here speaketh of those that already had this hope in them and which were therfore already sanctified and in whom Christ did dwell by faith In this respect therfore he might the better say that euery one that had that hope in him did purge himselfe as Christ himselfe is pure because such an one being vnited to Christ Christ being made one with him and he with Christ whatsoeuer Christ doth in him the same by the communion betwixt Christ and him is attributed as well to him as to Christ As by the communion betwixt the two natures in Christ the diuine and the humane that is often attributed to the one that belongeth to the other and that is said of the whole person that is proper to one nature viz. that to the diuine nature which belongeth to the humane Acts 20. 28. 1. Cor. 2. 8. 1. Iohn 1 1. and that to the humane which is proper to the diuine Iohn 3. 13. and that of whole Christ which is proper either to the humanity only Mark 13. 32. Luk. 2 52. and 24. 39. Iohn 6 38. and 8. 50. and 14. 10. or to the diuinity only Iohn 8. 58. and 17. 5. Coloss 1. 15 as I say it is thus in Christ by the communion betwixt his two natures so by that communion that is betwixt Christ and euery such child of God as before I haue spoken of that is sometime attributed to the child of God himselfe that is proper only to Christ and which is the only worke of Christ and that which belongeth to the children of God is spoken of Christ and attributed vnto Christ c. As Christ himselfe is said to suffer persecution when the children of God are persecuted Acts 94. Coloss 1. 24. because they are his members although Christ in his owne person being now in heauen suffereth nothing but is out of all danger of persecution Rom. 69. so euery child of God that hath that hope in him before spoken of is said to purge himselfe although this worke of purging or clensing or sanctifying be only the worke of Christ himselfe As the Apostle speaking of himselfe as he was regenerated and of sinne remaining in him saith that it was no more he that did euill viz. as he was a regenerate man according to that of the Apostle Iohn He that is borne of God sinneth not but that it was sinne that dwelled in him Rom. 9. 17. and 20. so he speaking of his labouring for the purging of other which was also one particular point of the purging himselfe he saith that he labored more abundantly then they all but presently he addeth this correction yet not I saith he but the grace of God which is with me 1. Cor. 15. 10. In like manner though the Apostle here speaking of the children of God by regeneration saith that euery one of them purgeth himselfe yet if he should speake of such as they are still in part naturall men and vnregenerate or at least vnsanctified hee would say that such doe not purge themselues but that it is Christ which dwelleth in them that doth purge them or the grace of God that is with them Thirdly for further answer of the former question and for a morefull opening of the Apostles meaning of these words as Iob is said to haue sanctified his children as before we heard because he exhorted them to sanctification praied and offered other sacrifices according to those times for their sanctification and vsed all other meanes that they might be sanctified so the Apostle saith here that euery one that hath this hope in him purgeth himselfe because euery one that hath this hope will and doth vse all meanes for the purging of himselfe What are these meanes Surely hearing of the word read preached with reading and meditation therof priuately Iob. 17. 17. 1. Thess 5. 19. 20. 1. Pet. 1. 23. and 2. 1. 2. Iohn 5. 39. Listning to priuate exhortations Prou 10. 8. and 11. 32. and 15. 31. 32. Hebr. 3. 12. c. and 10. 25. Praying in the holy Ghost Iude 20. 1. Thess 5. 23. crauing also the praiers of other in that behalfe 1. Thessa 5. 25. Hebrewes 13. 18. vsing the company of the godly by whose words and example they may be the more prouoked as hath been before often shewed to more godlinesse Prouerb 13. 20. auoiding also all euill company and all other meanes of the contrary namely of defiling themselues Prou. 1. 10. c. and 4. 14. and 22. 24. 25. Cantiâ— 1. 8. 1. Cor. 5. 6. and 11. and Chap 15. 30. so likewise the turning awaie their eies that they behold not vanity Psal 119. 37. Yea making a couenant with their eies not to behold any obiect of vncleannesse Iob 31. 1. because by this meanes many haue beene ouertaken and defiled with diuers sinnes As Ahaz with idolatry by seeing the altar of Damascus 2. Kings 16. 10. Achan with couetousnesse and taking of the excommunicate things of Iericho By seeing among the spoile a goodlie Babylonish garment and two hundred sheâ—els of siluer and a wedge of gold c. Iosh 7. 21. Dauid with adulterie by seeing a woman washing her selfe 2. Sam. 11. 2. and diuers other with other sinnes And lastly taking heede to all their waies that they doe not offend with their tongue Psal 39. 1. Because I say euery one that hath that hope in him will and doth vse all those foresaid meanes of sanctification and shunne and auoide all meanes of pollution and of being defiled therefore also doth the Apostle say in this place that euery such one doth purge himselfe Now that euery one that hath this hope doth thus purge himselfe it is euident because hope can not be separated from faith Where there is hope there also is faith where by the heart is purified Acts 15. 9. as by which Christ himselfe dwelleth in our hearts as we haue heard who hath his fanne in his hand to puâ—ge his floore Mat. 3. 12. and to make cleane his wheat not only from chaffe without it that is to separate the elect from the reprobate that may defile them but also from all drosse within it and from all corruption cleauing vnto it that is from all filthinesse of the flesh and of the spirit 2. Cor. 7. 1. Christ also being the head and they that haue the former hope being the members as the naturall head communicateth vertue to euery naturall member so it cannot be but that Christ will communicate his vertue of purging to euery member of his mysticall body The like is to be said of him as he is the root and they that haue the foresaid hope are boughs and branches comming out of the said root For if the root be holy the branches also are holy Rom. 11. 16. This purging must not bee only of one part neither of the body only nor of the soule only nor of one power of the soule nor of one member of the body but of both and of all of soule
