heauen and a new earth for the first heauen and the first earth were passed away which agreeth with that 2. Pet. 3.10 The heauens shall passe away with a noise and the elements shall melt with heate and the earth with the works therein shall be burnt vp and howsoeure to our dimme and vnstable sight the heauen with the furniture thereof seemeth very glorious and beautifull yet euery day they decay and diminish by little and little and are alreadie as an old worne and rotten garment readie to be cast off and folded vp by the Lord. Hauing thus seene the threefold subiection of the creatures first vnto diminution of their first estate secondly vnto profanation and pollution thirdly vnto dissolution it now followeth to speake of the second thing pointed at before namely by whom the creatures are made thus subiect and this is set downe in the end of Vers 20. Not of their owne will but by reason of him that is God which hath subdued it vnder hope that they might heerein obey the Creators commaundement who was pleased to signifie by their wauering and transitorie estate what the weight of his displeasure was for the sinne of man yet was his mercie such as he would not subdue the world euer lastinglie vnder his curse but gaue it hope that it should be restored Where learne the great seueritie of Gods iustice and vengeance for the rebellion of our first parents which bounded not it selfe within the body of man who was the sole offender but extended it selfe as a cloud ouer all the inferior works of God which were made for man as his seruants And this sheweth the offence to be very high that it drew so heinous a plague after it for we must not in our vaine and peruerse thoughts against the wisedome of God lessen the sinne of Adam as being but the eating of an apple which was a small matter since he eat so temperately as but to â—â—ste of it and did neither spoile nor digge vp any of the trees of the garden making God as a hard and niggardlie master that will take so exact an account and strict reckning of his Steward for euery particular fruit committed to his charge and heereupon will dare challenge God as if his hand had beene too heauie vpon him O beware of these damnable and hellish conceits For first know thou it is the marke of a reprobate to thinke with Cain Gen. 4.13 thy punishment greater then thy offence for herein though it be but in secret doeth he secretly charge God with crueltie who as Abraham saith Gen. 18.25 being Iudge of all the world cannot but doe right Againe the libertie that Adam had to fill himselfe of all the other trees this one excepted sheweth the admirable bountie of the Lord that of all sorts of fruit he kept but one for himself as of all the daies of the weeke he hath reserued but one in a speciall sort for his own vse being herein more sparing to himself then to Adam or to vs yet do we profane that most because it is none of ours as Adam did thirst after that tree most because by speciall commaundement it was forbidden by God wherein his rebellion was much increased that could not be thankefull for the store he had but as if he should starue if he wanted this that was forbidden must set the edge of his appetite vpon this which was so forbidden threfore hath God measured foorth an euen plague of perfection equall with his sinne of presumption being punished not only in himselfe but in his whole posteritie with sorrow not only vpon his body but with anguish and horror vpon his soule also and not only with trouble and vexation in the beginning and entrance into this life being naked and not able to clothe himselfe hungrie and wanting strength to feede himselfe weake and not of power to arme himselfe but also being followed and pursued of this vexation both in the continuance and in the end of his life feeding sowerly vpon his labour and dying lothsomely if the curse were not remoued in Christ and languishinglie vpon his bed his paines heere being but the forerunners and remembrancers of weightier that are to come in the life to come Nay the Lord hath made his iustice like a hooke to runne thorough the nostrels of all his creatures they being all accursed for our sakes for as Iob saith Chap. 5.6 Misery commeth not forth of the dust neither doth affliction spring out of the earth meaning originally of it selfe but by reason of the sinne of man this being prefigured out vnto vs Leuit. 15. vnder the law for when one had the Leprosy the bed he lay on the stoole he sat on the basen he washt in was vncleane the companie he kept yea he that laid his fingers on that the leper had touched was vncleane also which setteth forth the spirituall leprosy of our soules through sinne and that all the creatures whereon man laid his hand or where on he slept yea or whereon hee lookt were polluted and defiled through his vncleanenesse so as whether wee looke aboue vs or about vs to heauen or to earth on the right hand or on the left before vs or behind vs or round about vs we can not but behold Gods great but yet his iust seueritie and vengeance for our transgression in Adam who would not exempt the poore creatures from his stroke which as we may say were in themselues harmelesse and innocent and this well weighed should make vs sigh and grone and mourne and cry for our sinnes that caused then so heauie a curse as hath euer since caused the world to weare as it were her mourning apparell the earth euen for the sinnes committed in our flesh hauing oft times her fruit ready ripened in her wombe and yet wanteth strength to be deliuered being eiâ—â—â—r blasted in the blade or not full eared for lacke of the latter raine so that if our meditations were sanctified as they ought as oft as we see a sheepe led to the slaughter so oft should we thinke and acknowledge that we haue deserued death better then the silly beast we being only in the sinne and the creature subiect to this vanitie but through our corruption And this must make vs take heed how we giue the raines to our affections which will soone ouerrunne and corrupt our religion for if God was so deeply displeased with sinne when it came alone into the world how doe wee vrge and prouoke him to wrath in these dayes that bring foorth so many new inuented sinnes that the dragon draweth not now with his taile the third part as he did Reuel 12.4 but euen all the starres of heauen after him there scarce being any sound professor to be found that either poisoneth not his religion with an opinion of indifferencie or mingleth it not with so much feare of man as he is farre short of that zeale that the Lord requireth of them that be worshippers of
the babes life verse 21 Then he rose vp and tooke the babe and his mother and came into the land of Israel verse 22 But when he heard that Archilaus did raigne in Iuda in stand of his father Herod he was afraid to goe thither yet after he was warned of God in a dreame he turned aside into the parts of Galiley verse 23 And went and dwelt in a citie called Nazareth that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophets which was that he should be called a Nazarite NOW followeth the returne of Iesus out of Egypt after the cruelty executed by Herod vpon the children and the iudgement of God manifested on Herod striking him with death 〈◊〉 which words there bee foure generall points to be considered first the commandement of the Lord by the message of an Angell vnto Ioseph as the foster-fatheâ— of this babe whereby he is aduertised to returne hauing securitie giuen him that he need not doubt namely that Herod and the rest were dead which sought the life of Christ Secondly the obedience of Ioseph turning neither to the right hand nor to the left but as he staid till hee was called so he staied not when he was called Thirdly in what feare Ioseph stood finding sucâ— troubles in Iudaea and into what perturbation of minde heâ—â— cast when he heard that Archilaus raigned knowing him to be Cockatrice hatched out of a Serpents egge and how the Lâ—sent an Angell to releeue him in this perplexity Fourthly 〈◊〉 Ioseph minding no such matter by his turning into Galile thâ—â— is an ancient Oracle fulfilled that this babe should bee callâ—â— Nazarit Out