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
sinnes hath condemned sinne in his blessed bodie and so disanulled it that it hath no power to condemne vs. And this benefit he amplyfies shewing that by no other meanes we could obtaine it for where without Christ there is but one way for men to come to life namely the obseruance of the law hee lets vs see it was impossible for the law to saue vs and least it should seeme that hee blamed the law hee subioynes that this impotencie of the Law to saue vs proceeds from our selues because that we through â—leshly corruption which is in vs cannot fulfill that righteousnesse which the law requires This impotencie of the law appeareth by these two things first it craued that of vs which we had not to giue namely perfect obedience vnto all the Lords commandements and that vnder paine of death which albeit most iustly it be required of vs considering that by creation we receiued from God a nature so holy that it was able to doe the law yet now by reason of the deprauation of our nature drawne on by our selues it is impossible that wee can performe it Secondly the law could not giue that vnto vs whereof wee stood in neede namely that the infinit debt of transgressions which we had contracted should bee forgiuen vnto vs this I say the law could not doe for the law commaunds obedience but promises not pardon of disobedience yea rather it bindes the curse of God vpon vs for it And againe we stood in neede of a supernaturall grace to reforme deformed nature and this also the law could not doe it being a doctrine that sheweâ— vs the way to life but ministers not grace vnto vs to walke therein but all these which the law could not doe Iesus Christ by whom commeth grace and life hath done vnto vs. Where first we haue to marke the pittâ—full estate of those who seeke life in the obseruance of the law which here the Apostle saith is impossible for the law to giue they seeke life where they shall neuer finde it The Apostle in another place calles the law the ministerie of death and condemnation and that because it instantly bindes men vnder death for euery transgression of her commandements so that hee who hath eyes to see what an vniuersall rebellion of nature there is in man vnregenerate to Gods holy law yea what imperfections and discordance with the law are remanent in them who are renued by grace may easily espye the blinde presumption of those that seeke their liues in the ministry of death Yet so vniuersall is this errour that it hath ouergone the whole posteritie of Adam nature teaching all men who are not illuminated by Christ to seeke saluation in their owne deeds that is to stand to the couenant of workes But the supernaturall doctrine of the Euangelist teaches vs to transcend nature to goe out of our selues and to seeke saluation in the Lord Iesus and so to vse the law not that we seek life by fulfilling it which here is impossible but as a schole-maister to leade vs vnto Christ in whom wee haue remission of our sinnes sanctification of our nature acceptation of our imperfect obedience benefits which the law could neuer aford vnto vs. Inasmuch as it was weake because of the flesh The Apostle doth in such sort ascribe to the law an impotencie to saue vs that hee blames not the Law but the corruption of our fleshly nature being not able to fulfill that righteousnesse which the law requireth yea as the Apostle hath taught vs before so farre is our nature peruerted by our Apostasie from God that we are not onely vnable to doe that which the good and holy law of God requires but also vve become worse by the law for by the commandements of the law sin reuiues in our nature and takes occasion by the law to become more sinfull and so like a desperate disease it conuerts that medicine vvhich is ministred to cure it into a nourishment and confirmation of the sicknesse it selfe It is the nature of contraries that euery one of them intends the selfe to expell another whereof it comes that there is greatest cold in the bosome of the earth euen then when the Sunne with greatest vehemencie shines on it to callifie and heat it euen so our corrupted nature doth neuer shevv it selfe more rebellious and stubborne than vvhen the lavv of God beginnes to rectifie it As an vnruly and vntamed horse the more hee is spurred forward the faster he runnes backward so the peruerse nature of man nititur semper in vetitum is so farre from being reformed by the law that by the contrary sinne that was dead without the lavv is reuiued by the law and takes occasion to worke in vs all manner of concupiscence The Apostle is not ashamed to confesse that hee found this in his own person Augustine also examining his former sinfull life doth hereby aggrauate his corruption that in his young yeeres hee vvas accustomed to steale his neighbours fruit not so much for loue of the fruit for hee had better at home as for a sinfull delight he had to goe with his companions to commit euill so that where the lavv should haue restrayned his sinfull nature it was so much the more prouoked to sinne by the lavv Let therefore the Semipelagians of our time say to the contrary what they will let them magnifie the arme of flesh to diminish the praise of the grace of God and dreame that mans nature vnregenerate can bring forth merits of congruitie or workes of preparation yet doth the Lord heerein greatly abase man when hee telleth him that not onely he cannot doe that which the law requireth but that also the more he is commaunded the more hee repines vntill Grace reforme him God sending his owne Sonne The Apostle proceedes and let vs see how the Lord by Christ hath wrought that saluation which the Law could not Wherein first it is to bee marked that the Apostle saith not wee sought from the Lord a Sauiour but that the Lord sent him vnto vs vnrequired Surely neither man nor Angell could haue euer thought of such a way of Saluation the Lord hath found it out himselfe in his incomprehensible wisedomeâ— a way so to saue man that the glory both of his mercie and iustice shall bee saued also Most properly therefore is hee called Pater non indiciorum sed misericordiarum Father not of iudgements but of mercies for both the purpose and the meanes of our saluation are from himselfe hee hath found causes without him mouing to execute his iustice hee hath beene prouoked thereunto by the disobedience of apostate Angels and man but a cause mouing him to shew mercie is within himselfe this praise is due to God it is the greatest glory that can bee giuen vnto him Abhominable therefore is that errour of fore-seene merites by which the aduersaryes doe what they can to obscure
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
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
Sunne and his clothes were white as the light Moses after fortie dayes talking with God on the Mount came downe with so bright a shining countenance that the Israelites might not behold him what then may we thinke shall be the glory of the children of God when they shall be transchanged with the light of Gods countenance shining vpon them not fortie dayes onely but for euer and euer And if euery one of their faces shal shine as the Sun in the firmament O how great light and glory shal be among them all if their bodies shal be so glorious what shal be the glory of their soule surely no hart can conceiue it no tongue is able to expresse it Fourthly our body shall bee raysed spirituall which is not so to bee vnderstood as if our bodies should loose a corporall substance and receiue a spirituall substance but then shall our bodies bee spirituall as now our Spirits by nature are carnall which are so called because they are subiect to carnall corruption pressed downe and carryed away after earthly and carnall things so shall our bodies then be spirituall because without contradiction they shall obey the motions of the spirit the body shall be no burthen no prison no impediment to the soule as now it is the soule shall carry the body where it will without resistance where now it is earthly heauie and tends downward it shall then be restored so lightsome and quick that without difficultie it shall mount from the earth to meet our Lord in the aire As our head ascended on the mount of Oliues and went through the cloudes into heauen so shall his members ascend that they may be with the Lord they shall follow the Lambe where euer he goes Let vs beleeue it and giue glory vnto God for hee who is the worker of our resurrection is also the worker of our ascension If the wit of man be able to frame a vessell of sundry mettels that our Resurrection is put betweene the Article of the remission of sinnes and that other Article of eternall life to â—each vs that then onely the Resurrection of the body is a benefite when remission of sinnes goes before it and eternall life followes after it whereof the Lord of his great mercy make vs pertakers through Iesus Christ. Verse 12. Therefore Brethren wee are debters not to the flesh to liue after the flesh AS it is true concerning vs that a necessitie lyeth vpon vs to preach and woe will be to vs if we preach not so it is true concerning you that a necessitie lyeth vpon you to heare and woe will bee to you if you heare not It is commaunded to vs that when wee speake wee should speake as the oracles of God and it is also required of you that ye receiue this word not as the word of man but as it is indeede the word of God therefore take heede how yee heare for as Moses said to the Israelites so say wee vnto you It is no vaine word concerning you it is your life Ye haue heard that maine proposition of Comfort there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ yee haue heard it confirmed explaned and applyed the miserable estate of them who walke after the flesh hath beene shewed vnto you as likewise the happy estate of them who walke after the Spirit and what comforts the godly haue both against