it not more happy to saile with a crosse winde which offereth to turne men backe or to haue a pleasant gale which doth carry them with full course on sands or rocks which will cause their shipwracke They are most miserable who saile to hel with the pleasantest winde in a word the felicitie of the wicked being finally impenitent is like the happinesse of franked ware satted to the shambles for they thereby are fatted to eternall slaughter This may teach vs the true Vse 1 cause of all miseries viz. Sinne and how wee must remoue them by getting sinne remoued Say to some Why how came you thus What is the cause They will answere you euen as it pleased God Sir by course It is so with others as well as with vs. Alasse a man will not giue another a boxe on the eare without some cause God would not cast on vs these miseries were there not sinne prouoking him thereunto but many feele the fit and paine of sicknes who know not the cause of it Now to remoue griefe many will to Cardes Dice Company and so to remoue other euils they will seeke this outward thing and that neuer looking out nor thinking of Sinne But a man might as well looke to remooue a sicknesse caused by some matter impacted within him by going into another chamber putting on a cappe and such externall things which neuer come neere the cause of his disease These may like cold * Anodynes are such medicines as being applied astonish the disease and take away the paine thereof but remoue it not Anodynes bring vs a sleep and keepe vs from feeling our misery but they can neuer heale vs of them This also sheweth vnto Vse 2 vs what cause wee haue to take heede of sinne which draweth after it a taile of so many miseries we feele no hurt by it but who would carry a snake in his bosome because he did not yet feele it thrusting out the deadly sting It is wisdome to make sure in regard of all that may hurt vs though he that nourisheth sinne not repenting of the same is deadly stung therewith But looke as one hauing twenty diseases if he be fast a sleepe hee feeleth not one of them so is it with secure Sinners Lastly we may hence behold Vse 3 the comfortable estate of Saints well may the euills of this life make them afraid but they are worse afraide then they can bee hurt by them There is a great difference betweene two Snakes if the sting of the one be foorth and the other not for the former wee may play with it and haue it in our bosome and there is no danger in it Such are the afflictions of Gods children the sting is foorth of them Well may they through our weaknesse like Bugbares affright vs but surely they cannot hurt vs. QVEST. VI. 6. Q. IS Sinne such a filthy thing A. Yea it is the most filthy and loathsome thing in the world Here is further offered to our consideration the nature of sinne whose punishment is mentioned to bee so exceeding great The point is this That Sinne is the most filthy of all other things And so indeed it is and therefore is called Filthinesse it selfe 1 Cor. 7.1 and in sundry other places And it cannot be otherwise since it is nothing else but the corruption of the Soule now deuoid of the life of God The beauty of a humane body is great but when the Soule hath left it what is more lothsome then the corruption of it when now it is a dead carcase Thus the beauty of the Spirit was admirable while it liued the life of God in Knowledge righteousnesse and holines but when God hath forsaken it who is the Soule of our soules no further in lightning or sanctifying it there entreth all kinde of sin as a spirituall corruption being in comparison of all other things most detestable * Corruptio optimi est pessima The more excellent the thing is the worse is the corruption thereof Againe in matters naturall and morall there is nothing filthy and loathsome in any regard but that the same is in sinne by proportion Nakednes is shamefull Sinne is a spirituall nakednesse Some diseases are filthy as the Leprosie Sinne is a spirituall Leprosie Lamenesse is a deformity so is crookednes Sinne is a lamenesse deprauing all spirituall motion and a spirituall crookednes Blacknes is foule and fearefull Sinne beares the blacke Image of the Deuill the Authour thereof Wee count excrements comming out of the draught filthy yet they defile not a man but Sinne that commeth out of the Soule doth pollute him We count dunghills and smelling puddles filthy but sinne casts foorth so filthy a sauor as it were in the nostrills of God that hee could not smell a sauour of rest till it was remoued by that sweete incense of Christs death who to that ende offered himselfe a Sacrifice of sweet smelling sauour vnto God Eph. 5.2 What filthy Creatures haue any filthy properties but they are in sinne proportionably Hence sinners are compared to dogges and swine the filthiest Creatures What morall vices are most filthy Drunkenesse those filthinesses not to be named Sinne is a spirituall drunkenesse and a turning from the chast loue of God to the loue of euery base thing Vse 1 First this sheweth what they are growne vnto who sticke not to glory of their shame Men hide not theiâ— sinnes but are come to Sodomlike impudency Some proud Peacocks vaunt in prancking themselues some thinke their fury a thing becomming them well Some esteeme it as a thing praise-worthy when they can vse their wit and tongue to derision and to the circumuenting of others Some are of that minde when they can prodigally flie out and make light of all others that then they are jolly men Some are as proud of the vanitie and curiosity of their mind as if the quintessence of wit consisted therein The Moores because blacknes is naturall to them count their blacke hue beautifull Children are not ashamed and Mad-men glory of their nakednesse thus it is with Sinners in conceiuing of their spirituall deformity Vse 2 Secondly this should teach vs to labour to purge out sinne to cleanse our selues from it as a thing filthy and abhominable Wee would not suffer spots in our face nor lint or other soile on our clothes surely we cannot make cleane any thing but wee may thence take the rise of this thought How carefull wee ought to be to cleanse our heart We would not haue any naturall infirmities which are vnseemely or filthy as wrie mouthes foule breathes lamenesse or halting in our gate c. but a tongue speaking peruersly rotten speach crooked walking from Gods Law and the direction thereof are farre more vncomely then the other as the sense doth ioy to be vnited to an obiect pleasing and well proportioned vnto it so it is auerse and doth flie from those that are otherwise If wee go by a soule
vse that m 1 Pet. 3.21 interrogatory of a good conscience and say n Rom. 8.33 34. Who shall lay any thing to our charge it is Christ that is dead c. To consider this more particularly Christs death doth free vs first from the guilt of sinne Secondly from the spot or power of it in vs. Thirdly from all other punishment The guilt of sinne is a propertie in it binding vs to pay condigne punishment to the iustice of God This punishment therefore borne of Christ and presented by him for vs it cannot be but that our bond to beare it should be dissolued or that iustice might require againe a thing already discharged Secondly our blot of sin that life of the old Serpent that liuing death of soules is remoued For Christs death must not be considered onely as an exemplarie cause working mortification of sin or as a morall cause by way of meditation but as hauing force obtained by it and issuing out of it which doth by litle and litle abolish sinne euen the spirit which doth mortifie the deeds of the flesh both fruits and roots of corruption Looke as Adam dying a naturall death did kill this naturall life in vs all first making it mortall so as it necessarily must die then at length causing death it selfe so doth the death of this second Adam worke the death of sinne first wounding it in vs with mortalitie such as will bring it certainely to death then vtterly dissoluing it in the end Thirdly and lastly Christs death doth free vs from all other miseries for the cause which did breed and continue these taken away they must needs likewise bee remoued Take away the cause of a sicknes you make the painfull distempers which follow vpon it cease also Discharge once the debt for him who lieth in the Counter and all with one worke you free him from prison and many other greeuances to which by reason of his debt he was held subiect But it may be here obiected Obiect If wee be thus freed from sinne and punishment why are we still in and vnder them Ans Rome was not built in one day Answ because great things are not begun and finished all at once Things are said to bee done when they are so begun that they will certainly bee accomplished in their time Wee are therefore said to be dead in the first Adam because though we liue and see nothing for a time but that we are aliue and aliue like yet that mortalitie is in vs vvhich vvill like a vvorme neuer cease to fret and corrupt vs till vvee come to death it selfe If one hath so vvounded a man that he dye vvithin a yeare and a day vvee say he hath slaine him because hee hath so vvounded him that he vvill certainely dye thus our sin is taken avvay in Christ it being so vvounded that in the end it shall certainly be quite abolished Obiect But hovv is it that vvee die are vve deliuered from that Answ Yea vve are inasmuch as that spirit is in vs vvhich shall at length quicken our mortall bodies Further there is a double deliuering one vvhich keepeth vs from prouing and tasting a thing that is euill another from being hurt and ouercome of it We are not deliuered from death in the first kind but in the second And thus Christ himselfe a Heb. 5.7 is said to haue beene heard and deliuered from that hee feared not that hee did not taste death but in that he vvas not ouercome or hurt by it Wherefore let vs hold to Vse 1 this death euen as the anchor of our soules Let vs looke to Christ lifted vp on his Crosse that vve may find deliuerance from all the stings of sinne and death and other miseries b 1 Kin. 1.50 2.28 as malefactors vnder the Lavv vsed to flie to the hornes of the Altar so let vs all flie to this blessed death c Heb. 12.14 vvhich speaketh better things then the blood of Abel vvhich cryed for reuenge Againe this should encourage vs against death that our Sauiour hath so endured it that he hath taken the sting out of it and freed vs from the feare of it If a sicke body should be afraid to drinke of any thing yet if his Physitian should begin hee would not be afraid to drinke after him Christ hath tasted death and drunke the dregs of it that nothing might remaine for vs but that which is holesome QVEST. VII 7. Q. WHat benefit comes by his righteousnesse and obedience A. The fauour of GOD and eternall happinesse are obtained for vs. A perfect Sauiour must not onely deliuer vs from euill but put vs into a secure possession of all good For blessednesse cannot stand in that good which being here to day may be lost to morrow Christ therefore hath not onely by his suffering deliuered vs from euill but by that voluntary and most gratefull obedience which in suffering he shewed hee hath obtained from the grace of God to account vs and iudge vs in him righteous to life eternall Wee must not thinke Christs sufferings like the sufferings of the damned ones to bee meerely satisfactorie to iustice and to haue no other respect in them no it is a most pleasing obedience which may challenge by couenant all good for vs such an obedience in which was shewed the greatest loue to God and to man that can be comprehended yea the knowledge of it passeth all knowledge Eph. 3.19 Now that which wee get by this obedience is first Gods grace or fauour forgiuing sinne reckoning vs righteous to life Secondly Actuall donation of life it selfe For fauour here is not to bee conceiued of Gods first loue as if hee before haâ—ed vs he was indeed angry with vs but he so loued vs as that he gaue Christ for vs Ioh. 3.16 It is meant therefore of the manifestation or influence of his fauour in conferring â—eally on vs the benefits of iustification and life The sunne of Gods loue was eclipsed till Christs loue towards vs in whom the ioyfull Epiphanie of it began was declared Though God doe iustifie vs out of grace yet his sentence is according to truth and if he pronounce vs iust to the receiuing of life wee must haue some righteousnesse iustifying vs. This cannot be any imperfect righteousnesse in part sinnefull much lesse can he iustifie vs hauing no righteousnesse as a foundation to his sentence therefore it must be a perfect one such we haue none but Christs herein he is an Antitype to that first Adam euen as Iacob now clothed with his eldest brothers apparell did get the blessing so is it with vs hauing put on Christ and his obedience which in effectuall calling wee doe through faith then the Lord doth giue vs the blessing If one doe for mee any such peice of worke which by agreement hath due to it any wages or reward vpon the worke done in my name I haue title to demaund the reward
