places Onely herein is the difference that in the one place he saith the mercies plurally and in the other the meeknesse and gentlenesse singularly secondly that in the one place there is the name of God in the other of Christ By mercies he meaneth also in this place Gods works of mercie onely concerning our soules and the life to come For this word therefore referreth vs onely to those things that the Apostle had before written euen to all those passages of Gods dealing before mentioned and before in part recapitulated by me as to iustification by faith without the workes of the Law c. In all the former part of the Epistle the Apostle had not mentioned any mercie of God concerning this life all before said concerneth euerlasting saluation Now by speaking plurally of mercies he noreth that all All the mercies of God do concurre in the saluation of any Ephes 4. 7. the former mercies of God do concurre and must concurre to the saluation of euery one appointed to saluation Whosoeuer hath one hath all One is not enough without all Yet this is to be vnderstood first of all common mercies I meane common to all the elect secondly of all such in seuerall measures There are many mercies of the life to come specially belonging to some speciall persons as appeareth by those particulars here mentioned in verses 6. 7. 8. All such graces are not necessarie for all neither do concurre in all The speciall workes 1. Cor. 12. 4. also of Gods mercie to speciall callings are not all alike and wrought in equall measure But to euery one is giuen grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ And there vers 6. are diuersities of gifts but the same Spirit And in this Chapter Hauing gifts differing c. And what need so graue an admonition in verse 3. by the grace giuen to Paul that euery man among these Christian Romanes should not thinke of himselfe more highly then he ought to thinks if all mercies or graces were alike in all Gods mercies to come greater then any past or present Not to stand any longer hereupon but to proceed by the mercies of God in this place he meaneth not onely mercies past and mercies present but also mercies to come which are greater then any we haue had or haue First because they shall be in heauen whereas these are all here below Secondly because they shall be without feare of any losse of any depriuation of any of diminution Thirdly they shall not be by degrees as here but all at once and euerlasting But are our mercies here vncertain Not so yet in respect of our weaknesse and of the multitude 2. Cor. 7. 1. and power of our aduersaries both without vs and Philip. 2. 12. 1. Pet. 1. 17. also within vs we are neuer without feare neither must be not of losing but of ceasing them and of weakning and obscuring our assurance of them Fourthly Gods mercies to come are greater then any past or present because they shall be without any misery at all And as in these respects they are greater so they are also as certaine as those that here already we haue And the mercies of God which here we haue are assurances Gods future mercies as sure as any past or present Numb 23. 19. Iam. 1. 17. Heb. 6. 17. 1. Pet. 1. 19. of those we shal haue And for our better assurance of them we are first of all to consider the immutable promise of God bound with a solemne oath euen by his owne name Secondly they are as sure as those that we haue in respect of the great price of our redemption euen the precious blood of Christ Iesus For hath Christ redeemed vs with so great a price and will he lose vs Thirdly in respect of Christs intercession in our behalfe for those mercies first whilest he was here in earth secondly Ioh. 17. 24. Rom. 8. 32. Ioh. 11. 42. now in heauen This reason is the stronger because Christ is heard alwayes and God cannot but heare him because he is his Sonne in whom he is well pleased Mat. 3. 17. 1. Pet. 3. 18. 1. Ioh. 2. 1. and he was alwayes iust neuer sinning either in any other thing or in praying Fourthly as before he did and now doth make intercession for vs so it was the end of his ascending into heauen to prepare a place for vs. Hath he prepared a place for Ioh. 14. 2. vs and shall we be frustrated of it Fiftly Christ hath not onely promised these future mercies but also vpon his promise and to bind himselfe the more to the performance thereof he hath giuen vs the earnest of his Spirit Will he lose his earnest Can any force 2. Cor. 1. 22. Ephes 1. 13 1â— withhold that from him for which he hath giuen earnest or can we withhold our selues Hereunto belongs our sealing by the Spirit of redemption Are not mens writings â— phes 4 30. sure that are sealed and shall not the writings of God and of Christ Iesus sealed in our hearts with a seale of such a price be much surer God Spirit is the seale of our redemption to assure vs both that we are already redeemed Tit. 2. 14. from all iniquitie and also that we shall be redeemed from all miseries of this life and from death it selfe as they are punishments of sinne so that we may say euen whiles we liue here Death is swallowed vp into victory O Hos 13. 14. 1. Cor. 15. 54. 55 death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victory Sixtly the mercies of God to come are as sure as those that we haue because in the former respects God is not Heb. 6. 10. See more in Chap. 1. in the end Ioh. 13. 1. Rom. 11. 29. Gen. 27. 33. vnrighteous that he should forget our works and labour of loue c. Seuenthly whom God loueth he loueth to the end and the gifts and callings of God are without repentance Did Isaac say of Iacob I haue blessed him and he shall be blessed and wicked Pilat to the wicked Iewes of the title of Christ that he had written vpon the crosse What I haue written Ioh. 19. 19. 22. Luk 10. 20. Philip. 4. 3. Reuel 3. 5. I haue written and shall not God say the same much more of them whom he hath blessed and whose names he hath written in heauen and in the booke of life Eightly There shall arise false Christs and false Prophets Math. 24. 24. and shall shew great signes and wonders insomuch that if it were possible the very elect shall be deceiued It is not therefore possible that they should be deceiued and consequently that they should perish Ergo they shall be most certainly saued Ninthly all partake of the mercies of God before spoken Ephes 5. 30. 1. Cor. 12. 14. of in this Epistle are one with Christ Iesus by which vnion they as certainly
warre against the time of warre are the fitter for warre whensoeuer the same shall come In the time of warre also by little skirmishes men are the better flesht for the great and maine battell So is it so it will be with men for the time of persecution The more they skirmish with their affections c. and subdue the same the more they labour in the actiue sacrificing themselues as also the more patiently they can beare priuate wrongs and iniuries and other pettie afflictions the fitter they shall be for the day of greater triall He that cannot beare a light burden how shall he beare an heauie Herein also to speake of one particular branch of the former actiue sacrificing of our selues let vs consider how franke and forward we haue bin with our purses both in our almes and giuing to the poore as also in any worke requiring cost and charge for the maintenance of the Gospell For certainly he that in such causes is sparing of his purse and pinching of his mony how shall he not but be much more sparing of his blood He also that hath bin cold and not bold to speake for Christ when occasion hath required that he should haue spoken how shall his heart faile and faint to lay downe his life for Christs sake In all the sacrificing of our selues before spoken of actiue and passiue let vs alwayes remember to do all and to suffer all onely to God and for God Herein God will be alone or none We must not so sacrifice our selues partly to God and partly to some other but all must be onely to God and for God We must not be like to men-seruants of Serieants at Law for the first yeare whose Liueries are parti-coloured blacke on the one side tawnie on the other as though they serued two masters but our Liuerie must be all of one colour because No man can serue two Mat. 6. 