accompanies his owne Ordinance which whilst the eye is fixed upon the signe the water carries the minde to the consideration and so on in a sweet meditation of the thing signified the blood of Christ by that the Baptist washes the bodie with this the holy Ghost clenseth the soule and this cleansing is a changing also persona tingitur natura mutatur Euseb Emissen de Ep. Hom. 3. and this purgation by the blood of Christ is a preparation for the grace of Christ which upon is infused into the soule so St. Cyprian in expiatum pectus purum desuper se lumen infundit and being then Cyp. lib. 2. ep secunda Donato pag. 69. circa sinem infused it giveth to the powers of the soule their first disposition unto newnesse of life which by frequent acts of vertue is wrought into a habit and so is Christ formed in us tantae molis erat such a do there was this blood and sweat it cost to Redeeme man from slavery and bondage to repaire the decayes of nature to recover the lost heritage and to restore to the Father his lost Sonne And now brethren you see your calling how the sons of Adam are made the sonnes of God here 's an Alteration which the spirituall eye may easily discover First here is a change of our estate and condition when we were enemies we were reconciled unto God by the blood of his sonne who by his death overcame death which we had deserved suffered for sinne which we had committed fulfilled Gods law which we had violated satisfied his justice which we had offended appeased his wrath which we had kindled recovered his favor and made our peace and by this means we that were by nature children of wrath by that Grace and favour which Christ hath obtained for us at Gods hands are taken in to be the sonnes of God for so well pleased was he with the obedience of the naturall sonne that for his sake and at his intercession he is pleased to accept us for his sonnes thus Christ became our baile and surety undertooke for us and humbled himselfe to the meanesse of a servant that we might be advanced to the estate of sonnes And that our nature may be fit for that estate there 's a change of that too the change of our estate is ascribed to the Credulitas quae deum spiritum proclamavit de carnis substantia mortali in vitalem spiritus sustantium vos mutavit Chrysol ser 71. 2 Pet. 14. Est in locū riches of Christs merit but this of our nature to the grace of his holy spirit this change is not in substance but in quality and so in quality though not in substance the spirit of God altereth our nature conformes us to the Image of Christ and makes us partakers of the divine nature but mistake not St. Peter for by nature he understands not the essence of God which is appropriated onely to the Trinity of persons and communicated to no man but the divine Attributes of wisdome justice holinesse truth glory and immortallity and in these we have fellowship with the Father and with his sonne Jesus Christ and so are made wise righteous holy mercifull immortal and glorious like God in respect of the qualities not equality our vertues being but a ray of his Son a sparke of his eternall Aq. in 2 Pet. 13. fire a participation of his fulnesse he being an inexhaustible fountaine of grace and goodnesse filleth our frayle vessels secundum modulum nostrum according to their capacity see that what soever grace the holy Ghost effectually worketh in us it is first originally in God and is made ours either by imputation or infusion our nature is corrupt I know that in me saith St. Paul Ro. 7. 18. dwelleth no good thing mans goodnes is not inherent but either impured or imparted and so when God is pleased to participate unto us his own goodnesse there is a change wrought in our nature new light is put into our minds new desires into our affections new obedience into our wils and a sweet conformity into all our actions in this renovation there is no destruction but a conversion no subversion of the old substance but a generation of new qualityes there still remaines the same subject and this alteration of our nature is a transformatiō not a transubstantiaton To this new man there is not wanting a new name and names are given to expresse the nature of things now no name can so fully and so fitly notifie him who is made partaker of the divine nature adopted to the inheritance of glory and immortality in the kingdome of heaven as this of Gods son here then is a change of our names too there are no more termes of hostility between God and man the enmity is now abolished and all such names as carrie in them sorrow shame and misery are done away and a new name that imports comfort glory and felicity is imposed and now we are no more enemies but sonnes now surely this is good newes to heare the father hath found his lost sonne an Angell is not an able and sufficient messenger God him-himselfe bowes the heavens and comes downe ecce novum behold a new thing upon earth Esay 43. 