his light Tota vita martyrium esse debet hoc est testimonium deo reddere c. the whole life of a Christian should be a martirdome that is a continuall witnessing of the truth of God and this is so necessarie that without it the second martirdome that is the testimonie vvhich thou bearest to the truth of God by shedding of thy blood is worth nothing it availes not to giue thy body to be burnt in the fire vnlesse that first thou mortifie thy earthly members and by reasonable seruice offer vp thy body a liuely and an acceptable sacrifice to God And hereunto also tendeth that which bee subioynes Efficacius est vitae quam linguae testimonium habent etiam opera suam linguam c. The testimonie of the life is more effectuall than the testimonie of the tongue workes haue also their owne language yea and their owne eloquence though the tongue be silent therefore our blessed Sauiour in the Gospell sayeth the workes which the Father hath giuen mee to doe the same workes that I doe beare witnesse of mee Like as Cyprian sayeth good workes professes that there is a God so euill workes say in their owne kinde that there is no God nor knowledge of the most high Thus it is a most fearefull sinne for them to walke after the flesh who professes that they are in Iesus Christ. For no sinne can be committed of them vvithout horrible sacriledge euery worke of the flesh though done by a Pagan is a transgression of Gods law which shall bee punished vnto death but the same committed by Christians are not onely sinnes but sacrilegious sinnes and that of the highest degree then came the sinnes of Belshazar to the height when to all his former sinnes hee ioyned the abuse of those vessels which were holy to haue drunke intemperately for the honor of his Idol in any vessell was a fearfull sinne but to doe it in the vessels dedicated to the honour of the true God was a double sinne Yet is this sacriledge small if it shall bee compared with thine who professing Christ liues profanely hee abused dead vessels of gold siluer but thou erects a temple for the liuing God in a temple for Idoles thou defilest the sanctuary of God with all vncleannesse those vessels which by Baptisme O what neede haue wee therefore in all the actions of our life to walke circumspectly we haue neede of eyes within and without vs that wee may discerne the inward desires of the Spirit from these of the Flesh and may looke rightly on those outward obiects which may cherish the one and suppresse the other In a battaile betweene two euery man assists that partie which hee would faine haue to be victorious for the helpe of the one saith Baâ—il is the ouerthrow of the other so is it in this combat betweene the Flesh and the Spirit the Flesh being strengthened by outward allurements and carnall exercises quencheth the Spirit and bringeth it in subiection but the more the body bee subdued by moderate discipline the stronger waxes the man of God Happy were wee if our care were continuall to strengthen the one by all spiritual exercises that we might daily weaken the other For the greatest perfection wherevnto we can attaine in this life is to fight against these lusts of the Flesh which fight against our soules Our life saith Iob in the earth is a warfare Bellum est non triumphus it is a battaile not a triumph saith Augustine though after many particular victories the Lord put that voyce of triumph many times in our mouthes thanks be to God who alway makes vs to triumph in Christ Iesus yet let vs remember that incontinent we must fight againe so long as we are in this mortall body wherein the Flesh lusts against the Spirit wee cannot bee free from carnall and euill desires if thou dissemble not thou shall alway finde within thy selfe some thing which hath neede to be resisted for our sinfull superfluities saith Bernard are such putata repullulant effugata redeunt reaccenduntur extincta that being cut off they spring out againe chased away they returne againe being quenched they are kindled againe Velis nolis intra fines tuos habitabit Iebusaeus will thou nill thou the Iebusit shall dwell within thy borders Subiâ—gare potest exterminare non potest he may be subdued but cannot be rooted out And this againe doe wee marke for the comfort of weak consciences it is Sathans subtiltie whereby commonly hee disquiets many that because carnall corruption is in them he would therefore beare them in hand that they are none of Christs In this hee playes the deceiuer hee tryes vs by the wrong rule when hee tryes vs by the rule of perfect sanctification this is the square vvhich ought to be laid to Christs members triumphant in heauen and not to those who are militant here vpon earth Sinne remayning in me will not proue that therefore I am not in Christ otherwise Christ should haue no members vpon earth but grace working that new disposition which nature could neuer effect proues vndoubtedly that we are in Christ Iesus Let this therefore bee our comfort that albeit there bee in vs a fleshly corruption yet thankes be to God we walke not after it that is wee follow not willingly the direction and commandement thereof It is true and alas wee finde it by experience the regenerate man may bee led captiue for a time to the law of sinne hee may bee pulled perforce out of the way of Gods commandements wherein he delights to walke and compelled to doe those things which hee would not yet euen at that same time he disclaymes the gouerment of the flesh mourning and lamenting within himselfe that hee should bee drawne from the obedience of his owne Lord and gouernour the spirit of Iesus And indeede it is worthie to bee marked that what euer seruice the regenerate man giues vnto sinne it is like the seruice that Israell gaue to Pharaoh in Egipt throwne out by oppression and therefore compelled them to sigh and cry vnto God but the seruice which the regenerate man giues to the Lord is voluntarie done as vnto his most lawfull superiour with gladnesse ioy and contentment of minde Happie is that man who can make this reply to his spirituall aduersarie when hee is challenged of his sinnes It is true O enimie that I haue done many things by thy entisement yet heerein I reioyce that whatsoeuer seruice I God as Dauid did O happy â—ourney wherin Christ is both the end the way and the guid Eamus post Christum quia veritas per Christum quia via ad Christum quia vita Let vs vvalke after Christ because he is the truth let vs walke in Christ because hee is the way let vs vvalke toward Christ because he is the life If yee looke to the companies of
men in the vvorld ye shall see some in stead of following Christ flying from him Qui enim male facit odit lucem for hee vvho doth euill hateth the light Others vvhere they should follow him runne before him not waiting vpon his light direction in matters of his vvorship followes their owne spirit doing that vvhich is good in their owne eyes they run vvith zeale but not in the right vvay And vve haue so much the more to take heede vnto the vvay because euery mans course declareth vvhat kinde of man he is vvhether carnall or spirituall and vvhat vvill be his end he that soweth to the flesh of the flesh will reape corruption but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reape life euerlasting I am perswaded there is no man among vs vvho vvill not say hee vvould be at the best end vvhich is eternall life but here is the vvonderfull folly of men the proposed end of their pilgrimage vvhereat they vvould be is heauen but the vvay vvherein they vvalk is the vvay that leadeth close into hell Who vvill not esteeme him a foole vvho in word saith his iourney is toward the South and yet for no mans vvarning vvill refraine his feete from vvalking toward the North but more foolish is hee vvho professing himselfe a pilgrime trauailing towards heauenly Ierusalem keepes notwithstanding a contrarie course hauing his backe vpon heauen and his face towards hell vvalking not after the Spirit but after the Flesh. O pittifull blindnesse and folly how many witnesses of God haue forewarned thee in thy life all crying to thee vvith a loud voice this vvay wherein thou walkest O sinfull man is the way of death hee vvho liues after the Flesh shall dye assuredly yet wilt thou not returne nor change the course of thy life to walke after the liuing God that thy mayest be saued And hauing once found the right way which may lead vs vnto God let vs strengthen our selues to walke in it by those three most notable helpes of a godly life deliuered to vs by Dauid in three verses of 119 Psal. vers 57. O Lord I haue determined to keepe thy word 58. I haue made my supplication in thy presence with my whole hart 59. I haue considered my wayes and turned my feete vnto thy testimonies Determination is the first it is a good thing by setled resolution to conclude with thy selfe that thou wilt liue godly Supplication is the second except by continuall prayer our determination bee confiâ—med and strengthned by grâ—ce from God our conclusions vvhich vve take to day shall vanish to morrow Consideration is the third and it is profitable to reduce vs againe into the way of God so often as of weaknes we wander from it contrary to our first determination These are the three helpes to keepe our hart in the way of God so necessary that if without them we doe any worke it is not possible but wee shall bee snared And therefore as in a ship which is ready to sayle so soone as the sayles are hoysed vp presently some skilfull Marriner starteth to the rudder so euery morning wherein vve rise from our rest and make our selues ready to go forward in our pilgrimage let vs first of all take heed vnto the hart for it is the rudder of the whole bodie let vs knit it vnto God by this threefold cord whereof I haue spoken so shall our wayes be ordered aright and vve shall make a happie progresse euery day in that way which leades to eternall life By determination we begin to keepe a good course By supplication vve continue in it By consideration we see vvhether we be right or wrong if vve be out of the way consideration warnes vs to returne againe into it Happie is that man in whose life one of these three is alwayes an actour And fourthly by this metaphor of walking that in our Christian conuersation there should bee a continuall progresse in godlinesse For as in walking saith Basil the steps other thing but the life of Christ like that Reuel 11. 11. Againe the law of the spirit of life in Christ is no other thing but that forcible working liuely power vvhich is in Christ for it is customable to the holy Apostle to vse the vvord law to expresse any thing wherein there is a commanding or working power so hee hath ascribed a law to sinne a law to his members a law to death and now very properly hee oppones vnto them a law of the spirit of life in Christ vvhich is more liuely and powerfull to saue to free and to quicken then any law that hath contrary power can be able to destroy captiue or slay them who are in Christ. Thus the words being expounded the first lesson will arise out of the Apostles manner of speach who ascribing to sinne and death a law vvhich may condemne and destroy ascribes to Christ a more powerfull law to iustifie and preserue Most sure then is our estate vvho are in Iesus Christ for there is a power in our Lord vvhich shall bring euery contrary power of man and Angell in subiecton to him that tyrant sinne hath indeede oppressed and ouer-ruled many a one but our Lord Iesus the valiant conquerour hath a mightie power able to disanull the lavv of sinne and Sathan is that strong one vvho by nature possesses the hart of man as his owne house but Iesus is that stronger one vvho vvill dispossesse him and cast him out of the hearts of all such as are his The God of peace shall shortly tread Sathan vnder our feet and therefore suppose vve bee vveake in our selues yet vve vvill reioyce in the strength of the Lord Iesus Secondly vve learne here that without Christ vve liued in a vile seruitude and bondage of all seruants those are in vvorst case who are sould and of those vvho are sould they are vvorst vvho must doe seruice in prison and of them vvho are in prison most lamentable is their estate vvho are chayned and bound in prison yet such seruants were vve by nature before Christ made vs free vve were not onely the seruants of sinne and sould vnder sinne as witnesseth the Apostle but more also vve vvere as sayth Esay captiued and bound with chaines in prison the Iaylour vvhereof is infidelitie for wee were all shut vp vnder vnbeliefe a Iaylour so straite and tyrannous as permitted vs not so long as wee were in his keeping so much as â—o lift vp our head or looke vp to heauen for deliuerance from him from whom onely comes our helpe Our oppressers in this bondage are Sathan and Sinne and sinnes of so many sorts as doe miserably distract the soule Pride one while vsurping dominion ouer vs Auarice another while vendicating a seat to her selfe with power to commaund vs Concupiscence most commonly challenging vs to doe her seruice as our soueraigne Sic certant in me de me