24. masters c. All sacrifices must be offered onely to God We must not be like vnto them that are said to haue feared 2. Kin. 17. 33. 41. the Lord and yet to haue serued their owne gods and their owne grauen images neither must we worship and sweare by the Lord and by Malcham but as in other things we Zeph. 1. 5. must serue the Lord onely so must we in this sacrificing of Mat. 4. 10. our selues He that but in part sacrificeth himselfe to the Lord sacrificeth himselfe wholy to the diuell Let euery man therefore giue all that is without him and within him to the Lord if he do not he giueth nothing to the Lord but as I said all to the diuell Ananias and Saphira Act. 5. 1. c. his wife are worthy remembrance herein they sold a possession and kept backe a part of the price thereof making shew for all that of giuing all to the poore oh that they that are niggardly in their sacrifice of almes before mentioned did well consider hereof but because they gaue not all all men know the fearfull iudgement of God vpon them both vpon Ananias as the principall offender vpon Sapphira as accessarie to his offence consenting and keeping counsell That that is done to the poore is done Pro. 19. 17. Mat. 25 40. 45. to the Lord. That that is withheld from the poore is withheld from the Lord. If therefore this part-sacrificing of the price of their possession vnto the Lord were so hainous a sinne in Ananias and Sapphira is there not the like danger for all other that so sacrifice vnto the Lord Did not the Lord threaten by Zephaniah to stretch out his hand against them that sweare by the Lord and by Malcham Let not this therefore seeme a small matter For indeed it is not so easie a matter as most men thinke it to be to sacrifice our selues to the Lord. As God hath giuen vs all that we haue so he is worthy of all he will haue all he must haue all or else nothing And thus to sacrifice our selues as I haue said is more then euen when the legall sacrifices were in request and force the sacrificing of all buls and rams and lambs and all other creatures by the Law required For euen then without this sacrificing of themselues Psal 50. 8. c. Isay 1. 11. Mâ—ca 6. 6. all the other were nothing yea reiected as odious lothsome and detestable to the Lord. Finally to conclude all this argument let vs neuer forget to ioyne together all before said of the sacrificing of our selues both actiuely and also passiuely For neither the actiue sacrificing of our selues is enough without the passiue when we shall be called thereunto and cannot lawfully auoid it neither this without the former Though I giue my bodie saith the Apostle to be burned and haue not loue it profiteth nothing Thus much of sacrificing our selues both actiuely and also 1. Cor. 13. 1â— passiuely CHAP. VIII Of the two first adiuncts of the sacrifice of our selues liuing and holy THe adiuncts of this sacrifice are three 1. liuing 2. holy 3. acceptable There is also a fourth your reasonable seruice but this being more then an adiunct euen a post argument as I may speake for confimation of the maine exhortation I do not therefore reckon it with the rest Touching these three the last is both an effect and also an end of the two first An effect because if the sacrifice be liuing and holy it cannot but be acceptable An end because we must not offer our selues a sacrifice liuing and holy to please men to get credit to our selues or to make any other gaine thereby for this life but to be acceptable to God to please God As before the Apostle had set downe the substance of our sacrifice to be our bodies yea our whole selues soules and bodies as hath bin shewed so now in the two first adiuncts here annexed he setteth downe the qualitie As before he had set downe what we must offer so now he setteth downe what manner of sacrifice our said sacrifice must be viz liuing and holy and acceptable The word liuing is to be taken by oppsiotion to the old Liuing Exod. 29. 10. Leuit. 1. 3. 1. Why the old sacrifices were slaine Rom. 5. 12. and 6. 23. 2. Rom. 56. sacrifices of beasts which though they were presented aliue at the doore of the Tabernacle yet before they were to be sacrificed they were to be slain and that first to note that we by our sinnes had all deserued death for death entred by sinne and death is the wages of sinne Had not man sinned he should neuer haue died Secondly the old sacrifices were to be slaine typically to represent the death of Christ Iesus who died for the elect when they were vngodly and for sinners that he might redeeme them from all their Tit. 2. 14. 2. Cor. 5. 21. iniquitie and be made the righteousnesse of God in him and so all together might be sanctified and cleansed
and presented to himselfe a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinkle Ephes 5. 26. 27. In opposition therefore to those sacrifices of the Law the Apostle here will haue this sacrifice of our selues to be liuing We must then here dâ—eame of sacrificing our selues by killing our selues as the Papists do maâ—ly whip and scourge themselues like to the Priests of Baal before spoken of for this is diuellish and as I before said this is to offer ourselues to the diuell and to do his seruice who Ioh. 8. 44. was a murderer from the beginning God hath forbidden euery man the murdering of himselfe as well as the murdering of another yea though a man haue done any thing worthy of death by the magistrate yet to put him to death for the same must be the work of the magistrate not of himselfe that so hath deserued death neither of any other that hath not authorite so to do Yea though the magistrate himselfe haue committed any such heinous sin as whereby he hath deserued death yet he must not be put to death by himselfe but by some other superiour magistrate If himselfe that hath committed such a sinne be the supreme magistrate no other man must put him to death for the same but he must be left to God the Iudge Iudges 18. 29. of all the world We must indeed as before I said of the second kinde of the passiue sacrificing our selues submit our selues to death for Christs sake for his truths sake not onely for the whole but also for any part thereof if we cannot lawfully auoid it without deniall or betraying of it but otherwise we must not by any meanes take away our owne liues Dauid by the law for his adultâ—rie with Bathsheba and murder of Vrâ—as had doubly deserued death yet he put not himselfe to death neither had any other power so to do Yea to say more I make no question but that a man hauing by some capitall sinne deserued to die may for all that defend himselfe against any priuate man though neuer so neere in kindred to a man murdered by another and not willingly suffer himselfe to be slaine by such a priuate person without authoritie attempting the reuenge of the person murdered or otherwise so iuiured that by the said doer of the iniutie death had bin deserued Might not Amnon haue defended himself against the violence of Absolom if he had bin aware thereof though he had deserued to die for the rape and incest he had committed against Tamar his owne sister by the father and sister of Absolom by father and mother This life here spoken of is not our naturall life onely though touching it we liue in God moue and haue our being Act 17. 28. but especially a supernaturall life here begun and in the world to come to be perfected and therefore called euerlasting life and in a singular maner the life of God It is the Ioh. 10. 28â— Ephes 4. 18. life of grace often times indeed here begun and continued with much heauinesse and with teares as the Prophet speaketh Pal. 126. 5. 6. of the people in captiuitie but ending with ioy as the sheaues by the husband-man are gathered with gladnes though the seed cost neuer so deare and were therefore grieuous to the sower yea in the meane time also all their present afflictions of this life are accompanied with ioy vnspeakable and glorious because after this life ended 1. Pet. 1. 6. 