of the first learne the faithfulnesse of Gods proâ—â—â— that he is a God of his word for in this is his first promâ—â—â— complished as appeareth now by the effect that he wouâ—â— his sonne out of Egypt and that the same Angell that brâ—â—â— the heauy tidings vnto Ioseph of his flight from Bethleâ—â— Egypt the same Angell brings him this glad tidings of 〈◊〉 turne from thence into the land of Israel And thus mâ—â—â— consider of all the promises of God as of his couenanâ— Noah Genes 9.11 that the world shall no more bee droâ—â— his promise to Israel that they shall be his chosen for hoâ— euer the Lord withdrawes his fauour from his saints for aâ—â— yet at the last he will release them and in compassion will 〈◊〉 vpon their afflictions And well may the mountaines fall the course of nature change but Gods promise shall 〈◊〉 faile 1. Thes 5.24 for as Dauid saieth Psalme 32. though their â—â—lations bee many yet the Lord will deliuer them out of And though this pregnant security of returning be not expresly giuen to euery prisoner as it was heere to Ioseph yet all that feare God haue this to comfort them that hee hath giuen his word hee will make them blessed Mat. 5.4 and that as hee hath drawne them to the profession of his name so hee will neuer leaue them till hee haue brought them to the possession of his glory and that whether they die in Egypt vnder the fornace of affliction or come forth of Egypt all shall worke for their saluation And this his wisedome hath not onely disposed of the generall end which is his glory but of the meanes also how hee will bring euery one of vs to his kingdome And though it bee thorow the riuers of waters what skilleth it if wee haue the crowne at last Iob. 5.18 The same hand that woundeth shall bind vp the wound againe and the same hand that smiteth shall heale and the same God that layed vs before in the ashes shall giue vs oile to make our faces cheerfull Psal 104.15 Act. 12.8 by a warrant from heauen discharge Peter of his chains when in the eie of his enemies he stands condemned and make Ioseph returne out of that barbarous nation Egypt wherein God was so much dishonored to exercise himselfe in the seruice of God in Galile And though wee haue no certaine promise of this yet let vs be affected like Dauid who wandring 2. Sam. 15.25 through the mountaines in great diâ—â—â—esse his griefe being increased because hee was banished by his owne sonne and supplanted by the subtilty of Achitophel his â—hiefe counsellor when he saw he could not haue the Arke with â—im bids it should be caried againe into Ierusalem saying If I â—aue found fauour in Gods sight he will bring me thither againe but if hee haue no delight in me let him doe as seemeth best to â—im for either in the time of our trouble we shall be gathered to God in peace Psal 56.13 or else he will let vs see his goodnesse in the light of the liuing Now the cause why it is safe for Ioseph to returne is because Herod is dead where we learne to our comfort that tyrants shal â—ot liue euer and when they perish and fall away then is the Church deliuered and comforted for this death of his was no doubt as cheerefull to Anna and Simeon at Ierusalem as to Ioseph and Mary in Egypt and Rachel that before was brought in weeping ouer the innocent bloud of the poore children as if the graue had felt such barbarous and beastly cruelty may now be thought to breake forth into exceeding ioy that such a rakehell was taken away as Herod was that sought the life of Christ How we ought to bee affected at the fall of the wicked appeareth Psalm 52. where although Doeg had got great authority with Saul so as he boasted in his power trusted in the strength of his malice his tongue being as the sharpe razor alwaies cutting or as the coales of iuniper alwaies raising contention against the Saints yet the Lord shall destroy him and though hee thought to haue built his neast in the heauens yet shall the Lord cast him downe and the righteous saith he shall see it and reioyce the wicked being blind neuer beholding the iudgement of God and they shall laugh not in reuenge but to see God mercy in taking part with the godly And not onely the righteous shall ioy at this but as Iob. 20 26. saith The tongue of the â—â—per shall slay them that is the very wicked shall curse them 〈◊〉 Princes that want religion soone slip into tyranny and wantâ—â—â— conscience to moderate their desires and affection to looke vpon their subiects they will soone resemble Rehoboam 1. Kingâ— 12.10 in making the yoake heauy and correcting them 〈◊〉 Scorpions Further from hence learne that God doth often so disappoint the plots and purposes of cruell tyrants that when they intend to execute others they die first themselues and sometime Haman Ester 7.10 is hanged on his owne gallowes thâ—â— he prepared for Mordecai Herod had thought to haue killâ—â— Christ but he is faine to take the paines to die himselfe If Mâ—ses come any more into Pharaohs sight he shall surely die Exâ—â— 10.28 Well Moses will see his face no more but
take◠from mercy And 1. Cor. 6.15 Your bodies are the temples 〈◊〉 the holy Ghost and yee are bought with a price therefore doe not prostitute them to vncleannesse but let the loue of God constraine vs to loue him againe Yet may wee not heereupon imagine that we make the law of God of no effect through faith nay as S. Paul saith Rom. 3.31 by this we rather establish the Law and that two waies first in the absolute obedience of Christ inherent in himselfe and imputed vnto vs secondly by the spirit of sanctification abiding in vs for the same righteousnesse the law commands the very same doth faith apprehend for we doe challenge the promise of God to saue vs by this that Christ in our person hath absolutely performed it so as there is no difference in respect of the substance but only in the maner of conueiance wherby we apply it vnto our soules So doth the Gospel command the same works that the law exacteth though there be a threefold difference between them for first the law commands works to gaine saluation by them the Gospell because saluation is already gained by the bloud of Christ for as S. Paul saith 1. Cor. 6 2◠we are bought with a price therefore we are debtors secondly the law giueth no power to worke that it commandeth for Moses that was the giuer of it could not frame his owne heart to do it therfore it is called a dead letter written in stones 2. Cor. 3 6◠which prefigured the harts of men but the Gospel in the elect neuer cōmandeth but first giueth grace and power to performe as the Lord neuer pardoneth any mans sin but he first writeth his law in his heart as S. Iohn saith 1. Ioh. 3.8 God sent his son to destroy the works of the diuel in vs and this is the argument of S. Paul Rom. 6.14 Let not saith he sin raigne in your mortal bodies that is haue dominion ouer you for yee are not vnder the law but vnder grace that giueth power to amend Thirdly the law commands works absolutely and admits of no repentance but the Gospel neuer excludes repentance the father euer waiting for the returne of his lost son so as it is true no whoremonger shal be saued continuing such a one but alwaies vnderstand repentance comming between staieth the iudgement for though our sins be of a purple or skarlet die yet if we turne to God the bloud of Christ hath this vertue 1. Ioh. 5.6 that it can make them white as snow so as the summe of al this is bloud water Ioh. 13.8 must go together faith in Iesus and the spirit of the Lord Iesus remission of sins and reformation of life must neuer be disioined Now for that the Papists say the expectation of a reward would make vs worke that in vaine should the worke be if there were no merit Wee answer that if a man freely shall gratifie his bondman with libertie and he shall after preserue his masters life by this hee hath not deserued his freedome for if he had remained still bond he had beene bound to haue done it and all hee can doe after is not to recompence his freedome but to testifie his thankfulnesse So whatsoeuer we can do or deserue we are bound to it by a double bond first of our creation secondly and much more by our redemption and after our saluation