mercy to be naturalized into such a body as is our Common-wealth to be vnited a member of some good corporation is a priuiledge but to bee one with Christ that body wherof hee is head who can conceiue this prerogatiue 2 That our Baptisme doth assure vs that in Christ the guilt of our sinne is taken away and the power of it mortified Though sinne be in vs yet the guilt which is a property binding to punishment may bee remooued A Bee may remaine a Bee and yet haue the sting taken away yea the power of sinne is so subdued that though it may exercise vs it shall not raigne ouer vs. Looke as through the first Adams death this naturall life is weakned much euen then when it seemeth most liuely so in Christs death into which wee are implanted through Baptisme the life of sinne receiueth such a deadly wound that in vertue it is more dead then aliue euen when it seemeth most liuely moouing to our no small disturbance Look as clothes soule and filthy when they are rinsed and dipped in water they waxe cleane and haue filth remooued so our soules defiled with sinne being by Baptisme so set into Christ that his bloud is sprinckled on them yea they dipped and bathed in it and hauing those pure waters of the Spirit which come through the merit of this bloud powred out vpon them they come to bee densed from all defilement 3 Lastly that by Baptism wee are assured of our regeneration in Christ Baptism is called d Tit. 3.5 a lauer of regeneration things throughly washed they are not onely freed from their spots and staines but are brought foorth white and new as it were thus Baptisme washing vs in the true fountaine of Israel the blood of Christ it doth not only remoue our spots but make vs new all ouer the blood of Christ obtaining the Spirit which worketh not onely mortification but which causeth also a renouation in vs. Beside Baptisme e Rom 6.4.5 griffeth vs as it were into Christ dying and rising Now a wilde sience set into a naturall stocke the stocke hath not force onely to remoue the wilde nature but to giue it a new nature fertile of good fruite so we ingraffed into Christ doe both loose our sinnefull nature and become renued throughout Obiect Obiect But how doth Baptisme or sprinkling of water regenerate Answ God himselfe Answ the bloud of Christ the Spirit the Word and the Sacraments are all said to regenerate or sanctifie vs. God as principall Authour of it Christs bloud as that which hath obtained the Spirit by which it is effected the Spirit as the immediate worker of it from Christ the word is an instrument reuealing Christ and conueighing that Spirit which doth worke it in vs Sacraments doe it as effectuall pledges securing vs that Christ is ours so that we haue vnion with him and communion with his Spirit Let vs then labour to Vse 1 know and claime the things which God hath by his seale of Baptisme assured vs of If a man should by his writing and seale warrant to vs lands monies c. we would know these things and the right and title wee had to challenge them from him but alasse our Baptisme i a dormient sleepeth by vs as if it were such a matter we could make no vse of If our Gossips as wee call them did giue vs anything for our children in token of their good wils at the Baptizing of them we know it and can teach our children to know it But what God our Father there gaue vs none inquireth Againe wee see what wee must chiefly looke vnto euen this which by Baptisme is confirmed Men esteeme their Lands and Monies more then their writings they care not for them further then they respect the other thus wee should stand chiefly on making sure that wee haue fellowshippe with Christ and his benefits not boast on Baptisme and yet neuer heede these things which are all in all For a Gal. 6.15 Circumcision is nothing so by proportion Baptisme auaileth not but a new Creature Wee see there are many Vse 2 who want the grace of Baptisme being yet outwardly baptised as the Apostle saith b Rom. â— 25 Circumcision becommeth vncircumcision where the Law is not obeyed So where there is no labour to die to sinne and liue to righteousnesse Baptisme becommeth no Baptisme Perjured couenant Breakers who thus walke how will they answere it to God when men are ashamed to shew their heads to men if they keepe not touch with them according to couenant QVEST. V. 5. Q. WHat doth the Lords Supper assure vs of A. It doth further assure vs that Christ is giuen to vs to be our spirituall nourishment to euerlasting life 1 Cor. 10.16.17 and 11.25.26 Obserue 2 things First that the bread and wine are signes and seales exhibiting Christ broken with sorrowes and shedding his bloud for vs. c Mat. 26.26 Take eate this is my body d Mat 26.28 so also of the cuppe e 1 Cor. 10 16. Is not the bread we breake the communion of Christs body For looke as when wee giue a sealed euidence or effectuall signe of any thing we say wee giue the things sealed and signified because wee who giue these doe with giuing these immediately giue the things signified and sealed by them as for example When going about to giue the possession of our house wee giue a key and say take it here is possession or when holding out an euidence sealed declaring and confirming our gift of house or land we say here take it here is my house or land it is thine Thus Christ immediately from himselfe giuing vs his body and bloud and the benefits of his Couenant by Signes saith take these they are to thee my body and bloud that is effectuall pledges together with which I giue thee my selfe as men with the forenamed signes giue earthly matters We must not therfore thinke that when Christ saith of the bread This is my body hee speaketh as wee doe when we say of a box containing in it an Electuary or Medicine here is the medicine or when holding out a purse we say here is the money For things signed and sealed are neuer thus locally conteined in their signes and seales Neither yet that Christ is in the bread wine as an effect is in the instrumentall cause of it as if I reaching out my instrument to one should say take this here is my musike For then should the Sacrament of Christs death become an instrumental cause of Christs death and Passion for this is the chiefe thing signified by this Sacrament Besides that no signes in all the old Testament were euer instrumentall causes of that they signified Obiect Obiect But our Sacraments excell theirs and must bee more then signes and therefore haue also some vertue causing that they signifie Answ Answ An absurd inference our Ministery excelleth theirs yet it hath no more vertue in it selfe
aforesaid there are two Causes Sinne and the Punishment thereof Obser 1 Sinne is the first principall cause why any is miserable and as it were the seed out of which all misery groweth One might maruaile how men who haue honor wealth health wiues children c. should be miserable But it is easily answered For looke as one though hee were an Earle and neuer so great and happie if hee be but guilty of treason against the King is miserable notwithstanding all his possessions and greatnesse so here had one all the world if sinne lye at his doore and be not pardoned he is wretched Againe were one in such a debt that he is in danger euery houre to bee taken and haled to prison wee would account him wretched But sinne is a debt Forgiue vs our debts Math. 6.12 for which we may be throwne bodies and soules into hell fire were they not pardoned As the cause of sicknesse may bee said to make sicke no lesse then the sicknesse it selfe so the cause of miseries may be said to make vs miserable as well as misery it selfe Obiect Obiect But men feele no such matter in sinne To which I answere That a childe is not bredde and manifestly brought foorth at once the beginning of things vsually is in one time the manifestation in another A man may haue the cause of a sicknesse twenty yeeres within him without feeling himselfe sicke or knowing one fit of sicknes So sinne may be within one as a cause of all misery long before he finde himselfe really and sensibly miserable The reason whereof is double 1. It vseth to yeeld for the present a pleasing delight which breedeth insuing paine in times after following Thus Good-fellowes as wee vse to call them neither feele nor see any hurt in their intemperate courses which please their palate for the present but breed though insensibly the painefull diseases in which they end * Luimus senes quae in inventute peccauimus Intemperancy in youth ordinarily causing sicknesse in age Thus men count it no hurt to runne into bookes setting themselues in debt because it easeth them for the present though it breake their backe in the end 2. Sinne is in a heart that loueth it which makes it no whit grieuous Things in their naturall place are not ponderous A tankard of water is a mans load on land but were he in the bottome of the sea all the water in it would not presse nor burthen him for the waters there are in their proper place and so borne vp that they are not weighty Thus when but the remainders of sinne are in a heart conuerted to God they make it crie out Rom. 7.24 O miserable c. but let neuer so raigning a sinne dwell in a heart vnregenerate it doth not seeme any whit grieuous such a heart is the naturall and proper seate of sinne in which it resteth We see then that sinne is the principall cause of all misery and so it is indeed For punishments could not make a man miserable but for sinne Suppose man had bin made blinde sicke poore and mortall yet if he had no way sinned these defects should not haue hindered the due perfection belonging to him neither should he then haue beene said to be miserable in them The Consideration hereof should stirre vs vp aboue all things Vse to seeke earnestly after the forgiuenesse of our sinnes how well is hee that sleepeth with his * Acquittance Quietus est in his bosome In this regard Gods children haue followed God more for this then for deliuerance from the euils that haue been vpon them Exod. 10.17 Many will say with Pharaoh Lord remoue this plague but this is Jnstare contra symptomata morbo neglecta to let the cause of the sicknesse alone and to seeke onely to asswage the paine of it Many like as Rogues keepe and shew their foares so they glory of their shame and will not be healed Obser 2 The other cause of our miserable estate is the punishment of sinne The particulars whereof as hath beene said if they were not punishments of sinne wee could not bee said properly to be miserable in them for as the shadow followeth the body and as smoake and sparkes proceede from fire so by Gods iust decree from sinne committed spring all kinde of miseries Now these once seazing on vs we then beginne to bee apparantly wretched When a man murthereth or stealeth and by that meanes becomes subiect to death then hee is miserable for then is sowne the seede of his future woe Neuerthelesse say hee go on and be not taken in it and imprisoned men doe not account him nor discerne him as yet to be wretched but let the same person once be taken sentenced and executed and then euery body doth see his case to be wofull for now his misery standeth out of the cause and is actually declared Thus though while men are conscious of sinne onely their misery is not seene yet when Gods Iustice hath inflicted any part of punishment then so farre foorth their misery is openly displaied and set forth to the view of all Vse Let vs then acknowledge in all the punishments that we see so many reall Sermons of our miserable conditions when wee will not obserue it by lesser things God is forced to bring vpon vs greater euils Persons sick of a dead Apoplexie their faculties are not easily awakned and therefore they haue double the quantitie giuen vnto them that others haue Thus if wee be senslesse vnder the euils which lye vpon vs or meete vs any way and will not see our wretchednesse in them wee cannot thinke but that sharper will ouertake vs Leu. 26.23.24 that so our sleepie senses may be awaked QVEST. III. 3. Q. WHat is Sinne A. Euery breach of Gods law 1 Ioh. 3.4 Hauing laid downe summarily the causes of our misery the particular explication of them followeth according to the order of nature in which they were propounded In the Answer which containes a briefe description of sinne obserue 1. That sinne is the breach of Gods law onely 2. That euery breach of Gods Law is sinne To which may bee added deseruing death and making the Offender miserable Obser 1 For the first It is not said That sinne is the breach of Mans law or of the Churches law For those may sometime and in some cases be broken without sin but it is said to be the breach of Gods law which may bee shewed by necessary deduction thus Whatsoeuer is sinne to my Conscience defileth it and subiecteth it to punishment Whatsoeuer defileth it and subiecteth it to punishment must be the breach of some such Law as the Conscience is bound to obserue The reason is because the Conscience cannot be punishable for doing or not doing that which it hath liberty to doe or not to doe That Law which the Conscience is bound to obserue must be the Law of some one which is Superiour to
