anie other comfort in the world And thus hauing signified my good wil and testified my dutie praying your worship to vouchsafe the reading of that wherein I haue taken some paines although it bee not so much worth I commit you to the tuition of the Almightie and humbly take my leaue Your VVorships in his praiers to God for you and yours S. I. ⧠The Comforte of ADOPTION Rom. 8. 15. 16. 17. For ye haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe but ye haue receiued the spirit of adoption wherby we cry Abba Father The same spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit that wee are the children of God If we bee children wee are also heires euen the heires of God and heires annexed with Christ. This Text standeth on three parts 1 The greatnesse of this benefit by comparison of contrarietie Ye haue not receiued the spirit of bondage but of adoption 2 The assurance of adoption The same spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit 3 The worthinesse of adoption If wee be children we are also heires THe Methode that the Apostle vseth in this Epistle to the Romanes is first concerning Iustification and Righteousnesse Secondly concerning Sanctification Holinesse And after that according to his order he intreateth of Adoption which is a gift a priuiledge and dignitie added to the former Through repentance and a liuely faith taking hold of the promises of God we are made righteous and so taken and so accounted before God by the means of Christ and being made righteous we are also indued with a measure of Gods spirit grace to holinesse of life So the hauing receiued these two excellent gifts we haue a ful assurāce of Gods fauour towards vs and that is performed by adoption Which is a seale certain token vnto vs that we deliuered from the curse of the law which is the ministration of death and condemnation Whereas the assurance and full perswasion of our adoption is the ministerie and doctrine of all comfort and consolation The text which I haue reade vnto you may be deuided into thrée seuerall parts Whereof the first conteineth the greatnesse of the benifit of adoption in consideration of the fréedom we reap therby being deliuered from the slauery and feare of the lawe in these words Ye haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe but the spirit of adoption whereby we crie Abba father The second part containeth the assurance of our adoption in these words The same spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God The third part sheweth the worthinesse of our adoption in these words If we be childrē we are also heires euen the heires of God heires annexed with Christ The greatnesse of the benefit of adoption in consideration of the fréedome we reape therby being deliuered from the slauerie and feare of the lawe is verie well expressed by that place of scripture set downe in the Epistle to the Heb. 12 agréeing with this For ye haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe but the spirit of adoption ye are not come saith the Apostle to the mount that might be touched nor vnto burning fire nor to blacknesse and darknes and tempest Neither vnto the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words which they that heard excused themselues that the word should not be spoken to them any more for they were not able to abide that which was commanded And so terrible was the sight which appeared that Moses said I feare and quake But ye are come vnto the mount Sion and to the citie of the liuing God the celestiall Ierusalem and to the company of innumerable Angels and to the congregation of the first borne which are written in heauen and to God the iudge of all and to the spirits of iust and perfect men They that are vnder the lawe are also vnder the curse of the law and where the curse is there is nothing to be looked for but death condemnatiō which bringeth foorth trembling feare And so much the more are we in feare in bondage and slauery subiect to the curse condemnation of the lawe to death and gods dreadfull iudgement because we are borne the children of wrath Wherefore God sent his natural sonne Christ into the world that through his grace he might adopt vnto himselfe many childrē of vs which otherwise were but miserable castawaies Who by the grace frée fauour of God being adopted haue not only their sinnes pardoned and forgiuen but also are cladde with the innocencie and righteousnesse of Christ whereby they are brought into fauoure and are made of fearefull captiues being vnder the bondage of sinne and Sathan the ioyfull sonnes and children of God set at libertie to doo the workes of God and to liue in his holie obedience What greater feare can there be to our consciences then when this is pronounced against vs Cursed is hee that continueth not in all the workes of the lawe to doo them And he that offendeth in one point of the lawe is guiltie of all Who is it amongst vs all that can say my heart is cleane And who is it that cannot iustly condemne himselfe in the breach of euery particular point of Gods lawe and of his commandements And if our heart condemne vs God is greater then our hearts and knoweth all Here hence therfore can nothing arise but feare and such a feare which is beyond measure leading vs vnto desperation making vs to thinke no better of our selues then as miserable