life but as it doth vnite and knit vs vnto Iesus Christ Notwithstanding because without faith we cannot be knit vnto him who is our life therefore wee are said to liue by faith Which to conceiue you must know that there is a threefold life of man First that which doth consist of being life motion and sense and thus wee are said to liue a sensitiue life Secondly that which doth consist of being life motion sense and reason and thus wee liue a reasonable life Thirdly that which doth consist of being life motion sense reason and religion and so faith giueth vs our gracious liuelihood For therefore is the Church called The land of the liuing because it is the company of beleeuers Psal 142.5 and that word which is called the word of faith is therefore called the word of life Hence also Christ saith Iohn 6.47 that he that beleeueth hath life and Peter calleth Christians 1 Pet. 2.5 Liuing stones because by faith they grow vp into a holy building yea and they are said to be begotten to a liuing hope 1 Pet. 1.3 or a liuely hope that is a hope proceeding from faith our life and receiuing liuelihood from thence to issue out into the acts of life Neither need it seeme strange vnto vs that faith in Christ should be our life if we doe consider these three grounds First That by faith alone wee haue interest in our Sauiour Christ who is the onely way truth and life Iohn 14.6 For God hath set him forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his bloud Rom. 3.25 and wee are righteous before God by the faith of Iesus Christ If therefore we call that our liuing which is the instrumentall cause of our naturall liuing good much more faith which is the instrument of our spirituall good Secondly By faith alone we haue right to those meanes of saluation wherein we haue communion and fellowship with Christ in this world As first for the Word it will not profit if it be not mixed with faith in them that heare it Hebr. 4.2 that so they may take it home and apply it as a good plaister to their infected soules As to the Sacraments they doe not seale a blanke Rom. 4.11 but are signes and seales of the righteousnesse of faith and when we come vnto them wee draw neere vnto God which must be done with a true heart in assurance of faith Hebr. 10.22 yea we must be at peace with God for God doth not vse to bestow such sauoury blessings vpon his enemies but no peace without iustification by faith Rom. 5.5 As to prayer Iam. 1.6 we must aske in faith nothing wauering We therefore hauing right vnto these things only by faith it is not vnworthily said to be our life Thirdly faith giueth vnto vs a right title yea a coÌ„fortable vse of all the things of this life In faith that is hauing my person in Christ and my warrant allowance from God in his word I eat my meat put on my clothes till my ground take profit of my cattle whatsoeuer is not of faith is sin that is whatsoeuer is done with a trembling Rom. 14.23 wandring gaine-saying conscience Dubitante Errante Repugnante consâ—ientâ—a when we haue not both warrant in our hearts that our persons are reconciled vnto God in Iesus Christ that our actioÌ„ is agreeable or not repugnant vnto Gods wil is sinful Seeing therfore that our faith only giueth vs a comfortable right both to the principall and instrumentall causes of our spirituall naturall liuing good we may rightly conclude that the iust man doth liue by his faith Hab. FroÌ„ which doctrine we may learne two profitable lessons Vse 1 first concerning our selues and secondly concerning others Concerning our selues we learne that as the life of a man doth take possession of the whole man and quicken all the parts of him and by degrees driueth out all the death which there it findeth so faith possesseth quickneth driueth out death from the whole soule As when water is set ouer the fire that heat which doth come vnto it doth by degrees possesse warme driue out the cold of it or as when the sap doth in the spring arise out of the root of the tree into the bodie and branches it doth take away all the vnfruitfulnes of it by degrees doth make it bring forth bud leafe and fruit so faith dealeth with our soules For as the life of man is a power diffused through the whole man so faith being the life of the soule is a power diffused thorow the whole soule So that faith must be both in the minde and in the heart It must shew it selfe in the minde in three things First in the knowledge for there is something euen in the very inlightning of the vnderstanding which is of the nature of faith Therefore the Prophet saith Es 53.11 that the knowledge of thy righteous seruant that is CHRIST shall iustifie many which yet cannot be wrought without faith Secondly in the iudgement when we being inwardly conuinced doe clearely resolue that Christ is the way to bee happy and therefore the onely good tidings which our hearts can rest vpon This made the Apostle say Phil. 3.8 9. Doubtlesse I thinke that is this is my resolute iudgement that all things are losse and dung in respect of Christ Thirdly in our memories when the greatest care in vs is among other things to lay vp the words of our blessed Sauiour Luk. Psal 119. and to hide his promises in our hearts Againe faith must shew it selfe in the heart when the heart beleeueth Rom. 10.9 Act. 8.39 yea when wee beleeue with all our hearts and this it doth in three things also First in the appetite and desires when a man is so farre exercised in the spirituall seeking of Christ that he desires rather to part with all the world if he had it than not to haue some comfortable assurance of Gods loue in Iesus Christ And whosoeuer shall thus sell all to buy the pearle hath true faith for God heareth the desires of the poore Psal 10.17 yet he heareth not to our comfort our prayers except they be faithfull Matth. 5.6 And they are blessed that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse yet none are blessed with Abraham but they who are of the faith of Abraham Secondly in the affections when the soule is confident and resteth vpon the promises of God in Christ as the onely ground of happinesse For when there are no arguments drawne from a mans sense and feeling which may perswade him of Gods loue in Christ yet he doth confidently relie vpon it then is he said to liue by faith not by sight as Ioh who professed that though God killed him yet would he trust in him Iob. Thus also doth faith quicken other affections as ioy feare loue and the like directing
Pet. 2.11 12. abstaine from fleshly lusts which fight against the soule and haue your conuersations honest amongst the wicked both that they who speake euill of you as of euill doers may glorifie God in the day of their visitations and also that you may assure your selues that you are in Christ by being new creatures 2 Cor. 5.17 2 Thess 2.7 Dearely beloued Antichrist also and his mystery of iniquitie hath alreadie wrought euen from the Apostles times and is so farre growne past his height that his raging time is come because his time is but short Therefore Beware of dogs Phil. 3.2 beware of euill workers For there are false teachers which priuily 2 Pet. 2.1 Marke 8.15 with many false glosses bring in damnable heresies But take heed and beware of the leauen of the Pharisies Matth. 7.16 By their fruits ye shall know them 1 Tim. 4.1.3 They forbid mariage and meats by the doctrine of deuils and serue not the Lord Iesus Rom. 16.18 but their owne bellies and with faire speech and flattering deceiue the hearts of the simple They despise gouernment 2 Pet. 2.10 and feare not to speake euill of them that are in dignitie They haue hearts exercised with couetousnesse Vers 14. Vers 16. eyes full of adultery tongues that speake swelling words and boast of high matters They are brute beasts lead with sensualitie Vers 12. and made to be taken at the last and destroyed 2 Pet. 3.17 18. But beware lest yee be plucked away with the errour of the wicked and fall from your owne stedfastnesse but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ Finally brethren 2 Cor. 13.11 fare yee well be of one minde and liue in peace Gal. 5.15 If ye bite and deuoure one another take heed lest ye be deuoured one of another All which that it may the better be effected Gal. 4.19 my little children of whom I haue trauelled in birth Heb. 13.17 for whose growth I shal trauell I beseech you obey me still who haue the ouersight of you in the Lord and submit your selues for I desire to watch for your soules as one that must giue accounts that I may doe it with ioy and not with griefe for that will be vnprofitable for you Now because my hearts desire is Rom. 10.1 that you may be saued and that to this end I may still pray for you and shew you the good way therefore I humbly pray the very God of peace to sanctifie you throughout 1 Sam. 12.23 1 Thess 5.23 and that your whole spirits and soules and bodies may be kept blamelesse vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ So prayeth he who desireth that his ministerie amongst you may be a sauour of life vnto life euen your euer-louing Shepherd and Watch-man ROBERT ABBOT Faults escaped PAge 20. line 10. reade brethren for brother p. 22. l. 30. r. in the mids of for about p. 39. l. 22. r. yee for yea p. 40. l. 7. r. him for whom p. 44. l. 14. adde to seruice in an and l. 15. adde to vnknowne tongue p. 56. l 22. r. in them for them in p. 62. l. 1. r. mouings for meanings p. 71. l. 15. r. parly for partie p. 84. l 9. r. fiue for fine p. 113. marg r. Gal. 2. for Apoc. p. 118. l. 21 r. and for in l 22. r. thy for the and wherein for whereof p. 129. l. 26. betweene â—he second and the third word put in liue in sinne p. 136. l. 1. for I am r. am J p. 184. l. 12. betweene the eight and the ninth words put in powers of TO HIS REVEREND and right Worshipful brethren the Preachers of the glorious Gospell within the Deanery of Charing in Kent ROBERT ABBOTT their fellow-Souldier for the maintenance of the Gospell wisheth faithfulnesse and constancie to the end Right Worshipfull Reuerend and beloued WHom our gracious God hath vnited in one common seruice I neither can in affection nor could in Epistle at this time seuer especially considering that what I shall say to one is fitly appliable to you all My request only is that what I speak freely to one may with a louing and yeelding acceptance bee entertained of all as the messenger of an honest heart desirous to stirre vp the grace of God which is in you and to prouoke your willing mindes I remember what is sayd of the sacke of Beniamin by the way when the sacke was opened Sacco soluto reluxit argentum the money appeared which though I cannot apply to what I haue sayd in my Sermon or shall say at this time yet this I will say that no packet shall be opened wherein you shall discouer more loue and intention of spirit to do your soules good Mans good thoughts were not giuen him for himselfe only but for communication For if they had as the Gâ—d of Nature would not haue taught the tongue to speake them so the God of Art would not haue taught the pen to write them This is the cause that what meditations God hath briefly put into my heart to warme my selfe those haue and shall I more largely blowe and kindle to heate you all in that ministeriall course in which God hath set you I presuppose these two propositions to be Gods truth First that the Churches speciall seruants are of Gods sending And secondly that it is necessary that the people to whom wee preach should be perswaded of it Is not Ierusalem which is aboue the Mother of vs all VVhence then should wee expect all her seruitours not left free to her selfe but from our fathers appointment Yet what though we are called by God will it euer be so comfortable vnto vs if the people to whom we are sent do not know it We would willingly that they should heare what we speake in Christs stead not as the word of man but as it is indeed the word of God which yet they can neuer do except they are perswaded that wee are sent of God It is therefore worth our marking to see how the Apostle labours the perswasion of this point For himselfe hee doth still vrge his mission That the Gospell which he preached was not after men but that hee was called by God And for all others hee calleth them Souldiers as hauing receiued their presse from God and Ministers that all the world may know that God keepeth the royalty of his Office in his owne hand and makes vs his Seruants yea Cryers to lend our good will and voyce to his matters to bee published No doubt the holy Ghost foresaw the necessity of this perswasion not only that the ministery might haue the greater attention and respect giuen vnto it but that Lydeas heart might be opened Felix might tremble the Iewes might be pricked in their very hearts and made to crye out Men and brethren what shall wee doe to be saued Yea and the secrets of hearers hearts might be made manifest and they may fall downe on their faces and
passe to the matter propounded pawse wee a while vpon the two phrases in the Text. First Doe yee not or haue yee not iudged in your selues say some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doe or haue yee not discerned or put a difference in or with your selues say others Let euery man abound in his owne sense where faith is not impeached or destroyed and the Scripture wilfully wronged and neglected The Word is knowne to be passiue and is deriued of a word that signifieth to iudge And whereas iudging doth imply foure acts in it that is hearing inquiring conuicting the wrong doer and passing sentence some doe vnderstand it of the act of all foure when they expresse it thus Are yee not iudged in your selues Others vnderstand it of the sinne against all foure or at the least against the last vpon the abuse of the three former when they expresse it thus Are yee not partiall in your selues Others vnderstand it of the act of conuicting which I am the more willing to follow because of that apt addition In your selues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Implying that though they would not passe righteous iudgement yet by diligent inquisition and knowledge of the cause they were conuicted in the Court within As for the second Phrase how shall I expresse it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shall I say Iudges of vniust cogitations as if I meant to vaile and obscure it Or Iudges of euill thoughts in more plaine and popular termes Or â—udges wickedly deliberating It may be the words may more fully be expressed That which is translated Thoughts doth signifie a secret reasoning about or discussing of a thing within a mans selfe as with another whereby he doth argue the case and debate the matter both by asking and answering and so resoluing within a mans selfe And therefore as sometimes it is translated thoughts as when Christ saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 15.19 Out of the heart come euill thoughts so as aptly is both the word from whence it commeth rendered to reason 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 5.22 Matth. 16 8. and the word it selfe reasonings as when the Scribes and Pharisees thus argued Christ forgiueth sinnes therefore he blasphemeth Iesus perceiued their reasonings and said What reason you in your hearts Now these reasonings debatings dialogues and discourses are called Thoughts which are the meanings of the minde to and fro about those things which it apprehendeth and are of two sorts For either they are about the nature essence excellencie and vses of things in generall which may be called Theoreticall thoughts or about the same things as they are to be apprehended approued disallowed practised or disauowed of vs in particular which may be called practicall thoughts because by them the soule viewing and staying vpon it selfe and comparing it selfe with the first patterne doth shape a course for the owner to walke in so farre as it apprehendeth and doth comfort and confound accordingly So that indeed these thoughts are only the worke of the conscience vpon the ill cariage whereof in corrupt reasonings the same conscience doth play the corrupt Iudge in withholding the truth in vnrighteousnes as we may see in this particular For the question lying whether a rich man were to haue respect meerely for his riches sake before a godly poore man and their thoughts beating vpon it and chewing it vp and downe by varietie of motion because they saw more outward glory comming by the one than the other and moâ—â— danger preuented they did imprison the â—ruth and 〈◊〉 â—orrupt Iudges concluded gaue sentence against â—he poore Saints and so they became Iudges of euill reasonings Now you see in this Verse the ground of my parable where I would consider two things First the power of practicall conscience Secondly the abuse of that power For as it is with most power it is abused vnto sin namely to serue mens owne turnes and the like so the power of our consciences which is to reason it out and conclude accordingly is abused to iudge wickedly euen against conuiction To speake first of the power of our consciences you must know as I haue said that to dialogue in our selues is to aske and answer in our selues The power of our Consciences and to giue iudgement according to reason And to Reason is vpon two premises to inferre a conclusion and this is a iudiciall proceeding The Proposition like the Iudge doth open the truth and like a witnesse doth beare witnesse vnto it The Assumption like the Iurie doth apply it to the parties to be tried The Conclusion like the Iudge doth giue and passe the sentence This is the summe of what I haue to say from hence For the more cleare deliuerie whereof that we may as fully as we can comprehend the vertue of these reasoning thoughts lay we downe first these two propositions in generall and so we shall fall to the particulars The first generall