death Do you perceiue that the Lord himlelfe hath giuen that condition of ours the name of death The olde Testament furnish â—th vs with many examples to precue the first sinne comâ—itted by vs in Adam cast vs all into the state of death â—ut this death so often there spoken of is partly the mortalitie of the body and partly the eternall punishment of the soule in hell fire the other death of sinnei â—eldome or I thinke neuer mentioned in any of those books The new Testament supplyes vs with very great plentie of example of both kindes Of the one I will say nothing at all because euery man continually obserueâ— them Of the other I must needes speak because perhaps they are not so ordinarily markt of all men q Mat. 8. 22. Let the dead bury their dead saith our Sauiour The dead to be buried are they whose carcases are left without life by the departure of the soules froÌ„ theÌ„ as the historie that place manifestly sheweth But who bee the dead that must bee the buriers of those corpses Who else buâ— they that are dead in sinne dead to righteousnessâ— and so looke after nothing that concernes euerlasting life any more then men naturally dead doe after the things of this present life So saith r Luk. 15. 32. the kind Father of the prodigal Sonne This thy brother was dead Dead The parable had said no such thing of him What theÌ„ was that death the Father speaks of Questionles the death of sin whereby he had liued lewdly wasted his goods with verse 13. riotousnesse and as his brother angerly obiected had deuoured them with harlots This the Apostle expresseth Verse 30. when speaking of vs all in our naturall estate before grace he f Epb. 2. 5. 7. saith that we were dead in sinnes and trespasses This may yet farder be manifested by the title that is giuen to that condition into which wee enter by regeneration First t Ioh. 3. 5. our Sauiour saith we must be borne againe what needs that if we were neuer dead And u Rom. 6. 2. the Apostle S. Paul affirmeth that they which are so borne againe are dead to sinne Then till they were so borne againe they liu'd in sinne The life of the one is alwaies the dea'h of the other If thou liue to sinne thou art dead to righteousnes If thou liue to righteousnes thou art dead to sinne Therefore x 1. Pet. 2. 24. S. Peter ioynes them both together That we being dead to sinne might liue to righteousnesse S. Paul hath the like speech in vnlike tearmes When y Rom. 6. 20. saith he yee were the seruants of sinne yee were freed from righteousnesse But now being freed from sinne Verse 22. made seruants vnto God Marke I pray you how one of these as it were destroies the other A naturall man without grace is free from righteousnesse yea as free as a dead man is from all matters of this worlde A spirituall man indued with grace is free from sinne yea as free as Lazarus was from all the cares of this worlde while he lay in his graue without life or breath But I may not forget my selfe too much The summe of all is this that our Sauiour Christ himselfe and by his example our Euangelist describeth the estate into which we are brought by becomming members of his body by the tearm of life because ourformer estate out of which he deliuered vs was in name nature an estate oâ— death Now hauing examined the words let vs come to the doctrine it selfe In him was life which is all one as if the holy Euangelist should haue said This word or promised Messiah of whom I haue begun to intreat and intend to write this story not only was eternall hauing his being before any thing created ever began to be that with God euen then when there was nothing beside God but was also himselfe very God From him al things that are or euer were had their whole being in him the spirituall life both of grace and glory was so plaÌ„ted that who soeuer desires to be partaker of it must haue it only as in him being come into the world This is that which we are to learne out of this place In the handling whereof I will first deliuer the doctrine that our spirituall life is by Christ then I will speake of the manner how it is by him Concerning the former point first I wil propouÌ„d it in general then I wil shew it in those particulars of holynes happynes The manner also hath 2. things to bee considered That this life was in Christ that it was in him eueÌ„ while he liued here vpoÌ„ the earth Touching the first point that our estate is to be recouered by our Sauiour Christ let me put you in mind of those places which I once before alleag'd which are indeed the very foundation of the Gospell By sinne the diuell got dominion ouer vs God in iustice leauing vs when we had forsaken him Satan iniustly seizing on vs as it were intruding himselfe into a house void of any owner to keepe possession But the Lord God though he would not presently thrust out by the head shoulders or pluck out by the eares that presumptuous intruder yet tels him that he should not imagin he had gotten or should hold quiet possession for euer I will put enmity * Gen. 3. 