promised and purchased to doe well is nothing but dutie for we were bound to doe it before we were saued So as this is the order of exhortation in the Scripture All that haue hope 2. Cor. 7.1 must cleanse themselues not to clense themselues that they may hope but they haue hope therfore they must doe it Mat. 25.34 And not because we releeue the poore therefore wee shall be saued but because in mercy a kingdome is prepared for vs therfore as members of one bodie we releeue the poore And Abraham did not therefore offer vp his sonne that he might be iustified Gen. 22.8 but because he was iustified before Gen. 15.6 therefore he thought nothing too deare to gratifie the Lord with though it were with the sonne of the promise So heere we doe not therefore repent that the kingdome of heauen may come but wee must amend our liues and change our minds because the Messias is already come that will saue our soules Againe obserue he saith it is at hand noting a neere manifestation of him which was more then any of the Prophets could say whereupon Christ saith that there was neuer any Prophet so great as Iohn Baptist Mat. 11.11 yet the least in the kingdome of heauen is greater then he not comparing their persons for there were diuers of the Prophets as excellently qualified as Iohn nor that a Minister of the Gospell now should be greater then hee but that the ministery of Iohn was plainer then that of the Prophets they but foretelling indefinitely that Christ should come Iohn pointing at him with his finger that he was now comming and the ministery now being more excellent then Iohns because he preached but of the Messias at hand wheras we haue seene the fingers of this hand Christ to haue come with power to haue died with triumph and to haue ascended with glorie therefore let him that hath an eare heare and hee that hath hope let him arise for the kingdome is now come not at hand Iohn 14.12 Againe note the excellent Harmonie betweene Iohn the fore-runner and Christ the after-commer for Matt. 4.17 Christ vseth the very same words to perswade to amendement of life because the kingdome of heauen is at hand Which sheweth the agreement ought to be among Ministers and how wee may discerne whether they be of God or no for then as they all worke vpon one foundation so shall they all speake by one spirit and the voice of the herbinger agree with Christ and Christ with him pressing no other doctrine then that Iohn preached before For the fourth circumstance which is the warrant whereby Iohn was authorized to preach wee note that all callings in the Church of God must bee warranted expresly in the booke of God For if any were to bee exempted it was this of Iohns being extraordinarie but he is enforced to prooue it as if hee should say Though I am not Christ nor Elias in person howbeit in power of spirit I am yet looke in Esay 40.3 my authoritie recorded for the place of a Minister is not like the power of the Magistrate which though it be Gods ordinance in generall yet is it not in particular as that there should be this or that Magistrate as an Emperour Duke Chancellor and such like for this is humane and God hath giuen man this freedome by the remnant and portion of reason abiding in him to deuise what may be safest for the state And these offices as they be by man erected so may they be by him abolished But
me to haue me vse my liberty in this place but I discerne thy subtilty and to doe this thou requirest should be no glory to my Father nor any confirmation of doctrine heereafter therefore I will not cast pearles before Sathan The words containe two parts first the suggestion or temptation secondly the beating backe of the temptation In the first consider first the occasion sathan tooke to tempt him namely his hunger secondly the matter wherewith he was tempted For the first he tempts him in a matter of food being hungry Where learne that Sathan espieth all aduantages where and when he may finde vs best and he vseth our present infirmities or conditions of life as the fittest coales to set vs on fire withall For the rich man is neuer assaulted with the temptation to steale because he hath enough nor beggers to purchase because they want nor priuate men to peruert iustice because they sit not in place but there bee some temptations on the right hand and some on the left some are tempted by sickenesse to impatience by health to forget God by youth to embrace liberty and by age to loue riches by fulnesse to lift vp their heele against God some by penury to distrust him as if hee had cast off all care of them some are moued to reuenge by being disgraced and some to worke mischiefe by being flattered therefore we must correct such imperfections whereunto by nature wee are most inclined and not to giue the least aduantage vnto Sathan lest vpon our vnwatchfulnesse we be surprized for euery one shall finde that in something hee is not left vntempted and since temptations come on both sides wee must arme our selues with weapons on each side For the second which is the matter of the temptation we obserue a double drift in Sathan first to driue Christ to doubt that he is not Gods child because of his present exigent and want secondly vpon this to driue him to vse a preposterous miracle against Gods glory and whereby hee should haue graunted the diuell that he could not haue liued without bread and by this meanes to haue lost the glory of the triumph For the first of these leauing the particular of Christ the head let vs see whether the members bee not afflicted with the same temptations Psal 73.13.14.15 The greatest man the Prophet Dauid was mightily shaken with this when he saw Gods children liue so miserablie and the wicked so prosperously The Prophet Ieremy ch 12.1 desireth to reason with the Lord about this matter and bursteth forth with wonder Why doeth the way of the wicked so prosper why are all they in wealth that rebelliously transgresse They are planted and they grow where as the godly leade a life fraught and full of sorrow And this was the argument of all Iobs friends that being so strangely afflicted he must needs be Gods enemy Iob. 8.20 Indeed if the Lords loue should be measured by outward blessings the vngodly had farre greater cause to boast for they weare pride about their neckes as a chaine and are couered with extortions as with a garment their faces shine saith Ieremy and their plants are safely rooted yea not onely their persons but their children are like flockes of sheepe in the pleasant field and like oliue branches at a furnished table they see their houses established before their faces and are comforted with the sight of their childrens children Nay all things fareth well with them their Cow calueth and casteth not their hearâ—â— come in and out with daily plenty so as with them euery thing prospereth by a proportionable kinde of happinesse And as they are happie in their liues so they haue a great priuiledge in the time of death for they die like lambes and passe away farre men comfortably to the eye then Gods children for they die not languishingly or as the prisoners of death but they goe to the graue sodainly yet their wickednesse is such and their hearts so full of poison as Iob describing their cogitations saith they regard not chap. 21.15 the Almighty but say what is the Lord that they should serue him And Dauid Psal 7.5 sheâ—â—â— that their mouthes speake blasphemy against the heauens and their tongues walke freely through the earth not fearing mâ—â— Whereas on the other side 1. Pet. 4.17 the iudgement of God beginner aâ— his owne house and they drinke the dregs of the cup of sorrow they are but wormes scarce worthy to creepe in respect of the magnificence of the wicked they eate the bread of care and quench their thirst with the water of affliction they are for their bodies poore for their credit despised and for their consciences they haue many combats the terrors of death doe oft so fight against them as they are shaken in the foundation of their faith so as they doubt besides these miseries they sustaine heere they shall be adiudged to death in the life to come yea they are hated of those by their name that neuer