cleane the outside of the cup and platter they had such a kind of beliefe and were as strict in all outward obseruations as all this and yet their insides were foule their hearts were full of rancor and malice and so may it be with thee for all this Here is a faire blade indeede but where is the fruit Doest thou not know that except thy righteousnes exceed the righteousnes of the Scribes and Pharises thou shalt in no wise enter into the kingdome of God Herod heard Iohn gladly and did many things willingly and Iudas no doubt was faire in the leafe but his heart was euer corrupt as the Euangelist testifieth saying This he spake not that he had care of the poore but that he was couetous and carried the bag How thinkest thou can an euill tree bring forth good fruit or can one and the same fountaine bring forth sweet waters and bitter Or can a stincking polluted fountaine bring forth sweet waters The heart of man is the tree or fountaine from whence either good or euill commeth as Christ himselfe testifieth A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth that which is good and an euill man out of the euill treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is euill If thy heart be euill and vncleane how canst thou then bring forth from thence any good fruit Grant thou art sanctified outwardly thou hast belieued and art baptized thou hearest the word with ioy thou art all as before is spoken yet if in heart thou beest hard and vnrepentant proud puft vp couetous vnmercifull one that louest thy selfe and this present euill world enuious to others cruell what will all thy beliefe and righteousnes auaile thee Nay admit thou hadst all faith so as thou couldest moue mountaines and that thou shouldst giue all thy goods to the poore and thy bodie to be burned and that no man could tax thy heart by any euill fruit that yet appeared nor thy selfe perceiue thine owne heart to be euill yet if thou hast not that faith which worketh by loue that loue with her naturall properties which the Apostle describeth saying Loue suffereth long and is kind it enuieth not it vaunteth not it selfe it is not puffed vp it behaueth not it selfe vnseemly it seeketh not her own it is not easily prouoked it thinketh none euill it reioyceth not in iniquite but it reioyceth in the truth It beareth all things it belieueth all things it hopeth all things it endureth all things I say if thou hast not that faith which bringeth forth these effects thou art nothing thou art but as a sounding brasse and as a tinckling Cimball notwithstanding all thy gifts of knowledge faith prophesie righteousnes or whatsoeuer and shalt be found to be but either as the high waies side or as the stony ground or thornie ground mentioned in the Gospell which indured not which neuer came to bring forth goodfruit neither in the greatest nor least measure like vnto the good ground described after and thy end will be like that earth which notwithstanding the raine commeth oft vpon it bringeth forth nothing but thornes and briars and is therefore neere vnto cursing and as the tree which though it haue had much dressing yet because it bringeth not forth goodfruit is hewen downe and cast into the fire Consider therefore what neede there is that we should dilligently enquire into these things and see the difference betweene these two estates and that our care and study might and dayly should be to learne the best Now touching the speciall administration of the Gospell and those gifts of the Spirit which are perticuliar to afew euen Gods elect onely The speciall administration of the Gospell is this namely a particular application or preaching the word of promise the glad tidings of peace the forgiuenesse of sins to the soule of a sinner whereby he is truly possest of the grace loue of God in Iesus Christ through faith in him and of the forgiuenesse of his sinnes And this is neuer done but by a speciall gift and power of the holy Ghost Now the course which God doth take to effect and bring this thing to passe is this when and after such time as God by the generall administration of his Gospell hath made knowne and by a common gift of the Spirit hath caused them to beleeue and assent vnto the summe or necessary parts thereof as namely that repentance and remission of sins is granted to sinners and saluation to all that can attaine thereto then doth he by a special more effectuall gift of the Spirit work vpon the hearts of his elect whom he fore knew and had predestinate calling them to repentance that is to say turning them from all their sinnes and from the wayes of all the fleshly and sinfull pleasures wherein their soules had formerly delighted into a great feare sorrow for the same and with many teares to lament the time that euer they tooke pleasure therein and falling downe before him with humble and contrite hearts confesse their sins vnto him desiring in an vnspeakable maner mercy and forgiuenesse at his hands peace loue and reconciliation with him which till they obtaine they can take no rest they haue no ioy they cannot be satisfied none of all their former delights will afford them now any comfort they stand aloofe looking strangely vpon them like friends in aduersitie finding them now no fit companions for them Nay there is not any thing that will or can relieue their poore distressed soules or giue them their desired content but onely the loue of God in Iesus Christ sealed in their hearts by his holy Spirit of promise These are those poore which the Scriptures speake of vnto whom Christ was sent to