15. saith the Lord betwixt thee the woman between thy seed her seed What shall be the euent of this long doubtfull contention He shal breake thy head thou shalt bruise his beele Though Satan be strong armed by that meanes may seeme to keepe his palace without disturbance yet there comes a Luk. 11. 11. 22 a stronger then he that ouercomes him takes from him al his armoâ— wherin he trusted diuides his spoils This shews manifestly that the deuill shall lose his possession but perhaps he may reenter or if he do not yet are wee by this meanes rather freed from misery then restored to felicity Let vs go forward therfore and heare the promise that God makes to Abraham the Father of the faithfull b Gen. 12. 3. In thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed c Gal 3. 16. S. Paul thus expounds To Abraham and his seedwere the promises made He saith not to the seeds as of many but to thy seed as of one which is Christ And this promise thus made the same Apostle cals the preaching of the Verse 8. Gospell The Scripture saith he foreseeing that God would iustifie the Gentiles by faith preached before the Gospell vnto Abraham saying In thee shall al the Gentils be blessed This belssing our Euangelist describes where setting downe the end of the Gospel he tels vs that d Ioh. 20. 31. by beleeuing we shal haue life through his name What shall I need to
hope will make a man try any course that shall be directed him It is a rare thing to find any man so void of hope to liue that he will not take whatsoeuer is offered him to continue life Is the remedy more greeuous then the disease what is easier in the opinion of ordinary men then to belieue Shall I tell you what I conceiue of the matter There are 2 lets that stay vs commonly from the seeking and embracing of this life Either we are too wel coÌ„ceited of our selues or not well enough perswaded of him in whom this life is Would you haue me seeke for life Let them looke after it that lack it I haue life already in my selfe and need not depend vpon any other for it I am rich and increased with goods and haue neede of nothing o Reu. 3. 17. saith the Church of Laodicea and yet indeed as our Sauiour there tells her She was wretched and miserable and poore and blinde and naked This conceipt naturally possesseth all men and where this is rooted and flourisheth there is neither roome for spiritual life to grow nor will to plant it But this because it is so agreeable to the pride of our corrupt nature is the lesse to bee wondred at The other hinderance whereby wee are helde backe from this life is more strange and lesse excuseable There are many that make open profession to all the world that they knowe themselues to be naturally dead and to stand in neede of life to quicken them yea they goe farder and in wordes acknowledge that the life they want is in Christ and yet like those Iewes I spake of ere-while they care not to ioyne themselues to Christ that they may be made partakers thereof This I take to be generally the estate of most of vs that are called Christians Do we not all professe beleefe in Iesus Christ Do we not thereby acknowledge that we are dead in our selues and looke to receiue life from him And yet how few of vs are there that indeed are so perswaded Thinke not much that I make this greeuous coÌ„plaint If we did truely beleue that in heart which we confesse from the teeth outward were it posssible we should be so carelesse where can you find me one amoÌ„gst a greate many that either knowes or cares to knowe how this life is to be come by Doth thy hart leap within thee for ioy as oft as thou hear'st that there is life to be had in Iesus Christ p Gen. 42. 2. When Iacob in a time of famin heard that there was food in Aegypt hee sent his Sâ—nns thither with all speed to buy some How far would they haue gon for life that trauailed into Aegypt for meate Thou hast heard there is life in Christ for â—ll that sitst stil thy house I should say ly'st stil in thy graue and thinkest it enough for thee to haue heard of it Thou doost but deceiue thy owne wretched poore soule What could it haue auailed Iacob that hee heard where there was corne to be bought if hee had not sent his Sonnes to fetch it But perhaps thou mak'st accouÌ„t â—hat thou hast it sure If I should aske thee when or how thou camst by it I doubt me thy answere woulde bee to seeke Go to I will not presse thee so far though well I might For this life we speake of doth not steâ—le into a man while he lies a-sleeping but is followed and sought for before it