righteousnesse of God because he onely in his meruailous wisedome found it out it is called the righteousnesse of Faith because Faith is the instrument by which wee apprehend it and it is called our righteousnesse because it is giuen vnto vs of God to be ours by imputation on Gods part by acceptation of it by Faith vpon our part for these two wayes that acquisite righteousnesse of Christ is made ours This wee haue to marke for our comfort against those obiections which eyther inwardly by Sathan or outwardly by men of a contrary opinion are obiected vnto vs. If they to trouble our peace and weaken our Faith aske how can yee be iustified by a righteousnesse which is not yours we answere the righteousnesse of Christ is ours and ours by as great a right as any other thing that we possesse is ours to wit by the free gift of God seeing it hath pleased God to giue vs a garment who were naked and to giue vs who had none of our owne a righteousnesse answerable to his Iustice vvhat intrest can eyther man or Angell haue to resist it The euasions and obiections whereby the aduersarie impugnes this doctrine are chiefely these First the Apostle say they excludeth the works of nature not the works of Grace the workes of a man vnregenerate they confesse cannot iustifie him but the works of a man regenerate say they doe iustifie him but this is false as is proued first by examples for Abraham whose example the Apostle bringeth in to confirme the doctrine of Iustification was a regenerate man and effectually called yet as witnesseth both Moses and S. Paul his faith was counted to him for righteousnesse Dauid after hee had beene a regenerate man yet saith Lord enter not into iudgement with thy Seruant for in thy sight shall no flesh be iustified The Apostle Paul protests of himselfe I haue in all good conscience serued God vnto this day neyther know I any thing of my selfe yet am I not thereby iustified hee was more abundant in good workes than all the rest of the Apostles hee did also beare in his body the markes of Iesus and was renouned through his manifold sufferings If euer any regenerate man could haue beene iustified by his good workes it was this holy Apostle yet hee tels you himselfe for all that I haue done for all that I haue suffered yet am I not thereby iustified The same is proued by reason that which by order of nature followes our Iustification before God cannot be said to iustifie vs in the presence of God cannot be said to iustifie vs in this sense but so it is good works by order of nature followes our iustification before God Non praecedunt iustificandum sed sequuntur iustificatum Againe such works as are not perfectly agreeable to the rule of Legall iustice cannot iustifie vs but rather fals vnder that curse Cursed is hee who fulfilleth not euery â—ot of the Law but so it is that the workes euen of men regenerate are not able to answere the perfection of the Law There is no man saith Salomon iust in the earth that doth good and sinneth not If I would dispute with God I could not saith Iob make answere vnto one of a thousand All our righteousnesse saith Ieremie is but like a menstruous cloath and our Sauiour hath taught euen regenerate men to pray daily for the remission of their sins Quid ergo de peccatis nostris fiet quando ne ipsa quidem pro se respondere poterit iustitia nostra what then shall become of our sinnes when our righteousnesse is not able to answere for it selfe Vae hominum iustitiae quantumuis laudabili si remotâ— misericordia Dei iudicetur woe to the righteousnesse of man were it neuer so lowable if God setting aside mercy enter to iudge it But they insist the workes of regenerate men are the workes of Christ for it is hee who by his spirit workes them in them therefore they are meritorious and iustifies I answere the workes of Christ iustifies it is true if yee vnderstand his personall workes done by himselfe in his own person as the Apostle teacheth vs He hath purged our sinnes by himselfe But as for those workes which hee workes in vs by his spirit of grace hee workes them not for our iustification that as I haue said he hath done
corruption which before vvas secret for the afflictions of the godly and of the vvicked differs in nature and in effects the vvicked in suffering communicateth vvith the curse of Adam cursed is the earth for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eate of it all the dayes of thy life but the Godly in their suffering communicates with the Crosse of Christ. They differ also in effects for the godly man being pressed by trouble brings out the fruite of praise and thanksgiuing vvith patience Sicut aromata odorem non nisi cum accenduntur expandunt As sweet spices spreads not abroad their smell till they be burnt or beaten or as a graine of mustard seede not stamped seemes to be soft vvhere otherwise being brayed it renders out a strong sauour so the children of God who otherwise seeme to be weake and void of spirituall strength when they are beaten by affliction sends out a sweete smelling sauour of rich and manifold graces And therefore I call affliction the wine-presse of God the great Husband-man by which hee so presses the berryes of the fruitfull trees of his owne vine-yard that out of their iuyce hee may glorifie himselfe and comfort others but the wicked are like vnto a vile stinking puddle which the more it is stirred the worse it smelleth for when they are troubled they send out blasphemie rayling murmuring and in their impatiencie foome out their owne shame The second is Anguish The word he vseth is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifieth straitnesse of place wherein a man is so pinched that hee is not able to turne him Now from the body it is translated to the minde to expresse the straitnesse of the afflictions of the children of God out of which ofttimes they thēselues can see no passage that which Dauid said to Ionathan A◠the Lord liueth there is but one steppe betweene me and death so fareth it many a time with the Children of God but the Lord commeth in with vnlooked for deliuerance in their most desperate distresse which not onely relieueth them for the present but doth confirme them for the time to come Wee receiued saith the Apostle the sentence of death in our selues because wee should not trust in our selues but in God who raiseth the dead who deliuered vs from so great a death and doth deliuer vs in whom we trust that he will yet deliuer vs. The third is Persecution The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth that sort of affliction by which the Children of God are persecuted and chased from one place to another the world hath neuer thought them worthy of a roome among them and therefore haue they beene forced to liue in caues and dennes and wildernesses but our comfort is that the Lord hath alwayes shewed himselfe most familiar with his Children when the world hath been most hard vnto them Iacob is banished from his fathers house by the crueltie of Esau and his heauenly Father receiued him into his house comforting him by such a familiar reuelation of his presence as hee neuer had felt before so long as hee dwelt at home and Iohn being banished by Domitian into Pathmos found also the Lord reueiling himselfe vnto him more familiarly than he had done before What part of the world is there wherein Tyrants can banish the Children of God from the acts of their Comforter they know that in their owne house they are strangers as Abraham was in Canaan the Land of his inheritance and therefore can be the better content as strangers to liue in any other part of the world Basil being threatned by Modestus the Deputie of the Emperour with banishment Nihil inquit horum quae dixisti timeo I feare none of these things whereof thou hast spoken nihil possidens ab exilij metu liber sum vnam hominū cognoscens esse patriam Paradisum Omnem autem terram commune aspicimus naturae exilium possessing nothing I am free from the feare of banishment knowing that Paradise is the onely country of men and the whole earth is a common place of banishment to vs all The fourth is Famine which of it own nature is one of the plagues of God but lesse than his other ordinary plagues of the sword pestilence therfore the Lord who best knows the waight of his owne rods accounts three dayes of pestilence three moneths of the sword and three yeeres of famine equiualent Many wayes hath the Lord by which hee bringeth famine vpon a people for sometime he maketh the Heauen aboue as brasse and the earth beneath as yron so that albeit men labour and sow yet they receiue no encrease sometime againe he giues in dew season the first and latter raine so that the earth renders abundance but the Lord by blasting-winds or by the Caterpiller Canker-worme and Grasse-hopper doth consume them who commeth out as exacters and officers sent from God to poind men in their goods because with them they would not honour the Lord which I marke by the way that those vnnaturall men who doe what they can to encrease famine in the Land may know they are but Caterpillers scourges and roddes of the wrath of God or as Basil calleth them Mercatores humanarum calumnitatum making their priuate gain a common calamitie and vsing that as a benefite to themselues which God hath threatned as a plague to the people assuredly vnlesse they repent the Lord shall cast them at length into the fire as the roddes of his wrath But we are to know that famine which in the owne nature is a curse and plague of God to the godly is changed the Lord who made the bitter waters of Marah sweet and turned a biting serpent into a florishing rod hath changed the nature of all those euils which sinne hath brought vpon vs now they worke for our good and are become like Waspes wanting stings profitable to waken vs and exercise our faith but not able to seperate vs from the loue of God Among those famine is a great tentation Nature being impatient of the want of necessaries and therefore Sathan who picks out the time and place of tentations as may be most for his vantage tempted our blessed Sauiour when hee began to waxe hungry It is a rare grace in want to praise the Lord and trust in his fatherly prouidence Salomon neuer felt it yet hee knew it was a rare tentation therefore hee praied that the Lord would neither giue him pouertie nor riches least the one make him full and cause him deny God and the other should cause him to steale and take the name of God in vaine yet no extremitie of this tentation can seperate them from the loue of God for either in their greatest necessities the Lord meruailously prouides for them or then strengthens them with patience and inward comfort to sustaine it For sometime the earth hath beene as iron but