things to come conteyned in holy Scripture for vs to beleeue neyther only the beleeuing of them historically to be true but also the particular application of them to our selues The very wicked themselues doe beleeue the truth of the Scriptures historically yea many of the reprobat yea the very Diuels themselues do so beleeue and tremble Iames 2. 19. Mar. 1. 24. But the wicked though elected before their calling do not beleeue by particular application because then their harts should be purified from their wickednes as before we heard they hauing apprehended Christ that gaue himselfe for vs not only to redeeme vs from all iniquity but also to purge vs c. Tit. 2. 14. and that he might sanctifie and clense vs c. Ephes 5. 26. The wicked also though elected are in the power of Satan as afterward we shall heare and to be accounted of the world But by faith we ouercome the world 1. Ioh. 5. 4. and the Diuell himselfe Ephes 6. 16. 1. Pet. 5. 9. The reprobat neither haue faith neither can haue it as for the reasons before vsed touching the wicked generally so also because the decree of God touching their reprobation is aswell vnreapealeable and vnchangeable as the decree of God touching election and those reasons which make also for the certainty and perpetuity of the elect make also for the most part as strongly for the immutability of Gods decree touching reprobation That which hath beene sayd of the wicked that are elected viz. before their calling and of the reprobat to bee without faith may much more be sayd of the diuels But for as much as neither reprobat men nor the Diuels can beleeue because Gods decree concerning their reprobation is vnchangeable therfore here may a question be moued whether infidelity and vnbeleefe bee a sinne or no. For sith they cannot be saued what sinne is it in them not to beleeue in him by whom saluation is purchased Nay rather it may seem to be sinne to beleeue that that is vntrue I answer to the latter first that concerning the diuels not to beleeue in Christ with application to themselues is no sinne in Note them because as Christ came not to saue any of them neither tooke their nature vpon him so there is no commandement for them to beleeue in him as their Sauiour Notwithstanding God hauing giuen his sonne for the redemption of all elect men therefore the diuels not beleeuing this or perswading any of the elect not to it do therein greatly sinne and so they shall certainly aggrauat their condemnation This then is breefely the solution of this question touching the Diuels that they sinne not in not beleeuing in Christ for themselues but that they sinne greatly in not beleeuing that Christ came to saue elect men and in perswading any of them not to beleeue it Touching reprobate men though Christ came not to saue them neither did so much as pray for them Ioh. 17 9. yet because Gods decree in this behalfe is not particularly knowen vnto them but God generally propoundeth his promises not particulary telling any by his externall word whose names are written in the booke of life whose are not but only reuealingthis by the worke of his spirit in calling them that are chosen therefore the scripture pronounceth generally of all men that doe not beleeue that they are condemned already Iohn 3. 18. Who then are they that doe or shall beleeue Only the elect For therefore it is not onely said that All men haue not faith 2. Thes 3. 2. but also that faith is the faith of Gods elect Tit. 1. 1. and that as many as were ordained to life beleeued Acts 13 48. And that if the Gospell be hid it is hid to them that are lost 2. Cor. 4. 3. If al had faith all should be saued for by faith we are saued Ephes 2. 8. and The iust shall liue by his faith Heb. 3. 4. The faith of Gods elect is called most holy Iude 20. and most pretious yea more pretious then gold that is tried in the fire because though gold be tried yet it perisheth 1. Pet. 1. 7. But they that trust in the Lord are like to mount Zion that standeth fast Note for euer c. Psalm 125. 1. All the elect that haue faith haue not the like measure of faith because God that giueth it giueth it as pleaseth him Ephes 1. 9. and 4. 7. and because all haue not the like meanes neither the like time c but where it is left euen as a grayne of mustard seede viz. not onely for quantity but also for quality quicknesse life and efficacy there it is most holy and pretious because to such as haue such faith nothing making to Gods glory and their saluation is impossible yea all such things are possible Mat. 17. 20. and 21. 21. and Mark 9. 