in that he was in time consecrated to be our Mediatour and so a curse And this consecration was first in his baptisme in which he put vpon him our guilt as we put off the same in ours and secondly on the crosse and passion in which he tooke vnto him the punishment of our sinne And thus was he made a curse It may be obiected that he is the Son of God and therefore no curse Ans. Christ must be considered as the Sonne of God and againe as our pledge and suretie Hebâ— 7. 22. In the first respect he was not accursed but in the second The third point is In what nature was Christ accursed Ans. Whole Christ God-man or Man-god was accursed For the Lord of life saith Paul was crâ—cified and consequently accursed 1. Cor. 2. 8. Yet this limitation must be added that the curse was not vpon the Godhead of Christ but onely in his flesh or manhood For he suffered saith Peter in the flesh 1. Pet. 4. 1. Moreouer the soule of Christ was the more principall seat of the curse as it was the principall seat of sinne Therefore the Prophet saith he made his soule an offering for sinne Isa. 53. 10. and Christ said My soule is heauie to the death The fourth point is How farre forth Christ was accursed Ans. In the first death there are two degrees separation of the bodie and soule and the putrifaction of the bodie separated And Christ entred onely into the first and not into the second For his bodie beeing dead indured no corruption Againe in the second death there are two degrees The first is a separation from God in sense and feeling and the second is an absolute separation from God Into this second degree of death Christ entred not because he saide in the middest of his passion My God my God And this absolute separation could not be without the dissolution of the personall vnion Into the first degree of the second death he entred namely into the apprehension and feeling of the wrath and indignation of God due to mans sinne And this appeares by his bloodie sweat of thicke and clottered blood by his complaint that he was forsaken by his feares and sorrowes in the time of death in which he comes short of sundrie Martyrs vnlesse we acknowledge that he indured further paines of death then euer they did by his condition in that he takes vpon him the condition of the first Adam who vpon his fall was to indure the first and second death Here two questions are to be demanded the first How and in what manner Christ suffered the wrath of God Ans. He indured it willingly of his owne accord he did not onely in minde see it before his eyes but also he felt it it was laid and imposed on him and he incountred with it but it had no dominion of lordship ouer him Act. 2. 24. The second is How much he suffered of the wrath of God Ans. The punishment he suffered was in value and measure answerable to all the sinnes of all the Elect past present and to come the Godhead supporting the manhood that it might be able to beare and ouercome the whole burden of the wrath of God If it be saide that a creature cannot haue an infinite apprehension of the wrath of God I answer it sufficeth that God laid infinite wrath vpon him and that he apprehended it according to the condition of a creature For in so doing he incountred with the whole wrath of God One man in a breach or at a bridge may stand against an whole armie and beare the brunt of it why may not then the manhood of Christ supported by the Godhead beare the stresse of the whole wrath of God Against this doctrine sundrie things may be obiected Obiect I. The Scripture ascribes all to the blood of Christ and therefore to the death of the bodie Ans. By blood is meant a bloodie death by the bloodie death the death of the crosse by the death of the crosse a death accursed or the death of the bodie ioyned with the malediction of the law Obiect II. The suffering of the anger of God was not figured in Sacraments or sacrifices Ans. The beast whereof the burnt offering was made was first tied to the hornes of the altar his blood then was shedde and lastly he was all burnt vpon the alâ—â—â— vnto God and hereby was figured the fierie wrath of God Obiect III. Temporall death or the curse for halfe a day cannot counteruaile eternall death Ans. Yes in Christ. For if man could suffer and ouercome punishment in measure infinite he should not suffer eternally but this no man nor angel can doe and therefore man must suffer punishment for measure finite for time infinite because the punishment must be answerable to God whose maiestie is infinite Now Christ beeing God and man suffered punishment indeed infinite and therefore it was not necessarie that he should indure it eternally Againe here the dignitie of the person helpeth for in that the Sonne of God suffered the curse of the law for halfe a day it is more then if all men had suffered eternall death Therefore the death of Christ in respect of the measure of the punishment as also in respect of the value and dignitie thereof counteruailes death euerlasting Obiect IV. It is hard to say that Christ suffered the paines of hell Ans. The Latin translation commonly receiued hath as much that he could not be holden of the sorrowes of hell Act. 2. 24. And there is no offence to say he suffered the paines of hell so farre forth as this suffering may stand with the puritie of his manhood and with the truth of the personall vnion The vse Friers teach that if Christ had pricked his finger and let fall but one droppe of blood it had bin sufficient to redeeme all the world But they dreame For Paul saith he was made the curse of the law to redeeme vs. This had bin a needles worke if a pricke in the finger or any punishment without death would haue done the deede That Christ became a curse for vs it shewes the greatnes and horriblenes of our sinnes it shewes the grieuous hardnes of our hearts that neuer almost mourne for them it shewes the vnspeakable loue and mercie of God for which we are to be thankfull for euer and that all manner of waies In that the Sonne of God became a curse for our sinnes we are put in minde to see acknowledge and consider them and withall to bewaile them and to humble our selues for them and to detest them more and more vnto the very death For what is more worthie of hatred then that which causeth the Sonne of God to be accursed They which beleeue that Christ by beeing a curse hath redeemed them from the curse of the law doe in truth die vnto all their sinnes and liue vnto God Many indeede professing Christ make no change of life at all and the reason is
properties of loue reckned vp by S. Paul 1. Cor. 13. this is not the least that it suffereth all things v. 7. that is all such things as may be borne and suffered with good conscience for the good of our brother For looke as a louer doth suffer all things in regard of his loue in three respects First in vndergoing any labour that may be for her good as Hercules did for the loue of Omphale Secondly in bearing patiently all hard measure that is offered him for her sake as Iacob did for the loue of Rachel Thirdly in induring any thing that is imposed vpon him and putting vp what wrong soeuer is done vnto him by her as Sampson did for the loue of Dalilah So Christian charitie causeth vs to suffer all things First pro fratribus to indure any labour cost or trauell for their good Secondly propter fratres to beare all afflictions for their sakes as Paul saith he did for the Church 2. Tim. 2. 10. Thirdly à fratribus to beare wrongs and put vp iniuries at their hands as he did beeing shamefully entreated at Philippi stoned scourged c. This must be considered of vs all but specially of such as wil giue a man as good as he bringeth who are but a word and a blow a lie and a stab a word a writ such as cannot beare coales as they say nor brook any little wrōg nor endure any small frailtie in their brethren These men must remēber that in bearing coales that is in suffering and forbearing they heape vp coales of fire vpon their heads as Paul speaketh Rom. 12. 20. as also that God doth beare with them in greater matters euen when they wound him with their oathes Leuit. 24. 11. and giue him the lie thorough vnbeleefe 1. Ioh. 5. 10. as he bare the manners of the Israelites in the wildernes That Christ whose example we are to follow hath borne our infirmities Esa. 53. and doth ease them that trauell and are heauie laden Matth. 11. 28. and therefore we treading in his steppes must forbeare one another and forgiue one another if any man haue a quarrell against another euen as Christ forgaue vs. Coloss. 3. 13. Thus if when we see any sinne in our brother we reclaime him from it by reproofes exhortations admonitions we are Gods instruments to saue a soule from death and so doe couer a multitude of sinnes euen before God Iam. 5. 20. And if when we perceiue common frailties in our brethren we shal not stand too much vpō our right but shall yeeld vnto them in bearing forbearing and forgiuing we shall couer a multitude of sinnes before men 1. Pet. 4. 8. Thus much touching the rule Now I proceede to the reason whereby the Apostle vrgeth the practise of this precept in these words And so fulfill the law of Christ. The reason standeth thus That which is the fulfilling of the law of Christ must be practised of vs but the bearing of one anothers burdens is the fulfilling of the law of Christ therefore we ought to beare one anothers burdens For the clearing of this text sundrie things are to be considered I. It may be demanded what the Apostle vnderstandeth by the law of Christ Ans. Nothing els but the doctrine precept or commaedement of Christ enioyning the loue of our brethren Ioh. 13. 34 35. A new commandement giue I vnto you that ye loue one another as I haue loued you c. And it is all one as if he had saide Beare ye one anothers burdens and so fulfill the commandement of Christ who hath after a speciall manner commanded the loue of your brethren Now the Apostle rather vseth the word Law then Commandement because he would make a clearer antithesis betwixt the law of Christ and the law of Moses so vehemently vrged by the false Apostles as if he should haue said You Galatians are taught to obserue the Law of Moses circumcision daies and times moneths and yeares and so ye doe indeede Well if ye will needes be obseruing of Lawes here is a law for you to obserue beare with the frailties one of another and so you shal fulfill the most excellent law that euer was the law of Christ which is necessarie to be kept whereas the keeping of the Ceremoniall law is but in vaine II. Quest. Why doth Paul call the loue of our brethren the law of Christ rather then the law of nature or the law of God or the law of Moses seeing it was written in the minde of man in the creation was giuen by God himselfe in Mount Sinai was written by Moses the reliques whereof are yet remaining in the minde of man Ans. It is so called because it is a new commandement giuen by Christ himselfe after a speciall manner But it is hereupon further demanded why this commandement of louing our brethren should be called a new commandement To which some make answer that it is so called onely because it shewes a new manner of louing our brethren after the example of Christ as he hath loued vs. Now this manner of louing our brethren as Chrysostome expounds it is this that as Christ loued vs freely not mooued by any amiable thing in vs nor for any profit that should redound vnto himselfe thereby so we should freely loue one another not for any benefit receiued or expected But as Cyril of Alexand. vpon Iohn expounds it it stands in this that as Christ loued vs more then himselfe so we should loue our brethren more then our selues But this cannot be the meaning For S. Iohn in his 1. Epist. 2. and Epist. 2. repeating this new commandement saith onely this is a new commandement that ye loue one another and neuer addes as Christ loued vs the which he should haue done if these wordes as I haue loued you be an essentiall part of the new commandement which he enioyneth vs to obserue Besides our Sauiour himselfe saith a little after By this shall all men knowe that ye are my Disciples if ye loue one another not adding as I haue loued you therefore the new commandement is laid downe in these words Loue one another not respecting those that follow as a modification or limitation as I haue loued you Besides this exposition takes it for granted that the morall lawe Loue thy neighbour as thy selfe is a certaine rule by which we are to square our loue vz. that we must begin at our selues look how much we loue our selues so much we ought to loue our neighbor no more that therfore Christ shold giue a newe commandement of greater perfection then that in the lawe to wit that we loue one another as he loued vs that is more then our selues But this is a flat mistaking of the scripture for the commandement Loue thy neighbour as thy selfe is no exact rule whereby we are to trie and examine our loue as the Popish doctors and some others teach For then Paul and diuers of the Saints of God
present vs with their bodies and so must we present our bodies and soules to God The first ende of this giuing is that Christ might be a sacrifice and ransome for sinne The knowledge of this point is of great vse First it workes loue in vs on this manner We must in minde and meditation come to the crosse of Christ. Vpon the crosse we are to behold Christ crucified and in his death and passion his sacrifice in his sacrifice for the sinnes of his enemies his endles loue and the consideration of this loue will mooue vs to loue him againe and the father in him Secondly the consideration of his endles paines for our sinnes in the sacrifice of himselfe must breede in vs a godly sorrow for them for if he sorrow for them much more we Thirdly this knowledge is the true beginning of amendment of life For if Christ gaue himselfe to redeeme vs from iniquitie we must take vp a purpose of not sinning and neuer wittingly sinne more Lastly this knowledge is the foundation of comfort in them that truly turne to Christ. For the price is paid for their sinnes and they which are eased of their sinnes are blessed Psal. 32. 1. And in temptation they may boldly oppose the satisfaction of Christ against hell death the law and the iudgement of God and if at any time they sinne they must recouer themselues and remember that they haue an Advocate with the father Iesus Christ the iust 1. Ioh. 2. 1. And whereas Paul saith that Christ gaue himselfe for our sinnes he teacheth that euery man must applie this gift and sacrifice of Christ to himselfe This applying is done by faith and the right manner of application is this We must turne to Christ and in turning by faith applie and when we applie Christ by faith we must withall turne Faith goeth before conuersion in order of nature yet in the order of teaching and practise they are both together They which vse to applie Christ and his benefits vnto themselues and yet will not turne themselues to Christ misapplie and presume because the right apprehension of Christ is in the exercises of inuocation and repentance The second ende for which Christ gaue himselfe is that he might take vs out of this euill world And hence we are taught three things First that we must be grieued and displeased at the wickednes of the world as Lot was 2. Pet. 2. 7. Secondly that we must not fashion our selues to the wicked liues of the men of this world but we must in all things prooue what is the goodwill of God and doe it Thirdly seeing we are taken out of this world we must not dwell in it but our dwelling must be in heauen Reuel 13. 6. the beast out of the sea perfequutes them that dwell in heauen that is such as dwell on earth and for affection haue their conuersation in heauen And seeing this must be so we must not loue the world but loue the comming of Christ and euery day prepare our selues against the day of death that we may enter into our owne home And whereas Paul calls this world an euill world he doth it to signifie that there is nothing in men but sinne till they be regenerate yea that ciuill vertues and ciuill life that are excellent in the eyes of men are no better then sinnes before God It is the errour of the Papists that men may thinke and doe some thing that is morally good without grace The cause that mooued Christ to giue himselfe is the will of God Hence it appeares that God giues Christ to no man for his foreseene faith or works For there is no higher cause of the will of God The foreknowledge of things that may come to passe goes before will but the foreknowledge of things that shall come to passe and therefore the foreknowledge of faith and works followes the will of God Because things that shall come to passe are first decreed and then foreseene The will here mentioned is said to be the will of God that is the first person the father for when Christ is opposed to God then God signifies the father And he is most commonly called God because he is God without communication of the godhead from any whereas the Sonne and holy Ghost are God by communication of godhead from the father And this God is called our father by Paul And hereby he signifies that the scope of the Gospel is first to propound God vnto vs not only as a creator but as a father secōdly to inioyne vs to acknowledge him to be our father in Christ and consequently to carrie our selues as dutifull children to him in all subiection and obedience They which doe not this know not the intent of the Gospel and if they know it in deede they denie it The conclusion annexed to the salutation To whome be glorie for euer teacheth vs so oft as we remember the worke of our redemption by Christ so oft must we giue praise thāks to God yea all our liues must be nothing els but a testimonie of thankfulnes for our redemption And all our praise and thankes to God must proceede from the serious affection of the heart signified by the word Amen that is so be it 6. Imaruell that you are so soone remooued away to another Gospell from him that hath called you in the grace of Christ. 7. Which is not another Gospel but that some trouble you and intende to ouerthrowe the Gospell of Christ. Here beginnes the second part of the Epistle in which he giues instruction to the Galatians And it hath two parts one concernes doctrine the other manners The first part touching doctrine beginnes in this sixt verse and continues to the 13. verse of the 5. chapter The summe of it is a reproofe of the Galatians for reuolting from the Gospell and it is disposed in this syllogisme If I be immediately called of God to teach and my doctrine be true ye ought not to haue reuolted from my doctrine But I was called immediately of God to teach and my doctrine is true Therefore ye should not haue reuolted from my doctrine The proposition is not expressed because it was needelesse The minor is handled through the whole Epistle The Conclusion is in the 6. and 7. verses the meaning whereof I will briefely deliuer So soone that is presently after my departure remooued carried away by the perswasions of false teachers to another Gospel to another doctrine of saluation which in the speech and opinion of the false teachers is another manner of Gospel more sufficient and more excellent then that which Paul hath deliuered From him that is from me beeing an Apostle who haue called you by preaching the Gospell of Christ. In the grace that is haue called you freely without any desert of yours to be partakers of the fauour of God in Christ. Which is not another which pretended Gospell of the false Apostles is not indeed another gospell from
things Our first parents not content with their first estate must needes be as God Nadab and Abihu offer sacrifice to God but the fire must be of their owne appointment King Achas will offer sacrifice to God but the altar must be like the altar at Damascus False-teachers beside the doctrine of the Apostles had profound learning of their owne The Iewes beside the written law of Moses must haue their Cabala containing as they supposed more mysticall and excellent doctrine The Papists beside the written word set vnwritten Tradition which they make equall with the Scripture We that professe the Gospel are not altogether free from this fault We like that Christ should be preached but sermons are not in common reputation learned neither doe they greatly please the most vnlesse they be garnished with skill of arts tongues and varietie of reading this curiousnes and discontentment the Lord condemnes when he forbids plowing with the oxe and the asse and the wearing of garments of linsi-wolsie And it is the worst kind of discontment that is in things pertaining to saluation It is called by Paul the itching of the care and it is incident to them that follow their owne lusts The remedie of this sinne is to learne the first lesson that is to be lear ned of them that are to be good schollers in the schoole of Christ and that is to feele our pouertie and in what extreame neede we stand of the death and passion of Christ and withall to hunger thirst after Christ as the bread and water of life Read Isa. 44. 3. Ioh. 7. 37. Psal. 25. 11. the example of Dauid Psal. 143. 6. When the heart and conscience hath experimentally learned this lesson and not the braine and tongue alone then shall men beginne to sauour the things of God and discerne of things that differ and put a difference betwene grace and workes mans word and Gods word and for the working of our saluation esteeme of mans workes and mans word as offols that are cast to dogges Paul addes which is not another Gospel that is though it be an other gospel in the reputation of false teachers yet indeede it is not an other but is a subuersion of the Gospel of Christ. Hēce I gather that there is but one Gospel one in number and no more For there is but one way of saluation by Christ whereby all the Elect are saued from the beginning of the world to the ende Act. 15. 11. 1. Cor. 10. 3. It may be demanded how they of the old Testament could be partakers of the bodie blood of Christ which then was not Answer The bodie and blood of Christ though then it was not subsisting in the world yet was it then present to all beleeuers two waies first by diuine acceptation because God did accept the incarnation and passion of Christ to come as if it had beene accomplished Secondly it was present to them by meanes of their faith which is a subsistance of things that are not seene and consequently it makes them present to the beleeuing heart Againe hence it appeares to be a falshood that Euery man may be saued in his owne religion so be it he hold there is a God and that he is a rewarder of them that come vnto him For there is but one Gospel and if the former opinion were true then so many opinions so many gospels Paul saith that the world by her wisdome could not know God in his wisdome and for this cause he ordained the preaching of the word to saue men 1. Cor. 1. 21. And though he that comes to God must beleeue that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that come to him yet not euery one that beleeues generally that there is a God and that he is a rewarder of them that come to him comes to God for this the deuills beleeue The fourth point is concerning the Authors of this Reuolt and Paul chargeth them with two crimes The first is that they trouble the Galatians not onely because they make diuisions but because they trouble their consciences setled in the gospel of Christ. It may be alleadged that there be sundrie good things which trouble the conscience as the preaching of the law the censure of excommunication the authoritie of the magistrate in compelling Recusants to the congregation I answer these things indeede trouble the consciences of men but they are euill consciences and the ende of this trouble is that they may be reformed and made good But the crime wherewith the false-apostles are charged is that they trouble the consciences of the godly or the good consciences of men Here then is set downe a note whereby false and erroneous doctrines may be discerned namely that they serue onely to trouble and disquiet the good conscience And by this we see the Romane religion to be corrupt and vnsound for a great part of it tends this way Iustification by workes is a yoke that none could euer beare Act. 15. The vowe of single life is as a snare or as the noose in the halter to strangle the soule 1. Cor. 7. 34. So is the doctrine which teacheth that men after their conuersion must still remaine in suspence of their saluation and that pardon of sinne is necessarily annexed to confession in the eare to satisfaction for the temporall punishment of sinne in this life or in purgatory On the contrary the Gospell of Christ as here it appeares troubles not the good conscience but it brings peace and perfect ioy Iohn 15. 11. Rom. 15. 4. And the reason is plaine for it ministers a perfect remedy for euery sinne and comfort sufficient for euery distresse And this is a note whereby the gospell is discerned from all other doctrines whatsoeuer The second crime where with the false-apostles are charged is that they ouerthrow the gospell of Christ the reason of this charge must be considered They did not teach a doctrine flat contrary to the Gospell of Christ but they maintained it in word and put an addition to it of their owne out of the law namely instification and saluation by the workes thereof And by reason of this addition Paul giues the sentence that they peruer◠and turne vpside downe the Gospell of Christ. Vpon this ground it appeares that the Popish religion is a flat subuersion of the Gospell of Christ because it ioynes iustification by workes with free iustification by Christ. The excuse that the works that iustify are workes of grace and not of nature will not serue the turne For if Christ by his grace make workes to iustifie then is he not onely a sauiour but also an instrument to make vs sauiours of our selues he beeing the first and principall sauiour and we subordinate sauiours vnto him But if Christ haue a partner in the worke of iustification and saluation he i◠no perfect Christ. 8. But though we or an angell from heauen preach vnto you otherwise then
deale with God and that they are to receiue the doctrine taught not as the word of man but as the very word of God as the Thessalonians did 1. Thess. 2. 13. The want of this consideration is the cause that some contemne the ministerie of the word and others are not touched and mooued in hearing Againe here is set downe the right manner of dispensing the word which must not be for the pleasing of men but of God Hence it appeares that Ministers of the Gospel must not be men-plea 〈…〉 nor applie and fashion their doctrine to the affections humours and dispositions of men but keepe a good conscience and doe their office The Lord tells Ieremie he must not turne to the people but the people must turne to him Ierem. 15. 19. Thus God shal be with them and they shal bring forth much fruit And the people must know it to be a good thing for them not to be pleased alwaies by their Ministers The ministerie of the word must be as a sacrificing knife to kill and mortifie the old Adam in vs that we may liue vnto God A sicke man must not alwaies haue his minde but he must often be crossed and restrained of his desire and so must we that are sicke in our soules in respect of our sinnes It is a fault therefore of men that desire to be pleased to haue matters smoothed ouer of their teachers This is Dauids balme which he wisheth may neuer be wanting to his head Psal. 141. 5. The ende of this verse sets downe a memorable sentence That if we seeke to please men we cannot be the seruants of God Hence I gather that our nature is full of rebellion and enmitie against God because they which please men cannot please God Againe here is set downe what is the hurt that comes by pride and ambition It keepes men that they cannot be the seruants of Christ. Ye beleeue not saith Christ because ye seeke glorie one of another Ioh. 5. 44. Ambition so fills the minde with vanitie and the heart with worldly desires that it cannot thinke or desire to please God Wherefore he that would be a faithfull Minister of the Gospel must denie the pride of his heart and be emptied of ambition and set himselfe wholly to seeke the glorie of God in his calling And generally he that would be a faithfull seruant of Christ must set God before him as a Iudge and consider that he hath to deale with God and he must turne his minde and senses from the world and all things therein to God and seeke aboue all things to approoue his thoughts desires affections and all his doings vnto him Lastly the profession of the seruant of God is here to be obserued in the example of Paul who saith Doe I now preach men and doe I yet please men as if he had said I haue done thus and thus I haue preached the Traditions of man heretofore and I haue pleased man in persequnting the Church of God but I doe not so still neither will I. And he that can say the like with good conscience I haue sinned thus and thus heretofore but now I doe not neither will I sinne as I haue done is indeede the seruant of God v. 11. Now I certifie you brethren that the Gospel which was preached by me was not after man The meaning is this that it may the better appeare that I haue iustly accursed them which teach any other Gospel and iustly reprooued you for receiuing it I giue you to vnderstand that the Gospel which I preached was not after man that is not deuised by man or preached of me by mans authoritie but it was from God and preached by the authoritie of God And this sense appeares by v. 10 and 12. In these words is laid downe the reason of the conclusion or the assumption of the principall argument which was on this manner If I be called to teach and that immediatly of God and my doctrine be true then ye ought not to haue reuolted from the Gospel which I preached but I was called to teach immediatly of God and my doctrine is true The first part of this assumption is here set downe and handled to the ende of the second chapter and the conclusion as we haue heard was set downe in the premises Hence two maine points of doctrine that are of great consequent may be gathered The first is this It is a thing most necessarie that men should be assured and certified that the doctrine of the Gospel and the Scripture is not of man but of God This is the first thing which Paul stands vpon in this Epistle It may be demanded how this assurance may be obtained I answer thus For the setling of our consciences that Scripture is the word of God there be two testimonies One is the Euidence of Gods spirit imprinted and expressed in the Scriptures and this is an excellencie of the word of God aboue all words and writings of men and Angels and containes 13. points The first is the puritie of the law of Moses whereas the lawes of men haue their imperfections The second i◠that the Scripture setteth downe the true cause of all miserie namely sinne and the perfect remedie namely the death of Christ. The third is the Antiquitie of Scripture in that it fets downe an historie from the beginning of the world The 4. is prophecies of things in sundrie bookes of Scripture which none could possibly foretell but God The 5. is the confirmation of the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles by miracles that is works done aboue and contrarie to the strength of nature which none can doe but God The 6. is the consent of all the scripture with themselues whereas the writings of men are often at iarre with themselues The 7. is the confession of enemies as namely of heretickes who in oppugning of scriptures alleadge scriptures and thereby confesse the trueth thereof The 8. is an vnspeakable detestation that Sathan and all wicked men beare to the doctrine of scripture The 9. is the protection and preseruation of it from the beginning to this houre by a speciall prouidence of God The 10. is the constant confession of Martyrs that haue shedde their blood for the Gospell of Christ. The 11. is that fearefull punishments and iudgements haue befallen them that haue oppugned the word of God The 12. is holinesse of them that professe the Gospell The last is the effect and operation of the word for it is an instrument of God in the right vse whereof we receiue the testimonie of the spirit of our adoption and are conuerted vnto God And yet neuerthelesse the word which conuerteth is contrarie to the wicked nature of man The second testimonie is from the Prophets and Apostles who were Embassadours of God extraordinarily to represent his authoritie vnto his Church and the pen-men of the holy Ghost to set downe the true and proper word of God And the Apostles aboue
