Lastly it is manifest by the scripture Col. 2.6 and Iohn 1.12 that beleeuing on Christ is the receiuing of him And what is this receiuing Not only a comprehension of the vnderstanding but an imbracing of the hart and affections laying holde on him as we would on any thing with our hand which is reached vnto vs. And Iohn 6.35 to goe or come to Christ is made all one with beleeuing on Christ which going no doubt is rather a spirituall motion of the hart and affections toward Christ to enioy him and cleaue vnto him then a contemplation of the minde contented to see beholde him 3. By reasons In the third place wee must cleare this matter by reason that to beleeue on Christ is to trust vpon him and that for the grace of remission of sinnes and life euerlasting For the papists say that when we construe to beleeue in Christ to bee to beleeue the pardon of our sinnes in and for Christ that this is a glosse of our owne deuising Wherefore to shew it let this bee the first reason So faith doth receiue and rest on Christ as Christ is set forth to the beleeuer Reason 1. But Christ is set forth vnto vs as our redeemer from sinne and death ergo faith staieth on Christ as our redeemer from sin and death For this wee are alwaies to haue in minde that Christ is the obiect of our faith Not a naked Christ is the obiect of our faith but Christ clothed with his benefits not abstractly and nakedly considered but Christ with his benefits Christ lifted vp as the brazen serpent Christ set forth as a sacrifice propitiatory for our sinnes And thus to receiue Christ and beleeue on him is to beleeue receiue in him ransome from sin and death Reason 2. Secondly I proue this from the disposition of euery beleeuer That which pricketh and spurreth the soule to Christ that the soule first of all â—eacheth at and receiueth in Christ But sinne and death maketh the soule goe forth to Christ Ergo it first layeth hold on pardon of sinne and deliuerance from death These things are euident truths in the experience of euery humbled and beleeuing soule Reason 3. Thirdly it may bee proued by the order of iustification that a iustifying faith is to stay on Christ for the pardon of sinne or to beleeue in him forgiuenesse of sinne The beleeuer that hath got his sinnes couered he hath beleeued the pardon of them But euery beleeuer whom God iustifyeth hath first got his sins couered Ergo he hath before iustification beleeued their pardon It may seeme strange that I say that the sinnes of the beleeuer are couered before his iustification but in nature thus it must bee considered For the Lord cannot pronounce vs as iust till some way hee see vs innocent To absolue the guiltie is abomination with him The order that is obserued in our iustification The order of our iustificatâ—oÌ„ will cleere the matter First there is a sight of our misery to which we are brought by the Law Secondly there is by the Gospell an holding forth of Christ as our Redemption from sinne and death Thirdly there is a working of faith in the heart to rest on Christ as the ransome from sinne and death Now when a man is come hither he is truely and really iust For he hath hold of the ransome from all his sinne Then in the fourth place followeth the Lords voice iustifying this party thus in Christ made righteous Reason 4. Fourthly it may be proued by the effects of faith For that faith which iustifyeth before God which sanctifyeth which bringeth Christ to dwell in our hearts which breedeth peace yea giueth entrance vnto God with confidence and boldnesse that standeth in the trust of mercy and in knowledge onely But all these are made effects of beleeuing on Christ The first part of the reason is euident For if faith be onely the crediting of things to be beleeued then these effâ—cts belong not vnto faith For wicked men in their kinde and the Diuels in their kinde may haue such a perswasion Thus hauing proued sufficiently that to beleeue on Christ is to haue confidence of mercy touching remission of sinne I will now shew what may bee obiected Obiections answered Scriptures that seeme to affirme faith to be onely a right perswasion of Christs person and offices The arguments are either drawne from Scripture or Reason The first ranke proueth that it is true faith to think aright of Christs person office The Scriptures may be recalled to these three heads Mat. 16.16 Thou art the Christ the Son of the liuing God Iohn 1.49 Rabbi saith Nathanael thou art the Sonne of God thou art the King of Israel Iohn 11.26 27. He that beleeueth in mee saith our Sauiour vnto Martha shall not dye Beleeuest thou this Yea Lord saith shee I beleeue that thou art the Christ the Sonne of God that should come into the world So Iohn 20.31 These things are written that yee might beleeue that Iesus is the Christ the Sonne of God c. See Acts 8.37 and 1. Iohn 5.1 From all these Scriptures it may thus be concluded Ob. To bee perswaded