whether wee die that is for our state in death we die vnto the Lord that is we consecrate and offer vp our soules and bodies a holy Sacrifice to God Then secondly Gods protection ouer them in the end of the verse Whether we liue or dye we are the Lords whether wee liue that is for our estate in life we are the Lords that is the Lord protects vs. keepes vs and preserues vs in all dangers or whether we die that is for our state in death the Lord comforts vs saues vs and deliuers vs out of all dangers and euils that by death are threatned vnto vs so thou be a true beleeuer and labour to liue and die in obedience to God and then surely whether thou liuest or dyest thou art the Lords he will protect preserue and saue thee in all dangers of life and death which is as much to say that all true beleeuers are in good safety c. As in the Doctrine In Psal 73.23.24 The Prophet makes it his owne particular speaking to the Lord in the sweet meditation of his soule I was alway with thee thou hast holden me by my right hand thou wilt guide me by thy Councell and afterward receiue me to glory I was alwayes with thee saith the Prophet then he was euer in true safety Thou hast holden mee by my right hand therefore alwayes protected by God in all dangers here is intire safety yea but that is for the time past but what shall be for the time to come All safety too for his whole life thou will guide mee with thy Councell thy counsell shall free me from all dangers preserue me in dangers carry me safely through all my dangers that is for the state of my life but what shall become of vs at death All safety too euen to death in death and after death yea more then safety euen safety in glory and afterward receiue me to glory Phil. 1.20 I am confident saith the Apostle that the Lord Iesus Christ shall be magnified in my body whether it be by life or by death Paul applies it to his particular he is confident of his safety whatsoeuer comes that Christ shall be magnified in his body c. And how shall Christ be magnified in his body in life and death why in life by his manifold deliuerances from the manifold dangers of life and in death by his full deliuerance from all euils and dangers of life and death Consider life and death asunder first in life Gods children are in full safety vnder Gods protection all their life Psal 66.9 Our feete are subiect to many slippings and slidings whilest we walke here in this world euen all our lifetime yea but saith the Prophet God holdeth our soules in life and suffereth not our feete to slip that is God holds vs so as that wee shall not fall away from his loue in Christ Secondly in death they are in safety too vnder Gods protection Psal 116.15 Pretious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints A poore childe of God lies vpon his death-bed and bemoanes himselfe his friends also greeue for him in the sight of the world he is in a greeuous and miserable state yea but in the sight and estimation of God his death is very pretious and deare the Lord loues him the Lord comforts him and at his death the Lord receiues his soule as a pretious Iewell into his owne bosome his death is pretious to the Lord it seperates the vile from the holy death seperates him from his foule sinnes and from his filthy corruptions and from his vncleane flesh and from the wicked world a pretious seperation but it neuer seperates him from the loue of God in Christ Iesus our Lord no it is so farre from that as God esteemes his children more pretious in their death then in their life Reason 1 The reasons why all Gods children are in such safety vnder Gods protection are especially these First because God is the Lord of life and death Deu. 32.39 I kill and give life and God is not onely the Lord of life and death it selfe but of the state of life and death he giues life and he disposeth of vs and of our whole estate in life and he inflicts death and disposeth our state in death we liue of the Lord and in the Lord and to the Lord and we die of the Lord and in the Lord to the Lord. I say he is the Lord of life and death and they are his seruants and they can doe nothing but what God will haue them to doe and therefore except God himselfe will hurt vs these can neuer hurt vs nor put vs out of his safty yea further seeing the Lord himselfe loues vs and protects vs life and death being his seruants shall be applyed and disposed of for the seruice of our safety and protection God is not gouerned by our state condition either in life or death but our state both in life death is altogether ouer-ruled by God framed according to his owne will so that his will being to doe vs good life and death therfore and our whole state in them must be answerable therunto Secondly the Ministry of Gods Angells that is Reason 2 another reason of it for both in life and in death we are vnder the custody of the Angells and that by Gods appointment as hee being the Prince of Angells God giues his Angels charge ouer vs to keepe vs in safety both in life and death and that is the true reason of our safety Psal 91.10 11. The Angels keepe vs and that vniuersally in all our wayes they keepe vs and that very charily and tenderly they beare vs in their hands and they keepe vs very safely and surely so that we dash not our foot against a stone Now the protection of the Angels is Gods own protection because it is by his appointment and therfore ascribe it not to the Creature it is due to the Creator blesse God for it The Angels doe many good offices for vs they waite on vs they destroy our enemies they comfort vs in our distresses and troubles but aboue al they guard our persons in the time of our life Psa 34.7 The Angel of the Lord pitcheth his Tents round about them that feare him deliuereth them And they guard our soules at the time of our death and carry them into Abrahams bosome as they did the soule of Lazarus Luk. 16.22 Here is the safety of Gods children vnder Gods protection both in life and death Thirdly Life and death are ours our friends and Reason 3 on our side and at our seruice 1 Cor. 3.21 All things are yours Life is ours and therefore all the passages of life are for vs and not against vs Death is ours and therefore all the passages of death are for vs not against vs Gods children haue a speciall title to life death to claime them for their owne they haue
respect he calls him our Lord For wherein did euer Christ Iesus shew himselfe more plainely to be the Lord then by his Resurrection And wherein may he Lord it more then in giuing his subiects and seruants victory ouer Death and Hell and all their enemies To proceed yet a little further in the proofe of this point according to this generall proportion of Christ being our Lord that is the Lord of all the faithfull wee shall finde that particular beleeuers haue laide particular claime to Christ euery one of them as to his Lord Luke 1.43 And whence commeth it that the mother of my Lord should come vnto me A strong faith in a weake woman to confesse Christ Iesus to be her Lord euen whilest he was in his mothers wombe My Lord that came downe from heauen for me My Lord that tooke flesh of the blessed Virgine my neere and deare Kinswoman euen for my sake to redeeme mee Iohn 20.13 They haue taken away my Lord c. She speakes it as a woman weeping and mourning but not out of a womanish passion but out of a spirituall and heauenly affection My Lord that hath forgiuen mee so many sinnes My Lord that hath cast out seauen Diuels out of me My Lord that hath stood it out manfully on the Crosse against all the powers of darknesse for the redemption of my poore sinfull soule Oh they haue taken him away and I know not where they haue laid him If I could tell where they haue laid him I would surely goe to him I would goe through thicke and thinne that I might enioy my Lord but alasse they haue taken away my Lord. Iohn 20.28 My Lord and my God It is the speech of Thomas he saw in our Sauiours hands the print of the nailes whereby he was fastened on the Crosse and in his side he saw the wound of the Souldiers Speare and vpon sight thereof he cryes out my Lord and my God as who should say Oh my Lord these wounds thou hast receiued for my sinnes and trangressions Oh my Lord c. The Reasons First Christ is our Lord because Reason 1 he made vs Euery free agent is Lord and Master of the worke of his owne hands He made vs therefore he is our Lord. Col. 1.16 By him all things were made Yea but so he is the Lord of the wicked hee made them too yea but he is our speciall Lord hee made vs not onely to be Creatures which is common to the wicked but to be new Creatures which is peculiar to the faithfull onely 2 Cor. 5.17 If any man be in Christ let him be a new Creature Hee transformes and new moulds vs and makes vs new Creatures if we beleeue in him Our Lord Christ as he makes vs Creatures so he makes vs new Creatures Christ Iesus hath made vs both Creatures and new Creatures too and therefore he must needes be our absolute and speciall Lord. Secondly he is our Lord because we were giuen Reason 2 to him of God Iohn 17.6 Thine they were and thou hast giuen them me God hath giuen vs to his Sonne Christ and therefore wee are his in the best and surest right that may be What better right can we haue then to that which is giuen to vs freely And marke in what termes God hath giuen vs to Christ and by what right we are Christs Thine they were and thou hast giuen them mee In the same propinquity that we were Gods in the same propinquity we were giuen vnto Christ but we were Gods as he is our Lord and therefore we are Christs so too And marke further here how hee shewes himselfe to be their Lord and they to be his seruants I haue declared thy word to them that is I as their Lord haue set them their taske what they must doe that they may be saued And they haue kept thy Word saith our Sauiour that is as good and faithfull seruants to their Lord they haue followed my direction Reason 3 Thirdly he is our Lord because he hath deliuered vs from all our enemies Sinne Sathan c. Luke 1.71 A temporall deliuerer from a temporall bondage deserues iustly to be Lord ouer those whom he doth deliuer and this the Law and light of Nature taught among the Heathen for looke who it was deliuered another from any bondage his Lord hee was Our Lord Iesus Christ deliuered vs from the spirituall and eternall bondage and slauery of Sinne Sathan Curse Death Hell and Eternall damnation And therefore he must needes bee our Lord much more And this Reason may be yet further confirmed if we consider the intendment of Christ in our deliuerance and that was that we his seruants might serue him all the dayes of our life Luk. 1.74 Fourthly he is our Lord because he hath bought Reason 4 vs 2 Pet. 2.1 Denying the Lord that he hath bought them Naturall reason teacheth vs this Shall not a man be Lord of that he hath bought and truely and dearely paide for But Christ hath bought vs and paide dearely for vs not siluer and gold but his owne pretious bloud therefore he hath most soueraigne right ouer vs as our Lord and we are most strictly bound to him as his seruants It is the Apostles reason in the 1 Cor. 6 2â— Yee are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your bodies and in you spirits for they are Gods This Doctrine is full of Vse the first Vse is concerning Christ himselfe the second is concerning vnbeleeuers and the third is concerning the faithfull The first Vse is concerning Christ himselfe He is Vse 1 our Lord This is an euident proofe of his Godhead he is our Lord and therefore our God Christ is sometime called the Lord and that intends his Soueraigne power and authority ouer all things sometime our Lord and this intends his Soueraigne power and supreame authoritie ouer the Church euery way the name Lord proues him to be God For to haue Soueraigne power and supreame authority ouer all things or ouer the Church cannot be giuen to any but to God Remember the termes before mentioned vnder which wee are to conceiue Christ to be our Lord and euery one of them will necessarily conclude that Christ our Lord is Christ our God First hee is our speciall Lord as hee is our Mediator and he must be God as well as man that he may be Mediator betwixt God and man Againe hee is our spirituall Lord he is Lord ouer our soules and consciences and a conscience well rectified acknowledgeth none ouer it but God Againe he is our sauing Lord and none can challenge this but God himselfe Saluation belongs to God alone Lastly hee is our absolute Lord to be obeyed without questioning without controule and without resisting in all things whatsoeuer he commands and this none can challenge but God onely I hope there is none here present that will either deny or doubt of Christs Godhead but there are many of vs that in prayer and
