had temperamentum absolutè temperatissimum a temperament absolutely most temperate such as none but he and the Second Adam are supposed to haue yet that was not sufficient to immortalitie And therefore by Gods gracious indulgence he might freely feede on the tree of life by meanes whereof he might be preserved from decaying by age or any other cause and that through some naturall vertue in the tree or rather Gods blessing or both And thus Adam was mortall Aug. ubi suprd conditione corporis animalis by the condition of a naturall body but immortall beneficie conditoris by the benefit of his creator as St. Augustine excellently explaineth it If so be that Adam had not sinned yet fuisset mortalis he should haue beene mortall neverthelesse if he had not sinned Valles sacra Philos c. 6. fuisset nunquam moriturus he should never haue died as Vallesius aptly noteth So then no sinne Rom. 5.12 no death By one man sinne entred into the world and death by sinne Contrary to the heresie of Pelagius and Augustinus Steuchus a Pontifician of later times Whitak de not eccl ca. 7. If Adam then had not sinned he had not died but should haue beene immortall Immortalitateminori in qua posset mori Aug. Ench. cap. 105. with a lesser immortalitie wherein he had a power to die saith St Augustine-Quamvis major futura sit in qua non possit mori although a greater immortalitie be to come wherein he cannot die And this must be in Heaven in the state of glory where is no disobedience or sinne and consequently no death Rom. 6.23 for as the Apostle saith the wages of sinne is death Christ Iesus is our life Col. 3.4 both here in the kingdome of grace and there in the kingdome of glorie For He as head and fountaine of life communicateth life to all the members of his mysticall body He being the last Adam who was made a quickening Spirit 1 Cor. 15.45 enlivening us not onely with naturall sensitiue and rationall life as our Creator but also with spirituall life as our Redeemer and eternall life as our Glorifier Augustus the Emperour in Romani nominis aeternitatem natus borne to eternize the Roman name Onuph de imperat Com. cap. 4. according to Onnphrius was wont many times as Suetonius writes in his life to pray for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sueton. in vita Augusti cap. 99. for his friends and himselfe not immortalitie but aneasie death without paine But our blessed Saviour did not onely pray for but doth also giue unto his friends his my sticall members 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 immortalitie for speaking of them his Sheepe Iohn 10.28 he saith I giue unto them eternall life and they shall never perish neither shall any man plucke them out of my hands Our life consists in the knowledge and loue of Christ saith Aquinas we know Him Aquin. in Colost cap. 3. lect 1. and loue Him in this world in part and it is our spirituall life we shall know him and loue him in the other world perfectly and that will be eternall life As the first Adam brought death into the world so the second Adam abolishing death 2 Tim. 1.10 hath brought life and immortalitie to light Aug. in Ioan. tract 22. Who according to St. Augustine speaketh on this wise to thee Wouldst thou not erre I am the way Wouldst thou not be deceived I am the truth Wouldst thou not die I am the life Iohn 14.6 I am the way the truth and the life So may I say unto thee Wouldst thou not haue thy body perpetually detained under the power of darknesse and dominion of the graue Iohn 11.25 Loe He saith I am the resurrection and the life Beleeue on me let me be thy spirituall foode feede on me by faith for He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud bath eternall life and I will raise him up at the last day If Christ dwell in us now by faith spiritually Ephel 3.17 he will surely dwell in us hereafter by glory eternally and that after an admirable manner which now we know not 1 Iohn 3.2 For now we are sonnes of God saith St. Iohn but it doth not yet appeare what we shall be It is not here revealed unto us we are unworthy to know it we are unable to comprehend it Onely thus much we are taught out of the divine Oracles that in the stole of glorie we shall see God clearely face to face wee shall with unspeakeable joy and delight ever behold Him who is the blessed life of man saith St. Augustine Aug de civit Dei lib. 19. cap. 26. whom to behold is life and the life is eternall CHAP. XXXV Of different perfection in glorie SPirituall gifts and graces are diversly dispensed by Christ and given to the Saints on earth after a different manner For to every one is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ Ephes 4.7 Thus much the Apostle instancing in some