would haue beene glad if his purpose might haue beene confirmed by the Lords mouth And as it fareth with the sicke patient who affecting some meate hurtfull asketh the Physitian whether he may eate it or no who hauing the regiment of their bodies and knowing their disease telleth them no in no wise yet so strong is their appetite that they wil take it and onely would haue bene glad if the Physitian would haue approoued it So men will come to know the nature of sinne which being described to be vgly in it selfe yet seeming beautifull and gainefull in their affection they will stil embrace it shewing themselues to haue descended of that young man spoken of Matth. 19.16 who would needs bee questioning with Christ how he might goe to heauen and when he touched him in his wealth which he made his god as that he must fell all it is said hee went away sorrowfull for hee had great possessions Secondly obserue heere the order the spirit vseth placing iust dealing after sober liuing as if it were impossible to looke for true dealing where sobrietie went not before and therefore we hauing gone beyond the proportion of our old fathers and exceeding that sobrietie which was the auncient renowmed vertue of this age and nation iustice and iust dealing cannot haue her due course but the cloth must needs be stretched to maintaine our superfluities so as that of Ioel 1.4 fitteth for this What the Canker-worme hath left the Grashopper hath deuoured what the Grashopper hath left the Catterpiller hath deuoured c. So wee by the same proportion may saie in these daies That which purchasing which enlargeth it selfe like hel hath left that sumptuous building hath deuoured what this hath left magnificent furniture hath deuoured what this hath left pride of life hath deuoured and what this hath left ambition hath wasted for great men must be bribed and then poore men must needes be racked And therefore it is certaine if reformation beginne not at our selues that wee can pull downe whatsoeuer exalteth it selfe aboue the compasse of modestie comelinesse and sobrietie wee shall expect little trueth and iustice to others Thirdly obserue what this is commandeth vs to deale iustly it is not the law in terrour of death but the Gospell euen because the Lord doth purpose to saue vs by this grace so as it is a suite commended vnto vs by such a speciall token of the price of saluation as wee cannot chuse but performe it with great care vnlesse we will shew our selues greatly vnthankfull and prooue our hearts to be more then flintie Ieremie conuinceth Ierem. 35.14 the obstinacie of the Iewes by the example of the Rechabites who refused to drinke wine offred and set before them because their father Ionadab had so commanded them Heereupon saith the Lord Iuda I haue warned thee often but thou wouldst not incline thine eare nor obey me Of which example we must make this vse Rechah spake to his children but once the Lord hath spoken to vs often to liue religiously he was but the father of the flesh God is the father of our spirits his commandement was hard and his yoke heauy to forbeare the vse of lawfull things and necessarie as not onely to forbeare wine but they must neither sow nor plant and yet they kept it the Lords commaundement is that wee surfeit not with the cares of this life and that wee deale honestly with our brethren Rechah promised them but to liue long on earth our Father for our obedience hath promised vs eternall life so as both hee that commaundeth is higher and the reward that is giuen is greater Now followeth the third thing that is to be embraced and that is a godly life for it were absurd to be precise toward men and to deale wickedly with God and all is abominable if our religion toward God exceed not our righteousnes toward men To know what godlinesse is shall bee best discerned by the contrarie and vngodlinesse is three-fold first the worship of a false God secondly the worship of a true God falsly as the Iewes that executed the Lord Iesus and Paul that persecuted the Church of Iesus they did thinke they did God great good seruice thirdly such as worship the true God in a true seruice outwardly but with an vnzealous heart like Iudas that followed Christ and yet betraied him 2. Tim. 4.10 and like Domas that forsooke Paul and embraced the world yet did hee not returne to his idols againe and in truth there is no difference betweene these two last for it is all one to serue him fantastically as did the Pharisees as to serue him coldly as did the Laodiceans but now godlinesse is opposite to all these and is a true seruice of a true God in a true religion with a true heart And this is soone discerned by our affections for if we can tremble at the word preached and be possessed with the spirit of feare at the least offence and sinne which we can commit because we know that the maiestie of God is displeased and the spirit of God grieued and if from this feare doth spring sorow and from this sorow care of recouering our fall againe and when wee are cured can resolue and strengthen our selues in patience to goe vnder the yoke of afflictions and vnder the wheele of death for the truths sake we may assure our selues our paths are straight and that in our iourney toward God our feet be shod with the preparation of the Gospell of peace not any way to be distracted with cares nor distrustfull with the troubles of this life Hence obserue that none are to be commended for their sobrietie and honestie vnlesse also they be religions which is proued thus None are honest but they that be cleane in heart no mans heart is cleane that is not purified in conscience and none are purified in conscience without faith and none haue faith that are not zealous and religious toward God for faith striueth by praier with God Thou wilt say loue is the fulfilling of the law but this loue toward our brethren implieth and of necessitie presupposeth a loue of God which constraineth vs to loue man for no more then a man can loue God and hate his brother no more can he hate God and loue his brother and if he loue God in this is euer included a loue and zeale toward his glorie Againe if we take the loue of our brethren to be that Paul speaketh of 1. Tim. 1.5 it is then agreed for then it is loue from a pure heart a good conscience and a faith vnfained which being grounded on Christ is the foundation roote and well head of all honestie and iust dealing Lastly obserue hence that the godlinesse here spoken of must haue two properties for first it must not be hidden in the heart but fruitfull and visible to the eie that the world may see it secondly we may not deferre our godlinesse but it must be
cause of war which the godly haue with the worldlings to shew the diuision betweene the seed of the woman and the serpent and to exercise the patience and praiers of Gods seruants for these ends the Gospell breedeth commotion Now for the effect of this feare it makes the King to call a Synod of Diuines and he gathereth the learned and all the learned omitting none to this end not to satisfie the question of the wise men Where he was that was borne but to satiate his owne bloudy purpose That he might know the place where he should be borne Where we learne how Princes doe vse religion and to what purpose they call for Diuines not for conscience but for policy for it was the matter of the crowne onely troubled Herod so as he called them not for any reuerence hee bare to them for he knew them to be miserable claw-backes but to serue his turne and that they might releeue him in this his trouble and scruple Thus did Balak Numb 22.5 send for Balaam onely to curse the people and Ahab 1. Kin. 22.8 sent for Micah only that he might concurre in opinion with the foure hundred false Prophets For the third generall circumstance namely the resolution giuen by these Diuines which is right and sincere out of the Scripture the Iesuites hereupon note that these priests though their persons were neuer so wicked yet God doth force them to speake trueth by vertue of their vnction Iohn 11.50 So Caiaphas onely as high Priest shall say and that truly that one shall die for the sins of the people though he neither know what he speaketh not beleeue what he speaketh We answer that if the priuiledge of oâ—le did this then could he neuer sentence any thing amisse but if this vnction worke but by fits like Sauls frensie 1. Sam. 16.23 then must they seeke out some other cause of the vpright iudgement of these Diuines in this place Balaam Num. 24.17 prophesied true not because he was a Priest but he spake euen as his Asse spake God putting it into his heart to doe so And it is strange that the Popes person may be an heretike and yet the Pope himselfe as Pope be a Catholike and that though his person be ouerflowen with wickednesse yet that as some grounds will beare no poisoned beasts so his Consistory will breed no errors We say the seate of Moses had no such priuiledge much lesse they for though Caiaphas spake true that one should die yet as high Priest hee condemned the Lord Iesus that was innocent So we must take it heere that these Diuines resolued Herod of the truth not by inforcement but voluntarily euen as they thought for their lips preserued so much knowledge as to be acquainted with the Prophets euen in these speciall and secret points of the comming of Christ Note further in the prophesie of the Messias heere cited the great mercy of God that set downe particularly so many things by so many sundry instruments and all fall out to be as true as if the Prophets had then seene them It was first prophesied Gen. 3. he should bee the seed of the woman then to what nation hee should be giuen to the Iewes then to what Tribe to Iuda Gen. 49.10 then to what house of this Tribe to Dauid then at what time he should be borne Dan. 9.25 Genes 49.10 when the Scepter shall goe from Shilo then shall the Messias come then the person that should beare him a virgine his name Emmanuel Esa 7.14 his office a Sauiour the place where hee should bee borne Bethlem Micah 5.2 the maner of his life to be poore Za. 99. he shall come riding on an asse the maner of his death Esa 53.12 he should be condemned with sinners the price should be giuen to betray him and what should be done with it to buy a field Zach. 11.12 that he should be pierced and yet that in his death not a bone should be broken Exod. 12.46 that he should thirst vineger should be giuen him Psa 69.21 that lots should be cast vpon his garments Psal 22.18 Let vs therefore seeing this sweet harmony of the Prophets and as perswaded of the verity of the whole scripture labour to learne all things that are written and so to learne them as to doe them that we may be contrary minded to these Iewes reioyce at his comming who will fill vs with all ioy Further wee are to consider by what occasion the Lord wrought that the virgine should be brought to bed at Bethlem Luke reciteth it chap. 2.1 that Mary hauing purposed to be deliuered at Nazareth where shee had conceiued which had beene contrary to the scripture the Lord changeth this determination and sendeth a thought into the heart of Augustus the Emperour to impose a taxe vpon all the world Mary though great with child and neere her trauell yet is constrained to go to Bethlem Thus doeth the Lord turne the purposes of wicked men to a blessed end and makes all wind blow good for his children and prouokes the Emperor to bee an executioner of the prophesies not that he any whit regarded them in his heart or did this vpon any voluntary obedience for his end was to inrich his fist and to shew the Maiesty of his Empire that by this men might testifie their submission vnto him Thus did the Lord turne Gen. 45.7 the mischieuous malice of Iosephs brethren to an honorable end that he might be a purueyor and a nurse to his Church as Ioseph himselfe testifieth Gen. 50.20 speaking to his brethren Ye thought euill against me but the Lord turned it vnto good that I might preserue the liues of many Note further in the resolution of these Diuines that we are to wonder how they could so sincerely willingly answer to the question propounded whereas afterward they peruert all the scripture rather then they will subiect themselues to this Messias it is because as yet the Messias had not opened his mouth to conuince their sinne and shew their shame nor challenged them for murthering of soules but when he comes to discouer their hypocrisie and persecution of the truth then he is no more the King of the Iewes borne at Bethlem but he is a Nazarean and no good thing can come out of Galile Iohn 7.53 reprouing also Nicodemus verse 52. that would not haue him condemneâ— before he was heard graunting the truth in the generall but denying it in the particular which is the nature of all Atheists and Non-residents 2. Tim. 4.2 Mat. 15.14 which subscribe to the generall places of Scripture that the word must bee preached in season and out of season that if the blind leade the blind both shall fall into the pit of perdition that where the vision faileth the people perish Prou. 11.14 and that the price of soules is bloud but that hee himselfe is in this danger that taketh the fleece yet feedeth not the sheepe or that he doth
first let there be no bitternesse secondly a degree further a heating of the blood by anger thirdly wrath more then anger that is into a further distemper fourthly loud speaking that is crabbednesse or brawling fiftly blasphemy standering backbiting and open reuiling sixtly malice when a man will keepe it in his heart And all these by degrees do grieue the spirit let vs not therefore yeeld a little to the course of the waters lest some streame carrie vs away Lastly since we see what is in an hypocrite that is seuen spirits woorse an infinit number of enormous and notorious sinnes examine thy heart whether thou hast contrary affections to an hypocrite or is assure thy selfe thou art one too For the Lord setteth downe their sins for vs to take heed by and their punishments for our example As they then haue seuen woorse spirits so must thou labor to haue seuen better spirits for if thou do not increase in zeale in thankfulnesse and in humility nor hast greater grace now than thou hadst when thou first began to beleeue thou art not the Lords for if thou wert hee would haue multiplied his mercie vpon thee as hee doth his iustice in sending seuen woorse spirits to them that despised him And this is proued Matth. 25.28 the talent that was taken away was not giuen to him that had fiue but to him that had ten talents so as to him that hath shall more be giuen and the more we haue the more delight will the Lord take to load vs as vers 29. To him that hath shall be giuen and he shall haue abundance Wherefore commend me to thy conscience by this token if the grace of God be not increased in the end it will be taken away which is prooued Reuel 22.11 He that is righteous must be more righteous the reason is rendred by Saint Ioh. 1.4 4. Because he that is in vs is stronger than hee that is in the world Why then as they grow dailie more wicked so must wee grow more godly the rather because hee that hath the seuen candlestickes that is Christ that hath the fulnesse and is the distributer of all the graces of God will giue liberally to vs whom he hath vouchsafed the name of brethren So the last state of that man c. This is the fift point spoken of at the first how Satan whom hee first trained on in hypocrisie neuer leaueth till hee hath brought him to confusion Answerabale to that 2. Peter 2.20 If they be tangled againe and ouercome of the filthinesse from which they were at first escaped the latter end is woorse with them than the beginning And this is true whether we respect this life or the life to come for first while they carried a face and countenance of religion they were wrapped vp in the generall praiers of the Church but when the maske of hypocrisie is taken from them and their leprosie appeareth they are singled out as the enemies of God and his iudgements hastned vpon them at the intreatie of his seruants Secondly while they liued in their hypocrisie they were quiet within themselues and they had good hope the night wold neuer haue come but when they depart in the open contempt and hardnesse of heart then they find their consciences open to condemne them and hell gates open to let them in Thirdly their end shall be worst at the last iudgement when the least part of the Lords wrath shall be bigger than all the torments they felt before when his iron rod shall bruise them and they shall be beaten with woorse than Scorpions But now with the godly shall it fare otherwise whose end shall be better than their beginning whether wee measure the blessings they haue heere or which shall be reuealed to them hereafter as Ioh 42.10.12 when the Lord had turned away the captiuitie of Iob hee blessed his last daies more than the first and gaue him as the text speaketh twise so much as he had in outward things and when he died full of yeeres he gaue him ioies without comparison without measure and without end ROM chap. 8. vers 1. verse 1 Now then there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus which walke not after the flesh but after the spirit THe Apostle beginneth this chapter with a conclusion full of all comfort depending vpon his former treatise and disputation for before he shewed what our estate was in the marriage with our first husband which was the flesh namely that while we liue at the becke and commandement of our corruption and can no sooner haue a motion to sinne beating as it were in our pulse but wee bend our desires and consent to encourage it to the fruit of actuall sinne that all this while so long as we giue wine as it were to strengthen sinne in the conception wee are no better then in the state of damnation But when being diuorced from the flesh wee are by the power of the spirit vnited vnto Christ which not onely keepeth vs from that bondage of sinning whereto wee were at first enthralled and vnder which wee were so forceably held as we were constrained to sinne by violence but also so killeth that muenomed flesh of ours that there is as it were a new creation in vs the strength of Christ dispossessing and disarming the strength of sinnefull flesh and wee are so changed both in the outward and inward man as all is become fresh and new our thoughts our wils our affections our endeuours seruing and performig their duties to God in the newnesse of the spirit not in the oldnesse of the letter then when Christ hath thus sanctified vs and wee liue sanctifiedly in him when his spirit hath rifled the corrupted corners of our hearts and planted the flowers of grace where before grew the weedes of concupiscence then neither is there any hell to swallow vs nor any feare of condemnation to torment vs nor any sinne so to presse vs downe but with the wound we receiue the cure nay before wee are smitten wee haue our Sauiour Christ our most approued Physitian and salue who when we are left more then halfe dead by the sting of sinne like the mercifull Samaritan doth lay vs in his owne breast bosome Luk. 10.34 powreth the oile of his owne blood into our wounds and deliuereth vs ouer to be cherished preserued and guided by his owne spirit This verse standeth on three parts first a description of the persons that are and shal be preserued from damnation set downe indefinitly yet restrained to a particular all those and those only and alone that are in Christ and no other Secondly by what meanes this preseruation from hell is wrought namely by our being in Christ not by our being neere Christ Thirdly to take away the strife which commonly is in the world because forfooth all will be Christs he setteth downe a visible badge wherby to discerne whether we be truly married to Christ or no.
was a type of the Messias 1. Sam. 15.28 it was begun in Dauid onely for Saul though he was king before yet was he no type of the Messias And for this second order which is all of Kings we shall see if we peruse the booke of God that Christ came of some as wicked kings as euer were for where from Salomon to the captiuitie there were 19. kings 13. of them were most wicked and some of them had such speciall blemishes spots vpon them as it is doubted whether they be saued or no Salomon had great enormities but there is no doubt of his repentance witnessed by his booke of retractions called Ecclesiastes Asa began well but in his old age he imprisoned the Prophet that told him of his sinne and in his sicknesse trusted more to the Physitian then to God 2. Chr. 16.10.12 Iehosaphat did the woorst act that could be 2. King 8.18 to marrie his sonne Iehoram to Athaliah the daughter of Iezabel whereby manie prouocations were committed and yet these were the best Iehoram he caused all Iuda to commit idolatry so as the Lord forsooke him and 2. Chro. 21.15 he died a miserable death his guts falling out of his belly not all at once but day by day which was more grieuous Ahazia his sonne was slaine 2. Chro. 22.9 by Iehu in the field and neuer any reuenged his blood Ioash his sonne 2. Chron. 23.3 was mightily preserued by Iehoiada the Priest from the hands of Athaliah Yet when the Priest was dead 2. Chron. 24.78 when the Prophets came to tell him he was a bused and misled by his Princes to idolatry he caused them to be slaine in the temple and himselfe Vers 25. was afterward killed by his owne seruants Amaziah his sonne fell to Idolatrie after a victory obtained of the Edomites and 2. Chro. 25.27 was traiterously slaine by his owne subiects Azariah his sonne 2. Chro. 26.21 because he vsurped vpon the Priests office was immediatly smitten with the hand of God that he came to be a Leper but some of those last Kings are not heere named by S. Matthew because hee meant to make a proportionable and euen number that should consist on foureteenes For Ahaz hee made all the altars like the altars of Damascus and 2. King 16.3 made his owne sonne passe through the fire according to the sacrifice and abhomination of the Heathen Iehoiakim hee contemned the threatnings of the Lord and caused the roule to be burnt Ier. 36.23 which Baruch had writ from the mouth of Ieremie he was therefore buried like an Asse as was prophecied by Ieremie 22.19 euen drawne and cast foorth without the gates of Ierusalem And for Zedechiah hee imprisoned the Prophet Ieremie and contemned the Lord therefore were his eies put out by the king of Babel Iere. 39.7.8 and he bound in chaines and led like a slaue into captiuity Out of which obserue that there is no priuiledge in the Princes chaire to keepe them from sinning neither yet that the maiestie of their places can protect them from the Lords vengance Vnderstand these words touching Christs descent legally as Deu. 25.5.6 and pag. 8. line 29. but that if their hearts bee lifted vp against God his hand shall fall vpon them to their distruction for the grace of the Lord must season their palaces else doe they stand but in slippery places And though our Sauiour Christ vouchsafed to come out of the loines of such wicked Kings it was not at all to giue anâ—e countenance to their offences or to embolden them in their sinnes but onely to open the fountaine of mercy to vs that wee may know he is able to sanctifie the vilest sinner Now for the third order which is of them who were caried away into captiuity note first the cause of the captiuity secondly the cruelty of it thirdly the mercy of the Lord in their deliuerance For the first which is the cause that Gods owne children and them of the blood royall should be caried into slauery it is set downe 2. Chro. 36.12 to be first for that the king rebelled against God and humbled not himselfe before Ieremy the Lords Prophet Secondly for that both Priest and people trespassed wonderfully set downe in two things principally First they polluted the house of the Lord with the abhominations of the heathen Secondly they mocked and misused the messengers of the Lord and despised his words vntill the wrath of the Lord rose vp against them and that there was no remedie but he was enforced to giue them to the bloud-thirsty Babylonians Wherein obserue what a fearefull thing it is to fall into idolatrie after our eies haue once beene opened and how nothing prouokes the Lord so much as the contempt of his embassage For if hauing once seene the goodnesse and power of God we decline from him and lay holde on other helpes and contemne the face and speech of his Ministers whom he hath made acquainted with his secrets and that wee waxe strong in our selues we doe but as Vzziah did 2. Chron. 26.16 lift vp our hearts to destruction and force the Lord to take his cuppe of indignation in his hand and to holde it as well to the mouth of the king as to the people for where all conspire to worke mischiefe all shall be ouerwhelmed with the same madnesse as Ieremy speaketh chap. 25.18 For the second which is the miserie they sustained being captiues it is to be seene first in their vsage before they came to Babylon set downe 2. Chr. 36.17 they tooke both young and old men and women and though they fled to the Sanctuarie for succour yet were they there stabbed with daggers they burnt the house of God and tooke the precious vessels of it to abuse in their superstition when they come to Babel Now to see the temple on fire and yong and old slaine without mercy had beene enough to haue rent their hearts in peeces to see the worship of God thus defaced and themselues reserued but as an after pray to the enemy But now secondly comming thither namely to Babel to behold such grosie idolatry and to heare such high reproches as no doubt were giuen against the God of Israel as Psal 137.3 Come sing a song to the God of Iuda that hath forsaken you and Beholde heere be the people whom the Lord hath spued out besides the bondage wherein themselues were kept how could they but straine foorth teares of bloud and send foorth deepe sighes from a mournfull spirit Yea their case was so desperate and miserable as Ezech. 37.11 their raising vp againe and restitution was made of the Lord as great a matter and as hard as to put life into a company of dead bones for their the Lord saith These drie bones are the house of Israel neither yet did this their captiuity last but a while but they were wintred and sommered there full 70. yeeres as was foretold by the Prophet Ieremy chap. 25.11 that
they should be an astonishment and serue the king of Babel so many yeeres For the third which is the Lords mercy in their deliuerance they be the words of his owne mouth For thy sake O Israel I will not doe it for thou art filthy Ezec. 36.22 but for my owne sake I will that they may know I am able to doe it and for Dauid my seruants sake I will not vtterly put out the light of Israel Hence learne generally that there is no nation so free but the Lord may captiuate and if they decline and leaue their first loue the Lord may and will abandon them For if any people might haue presumed it was this who had the promises and a more peculiar presence of God then any nation vnder heauen yet were they vile and did stincke in his sight for abusing his kindenesse and setting at nought his Ministers Howbeit neuer were they more scorned then in these daies wherein either men make themselues deafe that they will not heare or heare but there is a noise of vanity higher and louder in their eares Heere then is the same cause of captiuity why should wee not feare the same iudgement We see it is our selues can doe vs the greatest hurt for when wee once giue our selues ouer to loosenesse of life and to distaste the word the Lord then disarmes vs both of policie and strength that euen a weake enemy may soone surprize vs. Let therefore euery man amend one albeit these times bee so mischieuous as it is to be feared lest many of vs be as willing to returne to Babylon for religion as euer were the Israelites to come foorth Secondly obserue the cursed and hard-harted disposition of the enemies of God that they thinke no torment nor cruelty too exquisite nor too sharpe for his people for Zedechia and Ahab did the King of Babel burne in the fire Ier. 29.22 and the rest were slaues to him and his sonnes 2. Chro. 36.20 With which malice the diuell hath poisoned and filled their hearts because they cannot be auenged of the Lord himselfe for euen at him doe the proud Nimrods of the world point their fingers Gen. 11.4 and against him doe they lay their siege to plucke him out of his seate for the Babylonians were more fierce to the Israelites then to any other whom they subdued onely because they were the chosen and beloued of the Lord. Lastly obserue in their deliuery the compassion of the Almighty that he will not be angry for euer and the truth of his promise that he will at the length visite his people in mercy when they thinke the clouds so thicke as they cannot be ouerblowne for now when Israel was euen rent to ragges he harboured Ier. 29.11 the thoughts of peace and not of trouble and gaue them an end of their fainting hope euen a mighty deliuerance by the hand of Cyrus king of Persia 2. Chro. 36.22 Where it is said Iechonias begat Salathiel obserue that Salathiel was not his naturall sonne but ouely succeeded him in the kingdome by legall succession as next heire for Iechonias had no sonnes but the house of Salomon ended with him as appeareth Ier. 22.30 Write this man that is Iechomas destitute of children So also Ezec. 21.26.27 the Lord speaking of Salomon I will ouerturne saith he repeating it thrice the diademe of this king and neuer shall any out of his loines weare it vntill he come whose right it is that is the Messias and I will giue it him To prooue also that Salomons line must cease and that Christ must not come of him lineally appeareth by the prophesie of Isaiah 2. King 20.18 that there should not one bee left of the house of Iehoiakim which could not be so vnlesse the line of Salomon were vtterly extinguished and for Salathiel he came of Nathan the second brother as Saint Luke setteth it downe chap. 3.31 which nothing disagreeth from this of Saint Matthew for he was but to shew the line of the Kings and not naturally of whom Christ came but whom hee should succeed in the kingdome Where note the wonderfull prouidence of God that Salomon who had so many wiues and children hath not now any left to sit vpon the throne to teach vs that Salomon was to bee punished for his many wiues so as the Lord would not haue Christ to come of him naturally but of his yonger brother Whereby all nobility may bee swallowed vp in the glory of the Lords progeny and generation that drowneth all nobility that since Salomon in all his glory wanteth naturall heires that they stand not vpon these outward shewes and dignities but seeke to continue their posterity by liuing in a cleane and holy course of life for the Lord will wash away the vnholy seede and serape out their names from vnder heauen that seeke to establish their house in filthinesse and to pollute the mariage bed Further in that Christ is said to come of Ioseph the poore Carpenter heerein are the ancient Prophecies fulfilled Esay 53.2 that Christ should come and no man regard him and that he should grow vp as a roote out of the drie ground without forme or beauty and as Esay 11.1 that the should come as a rod out of the stocke of Ishai the Yeoman 1. Sam. 16.3 whereby we obserue that when things are most desperate then the Lord recouereth them and now when the kingdome was come to a poore Carpenter then Christ was borne to teach vs that in the greatest exigents and extremities we must neuer distrust nor seeke to extricate our selues out of any sorrow the Lord hath brought vs to but still to waite vpon him for as Dauid saith Psalm 32.7 The Lord is our secret place that is he hath many priuie deliuerances wee know not of and as Psalm 4.3 will strengthen vs vpon the bed of sorrow as he did Dauid who when Saul with his armie was euen at his heeles and hee no doubt much anguished yet the Lord had his secret deliuerance for him and turned Saul on the sudden another way 1. Sam. 23.27 Euen so heere when it had beene night with the Israelites a long time and that their enimies thought they should neuer recouer their sight againe then ariseth Christ like they day-starre and restoreth the beauty of their kingdome to greater glory then before let vs therefore waite with Simeon for the saluation that shall come Now remaineth to shew the difference in the recital of Christs pedegree by Saint Matthew and that of Saint Luke chap. 3.23 and it standeth in three points first Mathew doeth descend from the first to the last from Abraham to Ioseph Luke ascendeth from the last to the first from Ioseph to Abraham Secondly Mathew was to fetch his pedegree so as he might proue him to be the Messias of the Iewes and to come directly from the feed of Abraham Luke deriueth him not onely from Abraham but from Adam that he might shew him to be
by his passion to deliuer vs from condemnation euen as in the sacrifice vnder the law the bloud of the innocent beast was shed for him that had sinned to lay before his face the punishment he had deserued Leuit. 16.15 that so worthily his throat might haue beene cut and more iustly then was the throat of the beast so we by the shedding of Christs most innocent blood are purged from the guilt of our sinne And as by the beholding onely of the Brasen Serpent lifted vp in the wildernesse Numb 21 9. as many as looked vpon it were made whole so we hauing our eies annointed with the eie-salue of the holy Ghost that wee can behold the Lord Iesus exalted on the crosse shall be freed from all the firy stings of Sathan wherewith hee had stung vs to damnation For the second whom he shall saue obserue not all but his people Therefore they deceiue themselues that thinke Christ died for all men for there are but two parts of his priesthood the first to supplicate or to pray the second to sacrifie Now it is certaine he neuer sacrificed for them for whom he neuer supplicated and Iohn 17.9 he excludes the world out of his praier therefore for the world hee neuer died but hee praied onely for beleeuers and that they might be sanctified that is set apart wholly for Gods seruice the word sanctified being a metaphor or borowed speech taken form the Temple wherein the first fruites the flesh the garments the vessels and all things else were holy so called because none might vse them to worldly purposes So as if we will be his people we must keepe our selues onely for one husband the Lord Iesus and like a iewell peerelesse as if we were peculiarly laied vp for him as S. Paul speaketh Tit. 2.14 And he that cannot assure his soule of this for him Christ neuer died for if we be Temples onely to set vp in them the idols of our affections Christ neuer dwelleth there Now euery man will assume to himselfe to bee a Christian If a woman that had two children should sweare shee were a maide or he that had the plague should say and face vs downe he were sound or one reeling in the chanell that he were sober would they not be spectacles of shame to all that saw and heard them And for an vnseemely and filthy liuer to challenge this honour to bee caried in Christs bosome and to be remembred to his Father in his praiers and to apportion part of Christs death to himselfe is as absurd as the other and this his fained repentance shall leade him but into a fained hope against the latter day which will deceiue him For such kinde of boasters bee they spoken of Prouerb 30.12 that are pure in their owne eies and yet they be not washed from their filthinesse that is that are as filthy in their soules as is his body that lieth in his owne excrement Can out of thornes come grapes or can a sinfull wretch be a sober liuer It is certaine there is no saluation without faith no faith without repentance no repentance without amendment of life nor any amendment without forsaking of sinne the conclusion whereof is that no euill liuer hath part in Christs passion but the markes of Gods vengance are yet vpon thee and thou venturest thy saluation peremptorily by deferring thy repentance for what knowest thou whether to morrow shall euer come Dally not therefore thus with God till the diuell take thee in the lurch for as Christ came to saue vs from the damnation of sin so also to free vs from the dominion of sinne and as to destroy the diuell so likewise to destroy the workes of the diuell And as none shall be saued by the law 1. Iohn 3.8 without fulfilling the law so none shall bee saued by the Gospell but such who as God hath couenanted with them to remit their sinnes so haue they couenanted with him to amend their liues It is therfore an intolerable absurdity for them that being slaues to sinne doe notwithstanding vaunt themselues to be the seruants of God and who being as prophane as Esau and haue solde their birth-right Gen. 25.33 Math. 25.26 will yet claime their birth-right when they haue no more interest then the dogges in the bread of Children MATH chap. 1. vers 22 23 24 25. verse 22 And all this was done that it might be fulfilled which is spoken of the Lord by his Prophet saying verse 23 Behold a Virgine shall be with child and shall beare a sonne and they shall call his name Emmanuel which is by interpretation God with vs. verse 24 Then Ioseph being raised from sleepe did as the Angell of the Lord had enioyned him and tooke his wife verse 25 But he knew her not till she had brought forth her first borne Sonne and he called his name Iesus THIS is the fift thing formerly pointed at that this testimony of the Prophet is alleaged for the further confirmation of Ioseph and his better incouragement in this matter that if hee should not rest in the maiesty of the Angell for the truth of the message yet that he should not thinke that strange which was recorded so long before Wherein consider first what cause the Prophet had to speake this It may be gathered out of Esay chap. 7. where the king of Iuda being cast into feare of the ouerthrow of his kingdome by the combination and ioyning together of the two armies of Syria and Israel thinking it impossible to be rescued from their strength the Prophet Esay was sent to offer him a signe in that consternation and trouble of his minde either in the depth beneath or in the height aboue that thereby he might be a certained the Lord would deliuer Ierusalem from that army the King measuring all by policy refuseth to aske any particular signe whereupon the Prophet seeing this descended to the generall signe the couenant made Gen. 3. that the seed of the woman should breake the serpents head that is not onely performe a temporary deliuerance but an euerlasting freedome from the siege of Sathan and this couenant was especially made to Abraham Now the Prophet speaketh to him by way of exprobration in this sort How canst thou O King mistrust this small matter and that the power of the Lord is not able to performe this since he hath promised to doe the other which is farre greater Hence generally learne how excellent and needfull a thing it is to be acquainted and familiar with the Scripture which is as the store-house of comfort when wee bee distressed and a guide to direct our thoughts when they bee distracted For if Ioseph had well compared the times spoken of by the Prophets and had called to minde this speech of Esay heere mentioned it might much haue staied him in his perplexed discourse with himselfe the Angell himselfe intimating so much in alleaging the prophecy and yet concealing the Prophets