be obtained But I will only demaÌ„d this one questioÌ„ of thee Hast thou indeed found life in Iesus Christ Oh that it were as â—ruly as it is commonly spoken I will not examin thee vpon any Interrogatories Let thine owne soule tell thee in secret betwixt it and thee whether thy affection to this autor of life bee such as the feeling of so greate a blessing can not possibly chuse but make it He that saith he beleeues there is life in Christ and vseth no meanes to become partaker of it either thinkes he hath no neede thereof or accouÌ„ts it not worth the hauing or saith he knoweth not what deceiuing himself with an empty shadow the substance whereof he neither hath nor careth for What shall I say of him who brags he is possest of life in Christ yet neither honors Christ nor reioyceth in his own happines What else But that his heart beleeues not what his toong auoucheth But I dwel too long in the general Let vs come now to the particulars and first to the life of holynes which is so absolutely from Christ that the Apostle saith it is not himselfe that liueth but Christ that liueth in him Will you heare him speake I through the lawe q Gal. 2. 19. 20. saith S. Paul am dead to the law and that I might liue vnto God I am crucified with Christ Thus I liue yet not I now but Christ liueth in me For the spirit by which wee liue is r Eph. 4. 15. 16. the spirit of Christ resting in him as in the head and spreading himselfe abroad into euery one of the members to giue them their proportion of life and growth This is that which Å¿ Rom. 8. 2. in another place is call'd the spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus and which is there said to haue freed vs from the law of sinne The Iewes bragd they were free by nature because they were Abrahams children t Ioh. 8. 33. 34. But our Sauiour aunsweres them that they were the seruants of sinne because they committed sin and could not be made free indeede but by the sonne Ver. 36. onely This our Baptisme teacheth vs as u Rom 6. 2. 3. 4. the Apostle sheweth at large The summe is that we are buried by Baptisme into the death of Christ that sinne may be slaine Ver. 11. in vs and raised againe by the power of his resurrection that righteousnes may liue and grow in vs. The conclusion is this Make account saith the holy Apostle that yee are dead to sinne but are aliue to God in Iesus Christ our Lord. x Eph. 2. 5. In whom wee were quickened when wee were dead in sinnes For y 1 Cor. 1. 30. Christ Iesus is made vnto vs of God wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption Where are they now who finde themselues so perplexed with the sight and sense of that their naturall corruption Me thinkes I heare the sighes and grones of a poore soule lamentably complaining that shee can finde no ende of her wretchednesse no bottome of her running sore If she heale vp one two breake out for it If she make head against pride couetousnesse setts vpon her behinde her backe While she is busie with all the force she can make to withstand the lusts of the flesh that outwardly assault her her owne thoughts inwardly commit fornication Though shee keepe her hands from murder yet her tongue wounds deepely and deadly with euill speeches To conclude when shee
But that feare lasted not long q Luke 24. 2. 3 When they looked they saw that the stone was rolled away And they went in but found not the body of the Lord IESVS What should they now thinke Or how should they come to learne what was become of him Sure they were that there hee was laid and being dead had no power to conuay himselfe away from thence The likeliest was that some body had taken him vp and caried him away to some other place Sir r Ioh. 20. 15. saith Mary Magdalen to one who shee thought had bin the Gardiner If thou hast borne him hence tell mee where thou hast laide him and I will take him away Thou shalt not neede to bee in feare of hauing thy garden annoyed or troubled with him any further ſ Ioh. 20. 2. His Apostles were informed of this doubtfull matter To Ver. 6. assure themselues the better they runne to the sepulchre they find the linnen clothes in which hee was wrapped the Ver. 7. kerchiefe that was vpon his head not lying with the linnen clothes but wrapped together in aplace by it selfe Hauing Ver. 17. seen this they return back whēce they came Mary staies to her Iesus discouers himselfe What should I make many words The proofe of this point belōgs to an other place Death had done his worst in despite of him the Lord Iesus is risen again leauing him ashamed cōquequered To e Luk 24. 5. 