benefite hee receiues of vs for nothing can accresse by the meanes of any creature to that most high and al-sufficient maiestie Sâ—d vt haberit in quem sua benefiâ—ia collâ—caret but that hee might haue some vpon whom to bestow his benefits for the declaration of the glorie of his rich mercie Yet both the Adoptions agrees in this that they flow The naturall giues to the Adopted the priuiledges of a sonne from the pleasure and good will of him vvho is the adoptant and that they giue to him who is adopted the priuiledges of a Sonne which by nature he hath not but where the naturall adoptant cannot change the nature of that man whom hee hath adopted to be his Sonne no more then Moses qui Aethiopissam duxit sed non potuit Aethiopissae mutare colorem who married an Aethiopian vvoman but could not change the Aethiopians colour but the Lord our God were wee neuer so blacke if hee marry vs hee shall make vs beautifull if by the grace of Adoption he make But the spirituall giues also the new nature and conditions of a Sonne vs his sonnes by the grace of Regeneration hee shall also make vs new creatures all the sonnes of GOD are made partakers of the Diuine nature Take heede therefore vnto your liues and conuersations for if ye goe on to spend the remanent of your dayes after the inordinate lusts of the flesh and walke on in gluttonie and drunkennesse in chambering and wantonnes in adulterie in strife and enuy in couctousnesse and such other workes of vncleannesse wherein many among you doe yet continue wee must say vnto you that ye haue not God for your Father but ye are of your father the Diuell because ye doe his workes except wee see in you the Image and superscription of God and that ye haue engrauen in your conuersation as Aaron Exod. 28. 36. had vpon his frontlet Holinesse to the Lord we cannot blesse you in the name of the Lord nor acknowledge you for such as are his by Adoption And of this againe wee marke that the sonnes of God The Sonnes of God after their receiuing the Spirit of Adoption know that God is their Father know most certainely that God is become their heauenly Father for in this they are taught of God by his owne spirit to acknowledge him and call vpon him with boldnesse as vpon their Father It is therefore a vile errour which that most comfortlesse religion of the Papists renders to them who seeke comfort in it that no man in this life can know whether he be beloued or hated of God nor can haue any certaine knowledge of his owne saluation except it be by extraordinarie reuelation we improued it at length in the ninth verse It is true naturall children may be ignorant of their earthly Father and puft vp with a vaine conceit that they are descended of a more noble parentage then indeed they are as the â—latterers of Alexander would haue him to thinke that hee was the Sonne of Iupiter and not of Phillip but being wounded in a battell hee was taught by experience that hee was the mortall Sonne of a mortall Father and therefore smyling vpon his â—latterers hee said vnto them this bloud seemeth to mee not to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is not like the strong bloud of GOD but the bloud of man But as for the Children of God they can not be deceiued of their generation they know that God is their Father and with greater homelinesse and more freedome of spirit yea and surer knowledge they call God their Father then any son in the world is able to call on his earthly Father Whereby we cry The Apostle here doth teach vs that it No prayer to God without the spirit of God is by the spirit of Adoption wee pray vnto God without that Spirit men may speake of God but without him they cannot speake vnto God Prayer is a proper action of the sons of God The Apostle describing them who are Saints by calling saith they are sanctified by Christ and call vpon the name of the Lord Iesus hee ioynes these two together to tell vs that they who are not called by God and sanctified in Christ cannot call vpon him as for prophane men it is certain they cannot pray though they repeat that prayer Our father which art in heauen what else doe they but multiply lyes as they multiply words Onely the spirit of Adoption teacheth the Children of How the godly sometime are transported in Prayer 2 King 2. God to pray Prayer is vnto them like that firie Chariot in the which Eliah was caried from earth to heauen by it they are transported to haue their conuersation with God and speake to him in so familiar a manner that they know not those things which are beside them neyther see they those things which are before them being in the body they are caried out of the body they present to the Lord sighs which cannot be expressed and vtters to the Lord such words as they themselues are not able to repeat againe and that all this proceedes from the operation of the Spirit who bends vp their affections and teacheth them to pray is euident by this that when this holy Spirit intermits or relents his working in them they become senselesse and heauy harted more readie to sleepe with Peter Iames and Iohn than to watch Mat. 26. 38. and pray with Iesus yea suppose it were in the very houre of tentation Wee cry c. The Apostle you see reckons himselfe among The godly should cry together not one against an other others who cryes by this Spirit of Adoption though the children of God be many yet seeing they all are led by one spirit they should all cry for one thing vnto God the assemblies of the Church militant on earth should resemble as neere as they can the glorious assemblies of the Church triumphant in heauen many are they who followes the Lambe their voyce is like vnto the voyce of many waters yet they all sing but one song so should there be among vs that are Christians but one voyce specially when we meete in the publike assemblies of the Church though wee were Vnion of desires in prayer commended neuer so many yet our affections and desires should concur in one and all of vs send vp one voyce to the Lord. Wee see that in nature coniunction of things which are of one kinde makes them much stronger many flames of fire vnited in one are not easily quenched many springs of water if they meet together in one make the stronger riuer but being deuided are the more easily ouercome Saint Iames Iames 5. 16. saith the prayer of one righteous man auailes much if it be powred out in faith what then shall we thinke of the prayers of many Oh what a blessing might wee looke for if vvee could ioyne in
one to call vpon God but now alas where one with a contrite hart cryes to God for mercie how many by continuance in sinne cryes to him for iudgement what maruell then the arme of the Lord be shortned toward vs and he doe not help vs As they who resolue to lift any heauie burthen ioyne As many hands lift a burthen importable to one so their hands together vnder it and so by mutuall strength makes that easie to many which were impossible to one so when we are assembled together to lift from off our heads by vnfayned repentance that burthen of the wrath of God which our sinnes hath brought vpon vs if there be among vs no deceiuers but that euery man in the sinceritie of his heart ioyne his earnest supplication with the prayers of his brethren what a blessing may wee looke for Take heede therfore how you behaue your selues in the holy assemblies of the armes of God how you cry with your brethren if yee be deceiuers yee shall not be partakers of that blessing which shall come vpon them vvho worship him in spirit and truth where they shall goe home to their houses iustified and reioycing through the testimony of the spirit that their sinnes are forgiuen them ye shall go out as Cham went out of the Arke more prophane than yee came in with the curse of God vpon you because yee set not your hearts to seeke his blessing Neither is this vnion of our desires onely to be obserued Not in publike prayers onely but in priuate also is vnion in Prayer commended in our publike prayers but in our priuate also so our Sauiour taught vs to pray as remembring others with our selues Ouâ— Father and not my father onely to tell vs that in the armes of our affections wee should present our brethren to God with our selues We greatly offend the Lord when wee haue finished our prayers so soone as wee haue powred out some few petitions for our selues as if Gods glorie vvere to be aduanced in no other but in vs alonely If Abraham prayed for Sodome because he knew that Lot was in it shall we not pray for Ierusalem wherein are so many of his sonnes and daughters his Lots indeede and chosen inheritance Wee are now all in Christ made Priests to our God and Reu. 5. 2. 6. therefore as Aaron when hee went in before the Lord carried with him on his breast in twelue precious stones the names of the twelue tribes of Israel so are wee in our prayers to God to present in our hearts with our selues the rest of our brethren This is for them who forgets the fellowship vvhereunto They are bastard children who pray for themselues and not for Ierusalems peace they are called vvhile they professe themselues to be the daughters of Ierusalem and yet neglect to pray for her peace they declare themselues to be but bastard children Yet their negligence is tolerable in regard of the malice of others who make a iest with their mouthes at the diuisions of Reuben and with the prophane Edomite reioyces at the desolation of Israel they encrease with their speech the disease of the paralitique body of this Church but labours not to binde it vp by their prayers with cursed Cham they make a sport of the nakednesse of their father if they can see it but couers it not with blessed Sem therefore shall his blessing be far from them Wee cry Prayer is called a crying not in regard of the Praier why it is called a crying loudnesse of the outward voyce but earnestnesse of the inward affection It is true that in publike prayers hee who is the mouth of the rest should speake so that others may follow him and know vvherein they should say Amen neither is it vnlawfull in priuate Prayer circumstances of time and place permitting it yea rather the voice rightly and sincerely vsed is profitable to waken the affections to hold vp thy hands vvith Moses to lift vp thine eyes toward Exod. 17. Acts 7. Psal 108. Iudg. 5. God with Stephen to aduance thy voyce vvith Dauid if with these also thou ioyne thine heart as did Deborah this is to make a sweet and pleasant harmonie vnto the Lord. Yet none of these the last accepted is absolutely necessarie Vse of the tongue not absolutely necessary in prayer Exod. 14. 15. 1 Sam. 1. 12. 13. in Prayer Moses his tongue was silent at the red Sea for any thing we read yet his affection and desire vvas a loud crying voyce vnto God Anna in the Temple powred out her hart vnto God suppose Eli heard not her voice The Lord needes not the tongue to be an interpreter betweene him and the hearts of his Children he that heareth without eares can interpret the prayers of his own children vvithout their tongue Some prayes vvith their lips onely these are accursed deceiuers For the Lord knows the first conception of prayer in the heart Luke 1. let vs leaue that to hipocrites some praies both with heart and mouth and these doe vvell to glorifie God vvith both because hee hath redeemed them both others haue their tongues silenced and can speake no more then Zacharie when hee vvas stricken with dumbnesse yet are the desires of their hearts strong cryes in the eares of the Lord of hoasts hee that knew Ieremy and Iohn the Baptist in the wombe and saw Nathaniel vnder the figge-tree doth also know the prayers of his children conceiued in their hearts though they should neuer be brought forth by speach of the mouth and this for their comfort who through extremitie of sicknesse or otherwise are not able to vse their tongues in prayer to God Farther wee learne here that the Parent which begets The Parents of Prayer Prayer is the Spirit of Adoption the mother that conceiues it is the humble and contrite heart for no proud vncleane and hard heart can pray vnto God the wings whereby it The wings whereby praier ascends ascends are feruencie and an heauenly disposition feruency is noted in the word of Crying for as in crying there is an earnestnes of the powers of the body to send out the voice so in prayer should there be an earnestnesse of the powers of our soule to send vp our desires As incense without fire makes no smell and therefore the Lord commanded it to be sacrificed with fire in the Law so prayer without feruency sends vp no sweet smell vnto the Lord. Our heauenly disposition required in prayer is collected out of this that hee to whom wee speake is our Father in Heauen if our mindes be earthly we can haue no communing with him that is in heauen wee must therefore ascend in our affection enter within the vaile if wee would speake familiarly with our Father Prayer this manner of way sent vp and presented to our aduocate and intercessor the Lord Iesus out of the hand of Faith cannot but returne a fauourable answere if
confidence on GOD and here the creature is brought in teaching vs to become weary of our present seruitude of sinne and to long for our promised deliuerance This is that miserable estate whereunto man is brought How farre man by apostacie hath degenerated from his originall glory by his apostacie from God In the beginning man was made Lord and gouernour of all the creatures in one day he called them all before him and gaue them names according to their kindes as one who knew them better in their nature and vertue then they did themselues and they all by comming at his call to his Court acknowledged him vnder God their superiour and Lord this was a part of mans glory in the beginning but now falling away from God hee hath also so farre degenerated from his owne kind that he is become inferiour to the beasts as Balaam Asse was wiser then his maister so the creatures in their kind reprooue the foolishnes of man who was their Lord. Waiteth The word import a continuall act of expectation The waiting of the creature may make man ashamed that waites not for that glorie their expectation expecteth this earnest vvaiting of the creature may make vs ashamed of our blockish dulnes that haue not our mindes and hearts set continually vpon that day of our redemption notwithstanding that exhortation belongs vnto vs that wee should looke for that day and hast vnto it As the creatures were not made for themselues 1 Pet. 3. but for vs so they shal not be restored for themselues but for vs for the greater augmentation of our Glory and if they who shall haue but the second roome long for that day how should we long for it for whom that glory chiefly is prepared When the sonnes of God shall be reuealed The sonnes of The sonnes of God now are not reuealed God are now said not to be reuealed in two respects first because their persons are not reuealed secondly because the glory and dignity is not yet reuealed As for the persons In regard of their persons which now are not knowne of elect men it is true the Lord knoweth who are his and makes themselues also after their effectuall calling to know that they are his his Spirit bearing testimonie vnto their spirits that they are the sonnes of God he giues vnto them that new Name vvhich none knowes but they vvho haue it but now they are not so reuealed that they are knowne of the world For this cause the world knowes you not because Ioh. 15. 20. 22. it knowes not him The good wheate of the Lord is now so couered with chaffe and his excellent pearles are locked vp in earthen vessels the vessel is seene and contemned for the basenesse thereof the pearle is not seene and therefore not esteemed according to the excellencie thereof beside this there are many of the sonnes of God not yet come into the world and many already gone out of it whom vvee know not but in that generall assembly all the Saints of GOD shall be gathered together into one at the right hand of the Lord Iesus and shall be clearely manifested that the wicked their enemies shall know them and be confounded to behold them And of this ariseth a warning to vs all that none of vs This learnes vs not to despise other men because we know not what they are in Gods election despise another but that euen those who for the present are euill and contrary minded wee waite vpon them patiently proouing if at any time God vvill giue them repentance that they may come out of the snare of the Diuell The sons of God are not yet reuealed he that presently is an enemie in regard of his rebellious conuersation what knowest thou whether in the counsell of GOD hee be one of Gods chosen children or not and if hee be so thou maist be sure that ere hee dye the Lord shall conuert him if not of a persecuter to make him a Preacher as hee did Paul yet at least a Professour of that same truth which thou hast embraced Secondly not onely are the persons of Gods sonnes vnknowne but their glory also now is obscured and their life In regard of their glorie which now is obscured Col 3. 3. is hid with Christ they are accounted the off-scowrings of the earth and intreated in the world as if they were the onely men to whom shame and ignominie did appertaine yea their glory is not knowne vnto themselues euen those who haue receiued the new Name and the testimonie of the Spirit recording to them that they are the Sonnes of God when they looke to their contemptible bodies and abundant corruption in their soules they seeme vnto themselues to be nothing lesse than the sonnes of God I marke it that wee The sonnes of God shold not iudge of themselues by their present state may learne to beware of Sathans pollicie whereby he carrieth vs to iudge of our selues by our present estate which cannot but breed in vs horrible feare and doubtings To this craft let vs oppone that comfort of the Apostle dearely beloued 1 Iohn 3. now are we the Sonnes of God yet doth it not appeare what we shall be it is but the beginnings and not the perfection of grace and glory which we haue in this life by the beginnings let vs know that we are the sonnes of God and where we finde no perfection let vs not be discouraged remembring this is the time wherein the glory of the sonnes of God is not yet reuealed We are here againe further to consider that vvhere the Comfortable that where the Lord cals the rest of his works his creatures he calleth vs his sonnes Lord giues vnto the rest of his workes the name of a creature hee vouchsafes vpon vs the names of sonnes shewing vs that albeit in regard of creation we are his creatures and come vnder that same name with the rest of his works yet now in regard of his grace communicated vnto vs wee are much more than that which wee were by creation and in that respect more esteemed of by him then all the rest of his workes beside As a Father counteth much more of his sonne whom hee hath begotten than he doth of all other things he hath whatsoeuer so the Lord our God esteemes more pretious vnto him one of these his excellent ones whom he hath begotten in his beloued Sonne the Lord Iesus than he doth of all others besides For their sakes hee reprooues Kings hee alters the course of nature and turneth vp-side downe the state of things in the world yea he shall declare at length that they are his onely treasure from the time that once he gets them all gathered vnto him the administration of this world as now it is shall cease and take an end Oh that we could stirre vp our hearts to a thankfulnesse Our duty againe craues that in our heart wee
of vertue Ne quis sibi quasi innocens placeat cum Cyprian orat dom innocens nemo sit se extâ—llâ—ndo plus percat instruitur docetur peccare se quotidie dum quotidie pro peccatis iubetur orare that no man saith Cyprian should flatter himselfe as though he wer innocent when as indeed no man is innocent and so by extolling himselfe should perish so much the more he is instructed and taught that he sinnes daylie while as euery day he is commaunded to pray for remission of sinnes but this errour we shall God willing further improue hereafter In the meane time for our comfort let vs consider that Reasons why the Lord suffers sin to remaine in the iustified man Aug. in Ioan. tract 41. albeit the Lord when he iustified vs might haue vtterlie destroyed the life of this sinning sinne in vs yet for waighty causes hath he suffered some life thereof to abide in vs for a time the first is for the exercise of our faith Peccata quorum reatum Soluit Deus ne post hanc vitam obsint manere tamen voluit ad certamen fidei these sinnes saith Augustine 1 For the exercise of our Faith 2. Tim. 2. 5. the guiltinesse whereof God hath loosed that they should not hurt vs in the life to come he will haue to remaine for the exercise of our faith No man is crowned except he striue as he ought and therefore the Lord who hath prepared for vs a Crowne and hath put vpon vs his compleat armour hath also suffered some enemies to remaine against whom we may fight for the tryall of our faith patience and perseuerance euen as the Cananites were left in the Land that the Lord by them might proue the Israelits whether or not they would keepe the way of the Lord to walke in it Secondly some life of sinne is left in vs for our instruction that we may know the better how farre we are oblieged 2 For our instruction that we may know what benefite we haue by Christ to Gods mercy how excellent is that deliuerance which we haue by Iesus Christ Nulla quidem est condemnatio his qui sunt in Christo tamen ad humiliandos nos peccatuÌ„ adhuc patitur viuere in nobis grauiter nos affligere vt Bernard sentiamus quid gratia nobis praestet semper ad illius auxilium recurramus It is true indeed saith Bernard that there is no condemnation to them who are in Christ yet for our humiliation the Lord suffers sinne to liue in vs and oftentimes afflict vs that we may know the benefit wee haue by Grace and make our recourse for helpe vnto it continually And indeed except by experience we felt how powerfull sinne is of it selfe to ouer-rule vs wee could neuer haue knowne that vile bondage and seruitude of sinne vnder which we lay by nature nor that excellent Grace of Christ by which we haue gotten deliuerance And therefore so oft as we are troubled with our inhabitant corruption we are to consider that if the remanents of the old man breed in vs such strong and restlesse tentations how would it tyrannize ouer vs if it were liuing in the full vigour and strength thereof that so wee may praise and magnifie that sauing Grace of the Lord Iesus which hath freed vs from so intollerable a tyrannie Thirdly the Lord hath done this for his owne greater 3 For the greater glory of God and Sathans greater confusion glory like vnto those Victors in battaile who albeit they may yet will not put all their enemies to the edge of the sword some of them they take Captiues and reserues for a while aliue against the day of triumph to be put then to death to their greater shame and the greater honor of their Iosh 10. 23. Conquerors When Ioshua had discomfited those fiue Kings who made warre against Gibeon hee would not slay them in the battaile but enclosed them in a Caue that the battell being ended he might put them to death in sight of all his people and then for their further confirmation he caused his Captaines and chiefe men of warre to tread vpon the necks of those Kings to assure them that after the same manner the Lord should subdue all the rest of their enemies vnder them And so our Captaine and mighty conqueror the Lord Iesus hath by himselfe obtained vnto vs victorie ouer all our enemies those Kings which besieged Gibeon are turned to slight those inordinate affections which held vs Captiues before are now by his power captiued of vs they are closed vp within vs as in a Caue where they remaine with some life but restrained of their former libertie and power and we rest assured that when the battaile shall be finished our Lord Iesus shall altogether spoyle them of their life The God of peace shall shortly tread Sathan vnder Rom. 16. 20. our feete Then Goliah being ouercome his Armie of the Philistines shall flie and no inordinate desire shall be left within vs. Thus we see how the Lord permits his enemie to liue and will not fully torment him before the time it is not because he wants power to subdue him sed vt â—o magis Ciril Catech. 8. confundatur but that so much the more he may confound him When as all the warriours of God as well those who are to come in the last age of the world as those who were in the fore-front of the battaile haue foughten against him and ouercome him then shall the Loâ—d Iesus put all his 1. Cor. 15. 25. enemies vnder his feet Yea euen now in the very time of the conflict is Sathan wonderfully confounded in this that How Sathan is daily confounded in the godly notwithstanding the Serpent keepe his sting yet there is no deadly power in it This vncircumcised Goliah hath that same sword in his hand by which he hath slaine many one the Lord permits him also to strike the Christian man therwith but he sees himselfe it is in vaine O how doth he returne ashamed and confounded when hauing gotten leaue to shoot out his sting and to strike with his accustomed sword of sinne those whom he hateth vnto death he perceiues that for all he can doe there remaines in them a seed of life which cannot be destroyed But that the greatnesse of this benefite which wee haue Christians are not exempted from the condemnatory sentence of men by Iesus Christ may the better appeare let vs see what a condemnation this is from which we are deliuered In the Scriptures there is ascribed to man a iudging by which he absolueth or condemneth there is also ascribed to God a iudging by which hee absolueth or condemneth As for mans condemnation we are not exempted from it Daniel condemned for a Rebell Ioseph condemned for an Adulterer Ioâ— condemned of his friends for an Hypocrit our Sauiour condemned for an Enemie to Câ—sar his
houre of death wee heare that ioyfull sentence Come to me thou Mat. 25. 21. faithfull seruant c. This night thou shalt be with mee in paradise Marke 23. 43. Math. 25. 34. Come and inherit the kingdome prepared for you Till then our peace is not alway without perturbation our ioy Yet our peace and ioy are not perfect in this life and why not without heauinesse nor our confidence without feare yea in our best estate we liue vnder expectation of a better For the iudgement of conscience suppose it be diuine yet it is not supreme nor absolutely perfect because the light we haue to informe conscience is but in part If thy conscience be euill and accuse thee it cannot accuse thee of all the euill which is in thee for if our conscience condemne vs 1. Iohn 3. 20. God is greater then our conscience and will much more condemne Deus scit in nobis quâ—d ipsi nes 〈…〉 s. God knoweth Aug. in Ioan. tract 42. that in vs which we know not our selues And if thy conscience be good and excuse thee yet can it not beare record of all the good which God by the Spirit of Grace hath wrought in thee And therefore for our comfort may wee turne that sentence if our conscience excuse vs God is greater then our conscience and will much more excuse vs. And hereof it commeth that our conscience can neither haue perfect nor perpetuall rest in this life because as is said it dependeth and looketh alwayes for that supreme and absolutory sentence of the highest Iudicator yet so much assurance haue wee and that vpon most certaine grounds whereof we will speake God willing hereafter as makes vs in our greatest tribulations to reioyce vnder the hope of the glorie of God And herein hath the Lord magnified his meruailous mercyes towards vs in that he hath not onely set vs free A great comfort that the Christian knowes before hand the sentence to be pronounced vpon him from condemnation but hath also forewarned vs before we come to iudgement that we shall not be condemned Yea so tender a regard hath the Lord of vs that in his last and supreame Court sentence of absolution shall first be pronounced vpon his children before that sentence of coÌ„demnation be giuen out against the reprobate that the Godly finding themselues in surety should not be discouraged to heare the fearfull reiection of the wicked Let vs not therefore be afraid when so it shall please the Lord to remoue vs out of this earthly Tabernacle seeing that before euer wee goe we know our sentence Pharaoh his Butler was not afraid Gen. 40 13. to goe before his Iudge because Ioseph foretold him that hee should be restored to his office and may not we with greater boldnesse goe before our King seeing we are fore-warned that he will restore vs vnto a more happy estate then that which we lost in Adam This we haue spoken of the glorious deliuerance which But how glorious this deliuerance â—s wee shall best know when we shall be set on mount Sion the iustified man hath in Iesus Christ our best knowledge is but in a part and we are not able to speake of these mercies of our God according to their excellencie The Lord is able to doe vnto vs aboue all that we can aske or thinke The Christian may looke for much more to be giuen him through Christ then any thing that euer he heard or hath conceiued in his owne minde When Lot was compelled to Gen. 14. goe out of Sodome by the Angels he considered not how mercifull the Lord was vnto him and therefore lingred and prolonged the time but being thrust out of Sodome by the Angell and set vpon the mountaine which the Lord had assigned to him for a place of refuge vnto him then no doubt considering the greatnesse of that iudgement which the Lord had executed vpon Sodome the smoke whereof we may well thinke he saw with Abraham the next morne mounting vp like the smoke of a Furnace then no doubt hee was moued in his heart to magnifie the Lords mercie toward him and if in Zoar where he was still in feare hee acknowledged that his life had beene precious in their eies who were sent to deliuer him much more may wee thinke hee was thankfull at the first on the mountaine when he saw their fearefull confusion and his meruailous preseruation It is euen so with vs wee are yet in Sodome which shortly will be burnt vp with fire the Lord doth daily send his Angels to vs warning vs to escape for our life but alas we prolong the time we delay to turne to the Lord loath we are to goe out of Sodome and all because wee know not with the Apostle the terrour of that day but surely when 2 Cor. 5. Reue. 11. the Lord shall set vs on mount Sion among those thousands which follow the Lambe and we shall see the smoake of the damned ascending continually when we shall stand at the right hand of the Lord Iesus and shall heare that fearefull sentence pronounced on the wicked and see the speedie and terrible execution thereof the earth opening incontinent to swallow them then shall we perfectly know how greatly the Lord hath magnified his mercies towards vs in deliuering vs from so fearefull a condemnation Last of all as this is the happy estate of them who are in How miserable are they who are not in Christ Christ that now there is no condemnation for them so is it the contrary miserable estate of the damned doe what they will euery action of their life makes out the processe of their most iust condemnation for to the vncleane all things are vncleane yea euen their consciences are defiled and Tit. 1. their prayer is abhominable and turned into sin but thanks be to God through Iesus Christ who hath deliuered vs from this most vnhappy condition To them who are in Christ. Albeit the former mentioned Deliuerance by Christ pertains not vnto all men onely to them who are of the houshold of Faith deliuerance from the wrath to come be most comfortable yet this which is subioyned should waken euery man to take heed vnto himselfe when we heare that this deliuerance is limited and restrained onely to them who are in Christ It is true that by the offence of one man the fault came on all to condemnation but by the obedience of one all are not made righteous only they who receiue the abundance Rom. 5. of grace and gift of righteousnesse shall raigne in life through one Iesus Christ As therefore we haue receiued within our selues by nature the sentence of death knowing that we are borne heires of the wrath of God by disobedience so wisedome craues that we neuer rest nor suffer our eyes to sleepe nor our eye-lids to slumber but that wee should recount our former sinnes in the bitternes of our heart and
water our couch with teares in the night and call vpon the Lord without ceasing in the day continually vntill we find that we are translated from darknesse to light taken out of nature and planted in Christ and that first sentence of absolution be pronounced to our conscience by the spirit of adoption goe thy way thy sinnes are for giuen thee For the Math. 9. 2. Apostle vseth here this limitation of the comfort to certaine persons thereby to declare that it appertaines not vnto the remnant of the world When the originall world was As none were saued without the Arke the family of Lot and house of Rahab Gen. 7. 33. Gen. 19. 16. Iosh 2. ouerwhelmed with waters none were saued but such as were in the Arke when Sodome was burnt with fire none were saued but those of the family of Lot when Iericho was destroyed none were preserued but such as were in the Family of Rahab all these are figures shadowing vnto vs that when the Lord shall come to cut downe the wicked with the sword or hooke of his iustice to cast them for euer into the wine-presse of his wrath saluation shall belong onely to those who are of the houshold of faith euen that whole family whereof God in Iesus Christ is the Father which number is indeede exceeding small if they be compared with the remnant and great multitude of the world therefore let not their euill example deceiue vs but remembring the kingdome of heauen suffers violence let vs cast away these Mat. 11. 12. Heb. 12. 2. burdens and impediments specially this sinne which hangeth so fast on that wee may enter in time into the Arke of GOD and Familie of Rahab that so wee may be saued Wee haue here then first to obserue a certaine distinction A threefold distinction of mankinde of mankinde whereof some are in Christ these are vessels of honour reserued to mercy others out of Christ and these are vessels of dishonour ordained vnto wrath This 1 Made in God his eternall counsaile distinction is first made in God his secret counsell electing some and leauing others according to the good pleasure of his will and this is onely knowne vnto himselfe It begins 2 Made in this life by effectual calling of those who are chosen Reuel 3. 12. first to be manifest when the Lord by effectuall calling seperates his Elect from the children of wrath and disobedience and then it is knowne but properly and truly of those onely who are effectually called for that new name which the Lord giueth none knowes but they who haue receiued it By the iudgement of charity confirmed by the seene effects of grace in another thou maist conclude that hee is called but by assurance of Faith thou maist onely be certaine of thine owne particular saluation But this distinction 3 Shall be made most manifest in the day of generall iudgement shall be most clearely manifested in the last day when the Lord shall gather all the children of his good will together at the right hand of Iesus Christ then shall hee declare vnto all the world who they are that are his the wicked shall see the righteous and be vexed with horrible feare when they shall see that such as they had in derision haue their portion among the Saints Let it not therefore be sufficient vnto vs that out of the generall masse of mankind we are gathered to the fellowship of the Church visible but let vs examine how we are in the barne sloore of the Lord Iesus whether as chaffe or corne for a day of winnowing will assuredly come wherein the Lord shall gather his good corne into his garner and the chaffe shall be cast out into vnquenchable fire It is againe to be marked that the Apostle hauing found If wee seeke comfort of deliuerance from the wrath to come we must goe out of our selues and seeke it in Christ in himselfe matter of death which he humbly confessed in the end of the last Chapter doth now goe out of himselfe and rest in Iesus Christ before hee can finde any comfort through deliuerance from death teaching vs that if wee seeke comfort wee must goe out of our selues and seeke it in Christ Surely a great cause of these manifold doubtings feares and vnquietnesse of mind wherewith the godly are often troubled is that they seeke in themselues grounds and warrants of their saluation as though the Lord could not saue them vnlesse there be in them such a disposition as in euery point should be This is one of Sathans subtile stratagems to draw thee from Christ and make thee to rest vpon thy selfe if once he obtaine this at thy hands thou suffer that Serpent to creepe in between thee and thy surety and diuert thy heart from reposing stedfastly vpon Christ that not content to seeke supplement of thy wants in him thou seeke perfection in thy selfe it shall be an easie thing vnto thy aduersarie to disquiet thee and shake thee too and fro like a reede shaken with the winde with distrustfull cogitations I confesse indeede it is most needfull vnto saluation that Yet wee must finde in our selues infallible markes of Saluation thou finde in thy selfe the infallible signes and tokens of thy effectual calling and ingrafting into Christ but to think that because thou findest them not in perfection or findest beside them a remanent sinfull corruption of thy nature that therefore thou canst not be saued is as much as to thinke thou canst not be saued vnlesse thou be thine owne Sauiour Learne therefore from the holy Apostle that how euer in thy selfe thou be worthie to dye yet giue this glory to Iesus Christ that he is thy Sauiour be strong in him keepe thy consideration and confidence vpon him If Sathan charge thee with thy sinnes flye thou to Christs merits if hee obiect to thee thine euill actions remember thou Christs innocent sufferings and for euery thing wherwith he can charge thee goe thou to Iesus thy aduocate to be answerable for thee So did Bernard who in the houre A notable cōfort arising of Christs twofold right to the kingdome of his death being presented as hee thought before the Lords tribunall and sharply accused by his aduersarie for his sinnes he goes out of himselfe and runnes to Christ I graunt indeede sayes he that as thou obiectest vnto me I am vnworthie and by no deedes of mine can I merit eternall life yet I know the Lord Iesus hath a double right to the kingdome of heauen one by heritage and another by conquest the first is sufficient for himselfe the second for me ex cuius dono iure illud mihi vendicans non confundor Bernard And indeede except it had beene to giue it to poore penitent and beleeuing sinners what needed our blessed Sauiour to haue conquered that kingdome which was his owne before by heritage Thus are we onely sure when we cast the anchor of our
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
consider what thou hopest to be after this 2 What we hope to be after this life life dost thou not hope to raigne as a King in the heauens and wilt thou now liue as a slaue to Sathan vpon earth Is any man crowned except he sâ—riue as he ought or doth he receiue the prize who runnes not the race or can hee obtaine the victorie who neuer wrestled why then fightest thou not why runnest thou not why beginnest thou not to raigne in earth as a king ouer thy lusts seeing thou hopest to raigne as a king in heauen in glory Doe not deceiue thy selfe that crowne is for conquerours not for captiues Non sperare potest regnum coelorum cui supra propria membra regnare Ber. de persecutione sustineÌ„da cap. 11. 1. Iohn 3. 2. non donatur hee cannot looke for that heauenly kingdome to whom it is not giuen to raigne ouer his own earthly members Wee know that when Iesus shall appeare we shall be like him for wee shall see him as hee is and hee that hath this hope in himselfe purgeth himselfe euen as hee is pâ—re Certainly if the Lord through Grace prepare thee not for his Heauenly Kingdome thou canst neuer say with a warrant that the Lord hath prepared that kingdome for thee And thirdly the consideration of the present occasion 3 What presently we may be should waken vs to goe out of this house of bondage for now the Sonne of God offers to make vs free a Prince of greater power is content to enter into confederacie with vs hee promiseth to restore vs to all the priuiledges wee lost in Adam yea to giue vs much more than euer we had in him and shall we neglect so faire an occasion When Cyrus king of Persia proclaymed liberty to the Iewes to goe from Babell the place of their captiuitie homeward to Ierusalem it is said that all those went forward whose spirit God had raised vp and now when the Lords annoynted proclaymes liberty to the captiues and the opening of the door to them that are in prison I know that none shall follow his calling but such whose spirit the Lord hath raised vp the rest being miserably blind delight to lye still in captiuitie thinking their bondage liberty The Lord giue vs grace that we may discerne the time of our visitation that with Dauid we may aduance our eyes toward the Lord who hath begunne to plucke our feet out of the nâ—t and that still we may lift vp and stretch out our hands vnto him till hee haue deliuered vs fully from the power of the enemie This being spoken of the bondage we are now to consider Our deliuerance from this bondage is to be ascribed vnto Christ only Heb. 13. 9. Reuel 7. 1â— Isai 42. 8. that our deliuerance from it is here ascribed to Iesus Christ Thy perdition is of thy selfe O Israell But our saluation belongs to the Lord and to the Lambe that sits vpon the throne Let no man therefore be so vnthankfull as to ascribe any part of this glory to another my glory will I not giue to another saith the Lord the glory of a temporall deliuerance God will not giue it vnto man hee would not saue Israell vnder Gideon with thirtie two thousand and why least Israell should vaunt against the Lord and say my right hand hath done it Or euer he entred his people Israell into the land of Canaan he forewarned them that they should not say it was for their righteousnesse and will hee then thinke yee giue the praise of this most notable deliuerance to the Creature No the whole booke of God witnesseth that it is not for our righteousnesse but for the praise of the glory of his rich mercie that we are entred into heauenly Canaan Did Peter Iames and Iohn helpe the Lord Iesus in that agonie which he suffered in the garden no surely be bad them watch with him and pray but when hee was sweating blood they were sleeping when he was buffeted in Caiphas hall did not Peter deny him when he went to the Crosse did not all his disciples forsake him and those who loued him most dearely did they not stand a farre off from him Certainely he alone troad the wine-presse of the wrath of God he alone bare the punishment of our sinnes in his blessed body on the Crosse to him therfore alone pertayneth the glory of our saluation As for the persons to whom this deliuerance pertaines Mercies of god shewed vpon others should confirme vs if we repent to looke for the like to our selues the Apostle names himselfe among them hath freed vs not to exclude but rather to confirme all others who are in Iesus Christ For he confesses of himselfe that he was receiued to mercy for this end that God might shew vpon him an example of long suffering to them who shall in time to come beleeue in him vnto eternall life therefore it is that hee speakes of this deliuerance in his owne person for the confirmation 2. Tim. 1. 16. of others who hauing beene before as hee was notorious sinners are now become such as repents and beleeues And indeed euery example of GODS mercy shewed vnto others should serue to strengthen vs. Audientâ—s Christum non horruisse confitentem latronem c. when we Bernard heare sayth Bernard that the Lord Iesus abhorred not the penitent Theefe on the Crosse that hee despised not the sinfull Cananitish woman when she made supplication nor the woman taken in Adulterie nor him that sat at the receipt of Custome nor the Publicane when hee sought mercie nor the Disciple that denyed him neither yet the persecuter of his Disciples in odore horum vnguentorum â—urramus post cum in the sweet smell of these oyntments let vs runne after him Alwaies we see that the Apostle doth speake vnto others Preachers not pertakers of that mercy which they of a deliuerance obtayned by Christ as being also pertaker thereof himselfe As he was a Preacher of Christ so he was a follower of Christ he beate downe his body by discipline least that preaching vnto others hee should haue beene a pronounce to others are most miserable reprobate himselfe and therfore he now speaks as one who is sure that hee also hath his portion in Christ Otherwise what comfort can it be either to Preacher or professor to speake of that life and grace which commeth by Christ Iesus they themselues in the meane time being like to that miserable Atheist Simon Magus to whom Peter gaue out that fearefull sentence thou hast neither part nor fellowship in Acts. 8. 21. this businesse or like those Priests in Ierusalem in the dayes of Herod who directed others to Bethleem by the light of the word to worship Christ but went not themselues or those builders of Noahs Arke who helped to build a vessel for preseruation of others but perished in the deluge themselues or like Bilhah and Zilpah who brought
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