ipso cuiâ—s potissimum esse videar thus doe they striue within mee saith Bernard about mee to which of their dominion I should appertaine That which hee confessed of himselfe all the Godly may feele in their owne experience innumerable are those tyrants that striue among themselues but all of them striue against vs to haue domination ouer vs but indeede these are vncouth Lords and such as can claime no title nor right vnto vs wee are the workemanship of God the redeemed of the Lord and are bound to doe seruice to none but to him alone O Lord therefore come downe and possesse thine owne kingdome erect a throne to thy selfe in our hearts that thou by thy Spirit may raigne in vs as our King and make vs free from these tyrants that would oppresse vs. But that wee may the better perceiue how abhominable this seruitude is let vs out of the Apostles words mark these three things first how this dominion is tyrannicall Secondly how the Commaundements of these tyrants are all wicked and thirdly are all deadly these three he toucheth shortly when he saith that Christ hath freed vs from the law of sinne and death First then he ascribeth vnto sinne a Law not as if sin proceeded by a Law properly so called or that there were any lawfulnesse in sinne but onely to poynt out the tyranny thereof for as Rulers ordayned by the image of God inuested in this dignitie to be Lord and ruler ouer the creatures Animal es O homo principatu decoratum vt quid seruis affectionibus quamobrem tuam ipsius dignitatem abijcis teque ipsum seruum peccati constituis quare tcipsumfacis captiuuÌ„ diaboli Princeps creaturarum constitutus es dignitatem naturae tuae proijcâ—s O man thou art a creature adorned with princely power by thy first creation why then seruest thou affections why dost thou cast away thine owne dignitie and makes thy selfe a captiue of Sathan thou wast placed Lord of the creatures thou wast appoynted to rule ouer the fish of the Sea and euery beast of the field what shame is it then that thou shouldest be ouerruled with those beasts which are within thee Secondly consider what thou hopest to bee after this life dost thou not hope to raigne as a King in the heauens and wilt thou now liue as a slaue to Sathan vpon earth Is any man crowned except he striue as he ought or doth he receiue the price who runnes not the race or caâ— hee obtaine the victorie who neuer wrestled why then fightest thou not why runnest thou not why beginnest thou not to raigne in earth as a king ouer thy lusts seeing thou hopest to raigne as a king in heauen in glory Doe not deceiue thy selfe that crowne is for conquerours not for captiues Non sperare potest regnum coelorum cui supra propria membra regnare non donatur hee cannot looke for that heauenly kingdome to whom it is not giuen to raign ouer his owne earthly members Wee know that when Iesus shall appeare we shall bee like him for wee shall see him as hee is and hee that hath this hope in himselfe purgeth himselfe euen as hee is pure Certainely if the Lord through Grace prepare thee not for his Heauenly Kingdome thou canst neuer say with a warrant that the Lord hath prepared that kingdome for thee And thirdly the consideration of the present occasion should waken vs to goe out of this house of bondage for now the Sonne of God offers to make vs free a Prince of greater power is content to enter in confederacie with vs hee promiseth to restore vs to all the priuiledges wee lost in Adam yea to giue vs much more than euer we had in him and shall we neglect so faire an occasion When Cyrus king of Persia proclaymed liberty to the Iewes to goe from Babell the place of their captiuitie homeward to Ierusalem it is said that all those went forward whose spirit God had raised vp and now when the Lords annoynted proclaymes liberty to the captiues and the opening of the dore to them that are in prison I know that none shall follow his calling but such whose spirit the Lord hath raysed vp the rest being miserably blind delight to lye still in captiuitie thinking their bondage liberty The Lord giue vs grace that we may discerne the time of our visitation that with Dauid we may aduance our eyes toward the Lord who hath begunne to plucke our feete out of the net and that still we may lift vp and stretch out our hands vnto him till hee haue deliuered vs fully from the power of the enimie This being spoken of the bondage vve are now to consider that our deliuerance from it is here ascribed to Iesus Christ. Thy perdition is of thy selfe O Israel But our saluation belongs to the Lord and to the Lambe that sits vpon the throne Let no man therefore bee so vnthankfull as to ascribe any part of this glory to another my glory will I not giue to an other saith the Lord the glory of a temporall deliuerance God will not giue it vnto man hee would not saue Israell vnder Gideon with thirtie two thousand and why least Israell should vaunt against the Lord and say my right hand hath done it Or euer he entred his people Israell into the land of Canaan he forewarned them that they should not say it was for their righteousnesse and will hee then thinke yee giue the praise of this most notable deliuerance to the Creature No the whole booke of God witnesseth that it is not for our righteousnesse but for the praise of the glory of his rich mercie that wee are entred into heauenly Canaan Did Peter Iames and Iohn help the Lord Iesus in that agonie which hee suffered in the garden no surely hee bad them watch with him and pray but when hee was sweating blood they were sleeping when hee was buffeâ—ed in Caiphas hall did not Peter deny him when hee went to the Crosse did not all his Disciples forsake him and those who loued him most dearely did they not stand a farre off from him Certainely he alone troad the wine-presse of the wrath of God he alone bare the punishment of our sinnes in his blessed body on the Crosse to him therfore alone pertayneth the glory of our saluation As for the persons to whom this deliuerance pertaines the Apostle names himselfe among them hath freed vs not to exclude but rather to confirme all others who are in Iesus Christ. For hee confesses of himselfe that hee was receiued to mercy for this end that God might shew vpon him an example of long suffering to them who shall in time to come beleâ—ue in him vnto eternall life therefore is it that hee speakes of this deliuerance in his owne person for the confirmation of others who hauing beene before as hee was notorious sinners are now become such as repents
and beleeues And indeede euery example of GODS mercy shewed vnto others should serue to strengthen vs. Audientes Christum non horruisse confitentem latronem c. when wee heare sayth Bernard that the Lord Iesus abhorred not the penitent Theefe on the Crosse that hee despised not the sinfull Cananitish woman when she made supplication nor the woman taken in Adultrie nor him that sat at the receipt of Custome nor the Publicane when hee sought mercie nor the Disciple that denyed him neither yet the persecuter of his Disciples in odore horum vnguentorum curramus post eum in the sweet smell of these oyntments let vs runne after him Alwaies we see that the Apostle doth so speak vnto others of a deliuerance obtayned by Christ as being also pertaker thereof himselfe As he was a Preacher of Christ so he was a follower of Christ he beate downe his body by discipline least that preaching vnto others hee should haue beene a reprobate himselfe and therfore he now speaks as one who is sure that hee also hath his portion in Christ. Otherwise what comfort can it be either to Preacher or professor to speake of that life and grace which commeth by Christ Iesus they themselues in the meane time being like to that miserable Atheist Simon Magus to whom Peter gaue out that fearefull sentence thou hast neither part nor fellowship in this businesse or like those Priests in Ierusalem in the dayes of Herode who directed others to Bethleem by the light of the word to worship Christ but went not themselues or those builders of Noahs Arke who helped to build a vessell for preseruation of others but perished in the deluge themselues or like Bilhah and Zilpah who brought forth and nourished freemen vnto Iacob but remayned themselues in the state of bond women from this vnhappie condition the Lord deliuer vs and make vs pertakers of that mercie and grace whereof he hath made vs Preachers and professors From the Law of sinne and death Here the Apostle shewes from what it is that we are deliuered Dauid sayth many deliuerances giueth the Lord to his annoynted he spake it of himselfe and it is true of all the Children of God By a great deliuerance he saued Noah in the deluge Lot in the burning of Sodome Israell out of Egipt Ioseph in the prison Daniell in the denne the three Children in the fierie furnace but all these are small if they be compared with this deliuerance from sin and death Where first we learne how the Apostle conioynes these two sinne and death if wee be deliuered from the first wee shall also be deliuered from the second but if wee abide in the first wee shall be sure not to escape the second if therefore Sathan say vnto vs as hee did to our first parents though you cate of this forbidden tree yee shall not dye let vs answere him he hath proued already a shamelesse lyar and we are not any more to credit him that same penaltie lyes vpon euery sinne which was layd vpon the first if ye do it ye shall die God hath conioyned them who shall seperate them though the Lord speake not instantly to euery sinner as he did to Abimelech behold thou art but dead because of this sinne yet is it true of euery sinne when it is finished it brings out death So soone as Ionas entred into the Sea saith Chrisostome the storme rose to teach vs that Vbi peccatum ibi procella where there is sinne specially committed with rebellion there will not faile to arise a storme of the wrath of God It is true indeed the sinner in committing of sinne doth not perceiue this being blinder than Balaam he walks on in an euill course and sees not the sword of Gods vengeance which is before him but imagines alway to reape some good either of profit or pleasure by committing of sin for these are Sathans two baites vnder which hee couers his deadly hookes It is therefore a poynt of singular wisedome to decerne betweene the deceit of sinne present and the fruit of sinne to come betweene that which Sathan promises and that which wee finde in experience performed He promised to our parents that they should be made like vnto God but in very deede hee made them miserable like himselfe And if thou wilt also obserue that which thou findest in thy owne experience what fruit hast thou of a sinne when thou hast committed it doth not darknesse arise in thy minde heauinesse in thy heart terrour feare and accusing cogitations in thy conscience Euery man may finde it who list to marke it by moe then a thousand experiences in himselfe that Sathan is a shameles deceiuer yea more deceitfull then Laban who promised to giue to Iacob beautifull Rahel but in the darke hee gaue him blearâ—-eyed â—eah be assured he will change thy wages promise thee one thing and pay thee with another As Hamor spake to his Sichemiâ—es so doth Sathan to his blindfolded citizens hee perswaded his people that if they would bee circumcised all Iacobs substance and cattell should bee theirs but indeed the contrary ensued for the goods of the Sichemits befell to the house of Iacob and they themselues perished by the sword Let vs therefore beware of the inuenomed tongue of the Diuell mentitur vt fallat vitam pollicetur vt perimat he lyes that hee may deceiue hee promiseth life that hee may inflict death say hee what hee will let vs beleeue the word of the Lord confirmed by doolefull daily experience the wages of sinne is death God hath knit them together and who shall seperate them So oft then as Sathan by the deceit of sinne would beguile thee remember that though sinne seeme to be sweet the fruit thereof is exceeding bitter if thou feare not sinne feare that end whereunto sinne leads thee dulce peccatum sed amara mors sinne is sweet but death is bitter remember that the wages which Sathan promiseth and man would haue hee shall not get but the wages which God threatneth and man would not haue shall assuredly bee payed him for this is the miserie of those who walke in their sins illud propter quod peccant hic dimittunt ipsa peccata se cum portant that for which they sinne they leaue it behinde them and carries their sinnes away out of the world with them So that in the end when they shall gather the profite of all their former sinnes into a summe they shall find no other but that foretold by the Apostle What profit haue ye now of all these things whereof ye are ashamed surely there is no fruit but shame and death to bee pluckt from the forbidden tree of sinne But here it may bee obiected by the weake conscience of the godly how can this comfort bee ours that wee are freed from sin who finde our selues so continually assaulted yea oftentimes oppressed of
