findes them wetted with the waters of Siloe plunged in the spring of eternall life in the bloud of his onely Sonne This in that hee also loueth so tenderly his creatures that of a Creator he wil become a Father spares not to redeeme them from perdition the bloud of his owne Sonne himselfe the Creator for miserable creatures the eternall God for mortall men the righteous for sinners the Almighty king for vile slaues And therefore concerning that the Prophet telles vs ſ Psal 130.3 If thou Lord shouldest marke iniquities O Lord who shall stand t Psal 143.2 Enter not into iudgment with thy seruant for in thy sight shall no man liuing be iustified For u Rom. 6.23 the wages of sinne is death And consequently the Scripture saith x Rom. 11.32 God hath concluded them all in vnbeliefe and y Rom. 3.19 all the world is become guilty before God and therefore guilty of eternal death this is the vnmeasurable depth of his iustice But concerning this mercy doth sweeten and ouer prize it z Ioh. 3.16 God so loued the world that hee gaue his onely begotten Son that whosoeuer belieueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life Fearest thou poore sinner to draw neere him as the Pitch neere the fire a Eph. 3.12 In him thou hast boldnesse and accesse vnto him with confidence by the faith of Christ Fearest thou to bee accused to bee condemned b Rom. 8.33 34. It is God that iustifieth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen againe who is euen at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for thee c Rom. 6.23 The guift of God is eternall life which is giuen thee in Christ Iesus our righteousnesse The d Col. 3.12 Scripture indeed hath concluded all vnder sinne but it is that the promise by faith of Iesus Christ might be giuen to thē that beleeue e Rom. 11.32 God hath concluded all in vnbeleefe but it is that he might haue mercy vpon all that none might glory of his saluation but in his sole mercy And therefore the Apostle speaketh of this grace which exceeds sinne of this charitie which ouerflowes his iustice f Rom. 5.20 Where sinne abounded by the law grace did much more abound by faith in Christ In Christ sent graciously by the Father vndergoing charitably the hard yoke of that commission for vs wherefore Saint Iohn saith g 1 Ioh. 3.16 Hereby perceiue we the loue of God the Sonne because he laid downe his life for vs. And Saint Paul hauing most magnificently handled the mystery of the crosse of Christ It is saith he h Eph. 3.17 18 19. That yee being rooted and grounded in loue may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the bredth and length and height and to know the loue of Christ which passeth knowledge that ye might be filled with all the fulnesse of God Hee could not take the measure either of his iustice or mercy of these two vnscrutable and vnmeasurable depths by any other thing than by the crosse of Christ than by Christ crucified sufficiently for all effectually for vs where one may reade in great Characters legible for all men be they neuer so short sighted both the infinite anger of God against sinne and his vnspeakable loue towards his creatures and cry out with the Apostle who handleth this point on the brim of these depths i Rom. 11.33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God! how vnsearchable are his iudgements and his wayes past finding out Why then to know Christ crucified is a profound mystery an Art that goes farre And you must not hereafter wonder if the Apostle stands to it if with more reason hee detains vs in it But there is more for it is not an idle knowledge a hollow meditation but solide and actiue that carrieth its fruit in it selfe is neuer empty From the knowledge that it giues vs of our corruption and of Gods iustice it engendreth in vs a hatred of sinne which conuerts vs from our selues to him from our dead works to a better life from the knowledge of his mercy of his loue towards vs it kindleth in vs a loue towards him towards his word A loue that makes vs to compose all our actions and behauiour to the pleasure of his law A loue which seeing it selfe not able to doe any thing that may serue him or doe him good endeuoureth to become so much the more faithfull so much the more affectioned in that it feeles it selfe vnprofitable and therefore reflecteth it selfe vpon our neighbor vpon his image on all that beares his marke or stampe And that 's that which S. Iohn saith k 1 Ioh. 2.3 Hereby we doe know that wee doe know him if we keep his commandements On the contrary l 1 Ioh. 3.6 whosoeuer sinneth that is to say makes a trade of it hath not seene him neither knoweth him S. Paul also m 1 Thess 4.1 2 3 4. Yee know what commandements