saw them by their face And besides this amid these waues of their miseries they are tempted yet by Sathan as that they are but grashoppers abiected of the world ouerwhelmed with sinne which woundeth their soule to death and yet they take themselues to bee heires of heauen and fellow-heires with Christ These seas of miseries should neuer ouerflow thee which sting thy conscience nor these disgraces outward should neuer ouerthrow thee which touch thy body if thou wert Gods child for then should his eye watch ouer thee to ease thee Such is the portion allotted to Gods Saints so as Dauid was caried so farre in perturbation of spirit that had hee not entred into the sanctuarie of the Lord he had vtterly condemned the generation of the godly Howbeit when we are assaulted on this sort let vs not bee dismayed but let vs know that herein is wrought our conformity with the Lord Iesus let vs learne the same defence that he vsed not to seeke to wind out our selues by our owne power or policy but to rely wholly vpon the Lord for the hath many secret waies to rescue vs if it please him to shew the power of his prouidence and by this trouble and depth of sorrowes we are plunged into we may the rather assure our selues that there shall be a generall restauration of all things because they are now so out of frame whereas if the wicked should heere bee punished and the godly prosper we might more call in doubt the comming of the Lord to glory But now seeing things in such a lamentable confusion euen this nay perswade vs with Saint Paul that there shall come a daie of vengeance for them that liue wickedly 2. Thess 1.7.8 and for them that are now distressed a day of comfort for if euery thing should be caried with an euen hand we might well doubt of an immortalitie For the second drift of Satan which was to vrge Christ vpon this his distresse to worke
that he might haue been aduanced and Diotrephes 3. Iohn 1.9 to hinder preaching that he might be chiefe and the Disciples to fall out Luke 9.46 among themselues who shall be chiefest one desiring to sit on the right hand the other on the left that they might be iolly fellowes But neuer any tooke the Diuell so much at his word as the Hierarchie of Rome who from God had nothing giuen them but the Word and Sacraments but from Sathan hath had his staiers and degrees to ascend into the mountaine first God hauing prouided men should bee Pastors ouer the people it was appointed by man that there should bee superintendents ouer the superintendents that is Bishops ouer Pastors which was thought good to appease the â—â—â—ention of the church and to aduance men for the excellencie of their gifts After was deuised that some should bee ouer the Bishops as Archbishops deuised at first by singular policy that as Bishops in their Dioces were ouer the Pastors so these should bee ouer them to deale with them as they did with the Pastors After was inuented that some should bee ouer them and then was the Church giuen to foure Patriarkes which were to haue as ample authority ouer them as they had ouer the Bishops and these were placed in euery corner of the Church namely at Alexandria Antioch Constantinople and Rome Heereupon by reason of the multitude of matters brought to these foure Sathan withdrew them from their studies being so instantly importuned as they were From hence they being in such eminent places and bearing the name of great professors the Emperours growing to bee Christians indowed them with great substance called them to be of their Councell and gaue them much worldly wealth as to great men of the earth and when they began thus to negotiate in the world they despised preaching After when they were inriched and brought thus farre ad gloriam mundi to behold the glory of the earth then Sathan wanted no more then to see which of these would fall downe first and haue all at the end the strife grew betweene Constantinople and Rome as Patriarkes of the East and West Churches and after some buckling Rome preuailed partly by the absence of the Emperour partly by the diuision of the Empire in the East partly in that it sought it more ambitiously than the other and partly for the fulfilling of the Prophesie that the seat of the Beast should bee built vpon the seuen hils And how was this done but by Phocas that killed his Master Mauritius wherupon afterward partly by worldly power disposing of Emperours and the yoke of conscience thinking them Peters successours he was stupor mundi the wonder of the world hauing power in the peoples vnderstanding both in hell heauen earth and purgatory and when he came to rule in all these them was this fulfilled heere spoken of Fall down and worship me And this hath also infected the Churches of the Protestants as one Bishop Bennet hath written namely the Diuell hath shewed them the 〈◊〉 Bishopricks Deaneries and Parsonages of the land and hauing once gotten them at this lift hath brought them to disclaime and renounce the simplicity of the truth and leauing their calling to betake themselues to the glittering shew of the world and to be sed and fatted with ambition For the third which is the condition hee requireth for his â—â—berality he will not giue it for nothing Where note that the Diuels promises are faire but there is some cursed condition tied and annexed to them He will giue Absolon a kingdome but he must rauish his fathers concubines 2. Sam â—â— 22. 1. Sa. 22.9.18 Luk. 23.2 Ioh. 19.12 he will get Doeg a place in the Court but he must persecute the Church Caiphas shall be chiefe Priest so he will betray Christ Pilate shall bee a Iudge if he will be Casars friend Balaam shall be highly promoted if he will but curse the people and Christ shall haue the whole world if he will but bend his knee to him He will promise Num. 23.11 a merchant shall be made an Alderman if he will but continue his vsury a Lawyer shall be made a Iudge if he will not sticke at a little bribery a scholar shall haue great preferment if he but follow his counsell at first to preach pleasingly not to do it often for then he shall be stale to come vp only in famous places especially at Bethel the Kings Chappell so as the country must not content him he must preach like a Clerke in his Greeke Hebrew and Latine that the people may rather admire him than vnderstand him thinke hee hath knowledge rather than get any for themselues for Sathan cannot abide to haue them learned hee must defend all things not onely to bee well established but well executed to beware lest he gall men in authority and howsoeuer in the pulpit he may generally glaunce at abuses yet after to shew himselfe plausible and to make himselfe deafe when he heareth an oath Thus doth the diuell indent with men and thus is wine giuen to the Nazarites Amos 2.12 as Amos speaketh and vnlesse thou wilt suffer God to be dishonored and thy soule hazarded he will giue thee nothing But it may bee said It is a shamefull thing to demand this of Christ so may it seeme of vs for no man will professe to worship the diuell But this cannot be denied in action howeuer it be in woâ—ds for if a man worship him whom hee serueth and serueth him whom he obeyeth as S. Paul saith Rom. 6.14 And if wee may measure the worship by the fruits of worship he that by pâ—â—ier expecteth not a blessing by loosnesse of life giueth himselfe to vncleannesse and from the poison of his heart profaneth the Sabbath doth worship the diuell greatly though hee crie neuer so much against it for none will sooner defend her honestie then a strumpet nor giue bigger words then a coward Yea some are so fully possessed with him as they doe not know it and those diseases are most dangerous that are not felt Now the diuell is worshipped two waies either by idolatrie in iudgement as in grosse superstition or by idolatrie in affection as they that make their belly their God for the couetous man is an Idolater Ephes 5. and so is the voluptuous man Phil. 3. yea if we plant our hearts any where but in heauen we commit Idolatrie Now for the resistance of the temptation it hath two parts the first generall the second particular Fist answering by the detestation of the person Auoid Satan for because he had dealt more shamefully in this temptation then in the others he giueth him a more sharpe answer then before Secondly he descendeth for the instruction of the godly into a more particular answer I must worship God Out of the first learne the wisdome of our Sauiour Christ who dealing with a most malicious enemy would not multiplie words or argument with