the remanents as also against the fruits of sinnes hath beene declared vnto you Examine your selues and see how far forth these comforts belong vnto you If yee bee such as thinke with those scornefull men in Ierusalem that yee haue made a couenant with death and it shall not come neere you then goe on in your securitie and doe that which is good in your owne eyes but if yee finde by experience that death is already entred into your mortall body bee wise in time see that thou haue this onely soueraigne comfort against death the spirit of Christ dwelling in you otherwise flatter your selues in your securitie as you will miserable shall your end be Now the Consolation being ended the Apostle subioynes the Exhortation both these two consolation and exhortation are needefull for vs in the course of this life the one to keepe vs that wee faint not through the remanents of sinne left in vs and beginnings of death which already haue seased vpon vs exhortation againe to stir vs vp when wee linger in the way of godlinesse For it fareth with vs as it did with Lot in Sodome the Angels warned him of the imminent iudgement and exhorted him to escape for his life yet hee delayed and lingred hee could not bee gotten out of Sodome till they as it were violently thrust him out And allbeit the Lord admonish vs earely and late by his messengers of that wrath which is to come vpon the children of disobedience and warne vs in time to flye to the mountaine of his saluation yet alas so loath are wee to forsake our old finnes that the Lord is forced to double his exhortations vnto vs all which yet shall not auaile vs if the Lord lay not the hands of his grace vpon vs and by his holy Spirit make vs obedient to the heauenly vocation Let vs therefore take heede to the exhortations made vs by the Lord and that so much the more because it is most certaine that the sweetnesse of Gods consolation shall not bee felt of them who are not moued with his exhortation Contemplationis enim gustus non debetur nisi obedientiae mandatoruâ— the tast of Gods mercy by contemplation is onely due to them who make conscience of the obedience of his commaundements Therefore This particle is relatiue to the words preceding seeing it is so that by the Spirit of Christ dwelling in vs wee haue such excellent benefits wee are debt bond not to liue after the flesh but after the Spirit Of this wee haue first to learne that euery benefit wee receiued from God is an Obligation binding vs debters of seruice to God Debters Of this it is euident that the doctrine of grace proclaimes not liberty to men to liue as they will but rather bindes them to liue godly there can be no higher contempt done to the Lord than to turne his grace into wantonnesse Certainly the iniquities of Pagans doth not halâ—e so much offend him as the licentiousnesse of bastard Christians who will sinne the more freely because Christ hath suffered for sinne they heare that a man is not iustified by good workes and therefore being deceiued by Sathans sophistrie they cease to doe well not considering that good workes must proue wee are sanctified and sanctification must proue that wee are iustified In the second verse the Apostle said that Christ hath freed vs from the Law of sinne and here he sayth that hee hath made vs debters to righteousnesse these are not contrary they agree very well together hee hath loosed
and seruitude vnder which they lye which works in them an horrible feare but in his second operation he is a spirit of Adoption making them free who were bound before comforting them with the sight of Gods mercy whom before he terrified with the sight of their owne sins to the one hee vseth the preaching of the Law which discouers our disease to the other the preaching of the Gospell which points out the Physition As the proclayming of the Law wrought a terrour in their hearts who heard it so doth the preaching thereof for who can heare himselfe accursed and condemned by the mouth of God and not tremble Iohn the Baptist began at the preaching of the Law Now is the axe laid to the root of the tree euery tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewen downe and cast into the fire then hee proceeded and poynted out the Lambe of God that takes away the sinnes of the world by the first hee prepared a way to the second for his auditours being cast downe in themselues with the threatning enquired earnestly what shall wee doe then that we may bee saued and were glad to heare of a remedy It is out of doubt that they who are not touched with a remorse for their sinnes nor a feare of the wrath to come and into whose hearts neuer entred that care what shall I doe that I may be saued haue not knowne as yet so much as the very beginnings of saluation Wee are not then to thinke here that the Apostle is comparing the Godly vnder the Gospell with the Godly vnder the Law but hee is comparing the Godly vnder the Gospell with themselues their second experience of the operation of the Spirit with the first it is true that once sayth hee yee receiued the Spirit of bondage working feare this was his first operation in you but now yee haue experience of another and are made pertakers of a more excellent operation hee is become vnto you a Spirit of Adoption by whom yee call vpon God as vpon your Father For the Godly vnder the Law were pertakers of this deny that Sarah was his Wife made Peter deny that Christ was his Lord this feare made Ionas refuse to goe to Niniue and made that worthy Prophet Samuel vnwilling to annoint Dauid for hee feared least Saul should slay him yet are they so subiect vnto it that the feare of God at length ouercomes in them The third sort is seruile feare the obiect whereof is the iudgements of God onely and this is proper to the wicked they feare the plagues of God but so that they loue their sinnes and hates and abhorres euery one that doth snibbe or restraine them in the course of their sinnes The fourth is filiall so called because it is proper to the sonnes of God they doe not onely feare him for his iudgements but loue him and feare him for his mercy mercy is with thee O Lord that thou mayst be feared As for the Diabolicall feare Saint Iames saith the Diuels know there is a God therefore they feare and tremble they haue receiued within themselues the sentence of damnation they know it shall neuer be recalled they seeke no mercy nor shall they obtaine it and the seruile feare of the wicked shall at the last end in this desperate feare of the damned finding themselues condemned without all further hope of mercy they shall tremble and feare continually Of this it is euident that the feare wherof here he speaks is the first part of filiall feare namely a feare of that punishment which is due to sinne and to the godly is an introduction to worke in them feare of God for his mercies conioyned with loue so then his meaning is cleere albeit in the time of your first conuersion you were striken with a feare of that wrath which is the recompense of sinne yet now the spirit of adoption hath not onely released you of that feare of damnation which you conceiued at the first through the knowledge of your sinnes but hath also made you certaine of saluation and assured that God is become your father in Christ Iesus In the wicked the feare of Gods wrath once begunne encreases daily till it proceede as I spake to that desperate feare of the damned but in the godly the feare of Gods iudgements is but a preparation to the loue of God feare shall not alwayes abide in their harts for when God shall crowne them with his mercies and his loue in them shall be perfect then perfect loue casts out feare therefore Augustine compares the feare of Gods iudgements in the godly to a Needle that goes through the seame and prepares in it a place for the thread which is to remaine so doth the feare of Gods iudgements goe through the secret seames of the hart and prepares a place for the loue of God which shall abide and continue for euer in the godly when feare shall bee away The Lord at the first deales hardly with his children as our Sauiour delt with the woman of Canaan whom hee comforted at the last and as Ioseph entreated his brethren roughly whom at the last for tender compassion hee imbraced with many teares but all these terrours and feares wherewith God humbles his owne are but preparatiues to his consolations at the length hee shall make it knowne to them that hee is their louing father as for the wicked though they haue not suffered from their youth the terrours of God it is because they are reserued for them Neither are they euen now exempted from their owne feares for albeit there were none to reproue them their owne consciences sends out accusing thoughts to terrifie them and if at any time they shall heare the word of God faithfully and with power deliuered vnto them then doe they much more tremble feare for the word strengthens the conscience to accuse and terrifie them but feare is both the first and last effect it workes in them and therefore is it that being so oft disquieted with hearing of the word as Felix was with the preaching of Paul they are no more desirous to heare it but rather hates it and abhors it because it testifies no good vnto them more than Micaiah did to Achab and so they neuer attaine to his other operation of the spirit they are not transchanged by hearing into the similitude of the sonnes of GOD neither receiues that but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is not like the strong bloud of God but the blood of man But as for the Children of God they can not be deceiued of their generation they know that God is their Father and with greater homelinesse and more freedome of spirit yea and surer knowledge they call God their Father then any son in the world is able to call on his earthly Father Whereby we cry The Apostle here doth teach vs that it is by the spirit of
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.
