some vnderlings amongst vs children that are weake in faith and yong in grace and they must haue a smaller measure of this Cup an easier portion of these tryals Againe God hath some standards amongst his children that are strong in faith Armour of proofe throughly setled and stablished in grace and they shall haue a greater portion of this Cup Such was Iob in his time and such were Dauid and Ieremy and Paul in their times God raiseth vp many of these Worthies in euery time and makes them vndergoe and ouercome a world of afflictions to shame them that are fearefull and faint-hearted and will not vndergoe any affliction And to beard all the enemies of God be they men or Diuels and to magnifie the Almighty power of a strong God in a weake man Our heauenly Father is most wise and mercifull in measuring out his afflictions to vs the strongest shall be sure to haue as many as euer he can beare God giues him not his strength in vaine And the weakest shall be sure to haue no more then he can beare God cannot nor will not cast away any of his children by their afflictions how weake soeuer they be The third preparation is that these afflictions that doe befall vs shall not be powred vpon vs all at once lest they ouerwhelme vs and carry vs away as a whirlewinde into extasies and outrages and despaire but they are tendred vnto vs by little and little by degrees now one and then another as wee shall bee best able with comfort to beare them The Lord when he layes affliction vpon vs he giues vs certain respites and breathing spaces betwixt our afflictions else the spirit of man would faile before him and in these breathing times we recouer our spirits Wee behold and consider the mercy and goodnesse of God in preseruing and deliuering vs from our great afflictions and wee get new hearts and courage to beare fresh assaults and afflictions Lastly we are to receiue this Doctrine vpon this preparation that in all our afflictions we shall haue many comforts and helpes proportionably supplyed by God whereby we shall be enabled both to vndergoe them and to ouercome them Psalme 94.19 In the multitude of my thoughts or sorrowes in my heart thy comforts haue reioyced my soule Wee haue sorrowes indeed yea but we haue comforts as well as sorrowes wee haue a multitude of sorrowes yea but we haue a multitude of comforts too Yea and these sorrowes and comforts are so graciously tempered by the mercifull hand of God that euen in the multitude of our sorrowes thy mercies oh Lord haue reioyced our soules And in the 1 Cor. 10.13 The Apostle saith that God is faithfull and will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our power but will giue an issue with the temptation There are two things which God promiseth to all his children in all their afflictions First a faire tryall and then a good issue What can we desire any more Yes wee shall haue more we shall haue increase of righteousnesse and grace by them Hebr. 12.11 It bringeth forth the quiet fruite of righteousnesse Would we haue any more yee shall haue more saith God As they bring you increase of grace so they doe of glory hereafter they shall be recompenced with euerlasting glory 2 Cor. 4.17 Our light afflictions which are but for a moment causeth vnto vs a farre more excellent and eternall waight of glory By these preparations I hope ye are well prepared not only to heare and to vnderstand but also to brooke and digest this Doctrine Now we come to the proofes Mat. 16.24 If any man will follow me let him forsake himselfe and take vp his crosse and follow me If we will follow Christ we must bid farewell to our own wils to our own ease and to the sweet times that are past for the outward man we must deny ourselues and we must take vp Christs Crosse what Crosse It is a daily Crosse Luk. 9.23 a continuall succession of tryals afflictions that we are daily exercised withall And in the 14. Chapter of Luk. 26. Verse our Sauiour enlargeth it with many particulars If any man come to me and hate not his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters yea and his owne life also he cannot be my disciple Here are crosses of all sorts And this wee must make account of before-hand for so our Sauiour in Luke 14.28 doth set it out by an excellent example of him that buildeth a Tower which of you minding to build a Tower sitteth not downe first and counteth the cost As if hee should say your sauing faith and Religion will cost you deare it will cost you many afflictions and crosses of all sorts and therefore you must make your account so before-hand for it will surely come vpon you And marke how our Sauiour hampers vs by the diuers manner of his speech and puts vs by all our shifts In Matthew our Sauiour speakes it by way of exhortation If any man will follow mee let him resolutely take vp his Crosse c. In Luke hee speakes it by way of Commination If any man come to me and hate not father and mother he cannot bee my disciple And hee puts vs precisely vpon this choise either you must resolue to forsake your Religion and stand out in opposition against Christ or else you must resolue to forsake your selues and all that you haue and suffer and liue in expectation of opposition from all the world to forsake all the world and liue in opposition to that Act. 14.22 Paul and Barnabas confirmed the hearts of the disciples exhorting them to continue in the faith affirming that wee must through many afflictions enter into the kingdome of God The people had receiued the faith before and they come to confirme them in it And how do they confirme them in it By affirming that through many afflictions we must enter into the kingdome of God There are two things in the speech that directly answere to two points in this our Doctrine First that the faithfull shall bee assaulted with afflictions yea with many afflictions they must a necessity is laid vpon them it is their ineuitable portion Afflictions are as the gate to the kingdome of God for so the speech intends through many afflictions we must enter into the kingdome of God Secondly that this perswasion is a speciall meanes to confirme their hearts and to make them to continue in the faith and therefore they must make account of it before hand that so it must bee We haue an example of this in all Gods children that are registred in Gods booke and as they were more excellent in grace so they were more eminent in afflictions see it in the former and in the latter Testament In the former Testament Psal 44 22. Surely for thy sake are we slaine continually and are accounted as sheepe for the slaughter that is the estate of the Church in the former
many respects I haue beene mooued to Dedicate to you Mr. Doctor and to you the rest of my louing friends for three reasons First because I conceiue that it doth more properly belong vnto you then to any other for to whom should it belong if not to you Mr. Doctor who succeed the Author of it in his pastorall charge whereby you may see how with what kinde of nourishment he fed his now your people And to what people doth it more properly belong then to you my louing friends for whom it was first conceiued studyed penned and preached Secondly that I might manifest my intire loue and hearty wel-wishing to you all amongst whom I haue exercised my Ministery for the space of nine yeares last past and still doe by the mercy of God Thirdly that I might bee a meanes of further knitting and continuing you in vnfained loue one towards another by ioyning you together in this Dedication of this worke whom God hath by his speciall prouidence ioyned together in that neere band of relation of Pastor and people That this may be and that you and all others to whom this Treatise shall come may gaine as much spirituall good as the Author in studying penning and preaching and I in publishing desire I doe and will pray to him that is the God of loue and the giuer of all good things and that through him who is the Sonne of his loue and the meanes and way of all good things to vs euen the Lord Iesus In whom I am yours in the seruice of the Lord William Holbrooke To the Christian Reader VNderstand Christian Reader that these following Sermons were giuen by the Author as they were written by his owne hand to his louing friend Mr. Edward Misselden Merchant who most Christianly and willingly vpon the first motion deliuered them vnto me and condiscended to the publishing of them knowing that bonum quo communius eo melius a good thing the more common it is the better it is for which thou art much beholding to him for by this meanes thou hast these Sermons as they were penned and preached by the Author without addition or detraction Reade and meditate throughly vpon them thou shalt not I assure thee repent thee of thy labour for thou shalt finde therein much deepe and necessary heauenly doctrine and through Gods blessing be furnished with armour of proofe against all dangers and troubles whatsoeuer that are vpon thee or may befall thee in this life Be thankefull to God for this and all meanes of thy spirituall good which he affordeth thee and forget not to pray for him who forgetteth not to pray for thee and the whole Church of God and who will euer bee thine in the seruice of the Lord William Holbrooke SAINT PAVLS TRIVMPHES OR The SAINTS Coniunction with GOD and support in TROVBLES In the 116. Psalme verse 10. the Prophet Dauid speakes thus of himselfe I beleeued and therefore did I speake In imitation of the practise of the Prophet the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 4.13 takes vp the very same speech We also beleeue saith hee and therefore wee speake And in imitation of that practise both of the Prophet and of the Apostle I am now come here to speake as God shall