the flesh that are in thee make the word of God which is in it selfe most cleare darksome and obscure Is there any obedience in it nothing lesse The law of the members still rebelleth against the law of the mind so that needs wee must confesse with Paul that in vs that is in our flesh in our state of corruption dwelleth no good Rom. 7.18 To apply this to our purpose marke what the flesh is that are we altogether by nature for we come to be spirit not by carnall generation but by spirituall regeneration And this leauen of vncleannesse hath crept into all the outward members that the eyes eares lips tongue hands feet are euery where in the Scripture branded for weapons of vnrighteousnesse And so let vs passe vnto the third consideration 3. By actuall transgression In the third place wee are sinners in regard of actuall transgressions you haue often heard of sins of omission and sinnes of commission In sinnes of omission It is worth the marking to see whence these kindes arise for when we are altogether depriued of righteousnes it cannot be but that wee should omit and ouerpasse whatsoeuer is righteous For where the cause is not nor euer was there the effect must needs be wanting So on the other side when the pollution of sinne doth wholly occupie the faculties of our mind soule and body whatsoeuer we thinke speak And of commission or doe it cannot but be sinfull For such as the tree is such must be the fruit Neither can figs be gathered on thornes nor grapes on thistles Of which our actuall corruption the Scripture euery where and specially very plainly doth accuse man Psalm 14.1 They haue corrupted their waies and done abomination there is none that doth good What is here meant but that the whole way of a naturall man the trade of his life is to worke such things as are abomination and that whatsoeuer is truly good that he altogether pretermitteth But this me thinketh sticketh on the stomacke and is not so easie of digestion as the former Obiection For you will haply say that you haue the knowledge of God that you can heare Gods word The good which we haue by nature that you can conceiue a zeale of some kind of righteousnesse that you can pray giue almes and doe many other good things and why then should you be charged with doing no good Solution But wee must bee as wise in heauenly things as wee are in earthly In other matters touching goodly appearances wee can giue this iudgement Is but appearing that all is not gold which glisters and should not wee be as carefull that in things spirituall we be not deluded with shewes in stead of substance Our Sauiour hath an heauenly speech concerning these glittering and shining sinnes as one doth truly terme them that what is excellent and glorious oft with men the same is abomination in the sight of God Luk. 16.15 You may thinke that you know God But not spirituall and sauing but by nature you haue not nor can haue any true spirituall knowledge of him For as it is 1. Cor. 2.14 The naturall man is not capable of the things of God Onely bleare-eyed as we are and seeing at hand as Peter speaketh 2. Pet. 1.9 we can after a sort reade and conceiue what the great bookes of heauen and earth teach vs concerning him namely that there is a diuine power whose iustice power and bounty doth not obscurely manifest it selfe in the administration of the world And this knowledge standeth vs in no other stead but onely to make vs inexcusable before God So wee can lend a bodily eare vnto Gods word but with the eare of the mind we cannot heare which our Sauiour meanes when he saith to them which heard well enough in respect of the bodily sense Hee that hath eares to heare let him heare Matth. 13.9 So we may receiue a kind of zeale after good but it is like that of the Iewes Rom. 10.2 a wrong zeale in a wrong manner which leadeth from Christ with whom onely is saluation Wee can also giue almes and doe other good works in our owne conceit and of other men but in such a manner as that we cannot stirre an haires breadth from sinne For want of a cleere fountaine viz. a pure heart nor get out of the mire wherein wee sticke For the Law requireth not onely that the substance of the outward worke be conformable thereunto but that the fountaine whence it springeth be pure Tit. 1.15 And a right end viz. Gods glory that the end for which it is vndertaken whatsoeuer it be bee the glory of God 1. Cor. 10.31 Now to haue a hart purified by faith is not such a vulgar thing that all men haue it for all men haue not faith 2. Thes 3.2 but these onely to whom it belongeth to whom it is giuen Phil. 1.29 To you it is freely giuen for Christ that not onely yee should beleeue in him but also suffer for his sake Wherefore when the Scripture doth pronounce that whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Rom. 4.24 and that without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 let vs not think our pennie made worse siluer than it is when all our workes that are done in our naturall condition are made sins before God and such as wherewith he is highly displeased be they neuer so goodly and beautifull in the sight of man The vse of this doctrine shall be ioyntly handled with the other following wherefore we will passe to the second