preach good tidings the bruised and broken in heart them that labour sore and are heauie laden the sicke the lost the dead which Christ came to binde vp to heale to seeke out to quicken and raise to life these I say and none but these are they whom the Prophet speaketh of testifying of the Sauiour and of the speciall administration of the Gospell of peace saying The Spirit of the Lord is vpon me and he hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the poore he hath sent me to binde vp the broken hearted to proclaime liberty to the captiues and the opening of the prison to them that are bound to proclaime the acceptable yeare of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God to comfort all that mourne to appoint vnto them that mourne in Sion to giue vnto them beauty for ashes the oyle of ioy for mourning the garment of praise for the spirit of heauinesse that they might be called Trees of righteousnes the plantation of the Lord that he may be glorifiea And these are the poore of whom Christ himselfe speaketh
The faith which worketh by loue c. And it is so called in regard of the special grace mercie loue of God in Iesus Christ which is shed abroad and sealed by the Spirit in the heart of him that possesseth it and also in respect of the excellent fruite it doth produce and cause to come forth of the same heart which is now truly sanctified by it and in which Christ being now formed dwelleth as mortification to sinne and to this present world loue to God and to Christ the Lord who hath so truly loued them loue to the truth loue to the children of God loue to all men which fruite we will also search for the true nature of and enquire how the Scriptures doe seuer it from all outward appearances and shewes which come neare vnto it hauing the forme thereof but is not the same in truth and power Like as the trees that are planted by the riuer side do bring forth their fruit in due season and as the good ground which hauing receiued the seed that is sowne therein bringeth forth fruit a hundred sixtie and thirtie fold and as the earth which drinking in the raine that cometh oft vpon it bringeth forth herbs meet for him by whom it is dressed so do these righteous trees and branches of the Lords owne planting his good ground and earth which he hath thus dressed and watered bring foorth fruite meete for him their Lord the good husband-man that hath planted dressed them First as they haue receiued mercie at the hands of God by faith and are assuredly perswaded in their hearts of the forgiuenesse of their sinnes so doe they now perfectly and truly euen from their very hearts hate all sin yea and the garment that is defiled therewith and abstaine from all appearance of euill mourning and lamenting when at any time they do but think thereon and mortifying their members and affections of flesh do restrain them frō their old accustomed wayes remēbring that they are washed and redeemed with a great price euen with the blood of the Lamb of God that they should now be holy as their heauenly Father is holy that hath chosen them And though they finde the law of their members to rebel and fight against the law of their minds enticing them night day with strong motions and perswasions to regard and giue entertainment againe to their former lusts and pleasures yet they remembring the day of their feare and great distresse sigh and weepe in soule to thinke that they should yet be constrained by the force of their owne flesh members thereof to cast but an eye or once to thinke vpon that which now their soules do loathe and from which they haue been so graciously deliuered And therefore remembring Lots wife and the end of those that hauing taken the plough by the hand looke behind them by whose examples their Lord hath forwarned them dare not presume to turne aside and grieue the holy Spirit whereby they are sealed vnto the day of redemption but if they should through the strength of temptation and their owne weaknesse fall they go foorth and weep bitterly till they be restored by faith to strength againe and neuer fall or looke behind them so as to giue entertainment in soule to their old delights of sin againe or to embrace this present world or pleasures thereof as aforetime nay though they be hated reuiled and scorned of all men and made a gazing stocke both to men and Angells yet still they go on their way out of the camp following their Lord and willingly bearing his reproach counting his rebukes greater riches then all the pleasures of the Egypt of this world which is now crucified to them and they to it And so in patience possesse they their soules hauing an assured hope that though now they goe on their way weeping sowing precious seed yet there will come a day wherein they shall returne with ioy reape the fruit of their labours and bring their sheaues with them Secondly as they doe hate sin and mortifie the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof and crucifie vnto themselues this present world and themselues vnto it so doe they now on the contrary part loue God with all their heart and with all their soule and delight in him and in his wayes and this their loue vnto him is caused by that loue wherewith he first loued them which he hath shed forth and sealed in their hearts by his holy Spirit and wherEof they are now assuredlie perswaded as it is written Wee loue him because he loued vs first And as to be beloued of God is a blessing beyond all comparison a treasure not to be vttered so their loue to him is a fruit which no man is able