sinnefull flesh wherein we are to beleeue that Christ is the naturall sonne of God and the sonne of Dauid but not naturall for he was not begotten of man his seed being vncleane but he was conceaued of the holy ghost and so became man like vnto vs sinne excepted therefore it is heere said in the similitude of sinnefull flesh not in sinnefull flesh and in this similitude he was both in the sight of men and of God in the sight of men for all the while he was on earth he was seene to be subiect to the miseries of sinnefull flesh both in his life and death to hunger for he was oft so to pouerty for he had not whereon to lay his head to persecution for he fled and withdrew himselfe from much violence intended against him to griefe for he wept and sighed for the death of Lazarus and the destruction of Hierusalem to slanders for they vpbraided him that he wrought by the power of the diuel to temptations for he was carried by the Spirit into the desert for that purpose to accusation by false witnesses to colour the sentence of death against him to scourgings to scoffings to reuilings to the crosse to death it selfe all which was seene to men by some that grieued at it by most that iested and reioyced at it He was also seene in this similitude by God himselfe for though he was deliuered and tossed as it were from pillar to post from Annas to Caiaphas from Caiaphas to Pilate from Pilate to the Souldiers from the Souldiers to the Citie from the city to the Iudgement seat from thence to the inferiour officers to be beaten with reeds from thence to the gibbet though all cried by the perswasion of the high priests Crucifie him doubling it in the aire with a most damnable echo yet was all this done as Peter saith Act. 2.23 by the determinate counsell of God the heauens hauing decreed that the earth should open as it were to swallow him because he represented our persons more liuelie then Iacob did the person of Efau Gen. 27.21 so as for the time he was heauily crushed with the weight of Gods indignation which appeared by the conflict he had with the wrath of God sweating droppes of blood by the basenesse deiection he felt in himselfe crying out that hee was forsaken an 〈…〉 doth proue he was in the similitude of sinnefull flesh in the sight of his father and that it was necessary it should be so being man to satisfie for man and God to get the conquest of death hell and condemnation For the fourth which is the purpose he was sent for It was to abolish sinne and to condemne sinne in the flesh speaking metaphorically or in a borrowed speech meaning heereby that there was great pleading in heauen before the seat of God betweene Christ and the diuell the seed of the woman and the serpent the diuell challenging of vs to be his first because in our first parents we gaue more faith credit to him then to God for when God had wrapt vp condemnation in the forbidden fruit we thought it to be the hidden treasure of diuine knowledge when he had sweetned his inhibition of this one tree with the free vse and liberty of all the rest as if we should starue for meat our appetite must be enflamed to this aboue the rest and when he had enioyned a law vpon our fingers as not to touch it then doe we through the strength of suggestion prefix our eies on no other marke then to gaze on it thereby to insnare our hands to snatch at it Secondly whereas Adam had his birth and creation in innocency which was but a particular allegation for him yet we that are his posterity haue our beginning from corruption as if in our generation we vowed a course of vncleanenesse and doe performe this vow by plunging the whole man into the lake as it were of impiety and therefore in our liues resembling his likenesse by walking in the workes of darkenesse he impudently would haue faced out the matter as if heauen had beene but the hall of iustice fit for the maiesty of God to sit there and not for vs to abide there longer then while sentence is in giuing But when Christ against this had truly alleaged the eternity of his generation in respect of his God-head the cleannesse of his conception in respect of his man-hood how in this person of ours he was euer sanctified in this flesh of ours had vanquished the fierce temptations of the diuell and how we in our owne persons by the water of the holy ghost are daily washed when by this hard pleading of Christ on our side we were by the sentence of God vnshakled as prisoners vniustly detained and had our absolution written in our foreheads that the damned might see it to their discomfort then the sonne of God hauing by this his trauell oâ—ened the insearchable riches of his fathers mercy toward vs he condemned sinne in this flesh and purged as it were euery veine of the hidden filthinesse lay in it and made vs members of his body So as from hence learne to measure the benefit thou hast by Christ that he is no further sent to thee then he hath destroied sinne in thee for if thou settest vp a seat for profanenesse in thy heart sowing thy fruit to the flesh and liuing to thy selfe then as 2. Cor. 5.15 Christ died not for thee and he was sent to die that by his death thou mightest liue to him beware therefore thou doest not examine thy selfe too slightly in this matter for it was easier for the Lord to create a new heauen and a new earth then to raise thee from the dead and to abolish sinne in thee which kept thee vnder the dominion of death hee hauing no resistance in the one and in the other hauing the rebellion of thy nature to hinder him so as thou must not measure the death of sinne in thee by the auoiding of grosse sinnes which the sunne hates to shine vpon but euen by thy practise and delight in smaller sinnes for if these doe keepe their course in running priuatly through thy life as the bloud doth in runnig secretly through thy veins it keepes out the spirit which should raise thee from the old Adam to the new from rebellion to obedience from darknesse to light from hell to heauen Striue therefore as in thy ignorance to please the flesh so by thy knowledge to content the spirit that as pride pleased the flesh so humblenesse of heart may please the spirit and that for the assurance of Christ to be thine thou maist doe euery thing contrary to that thou didest before after the example of Domitian the Emperour who was answered if hee would gouerne vprightly he must doe contrary to that the gouernours had done before who ruled with crueltie and tyrannie ROM chap. 8. vers 4. verse 4 That that righteousnesse of the law might
courts of God then a thousand in the kings palace and if this spirit was in him in the time of the law then ought there to bee a double spirit in vs that liue in this golden time of the Gospell But I would it might not be said of vs that the children of this world are wiser in their generation then the children of light for they lie stretching themselues vpon their beds straining their wits how to please the flesh with choice and variety of delightfull sinnes whereas wee through the smoke of that corruption that flieth vp to our eies are so blinded as wee thinke our selues incumbred with the comlinesse of the spirit straitning the times wherein the graces of God should be blowen vp and cherished in vs and giuing too large an allowance to the portion we share out for the flesh therefore if we will be spirituall men indeed we must lay vp the word of God in our hearts binding it as a signe vpon our hands wearing it as a frontlet before our eies and writing it vpon the posts of our houses that it may be as a master to instruct vs and as a line to direct vs that as neere as we can our thoughts may be hedged in that they range not after the concupiscence of the flesh our affections restrained that they rise not against the worke of the spirit our actions so squared as they may