of the christian carnall man appeares their different kindes shall appeare the more clearely if yee compare the affections words and actions of the one with the other And first to begin at the vnderstanding it is certaine 1 In their vnderstanding that the naturall man vnderstands not those things which are of God Let Iesus Christ speake to naturall Nicodemus of regeneration and Nicodemus shall conceiue that Iohn 3. 4. he speakes of a naturall generation Let Paul speake before Agrippa of the heauenly vision and Festus shall count him Act. 26. 24. Gen. 19. a foole Let Loâ— speake to his Sonnes in Law of the iudgement to come vpon Sodome and they shall esteeme him as a mocker thus Naturalists can neyther vnderstand the words of mercy nor iudgement to be allured with the one or terrified with the other for he minds only earthly things but as for the spirituall man he hath receiued that new mind whereby he knowes him that is the true one he is indued 1. Iohn 5. 20. with new senses whereby he perceiues things which are excellent Aug. de verb. Apost ser 17. habet enim oculos interiâ—res quibus videt iustitiae lumen he hath those naturall eyes whereby he seeth the light of righteousnesse And if from the vnderstanding we proceed to the affections 2 In their affections whereupon can the naturall man set his affections but vpon those things which his vnderstanding commends for good for euery man hath his heart enclined to that which according to his knowledge he thinkes best for himselfe The Gadarens will prefer their Swine before Christ and naturalists Math. 8. make more of their smallest earthly commodities than of those things which are aboue at the right hand of God but the Christian accounts the testimonies of the Lord sweeter vnto him then al the treasures of the worldlings he findes more ioy in the lightsome countenance of God then in all aboundance of Wheat Wine the best things of this earth he accounts but doung the pleasures of the world are loathsome vnto him her glory is despised in his eyes habet Aug. ibid. enim olfactum interius de quo dixit Apostolus Christi bonus odor sumus Deo in omni loco estque verbum illi odor vitae ad vitam for he hath that internall sense of smelling whereof the Apostle speakes we are vnto God the sweet sauour of 2. Cor. 5. 15. Christ in euery place this makes the word of God vnto him the sweet fauour of life vnto life habet etiam gustatum interius quo nouit gustare vidâ—re quam suauis sit Dominus and he hath also that interior sense of tasting whereby he can tast and consider how gracious the Lord is Now touching their language it is also framed according 3 In their speaking Iohn 3. 31. to their vnderstanding and affections for out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh he that is of the earth is earthly and speaketh earthly things but the spirituall man hath learned from his Lord to speake of those things which appertaine to the kingdome of God and delights with Act. 1. 3. Psal Iudg. 12. Dauid to tell what God hath done vnto his Soule As the Ephraemites by their tongue were knowne from the Gileadites so the language of men ordinarily tels what countrie men they are whether Burgesses of Babell or of the heauenly Ierusalem Speculum mentis plerunque in sermone refulget Ambr. offic lib. 1. cap. 18. Cyp. lib. 1. epist 3. The speach saith Ambrose is commonly a glasse wherein the minde is represented De â—re verbis suis vnâ—squisque proditur vâ—rum Christum in corde suo an Antichistum habeat loquendo detegitur euery mans speach saith Cyprian doth soone bewray what he is and by his speach is discouered whether he haue Christ or Antichrist in his heart Qui in Christum credunt linguis loquuntur nouis vetera Ber. in ascen dom de Euan lectione ser 1. recesserunt de ore eorum they who beleeue in Christ speake with new tongues old things are departed out of their mouths The same is to be said in like manner of their hearing 4 In their hearing for the Christian delights to heare of those things whereof he delights to speake It is a paine to him to heare prophane language which to a carnall man is a pastime hee that is godly like Lot his soule is vexed when he heares a Sodomite speake To a godly man saith Iob the eate is the taster Iob. 12. 11. of the soule as the mouth tastes meate for the bellie and sends none downe into it but that which is approoued so the â—are of the wise tastes words and delights in no speach but that which is poudered and good for edifying It is a very godly saying of Augustine spirituales nec tormentis Aug. de temp Ser. 54. separantur à Christo carnales vero etiam otiosis fabulis separantur no torments can separate spirituall men from the loue remembrance and meditation of Christ but carnall men forgoe the remembrance and meditation of Christ for idle and vnprofitable fables And lastly as concerning their actions the naturall man 5 In their doing hath no pleasure in spirituall exercises of diuine worship set him to any other worke he doth it with some dexteritie and cheerefulnesse but bring him to a spirituall work there he faints and languishes it is a wearinesse vnto him to heare the word of God in euery spirituall exercise he is like a creature out of the owne element which hath no contentment whereas the Christian by the contrary loues the word of God more than his appointed food and delights most in those exercises which are meetest to edifie him in Christ Thus the spirituall man hath a mind to know Christ his affections set vpon Christ his talke is of Christ his actions are toward Christ and Christ in the end shall he enioy to his euerlasting comfort Verse 6. For the wisedome of the flesh is death but the wisedome of the spirit is life and peace THE Apostle hauing set downe the contrarie The miserable estate of them who walke after the flesh described dispositions of the Carnall and Christian man doth now shortly describe the miserie of the one and happinesse of the other The carnall man hath not onely his will and affections set vpon euill but also that which is best in him his wisdome and vnderstanding are so farre peruerted that it yeelds vnto him no fruit but death In the soule of man are two chiefe faculties the Vnderstanding and the Will The vnderstanding should be the gouernour and directer of the Counsels and actions of man the Will should be the follower accomplisher and executer thereof but now is mans nature so corrupted that either reason which should rule is ouer ruled by the wil or at least the crooked is led by the blind
Christ called the wisedome of the Spirit because it is reformed and of new created by the Spirit who hath made vs that were darknesse before now to be light in the Lord. The effects of this wisedome are life and peace such as naturall men neither know nor haue they cannot know them Though the most spirituall and powerfull Teacher should The vnhappy estate of them who walke after the flesh described discourse to a naturall man of that life and peace yet should he not be able to conceiue it for as in nature those things which are discerned by tast cannot be knowne vnlesse they be tasted so it is not possible that the value of spirituall things can be discerned of him who hath no spiritual senses Basil exhort ad Baptiâ— The life of carnall men is but death quod sensus omni sermone sit essicatior What then shall we thinke they haue no life who haue not this wisedome of the Spirit none indeed for that life which they liue the holy Spirit calleth it a death Though a naturall man should liue Methushalems yeares a quiet and Iob 21 9. Psal 73. 5. â— Tim. 5. 6. Eph. 4. 18. peaceable life without feare though the rod of God come not neere him And he be not in trouble as other men yet while he liues in pleasures he is but dead A stranger from the life of God through the ignorance that is in him Yea no carkasse of flesh from which the life is departed is so abhominable in the eyes of man as is that Soule in the eyes of God which is not quickned by his spirit And beside this so silly a thing is the life of man in it selfe that viuendo decrescit by liuing August de temp ser 24 5 it weares away and when it continueth longest non vita longa sed long aaegritudo est yet it is not a long life but a long lingring disease while we seeke to entertaine it by daily nourishment quotidianis medicamentis fulcimus morbum nostrum we doe no other thing but strengthen our disease by daily medicaments let vs therefore become wearie of it in time and seeke our life in Christ then begin we to liue when we are quickned by his spirit vnto immortalitie till then we haue neither life nor health And as for the other effect of this wisedome which is Carnall men haue not the peace of God Esay 57. 21. peace they haue it not who are not in Christ There is no peace to the wicked saith my God a meek quiet and peaceable Spirit they haue not As the waues of the Sea are stirred with euery winde so are their mindes perturbed through the tumultuous desire of their variable affections And as for peace of Conscience which ariseth of the sense of Gods mercy towards vs in Christ how can they haue it whose life is a continuance in inimitie with God for righteousnesse and Psal 85. peace doe kisse one another where there is no righteousnesse how can there be peace Pax est haereditas Christianorum August de temp scr 200 peace is the heritage of Christians The wicked haue their owne carnall securitie they blesse themselues in their heart when the word of the Lord doth curse them but the false conclusions of peace safety which they haue laid in their owne hearts shall not preserue them from that sodaine destruction which as trauaile vpon a woman with childe shall come vpon them their securitie is like the securitie of Ionas who slept most soundly when he had most cause to Their securitie is like the securitie of Ionas watch and pray for the Lord was pursuing him as a fugitiue seruant the officers of God gathered about him to lay hands on him the windes commoued against him the raging waues of the Sea refusing all other satisfaction offered by the Marriners rolled with violence about the Barke wherein hee was determining not to rest till they apprehend him all his companions were afraid and compelled to cry euery man to his God onely Ionas was sleeping What thinke yee was this true peace no indeed but false securitie It fareth euen so with the wicked the Lord stands offended with them the heauens aboue closed vpon them hell beneath opened to receiue them Sathan the deuouring Lyon hungring for them waiting when they shall be giuen him for a pray but they are eating drinking making merry in the depth of a dead Conscience but certainely their securitie will end in a fearefull wakening they shall be taken out of their bed of ease wherein they lye and shall be cast into that bottomlesse deepe of the wrath of God wherein their worme shall neuer dye and their fire shall neuer be quenched But to leaue them and returne to the Christian it may A Christian hath peace with God and himselfe his brethren but not perfect in this life be demaunded how is he pertaker of peace whose crosses are so continuall as his who more exercised with inward terrours then hee Is not his battell without intermission where then is his peace To this I answere wee haue indeed peace with God with our selues and our Christian brethren but our peace is not perfect Pax nostra ex disiderio Greg. moral in lob lib. 6. creatâ—râ—s inchoatur ex manifesta autem visione persicitur a begun peace wee haue arising of that feruent desire wee haue towards our God but it is the manifest vision and cleare sight of God that must perfect it we attaine to the beginnings of this peace cum mentem Deo mâ—nti carnem subiâ—gamus when we subdue the minde to God and the flesh to the minde but it cannot be perfect quamdiu mens ignoratione caecatur carnis suae impugnatione concutitur so long as the minde is darkned with ignorance and disquieted with the assaults of the flesh And to the same purpose saith Augustine Est nobis pax aliqua quia condelâ—ctamur Aug. in Ioan. tract 77. Legi Dei secundum interiorem hominem sed non plena quia videmus aliam legem in membris nostris repugnaâ—em legi mentis nostrae wee haue some peace within our selues when we finde that our inward man delights in the Law of God but it is no perfect peace because we see another Law in our members rebelling against the law of our minde neither can our peace with our brethren here be perfect cogitationes Ibidem cordis nostri inuicem non videmus quaedam de nobis quae non sunt in nobis vel in melius inâ—â—cem vel in deterius opinamur thus haue we a peace but not perfect not without interruption Yet our comfort stands that how euer our peace be interrupted Inward outward troubles may interrupt our peace but cannot take it away by outward troubles and inward terrours of conscience yet it cannot be taken from vs. Albeit no trouble for the present be sweet yet it worketh in
vs but that we haue by nature our estate were most miserable but seeing beside nature there is in vs a new workmanship of grace from the which the Lord accounts vs new spirituall men we haue thanks be to God matter of comfort As Sathan is a lyer in denying the name of spirituall men Papists will haue none called spirituall men but their Cleargie to men regenerate so his supposts aduersaries of the truth of Christ are lying deceiuers and vniust robbers when they restraine this name to such as are of their Cleargie which here the Apostle makes competent to euery man in whom the spirit of Christ dwelleth Spiritualâ—m non facit vestis locus Ferus â—fficium opus sed Spiritus it is neither garment sayes one of their owne nor place nor office nor externall worke that makes a man spirituall but the holy Spirit dwelling in him Because the Spirit of God dwels in you Hee subioynes The spirit of God where he dwels works wher he works he workes not in vaine therefore they cannot but be spiritual in whom he dwels here the confirmation of his former comfort he hath said vnto them yee are not in the flesh he proues it the Spirit of God dwels in you therefore yee are not in the flesh nor carnall but spirituall The necessity of the consequence depends vpon this middest that the spirit of God where he dwels is not idle but works where he works he works not in vaine but effectuates that which he intends he transformes them in whom he dwels into the similitude of his owne Image he is compared to fire that giues light euen to them who are farre of and heate to them who are neere hand but transchangeth those things into the nature of fire which are cast into it with so meruailous a vertue that yron which is colde by nature being put into the fire becomes hot and burning so doth that holy Spirit illuminate euery one who comes into the world but he changeth all those in whom he dwelleth he transformeth them into his owne similitude and endueth them with an holy and heauenly disposition then his argument is sure the Spirit of God dwelleth in you therefore yee are not carnall but spirituall In the end of the last Chapter the Apostle said that Strange that two guests of so contrary natures as sinne and the holy spirit should dwell in one man Rom. 7. 17. The soule of man regenerate compared to the house of Abraham sinne dwelleth in the man regenerate it is not I but sinne that dwelleth in me and here he sayes that the spirit of God dwelleth in the man regenerate this is strange that two guests of so contrary natures should both at one time haue their dwelling in man I compare the soule of man regenerate to the house of Abraham wherein there was both a free woman Sarah and a bond woman Hagar with their children Ismael the sonne of the bond woman borne after the flesh is older and stronger then Isaac the sonne of the free woman borne after the spirit that is according to the promise hee disdaines little Isaac as weaker and persecutes him yet the comfort of Isaac is that though Ismaell dwell in the house of Abraham for a while hee shall not remaine the sonne of the bond woman shall be cast out and shall not inherit the promise with the sonne of the free woman such a house is the soule of a Christian there dwelleth in it at one time both old nature and new grace with their children the olde man at the first being older and stronger than the new man doth persecute him and seekes by all meanes to oppresse him but at the last he shall be cast out This Metaphor of dwelling doth also yeeld vnto vs exceeding Meruailous that the inhabiter is larger than the habitation great comfort in all other habitations the lodging is larger than the inhabiter but this is meruailous that the lodging here is so little and the inhabiter so great that infinite maiestie whom the heauen of heauens cannot contain who hath the heauen for his throne and the earth for his footestoole hath chosen for his dwelling and place of rest the soule of him that is poore contrite and trembles at his word A wonderfull mercy that the highest maiestie should so farre dimit the selfe as that passing by all his other creatures hee should make choyse of man to be his pleasant sanctuarie From this it is euident that this dwelling doth designe The speâ—iall glory of a Christian is that God dwels in him some speciall presence of God with his own children which he shewes not vnto others it is true he is present in euery place bounded within no place he containes all things vncontayned of any where he dwelleth not as a Father there hee sits as a Iudge and is a terrour which manner of way the damned are continually vexed with his presence but in the Christian he dwels as a maister in his owne family as a Father with his children quickning ruling and preseruing them and prouiding for them Worldings may match Worldlings may exceede him in worldly gifts but cannot match him in this the Christian in externall gifts but cannot compare with him in this internall glory though without hee be but an earthen vessell yet hath he within an heauenly treasure for he is the habitation of God in whom the Lord dwels by his spirit It was Beniamin his glory that the Lord should dwell betweene his shoulders and the glory of Ierusalem Deut. 33. 12. that there the Lord dwelt betweene the Cherubins but most of all the glory of a Christian that the Lord dwelleth betweene the secrets of his soule let worldlings reioyce in their outward priuiledges and in their presumptuous minds leape like the mighty mountaines esteeming themselues high as mount Basan yet this is the glory of a Christian that God delights to dwell in him Let vs therfore make much of them who feare the Lord They should be honoured in whom Christ dwels Dan. 6. though in regard of their outward estate they were neuer so base we should not be ashamed to doe them honour for his sake who dwelleth in them Darius preferred Daniel because the spirit was excellent in him and Pharaoh honoured Gen. 41. 42. Ioseph because the Spirit of God was in him yea the Angels are content to be Seruants and Ministers to them who feare the Lord they honoured Shepheards for Christs sake with their presence which they did not vnto King Herod for all his glory and shall not wee delight in Gods excellent ones vpon earth surely he shall dwell in the Tabernacle of God in Psal 15. whose eyes a vile person is contemned but hee honoureth them who feare the Lord. Hereby we know that wee are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren Not onely doth this Metaphor of dwelling import a familiar The Metaphor
resurrection which for the same cause is called by our Sauiour the day of regeneration for then shall hee change our mortall bodies and make them like vnto his owne glorious body thus by his dwelling in vs haue we the reparation both of our soules and bodies The other benefit we enioy by his dwelling in vs is the 2 He prouides all necessaries where hee dwels Iren. cont val lib. 4. cap. 28. benefit of Prouision where he comes to dwell hee is not burdenable after the manner of earthly Kings but his reward is with him for he hath not chosen vs to be his â—aâ—itation for any neede he hath of vs sed vt haberet in quem collocaret â—ua beneficia but that he might haue some on whom to bestow his benefits non indigeâ— nostrâ— ministerio vt domini seruorum sed sequimur ipâ—um vt homines lumen sequuntar nihil ipsi praestantes sed beneficium a lumine accipientes hee hath no need of our seruice as other Lords haue neede of their seruants but we follow him as men follow the light giuing nothing to it but receiuing a benefit from it It falles commonly out that where men of meane estate Not like kings of the earth who oft times are burdenable to them with whom they lodge Aug. de verb. Apost ser 15. receiue to lodge those that are more honourable they disease themselues to ease their guests but if thou receiue this rich spirit of the Lord to lodge non angustabâ—ris sed dilataberis thou shalt not be straited but shalt be enlarged saith Augustine he knew the comfort hee reaped by this presence of GOD and therefore could speake the better thereof vnto others quando hic non eras angustias patiebar nunc implesti cellam meam non me exclusisti sed angustiam meam when thou Lord dwelst not in me much anguish of minde oppressed me now thou hast filled the cellers of my heart thou hast not excluded me but excluded that anguish which troubled me In a word the benefits wee receiue by him doe not onely concerne this life but are stretched out also to eternall life Dauid comprises all in a short summe the Lord is a light and defence hee will giue grace and glory and no good thing shall be withholden from them that Psal 84. 11. loue him The greater benefits we haue by the dwelling of Christ What duties of thankfulnes we owe to our Lord who dwels in vs. in vs the more are we obliged in our dutie to him O how should that house be kept in order wherein the King of glory is resident what daily circumspection ought to be vsed that nothing be done to offend him not without cause are these watch-words giuen vs grieue not the spirit quench Eph. 4. 30. 1. Thes 5. 19. not the spirit There are none in a family but they discerne the voyce of the master thereof and followes it they goe 1 That we discerne the voyce of our Master and obay it Math. 8. 9. out and in at his commandment if he say vnto one Goe he goeth if to another Come he commeth if the Lord be our master let vs heare euery morning his voyce and enquire what his will is we should doe with a promise to resigne the gouernment of our hearts vnto him for it is certaine he will not dwell where he rules not as he will admit no vncleane thing within his holy habitation so will he not dwell with the vncircumcised in heart the Lord will not take a wicked man by the hand nor haue fellowship with the throne of iniquitie If holy men when they see brothels Macar hom 12. abhorre them and goes by them how much more shall we thinke that the most holy Lord will despise and passe by their soules which are polluted rather like to the filthie stewes of Sodome than the holy sanctuary of Sion for the Lord to dwell in And if hereby the weake conscience be cast downe reasoning That euery day we sweepe and water his chamber with the besome teares of repentance Zach. 13. 1. within it selfe alas how can my beloued dwell with me who am so polluted and defiled remember that the more thou art displeased with thy selfe the more thy Lord is pleased with thee for thy daily pollutions hee hath appointed daily washings in that fountaine which he hath opened to the house of Dauid for sin and for vncleannesse Sweepe out thy sinnes euery day by the besome of holy anger and reuenge and water the house of thy heart with the teares of contrition quoniam sine aliquo vulnere esse non possumus medelis Cyprian spiritualibus vulnera nostra curemus seeing wee cannot be without some wounds of Conscience let vs daily goe to the next remedie that with spirituall medicines wee may â—ure them chasting our selues euery morning and examining our selues vpon our bed in the euening And againe seeing we are made the Temples of the That in his Temple there want not morning and euening sacrifice holy Ghost there should be within vs continuall sacrifices offered vnto God of prayer and praising together with a daily slaughter of our beastly affections Among the Israelites Princes were knowne by the multitude of their sacrifices which they offered vnto God but now they who sacrifice most of their vncleane affections are most approued as excellent Israelites of the Lord who can best discerne an Israelite From the time the Lord departed from Ierusalems Temple the daily sacrifice and oblation ceased and where there is not in man neither prayer nor praysing Macar hom 28. of God nor mortification of his beastly lusts but the spirituall Chaldeans hath come in and taken away this daily sacrifice it is an euident argument that the Lord dwelleth not there Last of all let vs marke here that the Apostle sayth Bastard professors lodges this holy spirit in a wrong roome Ephe. 3. 17. this dwelling of the spirit is in vs it is not without vs the kingdome of God is within vs if he dwell he will dwell in our hearts by saith for he himselfe requires the heart As for them who lodge him in their mouths by professing him in their eyes by aduancing them to heauen in their hands by doing some workes of mercy and not in their hearts these are carnall men not spirituall pretend what they will hipocrites who drawes neere the Lord with their lips but their hearts are farre from him accursed deceiuers who hauing a male in their flocke vowes and sacrifices a corrupt thing vnto the Lord which I doe not speake as if I did condemne the outward seruice done in the body to the Lord prouiding it flowe from the heart Ye are bought with a price 1 Cor. 6. 20. therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirit for they are Gods And this also is to be marked for the amendment of two Humble gestures of the bodie in
publike exercises of diuine worship prophanly scorned by some sorts of men among vs who are in two extremities we haue some who are become scorners of the grace of God in others neither can they be humbled themselues in the publik assemblies of the Saints nor be content to see others expresse their inward motion by outward humiliation they sit downe in the throne of God and condemnes others for hipocrisie not remembring that the sinne of hipocrisie is to be reserued to the iudgement of God who onely knowes the heart that those same things which they mislike in their brethreÌ„ the Lord hath allowed in others The Apostles precept commaunds vs to lift vp to the Lord pure hands in prayer Dauids practise teaches vs to aduance our eyes to the Lord shal not thy brother lift vp his hands his eyes to the Lord shall he not sigh to God nor mourne in his prayers like a Doue as Ezekiah did but thou incontinent wilt taxe him of hipocrisie We read that Iacob sought a blessing from the Lord with teares and obtained it Esau sought a blessing from his father with teares crying and obtained it not were the teares of Iacob the worse because Esau also shed teares Iudge not least thou be iudged the iudgement of Hypocrisie as I haue said belongs to the Lord. On the other extremitie are they who thinke they haue Superstitiously abused by others done enough when they haue discharged some outward exercises of religion though they take no paine to sanctifie the heart to works of diuine seruice On the Saboth they come to the house of God they bow their heads like a bulrush with the rest they pray and praise the Lord in the externall formes with the rest of the congregation but considers not whether or no they come into the temple by the motion of the Spirit as Simeon did if they pray and praise the Lord with prepared hearts as Dauid did neyther trye they when they goe out whether or no they haue met with the Lord found mercie and returneth home to their houses iustified as the Publican did It is true we are to glorifie God with our bodies because they are his but most of all with our spirits because God is a spirit he loueth truth in the inward affections and delights to be worshipped in spirit and truth We are called by the Apostle the Temples of God Seeing we are the temples of God we should be more beautifull within then without Salomons Temple the further in was the finer in the outward Court stood an Alter of brasse whereupon beastes were sacrificed in the inward Court was an Altar of gold whereupon incense was sacrificed but the Sanctuarie or most holy place did farre exceed them both in it was nothing but fine gold in it the Lord gaue his Oracles from betweene the Cherubins in it stood the Arke of the couenant wherein was the Tables of the Law And so indeed the Christian ought to be holy without his lookes his words his wayes should all declare that God dwelleth in his heart he should haue ingrauen as it were in his forehead Holinesse to the Lord as Aaron had but much more Exod. 28. 36. should hee be holy within betweene the secrets of his Soule should the Lord haue his residence and in his heart the testimony of God which is the word of God should dwell plentifully But as for the wicked they are eyther compared to open But the wicked are compared sometime to open and sometime to painted Sepulchers sepulchers their mouth being like that gate of the Temple called Shallecheth out of which was carryed all the filth of the Temple the abhomination of their heart being made manifest by their mouth or then in their best estate they are compared to painted Sepulchers beautifull without Math. 23. 27. Psal 32. 2. but within full of roâ—tennesse hauing a shew of godlinesse wanting the power thereof but the man is blessed in whose heart Iohn 1. 47. Rom. 2. 29. there is no guile hee is a Nathaniell indeed a true Israelite who is one within whose praise is not of men but of God But if any man haue not the Spirit of Christ the same is not his The comfort being ended now followes the Caution The secondary great question in religion is this who are Christians Euery man saith Salomon boasts of his owne goodnesse but the Lord saith the Apostle knoweth who are his As the first great question in Religion is concerning the Sauiour of the world Art thou he who is to come or shall Math. 11. 3. wee looke for another so the second is concerning them who are to be saued if the iudgement be referred to man now euery man among vs accounts himselfe a Christian If iudgement be sought from the Lord here he giues one answere for all If any man haue not the Spirit of Christ the same is not his Albeit among men there be an allowable difference of A soueraigne rule whereby Christians of all estates must be tryed estates yet concerning Christianitie both King and Subiect rich and poore learned and vnlearned comes all to be tryed by one rule It is a common thing among men to esteeme somewhat more of themselues for the priuiledge of their estate wherein they excell others but the Apostle destroyes the pride of all their glory with one word If any man so he speakes without exception be what thou wilt beside were thou neuer so noble neuer so rich neuer so learned if thou hast not the Spirit of Christ thou art none of his all the priuiledges of men without Iesus are nothing that which is high among men is abhomination to God Man in his best estate is altogether vanitie the glory of flesh is but as the flowre of the field the Spirit of the Lord iudgeth of all the glory of man as the pompe of Agrippa Acts. 25. 23. he came downe saith Saint Luke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is all but fantasie and vanishing shewes nothing commends vs to God but this one to haue the spirit of Christ dwelling in vs. Christ and his Spirit are not sundred Againe we see here that Christ and his Spirit cannot be sundred except men will crucifie againe the Sonne of God Let no man therefore say that he hath Christ vnlesse he haue the Spirit of Christ As he is not a man who hath not a Soule so he is not a Christian who hath not the Spirit of Christ no man counteth that a member of his body which is not quickned by his spirit no more is hee a member of Christ who hath not the Spirit of Christ 1 Iohn 4. 13. hereby we know that we dwell in him and hee in vs because he hath giuen vs of his Spirit And as Christ and his spirit are not sundred so cannot the spirit be sundred from the fruits of the Spirit now the fruites of the Spirit are Loue Ioy
whose then shall Sinne causes the Lord to deny his owne creatures hee be certainely hee is the vassall of Sathan the Lord shall deny him the Lord shall disclaime him as not belonging to him depart from mee yee workers of iniquitie I know not whence you are O the bitter fruit of sinne which Luke 13. 27. causes the Lord to deny that creature to be his which once he made to his owne image Let vs therefore hate our sinne vnto death let vs in time make hast to depart from iniquitie which shall at the last draw on that sentence vpon the wicked depart from me The Lord deliuer vs from it through Iesus Christ Verse 10. And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sinne but the Spirit is lifâ— for righteousnesse sake HItherto hath the Apostle comforted the Christian 2 Consolation against the fruit of sin specially against death whereunto we are subiect against the remanents of sinne now he comforts him against the fruites and effects of sinne which he findeth in himselfe The godly might haue obiected ye haue said before the fruit of carnall wisedome is death are wee not subiect vnto death and so of the fruites and effects of sinne what can we iudge but that we are carnall To this he answeres first by a confession it is true that the body is dead because of sinne but if Christ be in you the spirit through his righteousnesse is endued with life yee are not therfore so much to conclude that yee are carnall because death through sinne is entred into your bodies as to confirme your selues in this that life through the righteousnesse of Christ is communicated to your soule and so the summe of his comfort will be this the death whereunto you are subiect is neither totall The death whereunto we are subiect is neither totall nor perpetuall nor perpetuall that it is not totall he declares in this verse for it strikes not vpon the whole man but vpon the weakest part of man which is his body as for his most excellent part which is his soule it is partaker of a life that is not subiect vnto death That it is not perpetuall he declares in the next verse our bodies shall not bide for euer vnder the bands of death the spirit of Christ that now dwels in them shall at the last raise them vp from death and cloath them with immortality and incorruptibility If Christ be in you Before the Apostle bring in his comfort The Comforts of God are not common to all men indifferently Mat. 10. 12. 13. he permits a condition to teach vs that the comforts of God belong not indifferently vnto all men he who is a stranger from Christ hath nothing to doe with these comforts When our Sauiour commaunded his Disciples to proclaime peace vnto euery house they came to he foretold them it should abide onely with the sonnes of peace he forbad them in like manner to giue those things which were holy vnto dogs or to cast pearles before Swine This Math. 7. 6. stands a perpetuall Law to all Preachers that they presume not to proclaime peace to the impenitent and vnbeleeuing but as Iehu spake to Iehorams horseman What hast thou to doe with peace so are we to tell the wicked who walke still 2. Kin. 9. 18. on in their sinnes that they haue nothing to doe with that peace preached by the Gospell Secondly if we compare the former verse with this t we Christ dwelling in vs is by his spirit no carnall presence required to make our vnion with him shall see that the manner of Christs dwelling in his children is by his Spirit To make vp our vnion with Christ it is not needfull that his humane nature should be drawne down from heauen or that his body should be euery where as the Vbiquitaries affirme or that in the Sacrament the bread should be transubstantiate into his body as the Papists imagine his dwelling in vs is by his spirit and our vnion with him is spirituall neyther yet by so saying doe we diuide his two natures for they are inseparably vnited in one personall vnion which vnion doth not for all that import that his humane nature is extended ouer all as his diuine nature is The heauens must containe him till he come againe Noli dubitare ibi esse hominem Christum vnde venturus est Act. 3. 21. Aug. epist 57 ad Dardan Put it out of doubt that the man Christ Iesus is in that place from whence he shall come Keepe faithfully that Christian confession He is risen from the death ascended vnto Heauen and sits at the right hand of the Father and that he shall come from no other place but from Heauen to iudge the quicke and the dead and he addeth that which the Angell said to his Disciples this Iesus who is taken vp from you Act. 1. 11. into heauen shall so come as ye haue seene him goe into heauen that is saith Augustine in eadem carnis forma atque substantia cui profecto immortalitatem dedit naturam non abstulit that is in that same forme substance of flesh to the which he hath giuen immortalitie but hath not taken away the nature thereof Secundum hanc non est putandum quod vbique est diffusus vbique per id quod Deus in coelo autem per id quod homo according to his nature we are not to thinke that he is in euery place it is true that as God hee is euery where but as man he is in the heauens and this for the condition Now to the comfort we haue by Iesus Christ a threefold The comfort of Ethnikes ahainst death not comparable to ours and our courage inferior to theirs comfort against death whereof two onely here are touched The first that the death whereunto we are subiect is not totall The second that the nature and qualitie of our bodilie death is changed The third that it is not perpetuall the body shall not for euer lye vnder death The Ethnicks had also their owne silly comforts but nothing comparable to ours Nazianzen records that Cleopatra Queene of Aegypt demaunding of certaine learned men what kinde of death was without the bitter sense of paine receiued this answere there is no death without dolour but that death was most gentle which was brought on by the Serpent Aspis and namely that kinde thereof which is called Hypnale be cause they whose flesh is enuenomed with the poyson therof doe incontinently sleepe vnto death for which cause also shee made choyse of it And Seneca being by Nero to be executed to death got it left to his owne pleasure as great fauour shewed vnto him to make choyse of any death he pleased he chose to bleed to death in hote water Others among them that offered themselues to most fearefull deaths such as Curtius Regulus and others had no comfort to sustaine them but a
for the fourth it shall be the estate of the Saints of God in heauen Let not therefore the children of God be discouraged by Comfort our estate in this life is neither our last nor best estate looking either â—pon the remanents of sinne in their soule or the beginning of death in their body for why this estate wherein now we are is neither our last nor our best estate out of this we shall be transchanged into the blessed estate of glorious immortality our soules without all spot or wrinckle shall dwell in the body freed from mortality and corruption made like vnto Christs owne glorious body which the Lord our God who hath translated vs out of our second miserable estate into this third shall not faile to accomplish in his time Againe it comes to be considered here seeing by Iesus Christ life is restored to the soule presently why is it not also restored to the body vvhy is the body lâ—st vnder the Our soules being quickned yet our bodies are left vnder death for foure causes power of death to be turned into dust and ashes vvas it not as easie to the Lord to haue done the one as the other To this I answere that at any time life should be restored to our bodies is a mercy greater then wee are able to consider if wee will looke to our desâ—ruing that for a while hee will haue them subiected to the power of death the Lord in his wise dispensation hath thought it good for many causes First for performance of his truth 〈◊〉 but dust Gen. 3. 21. and to dust thou shalt returne If man had dyed no manner of way how should the truth of GOD appeare and if that death due to man had not beene inflicted vpon him how 1 Fâ—r reconciliation of Gods mercy truth Ber. in annuÌ„ Mar. ser 1. should his mercy beene manifested this controuersie God in his meruailous wisedome hath setled Fâ—at mors bona habet vtraque quâ—d petit let death become good and so both his mercy and his truth hath that which they craue for in the changing of the cursed nature of death and making that temporall which was eternall doth his mercy appeare and in the dissolution of mans body into dust for a time doth his truth appeare Secondly the Lord hath done it for manifestation of his 2 For the cleerer declaration of Gods power owne power accounting it a greater glory to destroy sinne by death then by any other meanes Death is the fruit of sinne and the weapon whereby Sathan intended to destroy mankinde and so deface the glory of the Creator but the Lord cutteth off the head of this Gâ—liah vvith his owne sword hee turneth his vveapon against himselfe by death he destroyes that same sinne in his children which brought Chrisost in Mat. hom 2. forth death A meruailous conquest that Sathan is not onely ouercome but ouercome by the same meanes by vvhich before hee tyrannized ouer men And thirdly the Lord 3 For our instruction that wee may know what great mercy God hath shewed vpon vs. suffers our bodies to taste of death that we may the better consider that excellent benefite vvhich vve haue by Iesus Christ for if the death of the body notwithstanding that the nature thereof is changed be so fearefull as vve see in experience how miserable should vvee haue beene if the Lord had inflicted deserued death both of soule and body 4 For our conformitie with Christ vpon vs And last that we might be conformed to him who is the first borne among many brethren it behoueth vs by death also to enter into his kingdome For righteousnesse sake This righteousnesse that bringeth The life our soule hath flowes from Christs righteousnesse Rom. 5. 21 Hos 13. 9 Reu. 7. 10. life is the righteousnesse of Christ imputed to vs by Grace as iâ— euident out of that As sinne had raigned vnto death so might grace also raygne by righteousnesse vnto eternall life Sinne which causeth death is our owne but that righteousnesse which bringeth life is of Grace Our perdition is of our selues but our saluation commeth from the Lord and from the L 〈…〉 be that sitteth vpon the Throne No preseruatiue then against death but this righteousnesse it presently giues life vnto our soule and afterward shall restore our dodyes from the power of the graue such therefore as are the children of wisedome will be carefull in time to be partakers This righteousnesse is known by sanctificatioÌ„ of this Iewell This righteousnesse hath inseperably annexed with it Sanctification by thy sanctification try thy selfe and see whether or no thou hast gotten life through the righteousnesse of Christ deceiue not thine owne hart in the matter of saluation assure thy selfe so far forth thou doest liue as thou art sanctified As health is to the body so is holines to the Soule a body without health fals out of one paine into another till it dye and a Soule without holines is polluted with one lust after another till it dye As the Moone hath lightlesse or more according as it is in aspect with the Sunne so the Soule of man enioyes life lesse or more according as it is turned or auerted to or from the Lord thus let euery man iudge by his sanctification whether if or not hee be partaker of that righteousnesse of Iesus which bringeth life vnto the soule Miserable are those wicked ones who want it they are twise dead saith Saint Iude that is Iude. ver 12. both in soule and body not so much as a heauenly breath or motion is in them but wee ought to giue thankes vnto God who hath giuen a beginning of eternall life vnto vs. Last of all there is here a notable comfort for all the Comfort wee haue a life which no death can extinguish children of God that there is begun in vs a life which no death shall euer be able to extinguish albeit death inuade the naturall vitall powers of our bodies and suppresse them one after one yea though at the length he breake in vpon this lodging of clay and demolish it to the ground yet the man of God who dwels in the body shall escape with his life the Tabernacle is cast downe that is the most our enimie can doe but he who dwelt in it remoues vnto a better as the Bird escapes out of the snare of the Fowler so the The prison of the body being broken the soule that was prisoner doth escape soule in death slighters out and flies away with ioy to her maker yea dissoluing of the bodie to the man of God it is but the vnfolding of the net and breaking open the prison wherein hee hath beene detayned that he himselfe may be deliuered The Apostle knew this well and therefore Phil. 1. 21. desired to be dissolued that he might be with Christ As in the battell betweene our Sauiour and Sathan Sathans head
