vs Concupiscence most commonly challenging vs to doe her seruice as our soueraigne Sic certant in me de me ipso cuius potissimum esse videar thus Ber. hom 4. doe they striue within me saith Bernard about me to which of their dominion I should appertaine That which hee confessed of himselfe all the Godly may feele in their owne experience innumerable are those tyrants that striue among themselues but all of them striue against vs to haue domination ouer vs but indeed these are vncouth Lords and such as can claime no title nor right ouer vs wee are the workemanship of God the redeemed of the Lord and are bound to doe seruice to none but to him alone O Lord therefore come downe and possesse thine owne kingdome erect a throne to thy selfe in our hearts that thou by thy Spirit may raigne in vs as our King and make vs free from these tyrants that would oppresse vs. But that we may the better perceiue how abhominable Three things to be considered in this bondage this seruitude is let vs out of the Apostles words marke these three things first how this dominion is tyrannicall secondly how the commaundements of these tyrants are all wicked and thirdly are all deadly these three he toucheth shortly when he saith that Christ hath freed vs from the law of sinne and death First then he ascribeth vnto sinne How a Law is ascribed vnto sinne a Law not as if sin proceeded by a Law properly so called or that there were any lawfulnesse in sinne but onely to poynt out the tyranny thereof for as Rulers ordayned by God haue their owne Lawes by which they gouerne their Subiects in iustice so hath also tyrannous vsurpers their owne commandements to the obedience whereof they enforce such as are vnder them And this tyrranny the Apostle here ascribe vnto sinne A tyrranny lawlesse and most intollerable for where 1 Sin is such an intollerable tyrant as neuer suffers his Subiects to rest as any other oppressor will sometime giue rest to such as are vnder his bondage Euen in Egypt vnder Pharaoh the Israelites had license to refresh themselues with meate and drink and sleep this spirituall oppressor giues no rest to his miserable captiues but whether they eate or drinke or sleep hee alwaies exacts the seruice of sinne from them so that he doth in such sort lye in wait to snare the children of God Vt faciat aliquando dormientibus quod non potest vigilantibus August ser de temp that sometime hee doth that vnto them when they are a sleepe which by no meanes hee is able to doe when they are waking And if so he doe to the Saints what meruaile if he turmoyle the minde of his Captiues vncessantly with vncleane cogitations When Sathan had once put it into the minde of Iudas to betray Iesus did hee suffer him to rest till he had performed it no indeed hee permitted him not so much as to eate his meate but hastned him from the Table to accomplish his sinne hee had intended and Ammon being once entised to defile his sister Thamar was so vexed that his flesh melted away and his minde had no rest O how intollerable oppressours are mans inordinate affections where they haue dominion ouer him â—lye therefore saith the Apostle the lusts of thy youth noysome lusts they 1. Pet. 2. 11. sight saith Saint Peter against thy soule they are enemies 2. Tim. 2. 22. to our peace and to calling vpon the name of the Lord with a pure heart Libido est furiosa domina si semel te comprehenderit Amb. de fuga seculi cap. 4. nec die nec nocte sinet te requiescere Lust said Ambrose is a furious mistresse who if once she comprehend thee shall not suffer thee to rest neyther night nor day Secondly in this seruitude all the Commandements are alway vnlawfull the most vnreasonable tyranny that 2 All the commaundements thereof are vnlawfull euer was sometime hath had a reasonable commaund but the Law of sinne commaundeth and enforceth alwayes the transgression of the Law of God Sore was Israell oppressed when they were compelled in Egypt to worke in brick and clay a seruice vnseemely in a holy people made free by the Lord but was it comparable to Sathans tyranny which he exercised ouer vs when we were strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that was in vs and not content with the euill he hath done vs still hee vsurpes ouer vs euen now when the Sonne hath made vs free The Lord put in our mindes to know how slauish and vnreasonable Sathans bondage is that our hearts may be confirmed to resist him 3 They are all deadly Lastly the commaundements of this tyranny are all deadly for the Law of sin subiecteth to the Law of death the commaunding power of sinne if we yeeld vnto it deliuers Iam. 1. 13. vs vnto the condemning power of sinne for sinne when it is finished bringeth out death And herein Sathan bewrayes himselfe to be a shamelesse and faithlesse traitour not onely he promiseth life when his purpose is to inflict death but where first hee entises man vnto sinne he doth next accuse man to God for those same sinnes which man hath done by his entisement Be assured of this thou who art led captiue of Sathan to doe his will that he who now without ceasing is a tempter of thee to sinne shall shortly after this be a tormenter of thee without intermission because thou hast sinned And if this cannot yet mooue vs to become weary of A threefold godly meditation profitable to make vs weary of the seruice of sin this bondage let this threefold meditation helpe vs. Consider first what we haue beene secondly what wee hope to be thirdly what euen now wee may be in regard of the present occasion and we shall see that it is most vnseemely 1 If we consider what we haue bin by creation for vs to liue any more seruants to so vnkindly vnreasonable and intollerable Maisters Remember first thy originall glory O thou man of God thou wert made to the image of God inuested in this dignitie to be Lord and ruler ouer the creatures Animales O homo principatu decoratum Basil hexam hom 10. vt quid seruis affectionibus quamobrem tuam ipsius dignitatem abijcis teque ipsum seruum peccatâ— constituis quare te ipsum facis captâ—â—uÌ„ diaboli Princeps creaturarum constiâ—â—tâ—s es dignitatem naturae tuae proijcis O man thou art a creature adorned with princely power by thy first creation why then seruest thou affections why dost thou cast away thine owne dignitie and makes thy selfe a captiue of Sathan thou wast placed Lord of the creatures thou wast appointed to rule ouer the fish of the Sea and euery beast of the field what shame is it then that thou shouldest be ouer-ruled with those beasts which are within thee Secondly
law to saue vs appeares in two things things first it craued that of vs which we had not to giue namely perfect obedience vnto all the Lords commandements and that vnder paine of death which albeit most 1 It craues that which now our nature cannot giue iustly it be required of vs considering that by creation we receiued from God a nature so holy that it was able to doe the law yet now by reason of the deprauation of our nature drawne on by ourselues it is impossible that wee can 2 It giues not that which our estate now craueth performe it Secondly the law could not giue that vnto vs whereof we stoode in neede namely that the infinite debt of transgressions which wee had contracted should be forgiuen vnto vs this I say the law could not doe for the law commands obedience but promises not pardon of disobedience yea rather it bindes the curse of God vpon vs for it And againe we stood in neede of a supernaturall grace to reforme deformed nature and this also the law could not doe it being a doctrine that shewes vs the way to life but ministers not grace vnto vs to walke therein but all these which the law could not doe Iesus Christ by whom commeth grace and life hath done vnto vs. Where first we haue to marke the pittifull estate of those Miserable blinde are they who seeke liâ—e in perfect obseruance of the Law who seeke life in the obseruance of the law which here the Apostle saith is impossible for the law to giue they seeke life where they shall neuer finde it The Apostle in another place calles the law the ministerie of death and condemnation and that because it instantly bindes men vnder death for euery transgression of her commandements so that he who hath eyes to see what an vniuersall rebellion of nature there is in man vnregenerate to Gods holy law yea what imperfections and discordance with the law are remanent in them who are renued by grace may easily espie the blinde presumption of those that seeke their liues in the ministrie of death Yet so vniuersall is this error that it hath Yet such are all the children of Adam by nature ouergone the whole posterity of Adam nature teaching all men who are not illuminaâ—ed by Christ to seeke saluation in their owne deedes that is to stand to the couenant of works But the supernaturall doctrine of the Euangelist teaches vs to transcend nature to goe out of our selues and to seeke saluation in the Lord Iesus and so to vse the law not that we seek life by fulfilling it which here is impossible but as a schoole-master to leade vs vnto Christ in whom we haue remission of our sinnes sanctification of our nature acceptation of our imperfect obedience benefits which the law could neuer aford vnto vs. Inasmuch as it was weake because of the flesh The Apostle doth in such sort ascribe to the law an impotencie to saue vs that hee blames not the Law but the corruption of The impotencie of the law comes not of the law which is good but of our owne corrupted nature our fleshly nature being not able to fulfill that righteousnesse which the law requireth yea as the Apostle hath taught vs before so farre is our nature peruerted by our Apostasie from God that we are not onely vnable to doe that which the good and holy law of God requires but also we become worse by the law for by the commaundements of the law sin reuiues in our nature and takes occasion by the law to become more sinfull and so like a desperate disease it conuerts that medicine which is ministred to cure it into a nourishment and confirmation of the sicknesse it selfe It is Our nature becomes worse by the law the nature of contraries that euery of them intends the selfe to expell another whereof it comes that there is greatest cold in the bosome of the earth euen then when the Sunne with greatest vehemencie shines on it to califie and heat it euen so our corrupted nature doth neuer shew it selfe more rebellious and stubborne than when the law of God beginnes to rectifie it As an vnruly and vntamed horse the more he is spurred foreward the faster he runnes backward so the peruerse nature of man nititur semper in vetitum is so farre from being reformed by the law that by the contrary sinne that was dead without the law is reuiued by the law and takes occasion to worke in vs all manner of concupiscence The Apostle is not ashamed to confesse that he found this in his owne person Augustine also examining Aug. lib. 2. confess cap. 4. his former sinful life doth hereby aggrauate his corruption that in his young yeeres hee was accustomed to steale his neighbours fruit not so much for loue of the fruit for he had better at home as for sinfull delight he had to goe with his companions to commit euill so that where the law should haue restrained his sinfull nature it was so much the more prouoked to sinne by the law Let therefore the Semipelagians of our time say to the contrary what they wil let them magnifie the arme of flesh to diminish the praise of the grace of God and dreame that mans nature vnregenerate can bring forth merits of congruitie or workes of preparation yet doth the Lord herein greatly abase man when he telleth him that not onely he cannot doe that which the law requireth but that also the more he is commaunded the more he repines vntill Grace reforme him God sending his owne Sonne The Apostle proceeds and How Christ hath done that which the law could not let vs see how the Lord by Christ hath wrought that saluation which the law could not Wherein first it is to be marked that the Apostle saith not we sought from the Lord a Sauiour but that the Lord sent him vnto vs vnrequired Surely neither man nor Angell could haue euer thought of such a way of Saluation the Lord hath found it out himselfe in his incomprehensible wisedome a way so to saue man that the glory both of his mercie and iustice shall be saued also Most properly therefore is he called Pater non iudiciorum sed misericordiarum Father not of iudgements but of mercies for both the purpose and the Why God is called father of mercie not of iudgements meanes of our saluation are from himselfe he hath found causes without him moouing to execute his iustice he hath beene prouoked thereunto by the disobedience of apostate Angels and men but a cause mouing him to shew mercie is within himselfe this praise is due to God it is the greatest glory that can be giuen vnto him Abhominable therefore is that errour of fore-seene merites by which the aduersaries doe what they can to obscure the praise of the bright shining glory of Gods mercie His owne Sonne Iesus Christ is called Gods owne How Christ is Gods