be fit timber for the building of such Temples wherein the Lord shall dwell by his spirit Lastly obserue the fruits the wisdome of the spirit bringeth which be two peace and life euen the two speciall benefits that the carnall man seeketh for yet misseth of for the flesh neuer giueth peace but is continually perplexed eating and being neuer satisfied flying and chacing themselues when none pursueth them neither can it bring foorth life the wicked being euer groping as in the darke so as we see what worldly men most seeke for that they are most destitute of for we all agree in the end of our desire that we would be blessed but in the substance wherein true blessednesse consisteth there is great difference The Philosophers speaking of happines were distracted into two hundred eighty eight opinions euery one intending some thing and yet resoluing nothing some pointing to the right hand some to the left some to the vally some to the plaine and yet all of them out of the way yea and the inlightened Christian that hath a true contemplation of right happinesse doth notwithstanding by the halting of his conscience confute that in practise which hee in heart alloweth confessing it to be ascribed to the spirit and yet seeketh it in the flesh placing it in heauen and yet looking for it in hell whereas it is better goe to heauen a begger then to hell an Emperour and as Mat. 8. better goe to heauen lame then to hell sound and yet such is our spirituall blindnesse that we had rather put it on the hazard of our soules then to lose any present comfort in the body But how canst thou thinke to finde hony in a waspes nest or to make a good garment of a spiders webbe or to receaue holesome food of a cockatrice egge or to perswade thy selfe of peace and life in following the flesh which the Lord hath cursed The onely happinesse of a Christian resteth in his wisedome in the spirit for by this he hath peace about him and peace aboue him though iudgement smiteth on euery side yet it spareth him for his conscience being vpright hee hath euer his pardon in his hand to plead though he be compassed with all the crosses in the world yet hauing the first peace in the forgiuenesse of his sinnes he is assured of his last peace also that is his lasting peace in life eternall That king was miserable that vnder his cloath of estate had a sword hanging ouer his head by a little threed and in this suspensed felicity he was so perplexed that he wished to be out of his rich misery much more may they wish it that haue the sword of the Lords vengeance shaking ouer them for studying onely the wisedome of the flesh which is so far from peace as it would hide it selfe vnder the hils and so farre short of life as it is the vndoubted messenger of a most desperate death But these be onely fruits of such a tree as the feare of God hath made wisely old betimes being planted by the spirit and growing vp in the spirit shewing by their conuersation vpon what stocke they are grafted and by what sap they are nourished tasting nothing but the true seruice of God wherby they are able to stand before him with a cleere conscience which is walled about in euery corner with the peace and fauour of God and reserued in his due time for the perfection of glory in the life to come ROM chap. 8. vers 7. verse 7 Because the wisedome of the flesh is enimity against God for it is not subiect to the law of God neither indeed can be THe drift of the Apostle in this verse as in the former is to shew that our sanctification is the onely security we haue of our saluation for to them that are in Christ there is life and peace and this our vnion with him is discerned by our walking in his spirit and this shall wee know when the things wee doe sauour of the spirit and this sauour is seene by performing the fruits of the spirit in the course of a godly life And that this is so he hath proued by opposing two contraries as namely by the godly life of a spirituall man and the godles life of a carnall man Now heere he sheweth a reason why the wisedome of the flesh is damnation because it is enimity against God So this verse standeth on two parts First he sheweth what the wisedome of the flesh is at plaine hatred with God Secondly patience that coles of fire may be heaped vpon their heads and whether these three meete together in any one man or any of them alone possesse him the wisdome of the flesh euer rebelleth against the wisdome of God and this I speake not of the folly of man but of the very best actions that flesh and blood can doe for the very best wisdome of the flesh was that of Peters toward Christ Master pitty thy selfe Mat. 16.22.22 and yet for this he was called Sathan so that to consult with flesh and blood is but to take aduice how to damne our selues for if we be at enmity with God it must needes follow wee are at friendship with the diuell Now for the second part which is the reason of this enimitie betweene God and the flesh obserue that if we will know how to please God it is taught vs in his law for if we would yeeld our selues subiect to it it being giuen and pronounced at first by the mouth of God written with his singer and sent by his Angell deliuered
but not according to knowledge and therfore missed of their saluation They that persecuted the Prophets and rose vp against Paul Act. 22. had a good intention and Paul himselfe in the state of a Pharisie thought he had done God good seruice when Act. 9.2 he had got a commission to persecute the church and what could bee better then for Peter in meere loue to his master Christ to disswade him from going vp to Ierusalem where he knew he shold be hardly intreated yet was hee called sathan for his labour or what could be better in zeale of conscience then for Vzzah to releeue and support the Arke from falling yet because it was contrary to the commandement he was stricken with sudden death So as our meaning is not that which can excuse vs for wee must square out our crabbed and knotty timber by the line and plummer measuring crooked things by that which is straight that both may be straight and we must goe to the plaine rule the law word of God not to that leaden rule wherby we are abused in the errour of our iudgement for we must in euery thing submit our wils to Gods will that they may be pure and holy as his law is therfore let this his law be our glasse to see whether we be deformed or beautifull our touch-stone to trie whether our deuotion be gold or drosse our ballance that it may appeare whether we be weight or refuse our diet to feede on that we suâ—fet not with the sinnefull pleasures of this lfie and let vs walke with straight feete in an euen path that wee neither decline to the right hand to sinne of presumption not to the left to sinne of good intention but without looking backe except it be to correct that which is amisse let vs euer bee going forward in that way the Lord hath set vs in and then to vs that walke according to this rule peace shall light and rest vpon vs Gal. 6.16 and mercy shall compasse vs on euery side Further in that the Apostle saith that the wisedome of man neither is nor can be subiect to the law of God we gather against the opinion of the Papists that it is no way in our power or free-will to take or to refuse the grace of God whereby at first wee should be conuerted for as there is no power in a bow to bend it selfe further then it is drawen by the strength of man no more is there any liberty in vs to incline our wils to goodnesse further then it is pressed and forced by grace for first we say the infusion of grace is from aboue and the power to retaine it and apply it is from aboue also it being a speciall prerogatiue giuen to Gods elect onely as Christ himself saith None can come to me except my father draw him the word signifieth a violent forceing and vrging of a man when with all his strength he withstands it and the heart of a man is as a stone that cannot be softned except it be by the blod of Christ no more then the diamond can except it be by the blood of a Goate but when it hath once beene washed with the blood of the Sonne of God then our wils worke like waxe in the singers of the Lord