fall FINIS THE NINTH SERMON Vpon ROMANS 8. the two last Verses For I am sure that neither Death nor life nor Angels c. WE haue proceeded in handling this Scripture as the Lord hath beene pleased to giue strength so far as that now we are come to speake of those particular dangers which the Apostle propounds to himselfe and to all the faithfull and the particular comforts which they haue to sustain themselues in them we haue spoken before in the generall of both Now we are to proceed to the particulars for so the Apostle makes mention of some principall and particular dangers here as Death life Angels c. wherin we must not thinke that our Apostle speaks rashly or at aduenture but vpon mature deliberation of set purpose he makes special choise of these particulars here mentioned as being the most materiall things whereby any danger may acrue to Gods children and secures himselfe and them of safety and preseruation against all these dangers Our Apostle vnderstood himselfe well for he spake as hee was moued by the spirit and the spirit neuer speakes idlely he spake it in the height of his faith and therefore in the height of his spirit and therefore he spake most seriously and aduisedly and not rashly and he spake it in the depth of his afflictions verse 36. and the words of the afflicted are not winde as Iob speakes that is a bare and empty sound but vsually they are full of matter and substance and surely that which the Apostle here mentions is so full of matter and substance that I could neuer find by my poore reading meditation prayers any full content touching the full sence and reach of the Apostle But a man may passe in a shallow boat ouer a deepe riuer and so farre as our lyne and plummet will reach wee will endeauour God willing to sound the depth of these mysteries Neither death nor life nor Angells c. shall separate vs. First of the first two particulars death and life By life and by death we are to vnderstand not onely the things themselues life and death but all occurrences and passages Our whole estate in life and death we are then to take it thus as if the Apostle had said I am sure that neuer any thing that doth befall Gods Children either in life or in death shall be able to separate them from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. The Doctrine is this All true Beleeuers are in good safetie vnder Gods assured protection against all dangers in life death Doctrine That the Doctrine may be the better vnderstood and beleeued take these two points for explication First Explication consider the dangers that are offered vnto vs in life and death Secondly let vs consider how farre all true beleeuers are in safety against them And first we will beginne with the dangers of life Two dangers of life Life indangers vs two wayes either on the right hand when we are too much in loue with it Or on the left hand when we are too much out of loue with it On the right hand life is in it selfe very sweet and much desired and delighted in but especially when it is seconded with outward comforts as health friends ease goods honours c. then it is much more sweet and desired Yea but Gods children must know that they must deny themselues forsake their own wills they must be crucified to the whole world the world must be crucified to them yea and happily they must bee called out to loose their liues for Christ and for his Gospell Now here is the danger whether they will loose their sweet liues or their sweet soules many of Gods deare children haue bin put to great plunges in this kind Peter himselfe though hee loued his Master dearely and profest that hee would neuer forsake him but resolued to dye with him yet when it came to the triall for the brunt of the proofe that either hee must forsake his Master or his life Peter had rather forsake his best Master then his sweet life When such tall Cedars shrinke in such a storme alas poore soules what shal become of vs the low shrubs Againe life indangers on the left hand by crosses whereby wee are too much out of loue with it After a time of well fare comes losses wants discontentments sicknesses paines infirmities temptations persecutions terrours of conscience they come What are wee to doe in this case Here are great dangers towards vs our hearts droope our spirits are dying wee are a burthen to our selues wee are weary of our liues heere is our danger Now whether are wee content patiently to endure this dying life or desperately to desire an vntimely death This was a danger of Ionas 4.3 It is better for mee saith hee to dye then to liue A fearefull speech of a Prophet of the Lord And so it was a danger of Iob chap. 7.15 My soule chuseth rather to be strangled and to dye Yea many of Gods deare children haue beene so hardly put to it in this kinde that they haue beene tempted to make away themselues and to put an end to a wearisome life by a desperate death I say they haue beene tempted to it but through Gods mercifull protection they haue beene kept from it Here are the dangers of life Secondly Death endangers vs another way How death indangers man The very name of death is terrible to vs and sometime the time of our death doth dismay vs and sometime the manner of our death troubles vs but the matter of death that scarres vs most of all when wee thinke with our selues that now wee must die and giue vp the Ghost and leaue all the world and forsake this present light that shines about vs when the body and soule must part that haue been all this while louing friends together the body to returne to the dust as it was and the soule to God that gaue it when wee thinke with our selues of the bitternesse and sowrenesse and pangs of death and of our particular Iudgement in death and the generall iudgement that shall come after death and begin to feele these things come vpon vs here is our danger Many of the children of God haue beene ready vpon their consideration hereof to let goe their hold in God and to say that God doth not loue them because he deales so rigorouslly and extreamely with them herein Adde herevnto that we may saue our liues and escape all these feares for the time if wee will our selues as in the case of persecution if we will forsake our Religion and deny our faith wee may saue our liues then the sweetnesse of life alluring vs on the one side the feare terror of death affrighting vs on the other side makes this a great danger oh what danger is vpon vs now in this case of our vtter seperation from the loue of God in Christ Iesus This
was one of Sathans chiefe bolts that he shot at Iob Iob 2.4 Skin for skin and all that euer a man hath will he giue for his life These are the dangers of life and death great dangers horrible dangers well yet whosoeuer is the childe of God is in safety vnder Gods protection against all these Therefore the second point is to know how farre the children of God are in safety against all these dangers They are not exempted from any of these dangers in respect of the matter of them for so all things fall out alike to all to the iust and to the wicked Preach 9.2 There are some dangers of life and some of death and they fall alike to good and bad yea but the faithfull are in safety from the euill of all these dangers Iob 5.19 Hee will deliuer thee in sixe troubles and the euill of the seauenth shall not touch thee Troubles shall be vpon them but the euill of the troubles shall not touch them Psalm 23.4 Though I should walke in the valley of the shadow of death I will feare no euill Dauid might walke in the valley of the shadow of death as well as others but God is with him therefore he shall not feare the euill of the shadow of death And this is as much as our Sauiour prayed for and obtained for vs Iohn 17.15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world but that thou shouldest keepe them from euill and therfore this is as much as we must or can looke for But what are these euils that we are subiect to in these dangers of life and death I answere Foure euils Gods people are freed from in affliction there are foure speciall euils in the dangers of life and death which all Gods children are freed from and which all the wicked fall into The first is losse of graces the second is the hardening of the heart by sinne the third is the furtherance of eternall damnation the fourth is the reuenging hand of God First losse of graces the seeming graces of the wicked may be and vsually are lost in their troubles and dangers their seeming faith their seeming repentance and their seeming obedience Luke 8.13 In time of temptation they fall away their faith is lost but Gods children can neuer loose their graces by their afflictions they may decay in some graces and the brightnesse of them may be dimbd and their edge blunted by the extremity of their afflictions but they can neuer be vtterly depriued of them Nay so farre off are Gods children from loosing their graces by their afflictions that they are gayners in grace by them by their afflictions their sinnes and corruptions are purged and they come forth like the pure gold as Iob speakes Iob 23.10 He tryeth me but I shall come forth like the gold The second euill is the hardening of the heart in sinne the wicked are hardened by their afflictions in sinne let Pharaoh be in danger of Gods iudgements and he will harden his heart in his sinnes but let Iosiah bee in danger of Gods iudgements and his heart will melt at them and he will humble himselfe before the Lord and so Iob 23.16 For God hath softened mine heart and the Almighty hath troubled me Iobs troubles softned Iobs heart and made him to feare the Lord. Thirdly the furtherance of eternall damnation that is another euill in these dangers to the wicked the tryals which they endure here are the beginnings of hell All these fearefull passages that befell Kaine in his life Iudas in his death were the beginnings of their passage into hell and condemnation but it is contrary with Gods children in their afflictions for all their afflictions are preuentions of condemnation 1 Cor. 11.32 When we are iudged wee are chastened of the Lord because we should not be condemned with the world Yea they are furtherances vnto heauen 2 Cor. 4.17 Our light afflictions which are but for a moment cause vnto vs a farre more excellent and eternall waight of glory Looke how it was with the Israelites and the Egyptians in the red Sea so it is with the wicked and the godly in their dangers of life and death they were both in the Sea together but the Israelites they passe safe through it and the Sea was as a wall to them on the right hand and on the left and a high way to helpe them forward in their passage from Egypt towards Canaan but the Egyptians were ouerwhelmed of it and it became their graue and they sunke to hell in it So the sea of all the troubles both of life and death are matters of vtter desolation to the wicked to further their damnation But all that befall Gods children in this passage of life and death are helpes and furtherances to the heauenly Canaan matters that further their saluation The fourth and last euill in these dangers is the reuenging wrath of God and this is the euil of all euils the true cause of all the former when God afflicts the wicked hee doth it to bee reuenged of them for their sins as a wrathfull Iudge But when he afflicts his children if it be in anger it is a fatherly anger and indeed it is rather a fatherly loue and a signe of his fauour Heb. 12.6 Whom the Lord loueth he chasteneth c. Iere. 10.24 Oh Lord correct me but in iudgement not in thine anger God corrects his children but he doth it not in anger fury no that is for the wicked Lay all these together First the children of God in all their troubles loose no grace no they are gayners by them secondly they do not harden their hearts in sin no their hearts are mollified by them thirdly their afflictions are not furtherances to hell but they further them to heauen Lastly they come not as the reuenging hand of God in fury vpon them but in loue as a father corrects his child and then see and say Oh how safe are all Gods children in all their dangers both of life and death So that we see the Doctrine is cleare that all true beleeuers are in good safety vnder Gods assured protection against all dangers of life and death For proofe of this point Proofes first consider life and death together and then consider them asunder and we shall find this to be true consider them together as Rom. 14.8 Whether we liue wee liue vnto the Lord or whether we die we die vnto the Lord whether wee liue therefore or die we are the Lords The persons there spoken of are true beleeuers wee and there are two things affirmed of them First their duty to God secondly Gods protection ouer them their duty to God in the former part of the verse in life and death whether we liue that is for the time of our life we liue vnto God that is we consecrate our bodies and soules our liues and all our endeauours to Gods seruice and to his glory or