certainely set downe but it is probable and likely that it was not till Mary had recouered the weaknes of her child-birth Secondly heerein consider the substance of the message containing these foure things first that Ioseph must take the babe and his mother hee doth not say his wife for the Angell had before satisfied him for that matter Secondly the place whither he must goe to Egypt the worst of all other Thirdly the time he should stay there set downe indefinitely till hee was called away Fourthly a reason of this commandement expressed to releeue the weaknesse of Ioseph though the commandement it selfe had been sufficient because Herod sought to destroy the child Out of the first circumstance of the time learne that God giueth and alloweth no long time of peace and truce to his seruants whom he will make mirrors of patience but hee sendeth one trouble in the necke of another that though the life of man be but as a tale told yet the estate of a Christian soule hath many fractions and interruptions before it can passe like the weauers shuttle through the web so as the breathing time which they haue had is but to enable them to further strength for that which succedeth Heere being in this place set downe how the Lord mingled the sweetnesse of the gifts brought to this babe by the men of Persia with the bitternesse of an immediate persecution by the hand of Herod the King to teach Ioseph and in him all of vs that when we haue had honour together with the profession of the Gospell we may not flatter and perswade our selues of the continuance of this but bee armed to stand to the truth and to the acknowledgement of the Lord Iesus both in honour and dishonour For Mary as she had this comfort to see the babe her sonne honoured and worshipped of these Wisemen so had she this sorrow and discomfort mixed therewithall in the night to trusse vp her furniture and to flie Thus fared it with her sonne at another time who Mat. 21.8 comming riding on the Sabboth to Hierusalem had acclamations and cries of the people Hosanna to the Sonne of Dauid blessed be he that commeth in the name of the Lord yea had the greatest glory that euer happened to any earthly Prince to haue garments strawed in the way for him to tread on thereby the more royally to entertaine him yet after all this within fiue daies he is exclaimed on and tumultuously they crie Crucifie him crucifie him his bloud be vpon vs and our children To teach vs that neither prosperity puffe vs vp nor aduersity cast vs downe knowing that it is the Lords will and pleasure that there should be an interchangeable course of these things As Simeon prophesied Luk. 2.35 that a sword should pierce Maries soule which euen now was fulfilled being commanded to take her heeles to teach her that she should not expect any great state in this life though she was the mother of the King of glory but that euen shee should be fashioned after her owne Sonne to come to a crowne by the crosse Heere then is condemned the daintinesse of those professors that will waite no longer at the Lords table then they may be fed from his trencher and which doe loue the practise of the Gospell onely for the peace of the Gospell For Ioseph may not bee discouraged though he bee driuen to flie with the Lord of life in his armes but heereby may he be secured of safety hauing his Sauiour with him And on this may we all rest that 〈◊〉 wee bee driuen to flight for the cause of Christ our feet shall 〈◊〉 leade vs to the wings of Christ where we shall be cherished euen in Egypt a place of darknesse and disdaine to the truth 〈◊〉 God For the second circumstance which is the place wither they must flie it cannot be thought but Ioseph was distracted and wearied with sundry cogitations yea and perplexed with deepe sorrowes to see that this King of glorie must bee forced to flie from the cruelty of Herod and to such a place as was alwares an enemy to the Church of God Howbeit heerein wee may obserue how sometimes the Lord sheweth but a sparkle and portion of his power in the deliuery of his seruants though at other times hee openly sheweth himselfe for their protection in great glorie and maiesty as in the case of Eliah 2. King 1.9 when the souldiers came to him and scoffed him saying Man of God come downe presently the arme of God was made naked and fire came downe and consumed them So did the Lord deale with Elisha 2. King 6.18 who hauing discouered the secrets spoken in the King of Syriahs chamber the King in indignation sends foorth against one man hauing but Gehezi to wait on him and hoast of armed men to compasse the place where hee was and when they came thinking to haue caught him they were smitten with sudden blindnesse and Elisha in a holy zeale of Gods glory leadeth them to a city where but for him they had beene all slaine So Daniel chap. 6.7.22 he is put into the Lions denne sealed with the Kings owne signet as escape out he could not which since it is so the mouths of the Lions are shut that they cannot hurt him heere is maiesty but now Iesus his owne sonne he must flie and shall not be rescued by any immediate hand of his Father heere is a diuerse dispensation The children in the fire Dan. 3.22 though it consumed them that cast them in yet doe not their cloaths so much as smell of it and shall wee thinke that the hand of the Lord was now shortned or his power abated that hee could not haue wrought as mightily for the safety of his owne sonne God forbid Peter we see is cast into the gaole Act. 12.8 but the Angell of the Lord openeth the doore and bids him preach with confidence and â—hen hee was condemned the next day to bee executed lying â—ound with two great chaines the Angell with one blow vnlooâ—eth them both bringeth him through the souldiers and an iron gate flieth open to giue him passage So Paul Act. 16.26 he is deliuered by an earth-quake that shakes the prison and the gouernours are faine to intreat him to go foorth Thus can the praiers of Gods seruants obtaine the ministery of Angels to disarme the power of Sathan and to frustrate the malice of the wicked Howbeit on the other side how the Lord suffereth as it were his power to bee blasted vnder a wonderfull kind of infirmity wee haue equall examples in the Scripture We see Eliah 1. King 19.3 that before could command fire from heauen must now flie from the face of Iezabel and is driuen to such an exigent that hee cries out vnto the Lord euen to take away his life So the spies that came to see Iericho Iosh 2.4 and were sent from Ioshua the Lieutenant of God to take possession of the land of Canaan so
hardly escape they with their liues than harlot is faine to make a lye to saue them and to couer them with the stalkes of flaxe that they may not bee found Paul thaâ— had before an earth-quake to vnshackle him hath at another time Act. 9.25 no other way to preserue himselfe but by being let downe in a basket So Ieremy to flesh and bloud 〈◊〉 most basely deliuered for being cast into the dungeon Ebelmelech Ier. 38.11 obtaineth of the King to bring him ouâ— and then with a company of ragges and old worne clouts bounâ— together as with a cord he draweth him foorth and is glad 〈◊〉 send him away So fared it with Dauid 1. Sam. 19.12.13 foâ— Michol perceiuing he could hardly escape the fury of Saul firâ—â— shee lets him downe at a window and then shee puts an imageâ—â— the bed as if some sicke man had beene there And thus did thâ—â— Lord prouide for his sonne after the basest manner that his parents must take their heeles to preserue his life he could haue seâ—â— a kind of madnes on Herod as he did on Nebuchadnezzar Dâ—â— 4.29 and haue spoiled him of all his kingly royalty and seuerâ— him from the company of men and made him feed with beasts he could haue made his Angell haue strucke him as hee did 〈◊〉 nephew Act. 12.23 or haue raised vp his sonnes to haâ—â— slaine him Esa 37.38 as he did to Senaherib or haue caused him to haâ—â— hanged himselfe in a desperation of the kingdome hee coulâ— haue astonished them when they had come to kill him as he did Ioh. 18.5 when they came to take him that they shoâ—â— haue killed another as did the Madianites Iudg. 7.21 Psal 83.9 But it was the will and pleasure of the Father that he should beginne his life in misery as he should end it in ignominy and hee worketh not by miracles for the deliuery of his Sonne For first as yet there was no time for the manifestation of miracles for then he might haue beene thought not to haue beene true man Secondly it was to fulfill a prophesie that out of Egypt his Sonne might be called intending heerein a proportion betweene the head and the members that as the Israelites were caried out of Egypt Exod. 12.31 so also should Christ the head of his Church be Thirdly in this was praefigured the casting away of the Iewes and the calling and cariage of the Gospell among the Gentiles Fourthly that another prophesie might be fulfilled that for his sake should the children of Bethlem bee slaine Fiftly that the cruelty of Herod by this meanes might bee the more disappointed Sixtly to giue warrant to vs that in the time of danger and persecution wee may lawfully flie Seuenthly that we may not thinke the crosse too base for vs since the Lord of glory did thus beare it Further it is wonderfull to see that the Lord will haue his Sonne thrust out of Iuda and from among the Iewes to whom specially hee was promised and whom principally hee should saue and to bee entertained in Egypt a place of all abominations and which hated God But thus did the Lord aduance Ioseph in Egypt Gen. 41.40 when his brethren would haue killed him in Israel and thus did he prouide for Daniel in Babylon Dan. 6.3 where diuels were worshipped and aduanced him to bee the second person in the kingdome Achis King of the Philistims 1. Sam. 21.10 receiued Dauid when Saul persecuted him Eliah when he could not be fed in Israel 1. King 17.15 is cherished by a poore widow of Sarepta in Sydon an heachenish country And Ieremy the Prophet Ier. 39.12 is better entertained by Nebuchadnezzar King of Babel then by Zedechia the Priest Thus can the Lord stirre vp the hearts of the heathen to bee better to his seruants then their owne brethren and that Saul shall prophesie when he intendeth to persecute 1. Sam. 19.24 to comfort vs that euen our greatest enemies shall nourish vs if we be cast out of our country for the profession of the Lord Iesus yea Egypt shall be a resting placeâ— for Ioseph if the babe be with him though it be grieuous and tedious to Ioseph to want the sacrifices and to lose the comfort 〈◊〉 hearing the law of God expounded And when Paul can haue 〈◊〉 preaching place at Hierusalem the Citie of God then shall hee preach two yeeres without contradiction in Rome Act. 28.30 a place of all persecution For the third circumstance how long Christ should stay in Egypt consider first that Ioseph is heereby assured he shall noâ— stay euer which doth somewhat ease and refresh his anguished soule for when he considered the iourney hee was to take was tedious the place whither he was to flie barbarous the tendernesse of the child he must take with him that hee must be absent from the publike exercises of religion that his dispatch was so sudden as he had no time to take his leaue of the godly of Hierusalem no doubt his heart was much astonished and his spirits of life much appalled therefore to comfort him the Lord bids him stay till he calleth him implying that there shall bee a time wherein he shall be deliuered In which we learne that affliction shall not alway last and that the rod shall not euer rest vpon the backe of the godly but we shall haue beauty for ashes the oile of gladnesse for the garment of heauinesse Psal 104.15 and our captiuity shall be like the Summer riuers and they that goe foorth with a little seed shall come home with full sheaues Heere also note thaâ— by saying he must not come but abide there till the Lord doe call him that it is as much as to haue said Come not of thy selfe no not vpon any exigent or sheights whatoeuer though thou be neuer so villanously intreated and by setting downe the time of his abode indefinitely he doth it to trie his obedience that he may with patience attend the Lords pleasure Wherby we learne that we must not prefix any set time vnto the Lord how long he shall exercise vs vnder the crosse Ioseph must stay in Egypt til he be called foorth and let this be Iosphs hope in Egypt hee shall not alwaies be but he shall returne againe to Hierusalem and the scourge of the vngodly shall not alway claspe about the loines of the righteous Now for the fourth circumstance which is the reason of the commandement Learne first how the Lord releeueth our weakenesse and tendreth our infirmitie that though a bare commandement had beene sufficient for Ioseph to haue addressed himselfe for this iourney yet the Lord taketh pity vpon him and will not tempt hm aboue the measure of his faith but fully satisfieth him not onely commanding by authority but euen perswading by reason that he may obey with the greater cheerefulnesse For Herod saith hee goeth about to destroy him Otherwise did the Lord deale with Abraham Gen. 22.2 according to his strong faith
commanding that which flesh and bloud most abhorreth and giueth no reason of it namely to bee the butcher to his owne sonne But heerein shall our condemnation be the more iust because the Lord hath giuen so many calles and yeelded so many reasons why we should flie from sinne and why we should turne to him not for feare of any bodily destruction by the hand of Herod but for feare of that spirituall thraldome wherein Satan laboureth to keepe our soules the Lord hauing discouered vnto vs early and late that hee is an old and a subtill enemie armed not onely with darts but euen with fiery darts to sting vs vnto damnation Let vs therefore with Ioseph embrace the sweet kindnesse of the Lord who mildly exhorteth vs to haste as it were out of Sodome and let vs with him resolue without any fleshly discourse with our selues to bee gone at the first call for his word is truth and the danger he foretelleth will follow Secondly heerein obserue that the Lord knoweth the secrets of mens hearts for Herod pretended adoring but intended the murthering of the Lord Iesus And his crafty and concealed purpose is heere named by the Angell that we may feare to deale doubly with our owne soules and may abhorre all hypocrisie because the Lord casteth his eie not only vpon our actions but watcheth euen ouer our very thoughts and will in time discouer them to our great shame This is it Dauid praieth against Psalm 32.3 that the Lord would free him from guile of spirit not to deceiue himselfe nor to dissemble his sinne for his dealing doubly with God and his soule in that his sinne with Barsheba had so distempered his conscience that vntill he had fully mastered his hypocrisie he could finde no rest in his bones Yet such is the simplicity or rather the frowardnesse of our harts that though wee know all things to bee naked and open before God we still runne on in hiding and cloaking of our sinnes which is as auncient as our first fathers fall who after the eating of the fruite forbidden had his eies opened indeed that is he then by experience perceiued and by checke of conscience saw what euill he came into and what good he had lost being conuinced of his owne misery he takes fig-leaues to couer his shame a small couer to hide it from the eies of God Beside marke his sottishnesse he couereth but his shame whereas the principall instruments of his wickednesse were his eies his eares and his taste and these were more filthy for the other part actuall had not sinned Now when he heard the voice of God the winde carying to his eare such a voice as he had not heard before then hee flieth among the trees thinking if fig-leaues would not serue yet the shadow of trees would sufficiently hide him alwaies when the Lord summons vs seeking shelter that wee may not come to reprehension And when this voice of the Lord could not bring him to a confession of his sinne nor pierce his heart enough the Lord calles him with his owne mouth Why doesâ— thou hide thy selfe Marke now his wonderfull hypocrisie crept in so soone after his fall Adam assigneth two causes of the hiding of himselfe both false and omitteth the true cause that is his sinne the one because he heard God speake which is most false for he had heard him speake often before and that most comfortably The second cause because he was naked and yet this was no cause for it is said in the text they were both naked and were not ashamed And by the malignity of his nature in this hee secretly chargeth God to be the cause of his sinne who in his originall creation had made him naked whereas hee himselfe was the cause of the shame of his nakednesse God goeth further with him Hast thou not eaten of the fruit which I forbâ—â— thee Now the Lord names the sinne and in his answer marke his hypocrisie and guile of spirit worse then before The womaâ— saith he which thou gauestâ—â—e gaue me of the tree and I did eate As if he should say it was thine owne ordinance so as he impudently faceth out the matter and laâ—es it vpon his wife whereas it was his owne ambition and not her suggestion only that prouoked him to the sinne and in the whole story yee shall not finde one word of confession So the woman shee transfers from her selfe to the diuell the cause of her fall the Serpent indeed blew the coles but the fire was in her owne heart and she would not confesse that shee abused her selfe to bee seduced by the Serpent so as both of them felt the punishment of their sinne but would not iudge of the cause of it in eating the forbidden fruit By which examples as by the naming of Herods sinne conceiued but in heart and by the traducing forth of Adam for his sinne that brake foorth into his hands we must learne to hedge in our thoughts that they harbour not so much as an euill inclination for sinne is of a forward brood and will soone bee hatcht and though as it is Psalm 50.21 the Lord hold his peace that is forbeare with patience for a time whereby wee thinke him like our selues that is as in the Hebrew a good fellow like our selues yet saith the Lord I will lay thy sinne before thee that is as it signifieth in the Hebrew either set them in order before thee like dishes on the table or write them in a role and make thee reade them in despight Thirdly in that it is saied Herod will seeke to destroy him it sheweth what hearts the wicked beare toward the godly and what purpose they haue but that it shall bee frustrate for it is said Herod would kill him not he shall kill him Thus though we be all sheepe appointed to the slaughter in the malice of the enemy yet we are not so in the purpose of God For the Dragon Reu. 12 4. like a bloudy mid-wife standeth ready to deuoure the child whereof the Church should bee deliuered but the Lord prospereth her in her trauell and assumeth the child into heauen that he may be free from the cruelty of the beast Whereby we are taught euery day to take vp our crosse for if wee will liue godly in Christ there is a necessity of persecution and we must all suffer either the sword of Esau or the frumping of Ismael Gen 27.1 Gen. 2â— 9 Act. 23.31 And this may be our comfort Herod may trauell with mischiefe but he shall neuer bring it foorth the Iewes may vow and sweare the death of Paul 1. King 17.5 but they shall be preuented Iesabel may make hue and crie after Eliah but the Lord himselfe shall hide him What did Herod thinke God to be an idoll or to haue cast off all care of his Sonne he knew by the Prophets that God had set him vp to raigne ouer his people and yet he vainly thinkes
we learne that Princes thinke them selues abused and that disparagement is done to the state royall if men will not be executioners of their bloudy complots and euen sell their soules for the effecting of their designes Herod is mocked because the Wise-men will not relate the certainty of Christs birth that he may murder him and Saul 1. Sam. 22.17 thinketh himselfe contemned because his footmen would not slay the Priests of the Lord that had their hand with Dauid Secondly in that he tearmeth it mockery note that the wicked can father that vpon others whereof themselues are most guilty for the Wise-men they meant simply but that they were interdicted of God to returne to the court but Herod he mocked with the Lord for though hee knew that this new-borne King was to be set vp and that hee must raigne in the hearts of men yet in despight of God he though either by policy to circumuent it or by power to withstand the ordinance of the Lord scorning at the Oracles of the Prophets and complaining of cousinage when himselfe would haue cousined the almighty like vnto Fimbria of Rome who hauing dangerously wounded one the next day entred an action against the party grieued because hee had receiued but part of his blade into his bodie and not all And is it not strange when Pharaoh shall call Moses hard hearted when the Wolfe shall accuse the Lambe the Serpent saie the Doue is too subtle and Herod exclaime vpon the Wise men for mockerie when himselfe nourished so foule a vice against the highest No doubt he was wroth but not simplie because the Wise men returned not but for his owne sottishnesse that hee had not sent some man with them to haue seene what had become of the babe But thus when Princes make league and band themselues against the Lord and contribute toward the affliction of his saints hee insnareth them in their owne inuentions and infatuateth their deuises and destroieth the counsell of Achitophel Psal 18.26 2. Sam. 17.14 for as the Psalmist saith With the froward the Lord will deale frowardly For the second point which is the execution of this butchery we see to the end that if it were possible he might haue the bloud of the babe among the multitude he spareth none and the stories report in this massacre was killed his owne sonne whereupon Augustus the Emperour said in detestation of his cruelty that he had rather be Herods hogge then his heire By which we learne that the diuell possessing the heart of a tyrant makes him execute any thing tending to the maintenance of his state though the nature of man abhorre it as the effusion of bloud or though they be checked and amated by their owne hearts for Herod knew if Christ were borne he must raigne yet against his owne conscience he endeuours by counsell if he be able to deceiue or by crueltie if he be able to supplant the decree of God Thus did Pharaoh Exod. 8.4 seeke to crosse the commandement and purpose of the Lord in the deliuery of his seruants though by many immediate testimonies and wonders from heauen hee saw it as it were written on the walles that the Israelites must depart And thus did Saul seeke the life of Dauid though he was told by Samuel 1. Sam. 15.28 that the Lord the strength of Israel that could not lie had rent the kingdome from him and giuen it to his neighbour Secondly obserue hence that when one way succeedeth not to these Atheists then they straite attempt another Pharaoh at the first doth but exact further and greater labour of the Israelites but after he dealeth with the Midwiues Exod 1.15 to kill them that should be borne and after his malice breaketh foorth more fiercely into an edict or proclamation vers 22. that the male borne should be cast into the riuer So Saul confessing that he knew the Lord would establish the kingdome in the throne of Dauid yet first he sought to insnare him by his daughter 1. Sam. 18.17 Onely saith he fight thou the battels of the Lord and thou shalt haue my daughter but after his hypocrisie is discouered c. 19.1 making solemne proclamation Who haue I among all my souldiers that will do thus much for me to kill Dauid So as he that could spare Agag would pierce Dauid So Herod when he saw he was preuented of his first purpose by the not returning of the Wise men he still trauelleth with the same mischiefe and whereas before hee sought but the life of the babe onely now he is so enraged as he doubleth his crueltie and will haue the life of many innocent babes such a fire is sinne to double and increase the heate by burning and the deferring of their cursed attempts which should be as water to quench them is as oile to inflame them this being wrought by the malice of the diuell who throweth in fresh poison into our hearts that if wee bee preuented in our resolution of murdering the Lord Iesus we will be like the Dragon Reu. 12.12 to send foorth whole flouds of waters out of our mouthes to drowne and destroy his members Thirdly obserue that there is no edict or proclamation so cruell or execrable against Gods Saints which some wicked men will not execute at their Princes commandement If Iesabel would haue Naboths vineyard and cannot obtaine it without his life 1. King 21.11 she shall haue gouernors to serue her turne that will so one follow her cursed counsell When no man will fall vpon the Priests at the words of Saul 1. Sam. 22.17 then will Doeg take the sword and do it and Herod heere can no sooner mention a murder but his seruants will execute it Where further consider that if hell be prepared for the commander so is it likewise for the executioner though his act bee warranted by authority Is it in the power of the Prince to bring in a religion against God or may they doe what they will God forbid If the Prince should command mee to burne the Bible I ought not to doe it for a thing is not of God because she commands it but because it is of God therefore ought shee to command it Cambises king of Persia inflamed with incest consulteth with his Wise-men whether he may lawfully mary his sister they answer they find no such law to warrant it but they finde another law that the King of Persia is without all law And thus doe Princes counsellers feed them in their humors nodding at whatsoeuer Augustus will haue done And euen so miserable are these times that men doe wait at their Princes mouthes and performe their decrees not scanning whether they be grounded vpon the law of God which ought to bee the rule whereat Princes should leuell their commandements and by which subiects should square their obedience For it is not enough to slay Amnon 2. Sam. 13.29 at Absoloms commandement neither shall Rabshaketh excuse himselfe Esay 36.16 for railing on
hee shall be hold his destruction Exod. 14.28 in the red sea How oft 〈◊〉 Saul thinke and how sore did he thirst for the life of Dauid 〈◊〉 he misseth of his purpose and slaieth himselfe 1. Sam. 31.4 〈◊〉 make way for Dauid to the kingdome And such shall be the â—â—cesse of all that conspire against the Lord and his Christ to fall 〈◊〉 to the pit which themselues haue digged and to make the wâ—â—ked a ransome for the godly For the maner of Herods death though it be silenced by the Euangelist yet the Ecclesiasticall stories make mention of it as Iosephus and Eusebius which though it command not the conscience to beleeue yet the more to magnifie the Lord it is not vnfit to consider it He had a great swelling in his legs woonderfull rottennesse in his whole flesh his breath did so stinke as he could not be accompanied with he had such a disease in his parts of shame as wormes did crawle about them he was greedie of meat hauing the appetite of a dogge not to be satisfied his whole race was accursed after him hauing eight children within an hundred yeeres there was not any of their loines lest Archilaus heere spoken of was banished to Vienna and there died a beggar Antypas that beheaded Iohn Baptist and whom Christ called Foxe Luke 13.32 was banished to Lions in France and there died a most miserable abiect Agrippa the son of Aristobulus the sonne of this Herod an insolent and proud man was eaten vp with lice most shamefully Act. 12.23 The sonne of this Agrippa that would haue put Peter to death liuing till the destruction of Ierusalem there had his end Thus did the wrath of God rest vpon the familie of this cruell persecutor of Gods Church who was blasted in himselfe and his posteritie And thus did the Lord 1. Kings 14.10 sweepe away the house of Ieroboam as a man sweepeth away dung till it bee all gone and 1. King 21.21 did cut off the posteritie of Ahab for their prouocations wherewith they had prouoked him to teach vs to feare and tremble before his face and if we will be blessed in our selues and in the fruit of our bodie to looke vnto our paths that we lay not our hands to wickednesse Note further that we are not to feare what Princes can doe vnto vs for they liue no longer then they haue some seruice to doe for Gods glorie as it is said Col. 1.16 All things are in Christ and for Christ And Saul could not Acts 9.1 breath out threatnings against the Church of God had not the Lord some speciall purpose in it either for the exercising of his Saints or the waiting for his owne repentance Neither could Pharaoh so long â—â—ie his rodde vpon the Israelites were it not as S. Paul saith Rom. 9.17 that the Lord stirred him vp to shew his power in him For now when Herod had executed the children whereby God is glorified in their innocent death and his owne malice fully manifested then he dieth himselfe which may teach vs patience against the time of trouble knowing that the wicked are but as the weapons of the Lord to set an edge on our affectionâ— which otherwise would creepe vpon the earth and make vs forget our maker whereas by this meanes we oft times cast our 〈◊〉 on our deliuerer which is in heauen Further learne that though tyrants appoint vs as sheepe to the slaughter and in the malice of their hearts doe purpose to fleece vs yet sometime the butcher wanteth his knife and the sheepe in the shambles do escape therefore we need not to be afraid of them that haue not so much power as to kill the bodie vnlesse the Lord giue vs vp into their hands as Dauid saith Psal 7.12 speaking of the wicked hee hath bent his bow and spread his net and hath conceiued mischiefe but shall bring foorth vanitie and the euill intended shall fall vpon his owne hairy scalpe For the diuell that is stronger then man yea that aâ—meth the malice of men cannot stretch foorth his hand vpon the goods of Iob Iob. 1.12 much lesse touch his body without the permission of the Almighty Herod shall die and Christ shall escape if not the worst that flesh and bloud can doe is but 〈◊〉 send vs with the children of Bethlem into heauen for the Lorâ— is our shield and we are as neare deare vnto him as the apple of his eie yea he is our secret place and vnder his shadow we can not but be safe For the second point containing the obedience of Iosepâ— by his example we learne not to runne before Gods promises but patiently to waite vpon them for as hee is alwaies a sure deliuerer of his people so then especially when his mouth haâ—â— spoken it and vpon this Ioseph relied not stirring till he was called Moses was sure to bring the people of Israel out of Egypt Exod. 3.10 yet hee must staie for it fortie yeeres as if the Lord had forgotten to what purpose hee had appointed him Noab 〈◊〉 the Lords commandement entreth into the Arke and commeâ—â— not foorth till by the same commandement Gen. 8.16 he 〈◊〉 called foorth though by the not returning of the Doue he knâ—â— the waters were abated from the earth Dauid was sure to be king after Saul yet he waited so long as in his haste he said Psalm 116.11 All men are liers thinking that Samuel had abused him to tell him hee should be King which we must beware of for the cause why the Lord staieth many times is because his seruants crie not out vnto him nor presse him with importunity as Luk. 18.5 the widow did the Iudge or for that our curst heares will not come downe so as he is faine to vse the wicked as rods to chastise and humble vs. Heere also learne that as Christ commeth out of Egypt so the Lord draweth the Gospell out of the fire and giueth it some Sun-shine out of the darkest persecution yea and that as it is said Act. 12.24 in the time of the most ambitious and Lordly tyrants it shall grow and multiply exceedingly for so it hath pleased God that the hotest persecutors as was S. Paul haue embraced it and that kings haue submitted their scepters to the foolishnesse of preaching Which noteth vnto vs that the ignominy that lighteth vpon the crosse is not nor ought to be any occasion to disswade vs from it for the proceeding of Christs kingdome is aboue nature and the perswading to it is cleaue contrary to the custome of the world For saith Cyrus if a Lacedaemonian will serue mee if hee bee a foot-man I will make him an horseman if a horse-man I will giue him a Chariot if hee haue a Chariot I will giue him a Castle if a Castle a Citie and he shall receiue his gold not by tale but by waite But now in the groweth and age of a Christian it fareth otherwise for this is the condition of
the Lords followers to be betrayed of their owne fathers and to be entangled with sundry afflictions to bee banished into Egypt and if thou beest called backe againe yet neuer to haue but a steppe betweene thee and death as Dauid saith 1. Sam. 20.3 But for all this we may not be dismaied for in all these wee shall bee more then conquerours through Christ The third point is in what state Ioseph found all things in Indaea not quiet but still troublesome where we see how God exerciseth the faith and patience of this his seruant shewing heerein as in a glasse the state and condition of the godly how one trouble succeedeth another as if they were thornes folded one within the other Ioseph long expected his deliuerie out of Egypt and now in his returne he is as much grieued at the raigne of Archilaus as he was comforted at the death of Herod which the Lord doth not to presse him downe but to giue him the greater occasion to praise his name in the experience of his many deliuerances Iob 5.19 As Iob saith Out of six troubles the Lord will free me and the seuenth shall neuer come neere me And this is the vse which all Gods children ought to make of the varietie of their dangers the more to strengthen and confirme their hope that Gods hands shall euer be stretched foorth to send them deliuerance from his tabernacle as they were to Dauid Psal 32.6 and as they be in this place to Ioseph who riddeth him likewise out of this second feare Heere also we learne not to be negligent and secure when the Lord hath taken awaie one enemie of his Church for though the principall Doeg be gone that through flatterie abused Saul and that none is like to succeed him that shall haue such grace with the king yet still to keepe vs awake after Herods death comes Archilaus that beareth the same heart and the same affection that Herod did though he hath not the same power and though this be some comfort that hee shall neuer be crowned And thus did the Lord subiect his people still vnder the hand of some succeeding Pharaoh that they might cast vp their hearts to him and bewaile their wants and powre foorth their soules vnto the Almightie And thus shall the forrest neuer be without some Bore or other that would destroy the vine but if we be rooted into Christ and may beare him about vs as Ioseph did he will teach vs to watch or at least if we sleepe he will awake vs as he did his drowsie disciples Mat. 26.40 when danger was at hand For the fourth point how in this perplexed feare an Angell was sent vnto him we learne first wholly to depend on Gods prouidence seeing that in the seuerall extremities of Ioseph the Lord sent him seuerall comforts For first in the suspition and iealousie of his wife an Angell was dispatched from the heauenly palace to resolue him then the same messenger warned him of the imminent persecution and now releeueth him in his distresse And thus will the Lord deale with all his seruants that walke aright if they be not either too forward through hope or too backward through feare Secondly as this was one cause of Iosephs turning into Galiley namely to be succoured in his feare so in this the Lord had another end vnknowen to Ioseph which was the fulfilling of a prophesie that his sonne should be called a Nazarite that is one set apart vnto the Lord by speciall sanctification of nature which was praefigured by Sampson and others vnder the Law Where we learne how the Lord executeth his will both by his seruants and his enemies when as they meane nothing lesse then to doe it Thus did not Dauids father know when he set his sonne to keepe sheepe that he should fight with a Lion 1. Sam. 17.34 nor Sauls father know or once dreame that his sonne should bee anointed king when he sent him to seeke his Asses 1. Sam. 9.16 nor Mary when shee went to Bethlem to be tasked that therein the Prophesie of Michah should bee fulfilled that out of Bethlem should come the gouernour of Israel Michah 5.2 nor Herod in the cruell massacre little thought of performing Ieremiahs prophesie A voice of lamentation Rachel weeping for her children Ier. 31.15 nor the chiefe Priests when with the 30. peeces of siluer which Iudas brought they bought a potters field neuer dreamed of the prophesie of Zachariah chap. 11.13 that for so much should Christ be valued and therewith should such a field be brought But such strength hath the Lord and such power ouer the hearts of men as he can secretly moue them to be executioners of that himselfe hath appointed shall come to passe MATH chap. 3. vers 1 2 3 4 verse 1 And in those daies Iohn the Baptist came and preached in the wildernesse of Iudea verse 2 And said Repent for the kingdome of heauen is at hand verse 3 For this is he of whom it is spoken by the Prophet Esaias saying The voice of him that crieth in the wildernesse prepart yee the way of the Lord make his pathes strait verse 4 And this Iohn had his garment of Camels haire and a girdle of a skinne about his loiâ—es his meate also was Locusts and wild hony NOW the Euangelist goeth forward and passeth from the infancy of Christ vnto his manifestation to the world when hee was to be inuested into the office of his Priesthood before whom as before a mighty Monarch was to goe a harbinger to the vp lodging for his Lord in the hearts and consciences of men which was this Ioâ—â— Baptist. In the words consider first the time when this fore runneâ— did preach which being by this Euangelist set downe indefinitely is precisely declared by Saint Luke chap. 3.1 Secondly the place where hee exercised his ministery in the wildernesse Thirdly the summe and effect of his Sermons Repent and change your minds and amend your liues for the great King that shall open the doore of saluation vnto all is now at hand Fourthly by what commission he was warranted and authorized to doe this namely by Esay chap. 40.3 who had prophesied this long before Fiftly is described the wonderfull precisenesse and strictnesse of his life by his garments and diet wheâ— by all the people cast their eies vpon him admiring his austeritie For the first circumstance which is the time we must not vnderstand an immediate successiuenesse that Iohn began to preach as soone as Christ was brought to Nazareth but that it was while Christ liued there which was some 25. yeeres after for this Iohn was stirred vp that hee as the day-starre might goe before the Sonne of righteousnesse Saint Luke setteth it downe to be in the fifteenth yeere of Tiberius and Christ was borne in the fifteenth yeere of Augustus so as Christ was about thirtie yeeres of age when he began to preach Out of which learne generally that we must