enable me that which God hath enabled me to beleeue I beleeue that which I speake and I speake that which I beleeue and because I beleeue it therefore I speake it And what is that which I beleeue and speake Euen the very same matter and words which the Apostle Paul beleeued and spake in the depth of his Afflictions THE FIRST SERMON ROMANS Chap. 8. Vers 38.39 For I am perswaded or I am sure that neither Death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. FOr I am perswaded or I am sure c. It being the ordinary portion of all Gods children to suffer many afflictions in this life It was therefore the ordinary practise of the Apostles to minister comfort and consolation to all Gods children against all their sufferings Thus the Apostle here in this place to comfort himselfe and the faithfull against all afflictions propounds two considerations First what the afflictions are that may befall Gods children Secondly what harme they can doe them And this he doth from the 35. verse First what the afflictions are that Gods children are subiect to in this life and they are of all sorts sore and heauy Tribulation Distresse Persecution Famine Nakednesse Perill Sword c. Secondly what harme can they doe to Gods children He doth not exempt vs from any bodily dangers for therein wee are as other men but they cannot endanger our spirituall estate to depriue vs of that they cannot seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord for so the question intends verse 35. Who shall seperate vs from the loue of Christ shal Tribulation or Distresse As who should say nothing can No they are so farre from doing vs harme in our spirituall estate as that contrariwise we are much the better for them in that kinde In all these things wee are conquerors and more then conquerors through him that loued vs verse 37. And hereupon the Apostle growes to a peremptory resolution and determines the matter clearely both on his owne part and on the part of all the faithfull That neither life nor death nor Angels nor Principalities c. shall euer seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord verse 38.39 The parts of this Scripture are two First the Apostles resolution that neither life nor death c. shall euer seperate him from the loue of God Secondly his protestation of this his resolution I am perswaded or I am sure of it First the Apostles resolution that nothing shall seperate him c. The substance and effect whereof is this that true beleeuers can neuer fall away vtterly from grace which he expresseth in these termes that nothing can seperate vs c. So long as God loues vs we can neuer vtterly fall away from grace But God loues vs alwayes nothing can seperate vs from his loue Therefore we can neuer vtterly fall away from grace And that he might not seeme to speake vnaduisedly or rashly he knowes not what therefore he casts vp his reckoning before-hand as the wise King doth before he vndertakes War Luke 14.31 So doth the Apostle foresee and set before his eies all the causes dangers of falling away that may be thought of then heartens himselfe against them all against death against life against Angels c. and against all commers neuer shall any thing seperate vs from the loue of God neither death nor life saith the Apostle What danger soeuer befals vs it befals vs either in our life or in our death but
neither in death nor in life shall any thing seperate vs saith the Apostle therefore nothing can Yea but yet wee may be ouermatched with mighty enemies which are too strong for vs as Angels Principalities Powers the Apostle continues his resolution that God is infinitely more strong and mighty to saue vs then all our enemies are to destroy vs and therefore saith nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers shall euer preuaile against vs Yea but though our present state be good enough yet things to come are vncertaine We know not yet how hardly we may be bestead hereafter vpon our death-beds c. But saith the Apostle all shall be well then too our God is not a God a farre off but at hand too our louing God is not onely for the time present but for the time to come euen for all eternity his loue neuer changeth And therefore as our state is good for the present so it is for the time to come God hath secured vs for that too neither things present nor things to come Yea but there is a great height aboue vs we may bee snatched vp of that and a great depth below vs wee may be swallowed vp of that No saith the Apostle our God that loues vs rules in all things both in the highest heights and in the lowest depths that are and therefore it is neither the height of Heauen nor the depth of Hell that can separate vs Yea but there are infinite Creatures in the world and wee know not what mischiefe they may doe vs but saith the Apostle they are but Creatures and therefore in the hands and disposing of God their Creator who is our louing Father in Christ Iesus and therefore not any one of them can nor all of them together shall be able to separate vs c. Now secondly of his protestation I am perswaded or I am sure of it It is not a bare conceit but a full perswasion in me I doe not goe by thinkings and guessings but vpon a sure ground I am sure of it and here I make it knowne to all the world bee it knowne to the faithfull for their comfort and reioycing be it knowne to the wicked for their terrour and astonishment be it knowne to the Angels in heauen and be it knowne to the Diuels in hell that I am perswaded that I am confident in it that neither death nor life c. Oh Paul great was thy faith Oh thou beleeuing Man or Woman whatsoeuer thou art labour and striue thou to get this perswasion into thy heart and if thou canst not get this full perswasion which was in the Apostle yet labour to be a true Beleeuer make sure worke for that and then Paul doth here assure thee as himselfe that neither death nor life c shall euer be able to separate thee from the loue of God in Christ Iesus for Paul doth not speake this onely in particular of himselfe but of vs putting it the case of euery beleeuing Man and Woman He saith not nothing can separate mee but vs that is all the faithfull and surely hee had the Spirit and could not be deceiued and therefore what was his case is ours I am sure not any thing can seperate me and I am sure not any thing shall seperate them whosoeuer they be that haue sauing faith For I am perswaded saith the Apostle that neither death nor life nor Angels c. shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Now for my more orderly proceeding and your better vnderstanding I will cast this Scripture into this mould The whole substance of the Text doth spend and empty it selfe into these seauen particulars First is a matter of Implication and that is that there is a Communion or Coniunction betwixt God and the faithfull Separation presupposeth Coniunction when the Apostle saith nothing can separate vs from God it is necessarily implyed that there is a Coniunction betwixt God and vs for things that were neuer ioyned together cannot be said to be separated one from the other Then secondly he expresseth the Bond of this Coniunction and that is the loue of God Thirdly he shewes the ground and foundation of this Bond and Coniunction and that is Christ Iesus our Lord. Fourthly he declares a speciall Interest that the faithfull haue in Christ Iesus by a note of neere and speciall reference betwixt Christ and the faithfull our Lord. Fiftly the Apostle auoucheth the certainty of the safety of Gods Children amidst all dangers nothing can separate vs and this hee enlargeth in many particular dangers euen the greatest that can be imagined Death life c. Sixtly he protests his Confidence which hee hath concerning this their safety as being the vndoubted truth of God I am perswaded or I am sure c. Seauenthly he beares vp himselfe boldly vpon this assurance against all afflictions and dangers that euer did or euer could befall him for this is the maine drift of this whole discourse being propounded by way of a Reason for I am sure Why doth he insult ouer all these Because hee is sure and bold against them all Now to the particulars Doct. and first for the matter of Implication The Doctrine is this All true beleeuers are ioyned to God in Christ and haue a gracious and an holy and spirituall Communion and fellowship with him The point is but implyed here and therefore I must not be very large in it but yet because it is so implyed as being one speciall meanes of our standing fast in the state of Grace it must not be left vntoucht nor yet too sparingly handled It is a Doctrine hard to be vnderstood and I dare say it passeth the capacity of man to vnderstand it in the perfection of it I say it is hard to be vnderstood but it is harder to be beleeued but hardest of all to be practised we will speake somewhat of it therefore first by way of Explication that so we may the better vnderstand it secondly somewhat by way of Confirmation that we may the better beleeue it thirdly somewhat by way of Application that wee may the better practise it First for Explication Explication there is a twofold Communion with God one generall the other speciall the generall is common to all the Creatures all haue communion with God they in him and he in them they in him as their Creator he in them as his Creatures And this communion they haue with God in Christ too who is the first begotten of euery Creature and in him all things consist Colos 1.15.17 as if he should say Christ hath Communion with God for hee is the Image of the inuisible God the Creatures haue communion with Christ for hee is the first begotten of euery Creature and in him all consist and so consequently all the Creatures haue some kinde of Communion with God The speciall Communion is twofold either that Communion which the Angels haue
