and beleeues And indeede euery example of GODS mercy shewed vnto others should serue to strengthen vs. Audientes Christum non horruisse confitentem latronem c. when wee heare sayth Bernard that the Lord Iesus abhorred not the penitent Theefe on the Crosse that hee despised not the sinfull Cananitish woman when she made supplication nor the woman taken in Adultrie nor him that sat at the receipt of Custome nor the Publicane when hee sought mercie nor the Disciple that denyed him neither yet the persecuter of his Disciples in odore horum vnguentorum curramus post eum in the sweet smell of these oyntments let vs runne after him Alwaies we see that the Apostle doth so speak vnto others of a deliuerance obtayned by Christ as being also pertaker thereof himselfe As he was a Preacher of Christ so he was a follower of Christ he beate downe his body by discipline least that preaching vnto others hee should haue beene a reprobate himselfe and therfore he now speaks as one who is sure that hee also hath his portion in Christ. Otherwise what comfort can it be either to Preacher or professor to speake of that life and grace which commeth by Christ Iesus they themselues in the meane time being like to that miserable Atheist Simon Magus to whom Peter gaue out that fearefull sentence thou hast neither part nor fellowship in this businesse or like those Priests in Ierusalem in the dayes of Herode who directed others to Bethleem by the light of the word to worship Christ but went not themselues or those builders of Noahs Arke who helped to build a vessell for preseruation of others but perished in the deluge themselues or like Bilhah and Zilpah who brought forth and nourished freemen vnto Iacob but remayned themselues in the state of bond women from this vnhappie condition the Lord deliuer vs and make vs pertakers of that mercie and grace whereof he hath made vs Preachers and professors From the Law of sinne and death Here the Apostle shewes from what it is that we are deliuered Dauid sayth many deliuerances giueth the Lord to his annoynted he spake it of himselfe and it is true of all the Children of God By a great deliuerance he saued Noah in the deluge Lot in the burning of Sodome Israell out of Egipt Ioseph in the prison Daniell in the denne the three Children in the fierie furnace but all these are small if they be compared with this deliuerance from sin and death Where first we learne how the Apostle conioynes these two sinne and death if wee be deliuered from the first wee shall also be deliuered from the second but if wee abide in the first wee shall be sure not to escape the second if therefore Sathan say vnto vs as hee did to our first parents though you cate of this forbidden tree yee shall not dye let vs answere him he hath proued already a shamelesse lyar and we are not any more to credit him that same penaltie lyes vpon euery sinne which was layd vpon the first if ye do it ye shall die God hath conioyned them who shall seperate them though the Lord speake not instantly to euery sinner as he did to Abimelech behold thou art but dead because of this sinne yet is it true of euery sinne when it is finished it brings out death So soone as Ionas entred into the Sea saith Chrisostome the storme rose to teach vs that Vbi peccatum ibi procella where there is sinne specially committed with rebellion there will not faile to arise a storme of the wrath of God It is true indeed the sinner in committing of sinne doth not perceiue this being blinder than Balaam he walks on in an euill course and sees not the sword of Gods vengeance which is before him but imagines alway to reape some good either of profit or pleasure by committing of sin for these are Sathans two baites vnder which hee couers his deadly hookes It is therefore a poynt of singular wisedome to decerne betweene the deceit of sinne present and the fruit of sinne to come betweene that which Sathan promises and that which wee finde in experience performed He promised to our parents that they should be made like vnto God but in very deede hee made them miserable like himselfe And if thou wilt also obserue that which thou findest in thy owne experience what fruit hast thou of a sinne when thou hast committed it doth not darknesse arise in thy minde heauinesse in thy heart terrour feare and accusing cogitations in thy conscience Euery man may finde it who list to marke it by moe then a thousand experiences in himselfe that Sathan is a shameles deceiuer yea more deceitfull then Laban who promised to giue to Iacob beautifull Rahel but in the darke hee gaue him blearâ—-eyed â—eah be assured he will change thy wages promise thee one thing and pay thee with another As Hamor spake to his Sichemiâ—es so doth Sathan to his blindfolded citizens hee perswaded his people that if they would bee circumcised all Iacobs substance and cattell should bee theirs but indeed the contrary ensued for the goods of the Sichemits befell to the house of Iacob and they themselues perished by the sword Let vs therefore beware of the inuenomed tongue of the Diuell mentitur vt fallat vitam pollicetur vt perimat he lyes that hee may deceiue hee promiseth life that hee may inflict death say hee what hee will let vs beleeue the word of the Lord confirmed by doolefull daily experience the wages of sinne is death God hath knit them together and who shall seperate them So oft then as Sathan by the deceit of sinne would beguile thee remember that though sinne seeme to be sweet the fruit thereof is exceeding bitter if thou feare not sinne feare that end whereunto sinne leads thee dulce peccatum sed amara mors sinne is sweet but death is bitter remember that the wages which Sathan promiseth and man would haue hee shall not get but the wages which God threatneth and man would not haue shall assuredly bee payed him for this is the miserie of those who walke in their sins illud propter quod peccant hic dimittunt ipsa peccata se cum portant that for which they sinne they leaue it behinde them and carries their sinnes away out of the world with them So that in the end when they shall gather the profite of all their former sinnes into a summe they shall find no other but that foretold by the Apostle What profit haue ye now of all these things whereof ye are ashamed surely there is no fruit but shame and death to bee pluckt from the forbidden tree of sinne But here it may bee obiected by the weake conscience of the godly how can this comfort bee ours that wee are freed from sin who finde our selues so continually assaulted yea oftentimes oppressed of
meanes vvee hate the oppressours that spoile vs of worldly goods onely vvee cannot hate Sathan to the death who seekes by sinne to spoyle vs of eternall life That same Commaundement which vvas giuen to Adam and Euah if yee eate of the forbidden tree yee shall dye is in effect here giuen to vs all if ye liue after the flesh ye shall die let vs not make an exception where God hath made none euery sinne to vs is as that forbidden tree to Adam if vvee meddle with it vvee shall finde no better fruite then that which Adam found on it before vs there is a fruit which man seekes vpon the tree of sinne and hee shall not finde it to wit profit or pleasure and there is another fruit which God hath threatned and Sathan saith it growes not on the tree of sinne but man assuredly shall finde it Bitter death growes vpon the pleasant tree of sinne for the vvages of sinne is death albeit there came no vvord from the Lord to teach this former experience may confirme it for what fruit haue vve this day of all our former sinnes but a guiltie conscience which breeds vs much terror accusing thoughts and anguish of Spirit It is therefore a point of great wisedome to discerne betweene the deceit of sinne and fruit of sin before the action Sinne is Inimicus blandiens a flattering and laughing enimie in the action it is dulce venenum sweet poyson but after the action it is Scorpio pungens a pricking and biting Serpent Hee that vvould rightly discerne the face of sinne when it stands before him to tempt him let him looke backe to the taile of a sinne which hee hath committed alreadie and of the sting which that sinne hath left behind it let him learne to beware of the smiling countenance of the other which wil no lesse vvound him the second time vnto death if so be he embrace it Most properly may the pleasures of sin bee compared to the streames of the riuer Iordan vvhich carryeth away the fish swimming and playing in it delighted vvith such pleasures as are agreeable to their kind euen til it deuolue them into the salt sea where incontinent they die euen so in the wicked inordinate concupiscence is as a forcible streame which carryeth away with it impenitent men playing and delighting themselues in their lusts till at length they fall into that lake which burneth with fire and brimstone out of the which there is no redemption for them The perishing pleasures of sinne are payd home with euerlasting perdition it is done in a moment but when it is finished it bringeth out death and breedes the worme that will neuer dye paruum ad horam peccatum longaeua autem est ex eo aeterna verecundia it is the deuoring Locust of the bottomlesse pit which hath haire like a woman teeth like a Lyon and a tayle like a Scorpion miserable are they who are blinded with it they may sleepe in their sinne but their damnation sleepes not though their heads bee laid downe like the Kine of Bashan to drinke in iniquitie like water yet their iudgement is not farre off and they are but like vnto Oxen fed for the slaughter Wee perceiue here further that euery mans state and condition in this life is a prediction of that state and condition which abides him when this life is gone He that soweth to the flesh of the flesh shall reape corruption but hee that soweth to the Spirit shall reape immortalitie and life As no man commeth eyther to a Pallace or a Prison but by the entry thereof so no man goeth eyther to heauen or hell but by the way thereof A wicked life is as a thorow-way to that prison and place of darkesse hee who goes on in it without returning shall out of all doubt when hee hath passed the path-way enter into the prison and a godly life is the very way to heauen hee that walkes in it perseuering to the ende shall enter at last into that Pallace of Glory which is the paradise of God Salomon saith that where the tree fals there it lyes and experience teacheth vs that it fals to that side on which the branches thereof grow thickest if the greatest growth of our affections and actions spring out after the Spirit out of doubt vvee shall fall to the right hand and shall be blessed but if otherwise thy affections grow downeward and thou vvalke after the flesh then assuredly thou shalt fall to the left hand and die in sin vnder the cuâ—se of God But seeing they vvho vvalke after the flesh are dead already how sayth the Apostle they shall dye To this I answere both are true presently they are dead and yet a more fearefull death abides them That they vvho liue in their sinnes are dead already vvee shewde before for sinne is that vnto the soule of man vvhich fire and water are to the body that is to say an vnkindely Element in the which it cannot liue but certainely a more fearefull death abides them which the spirit of God calleth the second death wherin they shal not onely liue depriuâ—d of life wanting all sense yea all hope of the mercy of God but shal also feele the full measure of his wrath due to their sinnes powred out vpon them Now albeit they bee dead in sinne and depriued of the fauour of the Creator yet the vaine comforts of the creatures doth so bewitch and blinde them that they know not how vvretched and miserable they are but vvhen the last sentence of damnation shall bee pronounced vpon them they shall not onely bee banished from the presence of God into euerlasting perdition where the fiâ—e of the Lords indignation shall perpetually torment them but also the comfort of all Gods creatures vvhich now they haue shall forsake them The least degree of their punishment shall bee a fearefull famine of vvorldly comforts The Pomegranat Tree the Palme Tree the Apple Tree shall wither The Apples after which now their soule lusteth shall depart from them they shall finde none of them yea if a cup full of colde vvater might comfort them it shall not be giuen vnto them thus you see how they are dead and yet a more fearefull death abideth them Therefore the spirit of God to expresse the fearefulnes of that second death he calleth it a vvrath and giues it these two â—ules first hee calleth it a vvrath prepared by God Salomon saith the vvrath of a king is the messenger of death vvhat then shall we say of the wrath of God Secondly hee calles it a wrath to come to teach vs that it farre exceedes all that wrath that we haue heard of seene The drowning of the originall world the burning of Sodome a great wrath but nothing comparable to the wrath which is to come Beside this both the place the vniuersalitie the eternitie of their
the 31. verse to the end wherein hee drawes all that hee hath spoken in this Chapter to a short summe contayning the glorious triumph of a Christian ouer all his enimies The triumph is first set downe generally verse 31. What shall wee then say to these things if God bee with vs who can bee against vs c. This generall incontinent hee parts in two there is sayeth hee but two things may hurt vs either Sinne or Affliction As to Sinne hee triumphs against it verse 33. and 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God his chosen it is God that iustifieth who shall condemne It is Christ who is dead or rather who is risen againe who is also at the right hand of God and maketh request for vs. As to Affliction hee triumphs against it from the 35. to the end Who shall seperate vs from the loue of Christ shall tribulation anguish or persecution shall famine nakednesse or perill yea shall death doe it or that which is much more shall Angels principalities or powers doe it No In all these things wee are more than Conquerours through him that loued vs. Thus doth the Apostle like a faithfull steward in the house of God take by the hand the weary sonnes and daughters of the liuing God that hee may leade vs into the Lords winesellers there to refresh and stay vs with the â—lagons of his Wine to comfort vs with his Apples to strengthen vs with his hid Manna and to make vs merry with that Milke and Hony which our immortall husband Iesus Christ hath prouided for vs to sustaine vs that we faint not through our manifold tentations that compasse vs in this barren wildernes We come then to the first part of the Chapter wherein the Apostle keepes this order First hee sets downe a generall proposition of comfort belonging to the iustified man Secondly he subioynes a confirmation therof Thirdly he explanes his reason of confirmation and fourthly applyes iâ—first by commination of them who walke after the flesh secondly by consolation of the godly against the remanents of the flesh thirdly by exhortation of both not to walke after the flesh In the proposition againe set downe Verse 1. first he points at the comfort Now then there is no condemnation secondly he sets downe a limitation restrayning this comfort To them who are in Christ thirdly hee subioynes a clearer declaration of those persons who are in Christ to wit they walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Verse 1. Now then This is a relatiue to his former discourse and is as I haue said a Conclusion inferred vpon that which goeth before Seeing wee are iustified by Faith in Iesus Christ and are now no more vnder the Law but vnder Grace seeing we are buryed with Christ by Baptisme into his death that like as he was raised from the dead by the glory of his Father so we also should walke in newnesse of life hauing receiued that spirit of Christ whereby wee fight against the Law of sinne in our members which rebelleth against the Law of our minde seeing it is so we may be sure that the remanent power of sinne in vs shall neuer be able to condemne vs. We see then that these words containe the Apostles glorying against the remanents of sinne the sense whereof in the end of the last Chapter made him burst out in a pittifull lamentation and cry O miserable man who will deliuer me from the body of this death but now considering the certaintie of his deliuerance by Iesus Christ he reioyceth and triumpheth Wherein for our first lesson we marke the diuersitie of dispositions to which the Children of God are subiect in this life sometime so full of comfort that they can not containe themselues but must needs breake forth into glorious reioycings at other times so far deiected in mind that their ioy is turned into mourning and this ariseth in them from the variable change of their sight and feeling The Disciples on mount Tabor seeing the bright shining glorie of Christ were rauished with ioy but incontinent when the cloud ouershadowes them they become afraid If the Lord let vs feele his mercies wee are aliue but if hee hide his face and set our sinnes in order before vs wee are sore troubled As the troubles wee haue in this life are not without comforts blessed bee God the Father of our Lord Iesus the Father of mercies and God of all comfort who comforts vs in all our tribulation so our ioy saith Saint Peter is not without heauinesse the one arising of the knowledge of that vndeserued inheritance reserued for vs in heauen the other of our manifold tentations to which wee are subiect here vpon earth it is these vicissitudes and changes which wrought in Dauid such different dispositions as appeareth in him in the Booke of the Psalmes and which all the godly may be experience finde in themselues Pascimur hic patimur for here we are so nourished with the comforts of God that we are nurtred with his crosses It is the Lords dispensation and we are to reuerence it resting assured that the peace and ioy which once the Lord hath giuen vs may be interrupted but can neuer vtterly be taken from vs the Lord who will not suffer the rod of the wicked for euer to lie vpon the back of the righteous least they put out their hand to wickednesse will fâ—rre lesse suffer his owne terrours continually oppresse our consciences least we faint and dispaire though he wound vs he will binde vs vp againe after two daies he will reuine vs and we shall liue in his sight Weeping may abide in the Euening but ioy shall come in the Morning The chosen vessell of God shall not alway lament and cry woe is me sometime the Lord will put a song of thanksgiuing in his mouth and make him to reioyce thus de aduersis prosperis admir abilivirtute vitam Sanctorum contexuit Deus The life of a Christian may bee compared to a webbe so meruailously mixed and wouen of comfort and trouble by the hand of God that the long thread thereof reaching from the day of our birth to the day of our death are all of trouble but the weft interiected manifold comforts and this haue we marked vpon the coherenee of the beginning of this Chapter with the end of the former Now in these words it is to be obserued the Apostle saies not there is no sinne in them who are in Christ but he saith there is no condemnation to them he hath confessed before that he did the euill which he would not and that he saw a law in his members rebelling against the law of his minde but now hee reioyceth in Christ that sinne in him is not able to condemne him It is then a false exposition of these words which is made by Caietane and
sinne For answere let vs marke that the Apostle saith not wee are fully freed from sinne in this life but we are freed from the law of sin that is both from the commaunding and condemning power thereof Sinne doth not now raigne in our mortall bodyes as before neither hath it power any more to detaine vs vnder death But as for the temptations of sinne there is no sort of men more troubled with them then they whom God hath begunne to deliuer from the Law of sinne for Sathan being impatient of his losse seekes daily to recouer his formeâ— dominion From the time that once the Gibeonits made peace for themselues with Ioshua all the rest of the Kings of Canaan made warre against them and so soone as we enter into a couenant with the Lord Iesus Sathan shall not faile the more fiercely to assault vs seeking to recouer his old possession yet if as the Gibeonits did we send speedilie messengers to Ioshua to shew him how wee are troubled for his sake hee shall not with-draw his helping hand from vs. Our deliuerance from sinne is begunne now but not perfected but we know that our God is faithfull by whom we are called hee shall also confirme vs to the end Euen hee who hath begunne this good worke in vs will performe it vntill the day of Christ. As the Angell who deliuered Peter out of prison appeared to him with a shining light in the darke prison smote him vpon his side and wakened him out of his sleepe made his chaines to fall from him and caused him to arise and follow him went still before him to lead him in the way through all impediments and departed not from him till hee had entred him within the Cittie of Ierusalem so the spirit of our Lord Iesus who hath once come downe vpon vs in this prison and hath lightned our darknesse wakened vs out of our dead securitie and loosed the chaines of our sinnes wherewith wee were bond shall abide continually with vs gouerning vs with his light and truth till hee haue entred vs within the portes of heauenly Ierusalem Blessed be the Lord where before wee were the captiues of sinne now the course of the battell is changed sin is become our captiue through Christ it remaineth in vs not as a commaunder but as a captiâ—e of the Lord Iesus it is true the boltes of sinne are yet vpon our hands and feet to admonish vs of our former miserable thraldome we draw as yet the chaines of sinne after vs which makes vs indeed goe forward the more slowlie but are not able to detaine vs in that bondage wherein wee lay before And as concerning our deliuerance from death wee are to know that death is two-fold the first and second the first is a separation of the soule from the body the second is a separation of them both from the Lord Mors prima pellit animam nelentem de corpore mors secunda detinet animaÌ„ nâ—lentem in corpore The first death expels the soule against the will out of the body the second death compels the soule against the will to abide in the body for vnto the greater augmentation of their paine as they were companions of sin so shall they be compelled to abide companions of punishment This second death hath three degrees the first is when the soule by sinne is separated from the Lord the second is when the body by the power of that curse due to sinne is turned into dust and the soule is sent to hell the third is when both soule and body being ioyned together againe in the resurrection shall be banished from the presence of the Lord and cast into vtter darknesse And it is called the second death because it is executed vpon the wicked after their first death otherwise the first death that euer came in the world was the first degree of the second death Mors animâ— prâ—cessit anima deserente Deum mors corporis sequutâ— est anima deserente corpus deâ—eruit Deum voleâ—s animâ— coacta est deserere corpus nolens the death of the soule went before the soule departing from God and the death of the body followed the soule departing from the bodie the soule departed from God willing and therefore is compelled vnwillingly to depart out of the body Now from both these deâ—â—hs wee are deliuered by the Lord Iesus for our soules being freed from sinne are reconciled with God and so exempted from that wrath which is to come For albeit the deere children of God bee sometime exercised with inward terrours of conscience which in their owne nature are forerunners of these paynes prepared for the wicked and are as the smoake of that fiâ—e which afterward shall torment them yet vnto the godlie their nature is changed they are sent vnto them not to seperate them from the Lord but to draw their harâ—s neereâ— vnto him and to worke in them a greater conformitie with Christ. And as for the first death wee are so deliuered from it that albeit in the owne nature it bee the Centre of all miseries and a fearefull effect of Gods curse on man for sinne Yet to the godly the nature thereof is also changed so that now it is not the death of the man but the death of sinne in the man mors est sepultura vitiorum death saith Ambrose is the buâ—iall of all vices As the worme which is bred in the tree saith Chrisostome doth at last consume it so death which is brought out by sinne doth at the length consume and destroy sinne in the children of God Finally death is the progresse and accomplishment of the full moâ—tification of all our earthly members wherein that filthie â—luxe of sinne is dryed vp at an instant It is a voluntarie sacrificing of the whole man soule and body to the Lord the greatest and highest seruice wee can doe to him in the earth for where in the course of our life wee are continualâ—y fighting against our inordinate Iustes and affections to bring them in subiection to Christ by death as it were with one stroke they are all smitten and slaine and the soule is offered vp to God in a sacrifice of full and perfect obedience Verse 3. For that that was impossible to the Law in as much as it was weake because of the flesh God sending his owne Sonne in the similitude of sinfull flesh and that for sinne condâ—mned sinne in the flesh THE Apostle hauing set downe in the first Verse a Proposition of Comfort belonging to them who are in Christ and confirmed it in the second he proceedeth now to the explication of the Confirmation Declaring how it is that Christ hath freed vs from the law of sinne and first he shewes how Christ hath freed vs from the condemning power of sinne in this verse namely that hee taking vpon him our nature and therewithall the burden of our