8. and all the miseries thereof ceased then the former life of grace shall be crowned with the life of glorie This life also is the life of Christ himselfe euen in vs because it cometh from Christ who is therefore called the Prince of life and that especially in a double respect first Acts the 3. 15. How Christ is the Prince of life because by his death he hath purchased eternal life for vs secondly because he being our head and we his members as from the naturall head the whole naturall bodie and euery member thereof receiueth life so from Christ Iesus his whole mysticall bodie the Church and euery member thereof euen here receiueth all spirituall life Gal. 2. 19. 20. Therefore the Apostle saith I through the law am dead vnto the law that I might liue to God I am crucified with Christ Neuerthelesse I liue yet not I but Christ liueth in me and the life which I now liue I liue by the faith of the Sonne of God But how do we liue by the faith of the Sonne of How we liue by the faith of the Sonne of God God Because as God is the author of it and Christ the purchaser the subiect and the conduit of it so faith is our hand wherby both we are incorporated into Christ and he is made our head and we ioyned vnto him as to our head and also whereby we turne the cocke of this conduit and so draw the water of life and life it selfe from Ioh 4. 14. and 7 38. Act. 16. 14. him our hearts being before by God himselfe opened as the heart of Lydia was and so made capable both of that water of life and also of the life it selfe This life here being the life of grace is the assurance of the life of glorie and after all our afflictions and combats here well ended and the faith well kept shall at the last be 2. Tim. 4. 7. 8. â—ames â— 12. 1. Pet. 5. 4. crowned by the righteous Iudge himselfe with the crowne of righteousnes the crowne of life the crowne of glorie which shall not fade To speake yet a little more of this adiunct of our sacrifice The adiunct liuing includeth in it allaeritiâ— and constancy liuing it includeth in it two other qualities of our sacrifice first alacritie or cheerfulnesse secondly constancie The former is by some noted vpon the word present before spoken of but all presenting of gifts being not alwayes cheerfull but sometime vnwilling and for feare of some displeasure by not presenting I suppose it rather to be more aptly and naturally signified by this word liuing For euery man in his right mind willingly liueth and desireth to liue Satan had learned this and could therefore say Skin for skinne and all that a man hath Iob. 2. 4. will he giue for his life The word also liuing is all one with liuely or cheerfull For if a man do any thing dully or grudgingly and lazily as though he cared not whether he did it or no do we not say that such a one hath no life in him and that he doth that which he doth as though he were at lest asleepe If one go nimbly about his worke do we not say that such a one hath life in him Hence are those often petitions of the Prophet Quicken me according Psal 119. 25. ver 37. v. 88. and 149. 156. to thy word Quicken me in thy way Quicken me after thy louing kindnesse and Quicken me
Pet. 1. 7. said to be more precious then gold because gold though tried in the fire perisheth Doth not the Apostle thereby manifestly shew that our faith cannot perish else were the argument of the Apostle from the comparison thereof with gold of no force All hitherto spoken of this attribute liuing here giuen to this our sacrifice is to be applied to all before said of our actiue and passiue sacrificing of our selues we must do all we must suffer all with all alacritie and cheerfulnes as also with all constancie and stedfastnesse That which is said of a liberall person that the Lord loueth a cheerfull giuer 2. Cor. 9. 7. is to be vnderstood of the actiue and passiue sacrificing of our selues If we must be cheerfull in giuing vnto men must we not much more be cheerfull in sacrificing our selues to God that in many respects hath right vnto our selues and to all that we haue All the actiue sacrificing of our bodies and of euery member of them as also of our soules and of euery power and facultie of them must be cheerfull So must likewise be all our passiue sacrificing of our selues The more honorable also it is to suffer for Christs sake the more willing and cheerfull should we be to part from all yea to lay downe our liues for his sake And indeed whosoeuer hath truly beleeued that Christ hath so willingly and cheerfully suffered those direful torments for vs that he did he cannot but be willing and cheerfull also to suffer any thing for him Oh that this life were in euery one that pretendeth to sacrifice himselfe to God In things that concerne our selues for this life how liuely how nimble are we but alas in sacrificing our selues to God in doing or suffering any thing for God how drowsie how dead how leaden heeled and handed are we The same may be said of constancie in sacrificing our selues both actiuely and passiuely It is not enough to suffer a little or at once but if we should be called often to suffer for his truth it should not be grieuous vnto vs. Though we should be first reuiled touching our good names then spoiled of all our good then laid vp in prison and there kept with great hardnesse for many yeares then brought out to execution and to haue our flesh torne from our backs by peece-meale as some haue had or be burnt by little and little as William Gardiner Merchant was beyond the seas yet none of all these ought to make any of vs to shrinke One thing more let me yet adde touching this adiunct liuing namely that the more our naturall life decayeth and consumeth in the powers thereof manifested by the trembling of the keepers of our house and by the strong men Eccles. 1â— 3. bowing themselues and the ceasing of the grinders and by the darknesse of our windowes all which I feele in my self the more we labour to cherish and to increase this our spirituall and heauenly life in vs that so we may bring forth Psal 92. 14. Reu. 2. 19. fruit in our old age and be faâ— and flourishing and like to the Angell of the Church of Thiatyra hauing our last workes more then our first This shall suffice to haue spoken of this first adiunct of our sacrifice namely liuing The second adiunct is holy This is necessarie to be ioyned The second adiunct of our sacrifice holy to the former first to teach vs to distinguish the former from naturall liuing and secondly to teach vs our sacrifice to be liuing in holinesse yea without this holinesse men haue no life of God no spirituall life in them but are altogether dead as before I said not able to stir hand or foote towards heauen as spiritually dead as Lazarus Ioh. 11. 39. was naturally dead in the graue and had bin dead foure dayes till Christ crying aloud vnto him said Lazarus come forth and by that meanes raised him from death vnto life and so by raising other from death to life and by dayly raising vp other from the death of sinne to this life Rom. 1. 4. of holinesse mightily declaring himselfe to be the Son of God for so with reuerend regard notwithstanding of the different iudgement of my betters I vnderstand that place to Mat. 17. 9. 27 64. 28. 7. Mark 6. 9. Ioh. 2. 22. Ephes 1. 20. Ioh. 20. 9. Acts. 3. 15. chapt 4. 10. chapt 10. 41. cha 13. â—0 34 1. Pet. 1. 3. Rom. 4. 24. cap. 6. 4. cap. 7. 4. cap. 8. 11. cap. 10. 7. 9. 1. Cor. 15. 20. Col. 2. 17. 1. Thes 1. 10. Heb. 13 20. 2. Tim. 2. 8. 2. Cor. 7. 1. the Romanes For it seemeth to me that it cannot well be vnderstood of the resurrection of himselfe from the dead because in the Greeke there is no preposition signifying from as is in those places that speake of Christs owne resurrection from the dead of which I haue noted some before in the margin and many more might haue noted Neither do I thinke it very easie for any man to name any place wherein Christs owne resurrection is mentioned without some prepositioÌ„ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or to name any where that the genitiue case of the dead there vsed by the Apostle doth signifie from the dead But to returne from whence I haue a little digressed for the interpretation of that place to the Romanes that we may be thusholy as here the Apostle speaketh we must first of all purge our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and of the spirit and then decke our selues with the contrary vertues of sanctification For filthinesse and holinesse cannot any more agree in one subiect then light and darknes and both those branches of our holinesse are elsewhere signified by putting off the old man and putting on the Ephes 4. 