seperaters from God and no ioyners to God therefore it must needs be loue and nothing but loue yea the infinite loue of God to vs in Christ Iesus that gathers vs and bindes vs vp within this Communion It is his loue to couer such a multitude of sinnes his loue to care for vs when wee were carelesse of our selues his loue to affect vs that hated him his loue to ouercome our monstrous euilnesse with his mercifull goodnesse his loue to rescue vs raise vs vp from the gates of Hell and to set vs in heauenly places his loue to assume vs that were cast-awayes in our selues to be associated with his blessed Maiestie this is such a loue indeed as is admirable infinite worthy of God who if he were not loue it selfe hee could not nor would not haue shewed forth such fauour vnto vs. The first Vse of this Doctrine is matter of Confutation Vse 1 against the Doctrine of Mans merits If loue be the bond of our Communion of God in Christ then there is no merit of Saints nor of Angels that could euer bee the cause of it no worke before or after Iustification doth merit this before Iustification God sets his loue vpon vs freely that is agreed vpon on both sides but after Iustification say the Papists we may deserue heauen No say we the loue of God is the bond of our Communion with God which as it brings vs to God so it tyes vs fast to him sanctifies vs and glorifies vs. Vse 2 The second Vse is for Instruction teaching vs that seeing all true beleeuers haue a true Interest in the loue of God they are all ioyned to God and the bond that tyes them to him is his Loue therefore all true beleeuers are seised and possest of the loue of God A matter worthy to be well considered of vs as that that will call vpon vs and prouoke vs to many holy Duties Fiue Duties to be learned from the loue of God to vs First therefore we must know and beleeue this that God loues vs 1 Iohn 4.16 We haue known Dutie 1 and beleeued saith the Apostle the loue that God hath in vs Let vs labour therefore to get some comfortable knowledge and perswasion in our hearts that God loues vs. Wicked men are vsually too forward and too presumptuous in this case they runne on in sinne and in their owne vilde courses not regarding Gods loue and yet they presume and and perswade themselues that God loues them and if any tell them the contrary they defie him On the other side Gods children they are too backeward They repent and pray against their sinnes and fight against them and striue after grace and yet they are hardly perswaded of Gods loue to them Therefore how shall wee know certainely that God loues vs Certaine signes marks that God loueth vs. I answere we may know it First in generall by this very point in hand if wee haue this Communion with God if wee be ingrafted into Christ if we be obedient to the Spirit if we be constant and conscionable in the vse of the Word Sacraments and prayer then certainely God loues vs and wee are within the compasse of this Bond. Secondly thou maist know it in particular by this Art thou pluckt out of thy sinnes hast thou parted with them for conscience sake hath thy master-sin receiued his deaths-wound within thee Is thy heart clensed in some true measure from thy wickednesse Oh then certainely God loues thee Psal 73.1 Surely God is good to such as are of a pure heart As it is the greatest signe that euer can be of Gods wrath vpon vs when he suffers vs to liue and to dye in our sinnes so there is no greater signe of his loue then this that our sinnes are cast out of vs and wee not suffered to liue in them Thirdly thou maist know it by thy loue to GOD if thou loue GOD it is most certaine that he loues thee and if God loues thee thou canst not but loue God But how may I know certainely that I loue God indeed for I may be deceiued in this as well as in the other I answere looke into thy Obedience if thou hast an obedient heart to God then thou louest God Iohn 14.21 where Christ expresseth both how we may know we loue God secondly how wee may know that hee loues vs If wee would know whether wee loue God looke into our obedience He that hath my Commandements and keepeth them is he that loueth mee And if we would know whether God loues vs let vs looke into our loue to him And he that loueth me shall be loued of my Father and I will loue him saith our Sauiour Fourthly wee may know Gods loue to vs by our chastisements Hebr. 12.6 Whom the Lord loueth he chasteneth but afflictions and chastisements are common to all good and bad to the wicked as well as to the godly I answere Afflictions are so indeed but chastisements are peculiar to Gods people onely But how shall I know whether mine be chastisements I answere out of the 10. verse When God chastiseth vs it is for our profit And what profit that wee might be partakers of his holinesse therefore if wee would know it to be a chastisement looke whether we profit by it to holinesse If wee grow in grace it is a certaine and most sensible yea and infallible signe of Gods loue I say both these together chastisements and profit by them is an infallible signe of Gods loue to thee If Gods hand be vpon thee in minde or body or goods any way or euery way if thou doest profit by it to holinesse and get grace thereby into thy heart then certainely God loues thee This is a sensible Argument and an infallible signe of it it must needs be much loue that turnes sower into sweet the sowernesse of thy chastisements into the sweetnesse of his grace Dutie 2 Another Dutie that we may learne hence is to bee thankefull to God for this his great loue Oh that we could in any measure worthily praise the Lord for this his great loue to vs It is worthy of more thankes then wee are able to giue wee should study therefore how to praise God for it stirre vp all the powers of thy Soule to this duty say with Dauid Psal 103.1 Oh my Soule praise thou the Lord and all that is within me praise his holy Name And that which Dauid would haue all Nations to doe that we must doe Psal 117.1 Praise the Lord Thy soule fares the better for this loue and all that is within thee fares the better for it and therefore stirre vp thy selfe and say Praise the Lord Oh my Soule for his loue towards thee and let all that is within me praise him for his loue say it with thy mouth and doe it with thy heart and let thy life say Amen to it and then this loue of God is well bestowed vpon thee Gods loue is
feele in our selues in some measure else wee were neuer in the state of grace To open the point more fully and familiarly the estate of the loue of God and the estate of grace consists in certaine mutuall passages betwixt God and man On Gods part to man there are two chiefe passages Gods loue the perswasion of Gods loue and on mans part there are also two chiefe passages Faith and Loue All those that God will saue he loues them from all eternity in Iesus Christ there is Gods loue and in due time he acquaints them with it and perswades them by his Spirit to beleeue it and to accept of it and to returne loue and obedience for it there is his perswasion On mans part man being ouercome with the sence of this loue and the force of his perswasion he yeelds to God and imbraceth this loue and beleeues the promise of grace and applies it to himselfe here is our faith and withall is carryed after that good God with the whole bent of his Nature and streame of his affections that so dearely loued vs here is our loue Take it thus those whom God in mercy doth purpose to saue he will come vnto commonly vpon the hearing of the Word or else in some speciall affliction at the least in some good imployment and takes vs aside and drawes vs into some serious meditation of our estate and he breakes with vs to this effect as if he should say Ah poore sinfull soule thou art in a miserable a fearefull and a damnable case led away euery day into sinne in a fearefull manner and euery houre of the day thou hast deserued my wrath and fearefull curse to fall vpon thee if thou go on in these sinfull courses hell and damnation is thy portion for euer but I haue pitty vpon thee and would haue thee to haue pitty vpon thy selfe I doe not desire thy death but that thou doe repent and liue and out of my infinite loue to mankinde I haue giuen my owne deare Sonne Christ Iesus to die for such poore wretched sinners as thou art and now I come to tell thee and doe tell thee by my Spirit that thou poore sinfull soule art one of these sinners that CHRIST hath purchased by his most pretious bloud therefore my Sonne hearken vnto my voyce Oh my Sonne giue me thy heart turne thy loue and thy affections wholly vpon me beleeue thou in me and beleeue in my Sonne Christ Iesus beleeue his Spirit his truth his promises cast away all thy sinnes neuer let them enter into thy heart againe and giue thy selfe to promise and performe a holy life be perswaded by my aduise hold fast by me and I will hold fast by thee doe thus and I will be thy Father and thou shalt be my childe for euer Thus God wooes and thus hee winnes euery sinfull soule And this perswasion of his is not only a bare tender of grace as if God should say thou shalt be saued if thou wilt but it is Gods operatiue work of grace which he perswades vs and makes vs able willing to do he bids vs beleeue and withall he giues vs his Spirit and causeth vs to beleeue in Christ he perswades vs to set our loue vpon him and withall hee sheds forth his loue into our hearts by his holy Spirit and makes vs able and willing to loue him This is the right state of sauing grace or of the loue of God and when this knot of grace is knit betwixt God and the beleeuing Soule it can neuer be dissolued by