but Christ besides suffered the whole wrath of God due to mans sinne they suffred in way of Christian dutie and seruice but hee to make a sacrifice of expiation of sinne they hauing their sinnes remooued and taken off from them but hee bare all theirs and all beleeuers sinnes in his bodie vpon the tree Howsoeuer therefore humane wisedome stumbleth at this death of Christ yet must we by the eye of faith labour to espie glorie in ignominie esteeme of the crosse as an honourable chariot reioyce in a triumph made as the Iewes scoffe by an hanged man thus shall we see the foolishnesse of God wiser then man and the weaknesse of God stronger then man thus also shall we imitate the holy men of God who looking backe to the crosse of Christ could see him thereon triumphing spoiling principallities breaking down partitions reconciling God and man yea man and man both Iew and Gentile into one bodie vpon his crosse sâ—aying hatred and procuring perfect peace Secondly seeing it is cleare in the text that Christ died not for his owne sinnes it is cleare that hee died for the sinnes of his elect vnto whom this vertue of his death must be applied and this two waies 1. to their humiliation 2. to their consolation Both of them grounded hereupon that Christ was thus crucified for thee without which application the knowledge of Christ crucified excelleth not that in the deuils themselues For the former if Christ died for thee then wast thou the cause of his death thou crucifyedst him thou art as faultie and blame worthy for his death as euer was Iudas Pilat the Iewes or the Soldiers thy sinnes were the nayles and the speare and thy selfe wast one of them that pearced him which consideration seriously thought of will be forceable to cast downe the proud conceits of those for whom Christ must be thus humbled and cannot but bring bitternesse of spirit to him that truely conceiueth that himselfe deserued that death which Christ not deseruing indured for him yea and to haue beene held vnder the wrath of God for all eternitie if Christ had not freed him vrge this point vpon thy conscience to bring thy selfe to the bewayling of thy sinnes oh it was my pride that stript Christ starke naked it was the sinne of my soule that made his soule heauie vnto the death my corruptions were the cordes that bound him my malice my contempt of God my ignorance my wofull courses were the thornes and nailes that wounded him he all this while standing in my roome and stead Thus is it prophesied of beleeuers in the new Testament that when the spirit of grace shall be powred vpon them they shall looke on him whom they haue pierced and lament for him that is by faith they shall looke to Christ whom by sinne they haue pearced and this shall be an effectuall meanes to lead them further into the practise of repentance Thus Peter when hee would bring downe the stifnesse of the Iewes told them that they crucified the Lord of glorie which when they heard they were pricked in their hearts and said men and brethren what shall we doe to be saued Popish preachers so handle this matter as to stirre vp compassion towards Christ hatred of the Iewes and Iudas and the soldiers but we must labour by it to come to the hatred of our owne sinnes or else we shall come behind the Iewes themselues For the latter If Christ was thus crucified for thee then also be thou of good comfort for many things were nailed on the crosse with him euen all thy inditement all thy sinne originall and actuall the curse hell and death it selfe died with him if thou beest a beleeuer the some nailes which were driuen into his hands and feete were driven into thy sinnes so as thou maist looke vpon the crosse as the Israelites did vpon the brasen serpent and thereby be cured of all the sting of sinne and deadly sicknesses of thy soule thou maist behold his ignominie as thy glorious roabe his arrainment thy absolution his binding thy freedome his abasement thy advancement his nakednesse the couer of thy shame his death thy life and his Fathers forsaking of him an assurance that thou shalt neuer be forsaken Only this knowledge of Christ crucified in speciall for thee is it that can settle the conscience in peace when thou knowest and beleeuest that all thy personall particular sinnes were hung on the crosse with Christ and that hee in thy roome suffred for them that which in Gods acceptation was as much as if in thine owne person thou hadst borne the curse of the law for all eternitie The most content themselues generally to know that Christ died for sinners but neuer care to know what this particular application meaneth The Popish doctrine also is an open aduersarie to this most comfortable perswasion of iustifying faith but it behooueth him that would haue the right vse of this doctrine neuer to be at rest till hee can come to say with the holy Apostle who loued mee and gaue himselfe for mee Gal. 20.20 and with Thomas after hee had seene the