22. Col. 3 9. 10. Tit. 2. 12. 1. Pet. 2. 11. 12. Rom. 6. 11. verse 18. Psal 34. 14. 1 Pet 3. 12. Exod. 12. 5. Leuit. 1. 10. 22. 19. 20. 21. new by denying vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and liuing soberly and godly c. by abstaining from all fleshly lusts which fight against our soules and hauing our conuersation honest c. by dying vnto sinne and liuing vnto God and to righteousnes by being made free from sin and seruants vnto righteousnes by eschuing euill and doing good and by other the like Now as the Passe-ouer was to be without blemish especially as the legall sacrifices ought so to haue bin yea also without any other deformitie or maime so the Apostle here requireth this our sacrifice to be holy and without any spirituall blemish or deformitie If the sacrifices of sheepe and lambes in those dayes must be without blemish must not the sacrifice of our selues much more be such Yea this is also necessarie in respect that our selues must not only be the sacrifices but also the Priests to offer this sacrifice For as the
had posse non peccare he had not non posse peccare he had power not to sin he had not such power as not to be able to sinne that is he had no such power as that he could not haue sinned If he had had such power as that he could not haue sinned then he should not haue fallen at all That he sinned was not of any power to sinne in himselfe but rather by the power of Satan who by iniection of his fiery darts so weakned the power wherein God had created him that he fell Neither at this day doth any man commit murder or any other the like sin of any power that he hath so to do but of the power of Satan so weakning such sinners in Adam at the first that they haue no power to resist the tentations of Satan vnto any sinne There is also a difference inter potentiam potestatem it can hardly be exprest in fit English words except we call the one abilitie the other a facultie Touching the act and doing of a thing there may be strength to do it but there is no power that is no authoritie touching the qualitie of the act as it is a sinne Potentia is of nature and as well in beasts as in men but potestas is a lawfull power and authoritie from an higher communicated to an inferiour subiect to the higher power and at command thereof So Adam may be said to haue had a kind of potentia to eate of the forbidden fruite the same being a thing of no more difficultie or hardnesse then to eate of the other trees but he had not potestatem that is any lawfull power or authoritie so to do because God had forbidden and restrained him to whom he was onely subiect Pilat indeed in his pride said to our Sauiour that he had power to crucifie him and power to release him meaning from Caesar and so the wicked in pride of their hearts may say they haue power to do this and that in respect of their inferiours or because perhaps some higher power in earth hath giuen them leaue and libertie to doe what themselues thinke good and for doing whereof they haue a bodily strength to kill and slay to commit adultery vpon adultery and to defile so many women in one night as some foule filthy mouthed beasts rather then men do sometime vaunt and boast Yea from men also they may haue power and commission to persecute the Saints as Paul had from the high Priests to persecute all whom Act. 9. 2. chap. 22. 4. he could find professing Christ but there is no lawfull power but of God The wicked commit their wickednesses willingly and with delight but therein their will is not free but bound vnto Satan and to the sinnes which Ioh. 8. 34. Rom. 6. 16. 2. Pet. 2. 19. they commit yea so much more are they so in bondage by how much the more willingly and with delight they commit such things Notwithstanding as freedome is opposed to coaction and constraint so they may be said to do all their euill freely because no man sinneth by constraint and against his will but euery man willingly It were no sinne if it were not willing Neither can the will be constrained Will constrained is no will There can be no two things more contrary then will and constraint Will is within a man constraint is without To proceed yet a little further men now haue potestatem that is leaue and libertie to refraine from euill and to do good yea God hauing commanded them so to do necessitie lieth vpon them of so doing so that they may not onely so do but they must so do But they haue neither will nor power to do the one or the other of them but both these must come from God We cannot of our 2. Cor. 3. 5. selues thinke any thing that is good our sufficiencie is of God Euery imagination of the heart of man is onely euill continually Gen. 6. 3. Yea naturally we vnderstand nothing of the will of 1. Cor. 2. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. Mat. 16. 17. God but onely by reuelation of God himselfe by his Spirit Flesh and blood reuealeth not Christ vnto vs but the Father which is in heauen It being so with our thoughts and vnderstanding it cannot be otherwise with vs touching the will and the worke of any good Therefore it is said Phil. 2. 13. 1. Cor. 12. 3. that it is God that worketh in vs both to will and to do and that of his good pleasure Yea No man can so much as say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost Therefore the Prophet Psal 51. 15. prayed the Lord to open his lips that his mouth might shew forth his praise But to returne to the obiection and to vntie the former ob knot why then are we commanded or exhorted to do any thing if we haue neither power nor will to do any thing commanded vs or whereto we are exhorted Hereâ—o An. I answer by the like question why said our Sauiour to Iairus his daughter that was starke dead Damosell I say Mark 5. 41. vnto thee arise There was no power at all in the Damosel either to arise or to heare our Sauiour so speaking For she was knowne to be dead that when our Sauiour said in respect of the nature of death which the last resurrection considered is but a sleepe and in respect of his purpose for raising her presently from death to life when I say our Sauiour in these respects said She is not dead but sleepeth all the companie laughed him to scorne Lazarus also was dead yea buried yea he had bin dead foure dayes so that Martha obiected the same as thinking perhaps that our Sauiour had not knowne it and therefore tooke more in hand then he could do Lazarus I say was so dead hauing bin dead so long also buried with a tombstonâ— laid vpon him yâ— he could not stirre either hand or foote may it not therefore be as well asked as the former question was moued why our Sauiour said vnto him Lazarus come forth The answer to these questions is a full answer to the former obiection For though neither Iairus his daughter nor Lazarus being both dead had power to do that that Christ bad them to do yet Christs command was the meanes whereby they receiued life and power to Rise and Come forth And though our Sauiour could haue raised them both by his secret power yet he spake vnto them so to do thereby to teach vs his word to be the meanes of raising men from the death of sinne to the life of righteousnesse and to enable vs to do that that he commandeth vs to do being of our selues altogether vnable Yea but it is expresly said yâ— euery one that hath the hope to 1. Ioh 3. 3. be like to Christ purgeth himselfe as he is pure What of this The Apostle in this place