were the nailes that fastned Christ to the Crosse wee must weepe and cry as one mourneth for his onely sonne and first borne and there must be such a compunction of the spirit as to crie with the hearers of Peter Act. 2.37 What shall we doe and with Dauid Psal 6.6 to wash our bed with teares and so to mourne as if we heard the Lord summoning vs to iudgement for our sinnes are not lighter then Dauids that our sorrow should be lesse then his And when we haue attained to this to be pierced to the soule with sorrow not for any discomforts in this life but for that we haue offended God and haue exercised our selues in this not as in a pang that shall perplex vs for the time but that wee haue daily ripped and laied our hearts naked before the Lord then from hence springeth forth the third fruit amendment of our sinnes and repentance for them which standeth in two parts first in the forsaking of the old sinne secondly in inclining to the contrary vertue for the repentance of an vlurer is not restitution only but with Zaccheus Luke 19.8 to restore and to be mercifull to the poore as before he was vnmercifull for drunkards not onely to leaue the combat of their cups but to forsake that company and to obserue all kind of abstinence whereby he may be more fit for his calling and in iudgement to condemne it and in affection to abhor it both in himselfe and others so as briefly to repent is not to be as thou hast bene but to be in Christian duties that thou hast not beene For the second point which is the reason of the exhortation by the word Kingdome of heauen vnderstand the manifestation of the Messias which as a â—â—ately monarch shall rule in the hearts of men such as shall bee gathered by the Gospell with a wonderfull spirituall maiesty by his word and graces first leading them by the Gospell to haue their conuersation in heauen while they liue heere whereupon gather there is a double kingdome first of administratory prouidence which is that wherby the Lord ruleth ouer all euen the diuels secondly of royall preheminence in his church which is threefold first in their beginning by imperfect sanctification when men translated drawen from the power of sin are brought to the obedience of the Lord Iesus the second confirmed by perfect sanctification in the soules of the saints already departed the third fully to be accomplished when wee shall bee crowned of the Lord both in soule and body with perfect and perpetuall glory when God shall raigne in his Sonne his Sonne in his Church and his Church triumph in them both for euer Now this spirituall maiesty of Christ setling and inthronizing himselfe in the hearts of men is far more magnificent then any earthly throne prescribing vs lawes within which we are to bound our selues for in a kingdome there are foure things requisite first a King to gouerne secondly subiects to obey thirdly lawes to keepe in awe fourthly authority to execute them Now in this kingdome of light Christ is the King the faithfull be the subiects the word of God the lawes the power of the spirit the authority to execute them so that if by our subiection to the word the little flocke of Christ be increased the workes of the diuell bee destroied the enemies of God be subuerted and sinne bee subdued in the strength thereof then 〈◊〉 being gathered into this first kingdome which consisteth in the regeneration of the spirit may assuredly waite for the expectation of the other kingdome which standeth in the perfection 〈◊〉 all glory And we may the better vnderstand this by weighing the diuersity of Kingdomes which the diuell hath these being double first on earth secondly in hell On earth the reprobate being his subiects their corrupt affections their lawes 〈◊〉 their being giuen ouer of God to follow those wicked waies being the power to execute them So as in all those places bâ—â— they neuer so well polished to the eye which haue not sufficiâ—â—â— power of the Gospell to saue them â—or which haue it notatâ—â—â— or which haue it in a counterfet manner and measure or whâ—â—â— hauing it sincerely Mat. 7.6 doe flie like dogs to rend them in peeces thâ—â— bring it in these is the kingdome of darknesse set vp and sauing for the elects sake which shall bee taken out of them by the manifestation of Gods grace it were but a cage of filthy birds and the Synagogue of Satan For the second which is in hell it is that wherein vnmercifull Diues now lieth Luk. 16.24 and cannot haue so much refreshing as to coole his tongue and wherein after this life the wicked and impenitent shall bee tormented with endlesse paine The consideration whereof may driue vs to the meditation of the Lords bounty that hath prepared another place for vs if we follow the counsell of Iohn Baptist to amend our liues and to reforme our waies euen such a place wherein we shall behold and enioy the beauty of his glorie for euer Further obserue though Iohn Baptist willeth them to repent and amend yet it proueth no ability or naturall inclination in a man to doe this no more then when Christ saith Mat. 11.28.29 Come vnto me and take vp my yoake it argueth no power of our selues to come for so much himselfe setteth downe in another place where hee saith No man can come vnlesse my Father drawe him But the end of this is Iohn 6.44 not that the commandement is giuen to meet with our power to performe it but as Rom. 3.20 that thereby might come the knowledge of sinne for when wee see our weakenesse that we cannot doe it and our wretchednesse that we haue done the contrary as that where we should haue repented of our sins we haue rather increased them it leads vs to seeke grace in Christ pardon for the sinne and power of his spirit to forsake it So as in the commandement know thou oughtest to doe it in the correction of the Lord know thou hast not done it in not doing it know thy condemnation in praier and faith thou knowest where to haue it in thy conuersion thou knowest where thou hast receiued it and in thy perseuerance know by whom thou doest retaine it And albeit all commandements are of three sorts first such as command our first conuersion secondly that command our obedience to the Lord after our conuersion thirdly that command our perseuerance after wee haue begun obedience yet we shall see the strength of all these commeth from the Lord. For the first Zach. 1.3 there is a commandement giuen to turne to the Lord and Ioel 2.12 this is more particularly set downe that it must be a turning with all the heart But how shall this be wrought Obserue Ephraims speech to the Lord Ier. 31.18 Conuert thou me and I shall be conuerted So Deut. 10.16 Moses commandeth that the people should circumcise the
for the officers of the Church and the ministerie it is not onely ordained of God in generall but euery particular place and euery kind of office is set downe the Church being his owne house which he meant to beautifie with all necessarie furniture and none of this can be put downe neither may others be added 1. Cor. 12.28 and Ephes 4.11 For the Pastor may bee put downe by the Prince but not the Pastorship without maiming the bodie of Christ for then were it an humane constitution as is the other of Magistrates And therefore most grosse is it that women should be licenced to baptize which pertaineth onely to the office of a Minister and it is an idle answer to saie Quod fieri non debet factum valet that which should not be done is yet effectuall when it is done for this is a seale put into a wrong hand And if Vzziah 2. Sam. 6.7 being no Leuite was striken with sudden death for but touching the Arke of God which was readie to fall though his intent was good and if Vzziah 2. Chro. 26.20 was smitten with leprosie which he could neuer claw off to his death for burning incense to the Lord which onely pertained to the Priests to doe then may these intruders vpon the Lords possessions feare some plague to light on them for intermedling with these holy things and as well may they administer the Supper as Baptisme for they be seales of equall dignitie Howbeit if thou wilt be Iohn Baptist shew me these two things first a commission of thy calling secondly besides that thou must proue thy calling warranted shew me that thou commest rightly by it and that thou canst lawfully conuey it vnto thy selfe as Luk. 3.1 the spirit of the Lord came vpon Iohn For to haue this securitie is good in two respects first for the sasety of thine owne conscience in the day of affliction for thou knowest the iudgement of Christ concerning such as creepe in at the window they haue neither loue nor care of the flocke Ioh. 10.1 Therefore Ieremie chap. 1.6 cried O Lord I neuer thrust my selfe into this vnthankefull office but thou sentest me and thy wordwas as afire shut vp in my bones Secondly it is good to retaine the people in obedience when they shall see the Patent of thy calling whereas otherwise they will esteeme thee but as offering thy selfe vncalled and then thou maiest labour among them vnthanked For that Esay spake saying The voice of a crier in these words is set downe the execution of his office Where we learne that there are no names giuen to Ministers but they are words of emploiment and of labour For Preaching comes of Praeco to be a proclaimer in the market place so are they called trumpeters for that they must blow the siluer Trumpet of the Lords word that it may sound and ring in the eares of the people Criers Esa 4.11 Ezec. 34.10 1. Pet. 5.4 so as they must be no toong-tied fellowes for they are no fitter for this office then is a blinde man to be a Pilot. They must be shepheards which in Iuda were faine to watch all night to preserue their flockes from Wolues Watchmen who must take heed lest through their sloth the fort be surprized Embassadors hauing a great message to deliuer from the king of heauen Angels as Christ is called the Angell of the great couenant and Reuel 3. Write vnto the Augell that is 2. Tim. 2 1â— 1. Cor. 3 1â— the Minister of such a Church Workmen because they be builders of mens consciences Stewards to prouide meat for the Lords inheritance And as Iohn was to crie in his time so is there as great necessitie laid vpon vs to crie in this time according to the proportion of that grace we haue receiued In Pauls time 1. Cor. 9.16 it was a curse of damnation not to preach which cannot be appropriated to Paul himselfe it being a dutie specially required of all that labour in this vineyard And 2. Tim. 4.2 he adinreth Timothie to preach instantly so that as Iohn as the fore-runner and Timothie as an Euangelist were to preach with vehemencie so are wee as Pastors to crie the same crie for it neuer yet pierced deepe enough nor entred far enough to make men watchfull ouer their liues Now some are vnwoorthie the name of celers being scarce able to speake others are able but not willing to be criers bringing others a sleepe with their sloth vpon whom without repentance resteth a woe into lerable to beare and impossible to auoid Secondly obserue heere the agreement betweene the Prophet Esay and Iohn Baptist Iohn making that plaine was spoken obscurely by the Prophet Prepare yee the waies What is that Repent Let the high mountaines be brought low that is let pride of life be abated Let the low velleis be filled that is let despaire be reiected Let crocked things be made straight that is let the iudgement be rectified Let the rough waies be made smooth that is let thy swelling affections be changed Now this Allegorie vsed by the Prophet is borrowed from entertaining of Princes at their first coronation at which time all ordures bee clensed bridges repaired the streets pauâ—â—l herbingers goe before to take vp lodging the trumpets sound the volley of shot goeth off and euery man is arraied in his best robes not that the Lord of glorie expecteth such a transitorie triumph for hee requireth but this amend thy life and a cleane heart is his best harbour a spirituall entertainment being fittest for a spirituall king Lastly in this crie of Iohns obserue his faithfulnesse he prepareth a way for the Lord not for himselfe he might haue liued farre better in respect of the world then in this base office and in this base place for his priestly birth being the sonne of Zachary Luk. 1.13 would haue affoorded him a richer portion yea he was offered to be Christ Ioh. 3.28 but he would none of it contenting himselfe with that share the Lord had allotted him and attending on that dutie the Lord had enioined him And thus ought all the Ministers of the word to doe not to preach for reward nor to crie for ambition though the herbinger must not lie without doores but they must looke for a recompence from the highest for the world is vnthankfull And it is not enough to preach but they must preach to the consciences of men that the Lord Iesus may enter in and not to gratifie the affections of men with the eloquence of the flesh and in swelling words that themselues may enter in For if they crie to get a name or renowne or preach in contention they may crie long enough they haue all they shall haue hauing that they sought for to bee caried in the mouthes and to bee had in admitation of the people For the fift circumstance which is his extraordinarie austeritie his attire and girdle was such as Eliah did weare 2. King
when there lurketh so much poison in your breasts when all your deuotion standeth in open ostentation Euen as Peter challenged Simon Magus Acts 8.23.24 saying Thou art in the gall of bitternesse repent if it be possible and pray that the thought of thine heart may be forgiuen thee Iohn denouncing also their fearefull estate as that the axe was now laied to the roote of the tree that faith in Christ and not the glory of comming of Abrahams race should saue them from hell fire In the words obserue two parts first how great the auditory was Secondly how he applied himselfe diuersly according to the diuers sorts of hearers which he had baptizing some confessing their sinnes and for the other first he sets downe a bitter reprehension calling them a brood of Serpents full of poison against the truth and frameth his speech as wondring how they durst come the Sadduces beleeuing no wrath to come the Pharises thinking by their merits to auoide it Secondly followeth a graue exhortation remouing away many blockes and hindrances wherwith they were blinded that they could not see the truth in Christ Thirdly he concludeth with a commination and threatning that they were to bee cut downe first because they were wicked in themselues secondly that there should double damnation fall vpon them if they refused Christ as the Prophet Malachy had foretold For the first obserue three causes of their concourse and frequent comming to Iohns ministery first because there had been a long surceasing of Prophesie Malachy being the last that spake by that extraordinary spirit and hearing this great newes and fame of Iohn they thought some great Prophet had beene raised vp and so were desirous to heare him Secondly they were moued to frequent him by the strangenesse of his teaching not teaching coldely and without power as the Pharises did but in vehemency of spirit and great feruency and earnestnesse to perswade to amendment of life Thirdly they resorted the rather vnto him as pricked forward by the extraordinary austerity of his life and diet Where learne that when God furnisheth a man with a commission and sealeth him a warrant of his calling and giueth him a booke as hee did to Ezechiel Ezech. 3.2.3 which hee must eate when the word of the Lord is as fire in the heart of Ieremy and when the purpose of the Lord is that it shall preuaile it cannot bee crossed by any wit or policy of man For great exceptions might haue beene taken against Iohn first preaching there was a Kingdome at hand it might haue come neere to treason sounding in the eares of Herod to the dispossessing of him and Princes are easily iealous of their greatnesse and will not haue any of their priuiledges called into question Secondly the Pharises knew they should be controuled and called into question for misleading and abusing the people so as no doubt they suggested to the King that it was dangerous for the State and touched the Crowne that he should whisper into the peoples eares of the comming of a new King labouring heereby to haue their flocking staied by Proclamation or other sharpe commandement as that also if this man were tolerated and winked at the great Fathers of the Church might bee exposed to great shame and obloquy Math. 23.13 as keeping the keyes of heauen and neither entering themselues nor suffering others to enter And againe it might be thought fantasticall that the people would leaue their trades to goe so farre to heare Iohn And for the Pharises themselues they as Luke 7.30 despised the counsell of God and were not baptized of him and Mat. 21.27 Christ telleth them they would neuer beleeue that Iohn came from heauen but laboured by all meanes to supplant him yet obserue that before he had executed and finished his message neither the power of Herod nor the craft of the Pharises could suppresse him Howbeit as we heare in this place of great flocking so Ioh. 5.35 it is said that he was at first as a burning lamp â—nd the people for a season reioyced in this light but after they grew secure and carelesse Where further note that in deposing â—dolatry and in the restitution of the Gospell how earnest men â—aue beene and the kingdome of God hath euen suffered violence for a time the people running in great multitudes to welcome it but after it is once established they grow to a Laodicean luke-warmth Reuel 3. neither hote nor cold as if it were hony that could cloy the stomacke therfore we must suspect the pregnancy and eager fits of them that runne so speedily at first to the Gospell for Iohn soone loseth many of his hearers some comming onely to behold him some to intrap him some to see what was in him that was so much renowmed and some to shake off the yoake of the law thinking to get greater liberty by the Gospell and few as Christ saith came of a good purpose and with honest hearts Further learne that this baptizing heere spoken of was of such as were of age for they were not receiued before they confessed their sinnes For this Sacrament being a seale of sinnes pardoned there must first be a confession of sinnes commited heere being a double couenant first God sealing vs a Charter of forgiuenesse in the bloud of Christ through the sanctification of his spirit secondly God requiring of vs first a confession for who hath hope to haue his debt released before it bee acknowledged or to be infranchised before hee thinkes himselfe bond or to bee washed before hee seeth himselfe vncleane secondly a beleeâ—â— that the bloud of Christ is of force and able to purge vs of all 〈◊〉 sinnes and thirdly a dedication of our selues to serue the Lorâ— in newnesse of life as testifying our thankefulnesse for so gâ—â—ous a pardon Heere the Iesuits like Spiders that sucke vp poison gather vpon this confession of the people a confession of shrift that euery one should whisper his sinnes into the eares of the Priest before he can be pardoned which is most absurd for first the woâ—â— heere vsed beares not any secret confession being answerable 〈◊〉 that Leu. 16.21 where the Priest was to confesse all the people sins and to put them vpon the scape Goate which praefiguâ—â— Christ secondly this of Iohns was a publike action and so 〈◊〉 place for priuate whispering thirdly the sacrament of Bapâ—â—â—â— which he ministred required this confession for the professâ—â—â— of faith is requisite in them that are of yeares and baptized 〈◊〉 we are not then first ingrafted into Christ when we are baptiâ—â—â—â— but being already ingrafted we are then confirmed and therefore Act. 8.37 the Eunuch first confessed is faith and then was baptized by Philip. And Mar. 16.16 He that shall beleeue and be baptized shall be saued So as it was Iohns dutie as the minister of God that such as receiued this seale should giue testimony of their faith Fourthly Iohns giuing of generall plaisters argueth that
sanctification for he is a true childe of Abraham that walketh in the faith and steppes of Abraham Roman 4.12 and they that doe otherwise as Christ saith Ioh. 8.44 are the children of their father To which the Pharisees in great indignation excepting What say they dost thou account vs bastards Abraham is our father No saith Christ so as trueth and meekenesse it selfe spake it yee are the children of the diuell For vnder this pretence of issuing from Abrahams loines they would despise that sonne and abandon that Messias in whom Abraham and the rest of the fathers looked and trusted to be saued Howbeit if we come to this why doth Ismael persecute the profession of Isaac and Esau sell his birth-right and Iacob embrace it as a pledge of the inheritance of heauen This commeth from the election of God who had purposed to giue this grace to the one and to denie it to the other the cause of his infidelitie resting in his owne soule And it was not an vniuersall promise plight to Abraham that he would be the God of euery particular singular man that should come from his line but it was giuen indefinitely without limitation to thy seed as of one which is that Paul prooueth Gal. 3.16 namely that there could be no reconciliation betweene the Iewes and the Gentiles but by that one seed which was Christ Now the cause Saint Iohn giueth and the reason hee alleageth why they should not thus flatter and deceiue themselues in the name of Abrahams seed is because God is able euen of stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham And at the first Abraham indeed was dead in respect of that strength of nature to beget a childe Gen. 18.12 and it was as easie to make a stone a man as to make a dead man get a man Out of which we learne that God is omnipotent not onely to do what he will but also to do more then euer yet he hath purposed to doe as heere he is able of stones to raise vp men but he neuer did it Answerable to that speech of Christ in the Gospell If I would I could command Mat. 26.53 twelue legions of Angels to rescue me yet he did it not Now three things there be which God cannot doe and yet sheweth no impotencie nor derogateth any thing from his omnipotencie as first he cannot doe contrarie to the propertie of his person as God cannot be begotten nor the Sonne of God cannot beget secondly that is contrarie to the essentiall properties of his Godhead Ier. 1.17 as he cannot repent nor change nor lie nor be finite for all these are signes of weaknesse and imperfection thirdly he cannot doe that which implies a contradiction as that a stone being a stone should be a man but of a stone he can make a man and of a man a stone as Lots wife was turned Gen. 19.26 into a pillar of salt but when she ceased to be a woman So against the Lutherans that hold they eate the very flesh of Christ in the Sacrament wee acknowledge that God is able to turne bread into flesh but then he must change the substance for I will neuer beleeue that that which I see and taste and touch as bread can being bread be flesh also So for the humanitie of Christ as it is his bodie it cannot be euery where for a bodie must haue his dimensities as height breadth and length and must be limited and circumscribed in a place certaine And it abridgeth nothing from his all-sufficiencie for it is contrarie to the nature of a substance to be euery where remaining a substance True it is the Lord can make the sea to stand vp as wals Exod. 14.21 on both sides for the passage of the Israelites but it was a sea still so he can make the Sunne against the course of nature Iosh 10.12 to stand still and stay his course but it was the Sunne still but he cannot make a body to be euery where for that doth abolish the nature of it Now is the Axelaied to the root c. This is the third point was deliuered namely the commination which Iohn vsed mixing and interlacing his sermon with the iudgements of God wherein he threatneth them with eternall damnation except they repent and become new men The whole speech is allegoricall and a continued borrowed speech which may be thus resolued God is compared to a husbandman for he had planted a vineyard in Iuda namely his church the people are compared to trees the ministerie of Iohn to an axe that will cut quickly either to hasten to damnation or to saluation As elsewhere it is compared to a Fanne that separates the chaffe from the wheat and in Ieremie to a hammer either to bruse a broken heart or to beat it downe to hell The roots of the trees are compared to the soules of men the forme of the speech prefigureth the finall sentence that shall bee giuen at the latter day the hewing downe signifieth the separation of the bastardly Iewes from the communion and fellowship of the true Israelites and casting into the fire setteth foorth their eternall damnation in hell so as it is thus much in effect You Pharisees presume not any longer vpon Gods patience for yee cannot now pretend ignorance as yee might haue done and for that time as Acts 17.30 God will not call you to any heauie reckoning he hath bene carefull to dresse his garden he hath suffered you to abuse the people by your gouernment in the Church but now looke vnto your selues for now shall my ministerie cut into your soules and shall shew whether yee be bastards or no and now shall it appeare who is the child of Abraham by receiuing Christ that commeth In that it is said now and that the axe is laid not to lop but to cut downe learne that when the Gospell is preached then the Lord comes to make a separation betweene the elect and the reprobate which could not before be discerned as it is in the Gospell there shall be two in one bed one shall be receiued and the other reiected for when this raine falleth then the Lord meaneth to trie who is truely planted and hath taken root in his sonne Luk. 17.34 and if as Heb. 6.7 it bringeth foorth herbes meet for the dresser then receiueth it a blessing but if the heart bring â—oorth thornes then is meere vnto cursing so as if any obstinately persist in the earth drinking in the moisture and yet increaseth not his damnation shall be the more iust because there is now no place for excuse left And to applie this more neerely to our selues if the Sodomites Gen. 19.28 were wasted with fire for abusing but one Lot If the Niniuites had beene destroyed Ionah 4.11 for not repenting at the preaching of one Ionah If they were put to death that despised but one Moses and the old world Gen. 6.13 swept away for contemning the preaching of one Noah If they were
to serue the people not for ambition but of conscience if he be sound in the principall and hold the foundation though perhaps he be in some errour otherwise yet it is no reason to call his ministery into question For wee must qualifie and correct our selues from iudging hardly of them that differ from other Ministers in some points vsing the moderation of S. Paul to the Philippians like brethren supporting their infirmities Not but that Paul may withstand Peter to his face Phil. 2.3 Gal. 2.11 in that wherein he is iustly to be condemned as if for a few Iewes sakes hee will separate himselfe from the Gentiles with whom hee had before conuersed for this was offensiue to the Church of God otherwise Paul and Barnabas ought not Act. 15.39 to part asunder and breake company about small matters but one should appease the other in meekenesse of spirit Now for the answer of Christ it standeth on two parts first requiring him to do it secondly a reason Let alone for this time Where learne there is a kind of modesty vnseasonable though all are to thinke humbly of themselues which is that that hindereth a man from the execution of his calling and it is as if Christ should say Whatsoeuer I be stand thou vpon thy commission from God And if Iohn by this his calling was thought worthy to baptize the naturall Sonne of God much more may wee thinke our selues meet to preach to flesh and bloud what euer they be for though they haue not all vestem communem yet they haue cutem communem they differ not in birth though there bee some difference in apparell Neither are wee to abase our selues too much in the apprehension of our owne wants for as Paul saith who is worthy or sufficient to bee the Lords Ambassadour to haue the keies of heauen to shut it that not repenting men are damned and to haue Mat. 16. â—9 that they bidde on earth to be sealed in heauen Who is sufficient to be the Chancelour of that great king the Lord Iehoua or to saue a soule Who is worthy to be receiued as God himselfe as Christ saith He that receineth you receiueth me and he that heareth you heareth me Of himselfe no man But when the Lord hath once sanctified out polluted lippes and that we haue a booke giuen vs to eate and that our lippes be touched with the coale from the altar whereby we may not be worthy but vouchsafed to be worthy then though we be subiect to the same infirmities others be wee must notstand amazed or abashed at them so as we be hindred in our duties For if God will haue Moses goe to Egypt Exod. 3.12 he may not say Who am I that I should stand before Pharao Neither must Ieremy say Ier. 1.7 I am a child when the Lord hath once touched his mouth for be hee neuer so slow of speech the Lord Exod. 4.12 will teach him what to say And Iohn must not be so nice but he must baptise Christ since God hath giuen him that honour Further heere learn that if it so fall out a man in some congregation be more learned better exercised in the Scriptures then are those lippes which ordinarily doe preserue more knowledge though he haue profited more in mortification then his teacher as Dauid had in his time by his continuall study in the Law of God yet he is not to despise the ministery wherein ordinarily there is that sufficiency that it is able to instruct the best learned and to guide the most circumspect and what euer he be he must range himselfe in the common order of professors For Christ though hee haue in him the riches of all wisedome and the fulnesse of all grace must and doth himselfe vrgâ— to receiue baptisme at Iohns hands because it is Gods appointment for heere runne the siluer streames that can quench our spirituall thurst why then should others make themselues better then Christ who had need of Iohns ministery Dauid had most heauenly meditations and was wonderfull conuersant in the Scripture and as himselfe saith the law of God had made him wiser then his teachers yet he vouchsafed to submit himselfe to the hearing of them and thought his life forlorne when he was exiled from the Temple Psalm 84.1 and that the birds that bred there were happier then hee Much more are they faulty now that being farre short of that measure of religious knowledge was in Dauid doe exempt and banish themselues from the publike congregation And if it be intolerable to despise the sacramentall bread though thou hast as good at home much more punishable is it to despise the administration of the doctrine thinking thou canst profit as much at home for the greater blessing is knit to the publike ordinance and institution of God where euery man may buy wisedome without money For the second which is Christs reason it is because we are to fulfill all righteousnesse Then must Iohn baptize that is his righteousnesse and Christ be baptized for that is his righteousnes And thus was Christ baptized a signe of remission of sinne yet had he no sinne in him he was circumcised Luk. 2.21.22 yet had he no vncleane flesh his mother was purified yet was she not polluted by his birth but the reason is I haue saith Christ taken vpon me the forme of a seruant and they speaking of the elect must be made righteous in me In the generall learne this that what God hath commanded must be done and it is conuenient to accomplish all righteousnesse So as no exception must bee taken to any thing God prescribeth if Christ were bound to it in the office of a Mediator much more are wee to striue to come to this marke to performe euery taske that God setteth downe If thou sayest or sufficeth to embrace those things that are necessary for saluation I aske then what that is If thou doest account it that without which none can be saued then put away the Word and Sacraments for many are saued without these Indeed some things are more necessary then others as the Word begets and begins faith the Sacraments doe but confirme it 3â—â—◠〈◊〉 M and these are more necessary then the censures of the Church Some points destroy the foundation as to deny Christ to bee the Sonne of God others are not fundamentall about which there may be great errours in iudgement but yet let vs consider as neare as we can that wee fulfill whatsoeuer is commanded and the least being commanded with singular wisedome of the Lord must bee obeyed So Timothie is commanded by Paul 1. Tim. 5.21 to keepe all things not preferring one before another 8. â—1 dâ—â— We must not make a conscience of the least and neglect the greatest of stand amazed with the excellency of the highest so as we looke not downe to things inferiour commanded by the same God It is the commission Mat. 28.19 to preach and baptise as that the
all graces and so truely is it sealed vnto our soules that wee eate Christ though not corporally By the word we eate the flesh of Christ continually by faith and in the Sacrament it is only more plaine that we eate it because two senses are satisfied by it the eare hearing the word and the eie seeing the bread For the third testimony There comes a voice from heauâ—â— by the former miracles the Lord onely prouided for the witnesse of the eye but now hee prouides for the eare also Where wee learne the wonderfull wisedome and loue of God to exercise all our senses that thereby we might be brought to a certaine perswasion of these mysteries Among the Philosophers is a great question whether the sense of sight or of hearing bee better in it selfe True it is that sight in nature is more excellent as for celerity and quickenesse so for perspicuity and sharpnesse but if the doubt bee made of the profit of these two then hearing excelleth for we can see nothing but that is visible but many more things are to be heard of which thereby may be conueied to the heart to iudge of so the largenesse of hearing is greater in the profit Besides no man profiteth by sight vnlesse he vnderstand it by hearing for which cause it pleased God to apply both in the mystery of saluation that thereby we might be sure of it we neuer doubting of that we both see and heare Faith commeth by hearing Rom. 10.17 and the holy Ghost bores the care Psal 40. and leades the eye to satisfie it setting before it in Baptisme water and in the Supper bread and wine so as it is prouided that the hearing might haue the word and the eye the sacraments Now in the voice consider what it doth expresse namely thâ— that flesh which stood there before them was the naturall sonne of God and this he is two waies first as he is the sonne of God by nature of the eternall substance of his Father howbeit let no man thinke fleshly of the matter for hee departed with no substance nor had any manner of change secondly as he was the sonne of Mary not by nature or adoption for then there had beene a time when he was not the Sonne of God but by personall vnion the man Christ being neuer a person by it selfe vntill it was personally vnited to the Godhead so as he was borne the sonne of God not by nature for he was of the nature of his mother so Mary is said to bee the mother of God not that she brought forth God but brought foorth that man that was God and this in respect onely of the personall vnion In that it is said my welbeloued Sonne vnderstand that all loâ—â— comes from him that comes to vs and wee are beloued only for Christs sake as Châ—â—◠〈…〉 praieth Iohn 17. I beseech thee good Father that as 〈…〉 â—â—â—d me so thou wilt loue them and giue them the same glory thou guest me This is God required to doe by his owne Sonne who can aâ—ke nothing shall be denied him With the same loue loue thou them as I am in them so are they in me And this ministreth singular consolation that when we consider Christ to be beloued we may withall remember that with the same loue the Lord loueth his natural son with the same doth he loue vs that are adopted so as when he beholds the beauty of his sonne in whose fore-head as in a golden plate are written all our names hee turneth from our filthinesse and embraceth vs as his owne sonne and the Father and sonne are all one in desire The Lord grant we may be able to comprehend it and be willing to entertaine it that this loue may constraine vs to loue him againe otherwise it brings foorth no effectuall fruit in vs. Againe since the Father tooke all delight in this Sonne Christ Iesus and that the whole Trinity was heere at his baptizing and that the father saith in another place Sonne I will glorifie thee still Iohn 12.28 let vs learne to magnifie the Lord Iesus let him bee our ioy for who is there in heauen or earth in whom wee can set our delight better then on him which thus pleaseth the father Let vs loue him that God loueth he is the only Priest to sacrifice for vs the only Aduocate to plead for vs the onely Prophet to instruct vs the only King to gouerne vs the onely shield to defend vs we shall be made rich through his grace only righteous through his obedience onely safe through his protection onely and saued through his mediation only He that glorifies the Sonne glorifies God and he that resteth vnder the wings of the Sonne shroudeth himselfe vnder the shadow of the most high then accursed be that man or that religion that holds Christ but as the chiefe Sauior and would haue other helpes ioyned to him for we must only haue Christ and wholly Christ and assure ourselues to bee â—aued onely in him our praiers to bee heard onely through him and our wounds to be healed onely by the sight of him and to what end should we ioyne others with him since all are beloued onely for him That there is a Trinity appeâ—◠〈…〉 â—â—er in this place aâ— namely the fathers voice 〈…〉 â—esence in the Done and Christ manifested and 〈…〉 flesh and these bee seuerall yet but onâ—â—e hoâ—â—â— and all and euery of them is leâ—â—â—uah It is a mystery only to be adored yet in some measure iâ— to be knoâ—en that they should be three persons yet but one God as for example take three men Paul Iames and Iohn heere be three persons and three men but it is not so in God for in things that bee created wee must consider they are onely limited therefore the same nature in Iohn is not the same natuâ—â—â— singular and in specie that is in Paul because they bee not onely two persons but diuided in quantity and that particular nature in particular that is in Iohn cannot be in Paul So for Angels take Raphael Gabriel and Michael supposing him to bee a created Angell the same particular angelicall nature that is 〈◊〉 one is not in another for they be not onely two persons of Angels but two natures not distinct but separate Now in God 〈◊〉 make a common essence which is Iehouah wherein doth consâ—â—â— three Elohims yet are they not three Iehouahs because his nature is simple and the selfe same is in them all and the same being is in God the Father that is in the Sonne and is tota to 〈◊〉 in euery one and the same in Vnity And if wee will haue thâ—â— Gods then must we make a substance diuided which cannot be but there is onely a distinction Angels are separate one from another and are one without another but in the Trinity it is otherwise The Sonne is in the Father the holy Ghost in theâ—â— both and they are all one The Sunne
me to haue me vse my liberty in this place but I discerne thy subtilty and to doe this thou requirest should be no glory to my Father nor any confirmation of doctrine heereafter therefore I will not cast pearles before Sathan The words containe two parts first the suggestion or temptation secondly the beating backe of the temptation In the first consider first the occasion sathan tooke to tempt him namely his hunger secondly the matter wherewith he was tempted For the first he tempts him in a matter of food being hungry Where learne that Sathan espieth all aduantages where and when he may finde vs best and he vseth our present infirmities or conditions of life as the fittest coales to set vs on fire withall For the rich man is neuer assaulted with the temptation to steale because he hath enough nor beggers to purchase because they want nor priuate men to peruert iustice because they sit not in place but there bee some temptations on the right hand and some on the left some are tempted by sickenesse to impatience by health to forget God by youth to embrace liberty and by age to loue riches by fulnesse to lift vp their heele against God some by penury to distrust him as if hee had cast off all care of them some are moued to reuenge by being disgraced and some to worke mischiefe by being flattered therefore we must correct such imperfections whereunto by nature wee are most inclined and not to giue the least aduantage vnto Sathan lest vpon our vnwatchfulnesse we be surprized for euery one shall finde that in something hee is not left vntempted and since temptations come on both sides wee must arme our selues with weapons on each side For the second which is the matter of the temptation we obserue a double drift in Sathan first to driue Christ to doubt that he is not Gods child because of his present exigent and want secondly vpon this to driue him to vse a preposterous miracle against Gods glory and whereby hee should haue graunted the diuell that he could not haue liued without bread and by this meanes to haue lost the glory of the triumph For the first of these leauing the particular of Christ the head let vs see whether the members bee not afflicted with the same temptations Psal 73.13.14.15 The greatest man the Prophet Dauid was mightily shaken with this when he saw Gods children liue so miserablie and the wicked so prosperously The Prophet Ieremy ch 12.1 desireth to reason with the Lord about this matter and bursteth forth with wonder Why doeth the way of the wicked so prosper why are all they in wealth that rebelliously transgresse They are planted and they grow where as the godly leade a life fraught and full of sorrow And this was the argument of all Iobs friends that being so strangely afflicted he must needs be Gods enemy Iob. 8.20 Indeed if the Lords loue should be measured by outward blessings the vngodly had farre greater cause to boast for they weare pride about their neckes as a chaine and are couered with extortions as with a garment their faces shine saith Ieremy and their plants are safely rooted yea not onely their persons but their children are like flockes of sheepe in the pleasant field and like oliue branches at a furnished table they see their houses established before their faces and are comforted with the sight of their childrens children Nay all things fareth well with them their Cow calueth and casteth not their hearâ—â— come in and out with daily plenty so as with them euery thing prospereth by a proportionable kinde of happinesse And as they are happie in their liues so they haue a great priuiledge in the time of death for they die like lambes and passe away farre men comfortably to the eye then Gods children for they die not languishingly or as the prisoners of death but they goe to the graue sodainly yet their wickednesse is such and their hearts so full of poison as Iob describing their cogitations saith they regard not chap. 21.15 the Almighty but say what is the Lord that they should serue him And Dauid Psal 7.5 sheâ—â—â— that their mouthes speake blasphemy against the heauens and their tongues walke freely through the earth not fearing mâ—â— Whereas on the other side 1. Pet. 4.17 the iudgement of God beginner aâ— his owne house and they drinke the dregs of the cup of sorrow they are but wormes scarce worthy to creepe in respect of the magnificence of the wicked they eate the bread of care and quench their thirst with the water of affliction they are for their bodies poore for their credit despised and for their consciences they haue many combats the terrors of death doe oft so fight against them as they are shaken in the foundation of their faith so as they doubt besides these miseries they sustaine heere they shall be adiudged to death in the life to come yea they are hated of those by their name that neuer saw them by their face And besides this amid these waues of their miseries they are tempted yet by Sathan as that they are but grashoppers abiected of the world ouerwhelmed with sinne which woundeth their soule to death and yet they take themselues to bee heires of heauen and fellow-heires with Christ These seas of miseries should neuer ouerflow thee which sting thy conscience nor these disgraces outward should neuer ouerthrow thee which touch thy body if thou wert Gods child for then should his eye watch ouer thee to ease thee Such is the portion allotted to Gods Saints so as Dauid was caried so farre in perturbation of spirit that had hee not entred into the sanctuarie of the Lord he had vtterly condemned the generation of the godly Howbeit when we are assaulted on this sort let vs not bee dismayed but let vs know that herein is wrought our conformity with the Lord Iesus let vs learne the same defence that he vsed not to seeke to wind out our selues by our owne power or policy but to rely wholly vpon the Lord for the hath many secret waies to rescue vs if it please him to shew the power of his prouidence and by this trouble and depth of sorrowes we are plunged into we may the rather assure our selues that there shall be a generall restauration of all things because they are now so out of frame whereas if the wicked should heere bee punished and the godly prosper we might more call in doubt the comming of the Lord to glory But now seeing things in such a lamentable confusion euen this nay perswade vs with Saint Paul that there shall come a daie of vengeance for them that liue wickedly 2. Thess 1.7.8 and for them that are now distressed a day of comfort for if euery thing should be caried with an euen hand we might well doubt of an immortalitie For the second drift of Satan which was to vrge Christ vpon this his distresse to worke