proposition is this that God hath established an assize for iudgement within our selues Hence is it that we are said to be Iudges To conceiue therefore aright of it consider that there is the Iudgement seat or Court Hall within a mans selfe An Assize within vs. the partie to be tried man himselfe the Iudge witnesse Iurie the conscience which shall proceed according to true allegations and proofes and all these sweetly inwrapped in these reasoning thoughts Yea and that all things may be carried the more fairely there is the law imposed vpon the reasonable creature as apprehended by him to be the rule and records The causes and grounds of this Assize are these two First in respect of God that God may haue an account of the state of man from himselfe and man may be brought to liue in holinesse and righteousnesse vnder God For looke as a King of a country doth ordaine Assizes to be kept in his seuerall Shires and Counties that hee may haue an account of the iustice of his Magistrates estate of his country liues of his subiects and that he may preserue them in peace and loue in their seuerall places so God hath appointed this petty Assize that he may haue an account of the conscience how the minde doth rule and gouerne how the whole man is gouerned in righteousnesse holinesse and sobriety how the state of the body and soule stands before God in the case of life and death and that the desires and affections may be kept from mutinie and rebellion and the whole man may be brought vnder the subiection of Gods will Vel medio huminis naturalis vel medio luminis fidei Our vnderstandings either by the light of reason or by the light of faith should haue the law of God presented vnto them whereby they should suruey both morall duties and the mysticall points of Diuinitie our inuentions should finde out variety of dutie for vs our memories should keepe the records our wils should chuse and command all good actions our
the good Word of God which is able to saue our soules As wee doe wry our mouthes with the new borne babe after the dugge of Gods Word so with the growne man we haue a good stomacke and appetite vnto it The huskes of mans wisdome and humane traditions are hunted after of those of whom the Apostle saith Beware of dogges Phil. 3.2 but the man of God hungreth to heare God speake And because he knowes that he is borne againe for the kingdome of God therfore though when he meets with the things of this world he doth thankfully embrace them vse them as if he vsed them not yet he seekes after the things aboue Col. 3.1 aboue the world the Church aboue nature grace aboue the fauour of Princes the grace of God aboue sinne a Sauiour aboue earth heauen If therefore it be thus with our soules that as all creatures do seek their meats sutable to their natures the Lion flesh the Horse grasse the Fowles Wormes the Catts Mise and the Bees hony so we doe hunt after these things then haue we entred into this life Secondly Those helpes that doe respect our enemies are our naturall vigilancy and watchfulnesse against that which doth thwart and oppose life And from this head I shall commend vnto you two signes of life The first is Sensiblenesse of the least degree of death or opposition of life He that is in an irrecouerable estate 2 Sensiblenesse of death findes not the least degrees of death creeping vpon him and when hee is readie to die saith He is well whereas he that is well is sensible of the least distemper but if a man be dead he doth not feele death it selfe he heares no alarum to battaile sees not the approach of any enemy nor smels the stinke of any wound So if we be in a spiritually-dead estate we feele not killing sinne to approach Prou. as Solomon saith of the foole Hee casteth fire-brands arrowes and mortall things and saith I am not in iest So we make sport vnto our selues in the committing of sinne and say Doe we not liue Yea if we be dead let God send one letter of defiance vnto vs after another for our sinnes we heare and heare not we know and vnderstand not and though from â—he crowne of the head to the sole oâ— the foot there be no part whole 〈…〉 nothing but botches and blaines full of corruption yet wee smell not the stinke of the corruption of our wounds we runne not to the bâ—lme of Gilead wee desire not the good Samaritane to helpe vs but if wee are aliue oh how doe we scud from death as the fearfull Hare from the greedie Hound How doth the least approach of this death by the least sinne make vs cry out with Paul Wretched man that I am Rom. 7. who shall deliuer mee from the bodie of this death Poore Christians who are deiected and cast downe at the fearefull fight of their owne guiltinesse the more sensible they are of the death of sinne the more they cry out of themselues as of dead men whereas if they would passe righteous iudgement they should conclude that the spirit of life is in them 3 Fiâ—hing against death The next signe of life is fighting against that which would take it away The liuing worme being trod vpon will turne vp the taile Heare O worme Iacob so wilt thou if thou haue any life in thee When the worme feeleth the earth to be shaken presently it commeth running out of the earth fearing the approach of the mole so if thou liue when thou feelest the shaking of the cabbin of thy ease and securitie thy bodie I meane by paineâ— acheâ— and diseases then thou dost presently startle come to the doore to see what newes meet thine enemy death disarme him and pull out his sting that at the last â—he conquest may bee thine Againe is there life in vs then the Spirit of life doth fight against the flesh â—om â— â— lest wee liuing after it do die Oh how doe liuing men striue against the whole bodie of sinne and death How doth the spirit lust agaâ—nst the flesh Yea Gal. 5.17 how doth the liuing spirit get the vpper hand and sight more manfully euery day than other especially against that sinne which doth most crosse it I haue kept me from my wickednesse saith Dauid that is Pâ—â—l 18.23 that sinne whereunto hee was most inclined euen so must we if we haue this new life This is the way to finde all liuing grâ—â—es to increase all sin to be in a decaying estate For we know that there is no equall match betweene the old man the new as God smites the enemies of his people on the checke bone that is Psâ—l 3.7 hee deales not with them as with men but as with boyes in stead of opposing them with swords and stauâ—â— hee sends them away with a boxe on the eare so will the liuing spirit deale with the dying flesh it will master it at the last as a growne man would a childe and ouercome it with lesse difficultie though not without all danger to it selfe Secondly Where there is the life of grace there will be an imployment of our strength in the acts of life The actions of liuing men are proper to men that are aliue so are they to these new men From this head therefore I shall giue you further two sorts of signes either such as doe concerne a mans owne indiuiduall person or those which are shewed for succession in propagating their kinde They which doe concerne a mans person are two 4 The breath of the new man First if we can freely draw the breath of the new man It is a signe of life to men of the world if wee can freely draw that breath which God doth offer for the prolonging of naturall life so likewise is this a signe of this new life if wee can freely draw the breath of Gods mouth which God doth breathe vnto the hid man of the heart And what breath is this but the Spirit of the Lord in the Scriptures Marke therefore if wee can draw in the Word of God to the cooling comforting and refreshing of our weary hearts which pant vnder the burden of sinne and if we can put it out againe both to coole the violence and fierie courses of sinfull men and to heat and warme the lukewarme and frozen hearted sonnes of men this will assure vs that we liue the life of God 5 Seruice of God The second signe which doth concerne our persons is this If wee doe put ouer our whole bodies and soules to the seruice of God For as then wee doe liue a naturall life when we doe imploy all our strength to the seruice of nature and as then wee doe liue a loyall life to our Soueraigne when wee are wholly taken vp for his honour and maintenance in good so then wee liue the life of