sinne For answere let vs marke that the Apostle saith not wee are fully freed from sinne in this life but we are freed from the law of sin that is both from the commaunding and condemning power thereof Sinne doth not now raigne in our mortall bodyes as before neither hath it power any more to detaine vs vnder death But as for the temptations of sinne there is no sort of men more troubled with them then they whom God hath begunne to deliuer from the Law of sinne for Sathan being impatient of his losse seekes daily to recouer his formeâ— dominion From the time that once the Gibeonits made peace for themselues with Ioshua all the rest of the Kings of Canaan made warre against them and so soone as we enter into a couenant with the Lord Iesus Sathan shall not faile the more fiercely to assault vs seeking to recouer his old possession yet if as the Gibeonits did we send speedilie messengers to Ioshua to shew him how wee are troubled for his sake hee shall not with-draw his helping hand from vs. Our deliuerance from sinne is begunne now but not perfected but we know that our God is faithfull by whom we are called hee shall also confirme vs to the end Euen hee who hath begunne this good worke in vs will performe it vntill the day of Christ. As the Angell who deliuered Peter out of prison appeared to him with a shining light in the darke prison smote him vpon his side and wakened him out of his sleepe made his chaines to fall from him and caused him to arise and follow him went still before him to lead him in the way through all impediments and departed not from him till hee had entred him within the Cittie of Ierusalem so the spirit of our Lord Iesus who hath once come downe vpon vs in this prison and hath lightned our darknesse wakened vs out of our dead securitie and loosed the chaines of our sinnes wherewith wee were bond shall abide continually with vs gouerning vs with his light and truth till hee haue entred vs within the portes of heauenly Ierusalem Blessed be the Lord where before wee were the captiues of sinne now the course of the battell is changed sin is become our captiue through Christ it remaineth in vs not as a commaunder but as a captiâ—e of the Lord Iesus it is true the boltes of sinne are yet vpon our hands and feet to admonish vs of our former miserable thraldome we draw as yet the chaines of sinne after vs which makes vs indeed goe forward the more slowlie but are not able to detaine vs in that bondage wherein wee lay before And as concerning our deliuerance from death wee are to know that death is two-fold the first and second the first is a separation of the soule from the body the second is a separation of them both from the Lord Mors prima pellit animam nelentem de corpore mors secunda detinet animaÌ„ nâ—lentem in corpore The first death expels the soule against the will out of the body the second death compels the soule against the will to abide in the body for vnto the greater augmentation of their paine as they were companions of sin so shall they be compelled to abide companions of punishment This second death hath three degrees the first is when the soule by sinne is separated from the Lord the second is when the body by the power of that curse due to sinne is turned into dust and the soule is sent to hell the third is when both soule and body being ioyned together againe in the resurrection shall be banished from the presence of the Lord and cast into vtter darknesse And it is called the second death because it is executed vpon the wicked after their first death otherwise the first death that euer came in the world was the first degree of the second death Mors animâ— prâ—cessit anima deserente Deum mors corporis sequutâ— est anima deserente corpus deâ—eruit Deum voleâ—s animâ— coacta est deserere corpus nolens the death of the soule went before the soule departing from God and the death of the body followed the soule departing from the bodie the soule departed from God willing and therefore is compelled vnwillingly to depart out of the body Now from both these deâ—â—hs wee are deliuered by the Lord Iesus for our soules being freed from sinne are reconciled with God and so exempted from that wrath which is to come For albeit the deere children of God bee sometime exercised with inward terrours of conscience which in their owne nature are forerunners of these paynes prepared for the wicked and are as the smoake of that fiâ—e which afterward shall torment them yet vnto the godlie their nature is changed they are sent vnto them not to seperate them from the Lord but to draw their harâ—s neereâ— vnto him and to worke in them a greater conformitie with Christ. And as for the first death wee are so deliuered from it that albeit in the owne nature it bee the Centre of all miseries and a fearefull effect of Gods curse on man for sinne Yet to the godly the nature thereof is also changed so that now it is not the death of the man but the death of sinne in the man mors est sepultura vitiorum death saith Ambrose is the buâ—iall of all vices As the worme which is bred in the tree saith Chrisostome doth at last consume it so death which is brought out by sinne doth at the length consume and destroy sinne in the children of God Finally death is the progresse and accomplishment of the full moâ—tification of all our earthly members wherein that filthie â—luxe of sinne is dryed vp at an instant It is a voluntarie sacrificing of the whole man soule and body to the Lord the greatest and highest seruice wee can doe to him in the earth for where in the course of our life wee are continualâ—y fighting against our inordinate Iustes and affections to bring them in subiection to Christ by death as it were with one stroke they are all smitten and slaine and the soule is offered vp to God in a sacrifice of full and perfect obedience Verse 3. For that that was impossible to the Law in as much as it was weake because of the flesh God sending his owne Sonne in the similitude of sinfull flesh and that for sinne condâ—mned sinne in the flesh THE Apostle hauing set downe in the first Verse a Proposition of Comfort belonging to them who are in Christ and confirmed it in the second he proceedeth now to the explication of the Confirmation Declaring how it is that Christ hath freed vs from the law of sinne and first he shewes how Christ hath freed vs from the condemning power of sinne in this verse namely that hee taking vpon him our nature and therewithall the burden of our
the praise of the bright shining glory of Gods mercie His owne Sonne Iesus Christ is called Gods owne Sonne to distinguish him from all others who are his sonnes by adoption onely Christ is the Sonne of God by nature by that diuine inutterable generation whereof Esay saith Who can expresse it Thus is hee Gods owne sonne that is coeternall and coessentiall begotten of the Father before all time by the full communication of his whole essence vnto him in a manner that cannot bee expressed And in the fulnesse of time hee became man God being manifested in the flesh and in regard of his humane nature which was conceiued of the holy Ghost and vnited in a personall vnion with his diuine hee stands in the title of Gods owne sonne after so singular a manner that hee admits no companion The last of these two the Apostle makes the first point of the misterie of Godlinesse God manifested in the flesh wherein he bridles our curiositie for if his manifestation in the flesh that is his incarnation be a mysterie that goes beyond our vnderstanding what shall we say of his diuine generation a mystery indeed to bee adored not to be enquired an article proposed to be belieued not to bee disputed The Arrians seeking to search out this vnsearchable mysterie with naturall reason by infinite degrees more foolish then if they had presumed to number the starres of heauen or measure with their fist all the vvaters in the Sea they stumbled and fell being neuer able to comprehend how the son that was begotten should bee coeternall and coessentiall to the Father who begot him therefore the worthy Fathers of the primitiue Church to expresse the presumption of these arrogant spirits drew them down from the dangerous speculation of these high mysteries far aboue their capacitie to consideration of things which are in nature Si in Creatura genitum inueniri potest coaeuum genitori an non aequum est conced as posse ista in creatore coaeterna inueniri if in things created that which is begotten may be found equall in time to that which begat it why should it be denyed that in the Creator the begetter and begotten are equall in eternitie When a candle saith Augustine is first lighted at once there are two things the fire and the splendor or light if it be enquired whether the fire come from the light or the light from the fire all men will agree that the splendor or light comes from the fire but if againe it be demanded which of them is first or last in time it cannot be determined But vvherefore shall vve vse these similitudes as the Creator is aboue the creature so is that mysterie aboue all the secrets of nature no similitude can bee found in nature so much as shadow that most high and supernaturall mysterie yet is the endeuor of these godly fathers commendable vvho haue laboured to bring downe men to the exercising of their wits in things vvhich are below like vnto themselues leauing curious inquisition of higher secrets vvhich as I haue said are to be receiued with faith reuerenced vvith silence not searched out by curiositie O man bee not high minded but feare In the similitude of sinnefull flesh Wee must not so vnderstand these words as if Iesus had onely the similitude of a naturall bodie no hee was very man made of the seed of Dauid he hath taken on our flesh indeed yet was he not a sinfull man but separated from sinners A holy One from the first moment of his conception conceiued of the holy Ghost A Stone cut out of the mountaine without hands The Flower of the field that groweth without mans labour or industry The second Adam very man as was the first but not begotten of man So then the word similitude is not to be ioyned vvith the word Flesh but with the word sinfull He tooke on mans nature without sin yet subiect to those infirmities mortalitie and death which sin brought vpon vs he appeared like a sinfull man being indeed without sinne in the shape of a Seruant content to be made inferiour not onely to Angels but to men of the vilest sort sold for thirtie pieces of siluer not so worthy to liue as Barrabas ranked vvith Theeues on the Crosse and reputed as a Worme of the earth thus being voyde of all sinne yet was hee