impressions of the wounds in his hands and side my Lord and my God Thirdly seeing that of the two maine things in this death 1. merit 2. the efficacie none shall haue his part in the former that hath not in the latter our care must be if we would find life in this death of Christ neuer to be at rest vntill we find the fruite and effect thereof in some sort in our selues The most powerfull fruits of iâ— are reduced to two heads the former is an ingrafting of vs into the similitude of his death for hee died that we after a sort should die with him The latter is a framing in vs the qualitie of his life for therefore hee died for vs that we should liue vnto him both of these are required to the right knowâ—ledge of Christ crucified ioyned Eph. 4.24 and enioyned him that would know Christ as the truth is in Christ called the casting off of the old man and the putting on of the new What it is to be planted into the similitude of the death of Christ the Apostle sheweth namely when our old man is crucified with him but when is that done the next words answer when the bodie of sinne is destroyed that is not when sinne is restrained or some sinnes cut off but when originall sinne that is the old man is killed in all the parts and members of sinne when men haâ—e abhorre and grone vnder their corruptions yea euen their smallest and sweetest sinnes this is a fruit of Christs death and noted to be in all those that are Christs when it is said that they crucifie the affections and lusts Gal. 5.24 Quest. But how are these lusts crucified by the death of Christ Answ. Not only by that deadly blow which Christ hath giuen them by his death but also
for these hee rose againe for these hee spoiled principalities and powers for these hee slew hatred yea not for these only but in these also and in these only As for all the rest hee praieth not for the world namely the wicked of the world hee died much lesse for them his death killed none of their sinnes but they are left in their sinnes and vnto the raigne and damnation of their sinnes without all benefit either of the death of Christ or of his resurrection When we say then that Christ killed sinne we must be vnderstood according to the Scriptures only for and in true beleeuers who only can receiue of his fulnesse The latter distinction concerneth sin wherein wee must consider two things 1. the guilt 2. the corruption of it The whole guilt of sinne is wholly and at once abolished to all beleeuers by meanes of Christ his death and resurrection but not the whole corruption which while they dwell in the bodie will dwell with them yet so as they neither liue in it nor it scarcely liue in them For the former the Apostle asketh this question Rom. 6.2 How can we that are dead to sinne liue in it and hence it is that such as are in communion with Christ are not only said to be dead but buried also with Christ and consequently they leaue their sinnes in his graue euen as Christ himselfe left them there where if they be left there will be a rotting and consuming of them away that they will be euery day lesse then other euen as it is with the bodie that lyeth in the graue and those which remaine yet vnmortified they will be euen as dead carkases lothsome and stinking which aboue all things the godly desire to be couered Now how impossible is it that these should be the practises of such as liue in sinne Nay I say more that all the corruption of sinne left in the godly can scarcely be said to liue in them I graunt indeede some moouing and stirring of it in them but it is such a motion as is in a beast which hath the throat cut it strugleth and striueth in letting life goe but the beast is killed and the vncleane issues of sinne in the godly which indeed are many are like such issues which come from a dead man and are a very parting from them rather then any argument of the life of sin or of any delight in them This is that which the Apostle aimeth at Rom. 6.7 Hee that is dead is freed from sinne as the theefe once hanged stealeth no more so sinne once dead and executed in Christ liueth no more in state or strength the sinewes of this giant are cut and what strength of motion can be in it In a word it is in beleeuers but dying sinne sinne destroied the whole hoast of sinne is discomfited though some stragglers of the armie wander here and there as rebells in another mans dominions The second enemie is death which entred into the world by sinne and went ouer all men in that all men had sinned and standeth in full force and state by sinne whersoeuer it raigneth Now Christ by remoouing the cause hath also remooued the effect for sinne beeing slaine death is also swallowed vp in victorie he hath made his word good O death I will be thy death who although he be the last enemie that shall be fully destroyed yet hath he disarmed him taken away his dart and sting from him and so spoyled him as he hath left him nothing to harme the elect withall