warrant from God to take all the benefit they can afford them and a priuiledge too to free and secure them from all their hurts God hath imposed an ineuitable law vpon life and death that they shall be attendant vpon his children to doe them all the good they can but no euill and God hath giuen power an heart to his children to serue themselues vpon life and death for their owne safety Reason 4 Fourthly Death and life are sanctified and sweetned vnto vs by the life and death of Iesus Christ and that is the reason that we are in safety against the euill of all our afflictions and this reason the Apostle giues of it for his owne particular Philip. 1.20.21 Christ shall be magnified in my body whether it be by life or by death Why for Christ is to me both in life and death aduantage And so likewise it is the Apostles reason for all the faithfull in generall Rom. 14.9 why we are the Lords whether we liue or die for Christ saith he therefore dyed and rose againe and reuiued that hee might bee Lord both of the dead and quicke that is that hee might be a protecting and a sauing Lord to vs both in the state of life and death A Snake or a Serpent is in danger to poyson vs and sting vs if we handle them as they are but if wee get out their poyson and sting from them then we may handle them safely and they can doe vs no harme In this corrupt state life is as a Snake and death is as a Serpent full of poyson in themselues and we are in danger to bee stung and poysoned by them but Christ Iesus by his life and by his death hath taken away the poyson of our life and the sting of our death that is sinne and so wee are now in safety against all the dangers both of life and death there is no hurt in them The vses are these The first vse is for matter of comfort to Gods Vse 1 children It is matter of sound comfort to all true beleeuers that they liue in safety they die in safety They liue vnder Gods protection and they dye vnder Gods protection they liue a happy life and they die a happy death Blessed are the people that are in such a case yea Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord. Moses was rauished with the meditation of the happy estate of Gods children in their life and in their death Deut. 33.27.29 The eternall God is thy refuge and vnder his armes thou art for euer Blessed art thou oh Israel who is like vnto thee oh people saued by the Lord c. Here is a happy state indeed feares assault vs God comforts vs afflictions trouble vs God preserues vs our enemies thrust sore at vs that wee should fall but God is our helper our sinnes endanger vs God deliuers vs the Diuell tempts vs God vpholds vs death strikes at vs but God he shields and saues vs our hearts and our strength and our life they faile vs yea but God is our portion for euer he will neuer faile vs neither in life nor in death Shall the Creatures hurt vs No they shall nor for God hath made a couenant with them for vs Hosea 2.18 Would the wicked swallow and deuoute vs They shall not God will not giue vs as a prey to their teeth c. Psal 124.6 7. Is the whole world in an vproare round about vs Yet we are in safety Psal 91.7 8. Is the whole frame of Nature out of order as it lackes but little of it at this day yea but hee that calls vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued Ioel 2.31 32. A necessary consideration and meditation as at all times so in these troublesome cruell desperate and bloudy times when warres and rumors of warres are sounding in euery mans eare and Gods enemies make hauoke of Gods Church and the Angell of the Lord is abroad in the world executing Gods iust iudgements in many places and when there is a generall combustion in most parts of Christendome yet here is all our stay The Lord will surely helpe his people and saue his inheritance vpon all his glory shall be a defence Yea but are not many of Gods deare children at this day greatly persecuted in many places are they not murthered consumed and deuoured It is true let the wicked take away their liues yet they shall neuer take away their soules no God is ready when their liues are taken away by their enemies to receiue their soules and to place them in eternall glory Vse 2 The second vse is to stirre vs vp to much thankefulnesse to God that he being so holy and mighty and glorious a God should so respect and take such care for such poore sinnefull wretches as wee are as that he should continually watch ouer vs not for euill but for our good both in life and death whereas we haue deserued euill at his hands the best Master that is can but protect his seruant and looke to but while hee liues at his death hee giues him ouer and can doe him no good but our good God our heauenly Master keepes and protects vs his sinnefull seruants and doth vs good both in life and in death and after death This is a blessed Master and blessed are those seruants that serue such a Master Psal 48. the last verse This God is our God for euer and euer hee shall be our guide vnto the death Thirdly This should strengthen our faith against Vse 3 all terrours in life and death against all terrours in death against all terrours of life because the Lord is the strength of our life of whom then shall wee be afraid Psal 27.1 and Psal 42.8 God is said to be the God of our life this is a sweet comfort and should much strengthen our faith against all terrours in our life because God is the God of our life and what can spoile that which God preserues So it should strengthen our faith against all terrours of death Though hee kill me yet will I trust in him saith Iob 13.14.15 And the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.1 We know that if the earthly house of this our Tabernacle be destroyed we haue a building giuen vs of God that is an house not made with hands but eternall in the heauens If God take away our life we haue an eternall state in heauen Fourthly This teacheth vs patience in all our sufferings Vse 4 because we are in safety against them all vnder Gods protection It is our Sauiours owne argument Luke 21.18.19 There shall not one haire of your heads perish by your patience possesse your soules We haue great reason to be patient all the while wee are in safety but wee are in safety in all our sufferings not onely in life but in death too and therefore we must be patient in all our sufferings both in life and death Vse 3 The last vse teacheth vs to apply our selues
many respects I haue beene mooued to Dedicate to you Mr. Doctor and to you the rest of my louing friends for three reasons First because I conceiue that it doth more properly belong vnto you then to any other for to whom should it belong if not to you Mr. Doctor who succeed the Author of it in his pastorall charge whereby you may see how with what kinde of nourishment he fed his now your people And to what people doth it more properly belong then to you my louing friends for whom it was first conceiued studyed penned and preached Secondly that I might manifest my intire loue and hearty wel-wishing to you all amongst whom I haue exercised my Ministery for the space of nine yeares last past and still doe by the mercy of God Thirdly that I might bee a meanes of further knitting and continuing you in vnfained loue one towards another by ioyning you together in this Dedication of this worke whom God hath by his speciall prouidence ioyned together in that neere band of relation of Pastor and people That this may be and that you and all others to whom this Treatise shall come may gaine as much spirituall good as the Author in studying penning and preaching and I in publishing desire I doe and will pray to him that is the God of loue and the giuer of all good things and that through him who is the Sonne of his loue and the meanes and way of all good things to vs euen the Lord Iesus In whom I am yours in the seruice of the Lord William Holbrooke To the Christian Reader VNderstand Christian Reader that these following Sermons were giuen by the Author as they were written by his owne hand to his louing friend Mr. Edward Misselden Merchant who most Christianly and willingly vpon the first motion deliuered them vnto me and condiscended to the publishing of them knowing that bonum quo communius eo melius a good thing the more common it is the better it is for which thou art much beholding to him for by this meanes thou hast these Sermons as they were penned and preached by the Author without addition or detraction Reade and meditate throughly vpon them thou shalt not I assure thee repent thee of thy labour for thou shalt finde therein much deepe and necessary heauenly doctrine and through Gods blessing be furnished with armour of proofe against all dangers and troubles whatsoeuer that are vpon thee or may befall thee in this life Be thankefull to God for this and all meanes of thy spirituall good which he affordeth thee and forget not to pray for him who forgetteth not to pray for thee and the whole Church of God and who will euer bee thine in the seruice of the Lord William Holbrooke SAINT PAVLS TRIVMPHES OR The SAINTS Coniunction with GOD and support in TROVBLES In the 116. Psalme verse 10. the Prophet Dauid speakes thus of himselfe I beleeued and therefore did I speake In imitation of the practise of the Prophet the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 4.13 takes vp the very same speech We also beleeue saith hee and therefore wee speake And in imitation of that practise both of the Prophet and of the Apostle I am now come here to speake as God shall enable me that which God hath enabled me to beleeue I beleeue that which I speake and I speake that which I beleeue and because I beleeue it therefore I speake it And what is that which I beleeue and speake Euen the very same matter and words which the Apostle Paul beleeued and spake in the depth of his Afflictions THE FIRST SERMON ROMANS Chap. 8. Vers 38.39 For I am perswaded or I am sure that neither Death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. FOr I am perswaded or I am sure c. It being the ordinary portion of all Gods children to suffer many afflictions in this life It was therefore the ordinary practise of the Apostles to minister comfort and consolation to all Gods children against all their sufferings Thus the Apostle here in this place to comfort himselfe and the faithfull against all afflictions propounds two considerations First what the afflictions are that may befall Gods children Secondly what harme they can doe them And this he doth from the 35. verse First what the afflictions are that Gods children are subiect to in this life and they are of all sorts sore and heauy Tribulation Distresse Persecution Famine Nakednesse Perill Sword c. Secondly what harme can they doe to Gods children He doth not exempt vs from any bodily dangers for therein wee are as other men but they cannot endanger our spirituall estate to depriue vs of that they cannot seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord for so the question intends verse 35. Who shall seperate vs from the loue of Christ shal Tribulation or Distresse As who should say nothing can No they are so farre from doing vs harme in our spirituall estate as that contrariwise we are much the better for them in that kinde In all these things wee are conquerors and more then conquerors through him that loued vs verse 37. And hereupon the Apostle growes to a peremptory resolution and determines the matter clearely both on his owne part and on the part of all the faithfull That neither life nor death nor Angels nor Principalities c. shall euer seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord verse 38.39 The parts of this Scripture are two First the Apostles resolution that neither life nor death c. shall euer seperate him from the loue of God Secondly his protestation of this his resolution I am perswaded or I am sure of it First the Apostles resolution that nothing shall seperate him c. The substance and effect whereof is this that true beleeuers can neuer fall away vtterly from grace which he expresseth in these termes that nothing can seperate vs c. So long as God loues vs we can neuer vtterly fall away from grace But God loues vs alwayes nothing can seperate vs from his loue Therefore we can neuer vtterly fall away from grace And that he might not seeme to speake vnaduisedly or rashly he knowes not what therefore he casts vp his reckoning before-hand as the wise King doth before he vndertakes War Luke 14.31 So doth the Apostle foresee and set before his eies all the causes dangers of falling away that may be thought of then heartens himselfe against them all against death against life against Angels c. and against all commers neuer shall any thing seperate vs from the loue of God neither death nor life saith the Apostle What danger soeuer befals vs it befals vs either in our life or in our death but