handled as a sinner and most wicked malefactor Wherein wee are to consider so farre as vve may though vve cannot comprehend it that vvonderfull loue vvhich the Lord hath shevved vs in this vvorke of our saluation how deere and precious our life hath beene in his eyes perceiue by the greatnesse of that prise which hee hath giuen for vs for vvho vvill giue much for that vvhereof he esteemes but little it was not vvith gold nor siluer nor any corruptible thing that the Lord hath redeemed vs but vvith the precious bloud of his owne Son Iesus as of a Lambe vnblemished and vnspotted If Dauid considering the goodnesse of God towards man in the vvork of creation fell out into this admiration O Lord what is man that thou art mindfull of him or the Son of man that thou doest visite him how much more haue vve cause so to crye out considering the riches of God his vvonderfull mercies shewed vs in the vvork of redemption It vvas a great kindnesse vvhich Abraham shewed to Lot vvhen he hazarded his owne life and the liues of his familie to recouer Lot out of the hands of Chedarlaomer but not comparable to that kindenesse which our kinsman the Lord Iesus hath shewed vnto vs who hath giuen his life to deliuer vs out of the hand of our enimies The Lord shed abroad in our hearts more and more abundantly the sence of that loue that wee may endeauour to be thankfull for it by this threefold dutie first of thanksgiuing secondly of seruice thirdly of loue toward those who are beloued of him As for the first our life should bee a continuall thanksgiuing and worshipping before him who hath loued vs and washed vs from our sinnes in his bloud When the children of Israell had passed the red sea suppose they had a wast wildernesse between them and Canaan yet they praised God with a song of thanksgiuing and the Lord appointed an yearely remembrance of that benefit If smaller mercies are to be remembred with thanksgiuing what shall wee think of the greater As for the second which is seruice Zacharie teacheth vs that for this end God hath deliuered vs from all our enimies that all our dayes wee should serue him in righteousnesse and holinesse the reason why the Israelites bound themselues to giue subiection and obedience to Dauid was that he had deliuered them from the hand of the Philistins the same reason Ezra vsed to the Iewes returned from captiuitie to make them obedient to the Lord Seeing thou O Lord hath
giuen vs such deliuerances shall we returne any more to breake thy Commaundements but much more should it binde vs to doe seruice to our Lord Iesus seeing hee hath made vs free by his bloud shall wee againe make our selues the seruants of sinne The Lord neuer shewed a greater mercie on man then this that hee gaue his sonne Iesus Christ vnto the death for vs and there can be no higher contempt done to God by man then if after so great a loue shewed vs wee shall still refuse to bee his seruants much will be required of him to whom much is giuen those Gentiles to whom the Lord reuealed himselfe in goodnes onely as their Creator because they did not glorifie him the Apostle saith that the wrath of God was reuealed from heauen vpon them and what wrath then maist thou looke for to whom the Lord hath manifested himselfe in mercy also as thy Redeemer in Christ and yet thou wilt not glorifie him thou receiuest not him whom thy Father hath sent vnto thee neyther wilt thou liue vnto him that gaue himselfe to dye for thee but by thy wicked life thou crucifiest againe the Sonne of God and treadest vnder thy feet the bloud of the new couenant certainely Sodome and Gomorrha shall be in an easier estate in the day of iudgement then the wicked of this generation For in this last age the Lord hath spoken to vs by his Son he hath none greater to send after him those labourers of the vineyard that slew the Seruants of the great King were not for that instantly punished but when the Sonne came and they had murthered him also then was their iudgement no longer delayed It was not written for the Iewes onely in whom it was first accomplished but for vs also to whom the Father in this last age hath sent his owne Sonne and by whom hee hath spoken vnto vs from himselfe if we despise him there remaines no more but a violent looking for of iudgement The third dutie is that for Christs sake wee loue vnfainedly those vvhom hee hath recommended vnto vs our goodnesse cannot extend vnto the Lord neither haue vve him vvalking vvith vs vpon earth that vve may minister vnto him may wash his feete and annoynt his blessed bodie vvith precious oyntments therefore should our delight bee vpon these his excellent ones that are vpon earth When Ionathan was dead Dauid for Ionathans sake shewed kindnesse to Mephibosheth our Ionathan is not dead hee liues and raignes in heauen yet can we not declare our kindnesse to himselfe let vs seeke some Mephibosheth some of Christs little weake and impotent children of vvhom he hath said what yee doe to one of these little ones for my sake is done to mee and let vs shew kindnesse vnto them for the great loue which the Lord Iesus hath shewed vnto vs. And that for sinne These wordes containe the end of Christs manifestation in the flesh which is that in our nature hee might beare the punishment of our sinnes satisfie the iustice of God and so abolish sinne Saint Iohn makes this cleare when he saith that hee appeared to destroy the workes of the diuell that is sinne for sinne being remoued there is nothing in man but the workmanship of God By this it is euident how highly they offend God who abuseth the death of Christ to nourish themselues in their sinne being the bolder to commit sinne because Christ dyed for them surely this is to turne the grace of God into wantonnesse The Lord came to abolish sinne not to nourish it Christ once suffered the iust for the vniust not that we should still abide vniust but that hee might bring vs to God Thou therefore who continuest vniust maist say as thou hast heard that there is a Sauiour come into the world but can not say in truth that there is a Sauiour come to thee For where Christ comes hee worketh that worke for which hee came namely hee destroyes the worke of the diuell that is hee enfeebles and abolishes at the last the power of sinne Condemned sinne Sinne by a metaphor is said to be condemned for as they vvho are condemned are depriued of all the liberty power and priuiledges they had before and hath no more any place to appeare in iudgement so hath the Lord Iesus disanulled sinne that it hath now no power to command and condemne vs hee hath spoyled principalities and powers and triumphed ouer them in the Crosse and hath nayled vnto it the obligation of ordinances which was against vs and so sustulit illam quasi authoritatem peccati qua homines detinebat in inferno hath taken away that povver and authoritie of sinne whereby it detayned men vnder damnation This hath hee done most lawfully and in iudgement as vve shall heare bearing our sinnes in his blessed body on the Crosse hee hath suffered that punishment vvhich the law required to bee inflicted on man for sinne and that in the flesh that is in the same nature of man vvhich had offended For this word of Condemnation imports a iust and lawful proceeding of a Iudge in iudgement which that vve may the better vnderstand let vs consider that there are two generall and head iustice Courts vvhich the Lord hath set vnto men the one is holden already the other is to bee holden in the first the sinnes of all the elect are lawfully condemned that themselues may be absolued in the second the persons of all the reprobate shall bee iusty condemned In the first by the ordinance of God the Father our sinnes were laid vpon the back of Iesus Christ and a law imposed to him which was neuer giuen to any other neyther Angell or man to wit the law of a Mediator that hee should make vp peace betweene God and man loue God in such sort that hee should by suffering preserue the glory of his Fathers iustice and yet make manifest the glory of his mercy that hee should loue his brethren in such sort that hee should take the burden of their transgressions vpon him which as by the Father it vvas inioyned vnto him so did hee vvillingly vndertake it And therefore hauing our sinnes imputed vnto him hee presented himselfe for vs vpon the Crosse as vpon a pannell before the Iudge to vnderly the law which craued that our sinnes should be punished to the death The decree according to the law is executed death yea an accursed death as the punishment of sinne is laide vpon Christ wherevpon there followes of equitie an absolution of all those for whom the Lord Iesus suffered as Cautioner their sinne is condemned and made of no force to condemne them hereafter The other generall iustice court will bee holden in the last day wherein all flesh must appeare before the Lord as their superiour and in that supreame and last Court of iustice shall bee condemned the persons of all those whose sinnes were not condemned before in Christ
Iesus onely therefore blessed are they who are in Christ Hee that heares my wordes and belieues in him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life And lastly we may obserue here what a powerfull Sauiour wee haue when to the iudgement of man he was weakest then did hee the greatest worke that euer was done in the world he was powerfull in working of miracles in his life but more powerfull in his death for then hee darkened the Sunne hee shooke the earth hee made the rockes to cleaue he rent the vaile of the temple a sunder and caused the dead to rise Mortuum Caesarem quis metuat sed morte Christi quid efficacius if Caesar bee once dead who will feare Christ euen when hee is dead is terrible to his enimies nothing can be more effectuall then his death By it he did a greater worke than was the creation of the world by it he brought in new heauens and a new earth by suffering death he destroyed him who had the power of death when hee was condemned of man hee condemned sinne that it should not condemne man passus est vt infirmus operatus vt fortis â—e suffered as a weake man but wrought as a strong one Sicut serpens mortuus c. As that Serpent without life erected by Moses in the wildernesse ouercame the liuing Serpents that stung Israell so the Lord Iesus by suffering death hath slaine that serpent that liuing in vs had slung vs vnto death Hic vides mortem morte peremptam maledictum maledicto extinctum per quae Diabolus iam antea valebat per ea ipsa tyrannidem ipsius esse destructam here thou seest saith Chrisostome death slaine by death and the tyrannie of Sathan destroyed by these same meanes by which before most of all he preuailed O wonderfull worke surely the weaknesse of God is stronger then man hee is that stronge One indeed stronger then Samson When the Philistines thought they had him sure within the portes of Azzah hee arose at midnight and tooke the doores of the gates of the Cittie and the two posts and carried them away with the bars thereof on his shoulders vp to the top of the mountaine which is before Hebron but our mightie Conquerour and deliuerer the Lord Iesus hath in a more excellent manner magnified his power for being closed in the graue clasped in the bands of death and a stone rolled to the mouth of the graue the Sepulcher sealed and guarded with souldiers he rose againe the third day before the rising of the Sunne he carried like a victor the bars and posts of death away as vpon his shoulders and vpon the mount of Oliues hee ascended on high leading captiuitie captiue Like as therefore wee receiued before great comfort through the consideration of Christs incomprehensible loue toward vs so is it now confirmed by the meditation of his power Let Sathan boast like Rabsache that the Lord is not able to deliuer Ierusalem out of his hands hee is but a blasphemous Lyar the Lord will rebuke him and will shortly tread Sathan vnder our feet it is the curse of the wicked hee shall be oppressed and there shall bee none to deliuer him but blessed bee the Lord who hath prouided a strong deliuerer for vs who certainly shall set vs free from our enimies and destroy all the oppressours of our soules Glory therefore be vnto him for euer Verse 4. That the righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in