The third enemie is hell the gates of which was set wide open by sinne for In the day thou sinnest thou shalt die the death namely the second death as well as the former But Iesus Christ by discending into hell and suffering the sorrowes of the second death loosed the same from himselfe and all such as shall beleeue in his name vnto the worlds ende Reu. 1.18 I was dead but am aliue for euermore Amen and I haue the keyes of hell and death which phrase seemeth to be borrowed from great commanders and conquerours who hauing wonne and entred any citie presently haue the keyes deliuered vnto them in token of that regiment and authoritie which now of right belongeth vnto them and plainely importeth that howsoeuer Christ was once dead yet by his death he hath vanquished hel and death and so hath obtained full power and command ouer them both The fourth enemie is Satan the arch enemie of mankind most malitious beeing a manslayer from the beginning and most powerfull beeing the Prince yea the God of this world yet hath the victorious lyon of the tribe of Iudah put to flight this roaring lyon whose rage and malice made him bold to set vpon the Sonne of God himselfe that so he might worke his owne ruine and ouerthrowe How Christ avoided his sundrie fierce assaults and temptations in the wildernes broke his power and forces by his powerfull dispossessing and casting him out of men and women trode vpon his necke by the power of his death and resurrection we might at large out of the Euangelists shewe but that wee haue spent some time alreadie in this argument so as now the gates of hell can neuer preuaile against the faith of the godly the seede of the woman hath broken the serpents head the strong man is cast out by a stronger then he the spoyler is spoyled and lead in triumph by him that appeared for this ende to destroy the workes of the deuill who hath this tyrant also in chaines reserued for the blackenesse of darkenesse for euer The last enemie but not the least in strength is the world Satans seruant and armour-bearer which by all the power and pollicie it could vse could not keepe Christ downe in the graue but he rose againe notwithstanding all the opposition of it this is that our Sauiour professeth of himselfe a little before his death Be of good comfort for I haue ouercome the world As if he had said trouble not your hearts although you haue all the strength and malice of the wicked world against you all which shall be no more able to preiudice your saluation or hinder your glorie then myne owne who haue ouercome it so as you fight against a conquered enemie By all this that hath beene said that of the Apostle appeareth to bee true that he hath subdued all things vnto himselfe and hath put all his enemies vnder his feet that none nor all of them can separate vs from God or Christ or our saluation purchased and preserued for vs by him Now we are to see in the next place that Christ by his resurrection hath not onely spoyled these enemies for vs but that he hath made them all after a sort friendly vnto vs that whereas they desire still indeede and seeme to wound vs they doe nothing else but heale vs. 1. For sinne that nowe serueth to humble Gods children and
nothing more can be added Iob was a iust man fearing God and abstaining from euill Zacharie and Elizabeth were iust before God and walked in all the ordinances of God without reproofe Here two points are to be considered 1. Who is a religious man he that feareth God worketh righteousnesse 2. What is his priuiledge he is accepted of God Religion is a binder and thence hath his name for it both bindeth man vnto God as the former of the points will shewe as also God vnto man as the latter declareth The former band knitting man vnto God is the feare of God which is a peculiar gift of the spirit of God whereby the regenerate feare God for himselfe not so much that they be not offended and punished by him as that they doe not offend him An excellent grace both in regard of the excellent obiect and of the excellent vse of it through the whole life The right obiect of our feare is God himselfe who is 1. omnipotent of power to doe whatsoeuer he will who is able to cast body and soule into hell feare him 2. omnipresent he is all an eie beholding our thoughts words and deedes of which he is both a witnesse and a iudge 3. full of maiestie which euen in a mortall man strikes vs with reuerence 4. full of grace and bountie wee stand in neede of his fauour and bountie euery moment who can turne vs out of all at his pleasure In all which respects we ought to make him our dread But aboue all in that he hath beene so good and gracious a father vnto vs through his Christ we ought to feare to offend him and so turne his loue into displeasure against vs. Now the vse of this grace is manifold As 1. to beat downe pride and high-mindednes against which it is a notable medicine Rom. 11.20 be not high minded but feare