6. this the Angels beare witnes Why seeke yee him that liueth among the dead He is not here n but is risen I speake of knowne things it is enough to name them Wee see for all this goodly discourse that death still seizeth vpon all men let them be neuer so well setled in Iesus Christ he plucks them vp carries them away with him into the graue What is become of the holy Apostles where is his blessed mother the virgin Is there life in the head when the members of the body die so fast euery day And not one or two a ioint or a finger or a limme but the very principall parts yea all one other Doost thou doubt whether there bee life in him or no who hath wrastled with death and ouerthrowne him Can death preuaile against him now he liueth whom he could not keepe in subiection when he had him dead buried u Rom. 5. 9. 10. Christ being raised from the dead dyeth no more death hath no more dominion ouer him For in that hee died he died once to sinne but in that be liueth hee liueth to God Sinne had his due a sacrifice of infinit worth to pay the price of mans redemption now must God also haue his due that hee that liueth to him may liue for euer But I would not haue any man so much deceiue himselfe as to imagin that the dying of them which are in Christ is an argument of the continuance of the authoritie or power of death No no beloued there is an other reason of this dissolution Alas alas death doth not aduance his owne estate and kingdome by this meanes but serues the Lords turne to bring his purpose to effect It fares with him in this case as it did in the death of our Sauiour That which hee thought to establish his power by by that he destroied it So is it in the death of those that are Christs The body as now it is is neither capable of immortalitie and fit for the seruice of sinne How shall it be prepared to receiue the one how purged and clensed from the other but by death Flesh bloud x 1. Cor. 15. 50. saith the Apostle can not inherit the kingdome of God neither doth corruption inherit incorruption Wouldest thou haue part in our Sauiour Christs immortalitie that thou mightest bee free from death Die then that thou maiest be ridde of mortalitie Art thou affraid Of what Least death should be too strong for thee if he once ger thee into his clouches Hast thou not an example in Christ I am aliue y Reuel 1. 18. saith he but I was dead and beholde I am aliue for euermore But thou fearest because thy body shall be turned into dust O foole * 1 Cor. 15. 36 saith the Apostle that which thou sowest is not quickened except it die Keepe thy corne aboue ground because if thou put it into the earth it will consume that thou shalt neuer finde it againe Where then shall the fresh greene blade appeare When shall the stalke grow vp When shall it eare When shall it flower Shall not all this glorie bee lost if the graine bee not sowed in the furrowes of the earth And art thou so I will not say fearefull but foolish and childish that thou darest not die once that thou maist liue for euer Plucke vp thy spirits and bee no longer a childe but a man were it not better for thee to die a thousand deaths then to bee continually disquieted with the motions of thy corruption Thou hast now some life of Christ in thee by the power of his spirit which inables thee to fight against sinne and to preuaile But there is no finall subduing of it till the body be destroied which doth so incline draw thee to the seruice thereof Neither hath the spirit of God quiet or full possession of thy soule as long as that corruption abides therein And that as it was bred with thee must die with thee there is no other course appointed by God to rid thee of it I doubt not but thou art now resolu'd to desire death whē it shall please God seeing there is no way to life but by it with this resolution I leaue thee that I may speak a word or two to thē that are yet out of Christ And how shall I addresse my speech vnto them It is needlesse to inflame them with a desire of life For they are wholly possest with that already It is in vaine to perswade them they shall neuer die if they be in Christ For all experience teacheth the contrary Shall I exhort them not to feare that which they cannot auoide They may learne that in the schoole of reason what remaines then At the least giue mee leaue to aduise you how you may make the best of that which can by no meanes bee escaped You are resolued there is no way with you but one Die you must and it is vncertaine how soone Yet if you may die so that you may be sure to liue againe that for euer what hurt can there be in death what feare should there be of it A crab stock that hauing his head boughts armes cut off is graffed with a pippin or some other dainty fruit can not reasonably complaine of hurt but rather hath great cause to reioice and glory Hath hee any wrong done him that hauing his cottage of clay pulled downe hath a goodly palace of stone built for his dwelling