doctrine touching our misery And come short That is are out of the reach and hope of euerlasting life and so by consequent are plunged ouer head and eares into eternall death Doct. 2. From hence then this is our lesson that by nature we haue no part nor portion in that glorious life We by nature haue no share in life euerlasting and that euerlasting happinesse wherewith the presence of Gods glory replenisheth his for euermore Whē Adam had sinned mark what followed thereupon Genes 3.23 hee was secluded and cast out of the earthly Paradise in which the estate of vs al is pourtrayed out and liuely represented namely that we being sinners are exiled and banished from the Paradise of God hauing no interest in that glorious inheritance But are vnder wrath Wherefore it is that our Apostle saith Ephes 2.3 that we are the children of wrath that is such as to whom appertaine those punishments which the Lord inflicteth in his indignation and not that life of glory which hee giueth to those with whom he is well pleased Because sinfull wretches Neither can it possibly bee otherwise with vs for the wages of sinne is death the iustice of God so requiring Rom. 6.23 What other pay then can wee challenge or expect but that of eternall death who are euery way most sinfull wretches as wee haue already heard Whom heauen
AN EPITOMIE OF MANS MISERY AND DELIVERIE IN A SERMON PREACHED ON the third of the Romans Vers 23. and 24. by Mr. PAVL BAYNE Hosea 13.9 O Israel one hath destroyed thee but in me is thine helpe Isaiah 53.6 All we like sheepe haue gone astray wee haue turned euery one to his owne way and the Lord hath laid vpon him the iniquity of vs all LONDON Printed by Felix Kyngston for Nathaniel Newbery and are to be sold at the Signe of the Starre vnder Saint Peters Church in Cornehill and in Popes-head Alley 1619. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL SIR HENRY BAKER KNIGHT BARronet health honour and happinesse from and in the Lord. RIght Worshipfull although it bee a complaint perhaps not causelesse of too many bookes penned and printed in these dayes yet there is and euer will bee neede of new bookes chiefly such as sauour of the wholesome doctrine of Iesus Christ and set forward that knowledge of the truth which is according vnto godlinesse Nay surely it is no lesse worke of Gods prouidence to set open the fountaine of heauenly truth and to maintaine it in a perpetuall current by the preaching and writing of his faithfull seruants then that the waters of greater riuers and lesser springs doe runne with a continuall streame For what these are to the earth to water it that it may bee fertile for mens behoofe and serue their bodily wants the same are those to Gods Church to make it fruitfull vnto the Lord and relieue the spirituall want of mens soules Besides whereas the muddy and poysonous waters of false and hereticall doctrine of vngodly and filthy language like that a Reuel 16.3 noysome bloudy sea in which no soule could liue and breath the life of God doth daily bubble or rather puddle forth with proud and swelling streames through the tongues and pens of the diuels scribes or scriblers rather Is it not a singular blessing that the b Miraris si nōdum sapientia omne opus suùm impleuit Nondum tota se nequitia protulit Senec. nat quaest lib. 3. c. 32. fountaine of truth doth hold its course also from whence issue the wholesome waters of life to correct the poyson of the diuels puddle and preserue Gods people from the deadly contagion of it Which wholly to damme vp or in part to restraine were as great a despite vnto Gods people as was done vnto Isaac by the Philistims in c Gen. 26.15 stopping vp all the welles which Abraham had digged open What though in new bookes we bring to light specially in poynts of religion no new matter who I pray doth cauill at it in liuing fountaines that they run still the same waters in colour kind and tast we doe rather like them so much the better counting it a speciall benefit that by their perpetuall course as wee haue the same waters for kind so we receiue them euer fresh whereby they are the more pleasant for tast and the more wholesome for our vse So it is a commendation rather than any imperfections in our new writings that they propound still the same ancient doctrine touching faith good manners but haply in some new forme and method wherby they giue a fresher and more pleasant relish to these wholesome waters and so quicken mens dull and diuers appetites to the better liking of them and allure them the more liberally to drinke thereof I may therefore I trust to good purpose adde also this Sermon of that godly and faithfull Preacher Master Paul Bayne vnto some other books of his set forth by my selfe and others and open as it were one little fountaine more for thirsty soules to draw and drinke of Come to it and tast who will I assure him that hee shall prooue the waters thereof to be good sweet and wholesome Among water wonders d The French Comment on Bartas in the third day of his first week out of Mela. writers report of two springs not farre distant one from the other in one of the fortunat Ilands the one whereof doth yeeld deadly waters and the other very wholesome who so drinketh of the first is