wicked may be put to death for their most vnreasonable disobedience her commandements for number being but ten and so not burdenable to the memorie for vnderstanding plaine written in the hart of euery man for equitie not contradictable for the Law craueth nothing of man but that which by the holinesse of his nature receiued by Creation hee was able to performe neither doth the law command any thing profitable to God vvho gaue it but vnto man who receiued it And for holinesse euery precept of the law when God proclaymed it on mount Sinai was assisted with a thousand of his Saints as witnesses of the holinesse therof all these circumstances doe aggrauate the waight of that iudgement which the law shall giue out against the transgressors thereof Then from the Law iudgement shall proceede to Conscience and Conscience shall witnesse against them of their transgressions against euery precept of the law wherein they shall be so cleerely conuinced that their perticular sinnes with the circumstances thereof time and place though now they haue cast them behind their backs shall then be set in order before them and so iustly euery manner of way shall iudgement goe out against them Eliphaz spoke it falslie to Iob thy owne mouth and not I condemnes thee but most iustly shall the ruler of the world lay it vpon the wicked out of thy owne mouth I iudge thee O thou euill and vnfaithfull seruant the voyce of thine own conscience and no other shall condemne thee And as this condemnation will bee most righteous so shall it bee also most fearefull not onely in regard of the manner of the Lords proceeding in that last iudgement but chieflie in regard of that irrevocable sentence of damnation which shall be executed without delay The Law was giuen with Thunders and Lightnings and a thicke cloud vpon the mount with an exceeding loude sound of the Trumpet so that all the people were afraide yea so terrible was the sight that Moses said I feare and quake The lawes of mighty Monarches are executed with greater terror then they are proclaymed what then shall we looke for when the God of glory shall appeare to iudge the world according to his law the Heauens shall passe away with a noyse the Elements shall melt with heate the Earth with the workes which are therein shall be burnt vp the Archangell shall blow a Trumpet at the voyce whereof the dead shall rise If Moses the seruant of the Lord quaked to heare the first Trumpet how shall the wicked condemned in their owne conscience tremble and quake to heare the second Then shall the Kings of the Earth and the great men and the rich men and the chiefe Captaines and the mightie men hide themselues in the Dennes and among the rockes of the Mountaines for what strength is there in man who is but stubble to stand before a consuming fire and or euer their doome bee giuen out they shall crye Mountaines and Rockes fall vpon vs and hide vs from the presence of him that sitteth on the Throne but when they shall heare that fearefull sentence depart from me yee cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Diuell and his Angels O how shall the terrour thereof confound their spirits and presse them downe to the bottome of hell O fearefull sentence depart from me what shall the creature doe when the Creator in his wrath commaunds it to depart and by his power banishes it from his presence O man wilt thou consider in time vvho shall receiue thee when God casts thee out from his face or who shall pittie and bee able to comfort thee when God shal persecute thee with his wrath assure thy selfe euery creature shall refuse her comfort to thee if a drop of colde water might bee a reliefe vnto thee thou shalt not get it Happie therefore are they vvho in time resolues themselues vvith Peter Lord whether away shall wee goe from thee thou hast the wordes of eternall life For they who doe now goe a whoring from the LORD wandring after lying vanities shall in that day receiue this for a recompence of their errour goe to the Gods whom yee haue serued Your whole life was but a turning backe from mee now therefore depart from mee and whether into fire and what fire euerlasting fire and with whom with the Diuell and his Angels thou hast forsaken mee thou hast followed them goe thy way with them a companion of their torment O fearefull sentence quae cum it a sint bene nobiscum ageretur si iam nunc sic nos paeniteret super malis nostris quomodo tunc sine vllo remedio paenitebit It were good therefore sayes Augustine if novv all men could so repent of their sinnes as it is certaine in that day they shall repent without any remedie for then the wicked vvill shed teares aboundantly but they shall bee fruitlesse And if yet all this cannot waken thee to goe to the Lord Iesus vpon the feete of faith and repentance that in him thou mayest bee deliuered from this fearefull damnation yet remember that seeing this iudgement is supreame and the last from which will bee no recalling most foolish art thou if in time thou doe not foresee and prouide how thou mayest stand in it Now if thy conscience condemne thee thou may get if thou seeke absolution in Christ but in that day if the Lord condemne thee thou shalt neuer be absolued the day before the Trumpet sound mercy shall bee preached to the penitent and beleeuers by the Gospell but from the time that once the sentence is giuen out there shall neuer bee more offering of mercy the doore shall be closed though the wicked cry for mercy and vvith Esau seeke the blessing vvith many teares yet shall they neuer finde it Of all this novv it is euident vvhat an excellent benefit wee haue by Iesus Christ in that vve are deliuered from this threefold condemnation For first being iustified by faith vve haue peace vvith God in our consciences that holy spirit of adoption testifying vnto vs that our sinnes are forgiuen vs whereof arises in our heart an vnspeakable and glorious ioy which ioy notwithstanding cannot be full nor perfect vntill the former sentence of our absolution be also pronounced in the other two iudgements that in the houre of death wee heare that ioyfull sentence Come to mee thou with the Apostle the terrour of that day but surely when the Lord shall set vs on mount Sion among those thousands which follow the Lambe and we shall see the smoake of the damned ascending continually when we shall stand at the right hand of the Lord Iesus and shall heare that fearefull sentence pronounced on the wicked and see the speedie and terrible execution thereof the earth opening incontinent to swallow them then shall we perfectly know how greatly the Lord hath magnified his mercies towards vs in
and beleeues And indeede euery example of GODS mercy shewed vnto others should serue to strengthen vs. Audientes Christum non horruisse confitentem latronem c. when wee heare sayth Bernard that the Lord Iesus abhorred not the penitent Theefe on the Crosse that hee despised not the sinfull Cananitish woman when she made supplication nor the woman taken in Adultrie nor him that sat at the receipt of Custome nor the Publicane when hee sought mercie nor the Disciple that denyed him neither yet the persecuter of his Disciples in odore horum vnguentorum curramus post eum in the sweet smell of these oyntments let vs runne after him Alwaies we see that the Apostle doth so speak vnto others of a deliuerance obtayned by Christ as being also pertaker thereof himselfe As he was a Preacher of Christ so he was a follower of Christ he beate downe his body by discipline least that preaching vnto others hee should haue beene a reprobate himselfe and therfore he now speaks as one who is sure that hee also hath his portion in Christ. Otherwise what comfort can it be either to Preacher or professor to speake of that life and grace which commeth by Christ Iesus they themselues in the meane time being like to that miserable Atheist Simon Magus to whom Peter gaue out that fearefull sentence thou hast neither part nor fellowship in this businesse or like those Priests in Ierusalem in the dayes of Herode who directed others to Bethleem by the light of the word to worship Christ but went not themselues or those builders of Noahs Arke who helped to build a vessell for preseruation of others but perished in the deluge themselues or like Bilhah and Zilpah who brought forth and nourished freemen vnto Iacob but remayned themselues in the state of bond women from this vnhappie condition the Lord deliuer vs and make vs pertakers of that mercie and grace whereof he hath made vs Preachers and professors From the Law of sinne and death Here the Apostle shewes from what it is that we are deliuered Dauid sayth many deliuerances giueth the Lord to his annoynted he spake it of himselfe and it is true of all the Children of God By a great deliuerance he saued Noah in the deluge Lot in the burning of Sodome Israell out of Egipt Ioseph in the prison Daniell in the denne the three Children in the fierie furnace but all these are small if they be compared with this deliuerance from sin and death Where first we learne how the Apostle conioynes these two sinne and death if wee be deliuered from the first wee shall also be deliuered from the second but if wee abide in the first wee shall be sure not to escape the second if therefore Sathan say vnto vs as hee did to our first parents though you cate of this forbidden tree yee shall not dye let vs answere him he hath proued already a shamelesse lyar and we are not any more to credit him that same penaltie lyes vpon euery sinne which was layd vpon the first if ye do it ye shall die God hath conioyned them who shall seperate them though the Lord speake not instantly to euery sinner as he did to Abimelech behold thou art but dead because of this sinne yet is it true of euery sinne when it is finished it brings out death So soone as Ionas entred into the Sea saith Chrisostome the storme rose to teach vs that Vbi peccatum ibi procella where there is sinne specially committed with rebellion there will not faile to arise a storme of the wrath of God It is true indeed the sinner in committing of sinne doth not perceiue this being blinder than Balaam he walks on in an euill course and sees not the sword of Gods vengeance which is before him but imagines alway to reape some good either of profit or pleasure by committing of sin for these are Sathans two baites vnder which hee couers his deadly hookes It is therefore a poynt of singular wisedome to decerne betweene the deceit of sinne present and the fruit of sinne to come betweene that which Sathan promises and that which wee finde in experience performed He promised to our parents that they should be made like vnto God but in very deede hee made them miserable like himselfe And if thou wilt also obserue that which thou findest in thy owne experience what fruit hast thou of a sinne when thou hast committed it doth not darknesse arise in thy minde heauinesse in thy heart terrour feare and accusing cogitations in thy conscience Euery man may finde it who list to marke it by moe then a thousand