aright touching Christs person and office is no particular assurance of mercie But rightly to hold this is iustifying faith Ergo iustifying faith is no particular affiance but onely to hold truely the doctrine of Christ Answ But it is false that these examples mention no more but the holding of the doctrine in truth For they all include an affiance of mercy Which yet include in affiance of mercy in him which may be thus proued First it is a generall rule that words of knowledge include in the partie the affections also much more words of beliefe Secondly to see the cleere trueth of all these examples wee must consider the disposition of Gods people touching the Messiah As therefore they looked for the Messiah so according to the prophecies they promised to themselues in and by the Messiah all good The woman of Samaria Iohn 4. could say when the Messiah commeth he will teach vs all things And therefore Math. 11.3 the Disciples of Iohn aske Christ Art thou hee that should come or shall wee looke for another Where wee may see that there was not a knowledge onely of Christ to come but an expectation and an hope placed in him as in whom all good promises should bee accomplished vnto them So that if we consider the disposition of this people whose hopes did hang on the Messiah wee may plainely vnderstand how that to beleeue the Messias is not onely to know and giue credence but to haue an affiance in him Thirdly wee must consider these examples by that of Thomas Iohn 20.28 who as he confessed Christ and God so was it with tearmes of affiance saying Thou art my Lord and my God Fourthly this may bee gathered by Marthaes words Iohn 11.26 27. For when Christ asked
where I liue It were happely more credit for mee to make this whatsoeuer satisfaction out of mine owne stocke but it will bee your greater gaine that I doe it out of anothers purse Mine owne would proue but short pay and copper coine whereas what heere I haue borrowed to tender vnto you is currant and pure gold of Gods sanctuary which if it please you to put it vp will adde some good increase to your spirituall treasure of sauing knowledge What on my part is wanting in performance I will make vp with my harty desires and prayers for your prosperous state in the world and spirituall welfare in the Lord. At the Free-schoole in Cranebrooke in Kent December the 14. 1618. Your Worships in all Christian seruices J. E. THE MIRROVR OR MIRACLE OF GODS LOVE VNTO THE WORLD OF HIS ELECT IOHN 3.16 For God so loued the world that hee hath giuen his onely begotten Sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life THERE is no wisedome to bee compared with the knowledge of God in Christ The excellency of the knowledge of Christ This hath not a few Arguments to commend it 1. Cor. 2.7 Ioh. 17.3 It is not simply wisedome but Gods wisedome in an eminent and high degree wrapped and folded vp in a mysterie which all men cannot conceiue It is a secret hidden wisedome and that not lately deuised but thought on of old resolued and decreed by God euen before his purpose to create the world for a more speciall aduancement vnto glory Yea to know God in Iesus Christ is life it selfe that life which is euerlasting which it bringeth vs not onely in a sure hope and expectation but in some fruition of it in the foretaste and first fruits therof I haue therefore made choice of this place as in which both God our louing Father and Christ the gift of his grace are vnfoulded vnto vs. But before we come to handle the words themselues it is fit by obseruing their coherence to know the true scope they aime at and if any thing bee obscure to vnfould it The coherence of the words The dependance they haue on the former words is on this sort Christ in the verse immediately going before gaue this out generally That whosoeuer beleeueth shall haue life euerlasting Now the Iewes giuen to emulation might thinke much that the priuiledge of life should bee communicated with the vncircumcised Gentiles Christ therefore meeteth with this corruption Which come in to meete with a scandall of the Iewes and confirmeth the vniuersality of that proposition with this reason What GOD proposeth as his end shall certainely be My counsell shall stand and I will do whatsoeuer I will Isay 46.10 But God hath set downe with himselfe this end in giuing his Sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth shall haue life Ergo Whosoeuer beleeueth shal haue life euerlasting The Minor is in these words of my Text the conclusion in the fifteenth verse the proposition is from elsewhere to be gathered and supplied In the words there is onely one phrase of speech that doth neede to be vnfoulded that is what is meant by the world Their sense Theophylact giueth two significations of this word What is meant by the world in the eleuenth of Iohn the one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the whole vniuerse The