in the commandements of God it is an agreement that as yet hee had not attayned to the marke to the which wee may adde the third out of that same place the dombnesse inflicted vpon him for his misbeleeuing euidently proues he was not so perfect as to bee without sinne Beside this he customably distinguishes betweene peccatum crimen sinne and a crime that is some grieuous offence that giues slaunder and is worthie of crimination Sanctorum hominum vitam inveniri posse dicimus sine crimine we affirme that the life of holy men may be found without a crime And againe nunc bene viuitur si sine crimine sinâ— peccato autem qui se viuere existimat non id agit vt peccatum non habeat sed vt veniam non accipiat now men liue well if they liue without crime but he who thinkes he can liue without sinne doth not thereby make himselfe free of sinne but debarres himselfe from the pardon of his sinne And so much for refutation of their errour Now for our instruction we marke againe here that seeing the end of Christs death is our sanctification it cannot be but a mocking of the sonne of God and a treading of his holy blood vnder the vncleane feete of men to make the death of Christ a nourishment of sin let such thoughts bee farre from vs that we should take liberty to sinne because we haue a Sauiour this is to make Christ a minister of sinne and as was said to build vp that which Christ came to destroy O thou who louest the Lord Iesus bee it far from thee to take pleasure in that which made his blessed soule heauie vnto death let vs neuer nourish that life of sin which was the cause of the death of Christ but let vs daily cleanse our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit and grow vp vnto full holinesse in the feare of God For albeit by Christ we be deliuered from the curse of the Law yet are we not exempted from the obedience thereof In respect of the one the Apostle said Wee are not vnder the Law but vnder Grace in respect of the other hee hath said that the Law is good and our Sauiour protests he came not to destroy the Law but to fulfill it both in himselfe and his members not onely by righteousnesse imputed but also inherent For the law stands to vs a rule of our life we loue the holinesse thereof and striues to conforme our selues vnto it iustificati enim amici leges efficiuntur for men when they are iustified become louers of the law which before they hated So that hereby wee are to try whether we be in Christ if we delight in the law of God if wee be grieued when our sinfull nature transgresses the precepts thereof if we finde a begunne harmonie betweene our affections actions and her commandements by these and the like effects may we know that in Christ we are iustified Lastly we haue this comfort that seeing our sanctification is an end which the Lord Iesus hath proposed vnto himselfe wee may be sure hee shall attaine vnto it In the first creation what he commaunded was done hee made light to shine out of darknesse no impediment could stay the work of the Lord so is it in the second creation neither Sathans mallice nor the deceitfull allurements of the world nor the sinnefull corruption of our owne nature shall stay that work of our perfect sanctification which the Lord Iesus hath not onely begun but also taken vpon him to accomplish Verse 5. For they who are after the flesh sauour the things of the flesh but they who are after the spirit sauour the things of the spirit HItherto we haue heard the proposition of comfort the reason of confirmation and explication thereof Now because the Apostle restrayned that comfort to those who walkes after the spirit not after the flesh now in this third member of the first part of the Chapter hee subioynes an exhortation Wherein by sundry reasons he disswades vs for walking after the flesh and exhorts vs to walke after the spirit wherein he keepes this order First he oppones these two to walke after the flesh and after the spirit as contraries which cannot consist He lets vs see the miserable estate of them who walke after the one and illustrates it by the happy estate of those who walke after the other and then concludes that they who are in the flesh cannot please God vers 5. 6. 7. 8. Secondly he comforts the godly least that they considering vpright and can looke to heauen the soule which is from aboue hath forgotten her originall is crooked to the earth and like a Serpent creeping on many feet so walketh it after the dust with all her affections sauouring onely those things which are carnall This is mans miserable estate by nature The Lord open our eyes that wee may see how farre wee are fallen by our apostacie how deadly wee are wounded that in time wee may make our recourse to the Physition of our soules who now offers by Grace to restore vs. But to returne this diuersitie of dispositions in the man naturall and spirituall the Apostle designes to flow from the diuersitie of their generations they who are after the flesh that is as our Sauiour expounds it that which is borne of the flesh is flesh so then the cause why they are carnall and sauours onely the things of the flesh is because they are onely pertakers of a carnall generation Euery creature as ye may see hath an inclination to follow the owne kind some liues in the earth some in the water euery one of them by instinct of that nature which they receiued in their generation following so earnestly their owne kinde that a contrarie education cannot make them to forsake it The Fowle whose kinde is to liue in the waters though she be brought vp vnder the wings of another damme whose kinde is to liue in the earth so soone as shee is strengthened with feathers forsaking her education followes her kinde so also in euery man the disposition of his affections and actions is answerable to the nature of his life If he haue no more but a naturall life his cogitations counsels resolutions and actions are onely carnall but if he haue also a spirituall life then shall he be able to mount aboue nature hauing an inclination to heauenly things for euery one who is risen with Iesus seekes those things which are aboue Now this difference of ther dispositions flowing from their different kindes shall appeare the more clearely if ye compare the affections words and actions of the one with the other And first to begin at the vnderstanding it is certaine that the naturall man vnderstands not those things which are of God Let Iesus Christ speake to naturall Nicodemus of regeneration and Nicodemus shall conceiue that he
spirit are not sure of mercy ye blaspheme as of before speakes yet manifestly against the Apostle who sayes that the witnessing of this spirit vnto our spirit makes vs to cry Abba father But wee will speake more of this hereafter But now to conclude this verse seeing hee who hath not the spirit of Christ is none of his whose then shall hee be certainely he is the vassall of Sathan the Lord shall deny him the Lord shall disclaime him as not belonging to him depart from mee yee workers of iniquitie I know not whence you are O the bitter fruit of sinne which causes the Lord to deny that creature to be his which once he made to his owne image Let vs therefore hate our sinne vnto death let vs in time make hast to depart from iniquitie which shall at the last draw on that sentence vpon the wicked depart from me The Lord deliuer vs from it through Iesus Christ. Verse 10. And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sinne but the Spirit is life for righteousnesse sake HItherto hath the Apostle comforted the Christian against the remanents of sinne now hee comforts him against the fruites and effects of sinne which he findeth in himselfe The godly might haue obiected ye haue said before the fâ—uite of carnall wisedome is death are wee not subiect vnto death and so of the fruites and effects of sinne what can wee iudge but that wee are carnall To this hee answeres first by a confession it is true that the body is dead because of sinne but if Christ be in you the spirit through his righteousnesse is endued with life yee are not therefore to conclude that yee are carnall because death through sinne is entred into your bodies as to confirme your selues in this that life through the righteousnesse of Christ is communicated to your soule and so the summe of his comfort will bee this the death whereunto you are subiect is neyther totall nor perpetuall that it is not totall he declares in this verse for it strikes not vpon the whole man but vpon the weakest part of man which is his body as for his most excellent part which is his soule it is pertaker of a life that is not subiect vnto death That it is not perpetuall he declares in the next verse our bodyes shall not bide for euer vnder the bands of death the spirit of Christ that now dwels in them shall at the last raise them vp from death and cloth them with immortalitie and incorruptibiliâ—ie If Christ be in you Before the Apostle bring in his comfort hee premits a conâ—â—tion to teach vs that the comforts of God belong not indifferently vnto all men hee who is a stranger from Christ hath nothing to doe with these comforts When our Sauiour commaunded his Disciples to proclaime peace vnto euery house they came to hee foretold them it should abide onely with the sonnes of peace he foâ—bad them in like manner to giue those things which were holy vnto dogs or to cast pearles before Swine This stands a perpetuall Law to all Preachers that they presume not to proclaime peace to the impenitent and vnbeleeuing but as Iehâ— spake to Iehorams horseman What hast thou to doe with peace so are wee to tell the wicked who walke still on in their sinnes that they haue nothing to doe with that peace preached by the Gospell Secondly if wee compare the former verse with this we shall see that the manner of Christs dwelling in his children is by his Spirit To make vp our vnion with Christ it is not needfull that his humane nature should bee drawne down from heauen or that his body should be euery where as the Vbiquitaries affiâ—me or that in the Sacrament the bread shold be transubstantiate into his body as the Papists imagine his dwelling in vs is by his spirit and our vnion with him is spirituall neyther yet by so saying doe wee diuide his two natures for they are inseperably vnited in one personall vnion which vnion doth not for all that import that his humane nature is extended ouer all as his diuine nature is The heauens must containe him till hee come againe Noli dubitare ibi esse hominem Christum vnde venturus est Put it out of doubt that the man Christ Iesus is in that place from which hee shall come Keepe faithfully that Christian confession He is risen from the death ascended vnto Heauen and sits at the right hand of his Father and that hee shall come from no other place but from Heauen to iudge the quicke and the dead and hee addeth that which the Angell said to his Disciples this Iesus who is taken vp from you into heauen shall so come as ye haue seene him goe into heauen that is saith Augustine in eadem carnis forma atque substantia cui profecto immortalitatem dedit naturam non abstulit that is in that same forme and substance of flesh to the which hee hath giuen immortalitie but hath not taken away the nature thereof Secundum hanc non est pâ—tandem quod vbique est diffusus vbique per id quod Deus in coâ—lo autem per â—d quod homâ— according to this nature wee are not to thinke that he is in euery place it is true that as God he is euery where but as man he is in the heauens and this for the condition Now to the comfort wee haue by Iesus Christ a threefold comfort against death whereof two onely here are touched The first that the death whereunto we are subiect is not totall The second that the nature and qualitie of our bodilie death is changed The third that it is not perpetuall the body shall not for euer lie vnder death The Ethnicks had also their owne silly comforts but nothing comparable to ours Nazianzen records that Cleopatra Queene of Aegypt demaunding of certaine learned men what kinde of death was without the bitter sense of paine receiued this answere there is no death without dolour but that death was most gentle which was brought on by the Serpent Aspis and namely that kinde thereof which is called Aypnale because they whose flesh is enuenomed with the poyson therof doe incontinently sleepe vnto death for which cause also shee made choyse of it And Seneâ—a being by Nero to bee executed to death got it left to his owne pleasure as great fauour shewed vnto him to make choyse of any death hee pleased he chose to bleede to death in hote water others among them that offered themselues to most fearefull deaths such as Curtius Regulus and others had no comfort to sustaine them but a silly hope of immortall fame of their affection to their country It was saith Augustine the silly comfort of the Gentiles against the want of buriall Coelo tegitur qui non habet vrnam and as comfortlesse is the comfort of many
blessing of restitution by Christ offered and exhibited vnto vs. Iacob iustly complayned of Laban that hee had deceiued him and had changed his wages seauen times but more iustly may we complaine of Sathan who innumerable times hath beguiled vs hee hath changed our wages how oft hath hee promised vs good things and behold what euill is come vpon vs Happy were wee if in all our tentations we did remember this and reply to Sathan in this manner The Lord rebuke thee thou shamelesse Lyar from the beginning with what face canst thou speake that vnto mee wherein thou hast beene so oft conuinced by so manifold witnesses to be a manifest Lyar. Of the fruites of sinne which wee haue seene wee are to iudge of the fruits of sinne which are not seene if sinne hath made vs so miserable in this life how miserable shall it make vs in the life to come if wee continue in it This is that wisedome which the Apostle recommends to vs in that worthy sentence happy were wee if it were sounded continually in the eares of our minde as oft as we are tempted vnto sinne What fruit haue yee then of those sins whereof now yee are ashamed He that will search within himselfe the fruit of his foâ—mer transgressions shall easily perceiue there is no cause why hee should commit sinne vpon hope of any better fruit in time to come It was Samsons destruction that notwithstanding he found himselfe thriâ—e deceiued by Dalilah yet the fourth time he hearkned vnto her deceitfull allurements and it shall in like manner be the destruction of many who notwithstanding they haue found themselues abused by Sathan in time past yet wil not learne to resist him but giues place vnto his lying entisements and are carryed headlong by him into the wayes of death hee was a lying Spirit in the mouth of Achabs Prophets to draw him forward in a battell promising him victory in the vvhich he knew assuredly that he should dye so is hee a lying spirit in the harts of all the vvicked promising vnto them gaine glory or pleasure by doing those works of sin whereof he knowes well inough they shall reape nothing but shame and euerlasting confusion Againe that vve may yet see hovv foolish they are who liue still in their sinnes vve may marke here that they are murtherers of themselues the mallice of the wicked shall slay themselues his owne sin which he hath conceiued brought forth and nourished shall bee his destruction Euery man iudges Saul miserable that dyed vpon his owne sword but what better are other wicked men are not their sins the weapons by vvhich they slay themselues Thus are they twise miserable first because they are subiect to death secondly because they are guiltie of their owne death Oh the pittifull blindnesse of men albeit in their life they feare nothing more then death yet doe they entertaine nothing better than sinne which causes death In bodily diseases men are content to abstaine euen from ordinary foode vvhere they are informed by the Phisition that it will nourish their sicknesse and this they doe to eschew death onely herein they are so ignorant that notwithstanding they abhorre death yet they take pleasure in vnrighteousnesse which brings on death And lastly seeing vve are taught here that sinne brings death vpon the body vvhat meâ—uaile the Lord strikes the bodies of men by sundry sorts of diseases and sundry kindes of death seeing man by sundry sorts of sinnes pâ—ouokes the Lord vnto anger he frameth his iudgement proportionable vnto his sinnes If yee walke stubbornly against me and will not obey mee I will then bring seauen times more plagues vpon you according to your sinnes Hee hath famine to punish intemperance and the abuse of his creatures hee hath the deuouring sword to bring low the pride of man hee hath burning feuers and vncleane consuming goutes to punish the fierie and vncleane lusts and concupiscence of man If now the Lord after that hee hath striken vs vvith famine and pestilence come among vs to visit vs also with vnaccustomed diseases what shall vve say but the despising of his former fatherly corrections and our stubborne walking against the Lord our God hath procured this vnto our selues Quid mirum in poenas generis humani crescere iram dei cum crescat quotidie quod puniatur what meruaile the wrath of God increase euery day to punish men seeing that increases among men vvhich deserues that God should punish it But there are two impediments which suffers not these vvarnings of God to enter into the harts of men The one is albeit they finde within themselues sinnes condemned by the word of God yet the plagues threatned against those sinnes hath not light vpon them This is that roote of bitternesse whereof Moses vvarned Israell to beware that they should not blesse themselues in their harts when God doth curse them thinking they shall escape iudgement notwithstanding they doe those things vvhich God hath forbidden them Salomon marked this to be a great cause of iniquitie because iudgement is not executed speedely vpon the wicked therefore the hart of the children of men is set within them to doe wickedly But O man doest thou not know that the iudgement of God is according to truth against all that commit such things Why despisest thou the riches of his bountifulnesse and patience because the Lord holds his tongue and spares thee for a while thinkest thou that he will spare thee for euer Euery iudgement of God executed vpon another malefactor may tell thee that thou shalt not escape dies poenae nondum aduenit the day of punishment of iudgement of retribution is not yet come though in this life the Lord should not come neere thee yet thy iudgement is not farre off and thy damnation sleepes not Interim plectuntur quidam quo caeteri corrigantur tormenta paucorum exempla sunt omnium In the meane time some are punished that the rest may be corrected the torments of a few are the examples of all As the Lord Iesus set those eighteene men on whom the tower of Siloam fell for examples to all the rest of the people so euery one punished before vs stands vp to vs as a preacher of repentance and an example to warne vs that vnlesse wee repent wee shall perish in like manner Si nunc omne peccatum manifesta plecteretur poena nihil vltimo iudicio reseruari putaretur si nusâ—um nunc peccatum puniret Deus nulla putaretur esse prouidentia If in this life euery sinne were punished with a seene iudgement nothing should be reserued to the last iudgement and if no sinne were punished in this life it might bee thought there were not a prouidence to regard it The Lord therefore punisheth some sinnes in this life to tell there is a God who iudgeth righteously in the