wretches forlorne destitute of all comfort as Cain was who in fearful sort went alwaies mourning and crying out saying My sin is heauier then I can beare The punishment of God is stil vpon me and my conscience is neuer at rest So is the sinfull and fearful conscience alwaies in the estate of a seruant stil fearing the whip and the scourge and as a gally-slaue vnder Turkish thraldom whose life is no better then a torment And if the deliuery of the law were so fearful that he that had least cause to feare and was beloned of God did tremble quake how much more fearefull and terrible shal the execution of that law be Moses the blessed seruant of God in a fright the onely beloued son of God in déep agonies the one trembleth the other for anguish sweateth bloud And how should not the children of wrath be ouerwhelmed with horror considering our heauy burden of sin which bréedeth within vs especially them that are truely touched as it were a sea of sorrow whose waues as they cannot be numbred so are our sorrowes neuer at an end vntil God send fréedome one waue still ouertaking another one feare in the necke of another Being possessed with the spirite of bondage how may it be that we may auoid our dolefull dumpes So is it with them that haue any féeling of that fearefull estate y◠hangeth ouer their heads Whereas by nature we are all of vs
good the bad the wicked and the godly for whose sake were created his beneficiall and helpefull creatures and his plaguing and reuenging creatures Which god in his wisedome hath thus disposed to frame vs to thankfulnesse to a reuerence and feare of his maiestie that we should not offend him or prouoke his anger against vs. And although the foolish mind of man may thinke some creatures of god to haue no goodnesse in their creation because they that deserue the contrary finde it not yet in their nature they are good because they are the worke of God and this is their goodnesse that they execute Gods punishments A notable example whereof we sée in the Prophecie of Daniel concerning his malicious enemies and wicked accusers who when they were cast vnto the lions were torne in pieces before they came to the ground which if they had done vpon a rauening kinde of nature it would haue bene séene vpon Daniel himselfe who was cast amongst the lions before they were and yet was not touched To giue a manifest proofe vnto vs that God hath made them to execute his wrath and hath ordeined them to a good ende though in their tune they bee terrible and most hurtfull Which as yet more manifestly it appeareth in the examples of the Prophets that disobeyed Gods commandement and was therefore slaine by a lion whereof we reade 1. King 13. The old Prophet which had caused the yoong Prophet to transgresse Gods commandement as they were sitting at the table the word of the Lord came vnto him and he cried vnto the yoong Prophet saying Thus saith the Lord because thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the Lord and hast not kept the commandement which the Lord the God commanded thee but camest backe againe and hast eaten bread and drunke water in the place whereof hee did say vnto thee Thou shalt eate no bread nor drinke any water therefore thy carkasse shal not come into the sepulchre of thy fathers So when the Prophet was departed and gone a lion met him by the way and slew him and his bodie was cast in the way and the asse stood therby the lion stood by the corps also The asse which is wont to be the praie of the lion was vnhurt the hungry lion stood by as though â—e had no lust to eate because God had shut his mouth to shewe his iudgement and therefore the lion stood still till other came to behold the same and as it were to beare witnesse In the lion we may behold gods wisedome in all other cruell and terrible beasts who neuer rage till men be come to an outlawe I meane when they forget God and themselues then doth God vse the fiercenesse of his reuenging creatures because hee would haue good order kept and that men should liue in awe and as we say vnder a lawe euen Gods lawe which is most righteous and holy This is not ordinary for God hath put the sword into the Magistrates hand to punish offendors and to cut them off but sometimes he punisheth extraordinarily As we reade Eccle. 39. 28. 32. There be spirits that are created for vengeance which in their rigour lay on sure strokes In the time of destruction they shewe forth their power and accomplish the wrath of him that made them Fire and haile and famine and death all these are created for vengeance The téeth of wilde beastes and the scorpions and the serpents and the sword execute vengeance for the destruction of the wicked They shall be glad to doo his commaundements and when néed is they shall be readie vppon earth and when their houre is come they shall not ouerpasse the commaundement The night and darknesse is created of God to a good end that all his creatures may take rest therein yet was it a gréeuous punishment vnto the Egiptians and a forerunrer of hellish darknesse Frogges and lice and grashoppers and such creatures lightly do no great hurt but when God would punish the Egiptians his enemies by them they came among them in aboundance and in swarmes and molested them gréeuously in so much that the land did stinke with their huge heaps No creature we think so