agreement betweene Faith and good vvorkes but if this be the question for which of them it is that God doth iustifie vs there we must oppone them affirming with the Apostle that wee are iustified by Faith and not by works alway the opposition is not simple but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Their second euasion is a distinction of the works of the Workes not of the Ceremoniall Law onely but of the Morall also excluded from Iustification Law Morall and Ceremoniall It is true say they that the vvorks of the law ceremoniall iustifies not but the vvorkes of the Law Morall iustifies But the Apostle in his conclusion excludes from iustification the works of the Law Morall for these reasons hee excludes those vvorkes of which he hath proued both Iewes and Gentiles to be guilty but so it is he hath proued them to be guilty of the transgression of the Law Morall as is euident out of the sinnes wherewith he charges them therefore c. Secondly hee excludes from iustification the vvorks of that Law by vvhich comes the knowledge of sinne but so it is the knowledge of sinne comes by the Law Morall therefore c. I had not knowne saith the Apostle that concupiscence is a sinne except the law had said thou shalt not couet Now it is euident that this is a precept of the Law Morall Their third euasion is by a distinction of the first and The distinction of the first and second Iustification improued second iustification the first vvhereof say they is by Faith but the second is by vvorkes But this twofold iustification is also forged for iustificatio est actus indiuidius simul totus there is no first and last in the act of iustification he that is once condemned iudicially stands so and he that is absolued stands so Againe this distinction confounds two benefits Iustification and Sanctification vvhich Iustification Sanctification distinct benefits to them is the second Iustification That they are distinct benefits the Apostle doth teach vs Christ is made to vs righteousnesse and sanctification but they inconsiderately confound them for if these new qualities infused by Grace into the soule of man and good vvorkes flowing therefrom be the matter they say of mans second Iustification then let them tell vs vvhat is the matter of his Sanctification To conclude this these are two inseperable benefits to Iustification Sanctification inseperably conioyned whomsoeuer the Lord imputes the righteousnesse of Christ and giues them Faith to accept it as their owne like as for it he absolues them from sinne and death and adiudges them vnto life so also incontinent works he in them by his holy spirit an inherent righteousnesse by vvhich they become new creatures so that our Iustification hath inseperably annexed with it Sanctification But this Sanctification of ours is so imperfect that howsoeuer it be accepted of the Father for the righteousnesse of Christ yet is it not so perfect nor sufficient that for the merit thereof wee dare seeke to be absolued from our sinnes and receiued into fauour Them be also glorified Glorification the last lincke of the Glorification our last and highest estate out of which we shall neuer be changed chaine is the last and highest benefit that we haue by Christ by vvhich both our soule and body shall be restored to a greater glory and more happy than euer vvee enioyed in Adam He had his owne most excellent priuiledges hee had this inward glory that he vvas created to the image of God hee had also for outward glory a dominion and Lordship ouer all the creatures of God the heauens were made beautifull for his sake the earth made fruitfull Paradise assigned to him as a speciall garden of pleasure and all the creatures ordained to serue him but by our second creation we are beautified with more excellent priuiledges that same image is restored to vs new heauens and new earth created for our sake and vvith all these vvee shall haue the Crowne of perseuerance vvhich Adam had not for glorification is our last and highest happy estate out of which we shall neuer be transchanged and therefore the Apostle goes not beyond it And herein appeares the Lords wonderfull power and How the glorification of our bodies shewes Gods wonderfull goodnesse and power goodnesse vvho of the fall of man takes occasion to make man better than he was before the fall Our bodies shall not be raised like to Adams body for euen in the state of innocencie he was mortall but they shall be raised vp like to the glorious body of Christ Salomon built a Temple the Chaldeans destroyed it and it was neuer againe restored to the former glory which moued the auncient men to mourne when they saw how the glory of the second Temple was not like the glory of the first but it shall be the great ioy of our auncient Father Adam who saw the glory of the first creation when hee shall see how farre the glory of the second creation shall exceed the glory of the first Of this Glorification the Apostle speakes in the time Three degrees of eternall life past partly to declare the certaintie thereof and partly because it is already begun for there are three degrees of that Glory The first in this life and that is our sanctification called by S. Iohn the first resurrection and by Saint Paul our transformation into the glorious image of God The second is in the houre of death and that is a neerer vnion of our soules with Iesus The third will be in the last day vvherein both soule and body shall be glorified this is the highest step of Salomons throne vnto the which wee must ascend by the former degrees As for the beginning The first degree is in this life hath in it these three 1. Righteousnesse 2. Peace 3. Ioy. of this glory which now we haue it consists in these three Righteousnesse Peace and Ioy there is a ioy which is no presumption flowing from a peace vvhich is not securitie bred of righteousnesse which is not hypocrisie in these three stands the beginning of eternall life here vpon earth and in the perfection of them shall consist the perfection of eternall life afterward in heauen perseuerance in righteousnesse in peace in ioy and glory being adioyned vnto them This ioy which is the highest degree of eternall life vve A three-fold ioy we haue in this life can attaine to here vpon earth hath also these three degrees first there is a Ioy which ariseth of beleeuing wee haue not as yet seene the Lord Iesus yet dâ—e wee beleeue in him 1 Pet. 1. and reioyce in him with Ioy vnspeakeable and glorious Secondly there is a Ioy which ariseâ—h of feeling and tasting taste and consider how gracious the Lord is and this feeling is much more than beleeuing Thirdly there is a ioy which ariseth of sight of spirituall embracing such was the ioy of
which our immortall husband Iesus Christ hath prouided for vs to sustaine vs that we saint not through our manifold tentations that compasse vs in this barren wildernesse We come then to the first part of the Chapter wherein Subdiuision of the first part the Apostle keepes this order First he sets downe a generall proposition of comfort belonging to the iustified man Secondly he subioynes a confirmation thereof Thirdly he explanes his reason of confirmation and fourthly applies it first by commination of them who walke after the flesh secondly by consolation of the godly against the remanents of the flesh thirdly by exhortation of both not to walke after the flesh In the proposition againe set downe Verse 1. first he points at the comfort Now then there is no 1 Proposition condemnation secondly he sets downe a limitation restrayning this comfort to them who are in Christ thirdly hee subioynes a clearer declaration of those persons who are in Christ to wit they walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Verse 1. Now then This is a relatiue to his former discourse Coherence of this Chapter with the former and is as I haue said a Conclusion inferred vpon that which goeth before Seeing we are iustified by Faith in Iesus Christ and are now no more vnder the Law but vnder Grace seeing we are buried with Christ by Baptisme into his death that like as he was raised from the dead by the glory of his Father so we also should walke in newnesse of life hauing receiued that spirit of Christ whereby wee fight against the Law of sinne in our members which rebelleth against the Law of our minde seeing it is so we may be sure that the remanent power of sinne in vs shall neuer be able to condemne vs. We see then that these words containe the Apostles glorying The Apostles former lamentation turned into a triumph against the remanents of sinne the sense whereof in the end of the last Chapter made him burst out into a pittifull lamentation and cry O miserable man who will deliuer me from the body of this death but now considering the certaintie of his deliuerance by Iesus Christ he reioyceth and triumpheth Wherein for our first lesson we marke the diuersitie of dispositions to which the Children of God are subiect in this life somtime so full of comfort that they can not containe themselues but must needs breake forth into glorious reioycings at other times so far deiected in mind that their ioy is turned into mourning and this ariseth in them from the variable change of their sight and feeling The Disciples on mount Tabor seeing the bright shining glorie of Christ were rauished with ioy but incontinent Math. 17. 2. when the cloud ouershadowes them they become afraid If the Lord let vs feele his mercies wee are aliue but if hee hide his face and set our sinnes in order before vs wee are Psal 50. 21. sore troubled As the troubles we haue in this life are not without comforts Blessed be God the Father of our Lord 2. Cor. 1. 3. Iesus the Father of mercies and God of all comfort who comforts 1. Pet. 1. 3. vs in all our tribulation so our ioy saith Saint Peter is not without heauinesse the one arising of the knowledge of that vndeserued inheritance reserued for vs in heauen the other of our manifold tentations to which wee are subiect here vpon earth it is these vicissitudes and changes which wrought in Dauid such different dispositions as appeareth in him in the Booke of the Psalmes and which all the godly may by experience finde in themselues Pascimur Bernard hic patimur for here we are so nourished with the comforts of God that we are nurtred with his crosses It is the Lords dispensation and we are to reuerence it resting assured that the peace and ioy which once the Lord hath giuen vs may be interrupted but can neuer vtterly be taken from vs the Lord who will not suffer the rod of the wicked for euer Psal 125. 3. to lie vpon the back of the righteous least they put out their hand to wickednesse will farre lesse suffer his owne terrours continually to oppresse our consciences least we faint dispaire Hose 6. 2. though he wound vs he will binde vs vp againe after two daies he will reuiue vs and we shall liue in his sight Weeping may abide in the Euening but ioy shall come in the Morning The chosen vessell of God shall not alway lament and crie woe is me sometime the Lord will put a song of thanksgiuing into his mouth make him to reioyce thus de aduersis Chrisost in Mat. â—om prosperis admirabili virtute vitam Sanctorum contexuit Deus The life of a Christian may be compared to a webbe so meruailously mixed and wouen of comfort and trouble by The life of a Christian is a mixed webbe wrought of trouble and comfort the hand of God that the long thread thereof reaching from the day of our birth to the day of our death are all of trouble but the weft interiected with manifold comforts And this haue we marked vpon the coherence of the beginning of this Chapter with the end of the former Now in these words it is to be obserued the Apostle saies Papist wrongfully collect here that there is no sinne or damnable act in them who are in Christ not there is no sinne in them who are in Christ but he saith there is no condemnation to them hee hath confessed before that he did the euill which he would not and that hee saw a law in his members rebelling against the law of his minde but now he reioyceth in Christ that sinne in him is not able to condemne him It is then a false exposition of these words which is made by Caietane and Aquinas Nihil Aquinas Caietane on this place est damnabile in illis qui sunt in Christo nullus actus quo mereamur damnari that in them who are in Christ there is nothing worthy to be damned no act that merits damnation for the Apostle condemnes these motions of sinne which he found in himselfe as euill and repugnant to the Law of God and if the holy Apostle was not ashamed to confesse this of himselfe what blinde presumption is this in them to exempt themselues or others from such motions as are worthy to be damned we shall still confesse our guiltinesse there remaines in vs of our owne which the Lord might condemne if he would enter into iudgement with vs and shall so much the more praise his mercie who hath deliuered vs from condemnation and further comfort then this the Apostles words do not afford vnto vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is no iudgement no sentence to be giuen against them who are in Christ Surely our righteousnesse in this life consists rather in the remission of sinnes then in the perfection