put on incorruption and this mortall must put on immortality 2 Resurrection confirmed by types figures such as The same is in like manner shadowed in holy Scripture by sundry types and figures among which in Tertulian his iudgement the restitution of Ionas out of the Whales belly is one albeit the belly of the Whale was more able to haue altered and changed the body of Ionas by reason of the Ionas body great heat that is therein then the belly of the earth could haue beene by reason of her colde yet is hee restored the third day as liuely as he was receiued The same he thinkes of that vision of dry bones shewed to Ezechiel which at Ezekiels bones Chap. 38. once â—t the word of the Lord was knit together with sinews and couered vvith flesh and skinne this was not onely a prediction of the deliuerance of Israell out of Babell but also a typical confirmation of the resurrection of our bodies Non enim figura de ossiâ—us potuisset componi nisi id ipsum essibuâ— Tertull. de resur carnis 〈…〉 rum essâ—t for that figure of the bones could not haue beene made if the truth figured thereby were not also to be accomplished vpon such bones Parabola de nullo non conuenit vvhat parable or similitude can be brought from a thing which is not We shall not reade in all the booke of God that any parable hath beene borrowed from that thing which neuer was nor neuer will be Of this sort also is the flourishing of Aarons rodde in the iudgement of Cyril Aarons rodde Numb 17. which being before a dry and withered sticke incontinent by the word of the Lord flourished hee that restored to Aarons rodde that kinde of vegitatiue life which it had before will much more raise Aaron himselfe from the dead Of these figures shadowing the resurrection many more are to be found in holy Scripture As for examples in euery age of the world the Lord Examples of the Resurrection Gen. 5. hath raised some from the dead to be witnesses of the resurrection of the rest Before the floud hee carried vp Henoch aliue intâ— heauen and hee saw no death vnder the law Elias was transported in a fierie chariot and in the last age 2 Kings 2. of the world not onely hath our Lord blessed for euer risen from the dead and ascended into heauen as the first fruits of them which rise from the dead but also by his power hee raised Lazarus out of the graue euen after that stinking rottennesse had entred into his flesh and vpon the Crosse when hee seemed to be most weake hee shewed himselfe most strong hee caused by his power many that were dead to come out of their graues and to enter into the Citie Yea his seruant Peter by the power of the Lord Iesus raised the damsell Dorcas from death and in the name of the Lord Iesus Act. 9. 40. Acts. 3. made him that was lame of his feete to arise and walke when we see such power in the seruant of Christ working in his name shall we not reserue the praise of a greater power to himselfe And lastly as for the practises of God in nature wee are 3 Gods working both in our selues and the creature confirmes the Resurrection 1 Cor. 15. not to neglect them for the Apostle himselfe brings arguments from them to confirme the resurrection He first propones the question of the Atheist how are the dead raised vp and with what body come they forth and then subioynes the answere O foole that which thou sowest is not quickned except it die it is sowen in the earth bare corne and God raiseth it with another body at his pleasure seeing thou beholdest this daily working of God in nature why wilt not thou beleeue that the Lord is able to doe the like vnto thy selfe Qui illa reparat quae tibi sunt necessaria quanto mâ—gâ—s te reparabit propter Ang. de verb. Apost ser 34. quem illa reparare dignatus est Seeing the Lord for thy sake repaires those things which are necessary to maintaine thy life will he not much more restore thy selfe and raise thee vp from death vnto eternall life And to insist in these same confirmations which we may A two-fold meditation to coÌ„firme the resurrection haue from the working of God in nature both in our selues and in other creatures if eyther with Iustin Martyr wee consider of how small a beginning or then with Cyril how of nothing God hath made vp man we shall see how iustly the Apostle calleth them fooles who deny the resurrection of our bodyes The Lord saith Iustin Maâ—tyr of a little drop of mans seede which as Iob saith is powred out like 1 How of a litle drop god made vs that which now wee are water buildeth vp daily this excellent workmanship of mans body who would beleeue that of so small a beginning and without forme so well a proportionate body in all the members thereof could be brought forth nisi aspectus sidem faceret were it not that daily sight and experience confirmeth Iust Mart. apol 2. ad Senat. Rom. it why then shall it be thought a thing impossible to the Lord to reedifie the same body after that by death it hath beene dissolued into dust and ashes And againe if with 2 How God hath made vs of nothing to be that which now wee are Cyrill wee will s 〈…〉 out our beginning and consider what wee were this day hundred yeare wee shall finde that wee were not seeing the Lord of nothing hath brought out so pleasant and beautifull a creature as thou art this day shalt thou thinke it impossible to him an hundred yeares after this oâ— longer or shorter as it pleaseth him to restore thee againe and raise thee from the dead qui potuit id quod non Ciril cate 4 erat producere vt aliquid esse id quod iam est cum â—eciderit restituere non poterit he that could bring out that which was not and make it to be something shall we thinke that he cannot raise vp againe that which now is after that it hath fallen Which of these two I pray thee is the greatest and most It is easier to restore one that hath been then to make one that neuer was difficult worke in thy iudgement for vnto the Lord euery thing that hee will is alike easie whether to make one who neuer was or to restore againe one who hath beene Doubtlesse to make a man in our iudgement is a greater thing then to raise him In the worke of creation the Lord made that to bee which was not in the worke of resurrection the Lord shall make that to be which was before the one thou beleeuest because thou seest it dayly done the other thou doubtest of because it is to be done but cease to doubt any more and of that which God hath
wrought in thee already that thou maist see it perceiue that which is to be wrought in thee suppose it be not apparant ex his quae in Cyril te sunt persâ—ice ea quae non apparent of â—ore-past works iudge of that which is to come that thou maist learne to giue glory to God and trust in him who giues life to them that are dead And if from our selues we proceed to other creatures how Practises of God on creatures without vs though they cannot beget faith yet may they confirme it many proofes in nature shall we finde to confirme the resurrection the Trees that dye in Winter and loose both their leaues and fruit are they not restored againe in the Spring The day which is slaine by the night and buried in darknes as it were in a graue is it not restored againe in the morning The auncient Fathers send vs to learne â—e same from the Phoenix Many other works of God in 〈…〉 re though they cannot beget this faith in vs yet are they profitâ—ble to helpe it where it is begun and are strong witnesses in their kinde to reproue the infidelity of Atheists But we haue aboue all to take heed to that most sure word of the Prophets and Apostles whereat we began and so to rest in it that when it shall please God the day of our change shall come we may after the example of our blessed Sauiour commend our soules into the hands of the Lord and be content that our bodies like pickles of liuely seed be sowen in the field of God and set into the earth as it were with Gods owne finger that in his owne good time they may spring vp againe to glory and immortality I know whom I haue beleeued and am perswaded that hee is able to keepe vnto the last day that which I haue 2 Tim. 2. 12. committed to him And this for confirmation of our resurrection These same bodies which now we haue shall be restored vnto vs the same in substance We haue further this comfort in that the Apostle saith the Spirit of God shall raise vp your mortall bodies that our bodies wherewith now wee are cloathed shall be raised vp and none other for them Away therefore with that vaine opinion that new bodies shall be created and giuen to Gods Children in the resurrection The glory both of his iustice The iustice of God craues that so it shold be mercy and truth craues that these same bodies and no other for them should be restored for euery one must receiue according to that which they haue done in the body whether good or euill Absurdam est Deo indignum vt haec quidem Tertul. caro lanietur illa vero coronetur◠〈…〉 nds not with the iustice and truth of God that one bod◠〈…〉 uld be torne in suffering and another should receiue the crowne Shall the body of Paul be scourged and an other for it be glorified shall Paul beare in his body the mark of Christs sufferings and not beare in that same body the crowne of his glory shall the wicked in their body worke the works of vnrighteousnesse and shall an other body receiue the wages of their iniquity It cannot be And that the glory of his mercy craues that the same The mercy of God craues also that so it should be body should be raised is also euident for why shall Sathan giue that wound to man which the Sauiour of men is not able to cure shall the malice of the Diuell bring in that euill which the mercy of God cannot remoue shall the first Adam slay the body by sinne and shall not the second Adam giue life vnto it by his righteousnesse Can this stand with the glory of God dimidium tantum modo hominem restituere Tertul. to restore onely the one halfe of man As these same soules of ours which were dead and none other for them are quickned in the first resurrection so these same bodies of ours and none other for them shall be raised from the dead in the second resurrection restituet Deus corpora pristina in Iren. cont Valent. lib 5. resurrectione non creabit noua As those blinde men saith Irenaeus whom as we read in the Gospell Christ cured receiued no new eyes but onely sight to the eyes they had before and as that sonne of the widdow and Lazarus rose in those same bodies wherein they did die so shall the Lord in the resurrection restore to vs our olde bodies and not create new bodies to vs And this vvarneth vs that vvith great attention wee are to vse our bodies in most holy and honourable manner in this life seeing they are to be raysed vp as vessels of honour and glory in the life to come Againe when the Apostle saith that the Lord shall raise Our bodyes shall be raised with new qualities vp our mortal bodies we are to know that so he calleth them in respect of that which they are now not in respect of that which they shall be then For in the resurrection the Apostle teacheth vs in anothe◠〈…〉 ce that our bodies shall be raised immortall honourabl◠〈…〉 rious spirituall and impassionable First I say the body shall be raised immortall not subiect any more to death nor diseases nor standing in need of these ordinary helps of meat drink and sleepe by which our naturall life is preserued Secondly our body shall be raised honourable now it is 2 They shall be honourable layd downe in dishonour for there is no flesh were it neuer so beautifull or beloued of man but after death it becommeth loathsome to the beholder so that euen Abraham shall desire that the dead body of his beloued Sarah may be buried out of his sight but in the resurrection they shall be raised more honourable then euer they were they shall be redeemed from all their infirmities euery blemish in the body that now makes it vnpleasant shall be made beautifull in the resurrection and euery defectiue member thereof shall be restored Members lame shal be restored to integrity Membri detruncatio vel obtusio nonne mors membri est si vniuersalis mors resurrectione rescinditur Tertul. de resur carnis quanto magis portionalis for the perishing of the member is no other thing but the death of the member if the benefit of resurrection cut off the vniuersall death of the body shall it not also take away the portionall death of a member in the body if the whole man shall be changed to glory shall he not much more be restored to health Out of all doubt the bodies of Gods Children shall be raised perfect comely and euery way honourable hoc est enim credere resurrectionem integram credere Thirdly the body shall be raised a glorious body When 3 They shall be glorious Phil. 3. 21. he shall appeare he shall change our vile bodies and make them like
to his glorious body They who conuert many to righteousnesse shall shine like the starres in the firmament yea the iust saith our Sauiour shal shine like the Sunne in the firmament A shadow of this glory we haue in Christs transfiguration on mount Tabor his face shined as the Sunne and Mat. 17. his cloathes were white as the light Moses after forty dayes talking with God on the Mount came downe with so bright a shining countenance that the Israelites might not behold him what then may we think shall be the glory of the children of God when they shall be transchanged with the light of Gods countenance shining vpon them not forty dayes onely but for euer and euer And if euery one of their faces shall shine as the Sunne in the firmament O how great light and glory shall be among them all and if their bodies shal be so glorious what shall be the glory of their soule surely no heart can conceiue it not tongue is able to expresse it Fourthly our body shall be raysed spirituall which is 4 They shall be spirituall not so to be vnderstood as if our bodies should loose a corporall substance and receiue a spirituall substance but then shall our bodies be spirituall as now our Spirits by nature are carnall vvhich are so called because they are subiect to carnall corruption pressed downe and carryed away after earthly and carnall things so shall our bodies then be spirituall because without contradiction they shall obey the motions of the spirit the body shall be no burthen no prison no impediment to the soule as now it is the soule shall carry the body where it will without resistance where now it is earthly heauie and rends downeward it shall then be restored so lightsome and quicke that without difficultie it shall mount from the earth to meet our Lord in the Aire As our head ascended on the mount of Oliues and went through the cloudes into heauen so shall Acts. 1 11. his members ascend that they may be with the Lord they shall follow the Lambe where euer he goes Let vs beleeue it and giue glory vnto God for hee who is the worker of our resurrection is also the worker of our ascension If the wit of man be able to frame a vessell of sundry mettals that naturally sinckes to the ground to swimme aboue in the water how much more saith Augustine is God able to make our bodies to ascend vpward and to bide aboue albeit in regard of their naturall motion being heauie they tend downward Fiftly our bodies shall be raised impassionable free I 5 They shall be impassionable meane from such passions as may hurt or offend them such as terrour feare or griefe but not from the passions of ioy for no sense of the body shall want the owne obiect of pleasure to delight it and all for the greater augmentation of our glory Let vs therefore yet againe be admonished to vse our bodies in all holy and honorable manner vpon earth seeing the Lord hath concluded to make vs so honourable in heauen where otherwise thou that defilest thy body with vncleannesse is it not a righteous thing with the Lord to send thee to Gehenna a valley of vncleannesse looke for it assuredly if thou continue filthy still the Lord shall exclude thee out of heauenly Ierusalem thou shalt not enter into his holy Reu. 21. 8. habitation but thy portion shall be with the vnbeleeuing with dogs and with the abhominable who shall haue their part in the lake that burnes with fire and brimstone Last of all seeing the Apostle ascribes the cause of our Resurrection of the godly and wicked different resurrection to the spirit of Christ dwelling in vs it is to be enquired how then shall the wicked rise in whom Christ neuer dwelt by his spirit to this I answere that both the 1 In their causes the one rises by the citation of God the other â—y vertue of their vnion with Christ godly and the wicked shall rise but their resurrections shall be farre different in the cause manner and ends thereof As for the cause the godly shall rise by the efficacie of that quickning spirit of Christ dwelling in them they shall rise by vertue of their vnion with their head the Lord Iesus as his members receiuing that promised life from him for which they haue looked long and in hope whereof they laid downe their bodies willingly in the graue but the wicked shall rise by vertue of the powerfull citation of God by the blast of his trumpet to appeare in iudgement which they shal not be able to eschew They differ againe in the manner of their resurrection 2 In the manner the one with ioy the other with feare and terror for the one shall rise with ioy the other with terrour and feare the wicked shall no sooner looke out of their graues and see the face of the Iudge standing in the ayre but at once shame and confusion shall couer them that day of the Lord shall be vnto them a day of blacknesse and darknesse Their soules as soone as they enter into the body shall be vexed with new horrible feares hauing experience of that wrath which already they haue sustained out of the body the feare of that full wrath which they know in the last day is to be powred vpon them shall wonderfully astonish them glad would they be if they might creepe into their graues againe Reu. 6. 16. they shall wish that hils and mountaines would fall vpon them and couer them but all in vaine because they did in the body that vvhich they vvould they shall now by constraint suffer in the body that vvhich they vvould not And thirdly the ends of their resurrection are different 3 In their ends the one to glory the other to shame figured in Pharaohs two Seruants the one shall rise to life the other to shame and of this it is euident that the resurrection of the wicked is no benefite to them properly it is no resurrection no more then the taking of a malefactor out of prison to be executed on the scaffold can be called a deliuerie for their resurrection is to cast them out of one miserable condition into a worse they are taken out of the graue that they may be cast into the bottomlesse pâ—t of the wrath of God and this was properly figured in Pharaoh his two Seruants the Baker and Gen. 40. Butler both of them were taken out of prison but the one to be restored vnto his Office to minister before the King the other to be executed vnto death so shall both the godly and vvicked come out of the graue but the one to be for euer with the Lord to stand before his Throne ministring praises vnto him and comforted with the fulnes of ioy which is in his face the other to be banished from Gods presence and sent to euerlasting condemnation And
therefore is it that in the summe of our faith the Article of our Resurrection is put betweene the Article of the remission Resurrection is a benefit when remission of sin goes before it and eternal life followes after it of sinnes and that other Article of eternall life to teach vs that then onely the Resurrection of the body is a benefit when remission of sinnes goes before it and eternall life followes after it whereof the Lord of his great mercy make vs partakers through Iesus Christ Verse 1â— Therefore Brethren â—ee are debters not to the Exhortation flesh to liue after the flesh AS it is true concerning vs that a necessitie lyeth What fruit wee should gather of the Apostles former doctrine vpon vs to preach and woe will be to vs if wee preach not so it is true concerning you that a necessitie lyeth vpon you to heare and woe wil be to you if you heare not It is commaunded to vs that when we speake wee should speake as the Oracles of God and it is also required of you that ye receiue this word not as the word of man but as it is indeede the word of God therefore take heede how yee heare for as Moses said to the Israelites so say wee vnto you It is no vaine word concerning you it is your life Ye haue heard that maine proposition of Comfort there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ yee haue heard it confirmed explaned and applyed the miserable estate of them who walke after thâ— flesh hath beene shewed vnto you as likewise the happy estate of them who walke after the Spirit and what comforts the godly haue both against the remanents as also against the fruits of sinnes hath beene declared vnto you Examine your selues see how far forth these comforts belong vnto you If yee be such as thinke with those scornefull men in Ierusalem that yee haue made a couenant with death and it shall not come neere you then goe on in your security and doe that which is good in your owne eyes but if yee finde by experience that death is already entred into your mortall body be vvise in time see that thou haue this onely soueraigne comfort against death the spirit of Christ dwelling in you otherwise flatter your selues in your security as you will miserable shall your end be Now the Consolation being ended the Apostle subioynes Consolation exhortation both necessary for vs. the Exhortation both these two consolation and exhortation are needfull for vs in the course of this life the one to keepe vs that we faint not through the remanents of sinne left in vs and beginnings of death which already haue seased vpon vs exhortation againe to stir vs vp when wee linger in the way of godlinesse For it fareth with vs as it did with Lot in Sodome the Angels warned him of the imminent iudgement and exhorted him to escape for his life yet hee delayed and lingred hee could not be gotten out of Sodome till they as it were violently thrust him out And albeit the Lord admonish vs early and late by his messengers of that wrath which is to come vpon the children of disobedience and warne vs in time to flye to the mountaine of his saluation yet alas so loath are we to forsake our olde sinnes that the Lord is forced to double his exhortation vnto vs all which yet shall not auaile vs if the Lord â—ay not the hands of his grace vpon vs and by his holy Spirit make vs obedient to the heauenly vocation Let vs therefore take heede to the exhortations made vs by the Lord and that so much the more because it is most certaine that the sweetnesse of Gods consolation shall not be felt of them who are not moued with his exhortation Contemplationis enim gustus non debetur nisi obedientiae mandatorum Ber. ser 46. in Cant. the tast of Gods mercy by contemplation is onely due to them who make conscience of the obedience of his commandements Therefore This particle is relatiue to the words preceding Euery benefit of God is a new obligation binding vs to serue him seeing it is so that by the Spirit of Christ dwelling in vs wee haue such excellent benefits we are debt-bound not to liue after the flesh but after the Spirit Of this wee haue first to learne that euery benefit wee receiued from God is an Obligation binding vs debters of seruice to God for much shall be required of him to whom much is giuen there is no reason vvhy the abundance of Gods gifts eyther Gods benefits shold not make vs proud for he who hath receiued most hath the more debt lying vpon him temporall or spirituall should encrease thy pride and carelesnesse but rather should make thee more humble and carefull how to please him considering that the more thou hast receiued the more thou owest VVhen Dauiâ— forgetting that hee was the Lords debter began to liue as his lust commaunded him the Lord brought out against him his former benefits as so many obligations to conuince him I aâ—â—oynted thee saith the Lord King ouer 2 Sam. 12. 7. 8. 9. Israell I deliuered thee out of the hand of Saul I gaue thee thy Lords house and â—iâ—es into thy bosome I gaue thee in like manner the house of Israell and Iudah anâ— would moreouer if that had beene too little haue giuen thee such and such things Wherefore thâ—n hast thou despâ—sed my commandement and done euill in my sight forgetting that thou was bound and obliged to me This processe of Dauids conuiction stands for an example This is cleared in the processe of Dauids conuiction to vs all to warne vs that vnlesse wee make the benefits of God obligations binding vs to serue him the Lord shall vse them as arguments to proue that iudgement is due vnto vs and the greater benefits the greater iudgements for vnto them that walke not worthy of the honor of good things they haue receiued from God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrisost in Mat. hom 4. the greatnesse of honour shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the augmentation of their punishment And as this is tâ—ue in temporall benefits so much more in spirituall graces as they are more excellent then the other so doe they more binde vs then the other both Israelites and Ethiopians are debters to God but the Israelite more debt bound than the Ethiopian for the Lord hath not dealt vvith euery Nation as with Israell Heare this word that the Lord prâ—nounceth Amos. 3 1. O ye Children of Israell you onely haue I knowne of all the families of the earth therefore I will visite you for all youâ— iniquities May yee not see heere that the Lord most straitly doth punish the sinnes of those to vvhom hee hath beene most beneficiall vvhen they become vnthankefull The Gentiles who receiued no more but the light of nature are conuinced because they glorified not
Christs seruants but also Secondly Sworn seruants we are sworne for baptisme as on the part of God it is a seale of the couenant of grace to confirme that promise of remission of sinnes which God hath made to vs in the blood of Iesus Christ so on our part it is a solemne resignation of our selues and our seruice to the Lord wherein we giue vp our names to be enrolled among his souldiers seruants swearing binding and oblieging our selues to renounce the seruice of the Diuell the World and the Flesh and this oath of resignation we haue renued so oft as wee haue communicated at his holy Table Whereof it is euident that they who haue giuen their names to Christ and yet liue licentiously walking after the flesh are for-sworne Apostates guiltie of persidie and of foule apostafie and desertion from Iesus Christ And thirdly not onely are wee bought and sworne but Thirdly wee haue receiued wages before hand for seruice to be done we haue receiued wages and payment in hand which should make vs ashamed if we haue so much as common honestie to refuse seruice to the Lord whose wages we haue receiued already It may be saide to euery one of vs which Malachie in the name of the Lord spake to the Leuites of his time who among you shuts the dore of the temple or kindles a fire vpon Mal. 1. 10. my altar in vaine who among vs can stand vp and say that hee hath done seruice to the Lord for nought Consider it when ye will for euery peece of seruice ye haue done to the Lord ye haue receiued wages more then ten times who hath called aright on his name hath not been heard who hath giuen thankes for benefits receiued hath not found Gods benefits doubled vpon him who hath giuen almes in the name of the Lord and not found increase I speake not now of rewards which God hath promised vs I speake onely of that we haue receiued already the least of Gods mercies shewed vpon vs already doth farre exceede all that seruice that we poore wretches haue done vnto him as therfore we are content to receiue the Lords pay let vs neuer refuse to giue the seruice of our bodies and spirits vnto him But alas is not this the common sinne of this generation But many receiue that from the true God which they returne not to him but sacrifice to Idols Hos 2. 8. to receiue good things out of the hand of God and with them to sacrifice vnto other Gods to vvhom they owe no seruice at all A horrible sacriledge a vile idolatry for this the Lord complaines of the Iewes they haue receiued my gold and my siluer and made vp Baal to themselues and the same complaint stands against the prophane men of this age The couetous man as riches encrease doth hee not set his heart vpon them though with his tongue hee denie it doth hee not say within himselfe that which Iob protested hee would neuer say to the wedge of Gold thou art my confidence The glutton when he hath receiued from God abundance of Wheat Oyle and Wine though he know the commandement be not filled with wine wherein is excesse but be Eph. 5. 18. filled with the Spirit yet how oft takes hee in superfluous drinke and spares not for loue of it to grieue the Spirit sacrificing to his belly as vnto God those things which bindes him to doe seruice vnto the Lord thus neither are the benefits of God returned to doe honour vnto him from whom they come but sacriligiously also abused to the making vp of Baal or some other Idoll abhominable to God for which it is most certaine that the moe wages these Atheists haue receiued for doing seruice to God which they neuer did the more fearefull plagues and stripes from God shall be doubled vpon them Againe we marke here that there is a double debt lying A double debt lying vpon vs the one the debt of sinne which we must seeke to be forgiuen the other the debt of obedience which we must seeke to performe vpon vs the debt of sinne and the debt of obedience vvee are freed of the one by a humble seeking and crauing of the remission thereof through Iesus Christ for the debt of sinne the Lord Iesus hath taught vs daily to seeke Gods discharge Lord forgiue vs our debts and indeede as euery day we contract some debt so it is great vvisedome by daily repentance to sue the discharge of it for they who neglect to do it their debt multiplies vpō them it stands vncancelled in the register of God written as it were with a pen of iron and the poynt of a Diamond and they shall at length be cast into that prison for non-payment wherein will be weeping and gnashing of teeth for euer But as for the debt of obedience whereof the Apostle here speakes wee cannot with a good conscience desire the Lord to discharge it nor exempt vs from it but we must in all humility craue Grace of God that we being enriched by him who of our selues are poore may be able in some measure to pay and performe it Where if the weake Children of GOD obiect and say A three-fold comfort for the godly for the debt of obedience how then can vve but drowne in this debt seeing no day of our life wee can pay to the Lord that debt of obedience which we owe vnto him To this there is giuen a three-fold comfort first the Lord dealeth with vs as a louing liberall 1 The Lord to whom we owe it giues vs wherewith to pay it man dealeth with his debter who knowing that he hath nothing of his owne wherewith to pay him and not willing to put him to shame stops priuately into his hand that which publikely againe he may giue vnto him so the Lord conuaies secret grace into the hearts of his children whereby they are in some measure able to serue him but as Dauid protested so may we all whatsoeuer wee giue vnto the 1 Chron. 29. 14. Lord wee haue it of his owne hand Secondly the Lord 2 He accepts for a time part of payment our God is so gracious that hee is content to accept part of payment at our hand till wee be able to doe better if our faith be but like the graine of Mustard-seede yet if it be true the Lord will not despise it though our repentance be not perfect and absolute though our prayers be vveake though wee cannot doe the good that wee would yet the good that wee doe is accepted at his hands through Iesus Christ And thirdly wee haue this comfort that the more 3 The more wee pay of this debt the more wee are able to pay wee pay of this debt of obedience the more wee are able to pay In other debts it is not so for if the more be payed out by him that is indebted the lesse remaines behinde
and life As no This life is a thorow-way or middle passage eyther to heauen or hell man commeth eyther to a Pallace or a Prison but by the entry thereof so no man goeth eyther to heauen or hell but by the way thereof A wicked life is as a thorow-way to that prison and place of darknesse he who goes on in it without returning shall out of all doubt vvhen hee hath passed the path-way enter into the prison and a godly life is the very way to heauen hee that walkes in it persâ—uering to the end shall enter at last into that Pallace of Glory which is the Paradise of God Salomon saith that where the Eccles 11. 3. tree fals there it lyes and experience teacheth vs that it fals to that side on vvhich the branches thereof grow thickest if the greatest growth of our affections and actions spring out after the Spirit out of doubt wee shall fall to the right hand and shall be blessed but if otherwise thy affections grow downward and thou walke after the flesh then assuredly thou shalt fall to the left hand and die in sin vnder the curse of God But seeing they who walke after the flesh are dead already They who liue in sin are dead and yet a worse death abides them in hell how saith the Apostle they shall dye To this I answere both are true presently they are dead and yet a more fearefull death abides them That they who liue in their sinnes are dead already wee shewde before for sinne is that vnto the soule of man vvhich fire and vvater are to the body that is to say an vnkindely Element in the which it cannot liue but certainely a more fearefull death abides them which the spirit of God calleth the second death vvherein they shall not onely liue depriued of life wanting all sense yea and all hope of the mercy of God but shal also feele the full measure of his wrath due to their sinnes powred out vpon them Now albeit they be dead in sinne and depriued of the fauour of the Creator yet the vaine comforts of the creatures doth so betwitch and blinde them that they know not how wretched and miserable they are but when the last sentence of damnation shall be pronounced vpon them they shall not onely be banished from the presence of God into euerlasting perdition where the fire of the Lords indignation shall perpetually torment them but also the comfort of all Gods creatures which now they haue shall foâ—sake them The least degree of their punishment shall be a fearefull The least degree of their punishment shall be a fearefull famine of all worldly comforts Ioel. 1. 12. Reu. 18. 14. famine of worldly comforts The Pomegranat Tree the Palme Tree the Apple Tree shall wither The Apples after which now their soule lusteth shall depart from them they shall finde none of them yea if a cup full of colde vvater might comfort them it shall not be giuen vnto them thus you see how they are dead and yet a more fearefull death abideth them Therefore the spirit of God to expresse the fearefulnesse Why that second death is called a wrath and a wrath to come of that second death he calleth it a wrath and giues it these two titles first hee calleth it a vvrath prepared by God Salomon saith the wrath of a King is the messenger of death what then shall we say of the wrath of God Secondly he cals it a wrath to come to teach vs that it farre exceedes all that wrath that we haue heard or seene The drowning of the originall world the burning of Sodome a great wrath but nothing comparable to the wrath which is to come Beside this both the place the vniuersality and the eternity The place of the damned shewes the greatnesse of their iudgement Reu. 21. 8. Esa 30. 33. of their punishment serues to let vs see if wee looke to them how horrible this death is which here is threatned against them who liue after the flesh As for the place it is called the wineprâ—ssâ— of the wrath of God the lake that bâ—rnes with â—ire and brimstone Tophet prepared of old deepe and large the breath of the Lord like a riuer of brimstone â—oth kindle it It is that great deepe which the damned spirits themselues abhor they know it to be the place appointed for their torment all that they craue was onely that the Lord would not send them thether to be tormented before the time It is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a place wherein is no light to see therefore Iude called it blacknesse of darknesse and our Sauiour called it vtter darknesse Iude verse 6. Mark 9. 48. 1 Pet. 3. 19. Math. 5. 22. there is in it a burning fire but without light a gnawing worme without rest Saint Peter cals it a prison and our Sauiour cals it Gehenna for the horrible scrieches of them who are burnt in it and the vile and stinking filthinesse wherwith it is replenished And as for the vâ—â—uersality of their paine It is certaine The vnâ—â—uersality of it Nothing in man shall be without paine all Gods plagues shall concor to punish him that as euery thing in them sinned so euery thing in them shall be punished No power of their soule no member of their body shall be free from that wrath Surely it should astonish man to consider this for if now any one of Gods ordinary plagues inflicted vpon any one member of the body be so insufferable how intollerable vvill that paine be he who now is payned with the tooth-ach takes some comfort when he sees another tormented with the collicke and he also if he see another burnt vp with Anthonies fire beares his owne crosse the more patiently because he sees a greater laid vpon another No man in this life suffereth all things one cryeth with the Shunamites sonne for excessiue dolour alas my head my head another with Antiochus my belly the third with Asa my feete my feete but what are all these comparable to that paine vvherein head and belly and feet yea the whole man shall be racked vpon the torments of Gods wrath and that not with one plague onely but with manifold for as all the waters of the earth runne into the great Ocean so all the plagues of God shall concurre and meete together in hell for the punishment of the damned But yet the eternity of that paine doth still increase the The eternitie of it horrour thereof there shall be no end of their punishment their fire shall neuer be quenched their worme shall neuer dye they shall seeke death as a benefite and shall not finde it The fire of Sodome was ended in a day the deluge of water that drowned the originall world lasted but a yeare the famine that plagued Aegypt lasted but seauen yeares the captiuity of Israell was ended in seauenty yeares but this wrath of GOD vpon the damned shall endure for
vexation of his soule to heare and â—â—e the vnrighteous deedes of the wicked which were wont to be vnto him the matter of his sport and laughter Therefore doth he wish and so should we that we might Death to sinne takes not life away but restores it alwayes die this kinde of death foelix mâ—rs quae alienum facit hominem ab hoc saeculâ— certainly it is a happy death which alienates and turnes away the heart of man from the loue of this world Bona mors quippe vitam non aufert sed transfert in melius for it is a good kinde of death which doth not take life away but changes it into a better But alas how farre are we from this spirituall disposition doth not the angry countenance of one in worldly authority terrifie vs the disdainfull words of men doe they not put vs out of the state of patience if the world flatter vs are we not puft vp if shee frowne vpon vs are wee not cast downe and this our great vveaknesse proceedes onely from the strength of sinne in vs this lets vs see vvhat cause we haue to be humbled considering that hauing liued long in this time of grace yet haue we profited little in the mortification of our sinfull lusts and affections Againe out of this same vvord of Mortification vvee learne that the vvorke of our Sanctification is a vvorke of difficultie not accomplished without labour paine and dolour Sanctification is a worke of difficulty for it is a birth a death a circumcision c. for it receiues these three names as to be called Mortification Regeneration and Circumcision As no birth no death no cutting off the flesh can be without dolour and sorrow so the conuersion of a sinner is not wrought without inward paine and sorrow The Infant that hath laid but nine Moneths in the wombe of the mother is not deliuered without great paine suppose she conceiued it with pleasure and shalt thou thinke to part with sinne which in thee was conceiued with thee and which since so often thou hast nourished with pleasure and not to proue the dolours of the New-birth No assuredly In the worke of mans conuersion there is the contrite spirit the humbled heart the mourning weede the melting eye the pale countenance the voyce of lamentation let not such as feele them if they finde therewith a sundring of their affections from their old sinnes be troubled for these are but the dolours of their new birth and for others who know not these inward humiliations and wrestlings of the Children of God they haue iust cause to suspect themselues that they haue not so much as the beginnings of Mortification Regeneration and spirituall Circumcision By the Spirit Nature will not destroy our sinfull lusts The knife by which beastly lusts are slaine to be sacrificed they are mortified by the Spirit of Christ and therefore wee are to nourish entertaine this Spirit by the meanes before prescribed As those Beasts which were sacrificed to God vnder the Law were first slaine by the knife of the Leuite and then offered to God vpon the Altar so the Lord Iesus must mortifie our affections by the power of his word and Spirit before they can be presented acceptable sacrifices to Mac. hom 1. the Lord our God Yee shall liue As I spake of death which is threatned so Temporall life is not the recompense of righteousnesse and why 1 Cor. 15. 19. speake I of life here promised this temporall life cannot be the recompense of righteousnesse for it is common both to the Godly and the wicked If in this life onely we had hope of all men wee were the most miserable but the life here promised is eternall life the beginning vvhereof presently we enioy by the Spirit of our Lord who hath quickned vs so that vvee may say now I liue yet not I but Christ Iesus Gal. 2. 20. liueth in mee the accomplishment thereof vve looke for hereafter Thus hath the Apostle set before vs both life and death he hath shewed vs the way how we may eschew the one and attaine to the other the Lord graunt that according to his counsell vvee may make choyse of the best Verse 14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sonnes of God IN this Verse the Apostle subioynes a confirmation He proues the lâ—st part of his preceding argument of his preceding argument in the last part thereof hee hath said If yee mortifie the deedes of the body by the Spirit yee shall liue now hee proues it They who mortifie the deedes of the body by the Spirit or they who are led by the Spirit of God for these phrases are equiualent are the Sonnes of God therefore they must liue the necessitie of the consequence is euident of that which followeth the Sonnes of God are the Heyres of God heyres annexed with Iesus Christ and the heritage whereunto they are borne is eternall life therefore of necessitie they must liue Here first wee haue to consider what action and operation The operation of the Spirit is eyther vniuersall extending to all his creatures of the spirit this is which distinguisheth the Sonnes of God from other men The operations of the Spirit are diuers hee hath an vniuersall operation by which he workes in all his creatures conseruing leading and directing them to his owne determined ends for in him euery thing that is hath the being liuing and mouing as euery creature is made by God so is it ruled and led by the Spirit according to his appointment Hee hath againe a more speciall operation in man and this is also diuers for first all skilfull and cunning working Or speciall and this is manifold of Artificers is a certaine operation of the Spirit therefore is it that Bezaâ—eel is said to be filled with the Spirit of God Exod. 31. and these cunning men to vvhom the Lord directs Moses Cunning working of Artificers is of him Exod. 28. 2. Gifts of gouernment are of him for the making of Aarons holy garments glorious and beautifull are said there to be filled of the Lord by the Spirit of wisedome but this is not his operation vvhereby the sonnes of God are discerned Secondly all gifts of gouernement are of the operation of this Spirit in this sense it is said that the Spirit of the Lord came vpon Saul vvhen of a common man God made him a kingly man meete for gouernment and so also God tooke off the Spirit vvhich was vpon Moses and communicated it to the seauentie Elders Thirdly prophecying and preaching is an operation Prophecying and preaching are also of him Numb 24. 1. 1 Cor. 12. of the Spirit therefore saith Moses of Balaam when he prophecyed that the Spirit of God came vpon him and the Apostle teacheth vs that there are diuersities of gifts but one and the same Lord diuersitie of administrations but the same Spirit diuersitie of
