the hope of his kingdome that they might be pricked forewardes to bring vnto him that acceptable sacrifice of a sorowfull spirite and broken hearte Psal 51. 17. which hee at no time will despise but hath bounde him selfe by promise that at what time soeuer any do come vnto him which are ouer burdened Mat. 11 28. with the sight of their sinnes they shall finde refreshing here you see also the trueth of this doctrine verified that the Lorde doth first wounde before he maketh whole hee firste Osce 61. humbleth before hee doeth exaulte bee bringeth dovvne to Hell beefore 1 Sam. 2. 6. hee raiseth vppe to Heauen And to conclude hee maketh vs to see our miserie before he will bestow vpon vs his mercy for to whom is meat most sauery but to hun that is moste hungrie to whome is liberty most delightfull but to him which is in the most miserablest bondage and to whom is life most sweete but to him that is in the greatest danger of death For offer liberty to such a one as is freâ— from boÌ„dage or life to him that is in no daÌ„ger of death and they will laugh thee to scorne but goe to some prison and offer liberty to him that hath hen long in chaines and life vnto him that is already iudged to die and thou shalt sée how thaÌ„kfully he will receiue thy proffer and how mindefull he will be of the same A similitude very fit to teach vs for what cause the Lord doeth thus deale with his children in humbling of them to the ende that they may praise him in trueth for deliuering them out of such wonderfull miserie and neuer be vnmindefull of so great a benefitte In this sense it was sayde of Marye MagdaleÌ„ that she loued much because many sinnes were forgiuen her For who amongst the children of women was there euer foundâ— to be a more greuouser sinner then she which was Make 16. â— Luke 8. 2. a common harlot and had â—â—ueÌ„ deuils rast out of her that is to say a greate many we know not the number and who againe was there euer founde to shew fooâ—th yâ— like affection of loue vnto our lauiour Christ as she did after she perceiued that these greate sinnes were forgiuen her and she redeemed Iohn 12. â— from the danger therof for she washed his feeâ—e with her teares and wyped them with the heire of her head In this sense also it is saâ—d of the Apostle saint Paul that hee laboured more aboundantly then all the reste of the Apostles and what moued him so to do euen this because hee perceiued that many and grieuous sinnes were forgiuen him What theâ—â— shall wee sin much that we may loue and laboure much God forbid The holy Ghoste hath no such meaninge neither is it saide that they loued and laboured much because they had sinned much but because many sinnes were so giuen them There is none of vs all but doe commit many and grieuous sins and the more wee doe commit the worse we are to be liked for the lesse doe we loue and the lesse also is our labour in the waies of Godlines but if wee were come vnto this steppe that wee did clearelie see these sinnes and were perfectlie humbled and wearied with the burden of them hungring and thirsting for easement there is no doubt but that wee should quickly perceiue and feele the great loue of God towardes vs in pardoning and forgiuing all these our sinnes whiche we haue committed against him and so by that meanes wee also might bee draweÌ„ with Mary and Paule to loue and labour much because many sins are forgiuen vs. But before wee can haue faith to beleeue and strength to feele that many sinnes are forgiuen vs we must first learne to knowe feele both that wee haue committed many sinnes yeÌ„a that we doe nothing els but sinne and to the ende that we may vnfainedly bee brought vnto the knowledge therof the best meane or way that we can vse is this eueÌ„ so set the purenes and seuerity of the law as it is in it selfe without Christ against our own affectons vntill such time as we be euen plunged into nothing and perfectly huÌ„bled therby for this is the office of it to this end it was ordayned The vse of thâ— Lawe First to reueale vnto vs our sins as it is very plainly declared in yâ— eâ—â—stle to yâ— Romanes where it is writteÌ„ by yâ— lawe shall no flesh be iustified in Rom. 3. 20. his fight for by it coÌ„meth the knowledge of sin againe the lavve causeth Rom. 4. 15. vvrath for vvhere no lavve is there is no traÌ„sgressioÌ„ that is to say there is no traÌ„sgressioÌ„ knoweÌ„ according to yâ— which yâ— Apostle speaketh in another place where hee vseth these words I had not knovveÌ„ sin but by Rom. 7. â— the lavv for I had not knovveÌ„ that lust had beene sin except the lavve had said thou shalt not lust so thâ—n hereby you may eastly perceiue yâ— the first office of the lawe is to reueale or make knoweÌ„ vnto vs our sinnes Secondlie it goeth forwardes and maketh vs to bee out of measure sinnefull For to this ende the lavve Rom. 5. 