that hath stirred vp enemies against them for their good but yet whilest they smart with the iniuries they haue receyued and the other take pleasure in the wronges that they haue done let them not onely forgiue and beseech them of loue the which God doth here but let them pray for those their enemies as did our Sauiour for his because their affection hath so blinded them that they well know not what they doe Thus much for the first party our mercifull God that beseecheth man to be reconciled vnto him now followeth that wee should speake of the second partie which is Man his demeannor in this reconciliation towardes God Now Man in the verse going before is called the world the which word is sometime taken for the wicked of the worlde in which sence our Sauiour speaketh when he saieth I praye not for the world the Apostle saith God chasteneth vs in the worlde least wee should be condeÌ„ned with the world In which sence if wee take man so farre is he from seeking to be reconciled with God that somtime in the pride of his heart he asketh with Pharaoh who is the Lorde that I should heare his voice Yea when we preach vnto such the glad tidinges of peace they say vnto vs preach to vs no more in the name of the Lorde thus when wee speake of peace they care not for those thinges that make for their peace but prepare themselues to warre with God laying sinne vppon sinne as though with the Giants they would plucke God out of heauen Indeede before such swine it is vnmeete that we should cast forth heauenly pearles or publish the thinges that make for their peace Because God in his iustice hath so blinded their eies that now they are hidden from their sight Yet because such which are reprobate are knowen onely to God because he by his will reuealed would haue all men to be saued come vnto the knowledge of his truth hath commaunded vs to publish this word of Reconcilion vnto all it standeth vs in duety to harken to the heauenly voice in scattering the seede of this his gracious promise leauing the successe vnto the heauenly blessing of himselfe Thus must wee do because God may call them at the last houre of the day and who knoweth whether now For hee can make the stonie rocke to gush out with water and Peter after his fruitlesse labour at once to catch a great draught of fish It is true men are loth to sowe where they shall not reape and against all likelyhood to bestowe their hopelesse paines yet let such know that that which seemeth vnpossible to them is possible with God which bringeth light out of darkenes calleth thinges which are not as though they were nay which giueth life to them which are dead in sinne yea although they lie stincking in their graues and as vnlikely to be clothed with Gods grace as were those bare and dried bones that the Prophet sawe scattered before the graue Thus then you see that of some vnto whom this worde is preached in the eye of man there is small hope and yet God in great mercy will haue this word of reconcilement published to them Now if we take the world for the elect of God in which sence the sonne of man is said to be sent not to condemne the worlde but to saue the world and againe that the world may beleeue that thou hast sent me A wonder it is to see how wee prepare our selues vnto God for it is so that amongst vs their are some that are content to be made friendes with God and this they make a parte of their desire but yet they feede God with delay and put of from day to day and wil haue God to wayte their leasure But if such would consider their owne damnable estate if God should preuent them with his iustice and call them to accomptes before they are ready they would adde wings to their feete and with all post speede woulde make haste to come vnto their God For if once the bridegrome be passed before they haue prouided oile if once the redde tents be pitched vp before they haue accepted of his peace if once the blessing be giuen before they come the gate of his mercie shut and his throne of iustice erected vp then should they come but all to late since they would not accept of Gods fauour when they should they cannot taste of his mercie when they would Others there are that are content to commaund with the first reioice in the light that God hath giuen them but they are so humbled with the conscience of their sinne with such dread and sorrow tremble at the name remembraunce of God that they shut their eies at the glory of his maiestie run into the thicket with Adam from his presence cannot abide to appeare before him Vnto whom if God in comfort draâ—e neere and speake kindly vnto them as did Ioseph to his brethren yet they haue no power to hold vp their heads or to looke God in the face and tearing vp their woundes as men of dispaire at the view of Gods mercie they speake vnto him as Peter did to Iesus goe away from me for I am a sinfull man Whos 's case herein is so much the more happie by how much they seeme to theÌ„selues to be more miserable For when GOD hath in this sorte searched their woundes launced them euen vnto the quick then he powreth in oyle and maketh them to feele the sweet of his mercy then he taketh away their sins the cause of their feare and so clotheth them with the robes of righteousnes that now in a good confidence of hope and that with all boldnesse they come into the presence of God their father A third sort their are which come willingly when God doth call take pleasure in the mercies that God hath shewen them which haue accepted of the couenant of peace that God hath offered in his sonne and hath promised to be a friend to his friends and open enemie to all he doth not like yet if sinne comes in the way and shewes her selfe in pleasure to them for old acquaintaunce they must haue her by the hande and renew some tokens of their former loue So soone do they starte aside and make loue to that which God doth deadly hate true it is that when they first gaue their names to God to be enrolled for his friends their purpose was not to forsake God although all other did but to hate theÌ„ whom he hated euen as though they were their enimies yet neuerthelesse as though they were like to those leane kine who had eaten the fatte and were neuer the fatter had tasted of Gods grace and were neuer the better And they doe not onely