23. If any obiect the former places to be vnderstood of that kind of faith whereby men wrought miracles and which was but for a time I answer that although our Sauiour doe indeed deliuer those speeches by occasion of some miracles which he had then wrought yet they are also more generally to be vnderstood euen of a iustifying and sauing faith as touching the obiect thereof I meane as touching matters that appertaine to saluation Otherwise that faith whereby a man is to saue his owne soule should be inferior to that and of lesse force then that whereby he is to saue or in those daies was to saue other by such working of miracles were not this absurd in diuinity Thus much shall suffice to haue spoken of faith in this place either as a speciall and internall cause of our regeneration and new birth to be the children of God by incorporating vs in to the onely naturall and first begotten sonne of God or at least as the first step and degree to our said regeneration More perhaps vpon other occasion shall be spoken of this faith afterward In the meane time the more excellent that we haue heard it to be and the more proper to the children of God the more excellent also we must needs acknowledge the state of the children of God to bee in respect thereof The next point to be considered is the matter it selfe wherin chiefly the regeneration of the children of God doth consist This is first of all their communion with Christ For Christ alone being the onely naturall and proper sonne of God as hath been said no other can be the children of God as now we speake but only by communion with him and incorporation into him whereby they may be spiritually flesh of his flesh bone of his bone and members of that body whereof himselfe alone is the head So many as haue this communion with Christ so many may truly bee called the beloued children of God Therefore they that are so regenerated are said to be begotten againe in Christ Iesus 1. Cor. 4. 15. to bee new creatures in Christ 2.
honourable then is it for the poorest children of God to eate of Christs owne flesh and to drinke Christs owne blood Verily neither the meate of Dauid nor the dainty fare vpon Salomons table in his greatest glory nor the dointiest fare of any other Princes in the world in their greatest solemnities nor the Manna and quailes and water out of the rocke before mentioned to be giuen to the Israelites was euer comparable in any respect to this diet of the meanest sonnes and daughters of God Touching the third former metaphor what a strange thing is it that such siences as we were though indeede compared to wilde oliue branches yet ten times worse should be grafted into so precious and pleasant a stocke as Christ is and thereby bring forth fruits agreeable to Christ himselfe Iohn 15. 5. Philippians 1. 11. Though in our grafting Iouis omnia plena the siences which we graft bee nourished by the vertue of that stocke whereinto they are grafted yet they bring forth fruit according to their owne nature not according to the nature of the thâ—cke whereinto they are grafted But wee beeing grafted into Christ not the better into the worse but starke naught into the best are both nourished by vertue from him and also doe bring forth fruits agreeable to his nature not to our owne Touching the fourth former metaphor how great a grace is it for vs that were so rough and vnhewen stones as we were to be hewen smooth and made fit to bee coupled to such a precious corner stone as Christ is The same is much more to be vnderstood of the dignitie of Gods children in respect of the first former metaphor For if it bee an honour to bee wrought and carued and euery way made fitte to be coupled to such a precious corner stone as Christ Iesus is how much greater honour is it to bee made an house for Christ himselfe to dwell in yea for him not onely as man but also as God and man Hauing beene before habitations of Satan and houses of vncleane spirits Mat. 12. 43. c. Is it not an honourable change of such to be made houses houses yea more then houses For God filleth all things and all things in some sort as touching the essence of GOD euen the wicked themselues are full of God Is it not I say an honourable change of such as we were to bee made houses yea more then houses euen holy houses tabernacles and temples of the liuing God 1. Cor. 3. 16. and 2. Cor. 6. 16. verily touching this matter this second Scripture before alledged is the more to be obserued because with the former point of men to be houses and tabernacles and temples for God himselfe and of Gods dwelling among men and familiar walking or conuersing with them the Apostle ioineth also another ancient promise of God viz. that be would be a father vnto them and that they should be sonnes and daughters vnto him 2. Cor. 6. 18. Leuit. 26. 11. 12. For by this conioining of these two together the Apostle doth most plainly teach that the former honour of being Tabernacles and Temples for God is proper onely to them that are the sonnes daughters of God The dignity of the children of God in respect of this metaphor is yet the greater because as the whole world in all the beautie of it was at the first made a palace for man to dwell in so man himselfe in this second creation is made a palace for God to dwell in Touching the sixt former metaphor is it not more then meruailous that such vile persons as we naturally are euen little better then limmes of the diuell at least his children and bondslaues as hath beene before shewed should haue so honourable and glorious an head as Christ Iesus is that sitteth at the right hand of God in the heauen and hath the Angels good and bad in subiection vnto him 1. Pet. 3. 22. Besides all before spoken of the excellency of Christ in speaking of him as of one of the efficient causes of our regeneration is he not most excellently also described to bee clothed with a garment downe to the feete and girded about his pappes with a golden girdle to haue his head also and haires white as white wooll and snow and his eies as a flame of fire yea to haue his feete like vnto fine brasse burning as in a fornace and a voice as the sound of many waters yea to haue further in his right hand seuen starres a sharp two edged sword going out of his mouth and his face shining as the sunne shineth in his strength Reuelation 1. 