neither in death nor in life shall any thing seperate vs saith the Apostle therefore nothing can Yea but yet wee may be ouermatched with mighty enemies which are too strong for vs as Angels Principalities Powers the Apostle continues his resolution that God is infinitely more strong and mighty to saue vs then all our enemies are to destroy vs and therefore saith nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers shall euer preuaile against vs Yea but though our present state be good enough yet things to come are vncertaine We know not yet how hardly we may be bestead hereafter vpon our death-beds c. But saith the Apostle all shall be well then too our God is not a God a farre off but at hand too our louing God is not onely for the time present but for the time to come euen for all eternity his loue neuer changeth And therefore as our state is good for the present so it is for the time to come God hath secured vs for that too neither things present nor things to come Yea but there is a great height aboue vs we may bee snatched vp of that and a great depth below vs wee may be swallowed vp of that No saith the Apostle our God that loues vs rules in all things both in the highest heights and in the lowest depths that are and therefore it is neither the height of Heauen nor the depth of Hell that can separate vs Yea but there are infinite Creatures in the world and wee know not what mischiefe they may doe vs but saith the Apostle they are but Creatures and therefore in the hands and disposing of God their Creator who is our louing Father in Christ Iesus and therefore not any one of them can nor all of them together shall be able to separate vs c. Now secondly of his protestation I am perswaded or I am sure of it It is not a bare conceit but a full perswasion in me I doe not goe by thinkings and guessings but vpon a sure ground I am sure of it and here I make it knowne to all the world bee it knowne to the faithfull for their comfort and reioycing be it knowne to the wicked for their terrour and astonishment be it knowne to the Angels in heauen and be it knowne to the Diuels in hell that I am perswaded that I am confident in it that neither death nor life c. Oh Paul great was thy faith Oh thou beleeuing Man or Woman whatsoeuer thou art labour and striue thou to get this perswasion into thy heart and if thou canst not get this full perswasion which was in the Apostle yet labour to be a true Beleeuer make sure worke for that and then Paul doth here assure thee as himselfe that neither death nor life c shall euer be able to separate thee from the loue of God in Christ Iesus for Paul doth not speake this onely in particular of himselfe but of vs putting it the case of euery beleeuing Man and Woman He saith not nothing can separate mee but vs that is all the faithfull and surely hee had the Spirit and could not be deceiued and therefore what was his case is ours I am sure not any thing can seperate me and I am sure not any thing shall seperate them whosoeuer they be that haue sauing faith For I am perswaded saith the Apostle that neither death nor life nor Angels c. shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Now for my more orderly proceeding and your better vnderstanding I will cast this Scripture into this mould The whole substance of the Text doth spend and empty it selfe into these seauen particulars First is a matter of Implication and that is that there is a Communion or Coniunction betwixt God and the faithfull Separation presupposeth Coniunction when the Apostle saith nothing can separate vs from God it is necessarily implyed that there is a Coniunction betwixt God and vs for things that were neuer ioyned together cannot be said to be separated one from the other Then secondly he expresseth the Bond of this Coniunction and that is the loue of God Thirdly he shewes the ground and foundation of this Bond and Coniunction and that is Christ Iesus our Lord. Fourthly he declares a speciall Interest that the faithfull haue in Christ Iesus by a note of neere and speciall reference betwixt Christ and the faithfull our Lord. Fiftly the Apostle auoucheth the certainty of the safety of Gods Children amidst all dangers nothing can separate vs and this hee enlargeth in many particular dangers euen the greatest that can be imagined Death life c. Sixtly he protests his Confidence which hee hath concerning this their safety as being the vndoubted truth of God I am perswaded or I am sure c. Seauenthly he beares vp himselfe boldly vpon this assurance against all afflictions and dangers that euer did or euer could befall him for this is the maine drift of this whole discourse being propounded by way of a Reason for I am sure Why doth he insult ouer all these Because hee is sure and bold against them all Now to the particulars Doct. and first for the matter of Implication The Doctrine is this All true beleeuers are ioyned to God in Christ and haue a gracious and an holy and spirituall Communion and fellowship with him The point is but implyed here and therefore I must not be very large in it but yet because it is so implyed as being one speciall meanes of our standing fast in the state of Grace it must not be left vntoucht nor yet too sparingly handled It is a Doctrine hard to be vnderstood and I dare say it passeth the capacity of man to vnderstand it in the perfection of it I say it is hard to be vnderstood but it is harder to be beleeued but hardest of all to be practised we will speake somewhat of it therefore first by way of Explication that so we may the better vnderstand it secondly somewhat by way of Confirmation that we may the better beleeue it thirdly somewhat by way of Application that wee may the better practise it First for Explication Explication there is a twofold Communion with God one generall the other speciall the generall is common to all the Creatures all haue communion with God they in him and he in them they in him as their Creator he in them as his Creatures And this communion they haue with God in Christ too who is the first begotten of euery Creature and in him all things consist Colos 1.15.17 as if he should say Christ hath Communion with God for hee is the Image of the inuisible God the Creatures haue communion with Christ for hee is the first begotten of euery Creature and in him all consist and so consequently all the Creatures haue some kinde of Communion with God The speciall Communion is twofold either that Communion which the Angels haue
denie our selues and dye to sinne and rise againe to newnesse of life Thou that goest on in thy sinne neuer dreame that God loues thee in Christ except thou hast crucified the flesh with the lusts they that haue their part of Gods loue in Christ they crucifie the flesh Thirdly then this loue of God to vs in Christ is a most perfect loue Ioh. 17.23 God loues vs with the same loue wherewith he loues Christ and therefore it cannot but be a most perfect loue If God should loue vs in our selues it would be a very imperfect loue not worthy God because all the louely graces in the best of vs are stained with many imperfections and therefore God takes vs and sets vs into Christ forgiues all our sinnes in his death and couers all our vnrighteousnesse with his righteousnesse and so beholds vs and loues vs in him with a perfect loue and if we haue not this perswasion we shall neuer come to haue any true peace in our consciences Fourthly if God loue vs in Christ then his loue to vs is most vnchangeable and vnmoueable it is grounded and built on a Rocke and the Rocke is Christ Iesus and therefore can neuer be moued but stands fast for euer If any thing can alienate Gods loue from Christ Iesus then it may alienate his loue from vs If nothing can remoue his loue from Christ then nothing can remoue it from vs and let sinne and Sathan and all our enemies bodily and spirituall stand vp and say what they can doe against vs Can you draw vs from the loue of God wee will put you hard to it well doe your worst Can you draw the loue of God from Christ if you cannot as wee are sure you cannot then you cannot draw it from vs for it is grounded in Christ Iesus Lastly if God loue vs in Christ then this loue of God to vs is a most sweet and comfortable loue and that in all the former respects because it is a tender loue a holy loue a perfect loue and an vnchangeable loue yea but especially in this respect because it is in Christ Iesus the very name of Gods loue is very sweet and comfortable vnto vs but when the nature of it is tendred vnto vs in the name and person of Iesus Christ it is much more sweet and comfortable vnto vs To be sorted with Christ in any state whatsoeuer is very comfortable to the beleeuing soule to be in afflictions and reproaches with him yea to dye with him this is a comfortable thing to Gods Children Who would not thinke themselues happy to be ioyned with Christ in any of these Yea but to be sorted with Christ in the bosome of God in the loue of God that God should loue vs in Christ Iesus yea and with the same loue wherewith hee loued Christ Iesus Here is the comfort of all comforts and the fulnesse of our Consolation The last Vse teacheth vs that as God loues in Vse 6 Christ Iesus and measures forth all his proceedings to vs in him so must wee doe to God againe If wee doe any thing to God doe it in Christ If we beleeue in God let vs beleeue in him through Christ If wee pray to God let vs pray to him in Christ If we loue God let vs loue him in Christ If we obey God let vs obey him in Christ If wee worship God let vs worship him in Christ Whatsoeuer we doe in word or deed let all be done in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ Colos 3.17 else it is abhominable to God our spirituall sacrifices are acceptable to God onely in Iesus Christ 1 Pet. 2.5 Againe is Iesus Christ the ground of all Gods loue to vs then let the ground of all our loue to God to the faithfull and to the Creatures be setled in Christ Doth God loue thee onely in Christ and canst thou not loue where thou seest Christ Or darest thou loue where thou dost not see him Seeing God loues where he sees Christ and loues not where he sees not Christ learne his example and frame loue to his loue Let vs loue the Creatures of God in Christ the Children of God in Christ let vs loue the ordinances of God in Christ let vs loue God himselfe in Christ and whatsoeuer we doe in the seruice of God let it be done in Christ whatsouer we doe in word or deed let all be done in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ Yee come now to receiue the Sacrament of the Lords Supper then walke by this Rule in receiuing Let vs doe all that we doe herein in the name faith loue power and mediation of Christ Let vs receiue it in Christ as God giues it to vs for the loue hee beares to vs in Christ so let vs receiue it for the loue of Christ with a true purpose to serue God all our life and let vs bewaile our sinnes and know that all our worthinesse is in Christ and therefore let vs receiue it in the worthinesse of Christ beleeuing that God will make it effectuall to our soules in him And so receiuing it and doing all we doe in it in the name of Christ we shall receiue it with glory to God and comfort to our owne Soules FINIS THE FOVRTH SERMON Vpon ROMANS â—… the two last Verses For I am perswaded or I am sure that neither Death nor life nor Angels c. AS the Lord hath beene pleased to enable vs we haue entred into the handling of these verses and shewed the dependance of them with the former and the meaning of the seuerall tearmes of words that the Apostle declares himselfe vpon then I laide you downe seauen heads whereunto the whole force of the Apostles speech might be reduced the first was implyed and that was that there is a Communion betwixt God all true beleeuers Secondly the Apostle shewes the Bond of this Communion that is the loue of God Thirdly he shewes the ground of this Communion and of the bond of it and that is Iesus Christ Fourthly the Apostle declares the neere interest that the faithfull haue to Christ by a note of speciall reference our Lord. And this is the point we are now come vnto and if God shew vs strength in weakenesse it shall be our meditation at this time Christ Iesus our Lord The Doctrine hence is this Doctrine That there is a very neere and speciall reference betwixt Christ Iesus and all the faithfull whereby hee is interressed in them they in him He is our Lord saith the Apostle and consequently wee are his subiects and seruants for this is a terme of mutuall relation intending his right in vs and ours in him his superiority ouer vs and our subiection vnto him hee is our Lord and we are his subiects and seruants According to our manner we will speake somewhat of this by way of Explication Explication And therein wee are to consider of two things First of the Title Lord.