proceede further to a reall learning of Christ and that is to beleeue in the sonne of God to die to their sinnes by the vertue of his death and to liue to God by the vertue of his life This is a reall liuely learning of Christ. They that must conuert others it is meete they should be effectually conuerted Iohn must first eate the booke and then prophecy Reuel 10. 9. And they that would be first Ministers of the Gospell must first themselues eate the booke of God And this booke is indeede eaten when they are not only in their mindes inlightned but their hartes are mortified and brought in subiection to the worde of Christ. Vnlesse Christ be thus learned spiritually and really diuines shall speake of the word of God as men speake of riddles and as Preists in former time said their mattens when they hardly knewe what they saide Againe students in euery faculty are with Paul to learne Christ and that as he learned him Such persons desire and loue good learning nowe this is the best learning of all to learne to knowe and to acknowledge Christ. The knowledge of Christ crucified is Pauls learning The knowledge of the remission of our sinnes is the learning of Dauid that great prophet For this title he giues to the 32. Psalme The vnderstanding of Dauid Lastly all men are on this reall manner with Paul to learne the same For he is an example to all that shall beleeue in him to life euerlasting 1. Tim. 1. 12. Paul biddes vs doe the good things which we haue seene in him Philip. 4 9 Hoc vrge The third point is the end of Paules conuersion in these wordes that he might preach him among the gentiles Here I consider what he must preach namely the sonne Christ and to whome I namely among the nations Againe of the preaching of Christ I consider two thinges the first is why Christ must be preached rather then Moses Answer there be two causes One is because Christ is the substance or subiect matter of the whole Bible For the summe of the scriptures may be thus gathered together The sonne of God made man and working our redemption is the sauiour of mankind but Iesus the sonne of Marie is the sonne of God made man working our redemption therefore Iesus the sonne of Marie is the sauiour of mankind The maior is the summe of the old testament the minor is the summe of the new and the conclusion is the scope of both The second cause is The law is the ministerie of death and the Gospell which is the doctrine of saluation by the sonne is the instrument of God to beginne and to confirme all graces of God in vs that are necssarie to our saluation Therefore the doctrine principally to be preached is the Gospell and not the lawe Secondly it may be demanded what it is to preach Christ Answer it is a great worke and it containes 4. ministeriall actions The first generally to teach the doctrine of the incarnation of Christ and of his three offices his kingly office his propheticall office and his priesthood with the exequution therof The second to teach that faith is an instrument ordained of God to apprehend and to applie Christ with his benefits The third is to certifie and to reuele to euery hearer that it is the will of God to saue him by Christ in particular so be it he will receiue Christ. For when the Gospell is preached God thereby signifies vnto vs that his will is to giue vs life euerlasting 1. Ioh. 5. 11. The last is to certifie and to reueale to euery particular hearer that he is to apply Christ with his benefits to himselfe in particular and that effectually by his faith that a change and conuersion may followe both in hart and life 1. Ioh. 3. 23. And thus when these things are rightly performed Christ is preached Hence it appeares that to learne Christ is not only to know him generally but also effectually to apply him to our selues by our faith that there may be a change and renouation of the whole man They which learne Christ must thus learne him els can they not be saued The second point is that Paul must preach to the gentiles there be two causes of it one that the prophecies of the calling of the gentiles might be fulfilled Psal. 2. and 110. Isai. 2. The second because at the death of Christ the deuision which was betweene the Iewes and gentiles was quite abolished Eph. 2. 13. Here I obserue the difference betweene Apostles and ordinary Ministers Their charge is a sett and particular congregation whereas the charge of an Apostle is the whole world The 4. and last point is the obedience of Paul to the calling of God in that he went and preached the Gospell Here a question may be demaunded whether Paul performed his obedience by vertue of the grace which he had formerly receiued without the helpe of new and speciall grace or noe Answer noe His obedience proceedes from the first grace helped or excited by speciall grace In the regenerate that haue power to doe good God workes the will and the deede in euery good worke Phil. 2. 13. And it is a certaine truth we doe not that which we are able to doe vnlesse God make vs doe it as he made vs able to doe it Therefore to the dooing of euery new acte there is new and speciall grace required In Pauls obedience I consider 3. points 1. When he obeyed Immediatly How without deliberation or consultation when In Arabia and Damascus For the first in that he obeied God in going to preach im mediatly we learne how we are to answer and obey the calling of God that calles to amendment and newnesse of life namely in all hast without deferring of time Hebr. 3. 8. To daie if ye will heare his voice harden not your hartes and v. 13. exhort one another while it is called to day Psal 119. 60. I made hast and did not delaie to keepe thy commandements And there be good reasons why we should no longer deferre our conuersi on to God The ende of our life is vncerten and looke as death leaues vs so shall the last iudgement find vs. Secondly when we delay our repentance we add sinne to sinne and so treasure vp wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2. Thirdly when we deferre to obey and turne to God we growe to perfection in sinne and sinne beeing perfected bringes forth death I am 1. 14. Lastlie late repentance is seldome or neuer true repentance For when men are dying their sinnes forsake them and they doe not commonly forsake their sinnes God hath called vs in England more then 40. yeares together and yet many of vs haue not listned to the call of God but deferred to obey let vs now presently amend and turne to God least if we still deferre the time of our repentance Gods iudgements come forth in hast vpon vs. The manner of his
that is to binde them to a necessarie obseruation of the ceremoniall lawe Here let vs marke the practise and pollicie of the deuill Libertie from sinne death and the ceremoniall lawe is the treasure of the Church and therefore the deuill seekes to ouerthrow it by holding men in bondage vnder abolished ceremonies Thus at this day they of the popish Church are in bondage vnder an heape of humane traditions beeing indeede a yoake farre heauier then that of the ceremoniall-lawe Againe when men professe the name of Christ the deuill is content with it and he indeauours with all his might euery where to hold them vnder the bondage of sinne and to hold them in his snare at his will Thus vnder the name of Christianitie there be swarmes of Atheists Epicures Libertines worldlings and prophane persons At this time according to auncient custome we celebrate the memoriall of the birth of Christ and yet no time so full of disorder as this For the most that professe Christ take and challenge to themselues a licentious libertie to liue and doe as they list and this kind of libertie is flat bondage But they that are seruants of Christ indeed should take heede of this bondag◠For beeing free from sinne they should be seruants of nothing but righteousnesse Rom. 6. 18. They that be of a corporation stand for their liberties what a shame then is it that men should loue bondage and neglect the spirituall libertie which they haue by Christ. Thus we see howe the false brethren vrged circumcision now let vs come to Pauls refusall The first point is that they would not giue place for an houre It seemes they were requested to vse circumcision but once but they would not yeeld so much as once because their acte would haue tended to the preiudice of Christian liberty in all places Here we learne that we may not vse the least ceremonie that is in the case of confession before our aduersaries that is when they seeke to oppresse the trueth by face or by fraud and make ceremonies signes and tokens of the confession of any vntrueth Iulian the Emperour sitting in a chaire of estate gaue gold to his souldiers one by one withal cōmāding to cast of frākincense so much as a graine into the fire that lay vpon an heathenish altar before him Nowe Christ in souldiers refuse to do it and they which had not refused afterward recalled their acte and willingly suffered death Againe here we learne that we are not to yeeld from the least part of the trueth of the Gospel that God hath reuealed to vs. This truth is more pretious then the whole world beside and heauen and earth shall rather passe then the least tittle of it shall not be accomplished The commission of the Apostles was to teach them to doe all things which God had commanded Therefore the vnion or mixture of our religion with the popish religion is but a dreame of vnwise Politickes for in this mixture we must yeeld and they must yeeld something but we may not yeeld a iot of the truth reuealed to vs. There is no fellowship of light with darkenesse 1. Cor. 6. Colacinthus a naughtie pot hearbe marred a whole pot of pottage 2. King 4. 40. Christ saith in the like case of the Pharisies Let them alone they are the blinde leaders of the blind Math. 15. 14. We may yeeld in things indifferent but not in points of religion In matters of this world we may be indifferent and of neither side but in matters of God we may not There is no halting betweene two religions The second point is they gaue not place by way of subiection The reason is the Apostles were of highest authoritie simply to be beleeued in their doctrine And they had extraordinarie authoritie to punish them that rebelliously withstood them Act. 5. 5. 10. Act. 13. 20. 2. Cor. 10. 6. For this cause they were not to stand subiect to the iudgement and censure of any man They willingly suffered their doctrine to be tried yet were they not bound to subiection as other ministers of the new testament are 1. Cor. 14. 32. 1. Ioh. 4. 1. It may be said if they would not giue place by subiection howe then gaue they place Answer There is two kinds of yeelding one by tolleration without approbation the other by subiection which is the greatest approbation that can be By the first it may be Paul was content to giue place but not by the second Here we see howe we are to yeeld to the corruptions of the times in which we liue whether they be in manners or in doctrine We are to giue place by meeke and patient bearing of that which we cannot mende but we are not to giue place by subiection The third point is the ende of Pauls refusall That the truth of the Gospell might continue that is that the Gospel might be preserued in puritie and integritie in all things And by this Paul giues vs to vnderstand that if circumcision be made a necessarie cause of iustification and saluation the truth of the Gospel doeth not continue Here let vs obserue that when iustification or saluation is ascribed to workes or Sacraments the truth of the Gospell giues place and falshood comes in the roome Wherefore the religion of the Church of Rome is a meere deprauation of the Gospel for it makes workes to be the meritorious causes of iustification saluation Nay which is more it teacheth men to worship a peece of bread and to invocate dead men and to kneele downe to stockes and stones 6 And of them that seemed to be great what they were in times past it makes no matter to me God accepteth no mans person for they that are the cheife did not communicate any thing to me Here Paul laies downe the second signe of his approbation namely that in conference he learned nothing of the cheife Apostles And this he expresseth in the first words in which the concealement which he vseth is to be obserued For hauing begun a sentence he breakes it off in the middle and conceales the latter part and leaues it to be supplied by the reader thus Of them that seemed to be great I was not taught or I learned nothing The like forme of speaking is vsed 1. Chron. 4. 10. Where Iabez saith If the Lord blesse me and be with me concealing the end of his sentence I will be thankefull thus and thus In the roome of this concealement Paul puts an answer to an obiection For some man might take exception against his former speech thus Thou callest the Apostles Great but thou speakest fainedly for thou knowest they were but poore fishermen To this he makes answer thus What they were once it makes no matter to me Then he renders a reason of his answer God accepts no mans person This done he proceeds and renders a reason of his first speech he learned nothing of the cheefe Apostles because they did
that when we know not what to doe by reason of the greatnes of our distresse we must then fixe our hearts on Christ without seperation He that climes vp a ladder or some steepe place the higher he goes the faster he holds 2. Chron. 20. 12. Iob. 13. 12. Hence is true comfort Psal. 27. 13. 17 And if while we seeke to be made righteous by Christ we our selues are found sinners is Christ the minister of sinne God forbid For the better vnderstanding of the latter part of this chapter it must be obserued that Paul directs his speach not onely to Peter but also to the Iewes that stood by beeing maintainers of iustification by the law Some thinke that in this verse Paul makes an obiection in the person of the false Apostles on this manner If we be iustified by Christ alone without the obseruation of the law then there is no difference betweene vs Iewes and the Gentiles but we are as deepe sinners as they and if this be so then Christ is the minister of sinne And then they say to this Paul answers God forbid But I somewhat doubt whether this be the sense of the words because Paul doth not make a direct confutation of this obiection in the words following Therefore I rather suppose that Paul continues his former speach euen to the ende of the chapter and that in these words he vseth a third reason to disswade Peter from haulting betweene the Iewes and Gentiles And the reason will the better appeare if we search the meaning of the words If while we be iustified by Christ that is by faith in Christ without the workes of the law We are found sinners that is found in our sinnes not fully iustified but are further to be iustified by the workes of the law Is Christ the Minister of sinne that is doth it not hence follow that Christ ministred vnto vs occasion of sinne in that he hath caused vs to renounce the iustice of the law God forbid that is ye doe all hold it with me as a blasphemie that Christ should be the minister of sinne The argument then is framed thus If beeing iustified by Christ we remaine sinners and are further to be iustified by the law then Christ is the minister of sinne but Christ is no minister of sinne therefore they which are iustified neede not further to be iustified by the law The vse First we learne hence that it is a blasphemie to make Christ the minister of sinne who is the minister of righteousnes yea iustice it selfe Isa. 53. 11. Dan. 9. 25. He brings euerlasting righteousnes Ioh. 1. He is the lambe of God that takes away the sinnes of the world Of this all the Prophets giue testimonie Act. 10. 43. Therefore Atheists are no better then deuills that recken him among the false Prophets of the world And many of them that professe Christ are greatly to be blamed that make Christ the greatest sinner in the world because Christ died for them therefore they prefume of mercie and take libertie to liue as they list Againe Paul here teacheth that they which are iustified by Christ are perfectly to be iustified and neede not further to be iustified by any thing out of Christ as by the workes of the law It may be obiected that they which are iustified feele themselues to be sinners Rom. 7. 14. Ans. The corruption of original sinne is in them that are iustified yet is it not imputed to them by God and withall it hath receiued his deadly wound by the death of Christ. Therefore they which are iustified are not reputed sinners before God Againe it may be obiected that they which are iustified must confesse themselues to be sinners to the very death Ans. Confession of sinne is not a cause but a way for the obtaining of pardon Prou. 28. 14. 1. Ioh. 1. 9. The vncouering of our sinnes is the way to couer them before God The sinnes therefore of men iustified vpon their humble and serious confession are not sinnes imputed but couered Vpon this doctrine it followes that there is not a second iustification by workes as the Papists teach For he that is iustified by Christ is fully iustified and neede not further be iustified by any thing out of Christ as by the law Againe the same persons teach that our sinnes are done away by the death of Christ and we iustified in our baptisme and that if we fall and sinne after baptisme we must doe workes of penance that we may satisfie Gods iustice and be further iustified by our works and sufferings But then by their leaues after we are iustified by Christ we are found sinners and we are further to be iustified by our owne workes Now this is the point which Paul here confuteth Againe by this doctrine we learne that Christ alone is by himselfe sufficient for our iustification In him saith Paul are we complete Col. 2. 14. He is a well of grace and life neuer dried vp Ioh. 4. 14. Thirdly we must content our selues with him alone and with his obedience for our iustification despising in respect of him all merits and satisfactions done by man Lastly here we see what must be the care of men in this world namely to seeke to be iustified by the faith of Christ. It was Pauls principall desire to be found in Christ hauing not his owne righteousnes but the righteousnes which is by the faith of Christ. Phil. 3. 10. The like desire should be in vs all 18 For if I build againe the things which I haue destroied I make my selfe a transgressour By things destroyed Paul meanes the workes or the iustice of the law as appeares by the next verse following where rendering a reason of this he saith by the law I am dead to the law These words depend on the former thus Paul had said before that Christ was not a minister of sinne vnto vs and here he prooues it thus He that builds the iustice of the law which he hath destroied is a minister of sinne or makes himselfe a sinner but the Iewes and Peter by his example build the iustice of the law which they haue destroied and so doth not Christ therefore the Iewes and Peter make themselues sinners and Christ doth not make vs sinners Here let vs obserue the modestie and meeknes of Paul The things which he speakes concerne Peter and the Iewes yet least he offend them he applies them to himselfe This care not to offend was in Christ who was rather willing to depart frō his right then to offend Matth. 17. 27. And Paul biddes vs please all men in that which is good Here againe it is Pauls doctrine that we make our selues offendours when we build that which we haue lawfully destroied Thus Teachers are great offenders when good doctrine is ioyned with bad conuersation For good doctrine destroies the kingdome of darknes and bad conuersation builds it vp againe Thus rulers are great offenders when good counsell and bad example
flesh I liue by the faith of the sonne of God who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me Whereas Paul said before I am dead to the law here he declares the reason of it when he saith I am crucified with Christ. Againe here Paul sets downe the true preparation to spirituall life For God first kills and then he makes aliue And the measure of spirituall life is according to the decay of originall sinne This preparation stands in two things the first is fellowship with Christ in his crosse and Passion in these words I am crucified with Christ. The second is Abâ—egation or Annihilation as some call it in these words Not I any more I am crucified with Christ. For the better vnderstanding of these words we must obserue first that Paul speakes not this of himselfe particularly but he speakes in the person of the Christian Iewes before whome he now reasoneth with Peter nay in the person of all beleeuers For all that beleeue are buried into his death Rom. 6. 4. Secondly it must be obserued that Paul speakes this of himselfe not as he is a man consisting of bodie and soule but as he is a sinner carrying about him the bodie of sinne Rom. 6. v. 6. Further it may be demanded vpon what ground he should say I am crucified with Christ Ans. There be two reasons of this speach One is that Christ vpon the crosse stood not as a priuate person but as a publicke person in the roome place and stead of all the Elect and therefore when he was crucified all beleeuers were crucified in him as in the Parlament when the Burgesse giues his voice the whole corporation is said to consent by him and in him The second reason is this In the conuersion of a sinner there is a reall donation of Christ and all his benefits vnto vs and there is a reall vnion whereby euery beleeuer is made one with Christ. And by vertue of this vnion the crosse and passion of Christ is as verily made ours as if if we had beene crucified in our owne persons Hereupon Paul saith in the time present I am crucified with Christ There are like phrases in Paul We are dead with Christ we are risen with him we sit with him in heauenly places Eph. 2. 6. Col. 3. 1. and they are in the same manner to be expounded Moreouer the benefits that arise of this communion with Christ in his passion are two One is Iustification from all our sinnes Rom. 6. 7. The second is Mortification of sinne by the vertue of the death of Christ after we are ingrafted into him Thus much of the meaning The vse Superstitious persons take occasion by the passion of Christ to stirre vp themselues to sorrow compassion and teares by considering the pitifull handling of Christ the sorrow that pearced the heart of the virgin Marie and the crueltie of the Iewes But this is a humane vse that may be made of euery historie The right vse is this we are in minde and meditation to consider Christ crucified and first we are to beleeue that he was crucified for vs. This beeing done we must goe yet further and as it were spread our selues on the crosse of Christ beleeuing and withall beholding our selues crucified with him Thou wilt say this is a hard matter I cannot doe it I say againe this is the right practise of faith striue therefore to be setled in this that the bodie of thy sinne is crucified with Christ. Pray instantly by asking seeking knocking that thou maist thus beleeue This faith and perswasion is of endles vse First it is the foundation of thy comfort If thou beleeue thy selfe to be crucified with Christ thou shalt see thy selfe freed from the dominion of the law and sinne from hell death and condemnation and to thy great comfort shall see thy selfe to triumph ouer all thy spirituall enemies For this Christ doth Col. 2. 14. and thou dost the same if thou be setled in this that thou art crucified with him Secondly vpon this perswasion thou shalt feele the vertue of the death of Christ to kill sinne in thee and to raise thy dead soule to spirituall life When the Sunamites child was dead Elisha went and lay vpon him applying face to face hand to hand and foote to foote and then his flesh waxed warme and reuiued 1. King 4. 34. euen so applie thy selfe to Christ crucified hand to hand foote to foote heart to heart and thou shalt feele in thy selfe a death of sinne and the heat of spirituall life to warme and inflame thy dead heart Thirdly if thou beleeue thy selfe to be crucified with Christ thou shalt see the leÌ„gth the breadth the height the depth of the loue of god in Christ. For thy sinnes are the swords and the speares that crucified Christ and yet thou hast all the benefit of his passion Lastly if thou canst beleeue that thou art crucified with Christ thou shalt further be assured that he is partner with thee in all thy miseries and afflictions to ease thee and to make thee to beare them 1. Pet. 4. 13. Col. 1. 24. The duties hence to be learned are these First if thou be crucified with Christ then must thou applie thy heart to crucifie the bodie of corruption in thee by praier fasting by auoiding the occasions by abstaining froÌ„ the practise of sinne and by all good meanes Behold a man hanged vpon a gybbet Thou seest he hath satisfied the law and there is no further iudiciall proceeding against him and withall thou seest how he ceaseth from his thefts murders blasphemies euen so if thou canst behold thy selfe spred vpon the crosse of Christ and crucified with him there will be in thee a new minde and disposition and thou wilt cease from thine old offences Againe beeing crucified with Christ thou must be conformable to Christ in thy sufferings He suffered in loue and the more his passion increased the more he shewed his loue euen so in thine afflictions and sufferings thy loue to God man must be increased though man be the cause of thine afflictions Secondly Christ suffered in obedience Not my will but thy will be done euen so in all thy sufferings thou must resigne thy selfe to God and quiet thy selfe in his will Thirdly Christ suffered in all humilitie humbling himselfe to the death of the crosse euen so we in and vpon our afflictions are to humble our selues vnder the mightie hand of God confessing our sinnes and intreating for pardon Fourthly he suffered in faith as man depending on his fathers goodnes euen in the middest of his passion euen so are we to doe Fifthly he went on constantly in his sufferings to the very death euen so are we to suffer in the resisting of sinne euen vnto the shedding of our blood Lastly the principall care of Christ was to see the fruit of his sufferings so when we are distressed our care must rather be to see the fruit of our distresse then to
the world be worse then the life of a beast Againe in these words who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me the nature and propertie of iustifying faith is set down which is to Applie the loue of God and the merit of the passion of Christ vnto our selues And therefore the Papists are deceiued who say that hope applieth and not faith It may be alleadged that Paul speakes these words priuately of himselfe Ans. He speakes them in the name of all beleeuers Iewes and Gentiles For as we may see in the former verses that which concerned Peter and the rest of Christian Iewes he applies to himselfe least his speech should seeme odious Againe it may be obiected that all beleeuers cannot say thus Christ hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me Ans. If the minde be fixed on Christ and there be also a will and indeauour to beleeue and apprehend Christ there is faith indeede For God accepts the true and earnest will to beleeue for faith We are not saued for the perfection of our faith but for the perfection of the obedience of Christ which faith apprehendeth The Israelites which looked vpon the brasen serpent with one eye or with a squint-eye with halfe an eye or dimme sight were healed not for the goodnes of their sight but for the promise of God The poore in spirit are blessed Now they are poore in spirit who finde themselues emptie of all goodnes emptie of true faith full of vnbeleefe and vnfainedly desire to beleeue So then if we greeue because we cannot beleeue as we should and earnestly desire to beleeue God accepts vs for beleeuers Againe in these words who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me S. Paul sets downe the reason or argument which faith vseth in the minde regenerate to mooue men to liue to God And the reason is framed thus Christ loueth thee and hath giuen himselfe for thee therefore see thou liue to God Read the like Rom. 12. 1. and 2. 4. and Psal. 116. 12. By this we are to take occasion to consider and to bewaile the hardnes of our hearts who doe not relent from our euill waies and turne vnto God vpon the consideration of his loue in Christ. The waters of the Sanctuarie haue long flowed vnto vs but they haue not sweetned vs and made vs sauerie therefore it is to be feared least our habitations be at length turned to places of nettles and saltpits Eze. 7. 11. 21 I doe not abrogate the grace of God for if righteousnes be by the law then Christ died without cause The meaning Grace in Scriptures signifieth two things the free fauour of God and the gifts of God in vs. And where the holy Ghost intreates of iustification grace in the first sense signifies the good will and fauour of God pardoning sinnes and accepting vs to life euerlasting for the merit of Christ. 2. Tim. 1. 9. Eph. 2. 8. And in this sense is the word vsed in this place And when Paul saith I doe not abrogate the grace of God his meaning is I doe not make void or frustrate the grace of God in respect of my selfe or in respect of other beleeuers by teaching the iustification of a sinner by saith alone He addes If righteousnes be by the law that is if a sinner be iustified by his owne obedience in performing the law then Christ died without cause The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 freely translated without cause hath a double signification One is when it signifies as much as without price or merit Math. 10. 8. Ye haue receiued freely giue freely The second is when it signifies rashly without iust or sufficient cause as Psal. 69. 4. Mine enemies hate me freely as the Seuentie translate that is wrongfully or without iust cause Thus here is Christ said to die freely that is in vaine or without cause because if we be iustified by obedience to the law then Christ died in vaine to make any satisfaction to the law for vs. These words are an answer to an obiection The obiection is this If thou teach that a sinner is iustified onely by his faith in Christ then thou abolishest the grace of God The answer is negatiue I doe not by this doctrine abrogate the grace of God And there is a reason also of this answer If we be iustified by our owne fulfilling of the law then Christ died in vaine to fulfill the law for vs. The vse First let vs marke that Paul saith he doth not abrogate the grace of God and why because he will suffer nothing in the cause of our iustification to be ioyned with the obedience of the death of Christ. And hence we learne what is the nature of grace It must stand wholly and intirely in it selfe Gods grace cannot stand with mans merit Grace is no grace vnlesse it be freely giuen euery way Rom. 4. 4. To him that worketh the wages is giuen not of grace but of desert Rom. 11. 6. If election be of grace then not of workes els is grace no grace Grace and works of grace in the causing of iustification can no more stand together then fire and water By this we are admonished to be nothing in our selues and to ascribe all that we are or can doe to the grace of God Againe here we see our dutie and that is to be carefull not to abrogate the grace of God vnto our selues But how is that done Ans. We must strippe and emptie our selues of all righteousnesse and goodnesse of our owne euen to the death and withall hunger and thirst after Christ and his righteousnes Math. 5. 6. Luk. 1. 35. Thirdly Paul here sets downe a notable ground of true religion That the death of Christ is made voide if any thing be ioyned with it in the worke of our iustification as a meanes to satisfie Gods iustice and to merit the fauour of God Therefore the doctrine of iustification by workes is a manifest errour For if we be iustified by the workes of the law then the iudgement of the holy Ghost is that Christ died without cause Againe the doctrine of humane satisfactions is a deuice of mans braine For if we satisfie for our selues then did Christ by death satisfie in vaine Thirdly it is a false and wicked though a colourable inuention to say that Christ by his death merited that we should merit by our workes For if we merit by workes Christ died in vaine to merit by his owne death This is the sentence of God who cannot erre Lastly here we see the Church of Rome erreth in the foundation of true religion because it ioyneth the merit of mans workes and the merit of the death of Christ in the iustification of a sinner And therefore we may not so much as dreame of any reconciliation to be made with that religion for light and darknes cannot be reconciled nor fire and water Here the Papists answer that Paul in this text speakes against them that looked to be iustified by