But these mē will not beleeue that there is any such life in Christ I would to God I were able to perswade thē but to make som litle trial O! if they would be cōtented but to rest vpō him for life how quickly should they find his promise true certain Be perswaded be intreated I beseech you by the loue of life which you so desire what shall you lose by it If that we preach be false yet shal the rest of your yeers be spent in more hope cōfort If you know any better waie to prouide for your selues in kindnes humanity impart that at knowledge to vs. If you do not in quilitie good manners cōdemne vs not till vpon triall you can disproue vs. Life you earnestly desire euen bodily life refuse it not when it is oftred you without any danger of losse if you should be deceiued I am come now at the last to the chiefe point of all which is life euerlasting begun as I said ere-while in this world by the forgiuing of sin perfited in the next by the giuing of glory Of which notwithstāding I intēd not to say much because being the maine matter of the Gospell euery chapter almost will afford me necessary occasion to intreat therof Shortly for the proofe of the point that eternall death and condemnation are compriz'd in that threating a Gen. 2. 17. Thou shalt die the death I appeale to the whole course of the scripture and the ioint consent of all that euer profest true religion Iewes Christians But it is manifest enough by the deliuerance wee haue through Christ that I may make one labour of two b Iob. 3. 17. God sent not his Sonne into the world that he should condemne the world but that the world through him might be saved He Ver. 18. that beleeueth in him shall not be condemned but he that beleeueth not is condemned already Yea such is the redemption which we haue by Iesus Christ c Iob. 5. 24. that he which beleeueth hath passed from death to life What is this passing from death to life but obteining forgiuenes of sinnes being reconciled to God whose wrath otherwise abideth in vs to condemnation God hath set forth Iesus Christ d Rom. 3. 25. saith the Apostle to bee apropitiation through faith in his bloud to declare his righteousnesse by the forgiuenes of sinnes that are past e Rom. 5. 10. If when wee were enemies wee were reconciled to God by the death of his sonne much more beeing reeonciled we shall be saued by his life But I forget my selfe in staying too long in this discourse wherein the new Testament is so plentifull and easie to bee vnderstood Neither is the point of euerlasting life either harder or rarer This one Gospell of S. Iohn hath not so few as twenty seuerall places to that purpose f 10. 3. 16. God so loued the world that hee gaue his onely begotten sonne that who soeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue life euerlasting This is the will of him that sent me that euery man which seeth the son beleeueth in him should haue euerlasting life g Ioh. 6. 40. I will raise him vp at the last day Look not that I should go forward in this course or spēd time in amplifying the vnspeakable glory of that life For the one I refer al men to the reading of this gospel especially the chapters I named before and concerning the other all I can possibly say of it is lesse then nothing in comparison of the thing it selfe Therefore also I hold it in a manner needlesse to enter into any course of exhortation For who can hear of these kindes of life in our Sauiour and not be carried to him for the enioying of them with all speed and means he can possibly make Let it be a small thing for a man to bee dead in sinne because perhaps he feeles it not Let the life of righteousnesse be little accounted of ov reason of the pleasure we take in sinning Let vs despie bodily death as a common matter Let vs not reguard the resurrection of the flesh as long as the soul is immortall Shall not feare of damnation for euer in hel fire affright vs Shall not hope of eternall ioy in heauen delight vs Is it nothing to indure most horrible torments without ease or ende Is it nothing to be partaker of such pleasure as cannot be conceiu'd without danger or feare of change What is the immortality of the soule of which thou bragst but an immortall miserie The more thou art perswaded of the euerlasting continuance thereof the greater knowledge thou hast of thine owne endlesse calamitie Whereas if once thou come to bee ioined to Christ the farderthou seest into the continuance of thy life the more thou art inflamed with a delight to liue But now I haue brought thee where this life is to bee had I will shew thee how it is to bee attained In him was life Where though it may seeme that the Euangelist sayes no more but he is life or life is by him yet indeed the speech is more significant First in respect of life the manner of speaking makes difference in the thing For when the scripture saith that Christ is life the word is to be taken for the cause of life h Iohn 11. 