saith It is eternall life to know thee the only God c. The knowledge of experience is to haue a sense and feeling of our inward fellowship with Christ and vpon often obseruation of his goodnesse to growe more and more in experience of his loue Nowe this knowledge is here meant and not the first which was before mentioned verse 8. And therefore Pauls desire is that he may grow more and more in holy experience of the endlesse loue of God and fellowship with Christ. The partes of this desired communion are two fellowshippe with Christ in his resurrection and fellowshippe with him in his death The former is expressed in these wordes and the vertue of his resurrection And for the better cōceiuing of it we are to consider what the resurrection of Christ is and what is the vertue thereof That the resurrection of Christ may be rightly conceiued fiue points are to be skanned The first touching the person of him that rose and that was Christ God and man Indeede properly the bodie alone did rise and not the soule or godhead yet by reason of the vnion of the two natures in the vnitie of one person whole Christ arose or God himselfe made man arose This commends vnto vs the excellencie of Christs resurrection and makes it to be the foundation vnto vs of our resurrection The second point is For whome he rose He rose not as a priuate person for himselfe alone but he rose in our roome stead and that for vs so as when he arose all the elect arose with him and in him Thus saith Paul that the Fphesians were raised togither with him His resurrection therefore was publike and this is the ground of our comfort The third point is When he arose He arose then when he lay in bondage vnder death that in the graue which is as it were the castle hold of death Whē Peter saith that God loosed the sorrowes of death he signifieth that Christ was made captiue for a time to the first death to the sorrows of the second Now in the midst of this captiuity bōdage he raised himself this argues that his resurrectiō is a ful victorie conquest ouer death and all our spirituall enemies The fourth point is That he rose by his own power as he saith of himselfe I haue power to lay downe my life and to take it vp againe If this had not bin though he had risen a thousand times by the power of another he had not beene a perfect Redeemer The last point is Wherein stāds the resurrection of Christ Answer it consistes in three actions of Christ. The first is the revniting of his bodie to his soule both which were seuered for a time though neither of them were seuered from the godhead The second action is the change of his naturall life which he led in the estate of humiliatiō into a heauenly and spirituall life without infirmities and not maintained by food as before For we finde not that after his resurrection he euer tooke meate for necessitie but onely vpon occasion to manifest the trueth of his manhood And this life he tooke vnto himselfe that he might conuey it to all that should beleeue in him The third action is his cōming forth of the graue whereby death it selfe did as it were acknowledge him to be a conquerour and that it had no title or interest in him These fiue things considered the article of Christs resurrection shall be rightly vnderstood Touching the vertue of Christs resurrectiō it is nothing els but the power of his god head or the power of his spirit whereby he raised himselfe mightily from death to life and that in our behalfe The excellencie of it may be known by the effects which be in number eight The first that by it he shewed himselfe to be the true and perfect Sauiour of the world For it was foretolde of the Messias that he should die rise againe Psal. 16. Matth. 12. And all this was accordingly accomplished by the vertue of Christs resurrection The second effect is that by it he shewed himselfe to be the true and naturall sonne of god Paul saith He was declared mightily to be the sonne of God by the spirit of holinesse in his rising from the dead The third effect is that by this vertue he declared himselfe to haue made a full and perfect satisfaction for the sinnes of the world For if he had not satisfied to the full he had not risen againe And Paul saith If Christ be not risen we are yet in our sinnes On the contrarie then seeing he is risen such as beleeue in him are not in their sinnes Againe Who shall condemne vs it is Christ which is dead yea or rather which is risen againe The fourth effect is iustification as Paul testifieth He died for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification and that was on this māner When he was vpon the crosse he stood there in our roome hauing our sinnes imputed vnto him and when he rose from death he acquit and iustified himselfe from our sinnes and ceased to be any more a reputed sinner for vs and thus all that doe or shall beleeue in him are in him acquit absolued and iustified from all their sinnes If any demaund how they which liued in the time of the old Testament before the resurrection of Christ could be iustified thereby considering the effect must followe the cause I answer that they were iustified by the future resurrection of Christ which though it followed in time yet did the value vertue therof reach euē euen to the