vs who walke not after the Flesh but after the Spirit THe Apostle hauing taught vs in the former verse how the Lord Iesus hath freed vs from the condemning power of sinne doth now let vs see how we are freed also from the commanding power of sinne for hee sets downe this to bee the first and neerest end of Christs death in respect of vs the renouation of our nature and conformitie thereof with God his holy law which hee expresses more cleerely in another place when he saith that Christ gaue himselfe to the death for his Church that hee might sanctifie it and make it to himselfe a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinckle or any such thing but that it should bee holy and without blame This is the end which Christ hath proposed vnto himselfe and whereof hee cannot bee frustrate as hee hath begunne it so he shall finish it he shall conforme vs to the law the righteousnesse thereof shall be fulfilled in vs there shall not bee left in our nature so much as a sinfull motion or desire but hee shall at the last present vs pure and without blame to his Father This righteousnesse of the law I vnderstand to be that perfect obedience to the Commaundements thereof which the law requires flowing from the perfect loue of God and our neighbour and it is fulfilled in vs two manner of wayes first by application or imputation of Christs righteousnesse vnto vs he is our head and we his members and are so vnited with him that now we are not to be taken as sundry but as one bodie with him By vertue of the which communion it comes to passe that that which is ours is his and that which is his is ours so that in our head we haue fulfilled the law satisfied Gods iustice for our sinnes Secondly it will be fulfilled in vs by our perfect sanctification though now wee haue but begunne obedience and in part the Lord Iesus at the last shall bring it in vs to perfection The Iesuites of Rhemes in their marginall notes on this Verse collects a note which the word here rendreth not vnto them Wee see say they that the Law which is Gods commandements may be kept that the keeping therof is iustice and that in Christian men that is fulfilled by Christs grace which by the force of the Law could neuer be fulfilled that the law may be fulfilled and also shall be fulfilled by the grace of Christ who hath deliuered vs from the Law of sinne is euident out of the Apostles words we confesse it and are comforted in it this is an end which Christ hath proposed vnto himselfe that he may make vs perfectly answerable to that holinesse which the Law requireth and in his owne good time he shall bring it to passe but that the Law is fulfilled of men in this life cannot be proued neyther out of this place nor any other place of holy Scripture Damnatum est pecatum non extinctum Sinne is condemned sayeth Caietane one of their owne but not extinguished And hereunto beside infinite testimonies of holy Scripture agreeth also the suffrages of pure antiquitie Non dicit familia tua sana sum medicum non requiro sed sana me Domine sanabor It is not saith Ambrose the voyce of thy familie I am whole and needes not a Phisition but
hearts shall not preserue them from that sodaine destruction which as trauaile vpon a woman with childe shall come vpon them their securitie is like the securitie of Ionas who slept most soundly when he had most cause to watch and pray for the Lord was pursuing him as a fugitiue seruant the officers of God gathered about him to lay hands on him the windes commoned against him the raging waues of the Sea refusing all other satisfaction offered by the Mariners rolled with violence about the Barke wherein hee was determining not to rest till they apprehend him all his companions were afraid and compelled to cry euery man vnto his God onely Ionas was sleeping what think yee was this true peace no indeed but false securitie It fareth euen so with the wicked the Lord stands offended with them the heauens aboue closed vpon them hell beneath opened to receiue them Sathan the deuouring Lyon hungring for them waiting when they shall be giuen him for a pray but they are eating drinking making merry in the depth of a dead Conscience but certainely their securitie will end in a fearefull wakening they shall bee taken out of their bed of ease wherein they lye and shall be cast into that bottomles deepe of the wrath of God wherein their worme shall neuer dye and their fire shall neuer be quenched But to leaue them and returne to the Christian it may be demaunded how is he pertaker of peace whose crosses are so continuall as his who more exercised with inward terrours then hee Is not his battell without intermission where then is his peace To this I answere wee haue indeed peace with God with our selues and our Christian brethren but our peace is not perfect Pax nostra ex disiderio creatoris inchoatur ex manifesta autem visione perficitur a begun peace wee haue arising of that feruent desire wee haue towards our God but it is the manifest vision and cleare sight of God that must perfect it we attaine to the beginnings of this peace cum mentem Deo menti carnem subiugamus vvhen vve subdue the minde to God and the flesh to the minde but it cannot be perfect quamdiu mens ignoratione caecatur carnis suae impugnatione concutitur so long as the minde is darkned with ignorance and disquieted with the assaults of the flesh And to the same purpose saith Augustine Est nobis pax aliqua quia condelectamur Legi Dei secundum interiorem hominem sed non plena quia videmus aliam legem in membris nostris repugnantem legi mentis nostrae wee haue some peace vvithin our selues when vve finde that our inward man delights in the Law of God but it is no perfect peace because vve see an other Law in our members rebelling against the law of our mind neâ—ther can our peace with our brethren here be perfect cogitationes cordis nostri inuicem non videmus quaedam de nobis quae non sunt in nobis vel in melius inuicem vol in deterius opinamur thus haue vve a peace but not perfect not without interruption Yet our comfort stands that how euer our peace be interrupted by outward troubles and inward terrours of conscience yet it cannot bee taken from vs albeit no trouble for the present be sweet yet it vvorketh in vs good effects by it vvee are made more humble more feruent in prayer more abundant in teares the hard heart by this holy hammer of God being made soft so that sanctified trouble by the Lords wonderfull working becomes a meane to establish our peace Corda electorum aliquando concussa melius solidantur the harts of the elect are best setled after they haue beene shaken with crosses All the children of God findes this by experience that their inward troubles are preparatiues to inward consolations as hee who goes to build a house the higher he intends to raise it the deeper he layes the foundations thereof so the Lord humbles them lowest vvith his terrours to vvhom he purposes to communicate the highest measure of his consolations As his sufferings abounds in vs so shall our consolation abound through him vve vvill therefore that peace which vve haue in Christ and vvhich he hath left vs none shall be able to take from vs. Verse 7. Because the wisedome of the flesh is inimitie against God for it is not subiect to the Law of God neither indeede can it bee THe Apostle proceeds and giues the reason why hee called the wisedome of the flesh death because it is inimitie with God Hee proues it is inimitie with God because neither is it nor can it be subiect vnto the law of God Of this manner of reasoning vsed by the Apostle wee first learne that our life consists in our peace with God and that our death is procured by our inimitie with him Compare sinnefull Adam with innocent Adam and this shâ—ll be made manifest so long as hee stood at peace with God hee liued a ioyfull life familiar vvith his maker but from the time hee began the inimitie by transgression of the commandement not onely was the presence of God ioyfull to him before terrible now but hee became such a â—eâ—rour to himselfe that it vvas a death to him to liue in that state of life Oh that alway we could remember this that vvee cannot offend the Lord vnlesse wee slay our selues all our rebelling against the Lord is but a kicking of our heele against the pricke the losse is our owne vve depriue our selues of life but cannot spoyle the Lord of his glorie It is written of the Sidonians that when Herode intended warre against them they made friendship with Blastus Herods chamberlaine and besought him to make peace for them the reason is because their lands were nouâ—ished by the king therefore they were not able to beare his inimitie Alas that wee cannot bee as wise in a greater matter both our lands and our selues are nourished by the king of heauen vve are not able to endure his anger if hee please he can make the heauen aboue vs as brasse and the earth beneath vs as iron if he take his breath out of our nosthrils we fall like clay to the ground and are turned into dust hovv then is miserable man so bewitched that hee dares liue in that state of life which is inimitie with God Doe yee prouoke the Lord vnto anger are yee stronger than hee No no assuredly if thou walke on in thy sinnes the Lord shall crush thee with a scepter of iron and breake thee in peeces like a potters vessell so vnequall shalt thou finde the match if thou contend with thy maker Oh consider this yee that forget God least hee teare you in peeces and there bee none to deliuer Shall the Sidonians intreate for peace when Herodâ— proclaymes warre and shall man continue in inimitie when God from heauen proclaymes his peace farre be it
the 31. verse to the end wherein hee drawes all that hee hath spoken in this Chapter to a short summe contayning the glorious triumph of a Christian ouer all his enimies The triumph is first set downe generally verse 31. What shall wee then say to these things if God bee with vs who can bee against vs c. This generall incontinent hee parts in two there is sayeth hee but two things may hurt vs either Sinne or Affliction As to Sinne hee triumphs against it verse 33. and 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God his chosen it is God that iustifieth who shall condemne It is Christ who is dead or rather who is risen againe who is also at the right hand of God and maketh request for vs. As to Affliction hee triumphs against it from the 35. to the end Who shall seperate vs from the loue of Christ shall tribulation anguish or persecution shall famine nakednesse or perill yea shall death doe it or that which is much more shall Angels principalities or powers doe it No In all these things wee are more than Conquerours through him that loued vs. Thus doth the Apostle like a faithfull steward in the house of God take by the hand the weary sonnes and daughters of the liuing God that hee may leade vs into the Lords winesellers there to refresh and stay vs with the â—lagons of his Wine to comfort vs with his Apples to strengthen vs with his hid Manna and to make vs merry with that Milke and Hony which our immortall husband Iesus Christ hath prouided for vs to sustaine vs that we faint not through our manifold tentations that compasse vs in this barren wildernes We come then to the first part of the Chapter wherein the Apostle keepes this order First hee sets downe a generall proposition of comfort belonging to the iustified man Secondly he subioynes a confirmation therof Thirdly he explanes his reason of confirmation and fourthly applyes iâ—first by commination of them who walke after the flesh secondly by consolation of the godly against the remanents of the flesh thirdly by exhortation of both not to walke after the flesh In the proposition againe set downe Verse 1. first he points at the comfort Now then there is no condemnation secondly he sets downe a limitation restrayning this comfort To them who are in Christ thirdly hee subioynes a clearer declaration of those persons who are in Christ to wit they walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Verse 1. Now then This is a relatiue to his former discourse and is as I haue said a Conclusion inferred vpon that which goeth before Seeing wee are iustified by Faith in Iesus