Secondly how it doth sute with the present purpose of the Apostle First of the Title Our Lord or the Lord of the faithfull or the Lord ouer his Church Christ is our Lord A Lord is a name both of honour and also of authority and power therefore when the Apostle saith Christ Iesus our Lord we must vnderstand that he is the owner and also the guider and ruler of the faithfull hee gouernes vs by his lawes and guides vs by his Spirit and keepes vs in his protection and imployes vs in his seruice The Lordship of Iesus Christ ouer the Church or ouer the faithfull is to be conceiued vnder these termes First that he is our speciall Lord secondly that he is our spirituall Lord thirdly that he is our sauing Lord and fourthly that he is our absolute and onely Lord. First Christ is our speciall Lord God the Father and God the holy Ghost as well as God the Sonne is our Lord and yet there is but one Lord as there is but one God but this is in a generall sence But Christ is our Lord not onely in respect of the Godhead as the other persons are but in a speciall manner as hee is our Mediator Acts 2.36 God hath made him both Lord and Christ that is God hath put this office and honour vpon him God hath appointed him to be our Lord in a special manner as he is our Mediator Secondly he is our spirituall Lord he is not the Lord of our bodies onely but of our soules and our consciences and this Lordship which he hath ouer vs he exerciseth not in any worldly state or outward pompe but in a spirituall state as a heauenly Lord Iohn 18.36 My Kingdome is not of this world as who should say I am a King but not an earthly King a Lord but not a worldly Lord but I am a spirituall King and a heauenly Lord. Thirdly hee is our sauing Lord he is the Lord of the whole world of the wicked as well as of the faithfull in a generall sence but to them he is a destroying Lord to vs hee is a sauing Lord 2 Pet. 2.18 Last and grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ Christ is so our Lord as he is also our Sauiour and that not onely with a temporall saluation to saue vs temporally for so as the Prophet speakes hee saues both man and beast but as our eternall Sauiour to giue vs euerlasting saluation both in grace and glory Fourthly he is our absolute and onely Lord ruling vs meerely by his owne will freeing vs from all forraigne powers and authority whatsoeuer If any creature haue any Lordship or authority ouer vs as Kings Princes Magistrates Parents and Ministers haue it is as subordinate to our Lord Iesus Christ And whatsoeuer they doe to vs they must doe it as vnder him and whatsoeuer we do to them we must doe it as vnto Christ Col. 3.23.24 Whatsoeuer ye doe doe it heartily as vnto the Lord and not men knowing that of the Lord ye shall receiue the reward for yee serue the Lord Christ It is in him and by him that they rule ouer vs and it is in him and for him that we doe seruice to them for so is the rule in that place The second point for Explication is how this Title sutes here with the present purpose of the Apostle Surely it sutes very fitly with it for it is a point very materiall to the cause in hand that is to proue the stability of the faithfull in the state of grace For some happily might obiect and say What if the loue of God be set vpon vs in Christ how come wee to fare the better for it Yes saith the Apostle the same Christ in whom God loues vs is himselfe our Lord and we are his seruants therfore his care respect for vs is such that looke whatsoeuer loue God doth intend and beare to vs in him himselfe being our Lord will faithfully mannage the same at all times for our best safety and greatest good The Apostle had named mighty aduersaries as Death Life Angels c. and for our better encouragement against them all hee sets out our Captaine and deliuerer in a high and glorious title He is a Lord and therefore farre aboue all our enemies he is our Lord and therefore can and will deliuer vs from them all Proofes We come to the proofes There is nothing more frequent in the new Testament then this that Iesus Christ is called our Lord and no maruell for this is the very summe of the Gospel the Apostle makes it to be so Rom. 1.1.3 Paul an Apostle of Iesus Christ called to be an Apostle put a part to preach the Gospel of God Concerning his Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord. I will onely serue my selfe vpon such places of Scripture where Christ is called our Lord in some speciall significancy that is with some speciall reference to some notable worke whereby he hath shewed himselfe to be our Lord. 1 Cor. 8.6 Vnto vs there is but one God euen that Father of whom are all things and we in him and one Lord Iesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him Hee had shewed before that there are many Gods and many Lords to others but to vs that is to the faithful there is but one God Father one Lord Iesus Christ Mark how significantly the Apostle applies this Title Lord to Iesus Christ in respect of the Soueraigne Lordly power he hath ouer all things especially ouer the faithfull Christ Iesus hath supreame authoritie ouer all things all things are by him and we by him and therefore he is our Lord and our onely Lord we haue but one Lord. Rom. 7.25 I thanke God through Iesus Christ our Lord. The Apostle had complained before of the bitter combate which he felt within himselfe betwixt the flesh and the spirit and finding himselfe ouer-matched with the lusts of the flesh in the 24. verse hee cryes out for helpe Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee and presently he thinkes vpon Iesus Christ our Lord and vpon him he sets downe his rest I thanke God through Iesus Christ our Lord as if he should say it is Iesus Christ our Lord that hath appointed me to this combate It is Iesus Christ our Lord that giues me strength in the combate and it is Iesus Christ our Lord that in due time will deliuer me and giue me victory in this combate though I be ouermatched with these enemies yet he will ouermatch them Who should a man flie to in his distresse but to his Lord So the Apostle here flyes to Christ Iesus as to his Lord 1 Cor. 15.57 Thanks be vnto God who hath giue vs victory through our Lord Iesus Christ The Apostle speakes there of Christ and of his Resurrection from the dead whereby he hath ouercome death not for himselfe onely but for the faithfull and in that
conference name Christ our Lord but yet neuer thinke of his Godhead which is the life of his Lordship both in himselfe and vnto vs Christ Lord without Christ God is no Lord at all Vse 2 The second Vse is concerning the wicked and vngodly vnbeleeuers If Christ be our Lord that is the Lord of the faithfull and of his Church then the wicked and vnbeleeuers haue nothing to doe with him that is as a sauing Lord What a desperate wretchlesse and wofull case are they in Iesus Christ is none of their Lord to saue them nor they are none of his seruants they yeeld him no homage nor obedience and therefore can expect no comfort nor saluation from him Consider both their life and their death In their life they goe vp and downe doing their owne wils and not Christs will neither are they ruled by his Lawes but like Lordlesse and Masterlesse men they goe about saying What Lord shall controule vs If they doe serue or be ruled by any Lord at all it is the Diuell his word is their Law they are ruled by his will and are at his becke Let him bid a wicked man sweare or lye or prophane the Sabboth be drunke steale c. straight way he will doe it he is led by the Diuell at his will as the Apostle saith Oh that the faithfull would and could performe such true seruice to their Lord Iesus Christ as these doe to their Lord the Diuell It is a foule shame to vs that wee yeeld not such true seruice to Christ as they doe to their Lord the Diuell and it is a foule shame in them that they yeeld such true seruice to the Diuell So at their death when they are on their death-beds doe they pray no saith Iob the wicked pray not at all times No they curse and rage and dispaire or at the best they are like to Naball their hearts are dead as a stone within them there is no spirituall life nor comfort in them they haue neuer a Lord in heauen to commit their soules vnto but the Lord whom they serued in their life the Diuell stands by them ready at their death to carry away their soules to hell when they part from their bodies as he did the rich mans and then this cursed Lord and Master that set them on worke and to whom they haue done such true seruice here shall truely pay them their full wages in euerlasting torments They haue sinned with the Diuell and his Angels here and therefore it is iust with God to giue them their part and portion and to damne them with the Diuell and his Angels for euer And then this our Lord Iesus Christ whom they neglected and opposed in their life and would not acknowledge to be their Lord hee shall shew himselfe to be a mighty Lord against them and then hee shall exercise his Lordly power and authority ouer them in wrath and vengeance to their eternall condemnation And then the very thought of the Lord Iesus shall be as terrible to them as the torment they endure to thinke that Christ should come downe from heauen to saue them and that they should be such wretches to serue the Diuell rather then him Vse 3 The third Vse is for the faithfull this toucheth them in many respects First here is the honour of the faithfull in that they serue this great Lord Christ Iesus is their Lord and they his Seruants When sundry Ambassadors meete together from sundry places in a strange Country he that serues the greatest Prince amongst them hath the precedency of place and honour before the rest because hee serues the greatest Lord We all liue here as Seruants to Kings or Nobles or Magistrates or Masters but the faithfull howsoeuer they serue other Lords yet their spirituall Lord is the Lord Iesus Christ and by how much he is greater then other Lords so much the more is their honour aboue all other Seruants whatsoeuer It was that which the Apostle Paul and other of the Apostles boasted of and so much comforted themselues in as we may see in their Epistles that they were Seruants to this Lord Paul a Seruant of Iesus Christ Iames the Seruant of Iesus Christ and so others A man when hee sends an Epistle graceth himselfe with the greatest title he can the Apostles grace themselues in their Epistles with this Title the Seruants of our Lord Iesus Christ as the greatest title they can haue Nay the very Angels in heauen take delight and comfort in it Reuel 22.9 I am thy fellow seruant saith the Angell to Iohn the seruant of the Lord Christ as well as thou Some thinke it a shame to be counted Christs Seruants What shall we be ashamed of that which is our greatest glory and honour with God God forbid In trouble and in persecution let vs acknowledge him to be our Lord that will giue vs full content both in grace and glory Let carnall and prophane worldlings reproach vs as in these dayes it is too common that wee are too precise and that we are zealous for the Lord of hosts that we make conscience of our wayes and that we keepe our selues from the corruptions of the times and that we will not runne with them into excesse of riot this is the scandall of the Crosse in these times that the faithfull will not company and symbolize with the wicked in their sinnes no we will not serue your sinnes wee serue the Lord Iesus Christ and if you reproach vs for it we will weare that reproach as our Crowne The glory of the wicked is their shame but the shame that the wicked lay vpon vs is our greatest glory though this be a shame with men yet it is honour with Christ hee will take knowledge of vs as his Seruants Secondly this is matter of comfort to Gods Children and they stand in great neede of comfort in these vncomfortable times why this that Christ is our Lord if we be sure of that it will support and cheere vp our hearts in all our distresses against desertions of men when men when friends yea when our Parents forsake vs our Lord Christ wil neuer forsake vs Psal 27.10 Though my Father and Mother should forsake me yet the Lord would gather me vp It comforts vs against all oppositions of men they are many great and strong they rage and plot and they band themselues together against the Lord and against his Christ but yet here is our comfort hee that dwelleth in heauen shall laugh our Lord shall haue them in derision Psal 2.2.4 So it may comfort vs against all our wants Christ is our Lord and therefore wee shall want nothing Psal 28.1 The Lord is my Shepheard I shall not want Againe it may comfort vs against weakenesse and infirmities Christ is our Lord and his grace is all-sufficient for vs as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 1.9 Againe it may comfort vs against all dangers present imminent and future Christ is our Lord therefore