for transgression of her precepts requiring that the wicked may be put to death for their most vnreasonable disobedience her commandements for number being but ten and so not burdenable to the memorie for vnderstanding plaine written in the heart of euery man â—or equity not contradictable for the Law craueth nothing of man but that which by the holinesse of his nature receiued by Creation hee was able to performe neither doth the law command any thing profitable to God who gaue it but vnto man who receiued it And for holinesse euery precept of the law when God proclaimed it on mount Sinai was assisted with a thousand of his Saints as witnesses of the holinesse thereof all these circumstances doe aggrauate the waight of that iudgement which the law shall giue out against the transgressors thereof Then from the Law iudgement shall proceede How they shal be conuicted by the booke of conscience to Conscience and Conscience shall witnesse against them of their transgressions against euery precept of the law wherein they shall be so cleerely conuinced that their particular sinnes with the circumstances thereof time and place though now they haue cast them behind their backs shall then be set in order before them and so iustly euery manner of way shall iudgement goe out against them Eliphaz spoke it faslie to Iob thy owne mouth and not I Iob. 15. 6. condemnes thee but most iustly shall the ruler of the world lay it vpon the wicked out of thy owne mouth I iudge thee Luke 19. 22. O thou euill and vnfaithfull seruant the voyce of thine own conscience and no other shall condemne thee And as this condemnation will be most righteous so This iudgmeÌ„t shall also be most terrible shall it be also most fearefull not onely in regard of the manner of the Lords proceeding in that last iudgement but chiefly in regard of that irreuocable sentence of damnation Exod. 19. 16. which shall be executed without delay The Law Moses trembled for feare at the giuing of the law what will the wicked doe at the execution therof was giuen with Thunders and Lightnings and a thicke cloud vpon the mount with an exceeding loud sound of the Trumpet so that all the people were afraide yea so terrible was the sight that Moses said I feare and quake The lawes of mighty Monarches are executed with greater terror then they are proclaymed what then shall we looke for when the God of glory shall appeare to iudge the world according to his law the Heauens shall passe away with a Reuel 6. 14. noyse the Elements shall melt with heate the Earth with the workes which are therein shall be burnt vp the Archangell shall blow a Trumpet at the voyce whereof the dead shall rise If Moses the seruant of the Lord quaked to heare the first Trumpet how shall the wicked condemned in their owne conscience tremble and quake to heare the second Then shall the Kings of the Earth and the great men and the Reu. 6. 15. rich mâ—n and the chiefe Captaines and the mightie men hide themselues in the Dennes and among the rockes of the Mountaines for what strength is there in man who is but stubble to stand before a consuming fire and or euer their doome be giuen out they shall crie Mountaines and Rockes fall vpon vs and hide vs from the presence of him that sitteth on the Throne but when they shall heare that fearefull sentence Depart from me yee cursed into euerlasting fire prepared Mat. 25. 41. for the Diuell and his Angels O how shall the terror thereof confound their spirits and presse them downe to the bottome of hell O fearefull sentence depart from me what shall the creature doe when the Creator in his wrath commands it to depart and by his power banishes it from his presence O man wilt thou consider in time who shall receiue Remembrance of this last iudgment is a preseruatiue against sinne thee when God casts thee out from his face or who shall pittie and be able to comfort thee when God shall persecute thee with his wrath assure thy selfe euery creature shall refuse her comfort to thee if a drop of cold water might be a reliefe vnto thee thou shalt not get it Happie therefore are they who in time resolue themselues with Peter Lord whither away shall we goe from thee thou hast Math. 10. the words of eternall life For they who doe now goe a whoring from the Lord wandring after lying vanities shall in that day receiue this for a recompence of their errour Goe to the Gods whom ye haue serued Your whole life was but a Iud. 10. 14. Math. 25. 41. turning backe from me now therefore depart from me and whither into fire and what fire euerlasting fire and with whom with the Diuell and his Angels thou hast forsaken me thou hast followed them goe thy way with them a companion of their torment O fearefull sentence Quae Augustine cum ita sint bene nobisâ—um agâ—râ—tur si iâ—m nunc sic nos paeniteret super malis nostris qâ—omâ—do tunc sine vllo remedio paenitebit It were good therefore sayes Augustine if now all men could so repent of their sinnes as it is certaine in that day they shall repent without any remedie for then the wicked will shed teares aboundantly but they shall be fruitlesse And if all this cannot waken thee to goe to the Lord The day before the last iudgement Mercie shall be offered but none after it Iesus vpon the feete of faith and repentance that in him thou mayest be deliuered from this fearefull damnation yet remember that seeing this iudgement is supreame and the last from which will be no recalling most foolish art thou if in time thou doe not foresee and prouide how thou mayest stand in it Now if thy conscience condemne thee thou maist get if thou seeke absolution in Christ but in that day if the Lord condemne thee thou shalt neuer be absolued the day before the Trumpet sound mercy shall be preached to the penitent and beleeuers by the Gospell but from the time that once the sentence is giuen out there shall neuer be more offering of mercie the doore shall be closed though the wicked crie for mercie and with Esau seeke the blessing with many teares yet shall they neuer finde it Of all this now it is euident what an excellent benefit By Christ wee haue deliuerance from this threefold condemnation wee haue by Iesus Christ in that wee are deliuered from this three-fold condemnation For first being iustified by faith we haue peace with God in our consciences that holy spirit of adoption testifying vnto vs that our sinnes are forgiuen vs whereof arises in our heart an vnspeakable and glorious ioy which ioy notwithstanding cannot be full nor perfect vntill the former sentence of our absolution be also pronounced in the other two iudgements that in the
sinfull corruption which notwithstanding they allow not cherishes not followes not they walke not after it but rather endeauours all that they can to weaken and suppresse it Here then first is reproued that errour of the Papists This place erroneously expounded by Papists who writing on this place expound these words after this manner there is no damnation that is no damnable thing no act that deserueth to be condemned The Apostle saith not here there is no flesh that is no sinfull corruption in them who are in Christ but he saith they who are in Christ walke not after the flesh To maintaine this errour they vphold They maintain that concupiscence without consenting to it is no sinne Aquinas another for Thomas Aquinas writing on this place saith Primus motus concupiscentiae adulterij non est peccatum quia actus est imperfectus sed si accesserit consensus tunc est actus perfectus peccatum The first motion sayes he of the lust of adulterie is not sinne because it is an vnperfect act but if consent be giuen vnto it then it is a perfect act Coster Enchi and is sinne Coster in his little Enchiridion affirmes that concupiscence proceeds from sin and tendeth vnto sin but is not sin which he labors to expresse by this similitude he that hears saith he another man speaking filthie language and consents not vnto it but rather is angry at it and reproues it sinneth not but merits a greater reward euen so when our concupiscence sends out any sinfull motion if we consent not vnto it we sinne not And the Fathers of that counsell of Trent which haue as many curses as Canons haue decreed in this manner this concupiscence which sometime Con. trident the Apostle called sinne the holy Synode declares that the Catholike Church did neuer vnderstand it to be called sinne because it is truely and properly sinne in the regenerate but because it commeth from sinne and inclineth to sinne Now because this is a mother errour which brings forth Their errour disprooued and strenghthens many other errours we will shortly disproue it by Scripture reason and antiquitie In the end of 1 By Scripture the last Chapter the Apostle condemneth the motions of concupiscence for sinne euen when consent is not giuen vnto them for he protests of himselfe that he resisted these motions of sin but was oftentimes sore against his will captiued by them he condemnes them as euill albeit he gaue no consent vnto them for the Law as I haue said doth not onely condemne sinne in the branch but also in the roote there shall not be in thee an euill thought against the Lord thy God And this is also confirmed by reason Consent in it owne 2 By Reason nature is a thing indifferent if that whereunto I consent be good my consent is good but if it be euill my consent is euill if the first motion of sinne be not an euill thing in it selfe as they say then it is not an euill thing to consent vnto it for that which is not euill in it selfe by my consenting cannot become euill It is not then the consent following that makes the preceeding motion to be euill but it is the preceeding euill motion that makes the subsequent consent euill Now as for Coster his similitude it makes plainely against Costers similitude makes against himselfe himselfe for it is true indeed that hee who heareth euill spoken and reproues it is worthy of praise but it is also true that he who spake the euill hath sinned euen so albeit wee doe well when we consent not to the motions of concupiscence in vs yet concupiscence is not the lesse to be condemned because it hath sent out into the eare of our soule that voyce of a filthie desire which is not agreeable to Gods most holy Law And of this same iudgement with vs are also the ancient By ancient Fathers Fathers Cum concupisco quamuis concupiscentiae assensum non praebeam sit tamen in me quod nolo quod etiam non vult Aug. ser 5. Lex When I lust saith Augustine albeit I consent not to my lust yet that is done in me which I will not and which also the law will not And againe desiderium tuam tali debet Aug. ser de Temp. 45. esse ad Deum vt omnino non sit ipsa concupiscentia cui resisterâ— oporteat resistis enim non consentiendo vincis sed melius est hostem non habere quam vincere thy desire should in such sort be vpon God that there should not be in thee at all so much as concupiscence which hath need of resistance for thou resists and by not consenting thou ouercommest but it were better not to haue an enemie then to ouercome him With him agrees also Bernard Genus illud peccati quod toties Bernard nos conturbat reprimi quidem potest debet per gratiam Dei concupiscentias loquor praua desideria vt non regnet in nobis nec demus membra nostra arma iniquitatis peccato sic nulla est damnation his qui sunt in Christo sed non eijcitur nisi in morte That kinde of sinne saith he which so oft troubles vs Concupiscence and euill desires I meane may and should be repressed by the grace of God so that it raigne not in vs that we giue not our members weapons of vnrighteousnesse to sinne and that way there is no damnation to them who are in Christ yet it is not cast out but in death Thus doth Bernard cleerely agree with vs in the exposition of this place Of all which is euident that the motions of concupiscence are euill and sinfull euen when they are repressed and no consent giuen vnto them But now leauing further improbation of this errour wee come to obserue such instructions as are giuen vs in these A holy conuersation is an infallible token of our vnion with Christ Bernard words And first we see that a godly conuersation is recommended vnto vs as an infallible marke of our spirituall ingrafting into Christ Iesus Sicut enim corporis vitam â—x motu dignoscimâ—s ita siâ—â—i vitam â—x bonis operibus for as the life of the body is discerned by mouing so the life of Faith is knowne by good works We esteeme that body dead or at least neere vnto death which is not able to moue nor doe any action pertaining to a naturall life and so may we think that soule dead in sinne which walketh after the flesh hauing no delight nor power to execute any spirituall action It is not then a naked profession of Christianitie which will proue vs to be in Christ profession without the power of Godlinesse will helpe thee no mâ—re then change of garment Profession of Christ in prophane men is like Iosaphats garment on Achab. helped wicked Achab in the companie of good Iosaphat for through it the arrow