operations but God is the same who workes all in all for to one is giuen by the Spirit the word of wisedome to another the word of knowledge to another the gift of healing to an other the operation of great workes but none of these are the operations whereby the Sonnes of God are to be discerned seeing all these hee vvorkes also in the wicked We are therefore more particularly to consider how is And these former are coÌ„mon to the wicked but he hath a singular operation in the godly whom he leads it that this Spirit leades the Sonnes of God the auncient Fathers expresses it in two words hee leades vs mâ—nendo monendo that is by informing our minde with his admonitions and inclining our harts with his motions for the holy spirit leades vs not like vnto blinde men vvho are led by their guide a way vvhich they know not themselues but he opens our eyes and lets vs see a farre off our heauenly 1 Monendo by informing their mindes Canaan and Ierusalem vvhich is aboue for he that neuer saw the Lord how can hee follow him or how can he forsake the doung of the earth who hath no eyes to discerne those excellent things which are aboue This illumination of our minde is the first beginning of our saluation therefore the Apostle praying for the Ephesians craues that the Ephes 1. 18. Lord would lighten the eyes of their vnderstanding that they might know the hope of their calling and the riches of that glorious inheritance prepared for the Saints He prayeth also for the Philippians that they may abound more and more in knowledge and in all iudgement whereby they may discerne things that are excellent And for the Collossians that they may be filled with the knowledge of the will of God and of spirituall vnderstanding teaching vs also to remember it in all our prayers as a most necessarie petition And after that the spirit of God hath opened the eyes of 2 Mouendo by alluring their hearts his children and carried them vp with Moses to the top of Pisgah that is by heauenly contemplation giuen them some sight of Canaan then he also moueth their hearts making them cheerefull willing and resolute to walke toward it for hee drawes vs not against our wils but makes vs willing to follow him It is true he giues also to the wicked some taste of the ioyes of the life to come but he changeth not their hearts they haue some new sights of it but retayne their old affections they like it also but will not redeeme it so deere as they thinke as with the losse of their carnall pleasures in this life but to the godly with the new minde he giues them also a new heart hee inflames them with so feruent a loue of those things which hee had letten them see that they are content to renounce the world and accounteth her best things to be but doung so they may obtayne the Lord Iesus and be made partakers of the high prise of the calling of the Saints of God And beside this he doth in such sort conduct vs that hee 3 By remouing al impediments out of the way which may hinder vs to follow him remoues euery impediment out of the way which may hinder vs when hee carryed his people Israel by his strength to his holy habitation O what impediments was in the way I the red Sea the waste Wildernesse the riuer Iordan Pharaohs horsemen and chariots pursues them behinde to draw them backe againe seauen mighty nations of the Canaanits are gathered before them to resist them and hold them out of Canaan but the shepheard and leader of Israel steps ouer all these impediments as if they had not been in the way and places his people in the mountaine of his inheritance and afterward when he concluded to bring his people from Babell homeward to Canaan hee prepared a way for them in the Wildernesse hee commanded the mountaines to be made low and the vallies to be exalted he commanded the crooked to be straight and the rough places to become plaine and it was done This is for our comfort the Lord Comfort who hath taken vs by the hand to lead vs into his holy habitation shall remoue all impediments that are before vs though Sathan like a Lyon spoyled of his pray snatch after vs though hee double his tentations vpon vs and with manifold afflictions compasse vs though terrible death and the horrible graue stand before vs threatning to swallow vs by the way yet shall wee see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the liuing and ouer all our enemies shall be more than conquerors through him that loued vs and hath taken vs into his owne hand to leade vs to that inheritance which he hath prepared for vs. For it is manifest that both the beginning progresse and The beginning progresse and perfection of our saluation is from him perfection of our saluation is ascribed to the spirit of God in holy scriptures when we were dead in sinne he quickned vs when he had quickned vs he gouernes and leades vs and worketh continually in vs till he perfect vs. Thus is hee the Heb. 12. 2. author and the finisher of our faith and all the glorie of our saluation is his as wee cannot begin to doe well without him so we cannot continue in well doing without him if he lead vs not wee wander from him and weary our selues in In that we can not walk without a guide we are warned that we are but babes Acts 8. 30. 31. the way of iniquitie It should serue to humble vs that wee are pointed out here to be but babes and children such as cannot goe by our selues vnlesse we be led by another As that Eunuch answered Philip when he asked vnderstandest thou what thou readest how can I saith he vnderstand without a guide so may we answere the Lord when hee commands vs to walke in his way how can wee O Lord that are but children and It is good religion to turne Gods precepts into prayers Psal 43. 3. Psal 143. 10. new borne babes walke in thy way without a guide It is a point of good religion to turne the Lords precepts into prayers Send out Lord thy light and thy truth let them lead mee let them bring mee into thine holy mountaine and to thy tabernacles Let thy good spirit lead mee vnto the land of righteousnesse When the Lord threatned that hee vvould no more goe before the Children of Israel to lead them as hee had done Moses tooke it so deepely to heart that he protested hee would not goe one foote further except the Lord went with him and certainely if wee knew the manifold inconueniences whereinto we shall fall if the Lord forsake vs wee would neuer enter our feete into that way wherein we saw not the Lord going before vs in mercy to leade vs. Our life on earth should be
Fiue sorts of feare consider that there are fiue sorts of feare mentioned in the booke of God The first is a naturall feare the second a carnall feare the third â— seruile feare the fourth a filiall feare the fist a Dâ—abolicall feare The naturall feare is one of the affections of the soule 1 A natural feare created by God Adam was endewed with it in the state of innocencie and our blessed Sauiour wanted it not of whom it is written that when hee entred into the garden he began to be afraid As for carnall feare the obiect whereof is flesh 2 A carnall feare or at least that which flesh may doe it is a great enemie to godlinesse and therefore our Sauiour forbids it feare not Mat. 10. 28. them who are able to kill the body but feare him who is able to cast both soule and body into hell fire yet are the dearest of Gods children subiect vnto it This feare made Abraham deny that Sarah was his Wife made Peter denie that Christ was his Lord this feare made Iâ—nas refuse to goe to Nâ—niuie and made that worthy Prophet â—amuâ—â— vnwilling to annoint Dauid for he feared least Saul should slay him yet are they so subiect vnto it that the feare of God at length ouercomes in them The third soâ—t is seruile feare the obiect whereof 3 A seruile feare is the iudgements of God onely and this is proper to the wicked they feare the plagues of God but so that they loue their sinnes and hates and abhorres euery one that doth snibbe or restraine them in the course of their sinnes The 4 A filiall feare fourth is filiall so called because it is proper to the sonnes of God they doe not onely feare him for his iudgements but loue him and feare him for his mercy mercy to with thee Psal 130. 4. O Lord that thou mayst be feared As for the Dâ—abolicall feare 5 A Dâ—abolicall feare Saint Iames saâ—th the Diuels know there is a God therefore they feare and tremble thâ—y haue receiued within themselues Iames. 2. 19. the sentence of damnation they know it shall neuer be recalled they seeke no mercy nor shall they obtaine it and the seruile feare of the wicked shall at the last end in this desperate feare of the damned finding themselues condemned without all further hope of mercy they shall tremble and feare continually Of this it is euident that the feare whereof here he speaks From what sort of feare we are exempted is the first part of filiall feare namely a feare of that punishment which is due to sinne and to the godly is an introduction to worke in them feare of God for his mercies conioyned with loue so then his meaning is cleare albeit in the time of your first conuersion you were striken with a feare of that wrath which is the recompense of sinne yet now the spirit of adoption hath not onely released you of that feare of damnation which you conceiued at the first through the knowledge of your sinnes but hath also made you certaine of saluation and assured that God is become your Father in Christ Iesus In the wicked the feare of Gods vvrath once begunne encreases daily till it proceede as I spake to that desperate feare of the damned but in the godly the feare of Gods In the godly feare prepareâ— a place for the perfect loue of God and then departs it selfe iudgements is but a preparation to the loue of GOD feare shall not alwayes abide in their hearts for when God shall crowne them with his mercies and his loue in them shall be perfect then perfect loue casts out feare therefore Augustine compares the feare of Gods iudgements in the godly to a Needle that goes through the â—eame and prepares in it a place for the thread which is to remaâ—â—e so doth the feare of Gods iudgements goe through the secret seames of the heart and prepares a place for the loue of God which shall abide and continue for euer in the godly when feare shall be away The Lord at the first deales hardly vvith Mat. 15. his children as our Sauiour delt with the woman of Câ—naan whom he comforted at the last and as Ioseph entreated his brethren roughly whom at the last for tender compassion hee embraced with many teares but all these terrours and feares wherewith GOD humbles his owne are but preparatiues to his consolations at the length hee shall make it knowne to them that he is their louing father as for the wicked though they haue not suffered from their youth the terrours of God it is because they are reserued for them Neither are they euen now exempted from their owne But in the wicked feare of wrath once begun encreases till it proceede to desperate feare feares for albeit there were none to reproue them their owne consciences sends out accusing thoughts to terrifie them and if at any time they shall heare the word of God faithfully and with power deliuered vnto them then doe they much more tremble feare for the word strengthens the conscience to accuse and terrifie them but feare is both the first and last effect it workes in them and therefore is it that being so oft disquieted with hearing of the word as Foelix was with the preaching of Paul they are no more desirous to heare it but rather hates it and abhors it because it testifies no good vnto them more then Micaiah did to Achab and so they neuer attaine to this other operation of the spirit they are not transchanged by hearing into the similitude of the sonnes of GOD neither receiues that comfort which comes by feeling the loue of God in Iesus Christ The spirit of Adâ—ption Adoption is eyther naturall or Adoption is eyther naturall or spirituall spirituall the spirituall Adoption is eyther of a whole Nation and so the Apostle saith that the Adoption pertained to the Israelites because the Lord chose them to be a peculiar people to â—iâ—selfe or then it is of particular men and so it is a benefit belonging to the children of GOD onely What naturall Adoption is and of it speakes the Apostle in this place Naturall Adoption the Lawyers define it to be â—ctum legâ—â—imum â—â—itantem naturam repertum ad corum sâ—latium qui liberos non habent A lawfull act imitating nature sound out for the comfort of them who haue no children of their owne but spirituall adoption differs farre from it for it is a lawful act not How the spirituall Adoption excels aboue the naturall imitating but transcending nature found out by the Lord our God not for the comfort of a Father that wants children but for the comfort of children that wants a Father We being by nature miserable orphanes hauing no Father to prouide for vs it pleased the Lord our God to become our Father in Christ and to make vs by Adoption his sons and daughters not for any
improued pray to none but to our Father whom shall wee follow as Schoole-maisters in prayer If wee vvill be instructed of Psal 50. 15. the Lord. Call vpon â—ee in the day of thy trouble and I shall deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie mee If wee vvill be taught by Iesus Christ after this manner saith hee shall yee pray Mat. 6. 9. Our Father which art in Heauen If yee would know how the Spirit teacheth vs to pray the Apostle here telleth you hee teacheth vs to cry Abba Father these three are one and deliuers vnto vs one truth what better Schoole-maisters to teach vs a true forme of acceptable Prayer vnto God can wee haue then these and therefore that doctrine which teacheth to pray to Angels or Saints departed must proceed from the spirit of errour for wee are here otherwise taught of God we cannot saith the Apostle call vpon him in whom we beleeue not As for the Angels wee beleeue that they are which the Saduces did not but we beleeue not in them and therefore will not pray vnto them In all the old testament we read no prayer made to Abraham albeit In all the scripture no prayer to Abraham Moses c. nor to Cherubin nor Seraphin hee was the father of the saithfull none to Isaac or Iacob or Moses or any other of the Fathers departed In a hundreth and fiftie Psalmes no prayer is made to Cherube or Seraphin though they in their Psalter of the Virgin haue turned ouer all the prayses and petitions made to the Lord into petitions to our Lady as if where Dauid saith O Lord Psal 6. 1. rebuke mee not in thine anger wee were all to say O Ladie rebuke me not in thine anger and O Lord thou art my righteousnesse Psal 4. 1. O Lady thou art my righteousnesse and so forth in the rest but wee may boldly say with Bernard libenter Bernard certè gloriosa virgo tali honore carebit the glorious Virgin is willingly content to want such honour The Angell would not suffer Iohn to prostrate before him doe it not saith hee I am but thy fellow seruant this one of those blessed spirits Reu. 19. 10. witnesses to vs in the name of all the rest that it is the will of the Saints of God in heauen that wee who are vpon earth should reserue to the Lord his owne worship and giue no part thereof to creatures yea they are offended when that honour is offered to them which is due to the Lord. Where if that common obiection be brought which Ambrose It is not in the court of heauen as in the courts of earthly kings Ambros in epist ad Rom. did obuiate in his time posse nos per istos ire ad Deum sicut comites peruenitur ad regem that men by such mediators may goe to God as they goe to Kings by those who are honorable in their courts to them we answere with him hoc est misera vâ—i excusatione this is to pretend a miserable excuse for men goe to kings by courtiers because the king is but a man ad Deum autem quem nihil latet promirendum suffragatore non opus est sed mente deuota but as for the Lord from whom nothing is hid there needs no such procutor to make him fauourable vnto vs onely there is required a deuout minde for in whatsoeuer place hee who is truely godly speakes vnto God the Lord shall answere him And lastly that the Apostle here ioyneth two words of Euery tongue and language is sanctified for prayer if we vnderstand it sundry languages Abba Father it is to teach vs that euery tongue is sanctified to the vse of Gods children and that it is lawfull for vs to pray in any language if so be wee vnderstand it but to binde people to pray in a language they vnderstand not or for him that should be the mouth of God in the exercise of diuine worship to speake to the people in a strange language which they vnderstand not is a sacrilegious tyranâ—ie That which God powred out as a curse on They are builders of Babell who speake to the people in a language they vnderstand not the first Babell that one of them vnderstood not what another said and the people knew not what the builderâ—â—raued in the second Babel is receiued as a blessing The Caldeans a fierce and cruell nation were sent against the Iewes speaking to them in a language which they vnderstood not to punish in them the contempt of the voice of God which they would not learne nor vnderstand and now the messengers of Antichrist a cruell and mercilesse people are come out speaking to the world in an vncouth language for punishment of them that receiued not the loue of the truth A faithfull seruant of the Lord had he neuer so many languages had rather speake in the Church fiue words with vnderstanding that others might be instructed than ten thousand otherwaies he is but an hireling and a false Apostle that purposely speakes to a people in a language they vnderstand not We giue thankes to God who hath deliuered vs from this most fearefull captiuitie and confusion of Babell Verse 16. The same spirit beareth witnesse with our spirits that we are the children of God ALbeit this operation of the Spirit whereby he witnesses vnto vs that wee are the Children of God be set downe in the last place yet in order of working it goes before the other for certainely vnlesse his holy spirit testifie vnto vs that God is become our father and hath made vs his children we dare not go neere him to craue good things from him The beginning of our acquaintance with GOD flowes from him herein is loue not that wee loued him first but that bee loued 1 Ioh. 4. 10. Rom. 11. 35. vâ— Who hath first giuen vnto him and he shall be recompensed We must first receiue from God some secret information of his loue and fatherly affection or euer we be able to returne vnto him the desires the words and the deedes of his louing children Here first appeareth the fatherly indulgence of the Lord The great loue of our father which hee hath shewed by sending his spirit into our harts our God towards vs we are here in a vally of death in heauines through continuall afflictions the time is not yet come wherein the Lord will communicate to vs his glorious presence to fill vs with that fulnesse of ioy which is in his face the time is not yet come wherein wee must ascend to our Father yet to keepe vs in the meane time that wee faint not the Lord hath sent downe his holy Spirit into our harts to comfort vs. O fatherly care O wonderfull loue when Israel was yet in the wildernesse the Lord sent them some of the fruits of Canaan to comfort them by the hand of Ioshua and Caleb but what was that if it be compared
things prouided and reserued for them vvho patiently suffer vvith the Lord Iesus Christ But to insist in the words here vsed by the Apostle let Foure things marked here concerning the life to come vs consider in them these foure things First the excellency of it in the word glory Secondly the eternitie of it vvhich is to be collected of the secret opposition made betweene it and our present sufferings which are now Thirdly the manifestation of it in this that he saith it is yet to be reuealed Fourthly the veritie and soliditie of it in that he saith it is to be reuealed in vs. First then the excellencie of that life is to be considered 1 The excellency of it in the word glory There shall be there no base nor contemptible thing all shall be glorious that is there and our estate then shall be an estate of glory Now we see the Lord but through a vaile and in a mirrour but then wee shall see the Lord face to face and shal in such sort behold his glory that wee shall be transformed into it This change as vvitnesseth the Apostle is begun by the sight of God vvhich we haue in the Gospell for euen now wee behold as in a mirrour the glory of the Lord with open face and are changed from glory to glory by the same image by the spirit of the Lord but in heauen this change shall be perfected and we shall be fully transformed into his holy similitude so that nothing shall be left in vs but that which is his own workmanship O how hath the Lord magnified his mercy toward vs he hath raised our honour from the dust and deliuered our soules for the lower hell and hath made vs to sit with himselfe in the highest places where we shall be filled with the ioyes which are at his right hand wee shall drinke of the riuers of his pleasures in his light we shall see light and be transchanged by the light of his countenance Moses was fortie dayes with GOD vpon Mount Sinai Fortie dayes company with God changed the face of Moses how much more c and his face shined so brightly that when hee came downe the people of Israel might not behold him if fortie dayes remayning with God did so transchange him how shall wee be changed who shall for euer abide with him neuer any more come downe from him Our Sauiour Christ saith that the face of the iust shall shine in that day like the Sunne in the firmament O what glory shall be among them all when the glory of one shall be like the brightnesse of the Sunne et qualis tunc erit splendor animarum quando solis habebit claritatem Aug. ad frat in Erem lux corporum and when the light of that bodie shall be like vnto the light of the Sunne how great thinke yee shall be the shining light of the soule Those three disciples If our bodies shall shine as the Sunne what shall our soules be that were with our Lord vpon Mount Tabor vvere so filled vvith ioy at the glance of his glory vvhich they saw that they vvished they might bide there for euer how then shall vve be rauished when wee shall see that full manifestation of his glorie we shall neuer desire to remoue out of that mountaine of God another heart shall be giuen vs and vve shall become other men then wee are so that as a little drop of water powred into a great vessell full of wine looseth both the taste and colour of vvater and becomes wine or as iron put into the fire takes on after a sort the nature of fire and as the ayre illuminated with the bright shining Sunne seemes not so much to be illuminated as to be light it selfe so our soules and bodies when the glory of God shall shine vpon them shall be so wonderfully transchanged that after a sort we shall become partakers of the diuine nature Beside this the excellency of that glory shall yet better appeare All the companions in that glory are first borne all noble mē of strength and dignity if we consider the companions with whom we shall be glorified there is the congregation of the first borne al of them are men of excellent strength and dignitie not of base linage but noble indeede for by their second birth they are the Sonnes of God and brethren of the Lord Iesus The Citizens of Tyrus are described by Esay to haue been companions to Princes but in that heauenly Ierusalem euerie Citizen is a crowned King and none but Kings are freemen of that citie knit among themselues by the band of one Spirit into so holy a communion that euery one of them accounts the ioy and glory of his brethren an increase of his owne ioy It is not there as here vpon earth where the The glory of one of them augments the glory of another ioy of one is the cause of sorrow to another the light of the Sun darkneth the Moone and the light of the Moone obscureth the light of the Stars if the one halfe of the earth be illuminated the other is left in darknesse but there the light of one augments the light of another the glory of one shall be the glory of all euery one of them reioycing not onely because the lightsome countenance of God shines vpon themselues but also because they see their brethren admitted to the fruition of the same glory But among all those with whom wee shall be glorified Specially the sight of Iesus Lord of that familie shall encrease our ioy there is one companion of our glory vvho aboue all the rest shall breed vs exceeding delectation Iesus Christ the man O with what boldnesse and spirituall reioycing shall wee stand in among the holy Angels vvhen vvee shall see the Lord of the house the Prince of glory clothed with our nature Now we are sure that our Redeemer liueth and wee shall at the last day see him in our flesh wee our selues shall see him our eyes shall behold him and none other for vs and herein is our comfort that albeit as yet vvee haue not seene him vve loue him and reioyce in him vvith ioy vnspeakeable and glorious And of this ariseth vnto vs some resolution of that doubt Whether we shall know one another in heauen or not which commonly is moued whether one of vs shall know another in heauen or no shall wee know the Patriarches the Prophets the Apostles it is true that these naturall delights which now wee haue one of vs in another shall vanish yet as I haue said the ioy that shall arise vnto vs of the glorification of others leadeth vs to thinke that we shall know them Peter Iames and Iohn did they not know Moses and Elias talking vvith the Lord Iesus albeit they had neuer seene them before and did not Adam so soone as hee wakened out of his sleepe know Euah that shee was bone
so haue they their own ioy at the hearing of the word and hath also their owne desires to be glorified vvith Christ but when they heare that before they enioy that glorie they must suffer with Christ deny themselues forsake their sinfull pleasures and cease from their gainefull trade of wickednes they giue ouer the bargaine they stumble and fall back to the former course of their vngodly life But assuredly if wee all knew those things vvhich belong The onely cause why we walke flowly toward that glory is because we know it not to our peace but now are hid from our eyes ten thousand worlds could not keepe vs back from them and therefore seeing all the cause of our slow running towards that price of our heauenly calling is in the darknes of our minds let vs pray continually that the Lord would lighten the eyes of our vnderstanding that we may know the riches of his glorious inheritance prepared for the Saints and againe Lord Ephes remember vs vvith the fauour of thy people and visit vs with thy saluation that we may see the felicitie of thy chosen Psal and reioyce with the ioy of thy people and glory vvith thine inheritance which the Lord grant vnto vs for Iesus Christs sake Verse 19 For the feruent desire of the creature wayteth when the sonnes of God shall be reuealed WE haue heard hitherto the Apostles first principall The Apostle insists in the amplification of this glory argument of comfort against the Crosse taken from the end of our afflictions set down in the end of the 17. verse If wee suffer with Christ we shall raigne with Christ. This argument hee hath He proues the greatnesse and certaintie of that glorie by two arguments amplified in the 18. verse We shall be glorified with such a glory as for waight and eternitie shall farre exceed our present sufferings Now hee insists still in the same amplification and he proues that glory must be both a great and a certaine glory First because the creature by that instinct of nature From the feruent desire which the creature hath to it by the instinct of Nature which God hath put into it waites for the reuelation of that glory Secondly because the sonnes of God who haue receiued the first fruits of the spirit by instinct of grace wait also for it Now it can neither be a small thing nor yet vncertaine which God hath taught his creatures both by instinct of Nature and of Grace to long for but it must be From the feruent desire which the godly haue to it by the instinct of Grace some excellent and most certaine good whereupon God hath set the instinct and desire of his creature This being the Apostles purpose the order of his proceeding is shortly this verse 19. he sets down a proposition of the creatures feruent desire to see that glory reuealed The order of his proceeding in the first argument thereafter he assignes two reasons why they are so desirous of it The first is verse 20. taken from the present hard estate of the creature The next is verse 21. taken from their future better estate vnto the vvhich they shall be restored vvhen the sons of God shall be reuealed and then hee concludes this argument verse 22. And this purpose he handleâ— at the greater length because in all the booke of God this subiect is not handled saue in this place onely A proposition of the feruent desire of the creature exprest by foure phrases For the feruent Here as I haue said he sets downe a proposition of that feruent desire whereby the creature waites for the reuelation of the sonnes of God and his earnest expectation of the creature he expresseth by foure very significant phrases the first word signifieth such an earnest desire as we vse to testifie by the lifting vp of our head and attentiue looking for the comming of one vvhom we would faine haue with this hee ascribes to the creature a hoping and thirdly a sighing and groning such as is vsed of them vvho lye vnder a heauy burden whereof they would faine be eased and last hee saith they trauaile in paine with vs thereby declaring the vehemencie of their desire that it is like the earnest desire of a woman trauailing vvith Child who most earnestly wisheth to be deliuered All these by a figure and improperly ascribed to the Waiting hoping sighing groning ascribed to the creature to signifie their naturall inclination and instinct creature signifie vnto vs that forcible inclination and instinct of nature whereby the creature bendeth it selfe to practise that good in the highest degree for which it vvas made to the glory of God and good of man which because it is not permitted to doe being restrained by a superiour power for the sinne of man therefore it is described vnto vs sighing and groning wearie of the present estate and vvaiting for a better As wee see that the needle of the Mariners compasse touched vvith the Adamant hath in it this naturall inclination that it seekes continually toward the North from vvhich if it be restrained by any violent motion it shakes and trembles continually as a malecontent but if it obtaine the owne end and be once directly set toward the North then doth it rest it is euen so with the creature the heauens and the earth being subdued vnder the bondage of vanitie and their naturall inclination to good restrained for our sinnes cannot rest but in their owne kinde sigh and grone waiting for the day of their deliuerance and this instinct of nature in the creature is vnto the Lord as a certaine voyce or desire which hee vnderstands no lesse than hee doth the voyce of the mouth or desire of the heart in those creatures whom hee hath indued with reason sense This being spoken for the exposition of the vvords vvee come to the doctrine We finde in the holy Scriptures a three-fold vse of Gods A threefold vse of the creature toward man creatures toward vs their first vse is to serue vs if wee vvill serue the Lord yea vpon this condition the Angels are not ashamed to be called our ministers and seruants Their second vse is to crosse vs when we offend God then they serue eyther to punish vs in our persons or to hurt vs in our goods for when wee will not vvillingly honour God with the first fruits of our riches but abuse them to the fulfilling of our owne lusts it is a righteous thing with God to taxe vs against our will by sending forth his officers and exacters such as the Caterpiller and the Palmer-worme to eate vp that tribute which we owe vnto God but haue refused to pay him And thirdly they serue to teach vs for there is no creature in heauen or earth vvhich doth not teach vs some lesson the Emmet learnes vs prouidence the Fowles of the ayre and Lillies of the field teach vs to cast our
shall be translated in that day Where first wee haue to see what creature this is which shall be deliuered and secondly what the deliuerance is The word creature is a generall name of all the workes of God but here it is put for those creatures which being made by God for man were hurt by the fall of man and shall be restored with him And so What creatures shall be restored vnder this name wee comprise not reprobate Angels and men neither those excrements of Nature which are bred of doung and corruption neither thornes thistles or such like vvhich are the fruits of Gods curse vpon the creature for our sinne and are in that day to be destroyed not restored but by the creature wee vnderstand the heauens and earth vvith the rest of the elements and vvorkes of God therein contayned made for the glory of God and the vse of man And this is to declare that excellent deliuerance vvee Iesus the restorer heales euery wound that Sathan hath inflicted vpon man haue by Iesus Christ there is no wound which Sathan hath giuen man by sinne but the Lord Iesus by his grace shall cure it hee shall not onely purge our soules from all sinne and deliuer our bodies from the power of the graue and corruption but shall deliuer the creatures our seruants from that curse which our sinnes brought vpon them To make this yet more cleare wee are to know that there are three obiects of Sathans malice The first is God and his glory the second is man and his saluation the third is the creature made for Gods glory and mans good The principall obiect of Sathans malice is God and his glory hee hates the Three obiects of Sathans malice first God secondly man thirdly the creature Lord vvith a deadly and irreconcilable hatred so that if it lay in his power hee would vndoe that most high and holy Maiestie but because rage as hee will hee cannot impaire his sacred Maiestie he turnes him to the secondarie obiect which is man and troubles him by all meanes not so much for mans owne cause as for the Lords whose glory he seekes to deface that shines in man And if here also he cannot preuaile by reason that the Lord hath made a hedge round about man he turnes him to the third obiect of his malice which is the creature against which he is so insatiable that if he can be licensed to doe no more yet doth hee esteeme it some pleasure to him to get leaue to enter into Swine that he may destroy them and this he doth not that hee accounts a beast his pray for all the beasts of the earth cannot satisfie this roaring Lyon but that destroying the creature he may driue man to impatience and prouoke him to blaspheme the Lord as by these same meanes he made the Gadarens murmure against Iesus Christ and put him out of their land and this hath beene the course of Sathan euer since the beginning But blessed be the Lord our God who ouer-shootes Sathan God ouershooteth Sathan in all his machinations and all his intentions that same man vvhom Sathan wounded hath the Lord restored and shall set his image more glorious in him than it was before and those creatures which Sathan defaced for the hatred he carryeth to Gods glory and mans good the Lord shall restore againe the glory of God encreaseth as it is impugned euery new declaration of Sathans malice shall end in a new declaration of Gods glory neither is that enemie able to giue a wound to any of Gods children but the Lord shall make it whole and shall at the length confound Sathan by his owne meanes And here because it is commonly demaunded vnto what To what vse the creatures will serue in the day of restitution wee shall know best when we see it vse can these creatures serue in that day seeing we shall haue no neede of the Sunne nor of other naturall meanes whereby now our life is preserued To this I answere that if the Lord will haue these workes of his hands to continue and stand as euerlasting monuments of his goodnesse and witnesses in their kinde of his glory who is it that can contradict it It is enough for vs that we know they shall be deliuered and transchanged into a more glorious estate but for what â—se we shall best know in that day when we shall see it in the meane time reuerencing the Lords dispensation let vs rather endeauour to be partakers of that glory than curiously to moue thorny and vnprofitable questions concerning it Now as for the manner of their deliuerance Seeing the Apostle saith that the heauens shall passe away with a noise How the Apostle saith the creatures shall be deliuered seeing the Psalmist saith they shall perish and the elements shal melt with heate and the earth with the workes therein shall be burnt vp with fire and seeing the Psalmist saith they shal be deliuered This doubt shall easily be loosed if Scripture be made interpreter of Scripture The Psalmist in that same place expones the word of perishing by the word of changing what this changing shall be the Apostle here makes it manifest while hee cals it the deliuering of them from one estate into another so that wee are not to thinke that they shall perish as concerning their substance but as concerning those qualities of vanitie seruitude and impotencie whereunto they haue beene subiected by the fall of man As siluer and gold is changed by the fire the drosse perisheth but the substance remayneth so shall these creatures be changed in that day for which cause also they are called new heauens and new earth Reu. 21. And out of this we may perceiue the necessitie of that exhortation Seeing the glory of that kingdome requireth that the creature bee changed how much more should we be changed giuen vnto vs by the holy Apostle Seeing therefore that all these things must be dissolued what manner of persons ought we to be in holy conuersation and godlinesse seeing the simplest seruant who shall haue any place in that kingdome must be changed and receiue a new liuerie how much more ought we our selues to be changed who are the sonnes and heyres of that kingdome let vs not deceiue our selues no vncleane thing can enter into that heauenly Ierusalem without sanctification we cannot see the Lord vnlesse we be 2 Pet. 3. 11. purged from our drosse and purified and fined by the spirit of the Lord we shall not dwell in those new heauens wherein dwels righteousnesse Verse 22. For wee know that euery creature groneth with vs also and trauaileth in paine together vnto this present THe Apostle in this Verse concludes this purpose The same purpose further amplified by gâ—oning and sighing of the creature with some amplification thereof for hee ascribes to the creature a groning with vs and a trauailing together in paine vvhereby hee doth yet
on earth his portion is here and he possesseth his best things in this present life It is farre otherwise with the Christian for in his affection hee transcends euery thing which is subiect to sense hee is not now a possessor but an expectant by hope of his best things hee hath them not in re but in spe therefore may he say to the Worldling as our Sauiour said to his Kinsmen your time is alway but my time is not yet come The Christian is that good husbandman who hath more comfort in that seed which he hath sowen and couered with earth that he seeth it not than he hath in that which hee sees lying before his eyes in the barne for he knowes that the one at the last shall render him manifold greater encrease than the other It is not an vnpleasant Allegorie which Augustine makes Augustines Allegorie on the words of Christ Luke 11. 11. vpon these words of our blessed Sauiour If a Sonne aske bread of any of you that is a Father will he giue him a stone or if he aske a fish will he giue him a Serpent or if he aske an egge will he giue him a Scorpion The Lord Iesus being the highest Doctor that euer taught doth teach in the lowest manner applying himselfe to our capacitie by homely similitudes of earthly things he labours to bring vs in all his doctrine to the knowledge of things heauenly I know that the end of these parables is to confirme vs in this assurance that if we seeke good things from the Lord we shall obtaine them specially saith that Auncient if we seeke Faith Loue Wherein hee compares Loue to Bread that nourishes and Hope three principall graces which we ought to craue from our heauenly Father not vnproperly represented by the Bread the â—ish and the Egge For as Bread nourishes the hungry and serues principally to preserue the life of man so loue is of that nature that it delights to nourish the needy and to doe good vnto others for loue is bountifull the contrary 1 Cor. 13. 4. hereof is the stone which helpes not the life of man in his necessitie figuring the stony hearts of those who being void of Charitie are vnprofitable to others The Fish againe not vnproperly represents Faith for it Faith to the Fish that swims aboue swimmes not onely in the calme but also in the storme in the midst of most turbulent waues it abides whole and cannot be ouercome the enemie hereof is that olde Serpent who seekes by all meanes to quench our Faith that being borne downe by the waues of stormy tentations wee might perish in insidelitie And Hope may very well be compared to the Egge And Hope to the Egge wherin there is more good than appeares wherein there appeares nothing to looke to but a dry and barraine shell vnprofitable for nourishment yet is there in it not onely meet nourishment but also the greatest fowles which God hath made for the pleasure and profit of man are procreated of it The contrary hereof is the Scorpion which hath his sting in his taile if we keepe vs before it the sting thereof shall not reach to the breaking of our hope then onely is our hope wounded when we goe back looking with the Wife of Lot vnto Sodome or with the carnall Israelites to the flesh-pots of Egipt Let vs therefore with the holy Apostle forgetting that which is behinde endeauour our selues to that which is before following hard toward the marke for the prise of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus with constant hope and patience abiding those things which yet we haue not seene And here if the louers of this life and pleasures thereof The fectlesse obiection of worldlings to Christians obiect vnto vs and say what folly is this in you that forgoing pleasures which are seene yee waite vpon those which are not seene were it not better for you to enioy with vs these present things which are certaine than to deferre your ioy for things to come which are vncertaine for who euer came againe from the dead to tell you that there is such a ioy abiding you as ye looke for To these Atheists we answere that it is no vaine nor vncertaine thing for which we waite he that raysed Lazarus from death the fourth day and rose also himselfe from the dead the third day being not to dye any more hath come from them with a testimonie which we know is true for he is that faithfull and true witnesse thou that beleeuest not hast the wrath of God abiding vpon thee but he that beleeues hath euerlasting life he hath forewarned vs of the endlesse miserie of the one in the person of that rich glutton and of the endlesse ioy of the other in the person of poore Lazarus he told vs euen after his resurrection from the dead that he was to ascend vnto his Father as he hath done and that hee will come againe that where he is there also we may be and this we rest assured that he will doe But as for you who are faithlesse men and by your scornfull The foolishnes of worldlings rebuked by Christians speeches would extenuate the hope of the children of God you neither haue certaine pleasures present nor yet to come you count vs foolish because we waite on pleasures which are to come but what are yee who rest presently in that which indeede is not speake in truth and tell vs where are your pleasures wherein you delight vvhat enioy you this day of these carnall pleasures for which you haue offended your God in the moment wherein you had them what were they tell if you can and now if you gâ—e to seeke them where are they are they not gone from you and so gone from you that they haue left behinde them a sting of guilty Conscience to torment you doth not the pleasures of one day deuoure and swallow vp the pleasures of another those dayes of thy life which were intended to thee before hand for dayes of pleasure and triumph are they not now vanished and is there not comming vpon thee a day of death which will be to thee a day of darknesse and dolefull displeasure which shall swallow vp with one gape not onely the sense but also the remembrance of all thy former delights Where then are your pleasures O worldlings wherein Worldlings haue no present pleasures such as are gone are lost such as are to come are vncertaine yee reioyce present pleasures yee haue not those which are past are vaine and comfort you not and those which are to come are vncertaine in the smallest things how oft are ye deceiued yee looke for a faire day and a foule comes vpon you yee looke for continuance of health and sicknes vnawares seales vpon you yee comfort your selues with the hope of a good successe of your affaires and an euill successe ouerturnes incontinent all the counsels of your
the crafty enemie can very well change his tentations vpon thee if he be repulsed at any one part whereat he was wont to enter hee vvill goe about and seeke vantage at another and therefore seeing our enemie is restlesse and the matter he vvorkes vpon is our manifold infirmities let vs walke circumspectly and pray continually standing with the whole compleat armour of God vpon vs that we may resist him Where for our encouragement let vs marke that albeit Comfort our standing in tentations past prooues wee haue been supported by a stronger than hee is that impugnes vs. our infirmities be many and our enemie strong yet in all our conflicts we are not alone but haue an helper who sustaynes vs. And this thou mayest finde in thine owne experience if thou wilt consider with me whereof comes this that so many yeares thou hast endured the battaile against principalities and powers Is it not of the Lord whose secret help hath sustayned thee how oft hast thou beene compassed with fearefull tentations standing like Israell in the red sea with mountaines of waters about thee threatning to ouerwhelme thee how many times hast thou receiued within thy selfe the sentence of death and beene so farre cast downe that thou hast thought with Dauid there hath been nothing for thee but death and reiection from the fauour of God how oft hast thou looked to be swallowed vp of thy enemie and giuen vnto him as a pray and yet hath the Lord beyond thy expectation deliuered thee from so manifold deaths Mayst thou not feele that the powers of hell are not able to quench that sparke of light and life which God hath created in thee No no assuredly if it had beene in the power of Sathan to haue put it out it should haue beene done long or now but blessed be the Lord it is hee who keepes our soules in life and whose secret grace continually sustaines vs. The greatnesse of this comfort shall yet appeare the better How the holy Spirit beares with vs and ouer-against vs euery burthen laid vpon vs. if we consider the word here vsed by the Apostle which signifies that hee lifts with vs and before vs in the burthen We see by daily custome that the burthen which is too heauie for one is made easie by the help of an other two ioyning hand in hand lift vp that which one is not able to doe and the burthen of Affliction which to our Nature is intollerable by the help of the Spirit becomes portable and easie for he lifts not onely ouer-against vs but least our part of the burthen should ouer-match vs hee lifts also with vs which the double composition of the word imports herein then is our comfort that the Lord our God is not like vnto other Lords and Maisters of the world if he send vs forth to doe any worke in his name he goes with vs himselfe to assist vs what good he commands vs to doe he helps vs to doe it and whatsoeuer crosse he layes vpon vs he strengthens vs to beare it being as I said euer present with vs not as a spectator onely but as an actor For we know not The Apostle this way hauing generally Our infirmities proceed from the want of Prayer set downe his second principall argument of comfort proceedes to a particular explication thereof wherein first he lets vs see that our infirmities proceed of the want of a spirituall disposition to prayer and secondly that the way by which the Spirit helpeth our infirmities is by the grace of prayer Prayer then is here recommended vnto vs as a soueraigne remedie against all our infirmities In our heauiest tentations vvee get comfort as soone as vvee get grace to pray Ascendit precatio discendit Dei miseratio vvhen Augustine Prayer goes vp the mercy of God commeth downe deijcitur Ambrose de fuga saeculi cap. 7. Wee recouer our strength by Prayer Satan cum tu ascenderis Sathan is cast downe when thou dost ascend by Prayer At the Lords Command the blinde sees the paralitique walkes the dumbe speakes the deafe heares shee that was sicke of the Feuer riseth and ministers then comes these commaundements out when thy Prayer preuailes with the Lord light comes to resolue our doubts comfort to mitigate our trouble strength to sustaine our weaknesse blessed is the man to whom the Lord keepeth open this doore of refuge that hee may say in his greatest distresse with Iehoshaphat O Lord wee know not what to doe 2 Chron. 20. 12. neyther is there strength in vs against this people but our eyes are towards thee for hee may be sure of comfort in time of neede Againe wee learne here that it is not so easie a thing to It is not an â—asie thing to pray pray as commonly men professe it is thought of many that it is an easie thing to pray therefore they begin it and goe through it as if it were a worke of no difficultie but alas if wee knew our owne naturall inabilitie and how rare a grace the grace of Prayer is we should not so vainely professe in our words that wee can pray as earnestly beseech him with the Disciples that he would teach vs to pray As that Eunuch professed that hee could not vnderstand without Acts. 8. 31. a guide so may we that we cannot pray without a guide it is easie to speake of God but not so easie to speake vnto God hee that will speake to God saith Ambrose must speake to him in his owne language that is in the language of his Spirit Prayer is not a communing of the tongue with God but Prayer is a communing of the soule with God of the soule with God and of such a soule onely as is taught by the holy Spirit how to pray it is true the Lord vnderstands the thoughts of euery mans heart but the language acceptable to God are those motions of the heart which are raised by his owne Spirit and he that wants this Spirit can not speake vnto God in Gods language Let this serue to reforme the corrupt iudgement of many who thinking themselues able enough to pray passe ouer their dayes without the grace of Prayer a fearefull punishment of carnall presumption This naturall inabilitie to pray consists in these sometime Our natural inabilitie to pray is eyther in our corrupt vnderstanding by which we seek things vnlawfull the fault is in our vnderstanding fallimur putantes prodesse quae poscimus cum non prosint wee are deceiued thinking those things to be profitable for vs which are not so the Iewes not content to be fed with Manna according to the Lords dispensation will haue flesh which the Lord giues them but in his anger and their posterity not content with the Lords gouernement will haue a King like other nations which the Lord gaue them but in his wrath Of this sort are they who send out in stead of lawfull prayers