Christians shall wee iudge by the place vvhich ye delight most to frequent are there not many among you oftner in the Tauerne then in the Temple filling your belly intemperately at that same time vvherein the Sonnes and Daughters of the liuing God are gathered together into their fathers house to be refreshed with his heuenly Manna shall we iudge you by your garments doe they not in many of you declare the vanitie of your minds if we estimate you according to your companions what shall wee thinke but that ye are such as those are with whom ye delight to resort ye sit in the seat of scorners if thou seest a theefe thou must with him and art pertaker with the adulterers If wee try you by your language yee shall be found vncircumcised Philistims and not holy Israelites for yee haue learned to speake the language of Ashdod ye speake as Micah complayned of the wicked in his time out of the corruption of your soule making your throat an open sepulchre yee send out the stinking breath of your inward abhominations by your euill and vncleane speaches ye corrupt the minds of the hearers And thus seeing euery part of your life giues sentence against you as a cloud of many vvitnesses testifieng that yee are vncleane what haue yee to speake for you to proue that yee are Christians shall your naked word be sufficient to doe it no certainely for against it the Lord Iesus hath made exception before hand Not euery one that sayth Lord Lord shall enter into my kingdome your workes must be your witnesses and your deedes must declare who it is to whom ye acknowledge your selues seruants and debters Not to the flesh Sometime the flesh signifies the body and in that sense wee are debters vnto it for the couenant sayth Bernard which the Lord hath bound vp betweene the soule and the body is not to be broke at our will but at the Lords will and in the meane time wee are bound to nourish it but the flesh here is put for the sinfull lusts of the flesh and so we are not debters vnto it Take no thought for the flesh to fulfill the sinfull lusts thereof But alas the corruption of our nature is so great that without great circumspection we cannot nourish the body vnlesse we also nourish sinne in the body many vnder pretence of doing dutie to the one failes in the other so they pamper the body that they quench the spirit ouercome with gluttony they are not able to pray Wee are with the godly to keepe a meane of a shaking sword to keepe Adam from the way of the tree of life so the Apostle stands here betweene vs and death with a sentence like a two edged sword in his mouth to keepe the sonnes of Adam as farre as hee can from the way of death the one stood as a minister of Gods iustice the other stands as a messenger of mercy The Lord hath sworne by himselfe as I liue I desire not the death of a sinner but that he should returns liue he iustifies his word by his deed in that in all ages of the world hee hath sent out messengers to warne them to goe by the way of death so that novv if any man perish it is because hee stoppes his eares at the warning of the watchman of God for thou canst not say but Moses and the Prophets Iesus Christ and his Apostles and Preachers haue met thee in the way of thy sin and warned thee many a time by the vvord of the Lord that if thou vvalke on that vvay thou shalt assuredly dye vvhere thou passing by them all rushest headlong after the lusts of thy flesh and so thou perishest and thy blood shall be vpon thine owne head As the Apostle to the preceding exhortation annexed an argument a debito from that which we are bound to doe so now hee subioynes another argument partly a damno from the losse wee incurre if we doe it not in these words if yee liue after the flesh yee shall dye and partly a commodo from the vantage we shall reape if we do it in these words if yee mortifie the deedes of the bodie by the spirit yee shall liue If wee vvere such men as wee should be the former exhortation taken from honestie and dutie were sufficient to moue vs but in that the spiâ—it of God doth also threaten vs with death is an euident argument of the froward rebellion of our nature The word of God is compared not onely to milke but also to salt we haue neede of the one because of our infancy that being nourished therewith wee may grow and because of our corruption wee haue neede to be seasoned with the other to both these ends should Preachers vse the word of GOD to some as milke for their nourishment to others as salt for their amendment But these are the times foretold by the Apostle wherein the itching eares of men cannot abide wholesome doctrine they hate him that rebukes in the gate as Achab hated Micaiah to the death because hee prophecyed no good vnto him that is hee spake not according to his phantasie but warned him faithfully of the iudgement which afterward came vpon him so the hearers of our time can abide no teachers but such as are after their owne lusts but alas they are foolish for are not my words good to him that walkes vprightly sayth the Lord. Aduersarius est nobis quamdiu sumus ipsi nobis quamdiu tu tibi inimicus es inimicum habebis sermonem Dei the word of God is an aduersarie to none but such as are aduersaries to themselues neither doth it condemne any but such as assuredly shall be condemned of the Lord vnlesse they repent Stop thine eare as thou wilt from hearing of the threatnings of the word yet shalt thou not stop that iudgement which the word hath threatned against thee There is a cry that will come at midnight and will waken the dead but blessed are they who in time are wakened out of the sleepe of their sins by the cryes of the watch-men of God for vndoubtedly a fearefull and painefull consumption shall torment them for euer who now cannot suffer that the salt of the Word should bite their sores to cure them The opposition made here by the Apostle vvarnes vs that a necessitie lyeth vpon vs to mortifie our sinfull lusts it stands vpon our liues vnlesse wee slay sinne sinne shall not faile to slay vs. It is like a Serpent in our bosome which cannot liue but by sucking out that bloud vvherby we liue here is a vvholesome preseruatiue against sinne if at euery occasion vvee vvould carry it in our minde vve would make no doubt to put sinne to the death that our selues might liue For alas what pittifull folly is this vvee hate them that pursues our bodily life vvee eschew them by all bodily
and the world were formed euen from euerlasting to euerlasting the Lord is our God What creature then is able to disanull that which God hath willed before that euer a creature was onely let vs labour that as our election is sure in it selfe so we may make it sure vnto vs by walking in a good conscience before the Lord and then we shall not care what man or Angell say to the contrary against it they are but posterior creatures and what intrest can they haue to gaine say that which God hath done before that they were Happy are they who are rooted grounded and builded vpon this rocke no stormy waue of the sea shall ouerturne them no rage of tentation nor power of the gates of hell shall preuaile against them Lastly we are taught here by the holy Apostle that all men are not foreknowne all are not predestinated to life otherwise there were not an election there is onely a certaine and definit number which belong to the election of Grace a fulnesse both of Iewes and Gentiles a number not knowne to vs but knowne to the Lord not one more nor one lesse shall be pertakers of saluation Many saith out Sauiour shall come from the East and from the West and shall sit with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of God he saith not all the children of the East shall come but many shall come This should waken in vs a holy care so long as the calling of God continues among vs to take heed to our selues striuing to thrust in at the doore of the kingdome of heauen for it suffers violence and the violent take it the fewer there be to be receiued into that kingdome the more we should about to be of that number We see that in nature things that are common were they neuer so excellent are not esteemed the Sunne because common to all is regarded of few though it be a very excellent and profitable creature but parcels of the earth possessed by men in propertie are much more remembred and regarded by those to whom they belong riches and honour are in greater account among men because few attaine vnto them and if we were as wise in spirituall things that grace of Christ which brings saluation would be more pretious and deere vnto vs because it is communicated to few The Lord giue vs grace to consider rightly of it in time To be made like to the image of his Sonne The Apostle insists not in the rest of the linckes of the Chaine hauing touched them he leaues them onely he insists in this lincke of Predestination teaching vs that he vseth not here the word of Predestination generally but restraines it to Predestination vnto life as also that we cannot step from election to glory but by a conformitie with Christ which is most necessary for vs to marke for albeit there be great comfort in the consideration of Gods immutable purpose ordayning man to life as also in the consideration of that glory whereunto we are ordayned yet neither of them can comfort vs vnlesse we be sure that our life is a proceeding from election to glorification by the right meanes The first and neerest end of election in regard of man is his sanctification for the Lord hath chosen vs that wee should be holy the second and furthest end is mans glorification The same Lord Iesus who said I am the life said in like manner I am the way and the veritie if thou wouldst be at life lye not still in thy sinnes but rise and walke in the way and if thou knowest not the way learne it from him who is veritie Let not presumption which slayes the wicked ouertake thee they passe ouer the matter of their saluation with a wanton word their hearts are prophane yet they boast with their tongues that they are sure to be saued but this is a vaine reioycing for he that walkes not in the way how is it possible that he can come to the end assuredly he shall neuer come where Christ is to liue with him that walkes not after Christ in newnesse of life This conformitie with the Lord Iesus whereunto wee are predestinated is partly in this life partly in the life to come Our conformitie in the life to come shall stand in liuing and raigning with Christ which is our glorification whereof he speakes hereafter Our conformitie in this life stands in liuing and suffering with Christ and of this hee speakes here to liue godly after the rule of Christ to suffer patiently after the similitude of Christ are the two parts of our present conformitie with him The Lord Iesus is giuen vs of the Father both to be a Sauiour and an example vnlesse we make him an example to follow him in our doing and suffering he shall not be vnto vs a Sauiour Here we are to marke that the workes done by Christ in our nature are threefold first his personall workes of Redemption as that he was borne of the Virgin that he suffered the cursed death of the Crosse for the expiation of our sinnes that hee rose the third day for our iustification that hee ascended triumphantly into Heauen leading captiuitie captiue Secondly his workes of miracles as that hee fasted forty dayes gaue sight to the blinde life to the dead and such like Thirdly his workes of godlinesse and sanctification as that he was subiect to his parents louing to his brethren painefull in his calling perseuering in prayer To practise to follow him in his personall workes of Redemption is blasphemie or in his workes of Miracles is impossibilitie but to follow him in the workes of a godly life is true pietie In the first Papists are blasphemous that on good Fryday makes a play to the people by counterfaiting the sufferings of Christ. In the second Papists are ridiculous that practise to counterfaite him in his fortie dayes fasting as if that might ordinarily be done of men which once Iesus did for a Miracle In the third let all those who are truely religious striue to follow him as Children looking to their coppy learne to mend their letters so let vs by looking daily to our example learne to amend our liues Imitation in the first two Iesus did neuer require onely hee craues that wee should follow him in the third there is his voyce Learne of me that I am lowly and meeke he did not bid thee saith Augustine learne at him how to make the world or how to raise the dead but how to be lowly and meeke for this cause did our blessed Sauiour wash his Disciples feete that hee might giue vs an example how one of vs should serue another as I haue loued you saide Iesus so loue yee one another yea in that vpon the Crosse hee prayed for his enimies hee hath also taught vs how to practise that precept Pray for them who persecute you In patience likewise hee is proposed
this sense the Papists take it in this question but wrongfully Secondly to iustifie is to acknowledge or declare one to be iust so it is said that the Publicans iustified God of force wee must expound it they acknowledged or confessed him to be iust so S. Iames saith that a man is iustified by workes that is declared to be iust by his workes or as S. Iames expounds it himselfe his Iustification is shewed by his works Thirdly the word to Iustifie is a iudiciall terme and it signifieth to absolue in iudgement and is opponed to condemning so Salomon vseth it He that iustifies the wicked and condemnes the iust are both alike abhominatâ—on to the Lord and in this sense the Apostle vseth it here for he oppones it to condemnation This right vnderstanding of the word will lead vs to know what the benefit of Iustification is for what euer condemnation be Iustification must be the contrary they are both iudiciall termes vsed in iudgement holden on matters of life and death Condemnation no man will deny is the sentence of a righteous Iudge adiudging a malefactor to death for some capitall crime whereof hee is found guiltie in iudgement Iustification then is the sentence of God a righteous Iudge absoluing the man that is in Christ from sinne and death and accepting him to life for the righteousnesse of Christ which is his So that it is euident the state of the question in the controuersie of Iustification will be this how is a man iustified before God that is what is it that a man must bring before Gods tribunall for the which hee shall be pronounced innocent absolued from death and adiudged to life whether is it our workes of sanctification inherent in vs or is it the righteousnesse of Christ giuen vnto vs and made ours The question being this way taken vp shall giue great light to the controuersie that is betweene vs and the falsely named Catholikes of our time for we denie not that there is in Gods children an inherent sanctification and that they are changed from vnrighteousnesse to righteousnesse but this inherent righteousnesse say we is not able to purchase to vs an absoluitorie sentence from death To make this yet more cleare let vs know that the righteousnesse by which wee are Iustified receiues foure names first it is called the righteousnesse of Christ secondly the righteousnesse of God thirdly the righteousnesse of Faith fourthly our righteousnesse The righteousnesse of Christ because it is conquered by him and inherent in him as in the proper subiect The righteousnesse of God because he onely in his meruailous wisedome found it out it is called the righteousnesse of Faith because Faith is the instrument by which wee apprehend it and it is called our righteousnesse because it is giuen vnto vs of God to be ours by imputation on Gods part by acceptation of it by Faith vpon our part for these two wayes that acquisite righteousnesse of Christ is made ours This wee haue to marke for our comfort against those obiections which eyther inwardly by Sathan or outwardly by men of a contrary opinion are obiected vnto vs. If they to trouble our peace and weaken our Faith aske how can yee be iustified by a righteousnesse which is not yours we answere the righteousnesse of Christ is ours and ours by as great a right as any other thing that we possesse is ours to wit by the free gift of God seeing it hath pleased God to giue vs a garment who were naked and to giue vs who had none of our owne a righteousnesse answerable to his Iustice vvhat intrest can eyther man or Angell haue to resist it The euasions and obiections whereby the aduersarie impugnes this doctrine are chiefely these First the Apostle say they excludeth the works of nature not the works of Grace the workes of a man vnregenerate they confesse cannot iustifie him but the works of a man regenerate say they doe iustifie him but this is false as is proued first by examples for Abraham whose example the Apostle bringeth in to confirme the doctrine of Iustification was a regenerate man and effectually called yet as witnesseth both Moses and S. Paul his faith was counted to him for righteousnesse Dauid after hee had beene a regenerate man yet saith Lord enter not into iudgement with thy Seruant for in thy sight shall no flesh be iustified The Apostle Paul protests of himselfe I haue in all good conscience serued God vnto this day neyther know I any thing of my selfe yet am I not thereby iustified hee was more abundant in good workes than all the rest of the Apostles hee did also beare in his body the markes of Iesus and was renouned through his manifold sufferings If euer any regenerate man could haue beene iustified by his good workes it was this holy Apostle yet hee tels you himselfe for all that I haue done for all that I haue suffered yet am I not thereby iustified The same is proued by reason that which by order of nature followes our Iustification before God cannot be said to iustifie vs in the presence of God cannot be said to iustifie vs in this sense but so it is good works by order of nature followes our iustification before God Non praecedunt iustificandum sed sequuntur iustificatum Againe such works as are not perfectly agreeable to the rule of Legall iustice cannot iustifie vs but rather fals vnder that curse Cursed is hee who fulfilleth not euery â—ot of the Law but so it is that the workes euen of men regenerate are not able to answere the perfection of the Law There is no man saith Salomon iust in the earth that doth good and sinneth not If I would dispute with God I could not saith Iob make answere vnto one of a thousand All our righteousnesse saith Ieremie is but like a menstruous cloath and our Sauiour hath taught euen regenerate men to pray daily for the remission of their sins Quid ergo de peccatis nostris fiet quando ne ipsa quidem pro se respondere poterit iustitia nostra what then shall become of our sinnes when our righteousnesse is not able to answere for it selfe Vae hominum iustitiae quantumuis laudabili si remotâ— misericordia Dei iudicetur woe to the righteousnesse of man were it neuer so lowable if God setting aside mercy enter to iudge it But they insist the workes of regenerate men are the workes of Christ for it is hee who by his spirit workes them in them therefore they are meritorious and iustifies I answere the workes of Christ iustifies it is true if yee vnderstand his personall workes done by himselfe in his own person as the Apostle teacheth vs He hath purged our sinnes by himselfe But as for those workes which hee workes in vs by his spirit of grace hee workes them not for our iustification that as I haue said he hath done
the bookes of Law and Conscience Psal. 19. 9. How the wicked shall bee conuicted by the booke of the Law How they shal be conuicted by the booke of conscience Iob. 15. 6. Luk. 19. 22. This iudgment shall also bee most terrible Exod. 19. 16. Moses trembled for feare at the giuing of the Law what will the wicdoe at the execution thereof Reuel 6. 14. Reu. 6. 15. Mat. 25. 41. Remembrance of this last iudgment is a preserâ—atiue against sinne Math. 10. Iud. 10. 14. Mat. 25. 41. Augustine The day before the last iudgement Mercy shall be offered but none after it By Christ wee haue deliuerâ—ce from this three fold condemnation Mat. 25. 21. How miserable are they who are not in Christ Deliuerance by Christ pertains not vnto al men onely to them who are of the houshold of Faith Mat. 9. 2. As none were saued without the arke the familie of Lot house of Rahab Gen. 7. 33. Gen. 19. 16. Iosh. 2. Mat. 11. 12. Heb. 12. 2. A threefold distinction of mankinde Made in God his eternall counsaile Made in this life by effectual calling of those who are chosen Reuel 3. 12. The Apostle excludes not himselfe from that naturall miserie whervnto others are subiect Neither excludes hee others from that mercy which hee himselfe hath receiued 1 Tim. 2. 15. 2. Tim. 4. 8. Naturalists blinded with presumptioÌ„ do far otherwise Aug. confes lib. 10. Basil. hexam hom 9. Our vnion with Christ expressed by fiue similitudes in holy scripture As Eue was to Adam his wife his sister and his Daughter so are we vnto Christ. Yet this expresseth not our allyance with Christ therfore other similitudes are vsed Ioh. 10. 28. In the similitude of ingrafting foure things considered The stock or roote Iohn 15. 1. Rom. 11. 17 Isaiah 11. 1. The branches whereof some are onely externally ingrafted these may be cut off Rom. 11. 22 2 Tim. 3. 5. Aug. de bap cont Donatist lib. 10. ca. 10 Others internally ingrafted and to these belongs this comfort Gal. 2. 20. The manner of the ingrafting it is made by the word and spirit Distance of place staies not our vnion with him Comforts arising of this our vnion with Christ. Communion of Natures 2 Pet. 1. 4. A notable comfort the Lord who sanctified our nature that he might assume it will also sanctifie vs seeing hee hath vnited vs to himselfe Phil. 1. 6. Ber. serm de mutatione aquae in vinuÌ„ By our vnion with Christ we are made sure of perseuerance Psal. 146. Esa. 40. 24. Psal. 49. 14. The who are planted in Christ should be humble the root beares theÌ„ not they the roote Consil. â— ArausicanuÌ„ ex Carranza Ibidem Rom. 11. 16 They who are planted in Christ beares fruit so soone as they are planted Conc. trident Their errour disprooued By Scripture By Reason Costers similitude makes against himselfe By ancient Fathers Aug. ser. 5. Aug. ser. de Temp. 45. Bernard Aug. contra Pelag. lib. 3. cap. 21. Onely apostate Angels men beare false witnesse against God An euill life of aprofessor saies in effect there is no vertue in Christ. A godly life is the first martirdome without suffering for Christ which is the second martirdome is not acceptable to him Cyp. de duplici martirio Col 3. 5. Rom. 12. 1. Ioh. 5. 36. Sinnes of men professing Christ are not committed without sacriledge Dan. 5. 1. More fearefull thaÌ„ Belshazars Seeing there are in vs two parties let vs helpe that which we would haue to preuaile Baâ—il serm 2. de ieiunio Our best estate in this life is fighting August de temp ser. 45. 2 Cor. 2. 14. Bernard Christs members militant triumphant are not to bee tryed by one rule There is fleshly corruption in the Christian militant but he follows it not Any seruice the Christian giues to sinne is throwne out by oppression like that which Israel gaue to Pharaoh Ber. in paruis Sermonibus Serm. 23. For he that walketh after the flesh shall at length encounter with death Three profitable helpes of a godly Life Psal. 119. DeterminatioÌ„ Supplication Consideration Our life should be a daily progresse in godlinesse Our aduersaries Sathan sinne death are strong but our Sauiour is stronger Rom. 16. 20 In what a vile bondage wee liued by nature Ber. hom 4. Three things to be coÌ„sidered in this bondage How a Law is ascribed vnto sinne Basil hexam hom 10. What we hope to be after this life Ber. de persecutione sustinenda cap. 11 1 Iohn 3. 2. What presently we may bee Our deliuerance from this bondage is to be ascribed vnto Christ only Heb. 13. 9. Reâ— 7. 10. Isai. 42. 8. Mercies of god shewed vpon others should confirme vs if we repent to looke for the like to ourselus 2 Tim. 1. 16. Bernard Preachers not pertakers of that mercy which they pronounce to others are most miserable Acts. 8. 21. Psal. 18. 51. Sinne death God hath conioyned who shall seperate them Gen. 20. 3. Chris. hom 5 ad popu Ant. What a deceiuer Sathan is in tempting to sinne Gen. 34. Cypr. lib. 1. epist. 8. Sin seems sweet but the fruite therof is bitter Aug. hom 42 Rom. 6. 21. Comfort for the godly who are troubled with the tentations of sinne Ioshua 9. Our begun deliuerance from sinne the Lord shall perfect 1 Cor. 1. 8. Phil. 1. 6. How we are deliuered from death both first and second Aug. de ciuit dei li. 21. ca. 3 Second death hath three degrees Aug. de verb. Apost ser. 33 How Christians are exercised with terrors of conscience which in the owne nature are forerunners of the second death The nature of the first death changed to the Christian. Amb. de bono mort cap. 4. Explication of the confirmation Here followes an explication of the confirmation of his generall proposition He snews how we are freed from the condemning power of sinne The law could not saue vs. Impotencie of the law to saue vs appeares in two things It craues that which now our nature can not giue It giues not that which our estâ—te now craueth Miserablle blinde are they who seeke life in perfect obseruance of the Law Yet such are all the children of Adam by nature The impotencie of the law comes not of the law which is good but of our owne corrupted nature Our nature becomes worse by the law August lib. 2 confess cap. 4. How Christ hath done that which the law could not Why God is called father of mercie not of iudgements How Christ is Gods owne son Christs diuine generation a great mysterie 1 Tim. 3. 16. Mans curiosity restrained from searching it August Rom. 11. 20 Christ came like a sinfull man but without sinne Dan. 2. 45. 1 Cor. 15. How deerely the Lord loued vs perceiue by the price he hath giuen for our ransome Psal. 8. Our thankfulnes again shold be testified by this threefold duetie Continuall thanksgiuing Seruice Luke 1. 74. 2 Sam. 19. 9 Ezra 9.