13. c. Neither is the dignity of the children of God thus amplified in respect that they haue so excellent a head excellent for power for wisedome for iustice for meeknes for goodnes for all things that are excellent but also because as Christ hath no other body then his Church so the Church hath no other head but Christ Iesus and as none doth or can giue life to other either to quicken them from the death of sinne here or to raise them at the latter day when before that by the doctrine of the Papists themselues the Pope shall be suppressed as none I say can thus giue life to men but onely Christ Iesus for who dareth say that the Pope can raise vp a man either from his sinne or from the graue especially when the Pope himselfe shall be dead so none is or can be the head of the Church but only Christ Sith therefore Christ is not onely so excellent an head but also the sole and onely head of the children of God in this respect also it must bee granted that their state is so much the more honourable Yea this honour of the children of God by Christ Iesus his being their head is the more because as he hath not taken the nature of angels vpon him but onely the nature of man so hee is not the head of Angels as he is of elect men For as it is a monstrous bodie that hath two heads so is it no lesse monstrous for the bodie to bee of one nature and the head of another And as the Angels cannot be neither euer are called the members of Christ so Christ cannot bee called the head of the Angels All the members also of the body of Christ are said to grow to a perfect man in Christ and euery part and member of the body of Christ is said to receiue daily encrease as it were by nerues c. Ephesians 4. 13. 15. 16. Let no man here mistake me As kings are called heads that is chiefe gouernours of their people so Christ not onely as GOD but also as God and man is the head and chiefe gouernour and that absolutely without any such limitation as kings haue of the Angels as well as of all other creatures But in that speciall maner that he is head of men borne anew vnto God hee is not the
in comparison of all other men with that generall sentence of Salomon before spoken in the title page that the righteous is more excellent then his neighbour Prou. 12. 26. From those comparisons of the children of God with other men I may now ascend into heauen it selfe and compare them with the holy and blessed and glorious Angels and that first in some sort as equall fellowes and companions secondly being in some respect more excellent and honorable then such Angels The first is acknowledged by the Angels themselues for when Iohn falling downe before the Angell which had bidden him to write Blessed are they which are called to the Lambes Supper would haue worshipped him he forbade him so to doe saying See thou doe it not I am thy fellow seruant and one of thy brethren Reu. 19. 10. and 22. 9. Touching the second the Angels are not onely fellow seruants vnto God with the children of God but they are also themselues seruants vnto the children of God for it is expresly said that they are ministring spirits sent out for their sakes which shall bee heires of saluation Heb. 1. 14. Who are such heires of saluation but only the children of God Rom. 8. 17. It is also written in the Psalme The Angell of the Lord pitcheth round about them that feare him and deliuereth them Psalm 34. 7. The same is curdent by examples of the Angels in scripture attending vpon diuers particular persons vpon Abraham Iacob Moses Ioshua Gedeon Dauid Daniel Mary Ioseph Peter Cornelius Paul c yea not only attending vpon them but also deliuering them out of their dangers in flicting the iudgements of God vpon their aduersaries and otherwise helping and comforting them according to their necessities This is the more because it is neuer said that the children of God are seruants to the Angels Yea when the children of God haue offered their seruice to the Angels at least to worship them they haue refused and forbidden it as before we heard Neither doe the Angels attend vpon the children of God whiles they liue only but also when they die viz. to carry their soules into heauen Luk. 16. 22. But this perhaps may seem no good argument for the prerogatiues of the children of God aboue the Angels because sometime a Prince may honor an inferior subiect with the attendance of a more honorable person and with some seruice to be done vnto him by such a more honorable person then himselfe and because also the Angels being mightier may seem therather to gard and otherwise to attend vpon the children vpon earth in respect of their manifold infirmities and weaknesses as also because of their great aduersaries not for any such dignity of the children of God vpō earth as we haue spoken of Though I should grāt all this and not contend of the preferment of Gods children aboue the Angels in that respect yet this I may boldly I thinke vtter that there seemeth to be a great preheminence of the children of God in respect that there is a more neere coniunction betwixt Christ and them then there is betwixt Christ and the Angels I meane in nature not in place In place the Angels for the present are neerer to Christ then the children of God in earth but in nature the children of God are neerer to Christ then the Angels For it is expresly said that Christ tooke not the nature of Angels vnto him and it is plaintly affirmed that he tooke on him the seed of Abraham Heb. 2 16. and that he was made of the seed of Dauid Rom. 1. 