the flesh that are in thee make the word of God which is in it selfe most cleare darksome and obscure Is there any obedience in it nothing lesse The law of the members still rebelleth against the law of the mind so that needs wee must confesse with Paul that in vs that is in our flesh in our state of corruption dwelleth no good Rom. 7.18 To apply this to our purpose marke what the flesh is that are we altogether by nature for we come to be spirit not by carnall generation but by spirituall regeneration And this leauen of vncleannesse hath crept into all the outward members that the eyes eares lips tongue hands feet are euery where in the Scripture branded for weapons of vnrighteousnesse And so let vs passe vnto the third consideration 3. By actuall transgression In the third place wee are sinners in regard of actuall transgressions you haue often heard of sins of omission and sinnes of commission In sinnes of omission It is worth the marking to see whence these kindes arise for when we are altogether depriued of righteousnes it cannot be but that wee should omit and ouerpasse whatsoeuer is righteous For where the cause is not nor euer was there the effect must needs be wanting So on the other side when the pollution of sinne doth wholly occupie the faculties of our mind soule and body whatsoeuer we thinke speak And of commission or doe it cannot but be sinfull For such as the tree is such must be the fruit Neither can figs be gathered on thornes nor grapes on thistles Of which our actuall corruption the Scripture euery where and specially very plainly doth accuse man Psalm 14.1 They haue corrupted their waies and done abomination there is none that doth good What is here meant but that the whole way of a naturall man the trade of his life is to worke such things as are abomination and that whatsoeuer is truly good that he altogether pretermitteth But this me thinketh sticketh on the stomacke and is not so easie of digestion as the former Obiection For you will haply say that you haue the knowledge of God that you can heare Gods word The good which we haue by nature that you can conceiue a zeale of some kind of righteousnesse that you can pray giue almes and doe many other good things and why then should you be charged with doing no good Solution But wee must bee as wise in heauenly things as wee are in earthly In other matters touching goodly appearances wee can giue this iudgement Is but appearing that all is not gold which glisters and should not wee be as carefull that in things spirituall we be not deluded with shewes in stead of substance Our Sauiour hath an heauenly speech concerning these glittering and shining sinnes as one doth truly terme them that what is excellent and glorious oft with men the same is abomination in the sight of God Luk. 16.15 You may thinke that you know God But not spirituall and sauing but by nature you haue not nor can haue any true spirituall knowledge of him For as it is 1. Cor. 2.14 The naturall man is not capable of the things of God Onely bleare-eyed as we are and seeing at hand as Peter speaketh 2. Pet. 1.9 we can after a sort reade and conceiue what the great bookes of heauen and earth teach vs concerning him namely that there is a diuine power whose iustice power and bounty doth not obscurely manifest it selfe in the administration of the world And this knowledge standeth vs in no other stead but onely to make vs inexcusable before God So wee can lend a bodily eare vnto Gods word but with the eare of the mind we cannot heare which our Sauiour meanes when he saith to them which heard well enough in respect of the bodily sense Hee that hath eares to heare let him heare Matth. 13.9 So we may receiue a kind of zeale after good but it is like that of the Iewes Rom. 10.2 a wrong zeale in a wrong manner which leadeth from Christ with whom onely is saluation Wee can also giue almes and doe other good works in our owne conceit and of other men but in such a manner as that we cannot stirre an haires breadth from sinne For want of a cleere fountaine viz. a pure heart nor get out of the mire wherein wee sticke For the Law requireth not onely that the substance of the outward worke be conformable thereunto but that the fountaine whence it springeth be pure Tit. 1.15 And a right end viz. Gods glory that the end for which it is vndertaken whatsoeuer it be bee the glory of God 1. Cor. 10.31 Now to haue a hart purified by faith is not such a vulgar thing that all men haue it for all men haue not faith 2. Thes 3.2 but these onely to whom it belongeth to whom it is giuen Phil. 1.29 To you it is freely giuen for Christ that not onely yee should beleeue in him but also suffer for his sake Wherefore when the Scripture doth pronounce that whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Rom. 4.24 and that without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 let vs not think our pennie made worse siluer than it is when all our workes that are