a miracle it shall more conueniently be spoken of in Christs reply Now for the second generall point which is the beating â—â—ke of the temptation we must consider two parts first that â—â—â—ulseth him by alleaging Scripture secondly the place alleâ—â—â— what sense it is to be applied For the first vnderstand that out Sauiour Christ might many waies haue ouercome him yea by the power of his Godâ—ead he could haue confounded him without an answer but it leased him to fight with the weapons of flesh and bloud that we by his exampl might learn out of the word as our of a school of defence to beate backe Sathan Where obserue that Christ alleaging Scripture as an instrument to repulse the diuell that there is no sword of the spirit to driue away temptations so sure as the Word of God being most necessary for this purpose Where two sorts of men are iustly reproued first they that wring this weapon out of the peoples hands secondly they that cast it from them that are content themselues to abide the blowes but another must weare the sword For the first they are the prelates of Rome who in the time that heauen was made a haire-cloth and Antichrist set foot on the Lords throne shut vp the booke of God into the rusty scabberd of Bishops houses where it was kept vnder the bondage of the Clergy vpon paine of excommunication charging the lay people not to meddle with it as if it had beene the readiest weapon to haue cut their throats But since the Sonne of righteousnesse appeared the Gospell shining in mens hearts they being ashamed of this and being perswaded in common equitie that men were not to bee kept from it they haue published one part of the word the new Testament not say they vpon any absolute necessitie but to auoid corruptions that may gâ—â—â— by reading other translations they knowing the people 〈◊〉 would not bee made such fooles and babes as they were 〈◊〉 there was a generall mistouer the whole world But wee doe stand vpon the absolute necessity of hauing the word common because the danger is common that thereby is to bee auoided and this for two causes first it is necessary that euery one should trie the spirits so as he must vnderstand more then hee is taught by the mouth of that spirit which should bee tried therefore they must haue the booke of God according as the men of Beroea had Act. 17.11 giuing no further credite to Pauls Sermons then they were consonant to the written word Secondly euery Christian is a souldier and in his baptisme hath taken presse money of Christ to serue him in this field of the world against the Diuell our sworne enemy who worketh outwardly by the glittering shewes of the earth inwardly by the desires of flesh and bloud adding his owne suggestions to both these Now the weapons to encounter him are the word as the sword and faith as the shield And euery one being tempted in his owne person the more to offend the enemy and the better to defend himselfe and since our owne sinnes shall be required at our owne hands we must euery one take his sword out of the Lords armory that we may resist in person as we are striken in person And it was a fearefull thing for them to put out the kandle while the people were smitten and a shamefull thing to put out their right eye that they might not discerne their euill wares they vttered them for their good money Oh say they it is good they should haue them to keepe them from the infection of other impressions as if the reading of the Scriptures by the people were Physicke when men are sicke and not meate when they bee whole Treacle to driue out poison and not preseruatiues to keepe from it as if it had strength to put the enemy to flight and none to hinder his approach the contrarie whereof is rather true For if it bee meete to giue light to the simple when the heauens are ouercast with the mist and cloudes of heresie it is much more forcible to shew the way when they are not so clouded Oh but there be many hard matters in the Scripture past the common reach So there bee many easie within their reach for the Lord hath so tempered them as some be easie to prouide against penurious stomackes and some difficult to preuent fastidious lothsomnesse Yea as in the most champion and plaine ground of the booke of the Scripture there be some mysteries as hillockes higher then the rest so in the greatest and steepest hill thereof there is footing whereby with labour and trauell we may come to that height of it where wee may see and discouer so much of the land of Canaan and the kingdome of heauen as our places doe require Therefore it is well said that the Scriptures are like a floud wherein the lambe may wade and the Elephant swim for the plainer places are to be digested with comfort and the hidden treasure to be digged out by praier Therefore saith Christ Mat. 23.14 Let him that readeth consider c. Oh but this taketh away the glorie of the Church when euery one may controule his master and breedeth heresies when euery one may maintaine by this his owne opinion Yea but it is good that euery one shold know the truth that they may follow the steppes of their teachers but in the way of truth and if because some haue beene seduced all should be depriued of this blessing then away with preaching for it is the sauour of death to many 2. Cor. 2.16 and with the Sacraments for many feede of Christs flesh but to choke them to damnation and then away also with Christ himselfe for to many Luk. 2.34 he is a rocke of offence to rush their bones to perdition And if Heretikes haue abused the Scripture this is a reason to restore it that they may be againe conuinced by Scripture And if it be sufficient to say the diuell alleaged Scripture therefore hide it from the people we say to this Christ vsed nothing but Scripture therefore let them haue it for it is no reason to take away the thing for the abuse of the thing no more then that a lambe should cast off his fleece because the Lion sometime weareth it or that because one abuseth is sword therefore none should weare any weapon For howsoeuer some mad-men-or quarrellers in the campemay abuse them to their owne and others destruction yet the Law of not bearing sword in the field will neuer bee iust And to meet with such an euill by taking away the good is â—â—e vnto those vnskilfull Physitians that rid their Patients of no disease vnlesse they take their liues from them Yea but it is dangerous medling Why then put out the candle lest it burne the house Oh but put not kniues into childrens hands But there is no such comparison in the Scripture it is indeed compared with a sword in the
Sathan such a babe as he will bee out-faced with a word of defyance scorning at reproofe saying They will shield themselues from Sathan aswell as they that admonish them the foule feend shall haue no power of them and yet continue in the obstinacie of their harts labouring to extinguish the feeling of conscience that they may liue more licentiously they shall proue that Sathan can beare a few words so he be sure of the soule for they be but feathers and it is a lamentable way to defie a Lion and yet to come within his clutches thy soule hee will account gaine enough But he answering said It is written c. Heere followeth the resistance Christ made by the sword of the spirit to the temptation of the diuell Wherein are to bee obserued two parts first that he vseth the word to beate backe his fiery dart secondly what text he chose and the sense thereof in which there are two parts set downe the first negatiue Man liueth not by bread onely the second affirmatiue but by the word and promise of God if the meanes faile For the first of these consider hee doth not gratifie Sathan so much as to tell him whether he bee Gods Sonne or no neither doth hee worke any miracle as hee could haue done as well as pay the tribute out of the fishes mouth Mat. 17. vers 27. but he tels him plainely his speech is vntrue for a meere naturall man may liue without bread much more I that haue a priuiledge aboue men by my heauenly generation Where we learne to haue this resolution that vsing lawfull meanes how euer things sueceed or prosper that wee stand vpon the promise of God that wee shall neuer want a thing which shall continue firme when the mines of the Indies shall faile and a promise that no earthly Prince can make because hee cannot assure himselfe of his owne estate For he that did raine downe Angels food Exod. 16.15 not which they made but which they did minister he that could make the shooes of the Israelites not to weare cause water Num. 20.8 to issue out of a hard rocke command the winds to bring quailes in such a multitude sustaine Eliah 1. King 17.4 by the ministery of Rauens that hath at sometime Mat. 15.36 fed so many thousands with a few fishes the same God hath giuen vs his word that his prouidence shall bee as watchfull ouer vs not that we should looke to be fed by miracles or not to vse the meanes to feed our selues but thinke that come should grow without sowing as it did 2. King 19.29 in Hezechiahs time but that we may bee assured his hand is not now shortned for we doe not looke to be rapt vp to heauen as Enach was Gen. 5.24 before the Law or as Eliah was 2. King 2.12 after the law yet doe we expect that our soules shall go thither as did Lazarus Luk. 16.22 So though wee are not to expect to bee enabled forty daies to fast yet hee that did it this once did it to confirme vs that the same power of his Father doth still continue And among all Christs sermons hee euer tooke most perswasible reasons to make an impression of this in his disciples minds and to roote out that humour of worldlie pensiuenesse and carking carefulnesse that they might come to a meditation of the Lords prouidence As Luk. 12.22 Be not immoderatly carefull to heape vp vnto your selues riches for no mans life standeth in his goods which albeit in iudgement we discerne of yet in affection we are ouertaken And to perswade this he bringeth the Parable of the rich man vers 17. who when he had spent his care to fill his barnes and had thought to haue blest his soule in his substance the same night was depriued of his life Christ in that place shewing all care to be double first for the backe what we shall put on secondly for the belly what wee shall eate and perswadeth vs not to distrust the Lord in either the life is more then meate therefore he that gaue thee the one being greater will also giue thee the other being lesse Consider the rauens the Lord feeeds them and can he haue lesse regard of his children Insinuating vnto vs that wee should not feare the persecution which is accompanied with scarcity not stirring vp men to desperate courses to entangle themselues in needles troubles but hauing the crosse laid vpon them by others not brought vpon them by themselues then in a holy resolution of the cause not to feare for fiue sparrowes shall be bought for two farthings and yet not a feather of these much lesse shall a haire of thy head fall without Gods prouidence Secondly he perswades vs by this that our care can doe vs no good without Gods blessing For apparell wee see the Lillies garnished with such beauty as exceedeth Salomon in his glorie and if hee thus doatheth the grasse of the field much more will he prouide for vs. O that our hearts could conceiue the comfortable security that Christ giueth vs in resting vnder the wings of his Father for he is the same God now no lesse carefull then he was then if the fault were not in our infidelity that wee distrust him But seeke saith Christ the meanes whereby ye may come to saluation and all outward things shall be cast vpon you feare not litle flocke for he that will giue vs a heauenly kingdome wherein we may contemplate the glory of God for euer and hee that hath giuen vs his Sonne out of his owne bosome when wee were his enemies and had no grace to aske pardon how can he now deny vs any thing hee knoweth to be conuenient for vs Yet for our comfort let vs know that none haue this promise but the godly for the Lions that is the tyrants of the Church they shall want and be hungerbit Psal 34.10 but the righteous shall neuer be forsaken Many had more oyle then the widow of Sarepta 1. King 17.16 yet hers by reason of the promise of God wasted not but lasted longer then theirs so as not so much for the quantity as for the qualitie of hauing it in some competent certainety the children of the most high shall neuer want Where further we learne to forbeare the vsing of vnlawfull meanes for wee must make that reckening Abraham did Gen. 22.8 when Isaac told him there was wood but where was the sacrifice God saith he will prouide the Scrifice so wee must say God will prouide to releeue our necessities Let vs therefore owe nothing but loue not borrow where we cannot pay Rom. 13.8 and if the lawfull sweat of our browes will not affoord it let vs vse no shifts to disgrace our profession for what God hath cursed with his mouth hee cannot blesse in the vse therefore it is better to want with his fauour then to abound without it and better it is to be the Almighties begger then the Diuels belly
Whereas wee so looke to the meanes on earth as if there came no blessing from heauen when as wee should in duty first lift vp our eies to the Highest that hee would adde his fauour to our labour for hee can make vs aswell want in abundance as abound in scarcity the dearest things a man can haue either for possession as lands or for affection as wife in the middest of persecution if the crosse be sanctified vnto vs by the hand of God in the want of both these we shall haue an hundred fold more that is more peace of conscienc more contentation of minde and more sweet tast of the Lords loue then wee should haue had auoiding this persecution in an hundred wiues or an hundred times more liuing We being now assured of Gods fauour and being but pilgrims on earth wee shall see Christ in the heauens with his armes displaied to imbrace vs a ioy surpassing all that worldly men can conceiue in all their superstuities this but tickling the sense and nothing contenting the mind the other wrapping vp the soule in assurance of full and perfect blessednesse For the second point which is the affirmatiue that is for the blessing of God and the way he hath deemed to bee most fit to maintaine our selues that is his word we are to learne a double vse the first speciall the second generall Speciall in the matter heere expressed for sustenance that it is the Lord who doth maintaine vs so as his blessing must be vpon the bread else it can affoord no nourishment Whereby are to be reproued those inordinate men that go vnto their meates like horses to prouinder and like hogges gathering the mast and neuer looking vp to the tree whence it falleth They should consider first that the bread vnlesse it be sanctified 1. Tim. 4.4.5 by God is none of theirs for we lost all the benefite of Gods creatures in the fall of Adam and can no way challenge them but by restitution in Christ and this must be by praier Secondly if wee would thinke that God could take away the strength from bread wee would feed more religiously let vs know that he may rot the graine in the clods or blast it in the eare he may restraine the latter raine that it may not yeeld in the barne vermine may consume it if it passe the flaile the mill the ouen yet in thy mouth it may be rats-bane and turne to poison or in thy stomacke it may become the gall of Aspes for why shouldest thou feede on Gods creatures not acknowledging them whence they come Set before thee the example registred in the Scripture Numb 11.33 quaâ—les came loth somely out of their nostrels and they died with meate in their mouthes hauing fat bodies and leane soules Therefore let vs pray that the food wee take may doe vs good otherwise wee haue no more right to vse them then the Israelites had to the quailes And as God can turne stones into bread so can hee also turne bread into stones for it is not the nature of the thing it selfe simply to nourish without a blessing but wine which doth comfort the weake the Lord can make it to the wicked a cup onely to infatuate them that their account may be the greater for vsurping the Lords creatures And this is the reason why wee are taught in the Lords praier to pray that our daily bread may be giuen vs thereby acknowledging first God to bee the giuer secondly that we haue trust that through our praiers onely it shall bee giuen vs thirdly that not onely the creatures themselues but the blessing vpon them comes from God for though our garments were as costly as the Ephod of Aron yet without his blessing they were nothing For so miserable is our condition that we are not able to liâ—â— one moment without the speciall prouidence of God For the second vse which is generall as it is true in bread so is it in all other things that without the blessing of God they can auaile vs nothing when wee are sicke wee seeke like Asa 2. Chron. 16.12 to the Physitian fixing our eies and fastening our hope only vpon this outward meanes whereas if the Lord hath called for a plague vpon vs what man can cure it vnlesse the Lord doe reuoke it So is it for warres men may prouide money munition and horses for the day of battell but victory commeth of the Lord for it is he that amazeth the rider Prou. 2â— 31 and asswageth the fury of the enemy and blindeth the wisedome of the Princes of the world that they shall faile in policy And how commeth it to passe saith the Prophet Hagge 1.6 that ye sow much and reape little weare much apparell and it doth not warme you drinke and your thirst is not quenched but onely that the Lord hath blowne vpon it hath blassed and not blessed it Therefore let vs learne to remooue this fault that by the secret infidelity of our hearts wee doe not attribute too much to the meanes for the Lord can feed without bread but bread cannot nourish without his blessing The vse then of this doctrine is double first for our indgements secondly for our affections For the first first we are heereby warranted to pray for things necessary for this life as Math. 7. it is said Aske and it shall be giuen you secondly that the expectation of these things from God and not to haue them without him is an outward profession that he is onely the distributer of them and therefore will giue to euery one his appointed portion Wee may not therefore simply pray for these outward and earthly things but with limitation first that they be subiect to the pleasure of God secondly that they be desired not for themselues but to glorifie God and to profit our neighbour Thirdly heere is confuted the error of the heathen that worshipped Ceres as the God of corn and Bacchus as the God of wine which howsoeuer they were the first inuenters of grinding the one and pressing the other yet both the Corne and the Grape come from God For the second which concerneth our affections heere is first reproued couetousnesse in getting the venome of all vertue and is contrary to the keeping of a good conscience before God and desiring of a good name before men making vs deafe to the noise of infamy For if the hand of God containeth all and the blessing of God continueth all to what end shall we tempt him or bury our selues as it were in the graues of lust Secondly is reprehended our vnthankefulnesse in vsing Gods blessings pasting by them with our eies shut and glorifying the meanes aboue the matter Thirdly our diffidence lest we should lose or want them for the fountaine of all riches streaming from the Lord hee can conuey vnto vs whole riuers of them and measure them vnto vs without stint if we depend vpon his prouidence Then the Diuell tooke him vp into the holy
subtilties as it will be hard to keepe him out Whereas God doth this to exercise his seruants in praier and to make them more diligent in searching and not that we should turne it to a matter of security and idlenesse these men not being so deuout as they that worship the Sunne and Moone Reu. 12.4 for they haue some conscience We must know that Sathan is able to pull starres from heauen as it is in the Reuelation and hee doth not alwaies speake with the mouth of a Dragon therefore in these perplexities wee must approch to God Mat. 7.8 whose promise we haue Seeke and ye shall finde knocke and it shall be opened and Iohn 7.17 if any man haue an honest heart and good inclination to liue well I will shew him saith Christ from whence my doctrine is And the Lord hath promised to be a Schoole-master to the humble they being not prepossessed with preiudice and he will giue plentifully and neuer vpbraid O most bountifull inuitation of our gracious God whereby wee may bee assured that asking the truth hee will not giue error Luke 11.12 and desiring to be conducted in the right way he will not leade vs into by-paths no more then asking bread hee will giue vs a Scorpion but he will vphold vs in the most dangerous temptations whereas others hauing no desire at least in a single affection for their malice and preiudice may be iustly damned 1. Thess 2.16 But what shall we doe shall we make them like waxe flexible to euery impression or like bels tuneable to the eares of the heater What resolution is there for the conscience the text cannot speake It is written saith Christ It is written saith the diuell if they be written they are both true and must needs be contrary being cited by enemies We answer it is true the letter printed cannot speake and they that writ it are in heauen The Church therefore hath prouided certaine meanes whereby a man not preiudicate may know the truth which bee sixe first praier with Dauid that the Lord would open our vnderstandings and shew vs the light of his statutes Psal 25.12 and the way that wee may choose whereby our steps may be assured Secondly wee must vnderstand the words of the place in the originall tongue of the old Testament in the Hebrew of the new in the Greeke for this was the instrument sanctified to that purpose Thirdly we must consider the words what they be by themselues and what they bee together ioyned with others whether they bee to bee taken properly or figuratiuely which shall bee knowen if either they be not proportionable to the analogie and rule of faith or not agreeing with the circumstance of the place Fourthly to examine the drift of the place what went before and what followeth as Christ to one asking him how hee should get eternall life answered by keeping the commandements Luk. 18 2â— not meaning thereby that wee must come to it by our workes as the Papists gather Luke 10.26.29 but he speaking to one that iustified himselfe by keeping the Law spake after that sort to shew him his wound namely that that was not the way vnlesse he fulfilled all Fiftly by comparing and conferring of places one with another the true sense of the Scripture against the Scripture abused as Christ in this place doth and as else-where Loue couereth the multitude of â—â—nes 1. Pet. 4.8 conferre with this Prou. 10.12 Hatred stirreth â—peontention but loue couereth all trespasses loue being taken â—or the loue of men whereby things are qualified and the best made of the worst and not for couering of sinnes before God â—s the Papists would haue it but inding it before men So Aâ—raham was iustified by faith faith Paul Rom. 4.3 by works saith â—ames chapt 2.21 Saint Iames dealing with them that denied â—orks altogether S. Paul with them that stood too much vpon â—â—em the one speaking how aman might approue himselfe before men to be iustified the other how men are iustified before God Sixthly approue of no interpretation nor accept of any scripture which is not proportionable to the analogy and agreeable to the rule of faith which is threefold first the tenne commandements secondly the Lords praier thirdly the Creed of the Apostles As when it is said This bread is my body I must not take it for the very substantiall body of Christ as it was on earth because it is against my Creed which teacheth me to beleeue he is in heauen Againe if we eate him in the bread flesh and bone it crosseth a commandement Thou shalt not kill for it is cruelty so to rend his flesh betweene our teeth Oh but how shall vnlearned men doe this Let vs know that God is the teacher of the vnlearned and he wil not giue a stone if we aske food but he will instruct the humble and in compassion will bring them foorth of darknesse if they will confer with the learned as the Eunuch did with Philip Act. 8.31 and if they will frequent the word preached with the same hearts that the men of Beroea did heare Pauls sermons Act. 17.10 comparing then with the verity of the word written For the second how truely Sathan applied the Scripture he brought the place is taken out of Psal 91.11 and though his purpose was to abuse Christ hauing no promise of protection going out of his waies yet in this he saith truely that hee applied the pomise especially to Christ the naturall Sonne of God though it extend to all the faithfull for Christ is that ladder of Iacob Gen. 28.12 whereupon the Angels ascended and descended and so much did he himselfe tell Nathaniel of 1. Iohn 51. that he should see the Angels ascend and descend vpon the sonne of man for they are seruiceable properly to him as the sonne of God and of him it is principally true that the Angels do attendeâ— for though they serue vs it is but for his sake not that they are inferior to vs in themselues but God hauing for his sonnes sake made vs heires of glory and Christ vouchsafing vs to bee companions with him in his kingdome they minister vnto vs and by that ladder doe descend vnto vs hauing of our selues nothing Further note that the diuell doth know that Christ and 〈◊〉 Gods children must haue sufficient security from God thâ—â— walking in their calling and in the waies prescribed them they shall be guided by the prouidence of the most high which is our comfort that neither the pestilence that walketh by night Psal 91.5.6 nor the arrowes that flie by day neither the dragon nor the aspe the open furious nor the secret malicious tyrant shall once hurt vs for Sathan knowes and doth heere testifie that we dwell in the secret of the Highest and vnder his shadow that shall shelter vs from stormy blasts and boiling heate and no more shall wee need to feare Gen. 11.4 then did the heauens when
the Tower of Babell should haue beene erected to them and as easie it is to pull God out of his throne as to disgrace vs further then he permits for our saluation is as sure as his owne seate and as stedfast as if our selues had beene in heauen and seene it written with Gods owne singer Yea we shall stand like mount Sion Psal 125.1 and not a feather of a bird much more not the haire of our head nor the hem of our garment shall bee touched or fall without his appointment Wherefore Sathan sinneth against the holy Ghost in labouring to seduce the faithfull whom he knoweth he cannot stirre and when he knoweth wee cannot fall finally since the Angels haue charge ouer vs and cannot but be faithful keepers of that is committed to them And heerein may we embrace the riches of the Lords mercy who when his owne prouidence might be sufficient to secure vs of our safety yet to releeue our infirmity and to support our weaknesse hath giuen vs the gard of heauen to wait vpon vs as if one that were to passe the seas should not onely haue the letters of the Prince for his safe conduct but should be guarded with his royall Nany to assure vs that doing that we doe by the warrant of his word we shall neither be persecuted nor molested but so far as he may haue glory by it and we reape comfort For the third wherein he doth falsifie the text alleaged and this he doth two waies first by wronging the words secondly by wresting the sense for the Psalm 91.11 is He hath giuen his Angels charge to keepe thee in thy waies so as the promise is made with a limitation that hee keepe him in his waies Now from the pinnacle of the temple to fall downe is not the way but hee leaueth out the demonstration of the truth thy waies that is those waies that bee prescribed as from the Temple to come downe by the staires by this meanes dealing fraudulently leauing out the principall Secondly consider the wresting of the sense for where this was spoken that Christ should depend vpon his Fathers prouidence walking in his waies hee laboureth to secure him generally of the same prouidence though he were out of the way heereby to ouerthrow him Now as hee dealt with the head so hee doth with the members for pretending Gods protection hee laboureth to bring men to destruction For predestination hee will tell a man Esau was hated and Iacob beloued before they had done either good or euill Mal. 1.3 that it is not in the willer nor in the runner neither in the affection Phil. 2.13 nor in the action which hee doth onely to make vs rest in the prouidence of Gods predestination without hauing regard to our conuersation whereas heereby we ought the more to bee induced to get as many testimonies as wee can to prooue that this election pertaineth to vs and not to waite till grace should distill by diuine influence or to make the decree of God a meanes of our security to liue as we list as that being elected we cannot perish and being appointed to be damned we cannot auoid it So for Iustification hee will suggest Wee are saued by the bloud of Christ onely and when wee haue done all we are vnprofitable seruants the more we sinne the more grace aboundeth Rom. 6.1 and God hath most glory in pardoning most offences Whereas being elected we worke well not to recompence the goodnesse of God but to shew our thankfulnesse And there is no promise where the commandement is not kept for this is to be performed on our part else God is discharged on his part for being out of our waies the diuell may take vs as vagabonds the protection of the Lord not extending to vs in this course And thus doth Sathan almost labour to peruert all the Scripture that he may finde vs straying out of our Fathers house as to suggest that the Sabbath is made for man therefore hee will labour to make vs worke on this day Mark 2.27 But let vs not giue eare to him for this leadeth out of the way So when it is said He that laboureth not for his house 2. Tim. 5.8 is worse then an infidell if hee abuse any of vs by this to couet after riches away with it for it is said in another place Couetousnesse is the root of all euill and the desire of riches is simply vnlawfull 1. Tim. 6.9 for by this he falleth into many snares It is written againe Thou shalt not tempt c. This is the second generall part namely the repulse of the temptation wherein consider two parts first that Christ answereth againe by Scripture secondly in what sense the place is alleaged For the first we may obserue and see it is no disgrace nor disparagement to the Scripture to proceed from Sathan nor any occasion to make vs leaue our hold for Christ answereth againe and striketh with the same weapon wherewith he was stricken shewing vs that it is lawfull to vse a text well against them that doe abuse a text and if Christs example be our president then wee may alleage Scripture against depraued Scripture For the Bee may gather hony on the same stalke that the spider doth poison And though a swashbuckler kill a man with his weapon yet a souldier may lawfully knit a sword to his side and though there be many piracies committed on the sea yet may the merchants trafficke or though some surfet by gluttony yet may others vse their temperate diet And if the diuell change himselfe into an Angell of light shall therefore the Angels lose their light Or shall Paul therfore deny himselfe to be a preacher of saluation because the Pythonite Act. 16.17 spake it Or because Caiphas by the spirit of the diuell Ioh. 11.50 said one should die for the sinnes of the people must we not therfore beleeue it And though Numb 22. an inchanter wished that his soule might die the death of the righteous yet is it a praier fit to be vsed of all Christians though hee sold his soule for gold For saith hee Numb 24.17 a starre shall come out of Iuda a true speech of a false spirit And heere the diuels owne mouth protesteth that Gods prouidence reacheth ouer his children which we may beleeue with comfort though it proceed from his lying lippes For the second which is the sense of the words heerein Christ doth plainely shew that hee abused the place before alleaged because he inforced the promise contrary to the commandement mandement making it absolute where it was but conditionall that the Lord would protect him if he kept him in his waies and for him to expect the promise if he went astray were meerely to tempt God so as the diuell by concealing that part did poison and adulterate the Scripture Now wee must obserue that God is tempted by man two waies first when we doubt of his power vsing
it commeth euer betweene the heart and the sinne for thus Sathan powreth in poison into the heart by the outward sense and our looks are as windowes whereat lust is let in and concupiscence inflamed Heereupon it is that the Saints of God haue made their praiers that the Lord would turne away their eies from beholding vanity Iob 31.1 and Iob made And if these that were so full of the holy Ghost so painful in crucifying their members so feruent in praier and so awfull of God did this much more ought we that are farre behind them in religious exercises and farre before them in fleshly desires haue a steddy hand ouer our selues and our senses that they bee not caught and insnared Therefore let vs yeeld nothing to the course of waters nor seeke to quench the fire with oile or abate our lust by dalliance Some haue the eies of the Cockatrice of Egypt that sendeth foorth poison to infect others and rebounding backe againe poisoneth it selfe For him that can scarse stand of himselfe it is not safe sliding on the ice nor for a weake braine to come neere an Iuie bush for in this hee betraieth his owne soule For the second which is the promise hee made him All these faith he I will giue thee and lest he might seeme to promise that was none of his owne it appeareth by S. Luk. 4.6 that he doth not challenge this as his of himselfe but as giuen him as if hee should say They are all giuen me and I wil giue them all to thee wherein partly hee saith true and in part lieth most shamefully His truth is in this that he acknowledgeth it to bee bestowed by a higher Lord but heereby he would insinuate that they are so giuen as the Lord hath vtterly renounced and abdicated his care of the world and hath left the earth to bee disposed by Satan or the wheele of fortune contenting himselfe with the gouernment in the heauens Where learne that though Sathan doth rule against Gods will and that he neuer allowed his power whee ruleth not without his will Heereupon we must vnderstand a double power the first giuen the second onely permitted All power thou hast saith Christ to Pilate is giuen this of my Father Iohn 19.11 But the Diuels power is so permitted as it was neuer ordained of God therefore it is not so lawfull as that of Magistrates be they neuer so wicked for this is so giuen as though it bee abused yet the authority in it owne nature commeth from God Reuel 13. The beast that was the Emperour of Rome came tumultuously and aduanced by warres had his authoritie giuen him from the Dragon Where wee must distinguish two things first the ordinance of God commanding such magistracy so farre as it is preheminence secondly their Apostasie their tyrannie persecution of the Saints and their vniust comming to that seate was from the diuell But the diuels power he executeth is no way lawfull as from God for he neuer commanded it so as he is a meere vsurper and according to this is the lieutenancy of Sathan which God doth suffer but not ordiane namely that princely imperious popish Priest of Rome neither Magistrate nor Minister and hath no power but from sathan and is absolutely as vnlawfull as the Diuels Where further consider that there is nothing so euill but it is by Gods decree though not allowed and it is good there should be euill And though the diuell as hee is the Diuell ruleth not well yet it is to Gods glorie for the exercising of his children by the buffetings of Satan to humble them lest they should waxe proud and for the condemnation of the reprobate by the suggestions of Sathan to ntangle them that they might not escape the iustice of God The second thing Sathan assumeth to himselfe is most false namely that they were his to dispose for since they were neuer giuen him he cannot assigne them ouer for hee hath gained no interest by vsurpation And this is true that Nabuchadnezzar Dan. 4. learned by liuing among beasts Now saith he vers 31. I see by experience which I could not before iudge of that the Lord of Lords disposeth of kingdomes But it may bee thought a strange impudency in the diuell to goe about to perswade the Sonne of God that he could giue these things for scarce any of vs would thinke his soueraignty so great It is true Christ could noâ—â—â— this proffer bee seduced but a great part of the world doth thinke that hee can dispose of the comforts of this life which is proued by the meanes they vse to come to these blessings vsing leud practises and vnlawfull meanes not for a kingdome but for a trifle which they would neuer doe if they were not perswaded the disposition of these inferiour things were turned ouer to the Diuell for God giueth nothing as a blessing but by a lawfull course so as vsing Sathans meanes how can wee thinke it commeth from God And that such is our iudgement also appeareth by the prouerbe Hee that liueth an honest man shall die a begger and what is this but to giue ouer the gouernement to the Diuell of these earthly things And though they aske their daisie bread of God yet they testifie that this their God is Sathan For note the meanes they vse For kingdomes can a man perswade himselfe that God setteth vp Princes and that promotion commeth neither from the East not from the West and shall he aspire to it by treason For authority can a man thinke that to come to a place is in the disposition of the highest when he is aduanced by bribery and corruption He that thinks to win somewhat from a Prince by flattery perswadeth not himselfe that God can dispose of Princes harts And he that comes to a liuing by simony thinks not that the holy Ghost hath appointed him there nor he that increaseth his wealth by vsury holds not that riches come from the Lord for all these meanes hath his mouth cursed Further for the promise hee will giue him all if hee will giue him but a knee a small matter and if he would acknowledge him a benefactor he would gratifie him as a person worthy with all he shewed him Now how euer Christ was not ouercome with this yet it mightily preuailes with the sonnes of men Looke into all particular places and we shall finde he hath many to crouch to him for a great deale lesse then this was Iudas will betray his master for thirty peeces of siluer Mat. 26.15 Doeg will flatter Saul 1. Sa. 22.10 and speake all euill of Dauid in hope of preferment Absolon will seeke his fathers life to step into his throne 2. Sa. 15.2 Ioab will kill Amasa 2. Sam. 10. to get but the chiefe captainship of the guard And Abimelech will slay threescore and ten men Iudges 9.2 to make himselfe way to the Crowne This made Balaam Numbers 24. that hee would faine haue cursed