experiences in himselfe that Sathan is a shameles deceiuer yea more deceitfull then Laban who promised to giue to Iacob beautifull Rahel but in the darke hee gaue him blearâ—-eyed â—eah be assured he will change thy wages promise thee one thing and pay thee with another As Hamor spake to his Sichemiâ—es so doth Sathan to his blindfolded citizens hee perswaded his people that if they would bee circumcised all Iacobs substance and cattell should bee theirs but indeed the contrary ensued for the goods of the Sichemits befell to the house of Iacob and they themselues perished by the sword Let vs therefore beware of the inuenomed tongue of the Diuell mentitur vt fallat vitam pollicetur vt perimat he lyes that hee may deceiue hee promiseth life that hee may inflict death say hee what hee will let vs beleeue the word of the Lord confirmed by doolefull daily experience the wages of sinne is death God hath knit them together and who shall seperate them So oft then as Sathan by the deceit of sinne would beguile thee remember that though sinne seeme to be sweet the fruit thereof is exceeding bitter if thou feare not sinne feare that end whereunto sinne leads thee dulce peccatum sed amara mors sinne is sweet but death is bitter remember that the wages which Sathan promiseth and man would haue hee shall not get but the wages which God threatneth and man would not haue shall assuredly bee payed him for this is the miserie of those who walke in their sins illud propter quod peccant hic dimittunt ipsa peccata se cum portant that for which they sinne they leaue it behinde them and carries their sinnes away out of the world with them So that in the end when they shall gather the profite of all their former sinnes into a summe they shall find no other but that foretold by the Apostle What profit haue ye now of all these things whereof ye are ashamed surely there is no fruit but shame and death to bee pluckt from the forbidden tree of sinne But here it may bee obiected by the weake conscience of the godly how can this comfort bee ours that wee are freed from sin who finde our selues so continually assaulted yea oftentimes oppressed of
sinne For answere let vs marke that the Apostle saith not wee are fully freed from sinne in this life but we are freed from the law of sin that is both from the commaunding and condemning power thereof Sinne doth not now raigne in our mortall bodyes as before neither hath it power any more to detaine vs vnder death But as for the temptations of sinne there is no sort of men more troubled with them then they whom God hath begunne to deliuer from the Law of sinne for Sathan being impatient of his losse seekes daily to recouer his formeâ— dominion From the time that once the Gibeonits made peace for themselues with Ioshua all the rest of the Kings of Canaan made warre against them and so soone as we enter into a couenant with the Lord Iesus Sathan shall not faile the more fiercely to assault vs seeking to recouer his old possession yet if as the Gibeonits did we send speedilie messengers to Ioshua to shew him how wee are troubled for his sake hee shall not with-draw his helping hand from vs. Our deliuerance from sinne is begunne now but not perfected but we know that our God is faithfull by whom we are called hee shall also confirme vs to the end Euen hee who hath begunne this good worke in vs will performe it vntill the day of Christ. As the Angell who deliuered Peter out of prison appeared to him with a shining light in the darke prison smote him vpon his side and wakened him out of his sleepe made his chaines to fall from him and caused him to arise and follow him went still before him to lead him in the way through all impediments and departed not from him till hee had entred him within the Cittie of Ierusalem so the spirit of our Lord Iesus who hath once come downe vpon vs in this prison and hath lightned our darknesse wakened vs out of our dead securitie and loosed the chaines of our sinnes wherewith wee were bond shall abide continually with vs gouerning vs with his light and truth till hee haue entred vs within the portes of heauenly Ierusalem Blessed be the Lord where before wee were the captiues of sinne now the course of the battell is changed sin is become our captiue through Christ it remaineth in vs not as a commaunder but as a captiâ—e of the Lord Iesus it is true the boltes of sinne are yet vpon our hands and feet to admonish vs of our former miserable thraldome we draw as yet the chaines of sinne after vs which makes vs indeed goe forward the more slowlie but are not able to detaine vs in that bondage wherein wee lay before And as concerning our deliuerance from death wee are to know that death is two-fold the first and second the first is a separation of the soule from the body the second is a separation of them both from the Lord Mors prima pellit animam nelentem de corpore mors secunda detinet animaÌ„ nâ—lentem in corpore The first death expels the soule against the will out of the body the second death compels the soule against the will to abide in the body for vnto the greater augmentation of their paine as they were companions of sin so shall they be compelled to abide companions of punishment This second death hath three degrees the first is when the soule by sinne is separated from the Lord the second is when the body by the power of that curse due to sinne is turned into dust and the soule is sent to hell the third is when both soule and body being ioyned together againe in the resurrection shall be banished from the presence of the Lord and cast into vtter darknesse And it is called the second death because it is executed vpon the wicked after their first death otherwise the first death that euer came in the world was the first degree of the second death Mors animâ— prâ—cessit anima deserente Deum mors corporis sequutâ— est anima deserente corpus deâ—eruit Deum voleâ—s animâ— coacta est deserere corpus nolens the death of the soule went before the soule departing from God and the death of the body followed the soule departing from the bodie the soule departed from God willing and therefore is compelled vnwillingly to depart out of the body Now from both these deâ—â—hs wee are deliuered by the Lord Iesus for our soules being freed from sinne are reconciled with God and so exempted from that wrath which is to come For albeit the deere children of God bee sometime exercised with inward terrours of conscience which in their owne nature are forerunners of these paynes prepared for the wicked and are as the smoake of that fiâ—e which afterward shall torment them yet vnto the godlie their nature is changed they are sent vnto them not to seperate them from the Lord but to draw their harâ—s neereâ— vnto him and to worke in them a greater conformitie with Christ. And as for the first death wee are so deliuered from it that albeit in the owne nature it bee the Centre of all miseries and a fearefull effect of Gods curse on man for sinne Yet to the godly the nature thereof is also changed so that now it is not the death of the man but the death of sinne in the man mors est sepultura vitiorum death saith Ambrose is the buâ—iall of all vices As the worme which is bred in the tree saith Chrisostome doth at last consume it so death which is brought out by sinne doth at the length consume and destroy sinne in the children of God Finally death is the progresse and accomplishment of the full moâ—tification of all our earthly members wherein that filthie â—luxe of sinne is dryed vp at an instant It is a voluntarie sacrificing of the whole man soule and body to the Lord the greatest and highest seruice wee can doe to him in the earth for where in the course of our life wee are continualâ—y fighting against our inordinate Iustes and affections to bring them in subiection to Christ by death as it were with one stroke they are all smitten and slaine and the soule is offered vp to God in a sacrifice of full and perfect obedience Verse 3. For that that was impossible to the Law in as much as it was weake because of the flesh God sending his owne Sonne in the similitude of sinfull flesh and that for sinne condâ—mned sinne in the flesh THE Apostle hauing set downe in the first Verse a Proposition of Comfort belonging to them who are in Christ and confirmed it in the second he proceedeth now to the explication of the Confirmation Declaring how it is that Christ hath freed vs from the law of sinne and first he shewes how Christ hath freed vs from the condemning power of sinne in this verse namely that hee taking vpon him our nature and therewithall the burden of our
it in the graue longest from rottennesse and corruption and how when themselues are gone to preserue their names in immortall remembrance with the posteritie thus by the very instinct of nature are men carried away with a desire of eternitie but herein are they foolish that they seek it the wrong way they lay out their siluer but not for bread they spend their labour and are not satisfied immortalitie and life is to bee sought there where the word of the Lord directs vs let the Spirit of Christ dwell in thee and thou shalt liue otherwise though thou wert the greatest Monarch in the world though all thy meate were soueraigne medicines though thy body were laid in graue with as great externall pompe as worldly glory can afford to any creature and thy flesh were embalmed with the costliest oyntments these are but miserable comforts perishing preseruatiues thou shalt lye downe in dishonour and shalt be raised in greater dishonor to euerlasting shame and endlesse confusion Now as wee haue these three degrees of eternall life by the Spirit dwelling in vs so are wee to marke the order by vvhich hee proceedes in communicating them vnto vs first hee restores life to the soule and secondly he shall restore life vnto the body saith the Apostle where the one is done bee assured the other shall bee done the one is the proper end of his first comming therefore his Heraulds cryed before him Behold the Lambe of God who taketh away the sins of the world In his second comming shall bee the redemption of our bodyes when hee shall appeare hee shall change our vile bodies and make them like to his owne glorious bodie Let this reforme the preposterous care of men art thou desirous that thy body should liue be first carefull that life be communicated to the soule for surely the redemption of thy body shall not follow vnlesse the restitution of thy soule goe before Oportet cor nostrum conformari humilitati cordis Christi priusquam corpus conformetur glorioso corpori eius our heart must first bee conformed to the humilitie of Christs heart before that our body be configurated to his glorious body this is the first resurrection blessed are they that are pertakers of it for vpon such the second death shall haue no power But it is out of doubt qui non