wicked may be put to death for their most vnreasonable disobedience her commandements for number being but ten and so not burdenable to the memorie for vnderstanding plaine written in the hart of euery man for equitie not contradictable for the Law craueth nothing of man but that which by the holinesse of his nature receiued by Creation hee was able to performe neither doth the law command any thing profitable to God vvho gaue it but vnto man who receiued it And for holinesse euery precept of the law when God proclaymed it on mount Sinai was assisted with a thousand of his Saints as witnesses of the holinesse therof all these circumstances doe aggrauate the waight of that iudgement which the law shall giue out against the transgressors thereof Then from the Law iudgement shall proceede to Conscience and Conscience shall witnesse against them of their transgressions against euery precept of the law wherein they shall be so cleerely conuinced that their perticular sinnes with the circumstances thereof time and place though now they haue cast them behind their backs shall then be set in order before them and so iustly euery manner of way shall iudgement goe out against them Eliphaz spoke it falslie to Iob thy owne mouth and not I condemnes thee but most iustly shall the ruler of the world lay it vpon the wicked out of thy owne mouth I iudge thee O thou euill and vnfaithfull seruant the voyce of thine own conscience and no other shall condemne thee And as this condemnation will bee most righteous so shall it bee also most fearefull not onely in regard of the manner of the Lords proceeding in that last iudgement but chieflie in regard of that irrevocable sentence of damnation which shall be executed without delay The Law was giuen with Thunders and Lightnings and a thicke cloud vpon the mount with an exceeding loude sound of the Trumpet so that all the people were afraide yea so terrible was the sight that Moses said I feare and quake The lawes of mighty Monarches are executed with greater terror then they are proclaymed what then shall we looke for when the God of glory shall appeare to iudge the world according to his law the Heauens shall passe away with a noyse the Elements shall melt with heate the Earth with the workes which are therein shall be burnt vp the Archangell shall blow a Trumpet at the voyce whereof the dead shall rise If Moses the seruant of the Lord quaked to heare the first Trumpet how shall the wicked condemned in their owne conscience tremble and quake to heare the second Then shall the Kings of the Earth and the great men and the rich men and the chiefe Captaines and the mightie men hide themselues in the Dennes and among the rockes of the Mountaines for what strength is there in man who is but stubble to stand before a consuming fire and or euer their doome bee giuen out they shall crye Mountaines and Rockes fall vpon vs and hide vs from the presence of him that sitteth on the Throne but when they shall heare that fearefull sentence depart from me yee cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Diuell and his Angels O how shall the terrour thereof confound their spirits and presse them downe to the bottome of hell O fearefull sentence depart from me what shall the creature doe when the Creator in his wrath commaunds it to depart and by his power banishes it from his presence O man wilt thou consider in time vvho shall receiue thee when God casts thee out from his face or who shall pittie and bee able to comfort thee when God shal persecute thee with his wrath assure thy selfe euery creature shall refuse her comfort to thee if a drop of colde water might bee a reliefe vnto thee thou shalt not get it Happie therefore are they vvho in time resolues themselues vvith Peter Lord whether away shall wee goe from thee thou hast the wordes of eternall life For they who doe now goe a whoring from the LORD wandring after lying vanities shall in that day receiue this for a recompence of their errour goe to the Gods whom yee haue serued Your whole life was but a turning backe from mee now therefore depart from mee and whether into fire and what fire euerlasting fire and with whom with the Diuell and his Angels thou hast forsaken mee thou hast followed them goe thy way with them a companion of their torment O fearefull sentence quae cum it a sint bene nobiscum ageretur si iam nunc sic nos paeniteret super malis nostris quomodo tunc sine vllo remedio paenitebit It were good therefore sayes Augustine if novv all men could so repent of their sinnes as it is certaine in that day they shall repent without any remedie for then the wicked vvill shed teares aboundantly but they shall bee fruitlesse And if yet all this cannot waken thee to goe to the Lord Iesus vpon the feete of faith and repentance that in him thou mayest bee deliuered from this fearefull damnation yet remember that seeing this iudgement is supreame and the last from which will bee no recalling most foolish art thou if in time thou doe not foresee and prouide how thou mayest stand in it Now if thy conscience condemne thee thou may get if thou seeke absolution in Christ but in that day if the Lord condemne thee thou shalt neuer be absolued the day before the Trumpet sound mercy shall bee preached to the penitent and beleeuers by the Gospell but from the time that once the sentence is giuen out there shall neuer bee more offering of mercy the doore shall be closed though the wicked cry for mercy and vvith Esau seeke the blessing vvith many teares yet shall they neuer finde it Of all this novv it is euident vvhat an excellent benefit wee haue by Iesus Christ in that vve are deliuered from this threefold condemnation For first being iustified by faith vve haue peace vvith God in our consciences that holy spirit of adoption testifying vnto vs that our sinnes are forgiuen vs whereof arises in our heart an vnspeakable and glorious ioy which ioy notwithstanding cannot be full nor perfect vntill the former sentence of our absolution be also pronounced in the other two iudgements that in the houre of death wee heare that ioyfull sentence Come to mee thou with the Apostle the terrour of that day but surely when the Lord shall set vs on mount Sion among those thousands which follow the Lambe and we shall see the smoake of the damned ascending continually when we shall stand at the right hand of the Lord Iesus and shall heare that fearefull sentence pronounced on the wicked and see the speedie and terrible execution thereof the earth opening incontinent to swallow them then shall we perfectly know how greatly the Lord hath magnified his mercies towards vs in
life that they who are planted in him flourish incontinent Proofe hereof we haue in Lidia and in the Theefe crucified with Christ and conuerted by him Aarons rodde was no sooner changed from a withered sticke into a flourishing tree then is hee from a barren malefactor into a fruitfull professor for see what a fruit hee beares in an instant he confesseth his owne sins he rebuketh the sinnes of his companion hee giueth a good testimonie vnto Christ and earnestly prayes that Christ would remember him concupiscence proceeds from sin â—endeth vnto sin but is not sin which he labors to expresse by this similitude he that hears saith he another man speking filthy language consents not vnto it but rather is angry at it and reproues it sinneth not but merits a greater reward euen so when our concupiscence sendâ— out any sinfull motion if we consent not vnto it we sinne not And the Fathers of that counsell of Trent which haue as many curses as Canons haue decreed in this manner this concupiscence which sometime the Apostle calleth sinne the holy Synode declares that the Catholike Church did neuer vnderstand it to be called sinne because it is truely and properly sinne in the regeuerate but because it commeth of sinne and inclineth to sinne Now because this is a mother errour which brings forth and strengthens many other errours wee will shortly disproue it by Scripture reason and antiquitie In the end of the last Chapter the Apostle condemneth the motions of concupiscence for sinne euen when consent is not giuen vnto them for he protests of himselfe that he resisted these motions of sin but was oftentimes sore against his will captiued by them he condemnes them as euill albeit he gaue no consent vnto them for the Law as I haue said doth not onely condemne sinne in the branch but also in the root there shall not bee in thee an euill thought against the Lord thy God And this is also confirmed by reason Consent in it owne nature is a thing indifferent if that whereunto I consent be good my consent is good but if it be euill my consent is euill if the first motion of sinne be not an euill thing in it selfe as they say then it is not an euill thing to consent vnto it for that which is not euill in it selfe by my consenting cannot become euill It is not then the consent following that makes the preceeding motion to bee euill but it is the preceeding euill motion that makes the subsequent consent euill Now as for Coster his similitude it makes plainely against himselfe for it is true indeed that hee who heareth euill spoken and reproues it is worthy of praise but it is also true that he who spake the euill hath sinned euen so albeit wee doe well when wee consent not to the motions of concupiscence in vs yet concupiscence is not the lesse to be condemned because it hath sent out in the eare of our soule that voyce of a filthy desire which is not agreeable to Gods most holy Law And of this same iudgement with vs are also the ancient Fathers Cum concupisco quamuis concupiscentis assensum non praebeam fit tamen in me quod nolo quod etiam non vult Lex When I lust saith Augustine albeit