is our soueraigne Lord and we are his debters and he doth adiudge vnto men for their sinnes either pardon or punishment Imputation in God is twofold one Legall the other Euangelicall Legall is when God willeth and adiudgeth the reward to him that fulfilleth the law Thus Paul saith Rom. 4. 5. that the wages is imputed to him that worketh and that of debt Euangelicall imputation is when God accepts the satisfaction of Christ our suretie as a paiment for our sinnes In this sense is the word Impute taken ten times in the 4. chap. to the Rom. and in the fame is it vsed in this place The second point is what is imputed And it was imputed that is faith Faith here must be considered two waies first as a qualitie in it selfe and thus it is imperfect and consequently cannot be imputed to vs for our instification Againe faith must be considered as an instrument or hand holding and receiuing Christ and in this regard beleeuing is put for the thing beleeued And thus must this text be vnderstood It was imputed to him that is the thing which his faith beleeued was imputed to him by God for the act of beleeuing is not our iustice as I haue shewed The third point is what is meant by righteousnes Ans. That which is called in Scripture the Iustice of God which is sufficient to acquit a sinner at the barre of Gods iudgement Thus then the sense is manifest Abraham beleeued the promise of God specially touching the blessed seede and that which he beleeued namely the obedience of the Mediatour the blessed seede was accepted of God as his obedience for his iustification It is obiected that the obedience of Christ is to be imputed to none but to Christ who was the doer of it Ans. It is to be imputed that is ascribed to him as to the author thereof and withall because he did performe it in our roome and stead and that for vs it is to be imputed to vs. Secondly it is obiected that works are also imputed as well as faith Psal. 106. 31. Phinees exequuted iudgement and it was imputed to him for righteousnes Ans. There is iustice of the person and iustice of the act Iustice of the person is that which makes the person of man iust Iustice of the act is that which makes the act of the person iust and not the person it selfe Now the Psalme speakes onely of the iustice of Phinees action and the meaning of the words is this that God reputed his action as a iust action whereas men might happily condemne it This place therefore prooues not that workes are imputed for the iustification of any man Thirdly it is obiected that imputed iustice was neuer known in the Church till 1500 yeares after Christ. Ans. It is false Bernard saith expressely Death is put to flight by the death of Christ and the iustice of Christ is imputed to vs and againe the satisfaction of Christ is imputed to vs. Againe sundrie of the Fathers as Augustine Hierome Chrysostome Theodoret Anselme entreating vpon the text of Paul 2. Cor. 5. 21. auouch that the iustice whereby we are iustified is not in vs but in Christ. And it is a receiued doctrine with them that a sinner is iustified by faith alone now faith alone presupposeth an imputation of iustice The vse Hence it followes that there is no merit of mans works either in the beginning or in the accomplishment of our iustification For faith is imputed for iustice to him that beleeueth and worketh not Rom. 4. 5. Againe by this we see there is but one iustification and that the second by workes whereby a man of a good man is made better is a meere fiction For iust Abraham is not iustified by his good workes wherewith he abounded but after his first iustification faith still is imputed to him for righteousnes Thirdly here we see what is that very thing whereby we are to appeare iust before God and to be saued and that is the Obedience of Christ imputed to vs of God and apprehended by our faith Lastly here we see our dutie God sits as a Iudge ouer vs he takes a reckening of vs for all our doings the law is an hand-writing against vs to some he imputes their sinnes to some he remits them We therefore must come into the presence of God plead guiltie and acknowledge our selues to be as bankrupts and intreat him to graunt pardon to vs and to accept the satisfaction of Christ for vs then will God not impute our sinnes but the obedience of Christ for our iustification and accept him as our suretie in life and death The declaration of the conclusion followes in the 9. verse and it shewes who are the true children of Abraham The meaning of the words must first be considered To be of faith is to be of Abrahams faith Rom. 4. 16. And to be of Abrahams faith is to beleeue and applie the promise of righteousnes and life euerlasting by Christ as Abraham did and to rest in it for our iustification and saluation v. 10. they are said to be of works who doe the works of the law and looke to be iustified thereby therefore they are of faith who beleeue in Christ looke to be saued and iustified thereby And they which thus beleeue with Abraham are said to be his children It may be demanded how Ans. Children of Abraham are of two sorts some by nature some by grace By nature are they which are of Abraham by the flesh or naturall generation as Ismael was By grace all beleeuers are children of Abraham and that three waies First by Imitation in that Abraham is set forth vnto vs as a patterne in the steppes of whose faith all true beleeuers walke Rom. 4. 12. Secondly beleeuers are children of Abraham by succession in that they succeede him in the inheritance of the same blessing Thirdly they are children to him by a kind of spirituall generation For Abraham by beleeuing the promise of a seede did after a sort beget them Indeede properly the promise and Election of God makes them children and Abraham by his faith beleeuing the foresaid promise receiues them of God as his children In this regard beleeuers are called children of the promise Rom. 9. 8. and the seede that is of the faith of Abraham Rom. 4. 16. Now then the meaning of the text is that beleeuers though vncircumcised are the children of Abraham It may be said what priuiledge is this Ans. Great for the children of Abraham are children of the couenant Act. 3. 25. and children of God Rom. 9. 8. The vse In this verse Paul sets downe one thing namely the true marke of the child of Abraham and that is to be of the faith of Abrahā Here then marke first of all the Iewes though descending of Isaac are no children of Abraham because they follow not the faith of Abraham Secondly the Turks are no children though they plead descent from Agar sometimes and
it be renewed In the bodie there are more diseases then the Physitians bookes can expresse and as many diseases as there be in vs so many fruits of sinne there are Ioh. 5. 14. The curse without vs is threefold The first is a spirituall bondage vnder the power of the deuil who by reason of sinne works in the hearts of vnbeleeuers Eph. 2. 2. and hath the power of death Heb. 2. 14. The second is an Enmitie of all the creatures with man since the fall And this appeares because when God receiues vs to be his people he makes a couenant with all creatures in our behalfe Hos. 2. 18. The third containes all losses calamities miseries in goods friends good name Read Deut. 28. The curse in the end of this life is death which is the separation of bodie and soule Rom. 5. 13. and death in his owne nature is a fearefull curse and the very downefall to the pitte of hell The curse after this life is the second death which is separation of bodie and soule from God with a full apprehension of the wrath of God And if the paine of one tooth or finger be oftentimes so great that men rather desire to die then liue how great then shall the paine be when all the parts of bodie and soule shall be tormented And the eternitie of this death increaseth mans miserie If a man might suffer so many yeares as there are drops in the sea and then haue an end it were some comfort but when that time is expired man is as farre from the end of his woe as euer he was This in summe and substance is the curse here mentioned and it were to be wished that men would more thinke speak of it then they doe then would there be more conscience of sinne The next point is who are cursed Ans. They which doe not all things written in the law Here is an Item for them that will keepe some commandements but not all Herod would doe some things at the motion of Iohn Baptist but he would not leaue his incestuous marriage with his brothers wife Mark 6. 20. There be at this day that are very forward in good things yet some of them will not leaue their swearing some their lying some their vncleannes some their vsurie But God will not part stakes with man he will haue all or none He that breakes one commandement is guiltie of all Iam. 2. And there is good reason that he which obaies should obey in all For where God renewes he sanctifies throughout and fills them with the seede of all grace that they may performe obedience according to all the commandements of the law Againe he is cursed that doth not all things which the law prescribeth or if he doe them yet doth not continue in all So then he is cursed that breakes the law but once and that onely in one thought for such an one doth not continue in all things Now then O sinnefull man what wilt thou doe to auoid the curse for thou hast in thought word and deede broken the law Doest thou thinke to appease the wrath of God with gold and siluer the whole world and all things therein are the Lords And thou maist not thinke to hide or withdraw thy selfe from the presence of God for all must come and appeare before his tribunall seat in their owne persons Neither may we thinke to escape because God is mercifull for he is as iust as mercifull What wilt thou then doe to escape this horrible curse when thou hast done all thou canst doe thou canst no way helpe or releeue thy selfe The onely way of helpe is this Thou must flie from this sentence of the law to the throne of grace for mercie instantly asking seeking knocking at the gate of mercie for pardon of thy sinnes And that thou maist be incouraged to this dutie consider with me that at thy first Purpose to amend and to turne vnto God thy sinnes are pardoned in heauen Dauid saith Psal. 32. 5. I thought I will confesse my sinnes against my selfe and thou forgauest me Marke the speech I thought The prodigall child Luk. 15. vpon his purpose to returne to his father before he had indeed humbled himselfe in word was receiued to mercie When Dauid said I haue sinned Nathan in the name of God said Thy sinne is forgiuen thee It may be thou wilt say the curse is absolute Ans. The threatnings of the law must be vnderstood with an exception which the Gospel makes on this manner The Law saith cursed is the transgressour and the Gospel saith Except he repent Ionas preached yet fourtie daies and Niniuie shall be destroied yet withall he addes an exception It may be the Lord will repent of his fierce wrath Ion. 5. 9. Againe thou wilt say my sinnes are very grieuous therefore I feare I shall not escape the curfe Ans. Forgiuenes is promised without any limitation to any number or kinds of sinne onely the sinne against the H. Ghost excepted Therefore appeale with boldnes in thy heart to the throne of grace intreat for forgiuenes as for life and death and thou shalt escape the curse The third point is when is a sinner accursed Ans. In present in the time of this life For the Lord saith not he shall be accursed but he is accursed There be among vs whome no sermons or exhortations will amend and such persons thinke themselues without the reach of any danger For they thinke the time is very long to the last iudgement But they are deceiued touching themselues For God with his owne mouth hath giuen the sentence that they are accursed there remaines nothing but the exequution The halter is alreadie about their neckes and there remaines nothing but the turning of the ladder Nay the exequution is alreadie in blindnes of minde and hardnes of heart He that beleeues not is alreadie condemned Ioh. 3. Lastly a memorable conclusion of Paul is here to be obserued That it is impossible for any man within himselfe for the time of this life to fulfill the law of God For Paul here takes it for a confessed and graunted conclusion otherwise his argument will not hold which must be framed on this manner He which fulfills not the law is cursed he which is of workes fulfills not the law therefore he is accursed I further prooue it thus If we could fulfill the law we might be iustified by the law but no man can be iustified by the law or by workes therefore no man can fulfill the law Againe Paul saith Rom. 7. 14. that the law was spirituall requiring inward and spirituall obedience and that he was carnall and therefore not conformable to the law that he was sold vnder sinne that when he would doe good euil was present that he carried about him the bodie of death And all this he saith of himselfe about twentie yeares after his owne conuersion Such as our knowledge is such is our loue to God and man Now we
know God onely in part therefore we loue in part and consequently we doe not fulfill the law Againe the Scripture puts all men euen the regenerate vnder the name of sinners to the very death Isa. 64. 4. All our righteousnes is as a defiled cloth Prou. 20. 9. Who can say my heart is cleane Iob cannot answer God for one of a thousand Iob. 9. The righteous man shall pray for the pardon of his sinnes in a time when he may be heard Psal. 32. 6. If we say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues 1. Ioh. 1. 9. The Papists say that all these places are meant of veniall sinnes Ans. There are no veniall sinnes which in their owne nature are not against the law of God but only beside it The stipend of euery sinne is death Rom. 6. 23. If we were perfectly sanctified and consequently fulfillers of the law in this life then Christ should not be a Sauiour but an Instrument of God to make vs our owne Sauiours And to say this is blasphemie Lastly that which man could doe by creation so much the law requires at our hand but man by creation could loue God with all the powers of his soule and with all the strength of all the powers which now since the fall no man can doe It remaines then for an infallible conclusion that it is impossible for any man in the time of this life to fulfill the law The vse This point serues notably to condemne the follie of the world The Israelites say at Mount Sinai that they will doe all things which the Lord shall command them Exod. 19. 8. The young Prince said that he had kept all the commandements from his youth Mark 10. 20. Our common people say that they can loue God with all their hearts and their neighbours as thēselues Secondly this doctrine serues to confute sundrie Errours of the Papists who blasphemously teach that a man after justification may fulfill the law in this life that a man may for a time be without all sinne that works of the regenerate are perfect and may be opposed to the iudgement of God that men may supererrogate and doe more then the law requires The groūd of all these conclusions is this They say there is a double degree of fulfilling the law The first is in this life and that is to loue God truly aboue all creatures and to loue our neighbour as our selues in truth The second is to loue God with all the powers of the soule and with all the strength of all the powers and this measure of fulfilling the law is reserued to the life to come I will briefly consider the reasons and the ground of this blasphemous doctrine Obiect I. God promifeth the Israelites that he will circumcise their hearts that they may loue him with all their hearts with all their soules and with all their strength Deut. 30. 6. And thus Iosua turned to God with all his heart with all his soule and with all his strength according to all the law of Moses 2. king 23. 25. Ans. The phrase with all thy heart is taken in a double signification Sometime it is opposed to a double heart and then it signifies a true and vpright heart without guile or dissimulation Thus they of Zebulon are saide not to fight with a double heart 1. Chron. 12. 33. but with a perfect heart v. 38. Where marke the opposition of an whole or perfect heart to a double heart In this sense are the places before named to be vnderstood Neuerthelesse the whole heart soule and strength in the summe of the morall law signifies all powers of the soule and all the strength of all the powers Thus doth Paul Rom. 7. expound the law when he faith the law is spirituall and by the prohibition of lust giues the meaning of the whole law For concupiscence or lust comprehends the first thoughts or motions Obiect II. Noah is saide to be iust and perfect Gen. 6. and God commands Abraham to walke before him and to be perfect Gen. 17. 1. Paul saith Let as many as be perfect be thus minded Phil. 3. 15. Answ. There is a double perfection perfection of parts and perfection of degrees Perfection of parts is when a man hath in him after he is regenerate the beginnings of all vertnes and the seedes of all graces by which he endeauours to obey God in all his lawes and commandements Perfection of degrees is when the law is fulfilled both in matter and manner according to the rigour of the law Now the former places speake onely of the perfection of parts and that is such a perfection in which we are to acknowledge our imperfection and it is no more but a true and generall indeauour to obey God Isa. 38. 1. Obiect III. Sundrie holy men are saide to fulfill the law Dauid turned from nothing that God commanded him all the daies of his life saue in the matter of Vriah 1. king 15. 5. Zacharie and Elizabeth walked in all the commandements of God and that without reproofe before God Luk. 1. 6. Ans. There are two kinds of fulfilling the law one Legall the other Euangelicall Legall is when men doe all things required in the law and that by themselues and in themselues Thus none euer fulfilled the law but Christ and Adam before his fall The Euangelicall manner of fulfilling the law is to beleeue in Christ who fulfilled the law for vs and withall to indeauour in the whole man to obey God in all his precepts And this indeauour ioyned with the Purpose of not sinning is called the righteousnes of Good conscience and though it be not really a fulfilling of the law yet it is accepted of God as a fulfilling of the law in all thē that are in Christ. For God accepts the indeanour to obey for perfect obedience Thus Dauid Zacharie Elizabeth and others are said to fulfill the law Obiect IIII. We pray that we may fulfill the law when we say Let thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen Ans. We pray not that we may fulfill the law in this but that we may striue as much as may be to attaine to the fulfilling of the law That is the scope of the petition We desire not to be equall to the Angels and Saints but onely to imitate them more and more and to be like to them Obiect V. Rom. 7. 18. To will is present with me therefore say they in will the law may be kept though the flesh relent Ans. When Paul saith that to will was present he doth not signifie that he could perfectly will that which is good For his will beeing partly renewed and partly vnrenewed the good which he willed he partly nilled and the euill which he nilled he partly willed Obiect UI. Christ tooke out flesh that the righteousnes of the law might be fulfilled in vs. Rom. 8. 4. Ans. The righteousnes of the law is fulfilled in vs not because we doe all things required
a double iustification one before God the other before mē Iustification before God is when God reputes a man iust that onely for the merit and obedience of Christ. Iustification before men is when such as professe faith in Christ are reputed iust of men By this distinction Paul who saith that a man is iustified by faith without workes Rom. 3. 28. and Iames who saith that Abraham was iustified by faith and workes Iam. 2. 24. are reconciled for Paul speakes of iustification before God as he himselfe expressely testifieth Rom. 4. 2. and S. Iames speakes of iustification before men which is not onely by the profession of faith but also by workes In the same sort there is a double Election One speciall whereby God knowes who are his The other is more generall whereby we repute all men to be Elect that professe faith in Christ leauing secret iudgements to God Thus Paul writes to the Ephesians Philippians c. as Elect. And the Ministers of the word are to speake to their congregations as to the Elect people of God In the same manner there is a double sanctification one before God in truth Eph. 4. 28. the other before men in the iudgement of charitie Thus men are said to tread vnder foote the blood of Christ wherewith they were sanctified Hebr. 10. 29. Thus all that are of right to be baptised are holy and regenerate not in the iudgement of certentie which is Gods but in the iudgement of charitie which is mans secrets alwaies reserued to God Againe when Paul saith in the sight of God he giues vs to vnderstand that there is an vniuersall iudgement of God before whome we must all appeare and be iudged And when Paul saith in the time present that God iustifieth though not by workes he signifies that this iudgement is alreadie begunne vpon vs euen in this life This must teach vs to walke in godly and holy conuersation in the feare of God and to watch and pray that we may be found worthie to stand before God Malefactours when they are going to iudgement and when they see the Iudge set lay aside skorning and bethinke themselues what to say or doe Now we are these malefactours and we know that God hath alreadie begunne to giue iudgement of vs and therefore we must prepare our selues to make a good reckoning In the testimonie of the Prophet our dutie is set downe and that is that we must in this world liue by faith That we may liue by faith we must doe two things One is to choose the true God for our God the second is in our hearts to cleaue vnto him and that according to his word First therefore we must cleaue fast to his commandements by entring into the way of his precepts and by walking in them For this cause we must haue alwaies about vs the eye of knowledge to direct our steps in the wayes of God that we euer keepe our selues in our callings that is the dutie we owe to God and man Secondly while we stand in the waies of God we shall be assailed with many Temptations on the right hand and on the left therefore we must further cleaue to the promises of God beleeuing his presence protection and assistance in all temptations and daungers And this our faith must be as it were a hand to stay vs. Here two caueats must be remembred One that we must not prescribe vnto God the manner of his assistance but leaue it with other circumstances of time and place to God The second is when all earthly things faile vs we must rest vpon the bare word of God and beleeue the promise of remission of sinnes and life euerlasting This is to liue by faith And this dutie must be practised when we are in the field to fight for our countrey when we lie on our death beddes and when we are in any danger Marke further Paul saith the iust man liues by faith he therefore that is iustified continues to be iustified by his faith and therfore the second iustification that is said to be by our works is a meere fiction And in that none liues by faith but he that is a iust man we see that true faith is alwaies ioyned with the Purpose of not sinning or with the iustice of good conscience and where they are seuered there is no more but a meere pretence of faith When Paul saith the Law is not of faith he sets downe the maine difference betweene the Law and the Gospel The law promiseth life to him that performs perfect obedience that for his works The Gospel promiseth life to him that doth nothing in the cause of his saluation but only beleeues in Christ and it promiseth saluation to him that beleeueth yet not for his faith or for any worke els but for the merit of Christ. The law thē requires doing to saluation and the Gospel beleeuing and nothing els Obiect I. The Gospel requires repentance and the practise of it Ans. Indeede the law doth not teach true repentance neither is it any cause of it but onely an occasion The Gospel onely prescribes repentance and the practise thereof yet onely as it is a fruit of our faith and as it is the way to saluation in which we are to walke and no otherwise Obiect II. The law requires and commands faith Ans. The law requires faith in God which is to put our affiance in him But the Gospel requires faith in Christ the Mediatour Godman and this faith the law neuer knew Obiect III. In the Gospel there are promises of life vpon condition of our obedience Rom. 8. 13. Jf by the spirit ye mortifie the deedes of the flesh ye shall liue 1. Ioh. 1. 9. If we confesse our sinnes God is faithfull to forgiue them Ans. The promises of the Gospel are not made to the worke but to the worker and to the worker not for his work but for Christs sake according to his worke As for example promise of life is made not to the worke of mortification but to him that mortifieth his flesh and that not for his mortification but because he is in Christ and his mortification is the token or euidence thereof And therefore it must be remembred that all promises of the Gospel that mention works include in them Reconciliation with God in Christ. Obiect IV. Faith is a vertue and to beleeue is a worke therefore one worke is commanded in the Gospel and is also necessarie to saluation Ans. The Gospel considers not faith as a vertue or worke but as an instrument or hand to apprehend Christ. For faith doth not cause effect or procure our iustification and saluation but as the beggers hand it receiues them beeing wholly wrought and giuen of God This distinction of the law and the Gospel must be obserued carefully For by it we see that the Church of Rome hath erroniously confounded the law and the Gospel for this many hundred yeares The law of Moses say they
because a secret Atheisme makes them say in their hearts There is no Christ there is no curse that was indured by Christ. Clense your hearts of this hidden Atheisme and looke that inwardly in your spirits you die vnto your sinnes and liue to God In that Christ was obedient to his Father in bearing the curse of the law we are taught in all things to subiect our selues to the will of God Our obedience must not onely be in doing this or that but also in suffering the miseries â—â—d on us to the death this is the best obedience of all and the truest marke of Gods child to obey in our sufferings Moreouer that Christ was accursed it is confirmed by the sentence and decree of God Cursed is euery one that hangeth on the tree Deut. 21. 23. The ground of this sentence is the sinne of the malefactour for whome God curseth he curseth for his offence And here it may be demanded why he that is stoned to death is not likewise accursed Ans. He also is accursed but there are speciall reasons why the man hanged on the tree is cursed First among the Iewes they which were hanged were most grieuous malefactours as blasphemers and idolatours and there punishment was accordingly most grieuous Secondly hanging as among all nations so among the Iewes was a most odious and infamous death Thirdly God did foresee that the Messias should die on the crosse and therefore he accursed this kind of death If it be saide that there was no fault or offence in Christ and therefore he could not be accursed I answer that he became sinne for vs in that our sinne was applied and imputed to him It may be further obiected that the theefe which repented was not accursed though he were hanged on the tree Ans. As a theefe he was accursed as he was a theefe and repented the curse was remooued For the law in the curses thereof giues place to the Gospel iudgement yeelds to mercie and the Gospel puts an exception to the law The vse If the malefactour hanged be accursed and defile the earth how vile and accursed is the liuing malefactour the blasphemer adulterer murtherer c. who hath entred no degree of punishment Let this be considered to terrifie offenders Againe let vs consider the scope of this law Because he that hangs on the tree is accursed therefore saith the law of God he must be taken downe and buried Marke the equity of this law and that is that things euill and accursed are to be remooued from the eye and sense of man This charge the Lord giues of lesse matters namely of sights vndecent and vnseemely Deut. 23. 15. Againe we are commanded not so much as to name fornication vncleannes couetousnes resting foolish talking c. Eph. 5. 3. Here we are to be put in minde that the Plaies commonly in vse ate to be banished out of all Christian societies For they doe nothing els but reuiue and represent the vile and wicked fashions of the world and the misdemeanour of men which are things accursed and therefore to be buried and not once to be spoken of Againe all euill in our example whether in word or in deede must be buried as much as may be for it defileth and is accursed Here it may be demanded how this law of God he is accursed therefore let him be taken downe and buried standes with the order vsed in this and other countries in which men are hanged in chaines for the terrour of the world Ans. Iudiciall lawes if they haue in them morall equitie and serue directly to fense in the precepts of the Decalogue are perpetuall and bind all men els not As for the iudiciall determinations of this or that manner of punishment they concerne vs not but God hath left euery nation free though not in respect of punishment yet in respect of the manner and order thereof The third point whereby our redemption is described is the ende thereof that the blessing of Abraham that is righteousnes and life euerlasting may come vpon the Gentiles Here two things are to be considered The first is whence comes the benediction of Abraham Ans. From the cursed death of Christ. For thus are the words He was made a curse for vs that the bâ—â—ediction of Abraham might come on the Gentiles Marke here how God workes one contrerie by the other In the creation he made something not of something but of nothing he called light out of darknes he kills and then makes aliue Hos. 6. he sends men to heauen by the gates of hell he gaue sight by a temper of spittle and clay a fit meanes to put out sight In the worke of our redemption he giues life not by life but by death and the blessing by the curse This shewes the wisdome and power of God and it teacheth vs in the worke of our conuersion and saluation not to goe by sense and feeling because God can and doth worke one contrarie in and by the other The second point is where this benediction of Abraham is to be found Ans. The text say It is extant in Christ Iesus who is as it were the storehouse of Gods blessing and the dispenser of it to all nations In him are hid all treasures of wisdome and knowledge Col. 2. God and the Lambe are all things to all the Elect in the kingdome of heauen Reu. 21. Here we see the right way to become rich and that is aboue all things to seeke to be true and liuely members of Christ for if he be ours we can want nothing Rom. 8. 32. Matth. 6. 33. Psal. 34. 10. This is a most sure way to procure vnto vs all good things that he sees to be necessarie for vs. For Christ is the storehouse of the benediction of Abraham Againe this must teach them that beleeue in Christ to be content in any estate be it better or worse for true riches is the blessing of God and this blessing is in Christ. This is the truth if we could discerne of things that differ Thirdly in our pouertie and in the middest of all our wants and losses we must comfort our selues For though we leese neuer so much yet we retaine the principall and that is Christ who is the benediction of Abraham The fourth point is an other end of our Redemption That we might receiue the promise of the spirit by faith For the better vnderstanding of this foure questions may be demanded The first is what is meant by the promise Ans. The promise of God made in the old Testament that he would powre out his spirit vpon all flesh Isa. 44. 3. and Ioel 2. 28. And h 〈…〉 saide that this promise is fulfilled to the nations wheÌ„ they beleeue Marke here how the promises of God lie as void dead and of none effect till the particular time of their accomplishment God promiseth Iacob that his posteritie shall be a great nation after 430 yeares for which time they remaine
for vs and to applie it vnto vs. And this worke is done by Christ without impediment and without repentance on his part The seale and foundation of our saluation is this that God accepts and knowes vs for his 2. Tim. 2. 19. and that which concernes vs is that we must worship God in spirit and truth and depart from iniquitie Lastly here is comfort against the consideration of our vnworthines Thou saiest thou art vnworthie of the mercie of God and therefore hast no hope And I say againe dost thou truly exercise thy selfe in the spirituall exercises of faith inuocation repentance be not discouraged thou must not receiue the promise immediately of God but Christ must doe it for thee Though thou be vnworthie yet there is dignitie and worthines sufficient in him If thou say that thou must at the least receiue the promise at the hand of Christ. I adde further that he will not quench the flaxe that doth but smoake neither will he breake the bruised reede He accepts the weake apprehension if it be in truth And our saluation stands in this not that we know and apprehend him but that he knowes apprehends vs first of all v. 17. This I say In the former verses Paul hath laid downe two grounds one is that testaments of men confirmed may not be abrogated the other that the promises were made to Abraham and his seede which is Christ. Now what of all this may some man say Paul therefore addes these words This I say that is the scope and intent of all my speech is to shew that the couenant or testament confirmed by God cannot be abrogated and secondly if it might so be yet that the law could not abrogate the testament because it was giuen 430 yeares after the confirmation of the saide testament And because it might be doubtfull what Paul meanes when he saith the couenant confirmed cannot be abrogated he explanes himselfe in the ende of the verse by saying the promise cannot be made of no effect It is here to be obserued that Paul saith the promise made to Abraham is a couenant or testament It is a Couenant or compact because God for his part promiseth remission of sinnes and life euerlasting and requireth faith on our part In respect of this mutuall obligation it hath in it the forme of a couenant It is also a Will or Testament in two respects First because the promise is confirmed by the death of the mediatour Heb. 9. 15. Secondly the things promised as remission of sinnes and life euerlasting are giuen after the manner of legacies that is freely without our desert or procurement In this we see the great goodnes of God who vouchsafeth to name them in his testament that haue made couenant with the deuill and are children of wrath by nature as we all are Again in that the promise is a testament remission of sinnes and life euerlasting is a Legacie and for the obtainment of thē we must bring nothing vnto God but hunger and thirst after them and make suit vnto God for them by asking seeking knocking Thus are all Legacies obtained there is no more required on our part but to receiue and accept them And though we be neuer so vnworthie in our selues yet shall it suffice for the hauing of the blessing of God if our names be found in the Testament of God Againe Paul saith that the promise made to Abraham is a couenant confirmed of God It may be demanded by what meanes it was confirmed Ans. By oath Heb. 6. 17. Againe it may be demanded to whome it was confirmed Ans. To Abraham as beeing the father of all the faithfull and then to his seede that is first to the Mediatour Christ and consequently to euery beleeuer whether Iew or Gentile For Abraham in the first making and in the confirmation thereof must be considered as a publike person representing all the faithfull Here againe we see Gods goodnes We are bound simply to beleeue his bare word yet in regard of our weaknes he is content to ratifie his promise by oath that there might be no occasion of vnbeleefe Againe here we are admonished to rest by faith on the promise of God as Abraham did when there is no hope Some may say I could doe so if God would speake to me as he did to Abraham I answer againe when God spake to Abraham in him he spake to all his seede and therefore to thee whosoeuer thou art that beleeuest in Christ. And hence we are to gather sure hope of life euerlasting For in the person of Abraham God hath spoken to vs he hath made promise of blessing to vs he hath made couenant with vs and he hath sworne vnto vs. What can we more require of him what better ground of true comfort Hebr. 6. 17. 18. Lastly in that God thus confirmes vnto vs the promise of life euerlasting it must incourage vs to all diligence in the vse of all good meanes whereby we may attaine to the condition of Abraham and it must arme vs to all patience in bearing the miseries calamites that fall out in the strait way to eternal life Further Paul saith that the promise is a couenant confirmed that in respect of Christ because he is the scope foundation of all the promises of God partly by merit and partly by efficacie By merit because he hath procured by his death and passion remission of sinnes and life euerlasting By his efficacie because he seales vp vnto vs in our consciences remission of sinnes and withall restores in vs the image of God The vse If Christ be the ground of the promise then is he the ground and fountaine of all the blessings of God And for this cause the right way to obtaine any blessing of God is first to receiue the promise and in the promise Christ and Christ beeing ours in him and from him we shall receiue all things necessarie The second answer of Paul to the former obiection is that if the promise made to Abraham might be disanulled yet the law could not doe it And he giues a double reason The first is drawne from the circumstance of time Because the promise or couenant was made with Abraham and continued by God 430 yeares before the law was giuen therefore saith Paul the law was not giuen to disanull the promise Against this reason it may be obiected that Abrahams seed was but 400 yeares in a strange land Gen. 15. 13. Ans. Moses speakes of the time that was from the beginning of Abrahams seede or from the birth of Isaac to the giuing of the law and Paul here speakes of the time that was betweene the giuing of the promise to Abraham and the giuing of the law and that was 10 yeares before the birth of Isaac Againe it may be obiected that the Israelites were in Egypt 430 yeares Fxod 12. 40. The dwelling of the children of Israel while they dwelled in Egypt was 430 yeares Therefore it