Prou. 3.7 Be not wise in thine owne eyes but feare God this grace maketh a man come lowe before the Lord as Iacob feaâ—ing Esau came and bowed seauen times before him 2. to cause a man to renounce and restraine himselfe from sinne and therefore the feare of God and departing from euill are often ioyned together Ioseph could not commit the sinne with his Mistris because he feared God the midwiues feared God and killed not the Hebrewes children Nehemiah did not exact vpon the oppresse the people as the former gouernors that were before him because he feared God and whereas the wicked mans seruill feare keepeth him often from open sinnes but not from secret from grosse sins but not from smaller and this of paine not of conscience this grace maketh a man hate pride arrogancie and euerie euill way neuer so small and neuer so secret 3. To destroie false and fleshly feares which foyle euery good dutie and lay open to many sinnes and iudgements it is a propertie of a wicked man to feare where no feare is and not fearing God he feareth euery thing but God the face of man the arme of man the tongue of man whence many a man dare scarse professe religion or if they doe dare shew no power of it for feare of reproach and nicknames and so come to be ranked in the formest band of those which march to hel called the fearefull and that which they feare shall come vpon them euen disgrace of God of men and Angels Ieroboam feared least the people should returne to their owne Master if they should persist in the true worship of the true God and so for the establishing of his posteritie he established Idolatrie but in the very next generation his whole race was extinct The Iewes were afraid least the Romans should come and take their nation and therefore Christ must die but the Romans not long after came with a powder and tooke their nation and so dispeopled and dispersed them as they could neuer be gathered into a nation till this day Pilat feared not God but Caesar but he was not long after cast out of Caesars fauour and slew himselfe Now this grace of God fenceth a man from such fleshly feares which draw on such fearefull falls and mischeefes and preserueth him that neither hope of promotion nor gaine nor ease nor fauour of man who is but a worme shall make him forget the Lord that spred the heauens this feare which is loues keeper holdeth the heart in the loue of God himselfe of his worship of his word of his children and whatsoeuer carrieth his image all which without it either lie or quickly grow as refuse wares out of request 4. To driue away security awak slothfulnes prouoke to watchfulnes stirre vp to prayer keep in a fitnes to profit by the word to tremble at it when God thretneth to reioyce in the promises as those to whom they belong to helpe vs to better our selues by our afflictions as the speach of the conuerted theife to his fellow implyeth that if he had had the feare of God he would being in the same condeÌ„nation haue otherwise caried himselfe towards Christ then he did And in a word to feÌ„ce the heart which is as the market place of a citie against temptation in which speciall vse it is called a wellspring of life to escape the snares of death By all this that hath beene spoken euery man that would seeme religious ought to labour aboue all things for this worthy grace which God specially bestoweth vpon his children with whome he maketh his newe couenant I will put my feare in their hearts neuer to depart from me saith the Lord. Which hath all promises belonging vnto it for a mans selfe for his children for this life present for a better for supplies of euery good for withholding and remoouing of euery euill so as whosoeuer feareth the Lord wanteth not a good and rich treasurie such as all the Indian mines cannot afford yea such as both possesseth himselfe and enteyleth vnto his posteritie the rich blessing of the Almightie Blessed saith the Psalme is the man that feareth the Lord himselfe shall be mightie on earth his children shall be blessed after him his wife shall be as a fruitfull vine riches and treasure shall be in his house he shall want nothing that is good and let his troubles be neuer so great the Lord will deliuer him out of them all Here is a Iewell worth hiding and laying vp in the safest closet of the soule euen in the midst of the heart for there God layeth it and calleth for the heart to make roome for it Deut. 5.29 Oh that there were such a heart in them to feare mee Isa. 8.13 Sanctifie the Lord in your hearts and let him be your dread Another bond whereby man is knit vnto God is the working of righteousnesse an immediat fruit of the feare of God Where must be considered 1. what this righteousnesse is and then 2. what is the working of it For the