25. I am the resurrection and the life saith our Sauiour and again I i Ioh. 14. 6. am the way the truth the life So speakes k Col. 3. 4. the Apostle of him When Christ your life shal appear Who see not that by life in these places the author of life or life as it is in the cause thereof is vnderstood But in the other phrase the same thing is noted as it is imparted by him to vs. l 1 Ioh. 5 11. God hath giuen vs euerlasting life and that life is in his sonne Wee haue example of both these in one place yee are dead saith m Col. 3. 3. 4. the Apostle and your life is hidwith God in Christ What life That same life which Christ hath communicated to you and by which you liue What followes When Christ your life shall appeare How is Christ their life By giuing them life And as in this kind of speech wee may easily discerne some reason of the difference that the scripture obserueth so may wee also in the other Sometimes n Cor. 1. 30. the holy Ghost saith that Christ is made vnto vs wisedome righteousnesse c. What is this els but that wee receiue these things from Christ as the autor and cause therof Somtimes life is said to be in him so we are said to bee in Christ Iesus o 1 Ioh 5. 11. yee are of him in Christ as in the place I named before p Rom. 8 1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Now in these speeches and the like not onely
to his beeing or well beeing here which receiues not end with this present life Health wealth friends beauty wisdome learning valour and whatsoeuer els belongeth to the comfort or ornament of man in this world is bounded on euery side with the limits of this naturall life Therefore is the commandement of not killing set in the first place of all matters that concerne ordinarie men because hee that taketh away life spoiles a man at one stroke of all things appeartaining to this present world Yet many a man enjoyeth life who hath little ioy of any thing in life and to speake according to the point in hand who lackes a chiefe comfort of life the sight either of bodie or of minde or of both Therefore although the Euangelist had told vs before that life was in CHRIST then which nothing is more excellent yet hee truely conceiued that a farther benefit might be added namely light So doth our Sauiour sometimes speake of himselfe heaping vp as it were one bounty vpon an other and setting forth in diuers similitudes the blessings wee receiue by beleefe in him I am the way the truth and the life And in one place to amplifie Ieâ— 14 6. the greatnes of the blessing hee ioineth light and life together I am the light of the world hee that followeth 8. 12. mee shall not walke in darknesse but shall haue the light of life It is much to haue light whereby a man may bee guided in his ordinarie course of trauarle and hee that wants it wandring in the night is in the danger of stumbling 11. 9. 10. and falling But it is a blessing aboue the conceit of man to haue such a light held out vnto him as shall direct him to euerlasting life that shall not onely make him able to see the way that lies before him but shall goe before him as a guide in the way to the end of so happie a iourney This is that then which Saint Iohn instructeth vs in that our Sauiour Christ is not onely the fountaine of life which streameth and â—ssueth forth to all them that by faith cleaue vnto him but that hee is also the light that leades and vsners vs as it were into the palace of heauen Thou liuest in him and by him Thou hast thy vnderstanding inlightned with the true knowledge of God and cleere sight of the certaine way to saluation I can hardly stay my selfe from falling into some earnest exhortation when I consider these wonderous blessings that are to bee had in Christ But I must of necessitie forbeare it till I haue ended the exposition Which may reasonably bee thus deliuered that the Euangelist in these words giues vs to vnderstand that the life which hee said was in CHRIST is conueyed to men by a certaine inlightning of them with the sauing knowledge of GOD in CHRIST As if hee should haue said Whereas all men naturally are dead in sinne and by reason of sinne liable to eternall damnation and also are farder ouerwhelmed with the mist of ignorance in darknesse that they cannot discerne of the way that leads to true happiness He that first created the world and all therein of nothing hath taken a second paines to reuiue them that are voide of life and to inlighten them which are couered with darknesse that as hee hath prouided meanes of life for them so they may see what those meanes are and seeing attaine vnto them So that whatsoeuer may bee needefull to the obtaining of euerlasting