other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is men worldly minded Some taking it in the former sense very largely Not all mankinde aâ— some thinke though not for the vniuersalitie of the creature yet for all men vniuersally giue these two interpretations of it The first thus God so loued all men that he vouchsafed to giue and offer his Sonne in the preaching of the Gospell vnto all according to those places Goe teach all Nations Mat. 28.19 Preach the Gospell to euery creature Marke 16.15 A trueth I confesse but not meant in this place For heere is not meddled with the Ministerie but the Decree of God and manner of our Redemption is manifested And when wee come to handling of those words of giuing the onely begotten we shall see that agreeably vnto the context they are to be taken in another sense The second exposition is that God so loued all that hee gaue his onely Sonne to death of purpose and effectually for all But this is false For euen this one reason ouerthroweth it For God did not purpose the saluation of all mankinde by Christ Whatsoeuer the Lord purposed Christ perfectly performed I haue finished the worke thou gauest mee to doe Iohn â—7 4 But Christ did neither make intercession nor dye for all Ergo. The first is proued Iohn 17.9 Since Christ did not intercede for all mankinde c. I pray not for the world That is say some not that they should continue in worldly courses Ans There is an opposition betweene the world and those that were giuen vnto Christ which plainely sheweth that hee doth exclude the world from the benefit of his prayers as being none of those which were giuen him by his Father which opposition doth also inferre and inforce thus much that if in one member as for them which thou gauest me persons namely Gods elect are meant as is most euident then in the other we are to vnderstand not worldly courses not approued of God but men passed by neglected of him But this prayer is not made by him as Mediatour Euen when he prayed as Mediatour Ans Thiâ— sh ft is vtterly ouerthrowne by the context of this Chapter For this was made when the houre of his offering vp approached was as it were the sanctification of himselfe thereunto was not made for a few godly but all that euer should beleeue verse 20. Which Cyril saith to be put in least that the high Priest and Mediatour of our soules should not seeme to intercede for vs. Pontifex mediatar animaruÌ„ nostrarum pro nobis minime interrogare videretur And the iudgement of Cyril is that he maketh this prayer as Mediatour on the ninth verse of this Chapter Where hee hath these words Christus suos a non suis separans pro his qui verbum audierunt qui iugum susceperunt rogat quorum Mediator atque Pontifex est istis tantummodo mediationis bonum non iniuria attribuens that is Christ separating his from those that were not his doth pray for those which heard his word which had taken his yoke on them not vniustly bestowing the benefit of his mediation onely on those whose Mediatour and high Priest he is Not did die for all mankinde but his sheepe onely The second thing that he died not for all appeapeareth Iohn 10. verse 15. I lay downe my life for my sheepe Yea but may it be said all are his sheepe Ans Not so For his sheepe haue their note and name giuen â—â—em of separation from others which are not so Secondly in the twenty sixt verse hee saith to
we hauing right thereunto wee haue the accomplishment of glory when wee beleeue in regard of right and propriety thereunto When first wee beleeue then we are intituled to life euerlasting Euen as the title to an outward inheritance followeth vpon the birth so the right and hope of this kingdome doth follow our spirituall birth By our spiritual birth None that are not begotten of God by water and the spirit shall enter into the kingdome He hath begotten vs vnto an inheritance 1. Pet. 1.3.4 Now the Lord begets vs his sons daughters when he giueth vs to beleeue For first the good pleasure of God resteth on his naturall and onely begotten Sonne on whom when we come to lay holde by faith we are then made sonnes Iohn 1.12 Yea sons accepted Eph. 1.6 And being sonnes accepted vvee are heires As Gods sons and heires euen ioynt-heires with Christ. Rom. 8.17 The glory of heauen is therefore called by the name of Adoption because it followeth thereon and is the thing to which we are adopted By faith therefore when we obtaine to be the sonnes of God wee also thereby obtaine that euerlasting life which is to be reuealed Which truth that wee may cleare somewhat better obserue with me briefely these three things First then Christ hath merited life euerlasting no lesse for vs For Christ hath merited it for vs. then righteousnes as Heb. 10.19.20 By the bloud of Iesus we may be bold to enter into the holy place by the new liuing way which he hath prepared throgh the vaile that is his flesh And Heb. 9.15 Through the death of the Mediatour