both caused and continued in us by the secret power of God our selves being meerly passive and moved to divine exercise by the onely direction of the holy Ghost and therefore that we doe ascribe the honour of every good action to God by whom it is caused and utterly disgrace our selves in our owne estimation because Gods grace doth leade every man to every particular action of goodnesse Note Againe seeing that by faith in Christ God doth both cancell and abolish our sinnes and repute us righteous in his presence it doth remember all men the admirable degree of Gods favour and the powerfull operation of faith First Gods favour towards us hee being pleased to forgive us our sins and deserts of condemnation and to give and impute the most absolute righteousnesse of his deare Sonne Christ to all men upon this easie condition of faith that such who have a true faith to apprehend him shall be accepted in his favour as sonnes and shall appeare in the presence of God as equally righteous as if themselves had actually performed righteousnesse in their owne particular persons Secondly Heb. 11.1 c. wee are taught the powerfull operation of true faith that it is able to enter heaven and to apprehend and apply Christ and his righteousnesse to reconcile the favour of God unto us and to satisfie his displeasure to wash off the leprosie and spots of our sins and to put on us the garment of righteousnesse even Jesus Christ the Sonne of God by whom and through whom wee are justified in the fight of God and by whom also wee shall be saved Let us therefore carefully endeavour our selves in a constant exercise of all godly actions not that we repose our justification in the vertue or merit of our owne workes but that by the testimony of our good works we may approve our selves to be faithfull and that our faith is more than a common or a generall historicall faith even a living and a saving faith which is and must be the onely meanes of our apprehending Christ who is the all-sufficient and onely matter of our justification and let this be the onely glory and pride of our well-doing that this witnesse of workes shall gaine us the reputation of Gods servants and that Gods faithfull children here on earth shall esteeme and repute us to be of their fellow-brethren then which let us never desire a greater cause of boasting and this judgement of good men must needs rise from the testimony of good workes because there is an inevitable necessity of consequence and necessary dependence betweene faith and workes they being as inseparable as the heat from the fire and as necessarily depending as the body and the soule let this provoke us to a zealous forwardnesse of all godly actions because thereby we shall conclude the assurance of our justifying faith and thereby satisfie the desire of our owne soules and that doubt which otherwise might justly be had of us in the common opinion of men From this argument must needs follow this conclusion that seeing we have the fruits of faith Note good works therefore we have also the cause of workes true faith and that therefore this faith thus working is a tree of Gods owne planting this is that use this is that comfort and consolation which wee shall understand and find in the nature of our best deserving workes thus let us esteeme them and but thus let us therefore avoid and abolish that dangerous opinion of meriting by workes because it is farre better to want honour then to force it from God by violence nay let us rather disgrace our selves then to dis-inable our Saviour Jesus Christ for if righteousnesse be from our selves it is not onely from him and then would follow that absurd and blasphemous conclusion that he is not the onely Saviour neither hath perfected the worke of mans salvation let us therefore doe all the good we can Note but let us repute our deeds though never so good to be the effect and not the cause of goodnesse in us let us also confidently hold that nothing is able to merit salvation but onely the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ let us therefore utterly disclaime our selves and our owne power which is nothing but weaknesse and wholly ascribe all vertue and all power to our Saviour Christ for it is safer to give him honour then to take it from him and it will farre better become our Christian modesty to acknowledge our weakenesse and infirmities then proudly to boast and advance our selves above our deserts and worthinesse If therefore God by the moving of his holy Spirit doe incline our hearts unto godlinesse hee will also give us grace to continue in the same and give us a desire and power in godly exercise which when it makes us grow plentifull in the demonstration of holinesse let us ascribe the glory thereof unto God to whom it is due onely and onely acknowledge our selves to be that instrument whereby his holy hand of grace is pleased to work with to our salvation Of Faith FAith is the ground the foundation and the pillar of the truth 1 Tim. 3. and it is the constant assent of the heart unto those things which bee taught and promised by the word of God for to believe is to assent unto the same which we doe heare it is also a certaine and sure perswasion of the heart What it is to believe that there is a God whereby wee doe believe certaine things of God as that there is a God and that there is but one and none other besides him that hee is omnipotent the creator of heaven and earth that he is just doing good to the righteous and punishing the wicked that he is good gentle and mercifull to them that doe amend their sinfull life that he is true and keepeth promise that he is able to performe what hee hath promised that hee is everlasting and many other things that bee reported of him in holy Scriptures and to beleeve also of Christ that hee is the onely begotten Sonne of God the word of God made flesh true God and true man our onely Lord redeemer Saviour and Mediatour hee was crucified dead buried and rose againe taken up into Heaven touching his manhood and that he sitteth at the right hand of the father and that he shall come at the end of the world to judge the quicke and the dead and many other things set forth in the Evangelists and Apostles and to believe of the holy Spirit that he is of the same Godhead equall with the Father and the Sonne that he is of the light giver of the minds the comforter teacher reliever renewer sanctifier and governour of the elect of God this maketh a great matter to the salvation of man how it be grounded in their hearts Secondly To believe God that we doe believe God also that is to credit and to believe his word as the word of
spiration for as the Sonne receiveth the whole divine essence by generation so the holy Ghost receiveth it wholly by spiration Rom. 11.36 But because the Father created As Redemption Act. 20.28 and Sanctification and still governeth the world by the Sonne in the holy Ghost therefore these externall actions are indifferently in the Scripture often times ascribed to each of the three persons and therefore are called Communicable and divided actions 1 Pet. 1.23 so that when wee say that the divine essence is in the Father unbegotten in the Sonne begotten and in the holy Ghost proceeding we make not three essences but onely shew the divers manner of subsisting by which the same most simple eternall and unbegotten essence subsisteth in each person namely that it is not in the Father by generation that is in the Sonne communicated from the Father by generation and in the holy Ghost communicated from both the Father and the Sonne by proceeding These are incommunicable and doe make not an essentiall accidentall or rationall but a reall distinction betwixt the three persons And because the divine essence common to all the three persons is but one we call the same Unitie But because there be three distinct persons in this one indivisible essence we call the same Trinity So that this Unitie in Trinity and Trinity in Unitie is a holy Mysterie rather to be religiously adored by faith Iob 11.7 then curiously searched into by reason That God is one in Trinity 1. These things be manifest and must with a simple and cleare faith be believed that God is one in essence nature God-head will moving and working three in three persons of which every one hath severall subsistence and propertie which for all that be so in God that the Essence Nature God-head Majesty working will power honour and continuance for ever is common to them all all coessentiall all coeternall The Appellations of the persons for wee see that these three persons are called in holy Scriptures God the Word the Spirit but more plainly by Christ the Father the Sonne and the holy Spirit Matth. 28.19 We see that the faith of this holy Trinitie is not meant to be three Gods but three unsearchable subsistences or persons in one true God set forth to man for the better knowledge of Christ his only begotten Son and for the increase of his glory according to the measure of his revelation A Similitude For as two divers and sundry natures joyned together in one man doe not make two men but both doe still conserve the unitie of one person so that it remaineth still one man made of soule and body why then should it not sinke into our heads that three subsistences in one God neither in being neither in nature be divers but altogether equall and even doe not let but that the unitie of God remaineth still one A Similitude of the Sunne Who is so weake of judgement or so foolish of understanding to believe that there are three sunnes being indeed but one because there is three qualities or effects in the sunne First as it were a fountaine of light Note never ceasing Secondly the cleare shining brightnesse which commeth thereof Thirdly the heate breathing out and proceeding from them both The similitude of man who is so mad to determine or Imagine that a man hath three spirits because there are found three as it were divers substances the soule the minde and the will the soule whereby man liveth and moveth the minde whereby hee understandeth judgeth and discerneth the heart or will whereby hee willeth or willeth not hateth or loveth is sorry or glad becommeth good or evill these things are manifestly found in our selves wherby we may be led as by the hand to know the one and true God in this holy Trinity of Persons and in Trinity a perfect unity of God-head how may it bee rightly understood Iob 11.7 how the soule breedeth the minde and how the will commeth of them both By what way then can wee understand the divine birth of the Word of God and the proceeding of the holy Spirit thus in briefe I thought meete to note concerning this question what God is for the simpler sorts sake to the intent they may understand how farre forth the use thereof may doe them good that be desirous to apply their knowledge and understanding to God to the study of true godlinesse and not unto curiosity Iohn 1.1 2 c. And take this by the way that as the naturall sonne of man is naturally man so is the naturall Sonne of God naturally God and of one Essence with his Father but this knowledge of the holy Trinity was somewhat hidden till the revelation of the Word that tooke flesh When the holy Spirit began more especially to worke then this mystery of the Trinity in God was openly set forth by Christ when he said Goe teach all People Math. 28.19 The revelation of the holy Trinity baptising them in the Name of the Father of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost and then conferred his grace upon them whereby the ministery of the holy Trinity began to be opened unto the world should bee a manifest witnesse to the people that whosoever should bee received into that grace should in the Sacrament of the first admission confesse themselves to bee sanctified in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost Thus farre of the divers manner of being in the divine essence Now of the Attributes thereof and first of the Nominall The Attributes of God are of two sorts either Nominall or Reall The Nominall attributes are of three sorts the first which signifie Gods Essence Secondly the Persons in the Essence Thirdly those which signifie his essentiall workes The first is named a Exod. 6.3 c. Exod. 15.3 c. Psal 83.18 Esay 48.11 Jehovah which signifieth Eternall being of himselfe in whom is being without all beginning all other beings both begin and end he is named Iehovah not onely in respect of being and causing all things to be but especially in respect of his gracious promises which without faile hee will fulfill in his appointed time and so causeth that to be which was not before Esay 55.7 Iohn 14.2 3. and upon our true repentance hee will assuredly pardon and forgive us all our sinnes at the time of death receive our soules and in the resurrection raise up our bodies in glory to life everlasting therefore this Name is a golden pledge unto us that because hee hath promised hee will surely performe unto us Exod. 3.14 Vers 13. The second Name denoting Gods Essence is Eheieh but once read and of the same roote that Iehovah is and signifieth I am that I am for when Moses asked God by what name hee should call him God then named himselfe Eheieh Ascher Eheieh I am that I am or I will be that I will