Christ and are now no more vnder the Law but vnder Grace seeing we are buryed with Christ by Baptisme into his death that like as he was raised from the dead by the glory of his Father so we also should walke in newnesse of life hauing receiued that spirit of Christ whereby wee fight against the Law of sinne in our members which rebelleth against the Law of our minde seeing it is so we may be sure that the remanent power of sinne in vs shall neuer be able to condemne vs. We see then that these words containe the Apostles glorying against the remanents of sinne the sense whereof in the end of the last Chapter made him burst out in a pittifull lamentation and cry O miserable man who will deliuer me from the body of this death but now considering the certaintie of his deliuerance by Iesus Christ he reioyceth and triumpheth Wherein for our first lesson we marke the diuersitie of dispositions to which the Children of God are subiect in this life sometime so full of comfort that they can not containe themselues but must needs breake forth into glorious reioycings at other times so far deiected in mind that their ioy is turned into mourning and this ariseth in them from the variable change of their sight and feeling The Disciples on mount Tabor seeing the bright shining glorie of Christ were rauished with ioy but incontinent when the cloud ouershadowes them they become afraid If the Lord let vs feele his mercies wee are aliue but if hee hide his face and set our sinnes in order before vs wee are sore troubled As the troubles wee haue in this life are not without comforts blessed bee God the Father of our Lord Iesus the Father of mercies and God of all comfort who comforts vs in all our tribulation so our ioy saith Saint Peter is not without heauinesse the one arising of the knowledge of that vndeserued inheritance reserued for vs in heauen the other of our manifold tentations to which wee are subiect here vpon earth it is these vicissitudes and changes which wrought in Dauid such different dispositions as appeareth in him in the Booke of the Psalmes and which all the godly may be experience finde in themselues Pascimur hic patimur for here we are so nourished with the comforts of God that we are nurtred with his crosses It is the Lords dispensation and we are to reuerence it resting assured that the peace and ioy which once the Lord hath giuen vs may be interrupted but can neuer vtterly be taken from vs the Lord who will not suffer the rod of the wicked for euer to lie vpon the back of the righteous least they put out their hand to wickednesse will fâ—rre lesse suffer his owne terrours continually oppresse our consciences least we faint and dispaire though he wound vs he will binde vs vp againe after two daies he will reuine vs and we shall liue in his sight Weeping may abide in the Euening but ioy shall come in the Morning The chosen vessell of God shall not alway lament and cry woe is me sometime the Lord will put a song of thanksgiuing in his mouth and make him to reioyce thus de aduersis prosperis admir abilivirtute vitam Sanctorum contexuit Deus The life of a Christian may bee compared to a webbe so meruailously mixed and wouen of comfort and trouble by the hand of God that the long thread thereof reaching from the day of our birth to the day of our death are all of trouble but the weft interiected manifold comforts and this haue we marked vpon the coherenee of the beginning of this Chapter with the end of the former Now in these words it is to be obserued the Apostle saies not there is no sinne in them who are in Christ but he saith there is no condemnation to them he hath confessed before that he did the euill which he would not and that he saw a law in his members rebelling against the law of his minde but now hee reioyceth in Christ that sinne in him is not able to condemne him It is then a false exposition of these words which is made by Caietane and
life that they who are planted in him flourish incontinent Proofe hereof we haue in Lidia and in the Theefe crucified with Christ and conuerted by him Aarons rodde was no sooner changed from a withered sticke into a flourishing tree then is hee from a barren malefactor into a fruitfull professor for see what a fruit hee beares in an instant he confesseth his owne sins he rebuketh the sinnes of his companion hee giueth a good testimonie vnto Christ and earnestly prayes that Christ would remember him concupiscence proceeds from sin â—endeth vnto sin but is not sin which he labors to expresse by this similitude he that hears saith he another man speking filthy language consents not vnto it but rather is angry at it and reproues it sinneth not but merits a greater reward euen so when our concupiscence sendâ— out any sinfull motion if we consent not vnto it we sinne not And the Fathers of that counsell of Trent which haue as many curses as Canons haue decreed in this manner this concupiscence which sometime the Apostle calleth sinne the holy Synode declares that the Catholike Church did neuer vnderstand it to be called sinne because it is truely and properly sinne in the regeuerate but because it commeth of sinne and inclineth to sinne Now because this is a mother errour which brings forth and strengthens many other errours wee will shortly disproue it by Scripture reason and antiquitie In the end of the last Chapter the Apostle condemneth the motions of concupiscence for sinne euen when consent is not giuen vnto them for he protests of himselfe that he resisted these motions of sin but was oftentimes sore against his will captiued by them he condemnes them as euill albeit he gaue no consent vnto them for the Law as I haue said doth not onely condemne sinne in the branch but also in the root there shall not bee in thee an euill thought against the Lord thy God And this is also confirmed by reason Consent in it owne nature is a thing indifferent if that whereunto I consent be good my consent is good but if it be euill my consent is euill if the first motion of sinne be not an euill thing in it selfe as they say then it is not an euill thing to consent vnto it for that which is not euill in it selfe by my consenting cannot become euill It is not then the consent following that makes the preceeding motion to bee euill but it is the preceeding euill motion that makes the subsequent consent euill Now as for Coster his similitude it makes plainely against himselfe for it is true indeed that hee who heareth euill spoken and reproues it is worthy of praise but it is also true that he who spake the euill hath sinned euen so albeit wee doe well when wee consent not to the motions of concupiscence in vs yet concupiscence is not the lesse to be condemned because it hath sent out in the eare of our soule that voyce of a filthy desire which is not agreeable to Gods most holy Law And of this same iudgement with vs are also the ancient Fathers Cum concupisco quamuis concupiscentis assensum non praebeam fit tamen in me quod nolo quod etiam non vult Lex When I lust saith Augustine albeit I consent not to my lust yet that is done in me which I will not and which also the law will not And againe desiderium tuum tali debet esse ad Deum vt omnino non sit ipsa concupiscentia cui resistere oporteat resistis enim non consentiendo vincis sed melius est hostem non habere quam vincere thy desire should in such sort be vpon God that there should not be in thee at all so much as a concupiscence which hath need of resistance for thou resists and by not consenting thou ouercommest but it were better not to haue an enemie then to ouercome him with him agrees also Bernard Genus illud peccati quod toties nos conturbat reprimi quidem potest debet per gratiam Dei concupiscentias loquor praua desideria vt non regnet in nobis nec demus membra nostra arma iniquitatis peccato sic nulla est damnatio his qui sunt in Christo sed non eijcitur niâ—i in morte That kinde of sinne saith he which so oft troubles vs Concupiscence and euill desires I meane may and should be repressed by the grace of God so that it raigne not in vs and that we giue not our members weapons of vnrighteousnesse to sinne and this way there is no damnation to them who are in Christ yet is it not cast out but in death Thus doth Bernard cleerely agree with vs in the exposition of this place Of all which is euident that the motions of concupiscence are euill and sinfull euen when they are repressed and no consent giuen vnto them But now leauing further improbation of this errour wee toler abilius enim lingua quaÌ„ vita mentâ—tur the lye saith Augustine which is made by the tongue is more tollerable then that vvhich is made by the life where the tongue professes Christ and the hart is giuen to impietie this is not professio sed abnegatio Christi a profession but a denying of Christ. It is a great sinne to beare false witnesse against our neighbour but a greater sinne to beare false witnesse against the Lord. Euery creature in their kinde giues a true testimonie vnto God the heauens declare his glory the earth and all that therein is sets foorth his goodnesse yea the little Emmet proclaimes his prouidence hee must bee a prouiuident father that hath put so great prouidence in so small a creature onely apostate Angels and men are false witnesses against the Lord. Sathan hath wyles continually against his mercy as when hee sayes to the penitent and beleeuing man God will not forgiue him vvyles against his iustice when hee beares the wicked in hand that God will not punish him wyles against his prouidence when hee would perswade the afflicted that God cannot deliuer them And as for the Apostate man hee is also a false vvitnesse against God hee calleth himselfe the childe of God and behold hee carryeth the image of Sathan as if the Lord begat children to another image and not to his owne Certainely the sinfull life of one professing Christ is a publick testimonie falsly proclayming to the vvorld as I haue said that there is no vertue in Christ and that hee is such a Sauiour as can neither sanctifie nor saue from sinne such as are his a fearefull blasphemie All Christians are not honoured with the second martiâ—dome that is to bee Christs vvitnesses by suffering of death for his truths sake yet all are bound by a godly life to bee vvitnesses of his sauing and renuing power shewing forth his meruailous vertue who hath translated vs from darknesse into
sinnes hath condemned sinne in his blessed bodie and so disanulled it that it hath no power to condemne vs. And this benefit he amplyfies shewing that by no other meanes we could obtaine it for where without Christ there is but one way for men to come to life namely the obseruance of the law hee lets vs see it was impossible for the law to saue vs and least it should seeme that hee blamed the law hee subioynes that this impotencie of the Law to saue vs proceeds from our selues because that we through â—leshly corruption which is in vs cannot fulfill that righteousnesse which the law requires This impotencie of the law appeareth by these two things first it craued that of vs which we had not to giue namely perfect obedience vnto all the Lords commandements and that vnder paine of death which albeit most iustly it be required of vs considering that by creation we receiued from God a nature so holy that it was able to doe the law yet now by reason of the deprauation of our nature drawne on by our selues it is impossible that wee can performe it Secondly the law could not giue that vnto vs whereof wee stood in neede namely that the infinit debt of transgressions which we had contracted should bee forgiuen vnto vs this I say the law could not doe for the law commaunds obedience but promises not pardon of disobedience yea rather it bindes the curse of God vpon vs for it And againe we stood in neede of a supernaturall grace to reforme deformed nature and this also the law could not doe it being a doctrine that sheweâ— vs the way to life but ministers not grace vnto vs to walke therein but all these which the law could not doe Iesus Christ by whom commeth grace and life hath done vnto vs. Where first we haue to marke the pittâ—full estate of those who seeke life in the obseruance of the law which here the Apostle saith is impossible for the law