20. entered that sinne might abounde And after this sorte the Apostle reasoneth in another place where hee hath these wordes Sinne tooke occasion Rom. 7. 13. by the commandement and deceiued me and thereby slew me wherfore the lawe is holie and the commandement is holie and iust and good Was that theÌ„ which is good made death vnto me God forbid but sin that it might appeare sin wrought death in me by that which is good that sinne might be out of measure sinnefull by the commandement And thus you see how the Lawe doeth proceede not onely in reueiling vnto vs our sinnes but also in making vs out of measure sinnefull not onely in be wraying the corruptions of oure workes but also of our wordes and not of our wordes and works alone but also of our thoughts not in condemning some iustifyinge the rest but in vtterly reiecting of all If there haue been but one thought in all our life time out of square and admitte it to be so that we were free froÌ„ sinne both in worde work thought yet the sâ—ueritie of the Lawe is suche that it wholy depriueth vs of all hope of life because wee were borne in sinne and hauing thus bewrayed in vs such a huge heape of corruptions whereby we perceyue our selues to be aboue measure sinfull yea nothing els but a masse and lumpe of sinne doth it leaue vs so noe but then it proceedeth in setting before our eyes the iudgmentes of God for the same threatning condemning and cursing vs for not fulfillinge that in euery poynt which we are not able to performe in one of the least poyntes therof Deut. 28. 16. 1 13 c. pronouncing vs To be cursed in the field cursed in the towne
shall no flesh be iustified in the sight of God Furthermore Deut. 28. 26 Gal. 3. 10. lam 2. the Law doth iustifie none but those which are the fulfillers of it and none can fulfill the same but those which are free from sin both in birth thought and action but we are polluted in all these as it hath been before declared Christ alone is hee in whom this perfection and cleannes is to be found he only hath fulfilled it for vs and is iustified by the same before his father and hath also borne the punishmente due vnto vs for breakinge of it that we which beleeue might be made iust in his iustice and not in the iustice of the lawe which is so farre from iustifying of vs that if but the least title thereof shoulde be laide vpon our consciences without Christ it would eueÌ„ condeÌ„ne vs downe to the bottome of hell and therfore it must needes be that they do marueylously abuse the Lawe and Christ Iesus in like sorte which will be iustifyed by it they abuse the Lawe in presuminge to be iustifyed by that which is appointed to humble them and Christ Iesus also in taking vpon them his purenes and persection in so much as hee alone was appoynted of his Fathâ—â— to bee the fulfiller of it They abuse him also in makinge hys death and suffringes to be of none effecte but caste them in the duste as things needelesse for so reasoneth the Apostle to the Galathians If righteousnesse be of the lawe then Christ Gal. 2. 21. dyed without a cause And againe in another place If they which are Rom. 4. 14 of the lawe be heires faith is made voide and the promise of none effecte Here you see then what a grieuous absurditie they fall into that doe séeke iustification in the Lawe which was onely giuen foorth to reueyle vnto vs the perfection and holynesse of God and our owne imperfection and vilenesse that hee alone might be founde true and we lyers hee iuste and wee vniuste and yet contraryâ— to this office which the Lorde hath appoynted it vnto and contrary vnto the Lawe of our owne members which wee sâ—â— to bee rebellious and againste the Lawe of God wyll presume vpon the purenesse and perfection thereof as if the strength of it did rest within the compasse of our filthy bowels and so make our selues equall vnto God a marueylous pride and doth very well declare vnto vs who it is that is Antichrist And thus muche for the first abusers of the Lawe Secondly the other sort which doe 2. Lawe abused by dispaâ—â— abuse it are those that doe dispaire because they see themselues not able to doe the same it hath beene sufficiently declared already that yâ— Law was not giuen foorth to the end that we should doe it but rather to shew what we are not able to doe that thereby we might be driueÌ„ from our selues and from the Lawe also to seeke for helpe elswhere For sure it is that if we do rest in our selues or in any * Righteousnes actiue is to looke to be iustified by doing of good deedes and by the ments of man 2 Cor. 3. 6. 7 Actes 15. 