counterfeiting and dissembling one may easily deceive and abuse another having one thing secretly hid in his heart when outwardly he saith and doth the contrary upon that is grounded the saying of the Prophet Jeremy Ierem. 17.9 The heart of man is overthwart and who shall know it but there cannot be such a perversity and dissimulation ascribed unto God but when he worketh hee declareth the quality of his nature in his working so that his workes may be most assured testimonies by which the hearts of the faithfull may bee perswaded of his goodnesse and will Esay 28. and although he seeme sometimes to worke contrary to his custome yet that is done to the intent that it shall come to that end which hee hath appointed This is to worke truly and verily according to the quality of his nature and to declare openly to the world the testimony of his good will or anger by word and deed Now there are five kinds of working One is Five kinds of working when things bee wrought according to the strength of their nature without any governance of understanding or will as in the working of fire water medicinall hearbes precious stones and such other things whose working if it bee guided by any reason or will it is not their owne but by some outward either by Gods or mans directions The second kind is of those things which followeth the drift of nature in their working but not without their owne will though the mastery of reason be lacking in them yet such is their working that sometimes it is forced against their will and so worke the bruit beasts The third kind is of men which doe also worke according to the quality of their nature and joyne theirs unto the governance of reason or will but wrong and corrupt and also subject and under a greater power either of man either of God and under this is also comprised the working of evill spirits The fourth is of good Spirits which wee call Angels they worke also according to their nature and that with understanding and will but without any depravation thereof wherein they differ from men and from evill spirits but they are also subject to a superiour power by whom their doings be directed The fift and last kind of working is also according to the nature of the worker Eccles 42.15 c. 43. with understanding and will and that pure and uncorrupt and is not subject unto the wisdome or will of any superiour but is most free wise mighty good and infinite upon whom all other things dependeth This is the working of one very God the beginning increase keeping repairing the rule and end of all things most good most free willing infinite everlasting perfect needing no other helpe No man is able sufficiently to praise God for he farre exceeds all praise necessary and profitable not to the worker but to the workes whose incomprehensible waies infinite multitude and unsearchable consideration no man may seeke to know whose infinite Goodnesse Wisedome Power Majesty and Glory all Angels and men must have in admiration and worship Though the Multitude Variety Majesty and Excellencie of the Workes of God be infinite and incomprehensible that neither the reason nor number of them can bee comprehended by any mans imagination or industry Eccle. 8.17 even as Ecclesiasticus said Yet among all the Workes of God Among Gods workes the worke of Creation is first wee ought first to understand the workes of the Creation and herein wee must leave the consideration of those workes that are of the Father towards the Sonne and of the Sonne towards the Father and of both of them toward the holy Spirit and of the holy Spirit toward both of them which are unsearchable and not necessary to know nor belonging to Creation But it is even enough if the creature doe acknowledge honour and glorifie the workes of his Creator in that that he is the Creator Encreaser Conserver Repairer Governour and Perfecter of all when we say the Father created all things the Word must not bee excluded neither the holy Spirit because that by the Word and with the Spirit all things were made and created When we say the sunne nourisheth and giveth light unto the earth wee exclude not his heate nor his brightnesse without which he doth not accomplish his worke Againe when we say all things are created of God we must not include those things that be evill in respect they be evill for they be not of God Iohn 8.44 but of satan the father of all evill this is the plaine description of our true and onely God from all false gods and idols To possesse our hearts with greater awe of his Majesty whilest we admire him for his simplenesse and infinitnesse adore him for his unmeasurablenesse unchangeablenesse and eternity seeke wisdome from his understanding and knowledge submit our selves to his blessed will and pleasure love him for his love mercy goodnesse and patience trust to his word because of his truth feare him for his power justice and anger reverence him for his holinesse and praise him for his blessednesse and to depend all our life on his faithfull promises who is the onely Authour of our life being and all the good things we have Eph. 5. Let us therefore stirre up our selves to imitate the divine Spirit in his holy Attributes and to beare in some measure the Image of his wisdome love goodnesse justice mercy truth patience zeale and anger against sinne and strive that wee may bee wise loving just mercifull true patient and zealous as our God is and that wee may in our prayers and meditations conceive aright of his divine Majesty and not according to those grosse and blasphemous imaginations which naturally arise in mens braines Psal 90.2 Rom. 1 23 c. as when they conceive God to be like an old man sitting in a chaire and the blessed Trinity to be like that tripartite idoll which Papists set up in their Church windowes When therefore thou art to pray unto God let thy heart speake unto him Psal 90.2 1 King 8.27 1 Iohn 5.7 as unto that Eternall Infinite Almighty Holy Wise Just Mercifull Spirit and most perfect and individuall Essence of three severall substances Father Sonne and holy Ghost who being present in all places ruleth Heaven and Earth understandeth all mens hearts knoweth all mens miseries and is onely able to bestow on us all graces which we want and to deliver all penitent sinners that with faithfull hearts seeke for Christs sake his helpe out of all their afflictions and troubles whatsoever If therefore thou dost believe that God is Almighty why dost thou feare devils or enemies Confidently trust in God and crave his helpe in all troubles and dangers if thou believest that God is infinite how darest thou provoke him to anger If thou believest that God is simple with what heart canst thou dissemble and play the hypocrite
salvation be our continuall exercise let us exercise our pleasure in reading and meditating the excellent variety of matter and Majesty of the phrase in the Gospel being the rhetorique and eloquence of the holy Ghost let us also exercise in studying rightly to understand the covenant of our salvation to keepe which covenant wee shall therein often be admonished by promises threats intreaty and by examples in all which the knowledge and meditations of the Gospel will instruct us This doctrine is very usefull and solatious and may be applyed to many notable purposes for it shewes us the true causes of all our happinesse it also confuteth the Pelagians who ascribe salvation to mens owne strength and merits and it serves to correct the course of those that hinder their owne happinesse by their owne presumption diffidence incredulity prophanenesse sensuality and other irregular and irreligious courses Lastly it proves the deity of Christ for in that he hath elected his faithfull unto eternall life we conclude that he is very God for these respects and reasons let us enter covenant with our soules to be carefull in keeping our covenant with God Of the Incarnation of the Word Christ IT is necessary and meet to shew something of the Incarnation of Christ for because that the same doth chiefly belong to the worke of our Redemption we will note those things onely which shall seeme to helpe towards the stay of the purity and certainnesse of our faith and to cut off all curious and unprofitable questions it is needfull for them that will consider the mystery of the word Incarnate Not of mans word but of Gods Word For as much as this Incarnation is reported not of every word but of the Word of God it is first needfull for the confirmation of our faith that wee doe heare the testimony of holy Scripture that the word is in God it is declared even in the beginning of Genesis wherein the History of the Creation of all things is so oftentimes reiterated Gen. 1 c. and God said let it be and it was done he said and they were made he commanded and they were created and in another place By the Word of the Lord the heavens were fastened in the beginning was the Word John 1.1 and the Word was God and God was the Word Paul saith By the vertue of his Word and the brightnesse of his Glory Hebr. 1 c. upholding all things by the word of his Power Againe By faith wee understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God Hebr. 11. so that our faith is confirmed in this by the testimony of holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament that we doe believe the word to be in God of which thing there be found sufficient testimonies also in the writings of the Ethnickes which did attribute unto God-head the Mind the Word and the Spirit wherefore wee Christians may so much the more stedfastly stand unto our faith because that those things which wee doe believe of God the Father and his Word are so certaine and manifestly true that they be approved not onely by the infallible testimonies of holy Scriptures but of Ethnickes also Act. 7.51 c. and doth openly reprove the blindnesse of the unhappy Jewes but how the word is in God no Christian man must be too curious to search those things which be spoken of God which be so attemperate unto our capacity that they be spoken upon some likenesse rather then according to any exact property of Gods Nature and Essence And because we should not thinke of God to be onely but an Essence but as a most high and excellent Essence dissevered and separated from all others as well spirits as bodies he is called Jehova Ebrew word as existent every where in all places and making Greeke preserving and governing all things and is called God which is piercing and passing thorow and to signifie that he is the same to the end of the world as the minde is in man they called him the Mind the Word and the Spirit to give us to understand that the same infinite Essence in Godhead doth not altogether rest in it selfe and keepe his vertue goodnesse and wisdome to himselfe alone but rather set it forth and reveale it even as the mind of man cannot be idle but doth expresse in word whatsoever it doth conceive in it selfe by the meane of the spirit which is as it were the Conduit whereby the word is brought forth from the deepe secret parts of the mind Similitude As for example Imagine that God the Father were like as a lively and endlesse Fountaine and his Sonne the Word to be as a River continually flowing out of this Fountaine and that the holy Spirit might be the very moving and flowing out whereby the water floweth out of the compasse of the Fountaine which moving cannot be without the moving of the aire The Word is the Sonne of God Now whereas this Word is called the Sonne of God it is like as if a man should call the River the sonne of the Fountaine and our word that wee doe speake the sonne of the Mind but all this is but by way of accommodation to our weakenesse for no Angel were able to utter nor no man able to understand him if he did only speake of the Nature and Essence of God as it is in it selfe What wee ought to judge of this Word of God no man is able better to set it forth then the holy Scripture did expresse by the Evangelist Saint John where he saith In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and God was the Word John 1.2 3 4 5. the same was in the beginning with God all things were made by it and without it was made nothing that was made In it was life and the life was the light of men and the light shined in the darkenesse and the darkenesse received it not and a little after Verse 14. and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among uâ— and we saw his Glory as the Glory of the only begotten Sonne of the Father full of Grace and Truth Now touching the Incarnation it is said 1 Joh. 4.3 that the Word was made flesh which is nothing else but the Word was made man now whereas hee saith that the Word was made man of which he said now before that it was God he doth without contradiction say that God was made man or flesh and though the Apostle saith God the Word is made flesh it is not said of the Father neither of the holy Spirit but the Word to be Incarnate not onely for that that he is the Sonne in Godhead and that by him the world was made but for this cause also chiefly because the Word is that Counsell coeternall with God the Father purposed to save man-kinde in whom our Redemption is predestinated even from everlasting in whom also wee