it * Par in parem non habet potestatem For equals haue no authority ouer equals much lesse Inferiours ouer Superiours We sinne not though wee stirre not at their command who haue no power ouer vs None is such a Superiour as hath power ouer our Consciences but God onely For Superiors hauing power to command any they can take knowledge when they offend and they can punish those who transgresse with condigne punishment but none beside God can take knowledge of Iam. 4.12 or punish the Conscience Nothing then can be sinne but the breach of Gods law Obiect But doe not the Lawes of men in authoritie binde the Conscience Ans Not by themselues and primarily but secondarily by participation with the Law of God which doth immediately and of it selfe binde the Conscience As water doth make hot and scald sometimes not of it selfe but as it participateth in the heate of fire which immediately from the nature of it maketh hot If they commaund any thing repugnant to Gods word we may diosobey it and not sinne prouided that our deniall of obedience come from conscience of Gods Will and not from want of due subiection in vs. To returne then thither whence wee haue a little digressed Sinne is the breach of Gods Law for looke as to misse our rule and measure is to offend and erre in that which by the rule and measure should haue beene directed so Gods Law being the rule by which our Nature and actions should be ordered wee cannot but erre when we leaue this and we cannot sinne and offend further then we transgresse it For nothing can bee amisse while it doth agree to that measure by which it is to be measured And this sufficeth to shew that sinne is the breach of Gods Law Wherefore in the first Vse 1 place let vs learne to see the fearefulnesse of sin which breaketh his Law who only hath power to saue and destroy If we haue broke the Kings law where it threatens losse of life lim or liberty it is fearefull if we haue broken something that great Persons such on whom wee depend gaue vs in charge how will it disquiet and feare vs but in euery sinne wee breake the Law of the eternall God Vse 2 Secondly let vs labour to know our sinnes by setting before vs this Law of God by which onely commeth the knowledge of sinne Were our faces dirty wee could not know or see them to bee so till some should shew so much vnto vs or our selues should take a glasse and looke our selues in it No more can we know our sinnes as they ought to be knowne till some made wise by the knowledge of the Law doe aduertise vs of them or till our selues get this glasse of the Law and looke into it But the most now loue not to haue the Law sincerely opened but resemble those foolish women who loue not to dresse themselues but by false glasses which make them looke quite otherwise then they are Thirdly seeing sinne is Vse 3 the breach of Gods Law let vs as we would auoide sinne get the knowledge of Gods Law How shall wee in the night auoide mirie sloweâ— and dangerous pits if wee haue not a torch or â—anthorne to discouer the same So in the night of our ignorance we cannot auoide faling into sinne further then this Law as a candle doth giue vs light Men will know penall Statutes and bonds vpon Forfeitures that they may the better keepe themselues from running into them let vs not thinke Ignorance will be a Plea sufficient for excuse If the King once haue proclaimed any thing and the Subiect after sufficient time of notifying his will be ignorant of it at his owne perill be it Further to come to the second point Obser 2 Obser 2. Euery breach of Gods Law is sinne yea and such a sinne as deserueth death and maketh the Offender miserable The least missing of the rule is an error as well as the greatest and both alike for kinde though not for degree So the least swaruing from or breach of Gods law which is our rule is an offence of God and a sinne no lesse for kinde then the greatest though for degree some are greater sinnes then other yea euery breach thereof is sinne deseruing death The wages of sinne is death Rom. 6.23 a Gal. 3.10 Cursed is be that continueth not in all to doe them For indeede the least sinne is contrarie to Charitie as the least droppe of water hath in it contrariety to fire That in the euent it doth not bring death it is from Mercy pardoning not from the nature of sinne not sufficiently demeriting eternall damnation Vse Let vs then take heede of the least breaches of Gods Law Little things neglected doe often doe great hurt little sparkes vnquenched turne to fiers exceeding great So the smallest sinnes deminish the feruour of loue they dispose the soule to great offences As men by little wedges make way for greater so doth the Deuill by lesse sinnes fit vs vnto greater fallings The deuill plaieth no small game but hee meaneth vs much hurt we haue the more need to looke to it For looke as sicke bodies loue to be gratified with some little thing that is beside the rule of diet and doth feede our sicknes So we sicke of sinne loue at least some kinde of liberty which may feed our spirituall sicknesse QVEST. IV. 4. Q. HOw many waies is Gods Law broken A. By doing things forbidden leauing things commaunded and failing in the manner First it is to be noted that the Answer is to be vnderstood of all actuall sinne For omission being a priuation of action the sin thereof must be reduced to the head of actuall sinne How here are set downe three waies of breaking the Law By committing somthing forbidden By omitting And by defectiue performing of something commaunded The Soule in moouing or resting may misse the rule by which it is to be directed First by hauing some obiect diuers from that which the Law of God warranteth Secondly by carrying it selfe otherwise then it ought to that Obiect which in Gods Law is commaunded In sinnes of Commission the soule erreth in the first kinde for it doth mooue it selfe to something which is forbidden vnto it therein and this is the highest kinde of euill For as in a Wife not to loue her Husband is a great leudnesse but not onely to neglect his loue but to turne to the imbracement of Strangers is much more hainous So for the Soule not to cleaue to God in doing righteousnesse is sinnefull but to leaue him and turne to loue and like any kinde of vnrighteousnes this is most sinfull Now the soule carrieth it selfe otherwise then it should to the good commanded when either it doth suspend ceasing to mooue after it as in sinnes of Omission or when it worketh for matter that which is required but in other manner then God hath prescribed either by not working the thing
that wee had in commaund to doe or by so doing it that wee faile in circumstance This last branch is or diuers considerations for the manner of performance sometimes is such as doth change the kinde and make that a sinne to him who so doth it which might haue beene a gratefull obedience Hos 1.4 Thus Iehu in killing Ahab and his Posterity propounding priuate regnancie committed the sin of murther which else had beene an acte of Obedience and Iustice Sometimes it is such as doth not change the kind of it turning it to sinne but hindereth the perfection of it and maketh it sinnefull thus doth the circumstantiall swaruings whereby our best actions are defiled The word in Hebrew which noteth * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sinne is deriued of a word that signifieth the missing of a marke Now a man may misse the marke three waies By shoting ouer it By being short of it By shoting about it but wide either on the right hand or on the left So may we by as many waies swerue from the Law which should be as a marke in our eye either by going beyond that which is commanded in it as in sinnes of Commission or by comming short as in sinne of Omission or by being wide when we are about the thing commanded but so that wee are wide in regard of the circumstance of that straightnesse or integritie that should bee in our actions Vse Let vs therefore take notice how many waies wee breake Gods Law The Law of Sinne sometime carying vs to that which is euill the defect that is in vs making vs to omit good duties and grace and sinne being so intermedled and the one so lusting against the other that wee cannot perfect things as we would Many account it a sin to lye and steale c. but not to repent or not to beleeue or not to giue all diligence to make their Calling and Election sure or not to get Knowledge they cannot see to be sinnes being but the omitting of things commanded To be improfitable in doing nothing this way is not deemed blame-worthy I hope say many I doe no hurt I pray God I neuer doe worse He were an euill Seruant who taking a stoole should sit still and let his worke lie vndone though he had no other fault So many if they should neuer go to Church and serue GOD or say Prayers c. they would thinke it a sinne but to haue their hearts farre from God to doe those things without reuerence they see not this to be sinnefull Nay if the thing they doe be lawfull let them vse it neuer so intemperately they thinke they sinne not nor should not bee rebuked Let them make a trade and vocation of Pastime why they hope God allowes recreation So many if they speake this or that which is true though without wisedome and loue they thinke they may doe it Neuer remembring that good stuffe may bee marred in the making Good things may be so performed that they shall become Sinnes and sinnefull actions QVEST. V. 5. Q. WHat are the punishmentes of Sinne A. All miseries of this life death in the end hell euer after Looke as it is with men if they turne themselues from this aspectable light they are foorthwith inuironed with darkenesse So man turning away by his sinne from God the Father of lights from whence euery good gift commeth he cannot but be forthwith in outward and inward darknesse in all kinde of misery Three kindes or degrees are here set downe The 1. in this life The 2. in death The 3. after death To branch the first would make a Treatise Our soules are dead in ignorance and lust so that they haue in them a seede apt to bring forth euery sinne Our bodies haue mortality as a worme corrupting them Our conditions are exposed to a thousand vanities and wearisome courses and these are but the beginnings of euill In death soule and body being diuorced the soule is kept in chaines of darknes feare and despaire expecting iudgement to come In the day of iudgement our bodies reunited with their soules shall ioyntly be sentenced and feele executed vpon them the full wrath of God which is a consuming fire should wee not by sound faith and repentance preuent those eternall woes Looke as Malefactors are first followed with Hue and cry then taken and committed and kept till the appointed time of Assise and