vgly to looke to as a toad yet it is a good creature of God and in his time deserueth praise The phisitian knoweth it which creature though some do vse to mischief yet he to medicine for he draweth the vertue dried poâ—â—er therof into his purging helpes yet so that he allaieth it with greater preseruatiues Againe God doth make this creature commendable vnto vs if it were for nothing else but for the precious stone which is found in him and therfore is set in gold and some do weare it in their rings being there delectable to their sight which otherwise they take to bee so loathsome Concerning all hurtfull creatures which in their creation are good if we find our selues agréeued let vs consider and waigh the matter with greater deliberation and we shall then finde that no creature had bene hurtfull if man had not bene sinfull So that now the fault of man is to be blamed and lamented not Gods creation which is highly to be honored cannot sufficiently be praised The most hurtfull creature that euer was or is or shal be I meane the diuel let vs consider Gods worke in him For he was made angel of heauen which for his pride was cast downe into hell and forced to dwell in bottomlesse darkenesse and plagued with euerlasting torments In respect of which his excellent creation the history of Iob numbreth him among the children of God that is his Angels As in the chapter 1. v. 6. Now on a day when the children of God came and stood before the Lord Sathan came also among them Also the Prophet Michaah 1. Kin. 22. 19. speaking of the deceiuing of King Achab by a false spirite generally amongst Gods angels maketh mention of him The diuel was good at the first how hurtfull so euer he is now Which is a good instruction to vs that stand or rather that thinke we stand lest we fall away from God as he did and so be partakers of his wofull miseries Lastly let vs beholde our selues next to the angels none more excellently created then we but as the diuel fell away from God and all goodnesse so by our disobedience in our first parents did we deserue the like punishment and in like sort to bee cast away vnlesse God in great mercy had taken compassion on vs and deliuered vs from the gates of hell For whose goodnesse we haue the greater cause to be thankfull that he gaue his onely sonne to death for the redemption of mankind passing by and leauing these rebellious Angelles in their cursed estate And to sée no creatures haue defaced gods worke so much as they that were his moste excellent creatures and of whome it might haue bene very well saide They are verie good So that almightie God was highly displeased and sorrie that
God hath raised vs vp togither and made vs sit togither in the heauenly places in Christ Iesus Philip. 1. 23. For I am greatly in doubt on both sides destring to be loosed and to be with Christ which is best of all Luke 23. 43. Iesus said to the théefe that repented Verily I say vnto thée To day shalt thou be with me in Paradice And chapter 16. 22. And it was so that the begger died and was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome Wisâ— 3. 1. But the soules of the righteous are in the hands of God and no torment shall touch them Eccle. 12. 7. And dust return to the earth as it was and the spirit returne to God that gaue it Then shall they enioy fully that vnspeakeable comfort prepared Rom. 8. 18. For I account that the affictions of this present time are not worthie of the glory which shall be shewed vnto vs. Mat. 25. 34. Then shall the king say to them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my father inherit ye the kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world 1. Cor. 15. 42. 43. 53. The bodie is sowne in corruption and is raised in corruption It is sowne in dishonour and is raised in glory it is sowne in weakenesse and is raised in power For this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortall must put on immortalitie 1. Cor. 2. 9. The things which eye hath not séene neither eare hath heard neither came into mans heart are which God hath prepared for them that loue him By whose vertue and spirit they haue proceeded and gone forward from faith to faith as shall manifestly appeare by the whole course of their life and good workes Rom. 1. 17. The righteousnesse of God is reuealed from faith to faith â—â— 2. Reâ— 1. 2â—1 2. Grace and peace be multiplied to you by the knowledge of God of Iesns our Lord. According as his godly power hath giuen vnto vs all things that pertaine vnto life and godlinesse through the knowkledge of him that hath called vs vnto glory and vertue Whereby most great and precious promises are giuen vnto vs that by them ye should be partakers of the godly nature in that ye flie the corruption which is in the world through lust Therefore giue euen all diligence thereunto Ioine moreoner vertue with your faith and with vertue knowledge and with knowledge temperaunce and with temperaunce patience and with patience godlinesse and with godlinesse brotherly kindenesse and with brotherly kindnesse loue For if these things be among you and abound they wil make you that ye neither shal be idle nor vnfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ For he that hath not these things is blinde and cannot sée farre off and hath forgotten that hee was purged froÌ„m his olde sinnes Wherefore brethren giue rather diligence to make your calling and election sure For if ye do these things ye shall neuer fall For by these meanes an entering shall be ministred vnto you aboundantly into the cuerlasting kingdom of out Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ Whereas altogither contrary the Reprobate conceiued borne and brought vp in sin death and the wrath of God when they depart out of this world they fall into another gulfe of destruction and their soules are plunged in that endlesse paine vntill the day come that their bodies and solues being ioined again they shall enter into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the diuel and his angels 〈◊〉 Psal 5 â—â—â—5 Behold I was borne in iniquitle and in sinne hath my mother conceaued me Ephe. 2. 