we gaue you by the Lord Iesus and what That euery one of you should know how to possesse his vessell in sanctification honor That euery one endeuour so to walke and to please God that he may abound more more not thinking it sufficient n 2 Cor. 4.14 16. That wee know that he which raised vp the Lord Iesus shall raise vs also by Iesus On the contrary For this cause we faint not but worke so that though our outward man perish yet the inward man is renued day by day And this is one of the euidences whereby we may know that we know Christ in effect The other followeth The loue towards God which manifesteth it selfe towards our brethren for our Sauior saith o Ioh 5.24 He that beleeueth on me is passed frō death to life But wilt thou know who he is We know saith S. Iohn p 1 Ioh. 3.14 16. that we haue passed from death vnto life because we loue the brethrē he that loueth not his brother abideth in death And againe Hereby perceiue we the loue of God because he laid downe his life for vs and we ought to lay downe our liues for the brethren For S. Paul tells vs also q 1 Cor. 13.2 Though I haue the gift of prophesie and vnderstand all mysteries and all knowledge and though I haue all faith so that I could remoue moūtains haue no charity I am nothing Charity is that knowledge of Iesus Christ and him crucified which his charity imprinteth in vs which we are to expresse towards our brethren not able to exercise it on him for what heat what light can a small candle yeeld vnto the Sun what loue what charity can wee render backe vnto Christ and notwithstanding he will esteeme it as his and make much reckoning of the good which we that are his impart vnto our brethren r Marth 10 42. Whosoeuer
THREE MEDITATIONS Vpon these three places of Scripture 1 COR. 2.2 For I determined not to know any thing among you saue Iesus Christ and him crucified PSAL. 6.1 O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger c. PROV 3.11 12. My sonne despise not the chastisement of the Lord c. By IOHN BVLTEEL LONDON Printed by I. H. for Nathanael Newbery and are to be sold in Popes-head Alley at the signe of the Starre 1627. TO THE RIGHT Honorable the right vertuous and most truly Religious Lord Robert Earle of Warwicke Baron of Leeze c. Right Honourable IT is not without cause that the Apostle S. Paul did desire to know nothing but Christ crucified nor to glory in any thing but in his crosse because the knowledge of this is the substance and marrow of true knowledge for if we know Christ it is no matter though wee know nothing else but we know nothing if we know not Christ though we vnderstand all mysteries all knowledge which knowledge consisteth not in going on pilgrimage to the mount of Caluarie and beholding the place where Christ was crucified in Golgotha or to behold him in a wooden crucifix or in an image as the Papists do but as the Apostle saith to goe vnto him out of the campe not with bodily feet or with corporall eyes he is in heauen but with the feet of faith which represents things past as if they were present with spirituall eyes to behold his passion with compassion himselfe bearing his crosse and his crosse beares him he carrying the wood as Isaac wheron he was to be sacrificed as Noah carried on the Arke yea carrying the Arke to saue vs from the Floud of Gods wrath as Iacob bearing on his shoulder the ladder whereby we mount vp into heauen as Moses with the rod of his crosse ouercomming his enemies in the red sea of his bloud and sauing his people to behold the God of glory crucified betweene two theeues as the greatest sinner of all that hee might glorifie vs with Angels that diuine head at whose presence the very powers of heauen were wont to tremble that had heretofore a crowne of glory all to be crowned and pricked with a crowne of thornes That Angellike face defiled with the spittle of the Iewes bowing it his head to kisse vs. Those chrystall eyes once clearer than the Sunne beames bloudshed and cast ouer with the darknesse of death thirsting that he might shew his desire of our saluation his mouth so sweet full of Gall and Vinegar that he might satisfie for that deadly iuice which Adam sucked out of the forbidden fruit his hands and armes that framed and fashioned the heauens all bespred and distrained on the crosse on the left on the right side that hee might call all vnto him ready to embrace both Iew and Gentile naked but cloathed with charitie because of Adams nakednesse that we may bee cloathed with grace and glory his bloud gushing from him as the foure riuers of Paradise to water Gods Eden wash his Church with his bloud crying with feare that wee might cry in faith crying in the anguish of his soule