we will not feare The Lord of hosts is with vs the God of Iacob is our refuge Psal 46.1.2.3 So it may comfort vs against all Sathans temptations the fiercest greatest and fearefullest that Sathan can assault vs withall Christ is our Lord and Master and can a Lord or Master see a faithfull Seruant of his wronged and oppressed by his enemy and not stretch forth his hand to helpe and rescue him If men will yet our Lord Christ will not nor cannot but the more fiercely wee are assaulted by our enemies the more ready will hee be to helpe vs. Therefore in the depth of temptation retire thy selfe to this sure Hold to Christ as to thy Lord and say vnto him Oh my Lord seest thou how I am oppressed with thy enemy and my enemy Wilt thou see me trodden vnder feete Vp Lord I pray thee fight for me suffer not my soule to be a prey to such a cursed enemy And surely if thou doest thus the Lord will be very ready to heare thee the God of peace will tread Satan vnder thy feet shortly Lastly it may comfort vs against death it selfe whosoeuer thou art that hast serued the Lord Christ in truth in thy life thou maist boldly put thy selfe vpon him as thy Lord at thy death hee whom thou hast serued all thy life will surely comfort thee at thy death and in death and after death therefore be not discouraged at death it is terrible and fearefull to Nature but let vs arme our selues for it before hand let vs before hand goe to Christ and let him be our Lord and then we may say to our soules at our death Oh my soule thou hast serued the Lord Iesus Christ thus many yeares be not now afraid to goe to thy Lord and master home to his owne house and we may turne to the Lord and say Oh my Lord thou hast beene my protector many yeares now Lord helpe me for now I stand in more neede of thy helpe then euer I did before Lord receiue my soule now into thy mercifull hands and if thou doest thus assure thy selfe thou shalt not be more ready to commend thy soule to him then he will be ready to receiue it into his hands The third Vse is for matter of dutie teaching vs Vse 3 that seeing Christ is our Lord we must cary our selues to him as to our Lord in all dutie as good and faithfull seruants he that doth so is the right seruant of Iesus Christ the true and sound Christian The duties we are to performe to him are many we will reduce them to these two heads Doing and Suffering In both these we must conforme our selues to Christ as to our Lord. In doing First if Christ bee our Lord we must beleeue in him trust in him and rest vpon him Isa 26.4 Trust in the Lord for euer for in the Lord God is strength for euermore and therfore let vs be confident in him rowle our selues vpon him and know whom it is that wee haue trusted and hazzarded our soule vpon him Let vs trust in the Lord when we see nothing in the world but desolation he is a Lord and therefore can doe for vs what he will and he is our Lord and therefore he will doe for vs what he can And if he can do for vs what he will by his absolute power and will doe for vs what he can of his meere grace and goodnesse why should wee not beleeue in him and rest vpon him both in life and death Secondly if he be our Lord then wee must reuerence him as our Lord. Mal. 1.6 If I be a Lord where is my feare Psal 2.11.12 Serue the Lord in feare and reioyce in him with trembling Kisse the Sonne c. Let vs therefore reuerence him in his Nature Person Word Ordinances in our hearts liues and all our courses Let this feare be alwayes before our eyes that wee may neuer sinne against him It is a fault to be taxed in many Christians that they come to the Word and to the Sacraments with little reuerence to God none at all to man God will be honoured with an orderly zeale Thirdly if Christ be our Lord then wee must loue him as our Lord. Deut. 6.5 Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule Our loue must be such to him as his loue was to vs that is not colde or little but maruellous great so that he shed his bloud for vs. Hath our Lord loued vs thus dearely to lay downe his life for vs then let vs loue him as dearely let vs lay downe our liues if we be called to it for him Fourthly if Christ be our Lord we must imitate him Iohn 13.13.14 Yee call me Lord and Master and yee say well for so I am if I then your Lord and master haue washed your feete yee ought also to wash one anothers feete and verse 15. For I haue giuen you an ensample c. Thus we should imitate Christ in loue and humilitie and other graces wee are much wanting in these Duties now in these dayes but if Christ be our Lord wee must shew our loue and humility as Christ did thinke scorne of nothing that is to be done for the Children of God Euery seruant will follow his Lord if it be but in an ill fashion then let vs imitate Christ in his graces and conforme our selues to his fashions Fiftly if Christ be our Lord wee must serue and obey him as our Lord wee must doe what hee commands and nothing else and we must doe it as hee commands it to be done and we must leaue vndone that he forbids We must not be seruants to men wee must serue other Lords as vnder our Lord Christ and in his name much lesse must wee serue our owne lusts or the world Christ is our Lord and wee will serue him and not the world nor our owne sinfull lusts Secondly in our sufferings we must conforme our selues to Christ Let vs know for certaine that wee must looke for affliction The seruant is not aboue his master Matth. 10.24 It is the nicenesse of many Christians that their finger must not ake they must not endure one temptation they would fain flie from afflictions but we must looke for them Did Christ goe from the Crosse to heauen and shall not wee goe the same way we must take vp our Crosse and follow him Secondly as we must looke for them so we must carry our selues with patience as he did in them who when he was reuiled reuiled not againe when he suffered he threatned not c. 1 Pet. 2.23 Leauing vs an example saith the Apostle that wee should follow his steps verse 21. And therefore let vs labour to be patient in the least affliction for hee is thy Lord that puts thee to it And let them be our owne afflictions and then we shall the better beare greater afflictions Christs afflictions Christ ware a Crowne of
preseruing and deliuering vs. When we haue beene in affliction many yeares yet are not consumed this will make vs praise and glorifie God 2 Cor. 1.8.9 We were pressed saith the Apostle out of measure passing strength yea we receiued the sentence of death in our selues because we should not trust in our selues but in God that raiseth the dead and therefore God suffers vs to be thus afflicted that so his goodnesse might be magnified in raising vs from these afflictions Vse 1 The first Vse is for matter of reproofe and that both of those that are without as also of those that are within of carnall men and of professors First it is for reproofe of carnall men and first of some that reproach our Christian state and profession and brand it with the marke of ease and idlenesse To rest vpon the Sabboth and to goe to Church and to sit still and heare the Word and receiue the Sacraments and to say ouer now and then a few prayers this is an easie life say they and an idle profession First I answere to the person Thou prophane worldling that saist thus let mee tell thee If the Christian life be so easie as thou saist it is the more shame for thee that wilt not leade this life it is the onely way to heauen and if it be so easie as thou wouldst make it to be what a horrible shame yea what a foolishnesse is it for thee that thou wilt take a great deale more paines to goe to hell then thou mightest take and goe to heauen I speake this to thee in thine owne language that wilt make it to be so easie But secondly I answere to the matter and I say that a Christian life rightly managed is a most hard laborious life subiect to all reproches crosses trials losses persecutions wounds of conscience breakings of the heart fightings spoylings subiect to the malice of men to the rage of the Diuell subiect to killings of all sorts and that which is most tedious irkesome of all other subiect to a continuall combate betwixt the flesh and the Spirit in our own bosomes these all other dangers and tryals a Christian life and state is subiect vnto I say a Christian life is subiect to all these but not so as to be ouercome by them but as alwayes exercised with them so as we must wrastle and struggle with them all the dayes of our liues that vpon the very hazard of our soules if this bee an easie life there is none hard vnder the Sunne It is true it is an easie and comfortable life in a spirituall sence but a carnall man cannot reach vnto this Custome in afflictions makes it easie the promises of God makes it easie the fellowship of Christ in our afflictions makes it easie the consolations of the Spirit and the hope of the reward of glory these things make a Christian life easie and comfortable to vs in regard of the inward man the regenerate part delights in nothing more then in mortifying and crucifying this body or sinne which is notably effected by these afflictions Hence it is that it is easie and comfortable to the spirituall man because hee findes his Aduersary the flesh weaker then it was that beginnes to die For our corruptions are killed by afflictions being sanctified to the hearts of Gods children yet still I maintaine it against this scandall that a Christian life rightly managed in it selfe in regard of the outward state of it in this world is most hard and laborious Secondly it is for reproofe of others that are without that iudge hardly of Gods children because of their afflictions If they see a Professor much afflicted and troubled either outwardly or inwardly or both they are ready to passe hard censures on them Surely say they whatsoeuer these men pretend to be yet they are but grosse hypocrites and notorious sinners thus they adde affliction to the afflicted God afflicts vs with his heauy chastisements and the world afflicts vs more with their bitter and heauy censures but if this Doctrine be true as it is that all Gods children are subiect to all afflictions then surely wee haue more reason to iudge more fauourably of them that are afflicted most then of them that are afflicted least Iob was thus censured by his friends but it was their errour as God himselfe shewes Iob Iob 42.7 And so was Dauid by his enemies but it was their malice Psal 41.8 A mischiefe is light vpon him say they and he that lyeth shall no more rise Thus did the Barbarians censure of Paul because of the Viper that hung on his hand that he was a murtherer Act 28.4 but this was their sauagenesse Dauid himselfe confesseth that he was neere vnto this point to condemne the generation of the Righteous because of their afflictions but he confesseth it was his folly and his ignorance Psal 73.12 to the 22. and that hee was as a beast herein And surely to condemne the generation of the Righteous for their afflictions is a foolish and an ignorant and beastly censure I say beastly as hee saith because as a beast is lead onely by present sence and not by vnderstanding so these vncharitable censurers are carried away onely with the present sence of our afflictions not vnderstanding nor considering that all kindes of afflâ—ctions and tryals are the portion of Gods children here in this life 1 Thess 3.3.4 The Apostle is very carefull to preuent the slander of the Crosse It is not to be denyed but that Gods children are sinners but yet they are not notorious sinners or if they be in some particular kinde if thou know it then certainely thou maist be bold to suspect that such Iudgements were for such sinnes but if thou know not their sinne pronounce not of their estate this supposing though it be in thought is sinne Luke 13.2.3 c. Secondly this serues for reproofe of those that are within of nice and dainty professors they will heare the Word and pray and beleeue and do many good things and delight in the seruice of God but when they must come to endure as Christians many and heauy temptations and tryals they are at a stand this is harsh hard to them they cannot endure it some of them are ready to fall away others grudge murmure at their hard portion But shall we thinke to receiue good at Gods hand and not euill It was the words of a wise man in his sore affliction to a wicked woman that neuer knew what affliction meant and shall any of vs thinke to receiue the comforts sweet of Christianity not endure the crosses sower of it The hard-harted Iewes would haue beleeued in Christ if they could haue separated him from the crosse Come down from the Crosse say they and we will beleeue in thee But thou that art a professed Christian must learne to embrace Christ with the Crosse thou must as willingly embrace all afflictions that