God which is called a new life when both in bodie and soule we are taken vp for the seruice of God Dead and cursed Idols serue not them who gaue them all their imaginarie liuelihood they haue eyes and see not eares heare not but it must be otherwise with vs if we liue Our mindes must be inlightned with the eye-salue of Gods word in some comfortable measure to know our selues and God in Christ our memories must be confirmed to lay vp the promises of God in our hearts our consciences must be cleared at the least to begin to testifie truly of our estates in Christ our wills must be inclined to put ouer all that wee are and haue to the honour of our Sauiour our affections must be wooed to runne vnto Christ and to rowle themselues vpon him for the succour of the whole man our desires must be insatiably carried after him aboue all things our bodies must haue all the parts and powers of them directed to doe the will of God cheerefully and to be weapons of righteousnesse vnto holinesse Rom 6. and because there are failings in euery one of these therefore we must attend them with godly sorrow and supply their defects by faith in Christ in whom all their wants are couered Thus must our whole liuing man attend vpon the seruice of the liuing God It is true that we owe dutie to others as well as to God as to countrey kindred friends yea to our selues yet all this must be done as seruing the Lord Rom. 12.11 and then may wee be said to serue the Lord when all our seruice either to him or other is imployed according to Gods will Oh that we may euer see our selues new creatures by this new seruice How easie will it then be for vs to see vs in Christ prepared vnto good works to the glory of God our eternall comfort Lastly 6 Begetting to God that signe of life which is shewed in propagating our kinde is this If we striue to beget others to God Wee see that it is naturall to euery liuing creature to gender and by the blessing of multiplication to bring forth liuing creatures like vnto themselues so is it naturall to this new creature in vs to shed abroad that grace whereof wee haue beene partakers to beget others to God Christ weddeth Peter to this worke when he saith Luk. 22.32 When thou art conuerted strengthen thy brethren so likewise Paul Timothie saying What things thou hast heard of me by many witnesses 2 Tim. 2.2 the same deliuer to faithfull men which shall be able to teach others also So that here is a spirituall line wherein new creatures must be begotten vnto God Paul begetteth Timothie Timothie faithfull men as they proue or as they are to wit to the increase of grace and faithfull men others If therefore we can say that we are not satisfied with our owne goodnesse Iam. 5.20 Dan. 12.3 but haue a spirituall pronenesse to conuert a sinner from going astray and to turne many to righteousnesse that we may see more men like God and walking holily before him after the manner of the liuing then build vpon it that we are liuing men Thus haue we through Gods assistance ended the first Vse The Doctrine of the Text was this that He that is in Christ is a new creature The Vse was this to learne vs that we must labour to be new creatures if we would perswade our hearts that we are in Christ To this end I haue directed you how we may proue our selues to be new creatures both by our cutting off from the old stocke and by our grafting into the new As for our cutting off from the old I haue shewed you both how it is wrought and how it is discouered As for our grafting into the new I haue shewed you that in it we are made members with the signes of it and that in it also we doe receiue the gifts of members that is our dying vnto sinne for which we must both doe and suffer as also our liuing vnto grace which I haue also striued in some measure to manifest vnto you What shall I now say vnto you I will heartily inâ—â—â—at you that you will be all of one minde in prouing your selâ—es by these notes whether yee are in Christ yea or no. Dâ—ferre not a worke of such moment Yee may all die before yee are aware this night may your soules be taken from you and then woe woe and a thousand woes vnto you iâ— ye are not in Christ Or it may be yee may liue longer but what comfort is there in that estate wherein we haue not the least securitie that we are in the fauour of God Heare therefore the words of the Prophet something altered Fanne your selues Zeph 2.1.2 fanne you ô people whom I would faine haue to be the beloued of God before the decree come forth and yee be as chaffe that possâ—th in a day and before the fierce wrath of the Lord come vpon you and before the day of Gods anger come vpon you for why why will ye die ô ye house of Israel I say no more but leaue you thus in the consideration and to the practise of this first Vse Vse 2 The second Vse which we make of this point is this Seeing he that is in Christ is a new creature therefore wee learne that if we sinne against Iesus Christ and walke in the old trace of corruption we are not in Christ Such as are in Christ must be new creatures and Christ cannot but spew out him and disclaime him vtterly who pretending to be a member doth yet sinne against him If now that yee may auoid this danger you shall aske me how we may be said to sinne against Christ I answer How wee may be said to sinne against Christ that infinite are those sinnes which wee commit against him yet as more direct I name onely sinnes of two sorts either such as are committed against the members or such as are committed against the head Sometimes we may sinne against Christ in sinning against his members and that two waies First in others when we doe persecute the mysticall bodie of Iesus Christ that is the saints and people of God when we are either Ishmaelites in persecuting them with the tongue or Saulites in persecuting them with the hand For what is this but to persecute Christ seeing Christ said to Saul Act. 9. Why persecutest thou me Secondly in our selues when we professe our selues to be flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone yet liue like deuils incarnate when we take the members of Christ and make them the members of a harlot drunkard lyar 1 Cor. 6.15 or swearer and the like What greater indignitie can there be to Christ his bodie than to take his members and giue them vnto the Deuill Sometimes againe we more neerely sinne against Christ our head and that both in his owne peâ—son and
the soule than the soule is to help it selfe without the liuing seeds of faith foregoing and fore-planted in the new creation of our hearts Thirdly we learne from hence also that so long as we are without faith our bodies are but as it were our dead soules graues 2 Cor. 5.1 If the bodies of Gods children are an earthly house or a house of mud walls as well as others then the bodies of naturall men cannot but be loathsome graues And what should dead men doe with other dwellings or why should we thinke other of dead mens habitations For doe but marke First the soule doth annoy the good with many loathsome smels of sinne and damps of iniquitie as out of a graue As God doth as it were smell a sauour of rest in the exercises of faith in Iesus Christ and a sweet perfume in the faithfull prayers of his children so doe the soules of the godly also and as sinnes make many stinks in the nosthrils of God so likewise in the nosthrils of good men Againe the faiâ—hlesse soule as if it were pent vp in a graue hath no freedome nor elbow-roome in the bodie to exercise it selfe either in naturall or spirituall things In naturall things it cannot giue a power of growing sense or reason at its pleasure for how many dwarfish dumbe deafe and foolish men and women are there in the world how is it with all of vs who can neither adde one cubit to our stature nor mâ—ke one haire either blacke or white In spirituâ—ll things wee are dead as I haue said Lastly as a graue doth make that bodie that is put into it to rot and turnes it for the most part into its owne common nature so the bodie if God doe not worke by the miracle of faith and sustaine vs by vertue of the couenant will more corrupt and make the blinde soule more earthly sensuall and deuillish For as hee that cannot worke but by a bad instrument will be brought so out of square that custome will breed another nature neuer to bring forth better fruits so the soule being tied vnto the bodie as to its proper instrument it not being eleuated by the spirit of faith through custome and long continuance is brought to rot in bodily exercises and earthly things Seeing therefore that our bodies are graues for our naturall dead soules oh that all of vs might take notice of it All I say both good and bad that the good might be weary of the world seeing their whole life is but a liuing in Golgotha among dead mens graues and skuls that the bad might content themselues with a meane graue except they had more hope of a comfortable resurrection That dead man were but possessed with Deuils who hauing no hope of a ioyfull resurrection should spend all his time in dressing vp and adorning his graue so are all dead men in sinne who hauing no hope of the fauour of God and of Christs dwelling in their hearts by faith doe yet spend all their time in prouision for the graue of their bodie the very throat whereof is an open sepulchre venting the stinke of their rotten hearts Vse 2 Secondly for practise we learne from hence how to carry our selues to our vnconuerted friends to wit as those who pitty them and pray for them and vse all meanes for a holy resurrection Hast thou a husband a