he had beene but newly entred into the schoole of Christ when after his long profession of God yet after a tedious hypocrisie had ouergrowne his soule he cried out Psal 51. Lord create a new spirit in me as if he had not had it before euen so may the vncleane and euill spirit bee like the snow hidden in the thicke clouds and as fire raked vp in the ashes that the heat when it breaketh foorth may be the greater for euen in the powers of thy body and soule there may be an interruption of the soueraignty of sinne for a season leauing notwithstanding some grosse sinnes of a wicked conuersation behind him that when he wandreth abroad he may make thee know he hath a home in thy heart and that this abatement of his power in thee for a time may make thy sinne at length more vgly and enormous than before Againe Sathan may be cast out in the iudgement of the man himselfe the Lord giuing him the spirit of slumber that he perswadeth himselfe so or in the iudgement of the Church Sathan may seeme to be cast out when in all outward exercises of religion he conformeth himselfe like a Christian for who would haue thought otherwise of Iudas being a disciple and one of Christ his scholars till the Lord discouered his hypocrisie Yea Sathan may seeme both to the man himselfe and to the Church to bee cast out and yet not to be so indeed as appeareth Luk. 8.18 where it is said Euen that shall be taken away which hee seemeth to haue Lastly as the vncleane spirit may bee said to come into a man when he was in him before because in comming in there commeth in a more forcible and stronger illusion of Sathan than there was before as Luk. 22.3 it is said that Sathan entred into Iudas before the Passeouer and we cannot thinke that the spirit of God was in him before for he was a thiefe and carried the bagge and paid himselfe for the carriage and yet Iohn 13.27 it is said precisely that Sathan entred into Iudas after the soppe meaning by entring in a greater power than there was before Euen so he may be said to go out and to be cast out when hee is not let in for a time that after he may be giuen vp into a reprobate sense for it was but a weake kind of Sun-shine that euer appeared in his life Hence obserue that so much is Sathan cast out of vs as sin 〈◊〉 cast out of vs for Sathan fighteth against vs with two weapons first with that he found within vs which is flesh and bloud secondly by that he brought vpon vs which is death Why then the speciall weapon wherewith he striketh vs being our corruptions they must be cut off and east away or else Sathan himselfe is not vanquished If thou therefore wilt saie hee be cast out of thee shew what alteration there is in thy life and what change in thy affections if the greatest part be not pietie in religion and puritie in conuersation be sure Sathan hath more weapons in thee than God for as Christ saith Ioh. 8.44 Yee are of the diuell for yee do his workes And therefore euery one must make this examination with himselfe that if of a despiser and vnreuerent speaker of the word of God he doe not now shew his words to be such as may giue grace to the hearers Sathans weapon still remaineth in him for this is the argument Saint Paul vseth Rom. 6.19 As when we were seruants to vncleannesse we did commit iniquitie so now being seruants vnto righteousnesse we must haue our fruit in holinesse of life that our end may be saluation Secondly obserue since Sathan may be cast out of thee in thine owne iudgement and in the opinion of those with whom thou liuest and yet be besieging thy soule with hypocrisie that thou must labour to get good euidence of the spirit of God that thou art Christs which especially thou shalt performe by winning the spirit of humilitie to dwel within thee For if thou doest publikely vaunt and bragge how fruitfull thou art in thy profession and how farre thou hast runne in a short time in Christianitie when thou art not called thereunto by God but thrust forward in the pride and vanitie of thine owne heart then maist thou with the Pharisee Luk. 18.14 depart home puffed vp in thy selfe and seeming to others like a painted sepulcher when as within thou art nothing but rottennesse and farre from being iustified before God This did Salomon in his wisedome finde in his time which made him leaue it as an example for vs to learne by Prouerb 30.12 that there was a generation pure in their owne eies and yet they were not washed from their filthinesse such as would carrie a glorious shew that they had tasted of the tree of life and such as in presumption of their owne strength will knocke at heauen gates as due to them by desert when alas the Lord neuer knew them Howsoeuer therefore euery Christian is in dutie to sit in iudgement vpon himselfe yet let him know that he must solemnly keepe this Court in his owne conscience and there let him suruey and examine his maners and his members his wit and his senses how he hath vsed them and in this triall let him make the law of God his Iudge for that shall cut him to the quicke and by this shall he truely see whether Sathan be truely cast out of him or no. For Sathan will teach thee to hide thy sinne but the law will discouer it to thy face if thy sinne be seene he will double it with this temptation that thou shalt dissemble it but the law will set thy sinnes in order and in a ranke before thee If he cannot teach thee thus to beguile thy selfe and God yet will hee mooue thee to excuse and lessen it but the law shall shew it thee in such a glasse as shall truly set foorth the vgly shape of it And if when thou hast made this perfect law of God to be thy Iudge thou canst likewise make Christ the answerer of this Iudge and canst walke cloathed with his garments of innocencie humilitie and obedience as with the garments of our elder brother and out of a cleane and pure heart and affection canst send foorth the fruits actions of thy life then maist thou assure thy selfe Sathan is so cast out as he shall neuer haue power to returne to thee againe Thirdly obserue since Sathan may seeme to be cast out for a time by an interruption of the power and strength of sinne in a man which at length breaketh in vpon him like whole flouds of waters that therefore if wee will haue Sathan effectually cast out of vs we must learne not to discontinue some sinnes and to retaine others not to take vp some in the imbers while wee suffer others to racke our soules for one sinne nourished and maintained is sufficient to keepe possession
for Sathan But we must loath and detest all manner of sinne with an absolute and perfect hatred or else his weapon is not taken away for what praise is it for a rich man not to fall to theft a sin whereto he is not tempted or for a begger not to slip into briberie a sinne that is kept farre from him or what is it to keepe thy body cleane from filthinesse if thou defile thy tongue with euill speeches It was nothing for Herod to heare Iohn Baptist gladly Mar. 6.20 since he kept his bed polluted with incest for the sweetnesse of this sinne did so possesse him Matth. 14.3 that for Herodias the strumpets sake Iohn was bound and beheaded A liuely example wee haue of this 2. King 5.18 in Naamun the Syrian who vowed vnto the Prophet to worship none but the Lord heere was Sathan cast out of him in good measure Yet when I go saith he with my master into the house of Rimmon and hee leaneth on my hand and I likewise bow there the Lord bee mercifull vnto mee in this point So he will continue still an example of idolatry in the seruice of a superstitious master which is a sufficient hold for Sathan to get into his soule againe and euen in this did hee carry a weapon to kill himselfe for Christ died not that wee should die to some sinnes but to all sinnes and if wee make exception of any one we are guilty of all as S. Iames saith chap. 2.10 if we faile in any one point we are guilty of all and therefore Ezech. 18.21 the wicked are admonished to returne from all their sinnes and to walke in all the waies of the Lord In omnibus sine exceptions quamuis non in omnibus cum impletione in all without exception though in all we cannot with perfection for repentance must not be to some dead workes but to all with a full purpose of our heart to renounce all sinnes I speake not of infirmities but of presumptuous and crying sinnes that we do not blesse our soules in any such sinne for if we doe it is Sathans ladder to clime vp againe though for a time he be cast downe that is neither so forcibly felt nor so visibly seene in thee Fourthly obserue that Sathan in policy will bee content not to shew himselfe alwaies in thee as he is but sometime euen to transforme himselfe into an Angell of light and hee will not grudge at thee though thou remit somewhat of thine enormities and grosse sinnes so he may retaine somewhat to himselfe hee cares not to be cast out of thee in idolatry as that thou shalt not bow thy knee to Baal so hee may bee kept in thee by Atheisme to say with the wicked in thy heart There is no God He was well pleased that Iudas should become a Disciple of Christ learne of Christ follow Christ so couetousnesse might so possesse him as to sell his master for money Mat. 26.15 Hee cared not though Abimelech entertained Abraham the seruant of God Gen. 20.14 with the best of his land when he had once drawne him to consent to adultery with Sara his wife A most liuely example of this we haue in the bodily Pharaoh of Egypt Exo. 8. Moses had a commission from God that hee should goe three daies iourney with the children of Israel to celebrate a feast vnto the Lord. Go saith Pharaoh vers 25. but first doe sacrifice vnto the Lord in this land vers 26. No faith Moses that were abhomination to sacrifice beasts to them that worship beasts vers 28. Go saith Pharaoh but not farre vers 27. No saith Moses I must goe three daies iourney Chap. 10.11 Go saith Pharaoh ye and the men but leaue the children No saith Moses vers 8. yong and old must goe vers 24. Goe all but leaue your cattell and your sheepe behind you somewhat 〈◊〉 will crosse the commandement of the Lord vers 25. No we must haue all for we know not what neede we shall haue of sacrifice Thus we see how Sathan deales in sinne by conditions and limitations for hee will suffer himselfe to be dislodged of ignorance by a generall knowledge of the truth and if hee cannot send forth error to corrupt our knowledge if he can but worke by worldlinesse to prophaine it he will not greatly care for this shall bee as a cable rope to pull him in againe We must therefore learne to incounter this spirituall Pharaoh if wee haue a desire to goe out of Egypt that is to be deliuered from eternall darknesse with Moses his courage◠and if we gaine by our courage as Moses did let vs follow on stoutly to keepe the ground and commandement which is set before vs. Sathan will if hee can retaine some sinne and make thee relish some iniquitie but if thou preserue any works of the flesh for him thou cariest a most fearefull weapon to destroy thy selfe Againe since so much of the vncleane spirit may be said to be gone out of a man as admitteth any participation of the spirit of God and since euen the reprobate may partake of all the graces of God Heb. 6.5 sauing one grace to bee made new creatures lest this doctrine not rightly vnderstood might shake the foundation of some weake Christians wee will set downe certaine markes to distinguish betweene Sathans going out of Christians and out of the reprobate since the holy Ghost may bee and is communicated euen to them The difference then standeth in two points for the graces of God in these be different first in the measure of grace being greater in the elect than in the reprobate secondly in the obedience and working whereby the elect shew themselues conformable to the grace and so doe not the reprobate Now there be two kind of graces wherein the measure is greater in the children of God than in the reprobate and yet the first of these is really communicated to the wicked that is the enlightning of the minde for the reprobate are indeed enlightned in the knowledge of God as Heb. 6.5 do taste of the good word of God but not effectually as the elect do And though the Lord doth not regard the quantity but the substance of this enlightning so as sometimes there may be more light in a reprobate than in the childe of God yet for the most part the elect haue receiued a greater measure of this grace For the reprobate as Mark. 8.24 be like the blinde man who at the first putting on of Christ his hands saw men like trees that is a shape aduanced vpright but the elect as vers 25. are like vnto him when the Lord had laid his hands the second time vpon him for then he saw cleerely a farre off So as the hypocrite may goe thus farre hauing not a vaine but a vanishing light No◠enim gratia vana est sed euanescem to walke for a time in the light as Iohn 12.35 Yet a little while the light
against the expresse commandement of his maker to haue approched vnto God without the suffering and crucifying of the flesh of man in Christ Iesus neither had this punishment sufficed had not Christ in our flesh by his obedience recompensed our breach of this law of God And yet because this is the anchor of our hope the ground of our faith and the security of our happinesse heereafter the spirit doth more neerely bond it selfe to our capacitie teaching vs this heauenly mystery by seuen earthly comparisons First Rom. 13.14 It is Saint Pauls precept to put on the Lord Iesus Christ wherein he compareth Christ to garment which hath two properties first to couer our nakednesse secondly to keepe vs warme thus as we put on our apparell to couer the shame and to hide the nakednesse of our bodies so wee should put on the robes of Christs righteousnesse to couer the deformity of our sinfull soules and as by our garments our heat is kept within the body whereby our life is preserued so by our putting on of Christ we that otherwise should be frozen in our dregges receiue a spirituall warmth wherby the life of our soules is kept in and maintained and as while our garments are on vs wee are said to bee in our clothes but being cast from vs wee are euen ashamed of our selues and vnquiet till we haue got some other couering of place to hide vs in so while we are couered with Christ we are said to be in Christ but if we lay him aside then are we laid open to the shame of the world to the age of Satan to the tyranny of sinne and to the wrath of God Hence arise many fruitfull meditations for our particular instruction First that we thinke it a matter of more necessitie to be clothed with Christ then with our carthly garments and that we are neuer fully apparelled till wee haue put him on For by how much the soule is of more value then the body so much ought our care to be increased rather for the furnishing of the one then of the other in this respect also that the soule is the defence of the bodie that if we be sound and sincere within and haue spiritual heat at the heart there are no outward discomforts of pouerty reproch or persecution that can at all dismay vs. This Dauid hath taught vs out of his owne experience 1. Sam. 17.38.45 who went against Goliah not in the kings raiment though that was offered him but clothed himselfe with armour of better proofe the name of the Lord of Hosts who closed his enemy in his hand of farre greater strength than himselfe Naie to perswade and prouoke vs vnto this wee haue example euen in the time of Christ Matt. 14.36 that as manie as touched but the hem of his garment were made whole of bodily diseases and if there were such vertue in his apparell how much more strength and power is there in himselfe to cure all spirituall diseases of the soule and to keepe the body from sicknesse also vnlesse by sicknesse and infirmitie we shall thriue and prosper toward God Secondly when thou puttest on Christ be sure thou wearest him as thine vppermost garment both on thy body and on thy minde for that that is aboue the rest is best seene and let the world thinke of thee as it will it shall be thy true glorie to haue Christ seene in thy attire that thou goest comely and not vainely and garishly to haue him seene in thy speech that it be not wanton and blasphemous but such as may giue grace to the hearers and tend to edifying to haue him seene in thy behauiour and in all the actions of thy life that others by thy light may bee drawen out of darknesse that glory may bee giuen to thy father which is in heauen for if thou shalt think to weare Christ as we say next the skinne and shalt put any garments ouer him thou deceiuest thine owne soule and couerest thy selfe but with the lusts of the flesh and the pride of life which will lead thee to destruction for as Paul saith Col. 3.9.10 wee must put off the old man with his works and put on the new which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him Thirdly when thou puttest on Christ thou must take heed thou puttest him not vpon thy head or vpon thy hands or vpon any one part of thy body but he must be so put on as hee couer thy whole body from the head to the foote for if the diuell finde any part vncouered hee will possesse that therefore S. Paul Ephes 6.11 bids vs put on the whole armour of God that wee may be complet souldiers for if we be vnarmed in any part we may receiue a wound in that part which may be dangerous to the whole body so as if wee weare Christ onely in our mouthes that wee can talke religiously and haue him not in our feete to keepe vs from running astraie to wickednesse or haue him onely in our thoughts and not in our actions or in some of our actions and not in all then are wee not couered with Christ at all for saith the Apostle Ephes 4.15 wee must in all things not in some grow vp into him which is the head that is Christ Fourthly when thou hast once put on Christ thou must neuer lay him aside nor put him off againe for he is a garment that neuer weareth he is yesterday to day and the same for euer and his yeares shall not faile Hebr. 1.12 thou hast the same need of him and vse of him in the night as in the day in thy rest as in thy labour in thy health to prosper thee as in thy sicknesse to comfort thee in temptations to strengthen thee as in peace of conscience to secure thee for there being no time free wherin we are not subiect to fal we can at no time want his grace which must be our stay and sufficiencie 2. Cor. 12.9 Peter may well teach vs the vse of this lesson by the danger himselfe was in Matt. 26.70 by shaking off this garment in the high priests hall for he would needs before them all denie double it by an oth that he knew not Christ so as if Christ in mercy had not stucke close to him and kept himselfe on Luk. 22.61 by turning backe and looking on him wee see how euen in a chase and when there was no eminent persecution ouer him Peter had cast him aside as if hee had neuer receiued any former good by him which must make vs feare and tremble to giue such a guest no better enâ—â—â—tainement and such a garment no safer keeping since onely in the robes of Christ wee receiue our blessing and for his sake alone are beloued The second comparison is 2. Cor. 13.5 Know yee not that Christ is in you or dwelleth in you except yee be reprobates Where Christ is compared to our dwelling
spoken but I will speake no more for I cannot answer one for a thousand and Chap. 9.15.20 If I were righteous yet would I not plead with thee but make supplication to my Iudge for if I would be perfect he shall iudge me wicked and Dauid often confesseth his vnworthinesse by entring into the meditation of the law of God and Easay 64.6 saith our best actions are but as a menstrous cloth the Hebrew word signifieth a filthy clout vsed by the Surgians to take vp the rottennesse of the flesh and Paul Rom. 7.23 by his owne confession was a captiue to sinne which sheweth it impossible to challenge eternall life by the obseruation of the law and to this end is the song of the Angels in the Reuel 19.1 which giueth all glory to God and none to men for our best workes sway nothing in the ballance of desert nay the grace of Christ maketh not the worke perfect because it is defectiue by concupiscence and is accepted onely in mercy for iustice can accept of nothing as meritoâ—â—â—â— which is not as perfect as Christ himselfe Heere then may be demanded why God gaue the law since there is no maner of proportion betwixt our abilities to performe and the straitnesse of the law to command and hee that laieth a condition of impossibility commandeth vnprofitably This we answer foure waies First by our creation we had power to haue done it and we are onely by our owne disobedience disabled for Adam in his integrity might haue fulfilled it and therefore it is no iniustice with God to giue vs this law which we had strength to beare and haue now made burdensome to our selues being weakened through corruption for when he that can see perfectly pulleth out his owne eies who is to be charged with his blindnesse but himselfe or if he that is rich wasteth his goods with the prodigall sonne none can be blamed for his pouerty but himselfe Or if he that knoweth by climing he must fall will yet clime so high till he fall and hurt himselfe he can cry out of none for his hurt but himselfe or if hee that is comelie become misshapen by lewd companie and diet is anie to bee found fault with for this deformity but himselfe So who can charge this law to bee become impossible but out selues and how came it thus to be but through our sinne in Adam and if we had beene in his stead we had done as he did so as we are the cause of our owne blindnesse nakednesse weakenesse deformity in climing to the fruit of the forbidden tree whereby we lost the power and comelinesse of Gods image after which we were made And shall a Prince therefore lose his iust right and power to command because a company of wicked rebels will not be drawne to obey God forbid Secondly this law thus deliuered is not simply impossible because all the elect haue fulfilled it in the person of Christ Thirdly it shall not be alwaies impossible in our persons partly by our obedience to it in this life and when sinne shall be abolished and our sanctification finished by our absolute performance of it in the life to come Fourthly if God had proposed no other end in giuing it but the obseruing of 〈◊〉 in our corruption then had it indeed beene impossible but it was giuen of the Lord for foure ends first to be conuinced of our shame and filthinesse by looking into the law as into a mirrour which sheweth vs our infirmity and deformity secondly that when heerby we were all shut vp vnder damnation and the conscience conuinced of our Apostasie we might then be stirred vp to seeke remedy in Christ thirdly that being brought to Chrst we might in deepe meditation behold the excellency of the Lords righteousnesse that this might be a great prouocation to make vs striue to come as neere the perfection required as may be the first being before our conuersion the last after our conuersion to keepe downe the rebellion of our flesh to shake off the sluggishnesse of our nature which is most vnapt to enterprise any thing might please God fourthly it was giuen for the reprobate that they should absolutely fulfill it or else be damned for it laieth open their sinnes and the torments of hel ready to seaze vpon them with a despaire of all grace the Lord iustly leauing them in their bloud so as the fire that burneth by the breath of the Lord beginneth in them in this life and though they seeme to men to haue quiet consciences because they sleepe as it were in the top of the mast yet they haue the flames of Gods wrath scorching them within whereas to vs that be elect it laieth before vs our hurt our debt our leprosie our pouerty and our nakednesse that we may runne to Christ to haue our wounds healed our debt released our leprosie cleansed our nakednes couered with his fine linnen Reu. 3.18 and our pouerty enriched with his refined gold and graces so as we see it was not giuen in vaine though it be vaine for vs to seeke life in it Now for the second point namely from whence this disability in the law to saue vs doth proceed and that appeareth in the text to be through the weakenesse that is in our flesh and not through any imperfection in the law Oh say the Papists but there is no man so weake but hath some strength neither is there such weaknesse in the law but it hath some strengh to saue We answer by Scripture 1. Cor. 15.43 The body is sowen in weaknesse where the Apostle speaketh of a dead man in whom is no strength no more is there in the law besides the word signifieth such a weaknesse as is vtterly depriued of all strength so as the reason why the law is thus disabled is through the deadnesse that is in the flesh of man whether we speake of a meere naturall man or of a regenerate man as long as there is flesh in him And in this respect the world is said to be dead three manner of waies though they know the law for first some doe know their sinnes by the knowledge of the law and yet are they dead because they know onely the law and not the true vse of it secondly some by the law do know only their sinnes which bringeth them to despaire and they be miserable dead men Thirdly some by the knowledge of the law doe know their sinnes and also grace for them in Christ and yet said to be dead as Paul Rom. 7.13 confesseth himselfe to bee in respect of the greatnesse of his sinne which wrought death in him by that which was good meaning the law Make it plainer by similitudes when the sunne shineth the blind cannot behold it the fault is not in the sunne but for want of sight in the party so when it thundereth the man that is dease cannot heare it which is no defect in the thunder but through his defect of
hearing so if the raine fall on the rocke it moistneth it nothing at all neither softneth it and this is onely through the hardnesse of the rocke euen so fareth it betwixt the law and vs for that the law is depriued of the power to saue is not for any defect in it selfe for it is holy perfect righteous iust heauenly spirituall eternall but the fault is in our flesh for we are all weake blind deafe stony-harted not able to receaue any impression of obedience at all Againe the scripture speaketh of the law two maner of waies First either as giuen by the hand of God wrot with his finger in tables of stone which is the ten commandements Secondly or else it speaketh of that is proper to the law that is of the effects of the law The first which is the ten commandements it is double For it commandeth the good and forbiddeth the euill for the second the effects are also double for it rewadeth for the good and condemneth for the euill So as the law hath these foure things it commandeth and forbiddeth it rewardeth and condemneth he then that is not able to fulfill the law is a dead man I speake in respect of the law onlie and not of Christ for Christ himselfe said speaking to one that sought life by his workes If thou wilt haue life euerlasting keepe the commandements which is not possible for man to doe no more is it possible for the law to saue yea it is not onely vnable to doe this but by reason of the law we are made more sinfull for as Rom. 3.20 By the law commeth the knowledge of sinne and chap. 4.15 The law causeth wrath and 1. Cor. 15.56 The strength of sinne is the law So as first it conuinceth vs of the good we do our hearts being of themselues rotten and the root being vnsound so must the tree be the body being corrupt so must the members be and the fountaine being vnclean so must the streames be Secondly it conuinceth vs for not doing good in one thing is straiter then all the lawes of nations condemning our straying thoughts and chargeth vs not simply of sin and transgression but of voluntary treason and rebellion against our God And thirdly it dischargeth vpon vs not onely all the curses of this life from our conception to our death but also of damnation in the life to come so as in respect of the law onely we haue already the sentence of death pronounced against vs and doe eate talke buy sell and such like but as prisoners repriued and staied a while from execution And this is the quality and condition of the tenne commandements inse perse in it selfe and by it selfe separate from all other things for I speake not of the whole doctrine of the law as it was taught by Moses for that as Dauid saith Psal 119. is perfect and conuerteth the soule and giueth wisdome to the simple and teacheth vs faith to lay hold on Christ when wee are ready to sinke in our selues and draweth vs to repentance by commanding the good and forbidding the euill by rewarding the good and threatning the euill But the law as it is a bare letter bidding vs doe such a thing and giuing vs no strength to performe it losing it strength by the strength of our corruption sheweth in what a desperate case they stand that depend vpon the Law for their saluation for weighing our selues in this ballance we shall be lighter then the shickles of the sanctuary if we looke in this glasse we shal be wretched and deformed and trying our selues by this touch stone we shall be no gold but drosse To make this plainer and that our blood may bee vpon our owne ands and the law remaine vnblameable we must 〈◊〉 stand there are two sorts of lawes The one is the substantiall and naturall law the other is an accidentall or occasionall law mentioned by this Apostle Rom. 7.8.9 where we must obserue that sinne receaued no occasion from the law for then occasion had beene giuen but tooke an occasion not of the law but by the law that is because the law forbiddeth therefore we will doe it Now betweene a cause and occasion there is great difference The substantiall law of God which is the morall law of the tenne commandements hath two parts it forbiddeth impiety and vncleanenesse and commandeth sanctification and holinesse but the law occasionall proceedeth out of the first which is substantial for if the law had not said Thou shalt not lust thou wouldst not do it but being by the law restrained thou art in thine owne corruption prouoked vnto that sinne so that heere are two flat contrarieties met together the law and our nature the one commanding the other rebelling the one forbidding the otherser that cause embracing so as but for the law our sinne would not so much appeare for example wee are able to eate more in winter then in sommer by reason in winter there meeteth two contraries the outward cold and inward beat which being driuen into the body encreaseth the appetite which is not so in sommer for then rather heat meeteth with heat which abateth the stomacke euen so the Lord hath set his law as a bull-worke to keepe in sin that it breake not forth of the breast Now when sinne findeth such resistance as it cannot rush through this law then it reboundeth backe againe into our bosome and there kindleth a greater fire of concupiscence then it did before yet is the law holy pure righteous heauenly and spirituall the rule of obedience and of a sanctified life but out nature is impure vnrighteous corrupt and from the earth earthlie the law proceeding from God and our nature from the diuell who powreth this poison into our hearts for euen the law of nature which was the booke for all men and whereby the eternall power of the God-head was discerned that hee might be glorified we see how Rom. 1.20 he was thereby dishonored they turning the glory of the incorruptible God to the similitude of a corruptible mam which proceeded onely from their vaine thoughts and foolish hearts full of darknesse but their end was reprobation so for the law written where it pareth off the dead flesh that we may see how sorely we are smitten by sinne that by this meanes we might run to Christ who is a ready Physitian skilfull and pitifull in healing all wounds we still keepe at home and run backe into our selues as if thereby we could be cured where in truth our disease by this negligence is the more increased nothing being able to heale but the bloud of the son of God so for the Gospell whose end is to make peace between God and man and betweene man and man shewing there is but one God one spirit one faith therby we but one mans childrē euen Gods which should be the power of saluation to vs and the bond of loue among vs through the malice of sathan and
calleth them Rom. 7.5 that is but flesh and bloud and therefore the perturbations of sinnes doe worke inwardly in the members of a naturall man wherein we must make a difference betweene perturbations and affections wee hauing affections in vs by nature for when wee were in our integrity we had the vnderstanding and knowledge of God and of his will yea and wee had affections to performe his will but after the fall these affections were peruerted for where before they were fixed on God now they are setled on sinne but for perturbations they arise and proceede from the corrupted root of nature it being a sinne deriued from originall sinne so that if a man die in the wombe the Lord hath enough to condemne him but if he liueth after his birth then vpon this originall sinne there worketh the perturbations of sinnes which heapeth greater condemnation vpon his head And this is the condition of the vnregenerate that all they doe is sinne it being but the some and fruit of the sinne that lieth within for if a naturall man will bring forth fruit he must either doe that which is commanded or forbidden or else that is neither commanded nor forbidden as things indifferent to marry to eat to wash the hands and such like and euen in these hee sinneth for as to the cleane all things are cleane so to him that is polluted all that comes from him is defiled yea that which of it selfe is no sinne but a duty commanded as praier almes hearing the word and such like proceeding from him is sin because they rise not from a good root the heart being defiled nor tend not to a good end the glory of God not being respected so as we may truely say of them they doe the good they would not willingly doe and they doe not the euill thy would doe for what was all Pauls morall righteousnesse Phil. 3.6 wherin he was vnblameable but as the excrement of a dogge because it came meerely from a naturall man for they are not done for any loue to God or of his glory nor for any care of their brethren but onely for ostentation to reape praise and commendation of men that if a brother hap to receiue comfort by it it is beyond the intention of the doer and therefore all is fleshly and sinnefull Nay though the reprobate haue their repugnancy conflict in them both before the sinne committed and repentance for it after yet doth this nothing lessen nor extenuate the malice of their hearts nor make their sin lesse sinnefull for though their be a contradiction betweene the sinnes they commit and the light of nature and the iudgement of reason which they enioy yet is this but betweene the heart and the conscience the conscience checking controlling and pricking the heart for the sinne wherein they do not one whit exceede or goe beyond Medea the heathen that could say she saw better things but shee could not follow them for as one sicke of a lothsome disease doth languish and pine away which maketh all his frinds weary of him by meanes whereof hee bewaileth his owne case not for his sinne but for his disease and not for the cause of his misery but for the misery it selfe so the reprobate are said after they haue sinned not for their sinne but because their conscience accuseth them of their sinne not for hatred to the sinne but for feare of punishment for the sin which appeareth by this that hauing liberty and opportunity anew they fall a fresh to sinning and wallowing in the mire Therefore bee not thou high minded if thou beest a great Rabbin learned in the schoole-points of Diuinity if thou canst decide controuersies resolue doubts discourse of difficult matters for all this maist thou doe and yet sauour of the flesh and of death if thou konwest onely the letter of the Law and Gospell and doe not know the true vse both of Law and Gospell neither be thou puffed vp what euer thou art because thou resorts to sermons readest ouer the bible art able to cite many places in the scripture for these may be the fruits of a dead man to know the Gospell and to be ignorant of the vse of the Gospell that is how the Gospell teacheth thee to humble thy selfe in an astonishment of thy misery to mortifie thy selfe in hatred of thy sinnefull flesh to deny thy selfe in an acknowledgement of thy corruption and to lay fast hold vpon Christ who is the light of thy saluation for looke in Ier. 8.8 the carnall and vnbeleeuing Iewes could say they were wise and the law of the Lord was with them but the Prophet answereth that the law vnto them was in vaine and the pen of the scribes was in vaine and Esa 29.11.12 it is said that the vision was become vnto them as the words of a booke that is â—â—â—led vp which none can read because it is sealed which place teacheth vs that they which know the Law and which know it not it is as a booke shut vp to them though their iniquities bee sealed vp in it because they truely vnderstand not the vse of it their smell is so stopt with the sauour of the flesh that they peruert the vse of euery thing which God hath ordained for their conuersion Now if wee would take but a little view and looke into the world we shall see many thousands sauour the things of the flesh both in things vnlawfull and in things lawfull vnlawfully vsed The couetous man Iob. 20.13.14 hideth wickednesse vnder his tongue and keepeth it close in his mouth the adulterers neigh after their neighbours wiues like horses the vsurer is alwaies deuising how to deceiue the hypocrite commeth to the house of God to make it a cloake for his free passage to the house of an harlot many will seeme to liue after the rule of the second table but not of the first bragging if they haue done any good to their neighbour but neuer considering how many others they haue iniured nor how they haue prouoked God by the breach of the first table as profaning his Sabbaths blaspheming his name and raising vp other gods to themselues in their hearts preferring the second table before the first not weighing that the first is the ground and foundation of the second and the second to be but the fruits of the first and yet if they outwardly obserue the second it is but to a false end to satisfie their priuate and fleshly humour or to get open and publike praise of fleshly men like themselues so as if by chance they profit men yet are they abominable to God because they aime at a wrong marke making all the veines and current of their actions to end and runne into the maine Sea of the flesh they being such as of whom Christ speaketh Luk. 16.15 Yee iustifie your selues before men but God knoweth your hearts And if diuers be drowned in the filth of the flesh that heare the word of God Ioh.
