little in our eyes as Lot said of Zoar is it not a little one and my soule shall liue Gen. 19.20 yea perhappes none at all God said by a direct affirmation thou shalt not eate of the tree of knowledge for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death Gen. 2.17 The woman commeth in with a mincing hesitation lest perhaps you die Genes 3.3 The Diuell with a peremptorie negation you shall not die at all Such goodly creatures as you die for an apple or some fruit of litle value No saith he you shall not die But Gods word was the truer for Adam did die the death The lesser the precept was in respect of the matter and thing it selfe the greater was the sinne in respect of the disobedience contempt Secondly when we haue committed a sinne vpon his suggestion our consent then he bringeth another false glasse wherein he maketh our sinne appeare so great that God himselfe is not great enough to forgiue the same My sinne is greater saith desperate Cain Gen. 4.13 then that it can be forgiuen But here Cain I dare giue thee the lie or rather thy Diuell who is the father of lies Ioh. 8.44 for no sin is so great but that God can such is his power and will such is his goodnes forgiue the same Js it not simply the sinne committed but our impenitencie added vnto sinne which maketh it irremissible in euent that is otherwise remissible in it selfe In all such temptations therefore which doe or may assault vs it is good to haue S. Peters counsell 1. Pet. 5.9 euermore set before our eyes Resistite resist him How must we resist him Fortes being strong and stedfast Wherein must we be strong and stedfast In fide in faith that it may apprehend the grace of God For if I sinne he hath grace If my sinnes be great there is the riches of his grace If my sins be in number as the sands of the sea and were euery sand a milstone there is the exceeding riches of his grace Exceeding aboue all my sinnes For if it be true and it is most true that the mercy of God is ouer or aboue all his works Psal 145.9 is it not ouer aboue all my works also Howsoeuer his be good and very good Genes 1.31 mine euill and very euill that is not the point he will not haue his grace and mercy to bee exceeded by my sinnes Plus potest dimittere quà m ego committere he can remit more vnto me then I can cōmit against him And so much of the first The SECOND particular is the Tendernesse of Gods affection through his kindnes Sweete is the name and sweeter is the thing Thy louing kindnesse is better then life therefore my lips shall praise thee Psal 63.3 Let mee repeate it once againe O that I might dwell for euer in the contemplation of this heauenly and diuine sentence Thy louing kindnes is better then life therefore my lippes shall praise thee O Lord thou art without passion but not without compassion The Lord is mercifull and righteous and our God is full of compassion Psal 116.5 In regard whereof it is that in the holy Scriptures wee finde him compared sometimes to a Friend somtimes to a Father somtimes to a Mother sometimes to an Husband that so by these familiar speeches we might aspire vnto some sense knowledge of his indulgent and compassionate nature But since before his other attributes were attended with certaine epithetes to amplifie the dignity thereof as rich Mercy great Loue exceeding Grace is there none here for his Kindnesse which is the spring and fountaine whence all the rest proceed It needed not the cause is sufficiently commended by the effects Howbeit wee may assume certaine epithetes from some other passages of Scripture as in that place which I mentioned before Thy louing kindnesse and Ionah 42. Thou art of great kindnesse Compound these simples and you shall haue great louing kindnesse in God This this is it which aboue all other things doth winne our hearts vnto God if not in piety yet in good nature For what doth more singularly affect vs then the kindnesse and sweet disposition of a Friend or what can oblige vs more in the straitest bonds of loue Woe is me saith Dauid for thee my brother Ionathan Why Very kind hast thou beene vnto me 2. Sam. 1.26 But the kindnesse of God doth as far surpasse the kindnes of man as GOD excelleth MAN that is to say infinitely beyond all proportion and without any measure And so much of the second The THIRD particular is the Obiect of this kindnesse Vs his kindnesse toward vs. Not toward the good Angels they were in the possibility not in the act of sinne So they needed not redemption from sinne but confirmation in grace and consequently they needed not the kindnes of God at the least not in this sense whereof I now intreat Not toward the bad Angels whom God left iustly vnto obduration in their pride against him and malice against vs. Not toward vnreasonable creatures they were not capable thereof But toward vs. Men who needed it and fell by the suggestion