particular graces insinuateth touching faith the prime cardinall vertue he saith Rom. 12.3 6. God dealeth to every man the measure of faith and a proportion of faith and entreating of chastitie and continency he said Every man hath his proper gift of God 1 Cor. 7.7 one after this manner and another after that When as the Apostles said to our Saviour if the case was such it was not good to marry He answered them all men cannot receiue this saying Math. 19.11 Ambr. de voc gent. li. 2. c. 3. saue they to whom it is given Hereupon St. Ambrose saith Multis modis innumer abilibus differentijs gratia opera dona variantur inque ipsis singulis generibus muneruns dissimiles sunt gradus impares quantitates The gifts and workes of grace are varied after many manners and innumerable differences and in the severall kindes of gifts there be unlike degrees and unequall quantities Now as there are many different degrees of grace in the militant Church so there be also many different degrees of glorie in the triumphant Church Ambr. de bon mort cap. 11. according to that of St. Ambrose Erit or do diversus claritatis gloria sicut erit meritorum There shall be a different order of excellency and glory as there shall be of merits Hence it was that St. Augustine upon those words of Christ Aug. in Ioan. cap. 14. v. 2. in my Fathers house are many mansions saith they are diversae meritorum in una vita aterna dignitates diverse dignities of merits in one eternall life And St. Hierome saith Multae sunt mansiones apud patrem Hieren advers Pelag. li. 1. quia merita diversa there are many mansions with the Father because there are diverse merits Here note by the way that St. Ambrose St. Augustine St. Hierome and other of the ancient Fathers by merits so frequētly
GOD fiue wayes â—joâ—r mâ—in Re. cap. 1. First by naturall reason for as the Orator observeth there is no Nation so savage or barbarous which doth not acknowledge a GOD Nature dictating this unto them Secondly by consideration of the creatures for herein is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is written that which may be knowne of God is manifest in them Rom. 1.19 for God hath shewed it unto them Thirdly by working of miracles for he onely can produce an effect aboue the power of Nature as the sweet singer of Israel noteth Psal 72.18 Blessed be the Lord God even the God of Israel which onely doth wondrous things Fourthly God maketh himselfe knowne unto us by infusion of grace enlightning us with the knowledge of him by his Spirit for it is written The Spirit searcheth all things 1. Cor. 2.10 even 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the deepe things of God Lastly by divinerevelation out of the canonicall Scriptures which are the mouth of God speaking unto man There he makes himselfe knowne that he is the creator of all things that he is most good and gracious that he is loving to every man and that his mercy is over all his workes There we reade those words of joy and consolation which are so pleasant to our taste yea sweeter than honey or the honey-combe St. Ambrose ravisht with the delight he found in the greene gardens of the Scriptures saith Amb. ep 31. lib. 4. ep Nunc deambulat in paradiso Deus cum divinas scripturas lego When I reade the divine Scriptures God is walking up and downe in paradise CHAP. VIII Of the Knowledge of God by affection and not bare apprehension onely BY the heavenly Oracles in GODS Booke we learne to know that GOD is one in nature and essence but three in personall subsistence The Father the Sonne the Holy Ghost And they are distinguished by personall properties called opera quoad intra the inward workes of the blessed Trinitie So the Father begetteth the Sonne is begotten the Holy Ghost proceedeth from them both We distinguish them also per opera quoad extra by their outward workes when wee say the Father createth the Sonne redeemeth the Holy Ghost sanctifieth Although to speake properly all outward workes extending to the creatures are wrought by all the three persons but after a different manner of working All this theologicall knowledge of God may be found in them who are altogether imperfect For it is not the knowledge of bare apprehension which addeth true spirituall perfection to the soule for this is to be found in evill Angells and wicked men But it is the knowledge of affection and affiance Bern. de con sid li. 5 â—a 3 or as Saint Bernard speakes the knowledge of faith whereby we beleeue in God loue him and delight in him In which sense our Saviour saith This is eternall life Iohn 17.3 that they might know thee the onely true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent And the Evangelicall Prophet Esay prophecying of Christ Esay 53.11 By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall beare their iniquities CHAP. IX Of the knowledge of God in Christ FRom the precedent discourse we learn by the testimony of Christ and the Prophet Esay that the most excellent knowledge of God tending to perfection and salvation is to know him in Christ Iesus To wit that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe not imputing their trespasses unto them Here we see God not as a law-giver upon his throne of Iustice propounding unto us the covenant of works but as a Saviour sitting on the mercy-sear making with us a new covenant the covenant of grace and peace in Christ This knowledge is the very life of our soules and joy of our hearts which constrained the Trumpet of grace to say I halip 3.8 Yea doubtlesse and I count all things but losse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Iesus my Lord. We do behold the glory of the Deitie through the vaile of Christs humanitie Col. 2.9 for in him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily Therefore said Christ to Philip Iohn 14.9 He that hath seene mee hath seene the Father and he himselfe giues the reason hereof in another place saying Iohn 10.30 Aug. in Psal 138. I and the Father are one Hence is it that St. Augustine saith Lucerna sapientiae caro Christi the flesh of Christ is the lanterne of wisedome And doest thou now O sorrowfull sinner desire to know thy Saviour Iesus to finde him out and see him whom thy soule loueth and so longeth after Behold he is in the flowrie gardens of the Scriptures Ibi pascit ibi cubat in meridie there he feedes there he rests at noone day there he shewes himselfe the same yesterday and to day and for ever From thence he graciously invites thee to seeke him and calleth unto thee saying Iohn 5.39 Search the Scriptures for in them you thinke to haue eternall life and they are they which testifie of me As if he should haue said O yee carelesse children O yee foolish ones why wander yee in the crooked paths of sinne and death why rather come yee not unto mee If yee would not erre loe I am the way if yee would not be deceived loe I am the truth if yee would not die behold I am the life For I am the way thâ— truth and the life Iohn 14.6 Aug. in Ioantract 22. Nonest quò eas nisi ad me non est quà eas nisi per me there is no whither for you to goe but unto me there is no way for you to goe by but by me O come unto me then Come unto me all yee that labour and are heavie laden and I will giue you rest Take my yoke upon you and learne of me for I am meeke and lowly in heart and yee shall finde rest unto your soules For my yoke is easie and my burden is light CHAP. X. Christs Incarnation SEeing Christ doth so graciously invite and call us to him let us earnestly desire to know him that we may be united to him and made conformable to his image and so perfected in him For as St. Augustine saith Aug. in praefat in Psal 54. Christus perfectio nostra est in illo enim perficimur quoniam ipsius capitis membra sumus Christ is our perfection In him we are perfect because we are members of him the head Now the first thing we are to know concerning our Saviour Iesus Christ is his Incarnation or assuming of our nature in the wombe of the Virgin Which St. Ambrose calleth Sacramentum incarnationis Amb. in Symbot the Sacrament of his Incarnation the first visible foundation of our redemption A mysterie kept secret and hidden from the world from men and Angells untill it was revealed to the blessed Virgin Marie by the message of an Angell And then
the Eagle soaring upon high could say Iohn 1.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Word was made flesh And the trumpet of grace proclaiming the great mysterie of godlinesse beginnes with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God was manifested in the flesh 1 Tim. 3.16 Thus the Sonne of God by nature voluntarily and graciously became the sonne of man that the sonnes of men might in him become the sons of God by grace In this most mysterious worke of Christs in carnation St. Bernard observeth Bern. de consid li. 5. c. 9. that as in GOD there are three persons and one essence so by a most convenient contrarietie there be in Christ three essences and one person Which three essences are his reasonable soule his humane flesh his Deitie Now the two former essences make up the humane nature in Christ for although there be three essences yet are there but two natures And though there be two natures yet is there but one person and not two as Nestorius the hereticke taught Now although the humane nature in Christ be not a person yet is it individually and numerically distinguished from the particular humane nature in