in vs as hath in part * alreadie beene touched And therfore u In this chap. sect 3. ◠2. Corinth 4 vers 16. the blessed Apostle ioineth both these benefits together saying that while our outward man perisheth our inward man is renued thereby meaning that as afflictions do weaken and cōsume our naturall life so they strengthen further our spiritual life And ô happy losse that causeth such gain ô happy smart that causeth such ease yea ô happy death that causeth such a life Thus we ever come out of afflictiō better thē we were before Wherof we haue a notable resemblance or rather a type prefiguration in the children of Israels bondage in Aegypt recorded by x Genes 15. ver 13. 14 Moses in his holy historie God fore-told that they should be slaues in Aegypt for many yeares and suffer great affliction there but yet that in the end they should come out of it and that with advantage namely with gold silver iewels and far greater substance thē they had when they went thither as y Exod 12. v. 35.36 the event indeed manifestly shewed Even so it fareth with all true Christians they must go into Aegypt and endure bondage there that is they must suffer many troubles and miseries in this life but they shall come out of them in better case then they were before But what doe Gods children come out of their troubles and adversities with more gold and silver or with better apparell then they had before as the Israelites did out of Aegypt No surely but yet with far more pretious things then golde or silver or gorgeous attire namely with more knowledge with more wisedome with more potiēce with more humility with more zeale with more contēpt of this transitory life aed more longing after the life to come which is eternall Now what goodly treasures are these and how farre more pretious then those which the Israelites brought out of Aegypt after their long bondage and manifold grievances there z Tertull de p. ◠ētia c. 7 Tertullian saith strangly Let the whole world perish so that I may gaine patience If hee helde that one vertue of patiēce worth the buying at so high a rate evē with the losse of the whole world how much more should we thinke so many other vertues together with it worth the buying with some short transitory adversities and crosses of the world 10 Last of all a true Christian hath by the benefit of his holy profession this notable comfort against the miseries of this present life that making such religious vses thereof as hath beene said he is acquitted of eternall miseries of the life to come So a Luc. 16. ver 25. Abraham frō heaven tels the rich glutton in hel Remember saith he that thou receivedst good thing in this life Lazarous evill therefore now is he comforted at thou art tormented And saith b 1 Corinth 11. vers 32. S Paul When we are iudged of the Lord wee are corrected to the ende we should not be damned with the world Thus if God correct vs the Divell shall haue nothing to doe with vs. And how happy would the sonne thinke himselfe that having deserved to bee strangled by the hangman might scape by whipping and the whipping too referred to his owne father Thus the evils of paine or the afflictions of this life to a true Christian minister many comforts yeeld them many benefits so that we should rather desire them then bee overmuch afraid of them or dismaide with them Therefore c Bern in Cant. ser 42 S. Bernards meditation is excellent touching this point that God is never more angry then when he is not angry that is when hee sheweth no tokens of his displeasure by correcting vs. For although this may seeme to be mercy and favor yet saith he I will none of this mercy this mercy is worse then all wrath or anger To cōclude let vs make such holy vses of the miseries which we endure in this life as hath beene shewed and they shall serue vs for an acquittance of al miseries and torments in the life to come CHAP. 8. That the Christian religion only affordeth vs true remedy against the second kinde of evils that is the evils which wee doe or our sinnes 1 THAT the greatest evils in this worlde are the evils which wee doe that is our sinnes hath been * Chap. 2. Sect 5. already sufficiently declared * Chap. 5. Sect. 7. 8. as also that the best remedies that naturall men though never so wise learned haue beene able to devise against the same are of no force nay that they are rasher poysons then medicines Let vs now see what helpes and comforts Divinity and true religion will afford vs againe the same 2 And first wee must admit it for a ground that neither our selues nor any other like vnto our selues that is meere men can remedy this matter that is deliver vs from sinne For both we and they are so captivated enthralled therevnto that wee cannot possibly free our selues from it as hath beene * Chap. 2. Sect. 8.1 Chap. 6. Sect 4. before declared wherevnto we may adde that golden speech of a Bern. trac◠de gratia libero arbitrio Bernard that although power were given to mans will to stand not fal yet not a power to rise againe if it did fall For it is not so easie for a man to come out of a pit as to fall into a pit It is in vain then to seeke helpe either from our selues