of others and were capable of this kindnesse but had no means to redeem our selues from the power of Satan who held vs in the captiuity of sinne and death Here then was a fit case wherein the kindnesse of God might fully and excellently declare it selfe And truly God did thus declare his kindnesse but yet in iustice also S. Bernard describeth it ingenuously and bringeth in the Sonne of God speaking in this manner Behold how for my sake my Father doth lose his creatures The Angels affected my highnesse but presently he strooke them with an incureable wound Then Man affected my knowledge vpon him also my Father had no pitie neither did his eye spare him Hath be then care of oxen He made onely two noble creatures partakers of reason and capeable of felicity to wit Angels and Men but loe for mee he hath destroied all Men and many Angels Now therefore that men may know how I loue the Father recipiat per me quos quodammodò propter me amisisse videtur Let him receiue them againe by my meanes whom he seemeth in a maner to haue lost for my sake So the Sonne of God restored vs againe vnto his Father by iustice paying the iust price and full ransom of our sins Thou hast redeemed vs vnto God by thy bloud Apocal. 5.9 By the expense of his temporall he hath purchased our eternal life That we might haue it as a gift he hath giuen himselfe for vs. Therefore wel saith the Apostle here in my text that the kindnes of God towards vs was in Iesus Christ And this is the FOVRTH particular in this verse First of the words secondly of the matter In the words there are many obseruable points but I may not be copious therein as namely Iesus is a name of saluation Christ a name
A SERMON PREACHED at Pauls Crosse the third of March 1610. By Theophilus Higgons In testimony of his heartie reunion with the Church of England and humble submission thereunto Published by Command MICAH 7.8 Reioice not against me ô mine enemie though I fall I shall rise againe when I shall sit in darkenesse the Lord shall be a light vnto me AT LONDON Imprinted by WILLIAM HALL for William Aspley 1611. GEntle Reader whereas in the former impression by reason of importunate haste of the Worke some few faults escaped and especially page 4. l. 22. in this second thou shalt finde them corrected Farewell A SERMON PREACHED AT PAVLS Crosse the third of March 1610. EPHES. 2. vers 4.5.6.7 4 But God who is rich in mercy through his great loue wherewith he loued vs 5 Euen when we were dead by sinnes hath quickned vs together in Christ by whose grace you are saued 6 And hath raised vs vp together and made vs sit together in the heauenly places in Christ Iesus 7 That he might shew in the ages to come the exceeding riches of his grace through his kindnesse towards vs in Christ Iesus THere is a fourefold condition or estate of Man The first of Innocency the second of Sinne the third of Grace the fourth of Glory The first by creation from God the second by propagation from our Parents the third by regeneration from the Spirit the fourth by reall possession of Heauen Now as the substance of my text leadeth me to entreate peculiarly of the third conditiō or estate which is the state of Grace so the very first word and entrance thereof BVT a discretiue particle directeth me vnto a consideration of our second estate to wit the state of Sinne which the Apostle describeth in this manner 1. And you hath he quickned that were dead in trespasses and sinnes 2. Wherein in times past you walked according to the course of this world and after the Prince that ruleth in the aire euen the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience 3. Among whom we also had our conuersation in times past in the lusts of our flesh in fulfilling the will of the flesh and of the mind were by nature the children of wrath as wel as others It followeth now in my Text But God who is rich in mercy c. This is the connexion and dependency of these wordes Before there was the state of Sin here is the state of Grace the one opposed vnto the other whereby the deformity of the first dignity of the second doth more spectably appeare For in the former we learne what we were by nature corrupted not created nature in the other we learne what we are by grace In the former we behold our owne misery in the second we contemplate the mercy of God In the former we see our captiuity in the second our deliuerance In the former we see our death in sinne in the second our life in Christ Therfore excellently saith our Apostle Where sin abounded there grace abounded much more that as sinne had raigned vnto death so might grace also raigne by righteousnes vnto eternal life through Iesus Christ our Lord Rom. 5 20.21 Thus the state of sinne in time and order is before the state of Grace as the euening was before the morning Gen. 1.5 and the darkenes before the light You were once