beginning of the world The fift effect is the conferring and bestowing of all such gifts and graces as he had merited procured for vs by his death and passion Thus Christ testifieth that the giuing of the spirit in large plentifull manner was reserued to the glorification of Christ which beganne in his resurrection And the preaching of Repentance and remission of sinnes is reserued till after his resurrection And S. Peter saith that the Elect are regenerate to a liuely hope by the resurrectiō of Christ. By reason of this bestowing of graces and gifts the resurrection of Christ is the beginning of a new and spirituall world which the holy Ghost calls the world to come in which shall be a new heauen and a new earth as Isai speaketh and a peculiar people of God zealous of good works keeping an eternall sabbath vnto God This one effect alone sufficiently declares the excellencie of this vertue of Christ. The sixth effect is viuification which is a raising of vs frō the death of sinne to newnes of life And the reason hereof is plaine For Christ in his resurrection put away his natural life which with our nature he receiued from Adam and tooke vnto him a spirituall life that he might communicate the saide life to all that beleeue in him Againe
losse of all his workes and vertues whatsoeuer in the cause of his owne iustification Nowe then if this doctrine be so certaine and infallible as it is thē also must we be setled in this point without doubting that the present church of Rome erreth grieuously in that it magnifieth the merit of workes Yea in this regard it reuerseth the very foundation of true religion For if they make aduantage in the matter of saluation by their workes Christ must needes vpon infallible certentie be their losse because Paul makes all workes losse that Christ may be aduantage Therefore farre be it from vs all to haue any dealing or contract of societie with that church least we be partakers of her dangerous and fearefull losses Againe in that all vertues workes of grace are but losses for Christ. We must not onely in our first conuersion but euer afterward though we be iustified and sanctified euen in the pang of death by meere faith rest on the meere mercie of God and apprehend naked Christ that is Christ seuered in the case of saluation from all respect of all vertues and workes whatsoeuer For there is nothing that may be opposed to the seuere iudgement of God but meere Christ. If we doe presume to oppose any of our doings to the sentence of the law hell death condemnation we are sure to goe by the losses Thus much of the certentie of Pauls losses now follows the necessitie of thē They are necessarie in as much as without thē no man can haue part in Christ. For the merit of our vertues and good workes and the grace of God in Christ can not stand together yea they are cōtrarie as fire and water and one ouerthroweth the other in the cause of iustification and saluation Paul to signifie this contrarietie saith If Election be of grace it is not of workes and if it be of workes it is not of grace And againe If ye be iustified by the law ye are abolished from Christ. And to the same purpose Ambrose saith Grace is wholly receiued or wholly lost and Augustine It is no way grace that is not freely giuen euery way Hence it followes that the present religion of the church of Rome abolisheth Christ in as much as it maintaines and magnifies the merit of good workes And this may be gathered by the very doctrine of that church For it teacheth that men must be saued by their praiers fastings almes pilgrimages buildings of churches chappels bridges c. What then shall the passion of Christ doe whereto serues it They answer that it frees vs from death and giues to our works the merit of eternall life and makes them meritoriously to increase our iustification Hence it followes that Christ is no more but the first cause of our saluation and that we our selues are secondarie causes vnder him and with him And thus he is made of a Sauiour no Sauiour For either he must be a full and perfect Sauiour in himselfe or no Sauiour Secondly by the former necessitie we learne that whosoeuer will be saued by the merit of Christ must come vnto him without vertues or workes of his owne not carrying in heart so much as the least confidence in them esteeming himselfe to be a most vile wretched and miserable sinner as the Publican did who praied Lord be mercifull to me a sinner Hitherto of Pauls losses now follows the second part of the comparison touching Pauls gaine But Christ is my gaine A sentence to be remembred and to be written in the tables of our heart for euer And the reason thereof is manifest Christ our Mediatour God and man is the onely Fountaine of all good things that are or can be thought on whether spirituall or temporall Saint Iohn saith Of his fulnes we receiue grace for grace Againe Paul saith In him al the treasures of knowledge and wisdome are hidde and Ye are complete in him And he calls Christ our Ransome or counterprice And as he makes Adam the roote of all euill in mankinde so makes he Christ the roote of all grace and goodnes For the better clearing of this doctrine two points are to be handled When Christ is our gaine and how Touching the time when I set