or others like vnto our selues in this case namely against sinne 3 Here mans state being both so miserable and also so remediles God steps in to stelpe him when hee was not able to helpe himselfe and after an incomprehensible manner so tempered mercy and iustice one with the other that neither sinne shoulde bee simply pardoned nor yet the sinner be condemned but that both the offense should be punished and yet the offender absolved This may seeme strange and indeed is most strange therefore b Rom 16. ver 25. Colos 1. vers 20. in the scriptures is called a mistery yea a hiddē mistery yea a mistery hidden from the beginning of the world vntill the fulnesse of time that is vntill the time appointed by God in his infinit wisdome for the revelation thereof This mistery in few wordes is that God sent his only sonne Iesus Christ into the worlde to take vpon him the nature of man in the wombe and of the substance of the virgin Mary and in this nature to preach all truth and to fulfill all righteousnesse in his life and afterwardes to suffer a most both ignominious and painful death vpon the crosse that by his bloud he might wash away mans sins so reconcile to himselfe all those that by faith embraced him as their redeemer and applyed to thēselues that most glorious and soveraigne sacrifice
detestable q Ang. de â—ivit Deili 6. cap. 12. making God more cruell than any man for what man although iustlie angrie would bee appeased by such a bloudie barbarous meanes How were they blinded that thought one sinne vvas a remedie for an other that so hainous a sinne as murther that they purged sinne when they added sin to sinne that they appeased Gods wrath when they most grievously kindled it 9 Secondly for cure of this so great an evill namely sinne they sent vs to a supposed power in our selues whereby we are able if we please to shake of all sinne yea vtterly to conquer the least evill motions and affections of the minde as we haue heard * Char. Sect. 4. before and so insteed of healing sin thrust vs into one of the greatest sins in the world namely pride selfe liking Hence came that saying that went for a principle amoÌ„g theÌ„ r Vnusquiâ—que fortune suae faber that every mon was the forger of his owne fortune that is had power to frame and shape his owne state and condition to make himselfe good or bad happy or miserable So Å¿ Ovid. de Ponto eleg â— ad Germanicum one flatters a great man The Gods grant thee lâ—ng life for as for other things thou wilt giue them to thy selfe and t Horat ep 18. lib. 1. another flatters himselfe to the same effect saying It is enough that I pray to Iupiter for long life and riches for as for a good mind and vertuâ— I will giue that to my selfe Neither are wee to thinke that these were only Poeticall florishes sith the best Philosophers in their most serious discourses and meditations affirme maintaine as much or rather more sometimes u Arist Eth. Aristotle layeth this for a grouÌ„d that both vertue and vice are in our power or else we were neither to bee praised for well doing nor dispraised for ill doing x Cie de natura DeoruÌ„ lib. 3. Cicero most profanely a voucheth that wee truly iustly glory of our vertue which we would never doe if it were the gift of God and not a thing of our owne And y Sen. ep 31 Seneca is angry with those that trouble the Gods with their prayers that they might be happy saying withall make thy selfe happy as if he had saide It is a matter in thine own power what nee dest thou be beholden to God for it Nay z IdeÌ„ ep 54. hee goeth farther and tels vs that in some respect man hath the advantage of God himselfe sith God is happy by the benefit of nature but that man is happy by his owâ—e good hushanding of his minde being indifferent liable to felicitie or misery that is God is happy of necessity but a wise and vertuous man by election and choice for as much as whereas he might be either miserable or happy he by his free choise wise managing of his will makes himselfe happy To conclude a Senec. de vita beata c. 8. he affirmes that one principall step and degree vnto happinesse is for a man to admire himselfe that is to dâ—ate vpon his owne excellencie 10 But alas what poore comfort is there in all this For first so far of is it that maÌ„ hath any such power to shake of sinne as hee is of himselfe in irremediable boÌ„dage vnto it as hath b Chap. 2. Sect. 8. already beene declared neither is hee naught by ill education or custome but by birth or rather before his birth as shall God willing appeare c Chap. 6. Sect. 4.1 hereafter so that to bid a man not to sin is to bid him not to eate when he is hungry not to drinke when hee is thirsty not to sleepe when hee is drowsie and overwatched or rather indeed to bid him not be hungry not to be thirsty not to be sleepy or drow sie yea it is al one as to bid water not to moisten fire not to heate the sea not to ebbe or flow the sunne not to moue sith he can no more of himselfe forbeare to sinne thaÌ„ those creatures can suspend such their natural actioÌ„s and motions 11 Yea not only is this remedy also vaine but here vnder colour and shew of remedy is there most deadlie