I consent not to my lust yet that is done in me which I will not and which also the law will not And againe desiderium tuum tali debet esse ad Deum vt omnino non sit ipsa concupiscentia cui resistere oporteat resistis enim non consentiendo vincis sed melius est hostem non habere quam vincere thy desire should in such sort be vpon God that there should not be in thee at all so much as a concupiscence which hath need of resistance for thou resists and by not consenting thou ouercommest but it were better not to haue an enemie then to ouercome him with him agrees also Bernard Genus illud peccati quod toties nos conturbat reprimi quidem potest debet per gratiam Dei concupiscentias loquor praua desideria vt non regnet in nobis nec demus membra nostra arma iniquitatis peccato sic nulla est damnatio his qui sunt in Christo sed non eijcitur niâ—i in morte That kinde of sinne saith he which so oft troubles vs Concupiscence and euill desires I meane may and should be repressed by the grace of God so that it raigne not in vs and that we giue not our members weapons of vnrighteousnesse to sinne and this way there is no damnation to them who are in Christ yet is it not cast out but in death Thus doth Bernard cleerely agree with vs in the exposition of this place Of all which is euident that the motions of concupiscence are euill and sinfull euen when they are repressed and no consent giuen vnto them But now leauing further improbation of this errour wee toler abilius enim lingua quaÌ„ vita mentâ—tur the lye saith Augustine which is made by the tongue is more tollerable then that vvhich is made by the life where the tongue professes Christ and the hart is giuen to impietie this is not professio sed abnegatio Christi a profession but a denying of Christ. It is a great sinne to beare false witnesse against our neighbour but a greater sinne to beare false witnesse against the Lord. Euery creature in their kinde giues a true testimonie vnto God the heauens declare his glory the earth and all that therein is sets foorth his goodnesse yea the little Emmet proclaimes his prouidence hee must bee a prouiuident father that hath put so great prouidence in so small a creature onely apostate Angels and men are false witnesses against the Lord. Sathan hath wyles continually against his mercy as when hee sayes to the penitent and beleeuing man God will not forgiue him vvyles against his iustice when hee beares the wicked in hand that God will not punish him wyles against his prouidence when hee would perswade the afflicted that God cannot deliuer them And as for the Apostate man hee is also a false vvitnesse against God hee calleth himselfe the childe of God and behold hee carryeth the image of Sathan as if the Lord begat children to another image and not to his owne Certainely the sinfull life of one professing Christ is a publick testimonie falsly proclayming to the vvorld as I haue said that there is no vertue in Christ and that hee is such a Sauiour as can neither sanctifie nor saue from sinne such as are his a fearefull blasphemie All Christians are not honoured with the second martiâ—dome that is to bee Christs vvitnesses by suffering of death for his truths sake yet all are bound by a godly life to bee vvitnesses of his sauing and renuing power shewing forth his meruailous vertue who hath translated vs from darknesse into
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
vs from the seruice of all other Masters that he might binde vs the more straightly to serue himselfe And indeede if Christ commaund vs as hee ought no other thing shall commaund vs beside him otherwise if we be not seruants to him we shall be slaues to euery thing beside him O quam multos dominos habet qui vnum non habet O how many Lords hath that man who hath not Christ to be his Lord assuredly there is no thing which will not vsurpe superioritie ouer thee who liues not as a bound seruant to Iesus Christ either thy belly shall become thy God and for a mease of pottage with Esau thou shalt sell thy birth-right and blessing or a wedge of gold shall become thy confidence and thou shalt not care for gaine to loose a good conscience or then some other vncouth Lord who hath no title to thee shall tyrannize ouer thee Thus wee see that the Christian libertie we haue by Christ makes vs free from the seruitude of sinne as the Apostle teacheth vs and not free to commit sinne as the carnall Atheist conceiues it But seeing we are debters let vs see with what bondes wee are bound surely the obligations are many by which we are bound debters to the Lord but specially now wee will shortly consider these two Creation and Redemption It is a principle receiued among all men that the fruit and vantage of a mans owne workmanship should redound to himselfe Who planteth a vineyard and eates not of the fruit thereof or who feedeth a flocke and eates not of the milke of the flocke No man begets sonnes and daughters but he will be honoured of them hee that hyreth seruants requires seruice of them yea Balaam will be offended if his beast serue him not according to his pleasure this is the measure wherwith men mete vnto themselues what reason then is ther we should refuse to doe that dutie vnto the Lord our Superiour which wee craue to our selues from our Inferiours The Lord hath made vs wee made not our selues his hand hath formed and shaped vs the life we haue wee hold it of him we can not abide a moment longer in this house of our earthly tabernacle than the Lords thinkes expedient his will makes the last day yea as we said before all our necessarie maintenance for this mortall life is furnished out of his hand seeing wee our selues craue seruice of those to whem we giue the smallest things shall wee not much more giue seruice vnto GOD from whom wee receiue the greatest The other is the bond of Redemption Wherein we are to consider these three things first that vve are bought secondly that we are sworne thirdly that we haue receiued wages before hand all for this end that vve should serue him Ye are bought saith the Apostle with a price therefore glorifie God in your bodies and in your spirits for they are Gods And againe wee are redeemed not with corruptible things as gold and siluer from our vaine conuersation but with the pretious bloud of Christ as of a Lambe vnspotted and vndefiled we should not therefore liue as seruants of men farre lesse as seruants of Sathan and sinne but as seruants of that Lord who hath redeemed vs. Of all fooles those are the greatest who sels their life for the silly shadowes of sinfull pleasures which Iesus Christ hath bought with the greatest price that euer was payed Not onely are we bought to be Christs seruants but also we are sworne for baptisme as on the part of God it is a seale of the couenant of grace to confirme that promise of remission of sinnes which God hath made to vs in the blood of Iesus Christ so on our part it is a solemne resignation of our selues and our seruice to the Lord wherein we giue vp our names to be enrolled among his souldiers seruants swearing binding and oblieging our selues to renounce the seruice of the Diuell the World and the Flesh and this oath of resignation we haue renued so oft as wee communicated at his holy Table Whereof it is euident that they who hath giuen their names to Christ and yet liues licentiously walking after the flesh are for-sworne Apostates guiltie of perfidie and of foule apostasie and desertion from Iesus Christ. And thirdly not onely are we bought and sworne but we haue receiued wages and payment in hand which should make vs ashamed if we haue so much as common honestie to refuse seruice to the Lord vvhose wages we haue receiued already It may be said to euery one of vs which Malachie in the name of the Lord spake to the Leuiets of his time who among you shuts the dore of my temple or kindles a fire vpon my alter in vaine who among vs can stand vp and say that hee hath done seruice to the Lord for nought Consider it when ye will for euery peece of seruice ye haue done to the Lord ye haue receiued wages more then ten times who hath called aright on his name hath not been heard who hath giuen thanks for benefits receiued hath not found Gods benefits doubled vpon him who hath giuen almes in the name of the Lord and not found increase I speake not now of rewards which God â—ath promised vs I speake only of that we haue receiued already the least of Gods mercies shewed vpon vs already doth farre exceede all that seruice that we poore wretches haue done vnto him as therefore we are content to receiue the Lords pay let vs neuer refuse to giue the seruice of our bodyes and spirits vnto him But alas is not this the common sinne of this generation to receiue good things out of the hand of God and with them to sacrifice vnto other Gods to whom they owe no seruice at all A horrible sacriledge a vile idolatry for this the Lord complaines of the Iewes they haue receiued my gold and my siluer and made vp Baal to themselues and the same complaint stands against the prophane men of this age The couetous man as riches encrease doth hee not set his heart vpon them though with his tongue hee denie it doth he not say within himselfe that which Iob protested hee would neuer say to the wedge of Gold thou art my confidence The glutton when hee hath receiued from God abundance of Wheat Oyle and Wine though hee know the commandement be not filled with wine wherein is excesse but be filled with the Spirit yet how oft takes hee in superfluous drinke and spares not for loue of it to grieue the Spirit sacrificing to his belly as vnto God those things which bindes him to doe seruice vnto the Lord thus neither are the benefits of God returned to doe honour vnto him from whom they come but sacrilegiously also abused to the making vp of Bâ—al or some other Idoll abhominable to God for which it it most certaine that the moe wages