scourged why was he nailed and pearced why was his head crowned with thornes himselfe crucified among theeues why was his soule sore troubled within and frighted with the feare of his fathers wrath why did he pray to his father to remoue this crosse from him and crie out as a soule that was forsakē my God my God why hast thou forsaken me but that the Lorde in his great mercy to vs warde but iustice towardes him did punish in his blessed soule body the sins of all the faithfull in the worlde surely beloued if we were to beare the punishment of our sinnes then hath not Christ suffered for our sinne if he hath then do the Papist accuse GOD of great iniustice that he would punish vs for such sinne he hath already punished in his sonne But God is iust let the Papist blatter what he will and because he hath said it shall surely stand for it is part of that new couenaunt which he promised to make I will forgiue their iniquitie will remember their sins no more if he forgiueth how doth he call them to punishment if he wil not remember how doth he require satisfactiō for them can a creditor forgiue the debt and yet require satisfaction for the debt no more can God be said to forgiue vs our sinne and yet seeke to punish vs for our sinne If any man sinne saith the Apostle wee haue an aduocate Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sinnes not he saieth the papist but we now whether the Apostle or papist is to be beleeued iudge you And to speake to men whose eies affectiō hath not wholy blinded and from whose hartes wilful obstinacie hath not taken away all sense of reason is this rightly to cōsider of the weight of sinne and of his filth is this equally to ballance the iustice of the almighty the fiercenes of his wrath kindled against the wickednes of men surely if the punishment of sinne could so haue beene satisfied and the wrath of the father hath so beene appeased thou hadst not sent thy sonne O blessed maker neyther hadst thou needed to haue died for vs O Emanuell For we by our watchings fastings we by our hairie weedes and other penaunce we by our many praiers and consecrated water wee by hearing of Masses and going in pilgrimage will satisfie for all such punishment that is due for our sinne O foolish flesh that thus presumest before thy maker if God should deale with thee according to iustice the greeuousnes of thy sinne thou shouldest stand as a man wholy confounded not able to satisfie one of a thousand no not the least that euer thou cōmittest in thy life for when thy sinne euen the least of thy sins is infinite because it was committed against the infinite maiesty of thy God thy punishment therfore must be infinite and therefore not to be satisfied by thee in this finite life and if thou canst not satisfie for one how wilt thou satisfie for all especially when not onely in this that thou seekest to satisfie but also in the most holiest of thy workes and sorowest penaunce thou often sinnest and trespassess God Wherefore that which Cain spake in dispaire thou oughtest not onely to speake in the humblenes of thy soule my punishment is greater then I am able to beare but withal thankfulnesse to receaue the mercy of thy maker who hath giuen his sonne to beare in his body that which otherwise for euer thou shouldst haue borne in thine Looke therefore with the eyes of faith vppon this brasen Serpent which hath not onely taken away the stinge of the serpent which is your sinnes but euen all your swellings and rancklinges all your paines and maladies the punishment due to all your sinnes This also some of the papistes do acknowledge but yet not resting on the good word of God they distinguish betweene eternall and temporall punishments and they are content to confesse that Christ hath satisfied for their eternall punishment but as for the temporall they say that they must satisfie for it in themselues It cannot be denied but that God layeth on the sonnes of men many punishments in this life the which are to be reputed temporall because they are in this life which is but temporall but yet these temporall punishments endured by men in this temporall life or neither in part nor in whole any part of satisfaction for our infinite and eternall sinne For if we consider this as they are in the godly some say that they are not punishments for sinne but rather fatherly admonitions that they should not sinne because for their sinne Christ hath beene punished and hath satisfied not in part but in whole whatsoeuer the iustice of God could require for them or if wee consider these as they are in the wicked true it is that GOD sometime beginneth to deale roughly with them and to inflict in this life some part of the punishment which for euer hereafter they must in most grieuous manner suffer in hel But yet since there is no proportion betwixt a finite punishment and an infinit sinne since of the punishment and satisfaction of these no Papist speaketh but of such for whom Christ died and for whose eternall punishment Christ hath satisfied wee leaue to speake farther of these wicked ones and call now enquire whether Christ hath not fully endured all punishment due for the sins of the faithfull but hath left some temporall punishment as part of the satisfaction due for their sinnes to be endured suffered by themselues The which if it be so as the papist speaketh not onely blasphemy followeth our Sauiour because his satisfaction is made insufficient the sin of man of greater filth then the merite of his most blessed passion but also man speaketh with ouer great pride that he presumeth to satisfie where Christ hath not satisfied and to make perfect which he hath left vnperfect vnto vs or if it be true the which our Sauiour speaketh Consummatus est it is finished euen the worke of our saluation and redemption of the world if he as the author speaketh to the Hebrewes by one sacrifice not by many hath made perfect not left vnperfect and that not for a time but for euer and that not some but all which beleeue in his name why do we seeke to make vnperfect the satisfactiō of Christ or to turne away the destroying Angell by any other means then by the bloud of this immaculate Lambs sprinkled by faith on the dore postes of beleeuing heartes The Apostle Paule saith Christ was made a curse for vs that he might redeeme vs from the curse of the law now when the iustice of God did inflict vpon the transgressors of the law not only eternall punishment but temporall too and when Christ endured in his most blessed body euen all the punishment due to the transgressors of the law it must