be chosen into the adoption of the children of God as we may see in the first to the Ephesians Ephes 1.4 wherefore the worke of our Redemption was not ordained to be brought to passe but by this Word this way being agreeable with the eternall predestination of the Will of God The Word is made flesh for Christ is the Incarnate Word God and man to admonish us whereof Christ is that is of the Word and flesh so that wee must consider that in his nativity there is not onely the nature of man but the nature also of God joyned together personally with the nature of man wherefore we must use and hold most firme and stedfast this circumlocution of Christ Christ taketh the man-hood into his Godhood as is expressed by the holy Spirit for though it is said the Word is made flesh hee doth not meane simply flesh but the soule and spirit with the flesh also that is the whole man for by the word of flesh there is not meant that man onely whom the Virgin did beare was received of the word into this conjunction but the very nature of man-kind for the redeeming and restoring of which this Incarnation of the Word was predestinated from everlasting so that wee must judge that the Word was made not onely the Sonne of the Virgin Mary Luke 3. but surely also the sonne of Adam and of Eve which is diligently expressed by Luke in the genealogie of Christ The weaknesse of man taken upon the word the word flesh also signifieth mans weaknesse that we may also know that the Word of God is not so made man that it tooke those things only upon it which pertaine to mans spirit and foule but it tooke the infirmity of our flesh also saving sinne onely Mat. 21.18 Mar. 14.33.34 which is sufficiently expressed in the very race of his dispensation when he hungred and thirsted ate and dranke was made merry slept wept was made sorry and after suffered death all which things were not fained by him by counterfeiting but truely declared according to the truth of mans nature What can be more conjunct and more united then that everlasting Trinity in the God-head of the Persons yet it cannot be said that the Father is made the Sonne or the holy Spirit or the Sonne the Father or the holy Spirit An excellent note to be observed or the holy Spirit the Father or the Sonne as it is here spoken of the Word that it is made flesh Why because the unity of the holy Trinity is of godly nature and not of person that is to say consisteth not Ephes 5.31 The communicating of nature doth consist in getting and bearing and not in creating and making of one and the selfe same person but of one selfesame nature Againe the man and the woman be so joyned and united by wedlocke that they doe become into one flesh for saith the Apostle They be not two but one flesh and yet no man can truely say that the man is made the woman why because the man and the woman be not coupled into one selfesame person but in wedlocke they bee two persons joyned together into one flesh and nature but it may bee sayd that the word was made flesh though it did not simply take our flesh but ioyned it selfe unto it in unity of person Personall unity and the condition of personall unity that albeit it doe comprehend divers natures yet it is reported of the one that it is the other as in this cause it is reported of the word that it is made flesh he doth not say that the word was changed into flesh but the word was made flesh for then this change must have had an alteâ—ation of nature which cannot bee or take place in Christ for the word is not changed but still retaineth his nature neither it receiving flesh It is not possible God can leave to be God left his nature it is not possible that God can leave to be God the nature of God suffereth neither change nor end for it is immutable and infinite neither could the dispensation taken in hand beare it that the nature of man joyned unto the nature of God should loose those things which be proper unto it for so it might be inferred that Christ were not true man nor truly conceived nor borne of the Virgin Mary did not suffer dyed not nor rose againe from the dead which notwithstanding the holy Scriptures doe manifestly ascribe all these things unto him Wherefore the whole universall Church doe hold firmely and rightly that God was made man he tooke upon him that which he was not and lost not that which hee was neither doth the unity of person require the change of natures but doth reteine them both perfect and sound A similitude The soule and spirit is heavenly immortall and incorruptible but the flesh is earthly mortal corruptible The testimony of the Godhead and manhood of Christ cannot be vain Coloss 1. The person of man being one doth consist of a soule and body personally joyned together the soule is of a heavenly nature and beginning the body of an earthly the soule is immortall and not suffering corruption the body is mortall and corruptible and yet they be joyned together without confusion that in both remaineth still his owne nature The testimonies of the Godhead which bee given unto Christ in holy Scriptures should bee altogether vaine if the word were changed into flesh And againe if the flesh had beene changed into the word then all those testimonies and writings which the Evangelists doe set forth of the true manhood of Christ were not worthy to be believed The Apostle saith that all things are by Christ and that there dwelleth in him bodily all fulnesse of the Godhead take from him the nature of the word and this testimony of the Apostle is of no weight The Euangelists and Apostles doe witnesse of him Math. 1.1 Rom. 1.3 4. that hee is of the seed of Abraham and of David according to the flesh the fruit of the wombe of Mary conceived in her body and according unto the fulnesse of time appointed to women with child borne and such other things as they doe make mention of the course of his dispensation to manifest unto us that he was true man Eph. 5.30 passing over that which the Apostle witnesseth of him that wee are bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh therefore all these things shall be false if the flesh of him lost that her nature by the conjunction of the word and turned it into godly nature Wherefore wee must diligently looke to our selves in this matter for because of false Doctors which doe bereave Christ of the true nature of our flesh because hee saith The word was made flesh Thus briefly to note of the beginning of the flesh of Christ whereby it is manifest enough how wicked an opinion they had which denyed the
have the markes of righteousnesse of Jesus Christ whereby wee shall be distinguished from the ungodly and unrepentant sinners and have the seales and assurance of everlasting salvation and eternall happinesse The fruit of true repentance The foundation and beginning of holy life is saving repentance Heb. 10.17 18. for where there is true repentance there is remission of sinnes and where there is remission of sins there is the grace of God and where there is the grace of God there is Christ and where Christ is there is his merits and where his merits are there is satisfaction for sin and where there is satisfaction for sins there is righteousnesse and where there is righteousnesse there is joy and tranquillity of conscience and where there is tranquillity of conscience there is the holy Spirit and where the holy Spirit is there is the sacred and holy Trinity and where the holy Trinity is there is eternall life therefore where there is true repentance there is eternall life where there is not true repentance there is no remission of sins nor the grace of God nor Christ nor his merit nor satisfaction for sins nor righteousnesse nor tranquillity of conscience nor the holy Spirit nor the holy Trinity nor eternall life why therefore doe we deferre our repentance and why doe we procrastinate it from day to day God bids thee repent to day thou canst not promise thy selfe to morrow and to repent truly is not in our power without the grace of God moveth us thereunto and at the day of Judgement we must not onely give an account for to morrow but for the present day Therefore repent whilest thou hast time Note for to morrow is not so certaine unto us as the utter destruction of the impenitent sinner is certaine for every day doth the flesh heape sinne upon sinne let therefore the Spirit every day wash them away by hearty repentance Christ dyed that sin might dye in us and shall wee suffer that to live and raigne in our hearts for the destroying whereof the Sonne of God himselfe dyed Matth. 3. Christ enters not into the heart by grace unlesse Iohn Baptist first prepare the way by repentance Esay 57.15 God powreth not the oyle of mercy but into the vessells of a contrite heart God doth first mortifie us by contrition that afterwards hee may quicken us by the consolation of the Spirit 1 Sam. 2.6.7 hee leades us first into hell by serious griefe that afterward hee may bring us backe by the sweet taste of his grace in like manner terrour goes before the taste of Gods love and sorrow before comfort God bindes not up our wounds unlesse first wee lay them open and bewaile them by confession unto him hee pardons not unlesse thou first acknowledge thy sins he justifies not unlesse thou first condemne thy selfe hee comforts not unlesse thou first despaire in thy selfe and thine owne merits this true repentance God grant unto us and by his holy spirit worke in us Of the two Sacraments Baptisme and the Lords Supper and first of the fruits of Baptisme BAptisme is the Sacrament of regeneration cleansing or washing admission sanctification incorporation whereby they which doe repent and professe the faith and religion of Christ are incorporated into Christ and joyned unto his Church that being washed from their sins they may walke in newnesse of life and the outward signe of the invisible grace which the Spirit of Christ doth worke in the hearts of the faithfull elect Remember therefore thou faithfull soule the grace of God conferred upon thee in the saving laver of Baptisme which is the fountaine of regeneration Tit. 3.5 6. and renewing of the holy Ghost which is shed on us richly through Jesus Christ our Saviour at the first creation of all things the Spirit of God moved upon the waters and gave a vitall force unto them so in the water of Baptisme the holy Ghost is also present and makes it a saving meanes of our regeneration and there was in Ierusalem about the sheepe market a poole into which at a certaine time the Angel of the Lord descended Joh. 5.2 Vers 4. and troubled the water and hee that first descended into it after the troubling of the water was made whole of what disease soever he had the water of Baptisme is that poole which healeth us of every disease of sin when the holy Spirit descends into it and troubles it with the blood of Christ Matth. 3.16 who was made a sacrifice for us at the baptisme of Christ the heavens were opened unto him so as our baptisme the gate of heaven is also opened unto us at the baptisme of Christ the holy and sacred Trinity was present so are they likewise at our baptisme for by the word of promise which is annexed unto the element of water faith receiveth the grace of the Father adopting the merit of the Son cleansing Note and the efficacy of the holy Ghost regenerating Pharaoh and his host was drowned in the red Sea the Israelites passed thorow safe secure and sound So in baptisme Exo. 14 27 c. all the host of vices are drowned and the faithfull safely attaine to the inheritance of the kingdome of heaven in the Church the spirituall Temple of God the saving waters of baptisme doe spring forth into the profundity wherein our sins are throwne Mich. 7.19 whosoever come unto it shall be healed and live Baptisme is the spirituall flood in which all sin of flesh is drowned The impure crow goes forth like the Divell but the holy Ghost like the Dove brings the Olive branch that is Gen. 8.11 peace and tranquillity unto our mindes Remember therefore thou faithfull soule the greatnesse of the grace of God conferred upon thee in Baptisme and render due thankes unto him The more plentifull grace is conferred upon us in Baptisme the more diligent and carefull must wee be in the custody of the gifts conferred Wee are buried with Christ by Baptisme into his death therefore as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of his Father so we also should walke in newnesse of life to the glory of our Redeemer John 5.14 by whom wee are made whole let us sinne no more lest a worse thing happen unto us wee have put on the most pretious robe of Christs righteousnesse let us not therefore defile it with the staines of sin Ephes 4.23 by baptisme we are regenerate and renewed in the spirit of our minde therefore let not the flesh dominere over the spirit by spirituall regeneration we are made the sonnes of God let us therefore live as the sons of such a Father we are made the Temple of the holy Ghost let us therefore prepare a thankfull seat for such a guest wee are received into Gods Covenant let us therefore beware we doe not serve under the Divell and so fall from the covenant of Grace for our conversation
by the Apostles to be propagated throughout the world the Holy Ghost came downe upon them there was thundring and lightning and the lowd sound of the trumpet so that all the people were afraid Vers 16. because the Law doth thunder terrible things against our disobedience and makes us subject to Gods indignation But here is the sound of a gentle wind where the Lord from heaven doth powre out his Spirit upon all flesh Acts 2.2.17 for the preaching of the Gospell doth lift up the soules that are cast downe with dispaire by reason of their sinnes there was feare and trembling of the people because the Law bringeth wrath Rom. 4.15 but here the whole multitude doe flocke together to heare the wonderfull things of God for by the Gospell we have accesse unto God their God descended in fire but it was in the fire of his wrath therefore was the mountaine moved and did smoke but here the holy Ghost descended in the fire of his love so that the house is not shaken by the wrath of God but rather replenished Exod. 19.18 Acts 2.3 with the glory of the holy Ghost What wonder is it that the holy Ghost bee sent from the Court of Heaven to sanctifie us seeing the Sonne of God was sent from Heaven to redeeme us But the holy Ghost came upon the Apostles when they were assembled together in prayer with one minde for he is the Spirit of prayer which moveth us to pray and is obtained by prayer Wherefore John 20.19 22. Zach 12.10 because hee is that bond by which our hearts are knit and united unto God as he doth unite the Father with the Sonne and the Sonne with the Father for hee is the mutuall love of the Father and the Sonne This our spirituall conjunction with God is wrought by faith in Christ but faith is the gift of the Spirit and is obtained by prayer but true prayer is made in the Spirit In the Temple of Salomon when Incense was offered unto God 1 King 8.10 11. the Temple was filled with the glory of the Lord so if thou offerest unto God the sweet odours of prayers the holy Ghost shall fill the temple of thy heart with glory Let us here admire the grace and mercy of God Psal 50.15 Rom. 8.34 35. Gal. 4 6. the Father promiseth to heare our prayers the Sonne intercedeth for us and the holy Ghost prayeth within us the Angels of Heaven carry our prayers unto God and the