10. actiue righteousnes of the Lawe the ende thereof must needes be desperation for this cause the Lawe without Christ is called in the Scripture A minister of death the killing letter ay â—â—ke that neyther we nor our fathers were euer able to beare and let it be so or let it be that debt of ten thousande talentes which we are neuer able to pay nay and our estate on the other side so poore and needy as we are not able to discharge the least mite thereof as in trueth we are not yet let vs knowe that the same is limited and hath no further anâ— horâ—tie then to humble vs and therefore they which doe let it passe any further vpon them do not rightly vse the Lawe but rather greatly abuse the same to the depriuinge of them selues from all hope of saluation iâ— they returne not in time and come vnto Christ who theÌ„ and at that time doth chiefly and onely call them as it is in the 11 of Matthew Come vnto Mat. 11. â—8 me all ye that are vvearie laden and I vvill ease you take my yoke vpon you and learne of me that I am meeke and lovvlie in hearte and ye shall finde rest vnto your soules for my yoke is easie my burden is light here you see then howe greatly they ouershoote them selues which do charge the Lord with vnpossible things as if he did require such a duety at their hands lay such a heauy intollerable burden vpoÌ„ their nâ—ckes as it is impossible for theÌ„ to beare for this place doth plainely confute them and make theire camllation to be of none effecte which telleth vs that the Lords burdeÌ„ is light his yoke easie and therefore if any mans conscience be so ouerburdened with the sight of his sins that be falleth into desperation let him not thinke that it is the Lorde which hath laid this burden vpon him but rather that he himselfe hath drawne it vpon his owne necke by abusing the Laws through infidelitie because he coÌ„meth not vnto Christ for yâ— end of the Law is faith in Christ and not desperation True it is yâ— euery one seeth â—â—t this and therefore when the stinge of death at any time is awaked vp in theire coÌ„sciences they looking no other way for â—asment but into the actiue righteousnesse of tâ—e Lawe which the more theâ— looke into the further they are froÌ„ helpe and the deeper they plunge theÌ„ selues into sorrow so that in the ende it must needes come to passe yâ— they fall into wonderfull diseases anguishes both of minde and soule as if they were in yâ— present torments of â—el fire Hence it is also yâ— those woful heauy outcryes doe arise I am damned I haue sinned against the holy ghost my sins are so greate yâ— God wil neuer forgiue 〈◊〉 and therfore wish that they had neuer bene borne or yâ— theire liues were câ—t short by some vnlawfull meanes as hanging drowning cutting sticking with theire own hands are ready oft times to execute vpoÌ„ theÌ„ selues But to leaue there which are so far gone standing or fallnig to theire own 〈◊〉 and come vnto those who in theire distresses troubles of minde bodie haue some sparkle of the seede of God in them For sure it is that the deare children of God â—st times are verie far gone this way and brought as it were euen to yâ— lowest pit of fortâ—w where they can hardly perceyue any comfort at alâ—nay rather do shew some tokeÌ„ of reprobatioÌ„ in their anguishes As it may seeme vnto him who is not wel experienced in yâ— afflictions which are common vnto Gods child en 〈◊〉 cause of which great breach yâ— the enemie hath made into them may very well d ee in their owne selues which
be called backe againe as most certaine it is net no more then the Father is to bee called backe againe from the worke of creation or the Sonne from the worke of redemption or the holy Ghost from the office of sanctification A notable testimony of this vnmoueable estate of the Church we haue in the Psalmes where the holy Ghost vseth these wordes If my children Psal 49. 30 forsake my lawes and walke not in my iudgemeÌ„t if they breake my statutes and kepe not my commaundementes then will I visit theire transgressions with the rod theire iniquitie with strokes but my louing kindnes willl I not take from them nor falsifie my trueth my couenant will I not breake nor chaunge that which hath gone out of my lippes according to that which is writteÌ„ in Malachie I am thy Lord Maâ—â—â— â— I chaunge not and the Sonnes of Iacob are not consumed And therfore when the Lorde doth correcte vs it is not to the end that we should bee consumed but rather to put vs in minde that we haue sinned against Psal 94 12. him and that we may bee spared in 1. Cor. 11. 