done in our naturall condition are made sins before God and such as wherewith he is highly displeased be they neuer so goodly and beautifull in the sight of man The vse of this doctrine shall be ioyntly handled with the other following wherefore we will passe to the second doctrine touching our misery And come short That is are out of the reach and hope of euerlasting life and so by consequent are plunged ouer head and eares into eternall death Doct. 2. From hence then this is our lesson that by nature we haue no part nor portion in that glorious life We by nature haue no share in life euerlasting and that euerlasting happinesse wherewith the presence of Gods glory replenisheth his for euermore Whē Adam had sinned mark what followed thereupon Genes 3.23 hee was secluded and cast out of the earthly Paradise in which the estate of vs al is pourtrayed out and liuely represented namely that we being sinners are exiled and banished from the Paradise of God hauing no interest in that glorious inheritance But are vnder wrath Wherefore it is that our Apostle saith Ephes 2.3 that we are the children of wrath that is such as to whom appertaine those punishments which the Lord inflicteth in his indignation and not that life of glory which hee giueth to those with whom he is well pleased Because sinfull wretches Neither can it possibly bee otherwise with vs for the wages of sinne is death the iustice of God so requiring Rom. 6.23 What other pay then can wee challenge or expect but that of eternall death who are euery way most sinfull wretches as wee haue already heard Whom heauen
carried away Leuit. 13. and 14. so the whole frame of heauen and earth must burne in the fier to bee purged of it Vse 2 Secondly these doctrines are a ground of all true humility It teacheth vs humility and thankefulnesse and thankfull acknowledgement of Gods mercy If that a man could haue seene the heart of the poore Publican Luk. 18. no doubt one should haue seene that it was the priuity of these things we haue spoken of viz. that he was so sinfull and corrupt so wretched and neare to damnation that made him so abased and abashed in himselfe as not to dare so much as to looke vp to heauen made him with such griefe and passion to smite his breast and to sigh out Lord be mercifull vnto mee a sinner What vvas it but the due pondering of these things that did carry Dauid to such an admiration of Gods bounty toward himselfe and all men crying out Psal 144.4 Lord what is man that thou regardest him or the sonne of man that thou thinkest on him and forceth the Prophet to this confession It is the Lords mercy that we are not consumed because his compassions faile not From the ignorance of it springeth pride and vnthankfulnesse Lam. 3.22 But contrarivvise vvee carry our heads aloft face the heauens and svvell vvith great thoughts of our ovvne vvorth Againe vve are not onely spared from day to day and saued from vvrath but are fed and filled vvith good things from Gods hand without any due and feeling confession of Gods patience bounty and mercies heerein And whence is it but euen hence that we haue not thorowly learned nor taken vnto heart these lessons what wee are naturally before God viz. abominable most filthy and cursed wretches children of wrath and sonnes of perdition Find me the man that doth know this in his soule and is not lowly in his owne eyes doth not tremble and is not with an holy shame confounded in himselfe when hee commeth before God that doth not acknowledge Gods mercy in the least good hee enioyeth and wonder at his bounty that he doth load him such a caitiffe with so great benefits Grant that poore Mephibosheth had been guilty of treason against King Dauid as Ziba did falsly accuse him and that vpon plaine conuiction of the crime and sentence of death being giuen on him and all things made ready for his execution the King had giuen him his pardon restored him to his lands and as formerly admitted him to his owne table Can we thinke that hee would not haue blushed euen as oft as he came in the Kings presence and that he would not much more than formerly haue magnified Dauids princely mercy and clemency vnto him saying What is thy seruant that thou shouldest looke toward much more shouldest deale so graciously with such a dead dog as I am 1. King 9.8 If the apprehension of ones outward miserie and basenesse can so abase our mindes and endeare the curtesies and fauours of other men towards vs how much rather will it make vs truly humble before the Lord and thankfully to record his goodnesse to vnderstand well how vile and wretched our naturall condition is Vse 3 Thirdly this must awake vs to looke about and lay hold of the meanes of our saluation that wee escape death and damnation It should stirre vs vp to lay hold of saluation When the Iewes had heard Peter preaching roundly to them concerning their wickednesse in crucifying the Lord Iesus and their danger for it they were pricked in their hearts