wee which are called receiue the promise of the eternall inheritance Secondly 2. Faith doth apprehend it also as well as righteousnes faith applies and apprehendeth the one as well as the other We are saued by grace through faith Eph. 2.8 It is the Apostles meaning that faith doth looke vnto and lay holde euen of saluation it selfe which we haue of Gods grace as well as of any benefit tending thereunto And if it be obiected that hee speaketh not of life euerlasting which is laid vp for vs in due time to be reuealed but of the present saluation and redemption whereof heere wee are partakers I answer It is manifest in the verse going before what he meaneth by saluation euen specially the treasures of glory God hath raised vs vp together and made vs sit in heauenly places c. For wee are saued by grace through faith 3. Faith doth euer rest vpon it vntill wee come to enioy it Thirdly Faith doth not onely beginne to apprehend it and then leaue vs to workes that wee may attaine it but faith doth still apply life vnto vs till wee are iustified and saued By faith we stand and reioyce vnder the hope of the glory of God Rom. 5.2 Wee are kept by the power of God through faith vnto saluation which is to be reuealed 1 Pet. 1.5 So that our faith neuer giueth ouer till wee haue this saluation euen the end of our faith And these considerations doe sufficiently shew that faith is it or rather Christ receiued by faith by for which we are righteous and accepted yea and at length attaine life euerlasting The opinion of the Papists touching life eternall Now let vs consider a little what is the sentence of the Papists in this poynt The Papists then confesse that life is merited by Christ and is made ours by the right of inheritance so farre wee go with them Yea touching works they holde many things with vs that no works of themselues can merit life euerlasting 2. that works done before conuersion can merit nothing at Gods hand and merit of works much lesse life euerlasting 3. that there is no merit at Gods hand without his mercy no exact merit as often there is amongst men all these are true The point whereabout wee dissent Our dissent from thâ—m is that with the merit of Christ and free promise they vvill haue the merit of works ioined as done by them who are adopted children That which directly must be opposed vnto this is that Gods gracious promising Gods grace and any merit of workes cannot stand together and giuing it to vs in Christ cannot stand with the merit of our workes And the Scripture herein is so euident As it is euident by the Scripture that some of the Papists are forced to deny this coniunction of a double title vnto life eternall For in the fourth of the Romanes 4. the wages cannot be counted both by meere fauour and also by debt and desert and Rom. 11.6 If it be of grace then not of workes for grace then were no grace In which place obserue this that fauour and grace are meant and to bee taken for the rich grace of God which is now made manifest in Christ For otherwise there is a grace which may stand with workes It was grace that God did couenant with man in Adam that had hee stood in righteousnesse hee should haue deserued eternall life but the riches of grace of meere grace cannot abide one worke as meritorious to be coupled with it If any heere except The Apostle speaketh of workes of the Ceremoniall Law or done by force of nature not by the grace of Christ I answere that in the first place Workes of grace being excluded from iustification the Apostle reasons of the workes of Abraham being now iustified and euen in the flower and prime of workes Further we may see plainely Ephes 2.8 9 10. that grace doth exclude al works of regeneration We are saued saith the Apostle by grace not by workes What workes Such as are ceremoniall or done in our naturall state No nor by workes of regeneration euen such good workes as we are created to in Christ Iesus And marke heere the reason of the Papists All our workes say they come from the grace of God in vs and are from Christ dwelling in vs Ergo it hindreth not the grace of God nor Christs merit that we haue them and merit by them Now the Apostle doth inferre the quite contrary Our workes euen our best workes cannot saue vs. Why For they are not ours but they are of God whose workemanship we are being by him created vnto them Gal. 3.11 12. And faâ—th and the Law being opposed Further The iust doth liue by faith Ergo he cannot liue by doing For The Law is not of Faith Nor is faith of the Law neither can these two be conioined As Gal. 3.18 If the inheritance be of the Law it is no more by the promise but God gaue it freely by the promise Marke heere that there is such opposition betweene workes and grace that a thing cannot bee together a donatiue of mercy and deserued by working If any thing bee ioined with Christ as together meritorious of righteousnesse and life it abolisheth Christ But why then doth God promise life euerlasting to