anone taken and torne with most painfull conuulsions euen vnto death against which the onely sure and present remedy is to drinke of the other fountaine there at hand This fountaine which here is opened riseth out of Paradise I meane the Scriptures with one head but in the course thereof it is parted into two streames The first giuing vs the tast of our sinfull and damnable state by nature is very bitter and in it selfe mortall but the second refreshing vs with the knowledge of our redemption by Christ is as the water of life and wine of Gods loue most cordiall and comfortable If any desire to be made whole and sound in soule he must drinke deepe of both The doctrine of our wretchednesse like vnto the e Numb 15.18 bitter and cursed water in the Law must search how sound we be within or rather make vs feele the sicke and rotten state of our soule And then the doctrine of our saluation by Christ like the f Ioh. 5.4 waters of Bethesda must restore vs curing vs of our inward rottennesse and outward sores whereof wee are deadly sicke g Is corde solus arido Christum sitit Sentit miseriam corde qui fracto suam We shall neuer thirst heartily nor relish fully the sweet waters of life in Iesus Christ vntill we haue drunk deepe of the salt and bitter waters of our owne misery Nor will they heale or worke vpon our soules to health vntill these make our vnsound and rotten hearts smart euen to death This fountaine I grant is not deepe and like h Isa 8.6 Shiloah doth runne but softly For it serueth rather for Gods Lambes to wade in than Elephants to swimme in and it aimeth more to bring men to a feeling of their misery in themselues and true reioycing in their saluation by Christ than to exercise their heads with curious contemplation of schoole-poynts What it is as it is no degenerate of-spring of a good man and worthy diuine not wholly vnknowne vnto you and sometime entertained by you I offer it most worthy Sir vnto your worships hands Entertaine it I pray you according to your wonted and natiue courtesie a vertue in the eyes of all eminent in you and which in a speciall degree is appropriate vnto your selfe and deriue some part of that loue and kind respect to this orphane Sermon which sometime you did shew vnto the author of it in his life For my part I haue sent it abroad with your Worships name wreathed so to speake on the fore-front thereof that wheresoeuer it doth passe it may report your singular kindnesse and good will many waies extended and yet continued toward me and stand vp as a witnesse of my thankfull remembrance and acknowledgement of the same An office which I hope will not be vngratefull vnto you who although you are
cannot admit Againe the heauenly Ierusalem is a place so pure that no vncleane thing nothing that worketh any abomination may haue any doings there Reuel 21. There is then no place for vs therein who are so besmeared and stained with sinne that whatsoeuer wee turne our selues vnto is before the Lord no better than abomination And this in generall may suffice touching this doctrine For we are dead 1. Here spiritually But now for as much as wee are not as soone as we come forth of the wombe cast into hell know therefore that euery one of vs are first come short of this glory in regard of spirituall and heauenly life of the which there is not by nature the least sparke remaining in vs we being starke dead in our sinnes as often the Scripture expresly speaketh Ephes 2.1 You were dead in sinnes and trespasses and Mat. 8.22 Let the dead bury their dead Liuing men then who are void of this spirituall life are no better in the Lords account than dead men who when they burie others dead as touching this bodily life it is as pretty a pageant as to see one dead corps carry or accompany another vnto the graue Yea let men frolick it and ruffle in pleasures and not onely liue in their conceits but liue brauely and deliciously yet euen in this condition they are but dead and the more thus they liue the further are they plunged into death as Paul saith 1. Tim. 5.6 of the widow Our naturall life being but a shadow of life that shee that liueth in pleasure is dead while she liueth It is but a conceit a name of life that naturall men haue it is but a goodly vizour drawne ouer a dead and rotten corps Thou hast a name that thou liuest but thou art dead saith our Sauiour to the Angell of Sardi Reuel 3.1 Notwithstanding heere the Lord doth let his Sunne to shine and his raine to fall on the vngodly together with his owne and these dead soules enioy many documents of Gods fauour and bounty whereby they neither seeme nor indeed are so wholly and vtterly separate from happinesse as they shall bee 2. Subiect to the bodily death Wherefore there is a second staire by which all of vs if the Lord succour not descend yet further from this blessed life and this glorious conditiō that is in death when a dissolution of soule and body commeth Then the body is committed to the earth where it feeleth no good at all as in life it did nor any euill and the soule is gathered to the spirits of apostate angels and reserued to eternall condemnation in chaines of darknesse Iude 6. Lastly 3. To death eternall there is yet one lower descent in the day of iudgement when