the naturall powers of this life decrease by age and by infirmities but so it must not bee in our spirituall life for in this we must neuer neither stand still nor goe backward nor grow downward but still be stedfast in faith and walking on in loue like men alwaies running a race till wee haue attained the prize which prize is glorie Againe consider for this spirituall life that as the body whiâ—â— it hath the soule is but a naturall bodie spending like oile in the lampe and cannot but in the end die yet after this life shall be called a spirituall bodie not in substance but because in the resurrection it shall be quickned by the spirituall power of the holy Ghost so a man that hath but a soule if hee haue not the soule of the soule that is the spirit of God to quicken it he is but a naturall man and must needs be damned Againe as a bodie raised vp and quickned by another power can neuer die so the soule being a spirituall soule and hauing once receiued the earnest of the spirit and the power of sanctification from the holy Ghost can neuer die And in this respect we are exalted to a greater priuiledge than Adam had in his creation and it fareth better with vs than it did with him for it was aâ—btrarie with him and rested in his will to die or not to die whereas we hauing once drunke of the water of life and once tasted of this spirituall life we may neuer thirst and as S. Iohn saith 1. Iohn 3.6 we cannot sinne Ioh. 6.54 that is not to sinne but that we purge our selues vpon reproose and recouer our selues when we fall Further obserue hence that there is a double death and a double life first there is a death in the present corruption of sinne whereby in this life we deserue damnation Now that there is a death in this life is prooued 1. Tim. 5.6 the widdow that liueth in pleasure is dead while she liueth and Ephes 5.14 Awake thou that sleepest and stand vp from the dead and Reuel 3.1 it is said of the Church of Sardis Thou hast a name that thou linest but thou art dead Secondly there is a death in the perpetuall condemnation for sinne which is first inflicted vpon the soule at the separation from the body and at the last day shal be laid both vpon the soule and body in a fearefull and full measure Answerable to this is life the first kind whereof is the grace of God vouchsafed vs in this our pilgrimage the second is the glory of God giuen vs in the life to come Now the life of the spirit hath three degrees first at the regeneration when we are renewed in our affections and do feele a change of mind within vs secondlie at the separation of the soule from the body when being as in were released out of the setters of this life she takes her flight to heauen for then doth the soule liue more excellently than it did before being freed from the bufferings of Sathan and the allurements of the flesh Thirdly at the generall resurrection when the world with the Iustes thereof shall passe away like a cloud and be wrapped vp like a clout for then both soule and body shall enioy the presence yea more than that shall liue the life of God for euer Euen so death in the reprobate hath three degrees first in the contagion of sinne secondly in the separation at the doore of death as it were when the soule alone goeth to the diuell thirdly at the resurrection when the body is reunited to the soule to receiue the fulnesse of their endlesse torment Againe the reprobate in this life and in the life to come haue a double misery coupled to their double death for first in this life they want the grace and fauour of God and bee euen like Cain Genes 4.14 afraid lest euery man should kill them Secondly they haue resident in them the diuell who being the God of this world hath and doth carrie them away daily in the power of darknesse Then in the life to come Iohn 16.11 they haue first a priuation or losse of the presence of God secondly a suffering and enduring of all torments 2. Thes 1.8.9 where there cries shall neuer bee pitied nor their paines euer bee eased Proportionable to these haue the children of God double comforts which may bee gathered from the contrarie of the former For first they haue the countenance of the Lord alwaies smiling on them and the strength of the Lord alwais supporting them in this life Secondly which is more they haue the true spirit of comfort dwelling in them and the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost doth continually feast with them while they liue heere And when we fall a sleepe for nothing else is death to the Saints as we may see in Stephen 2. Cor. 3.17.18 Act. 7.60 then doe we first stand alwaies in the sight of God and behold him face to face neither doth his glory then any whit amaze vs as it did when the veile was before our eies but it doth reioice vs and we glory in it Secondly we are filled with ioies vnspeakable and haue the full accesse and fruition of all that the heart can desire or seeke for Now the way to know that this life of God is in vs must be by the amendment of our liues and by the leauing of our sinnes for regeneration beginneth at repentance and repentance at leauing of sinne in which point euerie man must examine himselfe wisely for if thou hast not brideled thy tongue from bitter and blasphemous speech if thou hast not taught thy hands to worke truely without deceit and hast not brought thy heart to pray feruently without hypocrisie then hast thou no part in this regeneration and by consequent no fellowship in the life of God For righteousnesse sake That is as much as if the Apostle had said reformation of life and religion is the badge and euidence of the spirituall life we leade heere The cause of this is the righteousnesse of Christ which resteth in these two things first in satisfying the iustice of his Father for our sinnes as the Prophet Esay speaketh Esay 53.5 Hee was wounded for our transgressions and by his stripes are we healed secondly in fulfilling the law which he performed foure waies first by teaching it precisely secondly by obeying it exactly thirdly by suffering for our breach thereof meritoriously fourthly by sanctifying vs to doe it effectually But this kinde of righteousnesse is onely resident and inherent in the person of Christ howbeit the righteousnesse heere spoken of by the Apostle is a signe onely and a token that we are sanctified by the flesh of Christ and that Christ hath purchased saluation for vs and that we sighing vnder the burden of sinne Rom. 7.25 walking in a reformed life and waiting for the glorie that shall bee seene we shal be as
true that the soules are now blessed as it is in the Reuel 7.9 where the Saints are said to haue their white robes in token â—â—nnocency long in signe of statelinesse and palmes in their hands in signe of victory but it is as true that the soule is not happy sauing in the constant expectation of the last day when it shall bee ioined to the body and it hath not now that fulnesse of happinesse it then shall haue For it standeth with the law of retribution in God that as he receiued most glorie from them both when they were vnited so should he returne them most ioie and fulnesse of glory when by his power they are brought together againe And euen so fareth it now with the reprobate that are departed who feele onely torment in their soules at this time but when their bodies shall bee raked out of the dust then shall their paines be increased So as this is the doctrine we must hold that the soules of the Saints are blessed ante resurrectionem before the resurrection but fine resurrectione without the resurrection they are not blessed Rom. 14.9 God is said to be the Lord of the dead and Mat. 22.32 Christ saith he is not the God of the dead In which places there is no contrariety for Christ meaneth that he is not the God of the dead according to the supposition of the Sadduces for no man is a King without subiects nor a Captaine without souldiers nor God the God of Abraham vnlesse Abraham be but hee is the God of the dead because they by him shall be raised vp Now followeth the first part what shall be raised vp namely this verie body which we now carrie about vs shall bee raised vp Which is prooued first from the proportion and resemblance with the head for the same body of Christ that was buried was raised vp which is signified vnto vs by himselfe Luk. 24.39 who to remooue all doubts of the truth of his resurrection out of his disciples mindes said Behold my hands and my feet and Iohn 20.25 it is said that Thomas put his finger into Iesus side after his resurrection And so much did Christ foreteâ—â—â—â—re his death Ioh. 2.19 Destroy this temple meaning his body and I will build the same not another vp againe Secondly it is prooued from the proportion of Gods iustice toward the elect and the reprobate also for it standeth with his iustice that those lippes which in this life offred vp the calues of thanksgiuing vnto him that that body that hath beene baptized into Christs death that mouth that hath feed vpon Christ by faith that that bodie which hath beene exercised vnder the crosse and sanctified through afflictions which hath testified to the blood the profession of his trueth it standeth I say with the iustice of God that that bodie and no other should bee raised vp to glory And Paul noteth foorth so much in himselfe a member 1. Cor. 15.53 when he saith This mortall shall put on immortalitie as if saith a learned Father he had taken it vp in his hands to haue expressed his meaning Againe the proportion of Gods iustice toward the reprobate is that that knee that hath bowed to the Masse shall also bow to the diuell in hell torment and that that body which hath embrewed it selfe with the blood of Gods saints that hath rent as it were the Lord in peeces by their blasphemy and that haue shut vp their compassion from the poore that that body should bee punished eternally in hell fire and euen denied so much as a drop of cold water to coole their tongues Luk. 16.24 For what iustice were it in God to frame them new bodies and so to punish them in that flesh wherin they neuer sinned Nay it were meere iniustice to punish them in any other parts than those wherein they haue offended Now this bodie of the faithfull that shall be raised vp shall haue three speciall graces giuen vnto it which it had not before to shew the riches of Gods mercy toward them as first it shall be immortall and shall neuer putrifie secondly 〈◊〉 shall be maintained by no naturall power and thirdly it shall haue glory Answerable to these in another kinde shall the bodies of the reprobate be for first they shall wish they might rot but cannot secondly they were happie if they might pine away but the worme shall be continually gnawing yet neuer satisfied nor they weakned Mark 9.48 thirdly they shall haue horror and shame and howling and gnashing of teeth continually For the second point which is by what power our bodies are raised vp namely by the same spirit that Christ was raised vp Now then it may be asked how the reprobate shall rise for they partake not of this spirit nor haue any part in this resurrection It is true that the power of Christ as a Sauiour and the fruite and benefite of his death are inseparable from the elect and belong onely to them The reprobate therefore shall bee raised vp by the same power by which they were at first created and as at the first they were made by the power of God in his Sonne the Father consulting with his wisdome which is Christ euen so shall they bee raised vp againe by the power of God in his Sonne not as a redeemer but by the absolute power of Iesus Christ their Iudge Gen 3.23 And as when Adam fell he was not onely depriued of the tree of life but of all the other fruites of the garden and in the losse of that lost all the rest and was driuen out by violence and kept out by the sword from any more fight of God in Paradise euen so the reprobate deserue not onely to bee secluded from the possession of heauenly glory where growes that life that euer flourisheth but euen vtterly to be extinguished and abolished for they are but vsurpers vpon the Lords heritage and euen the aire which they breath in shall be their damnation for they deserue not so much as their being Yet such is the great bounty of God that he raineth as well vpon the vniust as vpon the iust yea and oftentimes obscureth his goodnesse toward his Saints and hideth as it were his face from them when the wicked flourish as tâ—â— Palme-tree and abound in all earthly prosperity but yet this is our comfort that they passe away as a shaft in the aire and as a ship on the sea so is their place no more seene and indeede they shall finde it were better for them they were not whereas the godly know that in 〈◊〉 earth they haue no abiding citie but that their treasure is in â—â—â—uen where their hearts alwaies be and their bodies heereafâ—â—â— shall be Because that his spirit dwelleth in you This is the third part was noted out vnto vs namely how this power of the spirit is in this life communicated vnto vs. Wherein obserâ—e that whosoeuer is regenerate is made partaker
God can haue no roome to dwell in such a soule Further from the Metaphor or borrowed speech dwelleth note that there is a residence of the holy Ghost in all those that be his so as it must not be a so iourning of the Lord with vs to come like a stranger for a night or for a meale and away againe but he must be a houshold guest to go in and out with vs so that we must know it is not euery pang of conscience or fit of prayer or hanging downe our heads for a day whereby we are sometime perplexed and wringed with sorrow that is the dwelling of the spirit in vs no more then was that fit of Balaam Numb 23.10 when he praied that his soule might die the death of the righteous and that his last end might be like his Neither is this spirit knowen to bee in thee by doing many good things for Herod Mark. 6.20 did many things at the perswasion of Iohn Baptist yet was he a most cruell incestuous bloudy tyâ—ant nor yet by leauing many euill things vndone for the very Heathen had many morall vertues which made them decline from many viâ—â—â— â—ut by this shalt thou know that thou hast this spirit if aâ—â—◠〈◊〉 â—â—osseth and repugneth thy affections if thy affections â—â—e â—â—t against it but that in the meditation and purpose of sin thou please thy selfe and take part with thy affections against God to fulfill it as Balaam did when by the proffer of riches Num. 24.13 he would faine haue cursed where the Lord had blessed it is certaine this spirit of God abideth not there but the diuell Lastly obserue since there is no hope of the resurrection but so farre as wee are sealed in this life to that glory wee shall haue heereafter by the earnest of Gods spirit giuen vnto vs we may truly say of the wicked whom the Son neuer kissed Psal 2.12 that when they die they go to the damned for he that hath not his part of this spirit in this life vnlesse the Apostle be a liar which were blasphemy to thinke that man shall neuer haue the glorie of the life to come And therefore such as do scorne and scoffe at the seruants of God as Ishmael did at Isaac Gen. 21.9 calling them Men of the spirit they do commit most sacrilegious scurrilitie and in this state wherein they stand they are as surely the diuels as the diuell is not Gods yea in this they do with their owne mouths pronounce and subscribe to their owne damnation for the Apostle saith we must haue this spirit else it is impossible to bee saued Heere it may be said Since there is only ioy and peace in the spirit how is it that the wicked runne on in the course of their life prosperously and in the end of their daies go away quietly whereas the godly walke through many snares and are in their life scratched as it were with many thornes and in their death oft times are much troubled and depart in great agonies True it is the wicked may perhaps die quietly and to the sight of man comfortably hauing as Iob speaketh no bands in their death Iob. 21.13 Psal 73.4 but looke thou iudge him no more by his death than by his birth for many women haue had more easie trauell of a reprobate than an elected child of God especially the cause of their quiet being because hypocrisie hath put their consciences to silence heere that they may soone after roare out in hell and there is such a crust growen vpon their hearts 1. Tim. 42. that they rot and fester within and feele it not whereas in the elect the 〈…〉 is kept alwaies open and wee cannot feele the least bâ—◠〈…〉 Lords displeasure but we are anguished neither can wee 〈◊〉 that we euer feare enough which tender heart of a Christiâ—â— is like the Adamant to draw the oile of comfort into his soule and to hasten and quicken the life of the spirit in him Let vs all therfore earnestly pray for this spirit hauing obtained it let vs cherish and welcome it so as it may take delight in vs for wee all know it must one day come to this In manas tuas Domine commendo spiritum meum Into thy hands O Lord I commend my spirit and it is now at this In manas tuas homo commendo spiritum meum Into thy hands O man I commit my spirit And therefore as we will haue the Lord gratious to our spirits at the latter day so let vs well vse and entertaine his spirit in this acceptable time which vouchsafeth to dwell with vs. ROM chap. 8. vers 12. verse 12 Therefore we are debters not to the flesh to liue after the flesh VPon that which went before the Apostle inferreth a most vehement exhortation to this effect that seeing Christ hath saued them and freed them not onely from the condemnation of sinne but also from the power of sinne therfore the Lord doth indent with them and in them with vs all not to merit saluation but because saluation is already merited for vs to be engaged and obliged to the Lord and that since he hath taken the hand writing away from Sathan Coloss 2.14 and hath cancelled it in Christ that therfore we should be debters not to the flesh but to the spirit Hâ—â—reupon obserue that the greatest argument to perâ—◠〈◊〉 rather to inforce vs to good workes is taken from 〈…〉 of our redemption as appeareth by Saint Paul who 〈◊〉 â—â—â—t argument Rom. 12.1 I beseech you by the mercies of God that you giue vp your bodies a liuing Sacrifice vnto the Lord that since the Lord hath beene so mercifull vnto you as not to looke vpon your nakednesse but as you are cloathed in Christ you would therefore returne vnto him conformitie of obedience in sacrificing your selues vnto him After the same manner doth Saint â—eter perswade 1. Pet. 2.11 I beseech you as stangers and pilgrimes abstaine from fleshly lusts As if hee should say Since you are now a chosen generation and a people set at liberty by the death of Christ and by this meanes made Citizens of heauen walke according to the lawes of that heauenlie citie Heere are they condemned that say If by doing good works we can deserue nothing what heart can we haue to doe them And since we are bought already why should the Lord be twife fatisfied Whereto we answer that though we can deserue nothing Luk. 17.10 yet by this meanes we shew our thankfulnesse in doing as much as we can and though in all things we are vnprofitable seruants yet must wee bee thankfull for that which Christ hath done for vs. And since Christ hath fully satisfied for vs it is not further required that wee keepe the law to satisfie it but to testifie our obedience and thankes that wee are made partakers of such grace and haue receiued so great a pardon And so by this our working we
to God but not to our selues A miserable euasion of a sottish distinctioâ—â—â— for the scope of Christ is in that place to proue from the lesse to the greater negatiuely that if such seruants whose life and death were in their masters hands as bond-men were in those times doing their duties and seruice neuer so well cannot deserue so much as thankes at their masters hands much lesse that they should emancipate and set themselues free and much lesse to be their masters heires then much lesse since there is no comparison betweene God in heauen and man on earth can we deserue at the hands of God lying in the vncleannesse of our first birth and ouergrowne with sinnes as we haue growne in yeeres to be sanctified by his spirit in this life and glorified by himselfe in the life to come for there is no bond-man so inthralled to his master as we are to God euen in respect of our first creation when we caried the glory of his image in our face and had as it were the crowne of innocency set vpon our heads and yet we wilfully ran from him to our shame till he returned vs againe in his loue so as now all that we doe is duty and not desert and why should he receiue thanks that doth but what we ought Yea say the Papists but yet we deserue something because we are not vnprofitable to our selues Absurd for what master will thinke himselfe beholden to that seruant who by his seruice only inricheth himselfe and bringeth no commodity to his master And yet by the meaning of the Papists because we get something vnder God and by his seruice God must be indebted to vs. But heereupon we say that true it is we are not vnprofitable to our selues for in Christ not onely the person but the worke also is accepted and the person onely in respect he is adopted and this adoption is onely in Christ but yet so as we neuer haue God beholden to vs. Therefore when he saith Come good seruant and faithfull Mat. 25.21 enter into thy masters ioy it is true that the Lord doth recompence the vsing of our talents well but this is so farre as we are iustified and are his sons so as first he loueth the person and then the worke and if he did not accept the iustification of the person he would disauow the worke but being his chldren though we are farre from doing that we ought yet as a kind and louing father he accepteth it pleasingly ROM chap. 8. vers 15. verse 15 For ye haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe but ye haue receiued the spirit of adoption whereby we crie Abba Father IN this verse and that which followeth the Apostle doth confirme that hee set downe before namely that wee are intitled to eternall life by inheritance and to confirme and ratifie that vnto vs wee haue this priuiledge to bee Gods sonnes and so heires of heauen The arguments he vseth be two first ye haue receiued that spirit whereby God doth witnesse that he doth accept you as his children in his naturall Sonne Christ Iesus And to proue we haue this spirit of a doption he doth it by the contrary for saith he like bond-slaues ye do not now feare the ghastly looks of the tormenter nor yee haue not now that hellish horrour and fearefull apprehension of Gods iudgements wherby Sathan vseth to whip mens consciences nor ye haue not that loud alarme of the killing law sounding in your eares and seizing vpon your soules to affright you Secondly in the verse following he proueth it by a double testimony first of Gods spirit which witnesseth this vnto vs and which were blasphemy to thinke it could suggest false things and secondly by our owne spirit which may assure our selues of it by our godly and holy conuersation By the spirit of bondage in this place is meant the holy Ghost who by the instrument of the killing letter that is the law doth propose and set downe such a condition of obedience to which we are obliged and bound by our creation and yet are now vtterly disabled by our corruption to performe it so as it is impossible to be kept and yet ought to be kept and laieth such a burthen vpon vs as neither wee nor our first parents were euer able to beare since they declined from the estate wherein they were at first created Whereupon this spirit of God by this meanes setting the law before vs as a glasse wherein wee may behold our selues conumceth the conscience of the good not done and of the euill that is done thereby shewing that no flesh can by this be iustified before God and sheweth and setteth before our eies not only the sinne but the vengeance which the sinne drawes after it so as our conscience can not bee but grieuously wounded with that hellish horrour wee haue voluntarily made our selues subiect vnto Now on the contrary the spirit of adoption is that worke of the holy Ghost whereby the incomprehensible loue of God in his Sonne is powred into our hearts that hee doth auow and know vs for his children so farre as we are not now bond-men to feare the performance of that impossible condition proposed by the law but we are heereby assured that what the law commandeth this spirit will either enable vs to performe or dispence and beare with our imperfections in not doing it with that perfection it requireth and so by consequent we ascertaine our selues that wee are the sonnes of God The parts heerein to be obserued are two there being set downe an opposing of a double spirit of contrarie natures working contrarie effects according to their natures The effect of the first being a dreadfull and fearefull expectation of endlesse and hellish torments the effect of the other being a comfortable securitie and breeding a heauenly hope that wee shall bee blessed of the Lord out of which as out of a root springeth and ariseth chearefull obedience to God our Father the other inforcing vs only through feare to loue God as bondslaues Herein is questionable whether by this spirit of bondage here spoken of is meant the spirit of Sathan or the holy Ghost that should thus terrify and affright vs. But note it must be vnderstood of Gods spirit which is the author of working holy despaire and by consequent of terror and is an occasion of despaire in the wicked and this is as proper for the spirit of God as to offer the sweet comfort of Christs bitter passion vnto vs. For by this meanes and maner of terrifying it bringeth both the elect and the reprobate to despaire but to a diuers end For the elect in this sort that shewing it impossible and past our power to performe the law euen as impossible as to build a tower to the heauens or to remooue a promontorie with our finger it bringeth vs to a holy despaire in our selus in respect of our own deserts thereby driuing vs to seeke
the vengeance as neuer to be forgotten Tosiphone that tooke vengance vpon murtherers yea almost for euery sinne committed they had a seuerall fury which was thought to punish it Yea by this very light of nature they likewise imagined some of these furies to burne the of fendours with torches some to sting with Adders And what bee these furies saith the Philosopher Nothing else but Suae quemque exagitant furiae that is Euery man is tormented with his owne furie which is his conscience the property whereof is to present thy sinne before thy fâ—ce that out of thine owne mouth thou maiest â—ee iudged yea the heathen had such a deepe impression of these tortures as committing some foule and hainous fact without some expiation or sacrifice they thought they should neuer bee in quiet But the greatest instrument which is the second that the spirit vseth to strike feare into the soule and conscience is the law written which is a dead letter and such a sentence that for desert pronounceth damnation as oft as we read it which we must needs conceiue to bee so if wee consider that the least bad thought is damnation though it bee not coupled with consent to bring forth an actuall fruit of sinne What then Is the preaching of the law the worker of this terror And are some by the booke of nature so exagitate and troubled with furies as they cannot rest when they haue slipt into some sinne and yet shall there be some in these daies that are so frozen in Atheisme and so ouergrowne in the weeds of Popery and so possest with the power of the diuell that they are not once touched or pricked in their hearts for their horrible sins but that liuing as diuels they hope to be saued as Saints Indeed it is not be doubted but that now there is greater Atheisme in some and lesse sorrow and remorse for sinne in others then was in the heathen and yet it was the iust iudgement of God then as Paul saith to giue vp the heathen into a reprobate sense Rom. 1.28 that they might receiue in themselues such recompence of their error as was meete and therefore much more in vengeance doth the Lord deliuer vp these men to be beguiled of their owne fancies and to become senssesse in their owne sins since they profit not by this booke of the written law pronounced by the Lords owne mouth and deliuered by the Lords owne hand the truth whereof ought not to be called in question though these men really confute it by their liues thinking there is no Christ to saue nor God to punish nor conscience to accuse nor diuell to torment but with scurrility do scorne at the wholsome disease of tendernesse and terror of conscience which they themselues at their separation shall finde so great as neither themselues can still neither in truth can it be stilled And howsoeuer many peraduenture haue commanded their conscience to be silent and put away the euill day far from them and think themselues safe inough if they may be let alone till the last day yet we haue seene some of the eldest sons of Sathan after a long and redious hypocrisie wherein they were fallen asleepe to haue beene so fearefully astonished in the end and plunged and cast down into so deepe despaire as they euen seemed to heare the very echo of the damned spirits which is a most hideous and terrible sound in the eares of the most carnall man that is and could by no meanes bee comforted or any whit eased but haue either hanged themselues as Iudas did or otherwise died in a sense of hellish torment in this life For as in a seared peece of flesh there is alwaies left in the toppe some crust but vnder that there is euer some pregnant sense so if the Lord once pare away from the soule that is cauterized and crusted then is the feare and terror of those men greater for they feele the flame of the Lords indignation which the elect neuer doe hauing by a sanctified wisedome preuented this extremity by seeking remedy in Christ who giueth and neuer vpbraideth Now to prooue that the Law is such a dead letter as being rightly vnderstood it is impossible to keepe thy selfe from despaire in respect of any thing which in thine owne person thou canst deserue obserue that this law of God teacheth that lust in thy heart is absolute adulterie Mat. 5.22.28 and that anger in heart is flat murder wherein it goeth beyond and surpasseth all the laws of any earthly Prince which free the heart and extend onely to the act whereas this law bindeth both the outward man from working and the inward man from compassing mischiefe Now if thou come to weigh and examine thy selfe in this ballance and take this law for a touchstone to trie whether thou beest gold or drosse thou shalt find thy selfe too light but refuse for who can say I haue not offended who can say I am not crazed nay whateuer thou art thou canst not clear thy heart of these such like passions of heat betokening wrath and of corrupt thoughts bewraying thy vncleane heart But if thou enter into this consideration that though thou thinke of such things and thy heart reprooues thee yet that in the strict construction of this law if thou hast but a wandring or wanton thought in the precisenesse thereof thou shalt be damned for all and euery particular power both of body and soule ought to bee taken vp for Christ and wholly vsed to his glory so as if thou callest in doubt the truth of the Scripture though thy heart abhorreth it it is damnation If thou examine thy selfe according to this rule and yet escapest from the sight of despaire it is hard nay it is impossible for this is the sharpest edge of the law and the most fretting corasiue that eates out the dead flesh of our sinful hearts that sounds the bottome of mans vast soule and toucheth the sinnes that lie betweene the skinne and the bones Since for our very thoughts alone by the tenth commandement without consent we are culpable of iudgement which S. Paul Rom. 7.7 expresseth by speaking in his own person I had not known lust that is the fountaine and seate whence lust doth spring except the Law had said Thou shalt not lust Heere then we must needs confesse since this ought to bee euery mans examination that if we doe not examine ourselues after this sort formerly set downe it is a signe we haue not this spirit of adoption because we haue not had the spirit of bondage Now this is no examination of our selues to liue morally as to receiue the testimony of men that we are honest in giuing perhaps a groate to the poore and pardoning the forfeiture of an obligation and such like and yet not sticke to prophane Gods sabbath to contemne his messengers to poure out othes by Faith which includeth the whole blessed Trinity and say it is nothing
by the Masse that most execrable idoll and say it is sworne out of the country Can a man thinke himselfe rich that is indebted to all the world and hath nothing wherewithall to pay them And can such men that bee very beasts and without sense before God esteeme themselues vertuous and religious because they are onely highly praised of men They see not their owne estate because they haue not examined themselues according to the former rule When a man hath swept his chamber he thinkes all is cleane but when the Sunne commeth it sheweth many a mote hee could not before spie out so if the spirit would once shine into these mens consciences they should see not onely motes but most deformed and enormous sinnes in their hearts And how friuolous is it to stand vpon mans witnesse without religion which pierceth and looketh into the soule For otherwise he that thinketh himselfe in best health carieth his deaths wound in his bosome The basest gold is better then the purest led and the greatest imperfections of Gods children better then the highest vertues of the wicked and neuer shall they bee exalted that haue not before beene humbled The law is a hammer not onely to bruise the conscience but to breake it into powder which if it be not done wee shall neuer haue the spirit of adoption to seize vpon vs. The law commands but giueth no power to obey and is as if we should say to a beggar Buy such a mannor when he hath neuer a penny to helpe himselfe nor yet we giue him any money to do it euen so purchase heauen with thy works saith the law and yet knowes we are spoiled of all abilitie and doth not enable vs to doe such workes all one as if we should say to one hold vp the heauens with thy finger and yet giue him no strength to do it or as if we should say to the blind see it is comfortable and to the deafe heare it is profitable and yet giue them no meanes whereby they should doe these So the law is but a dead letter and hath but a dolefull and dreadfull sound vntill the spirit come and arme vs with power and abilitie to performe what the law requireth Lastly where it is said Luk. 15.21 Ye haue not receiued the spirit of bondage againe obserue that all that are conuerted and with the lost sonne are come home againe haue beene once brought to a terrour and fright of conscience which hath beene after a diuers measure for the Lord keepes some longer in the schoole of the law then he doth others according as hee findeth their hearts and dispositions inclinable to stoope and to be humbled or else for example sake as seemeth best to the Lord. But yet euery one of Gods chidren must come to this that is Act. 2.37 being moued and pricked in conscience to say and crie out What shal I doe to be saued I see my debt where shall I get surety I perceiue my nakednesse where shall I be couered I am fallen how shall I be recouered And being touched in their hearts if they fall not into that exclamation then as it is said of Ely his sonnes 1. Sam. 2.25 they obeyed not because the Lord would slay them so for these men to be baked in their sinnes and to see their destruction and not to shunne it and by this meanes to despaire finally is the iust iudgement of God that he may be auenged of their great hypocrisie for mercy offered and refused or set light by doubleth the punishment Euen as in this nation by the blessed preaching of the Gospell Sathan is cast out in the generall profession of the Land if now he labour to creepe in againe by hypocrisie and make vs thinke religion to rest in shewes and consist in ceremonies growing more leane and ilfauoured after we haue deuoured so many yeeres of store and plentie in preaching the word we doe erre in our hearts and do arme our enemie against vs who at his reentrance will bring seuen spirits worse then he did before Luk. 11.25 and will so fortifie his habitation with hypocrisie and other great and monstrous sinnes as there shall be more profannesse in this nation then euer there was before But ye haue receiued the spirit of adoption In this the Apostle proueth that we are the Sonnes of God because we are so adopted in the euerlasting grace of his blessed Sonne And to proue we haue this spirit he doth it by the contrary thus we are deliuered from the spirit of feare and redeemed into such a Christian liberty as we now loue God not for feare but feare him for his loue In this there are two parts to be considered first what this spirit of adoption is secondly the inseparable effect that followeth it namely an assured confidence to come boldly before the Lord euen as children before their parents to craue pardon for our sinnes For the first this spirit is the holy Ghost assuring vs by the word of grace that is the Gospell that the Lord hath auowed vs for his children in that one and best beloued Sonne of his Christ Iesus so that no extremities of this life nor sorrowes of death nor sinne it selfe shall be able to ouer whelme vs. Therefore it is said in the Scriptures that the holy Ghost setteth a seale vpon the heart of his elect Ephes 1.13 and writeth a deed in their consciences which is but a draught of that originall deed which is in heauen in the booke of the Lords gouernment And this is sealed vnto vs by the finger of the spirit to free it from the forgery of Sathan and by this euidence we make our title to the kingdome of heauen â— Cor. 5.5 Also it is called an earnest penie because as in contracts by giuing a penie in earnest the partie is obliged and bound to pay the rest so this being as it were the first fruites of the spirit the Lord doth assure vs that as verily as we haue receiued thus much in hand in this vale of misery so this shall bee a pawne and pledge vnto vs that he will giue vs the rest in the fuâ—â—eâ—â—◠〈◊〉 is glory vnder which assurance we rest and lie down in hope with ioy vnspeakeable And as the first fruits in the law made the whole crop holy so this sparke of the Lords grace being kindled and set on fire in vs doth embolden vs to an expectation of the full enioying of our whole Lord Christ Iesus This testimony oft times is very weake especially when Sathan doth sift and winnow vs as he did Peter Luk. 17.5 so as we had need to pray with the disciples Lord encrease our faith Yet as a prisoner in a darke dungeon seeing but the Sunne at a little grate doth know and beleeue that the Sunne shineth vpon the whole earth so though we be shackled and imprisoned in this flesh as in a dungeon that we are not able to
behold the Sun-shine of the Lord in full measure which is the Sunne of light and of life yet we haue such a glimpse as wee cannot bee perswaded but it shineth vpon our soules And as the child in the mothers womb stirring neuer so weakly yet euen by that feeble motion she is assured that it hath life so the least light of the Sunne of righteousnesse is most sweet comfortable vnto vs. Which doctrine as it ministreth and bringeth consolation to a weake soule so must it be as a sharpe spur vnto vs that this righteousnesse may be encreased and that this spirit of God may delight to dwell in vs that we being grounded and growing daily in a perswasion of Gods loue towards vs it may enforce vs to loue him more and more and the strength and perfection of this loue may and ought to make vs resist and shunne all contrary means whereby our encrease and growth in faith may bee hindered And because this spirit of the Lords adoption is inward and can not be perceiued that many be deluded by Sathans subtilty and forgerie foisting and thrusting in another deed than euer God gaue vs especially working vpon the weake heart of man which being fraught and full of selfe-loue is easily perswaded of any good to it selfe therefore we must learne how to discerne whether it be the true euidence of Gods spirit or no which we haue within vs. And for that the Apostle here setteth down one effect and fruit of this spirit for all that is that there is a confidence of any good conscience to come boldly before the Lord as a child before his father to preferre our suites vnto him and to offer vp our praiers vpon the golden altar Reuel 8.3 that is the mediation of Christ by whose meanes and through whose obedience and suffering they shall sauour before the Lord as a sweet incense and the Lord shall put into them daily a new incense by the spirit assuring vs more and more of his louing fauor◠and we shall not hide our selues and run away when we are called Gen. 3.8 as Adam did but being disburdened of that which doth presse vs downe from the presence of God we shall come cheerefully before him and ioy our selues in that the Lord will looke so pleasingly vpon vs Other effects of this spirit and yet arising from the former are these If the spirit worke in vs the same affection towards God that nature doth produce in children toward their parents as first to loue God secondly to feare him thirdly to reuerence him fourthly to be obedient to him fiftly to be thankfull to him all which vertues be in good children who do alwaies acknowledge all they haue to proceed from their father as the speciall instrument from God and if we haue beare these affections to God our father as to loue him for his mercies to feare him for his loue to reuerence him for his goodnesse to obey him for his greatnes and to be thankfull to him for his kindnesse then may we assure our selues that we haue the spirit of adoption sealed vp in vs for our saluation In that we crie Abba Father learne that no obstinate or resolute sinner persisting deliberately in his sinne and his heart deliting in it can once open his mouth to pray nor neuer did pray The like whereof may be said of the hypocrite for though they may falsely perswade themselues that offering vp a few words in forme of a praier it is sufficient to purge the vncleannesse of their liues and that impudently and in presumption they may call God Father when their harts be impure and vncleane yet Iohn 8.44 Christ calleth them the children of their father the diuell And though Sathan may perswade an obstinate and wilfull sinner as he did Houah Gen. 3.4.5 that doing such an euill and wicked thing they shall not hang in hell alwaies threatening where God promiseth and promising where God threatneth vntill he take them in the lurch at the time of their death and then he ouerreckneth them yet it is certaine he cannot pray vnlesse he haue this spirit and this spirit none hath if they delight and sauour of sin so as though they cry Peace peace to their owne conscience and seruing the diuell will neuerthelesse vaunt themselues to bee the sonnes of God it is the Lords iustice that permitteth Sathan so to blinde them that they cannot see their sickenesse to the death for 1. Iohn 3.8 it is said He that committeth sinne is of the diuell Can the poison of Aspes and the sacrifice of praier proceed both from the same tongue No. Grapes cannot grow of thornes nor figs of thistles and Esay 66.3.5 the Lord saith that he that offereth sacrifice without trembling that is without reformation of life it is as if he killed a man which is most vnsauory to the Lord. So as lawfull things and things commanded be an abomination to the Lord when the soule and conscience is not answerable to the action and to the outward profession Howbeit things simply forbidden are sinnes both in the regenerate and vnregenerate and the prayers of these men that thus can lie on their beds and imagine mischiefe and yet can open their lippes by way of conference and speech with God are no better then those of the rebels in the North who when they had published all their mischiefe which tended to the ouerthrow of our dread Soueraigne yet ended and concluded their proclamation with God saue Queene Elizabeth Now concerning hypocrites that they cannot pray but by imitation of Christians as Parots looke vpon the rule of Dauid Psal 66.18 If I regard saith he wickednesse in my heart the Lord will not heare me that is if I delight in sin my praiers shall not come neare him so as make what shew thou wilt if thy heart be not vpright it auaileth not For as it is said Iohn 9.31 God heareth no sinners that is no malicious and deliberate sinners which intend and compasse mischiefe in their inward parts howsoeuer in hypocrisie they dissemble it And it is certaine it is as impossible to pray without this spirit as to vnderstand without a soule Further obserue how this spirit begets in vs such peace of conscience that makes vs confident in crauing our wants at Gods hand as from the spirit of adoption cōmeth faith so from faith issueth and streameth inuocation and calling vpon God by praier This faith grounded vpō the loue of God in Christ doth assure vs that whatsoeuer is good in heauen or in earth God wil bestow it vpon vs then steppeth in praier and according as the soule is burdned either with a desire to be deliuered from danger or with an affection to haue some wants supplied or to declare and expresse our thankefulnesse it doth take the present occasion and for sloweth no time to enter into the sanctuarie of Gods presence and there to lift vp our weak hands and to send