difference betweene delaying and denying the Lord for a time delayes that which hee vvill not deny non vt neget sed vt commendet sua dona Augustine and againe tardius dando quod petimus â—â—stantiam nobis orationis Chris in Mat. hom 10. indicit the Lord vvhen he is slow to giue that vvhich vve aske doth it onely that he may commend his gifts vnto vs and make vs more instant and earnest in prayer For the better vnderstanding of this let vs distinguish If the Lord refuse that which we will it is because it is not for our weale our petitions sometime wee seeke those things vvhich are not so expedient for our selues to be granted as refused vnto vs and in these non audit nos ad voluntatem vt exaudiat ad salutem the Lord regardeth not thy will but thy weale The Apostle buffeted by an Angell of Sathan besought the Lord to remoue that tentation from him but obtained not his will the Lord saw it was not for his weale and not onely doe we read that men beloued of God haue beene refused in mercy but others haue had their petitions graunted in anger which we may see not onely in the Israelites who obtained flesh vvhen they sought but in his anger but also in those damned Spirits vvho sought licence of the Lord Iesus to enter into Swine and obtained it but to the greater augmentation of their vvrath If therefore thy petition vnto GOD be for a thing absolutely And the refusal of any thing to his owne is not without the grant of a better necessarie to thy saluation be assured that howeuer the Lord delay it he shall not simply refuse it and if otherwise thou craue a thing not absolutely necessary for thee if the Lord refuse to satisfie thy vvill therin it is that he may doe according to thy weale When the Disciple asked Iesus of the resurrection Lord wilt thou at this time restore the Acts 1. 6. kingdome of Israel he satisfied them not in that which they craued It is not for you saith hee to know the times or seasons which the Father hath put into his owne hand but another thing meeter for them and lesse craued of them hee promised vnto them But ye shall receiue power of the holy Ghost when he shall come vpon you and ye shall be witnesses vnto me A comfortable answer indeed an exchange most profitable for vs and wee rest content with it So be it euen so be it O Lord giue vs thine holy Spirit and deny vs any other thing thou wilt And of this againe we learne that we liue onely by mercy Prayer which obtaines all other gifts is also a gift of God therefore the praise of all is due to the Lord 1 Cor. 4. 7. for not onely those things which we obtaine by prayer are begged by vs and giuen by God For what hast thou O man that thou hast not receiued but we see here that prayer it selfe whereby we get all things is also a gift of God if we wanted not of our owne we would not seeke of another by prayer and if we could also pray of our selues we needed not another to teach vs. Etiam ipsa Oratio inter gratiae munera reperitur it is the Lord vvho commands and vvorketh in vs both the vvill and the deed vnto him therfore belongs the praise of all Wee haue here also to consider a great comfort for the Comfort for the godly wheÌ„ no man will speake for them they want not Intercessours godly vvho are ofttimes redacted to that estate that there is none among men to speake for them Ieremie cannot finde out Ebed-melech neyther haue the Prophets of the Lord one Obadiah to hide them Daniel had none to speak for him al stands vp that had credit to procure that he may be cast into the denne those that should be friends oftentimes become foes to the seruants of God but euen at this time their comfort is that not onely they haue Iesus the Iust an Aduocate for them at the right hand of his Father but haue also the Spirit the Comforter within them an Intercessor for them Miserable therfore must they be who bend their tongues Miserable are those who bend their tongues against them for whom the holy Spirit maketh request 2 Chron. 18. to speake against those for whom the holy Ghost maketh request vnto God that rebuke which the Prophet gaue to Iehosaphat vvhen he vvent out to help wicked king Achab wilt thou help them that hate the Lord we may turne to those in our time that are enemies to the Children of God Will ye hurt them whom the Lord helpeth The children of God in all their infirmities haue the holy Spirit for their helper vvhat euer man speakes against them hee maketh request vnto GOD for them It cannot then otherwise be but in the end comfort must be to them and confusion vnto their enemies That oracle which Zeresh gaue to Hamans Esth husband shall assuredly prooue true vpon all the enimies of God in word or deede If Mordecai be of the seede of the Iewes thou shalt not faile to fall before him If Eliah be the man of God though not a fire from heauen yet doubtles a wrath from heauen shal ouertake his enemies Only let those who are troubled by the malice of wicked men make sure vnto themselues that they haue the Spirit of grace and of glory resting in them partaker with them of their afflictions Pet. and then let them be assured that eyther their enemies shall become their friends or then the righteous Lord shall render vengeance vnto those that trouble them With sighes Last of all wee learne here that the godly No malice of men can cut off the intelligence of a Christian with the Lord. haue an intelligence with the Lord their God which no power of man is able to cut away For howeuer they may be separated from the company of men and locked vp in vnaccessible places yet can no man hinder their accesse vnto God and speaking with him yea suppose they should cut their tongues out of their heads for it is not by words but by sighes they make request vnto God and their sighes may well be increased by trouble but cannot be destroyed And herewith also let the children of GOD comfort themselues when they are brought vnto that extremitie that neither eye hand nor tongue can serue them in prayer let them looke vnto good king Ezekiah who being so vveakened with bodily diseases that hee could not speake distinctly vnto God yet his mourning like a Doue and chattering like a swallow entred into the Lords eare and brought back a comfortable answere to him Verse 27. But hee that searches the hearts knoweth what is the meaning of the Spirit for he makes request for the Saints according to the will of God LEast any man should thinke the sighes of the It is a
stile only competent to God that he is the searcher of hearts godly of little auaile because the Apostle hath said they cannot be exprest the Apostle here obuiats the doubt shewing that albeit we cannot expresse them yet the Lord to whom they are made he vnderstands them for he knowes the meaning of the Spirit Wherein first occurs to be marked this description of God he is called the searcher of hearts Many glorious stiles are giuen to the Lord in holy Scripture and among the rest this one importing his great soueraigntie ouer all his creatures many of his properties after a sort are communicable to the creature but this is no way communicable none but the Lord tries the raynes and searches the heart And in this the Lord is brought in reioycing Am I a God neere hand and not a God farre off Can any hide himselfe Ier. 23. 23. in secret places that I shall not see him doe not I fill heanen and earth As for man he is oftentimes so blind that he seeth not those things which are neere him no more then Hagar did the Well that was before her and how then shall he see things which are farre from him he seeth not things which are plaine and reueiled farre lesse can he vnderstand those that are couered Old Isaac when his eyes waxed dim was so deceiued that he tooke Iacob for Esau but the ancient of dayes who heares without eares and sees without eyes cannot be so deceiued Samuel may looke vpon Eliah and thinke hee should be King because of his likely personage but the Lord can tell him this is not the man for man beholds the countenance but the Lord regards the heart Of this we haue first to learne a lesson of true godlinesse that seeing the Lord searcheth the heart it becommeth vs in all our waies principally to looke vnto it It is in the most part of men an argument of their Atheisme that they look curiously to the decking of the body which falleth vnder the eye of man but regard not the hid man of the heart Let not man therefore sinne vnder hope of secrecie which falleth vnder the eye of God And againe we learne here that it cannot be vvithout great contempt to God to sin against him vnder the hope of secrecie it is with thy sin to ioyne a mocking of God for in effect thou sayest vvith the Atheist The Lord seeth not A most high sinne against his Maiestie vvhereby thou dost all thou canst to pull out the eyes of the Lord that hee should not see or at least thinks so of him in the false conclusion of thy darkned mind No meruaile therefore that against such as thou art the Prophet threaten that fearefull curse Woe be to them that Esay 29. 15. seeke in deepe to hide their counsell from the Lord their workes are in darknesse and they say who seeth vs or who knoweth vs your turning of deuices shall it not be esteemed as the potters clay for shall the worke say to him that made it he made me not or the thing formed say of him that fashioned it hee had none vnderstanding Vnderstand yee vnwise among the people and yee fooles when will yee be wise Hee that planted Psal 94. 8. 9. 10. 11. the eare shall bee not heare or he that formed the eye shall he not see hee that teacheth man knowledge shall he not know Certainely the Lord knoweth the thoughts of the heart of man that they be but vanitie Let vs therefore sanctifie the Lord God of hostes in our But let the eye of the Lord be an awband euen in secret to keep vs from sinne heart let vs neuer seeke to hide our wayes from him for that it is impossible let vs learn of Henoch to make our liues a walking with God and with Dauid let vs alwayes set the Lord before our eyes so in the middest of our own house vve shall walke in the innocencie of our heart where there is no eye of man to make vs ashamed the reuerence of God shall keepe vs from sinne The feare of carnall men is the countenance of men what restrayned Abner and made him vnwilling to slay Asahel If I doe it said he how shall I hold vp my face to thy brother Ioab but the awe of spirituall 2 Sam. 2. 22. men is the countenance of GOD this restrayned Ioseph Gen. 44. 18. that in secret hee durst not commit adulterie and it was his reason to perswade his brethren I feare God and therefore dare doe you no euill Certainely this is onely true godlinesse vvhen vve liue so as vnder the eye of GOD and the reuerence of his inuisible maiestie restraines vs from doing those sinnes which otherwise we might doe vnknowne or at least vncontrouled of men And so much the more let vs endeauour to attaine to this The sonnes of Adam seeke to hide themselues from the Lord. holy disposition because howsoeuer our corrupt Nature cannot hide her crooked wayes from the Lord yet shee desires and preases to doe it and if her deeds and thoughts be brought vnto the light it is sore against her will but the children of God renued by grace willingly presents their hearts to God that he should looke vpon them And this the Apostle points out here vvhen he saith that not onely God knowes the heart but that hee searches the heart Searching is the inquisition of a thing which is hid and couered and imports the contrary corruption of our Nature vvhich seekes to hide and obscure it selfe from the Lord. As Adam presently after his fall sought to couer his nakednesse vvith figge-tree leaues so hath he transmitted this heritable euill to all his posterity that when they haue done vvickedly they doe what they can to couer it but in vaine But in vaine for the Lord is such a searcher from vvhose eyes no man can hide that for which hee makes inquisition Laban searched the Tent of Iacob for his Idols could not find them though they vvere there but vvhat the Lord searches hee shall finde out If Saul hide himselfe the Lord can tell the people that hee lurkes among the stuffe As a light vvhere it comes makes things to be seene which were hid in darknesse so the Lord when he searches saith he will search with lights to tell thee that were thy deedes neuer so secret hee will make them manifest Let vs not therefore like the prophane Atheists seeke to hide our secrets from the searcher but let vs liue as in the sight of God Neyther is it without great cause that the Lord passing The heart only makes the difference between the true Christian and counterfaite by other things looketh onely to the heart the heart being the essentiall difference that distinguisheth a true Christian from a counterfaite for outward exercises of godlinesse the hypocrite in appearance may match the holy one Ye shall see Cain sacrificing no lesse then Abel yee
of our hearts vncleane cogitations and affections whereby we haue trode in the filth of sinne before we pray for those are neuer lawfull but most vnlawfull in the time of prayer As for worldly cogitations they are sometimes lawfull but neuer in the time of prayer As Abraham vsed his Asses to serue him for his iourney but when he came to Mount Moriah the place of the vvorship he left them at the foote of the hill so the thoughts of the vvorld are sometime tollerable if we vse them as seruants to carry vs through in our iourney from the earth to heauen but we must not take them with vs into the holy place wherein the Lord is to be worshipped To help vs to the preparation before prayer let vs consider Motiues to preparation first that he to whom we speake is the Father of light and we are by nature but the children of darknes call therfore vpon him in the sinceritie and vprightnesse of thine heart for he loues truth in the inward affections Secondly he is the Father of glory come therefore before him with feare and reuerence for thou art but dust and ashes Thirdly hee is the Father of mercy repent thee therefore of thy sinnes and then draw neere vvith a true heart in assurance of Faith The second thing requisit is attention in Prayer the Lord 2 That there be attention in Prayer to whom we speake is the searcher of the heart and therefore we should beware that wee speake nothing to him with our mouth which our heart hath not conceiued For it is a great mockerie to the Lord to desire him to consider those petitions vvhich wee haue not considered our selues we scarcely heare what we say our selues and how then shall we craue the Lord may heare vs We finde by experience that it is not an easie thing to gather together in one and keepe vnited the powers of our soule in prayer vnto God Sathan knowes that the gathering of our forces is the weakening of his kingdome and that then we are strongest when vve are most feruent in prayer and therefore doth hee labour all that hee can to slacke the earnestnesse of our affection and so to make vs more remisse in prayer by stealing into our hearts if not a prophane at least an impertinent cogitation so that vnlesse wee fight without ceasing against the incursion of our enemie like Abraham driuing away the rauening birds from his sacrifice vnlesse vve expell them speedily as oft as they come vpon vs it is not possible that wee can entertaine conference with God by prayer And thirdly after thy prayer thou shouldst come away with reuerent thanksgiuing It is the fault of many carelesse 3 That after prayer there be thanksgiuing to God vvorshippers they goe vnto God as men goe to a Well to refresh them when they are thirstie they go to it and their face toward it but being refreshed they returne with their backe vpon it euen so doe they sit downe to their prayers without preparation powre them out without attention and deuotion and when they haue done goes away without reuerent thanksgiuing whereas indeed euery accesse to God by prayer should kindle in our hearts a new affection toward him if we consider that when vve pray and gets any accesse so oft are we confirmed in this that he vvho hath the keyes of the house of Dauid and opens and no man shuts hath opened to vs an entrance to the throne of grace vvhich shall neuer be closed againe vpon vs whereof there should arise in our hearts a dayly encrease of ioy vvhich should make vs to abound in thanksgiuing Makes request for the Saints Wee haue further to learne The curse of Moab is vpon prophane men they pray and preuailes not that none are partakers of the grace of Prayer but men sanctified in Christ Iesus the Spirit requests for Saints not for prophane and impenitent men howsoeuer sometime they babble for themselues yet are their prayers turned into sinne The curse of Moab is vpon them they pray and preuailes not As without sanctification we cannot see God so vvithout sanctification vve cannot pray to God euery one that calles on the name of the Lord should depart from iniquitie Doe we not feele it by experience that the further we goe from our sinnes the neerer accesse we get vnto the Lord and on the contrarie doth not the Lord protest against his people the Iewes albeit yee make many prayers yet Esay 1. 15. Ierem. 7. 9. I will not heare you for your hands are full of bloud Will you steale murther and commit adulterie and come and stand before mee in this house where my name is called vpon before your eyes behold euen I see it and will for this cause cast you out of my sight But here seeing it is for Saints onely that the Spirit requests Seeing the spirit requests for Saints onely how shall we know that he requests for vs who are sinners 1 Ioh. 1. 8. vvhat shall then become of mee may the vveake Christian say who am the chiefe of all sinners To this I answere that in vs vvho are militant here vpon earth both of these are true vve are sinners and vve are Saints but in sundry respects If we say wee haue no sinne wee lye and the truth of God is not in vs. And if our aduersarie say that there is nothing in vs but sinne hee is also a lyer That therefore we may know how these are to be reconciled let vs consider that the Euangelist Saint Iohn saith hee that is borne of 1 Ioh. 5. 18. God sinneth not and in the same Epistle speaking also of men that are regenerate and borne of God he saith if wee say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues The Apostle Saint Paul speaking of himselfe in one and the selfe same place affirmes that he did the euill which he would not and yet incontinent Rom. 7. 15. 17. hee protests that it was not hee but sinne dwelling in him The resolution of this doubt vvill arise by considering In the christian man are two men the new and the old that in the Christian man are two men the new man and the old the one the workmanship of God the other the workmanship of Sathan the one but young little weake in respect of the other like little Dauid compared to the Gyant Goliah Yet the new man vvho is weakest hath this vantage that he is daily growing whereas the other is dayly decaying the life of the new man vvaxeth stronger and stronger the life of the olde man vveaker and weaker the one tending to perfection the other vvearing to a finall destruction Now the Lord in iudging of the Christian lookes not God iudges of the Christian by the new man and not by the old to the remanents of sinne in him which are dayly decaying but to the new workmanship of his owne grace in him vvhich is daily
growing according to it he esteemes iudges and speakes of the Christian from it hee giues vs these names as to call vs Saints righteous c. not counting with vs vvhat haue vve beene neyther yet weighing vs by the corruption of sinnefull nature which remaines in vs but according to the new grace vvhich in our regeneration hee hath created in vs Hee sees no iniquitie in Israel and it is his Numb 23. 21. praise to passe by the transgressions of his heritage But the Christian by the contrarie in iudging of himselfe he lookes most commonly â—o that vvhereunto the Lord lookes least his sinnes are euer before him the old man is continually in his sight as a strong and mighty Gyant vvhose force hee feares vvhose tyrannie makes him to tremble and by whom hee findes himselfe detayned vnder miserable thraldome farre against his will and therefore all his care is how to subdue his tyrannie how to quench his life and shake off his dominion in this vvarfare he sighes complaines and cryes vnto GOD with the holy Apostle O miserable Rom. 7. 24. man who shall deliuer me from this body of sinne But because so long as this old man hath a life hee neuer rests to send out sinnefull motions and actions which doe greatly grieue the child of God therefore is it that hee esteemes himselfe a miserable creature yea and the chiefe of all sinners Thus yee see how it is that God accounts his children Saints and they account themselues Sinners Where againe Saint Iohn saith that he who is borne of God How it is to be vnderstood that he who is borne of God sinneth not sinnes not and yet that hee who saith hee hath no sinne is a lyer both of these is true He that is borne of God that is the new man sinneth not for sure it is that all the sins which are committed by man are either done without the knowledge of the new man his vnderstanding being as yet so vveake that he doth not know euery sinne to be sinne or then if he knowes them to be sinnes they are done without his consent or approbation yea they are done sore against his will so that the new man in the sinnes which are done in the body is a patient not an agent So that as an honest man captiued by violence and against The new man liues in the body like Lot in Sodome his will compelled to behold wicked and abhomiâ—able deedes which he would not so much as looke to if hee were free so is the new man detayned in the body as a captiue and compelled to looke vnto that which he loues not that is to the sinfull motions vnruly lusts and affections of his corrupt nature whereunto he consents not but protests against them and for their sake becomes wearie of soiourning in the body so that Ioseph was not more wearie of his prison nor Ieremie of his dungeon nor Daniel of the company of Lyons nor Dauid more wearie of his dwelling in Psal 120. 5. the tents of Kedar than is the new man wearie of his abiding in the body He is like Lot in Sodome whose righteous soule was vext day by day by hearing and seeing the vncleane conuersation of the Sodomites he is like Israel in Aegipt kept in most vile slauerie by the tyrannie of Pharaoh sighing and crying hee is like the godly Iewes holden in captiuitie in Babell many things they saw there done to the dishonour of God which they no way approued and many things they would haue done that they had no liberty to do So this new man perceiues many sinfull motions actions brought in vpon him by a superiour power which are a griefe vnto him and vexation of his spirit And this is the greatest comfort of the new man that Reioycing when â—e doth good grieued when he doth euill Rom. 7. 15. whatsoeuer good he doth hee doth it with ioy and on the contrary euill that is done in the body it is a griefe to him to see it yea he protests against it O Lord this is not I but sin that dwels in me thou knowst I like it not I allow it not I wish from my heart there were not done in me any thing that might offend thee Onely happy and thrice happy is the man who with the holy Apostle is able to say so Thus yee see in what sense the Godly are said by the Euangelist in one place not to sinne and in another not to be without sin The Lord worke this holy disposition in vs that the life of sinne may daily be weakned in vs. According to God Wee haue last of all to marke here We should not present petitions to God which are not according to his will that those petitions which flow from the Spirit are according to Gods will and therefore as concerning temporall things because wee know not absolutely what is the will of God whether health or sicknesse riches or pouertie be most expedient for vs we are to pray with a condition if it be his will but as for those things which are directly against his will it is a great mockery if it be done with knowledge or otherwise a grosse impietie to seeke them from him It is written of Vitellius that one of his friends asking from him a certaine thing which hee refused and being impatient of the refusall did say to him What auaileth thy friendship to me if I cannot obtaine that which I craue returned backe to his friend this answere And what auaileth to mee thy friendship if for thy sake I must doe that which becomes me not If such equitie be in a mortall man that he will not graunt an vnlawfull thing euen to his tender friend how much more are we to thinke that it is in the Lord our God Away therefore with these cursed and abhominable sacrifices as to present vnto the Lord petitions which are not agreeable vnto his holy will And last to conclude this that wee may be encouraged A Christian hath accesse to the priuie chamber of the great king euer when he pleaseth to prayer let vs consider what excellent priuiledge this is that the Christian as oft as hee pleaseth hath libertie to speake vnto the Lord his God The Persians thought it a piece of their silly glory not to graunt accesse easily vnto their subiects yea not to those of most noble ranck therefore yee see how afraid Hester the Queene was to goe in vnto the King vnsent for But the Lord our God King of Kings proclaimes vnto vs free accesse as oft as we are disposed to call vpon him ready at all times to extend the Scepter of his peace toward those who seeke him in spirit and truth Yea though with Dauid thou preuent the morning and rise at midnight to call vpon him thou shalt finde him euen then waiting vpon thee Inuenire potes praeuenire non potes come when thou wilt thou maist finde him but canst
not preuent him Let vs therefore vse our libertie well and see wee neglect not to begin in time our acquaintance with the Lord by frequent speaking vnto him if so be we looke hereafter for euer to remaine with him Verse 28. Also we know that all things worke together for the best to them who loue God euen to them who are called according to his purpose NOw followeth the Apostles third and last principall The third principall argument of comfort is from the prouidence of God working all things to the good of his owne argument of comfort taken from the prouidence of God which so ouer-ruleth all things that fall out in the world that he causeth them to worke together and that for the best vnto those who loue him and among the rest our afflictions are so farre from being preiudiciall to our saluation that by the prouidence of God which is the daily executer of his purpose working all things according to the counsell of his wil they become meanes helping vs forward to that end namely conformitie with Christ whereunto God hath appointed vs. The comfort is summarily set downe in these words All things worke together for the best to them who loue God the confirmation thereof is broken vp in these words euen to them who are called according to his purpose and the explication is subioyned in the two subsequent Verses Also That is beside all the comfort which I haue giuen Manifold blessings of God are vpon the Godly Psal 34. 19. you before I giue you yet this further not one but manifold are the comforts which the Lord hath discouered for his children in holy Scriptures Many are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuers him out of them all that is for euery trouble the Lord hath a seueral deliuerance Euery 1 Cor. 10. 13. tentation saith the Apostle hath the owne issue euery horne that riseth against vs to push vs hath an hammer attending Zach. 1. 21. vpon it to represse it saith the Prophet Esau mourned on Isaac albeit he was prophane yet hee cryed pittifully Hast thou but one blessing me Father but we with the holy Apostle may blesse our heauenly Father who doth so comfort vs in all our tribulations that as the sufferings of Christ abound in vs so our consolations abound through Christ The store-house of his consolations can neuer be emptied The Lord our God hath not dealt niggardly nor sparingly If the first fruits of our comfort be so sweet what shall the full masse be with vs but a good measure of consolation pressed downe and running ouer hath he giuen vs in our bosome his holy name be praised therfore And yet how little is all this which now we receiue in comparison of those inestimable ioyes prepared for vs the like whereof the eye neuer saw the eare neuer heard the heart did neuer vnderstand Surely the greatest measure of comfort we haue in this life is but the earnest penny of that principall which shal be giuen vs hereafter if the first fruits of heauenly Canaan be so delectable how shall the full masse thereof abundantly content vs when we shall behold the face of our God in righteousnesse and shall be filled with his image and with that fulnesse of ioy which is in his presence and those pleasures which are at his right hand for euermore We know If yee ponder the Apostles words yee shall None but a Christian can know the mysteries of the Gospell 1 Cor 9. 11. 1 Cor. 2. 14. 1 Cor. 2. 5. 6. finde that by an Emphasis bee restraines this knowledge to the Children of God excluding worldlings and naturalists from it The spirituall man discerneth all things but hee himselfe is iudged of no man A naturall man cannot vnderstand the things that are of God The Gospell is wisedome indeed but wisedome in a mistâ—rie and wisedome among them that are perfect Euery article of our Faith and point of Christian doctrine euery priuiledge of a Christian is a mysterie no meruaile therfore that the Gospel be foolishnes to the naturall man who perisheth the excellent things of Christianitie can be knowne of none but those who possesse them the Pearles which none know but they who haue them value or rather vanitie of earthly Iewels hath beene better knowne of some who neuer had them than of others who haue enioyed them but the Iewels of Gods Children such as Peace Righteousnesse and ioy in the holy Ghost can be knowne of none but of him who doth possesse them the new Name none can know but hee vvho hath it neyther can any man know the sweetnesse of hid Manna vnlesse he taste it If you goe and speake to a Worldling of inward peace Worldlings speake of them like birds counterfaiting the voyce of man and spirituall ioy or of the priuiledges of a Christian yee shall seeme to him a Barbarian or one that speakes a strange language which he doth not vnderstand or if he himselfe speake of them as hee hath learned by hearing or reading yet shall he speake like a Bird vttering voyces which he vnderstandeth not As the brute beast knowes not the excellencie of mans life and therefore doth delight it selfe with Hay and Prouender seeking no better because it knoweth no better so the naturall man knoweth not the excellencie of a Christian and therefore doth disdaine him and esteeme him a foole a mad man and the off-scowring of the world he takes the doung of the earth in his armes for his inheritance if he can obtaine the portion of Esau that the fatnesse of the earth may be his dwelling place if his wheat and his oyle abound to him hee careth for no more hee knoweth not what it is to haue his soule made glad with the light of the countenance of God This is your miserable condition O yee wretched Worldlings yee are cursed with Worldlings cursed with the curse of the Serpent the curse of the Serpent yee creepe as it were vpon your bellies and yee lick the dust of the earth all the dayes of your life yee haue not an eye to looke vp vnto heauen nor an heart to seeke those things which are aboue Most fearefull is your estate we warne you of it but it is the Lord who must deliuer you from it This resolute knowledge is the mother of spirituall courage constancie and patience for why shall he feare in the euill day yea though the earth should be remoued and the Sure knowledge of Christian comfort is the mother of patience Reuel 4. mountaines fall into the middest of the sea who sees the Lord sitting on his throne and the glassie sea of the world before him gouerning all the waltrings changes and euents of things therein to the good of them who loue him Oh that we had profited so much in the schoole of Christ all our dayes that without doubting or making any exception we could beleeue this which here
the Apostle layes for a most sure ground of comfort that so wee might change all our thoughts and cares into one namely how to grow in the loue of God that in a good conscience we might say to the Lord with Peter Lord thou knowest I loue thee casting the Ioh. 21. 15. burthen of all the rest of our feares grieses and tentations vpon the Lord who cares for vs and hath giuen vs this promise for a praemunire all câ—mes for the best The Souldier with courage enters into the battell vnder Other men hazards vnder hope but the Christian runs as sure to obtaine hope to obtaine the victory the Maâ—â—ner with boldnesse commits himselfe to the stormy seas vnder hope of vantage and euery man hazards in his calling yet are they vncertaine venturers and knowes not the end but the Christian runnes not as vncertaine but as one sure to obtaine the Crowne for he knowes that the God of peace shall shortly tread Rom. 16. 20. Sathan vnder his feet What then shall not he with courage enter into the battell wherein he is made sure of the victory before he sight knowing that all the warriours of Christ shal be more than conquerours through him if wee will onely 2 Chron. 20. 17. stand still we shall see the saluation of the Lord. Gideon with his three hundred fought against the great host of Midian without feare because he was sure of victory Dauid made hast ranne to encounter with Goliah because he was perswaded that God would deliuer him into his hands The Israelites were not afraid to enter into the Riuer of Iordane because they saw the Arke of God before them deuiding the waters And shall onely the Christian stand astonished in his tentations notwithstanding that the word of God goes before him to resolue him that whatsoeuer falles out shal come for the best to him The Lord encrease vs and make vs to abound more and more in the loue of our God for perfect loue casts out feare the Lord strengthen our faith that through these mistie cloudes of affliction which now compasse vs we may see that comfortable end which God in his word hath discouered vnto vs. And to this effect we must beware of the subtile slights One of Sathans slights is to cause vs to iudge of the works of God by their beginnings of Sathan who to the end that he may spoile vs of this comfort in trouble endeauours by all meanes either to quench the light of God vtterly in our mindes or at least to darken and obscure it by precipitation of our vnbeleeuing harts carrying vs headlong to iudge of the works of God by their beginnings and to measure our selues in trouble by our present estate and condition not suffering vs to tarrie while we see the end whereof it comes to passe that our hearts being What inconueniences arise from this precipitation tossed too and fro with restlesse perturbations like trees of the forrest shaken with the winde we hasten in our necessities to be our prouisors in our dangers we will be our owne deliuerers and euery way we become the caruers of our owne condition We haue so much the more neede to beware of this precipitation because the dearest seruants of God haue fallen through it into fearefull sinnes against the Lord As we may see in Dauid who being in extreame danger in the Wildernesse of Maon said in his feare that all men were lyers Is not this a great blasphemie to say that the promises which the Lord made to him by Samuel were but lyes and in his other extremities hee is not ashamed to confesse that hee thought that God had forgot to be mercifull and had shut vp Psal 39. 9. his tender mercy in displeasure but when he saw the end then hee was compelled to accuse himselfe and giue glory vnto God I should haue beene dumbe and not opened my mouth Psal 116. 10. because thou didst it and againe I said in my feare all men are lyers for notwithstanding all Samuels promises I looked for nothing but death but now considering the deliuerance I must say pretious in the sight of the Lord is the death of all his Psal 116. 13. Saints Seeing this precipitation made Dauid to stumble and Hee that will iudge of Lazarus on the dunghill shall think him more miserable than the rich Glutton fall may we not feare least it carry vs to the like inconuenience vnlesse wee learne to beware of it in time let vs not therefore iudge of the works of God before they be ended If we should look to Lazarus on the doung-hill full of byles and sores hauing no comfort but from the dogs and compare him with the rich Glutton clothed in purple and fairing daintily euery day what can we iudge but that Lazarus is the most miserable of the two yet if wee â—arrie till the Lord haue ended his worke and Lazarus be conuayed to Abrahams bosome and the rich Glutton be gone to his place then shal the truth appeare manifestly All things worke together for the best to them that loue God Let vs therefore learne to measure the euent of things not by their present condition but by the prediction of Gods word let vs cleaue But wee shall best iudge of the workes of God if we â—arrie till they be ended to his promise and waite on the vision which hath his owne time appoinâ—ed it shall speake at the last and shall not lye though it tarry let vs wait for it it shall surely come and not stay let vs goe into the Sanctuary of God and consider the end there shall we learne that there is no peace to the wicked Esay 48. 22. howsoeuer they flourish for a time and that it cannot be but well with them who loue the Lord Marke the vpright man Psal 37. 37. and behold the iust the end of that man is peace but the transgressours shall be destroyed together and the end of the wicked shall be cut off Thus both in the troubles of the Godly and prosperity of the wicked we should suspend our iudgement till we see the end All things worke together Marke the singular priuiledge Gods wonderfull wisedom in causing things of so contrarie qualities to agree to doe one worke of the Christian noâ— onely afflictions but all other things whatsoeuer vvorke for the best vnto him and not onely so but they worke together Many working instruments are there in the world vvhose course is not one they communicate not counsels yea their intentions oftentimes are contrary yet the Lord bringeth all their vvorks vnto this one end the good of those who loue him vvhere euer they be in regard of place vvhat euer in regard of persons yea howsoeuer disagreeing among themselues yet are they so ruled by the prouident power of the supreame gouernour our heauenly Father that all of them workes together vnto the good of them that loue
the worke of our second creation vvhich is our regeneration hee casts downe that hee may raise vp hee kils and hee makes aliue he accuseth his children for sinne that so hee may chase them to seeke remission of sinnes hee troubleth their consciences that so hee may pacifie them And in a word the meanes vvhich hee vseth are contrary to the vvorke it selfe vvhich he intends to performe in his Children Hee sent a fearefull darknesse on Abraham euen then vvhen hee vvas to communicate vnto him most ioyfull light he vvrestled vvith Iacob and shooke him too and fro euen then when he came to blesse him hee strooke the Apostle Paul with blindnesse at that same time vvhen hee came to open his eyes hee frownes for a while vpon his beloued as Ioseph did vpon his brethren but in the end with louing affection shall hee embrace them he may seeme angry at thy prayers as he put backe the petitions of that vvoman of Canaan but at length he will graunt a fauourable answere vnto them Let vs not therfore murmure against the Lord by whatsoeuer meanes it please him to vvorke It is enough we know that all the wayes of God euen when he deales most hardly vvith his children are mercie and tends to the good of those who loue him And as for Sathans stratagems it is also out of doubt that Sathans stratagems are directed to the good of the godly they worke for the best to them vvho loue the Lord not according to his purpose indeede but by the Lords operation who directeth all Sathans assaults to another end then hee intended and trappeth him continually in his owne snare If vnder the Serpents shape hee deceiued Adam vnder the Serpents name shall the Lord curse him and all those vveapons whereby hee seeketh to destroy the worke of Gods grace in vs doth the Lord turne to destroy the workmanship of Sathan in vs I meane that whole bastard generation of peruerse affections what Sathan hath begotten vpon our mutable nature by a most vnhappie and Ambr. lib. 1. de poeni ca. 13 vnlawfull copulation De veneno eius fit spirituale antidotum of this poyson the Lord maketh a spirituall preseruatiue Sathans accusations for sinnes past are vnto the godly presâ—ruatiues against sinne to come The experience of all the Saints of God proues this that Sathan by his restlesse tentations doth destroy himselfe which is most euident both in his tentations for sinne committed tending to desperation as also in his tentations vnto sinne tending to presumption Euery accusation of the conscience for sinne past is vnto the Godly man a preseruatiue to keepe him from sinne in time to come he reasoning with himselfe after this manner If mine enemie doe so disquiet my minde with inward terrour for those sinnes which foolishly I did by his entisement why shall I hearken to him any more and so encrease the matter of my trouble for what fruit haue I of all those sinnes which I did by his instigation but terrour and shame and shall I looke that this forbidden tree can render vnto me any better fruit hereafter O what a faithlesse traytor is Sathan hee entiseth man vnto sinne and when he hath done it hee is the first accuser and troubler of man for sinne When hee comes first vnto vs he is a tempter when we haue finished his worke which is sinne he is an accuser of vs vnto the Iudge and when hee returneth he returneth a troubler and tormenter of vs for those same sinnes which he counselled vs to doe Stop thine care therefore O my soule from the voyce of this deceitfull enchanter His tentations againe vnto sinne are vnto the Godly And his tentations to sinne chases them to the throne of grace man prouocations that spurre him forward vnto the throne of grace for while as wee finde his restlesse malice pursuing in vs that little sparke of spirituall life vvhereby the Lord hath quickned vs and our owne weakenesse and iâ— abilitie to resist him then are we forced with Israell in Egypt to sigh for the thraldome and to cry vvith Ieâ—oshaplâ—â— O Chron. 20. 13. Lord our God we know not wâ—at to doe but our â—â—es are toward thee And who feeleth not this that the grace of feruent prayer wherein otherwise wee saint our heart being more ready to fall downe than the hands of Mâ—ses vnlesse they be supported is greaâ—ly intended in the Children of God by the buffets of Sathan as is manifest in the holy Apostle Magna certe potestas quae imperat Diabolo vt se ipse destruat Ambr. ibid. a great power of God this is certainly which commandeth Sathan to destroy himselfe Se enim destruit cum hominem quem tentando supplantare studet ex infirmo fortiorem efficit for then doth hee destroy himselfe when the man whom hee seeketh to ouerthrow by his tentation of a weake man is made stronger by those same mâ—â—nes Thus the Lord our God ouershootes Sathan in his owne bow and cuts off the head of Goliah with his owne sword his holy name be praised therefore Now as concerning outward afflictions it is true that as As the Philistims vnderstood not Sampsons riddle how sweet came out of the sowre so cannot worldlings that comfort is in the crosse Iudg. 14. 14. Rom. 5. 3. 2 Cor. 4. 13. Heb. 12. 11. the Philistims could not vnderstand Sampsons riddle how sweet came out of the sowre and meat out of the eater so cannot Worldlings vnderstand that tribulation bringeth out patience and that our light and momentanie afflictions cause vnto vs a farre more excellent and eternall waight of glory but the Children of God haue learned by experience that albeit no visitation be sweet for the present yet afterward it brings the quiet fruit of righteousnesse vnto them who are thereby exercised and that there is more solide ioy in suffering rebuke with Christ than in all the pleasures of sinne which endure but a season As Moses the typycall Mediator of the olde Testament made by his prayer the bitter vvaters of Marah become sweet so Iesus the true Mediator by his passion hath mittigated to his children the bitternesse of the crosse yea hath made it profitable vnto them The prodigall sonne concluded not to returne home to Afflictions profitable to the children of God his Father till he was brought low by affliction Hagar was proud in the house of Abraham but humble in the vvildernesse Ionas sleepeth in the ship but watcheth and prayeth in the Whales belly Manasses liued in Ierusalem as a Libertine but bound in chaines in Babell hee turneth his heart vnto the Lord his God Corporall diseases forced manie in the Gospell to come to Christ where others enioying bodily health would not acknowledge him The earth vvhich is not tilled and broken vp beares nothing but thornes and bryers the Vines waxe wilde in time vnlesse they be pruned and cut so would our wilde hearts ouergrow with the