his grace the latter of which maketh the former soueraigne vnto vs and appeareth in two actions in remoouing from vs the next causes of all our diseases namely our sinnes For as the Phisicion in working a cure first remooueth the distempered humors of his patient which are the matter of the disease so doth our heauenly Phisicion imply that this is the beginning of his cure and therefore often his first word is Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee and his last word is goe and sinne no more least a worse thing befall thee 2. By taking our diseases vpon himselfe which no Phisician doth or can doe but this Lamb of God taketh away the sinnes of the world by taking them vpon himselfe for hee bare our infirmities and carried our sorrowes and sinnes in the bodie of his flesh euen to the crosse where they were fastned with him buried them in his graue yea cast them into hell and there left them by which most glorious triumph of his the snares and fetters wherewith we were chayned to death and the Deuil are broken and our soules as a bird are escaped Hence note 1. That no man can cast a deuill out of a possessed partie or euer did as a principall efficient cause but as an instrument and that onely by this power of the Lord Iesus to whome all power in heauen and earth is giuen and to whom all the honour of this power must be ascribed for what power can countermand Satans but onely Gods I grant Satan may giue place to Beelzebub and depart his habitatioÌ„ for his greater aduantage and forsake a bodie to get faster hold vpon the soule or to delude many beholders but such hostile conquest ouer satan argueth a mightie power of God which all the deuils in hell cannot resist Secondly that whosoeuer finde themselues any way molested of Satan must hasten themselues to Iesus Christ who onely can batter down the holds of the deuill and worke their deliuerance Feelest thou thy selfe held vnder any spirituall captiuitie or bondage doth the lawe of euill present with thee toyle thee with heauines and vnchearefulnesse to any thing that is good seest thou in any measure Satans secret traines working against thy saluation oh come vnto Christ not faintly as the father of the possessed child Mark 9.22 Master if thou canst doe any thing helpe vs but with confidence as the leper Master if thou wilt thou canst make me whole or as the Centurion onely speak the word rebuke these dumbe and deafe spirits within me and thou who onely canst make the dumbe to speake the deafe to heare the blind to see and the lame to leape for ioy set me at libertie worke my enlargement chase away these spirituall enemies and thou that art the sonne set me free and I shall be free indeede Againe art thou in any affliction of bodie or mind or goods or name yea be it in the case of sorcerie or witchcraft against thy selfe or any of thine or whatsoeuer belongeth vnto thee looke vp vnto Christ he can command fire water windes seas diseases death the deuills themselues and if he see it good for thee he can checke all thy grieuances he is of no lesse power now in his glorie at his Fathers right hand then he was in his humility vpon earth and yet when he was at lowest he could command legions of deuills nay legions of angels as at his apprehension much more can he now command and rebuke the former and pitch the latter round about them that feare him so as without his wil all the deuils in hell cannot make one haire of thy head to fall Thirdly hence are ouerthrowne sundrie superstitious and wicked opinions and practises verie riâ—e in the world As 1. such Popish minded persons as thinke that by certaine words and amulets deuills may be driuen away deseases healed c. And for this they alleadge that in the new Testament onely by naming Iesus such cures were effected To which I answer that it is too grosse a conceit to thinke that there can be any vertue in words to driue away diseases much lesse deuills or to conceiue that by the pronouncing of words but by the vertue and power of Christ working by the Apostles and miraculously put forth with those words both diseases and deuills gaue place and so the parties were healed 2. Such as thinke that by the applying of consecrated things as they call them deuills are scared away as by holy water salt hallowed candles reliques of Saints the signe of the crosse images fashioned in such or such a place All which howsoeuer verie ordinarie in the Church of Rome yet indeede are no better then sorcerie and charming and the verie practises of those who while they will driue the deuil from others plainly prooue that themselues are spiritually possessed by him in that they will cast out deuills by Beelzebub the Prince of deuils They obiect for these reliques that a souldier that was to be buried was reuiued by touching the dead bones of Elishah 2. Kin. 13.21 But this was a miracle wrought by the finger of God to confirme the truth preached by that worthie Prophet and is not to be ascribed to the touching of the bones which in themselues nor at any other time had any such vertue They alledge also the example of the woman hauing the blooddie issue who