19. This is novum and inauditum a thing never heard of before God in the flesh revealed it heaven and earth God and man reconciled good tidings Blessed be the peace maker God and man made friends good news welcome be he whosoever brings it his lips are gracious and his feet beautifull whose heart doth not leape for joy to heare himselfe by the everlasting Father called my Sonne And this new name must be attended with a Chrys ser 68. in ora Domi. new life qui Dei filium credit actu vita moribus honestate tanto generi respondeat they that professe themselves the Sons of God must be answerable to such honorable compellations this is a high and a heavenly calling and our conversation must be suitable to our calling nec degeneret Cyp. ser 5. de ora Domi. actus noster a spiritu ut qui coelestes spirituales esse caepimus non nisi spiritualia coelestia cogitemus agamus we must looke unto the Rock from whence wee are hewne and beware we degenerate not from that Royall family where into we are admitted but we who call God our Father should be blamelesse and harmelesse the sonnes of God without rebuke Phil. 2. 15. a godly name and a wicked life agree not sinners are hardened and God dishonoured when he that is called a sonne of God behaves himselfe as a servant of sinne it is very fit that every sonne of God should imitate his Matth. 11. heavenly father or if he desire a patern neerer hand let him learn of his elder brother discite à me saith Christ learne of me Frame your lives to his rule and they wil acquit you convince men
and please God whilest he sees his name honored in your conversation their conviction Old things are past behold all things are become new new estate new nature new name new life Estate happy the merit of Christ hath purchased that nature holy the spirit of Christ hath sanctified that name heavenly the love of God hath bestowed that life godly the grace of God hath wrought that happy estate holy nature heavenly name godly life man is now a sonne by grace not unworthy to be own'd of so great a Prolis tanto non in ficienda parenti Father At length I have brought you to the height of Gods love and Mans Dignity Gods Love never so Et quidem deitatis erga nos dignatio tanta est ut scire nequeat quid potissimum imitari debeat creatura utrum quod Deus ad nostram deposuit servit utem an quod nos ad suae divinitatis rapuit dignit at em Pet. Chrys ser 72. manifest as in making us his sonnes the utmost we could hope for was pardon not for preferment but to debase the naturall sonne in making him like us that he might honor us in making us like him is love without measure which we are as unable to conceive as we are unworthy to receive the expression is too meane and low to say it was paternall a it Et sicut omnem ut scriptum est paternitatem in Coelo in terris a scipso volvit nominari fic a nobis patris in se affectum voluit cognosci quid dicam patris imo potius plus quam patris a Sal. di guber dei lib. 4. pag. 121 was more then mothers love and was what himselfe is infinit Man never so dignified who am I and what is my fathers house saith David that I should be Sonne in law to a King what is fraile man that he should be exalted to the dignitie of Gods son called to the hope and invested with some possession of eternall life what a happinesse is this above the rest of mankind who through ignorance and unbeliefe abide still in misery and I would to God he would perswade the hearts of all men to account this their chiefest honour to be Gods sons religion is and ever hath been the honor and safety too of kingdomes familyes and particular persons and this of Gods sonne preferred before the most glorious titles It was the Religious boast of the Emperor Theodosius malo esse membrum Aug. de civi dei l. 5. c. 26. eccelesiae quam caput imperij and in the most magnificent it is an addition to their honor to be Gods sonnes the greatest in the world is nothing if he be lesse the meanest is enough if he be so much and so much is every true beleever for to as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sonnes of God even to them that believe on his name Jo. 1. 