some present that they were not of his sheepe That is wilsome say because they would not beleeue Ans Nay rather because they were not his sheepe they beleeued not as there appeareth And at the last iudgement we shall know that there is difference betwixt goates and sheepe Some third signification then is to be inquired which wee shall see by comparing 1. Iohn 4.14 and Mat. 1.21 to be the people of God whom hee saueth in the world and to note no more Hee is the Sauiour of the world But it noteth Gods people in the world saith Iohn and who or what is this world that he saueth All men Not so but his people as in Mathew is expounded Thou shalt call his name Iesus For he shall saue his people from their sinnes Which all are not But all are Christs people Answ If his Kingdome of power be considered it is true but not so of his kingdome of grace His people in this regard are described T it 2.14 1. Pet. 2.9 But onely the Elect. to bee a peculiar and chosen people Diuers Faâ—hers call the dispensation committed to Christ Oeconomia which noteth a domesticall regiment ouer the hous-hold of faith And thus Austen often construeth the word world pro mundo seruandorum mundo redemptionis For the world of the saued ones the world of the redeemed to which is opposed mundus damnandorum et perditionis the world of the damned or lost wretches And so on the seuenteenth of Iohn verse 23. that the world may know c. Thaâ— is saith Camerarius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those which are saued in the world Called the world for three causes And there are three reasons why the Church of God the bodie of Christ which only belongeth to saluation is called by the name of the world 1. They haue their particular vniuersalitie For all kindes and all times haue made vp this number Secondly now the fulnesse of time approached that the Church was to become Catholique in regard of place The whole world after a sort was to goe into it not the Iew and Grecian only but euen thâ— Scythian and Barbarian too Thirdly in respect of their state before they are effectually called and actually made the sonnes of God For before this they walke after the course of the world Ephes 2.2 So then the true meaning of these words is this God so loued his people chosen to saluation through the world that he gaue his Sonne that they should not perish but haue life euerlasting The which vvords fitly cast themselues for matter into these three points Three points of this Scripture 1. The speciall loue of God toward his God so loued the world Secondly the effect of his loue that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne Thirdly the end that whosoeuer beleeueth in him might haue life euerlasting First I will giue the instructions which offer themselues to our consideration in the two first members Secondly I wil come and peruse the words more particularly Doct. I. God doth beare a speciall loue to his The first doctrine is intimated in the first word So. So God loued the world For heere is insinuated so much That the Lord regardeth his with an especiall fauour To vnderstand this the better wee must see how the comparison standeth God loueth all his creatures and hateth as the Wiseman speaketh nothing he hath made For to loue is nothing but to will well and to doe well to any Now the Lords goodnes is ouer all God is generally good to all creatures More specially to Man For in him we liue euerything hath life motion and being from him Act. 17.28 He doth preserue the very beast Psa 36.6 But much aboue all other creatures doth hee loue mankinde The arguments whereof are Foure signes thereof First his long sufferance toward vs Secondly his indulgent grant of the vse of his creatures whereof we haue made our selues iustly vnworthy Act. 14.17 Thirdly that Christ took not the nature of Angels but hath assumed into one person with his Godhead the seede of Abraham Fourthly that hee doth vouchsafe the Gospell of his Sonne to all mankinde But though his mercie is ouer all and aboue other creatures shewed vnto man yet the loue vvherewith these are embraced But his loue toward his elect is most entire aboue al. compared vvith that loue wherewith he hath his children accepted through Christ is called hatred and therefore CHRIST setting down this doth by this word So make a distinction of this kindnesse and loue from all other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paul who sounded deepely both our miserie in our selues and happinesse in Gods loue when hee commeth to consider this loue to his in CHRIST doth raise his stile as if no vvords were sufficient to expresse it as may bee seene Ephes 1.6 But specially Ephes 2.4 7. where this his kindnesse toward vs in Christ is called great loue rich mercie Yea and more the exceeding riches of Gods grace Most rich And speaking of Gods loue in Christ for