to conceiue the nature of but they alone in whose hearts his loue is first shed forth and they certainly perswaded thereof And as they loue God the Father so doe they loue Christ his Sonne who hath redeemed them from the thraldome of their sinnes and their loue to him is likewise caused by his loue which was first made knowne to them and is exprest in this that while they were his enemies he died for them that they should be reconciled to God his Father and be made the Sonnes of God by adoption in him And greater loue then this hath no man that one should die for his enemies and specially such a one to bring them to so great honour therefore their loue to him is also vnspeakeable And as they loue God the Father and Christ the Redeemer so loue they the children of God who are borne of him and made partakers with them of his grace and loue in Christ As it is written He that loueth him that begetteth loueth him also that is begotten of him And this their loue vnto the children of God as it is not now for naturall respects though in that regard they also loue them but because they are in grace and loue with God and do belong to Christ whom they serue and belong vnto So their loue vnto them is heauenly and spirituall and such as no man hath nor can attaine vnto vnlesse he be borne from aboue of water and the Spirit as they are For the children of this world who are borne but of flesh as they know not the children of God that are borne begotten of him because they know not him that hath begotten them nor Christ whom they serue and follow so neither doe nor can they loue them for his sake nor haue part and fellowship with them in their spirituall and heauenly communion They pray together as children of one Father the Lord of hosts and praise his name with one accord they suffer together as members of one bodie euen that body whereof Christ is the head they weepe together and they reioyce together and are of like
of Iudas and of his fellow disciples who could not relish the words of eternall life which Christ spake saying Except ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his blood ye haue no life in you and the case of those Antichrists and of those vnfaithfull euill hearted draw-backs as it hath been the case of many thousands more and is still at this day yet the case of Peter of Iohn and the rest of the Apostles was far otherwise as is now also the case of all regenerate true hearted Christians they beleeue to the sauing of the soule they eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his blood spiritually by faith and haue eternall life abiding in them they dwell in Christ and Christ in them they are borne of God and therefore draw not backe sinne not to perdition for the seed whereby they are begotten remaineth in them neither can they so sinne because they are borne of God nay they are sealed by the holy Spirit of promise vnto the day of redemption they ouercome the world endure and keepe his words and works vnto the end they are the liuely stones of Gods temple built vpon the chiefe corner stone who are made a spiritual house to offer vp spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ his Church against which the gates of hell shall not preuaile they are the good ground spoken of the good trees which cannot bring forth euill fruit but good only the euill which they doe at any time is not their fruit because it proceedeth not from their hearts but is done vnwillingly through weaknesse for in their hearts they serue the law of God The Scriptures account that to be a mans fruite which cometh from his heart whether it be good or euill because thereby the nature of the fountaine which is the heart is knowne as the nature of trees are by their fruite So that the nature of a good man I meane that which is borne of the Spirit not his fleshly nature is now to bring foorth good fruite only as Christ testifieth saying A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth foorth that which is good We can do nothing against the truth saith the Apostle A good tree cannot bring forth euill fruite And whereas the Scriptures speake so often after this maner If ye hold fast vuto the end If ye continue Him that ouercometh and keepeth my words and works to the end then are ye his house then will he approue of ye then shall ye be saued And on the contrary He that looketh behind him He that endureth not If any draw backe or fall away c. he is not meete for the kingdome of God My soule shall haue no pleasure in him There remaines no more sacrifice for sin The drift of the Spirit of God is to informe vs of the different estates and conditions of Christians of the danger of the one estate and of the well being and safetie of the other that so we seeing the difference and being forewarned thereof might not depend vpon that which is so dangerous but striue vnto that wherein there is safetie And where it saith of some Let them be blotted out of the booke of the liuing I will put his name out of the booke of life The meaning is not that God will put any mans name out of the booke of life that is written therein but his meaning is that such desperate and wicked persons as blaspheme his truth and Spirit shall be set down as it were with a blot cursed vtterly excluded and pronounced against for such as there is no hope or place for repentance as was Iudas and others of his companions of whom it was foresaid Let them be blotted out of the booke of the liuing let them not be written with the righteous c. for they persecue him whom thou hast smitten they