to reprooue vs no more which is the next steppe to damnation or else our conscience will pursue and follow vs with Hue and Crie as not to leaue vs till wee bee taken for resistance and withstanding of our conscience is a cloud not easily ouerblowen a fire not easily to be quenched and an inditement hardly to be trauersed but our sinnes shall stare vs on the face and crie for vengeance Now if our conscience bee brought asleepe by our custome in sinne either we shall die in this benummednesse and dulnesse of heart a most fearefull signe of reprobation and after death it shall weepe it fill in hell or else if the Lord do shew vs mercy after the sense and feeling of sinne so long discontinued he doth it as it were by the burning feuer of desperation for that is the cure of a Lethargy and doth so presse vs downe vnder the weight and burden of sinne as that horror shall be without and terror within yea wee shall seeme to be cast into the deepe of deepes and euery small sinne shall seeme accompanied with the huge hammer of the Lords wrath to bruise vs in peeces Further obserue as the Lords spirit alone cannot bring vs that heauenly security and blessed assurance of our eternall peace we hope for nor our owne spirits alone cannot do it so it must be the testimonie of both these concurring and meeting together For some are merely morall without religion thinking by a ciuill cariage of themselues to winne the sight of God others haue either a true zeale of a false religion as Paul had before his conuersion Rom. 7.9.10 or else they may be religious in shew hauing a counterfeit zeale of a true religion as the Laodiceans had Reuel 3.15 and yet both these thinke in their conscience they shall be saued when in truth they are as farre from the thing it selfe as they are neere to the conceit of it Another sort there is that deceiue themselues most grossely â—â—â—ken of Prouerb 30.11 There is a generation pure in their owne eies and yet they are not washed from their filthinesse that is from their open and enormous sins So as besides the opinion we must haue of our selues that we stand in Gods fauour wee must shew the seale of the Lord that is his spirit or else there is no sound ioy or any comfortable security that we shall be saued 1. Iohn 5.10 And for our actions euery of which must haue the allowance of our conscience wee must marke that a good intent will not make a good action for they that condemned Christ did it because he made himselfe equall with God Iohn 19.7 Iohn 5.18 which was expresly against the law written and therefore thought they had in this done God high and honorable seruice but Christ crieth Luk. 23.34 Father forgiue them they know not what they doe So Peter when Christ foretelleth of his death had an earnest desire to aduise his master to spare himselfe and therefore Mat. 16.22 he tooke Christ aside rebuked him but Christ vers 23. looking backe with an angry countenance bids him get him behind Sathan as being onely worldly wise and not vnderstanding the things that are of God So as we must know to the performance of a good worke the allowance of the heart and the warrant of the word of God must go together Verse 17. If we be children we are also heires euen the heires of God and heires annexed with Christ if so be that we suffer with him that we may also be glorified with him This is inferred by direct consequent to that that went before as vers 13. where the Apostle exhorting to reformation of life doth it by a double contrary so as they insue and follow one another thus They that mortifie the deeds of the flesh are led by the spirit by being thus directed by the spirit they are assured that they are the sons of God by being his sons that they shall haue an inheritance therfore they that liue a holy life must needs be saued And because it might be ouestionable how this title of being Gods children is giuen vnto vs he hath resolued it befoâ—â— vers 15. by a double argument because the Lord in the Goâ—pell doth offer vs such grace as we may come freely and boldly to him as to a father and we stand not now in that terror that was in the deliuery of the Law but we are freed from that bondage The second argument was vers 16. because the spirit doth seale this euidence vnto vs that as our heart doth know what is in vs so doth the spirit also and this spirit doth witnesse that we are children and being children then we be heires which is the scope the Apostle driueth at in this 17. verse When the Apostle saith We are heiâ—â—s of God he setteth down what manner of inheritance it is that we shall haue heereafter not an earthly but a kingdome and a possession of eternity as that the Lord will neuer leaue vs till he hath lifted vs vp to that celestiall place where Christ himselfe sitteth Psal 84.10 It had been great fauor if we might haue been as Dauid speaketh but doore-keepers in the kingdome of heauen nay it might well haue satisfied vs if only our sinnes had beene pardoned or if we had been but the Lords friends or of his acquaintance so as any way hee would haue respected vs considering our rebellion but besides all this to be restored to our former honour nay to haue greater priuiledge then euer Adam had in his first integrity and to be aduanced to the Lords owne throne if all the hearts of men were one heart the full measure of this ioy and the depth of this the Lords loue could not once enter in nor be conceiued And fellow-heires with Christ This is to set forth the certaintie of the place of our inheritance God hath life for he is the fountaine of it but he dwelleth in fire Esay 33.14 and in a place not to be attained vnto therefore the Apostle setteth downe heere heâ—â— we come to it namely in Christ as it is 1. Iohn 5.11 God hath giuen vs eternall life and that life is in the Sonne and by his mediation is conueied to vs. Secondly in that we are fellow-heires with Christ note the excellency of the Lords fauour not only to giue vs life and to place vs with Angels but euen with his owne Sonne Whereby we see that his eare was open to the praier of Christ which he made â—â—ttle before his agony Iohn 17.20 I pray saith he for all that thou hast giuen me that thou wouldest Father 〈◊〉 them with the same loue thou louest me and crowne thâ—â—â— with 〈…〉 glory thou crownest me 〈◊〉 of this ariseth two comfortable priuiledges which the â—â—â—t haâ—e first if wee be heires with Christ in heauen much more are we heires of the transitory blessings of this life and being heires with him wee haue
proportion betweene the head and the members for wee shall bee carried vp into the highest heauens and wee shall stand before the throne viewing the glorious face of God and hauing the fruition of his blessed presence The greatnesse of this glorie howbeâ—â— it needeth rather meditation then explication yet something shall bee spoken of it that the vaile may bee taken from our eies that wee may sound and faddome in some sort the bottome of Christ his â—ole in his glorie which of our selues we cannot doe no more then the Iewes could into the ministery of Moses This place fitteth with that 2. Cor. 4.17 Our light affliction which is but for a moment bringeth vnto vs an euerlasting excellent weight of glory Where consider two things first that betweene these afflictions and that glory there is no comparison in the greatnesse it shall be a weight excellently excellent as the word signifieth whereas afflictions are but for a an houre Secondly the glory shall be more durable in respect of eternity whereas the other are but in this life onely For the first consider it in two degrees first the particular ioy euery child and man of God shall haue in his death and dissolution secondly the exceeding glory he shall be filled with when all things shall be perfect and God shall be all in all The first of these hath two parts first it containeth an absolute immunity and freedome from all infirmities of body and soule according as it is said All teares shall be wiped away for the body shall be free from labour care and such like and the soule shall be free from the suggestions of Sathan by couetousnesse and other corruptions wherewith the best and choisest of Gods seruants in this life are wonderfully assaulted Secondly the bodie sleeping in the earth the soule shall be absolutly sanctified from sinne and liue in the fauour of God so as there shall be added vnto vs a present entrance into the Lords ioy which none can comprehend but they that feele it Luk. 23.43 This in the Scripture is called the entrance into the Paradise of the Lord and Paul 2. Cor. 5.8 desireth to remoue out of the body that in his soule he might be with the Lord Iesus who resteth in such a place as hath in it whatsoeuer may moue either admiration or may giue contentation and is described Reuel 21.4 to be destitute of sorrow crying and paine and to haue the foundation of the wals thereof garnished with all manner of precious stones and to be lightned onely with the glory of God needing neither Sunne nor Moone It is also called Abrahams bosome Luk. 16.22 Ioh. 14.2 Reuel 19.9 the presence with the Lambe the gathering of vs into the companie of innumerable Angels and the mansion house of our Father The second degree of this glory is at the restitution of all things which the Apostle heere speaking of verf. 21. calleth the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God This standeth in two parts first in the resurrection of our bodies when they shall be made incorruptible and glorions and shall neede no naturall prouision nor maintenance for they shall shine as the Sunne and the Sunne shall then be seauentimes brighter then it is The second is that God shall be all in all that is the whole God-head shall immediatly raigne and the humanity of Christ shall more manifestly be subiected which is to the greater glory of it that his god head shall be so great for then there shall be no more office of Christ Iesus to procure any more good to his children but the benefit of the former shall continue for euer for then his enemies shall be all put downe and then the Sonne she ll resigne vp his kingdome to his Father that is all enemies being vanquished and that one enemy Death being abolished he shall raigne no more not that God raigneth not now for he raigneth in the person of his Sonne as Mediator but then his office shall end and he shall raigne onely as God For these are but the daies that the Lord Iesus doth woo vs and maketh loue to vs Reu. 19.7 but then shall the marriage be solemnized and for the better setting foorth of this with all magnificence and greatest state all creatures shal be restored that they may serue and attend at the celebrating of this feast Now for the second part that is the comparison of the glorie and afflictions in respect of continuance we see that no affliction lasteth but for the present but this glory is eternall Gods loue toward vs eternall before the world to predestinate vs eternall after the world to glorifie vs that as the first had no beginning so the last shall haue no end So as wee may consider of two eternities though to speake properly there is but one the first before the creation thesecond after the worlds dissolution Now betweene these two there is a certaine time for the world and a thousand yeeres in respect of eternity is but as one day nay as Moses saith Psal 90.4 A thousand yeeres are but as yesterday that is past 2. Pet. 3.8 So as counting the world fiue thousand yeeres it is but as the length of fiue daies past and of these fiue thousand yeeres what are fourescore which is a great age for any man to liue to and a farre greater time then euer any man was afflicted in It is not much more then a moment no way an hower and therefore these afflictions are no way comparable to the eternity of that glory wee shall haue heereafter not so much as a drop of water to the whole Sea or one graine to all the sand And yet we speake now as if a man should neuer but be afflicted euen from his cradle to his death liuing the full age of a man which neuer befell any In Esay 54.8 is shewed what seuenty yeeres be and by the accompt of the spirit of God himselfe they be but as the least minute for the Lord there saith For a moment in mine anger I hid my face from thee but with euerlasting mercy haue I had compassion on thee and this moment was seuenty yeeres for so long were the Iewes in captiuity Iâ—â— 25.12 So as affliction by this reckoning during the whole yeeres and life of man is but a moment and a great part of this moment is past before we can be said to suffer affliction for it is but a confused kind of paine that children sustaine and againe there was neuer any affliction so great but there was some either intermission or remission either the tormenter was wearied or the whip was wasted or they that were tormented died Now if the glory after our induring of these afflictions should last but so many millions of yeeres as there be starres in the heauens there might yet be some more and easier and equall comparison betweene them because at the last this glory should haue an end but it farre
Elizabet no doubt prayed in their youth for the fruite of their bodie but they were not then heard for the Lords time was not yet but when Zachary as priest was exercising the publike ministerie of the Church and both he and his wise striken in age then the Angell comes and tels him the Lord had heard his prayers and that his wife should haue a child Which may be a great encouragement to vs to grow perfect in this exercise and that the worke of praier may bee easie to vs because there is not a word falls to the ground but either it rebounds presently vpon vs againe with a blessing or that blessing is reserued for a better time when it trebles the ioy in receiuing an vnexpected benefit No doubt Iacob had fetched many a sigh for the losse of his sonne Ioseph Gen. 37.34 but if Ioseph had presently returned to his father before he obtained the honour in Egypt it had nothing so much cheared Iacobs heart Gen. 45.27 as it did when he saw the chariots sent to fetch him that he might see him in his state and dignitie So for the Lord to cary in his remembrance and to keepe as it were a booke of our prayers alwayes open before his eyes and either to heale vs when we are past cure as he did Dauid when he heard him out of the deepe of deeps or in his good time to put vs in mind of our owne prayers by the fruit doubled in our bosome when we thought our haruest past can not but exceedinglie stirre vs vp to magnifie his goodnes and to employ all the powers of our soule to please him Thirdly we pray for many things which we cannot obtaine and yet we must pray for them for if we cannot haue our desire here it shall be fulfilled in the life to come as when wee pray that Gods kingdome may come that we may be deliuered from temptation and that wee may not sinne which onely shall be performed in the life to come for God according to his owne disposition of times hath ordained that we his creatures should apply our selues vnto and therefore hath taught vs by his spirit as well to pray for the end as for the meanes Faith in this life being the foundation of our hope and our hope being perfited in the life to come through the loue of Christ so that as here we pray to haue our faith strengthened our infirmities cured our sins pardoned and Gods graces renewed in vs daily which be apples of such a tree as we taste of in this life so here we pray also that sinne may be abolished the number of Gods elect gathered and the worke of our sanctification perfited which is the end and perfection of the former and which is reserued for a better life when both our owne prayers and the intercession of Christ for vs also shall cease Fourthly obserue that God so heareth thy prayers that though he do not graunt formam the forme yet he graunteth finem the end of thy prayers Euen as Christ when he prayed in the garden Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me now shall wee say that Christ euer prayed and was not heard Mat. 26.39 God forbid and yet the cuppe did not passe from him yet was hee heard as the Apostle to the Hebrewes saith in that he feared for though hee was not deliuered from death Heb. 5.7 yet was hee freed from the horrour of death for an Angell was sent to comfort him 2. Cor. 12.8 So Paul when he prayed to be deliuered from the buffetings of Satan he had his desire thus farre the Lord graunteth the end of his prayer that is strength to abide it exempted he could not be but this was it the power of the Lord should be in him so much the greater as his temptations and afflictions were increased so that none must be discouraged nor grow cold though their first or second voice in praier be not heard for by this we learne first to continue in praier and in this doth the Lord secretly heare vs that wee breake not off Secondlie the Lord doth for a time withdraw his eares from the words of our mouth that we may know the deliuerance praied for comming from God we are not to appoint him the houre Thirdly we stay a time before our hands be filled with our requests to exercise our patience that our desire be not like the longing and fainting of a woman Fourthlie that by this small absence of the Lord in not hearing our praiers at the first we may learne to depend vpon his prouidence Fiftlie that we may vse them the better when we haue them and receiue them with the greater thankfulnesse because things wished for as they are gratefully receiued so are they carefully preserued ROM chap. 8. vers 28. verse 28 Also we know that all things worke together for the best vnto them that loue God euen to them that are called of his purpose HEere the Apostle proceedeth to open another fountaine of exceeding comfort to the faithfull which is all things worke for the best to those that loue God but euery faithfull man is assured he loues the Lord therefore to him all things worke for the best and if all things then afflictions He proues it by this reason to those that be predestinate all things turne to the best but they that loue the Lord are predestinate therefore to them all things turne to the best And to proue this he setteth downe a reason vers 29. Those that be called in the eternall purpose of God them hath he predestinate to be like the image of his Sonne Heb. 2.9 that as he passed by the crosse and from the crosse to glory so shall wee being children of the same Father and who are borne and bound to resemble Christ our elder brother in this point chiefly To declare how afflictions worke for the best in Gods children we must vnderstand that afflictions be of two sorts either remedies to correct our corruptions and heale our infirmities or els exercises of Gods graces in his children that he may try them how much they will suffer for his sake For the first kind of afflictions we cannot doubt but they do worke for the best whether we consider them as chastisements for sins past or as preuentions of sins to come For sins that are committed the rod is necessary for he is a bastard that is not corrected that wee may see and loath the cause of our affliction that is our corruption as it is said 1. Cor. 11.32 We are chastised of the Lord because we should not be condemned with the world And to Dauid the Lord saith Thy sonnes I will correct for their sinnes but my louing kindnesse shall neuer depart from thee for the punishments of these our sinnes are pardoned in the sacrifice of Christ but so is not the chastisement for this proceedeth from the loue of God and Christ
sinne proues there is a law which law being broken bringeth death for the wages of sinne is death Rom. 6.23 The second sort is of them who though they be called by the booke of heauen and earth as the Gentiles were Rom. 1.20 who do see the eternall power of God in the creation of the world and other his works and liuing to a more vnderstanding age are euen by the light of nature without all excuse yet are they not inuited by the voice of the Gospell to rise from the dead but die in their sinnes as the Canibales Barbarians and the Iewes since their Apostasie to whom there pertaineth nothing but a fearefull expectation of iudgement Heereof followeth and is to be obserued that it is contrary to the scripture to thinke that it was the will of God from eternity that all should be saued for then it was his will likewise that all should come to the knowledge of their saluation for whom he hath ordained to the end them hath hee also ordained to the meanes whereas to the reprobate the sound of the word if they doe heare it is but as the noise of bels confusedly iarring in their eares and yet many there be that neuer heard it Why but it is said 1. Tim. 2.4 that it is the will of God all should be saued True all men not euery singular particular man but of euery singular condition of men some not all of all kinds but of all kinds some according to that speech of the Euangelist Mat. 4.23 Christ healed euery disease in Iury that is euery kind of disease not euerie particular disease Now if all men come not to the knowledge of the truth of God either it is done by the wil of God or against his will to say that it is against his will were impious and blasphemous for this were to hold that something could offer violence to the will of God and as if he might not otherwise haue purposed which must be far from a Christian heart to imagine If then this be done with his will then it followeth that his will is changeable if hee once meant to saue them for wee see some euen like dogges readie to rend them in peeces that offer them the pearle of the word whom if the Lord had purposed to saue Mat. 7.6 they should not continue persecutors of the truth as Paul saith of himselfe 1. Timoth. 1.12.13 It pleased Christ Iesus to put me in his seruice being before a blasphemer a persecuter an oppressor and I was receiued to mercy And where it is said 1. Iohn 2.2 that Christ is the reconciliation for the sinnes of the whole world it is to be vnderstood for the sinnes of all sorts and degrees of men gathered out of all the parts of the world and this Christ himselfe interpreteth Ioh. 17.9 when he said Father I pray not for the world and vndoubtedly he will neuer saue them he neuer praied for for whom he excluded from his praier them he neuer meant should haue benefit by his death nay hee had beene bound in duty to haue praied for all if all had been elected to saluation Now if it be asked why men are damned the answer is easie It is for their sinne howbeit it was purposed in the Lords vncontrolable decree that they should be damned before they euer sinned and being corrupt in themselues the Lord hardneth them either by withdrawing the meanes or the power of the meanes the first by ignorance the second by denying them vnderstanding hearts So as if it be demanded why the Lord hardned any it is because he found him corrupt in Adam if why hee damneth any it is because he found him a sinner in himselfe Whom he calleth he iustifieth that is doth absolutely pardon him all his sinne and absolutely impute vnto him all his Sonnes righteousnesse that as Christ for vs was made sinne so wee in Christ might bee made righteous so as iustification is the translation and remouing of our sinne to Christ and the translation and remouing of his righteousnesse to vs. To our sinne hee opposeth his obedience to the punishment of our sinne hee opposeth his satisfaction otherwise he had not fully acquitted vs by fulfilling the law vnlesse he had satisfied his Fathers wrath for our breach of the law in our corrupt birth For if a man could now fulfill all the law of God yet should hee not bee saued because he was borne corrupt and could not possibly satisfie for that was past and in performing the law afterward he should doe nothing but his duty But this is our comfort that the Lord seeing our weaknesse hath in his loue passed by it and seeing our thoughts to bee alwaies euill taketh no account nor reckoning of vs but were sembling the image of his Sonne the Lord reckoneth with him and striketh off our debts in setting them on his score who hath paid the Lord his full due euen to the vtmost farthing being in his birth cleane in his life holy and in his death obedient Whom he iustifieth he glorifieth In this life the Lord doth onely call vs and iustifie vs so as no man need say as Rom. 10.7 Who shall ascend into heauen for that were to bring Christ from aboue or Who shall descend into the deepe for that were to raise Christ from the dead for so much vertue and power of Christ as is needfull for vs wee taste of heere but our glorifying is reserued and followeth in the life to come hauing it heere only in spe and not in re in hope but not in hand This glorifying heere spoken of is meant not that wee shall haue at the last day of our separation when the world shutteth her doores vpon vs but of that glory wee shall receiue at the day of iudgement which is plaine and euident by that went before vers 21. namely that wee waite for the restoring of the liberty of the sonnes of God and for the freedome from the bondage of corruption Howbeit in the glorie of our separation two things are to be obserued first Reu. 2â— 4â— that we shall be freed from all feares and teares and shall haue sinne abolished secondly we shall enter into our Lords rest but the glory of the last day is farre greater and resteth in three things first in the resurrection and a waking of the body when it shall be made conformable to the body of Christ when it shall not liue by the soule only nor be maintained by outward and externall instruments of bread such like but it shall liue as the body of Christ liueth and be glorious like the Sunne which shall then exceed it selfe in glory Isay 65.17 2. Pet. 3.13 Secondly there shall be a new heauen and a new earth and in this new heauen shall dwell the soules of the Saints of God and all things else shall bee restored to their first maiesty Thirdly which is the greatest of all we shall then haue
nature but this is onely spoken in way of comparison by a figuratiue or borrowed speech speaking that of the dumbe creature which is onely to be applied to vs of vnderstanding for if there be such a feruent desire a longing a sighing and a mourning in these senselesse creatures for our deliuerance from this bondage of corruption vnder which wee are now held how much greater then should our desires willes and affections our sighings and mournings be who are sensibly and feelingly to be made partakers of this heauenly glorie and to this end is their feruencie brought in to stirre vs vp to the like or greater as a thing more neerely concerning vs. The like phrase of Scripture attributing life sense desire and affections to dumbe creatures is vsed in many places as Psal 114.3.4 When Israel went out of Egypt the sea saw it and fled Iordan was driuen backe the mountains leaped like rams and the hilles like lambes and vers 7. The earth trembled at the presence of the Lord the Prophet bringing in the creatures magnifying and reioicing at the maiestie of God in the destruction of his enemies and at his mercy in the deliuerie of his Saints that since these sensilesse creatures in their obedience in their kinde seemed to see this glorie and triumph at it much more should the people themselues that visibly saw it and sensibly felt it be rauished as it were with ioy at the so powerful presence of the Lord in making the sea as the drie land for their escape and rescue from the sword of their enemies After the like maner doth Dauid Psa 148.2.5 bring in the creatures in course as they were created praising the Lord in their kinde not in any forme or phrase of speech but the beautie of the Lord appearing in them by their obedience in obseruing that course wherein they are set heereby inuiting and stirring vs vp that haue sense feeling reason and vnderstanding to be more mindfull in our praise and thankesgiuing to God who are filled with greater plenty and haue a more spirituall and diuine beautie shining in vs than they haue So Esay the Prophet chap. 14.7.8.9 in derision of the tyrannie of the king of Babel bringeth in the whole world singing for ioy the firre trees and the Cedars of Lebanon reioicing and hell it selfe mooued at the death of so gold-thirsty an oppressor as he was as if it feared lest hee would trouble the dead as he did the liuing teaching vs by this that if the insensible creatures doe seeme to spread their boughes and bud foorth their flower at the destruction of tyrants as bringing rest and quiet to them how much more should we be affected at it that taste the smart of their crueltie and are kept but as a spoile and pray to saciate their bloudie and butcherly desires So Ionah 3.7 sackcloth must be put vpon the beasts and they must be kept from feeding as if they sorrowed for the affliction hung ouer their land not that they had sinned or could haue any affection of griefe in them but by this that the people might the more acknowledge their vnwoorthinesse as deseruing iustly not onely to be plagued of God in their persons but euen to be depriued of the vse and beenfit of the creatures whereby their present life was maintained And thus are the creatures brought in heere by the Apostle as inwardly smitten with sorrow for the sin of man and for his pollutions on the earth and longing after the aduancement of the sonnes of God to glory to set the sharper edge on vs who are to taste as it were the full cup of the Lords bountie and glorie in the highest heauens who will thus exalt the horne of his Saints Further vnderstand that by Creature in this place is meant all the creatures in the world as appeareth vers 22. where it is said that euery creature comprehending all doth grone with vs howbeit there are two sorts of creatures heere exempted namely Angels and men both elect and reprobate for the Angels elect they wait not as groning vnder vanity otherwise they desire it for the reuelation or triumph of Gods Saints in heauen because they alwaies stand before the Lord behold his glory Mat. 18.10 It is true indeed as Lu. 15.10 That the Angels of God reioice at the conuersion of a sinner because more glory is brought to God by his saluation but they need not this affection of groning or sighing heere spoken of because they are in paradise before the throne of God already Neither can it be meant of the reprobate Angels the brood of the diuell for first they wait not for vs vnlesse it be as Ren. 12.4 the dragon waited for the deliuerie of the woman to destroy vs neither doe they waite vpon vs vnlesse it be as Matth. 4.1 the tempter waited vpon Christ in the wildernesse Secondly they waite not for themselues for they feare nothing so much as the perfecting of Gods elect in number because that is the time of the perfefection of then torment at which they tremble Lames 2.19 the diuell euer thinking that Christ hasteneth too fast and commeth before his time to torture him Now for men it is not ment in this verse of the elect as appeareth by the words themselues for the waiting is not by them but by the creatures for them till they shall be restored to their libertie in glorie and so much is plainly set foorth vers 23. And not onely the creature but wee also that haue the first fruits of the spirit do sigh c. bringing the elect their waiting in by themselues not folding them vp in the general word creature Concerning the reprobate it is not meant of them for they are but of two sorts the one such as Peter speaketh of 2. Pet. 3.3.4 There shall come mockers which shall walke after their lusts and say where is the promise of his comming thinking because the Lord hath beene patient so long therefore the day of iudgement is but a tale to keepe men in awe So as these men cannot waite for Christs comming since they denie it and deride it the other are such as know there shall be a day of reckoning but feare it and put it farre off as loth to see it as their father the diuell because then they shall receaue according to that they haue wroughâ—â— the flesh which at that time shall turne to their sighing and groaning because they denied to themselues sorrow and griefe in the flesh So as all creatures but men and Angels are meant heere where we see the concordance and agreement as it were of the whole frame of heauen and earth not â—arring but ioining in one that they might be at the end of their labour and vanitie by their dissolution and change of their subiection into immortalitie Where it is said When the sonnes of God shall be reuealed we may vnderstand it fiue waies First that it is spoken in this
it were not possible but they should be rauished with expectation after it there being at euery gate an Angell standing to let in Gods children and to keepe out the fearefull and vnbeleeuers adulterers and vngodly persons Againe heere learne that the creatures waiting with vs and hauing as it were the same affection we haue to be vnchained of corruption and at the libertie of the sonnes of God they belong only to vs that are his children and are sanctified for our vse through prayer and thanksgiuing for as through vs they fell so through vs they shall be restored and therefore wait both with vs and on vs in the meane time and the wicked are but vsurpers ouer them snatching them against their willes and abusing of them to their lusts as the voluptuous Iewes did who feeding vpon that was none of theirs while the meate Psal 78.31 was yet in their mouths the wrath of the Lord Numb 11.33 was kindled and consumed them and euen so at length shall the wicked be chased out of the world Iob. 18.18 and for his theft in rauening vpon that is none of his as God himselfe saith Iob 39.13 he shall be shaken out of the corners of the earth for that they enioy is none of theirs but belongeth as truly to vs as a man accounteth that his owne which he getteth by his honest labour and in that they abound more with them heere then Gods children to whom of right they appertaine it is certaine the glory of Gods elect shall be the greater in heauen for the want of the creatures heere on earth and the more the wicked enioy heere the greater shall their torments be in hell for that is Luk. 16.25 the obiection of Abraham to stop the course of Diues his petition who was in torment Remember saith he thou hadst thy pleasure in thy life and therefore for thy pleasure thou art tormented in thy death for God sendeth not all his plagues at once vpon the wicked but suffereth him to haue his seeking that he may be satiate with his owne way and that desiring Prouerb 12 12. the net of euils he may be heereafter tied and ensnared with the cords of his owne sinne Againe obserue hence for the conclusion of this point that all the creatures in heauen and earth do serue for the furthering of our saluation and are readie and willing to do vs good except the diuell and those that shall be damned for we know the red sea ranne backe and became dry land for the passage of the Israelites Exod. 14.21 The bitter waters Exod. 15.25 were made sweet by the casting in of a tree to stanch their thirst The riuer Iordan returned backward Psal 114.3 till the people of God were passed ouer Water came foorth of the stonie rocke Exod. 17.6 that the Israelites might drinke according as they desired The Sunne stood still in the middest of heauen and hasted not to goe downe for a whole day Iosh 10.13 at the prayer of Ioshua At the prayer of Hezekiah Esay 38.8 the Sunne went 10. degrees backward contrary to the course of nature The small quaÌ„titie of meale oyle which the widow of Zareptah had through the word spoken by Eliah 1. Kings 17.16 wasted not till the Lord sent raine vpon the earth The waters being twice smitten with the cloke of Eliah 2. Kings 2.8.14 diuided themselues twice this way and that way for the passage ouer both of Eliah and Elisha The waters of Iericho 2. Kings 2.21 by the sprinckling of a little salt at the spring head were healed of the Lord for the good of his seruants that death come no more thereof The furnace Dan. 3.23 though it was heat seuen times more then it was wont to be had no power so much as to scortch the garments of the three children that would not obey the kings commaundement in a matter of Idolatry neither had the Lions Dan. 6.12 though rauenous in themselues any mouthes to open against Daniel that made his prayers to God notwithstanding it was against the decree of Darius the king and so much sollicited by his malitious and idolatrous nobles Since then the creatures of God are thus readie to hide and smother their strength where they may hurt vs to open and enlarge their power when they may defend vs and since the Angels of God Psal 91.11 watch ouer vs in our wayes let nothing make vs so foolish since we runne well but to hold on for the tyrants rage can not last but the wrath of God is a soft consuming fire and let vs venter our bodies which are but dust for the saluation of our soules which are the Lords 1. THESS chap. 5. vers 19.20 verse 19 Quench not the spirit verse 20 Despise not prophesying THe words themselues yeeld two points to be considered first a commandement or an exhortation equall to a commaundement secondly the meanes how this commandement may be best obeyed and the exhortation most fruitfully receiued The commaundement is Quench not the spirit the meanes to performe this is Despise not prophesying that is the wise and found interpretation of the Scriptures by them whose lippes preserue knowledge and whose feet are shod with the Gospell of peace for so prophesying is to be taken for an application of the word and a teaching to edification In the first obserue forasmuch as nothing can be quenched but fire why this Metaphor or borrowed speech is vsed of the Apostle to expresse the Spirit by fire The like phrase and speech is vsed Mat. 3.11 when the seruant baptizing his master lest it should seeme a disparagement and debasing of him doth protest in great humilitie that he did it but with water but there came one after him that should baptize them with the holy Ghost and with fire that is with the supernaturall power of the holy Ghost as it were fire And in Iohn 7.38 the spirit is resembled to water meaning thereby that who so is not cleansed of the holy Ghost as with water cannot be saued Now the spirit is compared to fire in respect of the foure properties that bee in fire first the nature of â—â—re is to consume any matter that is combustible or may be burned euen so the holy Ghost is sent into vs to wast and consume all the lusts of our flesh as selfe-loue pride of life and whatsoeuer else exalteth it selfe aboue the purity and simplicity of the Gospell Secondly fire doth refine euery thing that can be purified euen so the holy Ghost doth change and refine our affections and purgeth vs from that drosse and filth of the earth that cleaueth so neare to vs and hangeth so fast vpon vs and keepeth vs still in the fornace of affliction till we come to that perfection of eternall blessednesse that the flesh dying the spirit may liue in the day of the Lord. Thirdly fire doth relieue by warmth all those subiects that be capable of life and those that be benummed it comforteth and reuiueth
to her wallowing in the ruire Some will say True it is the spirit may bee quenched in 〈◊〉 hypocrite but neuer in the elect as 1. Iohn 3.9 Hee that is borne of God sinneth not And whom God loued once hee loueth alwaies This is true but then looke that thou stand vpon good and sound euidence when Sathan troubles thee for thou knowest how the burning lampes went out how the seed in the blade came to nothing and it is certaine that a man illuminate may sinne against the holy Ghost and therefore see that thou hast good title and groundest vpon good interest when thou shalt bee vexed with temptations For Rom. 8.13 if wee liue after the flesh wee shall die and as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of God and who hath this spirit looke 1. Iohn 3.14 We are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren for hee that hath a soule must needes breath and he that hath the spirit must needs fulfill the fruits of the spirit Secondly albeit the elect haue receiued an euerlasting spirit whereof the Lord can neuer repent and which can neuer vtterly be quenched yet let vs feare and tremble for in the elect it may so bee obscured and ouerwhelmed that some of the graces of Gods spirit nay most of the graces yea the chiefest of the most nay all almost of Gods graces may in them be quenched as Dauid praieth Psal 51. Lord create in me a new spirit and yet he had it in him for in the same place he saith Lord take not thy spirit from me So as this exhortation not to quench the â—â—â—rit hath a double fruit in the hypocrite to make him vnexcusable in the elect to make them more circumspect and carefull in their conuersation for we must not be secure in as much as albeit the spirit of God in those that be his cannot bee absolutely quenched and wholly put out yet there may bee a great abatement of the spirit as not to be recouered without great touch and terror of conscience For first while a man feeles the presence of this spirit there is giuen him such ioy and with that a singular peace in the inward man and such securitie of his saluation that he feeles the loue of God spiritually to do him as much good as his meat and vpon this assurance he doth as it were behold the heauens open for the Lord to embrace him liuing or dying and he knoweth himselfe to be sealed vp in the blood of Christ vnto eternall life Now if this spirit be gone absenteth it selfe in spirituall operation together with this is our former ioy abated and the foundation of our hope begins to be shaken and being weake of our selues we are surprised with many feares and suspecting our selues to bee cast from the feare of God and our sinnes arising and flying vp like smoake in our eies we almost are brought to the case of Cain Gen. 4.12 to thinke that whosoeuer meeteth vs will slay vs. Secondly as vpon the enioying presence of the Lords spirit there springs an vnspeakable ioy and comfort in our hearts and we find that the Lords loue breedeth in vs an heauenly assurance of eternall peace and filleth our hearts with a mutuall and reciprocall loue of God our loue streaming and flowing from the well head of the Lords loue then it followeth that the lesse we feele the Lords loue toward vs the lesse we loue him againe and then we droope and languish in our selues our praiers be faint our meditations cold and when we should watch we with the Disciples fall asleepe and we feeling not the life of the spirit Mat. 26.43 we are greatly abated in our loue of holy and Christian exercises and we then only keepe a generall course in our profession and performe euery good thing as it were tedious vnto vs like Eutychus Act. 20.9.10 who came to heere Pauls sermon but was ouercome with sleepe Thirdly when the spirit is abated by the diminishing of the Lords loue towards vs and the withdrawing of our loue from him then because we haue grieued the spirit the Lord suffereth vs to fall into fearefull and presumptuous sinne as hee did suffer Dauid to fall into the sinne of whoredome with Bathsheba aggrauated with the murder of Vriah wherein hee lay frozen by Satans subtilty nine monthes at the least before he confessed it to God for it appeareth 2. Sam. 11.27 that the child was borne before Nathan the Prophet came to him and howsoeuer no doubt he could no more escape the pricke of conscience then he could stay the panting of his heart yet before that time not a word to God of any serious humiliation for his adultery So as neuer any of Gods children sinned more grieuously then he Mat. 26.70 except Peter who was not so much kindled at the fire of the high Priest as he was cold in his soule for first he lied in that he said hee knew not Christ secondly burst foorth into swearing and thirdly gaue himselfe to the diuell if it were he that was with Christ which the Lord most iustly suffered to befall him as a great chastisement since he neglected the louing forewarning of his master and though hee was neuer so much elect yet would the spirit neuer comfort him till he had with drawne himselfe to bewaile his sinne bitteâ—â— All which is liuely expressed Cant. 3.1 In my bed by night saith the church I sought him that my soule loued I sought hâ—â—â—â—â—t I found him not I went and rose and walked about the citie and by the streeâ—s and by open places I sought him but found him not thereby to declare that when the Lord once withdraweth his face from vs how hardly we shall win his fauour againe Fourthly when the Lord hath suffered vs to fall thus farre as we shall euen seeme to be swallowed vp of hell already though in the end he will restore thee yet first he will suffer thee to beare the shame of thy sinne in this life Gen. 9.23 1. Sam. 15.14 as Noah for his drunkennesse to be a scorne to his owne children and Dauid for his adultery to bee thrust out of his kingdome by his owne sonne which was such a griefe to him as all the ioy of his sonnes life did not so much comfort him as the sorrow of his death did wound him he mourning for Absolon 2. Sam. 19.33 as if he had doubted of his saluation But happy is hee that hath the thornes in his sides in this life and that is afflicted heere for though the Lord will neeuer take his louing kindnes from thee yet he will scourge thee not for any satisfaction of his iustice for Christ hath paied all but onely for a chastisement Lastly besides all this when the spirit is gone and abated it shall be such a terror to thy conscience such smart and vexation to thy whole minde as thou wert better bee almost