lastly are sentenced and executed So God first in and during this life followes and pursues Sinners with these lighter euils as it were with Hue and Cries ringing in their eares at length by death he apprehends them and keepes them in that darke custodie of damned Spirits the Deuill being as a Iaylor vnto God and in the end when Christ shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead hee shall then take the impenitent and cast them soule and body into inquenchable torment Obiect What are all miseries of this life punishments of Sinne Answ They are being absolutely considered no better but this respect is changed to those that are in Christ They are no more punishments of reuenging Iustice requiring satisfaction but chastisements of fatherly iustice which seeketh this way the exaltation of his children If a Iudge whip a Stripling vnder the age of thirteen and saue him from the gallowes to satisfie the Law for his offence past it is one thing If a Father whip his sonne if hee take him pilfering to keepe him from falling into the like and from comming into danger of the Law this is another thing Two things may be one in nature and differ in respects Two stones may be both alike for the substance of them yet the one may haue a respect to distinguish one mans land from anothers as bound stones doe which the other hath not Thus sicknesse pouerty and disgrace common to the wicked and godly consider them in their being they are alike but the one haue a respect of a iust condemnation inflicted by Gods reuenging iustice for the satisfying of it which the others haue not For Christ hath put himselfe betwixt Gods Iustice and all them that are in him Rom. 8.1 Gal. 3.13 So that there is no condemnation or curse but he hath borne it in their behalfe Obiect Obiect If all miseries in this life belong as punishments to sinne how is it that many Sinners liue so happily exempt from miseries Answ Answ All is not gold that glisters nor is euery estate state happy that seemes happy To be held in dangerous snares is no point of happinesse Psal 69.22 but the Table and by proportion the wealth strength and honour of the wicked are snares Euen as poysons some kill with griping torments some cast into a sleepe and make men laugh till they fall downe dead So the curse of God killeth some with dolorous torment going before in this life some it so affecteth that they go in sweete sleepes laughing till they fall into destruction Whether is
stincking place we stop our noses and hast away If an vgly shape present it selfe we shut our eyes and indure not the view of it Thus our soules should with indignation turne from all filthy and abhominable vices QVEST. VII 7. Q. HOw doth this appeare A. Both by the punishment and person against whom it is committed Here are set downe two Considerations by which as by a glasse wee may see the foulenesse of sinne First by the punishment for proportionable to this in greatnesse must the offence bee the reason is because Iustice doth rule and measure the punishment by the offence if that be little the punishment that it assigneth is little if that bee great the punishment is answerable Now if a thing measured forth be long and wide the measure must bee vnderstood to be long and wide also Hence it is that in humane punishments we see the greatnesse of the offence if one be restrained wee gather hee hath done some fault if imprisoned if hanged in chaines or burned still as the punishment increaseth we coniecture the fault to haue been corespondent How foule then must that offence haue beene which the iust and most mercifull God hath punished with so many miseries in this life with death in the end and after with eternall destruction Againe the foulenesse of sinne is clearely discerned by considering the person against whom it is committed For in any good or euill worke the person that doth it or the circumstance of person about whom it is done doth impart to the worke such a respect whereby it deserueth accordingly Let a common man come to me when I send and a small thing doth recompence his paines but let a Doctour of Phisicke come and an Angell is his due the qualitie of his person doth so dignifie his worke and make it of answerable value So it increaseth the merit and desert of euill Let one of the people sinne he is guiltie but lâ—â— the Priest sinne Leu. 4.3.12 c mpared with Leu 4 27. â— 5 his fault iâ— greater and his Sacrifice must be greater And as the circumstance of the person doing increaseth the desert of good or euill So doth the circumstance of the person about whom the worke is conuersant Let a Subiect doe good to any and it well deserueth but doing some speciall seruice to his Prince he deserueth greatly Let him offend any he is guilty but the higher the person offended is the more hainous is the sinne If one reuile or slaunder his equall it is an offence and may beare an action of the case but if a Noble man it is scandalum magnatum deseruing sharper punishment and if the King it is treason and worthy of death Then how foule must that sin be which is a trespasse committed directly against GOD the KING of Kings Vse Let vs then make this vse of all miseries to take a view in them of the foulenesse that is in sinne If wee heare that the Magistrate hath fined one in an hundred pounds if we see one carted and whipped if we see execution done on any presently we gather in what kinde they haue offended When God doth sometimes consume mens substance to nothing making them poore as Iob who sometime were rich when hee doth by paines and griefe lash a man yea grinde him to dust when God taketh men away by violent or naturall death No body riseth to consider either of the power of his wrath or the foulenesse of sinne which hath beene the cause of all this miserie Againe if a childe doe ought against his naturall Parent a Seruant against his Master a Subiect against his Prince we esteeme it as a foule matter but when we lift vp the hand by sinning against God the filthinesse of this is not so apparant QVEST. VIII 8. Q. WHo is that A. Almighty God whose holinesse and iustice are infinite That wee may the better see the foulenesse of sinne it is first generally to be considered viz. That the person against whom we sinne is God Secondly more especially That this God is Almightie and infinite in holinesse and iustice Concerning the first when Dauid had wronged Bathsheba in her chastity and Vriah in his life yet he confesseth that hee had sinned against God alone Psalm 51.4 There may be three things considered in sinne 1. A damage done to our neighbours 2. A trespasse against the authority of some ciuill Court of Iustice 3. A trespasse in the Court of Conscience Now though I iniure my Neighbour yet this is not sinne as it is an iniurie to him but as it is committed against the Law which doth binde my conscience otherwise So a trespasse against the Lawes of some ciuill Court is not a sin precisely in this respect but as in this a higher Law and authoritie binding the Conscience is transgressed Therefore authority may forgiue a ciuill trespasse and the penalty of it which the Law determineth without medling with that sinnefull respect which is in the same default against God For looke as a Theefe taking a true mans purse doth wrong his Neighbour but cannot be said to breake his Neighbours Law but the Kings Law So in euery sin howsoeuer wee may iniury and trespasse against men yet we cannot bee said properly to sinne against them because no Law binding my Conscience is broken but Gods onely which respect giueth being to sinne Vse 1 1. Let vs then confesse our sinnes to God as Dauid did Wounded persons will open their wounds to a Chirurgian who is able to heale them so should we Vse 2 2. Let vs seeke pardon onely from God as he who only hath authority to giue it Popes pardons are cheating commodities no way auailing the distressed Conscience A subiect cannot forgiue a trespasse done against the Law of his Soueraigne no more can any earthly creature that which is done against the Law of that heauenly and supreame power so farre ouer them Obiect Obiect But doe not men forgiue sinnes Answ Answ Yea as ordinary Messingers do fetch vp men we say they fetch them vp in as much as they cary and signifie the Kings writ which doth fetch them vp So Ministers doe forgiue as Gods ordinarie Messengers ex Officio because they bring and apply that word of Gods writ which doth signifie Gods will and pleasure to forgiue 3. Let vs remember in euery Vse 3 sinne whom wee offend When men fall out and quarrell they doe not thinke they meddle with the King yet when they breake the peace they offend against him who is the Keeper of it So in our sinnes against our Neighbour we seldome thinke what measure we offer to God whom wee prouoke by breaking his Law The Deuill doth so keepe vs hoodwinckt that we thinke we loue God as well as any and that we meddle not with him but with those that wronged vs. Now more specially obserue 1. That this doth further discouer the foulenesse of sinne that it is against that God who is Almighty The
vs Obser 2 by himselfe In him alone we haue saluation no other name is giuen Act. 4.12 by himselfe hee hath purged vs from our sinnes Heb. 1.3 for all that merit and virtue which doth beginne and perfect our saluation commeth from Christ Obiect But how can this bee for a 1 Tim. 4.16 Ministers are said to saue themselues and others We are bidden b Act. 1.40 to saue our selues from a froward generation to c 1 Pet. 2.11 abstaine from lusts which fight against vs and to d Rom. 8.13 mortifie them by the Spirit that wee may liue Answ When a man is sicke of a deadly sicknesse if a Physitian prepare him a medicine of that virtue that it doth recouer him though he send it by an Apothecarie bidde the man take wish him to keepe diet and to vse exercise after it hath restored him neuerthelesse not the Apothecarie nor the man may be said to cure the disease but the Physician onely So it is betweene Christ and vs for as much as he hath made vs a medicine of his owne bloud shed in the sense of Gods wrath through which commeth forgiuenesse of sinne and that Spirit which worketh our full restorement though he send this by his Ministers as Apothecaries though hee bids vs beleeue and take it though hee bids vs refraine lusts and exercise our selues in euery good worke afterward least we should suffer a relapse into our old sinnes yet hee onely restoreth and saueth vs. And this holdeth in this matter the more because it is his vertue that must make vs to do whatsoeuer is required from vs both in our first receiuing of grace and in our proceeding and perseuering therein to the end Wherefore let vs cleaue onely to Christ Vse in him wee are compleat let vs renounce our owne workes which would proue like the letters Vriah caried 2 Sam. 11.14.15 if wee should pleade their desert in course of Iustice Papists think that as he who standeth on too firme branches of a tree standeth surer then hee that is but vpon one so he who trusteth to Christ and his workes too but there is great dissimilitude For who so ioineth workes with Christ a Gal. 5.4 falleth from the grace of Christ and doth not continue to stand on him Againe he that standeth with one foote on a firme branch and with another on a rotten one standeth not so sure as if he were wholly on that which is sound and sufficient for his support When the Deuill had the world thralled vnto him in superstitious errors then did he cast to their despairing Consciences such mocke-staies as these to which the Papists leane such as are mens owne righteousnesse merits satisfactions the merits intercession and power of Saints and Angells He knew that men ready to drowne would catch at any thing that they would take figge-leaues for couerings rather then haue nothing on their naked consciences but alasse he that letteth go Christ and looketh to these is like the dogge in the Fable who hauing meate in his mouth snatching at the shadow thereof in the water did let fall and so loose that which hee had As there is one Sonne onely in the visible world which giueth light to all that see therein So there is but one Sunne of righteousnesse which doth send foorth beames of righteousnes and holinesse to all that beleeue QVEST. II. 2. Q. WHat hath be done to deliuer man out of