Court of Heaven is open to receive them God of his mercy doth give unto us the effect of prayer because he giveth unto us the Spirit of grace and prayer and doth alwaies heare our prayers if not according to our desire yet according to that which is most profitable for us The holy Ghost came when they were all met together with one accord in one place Acts 2.1 for hee is the Spirit of love and concord Note that joyneth us unto Christ by faith and unto God by love and to our neighbour by charity because he is the Authour of all goodnesse and the fountaine of all grace and mercy Now the Spirit of God effects in man such motions as himselfe is for as the soule giveth unto the body life sense and motion so the holy spirit maketh man spirituall seasons his minde with divine saltnesse Note and directs all his members to the performance of all good duties towards God and towards his neighbours and proceedeth from all eternity he came in the type of breath and affordeth unto the afflicted conscience quickening consolation because wee live according to the flesh by the reciprocall breathing out and sucking in of the aeriall spirit he came under the type of spirit and breath because he giveth us to live according to the better part The winde bloweth where it lusteth Iohn 3.8 and thou hearest the sound thereof but thou knowest not whence it commeth nor whither it goeth So is every one that is borne of the Spirit it was meete that he should come in the type of breath because hee proceedeth from both the Father and the Sonne by one incomprehensible breathing from eternity it was a powerfull breath because the grace of the holy Ghost comes with power and moveth the godly in whom he dwelleth to all that is good and so effectually moveth and strengtheneth them that they neither regard the threats of tyrants nor feare the trecheries of the Divell nor the hatred of the world Psal 19.3.4 hee conferreth upon the Apostles the gift of tongues because their sound was to goe into all lands and so the confusion of tongues which was the punishment of pride and rashnesse in the building of the tower of Babel was taken away and the dispersed nations Gen. 11 7 8 9. by the gift of the holy Ghost through the diversity of tongues were gathered together into the unity of faith Againe it was meet that he should come in the figure of tongues because holy men of God did speake as they were inspired by him For hee spake by the Prophets and Apostles and putteth the Words of God into the mouthes of the Ministers of the Church therefore the Prophets in the old time came not by the will of man 2 Pet. 1.21 but were moved by the holy Ghost for these great gifts blessed and praised be the holy Ghost together with the Father and the Sonne now and for ever Of the Love of God THis love of God is commanded by God to the Israelites by the mouth of Moses being then the select and peculiar people of God saying Deut. 6.5 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule and with all thy might and Christ himselfe in the Gospel doth alledge this Precept to the Doctor of the Law which tempted him saying Master which is the greatest Commandement in the Law He answering Matth. 22.36 37 38 39. said unto him Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy mind and thy neighbour as thy selfe this doth teach all Christians that without the knowledge of this love of God they can never attaine to the saving knowledge of God and without the love of God all knowledge is unprofitable For love is the life of Nature and the joy of Reason in the Spirit of grace where Vertue draweth affection the concord of sense makes an union unseparable in the divine apprehension of the joy of election it is a ravishment of the soule in the delight of the spirit which being caryed above it selfe into inexplicable comfort feeles that heavenly sickenesse that is better then the worlds health When the godliest of men in the swounding delight of his sacred inspiration could thus utter the sweetnesse of his passion my soule is sicke of love for love is a healthfull sicknesse of the soule it is a pleasing passion in the heart a contentive
to him will I give power over Nations Not hee that endevoureth the beginning the middle or a part of his life but hee that endureth to the end he shall be saved This salvation by Christ Jesus is the crowne of glory for which all men strive which none can gaine but he that runneth the race of his life faithfully and constantly 1 Cor. 9.24 therefore Saint Paul saith So runne that ye may obtaine that is endeavour your strength with your time to the utmost for though ye begin well it is nothing unlesse ye also end well for as the tree falleth so it lyeth Note and as men die so shall they rise to judgement for the grave can give no holinesse no perfection but doth onely continue us in the state it found us earth and corruption The manner of regeneration is how the children of God bee borne a new and how it is caused by the secret working of Gods holy Spirit in the children of grace John 3.8 he giveth an instance by the moving of the ayre that is when wee heare a whistling of the wind we know it bloweth yet doe we not know from whence it commeth so in the act of regeneration when we feele in our hearts the motion of Gods holy Spirit breathing salvation into our soules and when our workes and consciences give us an undoubted testimony that we are regenerated and borne of God it is then as vaine a care to search into the secret working of the Spirit of God was to enquire of the mind from whence it commeth or whether it goeth this thing is not necessary though regeneration is most necessary and not to be neglected upon paine of condemnation Seeing regeneration is of such absolute necessity to salvation Iohn 3.5 that Except a man be regenerate and borne anew of water and of the Spirit hee cannot enter into the Kingdome of God neither bee sonnes nay the servants of God though we never so much endeavour in the service of other Christian duties This doth admonish all men to have principall care to labour all meanes possible to have faithfull and sufficient witnesses both from their consciences and by testimony of their workes that they are the adopted children of God established in the assured hope of their salvation being knowne and sealed of God with the marke of regeneration for it must needs bee sufficient to resolve a conscience of Gods favour when we know we are his children it is a grounded cause to make us hopefull and confident in the trust of Gods mercy And seeing regeneration is an act of the holy Ghost every man ought so to rectifie and reforme the errors of his life as that the Spirit of God may not take loathing to enter our soules but rather that by mortification and holy excercise wee may be prepared to entertaine that sacred guest into our hearts least when hee commeth hee finde us as God will finde the reprobate in the day of judgement unprovided carelesse and secure and so not seale us for his sonnes but marke us the children of death and the friends of Antichrist Againe seeing the regenerate are made the children of God it ought therefore to be a principall care of every man to be regenerate because regeneration is the undoubted witnesse of the child of God 2 Pet. 1.10 Wherefore Saint Peter admonisheth all men to give diligence to make our calling and election sure which can be no way better assured us then by assuring our regeneration which is the certificat and testimony of our election and seeing the workes of regeneration must be both constant and faithfull by constancy is meant perseverance by faithfulnesse a choyce of lawfull particulars therefore every man ought to exercise his devotion and zeale in lawfull argument and that hee run in the spirituall race which God hath proposed him and not in the by waies of error of false and selfe opinion and that in this course he faint not in his spirituall courage but that hee hold out the race of his life with alacrity and hopefull confidence to win the garland of salvation which all shall both win and weare that constantly and faithfully endeavour themselves in godly actions The ordinary outward meanes to bring us to holy and godly action 2 Thes 2.14 is the preaching of the Gospel Saint Paul saith whereunto you are called by the Gospel to the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Iesus Christ. The Law serves to prepare our hearts for grace but it is the oyly drops to the Gospel by the power of the Spirit that doe soften and mollifie the heart and makes it supple and pliable and like Balme it doth revive and comfort the heart and senses and makes them pliable to that which is good and godly Rom. 1.16 the Gospel is the power of God that is the instrument of Gods power unto salvation to all them that believe also good examples afflictions losses crosses want sicknesse and the like are by the blessing of God 1 Pet. 1.23 good preparatives to grace but the preaching of the Gospel is the proper instrument of the Spirit for the effecting of grace for by the word of the Gospel God speakes to the eares of the soule and by it as by a pipe hee conveyes his graces into the cisternes of our hearts Regeneration then being of such infinite excellent worth and of absolute necessity let us take off our cares and endeavours from worldly occasions and apply them to this holy purpose for being regenerate wee shall avoyd the danger both of sin and death and live in the favour of God and be graced with the honorable title of his Son then let us remember them that proudly vaunt and boast their pedigree and their descent from honorable parents let us pity their errour and despise their vaine glory let us compare such honour with the honour of Gods regenerate children wee shall find an infinit distance of their worth their 's to be transitory passable and of short continuance vaine and full of bitter mixture this without comparison to be eternall and infinite infinite in worth infinite in time let us therefore despise that to gaine this let us desire no other honorable title then to be called the children of God To be the child of grace is the greatest honour in the world that will give us the most sufficient and greatest reputation that can be for that in the least degree will exceed and out-glory all earthly honour in the highest degree let us not care how base the world repute and esteeme us nay though the world persecute us let us not faint nor feare for wee know that our Saviours kingdome is not of this world neither is the glory of his children of this world but in him that hath begotten us by the grace of his holy Spirit is our glory and by him wee are made honourable let us therefore despise the world and the vanities
and reputed his as if they had beene committed by him he supplying our place as our surety and mediatour even so his righteousnesse is made ours not as though his were infused or translated into us as a thing inherent and inhabiting in us but because it is reputed ours and imputed freely to us as if we our selves Note We are the righteousnesse of God in him as he is sin in us by imputation had wrought it in our owne persons for justification and remission of sins are all one and the same for to justifie is for God not to impute sin unto us but to accept us for righteous and to pardon absolve and pronounce us just for the righteousnesse of Christ imputed unto us For so soone as the elect are absolved from their sins they are forthwith adopted into the right and priviledges of the children of God the effect of justification is peace of conscience that is when wee perceive our selves to bee delivered from our sinnes before Gods Judgement seate and the judgement of our owne consciences Rom. 8.1 Rom. 5.1 For there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ and being justified by faith wee have peace with God Even that peace which passeth all understanding whereas there is no true peace to the wicked but they are like the raging sea that cannot rest whose waters cast up nothing but mud filth and mire Esay 57.20 21. even so the wicked hath no peace saith God Againe our justification makes us have free accesse to God by prayer with confidence to be heard for Christ his sake for sinne was the make-bate and wall of partition betwixt God and us Now our sinnes are done away when wee are justified and therefore with boldnesse wee may approach unto the throne of grace Rom. 8.15 16. For wee have now received the spirit of adoption by which we cry Abba Father the Spirit it selfe beareth witnesse to our Spirit that we are the sonnes of God By which wee conceive very great good hope in him to whom we pray like suppliants that hee will in his fatherly affection towards us and in his good time give us those things whereof wee stand in need justification also begets patience in afflictions and maketh a man rejoyce in the midst of his tribulations knowing that tribulation produceth patience Rom. 5.3 4. patience proofe and proofe hope through the perswasion of our reconciliation unto God and our assurance that all things how bitter and grievous soever doe worke for the best unto them that love God Rom. 8.28 and are pleasing unto him in their good actions Now glorification is an inseparable companion and a notable effect of justification being freed from sinne and made the servants of God Rom. 6.22 23. we have our fruit in holinesse and the end is everlasting life for the reward of sinne is death but the gift of God is eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. The obedience of Christ by grace imputed to us and by faith received of us Note workes in us a desire care and endeavour to obey God and his death for which our sins are remitted workes in us another death whereby we die to sin and his glorious righteousnesse wherewith wee are invested and made to be reputed righteous doth purchase and merit for us eternall life and glory Remission of sins is a gracious act of God whereby for the merits