in his feeling as if hee were left not of Angels or men that was but little but of God his Father crying My God my God why hast thou forsaken me At this voyce the earth trembled because it could not beare so great a burthen as the Crosse The Crosse trembled because it bare Christ Christ trembled and was in a bloudy sweat because he had so great so heauy and so insupportable a weight for first he bare our persons secondly hee bare our sinnes a great burden thirdly hee bare the floud of Gods anger and iustice powred on him for our sinnes At this most dreadfull cry which at once mooued all the powers of heauen and earth the Sun was eclipsed and that contrary to its course and custome which made a Heathen Philosopher to cry that either nature suffered or the world was at an end and mooued the Centurion to say Verily this was a iust man this was the Sonne of God the Sunne was eclipsed because it could not behold the Sonne of Righteousnesse not onely eclipsed with the interposition of the body of the earth of his humane nature but also eclipsed with the veile of his Passion yea the very stones were rent asunder and the graues were opened Euery creature saith S. Hierome suffereth with Christ at his suffering the Sunne is darkned the earth mooued the rockes cleaue asunder the veile of the Temple diuided the graues opened only miserable mansuffereth not with Christ for whom alone Christ suffered Lest therefore we shew our selues vnsensible vnthankfull and vnfaithfull let vs consider his passion with compassion with faith with admiration and as Saint Austin saith behold the wounds of patient Christ the bloud of him dying the price of our redemption consider what they are weigh them in the ballance of thy heart that hee may be wholly fixed in thy heart that was for thee wholly fastned on the crosse And in it consider the loue of God the Father the charity the humility the patience of God the Sonne who loued vs his enemies more than himselfe consider our sinnes and wounds which were healed by the precious balme of his bloud Consider Oman saith Bernard how great are those wounds for the curing of which the Lord Christ must needs bee wounded If these wounds had not beene deadly yea and to eternall death the Sonne of God would neuer haue died that he might cure them Besides we must crucifie our sinnes our members as Christ was crucified be crucified to the world the world crucified to vs he alone saith S. Hierom can glory in the crosse who takes it vp and followeth Christ who crucifieth his flesh his concupiscence So then we must crucifie our heart that it may die to wicked cogitations crucifie our hands so that they may haue no life to commit euill actions crucifie our eyes that they take no delight to gaze on worldly vanities crucifie our eares that they listen not to fruitlesse and friuolous words crucifie our tongue yea crucifie the old man that hath been a tenant so long and hath had his habitation in our bosome that he being dead hee may be carried to his graue that our soule may be infected no longer with his carnall impiety and that wee may no longer loue but loathe and for euer leaue his damnable company Besides the crucifying of the old man we must suffer and beare afflictions as pouerty crosses sicknesse temptations for what meruaile If God did afflict his Son for our sinnes if he afflict vs for our own and God had in the arke of the Couenant both Manna and the rod of Aaron shewing that as a Father hee nourisheth vs and as a Father hee chastiseth vs as his Sonnes and these afflictions are ensignes markes of his loue So saith Christ I reproue chastise those whom I loue So Iacob
whom he loued and Moses the beloued of God and man And Dauid a man according to GODS heart So Solomon called Iedidia i. the beloued of God yet if hee sinne God will chastise him as a Father his Son for God chastiseth vs to humble vs to make vs haue zeale and repentance to try our faith obedience patience hope as Iob Though thou kill me yet will I hope in thee and these afflictions yea armies of crosses God sendeth against his children to chastise them not to hurt them as Dauid sent his armie against Absolon Deale gently for my sake with the young man euen with Absolon He reproueth vs not in his fury but in his mercy according to our desire and sendeth vs these vipers of afflictions that we may shake them off as Paul did and make an antidote treackle against sinne and death for they are not vnto death as Christ said of Lazarus at least not vnto eternall death but Chariots to carry vs vp to Heauen for by afflictions wee must enter into the kingdome of heauen Neither is this all for wee must goe forth vnto Christ out of the camp to