part is euill spoken of but on your part is glorified Thus wee see quam magnos habeamus commilitones how great and strong fellow-warriours wee haue to assist the Lord being so present with vs non vt seruos suos spectet tantum sed vt ipse luctetur in nobis that hee doth not onely behold his seruants in their conflicts but hee himselfe also doth wrestle in them Where for our further comfort if any man be desirous to know whether if his sufferings be sufferings with Christ or not let him consider these three things first how Iesus receiued the Crosse as a cuppe giuen to him out of his Fathers hand neither looking to Iudas that betrayed him nor to the Iewes that pursued him Secondly hee receiued it not grudgingly nor impatiently but with an humble submission of his will to the will of his Father Thirdly hee suffered for this end that he might abolish sinne and destroy him who had the power of death If these three concurre in thy sufferings thou mayest be sure they are suffrings with Christ first if passing by the instrument of thy trouble thou looke to the hand of God tempering and giuing it vnto thee secondly if thou receiue it with a humble submission of thy spirit to him who is the Father of Spirits and thirdly if it worke in thee a mortification of thy sinfull lusts and affections And of this we haue to make our vse in all our afflictions inward or outward and first concerning inward afflictions if at any time it please the Lord to exercise vs with fearefull agonies of Conscience let vs looke vnto GOD who killes and makes aliue who casts downe and raises vp let vs for a while beare his indignation he abides but a moment in his anger if we finde that by them wee are more humbled wakened out of securitie and stirred vp more feruently to pray and that the life of sinne is weakened in vs let vs be out of all doubt that these inward troubles are sufferings with Christ whose soule for our sinnes was heauie vnto the death and his body did sweat blood through the vehement anguish of his spirit And as for outward sufferings they are either such as concernes our Name our goods or our persons As for those which concerne our name it is a singular pollicy of Sathan to beare downe the children of God in the estimation of others vt qui conscientiae suae luce clarescunt alienis rumoribus sordidentur that they who are glorious in the light of their owne conscience may be made filthie by the false reports of others and so made vnprofitable to doe others the good that they would but let vs in such tentations learne from Dauid to looke vnto God and not to Shimei vsing the vndesâ—rued contumeliâ—s of men as profitable meanes to worke in vs that inward humiliation which our manâ—fold sinnes though not against man yet against God requireth of vs so shall we suffer with him who being the innocent Lambe of God sustayned neuerthelesse great contradiction of sinners reproched to be one possessed with a Diuell notwithstanding that hee was the very sonne of God filled in his manhood with the holy Ghost And as concerning the losse of worldly goods who euer bee the instrument learne thou to take it as a cup out of the hand of thy heauenly Father after the example of Iob who passing by the Sabeans and the Caldeans looked to the hand of God the Lord hath giuen and the Lord hath taken saith hee blessed be the name of the Lord. It is not for lacke of loue that the mother withdrawes from the Childe the vse of the pappe but that shee may acquaint him with stronger meat and if the Lord take from vs these transitorie things it is not because we are not beloued of him but that we may set our harts vpon those things which are more waightie and permanent which if wee doe then are our sufferings sufferings with him who being rich became poore that in all things we might be made rich in him And the same are we to doe in those troubles which we sustayne in our bodyes for if as the Apostles sayth wee haue had fathers of our bodies who haue corrected vs and we haue giuen them reuerence should we not much rather be in subiection to the father of Spirits that we might liue and if we can yeeld our bodies to phisitions to be cut or burnt at their pleasure how much more should wee submit them to the Lord in all humble contentment to be chastised as he will seeing hee protests himselfe hee doth it not but for our singular profit that wee might be pertakers of his holines We shall raigne with Christ. Worldlings wrestles for their corruptible crowne as vncertaine whether they shall obtaine it or no but it is not so with the Christian we runne not as vncertaine we are sure that if we suffer with Christ we shall also raigne with him though for the present no trouble bee sweet yet is the end thereof most comfortable and we are by the eyes of faith to looke vnto it least our present manifold tentations driue vs vnto impatience for as he that going through a strong running riuer is in danger to fall drowne by reason of the dissinesse of his braine vnlesse he fixe his eyes vpon the bancke so shall we be ready to faint in affliction vnlesse we looke to the comfortable end thereof If we shall looke to Lazarus vpon the dunghill and Ioseph in the prison what can wee iudge them to be but miserable men but if we consider their end we shall see the one in Abrahams bosome and the other raigning in great glory vnder Pharoah in Egipt then shall wee say verely there is fruit for the righteous and we shall find it true which here the Apostle saith that if we suffer with Christ we shall also raigne with him Verse 18. For I count that the afflictions of this present time are not worthie of the glory to be reuealed THe Apostle here subioynes an amplification of his first argument wee shall not onely saith hee raigne with Christ but raigne in such a glory as doth so farre surmount all our present sufferings that if they be weighed together in a balance the one shall bee found but light in regard of the other For I count The word the Apostle vseth here imports thus much after reasoning I conclude or after iust reckoning this is the summe which I collect and gather here then are two circumstances which greatâ—y amplifies his purpose one that hee sets not downe this as an vncertaine opinion but as a most sure conclusion gathered out of good reason And againe that it is the conclusion of such a one as by experience knew both what experience the Apostle had of our present suffering hee telleth vs 2. Cor. 11. what experience he had of the glory to be
are truely Godly are so far from wickednesse that if they were such men as they desire to be and could possibly perform that good which they prease to doe there would not be such a thing as a spark of the life of sinne left remaning in them Alwayes wee liue vnder this hope that the Lord who hath already by his grace deliuered vs from wickednes will also in his owne good time deliuer vs from our weaknesse hee shall make our deeds answerable to our desires and wee shall become such as may say Now thankes be to God for I doe the good which I would These infirmities after our regeneration are left in vs partly as Antidotes against our naturall presumption as wee may see in the holy Apostle who least hee should haue beene exalted out of measure was buffeâ—ed with the Angell of Sathan and partly for our prouocation to prayer that having experience of our owne weaknesse wee might runne to the Lord who is the strength of our soule and seeke his helpe by prayer whereunto otherwise we are very slow by nature notwithstanding it be the best and most acceptable seruice that we can giue vnto God vpon earth We haue marked this in experience that as they who finde not themselues bodily diseased seeke not the Phisition so hee that feeles not the spirituall infirmities of his soule cannot pray vnto God to remedie them the Lord hath vsed the infirmities of many as holy meanes to make them truely religious who were prophane before and for these causes are infirmities left in vs. Infirmities So the Apostle speakes in the plurall number because not one but manifold are the infirmities whereunto we are subiect whereof there arises to vs a two-fold warning First that we take heede vnto our selues and see where wee are weakest to the end that there wee may strengthen our selues The Philistims were very carefull to know wherein Sampsons strength lay to the end that spoyling him of his strength they might spoyle him of his life but Sathan by long experience knows our infirmities and sets vpon vs there where hee knowes that wee are weakest As therefore they who are besieged looke not so much vnto the stronger part of the wall as vnto the weaker that they may strengthen it so wisdome craues that we should looke most narrowly to our greatest infirmities Hee that hath children albeit he loue them all yet hath he most respect to the most infirme among the and he that hath many tenements of land hastes soonest to repayre that which is most ruinous and among all the members of the body we care most for those that are weake or wounded Seeing Nature hath taught vs to take heed to those things which are ours shall we not much more take heed vnto our selues It is euen a point of holy wisedome to consider where wee are weakest and what those sinnes are vnto which we are most subiect and by which Sathan hath gotten greatest vantage against vs that so we may take the more paynes to make our selues strong against it And after that by prayer and spirituall exercises thou hast made thy selfe strong there where thou wast wont to be weake yet take heede vnto thy selfe it is not one but many infirmities whereunto we are