bountifully reward such seruants at their departure from them then such people do reward such Ministers euen whilst they are with them And may not such iudgements of God be feared against the whole land for this sinne as heeretofore haue bin executed vpon other people for the like The same I say for that which I haue written of the itching eares of some to heare other preachers farther off dwelling with neglect of their owne and neerer dwellers though they cannot iustly except any thing against them yea I haue written the more in this behalfe not onely because of the great discouragement of such their owne and other neere dwelling Ministers but also because somtime such itching ears vpon a light report of some stranger preaching 3 or 4 miles off on the Lordes day going to heare him haue lost their labour heard no Sermon at all That notwithstanding which I haue written of hearing the next dwelling Preachers after their owne rather then further dwellers I doe not meane of Preachers in the same Cittie or Towne that hath diuers Churches because in such places farther dwellers may be heard after their owne Preachers without any great labour of the hearer and without any preiudice to neerer dwellers In such places more libertie may be vsed then where further dwellers cannot be heard without more labour then is fit to be taken on the Lords day Neither also do I so condemne all hearing of further dwellers mens owne or neere dwelling Preachers not being neglected but that in some extraordinarie causes and at sometimes for comfort of afflicted consciences or for resolution of some doubtfull mindes in some things men may heare some furthers dwellers whom they shall vnderstand either to preach of such a text as may minister most comfort to such troubles of conscience or to handle such points as are especially doubted of Prouided notwithstanding that it be no ordinarie matter neither often but seldome These things I haue heere promised to preuent all misconstruction of any thing in this treatise by me written and consequently to auoid all offence by such misconstruction If any other thing shall seeme strange I hope that loue and iudgement shall qualifie the strangnesse thereof Loth I am and very loath to offend any of Gods children But touching such as are so curious that nothing will please them and that rather read mens workes to carpe at them then to profit by them seeming alwaies to learne and yet 2. Tim. 3. 7. neuer attaining sound knowledge I care not to please their humors Thus crauing thy praiers for my owne comfort in my old weake age and for the blessing of God vpon this my Treatise that many may present themselues such sacrifices to God as in this Scripture he requireth and may also according thereunto take the mâ—re heed of all conformitie to this world and be the more carefull to be reformed in their minds c I commit Act. 20. 32. thee to God and to the word of his grace whereby we may all be built vp and at the last haue that inheritance which he will giue to all them which are sanctified Thine vnfaignedly in the Lord Iesus THOMAS STOVGHTON From my poore lodging in the poore Hospitall called S. Bartholomewes by Sandwich in Kent August 21. 1622. THE CHRISTIANS SACRIFICE ROM 12. 1. I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a sacrifice liuing holy and acceptable to God your reasonable seruice 2 And be not conformed to this world but be yee transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may proue what is that good that acceptable and perfect will of God CHAP. I. The first Chapter concerning the coherence of this Text and all following to the end with the former eleuen Chapters and the doctrine in them deliuered IN all the former part of this Epistle the Apostle after the testification of his loue vnto these Christian Romanes by his gracious salutation of them and holy thanksgiuing vnto God in their behalfe as also by his earnest prayers for them hath chiefly and principally laboured in deliuering certaine maine and fundamentall points of Religion yet not so wholy and altogether but that sometimes he inserteth some exhortations according to occasion offered by the particular doctrines handled by him The points of doctrine before deliuered are especially The points of doctrine handled in all the former Chapters these First the corruption of all men Iewes and Gentiles by nature in transgressing the law of God together with the wrath of God deserued thereby in the latter part of the first Chapter and so forward to the end of the second shewing notwithstanding by the way that the Iewes were deeper in that corruption then the Gentiles in respect of their greater knowledge and that yet God had bin very patient and long-suffering towards them thereby the better to leade them to repentance Secondly proleptically to preuent an obiection he sheweth that their greater sinne did not preiudice their prerogatiue aboue the Gentiles by the word of God onely vouchsafed vnto them and to no other nation and so preuenting some other obiections to make way to the doctrine of iustification by faith alone without the works of the law either ceremoniall or morall performed by meere naturall men or in part sanctified by grace he handleth this point largely in the third and fourth Chapters amplifying the same by diuers effects and fruites thereof and declaring the grace of God therein to be the greater because God vouchsafed the same when they that were so iustified by him were his enemies c. Chap. 5. In the sixt Chapter he hath shewed the said grace of God in so iustifying men not to giue libertie to men to sinne but to bind men to make the more vse of the death and resurrection of Christ to the dying vnto sinne and liuing vnto righteousnesse and giuing their members as plentifully as truly and as cheerfully vnto righteousnes as euer before they had giuen them vnto sinne and vnrighteousnesse In the seuenth Chapter he sheweth in what maner we that now liue vnder the Gospell are freed from the Law and how we are dead vnto the Law and yet that the Law is still necessary to shew vs our corruption remaining in the best and being so forcible that many times it maketh them to do that that they should not and the which by grace they would not doe so that euen the very best though as holy as Paul may crie out of their miserable estate in that respect and yet the more giue thanks to God for their deliuerance from the same by Iesus Christ In the eight Chapter he insisteth in the former priuiledge of them that are deliuered by Iesus Christ from their miserable condition by sinne remaining in them declaring not onely that all that are in Christ Iesus are freed from condemnatioÌ„ and who they be that so are in Christ Iesus but also that they are by
he must Math. 16. 21. Mar. 8. 31. Luk. 9. 23. and 17. 25. Ioh. 12. 24. suffer death c. Yea he sheweth the necessitie of his death by the similitude of a graine of wheate that except it die it abideth alone but if it die it bringeth forth much fruite thereby teaching that except hee should be put to death the saluation of man could not haue bin effected After his resurrection also is it not said by the two Angels that Christ had before said that the Sonne of man must Luk. 24. 7. be deliuered into the hands of sinners and be crucified c. Doth not Christ himselfe also rebuke the two Disciples that were walking to Emaus in this maner Oh fooles and slow of heart to beleeue all that the Prophets haue spoken vers 25. 26. ought not Christ to haue suffered these things and to enter into his glorie Doth not this word ought plainly import a necessitie The necessitie of Christ dying and suffering all that he A threefold necessitie of Christs sufferings Act. 2. 23. Math. 26. 54. Luk. 24. 25. did for our saluation is threefold First because of the determinate counsell of God Secondly for the performance of former Scriptures which had spoken of his said sufferings yea not onely the plaine words of Scriptures but also all the sacrifices of the Law which were all offered by death as types of Christ Thirdly for expiation of our sinnes which could not otherwise haue bin taken away then by his being made a curse for vs because it was written Deut. 27. 26. Gal. 3. 10. Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things that are written in the booke of the Law The iustice of God therfore required all his said sufferings euen that he should not suffer something onely but all neither did it stand with the wisedome of our Sauiour to suffer more then he needed himselfe hauing taught that men shall giue an account Math. 12. 36. of euery idle word in the day of iudgement shall they not then much more giue account of euery thing they haue done or suffered more then they needed I haue the rather spoken thus much hereof in confutation as of other Papists so of Stella that is not any ex stellis fixis of the fixed Stella on Luke 9. 31. starres but a Planet a wandring starre both in himselfe and also in his endeuours to deceiue and seduce others and to leade them out of the way like vnto the Meteor that the Philosophers call ignem fatuum the foolish fire burning vp and downe till it be wholy consumed But what doth he teach or say that one drop of Christs blood had bin sufficient to haue saued the whole world and that we are not saued by the quantitie of Christs sufferings but in respect of the dignitie of his person So what needed Christ to haue sweat so many great drops of blood and afterward Luk. 22. 44. Ioh. 19. 1. and 34. to haue shed so many more when he was scourged and last of all by a speare to haue had so much blood let out of his side Yea by the former doctrine the blood which he shed at his circumcision had bin enough for all and might haue saued all the rest Yea so indeed in plain words he auoucheth and for his whole errouious interpretation childishly playeth with the Latin word excessum there vsed by the vulgar Latin translation but not meaning any thing superfluous but onely according to the Ioh. 16. 5. 7. Greeke word so translated meaning Christs departure or going away spoken of by our Sauiour himself as necessarie before the sending of the Comforter for the word vsed by Luke signifieth onely a going out of the way and it is the very name of the second booke of Moses called Exodus because it containeth chiefly the departure of the Israelites out of the land of Egypt But will this doctrine stand without blasphemie against Gods iustice and Christs wisedome But this shall suffise for the necessitie of Christs sufferings by the way inserted To proceed the next word is sacrifice this English word Sacâ—ifice and the Latin sacrificium touching the signification of them do not expresse the Greeke word of the Apostle For sacrificium and sacrifice naturally signifie an holy worke as beneficium any good worke and maleficium any euill worke Notwithstanding whatsoeuer the naturall signification of the word is yet I confesse it is chiefly vsed for such a sacrifice as the Iews were wont to offer vnto God and as the heathen also offered to their Idols according to the signification of the Greeke word here and elsewhere vsed yea also according to the two Latin words vsed for the same victima and hostia Here let vs not omit the distinction made by learned Sadael betwixt Contra Missam the action of sacrificing and the thing sacrificed and that the word sacrifice more properly is to be vnderstood of the action as before I said and that the thing sacrificed was called hostia or victima hence it is that our spirituall and internall worship of God and the duties of pietie charitie are called sacrifices by the former similitude of legal sacrifices in old time Now the Greek word here vsed is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all one with another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both of the verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth mactare to kill some liuing creature for some holy vse in the worship and seruice of God And therefore for that that we call and in the Law was called a sacrifice the heathen had those two Latin words before mentioned hostia and victima touching the Etymologie whereof the Poet had two Latin verses Victima quae dextra cecidit victrice vocatur Hostibus à victis hostia nomen habet The Dictionaries Cooper Rider c. make this difference betwixt the two said words yet not according to those verses that hostia was a sacrifice offered to their supposed gods at their going forth to warre against their enemies victima that which they offered after victorie obtained In both these respects we are to present our bodies and whole man a sacrifice to God both for our victorie already obtained by Iesus Christ according to that of the Apostle that hauing spoyled Principalities and powers he Col. 2. 15. made a shew of them openly triumphing ouer them vpon his crosse and according to that that ascending vp on high he led captiuitie captiue and also to that end that we may ouercome Psal 68. 18. Ephes 4. 8. all our enemies yet remaining and in the end triumph our selues and say Death is swallowed vp in victorie O death where is thy sting O gâ—aue where is thy victorie 1. Cor. 15. 54. 55 This we haue the more need to do because although the Seed of the woman Christ Iesus hath already bruised the Gen. 3. 15. head of the Serpent yet still he wrigleth with his
it is well if men by much intreating will be perswaded to giue Zaccheus without any exhortations stood forth and said vnto the Luk. 19. 8. Lord Behold Lord the halfe of my goods I giue to the poore Where is there such a one in these dayes Alas most mens hearts yea Professors are so hardned against all such kindnesse that like to the deafe Adder that will not hearken Psal 58. 5. to the voice of the charmer charming neuer so wisely like I say to this deafe Adder they will not hearken to the exhortations made for liberalitie be they neuer so earnest But such exhortations go so to the heart of many that they go from them as heauie and sad as he did whom our Sauiour bade to sell all that he had and to giue it to the Math. 19. 22. Mark 10. 22. poore But certainly they to whom such exhortations are so harsh being men of wealth neuer haue in any thing else so sacrificed themselues as the Apostle here required For he that doth not sacrifice himselfe in all things doth in nothing Now if we must thus sacrifice our selues soules and bodies with all the powers and faculties of the one and with all the parts and members and strength of the other must we not also sacrifice our riches our honours aâ—d whatsoeuer authoritie we haue vnto God These are but adiuncts of our whole man If therefore we must sacrifice the subiect and more principall vnto God must we not much more sacrifice the adiuncts and those things that are of lesse value Doubtlesse doubtlesse whatsoeuer riches authoritie honour or grace we haue in this world we ought to employ the same as sacrifices to the glorie of God That which is said of riches Honour the Lord with thy Pâ—ou 3. 9. riches c. the same is to be vnderstood of honour and authoritie c. Wherefore hath the Lord honored vs with them but to honour him All the premises we are so much the more to sacrifice to God by how much the more we haue before giuen them to the world and to the Prince of the world Doth not the Apostle expresly require this saying As ye haue yeelded your members seruants Rom. 6. 19. to vncleannesse and to iniquite vnto iniquitie euen so now yeeld your members seruants to righteousnesse vnto holinesse In which place the word translated to yeeld is the very same in the originall text that is here translated to present In this respect therefore that place serueth the better to my present purpose Is not the Lord a better master and will he not more bountifully recompence whatsoeuer seruice is performed vnto him and whatsoeuer sacrifices are vnto him offered then the world and the Prince of the world The Prince indeed of the world offered all the kingdomes of the world to our Sauiour and so much Math. 4. 9. more will he offer to other but alas he hath nothing to giue for the earth is the Lords and all the fulnesse thereof Psal 24. 1. yea and this Lord hath appointed our Lord Christ Iesus to be the heire of all things Whatsoeuer therefore the Prince of Heb. 1. 2. the world craketh and boasteth yet in all his brags he is a lyer and not able to performe any thing he promiseth Let me yet adde one thing more touching the actiue sacrificing The more parents haue sacrificed themselues to euill the more their children should sacrifice themselues to God 1. Cor. 10. 