deliuering vs from so fearefull a condemnation Last of all as this is the happy estate of them who are in Christ that now there is no condemnation for them so is it the contrary miserable estate of the damned doe what they will euery action of their life makes out the processe of their most iust condemnation for to the vncleane all things are vncleane yea euen their consciences are defiled and their prayer is abhominable and turned into sinne but thanks be to God through Iesus Christ who hath deliuered vs from this most vnhappie condition To them who are in Christ. Albeit the former mentioned deliuerance from the wrath to come be most comfortable yet this which is subioyned should waken euery man to take heed vnto himselfe when we heare that this deliuerance is limited and restrained onely to them who are in Christ. It is true that by the offence of one man the fault came on all to condemnation but by the obedience of one all are not made righteous onely they who receiue the abundance of grace and gift of righteousnesse shall reigne in life through one Iesus Christ. As therfore we haue receiued within our selues by nature the sentence of death knowing that we are borne heyres of the wrath of God by disobedience so wisedome craues that we neuer rest nor suffer our eies to sleepe nor our eye-lids to slumber but that wee should recount our former sinnes in the bitternesse of our heart and water our couch with teares in the night and call vpon the Lord without ceasing in the day continually vntill we finde that we are translated from darknesse to light taken out of nature and planted in Christ and that first sentence of absolution be pronounced to our conscience by the spirit of adoption goe thy way thy sinnes are forgiuen thee For the Apostle vseth here this limitation of the comfort to certain persons thereby to declare that it appertaines not vnto the remnant of the world When the originall world was ouerwhelmed with waters none were saued but such as were in the Arke when Sodome was burnt with fire none were saued but those of the familie of Lot when Iericho was destroyed none were preserued but such as were in the Familie of Rahab all these are figures shadowing vnto vs that when the Lord shall come to cut downe the wicked with the sword or hooke of his iustice to cast them for euer into the wine-presse of his wrath saluation shall belong onely to those who are of the houshold of faith euen that whole familie whereof God in Iesus Christ is the Father which number is indeede exceeding small if they bee compared with the remnant and great multitude of the world therefore let not their euill example deceiue vs but remembring the kingdome of heauen suffers violence let vs cast away these burdens and impediments specially this sinne which hangeth so fast on that we may enter in time into the arke of God and Familie of Rahab that so vvee may bee saued Wee haue here then first to obserue a certaine distinction of mankinde whereof some are in Christ these are vessels of honour reserued to mercy others out of Christ and these are vessels of dishonour ordained vnto wrath This distinction is first made in God his secret counsell electing some and leaâ—ing others according to the good pleasure of his will and this is onely knowne vnto himselfe It begins first to be manifest when the Lord by effectuall calling seperates his Elect from the children of wrath and disobedience and then it is knowne but properly and truely of those onely who are effectually called for that now name which To them that are in Christ. The Apostle you see changes the manner of his speach when hee spake of the power of sinne remayning in our nature he spake of it in his owne person but when hee speakes of our deliuerance by Iesus Christ he speakes of it in the person of others Thus the Apostle by an holy wisedome doth order his speach for the comfort of the children of GOD for least that other weake christians might bee discouraged by reason of their sinnes hee speakes of remanent sinfull corruption in his owne person to declare that none no not the holy Apostles are exempted from it Of deliuerance againe he speaks in the person of others least any should thinke that the grace of Christ were restrayned onely to such singular persons as holy Apostles were not also extended to others Commonly these whâ— are of such a tender Conscience makes exception of themselues as if the comfort of other christians belonged not to them the Apostle therefore includes within the communion of this benefit all vvhosoeuer Pastors people learned vnlearned poore rich weake and strong prouiding that they bee in Iesus Christ. Men who are truely godly in the matter of misery chiefly contemne themselues therefore the Apostle calles himselfe the chiefe of all sinners but they neuer exclude others from the same communion of mercie I know sayes the Apostle that there is layd vp for mee a crowne of glory and not onely for mee but for all them who loue the second appearing of the Lord Iesus It is farre otherwise with naturall men blinded with presumption they extoll their owne righteousnesse aboue others in their conceit with the proud Pharisee condemneth euery other man as a greater sinner than himselfe they carrie in their bagge two measures by the one they take to themselues making much of the smallest good which is in them by the other they giue setting that by for light which is most excellent in another Our Sauiour properly expresses their corrupt iudgement when hee compares it to the light of the eye which can see any other thing better than it selfe and can espye a moate sooner in another than a beame in it selfe After this manner hipocrites looke out curiosi ad cognoscendâ—m vitam alienam dâ—sidiosi ad corrigendum suam curious searchers of the life of others carelesse correcters of their owne Mens peracute perspiciens alienos errores tarda est ad proprios cognoscendos defectus the minde that sharply lookes to the faults of others doth but slowly consider her owne defects but let vs learne by the precept of our blessed Sauiour and practise of this holy Apostle rather to looke to our selues searching out our owne sins then neglecting our selues to prattle vainely of the sinnes of other men That are in Christ. But now to come to the matter The spirit of God in holy Scripture expresses our vnion with Christ by fiue sundry similitudes first by a marriage wherin Christ is the husband and we the spouse Secondly by a body whereof Christ is the head and wee the members Thirdly by a building or house wherein Christ is the foundation or ground stone and wee the vpper building vpon him Fourthly by the
his light Tota vita martyrium esse debet hoc est testimonium deo reddere c. the whole life of a Christian should be a martirdome that is a continuall witnessing of the truth of God and this is so necessarie that without it the second martirdome that is the testimonie vvhich thou bearest to the truth of God by shedding of thy blood is worth nothing it availes not to giue thy body to be burnt in the fire vnlesse that first thou mortifie thy earthly members and by reasonable seruice offer vp thy body a liuely and an acceptable sacrifice to God And hereunto also tendeth that which bee subioynes Efficacius est vitae quam linguae testimonium habent etiam opera suam linguam c. The testimonie of the life is more effectuall than the testimonie of the tongue workes haue also their owne language yea and their owne eloquence though the tongue be silent therefore our blessed Sauiour in the Gospell sayeth the workes which the Father hath giuen mee to doe the same workes that I doe beare witnesse of mee Like as Cyprian sayeth good workes professes that there is a God so euill workes say in their owne kinde that there is no God nor knowledge of the most high Thus it is a most fearefull sinne for them to walke after the flesh who professes that they are in Iesus Christ. For no sinne can be committed of them vvithout horrible sacriledge euery worke of the flesh though done by a Pagan is a transgression of Gods law which shall bee punished vnto death but the same committed by Christians are not onely sinnes but sacrilegious sinnes and that of the highest degree then came the sinnes of Belshazar to the height when to all his former sinnes hee ioyned the abuse of those vessels which were holy to haue drunke intemperately for the honor of his Idol in any vessell was a fearfull sinne but to doe it in the vessels dedicated to the honour of the true God was a double sinne Yet is this sacriledge small if it shall bee compared with thine who professing Christ liues profanely hee abused dead vessels of gold siluer but thou erects a temple for the liuing God in a temple for Idoles thou defilest the sanctuary of God with all vncleannesse those vessels which by Baptisme O what neede haue wee therefore in all the actions of our life to walke circumspectly we haue neede of eyes within and without vs that wee may discerne the inward desires of the Spirit from these of the Flesh and may looke rightly on those outward obiects which may cherish the one and suppresse the other In a battaile betweene two euery man assists that partie which hee would faine haue to be victorious for the helpe of the one saith Baâ—il is the ouerthrow of the other so is it in this combat betweene the Flesh and the Spirit the Flesh being strengthened by outward allurements and carnall exercises quencheth the Spirit and bringeth it in subiection but the more the body bee subdued by moderate discipline the stronger waxes the man of God Happy were wee if our care were continuall to strengthen the one by all spiritual exercises that we might daily weaken the other For the greatest perfection wherevnto we can attaine in this life is to fight against these lusts of the Flesh which fight against our soules Our life saith Iob in the earth is a warfare Bellum est non triumphus it is a battaile not a triumph saith Augustine though after many particular victories the Lord put that voyce of triumph many times in our mouthes thanks be to God who alway makes vs to triumph in Christ Iesus yet let vs remember that incontinent we must fight againe so long as we are in this mortall body wherein the Flesh lusts against the Spirit wee cannot bee free from carnall and euill desires if thou dissemble not thou shall alway finde within thy selfe some thing which hath neede to be resisted for our sinfull superfluities saith Bernard are such putata repullulant effugata redeunt reaccenduntur extincta that being cut off they spring out againe chased away they returne againe being quenched they are kindled againe Velis nolis intra fines tuos habitabit Iebusaeus will thou nill thou the Iebusit shall dwell within thy borders Subiâ—gare potest exterminare non potest he may be subdued but cannot be rooted out And this againe doe wee marke for the comfort of weak consciences it is Sathans subtiltie whereby commonly hee disquiets many that because carnall corruption is in them he would therefore beare them in hand that they are none of Christs In this hee playes the deceiuer hee tryes vs by the wrong rule when hee tryes vs by the rule of perfect sanctification this is the square vvhich ought to be laid to Christs members triumphant in heauen and not to those who are militant here vpon earth Sinne remayning in me will not proue that therefore I am not in Christ otherwise Christ should haue no members vpon earth but grace working that new disposition which nature could neuer effect proues vndoubtedly that we are in Christ Iesus Let this therefore bee our comfort that albeit there bee in vs a fleshly corruption yet thankes be to God we walke not after it that is wee follow not willingly the direction and commandement thereof It is true and alas wee finde it by experience the regenerate man may bee led captiue for a time to the law of sinne hee may bee pulled perforce out of the way of Gods commandements wherein he delights to walke and compelled to doe those things which hee would not yet euen at that same time he disclaymes the gouerment of the flesh mourning and lamenting within himselfe that hee should bee drawne from the obedience of his owne Lord and gouernour the spirit of Iesus And indeede it is worthie to bee marked that what euer seruice the regenerate man giues vnto sinne it is like the seruice that Israell gaue to Pharaoh in Egipt throwne out by oppression and therefore compelled them to sigh and cry vnto God but the seruice which the regenerate man giues to the Lord is voluntarie done as vnto his most lawfull superiour with gladnesse ioy and contentment of minde Happie is that man who can make this reply to his spirituall aduersarie when hee is challenged of his sinnes It is true O enimie that I haue done many things by thy entisement yet heerein I reioyce that whatsoeuer seruice I God as Dauid did O happy â—ourney wherin Christ is both the end the way and the guid Eamus post Christum quia veritas per Christum quia via ad Christum quia vita Let vs vvalke after Christ because he is the truth let vs walke in Christ because hee is the way let vs vvalke toward Christ because he is the life If yee looke to the companies of
ipso cuiâ—s potissimum esse videar thus doe they striue within mee saith Bernard about mee to which of their dominion I should appertaine That which hee confessed of himselfe all the Godly may feele in their owne experience innumerable are those tyrants that striue among themselues but all of them striue against vs to haue domination ouer vs but indeede these are vncouth Lords and such as can claime no title nor right vnto vs wee are the workemanship of God the redeemed of the Lord and are bound to doe seruice to none but to him alone O Lord therefore come downe and possesse thine owne kingdome erect a throne to thy selfe in our hearts that thou by thy Spirit may raigne in vs as our King and make vs free from these tyrants that would oppresse vs. But that wee may the better perceiue how abhominable this seruitude is let vs out of the Apostles words mark these three things first how this dominion is tyrannicall Secondly how the Commaundements of these tyrants are all wicked and thirdly are all deadly these three he toucheth shortly when he saith that Christ hath freed vs from the law of sinne and death First then he ascribeth vnto sinne a Law not as if sin proceeded by a Law properly so called or that there were any lawfulnesse in sinne but onely to poynt out the tyranny thereof for as Rulers ordayned by the image of God inuested in this dignitie to be Lord and ruler ouer the creatures Animal es O homo principatu decoratum vt quid seruis affectionibus quamobrem tuam ipsius dignitatem abijcis teque ipsum seruum peccati constituis quare tcipsumfacis captiuuÌ„ diaboli Princeps creaturarum constitutus es dignitatem naturae tuae proijcâ—s O man thou art a creature adorned with princely power by thy first creation why then seruest thou affections why dost thou cast away thine owne dignitie and makes thy selfe a captiue of Sathan thou wast placed Lord of the creatures thou wast appoynted to rule ouer the fish of the Sea and euery beast of the field what shame is it then that thou shouldest be ouerruled with those beasts which are within thee Secondly consider what thou hopest to bee after this life dost thou not hope to raigne as a King in the heauens and wilt thou now liue as a slaue to Sathan vpon earth Is any man crowned except he striue as he ought or doth he receiue the price who runnes not the race or caâ— hee obtaine the victorie who neuer wrestled why then fightest thou not why runnest thou not why beginnest thou not to raigne in earth as a king ouer thy lusts seeing thou hopest to raigne as a king in heauen in glory Doe not deceiue thy selfe that crowne is for conquerours not for captiues Non sperare potest regnum coelorum cui supra propria membra regnare non donatur hee cannot looke for that heauenly kingdome to whom it is not giuen to raign ouer his owne earthly members Wee know that when Iesus shall appeare we shall bee like him for wee shall see him as hee is and hee that hath this hope in himselfe purgeth himselfe euen as hee is pure Certainely if the Lord through Grace prepare thee not for his Heauenly Kingdome thou canst neuer say with a warrant that the Lord hath prepared that kingdome for thee And thirdly the consideration of the present occasion should waken vs to goe out of this house of bondage for now the Sonne of God offers to make vs free a Prince of greater power is content to enter in confederacie with vs hee promiseth to restore vs to all the priuiledges wee lost in Adam yea to giue vs much more than euer we had in him and shall we neglect so faire an occasion When Cyrus king of Persia proclaymed liberty to the Iewes to goe from Babell the place of their captiuitie homeward to Ierusalem it is said that all those went forward whose spirit God had raised vp and now when the Lords annoynted proclaymes liberty to the captiues and the opening of the dore to them that are in prison I know that none shall follow his calling but such whose spirit the Lord hath raysed vp the rest being miserably blind delight to lye still in captiuitie thinking their bondage liberty The Lord giue vs grace that we may discerne the time of our visitation that with Dauid we may aduance our eyes toward the Lord who hath begunne to plucke our feete out of the net and that still we may lift vp and stretch out our hands vnto him till hee haue deliuered vs fully from the power of the enimie This being spoken of the bondage vve are now to consider that our deliuerance from it is here ascribed to Iesus Christ. Thy perdition is of thy selfe O Israel But our saluation belongs to the Lord and to the Lambe that sits vpon the throne Let no man therefore bee so vnthankfull as to ascribe any part of this glory to another my glory will I not giue to an other saith the Lord the glory of a temporall deliuerance God will not giue it vnto man hee would not saue Israell vnder Gideon with thirtie two thousand and why least Israell should vaunt against the Lord and say my right hand hath done it Or euer he entred his people Israell into the land of Canaan he forewarned them that they should not say it was for their righteousnesse and will hee then thinke yee giue the praise of this most notable deliuerance to the Creature No the whole booke of God witnesseth that it is not for our righteousnesse but for the praise of the glory of his rich mercie that wee are entred into heauenly Canaan Did Peter Iames and Iohn help the Lord Iesus in that agonie which hee suffered in the garden no surely hee bad them watch with him and pray but when hee was sweating blood they were sleeping when hee was buffeâ—ed in Caiphas hall did not Peter deny him when hee went to the Crosse did not all his Disciples forsake him and those who loued him most dearely did they not stand a farre off from him Certainely he alone troad the wine-presse of the wrath of God he alone bare the punishment of our sinnes in his blessed body on the Crosse to him therfore alone pertayneth the glory of our saluation As for the persons to whom this deliuerance pertaines the Apostle names himselfe among them hath freed vs not to exclude but rather to confirme all others who are in Iesus Christ. For hee confesses of himselfe that hee was receiued to mercy for this end that God might shew vpon him an example of long suffering to them who shall in time to come beleâ—ue in him vnto eternall life therefore is it that hee speakes of this deliuerance in his owne person for the confirmation of others who hauing beene before as hee was notorious sinners are now become such as repents
the praise of the bright shining glory of Gods mercie His owne Sonne Iesus Christ is called Gods owne Sonne to distinguish him from all others who are his sonnes by adoption onely Christ is the Sonne of God by nature by that diuine inutterable generation whereof Esay saith Who can expresse it Thus is hee Gods owne sonne that is coeternall and coessentiall begotten of the Father before all time by the full communication of his whole essence vnto him in a manner that cannot bee expressed And in the fulnesse of time hee became man God being manifested in the flesh and in regard of his humane nature which was conceiued of the holy Ghost and vnited in a personall vnion with his diuine hee stands in the title of Gods owne sonne after so singular a manner that hee admits no companion The last of these two the Apostle makes the first point of the misterie of Godlinesse God manifested in the flesh wherein he bridles our curiositie for if his manifestation in the flesh that is his incarnation be a mysterie that goes beyond our vnderstanding what shall we say of his diuine generation a mystery indeed to bee adored not to be enquired an article proposed to be belieued not to bee disputed The Arrians seeking to search out this vnsearchable mysterie with naturall reason by infinite degrees more foolish then if they had presumed to number the starres of heauen or measure with their fist all the vvaters in the Sea they stumbled and fell being neuer able to comprehend how the son that was begotten should bee coeternall and coessentiall to the Father who begot him therefore the worthy Fathers of the primitiue Church to expresse the presumption of these arrogant spirits drew them down from the dangerous speculation of these high mysteries far aboue their capacitie to consideration of things which are in nature Si in Creatura genitum inueniri potest coaeuum genitori an non aequum est conced as posse ista in creatore coaeterna inueniri if in things created that which is begotten may be found equall in time to that which begat it why should it be denyed that in the Creator the begetter and begotten are equall in eternitie When a candle saith Augustine is first lighted at once there are two things the fire and the splendor or light if it be enquired whether the fire come from the light or the light from the fire all men will agree that the splendor or light comes from the fire but if againe it be demanded which of them is first or last in time it cannot be determined But vvherefore shall vve vse these similitudes as the Creator is aboue the creature so is that mysterie aboue all the secrets of nature no similitude can bee found in nature so much as shadow that most high and supernaturall mysterie yet is the endeuor of these godly fathers commendable vvho haue laboured to bring downe men to the exercising of their wits in things vvhich are below like vnto themselues leauing curious inquisition of higher secrets vvhich as I haue said are to be receiued with faith reuerenced vvith silence not searched out by curiositie O man bee not high minded but feare In the similitude of sinnefull flesh Wee must not so vnderstand these words as if Iesus had onely the similitude of a naturall bodie no hee was very man made of the seed of Dauid he hath taken on our flesh indeed yet was he not a sinfull man but separated from sinners A holy One from the first moment of his conception conceiued of the holy Ghost A Stone cut out of the mountaine without hands The Flower of the field that groweth without mans labour or industry The second Adam very man as was the first but not begotten of man So then the word similitude is not to be ioyned vvith the word Flesh but with the word sinfull He tooke on mans nature without sin yet subiect to those infirmities mortalitie and death which sin brought vpon vs he appeared like a sinfull man being indeed without sinne in the shape of a Seruant content to be made inferiour not onely to Angels but to men of the vilest sort sold for thirtie pieces of siluer not so worthy to liue as Barrabas ranked vvith Theeues on the Crosse and reputed as a Worme of the earth thus being voyde of all sinne yet was hee handled as a sinner and most wicked malefactor Wherein wee are to consider so farre as vve may though vve cannot comprehend it that vvonderfull loue vvhich the Lord hath shevved vs in this vvorke of our saluation how deere and precious our life hath beene in his eyes perceiue by the greatnesse of that prise which hee hath giuen for vs for vvho vvill giue much for that vvhereof he esteemes but little it was not vvith gold nor siluer nor any corruptible thing that the Lord hath redeemed vs but vvith the precious bloud of his owne Son Iesus as of a Lambe vnblemished and vnspotted If Dauid considering the goodnesse of God towards man in the vvork of creation fell out into this admiration O Lord what is man that thou art mindfull of him or the Son of man that thou doest visite him how much more haue vve cause so to crye out considering the riches of God his vvonderfull mercies shewed vs in the vvork of redemption It vvas a great kindnesse vvhich Abraham shewed to Lot vvhen he hazarded his owne life and the liues of his familie to recouer Lot out of the hands of Chedarlaomer but not comparable to that kindenesse which our kinsman the Lord Iesus hath shewed vnto vs who hath giuen his life to deliuer vs out of the hand of our enimies The Lord shed abroad in our hearts more and more abundantly the sence of that loue that wee may endeauour to be thankfull for it by this threefold dutie first of thanksgiuing secondly of seruice thirdly of loue toward those who are beloued of him As for the first our life should bee a continuall thanksgiuing and worshipping before him who hath loued vs and washed vs from our sinnes in his bloud When the children of Israell had passed the red sea suppose they had a wast wildernesse between them and Canaan yet they praised God with a song of thanksgiuing and the Lord appointed an yearely remembrance of that benefit If smaller mercies are to be remembred with thanksgiuing what shall wee think of the greater As for the second which is seruice Zacharie teacheth vs that for this end God hath deliuered vs from all our enimies that all our dayes wee should serue him in righteousnesse and holinesse the reason why the Israelites bound themselues to giue subiection and obedience to Dauid was that he had deliuered them from the hand of the Philistins the same reason Ezra vsed to the Iewes returned from captiuitie to make them obedient to the Lord Seeing thou O Lord hath
