talke with their parents and feele a feruent desire to be soone there euen so we if we remember that in heauen we haue treasures of eternall riches an vndefiled inheritance immortall and incorruptible which is reserued for vs a heauenly father that loueth vs in his welbeloued son our elder brother Iesus Christ in glory the angels holy spirits in ioy and that wee their fellow burgesses haue our portion in all these goods and are euen vpon the point to be really in heauen with them why should we not be rauished with a feruent desire to be lifted vp thether and with S. Paul to say I couet to be dissolued and to be with Christ Phil. 1.23 what letteth vs when wee feele how hardly wee are entreated and what mortall wounds our soules doe daylye receiue by offending God through their corruptions to say with S. Paul Rom. 7.24 O wretched men that we are who shall deliuer vs from this body of death Shall not the very feeling of so grieuous and so many bodily afflictions whereto we are subiect in this strange land cause vs seruently to pray to be deliuered from the same 2. Cor. 5. 1. especially considering that we know as S. Paul saith that when the earthly habitation of this lodge is destroyed wee haue a building in God euen an euerlasting house in the heauens which is not made with mans hand And in this respect we that abide in these earthly dwellinges doe groane vnder our burdens for we desire to bee clothed with our habitation which is in heauen as knowing that remaining vpon earth wee are absent from the Lord for we doe walke in saith and not by sight albeit we trust loue rather to be estranged from this body and to dwell with the Lord. 7 Howbeit attending vntill we may be really there both in body and soule let vs be there in spirit let vs be conuersant in heauen and begin to feele the felicity wherof we shall hereafter haue full and perfect fruition in this conuersation with God with the angels and with the holy spirits let vs more and more learne the language and maners of heauen to the end wee may resemble the angels saints there dwelling When Moses had conuersed with God forty daies vpon the mountaine Exod. 34.29 at his comming downe his face shined and glistered with the heauenly glorye so will it bee with vs by then we haue for twenty or thirty yeares bene conuersant in heauen we shall become heauenlye and spirituall both in worde and deed euen as by experience wee see that when a countryman hath dwelled some twenty or thirty yeares in the Court he forgetteth his country speech and course of life and groweth to be as good a courtier as if he were borne in the Court Our earthly talke and communication our worldly course of life and the corruptions of the flesh that beare but too much swaye in vs doe but ouer manifestlye shew how little we are conuersant in heauen and consequently doe testifie that we account our selues Burgesses of earth and not of heauen That wee may therefore amend let vs continually thinke that heauen is our true countrey that wee are Burgesses thereof that there we haue our parents and blessed brethren the treasures of ioye and glory an immortall and incorruptible enheritance and that we are at the very point of going thither to take possession as in truth wee doe euery houre looke for the time of our departure let this holye meditation make vs to conuerse in heauen and to liue as heauēly people setting our harts vpon our treasure let it euen make vs to forsake the speeche habit fashions and manners of those among whom wee are for a short time strangers that we may enure our selues to the language and holy life of the burgesses of heauen and angels with whom we shall liue for euer Let it withdraw our affections from all that we must leaue at our departure out of this forrain country least otherwise we lose the incomprehensible goods that are prepared for vs in our heauenly and eternal country let it cause vs to renounce al that might detaine vs in this country replenished with misery and calamity that cheerefully we may aspire to our country which aboundeth in ioy glory and al felicity Let it enforce vs to say with Dauid Woe is me that I remaine in Mesech Psal 120.5 and dwell in the tentes of Keder That is to say among barbarous nations that loue not the Burgesses of heauen let the hard vsage of the prince of this world in this strange country make vs to couet to liue among the blessed Cittizens of the kingdome of heauen let all our thoughtes words cōmunication testifie that in spirit we are already there yea let all our works be preparatiues and pathes to lead vs therinto and to these ends let vs ouercome all that might break of or hinder our so happy iourney from earth to heauen 8 We must moreouer remember that we are pilgrimes and trauellers and therefore for the attaining to the place whereto wee are trauelling wee must beware of three points First of turning backe againe Secondly of turning either to the right hand or to the lefte Thirdly of standing still The offending of God and transgressing his commaundementes is a going backe againe for as in walking after his woorde and in his feare wee goe to God to heauen and to euerlasting life so by sinning in liewe of going forwarde wee slippe backe and drawe toward death as we haue before more at large declared We cannot