all the powers of hell So we see the Doctrine explained that the hould which the faithfull haue in the loue of God through Iesus Christ it is a sure hould the estate of grace that they are in is an vndefeasible estate nothing can voide them nothing can depriue them of it The proofes of this Doctrine are these Proofes Psal 125.1 They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Sion that cannot be remoued but remaineth for euer The persons there spoken of are the same that we spake of in the Doctrine they that trust in the Lord the faithfull say wee that by faith and confidence haue gotten sure hould of God in Christ secondly the estate there spoken of is the same we speake of a sure and firme estate by way of comparison is set downe to be as mount Sion the surety whereof is set downe by negation it cannot be moued and by affirmation but remaineth for euer The substance of the speech is this mount Sion is so firmely setled as it can neuer be remoued But all they that trust in the Lord are in such a state therefore all they can neuer be remoued but stand fast for euer Some obiect and say it is true that the faithfull so long as they trust in the Lord are vnmoueable but they may cease to trust in the Lord and so may be remoued I answere this is a meere illusion of the place and this Scripture cannot be so deluded for if they that trust in the Lord may cease quite from trusting in him then they may loose their hold in him but the place saith they can neuer loose their hold in God for then Mount Sion may be remoued but saith the Text Mount Sion can neuer be remoued therefore they can neuer quite cease to trust in God the Prophet concludes as well the surenesse of their trust that it shall neuer faile as the surenesse of Mount Sion that it should neuer faile he affirmes as well the surenesse of their faith as the firmenesse of the hold they haue in God Matth. 7.24.25 whosoeuer heareth of mee these words and doth the same I will liken him to a wise man that builded his house vpon a Rocke This wise builder is euery true beleeuer and the house there built is the Rest that he sets himselfe vpon how hee lookes to be saued the grounding of this house vpon a Rocke is the relying of the Beleeuer truely and wholly vpon Christ Iesus by a true and liuely faith in his bloud the raine fell and the flouds came and the windes blew c. These are his tryals by afflictions temptations persecutions c. The best beleeuer is sure to haue tryals enough euen to the vttermost as much as he can stand vnder and not more but here is his comfort his house shall neuer fall because it is built vpon a Rocke the true beleeuer hath gotten sure hold on God by faith in Christ and therfore he can neuer fall Ioh. 3.36 He that beleeues in the Sonne hath euerlasting life c. These are the words of Iohn Baptist and are confirmed by our Sauiour and that by tearmes of asseueration Ioh 6.47 Verily verily I say to you hee that beleeueth in mee hath euerlasting life Here is a true Beleeuer and what is his portion euerlasting life and he saith not he shall haue but he hath it hee is sure of it hee is possessed of
vpon these First If I must doubt of my saluation then my loue cannot be so intire to God as it ought How can I loue God so heartily when I doubt whether he loues me or no But if I know that God loues mee If I be confident in that then am I carried with the strength of my loue to him againe 1 Iohn 4.10 Hereby is loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs. Secondly our prayers will be but faint prayers I shall pray but faintly if I doubt whether God will heare me or no. Iames 1.6.7 Aske in faith and wauer not neither let that man thinke that hee shall receiue any thing of the Lord. Marke 11.24 Whatsoeuer you desire when you pray beleeue that you shall haue it and it shall be done vnto you If we beleeue that God will heare vs this makes vs to pray earnestly but if we come wauering and doubting we shall haue little heart to pray nay wee shall not receiue saith the Apostle Iames. Thirdly our spirituall fight must needs be vncomfortable we shall hardly endure and stand out the combate if we doubt of the victory but if once we know that we shall ouercome that will make vs to fight to the knees in blood In the 7. of Iudges Gideon was fearefull at the first to fight against the Midianites but when God had promised him the victory then verse 15. he saith to the people Vp for the Lord hath deliuered into your hands the hoast of Midian and so it is with vs in our spirituall fight If we beleeue that we shall ouercome we will vp and fight manfully against all our spirituall enemies Fourthly our peace of conscience will be vnsetled What setled peace can there be of doubtings Againe our hope cannot be a liuely hope if we doubt of our saluation 1 Thess 5.8.9 Put on the Brest-plate of faith and loue and the hope of saluation for an Helmet for God hath not appointed vs vnto wrath but to obtaine saluation by the meanes of our Lord Iesus Christ If wee doubted whether God had appointed vs vnto wrath and not to saluation we should haue little comfort to put on hope of saluation for an helmet but if we be perswaded of our saluation then wee would put it on with good comfort Againe our patience will be heartlesse when wee haue no certainety of a Crowne Iames 1.12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tryed he shall receiue the Crowne of life If once we beleeue that we shall receiue the Crowne of life we will endure all tryals patiently Again our repentance wil be but an hourly repentance if we haue not a good perswasion to find mercy Mar. 1.13 Repent and beleeue the Gospell We must beleeue the Gospell else we cannot repent Lastly faith mixt with feares and doubtings is but a small and a little faith Math. 8.26 Why are yee fearefull O yee of little faith And so in the whole course of grace all the duties of Gods seruice will be much dampt in vs if we goe not along with this full Sayle this full perswasion Yea but say the Papists where doe you finde in any place in all the Scripture that it is written that euery particular man by name shall be saued Is there any among you named in the Scripture If it be not written there how can it be beleeued I answere we haue as good cause to beleeue as if our names were set downe in Scripture God hath made his promises vpon such and such quallifications if I then finde these in my selfe I may build vpon Gods promises that they are made to me As if the King should proclaime that aâ—l his true-hearted Subiects should haue such and such fauours why if I finde I haue a true heart to the King I may conclude that I am there meant as well as if I were there named and so it is betwixt God and vs God saith in his word that whosoeuer beleeues and repents shall be surely saued then say I I beleeue and repent in my poore measure therefore I conclude that I shal be saued For the first Proposition the aduersaries agree with vs that whosoeuer beleeues and repents shall be saued but to the second they say how doe you know that you beleeue and repent I answere faith is an act and therefore may be known of the beleeuer as he that sees doth know he sees and he that heares doth know he heares c. and is not our beliefe a matter of our vnderstanding as well as of our will Therefore euery one that beleeues knowes that he doth beleeue it is a very vntoward faith that is without knowledge of it and he a goodly beleeuer that knowes not whether he beleeues or no. Math. 9.28 Iesus asketh the blinde men beleeue ye that I am able to doe this and they said vnto him yea Lord and so Ioh. 9.35.38 he asked the blinde man whom he had cured Dost thou beleeue in the Sonne of God Verse 38. He said Lord I beleeue Euery true beleeuer knowes and can truely say he doth beleeue Againe we may know we haue faith by the proper effects of faith which is a godly life Lastly we may know it by the Spirit bearing witnesse to our Spirits Rom. 8.16 And there cannot but be certainty of faith where there is the sence of faith by the Spirit Vse 2 The second Vse is for reproofe of some amongst vs that mince this matter of assurance We hope well say they that we shall be saued but we are not sure of it Doe you hope well It is fit you should and if your hope be a true hope it will neuer make you ashamed But let vs examine it doe you hope to be saued without ground or vpon some good ground If without ground then it is a vaine and foolish hope that will deceiue thee if vpon good ground then know that there is no true ground for hope but faith Faith is the ground of things hoped for Heb. 11.1 and therefore if we hope to be saued we beleeue we shall be saued for true hope is as certaine as faith Heb. 6.9 If we beleeue certainely wee hope certainely so much faith as we haue so much hope we haue and so much hope as wee haue so much faith we haue and therefore labour to know the ground of thy hope Why dost thou hope thou shalt be saued why because thou beleeuest thou shalt be saued The last Vse is to teach euery one of vs to labour Vse 3 for this confidence it is worth our labour it is the sweetest comfort that euer we can haue liuing or dying to know certainly that our sinnes are forgiuen vs in Christ and that we are perfectly in the fauour of God and haue true right and interest to heauen We looke into our Euidences for our Lands and make all sure for them much more should we make sure for our estate in grace and interest in heauen we had need