subiect and the craftie enimie can very well change his tentations vpon thee if he be repulsed at any one part whereat he was wont to enter hee will goe about and seeke vantage at an other and therefore seeing our enimie is restlesse and the matter hee workes vpon is our manifold infirmities let vs walke circumspectly and pray continually standing with the whole grace the grace of Prayer is we should not so vainely professe in our words that wee can pray as earnestly beseech him with the Disciples that he would teach vs to pray As that Eunuch professed that hee could not vnderstand without a guide so may we that we cannot pray without a guide it is easie to speake of God but not so easie to speake vnto God hee that will speake to God saith Ambrose must speake to him in his owne language that is in the language of his Spirit Prayer is not a communing of the tongue with God but of the soule with God and of such a soule onely as is taught by the holy Spirit how to pray it is true the Lord vnderstands the thoughts of euery mans heart but the language acceptable to God are those motions of the heart which are raised by his owne Spirit and hee that wants this Spirit can not speake vnto God in Gods language Let this serue to reforme the corrupt iudgement of many who thinking themselues able enough to pray passe ouer their dayes without the grace of Prayer a fearefull punishment of carnall presumption This naturall inabilitie to pray consists in these sometime the fault is in our vnderstanding fallimur putantes prodesse quae poscimus cum non prosint wee are deceiued thinking those things to be profitable for vs which are not so the Iewes not content to be fed with Manna according to the Lords dispensation will haue flesh which the Lord giues them but in his anger and their posteritie not content with the Lords gouernement will haue a King like other nations which the Lord gaue them but in his wrath Of this sort are they who send out in stead of lawful prayers vnlawfull imprecations against their brethren crying for the plagues of God vpon their neighbours for euery small offence in stead of the blessings of God these are like the Disciples that prayed for fire from heauen to burne vp Samaria not being led by a right spirit or rather like vnto Corah Dathan and Abiram who sent vp to the Lord strange fire vvhich at length brought downe a strange iudgement vpon themselues Sometime againe wee seeke that which lawfully may be sought the fault is not in the vnderstanding but in the affection as when men seeke lawfull things for the wrong end or in the wrong place Of the first sayth Saint Iames yee seeke and receiue not because yee aske amisse that yee may consume it vpon your lusts Of the second saith our Sauiour seeke first the kingdome of Go and other things shall be cast vnto you the Lord is greatly dishonoured when we seeke any thing before himselfe for remedy let vs remember these rules First that the thing we seeke be good Secondly that vve seeke the greatest good in the first roome And thirdly that the secondary gifts vve seeke them for the right end namely that they may be seruants to vs in our seruing of God onely and that wee abuse them not as occasions of sinning against our God And further we may learne here how little cause either the Pelagian had of old or the semipelagian Papists haue now to magnifie so farre the arme of flesh as to affirme that man vnregenerate hath power of his owne free-will to make
and stand before mee in this house where my name is called vpon before your eyes behold euen I see it and will for this cause cast you out of my sight But here seeing it is for Saints onely that the Spirit requests what shall then become of mee may the weake Christian say who am the chiefe of all sinners To this I answere that in vs who are militant here vpon earth both of these are true wee are sinners and we are Saiâ—ts but in sundry respects If we say we haue no sinne wee lye and the â—ruth of God is not in vs. And if our aduersary say that there is nothing in vs but sinne hee is also a lyer That therefore we may know how these are to be reconciled let vs consider that the Euangelist Saint Iohn saith hee that is borne of God sinneth not and in the same Epistle speaking also of men that are regenerate and borne of God he saith if wee say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues The Apostle Saint Paul speaking of himselfe in one and the selfe same place affirmes that he did the euill which he would not and yet incontinent hee protests that it was not hee but sinne dwelling in him The resolution of this doubt will arise by considering that in the Christian man are two men the new man and the old the one the workmanship of God the other the workmanship of Sathan the one but young little weake in respect of the other like little Dauid compared to the Gyant Goliah Yet the new man who is weakest hath this vantage that he is daily growing whereas the other is daily decaying the life of the new man waxeth stronger and stronger the life of the old man weaker and weaker the one tending to perfection the other wearing to a finall destruction Now the Lord in iudging of the Christian lookes not to the remanents of sinne in him which are daily decaying but to the new workmanship of his owne grace in him which is daily growing according to it he esteemes iudges and speakes of the Christian from it hee giues vs these names as to call vs Saints righteous c. not counting with vs what wee haue beene neither yet weighing vs by the corruption of sinnefull nature which remaines in vs but according to the new grace which in our regeneration hee hath created in vs He sees no iniquitie in Israell and it is his praise to passe by the transgressions of his heritage But the Christian by the contrary in iudging of himselfe he lookes most commonly to that whereunto the Lord lookes least his sinnes are euer before him the old man is continually in his sight as a strong and mightie Gyant whose force hee feares whose tyrannie makes him to tremble and by whom hee finds himselfe detayned vnder miserable thraldome farre against his will and therefore all his care is how to subdue this tyrannie how to quench his life and shake off his dominion in this warfare hee sighes complaines and cryes vnto God with the holy Apostle O miserable man who shall deliuer me from this body of sinne But because so long as this old man hath a life hee neuer rests to send out sinnefull motions and actions which doe greatly greiue the child of God therefore is it that hee esteemes himselfe a miserable creature yea and the chiefe of all sinners Thus yee see how it is that God accounts his children Saints and they account themselues Sinners Where againe Saint Iohn saith that hee who is borne of God sinnes not and yet that hee who saith he hath no sinne is a lyer both of these is true He that is borne of God that is the new man sinneth not for sure it is that all the sins which are committed by man are either done without the knowledge of the new man his vnderstanding being as yet so weake that he doth not know euery sinne to be sinne or then if he knowes them to be sinnes they are done without his consent or approbation yea they are done sore against his will so that the new man in the sinnes which are done in the body is a patient not an agent So that as an honest man captiued by violence and against his will compelled to behold wicked and abhominable deedes which he would not so much as looke to if hee were free so is the new man detayned in the body as a captiue and compelled to looke vnto that which he loues not that is to the sinnefull motions vnruly lusts and affections of his corrupt nature whereunto he consents not but protests against them and for their sake becomes weary of soiourning in the body so that Ioseph was not more weary of his prison nor Ieremie of his dungeon nor Daniel of the company of Lyons nor Dauid more weary of his dwelling in the tents of Kedar than is the new man weary of his abiding in the bodie Hee is like Lot in Sodome whose righteous soule was vext day by day by hearing and seeing the vnclean conuersation of the Sodomites hee is like Israel in Aegipt kept in most vile slauerie by the tyrannie of Pharaoh sighing and crying he is like the godly Iewes holden in captiuitie in Babell many things they saw there done to the dishonour of God which they no way approued and many things they would haue done that they had no libertie to doe So this new man perceiues many sinnefull motions and actions brought in vpon him by a superiour power which are a griefe vnto him and vexation of his spirit And this is the greatest comfort of the new man that whatsoeuer good he doth hee doth it with ioy and on the contrary euill that is done in the body it is a griefe to him to see it yea he protests against it O Lâ—rd this is not I but sin that dwels in me thou knowst I like it not I allow it not I wish from my heart there were not done in mee any thing that might offend thee Onely happy and thrice happie is the man who with the holy Apostle is able to say so Thus yee see in what sense the Godly are sayd by the Euangelist in one place not to sinne and in another not to be without sinne The Lord worke this holy disposition in vs that the life of sinne may daily be weakned in vs. According to God Wee haue last of all to marke here that those petitions which flow from the Spirit are according to Gods will and therefore as concerning temporall things because wee know not absolutely what is the will of God whether health or sicknesse riches or pouertie be most expedient for vs wee are to pray with a condition if it be his willâ— but as for those things which are directly against his will it is a great mockery if it be done with knowledge or otherwise a grose impietie to seeke them from him It is written of Vitellius