and satisfaction of Christ hee doth perfectly forgive both the fault and punishment Therefore Saint Paul saith That by him we have redemption through his blood Eph. 1.7 c. even the forgivenesse of sinnes according to the riches of his grace Rom. 8.1 Heb. 1.3 and that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who hath by himselfe purged our sinnes and by whom the father hath reconciled us unto himselfe Therefore it were absurd to thinke that the punishment is retained when the sinne is remitted for if the proper cause be defaced then the effect thereof must needs bee abolished if the body bee removed the shadow thereof remaines not so if sins bee pardoned the punishment is remitted as for the crosses which the faithfull suffer they are not to be reputed as curses or penalties of vengeance inflicted of God as of an irefull and direfull Judge but they are to bee esteemed onely as tryals or as punishments of castigation imposed of God as a loving father desiring the welfare and weldoing of his children Revel 3.19 Heb. 12.6 As many as I love saith the Lord I rebuke and chasten he scourgeth every sonne which he receiveth The Lord tries us by afflictions as gold is tryed with fire in the furnace hee keepes us by the crosse within our limits as water is held in with bankes Note and with the thorny hedge of troubles and vexations hee keepes us within our bounds and walkes being given by nature to breake out and stray therefore David saith Before I was afflicted I went astray but now have I kept thy word Psal 119.67 It is the Lord which sendeth crosses to his children to save them that they perish not with the wicked world Augustin Augustine saith that sorrowes before pardon of sinnes are punishments of sinners but after pardon they are tryals and exercises of just men and so for death it selfe the sting and strength thereof which is sin 1 Cor. 15 56 57. is abolished by the death of Christ upon the Crosse and therefore it is to be reputed but as a tryall or chastisement whereby the Lord doth humble us and teach us humility and the flight of sin and doth exercise and prove our faith fortitude and patience Note Justification is a most free act of God and performed freely by God without coaction or the least inducement by any dignity present or foreseene to be in us hereafter for being absolute Lord of all hee may shew mercy on whom he list Eph. 2.3 for we are by nature all the children of wrath and the vessels of the divell destitute of all true grace Rom. 5. and subject to the curse of the Law remember then that it is free in regard of us that did not nor could not no way deserve it and free also in respect of God who did freely devise and dispose the meanes thereof and freely worketh faith within us by which we doe apply it to us and is justly performed in regard of Christ who by his all-sufficient merits did deserve it and by desert did acquire it for us Justification is also one absolute entire and individuall act it is onely acted in this life although it bee divers times renewed and applyed afresh in us as when the person justified doth fall into sin and repent now though it be a most perfect and plenary worke of God yet we come to the full perswasion of it but by degrees and though God at once forgive a man his sins by an
God of whose truth being a thing altogether infallible it were a wicked matter to doubt that wee doe believe also Christ the Sonne of God as when we doe believe his Word to be the Word of the onely begotten Sonne of God sent unto us from his Father for Christ saith He that believeth in me shall have life everlasting John 6.40 c. Vers 29. 1 John 3.23 this is the worke of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent To believe him as Christ the anoynted of God is to believe him in all poynts his words his actions and not to doubt any whit of any his sayings wee should not onely believe of God and God but also in God and to believe in God is to direct all our hope unto God and with sure confidence and trust to depend upon his goodnesse This third degree of fayth riseth upon the first two for whosoever doe believe of God and believeth God also aright cannot choose but assuredly and with all his heart depend upon the truth and goodnesse of his promise for otherwise it is no Christian fayth but a false fayth which is not faith but opinion John 14.1 11 12. for Christ saith unto his Disciples Let not your hearts be troubled yee believe in God believe also in me Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me Verely verely I say unto you hâ—e that believeth on me the workes that I doe the same shall he doe also By which words he requireth beliefe and trust in him aswell as in God the Father This Christian fayth is onely true and necessary to the obtayning of everlasting salvation but we must understand that the nature and disposition of God is such that no unfaithfull person can please him for how should the unfaithfull person please him who is the most true and faythfull of all thereupon commeth that saying to the Hebrews Heb. 11.6 that without faith it is impossible to please God Therefore no man can be blessed without fayth for how can hee be blessed which pleaseth not God but such that have no care for their everlasting salvation they be not compelled by any necessity to believe for they may perish without faith But they that doe desire to be saved must of necessity thinke upon faith John 3.16 without the which they cannot be saved Our Saviour sayd that God so lâ—ved the world that he gave his onely begotten Sonne to that end intent and purpose that whosoever doe believe in him should not perish but have everlasting life It is also necessary for every Christian man to know that Christ the Sonne of God is sent into this world from the father to redeeme and save sinners Christ saith This is everlasting life to know God the Father John 17. and Iesus Christ the Sonne whom he hath sent This knowledge is so incomprehensible to mans understanding that it seemeth unto him meere foolishnesse because the wisdome of the world is not capable to comprehend it therefore it is necessary that it be attayned by fayth by the power of the spirit By this mee know that Christ is the Sonne of God John 6.29 Wee ought likewise to believe all those things which doe concerne the resurrection the ascension the Priesthood and everlasting Kingdome of Christ and that he sitteth and ruleth at the right hand of his Father and for his comming againe to judge with the rising to judgement and life everlasting to come all which matters cannot be comprehended without faith Rom. 4 5 6. chap. Wee are required also of necessity to believe those things which the holy Spirit doth worke in our hearts to our salvation when as Christ doth forgive us our sinnes through fayth in his blood and so doth justifie us and when hee by his grace makes us the children of God by adoption 1 John 1 c. Acts 15. Gal. 5. Rom. 10. 1 Pet. 5. Rom. 5. Heb. 10. when hee doth purifie our hearts and maketh us able to doe good workes and to love our Christian brethren when hee stirreth us up by godly motions to call upon our Father by prayer to withstand Satan to be constant and persevere also in troubles all those things bee so wrought in the Elect of God by the vertue of the grace of Christ that none of them can be done in any man unlesse he hath Christian fayth this is a great poynt of wisdome in man to know from whence these gifts doe come This consideration doth admonish us that they which doe lacke true fayth must cry unto him who doth only worke the same in our hearts by the operation of his holy Spirit Faith is the gift of God and we doe receive it into the soule by the instrument of the body for so wonderfull great is the grace and the lovingnesse of God toward us that hee doth not only promise everlasting life and salvation unto us wretched sinners if we doe believe in him but hee doth also give them this gift that they may believe in him therefore it is a cleare matter that we have nothing in our flesh whereof we may glory Let them therefore which have but a weake and a small fayth pray with the Apostle Lord increase our faith Let them which bee strong in fayth acknowledge the gift of God and magnifie his grace if they doe see any that doe lacke the same gift of fayth let them pray to God for them the authour and giver of fayth that hee will vouchsafe to give them also the spirit of fayth It is manifest that true fayth is the gift of God How Gods gifts be given and Gods gifts are bestowed two manner of wayes some hee gives immediately without any ministry or helpe of man as the soule life understanding will appetite and those things which doe helpe towards the sustentation of our life love hatred feare of evill power to see to heare to smel to taste and to touch and those outward things as the Sunne Moone light day night aire summer and winter c. and some things the attained by the meanes of mans ministery and industry as a secondary meanes as the body the nutriment of the body corne bread wine clothes and such other like yea civill governement publique quiet by true justice in the magistrate arts sciences tongues usage and experience of things Againe some things be so given of God that hee which receiveth them doth not perceive that he receiveth them as when the soule is joyned to the body and life put into it and some things are received with perceivance of mans understanding as those things be which are given to men of ripe and good yeers and they may be perceived either in body as corporall gifts either in spirit as spiritual gifts Whether faith be given without measure Consequently we must consider also that all and singular gifts of God as well corporall as spirituall whether that they be given
Almighty God and they labour with content and alacrity the divels have neither liberty nor pleasure but being fettered with limitations cannot doe what they would but what they are licensed to doe The Angels are Gods servants the divels are his slaves both labour in his worke but with great inequality the testimony of Scripture doth set forth a number of authorities which because they are frequent I will produce onely some few Psal 104. which may satisfie doubt the Prophet admiring and praising God for his wonderfull creating and governing the World saith God made the Spirits that is the Angels Messengers and a flaming fire his Ministers Verse 4. For when they be sent they be Angels when they be spirits they bee no Angels for Angell is the name of the office and not of nature for respecting that whereof it is hee is a Spirit and in respect of that which he doth he is an Angell Againe who to prove the preheminency of the Sonne of God saith Heb. 1.6 that all the Angels worship him and proveth by the testimony of the Prophet Vers 7. that Angels are but messengers or ministers and that they are of a substance like fire or pure ayre by which testimony is proved both the nature and office of the Angels their nature that they are spirits like fire their office that they are ministers or messengers are they not all ministring spirits Vers 14. sent forth to minister for their sakes that shall bee heires of salvation by which is declared the purpose of their ministration and service that is for the good and benefit of the Elect of God both to prevent the enemy and to further them in their holy exercise To prove the power of Angels wee may remember in Exodus what God by an Angell did for the Israelites Exod. 14. when he brought them out of Aegypt by an Angell and by an Angell God destroyed in the host of Senacherib in one night 185000. 2 King 29.35 The Scripture is full of demonstrations of their powerfull acts God working his admirable effects by the service of his Angels Againe if we reduce to memory the most admirable of all Gods mercies we shall finde that in the execution thereof his Angels are either Ministers or Messengers and oft both to omit many other particulars and come to the most worthy most meritorious and most happy the Redemption of mankind by the birth and by the death of Jesus Christ were not the Angels continuall workers in that administration God sent his Angell Gabriel to bring the first newes thereof to the blessed Virgin Mary Luke 1.26 againe as soone as Christ was borne of the Virgin Luke 2.9 c. the holy Angell did publish and preach it to the Shepherds and multitudes of heavenly Souldiers praysed and magnifyed God for so great a benefit How often did the holy Angels visit and comfort our Saviour Math. 2.13 Math. 4.11 an Angell bids him flie into Aegypt the Angels waite upon him in the desert Luke 22 43 44 the Angels ministred unto him in the holy ministery of his preaching an Angell was present with him at the agony of death Math. 28.2 Acts 1.10 Math. 24.31 an Angell appeared at his resurrection the Angels were present at his ascension the Angels shall attend him when he returnes to judgement So then as the Angels waited upon Christ Note in the daies of his flesh so are they now solicitous for all them that are incorporated into Christ by faith as they served the head so doe they also serve the members they rejoyce to serve them here whom they shall have their companions in Heaven they doe not deny their ministery unto them whose most sweet fellowship they hope for hereafter There appeared to Jacob campes of Angels in the way to his Country Gen. 32.1 2. so in this life which is the way to our heavenly Country the Angels are Conductors and made Keepers of the holy ones The Angels defended Daniel in the midst of the Lyons Daniel 6.22 so likewise they defend all the godly from the treacheries and cruelty of the infernall lyon the divell Gen. 19.15 c. 19. The Angels preserved Lâ—t from the fire of Sodome so the Angels doe defend the faithfull by holy inspirations and gracious protections against the divels tentations the Worlds incantations and the fire of hell Luke 16.22 The Angels carried the soule of Lazarus into Abrahams bosome