beare reproaches crosses for Christ for Augustine saith if we remember the passion of Christ there is nothing so difficult but wee will patiently endure bearing according to his commandement his crosse after him And Simon Cyrenaeus exāple to carry Christs crosse for him first because he did beare the crosse and reproach yea died now if the head then much more the members if that was done to the green wood then much more to the dry wood the seruants condition ought not to be better thā the masters secondly because Christ did beare our reproach died for vs and therefore with Thomas let vs goe and die with him and for him thirdly because the reproches which we endure for Christ are not tearmed ours but his so Christ saith to Iames and Iohn Yee shall drinke of my cup. And Simon Cyrenaeus could not say I beare mine owne crosse but Christs crosse because he bare Christs crosse and for Christ And therefore S. Paul saith I beare in my body the markes of the Lord Iesus and that in three respects First As a member of Christ for as the marke on the hand or forehead redounds not to that member but to all the members to the head yea to the whole person and that hand should not be branded but that it is the hand of such a person so the Christians branded and marked because the members of Christ Christ is branded marked whipped in their person Paul and Silas are they whipt in prison Christ is whipped in their person Christ though in heauen yet he said Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Secondly As an Ambassadour for if the iniury offered to an Ambassadour redounds to the King who sends him so the dishonour offered by Hanun King of the Ammonites vnto the Ambassadours of King Dauid redounded vnto King Dauid and he reuenged himselfe on the Ammonites then the dishonour offered to Christs Ambassadours and Ministers redounds to Christ himselfe for who receiueth you receiueth mee who reiecteth you reiecteth mee who dishonoureth you dishonoureth me Thirdly As a Souldier for as a souldier who receiueth wounds and skarres in his Princes quarels or for his Countries sake dares say hee beares his Princes wounds the skarres of his Country so Paul beares the skarres and markes of Christ Iesus hee beares on him as Chrysostome saith the ensignes of honour hee is not ashamed of them but he shews them open to the whole world as Emperours that carrie openly their Coronets Diadems and precious ornaments and as souldiers chosen out of companies to vndertake some enter prize thinke themselues honoured though they vndergoe those dangers with the danger of their liues because they are preferred before the rest though there be no merit so the Apostles reioyced in that they were thought worthy to be whipped for Christ his sake and as a souldier is not ashamed to shew his wounds to the world So Sertorius hauing an eye lost in warre was not ashamed thereof but glorying in it said that others keepe in their houses their ensignes and other marks of victory but he carried thē in his body Yea as men yea noblemen thinke themselues honoured with the order of a King as for example the order of the Garter though in it selfe it is a matter of nought it is but a Garter yet because it is of a royall institution and a King hath made this order and held those Knights of that order to be his brethren and companions so though ignominies reproaches imprisonment chaines are vile and naught in its selfe and ignominious to the world yet are they honourable to the Saints Angels God because they are the order of Christ the crosse is his order the chaines are the order of Christs gates and therefore Moses himselfe did esteeme more of this order of the reproach of Christ than of all the riches of Aegypt And Tertullian said There is no nobler order of Chiualry nor no better and fairer colours than the chaines wherewith the Martyrs of Christ are chained and manacled with and there are not more precious bracelets than the manacles wherwith the hands are chained And it is said in the Ecclesiasticall History of an ancient Father Babylas the holy Bishop of Antioch who being detained in a filthy and villanous prison for the name of Christ wherein he died did request his friends that came to visite him that after his death they should bury with him his ornaments marks of his valour vnderstanding by thē the chaines wherwith his hands and feet were chained So our holy Martyrs in the time of Queene Marie did kisse the chaines and stakes wherewith they were cōsumed to ashes nay euen Kings haue much esteemed those skarres and those persons that haue suffered for the name of Christ as the Emperour Constantine who did kisse the holes of the eies and the skarres