wife a childe or any friend or enemie that hath not faith Pitty them mourne ouer them as Christ ouer dead Lazarus and as thou wouldst mourne ouer thy dead friend Pray to the liuing God that he would quicken them And as in the time of Christs being vpon the earth they either brought their dead corps to Christ or besought him to come to them so let vs deale with our faithlesse friends that is let vs seeke by all meanes to bring them to Christ in the word and prayer to see if yet Christ will meet them in his owne ordinances to raise them out of their stinking graues of sinne Oh that we would neuer forget to deale thus with those to whom we stand neerest in relation that so at the length custome if not conscience may preuaile with vs to doe it vnto others especially considering as I said before that it is full of discontent and misery to spend our daies among dead mens tombes Come we now from this miserable estate of ours by nature to our estate by grace Touching which the first point which the Text offereth to be considered is this That we haue communion and fellowship in the suffering and death of Christ. This is plaine from the words of the Apostle I am crucified with Christ which cannot be but by vertue of our communion with him It is true that if wee consider Christ as an indiuiduall person and vs as particular branches of another stocke we haue no fellowship with him For whereas fellowship betwixt disioyned persons may arise either by working the same worke in kinde which another doth Operando as in Corporations brethren of the same Trade or by a co-working and partnership in the same worke Cooperando as when two men are conuersant in one and the selfe-same businesse Consâ—ntiendo or else by consenting to the act of another man as when Dauid had fellowship in the murther of Vriah whereas I say wee may be thought to haue fellowship with Christ one of these three waies yet we neither being actually crucified nor crucified with Christ nor consenting to his crucifying for vs we cannot be said to haue fellowship with him Neuerthelesse if we do consider Christ as the head of his Church and vs as the members of his bodie if wee doe consider him as set apart sealed of God the Father to be a surety for vs and vs the parties to whom he is giuen and for whom bound our communion and fellowship standeth firme with him Now that we may the better conceiue it we must know that we haue fellowship with Christ in three things First in his Natures for the Sonne of God is made partaker of the humane nature that hee might make vs partakers of the diuine nature He became the sonne of man that we might become the sonnes of God 2 Pet. â—â— Wee wanted sonship God could not giue vs that which he had not therefore the Sonne of God alone tooke the nature of the sonnes of men that he might restore vs to the dignitie of the sonnes of God Secondly we haue fellowship with Christ in his goods for wee hauing nothing else that may be truly said to be ours hee takes our cursed ragges of sinne vpon him and hath communicated vs the riches of his glory Thus saith the Apostle God hath made Christ sinne for vs to wit 2 Cor. 5.21 by imputation and is made vnto vs wisdome righteousnesse 1 Cor. 1.30 sanctification and redemption Thirdly we haue fellowship with him in his estates His honourable estate is ours for wee are
them to their right obiects and bringing them by degrees to this measure that they are spent vpon Christ without measure Thirdly our faith doth shew it selfe in our wils when the soule hauing many times a blessed experience of Gods loue is perswaded of it Thus Pauls faith shewed it selfe when he said I am perswaded that neither life nor death and so forth shall seperate vs that is Rom. 8.38 39. me and other Christians from Gods loue which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Which perswasion as I take it doth more naturally belong vnto the will it being more proper to the vnderstanding to be conuicted and to the will to be perswaded So that though the soule be many times tossed with temptations feares and terrours yet more or lesse it is much refreshed with this perswasion Thus we see how faith quickneth the whole soule of the godly man In which respect if wee be quickned from the death of our vnderstandings and not of our desires if we perceiue the inliuing of our desires and not of our wils and affections we haue iust cause to suspect that we haue no faith For faith is in no part of the soule in any measure where it is not in all parts of the soule in some measure For in this doth the life of the soule differ from the life of the bodie that the life of the bodie doth begin in the heart it being that which first liues and doth end there it being that which last dieth but the life of the soule which can neuer perish though it may seeme not to worke for some time like a member deaded with a blow as it is in our first regeneration like light in the aire shed abroad thorow the whole soule so it is alwaies to be found in all the powers of the soule though in some man it be more predominant in the vnderstanding in some in the desires and in some others in the will and affections Now therefore let vs from hence-forth enter into our owne soules to trie whether we haue faith yea or no. If we haue it is our life and if it be our life it quickneth both our vnderstandings to know Christ our iudgements to approue him as our only Sauiour and Redeemer our memories to treasure vp the promises our desires to haue an vnquenchable thirst after him our affections to be spent vpon him our wils in some measure to be perswaded of his loue to vs and our whole soules to droope and mourne in our Christian ioy because we cannot receiue him more fully in the whole to our endlesse comfort Vse 2 Secondly concerning others we learne from this life of faith who are the men that onely may be said to liue to wit the godly man because he only hath faith The great man liueth gallantly the voluptuous man liueth merrily the rich man wealthily the politicke man warily only the faithfull man liueth indeed because he liueth graciously This is true life and all other liues are deaths to this The wealthie mans life is full of care feare griefe but Faith triumpheth That neither life nor death principalitie nor power things present nor things to come shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God in Christ Iesus The poore mans life is full of discontent and penury but Faith can want and abound and in stead of other dainties doth euery day feed vpon Christ The Infants life is full of mourning and crying but Faith glads the heart in the midst of heauinesse and makes it many times reioyce with ioy vnspeakable and glorious The young mans life is full of passion wauering and fickle inconstancie but Faith doth so ballace our soules that we runne a setled course and sweare to keepe Gods righteous iudgements The old mans life is full of deafenesse dulnesse decayednesse but Faith seeth thorow the clouds life in death glory in shame yea it heareth the voice of God in euery sentence and though the outward man perish yet in the inner and hid man of the heart Faith reneweth vs daily Although therefore we must liue other liues both naturall and ciuill yet let vs make more account of this That Christ liueth in vs by faith than of all other liues whatsoeuer Thus haue I brought you along vnto the last thing which I shall obserue from hence that is the exercise and expressement of that power which Faith giueth vs by our communion with Christ in a vertuous and holy life For as hee hath said that wee haue fellowship in his death for our mortification that we are quickned by faith in him for our viuification so that we through that quickning power which wee doe receiue from Christ by faith are made liuely vnto all holy obedience Therefore is it that the Apostle saith It is not I but Christ that quickneth mee concerning the life that we now liue to liue graciously Whence we must marke That it is from the vertue and power of Christ that wee are quickned to all holy obedience Though we haue faith yet we must not pride our selues in it for it is not faith in it selfe that quickneth vs but as it is a diuine power whereby we doe receiue that life which is in Christ Iohn 5.21 Therefore is it said That the Sonne quickneth whom he will Yea and hence is it that the Scripture is so exact in setting downe our weaknesse For whereas there are seuen degrees to be considered for the effecting of a good thing the Scriptures shew that man is weake in all of them Psal Can man thinke good No The Lord knoweth the thoughts of men that they are but vaine and wee are not sufficient of our selues to thinke a good thought 2 Cor. 2.14 Can we vnderstand good 1 Cor. 2.14 Rom. 8.7 No The naturall man perceiueth not the things of the Spirit of God Yea the wisdome of flesh is enmitie against God Can we will and desire good No It is God that worketh in vs both the will and the deed Phil. 2.13 Can we speake good No Prov. 16.1 The wife man may purpose a thing in his heart but the answer of the tongue is of the Lord therefore Dauid prayeth to God that he would open his lips that his mouth might set forth his praise Psal 51.15 If he could not tune his tongue much lesse could he turne his heart Can wee begin to doe good No as Esay saith The children are come to the birth and there is no strength to bring forth so may we say of our inward good for it is God that beginneth this good worke in vs. Philip. 1.6 Can wee doe or worke any good No I know that the way of man is not in himselfe Ier. 10.23 for without Christ we can doe nothing Ioh. 15.5 Can we perfect any thing that good is No To will is present with vs as with Paul when we are sanctified but we haue no power to performe If God should bring