resurgit in anima resurget in corpore ad poenam hee that riseth not now in his soule from his sinnes shall rise hereafter in his body to iudgement But now leauing the condition to come to the comfort he that raysed vp Christ from the dead saith the Apostle shall also quicken your mortall bodies What necessitie is there here that he who raysed Christ shall raise vs yes indeed the necessitie is great the head and the members of the misticall body cannot be sundred seeing the head is raysed from the dead no member can be left vnder death the Lord workes in euery member according to that same mightie power by which hee wrought in the head his resurrection necessarily imports ours seeing hee arose not as a priuate man but as the head of all his members full of power to draw the body after him and to communicate that same life to euery member which he hath declared in himselfe Christ in risen from the dead and is made the first fruits of them that sleepe the first fruit is â—isen the after fruit shall in like manner follow Vexit in coelum carnem nostram tanquam arhabonem pignus totius summae illuc quandoque redigendae the Lord Iesus hath carryed our flesh into heauen as an earnest and pledge of the whole summe which afterward is to be brought thether hee hath not thought it inough to giue his spirit vnto vs here on earth as the earnest of our inheritance but to put vs out of all doubt hee hath carryed vp our flesh into heauen and possest it in the kingdome in the name of all his members Who raysed vp Iesus from the dead Then we see that our Lord was once among the dead but now is risen from them let vs not then be afraid when God shall call vs to lye down among the dead also shal the seruant be ashamed of his Masters condition or will the patient refuse to drink that potion which the phisition hath tasted before him No we must follow our Lord through the miseries of this life through the dolours of death through the horrours of the graue if wee looke to follow him in his resurrection in his ascension to be amongst those hundred fortie and foure thousand in mount Sion who hauing his fathers name written in their foreheads follow the Lambe wheresoeuer hee goeth singing that new song which none can sing but they whom hee hath bought from the earth When those women came to seeke the Lord Iesus in the Sepulchre all the feare they had conceiued concerning Christs death the Angels remoues it by sending them to meditate on the resurrection Why seeke yee him that liueth among the dead hee is not here but hee is risen Wee are not yet laid downe among the dead but or euer we goe to the graue we haue this comfort that the Lord by his power shall raise vs out of it where the head growes through the members will follow Per angustum passionis foramen transiuit Christus vt latum praeberet ingressum sequentibus membris Our Lord is gone through the narrow passage of death that he might make it the wider and easier to all his members who are to follow him We see by experience the body of a man drownes not though it be vnder the water as long as the head is borne aboue many of the members of Christ are here in this valley of death tost too and fro in this sea of tribulation with continuall tentations yet our comfort is we cannot perish for our head is aboue and a great part of the body liuing and raigning with him in glory there is life in him to draw forth out of these miseries all his members and hee shall doe it by that same power by which he raised himselfe from the dead For we are taught here that our resurrection is a worke not to be done by man nor the power of nature but by the power of God we are not therefore to hearken to the deceitfull motions of our infidelitie which calles in doubt this article of our Faith wee must not consider the imbecillitie and weaknesse of nature neither measure heauenly and supernaturall things with the narrow span of naturall reason but as it is Abrahams praise the father of the faithfull that when God promised him a sonne in his old age he was not weake in the faith hee considered not his owne body which was dead neither the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe but was strengthned in the faith and gaue glory to God being fully assured that he who
and Mary who had beene a sinner brought him the sacrifice of a contrite heart and the Lord esteemed more of her teares than of the Phariâ—ies delicates No banquet pleaseth the Lord Iesus so well as a banquet of teares poured from a truely penitent heart The Lord is said to gather the teares of his children and keepe them in a bottell thereby to tell vs that they are pretious in his sight for hee is not like fooles who gather into their treasures things which are vaine and needlesse But alas how shall hee gather that which wee haue not scattered where are our teares the witnesses of our vnfained humiliation before God The hardnesse of hart hath ouergrowne this age that albeit there be more then cause yet there is no mourning The sonnes of Cain learned without a teacher to worke in brasse and iron and the wit of man can make the hardest mettall soft to receiue an impression but cannot get their owne stonie heart made soft yea the children of God finde in experience how hard a thing it is to get a melting heart The rocke rendred water to Moses at the third stroke but alas many strokes will our hearts take before they send out the sweete teares of repentance this I marke that knowing our naturall hardnesse we may learne without intermission to fight against it For herein is our case so much the more pittifull that hauing more than matter enough of mourning yet wee doe not mourne without vs should not the troublesome estate of the Church of God be a matter of our griefe though our priuate estate were neuer so peaceable Godly Nehemiah being placed in the honourable seruice of King Artashashte the Monarch of the world was not so much comforted with his owne good estate as grieued at the desolation of Ierusalem Decay of Religion and increase of Idolatrie made Eliah wearie of his life the Arke of God captiued and the glory departed from Israell draue all comfort out of the heart of the wife of Phinees these and many moe may teach vs that the affliction of Ioseph should be matter of our sorrow The causes of mourning within vs are partly our sinnes partly our manifold tentations As our sinnes are contracted with pleasure so are they dissolued with godly sorrow It is the best medicine which is most contrary to the nature of the disease our sinne is a sicknesse wherein there is a carnall delight to doe that which is forbidden and it is best cured by repentance wherein there is a spirituall displeasure and sorrowing for the euill which wee haue done this mourning for sinne lasts in the godly so long as they liue in the body yea those same sinnes which God hath forgiuen and put out of their affection are still in their remembrance for their humiliation so that with Godly Ezechia they recount all their dayes and their former sinnes in the bitternes of their heart so long as sinne remained in their affection it vvas the matter of their ioy but now being by grace remoued out of the affection it becomes the matter of their sorrow The other cause of our mourning is our manifold tentations for this world is no other thing but a stormie Sea wherein so many contrary windes of tribulation blowes vpon vs that we can hardly tell which of them we haue most cause to feare On euery side Sathan besets vs with tentations on the right hand and on the left vt quatuor angulis pulsata domus alâ—qua ex parte ruinam faciat that the house being shaken at all the foure corners may fall downe in one part or other no rest nor quietnes for vs in this habitation terrours within fightings without Propter quod vno consilio migrandum est Christianis For the which it is best for vs with one aduise to conclude that wee will remoue and in the meane time send vp our complaint to our Father in heauen as the Gibionites did to Ioshua shewing him how we are beseiged and enuironed for his sake and praying him to come with hast and helpe vs. Wayting for the Adoption Now followeth the other effect of the Spirit for hee not onely causeth vs as we haue heard to sigh and mourne for our present miseries but also comforts vs with the hope and expectation of deliuerance though in this life wee haue trouble yet haue we no trouble without comfort Blessed be God who comforts vs in all our tribulations and beside that which we presently haue it is yet much more which wee looke for The men of this world haue no ioy without sorrow euen in laughter their heart is sorrowfull pretend what they will in their countenance there is a heauinesse in their conscience arising of the weight of sinne but it is far otherwise with the Godly for euen in mourning they doe reioyce and vnder greatest heauinesse they carry a liuely hope of ioyfull deliuerance Againe wee are to marke that the Godly are described in holy Scripture to be such as doe not liue content with their present estate but waites and longs for a better and specially there are two dayes for which the Children of God are said to wait the first the day of death wherin they goe to the Lord the second the day of appearing wherein the Lord shall come vnto them they soiourne in the body more weary of it then Dauid was of his dwelling in the tents of Kedar they waite with patient Iob till the day of their change come and doe desire with the Apostle to bee dissolued that they may be with Christ they pray for it so oft as they vse that petition Let thy kingdome come seeking death so farre as it is a meanes to abolish sinne vtlerly that Christ their King may alone raigne in them but as for the wicked the remembrance of death is terrible vnto them and in their thought they put it farre from them and when it comes it comes vpon them vnlooked for As Iehu furiously came vpon Iehoram and hee made with all his speede to his chariot thinking to flye away but in vaine for the arrow of Iehu ouertooke him so death comes vpon the wicked in a day and place wherein they looked not for it and they being terryfied with it runnes with all the speede they can to their chariots that is to their refuges of vanitie but the dart of death surely ouer-takes them Miserable are they whose comfort standeth rather in an vncertaine delay of death than in any certaintie which they haue of eternall life But let vs be prepared for it as the good Israelites of God with our loynes girded vp and our staues in our hands ready to take our iourney from Egypt to Canaan whensoeuer the Lord our God shall commaund vs. As foules desirous to flye stretch out their wings so should man desirous to be with the Lord