therefore turne backe that is to saye offend God but with this condition that wee shall fall into ruine and euerlasting perdition much like vnto him who flying from his enemies that pursue him in liewe of sauing himselfe in some towne turneth backe towardes them and so putteth himselfe into their handes neither are we without many and mighty enemies that pursue vs and labour to make vs to turne backe by offending God and these must wee fight against Deerely beloued saith the Apostle Saint Peter 1. Pet. 2.11 I beseech you as strangers and pilgrimes abstayne from fleshly lustes which fight against the soule Let vs diligently note that hee heere saith not against our goods to rob vs of them neither against our bodies to murder vs but against our soules to induce thē to offend God so to drawe them into euerlasting damnation And heereof haue we a notable example in the person of Iob Iob. 1. he was a iust man one that feared God and eschewed euill and so walked in the waye to heauen but Satan would withstand him and therefore commenced warre against his soule but how true it is he seemed as if he would haue fought against his goods in causing them to bee taken away against his children in procuring their death and against his body in vexing it most cruelly yet was it properly the soule that he assaulted as himselfe
this vengeance of God keepe vs in feare of this plague and poison euen as such as are put to execution are so many iudges and heralds pronouncing sentence of death agaynst all those that commit the like crimes as they are executed for And in deed the holy Ghost crieth out and testifieth 1. Pet. 5.5 Math. 20.27 Math. 23.12 that God resisteth the proud and giueth grace to the lowly Againe He that will be first among you saith Christ shal be minister he that exalteth himselfe shal be brought low If man therefore couet to be exalted God is his aduersarie if vpon arrogaÌ„cie he attributeth to himself the glorie due to God he must loke that God will be his enemie as he doth protest saying I will not giue my glorie to another Esay 42.8 It falleth out with the ambitious as Ouâ—d writeth of Iearus who taking vpon him to flie with wings made of wax when he came neere the Sunne his wings melted with the heat thereof and he fell into the sea which of his name is yet called the IeariaÌ„ sea euen so the ambitious the higher they rise in glory the more they approch the heat of Gods wrath and so doo melt and fall into the gulfe of eternall confusion The man that taketh vpon him to climbe a tree the higher hee goeth and the neerer hee commeth to the toppe the greater is his danger As he that is condemned to be hanged hath no liking of the ladder because he knoweth that the higher hee climbeth the neerer he is to his death and therefore could bee content the ladder should be either broken or burned if he might haue his desire euen so ought we to detest this ambition and pride and indeuor to denie and to mortifie the same as knowing that to desire greatnes is to desire mishap and that pride arrogancie is the highest step wherefrom man is cast headlong into vtter ruine 15 Surely it is maruellous that men shoulde so delight in these vices Bern. of Consider li. 1 which doo but torment them euen in this life confounde those that haue them in possession Oh ambition saith S. Barnard the crosse of ambitious men how dost thou torment mankinde Thou pleasest all men yet is there nothing more mightie in torment or more grieuous in trouble And truely if we could cut off these vices of ambition and pride our mindes woulde sure growe content and quiet we should not thus consume in enuie care and a number of other passions which trouble and molest our minds we should not sel our liberty become slaues vpon an vncertain hope of dominion neither ingage our consciences to the deuill for kingdomes Moreouer as poison put into good and sound meate maketh it mortal so pride taking occasion of Gods graces to boast it selfe August vpon the 58. psal doth by such sacriledge turne vs vnto destruction Arrogancie as S. Augustin saith is a deadly sin because that the farther that man procedeth in vertue the greater is his temptation wherby he looseth all that he had profited August in his booke of Nature grace All other sins saith he in an other place are to be feared in misdeedes but arrogancie most in good And truly as man hath no cause to boast of his wickednes miserie Chriso in his 29. hom vpon Iohn so in his vertues doth his pride grow take increase nourishment causing him many times the more vertue hee is indued with the more to be proud And therefore Chrisostome compareth it to a worme that breedeth in the wood eateth it also to rust which growing out of yron consumeth it Whereupon he addeth that vainglory arrogancy are full of thorns that choak vp vertue a beast that hath many armed heads against those that are possessed of him Many are of opinion that yong vipers do kil their dams in their birth such is our corruption that it causeth pride to spring out of vertue withal this wicked child to be the deuourer of his dam. We are therfore so to resist other corruptioÌ„s that still we must reserue the principall to fight against this wickednesse which groweth vp in vertue and poisoning the good giftes which we receiue of God doeth