downe three things He is our gaine in this life he is our gaine in death and he is our gaine after death To returne to the first He is our gaine in life if we turne from our euill waies and beleeue in him in as much as he hath gained for vs many benefits which I will reduce to tenne heads The first is pardon of sinne without tearme of time whether past present or to come Yet must we here remēber that pardon of sinne is not giuen absolutely whether men repent or no but vpon condition of repentance The second is the imputation of Christs obedience in fulfilling the law for our iustification before God From the former benefit ariseth our freedome from hell and from the law in respect of the curse thereof and from the second ariseth a Right to eternall life whereof the possession is reserued to the life to come The third is our Adoption whereby we are the children of God and brethren of Christ. And hence haue we a Right of lordship or dominion ouer the whole world and all things contained therein whether in heauen or in earth which right was lost by Adam and is now restored by Christ. Indeede wicked men and infidels haue and vse the things of this life at their wills and that by Gods permission but yet they receiue and inioy them no otherwise then children of traytours doe the goods of their parents who peraduenture are suffered to take benefite of some part of them for the preseruing of their liues though title and interest to them be not restored The fourth is the ministerie that is the presence aide and protection of the good angels The fifth gaine or benefit is that all the miseries and calamities of this life cease to be curses and are made blessings beeing turned to the good of them that are to be saued by Christ. The sixth is the mortification of originall sinne with all the parts thereof by the vertue of the death of Christ. The 7. is a spirituall life whereby we liue not but Christ liues in vs making vs partakers of his Annointing and thereby inabling vs to liue as Prophets Priests kings Prophets to teach and make confession of our faith in Christ Priests to dedicate and present our bodies and soules to God for the seruice of his maiestie Kings to beare rule and dominion ouer the corruptions and lusts of our hearts The eight gaine is that Christ presents all our praiers and good workes to his Father in his owne name and thus by his own Intercession makes them acceptable vnto him The ninth gaine is the presence of his spirit For when Christ ascended he tooke with him our pawne namely our flesh and left with
as the first Adam makes vs like himselfe in sinne and death so Christ the second Adam renewes vs and makes vs like to himselfe in righteousnes and life And the head quickned with spirituall life will not suffer the members to remaine in the death of sinne The seauenth effect is to preserue safe sound the gifts and graces which he hath procured by his death and bestowed on them that beleeue and this he doth by the vertue of his resurrection For to this ende hath he conquered all our spirituall enemies and doth by his power conquer them still in vs so as none shal be able to take his sheepe out of his hands The last effect is to raise the bodie from the graue in the day of iudgement to eternall glorie If it be obiected that the wicked are also raised then by the power of Christ I answer that the power of Christ is twofold One is the power of iudgement the other a power of a Sauiour By the first Christ as a iudge raiseth the vngodly that he may exequute on them the curse denounced from the beginning of the world at what time thou shalt eate the forbidden fruit thou shalt die the death The second power is here tearmed the power of Christs resurrection and it belongs to him as he is our Sauiour and by it will he raise to life eternall all those that by the bond of the spirit are mystically vnited to him For by meanes of this vnion this raising power shall flow from the head to the dead bodies of them that are in Christ. Thus we see what the vertue here mentioned is and what Paul desires namely that he may haue experience of these effects in himselfe The vse of the doctrine followeth First of all in that Christ rose for vs and in that his resurrection is of endlesse efficacie here is the foundation of all our spirituall comfort For by this vertue of Christs resurrection frō death to life all our spiritual enemies are conquered and subdued and by the said vertue doth he daily more and more subdue them in vs. Vpō this groūd said Christ Ye shal haue affliction in the world but be of good comfort I haue ouercome the world And this victorie is for vs and it is made ours by our faith as Iohn saith This is the victorie which ouer commeth the world euen your faith Art thou then terrified and afraied with the conscience of thy sinnes with the crueltie of tyrants the rage of the world the paines of hell the pangs of death the temptations of the deuill be not dismaied but by thy faith rest on Christ that rose againe frō death to life for thee therby shewed himself to be a rocke for thee to rest on and to be the lyon of the Tribe of Iuda and thus shalt thou finde certen remedie against all the troubles and miseries of life and death Againe here we are taught to rise