seemes there was more time betweene the promise and the law Ans. The meaning of Moses in this place is thus much that the dwelling of the children of Israel while they dwelt as pilgrims was for the space of 430 yeares and that in â—art of this time they dwelt in Egypt as strangers The words may thus be translated The dwelling or Peregrination of the children of Israel in which they dwelt in Egrpt was 430 yeares And this peregrination beginnes in the calling of Abraham and endes at the giuing of the law In Pauls example we see what it is to search the Scriptures not onely to consider the scope of whole bookes and the parts thereof but to ponder and waigh euery sentence and euery part of euery sentence and euery circumstance of time place person This is the right forme of the studie of diuinitie to be vsed of the sonnes of the Prophets The second reason vsed by Paul is in the 18. v. it may be framed thus If the law abolish the promise then the inheritance must come by the law but that cannot be He prooues it thus If the inheritance of life eternall be by the law it is no more by the promise but it is by the promise because God gaue it vnto Abraham freely by promise therefore it comes not by the law The opposition betweene the law and the promise shewes that Paul in this Epistle speakes not onely of the ceremoniall but also of the morall For the greatest opposition is betweene the morall law and the free promise of God Let vs againe marke here the difference betweene the law and the Gospel The law promiseth life but to the worker for his works or vpon condition of obedience The Gospel called by Paul the promise offers and giues life freely without the condition of any worke and requires nothing but the receiuing of that which is offered It may be obiected that the Gospel promiseth life vpon the condition of our faith Ans. The Gospel hath in it no morall condition of any thing to be done of vs. Indeede faith is mentioned after the forme and manner of a condition but in truth it is the free gift of God as well as life eternall and it is to be considered not as a worke done of vs but as an instrument to receiue things promised This difference of the law and the Gospel must be kept as a treasure for it is the ground of many worthie conclusions in true religion And the ignorance of this point in the Church of Rome hath bin the decay of religion specially in the article of Iustification Thirdly we must here obserue the opposition betweene the Law and the free promise of God in iustification of a sinner For if life come by the law it comes not by the promise saith Paul And Rom. 4. 14. If they which are of the law are heires the promise is of none effect By this we see the Church of Rome ouerturnes and abrogates the free promise of God For they of that Church teach that the first iustification is by meere mercie and that the second is by the workes of the law But the law and the promise cannot be mixed together more then fire and water the law ioyned with the free promise disanulls the said promise Lastly in that Paul saith God gaue and freely bestowed the inheritance by the promise it must be considered that this Giuing is no priuate but a publike donation For Abraham must be considered as a publike person and that which was giuen to him was in him giuen to all that should beleeue as he did Art thou then a true beleeuer doest thou truly turne vnto God here is thy comfort the inheritance of eternall life is as surely thine as it was Abrahams when he beleeued For thou art partaker of the same promise with him and when God gaue him life he gaue thee also life in him Againe persons backward and carelesse must be stirred vp with all diligence to vse all good meanes that they may beleeue truly in Christ and truly turne to God For so soone as they beginne to beleeue and to turne vnto God they are entred into the condition of Abraham and if they continue they shall sit downe with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen and after this life they shall rest in the bosome of Abraham For that which was done to Abraham shall be done to all that walke in his steppes 19 Wherefore then serues the law it was added because of transgressions vntill the seede was come to which the promise was made and it was ordained by Angels in the hand of a Mediatour 20 Now a Mediatour is not of one but God is one Paul hath prooued before that the law doth not abolish the promise his last reason was because then the inheritance should be by the law which cannot be Against this reason in the 19 and 20 verses there is an obiection made and answered The obiection is this If life and iustice come not by the law the law then is in vaine And this obiection is expressed by way of interrogation Wherefore then serues the law The answer is in the next words It is added for transgressions that is for the reuealing of sinne and the punishment thereof and for the conuincing of men touching their sinnes Rom. 3. 19 20. Moreouer Paul sets downe the time or continuance of this vse of the law when he saith till the seede came to which the promise was made that is till Christ come and accomplish the worke of mans redemption Here two questions may be demanded The first is whether the law serue to reueale sinne after the coÌ„ming of Christ For Paul saith it is added for transgressions till Christ. Ans. The law serues to reueale sinne euen to the end of the world yet in respect of the legall or Mosaicall manner of reuealing sinne it is added but till Christ. For the law before Christ did conuince men of sinne not onely by precepts and threatnings but also by Rites and Ceremonies For Iewish washings and sacrifices were reall confessions of sinne And they were an handwriting against vs as Paul saith And this manner of reuealing sinne ended in the death of Christ. Col. 2. 14. Againe the Ministerie of condemnation which was in force till Christ at his comming is turned into the Ministerie of the spirit and of grace 2. Cor. 3. 11. For vnder the law there was pleÌ„tifull reuelation of sinne with darke and small reuelation of grace but at the comming of Christ men saw heauen opened and there was a plentifull reuelation of sinne with a more pleÌ„tifull reuelation of grace and mercie And in this respect also the law is said to be till Christ. The second question is whether the seede of Abraham were before Christ or no Ans. All that followed the steppes of Abrahams faith before Christ were his seede Yet were they not that seede that is the principall seede who is Christ who is the seede
scripture namely the Scripture before named the written law in the bookes of the old Testament And further by the law we must vnderstand God in the law Rom. 11. 32. God hath concluded all vnder vnbeleefe Concluded The law is compared to a Iudge or sergeant sinne to a prison And the law is said to conclude or inclose men vnder sinne because it doth to the full accuse and conuince vs of sin so as our mouthes are stopped and we haue no way to escape All All men that came of Adam by generation with all that comes from them their thoughts desires wordes and deedes The promise The thing promised which is Remission of sinne and life euerlasting By the faith of Christ That is the faith whereof Christ is both the author and matter This is added to signifie vnto vs who are true beleeuers namely they which are beleeuers by the faith of Christ. Against this text of Paul blind reason mooueth many questions as namely why God created man and then suffered him to fall why God did not restraine the fall of Adam to his person but suffers it to inlarge it selfe to all mankind so as all be shut vp vnder sinne why the promise is not giuen to all but onely to beleeuers But there are two speciall grounds vpon which we are to stay our minds The first is that God hath an absolute soueraigntie and lordship ouer all his creatures We may not therefore dispute the case with God Rom. 9. 20. He may doe with his owne what he will Math. 20. 15. The second is that the waies and iudgements of God are a gulfe into which the more we search the more we plunge our selues because they are vnsearchable Rom. 11. 33. Marke the phrase of Paul the Scripture concludes all vnder smne if it conclude or shut vp then it determines what is sinne what not And if this be so then it may also determine what is true and what is false and so be truly tearmed a Iudge of controuersies in religion If it shut vp sinners vnder their sinne then also it shuts them that erre vnder their errour for errours be sinnes and fruits of the flesh It is said blasphemously that if the Scripture be a Iudge it is but a dumme Iudge and I say againe that offenders may plead for themselues on this sort that the law is but a dumme Iudge when it condemnes them and shuts them vnder sinne but they shall finde it hath a loud voice in their consciences when they read it seriously and examine themselues by it euen so the Scripture speakes sufficiently for the determination of truth and falshood in matters of saluation when it is searched with care and humilitie When Paul saith We are all shut vp vnder sinne he puts vs in minde of our most miserable condition that we are captiues of sinne and Satan inclosed in our sinnes as in a prison like imprisoned malefactours that waite daily for the comming of the Iudge and stand in continuall feare of execution And seeing our condition is such we must labour to see and feele by experience this our spirituall bondage that we may say with Paul We are sold vnder sinne and that we know there is no goodnes dwelling in our flesh Rom. 7. 14. 18. This is one of the first lessons that we must take out in the schoole of Christ. Againe if we seriously bethinke our selues that we are captiues of sinne and worthie of death it will make vs with contentation of minde to beare the miseries of this life sicknes pouertie reproch banishment c. considering they come farre short of that we haue deserued who are no better then slaues of sinne and Satan Whereas Paul saith that all men with all that proceeds from them is shut vnder sinne he teacheth that all actions of men vnregenerate are sinnes The wisdome of the flesh that is the wisest cogitations counsells inclinations of the flesh are enmitie vnto God Rom. 8. 5. To the vncleane all things are vncleane Tit. 1. 15. An euill tree cannot bring forth good fruit Mat. 7. It may be obiected that naturall men may doe the workes of the morall law as to giue almes and such like Rom. 2. 14. Ans. Sinnes be of two sorts One is when any thing is done slat against the commandement of God The second is when the act or worke is done which the law prescribes yet not in the same manner which the law prescribes in faith in obedience to the glorie of God In this second regard morall works performed by naturall men are sinnes indeede Hence it followes that Libertie of will in the doing of that which is truly good is lost by the fall of Adam and that man cannot by the strength of naturall will helped by grace applie himselfe to the calling of God Whereas Paul saith that the promise is giuen to beleeuers it is manifest that the promise is not vniuersall in respect of all mākind but only indefinite and vniuersall in respect of beleeuers Wherfore their doctrine is not sound that teach the Redemption wrought by Christ to be as generall as the sinne of Adam Indeede if we regard the value and sufficiencie of the death of Christ it is so but if we respect the Communication and donation of this benefit it is not For though all be shut vnder sinne yet the promise is onely giuen to them that beleeue It is obiected that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe 2. Cor. 5. 19. Ans. The text in hand shewes that by the world we are to vnderstād all beleeuers through the whole world And whereas Paul saith God shut vp all vnder vnbeleefe that he might haue mercie vpon all Rom. 11. 32. his meaning is here set downe that he shut both Iewes and Gentiles vnder vnbeleefe that he might haue mercie vpon all that beleeue both of Iewes and Gentiles Marke further the ende of the law is conuiction and the ende of our conuiction is that the promise of mercie may be giuen to them that beleeue Here is notable comfort with incouragement to all good duties Doth the law as it were in the name of God arrest thee doth it accuse and conuince thee of manifold sinnes doth it arraigne thee at the barre of Gods iudgement and fill thy soule with terrour dost thou by the testimonies of the law and thine owne conscience see and feele thy selfe to be a most miserable and wretched sinner well It may be thou thinkest that all this is a preparation to thy damnatiō but it is not For it is cōtrariwise a preparation to thy saluation For the law with a loud voice in thy heart proclaimes thee a sinner and threatens thee with perdition but the end of all this is that Iesus Christ may become a Sauiour vnto thee so be it thou wilt come vnto him and beleeue in him For he saues no sheepe but the lost sheepe and he calls not iust men but sinners to repentance Let vs therefore with all our
are of minde that all Iudiciall lawes are abrogated and some are of contrarie mind that all Commonwealths are to be gouerned by them But they are both deceiued and the meane betweene both is the truth Know then that of Iudiciall lawes of Moses some are abrogated some are not Such lawes as are meerely Iudiciall that is iudiciall and not morall and doe particularly concerne the nation of the Iewes the land of Canaan the times before Christ the things of the old Testament are abrogated Of this kind is the law that commands the brother to raise vp seede to his brother Deut. 25. 5. The law of Tenths is partly ceremoniall and partly iudiciall and specially concernes the land of Canaan For as countries are richer or poorer then Canaan so must their allowance to the Ministerie be more or lesse The seuenths the eights the ninths the eleuenths the twelfths and not the tenths And the allowance of Tenths stands not in force in this other Commonwealths by the Iudiciall law of God but by positiue laws of countries For if it did then Ministers should not meddle with their Tenths either for the gathering or for the disposing of them but they should be brought into storehouses by certaine ouerseers and they should dispose of them according to the neede of euery Minister 2. Chron. 31. Malac. 3. The law that the theefe must either restore fourefold or be a bondman concernes Canaan and those countries In Europe specially in the Northerne and Westerne parts a straighter law is required For the people are much giuen to idlenes and consequently to robbing and they are of fierce disposition and therefore with theft ioyne violence and disturbance of the common peace And for this cause excepting in some cases theft is punished with death And this must not seeme hard For euen the Iewes when the theft was aggrauated with other circumstances might punish it with death 2. Sam. 12. 6. And it is in the power of the Magistrate when sinnes are increased to increase the punishment Now Iudiciall lawes that are in foundation and substance morall are not abrogated but are perpetuall For the better discerning of them I giue two notes The first is this If a Iudiciall law serue directly and immediatly to guard and fense any one of the ten Commandements in the maine scope and ende thereof it is morall in equitie and perpetuall because the end and vse of it is perpetuall I will giue sundrie examples It is the law of God that he of the Israelites that shall intise them to goe and worship other gods shall be put to death Deut. 13. 6. This law serues to maintaine and vphold the first commandement the ende whereof is to inioyne vs to take the true God for our God and this ende is most necessarie both for Gods glorie and for the saluation of men and therefore whatsoeuer thing or person ouerturneth or abolisheth this ende it must be cut off from the societie of men Here note by the way that they which haue bin borne baptised and brought vp among vs and yet afterward become Masse-priests and seeke malitiously and obstinately without ceasing to seduce our people deserue in this respect to be put to death Example 2. Thou shalt not suffer a witch to liue Exod. 22. 18. This law againe is a fense to the first commandement For Witches renounce God and humane societie and therefore are worthely cut off though they doe no hurt euen because they make a league with the deuill Example 3. He that blasphemeth the name of God shall be put to death Leuit. 24. 16. Vnderstand this law of manifest and notorious blasphemies that pearce through God as the words import and then it is a maine fense to the third commandement For Gods name may in no wise be abused and troad vnder foote and therefore blasphemers pearcing God are to be cut off This is the very law of Nature as appeares by Nabuchadnezzar who gaue in commandement to his people that whosoeuer blasphemed the name of the true God should be put to death Dan. 3. 29. Here note that manifest and conuicted Atheists if they be put to death haue but their deserts Example 4. He that curseth father or mother shall die the death Leuit. 4. 9. This law is a necessarie fense to the fifth commandement and vpholds the honour that is due to parents Examples 5. He that smites a man that he die shal die the death Exod. 21. 12. To this law there is no exception made but one and that is when a man is killed at vnawares And it is for his equitie perpetuall For it is a maine and direct fense to the sixth commandement Consider an other reason Num. 35. 33. The whole land saith the Lord shall be defiled with blood till his blood be shed that killeth a man Example 6. The adulterer the adulteresse shal both be put to death Leuit. 20. This Iudiciall serues to vphold and maintaine chastitie which is the ende of the seuenth commandement Marke withall the reasons Leuit. 20. 22 23. Least the land spne you out and for these things that is for suffering this and other sinnes vnpunished the Gentiles were cast out It may be said that Christ did not condemne the woman to death which was taken in adulterie Ans. He came to be a Mediatour and not a Iudge or Magistrate It is alleadged that Dauid was not put to death for adulterie Ans. He was the highest in the kingdome there was none to iudge him Againe it may be saide that if adulterie be death then innumerable persons must die Ans. We must doe that which we finde to be the will of God and the euents of things must be left to God The second note whereby we may discerne a iudiciall law to be morall for his equitie is this If it follow necessarily and immediatly from the light principles and conclusions of nature For example Deut. 22. 5. The man shall not put on the things that appertaine to the woman nor the woman the things that appertaine to the man This law is more then Iudiciall for it is a Rule of common honestie practised in those countries by the light of nature where the written law was neuer knowne And things good and honest which nature teacheth are morall and must be done This is Pauls rule Doth not nature teach this 1. Cor. 11. 14. This I speake not to censure and condemne the lawes of this or any other commonwealth but onely to shew how farre Iudiciall lawes haue moralitie in them and stand in force The third question is what is our guide now in the time of the new Testament seeing the Regiment and law of Moses is abrogated Ans. The outward guide is the Doctrine of the morall law and of the Gospel It is therefore called the rodde and the staffe of God Psal. 23. and the rodde of his mouth Isa. 11. 4. The inward guide is the spirit of God writing the lawes of God in our hearts and
baptisme that are retained in the Papacie pertaine not to the Papacie but to another hidden Church which by these and other meanes is gathered out of the middest of Romish Babylon And therefore baptisme is rather a signe of this then of the Romish Church Againe we must be warned to take heede that we deceiue not our selues thinking it a sufficient matter that we haue bin baptised For except Christ inwardly wash vs by his spirit we haue no part in him Ioh. 13. 8. Circumcision saith Paul auaileth not vnles thou be a doer of the law Ro. 2. 25. Baptisme indeed saueth 1. Pet. 3. 21. but that is not the baptisme of water but the stipulation of a good conscience by the resurrection of Christ. The outward baptisme without the inward is not the marke of Gods child but the marke of the foole that makes a vow and afterward breakes it Eccles. 5. 3. Moreouer baptisme is not onely a signe of our adoption but also a seale thereof and a meanes to conuaie it vnto vs and for the better vnderstanding of this point and for a further clearing of the 27. verse I will speake of the whole nature of baptisme That which is to be deliuered I reduce to eight heads I. the name of baptisme and the phrases II. the matter III. the forme IV. the ende V. the efficacie of baptisme VI. the necessitie thereof VII the circumstances VIII the vse Touching the name Baptisme is taken sixe waies First it signifies the superstitious washings of the Pharisies who bouÌ„d themselues to the baptismes or washings of cuppes and potts Mar. 7. 4. Second 〈…〉 it signifies the washings appointed by God in the Ceremoniall law Hebr. 9. 10. Thirdly it signifies that washing by water which serues to seale the couenant of the new Testament Math. 28. 19. Fourthly it signifies by a metaphor any grieuous crosse or calamitie Thus the passion of Christ is called his baptisme Luk. 12. 50. Fiftly it signifies the bestowing of extraordinarie gifts of the holy Ghost and that by imposition of hands of the Apostles Act. 1. 5. and 11. 16. Lastly it signifies the whole Ecclesiasticall Ministerie Thus Apollos is saide to teach the way of the Lord knowing nothing but the baptisme that is the doctrine of Iohn Act. 18. 25. In the third sense is baptisme taken in this place when Paul saith Ye are all baptised into Christ. The phrases vsed in Scripture of baptisme are strange in reason and therefore they are to be explaned Here it is said Ye that are baptised into Christ put on Christ. The reason of this speach is threefold The first is this the washing of the bodie with water is an outward signe to represent to our eies and minde the inward washing and our vnion or coniunction with Christ therefore they that are baptised are said to put on Christ. The second reason is because the washing by water seales vnto vs our inward ingrafting into Christ for as certenly as the bodie is washed with water so certenly are they that beleeue ingrafted into Christ. The third reason of the speach is because baptisme is after a sort an instrument whereby our insition into Christ and fellowship with him is effected For in the right and lawfull vse of baptisme God according to his owne promise ingrafts them into Christ that beleeue and the inward washing is conferred with the outward washing For these causes they that are washed with water in baptisme are said to put on Christ. In the same manner must other phrases be vnderstood as when it is said that baptisme saueth 1. Pet. 3. 21. that men must be baptised for the remission of sinnes Act. 22. 6. that we are buried by baptisme into the death of Christ. Rom. 6. 3. The second point concernes the Matter of baptisme Here I consider three things the signe the thing signified the Analogie of both The signe is partly the element of water Act. 8. 36. and partly the Rite by diuine institution appertaining to the element which is the sacramentall vse of it in washing of the bodie and these two water and externall washing of the bodie are the full and complete signe of baptis 〈…〉 e. Here a question may be made Whether washing of the bodie in baptisme must be by dipping or by sprinkling Ans. In hot countries and in the baptisme of men of yeares dipping was vsed and that by the Apostl 〈…〉 and to this Paul alludes Rom. 6. 3. and dipping doth more fully represent our spirituall washing then sprinkling Neuerthelesse in cold couÌ„tries and in the baptisme of infants new borne sprinkling is to be vsed and not dipping in respect of their health and life For the Rule is Necessitie and charitie dispense with the Ceremoniall law Vpon this ground Dauid did eate the shewbread circumcision was not alwaies the eight day as appeares by the Israe lites in the wildernes and for the same cause in these countries dipping may be omitted though otherwise a sacramentall rite And it must be remembred that baptising signifies not onely that washing which is by diuing of the bodie but also that which is by sprinkling The thing signified or the substance of baptisme is Christ himselfe our Mediatour as he gaue himselfe to wash cleanse vs. Thus Paul saith that he cleanseâ—th his Church by the washing of water Eph. 5. 6. The Analogie or proportion of both is on this manner Water resembles Christ crucified with all his merits S. Iohn saith The blood of Christ cleanseth vs from all our sinnes 1. Ioh. 1. 7. that is the merit and efficacie of Christ crucified freeth vs from our sinnes and from the guilt and punishment thereof Externall washing of the bodie resembles inward washing by the spirit which stands in iustification and sanctification 1. Cor. 6. 11. Tit. 3. 5. The dipping of the bodie signifies mortification or fellowship with Christ in his death the staying vnder the water signifies the buriall of sinne and the comming out of the water the resurrection from sinne to newnes of life Rom. 6. 3 4. The third point concernes the Forme of baptisme Math. 28. 19. Goe teach all nations baptizing them into the Name of the Father c. I explaine the words thus Marke first it is faide Teach them that is make them my disciples by calling them to beleeue and to repent Here we are to consider the Order which god obserues in making with man the couenant in baptisme First of all he calls men by his word and commands theÌ„ to beleeue and repent when they beginne to beleeue and repent then in the second place God makes his promise of mercie and forgiuenes and thirdly he seales his promise by baptisme This diuine Order Christ signifieth when he saith make them disciples and 〈…〉 as alwaies obserued of God Before he made any couenant with Abraham and before he sealed it by Circumcision he saith to him Walke before me and be vpright Gen. 17. 1. and of his seede he saith they must-first doe
me doth it Here marke Paul calls concupiscence in himselfe after regeneration sinne and that properly because he saith it is the same that maketh men to sinne And Col. 3. 5. he saith Mortifie your earthly members and among the rest he nameth euill concupiscence And to the Ephesians 4. 22. Be ye renewed in the spirit of your mindes Therefore after baptisme some portions remaine still of the old man or of originall sinne S. Iohn saith 1. Ioh. 1. 8. If we say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues Answer is made that this is spoken of veniall or small sinnes but how can they be small sinnes that are to be washed away with the blood of Christ as he saith v. 7. And if these words be spoken of infants as they are then must Concupiscence be a sinne in them for they haue no actuall sinnes Lastly Christ saith Ioh. 13. 10. He that is all washed must haue his feete that is his carnall affections washed Here obserue two things One that defilements of sinne remaine in them that are washed The second that they are after the first washing to be done away by Christ and not by the acts of our pennance The grounds of Popish doctrine in this point are two The first is this They make three degrees of Concupiscence The first is the pronesse in the flesh to rebell against the law of the minde or the proâ—esse to euill The second stands in the first motions to sinne which goe before consent of will The third stands in acts of lust ioyned with consent of will This third they say is forbidden in the moral law which forbids and condemnes voluntarie concupiscence and the two first are not Because as they speake concupiscence it selfe with the first motions are not in mans power and therefore they are rather to be tearmed defects or infirmities then sinnes and that men are no more to be blamed for them then for the diseases of their bodies Ans. The doctrine is false for it is an euident truth that Concupiscence with the first motions thereof to euill is condemned in the Morall law It is a Principle in expounding the law where any actuall sinne is forbidden there all causes occasions furtherances thereof are likewise forbidden Therefore considering actuall concupiscence ioyned with consent is forbidden in the law Originall concupiscence with the first motions thereof beeing causes of the former are likewise forbidden And Paul saith he had not knowne Lust to be sinne vnlesse the law had said Thou shalt not lust Rom. 7. 7. Now he was a Doctor of the law and knew that lust with consent was a sinne for thus much the light of nature teacheth therfore the law speakes of an higher degree of lust namely of lust going before consent The second ground is this When sinne is remitted it doth not make men guiltie but ceaseth to be a fault Originall sinne therefore ceaseth to be sinne after baptisme Ans. Though actuall guilt be taken away yet potentiall guilt remaineth namely an aptnes in Originall sinne to make men guiltie and though it be not the fault of this or that person yet it is a fault in nature or as it is considered in it selfe The vse If Originall sinne remaine after baptisme to the death then we must humble our selues and vse to the very death the plea of mercie and pardon denying our selues and resting on Christ. Againe if persons baptised be sinners to the death it may be demaunded what difference there is betweene the godly and vngodly Ans. In them that are regenerate there is a sorrow for their inward corruptions and for their sinnes past with a detestation of them and withall there is a Purpose in them to sinne no more and with this purpose there is ioyned an endeauour to please God in all his commandements so as if they doe sinne they can say with good conscience that they sinned against their purpose and resolution This cannot the vngodly man doe The third point is how baptisme conferres grace Ans. It conferres grace because it is a meanes to giue and exhibit to the beleeuing minde Christ with his benefits and this it doth by his signification For it serues as a particular and infallible certificate to assure the partie baptised of the forgiuenes of his sinnes and of his eternall saluation And whereas the Minister in the name of God applies the promise of mercie to him that is baptised it is indeede as much as if God should haue made a particular promise to him In this regard baptisme may well be said to conferre grace as the Kings letters are said to saue the life of the malefactour when they doe but signifie to him and others that the kings pleasure is to shew fauour Againe baptisme may be saide to conferre grace because the outward washing of the bodie is a token or Pledge of the grace of God and by this pledge faith is confirmed which is an instrument to apprehend or receiue the grace of God And this confirmation is made by a kind of reasoning in the minde on this manner He that vseth the signe aright shall receiue the thing signified I saith the partie baptised beeing of yeares vse the signe aright in faith and repentance therefore I shall receiue the thing signified remission of sinnes and life euerlasting A king saith to his subiect He that brings the head of such a traytour shall haue a thousand poundes Well the head of the foresaid traytour is cut off and he that hath the head may say Here is a thousand pounds or this will bring me a thousand pounds because it is vnto him as a pledge vpon the kings word of the reward of a thousand pounds And so is the washing in baptisme an infallible pledge to him that beleeues of the pardon of his sinnes Thus doe the sacraments conferre grace and no otherwise One reason for many may be this The word of God confirs grace for it is the power of God to saluation to them that beleeue and this it doth by signifying the will of God by the eare to the mind now euery sacrament is the word of God made visible to the eye the sacrament therefore confirs grace by vertue of his signification and by reason it is a pledge by the appointment of God of his mercie and goodnes It may be said a sacrament is not only a signe and a seale but also an instrument to conuay the grace of God to vs. Answer It is not an instrument hauing the grace of God tyed vnto it or shut vp in it but an instrument to which grace is present by assistance in the right vse thereof because in with the right vse of the sacrament God conferres grace and thus is it an instrument and no otherwise that is a morall and not a physicall instrument The doctrine of the Papist is that the sacrament conferres grace by the worke done that is that the outward action of the Minister conferres grace by his owne force when