priuiledge of the whole Church Gen. 12. 3. them that blesse thee and curse them that curse thee vve may easily thinke belongs also to all his seed euen to that congregation of the first borne The Lord will be a wall of fire round about Ierusalem and the glory in the middest of her he vvill keepe her as the apple of his eye and make Ierusalem a cuppe of poyson to all her enemies and a heauie stone vvhich vvhosoeuer striueth to lift shall be torne therewith though all the people of the earth were gathered together against it the vveapons made against her shall not prosper and euery tongue that shall rise against her in iudgement shall be condemned This is the heritage of the Lords seruants and the portion of them that loue him for the church is that Arke which mounts vp higher as the water increases but cannot be ouerwhelmed the bush which may burnâ— but cannot be consumed the house built on a rocke which may be beaten with vvinde and raine but cannot be ouerthrowne The Lord who changeth times and seasons vvho takes A warning for Kings and such as are in authoritie away Kings and sets vp Kings hath reproued Kings for his Churches sake yea hee gouernes all the kingdomes of the earth in such sort that their fallings risings their changes and mutations are all directed to the good of his Church In one of these two sentences all the Iudges of the vvorld may see themselues and foresee their end for eyther that shall be fulfilled in them which Mordecay said to Este who knowes if for this thou art come to the kingdome that by thee deliuerance may come to Gods people or else that which Moses Hâ—ster 4 14. in Gods name said to Pharaoh the oppressour of the Church in her adolescencie I haue set thee vp to declare my Exod. 7. power because thou exaltest thy selfe against my people May wee not behold here how vnsure their standing is They who rise to authoritie and not to the good of the Church shall assuredly fall and how certaine their fall who when they are highest abuse their power most to hold the people of God lowest what else are they but obiects whom the Lord hath raised vp to declare his power and iustice vpon them If we shall marke the course of the Lords proceeding euer since the beginning of the world we shall finde a blessing following them whom he hath made instruments of good vnto his church and that such againe haue not wanted their owne recompence of wrath who haue continued instruments of her trouble When the Lord concluded to bring his Church from Examples shewing how God hath altered the state of worldly Empires for the good of his Church Canaan to soiourne in Egypt he sent such a famine in Canaan as compelled them to forsake it but made plenty in Egypt by the hand of Ioseph whom the Lord had sent before as a prouisor for his Church and by whom Pharaoh was made fauourable to Iacob but when the time came that the Lord was to translate his Church from Egypt to Canaan when hee altered Pharaohs countenance and raised vp a new King who knew not Ioseph hee turned the Egyptians hearts away from Israel so that they vexed Israell and made them to serue by crueltie Thus when the Lord In Pharaoh king of Egypt will bring them to Egypt hee maketh Pharaoh fauourable which also brings a blessing vpon Tharaoh and his people but vvhen the Lord vvill make them to goe out of Egypt hee maketh another Pharaoh an enemie vnto them whereby both they are made willing to forsake Egypt and Pharaoh prepares the way for a fearefull iudgement on himselfe and his people Againe when the sinnes of Israel came to that ripenesse In the Monarch of Babell and Persia that their time vvas come and their day drew neere the Lord stirred vp the King of Babell as the rod of his wrath and staffe of his indignation Hee sent him to the dissembling Esay nation and gaue him a charge against the people of his wrath to take the spoyle and the pray and to tread them vnder feete like mire in the streets and to this effect that the Lord might be auenged of the sinnes of Israel hee subdued all the kingdomes round about them vnder the King of Babell that no stoppe nor impediment should be in the way to hold back the rodde of Ashur from Israel But yet againe vvhen the Lord had accomplished all his worke vpon Israel and the time of mercy was come and the seauentie yeeres of captiuitie expired then the Lord visited the proud heart of the King of Ashur and for his Churches sake he altered againe the gouernement of the whole earth translating the Empyre to the Medes and Persians that so Cyrus the Lords annointed might performe to his people the promised deliuerance All which should learne vs in the greatest changes and Therefore in our greatest mutations our hart should not be moued from confidence in God Psal alterations that fall out in the world to rest assured that the Lord will vvorke for the good of his Church though the earth should be moued and the mountaines fall into the middest of the Sea yea though the vvaters thereof rage and be troubled yet there is a riuer whose streames shall make glad the Cittie of our GOD in the middest of it yea if they vvho should be the nourishing Fathers of the Church forsake her and become her enemies they shall assuredly perish but comfort and deliuerance shall Esth appeare vnto Gods people out of another place The Lord for a vvhile may put the brydle of bondage in the Philistims hand to humble Israell for their sinnes but it shall be taken from them at length his Church shall with ioy draw vvater out of the Well of saluation and praise the Lord saying though thou wert angry with mee thy wrath is turned away and thou comfortest mee yea Sion shall cry out and shout for ioy for great is the holy One of Israel in the middect of her And therefore in our lowest humiliations let vs answere our enemies Reioyce not against mee O mine enemie though I fall I shall rise when I shall sit in darknesse the Lord is a light vnto me I will beare the wrath of the Lord because I haue sinned against him vntill he plead my cause and execute iudgement for mee he will bring me forth to the light and I shall see his righteousnesse then he that is mine enemie shall looke vpon it and shame shall couer him who said to me where is the Lord thy God now shall hee be troden vnder as the mire in the streets yea so let all thine enemies perish O Lord. For the best This good or best is no other thing but What is a christians best that precious saluation prepared to be shewed in the last time reserued in the heauens for vs and whereunto wee are
reserued by the power of God through Faith Of this it is euident that our best is not yet vvrought it is onely in the vvorking and therefore vvee are not to looke for it in this life There is a great difference in this betweene the godly A wicked man is at his best when he is first borne for the longer he liues the more sins he multiplyes and the wicked the one inioyes their best in this life the other not so but looketh for it If it should be demaunded vvhen a wicked man is at his best I would answere his best is euill enough but then is he at his best vvhen he comes first into the world for then his sinnes are fewest his iudgement easiest it had beene good for him that the knees had not preuented him but that hee had dyed in the birth For as a riuer vvhich is smallest at the beginning increases as it proceedes by the accession of other waters vnto it so the wicked the longer he liueth waxeth worse and worse deceiuing Ierem. 9. 3. and being deceiued proceeding from euill to worse till at length he be swallowed vp in that lake that burnes vvith fire and brimstone And this the Apostle expresseth most significantly when A man continuing in sinne compared to one gathering a treasure Rom. 2. hee compares the vvicked man vnto one gathering a treasure wherein hee heapeth vp wrath vnto himselfe against the day of wrath for euen as the worldling who euery day casteth a piece of money into his treasure in few yeares multiplyes such a summe that hee himselfe is not able to keepe in minde the particulars thereof but when hee breaketh vp his boxe he findes in it sundry sorts of coyne which vvere quite out of his remembrance euen so it is and worse vvith thee O impenitent man who not onely euery day but euery houre and moment of the day doest multiply thy transgressions and defile thy conscience by hoording vp into it some dead worke or other to what a reckoning thinkest thou shall thy sinnes amount in the end though thou doest forget them as thou committest them yet the Apostle tels thee that thou hast laid them vp in a treasurie Yea not onely hast thou laid vp in store thy sinnes but With euery new sinne he gathers a new portion of wrath vvith euery sinne hast gathered a portion of vvrath proportionable to thy sinne vvhich thou shalt know in that day vvherein the Lord shall breake vp thy treasure and open the booke of thy conscience and set thy sinnes in order before thee then shall thine owne wickednesse correct Ierem. 2. thee and thy turning backe shall reproue thee then shalt thou know and behold that it is an euill thing and a bitter that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God Thou shalt be astonished to see such a multitude of vvitnesses standing vp against thee those sinnes vvhich thou hast cast behind thy backe thou shalt see them set in the light of the countenance of God woe then shall be vnto thee for the Lord then shall turne thine owne wayes vpon thine head the Lord shall giue thee to drincke of that cuppe vvhich thou hast filled vvith thine owne hand when thou shalt haue accomplished the measure of thine iniquitie and he shall double his stripes vpon thee according to the number of thy transgressions But as for the children of God if yee doe aske vvhen A Christians best begins in the day of his conuersion they are at the best I answere praised be God our vvorst is gone our good is begunne our best is at hand As our Sauiour said to his kinsmen so may vve say to the vvorldlings your time is alway but my time is not yet come We were Ioh. 6. 3. at the vvorst immediately before our conuersion for our vvhole life till then vvas a walking with the children of disobedience in the broad way that leads to perdition then we were at the worst when we had proceeded furthest in the way of vnrighteousnesse for then wee were furthest from God Our best began in the day of our recalling wherin the Lord by his vvord and holy Spirit called vpon vs and made vs change our course turning our backes vpon Sathan and our faces toward the Lord and so caused vs to part company vvith the children of disobedience that vvhere they â—ent on in their sinnes to iudgement vve came home with the penitent forlorne vnto our Fathers familie That was a happy day of diuision betweene vs and our sinnes in that The day of our conuersion was a day of diuision betweene vs and our olde sinnes which we should not forget day with Israel wee entred into the borders of Canaan to Gilgall there were we circumcised and the shame of Egipt taken from vs euen our sinne which is our shame indeed and which wee brought vvith vs euen from our mothers wombe The Lord grant that we may keepe it in thankefull remembrance and that we may count it a double shame to returne againe to the bondage of Egypt to serue any more that Prince of darknesse in bricke and clay that is to haue fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse but that like the redeemed of the Lord wee may walke from strength to strength till we appeare before the face of our God in Sion Alway this difference of estates betweene the godly and Seeing our best is not in this life let vs possesse our soules in patience wicked should learne vs patience let vs not seeke that in the earth which our gracious Father in his most wise dispensation hath reserued for vs in heauen Let vs not be like the foolish Iewes who loued the place of their banishment in Babell better than their home Now our life is hid with God in Christ and wee know not yet what we shall be but we know when hee shall appeare wee shall be like him the Lord shall carry vs by his mercie and bring vs by his strength into the holy habitation he shall plant vs in the mountaine of his inheritance euen the place which he hath prepared and sanctuarie which hee hath established then euerlasting ioy shall be vpon our head and sorrow and mourning shall flye from vs for euer And now till the Lord haue accomplished his worke in vs let vs not faint because the wicked floruish how euer they prosper they are to be pittied more than enuied let them eate and drinke and be merry sure it is they will neuer see a better life then that which presently they enioy they haue receiued their consolation in this life and haue gotten their portion in this present world Surely no tongue can expresse their miserie and yet â—s How they are to be pittied who reioyce in things present as in their best things Samuel mourned for Saul when God reiected him and Ieremie wept in secret for the pride of his people that would not repent of their sinnes how
are not beloued of him 1 Ioh. 4. 10. easie to loue the Lord and euery man abhorres in word to be counted such a monster as hath not the loue of God but they are farre deceiued for man till hee be called by grace cannot loue the Lord herein is loue not that wee loued God but that hee loued vs. If now wee doe know him and know him so that we loue him it is because wee were first knowne of him and so knowne that wee were beloued of him not that there is any equalitie betweene these loues or that vve are able to match the Lord in affection non enim pari vbertâ—te sluunt hi duo amâ—res for these two loues flowes not in a like plenty as the running of a little strand is nothing in comparison of the great Ocean so is our loue to God as nothing if it be compared with his incomprehensible loue toward vs yet it is most certaine amor Dei amorâ—m animae parit it is Gods loue to vs vvhich begets in the soule a loue to God Nemo itaque se amari dissidat qui iam amat let no man therefore who loues God distrust that hee is beloued It is very comfortable that among all the pen-men of the holy Ghost none doe speake more of loue than Iohn euen he vvho vvas Christs beloued Disciple vvhom he loued aboue the rest for it doth teach vs that whosoeuer is greatly beloued of God shall also become a carefull practiser of loue toward others That therefore wee may know the heart of God toward He that would know Gods purpose toward him let him go downe to his own heart and not vp to Gods counsell vs it shall not be needfull that wee enter into secret counsell but let vs goe and enter into our owne hearts and there wee shall finde resolution albeit the Lord send not now to you that are men an Angell to vvitnesse as hee did to Daniel that he was a man greatly beloued of God or to testfie to you that are women that which hee did to Mary that shee vvas freely beloued of the Lord yet so many of you as vpon knowledge in sinceritie can say vvith Peter Lord Ioh. 21. 15. thou knowest that I loue thee haue here a testimonie no lesse certaine to wit his owne Oracle in his word to make you sure that ye are beloued of him And that the comfort may be the more sure vnto vs Loue the first affection that Sathan peruerted seeing loue is the principall token of our calling wee will speake a little of Loue that so we may know whether wee be endued with this most excellent grace of the spirit or no. Naturally the affection of Loue in man is so inordinate that not vnproperly Nazianzen called it dulcem tyrannum a sweet tyrannie that by deceitfull allurements compels the whole man to follow it and it is not only in it selfe distemperated but altogether set vpon wrong obiects our loue being so set vpon the creature that we neglect the Creator a feareful ingratitude that where in the beginning the Lord set vp man as Prince and ruler ouer all his creatures putting all the workes of his hands in subiection vnder him that man should meet the Lord with such vnthankefulnesse as to set in his affection euery creature before the Lord Doe yee Deut. so requite the Lord O ye foolish people and vnwise But as this was the first affection which Sathan through And the first which in our regeneration is rectified by the spirit of grace infidelitie peruerted turning it from the Lord and setting it vpon the forbidden tree so it is the first affection which in the regeneration is rectified by Faith and by which faith workes in the sanctification of the rest turning it from the creature and setting it vpon God Where we are to consider of the lawfull obiects of our loue and of the due measure of loue we owe vnto euery one of them The obiects of our loue are three the first is God the second is our selfe the third is our neighbour The first and principall obiect of our loue is the Lord The first obiect of reformed loue is God our God whom wee ought so to loue that wee loue him aboue all things and that for no other thing more than for himselfe in loue the Lord will not suffer a companion neither Father nor Mother Wife nor Children nay not thy owne life should be so deere to thee as that for any of these thou shouldst offend thy God otherwise hee tels thee himselfe that thou art not worthy of him and he wil not reckon thee among those that loue him Non amat Christum qui August de temp ser 223 aliquid plus quam Christum amat he loues not Christ who loues any thing more than Christ and then doe vve loue something more than him if from him we seeke any thing more than himselfe This is a mercinarie loue when man loueth God for his gifts It was obiected by Sathan vnto Iob but falsely for euen then when he was spoiled of all the earthly comforts which God had giuen him yet the loue of God continued in him from which he blessed the Lord. As the vvoman which loueth her husband because hee is rich is rather to be called a louer of his riches than of himselfe so the Worldling who with the carnall Israelite doth vvorship GOD for his wine and his oyle and the rest of those good things which God giues men is but an hyreling and not a sincere worshipper nor a chast louer of the Lord his God The second obiect of our loue is our selues for in that The second obiect of reformed loue in our selues He cannot loue his brother who loues not himselfe the Lord requireth that I loue my neighbour as my selfe it is manifest that first of all I ought to loue my selfe Hee that loueth not God cannot loue himselfe and he vvho loueth not himselfe cannot rightly loue his neighbour without the loue of God all the selfe-loue which is in man is but selfe-hatred As the franticke man who in his furie vvounds his owne body is pittied of all men as one that hath no pittie of himselfe so the prophane man who by multiplying transgressions slayeth his owne soule is more iustly to be accounted an hater of himselfe it is the holy loue of God that first teacheth thee to take heed vnto thy selfe to preserue both soule and body from the wrath to come and that worketh in thee an holy care to conforme thy selfe to the Lord whom thou louest and vvith vvhom thou desirest to remaine for euer Thus being taught to loue our selues we shall also learne to loue our neighbour the ordered loue of our selues being as I said that patterne according to which wee should loue our neighbour Prius itaque vide si nosti diligere Augustine teipsum tunc committam tibi proximum quem diligas sicut
pulchra terra sed pulchrior qui fecit illa the heauen and earth are beautifull but more beautifull is he who made them and therefore as oft as any good in the creature beginneth to steale our heart after it let vs in our affection goe vp to the Creator considering that the Lord hath not made these beautifull or profitable creatures that we should go a whooring after them but that by them as steps we should climbe vp to him that made them and rest in him The second cause that may breed the loue of God in vs if 2 Because hee hath first loued vs. we meditate vpon it is that the Lord hath first loued vs In 〈◊〉 eâ—m sâ—d non praeuentmus we haue found him but wee did not preuent him we know him now but were first known of him he sound vs first and that euen when wee were enemies vnto him dilexit non existentes into resistentes he loued Bernard vs when we were not yea when wee were rebels against him and shall we not now being reconciled by the death of his sonne endeauour to loue him againe Thirdly the Lord by his continuall gifts hath testified his 3 He hath declared his loue by innumerable gifts already giuen vs. loue to vs he hath not beene vnto vs as a wildernesse or as a land of darknesse if wee will remember and tell what the Lord hath done to our soule we shal finde we are ouercome with the multitude of his mercies there is none that hath deserued the loue of our hearts comparable to the Lord. If our loue be free let vs set it vpon him who is most worthy to be loued and if it be veniall let vs also giue it vnto him who hath giuen vs most for it And fourthly it shall waken in vs the loue of God if wee 4 Hee hath yet greater things which he hath prepared for vs to giue vs. consider in our hearts what great things the Lord hath promised to giue vnto vs euen such as the eye hath not seene and the eare hath neuer heard life without death youth without age light vvithout darknesse ioy without sadnesse a kingdome vvithout a change and in a vvord he shall then Aug. de ciuit dei l. 10. c. 18 Our loue to God must be tryed by the effects thereof giue vs a blessed life non de his quae condidit sed de seipso not of those things which he hath made but of himselfe But to returne to our former purpose that we may know whether this holy loue be created in our hearts by the spirit of grace or no wee must try it by the fruits and effects of loue whereof now it shall content vs to touch a few First 1 Property of Loue it longs to obtaine that which is beloued it is the nature of Loue that it earnestly desires and seekes to obtaine that which is beloued Hereby shalt thou know vvhether thy affection of loue be ordered by Christ or remaine as yet disordered by Sathan The affection which Christ hath sanctified vvill follow vpward seeking to be there where he is Euery thing naturally returnes to the owne original as the waters goe downe to the deepe from whence they came so carnall loue powred out like water returnes to Sathan who begat it and carries miserable man captiued with it downward to the bottomlesse pit but holy loue being as a sparke of heauenly fire kindled in our hearts by the holy Ghost ascends continually and rauishes vs vpward toward the Lord from whom it came not suffering vs to rest till we enioy him Let this then be the first tryall of our loue if we vse carefully Wee loue not God if wee vse not the exercises of the word and prayer seeing by them onely we haue familiaritie with God vpon earth Psal 110. 97. Psal 26. 8. Psal 27. 2. those holy meanes by which we keepe and entertaine familiaritie with our God it is an argument that wee loue him and what other meanes is there by which man vpon earth is familiar with God but the exercises of the word and prayer Godly Dauid who protests in some places that he loued the Lord prooues it in other by the like of these reasons O how loue I thy law it is my meditation continually and againe I haue loued the habitation of thine house and the place where thine honour dâ—â—els One thing haue I desired of the Lord that I may dwell in the house of my God all the dayes of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to visit his holy temple As this doth serue for the comfort of those who delight in the exercise of the word and prayer so doth it serue for the conuiction of those to whom any other place is more amiable than the tabernacles of God an euident proofe they haue not the loue of God because they neglect the meanes euen when they are offered by which familiar accesse is gotten vnto the Lord. And againe because the sight we haue of God in this life Wee loue not God if we long not to be with him in heauen wher he shews his most familiar presence is but through a vaile and the tast wee get of his goodnesse is but in part and that in the life to come the Lord will fully embrace vs in the armes of his mercy and kisse vs for euer with the kisses of his mouth therefore is it that the soule which vnfainedly loues the Lord cannot rest content with that familiaritie vvhich by the Word and Prayer it hath with GOD in this life but doth long most earnestly to be with the Lord vvhere shee knoweth that in a more excellent manner shee shall embrace him whereof proceedeth these and such like complaints As the Hart brayeth for the Psal 42. 1. riuers of water so panteth my soule after thee O God O when shall I come and appeare before the presence of my God My Psal 143. Phillip 1. Soule desireth after thee as the thirstie land For I would be dissolued and be with the Lord Therefore come euen so come Reuel 22. Lord Iesus But alas here are vvee taken in our sinnes thou sayest How by this tryal it is found that many are void of the loue of God thou louest the Lord but how is it then that thou longest not to see him neyther desirest thou to be with him yea a small appearance of the day of death or mention of the day of iudgement doth terrifie and afray thee where as otherwise if thou didst loue him they would be ioyfull dayes vnto thee seeing in the one wee goe to him and in the other he commeth to vs to gather vs and take vs thether where he is Surely those men who contenting themselues vvith the gifts of God in this life thinke not long to enioy himselfe are but like an adulterous woman who if so be she possesse the goods of her husband regards not albeit shee
they sit downe to their banquetting tables to refresh them or lyes downe in their beds to rest them The Apostle who suffered all sorts of affliction for the Gospell giues this for a reason that the loue of Iesus constrayned him Thus much concerning the effects of holy loue by which wee are to make sure our calling and consequently our election for our euerlasting comfort Euen to them that are called according to his purpose Hitherto the Apostle hath summarily set downe his third principall A confirmatiō of his third and last argument of comfort argument of comfort and now in the end of this verse he shortly breakes vp the confirmation thereof which is this they who loue God are called according to his purpose therfore all things must worke for the best vnto them The necessitie of this reason shall appeare if wee consider that the Lord cannot be frustrated of his end Those whom the Lord in his immutable purpose hath ordayned to glory and whom according to that purpose he hath called in time how can it be but all things must worke vnto their good for the vvorking prouidence of God vvhich is the executer of his purpose doth so ouer-rule all incidents which fall out in the world and doth so gouerne all secondary and inferiour causes that of necessitie they are directed to that end whereunto the supreame cause of all to wit the purpose and vvill of God hath ordayned them This is shortly set downe in these vvords and more largely explaned in the two verses following It is the last reason of comfort and the highest for now the Apostle leades vs out of our selues and sets vs vpon that rocke vvhich is higher than vve hee carries vs by the hand as it vvere out of the earth vp into heauen and lets vs see how our saluation is so grounded in Gods eternall purpose that no accident in the vvorld can change it Wee haue here then three things euery one of them depending Comfort that the ground of our saluation is in God the tokens thereof in our selues vpon another the loue of God flowing from the calling of God and the calling of God comming from the purpose of God vnto vvhich the Apostle here drawes vs that we casting our anchor with the vaile and resting in the Lords immutable purpose may haue comfort in all our present tentations It is most expedient for the godly to marke this that our manifolde changes doe not interrupt our peace let vs consider that the Lord hath in such sort dispensed our saluation that the ground thereof is laid in his owne immutable purpose but the markes and tokens thereof are placed in vs after our calling the markes and tokens are changeable like as wee our selues in vvhom they are are changeable but the ground holdes fast being laid in that vnchangeable God in whom falles no shadow of alteration Esay 46. Ioh. 10. 2 Tim. 2. I am God and am not changed My sheepe none can take out of my hand The counsell of the Lord shall stand and his foundation remaines sure It is true that the tokens of election cannot be sully taken away from any that is effectually called nay not in the greatest desertion yet haue they in vs their owne intention and remission And this should comfort vs against our daily vicissitudes and changes when wee feele that our Faith doth saint our life languishes our hope houers and vvee are like to sincke in the tentation vvith Peter and our feeble hands fall downe with Moses yet let vs not dispaire no change in vs can alter Gods vnchangeable purpose he who hath begun the worke in vs will also perfect it Because I am not changed saith Mal. 3. 6. the Lord therefore is it that yee O sonnes of Iacob are not consumed This purpose of God is called otherwise the will of God Our calling conuersion flowes from Gods purpose therefore all the praise of it belongs to the Lord. and the good pleasure of his Will In that the Apostle saith our calling is according to his purpose it teacheth vs to ascribe the whole praise of our saluation to the good pleasure of his will and not to our owne foreseene merits That poyson of pride vvhich Sathan poured into our first Parents and by vvhich they aspyred to be equall with God doth yet breake forth in their posterity the corrupt heart of man euer ayming at this to seeke vnto himselfe either in part or in whole the power and praise of his owne saluation This is to start vp into the roome of God and to vsurpe that glory which belongs to the Lord and he will not giue to any other than the which no greater sacriledge can be committed against the Lord. O man content thee with that which the Lord offers thee and let that alone vvhich hee reserues vnto himselfe My peace saith the Lord I giue to you my glory I will not giue to any other The first Preachers of the Gospell were Angels they proclaymed glory and peace but glory they gaue to God which is on high and peace they cryed to the children of his good will which are vpon earth It is enough that peace and saluation is giuen to be thine but as for the glory of saluation let it remain to the Lord. Hee is for this called the Father of mercie because mercie For this cause he is called the Father of Mercie and not of Iudgement 2 Tim. 1. 9. bred in his owne bosome Hee hath found many causes vvithout himselfe mouing him to execute iustice but a cause mouing him to shew mercie hee neuer found but the good pleasure of his will therefore the Apostle saith the Lord hath called vs with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his purpose and grace Surely except the Lord had reserued mercy for vs wee had beene like to Sodome and Gomorrha but it pleased him of his owne good will of the same lumpe of clay to make vs vessels of honour vvhereof hee made others vessels of dishonour And who is able sufficiently to ponder so great a benefit and therefore howsoeuer the blinded Pharisee sacrifice to his owne net and make his mouth to kisse his hand as if his owne hand had done it yet let the redeemed of the Lord praise the Lord let them cry out with a louder voyce than Dauid did O Lord what are wee that thou art so mindfull of vs Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs but to thy name giue the glory for thy louing kindnesse and thy truth for our saluation comes from God that sits vpon the throne and from the Lambe To thee O Lord be praise and honour and glorie for euer Now as for the calling wee are to know that the calling Our calling is twofold and the inward calling is a declaration of our election of God is twofold outward and inward He speakes not here of the outward calling of which our Sauiour
saith many are called and few are chosen but he speakes of the inward calling which is the first intimation and declaration of our election For the decree of our election is alwaies hid and secret vnto vs till the Lord by calling reueale it and make it knowne vnto vs that we are of the number of those whom hee hath appointed to life As in his secret counsell hee made a distinction of the elect and reprobate so by his calling hee beginnes the execution of this decree seperating the one from the other in this life in manners and conditions who are to be seperated in the life to come for euer in estate and place He that will take a right view of all mankinde shall finde All mankinde are considered standing in three circles they onely are blessed who are within the third them standing as it were in three circles they onely being happy who are within the third In the outmost circle are all those on whom the Lord hath not vouchsafed so much as an outward calling by his Gospell and here standeth the greatest part of the world In the middle circle vvhich is much narrower stand they vvho are partakers of an outward calling by the Word and Sacraments In the third circle which yet is of smaller compasse than the other two stand they vvho are inwardly and effectually called these are Christs little flocke the communion of Saints the few chosen the Lords third part so to speake vvith Zacharie Zach. 13. 9. the other two parts shall be cut off and dye but the third will the Lord fine as siluer and gold the Lord will say of them this is my people and they shall say the Lord is our God It is a great step indeed that wee are brought from the first circle into the second but it is not sufficient to saluation yea rather they who stand in the second circle hearing the voyce of God calling them to repentance and yet harden their hearts and vvill not follow him may looke for a more fearefull condemnation then they vvho are in the outmost rancke of all Double stripes are for him who knoweth his Maisters will and doth it not Sodome and Gomorrha shall be in an easier estate than they Content not therefore your selues that yee are brought within the compasse of the visible Church that yee haue beene baptised in the name of Iesus and haue communicated at his holy Table Not euery one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into Math. 7. 21. his kingdome except yee finde also his inward and effectuall calling that the arme of his grace hath drawne you within the compasse of the third circle and hath set you downe among those whom he hath chosen to be his owne peculiar people And againe that the calling of God is according to his purpose yeelds vnto vs this comfort that seeing his calling is extended toward vs we may be sure that from euerlasting hee hath had toward vs a purpose of loue Certainely Where euer the Gospel is preached to call men there God hath toward some a purpose of loue hee had not sent his Gospell among vs were it not that he hath here a number belonging to the election of his grace hee hath lighted a candle among vs and set it in an eminent candlesticke to assure vs that hee is seeking here some peeces of money which were lost and hee will not rest till hee finde them When the Apostle Paul should haue gone by Bythinia the Lord commaunded him to goe to Macedonia what the purpose of God was the euent declared namely that it was to conuert Lidia and the Iaylour Who Acts 16. may not see here Gods meruailous mercie towards his owne that for the conuersion of a few will haue his Gospell to be preached to a whole kingdome which doth yet more clearely appeare in that when hee commaunded his Apostle Paul to tarry at Corinthus hee gaue this reason because saith hee I haue much people here shewing vnto Acts 18. 10. vs that the greater haruest hee hath the longer doth he continue his Labourers among a people This is the very worke of God which hee is working in the middest of you and for which hee continueth among you the preaching of his glorious Gospell it is because toward many of you hee hath a purpose of loue some hath he called already whom he will haue confirmed others yet inwardly called hee will conuert by the Gospell before he remoue it Let euery man looke to himselfe vvhether he haue part in that grace which comes by the Gospell or no for woe will be to him that shall be found in darknes after that the light hath shined vnto him Good vvere it yet for vs all if vve could more deepely If this were considered it would worke a greater â—â—uerence of the Gospell consider this that the Gospell of the Lord Iesus is come among vs not by accident nor by the meanes of men but by the purpose of God that in these dayes vve heare that voyce which many of our Fathers heard not that in some places of the vvorld this Gospell is preached and not in others that it is continued vvith vs notwithstanding the manifold machinations of the Children of darknesse to subuert it yea that by such and such persons the Gospell hath beene preached vnto vs if we did consider that all these fall out according to Gods determinate purpose it would waken in vs a more reuerent hearing of the word of Grace and a greater care to take heed to the smallest occasion of grace when it is offered but all the contempt thereof which now is among men floweth from this that they doe not looke vnto the hand of God sending out such a message to them by such persons at such a time in such a place as hee in his eternall purpose hath concluded with himselfe But as Samuell before he knew the Lord thought the voyce of God to be but the voyce of Elâ— and therefore went againe to his rest so the great multitude of them who heare it not as the word of God but as the word of men esteeming that it commeth by the meanes of men and not according to the determinate purpose of God it is no meruaile if still they returne to their olde sinnes and remaine disobedient to the heauenly vocation And further out of the ground laid already that the calling A fearefull token of Gods departure wheÌ„ hee ceaseth to call a people any more of God is according to his purpose we are taught that the least intermission of Gods calling should be vnto vs a great matter of humiliation seeing the Lord calleth men to be Preachers and hath them in his hand as starres holding them out sometime to one part of the world and sometime to another that hee may communicate light to them who are sitting in darknesse the remouing of them from a people is a feareâ—ull token of the Lords departure and
translating of his kingdome The Husbandman calles not his Labourers For no Husbandman will want labourers in his field as long as the haruest is not ended out of the field in the middest of the day vnlesse the haruest be done and if the Lord remoue his Seruants from a people it is because his purpose is finished for the ground is sure that his calling is according to his purpose but the Lord forbid that the tearme of the ending of this calling should euer come in our dayes And to the end that vvee haste it not vpon our selues wee are to know that as the Gospell comes not to a Land by mans procurement so no power of man is able to remoue As the Gospell comes not by mans procurement so no power of man can remoue it it The Lord who set the Sunne in the Firmament and gouernes it in such sort that it giues light to one part of the world when another is in darknesse and no malice of the euill doer is able to obscure it howeuer he hates it hath also set his Gospell in the firmament of his Church to giue light to Goshen while as Egypt is in darknesse and all the courses of politikes though they were filled with Achitophâ—ls wisedome are not able to stay it onely our owne vnthankfulnesse and abuse of the time of Grace is to be feared if therefore we loue the light let vs cast away the workes of darknesse and walke in the light while as yet we haue it let vs vvelcome those messengers of peace that come to vs in the name of the Lord endeauouring by all holy meanes to transferre this Kingdome of God to our Children after vs that they also may see the beautie of the Lord which we haue seene to their euerlasting saluation Verse 29. For those whom hee know before hee also predestinated to be made like vnto the image of his Sâ—nnâ— that he might be the first borne among many brethren THe vvhole Booke of God is full of heauenly What a treasure of comfort is to be digged out of this Verse consolation euery parcell thereof hath in it the words of eternall life but this place of Scripture vvherein now wee are trauailing may be called aboue the rest a treasure of comfort for here the Apostle leadeth vp the Christian to the register of God and lets him see his owne name written in the booke of life his saluation established in Gods immutable decree exhibited now by Gods effectuall calling to be performed and perfected to him by his endlesse glorification So that in all the booke of God there is not so cleare and certaine a sight of saluation giuen to the Christian as in this place It Not so cleare a sight of saluation in all the booke of God comforted Stephen when he was in the vally of death that he saw the heauens opened and the Lord Iesus standing at the right hand of his Father and it should no lesse comfort vs in all our tribulations that the Apostle here lets vs see the third heauens opened vnto vs to make knowne vnto vs the will of God concerning our saluation This comfort the Apostle brake vp shortly as we heard The linckes of the Chaine of saluation Election Calling Iustification Glorification are knit inseperably in the end of the last verse and now more largely explanes it in these two verses in the which he sets downe in order the causes of our saluation and lets vs see how our present effectuall calling is so inseperably knit with our election and glorification by the hand of God that no power in earth nor in hell is able to sunder them whereof the certainty of his former comfort appeares cleerely that of necessitie all things must work together for the best vnto them that loue God euen to them that are called according to his purpose Which shall yet be more manifested if wee consider how that this golden Chaine of our saluation reaches so to speak it from eternitie to eternitie the beginning of it albeit without beginning is our Election the end of it albeit without end is our Glorification And these two ends of the chaine the Lord keepes them sure and secret in his owne hand but the two middle linkes thereof to wit our Calling and Iustification the Lord lets them downe from heauen to the earth that wee for our comfort might gripe and apprehend them and being sure of the two middle linckes wee might also be sure of the two ends because the Lord hath knit them inseperably together Thou then vvho wouldst be comforted vvith the assurance He that hath a sure hold of the middle linckes Calling and Iustification is sure of the other two Election and Glorification of thy saluation make it first knowne to thy owne conscience by breaking off the former course of thy sinnes and by well doing for the time to come that God hath called thee and iustified thee Gripe sure as it were with the one hand the lincke of Calling and vvith the other the linck of Iustification fasten both thy hands vpon the middle linckes of this Chaine that by them thou mayst be pulled out of this dungeon and raised vp to heauen to see that thou art one of them who was elected before time and after time shal be glorified To make this yet more plaine we are Our present life is a point of time betweene two eternities to know that this mortall life of ours is a short interiected point of time betweene two eternities so to call it in the which some in feare and trembling working out their saluation passes from Gods eternall election to endlesse glorification others againe in wantonnesse and carelesse securitie drinke in iniquitie with greedinesse and so steps from the decree of reprobation that most iustly they procure their owne condemnation So that euery man hath to consider of his euerlasting weale or woe by his present disposition in this life Oh that vvee had sanctified memories alwayes to remember If in this life we fall we may rise againe but if in death wee step downeward we shall neuer mend it Eccles 11. 3. this so long as wee are here if of vveakenesse we fall vvee may rise againe and if in one day wee haue not learned well to repent vvee haue leaue of the Lords patience to learne it better another day but hee vvho in the day of his transmigration steps the wrong step vvill neuer get leaue to amend it where the tree fals it shall lye there the wicked who dye in their sinnes step downward to the deepe pit and gulfe out of the vvhich there is no redemption Let vs therefore be vvell aduised before wee leape let vs fasten the one foote vpon the border of that Canaan before we goe out of the body let vs make sure that wee shall be receiued into those euerlasting habitations This shall be done if we make our vvhole life a proceeding from election to