as soule and body at the resurrection which is both of iust and vniust being reunited shall be separated for euermore from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power 2. Thes 1.9 and shall be cast into vnquenchable fier where the worme of their consciences shall neuer die but vncessantly vexe and torment them for euer And so we will in one handle the vses which are to be made of both these instructions Vse 1 First then we are to treasure vp these instructions in our hearts Is to furnish vs with matter of confession in our prayers that they may serue vs from weeke to weeke and from day to day to direct vs in our prayers for the confession of our sinnes wee haue all by rote and can vtter the words of Saint Iames though otherwise than hee speaketh them In many things we sinne all Iam. 3.2 But rare is that man that truly vnderstandeth what it is hee vttereth wherefore let these things be still present with vs that we may vnderstand fully and explicate in particular our corruption and misery To doe it feelingly and particularly when wee come before the Lord to make our confessions and prayers For to confesse our selues sinfull and miserable not know how wherin we are so surely is nothing else but with those wicked Iewes wherof the Lord complaineth For slight and generall confession is vnprofitable Isa 29. to draw neere to him with our lips while our hearts are far from him and to commit that from which Salomon dehorteth Eccles 4.17 viz. To offer vp the sacrifice of fooles babling with our tongues what we mind not And a mocking of God or vnderstand not Nay it is a plaine mocking of God vnto his face thus without knowledge and consciousnesse of our sinfulnesse in particular and the seuerall branches of it to confesse our sins Who would not take himselfe abused by such a debtor that should confesse that he were indebted to him if he knew for what but therein hee must pardon him For he could not call to mind wherein nor why nor how he should owe him any thing Such a flouting confession doe we make to God of our sinnes when in generall termes wee acknowledge them but in the meane while our heart doth not smite vs for any in particular nor can wee tell wherein we are so sinfull Wee must then bee well acquainted with this our miserable condition the knowledge whereof will helpe much to enlarge and excite our hearts to a feeling confession thereof and a more earnest crauing of Gods mercy for the cure of it And to driue it home vnto our harts To remedie which we must consider our state in sinne when we confesse that we are thus tainted in soule and body with the leprosie of sinne let vs seriously consider that we are in a most fearfull and lamentable estate To be fearfull and lamentable It is a fearful thing to haue a noysome disease a stinking or running sore on any part of the body but how much more lothsome and fearfull is it to be couered with boyles and scabs as was Iob and to haue nothing sound in the whole body but as the Prophet speaketh from the sole of the foot to the crowne of the head to bee laden with wounds and swellings and soares full of corruption Such a lamentable sight should we see in this ougly leprosie of sinne wherewith wee are infected if we could discerne it whose poyson and contagion goeth beyond the most fearfull and noysome diseases of the body And most contagious For be a disease contagious it is and not without cause terrible yet cannot it infect where it toucheth not but a pestilence oh how dreadfull is that accounted what running and flying from it is there which can only yet infect the aire and neere and neighbour places to the hazard of such as dwell at hand and thereabouts But this plague of sinne hath wrought vpon the whole creature to infect the very heauens and make all things subiect vnto vanity that as the garment and house which were infected incurably with the leprosie the one was to bee burned with fier the other razed downe and
sendeth into their hearts the Spirit of his Sonne Gal. 4.6 that spirit of promise Ephes 1.13 I meane that promised spirit which doth regenerate them throughout so that though they were by nature darknesse Jn all parts yet they now become light in the Lord Ephes 5.8 though they were rebellious such as could not bee subiect yet now they come to delight at least in the inner man of their mindes in the Law of God though their affections were prophane and vnsanctified yet now they are renewed to that image which is in holinesse so that their ioy is not fixed in outward things as wisedome strength riches but in this that they know the Lord to be their God in Christ Ier. 9.23.24 and that their names are written in heauen Luk. 10.20 their loue is setled on God their hearts speaking with Dauid Psalm 73.25 What haue I in heauen but thee and whom in earth in comparison of thee So also their feare and hope is turned from the world and things temporall vnto God and matters euerlasting And though before what euer they did was sinne yet now they doe those good workes which the Lord hath prepared for them to walke in And thus the life of glory is againe restored For this their sanctification is the beginning of glory so that euen while they are on earth Which is a beging of glory they haue