their workes vnto this one end the good of those who loue him where euer they be in regard of place what euer in regard of persons yea howsoeuer disagreeing among themselues yet are they so ruled by the prouident power of the supreame gouernour our heauenly Father that all of them workes together vnto the good of them that loue him For albeit the Lord rested the seauenth day from the workes of creation so that hee made no new kinde of creature after that day yet did hee not rest from the workes of prouidence or gubernation whereof our Sauiour saith my Father workes hitherto and I worke When man hath finished a vvorke hee resignes it to another to be gouerned as the Wright vvhen he hath builded a ship giues it ouer to the Marriner to rule it neither is man able to preserue the vvorke of his hands neither yet knowes hee what shall be the end thereof It is not so with the Lord as by the worke of creation hee brought them out so by his prouident administration hee preserues them and rules euen the smallest creatures directing them vnto such ends as he hath ordained them for in the counsell of his vvill How euer some Ethnicks haue beene so blinde as to thinke that God did neglect the smaller things vpon earth scilicet is superis labor est and Epicures also whose false conceptions of the diuine prouidence are rehearsed by Eliphaz How should God know how should hee iudge through the darke cloud the cloudes hide him that he cannot see and hee walkes in the circle of heauen yet it is certaine hee rules not a part onely but all hee is not as they thought of him a God onely aboue the Moone No though he dwell on high yet he abases himselfe to behold the things that are on earth hee is not onely a God in the mountaines as the Syrians deemed but a God in the vallies also There is nothing so great nothing so small but it falles vnder his prouidence yea hee numbers our hayres and keepes them not one of them can fall to the ground without his prouidence Si sic custodiuntur superflua tua in quanta securitate est anima tua if hee so keepe thy superfluities how much more will hee keepe thy soule Let it therefore content vs in the most confused estate of things we can see fall out in the world that the Lord hath said All things shall worke for the best vnto vs. Let vs not question with Marie how can this be nor doubt with Sarah how can I conceiue nor with Moses where shall flesh be gotten for all this multitude but let vs sayth Augustine consider the author and such doubts shall cease As he hath manifested his power and wisedome in the tempering of this world making Elements of so contrary qualities agree together in one most pleasant harmonie so doth it appeare much more in gouerning all the contrary courses of men to the good of his own children One notable example whereof wee will set downe for all Iacob sends Ioseph to Dothan to visit his brethren his brethren casts him into the pit Reuben releeues him the Midianites buyes him and sels him to Potiphar his Mistresse accuses him his Maister condemnes him the Butler after long forgetfulnesse recommends him Pharaoh exaltes him O vvhat instruments are here how many hands about this one poore man of God neuer a one of them looking to that end which God had proposed vnto him yet the Lord contrary to their intention makes them all vvorke together for Iosephs aduancement in Aegipt But now to the particulars There is nothing in the world which workes not for our weale all the vvorkes of God all the stratagems of Sathan all the imaginations of men are for the good of Gods children yea out of the most poysonable things such as sinne and death doth the Lord draw wholesome and medicinable preseruatiues vnto them vvho loue him All the wayes of the Lord saith Dauid are mery and truth marke vvhat hee sayth and make not thou an exception vvhere God hath made none All none excepted therefore be thou strengthened in the Faith and giue glory vnto God resoluing with patient Iob albeit the Lord would slay me yet will I trust in him Sometime the Lord seemes to walke in the way of anger against his children which hath moued many of them to poure out the like of these pittifull complaints the arrowes of the almightie are vpon me said Iob the venime whereof doth drincke vp my spirit and the terrours of God fight against me thou settest me vp as a marke against thee and makes me a burthen to my selfe Thy indignation lyes vpon me said Dauid yea from my youth I haue suffered thy terrours doubting of my life For felicitie I haue had bitter griefe said Ezekiah for the Lord like a Lyon brake all my bones so that I did chatter like a Swallow and mourne like a Doue I am troubled on euery side said the Apostle hauing fightings without and terrours within Yet in all this dealing the Lord hath a secret way of mercy in the which he walkes for the comfort of his children it is but to draw vs vnto him that he shewes himselfe to be angry with vs aduersatur tibi deus ad tempus vt te secum habeat in perpetuum the Lord is an aduersarie to thee for a while that hee may for euer reconcile thee to himselfe And this albeâ—t for the present we cannot perceiue and can see no other but that the Lord hath taken vs for his enimies yet in the end we shall be compelled to acknowledge and confesse with Dauid it was good for mee O Lord that euer thou correctedst me for the Lord is mernailous in his saints O the deepenesse of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God how vnsearchable are his iudgements and his wayes past finding out His glory is great when he vvorks by meanes his glory appeares greater when hee vvorkes without meanes but then his glory shines most brightly when he workes by contraries It was a great worke that hee opened the eyes of the blinde man but greater that hee did it by application of spittle and clay meanes meeter to put out the eyes of a seeing man than to restore sight to a blinde man So hee wrought in the first creation causing light to shine out of darknesse so also in the worke of redemption for by cursed death he brought happy life by the crosse he conquered the crowne and through shame hee went to glory And this same order the Lord still keepeth in the worke of our second creation which is our regeneration hee casts downe that hee may raise vp hee kils and hee makes aliue hee accuseth his children for sinne that so hee may chase them to seeke remission of sinness hee troubleth their consciences that so hee may pacifie
Ierusalem except the hand of God first beat from vs our proud lumps by the hammer of affliction As standing waters putrifie and rot so the wicked feares not God because they haue no changes and Moab keepes his sent because he was not powred from vessell to vessell but hath beene at rest euer since his youth And therefore O Lord rather than that we should keepe the sent of our old naturall corruption and liue in a careles securitie without the feare of thine holy name and so become sit fasts in our sinnes no rather O Lord change thou vs from estate to estate waken vs with the touch of thine hand purge vs with thy fire and chastise vs with thy roddes alway Lord with this protestation that thou keepe towards vs that promise made to the sonnes of Dauid I will visit them with my roddes if they sinne against me but my mercy will I neuer take from them So be it O Lord euen So be it The same comfort haue we also against death that now in Iesus Christ it is not a punishment of our sinnes but a full accomplishment of the mortification of our sinne both in soule and body for by it both the fountaine and the fluxe of sinne are dryed vp all the conduits of sinne are stopped and the weapons of vnrighteousnesse broken And though our bodyes seeme to be consumed and turned into nothing yet are they but sowen like graynes of Wheat in the field and husbandry of the Lord which must dye before they be quickned but in the day of Christ shall spring vp againe most glorious And as for our soules they are by death releeued out of this honse of seruitude that they may returne vnto him who gaue them therefore haue I compared death to the red sea wherein Pharaoh and his Aegiptians were drowned and sancke like a stone to the bottome but the Israelits of God went through to their promised Canaan so shall death be vnto you O miserable infidels whose eyes the God of this world hath blinded that no more then blinded Aegiptians can yee see the light of God shining in Goshen which is his Church though yee be in it to you I say your death shall be the very centre of all your miseries a sea of the vengeance of God wherein yee shall be drowned and shall sincke with your sinnes heauier than a milstone about the necke of our soules to presse you downe to the lowest hell But as for you who are the Israelits of God ye shall walk through the valley of death and not neede to be afraid because the Lord is with you his staffe and his rod shall comfort you albeit the guiltinesse of forepassed sinnes yet remayning in the memory the terrour of hell and horrour of the graue stand vp on euery side like mountaines threatning to ouerwhelme you yet shall yee goe safely through to the land of your inheritance where with Moses and Miriam and all the children of God euen the congregation of the first borne yee shall sing prayses ioyfully to the God of your saluation Now in the last roome concerning the imaginations of men against vs wee shall haue cause to say of them in the end as Ioseph said to his brethren yee did it vnto me for euill but the Lord turned it to good The whole history of Gods booke is a cloude of manifold witnesses concurring together to confirme his truth therefore among many wee will be content with one When Dauid was going forward in battell against Israell with Acish King of Gath vnder whom he soiourned a while in the time of his banishment the remanent Princes of the Philistims commanded him to goe backe and this they did for the worst to disgrace him because they distrusted him but the Lord turned it vnto him for the best for if hee had come forward he had been guiltie of the blood of Israell specially of Saul the Lords annointed who was slaine in that battell from this the prouident mercy of God doth in such sort deliuer him that no offence is done by Dauid to Saul or his people because Dauid came not against them neither yet could the Philistims blame him because he went backe by their own commaund So a notable benefit Dauid did receiue by that same deed wherein his enimies thought they had done him a notable shame And where otherwise it pleaseth the Lord to suffer wicked men to lay hand on the bodyes of his children yet all they are able to doe is but like the renting of Iosephs garment from him As he doth sustaine small losse whose garment is cut if his body be preserued so the Christian when his body is wounded vnto the death yet hath he lost nothing which hee striues to keepe for hee knowes it is but a corruptible garment which would decay in it selfe albeit there were no man to rent it Non sunt itaque timenda spiritui quae fiunt in carne quae extra nos est quasi