poison ministred vnto vs. Being dead lie sicke we are made beleeue wee are hoale being by nature d Eph 2.3 as the Apostle tels vs the children of wrath and e Psal 51.7 as the kingly Prophet saith formed and conceived in sinne we are tolde that we may chuse whether we will be guilty of sin or no and that sin comes only of ill custome being most miserable bond-flaues wee are borne in hand that we are free men or might be free men if wee woulde our selues the falshood whereof hath been shewed before having iust occasion to hang downe our heades we are counselled to beare them aloft to looke bigge and whereas we should be ashamed of our selues loath our selues we are taught to admire our selues doate vpon our selues which is the very high way to make vs incapable of mercy and favour For as f Aug. delibeâ—o Arbitrio lib. 3. S. Augustine well saith What can be more vnworthy of mercy than prowde misery And indeed he makes himselfe vnworthy of pitty that stands vpon high prowd tearmes when nothing can releeue him but pitty The dissembling of miserie saith g Ber. serm quodam Bernard shuts out mercie and they shall never be accepted as worthy that presume they are worthy Many in regard of this life haue perished without mercie because in their stoutnesse they would not bee beholden vnto mercie It were easie to giue instances hereof both in ancient and later times but generality herein is sufficient It must be humiliation and submission that must procure offendours favour not presumption or peremptory standing vpon their iustificatioÌ„ in a bad cause To counsell the malefactour to plead his innocency when his capitall offence is notorious and manifest what is it else but to helpe him the sooner to the gallowes Whereas perhaps by confessing himselfe guilty and suing for a pardon in time hee might haue beene acquitted And thus wee haue seene that all the remedies which naturall reason hath beene able to devise against our misery that is against the evils which we suffer or the evils which we doe against our paines and punishmentes or against our sinnes which are the cause therof are either vaine and ridiculous or impious and pernicious CHAP. 6. That true religion revealed vnto vs by Gods worde only discovereth vnto vs the cause of our miserie 1 HOw ignorant the naturall man is touching the cause of his misery hath sufficientlie appeared by things already spoken It remaineth that wee nowe shewe the true cause thereof which only a Gen c. 3. Gods word notifies vnto vs and that is that our first parents Adam and Eue beeing created by God and
be Gods equall ceased not only to be his sonne but also his servant and became the servant of sinne and Sathan And what a miserie it is to be in bondage vnto sin yea what an evil sin of it seâ—fe is Chapt. 〈◊〉 sect 5. 6. hath * already beene sufficiently declared CHAP. 7. The true remedies which Christian Religion affordeth against the first kind of mans miserie that is the evils of paine 1 VVHat poore cold comfort naturall meÌ„ yea the best of naturall men and as it were the flower of them haue beene able to finde out against mans double miserie namely the evils of paine and the evils of fault that is the evils which he suffereth and the evils which hee doth sufficiently appeareth by things * before spoken Chap. 5. throughout Let vs now see what better reliefe and remedy true religion yeeldeth vs in that behalfe As for the evils of faulte that is sinne the cause of all evils of paine the remedy that Christianity affordeth vs is free pardon of our sinnes and reconciliation to God by faith in Iesus Christ As for the evils of paine they are of two sorts either of temporary paine in this world or of eternall paine in the world to come The remedies against the former namely temporary paines in this world are the gratious change of them vnto many profitable vses the remedie against the latter namely eternall paines in the world to come is all one with the remedie against the evils of faulte or sinnes For the same mercy of God which frees vs from sinne doth withall free vs from the eternall punishment due vnto sinne and therefore I will ioine them both in one in the next Chapter For howsoever the strict lawes of order require I shoulde first speake of the evils of fault as the cause of all evill of paine and then of the evils of paine that proceede there of that is first of sinne and then of the punishments for sinne yet because the evils of paine that is punishments for sinne specially temporary punishments whereof I only intreate here that is the miseries and afflictions of this life are more sensible to our nature then the evils of fault that is than sinnes themselues as also because they be the lesser evils of the two howsoever more felt I rather regarding the conveniencie of matter than curiosity of methode wil speake of them first 2 The first consolation then against all worldly miseries is this that whereas of themselues they are tokens of Gods wrath displeasure and a part of his iustice vpon sinners beginning in this world and ending in the worlde to come or rather to speake properly never ending and are a tast and as it were fore-runners of hell torments now cleane contrary vnto all that are in Christ and by faith in Christ stand reconciled vnto God whereof by Gods assistance wee shall â—eare more at large in the next Chapter they are signes and pledges of his loue and favour A strange alteration that they which before vvere heralds of defiance shoulde now bee messengers of peace and proclaimers of amity and loue yet that the case thus standeth is manifest by Gods expresse testimonies My sonne saith a Prov. 3 11. 