this and the loue of Christ because God was in Christ may and doth sound all one as Rom. 8.35 The question being asked Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ The answere is nothing shall separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ verse 39. making them to bee the same speaking I say of this loue he doth wish the Ephesians might be able to know the same though indeed passing knowledge Pasâ—ing knowledge Ephe. 3.19 where he maketh it to be a loue incoÌ„prehensible much more vnspeakeable It is therfore compared with the loue of a Father Psa 103. Most affectionate 13. As a father hath coÌ„passion on his children so hath the Lord compassion on them that feare him And preferred before the most tender bowels of a mother Esa 49.15 Can a woman forget her childe and not haue compassion on the sonne of her wombe Though they should forget yet I will not forget thee And as it is most rich and aboundant so it is a loue no lesse sure and constant And constant for it hath for its ground onely the good pleasure of God Rom. 9.11.15 and therefore shall neuer change nor can be altered Vses 1. From gods loue to vs we must learne the loue of our brethren For the vse hereof First Gods example in morall duties is euery where made to vs a patterne of imitation Be ye holy for I am holy 1 Pet. 1.26 Wee therefore from this loue of God toward vs must learne to loue one another as Iohn doth vrge it on vs 1 Iohn 4.11 Beloued if God loued vs nay so loued vs that is with so admirable and superaboundant loue wee ought to loue one another For what are wee too good to loue there where God himselfe doth loue and that with maruellous loue aboue all creatures or doth God bestowe such singular loue on any man who is
not to abolish but to fulfill the law and the Prophets And therefore Paul doubteth not to say that the righteousnesse of the Law is still fulfilled in vs. Rom. 8.4 Namely Euangelicè and applicatiuè according to the tenour of the Gospell by application but in Christ legaliter and inhaesiuè according to the Law inhaesiuely in himselfe 3 Causeâ— wâ—y in Scripâ—â—râ—â—â— so small mention of Câ—â—â—stâ— actâ—ue obâ—dâ—eâ—ce Why then will some say doth the Scripture speake so little of this kinde of obedience and so much of his passion There are sundry causes of it First because That of his Passion was most sensible and exposed to the eyes of all Secondly because that the Ceremoniall types had in that their accomplishment Thirdly because his Passion hath in it the chiefe actuall obedience See Chrysostom in the second homily on the Acts. The third degree of the giuing of Christ 3. In his death to suff r for 〈◊〉 which standeth more agreeably with this place is the giuing of him to be lifted vp vpon the tree that there in his bodie hee might beare our sinnes 1. Pet. 2.24 For in his lifting vp which phrase noteth the manner of his death hee answereth to the type of the brazen Serpent Iohn 3.14 Which as whoso looked on had cure for the stings of the fierie serpents so wee looking on Christ by faith are cured of the sting of that old serpent sinne and death Of this giuing Paul speaketh Rom. 8.32 He hath giuen his own Sonne for vs all Which iâ— the height â—f Godâ— louâ— And the Epitasis and height of Gods loue is made manifest in it that our hearts should burne within vs. Yea with the Spouse in the Canticles Cant. 2.5 we should swoone to consider it For what vnspeakeable loue is it that Almightie God a father so glorious and full of Maiestie should giue his onely Sonne a sonne like and equall to himselfe for his enemies to be made vnder the Law yea the curse of the Law and to be deliuered vp to the powers of darknesse This doctrine hath foure vses Vses 1. To make vs mourne for our â—â—nnes First it serueth to shew vs how horrible sinne is to engender in vs godly griefe and to make vs studiously auoide it Such Epicurisme is in vs that wee count sinne a light hurt which any thing will salue But whoso duely weigheth this that sinne ere it could bee done away and satisfied hath made the Lord of glory to empty himselfe of his Maiestie the Son of God to walke as a seruant God himselfe to shed his bloud this will make his heart to melt bleed within him for his sinnes and to water his cheekes with teares no lesse aboundantly then he hath before laughed merrily and blithely I will poure saith the Lord Zachary 12.10 vpon the house Dauid and vpon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and compassion and they shall looke vpon mee whom they haue pearced and they shall lament for him as one mourneth for his onely sonne and be sorry for him as one is sorry for his first borne c. If once the Lord make vs turne our eyes to Christ and to regard what he hath suffered for our sinnes nothing will more then that humble vs with godly sorrow and bruise our hearts for them For what sorrow can we thinke deepe enough what teares sufficient