vestamentum let not therefore our soule be afraid for those things which are done to our bodyes for it is without vs as a garment that doth but couer vs. Thus haue wee seene how that their is nothing so euill in â— selfe vvhich by the prouident vvorking of God is not turned to the good of his children Whereof arises yet vnto vs this further comfort that seeing it is the priuiledge of euery one who loues the Lord it must much more be the priuiledge of the whole Church that promise made to the Father of the faithfull I will blesse them that blesse thee and curse them that curse thee we may easily thinke belongs also to all his seed euen to that congregation of the first borne The Lord will bee a wall of fire round about Ierusalem and the glory in the middest of her he will keepe her as the apple of his eye and make Ierusalem a cuppe of poyson to all her enimies and a heauie stone which whosoeuer striueth to lift shall be torne therewith though all the people of the earth were gathered together against it the weapons made against her shall not prosper and euery tongue that shall rise against her in iudgement shall be condemned This is the heritage of the Lords seruants and the portion of them that loue him for the Church is that Arke which mounts vp higher as the water increases but cannot be ouerwhelmed the bush which may burne but cannot be consumed the house built on a rocke which may be beaten with winde and raine but cannot be ouerthrowne The Lord who changeth times and seasons who takes away Kings and sets vp Kings hath reproued Kings for his Churches sake yea hee gouernes all he kingdomes of the earth in such sort that their fallings risings their changes and mutations are all directed to the good of his Church In one of these two sentences all the Iudges of the world may see themselues
to Ioseph when she pulled the garment from him There are three notable things for which we striue and which the world is neuer able to take from vs the loue of God which he hath borne to vs the grace of God which hee hath communicated to vs in our calling the glory of God and eternall life which hereafter doth abide vs no power of man nor Angell is able to depriue vs of these things An example whereof we haue in that notable warriour of God Patient Iob whom the Lord set vp as an obiect of all Sathans buffets and against whom hee was permitted to vse all the strategems of the spirituall warfare that possibly hee could hee crossed him not onely in his goods in his children and in his owne body but also in his minde by his wife hee tempted him to blasphemie by his friends to diffidence yet by none of these could hee ouercome him In his outward troubles his resolution was the Lord hath giuen the Lord hath taken blessed be the name of the Lord for euer in his inward terrours his resolution was Albeit the Lord would slay me yet would I trust in him so impossible is it for Sathan by any tentation whatsoeuer to seperate from the loue of God his Children chosen called and iustified To cleare this let vs yet know that God is many manner of wayes present with his children in trouble first hee is with them by preuenting the danger so that hee will not suffer the intended euill of the enimie to come neere them so he brought Senacherib to see Ierusalem without but suffered him not to shoot so much as a dart against it within Somtime again the Lord enters his children into the trouble as Daniel into the den Ioseph into the prison the three Children into the fire but deliuers them in such sort that both his glory and their comfort is greater than if they had not beene in trouble at all Sometime hee suffers his children to end their mortall liues in trouble and yet is with them strengthening them by his glorious might to all patience and long suffering filling them with such a sense of his loue that in death they rest vnder the assurance of life The practise of this see in the examples of Eliah and Paul when Iezabel vowed to haue the life of Eliah yee shall see that the Lord is with him sometime to hide him that albeit Achab and Iezabel seeke him they cannot finde him sometime God lets Achabs captaines see where hee is but consumes with fire them that came proudly to take him Sometime hee presents him to Achab and Iezabel but bridleth the tyrants that they haue no power to stirre him The Apostle Paul in like manner being sent prisoner to Rome the Lord assisted him in such sort that hee deliuered him out of the mouth of the Lyon Nero and yet the second time suffered him to fall by the sword of the same tyrant shall wee thinke that the Lord was not with the Apostle to assist him the second time as well as the first let it be farre from vs. The Lord was with him indeed to make his death a seale and confirmation of that Gospell which hee had preached in his life The comfort then remaines that howeuer God worke with his children in trouble no aduersarie is able to take from vs that for which wee striue to wit grace and glory they may be vnto vs as the sharpe rasers of God to cut away our superfluities but shall neuer be able to bereaue vs of the end of our Faith which is the euerlasting saluation of our soules Verse 32. Who spared not his owne Sonne but gaue him for vs all vnto death how shall he not with him giue vnto vs all things also NOw followeth the second part of the Apostles generall triumph wherein hee gloryeth that the Christian can want nothing needfull for him for seeing the Lord hath giuen vnto him the greatest and most excellent gift to wit his owne Sonne is it possible that he will denie him any secondary or inferior gifts needfull for him Sathan who is a lyer from the beginning accused the Lord of two things first of an vntruth albeit the Lord hath said it yet ye shall not dye secondly of Enuy. In the first Sathan is proued false and the Lord is found true for are they not dead to whom the Lord said yee shall dye In the second Sathan is found a calumniator for what good tree will the Lord refuse to his owne who hath giuen vnto them this excellent tree of life which brings with it vnto them all things needfull for them To amplifie this great loue of God the Apostle saith not simply that hee gaue his Sonne for vs but that hee spared not to giue him O wonderfull loue the Naturall and onely Sonne of God is not spared that the adoptiue sonnes may be spared for our sins being imputed to him by the ordinance of God his Father and voluntarily accepted by himselfe so the punishment of our sinnes and chasticement of our peace was laid vpon him that by his stripes wee might be healed The bitter cuppe due to vs was propined to him for the which albeit hee prayed to his Father that if it were his will this cuppe might passe by him yet the Father spared him not but held it to his head till hee dranke out the vttermost dregs thereof So straite is the Iustice of God that sinne being imputed to the Sonne of God who had no sinne of his owne is pursued to the vttermost The greatest example of Iustice that euer the Lord declared in the world the drowning of the originall world the burning of Sodome the plaguing of Egypt were terrible proofes of the straitnesse of diuine Iustice but nothing comparable to this Which I marke partly for a comfort to the Godly and partly for a warning to the wicked it is our great comfort that the saluation which Iesus hath purchased vnto vs hee hath obtained it with a full satisfaction of his Fathers Iustice so that now wee that are in him are not any more to feare it The great Iudge of all the world will not doe vnrighteously to require that againe from vs which our Christ whom hee himselfe hath giuen vnto vs hath payed for vs. And as for the wicked who are not in Christ how miserable will their state and condition be for they must beare the punishment of their owne sinnes in their owne persons If the burden of that wrath due to our sinnes caused Iesus to sweat bloud and to say that his soule was heauy vnto the very death O how shall the burden of this wrath presse downe the wicked it is euen a horrour to think of it their faces shall be confused without and their spirits oppressed within with tribulation and anguish hee that spared not in his owne Sonne sinne imputed vnto him will hee spare in
the heauens hath ministred food to Gods people as in that barren wildernesse wherein Israell soiourned the earth yeelded no fruit but the heauens rayned downe Manna and Quailes and sometime the heauens haue beene as brasse yet in the earth hath the Lord prouided nourishment as he did by the Rauens and the Widdow of Sarepta for Eliah and if otherwise it please the Lord by famine to inflict death vpon his children then he strengthens their spirits with the bread of life and comforts their hearts with hid Manna so that they can say to worldlings as our Sauiour said to his Disciples I haue bread to eate that yee know not of and so no famine can seperate them from the loue of God Nakednesse This is also a great tentation partly for the shame and partly for the decay of naturall life which followes it Before the Iewes crucified Christ they striped him naked of his garments Basile makes mention of fortie Martyres who being striped naked were put foorth in the night to be pined with cold and afterward burnt with fire in the day Of these it is euident that nakednesse is one of those tentations whereby Sathan seekes to trouble our faith and patience but he who hath put on the Lord Iesus for a garment neither shame nor losse of naturall life procured by nakednesse can seperate him from the Loue of God Where we may perceiue how different the dispositions of the Christian and the worldling are The men of this world esteemes nakednesse their shame and places a great part of their glory in gorgeous garments and no meruaile quia dâ— proprio non habent decorem necesse est vt aliunde mendicent for hauing no glory of their owne they must borrow glory from others From the Beasts of the earth they borrow skins wool from the Fowles of heauen they borrow feathers from the Wormes they borrow silk from the Earth siluer gold from the Waters pearles and of these doth man make vp his begged glory whose glory in the beginning was to be clad in the image of God but what is it decor qui cum veste induitur cum veste deponitur vestis est non vestiti that beautie which is put on and put off with the garment is not the beautie of the person but of the garment Yet are these but licitae quodammodo insaniae if they be compared with the madnesse of others who alter by artifice the shape and colour of the countenance which God hath giuen them Manus deo inferunt cum illud quod formauit reformare conantur for they put hands as it were into God while they prease to reforme that which God hath formed Nescientes quia opus dei est omne quod nascitur diabeli quod mutatur I know they excuse their fact with the couerings of comelinesse and necessitie but praetextu