to giue they seeke life where they shall neuer finde it The Apostle in another place calles the law the ministerie of death and condemnation and that because it instantly bindes men vnder death for euery transgression of her commandements so that hee who hath eyes to see what an vniuersall rebellion of nature there is in man vnregenerate to Gods holy law yea what imperfections and discordance with the law are remanent in them who are renued by grace may easily espye the blinde presumption of those that seeke their liues in the ministry of death Yet so vniuersall is this errour that it hath ouergone the whole posteritie of Adam nature teaching all men who are not illuminated by Christ to seeke saluation in their owne deeds that is to stand to the couenant of workes But the supernaturall doctrine of the Euangelist teaches vs to transcend nature to goe out of our selues and to seeke saluation in the Lord Iesus and so to vse the law not that we seek life by fulfilling it which here is impossible but as a schole-maister to leade vs vnto Christ in whom wee haue remission of our sinnes sanctification of our nature acceptation of our imperfect obedience benefits which the law could neuer aford vnto vs. Inasmuch as it was weake because of the flesh The Apostle doth in such sort ascribe to the law an impotencie to saue vs that hee blames not the Law but the corruption of our fleshly nature being not able to fulfill that righteousnesse which the law requireth yea as the Apostle hath taught vs before so farre is our nature peruerted by our Apostasie from God that we are not onely vnable to doe that which the good and holy law of God requires but also vve become worse by the law for by the commandements of the law sin reuiues in our nature and takes occasion by the law to become more sinfull and so like a desperate disease it conuerts that medicine vvhich is ministred to cure it into a nourishment and confirmation of the sicknesse it selfe It is the nature of contraries that euery one of them intends the selfe to expell another whereof it comes that there is greatest cold in the bosome of the earth euen then when the Sunne with greatest vehemencie shines on it to callifie and heat it euen so our corrupted nature doth neuer shevv it selfe more rebellious and stubborne than vvhen the lavv of God beginnes to rectifie it As an vnruly and vntamed horse the more hee is spurred forward the faster he runnes backward so the peruerse nature of man nititur semper in vetitum is so farre from being reformed by the law that by the contrary sinne that was dead without the lavv is reuiued by the law and takes occasion to worke in vs all manner of concupiscence The Apostle is not ashamed to confesse that hee found this in his own person Augustine also examining his former sinfull life doth hereby aggrauate his corruption that in his young yeeres hee vvas accustomed to steale his neighbours fruit not so much for loue of the fruit for hee had better at home as for a sinfull delight he had to goe with his companions to commit euill so that where the lavv should haue restrayned his sinfull nature it was so much the more prouoked to sinne by the lavv Let therefore the Semipelagians of our time say to the contrary what they will let them magnifie the arme of flesh to diminish the praise of the grace of God and dreame that mans nature vnregenerate can bring forth merits of congruitie or workes of preparation yet doth the Lord heerein greatly abase man when hee telleth him that not onely he cannot doe that which the law requireth but that also the more he is commaunded the more hee repines vntill Grace reforme him God sending his owne Sonne The Apostle proceedes and let vs see how the Lord by Christ hath wrought that saluation which the Law could not Wherein first it is to bee marked that the Apostle saith not wee sought from the Lord a Sauiour but that the Lord sent him vnto vs vnrequired Surely neither man nor Angell could haue euer thought of such a way of Saluation the Lord hath found it out himselfe in his incomprehensible wisedomeâ— a way so to saue man that the glory both of his mercie and iustice shall bee saued also Most properly therefore is hee called Pater non indiciorum sed misericordiarum Father not of iudgements but of mercies for both the purpose and the meanes of our saluation are from himselfe hee hath found causes without him mouing to execute his iustice hee hath beene prouoked thereunto by the disobedience of apostate Angels and man but a cause mouing him to shew mercie is within himselfe this praise is due to God it is the greatest glory that can bee giuen vnto him Abhominable therefore is that errour of fore-seene merites by which the aduersaryes doe what they can to obscure
bastard Christians which stands onely in a fayre Sepulcher prouided before hand for themselues in an honourable buriall commanded expected of them before death and in abundance of worldly things which they leaue to theirs behinde them all which as saith the same Father viuorum sunt solatia non mortuorum are comforts to them that liue behinde but no help to them who are dead I note this that considering the magnanimitie of these Ethnicks in suffering of death notwithstanding the weake and small comforts which they had to sustaine them we may be ashamed of our pâ—sillanimitie who hauing from Christ most excellent comforts against death are afraide at the smallest remembrance thereof An euident argument that albeit many professe him yet few are pertakers of his power life and grace and that many hath him dwelling in their mouths in whose harts he dwelleth not by his spirit The body is dead Hee sayes not the body is subiect to death but by a more significant manner of speach he sayth the body is dead There is a difference betweene a mortall body and a dead body Adams body before the fall was mortall that is subiect to a possibilitie of dying but now after the fall our bodies are so mortall that they are subiect to a necessitie of dying yea if wee will here with the Apostle esteeme of death by the beginning thereof our bodies are dead already The officers and sergeants of death which are dolours infirmities and heauieâ— diseases hath seased already vpon our bodies and marked them as lodgings which shortly must be the habitation of death so that there is no man who is not presently dead in some part or other of his body Not onely is the sentence giuen out against vs thou art dust and to dust thou shalt returne but is begun to bee executed our carkasses are bound with cords by the officers of death and our life is but like that short time which is graunted to a condemned man betweene his doome and his execution all which the Apostle liuely expresses when he sayes the body is dead Whereof there arises vnto vs many profitable instructions and first what great neede wee haue as wee are commaunded to passe the time of our dwelling here in feare working out our owne saluation in feare and trembling seeing our sinnes haue cast vs into the hands of the first death shall we not cry without ceasing that we may be deliuered from the power of the second Alas it is pittifull that man should so farre forget himselfe as to reioyce in the time of his misery to passe ouer the dayes of his mortall life in vanitie and wantonnesse not considering how the first death is already entred into his carkasse nor foreseeing how hee may bee deliuered from the second but liues carelesse like to the Apostates of the old world who in the middest of their sinfull pleasures were sodainly washed away with the waters of the wrath of God and their spirits for disobedience sent vnto the prison where now they are and like those Philistims who banquetting in the platforme of the house of Dagon their God hauing minde of nothing but eating drinking and sporting not knowing that their enimie was within were sodainely otherthrowne and their banquetting house made their buriall place so shall it be with all the wicked who liuing in a dead body cares for nothing but how to please themselues in their sinne the piller of their house shall be pulled downe destruction shall come vpon him like a whirlewinde and in a moment shall sodaine desolation ouertake them And let this same meditation represse in vs that poyson of pride the first sinne that euer sprung forth of our nature next to infidelitie and last in rooting out Wilt thou consider O man that thou art but dead and that thy body be it neuer so strong or beautifull is but a lodging of death and what cause shalt thou haue to waxe proud for any thing that is in the flesh quid â—u superbis terra cinis si superbientibus Angelis non pepercit deus quanto minus tibi putredo vermis what hast thou to doe to be proud O dust and ashes if God spared not the Angels when they waxed proud vvill he spare thee who art but a rotten creature yea Vermis crastino moriturus a worme that must dye to morrow If so was done to an Angell saith Bernard what shall become of me ille intumuit in coelo ego in sterquilinio he vvas puft vp in heauen and therefore was cast downe from the place of his habitation if I waxe proude lying in a douâ—g-hill shall I not bee punished and cast downe into hell So oft therefore as corrupâ— nature stirreth vp the heart of man to pride because of the flowers of beautie strength that grow out of it let this humble thee thy flowres O man cannot but wither for the roote from which they spring is dead already And lastly is the body dead then learne temperance and sobrietie what auaileth it to pamper that carkasse of thine with excessiue feeding which is possessed by death already if men tooke the tenth part of that care to present their spirits holy and without blame vnto the Lord which they take to make their bodyes fat and beautifull in the eyes of men they might in short time make greater progresse in godlinesse then they haue done but herein is their folly Carnem pretiosis rebus impinguant c. they make fat their flesh with delicate things which within few daies the woâ—ms shall deuoure Animam vero non adornant bonis operibiu but beautifies not the Soule with good works which shortly is to bee presented vnto God Let vs refraine from the immoderate pampering of this flesh Meates are ordained for the belly and the belly for meates but God will destroy them both We haue here moreouer discouered vnto vs the shamelesse impudencie of Sathan who daily tempting man to sin promiseth vnto him some good by committing of it as boldly as if hee had neuer falsified his promise before He promised to our Parents in Paradise that if they did eate of the fruite of the forbidden tree they should become like vnto God but what performed he in stead of making man like vnto God hee made him like vnto himselfe yet as I sayde so shamelesse is that lying Spirit that hee dâ—re as boldly promise vantage by committing of sinne this day as he did the first day to Adam in Paradise notwithstanding that wee see through miserable experience that death because of sinne is enâ—â—ed into our bodyes Is hee not a deceiuer indeed that did first steale from vs our birth-right and now would also take from vs the blessing all those benefites wee got by our first creation he hath stollen them from vs with his lying words and now hee goes about by lyes also to steale from vs that