giuen vs such deliuerances shall we returne any more to breake thy Commaundements but much more should it binde vs to doe seruice to our Lord Iesus seeing hee hath made vs free by his bloud shall wee againe make our selues the seruants of sinne The Lord neuer shewed a greater mercie on man then this that hee gaue his sonne Iesus Christ vnto the death for vs and there can be no higher contempt done to God by man then if after so great a loue shewed vs wee shall still refuse to bee his seruants much will be required of him to whom much is giuen those Gentiles to whom the Lord reuealed himselfe in goodnes onely as their Creator because they did not glorifie him the Apostle saith that the wrath of God was reuealed from heauen vpon them and what wrath then maist thou looke for to whom the Lord hath manifested himselfe in mercy also as thy Redeemer in Christ and yet thou wilt not glorifie him thou receiuest not him whom thy Father hath sent vnto thee neyther wilt thou liue vnto him that gaue himselfe to dye for thee but by thy wicked life thou crucifiest againe the Sonne of God and treadest vnder thy feet the bloud of the new couenant certainely Sodome and Gomorrha shall be in an easier estate in the day of iudgement then the wicked of this generation For in this last age the Lord hath spoken to vs by his Son he hath none greater to send after him those labourers of the vineyard that slew the Seruants of the great King were not for that instantly punished but when the Sonne came and they had murthered him also then was their iudgement no longer delayed It was not written for the Iewes onely in whom it was first accomplished but for vs also to whom the Father in this last age hath sent his owne Sonne and by whom hee hath spoken vnto vs from himselfe if we despise him there remaines no more but a violent looking for of iudgement The third dutie is that for Christs sake wee loue vnfainedly those vvhom hee hath recommended vnto vs our goodnesse cannot extend vnto the Lord neither haue vve him vvalking vvith vs vpon earth that vve may minister vnto him may wash his feete and annoynt his blessed bodie vvith precious oyntments therefore should our delight bee vpon these his excellent ones that are vpon earth When Ionathan was dead Dauid for Ionathans sake shewed kindnesse to Mephibosheth our Ionathan is not dead hee liues and raignes in heauen yet can we not declare our kindnesse to himselfe let vs seeke some Mephibosheth some of Christs little weake and impotent children of vvhom he hath said what yee doe to one of these little ones for my sake is done to mee and let vs shew kindnesse vnto them for the great loue which the Lord Iesus hath shewed vnto vs. And that for sinne These wordes containe the end of Christs manifestation in the flesh which is that in our nature hee might beare the punishment of our sinnes satisfie the iustice of God and so abolish sinne Saint Iohn makes this cleare when he saith that hee appeared to destroy the workes of the diuell that is sinne for sinne being remoued there is nothing in man but the workmanship of God By this it is euident how highly they offend God who abuseth the death of Christ to nourish themselues in their sinne being the bolder to commit sinne because Christ dyed for them surely this is to turne the grace of God into wantonnesse The Lord came to abolish sinne not to nourish it Christ once suffered the iust for the vniust not that we should still abide vniust but that hee might bring vs to God Thou therefore who continuest vniust maist say as thou hast heard that there is a Sauiour come into the world but can not say in truth that there is a Sauiour come to thee For where Christ comes hee worketh that worke for which hee came namely hee destroyes the worke of the diuell that is hee enfeebles and abolishes at the last the power of sinne Condemned sinne Sinne by a metaphor is said to be condemned for as they vvho are condemned are depriued of all the liberty power and priuiledges they had before and hath no more any place to appeare in iudgement so hath the Lord Iesus disanulled sinne that it hath now no power to command and condemne vs hee hath spoyled principalities and powers and triumphed ouer them in the Crosse and hath nayled vnto it the obligation of ordinances which was against vs and so sustulit illam quasi authoritatem peccati qua homines detinebat in inferno hath taken away that povver and authoritie of sinne whereby it detayned men vnder damnation This hath hee done most lawfully and in iudgement as vve shall heare bearing our sinnes in his blessed body on the Crosse hee hath suffered that punishment vvhich the law required to bee inflicted on man for sinne and that in the flesh that is in the same nature of man vvhich had offended For this word of Condemnation imports a iust and lawful proceeding of a Iudge in iudgement which that vve may the better vnderstand let vs consider that there are two generall and head iustice Courts vvhich the Lord hath set vnto men the one is holden already the other is to bee holden in the first the sinnes of all the elect are lawfully condemned that themselues may be absolued in the second the persons of all the reprobate shall bee iusty condemned In the first by the ordinance of God the Father our sinnes were laid vpon the back of Iesus Christ and a law imposed to him which was neuer giuen to any other neyther Angell or man to wit the law of a Mediator that hee should make vp peace betweene God and man loue God in such sort that hee should by suffering preserue the glory of his Fathers iustice and yet make manifest the glory of his mercy that hee should loue his brethren in such sort that hee should take the burden of their transgressions vpon him which as by the Father it vvas inioyned vnto him so did hee vvillingly vndertake it And therefore hauing our sinnes imputed vnto him hee presented himselfe for vs vpon the Crosse as vpon a pannell before the Iudge to vnderly the law which craued that our sinnes should be punished to the death The decree according to the law is executed death yea an accursed death as the punishment of sinne is laide vpon Christ wherevpon there followes of equitie an absolution of all those for whom the Lord Iesus suffered as Cautioner their sinne is condemned and made of no force to condemne them hereafter The other generall iustice court will bee holden in the last day wherein all flesh must appeare before the Lord as their superiour and in that supreame and last Court of iustice shall bee condemned the persons of all those whose sinnes were not condemned before in Christ
Iesus onely therefore blessed are they who are in Christ Hee that heares my wordes and belieues in him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life And lastly we may obserue here what a powerfull Sauiour wee haue when to the iudgement of man he was weakest then did hee the greatest worke that euer was done in the world he was powerfull in working of miracles in his life but more powerfull in his death for then hee darkened the Sunne hee shooke the earth hee made the rockes to cleaue he rent the vaile of the temple a sunder and caused the dead to rise Mortuum Caesarem quis metuat sed morte Christi quid efficacius if Caesar bee once dead who will feare Christ euen when hee is dead is terrible to his enimies nothing can be more effectuall then his death By it he did a greater worke than was the creation of the world by it he brought in new heauens and a new earth by suffering death he destroyed him who had the power of death when hee was condemned of man hee condemned sinne that it should not condemne man passus est vt infirmus operatus vt fortis â—e suffered as a weake man but wrought as a strong one Sicut serpens mortuus c. As that Serpent without life erected by Moses in the wildernesse ouercame the liuing Serpents that stung Israell so the Lord Iesus by suffering death hath slaine that serpent that liuing in vs had slung vs vnto death Hic vides mortem morte peremptam maledictum maledicto extinctum per quae Diabolus iam antea valebat per ea ipsa tyrannidem ipsius esse destructam here thou seest saith Chrisostome death slaine by death and the tyrannie of Sathan destroyed by these same meanes by which before most of all he preuailed O wonderfull worke surely the weaknesse of God is stronger then man hee is that stronge One indeed stronger then Samson When the Philistines thought they had him sure within the portes of Azzah hee arose at midnight and tooke the doores of the gates of the Cittie and the two posts and carried them away with the bars thereof on his shoulders vp to the top of the mountaine which is before Hebron but our mightie Conquerour and deliuerer the Lord Iesus hath in a more excellent manner magnified his power for being closed in the graue clasped in the bands of death and a stone rolled to the mouth of the graue the Sepulcher sealed and guarded with souldiers he rose againe the third day before the rising of the Sunne he carried like a victor the bars and posts of death away as vpon his shoulders and vpon the mount of Oliues hee ascended on high leading captiuitie captiue Like as therefore wee receiued before great comfort through the consideration of Christs incomprehensible loue toward vs so is it now confirmed by the meditation of his power Let Sathan boast like Rabsache that the Lord is not able to deliuer Ierusalem out of his hands hee is but a blasphemous Lyar the Lord will rebuke him and will shortly tread Sathan vnder our feet it is the curse of the wicked hee shall be oppressed and there shall bee none to deliuer him but blessed bee the Lord who hath prouided a strong deliuerer for vs who certainly shall set vs free from our enimies and destroy all the oppressours of our soules Glory therefore be vnto him for euer Verse 4. That the righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in vs who walke not after the Flesh but after the Spirit THe Apostle hauing taught vs in the former verse how the Lord Iesus hath freed vs from the condemning power of sinne doth now let vs see how we are freed also from the commanding power of sinne for hee sets downe this to bee the first and neerest end of Christs death in respect of vs the renouation of our nature and conformitie thereof with God his holy law which hee expresses more cleerely in another place when he saith that Christ gaue himselfe to the death for his Church that hee might sanctifie it and make it to himselfe a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinckle or any such thing but that it should bee holy and without blame This is the end which Christ hath proposed vnto himselfe and whereof hee cannot bee frustrate as hee hath begunne it so he shall finish it he shall conforme vs to the law the righteousnesse thereof shall be fulfilled in vs there shall not bee left in our nature so much as a sinfull motion or desire but hee shall at the last present vs pure and without blame to his Father This righteousnesse of the law I vnderstand to be that perfect obedience to the Commaundements thereof which the law requires flowing from the perfect loue of God and our neighbour and it is fulfilled in vs two manner of wayes first by application or imputation of Christs righteousnesse vnto vs he is our head and we his members and are so vnited with him that now we are not to be taken as sundry but as one bodie with him By vertue of the which communion it comes to passe that that which is ours is his and that which is his is ours so that in our head we haue fulfilled the law satisfied Gods iustice for our sinnes Secondly it will be fulfilled in vs by our perfect sanctification though now wee haue but begunne obedience and in part the Lord Iesus at the last shall bring it in vs to perfection The Iesuites of Rhemes in their marginall notes on this Verse collects a note which the word here rendreth not vnto them Wee see say they that the Law which is Gods commandements may be kept that the keeping therof is iustice and that in Christian men that is fulfilled by Christs grace which by the force of the Law could neuer be fulfilled that the law may be fulfilled and also shall be fulfilled by the grace of Christ who hath deliuered vs from the Law of sinne is euident out of the Apostles words we confesse it and are comforted in it this is an end which Christ hath proposed vnto himselfe that he may make vs perfectly answerable to that holinesse which the Law requireth and in his owne good time he shall bring it to passe but that the Law is fulfilled of men in this life cannot be proued neyther out of this place nor any other place of holy Scripture Damnatum est pecatum non extinctum Sinne is condemned sayeth Caietane one of their owne but not extinguished And hereunto beside infinite testimonies of holy Scripture agreeth also the suffrages of pure antiquitie Non dicit familia tua sana sum medicum non requiro sed sana me Domine sanabor It is not saith Ambrose the voyce of thy familie I am whole and needes not a Phisition but
bastard Christians which stands onely in a fayre Sepulcher prouided before hand for themselues in an honourable buriall commanded expected of them before death and in abundance of worldly things which they leaue to theirs behinde them all which as saith the same Father viuorum sunt solatia non mortuorum are comforts to them that liue behinde but no help to them who are dead I note this that considering the magnanimitie of these Ethnicks in suffering of death notwithstanding the weake and small comforts which they had to sustaine them we may be ashamed of our pâ—sillanimitie who hauing from Christ most excellent comforts against death are afraide at the smallest remembrance thereof An euident argument that albeit many professe him yet few are pertakers of his power life and grace and that many hath him dwelling in their mouths in whose harts he dwelleth not by his spirit The body is dead Hee sayes not the body is subiect to death but by a more significant manner of speach he sayth the body is dead There is a difference betweene a mortall body and a dead body Adams body before the fall was mortall that is subiect to a possibilitie of dying but now after the fall our bodies are so mortall that they are subiect to a necessitie of dying yea if wee will here with the Apostle esteeme of death by the beginning thereof our bodies are dead already The officers and sergeants of death which are dolours infirmities and heauieâ— diseases hath seased already vpon our bodies and marked them as lodgings which shortly must be the habitation of death so that there is no man who is not presently dead in some part or other of his body Not onely is the sentence giuen out against vs thou art dust and to dust thou shalt returne but is begun to bee executed our carkasses are bound with cords by the officers of death and our life is but like that short time which is graunted to a condemned man betweene his doome and his execution all which the Apostle liuely expresses when he sayes the body is dead Whereof there arises vnto vs many profitable instructions and first what great neede wee haue as wee are commaunded to passe the time of our dwelling here in feare working out our owne saluation in feare and trembling seeing our sinnes haue cast vs into the hands of the first death shall we not cry without ceasing that we may be deliuered from the power of the second Alas it is pittifull that man should so farre forget himselfe as to reioyce in the time of his misery to passe ouer the dayes of his mortall life in vanitie and wantonnesse not considering how the first death is already entred into his carkasse nor foreseeing how hee may bee deliuered from the second but liues carelesse like to the Apostates of the old world who in the middest of their sinfull pleasures were sodainly washed away with the waters of the wrath of God and their spirits for disobedience sent vnto the prison where now they are and like those Philistims who banquetting in the platforme of the house of Dagon their God hauing minde of nothing but eating drinking and sporting not knowing that their enimie was within were sodainely otherthrowne and their banquetting house made their buriall place so shall it be with all the wicked who liuing in a dead body cares for nothing but how to please themselues in their sinne the piller of their house shall be pulled downe destruction shall come vpon him like a whirlewinde and in a moment shall sodaine desolation ouertake them And let this same meditation represse in vs that poyson of pride the first sinne that euer sprung forth of our nature next to infidelitie and last in rooting out Wilt thou consider O man that thou art but dead and that thy body be it neuer so strong or beautifull is but a lodging of death and what cause shalt thou haue to waxe proud for any thing that is in the flesh quid â—u superbis terra cinis si superbientibus Angelis non pepercit deus quanto minus tibi putredo vermis what hast thou to doe to be proud O dust and ashes if God spared not the Angels when they waxed proud vvill he spare thee who art but a rotten creature yea Vermis crastino moriturus a worme that must dye to morrow If so was done to an Angell saith Bernard what shall become of me ille intumuit in coelo ego in sterquilinio he vvas puft vp in heauen and therefore was cast downe from the place of his habitation if I waxe proude lying in a douâ—g-hill shall I not bee punished and cast downe into hell So oft therefore as corrupâ— nature stirreth vp the heart of man to pride because of the flowers of beautie strength that grow out of it let this humble thee thy flowres O man cannot but wither for the roote from which they spring is dead already And lastly is the body dead then learne temperance and sobrietie what auaileth it to pamper that carkasse of thine with excessiue feeding which is possessed by death already if men tooke the tenth part of that care to present their spirits holy and without blame vnto the Lord which they take to make their bodyes fat and beautifull in the eyes of men they might in short time make greater progresse in godlinesse then they haue done but herein is their folly Carnem pretiosis rebus impinguant c. they make fat their flesh with delicate things which within few daies the woâ—ms shall deuoure Animam vero non adornant bonis operibiu but beautifies not the Soule with good works which shortly is to bee presented vnto God Let vs refraine from the immoderate pampering of this flesh Meates are ordained for the belly and the belly for meates but God will destroy them both We haue here moreouer discouered vnto vs the shamelesse impudencie of Sathan who daily tempting man to sin promiseth vnto him some good by committing of it as boldly as if hee had neuer falsified his promise before He promised to our Parents in Paradise that if they did eate of the fruite of the forbidden tree they should become like vnto God but what performed he in stead of making man like vnto God hee made him like vnto himselfe yet as I sayde so shamelesse is that lying Spirit that hee dâ—re as boldly promise vantage by committing of sinne this day as he did the first day to Adam in Paradise notwithstanding that wee see through miserable experience that death because of sinne is enâ—â—ed into our bodyes Is hee not a deceiuer indeed that did first steale from vs our birth-right and now would also take from vs the blessing all those benefites wee got by our first creation he hath stollen them from vs with his lying words and now hee goes about by lyes also to steale from vs that
it in the graue longest from rottennesse and corruption and how when themselues are gone to preserue their names in immortall remembrance with the posteritie thus by the very instinct of nature are men carried away with a desire of eternitie but herein are they foolish that they seek it the wrong way they lay out their siluer but not for bread they spend their labour and are not satisfied immortalitie and life is to bee sought there where the word of the Lord directs vs let the Spirit of Christ dwell in thee and thou shalt liue otherwise though thou wert the greatest Monarch in the world though all thy meate were soueraigne medicines though thy body were laid in graue with as great externall pompe as worldly glory can afford to any creature and thy flesh were embalmed with the costliest oyntments these are but miserable comforts perishing preseruatiues thou shalt lye downe in dishonour and shalt be raised in greater dishonor to euerlasting shame and endlesse confusion Now as wee haue these three degrees of eternall life by the Spirit dwelling in vs so are wee to marke the order by vvhich hee proceedes in communicating them vnto vs first hee restores life to the soule and secondly he shall restore life vnto the body saith the Apostle where the one is done bee assured the other shall bee done the one is the proper end of his first comming therefore his Heraulds cryed before him Behold the Lambe of God who taketh away the sins of the world In his second comming shall bee the redemption of our bodyes when hee shall appeare hee shall change our vile bodies and make them like to his owne glorious bodie Let this reforme the preposterous care of men art thou desirous that thy body should liue be first carefull that life be communicated to the soule for surely the redemption of thy body shall not follow vnlesse the restitution of thy soule goe before Oportet cor nostrum conformari humilitati cordis Christi priusquam corpus conformetur glorioso corpori eius our heart must first bee conformed to the humilitie of Christs heart before that our body be configurated to his glorious body this is the first resurrection blessed are they that are pertakers of it for vpon such the second death shall haue no power But it is out of doubt qui non resurgit in anima resurget in corpore ad poenam hee that riseth not now in his soule from his sinnes shall rise hereafter in his body to iudgement But now leauing the condition to come to the comfort he that raysed vp Christ from the dead saith the Apostle shall also quicken your mortall bodies What necessitie is there here that he who raysed Christ shall raise vs yes indeed the necessitie is great the head and the members of the misticall body cannot be sundred seeing the head is raysed from the dead no member can be left vnder death the Lord workes in euery member according to that same mightie power by which hee wrought in the head his resurrection necessarily imports ours seeing hee arose not as a priuate man but as the head of all his members full of power to draw the body after him and to communicate that same life to euery member which he hath declared in himselfe Christ in risen from the dead and is made the first fruits of them that sleepe the first fruit is â—isen the after fruit shall in like manner follow Vexit in coelum carnem nostram tanquam arhabonem pignus totius summae illuc quandoque redigendae the Lord Iesus hath carryed our flesh into heauen as an earnest and pledge of the whole summe which afterward is to be brought thether hee hath not thought it inough to giue his spirit vnto vs here on earth as the earnest of our inheritance but to put vs out of all doubt hee hath carryed vp our flesh into heauen and possest it in the kingdome in the name of all his members Who raysed vp Iesus from the dead Then we see that our Lord was once among the dead but now is risen from them let vs not then be afraid when God shall call vs to lye down among the dead also shal the seruant be ashamed of his Masters condition or will the patient refuse to drink that potion which the phisition hath tasted before him No we must follow our Lord through the miseries of this life through the dolours of death through the horrours of the graue if wee looke to follow him in his resurrection in his ascension to be amongst those hundred fortie and foure thousand in mount Sion who hauing his fathers name written in their foreheads follow the Lambe wheresoeuer hee goeth singing that new song which none can sing but they whom hee hath bought from the earth When those women came to seeke the Lord Iesus in the Sepulchre all the feare they had conceiued concerning Christs death the Angels remoues it by sending them to meditate on the resurrection Why seeke yee him that liueth among the dead hee is not here but hee is risen Wee are not yet laid downe among the dead but or euer we goe to the graue we haue this comfort that the Lord by his power shall raise vs out of it where the head growes through the members will follow Per angustum passionis foramen transiuit Christus vt latum praeberet ingressum sequentibus membris Our Lord is gone through the narrow passage of death that he might make it the wider and easier to all his members who are to follow him We see by experience the body of a man drownes not though it be vnder the water as long as the head is borne aboue many of the members of Christ are here in this valley of death tost too and fro in this sea of tribulation with continuall tentations yet our comfort is we cannot perish for our head is aboue and a great part of the body liuing and raigning with him in glory there is life in him to draw forth out of these miseries all his members and hee shall doe it by that same power by which he raised himselfe from the dead For we are taught here that our resurrection is a worke not to be done by man nor the power of nature but by the power of God we are not therefore to hearken to the deceitfull motions of our infidelitie which calles in doubt this article of our Faith wee must not consider the imbecillitie and weaknesse of nature neither measure heauenly and supernaturall things with the narrow span of naturall reason but as it is Abrahams praise the father of the faithfull that when God promised him a sonne in his old age he was not weake in the faith hee considered not his owne body which was dead neither the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe but was strengthned in the faith and gaue glory to God being fully assured that he who