needes follow there is no more temporall punishment to be suffered and endured by vs. And therefore Austin in his boke against Faustus discourcing on those words of the Apostle he was made a curse for vs saieth for Christ without all guilt of sinne tooke vpon him our punishment that he might from thenceforth do away the filth of our sinnes and made an end of our punishment The same Austin after many wordes Prorsus prorsus Christus dominus noster without all doubt Christ our L. Iesus our Sauiour our redeemer was made sin for vs that we might be made the righteousnes of God in him if thou aske how sayeth that father heare the lawe for in the law the sacrifices which were offered for sinne were called sinnes for thou hast that when the sacrifice for sinne was brought that the lawe said let the preestes put their handes vpon the sinne that is as he expoūdeth vpon the sacrifice for sinne and what is Christ else but sinne it is a sacrifice for sinne If Christ then be made sinne that is a sacrifice on whom the punishment of sinne was inflicted and so made sinne that he may put an end vnto our punishments without all question there is now no punishment for our sinne left to be endured and suffered by vs. Thou wilt say what are our inward griefes and torments of mind what the conscience of our sinne and feare of Gods iustice what the calamities and miseries of our friends what our sicknesses yea death nay sinne it selfe and a thousand other euils more common to the saints of God then other but punishments of our sinne I graunt whatsoeuer other saith that the Scripture calleth these the punishments of sinne after a sort they are because they are the very fruites and effects of sin although God sendeth not these to punish sinne in vs which he hath punished in his sonne But either to make triall of our patience as he did of Iobs or to shew how he hates sinne as he did to Dauid or to driue vs from our sinne as he did Manasseth or to winne vs to himselfe as he did the prodigall child or to make vs loth the world as he did the godly and to grieue that we cānot serue him with that puritie we should and as he requireth Wherefore as Chrysostome speaketh Why doest thou wayle that thou doest suffer it is a medicine to thee not a punishment a castigation no damnation But yet they reply that God sendeth miseries on his children for none of these endes but to punish sinne which they haue committed be it so as they say yet I denie as is before made manifest that which all the Papist do so greatly labour that these endured punishments make any recompence to God for our sinne or any whit satisfie the wrath of the father conceaued against them True it is that in the infancie of the Church certaine temporall punishments were inflicted on offenders canonicall satisfaction was required but yet not to satisfie God but the Church not to make due recompence for the sinne cōmitted but by this publike submission to declare their vnfained sorrow repentance for their sinne the which kind of discipline as then so now it is most behouefull for the church and house of God For by those means not only the Church is in some sorte satisfied which much grieueth at the fall of her children but the offendant himselfe is better occasioned to consider his wretched miserable estate and forced as it were to hate his sinne and to take held of the great mercy of his God And not onely is this discipline behoueful for these but for other also whereof some are in other out of the Church of God For they that are in the church by the punishment of other are made more wary lest happily that which they see in other should be also sāpled in thēselues they that are out haue no cause to slander the good word of God or to speake euill of his spouse because shee winketh not at the faultes of her children or proposeth vnto them liberty to sin but guideth their steps in the way of righteousnes punisheth thē when they goe awrie But to let this passe as a matter not pertinent to our purpose out of that which hath bin spokē you see that Christ Iesus hath our sins imputed vnto him that by his obedience blessed passion he hath deliuered vs not onely frō some sins but from all not from the guilt and filth of them but from the paine punishment too that not from the paine eternal only but also from all paine temporall in this life Now then as you haue heard how that he was made sinne for vs so now it foloweth that we should declare how we are made the righteousnes of God in him where not what the Apostle speaketh he was made sinne not a sinner but sinne nether was he made by man but by God and to what end that wee should be made we cannot make our selues for we are Gods workmāship what not righteous but righteousnes not of man but of God and that not in our selues but in Christ The which speach of the Apostle doth most manifestly declare the meanes by which wee are reputed righteous in the sight of God the father euen by the righteousnes which is in Christ not in vs yet by Gods mercy imputed to vs thorough faith receaued of vs neither is not this sence enforced on the Apostle besides his meaning but witnessed by most auncient catholicke fathers before this question of inherent righteousnes was euer moued and debated in the church And therefore Austin In the olde law the sacrifices for sinne were called sinnes the which sacrifice for sinne he that is Christ was truly made of whom the sacrifices of the lawe were but shadowes And after shewing how Christ was made a sacrifice for sinne he saith God to whom we were to be reconciled made him sin for vs that is a sacrifice for our sin by whom he might reconcile vs so to himselfe he therefore was made sin that we might be made righteousnes not ours but Gods not in our selues but in him euen as he that is Christ was made sin not his owne but ours not in himselfe but in vs. And in the end he concludeth this is that righteousnes of God not by which he himself is iust but by which we are made righteous before him So that as our sins cannot be said to be inherent in Christ but onely imputed vnto him no more is his righteousnes inherēt in vs but only by Gods mercy imputed to vs. Yet so that as he actually indured the paines of our imputed sins so shal we also actually inioy yea in part now do the fruite of his imputed righteousnes neither was this once barely spoken of this godly father but as the Apostle Paule in his