our infirmities with the courage of fighting and by them to keepe vs waking that we may discerne the storme when it commeth and cast our ank or on Christ where it shall neuer be vnloosed Here the craft and wilinesse of flesh and bloud will so one take occasion of licenciousnesse as to say if our infirmities serue to do vs good and turne to Gods glory because by this meanes we see our weaknesse then it is good to make much of them euen as Porphyrius commendeth the treason of Iudas against Christ because by Christ his death saluation is brought to many But miserable and blasphemous is this opinion for this were to turne the grace of God into wantonnes for though our infirmities doe further vs many waies to saluation yet in it owne nature sinne is alway sinfull God can make Satan a Physitian to cure Paul yet is he euer Satan that is an enemie God can make the tyrannie of Pharaoh as a trumpet to stir vp the Israelites to crie to him for helpe Exod. 2.23 yet doth this nothing diminish from his malice to Gods people Luk. 22.47 Iohn 17.12 God can make Iudas by a kisse the executioner of his decree yet doth he continue the child of perdition So as we must striue against our infirmities because they be in themselues simplie euill though qualified and tempered with the Lords hand they turne to our good Adulterie it was a horrible sinne in Dauid though it was made profitable for his soule in bringing him to such a low degree of humiliation as is set downe Psal 32.6 For the heauens to be brasse as not good in it owne nature but it is a vengeance of we want the first and latter raine whereby to ripen the fruits of the earth yet at the praier of Eliah 1. King 17. and Iames 5.16 it rained not on the earth for three yeeres and six monthes that the Lords mercie and power might the more be seene yea the Lord can create light out of darknesse yet darknesse is alwaie darknesse Adams fall it was good in that end God had ordained it namely Gen. 3.14 to prepare the waie to raise vs vp a Sauiour of the seed of the woman but it was a most damnable sinne as Satan and Adam meant it for they did it in rebellion against God Further we must consider how the persons be qualified to whom all things turne to the best it is to them that loue God which is the most excellent and Christian commendation that can be this our loue issuing and streaming from that fountaine of the loue of God Euen as all waters come from the sea as from the well-head and returne thither againe boiling out of the veines of the earth so God sending forth the streames of his loue into our hearts it must euen from the very bottome of our hearts returne to him againe for wee haue nothing but what wee haue receiued Now there was neuer any Senacherib nor Iesabel but said they loued God therefore this true Christian loue of God that it may bee seene not to be counterfeit is accompanied with six properties first with a care to keepe his commandements for such is the rule of Christ If yee loue mee keepe my commandements which wee must doe so much the rather because the Lord hath giuen and forgiuen vs much hauing made vs of enemies friends as Abraham was tearmed to bee the friend of God hauing brought vs home when we wandred in the wildernesse of sinne Luk. 1â— 2â— as he did the lost sonne hauing fed vs when wee wanted and had no meanes to succour vs as hee did Eliah 1. King 17.6 hauing clearelie set off the debt which we did owe and cancelled the hand-writing which was against vs. If wee should not performe obedience to such a God and weare his commandements as a frontlet before our eies our condemnation could neuer be too heauy nor our stripes too many Howbeit euerie blasphemer sieth against his owne soule that dare say euen in the height of his wickednesse he soueth God for can a woman prostitute her bodie to a varlet and mingle her flesh with his strange flesh and yet trulie say she loues her husband it is not possible no more can anie man trulie call himselfe the child of Abraham if hee doe and performe the workes of the Diuell Secondlie Iohn 8.44 this loue of God must breed in vs a base estimation and account nay rather a contempt of these earthlie things in respect of Gods loue To such a passe had Paul brought his iudgement and his affections to Philipp 3.8 when he esteemed all things but as dung in comparison of the treasure of the life to come and that he might win Christ So Moses refused the pleasures of sinne in Egypt in respect of the assurance of Gods loue manifested in his afflicted seruants Exod. 2.11 and Peter and other of the Disciples were so rauished with ioie at the call of Christ Math. 4.20 that they left their nets and forsooke the world to follow him And this is that indeede which wee shall all finde at the last to bee the truest comfort for riches are transitorie and will beguile vs honour is slipperie and will deceiue vs the world is moth-eaten and weares awaie at least wee our selues are but claie and soone perish but the loue of God in Christ endureth for euer Thirdlie this our loue of God is accompanied with a feruent zeale of his glorie and more delight wee take heerein then in the enioying the wiues of our youth This was the commendation of the Church of Thy atira Reuelat. 2.18 and by this was their loue of God discerned by their increase in the workes of charitie faith and patience and by their zeale of Gods glorie that they profited and went forward in religion more at last then at first This kinde of loue is described Cantic 8.5.6 to bee stronger then death the coales thereof to bee fierie to expresse the zeale and vehemencie of it whole flouds of affliction cannot drowne it neither can anie treasure buie it Such was the loue of Paul and of Moses that wished themselues accursed to saue their brethren Rom. 9.3 Exod. 32.32 because they thought it more glorie for God to saue many then to saue one Fourthly this our loue of God must make vs presently hate all things whereby God is openly dishonored This was it that so fiercely inflamed the wrath of Moses Exod. 32.19 that when he saw idolatrie set vp by the peoples dauncing before the calfe he broke the Tables of the Law and burned the calfe and strewed the powder of it on the waters and in detestation of their superstition made the children of Israel to drinke thereof Hereof commeth that Ezech. 9.4 that they that haue the marke in their foreheads that is such as are sealed vp to saluation doe mourne and crie for the iniquitie of the times And such was the affection of Dauid