which our sinnes hath subdued them should not we much more sigh and grone for our owne sinnes assuredly if wee doe not we are conuinced to be more sensles then the senslesse creatures themselues Concerning this metaphor of trauailing it is two manner of wayes ascribed to the wicked in holy Scripture and one manner of way to the godly For first their concupiscence is compared to a mother that conceiues and trauailes continually without rest till it bring out sinne and sinne being finished is compared in like manner to a mother that bringeth out death And secondly the imagination of their hart is compared to a mother which conceiues cruell counsels and mischieuous deuices against the godly all their dayes they trauaile with this birth and would fain haue it brought out to perfection but at length they bring forth a lye for the malice of the wicked shall slay himselfe his mischiefe shall turne vpon his owne head and his crueltie shall fall vpon his owne paâ—e But as for the children of God they trauaile in paine of the monstrous birth of sin that is within them not that they are desirous to perfect and finish it but to destroy and abolish it as being a monster within them which they abhorre and adulterous birth begotten by a most vnlawfull copulation betweene Sathan and their corrupted will the father that begot this monster being Sathan and the mother that conceiued it their corrupt Nature for this they sigh and cry vnto God with the Apostle O miserable man who shall deliuer me from this bâ—dy of death This was his voyce vnto God and should much more be our continuall lamentation seeing in sinnes we are more abundant and in grace farre inferiour to that holy Apostle The Lord therefore worke it in vs for his Sonne Christs sake Verse 23. And not onely the creature but wee also who haue receiued the first fruits of the Spirit euen we doe sigh in our selues waiting for the adoption euen the redemption of our bodyes NOw followeth the Apostles other argument wherby he proues the greatnesse and certaintie of that glory to be reueiled it is taken from that feruent expectation vvhich the sonnes of God haue of it It can neither be a vaine nor a small thing but by the contrary both great and certaine vvhereupon God hath set the desire of his best creatures by instinct of the Spirit of Grace So that vve haue here first a description of Gods children they are such as haue receiued the first fruits of the spirit secondly a twofold effect vvhich this holy Spirit workes in Gods children first a wearinesse of their present bondage and seruitude of sinne secondly a vvaiting by a constant expectation for a better And this doth very much confirme the Apostles purpose there being none on earth vvho can better iudge the excellencie of that glory to come than they vvho haue receiued the first fruits thereof Out of all doubt the testimonie of any one vvho hath tasted of that ioy to come is more worth to commend it than is the contrary iudgement of a thousand others to disproue it And not onely the creature The Apostle proceedes from the testimonie of the creature to the testimonie of the sonnes of God when he spake of the creature he said they sigh and grone with vs they trauaile together in paine with vs and when hee speakes of the godly hee saith we sigh in our selues As man was not made for himselfe but for the Lord and therefore should wait vpon him so the creatures were not made for themselues but for vs and therefore where they are at couenant with vs they in their kind wait vpon vs they goe with vs they grone with vs are grieued with vs and shall neuer rest till vve be deliuered let licentious men liuing in their sinnes marke this they sigh not in themselues with the godly yea they scorne their sighings and therefore shall not be restored with the godly they grone not with the creature and shall not be deliuered with the creature O miserable man how vnhappie is that end whereunto thy vvanton and hard heart which cannot repent doth lead thee thou shalt not stand in iudgement with the godly where they goe there shalt not thou goe thou didst not mourne with the children of the marriage chamber and therefore shalt not enter with them into it to be comforted thou shalt goe to another place and mourne without them the burthen of thy sins which now thou feelest not shall presse thee downe to hell and confound thee for euer the creature that groned with the godly shall be restored with them and thou shalt not be restored O how shalt thou be cast downe when the earth whereupon thou treadest shall be deliuered into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God and shall as a seruant stand in the day of restitution but thou as a rebell shalt be cast into vtter darknesse and shall not be so much as pertaker of the deliuerance of the creature But we also who haue receiued the first fruits of the Spirit In this description of the godly let vs consider these three things First that whatsoeuer grace we haue we receiued it Secondly that grace we haue receiued is not full but in part for we haue onely receiued the first fruits of the Spirit And thirdly that the first fruits which we haue are sufficient pledges to vs of the plenitude and fulnesse which afterward we shall receiue The first of these learnes vs humilitie what hast thou O man which thou hast not receiued The Lord dispenses grace to euery one according to his pleasure and we are but vessels filled and emptied as hee will Secondly it learnes vs thankfulnesse whatsoeuer Grace wee haue receiued wee should returne both the praise and the vse of it to him who gaue it as the waters by secret conduits come from the Sea returne againe openly into it through the troughes so that all men may see the returning albeit they saw not the comming so that Grace which the Lord by his Spirit secretly conuayes to the godly doth againe publikely returne vnto him by prayse and well doing And thirdly it doth teach vs diligence in prayer if we desire encrease of Grace vve should seeke it from him of vvhom vve haue the beginning and vse all the meanes such as hearing reading praying keeping of a good conscience by which Grace may grovv and be intertayned in vs. The next thing we obserue is that in this life we receiue not the plenitude and fulnesse of Grace but onely the first fruits thereof The vse of this is first to comfort the children of God who are oftentimes discouraged with the sense and feeling of their owne wants It is one of Sathans stratagems to try those by the rule of perfection who are yet but in the state of proficients and we had neede to beware of it Shall I giue that vantage
and Mary who had beene a sinner brought him the sacrifice of a contrite heart and the Lord esteemed more of her teares than of the Phariâ—ies delicates No banquet pleaseth the Lord Iesus so well as a banquet of teares poured from a truely penitent heart The Lord is said to gather the teares of his children and keepe them in a bottell thereby to tell vs that they are pretious in his sight for hee is not like fooles who gather into their treasures things which are vaine and needlesse But alas how shall hee gather that which wee haue not scattered where are our teares the witnesses of our vnfained humiliation before God The hardnesse of hart hath ouergrowne this age that albeit there be more then cause yet there is no mourning The sonnes of Cain learned without a teacher to worke in brasse and iron and the wit of man can make the hardest mettall soft to receiue an impression but cannot get their owne stonie heart made soft yea the children of God finde in experience how hard a thing it is to get a melting heart The rocke rendred water to Moses at the third stroke but alas many strokes will our hearts take before they send out the sweete teares of repentance this I marke that knowing our naturall hardnesse we may learne without intermission to fight against it For herein is our case so much the more pittifull that hauing more than matter enough of mourning yet wee doe not mourne without vs should not the troublesome estate of the Church of God be a matter of our griefe though our priuate estate were neuer so peaceable Godly Nehemiah being placed in the honourable seruice of King Artashashte the Monarch of the world was not so much comforted with his owne good estate as grieued at the desolation of Ierusalem Decay of Religion and increase of Idolatrie made Eliah wearie of his life the Arke of God captiued and the glory departed from Israell draue all comfort out of the heart of the wife of Phinees these and many moe may teach vs that the affliction of Ioseph should be matter of our sorrow The causes of mourning within vs are partly our sinnes partly our manifold tentations As our sinnes are contracted with pleasure so are they dissolued with godly sorrow It is the best medicine which is most contrary to the nature of the disease our sinne is a sicknesse wherein there is a carnall delight to doe that which is forbidden and it is best cured by repentance wherein there is a spirituall displeasure and sorrowing for the euill which wee haue done this mourning for sinne lasts in the godly so long as they liue in the body yea those same sinnes which God hath forgiuen and put out of their affection are still in their remembrance for their humiliation so that with Godly Ezechia they recount all their dayes and their former sinnes in the bitternes of their heart so long as sinne remained in their affection it vvas the matter of their ioy but now being by grace remoued out of the affection it becomes the matter of their sorrow The other cause of our mourning is our manifold tentations for this world is no other thing but a stormie Sea wherein so many contrary windes of tribulation blowes vpon vs that we can hardly tell which of them we haue most cause to feare On euery side Sathan besets vs with tentations on the right hand and on the left vt quatuor angulis pulsata domus alâ—qua ex parte ruinam faciat that the house being shaken at all the foure corners may fall downe in one part or other no rest nor quietnes for vs in this habitation terrours within fightings without Propter quod vno consilio migrandum est Christianis For the which it is best for vs with one aduise to conclude that wee will remoue and in the meane time send vp our complaint to our Father in heauen as the Gibionites did to Ioshua shewing him how we are beseiged and enuironed for his sake and praying him to come with hast and helpe vs. Wayting for the Adoption Now followeth the other effect of the Spirit for hee not onely causeth vs as we haue heard to sigh and mourne for our present miseries but also comforts vs with the hope and expectation of deliuerance though in this life wee haue trouble yet haue we no trouble without comfort Blessed be God who comforts vs in all our tribulations and beside that which we presently haue it is yet much more which wee looke for The men of this world haue no ioy without sorrow euen in laughter their heart is sorrowfull pretend what they will in their countenance there is a heauinesse in their conscience arising of the weight of sinne but it is far otherwise with the Godly for euen in mourning they doe reioyce and vnder greatest heauinesse they carry a liuely hope of ioyfull deliuerance Againe wee are to marke that the Godly are described in holy Scripture to be such as doe not liue content with their present estate but waites and longs for a better and specially there are two dayes for which the Children of God are said to wait the first the day of death wherin they goe to the Lord the second the day of appearing wherein the Lord shall come vnto them they soiourne in the body more weary of it then Dauid was of his dwelling in the tents of Kedar they waite with patient Iob till the day of their change come and doe desire with the Apostle to bee dissolued that they may be with Christ they pray for it so oft as they vse that petition Let thy kingdome come seeking death so farre as it is a meanes to abolish sinne vtlerly that Christ their King may alone raigne in them but as for the wicked the remembrance of death is terrible vnto them and in their thought they put it farre from them and when it comes it comes vpon them vnlooked for As Iehu furiously came vpon Iehoram and hee made with all his speede to his chariot thinking to flye away but in vaine for the arrow of Iehu ouertooke him so death comes vpon the wicked in a day and place wherein they looked not for it and they being terryfied with it runnes with all the speede they can to their chariots that is to their refuges of vanitie but the dart of death surely ouer-takes them Miserable are they whose comfort standeth rather in an vncertaine delay of death than in any certaintie which they haue of eternall life But let vs be prepared for it as the good Israelites of God with our loynes girded vp and our staues in our hands ready to take our iourney from Egypt to Canaan whensoeuer the Lord our God shall commaund vs. As foules desirous to flye stretch out their wings so should man desirous to be with the Lord
stretch out his affections toward the heauens Abraham sat in the doore of his Tabeâ—nacle when the Angell appeared vnto him Elias came out to the mouth of his Caue when the Lord appeared to him and we must also reioyce to come out of the caue and tabernacle of this wretched body if we would meet with the Lord yea euen while as we dwell in the body if in our affection we come not out and stand as it were in the doore of our tabernacle but like Ionas sleeping in the sides of the ship we lye downe in the hollow of our heart sleeping in carelesse securitie it is not possible that the Lord can be familiar with vs. The other day for which the godly are said to wait is the day of Christs second comming The Apostle giues this as a token of the rich grace of God bestowed on the Corinthians that they waited for the appearance of Christ and to the Philippians hee saith our conuersation is in heauen from whence we looke for our sauiour the Lord Iesus yea hee giues it out as a marke of all those who are to be glorified when he sayth there is laid vp for me a crowne of righteousnesse and not for me onely but for all them who loue Christs second appearing And againe Christ was once offered to take away the sinnes of many and vnto them that looke for him shall he appeare the second time without sinne vnto saluation These and many moe places proues that there is great scarcitie of Faith and spirituall grace in this generation there being so few that vnfainedly longs for the day of his appearance suppose euery man in word mumble vp that petition let thy kingdome come yet are they few who when Iesus testifieth surely I come quicklie can in truth answer with the godly Amen euen so come Lord Iesus and all because we are neither weary of our present miserie nor certaine of that glorious deliuerance to come otherwise vve would long for it and reioyce at the smallest appearance thereof The woman with childe reckons her time as neere as shee can and albeit others haue no minde of it yet is it alway in her remembraunce because that then she hopes for deliuerance Among the Iewes as the day of their Iubilied awes neere so the ioy of them that were in prison encreased being assured that then they were to be releeued and should not wee much more reioyce the neere that the day of our eternall Iubilie draweth vnto vs wherein all teares shall be wiped away from our eyes and sorrow and mourning shall flye away for euer Where for the comfort of the weake Christian wee are to consider whether the Godly be alway in this estate that they dare lift vp their heads with ioy and pray for Christs second appearance or not To this I answere that their disposition herein is according to the estate of their conscience as the eye being hurt is content to be couered with a vaile and desireth not to behold the light wherein otherwise it reioyceth so the conscience of the Godly being any way wounded is afraid to stand before the light of the countenance of God till the time that it be cured againe And this made Dauid to craue that the Lord would spare him a little and giue him space to recouer his strength but after mourning and earnest calling for mercie the conscience being pacified then doe the Godly say with Simeon Now Lord let thy Seruant depart for mine eyes haue seene thy saluation For the Adoption He said before that we haue receiued the spirit of Adoption and now he saith that wee waite for Adoption but wee must vnderstand that there is a begun Adoption whereby wee are made the sonnes of God and that wee haue receiued alreadie there is in like manner a consummate Adoption whereby wee are manifested to be the sonnes of God and entred into the full possession of our fathers inheritance and that we waite for The redemption of our bodies As there is a two-fold adoption so also a two-fold redemption the first is defined by the Apostle to be the remission of our sinnes and that we haue receiued already the second is called in that same Chapter the redemption of the possession and here the redemption of our bodyes and this we looke for to come As the soule was first wounded by sinne and then the body with mortalitie and corruption so the Lord Iesus the restorer who came to repair the wound which sathan inflicted on man doth first of all restore life to the soule by the remission of sins which he hath obtayned by his suffering in the flesh and therefore the Herald of his first comming cryed before him behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world This is the first Resurrection blessed are they who are pertakers of it for vpon such the second death shall haue no power but in his second comming we shall also bee pertakers of the second redemption hee shall redeeme our bodyes from the power of the graue wherein now they lye captiued and deliuer them from the shame of mortalitie and corruption Let this comfort vs against the present base and contemptible state of our bodyes now they are but filthy sinckes of corruption and vessels so full of vncleannesse that the Lord hath appointed in the body fiue conduits to purge the naturall filth thereof and after this they are to be laid downe in the bed of corruption the wormes spread vnder them and aboue them as it is said of the King of Ashur shall deuoure and consume their flesh the earth shall eate vp their bones and turne them into dust the braine which was the seat of many proud and vaine imaginations becomes after death oftentimes the seat of the vgly â—oads the reynes that were the seat of concupiscence engendreth serpents and the bowels which could neuer be gotten satisfied with meate and drinke shall be replenished with armies of crawling wormes but against all these we haue this comfort that as presently we haue obtained remission of our sinnes so are we assured of a glorious redemption of our bodies qui enim resurgit in anima resurget in corpore ad vitam for hee that riseth now in his soule shall hereafter rise in his body to eternall life And of this euery man is admonished that if he loue his body he should in time take heed to the estate of his soule see that it be pertaker of the first redemption which is the remission of sinnes and be sure thy body shall be pertaker of the second redemption It is a pittifull thing to see what preposterous care is taken by men for conseruation of their bodily life there is nothing they leaue vndone vt differant mortem quam auferre non possunt that they may at the least prolong and delay death
Ierusalem except the hand of God first beat from vs our proud lumps by the hammer of affliction As standing waters putrifie and rot so the wicked feares not God because they haue no changes and Moab keepes his sent because he was not powred from vessell to vessell but hath beene at rest euer since his youth And therefore O Lord rather than that we should keepe the sent of our old naturall corruption and liue in a careles securitie without the feare of thine holy name and so become sit fasts in our sinnes no rather O Lord change thou vs from estate to estate waken vs with the touch of thine hand purge vs with thy fire and chastise vs with thy roddes alway Lord with this protestation that thou keepe towards vs that promise made to the sonnes of Dauid I will visit them with my roddes if they sinne against me but my mercy will I neuer take from them So be it O Lord euen So be it The same comfort haue we also against death that now in Iesus Christ it is not a punishment of our sinnes but a full accomplishment of the mortification of our sinne both in soule and body for by it both the fountaine and the fluxe of sinne are dryed vp all the conduits of sinne are stopped and the weapons of vnrighteousnesse broken And though our bodyes seeme to be consumed and turned into nothing yet are they but sowen like graynes of Wheat in the field and husbandry of the Lord which must dye before they be quickned but in the day of Christ shall spring vp againe most glorious And as for our soules they are by death releeued out of this honse of seruitude that they may returne vnto him who gaue them therefore haue I compared death to the red sea wherein Pharaoh and his Aegiptians were drowned and sancke like a stone to the bottome but the Israelits of God went through to their promised Canaan so shall death be vnto you O miserable infidels whose eyes the God of this world hath blinded that no more then blinded Aegiptians can yee see the light of God shining in Goshen which is his Church though yee be in it to you I say your death shall be the very centre of all your miseries a sea of the vengeance of God wherein yee shall be drowned and shall sincke with your sinnes heauier than a milstone about the necke of our soules to presse you downe to the lowest hell But as for you who are the Israelits of God ye shall walk through the valley of death and not neede to be afraid because the Lord is with you his staffe and his rod shall comfort you albeit the guiltinesse of forepassed sinnes yet remayning in the memory the terrour of hell and horrour of the graue stand vp on euery side like mountaines threatning to ouerwhelme you yet shall yee goe safely through to the land of your inheritance where with Moses and Miriam and all the children of God euen the congregation of the first borne yee shall sing prayses ioyfully to the God of your saluation Now in the last roome concerning the imaginations of men against vs wee shall haue cause to say of them in the end as Ioseph said to his brethren yee did it vnto me for euill but the Lord turned it to good The whole history of Gods booke is a cloude of manifold witnesses concurring together to confirme his truth therefore among many wee will be content with one When Dauid was going forward in battell against Israell with Acish King of Gath vnder whom he soiourned a while in the time of his banishment the remanent Princes of the Philistims commanded him to goe backe and this they did for the worst to disgrace him because they distrusted him but the Lord turned it vnto him for the best for if hee had come forward he had been guiltie of the blood of Israell specially of Saul the Lords annointed who was slaine in that battell from this the prouident mercy of God doth in such sort deliuer him that no offence is done by Dauid to Saul or his people because Dauid came not against them neither yet could the Philistims blame him because he went backe by their own commaund So a notable benefit Dauid did receiue by that same deed wherein his enimies thought they had done him a notable shame And where otherwise it pleaseth the Lord to suffer wicked men to lay hand on the bodyes of his children yet all they are able to doe is but like the renting of Iosephs garment from him As he doth sustaine small losse whose garment is cut if his body be preserued so the Christian when his body is wounded vnto the death yet hath he lost nothing which hee striues to keepe for hee knowes it is but a corruptible garment which would decay in it selfe albeit there were no man to rent it Non sunt itaque timenda spiritui quae fiunt in carne quae extra nos est quasi vestamentum let not therefore our soule be afraid for those things which are done to our bodyes for it is without vs as a garment that doth but couer vs. Thus haue wee seene how that their is nothing so euill in â— selfe vvhich by the prouident vvorking of God is not turned to the good of his children Whereof arises yet vnto vs this further comfort that seeing it is the priuiledge of euery one who loues the Lord it must much more be the priuiledge of the whole Church that promise made to the Father of the faithfull I will blesse them that blesse thee and curse them that curse thee we may easily thinke belongs also to all his seed euen to that congregation of the first borne The Lord will bee a wall of fire round about Ierusalem and the glory in the middest of her he will keepe her as the apple of his eye and make Ierusalem a cuppe of poyson to all her enimies and a heauie stone which whosoeuer striueth to lift shall be torne therewith though all the people of the earth were gathered together against it the weapons made against her shall not prosper and euery tongue that shall rise against her in iudgement shall be condemned This is the heritage of the Lords seruants and the portion of them that loue him for the Church is that Arke which mounts vp higher as the water increases but cannot be ouerwhelmed the bush which may burne but cannot be consumed the house built on a rocke which may be beaten with winde and raine but cannot be ouerthrowne The Lord who changeth times and seasons who takes away Kings and sets vp Kings hath reproued Kings for his Churches sake yea hee gouernes all he kingdomes of the earth in such sort that their fallings risings their changes and mutations are all directed to the good of his Church In one of these two sentences all the Iudges of the world may see themselues
tenth part of your thoughts or words haue been bestowed vpon him No no it is the shame of many that they haue taken more paynes to keepe a signet on their hand than euer they did to keepe Iesus in their hart they wander after vanitie and follow lyes they forsake the fountaine of liuing waters Oh consider this yee that forget God least hee teare you in peeces and there be none to deliuer you The last lesson vve obserue in this part of the Verse is this as all things workes for the best to them who loue the Lord so all things workes for the vvorst vnto the vvicked there is nothing so cleane which they defile not nothing so excellent vvhich they abuse not Make Saul a King and Balaam a Prophet and Iudas an Apostle their preferment shall be their destruction if they be in prosperitie they contemne God and their prosperitie becomes their ruine if they be in aduersitie they blaspheme him and like raging waues of the sea cast out their owne dirt to their shame yea what speake I of these things euen their table shall be asâ—are vnto them Iesus Christ is a rocke of offence vnto them the Gospell the sauour of death vnto them and their prayer is turned into sinne and what more excellent things then these As a foule stomacke turnes most healthfull food into corruption so their polluted conscience turnes iudgement into gall and the fruit of righteousnesse into wormewood And all this should prouoke vs to a holy care to become good our selues or else there is nothing were it neuer so good can be profitable to vs. To them that loue God We haue heard the Apostles last argument of comfort which is that the Lord so ruleth all things by his prouidence that those things which seemes to be against his children are made to worke together for the aduancement of their good Deus enim adeo bonus est vt nihil mali esse sineret nisi etiam adeo esset potens vt ex quolibet malo possit elicere bonum for God is so good that hee would suffer no euill to be were it not he is also so powerfull that of euery euill hee is able to draw out good Now wee proceede to the persons to whom this comfort belongs who are first described to be such as loue God secondly as are called according to his purpose Here are three things conioyned together euery one depending on another First the purpose of God vvhich is no other thing but his eternall and immutable decree concerning our saluation Secondly our calling flowing from this purpose Thirdly a loue of God wrought in our hearts by this effectuall calling These three are so inseperably conioyned together that from the lowest of these we may goe vp to the highest of that vnâ—ayned loue of God which is in thee thou mayest know that he loued thee and in his vnchangeable purpose hath ordayned thee to life This is the greatest comfort that can be giuen to men vpon earth to let them see that or euer the Lord laide the foundations of the earth he first laid the foundation of thy saluation in his owne immutable purpose which being secret in it selfe and obscured from vs is now manifested vnto vs by our effectuall calling But of this we will speake more God willing hereafter The loue of God then is set downe here as a principall effect and token of our calling As the Lord calles none effectually but those whom hee hath elected so none caâ— loue him but those who are effectually called by him yea thou thy selfe who now loues the Lord before thy calling louedst him nod thy heart went a whooring from God and thou preferredst euery Creature before him and for the smallest pleasure of sinne thou caredst not to offend him It is thought among the multitude a common thing and an easie to loue the Lord and euery man abhorres in word to be counted such a monster as hath not the loue of God but they are farre deceiued for man till he be called by grace cannot loue the Lord herein is loue not that we loued God but that hee loued vs. If now we doe know him and know him so that we loue him it is because we were first knowne of him and so knowne that we were beloued of him not that there is any equalitie betweene these loues or that we are able to match the Lord in affection non enim pari vbertate fluunt hi duo amores for these two loues flowes not in a like plentie as the running of a little strand is nothing in comparison of the great Ocean so is our loue to God as nothing if it be compared with his incomprehensible loue toward vs yet is it most certaine amor Dei amorem animae parit it is Gods loue to vs which begets in the soule a loue to God Nemo itaque se amari diffidat qui iam amat let no man therefore who loues God distrust that he is beloued It is very comfortable that among all the pen-men of the holy Ghost none doe speake more of loue than Iohn euen hee who vvas Christs beloued Disciple whom hee loued aboue the rest for it doth teach vs that whosoeuer is greatly beloued of God shall also become a carefull practiser of loue toward others That therefore we may know the heart of God toward vs it shall not be needfull that we enter into his secret counsell but let vs goe and enter into our owne hearts and there we shall finde resolution albeit the Lord send not now to you that are men an Angell to witnesse as hee did to Daniel that he was a man greatly beloued of God or to testifie to you that are women that which he did to Mary that shee was freely beloued of the Lord yet so many of you as vpon knowledge in sinceritie can say with Peter Lord thou knowest that I loue thee haue here a testimonie no lesse certaine to wit his owne Oracle in his word to make you sure that yee are beloued of him And that the comfort may be the more sure vnto vs seeing loue is the principall token of our calling wee will speake a little of Loue that so we may know whether wee be endued with this most excellent grace of the spirit or no. Naturally the affection of Loue iâ— man is so inordinate that not vnproperly Nazianzen called it dulcem tyrannum a sweet tyrannie that by deceitfull allurements compels the whole man to follow it and it is not onely in it selfe distemperated but altogether set vpon wrong obiects our loue being so set vpon the creature that we neglect the Creator a fearefull ingratitude that where in the beginning the Lord set vp man as Prince and ruler ouer all his creatures putting all the workes of his hands in subiection vnder him that man should meet the Lord with such vnthankfulnesse as to set in his affection euery creature