and cried out to the Apostle Men and brethren what shall we doe Act. 2.37 And truly it must needs affright vs and make vs to labour for a better estate vnlesse we be of that sort of men that haue made a couenant with hell and are at a league with the graue Isa 28.15 to consider that we are guilty before the Lord in the loynes of Adam to weigh that we are throughout stained and spotted with the filthinesse of sinne to thinke that all we can speake or doe all our thoughts words and deeds are so many inditements against vs and euidences that wee are shut out of heauen into vtter darknesse Will any man vnlesse hee be dead drunke lay himselfe downe to sleepe in the top of the mast the ship being vnder saile in the middest of the sea Prou. 23.34 And wee hold him desperately mad that dare take a nap in a house on fier ouer his head O then let vs not when the wrath of God which is a fier burning to the pit of destruction when I say this wrath is seated in soule and body let vs not presume to snort securely till we know our selues pulled out of this fier and till we perceiue that it is fully quenched and extinguished And thus much spoken concerning our wretched estate by nature were enough But lest those who are deliuered from this misery should thinke that this doctrine concerneth them not it shall be needfull in a word to adioyne one other instruction Marke therefore beloued who it is that vttereth these words all haue sinned It is Paul one who had now laboured 20. yeeres in the worthy Ministery of Apostleship yet hee speaketh this including himselfe in the same number Which teacheth vs thus much Doct. 3. That after our deliuerance wee must not shake hands with the doctrine of our miserie Our miserie must not be forgotten though wee be deliuered from it but still beare it in mind and often recount it It is the practice of Saint Paul almost euery where In the second to the Ephesians vers 3. after he had laid before the eyes of the Ephesians their former estate he spareth not to rip vp his owne constitution by nature thus Among whom wee also haue had our conuersation in time past in the lusts of our flesh in fulfilling the will of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature the children of wrath as well as others So again 1. Tim. 1.15 doth hee ranke himselfe amongst the chiefe sinners Christ Iesus came into the world to saue sinners whereof I am the chiefe Lastly Tit. 3.3 doth he make a large acknowledgement of his owne and others wretched condition what it was before conversion We our selues also were in times past vnwise disobedient deceiued seruing the lusts and diuers pleasures liuing in maliciousnesse and enuie hatefull and hating one another 3. Effects of its remembrance And this lesson is the worthier our learning by how much the vse of it is the greater for it hath three excellent effects 1. To make vs gentle toward others First to remember what we our selues haue bin and are by nature will make vs meeke and gentle towards others not ouer rash and rigorous in our censures Thus much the Apostle sheweth plainly vnto vs in the place aboue-named For in the second verse of that chapter he doth bid Titus to dehort men from speaking euill and exhort them to softnesse
and meeknesse But now what reason doth he giue why such kindnesse and courtesie should be vsed toward others Marke that in this 3. verse for we our selues saith he were in times past disobedient vnwise c. plainly shewing that nothing more engendreth mildnes and gentlenes toward others than to set before vs what we our selues haue been 2. To long for our dissolution Secondly in the relicks of sinne to remember our miserie will make vs sigh and grone for our heauenly tabernacle and desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ As Dauid being very much a-thirst did long to drinke and said Oh that one would giue me of the water of the well of Bethlehem 2. Sa. 23. So Saint Paul hauing wel considered of his slauish and irksome case through sinne abiding in him and continually molesting him doth conceiue an earnest desire and breaks out into most passionate wishes of his full deliuery Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death 3. To tast our saluation by Christ the more pleasant Thirdly it will make vs taste the benefit of Christ more pleasantly When did Paul come thankfully as it were to take the cup of saluation in Christ Iesus euen then when he looked vnto it through the body of death And therefore after his former exclamation hee annexeth this thanks-giuing I thanke God through Iesus Christ our Lord. And certaine it is that as the Paschall Lambe did relish the best when it was eaten with sowre herbs so by these remembrances which humble and breake the spirit our saluation by Christ is made much more comfortable and sauoury Vse It is then to be blamed in Gods children It reproueth those that neglect to call it to mind if they doe not exercise their thoughts in a frequēt meditatiō