heart toward God that the affection which this day is behinde coldest in the loue of God slowest to obey him should the next day be made formost In hac enim vita non progredi est regredi cum nihil Bern. ser de ordine c. adhuc in eodem statu permaneat for in this life nothing standeth in one state it is most certaine that hee that goes not forward goes backward yet I would not so be vnderstood as if the Christian had not his owne fainting and falling in the way of godlinesse yet blessed be God who keepes our soules in life we so â—aint that we reuiue we so fall that wee rise againe of our former follies wee learne to be wise of the experience of our weaknesse wee gather strength wee walke the more warily because so oft wee haue stumbled and fallen of our sinnes we make vantage verus poenitens semper est in dolore timore he who is truly penitent walkes alway in sorrow and feare in sorrow because be hath fallen so oft in feare least he should fall againe And thus much concerning the generall proposition Verse 2. For the law of the spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus hath freed me from the law of sinne and of death HItherto we haue heard that generall proposition 2 Confirmation of his Proposition of comfort belonging to the Christian Now followes the Confirmation thereof hee hath said there is no condemnation to them whâ— The Apostle confirmes his generall proposition are in Christ Now he proues it There is in Christ Iesus a liuely working power which â—reeth all that are in him from the law of sinne and of death therefore to them who are in Christ there can be no condemnation for wee being freed from sinne what can condemne vs How Christ hath freed vs from the law of sinne he explaines in the next two verses there is in sinne a twofold law that is a twofold power first a commaunding power secondly a condemning power but in Christ there is a law that is a power of the liuely spirit or a liuely spirituall power deliuering vs from them both For first from the condemning power of Shewing how we are deliuered both from the commaunding and condemning power of sinne sinne hee shewes we are deliuered by the merit of Christs death and suffering in the flesh whereby he hath condemned sinne which merit imputed to vs that are in him doth so free vs that sinne hath no force nor power to condemne vs in iudgement and this he handleth in the third verse Secondly he shewes how we are deliuered from the commaunding power of sinne by the liuely vertue of Iesus Christ which being communicated vnto vs quickneth vs and maketh vs to begin to fulfill the righteousnesse of the law so that refusing to walke after the flesh we endeauour to walke after the spirit and this he handles in the fourth verse shewing that the end why Christ hath condemned sinne in his flesh is that he might sanctifie vs to the obedience of his holy law whereunto at the last he shall make vs fully conformable Thus you see how that former ground of comfort is confirmed vnto vs howsoeuer by nature wee were vnder the law of sinne and consequently vnder damnation yet now by Christ we are freed from all law of sin and so freed also from condemnation The phrases vsed here by the Apostle makes his purpose Phrases vsed by the Apostle expounded seeme to be the more obscure therefore will we first explane them This phrase the spirit of life in Christ is more significant than that well it can be expressed in so few effectuall termes The Apostle was sent a Doctor to the Gentiles yet doth he labour earnestly to conuert the Iewes for both their edifications hee so tempers his stile that speaking to the Gentiles in the Grecian language hee keepes the Hebrew phrase which as I said makes his speech appeare the harder The spirit of life in Christ then is no other thing but the life of Christ like that Reuel 11. 11. Againe the law of the spirit of life in Christ is no other thing but that forcible working liuely power which is in Christ for it is customable to the holy Apostle to vse the word law to expresse any thing wherein there is a commaunding or working power so he hath ascribeth a law to sinne a law to his members a law to death and now very properly hee oppones vnto them a law of the spirit of life in Christ which is more liuely and powerfull to saue to free and to quicken then any law that hath contrary power can be able to destroy captiue or slay them who are in Christ Thus the words being expounded the first lesson will arise Our aduersaries Sathan sin and death are strong but our Sauiour is stronger out of the Apostles manner of speech who ascribing to sinne and death a law which may condemne and destroy ascribes to Christ a more powerfull law to iustifie and preserue Most sure then is our estate who are in Iesus Christ for there is a power in our Lord which shall bring euery contrary power of man and Angell in subiection to him Comfort that tyrant sinne hath indeede oppressed and ouer-ruled many a one but our Lord Iesus the valiant conquerour hath a mighty power able to disanull the law of sinne and Sathan is that strong one who by nature possesses the heart of man as his owne house but Iesus is that stronger one who will dispossesse him and cast him out of the hearts of all such as are his The God of peace shall shortly tread Sathan vnder our feet and therefore suppose we be weake in Rom. 16. 20. our selues yet we will reioyce in the strength of the Lord Iesus Secondly we learne here that without Christ we liued In what a vile bondage wee liued by nature in a vile seruitude and bondage of all seruants those are in worst case who are sould and of those who are sould they are worst who must doe seruice in prison and of them who are in prison most lamentable is their estate who are chayned and bound in prison yet such seruants were we by nature before Christ made vs free we were not onely the seruants of sinne and sould vnder sinne as witnesseth the Apostle but more also we were as saith Esay captiued and bound with chaines in prison the Iaylour whereof is infidelitie for we were all shut vp vnder vnbeliefe a Iaylour so straite and tyrannous as permitted vs not so long as we were in his keeping so much as to lift vp our head or looke vp to heauen for deliuerance from him from whom onely comes our helpe Our oppressors in this bondage are Sathan and Sinne and sinnes of so many sorts as doe miserably distract the soule Pride one while vsurping dominion ouer vs Auarice another while vendicating a seat to her selfe with power to commaund
forth and nourished free men vnto Iacob but remayned themselues in the state of bond women from this vnhappie condition the Lord deliuer vs and make vs partakers of that mercie and grace whereof hee hath made vs Preachers and professors From the Law of sinne and death Heere the Apostle shewes from what it is that we are deliuered Dauid saith many deliuerances giueth the Lord to his annoynted he spake Psal 18. 51. it of himselfe and it is true of all the Children of God By a great deliuerance he saued Noah in the deluge Lot in the burning of Sodome Israel out of Egypt Ioseph in the prison Daniel in the denne the three Children in the sierie furnace but all these are small if they be compared with this deliuerance from sinne and death Where first we learne how the Apostle conioynes these Sinne death God hath conioyned who shall seperate them two sinne and death if we be deliuered from the first wee shall also be deliuered from the second but if wee abide in the first we shall be sure not to escape the second if therefore Sathan say vnto vs as he did to our first Parents though yâ—u eatâ—â—f this forbidden tree yee shall not dye let vs answere him he hath proued already a shamelesse lyar and we are not any more to credit him that same penaltie lyes vpon euery sinne which was layd vpon the first if ye doe it ye shall die God hath conioyned them and who shal seperate them though the Lord speake not instantly to euery sinner as he did to Abimelech behold thou art but dead because Gen. 20. 3. of this sinne yet is it true of euery sinne when it is finished it brings out death So soone as Ionas entred into the Sea saith Chris hom 5. ad popu Ant. Chrisostome the storme rose to teach vs that Vbi peccatum ibi procella where there is sinne specially committed with rebellion there will not faile to arise a storme of the wrath of God It is true indeed the sinner in committing of sinne doth What a deceiuer Sathan is in tempting to sinne not perceiue this being blinder than Balaam he walkes on in an euill course and sees not the sword of Gods vengeance which is before him but imagines alway to reape some good either of profit or pleasure by committing of sinne for these are Sathans two baites vnder which hee couers his deadly hookes It is therefore a point of singular wisedome to decerne betweene the deceit of sinne present and the fruit of sinne to come betweene that which Sathan promiseth and that which we finde in experience performed He promised to our Parents that they should be made like vnto God but in very deede hee made them miserable like himselfe And if thou wilt also obserue that which thou findest in thy owne experience what fruit hast thou of a Rom. 6. 11. sinne when thou hast committed it doth not darknesse arise in thy minde heauinesse in thy heart terrour feare and accusing cogitations in thy conscience Euery man may finde it who list to marke it by moe then a thousand experiences in himselfe that Sathan is a shamelesse deceiuer yea more deceitfull then Laban who promised to giue to Iacob Gen. 34. beautifull Rahel but in the darke he gaue him bleare-eyed Leah be assured he will change thy wages promise thee one thing and pay thee with another As Hamor spake to his Sichemites so doth Sathan to his blind-folded Citizens he perswaded his people that if they would be circumcised all Iacobs substance and cattell should be theirs but indeed the contrary ensued for the goods of the Sichemites befell to the house of Iacob and they themselues perished by the sword Let vs therefore beware of the inuenomed tongue of the Diuell mentitur vt fallat vitam pollicetur vt perimat Cypr. lib. 1. Epist. 8. he lyes that he may deceiue he promiseth life that he may inflict death say he what he will let vs beleeue the word of the Lord confirmed by dolefull daily experience the wages of sinne is death God hath knit them together and who shall seperate them So oft then as Sathan by the deceit of sinne would beguile Sinne seemes sweet but the fruit thereof is bitter thee remember that though sinne seeme to be sweet the fruit thereof is exceeding bitter if thou feare not sinne feare that end whereunto sinne leades thee dulce peccatum sed amara mors sinne is sweet but death is bitter remember that the wages which Sathan promiseth and man would haue hee shall not get but the wages which God threatneth and man would not haue shall assuredly be payed him for this is the miserie of those who walke in their sinnes illud propter quod peccant hic dimittunt ipsa peccata Aug. hom 42. sâ—cum portant that for which they sinne they leaue it behinde them and carrie their sinnes away out of the world with them So that in the end when they shall gather the profite of all their former sinnes into a summe they shall find no other but that fore-told by the Apostle What profit Rom. 6. 21. haue ye now of all those things whereof ye are ashamed surely there is no fruit but shame and death to be pluckt from the forbidden tree of sinne But heere it may be obiected by the weake conscience Comfort for the godly who are troubled with the tentations of sinne of the godly how can this comfort be ours that wee are freed from sinne who find our selues so continually assaulted yea oftentimes oppressed of sinne For answere let vs marke that the Apostle saith not wee are fully freed from sinne in this life but we are freed from the law of sinne that is both from the commanding and condemning power thereof Sinne doth not now raigne in our mortall bodies as before neither hath it power any more to detaine vs vnder death But as for the temptations of sinne there is no sort of men more troubled with them then they whom God hath begunne to deliuer from the Law of sinne for Sathan being impatient of his losse seekes daily to recouer his former dominion From the time that once the Gibeonites made peace for themselues with Ioshua all the rest of Ioshua 9. the Kings of Canaan made warre against them and so soone as we enter into a couenant with the Lord Iesus Sathan shal not faile the more hereely to assault vs seeking to recouer his old possession yet if as the Gibeonits did we send speedily messengers to our Iehosua to shew him how wee are troubled for his sake hee shall not with-draw his helping hand from vs. Our deliuerance from sinne is begunne now but not Our begun deliuerance from sinne the Lord shall perfect 1. Cor. 1 8. Phil. 1. 6. perfected but we know that our God is faithfull by whom we are called hee shall also confirme vs to the end Euen hee who