miserie A. He became man and in our nature answered the Law and satisfied the iustice of God Two things are here to bee obserued First how Christ did qualifie himselfe to be our Mediator by taking our Nature and so becomming man Secondly what he did in this Nature for our redemption which is noted in two things First Hee answered the Law Secondly He satisfied Gods iustice To open the first the Son Obser 1 who had beene a perfect Person from all eternitie existing in the diuine nature onely did in the fulnesse of time assume into his personall being such a nature as wee haue sinne excepted that hee might exist thencefoorth for euer in the nature of man perfect man also So that the Person of Christ is after a sort a compounded Person that is consisting of two natures hauing in it the infinite inuisible nature of God in which it had existed God from all eternity and the finite visible nature of Man in which the same Person will exist perfect man hencefoorth for euer So that as in the person of a man there is an inuisible immortall Soule and a visible mortall body So in thâ— Person of Christ there aâ—â— two natures all together different here onely is the diâ—similitude in this comparâ—son Neither nature in vs 〈◊〉 of it selfe a perfect person but both concurre between them to make a perfect personall being which neitheâ— of them haue by it selfe Now in the person of Chrisâ— our nature is taken into a Person that was perfect before that looke as euery Christian beleeuer wheâ— he is borne of God remaineth the same intire person which before hee was receiuing neuerthelesse into him a diuine nature which before he had not So Christ when hee was borne of the Virgine continuing the same perfect person which he had beene from eternity assumeth neuerthelesse a humane nature which before he had not to be borne within his person for euer and this was meete that hee should indifferently pertake with each nature who was to go a Mediator betwixt them for reconciling the one to the other that the Mediator betwixt God and man should bee in one person God and Man More particularly he must be God to make his mediatorie workes of sufficient value for our redemption for hence it is that his bloudshed was so precious that it was a Act. 20.20 the bloud of God The dignity of the person addeth worth and value to that hee worketh Wordes with a common man are good cheape but with a Councellor Sergeant or Iudge they are of no small price Euen as a finite disobedience being against aâ— infinite Maiesty became infinitely euill and deserued infinite wrath and punishment So finite obedience comming from a Person of infinite Maiesty was of infinite force to please God and procureth infinitely all good things vnto vs. Secondly he must be God that hee might bee able to beare and ouercome that which he was to suffer for vs. His humane nature would haue beene preuailed against by the powers of darknes ouerwhelmed with the heauie burthen of Gods wrath had not the diuine nature strengthened it But looke as one man may beare the assault of a thousand if he be planted in some impregnable hold So this humane nature planted within the rocke of the diuine Person was strengthened to beare and subdue all things for hence it was that death and sinne was ouercome by him because he as God was stronger then they Looke as any thing cast cold into a red-hot Furnace the fire will
chase away the cold and make it become fiery So death and sinne assaulting that person who was naturally and essentially life and holinesse they could not but be a 1 Cor. 15 54. swallowed vp in victory Thâ— stronger will preuaile againâ—â— the weaker Man hee must be as foâ—â— many other reasons so thâ— hee might haue right to râ—deeme vs. As in the old Tâ—stament b Leu. 25.25.48.49 Ruth 4.4 none had right 〈◊〉 redeeming any that wâ—â— falne but he that was of thâ— kindred of the deceased 〈◊〉 our Redeemer doth partaâ—â— in flesh and bloud with vs that hee thus becommingâ— neere kinsman hee migâ—â— haue right to worke our râ—demption and the qualification of his Person is madâ— the ground-worke of oâ—â— reconciliation insuing Thaâ— looke as great Kingdome diuided they will let the son and Heire of the one marry with the Daughter of the other and thus make a happie way for their reconcilement So the kingdome of heauen and men vpon earth being disunited it pleased the Father that his owne Sonne should by an indissoluble marriage of personall vnion ioyne himselfe into our Nature that by that meanes he might make way for the happy reconcilement of vs with himselfe First hence wee may see Vse 1 the great grace of God to vs whom he hath redeemed by Christ for whose sake hee was incarnate had he suffered his Sonne to haue taken that nature of our soules it had beene much but to assume that part of vs which we haue common with the bruite beast it was a most exceeding grace Kings in earth may grace some Familie and kindred in their kingdomes greatly by influence of their fauour by honouring them for nobilitie and honour is but the word of a Prince by bestowing reuenues and treasure on them and by calling them to authority But if a King should thinke this too little hee could doe no greater thing then to ioine himselfe iâ— marriage with some of that house For by this meanes hee should giue himselfe to them all in that one whom he had made one with himselfe Thus for the great God our Sauiour to shew fauour in communicating his Graces with vs is much but thus to bestow himselfe vpon vs is such grace as passeth all vnderstanding Secondly we see how we Vse 2 may come to finde God when wee would speake to him in prayer Wee must fixe that eye of Faith on this humane Nature of Christ in which the God-head doth dwell bodily that is personally and there speake as to our God For looke as when I see the body of a man there I know his spirit or reasonable Soule is also and therefore I speake to his vnderstanding when and where I see his body because they are not seuered So in like manner viewing by Faith that humane nature now glorious in heauen I there speake to the great God because I know hee is there personally vnited Vse 3 Hath God taken our nature to him Let vs then seeke to be made Partakers of the diuine nature I meane these diuine created qualities whereby we represent God Hee did to no other end condescend thus low as to take our nature but that he might thus lift vs vp to be partakers of his glory If the Prince should match in some meane familie of his Subiects and aske them nothing but that they would come to the Court and bee partakers of his glory Israel and Iosephes brethren went not vp to Aegypt more willingly then men would hearken to such an inuitement But the Sonne of God combining himselfe to vs doth no other thing â—hen inuite vs daily to partake in his glory but wee â—â—â—e a deafe eare to the â—â—ace offered Obserue further that Obser 2 Christ answered the Law for vs therefore is said to be made vnder the Law that hee might redeeme vs from the curse of it Gal. â— 4.5 to which we were subiect For Christ is not onely a Mediator who intreateth for vs but a surety also as Iudah did not only intreat for Beniamin Gen. 44.32.33 but did offer himselfe surety for him and Paul did not onely intreate for Onesimus Phile. 18. but vndertooke likewise as suretie to answere for him Where note against the Papists that the efficacie of his Mediatorship floweth from his suretishippe hee vndertaketh Now sureties wee know doe make themselues liable to answere the debt of those for whom they stand bound So Christ our surety did vndertake to answere whatsoeuer the Law could charge vs with and to discharge the penalty of it to the vtmost farthing Vse 1 Wherefore we see what a comfort this is to vs who are Christs If we did owe a hundreth pounds to know it were discharged would lighten and cheare vs but to know that Christ hath taken on him all our sinnes and borne the curse belonging to them this would much more refresh vs. Secondly Let vs all reâ—â—t Vse 2 to Christ Should Banâ—â—rupts heare of any that would answere their Crediâ—â—â—s for them they would quickly resort to him how much more shouldst thou who hast beene a Swearer vsed cursed banning and raiâ—â—ng speech who hast lied â—â—â—lne beene rebellious to thy Gouernours beene prophanely carelesse of all godâ—â—nesse drunke in sinne like water how much more shouldest thou resort to this Mediator and surety who will answere the debt of those that come to him by faith yea if any thing trouble vs who are Christs turne it ouer to him to answere for euen as women vnder couert-baron haue their Husbands to answer for them all suites that can bee commenced against them so haue wee Christ our Husband let vs then flee to him Obser 3 Obserue lastly that Christ hath satisfied Gods justice in our behalfe Gods reuenging iustice being stirred vp by mans sinne God did in the sacrifice that Christ offered smell a sauour of rest Gen. 8.21 and was pacified and contented This doth follow on the former for looke as a Creditor when he is paide that which is owing to him he then is at rest and hath that hee would haue so when Christ our Surety had paid as it were to Gods Iustice that punishment of the Law in which we stood indebted Gods reuenging Iustice is at rest holding it selfe contented If you doe one wrong pay him that which may counteruaile the wrong and hee is satisfied Thus wee by breaking the Ordinances of Gods iustice did wrong despising and dishonoring him whose appointment we transgressed but when we present to him in our selues or in our Suretie a condigne punishment vndergone in regard of that transgression then by due suffering we repay that honour of his which wee had violated by our vndutifull transgressing This was necessary for though God loued vs yet would hee not let the influence of his grace appeare in doing vs any good till first justice receiued contentment Gods iustice had put in a caution against vs God therefore willing to glorifie his grace yet not with any
paines in soule Looke as the body of him did die notwithstanding it remained personally vnited to God the Sonne so the soule might suffer an impression of his Fathers wrath which is a kinde of death to the soule notwithstanding the personall coiunction of it to God himselfe Secondly the holinesse of Christ no whit obscured he might suffer the full wrath of God death for it doth not stand in being for qualitie sinnefull properly or in being depriued of faith and other graces but in feeing for sinne a priuation of felicity or at least a diminution of that blisfull fauour which is better then life and in an impression of wrath which is as grieuous as death it selfe to the soule Now this Christ felt though he wanted no faith wherewith to cleaue to God yet hee wanted the blessednesse which was to bee found in God yea he felt that wrath against sinne which is a consuming fire sinne whereof he was guilty in nobis non in se in vs not in himselfe Looke as the soule may bee vnited with the body as in sleepe and yet not worke in the body so God vnited to Christ in soule yet did forsake him and for a time restraine that influence of fauour in sense wherof consisteth life spirituall but I intend here rather familiar illustration then profound speech of doctrine His naturall death may be considered in his soule which was seuered from his body depriued of the facultie sensitiue and operations which it had exercised in the body or in his body which was now lying in the sepulchre in a state subiect to corrupt though it was preserued a Act. 2.31 from knowing actuall corruption and in these was the vpshot of all those sufferings Christ endured for vs. I haue nothing to illustrate this it is a great mistery beyond all comparison if any shadow may be vsed thinke what some persons in their deepest loue aduenture on that they may be ioyned to some peerelesse Virgins they leaue their natiue Countries commit themselues to the clemencie oâ— sea and windes hazard theâ—â— liues by many aduentures So our Sauiour seeking vs worthlesse creatures that hâ— might make vs a praise 〈◊〉 himselfe doth leaue heauen come and walke amongst vs abide many a little death and breake through death iâ— selfe how well may hee b Cant. 5.2 knocke and say open to mee for my head is full of dew my lockes fall with the drops of the night But against that clause which saith Christ did not take vpon him our particular and personall euills in suffering for vs may bee obiected Obiect 1 First that a Surety is to answere the particular debts of those for whom he standeth bound but Christ was a suretie for vs. Answ A suretie is bound â—o discharge Answ either in some common payment equivalent to them all or by tendring the particular summes wherein they stand obliged for whom he entreth surety thus Christ did in a common suffering equivalent to all our particulars of sorrow whereto we are subiect as Adam did by one common sâ—â—ne bring guilt vpon all not by sinning a particular sinne for euery man So Christ by a common suffering did satisfie for all not by suffering diuersitie according to the state of euery particular person Againe it may be asked Obiect 2 how he could pitty those in the stone dropsie c. whâ—â— hee had no experience oâ— these infirmities Answ Answ He could not 〈◊〉 haue compassioned our mâ—series had he not tasted thâ—â— in the kinde but hauing â—â—sted them in the kinde 〈◊〉 may know them and haâ—â— commiseration to them all as any that tasteth but 〈◊〉 spoonfull of salt water may know what it is withoâ—â— drawing the whole sea aâ—â— pitty such who are forceâ— to drinke it thus it is 〈◊〉 these salt waters of our afflictions Vse 1 This should stirre vs vâ— to be affected with this loue which hath made Christ suffer so much death for vs. 