12. Salomon that is God by Salomon despise not the chastisement of the Lord nor be wearie of his correction For the Lord correcteth every one that he loueth as a father doth the sonne to whom he wisheth good And the b Heb. 12.5 6. Vers 7. 8. Apostle repeating it almost word for word * inferreth out of it by necessary consequence that affliction beeing the badge of all Gods sonnes therefore they that tasted not of it were bastardes and not sonnes And so c Apoc. 3.19 Christ himselfe professeth to the Church of Laodicea that hee dealt thus with all that he loved namelie that he exercised them with affliction As many saith he as I loue I rebuke and chastise Thus all afflictions worldly crosses to the faithful are so many tokens sent from heaven to earth from God to man from Christ to the Christian to assure vs of loue and favor who would not be glad nay prowd to receiue loue tokens from an earthlie king how much more from the king of heaven 3 Secondly it is to be considered that these evils of paine are not only comfortable for testification but also proficable in operation bring forth most notable effects in the godly So saith d Ps 119. v. 67. 71. David Before I was afflicted went astray but now doe I keepe thy commandements And againe It is good for mee that I haue heene in trouble that thereby I might learne thy statutes And e Heb. 12.10 the holy Apostle is bold to say that God chastiseth vs for our good that wee may be made partakers of his holinesse novve all chastâ—semeÌ„t for the present seemeth not to be ioyous but grievous but afterward it bringeth the quiet fruit of righteousnes to them that are exercised thereby And f Rom. 5. â— 3.4.5 S. Paule goeth yet further affirming that afflictions to those that are in Christ minister matter not only of profit but also of glorie Therefore saith hee Wee glory in tribulation knowing that tribulation bringeth patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed 4 And hence it is that Divines reach that afflictions to speak properly vnto the godly are not punishmeÌ„ts but ought to bee tearmed by some other name So saith g Chrysost in 1. Corin. hom 28. S. Chrysostome wee are not punished but instructed so that our affliction is for admonition not for condemnation for Physicke not for torment for correction not for vexatioÌ„ That is in a word all our tribulations are for instructioÌ„ not for destruction 5 The very heatheÌ„s could see that some benefit did grow from trouble miserie As first that it was a counterpoyson against the danngers of too much prosperity as pride riot wantonnes and the like which haue been the bane of many men h Herod l. 3 Amasis king of Aegypt desired that he his might tast of adversity and vnderstanding of the incomparable prosperity of Policrates Prince of Samos who was so luckie in all his affaires that when of purpose he had cast his signet that had in it an Emerald of wondrous value into the sea he had it brought to him again in the belly of a fish that shortly after was served in at his table hee presently renounced the amitie and league that had beene long betweene them suspecting that some great mischiefe would befall him wherein hee would be loath to share with him as indeede it fell out for being craftily trained into the hands of his enemies he was crucified aliue Yea i Iuvenal Satyr 6. the verie Poet observed and complained * Heu patimur longae pacis malasaevior armis Luxuria incumbit c. that in his time they were even
of his death and passion The summe whereof c Ioh. 3.16 the Evangelist coÌ„prehends in these few but golden words So God loved the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne to the end that whosoever beleeved in him should not perish but haue life everlasting For the better vnderstanding wherof we must obserue that the humane nature in Christ is not a distinct and severall person by it selfe as Peter Iohn and such like but so vnited to the divine nature that did assume it as they both make but one person so that all that is in it is truely said to be Gods and al that was done by it to be done by God d Act. 20.28 his bloud was Gods bloud his death Gods death c which necessarily implyeth the perfection of all his actions beeing the actions of him that was God as well as man and both God and man in one person Secondly we must note that all that hee did or suffered in his humane nature thus vnited to the divine he did and suffred for vs that we might haue the benefite of it he tooke our evils vpoÌ„ him our sinnes and death due to our sins and imparted his good things to vs his innocency obedience holines and righteousnesse finally his sufferings partly in his life time