talke to the griefe of those whom thou hast chosen So that whereas men may seeme to haue a place among the Saints in the Church of God and to be in as good an estate as they by reason of some gifts of the Spirit which they may receiue and some alteration the word of God may worke in them yet being neuer sanctified in heart by the faith of the Sonne of God in time they discouer themselues to be in heart euill and aduersaries to the truth and such as God doth by his word exclude and pronouuce cursed children twice dead and pluckt vp by the rootes such as neuer had nor shall haue their names written with his people in his records of life which before their discouerie might seeme both to themselues and to others to haue and therefore it is said And from him that hath not shall be taken away euen that which he seemeth to haue which seemeth also to be an improper speech for how can that which a man hath not be said to be taken from him He had something may some say and it is true he had heard and receiued the word with ioy but not in deepenesse of root not in a good heart his heart was neuer sanctified by faith like vnto his that brought forth fruit he was enlightned and had tasted of the good word of God and of the powers of the world to come but he seemed and made shew to haue more he presumed no doubt that his name was written in the booke of life which was more then that he had receiued could warrant him This his pretended shew is now also taken from him and his name is openly by the iust sentence of Gods word put out of all hope of being or euer to be written in the book of life and he is now like the earth which bringeth forth nothing but briars and thornes neere vnto cursing it is impossible he should now be renewed For nothing is secret saith the text that shall not be made manifest nor any thing hid that shall not be knowne and come to light Therefore saith he take heed how ye heare For whosoeuer hath to him shall be giuen and he shall haue abundance and whosoeuer hath not from him shall be taken away euen that which he seemeth to haue But what is the booke of life for peraduenture it is a secret to some doubtlesse It is both Gods secret and reuealed decree or will concerning such as shal be saued by that which is reuealed the secret is made knowne His secret decree we haue in the first beginning of our writing shewed which briefly is this That God before the world was foreseeing the fall of mankind did chuse in Christ a certaine number of them to life and saluation which were all foreseen and knowne of him and recorded by his decree in the roule of Christ before they were his reuealed will or decree which we haue before also at large exprest is briefly this namely the speciall promises and testimonies of
people to himselfe euen before the foundation of the world not for qualities sake which then were not but for his owne good pleasure sake and to the end that they should be in time qualified with spirituall and heauenly gifts holy affections blamelesse life and holy conuersation euen as he did predestinate them also before the world vnto the adoption of children by Iesus Christ which was to be actually fulfilled in time that so all might be to the praise of the glorie of his grace And for further proofe that election is before qualities of faith and obedience and not of qualities but of persons to be qualified see what Christ himselfe saith foretelling of the great abhomination of desolation dayes of the tribulation of Antichrist which should come into the world whereby the truth should be cast to the ground and the Saints of the most High consumed But for the elects sake those dayes shall be shortned Meaning by the elect not qualities nor persons qualified but persons to be qualified not then being nor to be till many hundred yeares after euen till these our times as experience hath proued For those dayes of desolation were not then begun neither did that Man of sinne rise vp till neare foure hundred yeares after and those elect were to be in the dayes of his consumption when his dayes of desolation should begin to grow short as the text sheweth which time is now at last come into the world And although his time of desolation hath been long and that his dayes of tyrannie are not yet fully ended yet neuerthelesse both it and they are now well wasted and shortned according to the word of the Lord and his Gospel shineth in stead thereof not only in other kingdomes and parts abroad but chiefly in this our Land blessed be his name therefore which had it not been had Antichrist with his dayes of desolation continued still in the full strength and height they were had not he that sitteth on the white horse whose name is called the Word of God taken his owne cause in hand and with the spirit of his mouth consumed and cut short as he daily doth those abhominable dayes of the Man of sin questionlesse no flesh should now in these last times haue bin saued but all had bin ouerwhelmed with his deceit as it is writtē And except those dayes should be shortned there should no flesh be saued but for the elects sake those dayes shall be shortned nay they are shortned the light of the Gospel shineth the elect are thereby daily called sanctified and saued Hence it is euident that election is before calling and iustification euen as predestination is seeing God doth count and call them his elect so long before they are in being and that election is to those blessed ends whereof the Gospell is the onely meanes And for further confirmation of this point Saint Paul