life all that our Sauiour hath gratiously aâ—d bountifully prouided Art thou dead In him is life Art thou ignorant that thou canst not descerne of the way to life That life which is in him is the light of men If hee had not brought the former it would neuer haue come If he had brought it and not seconded that faucur with a farder kindnes to make vs see our owne death and life in him all had bin to no purpose For who will seeke for that whereof in his owne conceit he hath no neede not vse who will spend his time about the seeking of that which he hath no poâ—sibility to find or ghesse at Therefore although the maine blessing end of all be life in Chr. yet the discouering of this life is so necessary that without it we should be neuer a whit the better for the other theÌ„ we are for those riches tresurs which are hid in the fardest parts of the world vnseen vnknown to vs. Hence it is that our Euangelist addes light to life following the example of his Lord and maister who makes so often and so honorable mention of the light This is Ioh 3 19. condemnation that light is come into the world men loued darknes better then light Marke I beseech you the refusall of the light is the great cause of damnation to the world Therefore doth he exhort theÌ„ To belecue in the light 12. 36. while they haue the light And least this same light should seeme vnto them a matter of small account hee tells them both that he himselfe is the light and that they shall not alwaies haue it shining to them as they had then when perswaded them to make a right vse of it I am saith he the light of the world he that followeth 8 12. mee shall not walke in darknes but shall haue the light of life As long as I am in the world I am the light of the world walk â— 9. 5. while yee haue light least the darknes come vpon you For hee that walketh in the darke knoweth not whither he goeth â— 11. 35. This is the commendation of the light not much inferior to that of the life it selfe For it little auailes a man to haue an earnest desire to go to any place if he know not nor can learne the way that should bring him thither The Athenians had an altar built and dedicated to the vnknowne God Were they ought the better for it They Aâ—â— 17. 23. worshipt they knew not what as our Sauiour saith of the â— 4. 22. Samaritans The Apostle brings them light Whom you ignorantly worship him I shew vnto you But they loued darknes better then light and so came not to life Now that wee may not bee guiltie of the same sinne and fall into the same damnation Let vs stirre vp our dead hearts by the consideration of the doctrine herein deliuered That life was the light of men that is according to the former exposition The same worde or Messiah that is the autor of life is also the fountaine of light vnto vs. Without life what are wee but dead carkasses without light what are we but blind beetles Light without life can no more quicken vs then the fish in the sea or the beasts in the forrest nourish vs. Life without light can no more guide vs to happiness then a good appetite without meate feede vs. If either faile
because I spake of it somewhat largely vpon the first occasion that offered it selfe in this Gospel at the seauenth verse That all men through him might beleeue The breefe oâ— Verse 7. that which then was deliuered touching this point is this that To beleeue is an action either of the vnderstanding or of the will The former that is Beleeuing as it hath place in the vnderstanding is either an holding of some point as a truth ingraffed in vs by nature as wee beleeue there is a God or an assenting to some thing reuealed vpon the credit of him that reueales it as wee acknowledge the Scripture to be the worde of God and euery thing in it to be sure and certaine according as wee are perswaded by the holy Ghost to whome wee giue absolute credit vpon his owne worde The other Beleeuing which is seated in the will and ariseth from the former in the vnderstanding is a resting vpon or trusting to some person or thing for some benefit to be obtained thereby So the Reubenites Gadites and the halfe Tribe of Manasseh when the Hagarenes made warre 1. Chr. 5. 18. 19 20. vpon them trusted to God for succour and were holpen against them with a glorious victory But the children of Israell would not trust to him or rely on him for food in the wildernesse Therefore fire was kindled in Iacob as it is in the Psalme and also wrath came vpon Psa 78 21 22 Israell Because they beleeued not in God and trusted not in his helpe Of this nature and meaning is the worde Beleeuing when it concernes iustification or saluation This may easily appeare by those kinde of phrases that the holy Ghost often vseth in this matter To beleeue in or vpon God and Christ Hee that beleeues Ioh. 6. 