at the very first moment of his conception Againe obserue that Christ in his manhood increased in grace as in age and stature Luk. 2. And this increase was without all imperfection for in his infancie Christ receiued a full measure of grace fit for that age when he was twelue yeares old he receiued a further measure fit for that age and so when he was thirtie yeares old And thus increase of grace and the perfection thereof stand both together And this increase is not onely in respect of experience and the manifestation of Grace before God and men but also in respect of the habit or gift though the Schooles for 400. yeares haue taught the contrarie euer since the daies of Lumbard The third thing is the Vniting of flesh to the Godhead of the Sonne and that is done when the sonne of God makes the flesh or nature of man a part of himselfe and communicates vnto it his owne subsistance The like example to this is not to be found againe in the world yet haue we some resemblance of this mysterie in the plant called Misselto which hath no roote of his owne but growes in a tree of an other kinde and thence receiues his sappe And so the manhood of the sonne hath no personalitie or personall subsistance but is receiued into the Vnitie of the second person and is sustained of it It must here be obserued that there is a difference betweene the manhood of Christ and all other men Peter is a person subsisting of himselfe and so is Paul and euery particular man but so is not the manhood of Christ and therefore it is to be tearmed a nature and not a person And it is no disgrace but an exaltation to the nature of man that is subsists by the vncreated subsistance of the second person It may be obiected that all beleeuers are ioyned to the sonne of God as well as the flesh of Christ I answer they are so but in an other kind and in a lower degree by communication of grace and not by communication of personall subsistance Thus we see how the sonne was made flesh the vse follows Hence we learne to vse all meanes that we may become newe creatures and be borne of God God becomes man that we men might be partakers of the diuine nature Christ is made bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh by his incarnation that we might be made bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh by regeneration The sonne of God was made the sonne of man that we which are the sonnes of men might be made the sonnes of God To be made flesh is the abasement of the sonne in this abasement he goes on till he become euen as a worme of the earth Psal. 22. 7. so must we abase our selues till we be anihillated and brought to nothing then shall we be like to Christ and filled with the good things of God Our sinnes are a wall of partition betweene God and vs so as we are farre from God and God from vs Isa 59. 2. and this partition is of our own making and by this means we haue no accesse to God of our selues though we pray vnto him and fill heauen and earth with our crie Now the sonne of God made man is Immanuel that is God with vs Isai 7. 14. and his incarnation is a meanes whereby we haue accesse to god and he is nere vnto vs when we pray vnto him in trueth 2. Chron. 15. 2. This must teach vs to drawe nere to God in the hearing and obeying of his word in praier and in the vse of the holy Sacraments If this be not done great is our wickednesse and great shall be the punishment Iob. 21. 14. Psal. 73. 27. The incarnation of Christ is the foundation of all our comfort and all good things which we inioy By it God comforts Adam The seed of the woman shall brnise the serpents head Iacob is comforted by the vision of a ladder reaching from heauen to earth and this ladder is the sonne of God made man Ioh. 1. 51. Iob comforts himselfe in this that his Redeemer of his own flesh as the word signifieth liueth Iob. 19. 25. In the old testament they which sought vnto God came to the Arke or Propitiatorie and there were they heard and receiued the blessings of God Now Christ God and man is in stead of the Arke Rom. 3. 25. and therefore we must come to him if we would receiue any good thing of God The godhead is the fountaine of all good things and the flesh or manhood is a pipe or conduit to conuaie the same vnto vs. If we would then receiue true comfort we must hunger and thirst in our hearts after Christ and by our faith eate his flesh and drinke his blood Ioh. 6. 54. 56. The third point or degree is the subiection of the sonne of God to the lawe expressed in these words made vnder the lawe Here two questions are to be answered The first is who is made subiect to the law I answer the sonne of God And this may not seeme strange that he which is Lord of the law should be subiect to the law for he must be considered as he is our pledge and suretie Heb. 7. 22. and as one that standes in our place roome and stead and before God represents the person of all the elect and in this respect is he subiect to the lawe not by nature but by voluntarie abasement and condition of will The second question is how the sonne of God was subiect to the lawe Answ. By a twofold obedience namely by the obedience of his passion and by his obedience in fulfilling the lawe The obedience of his passion stands before God as a satisfaction for the breach of the law In it consider two things the foundation of the passion and the passion it selfe The foūdation is that the sonne of God was made sinne for vs 2. Cor. 5. 21 that is all the sinnes of all the Elect were imputed to him and he in our roome and place was recounted a sinner The passion it selfe is the curse of the law laid on the sonne of God namely the first death and the paines of the second death which is in effect and substance the paines of hell as I haue shewed in the 3. chap. v. 13. of this Epistle By the second Obedience in fulfilling the lawe the sonne of God performed for vs all things contained therein that we might haue right to life euerlasting and that according to the tenour of the law Leuit. 18. 5. Doe all these things and liue Of this obedience 2. questions are demanded The first is whether it be necessarie for the iustification of a sinner Answ. It is The summe of the lawe is Loue God with all thy heart and thy neighbour as thy selfe Now euery iot and title of the lawe must necessarily be fulfilled Math. 5. 18. Much more then the summe and substance of the lawe And
it cannot be fulfilled by vs beeing sinners therefore there must needs be a translation of the lawe from our persons to the person of the Mediatour who is to accomplish euery iot of the law for vs. Againe He that doth not all things contained in the law is cursed Gal. 3. 13. He therefore that would eschewe the curse of the law and come to life euerlasting must by himselfe accomplish all things contained in the law and if this cannot be done the law and all the contents thereof must needs be accomplished in the person of the Mediatour otherwise the curse cannot be auoided Lastly we owe vnto God a double debt or tribute The first is homage or subiection to be performed with all the powers of the soule with all the strength of all the powers and that from the first conception The second is a satisfactiō by death for the breach of the law And the lawe is the bond that binds vs to the paiment of this double debt And till the iustice of God in the law be answered to the full this bond cannot be cancelled Therefore the sonne of God the Mediatour must not onely die for vs but also performe homage for vs to God according to the tenour of the law Therefore he saith that he must performe all righteousnesse Math. 3. 15. And Paul that Christ is the end of the law for righteousnesse Rom. 10. 4. It is alleadged that Christ as man fulfilled the lawe for himselfe and therefore not for vs. Ans. The flesh or manhood of Christ considered by it selfe apart from the godhead of the sonne is a creature that owes homage vnto God Yet if it be considered as it is receiued into the vnitie of the second person and is become a part thereof it is exempted from the common condition of all other men and is not bound to performe subiection as all men are For if the sonne of man be Lord of the Sabboth then also is he Lord of the whole law And Paul here saith that the sonne of God is not borne but made vnder the lawe Againe it is alleadged that the blood of Christ taketh away all sinne 1. Ioh. 1. 7. and when all sinne is taken away the law is fulfilled and the person iustified Ans. When S. Iohn saith the blood of Christ purgeth vs from all sin he excludes the blood of beasts and all meritorious means of saluation in man out of Christ he excludes not the obedience which the Mediatour yeelded to the father in all his sufferings Againe it is not true that a sinner is iustified when all sinne is abolished vnlesse iustice be added For iustification is an alteration of a sinner from one cōtrarie to another from euill to good from life to death and therefore sinne must depart and iustice come in the roome thereof That a darke house may be inlightned darkenes must first be abolished and light must come in the stead thereof And that a man may be iustified sinne must be couered and righteousnesse imputed The second question is how the sonne of God performed this obedience Ans. He was obedient to his father to the death and that according to all the duties of loue in the first table for the second table he loued his enemie as himselfe because he gaue his life for man Marke then he did all things contained in the lawe and more too in respect of the duties of the second Table For the lawe binds vs to loue our neighbours as our selues and not more then our selues This obedience therefore is truely to be tearmed a worke of supererogation and there is none in the world beside The vse That the sonne of God was conformable to the law it argues the goodnesse perfection and excellencie thereof Here againe marke the difference between the man Christ and all other men He was not borne subiect to the lawe but made subiect not subiect by nature but by will and by voluntarie abasement All other men are subiect not by will but by nature not made but borne subiect Therefore Paul saith the Gentiles doe by nature the things of the lawe The remainders of the law since the fall are naturall in all men therfore the whole lawe was naturall before the fall Man was at the first created in righteousnes and holinesse Eph. 4. 24. and therefore in a perfect subiection and conformitie to the lawe It is a naturall propertie of a reasonable creature to doe homage to the creator It is an error then in the papist to teach that the Image of God in our first parents was supernaturall The fourth point or degree is the Redemption of man frō vnder the law in these words that he might redeeme them which were vnder the law Here fiue things are to be considered The first is what is meant by beeing vnder the law Ans. The lawe must be cōsidered two waies first as the Rule of life Thus angels are vnder the lawe and Adam before his fall and the saints nowe in heauen And none yeeld more subiection to the lawe then they and this subiection is their libertie Againe the lawe must be considered as a grieuous yoke which none can beare It is a yoke three waies first because it did bind the Church of the olde testament to the obseruation of many and that very costly ceremonies for the maintenance of the altar at Hierusalem was a matter of great charges Secondly it is a yoke because it binds euery offendour to euerlasting death Gen. 2. 17. Gal 3. 13. Thirdly it is a yoke as it increaseth sinne and as it is the strength of it 1. Cor. 15. 56. Rom. 5. 20. and 7 8. And it increaseth sinne not as a cause but as an occasion For the wicked nature of man is the more to doe a thing the more he is forbidden The Israelites are bidden to goe on to Canaan then they like Egypt well They are forbidden to goe to Canaan and cōmanded to stay in the wildernesse but then they will needs go to Canaan Circumcision commanded was lothed of all nations when it was abolished then men of sundrie nations imbraced it as needefull to saluation To be vnder the law then is to be in subiection to it as it is a burden and yoke in the three former respects specially to be subiect to the curse of the law The second point is who are vnder the law Ans. The Iewes before the comming of Christ were vnder the law in respect of Ceremonies and all men naturally are vnder the law in respect of the malediction and curse therof all beeing borne children of wrath Eph. 2. 3. Here comes a lamentable matter to be considered Very few in respect know themselues to be in bondage to the curse of the law For they thinke it an easie matter to obserue the law and it is vsed for a forme of praier whereby men vse to blesse themselues morning and euening Learne therefore this one lesson that thou art by nature in
our selues on Christ by faith Fourthly the law was written in tables of stone the Gospel in the fleshie tables of our heart Ier. 31. 33. 2. Cor. 3. 3. Fiftly the law was in nature by creation the Gospel is aboue nature and was reuealed after the fall Sixtly the law hath Moses for the mediatour Deut. 5. 27. but Christ is the mediatour of the new testament Heb. 8. 6. Lastly the law was dedicated by the blood of beasts Exod. 24. 5. the new Test by the blood of Christ. Heb. 9. 12. Here then falls to the ground a maine pillar in Popish religion which is that the law of Moses and the Gospel are all one law for substance and that the difference lies in this that the law of Moses is darke and imperfect and the Gospel or the law of Christ more perfect because he hath as they say added Counsells to precepts Againe the law they say without the spirit is the law properly and with the spirit it is the Gospel But all this is false which they teach For the two Testaments the law and the Gospel are two in nature substance or kind and the difference lies not in the presence or absence of the spirit And whereas the Papists make two iustifications the first meerely by grace the second by workes besides the two Testaments they must establish a third Testament compounded of both and it must be partly legall and partly Euangelicall otherwise the twofold iustification cannot stand For the law propounds onely one way of iustification and the Gospel a second The doctrine therefore that propounds both is compounded of both God did not approoue the polygamie of Abraham yet doth he vse it to signifie the greatest mysterie of our religion Here we see a great point of the diuine prouidence of God who ordereth and vseth well the things which he doth not approoue This is the foundation of our patience and a meanes of true comfort Ioseph thus comforts himselfe and his brethren that God ordered and disposed their bad enterprise to his and their good Gen. 45. 6 7. Here againe Paul sets downe two properties of the Testament of workes or of the law The first is that it came from mount Sina And here lies the difference betweene the law and the Gospel the law is from Sina the gospel from Sion or Ierusalem For there it was first to be preached and thence conueied to all nations Mich. 4. 1. Ezech. 47. 1. The second propertie of the law is that it gendreth to bondage because it maketh them bond men that looke to be saued and iustified thereby And this it doth by reuealing sinne and the punishment thereof which is euerlasting death and by conuincing all men of their sinnes and of their deserued condemnation In this respect it is called the ministerie of death 2. Cor. 3. 6. and Paul saith that after he knew his sins by the lawe he died and the lawe was the meanes of death vnto him Rom. 7. 10. Here is another difference between the law and the Gospel The lawe genders to bondage the Gospell genders to life For it is an instrument of the spirit for the beginning and confirming of our regeneration and saluation and so is not the law which is no cause but only an occasion of the grace of God in vs. Where as Ierusalem that now is is said to be in bondage as Sina and Hagar It is to be obserued that there is no Church in the world nor people which is not subiect to Apostasie For God had made great and large promises to Ierusalem Psal. 122. and 132. and yet for all this Ierusalem by refusing Christ and by establishing the iustice of the lawe is comne into bondage and depriues herselfe of the inheritance of eternall life Therefore it is a falshood which the Papists teach that the infallible assistance of the spirit is tyed to the Chaire and Consistorie of the Pope so as he and consequently the Church of Rome cannot erre Here againe we see what may be the future condition of England For it may be said of it hereafter England that now is is not that which it hath bin namely a maintainer of the Gospell of Christ. Therefore we must not be high minded but feare and now take heed of the first beginning of apostasie The holy Ghost Heb. 3. 12 13. set down the degrees thereof and they are fiue in number The first is the deceit of sinne the second is the hardening of the heart after men are deceiued by sinne the third is an euill heart which growes vpon hardnesse of heart the fourth is vnbeleefe whereby the word of God is called in question and the trueth thereof and after vnbeleefe followes a departure from God and Christ. That this may not be we must carefully avoid all the deceits of sinne as namely couetousnes ambition lust c. Againe as Agar figures the lawe so doth Ismael all iusticiaries that looke to be saued by the law Here then we see the condition of the world the greatest part whereof are Ismalites For the Turke and the Iewe looke at this day to be faued by their workes The Papist ascribes his conuersion not wholly to grace but partely to grace and partly to nature or the strength of mans will helped by grace And thus are they borne after the flesh as Ismael was And our common people though in shew they professe reformed religion yet indeed a great part of them are Ismaelites For they looke to be saued by their good seruing of God and by their good deeds and they little thinke on Christ and his merits And thus they depriue themselues of all title to eternall life Therefore it stands them in hand to condemne nature and the strength thereof and to renounce their owne workes and to rest onely on the promise of mercie for eternall saluation thus shall they be the children of the promise and heires of God Lastly in that Ierusalem is in bondage like Agar or mount Sina we see how vaine are the pilgrimages to the holy land how needlesse were the warres made for the recouery thereof 26. But Ierusalem which is aboue is free which is the mother of vs all Here Paul shewes what is figured by Sara namely the new Ierusalem which is the Catholike Church Heb. 12. 22 23. Reuel 21. 2. And it is here so tearmed because Ierusalem was a type thereof in sixe respects First God chose Ierusalem aboue all other places to dwell in Psal. 132. 13. And the Catholike Church is the companie of predestinate chosen to be a particular people to God Secondly Ierusalem is a citie compact in it selfe by reason of the bond of loue and order among the citizens Psal. 122. 3. In like sort the members of the Catholike Church are linked togither by the bond of one spirit Thirdly in Ierusalem was the sanctuarie a place of Gods presence and of his worship where also the promise of the seed of the woman was preserued
that there is a great want of the grace of God among â—s Therefore take heede of it 30 But what saith the Scripture put out the bond-woman and her sonne for the sonne of the bondwoman shal not be heire with the sonne of the freewoman The second answer to the former obiection is in these wordes that they which hate the children of promise shall at length be cast out of the house of God Obiect I. These wordes cast out the bondwoman are the words of Sara to Abraham therefore they are not the words of scripture Ans. The words were vttered by Sara but they were afterward approoued by God Gen. 21. 12. and thus they are the voice of scripture Obiect II. Sara is commended for her subiection to Abraham 1. Pet. 3. 6. yet here shee speakes imperiously Cast out the bondwoman Ans. Shee speakes this not as a priuate woman but as the voice and mouth of God and that no doubt by instinct from God And therefore the words shee vttereth are to be esteemed as the commandement of God This her case is extraordinarie and not to be followed Thevse I. All carnall hypoâ—â—ites mockers of the grace of God shall be cast forth of Gods familie though for a time they beare a sway therein This is the sentence of God Let vs therefore repent of our mocking and hereafter become louers of the grace of God as Christ was Mark 10. 21. II. Consolation the persecution of the people of God shall not be perpetuall For the persecuting bondwoman and her sonne must be cast out The rodde of the wicked shall noâ— rest vpon the Lot of the righteous Psal. 125. 3. This is our comfort III. All iustitiarie people and persons that looke to be saued and iustâ—fied before God by the law and the workes of the law either in whole or in part are cast out of the church of God and haue no part in the kingdome of heauen The casting out of Agar and Ismael is a figure of the reiection of all such Behold here the voice of God casting downe from heauen the greatest part of the earth the Turke the Iew the obstinate Papist with the stepmother the Romish church 31 Then brethren we are not children of the seruant but of the freewoman The conclusion of the whole argument following directly from the 27. verse If we be children of the promise then are we children of the freewoman and not of the bondwoman consequently we are iustified and saued without the works of the law by the meere grace of God causing vs by faith to rest on the promise of God whose substance and foundation is Christ. CHAP. V. 1 Stand fast therefore in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made vs free and be not intangled againe with the yoke of bondage THese words are repetition of the principall Conclusion of the whole Epistle Which was on this manner I Paul am called to teach and my doctrine is true therefore ye did euill to depart from it and your dutie was to haue stood vnto it Further they are collected and inferred vpon the conclusion of the last argument vsed in the last chapter thus Ye are children of the freewoman and therefore ye are free and therefore ye should hold fast your libertie In the words two maine points of doctrine are propounded The first is that by nature we are all intangled with the yoke of bondage For the better conceiuing of this I will handle three points the nature of this bondage the signe of it and the vse Touching the nature of it Our spirituall bondage stands in three things The first is bondage vnder sinne which Paul teacheth when he saith I am carnall sold vnder sinne Rom. 7. 14. Here remember that by sinne is meant Originall sinne which hath two parts Guiltines in the first offence of Adam which is imputed to all mankind and the disposition of all the powers of the soule to all manner of euill whatsoeuer And this rebellious disposition is like a leprosie infecting the whole man and it raignes like a tyrant ouer the soule of man by tempting intising and drawing him from one actuall sinne to another so as he can doe nothing but sinne Iam. 1. 14. The second thing is obligation or subiection to all punisâ—â—ment both temporall and eternall And it hath three parts The first is Bondage vnder Satan who keepes vnrepentant sinners in his snare according to his owne will 2. Tim. 2. 26. he rules in their hearts like a God 2. Cor. 4. 4. and hath power to blinde them and to harden their hearts till he haue brought them to eternall death Heb. 2. 14. The second is bondage vnder an euill conscience which sits in the hearts of offendours as an accuser and a terrible iudge and lies like a wild beast at a mans dore readie euer and anon to plucke out his throat Gen. 4. 7. The third is bondage vnder the wrath of God and the feare of eternall death Heb. 2. 15. The third part of this bondage is the obligation to the ceremoniall law It pertaines not to all mankind but onely concernes the Iewes to whome it was a yoke of bondage Act. 15. The signe of this bondage whereby it may be discerned is to keepe a course or practise in sinning Ioh. 8. 34. He that commits sinne is a seruant of sinne or againe a life led according to the custome and fashion of this world in the lust of the flesh or the lust of the eye which is couetousnes or in the pride of life Eph. 2. 2. 1. Ioh. 2. 16. The vse We must learne to see feele acknowledge and bewaile this bondage in our selues Deliuerance belongs onely to such captiues as know themselues to be captiues Luk. 4. 18. and labour vnder this bondage Matth. 11. 28. Thus did Paul when he saith I am sold vnder sinne and O miserable man who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death To feele this bondage is a steppe out of it and not to feele it is to be plunged into it Secondly we must pray earnestly for deliuerance The dumme creatures sigh and trauell till they be deliuered from their bondage much more then must we doe it Rom. 8. 22. Thirdly we must learne to detest whatsoeuer is of our selues because it wholly tends to bondage Lastly we must be content with any affliction that God laies on vs though it be lingring sicknes pouertie imprisonment banishment For God might worthely lay on vs all shame and confusion because we are by nature slaues of sinne and Satan The second maine doctrine is that by grace there is a libertie pertaining to the people of God Here I consider foure things 1. what this libertie is 2. the author of it 3. the persons to whome it belongs 4. our dutie touching this libertie For the first Christian libertie is called the Good or commoditie of Christians Rom. 14. 16. It is a spirituall Right or condition lost by Adam and restored by Christ. I say spirituall because
it pertaines to the conscience The vse indeede of our libertie is in outward things as meate drinke apparell c. but the libertie it selfe is in the conscience And thus it differs from ciuill libertie which stands in the moouing of the bodie in the choise of bodily actions and in the free vse of our goods Christian libertie hath two parts a Deliuerance from miserie and Freedome in good things Deliuerance hath foure parts The first is a Deliuerance from the curse of the law for the breach thereof Rom. 8. 1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ. And this comes to passe because there is a translation made of the curse from our persons to the person of Christ. Gal. 3. 13. The second deliuerance is from the obligation of the law whereby it binds vs to bring perfect righteousnes in our owne persons for the attainment of euerlasting life according to the tenour thereof Doe this and liue And this deliuerance is procured because there is a translation made of the fulfilling of the law from our persons to the person of our Sauiour Christ. From these two deliuerances ariseth the Pacification of the conscience partly for our Iustification and partly for our conuersation Touching iustification A sinner in his humiliation and conuersion hath by this doctrine a Libertie without respect to his owne workes or to his owne fulfilling of the law to rest on the meere mercie of God for the forgiuenes of his sinnes and the saluation of his soule and to appeale from the throne of diuine iustice to the throne of grace and to oppose the merit of Christ against the wrath and iudgement of God And this hath bin alwaies the helpe of the godly in their distresse Read 2. Chron. 33. 12. Ezra 9. Dan. 9. Psal. 32. 31. 130. 143. Consider the example of the Publican and the Prodigall sonne who condemne themselues and make their appeale to the court of mercie and grace Here some man may say how shall I know that I am freed from the rigour of the law and from the curse thereof Ans. Thou must first set thy selfe at the barre of Gods iudgement and there must thou arraigne accuse and condemne thy selfe this done thou must vse thy libertie and make thine appeale to Gods mercie and grace for pardon by asking seeking knocking and thus at length shalt thou be resolued touching thy deliuerance Moreouer touching conuersation our consciences are setled thus In that we are freed from the Rigour of the law God in mercie accepts the will and indeauour to beleeue repent and obay for faith repentance and obedience He spares them that feare him as a father spares his child when he indeauours to doe that which he can Mal. 3. 17. The law requires perfect obedience at our hands yet God of his mercie lookes more at the will to obay then the perfection of obedience This must be a stay to our mindes when we see more corruption then grace in our selues and our obedience tainted with many spots of disobedience The third Deliuerance is from the obseruation of the Ceremoniall law of Moses Col. 2. 16. And hence ariseth an other deliuerance from the bondage of humane Traditions as Paul saith If yee be dead with Christ from the Elements of the world why are ye burdened with traditions Col. 2. 20. The fourth Deliuerance is from vnder the tyrannie and dominion of sinne Rom. 6. 14. Let not sinne haue dominion ouer you For ye are not vnder the law but vnder grace In the first tonuersion of a sinner Originall sinne receiues his deadly wound and the dominion thereof is diminished according to the measure of grace receiued The second part of Christian libertie is a Freedome in good things and it is fourefold The first is a freedome in the voluntarie seruice of God Luk. 1. 74. We are deliuered from our enemies that we may serue God in righteousnes and holines before him all the daies of our liues without feare Paul saith that the law is not giuen to the righteous man 1. Tim. 1. 9. because he is a law to himselfe and freely does good duties as if there were no law to bind him The cause of this freedome is the Gift and donation of the free spirit of God Therefore Dauid praies Stablish me with thy free spirit Psal. 5. 1. And Paul saith Where the spirit is there is libertie 2. Cor. 3. 17. And The spirit of life which is in Christ is a Law to vs and frees vs from the power of sinne and death Rom. 8. 2. It may be obiected that this freedome in the voluntarie seruice of God is bondage For Christ saith Matth. 11. 29. Take my yoke vpon you And we are as straightly bound to the obedience of the law of God as Adam was by creation nay more straightly by reason of our redemption by Christ. Ans. The more we are bound to obedience the freer we are because the seruice of God is not bondage but perfect libertie The second freedome is in the free vse of all the creatures of God Tit. 1. 15. To the pure all things are pure Rom. 14. 14. And the reason is because the dominion ouer the creatures lost by Adam is restored by Christ. 1. Cor. 3. 22. And hence it is that Paul calls the forbidding of marriage and of meates with obligation of conscience a doctrine of deuills 1. Tim. 4. 1. The third freedome is a Libertie to come vnto God the father in the name of Christ and in praier to be heard Rom. 5. 2. Eph. 3. 12. Whereas according to our naturall condition our sinnes are a wall of partition betweene vs and God and cause vs to flie from the presence of God and though we crie vnto God and fill heauen and earth with our cries so long as we are in our sinnes we are not heard of him The fourth freedome is a Libertie to enter into heauen in the day of our death Christ by his blood hauing made a way Heb. 10. 19. Thus we see what Christian libertie is The vse followes The Anabaptists gather hence that among Christians there must be Magistrates they must haue power to make lawes beside the lawes of God but this power they haue not because Christians haue a free vse of all the creatures of God by Christian libertie Ans. We must distinguish betweene the libertie it selfe and the vse of it And the Magistrates authoritie deales not with the libertie which is in the conscience but with the vse of it and he doth neither diminish nor abolish the vse of any of the creatures but restraines the abuse and moderates the ouer common vse for the common good Thus Magistracie and Christian libertie may stand together and the rather because libertie is in conscience and the Magistrates authoritie pertaines to the bodie Here is further comfort for all the godly for euen by Christian libertie their consciences are exempted from the power of all creatures men and Angels 1. Cor. 7.