Phil. 2.3 Besides if it should bee arbitrary with vs to refuse or receaue the grace of our conuersion then should we still continue in our blood for as we haue no light in our selues at all so being inlightned wee can no longer keepe it then the hands of Christ are laide vpon vs and therefore the Lord saith Exo. 33.19 I will haue mercy on whom I will and whom I will I harden it being wholly and meerely in him for the magnifying of his mercy on some and the manifestation of his iustice on others to saue and to condemne and this is set foorth vnto vs Luk. 15.5 in the parable of the lost sheepe for such are wee all by nature straying from God in the breach of his commandement in the fruit of the forbidden tree Now they will al grant it is mercy at first in the Lord to seeke vs and when he hath spied vs our in the desert of our sinnes doe we of our selues set any one foote forward to hasten or helpe our returne home No but our shepheard is faine to take vs on his shoulders and carry vs all the way home to his fathers house for if we were not haled and pulled and borne and drawne to God by violence we would be like the starting bow that would recoile back againe Neither doth this take away the freedome we had in our creation for in Adam there was a double or twofold free will answerable to the twofold estate wherin he stood the first while he was in his innocencie that was like the wil of the Angels in heauen in that of his own nature he was wholly freely inclined to do that which was good The second after his fall that was like the will of the diuell who was a liar from the beginning and hath no libertie but in doing euill for hee can not but sinne and euen such is ours that come out of the corrupted loines of Adam for we haue election onely to commit this sin or that sinne as may serue our turnes best and as naturall reason doth lead vs to so as in that wee are said to be free it is to make vs inexcusable and in that wee are bound it is to make vs miserable for so long as wee are holden of the flesh there is a kind of seruile and slauish necessitie to sinne naturally there being nothing but sinne and filth in our conception and all the tortures and contradictions that are cannot change our willes to good when they are inclined to sinne howbeit this necessitie shall not excuse the will nor the will excuse the necessitie neither yet by holding this necessitie of sinning in the vnregenerate man doe we charge God with any iniustice at all as the papists charge vs with because this necessitie proceedeth not from God but from Adam in whom we stood and in whom we fell in whom we were blessed and in whom we were cursed And yet haue we great need to be stirred vp by exhortations and terrified by threats for the reprobate in three respects First to keepe them from outragious sinnes for God hath giuen that grace and power to the voice of a man that it strikes the heart as a thunderbolt and by this awe they are kept in by denouncing of iudgement it doth appeare that God hath some church among them which they like wilde Boares of the forrest would otherwise willingly roote out Secondly that by this meanes their consciences being a little opened might sometime accuse them to their greater confusion for hearing of the wrath of God and the nature of it of the mercy of God and the comfort in it they doe ofttimes taste of hell euen in
man deceiue you he beginneth with a preoccupation to possesse their minds before hand He that doth righteousnesse saith he is righteous not he that can discourse and talke of righteousnesse and therefore one saith truely Tace lingua loquerevita talke not of a good life but let thy life speake This the Apostle there proueth by the contrary for he that committeth sin is of the diuell that is he that committeth fâ—â—â—â— the world doth and doth not purge himselfe for the Apostle opposeth sinning to purging and he that is of the diuell cannot please God For therefore was Christ sent to destroy the workes of the diuell so as if these workes be not destroyed in thee and his building pulled downe Christ was neuer sent vnto thee Againe he proueth it by the contrary He that is borne of God doth not sinne for he hath the seed of the spirit therefore it is as if he should say when such wicked men shall bee saued the diuell shall be saued This is further proued by the words which Christ himselfe spake in the flesh Ioh. 8.34 He that so sinneth as to make a trade of it he is the seruant of the diuell vers 44. and if no chastisements nor benefites can reclaime you ye are the diuels for the lusts of your father ye will doe Lastly adde to this that of the new couenant made with Israel and so with vs Ier. 31.31 I will write my law in their hearts vers 33. And I will be their God and they shall bee my people So as if God pardoneth any hee doth promise him grace to amend his life and if that grace be denied him he neuer couenanted to saue him The couenant then implieth thus much If thou hast not grace to abstaine from grosse sinnes thou shalt be damned and if thou hast the grace of sanctification giuen thee thou shalt be saued But if ye mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the spirit c. This is the second proposition which the Apostle layeth downe namely that a good course of life leadeth to a good end Wherein first is questionable whether it standeth in the power of the heart of man to subdue the corrupt desires and affections of his nature as well as it doth to fulfill the lusts of the flesh for 2. Tim. 2.20.21 Paul shewing how that in a great house there be vessels some for honour and some for dishonour some for base and some for higher seruices which house he meaneth to be the Church of God saith that if any man purge himselfe hee shall be a fit vessell for Gods house and 1. Ioh. 5.18 He that is begotten of God keepeth himselfe from that wicked one which is the diuell that he touch him not Which places may seeme to attribute the purifying and cleansing of our selues to our selues by our owne inclinations and wils but it must be vnderstood that the Scripture in these and such like places setteth not downe the cause of this cleansing but the execution of it For the cause of this our mortification appeareth Ezech. 36.26 I saith the Lord will giue you a new heart and a new spirit so as there it must be had euen of God but it must be in vs otherwise we pertaine not to the Lords election Hereupon the Scripture vouchsafeth vs that honour to say we do it because notwithstanding the reforming of our iudgements and the changing of our affections is wrought by the supernaturall power of the holy Ghost working in vs yet this holy Ghost doth worke in vs as the subiects and by vs as the instruments as when it is said I will write my law in your hearts the spirit writes but the heart is the place and whatsoeuer is written in our hearts is ours To make this more plaine by a naturall proportion As a man that rectifieth and guideth the hand of a child to write the writing is said to be the worke of the child and not of him that directed him though without such direction the child could not haue done it euen so the Lord doth guide vs in all things we doe well and what doth hee guide but our wils so as the worke proceeding from our wils is ours yet without the guide of the spirit we could not doe it And in this working there is not a double effect one of the holy Ghost and another of our selues but we doe it euen as before there were not two writers though the child was directed but the child onely writ it Secondly where it is said If ye mortifie c. ye shall liue it may be demanded whether by the same reason we deserue saluation by this mortifying of our fleshâ— as by walking in the flesh we deserue damnation It is certaine vnlesse we doe well we can not be saued yet the holy Ghost sheweth that there is not the same perfection to doe well in our natures as there is in vs agilitie and dexterity to follow wickednesse For by our fall we are throughly corrupted as the Prophet Esay speaketh chap. 1.6 From the sole of the foot to the top of the head there is nothing but wounds and swelling but by our regeneration in this life we can neuer