47. in mee saith our Sauiour Christ hath euerlasting life Beleeue on the Lorde Iesus Christ saye Act. 16. 31. Paul and Silas to the laylour and thou shalt bee saued And whereas sometimes in this very point of beleeuing to euerlasting life the worde is not so significant I shewed that the sense and purpose of the Spirite of God notwithstanding is all one It will not be amisse perhaps to make it plaine by an example or two First what is simply to beleeue in Ioh. 1. 7. this case Iohn was sent to beare witnesse that all through him might beleeue What beleefe was it that Iohn taught The Apostle Paul tells vs that they should beleeue in him Act. 19. 4. which should come after him that is in Iesus Christ Do you not see that vnder the bare word beleeuing faith in Christ is implyed Sometimes there is a little addition as Abraham is said not only to haue beleeued but to haue Rom. 4. 3. 4. beleeued God How doth the Apostle expound this beleefe By beleeuing on or vpon God What is that else but Verse 5. resting vpon God So the same Chapter teacheth vs to vnderstand that manner of speech which beleeue on him that raised vp Iesus our Lord from the dead Verse 18. that is trust to him to be iustified and acquited of their sinnes Adde herevnto if you please that of the Apostle Peter out of the Prophet Isai Behold I put in Sion a cheefe corner-stone elect and pretious hee that 1. Pet. 2. 6 beleeueth theron shall not be ashamed How is this stone to be beleeued on but by a mans setling and reposing himselfe there vpon Therefore the Hebrew in the Prophet Isai 28. 26. is shall not make haste as if he should haue said shall cast himselfe vpon God to be succoured by him and wait with patience for the performance of his gratious promise The greeke expresseth the euent that shall insue vpon this beleeuing by a denyall of the contrary set out to our view by a tropicall speech of being a shamed For he that lookes for succour and by fayling of it is ouerthrowne vsually is ashamed both of his trust of his foile So shall not he be saith the Lord that resteth vpon Iesus Christ as vpon the rock of saluation This also the Chalde paraphrase expresseth shall not be moued Paraph. Chald. ad Isai 28. 16. Mat. 7. 25. being built as our Sauiour saith in the Gospell vpon a Rock against which the windes waues beat in vain making a great noise but doing no hurt at all because the house is grounded vpon a Rock But you will say There are diuers places of Scripture where that faith by which wee are iustified anâ— saued is confined to the vnderstanding and signifie no more but an assent to the truth of that which is deliuered by God to be beleeued Such is that touching Abrahams faith which was imputed to him for righteousnes First he is said not to haue bin weake in faith not to haue considered the deadnesse of his owne or his wife Sarahs Rom. 4. 3. 23. body not to haue doubted of the promise of God through vnbeleefe c. Then this faith or beleeuing is exprest to haue beene a full assurance that he which had promised was Verse 21. also able to do it What is there in all this great commendation of Abrahams faith but only an amplification of his beleeuing God that he had promised him no more then he was well able to performe So in the Epistle to Heb. 11. 3. the Hebrewes wee are said by faith to vnderstand that the world was ordained by the word of God and yet all men graunt as also the former Chapter euidently sheweth Chap. 10. 38. 39 that the Apostle speakes of such a faith as the iust liue by It is not my purpose to enter into a full disputation or discourse of faith which I reserue for my exposition of the Epistle to the Romans yet I may not leaue these doubts vnsatisfied nor the nature of faith vnknowne Therefore to these and such like places of Scripture and obiections from them I answere first in generall that beleeuing as it belongs to the vnderstanding is sometimes mentioned alone because it is the roote and fountaine from which the other doth spring and flow For it is vnpossible that any man should rely vpon God for the performance of that which he doth not beleeue he hath promised or doubts whether he be able to doe or no. Yea I say farder that such a beleefe in the minde is signified in all such places as is alwaies necessarily accompanied with trusting to God for that which wee beleeue hee can bring to passe If you demaund farder why I should not content my selfe with the former faith only seeing it is diuers times set alone in the point of Iustification I answere that therefore I take the other also to bee implyed in it because I find it very often exprest in the Scripture and a new kind of speech as it were purposely deuised by the holy Ghost to make vs the more easily and fully vnderstand what faith hee meanes