23. Ye are bought with a prise be not seruants of men that is let not your hearts and consciences stand in subiection to the will of any man Here then falls to the ground the Opinion of the Papists namely that the lawes and Traditions of the Church bind conscience as truly and certenly as the word of God This doctrine is not of God because it is against Christian libertie Obiect I. Rom. 13. 5. Be subiect to the higher powers for conscience Ans. Conscience here is not in respect of the lawes of the Magistrate but in respect of the law of God that binds vs in conscience to obay the law of the Magistrate Obiect II. Heb. 13. 17. Obay them that haue the ouersight of you and be subiect Ans. We must be subiect to them because as Ministers of God they deliuer the word of God in the name of God vnto vs and that word binds conscience Againe the lawes which they make touching order and comelines in the seruice of God are to be obaied for the auoiding of scandall and contempt Obiect III. A thing indifferent vpon the commandement of the Magistrate becomes necessarie Ans. It is true But it must be obserued that necessitie is twofold Externall internall And the law of the Magistrate makes a thing indifferent to be necessarie onely in respect of externall necessitie for the auoiding of the contempt of authoritie and for the auoiding of scandall Otherwise the thing in it selfe is not necessarie but remaines still indifferent and may be vsed or not vsed if contempt and scandall be auoided The Apostles made a law that the Gentiles should abstaine from strangled and blood and things offered to Idols Act. 15. 28. yet Paul saith afterward to the Corinthians All things are lawfull 1. Cor. 10. 23. and whatsoeuer is sold in the shambles eate and make no question for conscience sake v. 25. because their intent was not that the law should simply binde but onely in the case of offence and therefore where there was no offence to be seared they leaue all men to their libertie Againe here is an other comfort to all that beleeue in Christ that nothing can hurt them and that no euill can befall them Psal. 91. v. 10. nay all things shall in the ende turne to their good though in reason and sense they seeme hurtfull To beleeue this one thing is a ground of all true comfort The consideration of this benefit of Christian libertie teacheth three duties The first is from our hearts to imbrace loue and maintaine Christian religion because it is the meanes of this libertie The second is carefully to search the scriptures for they are as it were the Charter in which our liberties are contained Thirdly our Christian libertie puts vs in minde to become vnfained seruants of God in the duties of faith repentance newe obedience Rom. 6. 22. For this seruice is our libertie The second point is touching the Author of this libertie in these words wherewith Christ hath made vs free Christ then is the worker of this libertie Ioh. 8. 36. he dissolues the works of the deuill 1. Ioh. 3. 8. he binds the strong man and casts him out of his hold Matth. 12. 29. He procures this libertie by two meanes by his merit and by the efficacie of his spirit The merit of his death procures deliuerance from death and it purchaseth a right to life euerlasting The efficacie of his spirit assures vs of our adoption and withall abates by little and little the strength and power of sinne The vse Hence we learne the greatnes and grieuousnes of our spirituall bondage because there was none that could deliuer vs from it but Christ by his death and passion Hence therefore we are to take occasion to acknowledge and bewaile this our most miserable condition in our selues Secondly the prise that was paid for the procurement of our libertie namely the pretious blood of the immaculate lambe of God shewes that the libertie it selfe is a thing most pretious and excellent and so to be esteemed Thirdly for this libertie we are to giue all praise and thanks to God This did Paul at the remembrance of it Rom. 7. 25. 1. Cor. 15. 57. And not to be thankfull is an height of wickednesse The third point is concerning the persons to whome this libertie belongs and they are noted in these wordes Stand ye fast he hath made vs free Whereby Paul signifies himselfe and the Galatians that beleeued in Christ. Beleeuers then are the persons to whome this libertie belongs Ioh. 1. 12. 1. Tim. 4. 3. And true beleeuers are thus to be discerned They vse the ordinatiemeanes of grace and saluation the word sacraments in the vse of the meanes they exercise themselues in the spirituall exercises of inuocation and repentance and in these exercises they bewaile their vnbeleefe and striue by all meanes to beleeue in Christ. As for them that conceiue a perswasion of Gods mercie without the meanes of saluation and without the exercises of inuocation and repentance they are not true beleeuers but hypocrites When Paul saith Christ hath made vs free that is me Paul and you the Galatians he teacheth that euery beleeuer must by his faith applie vnto himselfe the benefit of Christian libertie But to doe this well is a matter of great difficultie The Papists in their writings report our doctrine to be this that a man must conceiue a perswasion that he is in the fauour of God the adopted child of God and that vpon this perswasion he hath the pardon of his sinnes and the benefit of Christian libertie But they abuse vs in this as in many other things For we teach that the Application of Christ and his benefits is to be made by certaine degrees The first is to vse the meanes of saluation the word praier sacraments the second is to consider and to grow to some feeling of our spirituall bondage the third is to will and desire to beleeue in Christ and to testifie this desire by asking seeking knocking the fourth is a certen perswasion or a certentie conceiued in minde of the mercie of God by meanes of the former desire according to the promise of God Aske and it shall be giuen vnto you The fifth is an experience of the goodnes of God after long vse of the meanes of saluation and then vpon this experience followes the full perswasion of mercie and forgiuenes The fourth point concernes the office of beleeuers and that is to stand fast in their Christian libertie and in the doctrine of the Gospel which reueales this libertie And by this we in England are admonished to stand fast to the religion which is now by law established amōg vs not to returne vnder the yoke of Popish bondage For the Popish religion is flat against Christian libertie two waies For our libertie which we haue in Christ frees vs from the law three waies in respect of condemnation in respect of compulsion to obedience and
ariseth a distinction of the calling of god sometime it is operatiue because God signifies and withall workes his will in the Elect sometimes againe in respect of others it is only significatiue when God reueales his will to men but spares to worke it for iust causes knowne to himselfe The third point is what is the calling to libertie Ans. An action of God translating men from the kingdome of darknes to his owne kingdome It hath 2. parts inuitement and admission Inuitement is when God offers remission of sinnes life euerlasting to them that beleeue outwardly by the preaching of the Gospell inwardly by the inspiration of heauenly desires Admission is when men are entred into the kingdome of grace and it is either outward or inward Outward admission is made in baptisme Inward admission is when men are taken out of olde Adam and by faith ingrafted into Christ for by this insâ—tion into Christ men are made reall members of gods kingdome The last question is why Paul mentions the calling to libertie in this place Ans. It is the ground of all comfort by it Paul comforts the Corinthians 1. Cor. 1. 9. Againe it is the ground of good life Therefore Peter saith be ye holy as he that hath called you is holy 1. Pet. 1. 15. And Paul walke worthie the calling wherewith he hath called you Eph. 4. 1. If the calling of god doe not mooue vs to amendement of life nothing will doe it We in England haue heard the calling of god more then 40. yeares and yet very few of vs are mooued to change and amend our liues This shewes our Atheisme and vnbeleefe here is almost nothing but heauing shouing and lifting for the world Some are held captiues of their couetousnes some of their pride some of their damnable and fleshly lusts and all this shewes that few or none so much as dreame of a calling to spirituall libertie The first Rule followes Only vse not your libertie as an occasion to the flesh The sense Flesh hereby the Papists vnderstand Sensualitie or carnall appetites but hereby is ment the corruption of all the powers of the soule euen of reason and conscience Paul saith that the wisdom or vnderstanding of the flesh is emnity to God Rom. 8. 7. fleshlines therefore pertaines to the vnderstanding Againe he saith of some that they are puffed vp in the mind of the flesh Col. 2. 18. and he willes the Ephesians to be renewed in the spirit of their minds Eph. 4. 23. The meaning then of the rule is this vse not the benefit of spirituall libertie as an occasion to the flesh to liue according to the flesh Here I consider three things what is the abuse of libertie where is this abuse to be found and what is the right vse thereof The first question is what is the abuse of Christian libertie Ans. To vse it as an occasion of fleshly and carnall libertie that is done 3. waies The first is when men make more things indifferent theÌ„ god euer made Thus the Corinthians vsed fornication as a thing indifferent 1. Cor. 6. To many in these daies drunkennes and surfetting is but a thing indifferent Men vse not to distinguish a thing indifferent and the vse of it but they commonly thinke that if the thing be indifferent in it selfe then also the vse of it is indifferent Thus all abuses of meat drinke apparrell all rioting and gaming dicing and carding c. are excused by the names of things indifferent Secondly our libertie is abused by an immoderate vse of the gifts of god The vse of them is immoderate 3. waies first in respect of time as when Diues fared deliciously and was arraied in rich attire euery day Thus many gentlemen and others offend when they turne recreation into an occupation Secondly the gifts of god are immoderatly vsed in respect of themselues as when men Exceed in eating and drinking as the prophet saith Deut. 29. 19. adding drunkennes to thirst Thirdly in respect of the callings and conditions of men for euery man is to vse the gifts of God according to his place and condition They then offend that beeing but meane persons liuing by trades yet for their diet and apparrel are as great gentlemen gentlewomen Thirdly liberty is abused when the blessings of God are made instruments and as it were flagges and banners to display our riot vanitie ostentation pride for this cause sundry things whereof some are indifferent in themselues are condemned Isai 3. 16. The second question is where is this abuse Ans. Euen among vs in England It is the fashion of men to take vnto themselues a Toleration of sinning some vpon the pacience of God others vpon the doctrine of the gratious Election of God saying that they will liue as they list because if they be Elected to saluation they shall certenly be saued whatsoeuer they doe And some there be that take occasion to continue in their sinnes vpon the mercy of God in the death and passion of Christ. A certen dweller in this towne of Cambridge made awaie himselfe In his bosome was found a writing to this effect that God did shew mercie on great grecuous and desperate sinners and therefore he said that he hoped of mercy though he hanged himselfe Of this mind are many ignorant persons who perseuering in their sinnes yet perswade themselues of mercy because they haue heard that Christ died for mankind And thus the death of Christ is as it were a licence or letters patents to commit sinne Againe great is the abuse of meat drinke and apparell To Elias there came an Angell and said arise and eate 1. King 19. 7. but to the men of our daies there had need come an Angell and saie cease to eate cease to drinke cease to game The third questioÌ„ is what is the right vse of Christian libertie Ans. It stands in 2. things first of all we our selues must be renewed and sanctified To the pure all things are pure Tit. 1. 15. The person must first please God before the action can please him The second is that beside the lawfull vse of the creatures we must haue a spirituall holy vse of theÌ„ The lawfull vse of the creature I call the politick vse therof coÌ„monly allowed takeÌ„ vp among men The spirituall vse is whereby we receiue vse the creature as from the hand of god the father in Christ according to his will and word And the Godly are not to seperate the one vse from the other but are bound by vertue of the 3 commandement to take vp an holy vse of euery gift of God When Noe came out of the Arke soâ— soone as he sett foote vpon the earth he built an altar offered sacrifice and called on the name of God not only for this end to worship god but also to sanctifie the earth and all the creatures of God vnto his vse The like did Abraham when he come into the land of Canaan And
vs put a further beginning to our actions then nature can afford causing vs to doe them in faith whereby we beleeue that our persons please God in Christ that our worke to be done pleaseth God that the defect of the worke is pardoned Secondly the spirit makes vs doe our actions in a new manner namely in obedience to the written word Thirdly it makes vs put a new end to our actions that is to intend and desire to honour God in the things that we doe For example A man is wronged by his neighbour and nature tells him that he must requite euill with euill yet he resolues to doe otherwise for saith he God in Christ hath forgiuen me many sinnes therefore must I forgiue my neighbour And he remembreth that vengeance is Gods and that he is taught so to aske pardon as he forgiueth others And hereupon he sets himselfe to requite euill with goodnesse This is to liue in the spirit The vse By this rule we see that most of vs faile in our duties For many of vs professing Christ liue not according to the lawes of nature in our common dealings We minde earthly things and therefore we are carnall It is a principle with many that if we keepe the Church obserue the Queenes laws which are indeed to be obserued and auoid open and grosse sinnes we do all that God requires at our hāds Hereupon to walke in the spirit is thought to be a worke of precisenes more then needes And they which deeme it to be a worke of precisenes walke not in the spirit And indeede they which haue receiued the greatest measure of the spirit must say with Paul that they are carnall sould vnder sinne Rom. 7. 14. Secondly this rule telleth vs that we must become spirituall men such as make conscience of euery sinne and doe things lawfull in spirituall manner in faith and obedience and not as carnall men doe them carnally It may be saide that Ministers of the word must be spirituall men I answer if thou whatsoeuer thou art be not spirituall thou hast no part in Christ. Rom. 8. And the rather thou must be spirituall because a naturall man may doe the outward duties of religion in a carnall sort Thirdly we must not iudge any mans estate before God by any one or some few actions either good or badde but by his walking or by the course of his life which if it be carnall it shewes the partie to be carnall if it be spirituall it shewes him to be spirituall The benefit that ariseth by the keeping of the rule followes in these words Ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh Flesh the corruption of nature the roote of all sinnes Lusts inordinate motions in the minde will and affections Thus largely is lust taken in the tenth Commandement which condemneth the first motions to euill Fulfill fulfilling is not a simple doing of euill but the accomplishing of lust with loue pleasure and full consent of will as also perseuerance in euill by adding sinne to sinne A question How farre doth the child of God proceede in the lust of the flesh Answ. He is assaulted by the lusts of the flesh but he doth not accomplish them More plainly there are fiue degrees of lust Suggestion delight consent the acte perseuerance in the acte Suggestion and delight whereby the minde is drawne away are incident to the child of God Consent is not ordinarily and if at any time the child of God consent to the lusts of his flesh it is but in part and against his purpose because he is ouercarried Likewise the acte or execution of lust is not ordinarily and vsually in the child of God if at any time he fall he may say with Paul I doe that which I hate Lastly perseuerance in euill doth not befall the child of God because vpon his fall he recouers himselfe by new repentance In this sense S. Iohn saith He that is borne of God sinnes not 1. Ioh. 3. 9. The vse Hence it followes that the lust of the flesh is in the child of God to the death and consequently they doe not fulfill the law neither can they be iustified thereby as Popish doctrine is Secondly our dutie is not to accomplish the lusts of the flesh but to resist them to the vttermost Rom. 13. 14. Thirdly here is comfort for the seruants of God Some man may say I am vexed and turmoiled with wicked thoughts and desires so as I feare I am not Gods child I answer againe for all this despaire not For if thou hate and detest the lusts that are in thee if thou resist them and wage battell against them if beeing ouertaken at any time thou recouer they selfe by new repentance they shall neuer be laid to thy charge to condemnation Rom. 8. 1. It is here made a prerogatiue of Gods child when the lusts of the flesh are in him not to accomplish them or to liue in subiection to them 17 For the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and they are contrarie one to another so that ye cannot doe the things which ye would These wordes are a reason of the former verse thus If ye walke in the spirit ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh for the flesh and spirit beeing contrarie mutually refist and withstand one another so as ye can neither doe the good not the euill which ye would Paul here sets forth a spirituall combate of which sixe things are to be considered The first is concerning the parties by whome the combat is made namely the flesh and the spirit The flesh signifies the corruption of the whole nature of man and the spirit is the gift of regeneration as hath beene shewed It may be demanded how these twaine beeing but qualities can be said to fight together Ans. The flesh and the spirit are mixed together in the whole man regenerate and in all the powers of the soule of man Fire and water are said to be mixed in compound bodies light and darknes are mixed in the aire at the dawning of the day In a vessell of luke warme water heat and cold are mixed together we cannot saie that the water is in one parte hott and in another cold but the whole quantitie of water is hott in parte and cold in parte Euen so the man regenerate is not in one part flesh in another part spirit but the whole mind is partly flesh and partly spirit and so are the will and affections through out partly spirituall and partly carnall Now vpon this mixture it comes to passe that the powers of the soule are carried and disposed diuerse waies and hereupon followes the combat The second point concernes the meanes whereby this combate is made and that is a two sold Concupiscence expressed in these words the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh The lust of the flesh shewes it selfe in two actions The first is to defile 〈◊〉
and to conforme our mindes consciences wills affections in all things to the foresaid will of God Rom. 12. 2. Let all such as desire to be spirituall remember and make conscience to practise this The third is the Priuiledge of beleeuers in the last wordes Ye are not vnder the law Vnderstand this in respect of the curse and condemnation of the law for otherwise we are all vnder the law as it is the rule of Good life The priuiledge then is that God doth not impute the defects of obedience to such as truly beleeue and repent but he accepts their imperfect obedience as perfect and absolute This serues to comfort them that greeue because they feele the want of Sanctification in themselues For if they can and doe will that which is good and indeauour themselues in the course of their liues according to their will let them not feare ouermuch when their obedience is defectiue because they are not vnder the rigour of the law and therefore God accepts the will and indeauour to obay for obedience And the consideration of Gods mercifull acceptation must stirre vs vp to an earnest care and conscience of all good duties 19 Moreouer the workes of the flesh are manifest which are adulterie fornication vncleannes wantonnes 20 Idolatrie witchcraft hatred debate emulations wrath contentions seditions heresies 21 Enuie murthers drunkennes gluttonie and such like whereof I tel you before as I also haue told you before that they which do such things shal not inherit the kingdom of God Paul before deliuered his rule in generall tearmes Giue no occasion to the flesh and fulfill not the lusts of the flesh Now he proceedes further in way of declaration to make a Catalogue or rehearsall of the particular workes of the flesh which were in vse and knowne to the Galatians And this he doth for waightie cause For we are full of blindnes and see not our corruption and we are full of hypocrisie and therefore readie to esteeme our selues spirituall when we are carnall And therefore this Catalogue serues fitly as a table or glasse to discouer the corruption of mans heart by the fruits thereof After Pauls example euery man shall doe well to make a Catalogue of the sinnes of his whole life By this meanes shall we better know our selues and take a manifest view of our sinnefull condition In this Catalogue I consider three things the condition of the workes of the flesh the kinds of them and the punishment thereof The condition is that the workes of the flesh are said to be manifest not onely to God but euen to men that haue the light of reason and naturall conscience Hence it followes that there is matter sufficient for the condemnation of them that neuer knew the Gospel For though the flesh it selfe be secret and hidden yet the workes of the flesh are manifest to the naturall man And this must further admonish vs neuer to hide or excuse our sinns but freely to confesse theÌ„ before God and before men also when neede requires Whether we confesse them or no they are manifest and the ingenuous confessing or vncouering of them is the way to couer them Psal. 32. 1. 4. Touching the kinds or sorts of the workes of the flesh they are in number seâ—uenteene and I may reduce them to foure heads The first sort are against chastitie the second against religion the third against charitie the last against temperance The workes of the flesh against chastitie are foure and they are placed in the first ranke for iust cause for by them men are brought to reprobate mindes Rom. 1. 28. and to be without sense or feeling Eph. 4. 19. and the bodie which should be the temple of the holy Ghost is made a stable and a stie for the deuill Adulterie it is the incontinencie of persons married or of persons vvhereof one at the least is married or betrothed I say betrothed because one and the same punishment is designed to married and betrothed persons and therefore the sinne is like in both If adulterie which is the breach of wedlocke be a worke of the flesh then damnable is the decretall of Pope Syricius that marriage it selfe was the pollution of the flesh It may be obiected that young widdowes by marrying haue damnation and breake the faith of baptisme 1. Tim. 5. 12. Ans. They are not saide to breake the faith of baptisme because they marrie but because they waxe wanton against Christ and so marrie that is cast off the reines of obedience by committing fornication and then for to couer their offence they marrie This I take to be the right sense of that place Adulterie is named in the first place and that for speciall cause For as it is a common so is it also a great sinne For it is the breach of the couenant of marriage made in the presence of God and vnto God and therefore it is called the couenant of God Prou. 2. 17. It is the punishment of idolatrie Rom. 1. 24. It is a sinne greater then theft Prou. 6. 30. 32. The committers of this sinne cut off themselues from humane societie and become men of death women of death according to Gods law And it will neuer be well with humane societie till adulterers be made fellons their liues taken from them and their goods confiscate Lastly this sinne brings the ruine of the families of adulterous persons and it sets a fire in them that burnes to destruction Fornication it is the incontinencie of single persons Marke how it is made a manifest worke of the flesh Hence it follows that fornication is no light matter or a thing indifferent as some haue taught It may be obiected that it is numbered among things indifferent Act. 15. 29. for with strangled and blood is ioyned fornication Ans. The Gentiles indeede esteemed it as a thing indifferent and hereupon it may be it is ioyned with things indifferent But the iudgement of the Church was otherwise and this opinion of the Gentiles is confuted by Paul 1. Cor. 6. Againe it may be obiected that the Lord commanded the Prophet Ose to take vnto him an harlot Ose 1. 2. Ans. It was done in type or figure and then the wordes of the Lord carrie this sense Take vnto thee a wife of fornications that is prophecie and publish that thou art like one that takes a wife of fornication Againe if the thing were done indeede yet did not the Prophet take an harlot to liue in fornication with her but at Gods commandement to liue with her according to Gods ordinance namely in marriage Againe hence I gather that there is no warrant for the Toleration of fornication For it is a foule and manifest worke of the flesh Magistrates may not doe euill that good may come thereof Rom. 3. 8. Whosoeuer doth euill must feare because the Magistrate beares the sword to punish Rom. 13. 4. And the commandement of God was that there must be no whore in Israel Deut. 23.
Therefore the permission of the Stewes in Rome is without warrant and the rather because there the prohibition of mariage in sundrie orders of men beares sway Uncleannes the incontinencie against nature as incest the sinne of Sodom and such like Marke where these sinnes were knowne there they are named particularly by Paul as among the Romanes Rom. 1. 27 28. and to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 6. 9 10. but where they were not knowne as in Galatia there they are onely mentioned generally least by the naming of them he should after a sort teach them Wantonnes that is the open profession and ostentation of incontinencie by vnchast words wanton gestures and wanton apparell Hence it appeares that we are to detest all signes of incontinencie and that we are to be chast not onely in deed but also in our words gestures and behauiours The punishment of these sinnes is in v. 21. in these wordes They which doe these things shall not inherit the kingdome of God And it must be remembred that this threat or curse must be applied to euery one of these sinnes particularly The vse There are a number of men that liue secretly in these sinnes adulterie fornication c. And because they professe Christian religion and sometime come to the Church and to the Lords table they thinke all is well and they suppose there is no daunger Thus make they a couenant with hell and death Isa. 28. But they deceiue themselues for God is vnchangeable and all his threats shall be accomplished And no adulterer no fornicatour no vncleane person shall enter into the kingdome of God whatsoeuer men suppose or dreame Secondly by the consideration of this threat we are admonished to flie adulterie fornication wantonnes c. They say these are but tricks of youth Belike then it is but a tricke to loose the kingdome of heauen Salomon saith Blessed is the man that feareth or causeth himselfe to feare Prou. 28. 14. now that shall be done when we terrifie our selues from these offences by setting Gods iudgements before vs. Lastly some man may say what shall they doe that are ouertaken with these sinnes if the doers thereof cannot enter into the kingdō of god Ans. Their case is dangerous there is but one way to helpe them in the world and that is to cease from adulterie fornication vncleannes wantonnes and to doe the contrarie Psal. 34. 14. And this will doe the deede for the promise of God is he that confesseth his sinnes and forsaketh thē shall haue mercie Prou. 28. 14. And this promise of God is not contrarie to his threat For so long as men are doers of these sinnes or of any one of them they are out of Gods kingdom and when they cease to be doers of them and contrariwise exercise themselues in the workes of chastitie possessing their vessells that is their bodies in sanctification and honour the case is altered and they must no more be reputed doers of these sinnes For God accepts men not as they haue bin but as they are In that these foure sinnes adulterie fornication c. are manifest workes of the flesh we are taught three things The first is that we must stocke vp the roote of these sinnes that is mortifie the passion of concupiscence Col. 3. 5. 1. Thess. 4. 5. which is nothing els but an inordinate inclination to these vices And it is mortified in vs if we learne to feare God in his word and in the commandement that forbiddes adulterie For the feare of God clenseth both heart and life Ioseph tempted by his mistris to follie by this meanes eschewed the offence saying shall I doe this and sinne against God Further it must be remembred that without holines no man can see God or haue fellowship with him Hebr. 12. 14. And while the lust of concupiscence beares the sway there is no holines and therefore no fellowship with God The second rule is that all occasions of these sinnes must be cut off two specially Idlenesse and the pampering of the bodie For Idlenes consider Dauid who when he was out of ciuill warres and free from banishment at peace in his owne house his wandring affection carried him to commit adulterie And the Israelites when they were stored and pampered with all the blessings of God gaue themselues to the committing of these offences Ier. 5. 7. 1. Cor. 10. 7. and the people of Sodom and Gomorrha Ezech. 16. 49. The third rule is that all signes of these vices must be auoided and detested that is any speech or action that may signifie or giue suspition of an incontinent disposition as light talke wanton behauiour curiousnes and excesse in trimming of the bodie suspected companie or companie that may in likelihood be suspected For it is Gods will that not onely the vice it selfe but also the appearance of euery vice should be auoided 1. Thess. 5. 22. Idolatrie The second sort of sinnes follow which are against godlines and they are three Idolatrie Witchcraft Heresie Idolatrie is the worshipp 〈◊〉 Idol-gods An Idol is taken two waies First of all a fiction or a thing meerely deuised is an Idol againe when we conceiue a thing that is otherwise then it is it is an Idol So likewise Idolatrie is twofold One is when some thing that is not God is set vp in the Roome of God and that is done three waies One is when the Godhead is ascribed to a creature as when it was said to Herod The voice of a God and not of a man The second is when any propertie of the godhead is ascribed to the creature The third is when the affections of our hearts are giuen to the creature Thus couetousnes is called Idolatrie Col. 3. 5. because it makes men put their affiance in riches The second kind of Idolatrie is to worship the true God with deuised worship as namely with in and at Images set vp to the honour of God This Idolatrie is forbidden in the second commaundement as Moses hath expounded the law Deut. 4. 16. Thou sawest no image in the day I appeared in Mount Sinait therefore thou shalt make no image namely of God It is alleadged that the commandement onely forbids the making of the images of false gods I answer and of the true God also Aarons calfe was an Image of the true God Exod. 32. 5. And it must be obserued that Iehu destroied the Idols of Baal 2. King 10. 26. and withall remained still in the sinne of Ieroboam v. 31. which was to worship the calfes in Dan and Bethel which were images of Iehoua And for this he is discommended The vse By this we see that the Romish religion is a carnall religion for it teacheth Idolatrie foure waies First it inioyneth men to giue to the Consecrated Host the name and honour of God And thus they set vp vnto themselues a breaden God made with mans hand An Idol as abominable as euer was among the Gentiles Secondly it teacheth men to