notes on this The Iesuites collect here that the Law is fulfilled in this life Verse collects a note which the word here rendreth not vnto them We see say they that the Law which is Gods commandements may be kept that the keeping thereof is iustice and that in Christian men that is fulfilled by Christs grace which by the force of the Law could neuer be fulfilled that the law may be fulfilled and also shall be fulfilled by the grace of Christ who hath deliuered vs from the Law of sin is euident This place proueth no such thing out of the Apostles words we confesse it and are comforted in it this is an end which Christ hath proposed vnto himselfe that he may make vs perfectly answerable to that holinesse which the Law requireth and in his owne good time he shall bring it to passe but that the Law is fulfilled of men in this life cannot be proued neither out of this place nor any other place of holy Scripture Damnatum est peccatum non extinctum Sinne is condemned saith Caietane Caietane one of their owne but not extinguished And hereunto beside infinite testimonies of holy Scripture That the law is not fulfilled in vs nor by vs in this life is proued Amb. de paeniten lib. 1. cap. 6. agreeth also the suffrages of pure antiquitie Non dicit familia tua sana sum medicum non requiro sed sana me Domine sanabor It is not saith Ambrose the voyce of thy family I am whole and needes not a Phisition but heale me O Lord and I shall be healed Tu audes Nouatiane mundum te dicere qui etsi operibus mundus esses hoc solo verbo iâ—mundus fieres Ambrose spake it to the Nouatian Heretiques of his time and it may be sitly turned ouer to the Iesuites of our time Darest thou O Iesuit call thy selfe Ierem. 17. cleane and holy Albeit thou wert cleane in regard of thy works this one word were enough to make thee vncleane With him also agrees Augustine Sunt quidam inflati vtres Aug. de verb. Apost ser 29. spiritu elationis pleni non magnitudine ingentes sed superbiae morbo tumentes vt audeant dicere inueniri homines absque pâ—ccato There are some saith hee like vnto vessels blowne vp with winde filled with a hautie spirit not solidly great but swelled with the sicknesse of pride who dare be bolde to say that men are found in earth without sinne Of such as these hee demaunds in that same place Interrogo te O Ibidem homo sancte iuste sine macula oratio ista dimitte nobis debita nostra fidelium est an catechumenorum certe regeneratorum est immo filiorum nam si non est filiorum qua fronte dicitur Pater noster quies in coelis vbi ergo estis O iusti sancti in quibus peccata non sunt I demand of thee O man thou who A question for Papistâ— art iust and holy this prayer Forgiue vs our sinnes whether is it a prayer to be said by Catechists onely or to be said also of such as are beleeuers and conuerted Christians surely it is the prayer of men regenerated yea it is the prayer of the Sonnes of God for they call God their Father in heauen where then are ye O ye iust and holy ones in whom are no sinnes If the regenerate and sonnes of God haue need to craue remission of sinnes what are ye who say ye haue no sinne If we say we haue no sinne we lie and the truth is not 1. Ioh. 1. 9. in vs and our blessed Sauiour to let vs see how farre we are from doing that which we should doe saith When yee haue Luke 17. 10. done all that yee can doe yet say yee are vnprofitable Seruants Where because they haue a silly subterfuge that albeit wee were neuer so righteous yet for humilities sake we should say we are vnprofitable I answere them as Augustine answered the same obiection in his time propter humilitatem Aug. de verb. Apost ser 29. ergo mentiris then for humilities sake thou lyest but it is certaine Christ neuer taught man to lye for humility this is but a forged falshood of their owne And to ioyne the third witnesse with the former two Bernard who liued in a very corrupt time yet retained this truth Quis melior Propheta de quo dixit Deus inueni virum Ber. in annuÌ„ Mariae secundum cor meum tamen ipse necesse habuit dicere Deo Ne intres in iudicium cum seruo tuo who is better then the Prophet Dauid of whom the Lord said I haue found a man after mine owne heart yet had he neede to say Lord enter not into iudgement with thy Seruant And againe Sufficit Ber. in Cant. Serm. 23. mihi ad omnem iustitiam solum habere propitium cui soli peccaui non peccare Dei iustitia est hominis iustitia indulgentia Dei It sufficeth me for all righteousnes to haue him onely mercifull to me whom I haue only offended to be without sinne is the righteousnesse of God mans righteousnesse is Gods indulgence pardoning his sinne we conclude therefore with him Vaegenerationi huic miserae cui sufficere videtur Ber. ser cont vitiuÌ„ ingrati sua insufficientia immo inopia tanta quis enim ad perfectionem illam quam Scripturae tradunt vel aspirare videtur woe to this miserable generation to whom their owne insufficiencie seems sufficient for who is it that hath so much as aspired to that perfection which the holy Scripture commaunds vs But to maintaine their errour they enforce these places Places of scripture wherein godly men are called Saints and righteous makes not for their errour of perfect obseruance of the Law of holy Scripture wherein mention is made of innocencie iustice and perfection in the Godly whereupon they simply inferre that the Law is fulfilled Their paralogismes shall easily be discouered if we keepe Augustines rule when the perfection of any man is mentioned we must consider wherein for a man may be righteous in comparison of others so Noah was a righteous man in comparison of that generation wherein hee liued yet was hee not without sinne A man may be also so called in comparison of himselfe the Lord iudging a man according to that where vnto the greater part of his disposition is inclined for the Lord doth repute and account his Children not after the remanents of the old man but according to the new workmanship of his grace in them whereof it commeth to passe that albeit in a great part they be sinfull yet the Lord giueth vnto them the names of Saints and righteous men Againe in handling of the Apostles words Philippians 3. In what sense Godly men are called perfect in holy Scripture let vs as many as are perfect be thus minded hee moues the question seeing the Apostle
and they shall wither the whirle-wind shal take them away like stubble O silly glory of worldlings which dieth to them oftentimes before themselues at least with them their beauties consumes whē Psal 49. 14. they go from the house to the graue their pomp doth not descend after them Onely happy sure is the estate of that man who is in Christ neither life nor death things present nor things to come shal seperate him from the loue of God Now the lessons of instruction are chiefly two first is They who are planted in Christ should be humble the roote beares them not they the roote a lesson of humilitie seeing it so that in Christ wee haue life let vs be humble in our selues forasmuch as that which we haue we haue of another so taught the auncient fathers agreable to holy scripture eleauen hundred yeers before vs which I mark the rather to point out the agreement in one truth between vs and the Fathers of the primitiue Church Ita sunt in vite palmites vt illi nihil conferant sed inde accipiant Consil 2. Arausicanū ex Carranza vnde viuant sic quippe vitis est in palmitibus vt vitale subministret illis non sumat ab ijs ac per hoc manentem in se habere Christum manere in Christo discipulis prodest non Christo the branches are so in the vine that they giue nothing vnto it but receiues from it that sap of grace wherby they liue but the vine is so in the branches that it ministers life vnto them and receiues nothing from them that therefore Christ abideth in vs and we in him is profitable to vs who are his Disciples but not vnto himselfe Thus they learned from our Sauiour who in his speech to his Disciples denyes that man is able to doe any good thing without him as the branch can beare no fruit except it abide in the root no more can ye except ye abide in me for without me ye are able to doe nothing And that which is subioyned doth yet more humble vs praeciso palmite potest de viua radice Ibidem alius pullulare qui autem praecisus est non potest◠sine radice viuere though a branch be cut off from the root another may spring out but the branch which is cut off cannot liue without the root it withereth and is meet for nothing but the fire he that falleth away from Christ shall perish like a withered branch but the Lord Iesus shall not want another who shall grow vp in him we stand by faith let vs not Rom. 11. 16. be high minded but feare The second is a lesson of thankfulnesse we who professe They who are planted in Christ beare fruit so soone as they are planted that we are in Christ should be fruitfull in good works herein saith our Sauiour is my Father glorified that yee beare much fruit There is such a liuely power in this stocke of life that they who are planted in him flourish incontinent Proofe hereof we haue in Lidia and in the Theefe crucified with Christ and conuerted by him Arons rodde was no sooner changed from a withered sticke into a flourishing tree then he is from a barren malefactor into a fruitfull professor for see what a fruit he beares in an instant he confesseth his owne sinnes he rebuketh the sinnes of his companion he giueth a good testimonie vnto Christ and earnestly prayes that Christ would remember him when he comes into his kingdome Alas how may this make vs ashamed who so long haue professed Christ but hath not bene fruitfull in good workes The Psalmist compares a godly man to the Palme tree which as Plinie writeth groweth by the waters side and in moyst places and is in Summer winter both flourishing and bearing fruit But the wicked carnall professors of this age are become worse than that figge-tree which Christ cursed for it had leaues albeit no fruit but they as Ierome complaynes of the shamelesse sinners in his time haue cast away the very leaues also an euident token that they were neuer planted in Christ Iesus they haue done nothing in their liues to glorifie God and may looke as little to be comforted by him in their deaths but of this we shall haue occasion to speake more hereafter Who walke not after the flesh but after the spirit Albeit By flesh is meant our naturall corruption and how workes of the flesh are done by spirits the comfort of our deliuerance by Christ be exceeding great yet least it should be vsurped of those to whom it belongs not the Apostle as he hath before restrained it to them who are in Christ so here he giues vs an euident marke whereby we may know them to wit that they are such as walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit Where before we enter into the doctrine it is necessary we know what the Apostle meanes by the word flesh Among many significations which it hath in holy Scripture it is here vsed to expresse the whole sinfull corruption of our nature repugnant to the Law of God not onely carnal actions done in the members of the body but also sinfull motions and affections Diabolus enim cum sit spiritus agit tamen opera carnis for Sathan notwithstanding he be a spirit yet doth Aug. de ciui dei lib. 14. he the workes of the flesh and the Apostle reckons out pride enuie and such like among the workes of the flesh Gal. 5. 22. This may serue to beate downe the presumptuous conceits of those who proudly iustifie themselues and think themselues free from sinne because they are cleere of the carnal action as if the word of God did condemne sinne in the branch onely and not in the roote also This corruption of our nature for three causes is exprest For three causes is our sinful corruption exprest by flesh by the name of flesh first because it is propagated from man to man in the seed of flesh secondly because it is executed in our earthly and carnall members thirdly because it is nourished strengthned and augmented by outward fleshly obiects and so by this name our corruption is distinguished from the corrupt nature of apostate Angels which is not propagated nor nourished nor executed as Ephe. 6. 12. ours is and therefore called by the Apostle Spirituall wickednesse By the spirit here againe I vnderstand that new and spirituall By the spirit is meant the new disposition of the whole man wrought by spirit disposition which the Spirit of God workes in our minde will and affections comformable to the law of God Whereof it is euident that all our motions affections and actions before the Spirit of Christ sanctifie and reforme vs are flesh and not Spirit and againe that euen the Christian after his ingrafting into Christ hath remaining in him while he dwelleth in the body some carnall and