their workes vnto this one end the good of those who loue him where euer they be in regard of place what euer in regard of persons yea howsoeuer disagreeing among themselues yet are they so ruled by the prouident power of the supreame gouernour our heauenly Father that all of them workes together vnto the good of them that loue him For albeit the Lord rested the seauenth day from the workes of creation so that hee made no new kinde of creature after that day yet did hee not rest from the workes of prouidence or gubernation whereof our Sauiour saith my Father workes hitherto and I worke When man hath finished a vvorke hee resignes it to another to be gouerned as the Wright vvhen he hath builded a ship giues it ouer to the Marriner to rule it neither is man able to preserue the vvorke of his hands neither yet knowes hee what shall be the end thereof It is not so with the Lord as by the worke of creation hee brought them out so by his prouident administration hee preserues them and rules euen the smallest creatures directing them vnto such ends as he hath ordained them for in the counsell of his vvill How euer some Ethnicks haue beene so blinde as to thinke that God did neglect the smaller things vpon earth scilicet is superis labor est and Epicures also whose false conceptions of the diuine prouidence are rehearsed by Eliphaz How should God know how should hee iudge through the darke cloud the cloudes hide him that he cannot see and hee walkes in the circle of heauen yet it is certaine hee rules not a part onely but all hee is not as they thought of him a God onely aboue the Moone No though he dwell on high yet he abases himselfe to behold the things that are on earth hee is not onely a God in the mountaines as the Syrians deemed but a God in the vallies also There is nothing so great nothing so small but it falles vnder his prouidence yea hee numbers our hayres and keepes them not one of them can fall to the ground without his prouidence Si sic custodiuntur superflua tua in quanta securitate est anima tua if hee so keepe thy superfluities how much more will hee keepe thy soule Let it therefore content vs in the most confused estate of things we can see fall out in the world that the Lord hath said All things shall worke for the best vnto vs. Let vs not question with Marie how can this be nor doubt with Sarah how can I conceiue nor with Moses where shall flesh be gotten for all this multitude but let vs sayth Augustine consider the author and such doubts shall cease As he hath manifested his power and wisedome in the tempering of this world making Elements of so contrary qualities agree together in one most pleasant harmonie so doth it appeare much more in gouerning all the contrary courses of men to the good of his own children One notable example whereof wee will set downe for all Iacob sends Ioseph to Dothan to visit his brethren his brethren casts him into the pit Reuben releeues him the Midianites buyes him and sels him to Potiphar his Mistresse accuses him his Maister condemnes him the Butler after long forgetfulnesse recommends him Pharaoh exaltes him O vvhat instruments are here how many hands about this one poore man of God neuer a one of them looking to that end which God had proposed vnto him yet the Lord contrary to their intention makes them all vvorke together for Iosephs aduancement in Aegipt But now to the particulars There is nothing in the world which workes not for our weale all the vvorkes of God all the stratagems of Sathan all the imaginations of men are for the good of Gods children yea out of the most poysonable things such as sinne and death doth the Lord draw wholesome and medicinable preseruatiues vnto them vvho loue him All the wayes of the Lord saith Dauid are mery and truth marke vvhat hee sayth and make not thou an exception vvhere God hath made none All none excepted therefore be thou strengthened in the Faith and giue glory vnto God resoluing with patient Iob albeit the Lord would slay me yet will I trust in him Sometime the Lord seemes to walke in the way of anger against his children which hath moued many of them to poure out the like of these pittifull complaints the arrowes of the almightie are vpon me said Iob the venime whereof doth drincke vp my spirit and the terrours of God fight against me thou settest me vp as a marke against thee and makes me a burthen to my selfe Thy indignation lyes vpon me said Dauid yea from my youth I haue suffered thy terrours doubting of my life For felicitie I haue had bitter griefe said Ezekiah for the Lord like a Lyon brake all my bones so that I did chatter like a Swallow and mourne like a Doue I am troubled on euery side said the Apostle hauing fightings without and terrours within Yet in all this dealing the Lord hath a secret way of mercy in the which he walkes for the comfort of his children it is but to draw vs vnto him that he shewes himselfe to be angry with vs aduersatur tibi deus ad tempus vt te secum habeat in perpetuum the Lord is an aduersarie to thee for a while that hee may for euer reconcile thee to himselfe And this albeâ—t for the present we cannot perceiue and can see no other but that the Lord hath taken vs for his enimies yet in the end we shall be compelled to acknowledge and confesse with Dauid it was good for mee O Lord that euer thou correctedst me for the Lord is mernailous in his saints O the deepenesse of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God how vnsearchable are his iudgements and his wayes past finding out His glory is great when he vvorks by meanes his glory appeares greater when hee vvorkes without meanes but then his glory shines most brightly when he workes by contraries It was a great worke that hee opened the eyes of the blinde man but greater that hee did it by application of spittle and clay meanes meeter to put out the eyes of a seeing man than to restore sight to a blinde man So hee wrought in the first creation causing light to shine out of darknesse so also in the worke of redemption for by cursed death he brought happy life by the crosse he conquered the crowne and through shame hee went to glory And this same order the Lord still keepeth in the worke of our second creation which is our regeneration hee casts downe that hee may raise vp hee kils and hee makes aliue hee accuseth his children for sinne that so hee may chase them to seeke remission of sinness hee troubleth their consciences that so hee may pacifie
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
is your reward in heauen Qui volens detrahit famae meae nolens addit mercedi meae he that with his will impaires my name against his will augments my reward I haue spoken the more of this purpose partly because it is a common craft of Sathans to oppresse good men with misreports vt qui conscientiae suae luce clarescunt alienis rurâ—oribus sordidâ—ntur and partly because our weakenesse is easily ouercome with this tentation Seeing the Lord will haue vs to sustaine the strife of tongues let vs strengthen our selues let vs so walke through good report that wee be not puft vp and through euill report that we be not cast downe but that by weapons of righteousnesse on the right hand and on the left we may ouercome Now as for Sathan he is stiled the accuser of the Saints of God night and day sometime hee accuses God to man sometime man to God and sometime man to himselfe In Paradise hee began and accused God charging him with enuie and in the same trade of lying doth he still continue For sometime he lyes against the iustice of God when hee saith to the licentious liuer albeit yee sinne yee shall not dye that so he may puffe him vp to presumption sometime he lyes against the mercy of God as vvhen hee saith to the vveake in faith your sinne is greater than that God can forgiue it that so he may driue him to desperation sometime he lyes against Gods prouidence as when hee saith to them that are in necessitie the Lord hath cast you off and will no more prouide for you that so hee may prouoke them to put out their hand to wickednesse Secondly he is a restlesse accuser of man vnto God as yee may see in the example of Iob he heard the Lord commending him yet he spared not to traduce him when hee could not gainesay his actions hee gainsayd his intention and affection hee charged him to be a hireling and not a sonne a mercenarie worshipper who serued God for his gifts and not for himselfe albeit after tryall he was found a lyer And herein we are to consider how faithlesse a traytour Sathan is for those same sinnes which man doth by Sathans instigation he is the first accuser of man for them vnto God Oh that man could remember that Sathan is euer doing one of these three against him first hee is a Tempter of man to sinne secondly when sinne is committed hee is an accuser of man vnto God for those same sinnes which he tempted him to doe and thirdly hee is a tormenter of man for them vnlesse they be remoued by repentance But Iesus Christ our Lord is of a plaine contrary disposition first hee disswades vs from sinne warning vs of the danger and then if of weakenesse wee sinne hee offers himselfe an aduocate for vs if wee repent These things my babes I write to you that yee sinne not but if any man sinne we haue an aduocate with the Father euen Iesus the iust These two compared lets vs see what a great difference there is betweene them that knowing the deceitfull malice of the diuell we may learne to abhorre him and the heartie vnfayned affection of Iesus Christ toward vs wee may loue and follow him Thirdly Sathan accuses man vnto himselfe he deceiues the vvicked beares them in hand that they are the sonnes of