and so they translate the soules of the Elect unto the Pallace of all heavenly happinesse Acts 12.8 9. the Angell lead Peter out of prison so he doth deliver the godly out of most apparent dangers Great is the power of our adversaries but the guard of holy Angels is able and will defend the faithfull from them and doubt not but they will bee with them present Exod. 25.20 Esay 6.2 to ayde them in all places at all times and in all dangers the Scripture describeth them with wings under the figure of Cherubin Seraphin because thou maist know assuredly that they will come with incredible celerity to bring ayd and succour thee make no doubt but they will be thy protectours in all places in all dangers because they are most subtill spirits which no body can resist all visible things give way unto them and all bodies though they bee solid and thicke by them are made penetrable and passable Math. 18.10 The looking-glasse of the Deity is no argument of the Angels knowing all our necessities for that specular knowledge is but dispensatory Doe not doubt thou faithfull soule but these spirits know thy dangers and afflictions because they alwaies behold the face of thy heavenly Father and are alwaies ready prest for his service and thy safegard know also thou devout soule that these Angels are holy therefore study and endeavour holinesse if thou wouldst enjoy their fellowship accustome thy selfe therefore to holy actions if thou desirest to have the holy Angels thy keepers in every place and angle stand in awe and reverence of thy Angell and doe nothing in his presence that thou wouldst be ashamed to doe in the sight of man These Angels are chaste therefore they are driven away by thy impurity and filthy actions for filthy and lamentable sinnes drive away the Angels the keepers of our life if by thy sinne thou deprivest thy selfe of their tuition how canst thou be safe from the divells trecheries and the worlds tyrannies if thou be'st destitute of the Angels protection how canst thou be safe from the invasions of many imminent and ensuing dangers Hebr. 1.14 if thy soule be not guarded by the Angels defence the divell will overcome it by his deceitfull perswasions The Angels are Gods messengers sent unto us from him therefore if thou wilt have an Angell to be thy keeper thou must be reconciled by faith and true repentance where the grace of God is not neither is there the
truth thereof which they doe also which doe fondly devise it to bee conceived of the nature and substance of the holy Spirit for like as Christ said unto Nicodemus Iohn 3. Tâ—e same which is borne of the fl sh is flesh and the same which is borne of the Spirit is Spirit If Christ be borne of the substance of the holy Spirit and not of the substance of the Virgins flesh it followeth he is a Spirit and not flesh for the substance of any thing that is borne is most rightly deemed to be of the substance of it from whence it is hath his beginning Adam was called earthly because hee was taken out of the earth Thou art earthly saith God Gen 3.19 and shalt returne into earth againe But if we doe say Christ is a Spirit in as much as he is borne of the Virgin what doe wee else but deny that hee is man and so doe bring to nothing all his dispensation which hee tooke upon him in the flesh and withall the whole hope and certainety of our redemption which God forbid it appeareth clearer then the Sunne of the very birth of the flesh of Christ wrought by the holy Spirit by the power of the highest in the wombe of the Virgin and by the promises which went before and of those things which he suffered spake and did that he is true man yea the very sonne of man which can not be true unlesse hee hath the truth of our flesh It is very hard to finde out how the naturall child is conceived quickened nourished and growes in the mothers wombe of the seed of man after the accustomed course of nature much more how this unwonted and wonderfull incarnation of the word was perfected it passeth the compasse of mans understanding to yeeld a reason thereof Rom. 11.33 34. otherwise then was answered to the blessed Virgin her selfe by the Angell which is that it doth consist of the seed of man but of the vertue and operation of the holy Spirit for the Angell saith unto her The holy Spirit shall come upon thee and the power of the highest stâ—ll shadow thee Which was conceived by the holy Spirit the blessed Virgin wondred saying shee had not touchâ—d a man how then should shee bring forth a child the Angell doth open the matter unto her that it shall not be by the accustomed course of nature by the seed of man Luke 1.26 c. but by the singular working of the vertue of God for the vertue and power of the highest is the holy Spirit wrought in the wombe of the Virgin and forming the sonne of man of her flesh blood and performing this incarnation of the word without any seed of man but the same man which the Virgin did beare was not onely man but through the conjunction of the word was both God and man And whereas it is holden by some Apollinaris Bishop of Laodicea Math. 26 38. Iohn 12.27 that the word tooke upon him flesh onely and not soule against such opinion marke what Christ said My soule is heavie even to death and in Iohn Now my soule is troubled By which words certainely he witnessed not onely that hee had a soule but such a soule also as was subject unto heavinesse and trouble which thing can in no wise be attributed unto the nature of the word in it selfe wherefore it must needs be understood of the soule of man which he tooke upon him Marke againe Luke 23.46 what Christ saith who speaking of his Spirit Father I commend my Spirit into thy hands and Jesus crying with a loud voyce Math. 27.50 gave up his Spirit These places cannot be understood as spoken of the Word of God nor of the holy Spirit but in any wise of the spirit of man which he tooke upon him By the consideration of these matters it is manifest Mans spirit is subject to passion and not Gods that the word is not so incarnated in the wombe of the Virgin that it tooke upon him either the bare flesh without the soule either the flesh and soule without the spirit of man but that this incarnation was so made that therein is comprehended both the soule and the spirit that is that the word tooke upon him the whole man As the soule is the life of man so is God the life of the soule with flesh spirit and soule of whence it commeth that some had rather call this conjunction of the word and flesh to be man rather then flesh for that that the fulnesse of the taking upon him of man or of mans nature is more expressed in the word of humanation then of incarnation Lastly is added also the cause of this incarnation the generall and summary cause is that mankind should be redeemed from sinne the Kingdome of Satan and everlasting condemnation and that he might abolish him by death which had the dominion of death that is the divell and to make them free which through feare of death were subject unto bondage for hee tooke not upon him the nature of Angels but the seed of Abraham Joh. 3.16 For God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Sonne that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life therefore the Apostle saith he ought to be made in all points like to his brethren For both he that doth sanctifiâ— Hebr. 2.11 and they which are sanctified be all of one Againe that he should be a mercifull and faithfull mediatour for his people Hebr. 2.17 concerning those matters which were to be wrought wiâ—h God the Father to cleanse the sinnes of the people which concerne our salvation Last of all he saith he was borne for us to the intent that hee which granted to us that we should be might grant to us also to continue in his favour and grace or rather to the intent that as we through the malice of the Divell fell from the state of innocency might be by his incarnation renovated againe by the comming of Christ unto men is that wee may returne againe unto God and putting off our old man sinne may put on the new man Jesus Christ and that like as wee dyed all in Adam so we may live in Christ be borne with Christ 1 Tim. 3.6 crucified buried and rise againe also with Christ to glory everlasting Of Christs Nativity LEt us withdraw our minds awhile from temporary things and let us contemplate the holy mysterie of the Lords Nativity â—al 4.5 the Sonne of God came downe from heaven unto us that by him wee might obtaine the adoption of children God made man that man may be made partaker of divine grace and nature his birth was pure and holy to sanctifie our impure and polluted nativity he is borne of a Virgin betrothed to an husband to honour both Virginity and Matrimony which was Gods institution he is borne in the darkenesse of the night Luk.
nature and by restoratives and requisite dyet brings a new flesh wholesome and without disease the former diseased flesh being utterly wasted and consumed with the extremity of Physicke How to mortifie our diseased actions and affections So he that is resolved in his repentance and hath a loathing and detestation of his sinnes and desire to free his soule from the contagion of sinne must also resolve to endure such bitter physicke and strict dyet as the judgement of spirituall physicke doth prescribe him whereby all the evill depraved and corrupt affections of his soule may be utterly wasted that thereby his soule may have new and fresh endowment of grace without taint without disease without griefe This was figured in the manner of Gods calling Moses to his Princely and Propheticall office for when Moses made offer to come neare the presence of God in the bush Exod. 3.5 6. God forbad him saying Come not hither put thy shooes off thy feete that is before thou presume to approach my presence thou must put off thy sinfull and corrupt affections for hee that hath base and vile affections is not fit is not worthy the presence of God It was also commanded of God in the ceremoniall Law that they that were polluted with the touch of any uncleane thing Levit. 15.2 were for a time prohibited the Sanctuary and the presence of God and had a time limited to cleanse themselves before they were allowed and admitted for cleane persons all which ceremonies doe but note unto us the nature of holinesse how impossible it is to be reconciled with sinne for as the two contrary elements fire and water cannot possibly be in any one substance without intestine strife No peace betweene God and Belial so God and Belial grace and sinne can never conspire in any one particular subject in the same respect but what is gracious cannot be sinfull and what is sinfull cannot be gracious there being in them a full opposition of nature not to bee reconciled Phil. 2.12 Therefore it is necessary and needfull that before wee entertaine the graces of Gods holy Spirit wee must first discharge and abandon our sins which have had so long entertainement in us and before that wee can be regenerate and made the sonnes of God we must mortifie our sinfull affections whereby wee were made the servants of sinne Saint Paul admonishing the Colossians to the imitation of Christ and his holinesse adviseth them first to mortification as if without that meanes the other were impossible Mortifie therefore saith he your members Col. 3.5 6. which are on the earth fornication uncleannesse c. And hee giveth a reason of this direction in the Epistle to the Romans For if ye live after the flesh ye shall die Rom. 8.13 but if ye mortifie the deeds of the body by the Spirit yee shall live By which place wee are taught what mortification is and of what necessity it is Mortification is the abolishing of the deeds of sinne in our flesh What mortification is by the grace and operation of Gods Spirit By the deeds of the flesh is meant not onely our evill actions but our desires and carnall affections Saint Paul in the place before alledged Col. 3.5 6. calleth them members of the earth Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the earth fornication uncleannesse inordinate affections evill concupiscence Luke 5.6 and covetousnesse which is Idolatry for which things sake the wrath of God commeth upon the children of disobedience In which hee comprehendeth not onely our sinfull actions but our affections also nay the very naturall concupiscence and depravednesse of our nature To endeavour exactly is exactly to performe not that any man is able exactly to performe these duties but sincerely to endeavour them and that our defects may be in our power but not in our purpose and endeavour therefore you must mortifie your sinnes of action your sinnes of affection and your sinnes by descent and seeing mortification is an office of the Spirit Quest here importeth a question whether the word Note spirit in this place is meant of the Spirit of God the holy Ghost or the spirit of man our naturall soule It is answered Answ that the spirit executing this office of mortification is principally meant of the holy Ghost who giveth the first motion of desire in every godly action it is also respectively meant of the care and travell of our owne spirits or soules Note Phil. 2.13 not that our owne spirits is the cause of our mortification but being first caused by the holy Spirit of God it is entertained and continued by the exercise of our owne reformed spirits our spirits having no such strength in their owne nature but as they are prepared by the grace of the holy Ghost For as in casting a stone or running of a boule though the strength of the arme give the first motion to the boule or stone yet afterwards is the motion continued a competent time as well because of the powerfull moving of the arme as also because of the aptnesse or fitnesse of the thing moved so in the office of mortification Note and in all other divine offices of the soule though the soule move not it selfe to these holy actions No soule can move it selfe to divine action yet by reason of the spirituall nature of our soules when it is once moved by the holy Ghost it then continueth such motion toward perfection so the prime honour of the holy exercise of mortification and so of all other spirituall offices is wholly to be ascribed to the power of Gods holy Spirit which moveth in our hearts every act and every purpose of well-doing and he doth also illuminate us by his holy Spirit infusing a new and heavenly light into our minds being so blind before as that it neither saw nor could see the things which doe belong to the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.14 the naturall man faith Saint Paul perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God neither can hee know them through ignorance in like manner also in the will which is altogether perverse and wholly falne from God hee worketh an uprightnesse and in all the affections a new holinesse Hence proceedeth that new man which is created after God in true holinesse and righteousnesse Ephes 4.24 and causeth us being enlightened and thus changed to apprehend his mercy to desire and affect our amendment and to answer his call like David For when God had pierced Davids eare by his Spirit he answered Loe I come Psal 27.9 There is also a necessity of mortification imposed upon every man upon pain of condemnation this is shewed in the words before alledged by S. Paul for saith he If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye but if ye mortifie the deeds of the body Rom. 8.13 yee shall live whereby the Apostle proposeth life and death before the Romanes