hath said immediatly before that he was not perfect how doth he now rancke himselfe among those who are perfect how agrees these two that hee is perfect and not perfect Hee answeres the Apostle was perfect secundum intentionem non secundum peruentionem August in Psal 38. that is perfect in regard of his intention and purpose not in regard of preuention and obtayning of his purpose And hereunto agrees that of Bernard Magnum illud electionis Ber. in Cant. serm 49. vas perfectum abnuit perfectum fatetur that great chosen vessell of election graunts profection that is a going forward but denyes perfection for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not onely he who hath come to the end but hee also who is walkeing toward it we are so perfect in this life that wee are yet but walking to perfection therefore saith Ambrose Apostolus Ambros in Rom. cap. 8. ver 9. aliquando quasi perfectis loquitur aliquando quasi perfecturis hoc est aliquando laudat aliquando commonâ—t the Apostle speaketh vnto Christians sometime as vnto men that are perfect othertimes as vnto men who are to perfect that which is required of them that is sometimes he praises them for the good they haue done and otherwhiles he admonishes them of the good they haue to doe We conclude therefore with Augustine perfectio hominis est inuenisse se Aug. de temp scr 49. non esse perfectum this is the pefection of man to finde he is not perfect And as for that place of Saint Luke where it is said that How Zacharie and Elizabeth walked in all the commandements of God Luke 1. 6. Zacharie and Elizabeth walked without reproofe in all the Commandements of God because the Iesuits of Rhemes in their obseruations would wrest it to confirme their errour wee will shortly make it manifest That it makes not for them Augustine hath two reasons whereby he proues out of that same Scripture that Zacharie was not without sin first because he was a Priest and was bound to offer as well for his owne sins as the sins of the people Secondly in that the Euangelist saith he walked in the commandements of Heb. 5. 3. God it is an agreement that as yet hee had not attayned to the marke to the which we may adde the third out of that same place the dumbnesse inflicted vpon him for his misbeleeuing euidently proues he was not so perfect as to be without sinne Beside this he customably distinguishes betweene peccatum crimen sinne and a crime that is some grieuous offence that giues slaunder and is worthy of crimination Sanctorum hominum vitam inueniri posse dicimus Aug. Enchi sine crimine we affirme that the life of holy men may be found without a crime And againe nunc bene viuitur si sine crimine sine peccato autem qui se viuere existimat non id agit vt peccatum non habeat sed vt veniam non accipiat now men liue well if they liue without crime but he who thinks he can liue without sinne doth not thereby make himselfe free of sinne but debarres himselfe from the pardon of his sinne And so much for refutation of their errour Now for our instruction we marke againe here that seeing The end of Christs death is our sanctification therefore it should not be abused to giue libertie to sinne the end of Christs death is our sanctification it cannot be but a mocking of the sonne of God and a treading of his holy blood vnder the vncleane feete of men to make the death of Christ a nourishment of sin let such thoughts be farre from vs that wee should take liberty to sinne because we haue a Sauiour this is to make Christ a minister of sinne and as was said to build vp that which Christ came to destroy O thou who louest the Lord Iesus be it far from thee to take pleasure in that which made his blessed soule heauie vnto death let vs neuer nourish that life of sin which was the cause of the death of Christ but let vs daily cleanse our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit and grow vp 2. Cor. 7. 1. vnto full holinesse in the feare of God For albeit by Christ wee be deliuered from the curse of Christ hath freed vs from the curse of the law not from the obedience thereof Rom. 6. 15. Rom. 7. 12. Rom. 5. 17. the Law yet are we not exempted from the obedience therof In respect of the one the Apostle said We are not vnder the Law but vnder Grace in respect of the other he hath said that the Law is good and our Sauiour protests he came not to destroy the Law but to fulfill it both in himselfe and his members not only by righteousnesse imputed but also inherent For the law stands to vs a rule of our life we loue the holinesse thereof striues to conforme our selues vnto it iustificati enim amics leges efficiuntur for men when Ambrose in Rom. cap. 8. Rom. 7. 22. they are iustified become louers of the law which before they hated So that hereby we are to try whether wee be in Christ if we delight in the law of God if wee be grieued when our sinfull nature trangresses the precepts thereof if we finde a begunne harmonie betweene our affections actions and her commaundements by these and the like effects may we know that in Christ we are iustified Lastly we haue this comfort that seeing our sanctification We are sure our begun sanctification shall be perfected is an end which the Lord Iesus hath proposed vnto himselfe we may be sure he shall attaine vnto it In the first creation what he commaunded was done he made light to shine out of darknesse no impediment could stay that work of the Lord so is it in the second creation neither Sathans malice nor the deceitfull allurements of the world nor the sinnefull corruption of our owne nature shall stay that work of our perfect sanctification which the Lord Iesus hath not onely begun but also taken vpon him to accomplish Verse 5. For they who are after the flesh sauour the things of the flesh but they who are after the spirit sauour the things of the spirit HItherto we haue heard the proposition of comfort 4 Application of his former doctrine contayning first a Commination of the wicked wherein is declared their miserable state who walke after the flesh the reason of confirmation and explication thereof Now because the Apostle restrayned that comfort to those who walke after the spirit not after the flesh now in this third member of the first part of the Chapter hee subioynes an exhortation Wherein by sundry reasons he disswades vs from walking after the flesh and exhorts vs to walke after the spirit wherein he keepes this order First he oppones these two to walke after the flesh and after the spirit as contraries which cannot consist
vs good effects by it we are made more humble more feruent in prayer more abundant in teares the hard heart by this holy hammer of God being made soft so that sanctified trouble by the Lords wonderfull working becomes a meane to establish our peace Corda electorum aliquando concussa melius Greg. moral in lob lib. 2. solidantur the hearts of the elect are best setled after they haue beene shaken with crosses All the children of God sindes this by experience that their inward troubles are preparatiues to inward consolations as he who goes to build a house the higher he intends to raise it the deeper he layes the foundations thereof so the Lord humbles them lowest with their terrours to whom he purposes to communicate the highest measure of his consolations As his sufferings 2. Cor. 1. 5. abounds in vs so shall our consolation abound through him wee will therefore that peace which we haue in Christ which he hath left vs none shall be able to take from vs. Verse 7. Because the wisedome of the flesh is inimitie against God for it is not subiect to the Law of God neither indeede can it be THe Apostle proceeds and giues the reason why he called the wisedome of the flesh death because it is inimitie with God He proues it is inimitie with God because neither is it nor can it be subiect vnto the law of God Of this manner of reasoning vsed by the Apostle wee Our life stands in peace with God first learne that our life consists in our peace with God and that our death is procured by our inimitie with him Compare sinfull Adam with innocent Adam and this shall be made manifest so long as hee stood at peace with God hee liued a ioyfull life familiar with his maker but from the time he began the inimitie by transgression of the commandement not onely was the presence of God ioyfull to him before terrible now but hee became such a terrour to himselfe that it was a death to him to liue in that state of life Oh that alway wee could remember this that wee cannot offend the Lord vnlesse wee slay our selues all our rebelling against the Lord is but a kicking of our heele against the pricke the losse is our owne we depriue our selues of life but cannot spoyle the Lord of his glory It is written of the Stdonians that when Herod intended How foolish man is when he entertaines inimitie with God warre against them they made friendship with Blastus Hereds Chamberlaine and besought him to make peace for them the reason was because their lands were nourished by the King therefore they were not able to beare his inimity Alas that we cannot be as wise in a greater matter both our lands and our selues are nourished by the King of heauen wee are not able to endure his anger if he please hee can make the heauen aboue vs as brasse and the earth beneath vs as iron if he take his breath out of our nosthrils we fall like clay to the ground and are turned into dust how then is miserable man so bewitched that hee dares liue in that state of life which is inimitie with God Doe yee prouoke the 1. Cor 10. 22. Lord vnto anger are yee stronger than he No no assuredly if thou walke on in thy sinnes the Lord shall crush thee Psal 29. with a Scepter of iron and breake thee in pecces like a Potters vessell so vnequall shalt thou finde the match if thou Psal 50. 22. contend with thy Maker Oh consider this yee that forget God least he teare you in peices and there be none to deliuer Shall the Sidonians intreate for peace when Herod proclaymes warre and shall man continue in inimitie when God from heauen proclaymes his peace farre be it from vs that we should so doe Away with this wisedome of the flesh which is inimitie with God Perceiue againe how the spirit of God in such sort describes No good in mans nature before it be renued against the Semipelagians of our time the nature of man vnrenued by Grace that no good is left in it out of which the Semipelagians of our time may draw their workes of preparation or merits of congruitie for where as in the Soule of man there are but two faculties the Vnderstanding and the Will the spirit of God so describes his Vnderstanding that not onely he saith the naturall man vnderstands not the things that are of God but as if that were not sufficient to expresse mans miserable estate he addeth neither indeed can he vnderstand them because A minde that neither sees nor can see 1. Cor. 2. 14. A will that neither is subiect to God nor can be they are spiritually discerned And againe his will hee so describeth it that it is not subiect vnto the Law of God and hee addeth this neither indeed can it be What more can be said to abase the naturall pride of man he hath such a minde as neither vnderstands nor can vnderstand the things of God he hath such a will as neither is subiect nor can be subiect to the Law of God This is the iudgement of Gods spirit concerning the corruption of our nature we set it against the vaine opinion of all those who to magnifie the arme of flesh and the merits of man dreames of a good in our nature without grace which cannot be found in it Neyther let any man inferring more of the Apostles The praise of Gods power and grace is the greater because it reformes nature it being so farre peruerted speech then himselfe concludes think it impossible that our rebellious will should be made obedient the Apostle takes not away this hope from man onely he denyes that nature is able to doe it Nature without grace may encrease the inimitie but cannot make reconciliation but that which is impossible to man is possible to God The nature of beasts birds and creeping things hath beene tamed by the nature of man saith Saint Iames but the tongue of man though Iam. 3. 7. the smallest member in the body yet so vnruly an euill that no man is able to tame it We cannot change one haire of Mat. 5 36. our head to make that white which is black farre lesse can wee change our hearts to make them holy which are vncleane What then shall we be out of all hope that which wee are notable to doe shall wee thinke it shall neuer be done Let vs not so conclude though no man can tame the nature of man the Lord can Paul who was a rauening Wolfe in the Euening the Lord made a peaceable Lambe in the Morning Naturalists haue written that the bloud of the Goat causeth the hard Adamant to breake but the holy Scripture hath more surely taught that the bloud of Iesus hath vertue to turne a stonie heart into a soft where it pleases the Lord of stones to raise vp children vnto