20. of our selues namely that the more the parents of any man haue sacrificed themselues for so I may speak and vse this word sacrifice of that which is euill by the authoritie of the Apostle that saith the Gentiles did sacrifice to diuels and noâ— to God the more I say the parents of any man haue sacrificed themselues either to Poperie or to any the like abomination or to the world or to any other wickednesse the more such a child do labour to sacrifice himselfe vnto God The Papists indeed pleade the religion of their parents as a speciall and a principall argument why they will not turne from their religion But what saith the Lord Be ye not as your fathers And is it not said in the Psalmes that the Lord had established a testimonie Zech. 1. 4. Psal 78. 5. 6. ver 8. in Iacob and appointed a law in Israel c. that the generations to come might not be as their fathers a stubburne and a rebellious generation c. Is it not also said Harden not your hearts as in the prouocation and as in the day of tentation in Psal 95. 8. 9. the wildernesse when your fathers tempted me c What is the meaning of these words but that they should not in hardnes of heart be like to their fathers If therefore the fathers of any haue bin euill the children must not be like vnto them yea rather they must forget their fathers house Psal 45. 10. And alas what do many ignorant Papists and other pleading their fathers religion for themselues to be thereof but as if a man should say that his father had bin a robber or a murderer or a witch or a traitor and was hanged for his labour and therefore he will take the same course to haue the same end Oh therefore let all children of any such or any other euill parents make the more haste to be vnlike to their said parents and thus to sacrifice themselues because the Lord hath most sweetly promised that if any child hath seene his fathers sinnes and considereth Ezek. 18. 14. 17. and doth not the like he shall not die for the iniquitie of his father but shall surely liue O gracious promise Hath Num. 23. 19. Heb. 10. 23. he said it and shall he not performe it He that hath promised is faithfull Oh therefore that euery man would labour to make such children such sacrifices to God as here the Apostle speaketh of Let him know that he that conuerteth Iam. 5. 20. such a sinner from the error of his way shall saue a soule from death and shall hide a multitude of sinnes yea such a one Iude 23. is as a fire brand pluckt out of the fire Let all such also both the one and the other the child of such parents and he that shall be the instrument of God to make him a sacrifice to God do that that now I speake of the sooner because the longer continuance in the sinnes of such parents hardeneth the more and maketh the conuersion of such the harder worke Thus much of our actiue sacrificing of our selues CHAP. VII Of the passiue sacrificing of our selues NOw followeth the passiue This is two-fold First patiently The passiue sacrificing of our selues twofold to beare all common afflictions laid vpon vs by the Lord. Secondly to submit our selues to all persecution by the wicked for the testimonie of his truth and better confirmation of the faith of other The
first also seemeth two-fold either for some speciall sinne or for the demonstration of some speciall worke of Gods power or mercie for the greater glorie of his name This distinction I gather from the answer of our Sauiour to his Disciples asking him of the man borne blind whether he or Ioh 9. 2. his parents had sinned that he was borne blind that is whether he or his parents had committed any speciall sinne for which the Lord had laid this blindnesse vpon him To this our Sauiour answereth Neither hath this man sinned ver 3. nor his parents but that the worke of God should be made manifest in him Our Sauiour thus answereth not altogether to free him and his parents from sinne for there is no man 1 King 8 46. Iam. 3. 2. that sinneth not and in many things we offend all and euery man must daily aske the forgiuenesse of his trespasses neither to teach that this blindnesse was not from sinne and for sinne For â—â— death entred by sinne so also all afflictions Rom. 5. 12. Psal 38. 3. 4. are the fruites of sinne This answer therefore was onely made according to the supposition and opinion of the Disciples and other that thought not onely all afflictions to come from sinne but also euery speciall affliction to haue some speciall sinne for the cause thereof and that the greater afflâ—ction any had the greater sinner he had bin as Iobs friends thought of him Howsoeuer the Lord afflicteth any man whether for some speciall or personall sinnes of himselfe or onely generally for sinne but yet for manifestation of some speciall worke of God for his owne further glorie thereby all must be patiently and without grudging or murmuring borne in respect both Heb. 11. 6. of the cause thereof in God namely his loue and also in respect of the desert thereof by mans sinne and in respect of the end of such afflictions namely that the person so chastised might either be reclaimed and conuerted from sinne wherein before he had altogether liued as Manasses the greatesâ— sinner that euer we reade to haue bin conuerted was notwithstanding by his captiuitie and bonds so 2. Chron. 32. 12 greatly humbled before the God of his fathers that he prayed vnto him and found mercie and became a most worthy conuert for euer after either I say that the person so afflicted Psal 94. 12. might be conuerted or that hauing before bin conuerted he might be better instructed in the law of Heb. 12. 1. Ioh. 5. 17. Psal 94. 12. God and made more plentifully partaker of the holinesse of God In all which respects a man so afflicted being said to be blessed what great reason hath euery man so afflicted patiently to beare such affliction This being added that such afflictions are as fire to purge vs of all our drosse as gold is tried and made finer by the fire whereby we may 1. Pet. 1 7. be the fitter sacrifices for God and the said triall of our faith may be found to our praise honour and glorie at the appearing of Iesus Christ Most cause especially haue such to be patient how many how great and how heauie soeuer their said afflictions are that before haue enioyed great mercies according to those excellent words of Iob to his Iob 2. 10. foolish and troublesome wife What shall we receiue â—ood at the hands of God and shall we not receiue euill In such afflictions also euery man ought to make so much more vse of them that by them he mâ—y more mortâ—fie his old man with all the lusts thereof in him and be the more renewed in the inward man that so his whole man may be a sacrifice to God more liuing holy and acceptable as here the Apostle speaketh Of this passiue kind of sacrifice Iob is a Iam. 5. 11. most worthy example highly commended to our imitation so also is Dauid who notwithstanding he had many Psal 39. 9. afflictions yet was dumbe and opened not his mouth because the Lord did it and though many sought after his life laying Psal 38. 12. snares for him and speaking mischieuous things against him yet as before he was as a deafe man not hearing and as a dumbe man not opening his mouth How did he manifest this euen when he was King and when wicked Shimei 2. Sam. 16. 5. not only most impudently railed of him and rauâ—d against him in the rebellion of Absolom but also most villanously cast stones at him All which was the more grieuous in respect of his other great calamitie by the rebellion of his owne sonne against him Thus much briefly of the first kind of our passiue sacrificing of our selues to God The second passiue sacrificing of our selues is by suffering The second passiue sacrificing of our selues persecution both in word and deed for Christ and his Gospell the which as it is often commanded to all that will be indeed his Disciples euen to take vp his crosse Math. 10. 38. 