word in the ordinance of God should goe before the seale and in this respect it is necessary yet is it a Sacrament though there be no preaching and the want of the word doth not abolish the nature of the action So we must labour that all thing that sauour of corruption may be remoued yet not to seuer our selues from the Church by reason of some abuses And heere those are confuted that will submit themselues to some commandements and not to others We thinke no man can be saued without Baptisme if hee contemne it and why doest thâ—â— not aswell labour to haue thy child nurtured vp in faith and religion No man will come to the Sacrament without examination for if he do we account it damnable or who is he that taking the bread in the Supper would be found asleepe yet we thrust our selues into the temple to heare the Lord speake vnto vs not communing with our hearts before we come and suffering oâ—â— selues to be caught with sleepe when we are come And whence proceedeth this but that we doe not esteeme it as righteous as ordinance of God to come to the doctrine with preparation as to the Sacrament Certaine it is many may bee saued without Bptisme but being baptized and despising preaching if hee may haue it he is sure to be damned for what is the seale vnlesse there be a graunt precedent But we are almost like vnto the Pharisees that thought it no sinne to sweare by the altar but to sweare by the oblation on the altar was an hainous matter so to sweare by the Temple it was nothing Math. 23.18 but otherwise to sweare by the gold in the Temple which is most strange since the gold is nothing vnlesse it bee sanctified by the Temple So the Word doth separate and sanctifie the water and the bread and not they the Word for it hath life without them and who taught them to distinguish thus For if we will all go to Iohn to be baptized of him so must wee also to heare him preach Let vs beware therefore how wee leape at a Gnat and swallow a Camell Ioh. 13.8 Peter would as faine be cleansed as the rest of the Apostles then must he not be so nice as to deny this mercy to himselfe to haue Christ wash his feet But as we must measure euery thing by the commandement so must we likewise esteeme them according to the dignity and order that God hath commanded for this shall bee the best fulfilling of righteousnesse And Iesus when he was baptised c. Heere the Euangelist setteth downe what followed immediatly after Christs baptising namely the ordaining of him by an heauenly Oracle to be the great Doctor of the Church There were many glorious sights and apparitions whereby was testified to Iohn and the people that this was an extraordinary man By opening the heauens must bee vnderstood that they were as it were cut asunder that thereby they might know that this man was not to be considered as in the infirmitie of man but as one come from heauen Further Iohn and the people saw with their bodily eyes the bodily shape of a doue by which was represented Sacramentally an extraordinary presence of the holy Ghost which though it be euery where and so cannot be limâ—ted any where yet was it neuer so much present any where as in this place whereby was signified the perfusing and powring of all gifts and graces vpon the humane nature of the Lord Iesus And after their sight had beene thus confirmed yet was there a more excellent signe a voice from the liuing God that this man and this person that stood before them aggreuating and gathering himselfe among the company of sinners this poore man appearing but in the basenesse of this flesh was the very naturall Sonne of God begot by an incomprehensible generation in whom his soule delighted So as the summe is this There are testimonies giuen from heauen to Iohn and the people by sight and by hearing that this man that was but newly baptized was the onely and alone peace-maker of the Church The testimonies be three first the opening of the heauens secondly the descending of the doue thirdly the voice from heauen and the matter of the voice For the first vnderstand that albeit Christ had the heauens opened in part for the confirmation of his owne soule that hee was appointed to bee the great ruler of the Church who in his humanity had need of such a confirmation and that in part they were opened to giue him security to vndergoe this great office yet it was done especially for the confirming of Iohn and the people as Ioh. 12. A voice came from heauen saying I haue glorified him which came saith Christ vers 30. not for me but for your sakes So as heereby generally obserue in that the heauens are opened to authorize him to be the great Teacher that our duty is to heare him and the greater shall our condemnation be if we doe it not For though others speake by commission from God as Iohn and the Prophets yet this is true spoken of in the Hebrewes that if they went not vnpunished that despised them that spake from the earth that is being but men much lesse shall they escape that despise him who speaketh from heauen And since the Prophets Luk. 16.29 are to be heard and Iohn speaking in the authority of God much more are we to take heede that we neglect not the words of this great Teacher that speakes from heauen being God in flesh For the second testimony first may be demanded whether Iesus was destitute of this spirit before And if not why it is said now to light on him Colos 2 9. It is certaine as the Apostle teacheth that the God head dwelt bodily in his flesh and neuer any creature had so much as hee from the first moment of his conception And in that it seemes now to descend vpon him vnderstand that before hee led a priuate life and the time of his manifestation was not come at this time hee abstained from shewing any worke of his mediatorship and in this priuat course of life he had such a portion of the spirit as was meete but now when he was to exercise his office he hath his soule endued with a more excellent measure of grace Hereupon it is said Esa 61.1 The spirit of the Lord came vpon me to preach good tidings c. comming then in a speciall manner vpon him where we learne that as Christ in the lineaments and proportion of his bodie grew and increased so did he also in the graces of his soule and inward vertues as Luk. 2.52 hee increased in wisedome and in stature and in fauour both with God and men And howsoeuer hee had by right appertaining to him all grace yet it was powred downe by degrees and the greatest measure of all was at the time of his ascension The grace hee hath receiued is farre aboue
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
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