apprehension of sinne will infect vs Sathan is so strong and subtle we are so weake and simple that if euer he get vs into any contemplation of sinne as it is sinne though it be not with any intent to commit it nay though it be with a contrary intent euen to hate it and preuent it yet vsually hee will infect vs with it before wee be aware so that it will leaue a staine behinde therefore take heede of any speculations or propositions of future sinnes for that is not the way to escape them but rather to be intangled with them specially meditate not on the materials of sinne for that is exceeding dangerous we may consider how hatefull it is to God and how hurtfull to our own soules but we must not meddle with the materials of sinne The second question is how it can stand with the disposition of distressed Beleeuers that they should insult and triumph ouer their afflictions Alas may some say Gods children are humbled and mourne and sigh and groane vnder the burthen and yet doe they insult and reioyce ouer them Yes they do their mourning and insultation may stand well together they mourne for their present paine griefe but they insult ouer them in the assurance of victory and of the good they shal haue by them They mourne for their sins that brought their afflictions on them But they reioyce because they know that by Gods hand these afflictions shall be made a meanes to cure those very sinnes that haue procured them they mourne for the perishing of the outward man by them but they insult that thereby the inward man is renewed daily In a word they mourne in themselues but they reioyce in God Carnall insultation doth not befit Gods children this is an holy insultation and it becomes them well They insult not first in respect of their owne strength such reioycing is not good but meerely and onely in the strength of God and secondly not so much for their owne good and safety but much more for the honour and glory that God shall haue by their afflictions and by their deliuerance and this is a holy and good insultation And this is the godly and Christian insultation of strong Beleeuers against all dangers for that is the reach of the Text strong Beleeuers may doe it weake Beleeuers may doe so too but not with that sence as the other may Christ Iesus was so weake that hee was not able to beare his Crosse yet when he was nailed on that Crosse he did then openly triumph ouer all his enemies Now come we to the proofe of the obseruation thus cleared And first we will proue it in the state of the faithfull Secondly you shall see it in the practise of the faithfull And thirdly you shall see it in the warrant that Gods children haue for it First see it proued from the state of the faithfull Psal 112.7.8 He will not be afraid of euill tidings and why for his heart is fixed and beleeueth in the Lord And for the more certainty hee doubles vpon it in the 8. verse His heart is stablished therefore hee will not feare c. Who is it that the Prophet speakes of here Of a true Beleeuer that is of him that beleeues in the Lord and rests himselfe securely vpon the Lord for protection And what is the effect that his Faith shall worke in him strong assurance and comfort it confirmeth and fixeth his heart And what then He shall not be afraid of euill tidings Againe in the 8. verse His heart is established How farre Euen to the seeing of his desire vpon his enemies to the subduing and triumphing ouer and the setting of his feet on the neckes of them See it also in the practise of the faithfull how they propound and hearten themselues against all dangers that may befall them It is the practise of all the faithfull as well as of Paul and some other It was the practise of the whole Church Psal 46.1.2.3 God is our hope and strength and helpe in troubles ready to be found First the Church there layes downe this holy assurance for the ground of their comfort and this is a sure ground that God is our hope and helpe in troubles c. and then secondly they propound to themselues dangers that may befall them and strange and fearefull ones too The mooning of the Earth the falling of the Mountaines into the midst of the Sea the raging of the Waters in the 2. and 3. verses such dangers as did not come to passe in their times But if they did what then Why then lastly they gather to themselues out of this assurance matter of consolation against al these dangers verse 2 as who should say Let them roare when they will we will not feare them because the Lord is our hope and strength and helpe in troubles ready to bee found So Psal 27.1.2.3 it was Dauids practise in his particular the matter of the speech is this The Lord is Dauids light and his saluation and the strength of his life This he beleeues and is well assured of and therefore he feares nothing and this hee inlargeth propounding to himselfe in the 3. verse a matter of great feare What if a whole hoast were pitched against him what though warre bee raised against him yet he would not be afraid he would neuer be put to such a feare as to vnsettle his assurance in God Alas what is Dauid alone to a whole hoast of men Nothing in himselfe but in his confidence and assurance that he hath in God they are nothing to him they shall neuer be able to destroy him And if you marke the manner of his speech he deliuers it by way of insultation too The Lord is my light whom should I feare as setting his aduersaries at nought and his heart triumphing in God against them all And that no man should thinke this was a matter peculiar to Dauid by prerogatiue he makes it the case of euery true beleeuer calls vpon them for the same practise in the 14. verse Hope in the Lord and be strong and hee shall comfort thine heart c. As if hee should say It is not my case alone but yours too get you a sure faith in God and sound assurance as I haue and thereby you shall bee comforted against all dangers as I am Thirdly behold this in the warrant that Gods children haue for it they haue good warrant for it euen from God himselfe Isa 41.10 Feare not thou for I am with thee be not afraid for I am thy God I will strengthen thee and helpe thee c. And in the 12. verse All their enemies shall bee as nothing and the men that warre against them as a thing of nought The drift of the Prophets speech is this The Lord would haue his children to take heart to themselues and to be fearelesse of dangers What must they do then Why let them get sound assurance in God and in
fall FINIS THE NINTH SERMON Vpon ROMANS 8. the two last Verses For I am sure that neither Death nor life nor Angels c. WE haue proceeded in handling this Scripture as the Lord hath beene pleased to giue strength so far as that now we are come to speake of those particular dangers which the Apostle propounds to himselfe and to all the faithfull and the particular comforts which they haue to sustain themselues in them we haue spoken before in the generall of both Now we are to proceed to the particulars for so the Apostle makes mention of some principall and particular dangers here as Death life Angels c. wherin we must not thinke that our Apostle speaks rashly or at aduenture but vpon mature deliberation of set purpose he makes special choise of these particulars here mentioned as being the most materiall things whereby any danger may acrue to Gods children and secures himselfe and them of safety and preseruation against all these dangers Our Apostle vnderstood himselfe well for he spake as hee was moued by the spirit and the spirit neuer speakes idlely he spake it in the height of his faith and therefore in the height of his spirit and therefore he spake most seriously and aduisedly and not rashly and he spake it in the depth of his afflictions verse 36. and the words of the afflicted are not winde as Iob speakes that is a bare and empty sound but vsually they are full of matter and substance and surely that which the Apostle here mentions is so full of matter and substance that I could neuer find by my poore reading meditation prayers any full content touching the full sence and reach of the Apostle But a man may passe in a shallow boat ouer a deepe riuer and so farre as our lyne and plummet will reach wee will endeauour God willing to sound the depth of these mysteries Neither death nor life nor Angells c. shall separate vs. First of the first two particulars death and life By life and by death we are to vnderstand not onely the things themselues life and death but all occurrences and passages Our whole estate in life and death we are then to take it thus as if the Apostle had said I am sure that neuer any thing that doth befall Gods Children either in life or in death shall be able to separate them from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. The Doctrine is this All true Beleeuers are in good safetie vnder Gods assured protection against all dangers in life death Doctrine That the Doctrine may be the better vnderstood and beleeued take these two points for explication First Explication consider the dangers that are offered vnto vs in life and death Secondly let vs consider how farre all true beleeuers are in safety against them And first we will beginne with the dangers of life Two dangers of life Life indangers vs two wayes either on the right hand when we are too much in loue with it Or on the left hand when we are too much out of loue with it On the right hand life is in it selfe very sweet and much desired and delighted in but especially when it is seconded with outward comforts as health friends ease goods honours c. then it is much more sweet and desired Yea but Gods children must know that they must deny themselues forsake their own wills they must be crucified to the whole world the world must be crucified to them yea and happily they must bee called out to loose their liues for Christ and for his Gospell Now here is the danger whether they will loose their sweet liues or their sweet soules many of Gods deare children haue bin put to great plunges in this kind Peter himselfe though hee loued his Master dearely and profest that hee would neuer forsake him but resolued to dye with him yet when it came to the triall for the brunt of the proofe that either hee must forsake his Master or his life Peter had rather forsake his best Master then his sweet life When such tall Cedars shrinke in such a storme alas poore soules what shal become of vs the low shrubs Againe life indangers on the left hand by crosses whereby wee are too much out of loue with it After a time of well fare comes losses wants discontentments sicknesses paines infirmities temptations persecutions terrours of conscience they come What are wee to doe in this case Here are great dangers towards vs our hearts droope our spirits are dying wee are a burthen to our selues wee are weary of our liues heere is our danger Now whether are wee content patiently to endure this dying life or desperately to desire an vntimely death This was a danger of Ionas 4.3 It is better for mee saith hee to dye then to liue A fearefull speech of a Prophet of the Lord And so it was a danger of Iob chap. 7.15 My soule chuseth rather to be strangled and to dye Yea many of Gods deare children haue beene so hardly put to it in this kinde that they haue beene tempted to make away themselues and to put an end to a wearisome life by a desperate death I say they haue beene tempted to it but through Gods mercifull protection they haue beene kept from it Here are the dangers of life Secondly Death endangers vs another way How death indangers man The very name of death is terrible to vs and sometime the time of our death doth dismay vs and sometime the manner of our death troubles vs but the matter of death that scarres vs most of all when wee thinke with our selues that now wee must die and giue vp the Ghost and leaue all the world and forsake this present light that shines about vs when the body and soule must part that haue been all this while louing friends together the body to returne to the dust as it was and the soule to God that gaue it when wee thinke with our selues of the bitternesse and sowrenesse and pangs of death and of our particular Iudgement in death and the generall iudgement that shall come after death and begin to feele these things come vpon vs here is our danger Many of the children of God haue beene ready vpon their consideration hereof to let goe their hold in God and to say that God doth not loue them because he deales so rigorouslly and extreamely with them herein Adde herevnto that we may saue our liues and escape all these feares for the time if wee will our selues as in the case of persecution if we will forsake our Religion and deny our faith wee may saue our liues then the sweetnesse of life alluring vs on the one side the feare terror of death affrighting vs on the other side makes this a great danger oh what danger is vpon vs now in this case of our vtter seperation from the loue of God in Christ Iesus This
the same word is sometimes in the Scripture meant of the Angels both good and bad but the Apostle hauing mentioned them already in the former words there is no need that it should be meant of them in this word too Thirdly by powers vnderstand all the gifts and enablements that either these or any other mighty workers in the world are furnished withall as authority place strength wit policy c. for so the word in the originall vsually signifies not so much the agents themselues as the powers and enablements whereby they do worke so that lay all these briefely together and then the meaning of the words are thus much as if the Apostle should say I am sure that neither all the Angels good nor bad nor all the Rulers and Potentates Monarches and Magistrates of the world nor all the powers or enablements that these or any other are furnished withall shall euer be able to seperate me from the loue of God which is in Iesus Christ our Lord. Here is a high straine of assurance and wee must haue a great measure of faith to attaine vnto it The Doctrine that ariseth naturally out of the whole state of the words thus vnfolded is this Doctrine namely That howsoeuer it be that Angels both good and bad and Rulers great Kings and Emperours Potentates and Monarches of the world are mighty workers endued with great powers gifts and enablements yet neither Angels good nor bad nor all the Rulers and Potentates in the world endued with all their powers gifts and enablements shall neuer be able to seperate true beleuers from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. To auoide confusion we will handle the three seuerall branches of the Doctrine The first branch of the Doctrine euery one apart we will first begin with good Angels and then wee must apply the Doctrine thus That howsoeuer the good Angels are mighty workers great in power and enablements yet neither they nor all the power they haue shall be euer able to seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. For Explication of this point Explication in the opening of three particular wee are here to touch these three particulars as necessary for the vnderstanding of this Doctrine First what these good Angels are Secondly what is that Relation and Communion that is betwixt them and true beleeuers Thirdly what dangers they are that may befall true beleeuers by good Angels For the first what good Angels are Good Angels are certaine spirituall substances that kept their first estate and are immediate and continuall attendants before the presence of God that they are substances their actions prooue it they reioyce worship God passe from place to place and performe sundry actions and actions are neuer performed but by substances that they are spirituall substances the Scripture tels vs Heb. 1.7 He maketh his Angels Spirits that they kept their first estate the Apostle Iude implies verse 6. when he saith of the euill angels That they kept not their first estate thereby necessarily implying by opposition that the good Angels haue kept their first estate that is the blessed estate of excellency that God created them in Lastly that they are immediate and continuall attendants before God Daniel saw it in a vision Dan 7.10 The antient of dayes sate vpon a throne and who were his attendants the Angels Thousands thousands ministred vnto him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him So we see what the good Angels be Many other things might be said of them but I touch these onely which of necessity we must know for the vnderstanding of the Doctrine in hand The second particular is what this relation and Communion is that is betwixt good Angels and true Beleeuers Surely it is a neere relation and heauenly Communion they and we are fellow-seruants as worshipping and seruing one and the same God The Angell himselfe auoucheth it Reu. 19.10 I am thy fellow-seruant They and wee are brethren in the testimony of Iesus as the same Angel affirmeth in the words following They and wee are fellow-Citizens of the heauenly Ierusalem Heb. 12.22 Wee are their charge they are our guard and keepers They pitch their Tents round about vs for our safegard and protection Psal 34.7 They are our patterne we are their resemblance both for obedience whilest we liue here Math. 6.10 Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen and likewise for glory hereafter Luk. 20.36 Other bonds there are whereby they are associated to vs and we to them but these are the neerest and chiefest and most remarkeable The third and last poynt is what those dangers are that may befall true beleeuers by the good Angels To this I answere two things First that the Apostle doth not say here directly that the good Angels of themselues may endanger Gods Children but he speakes it here by way of supposition as if he should say suppose that they should endanger Gods children yet they could neuer separate them from the loue of God And this is very obseruable in the whole tenour of the Apostles speech that all the dangers which he mentions are put downe by way of supposition but safety and the comforts against them are set downe positiuely and directly As if hee should say suppose that the good Angels should endanger vs yet certainely they should neuer separate vs from the loue of God But especially it is to be marked in this particular concerning the good Angels for this is meerely a supposall that the good Angels of themselues should hurt vs. But why then doth the Apostle mention any such matter here I answere for the further confirmation of true beleeuers in the assurance of Gods loue I will cleare this place by another place of the Apostle in the very like kinde Gal. 1.6 If an Angell from heauen preach any other Gospell c. Will any man conclude from hence that therefore an Angell from heauen may or can preach any other Gospell then Paul had preached No but the Apostle speaks it by way of supposall onely and supposalls doe not affirme any thing in being Yea but why doth the Apostle then here vse the name of an holy Angell in this case I answere he had good reason for it that he might confirme them the better in the truth which hee had taught namely that we must be so stedfastly setled in the faith of the Gospell of Christ that if an Angell from heauen should teach any other Doctrine which is a thing impossible yet if he should we must defie him and hold him accursed And so the Apostle in this place makes the estate of Gods children so sure and firme that if the good Angels should set themselues against them to separate them from the loue of God in Christ Iesus which is impossible but if they should yet they could not doe it Secondly I answere that howsoeuer they doe not of themselues