3. as also it is said that he took our nature vpon him in respect of his conception in the womb of the virgin so by contracting and marrying himselfe vnto vs and and vs vnto himselfe he hath made as we heard a further vnion with vs whereby it is said of vs in respect of him that we are flesh of his flesh So then by conception and incarnation he is made one with vs and by the former contract of marriage we are made one with him First he is flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone and secondly we Note are flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone this latter speech cannot be spoken properly but by vertue of his marriage and contract with vs for otherwise he is rather flesh of our flesh touching his humanity then we flesh of his flesh Because we in that respect were before him The former cannot truly be said to be of the latter but the latter may well be said to be of the former According also to that before spoken by vertue of the said marriage contract of Christ with vs we are said to be members of Christ or of the body of Christ with vs we are said to be members of Christ or of the body of Christ To apply all this is the like euer said of the Angels that they are members of Christ yea how can they be said to be his members being altogither of a diuers nature from him for must not the head and the members be both of one nature or will not the whole that hath a head of one nature and the body of another be a kind of monster I grant that Christ improperly and by a kind of metaphor may be called the head of the angels in respect that euen as mediator the angels and powers and mights are subiect vnto him 1. Pet. 3. 22. but that he is the head of the angels in such sort as he is the head of elect men adopted to be the children of God it cannot be because they cannot be his members as we are In respect therefore that we are more neerly vnited vnto Christ then the angels first by nature in his conception secondly by his mariage contract with vs why may I not say that we haue a kind of preheminence aboue the angels for as euery thing is more vile the further off it is from that which is most excellent so euery thing cannot but be the more excellent the neerer it is to the most excellent Moreouer we haue before heard that the great names and titles of Christ are communicated to the children of God Can the like be shewed of the Angels As therefore because God had in Scripture said of Christ thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee and neuer so said of the Angels the Apostle maketh this conclusion that Christ was made so much more excellent then the Angels by how much hee had obtained a more excellent name then they Hebr. 1. 4. so why may not I make the like conciulion from the premises that the children of God are made so much more excellent then the Angels by how much they haue obtained more excellent names then they The names of Seraphims principalities powers and mights c. are great names but are they like to the names before mentioned especially may they be compared to the name Christ Againe for as much as wee haue
in the description of the resurrection 1. Cor. 15. 52. there is no other sort mentioned but the dead to bee raised and the liuing at that time vpon the earth to be changed The trumpet shall blow and the dead shall be raised vp incorruptible and we viz all which at that day shall be liuing shal be changed The like is 1. Thess 4. 15. 16. 17. This say we vnto you by the word of the Lord that we which liue and are remaining in the comming of the Lord shall not preuent them which sleepe for the Lord himselfe shall descend downe from heauen with a shout and with the voice of an Archangell and with the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first Then shall wee which liue and remaine be caught vp with them also in the clouds c. In neither of both these places is there any mention of any but of the dead and of the liuing and remaining here vpon the earth Enoch therfore and Elias must be reckned with the dead accounted as dead though they died in an extraordinary maner neither violent or painfull to themselues or discerned by other Fifthly all the elect being compared to a body and it being contrary to the nature of a body that any one member should bee perfected till the body haue all the members belonging thereunto how can it bee that one or two of the members of Christs body should be perfected and wholly glorified in heauen Christ wanting many members and not being compleat in his said body till the very last age of the world and till the last point of the said age For who can deny but that there are many of the elect yet vnborne When also they shall bee all borne who can deny but that they shall be called one after another Till all be borne and all be called Christs body is not perfect Sixthly who can deny the Ministers of the Gospell to bee more excellent especially the Apostles and Euangelists who first planted the Churches among the Gentiles who I say can deny these to bee more honorable then any Ministers vnder the Law Much more then any before the Law This hath beene shewed before therefore I doe not now stand vpon it This only I adde that it is said of the Apostles as an honourable thing and as a dignity and prerogatiue of them aboue all other namely that they should sit vpon twelue seats or thrones and iudge the twelue tribes of Israel Matth. 19. 