〈◊〉 one beare a threatning reprochfull word in our behalfe we count it kindnesse â—â—t to beare blowes or lie by â—t in our quarrell this is loue â—â—deed in him that thus sufâ—â—eth But who doth lay to â—â—â—rt these sufferings which â—is Sauiour hath suffered in â—iâ— behalfe you haue some â—â—melting that speake but a â—ord of some mans death in their hearing they are preâ—â—â—tly in teares who yet â—â—ough we should preach till wee were hoarse of Christs death will haue their eyes dry not onely before vs but neuer prouoking themselues so much as in secret once to â—â—ue a bleeding heart for it This also doth shew vs Vse 2 what we should doe for his â—â—ory who hath done thus much for vs euen lay downe our liues if neede were the hand will cast it selfe betwiâ— a blow and the head thougâ— it should be cut off by thâ— meane O what vnnaturaâ— members are they to Chriâ— their head who will nâ— beare one word of disgraâ— for him who endured sucâ— contradiction of sinners 〈◊〉 their sakes who will noâ— kill one superfluous lust 〈◊〉 his sake who was prodigaâ— of his most precious blooâ— in their behalfe QVEST. V. 5. Q. HOw did he fulfill the righteousnes the Law required A. By being subiect to â—he will of God in thought â—ord and deed all his life â—ng Christ did not onely suffer â—hat which was equivalent and correspondent to all that which each of vs in singular should haue endured but did performe also as all his life time perfect obedience so more principally at his death in behalfe of vs all Now the Law requireth perfect obedience first in regard of the thing which is to be obeyed viz. that all the will of God be kept euen all his commandements Secondly in regard of the person obeying that it be the whole man outward and inward Thirdly in regard of the time that it be with perseuerance to the end and therefore the a Gal. 3.10 Law doth accurse such as continue not alwaies in all things to doâ— them euen with all their might strength and vnderstanding for that is the manner b Deu. 6.5 in the Law required Now our Sauiour first hâ— did walke in obeying all the commandements his loue to God the Father his practise of ordinances of worship his praying and publishing the name of his Father his setting him at his right hand and trusting to him his zeale toward the glory of God the zeale of his house c. his early rising to sanctifie the Sabboth in the duties of it his subiection to his parents so farre as to worke at their trade c Mat. 6.3 as it is probable his loue to the life of man euen to the neglecting of his owne his â—uritie his not seeking earthly things for he d 2 Cor. 8.9 made himselfe poore so farre he was from coueting ought which was anothers his e Ioh. 18.37 true testimony before Pontius Pilat in a word hee was so free from concupiscence that the Deuill himselfe could
f Ioh. 14.30 not finde ought in him these the Gospell at large mentioneth Christ did not take what he liked and leaue at his pleasure but obeyed all the will of God For looke as it is in the body of man which is so compact and knit together that you cannot wound one part but the whole man is wounded so the righteousnes of the Law is so combined that he who breaketh one of them doth violate the whole frame and becommeth guilty of the whole Law g Iam. 2.10 as the Apostle Iames speaketh Yea further it is to be marked that he did not onely submit to the morall duties of Gods law which in innocencie should haue bin practised but to other also yea to ceremoniall obseruances to which man as now sinfull onely was obliged euen as he suffered the euills which did befall our natures now being sinfull themselues being such as had no sinne in them that looke what is recorded of the most generous Captaines viz. That they would worke with their common souldiers fellow and fellow like in the homeliest things they set their hands to that is apparant in our Chieftaine who doth like to one of vs sinfull men set himselfe to worke in obeying euery thing wherein we were to obey As when great Persons wil shew loue they lay aside state and forget circumstances of inequalitie toward those with whō they meane to be most affable and louing Secondly He did obey God with his whole man with his vnderstanding will affections as well as his outward man With what zeale of spirit did hee cast those Merchants out of the Temple Ioh. 2.17 For looke as a beautifull picture which hath no spirit nor life in it is but a shadow without the substance of that it resembleth so a doing the worke commanded in the Law with the outward man if the heart spirit bee not looking to God intending his honour reporting their loue and dutie to him it is but an outward forme of godlines and iustice wanting the life and inward power which God requireth he is a Spirit and his Law is spirituall giuen not as man 's to the outward man only but principally to the soule and conscience Thirdly Christs obedience was to the end For he gaue vp the ghost in loue to God and man greater then the iustice of the Law could require it is in obeying the Law as in running a race if one hold not out to the goale all is nothing the price is not receiued so should one walke a great while in the course of obedience but not perseuere vnto the end it were in vaine not such as the perfection of the law required Seeing then it is thus that Vse 1 Christ as the Law is a rule of righteousnesse hath performed it exactly yea gone in degree beyond all it could command for it doth bid vs onely loue our neighbour as our selues let vs see whither we must looke when we detest our owne imperfection euen to the righteousnes wherwith Christ obeyed in our behalfe Let vs renounce our owne righteousnes as a menstruous rag that wee may be found clothed with Christs that righteousnesse which is through faith on him For it was the will of Christ to performe not onely a bare satisfaction but also a most gratefull obedience that so he might both remoue from vs the filthy couering of our sinne and also cloth vs with a rich robe of vnspotted righteousnes Vse 2 This doth shew vs God the sonnes exceeding loue to vs if when we are absent one doth take our cause and doe ought for vs which we in our persons should haue performed wee count our selues much beholding to them especially if they doe it from their voluntary disposition vnspoken to by vs. Loe Christ our Sauiour hath put himselfe in our roomes and done all that worke for vs which wee in person should haue wrought that we might be declared righteous to the receiuing of eternall life QVEST. VI. 6. Q. WHat benefit haue wee by his death and sufferings Answ Deliuerance from sinne and the punishment thereof We haue deliuerance from sinne by all Christs sufferings after some sort but not alike principally by those before his death and those in which more properly his passion consisteth Those former sufferings as they taught Christ patience experimentally fitted him to bee a compassionate high Priest had in them example for our instruction so were they accessory ministring to that further more principall satisfactory suffering of his death and passion Looke as if an English-man were held prisoner in France who could not bee released but on such a ransome tendred and the good will of the Gouernours obtained say some of his Countreymen would worke his enlargement he doth addresse himselfe for France he liueth there submitting himselfe to the lawes of them amongst whom for the time hee abideth he beareth many grieuances in a country wherein he is not knowne hee moueth with humble petition the Gouernors and offereth satisfaction finally he doth pay that penaltie or price of redemption imposed in this example this man may be said to be set free by all this suffered for him but not equally by all principally by discharging the ransome imposed by the other as by sufferings accessory and ministring to some other more principall Thus Christ he tooke our nature came from heauen and dwelt amongst vs in that tabernacle of flesh hee yeelded himselfe subiect to our fashions and lawes as it were he did beare indignities and iniuries from the world who knew him not he at length tendred that satisfactory passion to God his Father for vs and preuailed with his grace for the bestowing of all good things on vs. The suffering then of death hath an eminencie aboue all other in the remouing of sin and punishment from vs. Looke as it was in the shadow the faithfull of the old Testament they did as in a Sacrament receiue deliuerance from their sinne by the death of their sinne-offering so is it here with vs. Christ becomming our sacrifice for sinnes taking them on him to beare them and doe them away in our behalfe his offering vp commeth to quit vs from the guilt of them No wonder for if a suretie discharge a debt in our behalfe we stand no longer bound to it thus our Sauiour in his death answering the vtmost farthing nay performing a suffering of infinit more dignity then vindicatiue iustice could haue required the grace of God doth set vs free most iustly hence Christ is said to haue cancelled Col. 2.14 whatsoeuer hand-writing was against vs whether that of the Ceremoniall law as it testified our guilt or that inward testification of our consciences For looke as they who haue now paid a debt in behalfe of any they call in all specialties witnessing the debt which now they haue answered and deface and cancell them that naught may euer bee claimed by them thus did our Sauiour so that in his death we may