destroyed But that the greatnesse of this benefite which we haue by Iesus Christ may the better appeare let vs see what a condemnation this is from which we are deliuered In the Scriptures there is ascribed to man a iudging by which he absolueth or condemneth there is also ascribed to God a iudging by which he absolueth or condemneth As to mans condemnation we are not exempted from it Daniel condemned for a Rebell Ioseph condemned for an Adulterer Iob condemned of his friends for an Hypocrit our Sauiour condemned for an Enimie to Caesar his Disciples condemned and iudged worthy of stripes stand as so many examples to confirme vs that vve faint not when vve are condemned of men yea vvith the Apostle vve must learne to passe little from mans iudgement and striue in a good conscience to be approued of God for sure the Lord vvill not peruert iudgement it is farre from the Iudge of all the world to doe vnrighteously hee vvill at the last plead the cause of his Seruants and bring their righteousnesse to light This condemnation then from which vvee are deliuered is the sentence of God the righteous Iudge by which finding man guiltie of sinne for sinne hee adâ—â—dgeth him vnto eternall damnation from this all they who are in Christ are deliuered Hee that beleeueth in him who sent mee hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life In this condemnation the Lord proceedes at three sundry dyats against the wicked First hee condemneth them in the Court of Conscience Next in the day of their particular iudgement Thirdly in the day of generall Iudgement First I say the Lord holdeth a Iustice Court against the vvicked in his owne Conscience For the Lord iudgeth the righteous and him that contemneth God euery day After sinne committed by him there ariseth in his Conscience accusing thoughtes and there is a sentence vvithin him giuen out against him The Apostle speakes it of Heretikes one sort of vvicked men and it is true in them all they sinne being damned of their owne selues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by themselues Iudgement is giuen out against themselues which sentence albeit euery vvicked man doe not marke the voyce of their disordered affections sometime being so loud that they heare not the condemnatoâ—ie voyce of their Conscience so clearely as it is pronounced yet doe they heare as much as makes them inexcusable and breedes in them a certaine feare and terrour which is but a fore-runner of a more fearefull iudgement to come vvhich howsoeuer in time of their securitie they labour to smoother and quench by externall delights yet at the length affection shall bee silenced and Conscience shall pronounce sentence against them vvith so shâ—ill a voyce that their deafest eare shall heare it This I haue marked that vve may learne not to esteeme lightly the Iudgement of our Conscience but that so oft as vvee are condemned by it vvee may make our refuge to the throne of Grace to seeke mercy For if Conscience condemne vs God is greater then the Conscience and will much more condemne vs Ascendat itaque homo tribunal mentis suae si 〈◊〉 illud meminerit quod oportet eum ante tribunal Christi exhiberi Let therefore a man saith Augustine goe vp to the tribunall of his owne mind in time if he feare it let him remember that he must be presented before a greater tribunall The second dyat of iudgement which the Lord keepes against the wicked is in the houre of death wherein the Lord doth not onely repeat their former sentence of condemnation and that in a more fearefull and iudiciall manner but proceeds also to execution adiudging their bodies vntill the day of last iudgement to the prison of the graue to vnderly that curse pronounced on man for his Apostasie and condemning their spirits to be banished from the presence of God and cast into vtter darknesse Let not therefore the wicked man nourish himselfe in sinne with a vaine conceit of the delay of iudgement wherefore wilt thou put farre from thee the euill day what suppose the day of generall iudgement were not to come for many yeeres is not the day of thy perticular iudgement at hand vnto which thou shalt be drawne sodainely and perforce in the midst of thy deceiuing imaginations thou shalt bee taken away in an houre wherein thou thought not to dye more miserable than that rich glutton who hauing stored his head with false conclusions dreaming of many dayes to come when he had not one was that same day taken away to iudgement And this shall moue vs the more if we doe remember that such as we are in the day of death such shall we bee found in the day of iudgement In quo enim quemque invenerit suns nouissimus dies in hoc eum comprehendet mundi nouissimus dies quia qualis in die ifto quisque moritur talis in die illo iudicabitur and euery man in the last day shall be iudged to bee such as hee is when hee dyeth It would waken vs all more carefully to thinke vpon our end that so we might prepare our selues for this second dyat of iudgement But the third day of iudgement shall be most fearefull when all the wicked being gathered together in one shall bee condemned in that high and supreame court of iustice which the Lord shall hold vpon all that euer tooke life then shall the full measure of the wrath of God bee powred vppon all those who are not in Christ Iesus both in soule and body they shall bee punished with euerlasting perdition This iudgement shall bee most equitable for when that Ancient of dayes shal sit downe vpon his white throne before whose face heauen and earth shall flee away and when the Sea and the Earth hath rendred vp their dead then the bookes shall bee opened according to which hee shall proceed vnto iudgement And the bookes are two the booke of the law which sheweth to a man what the should doe and the booke of Conscience which sheweth him what hee hath done by those shall the wicked man bee iudged and hee shall not bee able to make exception against any of them against the booke of the law hee shall bee able to speake nothing for the Commandements of the Lord are pure and righteous altogether And as to the booke of conscience thou canst not denye it the Lord shall not iudge thee by an other mans conscience but by thine owne that booke thou hast had it alway in thine owne keeping who then could falsifie it neither is any thing written in it of things thou hast done but that which thine owne hand hath written how then canst thou make any exception against it Thus the bookes being opened the iudgement shall proceed in this manner The Law shall pleade for transgression of her precepts requiring that the
wicked may be put to death for their most vnreasonable disobedience her commandements for number being but ten and so not burdenable to the memorie for vnderstanding plaine written in the hart of euery man for equitie not contradictable for the Law craueth nothing of man but that which by the holinesse of his nature receiued by Creation hee was able to performe neither doth the law command any thing profitable to God vvho gaue it but vnto man who receiued it And for holinesse euery precept of the law when God proclaymed it on mount Sinai was assisted with a thousand of his Saints as witnesses of the holinesse therof all these circumstances doe aggrauate the waight of that iudgement which the law shall giue out against the transgressors thereof Then from the Law iudgement shall proceede to Conscience and Conscience shall witnesse against them of their transgressions against euery precept of the law wherein they shall be so cleerely conuinced that their perticular sinnes with the circumstances thereof time and place though now they haue cast them behind their backs shall then be set in order before them and so iustly euery manner of way shall iudgement goe out against them Eliphaz spoke it falslie to Iob thy owne mouth and not I condemnes thee but most iustly shall the ruler of the world lay it vpon the wicked out of thy owne mouth I iudge thee O thou euill and vnfaithfull seruant the voyce of thine own conscience and no other shall condemne thee And as this condemnation will bee most righteous so shall it bee also most fearefull not onely in regard of the manner of the Lords proceeding in that last iudgement but chieflie in regard of that irrevocable sentence of damnation which shall be executed without delay The Law was giuen with Thunders and Lightnings and a thicke cloud vpon the mount with an exceeding loude sound of the Trumpet so that all the people were afraide yea so terrible was the sight that Moses said I feare and quake The lawes of mighty Monarches are executed with greater terror then they are proclaymed what then shall we looke for when the God of glory shall appeare to iudge the world according to his law the Heauens shall passe away with a noyse the Elements shall melt with heate the Earth with the workes which are therein shall be burnt vp the Archangell shall blow a Trumpet at the voyce whereof the dead shall rise If Moses the seruant of the Lord quaked to heare the first Trumpet how shall the wicked condemned in their owne conscience tremble and quake to heare the second Then shall the Kings of the Earth and the great men and the rich men and the chiefe Captaines and the mightie men hide themselues in the Dennes and among the rockes of the Mountaines for what strength is there in man who is but stubble to stand before a consuming fire and or euer their doome bee giuen out they shall crye Mountaines and Rockes fall vpon vs and hide vs from the presence of him that sitteth on the Throne but when they shall heare that fearefull sentence depart from me yee cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Diuell and his Angels O how shall the terrour thereof confound their spirits and presse them downe to the bottome of hell O fearefull sentence depart from me what shall the creature doe when the Creator in his wrath commaunds it to depart and by his power banishes it from his presence O man wilt thou consider in time vvho shall receiue thee when God casts thee out from his face or who shall pittie and bee able to comfort thee when God shal persecute thee with his wrath assure thy selfe euery creature shall refuse her comfort to thee if a drop of colde water might bee a reliefe vnto thee thou shalt not get it Happie therefore are they vvho in time resolues themselues vvith Peter Lord whether away shall wee goe from thee thou hast the wordes of eternall life For they who doe now goe a whoring from the LORD wandring after lying vanities shall in that day receiue this for a recompence of their errour goe to the Gods whom yee haue serued Your whole life was but a turning backe from mee now therefore depart from mee and whether into fire and what fire euerlasting fire and with whom with the Diuell and his Angels thou hast forsaken mee thou hast followed them goe thy way with them a companion of their torment O fearefull sentence quae cum it a sint bene nobiscum ageretur si iam nunc sic nos paeniteret super malis nostris quomodo tunc sine vllo remedio paenitebit It were good therefore sayes Augustine if novv all men could so repent of their sinnes as it is certaine in that day they shall repent without any remedie for then the wicked vvill shed teares aboundantly but they shall bee fruitlesse And if yet all this cannot waken thee to goe to the Lord Iesus vpon the feete of faith and repentance that in him thou mayest bee deliuered from this fearefull damnation yet remember that seeing this iudgement is supreame and the last from which will bee no recalling most foolish art thou if in time thou doe not foresee and prouide how thou mayest stand in it Now if thy conscience condemne thee thou may get if thou seeke absolution in Christ but in that day if the Lord condemne thee thou shalt neuer be absolued the day before the Trumpet sound mercy shall bee preached to the penitent and beleeuers by the Gospell but from the time that once the sentence is giuen out there shall neuer bee more offering of mercy the doore shall be closed though the wicked cry for mercy and vvith Esau seeke the blessing vvith many teares yet shall they neuer finde it Of all this novv it is euident vvhat an excellent benefit wee haue by Iesus Christ in that vve are deliuered from this threefold condemnation For first being iustified by faith vve haue peace vvith God in our consciences that holy spirit of adoption testifying vnto vs that our sinnes are forgiuen vs whereof arises in our heart an vnspeakable and glorious ioy which ioy notwithstanding cannot be full nor perfect vntill the former sentence of our absolution be also pronounced in the other two iudgements that in the houre of death wee heare that ioyfull sentence Come to mee thou with the Apostle the terrour of that day but surely when the Lord shall set vs on mount Sion among those thousands which follow the Lambe and we shall see the smoake of the damned ascending continually when we shall stand at the right hand of the Lord Iesus and shall heare that fearefull sentence pronounced on the wicked and see the speedie and terrible execution thereof the earth opening incontinent to swallow them then shall we perfectly know how greatly the Lord hath magnified his mercies towards vs in