ouerthrowe that man who otherwise is holy wise and endued with vertue 10 To these purposes we must imagine that there is nothing lesse conuenient to man than ambition pride and arrogancie Let man saith Saint Augustine for whom the sonne of God humbled and abased himselfe August vpon the 18. psalme be ashamed to striue to be mightie and high minded Seeing that man seeking to bee higher than hee was is fallen from the height where hee was placed reason requireth that now he humble and abase himselfe contenting himselfe to bee lowe in his owne sight that hee may recouer his losse and bee mightie in him that humbled himselfe for him Esay 24.23 If the Moone as Esaie sayth shall bee abashed and the Sunne ashamed when the Lord of hoasts shall raigne in mount Sion and in Ierusalem and when glory shall be before his auncient men shall wee poore sinners clothed in iniquitie and replenished with infection of sinne lift vp our heads in the presence of Gods maiestie Shal not wee rather be as it were swallowed vp in the gulfe of shame and reproch To vs belongeth open shame Dan. 9.7 saith Daniel If the brightnesse of the Sunne dimmeth the light of the Starres shall not the Sunne of Gods glorie vtterly extinguish all excellencie and glorie of man 17 Againe let vs waigh our bodily miseries the vice and corruption of our soules in briefe all our iniquities against whatsoeuer may in vs be excellent honorable or wherein wee doo boast and surely the counterpoise will waie downe our pride and replenish our countenances with confusion shame Let vs set our ignorance against our knowledge the vertue that we want agaynst that which we haue our sinnes against our righteousnesse and our corruption against our holynesse so shall we soone quench all arrogancie and presumption Let vs not compare with the deuils in exalting our selues but with the Angels in humbling our mindes It is thought that the peacocke so full of faire feathers hauing only two foule feet standing proudly in the circle and contemplation of his beautifull trains so soon as he seeth his feet which he thinketh to be foule straight humbleth himselfe and abateth seeketh to hide his feathers how much rather ought we by the feeling sight and apprehension of many our foule feet and corrupt peruerse passions that raigne in vs to humble our selues and to abate our pride ingendered of a few feathers which haue only some smal beginning and apparance of beautie Moreouer the more plentifully that almightie God bestoweth his blessinges and graces vpon vs the more are we bound to doo him homage in referring them to his glorie Heb. 1.16 and not make of our selues Idols by sacrificing to
of the deuill Col. 1.15 neither by smiting the first borne of Egipt but by giuing himselfe euen the first borne of euery creature to death for vs. It were therfore a two-folde rebellion not to amend our liues and so to obey him who being as S. Paul saith the sauiour of all men 1. Tim. 4.10 as concerning the bodily life but especially of the faithful in respect of eternall saluation hath a two-folde right and authoritye to command vs. And the premises doth S. Augustine confirme by an excellent confession and praier that hee maketh to God saying I know Aug. in his Medita c. 39. O Lord that I owe to thee my self because thou hast created me yea more then my selfe because that being made man for me thou hast redeemed me euen so much the rather as thou 〈◊〉 greater then he for whom thou hast giuen thy selfe But in as much as I haue nothing more then my selfe also that I cannot giue to thee that which I haue without thy selfe take me and draw me vnto thee that I may be thine in following and louing thee as I am thine in being created and redeemed by thee 4 Moreouer in thaâ— in our beleefe we doe confesse that we doe beleeue in Iesus Christ our Lord wee doe also by that tytle acknowledge in him a two-folde authoritie to commaund vs and consequently in our selues a twofolde obligation to obey him For as beeing both God and man in respect of his diuinitie hee is Lord ouer all creatures so hauing redeemed vs by his death hee is our Lord and wee that doo beleeue in him are his peculyar people and seruantes And therefore it were a double disobedience in vs if we as his creatures shoulde not obey the Lorde of all and as his peculyar people and proper purchase bee wholy subiect to him that is more particularly Lorde ouer vs. Iesus Christ is also called King of Kings and consequently king of the whole world yet is hee also particularly king ouer his Church And in deed 1. Tim. 6.15 Psalm 2 as wee reade that the yron scepter is giuen to him to raigne and rule ouer all nations and kingdomes of the earth so is hee particularly established king ouer 〈…〉 heere a twofolde authoritie in Christ which doth doubly binde vs to amend by obeying of him who beeing Lord of the whole world is particularly and more excellently king ouer the Burgeses of Sion and the members of his Church 5 All thâ—se names and titles Iehoua Creator Redeemer Sauiour Lord and king attributed to him that commaundeth to amend being well considered as is afore shewed doth teach vs what authoritie hee hath to commaund vs and how deeplie wee are bounde to obey him as his creatures children subiectes and seruantes and wholy to consecrate vnto him all whatsoeuer wee are haue knowe or can doo in his seruice wythout whome we neyther haue neyther are neyther doo or knowe anie thing Let vs therefore acknowledge that wee are not in our owne power to liue at our owne pleasures but doo appertaine vnto Iesus Christ and must practise the same which the Apostle Saint Paul sayth of himselfe I liue yet not I but Iesus Christ liueth in mee Galat. 