darkenes but now you are light in the Lord. Ephes 5.8 For some liued without the Law as Gentiles some vnder the Law as Iewes now both are vnder grace But it is one thing to be in grace another thing to be vnder grace Many liue now vnder grace but not in it many liued heretofore in grace but not vnder it For properly to liue in grace is opposed vnto the state of sinne to liue vnder grace is opposed vnto the state of the Law The first is the state of persons who haue grace dwelling in them the second is the state of time wherein grace is offered vnto all Both are ioined heere together in my Text. The state of time we are vnder grace the state of persons wee are in grace so that we are deliuered from the power of the law and of sinne from the condemnation of the first and from the dominion of the second Sin preuaileth not to dominion why we are in grace The Law preuaileth not to condemnation why we are vnder grace And this is the scope of my Text. Wherein there is such amplitude and varietie of matter that plenty it selfe hath made mee poore it being hard to say where and whence I should take the beginning of my discourse as also it is hard to say where I may conclude the same But since the time hath power ouer my thoughts at the least ouer my words and boundeth them within the limits of an houre or two I cannot speake all of a little in my Text as I would therfore I will speake a little of all therein as I may obseruing fiue generall circumstances as they present themselues in order vnto your view The first is the Author of our saluation God or God in Christ For God was in Christ reconciling the world vnto himselfe 2. Cor. 5.19 The second is the causes which mooued God vnto this excellent worke and they are three First Mercy v. 4. not bare mercy but with an addition rich in mercie Secondly Loue and that not a naked loue but with an addition great loue Thirdly Grace iv 5. not simply grace also but with an addition exceeding riches of his grace v. 7. And here with this motiue or cause I will ioine the effect also by grace you are saued The third is the persons or subiect vpon which the benefits are conferred Vs. Wherein you may obserue First the extension of the subiect to wit Iewes and Gentiles both included therein Secondly the condition dead in sinne The fourth is the benefits bestowed vpon vs and they are three First viuification of the spirit Hee hath quickned vs together in Christ vers 5. Secondly resurrection of soule and body He hath raised vs vp together vers 6. Thirdly Session of both in heauen He hath made vs sit together in the heauenly places in Christ Iesus The Fifth and last is the end and finall cause of all this happinesse towards vs and indulgence from God That he might shew in the ages to come the exceeding riches of his grace through his kindnes towards vs in Christ Iesus First of the Author THe Author of our saluation is he that is the author of our creation GOD. Non est qui reficiat nisi qui fecit saith S. Bernard None can make vs good of euill but hee that made vs something of nothing It is he that in my creation dedit me mihi gaue me vnto my selfe by creating me after his owne image It is he that in my Redemption dedit se mihi gaue himselfe vnto me by redeeming mee with his owne bloud But you must vnderstand that this
wanted vessels to receiue it 2. King 4.6 so there is no end of Gods mercy toward vs till wee want faith to apprehend the same Secondly concerning the Loue of God what shall wee render vnto him for the same Loue for loue That is most fit since it is like for like But though it bee like yet it is lesse For as he goeth before vs in time hee loued vs first 1. Ioh. 4 19. so hee excelleth vs in degree He loueth vs more then wee doe or can loue him Hee loueth vs as a Father we loue him as Children Ours is an ascending his a descending loue But though we cannot loue him so much as we ought and as he loueth vs yet let vs loue him aboue all things Whom haue I in heauen but thee and in earth I haue desired none in comparison of thee Psal 73.25 Finally let vs loue nothing but for him Minùs te diligit ô Domine qui praeter te aliquid diligit quod propter te non diligit saith Augustine O Lord he loueth thee lesse then other things who loueth any thing besides thee which he loueth not for thy sake Thirdly concerning the Grace of God it taketh away all our reioycing but in him alone who voluntarily without our desire and freely without our desert and entirely without our cooperation hath saued vs by his grace euen by his louing fauour towards vs in Iesus Christ our Lord. Therefore as I will not nay I cannot attribute any thing vnto my selfe but weakenesse and sinne which truly and properly are my owne and if I must needs reioyce I will reioyce of mine infirmities 2. Cor. 11.30 so I will not put my confidence in man for none is so great or so