perfectly bee renued It sufficeth we haue obtained the blessing of Iacob Gen. 32.28.29 to haue such power from God as to be lame in sinne all our life long So Paul Rom. 6.23 saith The wages of sinne is death but the gift of God is eternall life through Christ whereby appeareth that the contraries themselues are not perfect for sinne of it selfe deserueth death but being good of it selfe deserueth not life for it is the gift of God and so the consequents of these two cannot be perfect and agree together Againe it is one question to aske who shall be saued and another to aske how we shall be saued for true it is that none shall be saued but they that mortifie themselues if they liue and for children they are changed in a moment by a supernaturall power of the Lord. As it is said Esa 33.14 Who shall dwell with the deuouring fire He that walketh in iustice and speaketh righteous things refusing the gaine of oppression shaking his hands from taking of gifts stopping his eares from hearing of blood and shutting his eies from seeing of euill And Dauid Psal 15.1 asketh the question and bringeth in the Lord to answer it Who shall dwell in thy tabernacles He that walketh vprightly he that taketh no reward against the innocent and such like as it followeth there as if the Lord should say Such and none else for the words haue an exclusiue nature So if it be asked who they be that shall be set at the right hand of God in heauen Mat. 25.34.41 it must be answered They that visite the members of Christ in affliction and leade their liues answerable to their religious profession And if Who they be that shall be set on the left hand the answere is They that refuse to releeue the
of blessednesse For the first vnderstand that in the words If so be and c there is not contained a cause of our being heires of God but a condition set downe by S. Paul 2. Tim. 3.12 All that will liue godly in Christ Iesus must suffer persecution for we are not to be saued because we are afflicted but we are afflicted therefore we shall be saued Neither are wee heires of God because we are chastifed but we are chastised and corrected because we are not bastards Heb. 12.8 And this is the way sanded out vnto vs whereby we must come to heauen and march like souldiers toward that glorious city namely vnder the standard of affliction and bearing the colours of our victorious captaine Christ This was the lesson that Christ first taught that whosoeuer would bee his scholar should be well whipped hee must goe and walke but vnder a crosse Math. 10 38. wherein marke that that which of it selfe is simply to men a disswasion is with God the principall motiue of the conscience of man Further obserue that euery heire must suffer not that euery one of Gods children must be called to martyrdome or that all must suffer in the same measure but this is it that whosoeuer soundly and substantially professeth the Gospel must make this teckoning with himselfe and so cast his account that if it bee needfull and God may haue glorie by it hee must not feare to lay downe his life and to spend his blood for the truthes sake We see by experience daily that many there be that fight many battels and runne through many skirmishes and yet haue neither scarre nor maime neither yet is he the lesse valiant or in any thing to be esteemed a faint-hearted souldier because his courage and resolution was to aduenture his life and this he taketh as aduantage that he hath tried his manhood and yet receiued as wound howbeit though he haue escaped thus yet was there neuer any souldier but tasted some of the streites and exigents of var if he haue serued there any time as either watching by night marchings by day hunger cold or such like Euen so fareth it with vs in this continuall spirituall warre-fare and combat for if the world cannot persecute vs as Esau meant to haue done to Iacob after his fathers death that is take away our liues Gen. 27.41 Gen. 21.9 yet at the least will it doe as Ismael did to Isaac mocke vs and speake virulently and slaunderously of vs for the Gospels sake which kind of affliction neuer any yet of Gods children no not Christ himselfe could escape And therefore Christ when he marketh them with the coale of vnworthinesse Luk. 14.26 that will not forsake father and all to follow him meaneth that for his sake we must not only cast away vnlawfull things but euen lay aside things lawfull that â—â—ther temptations on the right hand that is prosperitieÌ„ noâ—â—â—â—ptations on the left hand that is aduersity must make vs shrinke as asharmed to beare the crosse of Christ or to maintaine his truth but we must alway keepe the corne so cleare from thistles as we must loue the Gospell for it selfe and not regard our selues in respect of it Further vnderstand that we must be so farre from calling the Lords loue in doubt for nurturing vs in chastisement and for reaning vs from the world by the rod as that by this his vsage of vs wee are to haue an infallible certaintie grounded in our hearts and an heauenly security that wee are heires for it was truely foretold Iohn 17.14 that the world would loue none but his owne and if a man find himselfe free from the hatred of the world he may iustly feare hee hath no interest in heauen When Christ was borne Mat. 2.3 it was foretold the shepheards that they should find the babe in a stable laid in a cratch Luk. 2.12 now if they had found him in a royall palace and the child in a sumptuous cradle they might well haue suspected the Angell had deceiued them and that that child had not beene Christ So if a man were directed by him that knew it that the way hee was to goe were craggy and he should find it smooth hee might well feare hee were out of the way If therefore thinking we are in the way to heauen we finde it easie and delightsome wee may doubt it is not that way the Lord hath chalked out vnto vs for the right way is the straight way through which wee must passe full of thorns that we cannot escape scratching Luk. 13.24 and the way to Canaan is cumbersome ouer hils and mountaines and lieth through the wildernesse where we shall find many wants yet may we not be discouraged but the rather assured that we are going to the promised land To proue the verity and truth of the Gospell there is no other way as Christ teacheth then by offences because it is hated Mat. 18.7 reuiled and maligned for if it were beloued and embraced and entertained of Princes if the world did loue it it could not be the Gospell the Lords owne mouth hath spoken it Since then wee may secure our selues in the truth of the Gospell by the hatred of the world so we being hated and accounted the of scourings of the world for the Gospels sake may assure our selues we are Gods children Now as there is aâ—â—ecise necessity of suffering so this is our comfort and our rest whereon to stay that we are entangled with no other conditions neither is there any other burtheâ— laid vpon vs then was before borne by our head Christ So that as wee desire to be baptized with the same baptisme that he was so must we willingly drinke of his cuppe and partake of his shame if wee will haue part in his glory Of this order of Christ which is imprisonment buffetings and such like was Paul when in a christian courage hee vaunted that he caried about him the markes of the Lord Iesus this liuery did all the Apostles and Disciples of Christ weare Act. 5.11 who presently after his ascension for their open profession of his truth were cast some into prison and some put to one death and some to another Act. 12.2 And shall wee thinke there bee other steppes for vs to tread in and that wee may take our ease in the flesh and yet be quickened in the spirit No for as it is all our desires to goe to heauen so must it bee our affections to goe the same way that Christ went otherwise it were a great disparagement to him if wee be perswaded that the Lord loued his Sonne and so loued him as he would aduance him by the nearer and most proper way nay if God should testifie his loue any other way to vs then he did to Christ as it were a strange loue so should it make vs strangers from Christ for to this place of royalty we must ascend