3. And were by nature the children of wrath as well as others Rom. 7. 14. sold vnder sinne Rom. 5. 14. Wherefore as by one man sinne entred into the world and death by sinne and so death went ouer all men forasmuch as all men haue sinned Dani. 12. 2. And many of them that sléepe in the dust of the earth shall awake some to euerlasting life and some to shame and perpetuall contempt Iohn 5. 28 29. Maruell not at this for the houre shall come in the which all that are in the graues shall heare his voyce And they shall come forth that haue done good vnto the resurrection of life but they that haue done cuill to the resurrection of condemnation Luke 16. 22. 23. 24. The rich man also died and was buried and being in hell torments he lift vp his yes and sawe Abraham a farre off and Lazarus in his hosome Then he cried and said Father Abraham haue merry on me and send Lazarus that he may dippe the tippe of his singer in water and coole my tongue for I am tormented in this flame But Abraham said Sonne remember that thou in thy life time receiuedst thy pleasures and likewise Lazarus paines now therefore is he comforted and thou art tormented Mat. 25. 41. Then shall he say to them on the left hand Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the diuel and his angels The seuenth Chapter After what sort this doctrine may be preached with most profit SInte wee haue nowe declared the effect of this doctrine VVhat discretion the matter requireth it remaineth also that wee shewe what order we thinke best to be obseruâ—â— in preaching and applying the same to euery particular man Whereas many find this matter so sharp and strange that they flie from it as from a dangerous rocke it is partly to be attributed to the malice and arrogancy of men And partly to the rashnesse and lacke of discretion of them that teach it and thirdly it is to be imputed to their ignoraunce which cannot orderly apply the same to themselues which faithfully and truly hath bin taught of others Concerning them which sinne of malice it onely appertaineth to GOD to amend them Which surely he hath done alwaies in his reason and likewise will do from time to time to whom he hath appointed to shewe mercy But for others which remainâ— obstinate in their sinne and wickednesse there is no cause why we should be moued either for their number or authority to dissemble Gods truth And as touching the second sorte I haue thought these things principally to be obserued in preaching this misterie First as in all other things so chiefly in this matter of predestination they ought to take diligent héede that in stéede of Gods pure and simple truth they bring not soorth vaine and curious speculations or dreames Which thing they cannot choose but do which goe about to compasse and accord these secret iudgments of God with mans wisdome so do not onely put difference betwirt predstinatioÌ„ and the purpose of god which thing they must néedes do but seperate the one froÌ„ the other For they either imagine a certaine naked and idle permition or else make a double purpose and counsell in God From the which errors they must néeds fall into many and greate absurdities For sometimes they are constrained to diuide
so certaine that it is prepared for vs before the beginning of the world and before the foundations of the world were laid The elder brother to forgo his inheritaunce and to giue it to straungers wée should hardly beléeue it were it not that he had giuen so manifest a triall in that hée gaue his life for vs which is more then his inheritance Howe then shall hée not therewith giue vs all thinges also Hée that hath made vs Lordes ouer all his creatures here on earth should we doubt that he will not vouchsafe vs an heauenly dignitie The Angels are they not all ministring spirites sent foorth to minister for their sakes which shall be heires of saluation Hebr. 1. 14. Hée that hath appointed the Angels in this life to watch to our good to guide and to guard vs shall hée not also in the life to come make vs fellowes and companions with the Angels The Angels are seruaunts and we are brethren â—rethren nay crowned Kings because the kingdome of heauen shall bee our inheritaunce According as the Apostle Saint Peter 1. Epistle 2. 