in hell then feele this great want and sustaine this great torment of recouering it againe For first when thou considerest the losse of thy former paines which thou spentest in the mortifying of thy flesh that secondly when the spirit is abated Mark 9.18 the power of Satan is increased and that he cannot be dispossessed without great violence and euen rending thee in peeces as appeareth by the dumbe man in the Gospell Thirdly that if thou die at this time as Ezech. 18.24 all thy former righteousnesse shall not be remembred but thou shalt die in thy present sinne and fourthly that as a man dangerously sicke and somewhat recouered and after by misgouernment falling into a relapse it doth exasperate and increase the disease and as a wound halfe healed to come to a new incision cannot be without greater paine then before and for a man halfe in his iourney to returne backe againe when hee must needes goe thorow cannot bee but a great discontentment So when thou remembrest the great conflicts thou hadst at first when thou didst enter thy name into the schoole of Christ and considerest that now thou must abide greater it shall be halfe a hell to thee to be brought seriously without guile of spirit from the detestation of thy sinne as we may see Psal 32.4 before Dauid could be brought to confesse his sinne of filthinesse and of murther hee saith that very care had eaten his bones not but that in his priuate chamber hee had confessed it to the Lord but before he could come to taske his conscience and to set it as it were vpon the racke to bee rent in peeces by his confession of it before men and to abide patiently the shame of the world for it hee seemed to bee plunged into the deepe of deepes as himselfe saith Out of the deepes O Lord haue I cried vnto thee Euen so when the spirit of the Lord is abated in thee thou shalt finde it will not bee regained by some sleight worke and ssubbring vp a short praier as Lord haue mercy vpon me but thou must come to the case of Dauid euen to pine and wast away and to haue the moisture dried vp within thee yea consider his tedious trauell before he could repent suddenly And if he was beaten thus farre of the Lord with Scorpions of whom the Lord had protested that he was a man after his owne heart shalt thou thinke by a pang of deuotion and superficiall praier to recouer that sweet comfort thou hast lost in the Lords spirit Nay know that if thou temptest the Lord so farre as to withdraw his spirit from thee it shall cost the deere before thou canst inioy it againe and if thou breake foorth into sighes and grones which fill the heauens euen in this doth the Lords mercy greatly appeere for hee might giue thee vp into hardnesse of heart and neuer trouble himselfe to restore his spirit againe vnto thee But thy sorrow must be so great thy praiers so feruent and thy sighes so many as to crie out with Dauid Psal 51.8 Heale the bones O Lord which thou hast broken Let vs beware then how we distemper our selues spiritually for feare the arrow-head of the Lords wrath should rankle in our sides and let vs take heed with the Apostle how we greeue this spirit for if Adam might haue had the whole spirit taken from him in respect of his Apostasie who was perfect in his creation how much more may wee that haue receiued but the earnest of the spirit and the first fruits thereof in Christ Iesus Howbeit as the euill spirit in an hypocrite may be cast out and yet hee may returne to his vomite againe 2. Pet. 2.22 and his casting out was but in regard of his enlightening for the time and he was not gone out indeed so in the elect the spirit and the working of the spirit may be interrupted for a season but it cannot cleane be taken away Againe consider where it is said Quench not the spirit that all Scripture commandeth alwaies the contrary to that it forbiddeth as 2. Tim. 1.6 the contrary vertue to this heere spoken of is commanded I charge thee saith Paul to Timothy that thou stirre vp the graces of God which bee in thee the word in Greeke signifieth To keepe the fire burning giuing vs to vnderstand that this spirit is a flame kindled by the holy Ghost which Satan the flesh and the world labour to blow out so much the more carefull therefore must wee bee to foster it and maintaine it that it neuer go out Heere then must be considered the sleights of Satan-to blow it out and alwaies by the cleane contrary wee must labour to keepe it in for as the flesh lusteth against the spirit so must the spirit likewise against the flesh The first motion therefore Satan stirreth vp in vs to quench the spirit is to lust after euill not to lust after nothing which temptation he threw into the eies of Dauid as hee walked vpon the roofe of the Kings palace 2. Sam. 11.2.3 to lust after Bathsheba Vriabs wife As earnestly then as the flesh lusteth after euill so earnestly and more must the spirit lust after good things as to say with the Prophet Dauid I am ready vpon euery occasion to do thy will O God neither yet must we not deceiue our selues for euery lusting after good things is not of the spirit for it is easie to doe many good things wherein thy affections are not strained and to abstaine from many euill things to which thou art not tempted but thou shalt know whether the spirit do fight against the lusts of the flesh by this if any thing do directly oppugne the affections of the flesh if thou take part with the spirit and crosse thy affections in this thou maintainest and dost cherish the spirit As Dauid 1. Sam. 25.13 vpon a churlish answer giuen by Nabal in a passion of anger was resolued to kill him but vpon the intreatie of Abigail Nabals wife hee was pacified and entred into consideration of the greatnesse of the sinne of murther and blessed the God of Israel and the counsell of Abigail that had kept him from shed ding of blood Secondly if Satan cannot get vs lust for euill he will striue to get vs either doe nothing or else to spend our time in trifles and in pastimes to driue away dumps with vaine delights which may sometimes bee vsed for recreations to make vs more fit to walke in our callings but if we play to play that is suffer our hearts to be stollen away and snared in the pleasures of this life then the Lord will iudge vs as vnthrifty seruants that haue not gained by our talents Our labour therefore must be on the contrary since euery man hath his taske set him and God is our ouerseer though presently not our reuenger that wee fall not asleepe with new wine but according to the Apostles rule Ephe. 5.16.18 that we redeeme
the time from vanitie and walke worthy of that calling wherein God hath set vs. Thirdly if Satan cannot blow out the fire of the Lords spirit in vs by this but that wee resolue in our hearts to doe some good if we will needes doe it he perswades no to doe it by and by but to pawse vpon the matter and to procrastinate and defer it by this reason We may as well do it another time as now But wee must labour the contrary vnlesse wee will suppresse the power and soundnesse of the spirit for if we be not apt to day we shall be lesse apt to morrow and it is good to take the time while it is offered for we know not whether our life shall passe this present occasion Christ commeth not to thee at all times and therfore if he knocke now and we let him not in though hereafter we pine away with the desire of hauing him wee shall not get him according to that speech of the Prophet Esay 55.6 Seeke the Lord while he may be found and call vpon him while he is nigh for though he suffereth long yet will he not be mocked Therefore in doing good we must resemble and be like those that hauing earnest businesse as soone as they wake in the morning start out of their beds to auoide and shake off their sluggishnesse and say not as the stothfull doe Prou. 6.10 Yet a little sleepe yet a little slumber c. for when we are mooued and resolued to performe any good thing we may not grieue the spirit by deferring it but we must do it presently like Abraham Genes 18.6 who made haste and ran in to prepare meat and entertainment for the Angels for we must not looke vpon the clouds if we will sow nor gather the winds if we will reape nor defer good motions and actions if we will receiue comfort by them Fourthly the spirit is quenched by this If Saâ—han cannot make thee lust against good nor spend thy time 〈◊〉 trifles and to no good purpose nor to deferre the good thou hast resolued to doe by some by-thought that hee shall suggest if thou wilt needes do it then he striueth to make thee doe it languishingly droopingly and coldly and thereupon perhaps thou makest a few praiers but when thou findest the comfort not so great as thou wouldest or as thou hast felt at other times then thou breakest off and euery good exercise though 〈◊〉 bee short seemeth tedious vnto thee But the spirit must labour the cleane contrary as to do good things so to doe them seriously for the worke of the Lord must not bee done negligently Though therefore thou findest thy selfe vndisposed to holy exercises yet striue by continuance in them if it be possible to make the spirit easie and though at first thou feelest great difficultie in praying yet resolue to continue in it some long time in ripping vp thy sinnes by praier and if at the last by often strife thou canst come to pray with ease and to feele the sweetnesse of the Lords mercy comforting thee in thy perplexed thoughts and in thy weake petitions it is a notable signe of thine election Lastly Sathan would quench the spirit by this if we will not bee worse he would make vs not to be better nor to goe forward in religion We will all graunt that we must professe the Gospell now since Sathan cannot weane vs from this opinion hee laboureth to keepe vs at a scantling in this porfession but it is certaine hee that goeth not forward in the porfession of the truth goeth backeward Hast thou not more zeale now then thou haddest when the Gospell was first brought thee then feare lest the spirit bee much quenched Wouldest thou haue a man stand at a stay till he come to his full stature or one halfe cured to send away the Physition or eat and not be nourished or spend of thy stocke and not increase it And why shouldest thou not bee as wise in the spirit as in these things Wouldest thou haue the Israelites make league with the Canaanites Deut. 7.16 No they must not cease till they haue cast them all out of the land And so if thou bee at league with any sinne it hindereth thy growth in religion and if thou come not to a full and perfect age in Christ thou canst not bee saued Thou must know though thou hast thy lampe burning yet the oile wasteth with flaming and if thou haue not oile to supply thy want thy light will goe out and thy selfe shalt sit in darkenesse Yet so farre hath this policy of Sathan preuailed that many who in King Edward and Queene Maries daies were zealous for the Lord are now frozen in their dregges and they that before heard the ioyfull message of saluation with singular comfort and could not haue their thirst staled but by the waters of wisedome are now by this long peace growne secure and waxen neither hot nor cold Of these men to say no worse they are right Laodiceans against whom the wisedome of the holy Ghost long since pronounced a fearefull doome that the Lord would spue them out of his mouth for shall Christ who is his Fathers counseller while he was in the flesh increase in wisdome Luk. 2.52 and shall we who are as blind as Beetles thinke it enough for vs to retaine the rudiments and first principles of religion and not to wax strong and able in the truth of God Nay certaine it is if we continue children in vnderstanding and do not grow from loue to patience 1. Cor. 14.20 2. Pet. 1.5 6. from patience to temperance from one grace of God to another if wee increase not I do not meane in peeuish and preposterous zeale but in sound substantiall zeale and from being fed with milke to desire strong meat it shall be as lothsome for the Lord to take vs that be thus decayed in our soules and which from good substantiall Christians are falne to bee most miserable beggerly banke-rupts as for a man to receiue againe into his stomacke that he hath once gorged vp As Satan therefore laboureth to quench this spirit by our coldnesse in religion and by standing at a stay in Christianity so let the spirit of God in vs striue for the contrary Reu. 22.11 that he that is righteous may bee more righteous and that wee may increase in faith and bee daily set on fire with the zeale of Gods truth for we may not bee worse than the ground which by the raine is made more fruitefull not then the herbes which by the Sunne are made more flourishing Heere some will say he that is once faithfull and whom the Lord hath once sealed that man cannot haue the spirit taken from him therefore though the operation and working of the spirit be for a time hindered and interrupted yet it shall bee restored againe because the Lord hath promised that whom hee loueth he will alwaies loue It is true that
present euen as the time of our life is for Gods children most bee like the rod of the Almond tree spoken of Ierem. 1.11 which in those countries where it groweth is the first that blossometh yea we must not onely giue the first fruits as vnder the law but euen all the fruits of our liues to the Lord for God often punisheth the want of his fear in our youth with the want of wisedome in our age if our godlines be not present he oftentimes cutteth vs off before we can see the time to come Neither yet must we thinke it sufficient to cherish godlinesse in our hearts no not in our chambers but it must be as a light set vpon a hill that not onely Gods children may see it for their direction but that euen the world may see it for their condemnation as Christ saith to his disciples I haue sent you to walke in the midst of a froward and crooked generation yet must they walke still for by this open profession of godlinesse we shew whose liuerie we weare and that we are not ashamed of the crosse nor abashed at it Howbeit this course of godlinesse which we must liue in is no more nor no lesse then an absolute resignation and giuing vp of all things in respect of God which standeth in three things first in giuing vp our reason secondly in denying our affections thirdly in framing our mind to a moderation in what estate the Lord shall set vs in For the first wee must resigne vp our reason to religion in two respects first for that it is an incomprehensible mysterie which is vnsearchable secondly for that the ignominie thereof is vnsufferable in our reason as to thinke that he is blessed that is hungrie they vnhappie that bee rich and that the Lords correction is loue For the second which is the giuing vp of our affections it will teach vs so to walke and so to deale as in the presence of God it will make vs plough vp those furrowes of pride and vaine-glorie which lie so deepe in our hearts and when by the instigation of our affections we are mooued to riot or voluptuousnesse it will make vs abstaine because we haue giuen our selues to God For the third to haue a willingnesse to suffer what the Lord sendeth will make vs resigne vp those inordinate cares of getting wherewith wee are oftentimes perplexed and to content our selues with that portion the Lord hath shared out vnto vs so as by religion and a godly life we shall learne to say with Dauid O Lord thou hast done it therefore I hold my peace and not only to beare an outward contentment in worldly things but euen in all calamities to rest vpon the mercifull hand of God IAMES chap. 2. vers 20.21 verse 20 But wilt thou vnderstand O thou vaine man that the faith which is without works is dead verse 21 Was not Abraham our father instified through workes when he offered Isaac his sonne vpon the altar THe word of God hath two parts in it first it is a word of wisedome secondly it is a word of knowledge by knowledge to reforme the iudgement and to conuince the conscience by wisdome to perswade the affections to the obedience of that we haue truly learned Saint Iames here indeuoreth to perswade that none could be saued without works and he proueth it by a double example of Abraham and of Rahab Wilt thou vnderstand c. as if he should say If that set downe before cannot sufficiently take root to affect thee and to perswade thee that without the workes of a holy life thy faith is no better then a diuels faith take this example of Abraham for all thou wilt grant that Abraham was an excellent person and had true faith and that the couenant was so made with him that none should be saued vnlesse they were of his seed either according to the flesh and spirit or at least according to the spirit And since the couenant was made with him and he was saued by faith so must all we be saued by his faith that is by a faith of the same kind that his was for there is but one faith though there be diuers measures of it Now Abraham had an approued faith as it is proued by this one act and worke of his for all because it was the principallest of all in that he staied not nor demurred vpon the Lords commandement in offering vp his fonne the greatest worke that euer flesh and bloud did except his that was more then flesh and blood namely Christ And because the Iesuits as hardened enemies against the truth haue strangely peruerted this place we must vnderstand a difference betweene these speeches Faith without workes is dead and Faith that is without workes is dead for by the first speech may bee thought that works giue life to faith which is most false but the second speech is true workes being a necessarie consequent of faith and an infallible signe that faith hath gone before euen as in these speeches to say The body is dead without breathing and the body that is without breathing is dead for if wee affirme and attribute the cause of life to breathing it is false for the soule is the cause of life in the body but the other speech is true for the body that hath no breath in it is deadâ— and where breath is it is a signe there is life So to say the tree that is without fruit is dead is true but not to say the tree without fruit is dead for the tree that standeth in the ground is not fruitfull we may well say is dead at the root but when the sap lieth at the root we may well say there is life in the tree though there be no fruit on the branches Now the aduersaries argue thus No dead faith can iustifie faith without workes is dead therefore no faith can iustifie without workes as if they should say Christ Iesus neuer raised vp himselfe without his humanity therefore his humanity helped in raising vp his flesh which is most blasphemous Howbeit Christ separated from his humanity was neuer raised vp this is must true So they in their former argument referre iustification to workes which is most false but if they had concluded therfore faith that is without workes cannot iustifie they had done well for thereby had been proued that works had been inseparable from faith but not that they concurre for faith is alone euer in iustifying but neuer alone in the person iustified euen as the eye alone of all the parts of the bodie doth see but the eye that is alone separate from the other parts of the body doth not sece at all but is a dead eye Was not Abraham c. Heere consider two points first in what sense this is true secondly why this worke aboue the rest is commended and registred for a proofe of Abrahams faith The words heere set downe are directly contrary to the
for shee set them out at a window a thing done without mutinie or any fraudulent purpose to escape and therefore iustifiable euen as the letting downe of Paul in a basket was Acts 9.25 And in this whole worke shee sinned nothing but in making of a lie which though some excuse and extenuate because it was Mendacium officiosum an officious and dutifull lie yet it is no way excusable for no lie to saue a soule is lawfull Wherein wee obserue that euen the Saints of God in their best purposes haue in some things followed their mother wit and their owne corruption Withall note the louing kindnesse of the Lord that this particular blemish in the worke doth nothing derogate from the excellencie of her obedience no more then Rebecca Genes 27.8 who notwithstanding she subscribed to the oracle of God that Iacob should ouercome Esau yet shee by indirect meanes sought to preuent this worke of God which the Lord in mercie did winke at in respect of her generall resolution to be obedient The like may bee saied of Abraham who because hee thought the feare of God was not in the house of Abimelek and that they would haue slaine him for his wiues fake Genesis 20.2 dissembled Sarah to bee his wife and caried her vnder the name of his sister which infirmitie the Lord passed by because in other his actions hee was faithfull Heere some to debase this worke of Rahab may say Why was this such a matter to haâ—◠〈◊〉 few messengers of the Lord and why should this commend her faith since she neuer came to triall to auouch this worke We answer that the resolution she admitted was very great since it might haue cost her the greatest torment that could bee and shee might so haue stunke in the sight of the people by thus betraying them and their countrey as either the people in a mutiny or the King in iustice might seuerely and cruelly haue executed her so as by this it argueth that she was perswaded that the God of Israel was onely to bee worshipped and the seede of Abraham onely in the world to bee esteemed and heereupon shee did practise the rule of our Sauiuor Christ euen to hate her owne nation Mat. 11.20 and tooke her life as it were into her hands to saue theirs that were the seruants of God So as though in the former example the Ramme onely was sactificed and not Isaak and in this example Rahab safely deliuered and her parentage reseued yet the resolution of them both was nothing lesse and so the speech of Christ true that they that for his sake forsake all Mat. 10.37 shall haue more comfort in that little that is left hauing peace of conscience then of all the former store nay that they that suffer for his sake shall bee free when their persecutors shall bee fettered as appeareth Ieremie 39.11.15 Ieremie that was in desolation and in prison was safe when the King himselfe had his eyes put out and Ebedmelech the Kings counsellour was promised not to perish when the rest should fall by the sword because hee had made the Lord his arme Further this example of Rahab to stand so resolutely for the deliuerance of the Lords messengers conuinceth all those that howsoeuer religion twang vpon their tongue that they can prate of it yet proue that they haue nothing in them but the Laodicean luke-warmth Reuel 3. in that they so professe it as they shrinke in the day of triall and dare not aduenture to harbour the Lords Embassadors and to succor them as Rahab did Yea and this example condemneth others who are so farre from forsaking lawfull things as wife possessions life c. for the Gospels sake as they will not forbeare vnlawfull things no not to leaue off the least shew 〈◊〉 pride or the least profit in biting gaine Whereas by this example wee are taught to take vp our crosse and not to looke backe-like Lots wife Genes 19.26 for there is no tarying in Idolatrie or other profanenesse to fetch any thing from the house toppe Mat. 24.17 or to runne backe into the fields to take our garments though they bee necessarie for this life as our Sauiour speaketh in the Gospell But more iustly the example conuinceth them that row with the tide and professe with the parliament for he that doth therefore professe religion because he hath his protection from the Prince and State would with the State serue the diuell Nay in matters of religion wee must not ground vpon examples but vpon the trueth of the religion for as we must not follow a multitude to do euill so neither must we follow a multitude to do good onely because they do it Exod. 23.2 For it is not the religion of God which we enioy because the parliament enioineth it but therefore it is by parliament commanded because it is the religion of God and fearefull it is to thinke that a Prince can prescribe a law to the eternall God which is farre more disparagement then for a subiect to make a law how he will obey his Prince which notwithstanding is not sufferable But as Rahab was perswaded that the God of Israel that sent those men was the onely God and that the loines of Abraham for whom this land was to be gained were the true owners by the speciall promise of God and in this respect she regarded not her Prince nor her countrey nor her owne fathers house but that by speciall mercy they were exempted but she did most faithfully and in great obedience and in a most Christian resolution willingly resigne vp the countrey to them to whom the Lord had giuen the title Euen so must wee in matters of the Lords seruice alwaies preferre and stand for the will of God to be obserued rather then either to haue our countrey preserued or our Prince obeyed For as Peter saith Act. 4.19 It is better to obey God then man yet still so as we submit our selues to the power and authoritie of the higher powers vnder whose sword are our bodies though our soules be vnder the shadow of the Almightie Againe where it is said She receiued the messengers obserue the cause why she did it beâ—â—â—se she was perswaded the God of Israel sent them so that it was not to gratifie the men respecting the men sauing that religioâ—â— did constraine her and her loue to them arose in respect of her loue to God that had conuerted her Whereupon we noâ—â—â—â—at the world determineth wrongfully of good workes 〈…〉 man may be an honest man and liue well and doe good 〈◊〉 neighbor though he be not greatly religious for all actions wherein the glorie of God the loue of God in Christ the comfort of our consciences and the desire of the saluation of our brethren do not concurre those are not good so as a good action without religion can no more be good then a house without a foundation a tree without a root water without a
wel-head or to bee good without God for where there is no zeale there is no faith where no faith no conscience where no conscience no loue and shewing our loue not for conscience we may for our charitie go to the diuel for a man must first be good before he can doe good and good he cannot be without God 1. Sam. 6.17 The workes such a man doth may bee perhaps like the Emeraulds of the Philistims varnished ouer with gold that is make a faire shew in the sight of men but if they proceed no further that is to haue the testimonie of the spirit that they bee wrought by his hand they are most abominable before the face of God Wilt thou set a face as if thou wroughtest well because thou wilt not take the penaltie of an obligation and yet thou wilt prosecute a matter against a preacher for a superstitious ceremonious beggerly element What good worke is this to speake well of all men and yet at euerie word to wound to bloud to heart the holy one of Israel What is it not to hurt thy neighbour to be a friend to thy friend and yet to be an enemie to the friend of God What great worke is it not to beate false witnesse and yet priuily to suggest against him thou darest not reproue to his face So as vnlesse our doing of good arise from religion wee may easily straine at a gnat and swallow a Camel heare Iohn Baptist gladly for a time Mat. 6.20 and chop off his head afterward as Herod did Matth. 14.10 Now as for moralists and such as transforme themselues according to the times they are as Iude 13. tearmeth them the raging waues of the sea foaming out their owne â—â—me as the wind serueth and like the wandring starres of the â—â—â—ament vnconstant and vnsteddy void of faith for sides must be firma non ambulatoria we must haue a standing not a walking faith and as without faith they cannot please God so except they please God they shall not be saued She tooke them and sent them away Where learne it is not enough for vs not to hurt a man that professeth religion but wee must doe him good euen as this harlot wrought not enough in receiuing the spies and then to haue left them to their owne hazard but as in obedience she did receiue them so in faith she must safely send them away Yea we are bound by praier by purse by person by credit by countenance to releeue them not onely to thinke well of them and to like them so farre must we be from vexing them For if Obadiah 1. King 18.4 had onely hid the Prophets of God and had not fed them it bad beene but halfe a good worke Heereupon is it that in the last day in the sentence of the reprobate shall neuer be mentioned what euill they haue done as that they haue bitten by this vsury or polluted their bodies by that whoredome but there shall be recited onely the good they did not as Mat. 25.41 for not clothing the naked for not visiting the sicke for not releeuing the poore brethren for Rahab must not onely conceale and hide the spies but shee must send them away safe And if the sentence of iudgement drawne in this forme cannot affect vs let vs further know that though euill is the absence of good yet good is not the absence of euill for Rahabs worke is but lame if she doe but harbour them and if she doe not finish it by letting them foorth it shall neuer bee registred as a worke of faith For looke Iudg. 5.23 Cursed be Meroz that came not to helpe the Lord against be mighty not because he did persecute the Lord or did him any hurt but because he helped him not And wee see Rahab vpon this least knowledge of God â—entred her life to saue them Besides we shall read in the Gospell that the greatest torment of the glutton is Luk. 16.25 that he gaue Laâ—aruâ— no water not that hee was an extortioner or that hee spurned the poore man from his doore By all which examples we are taught that where religion is oppâ—â—sted by all meanes and in all things we can to releeue the Gospell for the good we haue omitted and the euill we haue committed shall come to iudgement Lastly marke the words Rahab the harlot which reprochfull speech must not bee referred to the present state of her conuersion but to her former conuersation as if hee should say Rahab that once had beene a whore for none truly conuerted can remaine in their former sinne but if hee doe after his conuersion fall into some grosse sinne as Dauid did in killing Vriah 2. Sam. 11.17 the Lord will scourge him as hee did Dauid And to bee raised vp of the Lord after such a relapse must not bee by slubbering vp our repentance but we must so be humbled as to feele drinesse in our bones with griefe as Dauid did Psal 32.4 And we shall neuer receiue comfort vntill wee haue soundly and seriously repented Whereupon we gather that the Lord regardeth not what sinnes we haue committed before our regeneration so that after our conuersion we walke worthy of our calling for many that were whores and wicked were conuerted As Luk. 7.37 she that washed Iesus feete with the teares of her eyes and heart and wiped them with the haire of her head had beene a whore but wee read not that after that she was any more so So Zaccheus Luk 19.5 was an extortioner before Christ called him from the tree but we reade not that he euer tooke peny vsury after And Mat. 20.20 such bee inuited to the supper as bee patched and lame to expresse our spirituall beggery but after we are come thither wee must haue the wedding garment of a good conscience For Saul was a persecutor of the Church before hee was called Act. 9.2 but wee nerer reade that he was so after his conuersion For if we continue in a sinne looke what followeth euen in this life 1. Cor. 5.11 If any that is a professor be a whore-monger eate not with him that is forbeare thy priuate familiarity with him so then being conuerted wee must shew our repentance from those sinnes wherein before we were fallen as the repentance from vsury is liberality the repentance from pride is bumility from whoredome chastity for repentance is the leauing of thy sinne and the cleauing to the contrary vertue and it is no repentance to leaue thy sinne when it must or hath left thee as vpon thy death bed to reâ—eâ—â— thee of thy vsurie when thou canst take no more or in thy age to repent thee of thy lecherie when thou canst satisfie it no more but to repent from thy sinne is as 1. Peter 4.1 to suffer in the flesh to suffer in the flesh is to cease from sinne and to cease from sinne is not onely to leaue thy sinne but to spend the rest of thy time
in a holy conuersation Heere will be obiected since workes are so precisely vrged what say wee to the faith of the theefe vpon the crosse what workes did he and by this example many betray their soules in presuming of the like grace Wee answer that this was a particular priuiledge giuen to that theefe euen as a pardon may bee giuen to a man vpon the gallowes and if any embolden himselfe heereupon perhaps the rope will be his hire and it is not good to put it vpon the Psalme of Miserere and the necke-verse for sometime he proueth no Clarke And for this theefe the Lord neuer did it but to one that none might presume and yet hee did it to one and did saue one in the exigent of his life that none might despaire Secondly this was a worke reserued for the manifestation of the power of the Sonne of God that he should beleeue in his fellow sufferer and desire him to saue him that when the Pharisees denied him to be the Sonne of God yet a poore wretch and a theefe should confesse it Thirdly we must not regard the shortnesse of his confession but consider the time and circumstance when and before whom this confession was made euen then when no man durst defend the innocencie of the Sonne of God when the Pharisees left him when all his Disciples were scattered and when Marie his mother that stood a farre off and knew him to be the Sonne of God and yet spake nothing in his defence whereby she finned against the first table She was his mother and saw him put to death vniustly and yet would not testifie of his innocencie whereby she bore false witnesse against him so sinned against the ninth commaundement being her sonne she did not comfort him vpon the crosse and so sinned against the fift commaundement yet when all these either doubted of his diuinity or despaired the poore theefe did confesse him to be that Christ the Sonne of God who â—â—d Paradise to dispose Lastly know that he was such a wretch that he neuer knew God before and therefore was it no maruell though he committed felonie but as soone as the Lord knockt at his heart first he confesseth Christ to be God and to die an innocent Luk. 23.41 We suffer righteously but this man hath done nothing amisse wherein he wrought a worke of the first table secondly he reprooued his fellow who raned on Christ wherein he wrought a worke of the second table So as this example of the theefe is no warrant to deferre or trifle off our repentance till the last houre for hee wrought as soone as hee was called If therefore the Lord hath offered vnto vs the riches of his mercie let vs in the acceptable time embrace it and not abuse his long suffering by growing more leane and ill-fauoured by these many yeeres wee haue had of religious peace and plentie but let vs returne vnto him while he is in the way before darknesse too fast ouer-grow our soules and before death snatch vs away into the graue For the similitude which is vers 26. obserue onely that it agreeth not in all points for the soule is the cause of the life of the body but so are not good works the cause of faith but only an effect and fruit of it for faith giueth life to good works and faith worketh by loue in the person instified for we must as hath bene said first be good before we can do good and we are made good spiritually by our regeneration in Christ and we being ingrafted into him then we do good so as the meaning only of the Apostle is by this similitude to shew that when a dead man being dead can speake which is impossible then faith which hath no workes and so is but a dead faith shall iustifie and saue vs. 1. IOHN chap. 3. vers 9.10 verse 9 Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not for his seed remaineth in him neither can he sinne because he is borne of God verse 10 In this are the children of God knowen and the children of the diuell who so doth not righteousnesse is not of God neither he that loueth not his brother THE Apostle in the beginning of this chapter first setteth downe that God the Father by his euerlasting loue in his Sonne hath bestowed vpon the faithfull this priuiledge to be called the sonnes of God in the sonne of God Christ Iesus Secondly that this dignity to bee the sonne of God and so to be called is not to be discerned by the men of the world because they haue not knowen the Sonne hauing not his spirit for spirituall things cannot be discerned by them that haue nothing but fleshly policy Thirdly as this cannot be discerned of the world so it is impossible our selues should sufficiently conceiue of it while we remaine in the tabernacle of this life because there is another glory we expect vers 2. Fourthly he setteth downe an effect inseparable from this adoption As many as are the sonnes of God and haue this hope of future glory they striue to reformation of life not to be equally pure but to bee like pure to the Lord Iesus This hee prooueth first from the institution of the law God neuer ordained the law neither after our creation nor after our redemption but to bee kept and the reason is thus The breach of the law is a disparagement swinge and sinne it perfect strength Thirdly the godly eâ—e said not to sinne be 〈◊〉 he laboureth to walke in all the commandements of the Lord. Now he that walketh in the right way may somtime fall but if hee doe heâ— striueth to regaine it by greater carefulnesse and speedier passageâ— but the wicked goe cleane out of the way as if heauen stood at hell gate Lastly because in the godly there is a combat for there is two men in them in the inward man they would faine please God and by the outward as Saint Paul saith they are made captiue to sinne Rom. 7.23 but in a meere naturall man there is nothing but flesh and so no combat for where all is one there is no diuision and if there be any strife in him it is betweene his conscience and himselfe in iudgement conuincing him that it is sinne and not betweene his conscience and his affection misliking it as it is sinne for this is easily seene by his often relapse into the same sinne Now for the reason hee doth not sinne because the holy Ghost which is the seed of our second birth remaineth in him neither can he sin and this is proued by two places of scripture first Rom. 8.1 where the Apostle proueth these two graces inseparable iustification from sinne and sanctification from sinne thus There is no condemnation to him that liueth a spirituall man this is proued vers 5. by contraries They that liue after the flesh sauour the things of the flesh but he that is borne of God cannot doe so for then
he must sauour of death which cannot be proued by this The wisedome of the flesh is enmitie to God but he that is borne of God cannot be Gods enemy on the other side hee that walketh in the wisedome of the flesh obeieth not the law of God and by consequent saith the Apostle cannot but sinne Whereupon it followeth that they that liue after the inclination of the heart of man cannot please God and so cannot bee saued now hee that is in Christ cannot but please God because he cannot but performe his will Another reason that being a true Christian a man cannot but amend his life is taken out of Rom. 6.5 Whosoeuer is made partaker of Christ is made partaker of the death of Christ then is he dead to sinne proued thus Christ by his death deserued not onely remission of our sinnes but also to haue the holy Ghost in those that bee his to mortifie their sinne and this spirit cannot bee idle but worketh and his worke is to dâ—â—troy oâ—â—â—nemie that is sinne Lastly it is proued thus Whosoeuer is in Christ hath the spirit of Christ he that hath this spirit liueth in the spirit for the life of the spirituall man is the Lord Iesus euen as the life of the bodie is the soule and hee that hath a soule must needs breath and walking Galat. 5.24 in the spirit hee cannot fulfill the lustes of the flesh for the flesh and the spirit bee contrary And vers 24. it is said They that are Christs haue crucified the flesh with the affections thereof and who these bee appeareth 1. Peter 4.2 such as suffer in the flesh and these be they that cease from sinne Now then for thee to say thou art flesh and blood is not a shelter pleadable when thou art reprehended for sinne for he that is a good Christian cannot but forbeare it and if thou art all flesh and blood then hast thou not the spirit of God which is proued 1. Corinth 6.16 Do you not know how he that coupleth himselfe with a harlot is one flesh with her and hee that is one flesh with a harlot cannot bee one spirit with Christ Iesus Euen so for wrath toward thy brother thou saiest thou canst not loue him Consider that if the Lord should iudge thee out of thine owne mouth thou couldest not bee saued Thou wilt say the iniury is so great as no man can put it vp but hee that is more then a man can doe it and if thou beest all man Christ Iesus will neuer put vp thy name among the Saints Looke 1. Ioh. 5.3 Hee that is borne againe counteth all the commandements of God light so as if thou be of God it is an easie matter to forgiue the brother If he repent not of the wrong done vnto thee leaue the vengeance to God Rom. 12.20 and heape thou coles of fire on his head and if he do repent and seeke reconcilement it is the easier to forget it and flesh and blood doth pity the case of the suppliant For the third point which is the way how to assure our selues to be the sons of God wee must learne that there is no so certaine a marke to discerne a man to be of God as holinesse of life not but that Gods children may fall most grieuously and blemish their profession most foully but that if Sathan happe to blindfold them that they goe astray yet with the lost sonne they will returne with double sorrow and vnfold to their shame their owne sinne Example wâ—â—ere â—f wee haue in Dauid who though he was ingaged to the Lord by his many benefites that tooke him from the sheepe-hooke and gâ—â—e him a Scepter that by his protection had made him escape the snares of his enemies and by his mercy had freed him from many tribulations yet did he fall into great vncleannesse euen the sinne of adulterie 2. Sam. 11.4.5.6.7 which by the law of God deserued depriuation of this humane life When he had done this hee glauered and flattered with the womans husband and bad him goe home to refresh himselfe with his wife seeking thereby to father the bastard on him When this succeeded not he thought to make him drunke that he might thereby bee more irritable to lust and so to haue gone to his wife And though Vriah answered hee could not doe it because the Arke of the Lord was in the field which had not Dauid beene desperatly sicke in his soule how could he haue beene so forgetfull of the Lord as to haue dealt so with him that was no Iew but a conuert to religion heereby to make the name of the Lord euill spoken of Yet when this preuailed not hee went further and vnto adultery hee added murther that hee might make his sinne knowen and his vnholy life to appeare both to God and man and carry as the greefe of it in his heart so the shame of it in his fore-head And in this hee wrought worse then Iesabel for hee made Vriah the instrument and messenger of the letters for his owne execution yea hee sent them to Ioab who had himselfe beene a murtherer which might harden his heart in that sinne seeing Dauid that was the King not onely a fauourer but the cause of such bloody actions And after what manner should this be done namely that hee should fall by the sword of the vncircumcised a most ignominious and shamefull and grieuous death for so Christian a Gentleman and that hee should so murder him as to colour the grieuousnesse of his fault not hee alone but many other should die innocent and that hee should continue senslesse in this sinnefull course by the space of a yeere yet when it pleased God to cure his disease of hypocrisie and to cleare his eyes that hee saw not his sinne but his chaine of sinnes beâ—â—â—â—â—im then he calleth himselfe not a man of blood but of bloâ—â—â— â—nd then â—is conscience is open to grieue for it and then with his teares he washeth away his vncleannesse and wallâ—â—â—â—â—s a man cleansed and purged from his filthinesse So as if aâ—y bee a whoore let her remember the teares of Mary Mâ—gâ—alene if a persecuter of the Saints let him repent with Paâ—â— Luk. 7.38 Gal. 1.15 Mat. 26.75 if a murtherer let him soundly confesse his sinne with Dauid and if he be Apostasied weepe with Peter for these be the workes of righteousnesse whereby they are knowen to be of God And seeing others deliuered from the pit wee must learne as Dauid saith Psal 56.3 to feare and to trust so as wee must alwaies feare to fall into the sinne before being fallen we can trust to bee deliuered for this is one part of the righteousnesse of Gods children to tremble at the sight of sinne and then shall wee neuer swallow it without remorse Secondly from hence learne that a man may know in what state another man is If I see thee a despiser of religion a profaner of the Sabbath a butcher to the poore and an vncleane liuer what shall I beleeue thee to be but the child of the diuell for this may I know by thy fruites Why but loue biddeth you hope the best 1. Cor. 13.7 and beleeue the best True it is loue biddeth me beleeue all things but not a sow to bee cleane wallowing in the mire or a dogge not to bee filthy that is regorging vp his stomacke Mar. 6.44 or that grapes can grow vpon brambles or that mercy can bee found in the heart of an vsurer or that thornes may bee touched and will not pricke For as loue bids mee not to determine too soone so not to bee abused too late and God bids me looke vpon the tree to iudge of the fruite I may say thou art in the state of damnation for by thy snarling I know thee to bee a dogge Mat. 7.6 and I see thy heart through thy hands but whether thou shalt be finally damned I leaue thee there for the Lord may haue mercy on thee vpon thy repentance I may come to the tree and say heere is no fruite or here is small fruit or heere is bad fruit but I cannot say Neuer fruit grow on thee heereafter as Christ did Mark. 11.13 And it is not the commers to Sermons but the doers of Sermons