28. It is likewise to be acknowledged that as the calling was more honourable then the calling of any of the Prophets so also they had more excellent graces not only speciall for discharge of their speciall places but also generally of sanctification Is this so How vnlikely then is it that any especially vnder the Law or before the Law should haue any degree of glory and be perfectly glorified before them Seuenthly there were some as wicked in their time before their time and after their time and daily are as they now in question were godly yea former times and these last times doe affoord many much more wicked then they then were or any other are godly Such was Ieroboam that made Israel to sinne Ahab and many other of the kings of Israel So Iudas that betraied our Sauiour the Pharisees that sinned against the holy Ghost the man of sinne called likewise the sonne of perdition the aduersarie that exalteth himselfe against all that is called God c. and many other contemners of the Gospell Yet none of these doe goe bodily into the place of all the damned till the day of iudgement Why then should wee thinke that they before named Enoch and Elias went bodily into heauen the place of the blessed This that I haue hitherto written of Enoch and Elias is the iudgement of diuers other that must bee acknowledged to haue beene glorious lights and worthy of much praise in the Churches Caluin indeed writeth heerein somewhat obseurely and I confesse somewhat aboue my reach and capacitie for first thus hee writeth vpon Genes 5. 24. euen word for word the Latine turned into English In summe saith hee speaking of Enochs taking away such a rapture or taking away was but a gentle and ioifull passage out of this world Yet he was not receiued into the heauens to glorie but was onely released of the miseries of this present life vntill Christ the first fruits of them that rise again sâ—ould come And sith bee was one of the members of the Church it was necessarie that hee should wait till all the members together should come foorth to meet Christ that the whole body might bee vnited to the head Notwithstanding in the very next words he doth much obscure that which before hee had written adding If any shall obiect that of the Apostle It is appointed all men to die once the solution is easie namely that death doth not alwaies make a diuorce of the soule and body but they are said to die which put off the corruptible nature in which manner they shall die whom the last day shall finde remaining These last words I confesse I cannot conceiue namely how any may be said to die whose soules and bodies are not separated and how they that shall be liuing at the last day may be said to die whom the Apostle expresly saith shall not die but only be changed Peter Martyr according to his manner writeth very largelie and somewhat I confesse different from something before written by me namely in his Commentarie vpon 2. King 2. 11. Notwithstanding in another place he commeth neerer vnto me and agreeth more with me In the former place first he writeth that it is not probable or Consentâ—â—eum like that these two Enoch and Elias should be taken to the places of blessednesse before Christ himselfe which is the first fruits of all had aduanced himselfe thither The words also of our Lord may seeme to perswade this who in Iohn saith No man hath ascended into heauen but the sonne of man that descended from heauen He therefore denieth any man to haue ascended into heauen before himselfe c. Yet afterward hee saith that they went bodie and soule into Abrahams bosome and he maketh Abrahams bosome a place aboue yet distinct from the glorious place where Christ and all his Saints departed this life are How sound this is I leaue to other of sound iudgement For my part I know no such distinction as he there maketh After this he proceedeth further denying them to haue died opposing himselfe to them that said as I haue written viz. that they died but yet an extraordinary kinde of death neither by any defect or decay of nature nor by any force and violence but after some other sort with ease and delight c. Notwithstanding in the other place before insinuated he differeth from that which himselfe had before written and agreeth with me For writing of the Eucharist against Steuen Gardiner
calamity either generall or speciall whereby the Lord calleth vs to search and try our waies and to turne vnto him Lam. 3. 40. Ioel 2. 12. that is to purge our selues of such things as wherewith we haue before defiled our selues and prouoked the Lords wrath against vs. This obseruation in one word plainly condemneth the superstition of the Papists that are very precise in purging themselues in the time of Lent and in abstaining then from such things as they foolishly thinke will defile themselues yea from the state of mariage which God himselfe hath pronounced honorable without any exceotion of time to the contrary as also at some other times of the yeare which they as vnwisely imagine to be more holy then other whereas at other times they are altogether secure carelesse and licentious in hope at the returne of the foresaid holy time and times to purge and clense themselues once for all Thus much touching the fourth obseruation of the word purgeth in respect both of the signification and also of the present tense thereof Fiftly let vs obserue the next word himselfe This teacheth that he that hath this hope in him is not onely curious in purging other and in teaching and admonishing other how they should be purged but that especially he laboreth vpon himselfe and with himselfe for the purging of himselfe So Paul exhorteth the Colossians to teach and admonish their owne selues Coloss 3. 16. and Iude them to whom hee did write to edisie themselues in their most holy faith and to keepe themselues in the loue of God Iude 21. So Paul saith to Timothâ—e Study to shew thy selfe approued vnto God 2. Tim. 2. 