of those Bishops who had receiued those markes of the Arians for the maintenance of Christs deity And Chrysostome desired to see the dust of that body namely of the Apostle Paul that had borne the markes of the Lord Iesus By these markes and skarres are the faithfull Christian Martyrs knowne for these skarres as a consequent shall they triumph For as Arthur the Kings body being takē vp somewhat more than 600 yeeres after his death was knowne to be his by nothing so much as by the print of ten seuerall wounds which appeared in his skull and as Christ after his resurrection had his skarres and wounds whereby he was known so shall the faithfull bee knowne not hauing wounds or skarres for their body shall be glorious but notwithstanding knowne of God of Angels of Saints yea of their persecutors for they shall see them whō they haue pierced yea those persecutors that haue borne the marke of the Beast of Antichrist against Christ against his Gospell and others that
away our sins And comprehends himselfe Hereby perceiue we the loue of God because hee hath laid downe his life for vs. And S. Paul saith k 1 Tim. 1.15 16. This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Iesus came into the world to saue sinners feareth not to adde with the same certainty of whom I am chiefe for this cause I obtained mercy that in me first Iesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a patterne to them which should hereafter beleeue on him to life euerlasting The which he saith elsewhere l 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I haue beleeued and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I haue committed vnto him against that day And it is that therefore properly which this great Apostle who did practise this knowledge in himselfe nameth to know Christ and himselfe crucified To know a thing is to know what it is it is to know it say the Schoolemen by its causes To know Christ crucified is to know that the eternall word the second person of the holy Trinity was made flesh in the fulnesse of time hath vndergone mans infirmities sinne excepted the reproach of the world in fine the death of the crosse But that sufficeth not hath vndergone I say all this by the eternall counsell of the Father with a voluntary obedience to redeeme mankinde sold vnder sinne lost in himselfe by himselfe to release the beleeuers those who imbrace him by a true faith from the paines of hell and make thē heires of life euerlasting Cerces this is a profound knowledge which comprehends all so that it is no meruaile that the Apostle will haue no other it is knowledge the knowledge of man yea the knowledge of God himselfe Hee that first among the Heathen said Know thy selfe was iudged the wisest most learned of all men And from thence the Philosophers haue propounded thousands of precepts Did they for all that goe further than to the skinne and the flesh did they teach them more than the cutting of the haire or paring of the nailes No truely therefore study thou me Christ crucified the eternall Sonne of God for man for his sinnes for thine owne sighing vnder the burden of sinne and of the curse and anger than followed it and crying to his Father in this agony Thou canst not chuse but enter from the contemplation of the horror of that death yea of his death into the consideration of the horror of sin yea of thy selfe so vile so enormous hainous that it could not ought not to be washed to be abolished but in and by the precious bloud of the Son of God A price infinite a crime therefore infinite man all crime And thence gathering thy spirits thou wilt descend into thy selfe consider thy selfe from top to toe from the body to the soule from the flesh to the spirit from sence to reason and consider the more nobler the parts the deeper the more mortall the wounds so that from this anatomy thou wilt be brought to acknowledge to protest with S. Paul that the whole vnderstanding the whole wisedome of the flesh of man considered in his nature is nought but death for m Rom. 8.7 the minding of the flesh that which in it seemeth to retaine most either of wholsomnesse or holinesse is enmity against God for it is not subiect to the law of God neither indeed can be consequently thou wilt detest thy peruerse nature contest against it In this contention thou wilt torment thy selfe and be discouraged yea and cry out n Rom. 7.24 Who shall deliuer me from the body of this death In a word thou wilt cast thy selfe groueling on the ground before the iustice of God to ery vnto him earnestly for mercy to vse violence to force him to it and then thanke him but I thanke God o Rom. 7.25 through Iesus Christ our Lord. And for what That p