9. informeth vs Yee are saith he a chosen generation a royall priesthood an holie nation a peculiar people graced foorth with a singular excellencie and preheminence in that wee are said to bee the thrones of God and that wee shall fit vppon throanes What comfort then is it for vs all that of the sonnes of darknesse we are made the sonnes of light of the enemies of God reconciled friends of the seruants and children of the diuell of Gods wrath being altogither fearfull and doubtfull of the children of this world and of euerlasting perdition that wee are made the seruants of God fully partakers of his grace and certainly staied and confirmed therein citizens of heauen and heires of euerlasting consolation Which serueth mightily and standeth vs greatly in stéede to raise vp our weake mindes and faint heartes which are cast downe through the remembraunce of our gréeuous sinnes and which shall kéepe vs from falling into dispaire that when Sathan togither with our owne guiltie consciences shall perswade vs that wée are none of Gods children euen then that the spirite of God shall certifie our hearts that we be heires of the kingdome of God This that we are heires hath two profitable lessons to lift vp our mindes and also to humble vs lest we be too much exalted For this inheritance commeth not vnto vs by desert but through grace and mercy that we may rather giue God the praise and thankes then boast in our selues who haue nothing but that which is giuen granted nothing but that whereof we be vouchsafed To humble vs being put in minde of our dutie as the Apostle warneth vs. 1. Peter 1. 17. And if wee call him father which without respect of persons iudgeth according to euerie mans worke let vs passe the time of our dwelling heere in feare And séeing God hath made vs his sonnes by adoption so much the more are we bound to feare and obedience because he hath adopted vs of his only fauour when he might worthily haue cast vs off and put vs by for our vnthankfulnesse Vnto these two profitable lessons we may adde two singular comfortes the one concerning our afflictions and troubles and distresses in this transitorie life the other concerning our blottes and blemishes our sinnes and offences And therefore verie fitly and very well saith a godly writer in this respect All thinges yea gréeuous afflictions and sin it selfe turne to their good and bettering who are chosen to be heires Afflictions sinne death are very profitable vnto them howe hurtfull soeuer they be in their owne nature Death which séemeth to be the worst of all yea most terrible is not an entrance into hell as it is to the worst sort and to the vngodly but to them it is a narrow gate to let them in into euerlasting life and therfore most ioyfully and most chéerefully they vndertooke it being glad that the time of their dissolution doth approach and that their miseries shall haue an end and that the course of sinne shal be cut off As for afflictions vnlesse they did tend to the good of the godly and the adopted children of God God would not lay them vpon them and put them to such hazardes and distresses Yea the godly are so affected that with Iob they can say If God doe kill me yet will I put my trust in him And because his loue is shead abroad in our hearts therefore shall no discomfort vtterly dismay vs. Wherein also this comforteth our heartes that God wil lay no more vpon vs then that he will make vs able to beare and further that he will giue a ioyfull issue to all our troubles and vexations and temptations For in that he suffered and was tempted he is able to succour and to helpe them that suffer affliction and are tempted So that we may looke for comfort at Gods hand euen such as shal be grounded vpon the certaine and infallible promises of God and such as shal be answerable to the measure of our afflictions troubles vexations and temptations If we be children we are also heires euen the heires of God and heires annexed with Christ if so be that we suffer with him that we may also be glorified with him For I count saith the Apostle that the afflictions of this present time and of this present transitorie life are not worthy yâ— glorie which shal be reuealed and shewed vnto vs whereof in due time we shal be partakers Now as for our sinnes it is so farre off that they shall The remembrance of sins no hurt to the adopted to dismay them and to put them beside their hope bréed any trouble vnquietnesse or vexation of minde to remooue vs from the hope of our inheritance that the remembrance thereof shal be as a goade or a spurre to hasten vs on to persorme all good workes And as we haue giuen our members as weapons of vnrighteousnesse to sinne so shall we with all readinesse giue our selues vnto God as they that are aliue from the dead and as they who by the power of Christ their sauior haue fully triumphed ouer the world and the flesh and the deuill ouer sinne and death and hell For behold this thing that we haue béen great offenders what care it will worke in vs least we should fall into sin againe what holy anger and indignation against our selues for our sinnes past what a desire to please God what a zeale and forwardnesse in all goodnesse and greatly indeuouring also the contrary to those sinnes wherein we haue greatly offended If in drunkennesse auoiding all occasions and vsing all sobrietie if in filthinesse and vncleanesse in whoredome and wantonnesse hating the sin auoiding the meanes of our fall and framing our selues to all holinesse and christian conuersation and so likewise in all other sinnes After king Dauid had committed adulterie and murder how did he repent him how zealous