tegendae turpitudinis in maiorem turpitudinem incidunt for worldlings are neuer so naked as when they are best apparelled As for men truely godly they will thinke shame of wickednes but not of nakednesse improbum vocarite pudeat non pauperem aut ignobilem blinde Egiptians may account sheepe keepers abhomination but true Israelits will thinke shame to be prophane but no shame to be poore those godly ones in the wildernesse clad with sheepes skins and goates skins were more honourable in the eyes of God than Herod in his royall robe of shining siluer glancing the more brightly by the shining of the Sun vpon it if we will credit Iosephus But what of all this our vnwillingnesse to want superstuitie of apparell argues that we are euill prepared to endure nakednesse for Christs sake Againe we learne here that seeing nakednesse is one of those crosses whereby the Lord tryes the faith and patience of his children and that then it is time for vs to endure a crosse when God layes it vpon vs it cannot be good religion to impone it to our selues where God layes it not vpon vs. It is a hard thing to keepe mediocritie not to be either too remisse in religion or too superstitious Wil-worship what euer shew of godlines it hath in the eyes of men is but abhominable idolatry in the eyes of God and we are not to place true religion in those things which he hath not required the false Prophets ware a rough garment but it was to deceiue the Priests of Baal spared not to lance their owne flesh but it is reiected by God as blinde zeale to walke bare footed or weare a garment of haire without linnen or wooll next the skinne to carry on our head a Franciscanes hood and at last to be buried in it If these things haue in them such holinesse as they pretend is it not a meruaile their holy Father the Pope is not careful to make himselfe more holy by changing his triple Crowne with a Franciscanes hood or that his Cardinals are so inconsiderate as to redeeme by so excessiue prices a Cardinals hat the haire garment being better cheape and much more meritorious of eternall life Perills The life of a Christian is full of perils euery place vnto him is a palaestra in the sea in the land in the citie in the wildernesse goe where he will hee shall encounter with perils These are so many probations of our Faith and Patience of Gods truth and prouidence Our preseruation depends on our protector euen the Watch-man of Israell who neither slumbers nor sleepes As a Father hath compassion on his children so hath the Lord on them who feare him and wee know that a naturall father doth neuer looke more pittifully vpon his childe than when hee sees him in greatest danger and shall we expect lesse kindnesse from our heauenly Father The men of this world when they send out their seruants in commission goes not with them themselues knowes not their danger and are not able to preserue them but the Lord our God when he sends out his seruants foresees the perill goes with them to preserue them Feare not for when thou passest through the water I will be with thee and through the flouds that they doe not ouerflow thee The more perils we fall into the more experience haue wee of Gods louing preseruing vs for the which wee may say perils may well make vs grow in the sense of the loue of God but cannot seperate vs from him Sword This is the last and by it the Apostle expresses any kinde of violent death for vnto these also the seruants of God and his best beloued Children haue beene subiect euer from the beginning The Apostle gloryes that no kind of death can seperate vs from Christ yea as he saith in another place it conioynes vs more neerely vnto him as Nebuchadnezzans fire loosed the bonds of the three children but hurt not their bodyes so death inflicted by man may loose our bodily bonds but cannot
manifesta salutis vt indubitabile sit â—um esse de numero Electorum in quo ea signa permanserint This is the truth of God agreeable to Scripture and auncieâ—t Fathers which wee doe affirme howeuer they doe accurse it That neyther life By life vve are to vnderstand the pleasures of this life strong tentations indeed for in the hearts of many they preuaile against the loue of God that we may learne to despise them and to count with the Apostle all things to be doung in regard of Iesus let vs looke vnto those two things which discouers vnto vs the vaniâ—e of worldly pleasures first they are most loathsome to them who haue them in greatest abundance and aâ—e most admired of those who haue them not A proofe of this we haue in Salomon who wanted nothing delectable vnder the Sunne yet by the very vse of them he found the vanitie of them and was moued to abhorre them It is far otherwise with heauenly pleasures the more we tast of them the more wee esteeme of them hungring still for more we cannot be satisfied with that which wee haue gotten already Secondly worldly pleasures are of this nature that if they be continued without intermission they turn into pains therefore is it that those same things which now we choose for recreation incontinently they become wearisome vnto vs and wee cast them away so that it is not so much by themselues as by the change of them that we are delighted Sola vicessitudine recreamur being weary of walking we refresh our selues with sitting againe being vveary of fitting we rise to refresh our selues with walking and so fareth it with all the recreations of this life being continuall they become wearisome So oft therefore as Sathan by worldly pleasures would steale away our hearts from the loue of God let vs consider how vaine and small a pleasure it is vvhich he would giue vs in respect of that vnspeakeable ioy which he would take from vs. Nor death By death vvee vnderstand not onely death it selfe but all those paines that goe before it and terrouâ—s which accompanie it There vvas neuer life so long but it hath beene concluded by death no life so pleasant but the paines of death shall swallow vp all the pleasures therof As the seauen leane Kine deuoured the seauen fat the seauen yeares of famine consumed the fruit of seauen yeares of plenty so shall the dolours and terrours of death eate vp all the pleasures and delectations of this vvretched life If vve suffer the pleasures of this life to bewitch vs be sure the terrours of death shall confound vs. It were therefore good that as Ioseph of Aramathia had his sepulcher in his Garden so vvee season all the pleasures of our life with remembrance of our death this is summa Philosophia Yet our comfort is that if wee liue in Christ no terror of death can seperate vs from him yea death conioynes vs neerer to the Lord Iesus then wee were before wee see oft-times by experience that the children of God haue so triumphed in the very dolours of death and reioyced in the sense of Gods loue that they haue forgot all their bodily paines As the top of mount Pisgah was to Moses the place of his death and the first place wherein euer hee got a sight of Canaan so shall death be to the children of God where we lay downe the sight of this world there shall wee take vp the sight of eternall life which shall neuer be taken from vs. Nor Angels By Angels here I vnderstand not elect Angels for they are not enimies to vs but ministring spirits for our saluation but reprobate Angels for these names of Angels principalities and powers are common both to good and euill Angels And they are so called partly from the power which God hath lent them and partly from the message vvherein hee imployes them for sometime they are sent out as messengers of his wrath to punish the wicked and so an euill spirit was sent from the Lord to punish Saul and sometime to exercise the godly and so an Angell of Sathan was sent to buffet the Apostle Paul for his humiliation we are not exempted from their tempting but praysed be God we are exempted from their tyrannie dominion Their working in regard of the wicked is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the efficacie of errour for the Lord hath giuen them vp into the hands of Sathan but their working in regard of the godly is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tentation Alwayes seeing so long as we liue wee must wrestle against so strong enimies let vs watch and be sober let vs stand with the compleat armour of God vpon vs. Againe we mark here how that our estate in Christ is better than the estate of Adam by his first creation for then an apostate Angell drew Adam to an apostasie also from God but now no Angell is able to seperate vs from the loue of God the reason is the couenant which God made with Adam was without a mediatour hee had the keeping of his owne saluation in his owne hand but the couenant of grace with vs is bound vp in the mediator Christ Iesus to whom the Father hath committed vs that hee might redeeme and saue vs hee hath taken vs into his hand and none are able to take vs from him our saluation depends not on our selues it is not in our keeping but in his and therefore is it most certaine Principalities nor powers These names are not to terrifie or astray vs seeing as I said these reprobate Angels haue no power but that which is lent and limited of God Therefore Saint Iude saith that they are reserued in chaines vnder darknesse and here for our comfort we are to consider how that there are two chaines wherewith they are bound and other two wherewith they are tormented the first chaine that bindes them is their owne nature the second is Gods prouidence the first restraines them that they cannot doe the euill which they would the second restraineth them that they doe not the euill which they can Sathan being a naturall creature is bounded within the compasse of nature his insatiable malice would doe much more euill than by nature he is able to performe for aboue or contrary to nature can hee worke nothing and againe many euils is hee able to doe by naturall meanes which the prâ—uidence of God permits him not to doe The tormenting chaines which are vpon him are an euill conscience and the wrath of God for as he growes in euill doing so groweth his conscience worse and worse and the wrath of God accordingly encreaseth vpon him with which two he is continually tormented Nor things present nor things to come This is a great amplification of our suretie that neyther present euils inflicted vpon vs nor any euill to come can seperate vs