declareth that all the seed which God did couenant with Abraham to call in Isaac saying In Isaac shall thy seed by called yea Isaac himselfe and Iacob likewise were chosen of God in Christ and knowne of him before either Christ or one thousand part of that seede were borne being onely promised of God to Abraham as a seed and generation spirituall not of Isaac and his naturall ofspring onely but of the Gentiles also and were to be deriued in a spirituall maner of that one seed the Messias promised in which Abraham beleeued though he were not to come into the world for many hundred yeares after in respect whereof God said vnto him I haue made thee a father of many nations This seed of Abraham Saint Paul calleth the children of promise because they are all borne by promise as was Isaac being of that one seed which is Christ and part of that small remnant which he had reserued in him before the foundation of the world but for whose sake we had not continued till now but had been made like Sodome long before this day And that this seed and children of Abraham were chosen of God in Christ before they were borne Saint Paul further proueth it by the words spoken to Rebecca concerning Iacob saying And not onely this but when Rebecca also was conceiued by one euen by our father Isaac for the children being not yet borne nor hauing done good or euil that the purpose of God according to election might stand not of works but by reason of him that calleth it was said vnto her The elder shall serue the yonger as it is witten Iacob haue I loued and Esaw haue I hated By this word of promise concerning Iacob Saint Paul proueth more fully I say that which in substance he had declared before by the word of promise as touching Isaac and as concerning the seed which God did promise Abraham to call in Isaac namely that the purpose of God according to election his free loue in chusing vs first in Christ is the true ground and principall cause of all spirituall blessings in heauenly things which in time we come to enjoy in him For doubtlesse there was no cause in Iacob more then in Esaw why God should haue this respect vnto him more then to Esaw the seed of euill was sowne in him also and their natures were both corrupt euen from their conception yea from Adam in whose loines both they and their parents were when he transgressed And as the tree or plant which for want of strength being yong tender cannot yeeld forth fruit whereby it nature may be shewen yet being in nature euill the substance and root of euill is therein and so as without a replantation and coniunction with some tree or plant of better nature it can bring forth no other but euill fruit so Iacob as well as Esaw his nature being also corrupt and euill had not God intercepted him and as he had chosen him before in Christ so by a new birth or replantation changed his nature his heart I meane he would haue brought forth no other but euill fruit also as well as his brother Esaw euen to his last houre and so haue perished together Thus much shall serue for the truth of Gods election Their third point is That all men haue free will in themselues as well to repent of their sinnes to beleeue the Gospell and obtaine saluation as they haue to remaine in hardnesse of heart and vnbeliefe and in the estate of damnation Answ TO teach that all or that any men haue as free will in themselues to repent to beleeue the Gospell and obtaine saluation as they haue to remaine in the contraries is very erroneous and Antichristian But the truth is this That as we haue all sinned in and from our father Adam and are excluded from the glorie of God and from the ioy of his presence so haue we all lost and are depriued of all possibilitie
saying And the poore haue the Gospell preached vnto them or receiue the Gospell as some translations haue it for the word doth import such a preaching as doth imply a receiuing of it in the heart of him to whom it is so preached as also doth the words of Esay before mentioned And although all haue it preached vnto them in the former generall maner yet none haue it preached vnto them in this speciall peculiar sort but these poore repentant persons onely who alone are capable of the receit thereof by faith vnto Iustification this is that effect of the holy Ghost in the heart of man which the Scriptures call The baptisme of Iohn the baptisme of water the baptisme of repentance the birth of water the baptisme which Iohn preached the preparation of the Gospell of peace repentance which is the beginning of the Gospell of Iesus Christ the first principall of the doctrine of Christ the beginning and first part of regeneration as the Scripture declareth it the labour and trauell in the birth but not the full perfection of the new birth onely the soule of the sinner trauelleth readie to be deliuered this is the second effect of the holy Ghost but the first peculiar Then doth God in the third place reach forth his hand and taketh hold of this poore labouring soule and by another speciall effect and power of the holy Ghost doth deliuer him and bring him forth washeth him cleanseth him from his bloud wherein he lay polluted his sinnes which cried out so iustly against him and lay so heauy vpon him easeth him of all and writeth in his heart of flesh his contrite repentant heart his couenant of mercie and loue which it so much desired assuring it that he is now reconciled with him and that his sins are cleane forgiuen and forgotten neuer to be reckoned or remembred more and that he hath loued him and doth loue him in Iesus