was cured by the touching of Christs garment whereas that disease was cured not by the corporall touching of his skirt but by the spirituall touching of himselfe which was by the hand of her faith and therefore our Sauiour said be it vnto thee not according to thy feeling but according to thy faith They alleadge also Act. 19.12 That from Pauls bodie were brought to the sicke napkins or handkercheifes and the diseases departed from them and the euill spirits went out of them Which things had no such power in them but only that it pleased God by such weake meanes to produce miracles for the confirmation of that holy doctrine preached by Paul And therefore the text ascribeth these miracles not to the garments of Paul but to God himselfe who by the hands of Paul wrought them vers 11. Whence we may conclude that whosoeuer vse any such meanes as these shew themselues not only superstitious and wicked but most foolish and ridiculous to thinke that any bodily substance whatsoeuer can worke vpon or violence a substance which is not bodily such as the deuils is It will be alleadged that experience sheweth that such meanes as these preuaile to these intents and purposes which we grant to be true but that is by Satans subtelty who often dissembleth a flight as though he were forced by an exorcist to depart or else indeed goeth away that men might be confirmed in their impietie and grow more madde vpon such wicked and vnlawfull meanes 3. Others who when Gods hand is any way vpon them or theirs especially if they conceiue
the merit of Christ both which appeare in the former resemblance which compareth sinnes to debts wherein God is compared to a creditor man to a debter the law to the bill or bond which bindeth man to God 1. to obedience 2. in default of that to punishment so as here is nothing but either satisfaction or to goe to prison Now we beeing banquerupts by our fall and of such broken estate as we are not able to pay one farthing neither of the principall nor the forfeiture the mercie of our creditor steppeth in who himselfe procureth vs a suretie both able and willing to discharge our whole debt and the forfeit as wel as the principall that is Iesus Christ who by his obedience actiue and passiue hath made a full discharge and sufficient satisfaction for the sinnes of all the beleeuers in the world the which beeing accepted of his father in full paiment he further imputeth not to vs our sinnes but couereth them casteth them all behind his backe and into the bottome of the sea as things which he will neuer remember more Thus they become as though they had neuer been and wee accounted as innocent as if wee had neuer fallen from our first estate of innocencie From this wee learne how to conceiue that place and the like where it is said that the blood of Iesus Christ cleanseth vs from all sinne wherein not the action of remission which is proper to the deitie is ascribed to the blood of Christ but onely the cause of remission is signified for which God the Father remitteth sinnes and that is the blood of Christ including his whole obedience and the merit of it which is a iust price and pacification of his father Eph. 1.7 In whome wee haue redemption through his blood euen the remission of sinnes 3. I adde that the Lord doth acquit beleeuers from the guilt and punishment of all their sinnes for as where the debt is once paid the whole obligation is void and there remaineth no more satisfaction to be made so where the Lord forgiueth a debt once he thenceforth acquitteth the debtor and is farre from requiring any newe satisfaction This will not stand with the iustice of God to exact the satisfaction of one debt twise once in our suretie another time in our selues It will not stand with the glorie of God with whom is plentifull redemption It will not stand with the honour of Christ to worke out with all his obedience but an halfe redemption which would argue but halfe a satisfaction It will not stand with the price of his blood nor worthinesse of his death not fully to satisfie the whole iustice of his father It will not stand with the faith of our prayer for remission of sinnes for if our whole debt be not forgiuen but some satisfaction remaineth for vs to performe to beleeue remission of sinnes were no faith but a vaine opinion and fancie nor with our peace with God if his wrath bee not yet fully satisfied Nay it will not stand with right reason for is it reason that he that oweth nothing to a man should be forced to make a satisfaction where nothing is due but where the debt is remitted nothing is due nothing is owing the debter is freed and the whole obligation cancelled Who seeth not therfore by all this what a wicked and detestable deuise it is of the schoolemen and defended by all the Papists at this day to affirme that onely the fault of mortall sinnes is remitted by Christ but not the punishment or satisfaction the which beeing as they say by the grace