with Christ from our sinnes and to liue vnto God in newnes of life and for this ende to pray that we may feele the vertue of Christs resurrection to chaunge and renew vs. Great are the benefites which we reape by this vertue and we are to shew ourselues thankfull to God for them which we can doe no way but by newnes of life Againe the ende why Christ rose for vs was that we might rise from our sinnes and corruptions in which we lie buried as in a graue to a new spirituall life And the reward is great to them that make this happie change For he that is partaker of the first resurrection shall neuer see the second death as on the contrarie he which neuer riseth from his owne sinnes and euill waies shall certenly feele and indure the second death And further it must be knowne that the vertue of Christs resurrection and the merit of his death are inseparably ioyned together and therefore he that findes not the vertue of Christ to raise him to an holy and spirituall life acceptable to God falsly perswades himself of the merit of his death in the remission of his sinnes Christ by rising put vnder his feete all our enemies and ledde captiuitie captiue euen sinne it selfe It is therefore a shame for vs to walke in the waies of sinue and to make our selues slaues and captiues to it Christ by rising from death made himselfe a principall leader and guide to eternall life What wickednes then is it to walke in the waies of our owne heart and not to ' follow this heauenly guide The care and purpose to keepe a good conscience is a certen fruit and effect of Christs resurrection Thus S. Peter saith that the effect of our baptisme is the stipulation of a good conscience by the resurrection of Christ. Where the word which I translate Stipulation signifies an interrogation vpon an interrogation For the Minister in the name of God demandes whether we renounce the world the flesh the deuill and take the true God for our God And we vpon this demaund doe further in our hearts demaund of God whether he will vouchsafe to accept vs being wretched sinners for his seruants and thus we make profession of our minde and desire When Christ rose by the vertue of his resurrection the earth trembled and thereby this bruit creature in his kinde professed his subiection and homage to Christ that rose againe If then we beleeue that Christ rose from death for vs much more should our hearts tremble and we yeeld our selues in subiection to him in all spirituall obedience Some man may say you bid vs rise from our sinnes as Christ rose to the glorie of his Father whereas this is wholly Gods worke in vs and not ours I answer it is so indeed yet can we vse the outward meanes of hearing and reading and if we haue any sparke of grace we can aske and desire the spirit of God that worketh this in vs. Againe exhortations admonitions and such like are meanes appointed of God whereby he worketh in vs the thing which he requireth and commandeth Wherefore let vs listen to the voice of Christ Awake thou that sleepest stand vp from the dead and Christ shall giue thee life And worldly cares must not hinder vs in this worke for as Paul saith they which are risen with Christ must seeke the things that are aboue Againe here we are taught that we may not content our selues if we know Christ in the braine and can speake well of him with a glibbe tongue we must goe yet further and by all meanes labour that we taste and feele by experience how good and sweete a Sauiour Christ is vnto vs that our hearts may be rooted and grounded in his loue This is the thing which Paul aimed at which also we must seeke by all possible meanes to attaine vnto To proceede that we may haue right knowledge of our communion with Christ in his death two points are to be
body of Christ. The third thing is Dominion and Lordship ouer heauen and earth which Lordship once lost by Adam shal then fully be restored He that ouercommeth shall possesse all things Reu. 21. 7. The third question is what we shall doe I answer briefly keepe an eternall sabbath in praising of God and giuing thanks vnto him And thus by the consideration of these things we may take a taste of the excellencie of this third and last gaine The second point here to be considered is the difficultie of obtaining this desired gaine of eternall life And the reason is plaine For the way to eternall life is full of impediments which I reduce to foure heads First of all in this way we are to fight not with flesh and blood but with principalities and powers in spirituall things seeking the destruction of our soules Secondly there be within vs innumerable lusts that coÌ„passe vs round about presse vs downe and draw vs away to the broad way of destruction Thirdly this way lies full of offences partly in doctrines partly in euill examples all tending to this ende either to make vs fall or to goe out of the way Lastly it is beset with manifold tribulations from the beginning to the ende Hence we learne that we must giue all diligence that we may attaine to the reward of glorie and therefore we must struggle striue and wrastle to enter in at the straight gate The principall gaine and the hardnes to obtaine it requires our principall studie and labour Therefore they deale wickedly that vse no meanes but as they say leaue all to God thinking it the easiest matter in the world to winne the kingdoÌ„e of heaueÌ„ The like is their fault that professe religion in a slacke and negligent manner beeing neither whot nor cold The third point is Pauls minde and desire of eternall life If it be saide that wicked men haue the like desire as for example Balaam I answer in Paul there was an indeauour answerable to his desire as appeares act 24. 