They take the cause of Gods children to heart they reioyce at the good of Gods Church and children especially at the good of their soules so let vs worship God alone and let the good of Gods children especially the good of their soules bee the ioy of our hearts Let vs imitate them thus but yet let vs beware of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Papists Vid. originall in single life and angelicall perfection Fiftly speake not euill of those that are in place and dignity for the Angels giue not railing speeches 2 Pet. 2.10.11 The Angels doe it not let vs take heed we doe it not Sixtly offend not these Angels 1 Cor. 11.10 The woman ought to couer her head because of the Angels The Angels are about vs obserue our doings and marke our carriage if it be reuerent and agreeable to our profession they reioyce at it if wee mis-behaue our selues and carry our selues vnreuerently in our words gestures or apparell mis-beseeming our persons places or profession this offends and greeues them they distaste it and are displeased at it let vs take heed therefore that we offend them not Seauenthly let vs not worship them in any case for that is the way to incense them against vs. In the Reuel 19.10 and 22.8 when Iohn would haue worshipped the Angell Hee was angry see thou doe it not saith he worship God It is an horrible dishonor to God and much displeasing to the good Angels themselues they tremble at it and abhorre it Away with it saith the Angell worship not me worship God Which is worse the Thiefe or the Receiuer If I worship the Angels I am the thiefe if they receiue and accept of it they are the receiuers but they abhorre it Lastly let vs glorifie God for the Ministery of the good Angels the shepherds in Lu. 2.20 hauing heard many good things from the ministery of the Angels they returned glorifying praising not the Angels but God for their Ministery Take the benefit of it and giue the Angels due reuerence and respect for their Ministery but giue the honour glory of it to God alone thus did Daniel Chap. 6.22 and Peter Act. 12.11 they doe not ascribe their deliuerance to the Angell but to God that sent his Angell and yet they doe reuerently mention the Angell that was the meanes of it And we haue great cause to glorifie God for their Ministery for first it is a great comfort to vs what greater comfort can we haue by any of the creatures then to haue thousand thousands of Angels the best and greatest of Gods creatures euermore to attend on vs Secondly it is a great honor to vs the greatest honor God that can bestow vpon vs by any of the Creatures that the Angels that are farre more excellent Creatures by creation then our selues should be attendants on vs Oh let vs honor God greatly that hath so greatly honored vs. Thirdly all the good they doe vnto vs they doe it but as instruments it is God alone that is the authour of it therefore let God alone haue all the glory and honour of it Obserue these rules carefully and conscionably and I will assure thee from God that thou shalt be made partaker of the comfort and protection of the good Angels they shall attend vpon thee all thy life to preserue thee from euill and to incourage thee to goodnesse and to comfort thee in troubles and to helpe thee out of them and at thy death they shall stand by thee to cheere thee vp against the bitternesse and terrour of thy dissolution and to carry thy soule into heauen And yet this is not all for behold yet further at the day of iudgement they shall summon thy body out of the graue and place thee amongst the sheepe at Gods right hand that there thou mayest receiue that ioyfull and blessed sentence Come ye blessed inherite the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world such honour haue all Gods Saints FINIS THE ELEAVENTH SERMON Vpon ROMANS 8. the two last Verses For I am perswaded or I am sure that neither Death nor life nor Angels c. THe Apostle here when he propounds the dangers that belong to the faithfull and the comforts against them hee sets them before vs in certaine rankes and orders And the first ranke is the dangers that come to vs by death and by life and the comforts against them and of that wee haue spoken The second ranke is of the dangers that come to vs by Angels Rulers and powers and that we haue entred into and shewed that by Angels are meant all sorts of Angels both good and bad both those that stand and those that are fallen Of the good Angels we haue spoken as it pleased God to giue ability Now we are to speake of the euill Angels that the euill Angels shall neuer be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. That the euill Angels must needs be here meant appeares because they are generally comprehended vnder the name of Angells which is common to all Angels both good and bad But especially the euill Angels are here meant because the drift of the Apostles speech necessarily requires that they should be here more specially intended for the euill Angels are the speciall instruments and chiefe procurers of all the dangers that tend to the separation of vs from the loue of God in Christ Iesus This is their maine reach and chiefe endeauour in all their practises against vs to make this separation and therefore they must needes be here specially intended in this challenge of the Apostle It were a small comfort to the faithfull for the Apostle to say that they were in safety because the good Angels should not hurt them for that were as much as if he should say hee were in safety because his friends should not hurt him for the good Angels are our friends and therefore will not hurt vs. But the Apostles reach is to auouch the safety of Gods children against all dangers that are or can be against them euen against the greatest and fiercest enemies that we haue and therefore hee must needs meane it especially of the euill Angels because they are the greatest and fiercest enemies that the faithfull haue And thus the Apostle hath brought vs into the meditation of the ground of all our dangers and woes and miseries namely the euill Angels or Diuels A fearefull and dismall argument in it selfe yet as it is here applyed by the Apostle it is a chearefull and a comfortable argument It is a fearefull and dismall thing to heare of our enemies but it is a comfortable thing to heare of the ouerthrow of them Let not any of vs therefore be afraid to heare of them we must not be afraid to fight with them and therefore much lesse to heare of them One thing the Apostle tells vs here as before wee haue heard for our sound comfort
that all these wicked fiends shall never bee able to seperate vs from the loue of God in Christ Iesus and therefore there is no cause why the weakest beleeuing soule here present should be daunted at the hearing of this argument Let vs therefore proceed in the strength of God and in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ and in the grace and comfort and direction of his holy spirit and in the light and direction of Gods word and we shall finde an heauenly light arise vnto vs out of this hellish darknesse The generall Doctrine concerning all Angels good and bad was the last time propounded which being applyed to this particular ariseth naturally thus Doctrine That howsoeuer it bee that euill Angells are mighty workers and great in power and doe maliciously bend all the power they haue against true beleeuers to make this separation of them from the loue of God in Christ yet notwithstanding not all the euill Angels with all their power and malice or all that they can doe shall euer be able to separate all nor any one true beleeuer from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. For the opening of this Doctrine I will propound these foure particulars wherein I shall lay open the whole nature of the poynt The first particular is what these euill Angels are The second how these euill Angels are fitted against vs Thirdly how they seeke to annoy vs And lastly how farre they may endanger vs. For first wee must know our enemies what they are and secondly we must know their prouision how they are fitted against vs and then thirdly we must know their courses how they may annoy vs and lastly we must know the euent and issue how farre they may endanger vs These being knowne the Doctrine shall be well and plainly vnderstood First We must know what these euill Angels are Explication in foure things concerning the euill Angells The euill Angels are those that left their first estate and are become vtter enemies to God and to man and to all the creatures especially to Iesus Christ and to Gods children and to all matter of grace and goodnesse First that they are such as left their first estate we may see in Iude 6. Secondly they are enemies for hence they haue their name Sathan and there is no name more commonly giuen them both in the Olde and New Testament then this name Sathan which signifieth an enemy And howsoeuer this name in the Scripture seemes sometime to poynt out the chiefe of Diuels yet it doth appeare that it is applyed in Scripture to all Diuels Math. 12.26 If Sathan cast out Sathan which is not meant of the Prince of Diuels as if the Prince should cast out the Prince but it is meant of all the Diuels if they should be one against another then how should their Kingdome stand They are enemies and they are vtter enemies deadly enemies and that first to God dishonouring him accusing him blaspheming him opposing against him to the vttermost of their power Secondly they are enemies to man they murthered vs all with one blow in the loynes of Adam and not content with that they still follow the blow and pursue mankinde with deadly hatred Thirdly they are enemies to all the Creatures seeking and working daily as much as in them lyes the vtter ruine and confusion of the