15. He would not haue him to studie onely for the good of other but also and in the first place for his owne good that so hee might bee the fitter and more able to doe good vnto other This is a necessary point because many are very curious about other that doe altogether neglect themselues They reprooae other they censure other they teach other c. but touching themselues they are altogether carelesse by which meanes they doe thelesse good vnto other For who will not be ready to say vnto such Physitian heale thy selfe Luk 423. and Thou which teachest another teachest thou not thy selfe c. Rom. 2. 21. Truly there is nothing that in all ages hath more hindred and now doth more hinder the publike ministery of the word and the priuat profession and exhortations c. of others then the practise that hath been and is contrary to such publike teaching and to such priuat profession and exhortations But what doth the Apostle meane by this kind of speech Euery one that hath this hope in him purgeth himselfe doth hee teach freewill and that euery one that hopeth at the appearing of Christ to be like vnto Christ hath power to purge himselfe Nothing lesse The Rhemists indeed and other Papists vpon this place gather and inferre that doctrine But they gather that which is not sowen and they inferre conclusions without premises The holy Ghost teacheth no such thing either here or any where els yea he teacheth the cleane contrary For we haue plentifully heard before that our whole regeneration is the worke of GOD. To purge our selues is an effect of our regeneration therefore to purge our selues is likewise the worke of God To purge our selues and to sanctifie our selues is all one but sanctification is the worke of God onely as before also hath beene shewed and as appeareth by the prayer of Christ generallie for the Church Iohn 17. 17. and of the Apostle particularlie for the Thessalonians 1. Thessalonians 5. 23. Our Sauiour also expresselie ascribeth this word of purging to his Father saying Euerie plant that bringeth foorth fruit hee that is God the Father purgeth that it may bring foorth more fruit Iohn 15. 2. Where it is to be obserued that he speaketh not of purging men at the first which are not engraffed into Christ that they may bring foorth the first fruits of righteousnesse but that he speaketh of them that alreadie are ingraffed into Christ and saith that his Father purgeth them that they may bring foorth more fruit In the same place also hee saith that without himselfe as hee was the mediator God and man euen such so ingraffed into him can doe nothing without mee saith hee yee can doe nothing verse 5. If such as the disciples of Christ were so long ingraffed into him so long instructed by him and so well acquainted with all his doctrine miracles and whole conuersation could doe nothing without Christ how much lesse can any other doe any thing But what then is the meaning of the Apostle Euen this first as I said before that euerie one that hath that hope already spoken of doth most of all busie himselfe in this worke of purging about himselfe and not altogether imploie his time about other It is true in deed that euery one that hath that hope doth regard also other vnder his gouernment especially and according to his place doth labor the purging of other that are so committed to his charge And certainly hee that doth not so regard other hath neuer been purged himselfe For indeed so to doe is in some sort to purge himselfe because euery gouernour being in some sort the head of those to whom he is gouenor they also that are vnder his gouernment cannot but in like sort be his members at least members of that body whereof he is the head Euery gouernor of a family being as he is the gouernor the head also of the family all the rest of the same famâ—ly are as it were his members Especially as the husband is called the head of the wife 1. Cor. 11. 3. so the wife is said to be bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh Genes 2. 23. The children likewise are branches and so in like manner members of the parents as being taken out of their loines So in like manner the King or any other hauing kingly and supreme and soueraigne authority is in that respect the head of his people and his people are in the same respect his members Therefore if such doe not labour to purge those that doe so belong vnto them euen as Iob is said to haue sanctified his children Iob 1. 5. and as Abraham is commended by God himselfe that he would command his sonnes and his houshold after him to keepe the waie of the Lord c. Genes 18. 19 if I say such as are in any authority ouer other doe not labour so to purge them that are vnder their gouernment they may in some sort be said not to purge themselues Notwithstanding all such doe first of all and must first of all looke to themselues euen to their owne persons because otherwise their care for other shall either be altogether in vaine or els it shall bee with little successe Secondly for further answer touching the meaning of these words the Apostle