good that I may rest securely vpon his grace But contrariwise let the foolish deride me the malitious depraue me the insolent contemne me the mighty oppresse me it is enough for me that I am in the grace and fauor of my Lord. Sufficit mihi gratia tua O Lord thy grace is sufficient for me I condlude therefore with S. Paul Reioyce in the Lord alway againe I say reioyce Phil. 4.4 Thus I haue discoursed briefly vpon three circumstances of my text The Author of our saluation GOD. The Motiues in him Mercy Loue and Grace The Persons vpon which he hath conferred his benefits and fauours Vs dead in sinne Of the Benefits NOw 〈◊〉 the fourth place ensue the Benefits themselues the first whereof is Viuification in the soule Hee hath quickened vs together in Christ Here is spirituall life opposed vnto spirituall death It is comfortable because Life but more because Spirituall for this doth eleuate vs aboue our mortall condition and is the pledge of our eternity in heauen This spirituall life we haue partly in Christ partly in our selues In Christ by iustification through his bloud In our selues by regeneration from the spirit First by Iustification through the bloud of Christ For he with all his merits is ours Thus I liue yet not I now but Christ liueth in me and in that I now liue I liue by faith in the Sonne of God Gal. 2.20 I am grafted into him and so I liue by the life of the roote His is the primitiue mine a deriuatiue life Secondly by regeneration from the Spirit who sanctifieth vs and reneweth vs by grace For as before wee had imputed righteousnesse in Christ so now wee haue inherent righteousnesse in our selues though we are not thereby iustified in the sight of God nor dare in any confidence thereof appeare securely in his presence Tutior mihi iustitia data quam innata saith Bernard the imputed righteousnesse of Christ is more safe for me then inherent righteousnesse from the spirit that which is on me then in me Iacob had not obtained the blessing but in the garments of Esau Gen. 27.23 which was a type and figure of our happinesse in the sole righteousnesse of Iesus Christ our Lord. Therefore S. Paul hauing esteemed all things as dung that he might win Christ addeth That I might be found in him not hauing my owne righteousnesse which is of the law but that which is through the faith of Christ Phil. 3.9 Here then is life to liue in him who is life it selfe I am the Way the Truth and the Life Iohn 14.6 I am the Way without which you wander I am the Truth without which you erre I am the Life without which you die Let vs not therefore by sinning any more kill the Lord of life within vs in whom and by whom we liue neither let vs greeue the Spirit by whom wee are sealed vp vnto the day of redemption Let vs not liue after the flesh and extinguish the spirit for the wisedome of the flesh is death but the wisedome of the spirit is life and peace Rom. 8.6 It followeth he hath quickned vs together in Christ Here is not onely life in vs but a community of life with others by a mysticall vnion in Christ and in our selues For there is a double communion The first of the members with Christ For as we haue a spirituall vnion iointly with all the persons He that cleaueth vnto God is one spirit saith S. Paul 1. Cor. 6.17 so we haue a mysticall vnion peculiarly with Christ as being made Man in nature a Redeemer in office and consequently our Head The second of the members amongst themselues For we being many are one body in Christ and euery one one anothers members Rom. 12.5 The members are not diuided in the body nor the body from the head The members are ioined with Christ by liuely faith in themselues by ardent loue So there is a common life in them all a mutuall sense and participation in all things The honour of Christ by any is our comfort his dishonour by any is our grief The good and prosperity of our brethren is ours their euill and calamity also is ours Who is weake saith S. Paul and I am not weake Who is offended and I burne not 2. Cor. 11.29 So much of the first benefite to wit viuification in the spirit The second is Resurrection of soule body He hath raised vs vp together There is the first the second resurrection The first in respect of the Subiect is of the soule the 2. of the body The first in respect of Quality is by grace the second to glory The first in respect of Time is in this life the 2. in the end of the world So that the first is a praecursor aforerūner vnto the second prepareth a way thereunto Finally as there is a death in sin a death for sin so there is a double resurrection the first à culpa from sin the second à poenae from the punishment which followeth thereupon Anima corrupta in culpā fecit quoque vt corpus corrumperetur in poenam saith S. Bernard The soule was corrupted by sinne the body by the punishment thereof So saith he mors mortem operata est