government of his creatures the creatures not being ordained for the service of them but man for whom all things were made and from whom was to be derived a world of people when he sinned God himselfe punished him and his posterity and the creatures he had made and had given him For as the sin of man had infected the whole world mans house so the curse of God and the worke of his displeasure was seated on that house the world all things then being subject to alteration and evill change from this curse is the inecessity of regeneration all things being now in their owne nature in the state of corruption and death therefore Saint Peter saith When Christ shall come to â—udgement 2 Pet. 3.10.7 the heavens shall passe away with noyse and the elements shall melt with heat and the earth with the workes therein shall be utterly burned up and there shall be a new heaven and a new earth according to the promise of God Verse 13. wherein dwelleth righteousnesse What manner of persons ought wee then to be in holy conversation and godlinesse of life Verse 11. seeing that all these things shall perish so that nothing shall be able to abide the glory of Gods presence but that which is reformed and regenerate not the elements nor earth no nor heaven it selfe but as all have endured for sinne the bad alteration so must they endure by grace the good alteration all were transformed by the sin of one man Adam all must be reformed againe by grace in Christ or else remaine still in their deformity Saint Paul is peremptory in this opinion Gal. 6.15 for he saith in Christ Jesus neither circumcition availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but a new creature that is a regeneration by a lively faith in Christ is onely necessary at many â—n walke according to this rule peace be upon them and meâ—â—y upon them that be of God Verse 16. all ceremonies being insufficient and not effectuall and our Saviour Christ preached to Nichodemus the necessity of regeneration and affirmeth his doctrine with a double asseveration saying Verily verily I say unto thee John 3.3 except a man be borne againe hee cannot see the kingdome of God if not to see the kingdome of God we cannot inherit it This may suffice to perswade the necessary knowledge and the necessary care of regeneration being that without which it is impossible to be saved now to know what regeneration is it is an act of the holy Ghost in Gods elect whereby they are admitted and entred into a constant and faithfull exercise of godly life for as it is said before all grace is the gift of God Iam. 1.17 18. and every motion to good is caused onely by the spirit of God of his owne good will hee begat us by the Spirit of truth our selves being meerely passive in the first action of grace God himselfe being the actor and principall mover thereof for the holy Ghost by whose directions we learne the use of all spirituall exercise doth move both our capacity and power to understand the knowledge and use of necessary and Christian performance without which wee should never be able to comprehend the rudiments and first elements of divine learning regeneration being then a Christian office of most necessary performance it must needs then be caused in us by the inspiration of the holy Ghost who is the first mover of every grace This Doctrine Saint Peter concludeth in expresse words saying Blessed be God 1 Pet. 1.3 even the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which according to his bâ—â—â—den mercy hath begotten us againe unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead so that wee are regenerate and new begotten by God in Jesus Christ at the motion and instance of his abundant mercy cowards us Regeneration or sanctification is the gift of God whereby our corrupt nature is renewed to the Image of God by the operation of the holy Ghost or it is an inward change of man justified Hippocates whereby the Image of God is restored in him for as one saith that physicke is an adjection and a substraction an adjection of things wanting and a substraction of things redounding in the bodies of men Even so is sanctification a removing of the corrupt humours of our soules and adjection or infusion of spirituall graces which are wanting in us Greenham for in every generation there is a corruption and we see that the seed sowne is much changed before it grow up and beare fruit then it is needfull in generation that there be a corruption of sinne so that as the seed in the ground so sinne in our mortall bodies must decay that the new man may be raised up by the Spirit of God taking possession of our soules Heb. 12.14 This transformation of man is very requisite to salvation for without holinesse no man shall see God Therefore if wee will not live to God by grace upon earth Ezech. 18.30 31 32. Rom. 6.23 we shall not live with him in glory in the Heavens if we will not die to sin in this world we shall not escape death the wages of sin in the world to come if we do not live to God in holinesse in this life wee shall not live in happinesse with God in the life to come it is not onely necessary to him that is to be saved that sinne bee abolished by remission but that it bee likewise mortified by regeneration our regeneration must then of necessity be wrought in the whole man according to both soule and body Albeit our sanctification be the worke of the whole Trinity yet it is immediately performed by the holy Ghost yea and like also This act of regeneration is caused by the holy Ghost in the hearts of the Elect and Gods labour is never fruitlesse but what he willeth to attempt is finished there being no resistance of his power nor any greater then himselfe to countermand him as holy David saith The Lord hath done whatsoever pleased him By this act of grace they are entred and admitted into the exercise of godlinesse which doth promise us an extraordinary degree of hope that wee are in Gods favour yet have we then our best assurance when we are adopted his children by regeneration for then wee bring our holy purpose of reformation into act and faithfully endeavour those duties which before wee had onely determined we are then made fruitfull and the Sonnes of God and not before for wee are then Gods first fruits because we are then first made fruitfull we must therefore bee constant and faithfull in the exercise of good workes because that not those that faint in the race of godlinesse but those that goe on with hope and alacrity shall obtaine to the ends of their progresse and have the garland for so saith Saint Iohn Revel 2.26 Hee that overcommeth and keepeth my workes to the end
the holy Ghost which is in you whom yee have of God bought with the price of redemption therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirits 1 Cor. 6.19.20 which are Gods Examine your selves prove your selves know you not your owneselves how that Jesus Christ is in you 2 Cor. 13.5 except yee be reprobates Thus wee may assure our selves of our sanctification by the undoubted testimony and inward suggestion of the holy Ghost assuring our spirits of the same and also by certaine undoubted testimonies and tokens of it 2 Joh. 3.8.9 if therefore wee doe not commit sin with full consent of will if wee doe not continue in sin to be led wholly by it but when wee doe sin Mark 14.72 to recover our selves as Peter did by true and hearty repentance then wee may know that wee are not in the slavery of the Divell Goade but the children of God for hee that believeth that Jesus is Christ and borne of God it is a certaine token of his regeneration 1 Joh. 5.1 hereby shall yee know the Spirit of God for every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh 1 Joh. 4.2 the Sonne of Mary and is the anoynted King Head Priest and Prophet of his people which God raised up for the salvation of the soules of the elect of God hee that striveth to keepe the Commandements of God overcome and vanquish the vanities the vaine allurements and alluring inchantments and obstacles of the world and keepe a constant course in piety he is undoubtedly the true child of God he that keepeth continuall watch and ward over his heart and is circumspect in his walking and fearefull to offend God and rather forsake the world then God he doth plainly shew that he is the childe of Grace and belongeth to God and his Kingdome and not to this world to grieve for sin because it offends God and hurts his owne soule is a notable signe of a mortified heart A sanctified man doth manifest the grace of his heart by sanctifying the name of God and by conversing with sanctified men as also by seeking the sanctification of others Note For a good man doth love to communicate his goodnesse and not to keepe it lockt up in his owne breast it is also a notable and infallible signe of holinesse when a man doth more and more contend against his owne sins and wickednesse and labour continually to draw neerer unto God by holinesse Lastly when we feele the inward corruptions of our hearts and a desire to be dis-burthened of them and avoyding of the actions of sin and an anger against our selves for sinning doe evidently shew that the Spirit of God hath taken possession of our hearts and hath begun to worke a most happy change within us Where these graces are there is also the God of grace the Spirit of grace a man of grace a true dying unto sin and a living unto God sin is dismounted the sinner is renewed for Gods Image is restored Hee that is thus truely sanctified is also glorified for glorification is the communication of true holinesse and happinesse to them that are elected called and justified For glory comprehendeth in it both holinesse and happinesse holinesse is one degree of happinesse and happinesse is the highest degree of holinesse no man is holy but the same is happy and no man can be happy but hee must be holy grace is the inchoation of glory and glory is the consummation of grace he that sits in the throne of grace is truely intituled to the crowne of glory and it is one point of glory to be a man of grace for a gracious man may rightly be stiled a glorious man Of Justification IUstification is a gracious forgiving of sins by the imputation of the righteousnesse of Christ Psal 32.1 2. and Gods gracious acceptation whereby he doth for the merit of Christs active obedience by faith received of us account us just and pure and honours us with the crowne of life and in this respect wee may be truely said to be just perfect and holy because wee stand clothed with the most perfect righteousnesse of Christ which is reputed ours in which appearing before our heavenly Father we doe receive a blessing as Jacob did of Jsaak Gen. 27.15.27 having on his elder brothers garments this may seeme strange unto us that wee should be accepted righteous for the righteousnesse of another for albeit this righteousnesse is Christs primarily and by way of inherence yet it is ours by Gods free donation and by the application of faith the head and the faithfull his members is all one mysticall body Rom. 4.2 and therefore the satisfaction of Christ pertaineth to all the faithfull as to his members the forme or formall cause of Justification is not faith love nor other vertue neither is it an infused quality or habituall sanctity inherent in us Phil. 3.9.10 but the righteousnesse of Christ considered as it is reputed of God is the forme of Justification or the proper and onely true forme of Justification is the free imputation of the righteousnesse of Christ by which the merits and obedience of Christ are applyed unto us by vertue of that neere communion whereby hee is in us and wee in him Now God is said to impute righteousnesse into a man when hee doth adjudge decree and give it to him and account and reckon it as his owne and for the merit and worthinesse thereof doth pardon acquit and repute him righteous Saint Paul expostulateth this doctrine with the Galatians whom he calleth foolish for doubting it Gal. 3.2 saying This onely would I learne of you receive yee the spirit by the workes of the Law or by hearing of faith preached Vers 3. Againe are yee so foolish that after yee have begunne in the Spirit yee would now be made perfect by the deeds of the flesh where he admireth their simplicity that seeke righteousnesse in the flesh but rather and onely by the meanes of faith in Jesus Christ because our justification is spirituall and not of the flesh and this doctrine he concludeth by an invincible argument Verse 26. saying that seeing yee are the sonnes of God by faith in Christ Jesus wee are therefore also justified and made the servants of God by faith For saith he we are all the sonnes of God by faith in Christ Jesus and if faith be able to make us sonnes it must be also able to make us servants for that which is able in the greater performance is able in the lesse O sweet exchange O unsearchable worke-manship O benefits surpassing all expectation 2. Cor. 5.21 that the iniquity of many should be covered in one just person now Christ beares our sins and was made sin for us which knew no sin not as if our sinnes had beene infused into him and had beene inherent and inhabitant in him but because they were imputed to him