glorification and that through calling and iustification which two haue inseperably following them the sanctification and renouation of the whole man The Lord make vs wise in time that vvee may consider the course of our life and thinke of the end whereunto it leades vs for as Moses protested to Israell so doe I vnto you I haue laid this Deut. 30. 15. day life and death before you the Lord giue you grace to make choise of the best In these causes of our saluation linked together in this Prescience and Predestination how they are here distinguished Chaine we haue first to looke vnto Gods decree consisting in his foreknowledge and predestination secondly to the execution thereof which is made by his Calling Iustification and Glorification The decree hath in it these two acts or preordinances so to call them Prescience and Predestination which this manner of way are to be distinguished by foreknowledge the Lord sets before him the whole number of mankinde whom of the good pleasure of his owne will hee purposed to saue so that the first preordinance is this these are they vvhom I vvill saue by predestination againe he concluded to saue them by such and such meanes so that the second preordinance of the decree is this those whom I haue decreed to saue I will saue this manner of way so that prescience lookes to the person to be saued predestination to the meanes whereby they are to be saued Where we must consider that this decree of God is thus distinguished by the Apostle in these two words for our capacitie who being but mortall creatures endued with reason conceiues vnderstands and discernes one thing after another and cannot doe otherwise but it is not so vvith the Lord our God who being himselfe a most perfect vnderstanding by one act without priority or posteriority knowes conceiues and discernes all things Wee come first now to speake of Gods foreknowledge Prescience improperly ascribed vnto God the properties of God are either absolute as namely that he is a Spirit simple and infinite or else such as haue a relation to the creature And of this sort is foreknowledge which improperly is ascribed vnto God for properly there 〈◊〉 â—ore nor after in God nothing past nothing to come but foreknowledge is ascribed to God in respect of the creature because hee knew vs before that wee were This foreknowledge Pr 〈…〉 nce two manner of wayes considered generally and specially is two wayes considered first generally as it is extended to all his creatures and so it is compared to a common booke of register vvherein the Lord hath vvritten all things which were afterward to be and of this speakes the Psalmist My bones saith hee are not hid from thee though Psal 139. 15. I was made in a secret place and fashioned beneath in the earth thine eyes did see mee when I was without forme for in thy booke were all things written which in continuance of time were fashioned though they were not before Of it also speakes the Apostle All things are manifest in his sight with whom wee Heb. 4. 13. haue to doe This manner of way foreknowledge is Gods vniuersall eye by which with one looke hee knoweth all his creatures within and without their nature their shape their actions their beginnings their endes but foreknowledge this manner of way considered is not a lincke of this Chaine it being certaine that there is not one of these lincks more patent nor largely extended than another as ye shall afterward heare Foreknowledge then in this Chaine of Saluation is specially In this Chaine it is specially considered as it lookes to the Elect onely Iohn 13. 18. Mat. 7. 23. considered as it is conioyned cum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the loue and liking of God as it is all one with Election extended to none but vnto the children of his good will this way it is affirmed of the godly the Lord knoweth who are his but denyed of the wicked depart from me yee workers of iniquitie I know you not that is albeit I know your persons yea your most secret actions yet your selues I know not so that I loue you and this way foreknowledge specially considered is called the booke of life wherein the Lord hath written the names of those whom hee hath ordayned to life Predestination is also two manner of wayes considered Predestination is also two wayes considered first as it is generally extended to all his creatures for as he knew them all before they were so hee appointed them by middes into their owne end other artificers when they haue made a worke know not what will be the end of it he that buildeth an house knowes not how long it will stand whether fire shall consume it or the winde ouer-turne it or the earth-quake vndermine it but the Lord as hee hath made his creatures so hath he appointed them to an end which hee knoweth himselfe but here Predestination is specially considered and is no larger than Election respecting the Elect onely whom he hath ordayned vnto life by his owne middes for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here not onely signifieth to ordaine to an end but also to appoint all the limits borders and middes within and by which thou art to come to that end Where before wee come to the doctrine of instruction Fore-seene me rits falsely collected out of this place we will shortly encounter vvith our aduersaries vvho read these words in this manner that the Lord predestinated those whom hee fore-knew to be conformed to the image of his Sonne that so they may establish here out their errour of fore-seene merits It were sufficient to bring against them the best learned of their owne side some wherof read these words no otherwise then vvee doe as the Iesuits of Rhemes others plainely impugne that reading and the errour of foreseene merits founded vpon it for so Caietane writeth vpon this place Ad confutandum dogma illorum This errour is improued by their own men as Caietane qui primum salutis nostrae locum tribuunt diuinae praescientiae futurorum qui praescientiam meritorum ponunt rationem definitionis diuinae ad confutandum inquit haec primum nostrae salutis locum tribuit diuino proposito dicendo ijs qui secundum propositum vocati sunt To confute saith hee the doctrine of those vvho giue the first place of saluation to Gods foreknowledge of mans merits vvhich he was to doe and so puts his prescience as a reason and cause of his predestination to confute these I say he giues the first place of saluation to the purpose of God while hee saith to them that and Aquinas are called according to his purpose Aquinas in like manner writing vpon this same place saith Ponere quod aliquod meritum ex parte nostra praesupponatur cuius praescientia sit ratio praedestinationis nihil est aliud quam ponere gratiam dari
ex meritis nostris quod principium bonorum operum est ex nobis consummatio ex Deo To affirme that any merit vpon our part must be presupposed the prescience whereof was the cause of predestination is no other thing but to affirme that grace were giuen of our merits and that the beginning of good workes were of our selues and the consummation thereof were of God therefore saith hee the words are to be read this way more conueniently whom he fore-knew them he also predestinated to be made like vnto the image of his Sonne vt ista conformitas non sit ratio praedestinationis sed effectus that so this conformitie be not a cause of predestination but an effect But beside these this errour is conuinced by manifold Sanctification is an effect of predestination and therefore not a cause of it Ephes 1. 4. proofes of holy Scripture the Apostle saith hee hath chosen vs in Christ therefore not in our selues he saith againe that wee should be holy and without blam hee saith not he chose vs because he foresaw that wee would be holy so hee sets downe sanctification as an effect of Predestination Now it is certaine that one effect of Predestination may well be the cause of an other posterior effect as the preaching of the word is a cause of faith and faith is a certaine cause of iustification but no effect of Predestination can be cause of it Againe he saith The Lord hath saued vs and called vs with 2 Tim. 1. 9. an holy calling not according to our workes here yee see that in our calling our workes and Gods purpose are manifestly opponed so that the putting of the one is the remouing of the other thus neyther in our Election before time nor in our calling in time hath the Lord regarded our workes or foreseene rectitude of our will but the good pleasure of his owne will And I pray you what other thing could the Lord foresee The calling of God finds euery man in an euill estate Esay 48. 8. in vs than that vvhich hee foresaw in the Israelites I knew that thou art obstinate and thy neck an iron sinew and thy browe brasse I knew that thou wouldest grieuously transgresse therefore I called thee a transgressor from the wombe yet for my Names sake will I deferre my wrath and for my praise will I refraine it from thee that I cut thee not off yea in so many places of holy Scripture doth the Lord plead the cause of his owne glory that it cannot be but a most fearefull sacriledge against so cleare a light for a man eyther in part or in whole to make his own merits a cause of saluation When the Lord called Abraham hee found him an Idolater when hee called Paul hee found him a persecuter when he called Matthew hee found him a Publican when hee called Mary he found her possessed with Diuels all that euer receiued grace stand vp as so many witnesses of his glory Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs but to thy name be Psal 115. 1. the praise And to these obiections which the braine of man hath Obiections of men against Gods predestination answered brought out against this truth of God to cleare themselues and charge the Lord with vnrighteousnes they are all sufficiently answered by the Apostle that the Lord by reason of his absolute authoritie ouer all his creatures hath power of the same lumpe to make one vessell of honour for to Rom. 9. 10. shew the glory of his mercy and an other vessell of dishonour to shew the glory of his iustice seeing this power is not denyed to the potter ouer his clay how dare man speak against it in the Lord ouer his creature O man who art thou that pleadect with God Woe be to him that striueth with his Maker If I dispute with thee O Lord thou art righteous how euer I iudge of thy counsell and of the manner of thy working thou art asway righteous Si non vis errare if thou Aug. in Ioan. tract 26. wilt not erre saith Augustine iudge not the Lord why one is saued the Apostle tels you I haue mercy on whom I will haue mercy Misericordia eius misericordiae causa why another Aug. Epist 59. ad Paulin is reiected Causa potest esse occulta iniusta esse non potest the cause may be secret but cannot be vniust qui infactis Dei rationem non videt infirmitatem suam considerans cur Gregor in Iob cap. 9. non videt rationem videat hee that seeth not a reason of the Lords doing let him looke to his own infirmitie and he shall see a reason why hee seeth it not The Lord hath hid euen from most wicked men the purpose of their owne reprobation till it come to the execution and then shall they receiue an answere from their owne consciences to stop their mouthes which now they will not receiue from man Euery one of the damned shall be compelled to acknowledge that the iudgement executed vpon them is righteous But now to returne to the doctrine wee haue first to obserue Predestination takes not away the second causes and meanes of saluation out of the signification of the vvord which I marked before that the Lords determinate counsell and predestination takes not away the nature properties nor necessities of secondarie causes and meanes of saluation but rather establishes them for those whom God hath appointed to saluation he hath also appointed to those meanes which may bring them vnto it It is therefore a blasphemie which is frequent in the mouthes of carnall professors if I be elected howsoeuer I liue I shall be saued and if otherwise I be a reprobate liue as I will I cannot mend it this is no other thing but Sathans diuinitie if thou be the Sonne of God Sathans diuinitie teacheth Atheists to despise the means of saluation cast thy selfe downe from the Temple thou shalt not dash thy foote against a stone as if the sonnes of God were licensed to despise the second and ordinarie meanes and not rather bound to vse them but in very deed as it is against the nature of fire to be cold so is it impossible that the elect man effectually called can reason after this manner yea the more he heares of election the more hee endeauours to make it sure by vvell doing knowing that no man can attaine to the end of our Faith which is the saluation of our soule but by the lawfull and ordinarie meanes Both temporall and spirituall blessings the Lord wil haue God giues his blessing by meanes therefore they shuld not neglect the meanes who seeke the blessing Hos 2. 21. vs to seeke them by the lawfull and ordinarie meanes the Cornes cannot serue Israel except the earth beare them the earth cannot beare them except the heauens giue raine the heauens can giue no raine except the Lord command them Therefore vvhen the
Lord promises a blessing In that day saith the Lord I will heare the heauens and they shall heare the earth and the earth shall heare the corne and the wine and the oyle and they shall heare Israell And that he keepes the same order in bestowing spiritual blessings we are taught by the Apostle vvhen hee saith that before vve be saued we Rom. 10. 13. must call on the name of the Lord before vve call on his name we must beleeue before we beleeue we must heare before we heare there must be preaching whereof it is euident that they who neglect and contemne the ordinary meanes of saluation do giue out a very hard sentence against themselues which is that if they so continue they doe not appertaine vnto election And againe for our further comfort wee haue here to Comfort our election before time cannot be disanulled by any creature made in time marke the certaintie and soliditie of our saluation it is neither to day nor yesterday that the Lord concluded to be mercifull vnto vs our election beganne not with our selues before the mountaines were made before the earth and the world were formed euen from euerlasting to euerlasting the Lord is our God What creature then is able to disanull that which God hath vvilled before that euer a creature was onely let vs labour that as our election is sure in it selfe so we may make it sure in vs by walking in a good conscience before the Lord and then vve shall not care what man or Angell say to the contrarie against it they are but posterior creatures and what intrest can they haue to gainesay that vvhich GOD hath done before that they vvere Happy are they vvho are rooted grounded and builded vpon this rocke no stormy waue of the Sea shall ouerturne them no rage of tentation nor power of the gates of hell shall preuaile against them Lastly vve are taught here by the holy Apostle that all Sauing grace is communicated to few therefore should be the more esteemed men are not foreknowne all are not predestinated to life otherwise there vvere not an election there is onely a certaine and definit number vvhich belong to the election of Grace a fulnesse both of Iewes and Gentiles a number not knowne to vs but knowne to the Lord not one more nor one lesse shall be partakers of saluation Many saith our Sauiour shall come from the East and from the West and shall sit with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of Mat. 8. 11. God hee saith not all the children of the East shall come but many shall come This should vvaken in vs a holy care so long as the calling of God continues among vs to take heed to our selues striuing to thrust in at the doore of the kingdome of heauen for it suffers violence and the violent take it the fewer there be to be receiued into the kingdome the more we should labour to be of that number Wee see So it is in nature that rarest things are most regarded that in nature things that are common were they neuer so excellent are not esteemed the Sunne because common to all is regarded of few though it be a very excellent and profitable creature but parcels of the earth possessed by men in propertie are much more remembred and regarded by those to vvhom they belong riches and honor are in greater account among men because few attaine vnto them and if vvee vvere as wise in spirituall things that grace of Christ vvhich brings saluation would be more precious and deere vnto vs because it is communicated to few The Lord giue vs grace to consider rightly of it in time To be made like to the image of the Sonne The Apostle Predestination is vnto glory by a conformitie with Christ in our present life insists not in the rest of the linckes of the Chaine hauing touched them he leaues them onely he insists in this lincke of Predestination teaching vs that hee vseth not here the vvord of Predestination generally but restraines it to Predestination vnto life as also that vvee cannot step from election to glory but by a conformitie vvith Christ vvhich is most necessarie for vs to marke for albeit there be great comfort in the consideration of Gods immutable purpose ordayning man to life as also in the consideration of that glory vvhereunto we are ordayned yet neither of them can comfort vs vnlesse vvee be sure that our life is proceeding from election to glorification by the right meanes The first and neerest end of election in regard of man Ephes 1. 4. As Christ is the life so is he the way neither can wee come to life but by the way Ioh. 14. 6. is his sanctification for the Lord hath chosen vs that vvee should be holy the second and furthest end is mans glorification The same Lord Iesus who said I am the life said in like manner I am the way and the veritie if thou wouldst be at life lye not stil in thy sinnes but rise and walke in the way and if thou knowest not the way learne it from him who is veritie Let not presumption which slayes the wicked ouertake thee they passe ouer the matter of their saluation with a wanton vvord their hearts are prophane yea they boast with their tongues that they are sure to be saued but this is a vaine reioycing for he that walkes not in the way how is it possible that he can come to the end assuredly he shal neuer come where Christ is to liue with him that vvalkes not after Christ in newnesse of life This conformitie vvith the Lord Iesus vvhereunto wee Conformitie with Christ wherein it stands are predestinated is partly in this life partly in the life to come Our conformitie in the life to come shall stand in liuing and raigning vvith Christ which is our glorification whereof he speakes hereafter Our conformitie in this life stands in liuing and suffering with Christ and of this hee speakes here to liue godly after the rule of Christ to suffer patiently after the similitude of Christ are the two parts of our present conformitie with him The Lord Iesus is giuen vs of the Father both to be a Sauiour and an example vnlesse wee make him an example to follow him in our doing and suffering he shall not be vnto vs a Sauiour Here we are to marke that the workes done by Christ in Workes done by Christ are threefold 1. personall workes of Redemption 2. Miracles 3. workes of a godly life our nature are threefold first his personall workes of Redemption as that he vvas borne of the Virgin that he suffered the cursed death of the Crosse for the expâ—ation of our sinnes that he rose the third day for our iustification that he ascended triumphantly into heauen leading captiuitie captiue Secondly his workes of miracles as that hee fasted forty dayes gaue sight to the blinde life to the dead and such
which runneth into it so he that vvould proceed from Election to Glorification let him follow this Calling vvhich is so to call it a riuer flowing out of the brasen mountaines of Gods eternall Election running perpetually vpward till it enter into the heauen of heauens vvhich doe altogether ouerflow vvith that great and vnbounded Ocean of diuine Glory but vvee are still to remember that vvee speake now of the inward Calling for the lincke◠of this Chaine are so comely framed by that most skilfull Artificer that they are all of a like compasse none of them larger nor narrower than another so that this Calling doth extend to no more nor fewer than those vvhom God hath chosen This inward calling is the donation of Faith by the What the inward calling is preaching of the Gospell or communication of the sauing grace of Iesus by vvhich vvee are moued to answere the Lord and follow the heauenly vocation for as the Lord by the preaching of the Gospell offers vnto all that are in the Church visible righteousnesse and life by Christ if they vvill repent and beleeue vvherein consists the outward Calling so by his holy Spirit hee giueth to his Elect children iustifying Faith by vvhich he openeth their hearts as hee did the heart of Lidia to receiue the grace offered by the Gospell and herein consists the inward Calling The vvord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vvhereby the Apostle expresseth it In this Calling there is a taking of some leauing of others signifieth to euocate and choose out some from among others this shall make the greatnesse of Gods mercy toward vs appeare the more clearely if wee doe consider that vve and the reprobate were alike by nature borne blinderebels and transgressors from the wombe and did vvalke on vvith them in the same course of disobedience vvhich leadeth to damnation but it pleased God to call vs out of their fellowship and enter vs in a better course that vve might be saued A notable example whereof vve haue in the calling of Lot out of Sodome the Lord hauing concluded to consume Sodome with fire for her abhominable filthinesse he first of all sent two Angels to call Lot out of it but Lot not knowing the danger lingred and delayed to follow their calling till at the length they put hands vnto him and forced him to goe out but when he was set vpon the mountaine and knew the fearefull destruction of Sodome then no doubt he acknowledged the wonderfull mercy which God had shewed vpon him it is euen so with vs we are here soiourning in a Sodome God hath taken vs out from amōg the children of wrath as he tooke Lot out of Sodome vvhich God will destroy and wee haue our conuersation among those vvhose portion shall be in the lake that burnes with fire and brimstone from which the Lord being purposed to saue vs hath sent his Angels to vs not two but manie Ministers of the Gospell of Grace exhorting vs to flye from the wrath which is to come but alas because we know not the danger we flye slowly and delay to follow the heauenly vocation but in that day wherein we shall be set vpon the mountaine of Gods saluation and shall stand at the right hand of Iesus and heare that fearefull condemnation of the wicked Depart from me c. when we shal see the earth open and swallow them then shall we reioyce and prayse the mercie of our God O happy time vvherein the Lord sent his messengers among vs to call vs from the fellowship of the damned There is no difference by nature betweene the Elect and No difference by nature betweene elect men reprobate till our calling make it reprobate neyther in inward nor outward disposition till God make it by grace Paul as bloudy a persecuter as euer vvas Domitian or Iulian. Zacheus as vnconscionable and couetous a Worldling as was that rich Glutton damned to hell The elect and reprobate men before Grace make a difference are like two men vvalking in one iourney vvith one minde and one heart like Eliah and Elisha walking and talking together when a chariot of fire did incontinent seperate them and Eliah is taken vp into heauen Elisha left vpon the earth not vnlike is it when the vnlooked for calling of God commeth and seperateth those two who before were walking together yea running in the same excesse of ryot the one changing the course of his life returneth back again to the Lord from whom he had fallen whereas the other not touched with the same Calling meruailes that his former companion hath forsaken him and walketh stil on stubbornly in the former course of his sinnes to his condemnation Apply this vnto your selues and see whether this effectuall Calling hath seperated you in your conuersation from the wicked or not an euident argument that ye shall be seperated from them in their condemnation Blessed is he that Psal 1. walketh not in the counsell of the wicked nor stands in the way of sinners nor sits in the seat of the scornefull And if wee finde after tryall that the Lord hath called The time of our calling is to vs as the deliuerance from Egipt or the yeare of Iubily to Israel vs then should vvee alway shew forth his prayses vvho hath translated vs from darknesse into his meruailous light The Lord shewed a great mercie to Israell vvhen hee deliuered them out of the house of bondage he set the remembrance of that benefit in the forefront of his law as a bond euer oblieging them vnto thankfulnesse but their bondage was not so horrible as ours Pharaoh oppressed their bodies and compelled them to worke in bricke and clay yet their spirits were free to sigh and crie to GOD for the bondage but here so long as wee were the slaues of Sathan hee compelled vs to vvorke the abhominable vvorkes of darknesse and vncleannesse and therewithall did so captiue our spirits that wee could not so much as cry and sigh vnto God for the bondage and therefore our deliuerance should neuer goe out of our remembrance and our hearts and mouthes should euer be filled with the prayses of our Redeemer when we think of this yeare of Iubilie wherin he hath opened the doore of the prison and set vs at libertie as the freemen of God who were the captiued and bond-slaues of Sathan The Author of this calling is the Lord euen hee who Calling being a new creation is onely wrought by God calles things which are not and makes them to be Calling is a new creation and the first resurrection The Lord that commanded light to shine out of darknesse is he who hath giuen to our mindes the light of the knowledge of his glory in the face of Iesus Christ It is he who creates in vs a new heart and puts in our bowels a new spirit that we may walke in his statutes As man when hee was not could not helpe to create himselfe
and Lazarus when hee was dead helped not to raise himselfe so a stranger from Grace helpes not to call himselfe to the fellowship of Grace the Lord who makes the barraine vvombe a mother of many children makes also the barraine heart to be fruitfull The praise of our calling belongs to the Lord onely Nemo dicat ideo me August de verb. Apost vocaâ—it quia colui Deum quomodo coluisses si vocatus non fuisses let no man say therefore hath God called me because I worshipped him for thou couldst not haue worshipped him vnlesse he had called thee The calling of God findes euery man eyther vainely or Man hath not so much as minde of it when it comes to him wickedly exercised When God called Paul to be a Preacher he found him a persecuter when he called Matthew he found him sitting at the receipt of custome when hee called Peter and Andrew they were mending their nets no such minde had they as to be fishers of men As Saul was seeking his Fathers Asses when Samuel came to call him to the kingdome and as Rebecca had no errand to the Well but to water her Fathers goods when Eliezer came to seeke her in marriage vnto Isaac so if wee doe enquire at our owne consciences how wee were exercised when God called vs we shall finde our hearts were set vpon the trifling things of this world and that we had no minde of his kingdome let the praise therefore of our calling be reserued to the Lord onely As this worke of calling is the Lords onely so hee extends it to none but vnto those who are chosen it makes a particular seperation of a few from the remanant and doth None are called by this calling but they who are elect so distinguish between man and man in all rancks estates that of two brethren as Iacob and Esau of two Prophets as Moses and Balaam of two Kings as Dauid and Saul of two Apostles as Peter and Iudas of two theeues the one is taken the other is reiected The first distinction betweene man and man was in Gods eternall counsell and this is secret the last distinction will be in that last day wherein the one shall stand at the right hand of Iesus the other at the left and that shall be manifest the middle distinction is presently made by this calling of God his Gospell is the arme of his Grace being extended sometime to one corner of the world sometime to another according to his owne dispensation to seuer out his owne from among the remanent of the world Whereof it comes to passe that this sauing grace of the What a wonderfull distinction this calling makes among men Gospell enters into a land but not into euery Citie it enters into a Citie and not into euery family it enters into a family but comes not on euerie person of the family Of Husband and Wife of Maisters and Seruants of Parents and Children of Brethren and Sisters the one is taken the other reiected It came to Iericho and chose out Zacheus it came to Philippi and chose out Lydia and the Iaylour it Act. 16 14. Rom. 16. entred at Rome into the Court of Nero but lighted not vpon Nero it entred into the Family of Narcissus but not into the heart of Narcissus As the Lord so gouernes the cloudes that he makes them raine vpon one Citie and not vpon another so doth hee dispense the dew of his grace that he makes it drop vpon one heart not vpon another The Gospell is preached to many but the blessing that comes by the Gospell abides onely vpon the children of peace Let euery one among you see to himselfe this preaching of the Gospell among you assures vs that the Lord hath a haruest here that is a number that belongs to the election of Grace but who they are that are his the Lord knoweth but as for vs we may lament as Augustine did of the hearers of his time In apâ—rto est vnde doleam c. the matter of our griefe is manifest for wee see many of you who hitherto haue receiued the word of grace in vaine but the matter of our comfort is not so apparant yet doe wee not doubt but that among this chaffe the Lord hath some good Wheat whom he will perfect by our Ministrie and gather into his garner to his glory and our comfort when wee shall see that fruit of our labour which now wee cannot see Alwayes of this which wee haue spoken wee exhort you Miserable are they whom this calling hath not seperated who as yet stands strangers from grace to consider how miserable your estate is It should peirce thy very heart for griefe to consider that the grace of God hath conuerted so many in the Citie yea perhaps in the family wherein thou dwellest and hath not lighted vpon thee but left thee in thy olde sinnes If the Lord should so doe to you as he did to Israell in the dayes of Achab cause it to raine for three 1 King 17. yeares and a halfe vpon all the land about you and not vpon your land vvould you not take it as a token of Gods anger against you O hipocrite that can discerne the face of the skie and can marke the tokens of his anger in the creature canst thou not discerne the state of thy own soule nor consider this sensible curse of God that these thirty or forty yeares the showtes of his sauing grace hath discended vpon others round about thee but neuer vpon thy selfe thou possessest still a hard a barraine and fruitlesse heart What shall I say vnto thee to cut thee off from hope of mercy and to send thee to dispaire I haue not that in commission there is euer some hope of a better as long as God calles vpon thee but of this one thing I can certifie thee that for the present thy estate is lamentable and if this grace goe by thee in time to come as it hath done for the time forepassed it had beene better for thee that thou hadst neuer beene borne The time of our calling is but short and limited let it not goe by vs without grace but let vs striue to redeeme it It is called sometimes an acceptable yeare and sometimes The time of our calling is called a yeare a day to tell vs it is but short a day of saluation some dayes are longer and some are shorter but they haue all an end The Iewes had a faire long Sommer day of Saluation sixteene hundred yeares did the Lord offer grace to the house of Sem but now the bright shining Sunne of righteousnesse hath gone downe vpon Amos 8. 9. them and darknesse is vnto them instead of diuination and other sixteene hundred yeares hath the Lord been offering grace to the house of Iapheth perswading them by the Gospell to come and dwel in the tents of Sem and that by their seuerall families hee
beganne at the Churches of the East they had their owne day although but a short Winters day compared vvith that of the Iewes From them in the East the light is now come praised be GOD to vs in the West now is our day how long it is to continue vvith vs who can tell While therefore the light is with you walke in the light Ioh. 32. 35. Rom. 13. 11. least darknesse come vpon you Let vs consider the season for if once the day of grace goe by vs wee shall neuer finde it againe For suppose this day of saluation vvere to shine vpon No Grace will be offered to vs after this life this land still on to the vvorlds end yet vvhat is it to thee seeing the day of grace endeth to thee in the day of thy death after that the Lord shall neuer any more offer mercie vnto thee in that the Apostle wils vs to doe good while we haue time he tels vs that after this there is no time let vs not thinke quod apud inferos ad faciendos fideles atque liberandos Aug. Euodio Epist. 99. euangelium praedicatum sit vel adhuc etiam praedicetur quasi ibi sit Ecclesia constituta that the Gospell euer hath beene or yet is preached in hell to vvorke Faith in men therefor their deliuerance as if there also vvere a constitute Church in it Here by preaching grace is offered to thee that if thou wilt beleeue thou mayst be saued but if now thou dispise it there remaines nothing but a fearefull looking for of iudgement And no lesse deceitfull is that opinion that by suffering hereafter thou mayst redeeme that life which here thou hast not obtayned Vita hic aut amittitur aut tenetur cum istine excessum fuerit nullus paenitentiae locus nullus satisfactionis Cyprian effectus Now life is eyther kept or lost for when we goe out of the body there is no place of repentance no effect of satisfaction It is a principall pollicie of Sathan to steale away from Sathans principall pollicie is to steale away from men the time of grace man the time of Grace he will not simply say to any man yee neede not to repent at all hee knoweth the most prophane man will abhorre that he seekes onely a delay thou needest not saith hee to repent as yet and so stealeth away one day after another till the day of Grace be gone When Pharaoh was stricken with Frogges and Moses offered to him that when hee would bid him hee would pray to God that he might be deliuered from them it was but an vnwise answere he gaue him Pray for me to morrow it had been better Exod. 8. 10. for him to haue said Pray for me presently but more miserably blinded are they to whom the Lord presently offers saluation they delay not till to-morrow onely but till the next yeare yea for many yeares they are called vpon in their youth but they refuse to repent till they be olde seeking first leaue to kisse their Father that is to follow their owne pleasures before they will resolue to follow the Lord Iesus and so lets their dayes one after another be stollen away from them till at length they be taken away in their sinnes and the day of Grace be closed vpon them And whom hee Called them also hee Iustified Hauing Iustification posterior to Calling in order not in time spoken of our Calling wee come now to speake of our Iustification This is a new benefit different from the former benefit of our Calling posterior to it in order of working but not in time for in the same moment wherein the Lord by effectuall Calling giues vs faith to beleeue hee doth also iustifie vs. That wee may vnderstand what a benefit this is wee are The word of Iustifying three wayes taken to know that the word of Iustifying hath three principall significations First to iustifie is all one with this to sanctifie or to infuse by grace new qualities into the soule of man and so Iustification is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seu motus ad Iustitiam as Dan. 12 They who iustifie many shall shine as Starres for euer in this sense the Papists take it in this question but wrongfully Secondly to iustifie is to acknowledge or declare one to be iust so it is said that the Publicans iustified God of Luke 7. 29. force we must expound it they acknowledged or confessed him to be iust so S. Iames saith that a man is iustified by workes that is declared to be iust by his workes or as S. Iames expounds it himselfe his Iustification is shewed by his works Thirdly the word to Iustifie is a iudiciall terme and it signifieth to absolue in iudgement and is opponed to condemning so Salomon vseth it Hee that iustifies the wicked Pro. and condemnes the iust are both alike abhomination to the Lord and in this sense the Apostle vseth it here for he oppones it to condemnation This right vnderstanding of the vvord vvill lead vs to Iustification is opponed to coÌ„demnation know what the benefit of Iustification is for what euer condemnation be Iustification must be the contrary they are both iudiciall termes vsed in iudgement holden on matters of life and death Condemnation no man will denie is the sentence of a righteous Iudge adiudging a malefactor to death for some capitall crime whereof he is found guilty in iudgement Iustification then is the sentence of God a righteous Iudge absoluing the man that is in Christ from sinne and death and accepting him to life for the righteousnesse of Christ which is his So that it is euident the state of the question in the controuersie How the state of the controuersie of Iustification stands betweene vs and the Papists of Iustification will be this how is a man iustified before God that is what is it that a man must bring before Gods tribunall for the which he shall be pronounced innocent absolued from death and adiudged to life whether is it ouâ— works of sanctification inherent in vs or is it the righteousnesse of Christ giuen vnto vs and made ours The question being this way taken vp shal giue great light to the c 〈…〉 ouersie that is betweene vs and the falsly named Catho 〈…〉 of our time for we denie not that there is in Gods children an inherent sanctification and that they are changed from vnrighteousnesse to righteousnesse but this inherent righteousnesse say we is not able to purchase to vs an absoluâ—torie sentence from death To make this yet more cleare let vs know that the righteousnesse Foure names giuen to that righteousnesse by which wee are iustified by which we are Iustified receiues foure names first it is called the righteousnesse of Christ secondly the righteousnesse of God thirdly the righteousnesse of Faith fourthly our righteousnesse The righteousnesse of Christ because it is conquered by him and inherent in him as in
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
Sathans buffets and against whom hee vvas permitted to vse all the stratagems of the spirituall warfare that possibly he could hee crossed him not onely in his goods in his children and in his owne bodie but also in his minde by his wife he tempted him to blasphemie by his friends to diffidence yet by none of these could he ouercom him In his outward troubles his resolution was the Lord hath Iob 1. 21. giuen the Lord hath taken blessed be the name of the Lord for euer in his inward terrours his resolution was Albeit Ioh 13. 15. the Lord would slay mee yet would I trust in him so impossible it is for Sathan by any tentation whatsoeuer to separate from the loue of God his Children chosen called and iustified The Lord is present with present with his children to keepe them sometime from trouble sometime introuble To cleare this let vs yet know that God is many manner of wayes present vvith his children in trouble first hee is with them by preuenting the danger so that hee will not suffer the intended euill of the enemie to come neere them so he brought Senacherib to see Ierusalem without but suffered him not to shoot so much as a dart against it within Somtime againe the Lord enters his children into the trouble as Daniel into the Den Ioseph into the prison the three children into the fire but deliuers them in such sort that both his glory and their comfort is greater than if they had not beene in trouble at all Sometime he suffers his children to ende their mortall liues in trouble and yet is with them strengthning them by his glorious might to all patience and long suffering filling them with such a sense of his loue that in death they rest vnder the assurance of life This also is declared by example The practise of this see in the examples of Eliah and Paul when Iezabel vowed to haue the life of Eliah yee shall see that the Lord is with him sometime to hide him that albeit Achab and Iezabel seeke him they cannot finde him sometime God lets Achabs captaines see where hee is but consumes with fire them that came proudly to take him Sometime he presents him to Achab and Iezabel but bridleth the tyrants that they haue no power to stirre him The Apostle Paul in like manner being sent prisoner to Rome the Lord assisted him in such sort that hee deliuered 2 Tlm. 4. 17. him out of the mouth of the Lyon Vero and yet the second time suffered him to fall by the sword of the same tyrant shall wee thinke that the Lord was not with the Apostle to assist him the second time as well as the first let it be farre from vs. The Lord was with him indeed to make his death a seale and confirmation of that Gospel which he had preached in his life The comfort then remaines that howeuer GOD worke with his children in trouble no aduersarie is able to take from vs that for which we striue to wit grace and glory they may be vnto vs as sharpe rasers of God to cut away our superfluities but shall neuer be able to bereaue vs of the end of our Faith which is the euerlasting saluation of our soules Verse 32. Who spared not his owne Sonne but gaue him for vs all vnto death how shall he not with him giue vnto vs all things also NOw followeth the second part of the Apostles generall triumph wherein hee gloryeth The second part of his generall triumph the Christian can want nothing that is needfull for him that the Christian can vvant nothing needfull for him for seeing the Lord hath giuen vnto him the greatest and most excellent gift to wit his owne Sonne is it possible that hee will deny him any secondarie or inferior gifts needfull for him Sathan who is a lyer from the beginning accused the Lord of two things first of an vntruth albeit the Lord hath said it yet yee shall nâ—t dye secondly of Enuy. In the first Sathan is proued false and the Lord is found true for are they not dead to whom the Lord said yee shall dye In the second Sathan is found a calumniator for what good tree will the Lord refuse to his owne who hath giuen vnto them this excellent tree of life which brings with it vnto them all things needfull for them To amplifie this great loue of God the Apostle saith The great loue which GOD hath shewed in giuing his Son for vs. not simply that hee gaue his Sonne for vs but that he spared not to giue him O vvonderfull loue â— the Naturall and onely Sonne of God is not spared that the adoptiue sonnes may be spared for our sinnes being imputed to him by the ordinance of God his Father and voluntarily accepted by himselfe so the punishment of our sinnes and chastisement Esa 53. 5. of our peace was laid vpon him that by his stripes wee might be healed The bitter cuppe due to vs was propined to him for the which albeit hee prayed to his Father that if it were his will this cuppe might passe by him yet the Father Mat. 26. 39. spared him not but held it to his head till hee dranke out the vttermost dregs thereof So straite is the Iustice of God that sinne being imputed to the Sonne of God vvho had no sinne of his owne is pursued to the vttermost The greatest example of Iustice that euer the Lord declared in the world the drowning of the originall world the burning of Sodome the plaguing of Egypt were terrible proofes of the straitnesse of diuine Iustice but nothing comparable to this Which I marke partly for a comfort to the Godly and Comfort for the Godly that the iustice of God shall not â—ay cannot strike vpon them partly for a warning to the wicked it is our great comfort that the saluation which Iesus hath purchased vnto vs hee hath obtayned it vvith a full satisfaction of his Fathers Iustice so that now vve that are in him are not any more to feare it The great Iudge of all the vvorld will not doe vnrighteously to require that againe from vs vvhich our Christ vvhom he himselfe hath giuen vnto vs hath payed for vs. Miserable are the wicked who in their owne persons beare the punishment of their sinnes And as for the vvicked vvho are not in Christ how miserable will their state and condition be for they must beare the punishment of their owne sinnes in their owne persons If the burden of that vvrath due to our sinnes caused Iesus to sweat bloud and to say that his soule was heauie vnto Mat. 26. 38. the very death O how shall the burden of this wrath presse downe the vvicked it is euen a horrour to thinke of it their faces shall be confused vvithout and spirits oppressed vvithin vvith tribulation and anguish hee that spared not in his owne Sonne sinne imputed vnto him vvill hee