2 20 1. Cor. 6.19 Let vs remember what the same Apostle sayth You are not your owne for yee are bought with a price therfore glorifie God in your bodies and in your spirites for they are Gods We are therefore bound as our sauiour Iesus Christ admoniseth vs to denie our selues that is to saie our owne sense and wisedome and to followe his also our owne will Math 16.24 Luke 9.23 Rom. 12.2 that wee may will that which hee willeth And heereto also doeth Saint Paul exhort vs saying Bee ye changed by the renuing of your minde that ye may proue what is the good wil of God and acceptable and perfect 6 There bee two sorts of seruants and bondmen the one borne at their masters houses the others purchased by their masters Neither of these may liue after his owne will sense or vnderstanding but as it shall please theyr master and Lord. Now are we borne the seruants of Christ for he created vs all and besides he hath also redeemed and purchased vs that wee may belong more particularly to him As the master therefore of those seruantes that are borne in his house or whome he purchaseth doo pretend that they doo him wrong when they spend anie time either to theyr owne particular profite or in the seruice of others so maye Iesus Christ and much more iustly complaine of vs that are his two folde seruants namely by birth and by purchase if wee imploy euen neuer so lyttle of our liues to serue and please our selues the world or the deuill our enemies and this must needes redounde to a double sacriledge and twofolde prophanation of that which by double reason ought to bee dedicated and consecrated to him who with double authoritie doth command vs to amend The second cause of Amendement drawen from the name Holy attributed to Iesus Christ wherein is handled Election Reprobation and Gods prouidence Chap. 2. THE Prophet Esaie rehearseth that hee sawe the Lord sitting vpon his throane Isay 6.3 and the Seraphims aboue him crying one to another Holy holy is the Lord of hoasts Heere dyd they speake of Iesus Christ Iohn 12.41 as Saint Iohn in his Gospell doth affirme who also reporting another vision which himselfe sawe sayeth There were foure beasts which cryed night and daie wythout ceasing Holy holy holy is the Lord God almightie Apoc. 4.8 This title Holy thus thrice repeated among other thinges doth teach vs that he is souerainly good righteous merciful wise mightie and true euen so excellently and perfectly that in these and other lyke diuine properties he is most holy and in them holdeth nothing in common wyth other creatures And in deed if in man there bee anie goodnesse righteousnesse wisedome or truth hee hath them not of himselfe but from God Neither hath hee thereof anie more but small droppes or sparkes and the same are but graces happened and accidents or qualities as they saie in schooles so that euen without them hee is neuerthelesse a man But as concerning God hee hath all these properties of himselfe they bee in him perfect and infinite yea they are in such sorte his essence that to denie his righteousnesse wisedome power mercie and goodnesse is to denie God Marke therefore how rightly he is called Holy holy holy 2 It is no maruel that this and all that proceedeth herefro doth passe mans vnderstanding for it exceedeth euen the capacitie of the Angels And this doth Esaie in this vision testifie saying The Seraphims couered their faces with two wings Esay 6. â— as not able to abide the brightnesse of this holynesse But the more incomprehensible that it is the more doth it admonish vs diuersely and in many sortes to amend And indeed among the most dangerous pernitious
righteousnes What else haue wee therefore to doo but still to haue this name Iesus whereby wee bee aduertised that hee hath saued vs from our sinnes and consequently from eternall death before the eies of our vnderstanding that wee remembring that he hath withdrawen vs out of hell from eternall fire darknesse weeping and gnashing of teeth maye in heart bee feruently inflamed in his loue And that the remembrance that he hath paide so many deadly debts to discharge vs maye more and more inforce his loue Finally let the representation of the death of our olde man crucified with this Sauiour make vs so to abhorre sinne and corruption that we suffer it not to liue in vs to our owne death Thus shall the name Iesus beget in vs a feruent desire to loue him to please him and to obey his commaundement wherein hee willeth vs to amend our liues Acts 10.38 Luke 4.18 Esay 61.1 Iohn 1.16 1. Ioh. 2.27 8 Now let vs come to the title Christ. This name in Greeke as also the name Messias in Hebrue doeth signifie as much as if wee should saie Annointed And by this annointing is meant the fulnesse of the holie Ghost which he hath receiued as Saint Luke noteth and himselfe doth acknowledge where hee applieth to himselfe this saying of Esaie The spirite of the Lorde God is vpon mee