Moses and Peter and each other man But it is individnum extraordinarium it is an extraordinarie individuall humane nature which never had any subsistence in it selfe or for it selfe but in divino supposito 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Word in the Sonne of God And it is an extraordinary individuall humane nature because altogether without sinne First without originall sinne which is propagated from Adam by the Father but our Saviour had no such earthly Father and consequently no originall sinne Secondly without actuall sinne in that the humane nature in the first moment of conception was by Hypostaticall union of the Deitie perfectly sanctified made impeccabilis free from any power or possibilitie of sinning Hence by way of excellency he is that sonne of man 2 Cor. 3.28 who knew no sinne Now our blessed Saviour in regard of his two natures was medius inter Deum hominem a meane betwixt God and man as participating of both but a Mediatour in respect of his office of reconciliation and redemption For there is one God and one Mediatour betwixt God and men 1 Tim. 2.5 the man Christ Iesus And it is to be observed that the Apostle saith not God but the man Christ Iesus For God could not die unlesse he had been man But God was made man that he might die for man and so reconcile man unto God Hereupon Fulgent serm de dupl nativ Domini Fulgentius saith Conceptus in utero factus est particeps mortis nostrae being conceived in the wombe he was made partaker of death with us And Saint Augustine to the same purpose saith Aug. in Psal 148. Accepit exte unde moreretur prote He tooke that of thee wherein he might die for thee CHAP. XI Christs Passion SINNE according to St. Iohns description is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Iohn 3.4 a transgression of the Law a privation of righteousnesse commanded therein Now a privation is minimae entitatis sed maximae efficaciae of the least entitie but of the greatest efficacie Which is most true in sinne For what was there in the whole world in heaven or earth that could cause the death of the Son of God or as St. Augustine speakes Vt aeternus moreretur that he who is eternall should die but onely sinne And that not his owne but ours our prophanenesse our crueltie pride luxurie covetousnesse intemperance our lies our oaths our innumerable sinnes All which were made his not by inherence but by imputation And he tooke them all upon him not subjectivè but expiativè not subjectiuely but by way of expiation to satisfie the justice and appease the wrath of his Father for them For by shedding his bloud on the Crosse for our sinnes he cancelled the fearefull bond and put out the hand-writing against us And so as the Apostle testifieth in him haue we redemption through his bloud even the forgiuenesse of our sinnes Ephes 1.7 according to the riches of his grace Our most gracious Saviour in that bitter agonie of his most dolorous passion upon the Crosse might well complaine with Ieremie the sonne of Hilkiah Behold and see Lam. 1.12 if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow And may not all that by faith embrace him crucified on the Crosse most truely say behold and see if there be any loue like unto his loue who so loved us that he laid downe his life for us who so loved us that he gaue himselfe for us Here is loue without measure unparalleled charitie without any example Iohn 15.13 Greater loue hath no man than this that a man lay downe his life for his friends Yea but the loue of Iesus exceeded the loue of men it passed the loue of Damon and Pythias of David and Ionathan it surpassed the loue of women For as the chosen vessell of mercy noteth God commendeth his loue towards us in that while wee were yet sinners Christ dyed for us Rom. 5.8 and in the tenth verse following more emphatically he intimateth that when wee were enemies we were reconciled unto God by the death of his Sonne much more being reconciled wee shall be saved by his life O most wonderfull death O most meritorious work of supenerogation wherein stands our righteousnesse and everlasting salvation O most happie death bringing to man eternall life Mors Christi mors est meae mortis quoniam ille mortuus est ut ego viverem Bernard ad Milit. rempl cap. 11. saith holy Bernard The death of Christ is the death of my death for he dyed that I might live CHAP. XII Christs Resurrection LEt us now passe from the Crosse of our Lord Iesus and walke unto his sepulcher in the garden of Iosseph of Arimathea and see whether his most sacred body be there But loe we haue the voice of an Angell telling us He is not here Math. 28.6 for he is risen Here our blessed Saviours resurrection is proclaimed by an Herald from