Rom. 8.1 there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus A necessary Science which thou couldest not haue learned in any booke but this not in the booke of nature the knowledge thereof puffeth vp but doth not fill as little in the booke of Ethicke morality that doth but palliate thy euill and so giues remedies which eate for a while but heale nor But by this Art which thou learnest thou comprehendest all thou apprehendest in one sole Christ crucified before thine eyes In his wounds learning yea feeling thine owne in his wounds both taking and applying the remedy of thine According to that of the Prophet q Isa 53.4 5. We did esteeme him brutish world stricken smitten of God and afflicted but he was wounded for our iniquities he was brused for our transgressions the chastisement of our peace was vpon him who makes atonement betweene God and vs giues peace to our consciences and with his stripes we are healed And therefore as hee giues vs here the root the bulke and body of this knowledge so elsewhere he shewes vs the branches r Rom. 7.18 20 23 I know that in mee that is in my body dwelleth no good thing euill present with me it dwelleth in me bringing me into captiuity to the law of sin which is in my members A knowledge deriued from the meditation of Christ crucified taken from the necessity whereby it forceth man to informe against himselfe from thence consequently to know and seeke the remedy thereof ſ Rom. 6.6 11. Wee know we that haue imbraced the crosse of Christ that our elde man is crucified with him that the body of sinne might be destroyed that henceforth wee should not serue sinne that we should be displeased with it renounce it and our selues And therefore he saith Reckon yee also your selues to be dead indeed vnto sinne but aliue vnto God through Iesus Christ our Lord. Corollaries and dependances of this first knowledge of Christ crucified for why was the Sonne of God crucified but for the sonnes of men Men sinners confected in sinne they themselues sinne Why such a remedy but for such a wound why descending from the highest heauens but to hale vs out of the bottomlesse pit Againe wee learne to know God better in Christ crucified than in all books than in whole nature Search narrowly and peruse diligently nature as Salomon did from the Cedar vnto the Hysope thou knowst nought r Rom. 1.20 but Gods greatnesse but his power yea examine fully all the parts of Philosophy thou knowest scarce his shadow On the contrary in this meditation thou entrest into his closet yea into his own nature There thou doest take notice to the full both of his infinite iustice and infinite mercy That in that he hates so much the euill sinne which is the true euill is so contrary to him that hee burnes it as the fire the stubble and because of it his creatures he cannot spare thē doth not abstaine from doing it But in as much as hee
saith he shall giue to drinke vnto one of these little ones a cup of cold water onely in the name of a Disciple verily I say vnto you he shall in no wise lose his reward Wilt thou now therfore see if in good earnest thou hast learned Christ crucified repeat thy lesson examine thy selfe what wouldst thou iudge of a neighbour who being nothing beholding to thee should take thee out of prison preserue thee frō danger of death and that by the death of his onely Sonne how wouldest thou thinke thy selfe beholding to him or what wouldest thou not doe for him wouldest thou spare thy selfe God therefore to whom already thou owest what thou art by creation infinitely offended with thy rebellions since thou wert to redeeme thee from hell from eternall death giues his eternall Sonne to the ignominie of the Crosse for thee And behold how this comparison is without comparison betweene God and man the Creatour and the creature betweene him that is offended and him to whom nothing is owing between hell and prison eternall death and temporall the eternall Sonne of God and the sonne of an ordinary man what proportion betweene good and euill the infinite and the finite the eternall and the feeble all and nothing Notwithstanding art thou called to suffer for the Name of God for Christs quarrell thou refusest him the life which thou holdest of him which thou retainest by none but by him this life miserable man that thou art in exchange whereof he imparts vnto thee life euerlasting Naythou repinest to hazaro I know not what goods to lose the least of thy plesures cōmoduies which shouldst and euery day thou dost it for a friend seeke all occasions by them if thou couldst to testifie thy gratitude with the price of thy bloud redeemed with his bloud And dost thou know then that Christ hath been