Christ and will neuer put him out of fauour so long as Christ remains in fauour This is the special administration of the word and that gift of the Spirit whereby Christ is formed in the heart of the poore repentant sinner through faith by which he is iustified from all his sinnes and his heart sanctified and is the second part and finishing of the new birth and these are alwayes together in the act of iustification the word the Spirit and faith so that a sinner cannot be said to be actually iustified till the couenant of remission of sinnes which God hath made to the repentant sinner be applied by the Spirit to his broken heart and that he beleeueth in his heart that his sinnes be forgiuen and that God loueth him in Iesus Christ and this administation of the word gift of the Spirit and faith are expressed in Scripture and distinguished from all other administrations of the word gifts of the Spirit and kinds of faith whatsoeuer by seuerall distinct names As first this administration of the word is called in Scripture The glad tidings of peace and good things good tidings the binding vp of the broken heart libertie to the captiues The opening of the prison to them that are bound Comfort to the mourners The reuiuing of the spirits of the humble and contrite The couenant of the remission of sinnes The couenant of life and peace The kingdome of God Ease Rest to the soule The word of his grace The word preaching peace by Iesus Christ The word of reconciliation c. And it is so called in regard of the great and speciall benefit it bringeth doth administer vnto the soule of the repētant sinner by the applicatiō of the Spirit And for that it is directed of God and appointed to be preached to such and to no 〈◊〉 For though the Gospell be preached to all in a generall consideration as before is shewed yet as it is here intended it belongeth to none nor is to be preached to any but the repentant only And repentance though it be a part of the Gospel as it is sometimes in a generall maner proposed yea the beginning and first principle thereof and a peculiar gift of the Spirit as before also is noted yet as it is intended in these seuerall Scriptures repentance is no part but onely the preparation thereunto or the making ready the heart of a sinner for the same in which consideration Iohn the Baptist and our Sauiour both preached saying Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand where they make repentance to be one thing and the kingdome of God the glad tidings of the Gospel another require repentance in the first place as a thing necessary to be effected in them before they could receiue by faith the glad tidings of the Gospell the kingdome of God which was at hand to follow after and to be preached vnto them thereupon Which order was also obserued by the Prophets before as Dauid To day saith he if you will heare his voice harden not your hearts c. lest ye enter not into his rest In which words he declareth plainly to the people that if they would beleeue the promise of entrance into rest and so by faith enter thereinto they should vnharden their hearts that is to say repent otherwise there was no possibilitie of beleeuing of entrance And secondly as the speciall administration of the word which is so peculiar to the repentant is distinguished from all other common administrations so is the Spirit or rather the effect of the Spirit by which this glad tidings of peace is applied vnto and written in the heart of the repentant set forth and distinguished also in Scripture from other gifts of the Spirit by peculiar and distinct names as The baptisme of the holy Ghost The birth of the Spirit The renewing of the holy Ghost The Spirit of Christ The Spirit of the Sonne which crieth Abba Father the Spirit of adoption the Spirit of life the Spirit of truth the Comforter the anointing of the holy Ghost and such like And it is so called in regard of the speciall effects it worketh in the hearts of the repentant beyond those that are common to others as faith righteousnesse peace ioy in the holy Ghost and other vnspeakable comforts and treasures of life And thirdly as the word and Spirit so the faith which the Spirit causeth in the heart of the repentant by the application of the same word of God and the testification of his loue vnto it is also exprest and distinguished from all other kinds of faith by speciall distinct names as The faith of Gods elect The faith of Christ The faith of Iesus Christ The effectuall faith The faith of the Sonne of God The faith of the Saints Their most holy faith Their precious faith The faith which iustifieth The faith which sanctifieth the heart The faith of Abraham
yong as old which proueth that as the curse and punishment for the sinne so the sinne it selfe claue vnto them and continueth from generation to generation in them else the manifold misseries which were vpon children as well as vpon men of yeares were vniust Why should God shut them out of Paradice and not restore them thither againe so soone as they were borne there to haue the same free liberty to eate of the tree of life as Adam had before he fell why should God exact at their hands first so soone as they haue any capacitie the perfect righteousnesse of the Law vpon paine of death as ye confesse if they had eaten with Adam of the tree of knowledge of good and euill why should that fiery two edged sword be set to keepe from them also the way of the tree of life and why are they subiect to all the calamities that came vpon the earth by the sin of Adam if they fell not