whole frame and order of nature in the Sea in the winde and in the aire and in all places Fourthly they are speciall enemies to Iesus Christ this is that that galls these euill spirits that IESVS CHRIST the mediatour betwixt God and man comes to reconcile God to man and to deliuer man out of the power of these hellish spirits yea and that hee doth vtterly destroy and vanquish these euill spirits and all that take part with them euen all the powers or darknesse here is their edge and stomacke this heauenly person Iesus Christ in this heauenly office of the Mediatour is the principall obiect of all their hellish spight They fought against him by themselues and by their instruments all his life and at his death they layd on load and did bend and muster-vp all their forces and spit out all their venome against him Fiftly they are enemies to Gods children they are also a great eye-sore to Sathan they cannot endure them and it is hard to say whether Sathan hate our heauenly Father more for our sakes or whether he hate vs the more for our heauenly Fathers sake howsoeuer the Diuell is our aduersary in a specially manner 1 Pet. 5.8 Your aduersary the Diuell saith the Apostle he is a generall accuser accusing man to God and God to man but he is the speciall accuser of the brethren Lastly he is an enemy to all grace and goodnesse he hinders it he slanders it he hates it he suppresseth it with all his power hee knowes that if grace and goodnesse stand he must fall and therefore he labours to ouerthrow all grace and goodnesse that he may stand See this in one of his Impes Acts 13.10 Elymas the Sorcerer Oh childe of the Diuell saith the Apostle to him enemy to all righteousnesse c. If it be so with the Children that they are enemies to all goodnesse much more is it so with their father the Diuell So we see what these euill Angels are Secondly Let vs see how they are fitted against vs 2. In nine things concerning them for this is needfull to be knowne that so we may prouide against them They haue many aduantages whereby they are fitted against vs first they are very many secondly they are very strong thirdly they are very malicious fourthly they are very subtle fiftly they are very actiue and nimble sixtly they are very busie seauenthly they are very wel appointed eightly they are very well experienced and lastly they are very dangerous First They are very many Marke 5.9 One man was possest of a legion of Diuels now a legion containes sixe thousand what so many Diuels in one poore man how many thinke you are then in all the world Any one Diuell is too hard for any one man oh how hard then is that poore soule bested that is assaulted with many Diuels This is the case not of some of vs onely but of all of vs if we vnderstand our case aright Secondly As they are very many so they are very strong and therefore they are set out in Scripture vnder the similitudes of a strong man Luke 11.21 When a strong man armed keepeth the pallace c. and so of a strong beast yea the strongest of all Beasts a Lyon 1 Pet. 5.8 Your aduersary the diuell as a roaring Lyon c. and the hould which they haue in the heart of an vnregenerate man is said to be a strong hould 2 Cor. 10.4 they are very strong in getting the prey it shall escape them hard but they will seize vpon vs and they are very strong in keeping the prey when
greater dis-couragement And the speech containes two things first the enmity that should be betwixt the woman the Serpent betwixt their seeds that is betwixt Sathan mankind secondly the issue euent of it the enmity in the former part of the verse I will put enmity c. where we see first that this is a mutuall enmity that is of Sathan against vs and of vs against him he should exercise continuall enmity against vs and we must exercise a continuall enmity against him secondly it is a deadly enmity a deadly feude as we say not onely against the persons themselues but against their seed too it is a deadly enmity neuer like to be reconciled he and his seed against vs and our seede and we and our seed against him and his seed Thirdly this emnity is of Gods own ordinance I will put it saith God therefore neuer thinke it strange that Sathan is such a deadly enemy against vs God hath so ordained it neither must we thinke it much that wee are continually put to this fight against Sathan for it is God that hath imposed this condition vpon vs. Then the issue followes in the latter part of the verse It shall breake thine head and thou shalt bruise his heele Sathan shall but bruise her heele hee may tempt and trouble and disquiet Gods children and persecute them and take away their goods and happily their liues too but this is nothing it is but a little nibling at the heele it is nothing in respect of our soule It is but the heele that he can hurt some outward part but he can neuer touch vs in our head that is in the hold that we haue in the loue of God through Iesus Christ But on the other side the seed of the woman shall breake thine head saith God Sathan shall part with the greatest losse his head shall be broke and his power destroyed his purposes disappointed and at last himselfe vtterly vanquished and confounded Here is strong comfort for Gods children Yea but this is spoken of Christ himselfe he is the seed meant there I answere It is spoken of Christ indeed but withall vnderstand that in the case of Christ is set forth the case of euery beleeuing soule as Christ being the head and wee the members and therfore that which is done by Christ against Sathan is done for vs on our behalfe and to our benefit Matth. 16.18 Thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it In the 16. verse Peter had made a glorious confession of sauing faith Thou art that Christ the Sonne of the liuing God In this 18. verse our Sauiour quits him and saith Thou art Peter c. as if he should say Is it so Peter that thou hast this faith in thine heart to make this confession of me Then I say vnto thee Thou art Peter and vp on this Rocke that is not vpon Peters person nor vpon Peters confession but vpon the matter of his confession Christ Iesus the Sonne of the liuing GOD vpon this Rocke will I build my Church that is all true beleeuers and that so firmely and surely that all the gates that is all the powers of hell shall neuer preuaile against it to ouerthrow it Hell hath many gates the gates of sinne death and the Diuell yet all these gates of hell and all these powers of darkenesse shall neuer be able to shake off this building from this foundation this Church from this Rocke to seperate any one true beleeuing soule from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord many other promises there are in the Scripture of this nature yea but these are but promises If these promises doe not sufficiently confirme our distrustfull hearts in the perswasion of this heauenly truth see it by experience and let that confirme vs. In Reuel 12.7 to 11. verse where the holy Ghost sets it downe as a thing already done there is set downe a battaile and the successe the battaile in the 7. verse Michael and his Angels fought against the Dragon and the Dragon and his Angels fought Here must needs be a great Battaile when all the world is deuided into two parts to fight one against another What is the successe first on the Dragons part he preuailed not verse 8. hee was disappointed of his purpose all his labour against Gods children was lost and spent in vaine and in the 9. verse hee was cast out of Heauen and his Angels with him hee had a shamefull ouerthrow The successe in respect of the beleeuers what was that first great ioy and triumph in heauen verse 10. and secondly a glorious conquest verse 11. they ouercame him how by that blood of that Lambe c. This is the common estate of Gods Church and children and this euery true beleeuing soule shall surely finde in particular in his greatest fight against sinne and Sathan from time to time to the end of the world The Reasons of this point Reasons There are no reasons on our part why Sathan doth not preuaile against vs for we are ready to lye downe as beasts and to betray our owne soules and to be taken of him at his pleasure no all our stay and safety is meerely through God in Christ The first Reason is this God by his power restrains and limits the power of Sathan as we may see in Iob 1. and 2. Chapters when hee lets him loose vpon Iob it is with restraint still all that he hath is in thy power onely vpon himselfe put not forth thy hand Iob 1.12 And in the 2. Chapter and 6. Verse Behold he is in thine hand but saue his life Now the power of God is more mighty to helpe vs then the power of Sathan is to hurt vs 1 Iohn 4.4 Hee is greater that is in vs then he that is in the world and except the Lord should thus limit and binde the power of Sathan no man liuing could euer stand against him God restraines him and keepes him as a Lyon within barres and grates Secondly he restraines their rage and malice as he did Luke 8.33 where he turned the rage of the Diuels from the man that was possest with them vnto the swine Gods goodnesse is more able and ready to preserue vs then Sathans malice is to destroy vs. Thirdly God defeats the plots and purposes of these euill spirits Zach. 3.1.2 his wisedome ouer-reaches all their subtilties and watches ouer vs more effectually to saue then they with all their subtilties can doe to cast vs away Fourthly God endues vs with grace and strength from aboue to resist and stand fast that they may not preuaile against vs for it is not our owne strength we stand by but it is the power of God 1 Cor. 12.9 His grace and his power is all-sufficient to preserue vs. The last maine Reason is from Christ himselfe for he is Sathans vanquisher and he is