32. the euill day and not condemned with the world but more of this in his due place Hereby you see then that in the worke of our saluation the Lorde hath no respecte eyther to our sinnes or vertues but vnto his own vnchauÌ„gable purpose vnto his euerlastinge decree and couenant which can not be altered Therefore in Deuteronemie it is thus written The Lorde Deut. 4 31. thy God is a mercifull God he will not despise thee nor forsake thee neyther forget the couenant which he sware vnto thy fathers AbrahaÌ„ Isaac and Iacob Saint Paul saith That if it be but a mans couenant Gal. 3. when it is finished no man doth abrogat or adde anie thing therunto Much lesse in the couenant of God which is writteÌ„ not in paper or parchment but in his euerlastinge decree counsel which is sealed also not with a signet in ware but with the very finger and power of God in the bloodshedding death of his SoÌ„ne Iesus Christ and in raysing him again from yâ— same Neyther hath he left it thus but hath sealed the assurance thereof vnto our heartes also by his spirit which doth testifie vnto our conscience that wee Rom. 8. 16. are those to whom this new couenant doth belong yâ— God is our Father we his children and therefore are imboldened â— Cor. 2. 16. through the mind of Christ to fly vnto him in al our troubles as our stay and refuge to cast our whole care vpon him because that we are fully perswaded that it is he alone which careth 1 Pet. 5. â— for vs. So that now euen amongest a multitude of cares which the world is ouer whelined in we are become carelesse not after the maÌ„ner of a desperat person which conteÌ„neth meanes but rather by the prerogatiue of a free mind which we haue and do obtaine both after in the middest of all christian lawful meanes that are to be vsed caring only for heauenly things True it is that vnto the sight iudgement of the world there are none so miserable as they which are thus minded and why because a fewe outwarde things doe satisfie them because they seeke not there own but are more ready to take wrong theÌ„ do any they looke still vnto those spirituall good things which the Lord hath prouided for theÌ„ not man 〈◊〉 12. 1â— they make long strydes vnto that striue to forget more more this trash pelfe that is behind theÌ„ And as it is with Iohn 10. 5 theÌ„ in life so also it is in religion they will heare no voyce but the voyce of Christ in his worâ—e all other soundes are straunge vnto them and therefore will not heare their voyces No though Gal. 1. â— it be an Angell from heauen they will not haue their â—aith to hange vpoÌ„ men but 〈◊〉 â—arnestly to get setled iudgement in them selues that although the whole world bee ouerwhelmed with eâ—â—ours sâ— as ther be not a man left to instruct theÌ„ yet they will not be offended at the matter but haue sufficient in theire owne â—â—somes to keepe them in the trueth as â—lyaâ— who although al Israeli runne a whoring after Ball 1. King 19. 1â— yet he wil constantly follow the liuing God and as Micheas who although al Balles Priestes flatter yâ— king of Israell â— King 22. 14. speake pleasant things vnto him yet he wil speake nothing but yâ— which yâ— Lord hath put in his mouth and with yâ— Apostls also who although many of the Disciples forsake Christ yet they 〈◊〉 6. â—8 knowe not whither to goe but vnto him Where yâ— deade carkas is thither 〈◊〉 2â— 28 will the Eagles resorte where Iesâ—s Christ is there wil yâ— faithful be They wil follow yâ— LaÌ„be whither so euer he 〈◊〉 14. 4. goeth not only to yâ— breaking of bread which Hipecrites wil do but also vnto yâ— very death wheÌ„ yâ— tryal shal be made for death is vnto them life and therefore they long for it as yâ— scripture doth very plentifully witnesse yâ— same and Christ is all the gaine yâ— they séeke for From whence I pray you commeth all these thinges or what should moue theÌ„ thus to despise this life the things thereof is it not the assurance which they haue of yâ— heauenly life that is laid vp for theÌ„ in christ this is some parts of the fruit of our iustifying faith and yet not all for looke further and wee shall see more greater testimonies of the same then al these For what is the cause why a great many are so valiant that theire feare is past and they care not what man can do vnto them yea they receyue euery bondage as a liberty euery death as a life they take greatest occasioÌ„ of â—oy in yâ— middest of those tormeÌ„ts whereby their enemies goe about to make them most soâ—owfull yea theire tormentors often times are more vexed and weaâ—ed in tormentinge then they them selues are in bearing the tormentes why because the Lord is with them in euery place to comforte them as he Esai â—â— 2. hath promised by Esai the Prophet saying when thou walkest through yâ— waters I will be with thee through the floudes yâ— they shall not ouerflowe thee when thou goest through the fire it shall not burne thee nor the flames kindle vpon thee the holy ghost meaneth not here that the wicked by their â—gins yâ— they vse against Gods childreÌ„ shall not be able to take awaye their naturall life but their spirituall heauenly life which afflictioÌ„s are meanes to confirme and make more sure vnto them yea in far greater glory also which they themselues are well experienced in and therfore some of theÌ„ al though their torments were to be stoned racked torne