16. where he saith That he waited for the resurrection of the iust and vniust and that in the meane season he laboured to keepe a good conscience before God and men now this desire in the vngodly is barren and yeeldes not his fruit Againe Paul beeing iustified still desires to attaine to full fellowship with Christ and to conformitie with him in glorie The like desire with the like indeauour should be in vs. The last point is Pauls courage and fortitude He is content to indure any kinde of death yea cruell death so he may obtaine this third and last gaine And thus it is verified which he saith that God had giuen him the spirit not of fearefulnes but of courage Like was the courage of Moses who was content to indure afflictions with the people of God that he might winne the recompence of reward Like was the courage of the martyrs that were racked would not be deliuered that they might obtaine a better resurrection We likewise walking in the way to eternall life must take the like courage vnto vs in all dangers For this cause we must pray vnto God to giue vs the spirit of courage and we must alwaies attende vpon the calling and commaundement of God making it the stay and foundation of our courage and we must yet further stay our selues on the promise of Gods presence and protection so long as we obay him If it be alledged that we are by nature fearefull in daungers and therefore vncapable of courage I answer there is a threefold feare The first is feare of nature when mans nature feares flies and eschewes that which is hurtfull vnto it This feare was in Christ whose soule was heauie vnto death who also feared the cursed death which he indured And therefore this feare of it selfe is no sinne and it may stand with true fortitude The second feare is that which riseth of the corruption of nature when a man feares without cause or without measure Without cause as when the Disciples feared Christ walking vpon the sea or when they feared drowning Christ lying asleepe in the shippe Without measure as when men distrusting God neglect their callings in time of daunger and the dutie of inuocation flying to vnlawfull meanes of deliuerance Now this secoÌ„d feare is an enemy vnto all true courage The third feare is when perils and death are indeede feared but yet feare is ordered by faith in the mercie and prouidence of God by hope by inuocation and it is ioyned with obedience to God in the time of daunger This is a proceeding of grace and it may well stand with courage and it serues to order the two former feares the one of nature the other of distrust Trin-vni Deo gloria Amend the faults thus Pag. 18. l. 18. offals P. 61. l. 21. put out haue P. 74. l. 3. put out but. P. 78. l. 2. gifts of God P. 112. l. 20. for priuate read priuatiue Hab. 2. 4. Roâ— 10. 3. Luk. 13. 16. Mar. 2. 35. Math. 7. Isa. 64. 6 Gal. 2. 21. Rom 3. 24. Homil. de Humil a fide sola in Christum se iustificari In Math. c. 9. in 3 cap. ad Rom. b Nihil operates In 1. Cor. 1. in Rom c. 10. 2. Cor. 4. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Tim. 2. 15. Iam. 2. 22. Libro de gratia lib. arbitrio via regni non causa regnandi Epitom diu institut c. 9. homil 38. in Ioh. De orig 〈◊〉 l. 1. c. 4. a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 condigno In Dominica 18. post Trin. in An. 10 â—0 b 〈◊〉 dicuntur 〈◊〉 impropriè In dominica Septuagsimae b Distictè agere De mensuratione crucis an 1080. c Non merere ur ex condigno Bern de Annunc Virg. serm 1. an 1140. Rom. 11. 6. Gal. 5. 4. Ioh. 1. 16. Coloss. 2. 9 10 1. Tim. 2. 6. Heb. 1. 14. Rom. 8. 26. 〈…〉 Ier. 31. 40. Psal. â— 1. Cor. 6. â— a August hom de ovious c. 12. Humana divinitas divina humanitas mediatrix est Leo epist. 10. Ioh. 3. 35. Ioh. 6. 51. 54. 1. Cor. 1. 30. Ioh. 17. 19. 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Mar. 11. 24. Hel. 6. 18. a Chrysost. hom 7. in Rom. Quam primum homo credidit confestim simul iustificatus est Rom. 4. Rom. 5. 2. Eph. 2. 6. Act. 2. 24. Ioh. 10. â—8 Rom. 1â— 1. Cor. 15. 17. Rom. 8. 34. Ioh 7. 39. Luk. 24. 47. 1. Pet. â— 3. Heb. 2. 5. Isa. 65. 27. Rom. 8. 1◠〈◊〉 2. 7. Ioh. 16. 33. 1. Ioh. 5. 4. Rom 6. 4. 〈◊〉 20. 6. Act. 3. 25. 2. Pet. 3. 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 5. 14. Coloss. 3. 1. Act. 9. 4. Coloss. 1. 24. Hos. 11. 1. 2. Pet. â— 13. 15. 1. Cor. 10. Isa. 6 3. 3. Mat. 5. 10. 1. Pet. 2. 21. Heb. 5. 8. Iob. 42. 6. 2. Cor. 1. Heb. 12. 4. Heb. 12. 7. 1. Pet. 4. 14. 1. Cor. 12. 9. Rom. 5. 5. 15. 4. 2. Cor. 4. 1â— Act. 14. 2. Tim. 2. â—â— Luk. 9. 23. 2. Cor. 12. 1. Cor. 1â— Rom 8. 2. â—im 1. 12. 2 Cor. 15. 24. Ibid. v. 24. 1. Cor. 13. 13 Rev. 21. 4. Act. 3. 21. 1. Cor. 15 28. Rev. 21. 3. Serm. de Temp. 148. Mat. 17. 2. Pet. 1. 4. Phil. â— 21. Eph. 6. 13. Heb. 12. 1. â—am 1. 14. Roâ— 1. 8. 35. Mat. 7. 13. â— Tim. 1. 7. Heb. 11. 26. 〈…〉 Heb. â— â—