of God changed from eternall to temporarie remaineth to be born either here in this life or in purgatorie till Gods iustice be fully satisfied and the vttermost farthing be paid Vpon this string hang their indulgences pardons masses pilgrimages and the whole body of their troumperie deuised to make a prey of the world a great part of which beeing the cunningest theiues in all the world they haue by such crafâ—tie and fraudulent conveyances gotten into their hands And least they should want all coulour they alleadge the example of Dauid 2. Sam. 12.13 Whose sinne the Lord put away and yet the child borne to him must surely die and againe though the sinnes of the godly be pardoned yet death which is the punishment of originall sinne remaineth I answer 1. that Dauids sinne and punishment were both remitted for so said the Prophet Thou shalt not die 2. we must distinguish betweene punishments of sinne whereby Gods iustice is satisfied and chastening of sinne with a fatherly rod. The former are alwaies remitted with the sinne not alwaies the latter by the former the Lord reuengeth the sinnes of men by the latter he correcteth The former can onely be borne away by Christ the latter cannot be borne off by any masses or indulgences but are wholesomely dispensed and disposed by God to his dearest childreÌ„ for their good Of this latter kind was the death of Dauids child not properly for his sinne but that in the deed doing hee had caused the enemies of God to blaspheme Of this kind was the sentence against Moses and Aaron whose sinne of not glorifiyng God at the waters of strife was pardoned and yet they must not enter into the land of promise they were corrected with roddes of men not punished in proper speach both that others with theÌ„selues might be more carefull not to offend in the like kind as also that beeing depriued of the earthly Canaan they might more studiously seeke for the heauenly The like is to be said of the Corinths of whome Bellarmine saith that they were reconciled to God and yet diuerse of them were stricken with death for vnworthy receiuing of the Sacrament As for the example of the Israelites Num. 14.20 whose sinne of murmuring God is said to forgiue at Moses prayer yet they must all for this sinne die in the wildernesse The answer is that Moses did not pray that God would absolutely and for euer pardon their sinne nor that the Lord would abstaine from all iudgement and punishment of that sinne but that now at this present time he would be pleased to appease his great anger so iustly conceived and desist from that great iudgement of the vtter destroying of them threatned v. 12. as may appeare both by the arguments vsed by him as by that he expressely noteth the manner of this forgiuenesse ver 19. as thou hast forgiuen this people euen from Egypt till now and forgiue them euen according as thou hast spoken ver 17. but how the Lord had after they came out of Egypt forgiuen them appeareth Exod. 32.35 when they had made a calfe and the Lord wished Moses to let him alone that he might consume them yet by Moses intercession the Lord did not consume theÌ„ but plagued them with a great plague and destruction and yet the holy man prayeth hee would forgiue them as
hee had done from Egypt till nowe And what was it the Lord had said which Moses taketh hold on namely in verse 34. of that 32. of Exod. Goe nowe bring the people vnto the place which I commanded thee behold myne Angel shall goe before thee but yet in the day of my visitation I will visit their sinne vpon them So as this place rightly interpreted yeeldeth no patronage to any such Popish and wicked collection Further for the second obiection that death remaineth though the sinne be pardoned I answer it remaineth not as any satisfaction to the iustice of God to beleeuers nor as a punishment of sinne to such as haue their sinnes remitted but it hath lost his sting which is the guilt of sinne is become a remedie rather then a punishment Phisicke rather then poison an end of their misery and an entrance into a better life So as it still abideth firme against all such detestable deuises of Poperie that remission of sinnes carrieth with it the remoouall of all the guilt and punishment of sinne to such as haue their parts in the same And it is lastly to be obserued in this description that I say the guilt and punishment of all sinne is taken away for if any be not remitted they be either greater sinnes or lesser to remit the lesser and not the greater what were wee the better how could our saluation be effected or perfected how could grace be euery way grace or doe we pray for remission of lesser and not of greater also seeing our selues must forgiue our brethren not only lesser offences but euen the greatest Again to remit the greater and retaine the lesser were to say that the Lord is either not so able or so willing to forgiue lesser sinnes as greater Shall a man frankly forgiue a debt of