Heaven by an Angell Whereby we know that he is a perfect Mediatour betwixt God and us tam merito quà m efficaciâ as well by the merit of his passion as by the power and efficacy of his resurrection Satan the Serpent thought he had strangled the fruit of our redemption by procuring that ignominious and shamefull death of Christ on the Crosse supposing to haue kept him under the chaines of darknesse Aug. serm 1. in fest ascens But as St. Augustine writeth Muscipula Diaboli crux Christi esca quâ caperetur mors Christi the Crosse of Christ was the Devills trap the baite whereby he was taken was the death of Christ So the deceiver was deceived the subtile Serpent was beguiled for it was not possible that he should keepe him under death who is the Lord of life John 11.25
quicquid potes pro persona quam portas perficis zelus domus tuae comedit me Doe what in thee lieth correspondent to the person thou sustainest and then thou doest perfectly performe that the zeale of thy house hath eaten me up In the next place consider what an one thou art whether pious or prophane cruell or mercifull humble or proud covetous or liberall temperate or intemperate in a word thou must consider wherein thou dost swarue from the rule of obedience and transgresse Gods law For nisi ad regulam Seneca ad Lucil ep 11. pratia non couriges saith Seneca thou wilt not correct that which is amisse but by the rule But if thou strictly examine thy selfe by that rule it is to be feared thou wilt finde thy selfe a great sinner a grievous sinner perhaps 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of measure sinfull thou wilt see thy prevarications und aberrations multiplied super numerum to be as David complained innumerable more than the haires of thy head Oh but the slnggish sinner will not looke into that cleare glasse to see his festered sores his otting corrupting Uicers least the sight thereof should trouble and torment him For he thinkes it true which the Preacher saith He that increaseth knowledge Eccles. 1.18 increaseth sorrow which St. Ierome expounds thus Hieron lib. 2. advers Pelag. he understands that he wants perfection and knowes by that which he doth know how much it is which he doth not know But the carnall sinner expounds it otherwise by searching into the Law and the severall branches of obedience therein contained he discovereth the multitude of his sinnes and transgressions and consequently the guilt of many foule and monstrous aberrations for as that holy Father Fulgentius saith Fulgent de gra incarn Dum. nosiâ—â—â—â—s Christi Quantum ignorantta peccati minuitur tantum reatus peccatorum augetur as much as the ignorance of sinne decreaseth so much the guilt of sinne increaseth Now the guilt of sinnes increaseth the sight of God justice and the extreame malediction or curse of the Law cause remorse of conscience increase sorrow But if this sorrow be seasoned and sanctified with grace and faith in Christ Iesus it is not that sorrow in morall Philosophie which is affectus destructivus subjecti an affection or passion destroying the subject but it is affectus perfectivus salvativus subjecti an affection perfecting preserving the subject for it is a pious a profitable sorrow or as the Apostle speakes 2 Cor. 7.10 a godly sorrow which causeth repentance unto salvation not to be repented of CHAP. XVII Of righteousnesse perfecting the will IN the day when Adam was created he was perfect in his understanding and will but by disobedience he became imperfect in both and so was cast out of that earthly Paradise Now unlesse we be renewed in Christ after the image of God and regaine such or greater perfection than Adam had in science and sanctitie in knowledge and righteousnesse we shall never enter into the paradise of heaven What knowledge is especially necessary unto perfection is formerly discovered So that in the next place it remaineth to enquire what righteousnesse is requisit to perfect us and prepare us for the kingdome of heaven Which before we come to let us still remember that as I intimated heretofore there is a double perfection compatible to man The first is absolute proper to the glorified ones in the Church triumphant and not to be found in any of the children of men so long as they be here in earthly tabernacles and mortall bodies of clay The second not absolute but correspondent to the state of this life and this is that which by all meanes wee must striue and endeavour to attaine unto whilst we are members of the militant Church whilst we are as yet strangers and pilgrims and way-faring men on earth This then premised consider we the righteousnesse whereby we are perfected according to the state of this present life And it is two-fold the