as the Apostle saith God hath put all things vnder his feet and hath giuen him to be the head ouer all things to the Church which is his body Secondly Christ hath most perfectly whatsoeuer may be most necessary for the life and saluation of his Church It pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell Col. 1.19 2.9 Iohn 1.16 and out of his fulnesse we all receiue grace for grace he being made of God vnto vs wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 Apoc. 9. Ioh. 10 27 28. Eph. 5.26 Rom. 8. He doth redeeme the Church by his bloud preserue it by his power instruct it by his Word renue and lead it by his Spirit Thirdly in all the controuersies betwixt God his creatures and the Church shee hath none to answer for her to pleade her cause and procure her peace Es 9.6 Eph. 5.23 but onely Iesus Christ the Counsellor and Prince of peace as the wife her husbâ—nd Fourthly Christ doth the duty of a Head that is giue spirituall sense by the sauing vnderstanding of spirituall things and motion by giuing strength and power to walke in them Yea he doth knit and ioyne the parts together to him by merit and spirit Eph. 4.16 and giue effectuall power to euery pâ—rt to doe its office Yea he so farre doth these good offices for his Church as her Head that as the head cannot be taken from the body without the certaine death and ruine thereof so as it is well said without Christ the Church is nothing else but as a dead carkasse Thus Christ being the vndoubted Head of the Church we may be sure that that is the true Chruch whereof hee is the Head Secondly wee cannot bee assured that that is the true Church whereof the Pope is the head and that vpon these grounds First we haue no assurance that Iesus Christ requires a Deputy in this world to wit as Mediatour for wee know that a Deputy serueth to supply the absence of the principall whereas Christ is alwaies present by his word spirit Mat. 28.20 Ioh. 14 16. Totum Christi secuâ—â—â—m esse essent aâ—c Act. 3.21 Totuâ— Christus secundum â—sâ—â— pâ—rsonâ—e Act. 2â— 28 Ioâ—â—â—â— If you say that he is absent in respect of bodily presence I confesse that if you respect the whole essence of Christ his body is in Heauen and the Heauens must containe him till his comming againe but if you doe respect the whole person of Christ of whom when the Scripture doth speakâ— it doth attribute that vnto whole Christ which is proper to either nature so we say that Christ is present with vs though his body be in Heauen because we are not without the blessed communion and fellowship of the diuine nature Neither to his sufficient presence doe we neede his body now for though the Kings body bee onely at the Court yet is he a sufficient head for gouernement vnder God of his whole Kingdomes as his body politike Secondly we cannot be sure if Christ were altogether absent that any man in the world by vertue of any coined diuine anointing is able to supply his place For though as God the Kings and Princes of the earth are his Deputies to see his lawes obserued and to execute his iudgements because he hath made them so yet as Mediatour and Head of the Church he hath none partly because he hath made none Heb. 7.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and partly because his office is such as passeth not from one to another For euery worke of a Mediatour is a compound worke issuing from two natures concurring in the same action as the carued worke of Aholiab and Bezaleel was the issue of their bodies and soules in which respect there is required a strength aboue any created power Thirdly because the Papists say that the Pope is not the head of the Church in such a soueraigne and principall manner as Christ but the Ministeriall Head ouer the whole Church vpon earth therefore I adde this that we cannot be sure that a deputation of any inferiour gouernment and ministery is put ouer to any one man whatsoeuer For there are three things which doe hinder our through perswasion in this point First that Christ doth reserue euen outward administration in his owne power For it is he which sendeth forth his word and spirit which hath ordained a ministery fitted Euangelists Pastors Doctors whence he is called the Arch-shepherd It is he who assisteth his ministery with power and hath prouided the trumpet and sword of the magistracy to call and to dissolue counsels to summon and to disparcle armieâ— to defend his Church so farre as it is good for her from Satan the liar by heresie and Satan the murtherer by persecution Therefore what need haue we of a ministeriall head Secondly that there is no ministeriall head but must worke ministerially that which the principall head doth principally For else it is but a rotten head such as the Wolfe found in the caruers shop without wit or braines But no mortall man nor Angell can doe that which Christ our head doth because the office of his headship is executed by two natures concurring in one person Christ as I said before Thirdly Christo sâ—cluso that then there should be a Lordlike power ouer the whole Church vpon earth out of Christ in some creature which cannot be For ye know what Paul saith There are many diuisions or diuersities of ministeries 1 Cor. 12.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or administrations but the same or one Lord. So that as it is with Kings who are neuer out of their kingdomes though there are diuers officers vnder them yet there is but one in whom there is Regall power and that is the king himselfe so in this kingdome of heauen vpon earth the Church I meane though there are diuers offices yet hee keepes the royalty in himselfe which if he haue put ouer vnto another it must either fasten vpon him sloth or at the least ease to put the burthen of gouernment vpon a weaker persons shoulders or it must make vs say that hee hath done a needlesse thing to make a substitute in his own presence to doe that which is impossible 4. Lastly if Iesus Christ were absent and it were possible that there could be a deputy yet wee cannot bee sure that the Pope is he And of this I shall giue you foure grounds of suspicion First because it standeth vpon improbable interpretations such as can neither arise properly nor figuratiuely such as cannot be deriued by any succession to confirme the doctrine which they now hold concerning their great head They say that God said to Peter Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I build my Church and to thee will I giue the keies of the kingdome of heauen and againe feede my sheepe Therefore they say he said to Peter as their new doctrine concludeth I make thee Vicar and
is able to receiue it for the nourishment of his soule which communion doth in this differ from a bare spirituall communion Signis adhibitis vel non that all sacramentall communion is spirituall but all spirituall is not sacramentall because this is in the lawfull vse of Gods signes to this purpose So we haue a spirituall fellowship with Chirst when the spirit of God doth apply Christ vnto vs by faith and doth so bring home and concorporate him vnto vs that from the fountaine of his holinesse in whom all fulnesse dwelleth we finde our selues inclined and quickned to all holy obedience and can feelingly say That in that we forsake sinne it is from the power of Christ and in that wee purpose and endeuour good it is by the same power also And of this spirituall communion doth the Apostle speake in this place The fourth phrase is in these words I liue in the flesh He doth not say that he liued of the flesh or after the flesh as if he danced after natures pipe but In the flesh As all are not Israel that are in Israel so all are not of the flesh or after the flesh that are in the flesh What therefore is it to liue in the flesh It is to liue in the body for as flesh is taken for corrupted man when the Apostle saith That flesh and bloud cannot inherit the kingdome of heauen and for the corruption of man as when the holy Ghost saith The flesh lusteth against the spirit so is flesh taken for the body of man by an elegancy of speech when a member is