God what then shall become of the bastard Christian who hath also receiued the light of the Gospel and yet doth not glorifie God shall he not much more be condemned doubtlesâ—e Sodome shall be in a better state in the day of iudgement than he Let vs therefore remember how the multitude of Gods mercies toward vs hath made vs many wayes debters of seruice vnto him that we may endeauour in feare and trembling to performe it Brethren we are debters The Apostle you see inuolues Preachers should practise that which they preach to others himselfe in the same obligation acknowledging that hee is debter of that same seruice which hee requires of others Our blessed Sauiour pronounces a fearefull woe vpon the Phaâ—ises because they â—aid heauie burthens vpon the people and they themselues did not so much as touch them with the singer the same woe abides those Preachers who require those dueties of the people vvhereof they are not practisers themselues A Preacher may in a good conscience require that thing of others whereunto first of all hee hath bound himselfe as it is said of the Prince of Pastors Acts. 1. 1. that first he began to doe and then to preach It becomes him saith Tertulâ—ian that commends a thing to others to Tertull. de patientia purchase authority to his commendation by practise of the same thing himselfe ne dicta factis dâ—fiâ—iâ—ntibus erubescant least otherwise words without deedes be not able to holde vp their face but forced to blush for shame therefore also said Bernard then shalt thou make thy voyce powerfull vnto others if thou make it knowne that thou hast perswaded thy selfe of that whereof thou wouldst perswade others Validâ—â—r Ber. in Cant. serm 59. enim vox operis quam oris for the voyce of the worke is stronger than the voyce of the word Hee that is not a seruent Disciple of Iâ—sus Christ shal neuer be a faithfull Doctor of the Church of Christ and this for a warning for Preachers Caluin Debters Of this it is euident that the doctrine of grace Christ hath freed vs from all other seruice that we might be bound to his owne proclaimes not liberty to men to liue as they will but rather bindes them to liue godly there can be no higher contempt done to the Lord than to turne his grace into wantonnesse Certainly the iniquities of Pagans doth not halfe so much offend him as the licentiousnesse of bastard Christians who wil sinne the more freely because Christ hath suffâ—red for sinne they heare that a man is not iustified by good workes and Rom. 3. 28. therefore being deceiued by Sathans Sophistrie they cease to doe well not considering that good works must proue we are sanctified and sanctification must proue that we are iustified In the second verse the Apostle said that Christ hath freed vs from the Law of sinne and here he saith that he hath made vs debters to righteousnesse these are not contrary they agree very well together he hath loosed vs from the seruice of all other Masters that he might bind vs the more straightly to serue himselfe And indeede if Christ commaund vs as hee ought no He is a seruant of seruants who is not the seruant of Christ Iesus Ambrose other thing shall commaund vs beside him otherwise if we be not seruants to him we shall be slaues to euery thing beside him O quam multos dâ—minos habet qui vnum non habet O how many Lords hath that man vvho hath not Christ to be his Lord assuredly there is no thing which will not vsurpe superiority ouer thee who liues not as a bound seruant to Iesus Christ either thy belly shall become thy God and for a mease of pottage with Esau thou shalt sell thy birth-right and blessing or a wedge of gold shall become thy confidence and thâ—u shalt not care for gaine to loose a good conscience or then some other vncouth Lord who hath no title to thee shall tyrannize ouer thee Thus wee see that the Christian liberty wee haue by Christ makes vs free from the seruitude of sinne as the Apostle teacheth vs and not free to commit sinne as the carnall Atheist conceiues it But seeing wee are debters let vs see with what bondes wee are bound surely the obligations are many by which we are bound debters to the Lord but specially now wee We are bound to do God seruice by two great bands especially will shortly consider these two Creation and Redemption It is a principle receiued among all men that the fruit and vantage of a mans owne workmanship should redound to himselfe who planteth a vineyâ—rd and eates not of the fruit 1 Creation 1 Cor. 9. 7 thereof or who feedeth a flocke and eates not of the milke of the flâ—ckâ— No man begets sonnes and daughters but he will be honoured of them he that hyreth seruants requires seruice of them yea Balaam wil be offended if his beast serue It is a shame that man craues that of his inferiours which he giues not to his superiour him not according to his pleasure this is the measure wherwith men mete vnto themselues what reason then is ther we should refuse to doe that dutie vn to the Lord our Superiour which wee craue to our selues from our Inferirours The Lord hath made vs wee made not our selues his hand hath formed and shaped vs the life we haue we holde it of him we can not abide a moment longer in this house of our earthly tabernacle than the Lord thinkes expedient his will makes the last day yea as we said before all our necessarie maintenance for this mortall life is furnished out of his hand seeing wee our selues craue seruice of those to whom we giue the smallest things shall we not much more giue seruice vnto GOD from whom wee receiue the greatest 2 Redemption here consider first that we are bought seruants The other is the bond of Redemption Wherein we are to consider these three things first that vve are bought secondly that we are sworne thirdly that we haue receiued wages before hand all for this end that wee should serue him Ye are bought saith the Apostle with a price therefore 1 Cor. 9. 20. glorifie God in your bodies and in your spirits for they are Gods And againe wee are redeemed not with corruptâ—ble things as gould and siluer from our vaine conuersation but with the pretious 1 Pet. 1. 1. 8. bloud of Christ as of a Lambe vnspotted and vndefiled we should not therefore liue as seruants of men farre lesse That which cost Christ full deare men sels good cheape as seruants of Sathan and sinne but as seruants of that Lord who hath redeemed vs. Of all fooles those are the greatest who sels their life for the silly shadowes of sinfull pleasures which Iesus Christ hath bought with the greatest price that euer was payed Not onely are we bought to be
applyes it particularly to the godly Romanes vnto whom he writeth Yee haue not saith he receiued againe the Spirit of bondage vnto feare as ye did in the time of your first conuersion ye haue proceeded further and haue experience of his other operations then yee felt him casting you downe with the sight of your sinnes but now yee feele him comforting you and raising you vp vvith the sense of Gods loue and mercy toward you in Iesus Christ The spirit of God is called a Spirit of bondage vnto feare Why in his first operation he is called a spirit of bondage to feare not as if he had made them in whom he worketh slaues or bond-men but because in his first operation hee rebukes them of sinne in vvhom he worketh and lets them see that bondage and seruitude vnder which they lye vvhich works in them an horrible feare but in his second operation hee is a spirit of Adoption making them free who were bound before comforting them vvith the sight of Gods mercie whom before he terrified with the sight of their owne sinnes to the one hee vseth the preaching of the Law which discouers our disease to the other the preaching of the Gospell which points out the Physition As the proclayming By the preaching of the Law he discouers sin and wrath due to it which causeth feare Mat. 3. 10. of the Law wrought a terrour in their hearts who heard it so doth the preaching thereof for who can heare himselfe accursed and condemned by the mouth of GOD and not tremble Iohn the Baptist began at the preaching of the Law Now is the axâ— laid to the root of the tree euery tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewen downe and cast into the fire then hee proceeded and poynted out the Lambe of God that takes away the sinnes of the world by the first hee prepared a way to the second for his Auditours being cast downe in themselues vvith the threatning enquired earnestly what shall wee doe then that wee may be saued and were glad to heare of a remedy It is out of doubt that they who are not touched with a remorse for their sinnes nor a feare of the wrath to come and into vvhose hearts neuer entred that care what shall I doe that I may be saued haue not knowne as yet so much as the very beginnings of saluation Wee are not then to thinke here that the Apostle is Hee is not here comparing the godly vnder the Law with the godly vnder the Gospel comparing the Godly vnder the Gospell with the Godly vnder the Law but hee is comparing the Godly vnder the Gospell with themselues their second experience of the operation of the Spirit vvith the first it is true that once saith hee yee receiued the Spirit of bondage working feare this was his first operation in you but now yee haue experience of another and are made partakers of a more excellent operation hee is become vnto you a Spirit of Adoption by vvhom yee call vpon God as vpon your Father For the Godly vnder the Law vvere partakers of this same spirit of Adoption which we haue receiued and were For they vnder the Law had the same couenant of grace that we haue Rom. 10. 5. vnder the same couenant of Grace but it was exhibited to them vnder types and figures for the couenant of vvorkes whereof this was the summe Doe and liue being broken and dissolued in Paradise through Adams transgression incontinent the Lord bindeth vp with man the other Couenant of Grace whereof this is the summe beleeue and liue All the Rom 1. 0. 8. godly Fathers before and vnder the Law looked for life in that blessed seede of the woman Iesus Christ whom they beleeued was to be manifested in the flesh and so they were saued but as I said they had this couenant signified vnder legall ceremonies and shadowes which were to be abolished at the comming of the Lord Iesus as now they are and in this respect the Apostle in that Epistle to the Hebrewes calleth it an old Couâ—nant which was to be disanulled not in regard of the substance but of the manner of the exhibition thereof for all they who haue beene saued from the beginning are saued euen as we are euen by faith in Iesus Christ but as for that manner of exhibition by which it was proposed to the Fathers it is now abolished And this for vnderstanding of the words For ye haue not receiued It is here to be obserued that the Wee are receiuers of the spirit God the giuer Apostle calleth vs receiuers of the Spirit of adoption for it warneth vs that God is the giuer and that therefore wee should be humble in our selues and magnifie his rich mercie toward vs for what hast thou O man which thou hast not 1 Cor. 4. 7. receiued and herewithall wee are admonished to account much of those meanes by which the Lord communicateth his spirit vnto vs. The Lord might haue illuminated the The Lord giues his Spirit by the ministrie of his word minde of that Eunuch by the mediate working of his owne Spirit and made him vnderstand that Scripture which he was reading without an Interpreter but it pleased him to doe it by the ministrie of Phillip hee might in like manner haue Acts. 8. communicated his holy Spirit to Cornâ—lius and his friends but he would not doe it but by the ministrie of Peter hee commanded therefore Cornelius to send for him to Ioppa Acts. 10. where it is very worthy of marking that in the very time of Peters preaching the holy Ghost fell vpon the hearers for it should moue vs to reuerence the ordinance of God It hath pleased the Lord by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue 1 Cor. 1. 21. so many as beleeue and so many shall beleeue as are ordayned vnto eternall life Be content therefore to receiue saluation by such meanes as God in his wisedome hath concluded to giue it thinke not that yee can be contemners of the word and partakers of the spirit if yee be desiâ—ous to receiue this spirit of adoption reuerence this ministrie of the word by which the Lord communicates his spirit to such hee will saue To feare aâ—aine c. It is here to be enquired seeing none Gods adopted children are not exempted from all sorts of feare of the children of God liues on earth without feare how is it the Apostle sayes we haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe That distinction of seruile and filiall feare by the one whereof the wicked feare God for his iudgements and the godly for his mercies will not resolue this doubt for the godly also feares God for his iudgements my Psal 119. flesh trembles for feare because of thy iudgements otherwise the threaâ—nings of Gods word were not to be vsed to Gods children if they were not to be feared Wee are therefore to