alone doth see no other sense concurring to help it in that which is the proper effect of it selfe If then Faith be so excellent a thing how fearefull is their sinne who lie not careing to get beliefe to lie theeue or whore they see is an enormous crime but to liue in vnbeliefe they neither account it vncomely not dangerous to turne ones backe disdainfully and carelesly on Gods greatest loue is of all other the foulest disloyalty to neglect to take the healing medicine of Gods owne preparing what is more dangerous no other sinne could haue hurt vs had not this vnbeleefe beene adioyned vnto them QVEST. IX 9. Q. WHat is Faith A. An assurance that by the death of Christ forgiuenesse of sins and by his righteousnesse Gods fauour and life eternall are obtained for me In generall before we enter the particular explication of this answer you must know that a true iustifying faith so farre foorth as it iustifieth is here described True faith is commonly called iustifying faith not that this is the full effect of it beyond which the efficiencie of it doth not extend but because this is the principall thing in which the force of true faith is occupied as our soules are called reasonable not because they haue no other operation then what is reasonable in simple apprehension or discourse For our sensitiue and naturall actions proceed effectiuely from our soules but because this is the most principall work of the soule therefore it taketh true denomination from it and is termed reasonable Foure things are now further to be vnfolded 1. what is meante by assurance 2. How a true iustifying faith may bee said an assurance when true Beleeuers are many times doubtfull 3. The matter about which iustifying faith and the assurance of it are conuersant viz. forgiuenesse of sinne and life in the death and obedience of Christ or about Christs death righteousnesse as they are a ground of forgiuenesse of sinne for mee and life euerlasting 4. The particularitie of it assurance that my sinne is forgiuen and life obtained for me 1. For the first by assurance here is meant an assured or confident perswasion which is not onely when the vnderstanding determines that truth is spoken but when the will doth confidently rest vpon that good which is promised which as it is in degree greater or lesser so is doubting more or lesse excluded This is true beliefe a Act. 8.37 of the whole heart Looke as if you promise mee any great good matter say it be but to lend mee an hundreth pounds when my occasions require it I haue not onely a perswasion in vnderstanding that the thing you speake to me you speake it truly but because here is in the word that which is good to mee as well as that which is true therfore I haue a confidence in my will which maketh me rest on and trust to that you haue spoken If the word spoken were true but not a word any waies beneficiall to me I might haue an assured perswasion in minde without any affection or mouing of will toward it but when it is as well good to mee as true in it selfe it cannot be fully receiued by a mentall perswasion assenting to the truth of it without a godly affection imbracing it as it is a word of good tidings to mee who heare it Thus Abrahams perswasion Rom. 4. Rom. 4.17.22 Iob. 19.25 27. and Iobs in the 19. of his booke are to be vnfolded 2. For the second wee must know that faith is alwaies an assured perswasion in regard of the euent and thing beleeued not in regard of the sense and feeling of him who beleeueth whether his heart be stedfast in faith or trembling through much vnbeleefe yet beleeuing though with much vnbeleefe he shall be sure of the thing promised For it is not the manner of apprehending but the thing apprehended viz. Christ for which God doth passe his promise Now looke as a trembling palsie hand may take the same thing which a more steddie one doth take though the manner be diuers the one taketh it shaking the other without any trembling so a hart of faith which yet shaketh doubteth through much vnbeleefe may take Christ as well as a heart doth which is more fully perswaded and therfore shall haue the grace promised for his sake who is receiued by faith God then promising to euery true though weak beleefe hence it commeth that faith is a certaine perswasion in regard of the thing beleeued certainely bringing vs to receiue the thing promised For euery house is as sure as the foundation is euery thing hanging on a pin or pegge as sure as the pegge on which it hangeth A true faith being a trust to Gods faithfull promise it cannot miscary in the euent for this on which it is grounded is vnchangeable Neuerthelesse though in the euent it promiseth a certaine perswasion yet is it not so alwaies in the sense of the beleeuer It is one thing to haue a thing surely another thing to know I haue it sâ—rely Wee haue many things which we thinke we haue lost so a Beleeuer who hath a sure beleefe yet doth not know that he so beleeueth nay thinketh that hee is without faith when he hath it vnfainedly This falleth out sometimes in the first beginning and conception as it were of faith somtimes afterward Looke as childdren liue in the wombe and know not themselues that they doe liue so is it with many true beleeuing soules who long beleeue before they come to see themselues to beleeue and be able by a reflexed operation of minde to say a 2 Tim. 1.12 I know on whom I haue beleeued 2. Say that now they are come to know they haue faith and that God is pleased with them in Christ yet may this their sense be soon altered partly through a childish weaknesse of iudgement partly through other temptations For as children though they now to their feeling are well yet if they come to see their owne bloud or to be left all alone in the darke beginne to conceiue twentie strange matters so Gods children who now thinke themselues well while they are in the light and feele his gracious presence if this bee a little hidden or if they finde not their accustomed life and cheerefulnesse in Gods seruice they beginne to thinke all is turned with them and call all into question Againe looke as the wisest man may come to haue the eye of reason so depraued through distemper of braine that he shall think his friends seeke to kill him and are become his foes yea the eye of his body so depraued by a stroake or by ouer-flowing of choller that he shall think all things before him red and yellow though they be nothing so euen so by the violent stroake of some wasting sinne or the strange worke of some more sharpe temptations ouerflowing the eye of the soule as it were with spirituall gall euen the sense of Gods
wrath the iudgement of a faithful man for the time may bee so depraued that he shall thinke God his enemy and euery thing to bee otherwise toward him then it is The third thing to bee marked is that about which faith is conuersant which is Christ obeying to death that he may finde righteousnesse and forgiuenesse of sinnes to life in him For to beleeue that my sinne is now forgiuen in Christ is rather an acte of experience in a Beleeuer now iustified then that beleefe which is required to iustification to rest on Christ obeying to the cursed death of the Crosse â—â—at I may get pardon and â—â—se euerlasting from the â—race of God this is the acte â—f true beleefe with the â—atter also about which it is â—â—nuersant Christ is the full â—â—d adequate obiect of beâ—â—efe as it doth iustifie euen 〈◊〉 colour is the full obiect of â—â—e power of seeing that is â—â—rs Faith doth not looke â—any thing else as it doth â—â—ercise that facultie which worketh to the iustification â—f vs faith doth beleeue â—â—reatnings doth sustaine vs 〈◊〉 aduersities doth like a Queene guide all our actiâ—â—s doth worke by loue as 〈◊〉 instrument conioyned â—â—th it but it doth not iustiâ—â—â— vs but onely as it doth â—â—me it selfe to apprehend Christ as our reasonable soules doe see in the eye heare in the eare digest in the stomacke but doth noâ— reason as it doth thesâ— things but onely as it conceiueth discourseth within vs. For looke as nothing in a poore man can makâ— him rich further then it doth get riches into his possession so nothing in vs Sinnerâ— can make vs righteous to life further then it doth lay holâ— on such a righteousnessâ— which can take away sinne and make vs righteous to thâ— receiuing of life eternalâ— Wherefore though the faiâ—â— that iustifieth vs bee a faiâ—â— working through loue yâ— it doth not hence follow that it should iustifie vs as 〈◊〉 worketh by loue no morâ— then this followeth that because the fire which is hotte and giueth heat is also light therefore it should make hot so farre forth as it is light not so farre forth only as it hath heate in it 4. For the last obserue That a true iustifying faith doth incline a man to beleeue Gods grace in particular toward him through Christ euen as they that â—ere stâ—ng wâ—th Serpent did come and looke to the â—easen Serpent beleeuing to finde the healing of those deadly stings that were fastned in them Thus a soule â—tung with sinne and feare of death commeth by saith to Christ relying on him trusting to finde in and through him cure of those deadly euils wherewith it is wounded If a Physitian should call sicke persons saying do but come to mee and I will heale you and we should see many flocking about him would wee not presently know that they beleeued that he would cure their diseases So when Christ saith to sinners beleeue on mee or come to mee for a Ioh. 6.35 these are all one I wil help you What saith think we haue sinners who resort to him is it not a beleefe that he will according to his word heale them deliuer them from sin and death and restore them to life eternall If there be a particular word or that which is equiualent then is there a particular faith but there is so For b 1 Ioh. 3.23 God bids euery one beleeue and saith that c Ioh. 3.16 whosoeuer hee is that beleeueth shall not perish but haue life which is as much as beleeue thou Thomas and thou shalt haue life How can we proue that Iohn or Thomas are vnder wrath and the curse Wee cannot prooue it otherwise then thus d Gal. 3.10 Cursed is euery one who continueth not in â—ll c. Againe the saith of true Beleeuers goeth farther then the faith of Deuills can doe but they may beleeue that Christ died in generall for all sinners that shall beleeue on him Remember that voyce of Thomas e Ioh. 20.28 My Lord my God and of f Gal. 2.20 Paul who hath loued mee and giuen himselfe for mee This pronoune in diuinitie is most precious The seuerall applications of these would bee too prolix Vse Let vs then stay on Christ as our Sauiour and so vnite our selues to him that wee may through him obtaine saluation What is apparell helpefull to vs before wee put it on The Papists are like those Taylors who carry suites vnder their arme which themselues neuer weare so they doe carry Christ in the swimming knowledge of the braine without resting on him with their whole hearts to finde saluation in him most pittifull is their faith For whereas this particular confidence is a shield against all the fiery darts of the Deuill their faith is such as may be intire and whole and yet a man hauing it may be in damnable desperation as themselues teach and by reason is euident For if faith hath not in it any hope or confidence then is it not opposed to despaire so as to expell it for things which will not endure the one the other must haue contrariety as fire and water if the one doe not fight and driue forth the other then may they dwell together But true saith in Christ doth breed confidence and boldnesse according to that a Heb. 10 22. Let vs enter with confidence and boldnesse through faith on him True faith therefore hath in it confidence toward the grace of God For as nothing can make hot which hath not heate in it selfe so nothing could make confident which after some manner had not confidence in it QVEST. VI. 10. Q. HOw is FAITH wrought A. It is the gift of God by the worke of his Spirit in the preaching of his word This answere doth set downe Faith first from the generall nature of it viz. That it is a gift of God Secondly from the manner of working it which is set forth by the paincipall Author the Spirit the instrumentall which is the word For the first obserue Eph. 2.8 that Faith is Gods gift Iam. 1.17 Euery good thing commeth from the Father of Lights but Faith and other graces are gifts after a speciall manner for they come not from a common bountie such as God made shew of in the creation but from a speciall fauour which he beareth his in Christ Iesus Phil 1.29 To you it is giuen saith Christ not onely to beleeue c. The naturall head doth not onely giue sense and motion to all the members now conioyned but doth send foorth those bonds whereby they come to be coupled with it so is Christ the spring whence this sinew of Faith doth flow and issue vnto vs. What is there in a gift but it doth agree to faith Nothing we say more free then gift it must come from the grace of the Donour and be ours by no former title thus faith it is bestowed on vs when we were euery way vnworthy