God by their beginnings What inconueniences arise from this precipitation Psal. 39. 9. Psa. 116. 10 Psa. 116. 13. He that will iudge of Lazarus on the dunghill shall think him more miserable than the rich Glutton But wee shall best iudge of the works of God if we tarry till they be ended Esay 48. 22. Psal. 37. 37. Gods wonderfull wisdome in causing things of so contrary qualities to agree to do one worke God hath rested from the worke of creation not of gubernation Ioh. 5. 17. His prouidence extends to the smallest things Iob. 22. 13. 14. Psal. 113. 1 King 20. Augustine In greatest confusion of things let vs keepe our comfort the end of them shal be our good Gen. 37. c. The end of all the wayes of God is our good Psal. 25. 10. Iob. 13. 15. Yea euen when he seemes to be most angry with his children he is working their good Iob. 6. 4. Isa. 38. 17. 13. 14 2 Cor. 7. 5. Chrisost. in Mat. hom 14 Rom. 11. 13 For the working of God with his children is by contraries Sathans stratagems are directed to the good of the godly Ambr. lib. 1. de paeni ca. 13 Sathans accusations for sinnes past are vnto the godly preseruatiues against sin to come And his tentations to sinne chases them to the throne of grace 2 Chron. 20. 13 Ambr. ibid. As the Philistims vnderstood not Samsons riddle how sweete came out of the sowre so cannot worldlings that comfort is in the crosse Iudg. 14. 14. Rom. 5. 3. 2 Cor. 4. 13. Heb. 12. 11. Afflictions profitable to the children of God Lam. 3. 27. Psal. 119. 71 Ioh. 15. 2. The wicked putrifie and rots in their prosperitie Iere. 48. 11. 2 Sam. 7. 14. 15. Death workes also the good of Gods children Death compared to the red Sea Egiptians drowne in it But the Israelits of God shall goe through it How the enimies of Gods childreÌ„ against their will procures their good Gen. 50. 20. 1 Sam. 29. Death of the body to a Christian is but as the renting of Iosephs garment from him Chrisostome Since to euery Christian all things work for the best much more are we to think that this is the priuiledge of the whole Church Gen. 12. 3. A warning for Kings such as are in authoritie Hester 4. 14. Exod. 7. They who rise to authoritie not to the good of the Church shall assuredly fall Examples â—â—ewing how God hath altered the state of worldly Empires for the good of his Church In Pharaoh king of Egypt In the Monarch of Babell and Persia. Therefore in our greatest mutations our hart should not be moued from confidence in God Iob. 19. What is a christians best A wicked man is at his best when he is first borne for the longer he liues the moe sins he multiplyes Ierem. 9. 3 A man continuing in sinne compared to one gathering a treasure With euery new sinne he gathers a new portion of wrath A Christians best beginnes in the day of his conuersion Ioh. 6. 3. The day of our conuersion was a day of diuâ—siâ— betweene vs our old sinnes which wee should not forget Seeing our best is not in this life let vs possesse our â—oules in patience How they are to be pittied who reioyce in things present as in their best things Luke 12. 19. Wisd. 5. 7. Miserable worldlings who take more paines to get keep any thing than Iesus Christ. Psal. 50. 22. How all things worke for the worst to the wicked The persons to whom the former comfort belongs are described to be such as loue God and are called by him Three things inseperably knit 1. Gods purpose concerning vs 2. his calling of vs 3. our loue toward him None can loue God but such as he hath chosen and called It is thought a common thing to loue God but none can loue him who are not beloued of him 1 Ioh. 4. 10. He that would know Gods purpose toward him let him go downe to his own heart and not vp to Gods counsell Ioh. 21. 15. Loue the first affection that Sathan peruerted And the first which in our regeneration is rectified by the spirit of grace The first obiect of reformed loue is God August de temp ser 223 The second obiect of reformed loue is our selus He cannot loue his brother who loues noâ— himselfe Augustine Man hath need to learne how to loue himself rightly Aug. ad frat in Eremo ser. 30. Amb. lib. 2. offi cap. 12. Loue to our selues and our neighbor â—â—uld be measured but our loue to God should be without measure Bern. in Cant ser. 20. Three conditions requisite in the loue of God Mat. 19. 27. Iohn 14. 21. Mat. 16. 22. 23 In this life wee are farre from that measure of the loue of God which should be in vs. Foure meditations helpful to encrease in vs the loue of God We should loue him because he himselfe is the supreame good Because he hath first loued vs. Bernard He hath declared his loue by innumerable gifts already giuen vs. Hee hath yet greater things which he hath prepared for vs to giue vs. Aug. de ciuit dei l. 10. c. 18 Our loue to God must be tryed by the effects thereof Property of Loue it longs to obtaine thaâ— which is beloued We loue not God if we vse not the exercises of the word and prayer seeing by them onely we haue familiaritie with God vpon earth Psal. 119. 97 Psal. 26. 8. Psal. 27. 2. We loue not God if we long not to be with him in heauen wher he shews his most familiar presence Psal. 42. 1. Psal. 143. Phillip 1. Reuel 22. How by this tryal it is found that many are void of the loue of God Cant. 1. 6. The effect of true loue is obedience and a care to please the Lord. Iohn 21. 15. Psal. 139. 21 What great blessing belongeth to them who in their calling seeke to honour God Esay 22. 23. Psa. 140. 11 Psal. 52. 5. But this age in word calleth Christ their King but casts off his yoke Iohn 15. 10. The propertie of loue is bountifulnesse 1 Cor. 13. 4. The last is readines to suffer for his cause A confirmatioÌ„ of his third and last argument of comfort Comfort that the ground of our saluation is in God the tokens thereof in our selues Esay 46. Ioh. 10. 2 Tim. 2. Mal. 3. 6. Our calling conuersion flowes from Gods purpose therefore all the praise of it belongs to the Lord. For this cause he is called the Father of Mercy and not of Iudgement 2 Tim. 1. 9. Our calling is twofold and the inward calling is a declaration of our election All mankinde are considered standing in three circles they onely are blessed who are within the third Zach. 13. 9. Mat. 7. 21. Where euer the Gospell is preached to cal men there God hath toward some a purpose of loue Acts. 16. Acts. 18. 10. If this were coÌ„sidered it wold work a
Famine is one of Gods ordinarie plagues and with it also the godly are tryed Leuit. 26. 19 Deu. 11. 14. Miserable are they whose gaine is to encrease Famine they are Caterpillers in the Land Basil. ser. 1. in Auar The lord who changed the Serpent into a flourishing rod hath changed cursed famine into a blessed crosse to his children Mat. 4. 3. Pro. 30. 8. How the Lord prouides in famine for his children Iohn 4. 32. Christians tryed also with Nakednesse The begged glory of worldlings is in their apparell Bern. in cant serm 41. Ber. ad Soph. Virg. epi. 113 Vnder pretence of hiding their nakednes they shew forth their Nakednesse Cypri trac 2. de habi virg Cyril catch 4 Nazian sent Heb. 11. 37. Act. 12. 21. Crosses should not be assumed by our selues but patiently borne when God layes them on False Prophets weares rough garments to deceiue so they did of old and so they doe stil. The Christian in euery place subiect to perils 2 Cor. 11. 26 Comfort for the Christian in all perils Esay 43. 2. The Christian subiect also to violent death Dan. 3. 25. That the christian is subiect to these crosses he proues by a testimonie of holy scripture Worshippers of God howsoeuer disioyned in time or place yet are of one communion Psal. 44. 22. A pleasant harmonie among the writers of holy Scripture Ezech. 1. 11 Luke 5. 7. Euery Ecclesiastique teacher is bound to confirme his doctrine by Scripture Acts. 17. 11. No booke betweene Malachie and Matthew to be receiued for Canonicall Scripture Mal. 3. 1. Three things obseruedin this testimonie The causes for which God sends affliction should bee marked Afflictions laid on for sin past are medicinall restoratiues Psal. 81. 12. Hos. 2. 6. Afflictions laid on to preuent sin to come are wholesome preseruatiues 2. Cor. 12. 7. But euery affliction is not laid on the godly for sinne Iohn 9. 3. 1 Tim. 1. 19 Two things required in those afflictiōs which are suffered for Gods sake 1 Pet. 4. 15. Cyprian de duplici mart That Gods Martirs may be knowne from Sathans Martyrs Aug. l. 1. con Parmen Epi. cap. 8. 9. It is common to al Christians to suffer with Christ not so to suffer for him Heb. 10. 34. How causes falsely pretended by the wicked takes not from the christian this comfort that he suffers for Gods sake Psal. 96. 4. Psal. 59. 3. In suffering we must distinguish betweene that which men that which our owne conscience laies to our charge Death cannot hurt the man of God Mat. 10. 28. Aug. de ciuit dei li. 13. c. 8. A godly man not troubled in his owne person is pertaker of Christs afflictions by sympathie Rom. 12. 15 Heb. 13. 3. Amos. 6. 6. All true christians are Martyrs in affectiō Cyprian de dup Martir How their ready will is accepted as a deed is declared in the example of Aquila Priscilla Rom. 16. 4. Persecuters in this last age are most miserable The whole time of our life is but a day of suffering Reu. 3. 10. Or an houre of tentation Mat. 26. 40. With what patience wee should endure in suffering referring the time of our deliuerance to the Lord. Mat. 2. 13. Worldings esteeme christians but vile persons and what comfort wee haue against their contempt Mat. 26. 15. 1 Cor. 4. 13. In what respects wickedment account the godly as sheepe How God also compares his children to sheepe but in farre contrary respects Cyprian de simp. prael The Christian compared to a rock in the sea In death christians are conquerours A christian is not a single man standing by himselfe but a man incorporate in Christ. A Christian may be assured of his saluation in this life contrary to the doctrine of papists This is proued from the nature of the holy spirit whom the Christian hath receiued 2. Cor. 13. 5. Rom. 8. 16. 2. Cor. 1. 22. Comfort for the godly whē they cannot finde this assurance Mark. ◠24. A good religion may haue doubting but it is an euill religion which leaues men in doubt Sess. 6. cant 15. Mat. 11. 29. Why Papistry cannot make a man sure of saluation It is not presumption but faith to shew what we haue receiued Aug. ser. 28. Bernard in Septuag Vanitie of worldly pleasures discouered The abundāce of them makes thē loath some Eccles. 2. 10. If they be continuall they become painfull Remembrance of death profitable to keepe vs vncorrupted with the pleasures of this life Comfort for the godly against death Deut. 34. 1. Reprobate Angels how they are God messengers and to what end 1 Sam. 16. 14 2. Cor. 12. 7. Two sorts of Sathans operation Eph. 6. 11. In Christ we are restored to a better estate thā that which Adam had in Paradise Iohn 17. 12. How names of power are giuen to reprobate Angels Iude. ver 6. Sathan bound with three chaines In our Christian warfare our greatest battell is the last Christians are sure of perseuerance Philip. 1. 6. Sathan hath two armes whereby he wrestles the one is presumption Mat. 4. 5. How Sathan tempts to presumption His other arme is desperation 2. Cor. 4. 9. No man is sure to continue in his estate but the Christian. Esa. 47. 7. Luke 12. 19. No worldling shall abide in the state wherin now hee stands Esay 22. 18.