the proper subiect The righteousnesse of God because he onely in his meruailous wisedome found it out it is called the righteousnesse of Faith because Faith is the instrument by which wee apprehend it and it is called our righteousnesse because it is giuen vnto vs of God to be ours by imputation on Gods part by acceptation of it by Faith vpon our part for these two wayes that acquisite righteousnesse of Christ is made ours This wee haue to marke for our comfort against those The consideration that Christs righteousnes is ours stoppeth the mouth of all that impugnes our Faith obiections which eyther inwardly by Sathan or outwardly by men of a contrary opinion are obiected vnto vs. If they to trouble our peace and weaken our Faith aske how can yee be iustified by a righteousnesse which is not yours wee answere the righteousnesse of Christ is ours and ours by as great a right as any other thing that wee possesse is ours to wit by the free gift of God seeing it hath pleased God to giue vs a gaâ—ment who were naked and to giue vs who had none of our owne a righteousnesse answerable to his Iustice vvhat intrest can eyther man or Angell haue to resist it The euasions and obiections whereby the aduersarie Works not of the vnregenerate onely but of the regenerate also excluded from the act of Iustification impugnes this doctrine are chiefely these First the Apostle say they excludeth the works of nature not the works of Grace the workes of a man vnregenerate they confesse cannot iustifie him but the works of a man regenerate say they doe iustifie him but this is false as is proued first by examples for Abraham whose example the Apostle bringeth in to confirme the doctrine of Iustification was a regenerate man and effectually called yet as witnesseth both Moses and S. Paul his saith was counted to him for righteousnesse Proued by examples Dauid after hee had beene a regenerate man yet saith Lord enter not into iudgement with thy Seruant for in thy Psal sight shall no flesh be iustified The Apostle Paul protests of himselfe I haue in all good conscience serued God vnto this day neither know I any thing of my selfe yet am I not thereby iustified hee was more abundant in good workes than all the rest of the Apostles he did also beare in his bodie the markes of Iesus and was renowned through his manifold sufferings If euer any regenerate man could haue bin iustified by his good works it was this holy Apostle yet hee tels you himselfe for all that I haue done for all that I haue suffered yet am I not thereby iustified The same is proued by reason that which by order of The same proued by reason nature followes our Iustification before GOD cannot be said to iustifie vs in the presence of God but so it is good workes by order of nature followes our iustification before GOD Non praecedunt iustificandum sed sequuntur iustificatum Againe such vvorkes as are not Augustine perfectly agreeable to the rule of Legall iustice cannot iustifie vs but rather fall vnder that curse Cursed is hee who fulfilleth not euery iot of the Law but so it is that the workes euen of men regenerate are not able to answere the perfection of the Law There is no man saith Salomon iust Eccles 7. Iob. in the earth that doth good and sinneth not If I would dispute with God I could not saith Iob make answere vnto one of a thousand All our righteousnesse saith Ieremie is but like a Ierem. menstruous cloath and our Sauiour hath taught euen regenerate men to pray daily for the remission of their sinnes Quid ergo de peccatis nostris fiet quando ne ipsa quidem pro se Bern. in fest o 〈…〉 uÌ„ sanct serm â— respondere poterit iustiâ—â—a nostra vvhat then shall become of our sinnes when our righteousnesse is not able to answere for it selfe Vae hominum iustitiae quantumuis laudabili si remota misericordia Dei iudicetur woe to the righteousnesse of man were it neuer so lowable if God setting aside mercy enter to iudge it But they insist the vvorkes of regenerate men are the How it is that workes of men regenerate doe not merit seeing they are workes done in vs by the spirit of Christ Heb. 1. 3. workes of Christ for it is he who by his spirit workes them in them therefore they are meritorious and iustifies I answere the works of Christ iustifies it is true if yee vnderstand his personall works done by himselfe in his owne person as the Apostle teacheth vs He hath purged our sinnes by himselfe But as for those works which he works in vs by his spirit of grace he works them not for our iustification that as I haue said he hath done already by himselfe and in his owne person but for our sanctification Secondly the good works of men regenerate are so wrought by Christ in vs that they are also wrought by vs and we haue our working in them and therefore by reason of our imperfection cannot be perfect for as the fountaines of the actions are so must the actions be themselues the fountaines are mixed being partly good and partly euill for our minde is not so illuminated that there is no darknesse in it neither is our heart so sanctified that there is no vncleannesse in it and therefore the actions flowing from thence cannot be perfect works of light and sanctification They insist yet further and obiects if the Apostle say Faith works are not simply opponed to other for they are inseperable but opponed onely in the act of Iustification they in his conclusion we are iustified by Faith without the workes of the Law did vnderstand the workes of Grace then it would follow that he oppones things which are not to be opponed for workes and Grace vvorkes and Faith workes and Christ are not opposite but agrees very wel together as the cause and effect as the tree and the branch To this wee answere that Faith and vvorkes agrees well together but there is nothing in the vvorld vvhich agree so well the one with the other but in some things they may be opponed as for example the tree and the branch agrees very vvell together but if the question be moued whether the tree beares the branch or the branch the tree in this they are opponed that vvhich is affirmed of the one must be denied of the other Againe there is a very sweet harmony betweene a naturall Father and the sonne the one of them cannot be without the other for hee is not a Father who neuer had a sonne neither is he a sonne who neuer had a Father but if this be the question which of them gaue beginning to another here wee must oppone them affirming that of the one which we denie of the other In like manner there is a very sweet harmony and
Disciples condemned and iudged worthy of stripes stand as so many examples to confirme vs that we faint not when we are condemned of men yea with the Apostle we must learne to passe little for mans iudgement and striue in a good conscience to be approued of God for sure the Lord will not peruert iudgement it is farre from the Iudge of all the world to doe vnrighteously he will at the last plead the cause of his Seruants and bring their righteousnesse to light This condemnation then from which wee are deliuered But from the condemnatory sentence of God is the sentence of God th righteous Iudge by which finding man guiltie of sinne for sinne he adiudgeth him vnto eternall damnation from this all they who are in Christ are deliuered He that beleeueth in him who sent Iohn 5. 24. mee hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life In this condemnation Three sundry times the Lord keepes against the wicked in the processe of their condemnation Psal 50. 5. the Lord proceeds at three sundry dyats against the wicked First he condemneth them in the Court of Conscience Next in the day of their particular iudgement Thirdly in the day of generall Iudgement First I say the Lord holdeth a Iustice Court against the wicked in his owne Conscience For the Lord iudgeth the righteous and him that contemnâ—th God euery day After 1 The first is kept against them in the Iustice Court of their owne Conscience sinne committed by him there ariseth in his Conscience accusing thoughts and there is a sentence within him giuen out against him The Apostle speakes it of Heretikes one sort of vvicked men and is it true in them all they sinne being damned of their owne selues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by themselues Iudgement is giuen out against themselues which sentence albeit euery wicked man doe not marke the voyce of their disordered affections sometime being so loud that they heare not the condemnatorie voyce of their Conscience so clearely as it is pronounced yet doe they heare as much as makes them inexcusable and breedes in them a certaine feare and terrour which is but a fore-runner of a more fearefull iudgement to come which howsoeuer in time of their securitie they labour to smoother and quench by externall delights yet at the length affection shall be silenced and Conscience shall pronounce sentence against them with so shrill a voyce that their deafest care shall heare it This I haue marked that we may learne not to esteeme lightly the Iudgement of our Conscience but that so oft as wee are condemned by it wee may make our refuge to the throne of Grace to seeke mercie For if Conscience condemne 1. Ioh. 3. 20. vs God is greater then the Conscience and will much more condemne vs. Ascendat itaque homo tribunal mentis suae Aug. hom 50 si timet illud meminerit quod oportet eum ante tribunal Christi exhiberi Let therefore a man saith Augustine goe vp to the tribunall of his owne mind in time if he feare it let him remember that he must be presented before a greater tribunall The second time of iudgement which the Lord keepes 2 The second is kept against them in the houre of death against the wicked is in the houre of death wherein the Lord doth not onely repeat their former sentence of condemnation and that in a more fearefull and iudiciall manner but proceeds also to execution adiudging their bodies vntill the day of last iudgement to the prison of the graue to vnderly that curse pronounced on man for his Apostasie and condemning their spirits to be banished from the presence of God and cast into vtter darknesse Let not therfore the wicked man nourish himselfe in sinne with a vaine conceit of the delay of iudgement wherefore wilt thou put farre from thee the euill day what suppose the day of generall iudgement were not to come for many yeares is not the day of thy particular iudgement at hand vnto which thou shalt be drawne sodainely and perforce in the midst of thy deceiuing imaginations thou shalt be taken away in an houre wherein thou thought not to dye more miserable than that rich glutton who hauing stored his head with false conclusions dreaming of many dayes to come when hee had not one was that same day taken away to iudgement And this shall moue vs the more if we doe remember that such as we are in the day of death such shall wee be found in the day of iudgement In quo enim quemque Aug. epist ad Hesych inuenerit suus nouissimus dies in hoc cum comprehendet mundinouissimus dies quia qualis in die isto quisque moritur talis in die illo iudicabitur and euery man in the last day shall be iudged to be such as he is when he dyeth It would waken vs all more carefully to thinke vpon our end that so we might prepare our selues for this second dyat of iudgement But the third dyat of iudgement shall be most fearefull 3 The third dyat shall be kept against them in the day of generall iudgement when all the wicked being gathered together in one shall be condemned in that high and supreame court of iustice which the Lord shall hold vpon all that euer took life then shall the full measure of the wrath of God be powred vpon all those who are not in Christ Iesus both in soule and body they shall be punished with euerlasting perdition This iudgement shall be most equitable for when that Ancient of dayes shal sit down vpon his white throne before whose face heauen and earth shall flee away and Dan. 12. 6. when the Sea and the Earth hath rendred vp their dead then the bookes shall be opened according to which he shall Reuel 10. 8. proceed vnto iudgement And the bookes are two the This iudgemeÌ„t shall proceede by the bookes of Law and Conscience booke of the law which shewed to a man what he should doe and the booke of Conscience which shewed him what hee hath done by those shall the wicked man be iudged and he shall not be able to make exception against any of them against the booke of the law hee shall be able to speake nothing for the Commandements of the Lord are Psal 19. 9. pure and righteous altogether And as for the booke of conscience thou canst not denye it the Lord shall not iudge thee by another mans conscience but by thine owne that booke thou hast had it alway in thine owne keeping who then could falsifie it neither is any thing written in it of things thou hast done but that which thine owne hand hath written how then canst thou make any exception against it Thus the bookes being opened the iudgement shall How the wicked shall be conuicted by the booke of the Law proceede in this manner The Law shall pleade