accompany a Christian life as Christ himself the Author of thy saluation But here some will pleade their priuiledges that they are exempted from this hard portion for they are loth to come vnder affliction as the child is to come vnder the rod First say they God loues vs therefore he will not afflict vs I say he loues thee therfore he will afflict thee Reu. 3.19 As many as I loue saith God I rebuke chasten Againe they say God is our Father and we are his children therfore he will not correct vs Nay therfore he wil correct vs Heb. 12.6 Whom the Lord loueth he chasteneth and scourgeth euery Sonne that he receiueth Again say they Christ hath suffered all for vs therfore we must not suffer any such things Nay therefore we must suffer Mat. 16.24 If any man will follow Christ he must take vp his Crosse and follow him vnlesse we doe thus we cannot be Christs disciples Iohn 15.20 It is true that these are sweet heauenly priuiledges and such as exempt vs from the euill of all afflictions but not from any one kind of them The second Vse is for Exhortation first to teach Vse 2 euery man to make account of afflictions to look for them continually Make account as duly of thy portion in the Cup of afflictions as of any part of thy daily bread which thou liuest vpon when we are in health and prosperity let vs looke for sicknes aduersitie But will some say what shall I look for these before-hand this is to vexe and trouble our selues without need for if the distresses we looke for do not come then we trouble our selues in vaine If they do come then they bring harme trouble enough with them Why should we sorrow before-hand I answere yet we must looke for them before-hand for if we do so then if they do not come as haply thy godly feare hath preuented them we haue cause to blesse God for it If they doe come then if wee haue made account of them before the smart of them wil be much easier vnto vs temptations troubles and losses when they come vnawares they do commonly lie very hard and heauy vpon vs but when we haue made account of them before-hand they are much lighter to vs. I will not deny but that we must vse all possible meanes to auoid afflictions we must pray against them preuent them what we can as our Sauiour prayed If it be possible let this cup passe from me Luk. 22. yet wee must make account of them before-hand These times wee liue in are such as call vpon vs to looke for afflictions they are the last dayes of the world and they are the worst and most dangerous times present troubles and miseries and imminent dangers and feares there were neuer more The Lord is abroad in Iudgement and carries his cup in his hand the Germans drinke of it first the French soone after the Polonians soone after them and haue not the English iust cause to feare that wee shall pledge them and that ere long we know not how soone Secondly againe this teacheth vs not onely to account of afflictions before-hand but also to prepare for them and to furnish our selues accordingly there is much good to be had by them and therefore we are to prepare for them and therefore doth God warne vs of dangers before-hand that we might be armed to beare them when they doe come Things to be laboured for that we may beare afflictions And that we may prepare for them we must labour for these things First wee must labour to get a resolution in vs to beare them and to stand it out to the death we must resolue with the Apostle Act. 21.13 not onely to suffer but to die with Christ Secondly we must season our hearts with the comforts of Gods promises before-hand to counteruaile our afflictions when they come as that he will neuer faile vs nor forsake vs that he loues vs and that the issue shall be good Thirdly esteeme basely and vildely of thy selfe deny thy selfe and so take vp thy Crosse and follow Christ Matth. 16.24 If we be choise and leaning to our selues we will neuer endure the Crosse compare Matth. 16.20 with Phil. 2.7 And fourthly we must labour to be well acquainted with the death of Christ this is Armour of proofe against all afflictions to know Iesus Christ and him crucified by sensible experience in our selues If I finde the life of Gods Spirit in me applying the death of Christ to mee and thereby subduing and crucifying my sinnes if we can finde this we shall be well armed against all afflictions We come here to receiue the Lords Supper in remembrance of Christs death then let vs desire to be made conformable to his death and then afflictions will be sweet vnto vs. Againe let vs labour for the assurance of Gods loue and fauour for that is it that makes the Apostle thus boldly to beare vp himselfe against all afflictions The last Vse teacheth vs Pacification euen in our Vse 3 greatest distresses let vs sit downe and say this is my portion and therefore will I beare it Many are ready to complaine and cry out and to say when they are afflicted especially when Gods hand lies heauy vpon them Oh my affliction is great and strange my case is not like vnto other mens no man is so hardly handled as I am as the Church Lam. 1.12 but this is the frowardnesse of our corrupt hearts Whatsoeuer it is it is thy portion and therefore be pacified and contented It is no otherwise with thee then it is with all Gods children euery one hath his portion of them 1 Pet. 4.12 It is no strange thing 1 Pet. 5.9 It is the same afflictions that are accomplished in our Brethren 1 Cor. 10.13 No temptation doth befall vs but such as appertaine to man and therfore let vs be content and pacifie our selues looke not so much on thy afflictions but looke vp to God It is his Ordinance that euery one of vs should beare his portion of affliction whatsoeuer thou dost endure it is but thy portion thy draught Shall I not drinke of the Cup which my Father giues me to drinke of saith our Sauiour Ioh. 18.11 This is it our Sauiour comforts himselfe and his Disciples withall and let this comfort thee It is thy Fathers Cup and therefore thou must drinke of it And secondly let vs looke vpon others of Gods children some of them are equall with thee in afflictions others come short but many goe beyond thee and thy afflictions are but little to some of theirs and those that are at more ease now may be in great distresses hereafter and wilt not thou be content to beare that which all Gods children beare and must beare more or lesse first or last All of vs haue sinned Christ onely excepted but none are exempted from the rodde not Christ himselfe And is it not a
to God vnderstandingly and feelingly in life and death How we may apply our selues vnto God vnderstandingly both in life and death that so we may be partakers of the comforts of them both And herein consists the right art of a true Christian and till we are well-skild in the knowledge and practise of this art wee are but pidlers in our profession But you will say how may we attaine this skil to apply vnto our selues God vnderstandingly in life and in death I answer first we must stay our selues vpon the promise of God let vs fixe our eye stedfastly vpon the promise of God that is it wee must build vpon God hath promised that hee will neuer faile vs nor forsake vs that he will lay no more vpon vs then hee will giue vs strength to beare that he will be our shield and fortresse defence assurance saluation that we shall be safe vnder his wings c. Rest vpon these promises of God and be sure they shall neuer faile Though heauen and earth faile yet not one iot or tittle of Gods word and promises shall faile they shall stand fast for euer and euer We haue a conditionall promise for freedome from temporall dangers so farre as shall be good for vs we shall inioy temporall safety but wee haue an absolute promise for our eternall safety and this let vs absolutely build and rest vpon without exception Secondly Thou must cast thy selfe downe in an humble submission vnder Gods hand and vnto his will in the whole estate of life and death Psal 55.22 Cast thy burthen vpon the Lord and he will nourish thee c. Psal 37.4.5 Delight thy selfe in the Lord and he shall giue thee thine harts desire Commit thy way vnto the Lord and trust in him and he shall bring it to passe 1 Pet. 4.19 Commit your soules to God in well-doing as vnto a faithfull Creator God hath made and giuen vs soules let vs commit them to him in well-doing and he will neuer cast them away he is a faithfull Creator and will not suffer that to perish which is so committed to him If dangers offer themselues say thou Here I am Lord doe with thy seruant what thou wilt for life or death And then thou shalt haue God at hand to say to thy soule Here I am oh my seruant to vphold and to preserue and to comfort and to saue thee Thirdly We must grow to some familiar acquaintance with the life and death of Iesus Christ feelingly and sauingly not onely as hee liuing and dying in himselfe but as hee liuing and dying for thee and thou liuing and dying in him If once we can meditate soundly on the life of Christ apply our selues vnto it it will sweeten our life and so if we can meditate soundly and rightly on his death and apply it to our selues it will sweeten our death For this is the patterne that we must conforme our selues vnto both in Gods intendment and in our owne practise Looke how the Prophet Elisha did spread himselfe on the Child 2 Kings 4.34 and laid his mouth to the childes mouth c. so doth Christ spreade himselfe vpon euery true beleeuer that rightly apprehends him hee stretcheth himselfe vpon vs in euery particular hee layes his mouth vpon our mouth his eyes vpon our eyes and his hands vpon our hands c. to sanctifie vs and to preserue vs in them he layes his particular temptations and sufferings on ours to sanctifie and preserue vs in ours his life on our life to sanctifie and preserue vs in the state of life and his death on our death to sanctifie and preserue vs in our state of death This is a singular comfort to a poore soule to apply Christs life and death to himselfe I say it is a sound comfort to them both in life and death but this is a mystery euery one is not acquainted with it Lastly Let vs make application before-hand of the comforts of God against the dangers which we are subiect to not in generall onely but in particular It is our skill to apply particular comforts to particular dangers and troubles Is it matter of life that doth endanger vs Doe the comforts of life draw vs from God Let vs consider that they are but for the outward man and that they are our enemies and shall wee make much of an enemy and preferre their well-fare before our owne Secondly consider they are not permanent but vnconstant and transitory they endure but for a time and for a short time They are like to Ionas gourd that came vp in a night and perished in a night and wilt thou set thy heart vpon that which is nothing Riches haue winges and flye away they are quickely gone and so are honours and the like and wilt thou set thy heart vpon such transitory things Thirdly consider that all outward comforts are mingled with many sorrowes euery sweet pleasure and worldly comfort hath his sower paine and discomfort though they be pleasant for the time yet they are sowre and bitter in the end Lastly let vs consider that the comforts of grace are incomparably greater and better and more excellent then all outward comforts there is no sorrow in them they will make thee truely happy and blessed and wilt thou preferre the shadow before the substance Yea but will some say My crosses and afflictions they perplexe and trouble me and make mee vnfit to serue God I answere That is thy fault why should crosses hinder thee or disable thee for the seruice of God Stil apply Gods comforts to thy crosses first the crosses are but short though they be sharpe and wilt thou not endure a while for a time secondly they are light and momentary 2 Cor. 4.17 Thirdly they are nothing in comparison either of the paines of hell which wee must endure hereafter if we will not endure the crosse here or of the glory of heauen which wee shall bee sure to haue if we endure afflictions patiently Rom. 8.18 I account that the afflictions of this present time are not worthy of the glory that shal be shewed to vs. And again wee haue many times of comforts mixed with the dayes of affliction and this may keepe vs to the seruice of God in our liues Yea but what shall we doe in death that is the end of all shall I desire it to rid me out of all my troubles I answere no thy times are in Gods hands Psal 31.15 and not in thine owne but if thou desirest death that thou maist be with Christ it is well but if it be for worldly discontentments it is desperate and damnable What then shall I feare it wee know that the very name of death is fearefull vnto vs. I answere that it is onely thy owne feare there is no more feare in death then in any other thing we make it fearefull to our selues It is but the withdrawing hand of God if we feare it it is because wee are wicked for