to Ioseph when she pulled the garment from him There are three notable things for which we striue and which the world is neuer able to take from vs the loue of God which he hath borne to vs the grace of God which hee hath communicated to vs in our calling the glory of God and eternall life which hereafter doth abide vs no power of man nor Angell is able to depriue vs of these things An example whereof we haue in that notable warriour of God Patient Iob whom the Lord set vp as an obiect of all Sathans buffets and against whom hee was permitted to vse all the strategems of the spirituall warfare that possibly hee could hee crossed him not onely in his goods in his children and in his owne body but also in his minde by his wife hee tempted him to blasphemie by his friends to diffidence yet by none of these could hee ouercome him In his outward troubles his resolution was the Lord hath giuen the Lord hath taken blessed be the name of the Lord for euer in his inward terrours his resolution was Albeit the Lord would slay me yet would I trust in him so impossible is it for Sathan by any tentation whatsoeuer to seperate from the loue of God his Children chosen called and iustified To cleare this let vs yet know that God is many manner of wayes present with his children in trouble first hee is with them by preuenting the danger so that hee will not suffer the intended euill of the enimie to come neere them so he brought Senacherib to see Ierusalem without but suffered him not to shoot so much as a dart against it within Somtime again the Lord enters his children into the trouble as Daniel into the den Ioseph into the prison the three Children into the fire but deliuers them in such sort that both his glory and their comfort is greater than if they had not beene in trouble at all Sometime hee suffers his children to end their mortall liues in trouble and yet is with them strengthening them by his glorious might to all patience and long suffering filling them with such a sense of his loue that in death they rest vnder the assurance of life The practise of this see in the examples of Eliah and Paul when Iezabel vowed to haue the life of Eliah yee shall see that the Lord is with him sometime to hide him that albeit Achab and Iezabel seeke him they cannot finde him sometime God lets Achabs captaines see where hee is but consumes with fire them that came proudly to take him Sometime hee presents him to Achab and Iezabel but bridleth the tyrants that they haue no power to stirre him The Apostle Paul in like manner being sent prisoner to Rome the Lord assisted him in such sort that hee deliuered him out of the mouth of the Lyon Nero and yet the second time suffered him to fall by the sword of the same tyrant shall wee thinke that the Lord was not with the Apostle to assist him the second time as well as the first let it be farre from vs. The Lord was with him indeed to make his death a seale and confirmation of that Gospell which hee had preached in his life The comfort then remaines that howeuer God worke with his children in trouble no aduersarie is able to take from vs that for which wee striue to wit grace and glory they may be vnto vs as the sharpe rasers of God to cut away our superfluities but shall neuer be able to bereaue vs of the end of our Faith which is the euerlasting saluation of our soules Verse 32. Who spared not his owne Sonne but gaue him for vs all vnto death how shall he not with him giue vnto vs all things also NOw followeth the second part of the Apostles generall triumph wherein hee gloryeth that the Christian can want nothing needfull for him for seeing the Lord hath giuen vnto him the greatest and most excellent gift to wit his owne Sonne is it possible that he will denie him any secondary or inferior gifts needfull for him Sathan who is a lyer from the beginning accused the Lord of two things first of an vntruth albeit the Lord hath said it yet ye shall not dye secondly of Enuy. In the first Sathan is proued false and the Lord is found true for are they not dead to whom the Lord said yee shall dye In the second Sathan is found a calumniator for what good tree will the Lord refuse to his owne who hath giuen vnto them this excellent tree of life which brings with it vnto them all things needfull for them To amplifie this great loue of God the Apostle saith not simply that hee gaue his Sonne for vs but that hee spared not to giue him O wonderfull loue the Naturall and onely Sonne of God is not spared that the adoptiue sonnes may be spared for our sins being imputed to him by the ordinance of God his Father and voluntarily accepted by himselfe so the punishment of our sinnes and chasticement of our peace was laid vpon him that by his stripes wee might be healed The bitter cuppe due to vs was propined to him for the which albeit hee prayed to his Father that if it were his will this cuppe might passe by him yet the Father spared him not but held it to his head till hee dranke out the vttermost dregs thereof So straite is the Iustice of God that sinne being imputed to the Sonne of God who had no sinne of his owne is pursued to the vttermost The greatest example of Iustice that euer the Lord declared in the world the drowning of the originall world the burning of Sodome the plaguing of Egypt were terrible proofes of the straitnesse of diuine Iustice but nothing comparable to this Which I marke partly for a comfort to the Godly and partly for a warning to the wicked it is our great comfort that the saluation which Iesus hath purchased vnto vs hee hath obtained it with a full satisfaction of his Fathers Iustice so that now wee that are in him are not any more to feare it The great Iudge of all the world will not doe vnrighteously to require that againe from vs which our Christ whom hee himselfe hath giuen vnto vs hath payed for vs. And as for the wicked who are not in Christ how miserable will their state and condition be for they must beare the punishment of their owne sinnes in their owne persons If the burden of that wrath due to our sinnes caused Iesus to sweat bloud and to say that his soule was heauy vnto the very death O how shall the burden of this wrath presse downe the wicked it is euen a horrour to think of it their faces shall be confused without and their spirits oppressed within with tribulation and anguish hee that spared not in his owne Sonne sinne imputed vnto him will hee spare in
Lord in the world to come As this is the comfort of Gods chosen so doth it point vnto vs the contrary miserable estate of the reprobate for there is nothing in heauen and earth which shall not stand vp against them to accuse them the Lord himselfe shall come neere them as a swift witnesse against them O miserable are they to whom the Lord is a Partie a Iudge and a Witnesse as our Sauiour said to the Iewes Moses and all the seruants of God shall be witnesses against them yea the dust of the feete of those who brought the glad tidings of peace shall witnesse against them the stones of the field said Ioshua the heauens and earth said Moses their moth-eaten garments said S. Iames yea they themselues said our Sauiour shall witnesse against themselues woe be vnto them they must be presented to iudgement but shall haue none eyther in heauen or earth to speake for them nothing without them nothing within them which shall not be a witnesse against them when they are iudged they shall be condemned and their owne conscience shall say righteous is the Lord and iust are his iudgements It is God that Iustifies Of this ye may see cleerely that Iustification as the Apostle vseth it here is a iudicial terme for he oppones it to accusation and condemnation but leauing that because wee marked it before in the poynt of Iustification we will adde this more that the Apostle brings not the reason of his comfort from his owne innocencie but from Gods mercy he saith not there is nothing in me worthy to be accused or to be condemned but his comfort is that whateuer it be God hath pardoned it This is it that breedes vnquietnesse and perturbation in many weake consciences they seeke within themselues that which should commend them to God as if they could not be saued vnlesse they were perfect this commeth of Sathans singular subtiltie who labours to creep in betweene vs and our warrant as if our owne innocencie were the warrant of our saluation and not Gods mercy nor Christs merit It is true it becomes vs for our greater comfort to nourish within our selues the tokens of Grace but to conclude that because they are weake therefore wee cannot be saued it is Sathans sophistrie with which wee should not suffer our soules to be abused Verse 34. Who shall condemne it is Christ which is dead yea or rather which is risen againe who is also at the right hand of God and maketh request also for vs. THe Apostle insists in his perticular triumph against sinne and hee demaunds now who shall condemne it may be as wee heard there be some bold to accuse but is there any saith the Apostle that hath power to condemne none at all and that hee proues from the death resurrection exaltation and intercession of Christ for as all these were done for vs so doe euery one of them render vnto vs the sweete fruit of consolation Of the comfort arising from Christs death we haue spoken before The next is his resurrection we haue comfort saith the Apostle in his death but much more comfort in his resurrection therefore saith the Apostle It is Christ who is dead or rather who is risen againe for if wee looke to Iesus dying albeit in death hee shewed himselfe a powerfull Sauiour yet in his death his glory was greatly obscured vnder the couering of mortalitie which againe in his resurrection was more clearely manifested for hee was declared mightily to be the sonne of God by his resurrection and hath made vs sure of the remission of our sinnes for hee had not come out of the prison of the graue if hee had not payed the vttermost farthing of our debt If Christ saith the Apostle be not yet risen then are we yet in our sinnes thanks be to God we may turne it to our comfort Iesus is already risen therefore wee are not in our sinnes As for his exaltation the Apostle saith hee sits at the right hand of God to speake properly the Lord who is a Spirit hath neyther right hand nor left but by these borrowed speaches the Lord who dwelleth in light inaccessible to whom wee cannot ascend by our selues that wee should know him descends vnto vs and speakes of his vnspeakeable Maiestie vnto vs in such manner as wee are best able to conceiue it so that when eyes and eares and hands are ascribed to the Lord wee are to thinke these hee hath per effectum non per naturam And this may rebuke that bolde blasphemie of the Papists who presume to paint the incomprehensible Maiestie of God vnder the similitude of an aged and worne creature expresly contrary to Gods commaundement In that day saith the Lord that I spake vnto thee out of the mountaine thou heardest a voyce but saw no Image beware therefore thou make none and in many places is the same presumption condemned by the Prophets Where if they excuse themselues that they paint the Lord in such a similitude as hee appeared vnto Daniell and no otherway I answere first this is false for sometime which is horrible to speake they paint him in the shape of an humane body hauing three heads but albeit it were true which they say yet doth it not excuse them for the Lords extraordinary facts are not to bee vsed as warrants to breake his ordinary and eternall Commaundements neyther doth it any more excuse them than that deed of the Lord whereby he caused the Israelits to take from the Egiptians their siluer gold and Iewels which they neuer rendred can excuse them that doe borrow steale and robbe from others but neuer restore But howeuer they excuse themselues as long as the word of the Apostle stands true they shall not rubbe off them the blot of idolatry they turne the glory of the incorruptible God into the similitude of a corruptible man The Maiestie of God is eternall the heauens waxe olde but he remaines the same why then doe they paint him vnder the similitude of a worne creature weakned by the length of dayes The Iesuites of Rhemes conuinced of darknesse are ashamed of the light that shines in this place of Scripture and passe by it without an answer they excuse the making of the Image of Christ and of his Saints but speak not one word to defend that grosse Idolatry whereby they turne the glory of the inuisible God into the image of a corruptible man It had ben good for them they had beene as dumbe in the defence of the rest of their abhominations as they are in this This speach therefore to sit at the right hand of God is a borrowed speach the Metaphor being taken from Kings who vse to set on their right hand those whom they honour most as Salomon did his mother Bathsheba and so the phrase will import that high honour and dignitie whereunto Christ
and rotten members Secondly wee communicate with the affliction of our brethren when in our affection wee are ready to suffer with them if so it would please the Lord to employ vs as they are Martyres in action so will the Lord accept the others as Martyres in affection Deus enim non estimat quenquam ex euentu rerum sed ex affectu for God esteemes not one by the euent of things but by their affection Non fraudabitur Martyrij gloria per quem non stetit quo minus Martyrium peregerit hee shall not be defrauded of the glory of martyrdome in whose default it was not that he accomplished his Martyrdome therefore Aquila Priscilla are commended that for the Apostles life they had laide downe their owne â—eckes their good-will being reckoned vnto them for a deede But as Iacob hazarded some of his familie in the hands of Esau before others so the Lord sends out some of his seruants to trouble before others For the Lord is not so prodigall of the liues of his children that at one time hee will hauock them all in the hands of the wicked though he send some out to the tryall he will reserue others to be as it were the seede of the Gospell All the day long If we apply this testimonie to the whole Church then this day shall be the whole course of time from the beginning to the end thereof Earely in the morning Cain began to persecute his brother and euer since bloudy persecuters in all ages haue followed his way but among them all the persecuters of this last age which is the euening are most miserable for all the blood shed since the dayes of Abell shall light vpon them As in a good course his praise is greatest who is formost so in an euill course his iudgement shall be greatest who comes hindmost because he subscribes to the wickednesse of all those who hath gone before him But if otherwise we apply this testimonie to euery christian then this day must be called the whole time of our life from our birth to our death warning vs that in no age of our life we should promise to our selues immunitie from affliction yet our comfort is that the time of our trouble is here called a day and in the Reuelation the houre of tentation because it is but short That rebuke which our Sauiour gaue his Disciples when they were sleeping in the garden could you not watch with me one houre may serue as a checke vnto vs when wee faint in tentation could yee not suffer with me one houre Againe seeing our trouble is short let vs not in it limit the holy one of Israell to prescribe to the Lord the time of our deliuerance O how may wee be ashamed of our impatience in trouble when wee looke to Noah who entring into the Arke at the Lords commandement after hee had tarried a whole yeere in it yet sought not to come put till the Lord commaunded him And Ioseph the nourishing father of our Lord Iesus when the Angell commaunded him to goe to Aegipt and said further vnto him tarte there till I tell thee though Ioseph knew not when hee should come out of Aegipt the place of banishment yet referring the time to the Lord hee yeelded himselfe obedient to the holy commandement The Lord work in vs the like obedience of Faith And are counted This is added by way of amplification we are not onely slaine but slaine as if we vvere slaues nothing worth Wicked men account the godly little worth and therefore doe handle them in a vile manner but shall we for that be discouraged No the Prince of our saluation was esteemed among men no more worth then thirtie peeces of siluer and that for our sake shall we then thinke euill for his sake to be counted lesse than the doung or clay wher vpon we tread The Lord giue vs true humilitie that wee may be content to be despised of men that wee may be approued of our God he onely hath the ballance in his hands what euer waight worldlings haue in the eyes of men when the Lord beginnes to weigh them as hee did Beltasar no honour no riches no kingdome shall help them to hold out waight As sheepe for the slaughter Wicked men accounts the godly slaughter sheepe because they thinke nothing is lost when they are taken out of the way yea also they reape a benefit thereby a proofe whereof wee may see in the primitiue Church for when Famine Pestilence and such like calamities were inflicted by God vpon the Empire for the contempt of his Gospell the cause thereof was still imputed by men to the christians and therefore they were persecuted to death with no lesse opinion than that the putting them out of the way was to put the plagues of God from the whole Empire yet did they not this way remedy the wrath due to their sinnes but procured thereby either double stripes to themselues or then were handled in the patience of God like vnto Oxen fed for the slaughter And here it shall not be vnprofitable to oppone the iudgement of the Lord concerning his children to the iudgement of men The Lord also compares his little ones to sheepe but vpon plaine contrary respects to those which the world hath first for their innocencie and simplicitie they are not like other beastes that haue either teeth in their head pawes in their feete or poyson in their bowels to powre out when they are offended secondly for their patience whereas other beasts being beaten vtter vnruly and rowting voyces they are dumbe before their shearers yea when they are iniured are farre from reuenge The sheepe of Christ saith Cyprian hath not the bloudy teeth of Wolues crueltie is an argument of bastard religion and thirdly for their vtilitie for they do not onely giue their milk but their Wooll and Skinne to the vse of man teaching vs how profitable wee should be to our brethren but alas the great number of them who being voide of innocencie wise to do euill voide of patience not acquainted with the yoke void of charitie being like that barren tree which had no fruit to giue to Christ in his hunger euidently declares how that many in this age howsoeuer esteemed among men yet are not accounted of God the sheepe of Christ. Verse 37. Neuerthelesse in all these things we are more then conquerours through him that loued vs. HEre the Apostle doth now subioyne an negatiue answere to his former interrogations with an amplification these things whereof I haue spoken are so farre from being able to seperate vs from the loue of God that by the contrary in them all we are more then conquerours that is victors out of all doubt In all these things Then yee may perceiue that vnto all those crosses enumerated before the christian man is subiect hee is not
13. Professors conuinced that serue him not Loue to those whom he hath bidden loue for his sake Christ came to destroy sinne cursed are they who nourish it 1 Peâ— 3. 18. How Christ hath condemned sinne Colos. 2. 24. Ambrose in hunc locum Two head or chiefe iustice Courts holden by God In the first the sinnes of all Gods elect are condemned In the second the persons of all the wicked shall bee condemned Ioh. 5. 24. Christ did greatest works when to mans iudgement hee was weakest Cyp. de duplici martirio August de temp ser. 7. Mâ—car hom 11. Chris. hom 2 in Math. Christ a power full Sauiour stronger then Samson yea stronger then that strong one Christs power yeelds vs great comfort 2 Kin. 18. 35 Deut. 28. 29 Psal. 143. 12 Here followes the second member of the explication wherein hee shewes how we are deliuered from the commanding power of sin Ephes. 5. 26. How the righteousnesse of the law is fulfilled in vs. The Iesuits collect here that the Law is fulfilled in this life This place prooueth no such thing Caietane That the law is not fulfillâ—d in vs nor by vs in this life is proued Amb. de paeniten li. 1. cap. 6 Ierem. 17. Aug. de verb Apost ser. 29 Ibidem A question for Papists 1. Ioh. 1. 9. Luke 17. 10. Aug. de verb. Apost ser. 29 Ber. in annuÌ„ Mariae Ber. in Cant. Serm. 23. Ber ser. cont vitiuÌ„ingrati Places of scripture wherein godly men are called Saints righteous makes not for their error of perfect obseruance of the Law In what sense Godly men are called perfect in holy Scripture August in Psal. 38. Ber. in Cant. serm 49. Ambros. in Rom. cap. 8. ver 9. August de temp ser. 49. How Zacharie and Elizabeth walked in all the commandements of God Luke 1. 6. Heb. 5. 3. Aug. Enchi The end of Christs death is our sanctification therefore it should not be abused to giue libertie to sinne 2 Cor. 7. 1. Christ hath freed vs from the curse of the law not from the obedience thereof Rom. 6. 15. Rom. 7. 12. Rom. 5. 17. Ambrose in Rom. cap. 8. Rom. 7. 22. We are sure our begun sanctification shall be perfected Application of his former doctrine contayning first a Commination of the wicked wherein is declared their miserable state who walke after the flesh The diuers disposition of the Christian and carnall man flowes from the diuersitie of their generations Iohn 3. 6. The contrary disposition of the christian carnall man appeares In their vnderstanding Iohn 3. 4. Act. 26. 24. Gen. 19. 1 Iohn 5. 20. Aug. de verb Apost ser. 17 In their affections Math. 8. Aug. ibid. 2 Cor. 5. 15. In the soule of a carnall man the blind leads the crooked The most excellent knowledge of the naturall man brings out death Neither naturall nor morall philosophie could profit men to saluation Naturalists are all blinde like Sampson Wisest among them cannot preuent their miserable end more then Achitophel farre lesse the wrath to come 2 Sam. 17. Iere. 4. 22. Luke 16. 8. Compared to Howlets Basil hexam hom 8. The carnall man and the Christian eyther of them iudgeth other to be foolish Psal. 8 5. August de tem ser. 200 Their securitie is like the securitie of Ionas A Christian hath peace with God and himselfe his brethren but not perfect in this Greg. moral in Iob. lib. 6. Aug. in Ioan. tract 77. Ibidem Inward outward troubles may interrupt our peace but cannot take it away Greg. moral in Iob. lib. 2. 2 Cor. 1. 5. Our life stands 〈◊〉 with God Hovv foolish man is when he entertaines inimitie with God 1 Cor. 10. 22 Psal. 2. 9. Psal. 50. 22. No good in mans nature before it be renued against the Semipelagians of our time A minde that neither sees nor can see 1 Cor. 2. 14. A will that neither is subiect to God nor can bee The praise of Gods power grace is the greter because it reforms nature it being so farre peruerted Iam. 3. 7. Mat. 5. 36. Ciril catec 2 Psal. 107. Psal. 103. Iudge not rashly of any mans reprobation The rebellion of the wicked against God exempts them not from his dominion Isal. 45. 9. Miserable is that man who maintaines a contrary to Gods Aug. de cor gra ca. 14 Mat. 26. 39. He concludes the miserable estate of them who walke after the flesh Acts. 8. 23. What it is to be in the flesh Syricius expounds this of the state of marriage wrongfully The best actions of wicked men please not God Gen. 4. 5. Gen. 27. 38. Heb. 12. 17. Gen. 32. 26. Hos. 12. 4. Luk. 18. 11. Luk. 16. Aug. in Ioan. cap. 7. tra 28 The second part of his application contains consolation for the godly that twofold Consolation against the remanents of carnal corruption that are in vs. The word of God should so be handled that it be applyed Math. 3. 10. Luk. 3. 10. 12 14. Act. 2. 37. Acts. 16. 30. Bernard How the Apostle giues iudgement of others that are spirituall 1 Sam. 1. A threefold iudgement first of our selues by faith secondly by fruits thirdly by reuelatioÌ„ 2 Cor. 13. 5 Math. 7. 16 Acts. 8. 1 Tim. 1. 5 2 Iohn 1. 1 Comfort that the Lord cals them spirituall in whom remained carnall corruption The Lord esteemes of hiâ— his children â—cording tâ— his new 〈◊〉 in them 〈◊〉 after their corruptioÌ„ 1 Ioh. 3. 9 1 Ioh. 1. 8 Augustine Papists wil haue none called spirituall men but their Cleargie Ferâ—â—s The spirit of God where hee dwels workes wher he works he workes not in vain therfore they cannot but â—e spirituall in 〈◊〉 he dwels Strange that two guests of so coÌ„trary naturs as sin and the holy spirit should dwell in one man Rom. 7. 17 The soule of man regenerate compared to the house of Abraham Meruailous that the inhabiter is larger thaÌ„ the habitation The speciall glory of a Christian is that God dwels in him Worldlings may exceede him in woridly gifts but can not match him in this Deut. 33. 12. They should be honoured in whom Christ dwels Dan. 6. Gen. 41. 42 Psal. 15. The Metaphor of dwelling imports a continuance of gods presence with his children Three argumeÌ„ts to proue that the regenerate are sure of perseuerance in Grace FroÌ„ the nature of God who begets vs. Phil. 1. 5. 6. FroÌ„ the nature of that life communicated to vs. Rom. 6. 9. FroÌ„ the nature of that seede whereof wâ— are begotten 1 Pet. 1. 23. How the spirit of God is said to depart from Saul 1 Sam. 16. 14. Psal. 51. 11. How Dauid prayeth that God would not take from him his holy Spirit In spirituall desertioÌ„s we must distinguish betweene that which is and which we feel Esa. 6. 13. Chri. in Mat. hom 14. What great benefits comes to the soule by the dwelling of Christs spirit in vs. He repaires the whole lodging of soule and body Isai. 13.