but principally at his death vpoÌ„ the crosse his humiliation is our exaltation his condemnation our absolution his death our life 4 This course was most effectuall and availeable in this case yea in the apprehension of man only of force possibilitie to remedy this branch of our miserie namely our sinnes and condemnation for sinne For first e Chrysost in prior ep ad Timoth. hom 7. he that is to reconcile persons that are at variance difference one with the other must haue interest in both else is he vnfit to reconcile them and bring them friends wherefore God and man being at variance it was requisite that he which shoulde reconcile them shoulde be both God maÌ„ Againe man having sinned iustice required that man should be punished having sinned vnto death should be punished with death but now a meer maÌ„s death could not salue the matter for as formerly hath been shewed the death of one sinner cannot pay the debt and death of another every sinner owing a death for himselfe And besides he that was to deliver others from the danger of penalty and death was not only to suffer death but also to vanquish overcoÌ„e death which a meere maÌ„ could never haue don God could not dy maÌ„ could not recover himselfe when he should dy wherefore the Mediatour was to be man to suffer death and God to vanquish death Thus as f Anseâ—m tract cur Deus homo a Divine of middle times sweetly saith Sith such a satisfaction was requisite as none but God could make none but man was bound to make he that was to make it was to bee both God and man Thus our Christian religion only directs vs to the meanes wherein there is possibility of saving vs froÌ„ our sins and hence it is g Mat. 1. v. 2â— that Christ had the name of Iesus that is of a Saviour as he that only could and would do this so great a worke 5 And that he as well would do it as could do it yea therefore only was incarnated and suffered death that he might do it is most evident h Cyp. de Idolor vanitate Christ was made that which man was that man might be made that which Christ was And as i Bernard in vigilia nativit Domini Bernard saith why was the son of God made the sonne of man but that the sonnes of men might be made the sonnes of God Surely k Gregor homiâ— 34. in â—vangel this cannot but yeeld man boldnes with God that God himselfe is become man l August in Psal 148. There is no cause nowe why man should doubt of living for ever sith God hath died for him For shal not he liue for ever for whome hee died that liues for ever Verily it is nothing so strange that mortall man should liue as that â—he immortal God should die specially since this death of the son of God was vniust without cause in respect of himselfe and therefore must needs be available for some others as m August de temp serm 101. S. Augustin excelleÌ„tly saies Death could not be conquered but by death therefore Christ suffered death that an vniust death might overcome iust death and that he might deliver the guilty iustly by dying for them vniustly And thus n August de verbis Domini secund LucaÌ„ de temp serm 141. by taking vpon him our punishment without taking vpon him our fault he hath discharged vs both of the punishment and the fault And that by good right o Bernard ad milites templi c. 4. sith although because he was maÌ„ he could die yet because he was iust he ought not to haue died he that had no cause to die for himselfe in reason and equity should not die for others vnprofitably Neither surely did hee but to greatest purpose namely that the sonne of God dying for the sonnes of men the sons of men might be made the sonnes of God as we heard before out of S. Bernard yea that of bad servaÌ„ts men might be made good sonnes as p Aug. ser 28 Saint Augustine speaketh and this glorious mystery of our Saviours incarnation and passion must needes bring foorth glorious effects q Ansel in c â— ep ad Eph this strange and vnspeakeable loue of God that his only sonne should die for vs that a Lord should die for servants the creatour for the creature God for man this strange loue I say must needs be of strange operation as it is r Bern. feria 4. heb dom paenolae even to make of sinners iust men of slaues brethren of captiues fellow heires and of banisht persons kings 6 Why then shoulde our sins dismay vs if we be vnfainedly sorrie for them and by faith haue recourse vnto Christ that hath borne the punishment of them O let vs thinke vpon this comfortable chaÌ„ge Å¿ August m Psal 2â— c. narrat 2. that Christ made our faults his faults that hee might make his righteousnesse our righteousnesse t Iust Martyr ad Diagnetum O sweet exchange o vnsearchable skill that the vnrighteousnes of many should bee hidden in one that is righteous the rightteousnesse of one should cause many that are vnrighteous to be accounted righteous Although we bee not nor cannot bee without sinne yet as long as our sins are not imputed to vs they cannot hurr vs. The princely prophet David as u August in Psal 32. c naâ—rat 2. S. Augustine well obserues saies not they are happy that haue no sinne but whose sinnes are covered Surely if God haue covered our sinnes he will not see them if he will