and still continue the same courses Repent and bring foorth fruits worthy Repentance Math. 3.8 QVEST. V. 5. Q. WHENCE commeth this â—hange A. Chiefly from the sight and feeling of Gods mercy towards vs in Christ Luk. 7.47 1 Ioh. 4.19 The heart may be pricked with Repentance by the Law as I said before but this will but make it bleed inward and rancle more and more this is a sorrow to death The heart neuer commeth kindly to be pricked so as to breake out into confession dislike and true griefe for sin as it is a thing offending God till the loue of God come in some measure to be tasted by it a Zach. 12.10 I will poure out my spirit of grace and deprecation and they shall mourne b Mat. 3.7 repent for the kingdome of heauen is at hand We see some sturdy natures which with seuere hard courses are not stirred come ouer them with kindnes and they relent thus it is in the dissoluing of our hearts they neuer yeelde and relent till loue worke on them Looke as it is in the change of the earth all the stormie inclemencies of the Winter though they may cast it into diuers formes yet till the sun cause an influence of his sweete heat into the bosome of it it is neuer changed from vnfruitefull to fruitfull neither is the face of it till then renued So in our soules though the stormes of the Law may diuersly affect them yet till the beames of this grace shine into the heart they are neuer truely changed our hearts could not possibly reflect and rebound this loue to God for it is loue to greeue that wee haue offended him had not hee first caused his loue to shine vpon vs. As euer then thou wouldst repent Vse get a taste of Gods loue one haire of loue will draw more then a yoke of oxen the softest things will breake the hardest A sword which will be stricken vpon iron or steele safely may bee broke men say on a fetherbedde What is harder then a Diamond which abideth the hammer and is not hurt yet a goates bloud will dissolue it as vinegar doth pearle c. Looke to that bloud of Christ our Sauiour and he inable vs to see it that so our hard hearts may bee dissolued through the abundance of loue manifested in it What is so hard but fire casteth and melteth it what fire is so hotte as the loue wherewith God hath loued vs in Christ QVEST. VI. 6. Q. FRom what is the heart changed A. From loue of the world to the loue of God from carelesnesse to conscience and desire to please God Ioh. 21.15 Tit. 2.12 Phile. v. 11. 1 Ioh. 2.15 In euery mouing and alteration there are two points the one from whence the oother to which as in going any whither there is one place which I leaue and another that I go vnto Thus in Repentance the point from which we turne is the loue of the world and carelesnesse the point to which we are changed and conuerted is the loue of God and care to please him Obserue then first That by nature all of vs liue in adulterous loue of the world the persons things fashions in it Iam. 4.4 O yee adulterous saith Iames Looke as women from what time they fall away from loue of their Husbands grow into league with strangers so wee from what time we by sinne turne from the immortall God we turne to the corruptible creature louing them not in and for God louing them not in measure according to the goodnes that is in them but inordinately Some haue this adulterie in them more openly some more couertly For euen as there are some corporally vncleane not ashamed to walke with their Trulls in the sight of the Sunne so there are some Esau-like who will not sticke to say giue them the pottage of pleasure take who will the birthright thus in effect doe all prophane and ciuill persons who care not and will professe as much for matter of religion some haue this adulterous loue to the world but thinke no more of it then a 2 King 8 12.13 hee of Syria did thinke he had in him that cruelty which he after shewed For as men may haue a disease in body which they think themselues most free of so in soule also Such are all Christians who haue not receiued the sanctifying grace which maketh the heart good and honest Vse Wherefore let vs take knowledge of this our estate and bewaile this spirituall harlotry in our nature none is free from it who hath not lamented it in himselfe O for a man to breake his faith and liue vnchastly after hee hath giuen himselfe by couenant to a Creature like himselfe is a worse sinne then it was while he was single for now hee hath added breach of faith to vncleannesse O so to let our hearts be in the world after wee haue by our profession betroathed our selues to God it shall bee easier for Turkes then for vs for we breake our faith and leaue an all-sufficient God for transitorie trifles and pleasures of sinne which last but for a season Obserue secondly from hence That we are turned to the loue of God from the loue of this world that our growing out of loue with the world is our returning into loue with our Husband as the amitie of the world is enmitie with God so the enmitie with the world beginneth amitie with God Look as vncleane women the more they shake off their Paramours the more they returne to their conjugall dutie so it is with vs the truth is wee who by sinne haue turned from God to the inordinate loue of these things can neuer returne to God till these be left as hee who is come hither from any place hee can neuer returne to that againe till he hath left this in which hee now is But how can wee leaue God or returne to him who is euery where euen as two present together for place may leaue each other when in heart and affections they desioyne themselues though in place they are conioyned and as a man may be with light and yet turne from it by winking against it and so going out of that which shineth about him and returne to it by opening his eyes againe thus wee may go from God euery where present while wee turne our hearts and affections from him and shut the eyes of our mindes from beholding of him And wee turne to him when we open the eye of Faith and vnite our selues with his mercy and cleaue vnto him with the loue of our soules This then being our way of returning to our God let vs labour to roote out this stinking weed of inordinate loue to earthly things as euer we would assure our selues wee haue loue to God A chast wife will not content herselfe in the maine to be loyall but she will not giue light behauiour lauish fauours vnchast kisses to any person And shall not wee take
them Louing wiues are desirous often when their Husbands trauell to haue the pictures of them When great Persons doe beginne to make loue to some great Princesse in another land they send them their picture Thus Christ our Husband now absent in heauen and making loue to vs in earth doth allow vs these Sacraments as his pictures which looking on by the eye of Faith wee may see him Againe had we but any confirmation of Land to be passed by seale how would we waite on the houre appointed to such busines how much more here where Christ and all good things in Christ are assured to vs Secondly let vs rest in the vse of these seales God hath appointed For all signes of mens deuising cannot teach or helpe deuotion but delude and breed superstition Beside to doe any thing which doth derogate from the seale of Kings their prerogatiue therein wee know how dangerous it is in Common-wealth so certainely to joyne seales with Gods seales in his Church is a point will hardly bee answered QVEST. III. 3. Q. HOw many Sacraments are there A. Two Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord 1 Cor. 10.2.3.4 The Scripture doth know but 2. Sacraments which are seales of Christ and his benefits giuen to euery Beleeuer a 1 Cor. 12.13 We haue all of vs beene baptised all beene made to drinke c. And the Supper of the Lord is called b Luk. 22.20 the Couenant as the Antitypes vnder the Law were but two Circumcision and the Passouer There are no visible seales bearing witnes on earth c 1 Ioh. 5 6.8 but water and bloud as some would haue the water and blood which issued from the side of Christ to presignifie Man in his Creation was holy without sinne and hauing a power to haue continued vnto life and a power also to fall away and become guiltie of death Hence it commeth to passe that being without sin and a sonne of God by Creation hee needed no Baptisme as we doe but one Sacrament to assure him of life if he obeyed another to threaten death vnto him if he transgressed Wee being now sonnes of Gods wrath dead in sinne by nature wee haue neede of a Sacrament which may seale our Regeneration and this being the priuiledge of one that is borne of Christ that he cannot sinne to death we neede no Sacrament of Commination as Adam did but such a one as may assure vs of our being fed to life and preserued through Christ Vse 1 Wherefore Let vs hold this truth that God hath left vs no more the Papists make fiue more but without warrant of Gods word or reason either For there is nothing required to perfect our being but it may bee found in these two nothing for perfecting vs in holy vse of our Callings but by these it is performed Is meat only to preserue the state of a babe from decaying doth it not increase him and bring him to that natural strength which doth belong to his being So doth the Supper not onely keepe vs where Baptisme leaueth but bring vs on and make vs grow to strong men in Christ 2. If we by sin grow sicke the grace of Baptisme sealeth the Couenant in which all our sinnes as well to come as past were forgiuen vs so that we neede but repentantly and faithfully to looke thereto 3. If bodily sicke to death we neede no vnctions to make vs passe more easily what will make vs better appointed for death then our hauing receiued him a Ioh. 11.25 on whom who so beleeueth shall liue though he die Lastly these two as they giue vs grace to perfect vs in our Christian being so also to sanctifie vs in the vse of our seuerall states and calling 4. For the same grace which maketh a man holy doth make him vse his ministery holily 5. The same grace which maketh a man godly and temperate will make him being married vse marriage godlily and temperately We neede no Sacraments of Orders or Matrimony but as Salomons idle person who would not worke that hee ough b Pro. 6.13 yet would speake with his feete and abound in that he ought not so these Papists when powerfull preaching was laide aside then they grew to multiply their Sacraments and Sacramentals not to name particular ends in the doctrine of all these fiue which are annexed to inlarge the Episcopall fringe as confirmation to dignifie the Priesthood as Orders and vnction to vphold shriuing worke and satisfactions as Pennance to draw to their Consistories all causes and Questions matrimoniall as marriage QVEST. IV. 4 Q. WHat doth baptisme assure vs of A. That we being engraffed into Christ are washed from our sinns by his bloud and borne anew vnto God First obserue that Baptisme is a signe and seale of our vnion with Christ thence followeth our Communion in those effects following c Rom. 6.5 By Baptisme wee are sayd to be engraffed into Christ and d Gal. 3.27 so many as are baptized are sayd to put on Christ not that the first vnion is made in Baptisme for it doth presuppose a for vnion by faith which it doth more manifest and augment For looke as those who by some former absolute contract haue ioined themselues as man and wife may yet in solemne matrimony receiue a more manifest consummate coniunction then formerly they had so wee by faith being one with Christ come by Baptisme giuen and receiued to bee more manifestly and fully conioyned with him Looke as the King when by his word hee granteth this or that he doth then first bestow the thing which yet by passing his seale he doth more fully and securely giue then before it was so it is with God giuing by his bare word of promise to the beleeuer then more solemnly by his seale Christ and his benefits The vnion of Baptisme doth euer presuppose that vnion which is through faith whether persons haue faith before baptizing as a Act. 10.2.4 47. Cornelius and b Rom. 4.11 Abraham the father of the faithfull before circumcision or whether their faith be to bee wrought in them afterward as it is in most infants For as men may by deede and seale conueigh lands as well to heires which shall be borne as to these which are already brought foorth so may God giue by his Testament and seale Christ and his benefits as well to such as already haue faith as to such as shall come to haue faith and so bee begotten in their season for c Ioh. 1.12 13. 1 Ioh. 5.1 he that beleeueth is borne of God Well then let vs get faith Vse and looke to this our vnion sealed vnto vs in Baptisme The seale of the will profiteth not any who cannot shew his name written in the will now Gods couenant giuing nothing but to beleeuers hence it commeth to passe that wee cannot haue profit by this seale of the couenant till we are beleeuers To bee vnited with Christ is no small