greater dis-couragement And the speech containes two things first the enmity that should be betwixt the woman the Serpent betwixt their seeds that is betwixt Sathan mankind secondly the issue euent of it the enmity in the former part of the verse I will put enmity c. where we see first that this is a mutuall enmity that is of Sathan against vs and of vs against him he should exercise continuall enmity against vs and we must exercise a continuall enmity against him secondly it is a deadly enmity a deadly feude as we say not onely against the persons themselues but against their seed too it is a deadly enmity neuer like to be reconciled he and his seed against vs and our seede and we and our seed against him and his seed Thirdly this emnity is of Gods own ordinance I will put it saith God therefore neuer thinke it strange that Sathan is such a deadly enemy against vs God hath so ordained it neither must we thinke it much that wee are continually put to this fight against Sathan for it is God that hath imposed this condition vpon vs. Then the issue followes in the latter part of the verse It shall breake thine head and thou shalt bruise his heele Sathan shall but bruise her heele hee may tempt and trouble and disquiet Gods children and persecute them and take away their goods and happily their liues too but this is nothing it is but a little nibling at the heele it is nothing in respect of our soule It is but the heele that he can hurt some outward part but he can neuer touch vs in our head that is in the hold that we haue in the loue of God through Iesus Christ But on the other side the seed of the woman shall breake thine head saith God Sathan shall part with the greatest losse his head shall be broke and his power destroyed his purposes disappointed and at last himselfe vtterly vanquished and confounded Here is strong comfort for Gods children Yea but this is spoken of Christ himselfe he is the seed meant there I answere It is spoken of Christ indeed but withall vnderstand that in the case of Christ is set forth the case of euery beleeuing soule as Christ being the head and wee the members and therfore that which is done by Christ against Sathan is done for vs on our behalfe and to our benefit Matth. 16.18 Thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it In the 16. verse Peter had made a glorious confession of sauing faith Thou art that Christ the Sonne of the liuing God In this 18. verse our Sauiour quits him and saith Thou art Peter c. as if he should say Is it so Peter that thou hast this faith in thine heart to make this confession of me Then I say vnto thee Thou art Peter and vp on this Rocke that is not vpon Peters person nor vpon Peters confession but vpon the matter of his confession Christ Iesus the Sonne of the liuing GOD vpon this Rocke will I build my Church that is all true beleeuers and that so firmely and surely that all the gates that is all the powers of hell shall neuer preuaile against it to ouerthrow it Hell hath many gates the gates of sinne death and the Diuell yet all these gates of hell and all these powers of darkenesse shall neuer be able to shake off this building from this foundation this Church from this Rocke to seperate any one true beleeuing soule from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord many other promises there are in the Scripture of this nature yea but these are but promises If these promises doe not sufficiently confirme our distrustfull hearts in the perswasion of this heauenly truth see it by experience and let that confirme vs. In Reuel 12.7 to 11. verse where the holy Ghost sets it downe as a thing already done there is set downe a battaile and the successe the battaile in the 7. verse Michael and his Angels fought against the Dragon and the Dragon and his Angels fought Here must needs be a great Battaile when all the world is deuided into two parts to fight one against another What is the successe first on the Dragons part he preuailed not verse 8. hee was disappointed of his purpose all his labour against Gods children was lost and spent in vaine and in the 9. verse hee was cast out of Heauen and his Angels with him hee had a shamefull ouerthrow The successe in respect of the beleeuers what was that first great ioy and triumph in heauen verse 10. and secondly a glorious conquest verse 11. they ouercame him how by that blood of that Lambe c. This is the common estate of Gods Church and children and this euery true beleeuing soule shall surely finde in particular in his greatest fight against sinne and Sathan from time to time to the end of the world The Reasons of this point Reasons There are no reasons on our part why Sathan doth not preuaile against vs for we are ready to lye downe as beasts and to betray our owne soules and to be taken of him at his pleasure no all our stay and safety is meerely through God in Christ The first Reason is this God by his power restrains and limits the power of Sathan as we may see in Iob 1. and 2. Chapters when hee lets him loose vpon Iob it is with restraint still all that he hath is in thy power onely vpon himselfe put not forth thy hand Iob 1.12 And in the 2. Chapter and 6. Verse Behold he is in thine hand but saue his life Now the power of God is more mighty to helpe vs then the power of Sathan is to hurt vs 1 Iohn 4.4 Hee is greater that is in vs then he that is in the world and except the Lord should thus limit and binde the power of Sathan no man liuing could euer stand against him God restraines him and keepes him as a Lyon within barres and grates Secondly he restraines their rage and malice as he did Luke 8.33 where he turned the rage of the Diuels from the man that was possest with them vnto the swine Gods goodnesse is more able and ready to preserue vs then Sathans malice is to destroy vs. Thirdly God defeats the plots and purposes of these euill spirits Zach. 3.1.2 his wisedome ouer-reaches all their subtilties and watches ouer vs more effectually to saue then they with all their subtilties can doe to cast vs away Fourthly God endues vs with grace and strength from aboue to resist and stand fast that they may not preuaile against vs for it is not our owne strength we stand by but it is the power of God 1 Cor. 12.9 His grace and his power is all-sufficient to preserue vs. The last maine Reason is from Christ himselfe for he is Sathans vanquisher and he is
maruell then if wee haue so little assurance Lastly Motiues to moue vs to looke that our assurance be true sound seeing this assurance is of such excellent Vse 4 vse then let vs labour to see that the assurance wee haue be true and sound and to presse vs hereunto consider these things First that thy assurance must beare a great burthen it must beare all thy afflictions in life and in death therefore see it be true and sound If the principalls of a house be not sound timber the house must fall Thou art sure to be sifted and tryed to the vttermost either liuing or dying therefore see that thy assurance that must beare these trialls be sound and good A man that hath good euidences for his Land dare bide tryall of his Title against all enemies but if they be counterfeit hee dare not bide the triall And so if our assurance be sound and good we dare bide the triall of all afflictions if not we will neuer stand to the triall Secondly consider Sathans pollicy when he cannot draw vs away from seeking sound assurance then he will put a tricke vpon vs he will labour to make vs beleeue wee haue it when indeed wee haue it not And therefore let vs see that it be true and sound and let vs take heed wee mistake not the Diuels assurance for Gods a shamefull mistake Yea but how shall I know that my assurance is sound and true or no 4. Wayes how a man may know whether his assurance be true and sound I answer thou shalt descerne it clearely by these foure obseruations First by the cause of our assurance Secondly by the Rise of it Thirdly by the nature of it And fourthly by the fruit of it First by the cause of our assurance how it was wrought in thee Was it wrought by the word and by the spirit Hath God made thee well acquainted with his promises reuealed in his word that hee will neuer faile thee nor forsake thee Doest thou finde the spirit of God to incline thine heart to remember them and to beleeue them to rest vpon them and to apply them to thine owne heart as the vndoubted truth of God and that heauen and earth shall faile but not one tittle of them shall faile Doest thou find that thou hast thy part in them and that they do belong to thee being in Christ as well as to any beleeuer If it be so with thee then thy assurance is sound and good else it is not sound except it arise from this cause for Gods word is the word of truth his spirit is the spirit of truth and they teach and worke no lye but looke whatsoeuer grace they teach and worke the same is a true grace without exception therefore if thy assurance arise from these it is sound and good Psal 119.49 Remember thy promise made to thy seruant wherein thou hast caused me to trust When the Lord acquaints vs with his word and promises and causeth vs by his spirit to put our trust in them this is a sound and true assurance that shall stand in remembrance before God for euer The contrary counterfeit assurance and vaine presumption is fetcht and doth arise from other causes as maintenance welfare in outward things selfe-loue Sathans flattery soothings vp of men and such like but this is presumption and neuer comes from the word and spirit An hypocrite may say he doth apply the promises of God to himselfe and that his assurance ariseth from thence and may haue some places of Scripture running in his head sometimes tending to that effect yet indeed he mis-vnderstands the word and mis-applyes the promises and they are not seconded by Gods spirit in their hearts causing them to put their trust in the promises Secondly looke into the Rise of our assurance and what is that It is when our assurance is gotten and doth arise vpon and after hearty and vnfained repentance for sinne and vpon hearty praier to God oh when a poore sinnefull soule findes that hee is ouerladen with sinne and hath the sence of the burthen thereof in his heart and goes to God and humbles himselfe for it throughly before the Lord with sighes and groanes vnspeakeable and hath bedewed himselfe with the teares of a troubled head and a broken heart and hath pleaded effectually the pardon of all his sinnes in the death of Christ and the grace of reformation by his spirit then is that soule in a fit case to receiue this assurance And vsually in this case God stirres vp the heart to begge this assurance and in this case vsually God giues it Psal 51.1.2.3.8.12 Dauid pleads hard for the forgiuenesse of his sinnes for iustification and sanctification and he addes this petition more Restore to me the ioy of thy saluation stablish mee with thy free spirit and vpon this petition God gaue it him Counterfeit assurance and vaine presumption hath no such rise but it ariseth from a benummed conscience and from a dead spirit I neuer doubted say some but haue good assurance of Gods loue in Christ and all shall goe well with mee True because thou hast a dead conscience and art past feeling and art not sensible of thy danger as a dead man feeles no hurt because he is dead and so it is with thy dead and benummed conscience Thirdly we may know whether our assurance be sound good from the nature of it True assurance is humble and lowly and stands not vpon its owne strength but it stands vpon the strength power and goodnesse of God They came about me like Bees saith the Prophet Psal 118.11.12 but in the name of the Lord I shall destroy them Dauid neuer makes mention of his owne strength but of Gods Goliah was confident in himselfe but hee had a shamefull fall Dauid was confident in God and had a glorious victory Let vs therefore humble our selues in the consideration of our owne weakenesse and let vs rest vpon the strength of God in Christ and that is true assurance Lastly let vs looke vpon the fruit of our assurance Is it ioyned with a godly life The same spirit that is the spirit of adoption to assure vs of our saluation is also the spirit of sanctification to renew vs and to make vs liue a godly life and none can haue this assurance but he that leads a godly life 1. Iohn 3.3 He that hath this hope in him purgeth himselfe If therefore thou sayest thou hast this assurance and art not purged from thy sinnes thou art a lyer When we sinne especially against conscience our assurance much decayes as fire when water is cast vpon it But if thou beest purged from thy sinne it will make thee more sure 2 Pet. 1.9 10. Hee that hath not these things c. hath forgotten that hee was purged from his olde sinnes but he that doth these things he that endeauours to leade a godly life and to stand it out to death he shall neuer