disciples for Primacie Luk. 22. or when contention is without forgiuing forbearing or suffering and that in trifling matters 1. Cor. 6. 7. Contention likewise is faultie in respect of manner when men wilfully defend their owne priuate causes no regard had whether they be right or wrong true or false and by this meanes they often oppugne truth or iustice or both Of this kind are the warres of the Rebell in Ireland the warres of the Spanyard in the low Countries and the suits of many quarrelsome and contentious persons among vs. The vse Doe nothing by contention Phil. 2. 3. And therefore we must forgiue put vp as much as may be and yeelde of our right Seditions The originall word signifies such dissentions in which men separate one from another and that is done two waies either by schisme in the Church or by faction in the Commonwealth Question Why are not we schismatiks in England Scotland Germanie considering we haue dissented and separated our selues from the Church of Rome Ans. We indeede haue separated our selues but they of the Church of Rome are schismatikes because the cause of our separation is in them namely their Idolatrie and their manifold heresies The case is the like A man threatens death to his wife hereupon shee separates Yet not shee but he makes the separation because the cause of separation and the fault is in him For the auoiding of schisme and sedition remember two rules I. So long as a Church or people doe not separate from Christ we may not separate from them II. Prou. 24. 21. Feare the King and meddle not with them that varie that is make alterations against the lawes of God and the King Indeede subiects may signifie what is good for the slate and what is amisse but to make any alteration in the estate either ciuill or Ecclesiasticall belongs to the supreame Magistrate Ennie It is a compound of carnall griefe and hatred For it makes men grieue and repine at the good things of others and to hate the good things themselues Thus the high Priests of Enuie hated Christ and all his most excellent sayings and doings Matth. 27. 18. At this day they which haue any good things in them are commonly condemned for hypocrites and their religion for hypocrisie All this is but the censure of Enuie The vse That we may depart from Enuie we must loue them that feare God and loue the gifts and graces of God wheresoeuer they be euen in our enemies Murthers Obiect I. A plant liues a beast liues and man liues the cropping of a plant and the killing of a beast is no sinne why is it then a sinne to kill a man Ans. God hath giuen libertie for the two first and hath restrained vs in the latter Againe the life of a plant is but the vigour in the iuice and the life of a beast is but the vigour in the blood Gen. 9. 4. but the life of man is a spirit and spirituall substance Thirdly man is of the same flesh with man and so is neither plant nor beast Obiect II. The Magistrate kills without sinne Ans. The killing which is in the name of God by publike reuenge is not murther And Paul onely condemnes that killing when men take the sword and vpon their owne wills slay and kill by priuate reuenge Obiect III. Sampson is saide to kill himselfe Iudg. 16. 30. and he sinned not in so doing Ans. Sampson was a Iudge in Israel and tooke publike reuenge of his enemies and in this reuenge he hazzarded his life and lost his life Though he died in the execution yet his intent was not to kill himselfe but onely to take reuenge Secondly his example is speciall For he was in his death a figure of Christ. The words Matt. 2. he shall be called a Nazarite are first spoken of Sampson and then applied to Christ in whome was verified that which Sampson figured For as Sampson conquered his enemies more in his death then in his life euen so did Christ. Obiect IU For the auoiding of some great danger or some great sinne as the deniall of Christ in persecution men may make away themselues so said the Donatists Ans. Death is no remedie in this case but faith in the promise of God which is that he will giue an issue in euery temptation 1. Cor. 10. 13. The vse Seeing murther is a worke of the flesh our dutie is by all meanes to preserue both our owne and our neighbours liues Life is a treasure For by it we haue time and libertie to glorifie God to doe good to our neighbours and to saue our owne soules The sinnes of the fourth sort are against temperance they are two drunkennesse gluttonie For the better conceiuing of the nature of these sinnes we are first of all to consider the right manner and measure of eating and drinking of which I deliuer two rules I. We may vse meate and drinke not onely for necessitie but also for delight Psal. 104. 15. II. That measure of meate and drinke which in our experience makes vs fit both in bodie and minde for the seruice of God and for the duties of our callings that measure I say is fit convenient and lawfull This is a confessed principle in the light of nature Drunkennesse then is when men drinke either in wine or strong drinke beyond this measure so as there followes an intoxication of the powers of the soule And in the sinne there are two things excessiue drinking and the distempering of the powers of the soule Gluttonie is when men in eating goe beyond the measure before prescribed This gluttonie is that which now a daies is called reuelling rioting swaggering And it is fitly ioyned with drunkennes For there are men that vse to drinke exceedingly and will not be drunke and for all this they are not free from blame because they drinke out of measure To be giuen to drinking and to loue to sit by the cuppe when there is no drunkennesse is a sinne 1. Tim. 3. 3. These sinnes are said to be rise among vs. The manner of many is to meete together and to fill themselues with wine or strong drinke while their skinnes will hold Afterward they giue themselues to dicing carding dauncing singing of ribauld songs and thus they passe the day the night the weeke the yeare But we must be put in minde to detest and to flie these vices Inducements to this dutie are many I. Gods commandement Keep not companie with drunkards and gluttonous persons Prou. 23. 20. Be not drunke with wine in which is excesse Eph. 5. 18. II. The punishment of drunkennes is plague pestilence famine captiuitie Isai 5. 11 12 13. III. The example of the bruite beast that in eating drinking keepes measure and takes no more then will suffice nature The horse and the asse may be schoolemasters to many of vs. IV. If we cannot forsake a cup of wine or beere which is not needfull for vs we shall neuer be able
death yet would a Christian man abstaine from these things because he knowes that they displease Christ and he is gouerned with another spirit to which they are contrarie Also these words are a reason of v. 16. There is no law against them that doe these things therefore walke in the spirit 24 For they that are Christs haue crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts The scope In these words Paul prooues that which he said immediatly before namely that there is no law against spirituall men And of this he giues a double reason One is spirituall men are Christs therefore there is no law against them The second is this that is crucified in spirituall men which the law condemneth namely the flesh with the affections and lusts therefore there is no law to condemne the spirituall man In the words I consider three points The first is What is a Christian Ans. A Christian is one that is Christs saith Paul And he is Christs fiue waies I. by the right of creation And so are all men II. by right of redemption 1. Cor. 6. 19. III. by the free gift and donation of God the father Ioh. 17. 11. this donation is begunne in the eternall Election of God and it is accomplished in our effectuall vocation IV. by propagation For all true beleeuers spring out of the blood of Christ and are of his bone and of his flesh as Eue was of the bone and flesh of Adam V. by our donation in baptisme in which we consecrate our selues to God and to Christ. The vse This must teach vs to resigne our selues to Christ and to suffer him to raigne in our hearts and to take the yoke of the Gospel vpon vs. But alas it is farre otherwise with many of vs. For some liue in the transgression of the very law of nature so farre are they from obseruing the Gospel Others thinke it sufficient to follow the teaching of nature If they worship God in some generall manner if they liue peaceably and hurt no man and meane well as they say then all is well and the doing of further duties is reputed curious precisenes And such persons vsually reduce religion to the practise of nature They will be saued by faith but their faith is nothing els but fidelitie They say they worship God but this worship is nothing els but their good meaning and their good dealing These men are content that Christ shall be theirs but they will not be Christs and suffer him to haue a Lordship ouer them II. If thou be Christs then commend thy soule and life and all that thou hast into the hands of Christ. This was the practise of Dauid Psal. 22. of Christ vpon the crosse of Paul 2. Tim. 1. 12. And this practise is the onely way to obtaine safetie and protection For Christ no doubt will keepe his owne III. Comfort If thou be Christs he will care for thee and nothing shall be wanting vnto thee that is for thy good Ioh. 17. 24. Rom. 8. 33. Therefore remember this lesson Neuer grieue ouermuch neuer care ouermuch neuer reioyce ouermuch in the things of this world If thou werest at thine own disposing and finding it were somewhat but there is one that cares for thee namely Christ. The second point to be considered is what is the flesh Ans. It is the corruption of the whole nature of man For the right conceiuing of this we must make a distinction of three things Mans nature the faculties of nature and the corruption of both which corruption hath two parts the losse of the image of God and a pronnes to all wickednes Moreouer this distinction must be without separation of nature from faculties or of corruption from either so as we may say truly that the nature and the powers of the soule of man are corrupted In the flesh are two things Affections and Lusts. By affections vnderstand inordinate affections which shew themselues and beare sway in carnall men as anger in Cain loue of pleasures more then of God in the men of the last times 2. Tim. 3. 3. immoderate sorrow in Ahab when he could not obtaine Naboths vineyard 1. King 21. 4. Lusts are inordinate and infatiable desires after the things of this world as riches honours pleasures c. of this sort are couetousnes gluttonie pride the lust of the flesh c. The vse By this we see what a Carnall man is namely one that is carried away with some inordinate affection or some inordinate lust Herod did many good things at the aduise and motion of Iohn Baptist whome he reuerenced yet was he a carnall man For he was possessed with an inordinate loue of his brothers wife Iudas a disciple of Christ yet a carnall man because he was carried away with the inordinate lust of couetousnes The third point is touching the office of a Christian man And that is to crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts For the better conceiuing of this Crucifying must be distinguished It is either the action of Christ or our action Crucifying which is the action of Christ is threefold The first is vpon the crosse where Christ stood in our roome and bare the burden of our sinnes and made an Expiation of them In this respect we are said to be crucified with him Gal. 2. 19. The second is in vs when Christ conuaies the vertue of his death into the hearts of them that are ioyned to him for the causing and effecting of the death of sinne The third is in baptisme whereby Christ seales the two former to them that beleeue Rom. 6. 6. The crucifying which is our action is nothing els but the Imitation of Christ crucified on this manner He was first attached so must we bring our selues into the presence of God He was arraigned so must we set our selues at the barre of Gods iudgement He was accused so must we indite and accuse our selues of our owne sinnes at the barre of Gods iudgement He was condemned and so must we iudge our selues that we be not iudged of the Lord. After iudgement we must proceede to execution of the flesh and that is to vse meanes to crucifie it and they are three The first is by faith to applie to our selues Christ crucified and that is to beleeue not onely that Christ was crucified for vs but that we also were crucified with him Where this faith is sinne shall no more haue domion The second is to beate downe the flesh by the sword of the spirit and that is done by a serious application of the commandements and the threatnings of God to our seuerall affections and lusts The third is to flie the occasions of euery sinne and to cut off the first beginnings of euill The vse This doctrine serues to condemne the drowsie Protestants of our time who professe Christ without making any change in life and conuersation For they are Saints in the Church but in their common dealings they are as worldlings II. Secondly
sinne and the merit of Christ for such a dogge was the Cananitish woman who was a true beleeuer 2. This is agreeable to S. Pauls practise who did admonish those among the Corinthians that were carnall and did not at the very first excommunicate thē or yet suspend them and so answerably he commands Titus that he should rebuke the Cretians sharpely or pecisely for their notable lying and idlenesse Tit. 1. 12. 3. Christ denieth not pardon to them that fall by recidiuation but would haue them forgiuen not onely till seauen times but till seauentie times seauen times and Paul speakes indefinitely in this place that we should restore him that falleth by occasion into any offence not specifying how often we should forgiue 4. We must distinguish betwixt the magistrates sword and the keyes of the Church notorious offendours when they repent are to be receiued into the bosome of the Church as sonnes of the church yet for all that they may nay they ought to be punished by the magistrate as the good the theife albeit a member of Christ yet iustly punished for his offence II. For what faults are men to be reprooued Men are to be reprooued for euery known sinne This is manifest from the end of reproofes which is the gaining of our brother that he perish not in his sinne but euery sinne is of this nature and qualitie that it bringeth death beeing not repented of therefore for euery sinne a man is to be reprooued Secondly our Sauiour doeth not restraine this precept to priuate iniuries because in that case we are to follow another rule Resist not euill Blesse and curse not Doe good to them that hate you c. Thirdly it is extended to euery sin because he which sinneth against God or the whole Church sinneth also against thee and euery particular member of the Church For euery Christian ought more to be affected for the sinnes committed against God or the bodie of the Church then for those that are personally and directly intended or done against himselfe therefore Christ speaketh not only of sinnes as they are priuate wrongs iniuries or damages but as they are dishonourable to the maiestie of God scandalous to the Church pernitious to him that committed them not onely as they offend him against whome they are committed It will be obiected that Christs commandement is to be vnderstood of those that wrong vs when he saith If thy brother sinne against thee I answer that phrase and forme of speech against thee is not meant onely of priuate wrongs offered vs as I haue said but of any sinne committed against God for in euery knowne sinne we are in a sort wronged 1. because we ought to be so zealous of the glorie of God that we ought to be more grieued when men sin against God then when they sinne against vs yea we must make Gods quarell our owne quarrell 2. Because he which sinnes in our presence doth or at the least ought to offend vs. As Hezechiah was offended when he heard the blasphemies of Rabshekah 2. King 19. 1. and Dauid whose eies powred out riuers of waters because men kept not gods law Psal. 119. v. 136. Lot who vexed his righteous soule in seeing and hearing the abominations of the Sodomites 2. Pet. 2. 8. For to expound these words against thee thou beeing priuie to it is farre from the meaning of the text neither can the phrase be shewed in that sense Now that men are to be reprooued for knowne sinnes committed against God of what nature qualitie and condition soeuer they be besides the former reasons it is manifest Leuit. 19. 17. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart but thou shalt plainly rebuke him and shalt not suffer sinne to rest vpon him Therfore a man is to be rebuked for euery sinne The Apostle whersoeuer he speaketh of reproofes neuer restraines it to one kind but extends it to all knowne sinnes 1. Cor. 5. he reprooues the incestuous person for his incest and excommunicateth him beeing impenitent So in this place if a man be fallen by occasion into any offence he saith not this or that offence but in generall into any offence whether in life or doctrine by euill example or otherwise against the first or second table Yet this is so to be vnderstood as that iniuries and wrongs offered vs are not to be excluded for euen for them also are men to be reprooued I. It is the purpose of our Sauiour Christ Matth. 18. to teach this very point for hauing taught Matth. 18. v. 6. that none should offend or scandalize his brother in the 10. verse he shewes what is to be done if any man did offend his brother by iniuring or wronging him to wit that he is to reprooue him II. He maketh him that suffered the wrong a witnesse not an accuser when he saith If he heare thee not take yet with thee one or two that by the mouth of two or three witnesses euery word may be confirmed Matth. 18. 16. He biddeth him take one or two that so it may be confirmed by the testimonie not of one or two but of two or three therefore the partie offended is one of the witnesses III. If it were vnlawfull to reprooue men for iniuries offered vs what course should he take that is secretly wronged none beeing priuie to the wrong but himselfe and the partie offending Thus men would be imboldned to sinne seeing they could by no meanes be controlled and so men might frustrate the commandement of Christ. I adde further that he which is iniured is fitter to reprooue him that offered the iniurie then any other I. Because the offence both for stance and circumstance is better knowne vnto him then to any other II. Because the reproofe in all likelihood will take the better place when as the offender shall haue coales of fire heaped vpon his head when he shall see that the partie wronged is desirous of his good and readie to requite good for euill in seeking his amendement whereas he sought his hurt And whereas it may seeme that it sauoureth of reuenge to reprooue those that wrong vs I answer though many in reproouing reuenge themselues yet the one may be done without the other and the right vse of a thing is not to be neglected because of the abuse thereof Obiect Authors of heresies schismes dissentions are to be auoided Rom. 16. 17. therefore not to be reprooued Ans. Generall places of Scripture are to be expounded according to particular limitation in other places now that generall text Rom. 16. 15. is restrained and limited Tit. 3. 10. Auoid an heretikeafter once or twise admonition Obiect Paul commands the Corinthians that without any more adoe they should proceede forthwith to the publike censure of excommunication against the incestuous person and as it may seeme without any former reproofe 1. Cor. 5. besides he commands that we should not eate that is familiarly conuerse with notorious persons of scandalous life
persons are not to prie into others mens actions that so they may haue matter to reprooue Prou. 24. 15. For we are bound to reprooue as we are bound to giue almes now we are not bound in giuing almes to seeke some to whome we may giue if we giue to those whome we meete that stand in neede of our almes we haue done our dutie The like is in reproofes And although reproofe be a debt which we owe our neighbour yet it is no debt due to any priuate person for then we were bound to search out the par 〈…〉 e and discharge the debt but it is a publike debt which we owe to all and therefore it is not necessarie we should seeke them out If we discharge it to those we meete withall it is sufficient S. Augustine saith well Admonet dominus non negligere invicem peccata nostra non quaerenda quod reprehendas sed videndo quid corrigas II. If he haue repented of his fact he is not to be reprooued for the end of reproofe is to reclaime him therefore if he be reclaimed already there is no place left for reproofe although the magistrate may punish and correct him in regard of the common good III. A man is not to reprooue if he be certaine his reproofe will doe no good for when the ende ceaseth all things teÌ„ding to the end do likewise cease therfore if there be no hope of amendment which is the ende of reproofe reproofe is to be omitted specially if it be so farre from bettering the partie that it make him much worse Salomon saith He which instructeth a scorner getteth himselfe reproach and he that reprooueth a wicked man purchaseth to himselfe a blotte Prouer. 9. 7. And then he addes in the next verse Rebuke not a scorner least he hate thee rebuke a wise men he will loue thee And verely it were great folly to spend labour in vaine in telling them of their faults when out schooling will not better them but incense them more and more It were better to be silent or to separate from them then to stirre vp hornets or to thrust our hands into a wasps neast It is is well said of one that he which shall bestowe the seeds of wholsome admonitions on such cursed and vnprofitable ground shall reapt nothing for his paines but the thornes of mockes and reproches It will be said the Iudge ceaseth not to punish malefactours though they be not bettered by the punishment therefore seeing brotherly correction is commanded it must not be omitted though the party reprooued be not bettered but offended thereby and made worse I answer the reason is nothing like for the iudge in punishing doth principally intend the good of the common wealth which commeth by chastising or by cutting off malefactours though they themselues be nothing bettered but the end of reproofe is the amendment and good of him that is reprooued therefore a man may not be reprooued except it be for his priuate good though the magistrate may punish him in regard of the common good IV. Reproofe may be omitted if it be certaine that the parsie will either presently redresse his fault without reproofe or that some others will admonish him thereof whome it doth more neerely concerne As the giuing of almes may be omitted if it be certaine that the partie that is in want will prouide for himselfe or that he will be sufficiently releiued by others V. If it may be done more conueniently and profitably another time it may be omitted for the time Except in these fiue cases he that doth not reprooue his brother is guiltie of his sinne Leuit. 5. 1. IIII. Point In what manner are men to be reprooued The manner to be obserued in reproouing I will lay downe in tenne rules I. A man must so reprooue his brother as that it may be most for the aduancement of Gods glorie best for the winning of him to God and least to the defaming of him abroad to the world and that it may appeare vnto him that he doth it of loue aiming at nothing but his good not of any malitious humour or siâ—ister affection of reuenge or vaine-glorie c. and that this may be done two things must be practised First he that reprooueth another must pray that God would so guide his tongue and mooue the others heart that his reproofe may be profitable vnto him for without Gods blessing our admonitioâ—s are but words spoken in the winde 1. Iohn 5. v. 16. If any see his brother sinne à sinne that is not vnto death let him pray c. SecoÌ„dly we may not traduce him to others either before or after our reproofe 1. Pet. 4. 8. This rule is generall the rest following are more speciall II. Euery reproofe must be grounded vpon a certaine knowledge of the fault committed For we may not goe vpon priuate surmises and supposes or flying reports and rumours blazed abroad no nor vpon vehement suspitions or strong presumptions Deut. 13. v. 14. for in so doing we shall but offend the partie who knowes himselfe to be innocent of the crime obiected and purchase to our selues a blot of indiscretion in beeing zealous without knowledge Therefore for secret sinnes men are not to be reprooued Secret I call those that are knowne onely to God and the conscience of the doer or onely to others but not to vs. This was practised by S. Paul Gal. 2. 14 who reprooued not Peter till he was throughly informed of his offence which condemnes the common practise of the multitude who censure and reprooue others specially publike persons as magistrates and ministers vpon false reports or wicked surmises when as no accusation may be admitted against such vnder two or three witnesses 1. Tim. 5. 20. Yet a man may reprooue vpon credible information as Paul did the CorinthiaÌ„s for their coÌ„tentions grouÌ„ding his reproofe vpoÌ„ the report of the house of Cloâ— 1. Cor. 1. 11. which he beleeued to be true in part 1. Cor. 11. 18. If the report be not certaine we must onely reprooue hypothetically and not pereÌ„ptorily III. In reproouing others we must consider our selues specially our owne weakenes and beginne the reproofe in our selues if not for the same fault we reprooue in our neighbour yet for as great as that if not a greater in another kind this manner of reproouing is inioyned by S. Paul when he saith considering thy selfe leâ—t thou also be tempted and a man is to consider himselfe in three respects in regard of the time past present and to come in regard of the time past that he was as wicked prophane and gracelesse as another yea that he was as the Apostle speaketh darkenesse and the child of wrath as wel as others Paul shewes the force of this consideration when he perswades men to be softe and gentle shewing all meekenesse to all men a reason taken from the consideration of our own frailties and sinnes in time past for saith he we
two respects 1. Because by faith we apprehend the righteousnesse of Christ and so in him who hath fulfilled the lawe for vs we fulfill it and so establish it 2. because hauing our hearts purified by faith we liue no more according to the flesh but according to the spirit and so by inchoaâ—e obedience we fulfill the law Lastly in the end in that both the lawe and the gospel tend directly to the manifestation of the glorie of God Yet they differ in 5. things First in the manner of reuealing the lawe before the fall was perfectly known by nature and since the falliâ— part Rom. 2. 15. The Gospel is not known by nature neither was it euer written in mans heart before or after the fall as Paul saith 1. Cor. 2. 9. Those things which the eie hath not seene nor the eare heard nor the heart of man conceiued are they which God hath prepared for them that loue him therefore the Gospel is called a mysterie Rom. 16. v. 25 26. First because the doctrine of the Gospel was made knowne to men and angels by the reuelation of God Eph. 3. 5. 9. Secondly because there is required a special reuelation worke of gods spirit before a man can yeeld assent vnto it Therefore Paul saith We haue not receiued the spirit of the world but the spirit of God that we might know the things that are giuen to vs of God 1. Cor. 2. 12. Secondly in the subiect or doctrine it selfe and that in two respects First the Law preacheth nothing but absolute iustice to the transgressours thereof the Gospel sheweth how iustice is qualified with mercie from all things from which ye could not be absolued by the Law of Moses by him euery one that beleeueth is iustified Act. 13. 39. Secondly the Law teacheth what manner of men we ought to be and what we ought to doe that we may come to eternall life but shewes not howe we may becom such indeed the Gospel teacheth that by faith in Christ we may be such as the Law requires God hath made him to be sinnâ— for vs who knewe no sinne that we might be made the righteousnes of God in him 2. Cor. 5. 21. Thirdly in the obiect The law is giuen to the vniâ—st lawles vngodly prophane 1. Tim. 1. 9 10. that it may shew them their sinnes and the punishment thereby deserued and so may accuse and condemne them the Gospel is to be published and dispensed onely to the penitent which are contrite and broken in heart mourne for their sinnes Math. 11. Esay 57. Luk. 4. IIII. The law promiseth eternall life vpon condition of works Doe this and liue If thou wiâ—â— enter into life keepe the commandements The Gospel promiseth eternall life freely without any condition of works Rom. 4. 5. To him that worketh not but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted to him for righteousnes Rom. 3. 21 22. The righteousnes of God is made manifest without the law by the faith of Iesus Christ vnto all and vpon all that beleeue V. In the effects The Law is no instrumentall cause of faith repentance or any sauing grace it is the minister of death 2. Cor. 3. 7. causing wrath Rom. 3. 15. But the Gospel causeth life it is the grace of God which bringeth saluation Tit. 2. 11. for this cause Paul calleth the Law a dead or killing letter the Gospel a quickning spirit 2. Cor. 3. Fourthly it may be demaÌ„ded whether any maÌ„ be able to fulfil the Law considering that Paul biddeth vs beare one anothers burdens and so fulfill the Law of Christ Ans. No meere man can perfectly fulfill the Law in this life This conclusion S. Paul prooueth in sundrie of his Epistles specially by these arguments First by the great and generall deprauation of nature which remaineth in part euen in the regenerate stayning their best actions and making them like a menstruous cloath confessing withall that his best workes are not answerable to the law by reason of the remainders of originall corruption Rom. 7. Now perfect fulfilling of the law cannot stand with corruption of nature and transgression in life For a corrupt fountaine cannot send forth sweete waters neither can a corrupt tree beare good fruit Saint Iames saith He that offendeth in one is guiltie of all and the Scripture pronounceth him accursed that abideth not in all things written in the bookâ— of the law to doe them Popish Doctours answer first that originall corruption which they call the fewell of sinne and the first motions to euill preuenting all consent of will are indeede in the regenerate but they are no sinnes properly But it is false which they teach For euery transgression of the law is a sinne as S. Iohn defines it 1. Ioh. 3. 4. but these are transgressions of the tenth commandement for it either forbiddeth these first motions whether they be primò primae or secundò primae as Schoolemen speake or it forbid doth nothing but the motioÌ„s which are with coÌ„sent of wil which were forbidden in the former commandements and so in effect there are but nine commandements the tenth forbidding no speciall sinne Againe Paul teacheth that these motions preuenting all consent of will are formally opposed to the Law I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde Secondly they answer that Paul Rom. 7. speakes not of himselfe but in the person of the vnregenerate according to the opinion of S. Augustine Ans. Augustine indeede was once of that iudgement but he after retracted that opinion as it is manifest out of his booke of Retractations and the 6. booke against Iulian the Pelagian and that for these reasons First because Paul saith To will is present with me and I doe not the good I would and J delight in the law of God concerning the inward man all which are proper to the regenerate and cannot be affirmed of the wicked Secondly because he makes mention of the inward man which is all one with the new man or the new creature which agreeth onely to the regenerate Thirdly because he saith he is ledde captiue to sinne v. 23. whereas the wicked are not drawne to sinne by force against their wills but runne riot of their owne accord into all wickednes as the horse rusheth into the battell Ierem. 8. 6. Lastly in that he cries out in a sense and sorrow for his sinnes O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death v. 24. which can not be the voice of the vnregenerate for they feele not the burden of their sinne nor desire to be eased of it but take delight and pleasure in it His second reason is this such as our knowledge is such is our loue of God and man but our knowledge is onely in part therefore our loue is but in part and so consequently our obedience is but in part therfore there is no perfect fulfilling of
the law The aduocates of the Romish Church answer that our knowledge loue and obedience are perfect for the condition and estate of this life as we are viatores which is sufficient though they be not perfect for the condition of the life to come when we shall be comprehensores which is not required at our hands in this life for they make a double perfect fulfilling of the law one for the tearme of this life which is to loue God aboue all things and our neighbour as our selues The other after this life and that is to loue God with all the soule with all the powers and faculties of the soule and with all the strength and vigor of all these powers And this distinction they make to be the ground of their opinion touching the fulfilling of the law and iustification by workes c. But it is a sandie foundation and therefore that which is built vpon it cannot stand For besides that it is a fond and friuolous distinction forged by the Schoolemen without warrant of Scripture or consent of Antiquitie it is manifestly false For there is one onely rule of righteousnes and not two one onely generall sentence of the Lawe more vnchangeable then the lawes of the Medes Persians euen as vnchangeable as God himselfe which is that He which continueth not in all things written in the Law to doe them is accursed So that he which loueth not God with all his soule minde and might with all his valdè suo that is with all the faculties of his soule and all the powers of all these faculties and that in this life is accursed And it is absurd which they teach that a man is not bound for the tearme of this life thus to loue God but onely in the life to come For looke what man could doe by creation in the state of innocencie the same and so much the Law requires at his hands in the state of Apostasie But Adam by creation could loue God with all his soule with all the faculties of his soule and all the powers of all these faculties therefore the same perfect absolute and entire obedience is now required at his hands For the sentence of the law Cursed is he that continueth not in all things c. is not onely giuen to men glorified but to those that are in the state of grace And S. Paul doth so apply this sentence to men euen in this life t 〈…〉 he pronounceth all that are of the workes of the law to be vnder the curse Againe if this were so the Iewes had no cause to feare the seueritie and strictnes of the law as they did when they said If we heare the voice of the Lord any more we shall die considering they were able to keepe and fulfill it according to this Popish opinion Neither would God haue promised them a Messias or Mediatour to redeeme them from the curse of the law but would rather haue comforted them in that their so great feare and astonishment by giuing them to vnderstand that they were not bound to the full and perfect fulfilling of the law for the time of this life Besides the patheticall exclamation of Paul O miserable man that I am c. Rom. 7. 24. and that saying of Peter in calling the Law a yoke which neither we nor our fathers were able to beare Act. 15. should be childish and ridiculous if that which is impossible in the law as Paul speakes did not appertaine vnto vs. The third argument If a man could fulfill the Law he should not stand in neede of a Mediatour For if righteousnes be by the Law Christ died in vaine Gal. 2. 21. It is answered that Christ died in vaine if men by the strength of nature could fulfill the Law but the fulfilling of the Law is by grace and so his death is not in vaine for by vertue of the obedience of Christ we are enabled to fulfill the Law But this were to make Christ no Sauiour but onely an instrument whereby we fulfill the Law and are our owne Sauiours whereas the Scripture saith that he is made vnto vs righteousnes 1. Corinth 1. 30. not that we are made righteousnesse by him That we are made the righteousnesse of God in him 2. Corinth 5. 21. not by him as an instrument That we are complete in him Coloss. 2. 10. and not complete of our selues by him Lastly the Scripture shutteth vp all men vnder sinne euen the most sanctified Prou. 20. 9. 1. Ioh. 1. 9. Iob confesseth he cannot answer one of a thousand Iob 9. 3. and Dauid saith If thou Lord shalt marke what is done amisse who can abide it Psal. 130. 3. and Paul saith of himselfe that he found no meanes to performe that which is good Rom. 7. 18. He saith further that it is impossible to be kept by reason of originall corruption Rom. 8. 3. It is answered that all these places and examples must be vnderstood of veniall sinnes which make men sinners indeede yet are not against but beside the law and therefore though a man commit them yet he may fulfill the law for all that Ans. the coÌ„mon receiued opinion in Schooles that some sinnes are mortall others veniall of their owne nature is a witlesse distinction For if all sinnes deserue death as Paul teacheth Rom. 6. 23. either veniall sinnes are no sinnes or they must needes deserue death Moses saith that he that abideth not in all things written in this Law is accursed Deuter. 27. 26. where the wordes this Law may not be restrained onely to the Catalogue of great and hainous sinnes which are there reckened vp but extended to all sinnes as Paul applies it Gal. 3. 10. pronouncing him accursed that continueth not in all things written in the lawe not this law So that euery sinne euen the least sinne in thought makes a man subiect to the curse and so in rigour of diuine iustice deserues eternall death And it is but a poore shift to say that some sinnes are against the Lawe as all mortall sinnes and others besides the Lawe as veniall For the doing of that which God forbiddeth is a sinne not beside but against the Lawe But idle words iesting and gibing c. which the Popish Doctours account veniall sinnes are expressely forbidden in the word Matth. 12. 36. Of euery idle word that men shall speake they shall giue account at the day of iudgement And Paul forbiddeth all foolish talking and â—esting as things vncomely Eph. 5. 4. Therefore they are not beside but flatte against the lawe Secondly they answer that these places and the like are to be vnderstood of seuerall workes and actions of the Saints whereof some were good as Dauids sparing of Saul c. some euill as his adulterie murther and numbering of the people and not of the same particular workes Answ. It is false For Paul speaking of the same indiuiduall worke saith that it is partly good and partly euill I finde