first is the righteousnesse of another but imputed unto us called therefore imputed righteousnesse The second is our owne righteousnesse which is wrought in us by God through the sanctification of his Spirit called inherent righteousnesse And first we will treat of that righteousnesse which being without us is imputed unto us of God and so made ours otherwise we could never be perfect disciples in the schoole of Christ. CHAP. XVIII Of righteousnesse imputed THe righteousnesse which is without us and not our owne but imputed unto us as being the righteousnesse of another is the righteousnesse of Iesus our Mediatour now his righteousnesse is of two sorts first the righteousnesse of his person wherewith he himselfe is clothed and adorned secondly the rightousnesse of his merit whereby he doth cloath and adorne us poore naked miserable sinners and that of his meere grace free bountie and goodnesse The righteousnesse of Christs merit is that meritorious obedience which in our nature he performed for us to appease Gods wrath conceived against us for our sinne to satisfie his severe justice that wee being absolved from sinne by his death might be reconciled unto God and so become heires of eternall life This meritorious righteousnesse of our blessed Saviour without which we are altogether imperfect is in it selfe most perfect and it pleaseth God to account it unto us as our righteousnesse and to impute it unto us as done by us For Christ sustaining and bearing all our persons in his death by the will and determinate counsell of the Father died for us all So that that righteousnesse which he performed for us in our name may not unfitly be said to be ours as done by us For as St. Gregory saith Greg. Moral expos in Iob. lib. 24. cap. 7. Iustitia nostra dicitur non quae ex nostro nostra est sed quae divina largitate fit nostra it is called our righteousnesse not which is ours of our own but which is made ours by Gods bountie â—erem 23.6 And in this regard the sonne of Hilkia by the spirit of prophecy might well entitle him Iehovam justitiam nostram the Lord our righteousnesse And thus much the trumpet of grace proclaimeth 1 Cor. 1.30 teaching us that Iesus â—hrist is of God made unto us wisedome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption CHAP. XIX Of imputed righteousnesse made ours by faith GOD of his meere grace giues unto us the meritorious obedience of his Sonne accounting it unto us as ours and withall by the same grace giues us faith to apprehend it and apply it to our selues For by this hand of faith we claspe and embrace and lay fast hold on Christs righteousnesse and so make it ours Now this faith is a principall beame of that grace which enlighteneth all the faculties of the reasonable foule and is partly in the understanding and partly in the will for it is not a bare assent given to
crowne meete for your labour Perseverance immediately beginneth to attend on grace the mother of all vertues when it is first infused but is not compleate untill death untill the infusion of finall grace which perfectly extinguisheth all evill concupiscence and is the utter deletion or taking away of all sinne and sinfulnesse As the Crowne on the Kings head giveth an eminent splend our and luster to his royall robes and other 〈◊〉 ornaments so the grace of perseverance is the glorious complement crowne of all other vertues and is an infallible guide to leade us into the kingdome of glorie Therefore our Saviour saith not he that shall begin Math. 24.13 but he that shall endure unto the end shall be saved And to the Angell in the Church of Smyrna he saith Be thou faithfull unto death and I will giue thee a crowne of life Apoc. 2. â—0 We are now in our spirituall course and race we must so runne that we may obtaine wee are now in the combat we must so fight that we may over come Which that we may doe we are to implore and desire by fervent and incessant prayer that God would prevent and follow us with grace all the dayes of our life that so at the end of our dayes we may confidently and comfortably say with the chosen vessell of mercy I have fought a good fight 2 Tim. 4. v. 7 8. I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith Henceforth there is laid up for me a crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue me at that day and not unto me onely but unto them also which loue his appearing CHAP. XXXIII Of perfection in glorie SAint Paul the chosen vessell of mercy and trumpet of grace Rom. 8.30 uniteth and maketh up the golden chaine of our salvation with foure linkes First Predestination secondly Vocation thirdly Iustification fourthly Glorification Where hee expresseth not our sanctification as being included in our