12. How is it then this priviledge is so sleighted and undervalued of many and carnall alliance and kindred so much stood upon by all men account their carnall pedegrees and if they can reckon a great man of their house how they glory in it whereas there is greater cause of boasting to be of Gods family then to be descended from the loynes of Princes for carnall affinity is but transitory it abideth not Kingdomes and families have their periods and in death there is a dissolution of al kindred after the flesh the mightiest man alive must one day say to corruption thou art my Father Job 17. 14 to the worme thou art my Mother and my Sister but our alliance here by faith death nor the grave hath no power over 1 Cor. 15. 55 and as it is begun on earth by grace in our adoption so shall it not be ended but perfected in heaven by glory in ful fruition when all the adopted sonnes shall be like the naturall sonne and their bodies made conformable to his glorious body according to the mighty working whereby he is able to Phil. 3. 21. subdue all things unto himselfe Many excellent things are spoken of you ye sons of God! but what man lives that dares challenge to himself this priviledg seeing every man is a sinner if a sinner no son for he that is borne of Ro. 3. 23. God sinneth not 1. Jo. 5. 18. how sinneth not sinneth not at all God never gave any such priviledge to the regenerate saith Oecumenius for the Oecumcinus in locū best of Gods Saints speakes in his own name and others If we say we have no sinne we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us Wee sinne daily and hourely the best of us but the best of us sinne no otherwise 1 Jo. 1. then Gods children may sinne Not totally with a fulnesse of consent quasi ad peccatum vacantes but over come through infirmity with strength of tentation Nor finally ad mortem they sin not that is sin not untodeath that sin for which the holy Ghost hath said thou shalt not pray In all their sinnes there is still place left for their humiliation and Christs Intercession so still they are innocent from the great offence for although many lesser sins do passe them without their knowledge and many greater sinnes be committed with their knowledge yet in the escape of those lesse and the committing of these greater they are patients not Agents not obedient to the rule of sinne but overmastered by the rage of sinne here is St. Pauls case just Ro. 7. malum quod nolo facio they sinne unwillingly and their unwillingnesse to sinne will appeare in their heavinesse for sinne when the remembrance is grievous unto them the burden intolerable then is the waight not charged on them but laid upon him who hath satisfied Gods justice for it by bearing it on his owne body on the tree for whose sake lesser and unknowne sinnes charitate absconduntur are in charity covered and our greater and well known sins poenitentia abluuntur are by actuall and unfained Bernard repentance purged who then shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth thus the sons of God they are sinners and no sinners No sinners for being justified by faith they have not onely a plenary remission of all sinnes that are passed actually purchased by the blood of Jesus but also a preservation from sinnes to come effectually promised by the spirit of grace But sinners in regard of that inherent corruption which against their wils doth lead them captive into actuall transgressions For as there is semen gratiae a seed of grace in the regenerate which will not suffer them totally to sinne So also there is semen peccatia seed of sin which wil not suffer them wholy to be sanctified Christ by his death indeed hath wholy taken away both reatum suppliciun the guilt and eternal punishment of
Lord with our substance Thirdly for his poore childrens sake whose case hee makes his owne And so if God stand in need of nothing man can give yet Christ doth not Christus merus sed Christus mysticus Not the person of Christ for God hath put all things in subjection under his feete and exalted him to be Lord of all But the bodie of Christ Totus Christus est caput corpus Aust his Church that labours under many wants and God expects the necessities of his Church should be supplied of that which is thine his Temples beautified his Ministers maintained his poore members relieved and what is given to any of these God acknowledges as given to him so that when God becomes a suiter unto man it is not for himselfe but for his Church hee makes his Churches case his owne and when a man gives to his Church he offers to God the time was when the forwardnesse of the giver prevented all suit and then so much was given that now God needs not to turne beggar for his Church give him that which is his owne that which the pietie of former times hath endowed his