when I would doe good that euill is present with me Rom 7. 21. In my minde I serue the lawe of God in my bodie the lawe of sinne v. 25. And the Prophet saith that all our righteousnesse is as a menstruous cloath Isay 64. 4. Therefore euery good worke is stained with sinne Thus much shall suffice to shewe that it is impossible for any man in the time of this life to fulfill the lawe The reasons alleadged to the contrary are sufficiently answered before Pag. 188. c. To which place I referre the reader It may further be said if we cannot perfectly fulfill the law why doth Paul command vs to beare one anothers burdens and so to fulfill the law of Christ Answ. The lawe is said to be fulfilled three waies First by personall obedience and thus Christ onely fulfilled it Secondly by imputed obedience thus the regenerate fulfill it in Christ he beeing their righteousnes 1. Cor. 1. 30. and they complete in him Coloss. 2. 10. Thirdly by inchoate obedience thus Zacharie Elizabeth are said to haue walked in all the commandements of the Lord without reproofe Luk. 1. 6. And thus all the faithfull fulfill the lawe in labouring to obey God in all his commandements according to the measure of grace receiued and thus we are said to fulfill the lawe in this place God accepting the will for the deed We are further to consider that fulfilling of the lawe is sometime opposed to the transgression of the law as Iam. 2. 10. in which sense no man euer did or can fulfill it except Christ God and man who for this cause is said to be the end of the lawe for righteousnesse to euery one that beleeueth Rom. 10. 4. Sometime it is opposed to hypocrisie and dissimulation as 1. Ioh. 2. 4 5. and thus all the Saints fulfill it in that they indeauour to mortifie their corruptions and in all things to approoue their hearts and liues to God in keeping faith a good conscience In which sense Paul here biddeth vs to fulfill the lawe of Christ in performing duties of loue and bearing one anothers burdens It will be said if the lawe can no otherwise be fulfilled then by inchoate obedience to what ende serueth it Answ. It hath a threefold vse euen since the fall First it serues to restraine the outward man by keeping men in order through feare of punishment of which vse Paul speeketh when he saith that the lawe is not giuen to a righteous man but to the lawlesse and disobedient c. 1. Tim. 1. 9. Secondly to arrouse the drousie conscience and this it doeth many waies 1. By reuealing sinne for by the lawe commeth the knowledge of sinne Rom. 3. 20. 2. By reuealing the wrath and anger of God for sinne for the lawe causeth wrath Rom. 4. 15. 3. By conuicting the conscience of sinne When the commandement came sinne reuiued Rom. 7. 9. 4. By arraigning and condemning vs for sin for the lawe is the minister of death 2. Cor. 3. 7. and so putting vs out of all heart in our selues it causeth vs to flie to the throne of grace and so is our schoolemaster to bring vs to Christ. Gal. 3. 24. Thirdly it serues as a rule of good life Dauid saith that the word of God specially the law is a lanterne to his feete and a light to his paths Psal. 119. 105. So that though a regenerate man be not vnder the lawe in regard of iustification or accusation or coaction or condemnation yet he is vnder it in regard of direction and instruction for it shewes what is good what is euill what we ought to doe what to leaue vndone Lastly whereas Paul saith Beare ye one anothers burdens and so fulfill the lawe of Christ the word S O hath great Emphasis for it implies the manner how the Galatians and all men are to fulfill the lawe not by obseruing circumcision daies or times moneths or yeares as the false Apostles taught but by bearing forbearing and tollerating the infirmities of their brethren It may not vnfitly be applyed to the religious orders of Franciscans Dominicans Carthusians c. Let them not thinke that they keepe the lawe by abstaining from flesh by whipping themselues by single life counterfeit fasts voluntary pouertie regular obedience c. But let them comfort the afflicted releiue the distressed beare with the weake support one another in loue and S O they shall fulfill the law of Christ. v. 3. For if any man seeme to himselfe that he is somewhat when he is nothing he deceiueth himselfe in his imagination In this verse the Apostle remooues an impediment which hindereth most from performing the former dutie of bearing other mens burdens and that is a vaine conceit and imagination they haue of their owne excellencie farre aboue their brethren in thinking themselues too good to doe any dutie or service vnto them to be their packehorses to beare their burdens This vaine imagination and swelling conceipt which puffeth vp the most the Apostle laboureth to purge in this place when he saith He that seemeth to himselfe c. where by the way we may obserue the method of the Apostle first to giue rules of direction after to remooue impediments which may hinder our obedience 2. We see here the force of the word which searcheth the secrets of the heart Ebr. 4. 12. in that it casteth downe the imaginations and euery high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringeth into captiuitie euery thought to the obedience of Christ 2. Cor. 10. 4. In the words we may obserue these foure things 1. That men are nothing of themselues 2. That thought they be nothing yet they seeme to themselues to be somewhat and that of themselues 3. That in so doing they deceiue themselues 4. The remedies against the ouerweening of our selues For the first it may be demanded howe it can be truely said that men are of themselues meere nothing Is he nothing that is created after the image of God in holinesse and righteousnes Are Princes and Potentates nothing that are called Gods in scripture Are they nothing that Prophecie and worke miracles Answ. Paul speaketh not of the gifts of God bestowed vpon men but of the men themselues and of them not as they were in the state of innocencie before the fall but as they are nowe in the state of corruption Apostasie or in the state of grace as they are considered of in and by themselues Thus euen spirituall men are nothing of themselues for of them especially the Apostle speaketh as it may appeare out of the first verse For first all are by nature the children of wrath and firebrands of hell 2. the gifts of God bestowed vpon vs whether of nature or of grace are not ours but Gods the giuer of them Therefore no man may arrogate more vnto himselfe then another in regard of them seeing all of vs are but stewards and the things we haue are but
Achan sinned and the people fell slaine before the men of Ai therefore euery man doth not beare his owne entire burden The like may be said of the children of the Sodomits and of the first borne of the Egyptians who bare the burden of their parents sinne Ans. The people were punished for their owne sinnes and so was Dauid albeit not in his owne but in their persons for God punished him in his kind in destroying the people with that fearefull plague in whose great multitude he had gloried so much Indeede their punishment was occasioned by his sinne but caused by their owne for no man though neuer so holy is without sinne and therefore none but deserue punishment nay it is Gods mercie that we are not consumed Lam. 3. 22. And albeit all the infants perished in the Deluge and in the ouerthrow of Sodome and Gomorrha which could neither imitate nor approoue the actions of their forefathers yet their death was deserued For though infants be truly called innocâ—â—ts in regard of actuall sinne yet they are not innocents in regard of originall for from the wombe they carrie a woluish nature which prepares them to the spoile though they neuer did hurt the Scorpion hath his sting within him though he doe not alway strike and though a Serpent may be handled whilst the cold â—ath benummed him yet when he is warmed he will hisse out his venomous poison Mans practise doth cleare God of vniustice in this behalfe in killing the young cubbes as well as the old foxe the wolues whelps as well as the damme Albeit if we speake of their finall estate and come to particulars we are to leaue secret iudgements to God The example of Achan is more difficult seeing that for his sinne 36 of the people were slaine Iosh. 7. 5. and his whole familie rooted out v. 25. who were not consenting to his fact nor guiltie of his sinne Yet something may probably be said in this case First that they were guiltie of this his sinne in part in not punishing theft so seuerely as they ought to haue done which was a meanes to embolden Achan to steale the execrable thing Secondly that priuate good must yeeld to the publike as the life of euery particular person to the generall good of the whole Commonwealth thus souldiours in the warres redeem the publike peace by the losse of their own liues now the manifestation of the glorie of the wisdome power and iustice of God is the publike good of the whole Church therefore mens priuate good euen their liues must giue place to it especially considering he neuer inflicts temporall punishment for the publike good but he respects therein the priuate good of his Elect whome he corrects in iudgement not in â—urie Thirdly howsoeuer Achan did beare the burden of his owne sinne this iudgement might be inflicted vpon them for their good for temporall punishment yea death it selfe is sometimes inflicted for the good of those that are punished as we see in the children of the Sodomits many whereof no doubt were taken away in mercie lest malice should haue changed and corrupted their minds and sometime for the terrour of others to be a warning peece to make them take heede and sometime for both as it may be it was in this particular Fourthly sinne committed by a particular man that is a member of a politike bodie doth after a sort belong to the whole bodie thus the Lord saith that blood defileth the land which caÌ„not be cleÌ„sed of the blood that was shedde therein but by the blood of him that shedde it Numb 35. 33. And thus Achans sinne though not knowne to the people made the whole armie guiltie before God till he was put to death Iosh. 7. 11 12. Lastly if the tithing of an armie for the offence of some fewe haue beene thought lawfull and iust why should the death of 36 men seeme vniust for the sin of Achan especially considering it was to make the people more prouident to preuent and take heede of the like euill If these reasons satisfie not yet let vs rest in this that Gods iudgements are often secret but alway iust See August lib. quaest in Iosh. q. 8. and Calvin in 7. cap. â—osh Obiect UII If euery man must beare his owne burden Dauid shall as well beare the burden of his murthering Vrias by the sword of the children of Ammon as Saul the murthering of himselfe with his owne sword Peter his denying Christ as Iudas his betraying him c. Ans. By the sentence of the Law euery one is to beare his owne burden and to satisfie for his owne sinne in his owne person but the Gospel the second part of Gods word makes an exception which is that they which haue their sinnes set vpon Christs reckening shall not giue account for them againe and those that haue the burden of them laide vpon his shoulders who hath borne our sinnes in his bodie vpon the crosse 1. Pet. 2. 23. shall not beare the burden of them themselues at the last iudgement Therefore true beleeuers which haue Christ their suretie satisfying the rigour of Gods iustice for them shall not answer or satisfie fortheÌ„ themselues for they are freed by him from a threefold burden First froÌ„ the burden of ceremonies so consequently of humane lawes and ordinances which were a yoke as Peter saith which neither we nor our fathers were able to beare Act. 15. Secondly from the burden of miseries and crosses which befall men in this life He doth ease vs of this burden by his word and spirit either in remoouing them away Psal. 81. 7. or in giuing strength and patience to beare them 2. Cor. 12. 9. or in mitigating proportionating them to our strength 1. Cor. 10. 13. Thirdly from the burden of sinne as well originall as actuall in beeing made sinne that is accounted a sinner and made a sacrifice for sinne for vs as also by easing them that are heauie laden in pacifying the perplexed conscience Matth. 11. 28. It will be said if Christ beare the burden of our sinnes euery man shall not beare his owne burden Ans. Both be true and may well stand together for Legally euery man is to beare his owne burden the Law requiring personall obedience or satisfaction or both Euangelically Christ our suretie doth beare the burden of them and satisfie the iustice of God for them 1. Pet. 2. 23. Use. Hence we learne first that no man can pay a ransome for his brother or redeeme his soule from death or satisfie the iustice of God for his sinne seeing that euery man by the tenour of the Law is to beare his owne burden and by the Gospel none can be our suretie but Christ. Secondly here we see the nature of sinne that it is a burden to the soule for it is heauier then the grauell of the earth and the sand of the sea It is a burden to the wicked Angels for it waighed them froÌ„ the
seedes but seeds are the proper cause of the fruite therefore good works are the proper cause of eternall life not faith only So that as there is a hidden vertue in the seede to bring forth fruit so is there a dignitie in good workes to merit eternall life Ans. First as in a parable so in a similitude whatsoeuer is beside the scope and drift thereof as this their dispute is prooueth nothing The scope of the similitude is this that as he which soweth wheate shall reape wheate so he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reape life euerlasting and as he that soweth tares shall reape nothing but tares so he that soweth to â—he flesh the cursed seedes of a wicked life shall of the flesh reape nothing but corruption and as he that soweth plentifully either of these shall reape a plentifull haruest of either of them so he that sowes the seede of a godly or wicked life in plentifull manner shall reape a plentifull increase either of miserie or felicitie When the Papists therefore reason thus Seedes are the cause of the fruit and haue in them a hidden vertue whereby they grow and bring forth fruit therefore good works are the proper cause of life and haue a dignitie and excellency in them whereby they are worthie of eternall life they misse of the drift and intent of the Apostle and so conclude nothing Besides this their collection and discourse is contrarie to their own doctrine For they teach that good works are meritorious by merit of condignitie which may be vnderstood 3 waies either in regard of the dignitie of the worke alone or in regard of the promise of God alone and his diuine acceptation or partly in regard of the dignitie and excellencie of the worke partly in regard of the promise of God Now albeit some of them hold that good workes doe merit in respect onely of Gods promise and mercifull acceptation as Scotus Ariminensis Durandus Uega Bunderius Coster and the like others in respect partly of their owne worthines partly of Gods promise and acceptance as Bonaventure Biel Driedo lingius Iansenius Bellarmine c. it beeing the common receiued opinion among the Schoolemen as B 〈…〉 ldius witnesleth yet noâ—e of them excepting onely Caietan affiâ—â—e that they are meritorious onely in regard of the dignitie of the worke which notwithstanstanding the Rhemists and others labour to prooue out of this similitude vrging the analogie betwixt seede and good workes contrarie to the current and streame of their owne Doctours Thirdly I answer that good workes are seedes yet faith is the roote of these seedes and in that good workes are made the seedes of eternall life it is to be ascribed to Gods mercifull promise not to the merit of the worke for in that we or our workes are worthie of the least blessing it is more of Gods mercie then our merit Fourthly the Apostle sheweth onely who they are that shall inherit eternall life and the order how life is attained but not the cause wherefore it is giuen It will be said not onely the order but the cause is set downe as it may appeare by the antithesis for as sowing to the flesh is the cause of destruction so sowing to the spirit is the cause of eternall life Ans. It is true in the one but not in the other For first sinnes or workes of the flesh are perfectly euill as beeing absolute breaches of the law and deserue infinite punishment because they offend an infinite maiestie whereas workes of the spirit are imperfectly good hauing in them wants and imperfections there beeing in euery good worke a sinne of omission comming short of that perfection that is required in the law they beeing good and perfect as they proceede from the spirit of God imperfect and vicious as they come from vs. Euen as water is pure as it proceedes from the fountaine but troubled as it runneth through a filthie channell or as the writing is imperfect and faultie as it comes from the yong learner but perfect and absolute as it proceedeth from the scriuener which guideth his hand So that if God setting aside mercie should trie them by the touchstone of the word they would be found to be but counterfeit And if he should waigh them in the balance of his iustice they would be found too light Secondly there is a maine difference betwixt the workes of the flesh and the works of the spirit in this very point in that the workes of the flesh are our owne workes and not the works of God in vs and so we deserue eternall death by reason of them they beeing our owne wicked workes whereas good workes proceede not from vs properly seeing we are not sufficient of our selues to thinke any good thing as of our selues 2. Cor. 3. 5. but from the spirit of God who worketh in vs both the will and the deede and are his works in vs therefore beeing not ours we can merit nothing by them at the hands of God Thirdly obserue that it is not said he that soweth to the spirit shall of that which he hath sownercape life euerlasting but shall of the spirit reape life euerlasting Where we see the Apostle attributes nothing to our workes but to the grace of Gods spirit Lastly Rom. 6. 23. the holy Ghost putteth manifest difference betweene the works of the flesh of the spirit in respect of merit when he saith The wages of sinne is death but eternall life is the gift of God He saith not that eternall life is the reward of good workes but the gift of God now in the reward of sinne there is merit presupposed in the gift of eternall life nothing but grace and fauour Obiect II. God giueth eternall life according to the measure and proportion of the worke v. 7. As a man soweth so shall he reape 2. Cor. 9. 6. He that soweth sparingly shall reape sparingly and he that soweth liberally shall reape liberally 1. Cor. 3. 8. Euery one shall receiue his proper wages according to his owne labour Therefore in giuing eternall life he hath no respect of the promise or compact but of the dignitie and efficacie of the worke Ans. Fulnes of glorie called by Schoolemen essentiall glorie is giuen onely for the merits of Christ in the riches of Gods mercie without all respect of workes Accidentall glorie when one hath a greater measure of glorie an other a lesse as when vessels of vnequall quantitie cast into the sea are all filled yet some haue a greater measure of water some a lesse is giuen not without respect of works yet so as that it is not giuen for workes but according to workes they beeing infallible testimonies of their vnfained faith in the merits of Christ. If it be said that eternall life is giuen as a reward meritoriously deserued by good works because it is said Come ye blessed for I was hungrie and ye gaue me meate Matth. 25. I answer it is
boasteth not but onely of his Apostolicall calling and his faithfull discharge thereof to the end he may stoppe the mouthes of the false Apostles Thus to confesse the good things we haue to the glorie of God beeing vrged thereunto is lawfull boasting nay it is sometime necessarie making much for the maintenance of the Gospell as Pauls boasting made much for the good of the Church of Corinth Againe there is a twofold lawfull boasting one before God another before men Rom. 4. 2. Of the former the Apostle speakes in this verse of the latter in the 2. Cor. 12. He gloried not in the testimony of a good conscience before god but onely before men Before God he glorified in nothing but in the sauing knowledge of Christ and him crucified And whereas it may besaide that this his boasting in regard of the false Apostles as also his glorying in the testimonie of his conscience 2. Cor. 1. 12. and in his infirmities 2. Cor. 11. 30. were not in the crosse of Christ. I answer they were for his glorying ouer the false Apostles in teaching freely was in the good and prosperous successe of the Gospel which is the doctrine of the crosse and his glorying in the testimonie of his conscience in that it was washed by the blood of the crosse as Paul speakes Coloss. 1. 20. In his afflictions in that they were the afflictions of Christ and he by them made conformable to him But it will be said that he gloried in his reuelations in his paines and trauell in preaching the Gospel and in the multitude of Churches which he had planted Ans. First he did it beeing vrged thereunto secondly he did it to defend his calling and the credit of the Gospel and therefore this boasting was not vnlawfull nay it was necessarie and in the Lord. For when we are compelled we may confesse the good things we haue if we doe it sparingly and for the edification of others that they may be bettered by our example and that they seeing our good workes may glorifie God our heauenly father Matth. 5. 16. Here we see what glorying is Vnlawfull namely when men ascribe vnto themselues either that which they haue not or more then they haue or as proceeding from themselues their wisdome strength industrie in sacrificing to their owne netts and burning incense to their owne yearne Habac. 1. 16. or in boasting of them without necessarie cause either for their owne vaine glorie as Nebuchodonosor did Dan. 4. or not for Gods glorie as Herod did Act. 12. And if this glorying be so greata sinne surely boasting in wickednes as Doeg did Psal. 52. 1. must needes be most damnable as when the greatest swearers and swaggerers count themselues the best companions the greatest Idolaters and superstitious persons most religious the greatest oppressours surfeters drunkards fighters most valiane and couragious c. Now this may be done three waies either ignoraÌ„tly as wheÌ„ Paul gloried in his cruel persecuting of the Saints before his coÌ„uersion Act. 26. 11. or presumptuously when men glorie in wickednes notwithstanding they be perswaded in conscience that it is euill and then it is the sinne of Sodom Isa. 3. 9. or malitiously to despite God and then it is the sinne against the holy Ghost The second point to be considered in the words is the thing wherein he will glorie called here the Crosse of Christ Sane in the Crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ. The words in the originall translated saue are exceptiue as if he should say I will glorie in nothing except in the crosse of Christ and exclusiue onely in the crosse of Christ and in nothing els Albeit they are sometime aduersatiue as Gal. 2. 16. and Apoc. 21. 27. There shall enter into it no vncleane thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but they that are written c. where the words are not exclusiue for then it would follow that some which worke abomination should enter into heauen but aduersatiue as Matth. 12. 4. and Luk. 4. 20. which may serue by the way to cleare the text Ioh. 17. 12. Those thou gauest me haue I kept and none of them is lost but the child of perdition that is but the child of perdition is lost For the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as I take it are not so well translated by the exceptiue coniunction nisi as by the aduersatiue sed seeing here is no exceptioÌ„ made of Iudas as though he had beene giuen to Christ afterward had fallen away which exposition must needes be made if the words be read nisi filius perditionis Further by the Crosse of Christ the Apostle vnderstandeth synecdochically the all sufficient expiatorie and satisfactorie sacrifice of Christ vpon the crosse with the whole work of our redemption in the sauing knowledge where of he professeth he will glorie and boast For Christ is made vnto vs wisdome righteousnes that as it is written He that glorieth should glorie in the Lord euen to make boast of him all the day long as the Psalmist speaketh And the reason why Paul professeth that he will glorie onely in the Crosse of Christ is because Christ crucified is the treasurie and storehouse of the Church seeing that in him are hid not onely the treasures of wisdome and knowledge Coloss. 2. 3. but of bountie and grace Ioh. 1. 16. and of all spirituall blessings Eph. 1. 3. For first by Christ crucified we haue reconciliation with God remission of sinns acceptation to eternall life Secondly we haue the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding peace with God with Angels with men with our selues with the creatures Thirdly we recouer the right and title which we had in the creation to all the creatures and blessings of God 1. Cor. 3. 22. Fourthly all afflictions and iudgements cease to be curses and punishments and become either trialls or corrections Lastly death it selfe is no death but a sleepe for all that die in the Lord are said to sleepe and to rest vpon their beddes Isa. 57. 2. Indeede if we looke vpon death through the glasse of the Law it is the very downefall to eternall destruction but if we consider it as it is changed by the death of Christ it is but a passage from this transâ—torie life to eternall life Christ by his death hath taken away sinne the sting of death so that though it seaze vpon vs yet hauing lost it sting it cannot hurt vs. So that in a word in Christ crucified are all things that a man can glorie of If we would glorie in knowledge and wisdome He is the wisdome of the father seeing that all treasures of wisdome and knowledge are hid in him and therefore Paul desired to know nothing among the Corinthians but brist and him crucified 1. Cor. 2. 2. for this knowledge is eternall life Ioh 17. 3. If in the loue and fauour of great men by him we are highly aduanced into the loue fauour of god Eph. 1. 6. If in
bondage 5 To whome we gaue not place by subiection for an houre that the truth of the Gospel might continue with you Paul had said before that Titus was not compelled to be circumcised now he addes For all the false brethren that is though the false brethren did what they could to the contrarie Here then Paul sets downe who were the cause that Titus was not circumcised namely certaine persons at Ierusalem and them he sets forth by two properties they are false brethren and they crept into the Church Touching the first by it we learne that the Church of God vpon earth euen when it is at the best hath wicked men and hypocrites in it In Adams family there is Cain in the Arke there is Cham in Christs family or schoole there is Iudas In the Church of Ierusalem planted and gouerned by the chiefe Apostles there be false brethren The true sheepe be often without and wolues within Therefore we may not so much as dreame of a perfection of the Church of God vpon earth so long as wicked men be mixed with true beleeuers Againe these aduersaries of Paul are called false brethren because they ioyned Circumcision with Christ as a necessarie cause of iustification and saluation Hence it followes that the Church of Rome is a false Church because it ioynes workes with Christ in the case of our iustification and that as meritorious causes Their second propertie is that they crept into the Church which I conceiue on this manner The Church of God is as a sheepefold or house Ioh. 10. 1. Christ is the onely dore Now Pastours that teach Christ aright are saide to enter in by this dore they which teach any other way of saluation are said to clime in an other way and they which teach Christ ioyning some other thing with him in the cause of saluation are said to Creepe in because in appearance they maintaine Christ and yet because they adde something to Christ they neither enter nor continue in the true Church with any good warrant from God In this they are like the serpent Liuing creatures were all placed in Eden and Man was placed in the garden of Eden called Paradise and so were not beasts How then comes the serpent in why in all likelihood it crept in And so doe false brethren into the Church Hence I gather that false brethren are not true and liuely members of the visible Church though they be members in appearance For if they were in their right place they should not be said to creepe in The true members of the Church creepe not into the mysticall bodie but are built and set vpon the foundation by God It may be alleadged that they are baptised and thereby made members of the Church I answer that faith makes vs members of Christ and consequently of the true Church and baptisme doth but seale our insition into Christ and serues as a meanes of Admission into the outward societie of the congregation and the outward washing doth not make any man a member of Christ. Againe it followes hence that false brethren are not members of the Catholike church For the visible church is part of the Catholike and therefore they which are not reall members of the true visible church are not members of the Catholike Againe in that false brethren creepe into the congregation hence it appeares that no man can set downe the precise time when errours had their beginning For the authors thereof enter in secretly not obserued of men The enuious man sowes his tares when men be asleepe Math. 13. It sufficeth therefore if we can shew them to be errours by the word though we cannot designe the set time when they began The time when a shippe sinketh we often obserue but the time when it first drew water we doe not Let the Papists thinke vpon this Paul hauing thus declared who were the causes that Titus was not circumcised goes on and shewes how they were causes The effect and summe of his declaration is this They vrged the obseruation of the Ceremoniall law as necessarie and hereupon we resused to circumcise Titus First therefore Paul sets downe how they vrged circumcision and that by three degrees First they come in priuily Secondly they spie out their libertie Thirdly they labour to bring them into bondage Againe Paul sets downe the manner of their refusall in three things We gaue not place for an houre We gaue not place by subiection We gaue no place that the truth of the Gospel might continue with you The first degree or steppe in their vrging of circumcision was that They came in priuily that is they ioyned themselues in fellowship with the Apostles in shew pretended the furtherance of the Gospel yet indeed meant nothing lesse though their fraud wickednes was not perceiued Here then the foūdation they lay of all their naughtie dealing is their dissēbling which Paul here notes condemns On the contrarie our dutie is to be indeed that which we professe our selues to be to professe no more outwardly then we are inwardly and to approue our hearts to god for that which we professe before mē The second steppe or degree is that they spie out the libertie vvhich Paul and the rest had by Christ that is they conferre with the Apostles and inquire of them what libertie they haue by Christ in respect of the Ceremoniall lawe of God and this they doe not of a minde desirous to learne but for aduantage sake There be two kinds of spying one lawefull the other vnlawefull Lawefull as when in iust and lawefull warre we inquire into the counsells and doings of our enemtes Numb 13. 1. Vnlawefull when men prie into any thing or matter to finde a fault Thus hypocrites spie faults in the persons and liues of men that they may haue somwhat whereby to disgrace them Math. 7. 4. Thus Atheists prie into the scriptures that they may confute them Thus sundrie hearers come to sermōs that they may carpe Thus our enemies inquire into our religion that they may finde as they suppose exceptions vntruthes and contradictions And in the Church of Ierusalem false brethren inquire how farre Christian liberty extends that they may ouerthrow it This kind of spying is a common fault we must take heede of it and apply the eie of our minde to a better vse First we are to be spies in respect of our owne sinnes and corruptions to spie them out Lam. 3. 40. Let us search our waies and inquire and turne againe to the Lord. Again we are to plaie the spies in respect of our spirituall enemies that we may finde out the temptations of the flesh the world and the deuill Thirdly we must be as spies in searching of the Scriptures Ioh. 5. 39. that we may vnderstand the words of the lawe of God and find comfort to our soules The third and last degree of vrging is that the false brethren seeke to bring the Apostles in bondage