crucified for thee this knowledge hath it made no impression in thy soule no not in thy skinne that thou darest not auow it whereof thou hast either feare or shame And if thou knowest it art thou not the worse for it or to interpret it more mildly is it not true thou dost not know it that it is but a heare-say to thee But it may be this lesson is too high for thee Some man therefore hath redeemed thee from prison by his Sonne hath saued thee both frō the guilt and punishment If thou hast not the heart and courage to die for him at least surely thou shouldst haue the hart and desire to liue to doe him good Yea what is there that thou wouldest not doe euen for those that belong to him for the least of them if thou didst meet them And thou seest the brethren of Christ his owne members freeze with cold faint with hunger at thy doore And dost thou withdraw thy selfe from thy flesh and from his wilt not know them Art thou thy selfe then a member of Christ insensible of his paines and dost thou know Iesus crucified his loue towards thee that hast none towards his owne and canst thou number thy selfe amongst those of whom the Apostle speaketh ſ 2 Cor. 8.9 Yee know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ that though hee was rich yet for your sakes he became poore that ye through his pouerty might be rich who in thy riches sufferest his poore members to die therefore remember that which Saint Iohn saith t 1 Ioh. 3.14 He that loueth not his brother abideth in death And beleeue that thou dost not yet beleeue aright for how canst thou be passed from death to life or how canst thou say that u 1 Ioh. 4.20 thou louest God whō thou hast not seene that louest not thy brother whom thou hast seene And how canst thou know or rather haue studied Christ crucified without knowing there his infinite charitie towards thee without being inflamed towards him to be so towards him and yet cold towards his brethren It may be thou hast better practised this knowledge in thy selfe hast in Christ crucified considered the horrour of thy sinne hereafter to walke not after the flesh but after the spirit to put on daily the new man and to put off the old man to conclude to liue to Christ who is dead for thee no more to the world no more to thy selfe Yea but whilst thou disputest and talkest Christ crucified thou dost abandon prostitute thy selfe more and more to thy vnsatiable lusts thou dost pollute this thy holy confessiō w th disordered profused words coūtenance and actions yesterday in sin to day in scandal to day out of the termes of modesty and to morrow into those of impudencie So that the night that should adde knowledge vnto the night addes blasphemie and insolencie Know thou that thou art farre from knowing Christ crucified though thou beest learned And if thou hast knowne him thou hast forgot him looke to it lest he forget thee for the master of this knowledge saith Yee are x Rom. 7.4 become dead my brethren to the Law by the body of Christ that yee should bee married to another euen to him that is raised from the dead And wherefore that we should bring forth fruit vnto God that heretofore did bring forth fruit vnto death Neither is it enough to know y 1 Tim. 3.9 the mystery of faith wee must hold it in a pure conscience For z Luk. 11.28 blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it And therefore let vs boast neuer so much of this knowledge a Rom. 8.11 If the spirit of him that raised Iesus from the dead saith the Apostle dwell in you hee that raised vp Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you He will be but a bad earnest though he dwell there though hee haue chose his mansion if we take pleasure to grieue him by our disorders And againe b Rom. 8.13 If you liue after the flesh yee shall die but if ye through the spirit doe mortifie the deeds of the body yee shall liue If on the other side we quench the spirit or drowne it in our pollutions the Apostle tels vs as he did the Ephesians c Ephes 4.20 21 22. Yee haue not so learned Christ if so be that yee haue heard him and haue beene taught by him as the truth is in Iesus that ye put off concerning the former conuersation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitfull lusts But you are of the number of those d Ibi. v. 19. who being past feeling of paine of sinne giue themselues ouer vnto lasciuiousnesse to worke all vncleannesse with greedinesse To know therefore Christ in this manner yea crucified will it not turne to our condemnation who take pleasure to crucifie him Therefore let vs not think that the Apostle said little when hee determined not to know any thing among the faithfull saue Iesus Christ and him crucified To know