dying of our Lord Iesus that is euery where we doe in a manner die daily for Iesus his sake 1. Cor. 15. 38. But wherefore That the life of Iesus might also be made manifest in our bodies 2. Cor. 4. 10. But what meaneth he by making manifest the life of Iesus in our bodies Nothing but this that by their constant patient and cheerfull sufferings of so many things as it were so many deaths for Christs sake all men might the better see how Christ had quickned them and what great measure of spirituall life he had wrought in them So the Apostle telleth the Romanes that they were dead to sinne but aliue to God in Iesus Christ our Lord. Rom. 6. 11. Of himselfe he saith I am crucified with Christ but I liue yet not I any more but Christ liueth in me and in that that now I liue in the flesh that is in this fraile and mortall condition as the word flesh is taken Heb. 5. 7. I liue by faith in the sonne of God c Gal. 2. 20. Many other the like places to the same purpose I doe willingly for beare that I may not be too tedious By these we doe sufficiently see that being borne anew vnto God in Christ we are not still-borne as men vse to speake of children dead before birth but that we haue a spirituall life in him and by him Yet let vs vnderstand this by the way that our spirituall life by Christ Iesus is not altogether the Note same that our former spirituall death was by Adam and by our sinnes traduced from Adam For as we haue heard we were perfectly dead not halfe dead in our sinnes by Adam euen so dead that wee were altogether void of the life of God and without any remnants of the former image of God in vs. But our life renewed by Iesus Christ is not in this world perfect and without some remnant of the old Adam in vs. Therefore we are willed euery day to put off the old man Ephes 4. 2. and that we cast away all filthinesse and superfluity of malitiousnesse I am 1. 21. 1. Pet. 2. 1. as also that we put on Christ Rom. 13. 14. and the new man which after God or according to God is created vnto righteousnesse in true holinesse Ephes 4. 24. c. No man therfore hath so put off or cast off the old man but that there be still some ragges and patches remaining of him No man hath so put on the new man but that he may put him on somewhat more As no man putteth on all his apparell at once but first one thing then another so is it with putting on of Christ Iesus All our life here is but as it were the morning of the life to come to dresse vs for our mariage vnto Christ as Paul saith that he had prepared the Corinthians that is he had laboured to dresse them for one husband and to present them a pure virgin vnto Christ 2. Cor. 11. 2. Notwithstanding that which remaineth of the old man is but as I said peeces and patches For there is such a rent made in him by Christ that all remaining is but as ragges torne one from another and not sowen together and therefore such as in the end will be the more easily shaken off Though all our former sinnes doe remaine in substance in vs yet Christ hath so taken away their life from them that they are but as wounds in a dead body As Christ in his resurrection Note had some scarres remaining in his body of the wounds which he had receiued before his death and that the better to assure weake and vnbeleeuing Thomas and all other therein like to Thomas that he was the same that had been before put to death so in our regeneration to be the children of God whereby we are buried with Christ vnto his death Rom. 6. 4. Colos 2. 12. and raised vp likewise with him by his resurrection to newnesse of life Coloss 3. 1. there remaine some scarres of our old man and of those things whereby and wherein before we were dead to put vs the better in mind what we were by nature before Christ quickned vs and restored vs to life The said sinnes also so remaining touching their bodies as it were are so without life by Christs quickning of vs that they are but as dead carcases to shew what a mighty victory Christ hath gotten in vs. Furthermore the most that can be said of the sinnes remaining in the regenerated is this that being wounded to death they are mortified as quicksiluer is mortified in oyntments For as the quicksiluer in the bodily substance of it remaineth but is killed touching the life and all hurtfull power that before it had and so is made soueraigne to some healthfull vses by mixture of other things with it which also may be said of the conuerting of any other things of a venemous nature in themselues to be antidots and preseruatiues against poison by art and mixture of other things with them so the sinnes of the regenerate remaining touching their carcases are spoiled of their life and of all hurtfull power before in them and being mixt as it were with the grace of God infused in vs and communicated vnto vs by Christ in some respects partly before and partly afterward to be more spoken of are turned to our good Finally touching the life of our sinnes remaining in vs after regeneration it is no other then the life that remaineth in the body of a serpent the head whereof is crushed in pieces For though the body of such a serpent may perhaps moue a little yet it is but for a time and it can doe no harme at all This spirituall life thus hitherto spoken of is to be discerned by our spirituall breathing and by other spirituall effects thereof As the naturall life is to be discerned by naturall breathing and by other naturall effects sutable thereunto so is our spirituall life by spirituall breathing and by other spirituall effects By spirituall breathing I meane spirituall thoughts and meditations of the mind and the like motions and affections of the heart If therefore whereas naturally our minds are set altogether vpon earthly things there shall be such a change wrought in vs that they shall be as much set vpon the things that are aboue where Christ Iesus sitteth at the right hand of God Coloss 3. 1. as before they were set vpon the things here below and if we shall couet and desire and euery way affect heauenly things as much as euer we haue done earthly then shall we haue good testimony to our selues that we are borne from aboue and are the children of him that is the father of lights and of euery good and perfect gift whereas before also we loathed the Manna that came down from heauen as much as the people of Israel euen loathed that Manna that God gaue them in the wildernesse for feeding of their bodies we shall