thousands of pounds and will hee not forgiue also to the same partie a few pence The Popish Church confidently auouch that many sinnes need no remission as concupiscence which they say is not properly a sinne albeit indeed it is the mother sinne of all And all the heape of their veniall sinnes which they say are not against but besides the commandement because they are not attended vnto or deliberatly done with full câ—ensent of reason because they cannot hinder the habit of vertue but the act of it and that a verie little nor turne vs from our end but hinder so much as it is our progresse vnto it and because they though themselues displease God yet they make not God displeased with the partie committing them for they can stand with grace and haue not properly and simply the reason and respect of sinne or offence therefore are they not to be punished with eternall but only temporarie punishment These need not the blood of Christ nor grace nor confession in particular nor absolution nor any new habit of charitie but these are easily wiped away with a little holy water or any meritorious worke or by the Sacraments receiued or by generall confession or by a small humiliation as knocking the brest fasting almes the Lords prayer an ave Maria or by entring into a consecrated Church or by a Bishops blessing or if all these helpe but a little presently after death they are all consumed in the fire of purgatorie Oh horrible blasphemies derogatorie to the blood of Christ which purgeth vs from all sinne and to the truth of the Scriptures which teach vs that when we had nothing to paie our Master forgaue vs our whole debt But I haue followed them to farre were it not that the discouerie of their impieties may bring some profit to such as are not so well acquainted or exercised in their writings Thus much of the description of this Grace The second thing propounded is what it is to receiue remission of sinnes which because it implieth a gift or oblation therefore we must know that pardon of sinne is offred generally to all in the word of grace publickly preached and conferred vnto beleeuers not only in the beginning of their conuersion but through their whole life Now to receiue this remission is when a capable that is a contrite heart by faith which is an hand taking in receiueth Christ and all his benefits among which remission of sinnes is the cheefe preached and published in the Gospel And this it doth on this manner 1. Vpon a touch of sinne and sence that without this gratious pardon there is nothing but certaine perdition the heart beaten downe beginneth seriously to meditate of the promise of mercie in Christ and of the meanes of deliuerance from this wofull estate 2. It desireth to beleeue and wisheth that mercie to belong to it selfe it sendeth groanes to God it hopeth for pardon and weakly applieth the generall promises of grace 3. After such desires and grones of the heart the Lord most gratiously answereth by his spirit and by little and little setleth and quietteth the heart perswading it that Christ himselfe and consequently reconciliation with God doth indeed belong vnto him so as hee resteth in that assurance Thus the Lord will not only giue vs mercie but letteth vs know that hee doth so that our ioy and peace and boldnes in him might be more full Thirdly the persons receiuing this remission are all beleeuers Whosoeuer beleeue in his name whose faith intitles them to the maine promise of life and all other depending thereupon they must beleeue in his name For 1. there is no other name to be saued by In him alone is the matter of our saluation seeing remission is obtained by his blood Ephes. 1.7 2. Hee alone is God and man both which natures are necessarie to our suertie by the former he hath power by the latter a right to vs not only more generall of proprietie as the Father and holy Ghost also haue but more speciall of propinquitie beeing our brother and first borne of our family the next of our kinred and therefore of right belongeth to him to recouer our weake estate as was figured in that law Levit. 25.25 If thy brother be impouerished and sell his possession then his redeemer shall come euen his neere kinsman and buy out that which his brother sould 3. Hee only was deputed of God to deriue life and grace into vs as the head into the members and therefore most meete it is that whosouer would sucke and draw of his fulnesse should beleeue in his name Now from these words wee learne two instructions 1. What is the cheife thing which euery Christian must striue to obtaine while hee liueth in this world namely remission of sinnes 2. What is his estate and condition that hath attained it For the first it is grounded in the text because howsoeuer remission of sins is here only named yet in it are included al the other gracious mercies of God not only all deliuerances and freedome from the euills and punishments that attend vpon sinne but euen all our