euerlasting life He that beleeueth hath euerlasting life Ioh. 3.36 And Rom. 8.23 wee are said to haue here the first fruits of the spirit The first fruits and the whole lumpe differ not in substance and kind but in the measure and circumstance What were the first fruits of corne oliues or any other fruit of the earth offered to the Lord vnder the Law but a part and a prime part of the whole haruest and so the sanctifying graces of Gods spirit which wee receiue on earth are parts and beginnings of our glorious life in heauen from which they differ not in kind but in measure and degree Now when Gods faithful ones depart 3. By glorification begun in death they goe neerer to the fulnesse of this glory as whose soules goe into Paradise as our Sauiour speaketh to the thiefe Luk. 23.43 and whose spirits are gathered to the spirits of iust and perfect men in the heauenly Ierusalem Heb. 12.23 But at the resurrection of the iust Consummate at the resurrection then shall this life of glory bee consummate their bodies being made conformable to the glorious body of Christ Iesus Phil. 3.21 the Lord being glorified in his saints made maruellous in all them that beleeue 2. Thes 1.10 Thus farre then it goeth well that wee who were condemned persons and had our faces couered as being ready to bee carried away to execution should bee iustified that wee who were drie wood fruitfull onely in the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse should become greene trees planted in the true temple of the God-head Christ Iesus and so be made to beare good fruit abundantly euen to abound in euery good worke that wee finally who were dead should liue Now it is some comfort for any man labouring of a desperate disease to heare say there is cure for it But come to one whom some griefe incurable as it is reputed doth hold and tel him there is remedy for him as he will be glad to heare it so hee will hardly beleeue it wherefore he will aske what be the ingredients or simples of which that medecine should be made that by this meanes the force of these well considered he may see if it bee likely to doe the deed yea or no. So in maladies spirituall which no power in heauen or earth but that which can subdue all things to it selfe can correct To say there is a salue for these sores is somewhat comfortable but it will not presently passe for currant You will therefore aske in the first place how this should come to passe for man is full of sinne and the Lords eyes are too pure to behold nothing but filthinesse When there is nothing then in him which may moue God vnlesse it be to iudgement how should the Lord come to-restore him very well Looke on the next words We are iustified freely by his grace Though there bee nothing in vs yet the Lord of his free grace doth iustifie vs. Doct. 5. This then is our lesson that the grace of God that is We are iustified freely by Gods meere grace God himselfe of himselfe in great fauour and riches of mercy bowing downe to succour his miserable creature altogether vndeseruing God I say thus meerly mercifull doth iustifie vs. So the Apostle teacheth euery where Tit. 2.11 The grace of God bringing saluation vnto all men hath appeared So Ephes 2.8.9 We are saued by grace not of workes where it is to bee marked how the meere grace of God not excited by any workes but working of its owne accord hath the whole stroke in our saluation For workes are secluded from working any whit therein And although these speeches be plaine enough to cleere the poynt yet loe how it is affirmed more plainly 2. Timoth. 1.9 Who hath saued vs and called vs with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace c. Our saluation is of grace and what grace not such as doth follow vpon any goodnesse inherent in vs or works foreseene which should come from vs but onely vpon the intent and purpose of God within himselfe This is a truth which was well knowne in the time of the old Testament By mercy and truth saith Salomon Prou. 16.6 iniquitie shall bee forgiuen and by the feare of the Lord men depart from euill What mercy and truth is heere meant what that of man toward man no surely It cannot bee fitly vnderstood but of Gods meere grace whereby he promiseth good things to men and his fidelity in performing most constantly what he promiseth from which we obtaine this fauour to get our sinnes couered and pardoned As the reuerence of Gods Maiesty doth cause his children to eschew euill so his mercy toward them being in Christ a most mercifull Father vnto them doth bestow on them the pardon of their sinnes And what else meant the Saints of old but to ascribe all to Gods mercy when they did alwaies make their request to God and craue of him to haue respect vnto them not for their owne sake but for his mercies which last for euer his kindnesse and goodnesse his names sake c. That God may haue the glory of our saluation For Gods glory is most deare vnto him neither can he endure therein to haue any partner Wherefore in the businesse of our saluation hee doth so worke that man may haue no matter of reioycing out of God who doth all this worke in himselfe and out of man that who so reioyceth might reioyce onely in the Lord 1. Cor. 1.31 Vse 1 This doctrine serueth first