for he hath annointed me He was fulfilled to the end wee might be partakers of his fulnesse as Saint Iohn saith who also speaketh of the holy Ghost saying The annointing that you haue receiued from him abideth in you 1. Cor. 3.16 and you need not to bee taught but as the same annointing teacheth you all thinges and it is true and is not lying and as it taught you yee shall abide in him Saint Paul calling vs the temples of God addeth this reason Rom. 8 9. that the holie Ghost dwelleth in vs. This name Christian deriued from Christ and proper to his disciples confirmeth the same For likewise as the same Apostle sayth They that haue not the spirite of Christ are not his But as there is no true or naturall fyre but yeeldeth heate or light so the holye Ghost cannot bee in vs wythout the feeling and shewing forth of effectes beseeming his holynesse And therefore this name Christ aduertising vs that wee are partakers of the annointing of his holy spirite should be vnto vs a mightie and liuely argument to amend our liues And this shall wee the better vnderstand by considering the names attributed to this spirite to represent vnto vs the effectes of the same 1. Pet. 5.2 First hee is called Holy because that of himselfe and in him selfe being holy euen in al perfection it is he that sanctifieth vs by separating vs from the common degree of other the children of Adam to the end we may be dedicated and consecrated to God Whereupon Saint Peter sayth that wee are elect through the prouidence of God in the sanctification of the spirite to obey and be sprinkled with the bloud of Iesus Christ And that as being made the children of God through faith we must be wholy renued Saint Paul teacheth vs that this commeth of the holy Ghost He sayth he that hath raised Iesus Christ from the dead Rom. 8.11 1. Cor. 15.45 shall quicken your mortall bodies with his spirit dwelling in you In this sense is he named the second Adam that proceeded from heauen in a quickning spirite For the Apostle compareth the spirituall life that Christ by his spirit imparteth to the beleeuers with the sensual life that men receiue from the first Adam And therefore we do in vaine boast of Christianitie and the spirit of Christ so long as we are not so renued as to haue nothing in common with the vnbeleeuers that dwell vnder the tirannie of the vncleane spirit which infecteth with all corruptions defilings all those that haue not the spirit of Christ 9 Particularly he is named the earnest pennie of our inheritance As when a man doth purchase an inheritance hee first giueth earnest that is some part of the monie promised Ephe. 1.14 that serueth as a beginning to the paiment of the total summe so God hauing redeemed vs by the bloud of Iesus Christ giueth the earnest penie of his holy spirit that is to saie a beginning of knowledge of the true God of sanctification of loue to God of righteousnes and of peace ioy in the holy spirit attending vntill he finish in vs the communication of that light ioy holynes and glory that we shal haue perfectly in heauen Whereby it appeareth that wee wrongfully boast our selues to be christiās annointed with the spirit of Christ so long as we be not indued at the least with some beginning of this heauenly light sanctification loue of God spiritual peace and ioy which are the earnest of the spirit do not indeuor daily to increse in these spirituall giftes and graces He is also called Water Esay 55.1 44.3 for of the holy Ghost doth Esaie speake saying Come vnto the waters all yee that thirst Againe I will poure my spirite vppon the thirstie and my riuers vpon the drie Then to expound the same he sayth I will poure forth my spirite vpon thy seede Heereby doth hee shewe vs that as raine with the moisture thereof fatteth the earth to make it fruitfull so doth the holy spirite with his inuisible grace make vs fruitfull to produce the fruites of righteousnes as Iesus Christ also declareth saying He that beleeueth in me Iohn 7.38 out of his belly shall flowe riuers of the water of life This saith S. Iohn he spake of the spirit that all they should receiue that beleeued in him As therefore if hearbs watered do stil continue drie we iustly saie they are dead so can we not aduow our selues to be Christians watered with the spirit of Christ so long as in sted of bearing fruit by amendement of life and giuing our selues to good workes we continue drie and withered 10 Sometimes hee is also called Water to signifie his power to purge and cleanse our filth and corruption as Ezechiel sayth I will poure vpon you cleane waters and yee shall bee cleansed Ezech. 36. 25 I will cleanse you from all your filthines and from your Gods of doung And will giue vnto you a new heart and will put into you a new spirite and I will take your stonie heart out of your flesh and will giue you a heart of flesh and I will put my spirit into you and cause you to walke in my statutes and to keepe my ordinances and you shall doo them But if we in lieu of amending our liues do abide in our filthinesse and corruption with stonie heartes and keepe not the ordinances of the Lord it is in vaine for vs to intitle our selues Christians watered with the holye waters of his spirit And because that by watering vs with the liquors of his graces hee maketh vs strong