with him why should God consume them all with their parents in the dayes of Noah by the floud some in the wombe some in the birth and some newly borne if they had beene cleane from all pollutions of sinne would not God haue spared them and the world for their sakes And why did God then destroy the cities of Sodome and Gomorha and not spare them as he promised Abraham to doe if he found ten righteous their If children be free from all pollution of sinne they are not vnrighteous and wicked and if they may be called holy they may be called righteous Else were your children vncleane saith Paul but now are they holy As also if vnclean then polluted as were the children of the Sodomites doubtlesse aboue all the cities of the world And so did God the Iudge of all the world doe right in rooting out that wicked generation as he did also the other of the old world When Adam fell he did not only commit a fault but by the same his fault he not only brought vpon himselfe death and wrath but fell into a gulfe of pollution and wickednesse both soule and bodie Nay when he receiued grace it did not rid and free him of that naturall corruption whereinto the whole man was plunged insomuch as he could not increase and multiply but all the increase that came of him must necessarily be of the same nature that he was both bodies and spirits For to what did God say Increase and multiply and replemish the earth c was it to a senceles body not hauing the breath of life or was it to the whole man in whom God had breathed the breath of life who was thereby made a liuing soule It is true the Spirit is from heauen of God that gaue it and therefore especially is Adam called The Son of God and all mankind are said to be the ofspring of God not that God doth breath in euery perticular child of man in the wombe the breath of life immediately from himselfe in the same maner as he did vnto Adam Nay he did it then once for all insomuch as if God had executed his iustice on Adam immediately vpon his transgression we all had beene hid and had perisht in him both spirits and bodies whereas he being spared brought forth and replenisht the earth else man were inferior to all creatures We reade that God created euery thing to haue seede in it selfe according to his kind and all creatures do we see produce and bring forth their like by the word and prouidence of God when God said bring forth he gaue power by the same his word to the creatures he had made through the meanes he had ordained to doe their office he had set them in Euery tree hath it seed in it selfe the seed being sowne in the earth increaseth to roote and then to branches and afterward bringeth forth fruit or seed againe nothing differing from the seed that was first sowne And as an euill tree bringeth forth seed as euill as it selfe so doth man beget and bring forth as euill and corrupt as himselfe For so saith Iob For how can a cleane thing come out of that which is vncleane And Dauid saith of himselfe that he was shaped in iniquitie and in sinne his mother conceiued him If the fountaine from whence Dauid came was vncleane how could he be cleane That which moued Dauid to call this to minde was not so much any thing concerning his mother as himselfe the apprehension of his owne present sinne he was faln into which he was now lamenting and confessing before God vrged him to call to mind his first beginning and in his confession to charge himselfe with sin euen from the time that his mother first conceiued him and confesseth the same also to his owne shame and confusion thereby to cut off all good opinion of himselfe as touching his originall first estate which he had by his naturall conception and first birth the more to confirme vnto his soule the necessitie of the second new-birth from aboue For he knew that Adam by his sinne had not only polluted himselfe in soule and bodie and was fallen from his first integritie of nature and blessed estate he was in but that the same euill seed which then was sowne in the heart of Adam hath brought forth so great increase that it hath polluted and made vncleane the hearts and natures of all that come of him As also another testifieth saying The graine of euill seed was sowne in the heart of Adam from the beginning and how much vngodlinesse hath it brought vp vnto this time and how much shall it yet bring forth vntill the time of threshing come Ponder now with thy selfe how great fruit of wickednesse the graine of euill seed hath brought forth and when the eares shall be cut downe how great a floore shall they fill In which words this holy Prophet plainly sheweth that their first graine namely the sin which was first sowne in Adams heart was and is the original root and first ground of all sin that hath sprung vp shall spring vp in the hearts of all his posteritie to the worlds end and so of all their misery and therefore he saith againe Oh thou Adam what hast thou done for though it was thou that hast sinned thou art not falne alone but we all that come of thee The very same also doth Saint Paul affirme hauing spoken and being speaking of the reconciliation grace and life eternall which is by the death and life of Christ onely attainable wherefore saith he As by one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed vpon all men in whom all men haue sinned and so forward setting it downe not as a thing in question but as wel known shewing that as by one euen Adam sinne entred into the hearts of all men and death is passed vpon them for that all by that meanes haue sinned so grace and