glorification according to the exposition of Aquinas Aquin. in cp ad Rom. cap. 8. saying Glorificamur in hac vita per prefectune virturis gratia in futura per exaltationem gloria We are glorified in this life by proficiency of vertue and grace in the life to come by exaltation of glory And indeed grace is glorie inchoate or begun glorie is grace consummate and perfected and our imperfect perfection by grace here is a previous preparing and disposing of us unto that absolute perfection which wee shall haue being cloathed and adorned with the stole of glorie For even in this life wee are freed in part from those foure evills which are maine impediments to our absolute perfection and this freedome is meerely from grace in Christ Iesus The first evill hindering our perfection is error in the understanding from which we are freed in part by the Spirit of grace leading of us into all truth and teaching us all things necessary unto salvation The second evill a let to perfection is sinne in the will from which wee are also partly freed by grace in Christ and that two wayes First Rom. 6.14 from the dominion of it For sinne shall not haue dominion over you because yee are not under the Law but under grace saith the Apostle secondly from the condemnation of sinne seeing Rom. 8.1 there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus which walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit The third evill hindrance of our perfection is misery and afflictions from which by faith and spirituall fortitude we are freed in part that they may not swallow us up that the flouds of great waters the over-flowings of feare and despaire may never prevaile against us never over whelme us In the world you shall haue tribulation but be of good cheare saith Christ I haue overcome the world The last evill letting our perfection is death And from this also we are freed in part by grace not onely from spirituall and eternall death but even from corporall in two respects First from the sting thereof 1 Iohn 1. v. 7. which is sinne 1 Cor. 15.56 for by the bloud of Christ wee are cleansed from all sinne Secondly in regard of dominion for death shall not tyrannize over us for ever for in the resurrection at the sound of the Trumpet 1 Cor. 15.52 wee shall be raised incorruptible and never die any more Whereas the bodies of the unjust shall rise but from corporall to eternall death wherein they shall be ever dying but never dead which moved holy Bernard to cry out Bern. de consid li. 5. ca. 12. Alas saith he quis det illis semel mori ut non moriantur in aternum who might grant them once to die that so they might not die for ever Thus are we freed in part by grace from these foure evill impediments of perfection But in the stare of glorie we shall be wholy and entirely exempted from the in for then shall we be free from all darknesse of error obliquitie of sinne from all of stictive misery and destroying death Yea we shall be free from them after a more excellent mother than Adam was in Paradise in the state of innocency For it pleased the omnipotent goodnesse and wisedome who bringeth light out of darknesse life out of death and good out of evill even by the fall of man to raise him up in Christ to a more eminent and high state of perfection It is true that Adam in his integritie had power not to erre not to sinne not to suffer misery not to die but it is also true that he had power to erre to sinne to suffer misery to die which by wofull experiment he brought into act by disobeying the command of his creator Ever since the poison and contagion of disobedience hath tainted and corrupted all the veines of his rebellious children and miserable posteritie Now in the state of glory in that heavenly Paradise we shall obtaine such a transcendent degree of perfection as that we shall haue no power in our understanding to erre in our will to sinne no power to suffer misery and devouring death In that ineffable glorie wee being perfectly changed into the image of the Lord the knowledge of all things shall be seene of us not by parts but wholly and at once as St. Prosper saith Prosp de vita contemplat li. 1. cap. 6. We shall see all things clearely without error by beholding him who is all truth Now wee see through a glasse darkly that incomprehensible light we behold him now through a three-fold glasse First of the creatures secondly of his workes of justice and mercie thirdly of the holy Scriptures But then we shall see him perfectly clearely face to face with unspeakeable joy and delight and herein confists our essentiall alsufficient blessednesse therefore Philip said unto Christ Lord shew us the Father and it sufficeth Iohn 14.8 Now we know God but imperfectly