spouse with and then shee may say as Esau to Jacob I have enough my brother keep that thou hast unto thy selfe Gen. 33. But yet I have not done with tuum mihi thy goods thy body thy life omne tuum all thou hast to God when by that thou hast thou mayst doe him service keepe nothing back But above all that is thine thine heart to God any thing else thou hast God commends into thine hand gives thee libertie to dispose of it Corpus terrae thy body Terram terra tegat daemon peccata resumat mundus res habeat spiritus astra petat to the earth earth it is and to earth it must returne commend it therefore to the consecrated bed of dust to sleepe with it's fathers untill by the last trumpe it be awakened to a joyfull resurrection Bona amicis leave thy goods to thy freinds to the Saints upon earth and such as excell in vertue and forget not to transport a part before thee in pious and charitable uses remember thy freinds in heaven as well as thy kindred upon earth Peccatum Dia bolo thy sinne to Sathan hee was the first suggester of it and a daily tempter to it stop his mouth with a tolle quod tuum est vade let him gaine nought from thee but thy sinne that is his and bid him take his owne and be packing but Cor mihi thy heart for God wee must breath out our soules with David In manus tuas Domine commendo spiritum meum into thy hands O Lord I commend my spirit all other parts at times convenient may labour about the things of this life but sur sum corda the Heart must never looke so low heaven is Col. 3. 2. it's hope and her conversation must be as high as her hope where her fellowship is with the Father and with his Sonne Jesus Christ and from this fellowship she must not stray when the eyes are abroad in the world the heart must still be fixed in heaven and let nothing remove it from that station keep it there and it keeps the whole man upright whilst the Heart is devoted to God there is no violence briberie or injustice in the hand no lust covetousnesse or envie in the eye the eare is not open to vanitie or blasphemie there is no Idolatry in the knee no bitternesse or falshood in the tongue no guile in the lippes no impietie to God no injurie to man and this is the blessed fruit of the hearts devotion thy Heart to God then Other Competitors there are for the Heart The world cries Cor mihi give me thine heart and thou shalt have wealth and honors The flesh cries Give it me and thou shalt have ease and pleasures Give it me saith Sathan and thou shalt have all these the riches of the world and the pleasures of the flesh give him but the heart and he will give all how comes hee thus munificent Paracelfus tels us he is but a beggarly spirit and therefore let him not delude the heart with vaine hopes or deceive it with false shewes hee promises all but can give none Matth. 4. suppose him able to make his promise good yet all hee promises even the whole world is not a valuable price for the heart and will any man be so adventerously foolish as to sell upon trust at an under rate and to Sathan too so bad a pay-master the veriest huckster in the world Give it him it is lost for ever but in Gods keeping it is sure enough and this is not all the heart gaines by being devoted to God not safety Domine quia fecisti nos ad te irrequiet ū est cor donec requiescat in te Aug. only but satietie too he fils the heart and contents it to the full cheering it on earth with his grace and crowning it in heaven with his glory even for his Christs Jo. 1. 14. sake whose is the fulnesse of grace and glory to whom with the Father and the holy Spirit three Persons but one LORD GOD Almighty Be ascribed all might majestie and dominion now and for ever Amen FINIS IMPRIMATUR Jan. 26. 1638. GUIL BRAY. Good Reader with thy pen amend the faults escaped in the presse thus ERRATA Page 8. line 5. blot out the. p. 12. l. 20. blot out 4. p. 30. l. 1. read so p. 33. l. 20. r. qui se Dei filium p. 37. l. 6. blot out for p. 38. l. 18. Sonne p. 40. l. 5. r. recount p. 43. l. 7. blot out is not p. 46. l. 23. r. only p. 48. l. 3. r. stimulus p. 52. l. 1. blot out is p. 58. l. 2. r. these p. 60. l. 20. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 62. l. 12. r. too l. 13. blot p. 64. l. 19. r. this p. 67. 19. r. ranke p. 74. l. 2. r. notion p. 83. l. 20. r. gestus p. 84. l. 2. r. the. p. 85. 116. r. corde p. 87 l. 4. adde p. 88. l. 1. r. Holocauitis p. 94. l. 10. r. gald In the margent p. 20. r. dominicam p. 28. r. substantiam p. 36. r. proles p. 37. r. voluit p. 55. r. est non p. 80. r. redun iat p. 89. r. indiget cui unitur p. 112. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