for our sinnes which haue pearced the Sonne of God vvith extreame sorrowes and put him to most base vile and painefull sufferings And this grace also will curbe a man most effectually from breaking forth into euill and â—o curbe vs from sinne As Tit. 2.11 12. The grace of God which bringeth saluation vnto all men hath appeared and teacheth vs that wee should deny vngodlinesse and worldly lusts What is this grace of God but that fauour and loue vvhich God hath shewed vs in the sufferings of Christ then the vvhich there is no better master to teach vs and to presse vpon vs this lesson of vsing all endeauour to shunne sinne For therein as in a cleere glasse may we contemplate and behold what Christ hath endured to free vs from it what fearefull torments it deserueth how odious and hatefull it is to God which he would so seuerely punish in his owne Sonne And lastly into vvhat horrible misery it will eternally plunge vs if we doe not shake it off and abstaine therefrom 2. To comfort in temptation Secondly it is comfortable in temptation For when Sathan shall trouble our mindes and charge vs with our sinnes and vvant of righteousnesse there is nothing in the world that can quiet our mindes and stop his mouth but this that Christs righteousnesse and satisfaction is ours Shewing Christ to be ours and that by his death we are acquitted from our sinnes and by his righteousnesse made righteous before God But how is Christs righteousnesse and satisfaction made ours Euen by the gift and donation of God For as wee haue heard By Gods gift God hath giuen vs his Sonne and if Christ himselfe be giuen vs doubtlesse vvith Christ wee haue all the merits of his obedience conferred on vs by the same gift And what better right and title can we haue to him and his righteousnesse then this that God who is the sole owner possessour of him hath bestowed him on vs 3. To make 〈◊〉 trust to God â—or all other good things Rom. 8 3â— Thirdly it is a ground of hope in all our vvants that God vvill supply vnto vs all things good and needfull For hath God giuen vs Christ his Sonne How shall hee not with him giue vs all things also No man vvhose kindnesse and loue to vs hath beene so great as to bestow on vs the best and dearest thing he hath vvill hold backe any thing that should make that gift sure and behoouefull to vs or see vs in distresse for want of smaller matters Loe God hath giuen vs his Sonne the most excellent deere and precious thing he had And can wee thinke that his loue is so cold as that hee vvill sticke to bestow vpon vs earthly things that are toyes and trifles to this great gift if he see them fit for vs or that he will not giue vs faith and other graces whereby this gift should be made certaine and of vse vnto vs 4. To â—ssuâ—e vs of the continuance of â—oâ—s loue herâ—a â—er Fourthly it doth assure vs of Gods loue for the time to come If when we were enemies vvee were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne much more being reconciled shall wee bee saued by his life Rom. 5.10 If a man out of loue haue sought the friendship of his enemie and vsed meanes to be reconciled to him is it not likely that he will be constant in this loue and take all waies to maintaine it vnto the end But howsoeuer it fall out with man who is variable most sure it is that GOD
her Doest thou beleeue this that whoso beleeueth on me shall not die euerlastingly She doth answere Yea Lord I beleeue that thou art the Christ that is Since I beleeue this that thou art the Messiah I cannot doubt but that those that cleaue to thee shall haue euerlasting life teaching that these confessions imply an affiance and trust of all good through him The second ranke of places proue that to beleeue the power of God is iustifying faith Scriptures affirming faith to be a beliefe of Gods power Mat. 9.28 c. Christ required no more of the blinde man then to beleeue that hee was able to heale him And Luke the seuenth that faith of the Centurion which Christ commended to be greater then hee had found any in Israel seemeth to bee no more then a perswasion of Christs power to restore his sicke seruant Say the word and my seruant shall be whole verse 7. So Marke 1.4 The Leper seemeth to doubt of Christs will but was well perswaded of his power If thou wilt thou canst make me cleane And how is Abrahams faith otherwise set out vnto vs then by this that hee was fully assured that he which had promist was also able to doe it Rom. 4.21 Hence it is thus argued That faith which Christ requireth and confirmeth by miracle that is a iustifying faith But to bee perswaded touching the power of God is that faith which hee requireth and hath so confirmed Ergo c. I answere to the first part of this reason that it is false For the faith which Christ requireth to iustification is such a faith as doth acquite vs from our sinnes and procure vs righteousnesse but such a faith is not heere required