16 24. and follow him he being pronounced vnworthy to be his disciple that will not so do and that by the example of Christ himselfe suffering for sinnes and for the vniust himselfe 1. Pet. 3 18. being without all sinne and most iust as I say this is often commanded so is it likewise commended they being pronounced blessed that suffer persecution and be railed Maâ— 5. 10. 11. on for Christs sake because theirs is the kingdome of heauen 1. Pet. 4. 13. 14. and the Spirit of glorie resteth on them By such sufferings Christ himselfe entred into his glorie Would we be partaker of his glorie more easily then himselfe So indeed we shall Luk. 24 26. 1. Pet. 1. 11. be because our sufferings how great soeuer are but flea-bites in comparison of his For though we had the strength of all Angels we could not suffer so much for him as he hath suffered for vs. Notwithstanding if we will be glorified Rom 8. 17. ver 29. together with him we must also suffer with him And whom God before knew them he predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Sonne And alas what are the sufferings of this present time verily not worthy to be compared reckon ver 18. how we will or can to the glorie that shall be reuealed Yea the sufferings of Christ were the more in respect of the eminencie Phil. 2. 6. c. of his person he being in the forme of God c. and yet taking vpon him the forme of a seruant and humbling himselfe to the death of the crosse euen to such a death as would haue broken the backs of men and Angels The sufferings also of Christ for vs were the more because though he suffered them of necessitie as before we heard yet that necessitie was by the decree of himselfe with his Father and the holy Ghost neither was it by any coaction or constraint but most freely most
euery man had need doing the like also afterward with great alacritie and being of one heart and of one soule the Act. 4. 32. number of beleeuers that were before but three thousand being then increased to fiue thousand ver 4. How also did the Lord shew himselfe well pleased yea better pleased then euer before by working greater miracles then euer before had bin wrought at least in such abundance not onely by giuing sight to the blind hearing and speech to the deafe and dumbe raising the dead casting out of diuels a worke neuer before heard of and that not onely by our Sauiour himselfe but also by the Apostles by giuing health to the sicke not only to whom the Apostles spake but also to such as did but stand in the shadow of them Were not also the gifts of the holy Act 5. 15. Act. 8. 17 and. 19. 6. Act. 10. 44. Ghost giuen to many other by laying on of the hands of the Apostles yea by their words and that euen to speake with tongues Doth not the Apostle also by this Gods bearing witnesse vnto the Gospell by signes and wonders and diuers miracles and gifts of the holy Ghost proue the Gospel before by him called by the name of the great saluation to be more excellent then the Law which he calleth but by the name of a word as it were a bare word spoken by Angels Heb. 2. 2. 3. and therefore also the neglect of the Gospell to be a greater sinne then the despising of that word though spoken by Angels All these things do abundantly shew the will of God reuealed in the Gospell to be better pleasing to God now then his will before in the olâ— Testament and all this to be so because himselfe would haue it so to be It is not therefore of vs or from vs as though we in this time of the Gospell had procured or deserued God to be better plâ—ased with vs then with other heretofore For how could this be sith we had alwayes before sit in darknesse and in Luk. â— 79. Ephes 2. 1. ver 12. the shadow of death and had also bin dead in trespasses and sins c. strangers frrom the couenants of promise c. being also so without knowledge that we did not so much as call vpon his Name much lesse did we craue any grace Psal 79. 6. of him at least so as to be heard and to obtaine such grace as whereby to be well pleasing vnto him But as therefore the first couenant that God made with Abraham and afterward renewed and continued with his seed was not for any goodnesse of them or of any desert in them they then seruing other gods but onely of Gods loue towards Iosh 24. Dan 7. 8. 1. Sam. 12. 22. them and because it pleased him to make them his people so is it to be said of this and of all that enioy this good will of God whereby they were or are acceptable vnto him If it be said that this is the time of the Gospell and of the new Testament and that yet we liuing vnder the same haue no such thing I answer first that Gods graces are at his owne disposition and that therfore in that place before to the Hebrewes of Gods so bearing witnesse to the Heb. 2. 4. Psal 24. 1. and 50. 10. Hag. 2. 8. Gospell by signes and wonders c. it is added according to his owne will May man do with his owne what he wil though indeed he haue nothing of his owne but all be the Lords and may not God much more do with his owne and bestow his graces on whom he will where when and how Mat. 20. 15. it pleaseth him Gods sparing of his graces now and not powring out his Spirit nor bestowing his mercies as at the first he did is not of any niggardlinesse in him but of his wisedome as knowing what is fittest for all persons and times It is also according to his owne word fortelling the cause thereof namely the falling away of many from the 1. Tim. 4. 1. faith and their listning to seducing spirits and doctrines of diuels and beleeuing of lies and not the truth but taking pleasure 2. Thes 2. 11. 12. in vnrighteousnesse so that the restraint of Gods mercies now is not from any inconstancie in God but from the sinnes of men and for the manifestation of Gods iustice to his owne glorie for mens such sinnes In respect of the former apostasie and declining from the truth and beleeuing of lies notwithstanding the Lord had so graced and magnified the same truth by those manifold meanes before mentioned we may rather admire his goodnesse in vouchsafing the least mercie now then charge him with any vnfaithfulnesse or inconstancie The former gifts also of the holy Ghost in former times bestowed and the former miracles and works of God before wrought were not onely for that age but also for all ages to come and for confirmation of the Gospell to all other As our Sauiour saith of the writings of Moses If ye beleeue not his writings how shall ye beleeue my words And Ioh. 5. 47. againe of Moses and the Prophets If they heare not Moses and the Prophets that is the preaching of their doctrine Luk. 16. 31. neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead and so much more may it be said of those former works done by our Sauiour and his Apostles through the power of our Sauiour as also of the gifts of the holy Ghost then bestowed they haue the works of our Sauiour and his Apostles alreadie written and in his written word they may reade how the Lord before hath powred out his Spirit vpon all flesh if they beleeue not them neither wil they beleeue if they should see the like in these times But I demand hath God shut vp all his works and graces for confirmation of his Gospell in former times so long past Hath he not in these last times since the breaking forth of the glorious light of the Gospell out of the foule fog and thick and palpable darknesse of Poperie a thousand times worse then the darknesse of Egypt or at Exod. 10. 21. Mat 27. 45. the death of Christ Hath not God now I say by many graces and works testified this his last will and testament made by his Sonne in his name to be acceptable and well pleasing vnto him yea so acceptable and well pleasing as before we heard Many wayes For how mightily hath his said will and Gospell preuailed and increased since the dayes of Wickliffe Iohn Husse Ierome of Prague Luther Melancthon Occolampadius and a few other all but few and weake and yet strongly opposed and oppugned by many potent aduersaries yea though all the world almost Pope Emperour and all other Princes the Duke of Saxonie excepted contended with the said Luther most worthily propugning and maintaining the Gospel against them all yet they