taken for all the parts integrall or for the whole And thus it is taken in this place I liue in the body The fifth hard phrase is in these words I liue by the faith of the Sonne of God What doth he meane by this I liue by faith which doth its right office to spie out to run vnto and to receiue the Sonne of God For whereas vpon the former speech that Iesus liued in him it might be said Must not the heauens containe him Yes saith the Apostle for he liueth in me by faith not by sight But you will say why is it called the faith of the Sonne of God Not because wee should conceiue that faith which Iesus Christ had in himselfe but that faith in vs whereby he is had and possessed of vs and is so called for three reasons First because the Sonne of God hath purchased it for vs. The Father would not haue willed it vs the Holy Ghost would not haue wrought it in vs if Christ had not bought it for vs. Secondly because only the Son of God in Christ doth make our faith to be lawfull and laudable As Christ is man he is a creature and we must not flie to any creature for life and saluation and therefore not beleeue in him This then is it which makes our faith in him to be warrantable that hee is the onely Sonne of God Thirdly because it is not beleefe in any other person in the diuine nature that doth conueigh life vnto vs. As veines arteries sinewes muscles and the like doe not conueigh life sense and motion into the parts of a mans body but as they doe receiue them from their owne proper head and heart from whence they are shot so faith doth not conueigh spirituall life but as it doth receiue it from our spirituall head Christ Iesus Thus you may see our faith Relativè Obiectivè Instrumentalièr called the faith of Christ in respect of that relation which is betwixt him and it he being the sauing obiect of it and that being the instrument to conueigh life from him to euery beleeuer Thus we haue the seuerall phrases of the Text which in their totall sum make vp the Apostles meaning to be thus much Summe of the Text. Doe not thinke that by the doctrine of Iustâ—fication by faith alone in Christ I doe abolish the doctrine of Sanctification by the same Christ for by vertue of my vnion with Christ by faith I doe finde that from the fountaine of his holinesse out of whose fulnesse I doe receiue grace for grace my sinful lusts are crucified and I perceiue my selfe so quickned in the inner man translated from one glory to another into the Image of God that I dare say It is not I that now liue but my Sauiour who liueth in me by faith whereby hee purifieth my heart to make mee a peculiar Christian to himselfe chosen vnto good workes We hauing now stayed long enough vpon the sense may it please you from the seuerall deductions to desire further benefit And to this end in these words let vs consider two things First Paul his method which is this He was first killed and then he was made aliue Secondly Paul his matter in which he doth in his owne person set downe a double estate of ours First our estate in nature which is implied and may â—e thus expressed that vntill we haue faith we are but dead men For if wee liue only by faith in Christ then before we haue it we are but dead men Secondly our estate in grace which is expressed and may be set downe in three chiefe points of doctrine First that wee haue communion in the death of Christ Secondly that by vertue of this communion we liue by Faith Thirdly that it is from the vertue of Christ that we are quickned vnto all holy obedience To come first to Pauls method we are to obserue that as Paul saith He is crucified before he liueth So We must die before we can be made aliue I might here distinguish betwixt death naturall death ciuill as it is termed in Law death spirituall and death eternall that so I might signifie what death I meane but that it is plaine enough without that labour Only remember that it is one thing to die for sinne as malefactors who are put to death another thing to die in sinne as finally impenitent sinners and another thing to die vnto sinne as the godly In which sense we must die before we can be made aliue As it is with the bodie we must all die or all be changed 1 Cor. 15. before we must liue for euer which the holy Ghost maketh plaine by the similitude of Wheat or some other graine so is it with the soule Hence is it that God doth both exhort vnto this death Coloss 3.5 when he saith Mortifie your earthly members and also promiseth life vpon that death when hee saith Rom. 8.13 If yee mortifie the deeds of the bodie by the Spirit yee shall liue Neither may we wonder at this truth whether we consider the goodnesse of grace or the malice of sinne First if we respect the goodnesse of grace it is expressed by two effectuall words for this purpose For sometimes it is called a Resurrection Apoc. 20.6 Iohn 5.25 as Iohn saith Blessed are those that haue part in the first Resurrection And
vs to the gates of heauen and there leaue vs we should perish He must still be with vs both as the author and finisher of our faith Hebr. 12. It is he that must admonish vs of that good which wee haue to doe Monendo Movendo Removendo that must stir vs vp to doe it and that must remoue those impediments which hinder vs. Now why should the Scripture thus anatomize the parts of our weaknesse in good but to teach vs that all our strength and power is from Christ Excellent also to this purpose is that Euangelicall out-cry Hoe euery one that thirsteth come ye to the waters Es 55.1 and ye that haue no siluer come buy and eat come I say buy wine and milke without siluer and without money Into which words if we pierce with a spirituall eye we shall finde that they offer two things to be considered A good turne from God and a dutie from vs. In the first hee doth first condition with the buyer and hee doth allow or license two sorts to buy of him Him that is thirstie that is hee that out of a sight of Christs worth and his owne vnworthinesse doth pant after Christ and him that hath no siluer that is he that hath denied himselfe and in his owne eyes is nothing secondly hee doth make his offer In which first he doth make knowne his ware-house that is Christ and thus much is implied in the nature of the words which are a prophecie concerning Christ secondly hee offereth his ware vnder three words water milke and wine implying that in Christ is to bee found matters of conueniencie necessitie and delight thirdly hee pitcheth the price and setteth it downe negatiuely that God keepeth an open house for beggars and not a shop for buyers he keepeth an hospitall not an ordinarie for it commeth without siluer and without mony Secondly hee setteth downe a dutie from vs for he telleth vs that if we be such buyers and like the price we must come buy and eat So that in these words you may plainely perceiue that the Prophet doth cleerely set downe these two things First that we haue nothing wee are without spirituall siluer and money Phil. Secondly that Christ is all in all things vnto vs and that God doth blesse vs with all spirituall blessings in heauenly things in Christ Eph. 1.3 Hence is it that the holy Ghost saith It pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell Col. 1.19 Ioh. 1.16 and that out of his fulnesse wee all receiue grace for grace that is the free fauour of the remission of our sinnes and all other spirituall good depending vpon it for the free fauour of God is Christ himselfe yea and all this out of Gods appointment 1 Cor. 1.30 who hath made him to vs wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption Vse 1 Oh that the consideration of this point might thorowly enter into our soules for we shall finde it both to be a ground of the deniall of our selues and of attendance vpon Christ Christ doth require that wee would denie our selues and follow him and in this doctrine we haue a ground for both First for deniall of our selues who doth not denie himselfe and make himselfe nothing in his owne eyes when he duely considers that it is Christ who quickneth him I know that naturally we haue a great desire to haue some worth in our selues I remember how it was with Alexander when he went into the Indies hee caused horse-shooes and bitts of bridles and speares and swords of an vnwonted bignesse to be left behinde him and all because men that came thither in after-times and should heare that Alexander had beene there might say Surely Alexander was a mighty man indeed a man of great power and worth right so is it with vs we are sicke of the same disease we desire with Saul to be honoured before the people we would faine be some bodie or at least we would be worth more than nothing Hence doe come the diuiding conceits betweene God and mans will in the power of conuersion and betwixt faith and workes in the case of iustification Hence also comes in the cursed opinion of merits at the least in the gratious works of Gods sonnes and of our being saued