spare in thee sinne committed by thy selfe no no vvhen hee beginneth to smite thee hee shall neuer lift vp his hand from thee but double his stripes vpon thee and there shall be no end of thy sorrow As the ioyes prepared for the godly so the paines prepared for the wicked are such as the eye neuer saw the tongue cannot vtter nor the heart conceiue That place of the damned is the great deepe the Ocean of all the iudgements of God all his temporall plagues are but like riuers and strands running into it If therefore the beauty of Sion doth not allure vs let How both Sions beauty and Sinaies â—error should moue vs â—o repent the terrour of Sinai afray vs. The Lord proclaimed his Law in a fearefull manner vpon mount Sinai but in a more terrible manner will he execute it if Moses who was so familiar with the Lord trembled when he heard it proclaimed what horrible feare shall ouer-take the wicked when they shall see it executed vpon themselues Let therfore the children of wisedome hearken in time to the ioyfull tydings of peace which are daily proclaymed on mount Sion let vs drinke of the still and peaceable waters of Siloh which flow from it let vs embrace that mercy which Iesus by the merit of his death hath conquered vnto vs that so we may be saued from the wrath which is to come His owne Sonne Iesus Christ is called Gods owne Sonne How Christ is Gods owne Sonne both in respect of his diuine and humane natures for as he is God he was begotten of the Father by so vnspeakable a generation that as Esay saith none are able to declare it Esay 53. 8. and as he is man he is the Sonne of God conceiued by the holy Ghost made man indeed but not after the manner of other men but of this see Verse 3. But gaue him for vs all This is very often alleadged in The price of our redemption tels how much the Lord hath esteemed of vs. 1 Pet. 1. 18. holy Scriptures as an argument of the great loue of God toward vs that he gaue his sonne to death for vs and so it is indeed for it is not by any corruptible thing as Gold and siluer that he hath redeemed vs but by the precious blood of his owne Sonne the Lambe vndefiled and without spot There is no man will giue much for that whereof he esteemes but little wee measure the price of a thing according to the worth of it in our iudgement euen so of the greatnesse of that gift which our God hath giuen for vs we may estimate the greatnesse of his affection toward vs. Precious indeed in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints vvho to redeeme vs from death spared not to giue his dearest sonne vnto the death It was the Lords reasoning to Abraham now I perceiue thou Gen. 22. 12. louest me because for my sake thou hâ—st not spared thine onely sonne and haue we not much more cause to turne ouer the same reasoning to the Lord now Lord we perceiue thou louest vs because for our sake thou hast not spared thine onely one sonne The Lord shed abroad in our hearts more aboundantly the sense of that inestimable loue that we may be carefull to requite the kindnesse of the Lord putting his holy will before all things in our affection and endeauouring in holy loue to serue him who hath saued vs. Shall he not with him giue vs all things also We are to vnderstand All things belong to the godly in regard of right albeit not in regard of possession all things that are needfull for vs And here it is necessary that wee put a difference betweene our right and our possession The children of God haue the right and property of all Gods good creatures for Christ their Lord is the heire of all and hath made them with himselfe fellow heires All things are yours saith the Apostle and yee are Christs 1 Cor. 3. 21. and Christ is Gods But as for the possession of them in this life the Lord giues it or with-holds it according as he sees may be for the good of his children We know our father Abraham had the right of Canaan when he had not the possession of it and are not therefore to thinke it strange that the Lord giues not alwayes possession of that to his children whereof they haue the right But as for the wicked they haue possession without a right and therefore shall be punished as theeues and robbers and violent vsurpers of Gods creatures vvhereunto Iesus Christ who is the heyre of all hath neuer giuen them a right Secondly we marke here that the giuing and dispensation Seeing all things are giuen by God let vs moderate our care and take nothing but out of his fatherly hand of earthly things is from God if we could remember this it would moderate our care and make vs in our callings first to seek the Lords blessing loath any maner of way to take the things of this world vnlesse we see they be giuen vs out of the hand of God For wee are to know that Sathan who is a counterfaiter of GOD doth also arrogate to himselfe though falsly to be the giuer of things hee that durst say to the sonne of God all the kingdomes of the earth are mine Mat. 4. 9. I will giue them to thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship me will he stand in awe to speake it vnto sinfull man No indeed it is his daily tentation by vvhich he circumuents many intangling their hearts with the loue of vvorldly gaine that to obtaine it they care not to lye to steale to sweare to oppresse to deceiue one another vvhich in effect is to fall downe before Sathan and worship him Thus Sathan rules in the kingdome of Babell like a spirituall Sathan another Nabuchadnzer and a Balak offers also gifts to men Nabuchadnezar presenting to his subiects his great image of gold accompanied with all sorts of musicall instruments that is vvorldly pleasures vvealth and prosperitie which bewitch the simple and makes them fall downe and vvorship yeelding themselues seruants to Mammon But happy are those children who refuse so to do and can stand vp with their father Abraham lifting vp his hand to heauen and say I will not haue so much as the laâ—chet of a shooe from Gen. 14. 22. the king of Sodome I will haue nothing by any crooked or indirect meanes out of the hand of Sathan or any of his instruments the buds of Balak shall not hire me to doe euill neither the wages of iniquitie nor the reward of Sodome for doing good shall euer cleaue to my hands I will looke for my portion from the Lord. Againe seeing God is the giuer of all things let vs learne Seeing God is giuer of all let vs stand content and not murmure if others get a more portion than we
vvord of God her sentence is diuine and wee are to regard it if otherwise shee accuse vpon vvrong information it is the errour of conscience and we are to remedie it by sending conscience to seeke the warrant of her sentence out of the word of God It is very expedient that vvee put a difference betweene Conscience error of conscience to be distinguished conscience and the errour of conscience vvhere conscience discernes not according to the Law of the supreame Iudge it cannot but erre eyther in being ouer large and then shee pronounceth those things lawfull vvhich are vnlawfull or ouer strait and so she declares those things vnlawfull vvhich are lawfull for if this be not obserued vve shall be disquieted while wee hearken to the errours of conscience as if they vvere the iust and lawfull accusations of conscience Sometime againe conscience presents to men sins which Why the Lord leaues remembrance of a sin in the conscience after that it is pardoned they haue done many yeares agoe and vvhereof they haue repented for vvee are to know that albeit the Lord after repentance forgiue the guiltinesse of sinne yet he will haue the memorie thereof to remaine in that conseruing facultie of conscience called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it may both serue to humble vs for the euill vve haue done as also to preserue vs from sinne for the time to come And sinne this manner of way retayned in the memory I compare it to thornes and bryers which in the middest of a garden are hurtfull and hinder the growth of good fruit but being put in the hedge are profitable to preserue them so sinne as long as it is in Sin euill in the affect on but good in the memory the affection is very pernitious for then it chokes the seed of the word of God in them but being taken out of the affection and set in the memory is as a hedge to the soule to preserue it from wilde and raging beasts that would come in and deuoure it thus for our humiliation the Lord keepes in vs a remembrance euen of those sinnes vvhich hee hath pardoned but so that vvith the remembrance of the euill which we haue done our conscience doth also excuse and comfort vs with the remembrance of our vnfained repentance toward God And if otherwise the conscience accuse vs for those euill deeds which we haue done and whereof we haue not repented it is of Gods great mercy toward vs vvho by inward 1 Cor. 11. 31. trouble wakens vs to iudge our selues now that wee should not be iudged of the Lord in the world to come As this is the comfort of Gods chosen so doth it point As no creature hath place to accuse the godly so by the contrary all shall stand vp and accuse the wicked Malach. 3. 5. Ioh. 5. 45. Luke 9. 5. Iosh 24. 27. Deut. 4. 26. Iam. 5. 3. Math. 23. 3. vnto vs the contrary miserable estate of the reprobate for there is nothing in heauen and earth which shall not stand vp against them to accuse them the Lord himselfe shall come neere them as a swift witnesse against them O miserable are they to whom the Lord is a Partie a Iudge and a Witnesse as our Sauiour said to the Iewes Moses and all the seruants of God shall be witnesses against them yea the dust of the feete of those who brought the glad tidings of peace shall witnesse against them the stones of the field said Ioshua the heauens and earth said Moses their moth-eaten garments said S. Iames yea they themselues said our Sauiour shall vvitnesse against themselues vvoe be vnto them they must be presented to iudgement but shall haue none eyther in heauen or earth to speake for them nothing vvithout them nothing within them which shall not be a witnesse against them when they are iudged they shall be condemned and their owne conscience shall say righteous is the Lord and iust are his iudgements It is God that iustifies Of this ye may see clearely that The arguments of our comfort are not brought from our innocencie but Gods mercy Iustification as the Apostle vseth it here is a iudicial terme for he oppones it to accusation and condemnation but leauing that because vvee marked it before in the poynt of Iustification we will adde this more that the Apostle brings not the reason of his comfort from his owne innocencie but from Gods mercy he saith not there is nothing in mee worthy to be accused or to be condemned but his comfort is that whateuer it be God hath pardoned it This is it that breedes vnquietnesse and perturbation in many weake consciences they seeke vvithin themselues that which should commend them to God as if they could not be saued vnlesse they were perfect this commeth of Sathans singular subtiltie who labours to creepe in betweene vs and our warrant as if our owne innocencie were the warrant of our saluation and not Gods mercy nor Christs merit It is true It becomes vs for our greater comfort to nourish within our selues the tokens of Grace but to conclude that because they are weake therefore wee cannot be saued it is Sathans sophistrie with which wee should not suffer our soules to be abused Verse 34. Who shall condemne it is Christ which is dead yea or rather which is risen againe who is also at the right hand of God and maketh request also for vs. THe Apostle insists in his particular triumph The death resurrection ascention and glorification of Christ assures vs of immunity from condemnation against sinne and he demaunds now who shall condemne it may be as we heard there be some bold to accuse but is there any saith the Apostle that hath power to condemne none at all and that he proues from the death resurrection exaltation and intercession of Christ for as all these were done for vs so do euery one of them render vnto vs the sweet fruit of consolation Of the comfort arising from Christs death we haue spoken before The next is his resurrection we haue comfort saith the The great cōfort wee haue of Christs resurrection Apostle in his death but much more comfort in his resurrection therefore saith the Apostle It is Christ who is dead or rather who is risen againe for if wee looke to Iesus dying albeit in death hee shewed himselfe a powerfull Sauiour yet in his death his glory was greatly obscured vnder the couering of mortalitie which againe in his resurrection was more cleerely manifested for hee was declared mightily to be the Sonne of God by his resurrection and hath made Rom. 1. 4. vs sure of the remission of our sinnes for he had not come out of the prison of the graue if hee had not payed the vttermost 1 Cor. 15. 17. farthing of our debt If Christ saith the Apostle be not yet risen then are we yet in our sinnes thanks be to God we may turne it
to our comfort Iesus is already risen therefore we are not in our sinnes As for his exaltation the Apostle saith hee sits at the Of Christs exaltation at the right hand of God right hand of God to speake properly the Lord who is a Spirit hath neyther right hand nor left but by these borrowed speeches the Lord who dwelleth in light inaccessible to whom wee cannot ascend by our selues that wee should know him descends vnto vs and speakes of his vnspeakeable Maiestie vnto vs in such manner as wee are best able to conceiue it so that when eyes and eares and hands are ascribed to the Lord wee are to thinke these hee hath per Papists blasphemous who set out the maiestie of God in the similitude of a corruptible man Deut. 4. 15. effectum non per naturam And this may rebuke that bould blasphemie of the Papists who presume to paint the incomprehensible Maiestie of God vnder the similitude of an aged and worne creature expresly contrary to Gods commandement In that day saith the Lord that I spake vnto thee out of the mountaine thou heardest a voyce but saw no Image beware therefore thou make none and in many places is the same presumption condemned by the Prophets Where if they excuse themselues that they paint the Lord Their fact not warranted by any appairtion of the diuine maiestie in the shape of man in such a similitude as hee appeared vnto Daniel and no other-way I answere first this is false for sometime which is horrible to speake they paint him in the shape of an humane body hauing three heads but albeit it were true which they say yet doth it not excuse them for the Lords extraordinary facts are not to be vsed as vvarrants to breake his ordinary and eternall Commaundements neyther doth it any more excuse them than that deed of the Lord whereby hee caused the Israelites to take from the Egyptians their siluer gold and Iewels which they neuer rendred can excuse them that doe borrow steale and robbe from others but neuer restore But howeuer they excuse themselues as long as the word They are conuinced by the Apostle of Idolatry Heb. 1. 11. of the Apostle stands true they shall not rubb off them the blot of idolatry they turne the glory of the incorruptible God into the similitude of a corruptible man The Maiestie of God is eternall the heauens waxe olde but hee remaines the same why then do they paint him vnder the similitude of a worne creature weakened by the length of dayes The Iesuites of Rhemes conuinced of darknesse are ashamed of the light that shines in this place of Scripture and passe by it without an answer they excuse the making of the Image of Christ and of his Saints but speake not one word to defend the grosse Idolatry wherby they turne the glory of the inuisible God into the image of a corruptible man It had beene good for them they had beene as dumbe in the defence of the rest of their abhominations as they are in this This speech therefore to sit at the right hand of God The sitting of Christ at Gods right hand imports his high honour and dignity 1 King 2. 19. is a borrowed speech the Metaphor being taken from Kings who vse to set on their right hand those whom they honour most as Salomon did his mother Bathsheba and so the phrase vvill import that high honour and dignitie whereunto Christ Iesus as man is exalted being crowned with glory both aboue Angels and man This right hand of God whereat Christ sits is expounded Errour of Vbiquitaries improued by other places of Scripture to be the high and heauenly places which serueth to improue that paralogisme of the Vbiquitaries who will haue Christs naturall bodie to be in euery place because the right hand of GOD is in euery place It is true indeed Christ sits at thâ— right hand of Heb 1. 3. Ephes 1. 20. God but so that he sits in the high and heauenly places The right hand of GOD that is the power and glorie of GOD stretches throughout the whole world but wee are plainly taught that the place of the residence of Christ Iesus the man is in the heauenly places and not in earthly places in the high places to which he is ascended and not in the low places in which wee soiourne for the heauens most contayne Acts 3. 21. him vntill the day of refreshment come And makes request also for vs. Christ our Lord hath entred Christ makes request for vs in heauen into heauen not to enioy for himselfe a blessed life only but to appeare in the presence of God for vs. As the high Priest when he entred into the most holy place had grauen in stones vpon his breast the names of the twelue tribes of Israel so the Lord Iesus presents to his father the names of all his elect that by the merit of his death he may procure mercy vnto them Here againe wee are taught that Iesus Christ is described No Mediator of intercession but Iesus Christ to vs in holy Scripture as our mediator of intercession and that there is no other beside him recommended vnto vs. In al the old testament no prayer is made to Henoch Moses nor Eliah who ended their dayes not after the common course of men no prayer to Abraham albeit hee was the Father of the faithfull yea no prayer to Cherubin nor Seraphin though now the Apostate Church of Rome haue made as many aduocates for vs in heauen as there are Saints departed and hath framed particular prayers vnto them and which is more ridiculous hath parted among them the patrocinie of sundry sorts of sicknesse and diseases It is true indeed that the Saints which are departed haue Saints departed haue their owne desires which they craue to be fulfilled but knowes not our necessities not as yet all their desires fulfilled and shall not be perfected without vs wherefore also it is that they long for the full gathering together of the Saints and for the restitution of their bodies and for the last day of iudgement but that they know the particular troubles of Gods children our greatest troubles being inward tentations and wrestlings of conscience neither knowne to man nor Angell but only to God who is the searcher of the heart or that we can in faith vse them as mediators vnto God for vs wee iustly deny it Where if they take them vnto their common refuge that ther is but one mediator of redemption but many mediators of intercession to this wee answere that in the same place wherin the Apostle saith there is one mediatour betweene God 1 Tim. 2. 5. and man the subiect whereof he entreats is Prayer so that euen in prayer he will haue vs to acknowledge no mediator of intercession but Iesus Christ And beside this Augustine doth so desine a mediator of A Mediator of intercession as he
able to turne him Now from the body it is translated to the minde to expresse the straitnesse of the afflictions of the children of God out of vvhich oft-times they themselues can see no passage that which Dauid said to Ionathan As the Lord liueth there is 1 Sam. 20. 3. but one step betweene me and death so sareth it many a time with the Children of God but the Lord commeth in vvith vnlooked for deliuerance in their most desperate distresse vvhich not onely relieueth them for the present but doth confirme them for the time to come Wee receiued saith 2 Cor. 1 9. 10. the Apostle the sentence of death in our selues because wee should not trust in our selues but in God who raiseth the dead who dâ—liuered vs from so great a death and doth deliuer vs in whom we trust that he will deliuer vs. The third is Persecution The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth 3 They are persecuted chased from place to place that sort of affliction by which the Children of God are persecuted and chased from one place to another the world hath neuer thought them worthy of a roome among them and therefore haue they beene forced to liue in caues and dennes and wildernesses but our comfort is that the God most familiar with his children when they are banished by men Lord hath alwaies shewed himselfe most familiar with his Children when the world hath been most hard vnto them Iacob is banished from his fathers house by the crueltie of Esau and his heauenly Father receiued him into his house comforting him by such a familiar reuelation of his presence as hee neuer had felt before so long as hee dwelt at home and Iohn being banished by Dâ—mitian into Pathmos found also the Lord reuealing himself vnto him more familiarly than he had done before What part of the world is there wherein tyrants can banish the Children of GOD from accesse to their Comforter they know that in their owne house they are strangers as Abraham vvas in Canaan the Land of his inheritance and therefore can be the better content as strangers to liue in any other part of the world Basil being threatned by Modestâ—s the Deputie of the Emperour with banishment Nihil inquiâ— horum quae Nazian de vita Basil dixisti timeo I feare none of these things whereof thou hast spoken nihil pâ—ssâ—â—ens ab exilij mâ—tu liber sum vnum hominuÌ„ cognoscens esse patriam Paradisum Omnem autem terram commune â—spicimus naturae exilium possessing nothing I am free from the feare of banishment knowing that Paradise is the onely countrey of men and the whole earth is a common place of banishment to vs all The fourth is Famine which of it own nature is one of the 4 Famine is one of Gods ordinary plagues and with it also the godly are tryed plagues of God but lesse than his other ordinary plagues of the sword pestilence therfore the Lord who best knowes the waight of his owne rods accounts three dayes of pestilence three months of the sword and three yeeres of famine equiualent Many wayes hath the Lord by which he bringeth famine vpon a people for sometime he maketh Leuit. 26. 19. the heauen aboue as brasse and the earth beneath as yron so that albeit men labour and sow yet they receiue no encrease Deu. 11. 14. sometime againe he giues in due season the first and latter raine so that the earth renders abundance but the Lord by blasting-windes or by the Cater-piller Canker-worme and Grasse-hopper doth consume them who commeth out as exacters and officers sent from God to poind Miserable are they whose gaine is to â—ncrease Famine they are Caterpillers in the Land Basil ser 1. in Auar men in their goods because with them they would not honour the Lord which I marke by the way that those vnnaturall men vvho doe what they can to encrease famine in the Land may know they are but Caterpillers scourges and roddes of the wrath of God or aâ— Basil calleth them Mâ—rcatores humanarum calumnitatem making their priuat gaine a common calamitie and vsing that as a benefite to themselues which God hath threatned as a plague to the people assuredly vnlesse they repent the Lord shall cast them at length into the fire as the roddes of his wrath But we are to know that famine which in the owne nature The Lord who changed the serpent into a flourishing rod hath changed cursed famine into a blessed crosse to his children is a curse and plague of God to the godly is changed the Lord who made the bitter waters of Mâ—rah sweet and turned a biting serpent into a flourishing rod hath changed the nature of all those euils which sinne hath brought vpon vs now they worke for our good and are become like Waspes wanting stings profitable to waken vs and exercise our faith but not able to seperate vs from the loue of God Among those famine is a great tentation Nature being impatient of the want of necessaries and therfore Sathan who picks out the time and place of tentations as may be most for his vantage tempted our blessed Sauiour when he began to vvaxe hungry It is a rare grace in want to praise the Mat. 4 3. Lord and trust in his fatherly prouidence Salomon neuer felt it yet hee knew it was a rare tentation therefore he Prou. 30. 8. prayed that the Lord would neither giue him pouertie nor riches least the one make him full and cause him deny God and the other should cause him to steale and take the name of God in vaine yet no extremitie of this tentation can separate them from the loue of God for eyther in their greatest necessities the Lord marueilously prouides for them or then strengthens them vvith patience and inward comfort to sustaine it For sometime the earth hath been as iron but the heauens How the Lord prouides in famine for his children hath ministred food to Gods people as in that barren wildernesse vvherein Israel soiourned the earth yeelded no fruit but the heauens rained downe Manna and Quailes and sometimes the heauens haue beene as brasse yet in the earth hath the Lord prouided nourishment as he did by the Rauens and the Widdow of Sarepta for Eliah and if otherwise it please the Lord by famine to inflict death vpon his children then he strengthens their spirits with the bread of life and comforts their hearts with hid Manna so that they can say to Worldlings as our Sauiour said to his Disciples I haue bread to eate that ye know not of and so no famine can Ioh. 4. 32. separate them from the loue of God Nakednesse This is also a great tentation partly for the 5 Christians tryed also with Nakednesse shame and partly for the decay of naturall life which followes it Before the Iewes crucified Christ they stripped him naked of his garments Basil makes
mention of fortie Martyrs who being striped naked were put foorth in the night to be pined with cold and afterward burnt with fire in the day Of these it is euident that nakednesse is one of those tentations whereby Sathan seekes to trouble our faith and patience but he who hath put on the Lord Iesus for a garment neither shame nor losse of naturall life procured by nakednesse can seperate him from the Loue of God Where wee may perceiue how different the dispositions The begged glory of world lings is in their apparell of the Châ—istian and the Worldlings are The men of this vvorld esteemes nakednesse their shame and places a great part of their glory in gorgeous garments and no maruell quia de proprio non habent decorem necesse est vt aliunde mendicent Bern. in cant serm 41. for hauing no glory of their owne they must borrow glory from others From the beasts of the earth they borrow skins and wool from the Fowles of heauen they borrow feathers from the Wormes they borrow silk from the Earth siluer and gold from the Waters pearles and of these doth man make vp his begged glory vvhose glorie in the beginning vvas to be clad in the image of God but what is it decor qui cum veste induitur vt cum veste deponitur Ber. ad Soph. Virg. epi. 113 vestis est non vestiti that beauty which is put on and put off with the garment is not the beauty of the person but of the garment Yet are these but licitae quodammodo insaniae if they be Vnder pretence of hiding their nakednes they shew forth their Nakednesse Cypri trac 2. de habi virg compared vvith the madnesse of others vvho alter by artifice the shape and colour of the countenance vvhich God hath giuen them Manus deo inferunt cum illud quod formauit reformare conantur for they put hands as it were into God while they prease to reforme that which GOD hath formed Nâ—scientes quia opus dei est â—mne quod nascitur diaboli quod mutatur I know they excuse their fact with the couerings of comelinesse and necessitie but praetexâ—u tâ—gâ—ndae turpitudinis Cyril catch 4. in matâ—rem turpitudinem incidunt for worldlings are neuer so naked as when they are best apparelled As for men truely godly they vvill thinke shame of wickednes but not of nakednesse imprâ—bum vocari te pudeat non pauperem Nazian sent aut ignobilem blind Egyptians may account sheepekeepers abhomination but true Israelits will thinke shame to be prophane but no man to be poore those godly ones in the wildernesse clad with sheepes skins and goates skins Hâ—b 11. 37. Acts 12. 21. were more honourable in the eyes of God than Herod in his royall robe of shining siluer glancing the more brightly by the shining of the Sun vpon it if wee will credit Iosâ—phus But what of all this our vnwillingnesse to want superfluitie of apparell argues that we are euill prepared to endure nakednesse for Christs sake Crosses should not be assumed by our selues but patiently borne when God layes them on Againe wee learne here that seeing nakednesse is one of those crosses whereby the Lord tryes the faith and patience of his children and that then it is time for vs to endure a crosse when God layes it vpon vs it cannot be good religion to impone it to our selues where God layes it not vpon vs. It is a hard thing to keepe mediocritie not to be either too remisse in religion or too superstitious Wil-worship what euer shew of godlinesse it hath in the eyes of men is but abhominable idolatry in the eyes of God and we are not to place true religion in those things which he hath not False Prophets weares rough garments to deceiue so they did of old and so they doe stil required the false Prophets ware a rough garment but it vvas to deceiue the Priests of Baal spared not to lance their owne flesh but it is reiected by God as blinde zeale to walke bare-footed or weare a garment of haire without linnen or vvool next the skinne to carry on our head a Franciscanes hood and at last to be buried in it If these things haue in them such holinesse as they pretend is it not a maruell their holy Father the Pope is not careful to make himselfe more holy by changing his triple Crowne vvith a Franciscanes hood or that his Cardinals are so inconsiderate as to redeeme by so excessiue prices a Cardinals hat the haire garment being better cheape and much more meritorious of eternall life Perils The life of a Christian is full of perils euery place 6 The Christian in euery place subiect to perils 2 Cor. 11. 16. vnto him is a palaestra in the sea in the land in the citie in the wildernes goe where he will he shall encounter with perils These are so many probations of our Faith and Patience of Gods truth and prouidence Our preseruation depends on our protector euen the Watch-man of Israel who neither slumbers nor sleepes As a Father hath compassion Comfort for the Christian in all perils on his children so hath the Lord on them who feare him and wee know that a naturall Father doth neuer looke more pittifully vpon his Child than when he sees him in greatest danger and shall we expect lesse kindnesse from our heauenly Father The men of this world when they send out their seruants in commission goes not with them themselues knowes not their danger and are not able to preserue them but the Lord our God when he sends out his seruants fore-sees the perill and goes with them to preserue them Feare not for when thou passest through the water I will be Esay 43. 2. with thee through the flouds that they doe not ouer flow thee The more perils we fall into the more experience haue we of Gods louing preseruing vs for the which wee may say perils may well make vs grow in the sense of the loue of God but cannot seperate vs from him Sword This is the last and by it the Apostle expresses 7 The Christian subiect also to violent death any kinde of violent death for vnto these also the seruants of God and his best beloued Children haue beene subiect euer from the beginning The Apostle glories that no kind of death can seperate vs from Christ yea as hee saith in another place it conioynes vs more neerely vnto him as Nebuchadnezzars Dan. 3. 25. fire loosed the bonds of the three children but hurt not their bodyes so death inflicted by man may loose our bodily bonds but cannot hurt our soules Non sunt â—mâ—nda spiritâ—i quae fiunt in carne quae extra nos est quasi vestimentum let not our spirit feare those things which are done in the flesh which is as a garment without vs. Thus we see how no kinde of crosse can seperate vs
ciuit dei li. 13. c. 8. A godly man not troubled in his owne person is partaker of Christs afflictions by sympathie Sauiour doth teach vs when hee sayes they are able to kill the body and doe no more Qui pro Christo moriuntur aliquid mortis accipiunt ne tota contingat they may cast downe this earthly tabernacle but cannot hurt the man of God But here it is enquired seeing these godly ones vvere aliue when they sent vp this complaint vnto God how is it said they were slaine To this I answere that two manner of wayes are the godly partakers of Christs afflictions euen when they are not troubled in their owne persons first by sympathie with others that are troubled for as the head of the misticall body accounts himselfe persecuted vvhen his members are persecuted so among the liuely members therof the griefe and trouble of one is the griefe and trouble of the rest If we mourne with them that mourns remember Rom. 12. 15. Heb. 13. 3. them who are in bonds as if wee were in bonds with them we are partakers of their sufferings but now the want of this compassion in many who resting in their yuorie beds sorrowes not for Iosephs affliction proues them to be but dead Amos 6. 6. and rotten members Secondly wee communicate vvith the affliction of our All true Christians are Martyrs in affection brethren when in our affection we are ready to suffer with them if so it would please the Lord to employ vs as they are Martyres in action so will the Lord accept the others as Martyres in affection Deus enim non estimat quenquam ex Cyprian de dup Martir How their readie will is accepted as a deed is declared in the example of Aquila and Priscilla euentu rerum sed ex affectu for God esteemes not one by the euent of things but by their affection Non fraudabitur Martyrij gloria per quem non stâ—tit quo minus Martyrium peregerit hee shall not be defrauded of the glory of martyrdome in whose default it was not that he accomplished his Martyrdome therfore Aquila Priscilla are commended that for the Apostles life they had laid downe their owne Rom. 16. 4. neckes their good-will being reckoned vnto them for a deede But as Iacob hazarded some of his family in the hands of Esau before others so the Lord sends out some of his seruants to trouble before others For the Lord is not so prodigall of the liues of his children that at one time he will hauock them all in the hands of the wicked though he send some out to the tryall he will reserue others to be as it were the seed of the Gospell All the day long If wee apply this testimonie to the Persecuters in this last age are most miserable whole Church then this day shal be the whole course of time from the beginning to the end thereof Early in the morning Cain began to persecute his brother and euer since bloudy persecuters in all ages haue followed his way but among them all the persecuters of this last age which is the euening are most miserable for all the blood shed since the dayes of Abell shall light vpon them As in a good course his praise is greatest who is formost so in an euill course his iudgement shall be the greatest who comes hindmost because he subscribes to the wickednesse of all those who haue gone before him But if otherwise we apply this testimonie to euery Christian The whole time of our life is but a day of suffering then this day must be called the vvhole time of our life from our birth to our death warning vs that in no age of our life we should promise to our selues immunitie from affliction yet our comfort is that the time of our trouble Reu. 3. 10. Or an houre of tentation is here called a day and in the Reuelation the houre of tentation because it is but short That rebuke which our Sauiour gaue his Disciples when they were sleeping in the garden could you not watch with me one houre may serue as a Mat. 26. 40. checke vnto vs when wee faint in tentation could yee not suffer with me one houre Againe seeing our trouble is short let vs not in it limit the holy one of Israell to prescribe to the Lord the time of our deliuerance O how may wee be With what patience wee should endure in suffering referring the time of our deliuerance to the Lord. ashamed of our impatience in trouble when wee looke to Noah who entring into the Arke at the Lords commandement after he had tarried a whole yeare in it yet sought not to come out till the Lord commanded him And Ioseph the nourishing Father of our Lord Iesus when the Angel commanded him to goe to Aegipt and said further to him tarie Mat. 2. 13. there till I tell thee though Ioseph knew not when he should come out of Aegipt the place of banishment yet referring the time to the Lord he yeelded himselfe obedient to the holy commandement The Lord worke in vs the like obedience of Faith And are counted This is added by way of amplification Worldlings esteeme Christians but vile persons and what comfort wee haue against their contempt Mat. 26. 15. 1 Cor. 4. 13. we are not onely slaine but slaine as if we were slaues nothing worth Wicked men account the godly little worth and therefore doe handle them in a vile manner but shall we for that be discouraged No the Prince of our saluation was esteemed among men no more worth then thirtie peeces of siluer and that for our sake shall we then thinke euill for his sake to be counted lesse than the doung or clay whereupon we tread The Lord giue vs true humilitie that we may be content to be despised of men that we may be approued of our God hee onely hath the ballance in his hands what â—uer waight worldlings haue in the eyes of men when the Lord begins to weigh them as he did Beltasar no honour no riches no kingdome shall help them to hold outwaight As sheepe for the slaughter Wicked men accounts the In what respects wicked men account the godly as sheepe godly slaughter-sheepe because they thinke nothing is lost vvhen they are taken out of the way yea also they reape a benefit thereby a proofe whereof we may see in the primitiue Church for when Famine Pestilence and such like calaâ—ities were inflicted by GOD vpon the Empire for the contempt of his Gospell the cause thereof was still imputed by men to the Christians and therfore they were persecuted to death vvith no lesse opinion than that the putting them out of the vvay vvas to put the plagues of God from the whole Empire yet did they not this way remedy the wrath due to their sinnes but procured thereby eyther double stripes to themselues or then were handled in
the patience of God like vnto Oxen fed for the slaughter And here it shal not be vnprofitable to oppone the iudgement How God also compares his children to sheepe but in farre contrary respects of the Lord concerning his children to the iudgement of men The Lord also compares his little ones to sheepe but vpon plaine contrary respects to those which the world hath first for their innocencie and simplicitie they are not like other beasts that haue either teeth in their head pawes in their feete or poyson in their bowels to powre out when they are offended secondly for their patience whereas other beasts being beaten vtter vnruly and rowting voyces they are dumbe before their shearers yea when they are Cyprian de simp prael iniured are farre from reuenge The sheepe of Christ saith Cyprian hath not the bloudy teeth of Wolues crueltie is an argument of bastard religion and thirdly for their vtilitie for they doe not onely giue their milke but their Wooll and Skinne to the vse of man teaching vs how profitable wee should be to our brethren but alas the great number of them who being void of innocencie wise to doe euill void of patience not acquainted with the yoke void of charitie being like that barren tree vvhich had no fruit to giue to Christ in his hunger euidently declares how that many in this age howsoeuer esteemed among men yet are not accounted of God the sheepe of Christ Verse 37. Neuerthelesse in all these things we are more then conquerours through him that loued vs. HEre the Apostle doth now subioyne a negatiue answere to his former interrogations with an amplification these things whereof I haue spoken are so farre from being able to seperate vs from the loue of God that by the contrary in them all wee are more then conquerours that is victors out of all doubt In all these things Then yee may perceiue that vnto all The Christian compared to a rock in the sea those crosses enumerated before the Christian man is subiect he is not vnproperly compared to a Rock in the sea which being beaten on euery side with vvaues raysed by the winde yet stands vnmoueable vnbroken it selfe breakes them that assaults it Againe yee see that the Apostle who speaking of the estate In death Christians are conquerours of Christians vpon earth said before wee are slaine all the day long saith now we are more then conquerours strange it is that he who is slaine should be a conquerour but so it is the Christian battell euery way is meruailous partly because it is foughten within and against himselfe and partly because then is he a conqueror when he seemes to be vanquished being the member of that head who obtayned greatest victorie when he suffered most shamefull death Through him that loued vs. The Apostle doth so giue A Christian is not a single man standing by himselfe but a man incorporate in Christ comfort to the Christian that hee reserues the glory vnto the Lord the strength whereby we preuaile is from him that loued vs not for our selues It is very comfortable to consider that a Christian is not a man standing or liuing by himselfe he hath his being in Christ as long as there is life in him we cannot die it is true that sometime being deserted and left to our selues we fall away for a time as we may see in Peter who at the voyce of a Damsell denied the Lord Iesus and this is to teach vs that the praise of our standing perseuering and ouer-comming pertaines to the Lord. Verse 38. For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come 29. Nor height nor any other creature c. THe Apostle continuing in his triumph mounts to an higher sort of enemies and hee also proclaimes defiance to them affirming that neither death nor life nor Angels nor things present nor things to come nor any other creature whatsoeuer if any other be are able to seperate vs from the loue of God Of the which we haue first to learne that a Christian man A Christian may be assured of his saluation in this life contrary to the doctrine of Papists in this life may be perswaded of his saluation neyther is it to be accounted presumption for as much as in so doing he leaues not vpon himselfe but vpon the word and promise of God vvhich the Lord hath confirmed by an oath that he may make sure to the heyres of promise the stabilitie of his counsell Where if the aduersary obiect that the word of the Lord out of all doubt is true and that they who beleeues and repents shall be saued but euery one vvho saith hee beleeues doth not beleeue and so cannot be perswaded of his saluation To this I answere that hee who repents vnfainedly and beleeues knowes as certainely that he hath repentance and faith as he who hath in his hand a iewell knowes that hee hath it and therefore may conclude with himselfe that the promises of saluation made to the penitent beleeuers belongs vnto him for albeit it be true there be many in the Church like vnto those fiue foolish Virgins who suppose they haue that which they shall not be found to haue in the end yet is there no reason to conclude that because some are deceiued all are deceiued because some thinke they haue faith and haue it not therefore none can be sure that they haue faith Out of all doubt vvhere the Lord Iesus dwelleth by his Spirit hee makes himselfe knowne to them in vvhom hee dwelleth according to that Know ye not that Christ is in you This is proued from the nature of the holy spirit whom the Christian hath receiued 2 Cor. 13. 5. except ye be reprobates and these names giuen to the holy Spirit of Adoption doth also confirme the same truth for he is called the Seale the Witnesse and earnest penny of God which names hee receiues from his effects and operations which he works in them to whom he is giuen eyther therefore must the aduersary say that there are none to whom the Spirit is giuen or they must graunt that they to whom he is giuen are sure the first they will not affirme the second they cannot with reason denie for what is this to say that a man Rom. 8. 16. 2 Cor. 1. 22. hath the Seale the Witnesse and the Earnest of God giuen to confirme the promise of God and yet all these doe not make him who hath them sure of saluation But here least that vvhich I haue said discourage them Comfort for the godly whē they cannot sinde this assurance who are of vveake consciences let them know that this assurance of saluation doth not alway continue with the Christian in a like measure for here we doe so beleeue that we want not our owne vnbeleife and albeit our faith when it is in the full strength ouer-comes