immediately from him or by some meane are bestowed in a certaine measure for no man in all points hath granted unto him such a perfection of any gift but that hee may be made more perfect in the same gift for whosoever is wife is so wise in measure that he may yet be made wiser in that of that sort is the gift of faith and all other the gifts of God granted unto men this the Apostle witnesseth saying that no man esteeme of himselfe more then he ought Rom. 12. but so esteeme himselfe that he behave himselfe discreetly according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith Againe the Apostle saith that there is given to some a greater to some a lesser measure of faith Ephes 4. yet there is one Lord one Faith one Baptisme one God one selfesame but not all one measure one Father of all which is above and through all and in you all Wherefore the faithfull be not alike in those things which doe grow upon faith and doe follow the same as in knowledge in love and feare of God also in hope love to our neighbours patience and study of godly life Againe Measure of faith sufficient to salvation 1 Cor. 12. the measure of faith is so divided by the providence of God that to the elect there is no lesse given him then is sufficient to salvation For he giveth a sufficient proportion to every one for he that hath the greater hath never a whit the greater salvation nor hee which hath the lesse hath never the lesse salvation the truth thereof is set forth in Exodus and they gathered Manna some more Exod. 16 17 18. some lesse and unto him that gathered much remained nothing over and unto him that had gathered little there was no lacke True faith whereof wee doe speake is not given unto all men therefore it is that the Apostle saith 2 Thes 1. Rom. 10.16 Esay 65.12 all men have not faith all men doe not believe the Gospel for Esaias saith Lord who hath believed our sayings To obey the Gospel is to assent unto it with true faith and to repose our selves in it with a good and assured trust therefore the true faith of Christ is not in all men that is to say it is none of those common gifts of God which are commonly given unto all men but it is one of the speciall graces which are onely given unto some few by the providence of God of this kinde be also the heavenly and spirituall gifts which be necessary unto true and everlasting felicity such as faith hope charity patience the study of godlinesse and the feare of the Lord and the like No doubt this gift of faith is a singular gift of God but it is not enough for a man to have it When it is once gotten it must be nourished when we have it unlesse that after hee hath it it be continually conserved increased and practised throughout all our life for faith is of the same nature that the vertues be which be naturally powred into us and be necessary for the conservation of this present life which it is not sufficient to have received them unlesse they be also furthered amplified and encreased in us as for example the power of reason which wee received at the first birth of our flesh which must alwaies be nourished advanced and exercised to the necessary uses of our life Note So this Christian faith which is as it were a certaine reason of our second birth and new man in Christ must like an infant be fed and furthered to the spirituall life the increase of faith is when it groweth and increaseth in the hearts of the faithfull whereby it waxeth stronger and stronger by the grace of God that we be now able to believe those things which before wee could not believe although they were never so true and set forth in the Word of God that Christ is the Saviour of the world 2 Thes 1. The Thessalonians increased in faith abundantly this increase of faith doth depend upon the increase of the knowledge of Christ so the faithfull be admonished of Saint Peter that they should increase in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 3. the increase of faith may be perceived in the mutuall love towards our brethren in their patience and suffering of troubles So the Apostle meant when he said For as much as your faith increaseth 2 Thes 1. and the charity of every of you one towards another aboundeth so that wee our selves doe glory of you in the Church of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations which you doe suffer on the other side staggering and carefull feare doth argue a weaknesse of faith so it was said to Saint Peter Why doubtest thou O thou of little faith Mat. 14.30 31. and they which doe start backe in the time of temptation persecution affliction or tribulation are tryed to be weake in faith and doe prove themselves so to be so the faith of St. Peter was weake Mat. 26.71 72. when he was proved by the maydens word and denyed his Master And seeing that there is given to all the elect of God a measure of faith from the Lord and that the same is not all one in all men and yet sufficient for every one unto salvation and is such that it is not perfected in any certaine space of time or yeeres but that wee must travell in it and endeavour it as long as wee live in this world as soone as faith is conceived by the gift of God Faith breedeth true repentance it produceth and bringeth forth as her daughter true repentance and that so soone that it seemeth to bring it with her from heaven as her waiting mayd whereof there be many examples in the holy Scriptures Zachâ—us as soone as hee was come to the faith of Christ said Luk. 19.8 Lo Lord I doe give the one halfe of my goods to the poore and in case I have beguiled any body I doe restore foure times as much which words doe manifestly declare the judgement of true repentance and when a great sort of people began to believe the saying of St. Peter Acts 2.37 they had remorse in their hearts and brast out saying What shall wee doe brethren to be saved and many of them that began to believe came to the Apostles and disclosed their doings moved no doubt by the spirit of repentance The true knowledge of God Faith doth take hold of the true knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ his Sonne which the world here cannot attaine unto The holy Spirit doth kindle a light in the hearts of the faithfull so that they may most certainly know those things to be most true which they doe believe in faith so Saint Peter said to whom shall wee goe Joh. 6.68 69. thou hast the words of
let us remember our hope and in our hope our God while we live here let us remember that wee are prisoners and in the bondage of our flesh and when we die we know that we shall have freedome and death that is cruell to others will bee favourable to us and death that will kindle the fire of their affliction will extinguish our and doubtlesse wee shall finde death more favourable unto us than men for by men wee are injured disgracefully and reproachfully despised most ignominiously afflicted cast downe by feares of enemies affrighted our opinions doubted our actions scanned and opposed our endeavours misinterpreted and intercepted and by wrongs of ill neighbours oppressed our good name brought into odious reputation and by disquietnesse betwixt false friends and open foes in a manner confounded Death takes us from all these feares and injuries layes us in a peaceable grave makes us sleepe in that bed of rest protects our bodies silences our name and carries our spirit to his place appointed Let us not therefore be moved by any example to feare death but let us have a Christian resolution to abide it with courage nay with hope without doubting When we shall see the sons of fortune feare every little sickenesse the serjeants of death Ier. 4.2 we shall see the sonnes of grace deride them for their folly for they never behold death but in his ugly forme to their terrour but to these he appeareth most beautifull pleasant and of delightfull conversation death is to them a Lion but our Lambe his actions in their Scene is tragicall but in our comicall and full of heavenly recreations Whence commeth this 1 Cor. 15. It is our Savior Christ that hath thus caused it his power hath done it his hand hath wrought it he hath tamed death he hath taken his sting from him that it cannot hurt his Elect he hath shut up hell that hath gaped against us and hath reconciled us to our graves wherein wee may safely repose without feare and terrour hee hath commanded death that would perish us to secure us and to present our full proportion before his judgement seat This hath hee done that is able to doe all things he hath done it also for me my faith perswades me so I will acknowledge my selfe therfore in most dutifull thankes to my God and Saviour and in every time of distresse I will looke at death and with that serious meditation receive a full proportion of comfort in my selfe through the merit of my Saviour Amen A Sweet Contemplation of the Beatificall joyes of Heaven and Heavenly things And the Blessed state of a regenerate Christian HEre my meditation dazleth and cannot conceive and my Contemplation is not able to discerne and my Pen not able to describe that most excellent blisse and eternall weight of glory 2 Cor. 4.17 Rom. 8.18 whereof all the momentanie lightnesse of our afflictions and tribulations are not worthy which all the faithfull Elect shall with the blessed Trinity enjoy Rom. 8.17 1 Kings 8.27 2 Cor. 12 2.4 Psal 19.5 from that time they shal be received with Christ as joynt heirs into that everlasting kingdome of joy the heaven of heavens or the third heaven called Paradise which Christ in his humane nature ascended far above all visible heavens which by the firmament as by an azured Curtaine spangled with glittering starres and glorious Planets is hid that we cannot behold it with the corruptible eyes of flesh the holy Ghost framing himselfe to our weakenesse describes the glory of that place which no man can estimate no not by such things as are most pretious in the estimation of man Rev. 21.2 c. and therefore likeneth it to that great and holy City named the heavenly Jerusalem Therefore O devout soule lift up thy selfe above thy selfe flie away in the contemplation of heaven and heavenly things make not thy further abode in this inferiour region where is nothing but travells and troubles cares and trialls sorrow and woe feare wretchednesse Col. 3.2 and sinne and all deceiving and destroying vanities Bend all thine affections upward unto the superiour place where thy Redeemer liveth and raigneth where thy joyes are layd up in the treasury of his Merits which shall be made thy merits his Protection thy protection his Death thy life eternall and his Resurrection thy salvation where He sits in his glorious Throne Matt. 13.43 accompanied with all the many thousands of Saints and Angells shining more bright than so many Sunnes in glory sitting about him and the Body of Christ in glory and brightnesse surpassing them all and there from his Throne of majesty Matt. 25.10 to the end he shall in the sight and hearing of all the world pronounce unto his Elect Come yee Blessed of my Father c. Here is our blessed union with Christ and by him with the whole Trinity here is our absolution from all sins and our plenary endowment with all grace and happinesse here is the authour from whom by Christ proceeds all our felicity here is our adoption our birth-right and possession see here is Gods fatherly care for his Chosen from the foundation of the world O the free eternall unchangeable Election of God who hath given thee an eternall inheritance assured by an holy covenant made in the word of God signed with the blood of his Sonne 1 Cor. 5.10 c and sealed with his Spirit and Sacraments his chosen Elect shal be translated out of this wofull wretched miserable and transitory world into his eternall happinesse his immortall and everlasting kingdome Rev. 21. the Celestiall Canaan that heavenly Ierusalem so glorious by creation so beautifull with delectation so rich in possession so comfortable for habitation This shall be thine eternall happinesse in the Kingdome of heaven where thy life shall be a Communion with the blessed Trinity thy joy the presence of the Lambe thy exercise singing the ditty Allelu-jah thy consorts Saints and Angells where youth flourisheth that never waxeth old beauty lasteth that never fadeth love aboundeth that never cooleth health continueth that never slacketh and life remaineth that never endeth There is light without darkenesse mirth without sadnesse health without sicknesse wealth without want credit without disgrace beauty without blemish Psal 86.3 ease without labour riches without corruption blessednesse without misery and consolation that never knoweth end where they shal live for ever with him in ful freedome from all evill in perpetuall fruition of all felicity so that as nothing shal be found in hell which shall be desired so nothing shall be desired in heaven which shall not be found there shall be mirth without mourning a life without labour and day without darkenesse eternall happinesse and happy eternity there is neither sinne nor sorrow neither penalty nor penitencie neither foe nor frighting neither corruption nor contention amity and no enmity faith and no fraud godlinesse and no guile love