by our good beleefe to God-wards by louing God aboue all and our neighbours as our selues and the like But let vs neuer forget that Christ must increase and we must decrease that it is Christ that liueth in vs euen when we are at the best and giueth vs all power and that therefore we haue and are nothing Christ neuer helpeth but in extreme need As God dealt with the Israelites at the red Sea when the Sea was before them the hillâ— vpon one hand the sea on the other and the Aegyptians behind them then he saith to Moses Stretch out thy rod and to the Sea Stay thy proud waues be made into walls for the defence of my people so Christ when he bringeth his disciples to cry out Saue Master we perish then he rebukes the windes when they cry out with Iehoshaphat Lord we know not what to doe but our eyes are towards thee when they haue no power no worth in themselues and their owne eyes then he makes them strong in the Lord and in the power of his might As therefore we loue our owne soules as wee desire to haue part and fellowship with Christ to be made wise by his wisdome without guilt with his righteousnesse without preuailing filth with his holinesse and without apostacie with his redemption so let vs be carefull to denie our selues and lay downe at his feet the crowne of our glory Secondly for attendance who will not follow Christ who is such a bountifull master that hee putteth new life into all his followers No great men need sue for attendants yet their followers many times are compared to fasting daies which are next vnto holy-daies but otherwise they are the leanest daies in all the weeke much lesse need those honourable masters sue for any who doe most for their seruitours they shall haue offerers good store And shall it be otherwise with Christ Shall such a master want followers Matth. 11. who calleth out vnto vs Come vnto me all yee that are weary and heauy laden and I will refresh you Oh what an argument is this that we feele not the want of Christ and his societie It may be you will say that Christ indeed claddeth you with mourning and persecution and is he also the fountaine of life and holinesse to them that come vnto him Yea verily As Adams vnrighteousnesse and vnholinesse is the fountaine of our guilt and corruption so Christs righteousnesse and holinesse is not onely the matter of our righteousnesse but the root of our sanctification also By faith we are vnited vnto Iesus Christ and ingraffed into him and as the root doth send vp iuyce into the branches so doth Christ
risen with Christ Col. 3.1 Eph. 2.6 and wee sit with him in heauenly places His debased estate also is ours as his birth suffering vnder Pontius Pilate his crucifying his death his descension into hell For hence is it that we are said to be buried with Christ Rom. 6.4 5 6. and to be grafted with him into the similitude of his death yea and to haue the old man crucified with him as in this Text. If now you will inquire Why wee are said to haue fellowship in his death I answer For three causes especially First Because of that sacramentall vnion which wee haâ—e with Christ Rom. 6. Wee are baptized into the death of Christ We are buried with Christ in Baptisme Baptisme doth seale vnto vs and giue vs interest in that communion which we haue in his death For as the dipping in the primitiue Church so the sprinkling of the water now doth signifie and seale our death and buriall with Christ Secondly Because what Christ did as Mediator of the Church hee did it not as a priuate person but as the head of the Church and in the roome and stead of all his elect Hence is it that hee is called our sponsor or suretie Heb. 7.22 For as the debt which a suretie payeth hee payeth not onely for himselfe because hee hath willingly made himselfe a debtor but for the partie also for whom hee is bound so Christ payeth for vs. Thirdly Because when wee truly turne from all sinne vnto God as we do with all our hearts make a deed of gift to conueigh our selues vnto God that so in all distresse we may plead as Dauid Psal 119. I am thine saue mee for I doe put my trust in thee Esa 9.6 so God doth make a deed of gift of whole Christ to conueigh him vnto vs. As therefore we account to haue right to that which is giuen vs as freely and as fully as if wee had purchased it or had it by inheritance euen so wee ascertaine and assure our selues of Christ crucified with all his benefits Vse 1 This therefore being a truth that we haue fellowship in the sufferings of Iesus Christ is of excellent vse both to procure the hatred and the mortification of sinne For the first we should grow in eternall enmitie with it when we doe but thinke that the Lord of life was crucified for it but if we set our selues in Christs roome and feelingly apprehend his paine as ours when hee conflicting with his Fathers wrath cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee When his soule was heauie vnto death and he being rosted with the fire of Gods wrath did in a cold season sweat drops of blood if wee shall account his invâ—terable losse to be ours to wit that our sinnes made God to withdraw his louing countenance from vs good men to flie from vs our friends to deny vs our enemies to insult ouer vs the earth to quake the sunne to hide her light and the rockes to rent in sunder who will not now gnash his teeth at sinne and cry ouer it with a holy indignation as the Edomites ouer Ierusalem Downe with it downe with it euen to the ground Vse 2 As to the second to account our selues as crucified with Christ 1 Pet. 4.1 is an excellent meanes of mortification For he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sinne and if wee are dead to sinne Rom. 6.2 how shall wee yet liue therein Wee know that when a felon is executed hee is not onely freed from the imputation of sinne because he hath satisfied the law but from the practise of sinne also The same minde must be in vs that wee may mortifie the deeds of the flesh by such spirituall reasons as these are What am I not crucified am I not dead doe I yet worke the workes of darknesse as if I liued in sinne what is it that should make me rake together the dead bones of sinne to put new life into them I know that it is death to heare of such a dying Ah it is too true that wee loue our sinnes too well to let them be crucified with Christ But shall I tell you what we may doe to helpe all I remember that it was a law in Israel Dâ—ut 21.11 12. that if a beautifull woman should be taken captiue in warre and any man should desire her as his wife hee must shaue her head pare her nailes put off the garment wherein hee loued her that is take away all her ornaments and if hee then liked her let him take her into his house Oh that we could be wise to deale thus with sinne It hath many ornaments sutable to our corrupt natures which doe beguile the seduced and deceiued eyes of our soules Some sinnes are clad with profit some with pleasure some with honour and other some with fauour but shaue off this alluring haire fling away these tempting garments and then yee shall see that it defaceth Gods image dishonoureth God grieueth and quencheth the spirit woundeth the conscience and presseth to hell Now tell me whether ye like sinne yea or no Oh that this might be a forcible inducement vnto vs to let our crucifying with Christ haue its diuine force It may be you will inquire for some plaine direction for the crucifying of sinne If you doe I shall soone say by Gods blessiâ—g much in a little See these things more largely in my Sermon on 2 Cor. 5.17 Marke the degrees of Christs crucifying for vs and wee must imitate it in our crucifying of sinne for Christ Christ was apprehended put in hold indited condemned and executed so must we deale with sinne Wee must apprehend it by a through examination put it in hold by godly sorrow indite it by a heartie confession condemne it by a seuere iudging of our selues and execute it by faith and a good conscience The longer we delay the stronger sinne is and the harder to kill Heare therefore that your soules may liue Let not the deuill seduce you with vaine hopes of long life or time enough to repent in Fishes will not be caught with a bloudy net why will yee Remember when one commended the Popes Legate at the Councell of Basil Tamen Romanus est Sigismond the Emperour answered Yet hee is a Romane So let the flesh commend Satan in all his sugred allurements neuer so much yet let the spirit answer Yet hee is a deuill Let vs neuer forget and God giue vs vnderstanding in all things that he is the roaring Lion seeking whom he may deuoure Hauing thus led you through the fellowship of Christ in his death wee are come to that pipe which by the force of this our communion doth conueigh life through this death and that is Faith Touching which wee arâ— to obserue from hence That by vertue of this our communion with Christ wee liue by Faith It is not our faith absolutely considered that is our