God and labours to perswade the godly that they are reprobates denying that they haue Faith or Repentance or any spiritual grace There is nothing so true but Sathan dare deny it hee that durst call it in doubt to Christ himselfe whether he were the sonne of God or no will that shameles lyar spare to doe it vnto others But let vs worke out our saluation in feare and trembling and make sure our calling by well doing that we may haue within vs the infallible tokens of our election and as for the rest let vs keepe this ground seeing the worke of our saluation is done by God in despite of Sathan Sathans testimonie in it is not to be regarded though hee would call vs as he did Paul and Sylas the seruants of the liuing of God yet are we not the better neither the worse albeit hee pronounce vs to be such as are abiect and cast away from the fauour of God And last the children of God are accused of their owne consciences these are eyther such as proceede from sufficient light or from wrong information If conscience accuse vpon light which shee hath receiued out of the word of God her sentence is diuine and wee are to regard it if otherwise shee accuse vpon wrong information it is the errour of conscience and wee are to remedie it by sending conscience to seeke the warrant of her sentence out of the word of God It is very expedient that wee put a difference betweene conscience and the errour of conscience where conscience discernes not according to the Law of the supreame Iudge it cannot but erre eyther in being ouer large and then shee pronounceth those things lawfull which are vnlawfull or ouer strait and so she declares those things vnlawfull which are lawfull for if this be not obserued wee shall be disquieted while we hearken to the errours of conscience as if they were the iust and lawfull accusations of conscience Sometime againe conscience presents to men sins which they haue done many yeeres agoe and whereof they haue repented for wee are to know that albeit the Lord after repentance forgiue the guiltinesse of sinne yet he will haue the memorie thereof to remaine in that conseruing facultie of conscience called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it may both serue to humble vs for the euill wee haue done as also to preserue vs from sinne for the time to come And sinne this manner of way retained in the memory I compare it to thornes bryers which in the middest of a garden are hurtfull and hinder the grouth of good fruit but being put in the hedge are profitable to preserue them so sinne as long as it is in the affection is very pernitious for then it chokes the seede of the word of God in them but being taken out of the affection and set in the memory is as a hedge to the soule to preserue it from wilde and raging beasts that would come in and deuoure it thus for our humiliation the Lord keepes in vs a remembrance euen of those sinnes which hee hath pardoned but so that with the remembrance of the euill which we haue done our conscience doth also excuse and comfort vs with the remembrance of our vnfained repentance toward God And if otherwise the conscience accuse vs for those euill deeds which wee haue done and whereof wee haue not repented it is of Gods great mercy toward vs who by inward trouble wakens vs to iudge our selues now that we should not be iudged of the
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
God by their beginnings What inconueniences arise from this precipitation Psal. 39. 9. Psa. 116. 10 Psa. 116. 13. He that will iudge of Lazarus on the dunghill shall think him more miserable than the rich Glutton But wee shall best iudge of the works of God if we tarry till they be ended Esay 48. 22. Psal. 37. 37. Gods wonderfull wisdome in causing things of so contrary qualities to agree to do one worke God hath rested from the worke of creation not of gubernation Ioh. 5. 17. His prouidence extends to the smallest things Iob. 22. 13. 14. Psal. 113. 1 King 20. Augustine In greatest confusion of things let vs keepe our comfort the end of them shal be our good Gen. 37. c. The end of all the wayes of God is our good Psal. 25. 10. Iob. 13. 15. Yea euen when he seemes to be most angry with his children he is working their good Iob. 6. 4. Isa. 38. 17. 13. 14 2 Cor. 7. 5. Chrisost. in Mat. hom 14 Rom. 11. 13 For the working of God with his children is by contraries Sathans stratagems are directed to the good of the godly Ambr. lib. 1. de paeni ca. 13 Sathans accusations for sinnes past are vnto the godly preseruatiues against sin to come And his tentations to sinne chases them to the throne of grace 2 Chron. 20. 13 Ambr. ibid. As the Philistims vnderstood not Samsons riddle how sweete came out of the sowre so cannot worldlings that comfort is in the crosse Iudg. 14. 14. Rom. 5. 3. 2 Cor. 4. 13. Heb. 12. 11. Afflictions profitable to the children of God Lam. 3. 27. Psal. 119. 71 Ioh. 15. 2. The wicked putrifie and rots in their prosperitie Iere. 48. 11. 2 Sam. 7. 14. 15. Death workes also the good of Gods children Death compared to the red Sea Egiptians drowne in it But the Israelits of God shall goe through it How the enimies of Gods childreÌ„ against their will procures their good Gen. 50. 20. 1 Sam. 29. Death of the body to a Christian is but as the renting of Iosephs garment from him Chrisostome Since to euery Christian all things work for the best much more are we to think that this is the priuiledge of the whole Church Gen. 12. 3. A warning for Kings such as are in authoritie Hester 4. 14. Exod. 7. They who rise to authoritie not to the good of the Church shall assuredly fall Examples â—â—ewing how God hath altered the state of worldly Empires for the good of his Church In Pharaoh king of Egypt In the Monarch of Babell and Persia. Therefore in our greatest mutations our hart should not be moued from confidence in God Iob. 19. What is a christians best A wicked man is at his best when he is first borne for the longer he liues the moe sins he multiplyes Ierem. 9. 3 A man continuing in sinne compared to one gathering a treasure With euery new sinne he gathers a new portion of wrath A Christians best beginnes in the day of his conuersion Ioh. 6. 3. The day of our conuersion was a day of diuâ—siâ— betweene vs our old sinnes which wee should not forget Seeing our best is not in this life let vs possesse our â—oules in patience How they are to be pittied who reioyce in things present as in their best things Luke 12. 19. Wisd. 5. 7. Miserable worldlings who take more paines to get keep any thing than Iesus Christ. Psal. 50. 22. How all things worke for the worst to the wicked The persons to whom the former comfort belongs are described to be such as loue God and are called by him Three things inseperably knit 1. Gods purpose concerning vs 2. his calling of vs 3. our loue toward him None can loue God but such as he hath chosen and called It is thought a common thing to loue God but none can loue him who are not beloued of him 1 Ioh. 4. 10. He that would know Gods purpose toward him let him go downe to his own heart and not vp to Gods counsell Ioh. 21. 15. Loue the first affection that Sathan peruerted And the first which in our regeneration is rectified by the spirit of grace The first obiect of reformed loue is God August de temp ser 223 The second obiect of reformed loue is our selus He cannot loue his brother who loues noâ— himselfe Augustine Man hath need to learne how to loue himself rightly Aug. ad frat in Eremo ser. 30. Amb. lib. 2. offi cap. 12. Loue to our selues and our neighbor â—â—uld be measured but our loue to God should be without measure Bern. in Cant ser. 20. Three conditions requisite in the loue of God Mat. 19. 27. Iohn 14. 21. Mat. 16. 22. 23 In this life wee are farre from that measure of the loue of God which should be in vs. Foure meditations helpful to encrease in vs the loue of God We should loue him because he himselfe is the supreame good Because he hath first loued vs. Bernard He hath declared his loue by innumerable gifts already giuen vs. Hee hath yet greater things which he hath prepared for vs to giue vs. Aug. de ciuit dei l. 10. c. 18 Our loue to God must be tryed by the effects thereof Property of Loue it longs to obtaine thaâ— which is beloued We loue not God if we vse not the exercises of the word and prayer seeing by them onely we haue familiaritie with God vpon earth Psal. 119. 97 Psal. 26. 8. Psal. 27. 2. We loue not God if we long not to be with him in heauen wher he shews his most familiar presence Psal. 42. 1. Psal. 143. Phillip 1. Reuel 22. How by this tryal it is found that many are void of the loue of God Cant. 1. 6. The effect of true loue is obedience and a care to please the Lord. Iohn 21. 15. Psal. 139. 21 What great blessing belongeth to them who in their calling seeke to honour God Esay 22. 23. Psa. 140. 11 Psal. 52. 5. But this age in word calleth Christ their King but casts off his yoke Iohn 15. 10. The propertie of loue is bountifulnesse 1 Cor. 13. 4. The last is readines to suffer for his cause A confirmatioÌ„ of his third and last argument of comfort Comfort that the ground of our saluation is in God the tokens thereof in our selues Esay 46. Ioh. 10. 2 Tim. 2. Mal. 3. 6. Our calling conuersion flowes from Gods purpose therefore all the praise of it belongs to the Lord. For this cause he is called the Father of Mercy and not of Iudgement 2 Tim. 1. 9. Our calling is twofold and the inward calling is a declaration of our election All mankinde are considered standing in three circles they onely are blessed who are within the third Zach. 13. 9. Mat. 7. 21. Where euer the Gospell is preached to cal men there God hath toward some a purpose of loue Acts. 16. Acts. 18. 10. If this were coÌ„sidered it wold work a