of their naturall misery there are diuers who being aduanced from a lowe estate to great preferment forget their base parentage nor will once looke downe to the dung-hill from whence they were raised but what doth ensue in such persons but strange pride and insolencie out of which they domineere cruelly ouer their inferiours disdaine and set themselues against their equalles and to their ruine at length set at naught him that aduanced them not acknowledging his former fauours and thinking that they can now sit fast without him It is a faireway to spirituall pride Gods children are in danger of nothing more than of spirituall pride with the which the diuell when all other of his traines faile hopeth to blow them vp by dazling their eyes with the view of their perfections and present happinesse And to prepare them thereunto and make way for this stratagem this he doth driue at to make them forget what they were of old and little to thinke of their former miserie to which if he can bring them then with ease and readily will succeed vncharitable censures and proud disdain of others inferiour to them in grace contentious emulations toward those that match them or goe before them yea a sleight esteeme of Gods mercy and grace whereby they were deliuered Great aduantage therefore doe they giue the diuell against them who loue not to keep in mind and humbly to recount their wretched state by nature euen when through Gods mercy they bee freed It followeth And are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus whom he hath proposed a reconciliation through faith in his blood Euen as the way to Sion was by Sinai so vnlesse wee desire rather to bee carnally secured than truly comforted wee must passe by the diligent view of our most wofull plight wherein by nature wee are enwrapped to the consideration of the good things which the Lord hath prepared for them that loue him These words then vnfolded will plainly declare what I propounded to shew in the second place viz. the very thing which belongeth to our happines I cannot cast them more conueniently for our capacities than into these three members The parts First that there is restitution for all sorts of men from this misery in these words All are iustified Secondly the grounds or causes of this restitution and these are two first the mercy of God in these words freely by his grace secondly the redemption in Christ whereof hee speaketh thus through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus Thirdly the instrument whereby these are applied to vs in vers 25. through faith in his blood These three poynts we will handle in order Doct. 4. We are restored from this misery That there is a reparation of mans lamentable condition is not necessary to dispute since it is a matter nothing controuersall The Apostle Gal. 3.22 euidently saith that all are by the Scripture concluded vnder sinne But why that they might lie in this condition Nothing lesse but that the promise through the faith of Iesus Christ should bee giuen to them that beleeue And it were woe with vs if this case were any whit doubtfull I will therefore in stead of arguing whether there bee a restoring yea or nay set downe the order of our restitution For though this word Iustified doe not signifie directly euery parcell of our happy estate yet it being opposed to our miserable estate doth it selfe signifie some part of our deliuerance from it and by necessary consequence implieth all that concurreth thereunto First therefore let vs know 1. By iustification that for man guilty before the tribunall seat of God for the sinne hee committed as he was in Adams loynes and many aduerse sinnes in his owne person there is iustification that is Whereby God acquitteth vs from sinne nothing else as Paul euery where vseth it but an action of God as iudge of all the world whereby he doth acquit his creature of whatsoeuer crime might be laid vnto his charge holding him for iust and innocent yea and according to this iustice which he imputeth to him hee doth most graciously entreat him And accepteth vs to life by acception to life euerlasting This is the very import of this word as is gathered by these two arguments First it is a word iudiciall as may bee seene 2. Sam. 15.4 Oh saith Absalom that they would make me a Iudge in the land that euery one who hath any matter or controuersie might come to mee and I would doe to him iustice that is pronounce him quit cnd cleare him as his cause requireth Secondly the opposition requireth the same for condemnation is set against it as the contrary Rom. 8.33.34 It is God that iustifieth who shall condemne And this may be considered as the first degree in our reparation and is precisely signified by the word it selfe which though it be distinguished from these that follow otherwise a wholesome forme of words and doctrine cannot be kept yet it must not be separated 2 By sanctification Secondly therefore the Lord whom hee thus iustifieth he