but onely a faith seruing to receiue a temporall blessing Which speake not of iustifying faith but of a faith auailing to temporall blessing to which faith it suffices to bee perswaded of Gods generall goodnesse and power as hee is a Creatour The which faith since it doth giue vnto God the glory of power aboue all his creatures it pleaseth him to reward with temporall benefits as a thing good in it selfe though it doe not iustifie vs in his sight But Abrahams example must bee further examined and explaned from the which they goe about to conclude the same thus Abrahams faith Abrahams faith was a iustifying faith But his faith was not a perswasion of mercy To confirme which they make two maine exceptions at this example First that it was of a temporall promise and ergo the obiect of it was not forgiuenesse of sins in Christ Secondly that it was of Gods power Rom. 4.21 and not of any speciall grace and fauour For the first this promise was as well spirituall was of a spirituall blessing as temporall It was as you may see Gen. 15.5.18 17.5 6 7 8. c. of a seed which God would raise vp out of him and of Canaan which should bee giuen to his seede and in that seede the blessed seede Iesus Christ In Iesus Christ and vnder Canaan as a type heauen was figured and promised Now the obiect of Abrahams faith so farre as it did iustifie him was that blessed seede which is Christ Gal. 4 16. For it was rather the sight of Christ which hee had by faith then the perswasion of a sonne to bee borne to him and Canaan to be giuen his seede that made him to reioyce as Iohn 8.56 Abraham reioiced to see my day and hee saw it and was glad For the second when they say it was a perswasion of the power of God and not of his fauour they are mightily ouershot For the text saith first verse 20. that he did not doubt of the promise of God Now the promise alwaies implyeth Gods good will Looked first to Gods good will in the promise and grace The promise runnes not I can giue thee a seede Abraham and this Canaan to be possessed by thy seede but I will do thus and thus How then doth the Apostle set out Abrahams full beliefe in this that hee was assured that he who had promised was able also to doe it I answere Not because Abrahams saith did iustifie him as it did beleeue the power of God but because his iustifying faith which was fixed on the promise did sustaine it selfe Next to Gods power to sustaine himselfe in temptation by this consideration of Gods power in the time of triall betweene the promise and execution For vsually the Lord puts a time of delay betweene these vvherein faith is exercised Thus it was with Abraham he had a promise touching a seed the execution is deferred Hereupon his faith is assailed thus Thy body is dead Abraham thy wife hopelesse that way These things foiled Sarah Now when Abrahams faith on the promise is likewise set vpon hee holds fast the promise and against these arguments of vnbeliefe faith opposeth the all-sufficient power of God and sustaineth it selfe with this consideration God is able A third ranke of places tendeth to shew that to beleeue Christ dead and risen Scriptures putting faith in a beliefe of Christs death resurrection is true faith As Rom. 10.9 If thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and shalt beleeue in thine heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saued And 1. Cor. 15.3 4. c. it is made the summe of the Gospell To beleeue the death and resurrection of Christ Hence thus they reason To giue credit that Christ is dead and risen is a iustifying faith but this is no perswasion of mercy Ergo. I answer The Apostles must interpret and construe themselues To beleeue Christ dead and risen as they taught him is true beleefe but they teach these things still with application But these are to be vnderstood with applicatiō as Rom. 4.25 He was deliuered to death for our sinnes and is risen againe for our iustification And Rom. 8.34 Who shall condemne it is Christ which is dead yea or rather which is risen againe for vs for that is to be vnderstood in euery member of this sentence which is added onely in the last that he maketh request for vs. So also say the Apostles Acts 5.31 that God had raised vp Christ to be a Prince and Sauiour to giue repentance to Israel forgiuenesse of sinnes Now thus to beleeue the death resurrection of Christ as thereby to look for forgiuenesse of sinnes is not bare knowledge but true affiance and assurance And these are the scriptures from the which they would proue this generall faith to be true faith Now follow the reasons Aduerse reasōs answered by which they goe about to shewe that there is not any particular assurance of mercie in faith First then thus they dispute There is no faith where there is no word but there is no word that saieth to any of vs Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Ans We haue a particular word infolded and wrapped