21. What vgly guests dwelt in vs before hee came to possesse vs. He prouides all necessaries where hee dwels Iren. cont val lib. 4. cap. 28. Not like kings of the earth who oft times are burdenable to them with whom they lodge Ang. de verb Apost ser. 15 Psal. 84. 11. What duties of thankfulnes we owe to our Lord who 〈◊〉 in vs. Eph. 4. 30. 1 Thes. 5. 19 That we discerne the voyce of our Master and obay it Math. 8. 9. Macar hom 12 That euery day we sweepe and water his chaÌ„ber with the besome and teares of repentance Zach. 13. 1. Cyprian That in his Temple there want not morning and euening sacrifice Macar hom 28 Bastard professors lodges this holy spirit in a wrong roome Eph. 3. 17. 1 Cor. 6. 20. Humble gestures of the bodie in publike exercises of diuine worship prophanly scorned by some Superstitiously abused by others Seeing we are the temples of God we should be more beautifull within then without Exod. 28. 36 But the wicked are compared sometime to open and sometime to paâ—nted Sepulchers Mat. 23. 27. Psal. 32. 2. Ioh. 1. 47. Rom. 2. 29. The secondary great question in religion is this who are Christians Mat. 11. 3. A soueraigne rule whereby Christians of all estates must be tryed Acts. 25. 23. Christ and his Spirit are not sundred 1 Iohn 4. 13 Gal. 5. 22. 23 24 Operations of the spirit are two-fold Externall common to al men Iohn 1. 1 Cor. 12. 3. Internall and proper to the godly Three effects wrought by the speciall operation of the spirit in the godly Sanctification Intercession Consolation Math. 26. That a Christian who hath Gods spirit knowes that he hath him Gal. 2. 20. 2 Cor. 13. 5. And therefore may be sure of saluation is proued by three names giuen to the holy spirit 1 He is Gods Seale Eph. 4. 30. Gods earnest 1 Ioh. 5. 10. Rom. 8. 16. Gods witnesse Sinne causes the Lord deny his owne creature Luk. 13. 27. Consolation against the fruite of sin specially against death whereunto we are subiect The death whereunto we are subiect is neither totâ—ll nor perpetuall The Comforts of God are not common to all men indifferently Mat. 10. 12. 13. Mat. 7. 6. 2. Kin. 9. 18. Christ dwelling in vs is by his spirit no carnal presence required to make our vnion with him Act. 3. 21. Aug. epist. 57 adâ— Darâ—â—n Act. 1. 11. The comfort of Ethnikes against death not comparable to ours and our courage inferior to theirs Tit. 1. 16. Our bodies are not onely mortall but dead The officers of death hath bouÌ„d vs alredy Gen. 3. 19. Therefore should we liue in the body vnder feare 1 Pet. 1. 12. Phil. 2. 12. The pittifull securitie of carnall professors Psal. 58. 9. Psal. 73. 19. Death entred into the body should represse our naturall pride Bernard Aug ser. 21. Should learne vs temperance and sobrietie Bernard 1 Cor. 6. 13. Sathans shamelesse impudencie discouered Gen. 31. 7. A good answer to be giuen Sathan in all his tentations to sinne Rom. 6. 21. Seeing he hath deceiued vs so oft let vs beleeue him no more Iudg. 16. 1 King 22. How they who liue in sin are murtherers of themselues Psal. 34. 21. Strange death and diseases commeth vpon men through the groth of their sinnes against God Leuit. 26. 25 Cypri ad Demet. Delay of iudgement confirms the wicked in euill and it is the first impediment which stayes them froÌ„ repenting at Gods threatnings Deu. 29. 18. Eccles. 8. 11. Rom. 2. 4. But they who are spared should learne wisedome by iudgements exâ—cuted vpon others 2 Pet. 2. 3. Cyp. de lapsis serm 5. Luke 13. Aug. de ciuit Dei cap. 8 Why some wicked men are punished in this life and not others Psal. 58. 11. It is a great iudgement not to be corrected by God Hos. 4. 14. Ber. in Cant. hom 42. Philo. lib. de confus linguarum Psa. 119. 71 Psal. 73. 4. Prou. 1. 32. Aug. Marcellino epist. 5 Impediment Wicked men repent not because they see the Godly subiect to the same outward euils which come vpon them The actions pasâ—â—ons of the 〈◊〉 and wicked different in one and the self same thing Cyprian ad Dâ—met Basil. hexam hom 10. Tertull. de resur carnis As also of their meruailous coniunction Bern. in die natal dom serm 2. This doctrine knowne but not considered How that harmony which was betweene the soule and body by creation is now turned into disagreement Foure estates of mans soule body vnited Comfort our estate in this life is neither our last nor best estate Comfort wee 〈…〉 which no deâ—th can extinguiâ—h The prison of the body being broken the soule that was prisoner escapes Phil. 1. 21. Gâ—n 3. Rom. 16. 20. Amb. de poem lib. 1. cap. 13. Wicked men dye eyther vncertaine of comfort Eph. 4. 18. Or most certaine of condemnation 1 Pet. 4. 19. Gen. 46. 4. O what a kindnes He is a holy balme wherby the body shall be preserued immortall Worldlings seeke immortalitie the wrong way Esay â—5 2. Life is first restored to the soule and then to the body Iohn 1. 29. Phil. 2. 21. Ber. de adueÌ„ dom ser. 4. What necessity is here that hee who raysed Christ shall also raise vs Ephe. 1. 29. 1 Cor. 15. 20 Tertul. de resur carnis Seeing our Lord was among the dead let vs not feare when God cals vs to lye down among them also Reâ— 7. What comfort Christs reâ—urrection giues vs against death Mat. 28. 5. 6 Resurrection is a work of God and not of man Rom. 4. 19. Examples of the ResurrectioÌ„ Gen. 5. 2 Kings 2. Acts. 9. 40. Acts. 3. Gods working both in our selues and the creature coâ—firmes the Resurrection 1 Cor. 15. Aug. de verb. Apost ser. 34 A two-fold meditation to coÌ„firme the resurrection How of a litle drop God madâ— vs that which now wee are Iust. Mart. â—pol 2. ad Senat. Rom. How God hath made vs of nothing to be that which now wee are Ciril catech 4 It is easier to restore one that hath been then to make one that neuer was Ouâ— bodâ—es shall be raised with new qualities They shall bee honourable Members lame shal be restored Tertul. de resur carnis They shall be glorious Phil. 3. 2â— Mat. 17. They shall be spirituall Acts. 1. 11. Resurrection is a benefit when remission of sin goes before it and eternal life follows after it Exhortation What fruit wee should gather of the Apostles former doctrin Consolation exhortation both necessary for vs. Ber ser. 46. in Cant. Euery benefite of god is a new obligation bâ—â—ding vs to serue him Christ hath freed vs from all other seruice that we might be bound to his owne He is a seruant of seruants who is not the seruant of Christ Iesus We are bound to do God seruice by two great bands especially Creation 1 Cor. 9. 7. It is a shame that man craues that of his inferiours
which he giues not to his superiour Redemption here consider first that we are bought seruants That which cost Christ full deare men sels good cheape Secondly Sworâ— seruants Thirdly wee haue receiued wages before hand for seruice to be done Mal. 1. 10. But many receiue that from the true God which they return noâ— to him but sacrifice to Idols Hos. 2. 8. Eph. 5. 18. A double debt lying vpon vs the one the debt of sinne which â—e must seeke to be forgiuen the other the debt oâ— obedience which we must seeke to performe A three-fold comfort for the godly for the debt of obedience The Lord to whom we owe it giues vs wherewith to pay it 1 Chron. 29. 14. He accepts for a time part of payment The more wee pay of this debt the more we are able to pay Good works are debts therfore not merits Luke 17. 7. 8 9. 10. No penman of the holy Ghost did euer vse the word of merit The Fathers thought it smelled of presumption Mac hom 15 Ber in Psal. qui habitat Ser. 1. In Cant. ser. 61. Serm. 66. De quadruplici debito Our life should declare whose Seruants and debters we are Philem. v. 19. Iam. 2. 18. Mal. 1 6. An accusation of the carelesse Christians of our time Nehe. 13. 24. Micah 7. 3 Math. 7. 21. Is is a difficult thing so to nourish the body that we nourish not sinne in the body Rom. 13. 14. Not like that Cherubin a minister of iustice to hold Adâ—m out of paradise Eâ—e 18. 32. Both the word and deed of the Lord declares that he craues not the death of a sinner That the spirit of God vseth threatnings is an argument of our rebellious nature The word should be vsed as milk to some as salt to others But now men cannot abide the rebuke of Gods word 2 Tim. 4. 3. Amos. 5. 10. 1 King 22. 8 Micah 2. 7. Aug. ser. 1. Zach. 7. 11. Either we must slay sin or sin shall slay vs. Aug. de temp serm 29. Euery sin is to vs the forbiddeÌ„ tree Men seeke on it that fruit which they shall not finde and finde on it that fruit which they would not haue Great wisdome to discerne betweene the deceit of sin and fruit of sinne Sinfull lusts compared to the streame of Iordan And to the locusts with womans hair lions teeth Scorpions taile Basil in verb. Mos. attende tibi Cirill catech 2. Gal. 6. 8. This life is a thorow-way or middle passage eyther to heauen or hell Eccles. 11. 3. They who liue in sin are dead and yet a worse death abides them in hell The least degree of their punishment shall be a feareful famine of all worldly comforts Ioell 1. 12. Reu. 18. 14. Why that secoÌ„d death is called a wrath and a wrath to come The place of the damned shews the greatnesse of their iudgement Reu. 21. 8. Esa. 30. 33. Iude verse 6. Mark 9. 48. 1 Pet. 3. 19. Math. 5. 22. The vniuersalitie of it Nothing in man shall be without paine all Gods plagues shall concur to punish him The eternitie of it In the most regenerate there is some thing that needes to be mortified For out of the stony rocke springeth noysome weedes Cyrill That which God works in vs he calles it our worke Phil. 2. 12. Therefore vve should be humble and giue God the glory 1 Chro. 29. 14 Presumptuous opinion of Merit damned Aug. de verb. Apost serm 2 1 Cor. 15. 10 Aug. hom 14 Aug. de verb. Apost ser. 14. A tryall of our Mortification Death to sinne takes not life away but restores it Sanctification is a work of difficultie for it is a birth a death a circumcision c. The knife by which beastly lusts are slaine to be sacrificed Mac. hom I. Temporall life is not the recompense of righteousnesse and why 1. Cor. 15. 19 Gal. 2. 20. He proues the last part of his preceding argument The operation of the Spirit is eyther vniuersall extending to all his creatures Comfort The beginning progresse and perfection of our saluation is from him Heb. 12. 2. In that we can not walk without a guide we â—re warned that we are but babes Act. 8. 30. 31 It is good religion to turne Gods precepts into prayers Psal. 43. 3. Psal. 143. 10 We ought to follow our guide as Israell did the Lord in the wildernesse A three-fold operation of the spirit in the Sons of God Why in his first operation he is called a spirit of bondage to fear By the preaching of the Law he discouers sin and wrath due to it which causeth feare Mat. 3. 10. Hee is not here comparing the godly vnder the Law vvith the godly vnder the Gospell A seruile feare A filiall feare Psal. 130. 4. A Diabolicall feare Iames. 2. 19. From what sort of feare are we exempted In the godly feare prepares a place for the perfect loue of God and then departs it selfe Mat. 15. But in the wicked feare of wrath once begun encreases till it proceede to despâ—rate feare No prayer to God without the spirit of God How the godly sometime are transported in Prayer 2 King 2. Mat. 26. 38. The godly should cry together not one against an other Vnion of desires in prayer commended Iames. 5. 16. As many hands lift a burthen importable to one so The Parents of Prayer The wings whereby praier ascends Dan. 9. 22. 23. Efficacie of prayer euery petition returns with profit Gen. 18. Acts. 10. Mat. 17. Sathan an enimie to the Word and Prayer Acts. 16. 16 Zach. 3. 1. Gen. 15. In all the scripture no prayer to Abraham Moses c. nor to Cherubin nor Seraphin Psal. 6. 1. Psal. 4. 1. Reu. 19. 10. It is not in the court of heauen as in the courts of earthly kings Euery tongue and language is sanctified for prayer if we vnderstand it They are builders of Babell who speake to the people in a language they vnderstand not A comfort for weake Christians who are moued by their wants to doubt of this testimonie A necessary admonition so to mourn for that which we waÌ„t that wee giue thanks for that mesure of grace which we haue Rom. 7. 24. Ibid. ver 25. This testimonie of the spirit is not alway perceiued in a like measure of them who haue it Rom. 8. 35. CoÌ„fort against spirituall desertions Isai. 1. 9. The Sons of God cannot but liue because they are the heires of God Gods goodnes is shewed to all his creaturs but his inheritance is resâ—â—ued to his Sonnes Gen. 25. Mat. 5. 45. Psal. 119. 57 Lam. 3. 24. All the sons of God are his heyres and yet the inheritance is not diminished Aug. de verb dom in Euan. Ioan. ser. 64. They who wer born in the first age of the world shall not be perfected without vs. Heb. 11. 40. In earthly inheritances the father dyes or the sonne inherit but here the sonne must dye or else hee cannot inherit Psal. 102. 26 Psal. 17.
The deplorable hardnes of hart in this age that cannot mourne Gen. 4. 22. Num. 20. 11 Seing wee haue so many causes of mourning without vs the troublesome estate of Gods Church Nehem. 1. 4 1. King 29. 4 1. Sam. 4. 19. Amos. 6. 6. Causes of mourning within vs our manifold sinnes Rom. 7. 24. 2 Kin. 20. 23 And our manifold tentations Act. 20. 19. Ioshua 10. 6. The other effect the spirit works in vs is a waiting for deliuerance 2. Cor. 1. 3. 4 Prou. 24. 13 The day of death and day of resurrection earnestly waited for by the godly Iob. 14. 14. Mat. 6. 10. Luke 11. 3. Death comes on the wicked as Iâ—hu came on Iehoram 2 King 9. 23. 24. We should not soiourne in the body like Ionas in the sides of the ship but like Abraham in the doore of the tabernacle Exod. 12. 11. Gen. 18. 1. 1. King 19. 9 Ionas 1. 5. The day of Christs second comming longed for 1 Cor. 1. 7. Philip. 3. 2 Tim. 4. 8. Heb. 9. 28. As the Iewes waited for the yeere of Iubilie so should we for the day of Christ but alas few doe so Reu. 22. 20. Leuit. 25. 10. The wounded coÌ„science euen of the godly deâ—ires not death Psal. 51. 9. Psal. 86. 3. Luke 2. 29. Adoption is eyther begun as now or accompished as wee looke for it There is also a two-fold redemption first of the soule froÌ„ sin secondly of the body from death Iohn 1. 29. Reu. 20. 5. 6 CoÌ„fort against the present base estate of our bodyes 2 King 19. Bernard He who hath the first redemption shall be sure of the second Bernard An obiection answered This verse abused to impugne Iustification by Faith Faith and hope compaired in their relation to Christ. Iohn 3. 36. 1 Cor. 13. 9. 10. Faith and hope compared in their mutuall relation betweene themselues Psal. 50. 15. Habak 2. 3. The right place assigned to euery one of these three Faith Hope Loue in the worke of saluation The doctrine of Iustification by Faith onely takes not away Hope Loue. Calumnie of the aduersary concerning this confuted Hope of a Christian is a strong thing depending on sure warrants The first wararant of our Hope is the word of God 1 Pet. 7. 4. A short description of the Nature of Hope August The conclusion of his first principall argument of comfort against the crosse Sixe seuerall reasons of comfort lurking vnder this one The worldlings comfort is in things that are seene the Christians not so Augustines Allegory on the words of Christ. Luke 11. 11. Worldlings haue no present pleasures such as are gone are lost such as are to come or vncertaine Impatience in trouble proceeds from the want of Hope Licentiousnes in prosperitie proceeds from the want of hope Without patience no grace can be preserued Ethnicke philosophers excluded from the praise of true Patience Worldlings sustyning great distresse for gaine are also excluded from the praise of true Patience Atheists who pine themselues to commit euill excluded from the praise of true Patience The Christian is freed from wickednes not from weaknes Why infirmities are left in vs after our regeneration Our infirmities are manifold Wee should strengthen our selues most where we are weakest Yet so that we remember that the enimie repulsed at one place will assault another Acts. 8. 31. Praier is a communing of the soule with God Our natural inabilitie to pray is eyther in our corrupt vnderstanding by which we seek things vnlawfull Numb 16. Or in our corrupt affection by which wee seeke things lawfull for the wrong end Iames. 4. 3. Mat. 6. 33. What good can we doe by Nature seeing we cannot doe so much as pray for our selues Gen. 4. 22. How the Spirit requests for vs. Chrisâ—an Mat hom 10. If the Lord refuse that which we wil it is because it is not for our weale And the refusal of anything to his owne is not without the graunt of a better Acts. 1. 6. Prayer which obtaines all other gifts is also a gift of God therefore the praise of all is due to the Lord 1 Cor. 4. 7. Comfort for the godly wheÌ„ no man will speake for them they want not Intercessours Miserable are those who bend their tongues against them for whom the holy Spirit maketh request 2. Chron. 18. Let not man therefore sinne vnder hope of secrecie Esay 29. 15. Psal. 94. 89 10. 11 But let the eye of the Lord be an awband euenin secret to keepe vs from sinne 2 Sam. 2. 22. Gen. 42. 18. The sonnes of Adam seeke to hide themselues from the Lord But in vaine The heart only makes the difference between the true christian counterfaite It is in great wisedome that God hath locked vp the hart of one man from another The soueraignty of God ouer man appears in this that hee is vpon the secrets of their hearts Man hath but his hart to hold him vp God can take it fâ—oÌ„ him when hee will Dan. 4. 6. We haue neede of great reuerence in praier seeing we speak to him who searcheth the heart Psal. 139. 23 Three things to be obserued in Prayer That preparation go before it Motiues to preparation That there be attention in prayer That after prayer therebe thanksgiuing to God The curse of Moab is vpon prophane men they pray and preuailes not Esay 1. 15. Ierem. 7. 9. Seeing the spirit requests for Saints onely how shall we know that he requests for vs who are sinners 1 Ioh. 1. 8. 1 Ioh. 5. 18. Rom. 7. 15. 17 In the christian man are two men the new and the old God iudges of the Christian by the new man and not by the old Num. 23. 21 Rom. 7. 24. How it is to be vnderstood that he who is borne of God sinneth not The new man liues in the body like Lot in Sodome Psal. 120. 5. Reioycing when he doth good grieued when he doth euill Rom. 7. 15. 〈◊〉 â—hould not pâ—â—sent petitioÌ„s to God which are not according to his wil. A Christian hath accesse to the priuie chaÌ„ber of the great king euer when he pleaseth The third principall argument of comfort is from the prouidence of God working all things to the good of his owne Manifold blessings of God are vpon the Godly Psal. 34. 19. 1 Cor. 10. 13 Zach. 1. 2â— If the first fruits of our comfort be so sweete what shall the full masse be None but a Christian can know the mysteries of the Gospell 1 Cor. 9. 11. 1 Cor. 2. 14. 1 Cor. 2. 5. 6. Pearles which none know but they who haue them Worldlings speake of them like birds counterfaiting the voyce of man Worldlings cursed with the curse of the Serpent Sure knowledge of Christian comfort is the mother of patience Ioh. 21. 15. Other men hazards vnder hope but the Christian runs as sure to obtaine Rom. 16. 20 2 Chron. 20. 17 One of Sathans slights is to cause vs to iudge of the works of